“Tess? Why…” Tess cut her off

“There are better ways than this, no one wants you dead” Liz smiled weakly, she was still shaking.

“We need to get you somewhere you can recover. I’ll help you find a better solution Liz” Liz let Tess help her up, her mind still numb. Together they slowly made their way out of her room and on to the balcony. Tess checked no one was around before helping Liz down, she wasn’t sure where to take her.

“Liz? We’ll go to the pod chamber for now okay? Just while we figure something out”

Liz nodded weakly, clinging to Tess as she made her way over to a nearby car. Tess had no car to take Liz there, at least not here so she guessed this one would have to do. She placed her hand over the handle and unlocked the door. Liz walked over unsteadily and Tess helped her in, then walked round and started the car. Liz would be safe in the pod chamber for a while, but not long, Max would probably visit there once he found out Liz was gone. She put her foot down, next to her Liz fell asleep exhausted and confused.

* * * * *

Max tossed and turned, but couldn’t sleep. Liz had seemed so distant, her eyes dull; so unlike the stars they normally resembled. He sat up when he heard a knock at his door, it was Isabelle. “Is? What's wrong?” she looked at him,

“I don’t know Max, but something’s not right” she sat on the bed next to him, “why did Liz avoid us today? She seemed so different” Max shook his head, unable to think of a reason why.

“So you haven’t split up again?” he shook his head again,

“She was fine yesterday” his mind drifted to the kiss they had shared on her balcony. She had been happy then, they had both been.

“Maybe she was just having a bad day? She might not have wanted to talk” Isabelle nodded,

“You’re probably right” she wasn’t convinced. There was more to it than that but she could see Max was as confused about it as her. She squeezed his hand before leaving.

Max was wide awake now and needed to see Liz. He got up and pulled on some jeans and a sweater, ran his fingers through his hair and climbed out of the window. He began to walk; it would give him time to think. The night was warm with only a slight hint of a breeze, he was sure he could hear a commotion somewhere. Max sped up, as he got closer to the Crashdown he could see that the lights were on. He glanced at his watch, it was eleven o’clock; what the hell was going on? He ran to the doors and could see the parker’s sat at a table with Tess and Sheriff Valenti. Tess saw him and came running out,

“Oh my god, Max! I’m so sorry, it’s all my fault” Max looked at her, she was shaking,

“What’s happened Tess? Where's Liz?” Tess didn’t answer,

“It’s all my fault oh my god, what have I done?” he shook her,

“TESS! What's happened?”

“Its Liz, I think she’s dead Max” Max’s knees went weak and he thought he would fall down,

“Dead? You think she’s dead?” Tess grabbed hold of him to stop herself from shaking, “tell me exactly what happened”

“Liz told me she needed to talk to me; she wanted us to be friends; so I came round tonight so we could talk” there was no way she could tell him the truth, that she had turned up because she thought Liz was going to try and kill herself; and had been right. “We went out to the desert” she began shaking again, Max waited.

“We left the car and were walking round when someone grabbed me from behind. Another man grabbed Liz and I was walked back to the car and told to leave. As I drove off I saw Liz screaming and then she collapsed!”

“She may not be dead”

“Max, I know what I saw, she couldn’t survive that attack, no human could!” Max sank to the floor.

“I’m sorry Max, I shouldn’t have left her, but I was scared. It may not be much of an excuse but it’s the truth” she sat down next to him.

“It wasn’t your fault Tess” they sat together hugging, Max no longer holding back his tears. Sheriff Valenti came out,

“Max, I’m sorry… I just got a phone call from my deputy, they’ve found her body”