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The Balance - (Opening Scene)
The scene opens with Liz wiping down the counters at the Crashdown with a smile on her face. Her voiceover is saying how somedays you feel that everything is perfect and you are so happy that you even enjoy cleaning the milkshake machine. Meanwhile, Maria storms behind her to the kitchen area fuming that today is the worse day ever. The door to the Crashdown opens and in walks Max and Michael. Max scans the room for Liz and when they've made eye contact, they smile at each other from across the room. Michael complains to Max about why they have to come here and concurrently, Liz is filling a cup with cherry cola, "Max's favorite." Maria suggesting filling one up for Michael, but to include some arsenic in it. Michael asks Max why they have to come to the Crashdown to eat, and Max tells Michael that he's in here to - and picks up a menu, glances at it, and promptly tells Michael that he's here to eat a slice of men in blackberry pie. Max then asks Michael why he's so against coming here, since Max had thought that it would give Michael a chance to see Maria. Michael tells Max that they've broken up - but he's not sure if they did or not b/c it's all very confusing. Liz walks up with Maria by her side and offers Max a cherry cola - on the house. Maria puts one next to Michael and tells him that it'll be $1.25. Michael looks at Max and says he guess that confusion has been cleared up. Upset, he gets up quickly to leave and in the process, spills the drink. As he helps Max with the cleanup, he finds a folded paper from among Max's pile of books and looks at it. It turns out to be a sketch from what he and Liz had found at the cave. Michael immediately recognizes the symbols and demands to know where Max has found it.
(Theme Song Begins)
At the Crashdown, Alex walks in and Maria is at the counter. She asks him how he's doing since they haven't been able to find him for a few days. Alex explains that this whole alien-concept has caught him off guard and he needed some time to think about it. He then asks Maria how she's so sure that they are what they say they are. Maria tells Alex wryly that when she saw that day when Max dissolved the bullet that hit Liz and repaired all damages done to her internal organs, it sort of made her realize it could be a distinct possibility. Alex nods thoughtfully but Maria comforts him by telling him that when she first found out, it was a shock to her system as well but he'll get over it - and they won't hurt him - physicially. Maria then warns him not to get involved with Isabel b/c relationships with aliens can be passionate, but they are a pretty cold group overall and chances are, he will get hurt.
Max, Isabel and Michael are in Max's room back at the Evan's. Isabel is examining the sketch saying it must be in their language or something b/c she recognizes it even though she can't decipher what it means. Michael is very angry at Max about withholding this information from him, demanding to know when exactly he planned on telling them. Max tells them that with the FBI all over their backs earlier, he wanted to wait until it was safer before telling Michael b/c he was afraid - and he didn't finish his sentence. However, Michael finishes for Max, accusing Max of not trusting Michael and thinking that Michael would do something stupid once Max has told him - even though Liz clearly was trustworthy since she knew about it. Frustrated, Max tells Michael that Liz was there, so there was no way she couldn't have known about it, and that this was exactly why he hesitated on telling them b/c he knew Michael would react so irrationally. However, Isabel intervenes and tells Max that he should have told them about the cave. Max backs down and tells Michael and Isabel that they will plan a trip to go back to the cave - together. An awkward silence sets on the room until Mrs. Evans call Max to tell him that Liz is here. Michael then demands to know what he's doing and Isabel wonders the same. Max tells them that he's not going on a "date" with Liz, they are just hanging out together b/c they both happen to want some Chinese food. Isabel then asks Max why he's changing his shirt if it's nothing. Clearly uncomfortable, Max tells them he'll talk to them when he comes back but pleads with Michael not to do something irrational. Once he leaves, Michael heads for the windows to leave for the Indian Reservation. Isabel tells Michael that he shouldn't go b/c he promised Max. Michael replies that he's "as trustworthy as Max" and climbs out the window, leaving Isabel alone.
Michael manages to make it to the Indian Reservation where he finds Eddie and demands to know where River Dog is. Eddie takes Michael inside a tent where River Dog, along with others, are performing a cleansing ritual. The room is very hot and Michael becomes very uncomfortable. He leaves halfway through unable to take the smoke.
Meanwhile, Isabel is with Alex in the Crashdown, explaining about her and her powers, largely to Alex's disbelief. She demonstrates how she can alter molecular structure by changing the color of ketchup from red to mustard-color. Alex is amazed.
