Liz could tell that Max's mind had drifted for a moment and that now his eyes had that same look of desire that she had seen in them the night before. She could feel that same burning within herself. She almost got lost in the way his eyes were drinking her in. She looked away for a moment to compose her self. She knew that she couldn't allow herself to feel as she had. She had never felt those emotions with in her before. It broke all the rules that she had made for herself and her life. Max had this power over her, and it made her want to give in. She struggled to continue with her question. "First, the connection between us, how did that happen, I mean it did go both ways, right?"

Again just nodding, but realizing were this conversation was heading. He now knew her probably better than he knew himself, he couldn't help but smile.

When she saw the smile cross his lips she blushed from head to toe. After a moment she continued, "Could you feel.... everything I was feeling?"

He now began to blush as well. He knew of her desire even before the connection. The connection revealed how deeply her desire truly was. He also knew of her concerns. Early in her life she made decisions about saving herself for that one special person, and wanting to share herself for the first time on her wedding night. He could feel that in her heart she felt he was to be that guy, her soul mate. He also knew that she wouldn't have denied him anything last night. This thought pleased him; to know that she would do anything for him; and that she felt as he did. With a sweet smile he answers, "Everything."

Embarrassed Liz moved one hand to cover her bright red face. Max takes a step closer toward Liz. Gentle taking both of her hands in his. He leans in touching her foreheads with his own. Liz closes her eyes feeling awkward and confused by the hunger that was growing with in her at his very touch. He had this power over her that excited her and scared her at the same time. As she looked into his eyes all of her fears left her. She knew that he also would put her feelings before his own. She was no longer worried about the revelations that their connection had made. She knew that Max would never take advantage of the knowledge he now possessed. In fact she couldn't believe that she had allow herself to ever believe that he would. She now let her self enjoy this moment to the fullest. The feel of his sweet warm breath on her face. The feel of his strong gentle hands holding hers. The sudden sense of completeness. Max's beautiful dark hazel eyes drawing her in.

"Liz I know what you are feeling .... I feel it too. I also know that neither of us are ready for the changes that would take place in our relationship, were we to give in to our desires. We will take things slowly, and when we are both ready, we'll know it." With the smile crossing his lip he continued. "There's no rush. We have each other, and that's enough."

Their private moment is interrupted by the sound of someone clearing their throat. They both turn to see Ms Hardy smiling at them. Their faces both changed feeling caught, and wondering how much of their conversation their teacher had over heard.

*************************

Michael and Maria arrive at the Crashdown to pick up the book that Liz's Grandmother wrote and had given her.

"It will only take me a minute Michael." Maria announced as she headed up the stairs.

Michael takes a seat the counter to wait for Maria to return. Kyle had seen the way Michael and Maria now looked at each other, and he had seen them come in together. He is determined to do all he can to find out what Liz and her friends are up to. To find out what this secret that they all guarded so strongly. He walks up behind Michael and starts to probe for what ever information he can find. "Hey Michael, so you and Maria are together now. How did that happen?"

Not wanting to discuss any part of his life with Kyle. Michael just looks at him with distaste. He knows that Kyle isn't a bad guy. He just doesn't trust him, Michael doesn't completely trust anyone outside of Max, and Isabel, and more recently Maria, Liz, and Alex. Kyle continues, "I hear that you two have been getting all hot and heavy since that night at that Hotel. Is that what you two were doing there? Michael was angered by this statement and luckily for Kyle Maria return to his side.

As Maria came down the stairs; she had noticed the look on Michael's face. She was informing him that the book was right where Liz had said that it was. Maria now seeing Michael's expression, an expression that she had only seen Michael have once before, and she knew that Kyle had been lucky that night. Not wanting to risk another episode like that one, she reached over and took Michael's hand in her own, hoping that it would help him to calm down. She turned to Kyle, she wanted to know what Kyle had said to get Michael so worked up so quickly. "Hi Kyle, so what are you two talking about?"

Michael didn't want Maria to know what Kyle had been insinuating about her character answered, "Nothing, nothing at all."

Kyle knew that he had hit a nerve, and he wasn't going to give up so easily. He had learned form his father that the best way to get someone to slip-up was to play on their emotions, And with Michael getting him to loose his temper seem to be the easiest way. "Now that's not true Michael, I was just asking how the two of you got together." Maria knew that Kyle had to have asked something other than that to get Michael so outraged, and figured that it was probably not a good idea to have it repeated with Michael in his current state of mind. So she just played it off. "And your interested? Why?"

"You two together, just doesn't seem likely. I was curious?"

"Well, as you know, opposites attract." Maria pulled on Michael's hand. She was ready to leave, and she had no interest in filling Kyle in on why she loved being with Michael. "Bye Kyle."

Both Maria and Michael head out the front door, still holding hands. Kyle watched them get into Maria's car and drive away. He also notices a dark blue Ford pulling out right behind them.

******************************

That same night the whole gang gathered in the Evan's Living Room.

