Isabel: Max, do you really think their memories will come back?

Max: I pray to God that they will.

Alex: Is there anything you could do to restore them?

Max: Oooh, I doubt it. Healing a cut is one thing…trying to do something to brain folds…no, I wouldn't want to try it.

Michael: Isabel and Max…we need to talk. Alex, would you mind if we dropped you off at home? We'll catch up with you later.

Alex: I...uh…whatever.

Isabel: I'D mind if we drop him off. Michael, what could you possibly have to say that Alex can't know about. There's no point in his not coming with us. I'll just tell him later anyway. He's certainly doesn't deserve what you just implied.

(Isabel in silent connection to Alex: Don't mind him Alex…I don't know what's the matter with him today.)

(Alex in connection: It's OK Izzy.)

Max: I agree with Isabel. Alex is a part of us…has been for quite a while. He can even connect with us if he wants to. What gives, Michael?

Michael: I didn't mean to offend you Alex. I just have a matter to discuss regarding…you know…what we are?

Alex: You guys are not "whats" to me…never will be.

(Alex kisses Isabel. Michael notes the increasing bond between Isabel and Alex and is sorry he even thought of excluding him.)

Michael: I know! It's OK. Sorry Alex…they're right. I'm not sure what I was thinking. Old habits die hard. Forgive me, OK?

Alex: Done!

(The four enter the apartment.)

Isabel: So Michael, what's the big concern?

Michael: The concern is, what if Maria and Liz's memories don't come back? Or what if they come back part way. As of now, they don't know anything about us, except that we've recently become friends... and they only have our word for that. I'm concerned that some partial recall may cause them to say things they shouldn't and normally wouldn't. There's also the possibility that, if we continue to hang with them, that we'll have to tell them about us all over again. How will they respond without six months worth of experiences to look back on?

Isabel: So what are you saying?

Michael: Maybe this is our chance to turn back the clock…recover our secret. I worry about them knowing too much in their present state…not that I don't trust them…it's just…maybe this is a chance to protect them and us.

Isabel: And were you planning to send Alex into the cooler too? Get real, Michael! Is that what you really want? I thought you liked Maria.

Michael: I do. And that's why I'm saying this. She might be better off not knowing…

Max: That's wrong Michael. If we're going to be with them…and God knows I want to be with Liz, impaired memory or not…then they need and deserve to know. I think the only way not knowing helps them is if we're not associating with them. As our friends, they do have to watch their backs and ours as well; and they have to know why.

Alex: I hope I'm not out of line…but Michael makes one valid point…you will have to tell them and we don't know how they'll react. I think it might be well to not rush into that.

Isabel: I can't believe you said that…as frustrated as you were when you didn't know.

Alex: That was different. And truthfully, it did take me a while to assimilate that truth and what it meant… and to decide it didn't matter, as far as my wanting to be friends with you guys.

Max: Maybe we should go slow…just get back with them and see where things wind up.

Isabel: You guys are incredible. The best friends you two will probably ever have need us right now. And I think they need the real us.

Max: They can have the real us. That won't change. I'm not going back into a step-back mode.

Michael: I agree with Max; but I wanted to raise the issue just to make sure we were all agreed as to how to handle this.

Max: So what do we agree on…or do we?

Isabel: It sounds like you two renew your relationships and hope everything catches up with itself.

Michael: So Alex, will you help us? We'll decide when the time is right to tell them our secret. In the meantime…

Alex: I get it…and I'll do whatever…I'll treat them as I would anyone else. Your secret is not mine to tell anyway.

Max: Thanks, Alex.

Isabel: See Michael? We would have needed a discussion with Alex anyway…

Michael: Drop is Iz…Alex is just fine…I know it and he knows it.

Max: So, how do I start rebuilding what Liz and I had.

Isabel: Just be with her. It will happen.

Max: I just feel bad that she won't remember all the things we've done together…my saving her, our first kiss, the E-mail caper, the field trip, her kissing me to bring back my powers, the re-balancing, my being invisible, her sitting in my naked lap, our just being together. It not right that I have those memories and Liz doesn't.

Michael: Same with Maria and I…our kissing, the mud, the wrestling…all gone. She won't remember the cave; how she literally helped save my life, or how her support helped me get away from Hank. She was the first person to ever put a crack in my wall and she won't remember any of it.

Alex: I think you can have a ball telling them about those things.

Michael: Assuming they want to hear them.

Isabel: What do you mean?

Michael: We're assuming they'll still want to be with us. What if they don't?

Max: They don't have a choice.

Michael: But Max, they do. Don't you get it? It might be we can pick it up where we were; but it might be they won't want to.

Isabel: It's going to be OK guys, isn't it Alex?

