Usually the diner was filled with voices of people ordering food and machines being used. The silence comforted her.

Nothing had been the same since they had come. There were less people willing to come out into the open, for fear of seeing them. Men and women's fear could be felt whenever one of them drew near, and a hatred would spurt from that fear.

If it was up to Liz, she would prefer it if they all stayed away from the town area completely.

She didn't trust them, and there was something about their eyes that made her feel they were looking right through her. When they came she was too young to remember anything about it.

She relied on her parents' stories and what others had told her to believe what happened. They came in small numbers at first, apparently only to establish contact with humans. Then there were more, arriving in large numbers.

Men and women, if you could call them that, and whole families came as immigrants. The humans tried to fight them off, thinking the aliens were here with the worst intentions. But they lost that war.

The aliens didn't need to kill anybody to assure the humans they had an enormous amount of power.

Even when some of their own were killed they didn't resort to violence. They made it clear to everyone that they were going to stay, so the humans turned their backs. They couldn't fight or resist, and yet they couldn't get along either.

The aliens had set to work to build themselves homes and facilities on the outskirts of Roswell. Whole schools were built, along with farms and hospitals. A few humans had helped, the ones that seemed not to fear these strangers.

Yet the greater majority of humans kept away, mothers and fathers telling their children that the aliens were never to be trusted. Liz herself had been told stories of how great their powers were.

Humans claim they can heal with a touch, and if they can heal with a touch they can kill with a touch. That frightened Liz so that it made her squirm inside at the very thought of it. She felt that they were capable of killing.

Now fifty years later, they still live on the outside of society, a small community of about a hundred or so. And still the town ignores them. When one is seen, whispers and hushed tones commence and people leave them be.

Leave them alienated from the rest of the world.

Liz suddenly became aware of a tapping sound at the door, and she turned around to see who it was.

Her best friend Maria had her face pressed up against the glass, squinting to see inside. Liz switched the overhead light on and walked over to unlock the door.

Maria quickly scurried inside like a mouse. "Geez, Liz," she said between breath's. "Where were you? I was knocking so hard and you weren't moving."

Liz picked up her coat near the front entrance and gave her friend an apologetic smile. "Sorry Maria. I was just thinking about stuff."

Maria solemnly shook her head. "How many times have I told you not to do that!" She said shaking her finger in a false exasperated manner. "You'll give yourself brain damage with all this thinking!"

Liz smiled at her friend's attempts to be angry. She knew Maria too well. She was only joking around. Liz looked at her watch. "So are we going to your house to study now or what?" She asked.

Maria looked uncomfortable for a minute. "Um, do you mind if we walked?" She replied. "My car is in the garage so I am without wheels for a couple of days. Do you mind?"

Liz felt herself stiffen slightly. She hated walking around at night. She felt unsafe. But she shook these thoughts away and forced a smile on her pretty face. "No, it's alright." She said picking up her bag. "Lets go."

After quickly making sure everything was locked up, she headed out the door with Maria trailing close behind her. The night air was cold and brisk. For a summer night it was unusual.

They walked at a fast pace, talking and laughing. Maria only lived a few blocks from the diner, but Liz couldn't wait to get there.

That's why she suggested they take the alleys.

As they walked along a dark and narrow ally their chattering ceased. Both felt uncomfortable in the small confined space. Liz had to keep reminding herself to stop being paranoid about every single noise. Suddenly she heard a noise she definitely thought she should be paranoid about. She spun around and looked to see if Maria had heard it too.

Judging by the paleness of Maria's already pale face, she guessed it wasn't just her imagination.

It was distinctively the sound of footsteps approaching. With a single look the two girls made a mutual agreement. They started running as fast and quietly as they could away from the footsteps, frantically turning corners, not comprehending where they were going until they turned the last corner and found a solid brick wall in their path. Maria gave a small gasp and they quickly turned back.

