Part 7

"Alex," Liz said softly, leaning over to him in the hospital chair.

He glanced at her. "Yeah?"

"Would you do me a favor?"

"Sure. Anything," he answered.

"Would you go over to my house and bring me my bookbag and a change of clothes?"

"Liz, why don't you just go home for the night? Mrs. DeLuca will call if--"

"I'm not leaving, Alex," she interupted, shaking her head. "I can't."

He met her eyes. "Okay." Alex kissed her forehead. "I'll be back in a little while."

"Thank you," she said softly.

He nodded and stood up.

"Alex?" Isabel stood up from her seat across the room next to Max.

Alex turned to look at her. "Yeah?"

"Can I come with you?" she asked tentatively.

Alex met her eyes, marvelling at the change he'd witnessed in Isabel Evans in the past five hours. She usually carried herself in a confident, perhaps overly-confident manner. This girl, this quiet, shy, hopeful girl was the real Isabel, the one he knew she'd been hiding all along. Alex smiled briefly and nodded his head. Isabel smiled back and crossed the room. "Ready?" he asked.

"Yeah. I think I am," she answered softly.

Their eyes met and Alex took her hand as they left the room.

Michael stared at her through the window. She was so pale, so still. There were I.V.'s, tubes, and machines everywhere. A nurse was in there taking her vital signs.

He felt a hand on his shoulder and he tensed immediatly. "Michael," he heard Max say.

Michael didn't turn around.

"You should go home and get some sleep," Max said gently. "Come back in the morning."

"Forget about it," he answered flatly.

"Michael--"

He shoved Max's hand off his shoulder. "Get away."

A moment later, Michael turned to see him, but Max was already gone. Michael turned took in on Maria again.

Liz popped some money into the pay phone and dialed her home phone number.

"Hello?"

"Dad?"

"Lizzie? We've been worried. Are you okay?"

"Um, yeah, I'm okay, Dad. I'm--" She took a deep breath to steady her voice. "I'm at the hospital. Maria was in a car accident."

"Is she all right?"

She fought to keep her voice strong. "She's in the I.C.U. She hasn't woken up yet."

"Do you need us to come up there?"

"No, I'm fine. Um, Alex is on his way over to pick up my school stuff, so..."

"Okay, don't worry, we'll let him in."

"I'm going to stay up here tonight. I don't want Mrs. DeLuca to be here alone."

"Are you sure you don't want us to come up there, Lizzie? Because we'll be right there if you need us," her dad said worriedly.

"Thanks, but I'm okay. I'll see you sometime tomorrow."

"Okay. I love you."

"I love you, too, Dad," she whispered. Liz hung up the telephone and closed her eyes briefly. Then she took a deep breath and headed back to the I.C.U. waiting room. A figure standing in the hallway caught her attention. He was standing outside the I.C.U., staring in the window, looking more lost than she remembered ever seeing anyone.

Liz walked over and stood next to him, staring in at her best friend, her heart aching. She gave a sideways glance at Michael, and then, without saying a word, she reached out and squeezed his hand gently. Michael glanced over at her, and then down at their hands. Then he squeezed back.

Alex stared out the windshield, lost in thought. What had happened? Maria drove into a telephone pole, not another car. Had she fallen asleep at the wheel? It didn't make sense. He didn't realize he'd spoken aloud until Isabel said, "Maybe she swerved to avoid an animal."

He glanced over at her. "Yeah, maybe."

"Because she seems to be the type, you know? More caring about everyone else than herself," Isabel said, remembering how Maria had faced down Sheriff Valenti and protected Max, Michael and her from him.

"Yeah, she's always been like that," he said distractedly.

Isabel reached over and touched his arm. "She'll be okay, Alex. I can feel it."

"I just--I don't know what I'd do if I lost either one of them. They're my family."

She knew exactly how he felt. "I know," she answered softly. Alex looked over at her, and their eyes met briefly. "She'll be okay," Isabel said again.

This time, he believed her.

"Sir?"

Sheriff Jim Valenti turned to face the inspector that was examining Maria's car. "Yes?"

"I hate to be the one to tell you this, but this was no accident," Inspector Ralph McClain said grimly, motioning to the remains of the red jetta.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean the brake line was severed. A clean cut--done by someone who knew exactly what he was doing."

