Liz was there, of course. Her brown hair blowing in the breeze, her eyes sparkling with the reflections of stars above us. She was wearing that little red tank top, the one with the flowers - my favorite. We were sitting on a blanket, somewhere near where we found the orb after the frenzy of the visions. We talked about something inconsequential as we gazed at the stars.

We did not touch, as if a wall separated us. But we looked into each other's eyes often, long, hungry gazes, knowing the desire and hating the constraints of destiny.

Finally I couldn't stand it anymore. This was Liz - we were made to touch, to love, to be. She had to know I would never leave her for Tess. I reached forward, touching the wall - an invisible crackling barrier of energy that seemed to burn my hand. Sparks flew from the contact, and an orange glow enveloped my hand and began to move up my arm. I winced in pain, but I kept my hand there, letting Liz see what she'd always known intuitively - that I would go through anything to be with her. I needed to touch her.

An eternal moment passed, as I willed Liz to look at me, to see me, to reach up and be with me. I thought I would be in pain forever, but I could endure that because it was for Liz. She looked at me. My soulmate. The glow had crept up my entire arm, and began to cover my chest as she finally reached up and touched my fingers through the wall - and as she did, the barrier crackled, and the glow which had nearly covered my body now rushed onto hers. The moment it veiled her entire body, the wall vanished.

Without the support of the barrier, we fell forward into each other's arms. I touched her face hungrily, then drew her close for a kiss. And then - the connection. The most intense ever. I became her and she became me. I felt her sharp intake of breath even as she felt my heart speed up. I knew her memories just as she knew mine. I became aware of the workings of her body, and I could feel her amazement, tinged with scientific curiosity, at my alien physiology. I laughed. My Liz, ever the scientist.

'Am I you?' she asked, blinking.

'I could ask you the same question. I can feel you,' I answered slowly, smiling.

'You know why I had to leave you to your destiny, then.'

'I knew it the second you left, but Liz, the depth of feeling, your emotion. . . being a girl must be interesting.' I grinned.

'I know you still love me, Max. But what are we going to do about it?' Liz asked, ruining the moment.

'You had to go and ask that, didn't you?' I ask wryly.

She gazed at me. I looked into her eyes, Then I blinked. For a second it had seemed her eyes were glowing. But when I looked again, they were the same as they'd been since third grade. She held my gaze, her hands in mine, the connection still thrumming between us, giving our hearts the same beat, our breath the same rhythm.

I had to be close to her. I pulled her onto my lap, tilted her face up to mine, and kissed her deeply.

Suddenly the world exploded into blue flame. We were caught it it, utterly destroyed, or we would have been if we had not been connected. I held Liz tight against my chest, squeezing my eyes shut until the blaze subsided and the night was as before, with one important difference...

'Max, are you alright?' Liz's sane question brought me back from wherever I had been.

'Liz, I'm fine. I love you. But I know something now - I just saw it, Liz, look inside yourself. You'll see it too. And then you'll know what we're going to do about it,' I said, hope dawning in my heart.

She looked down at herself, gaze focusing inward, eyes widening as she found the bright pulsing blue core in her hear, the same as I could see in mine.

'Max, what. . . I don't understand.' she asked, bewildered.

'Liz, you're. . . you're like me, now. Somehow.'