"Alex! Calm down. It will be OK. You need to take a deep breath."

"Hey guys. What's going on?" Serena stood with a big smile. She looked at Liz who looked at Max who looked back at Liz.

"Ohhhh. I see. No need to explain. He's really cute!"

"What? Huh? No, me and Max. No, no that doesn't work, it just wouldn't." Serena looked at him and then back at Liz.

"He seems pretty interested if you ask me." Just then, almost as if on cue, he walked over.

"Hey, ummm... Liz can I speak to you?"

"Sure, excuse me." They walked to the back room of the Crashdown.

"What is it?"

"I heard about Maria. I think it's much more than that she's having a bad day. I also think that girl has something to do with it. I think you need to be really careful and I'm going to help you find her."

"Wow. You've been doing a lot of thinking? Too much spare time on your hands." She smiled despite the actual seriousness of the conversation. He smiled back, a little shy, but knowing what it was that she meant.

"Actually, there's something else that's been bothering me a bit. When... we, ummm... when I kissed you, I saw some things that I don't understand. Will you explain what happened with what I saw? I mean, who was that guy that looked like me?" Liz got serious. She lowered her eyes and stood silent for an instant.

"I'm not sure why... but you keep asking me this question you already know the answer to. You want to start over and be my friend, but you come out of the blue and kiss me. You have got to take me seriously Max! I am trying to rebuild what I've done wrong with you but you are not making this easy!"

"I just don't understand. I can't believe you would do that to me. You know why? Because I know you too well Liz. I know how we feel about each other is real and I don't believe you would simply throw that away. Not for anything, especially not for Kyle Valenti!"

"Look it doesn't matter because what's done is done! Whether you believe me or not that's what happened!"

"Why do you feel you have to lie to me! Just stop! I know that you're hiding something Liz. Just tell me." She stopped, looked at him and went to open her mouth. Instead, she touched his shoulder. Slowly, a light glow processed from her hand and down his arm. She looked up at him, just as he looked down at her and he also began the glow on her arm. They knew the scene all too well.

"I can only tell you that you have to trust that what I'm doing is for a good reason. And that although you mean the world to me, we cannot be together, regardless of how you feel about your destiny. Please, just leave it at that." He went to say something when Isabel walked into the room.

"Max! I got it! I know how to find Maria." They all walked into the main area of the Crashdown. Brody looked around for someone.

"Hi Brody, I'm sorry but Maria isn't around. She's sort of been gone for a while."

"I'm here to talk to you Liz. I think I know where she is. And what may be going on."

"What do you mean?" He looked at Liz, and then at Isabel, Max, and Alex who had been sitting there the whole time listening.

"Can I speak to you somewhere else?" Isabel broke in slightly impatiently.

"We're her friends too. Whatever you have to say you can say in front of us too." Max looked at Brody, suspecting he might know what it is he's implying.

"I think, it isn't exactly her fault that she's gone. You see... I think that she may be going through what I recently went through." Max looked at him and he realized he should've thought of it sooner.

"So you're saying that Maria was possibly abducted. Right?" Everyone turned to look at Max with unbelievable eyes.

"Yes, it is extremely possible." Isabel finally couldn't handle it.

"That is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard! Abducted?! You know what, I don't have time to waste on nonsense like this! This is unbelievable!"

"Wait Isabel, he may be on to something."

"What? Max, is there something I'm missing?" He gave her a look and then looked at everyone else.

"I know you guys probably think I'm crazy." He was about to go on to say something else when Michael ran into the Crashdown. His face was red and his eyes wide and panicked. He stopped for a second to catch his breath.

"Maria...."

"What Michael? What is it?"

"I saw her... I saw Maria."

"Where? Is she ok?" Liz looked concerned. She went and pulled a chair down for him to sit in. She got on her knees and looked at him.

"Michael please. You need to help me. We need to help each other." He looked over at Brody. Then at Max. That's when he realized this was more of an alien thing. Everyone had began to stare so they took Michael into the back room. Brody went to go after them, but Liz suggested against it.

"Look, you and Michael don't really get along. And I want Maria back just as much as you do. If a fight breaks out in there, it isn't going to get her back any faster."

"But...."

"Please try to understand."

"Then keep me posted. Please Liz. You don't understand how much she means to me." Liz looked at him. His eyes were sad and true.

"I promise."

They gathered in the room and listened to Michael tell his story. He took a couple of deep breaths. He looked at Max for some support.

"Go ahead Michael, we're listening." Isabel held his hand and looked at him.

"I was sleeping. I began to dream, slightly normal at first then it got weird. Maria was in NY. She was walking around with absolutely no control. Strange, like it wasn't her. She was with Lonnie and Rath. They were arguing with her and then they started fighting. The thing is, she fought back and knew exactly what to do! She had like these powers! It was insane!"

"If she protected herself, then why are you worrying? Besides, it was only a dream." Isabel looked over at Max waiting to hear something. She suspected he hadn't told them the entire story of NY.

" No Isabel! It's not fake! I'm telling you. I can feel her. She's lost! Dream walk her! Go ahead and you'll see." He looked at Isabel with pleading eyes.

"Fine. Fine! If it's going to prove to all of you that these are silly hormonal dreams then I'll do it."

"That's not fair Isabel. When you had your visions, no one doubted you. We took it very seriously. Why can't you do the same?" Max looked at his sister. Sometimes she was just so insensitive. Their little "meeting" was over and they all decided to spend the rest of the day busy so as to avoid any speculation. But they were going to meet again later that night. There was a lot to talk about.

Max spent most of the day sitting back in the Crashdown waiting to speak to Liz again. But it started getting late and he had homework to do. He picked up his book bag and headed out the doors. Slowly, the familiar copper-haired girl got up and looked around. She too picked up her book bag and headed right after Max.