"I just wanted to see how you were doing, and see if you wanted some company." Michael gave her a strange look. After all this time, seeing her at the Crashdown, he still didn't trust her. There was just something about her. Something that made him uncomfortable; almost like Congresswoman Whitaker.

"Well, I'm OK. The TV is my company so I'll be fine." She slyly looked at him. She knew exactly what she was going to say to get him where she wanted him.

"So what happened with Maria? Why'd she walk out crying like that?" Michael's eyes fell from the TV and on to the floor. And slowly but surely, he looked up at Courtney.

"What happens between us is none of your business, so I'd prefer you stay out of it."

"Oh, so you guys are an 'us'?" Before he could answer, he felt a rush of energy and a feeling he had never felt before came over him.

³ FLASH ³ ³ Maria was in a dark room alone. She was bleeding and seemingly unconscious. She was dying. ³

Michael's eyes were wide in disbelief at what he just saw. His heart was beating quickly and Courtney just looked on in amusement.

"Michael are you OK?" He looked at the girl he had forgotten stood in front of him.

"Get out. Get out right now. I got a lot of stuff to attend to." He practically pushed her out of the living room and ran to get dressed. As he pulled on a clean T-shirt and pair of jeans, he grabbed the phone.

"Hello, Crashdown."

"Liz, is Maria there?"

"Michael? No she's not. I thought she was going to see you?"

"She did... but she left in a rush. Do you know if she's home?"

"No I don't. is everything OK? You sound nervous."

"Everything is fine. Is Isabel there?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Tell her not to move. We may have a crisis on our hands."

"Michael what's going on? If it involves Maria then I need to know."

"Don't go anywhere Liz. I may need you too."

"MICHAEL!!! What's going on??"

"Get Max there."

"But..."

"Just do IT!!!" With that he hung up the phone. He just hoped it wasn't too late.

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

At the Crashdown: The group sat waiting for Michael, and nervous about what the big deal was. Liz closed the store early, telling her dad that Maria left early and it was Courtney's day off. Even thought she was working there again, after what happened with Whitaker, she still wasn't up to the constant serving. The door bell chimed as they all looked towards the door and sighed in disappointment as seeing Max.

"Thanks guys. Thanks a lot." He saw Liz's worried face and went to sit next to her by the counter.

"Liz? You OK?"

"Yeah. I guess I'm just scared you know? I mean with what they did to you. And Maria... well she's not home. No one has seen her since she left Michael's house which was like an hour ago. I'm just worried."

"It's gonna be fine. Really."

"I hope so." The radio began to play. Liz and Max looked over at the radio and then back at each other.

"Strange, how every time we're together, the radio plays a love song." Liz smiled a bit.

"I guess it knows what I've known all along. It's meant to be." Liz looked directly into Max's eyes. Then she couldn't control her emotions. She began to cry. She got up and walked to the back room. Everyone stopped and looked at her. Then Max looked at them and back at her. He had no choice but to follow her into the back.

"Liz? Are you OK?"

"I just... I just feel really bad because Maria might be missing and all I can think about is you." She managed to say the sentence between sobs. Max smiled a little and took Liz in his arms.

"I love you... you know that. And you need me now, just as Maria needs Michael and isn't afraid to admit it. Liz, no matter what happens, we're one. We've been united." Just as Liz went to say something, Isabel's voice came booming into the back room.

"Max! Liz! Michael is here! He looks worried. There must be something really wrong."

Liz looked sadly at Max and walked out. He stood there for a second, upset and worried about how things were going. But he had no choice than to go out and see what was going on. Michael stood at the door. He was crying, something Michael never did. That's when Max knew that they'd reached the breaking point. Isabel sat in the booth of the Crashdown and he sat in a chair on her side but they faced each other as they spoke.

"What exactly would you see when you saw Tess in trouble?"

"Why Michael? Are you having visions?"

"Just... what would you see?"

"Well, I'd see the place and the things going on. Maybe only seconds of it. Like a sharp headache. Michael what's going on?"

"Oh My God!" Michael spotted Liz coming in. His eyes looked up glittering with tears and a slight hint of hope.