Her love for him came from the first time she had seen him. It had come from the jealousy she felt when he was with Liz. It came from a part of her she never knew she had, until she walked into Max Evans’ life.

Tess knew the others could have cared less if she’d jumped off a bridge when she first arrived. But they all had warmed up to the idea of her being around. Maybe they just felt sorry for her because Nasedo was gone. Who knew? At least she had a home, and she had Max, sort of.

Kyle Valenti seemed very interested in her. But he was human and she was alien. Look where that had gotten Max. Somehow Michael had made it with Maria, for the time being at least. Tess didn’t’ really believe that it was real love, lust maybe, but at least Michael was sorta happy.

Tess approached the bench and sat by Max’s side. Just having him close to her made her wild. She didn’t know how long she could sit there without touching him, without taking him in her arms and pulling him close. She didn’t know how long she could take it before she told him everything she was feeling. If she didn’t get up now… Well maybe she’d just burst into flames from the heat that coursed through her body.

They sat there silently side by side. She had no clue what to say. Usually she had no problem talking, thinking of the right thing to do. But around Max she felt tongue-tied, she felt dumb struck. It was like there was nothing she could do on her own, that he had some power over her that he didn’t even know he had.

Max look at her and something in his eyes was different. The loneliness she associated with Max and his eyes, wasn’t there. In it’s place was…well she didn’t know what it was. She saw desire, acceptance. Or was that just what she wanted to see.

Tess reached out and touched Max’s cheek, lightly brushing her fingers over the face she knew so well. She tried to get him to feel her love, tried to send it through her hand, into his skin. But he knew she loved him. That’s what killed her. He knew every emotion she felt for him and he didn’t return one ounce of that love, not even a tiny bit.

But this time he did not cringe at her touch, he did not recoil like her hand was a snake ready to bite. This time he was receptive, his head pushing against her hand. She looked into his eyes.

"You remember, don’t you? You remember everything. Why can’t I remember? Why?"

"I don’t know. Sometimes I wish I could forget."

"You said that before. But I want to remember. For me, for Michael, for Isabel, but mostly for you. I can’t look at you without wondering why you remember and I don’t. I feel jealousy, but mostly I feel pain." Max reached out and placed his hands on either side of her face. "I can’t imagine how much it hurts to know I loved you once, and to have me ignore you now. But I do love you. I always have. But I can’t help but thinking you are comparing us, me and who I used to be."

"Max, I used to love you. But that was then. I love you now. Not because of who you were, but because of who you are now."

"If only I remembered…"

"Forget the past," Tess whispered. "We have the future." She brushed her lips against his and slid her arms around his neck. Max’s strong arms wrapped around her and he returned the kiss.