"Liz, I hate to leave, but I'm supposed to work today. I should head home and get cleaned up first."

"I'm working today too, are you going to come by at lunch time? I'm sure I could make time for some dessert." She flashed him a playful smile.

"DESSERT. I think I could manage dessert." Max pulls Liz to him and gives her a lingering kiss. "I should really go now." Max put both hands down deep in his pockets, and turned to leave.

"Max, is there something your trying to hide from me?

"No.... What do you mean?"

"Max you'd better make that a cold shower." Liz said with a grin a big as the Grand Canyon.

Max just smile a sheepish smile and nodded his head. "See you at lunch Liz." He turns and walks out the door. Poking his head back in. "Liz, promise me that you won't leave the Crashdown today."

She knew that Max must of thought about Larry and the danger still lingering in the air. She hadn't thought about it this morning. She was having to much fun with Max. Now her concerns returned. "I promise Max, I won't leave without you. Now you better go, before I try to keep you here for good."

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

Michael is laying in Maria's bed, they had fallen asleep holding each other. Michael is now awake enjoying the felling of Maria in his arms. He knew that they were getting closer, but he had no idea of how close they were truly getting. As he is watching her sleep, he ponders over the event of the night before.

It all started when Michael and Hank had yet another battle of words. Michael decided to go over to Max's again for the night. He knew that Max would let him stay there again tonight, just as he had many nights in the past, but he discovered that Max wasn't home. He figured that Max was probably sitting outside on Liz's Balcony still visiting with her. Since it was a Friday night he figured they would be staying up a little late. Michael decided that he would take a walk to waste some time until Max returned. He found him self walking down Maria's street, not really sure how he got there. He decided that since he was here, he would stop in to say hello. He walked around to her window; his favorite way of entry. When he knocked on her window he wasn't sure that she wouldn't let him in after they almost got caught the last time. To his surprise Maria greeted him before even had a chance to knock on the window. In fact she had been watching for him hoping that he would come over. Teasingly she asked, "What took you so long, I was beginning to think that you weren't coming to night."

Michael was really caught off guard by her reception. Although he found himself very please that she had hoped he would come over. "I didn't know that I was invited."

Maria closed the window and turned to face him. "I didn't know that you needed to be." She grabbed hold of his shirt, walking backwards she pulled him over to her bed. She turning him around, and then pushed him down on the bed. Maria lays down very close to Michael on the bed. "Next time, I will make sure that I invite you."

Michael is enjoying this playful, slightly pushy side of Maria, so he decided to play alone. "Exactly what am I being invited over for?"

Maria slides her hand up under his shirt and begins move her hand over the muscles of his chest. She teasingly moves her face in toward his and lingers for a moment before touching her lips to his. Kissing him lightly at first, then she begins to suck on his lower lip and slipping her tongue to meet with his. "Well, was it worth the trip?"

"I don't know maybe we should try it again to be sure." Michael pulls her in for another kiss. Before Michael can get another kiss Maria whispers "Remember we have to be quiet. If my mom catches us, you will have more than Valenti and Larry to worry about.

Still feeling playful Michael decides to tease her for a little while. "Maybe I should go then"

Maria hearing the playful tone of his voice responds equally as playful "If you really think you should, but I was kind of hoping that you would stay. I feel safer with you here, and the perks, the perks are incredible."

"The perks are incredible? And what perks would those be?"

"You know what I mean." She moves in for more of his kisses.

"What you don't want exchange pleasantries?" Maria knows how to get even with him for that. Maria moves off of the bed. She walks over to a chair that sits in the corner of her room. "You want to talk, we can talk." With his pointer finger he motions for her to come back, while he smiles his most devilish smile, the one she is growing to love.

Maria's not going to make this easy on him. She begins by licking her lips and slowly biting her lower lip, while stoking the neck line of her shirt. Maria loves how these simple motions make him squirm. "Michael, I thought you wanted to talk."

He couldn't take his eyes off of her, she knows how to make his blood boil. "Your right, talk is cheep, now get back over here."

"And remind me why I should do that." Michael moves quickly over to her, pulling her body tightly up next to his, and makes a path of kisses along the side of her neck ending with a deep lustful kiss on her full lips, while he moves his hand under her shirt, and up her back.

Maria closes her eyes enjoying the sensation of his touch, and then pulls up on his shirt, signaling that she wants him to remove it. He pulled it over his head and throws it to the ground. Moving back in for an other hungry kiss. Michael begins to inch her shirt up and pulls it over her head, and drops it freely on the ground. Moving his hands back to her back and under the strap of her bra. He begins to unfasten the hooks, Maria stops him. They stop kissing for a short moment while they look into each others eyes. He guides her over to her bed were they lie beside each other and resume kissing and enjoying the sensation of their bodies touching and hands caressing each others.

