From what Alex said, it sounded like Isabel had really needed him last night. She had been upset and Max had been a bit... preoccupied. He sighed.

After the honeymoon, maybe he could re-focus a little bit better on the whole alien situation. He’d have to.

Then the smile crept back on his face as he surveyed his apartment again. He couldn’t wait to bring his precious little wife here and begin to carve out a life together. Just he and Liz, alone. This calls for a drink.

“One of MY drinks from MY fridge,” he said out loud to nobody, stepping around boxes and heading into the empty kitchen. He had rented the fridge and bought the drinks with his own money. And made the security deposit on the apartment, he added with pride as he grabbed a coke. And paid for the honeymoon, too. Quite a bit, actually.

But he had a feeling it was going to be one of the best investments of his life. He took a big gulp out of the can and felt the smile reappear.

Twenty-five hours to go.

Deep breath.

He was going to make it.

He was actually going to make it.

The almost permanent grin re-plastered itself on his face as he walked back out to the main room. He had a hard time not blushing when he thought about last night, but he forced himself to remember that the two of them would be freely and happily engaging in just that sort of thing after the wedding. No guilt, no blushing, just... uh... well, you know...

Nope, he still couldn’t say it, not even to himself.

Come on, Max, get a hold on yourself. You’re getting married to Liz and you’re going to... to...

“Make love to her,” he forced the words out of his mouth loudly. But he cringed. They still sounded wrong and slightly dangerous in the still air.

“Well, I can see where your mind is these days,” a sarcastic voice called out from the door.

Max looked up with dread. Perfect timing. Michael was smirking and enjoying Max’s discomfiture, as usual.

Max glared back, not having any other option at the moment.

“Came by to see if you needed a hand. Looks as if,” Michael glanced around at the boxes and furniture shoved up against the walls.

“Yeah, this is the most awkward piece left,” Max put his coke on the window ledge and gestured to the bed frame. Each taking an end, they maneuvered it back down the hall to the bedroom. They had wrestled with it for several minutes before Max realized this was the bed that he and Liz would be sleeping on... together.

He tried to keep from blushing, but saw that Michael was already laughing at him. Max turned away to grab a wrench and tried to force away the images in his mind.

“So, Liz was blocking me for a while last night,” Michael’s voice was full of innuendo.

Max turned back around and looked at him pointedly. “Yeah, well, get used to it. I’m marrying her, not both of you.”

“And no one’s gladder than I am about that, Maximillion,” Michael shot back. “Hey, sounds like you’re actually planning on having a honeymoon then. I was beginning to wonder. I mean, if you can‘t even say it...”

“I’m either going to have a honeymoon or die trying,” Max said firmly, hoping that would close the subject.

“Well, I’ll hope for the former,” Michael muttered.

“Just shut up and hold the frame,” Max directed.

******

Maria, Isabel and Joey showed up after the fitting to help Max get the apartment ready, bringing a woman‘s, or in this case, women‘s touch.

Helping Max was sort of a wedding present to Liz, since she had no time to do it herself. They’d brought decorating items and small essential things that Max, being a typical male, would forget, like hand soap and bath mats.

Isabel immediately set about changing the color of the paint on the walls to nice, deep earth tones that Liz liked.

Maria watched for a moment as a white wall in the den shimmered into avocado green.

“What do you think,” Isabel asked as she stepped back to view her handiwork.

“Umm, a shade too dark, I think,” Maria offered, opening up a set of tab-top curtains that she was planning on putting up on the big front windows. “There’s a little of a lighter green in this fabric, if you want to match it.”

“Oh, great,” Isabel walked over and touched the plaid stripe and then touched the wall again. It shimmered and lightened.

“Wow,” said a sweaty, disheveled-looking Max as he walked in the room. “That’s much better.”

“Max, that’s a nice look for you,” Maria wrinkled her nose up at him. “The disgusting ogre look, you do it well.”

“Maria, thanks so much for helping, want a big hug,” Max grinned and walked over with his arms out. Maria ducked out of the way and Max turned to Isabel. “Izzy?”

“Ugh,” Isabel exclaimed and waved him away imperiously. “Why do guys think that’s funny? It’s just gross.”

“It‘s just sweat. We can’t help it. But I should probably go get in the shower and get cleaned up before the rehearsal,” Max’s face looked suddenly vulnerable. “Do, uh, either of you know if Mrs. Parker is coming tonight?”

Maria knew Max had felt better about the situation after hearing that Mrs. Parker was out of the spy business permanently, but he didn’t seem think that solved all the problems there. He was probably right.

“She’s planning on it,” Isabel said firmly. “Everything she said this morning made it sound like she’d be there.”

