It had not occurred to Max Evans that she would no longer be there when he returned. After all, she was his. No matter what happened between them, the one undeniable truth was that Liz Parker would always solely belong to him. He had known it even before he touched her. And the knowledge was strengthened at the moment they connected.

So he was surprised to find out from the only person remaining in Roswell who was involved in that once upon a time that Liz and Maria have left for New York with his brother in law. Kyle seemed uncomfortable telling him. Max wasn't still sure why Kyle exuded such a strong vibration of fear and uncertainty when he spoke about Jesse's new career and the need for the girls to come with him.

And so here he was, king of another planet, of a race more advanced than the humans, back here in New York City, Earth, Solar System, Milky Way, getting soaked in the rain to apologize to one person. He had left everything, so he could say sorry.

Max looked up at the apartment that held the address that Kyle had given him. Even though he never told Liz to wait for him, Liz still left the message with Kyle. If Max returned, tell him where she was.

He wondered briefly if Liz was pining for him. And even before the question finished he knew that she was. In the same way that he regretted leaving her as he did, Liz must be  thinking of him every day. In this building, the hearts that they left have converged. As Max climbed the steps, he felt a pang for Isabel and Michael, stuck rebuilding in a planet that for human technology was a million light years away, and for his capsule just the blink of a wormhole in distance. Max shrugged the guilt of taking the only way back away. He needed this. And he would keep his promise anyway. He would tell Jesse that Isabel cried for him every night. And he would tell Maria that Michael… He would look into Maria's eyes and hold his hand to her cheek and make her see. That would be more than enough.

Max stepped off the elevator and walked towards the door at the farthest point in the corridor. He looked down at the scrap of paper in his hand and up the number displayed there. He raised his hand to knock, but no one answered. Maybe they were all at work, or out to dinner. He would have turned to leave except for the undeniable pull calling to him. He used his powers to unlock the door, and he entered the darkness.

The Christmas tree glowed dimly in the dark living room. He walked towards it and saw the wrapped presents underneath. There was a blue box with the name Jesse on the card, scrawled in Liz's familiar hand. Another one, a bigger but lighter box, was also for Jesse. The name was surrounded by hearts and asterisks that Max supposed were stars. And immediately Max knew that this was from Maria, because Maria always felt the need to fill every space with brightness. His eyes then fell on two small boxes, identically wrapped, same shape and size. Severe white cards at the top of each were typewritten with the names Liz and Maria. It was easy to guess. They were earrings. He was glad that there was someone like Jesse who was left behind to give Liz thoughtful and pretty things. Max worried about Maria though. Earrings on Christmas would not lift whatever longing she had. They would probably depress her more.

Another present remained that he had not looked at yet. He wondered who was late in wrapping, Liz or Maria. It was probably a present from Liz to Maria. And Maria would now be scurrying all over New York City, desperate to find a gift for her best friend. He bent to pick it up, and found it surprisingly light for such a huge box. The note fluttered down the floor. Max picked it up and glanced down. "For baby. Aunt Liz and Uncle Jesse."

The full impact of the dedication hit Max like a tidal wave, and he stumbled backwards onto the couch winded. It could only mean one thing. Maria—

His thoughts were interrupted by the muffled conversation coming from another room. So there were people inside. They must not have heard him then. He stood up, eager to show himself to the three.

"Jesse, wait," came a female voice. Max's heart warmed at hearing Liz again. "Maria could come back from work any minute!"

"Liz, do you honestly believe that Maria doesn't know yet?" he whispered back. "She's too smart to miss anything going on around her. She's just not speaking because she has tons of her own problems to deal with."

Max watched in the shadows, horror-stricken, as their lips met in a torrid affair. His nails dug half moons into his palm. Despite his talent for healing, Max knew that he could not fix the wounds that he created right at that moment.

It was Liz who pushed away first. "I can't do this!"

"Why not?"

Max waited for the words he longed through hear through space. She would tell him that her heart belonged only to Max. Max felt his heart slow to a sluggish rhythm. Tell him. Tell that brother-in-law of mine how it really is to love, how he is making a mockery of everything he and my sister shared. "Jesse, loving Max has totally screwed me over." In the shadows Max shut his eyes against the torment. "Knowing him has made the last years of my life hell in the guise of heaven. He's ruined me for everything else, Jesse. For anyone else. And I will not test drive my heart again. Least of all you."

"What do you mean? We're perfect together, Liz. No one can understand you the way that I do. Just like you're the only one who can completely know what I feel like right now."

"Yeah. We're on the same boat. And it's not flattering to either of us that we're using each other as substitutes." Max watched the way her lips twisted bitterly into a half smile. "We deserve more than this, Jesse. You shouldn't have to make do with me. And I deserve more than a guy who's still so in love with his wife, who knows because he can't have her he should try to forget. I'm sorry, Jesse." Liz turned, but did not run away. Calmly, slowly, she made her way out and into her room.

Max made no move to follow her. He stayed there and watched his brother-in-law sink into his chair and hold his head in his hands. After a while, Jesse pulled a book over to him and opened it on the first page. He drew the slip of photograph there and held it up in his fingers. And Max could see it was his wedding portrait.

His sister beaming in the arms of her husband.

There was no way he would approach Liz now, after everything she had said. He walked out of the apartment like a blind man. Mechanically, he rode the elevator to the ground floor and climbed down the steps, not looking where he was going until he bumped into another pedestrian.

Her grocery bag ripped and the contents spilled on the snow. "I'm sorry," he muttered. He knelt and started picking up the items. The loud sucking breath brought his head up. And he stared into wide brimming green eyes. Her lips trembled as she took in the sight of him. "Maria," he exhaled affectionately.