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{I'd like to go on the record to say that what happened later that night was not planned. I mean there we were just two friends who set out to enjoy a very happy occasion together. Max was trying to treat me to a great time and ended up creating the most wonderful night of my life. However, who knew so much trouble could come out of one magical night, obviously not Max and especially not me.}

Max pulled up outside the gates of an empty mansion ten miles outside of Roswell.

"Maria we're here. Wake up sleepy head."

"What?" She looked around dazedly. "Max where are we?"

"We're at Casa de Mer. One of my dad's deceased clients left this place to his granddaughter. My dad hasn't been able to locate her yet. So I asked if I could borrow the keys for a special occasion tonight. He agreed only after I promised him that I would do the chores that mom is always after him to do."

"It's a really pretty place." She commented.

"Yes it is but wait until you see the garden in the back. It's in the shape of a maze. In the middle there's this really pretty park and a man made lake. It's so beautiful. You just have to see it for yourself." He said in excitement.

She noticed other cars parked in the around the house. "Who else is here?"

"Please Maria just wait and see. You'll spoil the surprise." Max said as he guided her to the back where the garden path started.

He stopped at the entrance to the garden and said. "I'm going to blindfold you now, but don't be scared it's only going to be for a few minutes. Now hold still."

She stood passively while he placed the blindfold around her eyes. "Owie, that's too tight. Loosen it up some."

"Sorry okay... Now is that okay?"

"Yes perfect." She smiled. "Now lead on Girlfriend."

The closer they got to the center of the Maria began to hear strands of music. When they stood three feet from the entrance to the center of the maze Maria could make out the tune of the song that was playing. It was one of her favorite songs. One she was always singing while taking a shower. Tamia's Love me in a Special Way.

"Do you recognize the song?" Asked Max.

"You know I do." She replied.

"Why don't you sing it for me?"

"Why don't you take off this blindfold? I'll sing it for you once you do that."

"No. You'd ruin my surprise. Please Ria, sing it for me." He begged.

"Okay." She smiled then opened her mouth and the words fell from her lips beautifully.

You know you had me
With your sensual charm
You looked so alarmed
As I walked on by
And oh some wonder
You had to know why I did not respond
To carry on

Love me in a special way
What more can I say?
Love me now
Love me in a special way
What more can I say?
Love me now

By the second verse she realized that she was no longer singing alone. Max walked behind Maria and untied the blindfold. Maria opened her eyes and was amazed at the sight before her. Standing on a dais before her in the middle of a beautifully lake filled with swans was the singer Tamia. She was still singing the song to Maria.

"Oh my gosh, Max. How did you get Tamia to sing for me. She's one of my favorite singers. Oh Max you're the greatest." She managed to hug him and jump up and down at the same time.

Max laughed and said, "Now Maria don't get to excited. That's really just a image that's being projected by Tess and the voice is a recording of your cd."

"I don't care it's the thought that counts. Oh this is so sweet." She noticed the table that was covered with gold candles and a wonderful birthday feast.

"Don't give me all the credit. I had definite help with all of this. Don't you sense the touch of Isabel?" He smiled down at Maria.

Just then the image of Tamia went away and the song changed to Stevie Wonder's version of the birthday song. Maria spotted Isabel pushing a cart carrying a delicious looking cake. She was followed by Alex, Tess, Liz, Kyle, and Michael as well as Amy, Jim, the Evans, and the Parkers.

Maria smiled at Max. "Still going to say this was some spur of the moment thing?"

"Hey I said the gifts were spur of the moment, the idea for this party had been planned by your mom and Isabel a month ago but the idea for the location came from me."

"So Maria, do like your surprise party?" Asked Amy.

"Yes I love it, but is this everyone who's coming?" she asked curious about all the food and who's going to eat it all.

"No it isn't. Everyone get your butts out here and let's party." Shouted Isabel.

Soon the garden was filled with the sounds of many teens from W. Roswell High. Everyone was soon dancing eating drinking and having a good time. In one section of the garden there was a table filled with presents. That's where Maria headed first. She loved opening up gifts.

