"Any luck Michael?" Isabel ask when she catches a glimpse of him heading toward the kitchen through the corner of her eye.

Not yet, but I'm not giving up hope." In the kitchen Michael grabs a glass from the cabinet and fills it with water from the tap. Then walks back into the living room "Hey Isabel, where does this house get it's water and power supply?"

Both Alex and Isabel stop what they are doing to look up at him. Then they look at each other. "Michael you may have stumbled on to something. Says Alex before he starts pulling up utility information on the computer. "Nothing."

"What do you mean, nothing." asks Isabel.

"There is no record of this house having any type of utility service. Either they tapped in illegally or this place has it's own resources." Alex sets the laptop down on the couch beside him and stands up.

"Where are you going" asks Isabel as she stands up to follow him.

"We need to try to locate the circuit box and where the water enters the house. Michael check the Kitchen. Is and I are going to start checking the rooms. The three of them start looking everywhere they can think to look.

**********************

"Dag-gum-it, where is he!" Raved Jim Valenti while he paced his living room floor. "Why didn't he listen to me. Doesn't he realize that I'm trying to protect him. Max Evans isn't someone he should be messing around with." He looks out the front window. "Max has powers, I know it! What are they, I don't know yet, but if he's what I think he is, he can kill with a touch, he could kill Kyle if he wanted to. He doesn't want to draw attention to himself. So where is Kyle? What if Max is using Kyle to find out what I know about him. Kyle has been hanging around the station all week. What if Max can control someone's thoughts or actions. No that doesn't make sense, if he could do that he would have already done that to me.." Jim Valenti wanders back over to the window and looks out. "Where is he? What if Max has him somewhere and he can't get away? I shouldn't have left him on his own. What was I thinking? He looks back out the window and is relieved to see Kyle's car pulling up out front. Jim tries to clam himself down by taking several deep breathes, then walks over and holds the door open for Kyle.

*******

Kyle turns into his driveway. When he sees his father's car he feels a few more knots joining the ones already existing in his stomach. Kyle has been dreading this moment since earlier at the Crashdown when his father walked in and saw him sitting with Max Evans. He had no problem recognizing the look that was on his father's face. It was one of anger and disappointment. He hadn't seen it often in his life, but from the few times he had; he knew he was in serious trouble. As he turned off the engine, he took a deep breath and opened the car door. He slowly climbed out of the car and headed for the front door. Kyle wasn't surprised to see his father standing on the porch with the door open. He could still read the anger, and disappointment in his eyes. Kyle walked past his father into the living room and waited for the eruption. He didn't have to wait long.

"What's wrong with you? Didn't I make myself clear enough, when I told you to stay a from Max Evans? I know you understood what I said, and yet I see you and Max kicked back like best friends at the Crashdown. What were you thinking? How many times do I have to tell you to do something. You're to stay away from him and everyone associated with him . Do you hear me Kyle. I will not put up with your insubordination. When I tell you to do something I expect you to do it with out question!!!!

"NO! " Kyle couldn't believe that he just told his father no, and by the look on his father's face neither could he.

"What did you just say to me?"

‘I said no. Max is a good guy, and he accepts me for me. Unlike the guys I was hanging out with. Would you rather I hung out with guys like Tommy. Guys that pick on other people just for the fun of it. Those are the guys I was hanging with. Since that shooting at the Crashdown in September you have been all over Max. Have you ever seen or heard of him pulling the stunts Tommy has been pulling for years. No, and you won't. Max Evans and his group of friends care about people. I like hanging with them, because it rubs off. I like who I am when I hang out with them.

"Kyle you don't know him as well as you think you do. You don't what he is capable of doing."

"I know a lot more about him than you think I do." Kyle knew as soon as he said it, that it was a mistake. But that It wouldn't be hard to cover.

"What do you know Kyle?" Sheriff Valenti gut feeling was that Kyle knew something about Max Evans, but what. Was it possible that Kyle knew Max's secret, if so this could be what he was waiting for.

