5

"Max, look."

Maria had arranged the microscope and now had Liz's blood cells on the slide. But what she saw was something completely different from what she had expected.

Max bent down to view the blood cells, shaking his head in disbelief. Liz had no alien DNA. Her blood cells were human, no trace of any alien DNA. But how could that be possible? She had to have some form of alien DNA to be able to use alien powers. Max was sure about that.

"She has no alien DNA." Maria said quietly. "So heal her."

Max hesitated, glancing over at Liz's pale form. He could only hope that he would be able to heal her, but he still wasn't sure.

"Are you sure that it was Liz's blood?" Max asked.

"Yes I'm sure. Now come on, make Liz better." Maria smiled. Max nodded and crouched down beside his wife.

"I hope this works." Liz said softly. She looked worse than before, and felt like she was fading away. Max gripped her hand which felt cold and thin and closed his eyes, focusing on his healing energies. He stretched out and focused, thinking only of Liz, to heal her, to cure her. The energy flowed from him and into Liz, a constant flow of healing energy, healing power. Then the connection halted and Max felt a surge of energy, a sickening feeling that almost overpowered him. He broke free of the connection and breathed hard, pulling his hand from Liz's.

"Max?"

Max stared at Liz, who had fallen unconscious. Then he looked over at Maria.

"This isn't something that I can cure." Max said quietly. "This isn't an illness, it's something else."

"Well what is it?" Maria cried, tears forming in her eyes. "So you can't heal her? Who can? What if she dies?"

"Maria." Max said softly, watching Liz's best friend collapse on the couch and put her head in her hands.

"I can't watch this happen to Liz." Maria looked up at Max. "We should get the others in. No, try again!"

"Excuse me?"

"Try again! Maybe you just weren't ready to heal her properly! Try again!"

"I don't think-"

"Do it for Liz! She's your wife!"

Max sighed and didn't bother to answer. He knew it was Liz, his wife, his soulmate, who was lying on the couch suffering some unknown illness. But this wasn't what it seemed. Liz had something he couldn't heal, and Maria was too emotional to understand that right now.

"I'm getting Michael." Maria snapped when Max hadn't replied. "Maybe he can actually do something."

She stood up and strode out of the room, slamming the door shut in her anger.

Max looked back at Liz. He knew Michael wouldn't be able to do anything. They were helpless, they couldn't help her. But I have to try. She will survive this; I'll make sure of it.

Max took Liz's hand and she opened her eyes.

"I'm sorry Liz." Max said softly. "I can't cure you. There's something wrong with you that I can't heal. But I promise that I will find out what's wrong with you. I will help you."

Liz nodded very slowly and her eyes drifted shut. Max was starting to consider taking her to the hospital. But that would put them all at risk of the FBI finding them.

The door was thrown open and Max glanced up to see Kyle run in, an excited grin on his face.

"I have powers!"

FBI Base, Roswell, New Mexico

"You can't do this. Do you have the right?" Phillip shouted.

"Calm down Mr Evans." Mains snapped. "We don't need rights. We are the FBI and we have permission."

"Permission?" Phillip laughed. "From who? The government?"

"You wouldn't know." Mains replied coldly. "Mr Evans, we know that you are involved with the aliens."

"I don't know any-"

"We have proof, and you know it. We will find them. Max and Isabel Evans, they are your children, are they not?"

Phillip was silent.

"We have been spending most of our resources and time on finding them. We understand that they are no longer here in Roswell. Their last sighting was at the graduation ceremony, and now we know that the aliens will return."

"Why would you think that?" Diane asked softly. She had been sitting next to Phillip, looking away from Mains. Mains studied them across the table as they sat in a white room, isolated from the other agents in the base.

"We have you here. You can't escape; we are merely using you to bring the aliens to us."

"How would they know we are here?" Phillip asked.

"We can contact them. We have our ways. I suppose you know where the aliens are hiding?"

Phillip and Diane exchanged looks. Of course they had an idea of where they were, but not the exact location. And they weren't going to give it up so easily.

They were silent. Mains glared at them, feeling like lashing out at their expressionless faces.

"So you won't speak. No matter. You will tell us. Very soon. And we will get the aliens."

Mains stood up and nodded at some agents that had entered. The Evans were grabbed by five agents and pulled out of the room.

Mains sighed and looked down at the ground. It wasn't going as planned; they were stronger than he had thought. But extensive hours in the White Room would make them confess.

And then he would send Davis to capture Valenti before he figured out the Evans were missing.