posted on 11-Mar-2002 12:47:57 AM by SnowWhite22
Hi all! This is the first fic I have ever posted so please leave lots of feedback. I have a tendency to revise, so if I do revise any parts I will post a note for you guys. I will try and post new parts as soon as they are written. I can't wait to hear what y'all think!
Love
Snow White

Say Nothing

M/L fic. PG/PG 13
Disclaimer: I own nothing of Roswell except for the storylines in this fiction. The song is from Alison Kraus.

Summary: Starting directly after Chant Down Babylon.

“When You Say Nothing At All”

It’s amazing how you can speak right to my heart.
Without saying a word, you light up the dark.
Try as I may, I could never explain
What you say when you don’t say a thing.

Chorus:
The smile on your face let’s me know that you need me.
There’s a truth in your eye saying you’ll never leave me.
The touch of your hand says you’ll catch me if ever I fall.
But you say it best
When you say nothing at all.

All day long I can hear people talking about it.
But when you hold me near
You can drown out the crowd.
Oh, Mr. Webster could never define
What’s being said between your heart and mine.


Part 1

The fluorescent lights of the bus station were hurting Liz’s eyes. She rubbed at them absently and yawned. The stark lighting was a cast contradiction to the dark world outside the station’s greasy walls. The station smelled like cigarette smoke and car exhaust and Liz wondered if the smell was seeping into her clothes. The huge face clock with the 80’s Coca-Cola logo above the ticket counter read 4:18 am. Liz turned to look up at Max. Her head was in his lap and every once in a while she would look up at him to make sure he was really there. Maybe he was a hallucination and she was in the cold station by herself. His face carried the strain of what his body had been through. Not just falling out an attic window, but the tension of having two souls trapped in one body. He was pale, worn and Liz reached up to scratch his shadowed cheeks. He needed a shave. Max smiled a ghost of a smile and took her hand in his. His eyes matched hers and Liz could feel the ache in his heart. In this quiet moment, when the panic and chaos and excitement of the past 24 hours was still humming quietly in the background, they were together. He was alive, she was safe, and they were together. She didn’t need him to say what his worry was. Where did they go from here?

“Are you feeling better?” Liz asked quietly.

Max shrugged. “A little. I think my powers are back to normal.” He rubbed his thumb over hers. He had been worried that the full transfer of his powers wouldn’t go well in what had used to be a human body. But after healing the scrapes on Liz from the fall and the bruises on Maria’s neck from Clayton’s attack, he was sure that his powers were fine. This body was now his. Maria had taken the event remarkably well considering he had almost killed her. Clayton, he corrected himself. Clayton had almost killed all of them. But he was gone and Max was at home in this body. It was no longer foreign to him. It was if he had never left his own body. He looked down at Liz. “Are you okay?”

“You already asked me that a few times.” Liz said and shifted her eyes to watch Maria at the ticket counter. “I feel okay.”

Max followed her gaze. “I mean your powers.”

“ I know.” Liz said. Surprisingly, her powers had been quiet since she had saved Max. But she could feel them stirring through her blood lightly. She could feel them running through her and could feel her body consciously working to keep them in check. She was adapting. She wondered if this is how it was for Max to live with powers. Her heart skipped with a soft thud. To live with powers. This is what it was to live with powers. For the first time, realization hit her and she wasn’t afraid.

Max took her silence for irritation. He closed his eyes and felt fatigue washing over him. He was so helpless. He couldn’t fix this for her. He had no control over what was happening to her body and he was the cause of it. “Liz,” he started softly, “I don’t….I can’t….”

Liz looked up at him. Looking into his eyes, truth dawned on her. He thought she was upset. She sat up. “Max, I’m okay.”

“I know.” He avoided her eyes.

“No, look at me.” Liz forced him to make eye contact. “I’m FINE. I’m sitting here next to you and my powers aren’t going crazy.” She took a deep breath and looked down at her hands. “Wow. My powers. That feels a little weird to say.”

Max looked down again.

Liz gripped his hand. “Max, these powers probably saved my life. You, I mean Clayton, tried to kill me. He would have if I hadn’t been able to stop him” Liz spoke as the words hit her. “I think they saved you too.”

“Are they gone now?” Max asked carefully.

“No.” Liz shifted on the bench and faced the ticket counter where Maria was counting out change. She pulled his arm around her and leaned her head back. “They’re not leaving.”

Max studied her for a moment. Liz sat expressionless but he knew without her saying it that she wasn’t angry. She seemed at ease with the situation. A vast change to her manner when her powers had first emerged. Maybe things weren’t going to be as bad as they appeared. He pressed a kiss to her head and leaned into her. The smell of sweat mingled with her scent of strawberries. Max looked down at her attire and smiled. She was still wearing her PJ bottoms and the oversize sweater from earlier. The three of them had packed her belongings quickly, without a lot of talk, each going over in their head what had happened. Max doubted it had even occurred to Liz to change her clothes. After leaving a note for Eileen, all they had wanted was to get out of Vermont.

Maria flopped down on the hard bench across from them and set her feet up on their bench. “The next direct bus is at 5:20. We have some time.”

Max looked at Liz, whose eyes were starting to close. He moved her so that she could stretch out on his lap again. Placing an arm around her, he nodded. “Yeah, we do.”

TBC


[ edited 42time(s), last at 3-Jan-2003 1:56:25 AM ]
posted on 11-Mar-2002 1:45:23 AM by SnowWhite22
LOL....Anne, I didn't expect it to be up this soon either, but during my meeting tonite this scene just would not get out of my head so I had to write it down and post it. I'm glad you like it. Its going to go crazy. Expect some old visitors, new theories and of course, Max and Liz. LOL.....I wrote an outline. Can you believe it? An actual outline. I wish I had more time to work on this one because I am just on fire with it. But alas, real life takes over. I am going to try and get more up ASAP. Thank so much. I am so excited that you like it. *happy*
posted on 12-Mar-2002 6:01:17 PM by SnowWhite22
Hey all! Thanks for the feedback. I appreciate it. I will try and update again really soon. This part is a bit longer. You guys are aweome. Let me know what you think.

Woodwinds! I am so glad you like it. I have a big grin on my face now too. LOL
Love
Snow White

Part 2

Isabel opened her eyes slowly. She knew instantly that she was alone in bed. The dull ache where a bullet had entered her body had woken her up again. She resisted the urge to get up and gulp down a few aspirin. Aspirin had the same effect as morphine on her alien body and she had remained on a high for the past two days. It had helped numb the pain of everything she had been through. She hadn’t been able to accept Max’s death. She pushed it out of her mind. He didn’t feel dead yet. She hadn’t even told her parents. How could she tell them what she couldn’t believe? She glanced at the digital clock and wondered if Jesse had already left for work. The past two nights he had slept on the couch. It had been two days since the Meta-Chem explosion and her recovery, but Isabel could feel the toll on her body. She was tired, so tired of everything.

A crash in the kitchen followed by a Hispanic curse ripped through the air and had her swinging her feet over the bed. Jesse wasn’t as adept in the kitchen as she was. Tying a robe around her, she walked into the living room, determined to get her husband to talk to her.

Jesse had coffee grounds all over the counter. Picking up a sponge, Isabel walked up behind him. “Let me get that.”

Jesse started at her quiet approach and back away. “I can do it.”

Isabel handed him the sponge and back off. He obviously wasn’t’ ready to talk. “Do you want me to make you breakfast?”
“No.” Jesse turned to run the sponge under the faucet. “I’ll pick something up on the way.”

Isabel nodded quietly and looked down at her hands. Her wedding ring winked back at her mockingly. It was the most Jesse had said to her since he had brought her home. He had checked on her throughout the night, taken her temperature every few hours and left water by the bed, but had yet to talk to her.

“Why don’t I come in for lunch today?” She asked. “We can go to that deli you like.”

“I’m having lunch with your father.” He responded stiffly.

“Oh.” She had avoided her parents the past two days. She couldn’t face them and tell that Max was gone. Not until she was ready to believe it herself.

Jesse turned to look at her. “When are you going to tell them about Max?”

Isabel turned to look out the window.

Jesse nodded. “More lies. But I guess you are used to that by now.”

Isabel whipped her head back to stare at him, stung. “I know I deserve that. But my brother is dead.” The words tripped their way out of her mouth.

“Yeah, and his PARENTS deserve to know the truth.” Jesse whipped back.

Isabel started to reply when a knock at their backdoor stopped both. Michael let himself in. He nodded to Jesse before turning his back to him and facing Isabel. “I need to talk to you.”

Jesse picked up his briefcase. “Don’t let me stop you.” He slammed the door. Isabel closed her eyes and leaned her head against her palm.

Michael opened the fridge and got out the orange juice. “You okay?”

“Yeah.” Isabel stood to get him a glass. “What’s up?”

“Maria called me few minutes ago. She and Liz are on their way home.”

“For the funeral.” Isabel surmised.

“I guess. She couldn’t really talk. They’ll be here tomorrow evening.”

“Which means I have to tell my parents by then.” Isabel sank back down.

“Yeah, good idea. Why haven’t you told them yet?” Michael asked.

“I can’t yet.” Isabel shook her head. This was becoming too real. “It’ll kill them.”

“They have to know, Is. Liz is going to show up expecting a funeral. He can only be “camping” so long.” Michael stared hard at the window and gripped the counter. “We have to tell everyone.”

“Tomorrow.” Isabel said. The sunlight streaming in the windows hurt her eyes. She tried to imagine it warming the emptiness consuming her. But all she could feel was cold. “I’ll tell them tomorrow.”


“Okay, the only thing Pratt, West Virginia has to offer in the way of food is chocolate covered peanuts or salt water taffy. Take you pick.” Maria offered.

Liz sighed and took the peanuts.

“Ugh! All I want is a hot shower, a galaxy sub and about a year in Michael’s bed.” Maria groaned. The stop in rural West Virginia was due to a broken windshield wiper and had prolonged their trip a torturous hour. After stretching their legs, Maria had gone off in exploration of food and Max had kissed Liz’s forehead and said he would be right back.

Liz eyed Maria in amazement.

“What? His bed is more comfortable than mine.” Maria grinned.

“Right.” Liz popped a few nuts.

“Where’s Max?” Maria asked.

“He went to see if the driver would let me get a change of clothes from underneath the bus.” Liz gestured with the bag. She ate a couple of more peanuts and then wrapped the remaining half up and set the bag in Max’s coat pocket.

“He’s been alive two days and he’s already running your errands?” Maria teased. “Max is back.”

Liz elbowed her. “Shut up. Did you talk to Michael?”

Maria nodded and swallowed the taffy hardly. “Uh-huh, but I didn’t tell him about Max.”

Liz’s eyes widened. “Oh, Maria.”

“I couldn’t.” She insisted. “How do you say that over the phone?

Liz nodded. “I guess you’re right. But God, they must be in so much pain right now.”

“They’ll be okay when we get back.” Maria swallowed another piece of taffy.

“I’m going to the bathroom.” Liz stood and arched her back. “Tell Max I want my red sweater, okay?”

“Red sweater. Got it.” Maria nodded as Liz passed.

Max walked up as Liz turned the corner. “Where is she going?”

“Bathroom.” Maria gestured.

“Oh.” Max laid Liz’s red sweater on the bench and picked up his coat. Taking out the bag of peanuts, he started eating.

Maria eyed him suspiciously. “How did you know that?”

“What?” Max asked.

“She wanted her red sweater. How did you know which one to get? And how did you know that she left peanuts in there?” Maria asked.

Max looked at the nuts in his hand. “I was hungry.”

“But…” Maria trailed off. “You know what? Forget it. I don’t question anything with you two anymore.”

Max grinned and watched as Liz came back to them. She picked up her sweater and wrapped it around her. Looking up into Max’s eyes, she smiled. He smiled back and handed her a few more peanuts. A metallic twang rang out over the loudspeaker. “Attention. Now boarding bus number 7 for San Francisco, California, bus number 8, Las Vegas, Nevada, bus number 9, Roswell, New Mexico…”

Liz flicked her eyes up at the announcement and took Max’s hand. He kissed her forehead in understanding and led her towards the boarding bus. “I know,” he whispered. “Vegas.”

Liz bit her lip at the surfacing memory of their wedding day that would never occur. When Max had described it to her in Vegas the year before, it was like she could see it herself and the image refused to fade. So much had happened since the group’s excursion the year before. Max was beside her now, but what about in a year, in a month, when he found his son? Liz pushed the memory out of her head and started to follow Maria out the station door. Max squeezed her hand and held her back. She turned to look up at him.

He leaned in close. “I’m not going anywhere. Are you?”

Liz knew he didn’t mean physically. She studied him intently. “I’m not going anywhere, Max. I ran once. It didn’t solve anything. I want to be with you.”

He looked relieved. “You have to mean that, Liz. I can’t take you leaving me again. Not like that.”

Liz tilted her chin back to look at him directly. “I mean that. Never again.”

Max nodded and squeezed her hand again. The look in her eye said so much. It was more than could ever be vocalized. She wouldn’t leave him again.

TBC…


[ edited 2 time(s), last at 13-Mar-2002 8:30:00 PM ]
posted on 13-Mar-2002 12:44:06 PM by SnowWhite22
Hey all!Thanks for the great feedback. I rally appreciate it. Anything you have to say is welcomed.

I have a question. Is anyone else having a problem reading the format? I noticed on the posts of just the story that there were some errors in the format layout. I think it has to my floppy disk, but I'm not sure. It might just be me. If anyone else is having problems, let me know. I'll see what I can do to fix it.

Anne: I knew you would like the Phillip and Diana inference. *happy* Some other old "favorites" are going to be popping up soon.

Love
Sarah

posted on 13-Mar-2002 8:36:35 PM by SnowWhite22
OKay, everyone, I fixed the format. I don't know what happened but I think it was my floppy disk that I had copied it from. In any case, sorry about that. All better.

Part 3 MAY be up tonite, but more likely tomorrow. And expect part 4 by this weekend. If real life doesn't slow me down. :D

Love
Sarah

posted on 13-Mar-2002 10:31:34 PM by SnowWhite22
As promised, part 3. It is REALLY short, but I really liked writing it. I've been re-watching a lot of Season 1 so I think that kinda shows through. *happy* Let me know what you think!

Part 3

“It’s March 1st. I’m Liz Parker and five days ago Max Evans died. Then the really amazing thing happened. I brought him back to life.

Ever since then I’ve been wondering about powers. Power can do amazing things; power can create change. Max did more than change my body when he healed me with his power over three years ago. He changed my soul. He changed its awareness and made me realize things I never knew possible. Now I, too, am changed.

For the past year and a half I’ve been angry Max him for changing. He wasn’t the Max I fell in love with. He changed and I wasn’t ready to change with him. I was too blind to see that I already had. I was angry that our love, which I felt so strong in my heart, wasn’t powerful enough to stop all the things changing around us. But when the ultimate change in my body revealed itself and I caught a glimpse of what it was to have powers, I realized that it wasn’t just Max that had changed. I had, too.

Maybe it took Max dying for me to realize that change isn’t always bad. Maybe it was knowing that I could survive without him but couldn’t really live that made me realize the amazing person that he always has been and has become. Maybe it took having that coldness in my body where Max once was to realize that the change in me had been set in motion a long time ago and it was only now that I caught up with it. Was it when Max told me about his child? When Alex died? When Future Max came to me? Before that? The change in me was irreversible and all that was left was me fighting it. Only now am I starting to welcome it.

Physically I have felt the change. My powers are starting to become a part of me. And I can tell Max is more scared of them than I am now. He’s afraid they are going to make me leave again. I ran once because I was scared, but now, running seems like the last option. I was trying to run from the change, trying to run from the power I could feel starting to take over. But I was only running from myself and hurt the one I love more than anything in the process. I can’t change the past. I don’t have that power. But I do have the power to change the future and the way I think about it. And the way I think about Max.

When I healed him after our fall, when I felt life and love and power flowing from my limbs into him, I felt more alive than ever before. I could feel in that moment the pinnacle of my change and how grateful I was for that ability. How grateful was Max the day he saved me for being different? To be able to restore life to the one I want to spend the rest of my life with made everything so clear. Max is in me; we are a part of each other. Running from him means running from myself. Now I look at him with new eyes. I want him with me. Always. And that is the greatest power I could ever know.”

* * * * *

Liz capped her pen and tucked her leather journal into her pack. Max shifted in his sleep beside her. Liz ran a hand over his hair and smiled. He looked peaceful for the first time since they had left Vermont. Turning to look out the window, the Welcome to Roswell sign with the huge alien grinned back at her. She laced her fingers with Max’s and held it in her lap. They were almost home.

* * * * *

She stood on the rock formation that overlooked the woods and on the horizon could make out homes and streets. Roswell. She blew out a sigh and pushed a stray blond strand out of her eyes. Her hair had grown since the last time she had been here. The last time she had been here she had come into town with secrets and left with an uncertainty that had her constantly thinking back to this good-for-nothing town. Maybe this time she would stick around and figure out what all the uncertainty really meant for her. Maybe this time, things would go her way.

She hiked her bag up on her shoulder and started into the woods.

TBC
posted on 14-Mar-2002 2:57:43 AM by SnowWhite22
Problamatic? Why what ever could you mean? I'm sure I have no idea. *big*

It'll work out. trust me.

Nite
posted on 15-Mar-2002 7:26:07 PM by SnowWhite22
Here ya go! Part 4. Thanks for the feedback. Keep it coming. I love to hear it. It helps my insecure writing heart. *happy*

Love
Sarah

Part 4

Michael leaned against the station wall and shielded his eyes against the late afternoon sun creasing the sky. The bus was 20 minutes late. He wondered if Maria would look any different to him now. Everything looked a bit skewed to him now, slightly altered since his world had been flipped. Michael hadn’t slept in the three days that had passed. Every time he closed his eyes all he could see was flames. Flames engulfing the walls of the chem. lab, flames licking his feet as he raced out of the building, flames that had taken Max’s life. Michael shook himself and focused on the road.

Isabel’s car caught his attention as she drove by, huge sunglasses covering her face. On her way to her parent’s house, he assumed, to break the news that Max was dead. There were moments when Michael forgot he was dead; small snatches of time when he would breathe normal and fight the urge to call Maria just to bug her. Then he would see Max’s belongings in his apartment, think of something he wanted to tell Max and his heart would thud in his chest and he would fight back the urge to call Maria so she could bug him. The bus pulling off the road and into the station had Michael pushing himself to stand straight. He had to be strong for Maria, Liz, and Isabel. Like Max would have been.

The bus rolled to a gritty stop and a sweaty driver got off and started unloading bags from underneath. A couple of wrinkled passengers de-boarded and Michael stood back to let them off. He spotted Maria through the window and threw up a half wave. She was laughing, pulling hair out of her eyes. Michael let out a breath that he had been holding in. When she had called and said that she was coming home, he couldn’t help but feel intense relief. His life was so complex, but having her around, even if they weren’t together, helped him breathe. He needed her now more than he ever thought possible.

Maria spotted him through the window and her eyes flew open. She started mouthing something and gesturing wildly. Michael held up his hands in confusion. She started pushing passengers ahead of her aside to make it out the door. Flying out of the doors, she yanked him to the front of the bus, away from the open doors.

Michael stared in confusion. “Hello to you too. What? Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Hi.” Maria embraced him quickly and let go before he could hug her back. “I didn’t know you were coming to meet us.”

Michael shifted back uncomfortable. “I thought you wanted me to.”

Maria looked over her shoulder without hearing him. “There’s something I have to tell you.” She pushed him back against the bus bumper. Checking around the side of the bus, she turned back and squared her shoulders.

“Okay, you have to believe what I am going to tell you, okay? Just trust me.”

Michael stared at her for a long second before nodding.

“Okay.” Maria took his hand. “This is going to shock you.”

“Hey, missy, did that guy you were with have any bags?” The bus driver interrupted the two of them.

“What? No. Excuse us.” Maria turned her attention back to Michael. The look on his face made her stop. His jaw was clenched, his stare fixed unmoving into the distance. “What?”

Michael wouldn’t look at her. “You brought a guy back with you?”

Maria shook her head. “It’s not what you think.”

Michael stood up. “Really?” He clenched his fists at his sides. “Really? Because what I think is you didn’t want me to meet you here because you brought some chump back and that’s why you pulled me over. Where is he?” He started towards the bus doors.

“No, Michael, no.” Maria got in front of him to hold him back.

He threw her hands off of him. “Don’t touch me. Where is he? Where’s loverboy?”

“Michael!” She grabbed at his shirt and yanked him back. “God, I screwed this up so bad. Michael, don’t. It’s Max! Max is with us.”

Michael turned to glare at her. “What?”

“Max isn’t dead.” Maria took his hand. “He’s alive.”

Michael pulled his hand out of her grip. “Cut it out.”

“Michael, I’m not making this up.” Maria pleaded with him. “You have to believe me. I wouldn’t joke about this.”

Michael shook his head and looked around the quickly thinking station. His eyes started to burn. “Why are you doing this?”

“Michael, listen to me.” She took his hand again. “Max took over Clayton’s body. He came to Vermont. He tried to kill us. But Liz saved us.”

“Are you insane? Stop it!” Michael yelled.

“Look, I can’t explain it. The point is, Max is back. He’s alive.” Maria made eye contact with Max over Michael’s shoulder, who was approaching slowly with Liz.

“No.” Michael started to back away.

Max stepped up and put a hand on Michael’s shoulder. “It’s true.”

Michael froze. He looked into Maria’s eyes, not daring to turn around. Her eyes were pleading with him to listen. Max walked around to face Michael. “It’s true, Michael.” He said quietly.

Michael stared at Max’s face, not breathing. He blinked. Max gave a half smile. “It’s me.”

Michael let a hand reach out to lightly shove at Max. Max shoved back. Michael’s eyes widened. “Oh my God.” He grabbed Max’s arms and shook him. “Oh my God.” He broke out into a huge grin. “Oh my God. Max!” He crushed him in a huge hug.

Max laughed and hugged him back. Michael wouldn’t let him go. “How? What? Oh my God.”

“I know.” Max laughed. He looked around. “Where’s Isabel?”

“Isabel?” Michael looked around in a daze. “Oh my God! Isabel! Maria, cell phone!”

Maria glared at him and tossed her phone. Michael dialed quickly.

* * * * *

Isabel tried to set the glass of her ice tea her mother had forced upon her without shaking. Her mother’s voice floated around her, in and out of her stream of thought. Her mother sounded so cheerful, so unaware. How could she tell her that Max was gone? The second she did, it would no longer be the terrifying nightmare she had been living in silence with, but a new devastating reality. Max is dead, Max is dead, Max is dead. No matter how many times she chanted the words in her mind, they refused to come to her lips. Isabel gripped her coat with white knuckles.

The shrill ring of her cell phone made her jump. “Sorry, Mom.” Isabel said as she stood up. “I’ll take this outside.”

Isabel shut the front door behind her. “Hello?”

“Is, where are you? Have you told them yet?” Michael sounded frantic.

“No.” Isabel whispered. “We’re waiting for Dad to get home.”

“Don’t!” Michael shouted out her. “Don’t tell them. Get to the bus station.”

“The station? What?” Isabel asked.

“Just get out here. I’m here with Liz and Maria and…..Max.”

Isabel strained to hear over the cell connection. “What did you say?”

“Max is here.” Michael’s voice flowed clear over the lines.

Isabel’s voice wobbled. “That’s not funny.”

“Is, trust me. He’s here. Get here.” Michael told her.

Isabel bit back the anger and disgust filling her throat and snapped her phone closed. Running inside, she kissed her mother’s cheek and said, “I’ll be back.”

Getting in her car, tears came to Isabel’s eyes. Michael’s words played over and over in her ears. “Max is here. Trust me. He’s here.” Her heart started to pound, drowning out his words; those casually thrown out words that made it hurt to breathe. Isabel spun out of the driveway and sped by her father, who was just turning in the drive.

TBC


posted on 15-Mar-2002 8:34:16 PM by SnowWhite22
LMAO!!!! Easy, my child, easy! Haha!

Part 5 will be up pretty soon. I already started it. I know how much you love those parental inferences, so don't worry, you'll see some. (I think.) Your feedback always puts a huge smile on my face. *tongue*


posted on 19-Mar-2002 12:59:07 AM by SnowWhite22
Hi all! Sorry it took me so long to post this new part. Thanks for all your encouraging words.

Sorry, Anne, no parental inferences here. But I hope you like it anyway!!!

Love
Snow

Part 5

Liz leaned against the station wall, rolling in her fingers a daisy Maria had picked from the planter. The thin stem twined in her fingers leaving a green residue. The white petals were starting to droop a bit from her touch. Liz frowned that her touch could have such a damaging effect on something so beautiful. She tried to perk up the petals with her fingers. Liz looked up to watch Max and Michael, who were talking intently across the parking lot. Michael still looked like he had been hit by a truck, but he was starting to loosen up. After his call to Isabel, he had pulled Max to the side and the two had been talking quietly ever since.

Liz focused on the flower again and brushed her fingers over the curling petals. Pushing herself off the wall, Liz stared at the flower in wonder. If she could hold something natural and watch it curl with her touch, maybe something that was now natural in her body could restore. She placed the flower in the palm of her hand and closed her eyes. She tried to imagine the flower in bloom, radiant with white, alive and full. She placed her other hand over the flower and smiled. She willed the spark in her blood to transform the flower back to life. Removing her hand, Liz opened her eyes.

The flower lay as limp as before. Liz slumped back against the wall and blew out a sigh of frustration. Max’s footsteps approaching had her dropping her hands and hiding the flower behind her back.

“What are you doing?” He asked with a small smile. He had been watching her from across the lot, her eyes closed in concentration, a small smile of anticipation. He knew exactly what she was trying to do.

“Oh.” Liz gave a small grin and held out the fading flower. “I just thought maybe...you know…never mind. It was dumb.”

Max stepped closer and cupped his hand over hers, with the flower between their joined palms. Taking her other hand, he laced his fingers with hers. Liz locked eyes with him as warmth flooded her. She could see his face behind her lids, smiling at her, speaking right to her heart. Max touched his lips to hers and held up flower, now fully bloomed, perfectly shaped. Her eyes widened and a smile broke out on her face when he tucked the flower behind her ear. He kissed her lips lightly again. Liz let herself fall into him and held him against her. She knew Max didn’t think she was dumb; her attempts made him proud. She tucked her head against his chest to listen to his heart beating. The rhythmic beat in his chest echoed in her ears, matching her own and Liz let it consume her senses.

Until the spilling of gravel from spinning tires yanked both their attention to the far end of the parking lot. Max followed the screeching car with his eyes. “Isabel.”

Michael had been staring off into space, rooted to the spot where he and Max had been talking. Maria sat next to him, waiting for him to speak. Isabel’s car bearing down on them brought Michael back to reality. Isabel skidded to a stop, spraying gravel. Isabel burst out of her car and launched herself at Michael. “You asshole! What the hell is wrong with you?” Rage fueled her.

Michael threw his hands up to protect himself against Isabel’s blows. Maria jumped up to throw herself at Isabel. Isabel shook her off, tears streaming down her face. “What kind of joke are you playing? How dare you? Both of you!” She screamed.

“Isabel, stop!” Michael captured her wrists and tried to evade her.

“Let me go! Let me go!” Sobs racked her body and she yanked at his grip. “I’m going to kill you!”

Max took off running across the lot with Liz following closely behind. Isabel gave a final tug on Michael’s grasp, losing her balance and tumbling to the ground. She curled up on the ground, pent up grief and frustration pouring out of her. Max approached slowly and knelt quietly. “Isabel?”

Her body stilled. Max crept closer and touched a hand to her shoulder. “Isabel.”

Isabel raised her head in disbelief. Max took her hand and wiped tears off of her face. “Hey, sis.”

Isabel stared in confusion, shaking her head. Max grinned. “Isabel.”

Isabel let out a cry and embraced him tightly. “Max?” Her eyes were wide with shock as she hugged him to her. “Max?”

Max laughed as she pulled him over onto the ground. Embracing her tight, he smiled up at Michael, Maria and Liz, who had come to surround them. Isabel gripped his shoulders and held him at arms length. “Max?”

Max nodded. “It’s me.”

“Oh God!” Isabel hugged him again. “I thought you were gone. I thought I’d never see you again.”

“Me too.” Max tugged her up off the ground. “But I’m okay.”

Isabel wouldn’t let go of him. “Thank God.”

“Thank Liz.” Max motioned to Liz, who had the flower in her hands again, still alive and beautiful.

“What?” Isabel looked at Liz.

Max took Isabel’s hand on one side and Liz’s hand in the other. “It’s a long story.”

TBC

posted on 20-Mar-2002 2:38:10 AM by SnowWhite22
Thank you so much everyone for your encouraging words. It is because of you guys that I am still writing! Keep it up.

Woodwinds! Good to see you! Hope you are doing great.

Anne: I added a special little tidbit that I think you will like. Just for you honey! *happy*

I'm not sure when I will have part 7, but I hope it will be soon. RL is attacking me right now with midterms, but when has that ever stopped me. :D
Love
Sarah


Part 6

**2 days later**

Liz took a deep breath and hiked her bag up on her shoulder as she faced the West Roswell High courtyard. The idea of coming back to school had kept her up last night, wishing Max was there to calm her down. Her parents had insisted that she start back right away. Their shock at seeing her outweighed their desire for her to go back to Vermont. Her father had hugged her and commented on how grown up and mature she seemed as a compared to just a month ago. “I’ve lived a lifetime since then,” she thought to herself. He had held the superior look of a father who had helped his child, so she had only nodded. His comment had sent her up to her room to study herself intently in the mirror. This change she could feel within her body, was it noticeable to the outside world? Did it show on her face, shine in her eyes? It felt the most significant when she looked at Max, when their eyes were locked together without words to clutter the steady air between them. She hadn’t seen him alone for more than 20 minutes since they had left the bus station but she could feel him with her. His love moved through her blood, like her powers, now a part of her that couldn’t be separated. She wanted to walk in the doors of the high school holding his hand, feeling in his touch that they would get through anything together.

But he was late. Liz studied the filling courtyard and wondered at how a place that had once been like a second home could feel so cold to her now. She knew she wasn’t imaging the stares of the other students as she crossed the yard. She could feel them prying into her as she passed by. Liz quickened her pace and got to her locker. Throwing a few things in, she ducked into the nearest classroom to escape the eyes and whispers boring into her.

The biology lab. Liz smiled. How fitting. A place where experimentation was welcomed when her life seemed to be under scrutiny. Liz ran her hands over the scarred lab tables. She had missed this lab. She had only been gone a few weeks but this lab was the place where she felt at ease. Her first deductions on Max’s origin had been in this room. Liz’s eyes widened.

She pulled a microscope out of the glass case and plugged it in. Checking her watch, she knew the first class wouldn’t be filling in for another 15 minutes. With a cotton swab, she took a saliva sample from her cheek and smeared it on a slide. Slipping the slide into place, she focused the lens carefully. The door opening had her jumping back before she could examine her sample.

“Ah, Miss Parker. Good to have you back with us.” The biology teacher lay a stack of papers on the counter.

“Oh, thanks.” She switched off the microscope’s light source.

“Back to routine, eh?” He gestured to the microscope.

“I was just…uh,” Liz snagged the slide and wiped it clean, “trying to catch up on what I missed.”

“Good. I’m glad to see you back on track. Done?” He put the microscope back in the case. “I’ll be happy to work with you.”

“Thanks.” Liz gathered her bag and started to back out of the room. “See you later.” She pushed out the door and ran directly into Max. He broke out into a grin.

“I was just coming to look for you.” He kissed her softly and hugged her to him. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah.” She kissed his cheek. “It’s just being back…you know.”

“Yeah.” He laced his hand with hers and started down the hall. Stopping by his locker he pulled her to his side. “I missed you last night.”

She smiled softly. “I missed you too. Its weird having to be back in my parent’s house.”

Max kissed her forehead. “Hey, you want to do something with me tomorrow night?”

“Do something?” She smiled.

“Yeah.” He spun his combination and tugged at the handle. “Like dinner?”

“A real date?” She teased him.

“Well, kinda.” He turned to face her. “Actually, I had a certain place in mind.”

“Where?” She asked.

“My parent’s house.” Max took her hand. “Isabel wants me to have dinner with her and Jesse and Mom and Dad. She is still trying to work things out with him and wants to have a nice family dinner. I don’t know if I can take it. Married couples.”

Liz felt her heart skip a few beats. “You want me to have dinner with you and your family?”

Max looked down and then down the hallway. “You don’t have to.”

“No, Max.” Liz brought his face back to face her. “I want to. I’d like that. Really.”

Max studied her for a few seconds and then broke into a huge grin.

Liz laughed and brought her lips to his. “Wimp.”

“Did you see Liz Parker back?” A giggling voice a few lockers down floated down to them. Max and Liz froze behind his open locker door. “Why is she back here? I thought she had a break down or something.”

“I don’t know.” A matching giggling voice responded. “Maybe she’s back to drape herself over Max Evans again.”

“I know!” The first one laughed. “Have you seen the two of them together? All over each other.”

“Even after that chick Tess was with him. What ever happened to her?”

“I don’t know.” The voices faded into the buzz of the hallway.

Liz stared hard into Max’s chest. Max’s grip on her tightened. He tilted her head up to look into her eyes. Her eyes betrayed her. He kissed her softly. She found reassurance there, calm soothing her. Max loved her, only her, and she loved him. No one else had any idea. Max gave a thousand apologies through his eyes. Liz shook her head and smiled. She didn’t need his apologies anymore. He smiled back and kissed her teasingly. She leaned in and let his arms anchor her against the flowing crowd. His breathing drowned out the noisy hallway. Max kissed the top of her head. Lacing their hands together, Max started towards their classroom.

Spotting the gossiping girls, Liz pulled him in close and whispered in his ear, “Do you think I could blast them with my powers?”

Max burst out laughing and covered her mouth with his. “Liz!”

“Sorry.” She tried her best to look innocent.

Max pulled her in step beside him. Reflecting a bit, he turned to her. “That’s not such a bad idea.”

“Blasting them?” Liz looked horrified.

“No!” Max grinned. “Working on your powers.”

Liz stopped him again. “Really?”

“Yeah.” Max tucked a loose strand of hair behind her hair. “We had to train Michael.”

“Tess had to train Michael.” She reminded him.

Max took a deep breath and skipped over that fact. “Because I didn’t know enough about my own powers by then. I do now. I could help you.”

Liz knew it made sense. If she could control her powers, maybe she could understand them more. “Okay. When?”

“After school today. I’ll pick you up out front.” Max kissed her again. “We’re going to be late. Come on.”

TBC

posted on 21-Mar-2002 12:04:43 PM by SnowWhite22
The parents thing is just for you Anne. *happy* But I think I am going to enjoy writing it. Thank so much for the encouraging words y'all! I'm having so much fun with this one. The next part should be up as soon as this weekend. (I THINK!)

Love
Snow
posted on 23-Mar-2002 5:33:08 PM by SnowWhite22
Part 7! I had a hard time writing this one, for some reason, so I would REALLY like some honest feedback. Thanks for all the compliments and encouragement! I love you guys!

Snow White

Part 7

“What am I doing wrong?” Liz turned to Max as her tenth attempt to change a brown stone into a blue one failed. He was leaning back against a boulder as the desert air cooled for the evening. They had been in the desert for almost an hour and a half. Liz kept fighting frustration and Max was trying to keep her calm to concentrate. Around them was a rainbow of assorted rocks Max had altered to demonstrate to Liz how he changed molecular structures. One was a soft white color and in the shape of a blooming rose to put a smile on her face. Liz turned back to the pebble she had been focusing on. It remained stubbornly brown. “What am I missing?”

Max shrugged himself off the rock and brushed his back off. “It’s not an exact science. There are no instructions I can give you.”

“I’m not getting this!” Liz kicked at a pile of dust, sending a cloud into the air.

“Honey, it took me years to perfect my powers and I was born with them. And I’m still learning. It’s going to take time.” He put his hands on her shoulders and started to rub lightly.

She put her hands over his and looked up at him. “I’m going to get this.”

She turned and picked the pebble up again, rolling it in her palm. Max’s voice floated from behind her. “Now, visualize it as you want it to become. Visualize it until you can will it to change. When you will it, you’ll feel it spark. From inside of you.”

“Spark. Right.” Liz closed her eyes and pictured a blue pebble framed by her palm. She closed her fingers over it, the smooth contours of the pebble rubbing against her fingers. “Blue, blue, blue, blue, blue, blue.” She opened her palm. “Damn!”

