Max walked rapidly over to the concession stand and looked around, trying to see where she might have run. He could see the lake. Maybe she ran along the lakeshore. It was isolated and she had been trying to get away from the crowd. He started for the shore, calling telepathically.

His route took him by the jeep and Maria was there with Alex. She ran up to him. "Max, she took me to a small island near here. We waded out to it. She might be there."

Alex said, "Go check it out. I'll stay here in case she comes."

"Thanks," Max said as he followed Maria at a run. When they got to the island Maria led the way through the water, neither one stopping to remove their shoes. Maria led Max along the shore of the island but he soon passed her and ran ahead. He could see Liz coming toward them. He ran faster.

Liz regained control after her panic-stricken flight to find herself crouched behind her favorite sunbathing rock on the lake side of the island. Her clothes and hair were wet; she must have fallen as she crossed to the island. She was shuddering, taking deep, ragged breaths. Max. She could feel Max coming nearer. Liz leapt to her feet and ran toward him. **Max!**

**Liz, I'm coming.** He could see her running along the path. Then she was in his arms, safe in his arms.

\\Safe. I'm safe.\\ She felt her love's strong arms surround her in a protective embrace. Liz tried to control her trembling, tried to bring her breathing back to normal.

Maria came running up and they opened their arms to include her in the hug. "Oh Liz, I'm so sorry. This is all my fault."

"No. This is no one's fault but mine," Liz insisted with a catch in her voice. "I knew better." \\I knew better than to try to be like a normal person.\\

Max leaned his forehead down to touch Liz's and looked into her dark brown eyes. **I heard that, Liz Parker. What's so great about normal? A 'normal' person very likely would not have survived all that you have. You are an incredible woman and I won't have you disparage yourself.**

"Okay, enough with the look into my eyes thing." Maria gave them both a squeeze then stepped back from them. "Let's get back to Alex." She put her hand on Liz's cheek. "You worried us. Why didn’t you tell us about your phobia about crowds?"

Max and Maria put their arms thorough Liz's and began walking her back to the jeep. "I should have noticed that something was wrong. I'm sorry, Liz." Max was really kicking himself over this.

"Maria, has Max always taken responsibility for things he has no control over?" Liz tried for a teasing tone and partially achieved it. She reached up and planted a quick kiss on his cheek.

Alex saw them coming and ran down to meet them. He stopped and just looked at Liz, trying to decide if she was all right. "Liz, what happened?"

Liz stepped forward and gave him a hug "It's over now. I'm sorry if I worried you."

Maria spoke up. "Liz, you need to talk about what happened. It's not good for you to just avoid dealing with it." She looked at her friend earnestly.

"Let's get home and into dry clothes." Max looked at Liz. "And then we'll discuss this." She ducked head and wouldn't meet his eyes. "You aren't alone anymore, Liz. You have friends who are more than willing to help you."

They walked back to the jeep and Max let Alex drive so he could sit in back and hold Liz in his arms. She refused to answer him when he 'pathed her and she kept giving compulsive little shivers every few minutes. Finally he resorted to using her methods and pinched her to get a response from her.

**Max. Leave me alone. I'm dealing with this my own way.**

**I will not let you bury this. Maria and Alex won't either. We have you outnumbered so you'll just have to give in and let us help you.** He leaned down and kissed her forehead. **Please, Liz. It hurts me to see you like this.** He played his trump card and waited to see what she would do.

Liz heaved a ragged sigh and cuddled closer to Max's warmth. **Okay,** she 'pathed in a small voice.

When they were all gathered in the living room after changing into dry clothes and shoes Liz surprised them all by starting the discussion. "Okay, I guess it's been adequately established that I'm not comfortable in large crowds of strangers."

"Why, Liz, I never would have guessed you had such a capacity for understatement." Alex's expression and teasing voice mellowed the sarcasm of his statement.

Max picked up the Pleasantville pillow and gave Alex a stern look. Liz reached over and took it away from him. "Alex, Dave would have made that very same statement. He rarely let me avoid a situation he felt needed to be dealt with." She sighed sadly. "I'm really sorry for spoiling your day. Would you do me the tremendous favor of returning to the festival and enjoying yourselves?" she looked hopefully at them.

