~ chapter 3 ~

Maria swept through the front door of the Crashdown and smiled brightly at Sierra as they passed each other, Sierra heading toward a table and Maria on her way to the back room. "Hey, Juan. Carol." Maria greeted the kitchen staff as she headed toward the office she had occupied for the last 3 years as manager of the Crashdown Cafe, where she once worked as waitress through her teen years. Once inside, she plopped her purse down on her desk and let out a groan when she saw the pile of mail waiting for her.

"There's a lot of mail, huh?" Sierra's voice called to her from her doorway.

Maria turned and smiled. "Yeah. Probably a lot of papers and bills on damage from the shooting." She glanced back at the pile and waved her hand over it. "Ah, it can wait. Come on in and have a seat. I was hoping I'd get a chance to talk to you anyway."

Sierra hesitated a moment before walking into Maria's office and closing the door behind her. Dropping down into the soft cushions of the couch along the wall, Sierra turned her large eyes on Maria with a nervous smile. "So. What did you want to talk to me about?"

Maria smiled slightly and leaned forward in her chair. "I was actually going to ask you the same question." Seeing the look of surprise on Sierra's face, Maria answered her unasked question. "You did come to my door for a reason, didn't you? Maybe to ask me about a certain young man…"

Sierra blushed and looked down at her hands shyly. After a moment's pause, she looked back up at Maria. "How is he? Cole, I mean?"

A slender eyebrow raised. "Truth? He's missing you already."

Sierra looked down again. "Then why…"

Maria got up from her chair and came to sit next to Sierra. Reaching her hand out, she covered Sierra's with hers. "Because it's safer this way."

"But you and Michael…" Sierra began in earnest.

"Are much older. We're better able to handle the dangers that comes with a human-Czech relationship." Maria finished quietly for her before continuing. "Plus he didn't just put his life in danger by saving my life using his powers in front of a room full of witnesses."

The silence in the room was almost deafening as Sierra considered Maria's words. Since the moment Cole had come to her and told her they couldn't even be seen together, Sierra had been searching for a reason why. One that didn't just sound like a typical guy excuse not to get emotionally involved. And Maria had just provided her with one. Not that Cole hadn't told her this, but hearing it from Maria made it more real somehow. "He could really be in danger, couldn't he? Because of me."

"No, Sierra. He could be in danger because there are a lot of paranoid people out there that want to hurt him because of what he did."

"For me." Sierra persisted.

"Don't blame yourself, okay? It will accomplish nothing and Cole doesn't feel that way. None of us do." Maria patted Sierra's hand. "Look, I don’t know how long this will last. But it will end. I promise you, it will. And until then, I want you to know, you can come to me anytime, okay? For any reason. If Kyle Valenti starts bothering you…come to me. Or if you just want to talk about school or work here or you family…or Cole. Even if it's just to dish about those amazing Czechoslovakian kisses…"

Sierra blushed and looked down as a shy grin spread over her face. "I…I wouldn't really know about those."

A twinkle in Maria's eyes began to appear as she started to smile. "Boy, do you have a lot to look forward to." She chuckled as Sierra's blush deepened. "You know, it's been a while since I've had another girl to talk to about this. About loving a…well, you know."

Sierra's grin spread as she nodded her head. "Yeah, I know."

"This could be really fun." Maria commented as Sierra's eyes raised to meet hers.

For a girl whose home life was pretty much in shambles, the bond of friendship Maria was offering her was like a lifeline to normalcy. That is, if it was normal to be in love with an alien… Sierra nodded as her eyes locked with Maria's. "Yeah, I think it really could be."

Snapping back into her mode as manager of the Crashdown, Maria stood and clasped her hands together in front of her. "Speaking of fun…I'll just bet there are at least 10 alien blasts out there to make and deliver to customers…"

Sierra let out a lilting laugh that caused her eyes to dance and Maria suddenly understood why Michael's foster son, Cole, often stood quietly staring at the girl. She was radiant when she laughed. In fact, she reminded Maria a lot of her best friend, Liz Parker. The long dark hair. The sweet quiet disposition. The smile that knocked guys out of this world. Sierra waved quietly and slipped out of the office to attend to her job.

Maria suddenly felt a pang of loneliness. If only Liz were here so she could talk to someone about everything. The shooting. The healing. Michael. Other things… On second thought, it was a good thing Liz wasn't here. It would only make her want to share things Liz was better off not knowing. Things that she'd probably be obliged to turn in on her reports to the FBI. Michael certainly wouldn't want her confiding such sensitive information. Even if it was to her oldest friend in the world. Yes, having Liz Parker half a world away was much better for everyone involved…no matter how much it hurt to not be able to share the most intimate details of her life with her best friend.

