He found her quickly when he heard her light laugh. He turned to see her admiring the effect of the make-up artist's applications. Cheryl was standing next to them, offering advice and evaluating the results of each new stroke or color choice. He spent a moment just enjoying the view. There was a warm pleasure in watching her girlish happiness and hearing her musical laughter.

Her face stilled suddenly as she became aware of him. She turned her head and looked directly at him, a smile playing across her mouth and eyes. It was electrical, that look. He always felt as if there was no one in the world but the two of them when her face first lit up at his presence. How had he gotten so lucky?

He was about to start toward her when he heard, "Quiet on the set! Action!" He turned toward the sound and realized he was standing very close to a part of the set where Marla and Brent were doing a scene. Marla was dressed very provocatively and her character, Ashley, was obviously trying to seduce Brent's character, Scott. They were near a darkened campsite where Ashley had evidently been lying in wait for Scott to return. Before Scott was aware of her presence, he stood by the fire and took off his shirt. Max heard a quiet gasp and turned to see Maria in the wings, clearly admiring Brent's well-toned muscles. He smiled to himself to see the effect it had on her, and then wondered if Liz had ever felt any such reaction looking at him. The thought of her responding to the hard body he had sought to maintain caused a stirring in him, and he shifted uncomfortably. He couldn't afford to think about that here.

He turned his attention back to the scene being filmed and watched Ashley emerge from the shadows. She walked seductively up to Scott, splaying her hands across his chest and gazing up at him under heavy-lidded eyes. Scott took a step back, apparently surprised and annoyed. They debated back and forth about the appropriateness of her being there and the nature of their relationship. Max had not seen the show before and wasn't sure what factors were at play, but he couldn't help but be aroused at Marla's sexy portrayal of Ashley and he found himself mentally putting Liz and himself in the situation that was playing out before him. He was getting increasingly uncomfortable but was riveted to the scene. Finally, the director yelled, "Cut!" Lights went on and Marla and Brent turned from each other as if they hadn't just been on the verge of something very hot. Max was relieved to see normalcy return so quickly, but his body was going to need a minute to return to normal itself.

He wasn't going to get a minute. Just as he began to take slow deep breaths in an effort to calm his racing heart, Marla approached him. Although she wasn't the Ashley he had just seen, he still felt as ambushed as Scott had. She flashed a beautiful smile at him, took his upper arm in both hands, apparently appreciating his solid biceps, and said in a low voice, "Hi, Max. I was hoping you'd show up today. We haven't had much chance to talk and personally, I think that's a shame. Want to walk me over to food service and grab a bite? I haven't eaten all day."

Max was completely taken aback by her invitation, and in his aroused state, he felt particularly unprepared for Marla's not-so-subtle advances. The situation was making him very uneasy, and his eyes searched desperately for Liz; he wanted nothing more right now than to hold her. He finally saw her with Mason and Cheryl looking behind some set pieces, as if they were explaining how things were done to achieve certain effects. He knew that this was just the kind of thing Liz was interested in, and he smiled at her animated face and gestures. Marla took his smile as assent. She slipped her hand in his and began to lead him away from the set toward the tables of catered food that were available to the cast and crew. A successful ambush.

Marla fixed a plate of raw vegetables and some cheese and offered Max a snack. He shook his head, and she shrugged slightly. "Suit yourself," she smiled and pulled Max in the direction of a bench under the shade of a tent that had been erected to help keep the actors cool. To Max's surprise, however, she circled around behind the tent and sat down under one of Roswell's few trees. Max sat beside her and realized they were quite alone back here. This time, he felt uncomfortable for an entirely different reason.

Marla set her plate aside and twisted her body toward Max, giving him a birds-eye view of her ample cleavage and full lips. "Tell me about yourself, Max, and your life in Roswell."

"Well, uh, there's not much to tell, really," Max stuttered awkwardly. "I just go to high school, work at the UFO museum, hang out with friends. Ya know, just regular stuff."

"I'll bet it's not quite as normal as you say it is, Max."

He looked at her, startled and wary. What was that supposed to mean? "Why do you say that?" he asked.

"Well, for one thing, you seem to be a very mysterious guy. That makes me curious. For another, this is Roswell, New Mexico, the center of alien mythology. Surely there are some strange things that have happened here, like the crash that began it all, or maybe something more recent?"

She turned her large eyes to his and leaned in closer. "I absolutely love a man with mystery and secrets, Max. Don't you have some that you could tell me?"

Max was completely confused by her line of questioning. Did she suspect something? Or was she just bored and toying with him? In either case, he didn't want any part of it. As he weighed his next words, he was completely taken off guard by her lips brushing his and her breast pressing against his chest. His body reacted of its own accord. For the briefest of seconds, he allowed the contact, bringing his hand up to her arm. The second he touched it, he knew that nothing about this felt right. This wasn't Liz and that made it unacceptable. His brain engaged quickly and he pulled back from her. As soon as he released her, she looked down at his hand on her arm.

"What are you doing, Marla? We don't even know each other, but you do know I'm with Liz. Where is this coming from?"

