I smiled as Max put his arm around shoulders. It was happening again, he was loving me. I knew. From the way he treated me at New York. He wants Liz. But, he needs me. And besides, Liz slept with Kyle. Everything changed. I thought I would have to do this myself. I'm almost thankful that Liz slept with Kyle. But, I'm not. She hurt Max so much, she hurt me.

I remember our wedding day. I remember the way he looked at me walking down the aisle. I remember our kiss. I remember the cake. I remember his mother. I remember my mother. I remember how our lives changed after that. I remember. . .

I gave Max a chance, and he came through for me. He came through for him, too. It's not just destiny. I knew he wouldn't love me the minute we met, the King always needed time. It's not just destiny anymore. It's love. Real, true love. He may not realize it yet, but I believe that.

But, then I saw Liz walk pass us. She looked at us and looked like she was going to burst into tears. I actually feel sorry for her. At first, I didn't like her and she didn't like me. We both thought the other was intruding. Taking our true love. Taking what was theirs.

I had been selfish. I admit it. At first, I didn't give Max time. He still loved Liz. He loves Liz now, but he loves me, too. He feels betrayed, and hurt, even though Liz and him are friends now. I need him and he needs me. I need him to live. Just like Liz needs him to live.

I guess we do have something in common.

Liz

I burst in the girls bathroom and looked at my face in the mirror. I was going to cry. Tears dropped from my eyes. Why oh why oh why did I ever make it look like I slept with Kyle? Who gives a shit if they all died? Not me.

The door opened. I glanced at the open door. It was her. It was the enemy. The one that killed the passion between Max and I. The trampy blonde that came between my only true love on this earth and me. And he wasn't even from earth. Neither was she.

"What happened?" She asked. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," I lied.

"No, you're not, Liz," Tess arugued.

"What do you want? Haven't you done enough already?" I yelled at her.

"I'm sorry," Tess said. I didn't let her continue.

"You come into Max's life, you break us apart, and now you're just smiling at the whole situation!" I shouted. "How can you be so selfish! You're not the only person on this earth!"

"No, but there's only four people like me on this planet," Tess said. "And who said I only care about myself? What about you? You hurt Max so much, you even hurt me."

"Yeah, right, Tess," I choked on her name. I swallowed down tears. "We have something no one else has! A bond, a love, we share something-"

"We do, too," Tess said slowly and clearly. "I remember stuff from my our past, I remember the way he loved me, the way he touched me, the way he looked at me. Liz, you had the chance to feel what I felt, and you did. Your time is over. He loves me."

The three words tore through me like a ton of bricks through my stomach, like a slap in the face, like a bucket of ice cold water over my head. But, it was worse than all of those. Yes, it was much, much worse. It was true.

"Leave me alone!" I yelled. I burst out of the girls bathroom, fighting with every nerve in my body not to cry an ocean in front of all these people.

I had to face the truth.

Max

I looked at Michael as I walked in the Crasdown Cafe. Maria had him cornered in a corner. They looked really serious as they talked. I sat down at a booth. Then, Liz walked out of the back. She saw me. Our eyes met. Liz broke the stare and went to wait on a couple at the booth behind me. I could feel her eyes burning in the back of my head.

Tess entered, glanced at Liz and then looked at me. She smiled. Tess is Tess and Liz is Liz. Both different and beautiful. Everytime Liz and I kissed we had flashes. Everytime Tess and I kissed we had flashes. I liked them both-as friends. Love. . .is another question.

Destiny. Love.

It wasn't just Destiny, I realzed. It was love. I loved Tess for always trusting me and loving me. I loved Liz for. . .I don't know why I loved her. Ever since I saw her and Kyle. . .nothing's been the same. Absolutely nothing has been the same.

Tess sat across from me. I stared into her eyes. Her endless beautiful blue eyes. Her hair was down, unlike most days. "Can I get you guys something?"

Liz. She avoided Tess's gaze. Tess gave her a look that meant: You can't Avoid me Forever. What went on in the girls bathroom during school?

Maria

"I ask the questions, Michael," I said to Michael.

"Why you?" He teased.

"Michael, why are being such a jerk?" I asked.

"I'm not," Michael denied.

"Yeah, that's why you look at all the humans-" I paused when Liz came in and passed us. "-like we're some enemy. Like you're higher than us. Like I mean absolutely nothing to you."

"Who said you did?" Michael asked in a cold voice.

I shook my head as I said, "I feel really sorry for Izzy. She has to live her life with an alien who doesn't care about anybody but himself." I walked away.

I hated Michael. That was the truth.

If ONLY.

I loved Michael and ever since they figured out his 'destiny' thing he's treated me like shit. I couldn't take it anymore. I know everyone thought I was all tough, but I was about to cry. I walked out of the back. Liz was waiting on Tess and Max at a booth. I wish I was Isabel. I sighed and watched Max look at Tess like he used to look at Liz.

