posted on 11-Apr-2002 9:43:28 AM by ravrac
Okay, Anna. I'm pretty sure you're right about Chapter 7. I couldn't seem to located it originally. So I wasn't sure if I'd posted it or not. Just wanted to be sure.

But I know for sure I didn't have this one posted yet. I think this is where I started rewriting, trying to fix areas I didn't like. So, hopefully, everyone will find it was worth the wait. Read and enjoy.

And thanks for your feedback. It really helps me get the old brain cells multiplying.

Part 8a

A few weeks had gone by since Liz had moved into Max’s home to help take care of his grandmother. As much as Claudia had sneaked around, trying to eavesdrop on any other conversations Max and Liz might be having, she was totally disappointed. Neither had seemed to be making an effort to get to know one another any further than the very first night since Liz had moved in, especially since Max had been spending so much time at the office. It was starting to unsettle Claudia. She began worrying she would not live long enough to share with Max and Liz what needed to be disclosed to them.

The end of the fourth week of Liz’s stay at Max’s home, Liz was beginning to feel a little restless. She knew staying here, taking care of Claudia, was something she would never regret doing. But still, she missed spending time with her old friends. In fact, she’d so quickly started this arrangement to help with Claudia that she’d never even been able to spend one night with her friends since her return to Roswell. So she started formulating an idea to rectify that.

“Maria, hi. It’s Liz. Listen, I really need to spend some time with my old friends tonight. Do you think you could get Alex and Kyle together? If I can arrange things with Max, maybe the four of us could get together for dinner tonight?”

“Oh, Lizzie. That would be great. Let me talk with the guys, and I’ll call you back.”

“Oh, thanks, Maria. I really need this. I’ll wait to hear from you.”
Again, though Liz didn’t realize it, she’d had an audience. Claudia had been listening in. She didn’t know how much longer she’d be able to get up and around to do this, but she figured she’d take advantage of it while she could. And from what she’d just heard, she wasn’t so sure Liz’s plan was such a good idea. She started imagining all kinds of things. What if Liz started wanting to hang out with either Kyle or Alex? She knew both young men well enough to know they were both really sweet guys. But that wasn’t the issue. Her biggest concern was that Liz might develop feelings for either of them, and with what she knew needed to take place, she couldn’t just stand by and let that happen.

But she also realized Liz did need friends. A much as she’d hoped Liz would get better acquainted with Max, all Max’s free time had been consumed by the case he’d begun the day Claudia had ended up in the hospital. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if Liz just spent the evening with her friends. For now, Claudia would keep her thoughts to herself, but she really hoped sometime in the very near future Max and Liz would be able to get better acquainted. She wasn’t sure how much longer she could hang on.

*****
Meanwhile, at the office, Max and the others were just closing the files on the big case they’d been working on the last few weeks. Because of all the hard work and research they’d done, they’d been able to settle the case out of court, ultimately saving them months of additional work. The four of them had decided to celebrate and were just deciding among themselves where to do it when the phone rang for Max.

“Mr. Evans, you have a call on line 1.”

“Rose, take a message, would you, please. We’re leaving for the day.”

“Mr. Evans, you told me, if Liz Parker ever called, to let you know ASAP.”

At the mention of Liz’s name, Max immediately felt a pang of nausea in his stomach, fearing she was calling with bad news about Claudia.

"Okay, Rose. Thanks. I'll take it in my office.
“What’s wrong, Liz? What happened?”

“Nothing’s wrong, Max. Aunt Claudia’ fine. I just” –

Sensing an immediate feeling of calm, Max responded, “Oh, that’s a relief. So, to what do I owe the pleasant surprise of your call?”

As Max was speaking, Liz felt her throat go dry at the sound of his voice. She then realized Max had paused, as though waiting for her reply.

“Oh, well, I wanted to ask a favor of you.”

“Sure. What can I do for you? You know, you actually have great timing. The four of us are in the mood for celebrating. We just settled that case we’ve been working on the last few weeks. We were just leaving to get some dinner and begin the celebration. Can I get you something while we’re out?”

At hearing Max’s excited statement, Liz felt an immediate sense of disappointment at realizing she’d have to spend yet another night alone.

“Liz, are you there?”

Liz paused before responding, trying to control the sound of her voice.

“Oh,” she said, dejectedly. “No, thanks. I’ll talk with you later.” She then hung up as quickly as possible, before Max could hear the crack in her voice.

Max was standing with the phone still in his hand when Isabel called out to him. “Come on, Max. Are you ready?” As she spoke, she stepped into Max’s office. “What’s wrong, Max? What did Liz want?”

“I don’t know. When I told her we were going out to celebrate, she hung up before I could get anything more out of her.
“You know what. Why don’t you guys go on ahead. I’m going home to see what’s going on. Don’t worry if I don’t show up. I’ll call you later.”

Before Isabel could repond, Max was out the door.

*****
“Hi, Maria. I’m sorry, but I’m going to have to cancel tonight. I found out when I called Max that they already had plans for the evening.” As she talked, she tried unsuccessfully to keep the sadness and disappointment out of her voice.

Maria felt so bad for her friend. She knew how desperately Liz needed their company tonight. “Liz, how about if we just bring something over? We can just eat some take-out. What’s important is that we get together; right?”

“No, Maria. All of a sudden, I don’t feel I’d be very good company right now. I wouldn’t want to rain on your parade. I’ll talk with you later,” and she hung up without giving Maria a chance to even try changing her mind.

“Liz, why didn’t you tell me you had plans tonight?”

Liz turned around at the sound of the question. “Max, how long have you been standing there?”

“Long enough to know you cancelled your plans because of me. I’m so sorry, Liz. I had no idea.
“Look, I have a thought. Why don’t you call your friends back. I’ll call Isabel and the others and have them come over too. But, of course, we’ll have them all bring some food and drinks back with them.”

“Oh, Max,” Liz said with tears of joy, “you wouldn’t mind that? It would be okay if they come over?”

“Of course, it’s okay. I don’t know why you didn’t invite them over before now. I can’t imagine how lonely you must have been feeling all this time.” 'Well, maybe I do,' he thought to himself, 'but not for the same reasons, of course.'

“Oh, Max, thanks so much,” Liz gushed as she swung her arms around Max’s neck and kissed him quickly on the lips. “I’m going to call Maria back right now,” she said as she ran back over to the phone.

