"Sheriff Valenti," he greeted a little to falsely. "Welcome to the ever-burgeoning ' I know an alien' club. You called me here, so I assume it's important."

"How much do you know about Congressman Whitaker?" Max questioned seriously.

Nasedo answered, "I know her intimately."

"Intimately?" Tess repeated with a slight look of disgust.

Nasedo had to get used to being around teenagers again, "To borrow a rather crude human colloquialism, I've been diddling her all summer."

"I hope he's using birth control," Maria leaned over and told Tess when Nasedo wasn't listening.

"I must admit, I've grown awfully fond of the foul temptress. It's a shame I may now have to kill her," Nasedo didn't care if Sheriff Valenti was in the room.

Max ignored his last comment, "Well, Pierce's bones have been dug up, and apparently some of them have been fused in a way that is completely unexplainable by human terms."

"Tell me how far this information has been leaked. I need to extinguish every human who has this information," Nasedo declared.

Alex spoke up; "I'm going to assume present company excluded."

"Isn't murder what got you into this situation to begin with?" Maria didn't even know that Liz was on the stairs listening to them.

Nasedo didn't look at Liz but Maria; "My job is to protect the royal four. Their survival is critical to the survival of an entire race."

"No one is going to die," Max stepped in. "Killing people isn't going to solve anything."

"Oh, my. A pacifist king," Nasedo pretended to act surprised. "Shall we just commit joint suicide right now, or shall we wait for our enemies to show up and have a nice boxed lunch of us?"

"We're not killing anyone," Max told him in a steely voice. "That's an order."

Nasedo was silent at first, "As you wish. The feds know about Cadmium-X. If they find it on the bones their first order of business will be to do to Michael what they did to you in the white room."

Maria was there when she helped rescue Max from the clutches of the Special Unit and she saw the emotional and physical state Max was in when they found him. She would die before she let anything like that happen to Michael, "No, we can't let that happen."

"Where are the bones now?" Nasedo asked.

Sheriff Valenti jumped in; "Whitaker took them out of the coroner's office. I don't know where they are."

Isabel spoke for the first time, "Even if we knew where they were, what would we do with them? Hiding them isn't going to solve the problem." Maria could sense the distress in Isabel's voice, because Michael was like a brother to her.

Max looked over at Liz; "I know what to do."

"Well whatever it is we better do it fast, because I don't want to think of Michael spending another night in a jail cell," Maria said ignoring the look of disapproval on Nasedo's face.

* * * Michael couldn't stand being in that cold jail cell any longer, it was too constraining and too quiet. He had to admit being in jail sucked, but he had to accept his fate for killing Pierce. Michael would have analyzed his thoughts to death but he heard approaching footsteps.

"We only have a couple minutes to talk," Sheriff Valenti appeared and opened the door to his cell.

"What's up?" Michael asked when Valenti sat down on the cot in the cell.

Valenti told him, "I just want to make sure you don't do anything like use your powers to try to break out of here. The best thing to do right now is to sit tight."

"You sound like Max," Michael felt discouraged.

"Look, I know it's hard for you to be locked up like this," Valenti said.

Michael looked down at his feet; "It's not that bad. I killed a man. Maybe this is where I should be."

"Michael, you killed the man who killed Agent Topolsky and killed Agent Stevens and who knows how many others, and he was just about to kill me," Valenti reminded him about that night.

Michael wanted to bury his head in his hands, "Yeah, I've told myself all those things, but I still killed a man. And the thing that I keep thinking about is that what happened is just the tip of the iceberg. I've been trying to prepare myself for what's about to go down, and I have no idea what to do. I'm cracking rocks. I have no clue who or what we're up against. And I've been so pissed off at Max for not leading, but he doesn't know any more than I do." Michael wished that Maria were there, because she always made life worth living for him. "None of us do. We're all in the dark waiting be attacked, and all I can think about is what if I'm not strong enough?"

"You shouldn't doubt yourself Michael or your capabilities," Valenti told him. "Besides there is someone here who believes in you."

Valenti got up and walked out of the cell. "Maria," Michael said when he saw his beautiful girlfriend appear out of nowhere.

"I can give you only fifteen minutes Maria," Valenti said before leaving.

Maria nodded but as soon as he was gone she threw her arms around Michael's neck, "Oh Michael."

"God you feel so good," Michael said as he buried his face in her hair.

"We're going to get you out of here," Maria kissed him on the lips. "Nasedo's back, Max has a plan, everything is going to be okay."

Michael held her tighter, "Maria when I get out of here I promise I will-"

Maria held her finger to his lips; "I don't care anymore Michael just as long as you come home to me." If they weren't in jail cell Michael would have laid her down on the bed and make her forget all about their problems, but he had to settle for holding her as they both tried to convince each other that everything was going to be fine.

* * * When Maria got home that night Tess was already asleep, and Maria hesitated in front of the door to the master bedroom. It was Nasedo's room and she wondered if he was even in there, but she just went to sleep when she stopped wondering.

The next morning her and Tess quickly got ready and met Max and Isabel at their house. They all piled into Maria's Explorer and started their journey to Las Cruces University. It was a long drive and they spent every minute of it perfecting every detail of their plan. To Maria failure was not an option she didn't want Michael to spend another night in jail.

After the long drive they all were very tired, but they had a very important job to do and they weren't leaving until it was done.

