Isabel burst through the door and grabbed the pillow from her brother. "Wake up!" she cried. "Didn't you hear me knocking?"

Max sighed and flipped onto his back, kicking off his hot covers as he sat up yawning. "Unfortunately, yes." he answered, rubbing his eyes. He gingerly touched the top of his head, then grimaced. (I'll need to comb these spikes out before I turn into Michael.) He looked up at Isabel, who was still wearing her red pajamas and tousled hair. Max mused. "Is something wrong, Izzy? You're usually the last one up on Saturday mornings."

Isabel sat next to Max and sighed loudly. "I don't know what to do. I've been making myself go crazy thinking about it all night."

"What?" Max asked, getting frustrated at the half-answered answers.

Isabel hesitated. Instead, she tried a different tactic. "OK, remember when Liz was shot and-"

"Of course I do." Max rolled his eyes. Isabel shot him an icy glare. "I'm sorry, I'll shut up."

"Anyway, you told her about us, and we kept telling each other that we can't get involved and stuff?"

Max nodded slowly, trying to shake the cobwebs of sleep from his brain.

She glanced at him with a strange expression. "Do we still have to worry about that? I mean, we haven't found *anything* about home, and we're all kinda attached now. I mean…"

Max was about to protest that they had found some worthy clues when it hit him. Isabel wasn't thinking about home at all. She was talking about…Alex.

He leaned back against his headboard, a thoughtful expression on his face. "I don't know." he said softly. And it was true. Although he told himself he could never get involved with Liz, every time they touched, looked into each other's eyes, he found himself falling deeper and deeper. He ached so much to be with her, especially since the night of her blind date when he thought he was losing her to that pretty boy. And then there was Michael and Maria. Although they denied it, they were attracted to each other like bees to honey. Any fool could see there was more behind their glares and harsh words.

Isabel could see the emotions crossing her brother's face. He got that dreamy look he only used when he thought of Liz. Isabel thought. After a minute she decided he wasn't going to be much help anymore, and that she had to make this decision on her own. "Max?" Isabel snapped her fingers in front of Max's face.

Max blinked twice, focusing his gaze on his waiting sister. "Uh? Right, um-"

"Don't bother thinking anymore." Isabel interrupted. "It's obvious you've got other things on your mind. I'll figure it out on my own." She jumped off the bed and headed out the door, then paused. "Oh, and Max?"

Max looked up. "Yes?"

"Do something about your hair. I don't think I could stand two Michael hairdos."

Liz chewed on the end of her thumbnail, her eyes drinking in word after word of the novel that was resting on her lap. Without taking her eyes off the page, she reached next to her and took a sip of her lemonade. A bird twittered as he flew by, making her glance up. She sighed blissfully, stretching her toes toward the sunlight at the end of her chair. The rest of her was encased by the shadows of the wall behind her.

She raised her eyes to the cloudless blue sky and smiled. she thought to herself. (I could stay out on this balcony forever just lying in the sunshine.) Then the rational side of her mind was saying, Liz giggled softly, shaking her head at her own thoughts. She returned to the book, reading the last page of chapter three.

"Liz."

Liz looked up. The voice sounded a lot like Max's. She stood up and set her book on the table, then went to the edge of the balcony and looked down. Sure enough, Max was standing there in blue jeans and a green shirt, giving her a shy smile.

Liz was unable to stop herself from smiling back broadly, motioning for him to climb the ladder beside her. Max hesitated. "No one's home except me. Come on up." she encouraged him.

A second later he was eye level with her, the same smile on his face. "Hey."

Liz reached out a hand and helped him over the wall. "Hey. What are you doing here?"

Max wandered over to her chair and read the title of her book. "Uh, I was just wondering if you wanted to go for a drive somewhere. It's gorgeous outside." he replied.

Liz grinned. "That would be great. I was thinking the same thing. About the day. Being nice and all, I mean." She paused in her babbling, looking down at her bare feet. "Just let me get my shoes."

He followed her through her window to her bedroom and waited patiently as she slipped on her sandals and tied back her hair. "Let's go out the back way, it's easier." She grinned, leading him down to the Crashdown and out the back alley. They reached the jeep, which was parked in front of the restaurant, and climbed in. "So where are we going?" Liz asked.

