posted on 23-Dec-2001 1:14:31 PM
Title*~ BACK to YOU
Author*~ jayne
Rating*~ Pg13 to Nc17
Caterory*~*M&L* + M/M K/I.
Post Departure but this time Liz leaves Roswell only to come back home to them when she'd told that Max needs her help.....
Disclaimer*~ I still don't own anything...worse luck!!
Note~* This is the first story I thought of after seeing Departure but I was angry at JK & CO at that time so it went on a very high shelf. Not angry anymore.
******************************************


~PART 1~

She almost fell over again, quickly having to steady herself while careful not to drop what she was holding so tightly in her hands as she did so, pulling it then back to the safety of her chest once more. She'd been standing on tip toe again to enable her to see higher up the street that she'd been frantically searching up and down for the past 3/4's of an hour.
"He's not coming!"
She'd said it over and over in her head but somehow it had formed into words and now 4 pairs of eyes looked anxiously round first at each other then landing back on her.

"Of course he's coming...it IS Max after all, right?"
Maria said smile widening, head nodding as she looked round at the others for support. She then took afew baby steps forward, stopping beside Michael to whisper something to him.

"If he doesn't he'll wish he'd never been hatched...." Michael gave her a sidewards glance, she held it for awhile before looking away.
"..either that or that he had of gone with that Alientrailertrashslut after all, 'cus I'll bust his alien ass if he doesn't do something for her for a change." She was still being careful that Liz wouldn't hear her kicking off behind her. Her tummy now doing flip-flops at the realization at just how close it was to her best friend leaving Roswell. The research job in Florida was a gift from the gods, she so deserved something of herself after everything. Trying to help Max find his son, which she'd done willingly.. no questions, was ever- so softly killing her inside. They'd tried moving on, going on a date even but things had gone too far them to getback on ANY kind of track. So she took the job and today she was leaving. The cab was only acouple of minutes away, unless it was late. Please be late.

"He'll BE here now would you shut up about it already!" He snapped back at her, he too not handling Liz's inpending departure that well, not that any would have noticed, being 'Mr. Stonewall unmotional type guy' except her that is, she knew exactly what was going on with him. Maria looked back at him, reaching back to take his hand lightly into hers. He looked up at her, as she smiled at him with both her lips and eyes.

"Easy Spaceboy, I'll miss her too...so much." Her smile now fading as she caught sight of Liz beginning to pace again. Michael squeezed her hand alittle to get her eyes back.

"Come here." She didn't have to be told twice, nuzzling in hard to his chest as he encircled her.
"I'm sorry." He whispered into her hair as he lay a gentle kiss on her head. She closed her eyes, squeezing him harder, as she felt the tears begin to well in her eyes then quitely fall.

"Damnitt! (sniff)" She said hitting at his back. "Cry why don't ya (sob) make Liz feel a whole lot better (sob, sniff sob)." She wiped her face on his shirt, then burying it again to hide them as more came.
"What sort of best friend am I..god?" He hit his back harder still.

"Hey!" He pulled her face away from him with his hands either side of it so he could look at her.
"... person under shirt and do you wouldn't be acting this way if you wasn't the best friend that she'll ever have."
She stopped crying almost instantly as he stroked one from her cheek.

"Since when did you become a 'Dr. Ruth wannabe' Guerin?" She joked, slowly returning back to normal. He looked up the street,exhaling hard, then back to her.

"Since...you." He now held her gaze. Speechless she finally found sound, about to say something, anything then he beat her to it.
"Not one word Deluca...now still wanna hug?" She pulled him so tight, tighter still.
"Hey, hey Space cookie..ribs down here you know!"

Kyle sat on the bench beside them, leaning forward, not noticing that Isabel now sat beside him. He'd seen her all morning already but they had hardly spoken, every time he went to she would either talk first about everything but or walk away. Hecould only take so much and wait for so long. He felt his time was nearly up when he heard her speak. He snapped his head towards her fast, she was smiling at him, he then sat right back away from her, tensing up. What now? was his only thought, her smile faded alittle when she saw his reaction to her.
"Hey." She finally said, her voice sounding alittle strained. She coughed it away. He smiled, blink and you'd miss it, then continued to look and play with his hands.

"Hey..How.. are.. you?" Him sounding just as uncomfortable as he looked. Her smile was now gone. She too was now looking at his hands.

"Fine.You?" This was starting to get painful.

"Fine." He stole a sidewards glance at her, not ever expecting that she would meet it. He caught breath as his eyes widened to hers. She wasn't look away, as his heart threatened to pump right out of his chest. She saw his cheeks go alittle crimson as she felt hers go too. She was now finding to harder and harder to breath but now was not the time to back down. She inhaled hard, clenching her fists into balls as she finally spoke again.

"Look I know things have been alittle...uncomfortable lately..." He stopped her mid-sentence.

"Try near-on impossible Is." He tone now as hard as his face, shifting awkwardly on the bench. She breathed out hard as it hit her...she was too late? Another man now lost to her! She shook alittle as she turned herself away from him, knowing there was nothing that she could do here anymore. She felt herself start to tense up, god she was going to cry. She leant right away from him so he wouldn't see. Not here, not now she screamed over and over in her head as she went to get up and away. She stopped, that was the problem, she was always running away from people. She sat alittle further upright, still not daring to look at him. If she was going to run again she was going to do it right this time, she couldn't leave it like this. She swallowed back her tears for the time being to finally speak.

"..I..I'm..so..s..sorry..Kyle.." He turned his head to look upon her, as she shook hers. "...I know its..." She stopped herself, hitting her thigh hard.
"No..thats wrong..I've..been hard Kyle but everythings been so muddled lately what with Max and now Liz leaving..." She stopped to look back at her as she was still frantically looking for her brother. She felt herself loose her first tear.

"This will break him..break them both." Her voice low. As Kyle sat forward,leaning into her alittle.

"Then why do it? If its the wrong thing then why put themselves through all that pain." His tone was now heartfelt as their eyes met, and held. Her eyes searched his relentlessly as her tears flowed harder.

"..because..its..the..right thing to do I guess." She had to look away now, if not to wipe her invaders away on the back of her hand. She felt him move in closer but this time she didn't move, she couldn't move.

"Is it the right thing to do of us Is? Should we just give up on us like they obviously have?" he reached for her hand, she didn't smack it away like before. She wimpered alittle, hoping Liz wouldn't hear but she was still dealing with too much stuff or her own. Then she looked at him again.

"I don't know..all I do know is that I can't lose anyone else..I can't.." She let her head drop as she couldn't hold onto them all. "..please..don't..let..me.. be too late and too stupid to have lost you too...please?"
He took hold of her shaking hand and squeezed.

"I'm not going anyway and we'll get over what ever it is thats stopping us from being happy." He said while wiping at her cheeks, breaking into a smile.
"Kay?" She nodded alittle as her smile followed, about to say something when Liz's yelp stopped her.

"God, he's here..the cab's here..oh.god..Max..I..can't..I
can't do this..I..can't.." Her eyes were wide as the tears poured out of her, tears that she too had been trying to hide. She stepped away from the kerp and her bags, still holding her precious gift to her chest. She was shaking so hard now that she thought she'd collapse.

"YES YOU CAN.." Maria now had a firm hold of her shoulders, staring her down. "..YOU MUST..." She pulled at her alittle as she spoke. Liz's eyes were wider still.
"You have to do this liz, not just for you but for all of us, your the only one strong enough to get out of here and make ago of your life. You need to do this Liz, you know I'm right." She did nothing, her doe eyes so big now as they continued to flow with tears.

"But Maria..what.if..it's a mistake. What if me and Max can work it out and I'm just giving up..." She looked down the road again as she cried even harder this time. Still no Max but the cab had now parked up, and he was out loading in her bags. She was finding it hard to breathe, as Maria forced her to look back at her by holding her face with her hands.

"What does your heart tell you Liz, its been right up and till now..what does it say to you now?"
Liz inhaled hard, frowning harder as she pulled herself away from her friend. She stopped herself crying, letting herself break into a faint smile as they all stood before her. She said nothing but they knew what the answer was. She began to walk towards the cab, stopping to give them all one fine hug. She held into Michael alittle longer as she stood on tip toe to say something to him alone.

"Take care of my heart for me Michael, keep him safe for me?" She squeezed him harder. "Promise?"

"With my life?"
was all he said as she kissed in lightly on the cheek again. She went to leave him when he wouldn't let her, wanting to hold into her for alittle while longer but he then let her go to a waiting best friend, whos arms were already open to her as she let her head fall into them.

"Now remember what I said ring when you get to the airport, ring before you get on the plane, ring when you get off the plane, ring when your leaving the airport , ring then you get to your place..." She had not taken breath yet but she still kept reeling it off.
"....open the door to anybody funny looking...no wait don't open the door, no wait...don't go out at all..."

"maria..." Liz could still her rambling on. She pushed her away. "MARIA!" That worked, she stopped.

"What?"

"YOU WANT ME TO RING I GOT IT KAY!"

"Everyday?" Her eyes were like a puppy dogs. Liz smiled, she wasn't going to cry either so she tried changing the mood as she heard the cabbie tut behind her.

"Damn right everyday, hundreds of miles away I may be but I still gotta have my daily fix of Mariaisums right?" Her
smile only getting bigger. Maria smiled too.

"You know it girly... Now as I said before don't talk to strangers, don't bring them home, make sure you eat well
which reminds me..." Liz rolled her eyes skyward as she saw Maria reach down to get a big brown paper bag and hand it to her. "....lunch." Liz almost fell under its weight. Maria shrugged her shoulders.
"...and snacks and tea as well because I know you will forget to eat when you get there..." Then her eyes opened wide.
"What time are you getting to your place? Will anybody be there to meet you? Do you know these people that your rooming with? If is dark take your alarm everywhere better still a baseball bat...Have you got a baseball bat?.." She was back to flapping. Liz had had enough so her tone was now stern.

"I have...had my mother for these lectures. I'll be fine." She looked dead into her eyes. "And you will be too right..'cus you know I can't do this if I know your..."
Maria could see that she was about to break again. She grabbed at her shoulders hard.

"I'll be fine, now would you go already?" She gave her her biggest smile as Liz handed her something.

"Would you give this to Max for me please." and she gave Maria her journal, which she finally took. Liz tilted her head to her, knowing just what she was thinking.
"Don't hate him Maria, its not his fault. It just wasn't meant to be I know that now. It's for the best." Her face breaking into a smile but she wasn't fooling Maria, the utter saddest held in her eyes told her otherwise. Maria touched at her face, willing herself not to cry.

"I don't hate him Chica, only what he's done to you..." She looked up the road, scowling hard. "...and I can't believe he's not there...he's gonna be in soooo much trouble when..." Liz's look cut her off dead. Maria rolled her eyes as she held up the journal smiling alittle
"I'll make sure he gets this.." Michael cut her off.

"Why? when she can give it to him herself!" They both looked at him as he pointed back behind them. Liz knew he was running towards her even before he called out her name.
"LIZ."
She suddenly felt so hot, reaching out to Maria, eyes wide knowing that he'd made it, he was there and he was running towards her from across the street.

"Maria?" her eyes panicing as she found that she was unable to breathe properly. Maria pressed the journal back into her hand then cupped her cheeks. "What..what..do..I..do..I..?" She stammered, now hearing his footsteps almost there.

"Follow your heart. Don't let him get to you ..And don't cry." She stepped away. "I'll be here if need me, kay!" Liz pulled on her arm.

"..but what if its screaming at me to stay?" He was slowing down now, that or run right into her.

"Then listen to his." She saw Max before Liz did, she didn't say a word to him, only to glare and turn away. He was now right beside Liz but she still hadn't dared looked at him.

"liz?"
He said breathlessly. She swallowed so hard as she slowly began to raise her head up to him, her world beginning to spin when she found his eyes. Now she really couldn't breathe as she instintively stepped in closer to him, feeling the heat from his body hit hers hard. He felt hers too, it was making him dizzy.

"I..wasn't..sure..if..you'd..still..be..here.." He was finding it hard to talk, he'd run so hard and so fast, or was it just because he was with her? He shifted from one foot to the other.
"..that..you..hadn't..already..gone..." He was shaking just as hard as she as her eyes were drawing him in more. He saw the cab and the impatient slob that was staring them down. He looked back at her.
"I'm sorry Liz ...for being late."

"Its okay, your here now.." She now had a big grin on her face, moving in closer still. Her smile always did things to him so much so this time that he had to look away from it, stepping back. Her grin now leaving her face.

"...I nearly didn't come Liz.." His voice like awhisper.

"Ohhhhh" She stepped back too. He looked back at her, eyes low. He had to do this now. He was now looking about him wildly. She tried catching his eyes but he wouldn't let her.

"God, I had this big speech planned but...." He sounded angry with himself as he handed her something from his coat. "...so I wrote it down, Liz. That's why I'm late...here."
He pushed it further towards her, hand shaky. "..take it please Liz."
She looked first at the letter then at back at him then at letter again as she reached for it. As she went to pull away he stroked a finger over the top of her hand, both feeling the electricity sparking between them, stronger enough to both gasp. He pulled away as they both said nothing.
"I know I have no right to ask you anything after..." He broke off, shifting his eyes from her to the ground, hands now deep in his pockets.
"..can you not open it till you get on the plane.."

"Max.?" She stopped when she found his eyes again.

"..please." He begged. She could never resist him before why should now be any diffrrent, she nodded. He breathed out.
"Thank you Liz."
She then remembered the journal as she handed it towards him. He gave her look of confusion. She gave in something that ressembled a smile.

"I want you to have it Max." He shook his head in disbelief, as she moved it closer to him. "Take it."

"No Liz I can't except this, its yours...its you..I..." He was at a loss. She took his hand and put it in it, holding onto him alittle longer than needed.

"I know but its about you too. There's some things in there you should know about...please Max, for me?" He smiled just long enough for her to see, as he encircled it tightly in his arms against his chest. Their eyes held each others so intently as Max then went to say something, the moment broken as the cabbie then snorted.

"You's coming lady or you'll miss your flight." They both looked up quickly at him as they then went back to each other. She was the first to break the silence.

"So." She was avoiding looking at him.

"So...I guess this is it then?" He mumbled gently.

"Guess so." She turned to go. "Bye Max."
She was leaving, he couldn't breathe. He qucikly took a step forward.

"No..wait.." He reached out to stop her by she'd stepped away from him.
"..Liz.."
She looked at him then. He could see that she now had tears in her eyes, trying to talk mouth moving but nothing coming out. His heart just stopped as he now looked upon her, not knowing when he would again. He didn't know it but a single tear was running down his cheek also. He shouldn't be about to say this but his body wouldn't let him not.

"I just wanted to say that I'll been here....here when you get...." His voice broken, he was broken, it all to much for her now as she walked slowly upto him only stopping when her arms where around his neck. He closed his eyes to it trying so hard to hold his arms away from her, exhaling hard as he gave in and held onto her so tightly. She clawed at his back as she shook with her tears. He gently stroked at her hair, then doing something he wasn't supposed to do, gently kissing it, just enough so he could feel it and she couldn't. Then she said the words that almost killed him.

"I love you Max."
She said them ever so quietly but they pounded so hard against his ears. He relaxed himself on her alittle upon hearing those words again. It had been so long he felt his world tilt. He had a choice. His heart was almost choking him as he then spoke.

"...I..Know."
He felt her tense right up then pull slowly away from him at his words. She was trying so hard not to lose it upon realizing that she'd lost him.
'Follow his' and there was her answer, she would have stayed if he had have said those three little words. But he hadn't and he wasn't.

"Are you ready to leave or what missy?"
She slowly turned to him and nodded. She was now. Then saying all that could be said.

"Bye Max."
And this time she really was turning to go. She was stopped suddenly by him placing a gentle kiss on her lips it made her legs waver as he'd run around her, blocking her path. His hands were either side of her face as she returned it gently back to him. Only seconds past but it seemed like a lifetimes worth till he lifted off and away from her, seeing her eyes were closed.Thank god he thought. Then she died little when she felt him he pulling right away from her. She opened her eyes then. She saw nothing in his beautiful eyes to tell her why he'd done that then he spoke.

"Bye Liz."
He whispered as he side stepped her so her could get into the cab. She was crying hard now not able to understand. But his face was unchanging to her.

"Max?"

"Goodbye Liz."
He said alittle firmer as he walked behind her.
"Don't look back..please." He whispered as he walked past her ear, only loud enough for her to hear. She wanted to turn around to that but she felt so sick, she had to sit down. She lowered her head, reaching for her mouth to hid her cries as she finally got into the cab. As it drove off she had to turn round wishing then she hadn't to what she saw. They were all still there, waving her off all but one. He wasn't there. Max was gone.

**************

She woke with a startle, as her head banged off the window. It took awhile to adjust to where see was, then feeling the letter still held tightly in her hands. She'd only recieved yesturday but it was so worn it looked like she'd had it of ages. She flattened it out on her thigh in order to read it again...

Liz, Come Home. Max needs you. Please. Michael.

She wasn't sure if it was the content or who sent it scared her the most but she dropped everything and was on the next plane that took her anywhere near home. She sat upright, straining her neck to see as she realized where she was. Her heart was in her throat, she was home, Roswell now looked back at her like an old friend. It was. She was only afew blocks away from home, breath swallow heart racing. Her head was now spinning, what was she to expect it, had been almost a year. She suddenly sat right back in her seat as if to hide inside it. How would they all take her now? Was it too late for them all? Was it a mistake? She then took hold for herself, max had written the letter - his the asshole, it was all his fault why it had been so hard between them all. Her anger came back. She exhaled hard when she then felt her fingers run over the pendant that Max had given her, that she'd worn everyday around her neck since her departure. She smiled alittle as she held to harder, instantly regretting calling him that. No matter what had happened, or would from now on, it never was, nor would ever be a mistake. The cab then pulled up and stopped outside of 'the crashdown'. She then looked up knowing that her only mistakes were not to have let anybody know that she was coming and that she'd let Josh came with her.



******************************************

~Part 2~

"so this is it then?.." Josh said leaning out of the same window as she, so close now, too close. She pushed herself up harder against the window.
"..This is were my baby was born." He lay a hand on hers and gently squeezed, which was when he got 'don't touch me eyes' that he'd grown to love since their time together as just friends. She tensed up, she was doing that alot lately.

"Josh..you know the rules." Her tone was alittle pleading, alittle scolding as she gently yanked it out from under his. He was now holding both up high, grinning from ear- to- ear.

"Okay, okay..but can you blame me for trying. Besides I thought we could use this trip away for us to get to know each other again. I thought we agreed?" He'd now moved away, looking alittle pissed as she reached for the doorhandle, then stopping to answer his question.

"You agreed, I wasn't even there." Her behrly-there smile now gone, eyes without their little sparkle. "You know exactly why I'm here Josh, your just here 'cus you practically invited yourself while showing up on my doorstep in the middle of the night..again, also uninvited so don't pull any of that crap on me about us getting back together.I don't need this right now." She was now rubbing hard at her forehead, breathing now out of control. "'Cus you and I both know that just isn't gonna happen." She began to shake, lowering her head down so her hair would now be covering her face: But not because him even though he'd always had the power to piss her off at a switch of a button, because she was coming face-to-face with a past that she'd tried so hard to forget...almost perminately 6 months ago that night when Josh found her and saved her life. The rememberence of it just making her want to puke right now. He saw how she was, instantly regretting that he'd dared to push again. His voice was low.

"I'm sorry Liz.." He reached out to her, only stopping when she'd shaken her head for him to stop.
"..it only that it breaks my heart to see you so sad and know that I can't do anything about it." He shifted awkwardly in his seat, her still not looking at him as he continued on.
"When I found out you were coming here I had to come too, you can't go through this on your own and besides I wanted to finally put faces to names for the people and the life that you don't talk about, that has hurt you so very badly, that's all Liz." He swallowed hard to enable him to go on.
"Was that wrong of me, to what to help you confront your demons...comfront Max.." She looked up at him then, eyes wide and shiny. She shook her head, blink and you'd miss it, as she felt the first tear. She quickly wiped it away with her back of her hand before he could, still unable to talk.
"...I'm here for you Liz, for as long as you need me to be kay?" He then broke into alittle smile, trying to change the subject quickly.
"But that wasn't the only reason for me coming out here too." She felt alittle better now as she sat up more.

"No?"

"No, I just had to see this cooky little town, to see if the stories are true." She frowned as he went on. " you know, see if it had an alien on every street corner?" Liz shuddered, changing back to 'Secret Keeper Liz' as she opened the door. he went to follow her out and she turned to block his entrance out.

"Thanx but no thanx. I am glad and all, that your here but I've got to face this alone." She brushed his cheek then, turning them crimson. "Understand?" Her eyes pleading to his. He could only nod, as she then shut the door, exhaling hard. She'd made it over to the door but she got that familiar feeling again as she then went to slowly open the door of that she'd once called home, which was now so strange to her. Her legs began to whobble under her as her head began tilting. She steaded herself on the handle repeatedly saying over and over in her head 'you can do this. you can do this', Knowing then that she couldn't. Only to feel the pendant hit her on the chest as she saw Max's face flash before her eyes, which were now open. She could do this, Max somehow needed her and he alone was the reason that she made it through that door.

It rang open as always, this time it made her want to yank it off the frame so it wouldn't draw attention to her. So she had time to plan what she would do, how she would handle it. But it had and the place was empty.
"Shit." She whispered, looking around wildly, trying to see where she could hide. There was no where, they'd changed the place round.
"Shit." She then saw the bathroom, still in the same place. She ran to as she heard voices at the hatch. She was almost there, looking wide eyed at the hatchway and not where she was going as she felt space where the door was as it was opened from the inside. She ran straight into the person that came out, hitting her hard in the chest, sending them both backwards.
"Hey watch it!"
Liz reckonized that voice, knowing instantly who it was. She was right as her eyes met with Maria's. Liz shyed away, suddenly feeling so sick as her once best friend looked upon her now with nothing like friendly eyes. Both took steps back, still unable to speak. Liz just wanted to run, this was a very, very bad idea, her eyes darting towards the door then back, Maria's still in the same place still staring her down. They would have spent all day like that if Michael hadn't have spoken.

"Liz!" She turned to see him almost beside her. She stepped back from him as he came closer, unsure of what to expect next, unable to handle anything more than a simple hello. She got more than that, much more as she felt him pull her into a hug, squeezing her tight once there.
"You came." Tighter still as she held onto him just as tightly, opening her eyes to see Maria still staring her down. She then found her voice.

"How could I not after your letter." Her voice low and alittle shaky. He pulled her away by putting his hands either side of her face, so he could see her face.

"Sorry it didn't explain much, but with you now without a phone and me not good at that sort of thing I wasn't sure if it would even reach you before you rang again." He was relentlessly searching her eyes.
"How are you...everything okay?" She could only nod, as she felt him stroke at her hair as a gentle smile broke on his concern filled face.
"Its good to see you again...you know ..after..." His smile gone as his voice trailed off. Liz's eyes were wide as she let her head shake from side to side to him. He could feel her tense right up. He could only smile again as she quickly spoke again.

"Where's Max? What's wrong with him?.." She'd now grabbed hold of his arms, pulling at them with every word. "...in your letter you said he....."

"Okay, okay time out people..." They both snapped round at where she now stood as she barked at them.
"..This is sweet and all but would somebody mind telling me just what the frigging hell is going on here. What letter?.. What 'after'?.. How did you know she hadn't got a phone anymore?...." She started to pace, hands to her head as they watched her go up and then down. They could see how mad she was getting.
"...Why would she be phoning you Micheal?.." Then stopping she turned to look at them both, eyes wide.
"You knew where she was." She moved in, only looking at him now. "YOU KNEW WHERE SHE WAS ALL THIS TIME AND YOU NEVER TOLD US...." She was now poking him hard in the chest, pushing him backwards.
"How could you do something like that Michael, not say when all that other shit was going on, you're done some pretty bad..."
Liz stopped her mid-sentence, now standing beside her.

"I told him not to..its my fault not his..."

"SHUT UP.." She spat out at her as she now looked upon her.
"DON'T even get me started on you girl." Liz jumped as Maria was now hounding her.
"You can't just come back here like nothings happened, you don't get to do that Liz....." She was finding it hard to breathe, all of it now hitting home hard.

"Maria." He stepped towards her.

"NO!" She stepped away, looking to anybody that she was about to cry. He went to lean towards her when she looked up at Liz, who was standing alone, shaking, eyes wide and shinning over. She couldn't help but let a faint smile break at the sight of her.
"Liz..." Her voice behrly audiable as she slowly opened up her arms to her. Liz hesitated for like a millisecond, as she said her name too almost reaching her when Josh came in.

"Liz, everything okay?" All three now looking at him, one of them taking a minute to take in how much he reminded her of somebody else. Tall, dark, kinda fit looking, big eyes which were only on her, filled with concern for only Liz. It wasn't but if she didn't know any better he looked like Max. Liz pulled away from reaching out in Maria instantly, to them start to walk to him.

"Yes, I'm fine but I thought you were staying in the car?"
Her voice uneasy as she was now beside him. He smiled.

"I was , but they meter was running and I know you're worth it and all but I've only got so much cash on me." He was now laughing as her face broke too.

"Ohhhhh..sorry about that." She smile alittle wider. Then he lightly touched her arm, as she then moved away from under it. He looked over her shoulder to the audience that they had, looking back to her.

"Could wait outside.."

"That'll be good for starters." They both looked towards Michael now, as he frowned hard at her. "I can't believe you brought HIM too, Liz, when you know this isn't gonna help Max." He was staring Josh down still, as he moved away from Maria.

"No Hello Josh, how are you?" His voice hard as he felt Liz move away from him.

"Yeah right did I miss something here, are we friends now?" His tone harder.

"No..I make it a rule not to associate with guttertrash or losers, which you are neither..being above you and all." Maria's head was spinning as she reached for her oil that was inside of her apron.
"Shit!" She muttered as she saw it was empty. This was not good as she stole a glance to where Liz was standing. But she wasn't looking back, eyes wide to what was unfolding in front of her as Michael was now walking towards Josh hands now by his sides, slightly fisting. Liz knew something like that was coming so she now stood between them, but they still kept on coming.

"Hey, this is not the time for a pissing contest. Get over it.." She was going to go on when the door rang open, nearly off its hindges to reveal a very flushed, out of breath Kyle.

"LIZ?" Was his first word out as he saw her, a smile forming in amoungst confusion, quickly snapping himself round to look at Michael, there was no time to catch up let alone question. He was still trying to catch his breath, losing all the while. Michael was away from them, already towards the door.

"What's wrong with Max Kyle?" Michael knew instantly, that was the only crisis that they were dealing with right now.

"He's freaking... out again..... its really bad this time Michael.....He's never been like this...." He was bending over himself to see if that helped, it didn't. Michael put a hand on his back.

"Where is he?"

"He's at the quarry....Isabel's with him....but he's not...not even letting her near him.....we gotta go NOW!"
The boys were at the door, Maria watching Liz as she then followed. Michael stopped to look back.

"Liz?"
She was already running as he spoke, Josh was slowly walking behind her when Michael stretched out his arm to him.
"YOU! STAY!" Josh kept coming then having to stop as Michael blocked his path.
"Didn't you hear me, are you deaf as well as stupid?"
He leaned in. "I'll say it just one..more..time..slowly so you'll get it...s t a y h e r e or..." Josh cut him off.

"Or what? Your gonna hurt me? Ohhhh I'm really scared" He laughed in his face. "I'm coming. End of story now MOVE before you live to regret it"
The others stopped, looking nervously at Michael, who was now smirking. Liz went to say something but he held his hand up to her, she stopped. Michael leaned into Josh so he could hear him better, he was only going to say this once.

"You know nothing about that your messing with here, boy. Now STAY AWAY, your not welcome here before you DON'T live to regret it. End of fact!"
And with that they were all gone, Liz not speaking or looking once at Josh the whole time.


~Part 3~

"W H A T?" He snapped as he caught her glaring at him again, as she drove.

"So just WHEN were you gonna tell me?"

"Tell you what?"

"Well.... let me see, where to start hmmmm either at 'you knew where she was all the time' you heartless bastard or my personal favorite 'who the hell is this Josh guy' who I don't trust as far as I could spit already.when they had gotten married or had kids?When Michael? and why the hell were you about to kick off at him like you knew him or sumin'....." Her eyes now were wide.
"You've been to see Liz haven't you....jesus you sonofabitch, that's how came you know him, right?!"
He wasn't looking at her now, sure sign she was right.
"TELL ME!"
He snapped his head round to face her.

