Ever since they had made love the night before, Max couldn't get Liz out of his head. He craved to be near her with an intensity that he never had before. He wanted to hold her, to kiss her, to get lost in her eyes. Max wanted to bury himself in Liz's world...and he never wanted to come back from it again.

Until now it hadn't been a possibility, so Max had pushed all of his feelings, all of his desires to the side, trying to ignore the corner of his mind that Liz's feelings had taken up residence.

Now, with a dreamy sigh, he was finally able to embrace all the feelings surging through his heart...and Max knew without a doubt that he was a goner. Staying away from Liz after their night together wasn't an option...it was never an option.

Focusing his mind on Liz's emotions, he frowned. She was confused...and upset. His Liz should never have to feel negative feelings like the ones he was experiencing...it just wasn't right!

Grasping the lowest grips on the ladder, Max began pulling himself up to face his love.

--------

Liz sighed in relief as she climbed out her bedroom window, journal clutched in her hands.

The whole night had been difficult. Her parents had given her the third degree for hours after they had returned from the airport.

"We're so disappointed in you!"

"Do you know how dangerous that stunt was? Vegas is no place for a teenage girl!"

Liz just nodded and took it all, knowing that she deserved it. She accepted her punishment without question...nothing but school and work for two weeks. Then, finally, they freed her, and she retired to her room for a hot shower.

The shower had been pure torture. Her last shower, early that morning, had been with Max, and now as she stood there with the steaming hot water pouring down over her body, she found herself reliving every moment of it, consumed with the way that Max had touched her so gently, and washed her so reverently. She wanted him so much that it hurt.

By the time she was in her pajamas, crawling out to her balcony to think, Liz was just so confused and upset. She had been so certain that she and Max would be able to go back to normal, being just friends and nothing else. Avoiding each other, and moving on with their lives as they went in different directions...even after their romantic night in Vegas...­but now Liz was beginning to wonder if this would be even harder than walking away from him in the first place. She ached for him...­in a way that she never had before. Every ounce of her screamed for her to go to him...

But she couldn't...

So instead she settled herself down on her balcony, wrapped up in a blanket, even though she would have preferred Max's arms...­and she began to write

2/28/01

It's been a long time since I've been able to sit down and write...­and I'm not really sure why. My life has been as crazy as always these past few months. I'm still wrapped up in all of the madness of the Czechoslovakians. And I'm still trapped in my little soap opera with Max.

I think the major reason that I haven't been writing is because I've been dead...­inside. Giving up the most important person in the world to you is something I could never wish on anyone after experiencing it myself. Hurting him was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. I watched him break down, because he couldn't deal with the pain in his heart...and it killed me inside to know that I caused it, and I couldn't do anything to fix it. So I just shut off all of my emotions too...­I stopped letting myself feel. Anything...­to stop the pain.

But that's no longer the case. Last night...­Max and I...healed each other. We brought each other back to life. And now that I've begun to live again, I'm more confused than I ever was before.

After all of this time apart, our feelings for each other haven't faded in the slightest..­.if anything they've intensified. And I want him...­I want to be with him...­more powerfully than I ever have before.

It's going to be so hard to stay away from him now...and honestly...I'm not sure if I want to anymore.

The sound of scuffling from behind her startled Liz, and she whirled around to see Max pulling himself up over the edge of the balcony.

"Hi." He greeted her with a half smile, as she closed her journal and stood to face him.

"What are you doing here Max?" Liz asked, unable to hide the pleasure in her voice...but desperately trying to keep the front of returning to normal...even as her mind begged him to kiss her.

Approaching her until he could reach out and cup her face, Max slowly caressed her cheek, as he explained hoarsely. "I just really wanted to see you."

Liz trembled as she felt the gentle stroke of his touch, knowing without a doubt that he was going to give her exactly what she wanted...­breaking everything that they had sworn to when they left Las Vegas.

His mouth descended on hers with a soft, hesitant kiss, that caused both their hearts to race, while Liz gasped out against his lips. "We can't, Max!"

He kissed her more confidently after her words, and was unsurprised when she reacted instantly, returning his assault with a fevered hunger of her own. He could feel her desire overwhelming the logic in her mind and taking over.

"God I want you so badly." Liz moaned, as Max broke away, smiling down at her under hooded eyes. "I wish things didn't have to be this way."

"Liz...before I came over here I saw Tess." Liz's head shot up as she met his eyes sharply, wondering where he was going with this. "Actually, she came to me...to tell me that she's in love with Kyle. She set me free, Liz. She actually went as far as to suggest that you and I get back together. She offered to come talk to you herself...but I knew that wasn't necessary...but it's all true Liz...­we can finally be together."

There were tears filling Liz's eyes by the time he finished, and one stray droplet escaped, slipping down Liz's face.

Normally seeing tears in Liz's eyes would have had Max frantic with concern¡­but this time he had her emotions to guide him, and he knew, without a doubt, that she was overjoyed at his words.

Rubbing her tears away with his thumbs, Max looked deeply into Liz's doe brown eyes...­eyes that he loved so much.

"I love you, Liz Evans." Max swore to her. "I love you with all my heart. It doesn't matter to me what names we said in that chapel yesterday...in my heart I married you. I swore my love to you forever. That's what you are to me, Liz...­you're forever. That's how long I intend to stand here and prove my love to you."

"Max." Liz gasped. "You have nothing to prove here. I know you love me just as much as I love you. Having you in my world, as my husband, is a gift that I will cherish forever. Thank you...for letting me love you."

Slipping his hand in his pocket, Max fished out two quarters that were left over from the slot machines at the casino.

"Liz...there was something that we forgot yesterday...something that we missed in the ceremony."

Closing his fist around the quarters, Max concentrated on his hand as it started to glow. Opening his hand again, Max produced two shiny silver bands.

"Liz Evans...I love you...­forever. Will you wear my wedding ring?" He asked her softly, as he slid the smaller of the two bands onto her finger.

"Yes." Liz gasped out happily. "I'll wear it forever...as long as you wear mine." Liz smiled happily as she took the larger ring from Max and slid it onto his finger.

"Thank you." Max cried softly. "For loving me the way you do. I don't think I'll ever fully understand why."

"It was you." Liz whispered passionately. "The same reason that you saved me. We've always known, Max. We just got a little distracted at times."

"We won't anymore." Max swore to her. "I swear to you, Liz. I will always stand by your side...until the day I die."

"Liz...honey!" Nancy Parker called from the hallway inside. "Will you come back out here...­your father and I have something more to say to you!"

Liz flinched slightly. "I am in so much trouble!" She laughed. "I'm sorry...I wish we could just stay out here together forever...­but regardless of whether we're a happily married couple...we still have to deal with our parents."

Max chuckled, thinking about the scene that was waiting for him back home. "That's for sure."

"I'm working tomorrow during the day shift...will you come hang out? I'm grounded, so it's the only way I can see you before school Monday."

"You know I'll be here." Max promised.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Max. I love you."

"I love you too." They kissed each other softly, sweetly, before Liz turned and headed back into her home, pausing to turn once and stare into Max's eyes one last time, before she disappeared into her bedroom.