posted on 1-Dec-2001 10:00:54 PM by applesaucer
Title: "Healing"
Author:Lizzie
Disclaimer:I own nothing except J/K's Max and Liz in order to make this work because they are just meant to be together.
Rating: Harmless till the mood takes me
Summary: Max is a councillor with a past as he shuts himself away from life because of it. That is till someone comes to see him with problems of her own.
Note: This is a totally alienfree zone, just normal people facing not so normal problems. This is only an idea in my head, hopefully it will become a reality to you depending on what you think. This is my first so heres goes.



~Part 1~

Max was good at his job. Max loved his job and he had a special gift for helping people. It was his entire world and nothing else mattered to Max.Nothing.
To see people with serious problems walk out of his office with closure made his life worth while somehow. To suceed over and over in helping someone in such desperate need leave him with a brighter outlook on life fullfilled the ragging emptiness of his. An emptiness that consumed him deeper with everyday that pasted since it happened.

It made the pain of memory and loss fade for a little while, just for a little while till they would leave and he would be left alone again to face the ugly reality of truth, as he was thrown back to the lions once more. A truth that he just wasn't prepared to face, to even talk about... ever!

Alone again unable to breathe, to function, eagerly awaiting the arrival of the next helpless soul that he would have to heal, everyone of them a challange that he just had to win. Failure was not an option. He'd failed only once in his life and he was still paying for it. Over and over, day in day out.

Alone again in that big office that he arrived at early to and left late from every single day, 7 days a week. Only ever to then finally to go straight home, when he did to an unlived-in looking apartment where he would spent each night working in his online service. That ran throughout the night, his need for it more than theirs but still enough tragedy out there to keep him busy.
Sleeping didn't concern him because Max didn't sleep. He couldn't not since that night, unable to knowing that's when the nightmares would come, taking him violently each time back to when to that night. Only to awaken at the exact same part trembling, both him and sheets soaked in sweat.

So that's where he was once more, after another 'good' day at the office solving other peoples problems, ignoring his own. He was climbing the stairs to an empty apartment once more with a take out that would probably end up in the bin half eaten, if at all. He hardly ate either, his problems reaching into all parts of his life, unable to escape them for a moment.

He passed and stopped to at knock at Mrs.Appleton's door with the little bit of shopping that he always got for her on a thursday as she wasn't that nibble on her feet these days. She was the only one he'd spoken to in the whole of their buliding, he nodded and smiled a little to others but she was the one who had forced her way through his door on the day that he moved in.
In order to say her hello's and make him feel welcome as she had done with everyone new or so she said. But Max teased her constantly that it was only her being nosey nothing more nothing less that brought her to his door that day.

She made him smile that first day, something his face had long since forgotten to do and from that day to this they had been good friends. She was like a mother/grandmother, depending on what her true age was and not what she said it was as they shared both happy and sad times. She was more like his family than his own was but even she didn't know the guilty secret that he was hiding. It was better that way he told himself over and over. Easier for him if the truth be known.

Usually he would stay for milk and cookies, for her more than him, a ritual but not tonight. He had somewhere else to be as he made his hurried exit to climb the last flight three at a time, breathless as he fumbled to get the key in the lock. Cursing at his cumdersome fingers as the door finally flung open and almost off its hindges.
His food was thrown to the table, coat right along with it as he made a beeline straight to his computer. His heart thundering as it bleeped then humed into life, heart now threatening to pump right out of his chest as he saw that she had already been online. He swore hard as he knew he'd missed her, that she won't be back again tonight his heart almost stopping as he saw that she'd left him a message. He slid heavy into his chair, his best friend by all accounts as he reached with a shakey hand out to tap at the message box. His heart was pounding again, his body trembling as it flashed up, unable to function to what he was now reading. The message was simple but no less effective as it totally rocked his world.

'I NEED to see you. So I've made an appointment for tomorrow.'

And for the first time in a very long time Max actually wanted the darkness of night to fall.





Should I continue on with this? I'm not sure. Feedback please *big*.

[ edited 9 time(s), last at 8-Dec-2001 6:25:50 PM ]
posted on 3-Dec-2001 6:33:28 AM by applesaucer
Thankyou for all the feedback it really helps and means a lot.


~Part 2~

But tomorrow came all too soon for Max ,rushing past a bewildered Megan as he hadn’t stopped to chat to her like he always did every morning. She was unable to hid her dismay as she didn’t even get a hello as he clicked the door to his office shut by leaning up against it hard.

Unable to move he stayed in that position for a few minutes his eyes daring not to open as his heart
was thundering almost clean out of him acting to all tense and purposes as if he didn’t want to be there. A feeling excepted under normal circumstances because not a lot of people liked their jobs
but Max did. But this morning was the first time in a very long time, if ever, he didn’t hurry to get to work and almost saddened that he had. The few that knew Max would find the a trifle out of character
as his circumstances were far from normal. To feel was to live and Max had no life. Period.

