She nodded, handing him the key ring in her hand without opening her eyes for fear that the beginnings of morning light would sting her tired eyes. They had just finished talking to a police detective and had filed sexual assault charges against her fiance. Now, she just wanted to sleep...to forget about the horrible things that happened the night before and remember that she was in Max Evans' arms again.

Max managed to get the key in the door and bring Liz inside his home. She perked her head up as he carried her through the hallway into the main living area and up the stairs.

"Ooh! Max, I love your place..." She said, tilting her head to get another look at his living room and kitchen before he carried her up to his room. He kissed her forehead and laid her carefully on his bed. He had to work hard to push all the thoughts out of his head that were screaming at him to come out - just by watching her lying on top of his sheets.

"There will be time for the grand tour later. Now, we need to get you in bed to rest." He managed to choke out, letting the caretaker in him come out instead of the lover.

"Yes, Doctor." She said, giggling, her internal fire and life that was extinguished by her ordeal began slowly but gradually rising within her once more. He smiled back at her, happy to see that she was starting to push down the wall she'd built up around herself. Max walked over to her, handing her a pair of his pajama pants and a long-sleeved T-shirt for her to wear.

"Here, wear these. You'll be more comfortable. It may help you to get out of those clothes you've been in all night." Max said softly.

"Thank you, Max. What would I do without you?" She said, softly kissing him on the cheek and yawning.

Max sighed. "Let's not think about that anymore. It's in the past. Let's focus on the present... and in the present, you need to rest. Doctor's orders." He smiled. "You change and I'll go downstairs and get you some water."

"OK, Max. That would be wonderful." She sighed, pulling the covers back on his bed and burying herself into his sheets and pillows. He took one last look at her before jogging down the stairs to the kitchen. He felt so alive, so happy- this was so... right. This was meant to happen, Max was sure of that.

Liz changed into his clothes and pressed the hem of his Stanford University T-shirt up against her face, breathing in his scent and smiling. She was afraid to sleep, afraid that she'd fall asleep on his heavenly-smelling pillows and wake up alone again, it having all been some twisted dream. Max wasn't even gone for five minutes and by the time he came back, she was sound asleep with a smile on her face, her entire body wrapped tightly in his sheets.

How many times he'd dreamed of this...dreamed of Liz Parker falling asleep in his bed. Now it was really happening, and he could hardly believe it. He walked towards his bed, placing the glass of water on the nightstand and kneeling next to the bed, watching her sleep for a while before giving her one last kiss on the forehead and walking into his guest room to fall asleep himself.

Her strangled cry woke him out of a dead sleep around 9 AM.

"No!" She screamed, sitting up in bed with a jolt, her arms wrapped tightly around a pillow, sweat streaming down her face. "No, Simon, don't! Max! Max!" She screamed. Max bolted up from his bed in the guest room and ran into Liz's bedroom. He climbed into the bed with her and gently wrapped his arms around her.

"Liz...shh...Liz, I'm here...I'm here..." He smoothed her long brown hair that was pasted to her head with sweat.

"Max, oh Max, you're here! It wasn't a dream!" She said, burying her face in his neck and wrapping her arms around him as tight as she could manage.

"You had a nightmare, Liz?"

"Max, Simon killed you in my dream! He took you away from me! It was so real, Max, I thought it was happening-- I thought I was losing you all over again! I can't lose you again, Max!"

"Shh, shh, baby, you're not losing me. I'm not going anywhere. I'm staying right here with you until you're better."Max said, pressing his face into her hair and kissing it. "Do you want me to get you anything?" He started to stand up from the bed but she grabbed his arm frantically.

"No, Max...stay with me? Please?" Liz pleaded with him.

Max sighed. "Of course." He pushed a strand of hair behind her ear and kissed her cheek. "I'll just sit here with you until you fall asleep."

"No, Max..." She whispered. "That's not what I meant...I meant stay with me, hold me...I need to feel you...all around me." She wrapped her arms around herself. He looked at her with disbelief. She wanted him to hold her, sleep with her in his arms like they'd done in high school.