But they were too late. The footsteps had hurried after them and they began to realize they were trapped. As they searched for a way over the brick wall they heard the footsteps come to a stop. Slowly turning around they saw a man standing in the shadowed light shining from an apartment window. It cast an eerie glow over him. As he moved closer and Liz could see his face was distorted with deep scars that ran across his face.

It was almost too horrible to look at, but Liz could feel Maria's fear growing as well as her own and they needed to get out of this situation.

"Well well well.." the man said with an ugly smile on his face. "What have we here. Are you lost girls?"

Liz forced herself to shake her head. "No, sir, we're just on our way home." Grabbing Maria's hand she tried to squeeze past the mans rigid frame.

He stepped to the side to block their path. Fear gripped Liz's heart as she tried the other way, but he moved into their way again. Liz backed away and looked into the man's eyes with a forceful glare.

"Let us past!" She cried.

The man looked somewhat bemused by her sudden outburst. He reached into his pocket and slowly drew out a knife.

Maria gave a weak cry from behind Liz and started to cry softly. But there was no way she wanted this dirtbag to see her cry. The man raised a finger to his lips and uttered a shh noise as he approached them once again until he had Liz and Maria backed up against the cold brick wall. Then he quickly grabbed Liz and held the knife to her throat.

Maria and Liz screamed in unison, and the man tightened his grip on Liz's shaking frame and spun her around to face Maria. "If you want your friend to live, I suggest you keep quiet." He whispered with an evil smile on his face, waving the knife in front of Maria's tear-streaked face.

Maria could only watch as he slowly ran the knife down Liz's face, across her cheek, over her lips and down her uniform. With one quick jerk he cut off the top button of the uniform, and laughed when he saw the look of absolute terror on her face.

He continued to undo the buttons on her uniform, but when he got to the bottom buttons there was suddenly a loud crash behind him.

Spinning around with a sobbing Liz in front of him he came face to face with a boy about the same age as the girls.

Although the boy's face was shadowed, the man could still see the anger in it. With a small smile playing on his lips he raised Liz's arms above her head, revealing the white flesh of her stomach.

The boys' eyes flickered for a brief moment. It was all the man needed. Without a second thought he plunged the sharp knife into Liz's stomach, driving it deep.

Maria screamed as she watched Liz fall to the ground, a small moan escaping her lips. With this distraction, the man rushed at the boy, knife held high.

He was instantly knocked to the ground by a blinding white light before he got there. He could barely see.

But what he did see was the sobbing blonde girl standing over him with a block of wood in her hands. He saw it swinging towards him then everything went black.

Maria dropped the block of wood and rushed to Liz's side. Holding her hands over the wound she called Liz's name over and over. Liz looked up at her through the slits of her eyelids.

"Oh my god, I can't stop the bleeding!" Maria wailed. "I can't stop the bleeding!"

She felt someone gently yet firmly push her aside. Through her tears she could see the boy who had tried to save them kneeling over Liz's still form.

"Max!" A voice cried out.

Maria looked over to see yet another guy rushing over to them. The boy, Maria assumed to be Max, looked at the other guy.

"I have to Michael." He said in a brusque voice.

Michael pulled Max's arm away from Liz's body and looked at him with anger flaring in his eyes. "We made an oath." He said in a low voice.

"I can't just let her die Michael!" Max cried, and shook Michael's arm away.

Maria couldn't understand what was going on. She turned her eyes to Max and saw him leaning over Liz again with his eyes closed. She felt immobile to do anything. Completely helpless.

Suddenly a small glow encircled Liz. After a minute it faded and Liz's eyes fluttered open.

She saw a strange man staring down at her with a look of relief on his face. Maria's face came into view as she stared at Liz in disbelief.

"Liz?!" She cried. "Oh my god Liz, you're okay! You're okay!"

