~ chapter 2 ~

His sandy blonde head was bent in concentration. On nothing. Nothing but the table in front of him. The air in between. The images of the face that wouldn't leave him.

Michael Guerin watched him silently from the doorway between the living room and kitchen, his own arms crossed in front of him. His foster son, Cole, had never been a talkative kid, but he'd grown even more solemn and quiet since a week ago when the incident occurred. Not that Michael could blame him. For the first time in his life he'd acted on impulse. He'd let a stranger in on his secret. And now…now, it could very well destroy him.

Maria entered the kitchen from outside and stopped short when she saw Cole sitting at the table staring into nothingness. Transferring the grocery bags from her arms to the counter, she laid her keys down and plopped down in the seat opposite Cole eyeing him carefully. After a moment's silence, she spoke. "Hey. You okay?"

Cole nodded slowly but refused to raise his eyes. Maria sat another moment in silence before reaching her hand out and covering his with hers. "He's not mad, you know. He's just really worried about you."

"I know." Cole's soft voice answered back still keeping his eyes straight ahead.

Maria smiled slightly and leaned back in her chair. "That's not all that's bothering you, is it?" Swallowing hard, Cole slowly shook his head in the negative affirming her belief. "Sierra?" She ventured knowingly.

Cole's head shot up and his warm amber eyes met Maria's. He didn't have to say a word for her to understand how he felt just hearing *her* name, but Maria felt he needed to acknowledge his feelings even if it was to no one else but himself. "You really care for her don't you? I mean, you must to have risked so much…"

Cole's eyes began to shine with warmth and the first smile she'd seen on his face in a while made a brilliant appearance. Apparently, he felt the need to acknowledge it to someone too. "She's my Maria."

Maria nodded as a smile of equal radiance began to light her eyes. She leaned over and patted his hand. "Then she's a very lucky young lady."

Cole's smile faded and he looked away. Maria noticed the change immediately and called him on it. "Does she…you know, feel the same?"

"I…I don't know." His voice lowered to a whisper. "Knowing what I am…how could she?"

"Hey. You stop that right now." Maria reached over and tilted his chin upward till he was looking in her eyes. "What you are is nothing compared to who you are. And who you are is a smart, funny, loving guy who'd lay down his life for the people he cares about. You've already proven that. And I know Sierra. She's a wonderful girl with a good head on her shoulders and a big heart…one of the biggest I've ever seen. She doesn't see with just her eyes, Cole. You've shown her how you feel now give her a chance to show you the same."

"I don't know, Maria." Cole said as he shook his head and leaned back in his chair. "I'm…really scared. And not just about how Sierra feels. About keeping her safe now that she knows…"

"And you should be." For the first time Michael made his presence known. Maria and Cole's gazes shifted to the doorway where Michael had been standing. He looked first at Cole then Maria then back to Cole. "I'm not saying this to burst your romantic bubble or anything okay? I just…have you noticed anything strange lately? I mean, anything suspicious?"

Cole looked away and Maria's expression turned to alarm. She shared a silent exchange with Michael before pressing Cole further. "Cole? Has there been anything?"

Cole nodded slowly and shrugged uncomfortably. "The Sheriff. I've seen him around more this past week than I have my entire time here in Roswell. I don't know…if I'm just being paranoid or…or…"

"Paranoid is good in this situation. So, what do you mean you've seen him around?" Michael asked coming to the table and slipping into the seat next to Maria. "Because I've seen him around a lot too. Have you noticed him following you?"

"Yes." Came Cole's immediate answer. "No. I'm not sure." His eyes plead for them to understand as his shoulders slumped forward, the weight of their situation crashing down on him.

"What about Sierra? Has she noticed anything?" Maria asked as the magnitude of Cole's fear began to sink in for her.

"Would she even know if she had?" Michael added when he saw Maria shoot him a look. "Hey, I'm not saying anything against the girl. She's just as new to this as Cole is so she may not know what to look for." He turned back to Cole. "Have you talked to her about it?"

