When Jenna called on a Tuesday night after thanksgiving, he didn't answer. Holidays tended to be hard for her; and she appreciated the way they blew off steam. He never asked why. That was a rule between them. Still, he felt he should talk to Liz about it.

While they hadn't done anything that first time they kissed, they also didn't set anything in stone. She wasn't calling every day and their visits didn't increase. She still came after closing the crashdown, but she never stayed long.

He was happy enough being near her, having someone he didn't have to protect know about all he carried. Still, he didn't want to lie to Jenna, after all they'd been through and he needed to talk to Liz about it.

He sent her a text after he got ready for bed. "I got a question," he typed. "Call or text when free."

When she saw Max's text, she was still in the lab, finalizing a report on findings. She wrapped up her report quickly, she despidio de her boss, and as she walked out the building, put her headphones in her ear to call him back.

"Hey," he greeted her on answering the call.

"Hi, Max," she said as a smile spread across her lips. "Just leaving the office, babe, what's up?"

"Jenna reached out tonight, and I wanted to know if we should talk about it."

Liz stopped in her tracks. Her world that fall had slowly become research, crashdown and max. Lunches w Kyle were becoming less frequent and she had compartmentalized her life enough to not need to talk about anything. She knew what Jenna had been to Max and she knew what he was asking in between the lines.

"Can I come over?" She asked as she unlocked her car, "I feel like this is an in person conversation."

"I'll see you soon," he answered,"your car door locked?"

"Yeah," she answered as she pressed the auto lock button, "it's locked."

"I'll leave the door open," he said,"just come in."

"Thanks, babe," she said as she heard him hang up. She pulled her headphones out of her ears and headed to Max's.

She arrived to find him shirtless, throwing out bottles from what appeared to be a party. She caught her heart in her chest, thinking about how long it had been and how far they never seemed to have time to go. She would need to do something about that. "Sorry," he said as she walked in, "Michael was over last night, had something on his mind but he didn't want to talk about it, so..."

"That's okay," she answered feeling the blood rush to her face as he moved around without really looking at her, "I just wish I dressed for it."

He turned to see she was wearing a sweater dress that hugged her in all the right places. Looking at the plunging neckline, he remembered he was shirtless, wearing sweats and walking around barefoot. "You look great," he breathed.

She felt her face get warmer, and touched her palm to it, trying to hide it.

He started walking over to her until he realized he hadn't washed his hands.

When he darted so quickly, Liz followed him into the kitchen.

She leaned on a counter within splash free distance, and said, "Thanks."

He dried his hands with a towel and took in more of her. Strands of her hair were swept across her face. She had low heels on that day and, despite bags under her eyes, her eyes were sparkling.

"What are you thinking?" She asked to break the long pause of silence.

"How beautiful you are," he answered leaning down to kiss her.

She set her hand on his cheek to keep him kissing her longer than he intended.

"You, too," she sighed as he pulled his face from hers.

"Sorry," he said making his way towards the front room, "I didn't know you'd be coming back from..."

"Work…"she answered, "but if you're comfortable…"

He lifted the corner of his lip and shook his head, grabbing a hoodie from the coat rack.

He sat down a safe distance from her, knowing that he'd have a hard time focusing with the view her sweater dress was providing.

As he covered his bare chest, she asked, "is everything with Jenna okay?"

"She's fine," he started,"I mean she wanted to know if she and I could..."

"Have recreational sex?"

"Yeah," he answered, conflicted about Liz having a name for it."We were never serious- the drive in was an attempt at a date-

"Ah," Liz interjected remembering her spying. She couldn't help but laugh at herself.

"After that we fooled around til," he paused trying to figure out when he stopped, "the fundraiser."

"Yeah," she said, "Kyle and I stopped the day before you told me everything. I couldn't tell him about isobel and learning about how his dad helped Rosa...it was too complicated to just be recreational."

Max's pain of jealousy started affecting the lights.

He reached out for her hand, the lights going back to normal, "sorry," he began, "I don't really know how to do this."

"Do what?" She asked Putting her other hand over his.

"I never really," he began, "got serious with anyone," he continued as she inches closer to him, "and I don't what we're doin here."

She nodded and smoothing Back a lock of hair from his forehead, he leaned into her hand, a sign of surrender for him she was noticing and asked, "so how do you want to talk about Jenna? what are you worried about?"