First Alex tells of his findings. "The car at the school is registered to a guy named Larry Trilling from Carlsbad, N.M. Isabel also gave me another Licence plate # to run. It was a rental car. The renters name is Jennifer Catler, the information she gave the rental agency says she is also from Carlsbad. Get this, the same address. It was a good call Isabel?

No one had known about the other car. Max was the first to ask Isabel about it. "When did you see this other car Issy?"

Isabel was feeling very pleased with herself. "After I got the picture of the guy. Larry?" (Alex nods) "I was heading home when I saw Maria and Michael drive by. I saw...."

(Alex fills in the name.) ‘Jennifer'

"following them."

"Good job Is. I take it that you were able to get her picture as well?" Max wanted to make sure that they would be able to look in on these two later. They had to know what these two were planning.

"Sure did Max." Isabel lays a package of photographs on the coffee table. "I even got them developed." She was looking forward to entering there dreams. She enjoyed playing jokes on people she didn't like, with the information she found out about them. She knew she was really going to enjoy teasing Larry and Jennifer.

Liz, Maria, and Alex are still not sure what the pictures are for. Maria is the first to ask. "Why did you want pictures of those two?" , "Yeah, I've been wondering the same thing." Alex responds.

"Just a safety precaution." Michael answers not wanting to give away all of their secrets. He enjoys having a few secrets from Maria and the others. He also figures that if they knew about there ability to Dream walk that they would be able to recognize when they were present. He didn't want Maria to know of the many times that he had invaded her dreams. He decides that it's time to change the subject before Isabel or Max give away the truth. "So, Max..Liz what did you find out in the Lab?"

"Well to start Ms. Hardy's list turned out quiet helpful. We decided to start with external features first, hair, a skin sample, and a nail clipping. They all looked normal. Next we decided to look at fluids. We looked at the moisture from the eyes. That was the first place we saw the same green energy I had seen in Max's saliva before. We ran other tests on Max's body fluids. The energy was always present. It seemed that this energy is carried through your bodies fluids. And as far as we could tell everything else about you seems normal. Obviously we couldn't do any internal test."

"How does this help us?"

"I don't know, maybe it doesn't.

"So... what.....we're back to step one?"

"No, not really, we do know that, for all purposes, we're the same. Except for the energy you carry in your body fluids."

"Michael you have to remember that we don't have a lot of equipment at our disposal, we're limited. Max was feeling overwhelmed. There are just to many things all happening at once. He had almost forgotten to ask Michael if he and Maria had, had any luck. "What about you two, where you able to find anything, or decipher any more of the message?"

Michael pulls a folded piece of paper out of his back pocket, and unfolds it. Pointing to symbols he explains there meaning. This first one I told you was ‘mission', but I realized that it means ‘Our Mission'.

"Are you telling us that we were sent here on a mission? You mean our parent's mission don't you?" Isabel can't believe that her people could possibly have sent Children on a mission. That would be cold. They can't be that cold. They had to have loved them, Believing that her parents loved her, and that her people loved them is what helped them all make it through the tough times.

"Isabel I don't know for sure, but I believe that Nasado left this message for us." Michael continues. "This one that follows means ‘the last'. Putting them together would be ‘Our mission (is, was) the last.' I'm not sure which words fits there. Than the new word is this symbol." Michael point to a symbol lower on the paper. "It means ‘find'. That is all have been able to figure out."

"Don't forget about the book." Maria then tells of their findings in Liz's grandmother's book "Lost Treasures' by Claudia Parker." Maria opens the book to a page with a marker. "We found this." She shows them a picture of a medallion just like the one Isabel found at Averton's. The article said that it was found in a cave just outside of Roswell. It was in a hidden cave that some hikers came across. Claudia wrote that they suspected that this was someone's home. That someone had lived in the cave over 200 years ago."

"That can't be, this symbol is from our world. Do you really think that some of our people lived here that long ago?" Isabel doesn't sound convinced. In fact the whole idea that her people would have lived here that long ago sounded far fetched to her.

They might have been coming here to learn about us. That could explain what the message means, you know ‘Our mission is the last.' Maybe you were suppose to be the last group to come here. Remembering Isabel reaction to the writings in Machu Picchu; Alex tries to provide her with a possible explanation. Knowing that this conversation is leading no were; Max brings the groups attention back to there more immediate problem. "We really need to get back to the problem at hand. What are we going to do about Larry and Jennifer?"

"It might not be all that hard to throw them off. If we could just convince them that I fainted, that's why I didn't get up right away. We could also tell them that I lied about you being there, because I thought that you might get into trouble for running away."

"I'm not sure it's going to be that easy. But for the sake of argument, how do we explain me running away?"

"How about you wanted to play the hero." Isabel noted with a tone of humor.

"What, we can't tell them that. The idea is to through them off, not give them answers."

"Wait Max, that could work."

"What? Have you lost it Maria?" Liz can't believe that her friend would even purpose such an idea. Then she figured that it was just Maria being Maria.

"No, just listen. We could tell them you ran out to be the hero. You were going to find the two men that caused the shooting. After all you got a pretty good look at them. You didn't want them to get away." Maria tries to explain her idea to the group.

