Liz had been staring for a while at a patch of sky that seemed lighter than the rest, puzzled, until she realized what it meant.

“Max! It’s almost dawn!” she cried out, sitting up. The blanket slid down her body with her motion, and Max’s mind was elsewhere as he absently replied to her.

“Mmm-hmm. We should probably go,” he said, his voice conveying worlds of regret—and desire. Liz blushed, but did not move to cover herself. She was too aware of what it meant to Max to have the freedom to look at her, and she felt beautiful and desirable because he saw her that way.

“I don’t need—this,” she waved a hand at her head, “to tell me where that line of thought is going!” Max chuckled and sat up beside her, drawing her into his arms. Liz rested her head on his shoulder for a moment, then looked at him. Max heaved a sigh.

“OK, we’ll go. But not before I do this,” he warned, and claimed her for a deep, sensuous kiss. Liz was shaking when at last Max came up for air, and the look on her face, her lashes dark against her cheeks—he had never wanted to do anything so badly as to make love to her again, right now.

“Max,” Liz protested, though she felt much the same way.

“I know, I know…control myself,” he smiled wryly. “It’s just that it’s so much harder, now that I really know…”

“Uh-huh,” Liz agreed, shushing him with her fingers. “But if we don’t get moving…”

“You’re going to be in trouble, and we’ll get separated again. I couldn’t bear that, not now,” Max said softly, brushing his thumb across her cheekbone. Caught in the love shining in each other’s eyes, they sat gazing at each other until what Max had just said sunk in.

“Max, why would it be just me in trouble?” she asked. His answer filled her mind even as he spoke.

“Isabel said she would cover for me. She probably left me a message on my cell—it’s in the Jeep,” Max said. There was more, unspoken but still heard, and Liz suddenly knew how Max had come by the condoms. She giggled, and he smiled, flushing a little.

“She didn’t need to do that,” Liz said. Max followed her thoughts, remembering that she had ducked into her bathroom before climbing out her window to join him. Safe in her own pocket was another condom, one of a package she had purchased at a gas station while on the road to Copper Summit. Max shook his head, amazed, and Liz answered his question before he could ask it.

“After Future Max told me that we had made love, and I—I didn’t have anything, I—well, I didn’t ever want to get caught unprepared, in this life,” she admitted. “I didn’t expect to need them, but I couldn’t just buy some in town, everyone would know, so…”

Max kissed her into silence. “I understand,” he said. “So, how exactly are we going to keep you out of trouble here?”

Liz thought for a moment, then brightened.

“Your cell’s in the Jeep, right? I’ll call Maria—she can let me into her place. I’ll come up with some story for my mom as to why I was there. Maria’ll back me up, no problem.”

He nodded. “Yeah, she always has. She’s a good friend, Liz.”

“The best,” Liz declared, smiling. She reached for her clothes and began pulling them on. Sighing internally—getting dressed was not what Max wanted to be doing—he followed her example. Once clothed, he picked up the blanket, rolling it into a small bundle, and they started walking back around the mountain, hand in hand.

As they neared the pod chamber, Liz stopped. Turning to Max, she looked at him questioningly.

“Should we check on it before we head back? You know, to see if anything has changed?” she asked.

Max thought about it for a second and then nodded. “Yes, we should. Let’s go.”

They entered and passed through the pod chamber into the granolith chamber, to find everything as they had left it. They were both somewhat disappointed; they’d been so sure that they would find some change. But it seemed as though the granolith had taken no notice whatsoever of their nocturnal activities.

“It’s all right, Liz. We can always try it again,” Max reassured her, a small smile playing about his lips. Liz punched his arm.

“Yeah, I know. But it was so…I was so positive something would be different!” she remarked. “Oh, well. It doesn’t change how I feel about what happened.”

Max smiled. “And how is that, Liz Parker?” he asked, knowing the answer but wanting to hear it anyway. She turned to him, her face serious.

“Max, what we shared last night was beyond anything I’ve ever experienced—and probably ever will experience. It was,” she groped for the words, “incredible, awe-inspiring, mind-blowing. I never dreamed that I could feel like that, and that it was with you…well, Max Evans, in a word, it was perfect.”

