Isabel turned and smiled at her brother. "Are you going to see Liz?"

Max smiled and nodded.

Isabel was so excited for her brother. He had been in a funk ever since Liz left him in the desert. "I'll tell mom and dad where you went."

"But."

"Mom's been pestering me all week about you and Liz. They will be happy that you decided to work it out," Isabel said as she got out of the jeep.

"Night Is." Max said laughing at his sister.

"Night Max, and I'll tell the folks not to wait up," Isabel said chuckling as she walked toward the front door.

Max put the jeep in gear and drove toward his chosen destiny.

When Max arrived at Liz's, he saw that her lights were on. He got out of his jeep and walked over to her balcony. Max remembered the first time he climbed up the fire escape. The first night he kissed Liz. He was as nervous now as he was then, but excited too.

"Liz, are you there?" Max said lightly, trying to prevent his voice from carrying.

A few moments later, Liz looked down from her balcony. 'God, she was so beautiful," Max thought. "Can I come up?"

Liz nodded and then disappeared from his view.

Max climbed the ladder as he had done many times before. When he got to the top, Liz was sitting in a chair, waiting for him. He walked over to her and sat on the chair next to her.

When Liz heard Max, it was like a dream, one that she has had many times this week. "What's up Max?" Liz asked trying to keep her voice calm.

"Were you studying?" Max asked noticing the biology books on the ground next to her chair.

"I was trying to study, rather unsuccessfully I might add," Liz said with a smile. It felt so good to be talking to Max again.

Max reached out and took Liz's hand in his own. "Liz, I want to thank you for helping us. I have no idea how you got a hold of that box, but we really appreciate it."

Liz looked down to where Max had a hold of her hand. With that touch she suddenly felt alive. "Your welcome, Max," Liz whispered. She wanted so much to ask what was in that box. She wanted to know what Tess was hiding, but she was afraid to ask. She was afraid the answer wouldn't lead her back to Max.

Max let go of Liz's hand and sat there waiting for her to say something more. Something to make him believe that she wanted to be with him, but she stayed silent, not even looking at him.

Max got up from his chair and started back toward the ladder.

"Max," Liz whispered and stood up.

When he turned to look at her, he could see tears in her eyes. He walked over to her and put his arms around her, wanting to make all of her pain disappear.

After a minute, Max pulled away from Liz just far enough so he could look into her eyes. "Oh, Liz," Max whispered brushing her hair away from her face. "I've missed you so much."

"I've missed you too, Max," Liz said trying to hold back the tears that were forming. "I don't feel whole without you."

Max put his hands lightly on Liz's head, running his fingers through her hair. He then gently pulled her toward him for a kiss. As soon as his lips touched hers, he felt complete. It felt so right to hold her and to kiss her and so wrong to be without her.

When the kiss started to intensify, Liz pulled away. "No, Max," Liz said struggling to keep control. "Nothing's changed, you still have a destiny and I can't get in the way of that."

Max watched as Liz took a step back. He wasn't going to let her push him away, not tonight. "You're right Liz, I do have a destiny and that destiny is with you." Max reached out and took a hold of Liz's hand. "We belong together. Every cell in my body is telling me that you are the one."

Liz looked up to Max, scared of what he was saying. How can she be with him? How can she be a part of his destiny?

"I'm connected to you Liz. And deep inside, I think you feel it too."

"Connected to me?" Liz asked, afraid to speculate that he might have noticed the same things she had noticed over the past week.

"I can feel you when you are nearby. If I concentrate, I can sense what you are doing and feeling."

Liz couldn't believe it. He could see what she was doing. How was this possible? Liz pulled away from Max and sat down, because she was afraid if she didn't, she would faint.

"Are you okay, Liz?" Max asked with concern going down on his knee next to her.

In the last few hours, since seeing Max this afternoon, Liz had almost convinced herself that what she had been feeling these past few weeks was nothing, but she couldn't fool her self anymore. Max and her shared a connection which defied explanation.

Liz looked to Max who was kneeled beside her looking so concerned. "I've noticed some strange things too Max," Liz said slowly.

Max reached for Liz's hand, because he couldn't stand to be so near her and not touch her. "Like what?" he asked softly.

"Sometimes, I would sense that you were nearby and I would turn, but you wouldn't be there. But I could feel that you were there and not even my eyes could convince me otherwise."

Max smiled stroking her hand lightly.

Liz continued. "I've also been having these really bad nightmares. Nightmares that I feel, but I don't see," Liz explained. "It is so hard to explain, but I got the feeling, they were coming from you."

Max couldn't believe what he was hearing. Could Liz be experiencing his nightmares at the same time he was? How was that possible?

"Does this make any sense to you Max?"

Max shook his head. "I don't understand it, Liz, but I know I can't be without you," Max said pulling Liz's hand to his mouth to kiss. "We are a part of each other Liz Parker and nothing can change that."

Liz smiled and tears came to her eyes. She knew he was right. They were a part of each other. Liz reached out with her other hand and touched Max's hair and his skin. It felt so good to be close to him, to touch him.

