She told herself that it was what she had chosen--being a scientist. But somehow, it just hadn't turned out like she'd planned. It drained her, it bored her. She longed for something better.

Sighing, she stood up and walked over to the CD player, starting the Sarah McLachlan CD that held a permanent place in the 1st slot. As it began to play, she pressed the forward button until a small 7 appeared on the window. She pressed the "repeat" button before returning to the couch.

This was sort of a ritual for her. Come home, listen to "Angel". It never occured to her why she loved the song so much--why she could listen to it over and over and never tire of it. Maybe because it made sense. Maybe just because it was sad, like she was.

Listening to this song always brought back memories for her--memories that most of the time she would never even think about, in the light of day when there were people around. Memories from years ago, from High School and college.

Closing her eyes, she leaned her head back against the couch, relaxing as the familiar sadness washed over her, and she began to remember....

******

Liz Parker walked down the hallway of her High School, her eyes searching through the crowds for him. She hadn't seen him all morning, and she was beginning to worry. Bad thoughts had been running through her head, thoughts along the lines of--Max running off to find home without her. Max leaving because he couldn't take being around her anymore...

They were driving her crazy, and she just needed to see him, just once, to clear her mind. She walked up to her locker, leaning her head against the cool metal for a moment. She was sure that she wasn't going to be able to take school anymore today..and for the first time in her entire life, the prospect of skipping appealed to Liz Parker.

Frustrated, she pushed away from her locker and continued down the hall, this time in the direction of the doors. She really had to get away.

Before she knew it, she was outside and walking across the grass, not sure of where she was heading. And then she was at his house, standing on the porch.

"What am I doing here?"

Her voice disturbed the quiet.

"I don't know..but I'm glad you came."

The quiet voice from behind startled her, and she whirled around to meet his eyes.

"Max."

Her voice came out strangled, broken.

"Hi Liz."

She stared at him. His huge brown eyes comforted her, stopped the horrible thoughts she hadn't been able to cease.

"Max..I was..worried."

He smiled slightly.

"I know."

It puzzled her, how he seemed to pick up on everything she felt.

"But...?"

He took a step forward.

"I'm sorry, Liz. Micheal...he pulled Iz and me off on another one of his crazy chases."

She released the breath she'd been holding all morning.

"Thank God," she whispered.

He took another step nearer her.

"We didn't find anything."

For some reason, she felt relieved. But she would never let him know that.

"I'm sorry."

He smiled again.

"No, you're not."

She found herself laughing. She just couldn't hide anything from him.

"Okay, you got me. I'm....ecstatic."

They smiled at each other for a moment.

"I don't know what I'd do if you left me, Max. And...that's what I was thinking, for some reason. I was just so scared."

He reached out his hand, grasping hers in it.

She felt a jolt of electricity run through her arm, leaving a pleasant tingling sensation behind when it was gone. It felt...nice. Touching him. Holding his hand..

"I'm better now," she whispered.

"I'm glad."

Their eyes never separated. Between all of the silence, they were saying so much with their souls.

"Do you want to..come in?"

She smiled.

"I'd love to.." she paused, "but...where are..?"

"They're gone."

She laughed.

"You know me too well."

He squeezed her hand.

"Never."

Max passed his other hand over the door, unlocking it, and they walked inside together. She expected him to stop in the den, but he just continued walking, up the stairs and eventually to his room. She felt her breath catch for some reason. Just being here, alone in his room, in his house, with him...excited her.

Max glanced over at her.

"Down girl."

She felt a blush creep up her face. She was going to have to be careful of what she was thinking from now on...

"I'm sorry it bothers you....me doing that."

Her eyes met his.

"It...doesn't. Most of the time it's nice...this connection we have. But it can be a little..embarassing, at times."

He laughed.

"I don't see why you'd be embarassed, Liz. You know I love you."

To her, it was as if the world had stopped moving. Had he really said it? Had he really just told her that he loved her? The words she'd been longing to hear from him ever since that day in the cafe had just come out of his mouth?

"You...love me?"

He nodded.

"You have to have known. I always have."

She smiled.

"I love you too, Max."

"I know."

She laughed.

"I should've known."

Max wrapped his free arm around her waist, pulling her tightly against him. Their hands were still tightly entertwined at her side. She felt safe in his arms, and she never wanted to leave.

"Dance with me," he whispered in her ear, sending shivers through her body.

"Music?"

"We'll make our own."

She smiled softly. He was so perfect.