"..as I said.. tell you what exactly?"

"Ohhhh your in sooooo much shit with me already Guerin, you would not believe just how much I wanna bust your ass wide open right now, so DON'T even go there!"
She exhaled hard, shaking ever-so slightly. He wasn't still answering, he knew she hated to be ignored, which wound her up even more.
"H E L L O.. how could you not tell us where Liz was...after everything that has happened...after everything we've been through...and Max..god Michael how could you let him go through all that shit about his son connecting with him, needing his help because his mother was hurting him, telling him the way home...then..."
He was looking at her then, eyes wide.

"Shut up Maria."
He barked both asking her and pleading her at the same time. Too late.

"What about Max?.. what about going home?...WHAT?" Liz making herself known for the first time from the backseat, head now in between their seats. Her voice sounding in total panic, eyes worse looking back and forth between them both.
Maria only had eyes for him, totally ignoring the road and bend ahead till Kyle gently reminded her.

"Bend coming, in car right now Maria, time to be looking ahead....about now would be good."
He was amazed that the car stayed upright.

"SHIT." She then looked straight back at Michael.
"She doesn't know does she Michael?...god this is bad...this is really bad. How could you get her here and not tell her?" Maria shook her head, hitting the steering wheel alittle harder this time.
"God you've done some pretty dumbass things in the past but this takes..."

"What about Max?" She was almost begging, clawing at the seats.
"TELL ME!"
Michael turned to her then, seeing how tightly she now held onto the pentant, knuckles now white eyes shining over fast. Swallowing down hard he then spoke.

"Look Liz...Max hasn't been..."

"OHHHH SHIT!" Both Maria and Kyle uttering at the same time.
"Explaination not needed here Michael, me thinks she'll beable to see for herself just now Max has been!"

"What you tripping on now girl....OH SHIT!"
Michael was already opening the door to get to him, with the car still moving. Liz heard the bolts hit even before she turned her head and saw them hit. She caught her next breath before it left her at what her eyes where now giving her. The car emptied as soon as it stopped yet she was still in it, not moving. Her body wouldn't let her function properly, only giving her breath when her lungs were fit to burst. It was then that she heard him cry out and then her legs were also carrying her so fast over to where there all the choas was radiating from, from where the bolts of green shot out and across the gap, hitting the far walls. Only to stop short behind the wall of bodies that were Michael, Maria and Kyle, her body giving up on her again. She then heard Isabel's voice from front of them, sounding so tired and scared.

"Max listen to me...this isn't helping, Can't you see that?" Isabel was still trying to get a hold of him, only to fail as he smacked her hand away. She was at a loss, the last hour finally taking its toll on her, as Max cried out some unearthly sound again then sending out another bolt. Her was now shaking so hard, reaching out for him again.
"Max please...would you just stop...please!"
Her head as now in her hands as Kyle finally drew her into her arms. She was now crying hard, hitting fists on his back. He only squeezed her tighter. She then opened her eyes, pulling back to what she saw. With Kyle having moved there was a space that Liz now filled. Isabel had to doubled take, pulling right away, mouth and eyes stuck wide open. The two species held each others gaze, in a stand off position as Isabel finally moved towards her.

"What's SHE doing here?" Her eyes behring down hard on Liz as she got even closer.
"She doesn't belong here, she doesn't wanna be here..she's made that perfectly clear." She was now towering above Liz's smaller frame, eyes of fire.
"and she's no longer welcome here....." She was interupted by Max's wail behind her that told them otherwise.

"LLLLIIIIZZZZ!!"

Liz's wide, tear filled eyes were now peering over Isabel's shoulder, unconciously standing on tip-toe to see more.
She could now see the back of his head and down to his broad (now voilently shaking shoulders), her heart soared, feeling alive for the first time in a long time. She had to see more. Michael then spoke.

"You were saying?" Was all that needed to be said.

Liz took one last glance at Isabel as she then slowly side stepped her, able to see the whole of the back of Max for the first time. She felt dizzy, unable to breathe as her legs whobbled beneath her, still taking baby steps, so near yet still too far. Her heart was now threatening to explode right out of her chest, finding it near on impossible to breathe now. Her world was beginning to tilt not knowing what to do next, still taking baby steps one after the other after the other. That being the only thing she knew to do-the only thing she wanted to do. Be near him! She would then jump to a holt when he would move suddenly or when he shot out the next cry or bolt, only to have her body continue to make her take baby steps. Closer and closer, till she could almost reach out and touch him. She so wanted to say something, desperately needing to say anything at that point. But nothing was coming as she reached out a shaky hand to touch at his shoulder, almost finding home before he fell hard to the ground while calling out to her again. She now stood over him, helpless to his needs as he began to rock back and forth on the dirt, his legs now tucked up tight under his chin. His arms now wrapped tightly around them, head nestled into them. She was shaking so hard, feeling that she would blackout at any moment. She saw his shoulders shake harder as she heard him begin to cry, her tears now joining his. Her hand reached out again, as she bent over slightly, for his head. She hesitated for only a second before she leant in further, her hand now lightly resting on his crown. He seemed to stop moving instantly.

"..liz?"

He spoke so quietly that only she could hear then leaning into her hand slightly, not looking up. That's when her legs gave way and she fell to her knees beside him, breaking the contact. Max moved on his forearms, beginning to rock again.

"liz?"

He moaned. Her mouth was so dry that she had to try to speak again.

"max." She swallowed down hard.

"I...I'm...I'm...here...Max..."
She stammmered as she was slowly reaching out for his arm, closing her eyes to it when flesh finally touched flesh. It was then that he slowly lifted up his head, as eyes finally coming to rest upon her. What he saw almost knocked the life out of him, she was there! Eyes now wide he pulled up completely, and away from her on his hands and ass, his eye contact with her never breaking. She snapped open her eyes to the sudden space that he'd now left beside her, their eyes meeting for the first time in reality for almost a year: They'd both dreamt of them constantly throughout that time apart. He stopping moving away as he tilted his head slightly to look at her, still shaking uncontrollably yet still not daring to speak. She was the same but she'd now started to move slowly towards him, he shook his head alittle. She then stopped just inches from his leg, sitting back on her heels, their eye contact never breaking once. He was relentlessly searching her eyes, as hers followed his move for move. He slowly got to his knees also, both still shaking unable to breathe at the closeness that they now shared. A single tear now rolled down his cheek as he finally found the word and breath to speak.

"..L..L..Li..z?"
He ever-so slowly let his hand move away from him and towards her. She did the same as she could only find one word to say.

"yes."

They instantly stopped shaking as he found her, crawling up and encircling her hard round the waist. She clawed at his back as he pulled her tighter still, he was squeezing the life out of her as the tears fell. But that was the thing, at that moment they felt more alive than they'd ever been, that they were breathing again...finding that air to breath in each others arms. All their pain suddenly now gone. They were home!
After what seemed like an eternity, they pulled apart, shaking and crying for different reasons as Max put his hands either side of her face, then letting them fist her hair into bunches. She exhaled hard as her face then broke into a smile, eyes shining bright. Her was reaching up to his face as she finally found words.

"Max..I..."

She was stopped by him, now smiling too, both now looking like they had done in the beginning - like nothing had happened between them in the last 4 years. The look saying it all. He was now feverishly touching her, he couldn't not touch her, at her cheeks and mouth as if to stop her from talking. His amber eyes burning so bright as he began leaning in as if to kiss her, closing his eyes to her then. He WAS going to kiss her, they could now feel each others breath on their skin and the heat from their bodies as she also laid her hands down either side of his face. Her moist mouth slightly apart ready to willingly give and recieve his, they had to do this -nothing else mattered but this. Closer, closer still, lips caressingly close, to then brush against each other... almost there when... suddenly pain tore through their bodies flinging them into the blinding flashes as the visions, their lives, then ripped through them both....

Part 4

*Visions then take hold *

"Liz please get down from there...this isn't funny anymore Babe."
His voice shaky as he lurched out for her again as she whobbled from where she now balanced high at the waters edge. She giggled harder as she out stretched her arms, in order to steady herself only to fall down on the ledge again when the vodka bottle that was clutched firmly in one hand unbalanced her. She giggled again as she shook her head.

"I keep telling you...we may study together and this maybe of first...." She stopped spluttering to frown.
"..what ever the hell this is but I'm not your Babe."
She now sat down, heavily, legs dangling free as she took another long swig from the now nearly empty bottle.
"And your right ..this whole thing is far from funny, it's tragic." She spat out as she gritted her teeth at the taste, it no longer burning her throat, she'd drunk that much. She closed her eyes as the cold night air hit her bang on the face, blowing her air into different directions as she world began spinning again.

"Okay Liz whatever you say...." Now taking baby steps towards her.
"but isn't this alittle extreme, if you didn't want to go out with me you could have just said, jumping off a bridge is a fine way to end a date."
He thought he was helping, his hands up high as he took another step towards her. She flinched from him, pushing herself up again way too fast. She felt herself waver and shake as the alcolhol and night air were relentlessly taking its toll on her already broken body. She felt herself rock forward then back then forward again each time flinging herself more off balance, unable to steady herself as she fell down into the ledge, harder this time. He broke into a ran in order to get to her.

"NO DON'T....STAY BACK."
Her arm out stretched to him, palm begging him not to come any closer. She shook her throbbing head from side to side as the tears, that had threatened to all night, finally spilled over. He stopped, now only afew feet away from where she now rocked back and forth, knees tightly pulled up under her chin, amazed that she hadn't fallen off yet, the need to get her down from there the only thought he had.Still hadn't lost his chance that she'd fall as she whobbled again, almost too far this time.

"LIZ."
He cried out, moving towards her, arms before him. She tilted her head of slowly to one side as she then smiled.He looked so much like Max, she'd never noticed till then.

"Don't look so worried Max, I'm fine don't worry about me." Her eyes and lips then breaking into a smile, with a look that he'd never seen before. As if she thought he was someone else, somewhere else.


"I'm Josh Liz, who's Max?" His voice hard, angry at the way that she now looked at him while thinking he was someone else, he unclenched his hands as she then came back to reality

"Of course your not Max you would never break my heart, tearing it from me as you told me that it was all a lie that I meant nothing to you from the beginning..." She was now beginning to tremble as it felt no longer cold, her words becoming all the more strangled but leaning forward to continue.
"then to throw it away, only to stamp it into nothing over and over again..." She said in a voice that didn't sound like hers, still crying, not looking at him.
"...then proving just how little I'd meant to him by writing it all down in a letter..." She laughed out loud.
"A letter for christ sake, after everything I'd given him, given up for him."
She was finding it so hard to breathe as her world began to tilt into black. She shook it off before it could take a hold of her. Josh shook his head to her, not understanding anything, daring to then speak.

"This MAX, is he from home, from Roswell, from the life that you don't speak of that haunts you so?" He saw her eyes peer out from above her arms, what little sparkle they had now well and truly gone. She said and did nothing.
"Tell me Liz, you can talk to me..." He took afew more ohh soo careful baby steps forward, his eyes filled with concern. She swallowed down hard, he looked so much like Max, she noticed that for the first time. It made her chuckle at now stupid this whole thing was.
"..I want to help you. Talk to me." His words now a heart felt plea as he came closer still. She shook her head as she sat blot up right. Her sudden movement made him jump to a halt.

"But that's just it your talking to a dead person?" He frowned as she found the strength to stand.

"I should be dead right now." She smiled at his confusion.
"Today's september 19th right?" He could only nod as she looked down into the murky icy depths of the river below her.
"This is my anniversary Josh, three years ago today I died." She tore herself away from the waves and back to him.
"So I thought I'd celebrate." She flung her arms open, laughing out loud again. " By raising a glass to Max Evans for saving my life that day, wanting to thank him ohh soo much for making this second chance such a crock of shit that I choke on it every day. Waking up wishing that I hadn't, dreaming about a life that I can never have with every single waking moment..." She was now striding up and down the ledge, hands on her head, rubbing furiously at it.

"Liz, I don't understand?"

"Your not supposed, no-one is because it was never meant to be, I was never meant to be, these last 3 years nothing but a lie." She stopped sharply to look back on him.
"So I thought I'd drink to my wonderful life...." She looked down at the waves again, as she then smiled.
"But its down there, I guess I shouldn't waste it." She was peering over the edge, her eyes getting lost in the ripples that now seemed like home to her. She leant alittle more forward as she reached for the pendant that had been gently knocking against her neck all night. All the time. She'd miss that feeling around her neck, that feeling of Max always with her. But he wasn't there, he hadn't been there for along time, now he would never be there. She could no longer see below her, see anything as her sight was blurred by her tears once more. She took another step forward, not many left now. Josh was calling out to her, but she could hear him as all she could hear and see was Max's voice, telling her words of love, seeing his face while they were in the van that time. Her favorite memory of them...of him, the only one that she wanted to take with her. She didn't hear him rush towards, reaching for her as she then heard the voice rip through her..

Next flash hit.....

Max felt it too, only the words were different. He'd been in his room, reading her last journal entry over and over again. Wiping away the tears, shaking out of control as this time he was going to make the call, booking the flight that would take him home. Take him to her. Take him to Liz. He never made the call as he heard his son cry out to him pleading with him to make them stop, that it hurt so bad. They were hurting him so much as his mother watched, her hurting him the most. Begging his father to come for him, trying to tell him how to but then he was gone....Max hitting the floor as his son was torn away from him.

Then the next.....

She'd heard the little boy's voice, call out to her, pleading for her to go to his father. He needed her so much, he'd been in so much pain without her. He needed her to be with him to beable to save him. She was his balance, she.....then the voice was gone, Max's son was gone. She felt Josh grab her hard as she almost fell over the edge as she then pulled herself away from the waters edge, fully awake now, not going to do this tonight. She was not going to do that again period! Then the visions were blurred, muddled as there was her pain and raised voices, as if she and Josh were now fighting. She then fell over and into the icy darkness below, after Josh had pushed her over the edge that is, into the water below....

*Flashes end*
-------------------------------------------------------

"MICHAEL!"

Maria shouted out to him as he hit the ground hard with the force of the shield's pulse as it threw him back and away.
"SHIT somebody do something!"

She was frantic as the haze that had gulfed Max and Liz glowed all the more. Their eyes were tightly shut as they clung into each other, not moving. Isabel then rushed forward as they flung themselves apart, the glowing shield now gone. Their eyes opened almost at once that the loss of contact with each other, breathing so painful that both thought they were dying. The need for each other now painful. Max srambled to his feet, finding the energy from somewhere to scoop her upto meet him, able to form some sort of exsistance first as the pain instantly stopped, followed by everything else inside of them calming down in an instant.

"Liz?"

He eyes relentlessly searching hers, hers matching his every move as he clawed at her arms. She put a finger to his lips as if to stop him from saying anymore.

"Hold me Max...please?"
She knew she had no right to ask but it felt like it was most natural thing to say, the only thing to say. She was suddenly scared but she need not have been as
he was way ahead of her, already there, pulling her in tighter still. She'd asked him to hold her, even after he'd been so cruel to her before.His head was spunning so fast but not in pain like before but because she was there. Then he dared to do something that he'd only dreamed about this past year, when he was able to sleep that was as he gently lay a kiss on the crown of her head. She didn't pull away only squeezing him harder. It didn't break till Isabel spoke.

"What was that Max?" She said breathlessly, voice now full of confusion.

"We can still have flashes?...after everything that has happened between us."
She sounded so amazed by this but she was also strangely affaid. She got even more so when he was still only looking at Liz, pulling her away from him as he placed his hands either side of her face and into her hair.

"Are you okay?" She nodded as he smiled. Then she came back with a bump as she remembered what she saw, what they both saw. Eyes wider when she remembered Josh but he was on longer important now, if indeed he ever was.

"Max...I didn't want you to know any of that...I.."
She stammered, letting her head fall, unable to look at him now he knew. Still she let her hands gently travel up and down his arms, affaid he'd disappear if the contact broke, as they let the warm from each other get in and spread through their bodies, but her eyes were now tightly shut.

"Look at me Liz"
His heartfelt plea making her do exactly what he asked her to as ohh so slowly,now starting to whimper alittle as her eyes met his. She saw him shake his head lightly, his eyes and face smiling all the more as she began to feel the tears forming.

"Shhhh Liz.Your here..you came back. That's all that matters now"
His thumbs now rubbing across her cheeks as her eyes, now open, drew him in all the more. He pulled her into him, resting his face beside hers, closing his eyes as he felt her breath hit his cheek. She went to speak, needing to tell him...warn him but he stopped her again.

"We need to talk.But not here."
He whispered, his breath doing things to her also. She could only nod as Isabel spoken again.

"There there all better now." All eyes snapped onto her as she began to kick off.

"Not now Isabel."
Was Max's reply, as he still only looked at Liz. He turned, taking Liz's hand in his and squeezing once there as they began to walk away from them.

"Are you even listening to me Max?"
She stormed after them, the others following behind. She reached out to pull him back, never getting there as he moved away and down fast, catching Liz in his strong already there arms before she hit the ground....

Part 5

"PLEASE CAN SOMEBODY HELP HER...PLEASE...?"

Maria's mouth the first to move as she and Michael burst into through the emergency room doors first then stopping to hold them wide open as Max rushed in with Liz curled high up in his arms, head tucked in low to his chest with her limbs lifelessly dangling down around them. Kyle was close behind as Isabel just wandered in last, seemingly unmoved by all the choas that was unfolding around them.
A nurse buzzed for another doctor as more were already milling around them.

"What's her name?"
One asked Max again but he said nothing, not even noticing that he was being spoken to, as the doctor reached out for her. Max snapped his eyes up as he pulled them away, holding onto her harder, his eyes wide and raw from crying.


"We NEED to check her out...now what's her name?" He asked again, the urgentency in his voice at her situation there for all to hear.
Still nothing. He now was starting to pull alittle on Liz for Max to let her go, stopping when he saw the look he was now getting from Max, knowing he was going to lose this one.

"liz..Elizabeth Parker...s.s...she's gonna be okay right?" Maria was now spluttering beside them, Max looking back at her, more and more like he needed to be admitted as well.

"I don't know till you tell me what happened here?" He now was pushing Max to where they needed to go.
"This way....put her down over here." He motioned to the bed closest. Max gently lowered her onto it, cupping at her neck last, as he rested her head down on the pillow;his eyes never leaving hers, his hands still on her.
A nurse pushing him away with her back as she squeezed in between them both. Her friends had all fanned out close around them, Isabel stood back still as
Liz was now being surrounded by noisy equippment and bodies as Max was pushed further back away from her. He was trembling harder now there was space between them, she'd been held tightly in his arms since catching her as she fainted at the quarry, contact never breaking even while scooping her up or the whole car journey (the ride now available at Disney thanx to Maria's driving abilities...not)to the hospital as she sat on his lap. He'd been couldn't help her, being unable to connect with her while she was unconcious. He was taking shaky baby- steps towards her, eyes widening as his head moved from side to side everytime his view of her was blocked by another body walking past, breath shallow heart beating whenever she came back into view. His head throbbed as he heard their muddled account of what happened to her, easy enough. She was fine one minute, collapsing the next, now looking to anyone that she was dead. But the bleeping of the machines told them otherwise. He vaguely heard someone say to contact her family and thatthey couldn't all be in there. He was almost home, taking more steps towards the bed as he felt somebody push hard on his chest, backing him away. He snapped out of it in order to fight the strangers off, his hands pushing theirs away as he now reached out for Liz from beside them, finally speaking.

"NO!"
He was pushing harder, able to take them all on and not break into a sweat.

"Leave me alone....liz....get off me...LIZ..."

His fight back in full swing, his heartfelt plea broken as he reached out further to her. This easily turning very nasty, very quickly if Michael hadn't have butted in to help his friend.

"LEAVE HIM....kyle." Both men now beside Max, pulling him away from the others that were surrounding him.
"Easy Maxwell..." He had a hold of one arm, kyle the other as they steered him towards the door, Max still pulling hard as he peered back over his shoulder at her. Michael grip tighehed.
"You can't help her like this.They can." Max's body calmed, knowing he was right as they crashed through, Max's neck still straining round to look back, vision now blocked as the doors swung closed.

------------------------------------------------------

"So tell me again Michael, explain it better so I can understand because right now I'm having a hard time dealing without wanting to break your face."
Maria spat out as she now began to pace up and down in front of where he was now sitting, arms high above her head. He leant back up, sitting back hard in his seat again as he watched her walk then seeing the look on Kyle and Isabel's face who also wanted to understand.

"Look I'll speak slower so you can all understand kay...." Now cut off by Isabel's harsh tone.

"Don't get smart Michael or I'll bust your face and it will hard if I do it." She was staring him down from where she across from him, next to Max who hadn't looked up or spoken since he'd been plonked down there by Michael and Kyle. He was leaning forward on his thighs, eyes only on what his fingers where still rubbing against which was clasped tightly in his hands. Liz's pendant. It had snapped off in his hand as he caught her from falling, it had been there ever since. He was flipping it over and over round and round in his shaky hands as another tear splashed to the ground, still unable to properly take in what it meant. She'd been wearing what he'd given her so long ago around her neck, that fact alone making his tummy do flip-flops but what was affecting him the most was that she'd even want to after everything that had happened between them....after his letter. His eyes closing tight, wanting to puke at the rememberance of it, nearly suceeding if there had had been anything in there to do it with. He shook all the more as he remembered every word as if he'd written it that day instead of almost a year ago. Two people died that day, it writer and his heart who later opened and read it.


**Liz,

How do you begin, where do you find the words to tell someone that everything that she thought was true had been a lie from the beginning. That what she was feeling was heartfelt and true enough but not for me, I'd only be lying again if I said it was, and I can't lie to you anymore Liz. I wish I could say that I'd loved you at some point in all of this but I can't think of a time that it came even remotely close to that.the truth is my heart always belonged to Ava, and when tess cameit was plain to see. We belonged together...we still do and this is why I'm trying so hard to get home.To get back to our beautiful son, a sign of our undying love for each other there for all to see,but so I can hold her in my arms once more. GodI miss her so much, I miss how she felt under my skin, the smell of her halr, her smile, the way she
looked at me, how she made me feel after each time we made love but I have my dreams for that now and she's in them every night over and over. I curse the day that I let her go, which I blame you for Liz parker. You were able to get close to the humanside of me, close enough to waken it and make me forget of awhile what was
important to me. Tess,only ever Tess and my true side, the alien in me. Making me feel sorry for Alex's death, blaming her when she was only ever protecting us. Giving up and doing everything for Michael, Isabel and me, what have you ever had to give up, nothing. You humans makes me sick for making me feel like you, I would rather die than be anything like you. Everything was fine till you came into my life and I chose stupidly enough to save you that day, following the human in me that day, regretting it ever since. I wish I'd been stronger that day and not gotten up from that chair, in
doing so changing my life into something that was never meant to be. I should have let you die that day and then none of this would have ever happened, your to blame for it all. Alex's death ,why we're all spending every waking moment trying to find a way home and why I don't have my wife and baby with me now. I'm dying without them, can't you see that? You say you want to help me, you've shown me that you want to help me. Having to lie to you, let you kiss me, having you touch me,play at being human, a small price to pay? You would think so but it made me so sick that by the end I couldn't even stand to look at you, be anywhere near you. I'm not coming to see you off Liz, even if it is the happiest day of my life because I don't trust my human side anymore when I'm around you. You don't get to see me like that again Liz, ever, I'd die first. So you'll get this care of Isabel,who was right about you all along. So goodbye Liz Parker enjoy the life I gave you, the life that you were never meant to have. May it bring you all that you deserve.
Max.**



"MAX."
She had hold of his face, trying to hold it still as he cried out again.

"LIZ!"

He pushed Isabel away from him as he threw himself off of the chair, hitting the wall dead ahead as flipped himself over to lean up against it, eyes big shiny from crying breathing like he was fit to burst. Isabel went to go to him but he held out his hand for her to stay put, shaking his head as he began to slide down it. When he came to rest he bunched up his legs so his chin was now on his kness as he let his head fall onto his crossed forearms. They knew he was crying by the way his shoulders were moving up and down. Maria's hand was already at her mouth, eyes welling up as Isabel kicked off again.

"I knew this would happen...god.."
Her hands in her hair as she now looked away form her brother towards everyone elses shocked faces.

"She should have stayed away." She bit out.
"I wish she had."

"Shut up Isabel." Michael spat out just as hard as he got up, looking around them as other body weaved in and out of where they were.
"We don't need this right now..."

"WHY, because precious 'little miss goody-too-shoes' decided it would be a good time to come back and mess
with my little brother again. But hey she can't face upto
anybody right now so she does to take alittle break for awhile..."

"SHUT UP NOW."
He was in her face, he was doing that lot lately and she didn't like it. She kicked off again.

"WHY WHERE'S SHE BEEN ALL THIS TIME MICHAEL?"
Maria and Kyle looked nervously about them as the glares ans stares started, both trying to smile them away. Failing totally as neither fely even remotely like smiling at this particular time.

"Stop talking about something you know nothing about."
he went to turn, knowing he was close to blowing himself when she pulled him back by his arm. he looked between her hand on him and her eyes afew times before she finally let go.

"But you do don't you Michael."
Her voice calmer but still wanting answers all the same.
He looked at her then back at the others, landing lastly on Max who still hadn't looked up yet. He inhaled hard.

"Look Max its the only one who's been having problems kay?" he now walked away from Isabel only to find Maria blocking his path.

"No it's not KAY Michael, you owe us an explaination..."
She stared at him harder, voice almost a whisper.
"...you owe me an explaination Michael. Do know how hard it's been for me not being able to speak to my best freind in the whole world because you don't know where she is...."
She was now looking down at her feet, shifting off and on each one in turn.
"Getting only afew hastly phonecalls in the first few days then nothing but the odd one or two whenever she felt
like phoning. Saying not to come and see her when I
asked if I could. Hearing the crap excuses that she gave
back not to...."
Her voice trailed off.He knew she was starting to cry by the sound of her voice, he reached of her but she smacked his hand away. She looked up, he was right.

"Maria..."

"No Michael you saw me, you held me then I cried for her to just phone me again because I missed her so much and when she didn't wondering what it was I'd done wrong."
She was crying harder now, her emotions on and off like a lightswitch this past year finally realizing how much she needed Liz around, wishing she had have made her not go that day then none of this would have happened.
She couldn't see Michael coming towards her until she felt his arms embracing her. She fought him off.

"NO MICHAEL I WANNA KNOW....TELL ME!!!" Her face full of tears and rage.
A Nurse came upto them, finally having enough of this.

"May I remind you that this IS a hospital and there are sick people heard who don't need to hear this so either keep it down or leave."
Nothing from any of them, she looked at them harder.
"Understand or I'll call security."
She didn't know just how brave she was being by just going upto him at that point, half of them were angry aliens after all and don't even start on hurricane Maria, who just turned away from her. Kyle was the only one left as he then spoke.

"Sorry I'll make sure that they do kay?"
He finished with it will a smile. The nurse, must have seen something in that that she liked because her face softened just alittle.
She was a small, well-rounded, red faced, thick rimmed glassed elderly woman that would put the fear of god into god, Kyle swallowed down hard as he shook alittle for her response.

"See that you do." And she gave them all one last look before she walked off, Kyle swearing that he'd seen her smile. Michael finally spoke then it was only them again.

"Liz is no longer at the research centre..." He mumbled out, Maria wiping at her tear stained cheeks went to open her mouth.
"Do you want to hear this or not Babe?" She mouth shut as she nodded.

"She hasn't been for along time."

"How do you know?" Isabel was ohh soo much calmer also, even stepping in closer to him.

"Because I went to see her, after she called me at the crashdown one day."
He looked straight at Maria, knowing already how shocked her face would be.

"She called you..when...why...?" She was lost.

"Afew months after she left. She checked in every so often to see how Max was. She didn't stay on the phone long and it always sounded like it was like she had to ask not like she wanted to."
His voice behrly a whisper as he slowly walked away from them, turning back to continue on.
"I could hear that something was up right from the very first one but she near said anything was wrong till....."
He looking at his feet now, hands deep in his pockets.
"...this particular day she didn't ask about Max, which I thought was strange she just said could we meet somewhere?"

"YOU WENT TO FLORIDA?" Maria's voice full of utter shock.

"No...." He heard her exhale hard.
"...not on that occassion I didn't." His eyes stealing a look as he spoke.