Max stood there in a daze, as Liz ran off. 'What just happened?' Max asked himself. As he slowly regained his mental faculties, he could still imagine the soft lips that had touched his for much too brief a moment.

He was still reliving the moment when Liz came bounding back to him. “They’re coming over, Max. Thanks so much. This really means a lot to me,” she said, as she once again threw her arms around his neck and planted another quick kiss on his lips. But this time Max was a little more conscious of what was happening. Before he could respond to her touch, though, the phone rang.

“Oh, I better get that. It might be Maria again,” she said, although she seemed to hesitate as she stepped back from Max, seemingly perplexed at what she realized she’d just done. She’d never been so forward in her life with anyone before, she thought to herself. She couldn’t imagine what had possessed her to do it now, not only once but twice, within only a few minutes. Before she could think further, though, she realized the phone was continuing to ring, immediately distracting her from her thoughts.

“Hello,” she said breathlessly. “Oh, hi, Isabel. Yeah. Just a minute.
“Max, it’s Isabel." As she handed the phone to Max, their hands lightly overlapped for the briefest of moments. But in those brief moments, sparks flew for both of them. Again, though, before either had a chance to react, the doorbell rang this time. “I better go get that while you talk with Isabel,” she said breathlessly.

*****
“Hi, Isabel. What’s up?”

“We just wanted to know what to expect before we decided what to do for dinner.”

“Oh, Isabel, I’m glad you called. Look, what do you guys think about getting some take-out and bringing it over tonight?”

“Sure, that could work. Can you fill me in a little more, though, as to why…..”

With that, Max began explaining what had happened with Liz, at least the part about the phone calls. Somehow, her kisses of appreciation seemed a little irrelevant at that moment. Although a part of him truly hoped maybe there was more to them than that. But he’d have to think about that later. Now was not the time to dwell on it.

A few minutes later, Max got off the phone with Isabel. He stood there briefly, once again trying to gather his thoughts. Then he realized he hadn’t thought of Claudia once since he’d gotten home a half hour before. So he quietly walked to his grandmother’s room to check on her, only to see Liz quietly walking out of the room and closing the door behind her.

“How is she?” Max asked softly.

“She’s still awake. Why don’t you go see for yourself. I know she’d be thrilled to see you.”

“Oh, okay. I haven’t had much chance lately, what with the court case and all. I’ll catch up with you out front in a little while,” Max said, as Liz began to walk away.
“Wait, Liz?”

“Yeah?”

“Who was at the door?”

“Oh, it was a pizza guy, but he had the wrong house. Too bad for us, huh? I’ll talk with you later.”

“Wait.”

“Yes?” Liz said once again, as she turned to see an unreadable expression on Max’s face.

“I just want you to know how much I appreciate all your help and time. I’m so sorry I’ve been so busy. I didn’t realize how burned out you must have been feeling lately.”

“Thanks, Max. That means a lot to me. I’m going to get the front room set up for our friends. I’ll talk with you later. Okay?”

“Yeah. I’ll see you shortly.”

*****
“Hi, Grandma. How are you?”

“I’m as well as can be expected, my Dear.
"I’m really happy to see you. I feel like we haven’t talked in so long.”
“You’re right, Grandma. I’m so sorry about that. But the case we’ve been working on settled just today. We’re all getting together – that is, the four of us and Liz and her friends. We didn’t want to leave you here by yourself. So they’re all coming over here tonight to celebrate with us. I hope you don’t mind.”

“Of course, I don’t mind, Dear. I’m so happy you’re doing that." As Claudia responded to Max, she had an epiphany, and she decided to go with it. "Quite frankly, I’ve been a little worried about Liz lately. She’s been so lonely. I tried getting her to invite her friends over before now, but she wouldn’t have it. She didn’t want to impose on your hospitality.”

“She said that?” Max asked in utter shock. “I had no idea she was so unhappy.”

“Oh, she hasn’t been unhappy, Dear. She’s just needed some company. And I’m afraid I haven’t been able to fill that need, in my condition.” Claudia knew she was perhaps exaggerating the point just a little, but she was certain there was at least a measure of truth to what she was saying. So she didn’t feel too guilty about what she was telling Max. It was, after all, for their own good.

“Of course not, Grandma. No one would expect you to.” To himself he thought, 'I’m going to have to give some thought to what I can do about it, though.'

“I’m going to leave you for tonight, Grandma. Our friends should be arriving shortly. I haven’t met Liz’s friends yet, and they haven’t met us either. So I want to be an attentive host when they arrive.”

“Of course, Dear. You kids have a good time tonight. Don’t worry about me. I’m just going to get some sleep. I’ll talk with you tomorrow. Of course, I’ll expect you both to fill me in on how the evening went.”

“You got it. And, Grandma, I know I haven’t told you this much, but I just want you to know, you mean the world to me. Whether it’s this one or another one out there, doesn’t matter to me.”

“I know, Dear. I feel the same way. Now, you run along. I’m sure Liz will be needing some help before your friends get here. Good night.”

“Good night, Grandma.”

TBC-????*bounce**bounce**bounce*

[ edited 15time(s), last at 16-Jan-2003 10:15:28 PM ]
posted on 3-May-2002 12:42:36 PM by ravrac
Hi, Nana: I'm finally back. I had a lengthy bout of writer's block. Hopefully, this next piece will have helped to get the juices flowing again. Anyway, thanks for wondering where I've been. Hope you like this part.


CATEGORY: M/L, with others blended in. AU. Characters do not belong to me.
RATING: PG – PG-15
SUMMARY: The alien group are all 25 years old. They’ve known for several years, because of their special gifts, of their alien status. But only recently are pieces of the puzzle beginning to fit together. Read on and find out how.

SMELLING THE FLOWERS ALONG THE WAY

Part 8b

As Max walked to the living room, subconsciously thinking about his conversation with Claudia, he heard voices as he approached. When he got to the entryway, he saw Liz greeting her friends. In fact, Liz was even hugging a tall, lanky young man. At observing the sight, Max felt an emotion rise within him he wasn’t familiar with. He found himself almost wanting to haul off and take a swing at the young man whose arms were encircling Liz as he was giving her a peck on the lips. Although in reality, it lasted for the briefest of moments, Max couldn’t seem to rid himself of this new emotion that was invading him.