He couldn't get her in his arms fast enough.

Without a word, Max climbed into bed with Liz, pulling his body under the covers and lying with his stomach pressed up against her back, their hands resting together over her womb. He rested his face in the crook of her neck and breathed in the intoxicating scent of her. She could feel the breath escaping his nose, tickling her neck and she smiled, snuggling her body closer to his.

* * * * *

Max woke up with Liz still tucked in his arms. He smiled to himself as he watched her chest rise and fall under his favorite old T-shirt. He couldn't help but wonder if it would be just as wonderful to wake up next to her every morning for the rest of their lives.

Too much wishful thinking.

Max gently and carefully pulled himself away from Liz's arms. She barely noticed. She hadn't moved all night and she was currently wearing a smile on her beautiful face while she slept. He wrapped her back up in the sheets and kissed her forehead. He took one last look at her before he grabbed the cordless phone in his room and walked downstairs so he wouldn't disturb her.

He walked into the kitchen and scanned the phone list on his refridgerator. He found the number he needed and began dialing. The phone rang three times and he was tapping his foot with anticipation.

"Heh-lo, Valenti Residence."

Damn- not who he wanted to talk to.

"Hey, Kyle...it's Max."

"Evans-- long time, no speak man... save any lives today?" Kyle Valenti chuckled. Max smiled, catching the slight reference to the night he had saved Kyle's life when they were sophomores in high school.

"Actually... one- my life..."

"OK, I don't understand all the cryptic B.S. so why don't you get to the point?" Kyle said, looking over a stack of files spread out on the kitchen table. Maria breezed in the room then, a pad of paper and a pencil in her hand.

"Something amazing has happened... I wanted Maria to know that--" Max was interrupted by noise on the other end of the phone. "--Kyle, is everything OK over there?" He chuckled, knowing Hurricane Maria had stormed into town.

"Dammit, Kyle, how many times have I asked you to PLEASE not spread your work crap all over my kitchen table?" She cried, rolling her eyes and dropping her sketch pad on the counter. She reached into the fridge to look for a bottle of water and Kyle chuckled.

"Babe- you've got a phone call. It's Evans...he says something *amazing* happened?" He handed her the phone and she looked at him with confusion.

"Max?" She asked, holding the phone to her ear. "What's up? Is everything OK?"

Max sighed. "Everything's *more* than, OK, Maria... this is the best day of my life."

Maria squealed. "Are you getting married, Max? Oh, I'm so happy you're finally moving on with your life-- I'm so proud of you!" She said, making kissing noises into the phone.

"Maria, you should probably sit down..."

"What? What's he saying?" Kyle asked as he stood behind her, his arms wrapped around her waist and his face pressed up next to the side of her head so he could listen in.

"...He wants me to sit down..." Maria said, starting to move towards the chair.

"I knew it, Evans! You're gay! I knew it all along! You're coming out of the closet! Good for you, man!" Kyle said, cheering. Maria smacked him on the arm and quieted him with a finger to her lips.

"Did Kyle just say that I'm gay?" Max asked, laughing.

"Don't mind him. He hasn't had his hourly feeding so he's a little antsy." Maria said, smirking at her husband. Kyle grabbed Maria's hand and kissed it, holding it between his own. "So, TELL ME! What happened?"

Max took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "Liz is here."

"Liz!" Maria squeaked. "Oh, my God! Are you serious? Please tell me you're not kidding!"

"What's the matter with Liz?" Kyle cried. "Is she OK?"

"I'm not kidding, Maria...she spent the night here last night...she had kind of a...bad thing happen to her last night and she ended up in the ER where I work... " Max ran his hand through his hair nervously.

"Max! Oh, Max! Let me talk to her!" Maria cried. "Oh, I missed her so much!" Maria's eyes flooded with tears.

"She's sleeping... she had a... really rough night last night."

"Max, you're such an animal! Attacking Liz as soon as you see her- shame, shame, shame on you, young man." Maria said, mocking him and smirking.

