He put the jeep into gear without starting the engine and coasted it out of the driveway and into the deserted street. Once he started the car and made it down the street, Max breathed more easy. It had been a terrific night and all he wanted to do was finish it off just as well.

Max was soaring by the time he pulled into a parking spot across from the restaurant and Liz's room. This was his favorite time of the day. He supposed because of the rain they were going to move their nightly ritual indoors, which suited him fine.

Just as he was about to step out of the jeep, Max happened to glance in his rearview mirror. All the lights were on in the downstairs and he could see a few men milling about inside.

Starting the car once again, Max moved it to a more discrete side street where he could watch without being spotted. After only five minutes, three men walked out and headed for the nearby corner where two sheriffs SUVs were parked.

Soon after the lights were extinguished, Max finally gathered enough courage to step out and talk to Liz.

What happened? Did the authorities find something? Were they looking for him? No, if that were true, they would've tried his house first not his girlfriend's.

There was only one way to find out, so he climbed the familiar ladder and crept across the wet rooftop to Liz's bedroom window.

Peering inside, he saw her curled form in the dark. He hoped she wasn't mad that he was late. He hadn't been too eager to try to sneak up here while the sheriff and his goons poked around down below.

He quietly rapped on the thin glass, not wanting to wake her if she was asleep. She stirred slightly. Max began to back away but stopped as she turned to look in his direction.

She looked terrified. 'Oh God! What happened?!' She sat up and stared at him with her wide eyes that betrayed all that she felt. "Liz," he whispered, wanting to hold her tight and tell her that it was gonna be all right.

He could see the tears forming in her eyes as she walked slowly over to the window. Her hands shook as she moved the curtain open all the way.

"What are you doing here?" Liz asked through the closed window.

"What?" He was taken aback. "I thought we were going to meet again tonight. If this is a bad time, we can do it tomorrow..."

She seemed to gain control of herself. "Get away from my window! And don't come back!"

"Liz, did I do something? What-"

"How do you know my name?"

"Liz, what's going-"

"HOW DO YOU KNOW MY NAME?!"

"You're my girlfriend."

She looked at him icily. "Whatever. I think I would remember if I had a boyfriend, don't you think? Now please leave before I call the sheriff." With that, she shut her curtains, closing Max off.

Max stung. That was the only way to describe the burning sensation that he felt. His heart had shattered at the coldness in her voice... in her eyes. Her eyes that never lied. She really felt all that she had said.

In a daze, Max made it down the slippery ladder and back to his jeep. What was going on? Sure, Roswell was far from normal but now it was getting just plain ridiculous!

He only had one option left.

"I need to talk to Maria."

***

After a brief trip to a pay phone to look up Maria's address, Max pulled in front of a small, dark house.

Max heard from Liz about Maria's mom and her frequent leaves of absence, but he still didn't know if her mom was home now or not. So he decided to play it safe and become a peeping tom for the second time that night.

He started on the right side, finding a tiny and very messy kitchen. He moved around the front and left side finding two bedrooms and a bathroom but all were empty. Unlocking the side gate, he crept into the backyard, which mainly consisted of an extensive garden of weeds.

'One more window.' He walked up to the window instead of the sliding glass door, figuring he wouldn't be spotted as easily if Maria's mom was awake inside. He peeked in at another empty room. 'What the hell is going on here?'

Suddenly he caught movement coming from the couch. Upon closer inspection, he could see a figure underneath a blanket but couldn't make out much more. The figure shifted again and some blonde hair was exposed.

Shit. That could be either Maria or her mom. He could knock on the door to wake her up, but if it wasn't Maria then he could get into some trouble. Quickly dismissing that idea, Max waved his hand over the lock on the door and carefully slid it open. If he could just make it close enough to see who it was without waking them up...

He took five steps into the room before realizing that there were two bodies on the couch.

'Oh, eeww!' He shuddered and closed his eyes briefly. When he opened them, the couple shifted again and Max held his breath praying that they wouldn't wake up. This was a mistake. He shouldn't have come over. He turned back one last time to make sure they were still slumbering when he saw the hair. He would recognize that hair anywhere.

"Michael." He didn't realize he had said it out loud until he heard Maria squeal.

***

Maria had never been so comfortable in her life. The broad chest below her was the softest pillow she had ever slept on and the tight arms circling her, the warmest blanket.

Then something jarred her from her paradise and she looked up to see a person standing over them. Instinctively, she squealed, fearing it was her mother. Oh God, her mother. 'I am SO dead.'

Then she realized that it was a man. Why this comforted her, she didn't know. 'I sure hope that Michael can kick this intruder's ass!'

She scrambled off of Michael, wrapping the blanket tightly around her still bare body but in the process, exposing the boy underneath her.

"Dammit Maria," Michael said gruffly, not realizing that someone else was in the room. He sat up and Maria tossed a pillow into his lap right before he flipped on the lamp.

"Max?"

***

Shit! How the hell was he gonna explain this? Max was gonna kill him.

Wait a minute...

"What the fuck are you doing sneaking into Maria's house in the middle of the night?!" Michael roared as he pulled on his boxers and jeans.

"I would ask you the same thing, but unfortunately it blaringly obvious. How long has this been going on, Michael? Huh? You BOTH lying to me, to Liz." Max looked pointedly to Maria which caused Michael to boil with rage.

He was ready to explode, but didn't when he felt Maria's hand on his arm.

"Max, what are you doing in my house?" Maria asked forcefully. The two boys stopped glaring at each other to look at the small blonde in awe. Either unaware that she was only in a blanket or not caring, Maria stood up and marched over to Max pushing him in the chest. "What are you doing here? If you don't answer in twenty seconds I'm kicking your ass out-"

That seemed to get through to Max. "Liz," he stammered, in-between pushes. Maria stopped and looked at him in horror.

"What about Liz. Oh God. Lizzy..." Maria sunk to the floor.

Michael wasn't used to this girl emotional stuff yet so he addressed Max. "What about Liz?"

"She, she doesn't know who I am... and there was the sheriff downstairs and-"

"What do you mean, she doesn't know who you are?"

"Just that. She yelled at me to get away from her window-"

"Does this have anything to do with her getting attacked?" Michael interrupted again, lifting Maria up off the floor.

Max fell silent.