*******

Part 3

All his life Max Evans had done the right thing. The responsible thing. The thing that was expected of him. Now as he stood at the bottom of the ladder leading up to Liz Parker Richards' balcony, Max wondered if for once in his life he could damn the consequences and do what he wanted to do. He briefly thought about Tess who would be heartbroken, of Michael and Isabel who would be disappointed in him. And then he thought of living the rest of his life knowing that he had come this close to realizing his most treasured dream and he made a decision. He was up the ladder before he had time to change his mind.

Liz was sitting on a lounge chair, talking quietly into the phone. She raised her head when she heard him and the last of Max's doubts dissipated with what he could read in her eyes. She knew why he was here and she welcomed him. She indicated for him not to leave and turned her attention back to her phone conversation.

"Did you have any trouble putting her to sleep?" A short silence, then she spoke again. "That's good. You should get a good night's sleep, too. You know she'll be up before dawn."

Max climbed over the short half wall and stood awkwardly on the balcony. As a teenager he had dreamed of being here more times than he could remember. He looked around and noticed the open window leading into Liz's childhood bedroom. He had dreamed of being in there as well.

"I love you, too," Liz said before she hung up the phone. Max bit his lip. Perhaps he shouldn't be here.

Liz got up and stood in front of Max.

"I'm glad you came back."

"I'm sorry I left you stranded at the restaurant," he said.

"You didn't have to pay for a cab."

"I'm sorry I ran out," he repeated. "I..." He gently ran his fingers through Liz's hair. "Oh God. I shouldn't be here," he said.

Liz put her hands on his shoulders. "I want you here."

He met her serious eyes. "Are you sure? I mean, think of what you could be throwing away."

"No one ever needs to know," Liz whispered, running her hands over his shoulders and down his arms. He caught them in his.

"But you'll know, Liz. I don't want to do this if you think you might regret it one day."

She looked at him. "Max, I know I will regret it if I don't. Don't you feel this thing between us? This... connection?"

Max nodded.

"Then stop thinking and just follow your heart."

She leaned in closer to him and it was an immense effort for Max to pull away from her.

"Not here," he said, his breathing uneven. "Your parents are here."

"You're right," Liz said. Yet she didn't pull away from him.

"Liz, if I kiss you now..." Max shook his head. She seemed to understand, for she finally took a step back from him. He pulled her toward the ladder. "Let's get out of here."

***

They sat in the Jeep in silence, staring at the Tumbleweed Inn in front of them.

"You can still change your mind," Max spoke quietly from behind the wheel. They had made the short drive in silence. Max had long since stopped listening to the little voice inside his head that was telling him this was wrong. He was going to go through with this, come what may. But he would understand if Liz had second thoughts. She was putting a lot more at risk than he was.

"I choose to be here, Max."

***

Less than 10 minutes later, they were both standing in the little room, facing each other. Liz had just come out of the bathroom. Max thought that he should be nervous, but for the first time in years, he felt at peace. He was where he was supposed to be.

He lifted his arm slowly, deliberately, and undid the first button of her shirt. He smiled when Liz shivered and closed her eyes. His fingers lingered on her skin before he undid the second button. He would take his time tonight.

The garment fell away from her and he stared in awe. He had never really taken the time to look at Tess that way when they had first become intimate. He was too busy trying to ignore the fact that she wasn't Liz.

But Liz was everything he had ever dreamed of and more. He ran his fingers lightly down her arms, watching her face, taking his cues from her expression. He caressed her silken skin, growing bolder at every little sigh that escaped her lips. This was the moment he had waited for his whole life. And it was finally happening.

That thought snapped his control and he pulled her hard against him. His lips found hers a second later. His arms went around her, crushing her against his chest. She responded eagerly to his assault and Max was lost in the kiss. His mind filled with fireworks. He had never known anything like this.

He whimpered when Liz pulled away from him, and then gasped when her skin brushed against his naked chest. His shirt lay discarded on the floor and Max didn't have time to wonder how it had gotten there; his attention was immediately back on Liz's tongue in his mouth.

