Prologue

Liz gazed up at the stars. Usually they gave her peace and wonder about the vast, mysterious universe that they lived in. But tonight, they seemed to be mocking her. It's written in the stars, she heard herself say to Max. Hah! Written in the stars indeed. Like she cared. Like Max cared. But the fate of an entire species rested on Max's shoulders. His people. She had to let him go. Follow his destiny. Tess.

She took out her journal from its hiding place. "I've always believed that love conquered all. That no matter what obstacles Max and I faced, we would overcome them together. But now I've come to think that there's a more powerful being in the universe than love. Destiny. Tess was Max's destiny. And I can't get in the way of that. Not even love was as strong as that word that I'm beginning to loathe. Destiny."

Liz closed her journal and let the tears flow.

"Pssst, Liz!"

Liz stiffened. That voice. The voice of her dreams. She knew she should tell him to go away. But she didn't have the energy left. All of her strength and willpower had been drained when she turned away from Max that afternoon. So she just sat there. Sat there and waited for the soft thud as he climbed up the ladder and landed on her balcony. Sat there while he walked up to her chair and looked down at her. Finally, he reached down and tipped her chin up to look at him. And Liz inhaled sharply when she gazed into his eyes and saw all the love shining in them.

"I don't care about destiny. Tess will never mean a thing to me, Liz. I love you. Always have, always will. And I refuse to let anything change that. Please, I beg you to reconsider. You mean the world to me. And even more. I'd just want to die if you leave me because of this thing called destiny. We choose our own destinies. You said that yourself. Now believe it when I say that I choose you, Liz Parker, to be my destiny."

Hearing his passionate plea, Liz almost broken down right then and there. She tried in desperation one last time to let him walk away. "What about your planet, Max? Your people? I can't help you free them."

"Yes, you can Liz. You are my very reason for being. Without you, I'm nothing. And you, Liz, you have made me whole. With you by my side, I can do anything. In any world or galaxy."

That did it. Liz broke down sobbing at Max's words. Max's wrapped his arms around her. They clung to each other as if their very lives depended on it. And maybe it did.

Part 1

Liz Parker breezed into Biology. Could life get anymore perfect? Max Evans had been her steady for more than two years now, ever since that fateful day when he�d found out about his destiny with Tess Harding, and decided to ignore it. In those two years, he hadn�t shown any of that �we need to take a step back� crap. And now she was in Biology, her favorite class of all time. Of course, the fact that Max was her lab partner for the third year in a row didn�t hurt, either.

She slid into her seat and glanced over at Max out of the corner of her eyes. God, he was hot! She still couldn�t believe how someone as gorgeous and wonderful as Max could fall for someone like her, much less risk his own life and that of the people closest to his just to save her, a girl who barely gave his the time of day outside of Biology. But, hey, who was complaining?

Max gazed at the divine creature sitting next to him. How had he gotten so lucky as to have Liz Parker, the girl of his dreams, fall in love with him? He had been infatuated with her from the moment he first laid eyes on her, in the third grade. But he never would�ve dreamed she could someday return those feelings.

�Ms. Parker, Mr. Evans, why aren�t the two of you taking notes about what�s gonna be on your finals next week?�

Max and Liz snapped out of their reverie and smiled at each other. This did not go unnoticed by Maria or Alex, or the rest of the class for that matter, who glanced at each other and rolled their eyes, amused at the couple�s sappiness. Geez! You�d think that after two long years they�d learn! But some things never change.

�Caus they were too busy making goo-goo eyes at each other to concentrate on your lecture, Mr. McGregor!� an obnoxious kid from the back, Bobby Rodriguez, called out.

The class cracked up at his comment, even Maria and Alex. Liz turned about five shades darker than her normal face color and Max just grinned to himself, thinking once again how lucky he was. Liz Parker was his girlfriend and he didn�t care if the whole school knew it. Heck, he didn�t care if the whole universe knew it! He just thanked his lucky stars that Liz knew his deepest, darkest secret and still wanted to be with him. Where else in the galaxy could you find a girl who knew a guy was part of something her people feared, yet she still trusted and loved him?

Mr. McGregor frowned at the uproar in his normally orderly Biology class. �Enough!� he bellowed. The class quieted down. �Now Ms. Parker and Mr. Evans, if you would so kindly take out your notebooks, I shall continue with my lecture.�

The class snickered again, but was quickly silenced by a look from the teacher.

***********************************************************

�So how �bout that episode in Biology today, huh? Max? Liz?� Liz started to blush again and reached out to smack Alex for his comment.

�Why, what�s the matter, sweet pea? Are you ashamed to have little ole me as your boyfriend?� Maria, Alex, and Max all burst into laughter when they saw the expression on Liz�s face.

�Hey, whose side are you on, anyway, Max?�

�Yours, of course, baby.� He batted his eyelashes at her and put on his best puppy look. They cracked up again.

�What�s so funny?� They looked up to see Isabel Evans glaring at them from their usual table. They went over and sat down.

�Oh, just a little attention Max and Liz got in Biology today, that�s all,� Alex told her, as he took a seat next to her.

Liz blushed again.

�What�s everyone laughing about?� Michael Guerin asked as he joined them.

�Nothing!� they chorused.

Isabel changed the subject. �So has anyone else here thought about the upcoming prom at all? Or is it just me who actually plans?�

�Are you kidding? Why should I think about something that�s not until next month?� Everyone tried to suppress a grin. Typical Michael. Never plan ahead. Always thinking only about the here and now.