Kyle had to cover for his slip in words. "I now that your wrong about him. He's not a bad guy dad. He's not someone you have to worry about, he's not the type to break the law. Come on Dad face it, I've broken the law more than Max ever would. Look you've been watching him every since that shooting back in September, have you ever seen him do anything that would harm anyone. And whatever you think he did in the Cafe that day, was it anything that hurt someone. I know that Grandpa was put away because of his obsession with little green men. Don't let the same thing happen to you. Stop obsessing over Max Evans, he's no different than I am. Would you want someone to do to me, what you've been doing to him."

"Kyle you don't understand."

"Then explain it to me."

"I can't do that"

"Until you can, I will continue to be friends with him and the rest of that group."

"No you won't, Kyle! You stay away from them!"

"Unless your willing to give me a really good reason why I can't be friends with Max or the others. I will continue to consider them friends. And even though you may have the power to keep me away from them out of school, you don't have the power to keep me away from them at school. So inflect your punishment and lets be done with this."

The sheriff just stood there in disbelief at Kyle's outburst. He never considered the possibility of Kyle refusing to comply to his orders. Had he been wrong about Max. Kyle sure was convinced that he was. It's true that Max has never done anything to harm anyone. The only time that is was suspected that he had powers was when it looked like he used them was to help Liz Parker, and everyone around him seemed to believe in him. Even to the point of protecting him at all costs. Could he have been so wrong about Max's character.

****************************

Max was relieved to be off of work. It had been one of those days were nothing seemed to go right. Starting with the sheriff catching Kyle and him at lunch. When he got back to the Museum after lunch the place was swarming with visitors. Some kids had knocked over one of the displays. Max knew that he was going to be the one to have to clean it up. When he finished with the first mess he was called over to clean up another mess that the same two rambunctious boys made.

As he took off his vest he headed over to check and see if Liz and Maria were ready to go. They were headed out to the house to join the others. He walks into the Cafe sees Liz and proceeds to join her. As he approaches her, he sees that she's not to happy. "What's wrong Liz?"

My parent's won't let me go unless we take Sandie with us. I tried to explain that it was a couple thing. But they are insisting that I try to help Sandie fit in. I think she's sweet, but I know we can't take her with us."

Max brings his hand to his face. He should have known that something else was going to go wrong. It was just one of those days. He reaches out for Liz and takes her into his arms. He needs to feel that something in this day was right. He reminded himself that as long as he had Liz he could get through even the worst day. As they stood there in each others arms the rest just didn't seem to matter, this made up for everything else. Holding Liz in his arms was definite the best part of the day. "So what's the plan. Do we stay here or are we taking Sandie out for an evening in Roswell?"

Liz looks up at Max with even more love in her eyes, if that's possible. She knows how much going out tho the house means to Max, but he was willing to stay with her instead. "Max you and Maria head on out to the house. I'll entertain Sandie, besides it will give her and I a chance to get reacquainted."

"Liz, it looks like I'll be staying with you." Liz turns her head when she heard Maria's words. "My mom says that I need to spend sometime with Sandie as well. Can you believe our parents. Telling us who we have to hangout with. It's almost as bad as the Sheriff telling Kyle that he can't hangout with Max here."

After a moment of silence, Max kisses Liz. "I'll call you as soon as we get back. I'll plan something special for us to night. We have some catching up to do." After one more kiss he turns and heads out.

"Okay, Liz it's only 5:15 what are we going to do for the rest of the day?"

"Is Sandie still upstairs with our parents?

"Yeah, she seems right at home with all the adults. It's kind of weird if you ask me."

"Let's see if she wants to go into my room, and we'll do a girl's night."

"It won't be the same without Isabel."

"Let's call her and see if she wants to leave the house and come. The others can ride back with Max. Besides I'm dying to know what they've found." Liz and Maria hurry up the steps and into Liz's room. On the way they take Sandie by the arms. "Girl's Night." Sandie looks shocked as she is led into Liz's room. Amy, Nancy, and Jeff smile at each other and then Nancy explains to Alisha what's going on.