Maria's eyes drifted down to where the knife had penetrated Liz's skin and saw that there was no wound to be seen. She raised her eyes in shock to meets Max's. "You healed her…" she said in a barely audible voice. "You're…one of them…"

Max lowered his eyes to Liz's face, before allowing Michael to lead him off down the dark alleys from where they came. Maria and Liz watched as they disappeared into the night shadows before the realization started to set in of what just happened to them.

Maria started crying again as she hugged Liz with relief. "God, Liz," she sobbed. "I thought you were dead. You were dead! But that alien saved you!"

Liz let go of Maria and faced her friend in surprise. "You mean he was…." Liz couldn't bring herself to say the words.

Maria nodded her head.

Liz stared at the spot where she last saw the two guys walk off. Why had he saved her? Why had he saved a human after all they had done to the aliens?

Liz couldn't stop all the questions flying around her head. Then she noticed the still form of the unconscious man laying on the cold concrete ground.

Maria helped her to her feet and they stood for a few moments as Liz gathered her strength. Then they slowly made their way silently out of the alley.

"So he blinded him?!" Liz asked, her mouth agape. "How did he do that?"

Liz had made an incredible recovery overnight and was feeling her usual self the next day. She and Maria were lounging out on her balcony, trying to get last minute tans in the dying rays of sunlight.

"You know," Maria said thoughtfully "I actually think it was the other guy, Michael, who made the bright flash appear. Whoever it was, they saved your life, that's for sure." She shifted onto her side to face Liz.

"I noticed something last night, when I was getting out of uniform." Liz said slowly.

Maria grew concerned at her friend's carefulness of tone. "What? What did you notice?" She asked.

Liz sat up in the lounge chair and lifted her shirt up slightly. There was a large, silver handprint glowing on the bare skin of her stomach.

"Oh my go…" Maria whispered in shock. "What is that?"

Liz shook her head in wonder. "I have no idea. I think that alien - "

"Max." Maria interrupted quickly.

"I think Max must have left it there when he healed me." Liz continued. "I can't make it go away."

Suddenly Liz's father stuck his head through the open window of Liz's bedroom. "Maria!" He called. Liz quickly lowered her shirt. She didn't want her father to start asking questions. "Maria, your mother wants you to help her at home." He announced.

Maria gave Liz an exasperated look. "Sorry Liz," she said as she got up. "I better go. Call you later?"

Liz nodded her head and waved goodbye as Maria's head disappeared over the edge of the balcony. Then she settled back to think over the events of the last twenty-four hours.

Later that night, Liz snapped her journal shut. She felt it was safe to write about the things that had happened in her journal. The room was bathed in a relaxing blue light from the blue painted globe Maria had given her in the lamp.

It made Liz feel in control of things somehow, and she really needed to feel that way right now.

As she got ready to go to sleep, something outside her window caught her eye. She peered through the curtains just in time to see someone's head disappear down the balcony ladder. Thinking it was Maria, Liz scrambled out the window and ran to the edge.

"Maria, wait!" she called out as she looked down.

The face that looked back up at her was not Maria's.

Liz gave a small gasp as she recognised the face of Max who had saved her.

He had a guilty expression on his face. "I'm sorry." He said quietly, and continued down the ladder.

"No, wait!" Liz cried once again. "Please come back."

She didn't know what she was doing, but she had momentarily forgotten what he was.

He stopped and looked up at her again. She could see his eyes shining from the moonlight above them.

Then slowly he started to once again climb the rungs. Soon he was standing uncomfortably on the balcony looking like he was going to run at any second. "I just wanted to see how you were doing, that's all." He said quickly, before she could say anything. "I wasn't following you or whatever. Just checking."

Liz couldn't believe she was standing this close to an alien and that she wasn't feeling scared. Usually just the thought of them and what they could do sent a shiver up her spine.

"I-I.." She stuttered, before composing herself. "I just wanted to thank you for saving my life, I guess." She said carefully.

He looked relieved that she wasn't going to scream at him for being there at her house.