“Truly, Liz? I—it’s harder to believe, somehow, in the daylight. Did it really happen?” he said wonderingly, lost in her glorious eyes. She smiled tenderly at him.

“Yes, Max, it really did. Let’s go now, all right? I’m getting the creeps in here,” Liz said, giving a dramatic shudder. Max laughed and they turned to leave, the intensity dimmed but not lost.

They walked back to the Jeep slowly, neither really wanting to return to reality. Max took his cell phone out of the glove compartment and handed it to Liz. She dialed Maria’s number.

“Hello?” a sleepy voice answered the phone on the 7th ring.

“Maria, I need your help. You’ve got to do this for me. I need to come over to your house, and I need us to tell my mom some story about why I stayed with you last night and didn’t tell her about it, OK?” Liz rushed into her plea for assistance.

Maria was suddenly wide awake. “Where the hell are you, Liz?”

Liz glanced at Max. He knew what she was asking, and he knew that they would not be able to keep it a secret from their friends that their relationship had entered a new dimension. He nodded slightly, and Liz answered Maria’s question.

“I’m out in the desert, near the pod chamber. With Max,” she said. She paused, then continued hesitantly, “We’ve been here all night.” She looked at Max as she spoke, and he smiled, caressing her free hand.

There was the sound of choking on the other end of the phone, and Liz called out, “Maria? Are you okay?”

Maria coughed before answering. “Yeah, I’m fine. I just…wasn’t expecting to hear that. Uh, take as much time as you want to get here—my mom went out with the sheriff last night and she hasn’t come home yet. It must’ve gone well,” she said disgustedly. Liz laughed, a little breathlessly.

“OK, Maria. Thank you so much—you’re the best! The absolute best. I’ll be there soon, a—and we can talk then,” she finished.

Maria snorted. “You’d better believe it, we’ll talk then! You have some major explaining to do!”

“Yeah, I know. I will, I promise. See you soon,” Liz said, then hung up. She looked at Max, her eyes sparkling. He let out the breath he’d been holding.

“Her mother isn’t home? That’s great,” he exclaimed, relieved. Liz laughed, and ran her hand down his chest, watching his muscles contract in the wake of her gentle touch.

“And she won’t be home for hours…so I don’t have to go there right away,” she said, her voice husky. As she looked at him, tilting her head, Max knew what she meant.

“Liz,” he breathed, his arms encircling her as she raised her face to his and ran her tongue around his lips. He groaned and pulled her closer, molding her against him. Liz bit his lip gently, causing a smile, then trailed darting little kisses across his face and down his neck, coming back up to lick his earlobe. He shuddered and she smiled—a new discovery! She licked the folds of his ear while his hands roamed her body, caressing her everywhere.

He held her crushed to him as she sucked on his earlobe, her hands buried in his thick hair. His eyes were closed, his lips parted as Liz continued down, biting his neck and sucking his warm skin till there was a red mark where her mouth had been. Noticing it, she smiled. She was about to continue her ministrations when Max pulled her head back and took her lips, thrusting his tongue between them.

Liz moaned, and Max lifted her off the ground, onto the front seat of the open Jeep. Her legs were spread, one on either side of his body, as she leaned forward to continue the kiss. Max’s hands resumed their roaming, impatient now with the barrier of her clothing. He reached around her and unclasped her bra, breaking their kiss long enough to pull her sweater and her bra off. As he returned to her mouth, drinking from it like a starving man, his hands molded her breasts, pulling gently at her stiffening nipples until they were like small pink diamonds in his hands. Only then did he leave her lips, his mouth traveling down her neck to her torso, to circle her breasts, teasing her erect nipples until she was gasping for air, her hands threaded through his hair, holding him to her.

Tenderly, Max pushed her back till she was lying supine across the seats. He looked into her eyes as he slowly removed her remaining clothes, dropping them onto the back seat. When she was naked, he took a long, slow look at her, lying vulnerable and beautiful before him, her pink nipples thrusting into the air, her legs spread wide to accommodate him, her lovely dark curls glistening with moisture. If it were not that he could feel exactly how aroused she was, exactly how much she loved and trusted him, he would never have believed that such a wondrous woman as his Liz could be so open to him.