"WHAT!"
All spat out in unison as he looked back at all their open mouths. Herubbed at his temples as he spoke again.

"She said she was coming out this way so...."

"SHE WAS HERE?"
Maria thought she would blackout there and then, so needing the oil that she knew she didn't have.

"No, but close enough."

"Why didn't you tell us?" Isabel looked at Max who sat bunched uo in exactly the same position as before.
"Why didn't you tell Max...you saw how he got after she left Mixchael. You've done some pretty heartless and stupid things in your time but this..." She could n't find the words.

"She asked me not to what was I supposed to do?"

"Lie, that's what your good at isn't it Michael!!"
Maria spat out at him as she paced up and down harder and longer. He spun round to her, anger in his eyes.

"THIS HAS BEEN HARD FOR ME TOO YOU KNOW."
Finally he was kicking off.

"Ohhh yeah. So hard for you. I bet you loved every minute of it, watching us all suffer and worry when you knew all along what was going on." Maria was in his face, not caring anymore.
"Hope you enjoyed your little game, Michael you sick sonofabitch I just hope it was worth it. That you two enjoyed your little game..."

"SHUT UP MARIA YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THIS!" He turned away from her as she yanked him back round to face her.

"then I ask you again...TELL ME 'cus right now I can't see what possible reason is good enough for what you both did to me...to all of us. God she was my best friend and she....."
He grabbed hold of the shoulders hard and shook her to stop.His next sentence stoped her, it killed her if the truth be known.

"SHE'S DYING OKAY! HAPPY NOW."

He just let her go as he heard Max's ohh so low voice from beside him.

"..s.s..sh..shh.ee..she's.."
He couldn't finish, his body wouldn't let him say the word. Michael saw how wide his eyes were, relentlessly searching his. He'd only cried 4 times in his whole life that night in the rain when he went to see Maria after hank; when they thought they were leaving;when Liz told him and now seeing his best friend beg him with only his eyes to tell him it wasn't true. Michael could only nod, so wanting to say more but what more could be said. Max was taking steps back, shaking his head.

"no..no...that..can't..be..."
He was shaking so hard now, whobbly legs threatening to give way. By the look on Michael's face he knew it was true.

"NO"
His arms were tightly round himself as Isabel went to him, arms reaching out to him, now knowing why. Wishing it was what she'd thought, hating herself and crying all the more. He walked further back as his tears spilled over and down so fast.

"NO.IT'S NOT TRUE....LIZ..."
He cried out as a wail from the other room was heard, even louder than his.


"NO WHERE'S MAX. I WANT MAX. MMMMAAAAXXXX!"

He was through the doors the double doors at the first utter of the word 'no', instantly knowing who it was, eyes resting on Liz's as he saw her fighting with the nurse's to get up and to him


tbc...


*bounce**bounce**bounce**bounce*

[ edited 1 time(s), last at 1-Jan-2002 1:03:13 PM ]
posted on 27-Dec-2001 11:10:41 AM
~Part 6~

he was bunching at her hair, pulling at her neck to make sure she was awake, that she was alright and that this was real. her heavy breathing, warm skin and clawing hands would have told him that but it was her eyes, drawing him in that told him all he needed to know. He finally exhaled, long and hard as he then formed one word.

"Llliiizzz?" pulling her closer still as his hands where now close to her neck, under her ears as his his fingers now played with the silky strands of her hair,her breath hitting him hard in the face, making him feel so dizzy as he heard her instantly calming to his presence. Finally she followed his lead and spoke.

"Max?"

She was pulling at his shirt collar, eyes widening to his closeness as she pulled him in all the more.

"..max..I..have..something..I..NEED..to..tell..you.."

He was now holding her head tightly between his hands, being unable not to run his thumb lightly across the scarabove her left eye that he'd missed so much, pulling at her to stop thrashing about and look at him. When she did he held her eyes, drawing her in all the more.

"..Max.." He took her deeper into him.

"Max"

"I..have..to..know..Liz..let..me..see..please."

He started to tremble as her eyes got bigger, knowing exactly what he meant by what he'd said. She shock her head, trying to pull her head away from him before he could connect with her, now beginning to fight him even though it hurt her to do it, so still from her blackout.

"Stop it Liz..let me in?" His words gentle but no less urgent.

"NO...Max. They'll see." Her eyes begging him to stop while so many people were around. Her hands were now hard on his arms, as they both already feeling that familiar ache begin to throb and spread inside of them, between them which in turn made them both all the more dizzy.
Both were now ware of the people around them, trying to pull him off of her.

"You can't be in here Sir. Somebody call security...now!"
they heard a nurse now yell, still trying to yank him from Liz. He gently nudged her across the room, along with three of her friends, his contact never breaking with Liz's face for a moment.

"I NEED to know if its true please...I can help you if you just let me in..please Liz.."

His voice broken as his grip tightened on her all the more. She shook her head, her voice just as broken as his as she cupped his face.

"But...they'll...see Max."

Lips now onlt inches from his as he moved in. She should have busted his face right about now, or even back at the quarry at least, like she had planned a thousand times in her head already. But she only had to look in those deep, amber eyes once more, instantly forgetting all the pain and suffering taht was still so raw within her, his letter for torturehad left so many scars. She was lost, always lost in his looknomatter what. And she hated herself all the more for feeling that way, then daring herself to believe at that moment that it was only a cruel lie/a joke even. She had to be close to him, nothing else mattered- not even what she'd come here to do, the need too much that it was now becomimg almost painful for her not to. Closer, closer, closer still as Max then whispered something in her ear, his breath doing things to her that she just wasn't ready to deal with right now.The answer to only the question she'd ever ask herself again. The one that had been constantly torturing her everyday for almost a year, to the point that she thought she'd actually die from it.
Was what he'd written the truth?

"I...don't...care!"

His eyes were shining over as his arms violently shook as he ran his thumbs across her cheeks, showing her no signs what so ever that it was. Could it be...she couldn't let herself think that because if it wasn't true than why write it? A bout of insanity, tripping on something totally illegal, mind warp, trying to protect by pushing her away from him the only way that he knew how or was it just how he felt, pure and simple? All this and more had gone through her head a thousand times over but that could wait aliitle longer, what she had to tell him was more important. She caught her next breath before it could leave her as her eyes began to well and spill, now beginning to feel warm and fuzzy inside as the connection between was about to kick start into life.
She then closed her eyes, throwing him alittle off balance as he was cut off dead, groaning as he reached back for her.

"LIZ"

She felt him shake her hard as she squeezed her eyes tighter.

"LOOK AT ME..."

He couldn't help but shake her harder as he now knew what she was doing and he wasn't prepared to let that happen. He went into her again as a voice that they both reckonised could now be heard yelling from behind them.

"MAX! WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING? GET YOUR HANDS OFF OF MY DAUGTHER."

Jeff was now pulling at his forearms as he was finally able to yank Max off and away from her. She snapped open her eyes 'cus she now knew it was safe enough to do so.

"Dad!...leave him alone."
Aware what was now happening
around her, missing Max's closeness all the more. She was off the bed, almost clawing at her father to let him go. Max stopped fighting once he saw how it was affecting Liz, not wanting to be the one to cause her any more pain , he'd already used up a lifetime's quoter on that very subject.
Jeff was just so happy see his bady girl as he instantly let go Max, pulled her into a behr hug.
The nurses had now fanned away, no longer needing here' other people to save. Jeff was clawing at his daugther's back as he pulled her away, cupping her face, his tears now evident on his face.

"Liz.." Was all he could manage at that time as he was shaking her all the more as his mood changed into something more.

"Where have you been all this time Liz? And why haven't you called us in all that time?"

He shook her alittle more, she let out a wince as Max took a step forward, stopping when he saw that she was shaking her head not to come any closer. He didn't but was still close enough just in case.

"Your mom's been going out of her mind..."
He stopped himself as his eyes now widened to the phonecall from the hospital earlier that day.

"The doctor said that you were sick. What's wrong?"

She said nothing, looking back at Max from over her daddy's shoulder as he was looking right back at her with those puppy dog eyes that used to make her like mush with just one look, they still did as her legs whobbled having to hold into her father alittle tighter in order to steady herself.

"TELL ME!"
His voice now raised only because he was scared. She was now looking back up at him, unsure of just what to tell him, still feeling very hot and light-headed as her world began to tilt once more.

"Not here kay but I'm fine now. Don't worry."
She pushed herself away as as the doctor from before came upto them.

"Miss Parker, up I see? How are you feeling now? You had everyone worried there for a minute but.."

"Can I go now?"
She spoke quickly in order to stop him from going on any further, hoping no-one would pick up on it, knowing Max did.

"Well I would suggest that you stay alittle while longer, if only to rest." He was looking at her father all the while. She saw and she wasn't having any of it.

"I feel fine. So I can go now right?"
She was now stepping away from the both of them as the young doctor gave her a gentle smile and nodded.

"But any further episodes like this then its in your best interest to come back...okay!" His smile had gone, voice stern. She nodded, giving him alittle smile back as she went to go to Max, as her father pulled her in the opposite direction towards the door.

"Hey!"
She was already wiggling to get away from him as Max was beside them in seconds.

"Your coming HOME with me Liz. Your mom's waiting...so's this Josh!"
He spat out as she stopped dead in all the choas she'd completely forgotten about him. She chose to pretent not to have heard him as she pulled harder this time.

"NO...I'm GOING with Max."
She bit out, pulling one last time as he then let her go, not wanting to hurt her. She was now only looking at Max, who's eyes were wide, he'd heard about josh too...SHIT was the logical thing to say now which she repeated over and over in her head.

"Max and I NEED to talk."
She was then trying to fight to put on her coat and she was losing it as she felt a strong arm helping her. She didn't need to look up to know it was Max. His hand lightly brushed up against her behr arm, as he did so, both feeling the spark kick in again, enough to make them gasp alittle but saying nothing as she looked back at her father.
"We'll talk soon..I promise." She was now reaching out for him, her hand now on his arm as he then lay his on top of hers.

"Okay Liz, just come home...we've missed you." He squeezed alittle tighter.

"I've missed you both too, so much." She felt a lump in the throat as she swallowed it back down hard. sdhe let her hand drop, smiling one last time as she walked through the door that was being held open by Max. The two men just looked at each other, no words needed as Max just nodded to let him know that he'd take care of his only child with his own life if need be. Jeff nodded back as max was gone too, in to the choas that he could now hear.

"What's this twat tripping on Michael? Don't tell me there's more...I don't think I can handle anym..."
Trailing off as she saw Liz standing in front of her. Maria couldn't move, for a woman of so many words she now couldn't even find one when she needed to the most.
She still wanted the oil that she knew was at home, hell a large bottle of Vodka without a glass more welcome to her at this particular time. Liz was drowning on land just as badly as she was, as she finally began to form words when Josh interupted her.

"Babe..." He was at her side, instantly cupping her cheeks. She pulled away faster, not liking to be this close and now beginning to remember why. She took another step back, still not likng the way that he was looking at her, how it made her skin prick and crawl.
She didn't realize it but she was right up against Max who stood behind her. They hands found each other as hers reached back behind her to find his, neither looking to see, only allowing their fingers to interwine while still only looking at Josh.
Max instantly tensed up, she could feel him as she squeezed his hand harder everyone else still none the wiser. Max's eyes burned in further was Josh stepped in closer to Liz as she in turn pushed herself harder into Max's strong chest.

"Don't tell me...this must be Max right?" His voice one which Max didn't like also, not knowing this guy from Adam but so wanting to punch his face in (to blast him into a million little pieces would be too noisy for such a place and far too quick and easy)for what he could see he was doing to Liz, hell for even looking in her direction!!
She felt like she was gonna faint as she went to side step him, head low as she pulled Max in so close behind her but Josh now blocked her exit with his body in her face. Max certainly didn't like that as he pulled Liz to a stop, now in front of her, now putting a firm hand on Josh's chest.

"And you must be Josh...."
His voice and manner now showing the king that he was , that he would again. Liz swore under her breath, he had heard. SHIT!! Damn those wonderfully cute,

"A nobody who's now leaving!"
Michael spat out as he was now at Max and Liz's side, arms tightly folded across his chest as he continued to stare in down hard. Josh just smiled as he moved in closer, Liz took another step back, her two alien protectors taking on forward.

"Haven't we been here before Michael...she chose me then remember?.. like she WILL again!"
He went to reach round Max in order to get to Liz as he only met with Max's hand as he smacked it down hard ont o his forearm, stopping him dead, not so gently squeezing the living crap out of it.

"I don't and she stays with me. Now ...MOVE!"
Josh wasn't about to back down, not for him, not for her, not for anybody but there was too many people around and there would be another time. He turned his body away for them to get past, speaking to her as they past by.

"I be seeing you Babe!" His vioce making her shiver as she squeezed at Max's hand harder, now finding the strength finally, that she'd been lacking so much as she felt Max crush hers back.

"I doubt that Josh. It was a mistake you coming here. It was a mistake fullstop, all of it. Please leave me alone."
Her voice harsh, eyes harder as max pushed past him, bumping him hard when there was plenty of room for they to all get about without having to touch. He said nothing, just watchingthen leave hand in hand as the others followed, all except Michael that was. He now had Josh hard up against the wall, hand at his throatas he began to squeeze.

"Like I told you before, don't mess with any of us, especially Liz. Leave her alone or you and I will be having that little chat that I spoke of the last time we met.."

"..when I saved her ass from drowning you mean." He spat out, literately.

"You and I both know that wasn't how it went, much like that girl I saw you shagging in Liz's bed while she was in the hospital. Call yourself her friend, although we all know what your sick little mind thinks about that, when all you ever did for her as introduce her to the bottle and put her into hospital!"

"She went willingly.... she did alot of things willingly. Some of which you wouldn't belie..."
He was cut off as Michael crushed even harder on his windpipe. Josh was now finding it hard to breathe as he began to claw at michael's hand all the more. Michael loked round as he saw that they had an audience, he had to cool it fast before he lost it completely, bad idea!

"I'll say this one more time leave or else it will be me dishing out the punches, not you and you don't wanna feel my punches. Now leave her the fuck alone."

He pushed Josh away from the wall, still by the throat, then ramming him back up against it harder than before.
He crushed once more for luck as he let him drop then he was gone too as Josh saw Jeff coming out from where Liz had been. He was speaking to a doctor which gave josh time to shake it off before Jeff found him.

"Josh!" He would have to get used to that name, seeing as though he was marrying his babygirl.

"Hi Mr.Parker."

"Call me Jeff." He was now smilng at him, not alot but a smile none the less. Josh smiled back.

"Jeff...would you know where I can find a descent room for the night?"
They were now at the carpark entrance as Jeff spoke again.

"Hell why would you wanna do that when there's room at 'the crash', your more than welcome to stay and Liz will be home soon."
The magic words as he saw them all huddled over in the the far corner, and it looked like they all fighting, things far from cosy. Josh smirked.

"Well...if your sure?"
They were now both in Jeff's old banger which was friendly known as 'deathtrap2'...the first one being how Liz got her the scar above her eye.

"Why wouldn't it be, you are almost family after all and you have been looking atfer Liz for us, its the least we can do."

Thecar banged into starting as Josh saw Liz leaving with Max, the sight making him fist his hands into little balls, knowing that this was far from over.

"And then you can tell us what's wrong with Lizzie 'cus she's not saying."
He said as the car rolled away, not seeing the look of utter confusion held in Josh's face at his last sentence.

-------------------------------------------------------

They hadn't spoken all the while in the car as Max drove her home, to his house. he knew his parents were both away for afew days and the others now knew to keep away for awhile. Maria and Isabel were troublesome but he'd hightailed it out of their before it really could get heated. They didn't even speak once inside his room as he now shut the door behind them. For the first time in like...forever they were completely alone.

She stood in the middle of the room, her back to him as he leant his forehead on the door, closing his eyes tight as he exhaled hard. He'd only just noticed the smell of strawbehrry and vanilla that told him for sure that she was near , that Liz was back home. He didn't realize how much he'd missed it till then as it made his head spin and his heart race. Funny that because for the first time in along time he felt like he was breathing again, it made him feel like he was breathing again, she made him feel like he was breathing again. After a year of not exsisting he felt like he was beginning to come back to life again, with every moment he spent with her the feeling was only getting stronger, deeper. It felt like it was in the beginning, before everything, when it was just Max and Liz, and how the babysteps to each other started. The awkwardness, the shyness, the stolen glances and one word conversations...it was like they were starting all over again. The feeling was making him so dizzy wondering what she was thinking about? Did she feel the same? Praying she did, knowing she didn't after he remembered that letter again. He pushed himself harder up against the door, his head spinning out of control as he felt like he was gonna puke again. If he'd known that she was thinking EXACTLY the same as him, he'd have lost it there and then. His emotions were all tearing through him at once so he 'd missed her calling to him the first time. Hearing nothing it was then that she finally turned round to meet him, stopping dead to what she saw. He was leaning up hard against the door, so hard as if to stop himself from falling, head back, eyes tightly shut, chest heaving as much as hers. She let out a gentle moan, wanting to just watch him like that all day, landing with a bump when she remembered again.
So swallowing down hard she willed all these ole too familiar feelings away as she steadied herself as she called out to him again This time he heard her as his head snapped up to meet hers as he pushed himself off the door, eyes wide for he had something to say too.
"LIZ.."

His hands inhis hair as he suddenly felt very nervous, nothaving felt that way since he was 'shy Max' unable to lok at her without blushing let alone talk to her, it was so long ago but he was now back there is if it was only yesturday. he had to fight to get the words to come.
"Liz..about..the..letter..I.." he was taking more small steps as she then spoke, voice just as shaky.

"NO Max stop, I've got something more important to tell you..."

"Don't say that! Nothings more important to me than that letter..than explaining to you.." His whole manner now changing, he was angry at her for saying that as he was now rushing to meet her. He stopped when he saw the look on her face.

"Liz.What's wrong?" he was suddenly affaid. Already she was making him feel so many different emotions in such a small amount of time, and he fed off it all the more as they continued to change. He was almost home, onlt afew steps away from heaven, from her when she spoke again.

"..I don't know how to say this..... so I'll just come right out and say it."

"Liz?" He was really affaid now as both their hearts were almost pumping right out of their heaving chests as their eyes locked harder, their bodies reacting to each others instantly as the heat grew between them, now almost too painful.

"..I..I.came back because I have a message...I remember now. A message from your son Max." She stepped in alittle closer, knowing that he'd need help soon, as he just froze. She felt herself begin to blackout again, willing herself to hold on just alittle while longer.

"He's not where you think he is Max..he's here on earth. they both are and he's in so much pain."
Her eyes shining over.

"W..w.wwhat..I don't understand..Liz?" He stammered as his world began tiiting, suddenly feeling so sick (funny 'cus he never got sick but this past year...) as he shock all the more. She was now about to reach him as he took a step back, away from her.

"h..h.o.ww..?" Still at a loss.

"HE Speaks to me Max...."
She walked towards him as he continued to walk away from her, hitting he table behind, knocking it sidewards as he was finding it more and more difficult to breathe. He was wanting to understand, needing to understand but this was all too much, too soon. She took see he's confusion but she had to go on.

"... in my dreams mostly, don't ask me why or how but he has been for awhile now. When I got michael's letter in the hospital I wasn't going to come..."
Max looked up, back from wherever he'd been as he registered what she'd said.

"Hospital?" His body shuddered as he uttered the word. He was coming back as he strode back to where she stood.
"What Hospital?"
His voice firm, his flaring eyes making her nervous. She cursed herself for letting that slip as she quickly hurried back to why she was there.

"But your son...Caleb spoke to me and toldme that I had to come, that you needed me..."

"WHAT HOSPITAL LIZ ?TELL ME!" Now knowing that it hadn't worked.

"Didn't you hear me Max?...your son's here on eart..." He interupted her again.

"I DON'T CARE ABOUT HIM. TELL ME WHY YOU WERE IN A HOSPITAL LIZ." He now had her by the arms as she spoke again, almost coming apart in his arms.

"But he's the most important thing in your life Max...they both are, aren't they? 'cus that's what your letter sai...."
He shook her so hard, squeezing her arms till they went numb.

"I LIED LIZ!" he shook her again.

"THAT WHOLE LETTER WAS ALIE. I COULD NEVER DO OR FEEL ANY OF THAT!..."
Harder still, as she winced in pain.

"....NOT WITHOUT YOU...ALWAYS YOU LIZ.."

His eyes were spilling with tears about to carry on when it was his turn to suddenly fall to the ground, holding his head at his ears as he squeezed his eyes tightly shut. She was there to catch him (so to speak) as he'd been for her but this time he hadn't blacked out as she fell to her knees beside him.

"MAX?"
She screamed as he cried out again in pain, clutching all the move at his head as they hit him again and again, over and over, deeper and longer, harder and faster till they flung him onto all fours, breath then following.

She was reaching to get to him as he crawled up into her lap, curling himself in tight around her waist. They pulled themselves round each other tighter still as it wanting, needing to crawl right inside eachother's burning bodies in order to hide away as she began to rock them back and forth hard.

"Max what is it?...What did he show you?"
She was now pulling him away, her hands under his chin, making him look at her. But he was already there, his eyes showing her nothing but pain and rage as then he tried to say something. His mouth was open, willing them to come as he shook his head when they wouldn't. her hands were at his face, her body now as out of control as his as they were now both up on their knees, pushing hard up against each other as they clawed at each other bodies all the more.

"It's okay Max. Tell me...PLEASE..I can help...he wants me to help....he says I'm the only one who can...."
But she felt him him at her, pulling her closer into him, his eyes now burning with something else, not talking as his hand was now hel tight behind her head, as if to hold it there. His lips finding and brusing hers as her tongue was now going into mate with his...when his door was flung open and Isabel came waltzing in, eyes of fire.



~Part 7~

They could hear her but that just made them pull all the more closer together, clawing all the more at each other, not wanting to part for fear of never being able to find each other again. All the while that they drank deeper on each other the reasons not to be doing this far out weighted the reasons for it but it had been so long and it felt so good that it was the most natural thing to do...the only thing to do!
But neither she or the voice of reason were responsable for them finally tearing breathlessly apart, that was left to their lungs that were now fit to burst, that finally betrayed them.


"I KNEW...I JUST KNEW THIS WOULD HAPPEN GOD....."


She was now in his room, pacing up and round as her hands were at her hair. But neither Max or Liz were listening or even looking at her, their eyes only on each others..their ears only hearing their short gasps for breath.
Liz began to feel ohh soo dizzy as she wavered on her knees as she got that familiar pain from deep inside of her tummy, wishing she'd got her pills here, knowing that they were in her overnight bag which was now at 'the crash'.
She saw her hands begin to tremble as she felt max take hold of them tightly as they felt the visions begin again now not stronger enough to be able to make any sense of only colours, sounds and emotions beginning to ripple through them. This was like nothing that they had ever experienced before and it was just starting to get alittle scary, the unknown not being a very nice place to be. They'd found that out this past year apart. They then subsided into nothing so that what they thought they were...nothing!
They were still kneeling on the floor, so close as Max's shaky hand was now reaching for Liz's face, her seeing and then about to lean into it. Almost there, the need not to be too great from the emptiness that now was comsuming them whole as the moment was then shattered, for now if not forever, when they heard Michael come blasting through the door shouting the odds at her.


"DIDN'T YOU HEAR ME SAY TO LEAVE THEM ALONE ISABEL?"
He was so up and in her face, voice hard as his eyes were harder. She snapped round to him as she spat back at him, kicking off almost for the last time that night.


"YES, chose to ignore it."
She was now looking only at him as she slowly now walked towards him.
"Awwww have I hurt little Mickey G's feelings when he is trying so hard at playing fearless leader while my f**ked up little brother is mooning over some human...."


"That's enough Isabel."
Max, upon her words finally reaching him, as he came back down from where Liz had taken him with abump was now up and at her side.
She was now staring him down, she scared alot of people alot of the time, Max was no longer one of them as he eye balled her back.He was trembling but not because of the situation that he was now in, it was something else but he didn't know what it was. And it was growing. Seeing that look again, she couldn't help but smirk.


"Look at yourself Max she's only been back 5 minutes and she's already got up wrapped up round her little finger again and you let her. God now stupid are you Maxwell?"
She never called him that, this was gonna be bad..real bad as he was now only inches from her face.


"I said enough Isabel..now DO IT!"
She was laughing at him now as both Kyle and Maria walked in, 'the roswell family' now complete.
Liz was now up, already feeling the strain from everything beginning to hit her like a sledgehammer to the forehead as she was making her way to the door, needing to get out upon knowing this was all her fault. She was beginning to feel so strange, still having to get out of there.


"LIZ.STOP!"
Max, who'd been watching her, saw where she was headed not wanting her to go, needing her to stay. She stopped, not looking at him when Isabel spat out again.


"No Liz, don't stop, walk through that door and just keep on walking.."
She was now beside her, seeing Liz shake alittle more, leaning in alittle more.
"..'cus that's all that your good for isn't it, running away, not coming back till either it suits you or you want someting...."
Liz shifted from onefoot to the either, unware she was edging further and further away from Isabel as she in turn walked in closer to her.


"So which is it? Missing making our lives hell or bordhem?"
Max was now pulling at her arm, as she fought back.
"Let go of me Max. Can't you see that I'm right here?Can't you....."


"NO CAN'T YOU SEE.." His grip on her tightening as he roared.
"...that this year has been unbehrable for me, without her here, I've been dying..."
He now looked upon were she stood, relentlessly searching for the eyes that she now wouldn't give her, still finding it hard to breathe at the sight of her actually being home. Feeling just what effect that was having on him on both the inside and the outside of his body, praying that no-one else could see as he shifted in order to easy it.
"...I was dead."
Liz's eyes now wide to him as he continued on.
"You saw how I was Isabel, broken and damaged...."
He now looked back at her, to see her face still full of rage.
"..but look at me now, do I LOOK broken and damaged to you Is?"
His voice calming as she still said or did nothing as he shook his head to her.
"Liz being back has done this to me, don't ask me to explain it because I can't but I now know that I would rather be with her then be without her..."

He didn't know why he was saying any of this while everybody was there but he thought if he'd stop now then he wouldn't be able to find the words again as he found her again and this time he'd found her eyes as they were now drawing him in all the more.
He was swallowing down harder as he went on.
"..the letter I wrote her being the single most f**ked up moment of madness of my life as an alienking on earth trapped inside of the body of a human boy..."

"Max.."
Liz finally finding the words to talk, using them as she was now using her feet to walk towards him.
"..don't its okay..I...I.."

"NO Liz its not okay god!"
His hands were tight in his hair as he turned away from her. He could now see the audience that they now had but now was not the time to back dowm, he knew he had some serious grovelling to do and the explaination was only the beginning.
"I wish I could tell you exactly why...like I wish you could let me why you did half of what you did for me, what you gave up for me from reading it in your jour...."
He had to stop as Isabel found her voice again.

"What a crock of shit, can you hear yourself Max, she doesn't belong here, with you and now there's this Josh guy..."


"Shut your mouth about things you know nothing about Isabel."
Michael was over, while looking towards liz, spitting fire yet with that look of panic on his face as Maria finally made her presence known in all of this.

"Ohhhh and you do right Michael?"
She spat out as his head snapped round in order to see her. He gave Liz a sidewards glance, hating himself for letting it come to this, as he saw her begin to shake.


"Look this isn't helping anybody, Max and Liz NEED to talk so why didn't we just let THEM do that first before anyone says anything that they might regret."


"Again, when did you die and become Dr. Ruth. We ALL need to talk. Its always about Max and Liz but there's us in all of this too."
She was now aiming it at Liz, who stood firm as she knew what was about to come. Maria eyes now filling with tears.
"How could you not tell me Liz, I'm your best friend or s....."
Isabel butted in before they could say anything even close to 'building bridges'.


"What like wish she'd never come back or that what ever this dying crap was about would just do us all a favor and put us all out of our misery.."
She had no idea what was coming till it hit her hard about the face. She knew she'd been slapped but wasn't expecting who it had come from as she looked down alittle to see Liz, eyes blazing, shiny from the tears that were now pouring out of them standing before her. Neither knowing how was the most shocked as Isabel saw Max go to Liz, but only to see her push him away.


"If you really wanna know about why I'm dying and I am dying Isabel let's get that straight before anything....."

She felt herself tremble as the room began to spin all the more. Isabel suddenly didn't want to know, knowing what Liz had done she knew she shouldn't have pushed her as liz now bent over in pain, it was pretty bad as it stuck her again. Her would have fallen if not for Michael, the closest catching her before she had a chance to hit the ground.