Suddenly a connection is made, and memories of each other transfer to the other.

Maria sees: herself talking with Liz and Alex as they all stand around laughing together before class in the 5th grade. He always loved the way she laughed and could so easily be herself.

when she drops her books in the quad during lunch shortly after she found out about their non human status. She could feel how sad it made him feel to think that she was scared of him.

she could feel his surprise when she covered for him with the policeman on the way to Marathon.

When he realized that she did understand how he felt about there being something more for him then Roswell, and how much he had wanted to take her in his arms when she stepped so close to him.

How hard it was for him to see her in pain at the party as he avoided her and then told her that they should have never started this whole thing. She knew he did it because he was afraid that because of who he is that she would get hurt.

Michael could see and feel

Maria admiring how well defined his muscles were in Junior High.

Maria's fear of Michael when she found out that he was an alien, and her confusion over the attraction she still felt for him..

How comfortable she felt with him once he started to open up to her.

How hard it was for her to fight the impulse to kiss him in the motel, the excitement she felt when she thought that he was going to kiss her.

He felt her how deeply her pain ran when he broke up with her at the party.

How happy and excited she was the last time he came over.

He could feel how excited and alive ever cell in her body felt by his touch.

As he lay in her bed remembering those things he experienced during their connection, he couldn't help but wonder what this connection they made would mean to them in the future.

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

Ms. Topolski walks into the Sheriff's office.

"Well, well, well if it isn't our missing Agent. What brings you back to Roswell."

"Consider this a courtesy call Sheriff. I heard that you've been looking for me."

"That's right, I was wondering why you left town so quickly."

"I completed the assignment, Sheriff."

"Do you mind sharing your findings."

"Not at all, my psychological evaluation reviled a teen who keeps to himself. I believe it is how he has learn to cope with the pain of being abandoned as a young child. He doesn't let people in easily, the fear of them rejecting him as his parents had. Him and his sister have both blocked out the memories of their early childhood. I believe that they both suffered a traumatic experience and it triggered the safety mechanism in the brain, blocking out the events that caused them so much pain.

We got our first real break in this case when Max and Liz were in that accident in November. We were lucky to obtain a blood sample from the hospital. It came back normal. At first we thought maybe they switched to blood with Alex Whitman, but after getting a sample from him. We discovered we were wrong. The case was reviewed by my superiors, and they came to the conclusion that this was not a case that needed to be pursued any longer."

"What do you think."

"I believe that Max is hiding something, but after meeting with him several times, I don't believe that he is a threat. Whatever it is that he feels he has to hiding isn't harmful to anyone. Maybe even one day he will feel comfortable enough share it with those he is close too.

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

The Cafe is buzzing with business as Liz sees Max walk through the door. She smiles at him and then turns her attention back to her customers. She finishes setting their order down on the table. "If you need anything just let me know. Enjoy your meal."

She walks over to the Max's booth. "Are you here for lunch or Dessert?" she asks playfully.

"Both, but by the look of the place I'll have to wait on the dessert for awhile."

"For a little while, but I don't think that I can wait to long. Desert sounds might good right now. We could always slip into the back room for a minute or two."

Just then the bell on the door rings, and Larry walks in. "Max." Liz gives Max a fearful look.

He reaches up and takes her hand. She looks back at Max. "It's okay Liz, relax everything's going to be fine." She nods her head and smiles a half smile. "Why don't you get me a Cherry Cola and a Tommy Lee Jones Bacon Burger. Liz, everything has to be normal, remember."

"Yeah I know Max, I'll place your order and be right back." Liz walks back to the counter and turns Max's order in, then goes and gets his drink. When she returns to Max's booth Larry has sat down with him. She sits Max's drink down and turns her attention to Larry. "Can I get you anything?"

"I'll start with "Blood of Alien Smoothie."

Liz looks at Max. He smiles to let her know that everything is fine. She turns to go make the smoothie.

"So what really happened her that day is September. How did you heal your girl friend?'

"I heard about your crazy theories. You have it all wrong. Liz was never hurt, she fainted, that's all."

"Then were's the bullet, and why was she covered in blood?"

Max stays calm and continues with the story he and the others had decided on. "I don't know were the bullet is, I've wondered that myself. Liz was covered in ketchup, not blood.

"I've heard the story you and your girlfriend made up, but I don't believe it. I know what I saw and your going to tell me the truth. If you didn't heal her, then why were you so scared that you ran?"

"Those guys were trying to get away. They could have killed Liz, and I wasn't going to let them get away."

"No! Tell the truth, you healed her, I saw you. Just tell the truth!"