Liz was feeling fevered, her skin burning in the wake of Max’s eyes, knowing he could see how much she wanted him and not caring; glorying in it, in fact. Her breathing came faster as she saw how he looked at all of her, then she closed her eyes as he bent to kiss her thigh.

Max let his mouth skim over Liz’s hot skin, softly kissing and nibbling his way up to the juncture of her thighs. He looked at her face as he hovered over her curls, enjoying the way her mouth tensed in anticipation of his touch, the way she licked her lips. Then he spread apart her folds with both hands and took one long, loving lick. Liz shivered, a cry escaping her lips. Max could feel the tension in her thighs, sense her waiting for another intimate kiss. He obliged, softly licking all around her clitoris, thrusting the tip of his tongue into her opening, feeling her musculature clench around his tongue. He withdrew, to the sound of a moan of loss from Liz. Max smiled, and bent his head to her again.

He licked her clitoris very lightly, just once, feeling Liz’s body spasm under the featherlight touch. Again, he licked her, and again, and settled into a slow rhythm, just the tip of his tongue making contact with her swollen clitoris. Liz’s cries were louder now, and as Max increased his speed she slid her hands back into his hair, holding on tight. Max was aware of little else but the taste and feel of Liz beneath his mouth. Her legs closing around his shoulders, her hands in his hair, her sweet honey filling him as he continued licking her, his tongue working faster and applying more pressure as her hips began to undulate in a primal pattern. Her body was vibrating with the force of her cries, and Max could feel her tension building to the breaking point.

With a wild cry, she climaxed, holding onto Max as she spiralled out into space. The explosion of a red star filled her mind as her body shook from her incendiary response to Max’s tongue. Her shaking gradually subsided, and only then did Max move away, kissing her thigh as she relaxed her legs and her hands from their stranglehold on him. He was smiling as he watched sense come back into her eyes.

“God, you’re so beautiful,” Max whispered, loving her so much. Liz smiled tremulously, and reached for him.

“Max, I need you. Now,” she declared urgently. His stomach dropped away at her words, and he quickly stripped himself and put on a condom. He climbed into the Jeep with her as Liz stood up. Max looked at her, a little confused, then understanding dawned. He felt a surge of desire as he sat down in the just-vacated seat, and Liz straddled him. She grasped his erection and guided it as she lowered herself onto him, watching his face as he entered her.

Max inhaled abruptly as he was sheathed in Liz’s body. In spite of her boldness, he could sense that Liz was a little unsure of herself as she began to move, sliding her body up and down, letting her motion dictate his penetration of her. Max kissed her deeply, his tongue thrusting into her mouth, echoing his thrusts between her other, satin lips as he moved with her, his hands on her hips keeping them in perfect unison.

Liz broke their kiss to lick Max’s neck, biting him softly through her low moans. He tilted his head back, and she grew more daring, kissing and sucking along his shoulders and then down his chest. She flicked her tongue across his nipple, watching the muscles in his chest jump in reaction.

Max let go of one hip long enough to drag her head back up to where he could capture her lips in another deep kiss. He tasted her hungrily, and their vertical motion became more frenzied as they felt each other’s pleasure start to spin out of control.

Liz threw her head back, her long hair whipping past Max’s face as she cried out incoherently, her entire body quivering with her orgasm. Max buried his face in her exposed throat, murmuring her name over and over as he exploded into her.

Long minutes passed while they clung together in the aftermath of their passion. What finally broke their pose was the warm sun on their bare skin.

“I don’t think I could explain it if my mother saw that I’d managed to sunburn my butt,” Liz said, laughter in her voice. Max chuckled, agreeing with her.

“No, I guess not,” he said. He thought about it for a minute, then said, “Liz, did you feel it? It was different from last night. I can still hear you—I mean, mentally—but only if I really concentrate. Same with how you’re feeling,” he said wonderingly. Liz looked thoughtful.

“Yes,” she replied. “Maybe it was because it was our first time, maybe that’s really special for you guys. Physically speaking, I mean,” she hastily added. Max laughed.

