posted on 7-Nov-2001 3:22:27 AM by Ashlinna
TITLE: WHAT WOULD YOU DO
AUTHOR: Ashlinna
DISCLAIMER: I, unfortunately, have nothing to do with the production of the show otherwise it would have gone a lot differently.
CATEGORY: Max and Liz with a bit of everyone
SUMMARY: AU
AUTHOR'S NOTES: This is based on the song WHAT WOULD YOU DO by City High. I wasn't sure whether to post this, especially after I heard about another fic based on the same song but I have had the first five parts written for a while and didn't want it to all be for nothing. Oh and if you happen to be reading this THANK YOU =) This part isn't that long but they do get longer, I just wanted to make sure anyone actually wanted to read this first!

"WHAT WOULD YOU DO" by CITY HIGH!

Boys and girls want to hear a true story?
Saturday night was at this real wild party
They had the liquor overflowing the cup
About five, six strippers trying to work for a buck
And I took one girl outside with me
Her name was Loni, she went to junior high with me
I said why you up in there dancing for cash?
I guess a whole lot's changed since I seen you last
She said...

Chorus -
WHAT WOULD YOU DO if your son was at home
Crying all alone on the bedroom floor
Cause he's hungry
And the only way to feed him is to
Sleep with a man for a little bit of money
And his daddy's gone
Somewhere smoking rock now
In and out of lock down
I ain't got a job now
So for you this is just a good time
But for me this is what I call life, mmm

Girl you ain't the only one with a baby
That's no excuse to be living all crazy
Then she looked me right square in the eye
And said, "Everyday I wake up hoping to die."
She said, n**** I know about pain cause
Me and my sister ran away so my daddy couldn't rape us
Before I was a teenager
I done been through more s*** you can't even relate to

Repeat Chorus
Oh then she said
(WHAT WOULD YOU DO?)
Get up on my feet and let go of every excuse
(WHAT WOULD YOU DO?)
Cause I wouldn't want my baby to go through what I went through
(WHAT WOULD YOU DO?)
Get up on my feet and stop making up tired excuses
(WHAT WOULD YOU DO?)
Girl I know if my mother could do it, baby you can do it
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

Repeat Chorus (3x)


PART 1!
Liz took a deep breath while she waited. It was Courtney’s turn at the minute but soon Liz would have to go out there and join her. She always hated the last moments before she went on stage, she started dreading the inevitable and feeling ashamed of herself. But she didn’t have a choice; she had to think of Eli. ‘You’re doing it for him Liz, remember that.’ Those words always seemed to remind Liz of her purpose and give her courage. She found herself saying them quite a lot these days, and Tess always told her the same thing too. It was worse tonight though. Tonight would be the first time she’d actually sleep with a man for money. Liz had no idea how she had got to this place in her life but she would do this for Eli, she loved him so much.
“Liz, you’re up girl!”
Here goes then, Happy Birthday to me!


Max Evans looked around him and wondered how this had happened. Sure it was Alex’s buck’s night and him and Izzy were getting married on Saturday but still…how had he actually let Michael drag him here. He didn’t want to get drunk and watch women sell their bodies for money. Max couldn’t understand why anyone would want to though he figured they thought they had no choice. He knew better, there had to be a better way to solve things.
“This chic’s good, isn’t she Max?”
“Michael, I though Maria told you, you weren’t allowed to actually look at any of the girls here tonight.”
“Max, lighten up. What she doesn’t know won’t hurt her!”
“And you honestly think she won’t find out?”
“I think she’ll have more of a chance of not finding out if you don’t tell her, is what I think”
“All I’m saying is….”
“SHHH Max, the next girls on!”
Max turned his eyes away from Michael and to the stage. He was getting nowhere with Michael so it was either see who the new girl was or die of boredom. When he focused on the young women on stage his eyes nearly popped out of his head, ‘SHIT…that’s…’
“Oh my god Max, isn’t that…”
“LIZ PARKER!”
Max couldn’t believe his eyes. After all these years he had finally found her, seen her again…and she was stripping. Max thought back to the sign he had seen when he had walked in, presumably put there by the company the strippers were from…all of them could be had for the night at a price.
What had happened to the sweet girl he used to know??


