Something terrible has gone wrong…

"Liz, are you sure you feel nothing?" A note of concern was creeping into Nick’s voice. Maria looked at him. He seemed to be getting more agitated by the second.

And Liz, she was just staring at her feet, hugging herself.

Jans appeared in the door of the tent, calling to Nick. Alex and Maria watched as they conferred outside, Nick seemingly getting distressed at something Jans had to say. Nick turned to look at Liz, his face showing signs of anguish.

When Nick came back, he picked up Liz wordlessly and carried her back to her tent. Liz curled up on Max’s bed, hugging his pillow to her chest. She couldn’t stop crying. She didn’t even notice Nick’s stroking her hair comfortingly.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Journal Entry 27

My heart aches for her, for us. When had I started feeling these human emotions? Is this some power she has over us? The same one she wielded so effectively over Max? And what could have happened to him? The second phase was supposed to have been simple, no long-term damage done. Instead I sit helplessly at her side, trying to stop myself from crying with her…

Michael and Isabel sat in the Jeep despondently. Isabel had tried dreamwalking to find Max, but she couldn’t reach him. They were starting to fear the worst.

Michael hugged Isabel to his side. Max had just always been there for them and it felt weird and scary to think of being without him. Even though he drove them up the wall sometimes with his controlling attitude, they had always counted on him getting them out of trouble. How were they going to tell Liz about this? How do you tell anyone the person they love is… gone?

But if he were dead, where was Max’s body? Michael frowned. He had a feeling there was something weird going on here…

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Nick sat watching over Liz the whole morning. She had seemed to slip into a drugged state off exhaustion after a while, but he had stayed at her side, knowing it was what Max would have wanted. Jans came to report every now and again, but so far their people have found nothing…

Michael had called from a payphone to report what had happened and to say that the three of them were staying at the site to see if they could learn anything more. He didn’t seem surprised when Nick informed him that they already knew. That Liz knew.

Michael ended the call by saying: "Tell her that he was thinking of her when it happened."

~*~*~*~*~*~

Maria came during the afternoon. She felt awful for her friend, especially now that she knew Michael was okay. She slipped into bed with Liz, hugging her close. "Hey Lizzie, babe…"

This elicited the first real reaction from Liz. A moan of such pain broke from her throat that Maria promptly burst into tears with her. "Liz… he loved you so much!" It was all she could think of to say.

"I just want to die… please, just let me…" Liz’s voice was hollow and slurred. The pain was tearing her apart inside. It felt like her whole body was in pain. The never-ending pain of loss. The pain that was only interrupted by the flicker of something unknown at the edge of her mind, like a thought that you can’t really get hold of. Liz closed her eyes. She was just so tired… so empty, maybe if she just stopped breathing. The little niggling thought became a scream: "Noooo!"

Liz jerked upright in bed.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Nick was on his way back when he heard Maria cry Liz’s name. He broke into a run and burst into the tent. Liz was sitting up in bed, Max’s pillow still clutched to her chest. Her eyes were closed and she was frowning in concentration.

He fell to his knees at the side of the bed, staring at her with a mixture of hope and dread.

Liz was reaching out with all of her mind. Nothing again. Then she remembered Grandma Claudia. ‘Follow your heart.’ She let herself feel all the love and anguish that her heart could handle and the whisper became louder. ‘Don’t ever leave me.’

The relief flooding through Liz was indescribably sweet. "He’s alive. Max is alive!" The outburst was followed by a silent conversation with her soulmate. ‘I love you. I was so scared. I’ll find you.’ The relief in her body intensified, telling her that Max had felt her response.

She jumped up, scattering Maria and Nick before her. "We have to go find him. He’s alive! We must go NOW."

Nick blanched at the authority in her voice, but followed her obediently.

Liz faltered when they reached the car. Where do they start looking? The desert was huge and all she could sense was Max’s feelings. She turned to Nick, worry creasing her brow. "How are we going-?"

Nick interrupted her, his voice ringing with certainty. "You will guide us."

"What do you mean? I can’t… I don’t…" Liz was confused and scared. They were all staring at her with such hope.

Nick came to stand before her, blocking her view of all the others. "Yes, you can. I know you can."

Liz looked at him for a few silent seconds, before she just nodded her head.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Journal Entry 28

He is alive! They found each other and I felt so many things coursing through my body that I nearly became dizzy. Relief, happiness, pride… Yes, I was proud of her. How human that sounds! It's all up to her now.

Liz could barely sit still while they drove. She had decreed that they start where Max was seen last. There was a drive of several hours ahead of them, but Liz couldn’t sleep. She kept trying to connect with Max. It only worked on a few irregular occasions. He seemed fine, but worried. She wondered why until it dawned on her. He knew she was coming to find him and he was concerned for her safety. Her always protecting Max!

~*~*~*~*~*~

Max was still having trouble recovering from the sheer terror that had gripped him when he felt Liz giving up on life. His mind kept screaming at her not to do it, that she couldn’t leave him alone on this planet, HER planet, their planet... Until he finally felt her reaction.

Only then did he realize that he was leading her right to him. Right into the trap with him.

It was dark in the space where he was held. He had woken up in the darkness and had remained so ever since. He had no idea where he was or why he couldn’t reach Isabel or Michael. He had been desperate enough to even try to reach Tess. Nothing had worked until his body started shaking with reaction. Liz’s reaction to his death. It came out of nowhere, but the intensity of it shocked him into desperation. Desperation to reach her before she gave up completely…