Meanwhile, Max and Liz are having their date, playing pool and eating - a normal date and a very good time. When they finished eating, Max asks Liz if she would dance with him. She accepts and they danced slowly together. Liz tells Max that her parents are out of town for a couple of days and they make small talk. Just when it looks like they were about to kiss again, Maria walks in on them. She tells them that she hates to interrupt but they are needed at the Crashdown.
The three rushes back to the Café where Michael is collapsed. They rush him to Liz's home upstairs. Michael is in a fever and incoherent and they don't know how to treat him. Everyone is very worried. Liz looks freaked out by the whole chain of event. After giving Michael some water, it looks like he got better and he gets up to leave. Still mad at Max, he refuses a ride from a concerned Max. Isabel then tell Max they should go home and they all leave, with only Maria and Liz behind. Liz tries to sneak out of a girl-talk to Maria but fails and they two over ice-cream talks about their respective relationship with Michael and Max. Both agree that kissing the aliens was a very passionate experience, but they are unsure as to whether it's just psychological or really a physical reaction. Maria then gets a little sad and seriously cautions Liz about not getting to involved, b/c she will get hurt no matter what since they are different species.
The next day, Alex takes Isabel to the UFO Museum to show her wall carvings by the Aztecs saying they look a lot like the picture of Max's sketch the night before. Isabel dismisses it with annoyance saying that's just a hoax that people perpetuate, like the marks in the middle of the open fields and other similar "event" that turned out to be nothing. She tells Alex not to waste her time and walks away. Alex shouts after her doesn't she want to find out about her real planet. His loud query results in silence across the entire museum (which was filled with people milling around). The curator comes up, recognizes Isabel as Max's sister and berates Alex for making jokes about the topic. Isabel is furious and chews him out thoroughly for revealing her identity. Alex is absolutely contrite but nothing he say can make Isabel less angry. Suddenly, they hear a commotion and went to see what's going on. Michael is lying on the floor. Max rushes up to him and when he gets closer to Michael and Michael opens his eyes, his pupils are white. Max quickly tells Michael to close his eyes and puts a pair of eye glasses on him. Isabel rushes up to Michael terrified. They rush to take him to Liz's place. Alex offers to help, but Isabel tells him to just go away.
In the Crashdown, Max comes in from the back telling Liz they need her help. They move Michael back to Liz's room where he's now worse than before and no one is sure what to do. Everyone is clearly worried but again, Liz looks terrified. Unable to figure out how to cure him, Max takes Liz and they drive to find River Dog. Eddie is there and tells Max that River Dog is angry at him b/c he betrayed his trust. Max is very angry and almost gets into an altercation with Eddie by saying he doesn't care if River Dog is angry, he needs to see him. Liz calms them down and tells Eddie that their friend Michael, who had come earlier, is now very sick and they need River Dog to help. Eddie backs down and tells them River Dog is away. Max then say that he'll wait.
Meanwhile back at Liz's place. Isabel is worried nursing Michael but to no avail. Maria and Alex try to help as well but are told curtly by Isabel to leave her and Michael alone b/c they don't know how to take care of Michael and that she''ll do it. She is clearly also on the verge of breakdown.
Max and Liz are walking about the reservation as Max tells Liz how they all met. Max tells Liz that they all met when him and Isabel got out of their pods. They didn't realize Michael was around until after b/c Michael had been hiding behind the rocks observing them, unsure of whether to trust them or not. It wasn't until after a while that he revealed his presence and when he did, he did so by standing on top of a rock. The reason they got separated was b/c when they saw the headlights (which was the Evan's), Isabel took Max's hand but when Max tries to reach for Michael, even though Michael wanted to and Max knew it, Michael refused to take it. It wasn't until three years later that they found each other again. Liz thought the story was very sad. She looks worried and a little distant. Max gently touches Liz's face and tells Liz that he understand her fear, that she can still change her mind b/c right now, they don't know what it is that is causing Michael to get sick and whether he will get better from it. They also don't know if the same will happen to Max and whether it's just a way to signal the end of their life cycles. Liz is silent but she still looks worried and distant.
Back at Liz's Michael is hallucinating in his dream-state. He finds himself on a dessert with markings on the floor that looks like those from the sketch. He looks up and see a V-shaped constellation from above. Everything is very bright and he's wandering around even as in physical self, he is getting worse.
