“Today, in gym class, something weird happened, I don’t know. I t was like he blacked out for a sec.” Max said.

“What do you mean blacked out?” Michael was pacing across the room.

“He didn’t actually black out, he just… it was like he saw a ghost. He was in the middle of wrestling and suddenly he stopped and was staring into space. After that, he just kind of… hung aloof.”

Michael stopped pacing and just stared at his friend. “You mean like how we get after we’ve had a flash.”

Max looked up at Michael, realizing that, that was what had happened. “Oh God…” he whispered. What if he saw something? He might know. The shooting and everything, who I am.

“He’s on to us Maxwell, I know it.”

“Michael, we don’t know that. If in the event that he did have a flash, he would only know about me.”

“And that’s supposed to be better?” Michael shouted.

The boys didn’t know what to do. Do they confront him? Ignore him? Wait for him to make the first move? Run away?”

“Michael, we have to face this. You know as well as I do that there a more of them, a lot more, waiting to find us and kill us. If we don’t take action, then we’ll all die. We’ve already lost Tess.”

After much arguing, they decided to kidnap Jason. They could take him somewhere and find out where he’s from and everything else about his people. At least they would get some answers. But they needed to do it a time when nobody was around. When all eyes weren’t focused on them. They needed Sheriff Valenti’s help.

The next day, Max arrived at the police department. An old Native American officer was standing at the front desk. Max walked up to him awkwardly.

“Can I help you?” he asked snidely.

“I’m looking for the sheriff. It’s important.”

The officer stared at him for a while then came around the desk. “Follow me.” He led him to the sheriff’s office and Valenti let him in.

“Max?” Valenti rose from his desk in surprise. “What’s wrong?” seeing the troubled expression on the young man’s face.

“I need your help sheriff. There’s someone… after us. They want us dead. They’ve already gotten Tess and—“

The sheriff cut him off abruptly. “Wait a minute, gotten Tess? Max, what are you talking about son?”

“Jason Christensen.” Max said solemnly. “He’s new in Roswell. Him and his family. He took Tess and we think he killed her. He knows about me sheriff. We need to stop him.”

“Listen Max. I’ll do whatever it takes to help you out here. But if he’s killed someone, that’s a crime that needs to be reported.”

“Sheriff, if he’s killed someone, and isn’t stopped, we have to stop him. Before there’s anyone to report.”

The sheriff knew that he would be going against all his duties but he didn’t care. This boy saved his son’s life and he was indebted to him.

“Ok Max, what do you want to do?”

Max and Valenti decided that they would get him and his parents and take them out to he old soap factory the night of West Roswell’s Homecoming dance, when everyone would be busy. Now, the only problem was waiting.

------------------------------

It was the day before homecoming and not only had Liz found a dress, but Maria had a date. She was extremely desperate but when Paulie, one of Kyle’s jerk jock friends asked her to go with him, she decided she wasn’t that desperate. She took Hunk, the Swedish exchange student.

“So, I told him, 'don’t wear a green cumber bund because it’s a turquoise dress and there is a difference’ he just looked at me and nodded his head. I don’t think the guy had a clue as to what I had just said!”

Liz and Maria were cleaning off the plates from a table at the Crashdown and Maria was rambling on about her date.

“Maria, just be glad you’re going, you know? Be grateful.” Liz assured her, always trying to be positive.

“Oh that’s easy for you to say miss my-dates-a-hot-new-guy-that-rocks-and-thinks-I-rock-too.”

Liz rolled her eyes and heard the bells to the doors of the café ring. She looked over to see Jason coming in.

“Well here he is now.” Maria said, walking over to the counter taking Liz’s dishes with her. Liz went over to greet him.

“Hey”

“Hey Liz.”

“What’s up?”

“Nothing, but I did have something I wanted to tell you.” He smiled and led her to a booth.

“What is it?” she asked smiling back at him, taking a seat.

“Liz, I really don’t know how to tell you this, I mean considering that I’ve only known you for a matter of weeks but I can’t lie.”

“What do you mean?” Liz asked narrowing her eyes.

“Liz, I’m afraid…”

“It’s ok, you can tell me.”

“I’m afraid I’m falling in love with you.”

Liz was stunned.

“And I don’t know what to do because all I do is think about you and how much I want to be with you but I know you said that you wanted to take things slow and I respect your wish. It’s just driving me crazy.”