�What, you mean to say that you haven�t thought about what I would look like in a gorgeous prom dress?� Maria asked, wearing a mock hurt expression.

�Well...� Michael attempted to cover up.

�You�d better have something planned for us, Max,� Liz threatened.

�Oh, don�t worry, I�ve made all of the arrangements already,� he assured her.

Isabel turned to Alex �Ditto.�

They continued to talk about the prom in anticipation. Isabel suggested that since none of the girls had gowns yet, that they go shopping together. Liz and Maria agreed. As the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch, they made plans to meet up at Isabel�s house on Saturday. And with a kiss from Max, Liz left to head on to her English Literature class.

Part 2

Liz rang the doorbell of the Evans�s house.

Max had been sitting on the couch in the living room for the past hour, waiting anxiously for Liz to arrive.

�Geez,� Isabel had teased him, �you�re more excited than I am. And you know how much I love shopping.�

As soon as he heard the doorbell, Max sprang up from his position on the couch and practically sprinted to answer the door. �I�ll get it!� he hollered, although everyone in the house knew that he would.

Liz gave a small cry of surprise as the door was flung open about half a second after she rang the doorbell. She watched with amusement as Max tried to conceal his eagerness, but failing miserably. Finally, he gave up and thought, what the heck. Max seized Liz into arms and crushed her against him, kissing her passionately.

Mr. and Mrs. Evans came to the door, wondering why there hadn�t been one word uttered, yet. They were shocked to see their normally quiet and reserved son making out with his girlfriend right there in their foyer! But then again, they reflected, when had Max ever been quiet and reserved in the past few months when it came to Liz Parker? It was quite evident that the young couple was in love. But, in love or not, they would not have their son dropping everything to kiss a girl, regardless of how wonderful she was, and not even bothering to shut the door behind them!

Mr. Evans cleared his throat loudly.

Max and Liz jumped apart guiltily. They had been so absorbed in each other that they hadn�t even noticed Max�s parents come in, much less Isabel, who was right on their heels.

Liz started to blush. That was the second time this week that she had been embarrassed because of Max!

�Ummm. . . Mr. and Mrs. Evans! Isabel!�

�Liz,� they acknowledged in unison.

Suddenly the doorbell rang again.

Saved by the bell, thought Liz with relief. She was surprised to open the door to reveal a grinning Alex. She glanced at Isabel. Judging from her face, apparently she had known nothing about this.

�Why is Alex here?� Liz questioned Max.

�Oh, I thought the six of us could spend some quality time shopping together. As a little surprise for you three girls.�

Isabel was shocked that they had managed to keep the secret from her. She glanced accusingly at her parents, who grinned back in response.

�Great, I guess we�ll have to wait for both Maria and Michael to get here. And you know how Michael�s never on time for anything,� Isabel groaned.

Surprisingly, they were ready to go half an hour later. Since the six of them couldn�t fit into Max�s Jeep, they decided to leave Max and Liz alone in the Jeep. The rest of them piled into Maria�s Jetta and they were on their way.

After they arrived at the mall, the girls started to drag their defenseless boyfriends from one store to the next.

�Can we please stop and rest?� Michael complained.

�Yeah, how can you girls bear to walk so much?� Max agreed.

�You guys are tired already?� Maria said incredously.

�Wimps!� teased Liz.

�We�ve barely been here for an hour!� Isabel added.

�Since you guys are obviously out of shape, why don�t you go off and rest or do whatever and we�ll meet you in front of the Food Court at noon for lunch?� Liz suggested.

All three of the guys looked relieved to hear this plan and watched as the three girls walked off, chatting excitedly.

Max, Michael, and Alex looked at one another and marveled at how girls could withstand so much shopping.

�Women. We�ll never understand them,� Alex muttered.

�I just don�t get how the heck they can have so much energy,� Max wondered.

�This is all your fault,� Michael accused, looking at Max.

�Me? What�d I do?�

�This whole shopping spree with the girls thing was your idea. You should�ve known that we�d be ready to fall to pieces and be bored out of our minds before long. I mean, you�ve spent your whole life around Isabel, the shopping nut. Yet you still suggested this crazy idea. Now, thanks to you, the girls all think we�re wimps.�

�Hey, I didn�t make you and Alex come. If I remember correctly, you were the one that agreed before I even finished my sentence. Admit it, you wanted to come to see more of Maria. The two of you didn�t think of women�s natural love for shopping, either. So don�t try to push this all on me,� Max defended himself.

Meanwhile, the three girls were having a great time. They were struggling with the difficult task of deciding which dress to try on in the fitting room. Well, actually, Isabel was struggling �cause Maria and Liz had already picked out their gowns.

Isabel held up two dresses for inspection, a rose pink sheath or a pale violet strapless floor-length gown with a matching slip. After trying both of them on and consulting her two friends, she decided to go with the strapless one. �Alex is going to faint when he sees you in that,� Liz commented. Isabel smiled, thinking of her incredible boyfriend. His sensitivity to others feelings. His great sense of humor. His adorable. . .

�I. . .sa. . .bel,� Maria chanted. She snapped her fingers in front of Isabel�s face in bring her out of her daydreams and back into reality.

�What? What were you saying?� Isabel asked, slightly flustered that she was getting to be as bad as Max and Liz.