Fortunately, there was another young woman with the lanky young man who pulled him away from Liz so she herself could give Liz an all-encompassing hug. At watching this exchange between the two young women, Max immediately felt that unfamiliar emotion leave him, only to have it flare up once again as a second young man came up and hugged Liz. This young man, though he did kiss Liz, only did so for an even briefer moment than the previous young man. And Liz seemed to accept it with just as brief a response, which somehow had the effect of helping Max to maintain the calm that had befallen him after the tall, lanky young man had stopped kissing Liz.

As Liz released the second young man, she saw her friends looking to the entryway of the living room. So she also turned to see what had their attention. “Oh, Max, you’re just in time to meet my friends. I’d like you to meet Kyle, an old college chum and very dear friend; Alex, another of my best friends in the whole world since elementary school; and, of course, my best gal pal friend since forever, Maria.”

As Liz made the introductions, Max walked up to each of the friends and shook their hand. Kyle and Alex, he seemed to size up very carefully, but with Maria, he turned and gave her a big smile as he shook her hand. “I’m glad to meet you all. I was just telling Liz I was surprised you hadn’t all been over sooner than this.” Although Max was trying to sound sincere in his comment, he couldn’t help but feel he wasn’t being, especially concerning the young men before him. But no one seemed to notice anyway, or so he thought.

After Liz made the introductions, she stood back and watched as Max was greeting each of her friends. He seemed genuine enough with Maria, but there was something not quite right about the way he greeted Kyle and Alex. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but she made a mental note to herself to try to watch his interaction with them throughout the evening. She didn’t have much time to formulate any kind of detailed thoughts, though, because, as Max was becoming acquainted with her friends, the doorbell rang once again.
Not wanting to interfere with her friends becoming acquainted with Max, she responded, “I’ll get that,” and ran to the front door.

As Liz opened the door, she saw three young people enter, two quite beautiful young women and a young, ruggedly good-looking man. Each of the three took their turns in introducing themselves. “Hi. You must be Liz. I’m Isabel, Max’s sister.”

“I’m Michael, Max’s oldest friend.”

“And I’m Tess. I’m not related, but we’ve all known each other forever.”

As the second young woman introduced herself, Liz felt a knot develop in her stomach. She didn’t understand why, but this young woman made Liz feel uncomfortable. She didn’t have time to dwell on it further, though. As Tess introduced herself, the four young people who’d been in the living room came to the door.

“Ah, I see you’ve met my friends, Liz. Allow me to introduce them to your friends, if you don’t mind.”

“Please, go right ahead,” Liz responded. And with that, Max proceeded to introduce his friends/family to Liz’s friends. As Liz observed the introductions, she paid particular attention to how her friends seemed to respond to Max’s group. What she didn’t expect was that it seemed everyone was actually hitting it off. Her tall, lanky friend, Alex, was immediately enamored by Max’s sister, Isabel. The ruggedly good-looking young man, Michael, and her best friend in the whole world, Maria, also seemed to mutually hit it off.

The biggest surprise to her, though, was her old college chum, Kyle. She remembered back to her college days and how Kyle had tried hitting on her. When she’d met him, he’d been a typical jock, captain of all the football, basketball, and baseball teams throughout college, with an ego big enough to fill the state of New Mexico. Although Liz was not a student there, but was there earning credits toward her degree in the capacity of a tutor, he had tried hitting on her for ages, not fathoming it was actually possible his charms didn’t work on everyone. In fact, Liz had represented even more of a challenge to him for that reason.

Finally, after several unsuccessful attempts to impress her, he had the sense to go talk with Alex about what it would take to get Liz Parker to go out with him. It was only after talking with Alex, and Alex getting through to his male ego, that he finally accepted that impressing Liz and trying to date her were never going to happen. Once he got past that hurdle and just started talking with Liz as a person instead of as an object that existed solely for stimulating his male ego, he found that Liz opened up to him. Of course, he also found out most of the things she talked about he didn’t understand. But he’d developed a bond of friendship with her that made him realize he didn’t need to impress her for her to really genuinely like him. As time had passed, he found himself feeling more of a brother/sister bond with her and found himself wanting to protect her from others who would have mistaken notions of trying to make her their “boy toys.”

Now, though, as Liz observed her dear friend Kyle interacting with Tess, the young woman Liz had been feeling uneasy with, she sensed that uneasiness dissolve. As beautiful as Tess was, gone was the macho, egotistical young man Liz had met all those years ago. Whether he or Liz realized it or not, their having hung around together had over time produced a change in Kyle. Instead of only thinking of women as objects for his own personal gratification, he’d come to actually respect them and enjoy them as people who had thoughts and feelings. As Liz continued to watch Kyle and Tess, she saw the way in which Kyle treated this young, beautiful woman with dignity. She also sensed in Kyle, though, that he definitely was planning to become better acquainted with her, not in a macho way, but as a friend with whom there might be future opportunities for closeness.

As she continued watching the interchange, she saw movement with her peripheral vision and realized Max was walking toward her. Before she had time to think, he softly whispered in her ear “Well, it looks like everyone’s hitting off, wouldn’t you say?”

Liz silently nodded her head in agreement, wistfully wishing she could share her thoughts as freely with someone as her friends seemed to be doing. Not wanting to get all emotional, she excused herself to the kitchen. After all, her friends and Max’s had just brought a bunch of stuff in for dinner that needed either refrigerating or to be heated up. What better way to distract her emotional thoughts than to keep busy.

As Max watched Liz silently walk to the kitchen, he couldn’t help but sense the emotion of sadness from her as she passed him. Seeing that the other six young people were sufficiently engulfed in conversation not to miss his exit, he followed Liz into the kitchen. After all, he had told his grandmother he wanted to be a good host to everyone. He couldn’t very well do that if he let Liz do all the work without him.

Getting the distinct impression Liz wasn’t planning to say anything, Max decided to attempt getting the ball rolling. “Well, it looks like everyone’s hitting it off out there. They all act as if they’ve known each other forever.” Even as Max said the words, he almost got choked up on them himself. He realized he actually felt somewhat jealous that the six in the other room seemed so at ease with one another, each seeming to be genuinely enjoying the company of the new people in their lives. It occurred to Max, except for his sister and Michael and Tess, he himself had never had the pleasure of experiencing a relationship like that with anyone. Dwelling on that point, Max seemed to space out.
Concerned with Max’s sudden silence, Liz walked up to Max, asking him if he was okay. When he didn’t respond to her words, she gently put her hand to his cheek, tapping it lightly. “Max, are you okay?” she said a second time.

