She walked over to one of the potted violets on her balcony and gently rubbed the velvety leaf of her favorite- a dark, majestic purple. It had taken her a while to find just the right combination of water and plant food to get it to thrive, but now it was beautiful. She had decided to take it with her to Max’s- well, to their apartment when they got back from the honeymoon.

Liz smiled and turned her back to the wall. It was all too good to be true, leaving home, marrying Max...

“Liz,” his whisper brought her out of her thoughts and she walked quickly over to the ledge. Leaning over, she caught sight of a very handsome face smiling just above a bouquet of miniature white roses.

“Max,” she smiled and waved him up. It was funny to watch him climb the ladder with the bouquet in his mouth- must be the thornless variety. Or at least she hoped so.

He climbed over the top of the ladder and took the roses out of his mouth with an embarrassed grin. “Guess the flowers were more sentimental than practical. But I had to do something to commemorate our last night up here.”

“Thank you, they’re beautiful.“ Liz reached out and took the roses, smelling their sweet scent.

Unfortunately, it reminded her of the bath things he had given her yesterday. Or well, unfortunately for him...

She put the flowers down and turned back to him with a suggestive smile. “I can think of something else we can do to commemorate the occasion.”

Max’s eyes opened wide and he started to back away with his hands in front of him. “Liz, please don’t. I don’t think I can... I mean, I won‘t be able to... please?”

She felt sorry for him and immediately switched gears, stopping by her chair. “We can commemorate it with a gift.” She picked up his gift and held it out with a sly smile.

Max took it with narrowed eyes. “I’m not sure if I should trust you or not.”

“Oh, you mean, am I going to try to seduce you like you did me,” Liz couldn’t resist walking forward and pushing him back into a chair. He looked up at her nervously and she laughed. “No. I promise, it’s just a gift.”

“Alright,” he bent his head down and started to unwrap it.

“No, don’t unwrap it,” Liz said suddenly, taking the gift from him and setting it on the ground.

“Uh... Liz,” Max started in a perplexed tone. She reached out for his hands and pulled him to his feet. Then she walked into his arms and looked up at him seriously. “It’s a telescope.”

Max raised his eyebrows, then smiled slowly. “That’s nice. Now why did you go and ruin the surprise like that?”

“Because what I have to say is much more important,” she said firmly. “I love you and I bought that because it represents the part of you that we don’t know about, the part that you’ll always be searching for. I just want you to know that whatever we find out about your past, about your home...” she paused to make sure that he was really listening. “I will be there with you. And we’ll deal with it together.”

Max’s arms tightened around her and he lowered his face to rest gently against her hair. “Thank you,” he whispered.

Liz smiled.

They stood in silence for a long time and Liz just absorbed the wondrous things she felt from Max through their connection. She was being carried by his love and hope like a feather wafting on the breeze. She could handle anything by his side, but she already felt the inevitable coming...

She was dreading the moment when Max would very responsibly pull away and mumble something about getting home. It killed her to say goodbye to him, now more than ever.

But she tried to steel herself for just one... more... time. Then, no more goodbyes, she promised herself.

“Sounds good to me,” Max muttered against her ear.

Liz sighed, relishing the depth of their oneness. Soon, it would be even more...

Max pulled away quickly and huffed out a quick breath, obviously affected by her thought. “You are going to be the death of me, Liz Parker. I’d better go.”

“Why? Are things going to change if you don’t,” she reminded him slyly of the circumstances of their first kiss, right here on this rooftop.

“Uh, that’s an understatement,” he said quietly as he grabbed his gift and backed away. “And don’t ask me how, because I don’t think you want to hear it.”

“Oh, I think I do,” Liz teased mercilessly, taking out some of her goodbye frustration on him.

Max tucked the box under one arm and vaulted himself onto the ladder, completely ignoring her last statement. He turned back with a smile. “I would quote Shakespeare, but I’m afraid I’d be accused of being completely unoriginal.”

“Try me,” Liz said as she came closer.

“’Good night, good night, parting is such sweet sorrow that I shall say good night ‘til it be morrow.’”

Liz laughed at the idea of him quoting Juliet and moved forward to lay her hands on his cheeks, also reminding her of another, less happy, time in their relationship.

Max looked at her seriously, “Please don’t kiss me and say that you just want to remember what it’s like.” He remembered it, too.

Liz shook her head gently. “Never again. This is just a kiss to commemorate... you know.”