Jim stared at him. "Shit," he muttered.

"Sir? What do you want done with the car?"

"Get rid of it. I don't want Amy to see how bad it looked." He turned away and headed for his car. He had to go to the hospital and check on the DeLuca's. And he dreaded being the one to tell Amy DeLuca that someone had attempted to murder her daughter.

Amy DeLuca looked up as Liz handed her a cup of coffee in a styrofoam cup. "Thanks, Lizzie," she said, offering a sincere, albeit brief smile as she took a drink. She looked over at the girl who had been like another daughter to her for the past twelve years. "How are you holding up?"

Liz nodded her head and sat down in the seat next to her. "I'm okay."

Amy reached over and hugged her. "You've always been the strong one of the three of us. I don't think I ever thanked you for that."

Liz hugged her back as she fought to hold back tears. She squeezed her eyes shut. "No problem, Mrs. DeLuca."

Amy smiled briefly again. "I remember not too long ago when you and Maria would stand in front of my bedroom mirror and play dress-ups and have tea parties." Her eyes filled with tears again. "I can't lose her....She's all I have left."

"You won't lose her," Liz said firmly, pulling away to look at her. "We all need her too much."

Amy nodded as she wiped the tears from her cheeks. "Thank you. For being here for her. For me."

Liz swallowed hard and nodded. "There's no where else in the world I would be."

"I'm going to go see if they'll let me see her now."

"Okay," Liz agreed.

Amy left the room.

Liz looked around the empty waiting room and suddenly felt like the walls were closing in. She got to her feet and hurried out of the waiting room.

Air, she thought. I need air. She glanced up and down the hallway until she caught sight of the glowing exit sign above the doorway that said, "stairs." She moved toward it and ran up six flights of stairs until she reached the roof. She shoved the door open and stepped out into the chilly night air, trying to catch her breath.

She moved to the edge of the roof and leaned against the railing as she stared up at the dark night sky and the distant stars.

Liz remembered all the times she had spent with Maria as a kid, playing dress-ups, swinging at the playground, feeding the ducks at the park, swimming at the YMCA one summer. She remembered the walks she, Maria and Alex used to take at night when they were in junior high. Why had they stopped? She wasn't sure, but more than anything she wished the three of them could do that again.

But what if they never could?

What if she and Maria could never girl-talk over Ben and Jerry's again?

What if...what if Maria died?

Tears filled her eyes and a strangled sob escaped her lips. She sunk unwillingly to her knees and began to cry harder than she ever had before.

Less than a second later, she felt strong arms wrap around her, holding her, cradling her like a child, rocking her back and forth slowly and gently.

She didn't have to look up to know who it was. She felt Max's hand gently stroking her hair and the other resting on the small of her back. Her face was buried in his neck, the tears flowing endlessly down her cheeks.

Max held her limp body in his lap, hugging her close to him. He ran his fingers through her silky hair, pressing his lips to her forehead as she cried.

Sobs wracked her small body and Liz was too distraught and was hurting too much to try and fight the comfort he was offering.

Max just held her, knowing there were no words that could help. Knowing that no matter how much he hated seeing her like this, that this--the physical, loving way he was touching her--was all he could do to help soothe the pain.

He moved his hand from the small of her back to the area in-between her shoulder blades and rubbed it in a slow circular motion while his other hand gently pressed her head to his chest.

After a few moments, her sobs subsided and he just continued to hold her and rub her back gently. Liz relaxed against him, and she listened to the soothing sound of his steady heartbeat, too tired to pull away. She let his hands and arms and breath keep her warm and comfortable as long as he kept offering it. "You're good at this," she murmured.

Max smiled slightly. "It's not exactly difficult."

They sat for a few more moments in silence as he held her and continued to comfort her. Then she leaned back slightly to look at him. "Max?"

He gazed down at her. "Yeah?"

"She's going to be okay, right?"

"I don't know," Max answered honestly. He kissed her forehead. "But no matter what happens, I'll be right here with you."

Max laced his fingers through Liz's as they stepped back into the waiting room. Sheriff Valenti stood there, along with Amy DeLuca, Isabel and Alex, the latter three wearing stunned expressions on their faces.

