"Thanks, Dad." Liz hugged him back, fighting back tears of happiness. Her father loved her very much, of that she was sure, but to hear that she was still making him proud was a wonderful gift. And it helped alleviate some of her anxiety about the actions of the teachers today. Max was right, their parents WOULD help them.

When she got back to the table, Max gave her a wicked half-smile and moved his chair deeper under the table and closer to her. He then proceeded to hook her right leg over his left knee so that her calve was dangling between his legs before softly tracing his fingers over the inside of her knee. Liz nearly swooned. He was doing all this with a straight face while talking to her parents! She was going to… she was going to… Holding her breath, she eventually decided she was going to kill him if he stopped.

"Lizzie! Are you okay?" Maria was looking at her strangely and Liz feared she was doing a very poor job of hiding the fact that Max was caressing her inner thigh in a very intimate manner. Everyone turned to her at Maria’s question, including Max, whose eyes were dancing with mirth. Mirth and desire…

Liz concentrated on breathing evenly before she attempted to answer, but this was a near impossible task with Max continuing his lazy stroking of her thigh. "Yeah… I-I’m fine." Was that her voice that sounded so… choked? "I… I guess I’m just tired." She was doing everything she could not to look at Max again. That would be fatal.

Narrowing her eyes, Maria leaned closer to Liz: "Cause you look a little flushed."

Damn Maria and her suspicious nature! She KNEW something was going on and she seemed determined to embarrass Liz. Liz smiled brightly at everyone: "No, I’m fine." She pinned Maria with an innocent gaze: "And how was your date with Michael last night?" She listened to Maria splutter with satisfaction. Maria won’t try to get her like this again soon!

Max’s hand was still inching slowly higher on the inside of her thigh and Liz was glad they were eating ice cream for dessert or she would have burst into flames! She was just starting to panic about moaning aloud when her dad stood up and cleared his throat, mercifully putting an end to Max’s teasing.

"Lizzie, I know I just told you, but we are all really proud of this accomplishment of yours. So we thought we’d give you a little congratulations present from all of us." He came round the table making Max and Liz scramble to get back in their normal sitting positions before he reached their sides. He handed Liz a brightly wrapped package, but did not leave immediately. Instead he put his hand on Max’s shoulder: "And we would all like to thank Max for not keeping Liz from her studies too much!" Everyone burst out laughing when Max turned red.

Liz smiled up at her dad, knowing he was saying a lot more with the comment to Max. She knew how reluctantly he had given her into Max’s care and now he was saying that he was finally sure he had done the right thing. She clutched the present to her chest: "Thanks guys. I will miss you all…" Her voice started wobbling at the end and she looked desperately at Max who immediately took her hand in a comforting grip. They looked at each other for long seconds before Max lifted her hand and kissed her knuckles tenderly.

"We’re going to miss you too, Liz," Diane spoke for all of them as she looked at her son’s other half lovingly. How quickly this slip of a girl had become a part of the Evans family and what a difference she has made in all of their lives. Max was a whole new person without the shadows of loneliness that had lived in his eyes for so long and Isabel had a whole new group of real friends instead of the bunch of popular girls she used to hand out with. But most importantly of all, Diane and Philip were now part of their children’s lives and their secret.

As usual, Alex couldn’t take the emotional moment for too long: "Jeesh, Liz, would you open the present already? I’m sure my money didn’t just pay for pretty wrapping paper!"

Laughing, Liz gave in and tore off the wrapping to find a beautiful leather-bound folder with notepaper inside. Her eyes widened: "Its beautiful!"

"We though you could use it to attend classes with in Boston," Nancy said. "It will remind you of us."

"Yes it will. Thanks everyone." Liz was starting to feel a little weepy. She had never thought of herself as particularly close with her parents, but ever since they had all been at the alien camp last year, the group has become tightly knit. There was nothing like sharing a secret to bring people together.

Good byes were said not much later and Liz felt the tears well up in her eyes again when she hugged Max’s parents. Diane whispered that they would look after Max for her and pressed her into Max’s arms where Liz promptly shed a few tears against his warm chest. She looked over at Philip and Diane after getting control of herself again: "I’m sorry that I’m acting like such a baby. I’ll bring you something from Boston."

Max kept his arm around her as they walked to the Jeep. Liz would still see her friends tomorrow at school and would say good bye to them then. Right now, he just wanted to get her home so they could have some quiet time while she packed. He settled her in the Jeep and walked around the front to get behind the wheel. Looking over at her, he saw some lingering tears shimmering on her lashes and knew it was not only because she wasn’t going to see their parents and friends for two weeks. It was about him. Max leaned over to slip his arm around her shoulders and press his lips to her cheek before leaning his forehead against her temple. "Honey…" He didn’t really know what to say since they both felt the same way.