They began to sway gently, their bodies perfectly in sync, dancing to the sweet music that noone else would ever hear.

Max was tenderly caressing her back, holding her so carefully but yet possesively. She reveled in the feel of having him so close to her, having his body pressed so tightly against hers. She could feel every part of him like this--every inch of his muscled flesh, his hard planes. She splayed her fingers across his back, marveling at the hardness beneath her fingertips. He was so beautiful..

"Do you know how beautiful you are, Liz?"

She shook her head against his chest.

"You are. You are..everything to me. Absolutely perfect."

She felt tears welling up in her eyes. Nobody had ever told her she was perfect, or even beautiful. Not even Kyle. And it felt so wonderful, for someone to feel that way about her. It made her feel special, a feeling she'd never known.

Her tears spilled over, falling onto his shirt. He lifted her chin up, making her look at him.

"I'm sorry. You should be told every day that you are beautiful. And you should always feel special. Because you are the most special person in the world."

He watched as she just kept on crying.

"Liz..please don't cry. Tell me what's wrong."

She placed a finger over his lips, quieting him.

"It's just that I love you so much Max. And you have made me so happy."

She noticed how relieved he looked.

"Do you have a habit of crying when you're happy?"

She laughed.

"Actually, yes."

"Oh...I'll have to remember that."

Their eyes remained locked. Liz realized then how much she wanted him to kiss her. They'd never shared a kiss before, and it was something that Liz had dreamed about too many times to count. So many times she'd wondered what his lips would feel like on hers....if it would be as powerful as it was when they simply touched. No time passed after she had thought that before he was leaning down, bringing his face closer to hers until there was hardly any space left between them.

"I love you Liz," he whispered, before finally he made her dream a reality.

Kissing Max...it was far beyond anything she'd ever imagined. When their lips touched, she felt something so powerful course through her that her legs went weak, and she had to grasp onto his shoulders to keep from falling. And she knew then just how much he loved her, how important she was to him.

When they parted, her eyes remained closed, and she simply rested her head on his shoulder.

Max gently nuzzled her head with his cheek.

"Wow."

His voice was subdued, as always, but yet she could hear the amazement in it. She lifted her head.

"Yeah."

They smiled at each other.

"You know, that's the first time..."

"I know," she replied.

He softly caressed her cheek.

"You think we should try that again?"

She nodded.

"Yeah...lots."

Their lips met again, this time harder. Max kissed her fervently, and she responded in kind. Liz tentatively opened her mouth, licking his lips, causing him to moan softly. She knew that he still had a lot to learn..about everything. And she was more than willing to teach him.

Max opened himself to her, and their tongues danced enticingly. Max apparently didn't take long to catch onto new things.

She felt his hands begining to roam, carefully exploring her. But yet...he was also being cautious, monitoring where he allowed himself to touch her. Like he was handling fine china, and if he was too rough she might break.

Taking advantage of their connection, she communicated to him that he didn't have to be careful with her--that she loved him, and she was his completely. She knew he understood.

20 minutes later, they were lying on Max's bed, still kissing like there was no tomorrow. They were both missing their shirts, and Max's hands were now fondling the back of Liz's bra. She knew that he was battling with himself, over whether he should take it off or not. After a few moments, she could tell he decided against it for then, because she felt the warmth of his strong hands slide around her sides and back to her breasts. He gently cupped them, kissing her harder. She could feel his arousal against her leg, and it turned her on even more. She wanted him so badly.... But she was begining to grow a little tired of his hesitation. She knew..that this was hard for him, that he was new to this. So she was going to have to take over. In a moment, she had flipped over so that he was under her. Their lips broke apart, both of them panting, and Max was looking up at her, amused.

"You're a lot stronger than you look."

She laughed.

"I guess I am."

Max pulled her down to him, his lips finding the soft flesh of her neck. He kissed it gently, then nipped at it with his teeth. Liz gasped in pleasure, nuzzling against him softly. She let her hands run across his muscled chest, kneading the hard flesh. Every inch of him was absolute perfection. Feeling bold, she ran one of her hands further down between them--past the waistband of his jeans and finally down to where his hardness was straining against the rough fabric.

She felt herself blushing as she rain her fingers over him, marveling at how big he was.

She heard Max moan softly, then felt his lips at her ear.

"God Liz, what are you doing to me?"

His hot breath excited her.

She began to massage him through his jeans, loving the sounds of pleasure that came from him as well as the wonderful feeling it gave her, to be touching him like this.

