"Well, it's good to see you kids are finally going back to being close. I think this camping idea is great! But only for the weekend! You guys have school to attend to."

"Yes mom. I love you." Isabel hugged her mom tight remembering that it may be the last time she sees her if things go wrong.

"Mom? Have I ever told you that you mean the world to me?"

Mrs. Evans looked at her son surprised.

"I love you too sweetie. Take care."

"You too mom." They got their things together and walked out. The jeep was packed up and they were ready to go. Max drove down the main road and started to slow down.

"I have to make a quick stop." He parked the car and ran into the Crashdown. The place was empty and Alex was helping the Parker's clean up. He burst in and excused himself for the interruption.

"I was wondering if Liz was around." Mr. Parker put a chair on the table and looked at Max.

"No actually. We were hoping one of you guys have seen her."

"I saw her sometime this morning but we haven't spoken since and I have something important to talk to her about."

"Well, if we see her we'll tell her you're looking for her."

"Thank you." Max looked at Alex worriedly. Alex realized this was more than just Liz being late. Max walked out of the restaurant and into the jeep. Seconds later Alex ran after him.

"Where is she?"

"I don't know that's why I'm asking."

"First Maria, now Liz. I think I know where this is headed." Isabel looked at Alex surprised.

"Don't even say that! That's the worst you could think!"

"It's possible though isn't it?" Max looked ahead and then at Alex.

"I'm not going to lie to you and tell you it's not possible because it is. We're going to NY to find Maria. That's where Michael is. If you hear from Liz, please call us at the cell phone." With that, the two drove off leaving Alex to worry in Roswell.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In NY:

"Where is she! Max should have been more considerate and told us where the heck he stayed when he came here!" Michael walked around NY aimlessly, unsure of where to begin his search for Maria. He felt like he was close but couldn't be sure. He reached one of the subway staircases and went to find a map. As he made it down and around to the right, someone walked by and bumped him in the shoulder. He turned around to look and recognized the back. He quietly followed from a distance and began to go deeper into the ghetto of the New York underworld. He reached a clearing and saw Lonnie and Rath in some beat down area with old couches and things, in the background, the four pods. He hid behind the thick cement columns and grabbed his accomplice's hand.

"Michael, how are you even sure she's going to be here?"

"I know, I can feel it."

"You can feel it? And that's your reason for dragging me to New York? You can feel it? You're not even sure she's here and we are endangering ourselves by being here. We are not strong enough to protect ourselves."

"Look Tess I know this was probably not one of Max's genious ideas but it means a lot to me and I couldn't do it alone. Will you please just cooperate?"

"Fine. What's your next plan?"

"Plan? I don't have one."

"Oh great. Ok. These two are powerful. Very powerful, I'm not sure we can take them on face to face. But maybe, we can outwit them." Michael shook his head in agreement.

After a couple of minutes, Lonnie and Rath moved to the back of the couch. "Hey! Wake up! You've been asleep for long enough." Rath kicked and then bent over to grab someone. Seconds later, Maria was in the middle of the room, hands tied to her back, ankles tied together, and a gag in her mouth. Michael's adrenaline shot up and he went to get up when Tess held him down.

"Easy! We're not going to get her back by simply going in and taking her. It doesn't work that way."

"What else can we do?"

"Sheriff Valenti already knows that we're here. He's also got Ms. DeLuca covered. We have Kyle too."

"That's comforting."

"It's better than nothing." They looked back over and saw someone else.

"Who is that?" Tess squinted her eyes and looked tried to look harder. In the silence, he could almost hear Michael hold his breath.

"It's Liz."

"What?!"

"They've got Liz!" Tess looked worriedly at Michael.

"We have to call Max. We can come back for Maria, Michael. This is an emergency. If they've got them both, Alex is next. Then Kyle. Then us. They want the Granolith. They won't stop until they have it."

"We can't just leave them here!"

"We have to. Come on, let's go." They crawled away, and Michael took one last look back. We'll come back for you.

They went back up and took a taxi to a motel. They checked in and in the room Michael called Max.

"Hello?"

"Max!"

"Michael?!! Where are you!? What were you thinking leaving without saying anything to anyone?"

"Isabel, I can't explain right now. Is Max there?"

"He can't talk he's driving."

"Driving?! Where to?"

"We're going to get you!"

"I found her. I found where she is and I found their chamber."

"Who?"

"I saw Maria. They've got her tied up and in some dark area under the subways." The whole time Isabel was informing Max about what Michael said. Finally she put Max on the phone.

"Where are you?"

"I'm in some motel. Listen I need to tell you something."

"You found their chamber?"

"Yes Max. But I need to tell you something else..."

"Is it still under the subway?"

"Max have you heard from Liz?"

"What? No."

"That's because they have her. They have Maria and Liz and it's so that we can give them the Granolith."

"How do you know they've got Liz?!"

"I saw her. I saw both of them. Tess told me to call you."

"You're with Tess?"

"Yea, I figured she could help us."

"What motel are you at?"

"Why, where are you?"

"I'm ten minutes from New York City."

"Meet us at the Empire State Building."

"Fine. Michael!"

"What?"

"Be careful. And take care of Tess."

"I'm on it Maxwell."

About half an hour later, Max and Isabel reached the Empire State Building and found Michael and Tess walking up to them from about a block away. They met up and decided to walk in a group down to a restaurant or something, to look normal. Once they found a little cafe, they sat outside and bought some cocoa and talked amongst each other.

"Are you sure it was Liz?"

"I'm positive." Max put his hands on his head in frustration.

"It's ok Max. We'll get her." Max looked up at Tess not knowing what to say.

"I hope so."

"You all realize this is one of the most challenging moments of our lives?" Isabel leaned in to whisper even softer than they already were.

"We are going to have to fight them if we want the girls back. They're stronger. Much more in touch with their alien side. We're going to have to focus. Use what we've learned. It's not going to be easy." Max put down his cup and looked over at Isabel.

"No one said it would be easy. But they've got two people we care a lot about. They may be going for Alex next. Now we have no choice. This is personal."

Tess looked over at Max and saw through his eyes all the thoughts running through his head. She saw the worry so evident in his eyes. She looked on as she slowly realized just how much Liz meant to him. After a while, they picked up and left. They walked down the streets of New York trying to come up with a plan. Soon, they found themselves in front of the subway stairs. Isabel looked at both Max and Michael worried.

"Are you guys ready for this?"

"Yea. I'm ready." Michael hugged Isabel to try and comfort her worries. Tess looked at them and then at Max.

"This really means a lot to you doesn't it? To find Liz? You really love her." Max looked into Tess' eyes.

"Yes, I do."

"I have a confession to make." Max looked at her interested in what it was she had to say.

"I know that ever since I showed up in Roswell, I've just ruined everything. But just know I am beginning to feel like I fit in. Like I'm useful. As much as we may listen to our destiny, it's not real. I mean, I understand that in the other life we were...married. And we were amazingly powerful. But those were different people. WE are different people now. And, I... I don't love you. I actually have strong feelings for someone else. So if it makes this any better, I want you to know, I am by your side all the time." Max looked at Tess and hugged her.