Just as Maria had come to this monumental conclusion, a knock on the door pulled her out of her reverie. She called out a welcome and slipped back into her seat. Surprised when Jeff Parker stuck his head in, Maria smiled warmly. "Hey, Mr. Parker. What's shaking?"

Jeff smiled back at her and entered the office. "Well, I just thought I'd let you know Nancy and I are going to be closing the Crashdown a little early tomorrow night. We're setting up for an impromptu party and we want you and Michael to come. Cole too, of course."

"Well, okay. But...what's the occasion?"

"Lizzie's coming home!" Jeff answered with a large grin.

Maria's eyes widened and her breath seemed to suddenly leave her. "What? When? How? Why?"

Jeff began to laugh. "Umm, let's see if I can do this in order. She's coming home. She'll arrive tonight sometime. She's flying in. And she's bringing a young man with her." He stuck hands in his pockets and rocked back on his heels with pride. "Nancy and I think this is the one. We think our little girl is finally in love."

Maria was torn between excitement and dread. She was going to see Liz after all this time. On the other hand, Michael was not going to be happy. Come to think of it…neither would Kyle Valenti. This could be bad. She'd better call…

"Maria? Is something wrong?" Jeff asked with concern when Maria's reaction hadn't been her usual bubbly, bounce off the walls kind of reaction Mr. Parker had been expecting.

Maria forced a laugh and a smile. "Of course not! I'm thrilled! I just…" She glanced around her office looking for a good excuse for her less than enthusiastic response. "…I have all of this paperwork to get done before my best girl gets home! I want to spend as much time with her as possible, ya know!"

Jeff nodded and laughed. "I know. It's been so long. Ever since Alex…then the wedding…" Jeff paused and pushed those thoughts aside. "Anyway, it'll be great having her back. So, you'll come to the party?"

"Of course! We wouldn't miss it for the world." Maria replied happily.

The moment Mr. Parker closed the door behind him, Maria grabbed up the phone and dialed her home number. The third ring she heard his voice. "Baby, I got news. Now, I don't want you to freak or anything, okay?"

"Maria. What's this all about?" Michael's voice was suddenly tense. "Is it Cole? Sierra…"

"No. No. Things are fine." Maria sat in her chair and took a breath. "Remember my best friend Liz? Liz Parker?"

"How could I forget? You talk about her all the time…"

"She's coming home."

"What?" Michael asked, his voice registering concern. "Why?"

Maria gulped. "She's bringing a guy home to meet the folks."

Michael laughed sarcastically. "Even you don't believe that." He exhaled a loud sigh and remained silent for a moment. "This is it, Maria. It's all over. They're coming. Just like I always knew they would. They're coming for us…and now…now it's time to leave Roswell…"

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

Max's gulped. "F…fall in love with me?"

Liz's eyes danced with amusement as she nodded her head solemnly and her voice took on the tone of an adult coaxing a 4-year old into eating a carrot stick with the future reward of a lollipop. "Max. If you want me to play your girlfriend, I'm going to need some inspiration."

Another gulp. "Inspiration, huh?" Max commented as he allowed his eyes to roam her face. The delight in her eyes told him just how much she was enjoying this little game she had begun. He almost couldn't believe it. Liz Parker was actually…flirting with him.

"Uh-huh." She looked away from him then brought her eyes back coyly. "Unless, of course, you want me to be completely unconvincing…"

"Oh, no." Max answered quickly with a slight shake of his head. "No, we can't have that now, can we?" Long dark eyelashes fluttered when he blinked a few times. "So, uh. What...what did you...um... have in mind?"

Liz leaned forward slightly and held Max's gaze captive as a small smile spread over her lips and her voice lowered almost to a whisper. "Well. I was thinking along the lines of poetry."

Max's eyes widened in surprise. "Poetry?" A slow grin started across his face. "What...like you want me to recite a poem to you or something?"

Hair as dark as a raven's feather bounced around her shoulders as Liz's head nodded emphatically. Max began to chuckle at her enthusiasm. "But I don't know any..."

"Yes, you do." Liz's voice softened with meaning and her eyes took on a distant look as her mind drifted back to the past. She began to recite words from years ago while Max sat mesmerized by the sound of her voice speaking words that had once come from his heart.

