It was like coming alive. Every skin-cell suddenly flamed into red-hot life, a kind of frantic, feverish hunger possessing her. Her response was so intense it swallowed her alive.

"Max…" She gasped again as he pinned her to the mattress beneath him and kissed her breathless, his mouth, hard, hungry, hot, exiting her beyond bearing.

In the darkness, there was no warning before his mouth closed round the engorged bud of one swelling and sensitive breast. The sensation hit her with stunning effect. Her neck extended in an arch, a stifled moan torn from her when she felt the erotic brush of his teeth. There was no time for anything, not a single thought, nothing but the raw driving intensity of need screaming through her veins.

His lips skimmed a tormenting path over the quivering muscles of her belly, his hands parting her thighs before he was kissing her intimately.

She was at screaming-point when he moved over her, every shred of physical awareness centered on the ache of emptiness between her thighs. And then he thrust into her and she moaned and arched in one taut movement, her body clenching on a pleasure so intense that she was utterly possessed by it. Her fingers raked down his back in reaction and her teeth nipped at the strong column of his throat, reveling in the raggedness of his breathing and his groan.

After that there was nothing but the long, pulsing drive for satisfaction. It went on and on. She hit the heights fast, unable to reign back the flood of release, but he didn’t stop. She had barely hit the ground level again before the frantic climb back up began. When the second climax whooshed up inside her she was wiped out.

He shuddered above her, every muscle clenching taut. She put her arms around him, holding him tightly.

"Wow, I’m sorry," he whispered after they had calmed down. "I’m just… starved for you, I guess." He rested his forehead against hers.

"Me too," she whispered back.

He pulled out of her reluctantly and moved them so she was lying with her cheek on his chest. It was quiet for a long time as they watched the room get lighter.

A faint fluttering in her womb had Liz grabbing for Max’s hand and pressing it against her. "Max!"

He stared at her in confusion. "Is something wrong?"

"No! He moved!" She met his gaze. "Our son moved!"

Max was speechless as he pressed his hand over the spot where their son was. He kept remembering the serious dark-haired little boy that had held his hand and helped get his mommy to come back to them. When nothing happened, he looked Liz. "What did it feel like?"

She touched his cheek, wishing he could experience it with her. "Like some butterflies were flying around in my tummy."

He nodded solemnly and dropped his gaze to where his hand was covering the smooth skin of her stomach. Covering his baby. "I’d love to—" A light vibration against his hand stopped his words.

Liz saw his eyes widen and close as he concentrated on the very faint feeling.

"Wow."

When he opened his eyes again, they were moist. He moved lower on the bed and rested his cheek against her tummy while his fingers trailed over her skin. "Hey little guy. Sorry that Mommy and I got so upset yesterday. We love you," he glanced up at Liz, "and each other very much." He placed little kisses around her bellybutton. "And Daddy promises to be around more from now on. For you… and for Mommy."

It was light outside when Liz woke again. She found Max on his side next to her, his hand on her stomach. His gentle kiss was heaven.

"I love you." He sounded like he was afraid she would have forgotten it since last night.

She laced her fingers with his. "I don’t deserve you," she told him seriously. "How can I live up to how long you have loved me?"

Tightening his grip on her fingers, he took a deep breath. "It’s not about how long either of us loved the other, it’s about how happy we’ve made each other during the time we’ve had together. And trust me, Liz Evans, my last life-time had only a few moments of happiness, when I was dreaming of you."

She opened her mouth to answer, but he put his finger over her lips. "And you’ve given me enough during this life-time to last me another few. Let’s just think about the future from now on, okay? The past’s demons are behind us now."

Nodding, she kissed him for being the sweetest alien in the universe. "Do you have to go back to the negotiations?" she asked him when they finally broke apart.

"I don’t know. I have so much to tell you that I didn’t get around to last night." He smiled crookedly at her. "Let me get us breakfast, and we’ll talk."

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

The reunion was sweet when Eric and Sarah arrived later that day. Sarah and Liz hugged each other tightly and Sarah and Eric were joyful when the heard that baby will make three for the Evans’ soon.

"How did you know to come back now?" Max asked Eric when they all finally settled down in the little lounge off his and Liz’ bedroom.

"I’ve had informants on my planet for years and I heard how Dak’or was running the place into the ground. I figured the best time for me to come back and get rid of him was while his attention was directed at the peace negotiations. I’m sorry it took me so long to get everything sorted out on the planet."

"So, what about the peace talks?" Liz asked. Please let them be over so Max and I can live our normal lives again.

Eric grinned and reached out to take Sarah’s hand. "I told everyone they could keep their planets as long as they left mine alone. So, I guess you could say peace has been reached."

The relief that washed over Liz tilted her hormones into madness again and she burst into huge racking sobs that didn’t stop even when Max pulled her into his warm embrace and let her cry against his chest. She vaguely heard him thank Eric and find out some of the final details of the talks, but she could care less. All she wanted to do was go home to their little house in Albuquerque and have her son.

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

In the end they stayed another week. A week that saw James and Shilla become an official item. Max had smiled warmly at them when James came to ask if Shilla could accompany them back to earth.

Max had spent a lot more time with Rula too, learning about his past. He also met with the King of Dendar and Eric to finalize the peace agreement. Nothing felt as good as signing ‘Zan’ at the end of the document.

But most importantly, he had kept his first promise to his son and stayed with Liz as much as possible, talking to his unborn baby and making up for lost time with his wife. He got quite good at handling her emotional moments, causing Maria to complain that it was unfair how perfect Liz’s life always was. When Alex pointed out that Maria could have Liz’s life if she were prepared to accept that all sorts of evil people would be trying to kill her off all the time, she changed her mind.

A huge crowd saw them off when they left. This time, they all traveled on the same ship and the atmosphere was almost party-like. Shilla had gotten a little more used to all the antics of Max and Liz’s friends, but she was still getting used to the tingly feeling that overcame her every time James was near. Not to mention the melting sensation when he kissed her!

Their reception on earth was laughably small in comparison to the fanfare of their departure from Dendar. Nick had managed to contact his people to let them know the approximate time of their arrival and when the shuttle’s doors slid open, a hushed little group of parents and members of the alien colony waited for them in the dark of Frazier Woods.

Isabel and her mom were in tears, and Max took the opportunity to hug them both. Liz was being embraced by her parents who noticed her growing stomach immediately. This led to more hysteria from their parents and Max smiled at Liz, both of them knowing that their son was going to be spoilt rotten by his grandparents.

They stayed over in Roswell for a few days, telling their parents and the Valentis all about their adventures. Needless to say, Amy was very happy to hear that Michael had finally gotten around to marrying her daughter, but she made it clear that she expected him to get the official paper here on earth too. Isabel and Alex seemed closer, but were still taking things slow. Nick, Grace and Maddie returned to their home in Roswell after Nick performed the bonding ceremony of James and Shilla. And Liz had only smiled when Shilla told her shyly afterwards that she hoped she could also experience a little of the passion that Liz knew on a daily basis.