Max and Liz were still lost in each other's eyes when Isabel finally broke in. "Liz? Hi! I didn't expect to see you this evening."

Liz found it hard to bring her eyes away from Max's intense stare. She finally glanced slowly to Isabel, "Hi" Was all she could say when she found her eyes drifting back to Max's.

Nancy approached Diane and hugged her hello. While they hugged she whispered into her ear. "We were right."

Jeff stuck his hand out to Philip and stated it was good to see him again. Then he turned his attention to Isabel as did Nancy they both stated how beautiful she looked. Then Jeff extended his hand to Max who was still lost in the love of his life's eyes. When her father's hand came into his sight he immediately shook himself from the trance that he appeared lost in and took Mr. Parkers hand firmly. Nancy rubbed Max's arm gently and told him how they *all* have missed him at the Crashdown.

Diane knew the minute she saw how her son looked into Liz's eyes and how she in returned looked into her son's eyes that these two young adults felt strongly for each other still. She couldn't help herself when she walked up to Liz and embraced her into a sincere motherly hug. She whispered into Liz's ear for only her to hear. "He's missed you a lot."

Liz pulled back from the embrace slowly and looked at the woman that had raised the man she loved with all her heart and saw the truth that she had just spoken to her.

She then pulled back into the embrace and whispered back. "Not as much as I've missed him." When they pulled away from each other both had tears forming in their eyes.

It was Philip Evans that finally broke the greetings up by informing everyone their table was ready. Isabel walked directly behind the hostess that was escorting them to their table, then Diane hooked her husbands arm as he escorted her, followed by Jeff and Nancy which left Max and Liz still half dazed by just each other's presense to make either of their feet to move. Max slowly stepped in front of Liz.

"Liz..I'm sor..."

Before he could finish his statement Liz held up her hand. "Max, please don't. Let's just..."

"Have a nice dinner?" Max finished her sentence. Knowing that tonight was like his best dream come true and that it would probably end up as his worst nightmare come true once again. He stuck out his arm for Liz and she accepted it.

Upon their first contact of touch, both experience the flash of what the other had gone through without each other since that fateful day at the cave. They not only seen how sad they were, but how they both felt has if a part of themselves had died inside. The flash was so overwhelming Liz's legs started to give out. Max immediately caught her in his arms. "God Liz" Was all he could get his voice to say.

Liz grateful for the strength of Max's arms around her at that moment rested her head snugly into his chest. "Max...Oh Max." She moaned straining not to allow the tears that were welling up in her eyes to fall.

They stood there embracing each other for a moment longer until Max finally found his voice again. "Liz, please it's not enough for me to say that I want you in my life. I need you in my life or my life isn't worth living."

"Max, why does this have to be so hard."

"Because if it wasn't complicated we probably wouldn't be soulmates."

Liz looked up into his eyes when he said almost the exact words her grandmother had said to her all those months before. Before she knew what she was saying she found herself following her heart like her grandmother had advised her to and simply said. "I love you Max."

"I love you, Liz Parker. You and only you."

It was Isabel who interrupted their reunion with a sharp clearing of her throat. "Look you two better pull yourselves together before both our parents send out a search party for you guys besides me. Now come on you can make goggly eyes at each other at the table. Mom made sure you two were sitting next to each other so let's go.

Reluctantly Max released his grip on Liz once again offered her his arm to escort her to their table. When they reached the table Max instinctively pulled Liz's chair out for her and then for his sister who sat on the other side of him. Their mother's were seated directly across from them and their father's each sat at the opposite end of the table.

Both parents and Isabel were engaged in small talk throughout the whole dinner, but Max and Liz sat in silence. Both trying their best not to look at each other knowing they would once again become lost in the others eyes if they would meet. However, Diane and Nancy couldn't help but notice the glances both Liz and Max would give each other periodically. And when they reached for the pepper at the same time and accidentally touched hands both mother's took note of how their touch of hands lingered together.