Cole shook his head 'no' then locked eyes with Michael in a silent plea. "Tell me what to do, Uncle Michael."

Michael crossed his arms and leaned forward on the table and sat silently contemplating his advice before giving it. "I think you should talk to her. Let her know she needs to be on the look out for anything strange. Anything suspicious." He glanced sideways to Maria then back to Cole. "Then I think you should stop seeing her."

"Michael…"

Michael raised his hand to stop Maria's protest. "At least for now. Until this all dies down. If it dies down…" Michael added under his breath.

Maria heard him and knew the fear he was feeling. She reached under the table and gave his leg a reassuring squeeze. Cole's eyes faltered at Michael's words. He knew Michael was right. In fact, he had pretty much come to the same conclusion before Maria had walked into the kitchen. He just needed someone else to voice it before he would have the strength to make it a reality.

Cole sat still for a moment his eyes beginning to empty of confusion as determination took it's place. He slipped out of his seat and nodded down to Michael and Maria. "I'll go talk to her now."

"Good luck, sweetie." Maria stated softly.

"Thanks." Cole turned and headed for the door. His hand hit the knob and Michael's voice stopped him from turning it.

"Cole?" Michael shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "If she's your Maria…you'll find a way to be together."

Cole nodded once, opened the door and slipped through it without another word. Watching him go, Maria slipped her arm around Michael's neck. "That was sweet of you."

Michael shrugged. "I know what he's going through. Right now things are looking pretty hopeless for him. He needed something to hold onto."

Maria smiled and leaned forward to kiss him on the cheek. "And you knew just what that something was." She nuzzled his neck. "So. Got anything for me to hold onto?"

Michael grinned as he wrapped his arm around Maria and swiftly pulled her up onto his lap. Kissing her deeply, Michael pulled back and smiled. "I think I can come up with a thing or two…" He wiggled his eyebrows as a devilish twinkle lit his eyes.

Maria began to giggle as she took Michael's face in her hands. "I love you, Michael Guerin."

Michael hoisted Maria up as he stood from his chair. "Ditto." His one-syllable confession was almost drowned out by the sound of Maria's giggles as he began to tickle her as he carried her down the hall to their bedroom…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sierra Carson pulled her long dark hair back into a ponytail and affixed the silver alien headband to the top of her head. She glanced at herself in the mirror then moved to the electric blue door to peek out the diamond window at the growing crowd of diners. Scanning the room quickly she let out a sigh of disappointment and turned around jumping at the sight that greeted her.

"Cole!" Sierra couldn't help the smile that lit her olive-skinned face. "I didn't know you were here…"

Cole's soft amber eyes faltered from her round, beautiful face to the floor. "I…I came in through the back. I hope that's okay."

Sierra's smile spread. "Of course it's okay." Seeing Cole's determination not to look her in the eyes, Sierra reached out and touched his arm with sudden concern. "Hey. Are you all right? Has something happened?"

Cole Guerin swallowed hard as he eyes raised to meet hers. "We need to talk."

Sierra blinked at him. Uh-oh. This didn't sound good. Since the day he'd saved her life at the Crashdown a week ago, she and Cole had shared several private conversations. At the diner. In the halls at school. Once at her bedroom window. They'd even slipped into the infamous 'Eraser Room' once. Their conversations all seemed to start with those words…'we need to talk'. And they all ended in him walking away first. She couldn't decide if that was a Cole thing or just a (as strange as it was to say it) alien thing. Either way, she suddenly wondered if it would always be that way with them...

Nodding quickly Sierra tried to brush away the feeling of impending doom and grabbed Cole's hand pulling him toward the back where a small sofa sat. Plopping down she pulled Cole down with her then nervously turned toward him with a look of expectancy. "I hope this is an okay place to talk. I really shouldn't wander far since I have to start my shift in a few minutes. So..."

She let the sentence dangle as she watched his face to see if, for once, she could manage to read that unreadable expression he always wore. The one time he'd let it slip out of control was the day he saved her. How she wished every day since that he'd lose that control all over again.

