"He's dead Max, dead." Isabel mumbled, clearly distraught as she and Michael lowered Maria to the couch.

"I know, Iz." Max said slamming the apartment door after taking a long look around the hallway. "I don't think we were followed." Liz sat on the other side of Maria, catching Maria's falling tears in her hands.

"Followed? Why would Nesado need to follow us? He knows where we are already. We're just sitting ducks." Isabel said pulling the shades and closing the curtains on every window in the apartment. "Hank, River Dog, and now Sheriff Valenti."

"Come one Isabel don't freak on us." Michael left Maria sitting on the couch and put his arms around Isabel.

"Freaking out seems the best to me. Look at us!" Maria yelled, her cheeks glistened with tears. "He's turned us into-"

"Maria it's going to be okay." Max pulled Maria to her feet and hugged her. Maria gasped when she felt him make the connection. He was in her head. Seeing her thoughts, her memories, then he stopped. He couldn't push through anymore.

"Max, what is it?" He heard Michael's voice in the distance and disconnected himself from Maria almost dropping her to the floor.

"I-I couldn't stop it-it was too powerful. But I think I saw something." He said out of breath, hanging his head.

"What did you see?" Michael said taking Maria's hands.

"It just flashed-it was too fast-it was someone's face. I couldn't tell whose." "It's okay Max, we're going to figure this out and it's going to be okay." Isabel put a hand on his hanging shoulders.

"Yeah, sure." He said looking into his sister's eyes.

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

In the distance he could see them. The outlines of their bodies through the shades brought a dominant frown to his face. They didn't get it. They didn't get any of it. Life on earth was making them completely numb to what they needed to be paying attention to…each other. Their quick movements and the drawing of the shades demonstrated the helplessness they were feeling. Nothing on earth could save them but each other. They are all they had.

"You'll understand soon enough and realize what you have to do. I hope."

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

"What if he made the accident happen? Just blew a gust of wind at the perfect time and smashed the truck into you guys." Isabel spoke gently rubbing her hands over her entire face. "And by some fluke you both lived a-and by the time he realized you were alive it was too late because of the crowd."

"It could be possible-I don't know it all happened so quick." Michael, who sat on the recliner with Maria in his arms, hugged her tighter.

"How could he have killed Valenti if he was causing the accident?" Max watched his cup of ice water on the coffee table like it was going to run away.

"Yeah, but who knows how long Valenti's been dead." Michael said stroking strands of Maria's hair behind her ears.

"Wait." Max looked at the four of them. "Here we are pointing fingers at Nesado when not one of us has seen or heard from Tess since yesterday…and isn't a little strange that Tess wanting to meet Maria this morning brought this whole mess on?"

"She could have easily planned all this." Isabel said holding her head in her hands.

"But it was a man who attached Liz and me." Maria spoke, still in Michael's arms.

"She's right and we can't shape shift, so neither can Tess." Michael nestled his chin between Maria's face and shoulder.

"So we're still supposed to believe everything Nesado has already told us?" Max asked with a sigh.

"So screw it! What does it matter they're working together, trying to confuse us so we don't know who to trust. They're together and so are we." The silence was long and harsh and reality was not being a very friendly thing.

"…was found early this morning in his office suffocated to death." Everyone's eyes went to the TV just as the remote fell from the couch clicking it on. "The town is in a complete uproar and to add to the chaos the victim, Sheriff James Valenti's son Kyle Valenti is MIA. If anyone has any news leading to the arrest of the assailant please call us at…" Isabel looked bewildered at Michael.

"Doesn't mean anything Iz, they just haven't found the body yet. He was probably out in the middle of the desert, trashed with his friends when Nes-whoever got him."

"…Now we go to reporter Annabel Stewart, reporting live at Roswell Memorial."

"Oh, God." Max breathed out, his eyes glued to the short brown-headed reporter on the TV.

"Thanks, Jon. It seems early this morning some odd mishaps in the engine of a tractor-trailer led to a pile-up on 285 South. And as you can see all of the victims in the accident were brought here to Roswell Memorial…"

"I don't like where this is going." Maria said, as she sat up, listening closely to the television.

"…strangely two of the victims are missing. It seems Michael Guerin, pictured at the right of your TV screen…"

"Shit!" Michael yelled throwing his head in his hands. "Bastards had to show my picture."

"…he and his girl friend were critically injured and following their disappearance from the hospital 17 year old, Michael Guerin has been charged in the kidnapping of 16 year old, Maria De Luca, who is also pictured on the right."

"Shut it off." Isabel said standing in disgust as she walking over to a closed window.

