Liz had been unaware of the tears streaming down her face until Max stopped talking.

They had finally stopped walking while Max told his story because Liz, Isabel and Alex kept walking into trees in the dark, they were concentrating so hard on what Max was telling them. Now Max was leaning against a tree, Liz seated between his legs, leaning back against his chest. He had practically been in a trance the entire time he had been talking, but she had known that he had been aware of her, stroking her arms every once in a while to warm her up when she shivered, or placing a kiss on her temple or her ear or the back of her head every once in a while. She was pleased that her presence seemed to be comforting him.

Alex and Isabel were sitting side-by-side on a log to their right. Isabel's face was icy - Liz could see the fury she felt at what her brother had been forced to deal with on his own over the past few months. Liz guessed that anger was Isabel's defense mechanism over her true feelings - supreme terror that she was going to either lose Max or Michael - or maybe both, depending on how things went when they tried to rescue Maria. Alex was doing his best to support her, but Isabel flinched away from his touch, clearly needing to deal with this on her own...at least for the moment.

Liz did not blame Isabel for trying not to feel anything - the situation looked impossible. To save Michael, they were going to have to sacrifice Max...or vice versa. Liz felt panic begin to rise in her chest at the thought of losing Max. She had JUST accepted that they belonged together, destiny be damned. How could she let him go now?

Because Liz knew without a shadow of a doubt, if it came down to a choice between Max and Michael, Michael would win out - Max would accept nothing else. He would go with Tarsus of Dernia...and they would lose him.

"I don't know what to say." Alex said suddenly, breaking the stunned silence that they had all been sitting in. "I mean, did you believe all this stuff that he told you about who you really are Max? I don't understand all that blather about the four-square not being complete - I mean, how can Izzy and Tess NOT be important." Alex shook his head. "It doesn't make any sense. What about what that book said? What about what the transmision from your mother?"

Liz felt Max shrug behind her. "I don't know what to believe. He could be lying for all I know. But I do know that he is one of the enemy race our mother spoke of...and I do know that something has happened to Michael. I think we have to believe him."

"Then there's no hope." Isabel said in such a calm manner, it made Liz's blood run cold.

"No Isabel! There's always hope." Liz said urgently. "I mean, Maria told me when I first got home that Michael freaked out when she dated Neal Fremount last fall...that has to mean something?" She looked at Alex appealingly, "Don't you think?"

Alex nodded slowly. "Yeah, I remember that. He was still going through the motions at the Crashdown then..." He looked at Max. "I wonder...do you think that Michael is still in there somewhere?"

Max sighed. "I don't think so." He glanced at Isabel worriedly. She looked so brittle, Liz thought that any wrong word might make her crack. "But maybe. I guess it's worth a try."

"So then what's the plan?" Alex asked, standing up, clearly eager to get the show on the road.

"First and most importantly, we need to get Maria out of there. That's your job guys. I'm going to distract Michael - hopefully he won't know you're there. I know that he knows that I screwed up somewhere...but he doesn't know that I told you guys everything. I'll try and convince him that Liz just won't leave me alone and that I cracked a bit." Max kissed the top of Liz's head, then gently pushed her to her feet.

"And then what?" Isabel demanded. "We're not going to just leave Michael?"

Max scowled. "Of course not!" Liz took his hand, tried to calm him down. "You'll leave and I'll give myself up to Tarsus." Liz closed her eyes, taking deep breaths. She had known he was going to say that...but hearing the words was like a stab to the heart.

"NO Max!" Isabel suddenly exploded. "I can't lose you! I can't!" She was shrieking, quickly becoming hysterical. Liz knew exactly how she felt - wanted to scream too, but she couldn't. Max didn't need her flipping out on him on top of everything else he had to deal with.

Besides - there was no way he was giving himself up to anyone.

She would not allow it.

Max looked helplessly at Alex, who was trying to calm Isabel down. The whole outburst was so unlike Izzy, neither quite knew what to do. Max moved forward, tried to pull her into his arms to comfort her.

Isabel turned away from him, was suddenly quiet, which was almost more terrifying. "I want to talk to Liz alone." She said in a voice that brooked no opposition.

Max and Alex stared at her, turned to Liz hopefully. She nodded. "You guys go wait for us at the highway." Liz could hear the cars whizzing by on the interstate. They were obviously close to the road.

"I don't like leaving you alone." Max said stubbornly. Liz smiled encouragingly at him.

"It's okay Max. We'll just be a minute." Max finally nodded, pulled Liz into his arms for a quick kiss and followed Alex off into the woods.

Liz turned to Isabel. "Are you alright?"

Isabel's face was a mask of ice again. "I refuse to allow this Liz." She said. "We have to stop him and we have to get Michael back too." Her beautiful face set into stubborn lines. "I am not going to lose EITHER of my brothers."

"I understand Isabel. I have no intention of letting Max sacrifice himself either." Liz replied. Isabel eyed her, nodded resolutely.

"Then we're in agreement. Max is in charge, but only if it looks like he's going to be reasonable. I won't let him play the martyr again Liz. He has to learn that we're all in this together or we all lose." Isabel tugged on her hair in frustration. "I don't understand any of this! Why did this thing come after only Max and Michael? Something's wrong here Liz! Was my mother wrong in that message? I mean, its not like we were going to follow that stupid destiny stuff anyway, but can't we trust anything to be the truth?" Isabel's eyes filled with tears.

Liz felt her heart go out to the other girl. Isabel had never wanted anything other than to stay who she was. She loved her parents, her brother, Alex, her friends - her LIFE. She didn't want to be having to make these decisions that seemed to affect whole worlds.

It wasn't fair - fair for any of them.

Liz moved forward, put her arm comfortingly around the taller girl. "I promise that I will do everything in my power to help you in this Isabel. We're in this together - whatever happens - until the end." Liz continued with determination. "And we're going to find out the truth, no matter what it is..."

Isabel's spine straightened. "It's a deal."