*****

Two months earlier...

"Isabel, are you going out with Grant again? I thought I told you to stay away from him?" said Max as he entered Isabel's room.

Isabel gave him a look that said, 'Get off my case' as she continued to dress in jeans and a tight fitting top that showed off her figure. "Max, I've told you before, you may be the King, but I'm not bowing down to you. If I choose to go out with Grant, that's my business, not yours." She gave him a pointed look before adding,"Besides , why is it okay to go out with him when you want me to spy on him, but not for my own pleasure? I do have a life Max, or I want one anyway, and if that means dating Grant, then that's what I'll do." She finished putting on her shoes and turned towards Max. "You can't have it both ways Max, so just let me lead my life and we will both be fine."And with that she flew out the door to meet Grant.

Max, leaned back against the door frame and closed his eyes. He had to get over this feeling. Isabel deserved a life and not Max's interferrence. But he couldn't deny any longer the feelings he had. The feelings whenever Isabel went on a date...or entered a room...his feelings for Isabel. They had always been strong, ever since they came out of the pods. A connection...a bond that was so strong that they could feel when the other was in trouble. They were raised as brother and sister, but they knew it wasn't true. They didn't know how they knew, but they did. Just like they just knew about other things, like when they first discovered their powers, or how they knew they were aliens. They accepted that they were raised as sibs and had treated each other that way from the begining. But for the past year or so, Max had felt something else for Isabel. Desire. Watching her dress always aroused him, and she never even noticed. She still treated him like she always did. But things weren't the same for him. He loved the way her long hair swayed when she walked. The way she scrunched up her nose when she didn't like something. The way she rolled her eyes and gave a little laugh when she found something funny. He loved her. Max snapped out of his thoughts and headed to his room. He would spend this evening home alone. No date with Liz to cover up his love for Isabel. It would just be him alone with his thoughts for the night.

******

Isabel entered her room quietly and closed the door. She leaned against it, and closed her eyes, sighing heavily. She was so tired. The evening had been long and boring as usual. Keeping up this pretense of wanting to date Grant was taking its' toll on her.But if she was going to have any kind of a life, she had to begin somewhere. She walked over to her nightstand and turned on the lamp. She swallowed a scream as she saw Max sitting on her bed. "What are you doing here sitting in the dark on my bed?" demanded Isabel. Her heart was still racing from the shock of finding Max in her room.

Max got up off of her bed slowly and approached her. He looked like he wanted to say something , but was unsure on how to start. Finally when he spoke , she couldn't believe what he was telling her. "Isabel, I need to talk to you and I just don't know how to begin." Max turned and walked a short distance from her, before turning and looking at her again. "This is difficult for me, but I need to say it. I...I really don't know how you are going to take it...maybe I ..." Changing his mind he said, "Uh, look, never mind. This was a bad idea and I'm sorry to have scared you. Goodnight Is," Max turned and started to open the door.

"Max, wait! You would not have been waiting in my room unless it was important. Just tell me what it is," said Isabel, anxious now and frightened by how Max was acting.

Max froze with his hand on the door. This was it. Now or never. He turned to face her and said, "Isabel I have these ...feelings." He started to approach her slowly as he continued to speak, "I have these feelings for...you," he finished quietly, watching her face for her reaction.

Isabel sucked in her breath. Whatever she had been expecting, this wasn't it. Never had she dreamed that he would tell her this.That he had feelings for her. "Max, I..I don't know what to say. You mean you have feelings that are...?"

Max nodded his head and stood within a breath from her. "I can't help it Isabel. I have fought this for so long, and now I can't anymore. Seeing you with Grant is driving me crazy."

Isabel stared at him and then turned away from him and walked toward her window. "I see. You have feelings for me because I'm dateing Grant? Max, that is normal. You have feelings of protectiveness. That's all. I'm okay with Grant. He isn't going to hurt me, and I'm not revealing any secrets to him. Just relax," said Isabel.

Max realized that Isabel had misunderstood him, and in that second he knew he would not correct her. It had been a mistake telling her. He would not make that mistake again. "Yeah, I guess you're right. I'm sorry. I'll try not to be so hard on him. Have a goodnight Isabel." He walked to her, and hugged her to him, kissing her forehead, and smelling her sweet scent. Isabel hugged him back and said goodnight, before watching him leave.

