A/N- I don't even have an excuse for how long it's been since I've updated this story. So I won't try to give one. I'll simply say that I hope my readers are still out there and willing to read. Enjoy, and let me know how I did with this chapter... I'm not quite sure if I like it.

Chapter Seven

The door opened and the group huddled in the small room all rose at once. Max emerged from the room with Liz trailing behind him, his hand holding onto hers in a protective manner. He knew his friends would be upset at his actions, and even he couldn't quite understand his reasoning. He'd let her see him heal; he'd used his powers in front of another human being. He'd broken their cardinal rule, and although it hurt him, he knew that they had a right to be angry with them.

The gazes of the others in the room shifted back and forth uncomfortably, words of protest bubbling at the lips of the four others. Max raised his hand, knowing their protests would fade with his command. Although he hated exerting his power, he knew no other way to make them trust him.

"Liz is tired, you guys. She's had a long day." He looked back at the small girl still standing in the doorway. "I think you should all go home."

"What the hell is going on, Maxwell?" Michael asked, his voice coming out harsher than he'd meant it to. Max watched as Maria gently placed her hand on his arm, attempting to calm his anger.

Max paused, searching for the right words. Finally he shrugged. "We don't really know," he answered honestly. "Liz knows that I heal, but she has no recollection of the past. She has no idea how she got here and how she has the information about me that she does have," he answered honestly.

"Well that's convenient," Isabel muttered, her voice shaking. Max could see the fear in her eyes and the paleness of her skin.

The room fell silent as Max shifted his gaze from person to person, giving them warning with his eyes. No one was ready to accept Liz and her questionable history. Liz looked from person to person and for the first time she saw the fear, the rigidity of their bodies, the paralyzing dread that held them in place. She still did not know the story of who they were, but there was a secret among them. A secret that held them in constant trepidation. A secret that made it impossible for them to trust her.

Liz stepped forward, her hand falling from Max's protective hold. "I know you don't want to trust me," she said, her voice coming out quiet but building in strength as she talked. "I know... I know that it doesn't make sense. I know that my story seems convenient and I seem like I'm hiding something from you. I understand that you're afraid I might be here to hurt you. But I promise you, I swear, I am not here to hurt you. I don't know where I came from or how I know the things that I know, but they're there. They are the one clear thing on the blank canvas of my mind right now, and I'm sorry but I can't do anything about that. Please, don't be afraid of me. I swear... I will never hurt you. I am not here to do you harm."

Late that Night

Liz lay curled in a tight ball on the sofa bed, her arms wrapped protectively around her legs as she stared into the dark room. Her body was exhausted, but her mind was wide awake. She'd tried for hours to get to sleep, but no sleep came. Her mind was racing with the events from the day and the possibilities of the information that she knew.

Max was the healer. When she'd fallen down the stairs earlier, her mind had been filled with panic and pain as she realized she'd hurt herself. As she watched Max examine her anger, she'd felt a sudden calming as she watched his careful fingers brush her skin. And at that moment she'd known... Max Evans is the healer.

She'd watched him piece the bones of her leg back together and yet she still couldn't believe it was true. What was their secret? How was Max able to do these amazing things? What was it that held them all in such frightening paralysis?

Liz's ears pricked as she detected a small noise. She felt her heart quicken and her eyes instantly drew toward the door to the apartment. She heard the handle jiggling and a key clicking in the lock. Her heart raced and she considered calling out to Michael, but a part of her knew it was too late for that. The door handle turned slowly and the door opened, casting a slit of light into the dark living room, causing Liz's eyes to burn and the person's form stepping through the door to become blurry.

"Liz? It's me," she heard the voice whisper quietly. She blinked twice, letting her eyes readjust to the dark light. She felt her heart slow as she recognized Max's tall form walking toward her.

"God Max," Liz said, laughing as she sat up and placed her hand over hear heart. "You almost gave me a heart attack."

She heard him chuckle as he walked toward her, sitting cautiously on the end of the bed. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"You can sit up here, Max. I'm not going to bite. I promise." She smiled and in the dim light she could see his eyes shine in embarrassment as he pushed himself upward on the bed. He kicked off his shoes and pulled his legs up, leaning against the back of the sofa.

An awkward silence fell between the two. Liz could hear the soft hum of the air conditioner kick in and she turned her head toward Max. She saw him staring out the window beside him, his eyes glazed over in thought. Quickly his head turned toward her as he sensed his eyes on her.

"Uh, so... what's up?" He asked, trying to fill the silence.

Liz let out a low laugh. "So you came over here at two in the morning to ask me what's up?" She asked, punching his arm playfully. "Come on Max, tell me what's really on your mind."

The moon shined softly through the window, illuminating Max's light smile as he turned his head to look at her. "I just wanted to make sure you're okay." He said quietly. "You know, with everything. I know it's probably a bit confusing and overwhelming."

Liz chuckled, "yeah, overwhelming is one way to put it." She looked at his concerned eyes and nodded. "Don't worry Max, I'll be fine. I just have one question for you, though."

"Liz, I know you want answers. I'm just afraid I can't give them to you. Not yet. I want to trust you; we all want to trust you. We just can't yet."

Liz nodded. "I understand that, Max. I won't ask you anything about your powers or your secrets. I just need to know... who is Tess? I need so badly to know."

Max paused, his eyes searching hers through the darkness. "Tess..." his voice trailed off. "Tess was our friend. We trusted her. Tess was our friend and she betrayed us. I'm sorry, I wish I could tell you more but I can't. All I can tell you is that Tess hurt us in the worst way possible."

Liz let out a slow breath, leaning her head against the back of the couch. "Somehow I think I knew that." She said, tilting her head toward his and letting a tiny smile form on her face. She lifted her head so that she was eye level with him. "Thank you for telling me. I know you have your secrets, and I respect that. I won't ask you any more questions until you want to answer them."

A silence fell between the two as they sat side by side on the bed. The dim light from the moon illuminated their faces and the only noise came from the low hum of the air conditioner and the crickets chirping rhythmically in the trees. Max lifted his hand, brushing his fingers over Liz's cheek, his fingers running over her skin slowly. He leaned his head toward her, and her heart jumped as she realized he wanted to kiss her. He stopped, his face so close to hers that she could feel his warm breath on her cheek and their noses just barely brushed against one another. They stared into each others eyes for a moment, both knowing what the other wanted, but also understanding that now wasn't yet their time.

Max pulled away slowly and smiled. "Have a nice night, Liz. I hope you get to sleep sometime soon." He pushed himself off the bed, putting his shoes back on.

Liz followed him to the door and smiled as he stepped through. "Good night, Max." She said quietly, closing the door behind him. In the darkness she stood, alone in the kitchen of Michael's apartment. She stared downward, lifting her hand to run her hand over her cheek. She could still feel the warm path where Max's fingers had passed.

She looked out into the darkness, feeling the quiet that being alone brought. Tess. Tess Harding. Tess Harding had blonde hair. Liz could feel another piece to the puzzle of her memory being placed, and she felt her stomach turning in fear at the things that might lie there once she finally recalled why Tess Harding meant so much to her. Tess, the girl that had betrayed them all so awfully.