It seemed like Max waited an eternity for Maria's phone call. Why was Liz acting so distant towards him? It couldn't be because Kyle was there, because she made it clear to him that they were through. He wanted to be the one to hold her hand and comfort her. Seeing her lying on the floor like the day of the shooting brought back a flood of memories. In many ways his life began the moment he saved her life and he got the feeling she felt the same way, until tonight. He tried to reach out to her, but she basically blew him off. Maybe who he is has finally gotten to her. "Now stop it, Max," he yelled at himself, "wait and see what Maria has to say. Why hasn't she called yet?" The phone didn't even have one full ring before he answered it, "Maria? What's happening? Is Liz all right?" "Whoa, settle down, big fella, we're at the hospital, but Liz is going to be fine," Maria laughed to herself. Max really was sweet. He truly cared about what happened to Liz. "She has a concussion, so the doctor is making her stay overnight, but she'll be able to go home tomorrow."

He was relieved. That explained her odd behavior. He knew they were supposed to lay low for a while, but it was easier said than done. "Do you think it would be OK if I stopped by? You know, just to see how she's feeling."

"Actually Max, you may want to wait a little while. The concussion also caused Liz to forget a few minor details of recent events. " Maria took a deep breath. "She still thinks she's dating Kyle. Apparently, that door did more than just give her a big nasty bump - it also knocked her memory of the last two months. She thought it was the first week of September. Which means …"

"Which means she doesn't remember the shooting or breaking up with Kyle or our friendship," he replied with an unmistakable tone of sadness. He had felt so close to her in the last few weeks. The realization that she remembered none of it gave him an intense feeling of loneliness he hadn't felt in a while.

"Yeah, but she also doesn't know that you're an alien either. This is not necessarily a bad thing, Max. Didn't you ever wonder what would have happened between you two if Liz never knew your little secret? Trust me on this one, Liz noticed you long before any of the silver handprint stuff happened. Maybe now you can take her on a real date instead of just running from law enforcement personnel on a regular basis. Some girls may find that romantic, but they don't get out much. There's a strong possibility that she will get her memory back, but aren't you even just a little curious about what it could have been like?" Maria was right. This wiped the slate clean. Before the shooting, Max had wanted to tell Liz so many times, but staying away from her was easier then. Since the shooting he had spent so much time with her and really gotten to know her. She was more than just a pretty girl. She was strong and intelligent. She was a good friend and she didn't judge people. He felt closer to her than any other person in the world, and he could not sacrifice that now. For years, he had loved her from a distance, but recently that distance was getting increasingly shorter. But should he risk putting her in danger again? If she never got her memory back, she would be safe. She discovered his secret by a freak set of circumstances before, under extreme conditions. If he just came out and told her, she might not be able to handle it as well. The real question was whether or not Maria would tell her.