"If only I could hold her hand

I would make her understand

The man that I could someday be

If only she would stand by me

If only she could read my heart

She'd know I never will depart

By her side I'll always stay

If only she would look my way

If only we could walk alone

My heart would never be a stone

Forever I would hold her near

'You're my dreamgirl' I would whisper

Softly in her ear"

Liz smiled sheepishly at the priceless expression on Max's face. It was somewhere between astonished, impressed, embarrassed and humbled. When his mouth opened but no words came out, Liz hastened to explain. "Sophomore year writing contest. I was a student judge. And you were a..."

"Loser. Big time. You know that was my sister's doing, right? She found it in my notebook and entered it without my knowledge." Max finished his explanation for her with a surprised smile, blinking his eyes in a state of shock before his voice lowered in awe. "I…I can't believe you remembered the contest let alone all of that."

"What can I say?" Liz shrugged with a proud smile. It was nice to know she had impressed him. Because she had constantly been impressed by him. "I was impressed that the boy with the most soulful eyes in the 10th grade had an equally soulful heart." Liz smile deepened as she looked away from him. "You know, I always wondered who she was. Your inspiration for that poem. I wondered if she knew how you felt and if your words moved her they way they moved me."

Max stared in awe at her and swallowed hard as the meaning of her words softly hit his heart. His inspiration? She was sitting right next to him! And how amazing was it that his stupid little poem had actually reached her heart somehow. Enough for her to remember it all this time later. Why hadn't he known this back then? If he had, would it have given him the courage to do something about his feelings? Could he do something about them now? His chest heaved a sigh of disappointment as reality brought him crashing down to earth. Of course he couldn't. They were grown adults on assignment now. On a very important assignment. He was no longer a high school teenager with a life-sized crush who had nothing else in the world to worry about than whom to go to the fall dance with. Besides the obvious...they were different life forms.

Covering his disappointed reaction quickly, Max tried to laugh it off with a diversion. A trick he was used to using whenever anyone got too close for comfort. "Yeah, well, too bad my words didn't move Ms. Price. I heard she was the reason the $200 prize was given to Tommy Steiner."

Her gaze returned to his face and her words were as sincere as the expression in her eyes. "You were a winner to me. Yours was the only piece written worthy of first place. Written by a boy with a heart full of dreams…"

"The boy full of dreams that wrote that is long gone, Liz." Max's voice was edged with sadness as he quickly tried to remind himself that all those dreams he'd had back then had died long ago. His eyes held that same hint of emotion right before he looked away.

Sensing his sadness, Liz tilted her head to the side. "That's too bad because he was the kind of boy a girl knew she could trust her heart to. The kind that could make her believe in finding a true soulmate."

"And what? Tommy's entry didn’t do that for you?" Max teased with mock seriousness once again dodging the subject of her words by concentrating on anything but the pounding of his heart as it slammed into his chest.

Liz chuckled and shook her head. "Although 'Ode to the Hoop' was a great treatise on the game of basketball, it somehow failed to inspire thoughts of love and happily-ever-afters."

Max returned his gaze to her as a light began to shine in his chocolate brown eyes and his voice lowered in amazement. "But mine did?" He swallowed again when he saw the simple nod of her head. "So, do you think it's the kind of inspiration you might need to convincingly play the role of my girlfriend?"

"Maybe." Liz smile lit her eyes in a challenge. "You think you can find that dreamy boy long enough to try?"

Max responded in kind. "Maybe. What else do you have in mind--besides composing poetry on a whim?"

"Why don't you tell me how we met." Liz suggested. She cautiously reached out and took his hand in hers feeling the physical contact might help them through this little practice run. Who was she kidding? She just wanted to feel his warmth flow through her with a touch…no matter what the reason.

Feeling as if an invisible rope was pulling him into this subtle game of hers, Max took a shallow breath when he felt liquid heat flow through him instantly when she touched his hand. "We…we met in high school. You know that."

Liz tilted her head to the side allowing her long hair to brush against Max's arm. She saw his eyes darken and heard his sharp intake of breath. "Actually..." She purposefully deepened her smile and ran her hand lightly over his. "...I was thinking more along the lines of how you *felt* when we met."

Max's gaze lowered to the lazy movements of her hand on his as he struggled to keep a dreamy smile from lighting his expression. His mouth went dry at the same time he felt himself break out in a cold sweat. He really needed to get control of himself if he was going to make it through this conversation.

With concentration, he managed to keep his voice level. At least it sounded level to him. But what did he know? All he could hear was the loud thumping of his heart filling his ears with a thunderous rushing noise. "Why don't you tell me how you felt instead? You know...give me an example of the kind of inspiration you're looking for."