Sierra tilted her head to the side in a silent prompt. Previously lost in his own thoughts and noting for the first time that Sierra's rambling had stopped and silence had engulfed them while she was patiently waiting for him to begin, Cole raised his eyes to hers. "Um, look, Sierra...I know all of this has been really, really hard to deal with and..."

"No, Cole, it hasn't." Sierra rushed to assure him. "Really...it's, it's not hard at all."

Cole rewarded her with a half-smile and she saw something flash in his eyes that warmed her from the inside out. That was before he quickly decided to become logical again. "Thanks for saying that. But the fact remains that what happened when I..." He paused and glanced around them then turned back to her. "Well, what happened between us that day...it's raised some suspicions."

"You mean..."

"Sheriff Valenti." Cole acknowledged with a whisper. "I've noticed he's been following me around. Uncle Michael's noticed it too. I'm just..."

"Scared." Sierra filled in for him when he broke off his sentence unable to find the right word.

He nodded slowly. "Yeah. And not just for me. For you too." Cole unconsciously reached for her hand and held it tightly in his own. "I really need you to know that, Sierra. I need you to know that I never...I never wanted to hurt you. Or...or put you in danger because of me..."

Sierra's blue-gray eyes crinkled in the corners when she smiled warmly and put her hand over his. "You think I don't know that, Cole? I do, okay? Please don't ever apologize for...what you did. I'm not sorry it happened." Her smile faded as a new thought occurred to her. "Are you?"

Cole's eyes widened in surprise and he shook his head emphatically. "God, no, Sierra! You're alive. I could never be sorry for that." As if realizing the strength of his denial, Cole pulled his hands quickly away from Sierra's and stood stuffing his hands in his pockets uncomfortably.

Unable to look at her, Cole's eyes remained fixed on the floor. "Look. I just came to tell you...we need to be really careful right now. Uncle Michael says we shouldn't even be seen together..."

"What? For how long?" Sierra jumped up from her seat to stand in front of him her question pulling his eyes to hers. He looked down quickly when he saw them beginning to brim with tears.

Shaking his head, Cole's words were softly spoken. "I...I'm not sure. It's just...too risky. Not safe."

"But, I don't care..."

"I do." Cole stated with determination as his eyes flicked to hers. He bent his frame slightly and reached out impulsively to touch her cheek. "I couldn't stand it...if something ever happened to you because of me. Please understand."

Sierra nodded silently afraid if she said anything she would lose control on her shifting emotions. She did understand. More than Cole knew. More than she had dreamed she could. Because she felt the exact same way. Somehow this boy standing before her had become so important to her that she wanted his safety more than even her own happiness. She'd die inside if anything ever happened to him because of her. "So, what do we do?"

Cole's hand stayed molded to her face as if he couldn't bear to not touch her. Not have some connection to her for as long as possible. "Go back to the way things were before. Maybe nod to each other in the halls, but nothing more. This...can't be...*we* can't be...anything more than strangers..."

"I can't do that."

Cole's eyes softened when he saw the honesty in her darkening eyes. "Yes, you can. You have to. So do I." He paused to gauge her reaction wondering how much of his heart to reveal. "Sierra…"

She attempted a smile and nodded. Reaching up she covered his hand with hers. "If it's meant to be…we just need to be patient, that's all."

Cole looked down at her loving her more in that moment than he ever had before, but he couldn't do it. He couldn't let her see how much her words meant. Cole swallowed hard and lowered his eyes away from her face as he started to move away from her, but she caught his hand in hers and looked down at it nervously. "Cole?" She raised her eyes to meet his gaze. "Please be careful."

Cole nodded as his heart took flight when he saw the emotions in her eyes. "You too. Call me at the first sign of trouble, okay? I'm only a thought away..."

With one final half-smile, Cole turned and walked away. He'd made no promises, yet his eyes spoke volumes. Mixed signals floated around her leaving Sierra wondering if she'd ever be able to completely understand the boy she'd dreamed of for so long…

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thousands of feet in the air, flying in the general direction of Roswell, New Mexico, Liz Parker was doing the same thing.

