Most of the ride over to the cave had been silent, except occasional chitchat about movies, people at school, or the places they had been lately. Liz had been asked by Max to come out to their old hiding place from the world to talk with him. She had a couple of guesses about what.

They got to the cave in short order, and Liz got out of the car hesitantly, while Max cut the engine and climbed out with quiet strength. Liz kept forgetting that he was a ruler, a legendary king from another world. His restrained emotions and dignity were always a reminder. She slowly climbed out, cutting her hand on the roll bar of the Jeep as she did so. She let out a barely audible moan as she saw the deep cut in the web between her forefinger and thumb.

Max turned around, and jogged back to her.

"What happened?" He asked softly.

"I cut myself on the roll bar as I was getting out." Liz replied.

"Do you want me to heal it?" He asked, knowing she was hesitant to let him form a connection, knowing he would be intruding upon her thoughts and feelings. Once, they had been able to share all of their thoughts and feelings with each other. Now whenever they were together the air felt heavy, stale. A foreboding feeling fell to the pit of her stomach like a steel anvil.

"No, it's not that bad. Thanks," Liz replied reluctantly. She had almost lost her cool. She had wanted Max to heal her so badly. Liz wanted him to see the truth.

"Okay. I have some band aids in the Jeep. He got out the fully stocked first-aid kit his mother made him keep in the Jeep and carefully put a large band-aid on Liz's cut.

"Thanks," Liz replied. His fingertips had barely touched her, and she had gotten goose bumps on her arms. I still react to his body, she realized. My body has been starved for so long it reacts to the sight, touch, smell of him.

When he had finished, he put the case back under the seat and walked a few steps, before turning around and looking at Liz to see if she was coming. They walked together toward the cave in silence.

When they got to the entrance, Max put his hand forward to indicate that Liz should go ahead of him. She climbed into the small crevice and into the cave itself. After a couple of seconds, Max followed her.

"Do you remember when we first came here?" Max asked.

"Yes," Liz said, a smile of recognition crossing her face. They had stumbled along this place while hiding from the Skins. During the exhilaration of hiding from one of their greatest enemies, they had made out as if it was their last day on the planet together. Which it might have been, had this cave not been there.

"I'm going to ask a question, Liz. I want you to remember that day. I told you I loved you. Answer truthfully, please Liz. For my own sanity." Max begged.

She sat on a rock, knowing the question he was going to ask. She tried to formulate a lie, but couldn't as she thought about the events the cave had seen.

"Did you really sleep with Kyle?" He asked, pleading her with his eyes.

Her mind raced as she thought about the question. She could tell him…the truth.

"No," her voice was strong when she said it.

"Why…why did you lie to me then?" He asked, pain evident in his chocolate eyes.

"The granolith can be used to create an artificial tear in time. The future version of you came to me and asked me to help you fall out of love with me and into love with Tess. He said that Tess was close to leaving Roswell and that without her, the world would end." Her voice had started to quaver as she had said the last two sentences. Max came closer to her as she got deeper into the story, but didn't interrupt her.

"I tried so many times Max. I did. But you didn't ever stop loving me until I staged that scene with Kyle. It was so hard. Trying to get you to stop loving me. Future you told me that 20 minutes before you time-traveled, you had held Michael in your arms, dead. That Isabel had died 2 weeks before that. Future you also told me that we got married in Vegas in the Elvis Chapel. That the night of the Gomez concert we made love for the first time. That we danced the night away after our wedding in Phoenix with Maria, Michael, Isabel and Alex. That at the end of the night when everyone else was sitting, exhausted, you and me danced to my favorite song. Do you know what my favorite song is, Max?"

"Yes," he replied, tears running down his face as well as hers.

"What, Max?" She asked, begging him for something, but not knowing what.

"I Shall Believe." He answered.

"Yes. Now whenever I hear that song, I start sobbing. Doesn't matter where I am. I'm immediately transported back to those wishful hopes that I want so bad. I started crying in the Crashdown. In the bank. In the Supermarket. I want you to love me so badly. I want things to be back the way the used to be. Before you stopped loving and trusting me." She paused to take a long shuddering breath. "I couldn't have been the cause for so much pain, just for those short moments of happiness."

Max opened his mouth as if to say something, then paused.

"Tell me." She said simply.

"I never stopped." His voice cracked in the word never.

"Never stopped what?"

"Loving you. Trusting you with all my heart and soul." He leaned down and took her face in his hands. He carefully brushed away a tear with his thumb. The touch electrified her. He kissed her softly, quickly, as if he was waiting for her permission.

She kissed him back, feeling the tremble of his lips after crying. He kissed her back, hungrily, their bodies starved for one another.

The connection was almost instantaneous between them. His mind sent out pictures of all the times he had said the words,"I love you."

Liz was in Heaven. After being locked out for so long she had forgotten how good it felt.