Chapter 10: By the Fire

"Max."

"Yes, love?"

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Anything."

"If you, and Isabel, and Tess, and Michael, ever get the chance to go home, what would happen to us?"

"Us? Who do you mean?"

"Well, us," she pointed to him then to her, "and us, Maria, Alex, Kyle and I. What would we do without you? What would I do without you?"

"Baby, I am home. You've made earth home to me. There is no where else."

"Max, that's your home," she pointed to the radish shaped constellation above them.

"No. You're my home, Liz. In your arms is my home, it's where I belong...and I'm not going anywhere." He tried to believe his words, for Liz's sake, but he wondered 'what if'...What if I got the chance to go to my planet? Would I be willing to leave everything I have here? Would I be able to leave the only love I've ever known? Would I be able to leave Liz?

Isabel had just settled herself in Alex's arms. She was reluctant to leave him for even a minute, and she grumbled when Maria called out that it was her turn to add a log to the fire. She untangled herself, laughing when Alex refused to let her get up.

"Baby, I gotta put a log on the fire."

"Tell Tess to do it." Alex argued.

"She did it last time. Now it's my turn."

"Hurry back."

She made her way over to the gigantic pile of logs that they had bought on their way into the camping grounds. She picked up three of the biggest ones that she could find, carried them over to the fire, and placed them into the red-orange flames. She checked on the little pies that they were making, and, seeing that they weren't done, headed back over to the comfortable spot between Alex's legs.

"Much better," he whispered in her ear as she leaned against his body.

"I'm glad you think so, Mr. Whitman, because I have to agree. I was made to belong in your arms."

"Then you were made very well, my love."

Michael placed his cheek atop Maria's head.

"Why are you so good to me? After everything I put you through?"

"Because, people do crazy things when they're in love."

"Sweetheart, you've been doing crazy things since fifth grade."

"Like I said, people do crazy things when they're in love."

He whipped her around, "Since fifth grade?"

Maria was suddenly nervous. She couldn't look him in the eyes as she nodded her head yes.

"Wow, I'm a very lucky guy..."

"Why's that?"

"Because, I got you." He gazed into her eyes and gently kissed her eye lids, the tip of her nose, and finally her raspberry colored lips.

"Michael, I fall more in love with you every day."

"Ditto, baby, ditto."

Tess kissed Kyle and whispered, "I'll be right back."

"Where are you going?"

"I gotta check on the pies. Don't want them to burn."

"Check fast."

Tess made her way over to the fire and peeked at the pies. "They're done," she whispered to the happy couples around her. "Someone want to go get Max and Liz?"

"I'll go," Maria said, standing up. "Izzy, will you help Tess with the pies while I go get Max and Liz?"

"Sure."

Max and Liz heard footsteps coming toward them. They quickly untangled themselves from each others' arms as Maria approached.

"Hey, you two. The pies are done. Come on back to the fire. We're missing you."

"Be there in a minute, Maria," Liz answered.

Maria shrugged her shoulders, turned around, and walked the short distance to the other camp site. "They'll be here in a minute," she told Tess.

"Good, cause these smell yummy."

"'Yummy'? Miss Harding, did I just hear you use the word 'yummy'?"

"Be quiet, Kyle." Maria jumped in, defending her new friend, "'Yummy' is a very descriptive word."

"Oh, really? What does it mean?"

"Alex Whitman, you of all people should know. It means 'better than good.'"

"Oh," Michael explained, "I get it now, it's a 'chick-word'."

A battle of the sexes was forming quickly.

Isabel called out to Liz as she arrived, holding Max's hand, "Liz...is 'yummy' a word?"

"Of course," Liz didn't mind a little good-humored battle. "It means 'better than good.'"

"See, Kyle." Tess smiled at him.

"Ok, you guys, enough play flirting with each other. Those pies better be done, otherwise someone had better have a good explanation as to why Liz and I were interrupted." Max said, breaking up the teasing.

"They're done, your royal highness, "Maria mocked. "Here." Maria said, handing two to each of the girls, who promptly carried them over to their seated boyfriends.

"Now, what should we talk about?" Alex asked the group.

"How about we ask Max and Liz to stop making goo-goo eyes at each other and join the rest of us in a conversation?" Kyle suggested.

"I second it," Michael answered.

"I heard that, you guys," Max said.

"Yeah, what're you gonna do about it?" Isabel batted her big blue eyes at her brother.

"Only...this..." Max and Liz began firing marshmallows at their friends, laughing when each couple pulled out a bag of their own and fired them back. Their laughter filled the air well into the night.