"How did you know where I lived?" She tried to ask as casually as possible.

Max shrugged his shoulders. "I just knew." He said matter of factly.

Liz took that as an answer she wasn't going to get far with. She was unusually intrigued by this mystery man who came out at night. Taking a deep breath she extended her hand to him. "I'm Liz Parker…" She said, waiting for him to return the gesture.

He gave a small smile and shook her hand. "I know." He replied.

When they pulled their hands away Liz could still feel a light tingling sensation. "And who are you?" She asked in a playful nature

The uncomfortable look returned to his face and he lowered his eyes.

Liz cleared her throat and said bluntly "You're Max."

Max raised his eyes to hers. "Yup, that's me. Max Evans." He said. "I am also an alien, in case you didn't notice." He waited for her reaction.

Liz felt her face grow red. "I know what you are." She replied quickly. How dumb did he think she was?

"And technically, I don't think I should be speaking to you." He continued. Liz slowly nodded her head. "So I, uh, I better go." He turned away from her and stepped onto the ladder. "It was nice meeting you Liz." He said quietly, looking into her eyes.

Liz held his gaze for a few seconds before breaking it off. "Thank you Max." She said solemnly. "Thank you for saving my life."

He nodded his head. "Bye."

Liz smiled a half smile. "Bye Max." She replied.

His head disappeared over the edge of the balcony and she watched as he climbed down the ladder and jogged back down the street. She saw him turn his head back to the diner for one last look, than vanished around the corner.

Liz knew she would never feel the same way about aliens ever again. Over the next few days Liz couldn't get her mind off Max and the night he came to visit. She had always thought she could never like an alien, she was taught that they were the enemy.

But there was something about Max that made her want to know more about him. She also knew that if anyone found out, her parents or Maria, they would be, to say the least, horrified and would make sure that he stay away from her.

She didn't want to be put on 24-hour watch. So she had decided against telling Maria about Max's late night visit. Liz felt so bad about it. She and Maria had been best friends since forever and told each other everything. Yet Liz knew that this was something that Maria would definitely not approve of.

She tried to put it all behind her. It was of the past.

But deep inside she secretly hoped Max would come again.

Maria caught sight of Liz sitting by herself in the band room, lost in her thoughts. She pushed open the door and stuck her head through.

"Liz!" she exclaimed. "I've been looking for you everywhere! C'mon, we're going to be late for bio."

Liz slid off the table and they walked down the nearly empty hallways.

Maria had noticed that Liz had been a little quieter than usual over the last couple of days. But she just put it down to the events of the night they were nearly killed. Or were killed in Liz's case.

Liz caught herself looking out her window again for the millionth time in the last hour. She felt all tense and tight, and couldn't relax.

Part of her wanted him to be standing there when she looked, part of her felt that she was getting herself into hot water and didn't want to see him ever again.

The majority of her still wanted to see him. She stood up from her desk and flopped down on her bed.

Picking up some magazines she started to flip through one of them. She needed something to keep her mind off Max.

A few seconds later she could feel her eyes once again drifting to the window. Frustrated, she got up off the bed and walked over to the window to prove to herself that he wasn't there and he wasn't ever going to be.

Liz shoved her head out the window and took a look around.

To her utter astonishment he was there, standing in the corner trying to blend into the wall.

She gave a small gasp and backed away a little. She hadn't actually expected him to be there and suddenly there he was. He hadn't moved and Liz wondered if he was there at all or if her imagination was playing tricks on her.

"Max…?" she asked tentively, peering into the darkness.

He took a slow step forward and the bedroom light shone upon his sheepish face.

Liz climbed out onto the balcony and walked over to him. "What are you doing here?" she asked.

It wasn't meant to come out rude, yet it did, and she felt bad when she he was taken aback by her bluntness. "I'm sorry, Max, I just mean……I'm glad you're here." She said, casting her eyes down to her feet.

When she looked up again he had come closer and was smiling. He didn't look so uncomfortable anymore.