PART 2!
Liz looked out at the crowd and nearly fell off the stage when she met his eyes. His deep golden brown eyes. Max’s eyes. What was he doing here? He wasn’t meant to be here. What was she going to do?
She was going to keep on stripping was what she was going to do; the show must go on and she couldn’t afford not to get paid. Still it was hard with him watching her every move, his eyes never seeming to stray off her for even a second. It was like she was the center of his universe and it was making her nervous. And then his stare was gone, she risked a glance over and saw him talking rapidly to the guy next to him. Liz thought he looked kind of familiar. Then recognition hit her. It was Michael, Max’s best friend and her old friend Maria’s favorite sparring partner. Michael had never seemed to be far behind Max when they were at school in Roswell and it seemed like nothing had changed now. She wondered if he and Maria had finally got together? She remembered her and Max always joking with each other about how long it would take for them to wake up to what they really felt for each other. Those days were so long ago, back when she felt safe, back when things were good. There was no point in dwelling on them now though, because after seeing her tonight, what she did nowadays, she doubted Max would ever want to speak to her again.


Max waited impatiently for the last dancer to finish, then the “bidding” started so to speak. He had had no experience with these type of things but Michael had clued him in. The girls were free to choose who they wanted to spend the night with but they were encouraged to go with the guy who was willing to pay the most for them. Would Liz be like that, he hoped not otherwise he didn’t think he could afford her. Not that he wanted to do anything with her, he wanted to find out what the hell was going on with her, how she had come to be a…what she was.


“So Liz, you nervous?”
Liz was barely listening to Courtney as she asked her question. What was she going to do? Max and Michael were out there and if they were out there, who knew who else was and now she was going to go out there and sell herself off like a cheap slut…
Then again, Liz thought, I pretty much am. Sure I have my reasons but maybe I could’ve done just one thing different and not be here now.
“Liz, I don’t care that you’ve been ignoring me but they want you out front now, so you can choose and meet the man of the hour. Oh and by the way Happy Birthday. How does it feel to be nineteen?”
“Just dandy, Courtney. Just fine and dandy. Couldn’t be better…”
“There was no need for sarcasm Liz. Good luck anyways!”
“You’re right. Sorry Court, just nerves. I know you mean well.”


Max was just about ready to give up when they called her name.
“Gentlemen, please welcome ‘Sweet Liz’ to the stage! She is now free to choose her man based on who wants to take a shot at her!”
The man was laughing lewdly and Max was frankly disgusted. He had to speak to Liz and find out what she was doing and why! He looked at her and their eyes met. He raised his eyebrows in question and she nodded slightly.
‘Well that was easier than I thought’, Max said to himself and let out a deep sigh of relief. Finally, some answers. Then there was some rather loud rumblings coming from the stage and it seemed Liz’s boss was trying to convince her to go with someone who had actually named a price. She appeared to be holding firm to her decision though and for that he was grateful.
Max was meant to wait at the backstage door for her so he said a quick ‘see you later’ to a bemused looking Michael and immediately headed over there. When Liz walked out he thought his heart would stop. There were deep shadows under her eyes. Her eyes themselves were as soulful as ever but now they had traces of deep pain lacing them.
“Hi Max.”
Liz had barely spoken audibly but still he heard her.
“Liz. It’s been a while.”
“Yeah. About four years.”
“For some reason it seems like longer.”
“I know.”
“Listen Liz, I’m not exactly sure about the correct protocol that I’m meant to be following here but all I really wanted to do was get you alone so we could go somewhere and talk. Is that alright with you?”
“Sure Max. Whatever you want, you’re the one paying.”
Max wondered if she’d said that to deliberately hurt him and yet he had a feeling she hadn’t. Her voice had been filled with barely masked nervousness and tinged with bitterness. He could handle this…he knew he could.
“Let’s go!”


Max and Liz were sitting in a little coffee shop gazing at each neither, neither knowing quite how to start or what to say.
Liz could tell Max was waiting. Waiting for her to talk and give him the answers to what he was dying to know. He deserved the answers. He always would
“So I guess you’re wondering what I was doing up there, hey Max?”
Max couldn’t help but smile at her, hearing that.
“You could always read my mind Liz.”
“It’s just I don’t know where to start.”
“Start from the beginning, Liz, and finish at the end. I promise not to interrupt.”
“Thank you Max.”
And so Liz took a deep breath and proceeded to begin the telling of her story.