Liz eyed him for a moment wondering if she should do it. Touch him the way she'd always wanted. Take an up close and personal inspection of his features. Her hands suddenly began to shake and she felt like a teenager going out on a first date. Needing to calm her nervousness, Liz took a deep breath. If she was ever going to do it, now was the time when motives were nothing more than practicing a role for the purpose of their job and expectations were only based on pretend.

"Well…I loved the soulful depths of your eyes. They made me feel like there was so much more to you than anyone could ever guess." Liz began slowly as she focused on the long dark eyelashes that were resting against Max's cheeks as his focus remained on their recently intertwined hands. Her eyes dropped to Max's lips that were parted slightly and she wondered if they would taste salty or sweet if she leaned forward and took the initiative to mold them to hers.

She scrunched up her nose in thought. No. Better not go that far…yet.

Bringing up one finger, she allowed it to lightly trace the outlines of his lips before continuing. She could feel Max's heated intense gaze resting on her face and flushed under his scrutiny. "And that faint smile you only let me see when we'd pass in the hallway. The one that made me feel like we were sharing a secret just between the two of us. A secret the rest of the world would never know."

Her hand slipped upward along his jawline and her blush eased when she felt his stare drop from her eyes. "There's so much strength and confidence in the quiet set of your expression. I felt safe when you were around. I think for me…when we met…it was love at first sight." Liz's quiet confession brought Max's eyes instantly back to her face in surprise. Liz's gaze faltered but not before he caught the emotions her words brought out in her eyes.

"At…at least that's what I'll tell the folks." She cleared her throat, pulled back and looked back at him having donned an air of nonchalance as if his answer to her question meant nothing more than a story they'd use to further their cover story when they touched ground. "So. How about you?"

A smile began in his eyes and worked its way down his expression till it landed gently on his lips. Although the air around them practically sizzled with rising heat, suddenly, playing this game didn't seem all that dangerous. Not if that had been real vulnerability that he'd seen flash through her eyes. In fact, it could actually be fun. Exciting. Innocently sensuous. If there was such a thing. It wasn't as if he'd never flirted before. He had. Granted it was usually in response to a come on, but he'd learned to do it well with no lasting consequences. Why should this be any different?

His eyes focused on her full lips then slowly made their way up to her large dark eyes full of warmth while she patiently awaited his answer with a hint of uncertain vulnerability. Who are you kidding, Evans? It's different because…well, because this Liz Parker. High school crush and lifetime dreamgirl. If he let himself go too far, especially on this assignment, there would be serious consequences to pay. Still, the assignment was several hours away and she had just smiled at him coaxing him to play a role he'd dreamed of for so long. The love of Liz Parker's life. It was a role…and a smile…Max simply couldn't resist…

"Love at first sight? Not even close to that for me."

Liz's smile disappeared and her voice held a highly injured tone as she pulled back slightly and pushed her lower lip out in an adorable pout. "You didn't love me at first sight?"

Max shook his head slowly and his hand unconsciously covered hers, his thumb beginning a gentle caress against the back of her hand, as his voice lowered to an intimate whisper. "I loved you even before that. In fact…I think I even dreamed you into life."

"Really?" Liz's eyes lit up as the soft whisper barely escaped her. She found herself instantly falling head over heels into the role the agency had written for her as Max Evans' love interest. Or had it been the stars in the heavens that wrote this script years ago?

A small nod and Max tilted his head to the side, his gaze following the path his finger made when he reached up and ran it along Liz's cheek to her chin. His gaze flicked back to her eyes as his voice lowered softly, sincerely. "The softness of your skin when our hands would brush against each other over a bio project. The myriad of emotions in your eyes when you allowed them to meet mine. The strength, intelligence, gentleness that always surrounded you. I could look into your eyes for years and never get tired of their beauty. It's the beauty of your soul."

Brushing his thumb lightly across her lips, Max smiled when her eyes closed simultaneously with the tremble of her lips. He took the opportunity to lean in close and breathe in her scent before he teased her by hovering only milliseconds away from contact. His breath was warm on her skin when he continued. "The way I always thought your lips were made to match mine..."

She smiled dreamily as her eyes slowly opened to meet his. "You were the piece that was missing in my life. The piece that suddenly came into view making sense of it all. You're my Dreamgirl, Liz." Deepening his smile when he felt her shiver at his touch before he allowed his voice to return to its usual businesslike state, Max pulled back adding a shrug and an echo of the disclaimer she had used earlier reminding them both this was only supposed to be a game. "At least…that's what I'll tell your folks."

