"Michael..."

"In case you haven't noticed, we've just gone from bad to worse... First we get to deal with a missing nephew looking for the granilith, then we have to deal with a niece who is supposedly coming to help us find the nephew. She could be a spy for all we know."

"She will be," Max agreed with a short nod. "Whether she's actually coming to help us or not, everything she learns about us could become public knowledge as soon as she returns home. That means while she's here, we have to stick together. Show them a united front; work together like a team. And I think we should avoid Liz, Maria and Alex. I don't want anyone finding out how important they are to us."

Michael nodded. The thought of anyone using Maria to get to him made his stomach clench. "I'll explain what's happening to them."

"Good. And the four of us should definitely stay away from the pod chamber. I mean think about it. They tell us that someone's looking for the granilith, and the first thing we do is run over to check on it. We'll have the others do a drive by. Ask Maria to go over there, but make sure she knows not to stop anywhere in the area."

"Got it. Just a drive through the countryside."

"Right."

"We'll need to tell Tess about all of this."

Max let out a frustrated sigh. It somehow went against the grain to let her into the inner circle, but that was a reaction that he knew he would have to get over. As Liz said, the four of them needed to learn how to work together, trust each other, find their balance. "I guess this is as good a time as any to start including her. I'll call her and Isabel to join us as soon as Larek's niece gets here."

That reminded Michael of another point. "Who was that guy? I mean, he sounded like he knew you."

"He told me that we'd been neighbors... you know, before. That we'd kinda grown up together. He said he'd been there for my coronation and wedding. Of course, that's assuming that whoever is controlling Brody right now is Larek. For all we know, that was Khivar in there, and he's trying to get us to reveal the location of the granilith by sending us on a wild goose chase."

Michael's eyes widened as he realized what Max was saying. "Damn," he breathed. "You're right."

"Well, whoever or whatever he was, I don't trust him. But if he was telling the truth, and there is some alien running around looking for the granilith, then we should go ahead and try to track down this Zelwyn guy."

"I have a bad feeling about this."

"Tell me about it."

The two of them talked for a few minutes longer, while they waited for the niece to arrive. Inevitably, the conversation turned to Future Max and the revelations they'd gotten from Liz.

"I didn't know it was as bad as it was," Michael admitted. "All she'd told Maria was that Tess wasn't around because you and Liz had gotten married. I never thought that... I mean, I..." He was having trouble verbalizing what he was thinking. "What she did. It was to protect me and Isabel."

"Yes." Max was still shaken by what they'd seen tonight. Liz's love and devotion for him were apparent in her actions. And her strength... God, she was so strong. He didn't know anyone who could have dealt with the situation and its aftermath as she had. He knew he couldn't have. She was incredible, and he was going to spend what was left of his life making up to her for the hell he'd put her through. Wait a second... "Did you say 'married'?"

Before Michael could answer, there was the sound of a door opening. Both of them turned expectantly toward the entrance as Michael moved to stand beside Max, certain that the person arriving was Larek's niece. When they heard the footsteps approaching the top of the stairs, they tensed. Unsure of what or who to expect. ...although, it's safe to say that Isabel and Liz were the last people they were expecting.

"What are you guys doing here?" Michael asked.

Isabel answered as they came down the stairs. "Don't ask me. Liz insisted on coming as soon as she woke up." She looked around. "Where's the guy? The emissary?"

"He's gone. We're waiting for his niece to show up and supposedly help us find some missing guy."

"Who?"

Max had tuned Michael and Isabel out as they continued to talk. His eyes were fixed on Liz's beautiful but pale face as she slowly made her way down the steps. Or maybe she wasn't moving so slow after all. Maybe she'd just gone into slow motion for him again. He drank in every detail of her appearance. The soft pink sweater she was wearing. The fall of her hair over her slim shoulders. The silver ring glinting on her finger. Nothing escaped his notice.

He saw how her eyes went from him to Michael and back again. When they returned, they locked on to him. As she approached, he saw how her eyes probed at him, as if she were trying to read all of his secrets. As if he had any. At this moment, he knew he was an open book. His face was reflecting all of his feelings for her to see.

She stopped within touching distance and they gazed at each other. Max was uncertain what to say. How to begin building a new future with her at his side and still maintain the balance he knew he needed to survive. He held his breath as she reached up and lightly touched his face. Then she smiled. "Hello."

He smiled at her choice of words. "Hey."