Max was nearly bowled over by the wave of terror that he felt sweep through Liz. He tightened his grip on her hand. "What happened?" she asked.

Sheriff Valenti turned to face them. "Someone cut Maria's brake line."

Liz gasped and Max's jaw dropped. He instinctively pulled her closer to him.

"Someone tried to kill my baby girl," Amy whispered. "Who would do something like that?"

Jim hugged her. "I don't know, Amy, but I'll find out," he promised.

Max met Isabel's eyes, and they both realized the same thing at the same time. Isabel's eyes widened and she reached for Alex's hand. Max pulled Liz into his arms. He could feel her trembling. "Let's go outside," he said softly. He led Liz into the hallway and Alex and Isabel followed.

"What's going on?" Alex asked, looking back and forth between Isabel and Max.

"We need to tell Michael," Isabel said to her brother.

Max nodded in agreement. "I'll go get him."

"Max?" Liz asked, looking up at him.

"I'll be right back," he promised.

Liz turned to Isabel. "What are you guys not saying?"

Isabel just shook her head. A moment later, Max returned, Michael right behind him. "What's going on?" Michael demanded, angry at being dragged away from Maria's window.

Max and Isabel exchanged another glance. After a moment of silence, Max finally said, "Maria's brake line was cut."

Michael stared at him, not moving, not making a sound. It was as if he was frozen.

"It was Nasedo," Isabel added softly.

Liz and Alex both gasped.

"I'll kill him," Michael said quietly. "I'll fucking kill him." He turned around and stormed down the hallway to the hospital exit.

Max and Isabel started to go after him, but Liz held up her hand. "Let me." And without another word, she took off after him and disappeared out the same door.

Alex, Isabel and Max exchanged worried glances.

"Michael, wait!" Liz called from behind him as she tried to catch up with him.

"Go away, Liz." He didn't stop or turn around.

She caught up with him and grabbed his arm. "No, I won't go away!"

Michael spun to face her. "I'm going to do what I have to do! Now let me go!"

"Who's going to protect Maria while you're off trying to track him down?" she demanded. "Michael, think about it. Either he's long gone, or he's just waiting for his chance to finish what he's started. She needs you now. She needs you to protect her. You're the only one who can do that."

Michael stared at her. What she was saying made sense. Another thought dawned on him. "He'll be after one of you next."

Liz met his eyes and nodded slowly. "I figured as much."

"This is my fault. I brought him here, I'm the one who wanted to find him! Damn it!" he said angrily.

"This isn't the time to assign blame. You have to focus on Maria now. That's what's important." She started to walk back to the hospital.

Michael followed her. It occurred to him that he hadn't given Liz Parker nearly enough credit in the department of emotional strength. "Liz."

"Yeah?"

"What you said before...about me thinking Max's saving you was a mistake...I just want you to know that you were wrong." He waited as she stopped in her tracks and turned to face him, meeting her surprised eyes with a steady, honest gaze.

He saw the acceptance in her eyes, and she nodded. Then, silently, they both walked back to the hospital, side-by-side.

Max saw Michael and Liz approaching them and even from a distance, he could tell that Michael had calmed down considerably. He wasn't sure what Liz had said to him, but whatever she'd said must have worked.

"Maximillion," Michael acknowledged him.

"Michael," he said back. Michael moved past him and returned to his place at the window of I.C.U.

Max looked at Liz. She was nothing less than amazing, he thought. He draped an arm around her shoulders and they joined their other friends outside the I.C.U. window.

"What do we do now?" Isabel asked quietly.

"We don't let them out of our sight," Max answered, pulling Liz closer to him.

Michael stared in at Maria. "And when we find him, we stop him however we have to."

A chill ran down Liz's spine and she shivered and buried her face in Max's shoulder. He brought his hand up to her hair and began to stroke it in that soothing way again.

Alex felt Isabel's fingers lace through his own and he looked down at her as she squeezed his hand.

But no one noticed that they were being watched.

Part 8

Amy DeLuca watched him throughout the night. She watched as he watched over her daughter, his gaze never faltering, not once. Amy wasn't sure what her daughter's relationship with this young man was, but it was blatantly obvious how he felt about her. She stood in the hallway outside of the I.C.U. waiting room, gazing at the back of his head.

