"Hey sleepyhead," he said softly and lifted his hand to her face, continuing his caresses on her cheek. "Feel better now?"

"Yes," she smiled at him. In quiet moments like these, when it was just the two of them and their love for each other, it was easy to forget that Max was anything other than her husband and the father of her unborn baby. To forget that he was the King of another planet, that he had had a destiny to fulfil and that he currently had a lot of lives depending on him. In these moments, he looked at her in a way that made her feel like they were the only two people in the universe. That she was all that mattered to him. That the universe could shiver into nothingness around them and he wouldn’t care. "And you?"

"I’m fine. I have all that I need right here next to me." He leaned in for a kiss, tenderly brushing his lips over hers, but not allowing it to deepen too much. "I have good news," he breathed against her mouth.

"Mmmm," she didn’t want him to stop kissing her. "Michael is finally going to pop the question." He grinned when she jerked away in surprise.

"You’re kidding!"

"Nope. He is really nervous and we have to help him. So don’t tell Maria, okay?"

She flung her arms around his neck, pushing him onto his back on the bed and crawling on top of him. "Maria is going to be so happy!"

He closed his eyes to enjoy the little kisses she was raining all over his face. "Hey, if this is the response I get, I’ll have to get Michael to propose more often."

She pulled back from him and shivered as he slid his hands under her top to caress the bare skin of her back. "You know very well that you don’t need any gimmicks to get such a response from me…" She sighed again as his hand moved higher and found the clasp of her bra.

He pressed her upper body tightly against his by flattening his one hand between her shoulder blades. His other hand moved into her hair, holding her face immobile as he trailed moist kisses from her lips to her ear. "This is the honeymoon I never had the previous time I was here." His breath tickled her ear. "It should’ve been you…"

She kissed him urgently then, trying to eliminate whatever it was that he was remembering from the last time he was here, in this suite. "It’s me now, Max," she promised him.

Need. Pure unadulterated need washed over her as Max finally allowed the floodgates of their connection to open. Trembling under the force of his need, Liz opened her mouth wider, allowing him complete access.

He sat them both up to slide Liz’s top and bra off in one smooth movement before pulling off his own shirt. His hands met at the small of her back and slowly trailed upwards until he could press her against his warm skin again. Both of them gasped at the electric contact.

Liz had to bite down a moan when his hands continued to roam her back and sides as he captured her lips again. Her breasts were starting to become sensitive due to her pregnancy and the friction between their bodies was exquisite.

She was straddling his lap, clutching at the solid muscle of his upper arms, leaning into the kiss, her body curving into a taut bow before relaxing against his.

He kissed her eyes shut, then his mouth lingered over the smooth cream column of her throat, until he smiled against her skin and murmured: "You are so beautiful."

They undressed each other further, getting in one another’s way and then his heated mouth found the fine skin at her waist.

Liz looked down at the dark head moving against her and her heart swelled. Sudden tears blurred her vision; she lifted a hand and ran it through the black silk of his hair, cupping his cheek as he turned his face into her glowing stomach. How she loved him!

He kissed her navel, his tongue searching out the small indentation. The intimate touch sending quivers through her. "You are gorgeous too," she told him huskily.

He laughed and kissed her mouth and her throat, and the junction of neck and shoulder, biting it gently, letting her feel his undisguised passion. It stopped her breath in her throat.

This time, their movements were unhurried. To Liz, it felt like everything had gone into slow motion. The way his hand stroked her skin, the powerful thud of her heart in her breast, her boneless lack of energy as she ran her fingers through his hair and curled her hand around his neck, feeling his life-force pulse against it. Her eyelids were weighted in anticipation.

Max’s kiss told her he had searched the universe for her, and that she was more precious to him than life itself. His touch sent fire through her, her breath lodged in her throat when he kissed her breasts. Instinctively, Liz held his head there for a long moment, reveling in the responses of her body.