"Liz, I feel responsible. With all my training, I should have seen the signs and not dragged you into that crowd." Maria looked miserable.

Max spoke up quietly. "Liz, do you know why you reacted the way you did?"

She nodded. "I never tolerated crowds of strangers very well even as a child. Mom always said I'd get worse as I got older. If I still had my powers, if I could still control my shields I don't think I would be as affected." She rubbed her face tiredly. "And when that man grabbed me and began to jerk me around I… I just lost it." \\I am such a mess. Maybe I should find an isolated mountain top and apply for the job of resident hermit.\\ She leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes momentarily. \\Oops. Tried that and it doesn't seem to be working.\\

**I heard that. I thought I made it clear that I wouldn't have you disparaging my favorite woman.** Max reached over and took her hand. His face was grim. He wasn't there to protect her and look what had happened.

**Max, that was a private thought not meant for you to hear.** "Maria, did I hurt that man?"

Maria didn't like how sad Liz looked and she tried to lighten things up. "Only his ego. You have to admit he looked pretty ridiculous getting whupped on by a shrimp like you."

"I'm really sorry for not telling you the truth about me. I really want you to go back and enjoy what is left of the festival. It'll still be going on this afternoon and tonight, too." She smiled at each of them in turn. "It would really make me feel better about this. You know, Dave used to go to all the festivals and if he could leave me here so can you."

Max asked, "So, Dave didn't have your phobia about crowds?"

"No, he loved people. He brought his friends home with him all the time. We had loads of fun." She smiled to herself at the pleasant memories. "He seemed to have a knack for picking friends that his prickly momma was comfortable around."

She looked up at Max. "You apparently have the same knack. I'm very grateful that you introduced me to your friends because now they're mine, too." Liz smiled at Maria and Alex. "Please, go back and enjoy yourselves."

Max spoke up. "I've had enough excitement for one day. You two go and have fun." He stood up and stretched. "I think there is a nap headed my way." He escorted Maria and Alex toward to door.

Maria whispered in his ear, "Make her talk about this, Max," and smiled at him when he winked.

Max was standing in the door watching them drive off in Alex's car when he heard Liz start up the stairs. "I'm going to work on my quilt while you nap, Max." She hurried on into her room. He grinned and followed her. Did she really think she could get away that easily? "I think I'll just nap on your bed, if you don't mind."

Liz turned around to find him stretching out on her bed and making himself comfortable. He looked so natural there. She smiled at him and began work on that nagging quilt.

Max contemplated the complex woman he had fallen in love with as he admired the graceful movements she made as she quilted on the big machine. It was like she was dancing with it, her arms on the handles, making slow graceful movements.

After a time Liz looked back at Max and found him sleeping. She paused her quilting and spent some time studying his face. It was so dear to her and she didn't often get a chance to just study him. He looked so cozy all curled up with her favorite quilt. His masculine attractiveness made quite a contrast to the rose-colored log cabin hearts in the quilt.

She turned back to her quilt machine, her mind pleasantly occupied designing a quilt that would suit her Max. Presently she finished the topstitching and began to take the nagging quilt off the machine. It was happy that it was almost done.

Max awoke from his nap and was treated to an exceptional sight. Liz was sitting in her chair by the window doing some type of hand stitching on the quilt. The sunlight streaming in the window framed her in a golden halo. She was smiling to herself and she looked so beautiful that Max fell in love with her all over again. He gave a happy sign and stretched.

Liz looked up and greeted him. "Have a good nap, sleepy head?" She clipped her thread and put her needle away. She stood up to fold the now completed quilt and as she walked by the bed Max reached out and pulled her down next to him. He wrapped her in his warm arms and nuzzled her neck. "You're tickling me, Max." She squirmed and giggled softly.

"I know." He began a slow search of her ribs for that ticklish spot he'd found earlier. "I plan to keep it up until you talk to me about your crowd phobia and any other things that concern you."