He was showing signs of feeling as he left the security of the door only to find it again as he flopped into his leather chair, having to loosen his tie feeling breathless. Again it jabbed in the pit of his stomach as the feelings rolled over him in waves, having to take off his suit jacket because he felt like he was burning up all of sudden. It jabbed at him again, harder as he was relieved that he was sitting. For the first time in a long time if ever Max didn’t hurry to get to work, almost saddened that he’d made it there at all again something that was not in his nature. Max didn’t know how to feel since the accident had taken them from him at such a tender age. And all this confusion over a woman he’d never met, who he’d only ever connected with over the net while trying to solve her problems which he knew nothing about. She would sign on and just talk about anything and everything but never about herself as he just listened. He never pushing her for anything that she wasn’t prepared to give which was only ever small talk, he didn’t even know her name. His job was his life but knowing that she was out there to just made him want to get home faster. But now she wanted to meet and he felt like a boy once more, cornered with no where to go. No where to run to, nowhere hide like that horrific night when he was the only one who survived it. Not living to tell the tale, not even to her.

He could have counted down the seconds to the dot before there was a knock at the door but his mind was wondering to places that he just didn’t want to go as the door swung inwards, Megan always knocked but ever waited to be called in in all the time that she’d worked for him.

The door banged back shaking the room as she breezed up to his desk without a word, spilling coffee on the desk as she dumped it down beside him a little harder than necessary . A pregnant pause now filled the air until she finally caved as always their relationship often mistaken for a marriage well in her eyes anyway.

“Well?” Her voice smarted out her throat as he finally looked at her for the first time that day. Megan only pissed that she hadn’t got her daily fix of maxieboys smile still not getting it as he was now looking straight at her. His beautiful eyes always looked tortured as if they hid an evil that people just don’t talk about but never less still the most incredibly sexy eyes that your ever likely to see. They took her to a higher place every time….until that moment when she cursed herself for not noticing before. Something was wrong, making her feel sick at the thought of it because Max Evans was the any person in their particular circle that didn’t know that she was in love with him. She’d been in love with him since the beginning, most women if not all were after being fortunate enough to have anything to do with him. He was probably the only angel walking the earth as he didn’t have the faintest clue about the affect he had on people, and not just the fairer sex but everybody who came into contact with him. For a man trying to hid he couldn’t help but shine wherever he went, what ever he did still totally oblivious.

“Max are you okay? Did something happen last night?” Her voice changed and sweet like honey as she oozed out more, walking round till she stood beside him, leaning in and bending over. He said nothing, not even looking as he leant back hard on his chair.

“Tell me Max, maybe I can help” Her voice unable to hid hide her concern as her body began to pang for him as it always did gently vibrating to a rhythm that only his sung as she placed a hand over his which lay at his face. She no longer jerked as he pulled his away from under hers like he always did but a girl needed to take advantage of every situation that came her way, each one a godsend not to be wasted.
To say that she was pissed was an understatement as he closed his eyes, thereby missing the wicked smirk that was plastered from ear to ear on her make-up caked face and her tongue darting out to where his shirt now parted at his neck almost forgetting herself, beginning to lose herself as she heard him speak before she could make a fool of herself. Gladly prepared to do it if it would get him any closer to her bed, her dream, her only mission in life as he had to repeat himself.

“MEGAN…did you hear what I said????” He hissed not himself at all as she was snapped back to reality with his commanding tone which just sent her right back there. She had it so bad for her boss that it drove her crazy

“No... sorry Max.” Flashing her best smile that usually got her in and out of every tight spot as she leant on further to allow her blouse to flop open even further. “… my mind wondered.” Her voice alittle husky as she went to drag her hand lightly across his hand only for him to move again. She leant up only to get up and brush lightly across his shoulders while walking behind him to get to the side that he was now ‘working’ at. She was doing things that usually were a sure thing because she was what most men craved, except this one . Max had never given her any indication that their working relationship would progress to anything further and maybe that’s why she was totally obsessed with him. You always want what you can’t have as he banged down his empty appointment book hard.

“GOD!!! What the hell do I pay you for because it certainly isn’t for your ability to retain information seeing as though you can obviously only do one thing at once..…” he sat bolt upright in his high backed chair as his eyes licked with fire as he started banging the keys to his computer. “….what I said was why haven’t my appointments for today been put into either of my planners yet??” He hissed as he continued to bang stuff about , moving it from one place to another then back again not looking at her for a moment.

She leant up unable to hid her dismay from being shunted, again as she sighed heavily her moment was now gone, for now. “I was about to but I had a heavy night last night……” and she was about to tell him of her woes like she always did, trying make him just a little jealous when he interrupted her flow.