She moved against him, quick, involuntary movements and she felt his reaction, growing, urgent, but instead of taking her, he said: "No, not yet."

She protested, but he kept on caressing her, until her body was aching with the need to take him inside her.

"Touch me," he finally said.

Drawing a long deep breath, Liz put her hand up to his shoulder, feeling the muscles bunch and quiver beneath her fingers. His skin was hot and she could smell the scent of his arousal, male and incredibly stimulating. Slowly she ran her hand across his back, down the sleekness of his spine and over the taut muscles of his backside. A groan was torn from deep within his throat.

Liz kissed his shoulder, then bit it, then licked the small red crescent she had made. From the corners of her eyes she noted his reaction, his smile, the way his eyes gleamed and darkened. He touched her breasts again, causing an ache to unfurl deep within her. Her hips were moving against him and she slid her hand down his body, touching him intimately.

"No," Max said in a strangled voice, it would be over too soon.

But Liz laughed at him, a smoky, seductive sound, before bending to flick her tongue across his chest. She pressed herself against him until he groaned something in a shaken voice and rolled her over, filling her with one hard thrust as though his life depended on it.

Stabbed by hunger, she ran her hands once more down his back before pulling his hips towards her. "I need you, Max."

He looked at her for a long moment before replying: "I need you too." They moved together then, increasing their pace towards that ultimate release that they craved so much. Liz cried out as the waves of ecstasy flowed through her and Max followed instantaneously, racked by the same flood of sensation. They lay panting in each other’s arms afterwards, basking in the completion only they could bring each other.

Max finally braced himself on his forearms and brushed her tousled hair from her face. "New memories."

It sounded like a promise.

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

Shilla was starting to lose hope. She had been chatting with some of the other servants in the palace at James’ request, but so far, no one was able to help her about the gentleman in Tess’ bedroom. All she had managed to find out was that there had been a steady stream of men visiting that bedroom in the past few years.

If ever Shilla had doubts about the way that Max had handled his destiny and his choice, they were eradicated by this news. She also made sure to tell the others about the amazing relationship between the Antarian Royal Couple, knowing that the news would soon reach everyone of importance in the Palace. But she kept carefully quiet about Liz’s pregnancy. By tomorrow night, there will be no doubt who Max’s real mate is…

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

Liz had taken Maria for a stroll through the palace grounds late the afternoon, giving the guys the chance to prepare for Michael’s proposal. They were surrounded by 10 men and no amount of pleading from Liz’s side to decrease the number had made an impression on Max. If someone wanted to get to his wife and child, they would have to go through quite a few bodies to do it. He had kissed her hard before they left, telling her to stay in contact.

"Check in time, chicca," Maria told her with an amused grin while folding her arms and waiting for Liz to concentrate on letting Max know where they were and that they were still safe. "Boy, that man is adorable when he freaks out over you like this."

"Haha, let’s go back and dress up for dinner."

"Why?"

"Because… it’s our first dinner together and I-I’m trying to help Max make new memories here in this place." Liz hoped that sounded convincing.

Maria looped her arm through Liz’s. "Eew, it must be a bit disconcerting for him to suddenly remember doing the nasty with Tess…" She felt Liz go rigid next to her and hastily tried to fix her blunder. "Damn, Lizzie, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean…"

"It’s okay. He doesn’t exactly remember that yet. Just that they were married…"

Stopping to pull Liz around to look at her, Maria took her hands. "You know that will never happen again, right? That she might be his past but—"

"I know. Thanks for telling me again, though."

Maria hoped that Max has remembered all he was going to remember about his marriage to Tess. And for once, she was glad she didn’t get flashes of Michael’s past when he was with her, because she was very sure that she would not take seeing him and Isabel together very well. "He’s crazy about you, Liz. What normal husband makes love with his wife at all hours of the day after nearly eight years of marriage?" Liz was starting to grin. "Come on, I SAW how you glowed when you came out of that room this afternoon!"

"Maria!"

