She couldn't believe that she had actually been able to get through the day. She had looked for Liz everywhere at school, but she had been nowhere to be found.

It had all started with the thing with Maria. Kyle had come to get her for that. He had come running into her fourth period English class, had ignored the teacher completely, had grabbed Isabel by the arm, barely giving her enough time to grab her bookbag off the floor next to her desk. As they ran out of the room Isabel could her Mrs. Jenkins yelling after both of them: "Mr. Valenti! Miss Evans! You get back here right now!"

Needless to say, they had ignored her.

Isabel had been shocked to see Michael hovering near the entrance to the second-floor girl's washroom, a look of terror on his face. She had not seen Michael in close to three weeks. He and Maria had taken off on Michael's new motorcycle the night before school had started and they hadn't seen either of them since.

"What's going on?" She demanded.

"Iz, please." Michael just looked at her with pleading eyes. Isabel shot a questioning glance at Kyle. He just shrugged.

"I found him like this. He asked me to get you."

Michael just looked towards the girl's room door again. It was clear that he was too upset to talk. Isabel turned to Kyle again. "Go find Tess and Liz." She instructed him, realizing that someone needed to take control of the situation.

Isabel briefly placed a comforting hand on Michael's arm. "Is it Maria?" She asked.

Michael could only nod.

How upset her brother was only reinforced to Isabel how much Michael had come to depend on Maria over the last few months. Althought neither of them could really remember anything of their stay on their home planet of Illyria, they were both still clearly dealing with some sort of trauma.

Isabel pushed open the girl's room door to a horrifying - but all too common - sight.

Maria Deluca was retching into one of the sinks. Isabel quickly hurried to her side, stroked her back comfortingly, pulling Maria's still long hair back from her face. She had not cut it since her return to Earth, although she had had to tell everyone it was extensions. "Are you okay Maria?" Isabel asked when Maria seemed to be breathing evenly again.

Her friend looked up, met Isabel's eyes in the mirror. "I've been better." She managed to say before she was bent over the sink again in agony.

This had happened so many times since Maria and Michael's return from Illyria, Isabel knew that they just had to wait it out.

Finally, Isabel was able to grab a paper towel, wet it and place it on Maria's forehead. She led the smaller girl to a couch set up in the lounge area of the girl's room, gently forced Maria down on it.

Maria leaned back against the wall, closed her eyes. "Just another bout of the friendly alien flu." She managed to joke weakly.

Isabel pressed her lips together. Maria was dealing with this far better then the rest of them.

But then, Maria had long ago accepted what the rest of them were still coming to terms with.

Maria was dying.

Now as Isabel waited for Liz, she reflected on what they had managed to find out since Maria and Michael had returned the previous winter.

The fevers had begun a couple of weeks after they had all returned to town from Fraser Woods. Maria had fainted at work in the Crashdown one day, frightening Michael and Liz half out their wits.

And then the throwing up had begun...and the pains in her chest and her stomach.

They had been unable to take Maria to a local doctor. They didn't want any of it to get out to the already too nosy residents of Roswell.

The Sheriff had arranged an appointment in Albuequerque.

There had been absolutely no medical reason for Maria's illness. And yet, it continued to get worse. Maria's mom was convinced that it was cancer, but visits to ten different doctors all over New Mexico had turned up nothing.

It was Alex who had finally guessed what was wrong. "I think that Maria's body is breaking down from the stress of the trip to and from Illyria." He told Isabel one night as they lay on their backs on the hood of the jeep, both staring up at the millions of stars shining down on them. Their hands had been clasped between them. Alex stroked the back of her fingers gently as he spoke.

Isabel had been unable to take her eyes away from the "V" constellation that sheltered her world of origin - that sheltered her beloved brother. She had been thinking about Max when Alex's voice had broken into her thoughts - about how much they missed him, about whether he was still alive...

She turned her head, looked at her boyfriend. "What?"

"There's no other explanation." Alex replied, sitting up and staring down at her. "The stress was too much for her body to take."

Isabel frowned in thought. "But why is Michael okay?" She asked finally. "I mean, he was human when he came back."

"Yeah, but he was ALIEN when he went." Alex replied. "And Michael is physically strong - his human body can probably deal with the one trip it took throught the portal...but Maria's not strong - and her body had two trips..."

"Are you telling me that her body isn't going to recover?" Isabel demanded, feeling tears beginning to well in her eyes. If so, how were they going to tell Liz? Her friend would never survive the news.

