"Max, you scared me."

"Sorry. Mind if I come in."

"Max, I need to be.."

"Liz, please, we need to talk." She looked into his deep brown eyes and saw the hurt.

"Ok, Max. We can talk."

"Liz, why? Why didn't you tell me what you went through. It was wrong of me to come to you like that."

"Max, if you didn't the world would have ended. Everyone you and I know and love would have been killed. Isabelle was killed, you held Michael in your arms as he died."

"But to bear that burden all this time, without telling anyone."

"Maria knew."

"But Liz, you could have came to me."

"That's just it Max, I couldn't. You, the person I was in love with, came back and asked me to do this big thing and not tell anyone about it..and if I would have told you about it, than what I did would have had no purpose, you would have insisted there would be a way for me and you to be together."

"I'm sure that there could have been a way. I'm sure that there is still."

"Max, you're with Tess. She is the person that you should be with. She is the one that you belong with."

"But you were the one that I wanted. I still do."

"Max, you're not in love with me anymore. You love me like I love you. We will always love each other, but you have Tess and I have Michael."

"But we are soulmates."

"That." Before Liz could finish her statement, Max took her into him and kissed her.

"Michael, what the hell are you still doing here?" Isabelle asked him as she walked into his room.

"Why? Did you kick me out and not tell me?"

"You should be with Liz."

"she doesn't want to talk to me right now."

"Michael, you are such a stupid man. She said that, but you need to talk to her. You betrayed her and if you don't go over there and make it up to her, she might leave you for good. So get off your lazy ass and go to her."

"You really think I should?"

"YES!"

"Ok.Ok.You don't have to get loud about it." Michael got up and strolled out of the house. ** What can I possibly say to Liz to get her to forgive me. I swore to her that I would never tell anyone and I just blurted it out to Max. The one person she really didn't want knowing. Come on Michael, you have to think of something. You can't let her get away.**

When he passed a florist, he stopped in to buy her a bouquet of roses, white, her favorite. He even wrote a sappy card. As he approached the Crashdown, he started walking slower. ** Get a grip, Guerin. What is the worst that can happen, she'll say that she doesn't forgive you and that she never wants to see you again. I know, Liz likes the romantic type, so I will climb her fire escape to her balcony.with the roses, that will be a nice touch.** Michael climbed quickly up the fire escape. He walked over to the window with the flowers in front of him. He kneeled down to see if she was in there. What he saw was something he wished he hadn't. There was Liz, the girl he was in love with kissing Max, her first love. He dropped the flowers and jumped over the edge and climbed quickly down the fire escape. ** I should have known that she could never love me more than Max Evans.**

He ran all the way back to Isabelle and Alex's house. When he got there, he stormed past Isabelle and went straight to his room.

"Michael."

"Leave me alone, Is."

"I'm guessing it didn't go well."

"You can say that."

"what are you doing?" Michael was throwing all his clothes into his bags.

"what does it look like I am doing."

"Michael, you can't keep running away like this."

"No, just watch me. I want to go back to her apartment and get all my stuff out before she returns. This is what I get for getting close to someone."

"But Michael tomorrow is Christmas, can't you wait one more day?"

"and sit across from her at dinner tonight? I don't think so. Sorry Is, I'm outta here." He closed all the bags and walked over to her. "I wish this visit could have been longer. Take care of yourself."

"You do the same." She grabbed him and gave him a big hug. "I wish there was something that I can do for you."

"Thanks Is, but there isn't. Tell Alex, I'm sorry and goodbye." He kissed her forehead, grabbed his bags and headed for the airport.

Liz pushed Max away from her. "Max, no. What are you trying to prove?"

"Did you see flashes? Didn't you feel the love?"

"Max, ...I didn't feel anything. I'm sorry. I'm not in love with you anymore, Max. I love Michael."

"I guess you really do."

"I think you better leave Max. Your wife needs you. I need to talk to Michael."

"Bye Liz."

"Bye Max." Liz turned and looked out her window as Max left. She saw the roses and went out to grab them. She picked them up, and smiled. **Michael. I wonder why he just left them...Oh god, no, what is the chance he came here at the one second that Max was kissing me? I got to go talk to him. ** Liz climbed in her window, placed the flowers on her bed. She flew out of the Crashdown as fast as she could.

"Isabelle?" Liz yelled as she entered the house. "Alex? Mich.."

"What's up Liz?" Isabelle replied as she walked into the hallway.

"Isabelle, where's Michael, I need to talk to him, its urgent."

"I'm sorry Liz, but he left, maybe 10 minutes ago for the airport."

"the airport? Why would he be going there?"

"he said he wanted to go back to your apartment and get all his things out of there before you get home."

"Oh god, then he did see us."

"What?"

"Max came to talk to me and he was trying to convince me that me and him belong together, so he kissed me. I think Michael might have seen him. Isabelle, I can't lose him. I need him. I love him."

"Then you better hurry. Here borrow my car." Isabelle tossed Liz the keys.