Max checked behind him before pulling out and driving down the street. "There's this place I really like, out in the desert…" he said mysteriously. They didn't talk much during the ride out, but it was a comfortable silence.

After a half hour of driving, Max finally stopped the jeep beside an out-cropping of rocks where a couple of lone trees stood bending in the gentle breeze.

"Wow," Liz breathed, staring out at the gentle hills and plains. "You know, the desert never ceases to amaze me."

Max nimbly jumped up onto the rocks, then reached down a hand to help Liz up. Once they were both at the top, he sat down, resting his legs over the edge. "I love to come here when the sun is just setting." he told her. "You look out there," he pointed to the view Liz had commented on, "and you can see all kinds of colors, blue, red, orange, pink, green, purple. The clouds look like cotton candy."

"I've, um, never heard it put that way before." Liz laughed lightly, glancing over at her companion. Max caught her eye and they both stared at each other, lost in thought. Liz could feel her heart starting to race, her head was getting light and she was sinking into his eyes.

I often tell myself
That we could more than just friends
I know you think that if we move too soon
It would all end
I live in misery when you're not around
And I won't be satisfied till we're taking those vows

Max felt as if he would go crazy if he looked into Liz's eyes for another second, so he broke the contact between them. Just being with her, around her, smelling the sweet scent of her shampoo, was enough to drive him over the edge. He couldn't deny that he loved her, after all, he had told her himself. He'd have more luck breaking his leg jumping off this out-cropping of rocks than denying to anyone that he didn't want her. But they couldn't become anything. They had tried before and it hadn't worked.

a little voice in the back of his mind accused.

"Max? Are you OK? You look a little weird." Liz asked softly, her voice sounding miles away.

Max managed to smile and nod. he realized.

Suddenly, with a force so over-whelming, he needed to kiss her. So he did. Liz didn't seem to be too surprised by his lips on hers, and she melted into his embrace immediately. After a long minute, he broke away, conflicting emotions raging in his brown eyes.

Max turned his head away from her. "I'm sorry…I didn't mean to." he whispered.

Liz, usually the calm one, felt as if she were going to explode from frustration. How often had he said that?

What's it gonna be
Cuz I can't pretend, no
Don't you wanna be more than friends
Hold me tight and don't let go
Don't let go
Have the right to lose control
Don't let go

"Max," Liz began, getting onto her knees. "I'm gonna smack you if you use those 'I can't get close because I may go home or I want to protect you' excuses again."

Max jerked his head toward her, shocked. "What?" he sputtered.

"You heard me." Liz said, forcefully making him look in her eyes. "I love you. I want to be with you more than anything. You say you want to protect me from hurting if you leave, from the dangers of the FBI, of you, but that's being selfish. I can make my own decisions, and I want you in them. It hurts more to be away from you." She lowered her voice, reaching out to stroke his hand. "I can't think straight when I not with you. You complete me. I. Love. You."

I often fantasize
The stars above are watching you
They know my heart and speak to yours
Like only lovers do
If I could wear your clothes
I'd pretend I was you and lose control

Max looked slightly less than baffled as Liz finished up her speech. "I'm tired of playing games, Max." she whispered in his ear, crawling over to him and throwing her leg over his, so that she perched on his leg, her hands resting on his shoulders.

Thoughts were racing through Max's head, but the only ones that were surfacing were the ones that told him she was right and that Liz Parker was sitting on his lap.

Running in and out of my life
Has got me so confused
You gotta make the sacrifice
Somebody's got to choose
We can make it if we try
For the sake of you and I
Together we can make it right

Max leaned his forehead against Liz's, feeling her hair against his cheek. "You're right." he said simply.

Liz blinked in surprise. She had expected him to list more reasons of why they couldn't be together.

"I go crazy when you aren't around, too, and I want to be with you more than anything. The only thing in our way is my stubbornness. And I don't think that's going to be a problem anymore." He slowly and gently touched his lips with hers, relishing the taste of her strawberry lip gloss.

Liz kissed him back in response, a smile on her face. She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him, quivering from his touch as he squeezed her back. The kiss was so breathtaking, Liz could see stars behind her eyelids, like she was looking at the universe.

That, in it self, was much more amazing than the beautiful sunset that had begun in front of them.

Hold me tight and don't let go
Don't let go
Have the right to lose control
Don't let go