Max Evans had been her high school crush. Her first secret love. The boy she measured all the others against. Sure they hadn't known each other that long or even that well. Only one class in one semester, in fact. But he'd made an impact on her unlike anyone before or since. And now, she was his partner. And a baffling one at that.

She tucked her hair behind her ear for what seemed like the tenth time in 30 long, silent minutes. Glancing at Max's stoic expression from the corner of her eye, Liz then let out an unconscious sigh and turned toward the window wondering what had happened to that warm smile that had first greeted her. Max's unguarded welcome earlier disappeared like the sun behind a cloud when she told him the reason for her presence at the airport.

Sitting here in relative silence, she'd been wondering what had triggered his negative reaction. Was it the word 'partner' or the fact she was the chosen one to play the role? Either way, he'd become a completely different person and she was the reason. It was like watching the change from Dr. Jekyll to Mr. Hyde take place right before her eyes.

Max's smile had disappeared instantly. He swore under his breath and grunted something about the plane before grabbing her arm, pulling her toward the gate. The airline agent was just closing the door and Max practically bowled her over trying to get through. When she attempted to stop them, he barked an order and pushed his way through pulling Liz and their luggage behind them. Once settled into their seats, Max had reached into his briefcase and pulled out a newspaper as if his rude actions had been the most natural in the world. The next 30 minutes had been spent in silence as he read.

It was more than the silence of someone concentrating, though. It was the deafening silence of someone shutting down…shutting people out. And Liz Parker didn't know what to make of it.

It wasn't as if he'd been the chattiest person in high school. No, he'd been just the opposite. He had been the mystery she wanted to unravel. The deep soulful eyes she wanted to look into just to see if somehow she could be the one able to see into his soul. Right now, seeing into his soul didn't seem like much of an option especially since he refused to even look at her.

"Does your family and friends know about your nervous habit?" Max said finally breaking his ban of silence.

Liz's head whipped around in surprise at the sound of his voice. "Excuse me?"

Max's eyebrow raised as he casually pointed a finger in the direction of her left ear. "The hair behind the ear thing. You've done it six times in the last five minutes. Does your family know you do that when you get nervous?"

"I'm not nervous." Liz raised her chin in defiance when she saw the smirk of disbelief on his face. "Besides, I'm surprised you even noticed anything except that newspaper in your hand."

Max locked eyes with hers then he shifted in his seat to lean in close, intimately. He unconsciously breathed in her sweet scent before his warm breath blew against Liz's cheek as he whispered conspiratorially in her ear. "I'll let you in on a little secret. I'm an undercover agent. A spy. By the very definition, that's what we do. Gather information…undetected."

"Oooohhhh." Liz said in the breathy voice that would accompany the typical over-awed, intelligence-challenge female she usually referred to as a 'bimbo'. The kind the guys at the Bureau liked to 'impress' with their job titles and talk of 'covert operations'. "So *that* was the answer to number 5 on the Super-Spy Entrance exam. And to think if I'd only known you back then I would've made 150 on my score instead of 149." She batted her eyelashes appropriately. "Gee, Mr.-Secret-Agent-Man, I feel so much smarter already."

"Touche'." Max smirked and leaned back against his seat. She was smart. And quick. And she didn't back down from him. She was everything he knew she'd be. Staying away from her was going to be harder than he thought. Rearranging his thoughts to less pleasant topics, Max blurted out his next sentence speaking more to himself than anyone else. "It needs to stop."

Liz blinked her eyes in unbelief and she asked the same thing for the second time with less confusion and more irritation. "Excuse me?"

Max didn't raise his eyes from the newspaper in his hands. On the outside he appeared calm and in control. On the inside his stomach did a flip-flop. Had he really said that out loud? Oh, God. He must have because she was looking at him like he'd grown a second head. Think, Max. Think of something quick. "The...uh...the nervous habit. You'll have to stop it if we're ever going to pull this off."