Liz and Maria gave each other knowing smiles. �We said that if we don�t get going, the guys are going to kill us. We�re already 5 minutes late and the Food Court�s on the other side of the mall,� Liz repeated.

�And you know how grumpy guys can get when they�re hungry,� Maria joked.

When they finally reached the Food Court, they were greeted by their three not-so-happy boyfriends.

�You�re forty-five minutes late,� Michael curtly informed them.

�You see, we would have been here half an hour ago, but there was this huge sale at American Eagle and well, we had to check it out because we knew that you guys wouldn�t want to after lunch so we took a little detour. And see, we sorta lost track of time,� Maria said in a rush.

Michael looked slightly amused at Maria�s hurried explanation. �Yeah, whatever. Let�s go eat!�

�By the way, did anyone remember to bring some Tabasco sauce?�

Part 3

Liz glanced around franctically, trying to find her other shoe. Oh sh*t, she thought, Max is going to be here any second. As if on cue, the doorbell rang at that precise moment. At the sound, Liz went into total freak mode.

�Mom, can you get the door?!� Liz shrieked, while still trying to locate her shoe. Prom night was already turning out to be a disaster, and she hadn�t even been out the door yet!

�Aha! There you are, � she exclaimed under her breath, finally spying the shoe laying in the middle of a pile of clothes, along with her purse. She hurriedly snatched up both items and composed herself for her grand entrance. She peeked in the mirror one last time, checking to see that her makeup and hair were perfect. Taking a deep breath, she stepped outside of her bedroom, and headed toward the stairs.

As soon as Max entered the Parker home, he could hear Liz rummaging around upstairs, apparently searching for something. He smiled to himself when he heard his Liz muttering to herself. His Liz. It felt so right, saying that. He pictured Liz running around in her room, wearing an annoyed look, searching for her slip, or purse. Max grinned to himself in both amusement and love. Yep, his adorable Liz.

Liz paused momentarily at the top of the stairs, studying her incredibly handsome boyfriend, waiting at the foot of the stairs. He had a small smile on his face, the kind you get when daydreaming about something. Just looking at him brought a smile to her own face as she took the first step down the stairs.

Max was snapped out of his reverie when he heard a slight rustle above him. Realizing there was only one person it could be, he prepared to be knocked off his feet as he slowly slid his eyes to the head of the stairs. Make that, tried to prepare himself, he corrected when he caught the first glimpse of Liz.

All thought slammed to a halt when Max saw Liz glide down the stairs toward him, slowly and gracefully. She was an angel. His angel. A perfect vision in green. Her dress was a floor-length evening gown, with a figure-hugging strapless top, covered in sequins. It flared out slightly at the hips, just enough so that it made a swishing sound whenever she moved.

Liz�s long, luxurious hair had been swept on top of her head in pile of curls, softly cascading down to just above her neck.

Max slowly followed her with his eyes. When she reached him, he extended his arm out to her, moving on automatic, since all ability to think had flown out the window five minutes ago.

�Wow, Liz, you look. . . absolutely beautiful,� Max whispered in awe, regaining his voice.

Liz took his arm, smiling adoringly at him. God, he looked even more handsome than usual, with his tuxedo and carefully slicked down hair. He produced a corsage from the breast pocket of his tuxedo and Liz bent down as he carefully pinned it in her hair.

�Ready to go?� Max asked softly.

Liz nodded, and they started to walk out the front door.

�Wait! Wait! Not so fast, young lady!� Nancy Parker exclaimed, rushing to the door, with her husband at her heels.

�Yeah, don�t think you can escape without us taking some pictures!� Jeff snapped the camera a few times at different angles, while Liz and Max posed.

When he finally got done, Liz asked impatiently, �Mom, Dad, may we go now?� Both Liz and Max were anxious to get out the door, and have some privacy.

�No, not yet! I have a few words to say first. My baby girl, all grown up and going to the prom!!!� Nancy burst into tears. �Now you take care of her, Max, alright?� she said in between sniffles.

�Mom,� Liz began.

�No, you go have fun. Don�t waste any more time around here,� Jeff interrupted. Nancy fled from the room, sobbing. Her husband waved good-bye to his precious daughter and the man who had taken her away from him.

Once they were out the door, Max let out a breath he didn�t know he had been holding. �Whew, I thought we�d never get out of there,� he cried out in relief.

Liz smiled at him. �That�s how my parents are, always fussing over me. God, my mom told me that she cried all day when I started my first day of high school. I�d hate to see what she does when I go off to college, and she won�t see me for months. She�d probably call me about three times a day!�

�Hey, at least you�ll be with me,� he assured her as they got into the waiting limo, "and she knows I�d die before I�d let anything happen to you.�

Liz smiled to herself at his comment. �I still can�t believe we both managed to get into Harvard, along with Alex and Isabel. But Michael and Maria are going to be all the way across the country, at UCLA.�

�Hey, it�ll be okay. I�ll do my best to make sure that you don�t think about them too much.�

�I�ll bet you will,� she answered, grinning mischievously at him.

Max leaned over and whispered in her ear. �Have I told you how beautiful you look tonight?�

Liz pretended to think for a minute. �Yes, I believe you have, Mr. Evans, but I sure wouldn�t mind if I hear it again.�

�Okay then, Ms. Parker, you look unbelievably gorgeous and I think I�ve fallen even more in love with you.�

Liz giggled. �Really?�

�Really.�

�Oh, look, we�re here!� Liz announced excitedly.

