The Crashdown Café was the last place he wanted to be, but he had to make money some how. He was flipping burgers at the grill while Isabel was with Alex at the counter. He was wondering if Iz was telling Alex about the whole alien baby situation.

"Michael," a voice said from behind.

Michael turned around and saw Maria at the doorway, and the first dream he had came rushing back. He loved the way she looked in that midnight blue dress, but then the dream was altered leaving him confused.

"Do you have a minute? I really need to talk to you," Maria's eyes pleaded with his.

Maria was afraid that he would turn away, but he handed his spatula to one of the busboys, "Take over for me, I'm going on my break." Maria led him to the back ally behind the Crashdown, so they would have more privacy.

Maria was about to speak, but Michael cut her off, "Before you say anything I need to know something first."

"OK," Maria agreed.

Michael ran his fingers through his hair, "The other day when you asked me if Isabel and I were involved you knew about the dreams didn't you?"

"Yes, I knew about them, but it wasn't just you. Max and Tess are having them too," Maria answered as honestly as she could.

"So…is it possible that…Isabel could get…you know…pregnant from them?" Michael felt embarrassed asking her that.

Maria could detect his embarrassment, "No, the dreams were only to help guide you to your destiny. As for the whole pregnancy thing, it has to be done the good old human way."

"Oh," Michael looked away. "That's a relief. So what is it you want to tell me?"

"Um," Maria took a deep breath. "You know when we first met you felt that you knew me from somewhere."

Michael remembered that day clearly, "Yeah, but you said that we haven't."

"Well…I lied, we have met before," Maria confessed feeling that she was doing the right thing.

"When?" Michael questioned.

Maria didn't say anything she only extended her hand out towards him. Michael had the same look of hesitation he had when he was six years old. Only this time when Michael reached out to her their fingertips touched the connection was instantaneous.

Michael had lost sight of little Max and Isabel and found himself alone outside of the cave was millions of stars in the sky. That was how he lost Max and Isabel, because he was too busy stargazing. That was how she found him. Michael had never seen a more beautiful creature. She was like an angel with long strawberry blonde hair and light blue nightgown, but she still frightened him. He didn't know if he could trust her. The little girl extended her hand out to him, and he didn't know whether to take it or not. When he looked at her he had become lost in her pleading eyes, and all he wanted to do was be with her, so that was why he reached out to her. Just as their fingers were about to touch a dark figure loomed from above. Filled with fear Michael turned and ran away, and when he looked back the little girl didn't follow him. When he went back to find her she was gone and he was alone again.

"That was you," Michael couldn't believe it.

Maria nodded, "I didn't know if you remembered or not."

"Are you kidding, I would dream about you every night…when I was a kid, but once I found Max and Isabel," Michael didn't want to finish.

Maria gave a little laugh, "The dreams disappeared."

"Yeah, well I began to have other things in my mind," Michael kicked a rock at his foot.

"Like where you come from?" Maria suggested.

"Yeah…so what's it like living with Nasedo?" Michael asked, but before Maria could answer Max's head poked out from the door.

"Michael," Max said. "I need to talk to you…inside."

Michael caught the door before it closed, "You coming?"

Maria didn't know if he wanted her to but she was curious about what Max had to say, "Yeah I guess."

Isabel was still sitting at the counter with Alex, but now Max joined her. All eyes were on Maria when she came in with Michael.

Maria gave Isabel a little smile, but Isabel had a relieved look on her face, "False alarm Michael."

"I know," Michael replied.

Max raised his eyebrows, "How do you know?"

"Maria told me," Michael shared.

"Oh," Max said.

Alex questioned, "So have you told Liz?"

"I haven't seen her since this morning," Max answered.

It was Maria's turn to raise her eyebrows, "This morning? Max, I saw her leave with you when I pulled up."

"It couldn't have been me, because I was with Tess," Max told her hoping she was mistaken.

"Max I saw you!" Maria said more seriously. "I know you are doubting me right now, but you have to learn to trust me."

"What are we going to do Max?" Isabel asked.

Max decided, "I'm going to call Liz."

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

"I can't believe Nasedo took Liz," Maria had her head in her hands.

Michael sat down next to her, "Do you know of any reason why Nasedo would want Liz?"

"I have no idea," Maria answered truthfully.

Isabel sat down on Maria's other side, "Alex is going to Valenti, he is going to tell him that Max took Liz."

