"I don't like it." Michael paced the apartment, the scowl he wore so often apparent beneath his unruly hair.

"I know, but..."

"But nothing. It's a bad idea." He stopped and faced Max squarely.

Max sighed. Every conversation with Michael seemed to turn into a confrontation. "Look. I don't like it either. It's the last thing we needed. But unless you've changed your mind about telling my parents the truth--"

"I haven't," Michael interrupted.

"--then Isabel and I are going on vacation," Max finished firmly. "Look, ever since I missed Thanksgiving, my parents have been really suspicious. A few days away should convince them that everything's OK." Max and Michael locked gazes. Everything was not OK, and they both knew it. Ever since Max had gone to New York with Tess over Michael and Isabel's objections, things had been tense among the so-called Royal Four. Michael, as usual, was unhappy with Max's leadership. Isabel continued to be withdrawn. Tess, on the other hand, had renewed her efforts to win Max over. He couldn't tell Michael this, but despite the bad timing, Max needed this vacation.

Michael was the first to break the silence. "Bon voyage. Don't forget to write."

Crashdown, same day

Liz leaned over the lunch counter toward Maria. "You are lying to me," she taunted.

"Liz, I swewar, there's NOTHING going on."

"Liar." Liz rolled her eyes and started back toward the table she was serving. "Eventually you will tell me exactly what's going on between you and Brody."

"Liz. Liz, oh, my God you are so far off," Maria protested to the back of Liz's head. The soft jingle of the bell on the door got both girls' attention. Max walked in, his eyes seeking Liz out as they always did. Liz, sensing him, flushed and avoided his eyes. Maria breathed a soft sigh at the still-evident pain both of her friends were going through.

"Hey, Max," Maria greeted him.

"Hey. Um, I just, uh..." His voice trailed off as Liz walked up to them.

"Hey," she said softly, not quite meeting his eyes.

"Hey. Um, I just came by to say good-bye. My family is going on vacation for a few days, leaving tonight. So, if anything happens...I mean, anything, you know, related to...well, Michael and Tess will be around, and we'll be checking in with them. I just wanted to let you know, just in case." Max spoke all of this directly to Liz. His concern for her, his unwillingness to leave her unprotected, was written all over his face. Again, Maria sighed to herself. She wondered if Max knew that Liz's pain was worse, even, than his.

"OK, well, 'bye. Bye, Maria." Max left the Crashdown quickly. Liz stared after him for just a moment, her own sorrow evident in her face.

Max climed into the jeep and headed for home. He'd forgotten the main reason he needed to get away for a while- Liz Parker.

The Beach- Two Days Later

"You're in my sun." Isabel peeked out at Max from under her shades. He had walked up to her, casting a shadow over her lightly bronzed skin.

"Sorry." He moved to one side and sat in the sand next to her beach chair. "Having fun?"

"Yes, actually, I am. You know, Max, for two days the only thing I've had to worry about is my tan lines. Its nice to feel normal for a little while." Her eyes were hidden by the sunglasses, but Max could guess at the faraway, sad look in her eyes. She had had that look too often in the past few weeks.

"I know," Max replied. "And it feels safe here. Isolated. But I guess that's silly. I guess nowhere on earth is really safe."

Isabel turned toward him. "Not just on earth, Max. There may not be anywhere safe for us anymore. We were killed on some distant planet, re-incarnated or something here, and now our enemies are here, hunting us. And its all my fault." Isabel's voice was hushed.

"No. No, Isabel. Whatever happened back then has nothing to do with who you are now. Nothing. I- we all- may have a responsibility to the people back there, but we are not the same peoople who died on that planet. That princess may have been capable of betraying her brother, but I know you and you're not, Isabel. And that- that king, whoever he was, he might have been in love with Tess, but I'm not. I'm not and I'm never going to be!" Max's voice had gotten loud and angry, and Isabel looked at her brother in surprise. She had noticed Max softening toward Tess, especially since they'd returned from the summit meeting in New York. Tess had even confessed that she felt closer to Max than ever.

Max noticed the look of surprise on Isabel's face. "I didn't mean to get so loud," he said by way of apology. "It's just that- I just realized that I'm doing the same thing with Tess that you are doing about this whole Vilandra thing. Isabel, those people who we were-- of course they influence who we are now. But we don't have to be them. We can't be. They didn't grow up in Roswell. They aren't the children of Mr. and Mrs. Phillip Evans. They never went to Roswell High. They never ran from FBI agents or kissed a human in the eraser room, or any of the other things that we've experienced. They grew up in a palace, learning how to rule a planet. We grew up in New Mexico, learning how to hide who and what we are. People change- certainly we have the right to!"