“Take it easy.” Max took the pebble out of her hand. “You’re doing good.”

“Yeah, right.” Liz took the pebble back. “Good at nothing.” Irritation built up inside of her. “Good at not getting this.” She threw the pebble and moved to stare up at the former pod chamber. The rubble had lain silent since the granolith departure ten months before, but the skeletal remain screamed stories Liz wished she could forget. Instead of peace in the calm desert, she found a rage building up inside of her. Irritation turned to fury. Fury at her failure, fury at things she didn’t have the power to change. She picked up another rock and threw it hard at the desecrated rock formation, her body heaving with the throw. “I bet Tess got it right the first time.”

Startled, Max held out a hand to her. “Liz, calm down.”

“No, Max!” Liz spun on him, saying the first things that came to her mind. “Why, Max? Why is it that she got everything with you? Why was she the one that got the powers?”

“Stop!” He cried. Her fury was quickly building and he didn’t know how to react to this sudden storm. This conversation was turning into a hot argument that he had been dreading since their reunion. But it was here and now and he knew there was no way to avoid. It had started before she had left, the night he had tried to save her from the change that she seemed so comfortable with now. He didn’t know how to make this anger in her go away without knowing where it came from. It was more than his sleeping with Tess almost a year ago. It was something deeper that she had pushed down and he could feel it now starting to rage. He tried to approach her.

“No, really! Tess was the one that you were supposed to be with. She fulfilled her part of your destiny and had your child.” Disgust filled her throat. Liz picked up another rock and aimed. “Finally, I get something to share with you, like she had. And I can’t even use it!” As the rock left her fingers it exploded with an bang that rocked both of them back. Liz stared as the shattered rock crumbled around her as dust. She turned to face Max, chest heaving, green lines racing through her skin.

Max was stunned. He looked afraid to even come near her. Liz hung her head at her tantrum, strands of hair covering her sweaty face.

Max shifted his focus off of her and stared hard into the desert. With his jaw clenched, he spoke quietly. “Is that what you think? That’s why I slept with her?”

Liz flinched and didn’t say anything.

“Let me get this straight. You think that I made the biggest mistake I could have ever made because she was better than you?” His voice was soft, but Liz could hear his shock and building anger running though her. She shook her head, suddenly ashamed that she was putting her anger on him. “No, Max. I didn’t mean that. I’m just upset.”

“Don’t lie to me.” His voice was dangerously soft. He stepped closer. “I can’t stand what I feel from you when you do. You’re lying.”

Liz looked back up at the pod chamber and pushed the hair out of her eyes. “I don’t get it Max. She was like you. Even after all the evil things she did, she was supposed to be the one for you. But I’m the one that loved you. I am the one that loves you still more than anything. And she’s the one that had you. Why do I have to be so different? Why wasn’t I the one?”

Max stepped in closer and grabbed her arms roughly, almost shaking her. The touch of his skin on hers had green sparks running through him but he held on unrelenting. “You listen to me. I love you more than anything. I love you, never her. Don’t you get it? We are the same, you and I. You are more a part of me than I am. There is no me without you. You got that? Whatever differences are between us are only physical. Where it matters…hey,” he tipped her chin to look into her eyes, “Where it counts, we are the same. No one could ever, EVER change that in me. You share every part of me.”

Liz stared into his eyes, tears starting to flow slowly down her cheeks. She could feel his words seeping in. His eyes implored her to believe him, trust everything she could feel in her heart. Liz felt so ashamed that she could let him think that any part of her doubted their love. It wasn’t their love she doubted. She doubted herself. Tess had been the one that had the powers, Max’s so-called destiny. There was nothing that could change that. How could she measure up? The past 2 years had shown her that there were parts of his life that she would never be apart of. His child was one of them. But his eyes and his heart were telling her that she was wrong. His words washed over her and she wanted more than anything to believe them.

Max eased his grip as she thought his words over. He stared hard into her eyes. She was trying to nod, trying to let him know that her heart accepted his words even if her head didn’t, but her uncertainty over herself screamed at him. He stroked a hand to reassure her as realization hit. It always came down to Liz against Tess. There had never been a contest for him, but for her it must have been a constant battle against his alien side. And he had never let her know that she was a part of that side of him as well. That was why she wanted so desperately to control her powers. They were connected to him. He struggled for words to make her understand.

“Liz,” he began more gently, “You are my everything. You’re my past, my future, my family. You are more than I deserve. I am so sorry for making you feel you weren’t good enough. I am so sorry that my mistakes are going to hang over us like this.” He pulled her in closer.

“When she first showed up, when we got closer, it always struck me as wrong that we were supposed to be together. My feeling were her were more familial. I did care about her, before we learned how evil she was. I’m not going to try and lie to you about that.” He told her when she started to pull away. “But I didn’t realize how until after we were…together. When she told me she was pregnant, I wanted to protect my child, not her. I wanted to make sure that she was okay because she was carrying my baby. But I didn’t want us together. I didn’t want us to be a couple. You were the one that I wanted, always. You were the one that I wanted to spend my life with. If I made you think for one second that she was better for me than you I will spend the rest of our lives apologizing for it. I’m not letting you go. You have to believe me.”

“I do.” His touch on her arm soothed her racing heart beat, making the green trails darting through her blood to slow and fade.

“You don’t have to have powers for me to love you.” He told her gently, wiping tears from her cheeks. “Is that what you think? That you need to have powers to measure up to Tess? It’s the other way around. She could never measure up that way to you.”

Liz let the words wash over her, calming her, comforting her. It was more than simply hearing the words coming from his mouth. A mouth could lie. But his eyes, his touch, his heart said more than all the words in the world. She embraced him tightly, burying her face in his chest to breathe him in.

He ran a hand over her hair, relieved when he could feel her acceptance. He knew that things had been rumbling in the shadows between them but had no idea the root of Liz’s anger and fear was her own insecurity over how she compared to Tess. Max shook his head. There was no comparison. Even that night, the night he had given into temptation and changed their lives forever, even that night had been rooted back to Liz. His grief over Alex’s death and the coldness between he and Liz had driven him to go where he had never wanted to go. If only he had been in his right of mind, if only he had seen earlier that Tess wasn’t a part of his family but the enemy, if only he had been able to control himself. Max welcomed the guilt and shame. He deserved it. He had always been a master of control, had needed to be to protect the others and himself. Except when it came to Liz. He lost all control when it came to her, but that was different. But that night he had no control over himself or his desires, and if it was going to cost him his life to make it up to Liz, he would do it.

He pet Liz’s hair again and leaned back to look her in the eyes. “Are we okay?”

Liz rubbed a hand over her tired eyes and blew out a breath. “I love you, you know I do. We are okay. I just need to okay with myself. My heart tells me that I should just let it go, that there is nothing that I can change, but my head isn’t quite there yet.”

“I’m okay with you.” Max said softly. “And your heart has never proven either of us wrong before.”

Liz gave a half smile. “Thanks.” She hugged him again. “I love you so much.”

Max closed his eyes and kissed her forehead. “I think you’ve had enough practice for the day. You want to get out of here?”

Liz nodded and took his hand. “I do want to get this though. These powers are a part of me now. I need to be able to control them.”

“We’ll work on it some more. I promise.” He led her to his car and held her door open. Before she got in, he stopped her. “Liz, you have to know how sorry I am for what I did. I never, ever wanted to hurt you. You have to believe me.”

“I do.” Liz looked over the pod chamber and the colorful rocks that lined the canyon. She held a hand up to his cheek. “I think I finally do.”

TBC


[ edited 1 time(s), last at 23-Mar-2002 5:56:44 PM ]
posted on 24-Mar-2002 9:04:46 PM by SnowWhite22
You guys, I am just speechless right now. Thank you SO MUCH for all the kind words. I know I say that a lot, but there really is no way else for me to say how much I appreciate all your feedback.

2crzy4roswell--a reader saying they are giddy after reading a story is possibly one of the highest compliments you can give an author. Thank you.

Anne- now it is me who has the tears. Thank you so much. I am writing you a "real" letter after I post this! ;)

Just wanted to let everyone know that I am going out of town for a few days so sadly, the new part won't be up until probably next weekend. But no worries. I am so inspired right now that the parts just keep flowing. So you might (MIGHT) even have 2 parts next weekend. I will keep you updated. And again, THANK YOU!!!!

Snow White *happy*
posted on 2-Apr-2002 2:38:37 AM by SnowWhite22
Hi Lizwell and Scottie! Yup, it's me! Same Snow White. So good to see you here. I'm glad you like it.

Okay, so I am a little late with the updates. But I had a busy spring break! So sorry for the delay. Thanks to those that have been checking in on it. The new parts are started and will be up ASAP, I promise!

Snow White
posted on 2-Apr-2002 6:15:00 PM by SnowWhite22
As promised, part 8! This is a sort of sum up piece for some things I left hanging in Part 7. Expect part 9 sometime this week. I've already started it.

Sorry I teased you Anne. LOL! And smile. RL isn't that bad. *happy*

Love
Snow White

Part 8

Max rolled the Chevelle to an easy stop in front of the Crashdown and looked over at Liz. She was pulling on the ends of her hair, her eyes focused intently ahead of her, as he knew her to do when something was on her mind. Their ride back had been quiet, all their words left out in the desert. She would turn to look at him occasionally before turning back to the passing landscape and at one point she had placed her hand over his and squeezed lightly. Max had squeezed back in quiet relief and gratitude.

He turned to her in the car and lightly scratched at her elbow. “What’s up?”

Liz brought the car back into focus. She had zoned out, oblivious to everything swarming around her. One part of their conversation in the desert had been tumbling around in her head. Measure up. At the time she had been too caught up to notice but now it wouldn’t leave her. He had said what she had been thinking and it was too much of a coincidence for her to ignore. It wasn’t just the gist of what she had been thinking. It was the exact phrasing that had her wondering. She turned to study his face and shook her head. “You knew, didn’t you?”

Max took her hand. “Knew what?”

“That I was afraid of how I measured up to Tess.” Liz told him. “I didn’t say anything. You just knew.”

Max shook his head. “You did say something though. You practically screamed it.”

Liz gave a small smile. “But not in those words. Why did you ask me if I was afraid of how I “measured up” to Tess? There were 100 different ways you could have phrased that.”

Max thought about it and shrugged. “I don’t know. It just seemed to fit. That was what was going through my head. Why?”

Liz bit her lip and leaned back against the seat. “It’s just weird. At that exact moment I was thinking it. And then you said it. Isn’t that weird?”

Max moved the car into park and shut off the ignition. “Not so weird. You had pretty much told me what was wrong.”

“But I didn’t say them out loud. You picked up on them and used what I was thinking.” Liz insisted.

Max tugged her across the front seat to his side. “Think I can read your mind?”

Liz glared at him. “I don’t know. What am I thinking now?”

Max closed his eyes in mock concentration. He gasped and his eyes flew open. “Liz Parker! You should be ashamed of yourself. What would your mother think?”

“Shut up!” She shoved him playfully. “I’m serious.”

“I know. Sorry.” He captured her wrists and kissed her palms.

“Maybe its nothing. I could be imagining things. I was pretty upset.” Liz considered.

Max ran his thumb over the insides of her wrists, tracing the easy pulse that beat against his touch. The green lines that had raced through her blood less than an hour before had faded and disappeared. “You want to work on your powers again soon?”

Liz looked up in surprise. “You’ll still work with me after what I said? After I failed?”

Max nodded. “Of course. If you want.”

“I want.” She leaned against him and wrapped her arms around him.

Max gently stroked the ends of her hair. “You didn’t fail, by the way.”

“What do you mean?” She asked.

“Don’t you remember?” Max asked. “Right when you started to get upset you shattered the rock you were going to throw.”

Liz looked at him with a frown on her face. “I did?”

Max nodded. “Right when you were starting to get really angry at yourself. I didn’t say anything then but I think they are connected.”

Liz bit her lip. “I never told you this, but when you called me at school, I melted the phone. I thought it was because I was talking TO you. But I was really nervous about having to talk to you after I left the way I did. What if my anxiety was the reason my powers kicked in, not the actual conversation?”

Max thought of something else. “Didn’t your powers go crazy during your Harvard interview? High stress time.”

“And I blew out the wall when I thought you were dead. I couldn’t open the panel and I started to pound on it. Next thing I knew I had blown it away.” Liz told him.

“Okay, so now we know two things about you.” Max said.

“Two things?” Liz asked.

“One, you have the ability to melt things and to blow them up. Like Michael.” Max pointed out.

“Great.” Liz muttered. “What else?”

“That highly emotional states set them off.” Max tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

Liz looked out the windshield at the Crashdown doors. “So I have get mad or anxious or am grieving to blow things up. Nice.”

Max nudged her lightly. “Hey, not necessarily. That’s what we’ll work on. Now that we know what triggers it, we can work on channeling it.”

Liz didn’t respond but took his hand and kissed his fingers. “I have to go. I think my dad wants me to work the dinner shift.”

“How are things between you two?” Max asked, looking towards the doors.

“Better. I think he really missed me. I missed him too.” She admitted.

Max nodded. “I’ll call you later.” He leaned in to kiss her when a shadow in the Crashdown doorway caught his eye. Kissing her forehead lightly, he looked into her eyes. She glanced behind her at the doorway and nodded. She climbed out as he started the ignition. Blowing him a kiss, she pushed through the glass doors.

Her father sat at the register counting out change. “I thought you two broke up.” He said as she passed by.

Liz stopped directly in front of him. “Dad, don’t.”

“Lizzie,” he sighed. “You were so unhappy before you left. I don’t want that to happen again.”

“Max wasn’t the cause of it. It was me.” She looked out at Max’s Chevelle waiting at the stoplight. “Max makes me happy.”

“Are you sure?” Jeff asked.

“Yes. Very.” Liz told him. “He’s a good man.”

“A man?” Jeff’s eyes widened. “He’s 18.”

“19 in a few weeks.” Liz told him. “That’s not the point. It’s not age that makes a man. You know I’m right.”

Jeff sighed and continued to count out change. Liz looked so calm, so at ease with what she was saying. He knew that she meant every word. It was a drastic change from the volatile young woman he had known last fall who had become enraged whenever he tried to talk to her. It was if she had aged years in the short time she was in Vermont. He suspected that Max had something to do with that. Max had been missing for several days before Liz came back and had mysteriously turned up again when she returned. Jeff didn’t even try and guess where Max had been. He had known that he had gone to Vermont. But seeing Liz back with him was a new surprise. He had been so happy when they had broken up, but now they were back together and Liz seemed to be handling it well. It was hard to believe that his daughter could actually be ready for the type of commitment it seemed she and Max had. He looked into her calm face and felt like taking her in his arms as he had done when she was a child. Instead he pulled out her order book out of the register and handed it to her. “There’s a dinner party coming in at 7. Better get changed.”

Liz took the book and kissed him on the cheek before walking into the back room.

TBC

posted on 4-Apr-2002 2:28:54 AM by SnowWhite22
Cookie, doll, feel free to toss your RL stuff at me anytime! *happy*

Thanks for the bumps, you guys. Part 9 is soon, I swear!
posted on 8-Apr-2002 5:59:18 PM by SnowWhite22
HI all! Here's the new part. Part 10 will be up soon and it is the much anticiapted dinner scene. Expect it soon!
Love
Snow White

Part 9

Jesse loosened his necktie and hung it on the hook in his closet. Isabel sat at her vanity, dabbing perfume lightly on her earlobes. The scent filled the room and Jesse closed his eyes as it weaved around him. It made his mouth water to have her familiar scent so close as it was when she was in his arms. He shook off the thought in irritation. Familiar? Nothing about her was familiar anymore. She was almost a stranger and he wasn’t ready to get to know her yet. The shock of her alien heritage was outweighed by his blindness as to who his wife really was. He had thought that he knew her better than anyone and she him. But to learn of this other side that she had been able to hide so easily proved that he had never known her at all.

The return of Max he had accepted with quiet wonder. It had restored a light in Isabel that Jesse knew had nothing to do with him and that hurt. She and Max had a bond that Jesse had never understood but now attributed to their need for companionship over the years. Isabel had talked to Max multiple times a day since his return and that had fueled her efforts to make peace with him. She had been nothing but polite and compliant towards him, which irritated him to no end. Her behavior baffled him. She wasn’t the woman he had thought he had married. Jesse knew this dinner tonite with her parents was another attempt to show him how normal things still were in their life. But all Jesse could feel was a lie. How was he supposed to sit at the dinner table with her parents, who he respected and trusted, and lie? He shook his head and pulled off his slacks. Isabel turned at her vanity.

“What are you doing?” She asked carefully.

“Changing.” He pulled on a pair of running pants.

Isabel stood and watched him, anxiety and dismay rolling in her gut. “But we are supposed to be at my parents’ house in 20 minutes.”

“Yeah, about that. I’m not going.” Jesse balled his slacks up and tossed them in the hamper.

“But…” Isabel sat on the edge of the bed. “Why? What will I tell my parents?”

“I don’t really feel like socializing, Isabel.” He glanced at her quickly before turning to leave the room. “Tell them whatever the hell you want.”

Isabel stared after him with small tears starting to burn the corners of her eyes. She had done everything she could think of to show him how much she loved him and how sorry she was for lying to him. She had put up with his snide remarks and bit her tongue when he had snapped at her. She had all but begged him on her hands and knees to forgive her. She barely felt like her self anymore. She was a shadow of his wife. When she had thought Max was dead, it had seemed fitting. She hadn’t wanted to feel anything. But now that she knew he was alive, her life seemed to be a mix of light and shadow. While Jesse had been the light in her before that night at Meta-Chem, his attitude towards her now made her feel heavy and dark. But now that Max had a second chance at life, she was determined to take one for herself. She loved Jesse, enough to know that if he couldn’t come to terms with what she was then they had no future. She loved him too much to pretend at who she was. She had never lied about who SHE was. She had always been Isabel and she wasn’t going to stop now.

Isabel grabber her purse and strode into the living room. Jesse sat in a chair, pretending to read the paper. But his eyes were focused on one spot, as if he was staring through the print rather than at it. Isabel stood in front of him and grabbed the paper out of his hand. He looked up startled.

“Don’t say anything. Just listen.” Isabel stared down at him. “I am sick of this, Jesse. I’m sick of walking on eggshells around my husband in my own home. I’m sick of your attitude towards me. I lied to you. I’m sorry. I’ve hated every second of it. I wanted to tell you what I was from the first moment I saw you. That’s never happened to me before. I wanted YOU in my life. And I wouldn’t have had that if you knew what I am. Not who I am. What I am.”
She kneeled in front of him to look him in the eye. “Because you know me. You know how I sleep and what music makes me cry. You know how I eat my toast and what I do before I go to bed. So don’t tell me you don’t know me. Yes, there are things about me that you didn’t know about.”

“Things?” He questioned, staring at her hard. “Isabel. You aren’t even human. Do you know how hard that is for me to even comprehend? You aren’t HUMAN.”

“I am human!” She shot back. “We can be killed, we can be hurt, we have emotion, we are built the same way you are. I’m just more advanced.”

“But you didn’t tell me.” He tore away from her stare to stare hard out the window. “I’m your husband. And you didn’t tell me.”

“Not because I didn’t want you to know.” She insisted. “But because I was afraid of just THIS happening.”

She took his hand and was relieved when he didn’t pull it away. “Don’t you see how dangerous it is for you know this about me? What has happened to people because of what Max, Michael and I are? People have been hurt, their lives ruined because of what we are. Alex died because of it and I barely survived that. If I ever put you in danger because of what I am, I wouldn’t be able to handle it. I was trying to protect you.”

“Protect me.” He muttered.

“Yes. Protect you.” She stood and picked up her purse. “I can’t make you forgive me. I don’t even have to right to ask you. But I’m going to anyway. Because I can’t go on living like this. I can’t change what I did. Neither can you. So either figure out whether you love me or if you lived what you thought I was. Figure out if the love you swore was forever is outweighed by a mistake I made and will always regret. Or we have no future.” With that she strode out of the apartment and slammed the door.

Jesse waited until her car pulled out of the drive to bury his face in his hands.

* * * * *

Isabel pulled her car into the Evans’ driveway and flipped down the visor to fix her lip gloss. She had chewed it off on her way over. She stared hard at her reflection. Everything she had just said to Jesse played over and over in her mind. It had felt good to get all that off her chest, but now she was having doubts. Jesse hadn’t flinched, hadn’t moved during her speech. He had just looked out the window with the same empty stare he had been giving for days. What id she had made it worse? What if he now realized that he didn’t want to be with her? She would lose him. “Oh, God.” She murmured to herself. “What have I done?”

Her hand moved back to the gear stick to slam it in reverse. Pulling the car out of the drive, she slammed on the breaks as Max and Liz came up behind the car, holding hands. Max stared at her inquisitively. He came around to the driver’s side and pulled open the door. “You okay? Where are you going?”

Isabel stared up at him, her fingers digging into the vinyl of the gear stick. She forced her self to loosen her grip and slipped the gear into park. She gave him a wide smile. “I’m fine. I’m not going anywhere.”

Max looked skeptical. “Where’s Jesse?”

Isabel stared up at him, her smile faltering. “He’s…uh…”

Max nodded and took her hand. “I’m sorry.”

Isabel took a deep breath and climbed out of the car. “What can I expect? He’s going to leave me, Max. I know it.”

Max embraced her and Isabel clung to him, fighting the urge to just scream out. Max patted her back. “It’ll be okay, Is. Really. Can you deal with Mom and Dad tonite?”

Isabel buried her face in his shoulder. “I have to. I wouldn’t be able to face myself if I didn’t act normal.”

Max took her hand and held another hand out for Liz. “Okay. Let’s go.” He smiled down at Liz. “Brace yourself.”

TBC

posted on 12-Apr-2002 12:49:28 AM by SnowWhite22
Hi all!

I LOVE that you have been bumping for me. I am so flattered! Thanks to those who have been checking in. I really appreciate it!

Please give me lotsa feedback on this one. I want to know if it plays out okay.

Love
Snow White

Part 10

Diane Evans stirred the crock-pot with vigor. A look at the face clock above the stove had her wiping her hands on a dingy dishtowel and setting out placemats. Max, Liz, and Isabel walked in still holding hands. The smell emanating from the bubbling pot had Isabel stepping back with a grimace and Max looking at Liz sympathetically. Diane spotted them hovering the doorway and stopped short.

“Oh you’re here!” She hid her nervous hands behind her back. “Come in. Liz, honey, let me take your coat. It’s so good to see you. Can I get you a drink? Max, are you still wearing those old jeans? You should toss those out. We’ll go get new ones. We’re just waiting for your father. He had to work late. Izzy, where’s Jesse? I hope you all like bean-zucchini casserole. It’s something new…”

“Mom! Mom! Breathe!” Isabel interrupted.

Diane took in a deep breath comically, causing Max to crack a smile. After kissing his mother on the cheek, he led Liz into the living room and settled on to the couch with her. It felt odd to be there, sitting on the couch like a visitor, eating saltines with wedge slices of cheddar off the guest platter. When his mother came in with a tray of iced teas, Max was hit with an overwhelming wave of regret. His mother thought of him as a guest; his father regarded him as a stranger. How had he gotten here?

Liz caught his eye and smiled, squeezing his hand lightly. Max smiled back and squeezed back. She was the constant force in his life, his stability. He fidgeted with her small fingers. At least she knew him. Everything they had been through proved that to him.

Philip Evan walked in, loosening his tie and carrying his briefcase. Max and Liz rose off the couch. Max stood on unsteady ground, unsure of what to do. He hadn’t been in close contact with his father since their fishing trip. They had been around each other, but had avoided actual conversation. Even Christmas had been a quiet affair. Max had spent some of the day with Samuel and his family and the rest with Liz. Now they would be forced to talk and Max was unsure what they had to say to one another.

Philip approached tentatively. “Liz, welcome. Max.” He held out a hand. Max looked at it for a moment, then shook his father’s cool hand. Liz looked on uncomfortably. Max cleared his throat. “How are you?”

Philip dropped his hand and shrugged. “Fine. Things are fine.”

“Good.” Max nodded. “Me too.”

Liz was about to speak up when Isabel came in from the kitchen and hugged her father. He hugged her tightly, never breaking eye contact with Max. Max shook off his father’s stare in silence. Why did he feel his father could see everything he had hidden so carefully spelled out plainly on his face? Max looked down at Liz and she took his hand.

Diane called out from the kitchen for dinner and the group started walking in slowly. Liz pulled Max back and let Philip and Isabel walk in the other room first.

“Are you okay?” She asked, soothing the lines that had built up over his eyes away with her thumb.

Max shrugged. “This is just how it is with us now. He’s not willing to bend at all.”

“It doesn’t have to be, Max.” Liz pointed out. “You could tell him. Tonite would be a good night to do it.”

“No.” Max shook his head and looked towards the door to make sure no one could hear them. “No way. There’s too much at stake.”

Liz sighed and nodded. The determined clench in his jaw told her that arguing about it would be pointless. She just wished he could see how much he needed his family the way she could see it. “Okay. Let’s just try and get through dinner peacefully, okay?”

Max smiled softly down at her. “You haven’t tried the bean zucchini casserole yet.”

Liz paled.

* * * * *

Liz had always liked the Evans’ kitchen. It was a bright room with light from the windows streaming in and warm colors accenting the walls. It amazed her, then, that such a warm family oriented area could turn so cold. Isabel and her mother did their best to make up for conversation. The absence of Jesse was glaringly obvious. The way Isabel pushed her food around her plate spoke louder than the half-hearted excuse she had come up with for his absence. Max and Philip spoke only when asked a question. Liz had her ankle wrapped around Max’s and every once in a while would rub her toes against his leg. He would reach under the table and squeeze her leg before going back to scowling into his food.

Diane cleared her throat loudly. “Liz, honey, would you like some more casserole?”

“Oh.” Liz swallowed the last bit in her mouth and tried to control her grimace. “Thank you, Mrs. Evans.”

Max stuck his tongue in his cheek as Diane heaped more on Liz’s plate. When Diane’s back was turned, he quietly cupped his hand over Liz’s plate. When he took his hand away, Liz tried a bite and looked at him gratefully.

“So, Liz.” Philip asked. “What are your plans next year?”

“Umm…Harvard? Except, I kinda blew it on my last interview, so I don’t know what my chances are.” She told him.

“Harvard. Good. That’s very good. You know, an old college buddy of mine is in the law department there. I’m sure he has some connections. Let me see what I can do for you.” Philip picked up his wine glass and took a deep sip.

“You don’t have to do that.” Liz insisted.

“No problem. We know you pretty well. I’d be happy to help out.” Philip shrugged off her objections.

“Well, thank you.” Liz looked towards Max before turning back to Philip. “That would be wonderful.”

“Well, its just good to see that you have clear set goals ahead of you. It will help you from getting off track later on down the road. It’s such a shame when things like that happen.” Philip glanced at Max. “I’d hate to see something like that happen to you, Liz.”

“Oh, well, thank you, Mr. Evans.” Liz looked down at her plate.

“So many things can lead you down the wrong path, you know, Liz. One day you’re doing your homework, planning for things like college. Next thing you know, you are defying your parents and committing felonies.” Philip picked at his casserole. Liz bit her lip.

Max gripped her hand and glared at his father. “Liz isn’t like that, Dad.”

“Oh, I know. I was just saying for an example. A plan for college will help her stay away things like that. Away from those situations that could damage her future.”

“Dad, leave her alone.” Max growled.

“What, Max?” Philip asked. “It’s good that you have chosen a girl this time who isn’t going to get herself in trouble. Or you.”

“Philip, I think you are embarrassing Liz.” Diane smiled at Liz.

Isabel broke in. “Liz is a great student, Dad. She’s at the top of their class.”

“Thank you, Isabel.” Liz mumbled.

“I’m sorry, Liz.” Philip kept his gaze on Max. “I didn’t mean to embarrass you. I just wanted to say how happy I am that you and Max have made such a fine couple. Especially after everything that happened this past year.”

Liz glanced at Max. Max was staring at his father with an unreadable expression on his face. Liz squeezed his hand under the table. Let it go, she thought. Just let it go.

Max looked down at her and shook his head. “Do you have something to say to me? Am I the “situation?” Because I know you aren’t talking about Liz here.” He asked his father.

Philip cocked his head and reached for the rolls. “What am I talking about then, Max?”

“Stop playing this game. You are trying to get something out of me. It’s not going to work. How can you do that to Liz? You don’t know anything about this past year. ” Max shot back.

“Max!” Isabel interrupted.

“Get something out of you?” Philip asked with wonder in his voice. “I’ve been trying to get something OUT of you for the past year and a half. Why would it work tonite? Because this is the first night you have sat down with your family in months? Because Liz is here?” His voice rose at the last bit. “No, Max, I’m not trying to get anything out of you. Why would I bother?”

“Philip, stop this. We have a guest.” Diane nodded towards Liz, who was trying to clutch Max’s hand and disappear in her chair at the same time.

“You wonder why I don’t want to sit down with you. Every time I come around it’s like the inquisition. What is it you want from me?” Max’s voice matched Philip’s.

“If everything you said to me wasn’t a lie, maybe we could have a normal conversation. But you haven’t told me the truth about anything in a long time. Isn’t that right, Max?” Philip dropped his fork and matched his son’s eye.

“Philip, you promised you wouldn’t do this.” Diane pleaded.

“What is it you think I have to tell you?” Max stood up and yelled. “I don’t owe you anything. What is so awful about me that you can’t even look at me anymore without questions? I’m your son, damnit!”

“You’re not my son!” Philip stood up, knocking his chair back. “My son, my real son, would never treat me or his mother with the blatant disrespect you do. I don’t know who the hell you are, but you are not my son!”

Max reared back as if Philip had reached across the table and hit him. Isabel held a hand to her mouth to keep from crying out. Max stumbled away from the table. “I knew this was a mistake. I never should have come here. You will never see me at this table again.” He strode out the front door and slammed it behind him.

The crashing of the china on display from the wall’s vibrations had Diane finally sobbing out. Philip turned and said with dead calm in his voice. “He is not allowed back in here until I get some answers.” With that he stalked out of the room.

Liz sat back in shock as Isabel comforted her mother. Pushing her chair back, she said the first thing she could think of. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” Grabbing her jacket, she ran out the door after Max.

TBC



posted on 15-Apr-2002 3:13:51 PM by SnowWhite22
Hi all! :wave:
Thanks for the outstanding feedback. You have no idea how much I appreciate all the kind words. I love you all! I'm just grinning so big right now.

The new part was finished quicker than I anticipated. I hope y'all like it. This is really turning into the Max/Liz and isabel show. Probably because I think the isabel angle needs to be explored more thoroughly on the show. In any case, let me know what ya think!
love
Snow


Part 11

Liz ran out the front walkway as fast as she could. Max was already at the car. He yanked his car door open and got inside, slamming the door so that the car shook. Liz slowed and waited. He didn't even look at her. He sat in the car seat, his eyes focused full of rage at the house. His hands gripped the wheel so that his knuckles were turning white. Suddenly, he let loose on the car's dash, pounding repeatedly on the vinyl, rocking the car with his fury. Liz let out a little cry and rushed forward. "Max! Stop!"

He let out a quick explenitive and gripped the wheel harder. Liz came up to the driver's side and opened the door. "Stop." She said quietly.

Max clenched his jaw and looked up at her. Liz felt her heart crack at the expression in his eye. She nodded and put a hand on his head. Max blew out a shaky breath and turned to bring her in closer to him. He leaned his head against her, burying his face in her stomach as she stood above him. Wrapping his arms around her, he let out another breath against her cotton shirt. Her belly warmed from his breath and Liz wrapped her arms around his head. "Shhh." She whispered. "It's going to be okay." She stroked his hair lightly. "It's going to be okay."

Max wanted to surrender everything raging in his gut to her touch. Just having her close enough to smell cooled the fire clenched in his chest. With her arms around him, all the anger and fury that he had embraced just seconds before seemed useless. He lifted her shirt and kissed her belly button lightly. "Thank you." He murmured.

She didn't respond. Crouching down to look him in the eye, she leaned against the car door frame. "Are you okay?"

Max cast his eyes to focus on the ends of her hair. Teasing them lightly, he nodded stiffly. "I just want to get out of here, okay? I should take you home."

Liz brushed his hand off her hair and made him look her in the eye. "No. I want to be with you."

Max held her gaze for second before nodding. "Get in."

* * * * *

Isabel watched in silence out the front window as Max and Liz drove off. In the back of her mind she could hear her mother's sniffles and wanted to be able to reach out and really comfort. But any comfort she gave would be superficial. It wouldn't do anything towards solving the real issue.

Isabel looked down at her wedding ring. Pulling at it, she worked it off her finger and slipped it into her pocket. It felt heavy, weighing her body down. She wiped at the tear building in the corner of her eye and turned back to her mother. "Mom. Don't cry. We'll be okay." The words felt bitter coming from her mouth. Philip's angry words played over in her head. "You are not my son." Isabel wondered if it was possible for a person to hit rock bottom and still keeping falling. That is what she felt like, as if there was no bottom to how much could go wrong at one time.

Philip walking into the living room had Isabel spinning around. He glanced at her solemnly. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but then shut it again quickly. Isabel stared at him coldly and picked up her purse. "I was just leaving."

Philip looked at her with a confused expression on his face. As she brushed by him, he grabbed her arm. "Honey, why are you leaving?"

"Why am I leaving?" It was Isabel's turn to be confused. "You don't want me here."

Philip looked stunned. Diane looked up suddenly. "What are you talking about, Isabel? This is your home."

"But not Max's?" Isabel turned to stare at her father in regret.

"Of course not. This is Max's home too. This is ridiculous!" Diane finally exploded. "We love you and Max. Right, Philip?"

Philip nodded in silence.

"But we're not even your real kids." Isabel bit back angrily. "You said it yourself."

Diane stood up and took her arms. "You are my daughter. Max is my son. Nothing is ever going to ever change that. Ever! Do not ever let me hear you say anything like that again. You are mine."

Philip sank down on to the couch. "I really screwed this up, didn't I? Isabel, sit down."

Isabel looked at her mother for a moment and then stiffly took the closest chair. Philip moved closer to her and took her cool hands. Taking a deep breath, he looked her in the eye. “Isabel, I spoke out in anger. Now that I’ve had time to calm down, I realize what I said didn’t come out the way I meant it. I’m so sorry for the way it sounded.”

Isabel nodded slowly and waited for him to continue.

“Max has changed so much over the past year. He has become…” Philip looked to Diane for support, “a stranger. I know he is hiding something and it is killing him. He isn’t the Max that we raised. He isn’t the son I thought I knew. That’s what I meant. I didn’t mean that he isn’t my son. He’s not the Max I thought we knew. I love you and Max. You are both my children. I am always going to be here for you and am always going to want you in my life.”

Isabel sat back, considering. She wanted to believe more than anything that her family was still there for her. But she had thought Jesse would always be by her side as well. She looked at her father; his eyes steady on her. She gave a small smile and squeezed her father’s hand. He smiled at her and hugged her to him. She leaned her head on his shoulder, shutting her eyes to the tears building up inside her and they burned inside her lids.

* * * * *

Max pulled the Chevelle through the grove of trees in Frazier Woods and slowed to a stop overlooking Roswell. The lookout point made Roswell look peaceful and serene, a far cry from the chaos going on in their lives. Max shut the engine off and absently flicked the radio on with his powers. Liz took his hand and held it in her lap. He looked up at the darkened night sky solemnly, his eyes streaking the sky as if searching for an answer. He pulled Liz over to his side and she nestled her head against his shoulder.

Max finally spoke quietly. “When I first moved out I used to come out here and spend the night. It was warm enough that I could have the top down and I would fall asleep still looking up at the sky. I destroyed everything yet again. I had put you in danger, I had moved out of the only home I had ever known, I had lost my son. I would come out here and search the sky for some recognition. I thought if I looked hard enough and tried long enough I would finally see something looked like a home to me. But all I could see was countless stars that all looked the same.”

She wrapped one arm around him and started to stroke lightly through his shirt. He looked down at her and pulled a strand of her hair out of her face.

“It’s only when I’m looking at you, Liz, that I feel like I have a place. It’s only when I’m with you, can touch you that I feel like I can breathe. I’m at home with you.”

She moved against him, letting his words seep into her. She remembered the dull pain in his eye when his father had turned against him. “What about your parents, Max? They love you.”

He blew out a sigh and leaned his head back. “I never used to even question that. But now, with everything he has said, I can’t believe it anymore. He said I wasn’t his son. He couldn’t even sit down with me.”

“And what about you?” She asked softly. “Did you want to sit down with him?”