She had sent Liz, Alex, and the other two to school that morning. There was nothing they could do, and she promised she would call the school and have a message delivered to Liz if anything changed. She really did appreciate their company, Liz's especially.

Liz was like a daughter to her. And she was so strong. Amy DeLuca was glad that Maria had such a good friend. Liz had been there for Maria when Maria's dad had abandoned them, even though at the time, the two girls had only been seven years old.

And Alex. Amy adored him, as well. Ever since the fifth grade, Maria, Liz and Alex had been inseperable, minus a few weeks ago, when he wasn't speaking to the girls...She still wasn't sure what that had been about, but whatever it was must have worked itself out, because they were acting like their old selves again. She was happy about that. She couldn't have asked for two better friends for her daughter. And now there was this young man...

Amy didn't know him well. She didn't understand him, either. But she knew beyond a doubt that he had feelings for Maria, even if he didn't like to admit it.

She watched him for another moment, just studying him. He stood perfectly still, the only movement he made was the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed. He had been silent most of the night, even when any of the others had tried to talk to him.

Amy took a deep breath and walked up so she was standing right next to him. She gazed in the window of her daughter's I.C.U. room. Then she looked over at him. "You should go home and get some rest."

He shook his head slowly, not looking at her. "Not tired."

"You have to be tired, you've been up all night."

"I don't sleep much anyway." His words were quiet, so quiet she barely heard him.

Amy turned so she was facing him directly. "It's Michael Guerin, right?"

He nodded.

"Michael, I don't know what your relationship is with my daughter, exactly, but..." Her voice trailed off. She didn't even know what it was she was trying to say.

He finally turned his head to look at her, giving her a very brief half-smile. "That makes two of us."

She smiled despite herself. Then she turned to look in on her daughter. "She's a lot stronger than she looks, you know."

Michael turned to look at Maria again. "Believe me, I know."

"She's been through so much...her father left when she was seven years old. I've always tried to be a good mother to her, but sometimes I feel like it's not enough. Like I could be doing something better, something more..."

"She's lucky to have you," Michael said quietly.

Amy blinked in surprise. His words were so quiet, so soft and brief, but so full of meaning. "Thank you for saying that."

Michael shrugged and didn't respond.

"Have you been in to see her?" she asked softly.

"They won't let me. I'm not family."

Amy touched his arm. "Cousins are family."

He looked at her, his eyebrows furrowed. "What?"

She smiled, a twinkle in her eyes. "What, you don't remember your Aunt Amy?" she asked with mock indignation.

Michael suddenly realized what she was saying and a smile formed on his lips. "Of course I do."

"Well, go in and see your cousin then." Amy watched him as he nodded, and moved to the door.

He paused for a second, then turned to look at her. "Thank you."

"My nephew has great manners," she joked, her eyes tearing up.

"I was taught by a smart woman," he answered softly. Then he stepped through the door to see her.

Amy squeezed her eyes shut and took a deep breath. She needed to get some coffee.

Michael swallowed hard and stared down at her. She was hooked up to all kinds of machines, and there were wires and tubes everywhere. She was still and silent, and more pale than he had ever seen her.

This wasn't right.

Maria was always so full of life. Always had been, back as far as he could remember. For her to be lying here, not knowing what was going to happen...it was too much.

Too much for him, too much for her mother, for Liz and Alex...

Before Michael even realized it, a tear slid down his cheek and splashed onto her hospital gown. He couldn't lose her.

He thought about his life, about how things had been before she became a part of it, and he didn't like those memories. Sure, he'd always had Max and Isabel, but sometimes that just wasn't enough...

They had their own family.

He had Hank, of course, but Hank wasn't exactly family. Hank was the jerk he lived with, the one who beat him, the one who had made him afraid to go to sleep at night, afraid of the monsters that would come out if he did.

And no one understood him. Not Max, not Isabel. As much as they loved him, they didn't understand him. They didn't know what it was like to hate "home" so much it made you want to kill yourself. They didn't understand what it was like to not have a mother, to not have real parents, because even though the Evans's weren't their real parents, they still acted like it, they still loved them.

No one understood him, or so he thought up until a couple months ago, when he'd basically stolen her car, with her in it, and driven all afternoon and evening and wound up at that sleazy motel. It had always been him against the world. No one knew what it was like to be Michael Guerin. Except for Maria DeLuca.