"You really should have Maria coach you on being subtle." Liz tried to wiggle out of reach but didn't have much success countering Max's greater strength. She shoved the quilt between them and tried to wrap herself in it for protection. Max thought that was a great idea and he wrapped her up tightly, leaving her head out so she could breathe. "MAX! You don't play fair!" She laughed and tried to get free but couldn't. "All right. I give up."

Max didn't let her out of the quilt. He just tucked her snuggly along his side and waited for her to start. "I'm waiting." He brushed the hair from her face and stroked her cheek gently. Liz with shorter hair had some advantages: she left it free more often instead of braiding it. She looked so appealing with the glossy masses of it flowing in loose swirls on the bed around her face.

After a few minutes he reminded her, "I'm still waiting." Max picked up a loose strand of her hair and began to tickle her ear with it.

"You're really bad, Max." Liz tried to avoid his tickling. "I thought we already covered this before Maria and Alex left." She changed her tactics and closed her eyes, determined to ignore him. It was a standoff.

Max used this time to study her face. He knew she didn't realize how beautiful she was, and that was part of her attractiveness. He began to release her; he didn't want her to be feel really trapped. As he began to unwrap Liz he noticed she had stitched words on the back of the quilt she just finished. There was also a short poem but a fold of quilt hid most of it. "'An Odd duck Quilt.' Is that how you sign your work, Liz?"

Liz opened her eyes as Max unwound her from the quilt. "Yes. And some of them want to have their say so I stitch a poem on to help them." She shifted her position so she could see Max's face better. "Max?" He looked at her with such love in her eyes that it derailed her train of thought. Whatever had she done to deserve such love? She didn't know, but she was grateful for it.

"Yes?" Max prompted her. He could spend all afternoon just looking into those dark expressive eyes.

"How do you deal with crowds? You've been picking up my private thoughts lately, not just what I 'path to you so you must be pretty sensitive. And crowds don't get to you? Is this something I could learn?

"I don't know, sweetie. I would have thought with those shields of yours that this wouldn't be a problem. What were you feeling right before you lost control?" He watched an expression cross her face and added, "Don't waste your time feeling sorry for what you did to the guy who grabbed you. From what you said earlier he deserved what he got. And he's lucky you didn't hang around and press charges. What he did to you would be considered an assault."

"And what I did to him?"

"Self-defense. This is Max, the ex-lawyer, speaking." He kissed her softly. "Now, where were we? Oh yeah, you were just about to tell me what you were feeling…"

"I've changed my mind. I don't want to think about it now."

Max could tell she was becoming uncomfortable with the discussion, but he was determined that she work this through. "Do you feel their emotions or hear their thoughts? Is that what bothers you?"

Liz sighed and snuggled closer. "No, it's nothing that specific. It's like a pressure on my head that grows and grows until I can't stand it anymore."

"Is the number of people a factor or is it the particular individuals?"

"A little of both, I think. I can deal with small groups of people for a short time. I can shop and walk around town and I'm generally okay. As long as I'm not surrounded by too many people and can't get to a door easily."

Max closed his eyes and groaned to himself. And here he just was restraining her with his greater strength and trapping her in that quilt. How sensitive was that?

Liz chuckled and stroked his face. "Max. Stop that. Surely you've figured it out by now that nothing you do scares me. I trust you totally and absolutely. A little horseplay like we just indulged in was fun." She moved her hand to his ribs and began to tickle one of his sensitive spots.

Max leaned down and breathed gently into her ear, tickling her like before. He kissed his way down her neck. Liz wrapped her arms around him and he kissed his way up to her mouth. Their kisses and caresses had become more passionate when a loud buzzing sound attracted their attention.

"What's that?" Max was not happy at this interruption. He released Liz as she moved to get out of his embrace.

Liz straightened her clothes and hair as she walked toward the door. "It's the gate buzzer— someone is at the gate. Didn't Alex take the remote control?" She didn't wait for Max and he heard her light tread as she ran down stairs.

He groaned and buried his face in the quilts. Blasted buzzer. He could hear her voice as she talked to somebody who had very bad timing.