"Yeah? Well, so will your rudeness." She shot back before turning once more to the window.

Max's eyebrow shot up at her response and he couldn't help but smile. She always had been spunky. That's one of the things that had drawn him to her in high school. The other had been that luxurious head of dark hair that was currently brushing against his shoulder. He closed his eyes and willed himself the strength to get through this long flight without attacking her lips with all the passion he'd been saving these past years just for her. "Point taken."

Liz's gaze shifted slowly back to his face when she heard his quiet concession. She was surprised to see a smile of contentment on his face. For a moment, he appeared as pleased as he had earlier when he first looked into her eyes. She wondered what he was thinking about. Or if he'd even be willing to share it with her. She had the feeling Max Evans had more secrets roaming around in his head than the whole of Interpol, the CIA and the FBI put together. She'd always had that feeling about him.

Max's eyes slowly opened and he allowed his gaze to rest on Liz's beautiful face. If he didn't watch himself, he could get lost in her eyes. This assignment was way too important to lose himself in anything but the investigation. That needed to be his focus. Nothing and no one else. And with the way he assumed things were laid out in the briefing, he wouldn't be able to keep that focus if Liz and he remained in the roles they were cast in. He needed to get control of this before it even started. So he did the only thing he knew to do…change their strategy. "No offense, but I really don't think we should be engaged."

Liz blinked her eyes in surprise at his sudden launching of this topic. Especially since he obviously hadn't read their agency briefing or he would have known that he was to be partnered with her. "How did you know…"

A small smirk appeared on his lips. "I just knew."

Liz leaned her head back. "Ahh, yes. I should have known. The infamous Evans' Factor rearing it's ugly head."

Max's head tilted to the side as he regarded Liz for a moment. "The Evans' Factor? What do you mean by that?"

Liz chuckled and it sent a warm feeling rushing through Max. "Oh, you know. The 'I just knew' explanation for just about everything you do. It's become famous in training sessions. Along with a few of your most illustrious cases."

"Really?" Max's eyes began to dance with pride. "Huh. So they're teaching my methods in training now? That's interesting…"

Truth was Liz had heard his name throughout training and each time, it was spoken with awe and respect. It made her want to meet up with him again even more. A wide smile spread over Liz's lips when she could almost visibly see Max's head inflate. It was definitely time to burst that bubble...even if she did have to lie a little. "Oh, I wouldn't get too excited if I were you. Your name usually appears in the 'this-is-what-not-to-do' list."

"Oh." A somewhat disappointed Max looked straight ahead as if trying to process this new information. That didn't make sense. Especially since he was one of the Bureau's best. He had gone to great lengths to make sure of it. Besides that, everyone knew he was. He glanced at her and saw a teasing glint in her eyes. Unless she was trying to pull his leg.

Max fought the sudden urge to smile. Liz Parker was definitely going to be a challenge to keep up with. And to keep away from...

Liz smiled to herself as she watched his eyes grow dark with contemplation then light with amusement. "So. What is it? Another woman?"

Max's head snapped to the side and for a moment he looked completely confused. "W--what?"

Her smile deepened when she remembered how adorably cute he looked when he was at a loss for words. It had been one of the most endearing things to her back in high school. "The reason you don't want to marry me. Is it because of another woman? You know, a little girlfriend waiting for you back home that I couldn't possibly compete with..." Liz sent a silent prayer upwards that the answer would be in the negative.

Her prayer was heard and answered in abundance. "NO!" Max practically shouted. Glancing around him at the eyes that had turned in his direction at his outburst, Max smiled and nodded uncomfortably to them then turned back to Liz lowering his voice considerably. "I...I mean no." He swallowed hard and tried desperately to get control of his thoughts. Especially the ones that screamed out to him that Liz's assumption that she could be in competition with anyone else was so out of the realm of possibilities. "That's...not why."

Liz released a sigh of relief as her eyes began to shine. "So...why don't you think we should be engaged."

