"So what should we do? Try and rough-it on pop corn, or order out a pizza? Or are you gonna take up permanent residence at the Crash Down like Mom and Dad think you're going to do?" Isabelle asked.

"Actually the latter doesn't sound half bad. Wanna come?" Max responded.

"Nah. I knew you'd go over there so I invited Alex over. Have fun," Isabelle said throwing his coat at him.

"Thanks," he said over his shoulder as he walked out the front door.

"Very sly," Alex commented as he walked around the corner.

"You think?" Isabelle said quickly before kissing him. This is good, Isabelle thought. This is what's supposed to be. Maria can't take this away, right?

Max walked into the Crash Down and was immediately met by Mr. Parker. "Y'know," he said to Max, "If you're going to be hanging around here so much, you should help Michael in the kitchen. Wash dishes, be productive and such."

"Okay," Max responded timidly. Any other day he could handle this. But he was so shaken up that it wasn't registering.

"Go back there already. If ya do a good job I might think up a salary for you. Besides, it's not like you'd be spending you time anywhere else." With that Mr. Parker gave Max a wink and slapped a dishtowel over Max's shoulder.

Max wandered into the back where Michael was busy cooking. "I think I'm your new handmaiden."

"What? I told Mr. Parker I wanted a bleach-blonde chick wearing a too tight, white tank top. He never gets it right," Michel said jokingly to Max.

"Well, sorry to disappoint. Maybe I'll get fired and you'll get your way. Until then, which dishes do I clean?" Max said looking around.

"Uh, why don't your try that stack of dirty dishes over there?" Michael said pointing to a stack by a big sink.

"Okay."

About twenty minutes later Liz came through the kitchen heading towards the changing area. She wouldn't have seen Max (who wouldn't have seen her since his back was to her) except that Michel purposefully cleared his throat. Making sure it was louder than usual. Liz looked up and saw Max. He still hadn't turned around. Michel gave her a wink then went back to work. That was all the prompting she needed. She tiptoed up behind him. Waited till he wasn't holding a dish and then placed her arms around his waist and gave him a tight hug.

Max stood there for a second before uttering a soft "Hey you," then turning around to face her. Liz pulled his head down and gave him a long, tender kiss.

When they were done Michael tartly told them to get a room, so Liz pulled Max by the hand out of the kitchen, not saying anything.

Liz pulled Max through her bedroom door and shut it quickly. She'd forgotten that her mom was in the kitchen and didn't want to get caught. "So?" max asked her expectantly. Liz walked over and gave him another long kiss.

"You're right."

"About what?" Max asked coyly.

"Your memories. I had a flash downstairs. Stars. I wanted to double check, I had another one, similar. If you were lying to me, or had normal amnesia I wouldn't get that flash." Liz led Max over to her bed and they sat down facing each other. "Max, I'm s-"

"Shhhhh," Max said putting his finger over her mouth. "Let's not talk about that. I know how things are now. You know how I thought things were. So lets just acknowledge that and move on. Lets try not stressing over it for one. Okay?"

Liz looked up at Max. She's trying to read my face, Max thought. Or my mind. Doesn't matter, I'm completely sincere. Liz continued to look at Max for a while before crawling into his lap and wrapping her arms around him. Max wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. "I love you," Liz said over his shoulder.

"I know."

"Don't ever leave me."

"I wasn't planning to," Max responded.

"So what is it you wanted to call us here for?" Alex asked Liz somewhat impatiently. He and Isabelle had her house to themselves and was upset that they had to interrupt their "quality time" together to come down and play shrink for Liz, again.

"Where's Max?" Isabelle interrupted Liz before she could answer.

"Upstairs, asleep. And he's kinda why I wanted to talk to you guys."

"What happened!" Tess demanded. She was fairly new to this, and still didn't trust the aliens. Sure, they rescued her from her adoptive father who was a skin, or something like that, but that didn't mean they were any better. And if any human was hurt she sure wasn't going to stand for that. She had made that clear on more than one occasion. Kyle had tried to get her to trust them, but was clearly wishing Max wasn't between him and Liz. She wouldn't put it past him to cause Max to "accidentally" become extreme sick. Or hurt.

"Something's up with his memory. I mean, nothing bad has happened to him. Butuhhe doesn't remember diddly-squat!"

"What?"

"How?"

"He has amnesia?" Everybody asked at once.

"No, well, yes. I guess. Or the rest of us do. I'm not sure."

"Liz, you're not making any sense. What happened?" Cool, calm Maria. Always looking at things from a distance. Liz wondered if this had happened to Michael instead if Maria would actually freak, or just mark him off as looney-bin material.

"Max and I talked. Hewellhe-"

"Spit it out," Isabelle said.

"Max remembers things completely flip-flopped!" Liz said in a rush. There was a sudden silence. Michael had been fiddling with a candy wrapper until just then. But he dropped the candy completely when he heard this. Generally Liz overreacted, but maybe she wasn't this time.

"What exactly do you mean by 'He remembers things completely flip-flopped'?" Alex finally said. He spoke it very slowly, this could be serious.

"Exactly that. He remembers the past exactly the opposite as we do. He, Isabelle, Michael, and Tess were aliens. He broke me the news when he saved me from a bullet wound. I squealed to Maria. Then later had to tell Alex," by now she was talking to everybody, no longer directly to Alex, "He didn't say how Kyle found out, but Tess evidentially came when she did, only was an alien."

"What did you do to him? Scramble his brain so you could control him easier. Maybe drive him away?" Tess said this. This was too far. She was off to the side, so it seemed like she was saying it to all the aliens. Maybe to Liz. But Kyle knew it was directed at him.

"This is serious, Tess. We don't have time for your comments now. If you're not gonna help, leave." Alex said this. He knew that Tess was in her heart grateful for them. But he didn't have time to coax her out of her shell right now. Tess just shrugged. She was staying, but she didn't have to voice it.

"So what are we going to do?" Alex asked this. Once he was convinced that something was serious, he was completely attentive to the subject at hand.

"Max and I had kinda left it up in the open. We're aware of each other's situation, but aren't going to let it bother us. I think maybe, for now, we should all follow that. Just until we know what's going on. I just felt like I should tell you guys."

"I agree," said Isabel. Everybody else nodded. Some somewhat begrudgingly.