skin

Max's parents believe he's hiding things from them so they send him to a shrink to get him to open up. Max explains his behavior as normal teenage stuff.
Nasedo has been working in Washington,DC posing as FBI Agent Pierce to put an end to the special alien hunter unit. He hasn't been in contact with Max,Isabelle,Michael or Tess for nearly three months. Alex thinks their problems will end when the special unit of alien hunters is shut down. Isabelle reminds him that they still have their enemies. Max says it's been three months and no aliens have shown up - maybe there's no one out there.
Max asks Maria if she's heard from Liz. Maria tells him she hasn't. Max says he heard her talking to Liz on the phone. Maria reminds Max that Liz blew him off and spent the summer in Florida. She advises Max to play it cool and let Liz come to him. She tells Max that's what she would do. Max reminds her that she just told him that she's left five messages for Michael in the past two days.
A geologist conducting a survey in the desert for a chemical company finds Pierce's bones. He tells Sheriff Valenti that he was using a metal detector. He asks why a metal detector would detect bones. Sheriff Valenti tells him he'll get on the case right away. Valenti's eager beaver deputy says he'll get an excavation team out there right away.
Max and Isabelle tell Michael and Tess about the geologist finding Pierce's bones. Michael is ready to take some kind of action. He tells them he doesn't want to sit around and wait for things to happen to them. Max tells him not to do anything. Michael tells Max to lead since he's supposed to be their leader. Max assures them that Valenti has things under control.
The excavation team goes out to the grave site where Pierce's bones were found. Valenti's deputy finds a pocket knife near the site. He tells Valenti it looks like they may have an actual homicide on their hands. Michael goes out to the site to spy on the excavation team. Something is watching him. Michael feels it's presence and goes to check it out. He falls and finds what appears to be skin shed from someone's hand. He picks it up off the ground to further investigate and it disintegrates.
Max sees Liz outside the Crashdown. She tells him she returned a few days ago, but just wanted to get settled in. Max tells her that no aliens have attacked and since Nasedo is putting an end to the special unit, it looks like it may all be over soon. Liz says she hopes so - for all of them. Max tells her that he doesn't have feelings for Tess and he's told her and she understands. Liz tells Max she just wants to get a fresh start.
Michael is brought into Sheriff Valenti's office for questioning about the pocket knife found in the desert. Michael's fingerprints were on the knife. Sheriff Valenti covers for Michael by fabricating a police report which states Michael and friends were found drunk in the desert. He asks Michael if he witnessed anything out of the ordinary that night. Michael says he didn't and Valenti lets him go. The deputy tells Valenti he smells a rat.
Michael calls Nasedo and tells him he needs to come back to Roswell. Nasedo asks Michael if Max is aware that he's contacting him. Michael tells him Max doesn't know. Nasedo tells Michael not to call him again unless Max knows.
Roswell's Congresswoman Whitaker goes to see Valenti to ask questions about Pierce's recent actions. The deputy comes in with breaking news about the bones definitely being human. The coroner tells them some bizarre form of radiation melted the left side of the rib cage. Congresswoman Whitaker says she's not taking her eyes off of the bones until she gets some answers. The deputy suggests they bring Michael back in for more questioing. Michael is arrested and put in jail.
Nasedo, the alien shapeshifter, returns to town. Max asks him how well he knows Congresswoman Whitaker. Nasedo says he knows her intimately and posing as Pierce, he's been diddling her all summer. Maria says she hopes he's using birth control. Nasedo says he's grown fond of the congresswoman - it's a shame he may now have to kill her. Max tells Nasedo about the bones. He asks how far the info has leaked - he's going to have to extinguish every human who's come in contact with the info. Alex says he's going to assume that they are excluded. Liz tells Nasedo that murder is what got them in their present situation. Nasedo explains that his job is to protect the Royal Four - their survival is critical to the survival of an entire race. Max tells them that no one is going to die. Killing people won't solve anything. Nasedo calls Max a passive king. He asks if they should all just commit joint suicide or wait until their enemies show up and have a nice boxed lunch of them. Max remains firm and says they're not going to kill anyone. Nasedo says that they know about Cadmium-X and if they find it on the bones they'll do to Michael what they did to Max in the white room. Max says they can't let that happen.
Liz interns at Congresswoman Whitaker's office. She tells the congresswoman she's working late to get some filing work done. Nasedo, posing as Pierce, stops by to see Whitaker and to get her out of the office. Once she's gone Liz lets Max in and they search the office for any info they can find to give them a clue as to where the bones have been taken.
Michael still can't get over the fact that he killed a man. Valenti visits Michael in jail and reminds him that Pierce killed Agent Topolsky, Agent Stevens and almost killed him. They have no idea how many others he's killed. Michael is afraid. He confides in Valenti that he doesn't know who or what they're up against. He's been so upset with Max for not leading when Max doesn't have the answers either. None of them do. Michael says all he can think about is what if he's not strong enough.
Liz asks Max about Cadmium-X. Max explains that it's an isotope of cadmium that is not found on earth that might have been created when Michael killed Pierce. Max tells her if they don't get the bones before they've been tested for Cadmium-X , Michael is screwed. Liz remembers that a new lab that opened up at Las Cruces University has equipment that can measure isotope ratios. That's where the bones would be taken. Max tells Nasedo that the bones willl be delivered to the university the following morning. Nasedo says he'll be there. Nasedo asks Max how he and Tess are getting along. Max says he hasn't performed any mating rituals. Nasedo reminds Max that he heard his destiny with his own ears. Max says he just wants to get Michael out of jail and get back to his life - he's not a king and they are not at war. Nasedo tells Max not to confuse what he wants to be true with what really is true. Max heads home. Nasedo goes to his car and sees the same type of shed skin that Michael saw in the desert. He looks around with fear. Something is watching him.
The next day Max, Isabelle, and Tess go to the university. Nasedo doesn't show up. They proceed with their plan without him. Tess creates a mind warp so that the eight people including Congresswoman Whitaker , don't see Max as he uses his powers to age the bones. The lab techs tell the congresswoman that the bones are 42 years old and there was no evidence of Cadmium-X anywhere. They theorize that the fused ribs could have been a mutation due to radiation testing in the dessert 42 years ago. Congresswoman Whitaker says something about this isn't right.
Michael is released from prison. Maria tells him she misses him. He says he knows, but wants her to stop missing him. She asks if it's because he's destined to be with Isabelle. Michael says it's because he's destined to be a soldier and he can't have some chick waiting for him to come home.
Max asks Liz to pretend things could go back to the way they were. She tells him she can't pretend. He touches her arm and she has a flash of various occasions they were together making out. She says goodnight.
Later, Max is at home in his bedroom about to go to sleep. There is a knock at his window. He assumes it's Michael and opens the window. A bloody Nasedo is tossed at him. Max pulls him inside. He tells Max 'they' are among them now. Max asks who 'they' are. Nasedo says"the skins." Max tries to save Nasedo, but it's too late - he dies in Max's arms.