“Right,” Max agreed.

She leaned in and kissed him gently, then rubbed her thumb gently over his soft lips. “Goodnight.”

“Good night,“ he smiled and then disappeared below the wall.

The last one.

Liz sighed.

******

Is it morning already?

Kyle groaned as soon as he was conscious. His entire body ached and his head was throbbing. Worst hangover he’d ever had.

What had he done to himself last night?

He groaned again as he sat up in bed, feeling the muscles in his chest scream in protest. He ran a hand over the soreness there and felt a raw place that sent a jarring pain when he brushed it.

Pulling his shirt open, he saw several patches just like that one, all red and raw.

The haze in his mind made it so difficult to think... what the hell happened last night?

He could remember the rehearsal and... leaving with plans to meet the guys and grab Evans. Kyle shook his head. It all got fuzzy after that.

What time is it?

10:26? He was supposed to be at Michael’s to get his penguin suit at 10:00.

Kyle forced himself to get going despite the pain, trying all the while to figure out why he seemed to be missing about twelve hours of his life.

******

Joey stood and turned to the mirror. The sight that greeted her was honestly a shock. Was that her? Isabel had worked a miracle. Somehow, she had gotten those wild curls to tame themselves into a polished-looking upsweep, with a few braids and pearls placed among the cascade of black curls. Not a bit of frizz in sight. Joey knew she was gaping and staring at herself most immodestly, but even the make-up made her look like a different girl.

“There is no way I‘m calling you Joey when you look like that,” Isabel said with wavering voice. “Joelle, you look stunning.”

Joey turned to her with a shy smile. “Thanks, Izzy. I didn’t realize how much work it would take.”

Isabel laughed and turned to the door. “Time to go. You ready?”

Joey managed a small smile. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

For some strange reason, she found herself taking comfort in the fact that at least Kyle would be there to hold on to.

******

Alex looked at his watch again. “Uh, Michael, do you run on alien time or something?” No answer. “I mean, it’s not a genetic thing that keeps you from being on time, is it?”

He could hear Michael mumble something in the bathroom, but couldn’t make it out. Alex leaned toward the hall and crossed his arms. “Uh, what was that?”

“I said I can’t get my freakin’ hair right, okay,” Michael said with a fierce frown as he charged out of the bathroom. “Liz is driving me crazy. I swear, if I could block her out-”

“You’d have been late because you and Maria would have been in here creating your own sauna. Come on, Michael, it’s Liz’s wedding day, give her a break,” Alex stood up and watched as Michael grabbed his shirt off the table and pulled it on with all the delicacy of a charging bull. After Michael fumbled for a minute with the first tiny black button and cursed a blue streak, Alex nodded to himself. “Alright, alright, just calm down, Michael,” Alex ambled over and pulled the two sides of his shirt together and took over the buttoning process. “It’s normal to be nervous on a wedding day, though I have to admit, it’s usually the groom and not the groom’s best friend who’s a basket case,” he looked pointedly at Michael, who just nodded and kept gazing over Alex’s head. “But this is a strange Czechoslovakian-type situation, so we can throw out the normal wedding rules, right?”

Michael nodded grimly. Obviously, half his mind was dealing with Liz’s thoughts. Otherwise there’d be no way Michael Guerin would let someone button his shirt.

Alex grinned.

A sudden knock at the door sent Alex flying to the side as Michael charged ahead. “Don’t worry, I’m fine,” Alex said to nobody as he righted himself.

“Glad to hear it, even if I do say so myself.” Michael stepped back to reveal Kyle, looking very pale.

“Kyle,” Alex stepped forward with a slight frown. “You alright?”

Kyle wandered in and sat on the couch without saying a word. Michael sent Alex a quizzical look. Alex shook his head. “Kyle?”

“I have no idea why in the hell I want to tell you guys this,” Kyle started out, staring straight ahead. “But I feel like I have to. Something happened to me last night and I- can’t- remember what.”

Alex nodded in confusion. “Okay, so you got drunk and partied a little too hard, right? No need for an engraved confession, Kyle. I don‘t think Michael or I are the type to take it personally that we weren‘t included, right, Michael?”

“No, Alex, that’s not what I’m saying,” Kyle said evenly. His tone caught Alex’s attention. He sounded like he was about to lose it and was forcing himself to take it slow. “I just went by Larry’s and he’s not there. Couple that with the fact that after my head cleared up this morning, the last thing I can remember is checking out Larry’s house and blacking out... well, I’m afraid that something went down last night. Something bad.”