“She’d better be,” Maria muttered darkly. “Max, you are telling Liz about all of this after the wedding, right?”

“Well,” Max stalled, running a hand through his scruffed up hair. “Probably not right after. I mean, we have a few other things to... you know. But yeah, as soon as we get settled... I mean, as soon as its-”

“Okay, I get the point,” Maria interrupted to put him out of his misery.

Max nodded and looked away. It was obvious that he couldn’t think of anything past the honeymoon at this point.

Maria smiled. Liz was lucky to get such a sweet, concerned guy. Maria decided to go and give him a hug, just as soon as he was cleaned up. “I.O.U. a hug,” she tapped him lightly on the arm and then walked into the next room to see Michael and Joey sitting in an awkward silence. Maria looked from one to the other. “So, Joey, where’s Justin?”

“He’s at Michael’s, I think,” Joey said nervously and then stood to her feet. Maria had to distinct impression that something had just happened. She gave Joey a smile as she passed by going into the hallway.

“Michael,” Maria said warningly when they were alone.

“What,” he practically exploded. “I was just sitting here, trying to block Liz out like a good boy so she won’t know the apartment is being fixed for her, and Joey came in and started in about Justin and how I should give him a break.”

“Right. So what did you say back,” Maria prodded him.

“I said that she’d be better off making sure her brother was alright and I’d make sure that my brother was taken care of,” he mumbled.

“Oh,” Maria straightened in surprise. “That actually wasn’t too bad, for you, spaceboy. Did you and Justin try and get along this morning?“

“Yeah. I asked him about Tess.”

“Tess,” Maria’s mind struggled to find a reason for her name popping up. “Why?”

“Well, it was stupid. I just suddenly thought that it might be possible that Tess... was...”

“Your younger sister,” Maria asked in astonishment. “Of course. She was an alien, so it just makes sense... no matter how... uh...”

“Psychotic she was,” Michael finished grimly. “Yeah, well, Justin said Illnysetsa isn’t a blue-eyed blonde. So that wasn‘t her. He also didn‘t remember who Tess might have been... from before. Apparently, his memory is selective, too.”

Maria walked closer and slipped her arms around Michael’s neck. He looked so tense. “Did he tell you anything else?“

“Not really. Just that he has a vague feeling there’s more of us out there. He was intrigued by Liz’s transformation, but didn’t know anything about other possibilities.“

Oh. Michael had asked to check on it for her. She smiled. “Not a very relaxing day off, huh?”

“It‘ll be better when we get all this wedding crap behind us,” he reached around and snagged a belt loop on her jeans with both hands. Maria felt a smile push up the corners of her mouth.

“Wedding crap. So, no success with that blocking thing either?”

“No,” Michael admitted with a groan. “I just can’t do it. It sucks. She can do it any time she wants. Like now, she’s using the bathroom-”

“I get the picture,“ Maria slid her hands through his hair and pulled him in for a hug. “We should just be glad she can do it and you won’t have to sleep with ice packs for the duration of the honeymoon.”

“Yeah...”

“Okay, so keep thinking happy thoughts and no-surprise-gift for Liz thoughts, and I‘ll go finish up,” she reminded him, pulling away.

“Telling me not to think about something doesn’t help me not think about it, Maria,” Michael growled.

“Sorry! Think about roses and flowers...”

“Oh yeah, she’ll never know I’m trying to hide something then,“ he complained.

“Fine,” she snapped. “Then think about hockey!”

“Yes ma’am,” she caught a twinkle in Michael’s eyes and knew exactly what he was thinking about. She grinned at him seductively and turned to saunter out.

Oh well, at least Liz wouldn’t have any clue about their surprise for her. Those images would be enough to keep her out of his mind all afternoon.

******

Max and the Evans family were fifteen minutes early to the rehearsal. And no one else was there. The church was locked, the parking lot deserted. Max had to fight a vague fear that he’d gotten the day wrong.

“Someone will be here in a minute,” he reassured his parents and sisters.

“I hope so,” Isabel grumbled. “It’s too hot to sit out here and wait.”

“Izzy, why don’t you girls get back in the car and I’ll turn on the air conditioning,” Mr. Evans proposed with an even tone. Max smiled at the very common tactic to get Izzy to stop complaining. She didn’t do it as much as she used to, but they all had tactics to use, just in case she got out of hand.

“I’ll stay out here,” Joey said quietly, looking as uncomfortable in her borrowed dress as she did hot.

Max reached over and pulled her into his side, being rewarded with a sweet smile. She still felt so much like an outsider, he could tell.

“So, Max,” his Dad began. “Are you expecting any more trouble with Mrs. Parker?”

