Isabel looked at Alex, “It won’t be long. We’ll be back. Please just wait for me.” Alex nodded; he knew he would anyway. Max took Liz’s hand and said, “I love you. I-I’ll…just wait please.”

“Always,” Liz replied.

Michael and Maria finished a long kiss and smiled at each other. No matter how hard he tried he couldn’t keep the tears pushed back any longer. Maria wiped his tears away, while he wiped hers.

By this time, the ship was there waiting. The three reluctantly boarded and for just a moment time seemed to stop as they all looked at each other. Then suddenly, there was a loud bang sound from the door sealing them in the metal machine. Liz, Maria, and Alex watched it leave and still just stood watching the sky turn from dark to light.

When morning broke, they climbed into the Jetta and went home. They didn’t speak, each wanted the last moment with their loved one fresh in their mind for as long as possible. Liz, Maria, and Alex didn’t go to school for a few days until they all reached the conclusion that life would have to resume sooner or later. So, each carried on like nothing had happened, except for at night when they all went home and cried.

********** They landed ten years later, longer than they expected.

**********

Max, Michael, and Isabel walked off the ship realizing that this was home and that it had been too long. They figured going to the Crashdown first would be smart. At least Liz would be there and could tell them where to find Maria and Alex.

They walked through the back door of the Crashdown, like so many times before. Liz heard the door and knew who it was, but she froze. She couldn’t turn around, until she heard…

“Liz,” Max whispered.

She was in his arms in less than a second. Liz smiled, “I waited.”

Michael and Isabel decided to let them spend a few moments together before they bothered them. Then, in what seemed like an eternity later, Max and Liz walked to the front of the cafe each with a piece of paper in hand.

Isabel opened her mouth to speak but Liz cut her off. “Hi, Isabel,” Liz handed her the piece of paper, “Here is Alex’s address. He is going to be very happy.” Before anymore could be said, Isabel was gone.

When Michael was the last, Liz looked silently at the floor. “Well,” Michael demanded. “I’ve been talking to Liz…” Max started.

“Just give me her address,” Michael stated.

Max handed him the paper, “But Michael…”

Michael was already gone. He was running as fast as he could. But right before he turned down the street, he stopped. ‘But what,’ Michael thought, ‘what was Max talking about.’ Then suddenly, it hit him. He turned the corner to see Maria standing in the front yard of a nice house, holding a child. She had a ring on her hand that glistened in the sun. Moments later, another, older child ran out holding on to…a man’s leg! Michael looked up from the child to see a tall, dark haired man walking out of the house. The man smiled at the sight of Maria.

“No, that-that’s my Maria,” Michael whispered to himself.

The man gave the kids a kiss and then Maria. He got in the car, waved, and drove right past Michael. Michael watched the car pass and turned back around to look in Maria’s direction.

Maria saw a man watching her. She told the kids to go inside the house. Maria looked back up and right when the realization hit her, Michael turned and ran.

He ran until he hit the edge of the desert. He sat down on a rock. By this time, Michael’s head was pounding with a hundred different excuses, but he knew the real answer. Maria was married; she had moved on. Now Michael was crying. He cried for everyday he was gone. Didn’t Maria know how much he needed her and that the only thing that kept him alive was knowing that they would be together when he got back?

Michael pulled the little box out of his pocket. He opened it and saw the ring, he had been carrying for ten years, glisten. He was going to ask Maria to marry him five, six, seven years ago, when they were supposed to have been back. He then thought of the one Maria now had on her hand and closed the box. “No!” Michael yelled at the world, but mostly himself. He opened the box and took out the ring. He watched the diamond sparkle and with all his strength, with all his tears, and with all his love for Maria, he drew his arm back and let it fly. Fly to somewhere he hoped no one would ever find it; somewhere where it would be as lonely as he.

Then a single thought popped into his head. “It’s my fault, I never said a word. I should have asked her to wait. I never told her I’d be back for her. I should have told her to…just wait.” Michael jumped off the rock; he never wanted to be involved in any of their lives and he never wanted to see Roswell, ever again. His plan was to just run ‘til he was out.

Needless to say, it worked.