As much as he'd hated to admit it then, they had bonded, had formed some sort of connection. Maybe it wasn't the same kind of connection that Max and Liz had, but he and Maria weren't Max and Liz.

Maria knew what it was like to grow up without a father. She knew what it was like to wish for something so badly it hurt, and still not be able to reach her goal. She knew him as well as he knew himself. It scared him, because she could call him on it, and she wasn't afraid to do so. She was right, he was afraid. Afraid of feeling anything for anyone because he knew he'd only end up hurt in the end.

But maybe he was wrong.

He hoped he got to find out.

"Trying...to...drown me, space boy?"

Michael's eyes widened as he heard the barely audible words come from her still figure on the bed. He stared down at her, and she stared back up at him. "You're awake!"

"Apparently...why are you...crying?" she asked, wincing at the pain in her ribs as she struggled to sit up.

"Don't do that!" Michael said quickly. He sat down next to her on the bed. "Don't try to move...you're hurt pretty bad."

She coughed and then squeezed her eyes shut tightly to block the pain that shot through her. "Suck a duck," she muttered.

Michael swallowed hard, wincing as she tried to recover from the pain. He reached out and laid his hand over her ribs. Her eyes flew open at his touch, and their eyes locked on one another. Then she nodded slightly. Michael concentrated.

--Maria and Liz on the playground when they were kids--

--Maria watching, crying, as her dad left the house--

--A wave of pure fear as she stared down at his cocooned body in Liz's bed--

He blinked rapidly, trying to absorb the images in his mind. Then he gazed down at her again, his hand still resting on her ribcage.

Maria stared up at him. "Thank you."

Michael nodded. "You, uh...You scared a lot of people."

She closed her eyes and laid her head back against the pillows. "Where is everyone?"

"School. Your mom's around here somewhere."

She nodded, but didn't open her eyes. "I want to see her...can you...find her for me?"

"Yeah, no problem." He stood up and headed for the door. Then he stopped and turned around to look at her again. She hadn't moved, her eyes were still shut. "Maria."

She lifted her head to look at him. "Yeah?"

"I'm glad you're okay." And with that, he turned and left the room, leaving Maria to stare after him.

Liz stared blankly into space, unable to concentrate on Mr.Crulick's English lecture. She ached to be with her friends, to be at the hospital with Amy DeLuca, awaiting news on Maria's condition. Anywhere but in class.

"Ms. Parker?"

Liz snapped to attention as she heard Mr.Crulick say her name. "Yes?"

He nodded towards the door, where the office assistant, Ms. Sharp was standing. She motioned for Liz to come to the door.

"Bring your books, Ms. Parker," Mr. Crulick advised.

Liz quickly gathered her books and stuffed them into her bag haphazardly, and leapt to her feet, her heart racing. Please be good news, she prayed silently. She hurried over to the door.

Ms. Sharp stepped into the empty hallway and Liz followed her. "Maria's awake," Ms. Sharp told her. "Her mother just called. She's awake and alert."

Tears sprang to her eyes. "Thank God!"

"Maria's asking to see you right away."

Liz nodded quickly. "I'll get my things from my locker and tell Alex." She turned away and hurried down the hall.

Alex sat out of gym that day. The gym teacher, along with the rest of the school, had heard about Maria's accident, and had told him he didn't have to participate. Even though they were playing dodgeball, which he tended to enjoy, he just wasn't up to it.

He wondered how Liz was holding up. And he wondered how Mrs. DeLuca was doing, and if Sheriff Valenti suspected that an alien was the cause of Maria's accident.

He sighed and then looked up in time to see Liz walk through the gym door. She searched the room for a second then met his eyes across the room. Alex rose to his feet on the bleachers and stepped down, jogging across the floor to her. "Liz?"

"She's awake," she announced.

Alex's eyes widened. He hugged her. "Thank God! Is she okay?"

"Awake, alert, and asking to see us."

"Great!" He glanced over to the gym teacher, who waved him away. Alex nodded a silent thanks, and followed Liz through the gymnasium doors.

"Let's take my car," Liz suggested as they hurried down the hall towards the school parking lot.

"Okay," he agreed. Then he stopped. "Wait...What about Isabel and Max? Shouldn't we tell them?"