Max saw Joey lose her smile and glance up at him with wide eyes. “No,” he looked over at his Dad seriously. “Actually, Isabel overheard her telling Larry that there was nothing further to investigate and she told him to never call back. So I guess she’s made her decision.”

Mr. Evans nodded, but Max could see his hesitancy. “Is there any reason to fear this Larry guy on his own, what he knows?”

Max swallowed hard. That was the million dollar question. “I don’t think so. We’ve got someone keeping an eye on him, just in case.”

******

Liz rode in the back seat practically bouncing with a case of nervous excitement. She hadn’t seen Max all day long and it was really getting to her. As her father turned in the parking lot, a big smile lit up her face. Max was standing beside the car, his arm slung around Joey casually as he conversed with his father. Then he heard the car coming and looked over expectantly.

His eyes lit up and his mouth curved upwards in a devastatingly gorgeous smile. She could feel love and intense desire cross the distance between them in a heartbeat.

He dropped his arm, smiled quickly at his sister and began walking toward them as Mr. Parker parked the car.

Liz was out and running to Max, heedless of her heels and slim black dress. Max laughed as she practically jumped in his arms. But just to feel him against her, his arms around her... it was heaven. She leaned her head back and just drank in the wholeness he brought to her.

She didn’t care who was watching as he kissed her forehead, the tip of her nose and then caressed her lips softly with his own. It was almost like a dance when he did it that way. His head would dip forward just a little, then pull back in a teasing way, and finally fall forward to press his lips to hers in a feather-light kiss. It drove her crazy, but she loved it.

And, as usual, she grabbed the back of his head and forced him into a real kiss. As the hum lit them up like Christmas tree, Max pulled away. “Um... rehearsal,” he smiled down at her and wiped at her lips.

She stuck out her tongue and licked at one of his fingers. He blinked and closed his eyes. “Don’t- don’t do that, Liz. Please...”

She leaned in to his shoulder and whispered, “Sorry. Automatic reaction. I’ll save the rest for tomorrow.”

She turned away from Max’s groan and grabbed his hand just as her parents walked up.

“So, Max, you ready for this,” Mr. Parker asked as his eyes swept across the two of them happily.

Liz looked over to see Max staring at her mother, who was gazing back with an unreadable expression.

“Yes, Max,” her mom finally offered. “Are you ready for this? Taking responsibility for Liz’s life?”

Liz’s jaw dropped.

“Of course I am,” Max answered strongly. “This just makes my intentions official, that‘s all.”

Liz looked between them, feeling that something was being settled as her mother gave him a shaky smile.

“Good,” she whispered, nodding as she considered his answer. “Very good.”

Liz gave Max a questioning look, but he just smiled and turned to greet the Pastor as he arrived, right on time.

******

Kyle watched the wedding rehearsal with the air of someone who just might be asked to sing a solo he‘d never even practiced before. Why the hell they’d asked him to be there still escaped him. It was probably just Liz feeling sorry for him after their nice “I’m-a-little-hurt-pansy” talk.

He rolled his eyes in disgust. Ever since then, he’d just stayed away from Liz. Who knew what might come out of his mouth if he talked to her again? Probably some platitudes about “live and let live” with a simple little “I’ll die without you” tacked on the end. He was pathetic.

His thoughts were dark and he focused on the one thing in the room that brought him some measure of pleasure: Joey’s sweet face.

Yeah, yeah. Sweet was a pansy word. But he was getting used to it, the pansy stuff. And hey, if girls liked it, who was he to bicker? After all, if he had an inner pansy, might as well use it.

So he was watching her stand there and look out of place. Wasn’t it obvious to everyone else that she was lonely up there?

Ah, finally, they were directing him to take his place beside her.

He smiled as he walked up to her.

“Hey, gorgeous,” he said without thinking. Then he turned to the rows of seats and froze. When he’d said that the inner pansy thing was okay, he hadn’t meant to connect a direct line to his mouth. Crap! He couldn’t even look at her.

“Um... hi, Kyle,” she said quietly.

That “um...” sounded like an uncomfortable one. Great. He nodded and tried to listen to the wedding director as she pointed around like a dang windmill and succeeded in bringing questioning looks to just about everyone’s face. Except Liz, who was, of course, gazing up at Max with that look.

“Get a room,” Kyle coughed and smothered his mouth with his hand as he said it. But Evans understood it and turned with a frown.

Little did he know what was in store for him tonight. Kyle just grinned back and decided to stay quiet. Man, he hated weddings. Why in the hell had he agreed to do this?

Joey reached over and slid her hand into the crook of his arm, gripping him fiercely. “We’re supposed to practice leaving the church,“ she whispered in a tight voice.

