PART SEVEN

Two hours later, the first group was ready to hit the open road. Packs had been filled with food supplies, flashlights, and various firearms and knives.

Liz was pacing angrily near the motorcycles. She hadn't said a word to Kyle since he had *told* her she was to be in the second group. A macho jerk had reared it's ugly head, and she didn't like it one bit.

She glanced over at Max, who looked to be feeling the same way she was, with arms crossed against his chest, leaning against the wall.

"Ready?" Michael called out.

"Yeah," Kyle said, and Maria and Doug stepped up.

"We'd better get a move on," he said, grabbing his helmet.

"Maxwell, we'll leave yellow marker lines across the road every fifty miles or so. If you don't see one, you'll know something's up. You've got the map I wrote out, right?" he asked.

Max nodded.

Isabel walked up to Michael and put her arms around him. "Good luck," she said softly.

"Yeah, I'll see you in Georgia I guess," Michael said.

Maria gave Liz a big hug.

Liz spoke up. "Maria, are you sure you don't want to stay behind with us?" she asked.

"Uh·yeah. Someone has to keep an eye on Kyle," she said, fidgeting.

It still irked Liz that Kyle was letting Maria go with him, but at the back of her mind she knew it was logical. They had to split their abilities evenly, for better protection. But why was she getting this feeling that Kyle wasn't the only reason Maria didn't have a problem with going along with the first group.

She looked at Maria suspiciously.

"Maria, couldn't you come up with a better excuse?" she asked. "I mean, I would have believed you wanted to keep an eye on Doug, but Kyle?" she half-laughed.

"What do you mean?" Maria said defensively. "You know how hot-tempered Kyle can be," she stuttered, her face turning red.

"Yeah·uh huh. Maria I thought you said we shouldn't get involved with them?" she asked.

"We shouldn't!" she said defensively. "I am *not* going because of Michael!"

"Ok Maria, keep telling yourself that," she smiled indulgently.

Maria let out a harsh breath.

"I am not even going to diify that with an answer," she said huffily. "Now give me a hug."

Liz squeezed her tightly.

"Be careful," Liz said to her.

"You too," Maria said.

"And keep *away* from Max Evans," she whispered. "Don't make me bitch-slap you when we get to Georgia," she warned.

"Maria!" Liz said exasperated. "I am with Kyle!" she said.

"Yeah, keep telling yourself that," Maria repeated dramatically.

"Seriously Liz, he a friggin' King on some other planet. You don't want to get involved with that, do you?" she asked.

"No," Liz said, trying to push all the conflicting things she was feeling out of her head.

"Promise me," Maria said.

"I promise! Geez!" she said smiling. "Now get out of here!"

Maria smiled at her and went to say goodbye to Alex.

Kyle approached Liz cautiously.

"Hey," he said softly.

"Hey," Liz answered back.

He rocked from one foot to the other.

"Liz, I don't want you to be angry with me, especially now," he said. "Believe me, there's nothing I want more than for you to be with me," he said, glancing over at Max, noting that he was watching them intently.


"But I'd rather know you're safe," he said, giving Max a hard look.

Liz sighed. She didn't want to admit to herself that she wanted to be in that first group so she could be away from Max. Being with Kyle was where she should be, under normal circumstances. Kyle grounded her, made her feel safe. He was safe. And when she was with him, it was easier to drown Max out of her head.

"It's ok Kyle. I understand I guess. I just, I guess I don't want to be away from you," she said.

He took her gently into his arms, rubbing his cheek against hers.

"Everything is going to be ok," he said, never taking his eyes off Max as he rested his chin on her shoulder. Max looked away.

"I'll see you in a few days," he said.

She nodded, and he kissed her, pulling her as close to him as he could.

Max watched out of the corner of his eye and bit back a strong wave of jealousy that rose in his throat. He had no right to feel this way. Liz didn't belong to him. She never had. Michael walked up and stood in front of him.

"I guess I'll see you in a few days," Michael said, knowing that Max was still angry with him.

"Yeah," Max said with a tight smile. "Take care of them," he said.

"I will," Michael answered. "You too," he said as he caught Max looking over at Kyle and Isabel.

"Max, don't start something you know can never be finished," he warned.

Max looked at him.

"I don't know what you're talking about Michael," he said.

"Please, do you think I have selective memory or something? Do you think I forgot that you had the hots for her all those years? Don't do it Maxwell. Not only will you get hurt, but you'll hurt her too," he said.