"LIZ!"
Max now pulled her from Michael and into his arms but she fought him all the way.


"NO LEAVE ME MAX. DON'T TOUCH ME OR YOU'LL SEE!"
She was walking away from him, still clutching at her belly as her mind was allowing her to remember more and more of what happened.
Max was reaching for her, ignoring her pleas all the more as she was now scaring the shit out of him. He had this feeling that he was on the road to finding her again, but now a fear of losing her now ever took that.


"LIZ. WHAT'S WRONG....PLEASE...TELL ME...LET ME SEE!"


"NO..PLEASE MAX...DON'T.." Her voice broken by her tears and her pain, both getting so out of control now she thought she'd blackout.


He was taking rushed steps towards her as he lunged out to her again, as she again smacked him away from her. And again and again until she was unable to anymore as her body finally gave up on her.
Her back was now squashed up hard against the wall as she let herself slide down it. She saw Michael's wide eyes from across the room, she'd asked too much of him.
It was her job to say and his not to have to keep it to himself anymore. As she finally spoke ohh soo shaking words.


"I..I..my...."
She shut her eyes, as Max saw his chance, he HAD to know and strode to where she was, falling to his knees as he grabbed hold of her face tightly. Her eyes snapped open to stop him in some way but the connection had already been made and he was already deep within her as the first wave hit them both. It shook them with the intensity of it as the connection and the visions started again, she or the situation unable to block them anymore, not wanting to as they came stronger faster, deeper longer.
They were so muddled but one image now stood out alone from the rest in both there minds.


*Liz asleep in her room as Tess stood over her, cruel smile wider as both her hands glowed brighter. One being on her belly, the other on Liz's as the glowing began to pulsate through them all the more. Tess closed her eyes to it, wanting to cry out with pleasure at what she was taking from and leaving from and to Liz as Liz began thrashing about all the more while in her nightmare like state as she gave and lost to Tess. When over, Liz arched her back high off the bed as Tess gave one last smirk as she left back through the open window, clutching at her belly........*


Both came back without breath, to instantly find each others arms as they began to rock, words being unable to be found as their bodies shock harder to the blindly realization of what caleb now meant to both of them.



posted on 27-Dec-2001 11:18:31 AM
Part 8


The room was silent apart from the wail that was now coming from Liz as she rocked herself, shaking her head from side to side at what she'd just seen....the shock of it burning itself on her mind over and over as she was still unable to understand any of it. Her eyes opened wider as she then saw Max, who was now leaning as she
was, looking much like he was when she'd first seen him at the quarry.....lifeless. Shifting towards him slightly she saw him pull himself right away from her hand, contact with the wall still remaining, as he was now looking only at her. His eyes were as wide as hers but he was crying, she couldn't feel enough to even go there yet.
She could see that he was shaking so hard as sweat ran down his face.


*** As he reached for her she shrank back against the wall trying to avoid his touch.

"How could you do that to me Max? How? I know you don't love me but how could you violate me like that?" Liz whispered, shrinking away from him, hugging herself, tears flowing down her face. ***


He was as lost as she ,as it was he who finally spoke first, his words broken.


"I...I..only wanted to help you Liz..."


He was shaking harder, utterly diguisted with himself as it hit him just what he'd done and now he was no better than Tess or any of those that mindraped the innocent...the helpless but he only wanted to help heal her, see where the damage was and make it all better. But the images came from nowhere, like they had been unlocked by him finally getting in to see. He looked back up at her as her eyes drew him in all the more as he saw that they were now filled with tears as well.


"..I...I..I'm s...sorry Liz..you didn't want me to see and I did....I'm so sorry...."
His heartfelt pleas reaching out to her all the more as she was now turning to face him. She then spoke, voice just as shaky.


"..I..didn't ..want to ...know I was sick..."
She was now looking around the room at the others as she found Michael last.
"..any of you...but I had to tell someone...I had no-one where I was and the only one I spoke to was..."


"Michael."
Maria added as she sat down on the edge of Max's bed, wanting to say something so much but now being the time to listen. Liz just nodded as she looked between her and him, until he spoke.


"I wanted to tell you so much..." His face now changing as he spoke from the heart to her.


"So why didn't you, you saw how bad I was...."
She shook her head as her body shook all the more, still unable to understand why he'd do that to her, as she too began to cry.
He was now kneeling in front of her, wanting to take her out stretched hands in his so much, knowing now that he may have lost the right to do that for good. He looked only at her as he went to continue on as Liz spoke again, her voice behrly audioable.

"I asked him not to."
She was now looking down at her hands, not wanting to see their eyes look away from her as she continued on. if she had of carried on looking she would have seen that they were looking at her all the more.


"I asked him to look about for Max for me while I was away so we spoke on the phone. Not often but enough to say I was okay and that you were all okay..." She smirked, playing with her hands all the more.


"What a crock of shit.."
She now found Isabel, still both raw from Liz's outburst
"...you were right about about that Isabel, we were not all alright, far from it."
Isabel then spoke.


"Then why didn't you just come back..."
Her voice having to trail off as it could be heard being to break down, shaking the feeling off as she continued on.


"We all thought that you would come back but you didn't...we all thought that you wouldn't last the week but you did."
Her ice finally melting as she began to feel tears hit her cheeks. Kyle was up behind her, hands other side of her shoulders as he gently started to rub.
He now knew her better than anybody in that room,he'd heard her woes and held her while she cried for another of her friends to come home...not to leave at all.


"Isabel..don't.."
Maria spoke as if to know what she was about to say and trying to stop her. Michael turned back to 'his heart' as if to reply for isabel.

"Let her talk, you all need to talk about it."
Maria looked at him alittle confused.

"Don't you?"
He looked at Liz, and smiled alittle.

"I've had someone to talk to about it."


"Why didn't you tell any of us, Michael, why didn't you make her come home?"
Isabel's angry tone now back..only alittle though as he shook his head, pushing himself up and away from Maria.


"I wanted to but you know Liz..."
He looked back at her.
"Once she's got her mind set she won't back down and she seemed happy enough.


*** Every time I mentioned coming home she just said that Max wouldn't want her here and it would kill her to return ***


But later I knew something was really wrong and when she called me to say that she was coming to town I thought she'd changed her mind. That she was coming home."
His voice sounding heavier and heavier.
"So she said she wanted to surprise everybody and would I come to the bus station alone. I thought nothing of it, so I did."
He swallowed down hard at the rememberance of that day...the day she told him she was dying.

------------------------------------------------------

He couldn't breathe, having to ask again just to make sure. She reached out and lightly took his hand in hers, something that she thought she'd never do with them never being that close but here their both were and it seemed the most natural thing to do.
"I know this isn't easy for you to understand and I don't mean to dump this on you but who else can I tell?"

He as now looking straight at her, bottom lip quivering just alittle.
"You have your family, you have Maria...god you even still have Max, even after everything, all having so much more right to know that me."


*** Max, you want me to tell Max? No God Damned way. He's the last person I could tell this to. He never loved me Michael! NEVER! I have the letter to prove it. Don't even think of telling Max."

"He loved tess, he always loved Tess" Liz continued sneering.
"God, I see those words every time I try to go to sleep! Max Evans can rot in hell for all I care." ***


She stopped, took a deep breath and regained her composure. She looked up at Michael with a twinkle in her eye and continued.
"Yes but your the only one strong enough to handle it Michael, and they need someone like that , like you, being unemotional, detached guy...." She smiled as she tried making light of it.

"THIS ISN'T FUNNY LIZ."
He snapped back, yanked his hand away from hers.

"So you just thought you could dump and leave me with this right 'cus I 'll make you feel better right, good old Michael only around to abuse or take the piss out of....."
Liz was reaching for him as he was pulling away.

"No Michael its not like that at all...I just wanted to tell somebody...god my life is such shit in Florida..."
He knew she was crying , before he saw her tears.


"Liz..."


"I thought it was the best thing to do for all of us. And when Max conformed that I tried to find anew life for myself."
She let back hard in her chair as she stared out the window. The cafe around for the bus station was emtpy enough at that time of night not to be seen by anybody yet close enough to see her home one last time. She smirked at her last sentence at the rememberance of her efforts to do so.
"But I lost my placement, my apartment and gained a liking for vodka and a guy who...."

She stopped as Michael tilted his head slightly at her last statement but she missed it as her head and tummmy hurt all the more as she looked and found her pills...two sets of brightly coloured sweet like treats that could well save her life.
Michael saw she was shaking, as well as the bruises on her wrists that his eyes now saw.
He sat closer, eyes wide as she saw him looking .She sat back down, pulling her coat down at the sleeves cursing herself for wearing what she did.


*** "Liz whats going on with you..tell me...Max confirmed what? What letter are you talking about? Talk to me, maybe I can help you..." ***


"No-one can help me and I guess I deserve this as Max said..."
She stopped herself as she saw his look of confusion on his face.

"How can you say that, your the last one who deserves to be dying from cancer after what you did for us."
She looked up, confused herself as Michael's head leant in closer.
"Max showed me the journal Liz, or rather he freaked out while reading it, only to pass out again, so I read it for myself. He'd take it with him everywhere at it would either be his best friend or worst nightmare depending on his mood at that time....the latter being nearly every day. so don't tell me that you deserve this, and the right to behr children now taking form you when you wanted them so much.... with Max."


Her eyes were wider but she had written all that down in her journal which he had read. She shook off her tears as she went to get up as she heard her bus being called. She felt michael grab at her wrist, she winced as he pulled away. He so wanted to ask but there would be plenty of time to ask.


"Please don't go Liz, we all miss you so much, it was a mistake you leaving but Max told us not to say anything...to just let you go."
Liz shook all the more.

"Figures."
Was all that she said, taking the wrong end of the stick totally to what he meant as she changed into someone harder.

"So will you come? I really need someone there for me. The tests will be in a month, and I'll be in the hospital for a week if what they suspect is true. I'm..I'm just so scared Michael."
Michael stopped his answer in his throat as he searched her eyes.

"Will you stay?"
He already knew the answer but his heart just neede him to ask. She shook her head and asked again with her eyes. He nodded upon seeing her so scared and not wanting her to go to the hospital alone.
"Can I tell...."

"No Michael...you can't tell anybody. It's better this way, it you do I'll disappear...for good this time."
She'd try anything not to get the others involved so they could talk her into coming back when she'd die if she ever did, that's why she hadn't rang or seen certain people knowing that they would be able to suceed where Michael couldn't.
In his next breath he nearly did as he spoke of Max from out of the blue.

"It's killing him you know, being apart from you. Letting you go is what's making him so fucked up right now I'm sure of that now"
Liz stopped, unable to move.


"You told me he was okay Michael."


"I lied...he's dying without you or something, no one can get to him anymore. Nothing else matters to him not even his son."
She swallowed back the lump in her throat as Michael stepped closer.

"He loves you so much Liz....."


*** "Bull shit Michael. He doesn't love me! He never loved me! He misses Tess! He misses his son! God, I curse the day I ever stopped him from leaving. It was the worse thing I ever did, the biggest mistake of my life. I cry myself to sleep every night realizing that I kept max from going with her. Keeping him from his son."
Liz hissed at Michael.

"Huh? What aer you talking about Liz? Max loves you. He'll always love you."
Michael tried to reason with her. ***



Liz looked up in Michael's eyes and asked,
"Does he ever ask after me?...or want to get on a plane and come and find me?...and you said so yourself, he told you not to make me stay!"

She could continue but there was no time, her bus was leaving, as his silence answered her questions.
She walked towards him, reaching up to lay a kiss on the side of his cheek. He held on to her alittle longer than he should as she was finally about to leave...again.
She held him call back to her, as she turned back on last time.

"Get rid of the guy Liz..rebound love never works."
She went back top him one last time, hugging him harder not wanting to go back to her life..the life that she'd made for herself in answer to Max's letter but knowing she had no choice.

"I wish we'd done this sooner."Michael said.

"Me too!"
She relied back as she really was leaving this time. Getting on the bus she went to the rear seat and watched out the back window until she could see him no more. Counting the weeks till he would find an excuse to come out to Florida and to the hospital with her, also knowing that that was the time Josh was due back from his business trip to Califonia for his work at the research centre.
He'd become her first friend in Florida only to quickly become her worst nightmare but her some reason everytime so went to go....he'd just have to look at her, hold her and she would stay. She shook harder as she then pushed the thought of him from her mind. She'd tried to run before, her head throbbing with the memory of when he found her. He his words after of how he would hurt anybody that she loved if she ran again. Half of them were aliens, with alien abilities but what she saw in his eyes scared her more. She felt the darkness cloud her mind as she now got closer and closer back to Florida.
Totally unware that she'd be seeing Michael and Josh alot sooner than her date with the hospital.

-------------------------------------------------------

"OH MY GOD!"
Was all Maria could say as Michael told her the shortened version of that, the bits he knew about, the room now quiet as it was trying to sunk in. She couldn't move to do what she wanted to do, hearing Isabel do it for her as she punched himin the face.


"You Sonofabitch, you saw us...you saw Max and you knew all the time. Don't you know it was killing me to see Max like this, to play at being the bad guy for the sake of not getting hurt again...of any of us getting hurt again. Wanting...wishing that she'd just come back home..." She found Liz, who was nearing her step by step with each word.


"...Now back, wondering for how long, wanting to believe that it would be for good. That it would all be okay again
for us but knowing it couldn't be. Being the trustworthy bitch to keep you away...."
She stopped as she was now infront of her.


"then finding out that you...."
She broke then as Liz pulled her in closer.
"..I'm (sob) sorry (sob) so (sob) sorry (sob) Liz but your our family too (sob)..we...I..can't lose you too..."
She could no longer talk as Liz held her all the more. She wasn't sure how long she had but hopefully long enough for them all to heal.


"I'm sorry too Is. Forgive me?


*** "But I couldn't come home after what Max wrote to me. I had to stay away." ***


Isabel pulled her away hard, as she laughed alittle, eyes dancing at not being the bad guy anymore.


"Me Forgive you?...I can still feel that punch, what do you think?" They would have spoke more, still so much to say when Maria stood up and spoke.


"What about me?" She looked and sounded so lost and confused as Liz went to sat something, only to stop and shudder as she now saw Max, who'd been in the same place the world time, not saying a world till then.
How had she forgotten Max but she had been forgetting alot lately, as she heard him speak.


"She's... had... our..baby...Liz..."
His voice sounding like it didn't belong to him, as he was trying to fight every emotion all at once.
"..caleb....and you knew..."


His beautiful face now taught with pain and confusion.
She was at his side, on her knees in no time, reaching out to him.


"NO No Max, I didn't know any of this and I'm just as confused as you are but I ..."
Her hand was as his cheek, catching and wiping his tears as they fell.



*** "...We'll figure this out together Max. Then I'll leave you in peace..Just like you wanted." ***


He had turned and was pulling at her at her coat to get her closer as they began burning up again with something they didn't understand as the visions started again.
Only for them alone to hear and see as everyone else saw Max and Liz hold onto each other all the more as they both now began to glow. It grew and grew the closer and closer that they got together, everyone affaid that it could be seen as the curtains were drawn just as it threw them apart.
Breathlessly Max was the first to speak as he crawled over on his hands on knees to were Liz now lay. He sat down and pulled her to him in one smooth motion as she moaned.
"Did.. you hear our son Liz....?"
She sat up, eyes fluttering as she clawed at his clothing, then nodding.



"He wants us to come for him... so he can make mummy better.... He's the only one who can when his other mother is making her so sick...and.. because.. daddy's ..already.. better.. now ..Mummy's back....."
He was finding it so hard to talk as she did the only thing left to do.



*** "I'll be here for you Max until we find our son. Until we find Tess."
And then she held him close as the memory of what he did to this woman caused his shoulders to convulse with the tears that racked his body. ***




Part 9



She knew she had to let go, but it felt so good, he felt so good as he held her tighter. He seemed a perfect fit next to her, his face nestled in her neck. She began to shiver as his closeness and his breath on her neck was making her feel things that she didn’t want to feel right now.
She didn’t know if she would ever want to feel again. She tensed up and tried to move away from his embrace before her body had a chance to betray her. Max felt her respond to him this way and he instantly let go as if he’d been burned. He tried to look at her but she had shifted further away from where he sat. He could only see the side of her face and the strand of hair that hung down beside it. Instinctively, he reached over to tuck it behind her ear as he’d always done.


"Don't"
she snapped, not even looking at him as she flinched way to do it herself. Her voice was behrly a whisper but it tore through him as if she’d screamed it at him as he let his arm fall heavily back down. He leaned back against the wall hard, closing his eyes as his breath became laboured.
Liz stole a sideward glance at him from over her crossed arms, she was about to say something when Isabel’s shaky voice could be heard, breaking the deathly silence.


"I..I…don’t understand…"
Isabel said as she inched towards them as she sat on the edge of Max’s bed, trying to ignore the chasm that was so obvious between her broken brother and his lost love
"…Caleb is YOUR’S!"
She asked, her voice now mirroring the look of utter shock on her face. Liz slowly tore her eyes from Max and turned to her.
Liz was only able to give a slight nod in response as she trembled harder at this new revelation which changed everything yet still changed nothing between Max and her.


"..But how could that be?"
She tore a glare to Kyle as she scowled at him is if to tell him not to say anything, thinking that he was about to give her the obvious answer to that question. But if she had only have waited she would have heard that he wasn’t going to say a word, also knowing that now was not the time.


Liz swallowed down hard as she spoke for the first time, she had to say something or die right there.
"When Max and I saw….what we saw in the visions…" She felt his eyes on her, making her dizzy that they could still make her feel that way but she was determined to be strong and not let him get to her.
'He doesn’t deserve to be let in. Not yet' She thought, swallowing down harder as she continued on.
"..we saw Tess do something to me…"


"WHAT?"
Liz was stopped by Maria’s sudden outburst from across the room, as she thrust herself upwards.
"WHAT DID THAT F**KING BITCH DO TO YOU….TELL ME!"
All eyes were now on this little bundle of nuclear power. The last few hours she had acted like she didn’t give a shit, but was now fit to explode. Liz pulled herself up the wall in response to her outburst, just as shocked as everybody else. The two oldest and closest friends in that room now faced each other, the gulf still painfully obvious between them as Liz responded.



"I..I...think…she …stole…my…eggs…?"
Her voice breaking as she gripped her stomach, wincing a little. Max was up and reaching out to her, so wanting to help her, hold her, but thinking better of it as he let his arm fall.



"Liz?"
His face one of utter helplessness as she looked at him, the pain now easing a little.



"I’m fine Max. I, uh… I just didn’t take my medication thats all."
Her manner was surprisingly relaxed, it had been almost the whole time that she’d been near him.
It calmed her to be back in his presence only the remembrance of his letter and this 'thing' that was eating away at her bringing her back to reality with a jolt.

"You get used to it after a while, like it’s just a part of life." She now looked back at Maria. "I actually miss it when its not there.."
Her voice trailing off as she saw Maria hold her glance for just a little before looking away.
It hurt Liz more than any pain that Maria was so closed off to her, but she felt she deserved everything that Maria dished out to her.
But Liz couldn’t help thinking that there was something more happening with Maria. Something else causing Maria’s erratic behavior, erratic even for Maria. She thought she knew why Maria was keeping her distance but something didn’t ring true about just how strange she was acting. She seemed to be on an emotional roller coaster. Liz made a mental note to find out why that was. Maria deserved more this past year. She and Alex had been Maria’s entire life at one point and now with Alex gone Liz had walked out of her life.
Liz was determined to use the time she had left to make it up to Maria.


"maybe…I...can...help...you …Liz…?"
His once honey sounding voice, now dull and lifeless breaking her train of thought as she looked back at him.


"I don’t think even you can help Max…besides that’s why I came back."
Both held onto breath as they looked harder into each other’s eyes. Liz speaking of their son, made them both tremble.
Liz continued, "Caleb said we need to find him together and then he can heal me. We don’t know the how’s and the why’s yet."
She then did something that was totally alien to how she felt, she reached out to him and gently took his big shaking hand into her tiny one, and squeeze it lightly, blink and you’d miss it, only to let it drop when she thought he’d responded.
But he wasn’t done yet, he had made a promise too…to explain the why’s for his cruel words that had killed them both that day, just so she’d know. He knew that to even dare for anything further between was just too 'out of this world' to even think about right now…if ever.
But the little he had of her was home and he felt more alive with that then he had done all year, much longer if the truth be known. For the first time in a long time he was beginning to feel alive, he was breathing again.
Liz then shot upright and away from the wall, her eyes wide as if remembering something long forgotten, her mouth now not able to get the words out fast enough.


"I REMEMBER..GOD..HOW COULD I NOT HAVE REMEMBERED?"
Her voice and slap of her thigh there to show her annoyance to that fact. She was now leaning into everyone as she continued on.
"A few days after Alex…" Her voice broke as she still found it hard to talk about, feeling Max’s eyes trying to give her the encouragement to carry on.
"..I woke up feeling like shit basically, hardly able to move because I felt so weak and my stomach hurt so much."
She now looked down at her feet. "….there was blood, it was, I... so much blood…. but I didn’t know where it came from…… I...I couldn’t find any cuts or anything on my body."


There was a strangled cry of her name as she felt Max come to hold her, he didn’t care what she wanted or what she’d said, this was more important as he saw her begin to cry. Impossble not to hold her, being unable to behr seeing her cry, funny when that's all he'd ever done to her.


"Liz?"
He put an arm around her , pulling her into him ever so slightly, not sure of her response but he couldn’t stop himself.
She felt him even before his arm went round her, breathing out as she let him pull her to him.
Since coming back one minute they were kissing each other and the next further apart than the grand canyon, she was so confused but right at that moment she needed him to hug her so badly it was becoming painful. She didn’t understand any of it but she let him hold her none the less.
She was unable to return his embrace, that much she did know.


"Why …didn’t...you….tell…me.."
Instantly realizing his stupidity, changing it quickly.
"...anybody?"


She just shook her head as she pulled away from him.
"Really, who was I going to tell? You, Max? All you were interested in was making sure that I didn’t try to investigate Alex’s death."

Turning to Maria she said, "I couldn’t tell you because you were so wrapped up in mourning Alex that nothing else mattered."

Now looking around the room at all of them, she continued, "Who? Who would have listened? Max had you all convinced I was crazy. Nobody was going to listen to me about anything strange."


"You should have told us Liz!" Michael said angrily.


Maria spoke up and continued the assault on Liz
"But you’re good at thataren’t you Liz, keeping secrets form your so called friends"
She now looked at Michael. "Well from some of them at least.…but we all can have secrets Liz, some good some bad."
Her eyes told them that she was somewhere else as she came back with a bump and talked directly to Liz and Michael.
"....But yours was just cruel, plain and simple, no explanation or excuse would be good enough to cut it." Maria looked angrily between Michael and Liz.


If looks could kill, Michael would have died right there. Michael braved her anger and went to where she stood when it all became too much for him.
He held Maria’s arms and looked her in the eye.
“ENOUGH. I’ve had enough of your bullshit Maria. Liz asked me to help, she had no-one so I did it, I helped her. It killed me not being able to tell you but she asked me to help so I did it. God this has been hard for me too god damn it." He let her arms go as he stepped away.
"But she had no-one what was I supposed to do?"


"Bull shit! She had her family, she had ME so DON’T give me that.." Maria spat out.


"How could she go to you? You KNOW how you are. You and her family were the only ones who’d be able to talk her into coming back. Talk her into coming home. You know you would have asked her to come home and she would have said yes."
He was in her face again as she kicked off.


"BUT WHAT WAS SO WRONG ABOUT COMING HOME WHEN EVERYBODY THAT LOVED HER…THAT LOVE HER STILL WERE WAITING FOR HER TO COME HOME?…"
Her shouted uncontrollably as she was no longer able to go on, feeling dizzy enough to make her have to sit down. Michael was on his knees reaching for her.


“GET AWAY FROM ME!”
She spat out and at him. Utterly shocked he leaned back and rose in one smooth action.


Liz couldn’t take this any more as she went to go to Maria, whose words then stopped her.
"Don’t even think about it, you and me aren’t even close yet."
She wasn’t even looking at her as Liz then stopped half way, shaking all the more as she was now looking at Michael.


"I know it was selfish of me but I had to do it I couldn’t come back…I just couldn’t…."
Her voice breaking down on her, happy to have Isabel interrupt her.


"It’s about this letter….this letter that Michael said Max wrote you isn’t it, that’s why you couldn’t come back , because if Max?"
Liz didn’t have to answer as her body language told her exactly that but it was when Max spoke that she knew it for sure.


"Yes."
He was now behind and to the side of Liz as he went to stand in front of her, in front of everybody.


"If you want to blame anybody then blame me, don’t you dare blame Liz for any of this. It’s all my fault not hers…" His eyes were lost as they found Michael’s.


"I may not understand but Michael’s not to blame for this either. I am just glad that Liz had someone and that it was him."
The two men staring each other down all the more. They still had things to resolve, hell to even start, in all this too but there would be another time. He looked back at Maria.
"You all should be thankful that Michael was there for Liz..."


Maria was not in a mood to be thankful to anyone right now. She was jumping on everything and everyone at the drop of a hat, and now it was Max’s turn as on him like a rash, she was up and in his face.


"DON’T EVEN TRY AND GO THERE YOU SONOFABITCH…" She began banging on his chest, her tiny frame pushing him backwards with every hard poke.
"Again it’s all your fault, what letter…..what did you say to her that would make her not feel that she could come home to her family and friends you unbelievable bastard?"
She was really shaking now as Liz stepped forward.


"Maria, leave it…"
Suddenly she didn’t want them to know.
This was between her and Max. She took an other step closer as Max held up his hand to her.


"Liz, don’t . They all need to hear this."
He was now looking at her as her tear filled eyes drew him in all the more, his tears were not far behind.
She shook her head as she began shrinking away.


"Why?...Why do they have to know…That you never loved me, that you were just using me…."
She was now at the wall, with nowhere to go as she was crying so hard now it hurt.
"….how you only ever wanted HER, how you only ever could fuck HER and how you wanted her to have your child…."
She was finding the words and energy from somewhere as she suddenly strode back towards him, her eyes spitting fire. He stood firm as she was in his face in seconds, kicking off further.


"..when you led me to believe that I was the one to give you all those things…I would have given you the world if you asked me to…"
She was shaking so hard that it was making her dizzy as she wavered. The sobs wracking her small body.
He caught her as she began to beat him hard on his chest. She was like a wildcat, but he made no attempt to stop her until he realized that she didn’t have the strength to do this. That she would hurt herself if she continued. The two of them were emotionally spent from everything that had happened that day and Liz didn’t have the strength for this. He fought just to get hold of her wrists and force her to face him.


"Stop it Liz."
She fought harder to pull her hands free as he shook her.
"STOP IT LIZ!" His tears now wracking his body.


"WHY SO THEY WON’T KNOW WHAT A LIAR AND BASTARD YOU ARE?"
She spat out at him as he pulled her to face him, yanking her closer and to a sudden stop.


"MAXWELL!"
Michael was not prepared to see this go on any longer and was now walking towards them. He was going to stop this right now and take Liz home.
Max’s next words froze him in his tracks.


"NO LIZ.... so I can tell them why!"


Their eyes locking and holding finally as he let her down and go ever so gently.


"...so.. I….can I….can….tell…YOU….why…."


He stepped away from her, trying to breathe as her wide doe-like eyes just drew him in further still.
As he caught his breath he stood back upright, looking at only her as he opened his mouth to speak.


Part 10

He’d thought about what he would say a thousand times over the last year wondering if he would ever get the chance to explain his cruel and heartless actions to her. He thought the chance would never come, excepted that as simple fact. He deserved no more and no less.

But now that he’d finally been given that one chance, he was speechless, powerless to even breathe as her expectant eyes drew him in. His body was trembling, unable to function as she now stood in front of him, hands tightly crossed over her chest with her head tilted to one side.

“Well…” She shifted her stance as she began tapping her foot, her voice showing him exactly how she was feeling “I’m waiting for this pearl of wisdom to enlighten me, to explain to me what possible reason you had for totally destroying my life.” She was trembling just as hard now, not wanting to know, hoping he’d back out and hide away…be like he used to be, afraid to even look at her let alone talk to her. He finally found his voice, his eyes pleading with her for understanding.

“…I…I…wrote you …that letter…” he stammered, drowning on land as he forced the words out, his eyes pleading with her to just stop and listen as something was making her speak again.