"OK, you go in that direction and find a spot that you won't be seen," Max told Tess. "Go and you wait for my call. Maria and Isabel you guys are coming with me." They followed Max to the back entrance of the particle physics lab where they found a security guard sitting in front of the door. "Iz, you know what to do."

"There's nothing to it," Isabel smirked as she went up to the security guard. "Excuse me."

"I'm a security guard, not an information booth," he said as Maria tried to get a good look at him.

Isabel turned on the charm, "This is so embarrassing, but I am completely and utterly lost. I have been looking all over the place for the student union, but apparently I have no sense of direction. At least that's what my boyfriend says. Well, ex-boyfriend."

"I'll take you," the guard insisted as Maria studied his features.

"I was hoping you'd say that," Isabel then left with the guard as Maria began to build up power. She had been practicing her shape-shifting capabilities over the summer and she had to admit that she had gotten pretty good.

"Maria?" Max was in a slight state of shock.

Maria replied in the guard's voice, "In the flesh, well sort of."

"Well I guess its showtime then," Max said shaking off the nervous feeling because this was for Michael.

Maria warned him, "I mean it Max you call me the second anything goes wrong."

"Nasedo should have been here by now," Max told her.

Maria looked down at her watch, "We don't have much time, but it's your call Max."

"Let's do it," Max declared. Maria used her powers to open the door for Max.

"Be careful," she told him when he disappeared into the building.

It was now up to Max and Tess and all Maria had to do was wait. Wait for Isabel, Max, or Nasedo. "Where the hell is Nasedo?" Maria said herself.

She sat down on the guard's chair and could only wonder what was going on inside the lab. The plan was for Tess to mindwarp all the scientists and Whitaker so that Max could age Pierce's bones before they could be scanned and carbon dated. When Whitaker gets the results Michael will be in the clear and Whitaker will feel stupid. Maria had to admit she liked the last part.

It had to be the longest ten minutes of her life, but the minute Max emerged from the lab Maria couldn't resist she had to give him a big hug. Luckily for Max, Maria shape-shifted back into herself.

"Let's go home and get Michael," Max smiled when he put his arm around Maria and left to find Isabel and Tess.

* * * Michael could see the sun setting in the distance and he knew that the stars were going to be coming out soon. One of his favorite things to do was star gaze with Maria at their special place in Puhlman Ranch. It was special to them because that was where they saw each other for the first time when they were six.

"Michael," Sheriff Valenti said from the other side of the bars.

Michael stood up, "So what's the verdict? Am I a guilty man?"

"You and all your friends are geniuses," Valenti told him as he slid the bars open.

"I'm free," Michael was in a state of disbelief.

Valenti gestured for him to go, "Apparently the bones that were found have been out in the desert for 42 years."

"They did it," Michael thought to himself. "I'm a free man."

"So you are free to go," Valenti declared. "We don't keep innocent people locked up."

"I'll remember that," Michael shook his hand and left the police station.

"Michael!" someone called. Michael would recognize that voice anywhere. Maria ran up to him and threw her arms around his neck. "I love you! I love you!"

Michael never wanted to let her go, but he found himself being tugged away, "Where are we going? I thought we could go back to my place and spend some quality time together."

"We can do that later," Maria planted a juicy kiss on his lips. "But right now we have other places to be."

"Like where?" Michael let Maria take him by the hand.

Maria smiled at him sweetly, "Where else, the Crashdown. We have to celebrate your freedom."

"I'll go anywhere as long as you are there with me," Michael gave her a soft kiss on the cheek.

Maria giggled, "Ditto spaceboy."

Mr. Parker closed the Crashdown early so he let Maria hold a party in Michael's honor. Alex picked up some pizzas while Isabel provided the music, and all Maria had to was bring the guest of honor.

"Michael it's so good to see you," Isabel said as she gave him a big hug.

Michael told her, "It's good to see you too Iz." Max came behind Isabel, "Thanks for getting me out Maxwell."

"I couldn't let my best friend rot in jail, now could I," Max patted Michael on the arm. Maria could still detect the tension that still existed between the two best friends.

"No, I guess not," Michael muttered under his breath.

"Come on you guys this is supposed to be a happy moment," Isabel reminded.

Maria led Michael to their favorite booth and they held hands at they sat across from each other. "So tell me exactly what you guys did to get my ass out?" Michael asked the group.

"We found out that Whitaker took the bones to the new particles physics lab in Las Cruces," Max explained as he stood in front of the booth. "So I thought if I could go age the bones it would totally take suspicion off you."

"Thanks, again Maxwell," Michael told him.

Max playfully warned, "Better sew the holes in your pockets, soldier."

"Hey!" Maria saw Courtney walk out from the break area. "What's the big celebration?"

Maria was surprised to see her still there, so she said the first thing that came to mind, "Tradition. School starts Monday. It's kind of like our last hurrah."

Luckily Courtney didn't invite herself to stay, "Cool, well, see ya." She tried catching Michael's eye, "Hi, Michael."

Maria said after Courtney left, "Sorry, I didn't know that she was still here."

"We gotta be more careful than that," Max ordered.

"I'm really sorry," Maria repeated. Max gave her a disapproving look before going to wait for Liz.

Michael squeezed her hand, "Just ignore him."

"You're right," Maria tried to cheer up. "Besides it's your day…so I hear ex-cons are really great in bed."

"Well I guess you'll have to come over tonight and find out for yourself," Michael teased her in a low voice.