"Maria, I didn't attack her... someone else did though." Max said with an angry tone.

"What? Who hurt Lizzie? Is she all right?" Maria cried.

"She's going to be fine." Max said quietly. "But...she was... Maria, she's engaged... she was beaten... and raped ... by her fiance' last night." The words were coming out fast and furious... although the words "engaged" and "raped" made his heart hurt.

Maria was silent. "Oh, no... Oh, God, no... poor Liz... Oh, my poor Lizzie!" She cried, tears streaming down her face. Kyle looked at her with concern and she gave him a tight hug.

"Darlin', what's wrong?" He breathed into her ear. "What happened to Liz?"

"Her fiance'... the bastard raped her last night." Maria cried, disgusted.

"What! Why? Her FIANCE'? She's engaged?" Kyle screamed, jumping up from his chair. He hadn't seen Liz in fifteen years but he still cared about her so much. "Poor Liz," He muttered to himself as he raised his hand to his forehead in disbelief.

"Max, listen to me, OK? You tell Liz that we love her so much, and we're so sorry... Oh, Max, this is terrible..."

"Maria, I've never felt so horrible in my entire life. I think the day she was shot is up there on the list too, but that wasn't as bad....cause I knew I could save her then... but this--"

"--Max, I hate to tell you this...but I've read stuff about this... about rape victims-- who completely...change-- their personalities..."

"Maria, I... don't think I know what to do... I mean what do I do? This horrible thing has happened, and there's nothing I can do to change that..."

Maria sighed. "Max, just be there for her, OK? Love her. It's the best thing you've ever done in your life. Just love her."

"Maria, loving her is the only thing I've ever done right in my life... believe me." He sighed, thinking of how beautiful she looked while she was sleeping beside him last night.

"Max-- you know that's not true. You're a doctor! You help people everyday of your life... you have done *plenty* of things right. Listen...I have these sketches I have to finish and fax to New York by 5, and Eliza has her dance recital tonight, but after that I'm getting on the next plane to Seattle and coming to see you guys." Maria said, firmly. She turned to Kyle. "Honey, will you grab me the phone book?"

"You're going to Seattle?" Kyle asked, grabbing the phone book from a nearby cabinet and placing it on the table in front of her. "But...it's our anniversary tomorrow, Maria...I thought we could go out or something...." His voice trailed off as he looked away. Maria looked at him and frowned.

"I'm sorry, hon, I guess it just slipped my mind..." Maria said, her eyes brightening with an idea. Kyle looked away with pain, but she kissed him and he smiled once more. "Why don't we all go... you, me, and Eliza? I know you'd love to see Liz too and Liza's never met her namesake..."

Kyle sighed, looking over at the stack of papers on the table he had to sort through. She knew what he was thinking and she quickly answered his glance. "Take it with you, hon!"

"Well... I guess a few days would be OK. And it would be nice to see Liz... and I guess Evans too." Kyle smirked.

"Great!" Maria cried. "I'll call you later to let you know when our flight comes in!"

Max smiled. It would be nice to see little Eliza again. She was blonde and cute and fun, just like her mom. "OK. I'm going to try to get out of my shift tonight so I can spend more time with Liz... so we can come get you guys at the airport."

"That would be wonderful...Are you sure you don't mind?"

"Of course I don't. I'm used to being up all night anyway." Max walked over to the refrigerator, pulling out coffee grinds and taking them over to the coffee machine.

Maria sighed, pressing forward. "Max, did she tell you why she never came back... never contacted anyone?" She asked slowly.

Max frowned. "I don't know, Maria... I'm trying not to assault her with too many questions right now. But we will talk about it eventually... I guess..."

"What do you mean, 'you guess'? Don't you want to know... everything?" Maria asked, sipping on her water and jotting down airline phone numbers.

Max paused. "All I know is that I love her with everything I have. She's here now, and I'm not letting her get away again." He said firmly.

Liz sat on the steps, listening intently to everything he said.