PART 3!
The summer we turned fifteen, everything seemed so perfect. We were together and I knew, even then, that I loved you more than life itself. And, amazingly enough, you loved me too. Just as much, if not more. I finally seemed to be getting over my dad’s death and I had a group of friends who were supportive of me. Who were always there whenever I needed them.
It was that summer we all became a group, all formed one big happy family. You, me, Michael, Maria, Alex and Isabel. We’d always known each other but it took the two of us falling in love to really make us all close.
Life was wonderful…and then Ed Harding moved to town. In a way it was good because his daughter, Tess, came with him and she immediately seemed to fit in with us. Maybe it was because she had been adopted like you, Isabel and Michael…I don’t know. And then my mom and Ed got together. Everyone else seemed to think he was the epitome of all things good but I never could quite bring myself to like him.
Before we knew it, it was announced Ed and my mom were to marry. I was glad that I would be gaining Tess as a sister but the thought of Ed as my stepfather made me sick. I couldn’t believe mom would just get over dad like that and jump into another relationship.
I was so upset and you helped me through it and the day they got married and the night they embarked on their honeymoon, you stayed with me. Tess was sleeping just down the hall and I remember us walking past and whispering our goodnights. And then we went to my room and got into bed and you held me while I fell asleep with you by my side. I remember you were wearing Astroboy boxer shorts and they were cute. You, of course, looked gorgeous in them. I was wore your shirt. Sometime during the night I woke up and opened my eyes to find you gazing straight back at me. You were stroking my hair and I felt so loved and cherished. Like your every breath was taken for me, and without me you would surely perish as you would not be able to go on alone. What followed was the most amazing and special, wondrous and awe inspiring. I’ve never forgotten a single moment of that captivating night. I know we were young, some would probably even argue we were too young but I never regretted a singe moment of making love with you. When morning dawned you still were holding me like I was some precious treasure and I knew then I never wanted you to let me go. Then, as if you could hear my very thoughts, you said almost exactly what I was thinking, what I was inwardly hoping.
“Liz, I love you so much. I never ever want to let go of you. And I promise you, no matter what happens, I never will!”
I’ve held those words close to my heart since that day and I treasure them. I only wish things could’ve been different. That what happened next never was….”


NB. This is only the first part of part 3 cos I have been very busy with school exams because it is the end of the Australian school year. I do have a lot more writeen but have had no time to type it up. I am so sorry but I am trying my best. Thankyou for reading and sorry it is so short!

[ edited 2 time(s), last at 10-Nov-2001 11:30:19 PM ]
posted on 8-Nov-2001 1:51:20 AM by Ashlinna
Here is the second part of PART 3. I hope y'all enjoy it. It wasn't really I good place to leave off but I thought posting some for yous was better than posting none =)

MORE PART 3!
Life continued to be beautiful for the next week. We were together at every possible moment. Tess and I were adjusting well to living together and were still good friends. I was beginning to think the reason Michael and Maria were always fighting was because, underlying everything, they were secretly in love. Better still was the fact that you were inclined to agree with me. Alex had stopped salivating constantly over your sister, the Ice Princess Isabel, and had changed tactics to get her to notice him. He had enlisted Tess’ help in his plan and they were having great fun pretending they were very interested in each other. The best thing though was that his plan was working and Izzy was so very jealous. Things couldn’t have been better…and they never would seem to get any better from that day on, only worse. It was at that time Ed and my mother returned from their honeymoon.
Nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary at first and things ran smoothly. That was until one night I couldn’t sleep and decided to make some hot chocolate. As I walked past Tess’ room I heard her crying out as if she were in pain. I knew I had to investigate, see what was wrong. Y’know Max, at first I couldn’t believe it what I saw. I didn’t want to believe it. It was like the worst nightmare I could ever have imagined…if I had ever wanted to.
Ed was in there, on top of Tess. He had his hand over her mouth, attempting to muffle her cries and he was raping her, showing no mercy. It was so horrible and ugly, words can’t really describe. One of those things no one should ever have to see or experience. Ed never noticed me in there, nor did Tess and so I crept back out the way I came. Cowardly, I know, but right then I couldn’t think of a better idea.
The next day I asked Tess about it. As you would expect she denied it at first. When I told him I had actually seen him doing…what he did to her, she broke down. She cried so much and for so long, and in the midst of her broken sobs I listened to what she had to say and put her disjointed story together. It had started when she had first hit puberty and went on for about a year. Tess was tormented by it but she was strong and she survived. When Ed stopped raping her after that year she thought that that was the end of it and he’d gotten it out of his system. Such seemed to be so until recently.
The first time Ed made Tess have sex with him he got her to submit by threatening to send her back to the orphanage. This time he threatened her with something entirely different and she had come to care enough for me to see it as infinitely worse. Ed said that if she was ever to refuse him he’d turn to me. That I would become his plaything and she’d have to live with it being all her fault.
We didn’t know what we should do. How we could make him stop and leave Tess and me alone. I knew staying in Roswell with Ed and my mom wasn’t an option. No matter what he said or how many time Tess complied, one day he would’ve moved on to me. It was inevitable. We had to leave. Tess couldn’t continue to sacrifice herself for me, and even if she had wanted to I wouldn’t let her. We packed our bags and on what turned out to be a rainy, stormy night we left Roswell.
You might remember it. I was never going to be able to leave with out saying goodbye to you and so while Tess waited outside I crawled through your window. You were sound asleep and to me you resembled an angel. I thought you must have been sent down from heaven, how clichéd is that? You must have sensed my presence because next thing you were opening your eyes. You came over to me and took me in your arms and kissed me. I felt safe, warm and alive and you made love to me for what would prove to be the last time. I left soon afterwards when you had fallen back asleep.