“Look Max …” She said as her hands dropped to hold her stomach as she stepped back from him, unable to hide the shaking of her body any longer. “…don’t do me any favours , I don’t need this and I don’t want this. I’m here aren’t I and that’s the end of it. Period We find your son and then I’m gone.”
She bit out. She seemed to cringe in pain, biting down hard on her bottom lip now split as she could taste the blood in her mouth. She was now walking past him, this had to stop, she couldn’t do this right now.
As much as she wanted to know why he wrote the letter, the pain was starting to come in waves and she had to get to her medication. She started to double over as another jolt of pain shot through her stomach. She started towards to door like her life depended it. It probably did. She was not looking at him, daring not to as she brushed past his arm in her obvious haste. The jolt between that followed was only slight but strong enough for both of them to take a breath as she stumbled as she continued towards the door.

She felt him grab her elbow as she tried to go by and he turned her to face him. His eyes were wide as he pulled at her with both arms.
“Do you want to know or not?” He said, the sound of his voice telling her the pain he was feeling. His grip was hard and she winced in pain as he was lifting her off the floor. “…TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT?”

His eyes were relentless as they stared in to hers as he heard Michael’s voice from behind them.
“LEAVE HER ALONE MAXWELL…SHE DOESN’T WANT TO KNOW. CAN’T YOU SEE SHE’S IN PAIN” He was up and striding towards them as Max stared at her, eyes of fire.

“Is that what you really want Liz?” His voice no less powerful as he stopped shouting. “…not to know why…tell me what you want Liz..!” He pulled her closer to him with every word as she now felt his breath on her face. She smirked as she gave him her answer, she’d been foolish to try to stop him.
Why should she want to save herself the pain of having to relive it again, she was dead anyway, another punch to the stomach would not matter as she began feeling that familiar wave of pain rise again.

“What I want is for you to LET…GO…OF…ME!” She spat out at him as he then woke up from his rage that had come form nowhere, shaking it off hard as he let her down gently. As her tiny feet touched the floor, she staggered a little before recovering. Taking a ragged breath she looked up into his eyes, then hit him hard across the face.

“Don’t ever touch me again.” She didn’t really mean that but she knew she had to get out of the room before she collapsed in pain. She didn’t want to show him just how weak she was. .

He stepped away, his body wracked from something within him that he didn’t reckonize, the tears beginning to well up and spill down his cheeks. He heard sounds, movement but he was only looking at her as she now held so tightly on to herself as he opened his mouth to speak once more. His eyes were trying so hard to hold onto hers as she let hers fall away from him but he carried on. It was now or never…do or die.

“..I..I…wrote…that…letter…Liz…because…” His sentence halted by her groan of pain as she now bent over, clutching at her stomach.

“Liz?” He was reaching for her as she cried out again, bending further over until her legs gave out and she was kneeling on the floor, bent over double, one palm flat on the floor trying to support her while the other was still pressed flat up against her belly. Max had almost reached her he felt Michael push him aside to get to her first. Max was pushed right back as he now saw Michael embracing her, pulling her to him as she breathed in short, laboured pants. Max could do nothing, only pull his arms around himself as the room filled with noise and people milling about.

At the first sound of Liz in pain, Maria had started to go to her. She now knelt down on the other side of Liz and put her arm around her trying to give her whatever comfort and support that she could. She was terrified for Liz. She had just gotten her friend back and now she was in terrible pain.

“LIZ? What is it?” Michael asked . He had a strong hold of her waist and arm as she buried face in his in his chest, his shirt immediately soaked with her tears as she cried out again. His hand was now at her head as he whispered something into her hair. “Do you need your medication?” He felt her head nod slowly. Michael looked over at Maria and then asked Liz, “Do you think you can walk?” After Liz nodded her okay he pulled her gently to her feet in one smooth motion. She gave a yelp as she tried to straighten up, her legs giving way as he scooped her neatly up into his arms.

“Michael what’s wrong?” The concerned silence now broken by Liz’s wails and Maria’s shaky voice.
As she stepped up to them. “…is it….” Thankful that Michael had then interrupted her before she had to face the reality of it again.

“We have to go get her medication.” He said, looking back down at where she was now silent in his arms only looking away and at Maria.

“We don’t have time Maria. We have to get her home. I’ll carry her, go get the car.” His eyes as hard as his tone, he was only worried about Liz now.

Maria was turning to leave as Max then spoke. “I’ll come with you.” It was a statement of fact not a question.

Michael head snapped snapped round at him, eyes burning. “No…you’re done enough damage…stay away!” This past year Micael had acted more like the leader of this band of hopeless misfits than Max, never more so than at that moment. Both men looked at each other as Michael won the battle of wills and Max turned away.

“Don’t do anything that we’ll all regret, stay here Max.“ Michael looked down at Liz and saw that her eyes were now closed.
“She wouldn’t want you there.” His tone low but firm as Max stepped aside, knowing he was right. Nothing more needed to be said except by Max.

“Take care of her.” His heartfelt plea made all the more painful as he knew Michael was the only one who could help her right now. Michael saw the look on his face and wanted to say so much to him. Most of it bad, now was not the right time. Michael had kept his silence for the entire year for Liz and he was ready to explode at Max.

Max felt like he was dying all over again as he saw her with Michael, the way she was looking to him for help and comfort, the way that she had looked at him in the past. He was beginning to feel numb again as he felt the headache begin to take form. He’d spent more than a year feeling this way, lost and alone, like an unwanted stranger who wouldn’t leave.

Since Liz was back things were different, he felt different and knowing the why’s and the how’s yet. Just happy to be in the land of the living again, only the threat of him being sent right back there staring him in the face as Michael made his way to the door.

Her head was out of sight as her arm dangled free of him. Max couldn’t take his eyes of it as was about to bounce by him. He couldn’t not reach for it, dare to dream of actually touching it as his hand gently cupped and squeezed at it, careful not to bring her attention to it.
The touch of her made him weak as the numbness turned into colours and light as he now saw her crying while curling herself up tighter on a bed as she whispered his name through her tears He then saw her head spin to where the door had been slammed open. She was up, scrambling as far back up the bed as she could get as Josh came raging towards her screaming,
“Are you crying about him again?”
Her scream pulled him back to the present whether the scream was from the flash or from Liz now, Max didn’t know. The flash had been so strong that it knocked him side wards and all he could do was watch as Michael and Maria took her away. He was letting her leave him again but what could he do?

Michael was now opposite Maria as he slowly turned to her. “Come on, let’s get going.” His tone hard but his pleading eyes gave him away as, saying nothing she bent to pick up her bag. She would be glad of the fresh air as she was now feeling sick and dizzy with every thing that had happened in the room.

At the door she looked back at the other three, her eyes finally coming to rest on Max. He eyes were hard, like diamonds when she finally said, “Stay away from her or you’ll have me to deal with. And believe me you don’t even wanna go there right now.” Her face showing no emotion as she followed Michael out the door.

Isabel looked first at Kyle then back at her brother who was still staring at the empty doorway. Kyle saw her look to him and went to silently leave them, thinking that was the best thing as Max then spoke.

“Stay, Isabel needs you right now, I’m no good to anyone.” He looked at him only briefly as his eyes
then went to his dresser in the corner. They both watched as he walked over and slowly opened one of its drawers and reached inside. He winced as he was now bending a little to get what was right at the back of it. After a few scrapes and deep breaths he now had something flat and small hard against his chest, exhaling hard now that it was there. There were two thing in his tight embrace, his favorite framed picture of Liz with her wonderful smile and her journal, his knuckles turning white as he held onto them so hard.

He was lost again as with a clear head it hit him. He had to win her back. The idea throbbed in his head and then spread as it took shape and form. Win her back was the only way for both of them. But the chance of that happening was far out of his grasp and he knew there was a lot that he had to do. Max Evans never grovelled, it wasn’t in his nature, not ever doing anything that needed it…till now. He would do anything to have her back, as a friend at least, not daring to hope for anything more right now…if ever. He hoped that they could be friends enough for her to open up to him. He desperately wanted to find what she was hiding so that he could help her. He’d realized at that moment, as the feeling grew; she was hiding something so bad that even she didn’t know. There was something else that he was sure about, he had to find his son….their son, who was on earth, had always been on earth. These thoughts crashed through his head as he leaned against the wall and let himself slide down into a siiting position as his tears blinded him. Isabel came and knelt beside Max and pulled him into a tight embrace trying to offer him what comfort she could.
-------------------------------------------------------

As Michael and Maria approached the Jetta, Michael told Maria to open the rear door so that he and Liz could get in the back. As he settled in to the seat, Maria raced around to the drivers side and climbed in. She started the car but before she pulled away from the curb she glanced into the mirror and saw that Michael was sitting with Liz in his lap, gently pushing Liz’s hair behind her ear. She was amazed at how gentle Michael was with Liz and realized that her Space Boy had come a long way from the stone wall of just a year ago.

Maria raced to the Crashdown, cursing every red light or stop sign that slowed their progress. Liz was in pain and she wanted to help her best friend to feel better.

Michael knew something was wrong even before they saw the lights and heard the sirens from around the corner as they turned into the street and saw the Crashdown in flames.


Part 11


“Oh my God, it’s the Crashdown!”
Maria wailed. The sound of Maria’s voice penetrating Liz’s pain. Liz raised her head off of Michael’s chest and looked up the street where flames were pouring out of her childhood home.
Liz started to fight to get out of Michael’s embrace and open the car door. As the car door slammed open, Michael made one last attempt to hold onto Liz but she just pushed herself off his lap and started to stumble up the street.

“LIZ….WAIT…” Maria yelled after them as the car finally came to a halt. Both she and Michael had high tailed it out of there before it had a chance to stop. Maria tried to jump out of the car but was pulled back suddenly by the seat belt. Fighting with the belt and cursing the heap of crap that called itself a car, she managed to free herself, got out of the car and looked upon the chaos with her own eyes.

The street was in a state of utter confusion, not just with the flames that licked at the night sky but of sirens and people. The noise was deafening as frantic bodies began bumping into her from all directions the closer she got. She had lost sight of both Michael and Liz in the all fuss as smoke was already beginning to blind and choke her. It stung her eyes, causing tears to begin to well up. She was calling out helplessly for them, over and over, as she was finding it more and more difficult to breathe. Suddenly she just stopped, not letting herself go any further, as there just was too much smoke. She couldn’t go on, it was not safe. As she shook uncontrollably, her own tears mixing with the smoke induced ones she felt strong hands on her trembling shoulders as they spun her round. Jeff Parker’s ash covered face and wide eyes now met with hers.

“MARIA…IS LIZ WITH YOU?” He was shaking her a little too hard, eyes wider.
“IS SHE HERE?” He screamed, sounding just like he looked, the bottom having just fallen out of his whole world.

“arrr…yeah..” She hesitated, beginning to feel dizzy as the pit of her stomach retched again. She wobbled, collecting herself again to continue on.
“YEAH…she ran out of the car…she was with Michael” She grabbed a hold of his shirt as she looked a wildly about them.
“ … now I can’t find them!” She said, hyperventilating already, clinging to him just as much as he was to her. She was yanking and clawing at his arms, causing him some discomfort now. She did not care if he was her boss, screw that.
“..WHAT HAPPENED?” Having now to raise her voice over the sirens. He just looked at her blankly shaking his head, he was about to speak when he heard a familiar voice scream out to him from behind.

“DADDDDYYYY!” He spun round, taking Maria with him, catching Liz as she crashed into him.

“LIZ…THANK GOD!” He clung to her, squeezing her tiny body till she winced but still not letting her go. She had not called him that in so long, it tore into his heart, especially after this past year and the events of today. His tears were of that fact alone as he felt her pound at his back, whimpering his name over and over. He then stopped, feeling her face burn through his shirt, pulling it away from his chest in his cupped hands. She was burning up, and not just due to the fire.
“LIZ?.. Are you alright Hun?” He was bending down, searching out her eyes, the fire forgotten as he tried to see what was wrong with his little girl. She wouldn’t let him look in her eyes until he forcefully turned her head towards his. Her eyes were filled with so much pain as her cheeks burned all the more.
“God Liz your burning up!” His hands were feverishly at her face, neck and arms trying to check her over. Funny really , that had always been her mom’s department.

“I…I’m…fine Dad.” She lied as she firmly but lightly started to push his hands away. She knew he wasn’t buying it, seeing him about to speak again when she became aware of something else.
“MOM!” Her eyes so wide as she was now grabbing at him wildly. “…WHERE’S MOM…WHERE IS S..” She screamed, as she started to struggle to free herself from her father’s grasp.

“I’m right here Baby.” Her mother said from beside her. Her voice the same as always, like honey. She always managed to keep a calm head in a crisis, for the benefit of others as well as her own. This was by far the worst thing that they had ever faced and already she was like a phoenix, an angel, rising from the ashes. Liz was so much like her, or she was before this past year took hold. Leaving her father she painfully lunged at her mother, who she had not held close for nearly a year.
“Lizzie God…” She cried, pulling her out from her under her chin and arms so she could look at her. Now placing kisses all over her face.
“Are you okay Honey?” Stopping dead when she felt the heat radiating off her face. She could sense that something was terribly wrong with her daughter, and not just on the outside. She grabbed hold of her shoulders, needing to know but still trying to remain calm. If there was ever going to be a time that she would lose that calm exterior of hers then this was that time.

Seeing her mother’s loving look and feeling her warm embrace, Liz wanted to tell her everything that had happened to her there and then, hopefully finding healing in those arms, if only she could remember more of it then she did. That was the problem, she could only remember fragments, pieces to a puzzle that she did not have the instructions for. Everything was so muddled, only getting worse when she came back home. Seeing everyone again was harder than she had ever imaged it would be. But the hardest thing of all was seeing Max again. She thought she would be able to handle it, to handle him but she was so wrong. One minute she was feeling one way about him, kissing him…wanting him so badly, so elated that he was close by again. Then the next moment she was pushing him away…not wanting him near, almost hating him. She was so confused, it seemed more than just the letter as the pain took her once more, shaking with it. She steadied herself against her wide eyed mother’s shoulder.

“Liz... what’s wrong?” She repeated herself again anxiously , pulling lightly at her shoulders in time with what she was saying. “…Tell me…”
In the year she had been away Liz forgot what it was like to be loved, to have her mother’s loving arms around her. Her mother’s eyes were locked with hers as her mouth began to move, only stopping when she heard Maria’s haunting wails as she cried out for Michael in the background. Turning faster than she should have, her body telling her so as she almost fell, she saw Maria. She was standing alone, amongst an onslaught of bodies, hoses and water just aimlessly wondering with her arms tightly held across her chest. Looking all around her. She looked completely and utterly lost. Liz had to go to her. Easing herself away from her mom she went to go, as she felt her mom holding her back by her elbow.
“LIZ. Where are you going?” Her voice mirroring the fear held within her eyes that maybe Liz was leaving again and this time not coming back. Liz felt her heart break as she realized that she had hurt so many. She rested a hot and shaky hand on her mothers and quietly said.

“I HAVE to go see Maria kay?” She gave her mother a faint smile. “I’m not going anywhere.” She lied again. Nancy just nodded as she let her arm drop away. The instant her mother let her go she ran on shaky legs to Maria. She whirled her round with a questioning look in her eyes.
“Maria? What’s wrong?” Maria grabbed and pulled Liz close and said.

“I ..I...can’t find Michael Liz…I CAN’T FIND HIM…” She raged yanking at Liz’s coat, not thinking how much it was hurting her. “I can’t lose him Liz…not now…I…I….just can’t” She stammered as Liz suddenly felt her heart jolt to a stop as she felt somebody close beside them. Stiffening her grip on Maria she knew it was Josh even before he spoke.

“Babe…where here you been. I’ve missed you.” His oily voice sounding loving and caring. She dared not look at him, shaking harder when she felt his breath on her face, he was that close. She wanted to puke, not knowing why as he pulled her away from and into his arms. She did not return the embrace leaving her arms dangling at her side.
“Pretty wild huh?” He said pulling her hard away from him, smirking all the while. She still said and did nothing as she felt like she just had to get away from him. As his the expression on his face said one thing to everyone else, but his grip on Liz, which had begun unbearably painful got tighter still.
“Now your not going to run off anywhere again are you?” He was not letting her leave him and the way she was feeling right now her body was unable to take her anywhere. His voice tore through her with every word. He pressed harder as finally she spoke, well whimpered as he smiled more. He was about to speak again, maybe even take her somewhere but it was Maria who said something next.


“Hey...” She put an arm around Liz’s shoulders, trying to pull her away from him. “..talking here.” Her eyes boring in to him showing just how much she did not like the guy. She pulled harder, trying to free Liz from his crushing grip. Josh just held Liz tighter, then as if from nowhere he laid a strong hand on Maria’s chest and pushed her to the ground with a hard shove. She landed awkwardly on her side, winded she let out a yelp as she sat up slowly.

“Maria.” Liz yelled as she started to fight to get out of Josh’s grip and help her friend, “..let me go..” She continued to struggle, as she looked for help but in the commotion around them no one was paying attention, even the Parkers had moved away to watch the fire, hoping it could be brought under contol before it destroyed all their worldly possessions. Liz and Maria were left alone in their battle with Josh. Dazed and rising slowly Maria was back at Liz’s side trying to help her get free of Josh’s embrace.

“GET OFF OF HER.” She clawed at his hands, not making the slightest bit of difference. Everything was happening so fast.
“Don’t make me hurt you, not when I’m in this mood.” Maria threatened Josh, Liz needed her and she was beyond fear. She continued clawing at Josh’s hands and arms , only looking at Liz as she fought also. Everyone else too busy to see and help two defenseless girls in their fight for Liz’s freedom. But Josh seemed strong for his size, too strong as he elbowed Maria effortlessly to the ground. She hit the ground hard and as her face hit the pavement she cried out.

“MARIA!” Liz screamed, the pain suddenly worse since Josh had arrived but she found the strength within her own frail body to push him away from her and get free.
“STAY AWAY FROM ME!” Liz screamed at him but, still nobody could hear or see, everyone concentrating on the battle to stop the raging flames from taking any more of the street. She turned her back, to find Maria still reeling on the floor still. Both friends in so much pain, as they tried to get to each other. Liz , almost reaching Maria before she felt herself spun round hard as Josh pulled her to him, her tiny feet now off the ground.

“GET OFF OF ME YOU SICK BASTARD.” Finally she was fighting back, fighting back at him…at whatever it was that had stopped her from fighting back before. She kicked out with her legs as she spat at him in the face. He just smiled.


“You have no idea who you’re dealing with.” he set her down on the ground but didn’t let her go, continuing to hold her as he leaned in and whispered in her ear, “I told you what would happen if you tried to leave me, next time I won’t allow them to live.”
Liz stiffened at his words as she felt him pull her away from everybody. She knew if she went now would be no escaping him.


“No.” Was all she said. He stopped, leering side wards at her. She repeated herself as she straightened up. “NO!” It felt good to stand up to him. She said it again, getting braver all the time.
“NO now...leave...me…alone. I don’t want you here . I never did.” She spat out, feeling surprisingly better till he looked at her and she felt the pain take her once more. She pulled back, needing to get away, turning to do so she he grabbed for her wrist. She whipped her head around to face him again, her hair smacking him in the face as she did so.

“So if you’re finished here, shall we go?” His tone changed back to one of menace that she remembered so well, as he yanked her softly away. She made one last attempt to break away, again not getting far. She cried out as he tightened his grip on her arm one last time as somebody grabbed him from behind and spun him around.
Josh was forced to release his grip on Liz as he found himself looking into two amber eyes filled with an incredible rage…now seeing that rage as Max.

“She said NO. Leave her alone.” Max’s knuckles already turning white from burying his fingers in Josh’s arm. It would have broken any guy, but Josh was unmoving, unfeeling as Max squeezed again, eyeballing him all the while, but still able to steal glances at were Liz now knelt beside Maria. Herself in so much pain but helping her friend up with all the strength she had left.

“It’s okay Maria.” She winced. “Lean on me.” She hesitated as they just looked at each other. Liz could see real fear in Maria’s eyes, panic and confusion, both wanting…no needing to speak but unable to find the words. Liz now knew Maria was definitely hiding something. Maria looked away as Liz held her harder as she felt another pair of arms slip around her, taking her weight off of Liz. It was Kyle.

“What happened?” He asked, as he looked them both over trying to see how they were. He had seen Max grab Josh and had went to help the two girls. He had taken Maria’s weight full on him but as she collected herself she pulled away.

“I’m fine” She wavered a little as she stood bolt upright, her trademark smile returning now.
“really just a bit dizzy from all the smoke..” She felt Liz’s eyes behring into her. She always knew when she was lying but she did not look at her, afraid she would just break down and tell her everything. They were on that road but she was not ready to go all the way…not just yet.
They were all brought out of their thoughts when they heard Max yelling at Josh to stay away, his voice could be heard over the chaos, full of alien rage.

Isabel noticed that Max’s blinding rage was drawing attention to the drama being played out by the friends and tried to calm him down,
“Max.” She was looking around them. “Not here, its not safe.” But her brother was now beyond reason. Josh just smiled pushing Max out of the way going towards Liz. Max pulled him back and away from Liz by holding his arms back to breaking point. Josh was about to fight back and Max was going to let him, when a left hook came out of nowhere and impaled itself hard on Josh’s jaw sending him flying as Max let him fall to the ground. Michael was now standing over him, his burning eyes more than matching the flames around him.

“I should have done that in Florida!” He spat out. Max looked hard between the two men, wanting to know what had happened between the two but finding Liz’s tiny frame more important.

He was at her side in an instant where she was starting to bent over. As he stood beside her, afraid to speak, unsure of what she would do or say. His hand reaching instinctively out to touch at her back,, only to stop and hover above it. He could feel the heat radiating off her back. He was dizzy with it, but fearing a connection that he knew Liz didn’t want he went to pull away.

“Don’t go.”
She whispered which made him jump, he thought she had not realized that he was there as swallowing hard he gently lowered his palm onto her lower back. He felt a jolt as she pushed lightly up into it feeling it to. He did not know he was doing it but he began to rub in small circles. She moaned.
“Liz…its getting worse isn’t it?” It was but that wasn’t why she was moaning. His slightest touch was racking havoc on her emotions.
“Liz…let me help you…” He whispered.
Finally she looked upon him as she slowly shook her head, letting it fall back down again. He was about to respond when he heard Maria.


“MICHAEL!” Maria squealed as she was now able to function, gingerly ran to him. She threw her arms about him, almost pushing him back and over. It threw him in more ways than one. Maria had been moody of late, more than usual and it had been a long time since she had shown anything like this towards him. He did not want the moment to end. She pulled him from her, her changed again.
“Where the hell have you been?” She smacked his arm.
“hello..” She purposely looked about them. “..ever so slightly WORRYING MY ASS OFF…” She was now in ramble mode and he was not in the mood for it right now.

“I was trying to find Liz’s meds.” He coughed as she now saw he was covered in ash and smelt of fire.

“You went in there?” She looked between him and the flames, shocked. She then smacked him hard at the back of his head. “..only brain cell now awake? God, Michael you can’t take risks like that…”
She was pacing. “….especially not now, god your too important to me....” Her voice trailing off and breaking. “….to us…”
He was frowning as she stopped herself. She had almost lost herself. Sensing something he went to go to her but she now stepped back.
“Don’t bother.” Her mood changing and holding once more. She hoped that he would but then he saw Liz and he pushed Maria aside to get to her. He did not see the tears now falling from her eyes as she turned away from them all. Hiding the truth from them all.

Michael was the other side of Liz as her breathing was laboured. Max caught his eye.
“Did you get her medication?” His eyes wide. Michael shook his head as she wailed this time, doubling over. Both caught her, neither letting go.
“She’s in pain Michael.” He pleaded.

“I know” He bit out. “We need to take her to a hospital.” He was gently trying to ease her away from Max. She moaned again. He stopped as she now clung harder to Max. Michael let go completely as Max now took her full weight on him.

“I’m coming with you.” Josh stated, he had slithered up beside them as they walked. Everyone was ignoring Maria’s blood shot eyes as they followed Michael and Max as they carried her best friend to the waiting car. She never felt so alone in her life as she unconsciously cradled her tummy.
Liz felt so sick but it felt so good to be in Max’s arms again. It felt so safe, warm. He felt her encircle him tighter as they approached the car only to have their path blocked by Josh.

“MOVE!” Max ordered as Liz moaned again. Josh just stood there blocking the path to the car. Michael stepped past Max and forced Josh away from the car. Max gently placed Liz in the passenger seat of the car and then raced around and got into the drivers seat. Michael held Josh away from car with ease as it sped off into the night.



Part 12a

Josh could only stand there and do nothing as he watched Max drive the car containing Liz away from him. He had his back to Michael so he couldn’t see the expression on Josh’s face nor the blood starting to drip ever so slowly from where his nails now dug into his clenched fists. He then heard Michael speak.

“Well, Liz is safe from you for now. Catch you later.” Michael spat out as he turned to go. He felt a tug on his arm as Josh grabbed a hold of his elbow. Michael just looked between him and his hold as he then threatened.
“I’d rethink your position right about now.”

Michael leaned in to Josh, placing his hand on his shirt collar, the little drama unnoticed by the crowds around them. Josh just smacked Michael’s hands away, and grabbed one of his wrists tightly in his hand. Both men tried to stare each other down, as they both had a hold of the other, squeezing harder with every second that passed. Neither backed down as Michael began to realize just how strong Josh was.

“So should you my friend.” He hissed, stealing a glance round to see who may be watching them as he leaned in closer.
“I’ve dicked around with you long enough Rath, …don’t make me have to show you just how pissed off I am right now.” He reveled in the look of utter shock that now took hold of Michael’s face when he used his Antarian name. His grip was so strong on Michael now that it was causing pain like Michael had never had in his life. But Michael was determined not to show Josh the effect it was having on him and his grip was just as hard on Josh.
“Don’t try to get in my way again …you’ll lose. Now do us both a favour, stay out of my way..” He then peered over his shoulder.
“….or you’ll be picking them up in pieces for days.” He promised nodding over to where Maria stood alone, arms tightly held around her, head down low. Michael frowned, looking at Josh in confusion. Josh smiled in understanding, realizing why Michael appeared so confused. She hadn’t told him, he didn’t know. This was just getting better and better, as he decided to break the good news himself. While he started to open his mouth to speak he was interrupted by someone walking up to the group.

“Where’s Liz?” Jeff worriedly bit out as he eyes searched the area for his daughter. He noticed the interaction between the two just before they pulled apart. He wanted to ask what was going on between them but his daughter was more important right now.

“At the hospital…Jeff.” Josh’s oily voice answering Jeff while Michael still stared at him in confusion.

“ALONE!…you let her go ALONE…” Jeff was more afraid of that fact than his whole livelihood in flames before him.

“No, Max is with her.” Michael replied as he snapped out of the daze he was in. His brain was still raging with questions to the impossible words that ‘Josh’ had just posed to him. Jeff began to freak out also but not hiding it as well.

“WHAT? God I knew the moment Max got anywhere near her at he’d say two words and she’d get sucked right back into it. GOD, after all the heartache he’s caused her why can‘t he just leave her the hell alone.” He bit out as he looked for his car. Finally spotting his car he began to walk towards it while reaching deep into his pockets looking for his keys. As he reached the car he stopped and turned back to Josh.
“You coming?” At Jeff’s request Josh started to walk after him.

“Of course I’m coming, I can’t have my angel alone with that jerk for too long now can I?” He looked back over his shoulder at Michael and smirked as he approached the car and reached for the door handle. Michael glanced at Josh and then back at Maria, trying to decide what to do, follow Josh to keep him away from Liz or stay with Maria. Isabel and Kyle were now holding Maria, comforting her and Michael figured she would be fine in their care. Max and Liz on the other hand, had no idea what was about to hit them. To be honest, neither did he, but he had to at least warn Max and Liz. Taking one last look back at Maria, Michael turned and jogged over to Jeff’s car. He didn’t notice Maria eyes as they were glued to his retreating back. She could only look on as he chased Mr. Parker and thatassholeexcuseofahumanbeing. ‘Mr. Parker and Josh must be going after Liz and Max.’ Maria thought. ‘But why does Michael think he has to go too? What does Michael know about Josh that he isn’t telling everybody? Isabel and Kyle continued to hold her and comfort her but she didn't even realize it till Isabel asked her if she was alright. She asked why she was crying.