"They're already on their way. They left a minute ago."

Alex frowned. "Okay." He followed her to her car and waited for her to unlock the passenger side door. When she did, he climbed in and she did the same. She started the engine and quickly backed out of the parking space.

He stared out the window, some unconscious thought pushing at the back of his mind, but he didn't know what it was. He saw Liz reach over and turn on the radio, flipping through the channels. Finally she let it stop on a song, the volume loud.

"You'll see him in your nightmares
You'll see him in your dreams
He'll appear out of nowhere
But he ain't what he seems..."

Alex shuddered involuntarily. "Liz, when did you stop listening to Sarah McLachlan?"

She didn't answer. She sang along with the words of the song.

"You'll see him in your head
On the tv screen
Hey buddy, I'm warning you to turn it off
He's a ghost, he's a god
He's a man, he's a guru
You're one microscopic punk
In his catastophic plan
Designed and directed by his red right hand..."

Alex shook his head and shifted in the seat uncomfortably. Something is really NOT right here, he thought. After a moment the song changed to something slower.

"All our times have come
Here but now they're gone
The seasons don't fear the reaper
Nor do the winds
The sun or the rain..."

Alex watched her out of the corner of his eye. This was really unlike Liz. She was silent, staring straight ahead of her as if nothing mattered. And she never listened to this kind of music.

"So come on baby
(don't fear the reaper)
Take my hand
(don't fear the reaper)
We'll be able to fly
Cause, baby, I'm on your man..."

Alex shuddered again and gazed out the window. "Uh, Liz?"

"What?"

"You're going the wrong way. The hospital's in the other direction..." His voice trailed off as he stared at the desert all around them. "Liz?"

The car slowed to a stop.

He gazed out the window again. "Why are you stopping?"

"Because it's time, Alex."

He whipped his head around in time to see a man sitting in the driver's seat. "What the hell--?" His mouth dropped open in shock. It hit him at that moment. "You! You're--you're Nasedo!"

Nasedo smiled. "You didn't honestly think I'd let any humans live that knew a truth that could destroy me, did you?"

"What have you done with Liz? Where is she?" Alex demanded, his mind racing.

His grin widened. "Oh, she's with us..." He motioned to the door. "Get out and don't even think about running."

Alex swallowed hard and reached for the door handle, and climbed out of the car slowly, keeping his eyes locked on the shape-shifting alien.

"So come on baby
(don't fear the reaper)
Take my hand
(don't fear the reaper)
We'll be able to fly..."

Nasedo motioned him to the back of the car, and suddenly Alex realized where Liz was. Dread filled him in the deepest part of his soul as Nasedo waved his hand over the trunk lock. Alex held his breath, not sure if he was doing it consciously or because he couldn't breathe.

Nasedo opened the trunk. Liz was lying motionless inside. She didn't appear to be breathing. "Liz!" Alex momentarily forgot the danger he was in as he felt for a pulse. He lifted his eyes to meet Nasedo's. "You....killed her," he whispered in horror.

Nasedo gave a dark, humorless laugh. "And you're next."

Part 9

Michael sat quietly in a chair in Maria's room after she'd been moved out of the I.C.U. and the doctors and nurses were examining her.

Her mother lingered by the window, watching nervously.

"Okay, I'm okay, really!" Maria pushed herself up into a sitting position and wrapped her arms around her stomach.

"Mrs. DeLuca?" the doctor turned to face Amy. "Can we speak out in the hallway?"

"Of course." Amy followed the doctor and nurses into the hallway, leaving Michael and Maria alone in the room.

Maria watched him from the corner of her eye. What was she supposed to say to him? She knew something wasn't right, that much she could sense. "Michael."

He met her eyes.

"Where's Liz? And Alex? My mom called them over a half hour ago."

Michael blinked and shifted his gaze to the clock, realizing she wsas right. The others should have been there by now. "I don't know. I'll call Isabel on her cell phone."

Isabel Evans waited at Alex's locker after class, wondering what was taking him so long. Her cell phone rang. She pulled it out of her purse. "Hello?"

"Iz? Where the hell are you guys?"

Isabel frowned. "What are you talking about, Michael?"

"Maria's mom called the school over forty minutes ago!"

