Thank you for the reviews, guys :).

Sacha – I'm glad you like the story, although I have to admit that it's not technically new, as I wrote it almost 5 years ago (it was one of my first stories)!

Part Three

On arriving back at his house on Murray Lane, Max apologised to his mother for running out so abruptly before and then promptly left again in the jeep, leaving Diane Evans to wonder what was currently going on in her son's head.

But Max didn't have time for explanations, all he knew was that he needed somewhere to think; and the one place that he knew would calm him and allow his thoughts to be rational was that of his birth: the pod chamber.

He'd never told anyone this, especially not Michael or Isabel, but he often visited the cave in the desert when he needed some time alone to think. Just being close to the pods that had housed them for so many years, gave him a sense of belonging and allowed him to sort out the goings on in his head without distraction from the outside world.

Only a few minutes after leaving Roswell, Max pulled up at the base of the high, jagged rocks containing their pods and the mysterious Granilith. They still had not figured out what its purpose was. All they knew was that it was very important and that the four of them needed to protect it with their lives, in order to stop Nicolas or anyone else from getting their hands on it.

Climbing up to the entrance of the chamber, Max waved his hand over the rock face to reveal the silver handprint that would allow him access to the cave. Pressing his hand to the glowing imprint, he watched as the once smooth rock shuddered and then slid open, revealing a bluish pulsing light from within. He stepped inside the small chamber sealing the entrance behind him. Immediately, he felt more relaxed. He made his way over to the small cluster of rocks to the left of the glowing pods and wearily took a seat.

With a deep breath, he sank his head into his hands, bracing his elbows on his knees. He didn't know what was happening to him, or why it was occurring today of all days, but he knew he needed some answers.

Why was he suddenly getting vivid images of the future; a future he knew he could never have? Was someone trying to manipulate him into letting his guard down, focusing more on Liz and his human life and therefore spending less time concentrating on protecting the Granilith? No, that sounded stupid. He'd always led a human life and had so far managed not to let it interfere with the importance of who he was.

So, what was going on then?

With a frustrated sigh, Max rose and began pacing the length of the chamber. Being in here wasn't helping him find any answers; for lack of anything else to do, he walking into the small room containing the Granilith, stopping just in front of it to stare up into its swirling depths. Mesmerised for a moment by the huge object, he reached out a hand, running it over the smooth surface, mentally begging for answers, or at least some kind of help.

But none came. However, another flash did…

~Flash~

Max's hand firmly encased in Liz's as the two leather-clad figures scrambled their way into the Granilith chamber. Upon reaching the pulsing cone, Liz's hands grasped his shoulders while Max held her close to him.

"I won't leave you," he claimed desperately, looking not at her, but at the large object to his left.

"No, no, no. Max, you have to," she insisted, struggling to push him away from her and towards the centre of the room, stumbling forwards a few steps in the process.

Max walked backwards with her, repositioning his hands on her arms, holding her in front of him so that he could look into her eyes.

"If I'm successful, if I can do this, you and I won't exist. Not as we do now," Max told her regretfully, wanting her to understand just how much they would be giving up. But Liz was determined.

"Max, if you don't do this, we're gonna die. Everyone will," she cried, grasping at the edges of his leather vest. He started to turn away, towards the exit, but her firm grip spun him back to face her. "Max, you have to do this. You have to try it," she pleaded desperately, her eyes locked on his.

Max gazed into her eyes. "I'll never see you again," he stated sorrowfully and Liz broke their stare, her eyes helplessly roaming over his chest. They stood in silence for a moment before Max pulled her to him in a desperate hug. "Thank you."

"For what?" her reply was muffled by his shoulder.

He pulled back, cupping her face in his hands, his fingers tangling in her hair, "For every kiss, every smile," he told her breathlessly, his gaze intense.

Mimicking his actions, Liz reached up and placed her hands on either side of his face. She shook her head, a small smile appearing on her face, "Max, I don't have any regrets."

Just then, a blast from outside shook the chamber and they were thrown to the floor. As Liz lay on her back, recovering, Max reached into his jacket pocket with determination and produced what looked like a long, thin crystal. Clutching it in his hand, he rose onto his knees. Moving forward, he quickly pushed it into the base of the Granilith.