"I don't care what you think you saw, I only know that I didn't heal Liz. She was never really hurt. Why is that so hard for you to believe. I don't have any special powers."

Liz walks up with the smoothie. Larry stands up, and grabs hold of Liz's arm with one hand and with the other hand he pulls a gun out of his jacket pocket. People start screaming and ducking down, a few escape out the door.

" I told you I'm going to know the truth. What is it going to take for you to tell the truth."

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

Deputy Owen opens the office door. "Sheriff, there's a hostage situation at Crashdown Cafe."

I'm going with you sheriff." announces Ms. Topolski

"This is police business, stay out of it."

"I can help, if you don't take me with you I'll just follow you over there."

The sheriff looks at her, he can tell that she is serious. "Let's go."

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

"Why are you doing this. I've told you the truth. I didn't do any thing to Liz. When I saw her laying there behind the counter, I went to check on her. I thought that she was shot, just like you did. When I looked closer I realized that she had just fainted. That she was covered in ketchup not blood."

Liz fights to make Larry let go of her arm. Once free she moves next to Max who is now standing. "Don't you get it, I was never shot. There's no such thing as Aliens in Roswell. So why don't you put that thing away before someone gets hurt."

"Why do you keep denying the truth. Enough of this, I know how to prove what I saw." Larry points the gun in Liz's direction. Max moves himself between Liz and Larry.

"Wait, what are you talking about. Making me prove what you think you saw. You can't be serious. I'm telling you I can't heal any more than you can. Don't do this."

"If I didn't know what I saw I'd almost believe you. But you see, I know what I saw and your going to prove that I'm right."

The sheriff comes through the front door with his gun drawn, at the same time Ms. Topolski quietly enters through the kitchen door.

"Hold it right there Mr. Trilling. We don't want anyone getting hurt here today, so why don't you put that gun down.

Larry looks toward the sheriff, and Max backing away from Larry keeping Liz behind him. "We have to prove that he's not human Sheriff, no one believes me. I saw what I saw and they are going to believe me. They have to see it too. Don't you understand, we can make him heal her, then they will know that I am right. You know what he his, we just have to get him to show everyone that we're not crazy. I know what I saw, and everyone here is going to see it too."

Larry steps to the right and fires the gun. Liz gest hit just below her left shoulder. Max spins around and seeing her falling back he tries to catch her. The sheriff fires his gun and immobilizes Larry.

"I hit her I know I hit her. He's going to heal her. Watch him he's going to healer her I know it.

Ms. Topolski moves over to Max and Liz. Max is leaning over Liz. (Quietly) "Max, you can't do anything for her. She's going to be fine. Stay with her, but remember this isn't in your hand. Trust me."

The sheriff calls for an ambulance over his radio. Liz can feel Max's fear growing, through the pain she tries to reassure him. "Max, I'm going to be okay, really. It's not that bad, I'll be fine."

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

Outside the hospital Ms. Topolski and Max are talking.

"I thought that you said you would protect her. Is this what you call protection?"

"Max take it easy. We did protect her. We kept the bullet from striking anything vital. She's going to be fine."

"What do you mean you kept the bullet from striking anything vital?"

"Max, Larry has no experience with guns. He's an terrible shot. If our guy wasn't there that bullet would have struck her heart."

"What other guy. There was one of...my people there."

"We told you, that you had to trust us, remember, Teomner was there."

"I didn't see him, where was he?

"That's right you don't know about all of your powers. He altered his appearance, it was safer that way. Go be with Liz we'll be in touch."

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

Alex is sitting next to Isabel who is trying to comfort Max. Michael is holding Maria while they sit on the couch to the right of Max and the others. Kyle is sitting in a chair next to Liz's parents who are sitting quietly watching their daughters friends, Max in particular. Sheriff Valenti had told them of how he tried to protect Liz by placing himself between her and the shooter. They could tell how this was effecting him, and they were glad that their daughter has someone who cared for her as much as Max obviously does.

The picture of Liz lying on the ground bleeding keeps flashing through Max's mind. He is beating himself up over the fact that he couldn't do anything to prevent this from happening. Even though he tried he couldn't protect her.

The doctor walks in. "Your the parents of Liz Parker?"

Everyone steps closer so that they can hear the news. "Yes, I'm Jeff Parker and this is my wife Nancy. How's our daughter doing?"

" My name is Dr. Lansky, and she is doing great. We got the bullet out with out any complication. She's in recovery right now, I can take you into see her if you would like.

Liz's parents follow Dr. Lansky. Jeff tells Nancy something and then he walks back to the group. "Max, if you would like to come in, I think Liz would probably like to see you when see wakes up."

Max follows Jeff Parker to the recovery room.

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