“I thought I did. But now I think it was just a big mistake to think we could ever work things out.” He closed his eyes.

“Max.” She got up on her knees to look him in the face. “He was upset. So were you. You both said things you didn’t mean.”

“See, that’s just it, Liz. He had made up his mind before we had even walked in.” Max sat up straighter. “He isn’t willing to let any of it go.”

Liz nodded slowly and took his hand again. “I hope you know how lucky you are.”

“What do you mean?” Max asked.

“He loves you that much. We both know your father. He isn’t the type to fly off the handle like that. This rift between the two of you is killing him. It’s killing you too.” She pointed out.

Max stared deep into her eyes for a few breathless moments. Her soothing hands on his echoed her words. He shook his head in disbelief. “Every time I think I know what it is to love, you just blow me away. How do you do that?”

She smiled and leaned in to kiss him. He kissed her slowly, his touch gliding softly over her skin. She softened against him, letting his scent envelope her. She nestled against him as their kiss deepened. Max lifted her to sit on his lap. She straddled his body and his arms came around her to cradle. As the deep flash rocked her body, they moaned quietly together, electricity flowing between them. She gave into it, letting the visions and sensations sweep her away. He held onto her, his mouth never leaving hers. Moving them together, he lay her down in the front seat and moved over her, their bodies molding together as the night sky darkened around them.

* * * * *

She watched from the rocks above them with a mixture of amusement and jealousy, covered in shadows. The amusement had come first, followed by a deeper jealousy that was innate as her genetic makeup. She had given up foolish notions of a fairy tale ending a long time ago, but the desire for him still stirred deep inside her. She pushed it back and crept higher to get a better vantage point. She was past jealousy by now. It almost made her pity them. She had been made to be with this man. She had been engineered to be a part of his life. And still he chose this girl. He chose love. It was a shock to her that their kind was even capable of love, but the others had surrendered to it. Why was it the others had been able to ignore the way they were structured? She wondered as she yawned if those two had been together in the true sense of the word. She smirked at the thought. If they had, they wouldn’t be for much longer.

A plan began to form in her mind. There were a few cards she had yet to show the people of Roswell.

TBC


[ edited 1 time(s), last at 16-Apr-2002 1:47:19 AM ]
posted on 16-Apr-2002 1:50:21 AM by SnowWhite22
I forgot to say a special hello to Lizwell, Scottie, and woodwinds and everyone else that I forgot. I love you guys. Thanks for the support!

snow
posted on 17-Apr-2002 3:05:04 PM by SnowWhite22
Haha! Surprise update! I didn't think I'd have this part done so fast. Feedback. Feedback, please! *happy*

You guys overwhelm me with your support. I appreciate it more than I can say.

Acidwit--LOL...it's okay to like Isabel. Really! I won't tell. *happy*

Love
Snow


Part 12

Isabel unlocked the door to a dark, silent apartment. Opening the front closer door, she was startled to see it empty except for her coats. Jesse’s jackets, his things were gone. Isabel let out a small cry and let her coat slip off of her and tumble to the ground in defeat. “No,” she whispered, “Please, no.” She leaned heavily against the doorframe before crumpling to the ground. The tears came softly at first, but soon began to streak her cheeks steadily. “No.” She whispered over.

Strong hands came around to cradle her. Isabel looked up into Jesse’s dark eyes. She threw her arms around him to make sure he was real. Jesse tucked her head against him and swallowed hard.

“I thought you were gone.” She whispered. “I thought you had left me.”

He blew out a heavy breath and helped her to her feet. Isabel saw the suitcase behind him and looked up for an explanation. Jesse led her over to the couch and sat down.

“I was going to leave,” he started quietly. “I had my things in the car. But I couldn’t do it. I just kept looking at my wedding ring and I couldn’t start the car.” He got up to pace in front of her. “I still don’t know how to deal with this, Isabel. But I love you. I know that. If I didn’t I wouldn’t have had any problem leaving. But I can’t just forget.”

She nodded and waited for him to continue. She had to bit her lip to keep from jumping up to hug him to her. She knew he wasn’t ready for that yet.

“So, what I say is…” Jesse knelt down to crouch in front of her. “We are going to start over. From the beginning.’

Isabel looked confused. “You want to start over. You don’t want to be married?”

Jesse looked down to study the carpet. “I don’t know. I haven’t thought that far ahead. I just know that I am not going to leave. Okay? That’s all I can give you right now. I’m not going to leave.”

Isabel dug her hands into the couch. “Okay.” She said at last. She looked into his eyes. “Can I hug you?” she asked with a small smile.

He broke out into an unwilling grin. “Yeah, that’s okay.”

She dove into his arms and nearly knocked them both to the ground. He chuckled gruffly and let his hand pet over her hair.

* * *

Later, in bed, Isabel looked at her wedding finger, which felt incomplete. Creeping quietly out of bed, she dug into the pocket of her pants and slipped the ring back over her knuckle. Settling back into bed, she moved slowly so that she didn’t disturb Jesse, who was facing the opposite wall. It was the first nite they had shared a bed together since the nite he had found out the truth about her and she didn’t want anything to disturb it. Lying on her back, her eyes focused on the ceiling. It seemed unreal that he was this close to her. She knew they had a lot more to work on and it would be a long time before they were back to fully being husband and wife, but tonite they had taken the first steps.

The dinner scene played over in her mind. The relationship between Max and their father had deteriorated so much because of lies. And she had gone along with it. She knew that the rift between them was only going to get worse until someone told the truth. Isabel looked over at Jesse, who had moved in his sleep. His hand had been cast over her body and she sighed softly. He hadn’t run, as she had expected him to. He wanted her still in his life. She had wanted to tell him for so long but had been afraid of his reactions. All the years of being afraid had taken their toll on her. Now that he knew, she knew there were only two other people in the world she wanted to know more than anything. Her parents. They needed to know the truth.

* * * * *

Max sped through the streets of Roswell. Liz clung to the car door to avoid being thrown against him and held back a grin at his determined face. At least she could blame her rustled hair to the wind from the topless Chevelle as opposed to the truth. Max’s fingers had destroyed the tight ponytail she had at the beginning of the nite. They had been completely absorbed in one another, blocking out the world around them as Roswell lay peaceful at their feet. Until Liz had glanced at her cell phone and realized she was about to break curfew. They had broken almost every traffic law to get back into town, but when Max skid to a stop a block down from the Crashdown, Liz was able to breathe a sigh of relief.

She checked her phone again. “Four minutes to spare. Not bad.”

“Thanks.” Max grinned. He checked the darkened streets carefully. The streets of Roswell appeared to be deserted, still, as if the town was holding its breath. Max turned back to Liz. “I don’t want your dad to see me drop you off.”

Liz put on her jacket. “He saw you drop me off yesterday.”

Max moved closer. “He didn’t see me ravage you good night.”

Liz smiled as Max pulled her in. She drank his touch in. Her blood warmed with it. She tilted her head to take his lips more fully. The pressure inside her built, a sensation she had come to crave as the start of another flash. But before it could crash inside her, sending her to new heights, an icy stab shot through her entire body. Liz jerked with it, her eyes catching his in surprise.

“What…” Max was breathless. “…what was that?” He had her face in his hands, her mouth hovering lightly over his.

“You felt that?” She whispered.

“I felt it from you. It was weird.” He rubbed a thumb over her lips. “Like a shock or something.”

“Yeah.” She licked her lips as she focused on his mouth again, her hands clinging to his shirt. Whatever it had been had been instantaneous and was now gone. It had been nothing.

Max murmured against her lips. “You’re right. Nothing. Better forget about it.”

“I didn’t say anything.” She kissed his jaw line.

“Oh.” Max took her mouth again, suddenly hungry for her. He groaned when her cell phone chirped out an alarm. He broke off reluctantly. “You have to go.”

“Not yet. Let’s just stay out here for a little bit longer. Like till dawn.” She whispered.

He smiled and smoothed her hair. “There’s going to be a time when we don’t have to say good-bye to each other at the end of the nite.”

She kissed his lips softly.

He caught her hand. “And the first time we make love, there’ll be no force on heaven or earth that could keep me from holding you all nite. I promise.”

Her heart did a small leap before skipping heavily back to a normal pace. “I love you.” She whispered as she let herself out.

Max slipped the car into gear. “I love you too.”

Liz watched him round the corner with her arms wrapped around her. The street was silent again as she headed down the block towards the Crashdown. She felt cold now, from the inside, without him next to her. But it wasn’t just cold, she mused silently. She felt uneasy, like when someone was watching you from behind. The closer she got to the Crashdown doors, the stronger it got. A sudden spark running cool through her had her spinning to scan the street. Looking at her fingertips, Liz’s eyes flew open in shock. Green lines ran through her hands. “Okay, Liz, calm down.” She took a few breaths. “He’s been gone 30 seconds. What is your problem?” Even as she said it, she knew that wasn’t it. It wasn’t the absence of Max. It was the presence of something else. Something more…ominous. She checked over her shoulder again as she got closer to the Crashdown patio. As her eyes focused, surprise ran through her.

A figure sat with their back turned to Liz at one of the outside tables. A heavy sweatshirt hood covered their head. Liz approached slowly, hiding her hands behind her back. “Can I…help you?”

The figure turned slowly and faced Liz. Liz stumbled back and threw up her hands. “What are you doing here??”

TBC



posted on 21-Apr-2002 11:06:05 PM by SnowWhite22
Thanks for all the bumps and feedback. Sadly, I have to keep you hanging a little longer. You know how real life gets. I SWEAR on a new update no later than Thursday. With any luck (and some speedy work on my part) it will be up before that. Keep checking in. Sorry it is going to take me so long. But hey! At least we have a new ep to keep us occupied.

I have a question. Is everyone enjoying the Jesse/Isabel storyline? is it too much? Not enough? Is there another story line (besides Max and Liz) that you would like me to address? I set out writing this one to address some of the issues on the show that always seem to get lost along the way. So if there is anything you think belongs in here, please, let me know. Thanks again for all the amazing support.

Love
Snow
posted on 23-Apr-2002 9:39:36 PM by SnowWhite22
TADA! Done before I thought. Enjoy!

Part 13

Liz kept her hands out as a blockade, slight sparks jetting out. The person rose slowly from the patio chair and backed up slightly. Liz steadied her feet. "What are you doing here?" She asked again.

"I needed your help." She whispered inaudibly.

Liz leaned forward, her hands braced. Green lines raced through her limbs, causing her to tremble. That face, just to see that face again. Liz knew the tremors throughout her body weren't only from her powers. She had waited for this moment, to see that face again and see what her reaction would be. Memories surfaced with an anger Liz didn't know she possessed. It coursed through her, thick and fresh. She felt it break out on her skin, giving her new determination. She crept forward, no longer poised for defense. She prowled now. "Tess. You're back."

She bit her lip as Liz came forward, her hands gripped in tight balls at her sides. Liz was almost on top of her when she started shaking her head, almost violently. “Nah, Liz. Nah. It’s me.” The New York accent came out strong and Liz stopped short. More memories bombarded her, ones of her in New York and the crashing sound of lightening. She remembered the vulnerable girl she had found behind the Crashdown dumpster. “Ava?” Liz backed up a step and kept her hands up. Suddenly, she felt ridiculous. She didn’t even know how to control her powers. What would she have done? “Ava?”

“Yeah.” Came the harsh reply. She straightened her back and stood to face Liz square on. “Geez, Liz, what the hell ya doin’?”

“I just…” Liz trailed off and shook her head. The pink and black hair was gone. Now it was shoulder length and blonde. Her piercings were gone. Like Tess. So much like Tess. Liz had to look away to get her mind around the fact that it was Ava in front of her. She closed her eyes and fought back the naseau threatening to take over. “What are you doing here?”

“I needed to come back here.” Ava pulled out a chair and flopped into it. “I didn’t think I’d get attacked.”

“Oh. Sorry. I thought you were someone else.” Liz dropped her hands behind her back. “You changed your uh...hair. You just look like someone else.” She muttered.

“You thought I was Tess.” Ava smirked.

Liz stayed where she was until she could get her bearings. It must have been the shock of seeing Ava look so much like Tess that had thrown her out of whack. All she could think of was the way Ava had walked off into the nite after telling her that she was now "different." The way Ava had always called her cornball. The way she feared Rath and Lonnie. Ava hadn't been a threat. Liz struggled to get her heartbeat down. It pulsed fierce inside her and she knew without looking that her powers were spiking. The street swirled in front of her, making the lights hurt her eyes. She crouched down put her head between her knees.

Ava got up to help. "Hey, Hey! You sick or somethin'? Whatsa matter?"

"Nothing. I'm fine." Liz took in deep breaths before flipping her hair back and sitting up straight. "You just gave me a shock."

"You look sick." Ava sat back unconvinced.

"I'm fine." Liz sat stiffly in a patio chair. "Why are you here?" She couldn't keep the harsh tone out of her voice.

Ava shifted and pushed her hair back. "Look, I found out some stuff that you's guys gotta hear bout. I've been doin' some travelin'. Can you get everyone here?"

"Why did you come to me?" Liz eyed Ava's dusty pack and holy sweatshirt. She wasn't carrying more than Liz did every day to school.

Ava looked down at the table. "You were always nice to me." She pushed back from the table, scraping the chair loudly against the pavement. "Look, I can just go. I'll find Zan, I mean, Max. Sorry to bug ya."

"No, Ava." Liz stood up when a light coming on upstairs caught her eye. Her dad. "Look, its late. Just stay here. Can what you have to say wait until tomorrow?"

Ava bit her lip. "Yeah, I guess. You still got that smelly couch?"

Liz stopped short and frowned. "It's not smelly."

"Whateva." Ava let Liz hold the doors open for her.

* * * * *

Max answered his phone on the first ring and lay back against the couch. "Hey." he smiled softly. "What's up?"

"Max, Ava is back." Liz's voice came out in an anxious whisper.

"Wait, what?" Max sat up, switching ears with the phone.

"Ava's back." Liz checked over her shoulder to make sure that Ava or her parent's weren't in the hallway. "She showed up at my house tonite after you dropped me off."

"Where is she now?" Max grabbed his keys.

"On the couch downstairs." Liz told him.

"I'll be right there."

"Max, no. What are you going to do? My parents already know she is here. My dad was waiting for me to come in and she was with me. They think she's Tess." Liz whispered.

"I'm going to come get her. I don't want her there with you alone." Max growled.

"I'll be fine. She's not dangerous. I got to know her last year when you were in New York. Don't worry. I'll be fine." Liz peeked down the staircase to see Ava curled up with an old quilt, her eyes closed. Liz shuddered slightly and moved back into her room.

Max stayed quiet for a second. There was no way he was going to let Liz stay there by herself. "What's she doing here?"

"I don't know. She said she had something to tell all of us." Liz sank onto her bed. "We can meet here before school tomorrow. All of us. We can't let her go out in public. Everyone thinks Tess is gone. It's bad enough my parents already know. We can't let the rest of the town know."

Max grabbed his jacket and headed out the front door. "Are you sure about this?"

"Yeah." Liz nodded. "I'm fine."

"Okay, then I'll see you in the morning. Be careful." Max waited until he had hung up the phone before starting the Chevelle.

* * * * *

Ava waited until she heard Liz's door close before opening her eyes. Creeping towards the stairs, she watched Liz's bedroom light go out and smiled.

TBC







posted on 24-Apr-2002 12:39:14 AM by SnowWhite22
2crazyforRoswell: of course we'll forgive you! I'm just glad that you're back! *happy* I don't blame you at all for letting real life take the front seat for a while. trust me. I know how that is.

All of your questions will be answered. *happy* Just not right now. LOL

The basketball game pre-empted Roswell for me tonite. So I haven't seen the new ep. But I will this Sunday!

Snow
posted on 26-Apr-2002 11:20:03 PM by SnowWhite22
LOL...you guys are killing me. LOL

I just wanted to let everyone know that the new part should be up by tomorrow nite. Its all written out, just gotta post it. So look for it tomorrow. Thanks for all the bumps. *big*

Love
Snow
posted on 27-Apr-2002 5:28:14 PM by SnowWhite22
Hope you like the new part. I didn't have the benefit of a spell check or an edting function on this one, so if there are any typos, I apologize!

Enjoy!

Part 14

Liz lay in her bed quietly, focusing on the ceiling. She wondered if everything that had happened last nite had been a weird dream. The dinner at Max's parents' house, the fight, Ava. It seemed to surreal to be reality to her. When she was in Vermont everything alien related had seemed so distant. Until her powers had returned. Now it was glaring in her face again. Suddenly, she didn't want to run anymore. She knew that this was her life, for better, for worse. She and Max would be together. But first they had to deal with a few things. Like a certain blond surprise downstairs.

Liz ducked out the window of her bedroom to check the street. Max's Chevelle had pulled up about 10 minutes after they had hung up the phone the nite before. She had considered calling him on his cell to tell him to go home, that she would be fine, but had somehow known it wouldn't do any good. She could feel him all nite with her, as if he was actually standing over her. It had made her warm to know that he loved her that much.

She could see him stretched out with his hands behind his head. His head came up a bit when her head popped out her window and she waved to let him know she was awake. He gave a half wave back and sat up straighter. She ducked back in to get dressed.

Ava was sitting slouched over a stool at the Crashdown counter when Liz came downstairs. Liz nodded to her silently and ducked behind the counter. "Do you want some...uh...juice or something?"

"Yeh. And some toast." Ava sat up straighter. "When they gettin' here?"

"Soon." Liz popped some slices of bread into the toaster. "Look, we have got to make some arrangements."

"Whaddya mean?" Ava looked skeptical.

"My parents think you're Tess. So you have to act like Tess when they are around." Liz bit back quisiness at the thought of Tess staying at her house, then felt ashamed. Ava had been through so much at the hands of those around her. Like Tess, she was alone amongst those that were supposed to be her family. Liz closed her eyes and racked her head for what it was she had been focusing on. "And you can't leave the house without one of us. Not my parents. I mean like me or Max or one of the others. Everyone here thinks Tess is gone. Its going to be too hard to explain how she can be back."

"Back? Where'd she go?" Ava asked.

"Oh God." Liz turned back to her. "You don't know what's been going on since you left."

"Nah." Ava shrugged.

Liz opened her mouth to explain when Max burst through the Crashdown doors. He stopped short of the counter, thrown by Ava. He stood uncomfortably still by her stool, his eyes roaming over her features. She gave him a wierd look and then smiled up at him. "Whaddya starin' at?"

"Max!" Liz caught his gaze and came around the counter. "I was just telling Ava about how things are going to be around here."

Max shook himself and nodded stiffly. "What are you doing here, Ava?"

She lost her smile. "I just found out some stuff you's need to know 'bout."

Max nodded again. He reached for Liz and pulled her towards him. Ava looked at them a second before turning back to her juice. Max pulled Liz into the backroom. "I don't like it."

"What, Max? It's Ava. She's stayed with me before. We got along fine." Even as Liz was saying the words she knew she was only putting up a face that Max could see through. She didn't like it either. It felt wrong, in her bones. Liz pushed back the feeling and stared up at Max.

He was shaking his head. "I know you're not okay with this."

"It's just because she looks like Tess." Liz put a hand to her temple. "It is just a little freaky, you know? I forgot that they were identical. Ava looked so different last time. Now, all I can think about is what Tess did to us."

"She's coming with me." Max started towards the door. "She'll stay with me and Michael."

"Oh no." Liz grabbed his arm. "No way am I letting her get her hooks in you."

"Liz." Max turned back to pull her against him. "I thought you trusted me."

Liz screwed up her face. "I do. It's her." Liz looked out into the cafe at Ava, who was picking at her shoes. "I know she's not Tess, but they are clones. And SHE was supposed to be with Zan. Just keep her here. Besides, she came to me for some reason."

"We have to find out what that is." Max kissed her softly.

* * * * *

Ava sat in a booth while everyone else talked quietly by the back swinging door. The Crashdown had a few regular customers drinking coffee at the counter, but except for them, the place was relativly empty. Mr Parker was manning the counter orders and Ava took the moment to pour some Tabasco in her orange juice. She could feel someone staring at her. The backs of her arms were getting goosebumps and she turned to stare hard around the room. No one was looking at her. She went back to her orange juice when she noticed the silhouette of a young man in the window. His steady, dead calm stare at her had her squirming against the vinyl of the booth. He reached for the door handle and approached her booth without ever breaking the same intense gaze. She cleared her throat loudly. "Kyle, right? Yeh, they're all back there." She jerked her thumb towards the group, who had become silent when Kyle walked in. Liz broke away from the group and took a few steps forward.

Kyle finally spoke quietly. "You changed your hair." His voice was low and made Ava pull at the ends of her hair in discomfort.

"Aww..ya know. Just needed to change it. Wasn't really me." She pulled herself outta the booth and stood to face him. "What's it to you?"

Kyle didn't say anything. Liz came up and took his arm. He shook her off and went out the front door. Isabel exchanged a glance with Liz and followed Kyle.

Liz turned back to Ava. "Are you ready?"

Ava nodded. "Sure." She let Liz lead her into the backroom, with the rest following closely behind. Mr. Parker watched the swinging door for a second, a curious look on his face.

* * *

Michael was the first to round on Ava. "Look, this whole reappearance of yours is just a little too out there. After Lonnie and Rath tried to kill Max and Tess, we forgot that you even existed. So you need to start answering some serious questions."

Liz moved to get in front of Michael, blocking Ava. "Back off, Michael. She came back to Roswell. She didn't kill anyone."

Ava reached around Liz and pulled her aside. "Nah. I can handle this. Whaddya wanna know?" She lifted her chin towards Michael.

"Where've you been the past year?" Michael folded his arms.

Ava shrugged and moved to sit back on the couch. "Around. I travelled. Had some things to do."

"Like what?" Max moved to Michael's side.

Ava turned to face Max. "I had some questions. You's guys aren't the only ones who didn't know everything about you. Ronnie and Lath kept me in the dark 'bout lotsa stuff. Zan was the only one who was nice ta me, but he wasn't 'zactly giving with the details, ya know?"

Liz moved and sat next to Ava on the couch, her back straight. "So what did you find out?"

Ava glanced at her before turning back to Michael and Max. "Maybe we should wait for Vilandra."

"Her name is Isabel." Michael growled. Max nodded slowly in agreement.

"Look, whateva. Call whateva ya want. I'ms just sayin' this involves her too." Ava glared at Michael.

"She's not here right now." Max kneeled to look Ava in the eye. "What is this big news you had to come back to tell us?"

Ava took a deep breath. "Aight." She got up off the couch and started to pace around. Spinning to face them, she launched into a gush of words. "Looks. You know how there was two sets of 'dem pods, you know, the ones we's hatched from? Well, there was this mix-up before any of us was born and a couple of the sets got screwed up. There was some place where dey were all together before they were split again."

"The military base in 1947." Michael interrupted.

"Yeh." Ava nodded. "One of the protectors hid you guys in the desert and the other took us up to New York. But there was a mixup and two in the original order got switched. One of the defects got mixed in with the Royal Four. No one figured it out until later, but by then it was too late and no one cared. Our protector was gone and we just had to deal, ya know?"

Max got in front of her and took her arms. "Who?" He asked quietly. "Who got switched?"

She stared up into his face. "Me." She said quietly. "It was me and Tess. We got switched. I'm the real queen. Not her."

TBC










posted on 3-May-2002 11:28:53 PM by SnowWhite22
Hi all!

Sorry so long no update. I'm a slacker! *happy* Anyway, thanks for the bumps and feedback. I'm glad I can keep you guessing! *happy*

Love
Snow


Part 15

Max tightened his hold on Ava's arms and pulled her in close to his face. She stared up at him, eyes wide in surprise and slightly wary. She had just deadpanned the news. Completely calm. But hearing it had shaken him down to the core. "What are you talking about?" He growled.

Ava struggled against him and pulled back, trying not to shake at the hot gleam in Max's eyes. "I...I'm the one that was supposed be with you guys here, not Tess. I...I..."

"You're lying." Max pulled on her. It couldn’t be true. Tess had been one of them. He had felt that it was right for her to be a part of their group from the beginning. Wouldn’t he sense it if Ava was the one that was supposed to be a part of the Royal Four? "Why?"

"I'm not lyin'." Ava swallowed hard and cast her eyes sideways. "I'm not lyin'."

Liz caught the tremble in her voice and moved to intervene. "Max. Let her go."

"Not till she tells me why she is lying to us." Max moved his face in very close to Ava's. "Why?"

"Please..." Her voice hitched as she tried to pry Max's grip off of her. "I'm tellin’ you the truth."

Liz pulled on his arm. "Max! Let her go now!"

Max broke his glare at Ava to stare hard at Liz, as if he didn't recognize her. Focusing on her, he swallowed hard and released Ava's arms quickly. His hands shook a little as he backed away. Ava rubbed at her arms and let Liz get in front of her. Liz stood, blocking the rest of the group from Ava. Max looked down at his own hands, then turned away.

Michael looked as if he was frozen in place. Maria went over and put a hand on his arm. He looked down at her and cleared his throat. "What are you talking about, Ava? How is that possible?"

"Look, I don't know!" Ava cried. "I don't know how it happened. It just did."

Liz went to Max, who had his back turned on the group. "Are you okay?" She whispered, rubbing his back.
Max looked at her and she took his hand. Feelings of overwhelming anger and responsibility flooded her. Over all of it was the icy edge of guilt. Everything that had happened with Tess Max had taken upon himself. She was his responsibility and he had failed to see her for what she really was. And now to learn that it had all been in vain? She had never even belonged with them. And people had died because of it. Liz shook her head and put a hand on his shoulder.

Max looked over his shoulder at Ava. "How did you find out?"

Ava looked at him with a mix of surprise and suspicion. "You believe me then?"

Max turned all the way to face her without answering the question. "How did you find out?"

"Our protector told me. He told me everything." Ava let out a shaky breath.

Michael looked confused. "Nasedo?"

"Langley." Max said quietly. "You found Langley."

Ava nodded slowly.

"How did you find him?" Max asked and moved closer. Ava took a hesitant step back. Max stopped and asked again. "How did you even know where to begin to look?"

'We've always known where he was at." Ava sat on the arm of the sofa. "Lonnie and Rath kept in contact with him for years behind Zan's back. Langley left us in the sewers 50 years ago, but when we hatched he was standin' there. He didn't wanna to stay wit us, but he gave us 'nuff info about ourselves that we could survive on our own. Zan wanted nuttin' to do wit' him. Lonnie didn't agree with him. So she made sure to always know he was at. Case we needed him."

"So when you left Roswell last year you went to go find him." Maria guessed.

Ava shrugged. "Not at first. I went back up to New York. It's home, ya know? I was there for a while. But, Lonnie and Rath were there with that punk Nicholas and they all found me. I always hated that kid, but Lonnie said we needed him. Anyways, they saw me and tried to kill me. So I took off."

"Where did you go?" Liz asked.

"Nowheres really. Just around New York. It’s big nuff to hide in. Then last April, I just got this need to find out more about myself. It was just this need, ya know? I couldn’t explain it. I left New York and I just kept workin' my way west. I thought 'bout comin' here a few times. I mean, you guys weren't the family I knew, but you weren't gonna kill me or nuttin'. But I just felt like headin' west. I was in Colorado last August when I heard about 2 kids from New Mexico holdin' up this convenience store in Utah."

"The ship." Liz looked at Max. He took her hand and pulled her closer.

"Yeahs, well, I had heard rumors about a ship there, but didn't really care. But when I heard about you two, I figured there was somethin' there after all. And that got me thinkin' about what I was even doin' on this planet.” She turned to look up at Max. “Langley’s the only one that ever told me anything square ‘bout myself. I figured he was the one I needed to find.”

Max nodded stiffly. “So you went to LA.”

“Yeah.” Ava nodded. “A few months after you did. Langley told me that you had been there. Said you wanted the ship. What was your hurry to get off the planet?”

“He didn’t tell you why I was there?” Max questioned.

Ava shook her head. “Nah. He didn’t like talkin’ ‘bout you at all.”

Max looked at Michael. “I didn’t make any friends when I was there.”

Maria got impatient. “Get to the point, Ava.”

“I’m getting’ there.” Ava told her. “Anyways, Langley didn’t really wanna help me out at all either. It pissed me off, ya know? He ‘bout threw me out of the house. He tried, anyways. But he didn’t do it and I wanted to know why.”

“So?” Michael asked.

“He hated dealing with Lonnie and Rath and Zan. He never did anything they said. Lonnie ordered him for years to come back to New York, but he just laughed in her face. It made that rat Nicholas laugh ‘cuz he knew that our protector was sworn to do whateva the Royal Four told him and he loved to throw it back in Lonnie’s face that she wasn’t the real Vilandra. She was just some dupe that was rejected. I thought that was me too, ya know? Until Langley got all huffy ‘bout me bein’ there and couldn’t do nuttin ‘bout it.”

“He couldn’t throw you out because you weren’t a dupe.” Liz stared up at Max. He looked made of stone, staring hard down at Ava as if to figure out the last piece of a twisting puzzle. He tightened his grip on her hand.

Ava looked down at her hands. “Langely only told me what had happened when I ordered him to. He told me that two of the pods were switched and he didn’t figure it out until recently.”

“How did he figure it out?” Maria asked.

Ava shrugged. “Don’t know. Just said that Max comin’ to him showed him the truth. I didn’t ask.”

Max found his voice. “How long ago was this?”

Ava kept her head down. His voice showered over her accusingly, as if still searching for a chink in her story. “Last month. I came here afterwards. I’ve been here ‘bout a week.”

“Why did you go to Liz?” Max asked gruffly.

Ava shrugged. “She was nice to me last time, ya know? She let me stay here.” She looked at Liz. “No one’s ever done nuttin like that for me before.”

Liz nodded and looked at Max. “So now what?”

He looked down at her, holding eye contact steady. Michael ran a hand through his hair and pulled on Max’s shoulder. “Maxwell. If she’s telling the truth, that means she has to stay with us. We can’t kick her out.”

Ava looked from Max to Michael wordlessly.

Max looked over at Michael, then back at Ava. “Get her out of here. Take her to your place. We’ll figure it out later. She’s Tess’s twin sister, cousin. Something.”

“Or she could just be Tess.” A voice coming from the backdoor had them all turning. Isabel stood in the doorway, Kyle inches behind her. Her hand on the doorframe, Kyle hovering behind her, horrified, it was evident that they both had been standing there long enough to hear Ava’s claim. Isabel came in slowly. Circling to face Ava, she looked down steadily. “She could pass for Tess.”

Ava shook off Isabel’s cool glare and looked at the rest in confusion. “But where’s she at? Why’s everyone keep talkin’ bout her like she’s dead or something?”

Isabel looked at Max. Michael blew out a hot breath. “Because she…”

“Because she is to us.” Max broke in. “She betrayed us. She left Earth and we sent her off.”

Ava looked confused. “But…”

Liz saw her dad peeking in the back window. Catching Michael’s eye, she nodded towards the door. Michael nodded and moved to help Ava stand. “Look, you’ll get the play by play later. For now, let’s just get out of here.”

TBC












posted on 9-May-2002 6:04:10 PM by SnowWhite22
Hello all! Here's the new part. I'm not sure how great it is because I was writing in a hurry in between classes. Let me know what you think.

Love
Snow


Part 16

“So she took off and we have been stuck here ever since.” Michael finished up and lapsed into silence. The group elected to blow off the first few classes of the day to fill Ava in on what had been happening since the previous year. Max had been leaning against the kitchen counter, an arm wrapped around Liz’s shoulders as Michael sat on the couch with Ava, filling her in on the past year’s events, mainly on Alex’s death, Liz and Maria’s search for answers, Kyle’s mindwarping and ending with Tess leaving Roswell in the granolith. Maria sat nearby, occasionally volunteering a few tidbits that Michael left out. Isabel sat with Kyle in stony silence. Kyle had relaxed a bit, but it was obvious he was far from at ease with the whole situation. Liz kept a steady gaze on Ava the whole time. The unsettled feeling that taken up in her chest since the appearance of Ava the nite before had yet to leave her. Her fingers still buzzed with the slightest hint of her powers. She thought it was because of the way Ava looked. So much like Tess. It had been easier to ignore that Ava and Tess were clones the previous year when Ava had been streaked with pink and black chunks of hair and metal piercings decorated her face. But now…

Liz looked up into Max’s face and traced a line onto his side through his cotton shirt. He twitched with the light charge that went through her skin into his, almost as if she was transferring her uneasiness into him. Max squeezed her shoulder and nodded in understanding. Liz didn’t question that he got what she was thinking. Detangling himself from her, he stepped closer to Ava and Michael. “Do you get it now?”

Ava nodded slowly. “I can’t believe she did all that stuff. I mean, you sure your feedin’ me the whole story?”

Max exchanged a look with Michael. Michael had left out a few important details. Like Tess’s motive. “What do you mean?”

“I don’t know. It just seems sorta outta character for her to just go blowin’ people’s minds up like that. Why would she do it just to get some stupid translation? Alex seemed like a stand up guy.” Ava reasoned.

Maria got up and went to stand next to Liz. Liz wrapped an arm around her and Maria took a deep breath. Ava gave them a weird look. “What?”

Michael went and stood next to Maria. “She had a plan. She wanted to get back to Antar with a child. So after Alex died, she set out to get pregnant.”

Ava snorted. “She got knocked up? By who?”

Max cast a long look at Liz. “By me.”

“Wait, what?” Ava sat up straighter. “Huh?”

Max nodded. “Tess and I slept together. She got pregnant.”

“Nah, she didn’t” Ava insisted. “She couldn’t ’ve.”

“Well, she did.” Maria said.

“No. It’s not possible.” Ava said. “Physically.”

Max stared at her. “What do you mean?”

Ava blew back an impatient sigh. “We can’t mate. Hybrids ain’t built like that. We can’t mate together.”

“What are you talking about?” Michael asked. “Why not?”

“Look, I ain’t going to give ya a science lesson here, but trust me, we can’t mate. We can only mate with full-blooded species.” Ava folded her arms.

Liz took a step forward. “Which species?”

Ava cast a long look at Max. “Antarian or human. Doesn’t matter. Don’t worry. You two can get it on all ya want. You’ll still have your litter if ya want.”

Liz cleared her throat and stepped back.

Max ran a hand through his hair. “You’re telling me that I couldn’t have impregnated Tess?”

“That’s what I’m sayin’. Look at Lonnie and Rath. Those two were like freakin’ rabbits. You think they used protection all the time? No way. They didn’t have to worry ‘bout it. And they never hooked up with anyone else, so it wasn’t like they had to even think about it. No diseases, no kid. Hybrids can’t mate together.” Ava said.

“But Max saw the child.” Isabel stood up to face Ava. “They connected.”

Ava shrugged. “Mindwarp, I bet. Who knows?”

“Makes sense.” Kyle supplied quietly. “She wanted to get off this planet more than anything. She lied about what happened with Alex. Why not about a baby too?”

“Oh my God.” Liz looked at Max. She hid her charged hands behind her back. Max stood in one spot, studying the ground intently. Suddenly his eyes flew up. “Langley.”

“What about him?” Michael asked.

“He knew.” Max turned to face them. “I told him that my son was out there and he got this weird look on his face and asked if I mated with another hybrid. We were in the middle of fighting so I didn’t even think about his reaction, but that must have been it. He knew I couldn’t have gotten Tess pregnant. That bastard didn’t even say anything. He just let me think that my son was out there. God.” Max clenched a fist and paced around, like a caged animal. “He just let me think that I had a son in danger. So did she! Oh I could just…” Rage came fast and quick, creating a force that radiated off of him, knocking things over with his powers as he prowled by. The shelves began to rattle.

“Dude! Watch the CDs. Maxwell!” Michael got in front of him.

“How could they do this? I thought I had a child. And they just let me think that. How could they…” Max let out a growl and a Snapple bottle flew off the table towards Ava. She ducked.

“Max!” Liz moved in front of him. “You have to calm down. You have to…” She reached out to hold his arm when a lightening shock ran between the two of them. Michael fell back from the force of it. Max clutched her arm and stilled the rest of his body as the current ran through them, linked by their touching skin. It wasn’t a painful charge. More like a spark that awakened him. Liz locked eyes with him and wouldn’t let go. The spark subsided and faded to a dull flow, lapping slowly within the waves of their veins. Liz touched his other arm slowly as his breathing calmed.

Michael picked himself off the floor slowly and backed away. “What the hell was that?”

“My powers.” Liz murmured, still in locked eyes with Max. “They’re getting stronger.”

“Are you okay?” Max swallowed heavily.

