It had been a little awkward at home. Both sets of parents were probably aware of what would happen tonight, but they chose to ignore it. They seemed to think ignoring it would be easier than facing it, and they had lost the will to fight it. They had accepted Max and Liz as a permanent couple, but couldn't quite get over treating them as children. Both Liz and Max understood that; they decided if their parents could accept their relationship, they could deal with some of their parents' struggles to cope with it.

After Liz and Max's experience in the desert the night they found the orbs, Liz had gone to her doctor and started on the pill. She didn't know then what would happen between them, but she couldn't rule out making love to Max; it was on her mind all the time. He lived inside her heart and mind, and she secretly hoped there would come a time when she would share her body with him as well. Her mother, still struggling with her internal tug-of-war over this unique and intense relationship, had awkwardly broached the subject the day after the party at the Evans's. "Liz, if you and Max decide . . . I mean, you need to be careful, you know, about . . . ." Liz had hurried to stop her; she would never be comfortable talking about this with her. She had just taken her mother's hand and said, "Mom, we'll be careful. I promise. It's taken care of." Her mom had just nodded. She trusted Liz, and that was really as much detail as she wanted to know.

Liz had felt confident then, but as she approached Michael's apartment, she was seized by self-doubt. She had no idea what she was doing. What if he was disappointed in her? What if she did something wrong? What if this turned out to be a disaster? She was standing at Michael's door wondering if she should bolt when it swung open. There stood Max with his beautiful smile that was meant for her alone, and love shining in his eyes. Her nervousness evaporated the instant she saw him. He held out his hand for her and pulled her inside.

"Don't be nervous, Liz. It's just us." He looked so beautiful in his white button down shirt, open at the collar, sleeves rolled up, and khakis. She loved the bangs that fringed his eyes, and the way his hand always reached up to cup her face with such tenderness.

She gave him a sidelong look and blushed. "It's not always a good thing that you know what I'm feeling," she said softly.

"Says you," he grinned.

Liz lifted her head and sniffed the wonderful smells in the apartment. Max had cooked! Then she began to notice the rest of the room. Candles were burning everywhere. There were flowers on the card table set up in the living room, and music was playing softly on the stereo. "Max," she breathed happily. "This is so beautiful! I can't believe you did all this."

"Nothing's too good for you, Liz," he smiled. "Which is why," he said with a guilty look, "I bought dinner from the restaurant around the corner."

Liz giggled. "That's a relief!" she teased him.

Max laughed with her, and they began to talk easily as he served their meal. They wound up talking for a long time about their bumpy history--from the healing to the first kiss, from the orbs to Max's torture, from learning the aliens' "destiny" to Liz's kidnapping, from the revelation of Liz's family secret to finding the Criston and Max's Voyan family. They could only marvel at the astonishing turns their lives had taken.

"I wouldn't change a thing if it all led to our being here, together," Max told her, taking her hand.

"Neither would I," whispered Liz.

"Dance with me." Max moved the card table aside and turned to Liz, wrapping her in his arms, pressing his face into her scented hair and breathing deeply. Liz couldn't think of anywhere on Earth (or anywhere else, for that matter) that she would rather spend the rest of her life than in Max's arms. She melted into his chest and let the music float over them. They weren't thinking, only feeling and moving, giving themselves up to a world of heightened senses.

Max moved his hand up under Liz's hair, caressing her head, letting the silky strands sift through his fingers. She lifted her face to him and he bent to brush her lips with his, barely touching them, teasing them. She went up on tiptoe, insisting on more, pressing against him and sweeping his lips with her tongue. He reacted immediately, intensifying their kiss and plunging into her, wanting to taste her sweet mouth, wanting to feel what she was feeling, wanting . . . her.

When he pulled away, he looked deeply into her beautiful eyes. "There's something I want to give you." He led her to a chair and gently pushed her to sit. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a box. Then he knelt in front of her. Liz was amazed. This couldn't be what it looked like. They had agreed to try to be as "normal" as possible for the next couple of years.

"Liz, I know we can't be legally married yet, and I know we have to keep a low profile. But I wanted you to have something special to wear. Something that says we are together in every way that counts. So River Dog helped me have this made for you."

Liz opened the box and gasped. Inside was perched a beautiful silver ring with the spiral symbol engraved on its broad flat face. In the center was one of the loveliest turquoise stones Liz had ever seen. "Max! It's beautiful!" Liz eyes started to fill with tears. Her mouth opened to say more but no words would come. Max lifted the ring from the box and slid it onto Liz's ring finger. "I'll replace this one day with the real thing," he promised.

Liz threw her arms around his neck and began to cry. "But I will always wear this Max, even then."

Max held her close to him and let her cry. He felt like crying, too, just to release the pressure of his heart bursting with happiness. For one of the first times in his life, he felt blessed for being who he was. As they embraced, Max became more and more aware of her body next to his. At long last, tonight, they could abandon themselves to their love. He had thought about this, dreamed about this a thousand times.