Although Max had heard the words, they didn’t seem to register until he felt a small, gentle hand caress his cheek. Without even realizing it, he grabbed the hand at his cheek and just stood there, holding onto it, breathing a contented sigh.

As Liz stood there with Max holding her hand to his cheek, she felt her breath coming in shallow, halting spurts. She wanted nothing more than to kiss those lips she’d kissed momentarily earlier in the evening. Before she had time to even think or move, though, she heard someone clear their throat at the entry to the kitchen.

“Excuse me, guys, but we’re really getting hungry.” Liz immediately felt her face flush at the sound of the voice. Even Max, who had totally spaced out, daydreaming as he stood there, suddenly became embarrassingly aware of the scene the young woman Maria had happened upon.

“Of course. We’ll be right there. I was just seeing if Max was okay. He…..”

“Hey, you don’t owe me any explanation. We just want some food out here. None of us have eaten in hours,” Maria interrupted. “Here, let me help you guys.”

“No, Maria. We’ve got it covered. We’ll be right out,” Liz responded.

“Okay. If you say so,” Mary said, and walked back to the living room.

“I am so sorry, Liz. I don’t know what happened. I guess maybe I’m just more tired than I realized, after working on that court case. I just kind of spaced out for a minute.”

“Are you sure? Is there anything I can get you? An aspirin or something?” Liz asked worriedly.

“No, really. I’m fine,” Max responded. To himself, though, he said, ‘I know what would really make me feel better, having you in my arms and kissing you senseless.’ In the next instant, though, he was berating himself. ‘What is wrong with you? The woman kisses you a couple times out of gratitude, and you’re blowing the meaning all out of proportion. Get a grip already!’ As he finished chewing himself out, he got some of the food out, heated it, and then headed for the living room, hoping that creating some space between him and Liz would help him clear his thoughts.

Liz stood and watched as Max suddenly got things on a tray and headed out of the kitchen. She couldn’t help but feel a sense of disappointment at his immediate departure from the room. ‘What? You were expecting him to sweep you off your feet and plant a sensual, leisurely kiss on you? Like that’s going to happen, with a house full of people? Or, for that matter, at all? Who are you kidding? Pull yourself together and get over it. Max isn’t thinking of you that way. Besides, there are other things you need to concentrate on right now, like visiting your friends you were so eager to see so desperately earlier today!’ With those thoughts in mind, Liz pulled herself out of her pity-party and got more things to take to the others in the living room.

The rest of the evening went really well. Although Max’s friends and Liz’s friends enjoyed meeting, they hadn’t forgotten they wanted to spend time with their respective friends as well. Liz was finally able to spend some time with her friends while Max and his friends caught up on their celebration at concluding the case they’d discussed earlier in the day. Periodically, when there was a lull in the conversation Liz was listening to, she’d subtly glance out past her friends, seeing how Max was doing with his friends. Each time she did so, she was embarrassed to see that Max was doing the same thing, glancing around past his friends and looking at her. As they’d catch each other’s glances, they’d both shyly smile at one another only very briefly before trying to look like they were only casually looking around the room.
***

“Well, guys, I don’t know about you, but I’m really tuckered. This has been a really long day, and I need to get home before I fall asleep standing up,” Maria said in her typical dramatic way.

“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” Michael said. “It’s been a long day for all of us, though totally enjoyable, I must admit. But we really should be going.” As he concluded his comment, he looked around the room. “Wow, I didn’t realize we’d made such a mess. If you like, I’ll stay and help tidy up,” he offered.

“Don’t worry about it, Michael. We’ll take care of it. You guys just get home safely. I’ll see you at the office Monday,” Max said, in his usual authoritative voice. Of course, Michael suspected Max had other reasons for being only too willing to tidy up without any help, but he was too tired to dwell on it for now. He’d think about that when he was more wide awake. “Okay, then. I’ll see you Monday.

“Maria, if you like, I’d be happy to give you a ride home.”

“Oh, that’d be great, Michael. It will save Kyle the hassle of giving me a ride.”

Each of the friends said their good night’s in succession, until finally Isabel had left, with Alex being only too willing to escort her to her door.

TBC

*bounce**bounce*

[ edited 1 time(s), last at 4-May-2002 11:40:19 AM ]
posted on 4-May-2002 11:38:20 AM by ravrac
For those who've read this last part, I'm glad you enjoyed it enough to give me some feedback. To reward your kind words, I'm posting another part I've been able to develop, before I get another case of writer's block. Hope you enjoy.

CATEGORY: M/L, with others blended in. AU. Characters do not belong to me.
RATING: PG – PG-15
SUMMARY: The alien group are all 25 years old. They’ve known for several years, because of their special gifts, of their alien status. But only recently are pieces of the puzzle beginning to fit together. Read on and find out how.

SMELLING THE FLOWERS ALONG THE WAY


Part 8c

After Max said good night to his sister and stood at the door until he saw her drive off in Alex’s car, he returned to the kitchen to help Liz tidy it up. Of course, he knew he could make really quick work of it, but then he’d have to use his powers in front of Liz. He decided for obvious reasons not to go that route. But he also had a selfish reason in mind. If they cleaned up the old-fashioned way, it would take longer, which meant, of course, having more time to talk with Liz and get better acquainted with her. He realized she’d already been in his home for almost a month, and he hadn’t really had the time to do that. And for some reason he couldn’t explain he felt a pull of familiarity toward her. So he headed to the kitchen with purpose.

“Well, that was really a successful gathering tonight, don’t you think?” Max stated to Liz as he went to fill the sink to do the dishes.

“Yeah, it was. Thanks again, Max, for your hospitality toward my friends. I really needed to see them tonight. It really meant a lot to me,” she said as she put the water on to boil for some tea.

“It was my pleasure, Liz. I think my sister and our friends enjoyed it just as much. It seemed both our groups of friends hit it off really well. In fact, even though my sister didn’t say anything, I know she was really flattered by the attention your friend Alex was giving her. She usually shies away from people she doesn’t know, men in particular. But it seemed as if Alex saw her in a different light from most men who initially meet her. She’s used to guys hitting on her and trying to treat her like a piece of meat.”