"Don't worry about me Michael," Max said flatly. "I've never been anything but the good boy, nothing's going to change," he muttered.

Michael nodded. "I'll see you around," he said.

Max nodded, again looking at Kyle and Liz.

Kyle reluctantly broke the kiss.

"I'm going to go before this gets too mushy," he said, and Liz nodded tearfully. She hated herself. She wasn't crying because he was leaving, she was crying because she didn't know how to handle herself in Max's presence, and it would be all the more difficult without Kyle as a buffer, a tangible reason for her to stay away from him. She cursed herself. She had to get some backbone. She wasn't a stupid schoolgirl. She had to get a handle on herself. This was ridiculous. She could do this.

Kyle walked toward Max who was standing near his bike.

He glared at him as he approached, and

She felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned to find Doug standing behind her. She smiled and gave him a strong hug.

"Be careful. Don't do anything rash," she said.

He smiled. "I won't. I am not going to do anything to put Serena in any further danger."

"Yes, I know you won't," Liz said. "I'll see you in Georgia," she said.

He smiled and turned toward his bike.

Liz walked over to Alex, and he put her arm comfortingly around her. She smiled wanly at him as she watched them don their helmets. Kyle and Michael got on their bikes, and Maria got on behind Doug. None of the girls had learned to proficiently control motor bikes. Not that Liz hadn't wanted to learn, it just made her nervous. Maria didn't want to be bothered, preferring to ride with Alex in the days after everyone disappeared. She wondered if Isabel knew how to ride one.

Engines flared up with a mighty roar. Liz looked at Michael, only his eyes visible through the visor of the helmet.

"Take care," she said. He nodded slowly.

A cloud of dust kicked up as the rode out on to the road. They watched silently as their friends disappeared down Main Street.

*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%

Liz finished packing Alex's bike. Now all there was to do is to wait. They had agreed to wait eight hours. Liz had wandered around Roswell for a bit, just to get away from everyone for awhile. Oh who was she kidding? She wanted to stay away from Max.

She had come back and started filling packs with supplies, checking and re-checking. Alex looked at her with raised brows.

"Uh Liz?" he said curiously. "I think we have everything. I mean you checked the bags like 5 times already."

"Yeah well, you never can be too careful," she said hastily.

She had felt Max's eyes on her for the past hour. Physically felt them, and it was making her jumpy. Alex was strapping the bags onto the bike, so turning, she decided to occupy Isabel in a conversation.

"So, you don't ride either?" she asked.

"Do you remember me at all in high school Liz?" she asked smiling. "Me and motorcycles·nope, just didn't mesh. Now a Miata maybe, or a BMW, that I could get used to·"

Liz let out a small laugh.

"Yeah I haven't ridden much either. Kyle usually carts me around."

Isabel looked at her speculatively.

"So, you and Kyle," she started. "The two of you have been together all this time?"

"Yep," Liz replied, a little too brightly. "He's a great guy," she said.

"Uh huh," Isabel said, putting some more water into her bag.

"What?" Liz asked.

"No, it's nothing," Isabel said. "I just thought, well·you guys were very different people."

"Well opposites attract don't they?" Liz questioned.

"I guess so," Isabel said.

"What about you?" Liz asked, trying to change the subject. Alex's head turned imperceptibly as he focused his attention on the conversation.

"Mmm, nope. You know me, I don't want to be tied down," she said, trying to sound cavalier.

Liz wasn't having any of it.

"Is it because of who you are?" she asked.

Isabel looked at her stunned that she would ask so bold a question. Max had walked up behind Liz. She hadn't seen him.

"Partly. But I hadn't found a human yet that I would have honestly looked twice at. But yeah, we can't get involved, any of us," she said, looking at Max pointedly.

"Yeah, I guess you couldn't," Liz said slowly. "I mean, you guys could have to leave at a moments notice right? Isn't that what you've been waiting for? To go home?" she asked.

Isabel didn't answer her.

"We should go," a voice said behind Liz, and she turned to find Max standing behind her.

"It's a little early, isn't it?" Isabel said.

"I don't know about any of you, but I can't stand another minute of waiting around here. So we leave an hour early? It's not that big of a deal," he said.

"Yeah," Isabel said. "I don't want to hang around any more either."