That night, Liz hears chanting from a nearby tent and tells Max that she thinks she heard that sound from Michael when he was mumbling. They sneak up to the tent and peek inside, unsure of what the ritual is, but guessing that what's happening to Michael was not natural. River Dog taps them from behind and tells them they need to get Michael to the reservation b/c he might not have enough time.
Liz and Max rushes back to the reservation and finds that Michael now has a fine web of cocoon-like material over his entire body. Alex is standing watch over the bed and Isabel is completely freaked out in in silence while Maria tells them that it was a good thing they are back. The five help rush Michael to the cave where River Dog tells them the same thing happened to that visitor back when he first visited the reservation but his symptoms showed up much sooner than Michael which was why River Dog at first thought Michael wasn't one of "them" and believed Max to have betrayed them. He then tells them that he was able to save the visitor when this happened to him but the visitor had told him that the "cleansing ritual" somehow disrupted his balance, which if not realigned, will kill him." As he say this, he passes out stones which he tells them come from the visitor's planet and tells them each to get in a specified place in a circle drawn out on the ground. He also tells them he needs them to all participate since they more they do, the better it is for Michael. Michael, now even more covered by the web is in the middle. Everyone walks to his or her designated place with Alex going first, Isabel second, Max third. When it is Liz's turn, she walks reluctantly to the spot and Maria takes the one besides her. River Dog then passes out a bowl of water and tells them all to take a drink so they can share a bond to participate in the curing. When it is Liz's turn, she couldn't bring herself to do it and steps back from the circle, saying she's sorry, but she couldn't before breaking off and looking very guilty for not being brave enough to participate. River Dog looks at Liz and says that her fear runs deep, deeper than ordinary fear, b/c she fears for someone she cares about deeply. Liz looks across the circle and see Max watching her. River Dog then tells Liz that perhaps it's best if she does not participate b/c her emotional state could do more harm than good. River Dog passes the bowl to Maria and tells her to pick her own path. Maria chooses to drink from the bowl. The four all hold stones in their hand and begin chanting, as they chant, the stone lights up and they are suddenly in Michael's vision. Alex walks up to Michael, who in his dream-state is no longer cocooned and shakes his hand. Maria walks up to Michael and kisses him. Isabel walks up to Michael and hugs him. Max walks up to Michael and does the same. As he does, he sees that Liz is in the dream-state too, meaning she has ultimately decided to participate. Max smiles at her and she smiles back. Suddenly, Michael is standing over a jagged edge looking down at a cocooned version of himself. Then it flashes to him being in the cocoon and Max and Isabel climbing over the edge to look for him. The dream-state alternatively showed Max and Isabel as children and as their real selves, but in each form, they both do the same thing - which is to stretch their hand out to Michael in the cocoon. Michael reaches for them and they pull him out. They walk hand in hand away from the cocoon. Cured, Michael breaks out of the cocoon in real life and wakes up. Everyone is relieved and Isabel hugs him. He is watching Maria who stands slightly from behind and Maria watches him back, glad that he is cured.
Michael then declares that there will be no more "running away." He collects the stone from all of them and walks over to the marking on the wall, inserting them into the hallow between each drawing. After he does so, the stones all light up and he tells them that it's a map. Max stares intently at the wall along with Michael. Liz is standing in the back of the group, observing his reaction.
That night, Liz is writing in her balcony about how usually in situations like this, she is the calm one, the one who does what needs to be done, but in this situation, when faced with the possibility of this someday happening to someone she really cared about, she froze. As she continues to write, Max climbs up the balcony, asks her if it's a bad time and then climbs in to ask her how she's doing. She tells him she's fine and asks about Michael. He tells her Michael is fine, same as always, but he's not. Liz quickly tries to apolgize for freezing up at the cave but Max told her he completely understand why she would and he's not at all blaming her for her reaction. However, the incident has led him to think that maybe they need to take a step back. Liz clearly doesn't not want to, asking him how they could possibly be wrong to be together when she is the happiest that she's ever been. Max then tells Liz that ever since they kissed, it's like he stopped thinking about what he really is and that it is not real. He is determined and Liz despite her efforts is unable to persuade him otherwise. As he climbs down, Liz rushes over and kisses him one last time, telling him that she ….."just want to remember….." Max looks at her sadly and leaves a heartbroken Liz standing as the screen pans to the stars above where the v-shaped constellation beams upon Roswell.
*the end *
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