Max came out of the Crashdown, "Let's go."

Michael and Isabel both stood up, and Michael held out his hand to her so he could pull her up. "I can't go."

"Why not?" Michael demanded.

Maria told him looking up; "I can't go without Tess. She is more a part of this than I am."

"She's right Max, they know more about Nasedo than we do," Isabel pointed out. "We may need to her to get Liz back."

Max nodded, "OK, we'll go find her."

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

"There she is," Isabel announced pointing to Tess coming out of a clothing store. Michael quickly jumped out of the jeep and roughly grabbed her.

"Ow! Michael what are you doing?" Tess demanded as Michael pushed her into the front seat.

"Nasedo kidnapped Liz," Michael told her getting into the backseat next to Maria.

Tess couldn't believe it, "He did what!"

"He tricked Liz into thinking he was Max," Maria filled her in.

Max questioned, "Do you know why he would do that?"

Tess had to think for a minute, "I don't know. He never tell us anything, because it is safer that way."

"Well Liz's life is in danger, and only you and Maria know Nasedo," Max didn't look at Tess when he spoke.

Maria said from her seat next to Michael, "We only know what he wants us to know. He refuses to tell us when we want to know more."

"Look!" Isabel pointed out. "There's Valenti!"

They saw Valenti pull out of the station and take off. Max quickly followed him, but was stopped by Valenti's new deputy, Deputy Fisher. He was going to give Max a ticket, but Isabel turned on the charm and talked him out of it.

"Good one Iz," Michael told her.

Isabel gave a little smile, "Anything to get Liz back."

"I want to know about Nasedo," Michael told Maria.

Maria nodded, "What do you want to know?"

"Everything," Michael whispered in her ear. Michael thought to himself, "Max was the one who said that they could choose their own destinies."

"On one condition," Maria looked him in the eye. "After this is all over you have to buy me an Alien Blast at the Crashdown."

Michael smirked, "Deal."

Maria took a deep breath, "I don't remember my parents and Nasedo never talks about them, so I never knew what it is like to have a normal life. I've only had the alien side. The first six years it was just me and him, and he never liked to leave me alone. But when he went looking for you and the others he found that your pods were empty." Maria relayed some of her memories of her life to him, but was interrupted by Max.

"Oh my God!" Max exclaimed as they saw flashing lights ahead.

Tess ordered, "Trust me it's not Liz. Keep driving." Tess turned to Maria; "It's them Ria."

"Who is it?" Isabel asked wide-eyed.

"The Special Unit," Maria said deadpanned.

Max questioned, "How do you know?"

"We've been running from them all our lives," Maria declared as her worst nightmare started coming true. "That's why Nasedo is constantly changing."

"But why would he shape-shift into Max?" Isabel wanted to know.

Maria sort of had an epiphany, "I think he wants to get Pierce before he gets to us."

"Why?" Isabel asked.

"To kill him," Maria said looking back at the disappearing lights.

Tess added, "Nasedo said that he's never seen a more dangerous alien hunter than Pierce."

"And Pierce wants you guys," Maria informed THEM.

"What the hell is that?" Michael asked pointing to the sky. A tremendous spotlight illuminated the night sky.

"It's Nasedo," Tess answered. "He's luring Pierce right to him."

Max muttered under his breath, but loud enough for everyone to hear, "And to Liz."

The signal led them to a busy carnival, and Max parked next to Valenti's car. "OK, Tess and Isabel go left, Maria and Michael go right, and I'll go in the middle. We are not leaving here until we find Liz," Max commanded.

"We'll find her Max," Maria tried to reassure him. Michael took her hand and pulled her toward him as Tess and Isabel took off in the opposite direction.

Maria kept her eyes moving hoping to catch a glimpse of that dark-haired girl, but she noticed that Michael was still holding her hand. "Don't want to lose you too," he explained when he caught her looking at their hands. Maria just nodded and continued to search for Liz.

"Any sign of her?" Michael asked Isabel when they met up about ten minutes later.

Tess and Isabel both shook their heads. "Where's Max?" Isabel didn't see Max anywhere. "He should be here by now."

Maria's heart began pounding and she didn't want to look at Isabel because she made no effort to hide her fear.

"Oh my God Liz!" Maria spotted the girl looking frantic. Maria rushed over to her and everyone followed.