Focus, Max. Just stay focused on the case. She can't get to you if you...just...stay...focused. Leaning back in his seat once more, Max took his time in answering her question. Even if control was the last thing he was feeling right now, she didn't have to know it. Taking a deep breath, he affected a nonchalant attitude. "It's too intimate."

A dark eyebrow raised. "And is this a problem for you? Being intimate with someone?"

The smile on his face was condescending, but something flickered in his eyes that she couldn't quite name when he turned to look at her. "Isn't it for all of us on some level?" Without waiting for her answer he looked away and continued. "And before you answer that, as interesting of a conversation as that might be some day, I was really referring to our case. Being 'engaged' on assignment...*this* assignment in particular...opens us up for more mistakes."

Liz shifted in her seat so she could face him. "How so?"

"It'd be one thing if we were heading to Chicago or New York. Even Miami. A place where no one knows either or both of us. They wouldn't be able to pick up on inconsistencies." He inclined his head to the side as he nervously picked imaginary lint off his pants. "As it is we're going back. To your home. To a place that was my home for a short while. A place where people know us...you especially well. We won't be able to afford slip ups."

Liz nodded her head in understanding, but still pressed the point since Max was so ready to disregard their orders. "Like?"

"Details." Max stated simply as if that's all the answer she needed. Seeing her still waiting patiently for him to continue, he did--after willing his heart to stop racing with each new thought that passed through his mind. How he'd like to reach out and take her hand in his and hold it forever. Know what it would be like to run his fingers through her long silky hair. Or touch her skin and watch her eyes burn with desire...

"You know..." Max cleared his throat and looked down at his hands. "...uh...what you like to eat for breakfast in the mornings, your basic night time routine, the...uh...side of the bed you sleep on..."

He passed his hand over his face and glanced above him toward the air vent. "God, is it getting hot in here or what...?" He turned the knob till cool air was blowing full blast down on him causing the short bangs on his forehead to gently move from side to side.

Liz bit her lower lip to stop the grin that wanted to break out over her face at the way his words had suddenly become broken and his chest had begun rising and falling with short, labored breaths. All reasoning could go to hell for all Liz cared at this point. She wanted to be engaged to Max Evans...pretend or no...just for a while. To see what it would be like to have the right to lay her head on his shoulder. Taste his lips as he gently claimed them in a passionate kiss. Hold his eyes with hers and feel him press against her...

Max's voice continued on less strangled, more level as he concentrated on pulling a folder from his briefcase. "Your favorite book or the music you like to listen to. Things that parents will know about you that someone you've committed to spend the rest of your life with should know. Things I haven't the faintest idea about."

Liz conceded for the moment when he turned back to her. But only a moment. Because if he thought for a second he wasn't going to play the romantic lead in this fantasy the agency so conveniently set up for her, he had another thing coming. "Okay. I see that. But if we aren't engaged, how exactly do you think we should play this?"

Max shrugged and looked away concentrating on the back of the seat in front of him trying his best to remain as business like as possible. Looking at Liz wasn't helping that goal. He was definitely more in control when his eyes weren't locked on her beautiful face. "I think we should just be dating. You know, on the border between new relationship and getting comfortable with each other. That way it'll appear we're still learning new things about each other in case we slip up somehow, but we're serious enough for you to bring me home to meet mom and dad."

Liz pursed her lips and brought her left arm up to look at her watch. "So, we have...what? Four and a half hours till our first lay-over, right?"

Max cocked his head to the side in thought. "Yeah, I think that's how long the itinerary said."

Liz put her elbow on the arm rest between she and Max and propped her chin in her hand. "Okay. Go."

Max turned to her, his eyebrow raised as an amused smile played on his lips. "Go? Go where?"

Liz batted her eyes at him as she reached for his hand. Feeling sudden warmth spreading up from her fingertips to her arm and all the way through her body at the first touch, Liz sucked in her breath and let it out slowly as a sly smile spread over her lips and her eyes locked with his. "Well, Max Evans, it seems that you have exactly four and a half hours to do what no one has done before."

"W-what's that?" Max whispered unconsciously.

"Make me fall in love with you..."