"NO, (sob) it's not (sob) alright (sob) Isabel...." She whimpered as she yanked her arm out of Isabel's comforting hand.
"..this is just (sob) so fucked up (sob) its unbelievable (sob)...god (sob)..."
As Maria went to stomp off she seemed to stagger and then bending nearly double she promptly threw up her entire days food intake. She hadn’t had that much to eat that day and her nausea quickly turned to dry retching. She staggered a little more and before Kyle or Isabelle could try to catch her, she fell to the ground hard.

Michael didn’t witness the little scene behind him as he jogged over to Jeff’s car. “Hey wait up….“ he said as he reached the car. “….I’m coming too.” He said to Jeff as he looked at Josh.
“You’re the guest in Roswell, why don’t you ride shotgun?” Michael said through gritted teeth as he reached for the handle to the back door. Michael didn’t trust Josh so there was no way that he would let Josh sit behind him. He definitely wanted to keep Josh in full view.

“Sure.” Josh replied as he jumped into the front seat.

“Liz is lucky to have a friends like you..." Jeff said as he looked over at Josh. “..sorry fiance.” Jeff corrected himself sheepishly., his head understandably not completely there right now as he started the car.
“ By the way, I still haven’t thanked you for saving our lives back there…I don’t know what we would have done if you hadn’t have been there.”
The car was now speeding away.

“ No problem….” He replied, smiling harder as he felt Michael’s eyes burn into the back of his head. “….it’s the least I could do, I’m just glad that I was there to help and that no-one was hurt.” His voice oozing out of him effortlessly.

“Yeah right, mind you don’t choke on it.” Michael muttered under his breath as he now looked into total darkness out the window.

“What was that Michael? We couldn’t quiet hear it up the front.” Josh asked sharply, having heard every word of it. “ Was it a joke maybe, we all need a laugh right about now wouldn’t you agree?…” Still nothing from the back.
“WELL, you care to share it with us Michael?” His voice piercing as Michael finally bit out a reply.

“NO joke, just the one sitting in front of me!"
He had no idea who 'Josh' was, or what he was capable of but he just couldn't stand the guy. Michael never used the word hate and meant the word but he'd make an exception for Josh. The anger was now raging within him as he began to feel a pull towards Josh that he'd never felt before. He'd only met in twice before, taking an instant dislike to him the moment that they met at Liz's flat that day...hating him by the time the night was through when he rushed to the hospital after Liz had been pulled from the water. After Josh had supposedly saved her from killing herself that is.
Now he could feel something which only he could feel, correction, that only an alien could feel as his head began to throb. He'd had the headache all day but it was worse now....he'd had it since....He tried to think but it felt like he was being blocked from doing so, not from him but from the outside as thinking got harder, hurting all the more he heard Jeff speak.

"But I thought you said that you and Michael were......"

"aquaintances." He snapped round at Jeff who only smiled and corrected himself. Michael smirked at just how wrong they both were. They were neither, they were enemies which would become apparent to Josh soon enough but then Michael began to remember that day. The day that he'd made his excuses and gone to Florida to be with Liz when she had her appointment to go the hospital.......

******************************************

That day.

.....Michael walked down the street looking intently at every door to see if it was hers, bumping into people on the crowded sidewalk as he went along. Michael didn't like crowds and he certainly had his work cut out for him in this street. He stopped and looked back at the street sign to make sure he was on the right one.

"Shit." He hissed, as an elderly lady trundled past at that exact moment, as she ran into him, then ran over his foot with her shopping cart.
"HEY!..." He barked about to get pissed very, very quickly when she spoke.

"You swear at me young man and you'll have the other one to match." She then waggled her index finger at him and had waddled off. Michael rubbed a little as he muttered again that there was far too many people here and that he was in the wrong street. Liz's apartment was around the corner on the next street.

He stopped dead as he turned the corner. The street was a mess, it wasn’t as crowded as the street he had just left but the going was still hard as you had to dodge the people and the garbage that was piled along the curb. His stomach grumbled but not through hunger...how could she be living in a place like this? He took a deep breath but it caught in his nostrils from the stench of rotting garbage. The realization hit him, this was why the phonecalls had been so short....she didn't have her own phone. The thought, 'God I have to get her out of here and take her back home with me' kept going over and over in his head as he found himself approaching the door with her number on it. Climbing over kids toys mixed in with assorted pieces of garbage he approached her door. He was about to knock as he saw that the door was slightly ajar. He was about to knock again when he heard muffled voices and saw naked bodies fading in and out of the gap between the door and the jamb. He began to get a strange feeling inside of himself as his curiosity got the better of him the leant in closer, not knowing why, but just doing it. Michael was shocked to see a man with his back to him hungrily feasting on a girl as they moaned and groaned. Michael saw her hands and legs wrapped around his waist as he lifted her high to feed on her again. Letting his mouth close over the girls naked breast. Michael felt shocked and terribly embarassed watching Liz as she leaned round the man to kiss at his neck. Michael froze at the sight of the girl’s hair, it wasn't Liz. It couldn’t be Liz. Not unless she'd dyed her hair blonde and curled it like the girl that was quickly disappearing from view. He could hear their laughter decreasing as they moved further away from the door and deeper into the apartment. Needing to know who this could be in Liz’s apartment Michael started to look in further when he heard his name being called from behind.

"Michael..god you're here." He almost fell through the doorway as he spun round to see a wide eyed Liz heading towards him, arms outstretched. He did a double take as she was still Liz but she looked different. She was thin, having lost way to much weight that her tiny clothes looked big on her as he felt the beginnings of her bones poking out of her skin as she flung her arms around him in a tight embrace.
"God I'm so happy that you were able to find me okay. " Adding as she was now holding him tight She appeared so fragile that he was afraid that he might break her if he squeezed too tightly but he did none the less, unable to help himself.

"Me too, your apartment was a real bitch to find." He was glad that her face was buried in his chest so she wouldn't be able to see the shocked expression on his face at the sight of her.
She was far worse than she'd told him he thought as she pulled away from him, her face beaming from ear to ear. Her smile instantly drawing his out as she went to go round and open the door.

"Here let me get you something to eat or drink, we have awhile before the appointment and we have a lot to catch up on...." Liz said as she reached for the door.

His words then stopping her dead. "NO...wait..." He block her, not wanting her to see that obvious bastard do the wild thing with some blonde bimbo.
She was just too good and special to have to see that.

She frowned nervously. "Michael what's wrong?" Her smile now gone as she noticed the door. It was open. He was home. there was no time as she caught her next breath in her throat, eyes wide, pulling him away from the door as she shut it.

"Lets not go in here...lets do lunch out first..." Her smile now back except it was so obviously forced. She was pulling at his arm, ushering him away from the door and down the stairs, nervously looking back only once.

Michael's daydream ended as he shifted slightly in the backseat just as Josh's remembrance of that day sparks up...


The door flung open. Josh had felt something but now he was faced with an empty hallway. Looking down the hall one more time he went back into the apartment as she called out to him.

"Come back to bed , I need my daily fix of you Babe." He smiled as he padded back to her, gazing out of the window as he did so. He suddenly stopped and pressed his nose flat against the glass. He saw the tiny figure of Liz walking away from their home with a man in tow, looking very cozy as she linked her arm into his. He frowned hard with rage as he felt the girl’s arms encircle him from behind. Glancing out the window to see what he was staring at she said.
"Leave them. They can wait. Come back to bed." As she ducked under his arm to face him, nibbling at his chest as she did so. He didn't really want her right now but if he couldn't have Liz then she would do to satisfy his hunger once more as he tore himself away from the window to look into her sky blue eyes.

"Don't you want me?" She mumbled with big puppy dog eyes. He lifted her up and around his waist in one swift move, as he began walking her back to Liz's bed. His bed was across the street in his apartment. Liz hadn't let him move in yet, he doubted that she ever would. Max had fucked her up so much that she was no good to anyone. Her spirit was broken but still strong enough to fight it, to fight him but after what he had planned for tonight all that would change.

Making his way to Liz's bed again and her mouth he finally spoke.
"How could I not want you when I only see her when we have sex." He threw them both on the bed as she clawed at his back.

"Nor I you when I see you as Max." She smirked as she bit his neck hard. She moaned as he settled down onto her.
"But this time don't call me by HER name...its such a passion killer you know." She felt him yank her arms hard above her head by her wrists as she relished her name as it purred off his tongue.
"...Tess..."



*bounce**bounce**bounce**bounce**bounce*
posted on 1-Jan-2002 12:47:04 PM

~Part 6~

he was bunching at her hair, pulling at her neck to make sure she was awake, that she was alright and that this was real. her heavy breathing, warm skin and clawing hands would have told him that but it was her eyes, drawing him in that told him all he needed to know. He finally exhaled, long and hard as he then formed one word.

"Llliiizzz?" pulling her closer still as his hands where now close to her neck, under her ears as his his fingers now played with the silky strands of her hair,her breath hitting him hard in the face, making him feel so dizzy as he heard her instantly calming to his presence. Finally she followed his lead and spoke.

"Max?"

She was pulling at his shirt collar, eyes widening to his closeness as she pulled him in all the more.

"..max..I..have..something..I..NEED..to..tell..you.."

He was now holding her head tightly between his hands, being unable not to run his thumb lightly across the scarabove her left eye that he'd missed so much, pulling at her to stop thrashing about and look at him. When she did he held her eyes, drawing her in all the more.

"..Max.." He took her deeper into him.

"Max"

"I..have..to..know..Liz..let..me..see..please."

He started to tremble as her eyes got bigger, knowing exactly what he meant by what he'd said. She shock her head, trying to pull her head away from him before he could connect with her, now beginning to fight him even though it hurt her to do it, so still from her blackout.

"Stop it Liz..let me in?" His words gentle but no less urgent.

"NO...Max. They'll see." Her eyes begging him to stop while so many people were around. Her hands were now hard on his arms, as they both already feeling that familiar ache begin to throb and spread inside of them, between them which in turn made them both all the more dizzy.
Both were now ware of the people around them, trying to pull him off of her.

"You can't be in here Sir. Somebody call security...now!"
they heard a nurse now yell, still trying to yank him from Liz. He gently nudged her across the room, along with three of her friends, his contact never breaking with Liz's face for a moment.

"I NEED to know if its true please...I can help you if you just let me in..please Liz.."

His voice broken as his grip tightened on her all the more. She shook her head, her voice just as broken as his as she cupped his face.

"But...they'll...see Max."

Lips now onlt inches from his as he moved in. She should have busted his face right about now, or even back at the quarry at least, like she had planned a thousand times in her head already. But she only had to look in those deep, amber eyes once more, instantly forgetting all the pain and suffering taht was still so raw within her, his letter for torturehad left so many scars. She was lost, always lost in his looknomatter what. And she hated herself all the more for feeling that way, then daring herself to believe at that moment that it was only a cruel lie/a joke even. She had to be close to him, nothing else mattered- not even what she'd come here to do, the need too much that it was now becomimg almost painful for her not to. Closer, closer, closer still as Max then whispered something in her ear, his breath doing things to her that she just wasn't ready to deal with right now.The answer to only the question she'd ever ask herself again. The one that had been constantly torturing her everyday for almost a year, to the point that she thought she'd actually die from it.
Was what he'd written the truth?

"I...don't...care!"

His eyes were shining over as his arms violently shook as he ran his thumbs across her cheeks, showing her no signs what so ever that it was. Could it be...she couldn't let herself think that because if it wasn't true than why write it? A bout of insanity, tripping on something totally illegal, mind warp, trying to protect by pushing her away from him the only way that he knew how or was it just how he felt, pure and simple? All this and more had gone through her head a thousand times over but that could wait aliitle longer, what she had to tell him was more important. She caught her next breath before it could leave her as her eyes began to well and spill, now beginning to feel warm and fuzzy inside as the connection between was about to kick start into life.
She then closed her eyes, throwing him alittle off balance as he was cut off dead, groaning as he reached back for her.

"LIZ"

She felt him shake her hard as she squeezed her eyes tighter.

"LOOK AT ME..."

He couldn't help but shake her harder as he now knew what she was doing and he wasn't prepared to let that happen. He went into her again as a voice that they both reckonised could now be heard yelling from behind them.

"MAX! WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING? GET YOUR HANDS OFF OF MY DAUGTHER."

Jeff was now pulling at his forearms as he was finally able to yank Max off and away from her. She snapped open her eyes 'cus she now knew it was safe enough to do so.

"Dad!...leave him alone."
Aware what was now happening
around her, missing Max's closeness all the more. She was off the bed, almost clawing at her father to let him go. Max stopped fighting once he saw how it was affecting Liz, not wanting to be the one to cause her any more pain , he'd already used up a lifetime's quoter on that very subject.
Jeff was just so happy see his bady girl as he instantly let go Max, pulled her into a behr hug.
The nurses had now fanned away, no longer needing here' other people to save. Jeff was clawing at his daugther's back as he pulled her away, cupping her face, his tears now evident on his face.

"Liz.." Was all he could manage at that time as he was shaking her all the more as his mood changed into something more.

"Where have you been all this time Liz? And why haven't you called us in all that time?"

He shook her alittle more, she let out a wince as Max took a step forward, stopping when he saw that she was shaking her head not to come any closer. He didn't but was still close enough just in case.

"Your mom's been going out of her mind..."
He stopped himself as his eyes now widened to the phonecall from the hospital earlier that day.

"The doctor said that you were sick. What's wrong?"

She said nothing, looking back at Max from over her daddy's shoulder as he was looking right back at her with those puppy dog eyes that used to make her like mush with just one look, they still did as her legs whobbled having to hold into her father alittle tighter in order to steady herself.

"TELL ME!"
His voice now raised only because he was scared. She was now looking back up at him, unsure of just what to tell him, still feeling very hot and light-headed as her world began to tilt once more.

"Not here kay but I'm fine now. Don't worry."
She pushed herself away as as the doctor from before came upto them.

"Miss Parker, up I see? How are you feeling now? You had everyone worried there for a minute but.."

"Can I go now?"
She spoke quickly in order to stop him from going on any further, hoping no-one would pick up on it, knowing Max did.

"Well I would suggest that you stay alittle while longer, if only to rest." He was looking at her father all the while. She saw and she wasn't having any of it.

"I feel fine. So I can go now right?"
She was now stepping away from the both of them as the young doctor gave her a gentle smile and nodded.

"But any further episodes like this then its in your best interest to come back...okay!" His smile had gone, voice stern. She nodded, giving him alittle smile back as she went to go to Max, as her father pulled her in the opposite direction towards the door.

"Hey!"
She was already wiggling to get away from him as Max was beside them in seconds.

"Your coming HOME with me Liz. Your mom's waiting...so's this Josh!"
He spat out as she stopped dead in all the choas she'd completely forgotten about him. She chose to pretent not to have heard him as she pulled harder this time.

"NO...I'm GOING with Max."
She bit out, pulling one last time as he then let her go, not wanting to hurt her. She was now only looking at Max, who's eyes were wide, he'd heard about josh too...SHIT was the logical thing to say now which she repeated over and over in her head.

"Max and I NEED to talk."
She was then trying to fight to put on her coat and she was losing it as she felt a strong arm helping her. She didn't need to look up to know it was Max. His hand lightly brushed up against her behr arm, as he did so, both feeling the spark kick in again, enough to make them gasp alittle but saying nothing as she looked back at her father.
"We'll talk soon..I promise." She was now reaching out for him, her hand now on his arm as he then lay his on top of hers.

"Okay Liz, just come home...we've missed you." He squeezed alittle tighter.

"I've missed you both too, so much." She felt a lump in the throat as she swallowed it back down hard. sdhe let her hand drop, smiling one last time as she walked through the door that was being held open by Max. The two men just looked at each other, no words needed as Max just nodded to let him know that he'd take care of his only child with his own life if need be. Jeff nodded back as max was gone too, in to the choas that he could now hear.

"What's this twat tripping on Michael? Don't tell me there's more...I don't think I can handle anym..."
Trailing off as she saw Liz standing in front of her. Maria couldn't move, for a woman of so many words she now couldn't even find one when she needed to the most.
She still wanted the oil that she knew was at home, hell a large bottle of Vodka without a glass more welcome to her at this particular time. Liz was drowning on land just as badly as she was, as she finally began to form words when Josh interupted her.

"Babe..." He was at her side, instantly cupping her cheeks. She pulled away faster, not liking to be this close and now beginning to remember why. She took another step back, still not likng the way that he was looking at her, how it made her skin prick and crawl.
She didn't realize it but she was right up against Max who stood behind her. They hands found each other as hers reached back behind her to find his, neither looking to see, only allowing their fingers to interwine while still only looking at Josh.
Max instantly tensed up, she could feel him as she squeezed his hand harder everyone else still none the wiser. Max's eyes burned in further was Josh stepped in closer to Liz as she in turn pushed herself harder into Max's strong chest.

"Don't tell me...this must be Max right?" His voice one which Max didn't like also, not knowing this guy from Adam but so wanting to punch his face in (to blast him into a million little pieces would be too noisy for such a place and far too quick and easy)for what he could see he was doing to Liz, hell for even looking in her direction!!
She felt like she was gonna faint as she went to side step him, head low as she pulled Max in so close behind her but Josh now blocked her exit with his body in her face. Max certainly didn't like that as he pulled Liz to a stop, now in front of her, now putting a firm hand on Josh's chest.

"And you must be Josh...."
His voice and manner now showing the king that he was , that he would again. Liz swore under her breath, he had heard. SHIT!! Damn those wonderfully cute,

"A nobody who's now leaving!"
Michael spat out as he was now at Max and Liz's side, arms tightly folded across his chest as he continued to stare in down hard. Josh just smiled as he moved in closer, Liz took another step back, her two alien protectors taking on forward.

"Haven't we been here before Michael...she chose me then remember?.. like she WILL again!"
He went to reach round Max in order to get to Liz as he only met with Max's hand as he smacked it down hard ont o his forearm, stopping him dead, not so gently squeezing the living crap out of it.

"I don't and she stays with me. Now ...MOVE!"
Josh wasn't about to back down, not for him, not for her, not for anybody but there was too many people around and there would be another time. He turned his body away for them to get past, speaking to her as they past by.

"I be seeing you Babe!" His vioce making her shiver as she squeezed at Max's hand harder, now finding the strength finally, that she'd been lacking so much as she felt Max crush hers back.

"I doubt that Josh. It was a mistake you coming here. It was a mistake fullstop, all of it. Please leave me alone."
Her voice harsh, eyes harder as max pushed past him, bumping him hard when there was plenty of room for they to all get about without having to touch. He said nothing, just watchingthen leave hand in hand as the others followed, all except Michael that was. He now had Josh hard up against the wall, hand at his throatas he began to squeeze.

"Like I told you before, don't mess with any of us, especially Liz. Leave her alone or you and I will be having that little chat that I spoke of the last time we met.."

"..when I saved her ass from drowning you mean." He spat out, literately.

"You and I both know that wasn't how it went, much like that girl I saw you shagging in Liz's bed while she was in the hospital. Call yourself her friend, although we all know what your sick little mind thinks about that, when all you ever did for her as introduce her to the bottle and put her into hospital!"

"She went willingly.... she did alot of things willingly. Some of which you wouldn't belie..."
He was cut off as Michael crushed even harder on his windpipe. Josh was now finding it hard to breathe as he began to claw at michael's hand all the more. Michael loked round as he saw that they had an audience, he had to cool it fast before he lost it completely, bad idea!

"I'll say this one more time leave or else it will be me dishing out the punches, not you and you don't wanna feel my punches. Now leave her the fuck alone."

He pushed Josh away from the wall, still by the throat, then ramming him back up against it harder than before.
He crushed once more for luck as he let him drop then he was gone too as Josh saw Jeff coming out from where Liz had been. He was speaking to a doctor which gave josh time to shake it off before Jeff found him.

"Josh!" He would have to get used to that name, seeing as though he was marrying his babygirl.

"Hi Mr.Parker."

"Call me Jeff." He was now smilng at him, not alot but a smile none the less. Josh smiled back.

"Jeff...would you know where I can find a descent room for the night?"
They were now at the carpark entrance as Jeff spoke again.

"Hell why would you wanna do that when there's room at 'the crash', your more than welcome to stay and Liz will be home soon."
The magic words as he saw them all huddled over in the the far corner, and it looked like they all fighting, things far from cosy. Josh smirked.

"Well...if your sure?"
They were now both in Jeff's old banger which was friendly known as 'deathtrap2'...the first one being how Liz got her the scar above her eye.

"Why wouldn't it be, you are almost family after all and you have been looking atfer Liz for us, its the least we can do."

Thecar banged into starting as Josh saw Liz leaving with Max, the sight making him fist his hands into little balls, knowing that this was far from over.

"And then you can tell us what's wrong with Lizzie 'cus she's not saying."
He said as the car rolled away, not seeing the look of utter confusion held in Josh's face at his last sentence.

-------------------------------------------------------

They hadn't spoken all the while in the car as Max drove her home, to his house. he knew his parents were both away for afew days and the others now knew to keep away for awhile. Maria and Isabel were troublesome but he'd hightailed it out of their before it really could get heated. They didn't even speak once inside his room as he now shut the door behind them. For the first time in like...forever they were completely alone.

She stood in the middle of the room, her back to him as he leant his forehead on the door, closing his eyes tight as he exhaled hard. He'd only just noticed the smell of strawbehrry and vanilla that told him for sure that she was near , that Liz was back home. He didn't realize how much he'd missed it till then as it made his head spin and his heart race. Funny that because for the first time in along time he felt like he was breathing again, it made him feel like he was breathing again, she made him feel like he was breathing again. After a year of not exsisting he felt like he was beginning to come back to life again, with every moment he spent with her the feeling was only getting stronger, deeper. It felt like it was in the beginning, before everything, when it was just Max and Liz, and how the babysteps to each other started. The awkwardness, the shyness, the stolen glances and one word conversations...it was like they were starting all over again. The feeling was making him so dizzy wondering what she was thinking about? Did she feel the same? Praying she did, knowing she didn't after he remembered that letter again. He pushed himself harder up against the door, his head spinning out of control as he felt like he was gonna puke again. If he'd known that she was thinking EXACTLY the same as him, he'd have lost it there and then. His emotions were all tearing through him at once so he 'd missed her calling to him the first time. Hearing nothing it was then that she finally turned round to meet him, stopping dead to what she saw. He was leaning up hard against the door, so hard as if to stop himself from falling, head back, eyes tightly shut, chest heaving as much as hers. She let out a gentle moan, wanting to just watch him like that all day, landing with a bump when she remembered again.
So swallowing down hard she willed all these ole too familiar feelings away as she steadied herself as she called out to him again This time he heard her as his head snapped up to meet hers as he pushed himself off the door, eyes wide for he had something to say too.
"LIZ.."

His hands inhis hair as he suddenly felt very nervous, nothaving felt that way since he was 'shy Max' unable to lok at her without blushing let alone talk to her, it was so long ago but he was now back there is if it was only yesturday. he had to fight to get the words to come.
"Liz..about..the..letter..I.." he was taking more small steps as she then spoke, voice just as shaky.

"NO Max stop, I've got something more important to tell you..."

"Don't say that! Nothings more important to me than that letter..than explaining to you.." His whole manner now changing, he was angry at her for saying that as he was now rushing to meet her. He stopped when he saw the look on her face.

"Liz.What's wrong?" he was suddenly affaid. Already she was making him feel so many different emotions in such a small amount of time, and he fed off it all the more as they continued to change. He was almost home, onlt afew steps away from heaven, from her when she spoke again.

"..I don't know how to say this..... so I'll just come right out and say it."

"Liz?" He was really affaid now as both their hearts were almost pumping right out of their heaving chests as their eyes locked harder, their bodies reacting to each others instantly as the heat grew between them, now almost too painful.

"..I..I.came back because I have a message...I remember now. A message from your son Max." She stepped in alittle closer, knowing that he'd need help soon, as he just froze. She felt herself begin to blackout again, willing herself to hold on just alittle while longer.

"He's not where you think he is Max..he's here on earth. they both are and he's in so much pain."
Her eyes shining over.

"W..w.wwhat..I don't understand..Liz?" He stammered as his world began tiiting, suddenly feeling so sick (funny 'cus he never got sick but this past year...) as he shock all the more. She was now about to reach him as he took a step back, away from her.

"h..h.o.ww..?" Still at a loss.

"HE Speaks to me Max...."
She walked towards him as he continued to walk away from her, hitting he table behind, knocking it sidewards as he was finding it more and more difficult to breathe. He was wanting to understand, needing to understand but this was all too much, too soon. She took see he's confusion but she had to go on.

"... in my dreams mostly, don't ask me why or how but he has been for awhile now. When I got michael's letter in the hospital I wasn't going to come..."
Max looked up, back from wherever he'd been as he registered what she'd said.

"Hospital?" His body shuddered as he uttered the word. He was coming back as he strode back to where she stood.
"What Hospital?"
His voice firm, his flaring eyes making her nervous. She cursed herself for letting that slip as she quickly hurried back to why she was there.

"But your son...Caleb spoke to me and toldme that I had to come, that you needed me..."

"WHAT HOSPITAL LIZ ?TELL ME!" Now knowing that it hadn't worked.

"Didn't you hear me Max?...your son's here on eart..." He interupted her again.

"I DON'T CARE ABOUT HIM. TELL ME WHY YOU WERE IN A HOSPITAL LIZ." He now had her by the arms as she spoke again, almost coming apart in his arms.

"But he's the most important thing in your life Max...they both are, aren't they? 'cus that's what your letter sai...."
He shook her so hard, squeezing her arms till they went numb.

"I LIED LIZ!" he shook her again.

"THAT WHOLE LETTER WAS ALIE. I COULD NEVER DO OR FEEL ANY OF THAT!..."
Harder still, as she winced in pain.

"....NOT WITHOUT YOU...ALWAYS YOU LIZ.."

His eyes were spilling with tears about to carry on when it was his turn to suddenly fall to the ground, holding his head at his ears as he squeezed his eyes tightly shut. She was there to catch him (so to speak) as he'd been for her but this time he hadn't blacked out as she fell to her knees beside him.

"MAX?"
She screamed as he cried out again in pain, clutching all the move at his head as they hit him again and again, over and over, deeper and longer, harder and faster till they flung him onto all fours, breath then following.

She was reaching to get to him as he crawled up into her lap, curling himself in tight around her waist. They pulled themselves round each other tighter still as it wanting, needing to crawl right inside eachother's burning bodies in order to hide away as she began to rock them back and forth hard.

"Max what is it?...What did he show you?"
She was now pulling him away, her hands under his chin, making him look at her. But he was already there, his eyes showing her nothing but pain and rage as then he tried to say something. His mouth was open, willing them to come as he shook his head when they wouldn't. her hands were at his face, her body now as out of control as his as they were now both up on their knees, pushing hard up against each other as they clawed at each other bodies all the more.

"It's okay Max. Tell me...PLEASE..I can help...he wants me to help....he says I'm the only one who can...."
But she felt him him at her, pulling her closer into him, his eyes now burning with something else, not talking as his hand was now hel tight behind her head, as if to hold it there. His lips finding and brusing hers as her tongue was now going into mate with his...when his door was flung open and Isabel came waltzing in, eyes of fire.


~Part 7~

They could hear her but that just made them pull all the more closer together, clawing all the more at each other, not wanting to part for fear of never being able to find each other again. All the while that they drank deeper on each other the reasons not to be doing this far out weighted the reasons for it but it had been so long and it felt so good that it was the most natural thing to do...the only thing to do!
But neither she or the voice of reason were responsable for them finally tearing breathlessly apart, that was left to their lungs that were now fit to burst, that finally betrayed them.


"I KNEW...I JUST KNEW THIS WOULD HAPPEN GOD....."


She was now in his room, pacing up and round as her hands were at her hair. But neither Max or Liz were listening or even looking at her, their eyes only on each others..their ears only hearing their short gasps for breath.
Liz began to feel ohh soo dizzy as she wavered on her knees as she got that familiar pain from deep inside of her tummy, wishing she'd got her pills here, knowing that they were in her overnight bag which was now at 'the crash'.
She saw her hands begin to tremble as she felt max take hold of them tightly as they felt the visions begin again now not stronger enough to be able to make any sense of only colours, sounds and emotions beginning to ripple through them. This was like nothing that they had ever experienced before and it was just starting to get alittle scary, the unknown not being a very nice place to be. They'd found that out this past year apart. They then subsided into nothing so that what they thought they were...nothing!
They were still kneeling on the floor, so close as Max's shaky hand was now reaching for Liz's face, her seeing and then about to lean into it. Almost there, the need not to be too great from the emptiness that now was comsuming them whole as the moment was then shattered, for now if not forever, when they heard Michael come blasting through the door shouting the odds at her.