As the dinner plates were being cleared a young man approached their table and asked Isabel to dance. She was just about to turn him down when her mother told her to go ahead and have fun. Then Philip turned to Diane and asked her if she would like to dance. Diane stood up and winked at Nancy and Jeff. Nancy had filled her husband in on the plan before hand so the Jeff turned to his daughter. "Liz, how about you dance one with your old father, what do you say?"

Grateful to be given a breather from being so close to Max she accepted. Which left Nancy and Max? Nancy leaned across the table and asked Max if he would mind filling in as her dance partner while Liz danced with her father. Shyly Max stood up and escorted Nancy out to the dance floor with the rest of their party. Half way threw the song though Nancy and Jeff conveniently bummed into each other and asked if the two kids would mind switching partners. Liz was shocked that her parents had so easily manipulated the situation so she and Max were almost forced into dancing with each other.

When Max took Liz in his arms they both felt each others heart beat speed up as they swayed to the music. It only took a few minutes before Liz's brave exterior was gone and she melted into Max's arms. When Max felt Liz begin to relax he pulled her tighter into his arms. Then their eyes meet and they were both lost once again. At this moment in time they seemed to be only the two on the dance floor. Max slowly began to caress Liz's bare back. Her skin began to glow where his hand touched without either one of them aware of what was happening. However, Diane, Nancy and Isabel all saw it at the same time.

Isabel immediately danced her way over to the two of them and asked her date if he would mind if she danced with her brother for just a minute. Max was reluctant to let Liz dance with the other guy until the both saw the look on Isabel's face.

"Okay Isabel what's wrong?" Max asked once he began to dance with his sister.

"Max, Liz was glowing!!!" She answered her brother in an extremely nervous tone.

"Again?"

"What do you mean again?"

"I'll explain later. Do you think anyone else noticed?" Max asked as he looked nervously over at Liz. Liz was watching the two of them and saw the nervous expression on Max's face which immediately made her nervous about what had happen.

"I'm pretty sure mom and Mrs. Parker also saw it. How are we going to explain this?"

"Isabel calm down. Let's just see if they bring it up first."

"Max, we have to come up with something. We can't just hope they don't say anything about it. Mom is differently not going to let this go this time."

"I know what your thinking Isabel. Now is especially not the time we should even be thinking about telling mom the truth with everything that has been happening. I'll think of something."

Isabel immediately stopped dancing with Max and shot him a disapproving look and then stormed off toward the powder room. Thankfully the song ended at the same time which gave Max the opportunity to approach Liz and asked her to go check on his sister in the girl's room.

Liz cautiously approached Isabel once inside the sitting area of the powder room. "Isabel?"

"I'll be fine Liz, you can go tell my brother he didn't have to send you in to check on me."

"Isabel please, I hope you know by now you can talk to me. Please tell me what happen?"

"How many times has Max made your body glow like that before?"

"What? I was glowing again!"

"Yes, you were glowing. I'm pretty sure both my mom and your mom seen it and Max just wants to blow it off and act like nothing happened."

"Oh my god. What are we going to tell our parents? I know my mom won't ignore this."

"Your mom. My mom is diffidently not going to let this one pass after that fire instance last spring. How often does this happen with the two of you?"

"Well, it actually only happened one time before. Don't worry Isabel we'll think of something to tell them. We better get out there just in case they are already questioning Max."

In a very unlike Isabel thing to do she reached over and pulled Liz into a quick hug. "Thank You." She whispered.

Liz nodded her head and pulled away from their embrace. Then Isabel shocked her with her following statement. "He still loves you, you know that don't you."

"I know. I love him too. What we shared is not something I will ever be able to forget even if I wanted to. Come on we better get out there." With that they both walked out of the powder room and approached their table.

"Liz, your mother and I are going to drive Philip and Diane a ride back to their house. Would you mind riding with Isabel and Max. I think it's time we all sat down for a private discussion."

Liz and Isabel both threw Max a very nervous look. He barely had time to look in their direction when his father handed him his car keys and stated. "I expect you guys would like a few minutes to yourselves. We three go ahead and we'll be home soon."