If a smile could disappear in one heartbeat and return with a vengeance in the next, Liz's did just that as she rolled her eyes and pushed his hand away. "You are such a jerk. You know it?" He'd gotten to her and they both knew it.

Max chuckled as he leaned back against his seat. "Perhaps. But you have to admit…you were inspired."

Liz let go of Max's hand regretfully and leaned back against her seat crossing her arms in front of her. "Maybe." She agreed half-heartedly.

"Just maybe?" Max nudged her with his elbow and winked at her. "Come on. You were a goner at the 'you’re my dreamgirl' line." He reached up and turned the air in her direction for emphasis as he continued to tease her. "In fact, I think I need to help you cool down. You are looking a little flushed…"

"Ha. Ha. Very, very funny…" Liz cleared her throat and turned toward the window before quietly commenting sarcastically with a roll of her eyes. "'You're my dreamgirl.' Pleeaase. Who would fall for that anyway?"

Max leaned over and tapped her on the shoulder waiting till she was turned to face him and that twinkle he was sporting in his eyes. "Would you like me to get you a mirror to look into for that answer…"

Liz rolled her eyes again. "If you must know…that's not the line that did it. It was actually…it was the 'dreamed you into life' line that did it."

A cocky half-smile accompanied Max's sigh of satisfaction. "I know."

"Spoken like a man who has had success with those lines in the past." Liz started to chuckle as she turned back toward him and brushed her hair back from her flushed cheeks. "Is there anything you don't think you can do well?"

"I see you've heard about my reputation in that respect." Max commented briskly, somewhat disappointed that she hadn't been able to sense the truth…those hadn't been lines at all. They were statements straight from his heart. Then again, it was best that she didn't know how to read him. It would make the assignment less risky. Easier to handle.

"Who at the Bureau hasn't? You're one of the best. Everyone knows it…even you." Liz shot him a look then turned to face forward again with a quiet confession. "It's one of the reasons I was hoping to be paired with you."

Taken back by her honesty, Max turned to look at her then looked away when he noticed a slight blush beginning to color her cheeks. "Really? And here I thought you just wanted a free trip home."

Liz smiled as she leaned her head back and closed her eyes. "Well, that too."

Max took a moment to marvel at their situation. When his family had moved away from Roswell his sophomore year, Max had never believed he'd ever see Liz Parker again. Dreamed it--most definitely. Thought of what he would say if he ever did see her again--absolutely. But believe it…no. He never really had. A miracle like that would be too much to ask for in this life of his. A life full of lies and cover-ups. Half-truths and isolation. And a loneliness that was sharpened just by her very presence in the seat next to him knowing deep down inside it could never really be. Not without sharing his greatest secret. That was something he would never do…

"So, what do your parents know of your job?" Max finally ventured deciding it was time to live in the reality of the situation before him. This wasn't a dream come true. It was an assignment. One that could get pretty sticky if not handled properly.

"They think I'm a research assistant with the Surgeon General's office. They have no idea what I really do for a living. No one does…except my friend, Maria."

"Maria DeLuca? Your best friend from high school?" Max inquired after reaching back into his memory to pull out the face of Liz's best friend.

Liz smiled. "Yeah. She's the best."

"And she knows you're an agent."

Liz nodded. "Yeah, but she's sworn to secrecy. Don't worry about her. She's completely trustworthy."

"So what have you told your parents about our trip then?" Max asked next making a mental note that the first order of business was to determine just how trustworthy Maria DeLuca really was.

Liz opened her eyes and turned to him. "Well, I told them I was coming home for at least a week and I wanted them to meet someone very special to me."

Max nodded and tried not to notice the way his heart flip-flopped at her words. "Good. So, they don't really know the extent of our relationship."

"No. They know it's serious enough for me to bring you home, but…that's all. They don't know of an engagement or anything like that. At this point, I think your dating theory would work fine. That is if you feel more comfortable with that."

Max nodded again as he sat lost in thought. More comfortable. That would actually describe him about five minutes before Liz showed up. Before all these conflicting emotions began warring inside of him. Then again, Max knew nothing in this world would make him want to change his circumstances now. Too bad that this world wasn't the one he was most concerned with when it came to this investigation.

Realizing he'd been silent for too long and Liz was looking at him rather curiously, Max shrugged his shoulders in agreement to her last statement. "I think that will be fine. In fact, it'll be perfect. We drop in on the fam to show off our new relationship and while you're keeping them busy with the hopes of an impending nuptial, I'll be able to dig around and figure out what's going on."