"DIDN'T YOU HEAR ME SAY TO LEAVE THEM ALONE ISABEL?"
He was so up and in her face, voice hard as his eyes were harder. She snapped round to him as she spat back at him, kicking off almost for the last time that night.


"YES, chose to ignore it."
She was now looking only at him as she slowly now walked towards him.
"Awwww have I hurt little Mickey G's feelings when he is trying so hard at playing fearless leader while my f**ked up little brother is mooning over some human...."


"That's enough Isabel."
Max, upon her words finally reaching him, as he came back down from where Liz had taken him with abump was now up and at her side.
She was now staring him down, she scared alot of people alot of the time, Max was no longer one of them as he eye balled her back.He was trembling but not because of the situation that he was now in, it was something else but he didn't know what it was. And it was growing. Seeing that look again, she couldn't help but smirk.


"Look at yourself Max she's only been back 5 minutes and she's already got up wrapped up round her little finger again and you let her. God now stupid are you Maxwell?"
She never called him that, this was gonna be bad..real bad as he was now only inches from her face.


"I said enough Isabel..now DO IT!"
She was laughing at him now as both Kyle and Maria walked in, 'the roswell family' now complete.
Liz was now up, already feeling the strain from everything beginning to hit her like a sledgehammer to the forehead as she was making her way to the door, needing to get out upon knowing this was all her fault. She was beginning to feel so strange, still having to get out of there.


"LIZ.STOP!"
Max, who'd been watching her, saw where she was headed not wanting her to go, needing her to stay. She stopped, not looking at him when Isabel spat out again.


"No Liz, don't stop, walk through that door and just keep on walking.."
She was now beside her, seeing Liz shake alittle more, leaning in alittle more.
"..'cus that's all that your good for isn't it, running away, not coming back till either it suits you or you want someting...."
Liz shifted from onefoot to the either, unware she was edging further and further away from Isabel as she in turn walked in closer to her.


"So which is it? Missing making our lives hell or bordhem?"
Max was now pulling at her arm, as she fought back.
"Let go of me Max. Can't you see that I'm right here?Can't you....."


"NO CAN'T YOU SEE.." His grip on her tightening as he roared.
"...that this year has been unbehrable for me, without her here, I've been dying..."
He now looked upon were she stood, relentlessly searching for the eyes that she now wouldn't give her, still finding it hard to breathe at the sight of her actually being home. Feeling just what effect that was having on him on both the inside and the outside of his body, praying that no-one else could see as he shifted in order to easy it.
"...I was dead."
Liz's eyes now wide to him as he continued on.
"You saw how I was Isabel, broken and damaged...."
He now looked back at her, to see her face still full of rage.
"..but look at me now, do I LOOK broken and damaged to you Is?"
His voice calming as she still said or did nothing as he shook his head to her.
"Liz being back has done this to me, don't ask me to explain it because I can't but I now know that I would rather be with her then be without her..."

He didn't know why he was saying any of this while everybody was there but he thought if he'd stop now then he wouldn't be able to find the words again as he found her again and this time he'd found her eyes as they were now drawing him in all the more.
He was swallowing down harder as he went on.
"..the letter I wrote her being the single most f**ked up moment of madness of my life as an alienking on earth trapped inside of the body of a human boy..."

"Max.."
Liz finally finding the words to talk, using them as she was now using her feet to walk towards him.
"..don't its okay..I...I.."

"NO Liz its not okay god!"
His hands were tight in his hair as he turned away from her. He could now see the audience that they now had but now was not the time to back dowm, he knew he had some serious grovelling to do and the explaination was only the beginning.
"I wish I could tell you exactly why...like I wish you could let me why you did half of what you did for me, what you gave up for me from reading it in your jour...."
He had to stop as Isabel found her voice again.

"What a crock of shit, can you hear yourself Max, she doesn't belong here, with you and now there's this Josh guy..."


"Shut your mouth about things you know nothing about Isabel."
Michael was over, while looking towards liz, spitting fire yet with that look of panic on his face as Maria finally made her presence known in all of this.

"Ohhhh and you do right Michael?"
She spat out as his head snapped round in order to see her. He gave Liz a sidewards glance, hating himself for letting it come to this, as he saw her begin to shake.


"Look this isn't helping anybody, Max and Liz NEED to talk so why didn't we just let THEM do that first before anyone says anything that they might regret."


"Again, when did you die and become Dr. Ruth. We ALL need to talk. Its always about Max and Liz but there's us in all of this too."
She was now aiming it at Liz, who stood firm as she knew what was about to come. Maria eyes now filling with tears.
"How could you not tell me Liz, I'm your best friend or s....."
Isabel butted in before they could say anything even close to 'building bridges'.


"What like wish she'd never come back or that what ever this dying crap was about would just do us all a favor and put us all out of our misery.."
She had no idea what was coming till it hit her hard about the face. She knew she'd been slapped but wasn't expecting who it had come from as she looked down alittle to see Liz, eyes blazing, shiny from the tears that were now pouring out of them standing before her. Neither knowing how was the most shocked as Isabel saw Max go to Liz, but only to see her push him away.


"If you really wanna know about why I'm dying and I am dying Isabel let's get that straight before anything....."

She felt herself tremble as the room began to spin all the more. Isabel suddenly didn't want to know, knowing what Liz had done she knew she shouldn't have pushed her as liz now bent over in pain, it was pretty bad as it stuck her again. Her would have fallen if not for Michael, the closest catching her before she had a chance to hit the ground.


"LIZ!"
Max now pulled her from Michael and into his arms but she fought him all the way.


"NO LEAVE ME MAX. DON'T TOUCH ME OR YOU'LL SEE!"
She was walking away from him, still clutching at her belly as her mind was allowing her to remember more and more of what happened.
Max was reaching for her, ignoring her pleas all the more as she was now scaring the shit out of him. He had this feeling that he was on the road to finding her again, but now a fear of losing her now ever took that.


"LIZ. WHAT'S WRONG....PLEASE...TELL ME...LET ME SEE!"


"NO..PLEASE MAX...DON'T.." Her voice broken by her tears and her pain, both getting so out of control now she thought she'd blackout.


He was taking rushed steps towards her as he lunged out to her again, as she again smacked him away from her. And again and again until she was unable to anymore as her body finally gave up on her.
Her back was now squashed up hard against the wall as she let herself slide down it. She saw Michael's wide eyes from across the room, she'd asked too much of him.
It was her job to say and his not to have to keep it to himself anymore. As she finally spoke ohh soo shaking words.


"I..I..my...."
She shut her eyes, as Max saw his chance, he HAD to know and strode to where she was, falling to his knees as he grabbed hold of her face tightly. Her eyes snapped open to stop him in some way but the connection had already been made and he was already deep within her as the first wave hit them both. It shook them with the intensity of it as the connection and the visions started again, she or the situation unable to block them anymore, not wanting to as they came stronger faster, deeper longer.
They were so muddled but one image now stood out alone from the rest in both there minds.


*Liz asleep in her room as Tess stood over her, cruel smile wider as both her hands glowed brighter. One being on her belly, the other on Liz's as the glowing began to pulsate through them all the more. Tess closed her eyes to it, wanting to cry out with pleasure at what she was taking from and leaving from and to Liz as Liz began thrashing about all the more while in her nightmare like state as she gave and lost to Tess. When over, Liz arched her back high off the bed as Tess gave one last smirk as she left back through the open window, clutching at her belly........*


Both came back without breath, to instantly find each others arms as they began to rock, words being unable to be found as their bodies shock harder to the blindly realization of what caleb now meant to both of them.


Part 8


The room was silent apart from the wail that was now coming from Liz as she rocked herself, shaking her head from side to side at what she'd just seen....the shock of it burning itself on her mind over and over as she was still unable to understand any of it. Her eyes opened wider as she then saw Max, who was now leaning as she
was, looking much like he was when she'd first seen him at the quarry.....lifeless. Shifting towards him slightly she saw him pull himself right away from her hand, contact with the wall still remaining, as he was now looking only at her. His eyes were as wide as hers but he was crying, she couldn't feel enough to even go there yet.
She could see that he was shaking so hard as sweat ran down his face.


As he reached for her she shrank back against the wall trying to avoid his touch.

"How could you do that to me Max? How? I know you don't love me but how could you violate me like that?" Liz whispered, shrinking away from him, hugging herself, tears flowing down her face.


He was as lost as she ,as it was he who finally spoke first, his words broken.


"I...I..only wanted to help you Liz..."


He was shaking harder, utterly diguisted with himself as it hit him just what he'd done and now he was no better than Tess or any of those that mindraped the innocent...the helpless but he only wanted to help heal her, see where the damage was and make it all better. But the images came from nowhere, like they had been unlocked by him finally getting in to see. He looked back up at her as her eyes drew him in all the more as he saw that they were now filled with tears as well.


"..I...I..I'm s...sorry Liz..you didn't want me to see and I did....I'm so sorry...."
His heartfelt pleas reaching out to her all the more as she was now turning to face him. She then spoke, voice just as shaky.


"..I..didn't ..want to ...know I was sick..."
She was now looking around the room at the others as she found Michael last.
"..any of you...but I had to tell someone...I had no-one where I was and the only one I spoke to was..."


"Michael."
Maria added as she sat down on the edge of Max's bed, wanting to say something so much but now being the time to listen. Liz just nodded as she looked between her and him, until he spoke.


"I wanted to tell you so much..." His face now changing as he spoke from the heart to her.


"So why didn't you, you saw how bad I was...."
She shook her head as her body shook all the more, still unable to understand why he'd do that to her, as she too began to cry.
He was now kneeling in front of her, wanting to take her out stretched hands in his so much, knowing now that he may have lost the right to do that for good. He looked only at her as he went to continue on as Liz spoke again, her voice behrly audioable.

"I asked him not to."
She was now looking down at her hands, not wanting to see their eyes look away from her as she continued on. if she had of carried on looking she would have seen that they were looking at her all the more.


"I asked him to look about for Max for me while I was away so we spoke on the phone. Not often but enough to say I was okay and that you were all okay..." She smirked, playing with her hands all the more.


"What a crock of shit.."
She now found Isabel, still both raw from Liz's outburst
"...you were right about about that Isabel, we were not all alright, far from it."
Isabel then spoke.


"Then why didn't you just come back..."
Her voice having to trail off as it could be heard being to break down, shaking the feeling off as she continued on.


"We all thought that you would come back but you didn't...we all thought that you wouldn't last the week but you did."
Her ice finally melting as she began to feel tears hit her cheeks. Kyle was up behind her, hands other side of her shoulders as he gently started to rub.
He now knew her better than anybody in that room,he'd heard her woes and held her while she cried for another of her friends to come home...not to leave at all.


"Isabel..don't.."
Maria spoke as if to know what she was about to say and trying to stop her. Michael turned back to 'his heart' as if to reply for isabel.

"Let her talk, you all need to talk about it."
Maria looked at him alittle confused.

"Don't you?"
He looked at Liz, and smiled alittle.

"I've had someone to talk to about it."


"Why didn't you tell any of us, Michael, why didn't you make her come home?"
Isabel's angry tone now back..only alittle though as he shook his head, pushing himself up and away from Maria.


"I wanted to but you know Liz..."
He looked back at her.
"Once she's got her mind set she won't back down and she seemed happy enough.
Every time I mentioned coming home she just said that Max wouldn't want her here and it would kill her to return
But later I knew something was really wrong and when she called me to say that she was coming to town I thought she'd changed her mind. That she was coming home."
His voice sounding heavier and heavier.
"So she said she wanted to surprise everybody and would I come to the bus station alone. I thought nothing of it, so I did."
He swallowed down hard at the rememberance of that day...the day she told him she was dying.

------------------------------------------------------

He couldn't breathe, having to ask again just to make sure. She reached out and lightly took his hand in hers, something that she thought she'd never do with them never being that close but here their both were and it seemed the most natural thing to do.
"I know this isn't easy for you to understand and I don't mean to dump this on you but who else can I tell?"

He as now looking straight at her, bottom lip quivering just alittle.
"You have your family, you have Maria...god you even still have Max, even after everything, all having so much more right to know that me."


"Max, you want me to tell Max? No God Damned way. He's the last person I could tell this to. He never loved me Michael! NEVER! I have the letter to prove it. Don't even think of telling Max."

"He loved tess, he always loved Tess" Liz continued sneering.
"God, I see those words every time I try to go to sleep! Max Evans can rot in hell for all I care."


She stopped, took a deep breath and regained her composure. She looked up at Michael with a twinkle in her eye and continued.
"Yes but your the only one strong enough to handle it Michael, and they need someone like that , like you, being unemotional, detached guy...." She smiled as she tried making light of it.

"THIS ISN'T FUNNY LIZ."
He snapped back, yanked his hand away from hers.

"So you just thought you could dump and leave me with this right 'cus I 'll make you feel better right, good old Michael only around to abuse or take the piss out of....."
Liz was reaching for him as he was pulling away.

"No Michael its not like that at all...I just wanted to tell somebody...god my life is such shit in Florida..."
He knew she was crying , before he saw her tears.


"Liz..."


"I thought it was the best thing to do for all of us. And when Max conformed that I tried to find anew life for myself."
She let back hard in her chair as she stared out the window. The cafe around for the bus station was emtpy enough at that time of night not to be seen by anybody yet close enough to see her home one last time. She smirked at her last sentence at the rememberance of her efforts to do so.
"But I lost my placement, my apartment and gained a liking for vodka and a guy who...."

She stopped as Michael tilted his head slightly at her last statement but she missed it as her head and tummmy hurt all the more as she looked and found her pills...two sets of brightly coloured sweet like treats that could well save her life.
Michael saw she was shaking, as well as the bruises on her wrists that his eyes now saw.
He sat closer, eyes wide as she saw him looking .She sat back down, pulling her coat down at the sleeves cursing herself for wearing what she did.


"Liz whats going on with you..tell me...Max confirmed what? What letter are you talking about? Talk to me, maybe I can help you..."


"No-one can help me and I guess I deserve this as Max said..."
She stopped herself as she saw his look of confusion on his face.

"How can you say that, your the last one who deserves to be dying from cancer after what you did for us."
She looked up, confused herself as Michael's head leant in closer.
"Max showed me the journal Liz, or rather he freaked out while reading it, only to pass out again, so I read it for myself. He'd take it with him everywhere at it would either be his best friend or worst nightmare depending on his mood at that time....the latter being nearly every day. so don't tell me that you deserve this, and the right to behr children now taking form you when you wanted them so much.... with Max."


Her eyes were wider but she had written all that down in her journal which he had read. She shook off her tears as she went to get up as she heard her bus being called. She felt michael grab at her wrist, she winced as he pulled away. He so wanted to ask but there would be plenty of time to ask.


"Please don't go Liz, we all miss you so much, it was a mistake you leaving but Max told us not to say anything...to just let you go."
Liz shook all the more.

"Figures."
Was all that she said, taking the wrong end of the stick totally to what he meant as she changed into someone harder.

"So will you come? I really need someone there for me. The tests will be in a month, and I'll be in the hospital for a week if what they suspect is true. I'm..I'm just so scared Michael."
Michael stopped his answer in his throat as he searched her eyes.

"Will you stay?"
He already knew the answer but his heart just neede him to ask. She shook her head and asked again with her eyes. He nodded upon seeing her so scared and not wanting her to go to the hospital alone.
"Can I tell...."

"No Michael...you can't tell anybody. It's better this way, it you do I'll disappear...for good this time."
She'd try anything not to get the others involved so they could talk her into coming back when she'd die if she ever did, that's why she hadn't rang or seen certain people knowing that they would be able to suceed where Michael couldn't.
In his next breath he nearly did as he spoke of Max from out of the blue.

"It's killing him you know, being apart from you. Letting you go is what's making him so fucked up right now I'm sure of that now"
Liz stopped, unable to move.


"You told me he was okay Michael."


"I lied...he's dying without you or something, no one can get to him anymore. Nothing else matters to him not even his son."
She swallowed back the lump in her throat as Michael stepped closer.

"He loves you so much Liz....."


"Bull shit Michael. He doesn't love me! He never loved me! He misses Tess! He misses his son! God, I curse the day I ever stopped him from leaving. It was the worse thing I ever did, the biggest mistake of my life. I cry myself to sleep every night realizing that I kept max from going with her. Keeping him from his son."
Liz hissed at Michael.

"Huh? What aer you talking about Liz? Max loves you. He'll always love you."
Michael tried to reason with her.



Liz looked up in Michael's eyes and asked,
"Does he ever ask after me?...or want to get on a plane and come and find me?...and you said so yourself, he told you not to make me stay!"

She could continue but there was no time, her bus was leaving, as his silence answered her questions.
She walked towards him, reaching up to lay a kiss on the side of his cheek. He held on to her alittle longer than he should as she was finally about to leave...again.
She held him call back to her, as she turned back on last time.

"Get rid of the guy Liz..rebound love never works."
She went back top him one last time, hugging him harder not wanting to go back to her life..the life that she'd made for herself in answer to Max's letter but knowing she had no choice.

"I wish we'd done this sooner."Michael said.

"Me too!"
She relied back as she really was leaving this time. Getting on the bus she went to the rear seat and watched out the back window until she could see him no more. Counting the weeks till he would find an excuse to come out to Florida and to the hospital with her, also knowing that that was the time Josh was due back from his business trip to Califonia for his work at the research centre.
He'd become her first friend in Florida only to quickly become her worst nightmare but her some reason everytime so went to go....he'd just have to look at her, hold her and she would stay. She shook harder as she then pushed the thought of him from her mind. She'd tried to run before, her head throbbing with the memory of when he found her. He his words after of how he would hurt anybody that she loved if she ran again. Half of them were aliens, with alien abilities but what she saw in his eyes scared her more. She felt the darkness cloud her mind as she now got closer and closer back to Florida.
Totally unware that she'd be seeing Michael and Josh alot sooner than her date with the hospital.

-------------------------------------------------------

"OH MY GOD!"
Was all Maria could say as Michael told her the shortened version of that, the bits he knew about, the room now quiet as it was trying to sunk in. She couldn't move to do what she wanted to do, hearing Isabel do it for her as she punched himin the face.


"You Sonofabitch, you saw us...you saw Max and you knew all the time. Don't you know it was killing me to see Max like this, to play at being the bad guy for the sake of not getting hurt again...of any of us getting hurt again. Wanting...wishing that she'd just come back home..." She found Liz, who was nearing her step by step with each word.


"...Now back, wondering for how long, wanting to believe that it would be for good. That it would all be okay again
for us but knowing it couldn't be. Being the trustworthy bitch to keep you away...."
She stopped as she was now infront of her.


"then finding out that you...."
She broke then as Liz pulled her in closer.
"..I'm (sob) sorry (sob) so (sob) sorry (sob) Liz but your our family too (sob)..we...I..can't lose you too..."
She could no longer talk as Liz held her all the more. She wasn't sure how long she had but hopefully long enough for them all to heal.


"I'm sorry too Is. Forgive me?


"But I couldn't come home after what Max wrote to me. I had to stay away."


Isabel pulled her away hard, as she laughed alittle, eyes dancing at not being the bad guy anymore.


"Me Forgive you?...I can still feel that punch, what do you think?" They would have spoke more, still so much to say when Maria stood up and spoke.


"What about me?" She looked and sounded so lost and confused as Liz went to sat something, only to stop and shudder as she now saw Max, who'd been in the same place the world time, not saying a world till then.
How had she forgotten Max but she had been forgetting alot lately, as she heard him speak.


"She's... had... our..baby...Liz..."
His voice sounding like it didn't belong to him, as he was trying to fight every emotion all at once.
"..caleb....and you knew..."


His beautiful face now taught with pain and confusion.
She was at his side, on her knees in no time, reaching out to him.


"NO No Max, I didn't know any of this and I'm just as confused as you are but I ..."
Her hand was as his cheek, catching and wiping his tears as they fell.



"...We'll figure this out together Max. Then I'll leave you in peace..Just like you wanted."


He had turned and was pulling at her at her coat to get her closer as they began burning up again with something they didn't understand as the visions started again.
Only for them alone to hear and see as everyone else saw Max and Liz hold onto each other all the more as they both now began to glow. It grew and grew the closer and closer that they got together, everyone affaid that it could be seen as the curtains were drawn just as it threw them apart.
Breathlessly Max was the first to speak as he crawled over on his hands on knees to were Liz now lay. He sat down and pulled her to him in one smooth motion as she moaned.
"Did.. you hear our son Liz....?"
She sat up, eyes fluttering as she clawed at his clothing, then nodding.



"He wants us to come for him... so he can make mummy better.... He's the only one who can when his other mother is making her so sick...and.. because.. daddy's ..already.. better.. now ..Mummy's back....."
He was finding it so hard to talk as she did the only thing left to do.


"I'll be here for you Max until we find our son. Until we find Tess."
And then she held him close as the memory of what he did to this woman caused his shoulders to convulse with the tears that racked his body.


Part 9



She knew she had to let go, but it felt so good, he felt so good as he held her tighter. He seemed a perfect fit next to her, his face nestled in her neck. She began to shiver as his closeness and his breath on her neck was making her feel things that she didn’t want to feel right now.
She didn’t know if she would ever want to feel again. She tensed up and tried to move away from his embrace before her body had a chance to betray her. Max felt her respond to him this way and he instantly let go as if he’d been burned. He tried to look at her but she had shifted further away from where he sat. He could only see the side of her face and the strand of hair that hung down beside it. Instinctively, he reached over to tuck it behind her ear as he’d always done.


"Don't"
she snapped, not even looking at him as she flinched way to do it herself. Her voice was behrly a whisper but it tore through him as if she’d screamed it at him as he let his arm fall heavily back down. He leaned back against the wall hard, closing his eyes as his breath became laboured.
Liz stole a sideward glance at him from over her crossed arms, she was about to say something when Isabel’s shaky voice could be heard, breaking the deathly silence.


"I..I…don’t understand…"
Isabel said as she inched towards them as she sat on the edge of Max’s bed, trying to ignore the chasm that was so obvious between her broken brother and his lost love
"…Caleb is YOUR’S!"
She asked, her voice now mirroring the look of utter shock on her face. Liz slowly tore her eyes from Max and turned to her.
Liz was only able to give a slight nod in response as she trembled harder at this new revelation which changed everything yet still changed nothing between Max and her.


"..But how could that be?"
She tore a glare to Kyle as she scowled at him is if to tell him not to say anything, thinking that he was about to give her the obvious answer to that question. But if she had only have waited she would have heard that he wasn’t going to say a word, also knowing that now was not the time.


Liz swallowed down hard as she spoke for the first time, she had to say something or die right there.
"When Max and I saw….what we saw in the visions…" She felt his eyes on her, making her dizzy that they could still make her feel that way but she was determined to be strong and not let him get to her.
'He doesn’t deserve to be let in. Not yet' She thought, swallowing down harder as she continued on.
"..we saw Tess do something to me…"


"WHAT?"
Liz was stopped by Maria’s sudden outburst from across the room, as she thrust herself upwards.
"WHAT DID THAT F**KING BITCH DO TO YOU….TELL ME!"
All eyes were now on this little bundle of nuclear power. The last few hours she had acted like she didn’t give a shit, but was now fit to explode. Liz pulled herself up the wall in response to her outburst, just as shocked as everybody else. The two oldest and closest friends in that room now faced each other, the gulf still painfully obvious between them as Liz responded.



"I..I...think…she …stole…my…eggs…?"
Her voice breaking as she gripped her stomach, wincing a little. Max was up and reaching out to her, so wanting to help her, hold her, but thinking better of it as he let his arm fall.



"Liz?"
His face one of utter helplessness as she looked at him, the pain now easing a little.



"I’m fine Max. I, uh… I just didn’t take my medication thats all."
Her manner was surprisingly relaxed, it had been almost the whole time that she’d been near him.
It calmed her to be back in his presence only the remembrance of his letter and this 'thing' that was eating away at her bringing her back to reality with a jolt.

"You get used to it after a while, like it’s just a part of life." She now looked back at Maria. "I actually miss it when its not there.."
Her voice trailing off as she saw Maria hold her glance for just a little before looking away.
It hurt Liz more than any pain that Maria was so closed off to her, but she felt she deserved everything that Maria dished out to her.
But Liz couldn’t help thinking that there was something more happening with Maria. Something else causing Maria’s erratic behavior, erratic even for Maria. She thought she knew why Maria was keeping her distance but something didn’t ring true about just how strange she was acting. She seemed to be on an emotional roller coaster. Liz made a mental note to find out why that was. Maria deserved more this past year. She and Alex had been Maria’s entire life at one point and now with Alex gone Liz had walked out of her life.
Liz was determined to use the time she had left to make it up to Maria.


"maybe…I...can...help...you …Liz…?"
His once honey sounding voice, now dull and lifeless breaking her train of thought as she looked back at him.


"I don’t think even you can help Max…besides that’s why I came back."
Both held onto breath as they looked harder into each other’s eyes. Liz speaking of their son, made them both tremble.
Liz continued, "Caleb said we need to find him together and then he can heal me. We don’t know the how’s and the why’s yet."
She then did something that was totally alien to how she felt, she reached out to him and gently took his big shaking hand into her tiny one, and squeeze it lightly, blink and you’d miss it, only to let it drop when she thought he’d responded.
But he wasn’t done yet, he had made a promise too…to explain the why’s for his cruel words that had killed them both that day, just so she’d know. He knew that to even dare for anything further between was just too 'out of this world' to even think about right now…if ever.
But the little he had of her was home and he felt more alive with that then he had done all year, much longer if the truth be known. For the first time in a long time he was beginning to feel alive, he was breathing again.
Liz then shot upright and away from the wall, her eyes wide as if remembering something long forgotten, her mouth now not able to get the words out fast enough.


"I REMEMBER..GOD..HOW COULD I NOT HAVE REMEMBERED?"
Her voice and slap of her thigh there to show her annoyance to that fact. She was now leaning into everyone as she continued on.
"A few days after Alex…" Her voice broke as she still found it hard to talk about, feeling Max’s eyes trying to give her the encouragement to carry on.
"..I woke up feeling like shit basically, hardly able to move because I felt so weak and my stomach hurt so much."
She now looked down at her feet. "….there was blood, it was, I... so much blood…. but I didn’t know where it came from…… I...I couldn’t find any cuts or anything on my body."


There was a strangled cry of her name as she felt Max come to hold her, he didn’t care what she wanted or what she’d said, this was more important as he saw her begin to cry. Impossble not to hold her, being unable to behr seeing her cry, funny when that's all he'd ever done to her.


"Liz?"
He put an arm around her , pulling her into him ever so slightly, not sure of her response but he couldn’t stop himself.
She felt him even before his arm went round her, breathing out as she let him pull her to him.
Since coming back one minute they were kissing each other and the next further apart than the grand canyon, she was so confused but right at that moment she needed him to hug her so badly it was becoming painful. She didn’t understand any of it but she let him hold her none the less.
She was unable to return his embrace, that much she did know.


"Why …didn’t...you….tell…me.."
Instantly realizing his stupidity, changing it quickly.
"...anybody?"


She just shook her head as she pulled away from him.
"Really, who was I going to tell? You, Max? All you were interested in was making sure that I didn’t try to investigate Alex’s death."

Turning to Maria she said, "I couldn’t tell you because you were so wrapped up in mourning Alex that nothing else mattered."

Now looking around the room at all of them, she continued, "Who? Who would have listened? Max had you all convinced I was crazy. Nobody was going to listen to me about anything strange."


"You should have told us Liz!" Michael said angrily.


Maria spoke up and continued the assault on Liz
"But you’re good at thataren’t you Liz, keeping secrets form your so called friends"
She now looked at Michael. "Well from some of them at least.…but we all can have secrets Liz, some good some bad."
Her eyes told them that she was somewhere else as she came back with a bump and talked directly to Liz and Michael.
"....But yours was just cruel, plain and simple, no explanation or excuse would be good enough to cut it." Maria looked angrily between Michael and Liz.


If looks could kill, Michael would have died right there. Michael braved her anger and went to where she stood when it all became too much for him.
He held Maria’s arms and looked her in the eye.
“ENOUGH. I’ve had enough of your bullshit Maria. Liz asked me to help, she had no-one so I did it, I helped her. It killed me not being able to tell you but she asked me to help so I did it. God this has been hard for me too god damn it." He let her arms go as he stepped away.
"But she had no-one what was I supposed to do?"