He groaned again, a deep, growling sound from the base of his throat, when her hand left him. She was reaching up, to the button of his pants, undoing them and then pulling down the zipper.

Truthfully, she had no idea what she was doing, but it seemed right. And Max seemed to be enjoying it thoroughly.

When she had his pants undone she began to pull them down, finally getting them down to his knees. She really didn't care to fool with them anymore then. Now all that was left were his boxers...she stared down at them, feeling her heart racing. Would she really have the courage?

Another moan from Max and she knew she couldn't leave him like this, even if she was scared.

Slowly, her hands trembling, she pushed down his boxers. Closing her eyes as she pulled them over his fully extended erection, pushing them down with his jeans. She felt his eyes on her, and she looked up to stare at him. He looked concerned, but under the concern she could see all of his desire.

"Liz, you.."

She cut him off.

"Max..I love you."

She reached up and gently touched his eyelids, sliding them down to close his eyes.

It was time to 'finish the job'. Her hands were still shaking as her hands traveled down his body , but she wasn't scared. Her whole body was trembling with her want for him. Finally, her hand came in contact with it. She smiled involuntarily. It was...absolutely exquisite. Like the softest silk over the hardest steel. Perfection.

It struck her then that she had no idea what to do. She felt a little nervous. She ran her fingers down the length of his shaft, emitting another growl from Max. She closed her hand around him, then began to slowly run it from tip to base, lightly squeezing as she did so. He seemed to be enjoying the attention, muttering her name again and again.

It wasn't long before he came, thrusting up into her hands, clenching her shoulders tightly. His teeth, which had been playfully biting her neck, came down hard against her skin. She could feel the blood as he bit her, but there was no pain. It actually felt wonderful.

His eyes didn't open for a long time, not until his body had stopped quivering and his orgasm had washed over him. And when he finally did, and he looked at her, she saw the pain in his eyes. It scared her.

She sat up immediately, turning her face away. She could feel her face growing hot with humiliation. She had definately messed this up.

"Liz...what's wrong?"

She felt the bed shift as he stood up, probably pulling his pants back up.

'He's embarassed around me now. Because I screwed up.'

His weight returned to the bed, and she felt his arms wrap around her stomach..could feel his entire body as he scooted up to her and pulled her back against his chest. It was clear he had NOT put his jeans back on.

"Thank you Liz," he whispered, placing a kiss on her bare shoulder.

She was confused.

"For what Max? I thought.."

"And I'm sorry. I know I..confused you. But I just hated to think that you did that..because you thought you had to."

She understood now. He'd heard her thinking that she couldn't leave him like that. He'd felt her slight fear. And that's why he'd looked hurt, after it was over.

"Max... I did that, because I love you. Not for any other reason. I'm sorry if I confused you."

He kissed her neck.

"It's ok. And Liz, that was...wonderful. Thank you."

She smiled.

"Anytime, babe."

He noticed then the bite mark on her neck.

"Oh, God, Liz..did I do that?"

She laughed.

"Yeah, Max, I'm afraid so."

He looked terrified.

"I am..God, I'm so sorry. Did it hurt?"

She turned her head around to face him.

"No. It was actually kind of...sexy."

She grinned evily. He laughed.

"Your turn now."

She giggled.

"No complaints from me."

He kissed her gently, bringing his hands up to unclasp her bra. He was slipping the straps down her arms when the door opened.

Both of them froze. It was Micheal. He stood there in the doorway, just staring at them. His mouth hung open in surprise.

"Oh, My God," he said suddenly, hiding his eyes.

"Oh my God. What are you...nevermind. Just...you better get the hell outta here and find somewhere else, because Mom and Dad are back and they want to talk to us."

He was gone before either of them could say anything.

"Liz, I'm so sorry," Max groaned, dropping his head on her shoulder.

She tenderly touched his forehead.

"It's alright, Max. I'll get over it. I'm sure...maybe a cold shower..."

He laughed.

"My parents have the world's worst timing."

"I'll agree with you there."

They just sat there for a moment.

"Well, I guess we better get dressed....before your parents come up here."

"Yeah..I don't think they would be as happy about this as I am."

She grinned.

"Probably not."

He finally slid away from her and stood up, pulling on his boxers and jeans while Liz just watched him.

He picked up her shirt from the floor and threw it at her. Reverting her gaze from the shirtless Max, she quickly refastened her bra and pulled her shirt over her head. She climbed off the bed and stood next to Max.