His large hands ran up and down her back and he was frustrated to find that she was still wearing some of her clothes. He moved his hands between them and quickly undid her pants. He pushed them down her legs before attacking his own belt. They parted only long enough to remove the last of their clothing. Their mouths met again in a searing kiss. Liz's taste was intoxicating; Max knew that he would crave it to his dying day.

He moved his head to sample her neck and felt her go weak in his arms. His own knees nearly buckled at the realization that this was as intense for her as it was for him. He removed his lips from her only long enough to orient himself in the room. He pushed her toward the bed and when she took his earlobe in her mouth, they collapsed onto the hard mattress.

She rolled them over so she was on top of him, grinding her hips against his. Max hissed in pleasure as her wet center met his arousal, her tongue still tracing his outer ear. Pleasure was building fast inside of Max and he knew that he wouldn't last long. In one swift motion, he sat up and pushed her down so she was on her back, and he entered her. He could only thrust a few times before the world behind his eyes dissolved in a blinding glow of silver light.

***

He pulled out of her only long enough to turn her around. He kissed his way down her spine before taking her again from behind. Liz arched against him. She took his hands in hers and placed them on her breasts. They moved together slowly as Max rained kisses all over her back.

***

He didn't think he would ever get enough of her. Years of loving Tess were just a distant memory as Liz straddled him and they were joined for the third time. He pushed himself up to a sitting position and Liz took advantage of his closeness to tangle her fingers in his short hair. He took a fistful of her silky hair and moved it to the side, revealing her neck. He attached his lips to her shoulder, mere centimeters away from where he had already left his mark. He loved the salty taste of her damp skin.

Every time Liz lifted herself up and slammed herself back down on him, Max was a little closer to ecstasy. Never had he felt more complete. Liz was the missing piece he had looked for all his life. He had never truly belonged with his family, or with Tess, or even on this planet.

But he belonged with Liz.

***

Max closed his eyes, his arms going around Liz automatically when she put her head on his chest. He needed a moment to catch his breath. This had been quite the marathon.

"Don't fall asleep," Liz's sleepy voice begged.

He kissed her hair and cuddled closer. "I just need a minute. This was... my God!"

"I know," Liz agreed.

Despite his best intentions, Max could feel himself dozing off. The stress of the last few days; knowing he might have to leave without seeing Liz again; the rush of feelings seeing her had brought back: all that combined with the most intense lovemaking session of his life was taking its toll on his body and he knew he desperately needed the rest. But he didn't want to waste a single moment with Liz by sleeping.

With an effort he opened his eyes and looked at the woman of his dreams lying next to him. Her face was still flushed from the exertion of their activities and her hair was mussed. She was beautiful.

Max felt a rush of feelings swell in his heart. His question from years ago, about whether or not he would have felt the kind of body-numbing peace Tess had felt after their first time if she had been whom he really wanted, was finally answered. In a snapshot of intense clarity, Max realized one thing; this was the single supreme moment of happiness in his life. Nothing would ever top this. Nothing would ever even come close.

He had tasted ultimate bliss and he committed the moment to memory. It would have to be enough to last a lifetime.

Max wasn't so tired anymore. He only had a few hours left to be with Liz. He wanted to make each second count. He disentangled himself from her and when she opened her eyes and started to protest, he silenced her with a kiss. He covered her body with his and made it his mission to kiss every inch of her skin. He didn't think he was up for a repeat of the passionate interlude from a moment ago just yet, but this was just as satisfying. Just as profound. Just as meaningful.

When he was done tasting Liz from head to toe, she returned the favor. And Max could have sworn she wasn't just kissing his body.

She was kissing his soul.

***

The sun peeked through the curtains but Max and Liz were too lost in each other's eyes to pay it much mind. As their bodies insisted that they rested, they had spent the time talking, never breaking contact between them. Max's hands were at home on her body; his fingers belonged in her hair. They poured their hearts out to each other. They saw into each other's souls. They shared the deepest, darkest secrets they had never shared with anyone. Except one. Despite knowing who he really was better than anyone else, Liz would never know what> Max truly was. It was the only way to keep her safe.