He let her lead.

Oh yeah, that’s why.

******

Liz stole a quick moment with Max out in the fourier before she practiced walking down the aisle to him. “Hey, you,” she whispered, pulling him closer. “I meant to tell you earlier that I missed you today.”

His eyes lit up as she slid her arms around him. “I missed you, too. I thought about you all day.”

Liz felt a blush coming on. “Really? I thought about baths a lot today. I don’t think they’ll ever be the same again. Now I‘ll always want you to join me.”

She saw his eyes widen and his jaw drop slightly before she giggled. She loved doing that to him.

He recovered and bent over to her ear. “You handle one more on your own and then I‘ll see what I can do.”

Liz snuggled close and sighed in agreement.

“Everyone to your places, please,” the director called out as the music began.

“Liz,” Mr. Parker called out. “They’re playing our song.” He smiled at them easily.

“I’ll be down the aisle waiting on you, sweetness,” Max said as he pulled away.

“Okay,” she whispered, clinging to his hand until she absolutely had to let go. She watched him walk away with a nervous stomach.

The wedding couldn’t come fast enough for her.

******

Kyle scarfed down his food and sat watching the others with a pained attitude. The giving gifts part was hilarious. Max Evans giving him an engraved pen set.

Hilarious.

He couldn’t resist saying, “I’ll write you every day while you’re away on your honeymoon, Max. I know it’ll be hard while we‘re apart, but I’m sure Liz can help you get a handle on it.”

He was laughing too hard to notice, but he was sure Max was turning red and doing the intimidating glaring-alien act.

“Just jokes, Max.” He looked around the table and got a few grins from the guys, and a few frowns from the girls. Liz obviously hadn’t heard it all, and he was kinda’ glad. Wasn’t meant for her ears.

He sought out Joey and saw her stiff posture. Dang. Blew that one.

******

Joey had finally relaxed almost enough to enjoy the dinner, but the thought of tomorrow weighed on her like ten ton weight. How was she supposed to walk down that aisle with everyone watching her like she was... like she was Isabel or something?

Nothing in her life had prepared her for this... this dressing up and parading around like a model. She was desperately wishing that she hadn’t agreed to do it.

But Max and Isabel had practically begged. And the dress was so pretty...

She looked down and fingered the pearl choker in the small box in her lap. It was such a beautiful gift for Liz to give her bridesmaids. Each little pearl was so creamy and soft-looking. She had never touched anything like it. But they couldn’t be real ones.

Weren’t they too expensive to just... own? Joey sighed. Another question to ask Isabel. Oh. She suddenly realized that the presentations were done and everyone was getting up to leave. Joey stood up and watched as the girls all ran to hug each other and show off their necklaces.

Isabel looked over and waved at her to join them. Joey smiled and slowly obeyed.

******

Okay, maybe he had humiliated Evans enough for one night.

Nah.

Kyle smiled as he drove down the road, calculating on exactly how to pull off his greatest groom heist ever.

A bit tricky this time, since the groom had a few tricks up his sleeve that would make it difficult. But he felt sure that a drink or two would render Max completely silly and compliant. And then, Kyle would strike.

His brilliant master plan included kidnapping, shaving pertinent parts and marking road signs pointing out interesting Max features in permanent ink, just in time for the honeymoon.

Yeah, yeah, so Max could probably undo the entire thing with a wave of his hand. He wouldn’t be able to do it until he was alone, and Kyle was going to have plenty of help with this prank. Tommy, Paulie and Rick were just waiting on him to get there and then “Operation Hiney-moon” would be underway. It had named that because over half the intended Roswellian grooms who had been unfortunate enough to get this treatment ended up walking home butt naked.

Kyle cackled at the thought of Max Evans trying to thumb a ride and hide his jo-jos at the same time. Maybe they’d take him out five miles or so. Maybe twenty. So he’d make it just back in time for the wedding.

Oh man, this was going to be good.

Kyle crept by Larry’s house slowly, noticing the dark windows immediately.

Okay, that’s weird. It’s a Friday night. Where is he?

Kyle didn’t want to stop when there was such great fun waiting for him, but he had promised to protect Liz. And this was the last night of his self-made agreement. Alright, alright. He finally stopped the car and got out. Looking around for anything suspicious, he ran around the back of the house and quickly crept up to the back bedroom window. He was sure Larry was just in bed early, that’s all.

But the bed was empty.

Kyle slapped at a sudden sting on his neck. When had the mosquitos gotten so big? Then he blinked his eyes. The window was getting blurry right in front of him. And he was starting to lose his balance. The ground wouldn’t stop moving. He reached out just before he hit the ground and saw a dark figure over him.