It was the end of senior year when Liz was working at the Crashdown and Max walked in one random afternoon.

Things had changed beyond Liz's imagination since the whole ordeal with her pretending to sleep with Kyle. She had hurt Max badly, but it was for a reason, and somehow, Max and Liz has actually stayed friends.

They were more than friends. Liz had expected Max to hate her after she made him think she slept with Kyle. But he didn't. In most ways, nothing had changed. At first, Max had been more guarded with his feelings, and to Liz it seemed that sometimes he was purposely closing himself off from her, but lately, his attempts were failing, and Liz was sure that there was something still there. That was what had kept her holding on. That and the undeniable fact that Liz needed him. Just having Max in her life made Liz a better person.

Usually, on afternoons like these, Max would smile his classic shy smile and sit in his usual booth, waiting for Liz to serve him, but this afternnoon was different.

***

Liz was wiping down a counter when she heard the bell above the door chime. To her delight, Max was walking in. Liz smiled coyly but stopped when she realized that Max wasn't smiling back at her.

"Max, is something wrong?" Liz had said immediately when he reached her. Max hadn't said a word, but instead looked around the diner to make sure no one was listening to the words he was about to say.

"Liz, we need to talk," the look on his face was more serious than Liz had seen in a long time.

"Okay..." Liz started confused. "I get off in a few hours, you can come over-"

Max interupted Liz midsentence, "No we have to talk...now." He was staring into her eyes so intently that Liz didn't have to even ask if anything was wrong. She already knew there was.

"Okay..." Liz turned around and looked to Maria standing behind the counter. "Maria, I'm going on break..."

Maria looked up at the serious faces of Max and Liz and knew not to argue. "Okay..." she mumbled as they dissapeared into the back of the restaurant.

They stood still for several moments, just looking at one another; Liz desperately waiting for Max to say something, and Max desperately not wanting to tell Liz what he knew he had to. He opened his mouth to speak, but closed it just as quickly and turned to sit down.

Liz slowly walked to the couch and sat down beside him. "Max, what's wrong?" Liz asked, lightly touching his arm.

He sat for another minute or two, just staring at the wall, trying to find a logial place to start.

"Liz...something's happened..." that was a good a place as any.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm.....I-I'm uh.......Liz....I'm leaving," Max stammered out.

The second the words escaped his lips Liz felt her body start to numb and chills begin to run down her spine. She had thought about this day a thousand times, and Liz refused to believe it was here already, just when things were beginning to change between she and Max.

"Where....where are you going?" Liz asked, dreading his answer.

Very slowly, Max turned his head to look at Liz, mentally preparing himself for the hurt he was going to immediately feel just by looking at her. Liz followed Max's hand as he lifted it slowly and pointed his index finger toward the sky.

She involuntarily shuddered at where Max was referring to. This was it. She was never going to see him again. There time together was over.

"Oh God..." Liz whispered as she felt her body begin to slump against the couch. Max still had not said a word, but was staring at Liz, trying to think of a way to put all of his feelings for Liz into a single sentence without breaking down and loosing it right there in front of her.

"So...how-how do you know?" Liz stuttered out as she fought back the tears that now brimmed her eyes and threatened to fall any second now.

"We were at the granolith yesterday. Me, Michael, Isabel, and Tess. And it lit up. Out of nowhere. Someone came out of it," he whispered hoarsely, staring at the ground in front of him. "They're from our planet, Liz. They said it's time to go. They couldn't tell us why, but I know it's real..." Max now seemed to be talking more to himself than Liz.

"But how do you know, Max?" Liz was urgently searching for any reason for him to stay. "How do you know that this isn't just a trap??"

"It was my mother, Liz. She came out of the granolith," Max said softly, looking at Liz.

"Oh...." Liz heard herself mumble. "When do you leave?"

"Tomorrow night..."

"No!" Liz instinctively said. Today was Friday afternoon.

Everything in Max's heart was crying out to tell Liz how he felt about her, and how much he didn't want to leave her. But something was stopping him.

"Liz!!! I need you!" Maria's shrill call broke through the silent moment between Max and Liz.

"I have to get back to work..." Liz said regretfully. Max nodded his head and looked away.

They stood up and slowly walked to the door leading into the diner. Max stopped in front of it and turned to face Liz.