* * *

Liz walked quickly until she was out of their sight, than her legs began to jog, and then she ran. She ran faster that she ever though she could. She had to -- if she didn't get far away she'd turn around and take it back and she loved him too much to do that, to stand in his way. She couldn't see where she was going, her eyes blurred by hot tears, and so she just ran. Ran until the outline of the jeep was visible against the thick, black of night. She knew Maria and Alex were around here somewhere -- she sensed their pain, as her own yanked her heart from her chest. Her breathing was heavy and she was dizzy from the running, and she could feel herself dying inside -- that was from the heart break.

* * *

Max sat on a rock gazing up at the sky. He had looked at the rich backdrop of sky with its sparkling diamonds dangling so many times. But never before had he looked at it with rage. He began trembling with anger. How he hated this -- hated his home planet, hated his destiny, hated himself for not going after her. He pushed himself off the rock with all his might and screamed at the top of his lungs, shouted to the heavens for an answer. "Why?!" he demanded of the stars as he stumbled frantically around the desert. "Why? Why can't I be happy, Why can't I be with her?" His wails pierced the silence and still of the night, and sobbing, Max fell to his knees. "Why?"he whispered in between sobs. Defeated, he just sat and cried.

* * *

Liz sat with Maria and Alex in her room. Being together made life bearable for them, but all three were hardly hanging on. Watching "A Night at the Roxbury" would have made them break into bouts of roaring laughter a few weeks ago but tonight it just wasn't funny. Alex say leaning against the bed with Liz and Maria's heads rested on his lap. They had been out of school for two weeks but the summer had yet to prove itself fun. They were so numb. It was impossible to cry any more, all the tears were drained and not even Maria could force a smile.

"Maybe we should talk about them," Alex slowly suggested. Liz and Maria glanced up at him skeptically. "No, I am serious. I read in Seventeen that talking about these things helps to relieve heart ache and emotional baggage." Liz and Maria couldn't help giggle.

"What were you doing reading Seventeen, Alex?" Maria inquired playfully. Alex blushed.

"It was Liz's, I was waiting for her to get out of the shower and I was really bored, OK?" Alex said trying to suppress his own laughter.

*It feels good to laugh,* Liz thought.

"We could give it a try," Maria said as the giggles subsided. Liz nodded.

"OK," Alex started,"Maria, you go first. What was your favorite thing about Michael?" She pondered this a moment before answering and then her eyes began to sparkle slightly as she remembered. "Well, Michael did have this sexy, bad boy thing going on, and he was an amazing kisser, but my favorite thing about him was the fire, the way he'd argue with me with so much passion. It could send chills up my spine and make me feel like I was engulfed in flames at the same time." Maria took a moment to relish the remembered sensation before continuing, "Liz, your turn." Liz blushed slightly.

"Well," she started, "I don't know if I have only one favorite."

"There has to be something that stands out," Alex prodded. Liz closed her eyes as if searching her soul, suddenly a small smile tugged at her lips.

"His eyes, the way they looked right after he kissed me." Liz kept her eyes shut, then slowly nodded as she whispered to herself, "definitely those eyes, the gateway to his heart and soul."

* * *

"Max! you can't just turn your back on this! It is too important, she is just a girl!" Michael shouted, his chest rising and falling in a rapid, angry rhythm.

"Just a girl? Just a girl?!" Max asked pointedly as if the words hurt him. "Liz is what I live for and I will be with her, no matter what you say!"

"Your destiny is with Tess, don't you see? You have no choice! It's the way it has to be."

"No, Michael, your wrong. I have a choice, you always have a choice. And I choose Liz. She is my destiny. Forget Tess, Forget the other Alien Race, Forget our native planet. Liz is what I want and with her is where I belong."

Michael shook his head in frustration, "You don't mean that. All we've ever dreamed of, ever searched for is home. Our home, not this hell called Earth, but where we aren't different, where we will be accepted for who and what we are. That's all we've ever wanted."

"Michael, that's all you have ever wanted. All I've ever wanted is to be human. From the moment I saw Liz Parker that was my dream. To be human so I could hold her, kiss her, love her forever. But since that could never happen I figured, 'Hey, I'll run away to the "home" planet and let Liz live her life. But Michael I realize now that I am human. being human has nothing to do with your skin cells or your blood type of even what planet your from. Being human is having emotions, loving, hating, dreaming, fearing,and I feel. I feel, you feel, Is feels. We are just as human as Liz, Maria, and Alex. And I refuse to accept a fate that will only make me miserable -- life without Liz would be hell to me and I am going to be with her. I love her, Michael and if you don't go and find Maria and make her your own destiny than you are a fool." And with that Max left.

* * *

Dear Journal,
It's June 18th and I am Liz Parker. This roof reminds me so much of Max. I can see him here kissing me for the first time, telling me he needs a break, showing me our initials on the wall, but all those times I was convinced that no matter the obstacles, we were meant to be together. But since leaving him to his destiny with Tess in the woods that night, I know that no matter how bad I want it to be different, his fate is without me. Its been two weeks since I have seen him, and I am not sure if its making it easier or not but I do know one thing -- I miss him....

"Mind if I come up?" Liz looked up to see Max staring straight at her.