*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%

Ten minutes later they were on the road, Liz on the back of Alex's bike, Isabel behind Max on his.

Liz's hands drooped loosely around Alex's waist as they sped on Highway 380. They made good time as night fell and had gone a few hundred miles before they stopped late that night at an abandoned hotel off the highway.

Max helped Isabel off the bike and watched surreptitiously as Liz climbed off of Alex's and laid her helmet on the seat. Her hands went to the small of her back as she stretched like a cat after the long ride. He thought about what it would be like to smooth the stiffness out of her muscles, gently rubbing her back, her legs·

"Max!" Isabel snapped, annoyed. "Could you *get* any more obvious?" she asked.

He scowled at her.

Her jaw stuck out angrily. "I thought we all agreed·"

"Yeah, we did Isabel," Max said in a low angry voice. "Back off."

She gave him a look and grabbed her things, moving ahead of him and shoving past Liz, her shoulder hitting her roughly as she went to the door.

Liz looked after her in consternation.

Max walked over and stood next to her.

"Sorry about that," he said softly.

"What's her problem?" she asked, irritated.

"Nothing·she uh, she just gets cranky when she's tired," Max answered, lying outright.

Liz knew there was more to Isabel's attitude, but decided against saying anything further.

Alex unloaded the gear from the bike, and Liz walked over to help him with it. She picked up a heavy pack and slung it over her shoulder, her hand lying on its strap. She turned around to find Max standing behind her.

"Let me," he said, reaching to take the bag from her, inadvertently brushing her fingers with his own.

Liz felt heat rush through her body as Max's skin made contact with hers. She yanked her hand away, looking at the ground.

"Sorry," Max mumbled.

"No, it's ok," she said, grabbing the strap again and taking the bag off her shoulder, holding it out to him.

"Thanks," she said, as he took it. He nodded uncomfortably.

She picked up two more of the bags and followed Alex into the motel. Isabel had already dropped her things in the sitting area of the lobby, and had plunked herself down into a big easy chair.

"You ok?" Alex asked, as he put the supplies down on the floor next to her things.

She opened one eye to look at him.

"My ass is not used to a motorcycle seat," she groaned, and he laughed.

"Well, your ass probably shouldn't be," he said, and she opened her other eye looking at him quizzically.

He turned red at the words he's spoken.

"Uh·I meant that you look more like the luxury sports car type," he said.

"Exactly!" she said. "That's what I was telling Liz before."

He smiled at her. "Feel like something to eat?" he asked.

"Oh, you don't want me to cook," she said. "I got my mom's skills in that department, and believe me, that's not a good thing."

Her voice trailed off as she thought of her mother. Max looked at her sympathetically. Alex could see that she was upset.

"No worries," he said cheerily. "I can make a mean Pasta al Alex."

"Pasta al Alex?" she asked doubtfully.

"It's actually pretty good," Liz said. "He's the best cook out of all of us. We got lucky having him with us."

"I am kind of hungry," Isabel said.

"Poor Michael, getting stuck with Maria's cooking," Liz laughed, and Alex joined in.

"I didn't even think about that," he said, chuckling. "If I know Maria, I'd bet they're eating cold canned vegetables right now."

*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%

Michael, Maria, Kyle and Doug sat in a deserted home a few hundred miles away.

Maria shoved a can in front of Michael.

"What the hell is this?" he asked angrily, as he saw Kyle dig into his own can.

"Dinner," she said, pushing it into his hands.

"Corn? You are eating corn for dinner?" he asked.

"Don't like it, go find something else," Maria said testily.

"Can't you cook us something? You're a girl, that's what girls do," he said.

Her mouth dropped open in indiation.

"Uh," she said. "I didn't just hear you say that. Nuh uh, I didn't just hear you say that it's a girl's job to cook dinner."

"Um, yeah you *did*," Michael said. He didn't get what she was so angry about, but her tone had set him on the defensive.

Maria stared at him for a long moment wide-eyed, and then walked off, muttering something about chauvinist pigs.

"What?" he called after her, shaking his head.

"Man, not smart," Kyle replied as he ate his corn.

"I'd say you're the one that's not too bright eating cold canned corn," Michael said, dropping his own to the floor.

"Yeah well, you don't want to get on her bad side, believe me," Kyle answered.

Michael smirked.

"I'll take my chances. I'm taking a walk. Maybe I can dig up something edible," he said.