Isabel watched Max's eyes start to glow with this new idea."Max, what are you saying?" she asked him.

"I'm saying that Zan and Vilandra died on that planet, Isabel. They are part of us, but they are dead. We don't have to try to be them anymore. We have to be ourselves."

"But, Max, our people. Our mother..."

"I'm not saying we abandon them, Isabel. I'm just saying we shouldn't abandon Max and Isabel, either." Max stood up, sand glistening on his skin. "And as soon as we get home to Roswell, there are a few people I'm telling that too, starting with Liz."

Crashdown, late the next night

Lick tucked her hair behind her ear as she pushed the broom around the dining area. She could hear Maria singing to herself as she changed in the back room. Liz always enjoyed this time at the end of a busy shift. She liked the chance to clean up the place-- to bring order to the chaos the customers had brought to the little diner. Her life had been nothing but chaos since the Max fom the future had come to her. She wistfully wished that a broom and a few dishcloths could bring order back to her life, too. "Do you want to come up and study for the lit test?" she asked the footsteps behind her as she turned around.

Too late, she discovered that it wasn't Maria. The tall stranger reached his hand toward her forhead.

"Whar are you doing? Maria! NO!!" she cried. An eerie yellow glow was extending from the man's outstretched fingers to Liz's head. She felt her brain being manipulated, her memories being explored. "No, No, NO!" she whispered. As she felt herself lapsing into darkness, she cried out one last time. "MAX!!!!!!!"

The Beach

At that moment, Max sat straight up from a sound sleep. "LIZ!" he shouted to the dark hotel room. As he realized where he was, he jumped up from his been and ran out into the hall. "Isabel!!" he called as he pounded on his sister's hotel room door.

Unknown Location moments later

"Well?" The tall stranger who had accosted Liz was greeted with the question as he entered the dark room. "Where is he?"

"The girl didn't know," was his quiet answer.

"What?!"

"I said, the girl doesn't know where he went, OK?" he muttered angrily. "But she knew something. She damned near let me kill her before she'd let go of it, too. Seems she knows everything about them-- who and what they are, why they're here. But there was something I couldn't get out of her."

"Are you sure it wasn't his location?" the other answered sarcastically.

"Look, she doesn't know. I got the whole touching scene. He came into that little cafe, said he was going on vacation, and left. Didn't say where," he sighed. "I had wanted to avoid any run-ins with any of the Royals, but if we're going to find him in time, we're going to have to find out where he is from one of them." The tall man scowled darkly. "I say we go with the punk. The girl's mind powers are pretty strong, I guess, and she's not above using them to defend her man. Ah, damn it, I wish we could've gotten what we needed from that human girl. And I wish I knew what was so important she'd die to hide it."

"So, you did kill her then?" the other's question was flat and uncaring.

"No. At least, she wasn't dead yet when I left."

Crashdown

Maria knelt by Liz's body, holding her friend's oddly warm hand. She had called Michael, panic-stricken, when she had first found Liz's unconscious body. At this point, though, Maria had become unusually still. Her normal nervous chatter quieted in the face of this terror, she waited for Michael, silent tears dropping over her cheeks.

Finally, Michael arrived. She raised her tear-filled eyes to meet his. "I was in the back room, changing. I heard her scream Max's name. I came running out, and she was like this. A man was running down the sidewalk, but I didn't get a good look at him." She sobbed quietly. "Michael, she won't wake up."

Michael was already kneeling by Liz's body, across from Maria. He focused his power over her lifeless body. She didn't stir. "What did he do to you, Liz? There are no injuries to heal." He looked confused and a little frightened.

He doesn't know what to do, Maria thought in despair. Then, aloud, she said, "Call Tess. Then help me move her. Someone could see her here from outside and ask questions."

The Beach

"Geez, Max, what is it?" Isabel opened the door. She was dressed to kill, preparing to go down to the hotel's club to dance the night away. "Were you in bed?"

"Isabel, it's Liz. Something's wrong. I'm not sure what has happened, but...somethig has happened to Liz."

Isabel could see the panic in Max's eyes. "Max, calm down. How do you know something is wrong with Liz. Did you call her?"

"No, no. She called to me. She needs me." Max looked terrified, like he was about to jump out of his skin. He was afraid Isabel was going to tell him he'd been dreaming. But he knew that Liz could communicate with him anywhere. She'd saved his life in New York.

"Max, we agreed we weren't going to give anyone this number, not even Michael. I can't believe- " Isabel stopped scolding her brother when she realized what he'd said. "Wait, she called to you?"

Max nodded. "We have to call home, now." Isabel ran to her suitcase and pulled out her cell phone. They'd decided to bring it along so their parents wouldn't see long distance charges on the hotel bill from their calls to check in with Michael.