posted on 10-Nov-2001 11:27:56 PM by Ashlinna
Sorry this took so long. I tried to post it a few days ago but the board wouldn't work for me. Also it was my sister's 18th brithday on Friday and she went into labour so things have been pretty hectic. I'm not sure what the rating is cos I'm not wuite sure what each of the american rating entail so I don't want to put an australian rating on here that doesn't make sense to most people...but I will anyway so I'll say, for the issues within the story, it would be MA15+. sorry for crapping on...thanx for reading.

THE REST OF PART 3!
It was the worst time we could’ve chosen to leave, in the middle of a thunder storm. Worse still, while we had been making love I had forgotten Tess was still outside in the rain. We made our way to a youth hostel in Albuquerque, having travelled there on a bus. It soon became apparent that Tess was very sick, and as I would later find out she had a severe case of pneumonia. We had overstayed our welcome at the hostel and were sent on our way. I was truly at a loss as to what to do. We were on the street for a few days and Tess just got worse and worse. I though she would surely die.
We needed a miracle and when we met Sean I thought he was the answer to my prayers. For what it was worth, he was for tow days. Sean took us in, bought medicine for Tess and took her to visit the doctor. It wasn’t until she began to get better that he started asking what I was willing to give him in return for all the help and assistance he had provided us with.
And so, in reality Sean was just another chapter in our nightmare. My own personal chapter. Instead of Ed raping Tess, Sean raped me. I was forced to sleep with him every night until Tess was well enough for us to run away yet again. This time we hit the jackpot so to speak. A nice, elderly couple took us in. They owned a bed and breakfast and we worked for them in exchange for room and board. I didn’t find out I was pregnant for a while, nor did I realise exactly what it meant straight away. I knew I was having a baby but I hadn’t figured out the other stuff.
At first I was king of excited, it was like a ray of sunshine was being let into the cold, dark place I was locked in. I was working my way to full escape when they told me the dates of when my child was conceived. I thought it would be the child of you and me, Max. That’s what I hoped for. Instead it could only be so that Sean was the father. I know sometimes the dates can be wrong so I accepted what they told me. I then proceeded to think they had got the dates wrong and you would be its daddy. I had always dreamed that any children of mine would be a mixture of you and me. I guess I can be wrong sometimes.
I soon realised that regardless of whom the father was I loved my child more than life itself. Although in my heart I would always name you as my child’s father, if it was Sean’s then I would make sure that it didn’t become anything like him. Abortion was never an option; I could never kill a part of myself, no matter what.
I gave birth to a beautiful baby boy a week early. He never did look premature though, not that I’m an expert or anything. His name is Elijah Maxwell but we just call him Eli. He is the light of my life, the most joyous of my joys and it’s for him I do this now.
No one wants to hire a run away teenage single mother who never graduated high school for a decent job. So I strip. It pays good money, enough to support me and Eli and pay two thirds of the rent. Tess shares our apartment and watches Eli while I’m working. It’s not so bad. You learn to ignore the men staring at you and making lewd gestures after a while. And before you say it, because I know you will, I know it should have to be this way. I can tell you want to know why I have to sleep with men too and just so you know, tonight was to have been the first time. You see, Eli is almost four now and will start kindergarten soon with his little friends next door. He is just so excited and I can’t bear to think I might not be able to afford it. I love him so much.
I truly wish things could somehow be different but I can’t see how that’s possible. This is how my life has to be and I admit, just as I know you are, I am ashamed and disgusted with myself. And I apologise and I am sorry, more than you could ever know, but this is how things are. How, as I said before, they have to be,
So that’s the story of my life since I left Roswell. I can’t change it and if you want to get as far away form me as possible now then know that I understand and I do truly appreciate you listening without interrupting. Thank you, Max."