No one was fooled by Liz's imitation of Michael's stone-wall. She was lost without Max... If she lost Maria too....it didn't even bear contemplation.

Not to mention, I LOVE Maria. Isabel reflected. She's like the only bright ray of light left in our morbid group.

It was true. Maria was the glue that held them all together these days. Constantly cheerful, never complaining about her physical condition, always ready with a snappy comeback in true Deluca fashion...

Isabel knew that love of Maria was the only force that kept Liz from physically attacking Michael. Liz's anger at and blame of Michael for Max's disapearance grew deeper every day. It was on the verge of exploding.

And just as every day Liz's anger grew, Michael's guilt practically buried him.

But love of Maria kept them all bonded. Michael went on for her. Liz survived for her.

Tess had finally shown up in the girl's room just as the bell was about to ring for lunch. "What's going on?" She asked. Her face whitened when she saw Maria. "Oh no, not again."

"Listen Tess, we need to get her out of here." Isabel told her friend. "No one can see her like this."

Tess swallowed, nodded. She sat down on the couch, pulled one of Maria's arms over her shoulders. Isabel did the same on the other. The managed to carry her to the door, where Michael was waiting to take her in his arms. Kyle hurried down the hallway ahead of them all. He would be the hall monitor if anyone tried to interfere. Kyle was the only one left with any sort of influence on the other students, even though he hung out with a group that everyone else considered creepy. It was those perfect spiral passes of his that did it...

Five minutes later Michael had gently deposited Maria on the back-seat of the jeep, climbed in beside her, pulling her head down on his shoulder. She fell asleep almost immediately.

And it was then that Isabel had the flash.

She heard Alex yell her name as though from a great distance, "ISABEL!"

She felt herself fall into her boyfriend's arms.

It hurt like hell...it felt like a thousand hammers all slamming into her skull at the same time.

*FLASH

"Mirana! The time has come..." She recognized the voice - but then she didn't...

*FLASH

"Go to where it all began..."

*FLASH

"Your greatest wish will be fulfilled."

*FLASH

"Make the sacrifice and all will be well..."

*FLASH

"Use your dreams..."

And then a face appeared in her mind - a face so familiar and beloved that it brought tears to Isabel's eyes.

The vision ended as suddenly as it had appeared. Isabel blinked, opened her eyes. Alex was staring down at her in terror, his face as white as chalk. Tess and Kyle were hovering over her.

Michael was yelling from the jeep, "Is she alright?"

"I'm okay." She managed to croak, as Alex helped her to her feet.

And then a smile broke across her face. She couldn't help it.

"I saw him! I saw Max!"

They all stared at her.

They were all still staring at her now as she paced. She had refused to tell them anymore since her outburst, telling them that Liz had to be there.

Michael was seated on the couch, Maria curled up next to him. Her eyes were closed, but Isabel knew she was awake. The pasty colour of her skin was worrisome, but she seemed to be holding her own for the moment.

Kyle was leaning against the wall looking tired. He kept glancing at Tess, trying to pretend that he wasn't. By now they all knew that Kyle was in love with the pretty blonde - well, everyone except Tess. She treated him like a brother.

Alex was watching Isabel with concern. He had kept asking her if she was okay, until Isabel finally snapped at him. He wasn't hurt though. He knew she didn't really mean it. He just continued to watch her quietly, his silent support like a balm to Isabel's soul.

"She's here!" Tess told them, turning away from the window where she had been scanning the street for Liz's arrival.

"Finally!" Michael muttered. Isabel thought briefly that it was weird that Michael was actually eager to see Liz, what with all the glaring she treated him to. But Michael almost seemed to revel in it - it helped him to wallow in his own guilt.

The doorbell rang a moment later. Isabel practically sprinted to answer it, grabbed Liz by the arm and hauled her in to join the others.

Liz came to an abrupt stop in the doorway to the living room. She was staring at Michael and Maria. Isabel saw her friend's gaze darken. "You're back." Liz said tightly.

"Yup." Michael replied. Liz's back stiffened.

"Is Maria okay?" She asked evenly.

"Not so good." Michael replied in a monotone.

Maria opened her eyes, grinned weakly. "Um...I can still speak for myself you know. The alien cooties haven't stolen my ablility to communicate."

Liz hesitated briefly, seemed to make an internal decision. She went to sit beside Maria on the couch.

She turned to Isabel. "So what's up Iz?" Isabel could see the glimmer of hope on Liz's face. She couldn't wait to see that hope increase...