Liz nodded slowly. “Yeah. Are you?”

Michael waved wildly. “Hey, I’m okay! In case you were wondering.”

Max tore himself away from Liz’s eyes to face the others. The shocked stares had him standing up straighter. He knew he should explain, but he didn’t fully understand it himself. Explaining it seemed to cheapen it and Max felt in his bones it was something he wanted to keep between himself and Liz. She let go of him slowly and Max felt a coolness running through him. His fingers itched to grab onto her warm skin again, to liven the heat in his blood again, but knew that it wasn’t the time to explore. He blinked a few times and focused on Ava, who was sitting with her mouth agape on the couch. He shook his head to clear it of the anger he had felt coursing through him just seconds before. He needed to keep a clear head.

Max ran a hand over his face. Liz sank down onto a chair with a stunned expression. Isabel put her hands on her hips. “What is going on?”

“I’m not sure.” Max said slowly.

“Hey! Guys!” Maria cupped her hands around her mouth. “Snap out of it!”

Liz looked Ava. “Don’t worry about us. We’ll talk about it later. For now we have to get to class before anyone guesses that we aren’t there.”

TBC



posted on 10-May-2002 12:43:10 AM by SnowWhite22
quote:
interesting...... and also very confusing.... I really shouldn't be thinking this much.......


Oh god. I hope its not confusing. Please, tell me if it is. I don't want anyone to get confused.

So you want to know where its headed now, Anne? LOL....in the words of Xander and Anya, "...I'll never tell!" *happy* Heehee....

The only reason I was able to update before you is because I wrote in a flash in between classes to avoid doing my homework. Bad Sarah!

yes, Liz has morals. They need to be in school. How in the heck are they ever going to graduate? *happy*

Oh, thanks for all the bumps you guys. Especially 2crzyforroswell and Mandy. You guys are great!
Love
Snow
posted on 14-May-2002 1:36:47 AM by SnowWhite22
HI all!

I just wanted to thank you for all the encouragment, bumps, questions, etc. I relaly appreciate it.

I am mid finals, graduation, moving, etc, so the updates may be far and few between, but I am going to try and get them done as much as possible. There's lots more in store, though, so don't lose hope! *happy*

Keep checking in!
Love
Snow
posted on 14-May-2002 6:07:18 PM by SnowWhite22
Okay, forget what I posted earlier. I couldn't study with this next part in my head, so I just decided to go for it. Now I can't guarantee when the next update is going to be. But enjoy!

Love
Snow


Part 17

Isabel shut her front door behind her and leaned against it, closing her eyes. She let her keys fall from her fingers and drop to the floor. Breathing in deep, she pushed off the door and started into the living room. Jesse’s head popped around the corner, a bit of mayo at the corner of his mouth. Isabel jumped and let out a short yell. “God, you scared me.”

“Sorry.” He wiped at his mouth and shook some crumbs off his shirt. “I came home to get lunch and you were gone.”

Isabel nodded and started filing through the mail.

Jesse looked at her expectantly.

“What?” Isabel said. “I was out.”

“And you’re not going to tell me where you were.” Jesse went back into the kitchen.

Isabel glanced at the ceiling before following him. “Jesse, I’m sorry. Look, something came up.”

“Something alien.” Jesse muttered.

“Not EVERY time I leave the house is it for something alien.” She retorted.

Jesse turned to face her. “Okay.”

“Just this time it was.” She admitted.

Jesse stared at her for a second before shaking his head and starting to clean up the counter.

Isabel got in front of him. “I’m not trying to hide it from you. I’m just not used to having to explain all this.”

“All what?” Jesse narrowed his eyes.

“All THIS.” She spread her hands in front of her and gestured towards herself. “All these non-normal things. I don’t think you really want to know.”

“Try me. Michael explained some of it to me. Come on Isabel.” He folded his arms.

Isabel nodded slowly. “Okay, well, for starters, Ava’s back.”

“Ava?” Jesse looked confused.

“Tess’s dupe. She left Roswell last year and she’s back. And she told us that hybrids can’t breed, which means that…”

“Wait. Her dupe? What’s a dupe?” Jesse held up a hand.

Isabel shut her mouth and took a deep breath. “Tess’s clone. We all have one. Anyway, Ava said…”

“You all have one?” Jesse interrupted again, folding his arms.

“Yes!” Isabel insisted.

“But why?” Jesse put his hands on his head.

“So that if anything happened to the Royal Four, to me, than there would be someone to take our place. But they weren’t made right and they’ve been in New York.” Isabel rushed quickly. “But that doesn’t matter right now, because Ava told us….”

Jesse ran a hand over his face. “Stop, just stop.” He picked up his briefcase. “You know what, Is? You’re right. I don’t want to know.” He slammed the door behind him.

Isabel stared after the door and leaned back against the counter in defeat.

* * * * * * *

Liz opened her locker and leaned her head against the cool metal frame. Her head hurt. Images kept running through her mind of Ava in Max’s angry arms, Ava lying on their couch, her hands curled around her in defense, Ava and Max staring up through a telescope at the infinite sky...wait, what? Liz stood straight up and stared at her reflection in her locker mirror. She had just seen Max and Ava at the observatory. But that was impossible. Max and Ava had never been to the observatory. So she had seen Tess…but why was she imagining Tess and Max somewhere together? She shook her head to clear it and took a deep breath. She really was going crazy.

The halls were thinning and Liz had to muster up the desire to walk down the hall towards class. When she had made everyone leave for school, she had done it so that they wouldn’t ask any more questions over what had happened between her and Max. She had blocked out the fact that now she actually had to attend classes. Another figure slinking slowly down the hallway caught her eye. Kyle.

Liz approached him slowly. “You okay?”

He gave her a smirk. “Peachy keen. You? Any more fire spurts?”

Liz rolled her eyes. “Funny.” She nodded towards the hallway doors that led to the football field. “You were pretty quiet when we were…um...at Michael’s. Want to talk about it?”

Kyle followed her eyes. “Hmm…talking about alien nature or sleeping through romantic literature.” He sucked in a breath. “Tough call.”

“Come on.” Liz grabbed his arm and pulled him out the doors.

* * *

“I don’t know. It was just seeing that face again. It just brought it all back. How could we have taken her into our home? God!” Kyle prowled over a few bleachers. “She totally just betrayed us.”

“I know. And then to have her lie to Max, Isabel and Michael like that? To have them believe that she was one of them.” Liz picked at her jeans. She squinted in the sunlight up at Kyle. “Do you think she knew?”

“That she wasn’t part of the Royal Loony Squad?” Kyle kneeled in front of her and thought about it. “Oooo. Good call. I don’t know. Do you think she did?”

Liz shrugged. “I don’t know. She was pretty determined to get off the planet.”

“I wonder why. Roswell is such a fine place to live.” Kyle leaned back against his palms.

Liz ignored him. “I just wish I didn’t feel this way towards her, you know? None of this is Ava’s fault. Lonnie and Rath did horrible things to her. But having her stay with me is just weird. Right? Isn’t it weird?”

“I guess. Is she going to stay at Michael’s? You know. Where your boyfriend lives? Oh that’s right. Her betrothed.” Kyle asked.

“I don’t know. I’m not really worried about that. I trust Max.” Liz looked at Kyle balancing his body weight on his hands. She shoved him and made him lose his balance. “So, what does Buddha say about this one?”

Kyle right himself and put a hand under his chin. “If you don’t know the path to take, you don’t have all the facts yet.”


* * * * * * *

Max and Michael came around the corner of the field after gym class and spotted Kyle and Liz in the bleachers. Max hiked his bag up on his shoulder and stopped Michael before he went back in towards school. “I’m going to stay and talk to Liz. You go ahead. Right after school I’m going to go back to the apartment and talk some more with Ava. See what I can find out.”

Michael groaned. “Man, my place isn’t a hotel. How many more are going to be crashing there? We should just have Isabel move in with us. One big happy family.”

Max looked at him. “Who paid last month’s rent again?”

Michael cleared his throat and nodded towards Liz and Kyle. “At least she could calm him down. He looked pretty shaken up earlier.”

“Yeah. Who could blame him?” Max turned back to Michael. “He and his dad have sacrificed a lot for us.”

Michael nodded. “Just make sure she doesn’t go raiding my stuff.”

“Right.” Max came up the bleachers as Liz and Kyle were picking up their bags. Kyle looked at him for second.

“Hey, Max. Umm...I didn’t say it earlier because I was too busy being all freaked out, but I was relieved to hear that you don’t have a kid with Tess. I mean, I know its gotta be a tough blow, but you’re better off.” Kyle stated flatly.

Max stood frozen for a second before muttering “Thanks Kyle.” He turned to Liz. “Can we talk?”

“Yeah. I have next period off.” Liz sat back down.

“Hey, who needs to go to class at all? Oh wait. I do. Later.” Kyle strode back towards campus.

Max threw his bag down and sat next to her, his arm draped over her legs. She put a hand on his shoulder. “What’s up?”

Max shrugged. He looked out across the field. “It didn’t sink in until he just said it. I don’t have a son. There’s no son out there waiting for me.”

“Max.” Liz leaned in closer. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah.” Max looked down at the ground and then up at her. He touched her hair lightly, letting the soft strands trail in between his fingers. “I should be relieved. But it’s like losing him all over again. Except there was no him. So how can I lose what I never had?”

“But you did have him. You cared for him, even if he wasn’t really there. You worried and loved the child that you thought you created. But now you don’t have to worry anymore. You don’t have to worry about getting back to Antar to save him.” Liz pointed out.

“And I can’t fly away from you.” He said softly. “That’s what you are thinking, right?”

Liz shrugged, suddenly embarrassed. “I guess. Max, whenever you were talking about your son, I think a small part of me knew that to save him you needed to leave Earth. And everything on it.”

“But I wouldn’t leave you.” Max told her gently. “Nothing is going to make me take off and leave you. Ever.”

She smiled and ran a hand down his neck. “Is that what you wanted to talk to me about?”

“Actually, no.” Max took her hand. “I wanted to talk about earlier.”

“At Michael’s apartment.” Liz nodded. “My powers aren’t flaring up again. I’ve been fine since we got to school.”

“When did they start to flare up?” Max asked.

“When Ava showed up. Last nite when you dropped me off. And it wasn’t even a flare up. They were just, I don’t know. Peaked.” Liz spread her hands in front of her for inspection.

“We already know that they go haywire when you are upset. But this morning, I was the one who was upset.” Max took her hand and laced his fingers with hers.

“And I had a reaction. Max,” Liz sat up straighter, a sudden clench exciting her heart. “I could feel your anger in me. When you started to get upset, it was like something in me came to life. Deep, like in my bones. Like in my blood.”

“And I could feel you in mine.” He nodded slowly. A buzz ran through his head. “I could feel you trying to reach me to calm down. As soon as we touched, I was instantly charged by…you. Just you. I could FEEL you in my blood. Like we were…”

“Connected.” Liz finished up, licking her lips.

Max pulled her roughly and kissed her hard on the mouth. She gasped at his sudden urge, but kissed him back. Her fingers tingled against his, sending small quakes through her limbs that rippled through her body and into him. He pulled her in closer, roaming her mouth insistently, willing her to respond, which she did. The spark running through him heightened and he knew with out realizing it that it was Liz in his blood, Liz in his soul, Liz willing his body to rage as hers did. Reluctantly, he broke off from her mouth. She looked at him stunned, mouth raw, her eyes wide. He ran his fingers over her lips, then clenched a fist and put it in his lap.

“What…” Liz was breathing hard. “Why did you do that?”

He grinned. “Experimentation?”

She stared at his cocky grin and pushed him away. “Scientific research?”

“Hey.” He caught her hands and circled her wrists. “Hey. I just wanted to see if this connection worked in other areas. So I just thought that maybe heightened…uh….stimulation…”

“Would set the connection off. Well, it did.” She laughed.

Max leaned in and kissed her lightly, his lips still tingling from their last connection. “It confirms what I have always known.”

She smiled and nuzzled against his nose. “What?”

“That we were made to be together.” He kissed her again. He looked into her eyes. “Are you scared?”

Liz knew what he was referring to. The connection, this heightened bond between them was looming between them. Up until recently, it would have been the type of thing to freak her out. But now all she felt was comfort. How much of it was flowing from Max?

“No.” She shook her head. “I’ve never felt better about anything in my life.”

TBC











posted on 22-May-2002 5:05:57 PM by SnowWhite22
Hi all! Well, my finals are ALMOST over and I walk in graduation in just a few days, so things are nuts. I am moving, trying to finish work, BLAHHH! So sorry it has taken so long to update but I have been having issues with the storyline too. This scene is kinda blah, just a transition. I'm going to get into some good stuff soon. I promise!
Love
Snow

Part 18

Maria sat in the armchair of Michael's apartment, arms crossed, her eyes boring into the couch. Ava sat across from her, arms similarly crossed, eyes staring off into space. Maria narrowed her eyes and leaned forward. Ava rolled her eyes and looked out the window. Maria put her hands on her knees. "So?"

"So?" Ava repeated. "So what?"

"Are you going to tell me?"

"God, what is it with you people?" Ava shot back. "I've already told ya everything I know. There's nothing else to say."

"Why are you here, though?" Maria said hotly. "You could have gone anywhere. Why here? Why to Liz?"

"Look, suga," Ava stared at Maria full on. "Lemme see if I can break this one down for ya. When you think you're alone in this world and then suddenly find out you got a family you didn't know about, you try and find 'em. Simple nuff for ya? I had no wheres else to go. Satisfied?"

Maria looked at her for a second before standing up. "Whatever." She opened the front door to Max with his outreached for the knob. She blew out a impatient sigh and rushed past him. "I have to get to work."

Max shut the door behind him. "What was that about?"

Ava rolled her eyes again. "Just another friendly little interrogation. What 'bout you? You here to examine me too?"

Max shook his head. "No." He opened the fridge. "But there are some things you should know. You want some juice?'

Ava looked wary. "What things?"

"Like your plans." Max turned to her and crossed his arms. "You should know that we aren't going to leave Earth. I'm giving up the throne."

"What?" Ava stood up and got in front of him. "But you can't!"

Max narrowed his eyes. "Why?"

"Your throne? You want to give that up?" Ava set her chin and ignored his question. "But why?"

Max shrugged. "Now that I know that I don't have a son, I have no need to go flying off to Antar. So thanks. You freed me. I've talked with Michael and Isabel about it and they agree. We're staying here."

She put a hand on his arm. "Are you sure that is wise?"

Max shook her hand off. "Positive. I'm not a king. So can you deal with that? Or you set on being a queen?"

She glared at him. "You don't know what you are doing."

"Why?" Max shrugged. "I don't even remember that life. Do you?"

Ava looked disgusted. "No. Lonnie always did, but she didn't really share." She spun around to flop on the couch. "So we're stuck here."

"We?" Max knelt in front of her, as if addressing a child. "So you are staying?'

"Where else am I gonna go?" She shot at him. She took a deep breath and cleared her throat. "I mean, I don't have anyone in this world. No friends, no family. The people I thought I would always have tried to kill me. My one escape was getting back to Antar. But if you guys aren't gonna go then that kinda leaves me up in the air, don't it? So what am I gonna do?"

"I don't know." Max shrugged. When she put it like that, he felt like a jack ass for being so tough on her. She had a tough life. She didn't need him adding to it. He tried to ignore the look of sorrow in her eye. Her head was turned slightly to the side, but he could see from the way her shoulders were hunched up, from the way she refused to look him in the eye that she was hurt. He saw himself patting her shoulder and shook his head. "There's something else you should know too."

Ava looked at him sullenly.

"Liz and I are together now. We are staying together. I love her and nothing is going to change that." Max said firmly, his gaze on her unwavering.

She stared at him hard for a minute, like she was looking through him. Max shifted slightly back. The way she was looking at him was like when Tess had first appeared in Roswell. But he was different then, naive. He was stronger now. "You and I aren't betrothed, Ava. Liz is my destiny."

She kept up her hot glare. "You think I just wanna jump in the sack with you or something?"

"What? No!" Max felt his cheeks go hot.

"Well, then relax. Any idiot can see that you two are all ape for each other." Ava tossed flippantly. She gazed around the dank apartment in distain. "Do I hafta stay here?"

Max got up and stretched his legs. "I think it would be best."

"Well, you just said you aren't the king anymore, so what you think doesn't matta." She looked up at him. "Can't I stay wit Liz?"

The idea of her staying with Liz had him stopping short, nerves peaked. "Ummm....you should really stay here."

"Liz doesn't want me. She doesn't trust me." Her eyes cast down.

"No...it's not that." Max interrupted.

"Her parents then. I put them out." Ava looked out the grungy window.

"No...I mean, I don't know." Max felt helpless.

"Then its okay?" Her eyes lit up. "I'll get my stuff."

"I...uh..." Max swallowed hard. What had just happened?

* * * * * * *

The Crashdown's doors were swinging wildly from the heavy flow of people. Liz balanced a pot of coffee on one side of her and a tray of orders on the other. Michael sat at the counter with Kyle, a smirk on his face. Liz glared at the two of them every time she went by. When Michael spilled his orange juice across the counter and tugged on her sleeve to clean it up, she dropped the trays on the floor, fries spilling over the ground. Kyle let out a short laugh before she glared him into silence.

Liz gave a tense sigh and went to scrub at Michael's mess. "You could help, you know?"

"Nope." He smiled sarcastically around the toothpick he was chewing on. "My day off."

Liz groaned and went back to cleaning up.

Max broke through the front doors, Ava close behind. Liz looked up, suddenly tense, and let the trays fall out of her hands again. They locked eyes and Liz licked her lips. "I'll be right back." She yelled to Maria.

Max took her hand quickly and took her into the back. Ava stood next to Michael and Kyle, her hands in her pockets, rocking on her heels. Kyle turned his eyes back to his meal.

Michael nodded to the swinging back room door. "What was that about?"

"How should I know?" Ava shrugged.

"One coffee." Philip Evans came up behind the group and placed his order at the counter. Leaning against the counter, he nodded to the group. "Michael, Kyle. How's it going guys?"

Michael looked at Ava, who was still focused on the back door. "Uh...Good."

Philip looked at Ava in surprise. "Tess? Tess, right? You're back?"

Ava turned and stared up at him. A smile came across her suddenly. "Hi Mr. Evans. " She said brightly, her voice steady and void of the harsh New York sound. Her whole manner changed. She stood taller, her face relaxed. "How are you doing?'

"Good. Good." He took his coffee from the cashier and fit a lid over the top. "When did you get back?"

"Just a day or so ago." She smiled again. "I'm staying with Liz."

Michael and Kyle exchanged a quick look.

"Oh, well." Philip nodded and grabbed his briefcase. "Good to see you."

"You too." She nodded and turned back to watch the back door.

Philip got to the front door before turning around to stare at her. He watched her for a minute, then pushed out into the street.

Michael let out a quick breath. "That was close."

Kyle nodded. "How did you know that was Max's dad?"

Ava cleared her throat. "I saw him last time I was here."

Kyle narrowed his eyes. "Where did your accent go?"

"What, you think I can't fake some boring ol' accent like yours? Please." She sniffed. She settled onto a stool next to Kyle. "Dude, I'm starvin'."

Kyle pushed away from the counter and mumbled something about work and Liz before going into the backroom.

* * *

"I don't know about this, Max." Liz stood facing him with her arms crossed. "She WANTS to stay here?"

"Look, I tried to get her to stay with me at Michael's but she talked her way out of it." Max ran a hand through his hair. "I don't like it either. I'm going to make her come with me."

"You can't make her do anything Max." Liz pointed out. "You said it yourself. You're not the king."

"But you don't have to put her up here." He said.

"No, I know. Just...just let me think." Liz put her hands on her eyes. She didn't want Ava staying with Max and trying to get any ideas on their past lives. It wasn't that she didn't trust Max. She did completely. But having Ava so near him gave her doubts. She wished the spark in her blood was simply just past jealousy revived by Ava's appearance, but she knew in her heart it was more. Something was off. If she was around Ava more, maybe she could figure out what that was.

"Okay." Liz decided. "She can stay."

Max looked suspicious. "Are you sure?"

"Look, Max, for whatever reason she feels safer with me. Probably because of how I took care of her last time. It's fine. We can just make other arrangements later."

Max took a step forward and ran a hand over her arm. "You aren't going to take any chances with her, are you?"

"Chances? You don't trust her." Liz concluded.

"Neither do you." He reminded her.

"Neither do I." Kyle spoke up from behind them.

TBC


posted on 6-Jun-2002 9:41:18 PM by SnowWhite22
I am so sorry that I have gone so long without an update. And the sad thing is that I can't predict when the next one will be. Graduation led to packing, which lef to moving, which led to tranistions between houses and friends and summer school (blah) and work.....bottom line is that it might be at least another week or two. I HAVEN'T FORGOTTEN! I SWEAR! Don't give up on me. It will come as soon as real life stops kicking me in the head. *happy*
Love
Snow
posted on 1-Jul-2002 10:28:48 PM by SnowWhite22
Hi all!

Believe it or not, I am still alive. I haven't forgotten about you guys or the story. I swear! Life has been really nuts. But things are calming down and I am going to work on new chapters tonite! Yay! For anyone who is still around, I promise to post some soon.
Love
Snow
posted on 2-Jul-2002 12:26:02 AM by SnowWhite22
Hi all! As promised, new part. This one is short. For anyone who is still out there reading after I abandoned them, THANK YOU! Let me know what you think.


Part 19

Max turned with Liz still in his arms. “Kyle, we’re talking here. Give us a minute.”

Kyle nodded and looked down at the ground. He had a hand up on the doorframe and another in his pocket. He didn’t move. Liz stepped around Max. “What is it, Kyle?”

“Not to interrupt your little pow-wow here, but I just thought you should know your dad just came in. He knows about Ava. I mean, Tess.”

“My dad? Tess?” Max gave Kyle his full attention. “What are you talking about?”

“Your dad just came in here and saw Ava. He assumed she was Tess and she went along with it. Perfectly. She just...WAS Tess. She had the accent down, her whole manner just changed. It was weird. It was like Tess was standing right there with me.” Kyle came all the way in and folded his arms. “I can’t describe it.”

Max and Liz exchanged a long look. Liz raised her shoulders. “Well, they are clones. It probably isn’t hard for her to impersonate herself.”

Kyle shook his head. “Maybe.” He blew out a long breath. “Maybe it is just seeing that face again. God. Gives me the creeps seeing her.”

“I know what you mean.” Liz mumbled under her breath.

Max went over to the window to look out on the dining room. Ava sat at the counter swinging her grimy sneakers against the paneling as she picked up a bottle of Tabasco. Michael sat laughing with his back to Ava as he watched Maria juggle trays. Ava picked at her plate intently. Max studied her movements. He watched as she pushed the food around. She looked bored. Max turned back to Liz and Kyle. “She looks like Ava to me.” He looked back out the window and was startled by her intent stare at him. She was looking straight at him, eyes unwavering, her expression knowing. Max backed away from the window and shook his head. His heart beat fast. He clenched a fist and tried to take deep breaths. How had she done that? It was like his whole system was on full alert. He looked out again cautiously. Ava was looking at her food, not a care in the world.

Liz felt the hairs on the back of her neck go up. Ava’s scared words “I’m the real queen.” ran through her head. Only this time they weren’t scared. No. They were definite, steady, threatening. “I’m the real queen, not her. I’m the real queen.” A spark ran through her, quiet and warningly. Liz shook it off and touched Max’s arm. “Calm down.” She whispered. He clutched her hand.

“She knows something else.” Max whispered back. “Something important. I can feel it.”

Kyle held up his hands. “What else could she know that would matter now? You already gave up the throne. You guys are staying here. She knows that. What could she possibly say or do that would matter now?”

Max looked at Liz. He could hear Ava’s words. “I’m the real queen” echoing off of her. “A lot.” He muttered. “She could do a lot.”

Liz shook her head. She knew what he meant. He meant Ava could hurt their relationship as Tess had. “She can’t, Max. She can’t do anything to us. She knows that you and I are together and that nothing is going to change that. Whatever she tries we’ll be ready for.”

Max nodded. “At least we can thank Tess for that.”

Kyle snorted. “I have a hard time thanking Tess for anything.”

Max held on to Liz’s hand and met Kyle’s eye. “She prepared us whether she wanted to or not. We can’t trust her or her clone. We know what kind of tricks she played and what ones Ava might try.”

Liz laced her fingers with his. “What makes us think she is going to try anything?”

Kyle rolled his eyes. “Her carbon copy gave us a few clues.”

“Yeah, but look at Isabel and Lonnie. They were completely different people. They were identical in looks, that’s all. Isabel would never do what Lonnie did. What about Rath and Michael. Just because they are clones doesn’t mean that they are the same people. Different environments make up different identities. Who knows what kind of person Ava really is compared to Tess, who was raised with a psychotic shape shifter?”

“Or what kind of person Tess is compared to Ava, who was raised with Lonnie and Rath, psychotic aliens who tried to kill me AND Tess. And she was on their side.” Max pointed out.

Liz shrugged. “Granted. I just don’t think we should jump to anything yet.”

Kyle turned to head out the door. Before leaving he turned back to them. “You guys can decide to do whatever you want with the little Xerox version of our favorite blond in there. I want no part of it. I don’t want anything to do with her.”

“Kyle...” Max started.

“No. Look, I have to get to work. Just know this. Whoever can just slip out of one identity into another like that, clone or not, isn’t to be trusted. She scared me out there. For those few seconds, she scared me. I don’t trust her. You shouldn’t either.” With that, he shut the door.

Liz ran a hand through her hair. “What a mess.”

Max pulled her into him. “We’ll figure it out. I’m not going to let anything happen to you. Or to us.” He ran a hand over her hair. “I just got you back. I’m not letting go. Let her try.”

Liz smiled up at him. “I love you.”

* * * * *

Phillip Evans put his briefcase down at his desk and took a large sip out of his coffee. Settling in his leather chair, he opened up his Rolodex and flipped through it. Pulling a card, he picked up his phone and dialed. “It’s Philip. You told me to call if I got something new...Yeah, I got something...Tess Harding is back in town. No, I just saw her. Yes, I’m sure. Check it out.” He hung up and tipped back in his chair.

TBC





































posted on 3-Jul-2002 6:42:11 PM by SnowWhite22
Enjoy!

Part 20

Liz walked through the empty hallways of West Roswell High with a feeling of trepidation. Every footstep echoed on the shadowy floors. She could feel eyes watching her from every corner, hidden in the dark corners and crevices. They whispered around her menacingly. “I’m the real queen. Not her. I’m the real queen. I’m the one supposed to be with you.” She held up her hands to her ears to drown out the noise but it was like it was in her head, scratching at her brain like nails. She started to run, anything to get away from the incessant noise. She couldn’t escape it. She started opening doors. Images of Max and Tess peeked back out at her. Every door she opened was a different window to the past. Their past. Max and Tess’. The observatory. The park. New York City. Prom. Liz started to scream.

Rage filled up her chest, dark and thick. She ran faster, the walls around her blurring as they closed in around her. She had to get outside. Max was there. He would be there for her. She needed to get out. Away from the noise, away from the suffocating walls. She had to get out before she was out of control. Her powers raced through her. She wanted to blast the walls away from her. She wanted to blow that self-satisfied smirk on Tess’ face out of her memory. She wanted to blow it all away until there was nothing left but a peace. Peace, she thought frantically. I need peace. Away from that face. The whispering got louder until it was howling in the wind along with her. “I’m the queen. He’s mine. He’s mine!” Liz spun and let the rage and fear and despair pour from her hands. “No! I’m not letting him go! You‘ll have to kill me. Never!”

Liz jolted upright in her bed, clutching the sweaty sheets around her. Her heart raced in her chest. She looked at her hands in fear, green lines still spinning through her fingers. The wall opposite her bed had green scorch marks burning lightly. Liz gasped and jumped out of bed to put out the small sparks. She covered the wall with pictures until she could get Max to come fix the burned wallpaper. Her hands shook as she climbed back under the covers. Her cell phone ringing next to her bed had her jumping. Checking the caller ID, she breathed a sigh of relief to see Max’s name.

“Hi.” She whispered.

“What’s wrong?” Max was fully awake on Michael’s couch, his own undershirt drenched with sweat from fear and anger. He knew it had to be coming from Liz. He had awoken out of a dead sleep with only one thought on his mind. Liz was afraid.

“Nothing. I just...” Liz pushed back her tangled hair and tried to focus. “I just had a bad dream.”

“Liz, come on. I woke up and my powers were about to go haywire. What happened?” Max demanded.

“Your powers...” Liz trailed off as her eyes roamed the singed wall. “Why were your powers out of control?”

“Why are yours?” He shot back.

“How did you know that?” She closed her eyes and willed herself to calm down. “You know what? Forget it. I already know the answer. You’re right. My powers went crazy. While I was SLEEPING.”

“Are you okay?” Max leaned back against the couch and breathed a simple sigh. She was okay.

“Yeah. I can’t say the same for the wall though.”

“What?”

“Never mind. Max, what‘s going on? You are all the way across town. How did you know that I was scared? Or about my powers?” Liz asked.

Liz could hear him shrug through the phone. “I don’t know.” He mumbled. “I just woke up and I knew. Like you were calling me. Or trying to get to me or something.”

“I was. In my dream. Max, in my dream I was trying to get outside to get to you.”

“Outside of what?”

“Uh...the school, I think. It’s all pretty hazy right now. But I was walking through the school and I saw...you! And her. Everywhere I looked it was the two of you.” Liz realized.

Max was silent for a second. From the way Liz had said “her” he knew that she meant Tess. “What did you see?”

“It was like I was looking at pictures of you two, but like they were moments in your past. Like I was looking at a memory or something. Max, when you and Tess went to New York, did you go up to the top of the Empire State building? Did she talk to you there?” Liz asked suddenly.

Max thought for a moment. “Yeah, we did. She said that I deserved the world at my feet and I said...”

“I’m the king of the world.” Liz finished quietly.

“Liz, I never told you that. How did you know that?” Max asked.

“Because I saw it. In my dream. I saw you two there. I saw a lot of things about the two of you.” Liz stopped suddenly.

Max was filled with an uneasy dread. “What else did you see?”

“It doesn’t matter, Max. It’s over.” Liz answered quietly. “I just want to know WHY I am seeing them.”

“You saw Tess and me at the observatory, didn’t you?” Max wouldn’t let her off.

Liz blew out a breath that broke his heart. “Yeah.” She said so inaudibly he could barely hear her. “I did. A couple of times. I‘ve seen it before.”

“God.” Max wished for the power to turn back time. “Liz, I’m...”

“No. Don’t say you’re sorry.” She stopped him. “Please don’t tell me you are sorry. I already know that, okay? I can feel it. I know it in my heart that you are sorry. I don’t need to hear it again.”

“Okay.” Max got up to get some water. “Why are you getting these memories of mine? Do you think it has to do with the fact that we are more connected now than ever before?”

“I don’t know.” Liz leaned back against the headboard. “We always had to be touching before. And there is something different about these.”

“Different how?”

“Well, whenever I would get images from you, they would be accompanied by a certain emotion. Whatever I could pick up from you. Like when I saw you as a kid I could feel how lonely you were.” Liz explained. “But with these...it’s like I’m obsessed. Or I’m afraid. Very afraid. But I think that is coming from me. From the memories themselves, I can feel this intense attachment to them. And this kind of triumphant conquest. Almost like an fixation towards you.”

“Towards me?” Max was confused. “But I was never obsessed over Tess. Or in love with her. You know that.”

“I know.” Liz nodded. “There’s one other thing.”

“Yeah?”

“If these are memories yours, why aren’t I getting any other images? Why is it ONLY you and Tess? There isn’t any of Isabel or Michael.” She told him.

“Or you.” He pointed out. “So maybe these aren’t from me. Maybe they are coming from somewhere else.”

Liz stared out her door into the darkened hallway. She imagined Ava sleeping on the couch in the lounge, happy to be safe and warm for once. “Do you think they are from Ava?” She whispered.

“Lizzie??” Jeff Parker blinked his way down the hallway.

Liz dropped her cell phone and tucked into her bed. “Yeah, Dad?”

“Tell Max good nite. It’s 3:45 in the morning.” He padded his way back to his room.

Liz picked up her cell and whispered into it. “Busted.”

“Okay, I am going to come by the Crashdown first thing in the morning. Will you be okay until then?”

She smiled into the phone. “I’ll be fine. Thanks for checking up on me. I like it when you watch out for me.”

Max settled with one hand behind his head back onto the couch. “Get used to it. I plan on doing it for a while. Get some sleep. Call me if you need me.”

“I will. I love you.” She whispered.

“I love you, too. Don’t forget to lock your door. Nite.” Max closed his phone and dropped off into sleep.

Liz smiled and climbed out of bed to shut her door. With her fingers on the door lock, she stopped in stunning realization. She had locked the door before she had gone to sleep. She did every nite. She always locked her bedroom door before falling asleep. But when she had woken up, her door had been wide open in the darkness.

TBC



posted on 12-Jul-2002 7:49:41 PM by SnowWhite22
Just wanted to pop in and thank everyone for the great encouragment and bumps. More parts are coming soon. Expect an update (maybe 2) by Sunday. Thanks for sticking around after all my lagging! Love Snow
posted on 15-Jul-2002 6:36:41 PM by SnowWhite22
HI all!
New part just a LITTLE late. Sorry. Enjoy!

Love
Snow

Part 21

Isabel knocked on the grimy window outside Michael’s apartment impatiently. She could hear the knock echo throughout, followed by a crash and a loud curse. Max pulled the door open a crack and blinked out at her. His hair was rumpled and he had one hand up over his eyes. “Is? It’s like 7 am. What are you doing?”

Isabel blew past him and threw him a shirt. “Get dressed.”

He yawned and ran a hand over his rough face. “Why?”

“Because I made up my mind about something and you are coming with me.” She sniffed at a stake pot of coffee and wrinkled her nose.

Michael stumbled out of the back bedroom. “Isabel. I don’t show up at your apartment at 7 on a Saturday. Why the hell are you here now?”

“Good. You’re up. Look, we have to hurry. Dad is going into Las Cruces today and I want to catch him before he goes. So get dressed.” Isabel turned Michael back around and pushed him towards the bedroom.

That got Max’s full attention. He pulled on her arm. “Dad?”

Isabel nodded and went into the kitchen. Michael followed, still bleary-eyed. “Why are we going to see your father right now?”

Isabel bit her lip. This was the hard part. “Because I have come to a decision. It’s time that they knew the truth.”

“The truth.” Michael raised an eyebrow and sank onto a barstool. He propped his head up on his elbow. “As in…?”

“The truth about us. About who we are. All of us.” Isabel took a deep breath and faced Max full on. He stared at her dully, as if he was waiting for her to crack a punch line. He folded his arms over his bare chest and waited.

Isabel looked down real quick and then back up to Michael. He yawned. “Isabel, it’s a bit early for jokes. Can I go back to bed now?” He got up and started back down the hallway.

“I’m serious.” Isabel’s steady voice stopped him. “It’s time to tell them.”

Michael turned slowly and looked at Max. Max looked like he was ready to indulge Isabel. “Isabel,” Max started slowly, “we’ve been through this. We can’t tell anyone else.”

“No, Max. We haven’t been through this.” She started bitterly. “I’ve brought it up and you have decreed that the topic was closed. But guess what, dear brother, you are now longer king.” She walked out of the kitchen towards the front door before spinning on the them. “I’m trying to be polite here and diplomatic. I wanted you to know what I was going to do before I did it. I haven’t even told Jesse yet. But I know he would support me on this.”

“Are you sure?” Max said quietly.

Isabel remembered the irritation in his voice when she had tried to explain about Ava and the dupes. She shook it off. “I’m positive. He wants us to be honest. And I’m doing this for him. I don’t want to have to keep asking him to lie for us anymore.”

“Is, you married him. He knows the truth. His loss. He has to deal with it. Why bring in more trouble where its not needed?” Michael pointed out.

Max nodded silently.

Isabel looked at the two of them and sighed. “No, he doesn’t. He doesn’t have to DEAL with it. But he is because he loves me. Do you know how rare that is? Look at Maria. Look at Liz. Would you rather they didn’t know who you were? So you didn’t invite trouble?” Isabel shot back.

Max objected. “That’s different. They knew because of special circumstances.”

“No! Screw that!” Isabel fired at him. “They know. Period. And they haven’t rejected us. They haven’t turned from us. Why are you so afraid of Mom and Dad knowing?”

Max turned and flopped onto the couch. “I’m not going to talk about this anymore.”