After Liz's tears started to subside, she pulled back from him, wiping her face. "You're all wet," she sniffed.

"Then let's get these wet clothes off." His voice was low and husky and she looked into his eyes, breathing in sharply at the desire she saw burning there. But she wasn't scared this time, only in love, and nothing could be more natural. He lifted her from the chair, carried her into the bedroom, and stretched out beside her.

Propping himself up on one hand, he willed her to see inside him. "Liz, I don't want to hurt you or scare you in any way. This will go just as you want it to go. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

Liz nodded. She trusted him so completely, she couldn't imagine telling him to stop. But it seemed important to him that she be in control here, so she eased his mind. "You'll be the first to know," she assured him with a whisper. "Now kiss me."

That was all Max needed. At first, he felt such intensity between them that he was afraid to let himself go, but he was quickly aware that Liz's need matched his own and he gave himself up to it. As their kisses deepened, their connection formed, but this time, there were no images, only a mosaic of color and feeling, and they could see the familiar glow brightening around them. Max released Liz's mouth and began to leave a trail with his tongue down her neck and collarbone as his hand slipped under her top and inched toward her breasts. The second his hand brushed her nipple, Liz let out a small moan and brought her hand around his back, urging him closer.

He was merciless, playing lightly with her sensitive nipples, twirling them between his fingers, cupping her breasts and rubbing his thumb over the tips, all the while kissing her neck, her ears, her lips. Soon he had pushed the top up over her breasts and was nipping at them--warm, moist kisses around and around until he took the taut tips into his mouth and began to suck, his tongue never stopping its swirling motion against her skin. He had her writhing beneath him when she took him by surprise. Suddenly the idea of control very much appealed to Liz. She pushed Max backward on the bed and held his legs down with one knee as she focused intently on his eyes and unbuttoned his shirt. She spread the shirt open and gazed down at his muscular chest, his firm abdomen. She shifted to straddle him and slowly, provocatively pulled her top off over her head.

She heard Max suck his breath in as he gazed at her, so beautiful, so warm, so eager. He began to reach for her to pull her down, but she stopped his hands, pressing them back against the bed. "Stay," she ordered.

"Staying," he promised, echoing their exchange from the night of Liz's blind date. She splayed her hands against his chest and began to rub, up and over his spectacular pecs, down over his stomach where her fingers toyed with his waistband, making Max squeeze his eyes shut as he fought for the control not to reach out and grab her. Then her hands pushed upwards to his shoulders where she started to tug at the sleeves. Max lifted his torso slightly and helped her slide his shirt off, but she laid him back down and began a torture of her own.

As she leaned down toward him, he closed his eyes for her kiss, but it was not his lips that were electrified by her touch. She was touching her breasts to his, sweeping them across his chest, pulling a moan from deep within him. He snapped. His arms came up and around her like a vice and he pulled her tightly to him, ravaging her mouth. He reached for her hips, rocking her back and forth against him, trying to assuage his building need to take her.

No! He had promised himself that this would be as incredible for her as for him. He clamped down on his own urges for a moment, and took control back from her as quickly as she had taken it from him. He flipped her easily to her back and began to run his hand over her hips and thighs. He got the reaction he was looking for. She couldn't lay still, moving under his hand almost immediately. Max slipped his hand under her skirt and slid up her smooth legs toward her center. His fingertips touched between her legs, causing her to jerk in reaction. She was so wet. Max felt weak as he touched her, knowing all this was borne of her love for him.

Moving his hands to the waistband of the skirt, he hooked his fingers under the elastic and pulled down either side, catching her underwear in the same stroke. He moved backwards and stood at the end of the bed to slide them all the way off, pausing for an adoring look at the gorgeous woman he loved. Knowing they were finally going to express their love in the only way that had been out of their reach helped him calm down a little. This would be his gift to her.

As he moved back onto the bed, he came up between her legs, parting them gently. Waiting for him, begging for him was her most sensitive spot. He looked at Liz's face, waiting for any objection, but he found her looking at him with trust, love, anticipation. He lowered his head, nuzzling her dark curls and inducing yet another small moan. Quickly, gently, his tongue darted over her nub and a longer, deeper moan escaped her. He spread her lips and took her center into his mouth, laving her, sucking her, driving her insane. She was moving against him, pressing into him as she spoke his name over and over again. Finally, Max slid his hand up to her breast and brushed her nipple as his tongue darted more quickly.

"Max!" He could feel her muscles clenching and unclenching against him and he smiled to himself. This is just what he wanted her to feel. He stayed still as she rode out the waves, breathing in ragged gasps until her body began to regain its balance. When she opened her eyes, they were wide with amazement.

"Max! Max, did you feel what happened to me?"