He turned to Liz with a smile suddenly looking forward to the next part of their trip. "So, I guess it's time for you to tell me all there is to know about Liz Parker so I'm prepared for any questions that might pop up. We'll also need to get our stories straight as to when and how we met. Or actually re-met, as it were..."

Max's smile faded when he saw a spark flare in her eyes. "What? Did I say something wrong?"

Liz turned to him with an upraised eyebrow, a sure sign she was trying to keep her anger in check. "Did I just hear you right? Did you just say I'd keep the family busy making possible wedding plans while you would do the investigating?"

Max shrugged even though a feeling of impending doom began to stir in the air around them. "Yeah, that about sums it up. Look, the way I see it, that's all that's really needed for your part of the assignment anyway."

"My part." She repeated as she blinked her eyes quickly as her voice acquired a sudden edge. "And what exactly do you think my part is?"

The side of Max's lips turn up in a smile. "Why...decoy, of course. I would have thought that would have been rather obvious."

"Decoy? As in sit back distracting people and watch you do all the real work?" Liz began to shake her head. "Uh-huh. Not happening. I realize that you're the senior agent here, but this is my case too."

"Agreed." Max stated flatly then continued. "And in every investigation, each person plays a role. In ours, you were sent to be my back-up story. My excuse for being in Roswell in the first place. You are my cover. My built-in diversion if I need one, which…just so you know…I don't intend to."

Liz shook her head in disbelief and turned on Max her position resembling a soldier suiting up for battle. "And what the hell makes you think it isn't the other way around?"

Max mirrored her position as he turned to fully face her. "Oh, I don't know. The fact that you're basically going to be home on vacation while I've been sent to do a job. Look. A stranger dropping into town wearing a dark suit, sunglasses and no valid cover story will raise suspicions. A casual, down-home boyfriend dropping in for a visit with his girl's parents won't."

"Understood." Liz answered tersely. "But don't think for one moment that I'm not going to be out in the field helping you on this. Because I am."

"But I won't need you in the field. I'll need you at home smiling prettily and convincing your parents and friends that I'm the love of you life and not an…" Max paused and glanced around before lowering his voice. "…undercover agent with the FBI investigating possible alien contact."

"Ha! You? The love of my life? There's more chance of you being an alien than there is of you ever being that to me!" Liz hissed back stubbornly as she crossed her arms in front of her.

Max's irritation raised dramatically along with his eyebrow. "Well, at this point, being the boy with the most soulful eyes in the 10th grade, I certainly have a helluva lot more chance than your ex-fiance' Kyle Valenti, Mr.-I-can't-even-spell-soulful, ever did."

An audible gasp was Max's response. The pain that flashed through Liz's eyes when she covered her mouth in surprise shocked him and made his heart constrict with remorse. Why had he said that? How could he have been so stupid to bring up such a painful memory for her? He hastened to make it right. "Liz. Liz, I’m sorry…"

Liz barely heard him as she struggled to unbuckle her seat belt. With shaking hands, she unfastened it and rose quickly. "Excuse me. I need to…"

"Liz, please. I didn't mean it." Max gazed up at her staying firmly in his seat.

"Max. Move. Now." She refused to look in his eyes and her hair had fallen in front of her face obscuring his view of her expression, but the slight quiver in her low command was enough to let Max know she was on the verge of tears. He half-rose in his seat to let her pass then slumped back down once she had cleared the aisle and headed toward the back.

Closing his eyes, Max hung his head and got lost in the mental image of kicking himself when he heard a shaky voice speaking to him and felt a cold fragile hand on his arm. Max turned to look at the elderly woman across the aisle from him as she leaned forward. "It'll be okay, sonny. I hope you don't mind, but I've been watching you and your girl. Young love as passionate as yours will always have it's moments of eruption. But she'll be back. She has the look in her eyes. The one that says no matter how mad ya make her, she won't be able to walk away from the only boy she's ever really loved…"

Max forced a smile and nodded his gratitude for her words before turning toward the window. He let out a sigh as her words played over in his mind. "…she won't be able to walk away from the only boy she's ever really loved…" Max closed his eyes and for one moment allowed himself the guilty pleasure of believing the old woman's words.

And it made his heart soar.

Until the next moment when he remembered Liz's tears...and how he had caused them. How he would always cause them simply because of who he was. "God, I hope she can because I'm not sure I'll be able to…"