They struggled to their feet, watching fixedly as the base began to glow brightly, the light travelling quickly up the inverted cone. There was awe on their faces, as the ceiling of the chamber above the Granilith became a mass of blue and purple swirls.

Knowing what he had to do. Max turned to Liz, their eyes meeting. He drank in her features, committing them to memory, before giving her a resigned look. Taking a deep breath, he turned back to the Granilith and Liz fell to the floor once again, as he disappeared in a flash of light. As Liz struggled to sit up and regain her bearings, Max reappeared, but this time, he was inside the Granilith. He looked around, bewildered, until he noticed Liz standing in front of him on the other side of the glass. He reached out to her and she did the same, her hand coming to rest on the wall of the cone, but just before their hands could meet, Max drew back as the huge object surrounding him flared to life. Lights flashed and Max looked up to the ceiling. With one last flash, the light encased him and rose upwards, sucking him into the swirling abyss above.

"Ma…Max!" cried Liz as the chamber fell silent.

Her husband was gone. Forever.

Looking around at the now cold and empty room, Liz collapsed to her knees in despair.

~Flash~

In shock, Max tore his hand from the surface of the Granilith. What the hell was that? His mind was swimming with questions.

Why had he and Liz looked so different that time; and what exactly had the Granilith done to him? Had he somehow found a way to get back to Antar? But if he had, why weren't Isabel and Michael there with him? And what had he meant about them not existing as they do now?

What was going on?

He had to talk to someone about this. His first thought was Liz. Although things had been strained between them lately, he had agreed to remain friends with her and considering that she was the main feature of these visions, maybe she knew something about what was happening to him. That thought stopped him. What if she had been experiencing similar flashes? What if someone or something was trying to control not just him but her as well? Surely, he owed it to her to put aside his lingering feelings of hurt and betrayal to make sure she was all right.

Without another thought, he quickly exited the cave and climbed back down the rocks to his jeep.

He had to see Liz.

Jumping into the vehicle, he took off for Roswell at full speed, not caring about breaking laws or being caught.

Ten minutes later, he pulled into a parking space just outside the Crashdown. At first, he was tempted to use the ladder to climb up to Liz's balcony, but just as he took the first step towards the back alley, he realised that that probably wasn't the best idea; especially considering that he and Liz had barely spoken to each other lately, let alone been comfortable enough with each other to just barge into their homes unannounced. No, he would have to do this the proper way.

With a sigh, he walked to the front of the Crashdown and pulled open the door. The café was pretty busy, although that shouldn't have come as much of a surprise considering that it was the day before Christmas Eve. Max's eyes scanned the small restaurant, but there was no sign of Liz. Maria, however, was busy wiping down the counter in between fixing cups of coffee for various customers.

She looked up as he approached, a smile playing across her lips,

"Hey there, girlfriend. What brings you by this fine afternoon?" she enquired cheerily.

"Hey Maria, I was actually looking for Liz. Is she around?" he asked while keeping his eyes peeled for any sign of her.

"Liz?" Maria looked puzzled. "Oh, right, you guys are friends again now," she remembered. "You know, it's so hard to keep up with these things."

Max shot her a half-smile, "Yeah. We are," he murmured, not really wanting to get into the semantics of it all. "So is she here?"

Maria looked surprised at his question. Obviously, his previous words had not registered with her.

"Oh, she didn't tell you? She's out of town for the day. Her dad took her to some exhibition or something up in Albuquerque. She won't be back until late tonight," she explained with a sympathetic glance at his face. "Sorry, Max."

"That's okay," he shrugged, stuffing his hands in the pockets of his jeans as he tried not to let his disappointment show. "I guess I'll just catch up with her tomorrow then. Thanks anyway, Maria." He turned to leave, calling "Oh, and I if don't see you again in the next couple of days, Merry Christmas," over his shoulder as he approached the door

"Merry Christmas, Max," she called after him, watching as he disappeared through the front doors with a quizzical frown on her face. What had that been all about?

Well, that had been a bust, thought Max as he sat in the jeep outside the Crashdown. He was imagining things; things he was sure Liz knew at least something about, and she wasn't even here. She wouldn't be back for hours. Running his hand through his hair, he sighed. He was going to have a long evening night ahead of him before he could talk to her.

TBC...