I realized Liz was avoiding Tess' eye and Tess kept looking at her with the you-can't-avoid-me-forever-look. The look I give Michael all the time. The look that changed MY destiny. Maybe he can avoid me forever. Liz passed me and I grabbed her arm watching Tess put the moves on Max.

"Liz, what's going on?" I asked her.

"Nothing," she lied.

"Why are you avoiding Tess?" I asked.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Liz lied again.

"Did you guys get in a fight or something?" I asked. I can always get something out of my best friend.

"No, Maria!" Liz finally broke free of my grip.

I watched her walk away. Liz never lies to me. Okay-sometimes. But, mostly we were pretty honest with each other. I walked to a table with a group of people who just walked in. Three couples. Just like it was before Tess came. . .

Life sucks.

Michael

Maria couldn't have meant what she said, could she? Does she actaully think I'm selfish? Well, screw her. I smelled smoke and noticed I had burnt my third burger in a row.

Liz smirked. "Are you gona burn all of 'em, Michael?"

"Cut me some slack, okay?" I threw a couple other patti's on. "I'm trying to deal with the fact that my one and only true love feels sorry for the girl I'm meant to be with because she thinks I'm selfish." I realized I had just said what I really felt to Liz, Maria's best friend.

"Okay," Liz walked away.

I stared into space, thinking about home-yes, real home. Wondered what it was like to be a warrior when this war was going on-wait, it's still going on. Just thinking that people were dying up there killed me. Yeah-I'm not a big emotional guy, but it's just wrong.

I saw something. I saw Isabel crying in my arms, and a dead child in front of us-our baby. I snapped back to the back of the CrashDown Cafe, in Roswell, New Mexico. I saw me and Iz again. I started crying in this vision thing.

I realized I had just had a memory from home. I ran out of the back and to Max sitting at a booth with Tess. "Max!" I said. "I-I need to talk to you for a minute-alone."

"What is it?" Max asked when we got in the back.

"I saw a Flash from home," I said. "Isabel was crying in my arms because our baby was just killed." I blurted everything out.

"Your baby was killed?" Max repeated.

Tears sprang to my eyes. The pain was returning. The pain I had on our home planet, before we ever came here. Before I ever met Maria, when I loved Isabel. I shrugged. "I guess so," I said.

"I'm sorry," Max said.

"Why?" I asked.

"You lost a child," Max said.

I shrugged again. "You probably said it in the other lifetime, also."

Max looked to his feet. "Yeah. . .well, I guess that's what friends are for, right?" Max said.

Max Evans, the King, just admitted we were friends.

Maybe we were, deep down, even though we fought all the time.

Tess

Max and I left the Crashdown Cafe. He slipped his hand into mine. We walked down the street in silence. Just like at home. Max whispered, "Tess?"

"Yes?" I replied.

"What happened between you and Liz?" Max asked me.

"We had a small argument," I said.

"What'd she say to you?" Max asked.

"She said I was selfish and that you and her had a special bond," I said.

"What'd you say back?" We had stopped walking.

"I said we did, too," I said. "You and me-I mean. We had a special bond."

Max looked at his feet.

What would happen next?

Max

My bride. . .My wife. . .My love. . .in another lifetime.

But, I couldn't hide it, I loved her in this one, too.

I looked up at Tess, and took her face in my hands. I kissed Tess. I saw flashes. Flashes of Tess and me. Flashes of. . .home. Tess hit the wall as we kissed. She put her hands on my shoulders and moved her tongue against mine. I saw a flash of Tess at home, when I first met her. We pulled apart.

I truly loved her again.

Liz

I saw Tess and Max kiss. You could tell Max had kissed her. And you could tell there was tongue. My eyes stung. I swallowed. I turned and walked slowly, watching my feet, getting faster and faster. I was finally running.

I was running and crying. The air in my face refreshed me. I wanted to hear the voice of Max Evans yelling for me to come back, telling me it was just a mistake, but I didn't. All I heard was my footsteps. I broke down on my knees and hot tears streamed down my cheeks.

It was over.

I looked at the street left to me. I saw Maria walking toward me. She kneeled by me. "Liz! What happened?" She pleaded. I fell into her arms, my best frend, Maria.

I told her everything. She once again tried to make excuses for Max. "No, Maria," I said firmly. "He kissed her. He loves her. He's moved on. Now it's my turn. I know Max and I can be friends, but he belongs with Tess."

And I was ready to live with that.

Maria told me about Michael and her. They made up ten minutes ago and had one last good-bye kiss. I said sorry for lying to her.

I looked at Max, the next day and didn't see an alien that didn't love me. I saw Max, happy and he loved me-as a soulmate, a best friend.