That truth had opened the door to a world she could never have imagined. In one way, it hurt to know that Max and Isabel had felt they couldn't trust her. She understood the fear, of course. It was hard enough being different from other children in an earthbound sense. But the secrets they had harbored for so long boggled the mind. What she desperately wanted them to understand was that this had made her love them more than ever. Every motherly, protective instinct had been heightened, and she vowed to help them as much as "humanly" possible.

Diane rose from the swing. It was late. The kids' movie was probably over and she wanted to say goodbye. She looked through the doorway of the family room and smiled. Eight sleeping forms had long since abandoned the movie. Her eyes fell on Max and Liz, curled up together on the floor. As she watched, Liz shifted, pressing her back into Max's chest. He automatically molded to her form, "spoons" she and her husband called it, and he nuzzled her hair, kissing her lightly in his sleep, one arm draped protectively over her.

He wasn't a boy any longer. He was a man, a man who at the age of only 17 was juggling responsibilities and problems that would overwhelm most people. And this girl, this woman who had claimed his heart and chosen to face the unknown with him, had kept his secrets and already paid a price for that loyalty. Where did she find the courage? How had such a love grown in one so young?

Diane had observed them together often. Lately, she had been watching with new eyes. She saw their unspoken communication, their intense looks, their silent need to be together, to touch. They moved and thought in concert, and the strength of their bond at once awed and frightened her. But without this young woman, Diane may have lived in ignorance forever, and she wouldn't have traded this new understanding for anything in the world.

Isabel and Alex were wedged into a large, leather recliner. Isabel stirred as she realized her arm was asleep and her eyes fluttered open. She saw her mother gazing at Max and Liz, an unreadable expression on her face.

"Mom?"

Diane started. "Isabel! I came to see if your movie was over. I think it's time everyone went home."

Isabel yawned and stretched as Alex, too, began to wake up. As if on cue, the others began to rouse. Maria sat up from her cozy position on the couch, where she had been using Michael's lap for a pillow. Michael picked his head up from its awkward angle against the back of the couch, rubbing his neck. Tess and Kyle had been playing cards, but had fallen asleep right in their seats, heads resting on the table. As Kyle sat up, Tess giggled.

"You have the queen of hearts stuck to your forehead," she laughed.

"Must be a sign," Kyle joked back, winking at her.

That relationship had gotten off to a very rocky start. When Tess was holding fast to her belief in a preordained destiny and was reluctant to help rescue Liz from the rogue FBI agents, Kyle had felt any attraction for her turn to disdain. He had seen a different side to her, though, when Max found a way to forgive her, and her fear and vulnerability surfaced. Since then, they had talked-long conversations about loneliness and fear. These were emotions Kyle knew something about. He had long felt alone, living with a father who loved him, but who didn't have time for him. A father whose top priority was not his son, but unseen aliens. And when Kyle thought his father had been captured or killed, he had been driven by fear to steal a gun from his father's gun case and was prepared to kill. Yes, loneliness and fear could drive a person to become someone else, and he understood that this is what had happened to Tess. Now they had a very tentative friendship, but one worth exploring, they thought.

Gradually, Max and Liz came to life as well. Temporarily unaware of their surroundings, they were functioning instinctively. All Max could feel in his dreamlike state was Liz wrapped in his arms.

"Liz," he mumbled into her hair.

She sighed and turned in his arms, kissing him hungrily. Diane opened her mouth to speak, but the intimacy of the moment kept her riveted.

"Max!" hissed Isabel.

"Hmmm?" Suddenly Max's eyes flew open and he looked around, startled and embarrassed. The awkwardness was short-lived as everyone burst out laughing at the expression on his face.

It had been a good night. A normal night.