"Maria's awake?" she asked, her eyes widening.

"Yeah, didn't you guys get the message?"

"No..." She jumped as the bell rang. A second later, she saw Max come flying out of the biology room. "Max, what is it?"

"Liz isn't in class!"

"Isabel, what the hell is going on?" Michael demanded, straining to listen.

"Liz didn't show up to class and Alex didn't come by his locker..." her voice trailed off as she looked at her brother. "Max, Maria woke up awhile ago. Her mom called the school."

"They wouldn't have left without telling us," Max said.

"Oh, my God, Max," Isabel whispered, as their eyes locked.

"They're in trouble," he said, his voice cracking.

"What's going on?" Michael demanded again.

"Stay with Maria. We're going to find Liz and Alex." Isabel hung up her phone and ran down the hall after her brother, who didn't stop running until he reached the jeep.

"Okay, I want to know what's going on and I want to know right now!" Maria commanded the second Michael had hung up the phone.

He took a deep breath and turned to face her. "I don't know."

She glared at him. "Michael, I swear if you don't tell me, concussion or no concussion, I'm going to get out of this bed and strangle you!"

He sighed. Then he sat down on the edge of her bed. "Your mom didn't tell you about your car, did she?"

"My car? What does that have to do with..." Her voice trailed off as she met his eyes.

"Your brake line was cut."

Maria's eyes widened. "You mean someone tried to--"

"It was Nasedo."

There was dead silence for a full thirty seconds. Then, "Who the hell is Nasedo?" Amy DeLuca demanded from the doorway.

Maria looked at Michael, who cursed under his breath. "Shit."

Alex backed away from Nasedo, his mind racing. He had to find some way to stop him. But he was out in the middle of the desert. There were no weapons, and his opponent didn't need one. He could kill with a touch.

"Why are you doing this?" Alex choked out. "After everything we've done to help them--"

"Because all you humans are alike! You only care about one another. You don't care if you wipe out an entire alien race!"

"And what are you doing?" Alex challenged. If he could keep him talking, maybe he could stall until someone found them.

Nasedo stopped moving towards him, perplexed by the question. "I'm taking preventative measures."

"No, you're not! You're doing the same thing you accused the human race of! You're not giving us a chance to prove that we're not all killers!"

Nasedo's eyes darkened. "I'm going to enjoy killing you." He took three steps towards Alex before someone screamed behind him.

He whirled around just in time to see a tire iron swing at his head. He was slammed to the ground by the force of the blow. Liz glared down at him, still holding the metal bar in her hands. "Should have checked the trunk of my car before you locked me in it, you son of a bitch!"

Alex's eyes widened. "Liz!"

She looked up at him. "You okay?"

"I was about to ask you that!" He hurried to her, hugged her quickly, then looked down at the unconscious Nasedo. "What do we do with him?"

"I don't know. He's not dead. I didn't hit him that hard." Liz and Alex stared down at him.

"Well, we can't just leave him here for anyone to find, I mean, he's a...Czechoslovakian."

"Yeah, I know." She winced and reached up to touch the back of her head. It was bleeding.

Alex looked at her fingers, startled at the sight of blood. "Jesus, Liz," he whispered. "Let me see." He gently parted her hair in the back and looked at the wound. "You may need stitches."

"Great," she muttered, wincing again. They heard the sound of a vehicle driving towards them, and they turned to look. "Max!"

The jeep stopped a few feet away from them, and Max didn't even turn the engine off as he threw it into park and he and Isabel leaped out, running towards them. A second later, Liz was engulfed in Max's arms, holding her tightly. "Thank God you're okay!" he said, pressing his face in her hair.

Isabel threw her arms around Alex's waist and kissed him on the lips. He was surprised at first, then closed his eyes and kissed her back.

"What happened? Are you two all right?" Max asked, pulling away from Liz, and looking her over anxiously.

"She's got a pretty bad cut on the back of her head," Alex said before Liz could respond.

Max immediatly gazed into her eyes, and then moved so he could look at the wound. He frowned deeply, and touched his fingers to the cut, healing it instantly.

"Thank you," Liz said softly. He leaned his forehead against hers.

"Max," Isabel said, finally noticing Nasedo on the ground. She gripped onto Alex's arm with both hands.