“Yes, you are.” Isabel knelt in front of him. “Just because you and Dad aren’t getting along doesn’t mean that you can shut me out with everyone else.”

Max met her eyes lifelessly. “What dad? As far as I remember I don’t have a dad.”

Isabel shook her head. “Don’t do that. You know that’s not true. You were upset. So was he. You both said things you didn’t mean.”

“No, Is, that’s where you are wrong.” Max dragged a hand over his face. “I didn’t say anything I didn’t mean. I’m not going back there.”

Isabel took a breath and took his hands in hers. “Max, listen to me. Dad loves you. He wouldn’t get so upset if he didn’t love you as his son. He just wants to know you.”

“No, Is. He doesn’t want to know me. He wants that old image of a family that we used to have before....before everything that has happened the past two years.” Max said wearily.

Michael rubbed his eyes with his hands and stood up. “You’re really set on this, Isabel?”

Isabel looked up at him. “Yes.”

Michael stared at her a moment and then shook his head. “I’m going back to bed. Good luck, Isabel. Let me know how they take it..”

Max stood up. “Michael.”

“Max, don’t.” Michael held up a hand. “Just don’t. I don’t think that we should include more people but I don’t want anyone in this. However, I do know this. Your parents are good people. They love you guys and they aren’t going to turn us in. So if Isabel needs to do this, then I’m with her on it.”

“Thank you, Michael.” Isabel murmured.

Max looked at both of them sullenly. “No.”

“Max!” Isabel shot off the ground and paced in front of them. “Stop acting like a child!”

Max’s head shot up, stung. “A child?” He got up to stand in front of her. “I’m acting like a child?” His voice rose with each word. “Because I don’t want to endanger the people who raised us? Because I am trying to keep us alive? I may not be king anymore but it is still my job to keep all of us safe!”

Isabel rounded to meet him eye to eye. “Safe? We’ve never been safe! We only imagined we were. But they can help us stay safe in the future. If they know the truth.”

“Or it could kill them.” Max shot back.

“Don’t be melodramatic.” Isabel said. “Liz, Maria, Kyle...they all know and they are fine.”

“What about Alex?” Max said bitterly.

Isabel reared back. Her voice shook slightly. “Don’t you dare throw that in my face.”

Max took a deep breath. “Isabel, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that the way it sounded. I know its not
technically our fault that Alex was killed. Tess did that. But face it. If he hadn’t known the truth about us then maybe he would still be alive.”

Isabel nodded. “I know...and if you hadn’t had chosen to let Liz in then she would be dead. Is that how you would rather things be?”

Max felt his heart drop at the thought. No matter what had happened over the past 2 ½ years, his life was better because Liz knew the truth about him. She is what made him alive. He couldn’t even imagine how stark and cold his life would be without her smile, without her touch. She was the one that he was able to share everything with. He had a life because she knew every part of him and he didn’t have to hide with her. He was tired of hiding.

Isabel knew she had struck a chord with him. She pushed a little harder. “You and Liz have something beautiful. Anyone can see that. Your life is better because you have shared yourself with her. Just like I have with Jesse and Michael has with Maria.”

Michael snorted. “Leave me out of it. That’s not a vote in the positive for me.”

Isabel glared at him and turned back to Max. “I want my parents to know me before its too late. I have for years and I have respected your wishes. Now I am asking you to respect mine. I need this, Max. I need them to know who I am. You may be satisfied with one person in your life, but I’m not. I want them to know.”

Max couldn’t shake Philip’s harsh words. “You are not my son.” Maybe the man had raised him had never known him. How could he have? Until Liz had come into his life, Max hadn’t even known himself. Could he share himself with the man who didn’t trust him?

Isabel took his silence as a sign that Max wasn’t going to yield. She threw her hands up in frustration. “Fine, Max. Fine. I’m going to do what I have to do.” She grabbed her purse and headed for the door. Before leaving she looked over her shoulder at him. “Ask yourself this, Max. Are you trying to keep them and us safe? Or is your hurt pride the only thing stopping you?”

* * * * *

Liz stretched her hand up towards the string of lights that lined her balcony to re-fasten the corner that had fallen in the nite. Ava lay on the lawn chair, drinking ice tea. “Ya know, you should really think ‘bout puttin’ some speakers or sometin’ out here. Livin’ up the joint a bit. This could be a bangin’ party pad if you took down all them gay decorations.”

“Mmm-hmm.” Liz replied. Ava had insisted on coming out to “hang out” with Liz while she sat out on her balcony. Liz usually took the time in the mornings to write in her journal, but having Ava there made her skin crawl. She tried to shake the feeling, but the images from the nite before stayed with her. She was trying to be hospitable but all she could think was that Ava was studying her. She kept catching Ava staring at her out of the corner of her eye and then later wondered if it
was her imagination. Liz shook her head and stretched higher to hook the lights over a hook.

Ava got up to help Liz. “Lemme get that.”

“No!” Liz straightened and gripped the cord tighter. “I mean...umm...I got it.”

Ava nodded slowly. She sank back into the lawn chair and stretched out. “Ya know, it’s funny how things work out, huh, Liz?”

“What do you mean?” Liz asked carefully.

“Well, ya know, you ‘n me. Here. Hangin’ out. After all that’s happened. I mean, I didn’t know what that other chick did. I’m not her, ya know.” Ava looked up at Liz knowingly.

“I know.” Liz leaned against the ladder.

Ava shrugged. “So, I’m just sayin’ that I like that you ‘n me can be friends after all that. We can be friends, can’t we?”

Liz felt a ripple across her fingers and nodded slowly. “Of course.”

“Good. I’m glad to hear that.” Ava stretched her hands over her head. “Damn, yous guys all get up so early. I’m not used ta all dis sunshine. I think I’m gonna take a shower. Cool?”

“Yeah.” Liz waited until Ava had ducked into her room to study the light strand in her hand. She twisted the light slowly. Ava’s words filled her head. Liz shook her head. She got up slowly to hang the lights up. Letting the strand trail between her fingers, Liz focused on the unlit strand. Her mind was a mess of images of Tess and Ava and Max, all driving her to distraction. The
strand came to life under her hands, lighting the balcony brilliantly. Liz gasped and fell back. The
lights wavered slightly, then went out completely. Liz looked down at the plug that lay at her feet. Realization came across her slowly. Stretching her hand up, she focused on the sounds in her head and let the powers flow lightly from her hands. The lights lit slowly but steadily. Liz laughed weakly and let her hand fall to her side. The lights stayed on. Liz spun around in wonder. She took a loose end in her hand and twirled in her fingers. She couldn’t wait to tell Max. She was growing stronger. He would be so happy for her.

As the thoughts crossed her mind, the lights began to dance merrily within the strand. They blinked on and off in a light pattern that had Liz looking around in wonder. It reminded her of the time that Max had turned the street lamps into sparkling mirror ball lights. The light faded into light purples and reds, bathing her balcony in soft color. Liz lay back on her lawn chair in wonder. Just the thought of Max had made her powers take a different turn. What she had to figure out was how to use that to her advantage. Picking up her cell phone, Liz dialed quickly.

TBC







































[ edited 1 time(s), last at 15-Jul-2002 6:50:12 PM ]
posted on 15-Jul-2002 6:52:34 PM by SnowWhite22
Just also wanted to thank all for the bumps. BTW, Netty, love the new pic! *wink*
posted on 17-Jul-2002 2:40:41 PM by SnowWhite22
LOL.....I am loving all the feedback. You guys are awesome.

So no one trusts lil' ol' innocent Ava? Why ever not? *evil grin* Haha.....it's not over yet.

Love
Snow

posted on 21-Jul-2002 2:54:12 AM by SnowWhite22
Mandy: I am dubbing you the Bump Queen! Thanks for all the bumps. I need it sometimes. *happy*

Enjoy the new part y'all!

Love
Snow

Part 22

Max lay with his head against the worn couch in defeat. The shrill ring from his cell phone pierced the silence he wanted to wallow in. He turned it off quickly without looking to see who the caller was. He was sure it was Liz but he didn’t feel like talking to anybody right then. He made a mental note to call her later and explain everything that had happened with Isabel once he got it
straight in his own head. He had to get a grip on it first. Was there any truth to what Isabel had said before she left? Was he actually letting his own stubbornness get in the way? He had always put the safety of the group before himself. It was hard to believe that he could be wrong here.

Max ran a hand over his face and scratched at his rough chin. Liz always told him that his stubborn nature was what made him so strong. And so infuriating. He hated the fact that his father didn’t trust him. It was humiliating to be researched, spied on, like a criminal. A thought crossed his mind. Why should his dad trust him? Max had been lying to him for years. It wasn’t as if Max
was being falsely accused of anything. Everything his dad had said in anger that nite at dinner was
absolutely true. Max was hiding something. That something had made Max into someone he almost didn’t recognize anymore. Liz was the only thing that kept him grounded. Max knew that he had changed over the past two years. He could feel it within himself. Who could blame Phillip for trying to learn the truth? Phillip’s family had fallen apart over the course of the past two years.

Max sat up and held his head in his hands. In trying to protect Liz, Isabel, Michael, and Maria, he had lost track of who his real enemies were. For a long time it was everyone. He could only truly trust Michael and Isabel. Anyone else was the enemy, a risk that could expose them. Even their parents. Max had told himself for years that it was for their own good that he kept them in the
dark about their origins. But now he realized that it was really his own fear that prevented him from telling anyone. He remembered the fear he had when he had saved Liz and she started asking questions. Telling her who he really was had filled him with the incredible fear that one day she would reject him. He could never express how grateful he was for her love and acceptance.

Max had thought when Isabel married Jesse and he learned the truth that she would be able to share herself the same way he had with Liz. But he realized now that it wasn’t enough for her. She had always been filled with the need to be truthful with their parents. She had a bond with them that he admired and respected but didn’t fully understand. He knew now that his own fear of their rejection had prevented him from ever getting to know them the way Isabel always had. But after everything he had shared with Liz, maybe there was a chance that he could open up more to them and maybe, just maybe, he would have more in this world to hold on to. It didn’t seem like such a bad thing now. There was more to this world than trying to get off it. Liz showed him that.

Max checked the wall clock and stood up quickly. He had to get to Isabel before she got to their parents’ house to tell them the truth. He still wasn’t positive that it was totally the right thing to do, but he wanted to at least think about it some more. He grabbed his cell and dialed. Her automatic voice mail came on. Max groaned and grabbed his keys. He turned the Chevelle
towards town.

* * * * *


Liz walked through the Crashdown’s backdoor and viewed the morning crowd. Her body was still trembling from her practice session with her powers. After trying to reach Max, she had stayed out on the balcony for a while, lighting the strands surrounding her balcony at her whim. She had turned them every shade she could think of until it was time for her shift in the café. Although it
was still early, her practicing had worn her out and she wanted to give herself time to recharge before practicing more. But her mind was working at super speed. So many things were flying through her mind. As she worked with her powers, she could feel herself coming to life. Like a part of her that she had never known about had been awakened. She had only felt like that one other time in her life. When Max had connected with her for the first time. The bond that they had
shared when he saved her had awakened things in her she had never known possible. Now, as her powers grew stronger and she was learning to control them, she could feel a strength within her soul she had never possible. It spread through her until she felt like she could take on anything. She could take on the world if needed.

Liz groaned and tied on her silver apron. Facing this morning crowd was the last thing she needed. All she needed was Max and a little privacy. Liz couldn’t wipe the smile off her face. She wanted so badly to tell him everything that had happened this morning. But instead, she was serving coffee and Halley’s Comet hashbrowns.

Maria eyed her carefully as Liz changed out the coffee grinds. “What’s up, chicka?”

Liz shrugged. She tried to keep a straight face. “Not much.”

Maria leaned against the counter and folded her arms. “‘Not much.’ Uh-huh. What did YOU do last nite?”

“Nothing.” Liz looked over her shoulder. “I helped Ava get settled.”

“Ewww.” Maria shuddered. “Liz, honey, doesn’t it give you the creeps knowing she’s here? Living under your roof?”

“Yeah...well...what can I do?” Liz set the coffee pot down deliberately and leaned closer to Maria. “I want her here. At least for a while.”

“What?” Maria shook her head. “Are you crazy? I would never trust her enough to sleep under the same roof as her.”

“I don’t trust her either.” Liz murmured. “But I want to keep an eye on her. Maybe I can find out what her plan is.”

Maria checked over her shoulder to make sure that no one was listening in on their conversation. “So you think there’s more to her story too?”

Liz gave her a look.

Maria nodded. “Okay, dumb question. Anyway, back to the topic at hand.” She stopped Liz before she could go out to take a customer’s order. “Helping Ava isn’t what put that look in your eye. So what happened? Max stop by last nite for a quickie?”

Liz put a hand over Maria’s knowing grin and tried to keep a straight face. “Maria!”

“Well, what?” Maria demanded.

“Nothing happened. Well, not nothing. It’s just...” Liz looked over her shoulder. “Look, I can’t get into it right now. I’ll explain later.” She tried to ease her way around the counter without letting a grin escape.

Maria stopped her real quick. “Wait. Does this big grin have anything to do with the flash or spark or whatever happened between you and Max the other day?”

Liz didn’t say anything.

“I knew it!” Maria exclaimed. “Spill!”

“Lizzie? Maria?” Jeff Parker stood next to the counter holding a tray full of empty dishes. “There’s a whole breakfast crowd who are very hungry. Think social hour can wait until later?”

Liz cleared her throat and grabbed the full coffee pot. “Sorry Dad.” She made eye contact with Maria. “We’ll talk later.”

Jeff nodded and took the dirty trays into the kitchen.

“We’ll talk later.” Maria mimicked. “Damn straight we are going to talk later.”

Liz rolled her eyes and went out onto the dining floor.

Maria came up behind her. “Isn’t that Isabel in the parking lot?”

Liz checked out the front window. “I think so. Why is she just sitting there like that?” Isabel was parked in front of the Crashdown, staring into space.

Maria shrugged. “Who knows? Should we go out there?”

“Umm...miss? Can I see a menu?” A man near the door flagged down Liz.

Liz turned Maria back towards the kitchen with a shove. “Later. Get to work.”

* * * * *

Isabel didn’t know why she was sitting in front of the Crashdown. She had every intention to go to her parent’s house when she had left Michael’s. When she had woken up that morning and heard Jesse’s steady breathing next to her, she had sighed with quiet relief. He was sticking by her. It was in that moment that she had decided that she wasn’t going to let another opportunity go by without telling her parents the truth about her. So she had slipped out of bed, kissed Jesse’s
forehead and left with the steady determination to tell her parents the truth.

After leaving Max and Michael’s, she had been even more determined. Her argument with Max had helped her with the pent up frustration she had ben feeling, but on her drive into town, Max’s argument had begin to sink in. What if he was right? What if she was putting two people she loved in danger? She had pulled over and started to think it over.

Whatever she had done in her life it had always been with Max’s support and approval. But this year had been filled with instances when she had straight out defied him and done what she saw as right. While her new independence had felt good, it still hurt her every time she had to do something she knew he didn’t agree with. This time was even more hurtful because she knew that
his objections had nothing to do with their safety and everything to do with stubborn male pride. She wanted and needed his support this time. And she wasn’t getting it.

Isabel gripped the wheel and set her chin. Well, whether he agreed or not, telling their parents was the right thing to do. As much as it hurt her, she was going to do it with or without his support.

Max’s Chevelle pinned her into her parking place. Isabel looked out in confusion. Max hopped out and got into the passenger side. Isabel folded her arms. “Look, Max, if you are here to talk me out of this...”

“Is, wait.” Max interrupted. “Look, I’ve been thinking about what you said. Do you think you can wait on this?”

“Why?” Isabel said sullenly.

Max stared straight ahead. “I want to think about what you said a little bit more, okay? I just need more time to think about it. If you can wait until tomorrow, I promise you I will think more about telling Mom and Dad. I can’t promise you that I will fully agree, but I still want to think about it, okay?”

Isabel studied him carefully. He looked serious. “Okay, Max. I’ll wait until tomorrow. But that’s all.”

“Fair enough.”

* * * * *

Liz cleared an empty table and hummed under her breath. Maria rolled her eyes and scrubbed the
table next to her. Liz wondered if she was strong enough to wipe the table clean with her powers when something outside caught her attention. Max was shutting the door to Isabel’s car. “Maria...” Liz said quietly.

Maria saw Max and groaned. “All right, all right. Here.” Maria took Liz’s towel and order pad. “Go.”

Liz looked at her gratefully. “Really?”

“Yeah, yeah. Take your time. Come back when you’re normal.” Maria grinned.

“But what about...” Liz gestured to the half full café.

“Covered. Take off.” Maria picked up a bin of dishes and walked by Max, who was just walking in the doors. “Have fun, big guy.”

“Huh?” Max looked after her and then at Liz. "Hey, sorry I didn't call you back this morning but I..."

Liz ran up to him and grabbed on to his arm. “We gotta talk.”

Max held onto her other arm. “You’re okay? Did Ava...”

“No.” Liz could barely stand still. “Let’s go.”

“You got it.” He wrapped an arm around her and led her out to his car.

TBC


posted on 23-Jul-2002 7:57:41 PM by SnowWhite22
Tada! Surprise! An update! I have part 24 started (in my head) so it should be up *hopefully* tomorrow. If not it won't be until next Tuesday because I am going on vacation. So I will try really hard to get it up later tonite or tomorrow. Enjoy!

Love
Snow

Part 23

Maria watched wistfully as Liz and Max sped off down Main Street. “Great.” She muttered to herself as she cleared off another dirty table. “Now what do I do?”

The Crashdown usually was busy on Saturday mornings but it was still early. When Maria had so casually let Liz take off with Max, which she knew was the only way to keep Liz sane that morning, she had forgotten about the morning rush. She hurried her footsteps to the back order
window, where Michael was cheerfully banging on the order up bell.

Maria grabbed it from him. “What are you doing? I thought it was your morning off.”

“It is.” He smirked. “But I was rudely awakened this morning so I figured what the hell? Hot breakfast. Beats cold pizza.” He surveyed the café. “Looks like you need some help.”

Maria rolled her eyes. “Help? Let’s see. Liz just took off with Max all worked up over something that she won’t spill on and I was the idiot that said I would cover her shift. So that leaves me...”

“The idiot.” Michael pointed out.

“Right. The idiot. With two, count ‘em, two shifts to cover during the morning rush that starts in exactly,” She checked her wristwatch, “ten minutes. So help? Yeah, you could say that.”

Michael tried to keep an indifferent face. “Man, that just sucks for you.”

“Auughh!” Maria threw up her hands and tried to inch around Michael, who was blocking the way behind the counter. “Look, I don’t have time for this.”

“Hey.” Michael grabbed her wrists and stopped her. She stared up at him in surprise. “If you need some help, why don’t you just ask?”

“I...uh..” she pulled her hands gently out of his grasp. “Do you think you could stick around?”

“Sure.” He said simply. He grabbed a grease stained apron off the back hook and pulled it over his head. “But stop begging, okay? It’s demeaning.”

She glared at him.

“Whoops. Got it. Okay, I’m on the grill.” Michael ducked into the kitchen.

“Maria.” Jeff Parker came up to the counter. “Where’s Lizzie? Aren’t you both on right now?”

“Liz?” Maria scrambled. “She’s upstairs. She’ll be right back.”

“No, she isn’t.” Ava came up behind Maria and leaned against the counter. “I was just up there.”

“Oh...I mean...” Maria wanted to rip Ava’s lips off. “Bathroom?”

“I thought I saw her go out front with Max.” Ava supplied.

“Max?” Jeff snapped to attention.

“Oh, no, wasn’t Max.” Michael stuck his head out the order window. “I left him snoring on my couch.”

“Oh. Well, tell her to hurry up, will you? We’re getting busy.” Jeff went back up to the front register.

Maria rounded on Ava. “What the hell are you doing? What’s the big idea?”

Ava snapped her head back. “Jeez, sorry. What’s the problem?”

“The problem is..” Maria said through clenched teeth, “that Liz DID go with Max, probably for her whole shift and I have to cover for her. So you being Ms. Know-it-all isn’t helping.”

“Oh.” Ava folded her arms over her chest. “I could help ya out.”

“You?” Maria snorted. “Don’t think so, missy.”

“Fine.” Ava poured herself some juice from the counter. “I’ll just go chill over there.”

Maria locked eyes with Michael, who shrugged, then looked out over the café. The tables were quickly filling. There was no way she could do it all herself. She screwed up her face. “God! Fine! Just get the extra uniform out of Liz’s locker.”

* * *

“Look, do you know how to do this?” Maria handed Ava an order pad and a spare towel.

Ava smoothed the uniform over her hips and straightened her antennae. Liz’s extra uniform was almost a perfect fit. “Take some orders and clean up other people’s slop? I think I can handle it.”

“I can’t believe I am going for this.” Maria muttered. “Look, just smile and try to be...I don’t know. Not so YOU.”

Ava glared at her.

Maria grabbed her arm. “Oh yeah. Look, if anyone asks for Liz, just say she is out on a delivery. Okay?”

“Whateva.” Ava went up to a table holding an elderly couple and filled their coffee. “Good morning. My name is Tess. How can I help you?”

* * * * *

Liz kept fidgeting with the seat belt in the front seat of Max’s car. She couldn’t keep her hands still. The spark in her blood was making her jumpy with anticipation. She wanted to show Max so badly how far she had come with her powers in just a few short hours. He would be so happy. She wanted to surprise him though, so since they had left the café, she had kept her mouth shut.

Max kept taking long side glances at her. “What is with you?”

“Nothing.” She tried to keep a straight face.

“What did you want to talk about?” He asked.

“I have something to show you. Just go out to the spot where we were practicing the other day.” Liz directed him. She put a hand on his arm and wondered if he could feel the heat radiating out of her. He put a hand over hers and smiled.

She studied him for a second. “Are you okay?”

“Me?” Max nodded. “Yeah. I’m okay. I just had this...thing this morning with Isabel.”

“About your parents?” Liz asked.

Max nodded. “How did you know?”

Liz shrugged.

“We’re just not on the same page on that yet.” Max summed up.

“But you will be.” Liz guessed.

“I guess. I don’t want to think about it right now.” He squeezed her hand. “I’m more interested in what has you so happy this morning. You look like somebody just granted you all your wishes.”

“Maybe they did.” She smiled.

“And I wasn’t there to see it?” Max mocked her.

“Don’t worry, you’ll see.” Liz told him.

“What?” Max asked.

“Never mind. Pull over here.” Liz recognized the rocks laid out as they had been days before when they had been working on her powers after school. She jumped out and grabbed the blanket that Max kept in the car out of the back seat. Spreading it out, she pulled him over. “Sit down.”

“Do I get a private show?” He asked with an eyebrow raised.

“If you’re lucky.” Liz smiled. “I want you to see something.” She took one of the rocks off the ground and held it in her palm. Squeezing lightly, she focused on Max. She let his curious smile fill her mind. She concentrated on the flicker in her heart that she knew came from Max’s love. She let it radiate through her until all she could feel was the power of their energy together. Max leaned forward. Liz seemed to be glowing from the inside. He had never seen her look so alive.
She looked like an angel. She locked eyes with him and Max felt the charge between them rock him back. It shot through him, thick and bright, as if she was inside him.

The air around them was almost humming with the energy. Liz kept her eyes steady on him and opened her palm for him to see. Where the small brown pebble had been before now lay a glowing ember. It lit up her palm in a soft green glow, green like the powers that were lightly licking at her fingers. Max shot off the ground. He grabbed at her arm. “How did you...what...?”

Liz had a smile on her face that warmed Max’s blood. “I figured it out, Max.” She whispered. “I can control my powers now.”

Max kept his eyes on the glimmering stone in her palm as if he was waiting for it to disappear. He touched it lightly. When it didn’t vanish in front of him he broke out into a grin. He met eyes with her and pulled her in closer. “Liz, I can’t believe this.”

“I can do it, Max. I figured out how to make my powers do what I want them to.” Liz smiled up at him. “I was going about it the wrong way. But I figured it out. I found the right way to channel them.”

“What is it?” Max whispered.

“You.” She dropped the stone on the ground and laced her arms around his neck. “It’s you. The strength of the two of us together is so much a part of me. I had forgotten that. Before I was just trying to make things happen physically. I wasn’t drawing anything from inside, where I am the strongest. Because of you.”

She ran a hand over his neck and moved closer into his arms. “Max, before whenever my powers flared up it was because of strong emotion. I was upset, I was nervous, I was angry. And I had no control over something that has become a part of me. But when I think of you, when I focus on the incredible force of our love, I have control over it all. I need our love to keep me steady. And when I’m steady, I can do anything. Watch.”

She walked over to a row of rocks and touched each one lightly. With each touch a soft flame leapt out of the rock. They were surrounded by soft flames that warmed the circle of boulders around them. Max smiled softly as she walked around a second time and changed each flame’s color to warm pinks and blues. Liz turned back to him and took his hand.

“Everything I can do is because we are together.” She said softly. “You are so much a part of me that without you everything is chaotic. Like my powers. But with you, its like the calm in the middle of a storm. I can stand up against anything, can DO anything, as long as I have you. When I thought I lost you I got a taste of what that storm is like. And when I was able to bring you back
to life it was like I came to life in that minute. You had already given my life when you saved me. But when I brought you back I finally learned what it is my life is supposed to be. It’s you.”

Max swallowed hard. Her words echoed in his own heart. He had never been more proud of her or more in love than that moment. There, standing in the morning light in the desert, surrounded by the flames that their love had physically created, Max knew that he would forever be hers.

“And I’m always going to be yours.” Liz echoed softly. She walked forward and placed one of his hands over her chest. “I can hear your thoughts in my heart, Max. Its like they are mine as well.”

Max pulled her in and stroked a hand over her hair. “I love you so much, Liz. I can’t live without
you in my life. I love you.”

Liz pulled him down to the blanket covering the ground. Kissing him deeply, she looked up into
his eyes. “Show me.”

TBC
posted on 23-Jul-2002 8:44:34 PM by SnowWhite22
I was wondering if anyone else has trouble trying to find my story by doing a search. I try to acess it that way sometimes and I always have problems. Anyone else have that trouble?
posted on 24-Jul-2002 3:52:16 AM by SnowWhite22
Nickeygurl: I love your sig line about the speed of light and sound. LMAO
Thanks for your feedback. I love reading your comments. *happy*
Snow
posted on 24-Jul-2002 4:38:13 PM by SnowWhite22
I knew I could get it done if I put my mind to it. Word of Warning. This part is R/NC-17. Also, sadly, no new updates until next week. I am going on vacation. But keep checking in and keeping up with those bumps!

Thanks all!

Love
Snow White

Part 24

Max lay Liz gently upon the blanket. He traced a hand over her skin lightly, following the smooth lines of her body. She was breathtaking. She looked up at him, completely trusting, completely open to him. Never did he imagine that he would ever be as lucky as to have this amazing woman that lay before him. She closed her eyes and let his soft touch trail over her skin. Each stroke was like a tiny electric charge that warmed her blood. She craved more. She wanted more than this
teasing spark that ran through his body to hers. She opened her eyes and found his lips hovering inches above hers. She rocked up and pulled him into her. She kissed him deeply, pouring herself into the passion she knew was running steady between the two of them. She brought one hand up and let her hand run over his hair. She wanted him over her, covering her entire body until they were one.

Max was rocked to the core at the strength and power with a simple kiss. It was like she was swimming through his blood. He could her love opening their connection up until he was unsure of who’s emotions he was riding on. His, hers, it didn’t matter. He had never wanted her more
than in that moment. He knew that this was it. Out here, in the soft daylight with flames surrounding them, this was the moment he had been waiting for his whole life. He opened his eyes to look into hers. “Liz...”

She silenced him with a finger to his lips. “I’m sure, Max. Now. I love you. I will always love you.”

He took her words as her promise and breathed a shaky sigh of relentless relief. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her hard, letting all the years of sorrow and pain wash away with her touch. She opened herself up to him and held on tight. They were fused together in passion and love and Liz knew that nothing could break them apart. The world could explode around them and they
would be safe together, encircled by flames inspired by their love. Liz ran a hand over his neck and bent to taste his warm skin. He shivered slightly and kissed at her neck. The sensations running through her had her closing her eyes. Max tipped her back so that she was laying on the blanket and positioned himself over her. Carefully, he unbuttoned her uniform and let it fall open,
exposing her pale skin. He traced a hand over her soft skin and craved to taste each part of her. His hand traveled slowly down the length of her body, replaced by his lips which also traveled downwards. Liz felt as if she were being worshiped. She bit her lip as his lips traveled over her sensitive stomach. It felt like the most erotic butterfly wings were fluttering across her stomach
and her muscles clinched in reaction. He pulled the uniform off all the way, still using his lips to love every inch of her. His mouth traveled down her leg to her feet where he removed her socks and shoes. Liz swallowed hard as he then traveled back up her body to her stomach.

“God, you are so beautiful.” Max whispered. She pulled him up to her mouth in reaction. No longer willing to take things slow, Liz craved the intensity of his heat with hers. She held him against her harshly, as if she would float away if she didn’t stay anchored to his secure body. Her hands came up under his shirt to pull it over his head. She struggled to pull off his jeans until he
was left only in boxers. His flesh was warm and smooth under her fingertips and she wanted to feel his skin against hers, warming her in the cool air. Her blood was rushing in her ears and all she could feel was the charge like lightening through her blood, threatening to explode against the both of them.

Max could feel the change within her and it sent a shock of pure desire racing through him. He tore away from her mouth to bite into her soft flesh. He needed to taste her. All of her. She was like thick cream that he couldn’t get enough of. His mouth traveled up to her ear, where he nibbled lightly. She jumped in reaction and gasped. The sensations within her were increasing, racing down over her body like slivers of anticipation. She had never felt anything like it. She wrapped her arm around him and pulled him in closer, if that was possible. Max buried his head in her neck, nibbling as he went. When he came to her bra-clad breasts, he stopped momentarily. Liz
unfastened the fabric and let it fall to the ground. Max cupped her softly, letting her soft aroma weave itself around him. He kissed her breasts softly. Liz groaned in appreciation. Her fingers dug into his hard back. Max used his tongue to lightly flick at her nipples, almost shooting Liz off of the ground. Taking one fully in his mouth, he sucked lightly, using his teeth to arouse her further. Using his hand, he kneaded the other one lightly. Liz felt her back arch against the ground. Max
was driving her crazy. She felt like she was riding an electric wave. She let the sensations take her higher. “Max...” She whispered harshly.

Max kept his hands on her breasts and moved his mouth down her stomach. She almost whimpered. Looking up at her, he couldn’t believe his eyes. Liz was almost glowing. The intensity of her emotion had her fighting to keep her senses. She could feel her blood warming and mixing,
her powers racing through her, all sparked by Max’s touch. He let his mouth roam further until he reached her cotton briefs. Pulling them down her hips and over her legs, he let his hands brush over her lightly. Liz almost whimpered in reaction. Max could feel himself reacting internally and fought off the urge to take his boxers off. But he wanted to love her first. All of her. She deserved to know what it was like to have someone worship your whole body. His lips traveled lower until
he was kissing the very center of her. She was damp with anticipation and Max almost groaned. He kissed her core passionately. Liz moaned heavily and bit her lip. She was flying through space now. Riding an intense wave that had taken her up and off the earth. She was racing through the stars. Max used his tongue to press against her, licking teasingly. Her body shook lightly as he
kept his mouth pressed against her. Liz was flying over the stars now. She was racing above them. Her heartbeat heavily, causing her breath to come out in short, desperate pants. She wanted Max so badly. She needed him to help her release. She wanted him inside her so that they were one. She couldn’t take it. She was practically dying from the electricity shooting through her limbs. Her moans climbed higher until all she could think was one thing. Max. Max. Max. “God! Max!”
Liz felt her whole body shudder violently against him. Her blood was thick from him. Her heart raced as she fell back to earth.

Max wouldn’t let her rest. He kept at her core, nibbling lightly so that she was spinning over and over again in charged waves of intensity. She felt the heat from within her building over and over again. “Max! I...God....I can’t...” Liz moaned.

Max’s head shot up with that. “Liz, are you okay? Did I hurt you?”

Liz grabbed him with a strength she didn’t know she possessed and kissed him hard. She wanted to pour everything that was making her alive into him. The light taste of her on his lips had her almost groaning in frustration. “I need you, Max. I need you now.”

Max lay her back against the blanket and wrapped his arms around her. Her hands traveled downwards to the waistband of his boxers. He pushed himself up and out of them. He lay against her, fully aroused. The fire ignited within her and she brought her hands up to his face. Opening her eyes, she locked eyes with him. He kept his eyes steady on hers as he guided himself to enter her. With locked gazes, he entered her fully. Liz bit back a groan of pain. He silenced her with a sweet kiss. Letting his tongue roam her mouth, he loved her with his mouth as their bodies became one. Liz kept her eyes on him and let the spark running through her warm their connection. It was like she was inside of him as well. As one, they moved slowly.

“Am I hurting you?” Max whispered softly. He tried to keep his motions soft.

She gazed up at him, amazed at his tenderness. “You could never hurt me.” She whispered back. She knew it was true. The pain was gone and replaced with the softest pleasure she had ever known. It rocked through her, licking at her blood like a part of her that she had just discovered. She felt like she was floating softly on a gentle cloud with Max’s hands parting her hair. She
reached up and brought her lips to his. He moaned in response and used his hands to cup her face. Their bodies rocked together slowly, teasingly. Liz moaned and brought her legs up to take him more fully inside her. They were one person now, one heart, one soul. They had never known what it was to love until they had been together like this. She welcomed him into her soul with everything she possessed. The beauty of their love together had her almost crying. She could feel the tears hot on her cheeks. He kissed them away gently. “I love you, Liz.” He murmured over and over again. “I love you. I love you.”

She wrapped herself around him and pulled him tightly. The more he entered her, the higher she felt she was flying. Her hands roamed over his back as their kisses echoed the movement of their bodies together. His tongue mimicked the way he moved inside of her. She couldn’t stop the gasp of intense pleasure that erupted out of her. Her hips moved emphatically against him. He
increased their pace slowly, deliberately. Holding her off the ground with one hand, he used the other to hold them up. She threw her head back in pleasure and let her body rush with the fire that was spreading throughout her whole body. Their bodies quickened together. Their hearts beat frantically as one. Max could feel his body shaking for a release but he didn’t want to let go. He held Liz against him and thrust hard into her. She moaned in desperate pleasure. They rocked
together almost violently until the rush of lightening between almost shocked them apart. Liz refused to release him. She rode him hard as the charge grew to a fevered pitch. She moaned his name over and over. “Max...Max....Max...Max!” She could feel the wave threatening to crash over her and she welcomed it. Her body started to quake against him, sending sensations to
vibrate against him. Inside of her, he tightened his grip on her damp body and let out a moan of release. His body shot inside of her, sending her flying over the edge of surrender. A white hot flash ignited around them, sending the flames around them to engulf the rocks. Max collapsed on top of Liz, shaken, spent and exhausted.

* * *

Liz opened her eyes experimentally. The flames, which had been 3 feet high during their love making were back down to flickering candles. Max’s damp body covered hers and she kissed his head, which was buried in her shoulder. His hands were lightly stoking her arms. Max smiled into her shoulder and tried to lift his head. It was like trying to lift a boulder. He was still inside her. He had never felt anything like that before. She was warm, soothing and he never wanted to move again. Liz smiled. “I don’t either.”

“This whole mind reading thing could get scary.” He croaked out.

“Mmm.” Liz murmured in response and kissed his lips fully. She tried to lift her head to reach him but couldn’t muster up the energy. “I love you.” She whispered and let her head fall back against the blanket.

“I love you too.” He murmured against her lips before dropping his head back against her. She nuzzled his neck softly. He smiled and let her leave butterfly kisses against his skin. Wrapping his arms around her, he rocked softly until he could rock them both over. Laying underneath her now, he pulled a strand of damp hair out of her face. Still fully embedded inside her, Max tucked
her head under his chin and kissed the top of her head. She kissed his chest. Letting her eyes flutter close, she nuzzled against him. He dropped off to sleep, holding her against him and never wanting to move from that sacred spot in the desert.

TBC


posted on 30-Jul-2002 9:48:31 PM by SnowWhite22
Thanks for the feedback all! Part 25 is under construction so I will post it ASAP. Keep checking in!