But still; they connected on a level deeper than they could have ever imagined connecting with another being.

"I will leave him. I can never go back to him after tonight."

Soft kisses on her cheeks, trailing down to her neck.

"I can't stay. You know that."

Small hands on his chest, touching, stroking, caressing.

"Why can't you tell me where you're going? Why you might never come back?"

A dark head resting on her breast. Golden brown eyes closing in agony.

"I want to tell you. I want that so much. But it won't be safe for you if you know. And I will never put you at risk like that."

Arms coming around him, pulling him closer.

"Stay. Please."

***

The day had turned into night again and Max had only left the bed long enough to find food for his lover. He was feeding her fruit at the moment, licking the sweet juices that dripped over her chin with his tongue.

"Run away with me."

Max looked at her with surprise. They had not mentioned a future together since the morning. He thought she understood that it could never be.

"If I ever make it back, I will come for you. That's a promise."

She shook her head. "That's not enough. Don't go. If they're sending you to war or wherever, run away. Desert them."

The idea was beyond tempting and Max was shocked to realize that he was actually considering it. He never would have, just a few hours ago. Leaving was his fate and he thought he had been resigned to it. He had seen no alternative. But things between them were different now. They had made love so many times he had lost count. They had bared their souls to each other. A few hours ago, he had thought he could come here, make sweet memories with her and walk away, heartbroken but knowing that he had realized a dream. He had thought he knew what he was getting into. He had thought he knew that giving her up would hurt. He had never figured that it would be impossible.

A few hours ago, he hadn't known what he was getting himself into. How could he have? This was unlike anything he had ever experienced. The sheer depth of his love for Liz was dizzying. The utter strength of their connection was mind-blowing. It was as though they had been two parts of a whole looking for one another. Their reunion had not only connected them; it had cemented them.

And yet Max knew it wasn't enough to fight destiny. Whether he wanted to or not, he had to leave. Even if it meant losing his soul in the process.

"If I run away, they'll come after me," he said. He wasn't sure who or how, but he knew with certainty that Nasedo wouldn't let him go this easily.

"Then we'll hide. We'll go somewhere they will never find us."

He cupped her face in his hand. "Coming with me means giving up baby Caroline," he said gently. "I know you could never do that."

Liz's eyes filled with tears. "We'll take her with us. I know you'll love her."

Max placed a tender kiss on her forehead. "I know I would. But that's not a life for a child."

Liz raised her chin in defiance. "We'll love her. She'll never want for anything. And neither will our other children."

Max closed his eyes. As much as he wanted to believe her words, he knew it was an impossible dream.

***

Liz was crying softly against him. Max looked at the time. It was already 2 a.m. He had to leave for the podchamber shortly if he wanted to make the trip home.

He thought back to Liz's plea that they just run away. God knew that he wanted to stay with her more than he wanted his next breath. Now that the seed of rebellion had been planted in his head, he couldn't shake the idea. There was nothing for him on Antar. What if he simply didn't show? The Granilith was a one-way rocket. Once it was activated, they couldn't stop it. It would leave whether he was on it or not. And since it was their only way home, Max knew that Nasedo would make sure that at least some of them were on it. The device had a 24-hour activation period. The countdown had already started. Would Nasedo risk everyone missing the ride home just to ensure Max would make it?

The others would be mad. Tess and Isabel would feel betrayed. Michael and Nasedo would be furious. But Max might never see them again so why should he care if they were upset with him? All he had ever wanted was in his arms right now. If he stayed with Liz, maybe it could work.

"What time is your flight?" Liz asked. Her voice was dead, like the light in her eyes. She, who had been so vibrant in the last 24 hours, was now broken, defeated. Max could have killed himself for taking the sparkle from her eyes.

"5 a.m.," he replied.

She wiped her eyes. "Shouldn't you make your way to the airport? Or the airfield, or wherever you're leaving from?"

Max nodded. "Probably."

She bit her lip and looked at him with her wide eyes. "Will you love me one last time?"

One last time. The words hit Max hard. This couldn't be the last time he would feel her skin under his fingers. This couldn't be the last time he would feel her lips against his. His resolve was broken.