"We're in trouble." Liz stated, aware of the current situation. "Names and faces on the TV?" She bit her lip. "The whole towns going to be looking for you two."

"Fine, so we have to go-somewhere safe and just wait 'till we can figure out a plan." Max shut the TV off and sat the remote control on the coffee table.

"We can't leave, we have to pick up Alex at 5:30 remember?" Isabel said with an edge of fear in her voice.

"Then we sit put until then-we'll all go and get Alex and go to a safe place." He looked questioning at Michael.

"Nowhere is safe anymore."

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

"She's asleep." Maria took a quick sniff of the air as she shut the bedroom door. "Max." She said stumbling over a shoe into the room.

"How'd you know it was me?" He questioned as he shut the TV off and came to her side.

"I can smell your cologne."

"Oh." He smiled and took her arm, leading her into the living room. "You want to watch some-" He stopped feeling like a complete moron.

"I'm hungry." Maria said with no sign of emotion in her voice.

"Well, I can make you something I-" Maria cut him off.

"It's okay, I can do it myself."

"No, let me help you." He said walking her into the kitchen until her hands touched the counter top.

"Max, I can do it." She took her arm out of his. "Just do me a favor and don't treat me like a baby."

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

Michael let the steaming water run freely down his chest, arms, and back. [This feels so good.] He let out a relaxed sigh, grabbing the bar of soap out of the soap dish.

Whenever he was tense or stressed all Michael ever had to do to relax was take a steaming, hot shower. His worries always seemed to follow the water down the drain.

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

"Mayonnaise." Maria sat her slice of bread on the counter and felt her way to the fridge to get the finishing touch for her sandwich. When she opened the fridge door she felt the cold air hit her at the same time as the heat from the light that lit it. "Damn." She cursed dropping a bowl of something all over the floor. "Okay, it's okay I just need a towel." She said aloud trying to calm her nerves. She could still do things by herself. She wasn't helpless.

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

Michael shut the shower curtain after he stepped out of the tub. Instantly he felt better, more tranquil. Trying to pretend this day was a normal day, he slid his towel around his waist and looked in the bathroom mirror like nothing had changed. Like, things were still all the same.

After doing away with a few black heads Michael went on the find his clothes. He had put some clean clothes somewhere in the bathroom before, but their whereabouts had just slipped his mind. Too busy looking for a pair of boxers he didn't hear the creak of the bathroom door as it opened.

"Ah, there you are." Michael said as if talking to a long lost friend as he picked up the boxers he had just found. Victoriously, he dropped his towel and froze at the sound of Maria's voice.

"Michael?"

"God, Maria!" He turned away trying to hide behind the bathroom sink.

"What?!" Maria yelled back frightened, as she backed into the doorframe of the bathroom.

"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you." He said laughing at himself. She couldn't see him. Suddenly his smile disappeared and he focused on an almost helpless Maria. "What's up?" He asked after sliding his boxers on.

"I-I just needed a towel. I kind of made a mess in the kitchen."

"Oh, I can get you one." He said taking her hand and shutting the bathroom door.

"You need to shut the door to get me a towel?" She said taking a breath. "You smell good."

"How can you smell me from over there? Come here." Maria reached out and felt his hand meet hers, pulling her close to him. She smiled and put her hands on his shoulders but stopped feeling the beads of water on her hand. Michael smiled, seeing her confused face. Not saying a word, Maria ran her hand along his shoulders, up his neck, and finally reaching his wet head.

"You take a shower?" She breathed out and felt his head nod. "Michael, please don't tell me you're naked." After a long pause she pulled her hands away, only to feel Michael put them back on his shoulders.

"I'm not naked." He pulled her face to his and enjoyed her lips and neck.

"Thank God." She breathed guiding his face back to her lips.

"You wouldn't want me to be naked?" He teased nibbling her lower lip.

"No, I didn't say that." Maria flashed him a smile, but stopped remembering her nightmarish situation.

"I could take my boxers back off if you want." He smiled, not stopping at the sight of her obvious frown.

"What's the point I couldn't see you anyway." She said pulling her face away from his.

"So." He pulled her closer. "In my opinion, a 'hands on' experience has always been better than a visual one." He said running his finger from her belly button up to her neck.

"This is sex, not shop class." Maria felt his grip on her arms tense, just mentioning 'the deed'.

"I know." With a smile she kissed him letting his tongue into her mouth. "Let's go over to the park. You know the one across the street?"

"Sure. Just let me take a quick shower first." Maria said opening the bathroom door and pushing him out.

"Need some help?" He smiled standing outside the door still in his boxers.

"No." She smiled bigger slamming the door in his face.

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