"What's Liz's number?" she asked Max.

"I--" Max felt a physical pain in his heart as he formed the thought. " I don't think she can answer. I'm calling Maria. She'll have her cell phone with her and she might know where Liz is, to get to her quickly." Max dialed. No answer. He sighed, in agony, and dialed again and again.

Crashdown

Tess came hurrying into the diner. "Where is she?" she asked Michael, who was waiting for her by the door.

"Maria's with her in the back. Look, I don't know what's wrong with her. I can't wake her up. I don't thing she was-- well, I don't think it was a human who attacked her."

"Then we haven't a moment to waste." Tess looked determined. She had wrestled with herself about coming here. All Nasedo's training-- about survival, about completing her mission and saving her people, about being with Max-- told her that letting Liz die was the only way to ensure that Max would never go back to Liz and abandon Tess. But Tess also knew that Max would never forgive her if she didn't try to help. So she had come, grimly determined to do everything in her considerable power.

"Michael, her breathing is getting fainter," Maria pleaded as they entered the back room. "You have to do something."

"OK. Michael, take my hand and focus." Tess took Liz's hand from Maria, and reached out to Michael with the other. She closed her eyes. Maria was fascinated to see the white light that glowed beneath Tess's hand aginst Liz's skin. She was too entranced to notice the look on Tess's face as she made a connection with the unconscious victim.

Flashes of Liz's life flashed through her head. The attack in the Crashdown was the most prominent, but there were many others. Liz's childhood, her first day of school. The day of the shooting. And Max. Their first date, their first kiss. Tess had never really understood what Max meant to Liz, and now she was feeling it first-hand. Then, more images-- of Max, but different, of Liz crying, of Kyle, of Max's stricken face through a windown...

"Oh!" Tess opened her eyes, startled. Liz remained motionless on the sofa, unmoving.

"What?! Why isn't she awake?" Maria was frantic. "Michael, what happened?"

Michael shook his head. "I felt an energy surge, that's all."

Tess didn't reply right away. She squeezed Liz's hand even tighter. Turning her gaze to Maria, she spoke softly, as if not to wake Liz up. "I made a connection. They were trying to get information. They're looking for Max. She didn't know where he is, but they kept looking in her brain. She was afraid they'd find out-- secrets-- like the granolith. She didn't want them to find out, so she let her brain shut down." She paused and looked intently at Liz.

Maria shifted impatiently. "So, why isn't she awake?"

Tess looked up sadly. "She doesn't want to wake up. She doesn't feel any pain where she is now. Her heart--" Tess drew a long breath, "--isn't broken there."

A faint electronic sound broke the absolute silence after Tess's announcement. Maria ran to get her cell phone. "If I don't answer, my Mom will freak," she said. "Hello?"

"Maria, where's Liz? Something's wrong. Something has happened to her." Maria could hear the unmasked fear in Max's soft voice.

"Oh, my God, Max. She won't wake up. I'm sorry. I didn't see who it was. I'm so sorry, Max," Maria babbled helplessly into the phone.

"Maria! What do you mean she won't wake up? Who didn't you see? Where is she? What's happening?" Max was nearly shouting now. He was too distraut to hear the misery in Maria's voice.

"Maxwell?" Michael came onto the line. "Look, someone, um, seems to have-- look, man, Liz was attacked. We don't know by who or what, but they were looking for you. She's unconscious and Tess and I are having a hard time waking her up. We're still trying, though. " Michael sounded unsure of himself.

Max dropped his face into his hand. "I should be there. She needs me," he groaned.

"Max, I'll keep trying, I promise you." Michael's voice was firmer, responding too the absolute desolation in Max's.

Isabel grabbed the phone. "Maria?" she said. "Oh, good. Michael, what's going on?" Michael repeated what he'd said to Max, adding what Tess had discovered when they connected. "Oh, Michael. I wish we could be there. Please keep trying." She had a thought, "Michael, I'm going to try to dreamwalk her. Maybe I can convince her to let you help her. I'll call you back on this line. Don't do anything else until I call." Michael agreed, and they ended the call.

"Isabel is going to dreamwalk Liz. She says to wait for her to call back," Michael reported. "Do either of you want something to drink?"

Michael left the room as both girls shook their heads. "Tess, is she dying? Can't you do anything?" Maria had never trusted Tess, and it was maddening to think of her as the last chance to save Liz's life.

Tess answered, "I could help her if she would let me. But she's decided that she can't bear to be in this world without him. Without Max, I mean." Tess looked at the floor, ashamed. This is all my fault, she thought.

Liz's Unconscious Mind

Isabel could see Liz, seemingly asleep on the sofa in the back at the Crashdown. "Liz, can you hear me?" she asked.

