It was early when Maria woke up the next morning. Way to early for her. 'oh god, why am I awake this early? Don't you know I'm not a morning person?' she asked silently looking up at the ceiling. She climbed out of bed slowly to keep from waking Michael. She left the room and went to the kitchen to see what she could scare up for breakfast. She figured her friends would want a good 'earthling' breakfast before they left and this was the last chance they would have before they left the solar system. Luckily she had the makings for her mom's famous cherry waffles. She hoped they liked them, she knew Alex and Liz did. Maybe if she made a batch with some Tabasco sauce thrown in they would like them. She was just mixing it all together when Liz came in with Alex and Kyle following her.

"Need some help?" they asked.

"Nope now it is up to the waffle iron. You could set the table though." Maria answered.

They set the table and Maria was just taking the last waffle out of the iron when their friends all walked in oohhing and ahhing over the delicious smells wafting throughout the house.

"We didn't know you could cook." Max said smiling at Maria.

"I'm full of surprises lately. Come on sit down and dig in before they get cold." Maria said motioning towards the table. Everyone sat down and ate breakfast. Maria sat there watching everyone as if trying to absorb it all so that she would remember them forever. She hated to think that this might be the last time they were all together. As if reading her mind Michael reached under the table and took her hand. He leaned over and whispered "I Love You, Maria."

After breakfast was over they all went to their rooms and got ready to take the trip into the desert and the ship. They all quietly walked out to the cars and agreed to meet out at the pod chamber. The couples all took separate cars so they would have a little more time alone together.

During the ride they all spoke of their love for one another and the hope that the time they spent apart would be short. None of them could bear to think about them not being able to return. It was an agonizingly short ride, as time always seems to go faster when you don't want it to. They all got out of the cars and began the walk to where the ship lay hidden in the desert sand. As they arrived the girls all began to cry. The moment they had all been dreading had arrived. It was time for them to leave.

Max was the first one to say it out loud. "If we are going to do this we need to get it over with. The sooner we leave the sooner we can come back to you all." With that he waved his hand and the door swooshed open revealing the inside of the ship that was to take them home to their own planet.

Liz was almost unable to stand because she was crying so much. Maria saw how much pain her friend was in and wanted to go to her but couldn't because she couldn't bear to leave Michael's side yet. She still had a few minutes left before he would leave and she felt she had to make the most of it.

Max wrapped his arms around Liz and whispered to her over and over, "I love you and I am coming back."

Michael pulled Maria off to the side and said "I love you and if it is the last thing I do I am coming home to you and Ethan. It took me a long time to realize it but this is my home. It is the only one I have ever known and the only one I need. As long as I know you are here waiting for me I will do everything I can to return to you as soon as possible. I don't want to miss a thing."

Maria looked at him with tears in her eyes and said "I will be here waiting for you Spaceboy. You had better come back to me, I can't do this without you. I don't want to do this without you. Please come back to me. I don't want Ethan to grow up without a father like I did."

"I'll come back. Nothing can keep me away. Not even outerspace." He replied gently wiping her tears away before he placed the sweetest and gentlest of kisses on her lips. He then lead her back to their friends. He went to Liz and hugged her and whispered to her, "Please take care of Maria. Help her get through this until I get back. She needs you now more than ever."

"You know I will Michael. Bring Max back to me." Liz said trying to hold back a fresh peal of cries. She hated having to watch her friends leave. She knew it must be even worse for Maria. She released Michael and went over to Maria and hugged her tightly as Isabel and Tess came over to say their farewells.