Kyle shrugged and picked up his can again.

Michael walked out of the house and down the road to a main strip of stores. He spotted a small hotel earlier and decided to check it out. Entering the lobby, he walked down the hall to the hotel's restaurant and through the dining area to the kitchen.

Shining his flashlight around, he noticed with a smile that the burners on the stove were gas burners. Of course nothing in the freezers or anything perishable would be edible, but at least he could heat up something canned. He moved the beam of his flashlight to the shelves and started to check their contents.

He was in luck. There were stashes of jarred fruit, tinned meats, boxed pasta, sauce, gravies, vacuum packed bags of crackers, flour, and coffee.

"Yes!" he whispered as he started pulling items off the shelf. Maybe Doug and Kyle were ok with eating crap, but that didn't mean he had to. He had become the expert in making edible meals out of whatever was lying around living with Hank. He never knew from day to day what they were going to have around to eat, so he made the best out of whatever was there.

He grabbed some pots and a baking dish and started throwing crumbled crackers on the bottom, pouring gravy over it.

"What, you weren't thinking of sharing?" a sarcastic voice said behind him and he whirled to face the voice.

Maria.

"What the hell?" he said annoyed. "Do you make a habit of sneaking up on people, or does it just come natural?" he asked.

She leaned against the counter, arms across her chest.

"Get over yourself," she said irritated.

"I was merely checking on what you were doing because I don't trust you," she said frankly.

"Yeah well that makes two of us," Michael muttered, turning back to his task.

"What's your problem?" she ground out.

"Hmm·I don't know, you were all set to kill me and my friends, and now I'm stuck with you, how's that for a start?" he said sarcastically.

Maria moved to stand next to him.

"I already apologized for that," she said, exasperated.

"Doesn't make me trust you any more than I did back in Roswell," Michael replied, without looking up.

"Then what the hell are you doing here?" she asked.

"Look the only reason I'm here is to help my friends get their parents back, and to get rid of the skins. Having to hang with you losers is just an unpleasant consequence," he answered, looking at her.

He watched with an almost unwilling fascination as her eyes narrowed and her lips pursed in anger.

"You are such an arrogant asshole!" Maria said. "Did you ever think to put yourself in our shoes? Our whole planet was attacked by aliens, and then you guys show up and we find out·guess what? You're all aliens too! How the hell did you expect us to react?"

Michael was silent for a moment. She had a point.

"Max was only trying to help," he pointed out.

"How were we supposed to know that?" she asked. "Liz was unconscious and bleeding and there was Max hovering over her," she said.

He had no answer to that. It didn't help that he couldn't think straight looking at her fiery eyes and her mouth, that was holding him captivated for some ungodly reason.

"Whatever," he said. "I don't really care what you thought. The sooner we get to Georgia the better, as far as I'm concerned."

"You are so arrogant!" Maria said, half-laughing in disbelief. "You just can't be wrong, can you?"

He turned to her on impulse, moving toward her, causing her to back up.

"So what?" he said threateningly. "I can't afford to be wrong."

She looked up at him towering over her with wide eyes and felt heat spreading through her body. His fiery brown eyes bored into hers, and her legs felt weak. A battle was going on in her head. On one hand, she couldn't believe that she had never seen anything more than the class derelict him, because right now he was the sexiest thing she had ever seen, but on the other hand, he was an alien. ALIEN! her mind screamed at her. She felt her chest rise and fall in agitation. What was he going to do to her? He was an ALIEN. So she did the only thing she could, she opened her mouth again in defense.

"Who do you think you are, Superman or something? I-" and that thought was cut off as his hands gripped her forearms with lightning speed and his lips closed over hers.

Omigod, omigod, omigod, I am being kissed by an ALIEN, she thought as her arms wrapped around his neck and she moved up against his broad chest. His tongue forced her lips open and plundered her mouth with a savage intensity and Maria literally felt like her thighs were on fire. She felt his hand press strongly against the small of her back, and she moaned.

Then just as suddenly, she was pushed away, left standing there open-mouthed as he turned back to the counter.

What the hell did he just do? He thought to himself as he fought to steady his breathing. I mean, Maria Deluca of all people. He couldn't stand her. She was a drama queen, an over-dramatic pain in the ass! Nevermind she was cute. She was trouble, with a capital "T". And she was human. Big, big "no way" on that one.

"You talk too damned much," he growled.