"I can't leave you," he whispered. "Let them leave without me." They could hunt him down later; he didn't care. He crushed her against him, relieved to see the spark return to her eyes.

***

Her climax was approaching, he could feel it. As his own also crept up on him, he threw caution to the wind and opened the connection with her wider than he had dared so far. They had been so caught up in each other all day that Max knew she wouldn't have time to question the strange link between them until he was long gone. But now that he wasn't leaving anymore he wanted to share this last part of him. His alien heritage. He let go of the little control he had managed to hold on to and the result was instantaneous. Liz and he were no longer deeply connected like they had been all day.

They were one.

***

He took deep breaths to even his irregular breathing. He looked down into Liz's face. She was still trembling, the last waves of her climax spreading through her in little spasms. She opened her eyes and looked at him in wonder. Before she was able to speak, the door to their little haven blew open and a gust of wind moved the curtains. Liz was torn away from his arms and sent sprawling against the wall.

***

Max was by her side in a flash. She was unconscious, her head bent at an awkward angle. Max quickly looked her over for injuries.

"Leave the human slut. It's time to go."

Max didn't even bother turning toward Nasedo. He picked Liz up in his arms, being careful not to move her head too much and laid her on the bed.

"We'll miss our departure time," Nasedo insisted.

"I'm not going," Max said, his attention still on Liz. Her neck wasn't broken, thank God, but she needed immediate medical attention.

Before he could fully comprehend what was happening, Max found himself against the wall, much in the position Liz had been a moment ago. Nasedo took a few steps inside the room until his glowing hand hovered over Liz's heart.

"You will come if you have no reason to stay."

With a roar that sprung from his very core, Max leapt onto the bed and knocked Nasedo away from Liz. Her skin was already red and peeling.

"If you killed her, I swear to God..." Max didn't finish his threat. Liz's breathing was shallow and he immediately connected with her to relieve the pressure on her lungs.

Nasedo shrugged, unconcerned about the fate of the human woman.

"We're leaving now. Either you come with me willingly and I give you a minute to make sure the whore is okay, or you fight me. I can assure you, I will win. You will come with me and she'll be left here to die."

"Don't you dare call her that," Max said through clenched teeth. He had no doubt that Nasedo could do what he threatened to do. If Max resisted him, Liz would die. Even giving a direct order to leave her alone wouldn't do any good at this point. She was already in bad shape.

He caressed her hair softly and bent to kiss her mouth. His mind was filled with a series of flashes; if he left her like this, she wouldn't make it. Even if he called an ambulance, she would be gone before they could find her.

Ignoring Nasedo, Max connected with Liz and healed everything he could. He only left her with a small concussion. She would wake up on her own in a few minutes. By then, he would be gone.

A single tear dripped on Liz's cheek and Max had a moment to hope that maybe she was waking up before he realized that the tear was his own. He opened a last connection with her. He brushed against her soul.

They found me. I love you. I'm sorry.

I love you.

Her response filled him and he broke the connection. One last kiss, one last longing imprinted on her mind and he was gone.

***

"I can't believe how close you're cutting this, Max!"

Max stared out the window. He wasn't in the mood for a chewing by Michael.

"What if we had not found you in time? We've been all over Roswell twice, Maxwell! Good thing I spotted your Jeep!"

Michael glanced at Nasedo. "He didn't think we should check the motels. He said you would never cheat on Tess, but I thought you might want to get a little human action before leaving the playground for good. Hell, I know I did. I wasn't going to leave this planet a virgin," Michael said. Max looked at him sullenly. How did Michael figure his one-night-stand compared with Max's night?

"You know how important this is!" Michael was still ranting. "I hope she was worth it. Was she any good?"

Max looked at Michael, his eyes dark and burning with something Michael had never seen. Michael swallowed hard, suddenly uncomfortable.

"Who was she, Max?"

Max closed his eyes and didn't answer him. When he opened them again, he could see Michael looking at him with something akin to sympathy in his eyes. While his best friend had never been the biggest fan of his obsession with Liz, he had always indulged Max by hanging out with him at the Crashdown. He knew Michael had figured it out.