Liz turned her face until their lips were a mere breath apart. "Just… just kiss me, Max. That’s all I need right now."

He took Liz’s face in his hands, letting his thumbs caress her soft skin before he settled his mouth on hers. It was a sweet and gentle kiss with their lips rubbing over each other softly and their tongues touching tenderly. Two years ago, Max would never have dreamed that he would be making out with a girl outside his parents’ house in his Jeep, let alone the fact that the girl would be Liz Parker. Even more incredible was the fact that he was not worried that his parents might see them. How strange and wonderful his life had become.

After kissing the remnants of her tears from her eyelids as well, Max pulled Liz down until her head rested on his thigh before driving back to their apartment. Liz clung to his thigh and he stroked her hair whenever he wasn’t changing gears. He marveled at the contrasts in Liz. Here she was in tears because she was going away for two weeks, while this was the same girl who had dragged him away from the FBI, jumped in a river with him and faced the torture of another alien alone. She was amazing. She had so many different sides: a little girl when she was sad, a tigress when someone close to her was threatened, an innocent in so many respects and a seductress in others. And he loved every part of her.

It was late, but Max still made sure that no one was around to see him and Liz enter their apartment. They didn’t need any more trouble just before she left. He swung her up into his arms and kicked the front door closed behind them. "Let’s get you packed, young lady!"

Liz pressed her cheek against his and wriggled in his grip. She hated packing and would much rather do something else than sort out her luggage right now. She squealed when Max dumped her in the middle of their bed and went to retrieve a suitcase. Sitting up, she gave him a sultry look causing him to grin.

"Batting your beautiful eyes at me is not going to put clothes in this bag." He tilted her head for a quick kiss. "The sooner you get packed, the sooner I will be in that bed with you." He grinned again when she got up reluctantly and started flinging clothes on the bed. "You look cute when you sulk." That earned him a blouse against the head.

They packed her stuff quickly and the longer the task went on, the quieter they both became. Max was desperately trying to stay in a good mood and not ruin their last few days together, but it just felt like a giant fist was squeezing the breath from his lungs when he thought about Liz being so far away from him. He worried about a lot of things. That was him: Max Evans, worrier. He worried about Liz’s safety while in Boston. She could get mugged, be in a car accident or have more alien trouble. He worried that she will enjoy being in Boston so much that she will forget all about him. Okay, so he knew that won’t really happen, but he was not being real rational right now! He worried about all the guys that are going to flock around her and that he wouldn’t be there to make sure they know she was his. He worried about--.

"Max!" Liz’s voice broke into his thoughts. "Honey, NONE of the things you are worried about is going to happen." She looked at him with love shining from her eyes and Max cursed the fact that in times of intense emotion, like his current panic about her leaving, she could basically read his thoughts.

Taking a deep breath, he realized the time had come to tell her about Nick. "Liz, sweetie, I asked Nick to go with you." He watched her carefully to gauge her reaction. "I know I’m probably overreacting, but please--."

"Max, its okay. I knew you were going to do something like this. I wish we could live differently, but this is our normal… remember?" She smiled when she saw his relief at her easy acceptance of his plan.

"Okay then. Nick will meet us at the airport. He’s flying out with you." Max was taking her to the airport in Albuquerque early on Saturday morning from where she would fly to Boston. He traced a finger down the side of her cheek. "And he knows he’s dead if anything happens to you."

Sitting down in his lap, Liz wrapped her arms around his neck. "But what about you? Are you sure you’re going to be okay here with… Tess and Nacedo?"

Her concern made him love her more. He wasn’t sure what she thought she could do if she was here, but she would’ve made an effort. "I’m sure you have the whole gang rallied up to protect me… so I’ll be fine. And she isn’t coming near me again after that nonsense she tried yesterday."

Liz nodded, but her brow was still creased by a frown so Max got up with her in his arms and carried her into the bathroom where he put her on her feet. "Let’s get you out of these clothes…" He smiled when he saw her eyes light up. "And into the bath."

~*~*~*~*~*~

Liz woke up before dawn on Friday morning feeling completely sick. She was cuddled warmly by Max’s arms and her body was still lax from all the loving attention it had received from him. He had been tender and thorough. And Liz had loved every minute of it. But now she was violently nauseous, so she stumbled from his embrace and the bed in a desperate attempt to get to the bathroom.

Max was jolted awake when Liz flew from his side and he heard her being sick in the bathroom. He jumped out of bed, still half-asleep but very concerned about Liz. He found her crumpled next to the toilet, looking pale. "Oh my god, Liz! Are you okay?" He shoved a cloth under the tap to wet it and knelt next to her, gently wiping her face.

She nodded weakly. "Ugh… I must’ve eaten something last night. I feel better now, though." She ran her hand over his cheek. "I’m sorry if I scared you. Now go away so I can clean up with some dignity."