“Yeah, maybe. It didn’t seem to mean anything to the granolith, though.” He paused. “ I, uh, I enjoyed this time just as much,” he said shyly, looking appealingly at Liz.

She suppressed a chuckle and said softly, “Me, too, Max. It was just, amazing. I think it always will be, with you.” She looked at him, willing him to feel the truth behind her words. He did, and smiled, shaking his head at himself.

“Sorry, Liz. I guess we really should be leaving now, just in case Maria’s mom gets home or yours starts calling around,” he said regretfully. Liz nodded and moved off of him, getting her clothes from the back seat and putting them on. Max did the same, grimacing at how dirty his jeans were from being dropped on the ground. Liz laughed at him, and ruefully he joined her.

“That’ll teach you patience,” she teased. Max grabbed her and kissed her.

“As I recall, it was you who said “now,”” he teased her back, and she blushed, then smacked him. They both laughed, then sat in the Jeep and buckled their seatbelts. Max picked up his cell phone and checked the messages.

“Iz said that I was staying at Michael’s for the night, and she’s told Michael to cover for me,” he said. Liz nodded; that was about what they had expected. There was no way they were going to be able to keep this a secret now, not when 3 other people basically knew already. They would just have to deal with it straight up.

Max started the engine and drove out to the road. He caught Liz’s hand as they drove back to Roswell, caressing it with his thumb. Liz could feel her stomach start to flutter again, and she was surprised at herself. Max caught her feeling and smiled at her.

“I know, Liz. If we had more time…” he trailed off then winked at her suggestively. Liz laughed, knowing that it was going to be difficult for both of them to keep their hands off of each other, now more than ever. She figured that somehow, they would be able to handle it.

Max drove to about a block away from Maria’s house, and Liz climbed out of the Jeep. She suddenly felt a little lost, knowing they were going to be separated for a few hours. Max looked at her, the same expression in his eyes, and she knew that everything would be fine. She smiled at him, and came around to the driver’s side of the Jeep for a sweet goodbye kiss.

When they separated, Liz saw Maria on her front porch, waving like mad. She giggled, then said, “I’ll see you later, Max. I love you.”

“And I love you, Liz,” he replied. “I’ll see you tonight.” He gunned the engine and took off for Michael’s as Liz ran to Maria and was immediately swept inside and into her best friend’s room.

“My mom just called—she’s on her way home,” Maria explained. “So, here—just put on these p.j.s. You can wash off your makeup later, Mom won’t notice it.”

Liz was confused. “I’m not wearing any makeup, Maria. What are you talking about?” she asked as she began to undress. Maria turned to look at her, and her eyes went to the marks on Liz’s neck, her still-flushed body, her dark pink lips. The realization crashed in on her.

“Oh my God, Liz, you didn’t!” she cried. “No, you did! I can see it, it’s written all over you! Oh my God!”

Liz laughed, a little nervously. “Calm down, Maria. I, uh, we—yes, we did, actually. I can still hardly believe it myself,” she continued excitedly. “Maria, it was so incredible!”

Maria looked very carefully at her closest friend. She could see minute differences in her. It was more the way she carried herself, the look in her eyes, than anything she said or did. There was no doubt in Maria’s mind: Liz’s experience had definitely changed her. But it was not a change for the worse, Maria thought privately. Liz looked…completed, now. Like she had found something she had not even known was missing.

“Sit!” Maria ordered as soon as Liz had finished putting on the pajamas. She pointed at her bed, where they both sat down cross-legged, facing each other.

Maria took a deep breath. “Okay, first things first. Did you use protection?” she asked.

“Maria! Of course!” Liz responded, a little stung that she had even asked. “This is ME, Maria. I was prepared. Actually, so was Max,” she smiled, her eyes unfocussing in memory.

Maria smiled and snapped her fingers. “Earth to Liz! I just needed to make absolutely sure, that’s all. Now that I am, please explain to me how, after being back together for, like, 24 hours, you ended up sleeping together,” she commanded.

Liz looked down at her hands, clasped in her lap. “It, uh, it started in the granolith chamber last night. We heard you guys talking,” she started.