Michael opened his mouth to say something but closed it and shook his head.

There was nothing he could say.

***

The last few stars were fading fast in the brightening morning sky. Max stood outside the podchamber and looked around him. He wasn't sure he would miss the desert, or the blue of the sky, and he figured stars would be visible from Antar, but it didn't make leaving here any easier. He had never even left the country, hardly ever been outside of New Mexico; this was all he had ever known. There had been times when he had been excited at the idea of travelling thousands of millions of miles away, across the stars where no one born on this planet had ever been. But now was not one of those times. The only journey he wanted to take right now was back to the Tumbleweed Inn and the love waiting for him in that bed.

He took one last deep breath of the clean desert air, filling his lungs and exhaling deeply. Without another look around, he stepped inside the podchamber and closed the door behind him.

"Max! I was so worried!" Tess wrapped her arms around him but he couldn't bring himself to kiss her back. She took a step away from him and looked at him curiously. He knew she could smell Liz on him. He watched the emotions play over her face until she smiled, indulgence in her eyes. They were leaving the planet together, he would be hers forever. She could let one indiscretion go. He didn't think he had ever hated her more than in this moment.

Isabel came next, her eyes blazing, ready to rip him a new one for missing their last night with their parents. Michael stopped her with a hand on her arm and Isabel really looked at Max for the first time since he had entered the chamber. She must have been able to read the pain on his face, or feel the sorrow radiating from him for her eyes softened and finally she only said, "We missed you Saturday night."

"Did you give Mom and Dad my love?" Max said. He was sorry he had missed the chance to see his parents one last time but not enough to regret spending that time with Liz. He had seen them on Friday, briefly, but it would have to be enough. He had hugged his mother and shook his father's hand and told both of them he loved them. Some people didn't even get that much.

Isabel nodded in answer to his question. "I told them they would see you next time they saw me," she said and her voice cracked a little. Max closed the distance between them and put his arm around her shoulders.

"Do you think they found the tape yet?" he asked in a quiet voice.

Isabel shook her head. "I put it in Mom's cake dish. She usually bakes on Monday nights, you know that."

"So they'll know from that before they can worry about us being missing. Good idea." Max managed a smile for his sister that disappeared when he saw the question in her eyes. "Don't," he warned her. He wouldn't talk about where he had been.

Max wasn't sure if it was his tone or something in his face but he knew the exact instant that Isabel understood where he had spent his last night on Earth. There was something in her eyes similar to what had been in Michael's and again, Max had to look away from it. More than anyone, Isabel understood his desire to be normal, to be human, and to have normal human relationships. She squeezed his shoulder before moving toward the Granilith.

Max took his place in the circle around the cone-shaped spaceship. He smiled sadly at Tess when she took his hand. He turned his eyes toward the purple light that was shining inside the translucent cone. He listened with only half an ear to Nasedo's instructions.

A few miles away, Liz was waking up. He could feel it as clearly as if he had been lying next to her. Max had to clamp down on the urge to turn around and run out of the podchamber. He took a deep breath, trying to deny his impulse.

Following Nasedo's lead, he put his hand again the cool surface of the ship. A brief sensation of dizziness, of weightlessness, and he found himself inside the ship, Tess by his side. The others joined them moments later. It was too late now. There was no going back.

Liz was becoming aware of her surroundings again and Max was hit by her feelings. She was confused. She was worried, though more for him than for herself. She was still in pain over the concussion she had suffered but that was nothing compared to the anguish in her heart at the knowledge that Max was truly gone.

Max was instantly filled with regrets. How many times had he told her that he loved her? Why hadn't he told her more? Had he told her how beautiful she was to him? He knew those words had been spoken between them. He knew she had felt them in his every touch. Still Max couldn't help but feel that he hadn't told her enough. How can some thirty hours replace a lifetime?

He closed his eyes as the Granilith started to spin around him. He thought of Liz, remembering how she looked in bed next to him. It was the one image of his life on Earth he wanted to take with him to his new life.

Epilogue

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