When she opened up over half the gifts she abandoned that project and went to the area where the dancing was. She danced with a lot of guys and even with some girls, but most of her dances were reserved for Max, her newest and dearest best friend.

The party ended at exactly twelve o'clock. After the guest left Maria and the rest of the gang were the ones left to clean up

. "Hey you guys you can go on home and come back in the morning to clean the rest of this mess up." Said Max.

"Are you sure?" Asked Isabel.

"Yeah. It's pretty late and I know y'all are all pooped out." Everyone gathered up Maria gifts and loaded on to the back of the sheriff's truck. "Maria do you need me to take you home?" asked Amy.

"No mom. I'm riding with Max." Everyone left leaving Maria and Max alone. Maria turned towards the lake and let out a sigh of contentment. "This was the most exciting birthday ever Max. I want to thank you again for making it all possible."

"Anything for you Maria." He said while walking over to stand next to her. "You're a great person and all your birthdays should be made special."

She turned to smile up at him. "Max you're such a sap." She slapped him lightly upside the head with a laugh.

"Oh is that how you see me as a sap? Well I have something for then." He began to step closer to her. Each step he took forward she took another one back.

Eventually she turned around and started off at a full run. Max chased after her. "You can't catch me, so, don't even try."

"Oh I'm going to catch you alright. And when I do you better say a prayer little girl."

She came up at a dead end in the maze and could do nothing but stop and turn to face Max. "Hey girlfriend, you look good today. Did you do something to your hair?"

Max just laughed at her and advanced closer. "Don't try to butter me up. It's not going to work. Now just stand there and take your punishment like a man."

She pouted and stated, "But I'm not a man. So I don't have to take it."

Max only laughed harder then lunged at her. She tried to run but he managed to take her into his arms. Max started tickling her and she began to laugh uncontrollably. "Do you admit defeat? Do you admit that I'm the king of all?"

"I admit that you're the king of asses. That's about it." She managed to say between laughs.

Max stared at Maria's face thinking silently to himself how gorgeous she looked when she laughed. To him her lips looked so kissable. He could imagine how Michael must have felt when he was first drawn to her.

He didn't even pause to think before taking his next move. He pulled Maria closer to him and kissed her. It wasn't a small peck on the cheek but a full-grown, knock-you-off-your-feet and hear bells ringing in the background kind of kiss.

She was shocked at first and tried to push him away, but the kiss started to feel really good to her so she found herself kissing him back. Seconds later, though it seemed like hours to both of them, he paused to take a breath of much needed air.

"Mmm... Max what was that for?" She asked a little dazed.

He didn't answer. He began to plant small kisses across her lips, unwilling to let her loose from his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck and ran her hands through his air. Any thoughts she had of Liz or Michael were pushed firmly to the back of her mind. At that moment she didn't care about anything or anyone but the boy in her arms.

The kiss went on and on it seemed like forever. Maria didn't even notice when he lowered her to the ground. However, when he pulled away from him she tried to keep him from leaving her. She released him eventually when she realized he was just trying to take off his shirt. In those few seconds away from him however her conscious intruded.

"Max, should we be doing this?" She sat up and straightened her clothes out a little bit. "I mean don't you think we're moving a little too fast?"

"I don't know Maria. For someone reason I just can't stop thinking about you. I mean this is no spur of the moment thing." He sighed in frustration. "I've been having these feelings and thoughts for you even before that stuff happened with Liz and Kyle. These feelings go as far back as the end of last year when we first became friends. So for me this isn't fast at all. I really like you. More than just as a friend."

"Oh Max." she cried as she threw her arms around his neck and started up their passionate embrace once again. "I like you also as more than just a friend. I don't know when it happened but it did."

He groaned in excitement as she ran her hands down his arms and chest. "So are you sure that you want this to continue?" He managed to ask in between kisses.

"Most definitely." He lowered her back onto the ground and in that moment, in the garden maze at Casa de Mer, they took their friendship to a whole other level.