Marla sank back against the tree. "I'm sorry, Max. I came on way too strong, didn't I?" She looked at his perplexed face and smiled a genuine smile. "I really am sorry, Max. You didn't deserve that." She picked up her plate and began to munch on some celery.

"Truth is," she said, pulling her knees up to her chest, "I am often bored, and lonely, but that's no excuse. I really am interested in getting to know you, Max, but this little awkwardness was an experiment, and it was unfair. I apologize."

"What do you mean 'an experiment'?"

Marla let out an embarrassed laugh. "I feel so stupid, Max. Promise you won't get mad?"

He nodded, although he wasn't at all sure he could keep that promise.

"Okay, this is going to sound really dumb, and I'm sure you and your friends will have a good laugh about it at my expense, but . . . ." She looked at him, almost nervous now. "Here goes. The other night at the restaurant, after you left with Liz and were gone for a while, Mason and Cheryl went looking for you guys. Well, they found you . . . making out in some private room somewhere and . . . oh geez, I can't believe I'm going to say this out loud . . . they said Liz was glowing where you were touching her."

Max gasped and Marla hastened to continue. "I know, I know, it's nuts, and I'm sorry, really. I just thought if I could kiss you, I could see for myself what happened. Nothing, of course. I'm sure there was just some random lighting in there, or maybe they'd been drinking, too. Who knows? But honestly, Max, I'm sorry. Can we just forget it, and maybe have a real conversation?"

Max studied Marla's face. He believed her. She seemed genuinely embarrassed about what had happened. That didn't change the real problem, though. He knew when he and Liz were passionate and becoming sexually charged, this glowing phenomenon could happen. What he didn't know was at what point it began. They had to be very careful. This one thing could do them in. All of them. Mason and Cheryl had seen something they should never have seen, and they wouldn't be as easily dissuaded as Marla had been. But that was another issue. He was going to have to talk to Liz. They couldn't get carried away anywhere near a public place. And as for determining when they had reached the point where this glowing thing started, well, he felt that way just about any time he looked at her, but he knew it was a question of intensity. Just one more thing to figure out about their relationship.

"I'd be happy to talk sometime, Marla, but first, I'd like to go find Liz."

Marla nodded. "You two are pretty tight, huh?"

Max looked at her seriously. "As tight as they get." He rose and held out his hand to help her up. They walked back toward the set together, but much more comfortably this time. In spite of what had happened, Max liked her.

"Is it really lonely, being an actor?" he asked.

"It can be," she nodded sadly. "Sometimes you don't know who your real friends are. A lot of people are nice to you because they want something, or just want to brag that they know you. You can't just go to a movie or out to dinner without drawing a crowd. Don't get me wrong, I love what I do, but you start not to trust, you know? You don't let people in, and you wonder what they would think of the real you if you did. You learn to be alone a lot."

Max stopped walking and she turned to face him. He put a hand on her shoulder and looked into her eyes. She found them mesmerizing. "I may know more about that feeling than you think. But take my advice. Don't hold on to that loneliness forever. Sometimes you just have to take a chance. Yeah, you might get hurt. But if you're right, it's the best feeling in the world."

He gave her shoulder a squeeze and resumed walking. She watched him intently. She didn't know why, but she knew he was talking to her from the heart. Then she saw Liz approaching Max, and watched as their arms went around each other. They held each other for a full minute before he released her. She smiled up into his loving face and closed her eyes briefly as he kissed her forehead. This is who Max had let in; this was the great feeling he'd been wishing for her. She'd have to think about that advice.

*********

Marla wasn't the only one watching the touching scene. Mason was just emerging from the tent when his eyes went from Max and Liz to Marla. He caught her gaze, and she shook her head, rolling her eyes as if to say, "I can't believe you asked me to do this." Mason returned his attention to the couple in front of him. They sure looked like two teenagers in love to him, perfectly normal and irritatingly happy. He began to doubt what he had seen himself. What he didn't doubt was the strength of that relationship, and he found himself wondering why that sort of relationship had eluded him all these years. Not that he'd ever let anyone close. He knew he'd kept his walls high and thick. It was his safety net, his comfort zone. The old Simon and Garfunkel words came to mind, "I am a rock; I am an island." A lonely island.

Marla caught up with him and they fell into step, walking back toward the set. "They're a sweet couple, Mason. Let them be. There's nothing odd about them, except that they found love at an early age. Let them enjoy it."

Mason remained silent, suppressing the feelings that crept up on him when he looked at them. In his most private thoughts, he knew that's what he wanted. Someone who loved him wholeheartedly, someone who was willing to accept his love without using it against him. He'd seen love like that on television, and knew it for the sham that it was. But now he'd seen the real version, and knowing it really existed made him ache. This was not within his comfort zone, but how long could he survive there . . . alone?

Michael was coming from the opposite direction, having just come in from his shift at the Crashdown. He had spotted Max and Liz . . . hugging again. It was like a disease with them. Grope-itis. No cure, and slightly contagious. Maria was always comparing their relationship with Max and Liz's, wanting more of what they had. Michael had no problem enjoying the physical side of their relationship . . . when they were alone. It was all this PDA stuff that made him uncomfortable. She'd just have to live with it.