“Yeah, Alex always has been a really sweet guy. Don’t get me wrong. He enjoys seeing a beautiful woman just as much as the next guy. But he seems to inherently know there’s so much more to a person than just the beauty on the surface. He’s a genuine person who sincerely sees people for who they are and not what they look like.” After pausing momentarily, she continued, “I guess that’s why I’ve always appreciated his friendship. He really has a knack for seeing the ‘real’ person and accepting them anyway, foibles and all,” she said wistfully.

As she spoke, Max thought he detected a note of sadness and yearning in her voice. “You talk as if you’ve had your share of people only knowing you on the surface.”

Liz realized she’d made her previous statement almost as if she was thinking out loud to herself. So she wasn’t prepared to have a conversation on the subject when Max made his comment. Catching herself before she said more than she intended, she responded, “I’m sure we’ve all had our experiences of people only seeing what they want to see and not really bothering to look past their expectations.”

Max was intrigued by her response, but he also had the feeling she didn’t plan to expound on it. So he chose to just acknowledge it and move on. “Yeah, you’re probably right about that.
“Well, shall we tackle getting these dishes done?”

“Actually, I was just going to leave everything for the night and start fresh in the morning. I’m just planning to have a cup of tea and then head to bed for now.”

Max was disappointed but could see she really looked pretty tired from all the excitement of the evening. Then he had an epiphany. “Why don’t you go get comfortable in the living room. The water’s almost ready. I’ll bring a cup in for you shortly. You really exerted yourself tonight, not just for your friends, but for me and my friends as well. You deserve at least a little hospitality yourself.”

“Max, you don’t have to” –

“I know I don’t. But I want to do this. So just go in there and get comfortable. I’ll bring it in to you. By the way, what do you take in it?”

“Actually, I just like it with a little cream.”

“Okay. Your order will be up shortly. Now get in there and relax a little.”

“Okay. If you insist.”

“I most certainly do.”

So Liz did what she was told and went and got comfortable on the sofa. The room was slightly chilly. So she took the throw blanket lying across the sofa and covered herself with it. She could hear Max getting the tea ready to bring it in. but he didn’t come in immediately. As she sat there cozily wrapped in the throw, her mind drifted back over the evening to the two times when she’d kissed Max. She still didn’t know what had possessed her, but she felt a warm, cozy feeling just thinking about it. Without even realizing it, she drifted off to sleep, with thoughts of those kisses being the last thing on her mind.

As Max was getting the tea ready, he tried to think of what else he could take in with it. Glancing around the kitchen, he saw some cookies that were still left over from the evening. So he decided to put some on a plate. But he also wanted to personalize the tray. So he discreetly took some silk flowers that had been sitting on the table and rearranged their molecular structure into one beautiful white rose, and then he placed it delicately into a bud vase and set it on the tray before taking everything to Liz.

“Okay. Here’s your order, Miss….” Before he even finished his sentence, he was able to see that Liz had fallen asleep. He was really disappointed because he had hoped to be able to just sit and talk and get better acquainted with her. But he could see that wasn’t going to happen tonight. He kicked himself for taking so long trying to get things ‘just so.’

He sat there for a few minutes, trying to decide if he should just let her stay there on the couch or take her up to her room. The more he thought about it, he decided the ‘kind’ thing would be to take her upstairs. So he gathered Liz together in his arms, sofa throw and all, and carefully took her upstairs to her room. Once there, he gently laid her down, head first.

Once he’d laid her there, he sat there looking at her beautiful face. She looked so peaceful. As he continued sitting there, he remembered back to the two times in the evening when Liz had quickly kissed him. He also remembered he hadn’t been quick enough to respond to her actions, which he was still kicking himself for. He still couldn’t understand why he felt such a pull toward her. But he was sure of one thing. He wanted to pay her back for the kisses he’d received earlier. Of course, he realized she was sleeping and probably wouldn’t remember anyway (and maybe that was a good thing), but he decided to go for it. So he gently bent over her sleeping form and took his time kissing those beautiful soft lips.

As he slowly and regretfully raised himself from her lips, Liz let out a soft moan and said, “Good night, Max,” and turned on her side.

Stunned that perhaps he’d awakened her, he waited to see if she’d say anything else. When she still didn’t move after several seconds, he decided he better leave before she really did awaken and possibly get very upset with him for what he had done. So he as quietly as possible walked to the door and, as he closed it, he turned to Liz and softly whispered, “Good night, Liz.”

TBC

*bounce**bounce**bounce*
posted on 6-May-2002 11:21:18 AM by ravrac
Hi, Guys: Well, the juices are still flowing. So I've got to "make hey while the sun shines." Hope you enjoy.

CATEGORY: M/L, with others blended in. AU. Characters do not belong to me.
RATING: PG – PG-15
SUMMARY: The alien group are all 25 years old. They’ve known for several years, because of their special gifts, of their alien status. But only recently are pieces of the puzzle beginning to fit together. Read on and find out how.

SMELLING THE FLOWERS ALONG THE WAY


Part 9

Except for dreaming about having received the most amazing kiss, from Max of all people, Liz had been sleeping peacefully for most of the night. But then, without warning, during her sleep, she began seeing images of a strange land and strange people. She’d read many books and seen pictures of countries around the world, but the images in her dream didn’t match anything she’d ever seen or read about. When she saw people speaking in her dream, she realized they weren’t even speaking a language she’d ever heard or become familiar with while developing her natural knack for languages in the special schools she’d attended. But for some reason, the language seemed strangely familiar. She seemed to be able to understand what they were saying, even though the language wasn’t familiar to her. She realized she must be reading their thoughts.

Strangely, though nothing in her dream seemed familiar to her, it hadn’t frightened her. It was the last scene that caused her to awaken with a blood-curdling scream.
***
After Max had left Liz sleeping peacefully in her room, he still couldn’t sleep. So he had gone downstairs and decided to make quick work of the kitchen using his powers. After all, he certainly wasn’t worried about Liz catching him in the act. It didn’t take him long to finish. He didn’t understand why, but once that was done, all he could think of was getting to his bed before he fell asleep standing up.