“ Like I TOLD you before I’d appreciate it if you kept your private life to yourself, we work together…” He found her eyes this time. “….and that’s all, so if you don’t mind I would like to have some idea of who I’m dealing with today before their thrust upon me.” His voice without rhythm as his words ‘thrust upon me’ painted her a whole different picture as she then had to move away from him before she did something stupid knowing now was just not the right time. He then looked away from her as she calmed herself down. Even when he was acting like a normal boss should, he would have her in total ore as she began to tremble.

“Anything else?” She said through gritted teeth as the sensation threatened to spread.

“only to remember to close the door behind you this time!!”
He didn’t look up again till he heard the door shut, a little harder than an employee should do. Slowly he leant forward now resting his head on his forearms that where now crossed on his desk. Exhaling hard he began rolling it slowly from side to side as his breathing slowed down.
He looked back up as he heard the computer bleep into action as his day lay planned before him as slowly letting his eyes open ,the only thing visible from behind his arms. His breathing just stopped coming as he saw that he ONLY had 2 and one of them was a timewaster who only ever came to have his ‘feel good weekly fix’. The other must be her as his head tilted to her name as if to drink it in while his body seemed to shut down.

2 : 30 MISS. E. PARKER

A billion questions all took him at once as he felt himself shake, even more so to the realization of just what she was doing to him. What she could do to him. He didn’t like it and he suddenly became afraid as he jerked up to the sound of the intercom buzzing into life. He let it go till her voice buzzed in.

“Max, it’s Michael….line one. He wants to know if your free to assist today??” Her low voice dripping out from it as Max sat back.

“Thanks…” He finally responded, body finally cooling as well as his voice. “…patch him through.”

“Okay!” he felt her move about as if to switch off.

“…Megan.” he blurted out.

“Yes!!”

“I‘m…sorry about before….” He lost the words while rubbing hard at his temples.

“No problem Max…but lets just say that you owe me one.” She beaming smile obvious in her voice as she clicked off.
He let his face break into a faint smile not wanting bad feeling between them. It wasn’t her fault that this girl was driving nuts as he picked up the phone to his best friend but who also worked as a councillor at the hospital . That’s where they meet but Max just couldn’t deal with the trauma of his surroundings, a painful reminder of his past as a place like it had been unable to save his family after someone else put them there. So he left the team and started on up on his own, only daring to go back in when he needed his help on something. Never so happy to heard from anyone in his entire life, except maybe her.

“Hey G-man what’s up?”

~~~~~~~~~

She was 6 and lost her entire family in a crash, lost to everyone. Children were Max‘s specialty. But it had been just too painful, too close to him for him to deal with everyday. It was like magic to watch as with just few words about other things from Max and she was found again.

The whole experience consumed him to the point of actual pain as it was now 1:00pm and he was across town. He had time to get back for her but Michael saw he needed a drink, that he needed something but still not knowing what it was that had him so sad. Max hadn’t told him anything!
Torn but so needing to talk he went for his drink with Michael, there was time. But the whole time he thought about only her until he trembled with it.

He ran there, only stopping to take the underground and to dodge anything that blocked him getting there as he knew if he had to do one thing in his life he had to get to her. There was no point trying to hide from it, to hid from her there was something there …something strong and undeniable as it was now 2:50 by the time he’d burst in through the door.

She’d waited there only a few moments before leaving not rearranging the appointment. For a guy that didn’t feel ,that didn’t know how to Max was engulfed by every single emotion that was in him at that moment as he turned and walked back out again.

~~~~~~~~~~~

He sat staring in front of his computer, knees tucked up high under his chin, his head resting at his arms as he rocked in his chair. He’d been at that exact spot since he’d gotten home.
That was four hours ago and still nothing from her. His mind was blank, his insides numb as an old feeling long forgotten was allowed to creep back in and it had taken hold of him, taking him back to when he was a boy.
That feeling was guilt, that he was to blame. That he had failed as he was awakened from being completely consumed by it by the phone.
It was Michael and he needed his help. There was a girl, in real bad shape. Badly beaten, suicide attempt and she would need some serious help once she finally, hopefully woke up.
Max wouldn’t have gone , no help to anyone right now. Not going to until he heard the name, a name that was now banging about in his head. Elizabeth Parker!


So whats the verdict???A little bleak at the minute I know but just hang on in there. Feedback please!!!!



[ edited 3 time(s), last at 3-Dec-2001 7:01:37 AM ]
posted on 6-Dec-2001 5:43:51 AM by applesaucer
Thankyou for all the wonderful feedback that you've all given me but schoolwork is such a drag at the moment so I'll post lots more when I can. Thankyou for making this so much fun, wish I had have done it sooner. Bye.
posted on 8-Dec-2001 6:24:54 PM by applesaucer

Thank you so much for all the feedback to my first story but I'm unable to carry on with it due to school work and life in general.
So to my plea, I don't know when I can so would anybody like to take the idea from me?
I'd love to see it written so much.
Please let me know here if you want to or if there are no takers then this will probably never get written which makes me very sad!

~ sara ~