Alex: We'll make it OK. The ironic thing is, you'll be the ones making it happen instead of them. By the way, I can do more than just keep a secret. I'm the one they still remember pretty well, since I've been their friend for much longer than the period of their memory loss. I can do a lot to get this back to normal. They'll be comfortable with me from the start. You two…it might take a little time…especially you Michael. Maria's not easy…

Michael: I know…but then, neither am I.

Isabel: There's an admission!

Max: Isabel, have you thought about how you're going to befriend them again. They probably think you're still hanging with the elite crowd.

Alex: I can really help with that. They'll accept me right away…and I bring Isabel. That one's done I think.

Isabel: Maybe?

Alex: Now you're unsure?

Isabel: Only if you are.

Alex: Not in the least!

Max: We better get home Isabel…mom's probably wondering where we are.

Isabel: Yeh, let's go. Coming Alex?

Alex: If it's OK, I'll stay and hang with Michael for a while. See you later?

Isabel: Count on it.

(Meanwhile, back at the hospital…)

Amy: So, the doctor tells me you can both probably go home tomorrow.

Maria: But to what? We seem to have lost part of ourselves…like since last fall.

Liz: Imagine, having to re-learn six months worth of schoolwork.

Maria: Arrrrgh!

Amy: Sounds like you are feeling better.

Maria: I'm still a bit groggy…and I'm real fuzzy on what's happening.

Liz: Me too. I'm still trying to figure out what did happen. I've been in that cooler a hundred times. I never thought about being trapped in it.

Maria: We'll just have to see if Max Evans was right. He said we'd probably remember everything by tomorrow.

Amy: I hope you will. The doctor couldn't promise anything in that regard though. I'm going to leave you two now. Call me if you need something. I'll check on you first thing in he morning.

Maria: Bye mom!

(Amy leaves them. A long silence, then…)

Liz: Can you believe it? Me and Evans Max. According to Whitman Alex, Evans Max and I are a number. I've been curious about that mysterious man for years. There was always something about him that I really liked. I never imagined he would have any interest in me. He always seemed like he was kind of a loner. I do remember that he is in my new biology class.

Maria: You mean your six month old biology class.

Liz: I guess so.

Maria: I can see you with Max Evans pretty easily. That doesn't surprise me. What does surprise me is I'm supposed to be with Michael Guerin. To me, he's just a guy I see once in awhile at school.

Liz: I think Guerin Michael is cute. And I can see you with him. I can't say why, but it feels OK to me.

Maria: He has interesting hair.

Liz: I like it…on him I mean. I don't think I'd like it on Evans Max.

Maria: Liz, why are you saying the guys' names backwards?

Liz: What do you mean?

Maria: You keep saying Evans Max instead of Max Evans.

Liz: I didn't realize that. The gas must have done something else besides make me forget six months.

Maria: It sounds like your name recall has reversed itself.

Liz: I think I better ask the doctor about that.

Maria: We need to talk to Alex too. He'll give us the scoop on what we can't remember.

Liz: Right! But can you believe Whitman Alex and Evans Isabel? I can accept our new boyfriends, but that match blows my mind.

Maria: If Alex were here, he'd say something else already did that.

Liz: Unfortunately, he probably would.

(Just then, Liz' parents arrive.)

Nancy: Liz honey…sorry we were so long getting here. The car had a flat tire.

Liz: I'm OK, mom…at least physically.

Jeff: What do you mean?

Liz: I mean, neither Maria nor I can remember what happened. And we can't remember anything that happened in the last six months. We thought it was fall and we just went back to school.

Nancy: I can assure you, it's spring. A young man's fancy and all that…

Jeff: I'm surprised Max Evans isn't here. You've been with him a lot… probably too much…lately.

Liz: He was here. Until Whitman Alex told me what you just confirmed, I didn't know why.

Nancy: This memory loss might be for the better in that regard.

Liz: Don't you like him? I do.

Nancy: I don't have any reason not to like him…it's just…you've been with him so much lately.

Liz: I know mom…but…

Jeff: So how are you, Maria?

Maria: About the same as Liz, really confused.

Jeff: Neither of you have any idea what happened? Steven said you got locked in the cooler. He said it's not working and our food is spoiling.

Maria: He knows more than we do then…or at least he remembers more.

Jeff: I better get over there and see what's wrong.

Nancy: It can wait, Jeff. I want to make sure the girls are OK.

Liz: We're OK, mom. At least we're alive. We'll have to deal with the memory loss. And I seem to be having a problem with names.

Nancy: Names? Like who's?

Maria: She keeps reversing them. She says Evans Max instead of Max Evans.

Jeff: I'm going to find your doctor and see what he says about this…if it's going to be permanent.

Maria: My mom checked a while ago. The doctors can't say. All they said was we could probably go home tomorrow. There's nothing they can do about the memory problems.

Liz: I guess our memories will come back naturally or they won't. We'll just have to see.

Nancy: Goodnight, honey. We'll come for you tomorrow.