He immediately got to his room, undressed, got into bed, and fell asleep almost before his head hit the pillow. If he hadn’t known better, he would have sworn he’d been drugged. Whatever was the cause, he was not complaining. He hadn’t really had a good night of sleep since he’d started the court case that had just concluded. If anyone would have asked him, he would have said he was sure it was the fact that the case had settled that had contributed to him getting the best night of sleep he’d had in a very long time.

Max slept peacefully for the rest of the night, the only thing interrupting the deep sleep being a very pleasant dream he was having about contentedly kissing Liz and leisurely holding her in his arms.
***

Max probably would have continued sleeping for another hour or so if not for the blood-curdling scream he heard coming from Liz’s room. Immediately, upon awakening and hearing her scream, he ran to her room to see what was wrong.

Max threw Liz’s door open and ran in. He found her sitting up in bed, rocking back and forth, holding herself, crying profusely. Without concern for propriety, he ran to her bed and engulfed her in his arms, holding her tenderly and whispering, “Shh. It’s okay. I’m here. You’re safe.” He said nothing more, but just continued sitting there, holding and comforting her for several minutes as she continued sobbing.

After holding Liz and rocking her for several minutes, she gradually calmed down and just relaxed in the comfort of Max’s embrace, her head resting on his shoulder. He was still holding her when they both heard Claudia call for Liz. “Liz, dear, are you all right?” Claudia too had heard Liz’s scream, but she was feeling too weak to get up and go to her.
Though she felt bad that she was not able to run to Liz’s side, she didn’t feel too bad about not checking on her because she also immediately heard Max run in to her. She decided to wait for a few minutes to see what would happen, or at least until her curiosity got the better of her.

Not hearing anything immediately, she again called out, “Liz, are you all right?”

Not wanting to alarm Claudia, Liz called out from the comfort of Max’s arms, “Yes, Aunt Claudia, I’m fine. I just had a bad dream. Max came in to check on me,” she said as she looked shyly into Max’s eyes.

“Okay, Dear. As long as you’re all right.”

“I’m fine,” Liz called once again.
After responding to Claudia, Liz quietly spoke to Max. “Thanks for checking on me, Max. I’m sorry if I woke you. I don’t know what happened. I don’t remember ever having a nightmare that bad before.”

“You’ve had some before?”

“Well, only in bits and pieces, but never anything lasting long enough for me to feel the full impact of the fear I felt this time.”

After a moment of contemplation, Max spoke. “That does it. You need to get away for the day. Get dressed, and I’ll meet you downstairs.”

“Wait a minute. What are you talking about? I’m fine, Max. It was just a bad dream. I’ll be fine.”

“Nonsense. I won’t take no for an answer. I’m taking you out for a day of rest and relaxation.”

“But…”

“No but’s. Get dressed and be downstairs in 10 minutes.”

“What about Aunt Claudia? Shouldn’t we stay here to keep an eye on her, in case she needs something?”

“I’m going to talk with her right now. Don’t worry. We won’t be too far away. I’m going to make sure she has everything she needs and has the phone nearby. I’ll make sure she has my cell phone number handy, in case she needs us. Now go.”

“But I can’t get properly dressed in 10 minutes,” Liz protested.

“Nonsense. You’ll look fine no matter what you wear,” Max said. He flushed a little as he looked at Liz, realizing what he’d just said. So to add a little levity to the moment, he continued, “Don’t worry. I won’t take you to my office, where everyone would be dressed in formal business suits. I have something more casual in mind. Now, go,” he once again said, this time with authority.

“Yes, sir,” she responded, and jumped out of bed and ran to her bathroom. “I’m going to take a quick shower first, though,” she said over her shoulder as she was leaving.

Max stood near her bed as she headed to her bathroom. Liz had forgotten she was only wearing a very thin nightgown, with nothing on underneath but her panties. So as Max watched her leave, he again felt his face flush, this time realizing the state of undress Liz was in. “You know, that’s a good idea. I think I’ll do that too, as soon as I talk with Grandma,” he said as he left her room.
***
“Grandma,” Max said as he entered her room, “how are you feeling right now?”

“I’m actually feeling fairly decent today, although I’m just feeling a little tired.”

“Would you mind if Liz and I left you alone for a while today?”

“Is Liz okay?” Claudia asked worriedly, not knowing what had awakened her in such a terrified state.

“She’s fine. She just had a nightmare. You know, after seeing how much she enjoyed visitors last night, and realizing she hasn’t really been out for a relaxing day since she’s been here, I’ve decided to make it my mission today to make sure she gets as much relaxation as she can get.” Of course, Max also had in mind hoping to get better acquainted with her, but he wasn’t sure he wanted to share that bit of personal intention with Claudia right now. He was sure she’d be happy enough to know Liz was going to have a chance to relax for a while.

“Max, that’s a wonderful idea. I agree wholeheartedly with you that she needs a break. You’re absolutely right. I think it will do wonders for her. I’ve been worried about her being here by herself, especially when I haven’t felt strong enough to make sure she got out myself. Besides, it will give you two a chance to get better acquainted.” As she made her last comment, she looked knowingly at Max and noticed he began to flush as she finished it.

“Don’t look at me that way, Grandma.”

Claudia didn’t respond, but only continued sitting in her bed, continuing her knowing smile Max.

“What?”

“Nothing. I was just thinking, my dear. As long as I’ve known you, I can’t remember ever seeing you flush before at the mention of getting better acquainted with someone. And now that I think if it, I can’t ever remember a time when you’ve ever had a serious attachment to any young women. I can’t help but wonder that maybe Liz is going to change all that.”

“Grandma, I barely know her,” Max responded indignantly. “Where did you ever get such a crazy notion?” But even as he spoke, he knew there was a lot more truth to her words than he was willing to admit. Trying to change the subject -- although not very successfully, he observed, as she continued smiling at him – “Look, I’m going to bring the phone for you to have, just in case you need to get ahold of me. I’ll also leave you my cell phone number. If you need anything at all, don’t hesitate to call me. Now, I’m going to get ready,” he said as he bent down to give her a peck on the cheek. “Try to behave yourself while we’re gone, will you,” he said teasingly, and then went off to take that shower he now needed more than ever.