"And I SAW King Max’s silly I’ve-been-getting-happy-with-Liz smile! We’ve been seeing it for years and we were all just too polite to say anything."

Neither of the two women noticed that all the guards were trying to hide their own grins by now.

"Let’s go get dressed, Maria." Liz’s cheeks were flaming. She had no idea that they were so obvious!

Max was waiting in the entrance hall when they got back and he looked at Maria as if she was losing her mind when she burst into hysterical giggles upon seeing him.

"She’s just-just insane," Liz assured him as she kissed his warm mouth quickly and bundled Maria upstairs to where Isabel was waiting. It was make-over time!

The guys just stayed out of the way until all the primping and dressing was done upstairs and they watched appreciatively as the girls all came down the stairs in evening wear.

"Whoa, Michael, who managed to get you into a tux?" Maria walked over to her boyfriend of many years who seemed struck dumb at the moment.

Max sighed, took Liz’s hand and led them all outside to a large balcony from where they could see the three moons that orbited Dendar. A small table with two place settings was waiting for them.

"Don’t tell me this is one of Max’s little Liz schemes—"

"Maria," Michael interrupted her and led her over to the table while their friends stood waiting at the door.

"What?" She truly seemed at a loss and looked over at Liz who was smiling at her broadly. "What?"

"Maria…" Michael was struggling again. "This is for you. For us."

"I don’t… MICHAEL GUERIN!" Her sudden shriek made everyone jump.

"I-I don’t want you to live in sin anymore, so will you—"

"Yes!" She flung herself at him, raining kisses all over his face before finally pulling back. "Wait, you ARE asking me to marry you, right?"

This made them all burst out laughing and Nick took that as his cue to appear. Maria cried her eyes out throughout the bonding ceremony. She couldn’t believe this was finally happening. For once, she was not one of the people in the small circle around Max and Liz, but was inside, with her space boy. Surrounded by her friends. Her mother would be so proud!

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

Later that night, while Max was lying in bed holding Liz and staring up at the ceiling of their room, his mind returned to what had happened in that other bedroom. He knew he had to go back there and see if maybe he couldn’t remember something concrete.

He gingerly moved away from Liz, but kept his hand on her bare arm until she got used to not having him plastered to her back. Crossing the little lounge area, he walked resolutely towards the closed door. Nothing was worse than uncertainty.

Pushing the heavy door open, he immediately felt the pressure in his temples. Not even bothering to turn on a light, he fumbled his way to the bed and sat down. He heard voices in his head.

His own, indignant: "I can’t do this, Mother."

A female voice: "It’s for the best, Zan. She is a beautiful and wonderful girl."

His again, upset. "She’s not…"

"She’s not who? What is going on with you these last few months?"

Despair washed over him as he heard himself plead: "Please don’t ask me to do this…"

He was shivering by the time the flash ended. This at least confirmed what he already knew, he had not wanted to marry Tess.

Rubbing his face tiredly, he became aware of Nick’s presence in the room, watching him silently. "Liz sent me," he clarified. "She thought I might be able to help you."

"There is something about this room…" Max waved his hand.

"It was your parents’ room whenever the family stayed here. It became yours once you married."

"Where did I sleep before..." He couldn’t even say it.

"In the room Michael and Maria are sharing."

Damn, there was no way he was bothering those two tonight, but he desperately wanted to go to that room to see if he remembered anything from there. Maybe tomorrow…

"Nick, are you sure there was no one like Liz around on Antar? Could she have been in my life without any else’s knowledge?"

Taking a long time to answer, Nick finally stated: "I don’t know, Max. I’m beginning to think your parents showed me what they wanted me to see. If I had not heard some stories about you and-and Tess from the elders, I wouldn’t have known you were unhappily married. They certainly did not show me that. I only saw scenes from your life at war, growing up… Only one or two things from when you were married." He met Max’s gaze in the moonlight. "If you are asking whether you might have had a mistress… I guess its possible."