"I know its wrong for me to come here," he said hesitantly. "But I had to come anyway."

Liz's face showed that she understood. She understood what he meant because she felt the same way about him. As much as she knew how wrong it was, nothing in her life had felt so right then when they were together.

Liz's eyes filled with tears. Everything had been so confusing lately. She didn't know what she wanted, where to go, who to talk to and there seemed like there was a great big pit in her stomach that still needed to be filled.

Max, surprised to see her crying, instinctively wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close to him.

She didn't resist and leaned sobbing into his chest, wetting his shirt with her tears.

Max ran his fingers through her silky hair and rested his head on hers. "Shhh…it's okay Liz. Its okay." He whispered.

Liz's sobbing eventually subsided and she pulled away from him slightly to give a short laugh. "God, how horrible." She said with a shaky smile. "I can't believe I just went all emotional on you."

Max smiled. He thought it was so sweet she was embarrassed. "I don't mind." He said softly. "I have a sister who can be pretty emotional sometimes too. Except she doesn't usually cry." He gave a smile at the thought.

Max has a sister, Liz thought. Max is still one of them. Liz sniffed and looked up at Max. "You know we can't do this." She said quietly. "Its completely against every rule."

Max's smile disappeared. He looked away before replying. "Yeah, I know." He said sadly. Then he looked her in the eye. "But to me it feels so right. Don't you feel that way too?"

Liz nodded her head and Max's heart gave a victory dance. He had always been watching Liz Parker, since the first day he saw her at the Crashdown Café.

He had never been back after that first day. Humans seemed to have developed a sixth sense for aliens. They could tell if you were one or not seemingly just by looking at you. It was no longer safe in the town area. And he also knew it wasn't safe for her to be in his heart.

If humans found out he had been watching a human and visiting a human, they just might try to kill him.

He didn't even want to think about what they would do about him falling in love with a human.

Max looked at Liz and wished she wasn't so confused.

A stray lock of hair fell across her face and he raised his hand and brushed it away. Before he could move his hand away Liz grabbed it with her own and held it against her cheek.

He traced the shape of her face with his hand, then without another thought, leaned down and gave her a soft kiss. She moved closer and once again wrapping her arms around him, kissed him back.

Max felt like he was floating on air. They kissed for what seemed to him like an eternity when the sound of someone knocking on Liz's door drifted out the window. Liz pulled back and gasped.

"Liz?" her father called, knocking louder. "Are you okay?"

Any second he was going to open the door and then look out onto the balcony.

"Max, you have to go." she whispered reluctantly "My father will kill you if he sees you."

Max nodded and they shared one last quick kiss before Max ran across the balcony and climbed down the ladder. Liz once again watched him jog down the street and this time, when he reached the corner, turned back and gave her a wave. She waved back then he disappeared.

Liz heard her father open the door and she poked her head through the window. "Liz!" he said, relieved to see she was all right. "What are you doing out here? I called you like a million times!"

Liz gave her dad an apologetic grin. "Sorry dad, I didn't hear you I guess." She flopped as casually as she could onto her bed and picked up her journal.

Her father's face relaxed as he took one last look around the room. "Okay then. Goodnight Lizzy." He smiled and closed the door behind him.

Liz breathed a sigh of relief. She definitely had to be more careful in the future.

A smile broke across her face when she thought of that. Future. That meant more of Max she hoped. And that was very much a good thing.

"Hello? Earth to Liz, come in Liz!" Maria waved her hand back and forth across Liz's face.

Liz blinked and looked at Maria curiously. "What?"

Maria sighed. "Oh nothing," she replied. "I've just been trying to get your attention for like, the ten thousand gazillionth time this morning!"

Liz listened to Fuel's song Shimmer play in the diner. She could totally relate to whatever this guy was singing about. Her and Max were really breaking the bends.