Max nodded his head to his father and then walked over and took Liz's hand and turned to Isabelle and asked "Are you ready?" Dumb founded she nodded and followed her brother out to the car.

When Max opened the passenger door Isabelle jumped into the back seat before Liz had a chance. He shut the door after helping Liz into the car and then walked around and got in himself. "First things first. Isabel you were right, mom and Mrs. Parker saw Liz glowing. Mom was pretty calm when she asked how I was able to do that, but Liz your mom she looked like she was about to lose it right there in the restaurant. I told all of them that it was not the place to discuss it and they agreed to come back to our house to let us explain."

"Oh Max I am so sorry."

"Liz you shouldn't be the apologizing here. If anyone should be apologizing it should be me."

"Okay okay you two you stop it right now. We don't have time for this we have to decide how we are going to our parents about us."

"We're not, Isabel."

"What do you mean we aren't telling them. They are expecting us to explain this and it's not like they are just going to except that it's nothing really."

"No, Isabel they are not expecting you to explain anything. They only know it has something to do with me and..." He couldn't bring himself to tell Liz they are suspicious of her too.

"And me. That's what you were going to say right Max. Our folks think it is something between us." Max nodded and looked to Liz with an apologizing look.

"Well, in a way it is something that has to do with just the two of us. It is isn't it...I mean you haven't made anyone else glow have you?" Liz suddenly found herself wondering if Max would be able to make Tess glow if he gave into his destiny to be with her.

"No, this is just something between you and I." Max knew exactly who Liz was thinking about. "Mom already suspects that there is something special about me since the fire, but she doesn't know the real reason behind why I can do some of the things she suspects I can do. I think we should use that and see what happens."

"Max, why don't we just tell them the truth. I mean even the sheriff knows about us now. How can you say you don't want to tell mom and dad the truth now?"

"Isabel, with everything we have found out about ourselves. How can you possibly think we should tell them the truth now? It's no longer a question if they would accept us or not. Now there is so many other things to consider."

Liz turned and gave Isabel a look that said she understood why she was upset. Then she looked back to Max. "Okay even if you don't tell them the truth we still will have to give them a plausible explanation."

"I know, I'm just not sure what kind of explanation I could give that would sound plausible enough for them to believe without the truth."

"Well, maybe you have the special gift to heal." Max threw Liz a quizzical look so she continued. "I mean some humans claim they can heal others by a touch, so we just go with that. You can act dumb." Another look from Max. "No, you act like you don't understand it any more then them. They can't continue to question you if you confess you don't understand it yourself."

"Liz that may explain the bird instance mom has on tape, but it won't explain why my brother can make you glow."

"I guess telling them the truth about that one would be out of the question at this point." Max joked with unsuccessful results.

"What's the truth?" Liz asked with a serious tone. But Max only gave her a smirk and reached over to take her hand. They pulled up into the Evan's driveway and Isabelle got out of the car immediately and ran into her home. Liz turned to Max and asked once again. "Max can you please tell me the truth if you know why this keeps happening to me."

"I'm not sure if it is the truth, but I can tell you what I think is the truth. Are you sure you want to know?" Liz nodded yes. Max then continued. "The answer is simple, I love you. My body reacts to your body when I let my feelings inside come to the surface."

"Max" Liz's voice whispered.

"Well, you said you wanted the truth." And then to prove his point he placed one hand on her cheek, stared deeply into her eyes and then slowly caressed her arm.

Her skin once again began to glow. "I told you before you were the one for me. I meant it then and I mean it now. It doesn't matter to me what any book, Tess, Nasedo or even my real mother tells me. I know what I feel and its you. It's always been you." He slowly leaned over to Liz giving her opportunity to pull away.

When she didn't he gently touched his lips to hers.

He pulled away to see what her reaction was. Even with her eyes closed. She smiled and without opening her eyes she said sweetly. "I love you Max Evans."