Liz didn’t know what to say. She really liked him and thought he was a great guy. And now she’s found out hat he is in love with her. She just smiled. Jason saw her smile and leaned over across the table and kissed her. She was a bit surprised but eventually gave in. It was too good a kiss. In fact, it was a great kiss. Deep and passionate. Just then, while Liz and Jason were sharing their little moment, Max walked by the windows of the I, ready to come in. He saw the two of them sitting there kissing. Liz glanced over and saw Max staring at them with utter disbelief on his face. She backed away from Jason and got up. Max walked away down the street and Liz was ready to go after him but Jason grabbed her arm.

“Liz, what’s wrong?”

“I, I, need to go. There’s something I needed to do and I totally forgot.” Liz ran out the door, leaving her shift for the third time in two weeks. Hopefully Maria wouldn’t notice. Jason watched her run away. He knew she was lying but he couldn’t go after her.

Liz ran down the street in the rain after Max. She caught up to him and grabbed his arm.

“Max, Max, you have to stop. Just let me explain.”

“Explain what Liz? You said you didn’t want to be with me. And now I see why.” Max stared at her with pain in his eyes, pain that Liz could see.

“Max, no, that’s unfair. That’s not why I left and you know it. I left so you could pursue your life with Tess without me in it. Jason, he just kissed me. I didn’t want to hurt you like that Max, I love you.”

Max stood there with he rain pouring down as he felt a familiar feeling. He remembered that almost the same thing happened a few months ago. It was raining and him and Tess had just kissed. Liz saw them but forgave him because it simply meant nothing. Now he was in her shoes. Only this time, they weren’t a couple so she wasn’t cheating.

“Liz, Tess is dead.”

Liz couldn’t believe it. “What?”

“Jason killed her Liz. He’s not who he says he is.”

“Wait a minute Max. How dare you say something like that? I mean I know it hurt that we kissed but—“

“Liz, it true. He’s an alien. An evil one. He killed Tess and he’s going to kill the rest of us next.” Max let out, still shaken up by the thought of Liz kissing the enemy.

Liz couldn’t take it anymore. No more lies. “Max, I can’t believe I came after you to listen to this. Goodbye Max.” She ran away back into the Crashdown.

“Liz! Liz wait!” he called after her. But she ignored him. “Oh God Liz. Please…” he whispered to himself.

When Liz got back into the Crashdown, everyone stared at her. She was soaking wet. Maria ran over to her and put her arm around her to warm her up. “Oh my God Liz, what were you doing out there? It’s pouring rain.”

“Nothing important.” She said coldly.

Jason came over to her and took her hand. “Liz, tell me the truth. Why’d you run out?”

“It was Max.” She answered. Jason followed Liz as she went to the back room, grabbing another waitress’s uniform. “He saw us kissing and I wanted to explain but he started telling me these crazy lies.”

“It’s ok Liz.” He put his arms around her cold, wet body. He then backed away. “Liz, why were you two so close?”

Liz just stared at him for a moment, confused.

Jason corrected himself. “I mean, what was it about you guys that brought you so close. I mean I don’t know of anybody who break’s up with each other yet still loves the other person.”

Liz walked towards the couch and sat down. “Well, we were just… different. He loved me so much and I loved him but I guess our differences caused us to walk different paths. We just wanted different things.”

Knowing who Max was and how Liz knew who he was, he couldn’t help but ask, “Well then why did you love him? If you two were so different that you couldn’t be together, why would you even notice him, let alone fall in love with him in the first place?”

Liz bit her tongue. “Oh, well you see I was shot and he saved my life with the touch of his hand. That pretty much sums the first date area.” She thought to herself.

“It’s a weird story. He just… touched me. In a way that nobody else had. And then something just sort of, well… tore us apart I guess.”

“Or do you mean someone?”

Liz looked at her feet. “Well, yea. She didn’t mean to, well, actually she did, but it couldn’t be helped. Max had feelings for her. The kind that don’t just go away.”

Jason was still unsure on that situation considering he knew nothing of their past lives on their other planet. Then he realized it. It was Tess. She and Max were both the same, genetically. Of course they would want to be together. He knew there were two males and two females in the group. And it was most likely that Tess was the one that Max was meant to be with – she was all over him when he first arrived here in Roswell. Anyone could see that. Then he suddenly felt even worse for Liz. Max had manipulated her, as did Tess. Liz was willing to put all differences aside just to be with him but he let her down when he chose to be with Tess.

Liz could see that Jason was deep in thought. “Umm, I’m gonna just go and get changed.” She said getting up.

“Uh yea, I better get going. I’ll see you tomorrow Liz. And be ready.”

“For what?”

“Tomorrow night. I promise you Liz. I’ll make it the best for you.”