Michael immediately started pacing again. Alex watched him for a moment, then turned back to Kyle. “Bad like what, Kyle? Do we need to call Max?”

“No, we don‘t” Kyle jumped up and slashed his hand down to punctuate the words. “We don’t. I just- have this feeling we need to keep checking on Trilling.”

“Alright,” Michael said slowly, then interrupted himself. “What about- Oh, hell, Liz is-”

Alex watched with interest as Michael argued with Liz. It never ceased to amaze him and make him a trifle uneasy to watch them do it.

“She’s on her way,” Michael said in a disgusted tone.

Alex groaned. “Great going, Michael. This is just what she needs.”

“Hey, blame jock-strap-poster-boy over there,” Michael pointed a finger at Kyle. “He’s the one who showed up all pale and tragic and spoutin’ crap. I’m just-”

“Hey,” Kyle shouted. “I’m pretty sure that whatever happened to me last night had something to do with trying to save your alien ass, Guerin. So don‘t mess with me.”

Alex raised his eyebrows in surprise. Kyle turned even more pale after his outburst and sat down on the couch. Michael, amazingly enough, kept quiet and just started pacing again. Dealing with Liz, no doubt.

“Yeah, well then,” Alex said, clearing his throat softly. “Why don’t Kyle and I go check on Larry and see if we can... figure something out.“ Kyle looked pretty bad off, but it obviously wasn’t something he could explain, so...

“Good idea,” Michael agreed shortly.

“Okay, then, we’ll head out and you keep thinking good, nice thoughts for Liz. Little bunnies, fuzzy kittens, duckies... all very acceptable. Right,” Alex turned to lecture before walking out.

“Right.”

******

Kyle headed to the door, not sure if he could actually make it. But he didn’t want the other guys to know that he was feeling that weak and messed up. He passed a hand over his forehead and opened the door. As he glanced out front, he paused.

Liz was just coming up the walk, looking like a fiery angel from heaven. Her hair was done up fancy and her face was somehow even more gorgeous than usual... and with the flush of anger on her face, she was just... wow.

Okay, the jeans and button-down did somewhat ruin the effect, but hey, she was still his favorite eye candy, hands-down.

“Kyle,” she suddenly saw him and lost the frown immediately, worry evident in her dark brown eyes. “What happened? Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.”

“Are you sure, I mean, you look really pale...” she trailed off uncertainly.

Kyle blinked several times. “So you came by here because you were worried about me,” he asked.

A ghost of a smile touched her perfect lips as she nodded. “Is that so hard to believe?”

Kyle pursed his lips and studied her face. She was being honest, he could tell. Ah, hell, he’d consider this an early wedding gift. “No, I guess not,” he leaned over and kissed her lightly on the cheek. “You look... great.”

Liz actually blushed as he grinned at her. Then he walked out towards his car, listening to the explosion as Liz entered the apartment. “Michael, this is my wedding day! Could you at least try to keep from thinking paranoid crap for just-“

“Aw man, I gotta’ listen to you all day in my head, and now you’re gonna’ come over here to nag me, too?“

Kyle cracked a grin as Alex came jogging out with a stunned expression, slamming the door behind him. “Whoa. Somehow, I doubt Michael’s thinking good, nice thoughts for Liz right now,” he said lightly as he opened the truck door.

“Yeah, too bad she’s connected to Guerin,” Kyle looked over and smirked. “I could think of real nice thoughts for Liz right now.”

Alex gave him a wary look. “Riiiiiight. Just drive, Valenti. And leave the Liz-protection to the professionals.”

******

Max couldn’t believe how quiet the apartment was: no parents, no blow dryers, no Isabel barging in to argue, no Joey peeking in every once in a while. It was almost eerie.

But Max’s thoughts were anything but. He was in his tux, ready to go.

He was ready to commit his life to Liz, and proud to do it in front of everyone. He couldn’t make himself believe that Liz Parker actually wanted to be his wife...

The thought just floored him every time he thought of it.

And then, there was the honeymoon...

Max cut his thoughts off. Now was not the time to be hormone-driven. Now was the time to be sensible and sober about the commitment he was making in just a few hours.

He took a deep breath and felt the peace inside at the thought of what he was about to do.