Max helped Liz out of the limo. �Shall we?� Max asked, once again offering his dreamgirl his arm.

Liz looped her arm through his. �We shall.�

As they entered the room filled with pounding music and students moving to the beat, Liz immediately started searching for the others. She spotted Maria DeLuca and Michael Guerin sitting very closely together at a table halfway across the room. Liz and Max began to make their way toward their friends, taking care not to bump into anybody.

When they finally reached them, Liz tried to hold back a sigh of amusement. Michael Guerin�s hair was as wild and spiky as ever. She�d thought that he would at least try to slick it down with some gel or something, for Maria�s sake. Judging by the look on Max�s face and Maria�s darting glances towards her boyfriend�s unruly hair, they felt the same way.

Maria, being Maria, finally voiced her opinion out loud. �Couldn�t you have at least tried to do something with that god-awful hair of yours? Like maybe some gel? Or,� she lowered her voice, �put your powers to some useful cause? So I don�t have to walk around with a date that looks like a porcupine?�

�Hey, look, cheesehead, I like my hair the way it is, and if you can�t deal with that, well. . . �

Liz sighed. Some things never change. She�ll bet that if they ever got married and had kids, they�d still be calling each other names in front of their kids. Heck, whoever dies first will probably get it engraved on their tombstone!

�Liz, dance?� Max asked her, snapping her out of her thoughts.

�Of course,� Liz allowed herself to be led out onto the dance floor.

As they moved to the throbbing beat of the music, Liz saw someone that she had absolutely no desire to see. �Tess Harding six o�clock, � she muttered quietly to Max.

Max groaned inwardly. The six of them hadn�t heard much from Tess since he and Liz had decided to screw destiny. She had mostly hung out with her snobby friends and ignored them, as well. Hearing she was back, Max prepared himself for the worst.

�Hi, Max, Liz,� Tess chirped in that annoying sugar sweet voice of hers.

Liz held back the urge to sock her in the mouth. How dare she come and ruin her prom night? Just when everything had been perfect! �What do you want?� Liz whirled on Tess ready to attack if she so much as took another step closer to her Max.

�Geez, Lizzie, calm down! I was only going to ask you guys how you�ve been, since I haven�t talked to you for awhile. Nothing to get excited about,� Tess purred.

�You know what, Tess, Liz and I have been just fine, until you showed up. So why don�t you just turn around and leave us alone?� Max said quietly, trying to conceal his anger at her interrupting their dancing.

�What, you don�t want to dance with your wife?�

�That�s it, you little b*tch! I�ve had it with you and all your crap! But I won�t let you ruin my prom night with my boyfriend!� Liz screamed at the little blond, not caring who heard.

Max placed a restraining hand on Liz�s shoulder. �Liz, don�t. She�s not worth it.�

Liz calmed down a little, but her temper flared again when she saw Tess�s smug little face, realizing that the gerbil had wanted her to lose her temper all along. That only made her madder.

�Tess, no one here likes you, so why don�t you get lost and make everybody happy,� Max told her in an effort to make Tess go away and make Liz calm down. Then, he dragged Liz off the extremely crowded dance floor to their table. Isabel and Alex had arrived by this time.

�Oh sorry, Tess, but I don�t think they allow hamsters in here,� Alex said snidely to Tess, who had followed them, much to Liz�s annoyance.

Seeing Liz was about to lose it, Max quickly lowered his mouth to hers in a passionate kiss. As he pulled back, he whispered, �Don�t let her get to you. That�s just what she wants.�

Liz nodded in agreement and attempted to keep her temper under control. The six of them went out into the hall, with Tess in tow, so that no one could hear them.

�Tess, you stay the f*ck away from us, especially Max and Liz! Now you bother us one more time, and I will personally make sure that you are dead by morning!� Maria screamed in rage, almost to the point were she would have happily shot Tess and laughed about it.

�Oooh, I�m scared, little Maria DeLuca. Poor little defenseless Maria DeLuca and her two vulnerable little friends,� Tess provoked.

�Why you. . . you stuck-up little. . .�

�Tess!! They may not have any special powers, but me, Michael, and Isabel do! And we won�t hesitate to use them if we hear one more insulting comment from you!� Max thundered, almost to his breaking point as well.

�You. . . you three wouldn�t really hurt me would you? You wouldn�t dare kill your own kind, right?�

�You can be d*mn sure we�d hurt you! Just because we come from the same planet doesn�t mean we have to like you! I mean, do they,� indicating to the three humans �like everyone on Earth because they�re the same species?� Isabel spoke up for the first time.

�But I�m part of all three of your destinies!� Tess whined.

�That�s it! I am sick to death of hearing that cursed word! Destiny! Destiny! Is that all you think about? Well you know what? For your information, there�s something stronger than destiny! Love! Though, of course you wouldn�t know because you�ve never felt love. All you felt towards me was possession! You don�t love me! You think that I belong to you! Well I don�t! And I could never, ever love you the way I love Liz! Hell I hate you as much as I love Liz, with my heart, body and soul! Now get away from us or we will hurt you!�

Tess cowered during Max�s outburst of anger and hatred. Towards her. For the first time, she despaired. He was right. They all were. Max could never love her, not even as much as he loved Maria and Alex. And just now she had probably blown her chances with Isabel, too. Only one person had remained quiet throughout this whole exchange. Her last hope. Michael. He was always the one who wanted to find out about who he was, or rather what he was, so badly. Surely he wouldn�t just simply reject her and lose another shred of his past.