She took a tentative step forward until he could smell her fresh clean scent, and feel the heat coming off her body. Watching him, as if asking for permission, she slowly ran both hands up his arms and over his shoulders to lightly stroke the skin on the back of his neck. With a little pressure, she was pulling his head down to hers. At the first touch of her lips against his, the build up of passion inside him exploded. His arms flew around her and crushed her small frame to his. His mouth slanted hungrily across hers and she parted her lips for him immediately, allowing him to slide his tongue into the warm cavern of her mouth.

She was not passive under his onslaught, giving as good as she got. Her tongue tangled with his and her hands gripped at his waist, her body rubbing eagerly against his. When one hand slipped over the curve of his butt, he thought he might die.

Releasing her mouth, he planted kisses along her jaw and neck, working his way to her ear.

All the while, she panted, "I've missed you. Missed this. Yes. Don't stop. Please. It's been so long. I love you. I love you," clutching him to her with all of her strength.

Love and lust were pouring through him in wave after wave. His brain had ceased to function at the first contact of her skin against his. All he could do was feel and feel. He buried the fingers of one hand in her hair using it to control their kiss. His other hand was free to roam. Down her arms, across her back, to her hips where he pulled her as close as possible. But it wasn't enough. He easily bent and picked her up, forcing her legs to wrap around his waist tightly as she hung on. He knew his knees weren't going to hold out much longer, especially with her rubbing her breasts against him like that, so he desperately cast his mind out for a place where they could go. It had to be somewhere close. He immediately ruled out the lawn chair in the 'Typical American Town' exhibit. There wasn't a couch in Brody's office. But there was a desk...

Max was just turning to walk that direction when someone punched him in the arm. Hard.

"Earth to Max." Michael was yelling, trying to get his attention. "Isn't this what caused the world to end in the first place? Could the two of you show a little restraint, or should Isabel and I go ahead and put our coffins on layaway?"

It was an effort, but Max raised his dazed eyes to where Michael and Isabel were standing staring at the two of them.

"Shut up Tirath. Do you see that Zan and I are busy? Why don't you just go somewhere and bother someone else?" Liz said, as she continued to nibble on Max's neck, trying her best to ignore the interruption. Tightening her legs around his waist she breathed in his ear, "Hurry. I need you."

They dimly heard Michael ask, "What did you just say?"

Max ignored him. The scent of her arousal was filling up his head, making it difficult for him to think. All he wanted was to bury himself in her responsive body. It was obvious to him that she wanted the same thing. But Michael wanted something... What was it? Who cares?, he decided fuzzily. It could wait. His head began descending toward her eager little mouth again.

Michael said only, "Grab her," to Isabel before he circled behind Max.

Hooking his arms through his friend's, he pulled Max away from Liz at the same time that Isabel pulled the other girl away from her brother.

"Michael, what are you doing?!" Max yelled.

Liz was struggling with Isabel saying, "What is your problem? Let go of me, b*tch."

That caught Max's attention in a way that nothing else could. He stopped fighting Michael's hold and just stared at the dark haired girl who looked like she was getting ready to join the WWF. With a violent motion, she flung off Isabel's hands and turned on her. Isabel backed up a step. "Do not ever put your hands on me again, Vilandra. Do you think that I've forgiven you for what you did? Zan may have and Tirath may have, but not me. I haven't forgotten the pain you caused all of us. Just because you've been given a second chance here on this planet doesn't mean you'll be given a second chance on ours."

Isabel could barely choke out, "Who are you?"

The same question was on the tip of Max's tongue. The alien who had taken over Liz's body laughed cruelly. "What? They didn't tell you I was coming? Well, isn't this a surprise? I'm Rina." She said it like it should have sparked something for Isabel. After a beat of no reaction, she asked disgustedly, "What? You don't even remember me? How pathetic." She turned her back on Isabel not caring that the other girl had turned white and was beginning to shake.

She walked over to Max, choosing to ignore how Michael was standing protectively between them. "My poor Zan. How can you stand to be around her after everything she'd done to you?" Her voice dropped a little as she whispered, "To us."

"Larek's niece, I presume?" asked Michael.

"You were expecting someone else?"

"Nah, it's just, you're hard to recognize when you're wearing someone else's body, is all."

Her eyes were locked on Max's as she said in Liz's husky voice, "Zan knew it was me right away. Didn't you?"

Max had been quiet up to this point, his mind trying to process what he was seeing. Weighing the options. He wanted to yell at her to using Liz's body. Out of all of the humans Rina could have taken over, why did it have to be Liz? He knew he had to protect his soulmate from this alien, and for now it seemed best to just play along. He still didn't want this alien to know how important their human friends were, and if she knew how he felt about Liz...

So Max answered, "Yeah. Of course I did... Rina."