Slowly, she opened one eye and looked.

But nothing was there.

Liz frowned and walked around the truck. No one was anywhere near it. She craned to look over the cars surrounding her, but the parking low was quiet, and she appeared to be the only one outside.

"Now I know I'm going insane!" Liz whispered to herself. But even though her brain told her she was a fool for thinking even for a moment that it was him, her heart was telling her otherwise. She was almost positive that he had been there...

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

The following Monday, Maria was just arriving home from her Mother's bakery where she worked, when she discovered that the door to her apartment was open just a few inches.

Maria stopped short of the door and stared at it for several minutes, trying to decide what to do next. Should she go next door and call the police? Or should she go ahead and try out some of the new tai kwan doe techniques she had seen in all the Jackie Chan movies she had been watching lately??

Maria shrugged and instead opted for the brand new mini-can of mase in her purse. Most people who carried mase never used it, but she had ran out in only a few short months. A nosy neighbor here...an annoying bag boy at the grocery store there...the possibilities for the uses of mase were endless.

Slowly inching towards the door, Maria kicked it open with one of her platform heels. However, the sun had already set and the apartment was dark. She stepped cautiously inside and closed the door gently behind her.

"Hellllloooo???" she called softly into the dark room. "Anybody here??? Loitering in my apartment???"

From across the room, she heard a small scuffle. She spun around and pointed the can of mase in the general direction, aiming it like a gun.

"Ya know, I'll go ahead and tell you now. I'm really big. We're talking like, 300 pounds....and it's all muscle! And I have a gun! And I know tai kwan do! Yeah!" Maria spouted off, taking slow steps toward the noise.

A small laugh was heard and then a lamp turned on.

Maria's eyes widened and she dropped the can of mase. "Oh. My. God."

Standing before Maria was none other than Max Evans.

"Max!!!!" she squealed before throwing her arms around him in a hug.

"Hey..." he mumbled shyly. Some things never change.

Maria pulled back and looked him over. He looked the same basically, but better. "So, not to sound rude or anything, but why are you here? How did you get here? Does Liz know you're here? Is Michael here??? Did he come with you???" Maria's eyes were widening by the second.

Max laughed softly and sat down on the couch beside him. Maria flopped down beside him and stared at him. "Michael is here."

That was all Max had to say before Maria had once again thrown her arms around him while jumping up and down at the same time.

"Where is he??? Is he here?? Like, right here?" Maria pointed to the floor, referring to her apartment.

"Well, no. I need to talk to you first," Max said quietly.

"Spaceboy..." Maria said dreamily, staring off into space.

"Maria?"

"What? Huh?" Maria snapped out of her thoughts and looked back at Max. "Okay, so why are you with me instead of Liz? And where is spaceboy???" the dreamy look began to appear again in Maria's eyes.

"Well, that's what I came to talk to you about."

Maria waited for him to continue.

Max opened his mouth and attempted to speak, but he didn't know where to start. He sighed heavily and sat back against the couch. Maria continued to wait patiently. "We're back. For good," he said simply.

"We who?" Maria asked, arching an eyebrow. "Me, Michael, and Isabel."

"No Tess?" Maria asked, surprised.

"No. She didn't want to come back. She's happy there," he said quietly.

"Okay, so let's backtrack. How were you all just able to pack up and leave? What happened to destiny?" Maria threw her hands up in the air dramtically.

"Well, I'm the King," he said, half to himself.

"This is true..." Maria mumbled. "Okay. So, I'm still confused, Max. Besides the obvious, why are you here? Why aren't you with Liz right now? Start talking," Maria ordered.

"I made a promise to Liz. And I intend to keep it," Max trailed off, unsure of whether or not Maria knew about the promise.

"Yeah, yeah, you're coming back for Liz. Marriage. The whole nine yards. So why are you here, at my house?" Maria asked dryly.

"Well, I...." he trailed off nervously.

"What?" Maria looked confused. "What could possibly be stopping you from going to her???"

"Well...I wanted to talk to her, the other night, but--"

"Wait!" Maria interupted. "What other night?"

"Friday, at the club that you guys all went to."

"Oh my God..." Maria mumbled as she looked down at the floor, deep in thought.

"What?" Max asked.

"That explains it! Did she see you?"

"Well, yeah, I think she did..." Max said guiltily.

"Yeah, well, let's just say, since she saw you, she's been in La La Liz Land!" Maria threw her hands up again in demonstration. "Why didn't you say something to her?" Maria demanded, annoyed.

"I got scared. I mean, Liz seems to have everything in her life in order right now. What would I do for that? All I would do is complicate the situation, and make her life harder, and she doesn't need that. Besides, it's been seven years. Maybe she found someone else...maybe she's moved on with her life...." Max's eyes wandered to the floor as he spoke.

"Max," Maria gave him the "get a life" look. "Liz has not moved on by any means! I mean, sure she has a job and a house and all, but that's it. She doesn't date. She doesn't go out. Ever. She's waited for you, Max, for seven years!" Maria slapped him on the arm with her last words.

"She has?" Max whispered, still lost in though.

"Yes! " Maria yelled, slapping him on the arm again and in turn shaking him from his thoughts.

Max stood up abruptly and grinned like a little boy.

Maria laughed at the site of him. "Go!" she ordered playfully while pointing towards the door.

Max fled fromt the apartment until Maria called after him.

"Max, wait!" she yelled urgently.

"What?" he asked, concerned.

"Where is Spaceboy???"

Max laughed hard for the first time in so long he couldn't remember. "He's on his way here now."

"Eeeeeee!!!!!!!!!" Maria squealed, clapping her hands together and jumping up and down.