In Liz's room, Liz sits on her bed picking up the phone. She calls Isabel's cell phone. Hey, Isabel. It's Liz. Just wanted to let you know that Max is on his way. Maria and I aren't able to come tonight do to..." Liz looks over a Sandie. "Do to a change in plans. Maria and I are throwing a Girl's Night to welcome Sandie back into town."

"Sandie? The girl from lunch Friday? That Sandie?"

"Yeah, It seems that our families go way back. Are you game?"

Isabel thinks for a moment. "Hold on." Isabel asks Alex if she can borrow his car, and tells him that Max is already on his way. "Alex said I could borrow his car. Let me run buy my house for a few supplies and I be right over. Thanks I need a break from this place anyway."

Liz hangs up the phone. "She'll be over in about a hour."

"What do we do in the mean time?" asks Maria. Sandie is still standing in shock. She has know idea what is going on. She's never really had girls her own age to hangout with. She's always been on the outside looking in. Other than that it was her mother and her.

"Let's go pick out some movies, and some Ice Cream with all the fixings." Liz turns to Maria and smiles. "Just don't forget I have to get to bed early tonight. I've got a date with my dream man."

"Just remember to say hello to him for me, and you have to tell me all about what special thing he plans for you both." They both laugh and turn back to the still confused Sandie. "Sorry Sandie, it's kind a personal joke. Lets get going."

************************

Max arrives at the house. He doesn't see Alex's car. He walks into the house, not seeing anyone he calls, "Isabel, Michael, Alex were are you guys? As he walks through the house he sees the laptop sitting on the couch. Several piles of files stacked on the table in the kitchen. But no sign of his sister of friends. Max gave up looking for the others. He suspected that they either when into town for a bite to eat or they were driving around outside trying find a clue to where the ship was. Max walked back into the kitchen and started looking at the folders on the table. He recognized them from the desk in the office. He only made it through one folder when he heard Michael and Alex's voice come from the living room. He got up from the table and headed in to see where they had been and to find out if they had found anything new.

"Hey guys were have you been?." Max immediately notices that Isabel isn't with them. "And where's Isabel?"

"She headed back into town. It seems Liz and Maria are having one of their girl's nights." Michael doesn't even try to hide his annoyance about her early departure.

"So that's how Liz figured she'd entertain Sandie."

What has Sandie got to do with Liz? Alex asks curiously. And why didn't Maria and Liz come out with you like we planned?"

Max explains what they found out about Sandie and her Family, and then proceeded to tell why Kyle hadn't come either. Max is ready for some good news. Anything to say that the trip to the house was worth it. "What did you two find out."

Not a lot I'm afraid. One this house seems to be self sufficient. What I mean by that is it has it's own water and energy source. However, we haven't been able to locate any signs of were where water and electric come into the house. No signs of a circuit box or a water main anywhere. It's a real puzzle." Alex sighed then continued. "Isabel was going through the files in Teomner's desk. It seems Teomner was a one cocky S. O. B., he must have thought that he was invincible. Remember, I told you he didn't even bother to put pass codes on his computer. Well he kept hard copies of files on every kill and every employer. It's almost like he wanted someone to get the information, or least tempt them to try. I know that the government would love to have his files. It would put a lot of felons behind bars, maybe even the death penalty. I cross referenced some of the names through several law enforcement sights, and some of these guys are heavy hitters. Many of the cases never solved.

"So if we needed, we could do some negotiating."

"Yeah, that's exactly what Alex is saying. We finally have information that they would want."

"Michael and I think that it would be a good idea to move the files."

"Why? They've been safe here so far."

"When Topolski figures out Teomner's dead she could come here and clean out the place. Remember she grew up here, she knows this place better than anyone."

Where do you suggest we put them. It can't be one of our places you remember what happened the last time we took stuff back to my house."