�Michael,� Tess appealed, �you can�t just let them bash me, right? I could still tell you so much about our pasts. Things that they didn�t give me a chance to share.�

�Tess, just beat it,� Michael murmured as he quietly turned away from her, obviously devastated at saying this, but he knew it was the right thing to do.

No, no! This could not be happening to her! Even Michael had rejected her. It was hopeless, absolutely hopeless. She choked back a sob and fled. She would not allow them the satisfaction of seeing her cry. Especially not that snobby self-satisfied Max-stealer and her two sidekicks. No, she thought sadly, make that five. Well, she would make them pay for giving her the cold shoulder. They might have turned against her, but she knew that Nasedo was still on her side. And he was probably more powerful than all four of them combined. Yeah, no matter what, she would still have Nasedo.

Part 4

"Are you okay, Liz?" Max glanced over at Liz.

Liz drew in a shaky breath. "Yeah. I just overreacted a little. I shouldn't have given Tess the satisfaction."

"I won't let her get to you like that again. I promise." Max wrapped a comforting arm around Liz's thin shoulders. "Come on. I'll be damned if I let her ruin our evening. Let's go back inside and dance." Liz allowed herself to be led back inside the jam-packed room."

Maria was still fuming. Liz and Max may be able to forget and move on, but she certainly would not! This was the absolute last straw! How dare that gerbil show her ugly head again on prom night! Of all the things she could have done, why did she have to wreck all of their prom nights? The little wench had gone way too far! Maria voiced her opinion out loud. "I say that we should pay Tess back for doing this to us on prom night! She shouldn't be allowed to get away with this!"

The remaining three looked at each other doubtfully.

Surprisingly, it was Alex who agreed first. Quiet, humorous, peace loving Alex.

"Alex, Maria, we should just let this whole thing go," Michael managed to choke out, for it was obvious he was in pain from having pushed away possibly the last link to his past.

"Let it go?! Oh, so we just sit back and watch while Tess keeps striking when we least expect it? I don't know about you, but I for one, am not going to allow Tess to keep hurting us, most of all, Max and Liz. And I refuse to stand on the sidelines anymore and merely spectate while my best friend loses control over and over again. Liz is the most calm and rational person I know. For her to lose her temper like that means that she had to be pretty mad or hurt. Tess really needs to be taught a good lesson that she won't be likely to forget anytime soon!"

"Maria," Isabel began, trying to reason with her, "I'm not sure that Tess hasn't learned her ultimate lesson. She seemed really destroyed when she ran away. Maybe she was finally forced to accept that my brother and Liz are together and nothing she says or does will make any difference."

"Actually, Maria, Isabel does have a point. Tess did look really devastated."

Maria muttered something about stubborn, dense Czechoslovakians and a certain Czech's overly devoted doting boyfriend who would do anything she wanted.

"Oh, yeah? Are you sure that's not just wishful thinking? Tess was supposedly really devastated after Max went back to Liz two years ago. But here she is, back, again, as determined and bitchy as ever!" Maria screamed at them, desperately wanting them to see things her way.

"Look, Maria! We don't want to hurt Tess! How do you think she must be feeling right now? Max, Isabel, and I were her family, the only family she had left after Nasedo shapeshifted into Pierce to keep tabs on the FBI. And now that family had deserted her! How would any of us know what that feels like? Sure, I've had to live with Hank all my life, but I never considered him my family. And I knew that he had never given a damn about me, so I didn't really care about him when he disappeared. Not a single one of us has ever had that particular feeling of not being wanted before!" As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Michael wished that he could take them back.

"Oh my gosh, Maria, I---" he attempted to apologize.

"Save it, Michael!" she snapped back the hurt and anger clearly evident in her eyes, "So none of us knows what it's like to be abandoned by family, huh? I guess that means my dad doesn't count?! Huh? Is that it? Or is it only that I'm not one of you guys that I don't count as 'one of us?' Just because Tess is 'one of you guys', it automatically makes everything she does forgivable. That she has a perfectly acceptable excuse for trashing my best frined's heart time after time after time? Or is it the fact that Tess holds some information to your past that you're willing to do anything to learn? Even if it means tearing up our hearts? After all, we're just humans, so what does it matter? As long as you get your precious questions answered, the rest of us can go to hell for all you care! Don't you know that every time she does something like this, Max is devastated, too?" Maria paused for a second to catch her breath. She knew that after saying what she was about to say next, she might as well rip out Michaels heart and trample on it, and he wouldn't know the difference. But it had to be said. She needed to get through to him somehow. "Or does that even matter to you, anymore?" Maria whispered so softly that Michael had to lean in closer in order to hear.

"And what it that supposed to mean? What the hell are you trying to say?"

"I'm saying that maybe, just maybe, as long as you get your answers, no one else matters, not even the two people closest to you in the world or universe. As long as you get what Tess can give you, you might be willing to sacrifice even Max's happiness. And, in the future, if Tess somehow develops a grudge against Alex for one reason or another, and tries to hurt him like the way she's always trying to hurt Liz, maybe you'll take her side then, too, and, in the process, sacrifice Isabel's happiness as well." And with that said, Maria turned around and fled back into the dance room.

