"Why don't you stay and watch her for a little while." Max almost jumped at the sight of his sisters dark frame as she stood from her seat beside the bed. He nodded still focusing on Isabel as she came closer. "I'm going to go see if I can get into Alex's head. Tell him about what's going on."

"Yeah, good idea." Max said, his eyes focusing back on Liz.

"She's been mumbling, I think she's having a bad dream, so just watch her." Isabel gave him a pat on the back before leaving Max and Liz alone in the bedroom.

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

"Thank God. I need a shower so bad." Isabel said, throwing the newspaper on the coffee table at the sight of Maria coming out of the bathroom.

"You're finally ready." Michael joked, taking Maria's hand.

"Shower time." Isabel said, breaking their hands apart and scooting into the bathroom.

"Excuse me." Michael flashed Isabel a 'what's-gotten-into-you' glance only to see her shut the bathroom door.

"Well, I guess we should head over to the park."

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

"No, stop, no, stop!" Liz sat up in bed, huffing and puffing at the nightmare that still clouded her mind.

"It's okay, it was just a dream." Liz jolted at the sensation of Max's hand on her back. "Relax, you're safe." She looked through the darkness at his face.

"We're not going to make it through this." She sniffed, covering her face with her hands. "I'm going to be like this forever." The sobs racked through her.

"Liz, don't say that." Max left his seat beside the bed and sat on the bed next to her. "Look at me." He guided her face to his. "Don't say that." He kissed her tears until Liz's hands brought his mouth to hers. Their kiss was gently yet full of passion. With things getting hot and steamy, Max pulled away, feeling the need for air, and kissed her damp cheeks.

"Don't leave me here alone." Liz threw herself on him and rapped her arms around his neck.

"I'm not going anywhere." He said stroking her hair off her face and softly kissing her ear.

"I'm so tired." Liz spoke into his chest as she breathed him in. When she felt him pull away she tightened her grip around his neck. "Don't go, lay down with me." Her eyes met his and he lifted her small frame from the bed.

"Shhh." He hushed her as he laid her body in the middle of the bed. She held her arms out to him showing all the hurt in her eyes, and Max gave in, lying next to her. He couldn't just leave her by herself. She needed him. They snuggled as close as they could and Liz sat her hand on Max's stomach as it quickly rose and fell. Then unexpectedly Liz kissed his nose and shut her eyes as she laid her head on his chest. A few seconds later she felt Max's breathing slow and they drifted off into the dream world together.

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

"Why'd you want to come here anyway?" Maria asked letting Michael's hand go as she felt her way over to a swing and sat in it.

"I just thought we needed some time away from everything." The park was empty and cold. Its silence lacked the laughter and screams of children playing. Suddenly a burst of chilling wind blew through the fenced in park. The two of them shivered as the wind breezed about them freezing them to the core. "Here." Michael slid his jacket over Maria's shoulders.

"Aren't you going to swing me?" Maria put her arms in his jacket and held tightly onto the swing.

"Hold on." He smiled giving the swing a quick shove. Maria laughed, laying back, taking over pumping the swing bringing her up higher and higher. Michael arched his back and sat against a tree watching her golden hair flipping in the wind.

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

Isabel added the finishing touches to her make-up and took a deep breath, focusing on the bathroom clock. [3:30. Its time to tell Alex what he's missed] She shut her eyes, focusing on his face, and let her breathing slow until she could hear the sounds he was hearing.

"Sir? Would you like a pillow?" A flight attendant in a blue dress held a pillow out to Alex.

"Sure, thanks." He said groggily taking the pillow from her and stuffing it behind his head.

"Alex?" Isabel sat down in the seat next to him.

"Isabel?" He looked around the plane. "I must be dreaming again, but you look great."

"Thanks, but I really am here. I came into your dream. I-" He cut her off, coming closer.

"Well, if you're really here I can do this." He kissed her sliding his fingers through her blonde hair. "Wow." He said pulling away. "You're here."

"Yeah." She blushed, then tried to remember why she had dream walked to him in the first place. "I came here to tell you everything that's been going on. Which there's been a lot of stuff so sit back and get comfy."

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

"Kiss me." Maria whispered pulling Michael's face to hers. Not even seconds later his mouth was on hers and his tongue had slipped past her lips. She moaned into his mouth rapping her arms around his neck and opened her eyes to see his face. "Ah." She tore her mouth from his and let go of his neck.