Love
Snow
posted on 2-Aug-2002 3:21:24 AM by SnowWhite22
Enjoy! Please keep the feedback coming. I want to know what you guys think.
Love
Snow

Part 25

Liz opened her eyes slowly to blaring sunlight. It hurt her eyes and she closed them again with a deep sigh. The sun was directly over head and Liz could feel it warming her skin. The air around her was crisp and clean and she breathed in deeply. She was still laying on top of Max, who’s arms were wrapped securely around her. She nestled closer. She could tell by his deep breathing that he was dead asleep.

She experimentally stretched and almost groaned at the stiffness in her muscles. Her body felt wrung out, yet delicate, as if light was racing through her veins instead of blood. No, not light. Max. Max was in her blood and in her soul and she never wanted to feel the heaviness of blood again. She rubbed her head against his bare chest and smiled. Waking up in his arms was like every wish she had ever taken for herself had come true. She had thought the morning after she and Max had found the orb, so many months ago, had been like heaven. That was until she realized what true love was.

Max started to stir with her movements. His hand started to skim her bare back lightly. He opened his eyes and looked directly into hers. A small smile came across his face.

“Hi.” She whispered.

“Hi.” He whispered back. He closed his eyes again and pulled her hard against him. Stifling a yawn, he stretched his back. Settling into the blanket again, he pressed a small kiss to her shoulder. “How do you feel?”

“Amazing.” She smiled and ran a hand over his hair. “You?”

He opened his eyes and looked at her intently. “Like everything I ever wished for has just come true.” He played with a few strands of her hair. “I love waking up with you.”

“Mmm. Me too.” She pressed a small kiss to his lips and sat up. Reaching for her discarded uniform, she dug for her cell phone. Squinting to make out the digital face, she jumped up. “Two o’clock? How can it be two already? We came out here at nine! Oh, God. Maria’s gonna kill me!” She started rummaging around for her undergarments.

“Hey.” Max pulled her back down to him. “Relax. It’s going to be okay.”

“Max, you don’t understand. I left her alone at work. I didn’t think we’d be gone that long.” Liz ran her hands over his shoulders.

He took both her hands in his. “Okay. I’ll drive you back.” He kissed her palms. “Let me find my...uh...clothes.”

Liz took a long look at his sleepy eyes and ruffled hair and smiled. She threw herself at him, knocking them both back against the blanket. “Oh, forget it. She knows I’m with you.”

Max laughed and settled her against him. Stroking a hand over her bare back, he yawned again. “I feel like I could sleep for a year.”

“Here?” She asked.

“With you.” He said as he closed his eyes. “I could sleep anywhere with you.”

* * * * *

Ava slipped into the backroom while Maria rang up a customer. The café had died down enough that she was able sneak into the back for a few minutes. Stretching slowly, she peeked out the window and surveyed quickly. She walked over to Liz’s locker and she pulled the door gently. She snuck a look over her shoulder and smiled softly. Ava stood up on her toes and started
examining the inside of Liz’s locker. She trailed her fingers over the items gingerly. Liz had a strip
of pictures of Max lining the inside of her locker. Like the kind you got from an instant photo booth. The smiling faces of Liz and Max shined back at her. Ava swallowed heavily and put the strip back. Ava looked over the personal items that belonged to the woman that Max wanted to spend his life with. The bright pictures, the hair clips that held her dark hair back, the notebook
full of carefully laid out notes and straight lines. She could feel Liz around her in these few meaningless items, inside her head. Ava ran a hand over the green and silver waitress uniform that fit her so perfectly. She took a hair clip off the top shelf and pinned a strand of hair back with it. Pulling the picture of Max and Liz down again, she put her hand over Liz’s face. When she let her fingers fall off the photo, she saw her own face smiling brightly back at her. Ava stared, wondering how the image resonated inside of her. It was like a click. A small, humming switch that was always in the back of her head. She closed her eyes and smiled again.

A rustling in the kitchen had her hiding the photo strip behind her back, her fingers covering her own face. Michael poked his head out of the kitchen doorway. “What are you doing?”

“Nothin’.” She glared at him. “Takin’ a break. Is that a crime?”

Michael rolled his eyes. “There’s orders up.” He ducked back into the kitchen.

“Yeah.” She looked down at the photo again. Liz’s image was back. Like it had never been different. “I’ll be there in a minute.”

Ava replaced the photo and shut the locker. She leaned against it momentarily, her hands warming the cool metal. She closed her eyes as the surge ripped through her. It ran through her, quick and violent. Like a rage that had been bottled up for too long and now was out of control. She grit her teeth against it. The locker shook against her. Ava rolled her head back and let it ride. It seemed to empower her. It gave her strength, courage. It was time. She had waited long enough. It was time.

* * * * *

“So then what did she say?” Liz asked quietly. She was laying next to Max, her hands templed beneath her chin on his chest, her breath just inches from his. When they spoke at the same time it was like they were breathing the same air. Max was staring straight up into the gentle blue sky. The sun was starting to dip lower and the air had taken a soft chill. They had spent the whole day out there in the desert, wrapped into each other, legs twisted together. They alternated sleeping and making love in the spring air. Now they were talking about the fight Max had with Isabel that morning.

Max shrugged and Liz moved with him. “She said that it was my pride that was stopping me from telling my parents. That I was just being stubborn.” He looked at her. “Am I too stubborn?”

Liz tried to hide her smile. “Just a tad.”

“Is that it then?” He moved his eyes back up to the sky. “I always thought that I was protecting us. All of us. You, Is, Michael. The more people that knew, the more dangerous it became.”

“But what is the threat now?” Liz asked.

“I don’t know. Doesn’t matter. There’s always some THING that is going to be after us. Some enemy, hidden or staring us in the face, that is always going be putting us in danger.” Max pointed out.

“But, Max,” Liz sat up, “what about all the benefits that came from people knowing? What about the number of times Valenti has saved us? What about Jesse and Maria? Or me?” She kissed him lightly. “What if I didn’t know?”

Max nodded. “I know. I thought of all that.”

“Max, I know you and your dad said and did some things you can’t change. I know that it hurt you that nite at dinner. But there’s no way to get past that if you don’t let your parents in. You had to decide on whether or not you trust them enough to know the real you. You are the only one that can make that decision.”

He nodded again.

Liz ran a hand over his hair. “Do you want to spend the rest of your life with this rift between you and your father?”

“I hadn’t thought about it that way.” He admitted. He smiled up at her gruffly. “How did you get to be so smart?”

She shrugged delicately. “Years of practice.”

“Practice, huh?” He pulled her down to him and pulled the ends of the blanket around them, sending clouds of dust into the air. Liz laughed as he nibbled at her neck playfully.

“Look, look.” She pointed out into the distance. “The sun is going down.”

Max groaned. “I guess that means we should head back.”

“I guess.” Liz pulled her underwear back on. A scary thought ripped through her. “Max, oh my God.”

“What?” He looked up at her.

“We didn’t use any....uh....protection. I didn’t even think about it. What was I thinking?” Liz stood quickly.

Max spread his palm over her lower abdomen. A warm glow filled her insides. Liz gripped his arms as the glow began to spread. Max pulled his hand back. “Okay?”

“Yeah.” Liz bit her lip. “Thanks. We’ll have to be more careful.”

Max smiled softly. “We will. I promise.”

“Come on.” She wrapped up the blanket and threw it in the back of the Chevelle. “Let’s go.”


[ edited 1 time(s), last at 7-Aug-2002 1:25:45 AM ]
posted on 2-Aug-2002 7:50:47 PM by SnowWhite22
Expect for more come this Monday. I may go out of town this weekend again, but I will be adding more ASAP. Keep checking in!

Love
Snow
posted on 7-Aug-2002 1:24:43 AM by SnowWhite22
Hi all! Thanks for the bumps and the encouragement. Love you all!

Love
Snow

Part 26

Max rolled up in front of the Crashdown right as the street lamps were lighting the calm main street. The sun had dipped low behind them in the desert and Liz let the cool evening air caress her. Everything around her seemed to kiss her skin lightly. The cool air, the gentle touch of Max’s jacket around her, the way Max’s hand lay heavily upon her knee. Liz unbuckled her seatbelt slowly as Max walked around to open her door. He locked eyes with hers and smiled easily. She hadn’t thought it was possible for them to be more bonded, more a part of each other’s souls, but just having him within inches of her was like breathing. She held his hand tightly as he helped her out of the car and fell against him. Max squeezed her against him and sighed. She didn’t want him to ever let go.

Max chuckled. “I don’t want to, either, but your dad may not like it if we just set up camp right here.”

Liz smiled briefly. “I guess not. And I have to call Maria to find out how things went today. She’s going to kill me.”

Max nodded. “Let me know how it goes.” He looked at his watch. “I have to call Isabel anyway.”

“Did you decide what you are going to do?” She asked.

“Yeah.” Max squeezed her hand. “I think I’m going to tell them.” He blew out a heavy sigh. “I think.”

“Okay.” She kissed him softly. He tasted like peppermint from the gum he had been chewing. She leaned back and looked up into his eyes. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” He pulled a strand of hair out of her eyes. “Hey, have dinner with me tomorrow nite.”

“Okay.” She smiled. “I have to wait until tomorrow nite to see you?”

“I didn’t say that.” He climbed back into the car, holding onto her hand until the last possible second. “I’ll call you later.”

She blew him a kiss as he rolled back down the street.

Climbing the stairs into her family’s apartment, Liz was greeted with an astonishing sight. Sitting around their kitchen table was Ava, Nancy and Jeff. They were laughing hysterically. Jeff was holding onto a bowl of rolls and Ava was spooning herself some mashed potatoes. Nancy had one hand on Ava’s shoulder and was wiping at her tear streaked cheeks. Liz felt like she was intruding on a private moment that she wasn’t meant to be included on. “Um...hi. What’s going on?” Liz
cleared her throat.

All three looked over at her stunned gaze and started to laugh allover again. Liz felt chills going down her neck. It was like she had missed the punchline on something she should be aware of. “What’s so funny?”

“Oh, honey, nothing.” Nancy tried to calm herself. “Tess made us dinner tonite to thank us for letting her stay here and then she started telling us some stories of what it was like to travel with her dad. All those alien stories.”

“Alien stories?” Liz asked carefully. The hair on the back of her arms stood up at that. She made eye contact with Ava.

“You know...” Ava wiped at her mouth. “Dad and I saw some crazy things when we were traveling around.”

“Like the teenagers who thought the earth was infected by alien...what was it? CRYSTALS?” He started to laugh over again. “Tell that one again.”

“Well,” Ava leaned in closer. “This group of kids thought that they were saving the earth from these blue crystal things that grew in this one area. I mean, they were freaked. Turns out that some crackpot in town had fed them this line about how the crystals would feed on humans or something. The crystals ended up being a rare form of quartz. Anyway, when Dad got to the
scene, they were dancing around in the rain and singing about guardians or something.”

Nancy and Jeff started howling again.

Liz could feel the blood draining from her face. The gandarium crystals had almost contaminated the whole town. She cracked a weak smile and settled down at the table.

“Oh, honey, I forgot to set a place for you.” Nancy stood up.

“Oh, um, I’ll get it.” Liz got up. “Tess, why don’t you help me?”

Liz marched into the kitchen with Ava right behind her. Liz whirled around when they were out of earshot and grabbed Ava’s arm. “What the hell are you doing?”

“What?” Ava yanked her arm out of Liz’s grasp. “What’s your deal?”

“Me?” Liz got closer. “You’re making them dinner? What are you telling them?”

“Nothing. A few stories.” Ava jerked back. “They were askin’ where you were. I had to distract them somehow.”

“And that’s it? You were just telling them a few stories?” Liz asked.

“Yeah, of course. I’m not an idiot, ya know. I made it seem like the X-files. They ate it up.” Ava smirked. “Where have you been, anyway?”

“None of your business.” Liz muttered and grabbed a plate off the shelf. She turned to face Ava’s hurt look. She sighed. “I’m sorry. I just was a little freaked out. That was some pretty serious stuff. No more stories, okay?”

Ava shrugged. “Whateva.” She stretched her arms over her head. “Boy, I’m beat. I don’t know how you do it.”

“Do what?” Liz asked.

“Work eight hours and then come play all nicey with the family.” Ava rolled her neck.

“Work? You worked for me today?” Liz was taken back.

“Yeah, well, Maria needed someone and I was there...” Ava trailed off.

“And she asked you?” Liz narrowed her eyes.

“Nah, I volunteered.” Ava said. She started at Liz. “I was just tryin’ to help you out.”

“Oh.” Liz said, somewhat mollified.

Nancy peeked her head back into the kitchen. “Tess, come on out here. I want to show you that web site we were talking about.”

Ava gave her a bright smile. “I’ll be right there.”

Liz grabbed her arm again. “What are you doing with my mom?”

“What do you mean?” Ava smirked. “Paranoid much?”

Liz stared as Ava spun around and passed through the kitchen door, her blond hair bright in the light from the kitchen

* * * * *

Liz woke up to a the shrill ring of her cell phone. Glancing at the caller ID, she groaned. “Maria, its 8:40 on a Sunday.”

“Liz. Wake up.” A gruff voice said quickly.

“Michael?” Liz sat up. “What’s going on?”

“Can you meet over at my place in like 20 minutes?” He asked.

“Yeah.” Liz ran a hand over her face. “What’s up?”

“I want all of us to talk this morning before the day gets going.” He said. “I came over early to Maria’s to get her up first.”

“She must have been thrilled.” Liz said.

“Yeah.” Liz could hear him smiling. “Not as thrilled as Mrs. DeLuca.”

“I bet.” Liz laughed.

“Look, I’m going to go get Isabel and Jesse. I left Max on my couch. He said he was tired. What did you do to him yesterday?” Michael asked.

Liz felt like Michael was staring her in the face from across town. She felt herself turn red and cleared her throat. “I’ll...uh..call Kyle.”

“Good. And, hey, leave Ava there. Leave her out of this.” Michael demanded.

“Why?” Liz got up and pulled on her robe.

“Just don’t let her see you leave. I don’t want her following you or whatever. So do what you have to but don’t let her know where you are going.” Michael hung up.

Liz snuck into the bathroom and turned the shower on. Hoping in quickly, she thought about what Michael had said. How was she going to get out without Ava seeing her? And how could she leave her alone with her parents when she was such a loose cannon? Liz didn’t trust her to keep her mouth shut. Liz shook her head. She just had to be discreet and try and get back as soon
as possible.

* * *

When she got downstairs, Ava was no where to be seen. Liz looked around carefully and walked directly into her father, who was getting ready to start up the morning grill. “Dad! Oh, sorry. Um..have you seen A..I mean Tess?”

“Oh, yeah, she and your mother went out early for some supplies for me. They should be back soon.” Jeff looked her up and down. “Where you going?”

“Oh. I have to go by Maria’s. We have plans.” Liz said. “Bye Dad.”

She was the last to arrive at Michael’s. Walking in, she spotted Max talking quietly to Isabel, who looked like she had just been given a million dollars. She walked over to them. “I guess you told her then.”

“Yeah. Morning.” Max kissed her quickly and held onto her hand.

Isabel smiled down at Liz. “Thanks for talking some sense into him.”

“Hey, he did it on his own. I just bounced some ideas off him.” Liz smiled.

Max smiled. “I’m still not one hundred percent, but if its what you think is right, Isabel, then I’ll go with you.”

“Thanks Max.” Isabel gave him a hug.

Max turned back to Liz. “How are you after last nite? Did you sleep okay?”

Liz pulled on his shirt. “Well, I missed you, but I think I slept okay.”

“No more dreams?” He asked softly.

“Umm....no. Not that I remember.” Liz said slowly.

Michael interrupted them. “Guys, we gotta talk.”

“Can we get the pow-wow going please?” Kyle interrupted. “I gotta get to work.”

“Yeah.” Michael nodded. “We got a problem. Everyone needs to be aware.”

“What?” Max asked. “What’s the problem?”

“It’s Ava.” Michael said. “She’s dangerous. We have to get rid of her. Now.”

TBC
posted on 7-Aug-2002 1:27:09 AM by SnowWhite22
PS: Alien Lover, I fixed my typo. I miss Bob too!

Love
Snow
posted on 8-Aug-2002 3:40:49 PM by SnowWhite22
New Part! Woohoo! I finished this one way before I thought I would. Although it is REALLY short. Sorry about that. Just wanted to get this powwow out of my head before I went crazy. You understand. *happy*

PS: PuzzleChild-Gij- Is this the same Gij from the RDreamers thread on the Jason FF board? If so, WHAT'S UP! Long time no talk. This is snow_White. I haven't been over there in AGES. Anyhow, glad to see you.

I love all the new readers. It is so great to see you. Thanks for everything!

Love
Snow

Part 27

The group stood in stunned shock at Michael’s blunt declaration. Max finally broke the silence. “What do you mean ‘She’s dangerous’? What did she do?”

Michael shook his head. “She’s going to come after you, Max. I can feel it.”

“That’s it? This is based on a feeling?” Max challenged.

“No!” Michael protested. “Look, I didn’t want her here in the first place. We need to get her out of town and away from all of us. Especially you.”

“Amen to that.” Maria muttered.

“But what has she done?” Isabel broke in.

“I saw something yesterday that started me thinking about this.” Michael began. “Yesterday, when Ava was covering Liz’s shift I saw her digging through Liz’s locker.”

“My locker?” Liz was chilled with the sense of invasion. “What was she looking at?”

“Your things. Your pictures, your hair stuff. I saw her snooping through your binders and school books. She didn’t know I was watching. I saw her take that picture of you and Max down from your locker door. The ones you guys took at the festival last fall.” Michael explained.

“What else?” Liz asked.

“I didn’t see much more. But, I don’t know, something about the way she was looking at the picture. I just got this flash of the way Tess used to obsess over Max.” Michael said looking at Max. “It was like Tess was there again. Like I was standing in the room with her.”

“Like when Mr. Evans came in the other day.” Kyle murmured.

“Exactly.” Michael got up and began to pace. “When I came in she tried to hide it, but I could see it in her face. She was hooked on that picture.”

“I can’t believe she was going through my stuff.” Liz said to herself. Max squeezed her hand.

“I told her to go in there for a extra uniform. Jeez, I sent her in there!” Maria moaned.

“No. It’s not your fault. If I hadn’t taken off you wouldn’t have needed the extra help.” Liz pointed out.

“That’s right. It’s your fault!” Maria grinned.

“Knock it off.” Michael growled. “This is serious.”

“Okay, so you caught her going through Liz’s things. That’s not exactly grounds for running her out of town.” Isabel pointed out.

“Look, the girl gives me the creeps.” Michael said.

“I second that.” Maria chimed in.

“Third.” Kyle raised his hand halfway.

“Fourth.” Liz half-way whispered.

“I don’t like seeing her either,” Isabel broke in, “But we need to be very careful here what we do. None of us realized what Tess was capable of. We don’t want to make the same mistake with Ava.”

“Agreed.” Max said. “Plus, there’s no proof that there is going to be any reason for alarm. So far, she’s been a model guest. Right, Liz?”

“Yeah.” Liz had to admit. “My parents adore her. She made them dinner last nite.”

“Better go have their stomachs pumped just in case.” Maria offered.

“And she has been helping around the café and being friendly enough.” Liz glared at Maria. “Maybe we are all being paranoid for nothing.”

“Do you really think that?” Max asked softly. “You are the one who’s powers get set off by her.”

“I know.” Liz said. “But that hasn’t happened since the first nite she arrived.”

“And a couple of nites ago. Your dream.” Max reminded her.

“Dream?” Michael interrupted.

“It was nothing.” Liz locked eyes with Max. “I had a nightmare.”

“With Ava in the house.” Max supplied.

“You are the one who just said that there was no reason to be alarmed.” Liz said to him. “Are you changing your mind?”

“I don’t like her being alone with you. I already said that.” Max said.

“And I’m NOT letting her be alone with you.” Liz shot back. “No way. She may be nce now but there is no way I’m letting Queen Ava emerge. Your TRUE mate.”

“Hey.” Max grabbed her wrists. “You are my true one. Not her. Ever.”

“I know.” Liz lowered her eyes. “I don’t trust her around you. That’s all.”

“I don’t either. You guys didn’t see the way she was looking at that picture.” Michael chimed in. “So I vote that we keep her away from Max as much as possible.”

“I don’t need a chaperone.” Max said, embarrassed. “I can take care of myself.”

“How are we going to do that?” Isabel ignored Max’s protest.

“Isabel!”

“Look, Max, I don’t like it either, but until we get more proof that Ava has an ulterior motive, we have to keep her away from you. We just have to figure out what that motive is.” Isabel said to him.

“I can do it.” Liz interrupted quietly. All heads turned towards Liz.

“Uh-uh. No way.” Max protested.

“Max, it makes the most sense. She already trusts me, otherwise she wouldn’t have come to me in the first place. I’m in the perfect position for it. She’s staying at my house. I can spend time with her. Be her new best friend. And learn what we need to know.” Liz pointed out. She moved closer to him on the couch and put a hand on his. “It make perfect sense. Who else can be around her all the time like I can?”

“I have to admit, it’s better than what I had.” Michael said.

“What did you have?” Liz asked.

“Tie her up here until she talks then ship her off to LA to deal with Langely. Preferably in a body bag.” Michael grinned.

“Hey, I like his idea.” Kyle broke in.

Liz stood up. “No! No one is going to hurt her. Look, I am going to do this whether you like it or not, Max. And you have to stay out of my way. Otherwise she might try something with you and I would hate to have to be the one to kill her.”

“I have to stay away from you? Forget that.” Max stood up and looked down at her. Liz’s arms were on her hips and she had her chin set. She looked like a mini soldier.

“No, you don’t have to stay away, stay away. She might get suspicious otherwise. But you need to make sure that you are never alone with her.” Liz looked around at the group.

“Operation Never Leave Max Alone.” Maria sighed. “Sounds familiar.”

“This is ridiculous! I can take care of myself. I don’t want you in danger!” Max said to Liz.

“Max,” Liz took his hand, “I’ll be all right. Everyone here is going to be looking out for me, right? I’m going to do this. Let me take care of you for once.”

“Liz, if she is really dangerous, then you have to let me know.” Max said.

“I will. I promise. Plus, you have a lot to worry about already. You have to go deal with your parents.” Liz said.

“You’re going to tell them?” Kyle asked. “Fabulous. More to the happy alien clan.”

“Shut up, Kyle.” Isabel stood up and picked up her purse. “Max, I’ll come get you in a few hours.
We’ll go by Mom and Dad’s after church.”

“Right.” Max nodded.

“I have to go.” Liz said. “I want to be there when Ava and my mom get back.”

“I’ll drive you back.” Maria said.

Max caught Liz’s hand. “I’ll talk to you in a little while.”

She smiled up at him and kissed him. “Love you.” She whispered.

“You too.” Max shut the door behind them.

“So, Nancy Drew, how are you going to do it?” Maria asked as they climbed into the Jetta.

Liz blew out a breath and fastened her seat belt. “Good question. Follow her around, I guess. Spy a little.”

“That gross pack of hers might have some answers.” Maria turned the car on and started down the street.

“Right. Or I can watch her when she thinks I’m gone.” Liz nodded. “You’ll help, right? Keep her busy.”

“I’m there for you babe.” Maria laughed. “Call us the Bobbsey Twins.”

As Maria turned the corner, she missed the rustling in the bushes by Michael’s front door. Ava stepped out and pulled the twigs out of her hair. They had it all wrong about her. But that was fine. Their plan sounded perfect. Ava started to laugh. It was absolutely perfect.


posted on 9-Aug-2002 7:59:55 PM by SnowWhite22
COOKIE!!!!! I'm so glad you are back! I missed you! Thanks for all the postcards. I have them all over my walls. Call me soon so we can hang out! I can't wait until the Swimfan premeire. We are so there.

Any updates for us?? Please, please, please? I've been going through withdrawls from your stories. Tell me that you worked on them on your trip. I can't wait.

Gij! Yo, what up! I'm so glad that you are checking out my fic. Color me flattered. Give my love to everyone on the RD board. If you check into POD's at all give my love there too. I'm one of those that fell off the FF board like a ghost. I just didn't have time to keep up. Maybe I'll head back over there soon.

What's the name of your fic? I'll check it out and give some FB since you have graced me with yours. *big*

I'm smilin big time now. Love you guys!
Snow
posted on 10-Aug-2002 2:32:34 AM by SnowWhite22
I hear you on the money side. I'm a little bit of a broke joke myself. At least you got a trip to Europe off it.

We do need to start making some definte LA plans. I can't wait.

Oops, who is distracting the thread now? Bad Snow! Bad!


posted on 14-Aug-2002 3:47:52 AM by SnowWhite22
Thanks for all the bumps adn encouragement, everyone! I love that new readers are coming in. Thank you so much.

There should be a new part within a couple of days. I had a bit of a writer's block for a while there but I think I am getting past it. Keep checking in and hopefully a new post will be up by this weekend.

I'm wondering if anyone has any tips or questions about how things are going with the story. I welcome any criticism and would love to hear other points of view. Feel free to post them here or Bmail me.

Thanks all!
Love
Snow
posted on 18-Aug-2002 6:09:59 PM by SnowWhite22
I can't believe it. I finished the part. I had to worst writer's block and then all of a sudden I just had the urge to sit down and I started typing and there you go. It's a longer part so I need LOTS of feedback. I'm going oot of town for a few days but I will try and have a new part up by next weekend. Thanks for everything all!
PS: Gij- tell Scottie I say hi and I miss her!

Love
Snow

Part 28

Ava started walking slowly back towards the Crashdown. The spring air had started to warm over the past few weeks and even though she knew that she didn’t need to, she still checked over her shoulder to make sure that no one was behind her, waiting to pounce. A life on the run had taught her that. And Liz thought that she was going to be able to investigate her. Ava smirked. The sleepy town of Roswell hid so many things in its bright manner and friendly people. She had been right to come here. She had battled with herself at first whether her ultimate goal had been a good idea. But being here, around those that were like her in ways they were too scared to imagine, she knew that she had made the right decision. She cursed them for their weak human ways. She knew that she was part human, but she had buried that side of her long ago. She had to in order to survive. There were things about her that they had no idea about. Her first time around she had gone about things all wrong. She had been way too forward in her plans, too abrupt. And in the end she had to do things that she didn’t want to do. Trying to befriend Liz, pretending to be awed and touched by the comradery the “gang” shared. It made her sick to think about it now. She knew she couldn’t trust any of them. That was fine. She knew right now they didn’t trust her either. All because of what someone with a different name had done. That other person, Tess, had screwed everything up. She knew now how to be her true self. If she had learned anything over the past year, in order to survive she had to be true to herself. That was all that mattered in the end.

Ava turned another corner and looked to make sure that no one saw her leaving Michael’s block. She knew that none of them trusted her. They weren’t sure what to make of her. She needed to play on that. Play on their doubts and their fears. Usually, distrust would mean that anything she said would be automatically discarded. But in this case, with her precarious position right in the lion’s den, she could pit them against each other. No, not against each other. She needed Zan, Rath and Vilandra strong and united until she could secure herself. For now, she needed them against Liz. Liz. Ava almost sneered. She was the ax that split the royal family tree, the stain that desecrated a pure blood line. At first Ava had written her off as an inconvenience, an annoyance at best. Now that she had a second chance with these people, she didn’t want to underestimate her again. The power that she had over Zan was remarkable. Even in their other life she had never seen him act the way that he did with Liz. She remembered their other life. The memories were getting stronger everyday. Each memory from their other life was like a nail in the coffin of her earth life. She clung to them. It was all she had and she was going to use every one of them to her full advantage.

Ava marveled at the way that her family had been able to adapt to human life. She had thought for sure when she left them the last time that they were well on their way to realizing not only their full natural capabilities, but also on the connection to home. But here was Vilandra, Isabel, married to a human. Zan was almost that close with Liz. Even Rath, always the one least susceptible to matters of the heart, was preoccupied with Maria. Ava closed her eyes. She had to find a way to counter these bonds. Liz and Max would be the most difficult. But Liz drew her strength from those around her. If she could separate them, her work would be easier. She would start with Vilandra. She smiled quietly to herself. She and Vilandra had always shared a common understanding. Like sisters. If she could unite with Vilandra then the rest would be easier.

Ava stopped at intersection and turned abruptly. The Crashdown lay a block a head but that was no longer where she needed to be. She headed to a quiet row of houses on the edge of town.

* * * * *


Max held Isabel’s hand quietly in his own. Her hand was cool and dry. He wished he felt the same. He was a jumble of twisted nerves. He stood in front of the driveway that he had grown up on and took a deep breath. Isabel squeezed his hand and held him steady. “It’s going to be okay, Max. I promise.”

“Yeah.” He gazed wistfully towards the side yard and his old bedroom window. Flashes of Michael and Liz crawling through his bedroom window made him wish he was 16 again. He urned 19 next week but he felt so much older. He wished he felt more sure of what he was about to do. But on the other hand, he had always second guessed himself when it came to big decisions. Always only to himself. He never let Michael or Isabel guess how much he guess checked his decisions. What kind of a king would he be then? But on the other hand, he was no longer king. It wasn’t his job to be right all the time. He grabbed Isabel’s shoulders. “Is?”

She met his eye full on. “Now, Max, before we lose our nerve.”

“Right.”

She walked up the front walkway and let herself in the house. Max felt ridiculous holding onto her sleeve like a child who was to shy to walk on his own. He dropped her sleeve and straightened his shoulders.

Diane came down the stairs as they were closing the front door. “Isabel? Max?? Oh, honey, I’m so glad to see you!”

“Hi, Mom.” He embraced her quickly and smelled her hair. He instantly felt better. She smelled like she always had. The soft fragrance of baby powder and spice. The same smell her remembered from the nite they had been found in the desert. He had smelled it and had known he was safe.

“What are you doing here?” She asked.

“Uh,” Max looked at Isabel. “Mom, we have to talk. I think its time that Isabel and I had a talk with you guys.”

“Oh, I agree. Listen, this whole thing between you and your father is so ridiculous. I’m so glad you are willing to work it out. Isabel told you what she and your father discussed, didn’t she?” She led them into the kitchen.

“Yeah, Mom, she did. I know he was just angry that nite. But that’s not why we are here. Well, it partly is, but there’s something more important we need to discuss with you.” Max settled at the counter.

“Oh?” Diane looked confused. “What?”

Isabel spoke up. “We want to wait until Dad gets here. Where is he?”

“He had to run out to the office. He should be back soon, though. In fact, he was supposed to be back half an hour ago. I wonder what’s keeping him.” Diane checked her watch.

* * * * *

“Are you sure?” Philip Evans leafed through a file on his desk. He had been through it a hundred times and still couldn’t get a grasp on its contents. He threw it down in frustration and leaned across his desk. The private investigator he had hired drew back. “Tell me again.”

“Look, Mr. Evans, I used every resource I could on this girl. I’m positive. She doesn’t exist.” The P.I. shrugged his shoulders.

“Okay, she has to exist. I saw her a couple of days ago.” Philip took a sip out of his water glass and pushed himself out of his desk chair.

“I’m telling you, nothing. She has no records, no fingerprints, no social security number. There are a few mentions of a Tess Harding in the FBI database, but they’re sporadic at best. Some are connected to an Ed Harding, but then Ed Harding disappears in the database as well. Except for one thing, which was odd.”

“What?” Philip asked.

“Well, this is probably a weird coincidence, but an Ed and Tess Harding matching your pictures disappeared from Santa Fe and were never found. Here’s the weird part. That was in 1947.” The P.I. opened the file on the desk and pulled out an old newspaper clipping. “Other than that, these two people do not exist.”

Philip looked out his office window onto the calm street. “I met Ed Harding a few years ago when he first moved into town. He came in to the office to check on some legalities over his move. Are you saying that I didn’t actually meet a man who was employed with military? Aren’t their employment records, paychecks, something?”

“Yes, there are. But they aren’t legal. They weren’t real documents. All of them were falsified by someone who was VERY good. Mr. Evans, I checked them multiple times. I’ve been doing this for a lot of years. All normal records of these two people were faked.” The P.I. pulled another paper out of the file. “Look here. This is all the data I could pull of the F.B.I. database on the girl. Most of it was connected to a sect of the F.B.I.’s classified files. I can’t get more info without security clearance.”

“Classified?” Philip turned and faced the P.I. “What does that mean?”

The man shrugged. “Could mean a few things. Connections to the mob, federal witness protection
program files are classified. So are...” The P.I. grinned. “The alien files.”

“Alien files?” Philip almost scoffed. “Come on. Be serious.”

“I am. I have to admit, it made me curious. The disappearance of Ed and Tess Harding in 1947 in this area, weird circumstances surrounding the record of their constant moving around the country. Then you add in the fact that she shows up here in Roswell, alien central, suddenly in the past three years.” The P.I. trailed off, letting suggestion hang in the air.

“I’m not paying you to go alien hunting.” Philip murmured. “I get enough of that just by living here.” He was silent for a few more moments. His eyes trailed over the few pieces of information in the file. Surveillance photos of Tess, pictures from 1947 that looked identical to the young girl he knew as Max and Isabel’s classmate. Isabel had said that Max had impregnated the girl and she had run off. Philip looked over at the P.I. “Was their any record of a baby connected to this girl?”

“A baby?” The P.I. sat up. “No, not at all. Why?”

“Just wondering.” Philip cleared his throat and settled back into his chair. “Well, thank you for all the information. As we discussed, this needs to remain confidential. I will call you if I need any more information.”

“You got it.” The P.I. shook Philip’s offered hand.

* * * * *

Jesse lay across the couch with the TV remote hanging limply from his hand. The TV was on but he wasn’t watching it. He kept glancing at the wall clock. And waiting. Isabel had rushed out that morning with a light kiss on the cheek and a promise to return with good news. That had been hours ago. He hated the fact that he questioned her ser so much. It took an effort to even want to trust her. It was like she was having an affair and he knew about it and could do nothing. Jesse glanced at the clock again.

A knock on the door had him sitting at attention. “Isabel.” He opened the front door. “Did you forget your keys or....? Uh...sorry. Can I help you?”

Ava raised her head slowly. Tears glistened in her blue eyes threatening to spill over her pale cheeks. She blew out a shaky breath and looked around warily. “I’m so sorry. I was just lookin’ for Isabel. I didnna mean to bug ya.”

“No, you’re not.” Jesse opened the door a little wider. “I’m Jesse, Isabel’s husband. You’re Ava, right? Hey, are you okay?””

Ava’s eyes welled up again and she burst out in a soft cry. Tears rolled down her cheeks and she leaned against the doorframe in defeat. She straightened quickly. “I shouldn’t have come here. I’ll
go.”

“No, no.” Jesse held out hand. “Please, come in. Isabel’s not here but she’ll be back soon. Can I help?”

Ava swallowed hard as she let herself be led inside. “I hope so.”

TBC


posted on 2-Sep-2002 8:52:50 PM by SnowWhite22
I'm a slacker. What can I say? Life has been nuts in the past few weeks. That's no excuse though. You guys have been great keeping up with the bumps and feedback. Can you ever forgive your waylaid writer?

Love
Snow


Part 29

Jesse closed the front floor behind the shaking girl and led her into the living room. He dug his hands into his pockets. Isabel had tried to explain her connection to this girl, but he hadn’t grasped it fully. She was...what? A sister? A friend to Isabel in her past life? Jesse didn’t really believe in past lives to begin with but then again, he hadn’t believed in aliens when he had moved to Roswell either. But this girl, who looked so small and scared on his couch, was a part of Isabel that he had yet to understand. If he could help her, maybe it would help him with Isabel.

Jesse cleared his throat. “Umm...can I get you some water or something?”

“No, that’s okay.” She shook her head, her eyes down on the floor.

“Okay.” Jesse sat opposite her on the couch and handed her a box of Kleenex.

Ava took one slowly and wiped under each eye. “I must be a mess. Look, I’m sorry. Is Isabel gonna be back soon?”

“I guess.” Jesse looked at the wall clock again. “Why don’t you tell me what’s wrong? Maybe I can help.”

Ava shrugged before fresh tears started to fall again.

“Hey. Hey.” Jesse scooted closer and reached out a tentative hand to pat her on the shoulder. Ava
grasped it tightly and fell against him, weeping into his shoulder with huge sobs. Jesse wrapped his other arm around her and held her against him. His heart went out to this poor young girl. “Shh. It’s okay. Everything will be okay.”

“I can’t go back there.” Ava whispered against him. “She’ll kill me.”

Jesse felt his heart thud at her whisper. “Who will kill you?”

“Liz.” Ava said the name almost like a curse. “She’s gonna kill me.”

Jesse straightened her up quickly. “Liz? Liz Parker?”

“She attacked me.” Ava’s blue eyes were wide with fear. “She came at me so fast and I didn’t know what to do, where to turn. Her powers......God, her powers. I thought I was going to die.”