Liz opened her eyes. "Isabel? I'm so tired. Please let me rest." She closed her eyes again.

"No, Liz. You have to come back. Max needs you to come back."

Liz sat up. "Isabel, Max needs to get over me. He needs to be with Tess. It will be easier for him to do that when I'm gone. And I won't have to watch it happening. Look, Isabel, my mind is made up. So- get out of it!"

Isabel sat up, a little dazed. Liz had cut off their connection in a way no one had before.

"Isabel?" It was Max.

"Max, she- she won't listen to me. She doesn't want to wake up." Isabel couldn't meet her brother's eyes as she said the words. "She thinks this is for the best. For you and Tess."

Max felt like he was the one who was dying. "I should be there," he whispered. "I should be there. She needs me."

Isabel's cell phone rang its happy little tune, horribly out of place in that atmosphere. Max acted as though he didn't even hear it. Isabel grabbed it and walked into the hall.

"Isabel, did it work?" It was Tess, sounding unusually tense. "Did you convince her to let me help her?"

"No. She thinks this is what Max needs, and she's in too much pain to think clearly. She's being stubborn," Isabel replied. "I'm going to try again, though. This time, I'm going to try to take Max with me."

"Can you do that?"

"I don't know. But if Max could see Liz, she's got to be able to see Max. Its our only hope."

"Isabel, you've got to hurry. Her pulse is weak and she's barely breathing," Tess sounded frantic. Isabel could hear Maria crying in the background, and Michael trying to calm her down. "And Isabel- let me talk to Max. It's important." Tess made a split-second decision. She was going to save Liz's life, even if it meant losing Max forever.

"Tess? Can you help her?" Tess barely recognized Max's voice. He sounded defeated. She knew she was doing the right thing.

"Max, listen to me. I know why Liz is doing this, and I know how to stop it."

Isabel watched Max's face in wonder as he listened to Tess. In two short minutes, she saw joy, sorrow, anger, and guilt pass through his dark eyes. He hung up the phone and turned to his sister, the light partially restored to his eyes. "What do you need me to do?" he asked her. He was in shock. That afternoon he'd decided to take his life back. Now, tonight, he might be losing the only thing that made that life worthwhile. He took Isabel's hand and focused on the image of the only person he would ever love.

Liz's Unconscious

And there she was. She looked so worn and tired, fitfully sleeping on the couch at the Crashdown. "Go to her, Max," Isabel whispered in his ear. He walked toward her and knelt by the sofa.

"Liz? Wake up," he said quietly.

Hearing his voice, Liz half-smiled in her sleep. "Max?" She opened her eyes, and the smile faded. "Please, Max, don't do this. Don't make this harder. I don't want to wake up. Don't you understand?" She sounded tired and desperate. Max touched her face.

"I do understand, Liz. I understand everything. I understand why you pushed me away. I understand why you pretended to sleep with Kyle. I know everything. And its all going to be OK, now. I promise, Liz. Please, wake up. Come back to me."

"Max. You can't know. I wasn't allowed to tell you. I had to make you fall out of love with me. This is terrible. You really don't understand, Max." Liz looked panicked.

"Liz, Liz. Shhh. Its all OK. Tess has promised not to leave us, if you will let her help you. She understands. She'll stay and fight as long as we need her. The world is not going to end. But mine will, if you don't wake up soon. Please, Liz. I love you."

"Oh, Max!" Liz flung her arms around Max's neck. "I love you so much," she whispered into his ear.

"Max, we have to go. They have to wake Liz soon, or we won't get her back."

"I love you Liz. Call me," Max grinned as he pulled awy from Liz.

Crashdown

The phone rang. "Hello?" Maria answered anxiously.

"Now. Do it now." Max ordered. Isabel shook her head at his tone. Max, the reluctant king when things were going well, certainly could be bossy when he wanted something done.

"Now!" Maria shouted.

Tess and Michael joined hands as before. With another white glow, they focused their healing energy on Liz's prone body. With a deep sigh, Liz opened her eyes.

"Liz! Oh, thank God!" Maria squealed.

"Max?" Liz whispered, disoriented. "I have to call Max."

"You can call him in a minute," Tess said quietly. She still held Liz's hand in her own.

"Oh, Tess. I can't thank you enough." Liz said.

"Don't, Liz. Just- try to make him happy, OK?"

"Tess, you are being so brave. Giving him up, and staying with him anyway. I couldn't do it. Tess, you're saving the world."

Liz's Balcony, two days later

Liz finally heard the sound of someone climbing the fire-escape that she'd been listening for. "Liz?" It was Max. Max. She threw herself into his arms.

"Oh, Max. You're finally here."

"Finally and forever, Liz."