That's what we were doing before you arrived. We were scouting for a place to hide them when Michael, here suggested we hide them in the cave with the incubation pods. That's as good of a hiding place as any, and no one knows about it except us."

"Let's do it." Max responds as he heads for the Kitchen table to gather a stack of files.

***************************

The girls, including Sandie, are in the Parker's kitchen dishing up some Ice Cream with all of the fixings, each to their own tastes. Maria scoops a large scoop of Mint Chocolate Chip and a scoop of Rocky Road Ice cream topping it with lots of cool whip.

Sandie scoops herself a large bowl of Vanilla, "Hey Liz do you have any peanut butter."

Liz pauses before taking a bit of her a Banana spilt made with Vanilla Ice cream and a scoop of Mint Chocolate Chip topping the vanilla with pineapple, cool whip, and nuts and walks over to the cabinet. While opening the door and pulling out a jar of Peanut Butter she asks, "Peanut Butter? How did you ever get started into that?"

Sandie doesn't answer, she is watching Isabel in disbelief as she pours Tabasco Sauce over her Rocky Road Ice Cream. Liz looks to see what Sandie is staring at. Liz starts to laugh. "I guess Peanut Butter is to farfetched considering Issy's dietary quirks.

Isabel looks up, "What are you talking about Liz, you know I love things extremely sweet with extremely spicy. It's good you ought to try it." Isabel hold up a spoonful of ice cream up to the others.

Maria puts her hand out in front of her and shakes her head repeatedly. "No thanks Isabel. You will never convince me to try that nasty tasting stuff. I'm afraid that if I ever tried it, I would end up so sick the rest of the night would be a bust.

"Oh well, you don't know what your missing. Isabel takes the bite of ice cream from the spoon.

Later back in Liz's room, "If she's going to be hanging out with us we have to do something about her hair and makeup. Says Isabel as she walks around Sandie like a Vultur circling its prey. "And her clothes look like her mother picked them out."

"Isabel lay off." Liz announces in defense of Sandie. She can tell that Sandie looks like she waiting for Isabel to attack.

"I'm just trying to help." Isabel conveys "Look she's got a really cut face. She would look so cute if she just learned to....."

Sandie cuts Isabel off, "Isabel look I really appreciate that you want to help me out. But I like my hair, and I don't like to wear a lot of makeup. It's just not me. As for the clothes, my mom does pick them out. I'm just not into shopping. I have other things I like to do with my time."

In unison the three girls respond, "You don't like to shop!"

Maria continues, "Oh girl then you have been shopping with the wrong group babe. I suggest that tomorrow we take this girl to do some real shopping."

They all agree, even though Sandie only agrees because she likes that they are including her.

"Now Sandie" Isabel continues, "I understand that you don't like much makeup and that's fine. Liz doesn't like a lot of makeup either. If I promise not to use to much, will you allow me to show you how great I can make you look?" Isabel realizes that Sandie doesn't look convinced. Just for fun." Isabel adds for good measure.

"Just for fun?" Sandie asks trying to decide if she's willing to do this.

"Just for fun." Isabel assures her.

As Isabel puts the finishing touches on Sandie's make up Nancy Parker walks into the room. "Sandie, your moms ready to go. Oh my, Sandie you look so different. Isabel your work?"

"Yeah, do you like it Mrs. Parker?"

"I love it! Sandie you are such a pretty girl. You really do look like your mother when she was your age."

"Thank you Mrs. Parker." Sandie looks back into the mirror. She likes the way Isabel did her makeup. Bashfully she asks, "Isabel, will you help me buy some makeup and show me how to put it on?"

"Yes! Isabel cheers, then quickly regains her composure. She didn't mean to show so much emotion, she was so excited that Sandie liked what she had done, and that she planned to keep it up. Isabel told herself that it was because Sandie was going to be hanging around with them now, but that she still had a reputation to uphold. But in fact, she felt good helping Sandie.