He smiled at her adoringly. "I hoped that would happen for you," he murmured. "I want this to be special for you."

"Special doesn't begin to describe it," she panted. "Will it be that way for you?"

He nodded. "Yeah."

"What if I can't do that for you."

He almost laughed out loud. She was so open, so concerned that he would not share the pleasure. He kept his laughter inside, but couldn't suppress a smile. "I wouldn't worry about that if I were you," he assured her. But Liz was not convinced, still worried that she was somehow being selfish.

"But Max, how do you know? We've never done this before."

Max looked at her, guilt clouding his face briefly. Liz frowned, a thought entering her mind that she would never have believed before. "Max, this isn't your first time, is it?"

He looked at her face. She was crushed. His words rushed out, "No, Liz! I mean yes. I mean . . . ." How could he explain this without horrifying her. "Liz, I have loved you for so long. You've been in my heart, my dreams. Sometimes it's too much, too real maybe, but I get so I have to . . . I can't . . . ." He looked at her helplessly, then he saw the light go on in her head.

"Max, you've done this alone? Thinking of me?" He nodded, feeling like an adolescent getting caught in the bathroom.

Once again, she amazed him. She pulled him back up toward her and said in an unexpectedly sultry voice, "Well, let's see if we can't do it the right way this time."

He sank into her, more than ready to try this as a duet. His mouth came down on hers, sharing her own taste from his lips, pulling her against him, skin against skin. His fantasies were coming true one by one. He felt Liz working with his pants zipper, hesitating as she felt the hardness that lay just beneath. She recovered quickly, though, stopping to rub him, instinctively picking up a rhythm that made him groan into her mouth. He pulled away, breathing hard.

Liz concentrated on the button and zipper long enough to pull the pants out of the way. When she reached for the boxers, she gave him a sidelong look and smiled. He looked at her curiously through the wild sensations coursing through his body. She pulled the boxers back slowly and gazed in amazement at the powerful erection in front of her. She'd read about it, but never seen it. It was something to behold. She wrapped her hand around it and felt its heat; Max's eyes were blazing at her. She smiled again and lowered her head to lick playfully at his tip.

"Liz!" Max breathed between gasps. Liz was enjoying her impact on Max. She'd never seen him give over control like this before. She got a little braver and took him into her mouth. His reaction was strong as she felt him push up into her. She took him in . . . and out until he pleaded with her. "Liz! Please!"

He sat up and pulled her next to him, climbing on top of her, asking silent permission one more time. Her eyes, playful just a moment before, turned dark and urgent. He felt himself at her entrance--the final fantasy being played out with the one he loved, had always loved. He pushed ever so gently in between the folds, watching her face as he filled her. He saw no fear, only love and passion--for him. Every glistening inch of him, every sensitive nerve was electrified at the feeling of Liz's walls around him. He couldn't think. All he could do was feel. He wanted her so badly. But when he reached the barrier, he stopped, remembering this would not be so easy for her the first time.

"I can do this for you, Liz. You know, so it won't hurt."

She shook her head. "This is one thing I want to experience in a completely human way, Max." His eyes told her he understood; they lifted together and pushed through. Liz's eyes grew wide and Max stopped, holding her while she adjusted to having him fully inside her. Then, whispered so quietly in his ear, he barely heard her. "Make love to me, Max."

They began to move together, feeling a union of body, mind, and soul. Once again, they became aware of the golden light that surrounded them when they were in perfect harmony with each other. Their need for each other reached a fever pitch, and then Max felt the pressure begin to build. Liz wrapped her legs around Max's hips and came explosively, grasping him to her with all her strength. As soon as Max felt her milking him, he poured himself into her, the final step in their total bonding.

It took several minutes for them to breathe normally again. Finally, they were able to focus on each other, basking in the glow of lovemaking in its truest sense. They had totally given themselves to each other long before this, but everything that had happened had deepened that connection, strengthened that bond, and now their bodies were one as well.

Liz held her left hand up in the air and admired the ring Max had given her. She turned back toward him to find him looking at her with unabashed love.

"I don't know if you can ever imagine how much I love you," he said softly. "I have dreamed of us like this ever since I knew what "this" was," he smiled. "Iz even caught me dreaming this once."

Liz's eyes flew open. "Max, you're kidding. She dreamwalked one of these dreams?" Liz looked completely embarrassed.

Max chuckled. "Really didn't matter what dream she walked into. They were pretty much the same."

Liz couldn't help but laugh, and she leaned over to kiss him gently. "How does the real thing compare?"

Max rolled his eyes. "There is no comparison. Besides, I wake up from dreams." He pulled her close and curled his body around her. "Well, Mrs. Evans, today is the first day of the rest of our lives."

Liz leaned back against him. She had no idea what those lives would be like, but she knew they would face it together, because "together" was their strength, their secret weapon. She closed her eyes and sighed.