“What are you talking about?” Jesse gripped her arms tightly and Ava winced. Jesse loosened his grip and was shocked to see dark bruises and welts decorating her pale arms. He blinked and shook his head furiously. How had he missed those marks all over her when she had come in? No wonder she was crying. Jesse swallowed heavily and looked deep into her eyes. Ava had her eyes
closed as tears leaked out the sides.

“My God.” Jesse ran a tender hand over her wounds. “Are you okay?”

“I’ll live.” She shrugged. “But I don’t know why she did it. I didn’t do anything. I was just talking about Max and our old life and then suddenly she was on top of me and I couldn’t stop her....” Ava trailed off as she collapsed against Jesse.

Jesse ran a hand over his face. “Umm....when did this happen?”

“Last nite.” Ava murmured. “You can’t tell anyone! You can’t! She’ll kill me if that happens!”

“Okay, okay, calm down.” Jesse made a mental note to interrogate Isabel on Liz’s behavior. “Start at the beginning. Tell me the whole story.”

* * * * *

Philip Evans barely noticed as the streets changed as he drove home. He barely noticed when he pulled into his own driveway and was facing his front door. The whole way home he had been going over and over what the PI had brought up during their meeting. It wasn’t just about Tess and her father. Oh no. Somehow Max was involved and maybe Isabel too. What secret were they hiding for this girl? Why did both of them become so agitated whenever her name had been brought up? And what did.....aliens have to do with any of it? Philip let himself out of the car and looked across the street at the park that was on the corner. A flock of pigeons were
milling around the sand area. Looking at them intently, Philip was reminded of something Diane had been questioning for a few years. She had been watching old home movies and played the one of Max in the park with a dead bird over and over. Suddenly the bird had flown off in front of them, as if it had been miraculously healed by his son’s touch. It was like witnessing a power
unknown. Powers, Max, Tess, secrets. Philip blew out a heavy breath and let himself in the front door.

Max and Isabel looked up, startled, as if he had slammed his way in the house instead of walking in like he did every day. His questions were put on hold as soon as he saw their faces. It was good to see Max again, sitting around drinking lemonade as if nothing had ever passes between them. Philip felt almost normal again. But the file on Tess weighed heavily in his briefcase and Philip
closed off his reaction.

Isabel spoke up first. “Hi Dad.” She got up to give him a quick kiss on the cheek.

“Hi.” He nodded to Max and joined them at the table. “What’s this all about?”

“Well, Dad.” Isabel tried to calm her shaking hands by lacing them together in front of her. “Max and I have come to a decision and we needed to talk to both of you.”

“Oh, really?” Philip opened his briefcase and lay a hand on the file in it. “Does this have anything to do with Tess Harding?”

Max and Isabel looked at each other sharply, then back at him. Max looked suspiciously at his father. “What about Tess?”

“Oh, like what she is doing back in town, why Isabel lied about her having your baby, why the FBI has classified files on her.” Philip tried to keep his voice calm but the questions were screaming to get out. “Any of this sound familiar?”

“You know about the FBI files?” Max asked quietly. For so long he had to pretend he had no idea what anyone was talking about when they cut too close to home, but now was not the time to pretend. It was obvious that Philip knew something and Max was sick of having to hide. If they were going to honest with their parents it was time to come clean. “What do you know?”

“I know that Tess and her father aren’t real. I know that everything about them was made up and that you two are somehow mixed up in whatever they are. I know that Tess looks identical to a Santa Fe woman who disappeared in 1947. Funny, same year everything else in this town went all crazy. I know that there is no baby and that you and Isabel have been lying to both your mother and me for months, maybe even years. And I know that Tess has some secret file with the FBI
that is used in alien hunting. Did I leave anything out?” Philip was beyond listening at this point. The information he had absorbed in the past hour came rushing out of him like a geyser. Now all he could do was sit back and see how his news was accepted.

Max and Isabel were looking at each other. “Santa Fe?” Isabel whispered.

Max shrugged. “Like Grandpa Dupree, I guess.”

“That makes sense.” Isabel murmured.

“What makes sense???’ Philip finally exploded. “How does any of this make sense? Who is Grandpa Dupree? And how are you two involved???”

Diane was looking back and forth, totally lost. Max looked at his father quickly. “That’s what we came to talk about.” He started.

“Wait, lemme guess.” Philip broke in. “Tess and Ed Harding were aliens. They came to Roswell to find their roots and you fell in love with her.”

“Dad...” Max started.

“ Or wait....Tess fell for you and pulled you in with her alien tractor beam. And now you are part alien and don’t know how to reach the home planet. Is that more like it?” Philip shot out

“Or maybe Isabel and I are aliens and have been hiding in the human race for 13 years!” Max cut him off angrily.

Philip lapsed into silence for a moment. Diane, who had been fidgeting with her necklace, let her hand fall to the table. Philip searched Max’s face before a huge grin broke out over Philip’s face. He started to laugh. Max and Isabel exchanged another look and waited for him to calm down. Philip laughed until he caught Max’s eye. Max hadn’t broken his serious expression. Philip looked over at Isabel, who had tears shining in her eyes. He straightened up. “Come on. I was kidding.”
Philip said.

“I wasn’t.” Max said so quietly that Philip could barely hear him. “I wasn’t.”

“Wait, what?” Diane sat up. “What do you mean?”

Isabel took her mother’s hand. “You know how we never could figure out where Max and I came from? I mean, you just found us wandering in the desert, no language skills, no clothes. Just wandering. No one had any clue where we came from. And we searched and searched, right? For some clue as to where we had come from?”

“Well, yeah.” Diane agreed.

“Max and I always knew we weren’t like other humans. We weren’t the same. We never got sick, we could...DO things that no one else could do. We knew we weren’t human.” Isabel ran her other hand over her mother’s palm.

“What do you mean ‘DO things’?” Philip broke in. “What the hell are you talking about? This is ridiculous.”

“No, Dad. We are serious.” Max’s quiet voice stopped him. “Look, Isabel and I were never sick, right? That’s because I knew how to heal us. I have the power to heal people.”

“This is absurd!” Diane started to pull her hand out of Isabel’s grasp. “You two were just lucky.”

Isabel and Max exchanged another look and Isabel nodded. She got up and took a kitchen knife off the counter. Settling back into her seat, Isabel drew the blade across her palm. Thick blood emerged immediately.

“Isabel!” Diane jumped out of her chair for a towel. “What are you doing??”

“No, Mom.” Max took Isabel’s bleeding palm and laid his own palm over it. His hand warmed over it and began a soft glow. Philip and Diane’s eyes were transfixed on his glowing hand. His face showed a slight strain. When he moved his hand again, the cut was gone. There was no trace of it except for the blood on Max’s fingers. The towel in Diane’s hands fell silently to the floor.

Max picked it up and wiped his hands off. “We aren’t human.” He repeated. “We’ve wanted to tell you for years but there have been complications. Reasons as to why we couldn’t tell you what we actually were. Partly because we didn’t know the answers ourselves, partly out of fear. But its time to stop being afraid.” He took a deep breath. “Isabel, Michael, Tess and I aren’t from Earth. Our ship crashed in 1947. We’re aliens.”

TBC


posted on 20-Sep-2002 2:18:48 AM by SnowWhite22
Yes, it's me....the long lost author. I really haven't forgotten about this story. In fact, I piece parts of it together everyday. But I'm working 3 jobs and have zero downtime to write what I would like. I really hope that you guys are still checking in. When I get some time off I am going to race through the next few chapters. Trust me, it gets good. Thanks to all for checking in and all the bumps! I love you guys!

Snow White
posted on 27-Sep-2002 8:05:53 PM by SnowWhite22
WooHoo! A new part up! I am soooooooo sorry for not getting it up sooner. A long time in the making for this one. But thanks for all the bumps and understanding. I love you guys!

PS: Norma: Thanks for the advice. I can't believe you held down 4 jobs and went to school. I'm having a hard enough time with just 3 jobs and no school. Hopefully things will calm down soon!

Love
Snow

Part 30

“Aliens?” Philip repeated slowly. He looked stunned at Isabel’s clear palm. “Aliens?”

Max kept his gaze steady on Philip’s face, unwavering. Diane reached a shaking hand out to Isabel’s palm. The skin was unmarred, no trace left from the knife. Diane turned her hand over and over in her own hand, unwilling to accept what she had just seen. Isabel took her mother’s hands in her own and looked at her pleadingly. “Mom, we wanted to tell you for so long. You
don’t know how much I wanted to tell you.”

“I don’t understand this.” Diane whispered, her voice slightly shaking. She started to back away from the table. “No. I don’t understand this.”

Isabel felt her heart crack as her mother cringed away. She dropped her gaze to the gleaming table top. Max put a hand over hers. Philip didn’t look afraid. He simply looked transfixed, as if he was unraveling a great question in his head. His eyes flew up to meet Max’s. “Explain.”

Max slid his gaze to Isabel and squeezed her hand lightly. “It all started 3 years ago. At the Crashdown...”

* * * * *

Liz was standing in the small backroom of the Crashdown that Ava had converted into a temporary bedroom. She didn’t have any privacy so her things had been littered around the Parker’s home, her grungy jeans on the bathroom floor, her sweatshirts lining Liz’s usually
spotless room. But her pack, the pack that Ava had on her the nite she had shown up in the middle of the nite and crashed into their lives, was always kept neatly under the couch. Liz checked over her shoulder and locked the back door. Her dad was tearing though inventory paperwork, so she knew he wouldn’t be coming back to check on her. Sliding down on her belly, she reached under the couch and tugged at the lodged bag. Pulling it onto her lap, Liz opened it gingerly, taking care not to disturb any of the items jammed into it. Peeking through, she pulled out a few rolls of underwear and a few ratty shirts. Ava had arrived with only that pack on her. Liz wondered how much of a life she was really invading.

Finding nothing, she opened the side zipper and found a slip of paper with a Beverly Hills address on it. “Langley.” She whispered to herself. Digging deeper she pulled out a few personal items; a toothbrush, a comb with blond hairs tangled in it. Liz let her hand dig deeper until her fingers brushed over a few crumpled photographs. She had barely had the chance to see her own smiling face with Max’s before the vision hit her. Hard.

Liz’s mind was overcome with a rush of images so bright she brought her hand up to her eyes. Stars brilliant raced by her. Constellations maneuvered their paths around her until she wasn’t sure she was even on the ground anymore. Then, just as suddenly she was thrown back to Earth and was standing in the high school halls. Students streamed around and through her. She was
watching Isabel and Michael with Maria. She was watching Max walk through the halls with his arm around Tess. She could feel Tess’s elation as Max snaked his arm to cover her shoulders. It sliced through Liz’s body and left her shuddering. Just as abruptly she was in the ground floor of the UFO center. The lights were out and Liz watched herself bent over Sean DeLuca’s bleeding
body. She saw herself accusing Max of not helping and felt the smug satisfaction washing over her body from Tess. Tess.....Tess.....they were all Tess. Liz shuddered again and let the photo slip from her fingertips.

Liz lay heavy against the couch, her eyes wide with bitter shock. Realization hit her and she wanted to weep from it. Instead she dragged a hand through her hair and looked over the scattered papers from Ava’s pack. Scrambling across the floor, Liz gathered all the crumpled
photos and shoved them back into the bag, not caring how they fell. She left the bag unzipped next to the couch and raced for the bathroom as nausea overtook her.

* * * * *

“So now Ava is back and staying with Liz and well.....that’s everything.” Max finished. A sudden
vibrating in his back pocket had him turning off his cell phone. He knew it was probably Liz but at that exact moment he was too involved with his parent’s and their reaction to their life stories to answer the phone. He and Isabel had alternated telling their entire history; from Liz’s shooting in the Crashdown to Max’s death less than a month before. Phillip and Diane had listened wordlessly
for the hour it had taken to get everything out. Every once in a while Diane would let out a small cry and Phillip would pat her hand. Now they were sitting in stone silence.

Isabel spoke tentatively. “You do believe us, right?”

Diane blew out a heavy breath and shook her head as if to clear it. She turned to match gazes with Phillip. “Part of me wonders if the two of you suffer from some form of mass delusion. But a part of me...”

“Knows you’re telling the truth.” Phillip finished slowly. He looked at Max and Isabel evenly. “I believe you.”

Isabel closed her eyes in gratitude and relief. A small cry broke out of her lips. Max kept his face expressionless and leaned back in his chair. Enormous release filled him. He looked at Isabel and gave a small smile. She had been right. Telling their parents had been the right thing to do. He knew that now as Diana took Isabel’s hand and held is as Isabel cried softly. Phillip looked at Max
and shrugged as if to say “Women.” Max nodded in understanding and smiled in response. Relief filled him and he began to laugh.

* * * * *

Liz threw the phone down against the couch and held her head in her hands. “Where are you, Max?” She had been trying to reach him for the better part of an hour and still no answer. She tried to focus on their connection, which had always sparked when she needed him the most. But her mind was in a thousand places and she couldn’t concentrate. She felt jittery and unstable, which she knew from experience was the best way for her powers to flare out of control. She took a few calming breaths and looked back over the now neat storeroom. She had put everything back into its proper place and was now just sitting and waiting. She blew out a hard sigh of frustration. She was so helpless here. She needed Max.

“Everything okay, Liz?” A mocking voice came from behind her. Liz whirled around and threw up her hands in defense.

There was a soft chuckle. “Oh, that’s so cute. Trying to protect yourself from little ol’ me?”

Liz felt as if her world was closing in around her. The walls were getting closer and darker and all she could do was step back in protest. “I know who you are. Tess.”

TBC

posted on 29-Sep-2002 2:48:42 AM by SnowWhite22
Thanks Anne! My brithday present to myself (besides a new outfit, a manicure and some charms for my watch) was a day off. So I had the time to work on the story. yay me! Hopefully I won't fall behind again. I had a GREAT birthday by the way. Thanks!

I'm glad you are enjoying it. Some more surprises lie ahead!

Love
Snow
posted on 29-Sep-2002 11:16:19 PM by SnowWhite22
No way Anne! Were you at my waitressing job or the other one? I was there ALL DAY yesterday! I would have seen you! What time were you there? That's crazy. You should have let me know you were on your way to Mel's. I would have loved to see you. Let me know what y'all did!

The new part should be out very soon. I'm on a roll and I have some time to myself tomorrow morning. So maybe an update faster than you can say Dreamer!
Love
Snow
posted on 30-Sep-2002 4:28:15 PM by SnowWhite22
LOL....you're right. I would have been surprised outta my skin. Except I didn't work that one on Saturday nite. I had the weekend off for the birthday festivities. But feel free to stop in anytime. I love surprises!
posted on 6-Oct-2002 11:17:57 PM by SnowWhite22
Things are starting to get intense! I want to thank all the faithful readers and all the newbies. I'm glad you guys like it.

Snow


Part 31

There was another small chuckle. Tess stepped all the way into the storeroom from her post at the back door. She had been leaning against the door frame, observing Liz’s panic attack. Now she stepped all the way into face Liz with her hands behind her back. “Oh. You know who I am, huh?” She smirked Liz’s hands, outstretched. “You have no idea.”

Liz swallowed back the fear threatening to take over her control. She had to keep focus. Tess didn’t know how far she had come with her powers. In fact, it had been her that had actually triggered her advancement. She had to be able to use that to her advantage to keep Tess from destroying everything she loved. Liz took a step forward. “It was you all along. You were never
Ava.”

“I AM Ava.” Tess snapped. “My true name is Ava of Antar. Just like Michael is Rath and Isabel is Vilandra. Oh, and your precious Max is actually Zan.”

“What happened to the Ava that was here last year?” Liz asked. Why had she asked that?

Tess shrugged. “Who knows? Probably dead somewhere. She had the survival instincts of an infant.”

Liz’s mind scrambled to find a way to keep Tess talking until she could get her relentless powers under control. She could feel her alarm system going crazy. Her limbs shook with the power of it. She knew she was more powerful than Tess ever dreamed. She knew she could take her if necessary. Tiny green sparks began to tingle her fingertips. Liz could feel it soothing her nerves,
making the world come into focus. This was the woman who had killed Alex, the one who had tried to destroy Max and everything he had here on Earth. Liz bit back the anger and steadied herself. “So everything you told us, those stories about Max’s baby and who the true Queen was, weren’t true? You made it all up?”

Tess raised an eyebrow. “Oh, no, that was all true. Hybrids can’t mate on Earth. On Antar we could have but not here on Earth. Something about our forms on each planet. And the story about the switched pods is true. My clone, Ava, was supposed to be a part of this group.”

“So you’re defective.” Liz shot back.

Tess’s eyes widened. “Bitch. I could kill you without anyone ever knowing what happened.”

“So do it.” Liz challenged. “Kill me.”

Tess rounded so she and Liz were almost eye to eye. “Then my whole trip would be for nothing. No, I have better things for you.” Before Liz could blink, Tess brought her hands out from behind her back and hit Liz in the temple with the butt of the knife she had behind her back. Darkness closed around her.

* * * * *

Max listened to the laughter around him and tried to shake off the feeling that was beginning to spread across him. Isabel was going into greater detail with their parents about the past few years and all their adventures. She was currently telling about the time she had filled in for Liz at the Crashdown and their parents were laughing hysterically. Max joined in from time to time, filling in missing spots and giving different points of view, but he wasn’t able to fully join in. He could
shake this feeling of uncomfortableness that was beginning to chill his skin. Liz. He knew it. He could feel it in his bones. His blood was practically bubbling with it. She was in danger.

Max looked at the smiling faces and tried to block them out. He closed his eyes to focus on her. He could feel her fear and her anger and her.....pain? Max shoved back from the table in a sweeping movement that had all of them freezing.

“Max?” Diane reached out to him. “What’s wrong?”

“Liz." He mumbled and locked eyes with Isabel. “Something’s wrong.”

“Liz?” Philip asked. “But how....?”

“One of those little things, Dad..” Isabel got up from the table. “Max, she was going to start investigating Ava today.”


“I told her to wait.” He muttered as he grabbed his jacket.

“Call her.” Isabel suggested. “I’m sure you’re overreacting.”

Max grabbed his cell phone. “Oh, God. I’ve got 3 messages from her.” He dialed quickly and listened to Liz’s frantic voice. He shook his head. “She just keeps saying that she figured it out and she needs to talk to me.”

“Figured what out?” Diane asked.

“I don’t know.” Max dragged a hand through his hair as he dialed again. “Her voicemail. Damn! I’m going over there.”

“Max, wait!” Isabel chased him into the hallway. Max opened the front door only to find Jesse walking up the front walkway.

“Jesse!” Isabel said in surprise. “What are you doing here?”

“I came to find you. Did Ava find you?” He looked past Isabel and Max to see the Evans’ crowded in the doorway.

“Ava?” Isabel asked. “No. Why?”

“She came to our house.” Jesse told her. “She was beaten black and blue. Liz attacked her.”

“What?” Max snapped to attention. “Liz did what?”

“She beat the hell outta Ava last nite.” Jesse told him.

“No.” Max shook his head. “That’s impossible.”

“I saw it Max.” Jesse cut him off. “I saw how bruised and battered she was. Now, I don’t your girlfriend very well but....”

“If you did, you would know she would never do anything like that.” Max shot back.

“What do you mean you saw the bruises?” Isabel asked.

“She showed them to me. She came over to talk to you and was almost hysterical. The whole story came out.” Jesse told her.

Isabel looked at Max. “Liz didn’t say anything about having a confrontation with Ava?”

“Is, you saw her with me this morning. Did she say anything then? Of course not. Ava is lying.” Max said.

“But then what about what I saw?” Jesse pointed out.

Max blew out a breath. He didn’t have time for this. Liz was in trouble and this feeling was getting darker and deeper by the moment. “Look, Ava is Tess’s clone. She probably mind warped you.”

“Huh?”

“She can make you see things that aren’t really there.” Isabel quickly explained. “But why? And why you? Why go to you and not to one of us?”

“She knows we don’t trust her.” Max said. “She probably thought that Jesse would be the easiest way to get to you.”

“Okay.” Isabel agreed. “But why get to me at all?”

Max racked his brain. “Did she know where we were going to be today?”

“No. How could she?” Isabel asked. “Wait a minute. Ava would never just pour her guts out to a stranger. Have you ever met her?”

“No.” Jesse considered that. “I thought it was pretty weird. I just thought she was too upset to think about it.”

“Ava never shows that much emotion about anything.” Isabel pointed out. “She is too used to being hunted to just show up and start bawling her eyes out. That’s more something that...” Isabel’s eyes widened.

“...Tess would do.” Max finished. “Oh God.”

“No. No way.” Isabel shook her head. “It can’t be.”

Jesse looked back and forth at the two of them. The Evans still stood in the door way. “WHAT?” Diane finally pleaded.

“It’s Tess.” Max said slowly. “God, how could we have missed it?”

“It fits.” Isabel nodded. “Ever since Ava came back she’s been acting more and more like Tess would. But why stay with Liz? Why be alone with her?”

Max felt his stomach drop to his knees. “Liz! Oh, Jesse is just a distraction. She told him all that to keep us occupied. If we were arguing about whether or not Liz would touch Ava, then we would be too busy to keep an eye on her.” He tore out the front door. “I have to get to her!”

TBC
posted on 9-Dec-2002 9:47:11 PM by SnowWhite22
Wow...oh wow. It amazes me that people are still checking in. I know it seems like I have literally fallen off the arth, but I promise I am alive and well and Say Nothing is still very much alive. I could list the many, many reasons that it was taken me so long to update, but you don't need excuses. I want to thank those that are still bumping, new and old. I am SOOOOOOO sorry. But I have been working! I promise! New parts are going to start rolling in. Never you fear. Thank you for the continued support!!
Always
Snow
posted on 9-Dec-2002 9:52:50 PM by SnowWhite22
Oh my Lord! I just realized it has literally been two months since I posted a new part! Goodness gracious! How can you guys ever forgive me???????

Snow
posted on 10-Dec-2002 5:21:19 PM by SnowWhite22
All right. I'm a bit rusty but I hope you guys like it!

Snow

Part 32

Liz opened her eyes slowly. Even that couldn’t penetrate the red haze she seemed to be in. She felt stifled, as if she were bound but she could feel that her hands and feet weren’t tied together. She closed her eyes again and tried to think through the red fog that was surrounding her. She had to focus or she was going to drift under again. She was going to give in to the crashing waves of pain that were threatening her. She let out an involuntary moan. The fog seemed to move around her. She was lying on her back against it. It was holding her up. It moved on it’s own. As if it had it’s own mind or as if she were…being dragged.

Liz’s eyes flew open and a bolt of pain shot through her temples. She was bundled up in this fog and she was literally being dragged across rough terrain. She could feel the rocks and gravel digging into her back. Her breath started to come out in heavy pants. A panic she had never known consumed her. She had never been claustrophobic but now she was overwhelmed by it. She was in a red grave and would never see her family or friends again. She was going to be buried alive before she ever had chance to see Max again. She wouldn’t be able to warn him and Tess was going to kill him. She had to get to Max. She had to get out. Before this red fog consumed her. Before Max lost his life. “No!” Liz screamed and the sky split open above her in a flash of green.

All movement stopped. Liz gasped in the dusk air as she struggled to pull herself free. Her legs refused to move properly. She frantically tore at the dirt and used her arms to try and grasp at the loose gravel. She stared at her bloody hands. They were almost surreal. Nothing around her seemed like reality. Liz willed herself to move and scrambled on her hands and knees away. She didn’t even dare look over her shoulder for Tess. The dirt and rock shifted under her hands making fast movement impossible. When she had gotten in the shade of a large boulder few feet away she dared a look over her shoulder.

Tess was no where to be seen but Liz knew she had to be nearby. The fog that she had been trapped in was actually a red tarp, which now lay in shreds. Liz wondered if it was her powers or the simple adrenaline from fear that had enabled her to tear through it so easily. The air was thick with the scent of her sweat and blood. Something was trickling down the side of her face. Now that she was away from the tarp it was a little easier to think. Pain emanated from every part of her body, as if Tess had beaten her black and blue instead of just hitting her across the head. She was filthy. Liz felt weak from fear and knew it wasn’t only her own fear that was crippling her. Max was insane with it. She could feel it, sharp like a blade. It sliced through her and made it impossible to think about anything else. He was so scared. She had to let him now she was okay, but first, she had to make sure that Tess wasn’t around.

Liz brushed some of the dirt of her legs and moved her legs into standing position. Standing shakily, she leaned against the boulder for support. Leaning a few feet out, she strained to see the place where the tarp had been. She couldn’t see it so she leaned a bit further out. She didn’t think she had crawled so far. Taking a step forward, Liz scanned the area. The tarp was gone. There was no evidence anything had ever even been there, not even a trail from where she had been dragged. There was nothing. She could barely make out shapes in the dropping light, but she was sure of it. The tarp wasn't there. Liz backed up again and looked over the rest of the area. Her head was beginning to swim. She couldn’t tell if the trees on the horizon were tilting because of a downhill slope or because her head was still foggy. The area where she thought she had been dragged through was flat and full of gravel. She was in a part of the desert she had never seen before. She could tell she was high up but couldn’t tell if she was more in the desert or overlooking the woods. She knew without looking that her cell phone and watch were missing so she had no way of knowing how long she had been out or even if it was the same day. Liz looked up at the evening sky and swallowed hard.

A mindwarp. It had to be. That was the only explanation for where the tarp had gone. She knew that it had been there when she was crawling away. Now it was suddenly gone? That confirmed it for Liz that Tess was somewhere nearby. She was trying to freak Liz out, make her think that she was crazy. Liz could be anywhere and would never know it. Liz clung to the side of the boulder. The grainy surface broke off under her fingertips and Liz clutched a small chunk of rock like a life preserver. That was reality. Tess could make Liz see anything in the world, but she couldn’t make her feel something that wasn’t there, no matter how strong she was now. Tess’s powers were always her strong suit. But on the other hand, Tess had no idea how strong Liz now was with her own powers. Ironically, it had taken “Ava” coming back for Liz to realize her full potential. Liz knew she wasn’t defenseless. Even now Liz could feel the familiar tingle underneath her skin. And she was able to harness it. She would need to if she were going to go up against Tess.

But where was she? Why hadn’t she shown herself? And how did she get Liz all the way out here? As far as she knew Tess didn’t have a car. And there was no way she could have dragged a person wrapped in a tarp through the center of town. But since Liz had no idea how far out she was, anything was possible. Liz studied the chunk of rock in her hand. Her skills at manipulating molecular structures were growing, at best, but she had to do anything she could in order to protect her self. She squeezed the rock until a dull blade appeared. It was the best she could do. Collapsing against the boulder, Liz kept her eyes open.

Liz was still breathing heavy as fear and worry ripped through her. Max knew that Ava was actually Tess, she was sure of it. But what else did he know? He was sure she was alive, but he didn’t know for how long or what condition she was in. She had to find a way to let him know she was okay. Trying to get through to him was like trying to decipher static. She could feel it but she couldn’t break through. It was like feeling something while you watch television. Liz closed her eyes and tried to calm herself down. She thought of the day they made love. Liz wanted to weep when she thought of that day. Had it really only been a few days since then? It felt like a million years. Tears came to her eyes. She couldn’t die out here like this. She wanted to feel his arms around her. She had to get back to him and tell him how important he was to her. She would tell him over and over how much he had changed her life. How he made everyday worth living for her. How she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him. She would tell him how much she loved him. “I love you, Max.” She whispered, her eyes shut as tears burned her cheeks. “I love you. I love you.” It became like a mantra. “I love you.”

“I love you too, Liz.” The voice came as clear as if he were standing next to her.

Liz’s eyes flew open. “Max?”

“Thank God you are okay. I love you. Where are you?”

“Max, it’s Tess. Ava is Tess.” Liz almost felt like weeping. It was if his arms had suddenly come around her. She knew that she was going to be okay. Max was going to find her.

“I know. Where are you?”

Liz breathed a sigh of relief and tried to look around again for something that would tell her. “I don’t know. I really don’t.”

His frustration cut through her. “Try, Liz. Try.”

Liz stepped a couple feet away from the protection of the boulder. “I can make out a row of trees 100 yards away. I think they are sloping down. The area I was dragged through is flat, like a gravel road or something.”

“Dragged??” Max’s voice sounded far away and intense. His anger began to build across her shoulders.

“Max, stay calm. It’s the only way we can keep communicating.” Liz tried to stay soothing. “I promise you, I’m okay.”

Max’s anger began to bubble out.

“Max, I can’t see Tess. She has to be around her somewhere because she was mindwarping me. But I don’t know where she is now.” Liz backed up again against the boulder.

“Damn. Liz, stay outta sight. Everyone is going to find you. I am going to find you.” It felt like he was caressing her across the miles. His voice worked to calm her senses. Even her powers were reacting to his voice inside her head. Liz knew she had to help them.

“Max, if I run I can make it to those trees and see if I can see down the hill. Then I can better tell you where I am.” Liz stood up and worked the kinks out of her legs.

“No!” Max sounded desperate. “Don’t risk it.”

“Max, I have to." Liz gripped the blade and twisted it into her palm. The pain helped clear her head further." I can protect myself. Stay calm. I love you.” Without another hesitation, Liz sprinted towards the trees. Her back felt hot, as if the sun were beating hard against it. Or as if someone was staring at her. She didn’t know if it was paranoia or if Tess was really watching her. Liz could feel her knees starting to shake under her. She pushed harder, determined to make it across the gravel to the ridge of trees. When she had only a few feet left, she stumbled and toppled over. Liz felt as if she were caught underneath gunfire. She crawled the rest of the way into the protection of the trees and worked on catching her breath. Tess wasn’t anywhere to be seen.

Liz took a deep breath and stood slowly. She couldn't see more than a few feet in front of her in the growing dark. Keeping her back to the trunks of trees, she peered over the edge of the row of trees, down the slope. It was a lot steeper than it had looked from the boulder. Looking down, she gasped in recognition. “Max, I’m above the look out spot. The place we were the nite Tess came to town. I can see where we parked that nite.”

Max’s relief flowed through her. “Stay there. I’ll be there soon.”

Liz felt a few rocks give out underneath her feet and moved away from the edge. It seemed to loom in front of her. It was getting steeper and rockier the more she looked at it. When she blinked, it became a cliff underneath her. Liz backed away, trying to avoid the edge that seemed to be getting closer to her feet. It was moving underneath her, growing, changing. Liz cried out in fear and turned to run before it swallowed her. She slammed into something that grabbed her arms.

Tess leaned in close to her face, her breath hot against Liz's cheeks. “Think you can get away that easy?”

TBC




[ edited 1 time(s), last at 10-Dec-2002 7:15:52 PM ]
posted on 11-Dec-2002 7:51:19 PM by SnowWhite22
Don't worry guys. I'm not going to leave you hanging like I did last time. Part 33 is in progress. I'm just glad you guys are still willing to check in! I love you guys!!!

Snow
posted on 12-Dec-2002 11:01:22 PM by SnowWhite22
Lookie here! An update in 2 days! Woohoo!!!

Snow

Part 33

Liz’s gasp filled her ears as she struggled against Tess. Her knees threatened to give out underneath her, but Tess’s fingers digging into her arms held her up. A shock sent through Liz’s arms that was uncontrollable. It knocked Tess face down into the dirt and Liz backed away slowly, keeping her eyes on Tess’s moaning form. Tess dug her knees into the ground and tossed her head back. “Surprise, surprise. Who would have thought little Liz had it in her?”

“Shut up.” Liz whispered as she backed away further, keeping her crude blade hidden in the waistband of her pants. “You don’t know me now. You don’t know anything.”

“Think you can take me on? Uh-oh, Lizzie, watch out for that edge.” Tess warned her as she shook out her limbs and stood up to face Liz. Liz looked over her shoulder and gasped again as the edge loomed inches from her feet. The side of the hill, once a soft hill was now filled with jagged rocks and sharp tangles of barbed branches. Liz could almost feel them digging into her arms as she saw herself falling over the edge. In her mind’s eye she was tumbling over and over as the branches tore are her and cut into her skin. Liz looked back at Tess and saw the satisfied gleam in her eye. Liz lifted her chin and stepped a tentative foot out into the midair. Shifting her
weight, Liz waited to fall. But nothing happened. Smiling slightly, she stepped another foot back. Now she was actually standing on air. Tess’s eyes widened and Liz threw her hand out to send a green spark that caught Tess in the middle. Tess was thrown back and hit the base of a tree, crashing to the ground. The second she hit the tree, the ground beneath Liz’s feet reappeared.

Tess stood slowly and advanced on Liz again. “Just for that I’m going to make this nice and slow.”

“So you are going to kill me after all.” Liz put a hand behind her back and gripped the blade. She wanted to have it ready for when she needed it. She just had to get Tess in close enough. Her powers were quickly fading. Even the few short bolts she had sent out had weakened her. She could barely keep her balance.

“I was going to wait for Max to come, but yeah.” Tess nodded. “I wanted him to see what it was like to have the one you love ripped away from you. He needs to feel what YOU did to me.”

“Killing Alex wasn’t enough. You have to kill me too.” Liz didn’t feel any fear anymore. All the anger and fury building since the arrival of Tess threatened to come out in uncontrollable waves. “Why?”

“You have to even ask?” Tess’s sneer distorted her face. All the evil she had bottled up for so long was starting to drip over her face. “It all leads back to you.”

“Because of Max. Because he loves me and I love him and you can’t have him. God, do you have any idea how childish that sounds?” Liz snapped back.

Tess’s eyes widened. She lunged for Liz and caught her around the middle. Liz was thrown off balance and the two went over the edge of the hillside. Liz tried to keep her hands free but she had to grip Tess in order not to fall uncontrollably down the slope. The rocks dug into her back but she tried to keep Tess’s hands from grabbing the blade from her jeans. When they stopped
rolling, Tess wrapped her hands around Liz’s throat, using her position above her for leverage and started to dig into Liz’s skin. Liz stretched a hand out to grab the blade a few feet away, but was quickly losing strength. Gripping her hands on top of Tess’s, Liz sent a shock through her and Tess loosened her grip. Tess backed off but spotted the way Liz was reaching. Grabbing the blade
off the ground, Tess pinned Liz to the ground and swung the blade across Liz’s throat.

* * * * *

Max’s Chevelle bumped along the dirt road that cut through the woods. Isabel hung on the front seat as Max pushed the car harder. He felt like he had been in overdrive all afternoon, since the moment he had found Liz’s cell phone and watch on the floor of the back room of the Crashdown. In that moment all his fears had been confirmed and the world had shut down around him. He felt the people and places around him were blurred as he sped through them, as if he were moving faster than the rest of the universe. He was like a madman all day, searching every possible corner of town from the Granolith chamber to the school hallways. It wasn’t until Liz had finally broken through to him that he had been able to breathe again. Just being able to feel her
had been like finding the sun after living in shadow.

He wouldn’t able to breathe until he had her in his arms and Tess was gone forever. It had come to this. She had tricked them for the last time and there was no way he was going to let her go again. He had made that mistake once and it was costing Liz her life. Even now he could feel her pain, deep dark waves that came crashing one after another over him. He wanted to scream from it. She was in trouble again. Tess had found her hidden in the trees. When they had been communicating it was if he could see the world through her eyes. He had seen the rocky landscape and the row of trees as she was running. He had watched her to push herself harder, willing all his strength to her body. Until she had reached the trees and he had seen where she was. Then it was if their connection had died off and he hadn’t been able to get through to her again. She was still alive, he knew that. But it was like static in his head. Max swallowed hard and hit the gas petal.

He had told everyone else to go out to the lookout spot taking the regular road. He wanted to cut off any escape routes that Tess might take. He used a shortcut through the trees to try and come out them from a different route. He wasn’t taking any chances.

“Max, look! There it is!” Isabel leaned up and pointed over to the right. Max could barely making out a form standing over a lump crumpled on the ground. Max’s heart leapt up into his throat. He spun the wheel and tore through bushes.

The cloud of dirt that stirred up in the air as the Chevelle skidded to a stop blocked Max’s view.
Jumping out of the driver’s side, Isabel at his heels, Max ran with a sick feeling in his stomach. She had to be okay. She had to be alive. She had to be okay.

Max stopped suddenly when he realized what he was seeing. Isabel crashed into the back of him. Liz looked at him with wide eyes, her hands trembling. She couldn’t seem to accept what she was seeing. “Max?” She whispered.

“Liz.” Max couldn’t walk more than a few feet before she fell into his arms, letting the bloody blade fall from her fingers and drop onto Tess’s lifeless body.