Part 5

Liz impatiently tossed a red tank top aside. "No, no. That one doesn't look right, either," she muttered. She snatched up a baby blue halter top and held it up to her chest. It was quickly discarded on top of the rapidly growing heap of clothes. Liz sighed and sat back on her heels as she glared at the mountain of clothing piled up in a corner of the room.

Suddenly, she was overcome with guilt. Here she was, frustrated because she couldn't find an outfit for her date with Max. Heck, she shouldn't even be going out with Max in the first place. What kind of a person goes out and has fun with her boyfriend while her best friend is probably sitting in her room, crying?

It had been a week since prom night. Michael and Maria had yet to forgive each other or speak to the other for that matter.

Personally, Liz was miffed at both of them, though she would never say that to her best friend, who had enough to grieve about. She couldn't believe Michael had forgotten about Maria's dad and Maria could even think that Michael would put the answers he so desperately wanted before Max and Isabel. Although Liz was furious at Michael for hurting Maria, she and Michael had gotten close over the past couple of years. Not as close as he was to Max, Isabel, or Maria, of course, but still, they would put their lives on the line fo each other without a second thought. So Liz was a bit angry at Maria for saying all those hurtful things.

She was also confused as to why they didn't just apologize and forget about the whole thing. It wasn't like they had anything to argue about, anyway, since Tess had mysteriously disappeared a couple of days after the prom. So why couldn't Maria just admit that she was wrong? That Tess really had been devastated beyond belief? So much that she had to actually leave town because she couldn't stand to be around Max and the rest of them?

She glanced at the clock and sighed again. She had an hour before Max was supposed to pick her up. Oh well. I probably won't be able to get my mind off their fight if I went out with Max, anyway. Might as well call him and cancel.

She picked up the phone and dialed his number. He answered on the third ring.

"Hey, Liz!"

"How'd you know it was me?"

"Our connection, remember?"

"Oh, yeah! Duh!"

"So why are you calling? Couldn't wait another hour to talk to me?" he teased.

"Hah! You wish," she scoffed.

"Anyway," she replied, turning serious, "I was actually calling to cancel our date."

Max's face fell. "Why?"

"Well, I was just thinking about the whole Michael and Maria situation. I probably wouldn�t stop thinking about it all night and cause us both to have a lousy time. I mean, why should we be out having fun while they're both miserable? Especially since I'm partially responsible for their fight? After all, Tess is always picking on me. So Maria was merely defending me when she said all those things."

"Yeah, and Tess only picks on you because I'm with you instead of her, my supposed destiny. So, really, it's all my fault."

Liz opened her mouth to protest but Max spoke up again before she could.

"Liz, we can't keep blaming ourselves. It's not our fault, and certainly not yours. Look, would you feel better if I get Michael and Isabel to come over there so we can force Michael and Maria to kiss and make-up?"

Liz nodded, then realized that Max couldn't see her. "Yes, I would."

"Alright, see you in a little bit."

"Yeah, bye."

"Oh, and Liz?"

"Hmm?"

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

***********************************************************************

Liz paced back and forth across her bedroom floor, wringing her hands worriedly. "Where are they? They were supposed to be here at least an hour ago."

"If I know Spaceboy, he probably refused to come. And, actually, I don't blame him. Tell me, how exactly did you get me to come here, again, Liz?"

"Maria, do you honestly want to hold this grudge against Michael forever?"

"Not really," Maria admitted, "but if he wants to be so stubborn and proud, well, I'm perfectly willing to oblige."

Liz groaned. Great. Maria thinks it's all Michael's fault and Michael thinks the same about Maria. They weren't going to get anywhere with both of them having a closed mind. That is, of course, if Max ever got here.

"That's it! I'm really concerned about Max. We hung up two hours ago! I'm calling his house!"

Liz strode over to the phone and was about to pick it up when it rang. 'That had better be Max with a good explanation, or I'm going to be very pissed at both him and the caller,' she thought.

"Hello?"

"Is. . .is. . .this, Liz?" The person on the other end sounded as if they were crying, and Liz could barely make out what he or she was saying.

"Yes it is. Who's calling, please?"

"Liz, dear, it's. . ." the person broke off, sobbing uncontrollably. "This is Diane Evans."

Liz felt a sudden sense of dread wash over her. She was almost too afraid to voice the question her mind was screaming. "Did. . .did something happen? You know, to Max? Or Isabel?"

"I'm afraid so."

The sense of dread was growing stronger by the second, until it almost completely overwhelmed her. "What. . .ha, happened?" she stammered, not wanting to find out the answer.

"They were hi. . .hit by a. . .a. . .a moving van."

"No," she whispered, refusing to believe it. Her worst fears were confirmed.

"Liz, there's so. . .some. . .something els---"

Liz cut her off, knowing that she couldn't bare to hear anymore. "What hospital are they at?"

"That's what I. . .wa. . .was trying to tell you." Mrs. Evans broke down again. "They aren't in any hospital."

"NOOO! They're not--!"

"I wish. Max, Michael, and Isabel were killed instantly by the impact."

Part 6

Whew! The day is finally over! Liz thought with relief as she spun the combination lock.

�Liz.�

Liz whirled around from her locker, truning towards the all too familiar voice. No, it couldn�t be him�could it? No, she told herself firmly. This was not him. This was merely her foolishly hopeful imagination playing yet another trick on her. She turned back to her locker, ignoring her wildly pounding heart.

�Liz.� The voice came again, this time with a slightly hurt tone.

You will not give into temptation, she silently coached herself. If you turn around, you will discover that there is nothing there, just like so many times before.