Then he saw Marla and Mason heading for the set, looking very serious. They must be preparing for a scene or something, he thought. Where was Maria? His eyes searched the organized chaos of crew, equipment, sets, and props. There she was, smiling up at Brent Fairchild, whose hand was resting too familiarly on the small of her back. They were looking at a soundboard and Maria appeared fascinated. Brent made a large gesture with his hands, causing Maria to giggle and put her hand up against his chest. She looked just a little too starstruck.

Michael frowned as he strode toward them.

"I'm starting my own record production company as soon as I have enough money and find a couple of partners," Brent was telling her. "You and Alex's band should cut a CD and send it to me. Who knows? We might wind up working together!"

Maria's eyes were shining with excitement and Michael felt a stab of fear go through him. He'd never considered that Maria would be the one to leave him. He'd always explained to her that he might have to leave someday, but she . . . she couldn't go. He walked up behind her, spun her out of Brent's grasp and into his arms.

"Hi, baby," he said firmly and kissed her.

"Michael!" gasped Maria, as soon as his lips released hers. She was stunned for a moment at the out-of-character move on Michael's part, but when she saw the challenging look that Michael threw toward Brent, she understood instantly. It pleased her enormously that Michael was jealous, and she decided to use it to full advantage. It would do him good to stew for a while. She knew that as long as Michael was here and loved her, she would never leave him . . . at least not permanently. But she wanted a singing career, and he needed to understand that, too. She might be able to further two goals here!

"Michael, hi! Good to see you, too," she teased. "Brent was just showing me some of the latest sound equipment and telling me about his plans to be a record producer. He wants to hear some of Alex's and my music!"

She watched Michael's face and saw his struggle. Very healthy, she thought smugly.

"Well, those plans are on hold for a while," Brent hurried to explain. "I need to do a lot more groundwork first."

"Yeah, well, take your time," Michael responded, and began to pull Maria away. She was about to protest when they were all distracted by shouting on the set. A flurry of people were hurrying toward the street that had been closed off for use in the filming. Everyone joined the rush to see what had happened. They began to hear whispers, "It's Cheryl!"

Mason pushed through to the front of the crowd and saw Cheryl on the street, bleeding from the head. "What happened here?" he shouted as he fell to his knees beside her. Jamison was already there.

"She tripped over those damn wires and hit her head on the car," he spit out angrily. "George! Those wires are supposed to be covered! Take care of it. NOW!"

The paramedic on the lot had already called for an ambulance and begun to minister to the gash on her head.

"She unconscious!" breathed Mason, his stomach churning with worry. "Where's the ambulance?"

"It's on the way," promised the paramedic. "It'll be here any minute."

The rest of the cast, Liz, Max, Maria, and Michael held onto each other as they watched the ambulance pull up, transfer Cheryl to a gurney, and lift her inside the vehicle. At the last moment, Mason hopped in the back with her.

"I'm going with her. She'll need a familiar face when she wakes up." No one challenged him, and the ambulance sped off. Just as it disappeared down the road, Isabel and Alex joined the group.

"What happened?" they asked together.

"Cheryl fell and hit her head," said Marla worriedly. "They've just taken her to the hospital!"

Isabel surveyed the group. "Where's Mason?"

"He insisted on going with her," Brent replied. "He looked really scared."

Isabel processed this in light of what she knew about Mason. Maybe this was where the real Mason would finally reveal himself.

Jamison approached the group. "We're done shooting for today. If you guys want to go to the hospital, that's fine. The crew and I are going to be doing an intense safety check around here. This never should have happened."

They nodded and began to move toward the parking lot. There was no discussion; they all knew where they needed to be.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

Hi, troops! Well, I think the story is winding down, and Christmas is most definitely winding UP (in this house, at least), so I see one (possibly two) more installments to the story. As you vote this time, think about working toward a conclusion.

1. Stick with Awwwww: At the hospital, Mason begins to show that he wants to care. He takes personal care of Cheryl and has a better talk with Max. Liz and Max discuss their unique glowing problem (some experimentation possible here, Phae), and Michael opens up a little more to Maria. I have a little twist that would go with this ending. (This choice would probably finish the story with this installment.)

2. We can't all be perfect: Cheryl is quickly released, and Liz offers her room to Cheryl for a day or two while she recovers. Cheryl succumbs to temptation and reads Liz's journal. When Max and Mason come to visit, Max sees her from the roof and a tense conversation among the four of them results. Needless to say, in this scenario, at least Cheryl and Mason will learn the truth. (This ending might require two installments.)

3. Angst, anyone?: Cheryl is more seriously hurt than they thought. Jamison asks Mason to find someone to run scenes with (for tech purposes as well as rehearsal). Mason chooses Liz, who he sees as most like Cheryl, and Max fights his feelings of jealousy. Isabel has a heart to heart with Mason. Meanwhile, Brent, Marla, and Rick visit a band session where Maria and Alex are performing and Michael confronts Brent. Rick and Marla grow closer. (Obviously, we'd need two installments to resolve this one, too.)