***********************

Liz sat in her room on the edge of her bed writing in her journal when the phone rang. "Hello?"

"Hello Liz." Liz's face broke into a big smile when she heard the familiar voice. "Hello Max."

"So how did your girls get together go tonight?" Max asked with a smirk. Isabel had already filled him in on a lot of details when he first came in.

"Fine, fine." Liz is practically jumping out of her skin. " Never mind that. What did you find out at the house. I've been dying to know all day."

"What Isabel didn't tell you?" He asked playfully. He knew that with Sandie there, Isabel wouldn't have been able to tell them anything.

"Stop stalling Max. Tell me what you found out."

"Actually, we didn't really find out a whole lot. Alex figured out that the house has to have it's own water and power source, but we can't locate were they are. Isabel on the other hand realized that those files in the study were files on the people that Teomner killed and the people that hired him. We think that they might come in handy with some kind of swap with Topolski."

"A swap, what kind of swap?"

"We don't know yet." He answers honestly. They hadn't really thought about what they would want that Topolski would have access to.

Liz accepts his statement. She figures that the files are something that they will need to hang onto incase of an emergency. She turns her thoughts to the nights plans. "So where are we going tonight? And don't you dare tell me it is going to be a surprise."

"But I like surprising you." Liz looks at him sternly. "Okay, how about you choose tonight. Where do you want to go?" Max has no plans of telling her about his surprise. He figures that he'll save it for tomorrow night, that would give him a little more time for research anyway. Plus he wants the impact of his new special place to be one of wonder, and he knows that it would be more spectacular if it was a complete surprise.

"Max, lets go back to the cabin. I really liked it there."

"You don't want to go somewhere new?" Smiling sweetly, Liz shakes her head no. "If that's what you want, than that's what you shall have." The two of them continued to talk until they drifted off to asleep.

They open there eyes in their dream cabin. The fire is already roaring and there's candle lit behind them. Liz is wearing a white blouse and a pastel, calf length, loose fitting skirt. Max is wearing a casual a grey two-toned striped cotton pullover shirt with a pare of gray slacks. They both hear ‘Blessed' by Christina Aguilera. Liz smiles a special smile at Max as he takes her in his arms for a slow dance.

Liz lovingly looks into Max's eyes as she wraps her arms around his strong neck and pulls his lips down to meet with her own. When they break for air after a long deep passionate kiss, Liz being short of breathe whispers "Thank you Max for being who you are. I love you."

Smiling that special smile that Max reserves only for Liz, he whispers back, "I love you too Liz." Max kisses her briefly and asks, "How come you never cease to amaze me?"

As the song ends they lay down in front of the fire listening to the pops and crackles coming from the burning wood. Max cups his hand behind Liz's neck. Pulling her closer to him. They kiss sweetly at first. Liz brings her hand up behind Max's neck running her fingers through the hair on the back of Max's head and pulls him in closer deepening their kiss.. Max wraps his other arm around Liz's back running his hand up the back of her shirt. Unfastening her bra. He caresses her back with small circular motion.

Moaning at the sensation of Max's hands working their magic on her back, Liz arches her body more into his. She can feel the Max's physical reaction, which adds to her own physical reaction. Liz stands up between Max and the fire. She removes her shirt and bra, than slides her skirt and panties off, letting them fall to the ground below.

Max can't help but notice how beautiful Liz looks with the fire glistening behind her.

Liz helps Max to remove his shirt and pants. She then gently pushes him back onto his back and straddles his hips felling his arousal pressing against her own bodies desires. She slowly caresses his firm chest muscles and leans into kiss him responsively on the lips and leaving a trial along his neck to his chest.

When he can't take it any more Max carefully flips Liz onto her back and removes the last article of clothing that is between them, his boxers. Max kneels in front of Liz looking deep into her eyes, and kisses her before he moves on top of her. Their kiss continues, filled with love and passion which leads to their lovemaking. Which is sweet and tender, yet fueled by the fire that burns within them.