But maybe this time will be different, another voice argued.

Hah! Yeah right! And exactly how many times have you said that? And who�s always right in the end? the sensible voice shot back.

Shut up! Liz yelled at them both. Maybe, just maybe, it would be real this one time. And if he was only her own creation, well, that would be just another crack in her heart, which had already been broken a thousand times. What was one more little disappointment?

Liz slowly rotated her feet, until they were pointing towards the noisy hallway. A finger gently tilted her chin up. Liz smiled. The loving gesture had almost felt real. She found herself looing into a pair of deep, soulful brown eyes.

You have really outdone yourself this time.

�Liz, it really is me. I�m back.�

Liz couldn�t get her mouth to form any words. All she could do was cling to him with all her strength and cry, never wanting to let go.

************************************

�Come on, Liz. Let�s go to the cave, and I�ll explain what happened.� Liz instantly got a look of panic on her face at the mention of another drive.

�Oh, don�t be so paranoid. Nothing is going to happen to me.� He smiled down at her, as if amused by her fears. �I promise.� He took her hand and led her out the front doors of the school.

************************************

�See? Almost there. And nothing has happened to me yet.� Just as he said this, Liz stroked his arm, gently, lovingly, as if still doubting whether or not he was real. He was totally unprepared for her touch, and jerked, causing him to lose control. The Jeep bounced crazily back and forth across the road.

�Nooo!� Liz cried. She grabbed the steering wheel, swerving it hard to the right.

*CRUNCH!*

�Max!� she cried, as the glass shattered into millions of tiny pieces.

There was a deep cut on one side of his head, and the blood trickled down in a steady stream.

She took his hand in hers, the tears flowing freely down her cheeks.

�Liz�remember that I love you, always.�

His hand went limp, and she didn�t need to check his pulse. She could feel it in her heart that he was gone. Separated from her forever. Again.

It�s my fault. All my fault. He came back to life just for me and I killed him.

Part 7

Liz shot out of bed, gasping for air, beads of perspiration running down her cheeks. It was only a dream. Only a dream. But it had felt so real. She had seen, felt, the wet, sticky blood on his face. Watched as he drew his last breath. Cried as he said the words I love you for the very last time to her undeserving ears. And all the while knowing that it was all her fault.

She had been having this dream every single night since Max had died, over a month ago. Every night�s was a little different, but the end result was always the same. In some way, she, the girl he loved, had loved, with all his heart was responsible for his inevitable death. Whether in the dream world or reality, he had lavished her endlessly with his ever-growing love. And what had she given him in return? Pain. Hurt. Suffering. Death.

Yes, no matter which world she was in, she was to blame for Max�s death. Oh, if only she hadn�t had to be the oh-so-noble best friend, and insisted that Michael and Maria make up. If only she had been selfish for once and gone out with Max like they had initially planned. If only Max had gone against his caring nature, and tried a little harder to convince her to stick with their original plans. If only that moving van hadn�t been there at that fatal instant. If only, if only, if only. When it came right down to it, there was one �if only� that would have prevented everything. If only he had let me die that day, instead of sacrificing his own life in return for mine.

Liz buried her head in the pillow, sobbing. �It should have been me that people are mourning for, not Max, Michael, and Isabel. They didn�t deserve all this. They had no control over it. It was my own fault that I got shot. I was too stupid to duck when everyone else did. Oh no, I stood there like an idiot, practically shouting �Hey, I�m an easy target! Shoot me!� Max! Why did it have to be you? WHY?�

She had done nothing but cause him pain ever since the day he stepped off the school bus in the third grade. The minute he laid eyes on her, his fate was doomed. Years of longing for something he couldn�t have. Years of watching her talk, laugh, and later flirt with other guys, all the while feeling yet another knife being slashed into his tender heart.

Who knows what kinds of trouble she would bring other people? She was wiser now. Max had taught her more in a few years than one could hope to learn in a lifetime. Most importantly, he had shown her, proved to her, that she did nothing but cause people to suffer. It may seem like she loved them, and she had indeed loved Max with every fiber of her being, but in the end, they would fall into the hands of tragedy because of her.

Well, she would make sure that it didn�t happen again. Three people, be they aliens or not, were already dead as a result of Max�s everlasting love for her. She couldn�t let the same thing happen to other loved ones. Her parents. Maria. Alex. Even Kyle.

She can stop it from happening again. It was too late for Max, Michael, and Isabel. But it wasn�t too late for the rest of them. They could still be saved from her evil clutches.

Slowly, she got out of bed and padded to the bathroom. Spotting what she had been looking for, she snatched it up and examined it, turning it over in her palm. It was sharp enough, she decided.

With two swift motions, a long line of red appeared on each of her wrists. As she gazed at them, for the first time in weeks, a genuine smile appeared on Liz Parker�s face. �I�m coming, my love! Wait for me! I�m coming!� And with that, she fell to the floor, unconscious, the silly, almost crazed smile still plastered on her face.

Part 8

Liz�s eyes slowly opened, but all she could see was blackness. What was this place? Was she�dead? Was this the passageway between Heaven and Earth? Woah, she thought, as she sat up and quickly became aware of her pounding headache. As she rubbed the back of her head, her head swiveled around, trying to locate the brilliant white light that, in movies, you were supposed to walk into.