Maria rolled her eyes. “Isabel didn’t shut those boys up fast enough,” she declared. Liz smiled.

“It was no more than I had already been thinking—but I don’t think it really occurred to Max before then,” she said, shaking her head a little. “He was—frozen, you know, by the whole idea. I told him to come get me after we got back into town, and we could talk about it then. So, he did—come get me, that is. We, um, we never really did talk about it.

“When we got back out there, we kissed and went into the chamber. We kind of just started making out, and the light from the granolith was, like, pulsing in time with my heartbeat. It was really strange. The Max gave me this look, and all of a sudden he was pulling me after him, out of the chamber and around the mountain. I didn’t know what he was doing. We got to this little, I don’t know, clearing or whatever, and he stopped and looked at me.

“He told me that he needed this to be perfect for me, and it wouldn’t be in the granolith chamber. And,” Liz nodded and shrugged, “I mean, he was right. That’s just—well, that’s who I am, I would have been thinking about it.”

Maria smiled. “Liz, Max loves your brain too—we all do. So, go on—he wanted it to be perfect. That’s so Max! Then what?”

“Well, then we looked at the stars for a while, till I kind of nudged him and said it was such a perfect night,” Liz giggled.

Maria laughed too. “Uh-huh. So, get to the good stuff!”

Liz blushed. “Okay, well that’s when we started kissing again, and, well, stuff. Oh, Maria. He touched me everywhere. And I did too—I mean, I touched him everywhere. It was just—it was like magic, Maria. Even though we were close last year, I still—I never knew that it could be like that.” She was glowing, and Maria’s last doubts faded away in the face of Liz’s happiness. She sighed, knowing she would have to keep prodding Liz out of her memories in order to finish getting the story.

“Liz. So—orgasms?” Maria asked impudently, winking at her friend. Liz’s face grew even rosier, but she nodded.

“Yeah—twice. Both times,” she admitted with a tiny smirk. “This morning, I could swear I felt my toes curl. And I still—well, if there had been more time…”

Maria caught onto her first words. “Both times? You did it again this morning?” she exclaimed. Liz was a brilliant pink now, a shade that Maria had never seen her turn, and they both had to laugh.

“Um, yeah, after I called and you said to take my time…we just couldn’t keep our hands off each other, Maria! And it was just as incredible, but more…well, more normal,” Liz finished in a near-whisper, not looking at her friend.

“What do you mean by that, “more normal”? What happened last night that wasn’t normal, Liz?” Maria asked, alarmed. Liz sighed and pushed her hair behind her ears.

“We connected, Maria. As in, completely. Like—remember the flashes? It was like we saw flashes of each other’s complete lifetimes. I could feel everything he felt, and hear everything he thought, Maria, and he could do the same with me.” She fell silent for a moment. “It’s not gone, now, it’s just—reduced? Diminished, not as strong. But if I concentrate, I can feel what he’s feeling right now. It’s really strange, Maria, but the strangest part is that it doesn’t feel bad, or wrong, or anything like that. It feels like—like that’s what was supposed to happen. I don’t know if that makes any sense at all, but that’s how I feel. How we both feel,” she corrected herself, smiling tenderly as she received an echo from Max.

Maria shook her head, smiling at Liz. “Well, if you think you can deal with this…” she began, only to stop talking at the sudden look of dismay on Liz’s face.

“Liz? What is it?” she asked, concerned now. Liz looked at her.

“We have to go over to Michael’s, Maria. Now,” she emphasized. Maria nodded and started pulling out clean clothes for both Liz and herself, and they dressed hurriedly.

Max whistled on the way over to Michael’s place. He could not stop smiling. He still couldn’t quite believe it had really happened, except that there was a little corner of his mind that said “Liz” on it. Dimly, he could sense what she was doing, what she was feeling. He thought about what she might say to Maria, and his face reddened as he decided he was probably better off not knowing too many details of that conversation. Liz was happy, anyway—he was getting that much, and that was enough.

Max parked the Jeep and walked up to Michael’s back door. He had barely knocked when the door opened under his fist, and Michael and Isabel both were waiting for him, looking serious.