He took her hand in his and kissed it and then looked into her eyes. Something was bothering her and he already knew what it was. He pulled the blankets on them and then wrapped his arms tightly around her.

"Maria," he whispered. She smiled. She loved the way he said her name. It sounded like a song on his lips.

"Max," she whispered back. He tightened his grip. He gently kissed her forehead.

"Everything is going to be OK," he said in her ear. Maria went silent and Max knew she was just thinking. But, her motionless body made him uncomfortable because he knew it was when she would remember. She looked into his eyes again and tried her best to smile.

"I know, but I can't help worrying." She said. He brushed some hair from her face. He looked into her eyes again and smiled at the thought of getting lost in them. They were a very strange, but beautiful shade of blue mixed with gray and green. It was like an ocean, like her eyes were the ocean.

"You want to know something?" He asked.

"Hmm?"

"Do you remember when we used to say how we needed to find home...because Roswell...because the earth wasn't it?" He asked her. He could feel her nodding yes. "Funny thing is that whenever I go up there...in space...I know I'm close. Close to where I am from, but..." He looked into her eyes when he said this. "I never feel the farthest away from my home than I do when I'm away from you."

She playfully hit him lightly. "Oh Max," she said sniffling back the tears. "don't say stuff like that. It always makes me feel like something could happen to you. Like it did to--"

"Shhhh..." he placed his finger over her mouth. "don't talk about it. It only hurts you and I want you to be happy."

She nuzzled closer to him to keep herself warm. "I know, but it always hurts. I just...miss him." She couldn't even say his name without hurting even more.

"I do too."

She wiped away at her invisible tears. "It's been so long, but I still miss him...I still miss Michael." She looked away from Max. "I'm sorry. I hate doing this to you."

"Maria, stop. I know you loved him. Believe me I know. And I also know that you will never stop loving him..." He told her. "and that's OK."

Maria closed her eyes again and tried to wash away Michael's enchanting face from her thoughts. It only hurt to think of him. She tried desperately, but he wouldn't leave her thoughts. She opened her eyes again and saw Max staring down at her. She decided to change the subject.

"Promise me you won't get hurt up there," she said.

He put his hand up like a boy scout. "Scout's honor."

"You were never a boy scout!" She said smiling and playfully hitting him.

"Alright, alright! I surrender!" He cried. He grabbed her arms and pulled her to him again. "I swear I'll be fine," he whispered.

"I don't know Max," she said. "It's just that I know you've been up there before, you know, being an astronaut and all. But, it's not like you're going up in a regular shuttle or anything. You're going up in one of your spaceships. For the first time and thinking about how it crashed back in 1947...how am I supposed to trust that you'll be fine?"

"You kind of just have to." He whispered. "Look at me," he moved her face to look him directly in the face. "Have I ever broken a promise?" He asked.

"No," she said.

"That's right and I don't intend on starting now," he said. Maria smiled to show that she felt better.

///Flashback///

"Maria, I swear I'll be OK," Michael told his wife. He hugged her tightly. The tightness of the hug made tears fall from her eyes.

"Promise me you'll come back," she cried quietly. He let go of her so he could look into her eyes.

"Maria, you're my wife. I love you more than anything. I'm only going up there to see my family. My 'real' family and then I'm coming back to you." He gently touched her chin. "You're my home." He hugged her again.

"And you're mine," she whispered.

Michael pulled a necklace out of his pocket and handed it to her.

"Here," he said as she took it in her hand. "See that little stone?" She nodded. "It's from the rocks that you used to save my life. Everytime you feel you can't make it alone just squeeze it tightly and you'll hear me saying 'I love you.'" He said.

"Then I'll be squeezing it every second."

"Something has happened," Isabel said.

"What do you mean?" Maria asked. Isabel looked to Max then back to her.

"His ship crashed Maria." Isabel tried her best to say it without bursting into tears. "I'm sorry."

Maria's mouth dropped opened. This is not what she expected. She expected to hear about him wanting to stay, about maybe them losing contact, about him falling for some alien chic up there, but she did NOT expect to hear that his ship had crashed.

"He's dead, isn't he?" Maria asked. Tears rolled down her cheeks. Isabel looked at Maria and could see her world crumbling. Maria shook her head. "No, don't answer that." She put her hand to her mouth in case she screamed from the horror. She doubled over as the sobs came. "He suffered. I know it. I could feel it. He was suffering."

Isabel ran over and wrap her arms around Maria. She gently kept running her hands through Maria's hair to comfort her. "Shhh...Everything is going to be OK."

"Why did he have to do it? Why did he have to go back?" Isabel continued to rock Maria back and forth. "He had me! I loved him! Wasn't that enough?" She cried. She grabbed on to her necklace and squeezed it. "I can't hear him!" She cried. She continued to squeeze it tighter and tighter, but heard nothing. He palm began to bleed from her finger nails digging in. "Why can't I hear him?"

///Flashback///

Maria's eyes jerked open. She winced at the brightness of the sun coming from the window. She started to strech then stopped when she looked down at her hand. She was squeezing her necklace and her hand was bleeding again just like everytime she had the dreams.

She looked over and didn't see Max so she got up and stretched. She went into the bathroom and washed off her hand then put her robe on and went into the kitchen.

She stopped and leaned on the opened door to the kitchen. She stared at Max. He was sitting at the table in only his boxers and just staring at the empty table top. He sat so still you'd think he was a statue.

He looked up at her and Maria could see the worry in his eyes. He sat there staring at her for a few minutes.

"I'm scared," he breathed. Maria walked over to him and sat down next to him. She rubbed his shoulders comfortingly. She wanted to use his fear to get him to stay, but she had to be strong for him.

"Everything is going to be OK. You made a promise and I know you'll keep it," she said to him. Silence. "Max, why are you going up there?" She finally asked.