Although Claudia still was feeling weak, as she had honestly told Max, she couldn’t help but be extremely pleased that Max was finally seeming to show an interest in knowing Liz.

She couldn’t help but wonder what could have caused Liz to have a nightmare. But she remembered from the information the alien had given her before he died that such a dream would be an indicator that it would soon be time for Claudia to reveal all the information the alien had provided.

She wasn’t sure if she’d know the right moment, but at this point, she decided to wait and see what transpired between Max and Liz over the next couple of days. For now, she was just content to have seen the flush on Max’s face. She’d known for many years how lonely Max had felt for a soulmate. Even having the companionship of the other three aliens had not been enough to fill that yearning. But seeing his flush and the glint in his eyes, she couldn’t help but hope that that was now going to change. For now, she’d just settle back in her bed and watch some TV and possibly take a nap.

TBC

*bounce**bounce**bounce*

[ edited 1 time(s), last at 6-May-2002 11:21:59 AM ]
posted on 8-May-2002 3:09:30 AM by ravrac
Hi, Guys:

I know this is a little short, but there are other parts to this chapter. Hope you enjoy.

CATEGORY: M/L, with others blended in. AU. Characters do not belong to me.
RATING: PG – PG-15
SUMMARY: The alien group are all 25 years old. They’ve known for several years, because of their special gifts, of their alien status. But only recently are pieces of the puzzle beginning to fit together. Read on and find out how.

SMELLING THE FLOWERS ALONG THE WAY

Part 10a

Before Liz had a chance to open the door to Max’s Jeep, he had reached the door and opened it for her. “Your carriage awaits, My Lady,” he said dramatically.

“What’s gotten into you, Max? I’ve known you for almost a month, and until now you’ve barely acknowledged my existence. And now – not that I’m complaining, mind you – you act as if you can’t do enough. Why all of a sudden all this personal attention?”

Although at first Max had planned to respond with levity, part of him felt embarrassment at her words because he knew she was accurate in her observation. So he chose to give a heart-felt response instead. “The truth is, Liz, you’re absolutely right. I didn’t acknowledge your existence. After you moved in to help with Grandma, I guess I just took your presence for granted. I had every intention of trying to find out more details about you and your relationship with my grandma, especially since I’d never heard one word about you from her until she got sick. But the court case I was just beginning when you came ended up consuming all my time. So I was completely distracted with the details of that.
“And while I’m on the subject of ‘true confessions,’ while we had a chance to socialize with our friends last night, I had a chance to see you in a different light than I have in the last month. I hope I’m not being too forward by saying this, but it stimulated my desire to get to know you even more.”

Max paused after his last comment, waiting to see if Liz would say anything in response. All the while that he’d been speaking, he never once glanced in her direction, fearing he would not be able to express his thoughts verbally without fully revealing the yearnings of his heart. But when she still did not respond, he hazarded a sidelong glance in her direction. He was pleased to see that her face was flushed. To him it was an indicator that perhaps the feeling was mutual. But not wanting to be a completely open book and not wanting to scare her into clamming up, he decided to abbreviate his further thoughts by concluding them with – “I hope that’s okay with you.”

The entire time Max had been speaking, Liz remained silent. Her initial comments were meant as a way of breaking the ice, with her aim being to hopefully get him to open up more about himself. She still didn’t understand why, but she felt such an emotional pull toward him. She still hadn’t forgotten how she had felt the previous night when he’d grabbed her hand as she was tapping his cheek. She had been captivated by his touch. She was certain, if Maria had not walked in, she would have lost her composure and gone with the emotions she’d felt in that moment, those of desire and yearning. She was certain she would have kissed Max with more passion than she’d ever even imagined she had within her.

Max had paused, fearing Liz’s silence was because she was searching for a way of letting him down easy. So when she finally did respond, he was completely caught off guard.

Not wanting to reveal the extent of her desire by agreeing with him, she chose to lighten the moment by saying, “I’d like that too, Max. Maybe I’ll finally understand why Aunt Claudia has always thought of you as her ‘favorite grandson,’” she said with a smirk as she looked at him.

As Liz looked at Max and responded, she could tell by the grin on his face that she’d succeeded. She didn’t know what the day’s outcome would be, but she was already beginning to enjoy being able to tease this young man who for the last four weeks she had regarded as being unapproachable.

TBC

What do you think?

*bounce**bounce*

[ edited 1 time(s), last at 8-May-2002 3:10:27 AM ]
posted on 9-May-2002 2:08:35 AM by ravrac
Another short part, but at least the juices are still flowing, even only as a trickle.


CATEGORY: M/L, with others blended in. AU. Characters do not belong to me.
RATING: PG – PG-15
SUMMARY: The alien group are all 25 years old. They’ve known for several years, because of their special gifts, of their alien status. But only recently are pieces of the puzzle beginning to fit together. Read on and find out how.

SMELLING THE FLOWERS ALONG THE WAY


Part 10b

Max had only driven a very short distance from his home before telling Liz he needed to stop at a nearby deli. Not bothering to give an explanation, he hopped out and told her he’d be back in just a couple of minutes.

Liz didn’t have a clue what he was up to, but he obviously had something specific in mind because he hadn’t even bothered to ask her if she wanted anything as he left, his only message being that he’d be back shortly.

As Liz sat in the jeep awaiting his return, she thought momentarily of how she had awakened that morning and then was suddenly reminded of the nightmare that had frightened her so much that she’d screamed out. Of course, she was also reminded it was her scream that had brought Max running in to see if she was all right. Because she had been in such an emotional state at that moment, she hadn’t had the presence of mind to pay attention to what Max was wearing when he had come running in.

Now, as she had time to recall seeing him as he entered, she felt her face flush at the memory. She was now recalling in vivid detail the fact that all he’d been wearing was the bottoms of a pair of pajamas, but he had not been wearing any kind of shirt. That memory made her flush even more. Now, as she contemplated that point, she realized for the first time what a well-built young man he was. She could tell from the well-defined muscles in his arms and chest that he obviously spent time trying to stay in shape.
***

Liz was still in deep thought when Max returned a few minutes later. In fact, when he approached the Jeep, Liz didn’t even notice his presence. He could tell by the look on her face that she was obviously deep in thought. So, not wanting to startle her, he discreetly cleared his throat and then spoke. “Okay. Shall we get this day in gear?”

