Liz went to get their order and give Luke time to assimilate what had just happened. Luke sat there with a stunned and hopeful look on his face while Jarod sat back and observed him. There was a tender almost painful look in Jarod’s eyes; he had helped so many lost people find themselves, find connections, find family. Would there ever be a day when he would find his own connections?

He cleared his throat lightly and Luke looked up at him. “Do you think she really knows …someone like you?”

Luke nodded, the faraway look fading out of his eyes. A smile lit his face, the first real down to his core smile that Jarod had seen on him. “She knows. She saw when I saw; I didn’t know that could happen. Jarod I have to know more! There is so much I want to ask her!” Luke sat talking to Jarod about his hopes, the animation in his face an open honest book that Liz was reading from behind the kitchen door.

She took a deep breath and let it out again. If she had had any doubts at all, this scene had squashed them. There was no way this kid was any more than he seemed. (At least not to her, she amended.) ‘So Max, it looks like I have found another of your people. As much as this will mean to you, I don’t doubt for a moment that it means so much more to this boy.’ She had no idea how very much it would mean to her.

***

Roswell:

Max sat there in the parking lot both hands on the wheel and his eyes watching Maria and Michael in the side view mirror. It didn’t matter what he thought of, he knew they wouldn’t back down. They were coming and that was that. He turned around and looked directly at them. Maria Twiddled her fingers at him and gave him a big ‘give it your best shot you’re stuck with us’ smile. He just shook his head and gave them a come-on wave.

They were out of Michaels car like a shot. Michael tossed his keys to Alex. “Give it a ride home, will ya?”

“Okay, so whose house do we go to first?” Maria asked, looking from one to the other. “You know to pack? Oh and what do you wear on a Liz finding trip?”

The others just stood there and watched them take off. “Well that leaves half of us holding the bag.” Alex said. “ At least I won’t be the only one getting the third degree. Should we go to class or just go somewhere and figure out what story we can concoct to explain all this?”

Isabel didn’t even look at him; she just headed for her car. “If he thinks I’m waiting here, he doesn’t know me as well as he thinks he does! We meet at Alex’s in twenty minutes!”

***

Elsie’s:

9:00 AM: Liz came down stairs from her room dressed in jeans, a long sleeve shirt and hiking boots. Luke met her out front with two backpacks. Jarod had gone on to the canyon to start snooping around and Luke and Liz had decided to take in the canyon as well.

Luke still wasn’t convinced that they should go. “Jarod wouldn’t want us to go down there while he’s investigating. It could be dangerous.”

“Nonsense. He’s looking for a guy that preys on well to do men traveling alone. That is sooo unlike us, that we don’t have to worry about it. Now come on. You can’t not see this place. It’s like one of the wonders of the world.” Liz donned her backpack and pushed back her hair. “My mom and dad brought me here a few years ago. It is so unreal. You’ll love it!”

She had had this brainstorm while trying to figure out how to keep Luke from going nuts while they waited. Not for Jarod, for night time. Liz didn’t want to tell Luke too much about Max and the gang until she talked to them. Last night she had tossed and turned but hadn’t slept much, thinking about Luke. Tonight she was going to be tired enough to get a good night’s sleep. She wanted to give Isabel all the chances she needed to dreamwalk her.