Max turned over on his right side and looked down at Michael. It wasn’t like Michael to settle down so quickly and just go to sleep. Maybe tonight he’d be lucky.

Michael lay on his back, on top of the sleeping bag, hands tucked behind his head, but Max could see that Michael’s eyes were open, his shadowed face looked thoughtful. The moonlight glinted off his unruly hair. Max wondered if Michael ever got it cut, or if Hank cut it, or if Michael’s hair just grew that way and stopped.

Funny, Max thought, the three of them—Max, Michael, and Isabel—all of them being the same, and yet all of them looking so different. Guess it was safer that way than if they’d all been green and bald! Max smiled and closed his eyes.

"Don’t you think it’s strange?" Michael said, still looking up at Max’s bedroom ceiling.

Max sighed, but didn’t answer. Michael didn’t talk that much, during the day—except when he got really excited about something. He certainly didn’t talk about anything with Hank. But somehow, lying there in the dark of Max’s room, Michael felt safe, and could talk about things that were on his mind.

Max grudgingly made a "Hmm?" noise, indicating he wasn’t asleep yet –but to let Michael know he hoped he didn’t plan on keeping him awake all night.

"That there’s only the three of us—you, me, and Isabel."

"Well, maybe that’s all that survived the crash," Max answered, trying to be logical.

"Mm," Michael said. "It’d really have sucked if there was only one of us."

"Yeh, that’s for sure," Max agreed fervently. Then he smiled and added softly, "Well, I don’t know... he might have gotten more sleep then."

Michael turned on his side to face Max’s bed, and pulled the edge of the sleeping back over his shoulder. "They didn’t plan it very well, if you ask me," he said.

"I don’t know... We survived. We’re alive. It’s worked out okay so far. We’re doing okay. And they did crash, Michael. That’s not usually something you plan."

"Mmm," Michael agreed, "Maybe they were lousy drivers," he said. He almost added "like Maria," but he didn’t want to think about her right now.

Max smiled in the dark. "I don’t think we’ll ever know—about what happened with the crash, I mean. It was a long time ago."

"If we got home, they might know. They might have... records," Michael said with the enthusiasm Max always heard in his voice when he talked about ‘home.’

"Mm," Max agreed. He rolled onto his stomach, trying to get comfortable, snuggling his chin down into the pillow. He was just about to fall asleep again, when Michael spoke again.

"But there’s only one girl, Max. There should have been two."

Max opened his eyes. "What are you talking about? There are plenty of girls, Michael. What about Liz... and Maria?"

"I don’t mean them," he said, "Only one girl... of us."

"So?"

"Think about it—if we can’t get home, if it turns out we’re stuck on this stupid rock forever—who are you gonna marry, Max?"

Liz, he thought automatically, and the thought surprised him. Of course, he didn’t say that out loud. "Michael, go to sleep. You’re getting delusional."

Michael was propped up on one elbow. "Think about it, Maxwell... There are only the three of us—you, me, and Isabel. Three of a kind, Max—in the whole world."

"As far as we know," Max added, not knowing where Michael was going with this conversation, but already pretty sure he wouldn’t like it.

"So... I get Isabel, Max. I mean, you can’t marry her... She’s your sister."

"What!? You’re telling me you want to marry my sister!" Max pushed himself up and leaned on his elbows, staring down at Michael in disbelief.

"No, Max, of course I don’t want to marry your sister... But she’s the only girl... of our kind, y’know? Think about it. Who else can we marry—who else will be... you know... compatible? What if we want to have kids someday..."

"Kids!" Max’s voice broke, "But Michael... You’re our brother, too. I mean, we all came out of the pods together. We all have the same... connection."

"But I didn’t grow up with her, Max, and you did. ‘Incest taboo’ – read your Freud, Maximillian. So I get her." Michael smiled smugly, as if he’d just played the winning card.

"And you don’t know that we can’t—you know—be happy with a... uh.. regular woman.." Max said, sounding hopeful.

"Yeh, ‘earth girls are easy,’ Max. But they’re not us. They’re not like us."

"You’re disgusting, Michael."

"Just stating the facts. I’m no happier about this than you are, believe me."

"Don’t you think Isabel might have an opinion on this too, Michael? She’s not some—piece of meat, some prize you can just claim, you know. She’s a person, too, Michael."

"Well, okay... Does that mean you’re going to marry her then?" Michael asked.

"Are you crazy? She’s my sister!" Max yelped, appalled.

Michael smiled. "See, I told you. You can’t do it. So she’s mine. Well, I’m glad we’ve got that settled. G’nite, Max." Michael rolled on to his other side, his back to Max.

Max’s pulse was pounding. "But... we don’t really know anything about ourselves, Michael," Max said to Michael’s back. "Isabel might be your sister—you guys both have blond hair. Or all three of us might have different parents—or the same parents. We just don’t know anything, to be making crazy decisions like that... in the middle of the night."

"You’re just mad because I get the girl," Michael said, his voice sounding muffled and sleepy.

"And who’s supposed to break the ‘good news’ to Isabel," Max added hotly, "Not me!"

Michael flopped onto his back and sighed. "Don’t be stupid, Max. We’re all still kids. And I don’t plan on being around here that long, believe me. But, just in case—it’s good to have a plan. Isn’t that what you always tell me, Max? Nobody has to tell her. She’ll figure it out herself eventually... when the time comes. Good night."

Now it was Max’s turn to be the one who was wide awake. "What do you care anyway, Michael? I never thought of you as a guy who wanted to have kids!"

"Guy's gotta do something if he’s stuck in this hell hole forever," Michael murmured, his eyes closed. And I'd never go off and leave them, he added to himself, but didn’t say out loud. I’d be one hell of a great Dad, he thought, the best. He dozed off thinking about little blonde-haired children with big dark eyes, and little chubby arms flung around his neck, giving him a hug, saying, "We love you, Daddy."

Max flopped onto his back and put his arm across his eyes, blocking out the moonlight, and the whole conversation. His body was wide awake and tense. He tried to will himself to relax, concentrating on each muscle in his body. He remembered his Mom telling him that little game to get to sleep when he was little: Toes go to sleep, feet go to sleep, legs go to sleep.

Damn Michael and his little midnight chats. He should get a better lock on the window. Not that he’d ever do that to Michael. And not that it would keep him out for long anyway.

"Michael, I think you need serious help," he said softly.

It wouldn’t be bad, though, Max thought. Isabel and Michael. He could be ‘Uncle Max’ and Michael would finally be a part of his family—his earth family. Except for the fact that Isabel and Michael were totally incompatible. Max smiled, relaxing. Isabel loves Michael—but not that way. She loves him like a brother, he thought, the same way she loves me. ‘Earth girls are easy,’ he thought, and smiled to himself. Crazy Michael.

As usual, an image of Liz appeared in his mind when he closed his eyes to sleep, and Max fell asleep at last, thinking that Michael was partly right—there was only one girl in the world—and Max had already found her.