But, wait, what was that way off into the distance? It was definitely a patch of light, all right, but why was it green? As Liz continued to stare at it, she realized that it was slowly approaching her. For some reason, instead of being terrified, Liz felt a sense of utmost tranquility. As it came closer still, Liz could barely make out a figure in the center. Was that�? Liz squinted, trying to get a better view of the elusive shape. As the picture became clearer, it was all Liz could do to not cry out. For, bathed in the eerie green glow that seemed to emanate from within, was Max Evans.

Liz felt a sudden burst of happiness. I�ve done it! Now, we�re finally going to be together forever, without the daily frustrations related to his extraterrestrial background! She wanted to jump up and down, screaming with joy, but she knew that it would be totally inappropriate for this extraordinary occasion. Instead, she stood there and impatiently waited for Max to finish his snail�s crawl towards her. When they were at last at eye level, Liz was all of a sudden speechless. Max seemed to have trouble forming words, too, so the two lovers gazed into the depths of each others� eyes, satisfied just to be together again.

Finally, Max broke the silence. �Liz, you shouldn�t have tried to solve our problem this way.�

�But, Max, I just couldn�t stand to live without you.�

�Liz, listen to me. You are in a coma right now, with everyone crowded around your hospital bed, praying for you to pull through. You can�t do this to them. Wake up, Liz, for me.�

�Max�don�t you want to be with me?� Liz was on the brink of erupting into tears.

Max�s expression softened. �Of course I do. But this isn�t the way to do it. You can�t take your own life just because I was supposedly in a car accident, and presumed dead.� Max�s eyes carefully roamed Liz�s face, searching for her reaction to this information.

�Woah, wait a second. Supposedly in a car accident? You mean�� Suddenly the everything came crystal clear to Liz. The U-Haul hitting Max�s Jeep, killing the three Czechoslavakians. Tess�s mysterious disappearance right before the alleged disaster. It had all been staged. Which meant that Tess, and possibly Nasedo, were responsible for setting up the so-called crash. After all, Tess had probably been overwhelmed by the rejection she had received at the prom. So it only made sense that she would employ Nasedo�s help in getting Max back. The overall truth of it hit Liz hard, almost knocking her over, but in a good way. Max was alive and well! But, where?

�On Cayornia, my home planet.� Liz jumped at his words. She had almost forgotten that they could read each other�s thoughts. Max was on his home planet. Could he ever return to Earth, and her?

�Liz, I honestly don�t know. Nasedo and Tess have told my people about how Michael, Isabel, and I are refusing to follow our destinies. The other aliens are preparing to attack Cayornia, and they could be here any day now. The people on my planet are insisting that there is no way that I could survive and save the planet without fulfilling my destiny with Tess.� Liz shook her head no, not wanting to believe what he was saying. She had hurt his planet, his people by being with Max, by loving Max and having that love returned.

�Well, then, I guess there�s only one thing for you to do. You have to carry out your destiny by being with Tess. It�s the only way.�

�Liz, I�m sorry.� She could see the hundreds of emotions swimming in his eyes.

�No, don�t apologize. I don�t blame you for any of this, because it isn�t your fault. This is written out for you before you, Max Evans, were even born. And now, no matter how much you don�t want to, you have to obey.�

�I promise you, Liz, that after all this is over, I will find a way to come back to you, or die trying.�

�Don�t make any promises you can�t keep. Who knows? Maybe by the end of the war, you�ll�actually�love Tess, just like you once did in another lifetime, and was meant to in this one.�

�No, don�t say that, Liz. I could never love anyone like I love you. Especially not my destined bride.�

�Max, it�s too early to tell. Besides, you said yourself that it�ll be next to impossible to return to Earth. And I don�t want you to die because of me. Who are we to say what the future holds for us?�

�Alright, but, Liz, I want you to give me your word on something.�

�Anything for you, Max.�

Max took a deep breath, and prepared to say the one thing that he would never have thought that he would say to Liz. He just hoped that someday, she would understand and forgive him. �Liz, please, realize that it will be very difficult for me to find a way to come back to you. If it�s been too long, I�I�m begging you, try to move on with your life. Don�t let your life waste away before your very eyes. Fall in love again. Marry a normal man and start a normal family. A family that won�t have to worry about the FBI or evil aliens constantly on their tail. I�ll love you forever, Liz, and I�ll be watching over you, always. But I can�t give you the one thing that you need the most right now, even if you won�t admit it to yourself. You need a normal life, whether you are aware of that or not. That day, when I thought I was saving you, I was actually just setting you up for a broken heart. Being with me equals hurt, pain, suffering. But, don�t you see, it�s time to correct all that now. This is your out. Your life can still be�normal.

Liz stumbled away from Max, not wanting to acknowledge the truth in his words. She would not give him up. Ever. �I don�t care if I have to wait forever for you, Max. And I could never love again. Not after I�ve found my�soulmate.�

�Alright, if you won�t do the same for me, then why should I agree to follow my destiny, even if it makes me happy, which it most definitely won�t?�

Liz admitted defeat. Max wanted a trade-off, and she would agree to one. He had said for her to try to move on. That didn�t mean she would. �Fine, Max. It�s a deal.�

�Thank you.� Max reached out, and gently caressed her cheek with one hand. Liz�s eyes fluttered shut, as she relished the tender, affectionate touch that she had missed so much. It left her feeling all warm and fuzzy inside, and she could sense it all the way down to her toes. But when she moved to return the gesture, her hands only met empty air.

*~TBC~*