TBC

posted on 12-Dec-2002 11:46:10 PM by SnowWhite22
I was just letting you guys know that I only have one or two more chapters to go. I think maybe 3 or 4 if I put in one last twist, but its going to be ending soon. Please let me knwo what y'all think.

Snow
posted on 13-Dec-2002 3:29:33 AM by Snowwhite22
You guys would be so proud of me. I already have over 3/4 of the next part done. It should be up, barring no distractions during the day tomorrow, but saturday at the latest. I swear!

Tess mindwarping Max, huh? That is a good one. wouldn't be the first time.

Snow
posted on 17-Dec-2002 6:32:38 PM by SnowWhite22
OKay, sorry about that. That was partly my bad. I updated the title because I was going to update on the 15th, but once I went to submit it, the page crashed and I couldn't get back onto even the homepage. Sorry!!! I didn't have time on Monday to redo it. But I will right now!

Snow
posted on 17-Dec-2002 6:44:53 PM by SnowWhite22
Sorry about the delay. I had it done this weekend but the board had crashed. Here is the next new part. The next new one should be up soon.
Love
Snow


Part 34

Max let Liz fall against him and gathered her up in his arms. He leaned her back and brushed the hair off her forehead. Her skin was waxy; her eyes were dull with shock. She buried her head into his neck and Max picked her up to cradle against his body. Her hands were sparking slightly and when their skin touched it was a complete circuit. He absorbed the weakness flowing from her body and willed his strength to cover her like a blanket. The shock that went through them wasn’t
electrifying. It was more like the soft crash of a wave coming home. He could feel the solace she found now that he was with her and brought her trembling hands to his mouth. The fear she felt over what she had done to Tess was still alive in her heart. Meeting Isabel’s shocked eyes, he nodded slightly towards Tess’s body. Isabel nodded and crouched down next to her.

“Liz.”Just saying her name caused her to shutter against him. “Are you okay? Liz, talk to me. Please be okay.”

“I’m okay.” She whispered almost inaudibly against his warm skin. “I’m okay now.” She looked up and let her eyes meet his. “I knew you would come. I knew I just had to hold her off until you got here. But she came at me and...” Her voice was raw. She closed her eyes again.


“Shh....” The blood trailing down her neck and the side of her face had him scared. He didn’t know how much was hers and how much was from Tess. Passing an hand over her forehead, he quickly mended the large bump bleeding from her temple. All that remained was the dried blood caked on her cold cheeks. But her neck was a different story. It looked like it had been mauled. There were dark bruises and small cuts all over it. Max looked for other wounds but she clung to him, unwilling to move out of his arms. Max closed his hand over her hair and leaned against the Chevelle with her still in his arms.

“Max.” Isabel said quietly. He met her eyes silently. Isabel stood and walked over to the Chevelle. Reaching in the back for a blanket, she spread it out in the backseat. Gesturing towards Liz, she pointed to the backseat. Even though he never wanted Liz to leave his arms again, he knew Isabel was right. They had to deal with Tess first.

Reluctantly, he lay Liz down in the back and smoothed a hand over her hair. “I’ll be right over here. I’m not going anywhere.”

She smiled and held onto his hand. “I’m okay. I really am.” She propped herself up on her elbows. “I’m not hurt.”

“Just stay here while we take care of this.” He said to her.

“Max,” she grabbed his hand, “what are you going to do?”

“Finish it.” Max stood and joined Isabel. She was looking over Tess’s body.

“She’s not dead.” Isabel folded her arms across her chest. “She’s still breathing.”

“Do you know where she’s hurt at?” Max looked over the crumpled body with disgust filling his mouth. He averted his eyes and looked over at the car. Liz was sitting in the backseat, eyes straight ahead.

“I don’t know. There’s a lot of blood. But I think she’s just knocked out.” Isabel reached a hand out steadily and turned Tess over onto her back. “I think the worst of its right here.” She half gestured at a hole in the top of Tess’s right shoulder. “But it doesn’t look bad.”

“Look, we have to get her out of here.” Max looked over his shoulder and then back at Isabel. “I want her gone. I want her away from here.”

“What do you propose, Max?” Isabel asked in a harsh whisper. “Leave her out here to die? Get rid of the body?”

“There’s rope in the trunk of my car.” Max handed her the car keys. “I’ll take care of her.”

Isabel started to protest but the look on Max’s face stopped her. He was staring at Tess’s form in a way she had never seen before. It was like looking at a stranger. His eye had a cold look in it that she hadn’t known was possible. “Okay, Max, whatever you say.”

Liz pushed a strand of hair out of her eyes and watched as Isabel came closer. Looking over at Max, she saw him leaning in close and lifting a hand up to her body. Realization hit her and she sat straight up. “Max, no!”

She flew out of the car and towards Max before Isabel could stop her. Running up to him, she grabbed his hand. “Don’t.”

Max looked away. “It has to end, Liz. It won’t end until she is gone and we can finally be safe.”

“So you are going to kill her in cold blood? Max, no.” Liz reached up and put a hand to his face. “I can’t let you do that.”

“But she hurt you, Liz.” Max finally let himself lock eyes with Liz. The pain he saw there was almost unbearable. “I can’t just let her go. She’ll only come after us again.”

“We have to let her go.” Liz said slowly. “We were struggling and she tried to strangle me. She had tackled me and we ended up down the hill. She got a hold of the knife and tried to go for my throat but I rolled away just in time. I was able to use my powers to get her off me. That’s when she fell. She fell on top of the blade and was knocked out. I’m okay. I defended myself. She
would have killed me, but I was able to get away because of my powers.” She looked down at Tess. “She can’t hurt us.”

Isabel came back with the rope and looked over the two of them. Max nodded down to Tess and Isabel knelt down, gingerly tying Tess’s hands behind her back. Tess opened her eyes slowly and looked up at them in confusion. They widened when she realized where she was. Pain warred in her eyes and mingled with fear. Isabel quickly gagged Tess’s mouth with a scarf and stood back. Before she was even off the ground, Max hauled Tess up by her shirt sleeves to stand in front of
him. She struggled against him. He tightened his grip and pulled her in close to his face.

Max waited until she had stopped struggling to speak. His voice was so low Liz almost couldn’t hear it. “Listen to me very closely because once I am finished you will have only seconds to get away from me and the ones I love. You are done. It’s over. Over. You will never come near me or my family again. You will never come near Liz or our lives together. You won’t even think about us.” He took a step forward, dragging her along. She stumbled backwards but Max kept his grip, his fingers digging into her shoulder. She winced but kept her eyes wide on his.

“Your last blessing from me is going to be your life. Because even though Liz didn’t kill you, the only thing keeping me from taking your life in my hands right now is by her request. She doesn’t want me to kill you. You lied to us, you killed our friend, you tried to kill Liz. You took her out of her home, you tied her up, you tried to kill her.” Max repeated slowly. He had to look away to
keep his temper under control. When he looked into her face again, she seemed to be dazed. She had a far away look in her eye, as if she was lost in a nightmare. Max shook her, hard, and she refocused on him.


“You tried to kill Liz. But because of her, I’m going to let you go. Again. I can’t believe I am going to do this.” He muttered to himself. He let go of her shoulders and she tumbled onto the ground. She quickly pushed herself back with her hands, keeping her eyes on Max.

Liz walked a step forward and put a hand on his shoulder. He knelt onto the ground so Tess could look him in the eye. “I don’t even want to know what twisted reason you felt you had this time. There is nothing you could say that could keep me from getting sick at the very sight of you. So run.” He lowered his voice. “Run far and run fast, because by dawn I am going to come
looking for you. And if I find you, there is nothing anyone can say that will stop me from making you pay. So run.”

With that he got up and started back towards the Chevelle. Liz looked down upon Tess for a last second before turning and following Max wordlessly. Isabel backed away slowly. “So that’s it? We just let her run?” Isabel asked.

“No.” Max had his back to where Tess was trying to blend into the woods. She kept her eyes on them warily. Liz held onto his arm. He looked at the approaching headlights. “We let her think we are.”


When Michael spun the car to a stop, Tess had already gotten her hand ties off and was pulling at the mouth gag. She looked over at Max and Liz one last time before running into the woods. Michael jumped out of the car, followed by Maria. Maria threw herself into Liz’s arms. Michael looked around the scene. “Where is she?”

Isabel spoke up. “She ran off into the woods.”

“What? You let her go?” Michael was irate.

“No. She isn’t getting far.” Max was gripping the sides of the car. His knuckles were turning white. It was all he could do not to chase after her and tear into her himself. But he had to get Liz away first. She was the main target. Tess would do anything she could to get to Liz, just to hurt him. Protecting Liz was his first priority, always. He turned to face the group that had gathered
around him. Max felt in command again, when the whole group would look to him for leadership. He looked over at Isabel. “Take Liz and Maria back to town in Maria’s car. Take them to Mom and Dad’s.”


Isabel didn’t object, but Liz looked determined. “No way. No way, Max. I’m not leaving you out here to deal with her. She will kill you. She’s like a wild animal now. There’s no reasoning with her.”

“Liz, I can’t keep you out here. You’re hurt and I can’t have you here when I finish this. It has to end. Don’t worry. She won’t be able to touch me.” Max’s voice pleaded with her to understand. He nodded toward Michael. “We are going after her.”

“Why even let her run then?” Liz asked bitterly. “Why not just kill her five minutes ago?”

“Because I had to let her think that we were going back into town. I have to get you out of here first.” Max pointed out.

Liz shook her head.

Max put his hands on her shoulders. He brushed her hair back from her shoulders and focused on the dark bruising across her white skin. Max had to bite down in order not to let his anger get the best of him. “Liz, please. DO this for me. I need you to do this for me. Go back with Isabel.
Please.”

Liz didn’t look convinced. Maria pulled on her arms. “Come on, Liz. Come on.”

Liz let Maria lead her towards the car. She kept her eyes on Max. They were locked together and Liz could feel Max warring with himself to even let her five feet from him. But he had to finish it. He felt it was his responsibility to end things with Tess finally and forever. “Be careful.” she whispered soundlessly. Max nodded as the distance between them grew. “Come back to me.”

“I love you too.” He could feel her whisper into his heart and nodded as Isabel drove off into the nite. Twilight had closed around them completely and the few stars that were peeking out seemed to look mockingly down at them.

“Let’s go.” Michael said. He surveyed the woods. “Which way did she go?”

“Off that way.” Max pointed. “I say we split up, but we need to stay nearby. There’s only one or two ways out of here that we can cover at once. There’s cave and paths, too.”

“We should’ve had Isabel stay. We need more people.” Michael pointed out.

“No. I don’t want Tess hearing us coming. The less people the better. Plus, if she does get back to town, we need someone there to protect Liz and Maria. Let’s go.” Max said.

Once Max let the woods close around him, he was alone with his thoughts. He took a deep breath to focus. He couldn’t let his anger get the better of him. He had to be calm when he encountered Tess again. And this time, she wouldn’t be the one walking away.

TBC


[ edited 1 time(s), last at 17-Dec-2002 7:38:03 PM ]
posted on 17-Dec-2002 7:40:00 PM by SnowWhite22
I reposted part 34. For those that may have already read it, I added onto it instead of making another shorter part 35. Lemme know what y'all think!

Snow
posted on 18-Dec-2002 5:53:43 PM by SnowWhite22
Aren't you all so proud of me??? ANOTHER new part! Enjoy!

Love
Snow

Part 35

Max closed his eyes and tried to focus. He wished his extrasensory perception would kick in to home in on Tess but all he could feel was his own anger and Liz’s fear for him. It was too much in his head at once. He had to shut it out if he was going to do what he needed to do. What other option did he have than to kill her? The only other thing he could think of was to send her back to Antar, but they had no way to do that. He had sent her off once and she had come back and nearly
destroyed everything. No, the only way that she would be stopped if she couldn’t come back anymore. He needed to see once and for all that she was not a threat to the ones he loved.

Liz seemed to be screaming in his head. He knew she was trying to break though to him, to plead with him not to do this. He wasn’t a cold blooded killer. Liz wasn’t afraid for Tess or sparing her life. She was afraid of what killing would do to him. She was afraid of the repercussions of blood on his hands. She didn’t want it to stay with him forever. Max almost smiled. It was so like her to be thinking of him first. She didn’t want the memory of Tess to stain their lives together. “I won’t
let it, Liz. I won’t let her touch our lives anymore. After this nite, its over and it won’t affect us anymore.”

“You don’t know that, Max.” Liz’s voice sounded like a whisper in his ear.

“I do. I know that as long as I have you, nothing bad can touch us. I know that as long as you and I are together, we can face anything. I almost lost you, Liz. That is never going to happen again. And when this is all over, I’ll have you and that’s all I need.” Max tried to reassure her.

“How do you know, Max?” Liz’s voice seemed weak.

“I love you. I know that.”

“I love you, too. But you are right. She can’t hurt us anymore.” Liz seemed to accept what he was saying and relax. He could feel her body being soothed.

“Wait for me at Michael’s, Liz. I’ll be there soon.” Max opened his eyes again.

“Hurry, Max.” Liz’s voice seemed far away and he knew that their connection was weakening her. He let her thoughts drift through him and turned his attention back to the woods around him. Tess couldn’t have gotten far. He wasn’t sure how he was going to handle it when he saw her. He had to work to keep his rage in check. Could he bring himself to kill her? He thought of the
wounds on Liz’s naked throat. Oh yes, he could. It would be only too easy if she provoked him.

Max saw a figure laying to his right. It was too big to be Tess. It seemed to be moaning. Michael!

Max ran up and knelt next to his friend. Michael had a bit of blood coming down from his eyebrow but other than that he seemed okay. “She came up from behind me. Jumped out of those bushes. She hit me and took off.”

“Okay, come on.” Max hoisted Michael up and wiped off the blood. The coppery smell seemed to fill the air. Max looked over his shoulder. “She’s close. I can feel it.”

“It’s like hunting an animal.” Michael glared in the dark. “She’s completely lost it.”

Max nodded and kept his back to Michael. He could feel Michael with his back against him. They kept their backs to each other until Max felt Michael turn towards a tall bush. “What do you see?”

“I’m not sure. I can’t really......make it out. It might be a person.” Michael seemed to be squinting into a wall of bushes.

Max looked closer. “I don’t see anything.”

“Really? Not even right.......here?” Michael’s voice changed behind Max. Max spun around in time to see a blade glint in the moonlight in a downward arc. Max dodged as Michael came at him again and this time caught him in the upper arm. A searing pain spun through him. Max gripped Michael’s arm and tried to wrestle the blade out of his hand. He overpowered him and kneed him in the gut. Michael went down, his form changing as he fell. By the time he had hit the ground,.
Tess was glaring up at Max and quickly regaining her feet.

“Where’s Michael?” Max demanded.

“Where’s Michael?” She mimicked and rounded to face him.

Max took a step forward in order to get her within his grasp but she quickly dodged. “Did you really think I was going to give in that easy?” Tess’s voice sounded pathetic, like she was whining. “You never had the vision of a true leader. You should have killed me when you had the chance.”

Max kept his ears open for Michael. He had to be nearby. Tess was watching the sides of the thick woods out of the corners of her eye. She had to know that Michael was nearby as well. The blood from his arm was starting to drip down his fingers, making them slippery. Max was quickly losing feeling in his cold fingertips. He wanted to keep Tess talking so he could heal himself, but the more she talked, the more demented she sounded.

“So this was the whole plan?” Max challenged. “Come back, kill Liz, kill me. What did any of that accomplish?”

“It wasn’t the original plan, but it was more interesting than the first one. Originally, I was just going to punish you all a little for what you did to me last time. I told you over and over Alex’s death was an accident and nobody believed me. You picked that little piece of human trash over me. I may be just a dupe, but the real Ava isn’t coming back and Antar wanted their queen. Once Langly told them that the king was dead. They wanted me back and didn’t care how long it took. But I had to get rid of you first.”

“Why?” Max almost laughed with the absurdity of it all. “I told you I gave up the crown. I would have been fine with that.”

“Yeah, well, you and Liz had to go and mate. You think this whole destiny is just between me and you? They know when we mate. They knew last time. And they knew when you mated with Liz. They knew you weren’t dead. So I had to make you dead. Really dead. Liz, too.” Tess’s face was covered in shadows and Max had a hard time trying to figure out where she was going to move.

“My true queen.” Max shot at her.

Tess froze at that. “You don’t get it, do you? I’M the queen. No one can take that from me!”

“No, you don’t get it. I’m the king, Liz is my chosen one, and you, well, you are just a replacement. A mistake. A momentary lapse is judgement on my part.” Max said.

Tess let out a wounded roar and threw herself at him. Her small frame knocked into him but didn’t make him lose his balance. She didn’t have the weight to do any real damage. Max picked her up and dropped her on the ground. She groaned and went to knock him again. Max could feel his anger abating as she tried over and over to attack him and he was able to throw her aside each
time. She seemed like a child now, an over indulgent child who had their toys taken away. He felt sick as he watched her eyeing him hatefully.

“Langly is going to be pissed you failed so miserably at your mission.” Max daunted her. The blind rage from earlier had left him. He knew he couldn’t kill her now. Seeing her in such a pitiful state was punishment for her. She had lost everything and was facing her own failure. He wondered what to do with her now.

Michael came out of a shadow of trees. “Now what?”

Max considered. “Call Kyle. Have him go by Brody’s and get the octagon. It will strip her of her powers until we can figure out what we are going to do with her.”

“We could turn her into the FBI.” Michael suggested.

Max’s thought flashed briefly to the white room. A fate like that would be fitting for her. But there were too many risks. “No, she would just rat us out.”

“What about the other ship?”

“Broken. And that would mean having to find Langly again. Wait a minute.” Max considered. “He can take care of her. He is bound to do whatever I tell him.”

Tess waited until they were engrossed in discussing her to make her move. She pulled the knife out of her back pocket and aimed. Max’s heart. She would be free of all of them. Her hand stretched back and..........

A streak of green light flashed through the forest and illuminated the trees. It was like standing in daylight. Tess flew back as the bolt hit her at full force. Her head slammed against the base of the tree and seemed to move free of her body. When she collapsed upon the earth, her neck seemed to crumple under the weight of her body. Max and Michael stood in shock at the knife in Tess’s hand. Max looked over his shoulder. Liz stood at the base of two trees with her hand outstretched, her fingers sparking slightly.

TBC

posted on 18-Dec-2002 5:56:59 PM by SnowWhite22
2crzy4roswell: Girl, go get your nails done, come back and then let me know what you think of the new part. Hopefully by the end of it, you won't have ruined that new nail job. *big*


posted on 18-Dec-2002 7:18:31 PM by SnowWhite22
You guys are vicious!!

LOL*big*
posted on 21-Dec-2002 8:05:21 PM by SnowWhite22
I absolutly adore you guys! I have the biggest smile on my face. Thank you so much for the kind words and incredible feedback!

Sadly, all good things must come to an end. Like I said earlier I will be ending Say Nothing pretty soon. Maybe 3 more parts. Its time to wrap things up. But just to let you guys know, I have loved every second of writing this fic. And I love that you all stayed with me even when it took MONTHS to update.

On a happier note, the muses have struck again. I have an idea for a new fic which I will be posting ASAP. Its going to be called Ordinary Moment and features, you guessed it, Max and Liz. However, it is going to be an AU fic, which is unusual for me. But I had this idea and I just have to run with it. It is going to feature a college Liz and span over ten years, I'm thinking. I really hope you guys like it because I'm getting all those tingly feelings like when I started writing Say Nothing. So keep your eyes open for Ordinary Moment. It should be up by next weekend if everything goes great over Christmas.

Oh yeah, HAPPY HOLIDAYS ALL! I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas and fabulous New Years. Keep love in your heart and your spirits strong!
Love
Snow White
posted on 21-Dec-2002 8:06:06 PM by SnowWhite22
I absolutly adore you guys! I have the biggest smile on my face. Thank you so much for the kind words and incredible feedback!

Sadly, all good things must come to an end. Like I said earlier I will be ending Say Nothing pretty soon. Maybe 3 more parts. Its time to wrap things up. But just to let you guys know, I have loved every second of writing this fic. And I love that you all stayed with me even when it took MONTHS to update.

On a happier note, the muses have struck again. I have an idea for a new fic which I will be posting ASAP. Its going to be called Ordinary Moment and features, you guessed it, Max and Liz. However, it is going to be an AU fic, which is unusual for me. But I had this idea and I just have to run with it. It is going to feature a college Liz and span over ten years, I'm thinking. I really hope you guys like it because I'm getting all those tingly feelings like when I started writing Say Nothing. So keep your eyes open for Ordinary Moment. It should be up by next weekend if everything goes great over Christmas.

Oh yeah, HAPPY HOLIDAYS ALL! I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas and fabulous New Years. Keep love in your heart and your spirits strong!
Love
Snow White
posted on 23-Dec-2002 9:45:59 PM by SnowWhite22
I just wanted to let you guys know that it might be a day or two more before the next part. I'm working overtime (Christmas season, ya know), however, I do have the day time off tomorrow so if I can get some work done before I go in for the nite shift, then I will post up the new part. If not, it might not be until Friday. Happy Holdidays all!!!
Love
Snow
posted on 31-Dec-2002 6:02:09 PM by SnowWhite22
Hey y'all!

Sorry about the delay. Christmas and everything took its toll. This part is sort of short. However, there will only be one more part, I think, to sum up everything. I have really loved writing this fic and I hope you all have loved it too. Enjoy!


Part 36

Max kept his gaze out the Jetta window as the night slowly blurred into day. The stars were starting to fade and the skyline was turning a brilliant pink. A new day. A new day and Liz was by his side. She was snuggled up against his side in the backseat of the Jetta. He knew she was wide awake. Her body was wired like a tight string. The landscape flew past them and he tightened his grip on Liz’s shoulder. Looking down at his hands, he tried to brush off the dried blood that had caked on his knuckles. He had healed the gash from Tess’s knife and now all that remained was that dried blood. It could be easily washed away. He hoped that Tess’s memory would be just as easily washed away.

Liz hadn’t spoken much since they had spread Tess’s pile of ashes over the ground. She hadn’t yet said why she had come back to the woods or even voice what she was thinking. Max knew that it was weighing heavily on her but didn’t yet know if she was regretting what had happened or if she was relieved. It was like she had been able to shut herself off to him for just a little while.
He didn’t want to push their bond to be able to pick up on her mood or her thoughts. He wanted to give her that time to herself until she was ready to talk.

Max thought about the way she had looked in the shadow of the trees, her arms outstretched, her face a determined mask of protection. She had somehow known that he needed her. She knew even before he did. By the time he was aware of what Tess’s plan had been, Tess was dead and all that was left was a pile of ashes and Liz’s heavy breathing in the quiet nite. The knife that Tess was going to use had dropped onto the ashes like a testament to destiny, blade down as if it was
digging at last into Tess’s black heart.

Max stared a moment at that pile of ashes and then let his gaze fly to meet Liz’s eyes. They were wide and steady, without doubt or fear. She looked like an archangel, ready to avenge for her love. But by the time she had dropped her hand to her side and her gaze met his, it was like all the strength that had carried her through that act left her and her face fell. Max flew to her side and gathered her up in his arms. She held onto him and buried her face in his throat. Max murmured a prayer of thanks.

Michael was the first to speak. He had gone over to the try that Tess had slammed into, the one that had snapped her neck. He kicked a foot across the ashes that had once been Tess’s body and spat on top of them. “Finally.”

Max kept Liz next to him and looked over to gaze at Michael.

Liz pulled away from Max and walked over to the pile of ashes. She knelt on the ground and stared hard into the pile, as if trying to figure out if they were real. “It’s over.” Her voice was barely a whisper.

Max came over to her side and put his hand on her shoulder. “It’s over.” He echoed softly.

Michael snorted and leaned against the tree. “I just wish it had been me that delivered that final blow.”

Max looked uneasy. “Michael...”

“No, really.” Michael folded his arms. “But if anyone else had to do it, that wasn’t you or me, Maxwell, I’m glad it was you, Liz. It’s like, I don’t know, final justice or something.”

Liz nodded and stood up slowly. She took Max’s hand and held it between her own. “I want to go home now, Max. I want to go home with you.”

* * * * *

Now as the day broke across the desert, Max couldn’t help but feel relieved that he was starting another day. It wasn’t the first time that Liz had saved his life. But this time seemed to be the most definite. Tess would have killed him just to get away, without a second thought. But Liz had saved him again. He looked down at her and brushed a finger across her cheek. “Thank you.”

She looked like she was going to say something but was interrupted by Maria, who was in the front seat. “I’m taking you guys to Michael’s. You can sleep there. Then I’m going back to pick up everyone else.”

“I thought Isabel, Michael and Kyle were bringing my car back.” Max said.

“Michael is. Isabel and Kyle went to go talk.” Isabel, Maria and Kyle had broken through the woods as Michael and Max were spreading Tess’s ashes. Kyle had seen the ashes and turned white. He shook his head as if to deny what he was seeing. Isabel had taken his hand and led him off. Max knew it was going to be a while before Kyle would be able to stop grieving. Regardless of the fact that in the end Tess had deserved everything she had received, at one time she and Kyle had been very close. Probably closer than she had been with anyone else in the group. Kyle was grieving for the sister he had lost the year before, not the girl who had died that nite.

Max unlocked the door as Maria took off. He led Liz into the living room. She walked in slowly and collapsed against the couch. Max pulled her into his arms and tucked her head under his chin. It still amazed him how perfectly she fit into his body, like they were two pieces of a puzzle that had finally found each other. Liz nuzzled against him and closed her eyes. Max was sure she was
about to drift off when she spoke.

“I couldn’t feel settled with letting you stay out there with Michael while I drove off and left you alone. I knew that if I made it back to town I would never see you again. It made me crazy. Even after you reassured me that you would be careful, I just couldn’t calm down. I think I panicked Maria and Isabel a little bit. I was in the front seat and I was trying to stay focused on you. I could feel your conflict. I could feel you arguing with her. I could hear it as loudly as I could hear Maria
talking to me. I knew you were going to kill her and I was relieved at that, but I knew I needed to be there. So I pulled on the wheel and almost crashed us into a tree. Isabel freaked out and started screaming. As soon as she had stopped the car I jumped out. I ran faster than I ever knew I could. I ran until my lungs hurt and my legs were ready to collapse. I thought I would never get to you. Just when I thought I would never make it, I saw the three of you in a the clearing.”

She sat up and took his hands in hers. Her hands felt cold but when he touched her, she felt warm and alive. “You had your back to her. I could make her out in the shadows, drawing her hand back to throw that knife. Before I knew what I was doing, my powers went crazy. They carried me over the bushes and hit her with a force I didn’t know I had in me. It was like everything from the last three years came pouring out in that blast. All my anger and frustration and fear and hate came out in it and I wanted her dead. I wanted her dead, Max.” She repeated. “I wanted to end it all. And once that blast left my body, all I was left with was me. Just the same old me that has loved you since you looked into my eyes and gave me my life back. The same me that cried when Alex died and danced across bowling alleys at midnite. The same me that found myself in your eyes and when I saw her hit that tree and fall to the ground, I knew it was over. I knew that I would be with you forever, like I had dreamed, and I knew that everything that had been dark in our lives was dead. I knew that we were free.”

She put a hand on his cheek and touched her lips gently to his. “I thought that if one of us were responsible for her death that it would hang over us forever. But we are free, Max. And we are together.”

TBC
posted on 2-Jan-2003 4:24:44 PM by SnowWhite22
*bounce* Hey guys!

Part 37 is in progress and should be up by the end of the afternoon. I'll know when I finish writing it if it is the last part or not. (You know how writing goes. Sometimes things seem to write themselves.)

I wanted to clear up any confusion on the Ava/Tess situation. My main point was that the Tess we knew from Roswell was so warped in the head that she thought she WAS Ava. Remember how the Dupes called themselves by their Antarian names? Well, Tess was so stuck on being the true queen that she was no longer Tess. She was Ava. The REAL Ava never showed her face in Roswell. I'm not sure where she is. Maybe that's something new to explore in a new fic??? *big*

I hope that cleared it up!
Snow
posted on 2-Jan-2003 5:52:13 PM by SnowWhite22
Okay, I was just kidding about the part being up this afternoon. It is in progress but somethings came up. But I promise it will be up ASAP!

Snow
posted on 3-Jan-2003 2:06:29 AM by SnowWhite22
This is it. The End. Kinda sad, huh? I just want to thank everyone for their support and continued feedback. As I said, keep your eyes open for "Ordinary Moments," my new fic. Thank you!!!

Snow

Part 37

*Epilogue*

Weeks had passed since the “disappearance” of Ava in the town of Roswell. The people of Roswell accepted it as they did every other occurrence; with a shrug and little questions. Liz had been able to cover with her parents on why Ava had left so abruptly without saying good-bye. Life went on as it had before and the group of hybrids and humans were relieved.

Although the severity of what had happened that nite in the woods left a mark on all of them, Liz was determined not to dwell on it. She was grateful for every minute now. She guessed she could actually thank Tess for that. Her experience as Tess’s hostage had shown her how powerful her freedom was and how thankful she was to have the ones she loved in her life. Every morning that she was able to greet Max she reveled in.

Graduation approached like a cat, stalking all of them until the next thing they knew it was top of them. Liz had another interview with the recruiter from Harvard, thanks to Philip Evans. She would have to delay for a year due to her late acceptance but the day she received her acceptance letter from the Harvard School of Biology was one that she would never forget. She could never forget the pure look of pride and joy on Max’s face when she read the certificate to him. He had
hugged her to him and whispered how happy he was for her.

Liz wondered as she always had about how their future together was going to go. Max had said very little about it and continued to reassure her that he wasn’t worried. Something about the look in his eye when he comforted her gave her peace. Max truly wasn’t worried about where they were going to go. And if he wasn’t worried, Liz was determined not to let it get to her either.

The day of graduation arrived without event and Liz wondered how she had let it bother her so much. It was the next step in her life, but after every eventful thing that had happened to them, the graduation ceremony seemed like a breeze. Regardless, Liz had to breathe heavily before walking across the stage to accept her diploma. Max squeezed her hand lightly, pressed a kiss to her cheek and watched her walk on stage, in front of their friends and family to accept her diploma.

The night after the ceremony the Crashdown was filled with light and music. The Evans and the Parkers joined forces to throw a graduation party for all of the kids. The Parkers closed the Crashdown for only friends and family that nite and all showed up ready to celebrate. Even Michael, who had squeaked by on wishes and prayers, seemed to be enjoying himself. Isabel and
Jesse came over early to help set up and when the rest of the graduates showed up, the cafe was full. Valenti and Kyle came over with Maria and Amy De Luca. By the time Max and Liz showed up together, the party was in full swing. Liz and Max accepted congratulation wishes from family and school friends and settled in to enjoy a nite where they could be regular teenagers.

“Max, finally!” Diane Evans’ voice could be heard above the loud music and laughter. “I was afraid you two were never going to get here.”

“Sorry Mom.” Max bent down to kiss her on the cheek before shaking his father’s hand. In the weeks following his confession to his parents about his true identity, he and Philip had become closer than ever. It had been shaky at first. Max was unsure of where their relationship lie. But after a few weeks of dancing around the issue, Philip extended the invitation for Max to move
back into his parent’s house. Max declined but was relieved to hear the offer. Since then, he and Philip had been able to put the tension behind them and build towards forgiveness.

“Liz and I had to say good-bye to some teachers.” Max supplied. “Then we cleaned out our lockers and....” Max grinned and looked down at Liz.

“And I got all choked up and started to cry and Max got embarrassed and had to walk me around school until I calmed down.” Liz glared up at him. “He doesn’t see how sad this is.”

“How sad what is?” Michael asked loudly. “School’s over. Yahoo. Not boohoo.”

Maria elbowed him. “Hey!” Michael protested.

“This is a serious occasion.” She told him primly. “As of this moment we are no longer high school students.” She took a deep breath and looked at them all squarely. “We are adults.”

Amy rolled her eyes. “Just wait a few years before the whole adult thing, honey. Trust me. You have plenty of time.”

“That’s right.” Max leaned and whispered into Liz’s ear. “We have some time.”

Liz felt shivers as his words echoed in her ear. They were almost the exact words he had said to her when they were leaving the bus station in Vermont after she had saved his body from Clayton. Time. That was the most important thing. No matter what had happened over the years between them, time had marched on and brought them together. She smiled up at him and kissed him lightly. No matter where their future paths led, time was on their side. And she was going to spend every second of it with him.

As the party went on, people came and went, wishing them good luck. By the time midnite rolled around, only a few remained. Liz had been helping her father keep refreshments out. Coming out of the swinging door, Liz paused to watch the group. Maria and Michael were laughing with Amy De Luca over something Kyle was acting out. Jim Valenti and Jeff Parker were strumming tunes on Jim’s guitar. Isabel and Nancy Parker were setting out pieces of graduation cake. Philip and Jesse were talking quietly in the corner. And Max, her Max. Max was holding his mother in his arms and swinging her around to the beat of the music. Liz leaned against the door and thought “This is it. This is how we are supposed to be. Right here, right now, I’m happy.”

Max’s head came up at that thought. Liz smiled and knew that he was picking up on what she was thinking. Max kissed his mother on her cheek and came over to take Liz’s hand. A new song came over the radio and Max brought her into his arms to sway to the music. Alison Kraus crooned out the gentle notes of her famous song “When You Say Nothing at All.” Max brushed a
hand over Liz’s hair and tucked her head under his chin.

“Are you really?” He whispered lightly.

Liz smiled and nodded. She knew what he was talking about. “I am. I truly am.”

“Good. I want you always to be happy.” Max’s voice seemed to shake.

She leaned back to look him in the eye. “I always am with you, Max. You make me happier than I
ever thought possible.”

He brought her knuckles to his hand to kiss. “I’m so glad to hear you say that.” He stopped their motions as the music weaved around them. Liz seemed to be lost in his eyes. It was like the world closed around them and all she could do was look into his eyes and feel his heart beat against hers. With hers. Max kissed her lips with an urgency Liz could feel in her blood. She knew that this was the moment she had been waiting for ever since Max had first looked into her eyes. This was the moment that was going to change her forever.

Max broke off their kiss and took a step back. Reaching into his jacket pocket, he pulled out a simple ring box. Getting down on one knee, he took her hand in his and looked up into her eyes. “Liz, I want to spend my life making you happy. You are the reason I am alive. I love everything in this world because you are everything in this world. And I want to spend the rest of my life
with you. Will you marry me?”

Liz couldn’t even look at the ring he held up so earnestly. He didn’t even need to say the words that were echoing in her heart. She could feel him in her head and in her heart so fully she wondered how she had ever lived without him there. Or how she would ever live without him there. The word screamed in her head before it reached her lips. Max grinned as it raced through him. “Yes.” She whispered. “Yes.” She broke out laughing. “Yes!”

Max picked her up swiftly and swung her around in a circle, catching the attention of every one around them. Max put her down and held her close and reached for her hand to slip the small band on her finger. The solitaire diamond sat on a band of white gold, the light catching the intricate design across the band. Max held it up for her to see the inside inscription. ME + LP Liz
held on to him as he slipped the ring on to her finger. The light caught it and it shined like the light she felt in her blood.

“Max, put her down.” Diane came up behind the two, interrupting their private circle. Max put Liz on her feet but wouldn’t let her go. Max looked into Liz’s face. “Do you want to tell everyone?” he whispered.

“Yes.”

Max cleared his throat awkwardly. “I have an announcement to make.” He looked down at Liz and held onto her hand. “Liz and I are getting married.”

The stunned silence that went through the crowd quickly faded into cheer. Although the parents seemed a little resistant to the idea at first, congratulations were given in good faith. Jeff Parker seemed to stand off a bit from the group and watched Liz and Max accept the good wishes together. When Liz went to stand in front of him, he hugged her to him tightly. “This is what I
want, Dad.” She whispered. “I’m happy.”

“That’s all I want to for you, honey.” He said softly.

Max watched from afar as Liz hugged her dad and then turned to look over her shoulder at him. Their eyes locked, he walked towards her, his arms itching to hold her. They met in the middle of the room and he brought her left hand to his lips, to kiss the warm ring that now was a part of her hand. “I love you.” he said to her in his heart and then out loud. “I will always love you.”

“I love you, too.” She said. “And I’m happy.”

The End.
posted on 5-Jan-2003 5:35:56 PM by SnowWhite22
My new fic, Ordinary Moment, is up. So feel free to check it out! I'd dying to know what you think!

Ordinary Moment

[ edited 1 time(s), last at 7-Jan-2003 1:20:27 AM ]