"Order up!" Jose yelled from the kitchen. Liz went and picked up someone's Neptune Nachos to deliver to table nine.

"Hey Liz," a familiar voice piped up. Liz raised her eyes and saw Kyle Valenti looking at her.

Liz basically thought Kyle was an all right guy, despite his reputation for being arrogant.

Most of the girls at West Roswell had or wanted to date him, Liz being the exception. Maybe that was one of the reasons why Kyle seemed to only be interested in her.

"Hey, how's it going?" He asked casually.

Liz shrugged her shoulders. She didn't want to let on the slightest hint she might be leading him on.

Kyle cleared his throat. "Listen," he said, looking her up and down. "A few of my buddies and I are going to this rave thing at Jayden Manolis's place and I was wondering if you and Maria wanted to come. You know, like as a date.." He trailed off and looked at her hopefully.

Liz looked at him and sighed. "Sorry Kyle, I can't." She said firmly.

Kyle didn't look discouraged. "Come on Liz, just come for a little while at least. I guarantee you'll have a good time."

Liz shook her head and picked up their empty glasses. "I have this homework assignment thing that I really need to get done so I just can't okay." She walked off balancing the glasses on a tray and left him there staring after her.

Kyle didn't get why Liz wouldn't go out with him. He could practically have any girl at the click of his fingers, yet the one he wanted didn't want him.

But he was up for the challenge. He would do whatever it took to make Liz Parker his.

Liz walked into the backroom of the diner and took off her space apron. She still couldn't believe after all that had happened with the aliens her parents kept the diner open and that it still served alien themed food. And that people still actually came.

With a smile she placed her antennae's in her locker when suddenly she heard a noise behind her. Thinking it was Maria she turned toward the sound, only to find Kyle staring at her.

"Kyle!" Liz said angrily. "What are you doing? You're not supposed to be in here, it's employees only!"

Kyle looked around. "I don't get what your problem is Liz." He said.

Liz looked confused. Kyle slowly walked closer. "Who is so perfect in your life that you don't want to go out with me? Is it your little friend Alex out there? I know you guys are pretty close." He stopped in front of her and his brown eyes pierced into her own. "I just never would have picked him as your type."

Liz couldn't believe Kyle's nerve. "How the hell would you know what my type is Kyle?" She asked angrily. "You don't know me."

Kyle laughed and walked over to an old stool and sat down. "I know more than you think Liz," He said with a smirk. "I've been watching you for quite awhile now."

Liz felt a stab of fear. Had he been watching her when she was with Max?

Kyle smiled. "You know I know. About your little late night rendezvous with a certain dark mysterious stranger. But do you know that I know who and what he is?" He said with a grin.

Liz felt sick. She could feel her face crumpling.

"Now you do." Kyle said with satisfaction. "I also know a great number of people who would definitely not approve of what you are doing, for example, your father…"

Liz finally found her voice. "Please Kyle, don't tell anyone!" She pleaded. "They'll kill him!"

Kyle gave her a fake sympathetic look. "I know," he said in a sad voice. "And that's just horrible. Just horrible." He stood up off the stool and walked over to her. "But I won't tell anyone." He whispered in her ear.

Liz's heart leaped. But she knew Kyle too well. He wanted something in return. "What do you want from me?" She asked fearfully.

Kyle pretended to think for a second. "Ah! I know! Its so simple!" He cried with a grin. "I just want you to go out with me."

Liz looked at him in horror. "No possible way." She said firmly.

Kyle studied her face for a minute then abruptly started to walk out of the room. "Okay Liz, have it your way." He said. " I wonder who I should tell first…your father or mine…."

Liz thought for a split second. "Wait!" She cried. "Kyle, wait."

Kyle stopped at the doorway and turned to face her.

Liz felt a tear slip down her cheek. "I'll do it." She whispered.

Kyle clapped his hands and grinned. "I knew you would Liz. Now come on, let's go announce our happiness to the world. Or at least to the diner."