"Max. There's trouble."

He bounded out of bed and pounded down the stairs. "What kind of trouble?"

"The gate won't open for Alex and Maria. That means that either their remote control is broken or someone planted a tracking device on them." They exchanged a worried look. "I told Alex to keep driving and we'd meet them at the next trailhead parking lot. There's one about 4 miles farther down the road." Liz ran into the computer room and took a homemade electronic gadget from a cupboard. "Let's go, Max. We don't want them to be stopped too long." At his questioning look she added, "I'll explain on the way."

As they were rushing to meet their friends Liz explained, "You'll remember that I told you the gates had a scanning device connected to the opener? Well, unless it's just a broken remote, we have to deal with that device before whoever planted it is aware of anything. Stop at the gate, please." She hopped out and ran to the road, looking back toward town. "No one is coming, Max. Turn left and hurry!" Liz instructed as she got back into the jeep.

"What's that thing you have there, Liz?"

"Another invention courtesy of Dave. It will locate any tracking devices and if we choose, disable them. But if we find one today, I have another idea for dealing with it." She pointed to the left side of the road a little way ahead. "There's the parking lot, Max."

Liz jumped out of the jeep before it was totally stopped. She ran up to Alex's car and began to move the scanner over it. Alex and Maria jumped out and Max explained what Liz had told him. When the scanner was moved near the rear passenger fender it emitted a beep. Liz crouched down and felt under the fender. She stood up with a small device in her hand.

"Is that it?" Max asked as he took it from her.

"Yep. I'm going to finish scanning though. Might be another one." But she didn't find another one on the car. She moved toward Maria and Alex. "Let me scan you guys just to be sure." They were clean, much to everyone's relief.

"Are you going to disable that, Liz?" Alex asked.

Speaking quickly, Liz answered. "No, I'm going to send it on a little river ride. I'll explain later. No time now. You two can go on home now, Max and I will take care of this. Take a round-about route, don’t go directly there and don't turn into the driveway if you can see a car in either direction." She gave them a quick hug and motioned for Max to get in the jeep.

Max jumped back into the jeep and turned onto the 4-wheel drive trail that started at the end of the parking lot as Liz indicated. When the trail became rougher Max put the jeep into 4-wheel drive. "Liz, what the hell is going on?"

"Watch the rocks, Max. We can not afford to burst a tire before we dump this stinking thing." She opened the console and took out a ziplock bag full of napkins. Returning the napkins to the console she put the tracking device into the bag and partially sealed it. Then she blew into the bag to inflate it and finished sealing it.

"Take the right fork ahead, Max. About three miles down that trail we'll come to a stream that pretty closely follows another trail. The trail and stream end up in the next county. Dave and I tested this; seven out of ten times the baggie ended up in the lake there, the other times it went all the way down the spillway of the dam and beyond the range of our scanner." She turned to Max and held up the inflated baggie. "Our little bug is going on a ride." Max just glanced at her, a grim expression on his face.

They rode in silence until Liz said, "There's the stream." She jumped out and set the baggie afloat. When she got back into the jeep she said, "Now we need to get off this trail. Keep going for another half mile then take the left fork."

"Planning on telling me just where we'll end up?" Max kept his eyes on the rough trail.

"Ummm. Yeah. Sorry I haven't been explaining better," she said in a meek voice.

Max stopped the jeep, leaned over and took Liz's face in his hands. He planted an apology kiss on her mouth. "I'm the one that should be sorry. You didn't deserve to be spoken to in that tone of voice."

"That's okay, Max. This hasn't happened in a long while and I'm uptight. If you'll go back to your driving, I'll do better at explaining. We really need to get off this part of the trail before it gets dark. It's way too rough to drive without adequate light." Liz reached over and ran her fingers through the hair on the back of Max's head, comforting herself that he was here with her. "This trail ends up in a small town several miles from home. We can take paved roads home from there." She heaved a big sigh and thought for a while. "Max?"

"What, sweetie?"

"So, I'm your sweetie again, huh?"

"Always. I trust you, I just want to know what's going on."