And she had believed in that idea.

And two days later she was avoiding the gaze of a boy whom she could not help.

Can't or won't? a voice in Liz's head said.

Shame.

There was danger here. Liz could feel it. She had sensed it very clearly when she'd had her vision of Jimmy at his sister's funeral. She had sensed it very strongly when she had seen the room that was not quite a room. And she had heard it in the girl's screams… a lost, terrified sound that she knew would visit her in her dreams for some time.

Whatever had Jessica was going to kill her. And he was very dangerous. No, not he, Liz thought. It's a they. She didn't know how she knew that, but something in the vision told her that it was a they… a very dangerous they.

Liz forced herself to look at Jimmy. He was clearing the last empty table. As if he felt his eyes on her, he turned to return her look a few seconds later. He smiled at her. It was a grim smile that didn't belong on his innocent face.

Liz smiled back. Then she felt something move inside her.

She had been afraid to look at Jimmy before, but she had done it. There was something else Liz was afraid of, very afraid, and it wasn't whoever had Jimmy's sister and the other missing girls in this town.

It was shame. She couldn't face it, and then she knew she didn't have to.

Almost immediately, the cloud started lifting. She walked over to Jimmy and put a hand on his shoulder. Though she was relieved when no visions came, she knew she would face them when they did come… without fear.

Liz knew she had made the right decision.

"Come on, Parker. We've got side work to do," Maria said.

Max saw Liz through the window. He felt a moment of relief when he saw that she was there. He knew his worries were probably baseless. She would be safe inside a crowded diner. He was sure of it. Yet, he was still relieved to see her.

As soon as he did see her, though, he realized that something was wrong. Something was bothering her. Almost as soon as he realized that, she was heading for the door. She was there as he stepped inside.

"Hi," she said, her voice even.

Max leaned down to kiss her and said, "Hi." He couldn't ask her what it was now. That conversation would have to wait until they were alone.

"You guys can sit down over here," Liz said, pointing to a long table near the center of the empty diner.

A woman Max recognized from yesterday came out from the kitchen. A smile appeared on her face, and she said, "Girls, are these your friends?”

Liz and Maria nodded together.

"Well, sit down," the woman said, gesturing to the table.

"I'm Bell," she added when they had all sat.

Liz stepped forward and said, "This is Max, Isabel, Michael, and Kyle," pointing to each one as she spoke their name.

"Pleased to meet you," Bell said.

Then she turned to Liz and Maria and said, "You sit down too.”

Liz started to protest, but Bell shushed her with a wave. Looking at Max, Bell said, "They have been on their feet for nearly twelve hours straight. Best help we've ever had here." As Liz and Maria sat, Bell took out a pad. "Now what can I get you kids?”

After she had taken their order, Bell disappeared into the kitchen. The door shut behind her and drowned out any sounds from the kitchen.

Once Liz was sitting, Max could see that she was tired. Maria, too. They had been working a double shift. Max felt a pang. He had done nothing to help their cause, while Liz and Maria had worked twelve hours in a row. Kyle, too. I'm some leader, he thought.

Then he noticed that Liz kept glancing at the boy from yesterday, the one with Down's syndrome. He was sitting in a booth next to the window, staring out and down trie street. "Do you want to invite him to sit with us?" Max asked Liz.

She shook her head. "I already did. Bell says that he likes to sit by himself at the end of the day and look for his sister.”

"How long has she been gone?" Max asked.

"Almost a week," Liz said. There was something in her voice and face that told Max there was something else, something she wasn't telling him. Instead, she turned to Kyle and asked, "So how was work at Johnny's?”

Kyle and Michael told the girls the same story Max had heard on the walk over.

"So Gomer is dangerous?" Maria asked, when they were finished.

Kyle shrugged and said, "Since Michael had a talk with him, I think he's mostly in danger of wetting himself.”

Though Kyle smiled when he said that, Max could see that their friend had been shaken up by his experience.

"So you did do something worthwhile today, Michael," Maria said.

Michael shrugged at that, and Max could see that he was uncomfortable. It looked like everyone was on edge today. Max was surprised. Stonewall hadn't looked like much of a town… the fact was, it still didn't look like much. But it was definitely dangerous. Women were missing. Crazed tow truck drivers were thrown into fits of jealous rage. Some- thing was going on here. Up until now, Max had thought the biggest danger they faced in Stonewall was being out of money. Max decided that he, Michael, and Isabel would have to keep an eye on the others.

It looked like there was something for him to do here.

A few minutes after Bell had brought their food out, she and Sam emerged from the kitchen with plates for themselves.

Liz and Maria immediately rose and started moving another table to add to theirs so that everyone would be able to sit together.

Pointing to the now larger table, Liz said, "Join us.”

She didn't have to look to know that Max was giving her a look… probably Michael, too. But there were things she needed to know, things that were more important than avoiding other people to keep their secret.

"You sure you want a couple of old farts intruding?" Bell asked.

"Don't be silly, just sit," Liz said.

Bell nodded and said, "Kids, this is my husband, Sam. Sam, these are Liz and Maria's friends.”

Sam gave them a short nod as the older couple sat down to eat.

"So what are you kids doing on the road in that van of yours?" Bell asked.

For a second, no one spoke, and Liz glanced at Max. She saw that the others were doing the same.

Max didn't hesitate further. "We all just graduated from high school. We wanted to see the country and to stay together for a while," he said.

Liz was relieved. It was a good story. It was also true… as far as it went.

Bell turned to Sam and said, "We should have done something like that when we were kids.”

Sam gave a snort but didn't look up from his food.

Turning to the group, she smiled and said, "Sam is not the adventurous type. But I'm glad to see you kids doing what you want. You'll have plenty of time later to settle down into jobs and a normal life.”

Will we? Liz wondered. Will we ever? She watched as Bell reached her fork onto Sam's plate and ate something from it. There was something very familiar and warm about the gesture. Liz was sure that the two did have something together.

Something good. Something normal.

Something that was impossible for the six of them now. Something that was impossible for her; even if she did somehow sever her connection to her half-alien boyfriend, could she find a normal life for herself? In that last three years she had spent countless hours hoping for that normality, but she had been changed by her experience. Even if she could somehow forget every- thing that had happened in the last three years, she was no longer the girl she once was. In fact, she was no longer completely human.

She was no longer normal.

When the changes in her body first showed themselves, she had been scared. Now with her new abilities even more pronounced, she was still scared, but there was something else. She was determined not to let the fear rule her life. Determined that she would do something other than suffer as…