"What?" Michael questioned out of breath.

"I saw you." She licked her lips as she stood up from the swing. "B-but now it's gone." She stumbled back almost falling to the ground, but was saved by the catching hands of Michael.

"Wait, you can't see now?" He held her in his arms.

"No, here, kiss me again." She ordered breathing heavily with excitement.

"Sure." He answered before Maria practically ripped him out of his shoes to her. They kissed with their eyes wide open. This time Michael pulled away, staring back into the same dead eyes. "Nothing?" She nodded.

"I don't understand what's happening or how this all works but I know that I just saw you."

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

Max blinked at the clock in the bedroom. It was 4:30, it was at least a 45 minute drive to the airport so he needed to get going if he wanted to pick up Alex in time.

"Liz." He gently rubbed his hand up her spine as they laid together in the bed.

"Hmm?" She opened her eyes, looking at his face.

"I have to go pick up Alex." She nodded, understanding and kissed neck.

"I love you, you know that?" Liz smiled up at him.

"I love you too." He kissed her forehead, then slid his mouth down the side of her face, until their mouths met for an explosive kiss.

"I'll be back soon." He said tearing himself from her and opening the bedroom door.

"Okay." Liz tried to snuggle in the warm spot Max's body had laid on.

"What?" Max froze in the doorway and Liz shot up from the bed. "You can hear me?"

"Yeah." She jumped out of the bed into his arms.

"See, everything is going to be okay." He smiled down at Liz but felt his smile fall to a frown at the sight of Liz's distinct frown.

"It's gone." She looked in his eyes. "I can't hear you."

"No, this doesn't mean anything." He cupped her face in his hands. "It probably means your hearing is coming back-it just takes a little time."

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

"So you don't know who's doing this?" Alex still shocked from the news he had just heard, bit his lip.

"We don't know if it's Nesado or Tess, but it doesn't matter, we don't trust either of them."

"And Maria and Liz, you're just going to-" Isabel cut him off.

"When you get to Michael's apartment we're all going someplace safe, where we can figure everything out-talk about all this. Maybe there are clues that we're just too freaked to see."

"Isabel!"

"That's Max." She said looking at Alex. "I'll be right back-I have to see what's up." Alex nodded and excepted a full kiss he had not expected from Isabel.

"What?" Isabel opened her eyes and looked to the open bathroom door at her brother.

"Where's Maria and Michael?" Max asked her with a trace of fear in his voice.

"Were here." Michael said shutting the front door to the apartment.

"I just wanted some fresh air. I don't like being shut up inside all day." Maria lied, not in the mood for one of Max and Michael's testosterone fights.

"Well you guys need to tell someone before you disappear."

"Okay." Maria answered, putting a hand on Michael's shoulder.

"I'm going to go get Alex from the airport. Everybody stay put. I'll be back soon."

"I told Alex everything so he knows to be on the lookout for anything weird." Max nodded to his sister.

"Tell him I'm coming to get him."

"Yeah, okay." Isabel brushed her hair away from her eyes and licked her lips, amazed she could actually taste where Alex's lips had been. [This dream-walking thing is intense.]

"And pack anything you want to take with you because as soon as Alex and I get back we're out of here." He pulled his jacket from the couch arm and opened the apartment door.

"Be careful Maxwell." Michael said shutting the door behind his friend.

"He'll be fine." Maria hugged him and jumped when Isabel slammed the bathroom door at the sight of them hugging.

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

"Get a room." Isabel huffed looking at her reflection in the mirror. [Why doesn't he hug me like that?] The thought in Isabel's mind blew her away. She didn't feel for Michael that way…did she? Alex, she reminded herself and shut her eyes trying to connect to him through the dream world.

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

"Liz, it's freezing in here." Maria commented shutting the bedroom door behind her. "Do you always have to sleep with the window open? I'm surprised you hardly ever get sick." She said clicking the light switch on and smiling to herself. Even though Liz couldn't hear her, talking to her just felt like old times. "Come on Lizzy, rise and shine. It's time to pack our things. As soon as Alex and Max get out we're outa' here." Maria felt her way to the edge of the bed and before she could let out a sound, a hand shot over her mouth.