**********************

Maria and Michael left together. Liz is watching Alex and Isabel , who are sitting closely on the couch staring deep into each others eye; sharing only whispering between them. Max takes Liz's hand and leads her into his room. He wanted to give Isabel and Alex some time alone. He also wanted some time alone with Liz before she had to go. "It is so great seeing Isabel and Alex together. They seem so right for each other."

"I agree, I think that Michael and Maria are a good pair as well. Thank you Liz."

"Why are you thanking me, I didn't do anything."

"You helped me realize that I don't have to be alone anymore. Isabel, Michael and I don't have to be alone. We have friends that we can trust and that care about, that care about us. Even Michael trusts the three of you, and that means a lot. Liz, I never thought that my life could be so full. That I could be so happy. Even with everything that is happening, I couldn't be any happier."

Max pulls Liz closer to him, resting his head against hers. "Liz, I Love You. I always have." He kisses Liz tenderly, and then something stirred inside. He couldn't control himself anymore. He wrapped his arms around her and lured her body tightly next to his own. Not wanting to ever let her go. He could feel her giving into the feelings that they both shared, and their kisses began to grow deeper, full of the passion and love that they felt for each other. [I want more. I need more. I need to feel her soft warm skin next to mine.] This thought awakened Max to what was happening. He had to stop this. He had to stop it now. He couldn't let them get carried away in the moment. To give into the desires that they were feeling. "We're not ready", he told himself.

Max pulled back and again rested his forehead against Liz's. If he hadn't known of her growing desire, he would have known it now. Liz's eyes were glazed over and her heart has racing. Trying hard to compose himself; he closed his eyes and took deep breaths. It would have been so easy to have let things proceed as they were, but he couldn't do that to Liz. They still didn't know what risks they would be taking. No moment of passion was worth any harm or mishap happening to Liz. His sweet wonderful Liz.

Liz advanced to kiss him again, hungering for the taste of his lips and the feel of his strong body next to hers. She was to far gone now; she couldn't think of anything else. Max now possessed a magic over her, even the touch of his hand brought up images that made her blush.

"Liz no, this is hard enough, we have to cool off."

"Max?"

************************

Liz is still half dazed form the events of the evening. She climbs out of her car and starts to walk toward the stairs. Jennifer walks up behind her and startles her.

"Hello again, sorry didn't mean to scare you."

"That's okay."

"Did you have the night off?'

"Yeah, I had some studying to do."

"Oh, where did you study? I thought you lived above the cafe."

"I do, I was studying with my boyfriend. We have biology class together and we have a test coming up. Well goodnight, I really need to get in before my parents begin to worry. Liz starts to walk away.

"I can understand that. One quick question for you. Is that really cute guy, Max, your boyfriend?"

Liz with a big smile on her face; turns back around to face Jennifer . "Uh-ha."

"How long have you two been seeing each other?" Told Jennifer to find out everything she could about Liz and her friend Max.

"We've been friends for a long time, but after my Grandmother died, we started to grow closer. He was there for me and was really great through the whole thing."

"Is that why you lied about him being at the Cafe that day you were shot?"

Liz was surprised at the lack of sedulity that Jennifer now showed. Figuring that now was as good time to start implementing the groups plan answered with the shock that she was truly feeling. "Excuse me, shot?"

Jennifer hadn't meant to say shot, it just came out. She decided to go ahead and lay what they knew out there and see if it would either trip Liz up or get her to open up. "Yeah, I know you were shot. I just want to know how your friend healed you."

"I don't know what you think you saw, but I was never shot."

"Then where did the bullet go, and why were you covered in blood?"

"There was no blood, just ketchup."

"I saw your boyfriend do something to you. Why are you denying it?"

"Excuse me, I fainted, and as I feel I knocked off a bottle of ketchup. Max didn't heal me from anything. He probably thought the same thing you did. Then when he realized that I was okay, he tried to find those two guys. He didn't want them to get away. That's all."

"Why would he do that?"

"I don't really know. If I had to guess, then I would say that it scared him, that he could have lost me. Maybe he just wanted to be able to tell the Sheriff were they were."

"Then why didn't he come back?"

"That's none of your business. I've had enough of this, good bye!" Liz turns and starts to walk away; she turns back and adds. "You know you're crazy. Crazy to think that someone could heal a gun shot wound. If there were such a person, than why do we need doctors? And if Max could heal people then why would he have let my Grandmother die? He knows how much she meant to me. Max couldn't have done that." Liz feels satisfied with her performance. She turns and heads up the stairs. Once inside she calls Max and fills him in.

"Max, I'm sorry that I let things get so carried away. I know earlier we talk about waiting until we were both ready. I don't know what came over me. I've never felt like that before. You have to know I've never done that before. I mean...

Max interrupts, "Liz stop, it wasn't just you, and I know."

Liz "Max is it okay if we just talk for awhile? I feel more relaxed when if hear your voice."

After a long lengthy conversation about everything and about nothing. Neither wanted to say goodbye; they both end up falling asleep with their phones next to their ear.

To be continued.