"Well..."

He allowed his eyes to wander over her body once again, commiting her beautiful body to memory. But when he saw the state her jeans were in, he laughed out loud.

"Umm..Liz?"

"What?"

"I..don't think you should go downstairs like that."

"Well, would you like me to take my shirt off again instead?"

He laughed harder.

"No..just..look.."

She followed his gaze down to her jeans, groaning when she saw them. They were...messy. A big, sticky mess.

In spite of the situation, she found herself laughing along with him though, propping on his shoulder.

"Got any bright ideas?"

He flashed a grin at her.

"Well actually.."

She swatted him playfully.

"Bad boy."

He winked at her.

"Always."

"Okay..back to reality here. We need something..okay. I spilled coke on my jeans, you let me borrow some of yours."

He laughed.

"Well, it's a little weak, but better than the alternative."

He walked over to the closet, pulling out another pair.

"Put these on."

She started to walk to the bathroom to change, but on the way realized that there was really no need.

Stopping in the middle of the room, she quickly unbuttoned the dirty jeans, pulling them off and discarding them on the floor. She looked up at Max, grinning when she saw him watching her intently.

"Too bad we don't have more time," he muttered.

She pulled on his jeans before either of them got carried away again.

He laughed at her. The jeans definately did nothing for her figure--they actually didn't even want to stay up. He grabbed her a belt, and she graciously accepted, fastening it tightly around her tiny waist.

"Much better."

He laughed again.

"If you say so."

She gathered up her other jeans, then slipped on her shoes. Max walked up to stand in front of her. He gently raked his fingers through her hair, straightening it out a bit.

"Thanks," she whispered.

"Anytime."

He kissed her softly goodbye, then they left his room and went downstairs. His parents were sitting in the den.

"Hey mom. Dad."

His dad smiled at them, and his mom looked a little worried.

"Hey Max. Hey Liz."

She smiled at them shakily.

"Hi."

Liz saw his mom eyeing her makeshift pants.

"So..umm..is that the new style, Liz? Your pants, I mean?"

She shot a warning glance at Max when she heard him snicker quietly.

"Well...I sort of spilled coke all over the jeans I was wearing, and Max lent me some of his."

"Oh, I see. Why don't you let me have a look at that stain, and I'll see what I can do about it."

Liz looked over at Max, panicking. He didn't look worried. He simply reached out and took the jeans from her, walking over to his mom.

'What in the hell are you doing, Max?'

He looked back at her, trying to let her know that he would take care of it. He unrolled the jeans, and his mom carefully inspected them. Liz waited for her to gasp or yell or even faint but she just appeared to be thinking.

"I have something that will get that right out."

She grabbed the jeans from Max, scurrying off hurriedly. Liz was relieved. She'd figured out by now that Max had created a coke stain on the jeans. But she was also wondering why neither of them had thought before that he could have just as easily removed the first stain.

Max walked back over to her.

"I guess I lose my common sense when I'm around you."

She smiled.

"I don't think I've ever had that effect on anyone."

Max's dad was watching them carefully.

"So Liz, what happened to your neck? It looks like...you cut yourself or something."

Liz blanched.

'Oh my God. What this time Max?'

Max looked speechless too.

They both stood there in silence for a few minutes while his dad just stared at them expectantly.

"I don't know Mr. Evans...I didn't even know anything had happened. I must have...scratched myself of something. I do that sometimes in my sleep," she answered akwardly, holding up her long nails to him.

He simply nodded.

"Better be more careful then."

He smiled mischeviously.

"Well I'll see you later, Liz. Hope you kids had fun."

At that comment she took off for the door. THey weren't fooling anyone. It was obvious his parents knew something was up, and she just hoped they didn't say anything to Max once she was gone.

Max followed her outside, shutting the door behind them.

"I'm sorry about them, Liz. I guess...we weren't fooling anybody."

She smiled shakily.

"It's okay..I'm sure my lame excuse didn't help much."

He laughed.

"Well...I'm sure no one has ever gotten bite marks from their nails.."

"Is it really that bad?"

He nodded.

"Yep. I guess I must've bitten ya pretty hard."

She smiled.

"Yeah, well now the world will know I'm yours."

"Rather extreme way of showing it, don't you think?"

"Never."

She leaned up and kissed him tenderly, then pulled away and grabbed his hand.

"Walk me home?"

"Of course."

******