"I also don't know what we are to have to tell you," he answered.

"Well," she said, "what do you want us to be?"

He moved over to the couch so there was only air between them. He smoothed a few loose strands behind her ear, "it's always been you, Liz," he said, "I don't want anyone else."

"Me either," she said kissing his forehead, then laying her head in his shoulder. "I'm sorry I didn't say that earlier."

Wrapping his arm around her shoulder, he admitted, "I don't know if I can tell anyone."

"What do you mean?" She asked lifting her head.

"Jenna's been different for a while. And I don't trust my sister," he admitted, "or Kyle."

"I expect you'll never trust, Kyle," she laughed. "He was my first."

"Your first?" Max said.

"Boyfriend," she clarified, "and the first guy I had sex with."

"Oh," Max said.

"I get what you mean, though," she said, "I don't think my father would mind," adding, "he always liked you."

"Really?"

"Oh, yeah," she said snuggling closer, "he misses your no drinking coffee visits."

Max took in a deep breath. "I was just making sure he was safe."

"I never thanked you for that," she said folding her fingers through his.

"No need, Liz," he said leaning his head on hers. "I wanted to at least keep him safe."

She recalled his assault against Wyatt that June, after Wyatt came after his dad. She realized there were still mysteries to solve around what Wyatt knew about aliens. "How's Michael with all this..."

"Well," Max said, "we've been taking turns since the divorce...and we don't talk about our personal lives with 'er," he added," And he said Alex found something from our ship in his cabin—

"The valenti cabin?" Liz asked sitting up and turning to face max.

He nodded.

"Yeah," he said as they switched gears, "something from a ship. We just don't know what it means."

"Wow, Max," Liz said putting her hand to her chest, "that's a lot. I mean I got Rosas file from kyles dads folder, so i guess that makes sense."

"It's sometimes really hard," he admitted, "It's hard to know there are people who want to find us. That they're so close..."

"I'm sorry," she said sitting up and turning to him, "no one has to know if you think it's gonna keep you safe..."

"I dunno," he admitted lowering his head, "I mean, it's just been me, Is, and Michael. Michael wants to go back; Isobel wants to make being here work…"

"And you?" she asked resting a hand on his knee.

"I never really thought about it," he answered, "I just know what I don't want to happen-I don't want to be captured or tested; I don't want to hurt people anymore; I don't want anyone else to suffer…" he trailed off smoothing his hands across his sweats and catching one of Liz's hands there…

"Aye," she said, "that's a lot to carry, Max."

"Yeah," he sighed, squeezing her hand, "and sometimes talking to you feels like I'm betraying them-

"Oh," she said pulling back, "then-

"And being with you just, "he corrected, "you give me balance. I just wish they understood that. I just wish they could find a way to get that."

She transitioned to sit across from him on his table. "Thank you," she said, "for trusting me. I know Michael and Is think I will change my mind on protecting you, but I won't," she promised, "I know I told Kyle at first when I was angry about Rosa, I won't do that again. I know what's at stake."

"I know," Max sighed, "it's hard to trust him because of who he was to you; and..."Max trailed off unsure of how to word wanting to know more of what Kyle knew, "part of me wants to know what they know, and part of me doesn't want to know what they know because of what getting that information would risk. I think about Green, Long, and I just…"

"It's the first time I am looking at a struggle with privilege," she admitted, "I mean I'm a white passing Latina, pero se ve el nopal on my forehead."

He laughed and felt his shoulders relax.

Liz looked at her watch, an accessory based on a cell phone free lab, and said, "It's getting late, I should probably go," she took in a deep breath and asked, "did we talk about what you wanted to talk about? I can't remember."

"Uh," he thought back, "I think so."

As they walked to the door, she said, "I gotta stop working so hard."

"Two jobs is a lot," he agreed as she turned to face him.

"I just wish I had more time," she began grabbing his collar, "more time with you."

She pulled him down for a kiss, breaking his mouth open and leaning into him. He pulled her in as she grabbed the back of his head. He pinned her against the door as she moved her hands to his sweater's zipper. Before she could unzip all the way down, he broke away and said, "you sure you need to go?"

"No," She asked still holding on to the collar. "And yes," she sighed, kissing his collarbone before leaving.