******

Isabel lay in her bed , her thoughts running over her conversation with Max. It had been strange to say the least. She started to drift off when her eyes flew open with comprehension of what Max had said. "I have feelings for you," that's what he had said. Oh my God! He had feelings for her like that of a lover. That had to be what he meant. What was she going to do? She quickly got out of bed and began to pace her room.

This could not be. They were close. Always had been, but they had treated each other as sibs since they were adopted. Oh she knew they weren't related, but everyone else saw them that way. She stopped pacing as she came to a conclusion. She would leave. She could not think as long as she was near Max. Her parents would not understand if she asked to take an extended trip, so she would just leave. She couldn't tell Max she was leaving either, he would try to stop her. No, she had to leave now while she had the courage. She grabbed a bag and stuffed what she would need inside and got her pass book to her bank account. Then she sat down at her desk and wrote a note to Max.

Dear Max,

I know when you read this you will be angry with me for leaving like this, and angry with yourself for revealing something that you had kept hidden for so long.

I need space to think about what you said ,andI can't do it here in Roswell. Don't worry about me. If I need you I will call. Please don't come looking for me.I need to do this. And tell Mom and Dad not to worry too. They wouldn't understand.

love,

Isabel

She left a note for her parents' telling them basicly the same thing, but leaving out any mention of what Max had revealed to her. She put both on her bed and looked around.She went to the window and and opened it, lowering her bag, and herself to the ground. She began to walk to the bus station and purchased a ticket out of town. She never looked back.

*****

The present...

Max was driving past the park when he did a double take. There at the park was Isabel. She was sitting on a bench and staring into space. Max quickly turned the jeep around , and pulled to a stop near the bench where she sat. He walked up to her unsure. Isabel heard him and looked up, not surprised to see Max. It was inevitable in a small town like Roswell. It was why she had come back.

"Max," she said looking at him.

"Isabel," he said unsure, but with his heart in his throat. He stood infront of her now , looking down on her beautiful face. She glowed.

Isabel stood and looked in his eyes. "I guess you wonder where I've been," she began.

Max gave her a slight smile. "Well it did cross my mind." He gave her a quizzing look before saying," You didn't have to leave Isabel. I was wrong to tell you what I did. I'm sorry you felt that you had to run away from here...from me."

She felt a pain in her heart at that. She knew he would feel guilty, but she had had to leave. And now she was back with a clear head. "I did what I had to do at the time Max. Please don't be hard on yourself. You revealed your feelings and I reacted badly." She paused as she considered how her next statement would effect him. "I reacted badly because ...I had the same feelings for you and didn't know what to do." Max's face showed the shock he was feeling ,and also the hope as she continued. "I have always felt that we were meant to be more than what we are...were. I just didn't think our parents or anyone else would accept it. So instead of putting everyone through hell , I ran. Stupid I know, but it took me while to figure that out", she said ruefully.

Max came closer to her and pulled her into his arms and hugged her. "I missed you Isabel. Don't ever do this again. We can work anything out as long as we are together."

Isabel nodded her head and held on to Max tightly. "Are Mom and Dad totally freaked? Very angry?" she asked anxiouly.

Max pulled back and took her bag in one hand ,and her hand in the other. They began walking towards the jeep. "They were at first, but I talked them in to trusting you. I told them you had not run off with a boy, no drugs, or anything like that...and that you weren't pregnant" he added with a grin.

Isabel blushed and said, "Thanks Max. I'm sorry I left you to deal with that."

They reached the jeep and Max helped her inside the covered vehicle. He entered his own side and drove off down the road. Instead of heading home, he drove out of town to the quarry. Stopping the engine he turned to Isabel. "I have to do this Isabel before I explode." He leaned over to her and pulled her to him and kissed her. The kiss was soft and yet firm at the same time. He kissed her hungrily as she parted her lips to his seeking tounge. She felt like everything she had ever wanted was in this kiss. She felt completed. They pulled back and gazed into each others eyes, and then began to smile.

"I can't believe I ran from that," she said.

Max grinned and rubbed her neck under her hair. "We are going to have alot of explaining to do to everyone. So we might as well get ready for what's to come. We're not doing anything wrong. But if anyone thinks we are, then we will leave Roswell. Are you prepaired for that?"

Isabel had thought about this long and hard while she had been gone. She had accepted what might happen ,and had chosen Max. She nodded her head. "I'm ready."

Max kissed her again and started the jeep. "Well let's go home and face what's to come." He squeezed her hand. "I love you , you know?"

Isabel squeezed him back. "I know. I love you too."