Maria stared at Liz. Where was the shaking, pale girl that had scared her so badly yesterday? Pretty quick turnaround.

"You know, babe, I have to hand it to you. After the nightmare and all, I really thought you'd be taking Max's absence a lot harder. But you seem-'

Liz turned to Maria with a smile.

"Happy? I am. I don't know why, but I feel... good. Strong. Strong enough to wait for him to come back. We'll be fine. I just know it."

Maria knew she should just take her at face value, but a nagging feeling pestered her until she finally gave in and turned back to Liz.

"But what about the dream you had," she asked lightly. "You know, the one that made me sprout three gray hairs just hearing you come out of it?"

Liz stared at her.

"Oh, yeah," her pleasant look faded. "I really can't remember what it was about. All I remember is Michael..."

Liz suddenly turned away and began wiping the tables again.

"I remember waking up at Michael's with both of you staring at me like I was possessed or something."

Liz threw a smile over her shoulder at Maria.

Possessed was a good word to describe it, Maria thought. Or haunted, maybe.

Maria frowned as Liz returned to work singing.

She just couldn't force that thought out of her mind.

Liz had looked terrified when Michael approached her.

And her reaction to the memory of it just now was suspicious, too.

Something was going on.

But if eleven years of friendship hadn't taught her to trust Liz Parker by now, then Maria Leah DeLuca would readily... no, happily, join a convent.

Smile.

Maria crossed over to Liz and perched on one of clean tables.

"So, tell me, then, how does it feel to be engaged for one whole day?"

"Wonderful," Liz sighed.

"What?"

Both girls turned around with a start.

Nancy Parker stood there, her face devoid of expression.

Maria tried to work up a smile, but she knew that look. The less emotion Nancy Parker let show, the more furious she was. The complete opposite of Maria's mother.

I'll take screaming fits over that silence any day, Maria thought, giving Liz an apologetic look.

"Maria, would you excuse us for a minute?"

When Maria hesitated, Mrs. Parker continued in a pleasant, even tone, "I'll help Liz finish cleaning."

"Sure. Good night, then. Call me, Liz," Maria gave her a tense look as she went out through the swinging door.

Things had just gone from bad to worse for Liz, when this should be one of the happiest times in her life.

******

Michael had almost gotten it exactly right.

He stepped back from his painting, squinting his eyes.

If his art class could see him now... painting puffy white clouds, little lambs grazing peacefully on light green grass.

He even had the butterflies almost the perfect shade of purple... the kind of purple that made you want to blow chunks.

Atleast, it made Michael want to.

Michael smirked and ripped the canvas off the easel.

He couldnąt stand to look at it anymore.

He stalked over to the fridge and grabbed a jug of water.

Painting hadn't gotten the image out of his head, as he had hoped it would do.

It just made him see it more clearly.

Michael closed his eyes as he gulped water from the jug.

He wiped his mouth and suddenly remembered the kiss.

Michael dropped the jug and pressed his hands against his eyes, willing himself to stop his thoughts.

The cold water poured out over the floor.

He had kissed Liz, while his girlfriend was sleeping not even two feet away.

Oh god, he felt sick.

The same sick sort of feeling he'd had when they were battling Tess in the cave, trying to save Liz. The same feeling heąd had when Nasedo told him that Isabel was his genetic match for a mate.

He had learned to turn off the alien part of him, to ignore that mystifying side of himself.

Otherwise the desires and the questions just tore him apart.

But that kiss... had come from somewhere deep inside.

No, it wasn't really a kiss... it was a... violation.

Michael winced at the word.

Something had happened when their lips touched. Power left him and surged into her.

They connected for a brief moment and he felt searing pain even as the disconcertingly happy images from her flowed into his head.

It was like Liz's mind had split in two, and Michael's with it, one part dealing with the pain and one part hiding from it in the chalky picture world.

Michael grabbed a towel and knelt down beside the puddle, mopping it up distractedly.

He picked up the bottle and sat back on his heels, suddenly still.

He should tell Max. He really should.

Max would come home and take care of Liz, protect her.

But how do you tell someone that they had better keep you away from their fiancee or something terrible might happen to her?

Michael felt shame burning in his gut.

He knew he just couldn't do it.

He clenched his jaw.

Maybe it wouldn't happen again. Maybe everything was fine.

******

Nancy looked at her husband with one eyebrow raised.

"Tell me where the breakdown in communication was," Nancy told her husband. "Did you, or did you not tell Max to wait until AFTER the six weeks?"

Liz's jaw dropped.

"What," she whispered. "Max asked you first, and you said, 'No'?"

Jeff stared at Liz.

"Not exactly, sweetheart," he began. Then he stopped and looked at his wife with wide eyes.

After swallowing, he started shaking his head, "Now, hon, don't get upset. I'm sure there's a perfectly reasonable explanation that Max asked her before-"

But Liz's mother turned away in anger.

"Don't take his side again, Jeff. He's just completely ruined any trust I had in him," she huffed as she headed back to her bedroom.

Liz had heard enough.

"How can you say that," she yelled at her Mom.

Nancy stopped in surprise and turned to look at Liz's impassioned face.

"He's never done anything to make you distrust him," Liz fought back tears as she went on loudly. "You've never even given him a chance. But it doesn't matter what you think, anyway. I trust him. And I love him."

They glared at each other for a moment.

Jeff Parker crossed to Nancy and tugged on his wife's arm gently, leading her back to the couch.

"Jeff," Nancy huffed.

He nodded.

"I know, Max said he would wait and he didn't. But maybe this will work out better," he stopped and reached out to pull Liz in closer.

"Now," he continued. "It will be better because Liz has a definite idea of where her relationship with Max is going. There's no doubt there, right, sweetie?"

Liz nodded, "Right. We're getting married."

Nancy looked away and pressed her lips together.

Jeff rushed on, "But Liz, you agreed to date other guys while Max was gone on his trip, right?"

Liz's eyes opened wide, "I'm engaged, Dad! I can't date other guys!"

Nancy looked over at Jeff with an appraising glance.

"You promised your Mom, Liz. If Max is really the one for you, then going out with a few more guys won't change anything. And it will make your mother feel better."

Liz expelled a breath loudly.

"Dad..."

"No more discussion on this, Liz. You promised. Max will understand."

Liz speared her father with a look.

"And where am I supposed to get these guys, anyway. It's not like I had dates all the time before I went out with Max, anyway."

Nancy perked up at this.

"Exactly my point, Liz," she said, a little too forcefully. "If you had more life experience, more of a chance to see the world and know yourself, then I wouldn't have as much trouble with you getting married young. But not only have you led a very sheltered life-"

"And is that my fault," Liz stopped her loudly.

"No, of course not," Nancy continued. "But you- you need to date other guys, find out what you want and don't-"

"No I don't," Liz yelled, in tears. "I need to date more so that you can find out what you want and don't want for me. I already know what I want. It's Max. Now that we're finally together, after all we've been through... why can't you just be happy for me?"

She stared at her mother for a moment, then pushed past them to the stairs.