Slowly, Max got up and sat in the chair next to her. "I love you, Liz," Max whispered putting his face into her hair.

"I love you, too, Max Evans," Liz said letting herself enjoy the feel of his body next to hers.

---

Michael tapped lightly at Maria's window, afraid he would wake up her mother. After a few moments, a light finally came on in her room.

Maria went to the window groggy and upset someone was interrupting her dream. If it was Alex with another tidbit about him and Isabel, she was going to kill him. Maria was surprised to see Michael waiting patiently outside of her window. She opened the window trying not to get too excited about seeing him. "What do you want?" Maria whispered.

"Can I come in?" Michael asked.

Maria looked at the clock on her bedside table. "It's 1am, Michael. I'm not in the mood for you to reject me."

"Why would I come here to reject you? I want to talk."

Maria knew from the moment she saw him that she could not push him away, no matter what he wanted. "Come on in."

"Aren't you going to let me in the front door?"

"No," Maria said glad she could torture him a little bit, "I don't want to take a chance on waking my mother."

So Michael proceeded to climb through the window which was barely big enough for him to fit through. Maria watched him enjoying every minute of it. If he was here to apologize, she wasn't going to make it easy on him and if he was here to hurt her more, she wanted to make him suffer some too.

Finally Michael was in. He knew Maria was trying to make him suffer and he knew he deserved it. When Michael looked up, Maria was sitting on her bed laughing at him. "What do you want Michael?"

Michael sat down on the bed next to Maria, wanting to be close to her. "I want to talk."

Maria could tell something was really bothering him. So she decided to let her defenses down. "What's wrong?" Maria asked with concern reaching out to take his hand in her own.

"Did you help Liz get that box from Tess?" Maria nodded so Michael continued, "Liz also explained to you about our previous lives?"

"Yes, she did."

"Well the box contained the memories from our previous lives," Michael said looking down at Maria's hand which was on top of his own. "Oh God, Maria, I had a family, a mother, a father, and a sister."

"Michael," Maria whispered wishing she knew what to say.

Michael looked toward Maria, taking in her eyes and her mouth. She was so beautiful. "I let them down, Maria. When my parents died, they asked me to take care of my sister, but I failed. I wasn't there for her when she needed me."

Maria could see the pain in his eyes. She wanted so much to take it away. She reached up with her hand and brushed his cheek. She then leaned in close to kiss him lightly on the mouth.

When she kissed him, Michael turned his body and put his arms around her. He pulled her close wanting to feel her body next to his own. He felt whole when he was with Maria. He felt complete in her arms. The rest of the world didn't matter as long as he had her.

They kissed for what felt like an eternity and then Maria reached down to put her hands under his shirt. She started to pull it up over his head when he stopped her.

"Maria, we shouldn't," Michael whispered trying unsuccessfully to pull away from her.

Maria bit him playfully on the neck and said, "You aren't allowed to reject me twice in one week Michael Guerin."

"But."

"But nothing, Michael, I love you and I want to be with you."

"I love you too, Maria," Michael whispered pulling her tightly into his arms and kissing her passionately. It didn't matter what happened tomorrow. Tonight he was going to be with the woman he loved.

Epilogue -- When Maria woke up the next morning, Michael was nowhere in sight. She guessed he snuck out early in order to avoid the wrath of her mother. She looked at the clock. It was 7am. She had a bio test today, which she was sure to fail, but she felt wonderful.

When Maria got out of bed, she noticed a note beside her pillow. She smiled and reached for note. "This is unexpected," she said out loud to herself. Michael never seemed the type to leave a note.

Maria opened the note and as she read, she felt her heart break a million times over.

Maria, I'm sorry to leave you like this but I must stay with my sister. I failed her in my previous life, I can't fail her in this one. I didn't come here last night to make love to you. I came to say goodbye. What happened will always be very special to me, know that and know that I will always love you. M

Maria couldn't believe what she was reading. He was leaving her, leaving Roswell. Maria reached for the phone. She dialed Michael's number first, not expecting an answer. She then dialed Liz's number. When Liz answered, Maria was so upset she could barely talk. After a minute, Liz figured out that Maria needed to see her, Max, and Isabel, right away.

Maria quickly threw on some clothes and got the cars keys, avoiding contact with her mother. Maria could barely see the road through her tears, but somehow she made it to the Crashdown.

Liz was waiting for her inside. As soon as she saw Liz, she ran to her and hugged her.

"What's wrong Maria? What happened?" Liz asked trying to calm her friend down.

"It's Michael. He left," Maria cried reaching into her pocket and pulling out the note he left her.

Just then Max and Isabel walked into the Crashdown. They heard what Maria said so they quickly went over to check out the note she had.

Isabel grabbed it and quickly read it and then handed it to Max. "Oh my God, Max, he left with them," Isabel gasped trying unsuccessfully to hold back her tears.

Max scanned the note and then reached for his sister and took her into his arms. He couldn't believe it. Michael actually left them. He left Roswell. ----