“Oh, you’re back. I didn’t even hear you walk up.”

“Yeah, I could see that. I didn’t want to scare you. You looked like you were deep in thought, though.”

Realizing what she’d been thinking when he approached, she felt herself again flush slightly. Trying to give a reason for the flush she was sure Max had seen, she explained, “Oh, yeah, I was just thinking I must have looked a mess this morning when you came into my room, what with the nightmare I’d had and all.” Of course, she’d said that, not expecting to get any kind of response from Max, only in the hopes that he wouldn’t be able to tell what she’d really been thinking about. So when Max did respond, she felt her face flush even more, especially because of the response he gave.

Max was trying to get the things that he’d gotten at the deli organized. So his response to Liz’s comment was more of a reflex than because he’d really taken the time to analyze what he was going to say. If he had taken the time to analyze his potential response, he realized later, he would have been a lot more discreet. Instead, he said, “I thought you looked amazingly beautiful, considering you were awakening from a nightmare.” He knew as soon as the words left his mouth, he was going to feel embarrassment. Of course, the embarrassment wasn’t because he felt he’d lied but because he couldn’t believe he was so openly acknowledging his admiration for her looks. Since he felt he’d already put his foot in his mouth, he wasn’t going to be able to dig himself out of the hole by trying to make excuses for his statement. So he just decided to change the subject and explain what he had in mind for them for the day.

“Okay. I think I have everything we need for the day.”

Considering that Max didn’t seem to realize what he’d just said to Liz, she decided to just go along with his train of thought, although a part of her desperately wanted to know if there had been any hidden meaning behind his comment about her being “amazingly beautiful.” Did he mean he really thought she was beautiful, or that she looked beautiful for an ugly person? ‘Oh, well,’ she thought to herself, ‘don’t try to make anything more out of it than there is. After all, you’re only here because you’re helping out Aunt Claudia. Keep reminding yourself of that. Otherwise, you’re going to make yourself miserable wishing for something that’s never going to happen.’

Realizing Max was sitting in the Jeep, waiting for her to respond, she said, “So, what are the plans you have for us today?”

“You’ll see. I have a place in mind that’s not too far from here. I usually only go there to be by myself and just try to forget the cares of the day. But since you haven’t really had a chance to explore the area since you’ve been here, I’ve decided to make an exception this once and let you in on my little secret. That way, if you need to get away in the future, even if only briefly, you’ll have a place in mind that might help you unwind as well.” That said, Max put the Jeep in gear and drove for a few minutes until he got to his destination.

tbc


*tongue**tongue*

[ edited 1 time(s), last at 9-May-2002 2:08:54 AM ]
posted on 14-May-2002 11:01:18 AM by ravrac
Thanks so much for your encouraging post, Nikki. I was beginning to think maybe I'd somehow mis-posted the last couple chapters, since I had only heard from one or two people, who amazingly got what I had posted. I had no idea how stimulating and encouraging "reply" posts can be, or how discouraging a lack of them can be. Thanks for nudging me to post this part. Hope you like it.

CATEGORY: M/L, with others blended in. AU. Characters do not belong to me.
RATING: PG – PG-15
SUMMARY: The alien group are all 25 years old. They’ve known for several years, because of their special gifts, of their alien status. But only recently are pieces of the puzzle beginning to fit together. Read on and find out how.

SMELLING THE FLOWERS ALONG THE WAY

Part 10c

“Okay. This is it. Let’s get everything out of the Jeep so we don’t have to make any unnecessary trips. That way, we can sit and relax immediately.”

As Liz was getting out of the Jeep, she glanced around. It didn’t look like much. All she saw was the parking lot and, not too far away, what looked like some kind of hiking path. ‘Oh, no,’ she thought to herself. ‘I sure do hope we’re not going to do a lot of walking.’ But she kept her thoughts to herself, not wanting to sound ungrateful for Max’s efforts.

Almost as though he could read her thoughts, Max spoke. “I know this doesn’t look like much. But what I have in mind isn’t too far of a walk from here. I’m confident you’ll be pleased. You’ll see. Just follow me,” he said as he gathered the goods he’d gotten from the deli.

Still not convinced, Liz reluctantly gathered a blanket, her bottle of water, and a pillow that Max had stashed in the back seat of the Jeep. ‘Well, if I’m going to relax, I might as well try and have some form of comfort,’ she thought to herself.

Liz had prepared herself for what she expected to be a much longer walk than Max had led her to believe. But just as she was trying to pace herself for it, Max abruptly said, “Well, this is it,” as he set everything down on the ground. She’d been concentrating on her breathing and her steps. So she hadn’t really been paying attention to where they were going. When he did speak, she’d been following so closely that she hadn’t been able to see past Max. After he set everything down, he stepped to the side to show Liz his ‘special place.'

All Liz could do at the sight before her was gasp in awe. She was so overcome by the view it took several seconds before she spoke. “Oh, Max. This is beautiful,” she said, as she continued to look at the view before her. She was so entranced she just set everything in her hands down on the ground and sat on top of the blank and continued staring.

Max was pleased to see she had such an appreciation for his secret place. It reassured him to see her response, making him feel he’d done the right thing in showing it to her. He sat down next to her, not only wanting to enjoy the sight of the place, but also wanting to enjoy it with someone else, especially with this young woman who had slowly, over the last few weeks, been ever so gradually working her way into his heart.

After Liz had been sitting there for several minutes, she finally spoke. “Max, these waterfalls are so beautiful. But it surprises me that they’re so close to the entry of the hiking path. I have to admit, I really was preparing myself for a very long, dusty hike that was going to last for several hours. And that was something I really was not looking forward to. I’m sorry I doubted you,” she said, as she finally glanced ever so slightly toward Max. She wasn’t quite ready to give him her full attention because she was still so entranced by the waterfalls.

Max could see her attention was still drawn to the falls, but having been there so many times before himself, he was ready to start organizing the activities he had so quickly planned for the day. “There’s plenty of time to enjoy them, Liz. We have the rest of the day. Why don’t we get ourselves settled so we can enjoy them properly.”

Liz was not ready to distract herself from the falls. So she grudgingly turned around to help Max, only because she wanted to finish as quickly as possible so she could return to her spot and become mesmerized once again by them.

Having been there before, Max had already picked out his favorite spot, certain, after see