Max glanced down at him, a surge of anger racing through him. Just as he was about to speak again, Nasedo leapt to his feet, opening his eyes widely, fury raging through him as he reached for Liz, who was closest to him.

Before anyone had a chance to react, a shot rang out through the air, and all four of them whirled to look. Sheriff Valenti lowered his weapon and looked at the fallen alien. Then he looked up into the faces of the four teens standing in front of him. "I thought you kids might need some help."

"But how did you--?" Isabel asked in confusion.

"I heard you kids talking at the hospital last night, and I knew you were in trouble. Amy called me on the phone a few minutes ago to tell me what was going on."

"Wait, you mean..." Max's voice trailed off.

"It seems Mr. Guerin and Miss DeLuca were forced into telling her the truth. She heard them talking, and when she found out who Nasedo was, and that he probably had Liz and Alex, she called me."

"But how did you know where we were?" Liz asked, finally regaining the ability to speak.

"I didn't. I followed Max and Isabel from the school," Sheriff Valenti explained. Max and Isabel exchanged a worried look, and Valenti held up a hand. "It's okay. I know who you are. All three of you. Your secret's safe with me."

"If that was true, why have you been after us all this time?" Max asked doubtfully.

"I wanted the truth, that's all. And I knew that there was one of you out there that was a killer..." He stopped when he looked down to where Nasedo had been lying.

Liz followed his gaze. Nasedo had vanished. She gasped.

"Guess we don't have to worry about what to do with his body," Alex mumbled, feeling a bit dizzy.

Isabel and Max stared down at the ground. There wasn't even a trace of blood on the desert sand. "Oh, my God," Isabel whispered.

Max swallowed hard, blinking against the brightness of the sun shining down on them. He wrapped his arms around Liz and pulled her to him. She buried her face in his chest, and wrapped her arms around Max's waist.

Sheriff Valenti met Isabel and Alex's eyes, and nodded. "You kids have some people waiting to see you at the hospital. Are you ready to go?"

The four teens exchanged worried glances, and then they all nodded in agreement.

"Where are they?" Maria asked, tapping her fingernails on her hospital tray.

Michael glanced at Amy DeLuca, who was still staring at him, and he sighed. "I don't know." He stood up and started pacing again. What if Valenti had captured Max and Isabel? What if Nasedo had killed Liz and Alex before anyone could stop him? A thousand questions raced through his mind all at once when the door suddenly opened.

"Liz!" Maria gasped. "Alex!" Her two best friends raced towards the bed and threw their arms around her in a group hug. "Oh, my God! Are you guys okay? What happened? Tell me everything!"

Michael turned in time to see Max and Isabel and Sheriff Valenti walk in the room. He breathed a sigh of relief as he met their eyes, and they both smiled at him. Valenti nodded at him as well.

"It's okay. He's on our side," Max told him. He turned to look at Amy DeLuca, whose eyes were wide and staring at the three of them. He swallowed hard and looked at Liz, Alex, and Maria.

Maria noticed the expression on her mother's face. "Mom? Do you remember Max and Isabel Evans?"

Amy nodded her head, but remained silent.

Maria threw a glance at Michael, who shrugged.

Jim Valenti noticed the exchange and walked over to Amy. "It's okay, Amy. They're good kids. All six of them."

Amy looked into his eyes, and saw he was telling the truth. Then she smiled. "So everyone's okay?"

The six teens looked at one another and nodded simataneously. "Mom, would you and Sheriff Valenti mind if we had a few minutes alone?" Maria asked, glancing around the room.

"Sure." Amy and Jim smiled at one another and stepped out into the hallway.

Max, Isabel and Michael stood on the other side of the room from where Liz, Maria and Alex were sitting on Maria's hospital bed. There was a moment of silence.

Liz met Max's eyes across the room and he crossed the floor so he was standing next to her. Silently, Isabel followed her brother and stood next to Alex. They all looked at Michael expectantly, but Maria had hope in her eyes. She smiled at him and he grinned. Then he, too, stepped forward and sat down on the bed with his friends.

"So," Alex said, grinning at his five friends. "Who's up for some pizza? I'm starving."

Liz laughed and leaned back against Max, who looked down at her. Then he leaned over and kissed her gently on the lips. She smiled and kissed him back.

The End