"Bull shit! She had her family, she had ME so DON’T give me that.." Maria spat out.


"How could she go to you? You KNOW how you are. You and her family were the only ones who’d be able to talk her into coming back. Talk her into coming home. You know you would have asked her to come home and she would have said yes."
He was in her face again as she kicked off.


"BUT WHAT WAS SO WRONG ABOUT COMING HOME WHEN EVERYBODY THAT LOVED HER…THAT LOVE HER STILL WERE WAITING FOR HER TO COME HOME?…"
Her shouted uncontrollably as she was no longer able to go on, feeling dizzy enough to make her have to sit down. Michael was on his knees reaching for her.


“GET AWAY FROM ME!”
She spat out and at him. Utterly shocked he leaned back and rose in one smooth action.


Liz couldn’t take this any more as she went to go to Maria, whose words then stopped her.
"Don’t even think about it, you and me aren’t even close yet."
She wasn’t even looking at her as Liz then stopped half way, shaking all the more as she was now looking at Michael.


"I know it was selfish of me but I had to do it I couldn’t come back…I just couldn’t…."
Her voice breaking down on her, happy to have Isabel interrupt her.


"It’s about this letter….this letter that Michael said Max wrote you isn’t it, that’s why you couldn’t come back , because if Max?"
Liz didn’t have to answer as her body language told her exactly that but it was when Max spoke that she knew it for sure.


"Yes."
He was now behind and to the side of Liz as he went to stand in front of her, in front of everybody.


"If you want to blame anybody then blame me, don’t you dare blame Liz for any of this. It’s all my fault not hers…" His eyes were lost as they found Michael’s.


"I may not understand but Michael’s not to blame for this either. I am just glad that Liz had someone and that it was him."
The two men staring each other down all the more. They still had things to resolve, hell to even start, in all this too but there would be another time. He looked back at Maria.
"You all should be thankful that Michael was there for Liz..."


Maria was not in a mood to be thankful to anyone right now. She was jumping on everything and everyone at the drop of a hat, and now it was Max’s turn as on him like a rash, she was up and in his face.


"DON’T EVEN TRY AND GO THERE YOU SONOFABITCH…" She began banging on his chest, her tiny frame pushing him backwards with every hard poke.
"Again it’s all your fault, what letter…..what did you say to her that would make her not feel that she could come home to her family and friends you unbelievable bastard?"
She was really shaking now as Liz stepped forward.


"Maria, leave it…"
Suddenly she didn’t want them to know.
This was between her and Max. She took an other step closer as Max held up his hand to her.


"Liz, don’t . They all need to hear this."
He was now looking at her as her tear filled eyes drew him in all the more, his tears were not far behind.
She shook her head as she began shrinking away.


"Why?...Why do they have to know…That you never loved me, that you were just using me…."
She was now at the wall, with nowhere to go as she was crying so hard now it hurt.
"….how you only ever wanted HER, how you only ever could fuck HER and how you wanted her to have your child…."
She was finding the words and energy from somewhere as she suddenly strode back towards him, her eyes spitting fire. He stood firm as she was in his face in seconds, kicking off further.


"..when you led me to believe that I was the one to give you all those things…I would have given you the world if you asked me to…"
She was shaking so hard that it was making her dizzy as she wavered. The sobs wracking her small body.
He caught her as she began to beat him hard on his chest. She was like a wildcat, but he made no attempt to stop her until he realized that she didn’t have the strength to do this. That she would hurt herself if she continued. The two of them were emotionally spent from everything that had happened that day and Liz didn’t have the strength for this. He fought just to get hold of her wrists and force her to face him.


"Stop it Liz."
She fought harder to pull her hands free as he shook her.
"STOP IT LIZ!" His tears now wracking his body.


"WHY SO THEY WON’T KNOW WHAT A LIAR AND BASTARD YOU ARE?"
She spat out at him as he pulled her to face him, yanking her closer and to a sudden stop.


"MAXWELL!"
Michael was not prepared to see this go on any longer and was now walking towards them. He was going to stop this right now and take Liz home.
Max’s next words froze him in his tracks.


"NO LIZ.... so I can tell them why!"


Their eyes locking and holding finally as he let her down and go ever so gently.


"...so.. I….can I….can….tell…YOU….why…."


He stepped away from her, trying to breathe as her wide doe-like eyes just drew him in further still.
As he caught his breath he stood back upright, looking at only her as he opened his mouth to speak.


Part 10

He’d thought about what he would say a thousand times over the last year wondering if he would ever get the chance to explain his cruel and heartless actions to her. He thought the chance would never come, excepted that as simple fact. He deserved no more and no less.

But now that he’d finally been given that one chance, he was speechless, powerless to even breathe as her expectant eyes drew him in. His body was trembling, unable to function as she now stood in front of him, hands tightly crossed over her chest with her head tilted to one side.

“Well…” She shifted her stance as she began tapping her foot, her voice showing him exactly how she was feeling “I’m waiting for this pearl of wisdom to enlighten me, to explain to me what possible reason you had for totally destroying my life.” She was trembling just as hard now, not wanting to know, hoping he’d back out and hide away…be like he used to be, afraid to even look at her let alone talk to her. He finally found his voice, his eyes pleading with her for understanding.

“…I…I…wrote you …that letter…” he stammered, drowning on land as he forced the words out, his eyes pleading with her to just stop and listen as something was making her speak again.

“Look Max …” She said as her hands dropped to hold her stomach as she stepped back from him, unable to hide the shaking of her body any longer. “…don’t do me any favours , I don’t need this and I don’t want this. I’m here aren’t I and that’s the end of it. Period We find your son and then I’m gone.”
She bit out. She seemed to cringe in pain, biting down hard on her bottom lip now split as she could taste the blood in her mouth. She was now walking past him, this had to stop, she couldn’t do this right now.
As much as she wanted to know why he wrote the letter, the pain was starting to come in waves and she had to get to her medication. She started to double over as another jolt of pain shot through her stomach. She started towards to door like her life depended it. It probably did. She was not looking at him, daring not to as she brushed past his arm in her obvious haste. The jolt between that followed was only slight but strong enough for both of them to take a breath as she stumbled as she continued towards the door.

She felt him grab her elbow as she tried to go by and he turned her to face him. His eyes were wide as he pulled at her with both arms.
“Do you want to know or not?” He said, the sound of his voice telling her the pain he was feeling. His grip was hard and she winced in pain as he was lifting her off the floor. “…TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT?”

His eyes were relentless as they stared in to hers as he heard Michael’s voice from behind them.
“LEAVE HER ALONE MAXWELL…SHE DOESN’T WANT TO KNOW. CAN’T YOU SEE SHE’S IN PAIN” He was up and striding towards them as Max stared at her, eyes of fire.

“Is that what you really want Liz?” His voice no less powerful as he stopped shouting. “…not to know why…tell me what you want Liz..!” He pulled her closer to him with every word as she now felt his breath on her face. She smirked as she gave him her answer, she’d been foolish to try to stop him.
Why should she want to save herself the pain of having to relive it again, she was dead anyway, another punch to the stomach would not matter as she began feeling that familiar wave of pain rise again.

“What I want is for you to LET…GO…OF…ME!” She spat out at him as he then woke up from his rage that had come form nowhere, shaking it off hard as he let her down gently. As her tiny feet touched the floor, she staggered a little before recovering. Taking a ragged breath she looked up into his eyes, then hit him hard across the face.

“Don’t ever touch me again.” She didn’t really mean that but she knew she had to get out of the room before she collapsed in pain. She didn’t want to show him just how weak she was. .

He stepped away, his body wracked from something within him that he didn’t reckonize, the tears beginning to well up and spill down his cheeks. He heard sounds, movement but he was only looking at her as she now held so tightly on to herself as he opened his mouth to speak once more. His eyes were trying so hard to hold onto hers as she let hers fall away from him but he carried on. It was now or never…do or die.

“..I..I…wrote…that…letter…Liz…because…” His sentence halted by her groan of pain as she now bent over, clutching at her stomach.

“Liz?” He was reaching for her as she cried out again, bending further over until her legs gave out and she was kneeling on the floor, bent over double, one palm flat on the floor trying to support her while the other was still pressed flat up against her belly. Max had almost reached her he felt Michael push him aside to get to her first. Max was pushed right back as he now saw Michael embracing her, pulling her to him as she breathed in short, laboured pants. Max could do nothing, only pull his arms around himself as the room filled with noise and people milling about.

At the first sound of Liz in pain, Maria had started to go to her. She now knelt down on the other side of Liz and put her arm around her trying to give her whatever comfort and support that she could. She was terrified for Liz. She had just gotten her friend back and now she was in terrible pain.

“LIZ? What is it?” Michael asked . He had a strong hold of her waist and arm as she buried face in his in his chest, his shirt immediately soaked with her tears as she cried out again. His hand was now at her head as he whispered something into her hair. “Do you need your medication?” He felt her head nod slowly. Michael looked over at Maria and then asked Liz, “Do you think you can walk?” After Liz nodded her okay he pulled her gently to her feet in one smooth motion. She gave a yelp as she tried to straighten up, her legs giving way as he scooped her neatly up into his arms.

“Michael what’s wrong?” The concerned silence now broken by Liz’s wails and Maria’s shaky voice.
As she stepped up to them. “…is it….” Thankful that Michael had then interrupted her before she had to face the reality of it again.

“We have to go get her medication.” He said, looking back down at where she was now silent in his arms only looking away and at Maria.

“We don’t have time Maria. We have to get her home. I’ll carry her, go get the car.” His eyes as hard as his tone, he was only worried about Liz now.

Maria was turning to leave as Max then spoke. “I’ll come with you.” It was a statement of fact not a question.

Michael head snapped snapped round at him, eyes burning. “No…you’re done enough damage…stay away!” This past year Micael had acted more like the leader of this band of hopeless misfits than Max, never more so than at that moment. Both men looked at each other as Michael won the battle of wills and Max turned away.

“Don’t do anything that we’ll all regret, stay here Max.“ Michael looked down at Liz and saw that her eyes were now closed.
“She wouldn’t want you there.” His tone low but firm as Max stepped aside, knowing he was right. Nothing more needed to be said except by Max.

“Take care of her.” His heartfelt plea made all the more painful as he knew Michael was the only one who could help her right now. Michael saw the look on his face and wanted to say so much to him. Most of it bad, now was not the right time. Michael had kept his silence for the entire year for Liz and he was ready to explode at Max.

Max felt like he was dying all over again as he saw her with Michael, the way she was looking to him for help and comfort, the way that she had looked at him in the past. He was beginning to feel numb again as he felt the headache begin to take form. He’d spent more than a year feeling this way, lost and alone, like an unwanted stranger who wouldn’t leave.

Since Liz was back things were different, he felt different and knowing the why’s and the how’s yet. Just happy to be in the land of the living again, only the threat of him being sent right back there staring him in the face as Michael made his way to the door.

Her head was out of sight as her arm dangled free of him. Max couldn’t take his eyes of it as was about to bounce by him. He couldn’t not reach for it, dare to dream of actually touching it as his hand gently cupped and squeezed at it, careful not to bring her attention to it.
The touch of her made him weak as the numbness turned into colours and light as he now saw her crying while curling herself up tighter on a bed as she whispered his name through her tears He then saw her head spin to where the door had been slammed open. She was up, scrambling as far back up the bed as she could get as Josh came raging towards her screaming,
“Are you crying about him again?”
Her scream pulled him back to the present whether the scream was from the flash or from Liz now, Max didn’t know. The flash had been so strong that it knocked him side wards and all he could do was watch as Michael and Maria took her away. He was letting her leave him again but what could he do?

Michael was now opposite Maria as he slowly turned to her. “Come on, let’s get going.” His tone hard but his pleading eyes gave him away as, saying nothing she bent to pick up her bag. She would be glad of the fresh air as she was now feeling sick and dizzy with every thing that had happened in the room.

At the door she looked back at the other three, her eyes finally coming to rest on Max. He eyes were hard, like diamonds when she finally said, “Stay away from her or you’ll have me to deal with. And believe me you don’t even wanna go there right now.” Her face showing no emotion as she followed Michael out the door.

Isabel looked first at Kyle then back at her brother who was still staring at the empty doorway. Kyle saw her look to him and went to silently leave them, thinking that was the best thing as Max then spoke.

“Stay, Isabel needs you right now, I’m no good to anyone.” He looked at him only briefly as his eyes
then went to his dresser in the corner. They both watched as he walked over and slowly opened one of its drawers and reached inside. He winced as he was now bending a little to get what was right at the back of it. After a few scrapes and deep breaths he now had something flat and small hard against his chest, exhaling hard now that it was there. There were two thing in his tight embrace, his favorite framed picture of Liz with her wonderful smile and her journal, his knuckles turning white as he held onto them so hard.

He was lost again as with a clear head it hit him. He had to win her back. The idea throbbed in his head and then spread as it took shape and form. Win her back was the only way for both of them. But the chance of that happening was far out of his grasp and he knew there was a lot that he had to do. Max Evans never grovelled, it wasn’t in his nature, not ever doing anything that needed it…till now. He would do anything to have her back, as a friend at least, not daring to hope for anything more right now…if ever. He hoped that they could be friends enough for her to open up to him. He desperately wanted to find what she was hiding so that he could help her. He’d realized at that moment, as the feeling grew; she was hiding something so bad that even she didn’t know. There was something else that he was sure about, he had to find his son….their son, who was on earth, had always been on earth. These thoughts crashed through his head as he leaned against the wall and let himself slide down into a siiting position as his tears blinded him. Isabel came and knelt beside Max and pulled him into a tight embrace trying to offer him what comfort she could.
-------------------------------------------------------

As Michael and Maria approached the Jetta, Michael told Maria to open the rear door so that he and Liz could get in the back. As he settled in to the seat, Maria raced around to the drivers side and climbed in. She started the car but before she pulled away from the curb she glanced into the mirror and saw that Michael was sitting with Liz in his lap, gently pushing Liz’s hair behind her ear. She was amazed at how gentle Michael was with Liz and realized that her Space Boy had come a long way from the stone wall of just a year ago.

Maria raced to the Crashdown, cursing every red light or stop sign that slowed their progress. Liz was in pain and she wanted to help her best friend to feel better.

Michael knew something was wrong even before they saw the lights and heard the sirens from around the corner as they turned into the street and saw the Crashdown in flames.


*bounce**bounce**bounce**bounce*
posted on 1-Jan-2002 12:55:52 PM
Part 11


“Oh my God, it’s the Crashdown!”
Maria wailed. The sound of Maria’s voice penetrating Liz’s pain. Liz raised her head off of Michael’s chest and looked up the street where flames were pouring out of her childhood home.
Liz started to fight to get out of Michael’s embrace and open the car door. As the car door slammed open, Michael made one last attempt to hold onto Liz but she just pushed herself off his lap and started to stumble up the street.

“LIZ….WAIT…” Maria yelled after them as the car finally came to a halt. Both she and Michael had high tailed it out of there before it had a chance to stop. Maria tried to jump out of the car but was pulled back suddenly by the seat belt. Fighting with the belt and cursing the heap of crap that called itself a car, she managed to free herself, got out of the car and looked upon the chaos with her own eyes.

The street was in a state of utter confusion, not just with the flames that licked at the night sky but of sirens and people. The noise was deafening as frantic bodies began bumping into her from all directions the closer she got. She had lost sight of both Michael and Liz in the all fuss as smoke was already beginning to blind and choke her. It stung her eyes, causing tears to begin to well up. She was calling out helplessly for them, over and over, as she was finding it more and more difficult to breathe. Suddenly she just stopped, not letting herself go any further, as there just was too much smoke. She couldn’t go on, it was not safe. As she shook uncontrollably, her own tears mixing with the smoke induced ones she felt strong hands on her trembling shoulders as they spun her round. Jeff Parker’s ash covered face and wide eyes now met with hers.

“MARIA…IS LIZ WITH YOU?” He was shaking her a little too hard, eyes wider.
“IS SHE HERE?” He screamed, sounding just like he looked, the bottom having just fallen out of his whole world.

“arrr…yeah..” She hesitated, beginning to feel dizzy as the pit of her stomach retched again. She wobbled, collecting herself again to continue on.
“YEAH…she ran out of the car…she was with Michael” She grabbed a hold of his shirt as she looked a wildly about them.
“ … now I can’t find them!” She said, hyperventilating already, clinging to him just as much as he was to her. She was yanking and clawing at his arms, causing him some discomfort now. She did not care if he was her boss, screw that.
“..WHAT HAPPENED?” Having now to raise her voice over the sirens. He just looked at her blankly shaking his head, he was about to speak when he heard a familiar voice scream out to him from behind.

“DADDDDYYYY!” He spun round, taking Maria with him, catching Liz as she crashed into him.

“LIZ…THANK GOD!” He clung to her, squeezing her tiny body till she winced but still not letting her go. She had not called him that in so long, it tore into his heart, especially after this past year and the events of today. His tears were of that fact alone as he felt her pound at his back, whimpering his name over and over. He then stopped, feeling her face burn through his shirt, pulling it away from his chest in his cupped hands. She was burning up, and not just due to the fire.
“LIZ?.. Are you alright Hun?” He was bending down, searching out her eyes, the fire forgotten as he tried to see what was wrong with his little girl. She wouldn’t let him look in her eyes until he forcefully turned her head towards his. Her eyes were filled with so much pain as her cheeks burned all the more.
“God Liz your burning up!” His hands were feverishly at her face, neck and arms trying to check her over. Funny really , that had always been her mom’s department.

“I…I’m…fine Dad.” She lied as she firmly but lightly started to push his hands away. She knew he wasn’t buying it, seeing him about to speak again when she became aware of something else.
“MOM!” Her eyes so wide as she was now grabbing at him wildly. “…WHERE’S MOM…WHERE IS S..” She screamed, as she started to struggle to free herself from her father’s grasp.

“I’m right here Baby.” Her mother said from beside her. Her voice the same as always, like honey. She always managed to keep a calm head in a crisis, for the benefit of others as well as her own. This was by far the worst thing that they had ever faced and already she was like a phoenix, an angel, rising from the ashes. Liz was so much like her, or she was before this past year took hold. Leaving her father she painfully lunged at her mother, who she had not held close for nearly a year.
“Lizzie God…” She cried, pulling her out from her under her chin and arms so she could look at her. Now placing kisses all over her face.
“Are you okay Honey?” Stopping dead when she felt the heat radiating off her face. She could sense that something was terribly wrong with her daughter, and not just on the outside. She grabbed hold of her shoulders, needing to know but still trying to remain calm. If there was ever going to be a time that she would lose that calm exterior of hers then this was that time.

Seeing her mother’s loving look and feeling her warm embrace, Liz wanted to tell her everything that had happened to her there and then, hopefully finding healing in those arms, if only she could remember more of it then she did. That was the problem, she could only remember fragments, pieces to a puzzle that she did not have the instructions for. Everything was so muddled, only getting worse when she came back home. Seeing everyone again was harder than she had ever imaged it would be. But the hardest thing of all was seeing Max again. She thought she would be able to handle it, to handle him but she was so wrong. One minute she was feeling one way about him, kissing him…wanting him so badly, so elated that he was close by again. Then the next moment she was pushing him away…not wanting him near, almost hating him. She was so confused, it seemed more than just the letter as the pain took her once more, shaking with it. She steadied herself against her wide eyed mother’s shoulder.

“Liz... what’s wrong?” She repeated herself again anxiously , pulling lightly at her shoulders in time with what she was saying. “…Tell me…”
In the year she had been away Liz forgot what it was like to be loved, to have her mother’s loving arms around her. Her mother’s eyes were locked with hers as her mouth began to move, only stopping when she heard Maria’s haunting wails as she cried out for Michael in the background. Turning faster than she should have, her body telling her so as she almost fell, she saw Maria. She was standing alone, amongst an onslaught of bodies, hoses and water just aimlessly wondering with her arms tightly held across her chest. Looking all around her. She looked completely and utterly lost. Liz had to go to her. Easing herself away from her mom she went to go, as she felt her mom holding her back by her elbow.
“LIZ. Where are you going?” Her voice mirroring the fear held within her eyes that maybe Liz was leaving again and this time not coming back. Liz felt her heart break as she realized that she had hurt so many. She rested a hot and shaky hand on her mothers and quietly said.

“I HAVE to go see Maria kay?” She gave her mother a faint smile. “I’m not going anywhere.” She lied again. Nancy just nodded as she let her arm drop away. The instant her mother let her go she ran on shaky legs to Maria. She whirled her round with a questioning look in her eyes.
“Maria? What’s wrong?” Maria grabbed and pulled Liz close and said.

“I ..I...can’t find Michael Liz…I CAN’T FIND HIM…” She raged yanking at Liz’s coat, not thinking how much it was hurting her. “I can’t lose him Liz…not now…I…I….just can’t” She stammered as Liz suddenly felt her heart jolt to a stop as she felt somebody close beside them. Stiffening her grip on Maria she knew it was Josh even before he spoke.

“Babe…where here you been. I’ve missed you.” His oily voice sounding loving and caring. She dared not look at him, shaking harder when she felt his breath on her face, he was that close. She wanted to puke, not knowing why as he pulled her away from and into his arms. She did not return the embrace leaving her arms dangling at her side.
“Pretty wild huh?” He said pulling her hard away from him, smirking all the while. She still said and did nothing as she felt like she just had to get away from him. As his the expression on his face said one thing to everyone else, but his grip on Liz, which had begun unbearably painful got tighter still.
“Now your not going to run off anywhere again are you?” He was not letting her leave him and the way she was feeling right now her body was unable to take her anywhere. His voice tore through her with every word. He pressed harder as finally she spoke, well whimpered as he smiled more. He was about to speak again, maybe even take her somewhere but it was Maria who said something next.


“Hey...” She put an arm around Liz’s shoulders, trying to pull her away from him. “..talking here.” Her eyes boring in to him showing just how much she did not like the guy. She pulled harder, trying to free Liz from his crushing grip. Josh just held Liz tighter, then as if from nowhere he laid a strong hand on Maria’s chest and pushed her to the ground with a hard shove. She landed awkwardly on her side, winded she let out a yelp as she sat up slowly.

“Maria.” Liz yelled as she started to fight to get out of Josh’s grip and help her friend, “..let me go..” She continued to struggle, as she looked for help but in the commotion around them no one was paying attention, even the Parkers had moved away to watch the fire, hoping it could be brought under contol before it destroyed all their worldly possessions. Liz and Maria were left alone in their battle with Josh. Dazed and rising slowly Maria was back at Liz’s side trying to help her get free of Josh’s embrace.

“GET OFF OF HER.” She clawed at his hands, not making the slightest bit of difference. Everything was happening so fast.
“Don’t make me hurt you, not when I’m in this mood.” Maria threatened Josh, Liz needed her and she was beyond fear. She continued clawing at Josh’s hands and arms , only looking at Liz as she fought also. Everyone else too busy to see and help two defenseless girls in their fight for Liz’s freedom. But Josh seemed strong for his size, too strong as he elbowed Maria effortlessly to the ground. She hit the ground hard and as her face hit the pavement she cried out.

“MARIA!” Liz screamed, the pain suddenly worse since Josh had arrived but she found the strength within her own frail body to push him away from her and get free.
“STAY AWAY FROM ME!” Liz screamed at him but, still nobody could hear or see, everyone concentrating on the battle to stop the raging flames from taking any more of the street. She turned her back, to find Maria still reeling on the floor still. Both friends in so much pain, as they tried to get to each other. Liz , almost reaching Maria before she felt herself spun round hard as Josh pulled her to him, her tiny feet now off the ground.

“GET OFF OF ME YOU SICK BASTARD.” Finally she was fighting back, fighting back at him…at whatever it was that had stopped her from fighting back before. She kicked out with her legs as she spat at him in the face. He just smiled.


“You have no idea who you’re dealing with.” he set her down on the ground but didn’t let her go, continuing to hold her as he leaned in and whispered in her ear, “I told you what would happen if you tried to leave me, next time I won’t allow them to live.”
Liz stiffened at his words as she felt him pull her away from everybody. She knew if she went now would be no escaping him.


“No.” Was all she said. He stopped, leering side wards at her. She repeated herself as she straightened up. “NO!” It felt good to stand up to him. She said it again, getting braver all the time.
“NO now...leave...me…alone. I don’t want you here . I never did.” She spat out, feeling surprisingly better till he looked at her and she felt the pain take her once more. She pulled back, needing to get away, turning to do so she he grabbed for her wrist. She whipped her head around to face him again, her hair smacking him in the face as she did so.

“So if you’re finished here, shall we go?” His tone changed back to one of menace that she remembered so well, as he yanked her softly away. She made one last attempt to break away, again not getting far. She cried out as he tightened his grip on her arm one last time as somebody grabbed him from behind and spun him around.
Josh was forced to release his grip on Liz as he found himself looking into two amber eyes filled with an incredible rage…now seeing that rage as Max.

“She said NO. Leave her alone.” Max’s knuckles already turning white from burying his fingers in Josh’s arm. It would have broken any guy, but Josh was unmoving, unfeeling as Max squeezed again, eyeballing him all the while, but still able to steal glances at were Liz now knelt beside Maria. Herself in so much pain but helping her friend up with all the strength she had left.

“It’s okay Maria.” She winced. “Lean on me.” She hesitated as they just looked at each other. Liz could see real fear in Maria’s eyes, panic and confusion, both wanting…no needing to speak but unable to find the words. Liz now knew Maria was definitely hiding something. Maria looked away as Liz held her harder as she felt another pair of arms slip around her, taking her weight off of Liz. It was Kyle.

“What happened?” He asked, as he looked them both over trying to see how they were. He had seen Max grab Josh and had went to help the two girls. He had taken Maria’s weight full on him but as she collected herself she pulled away.

“I’m fine” She wavered a little as she stood bolt upright, her trademark smile returning now.
“really just a bit dizzy from all the smoke..” She felt Liz’s eyes behring into her. She always knew when she was lying but she did not look at her, afraid she would just break down and tell her everything. They were on that road but she was not ready to go all the way…not just yet.
They were all brought out of their thoughts when they heard Max yelling at Josh to stay away, his voice could be heard over the chaos, full of alien rage.

Isabel noticed that Max’s blinding rage was drawing attention to the drama being played out by the friends and tried to calm him down,
“Max.” She was looking around them. “Not here, its not safe.” But her brother was now beyond reason. Josh just smiled pushing Max out of the way going towards Liz. Max pulled him back and away from Liz by holding his arms back to breaking point. Josh was about to fight back and Max was going to let him, when a left hook came out of nowhere and impaled itself hard on Josh’s jaw sending him flying as Max let him fall to the ground. Michael was now standing over him, his burning eyes more than matching the flames around him.

“I should have done that in Florida!” He spat out. Max looked hard between the two men, wanting to know what had happened between the two but finding Liz’s tiny frame more important.

He was at her side in an instant where she was starting to bent over. As he stood beside her, afraid to speak, unsure of what she would do or say. His hand reaching instinctively out to touch at her back,, only to stop and hover above it. He could feel the heat radiating off her back. He was dizzy with it, but fearing a connection that he knew Liz didn’t want he went to pull away.

“Don’t go.”
She whispered which made him jump, he thought she had not realized that he was there as swallowing hard he gently lowered his palm onto her lower back. He felt a jolt as she pushed lightly up into it feeling it to. He did not know he was doing it but he began to rub in small circles. She moaned.
“Liz…its getting worse isn’t it?” It was but that wasn’t why she was moaning. His slightest touch was racking havoc on her emotions.
“Liz…let me help you…” He whispered.
Finally she looked upon him as she slowly shook her head, letting it fall back down again. He was about to respond when he heard Maria.


“MICHAEL!” Maria squealed as she was now able to function, gingerly ran to him. She threw her arms about him, almost pushing him back and over. It threw him in more ways than one. Maria had been moody of late, more than usual and it had been a long time since she had shown anything like this towards him. He did not want the moment to end. She pulled him from her, her changed again.
“Where the hell have you been?” She smacked his arm.
“hello..” She purposely looked about them. “..ever so slightly WORRYING MY ASS OFF…” She was now in ramble mode and he was not in the mood for it right now.

“I was trying to find Liz’s meds.” He coughed as she now saw he was covered in ash and smelt of fire.

“You went in there?” She looked between him and the flames, shocked. She then smacked him hard at the back of his head. “..only brain cell now awake? God, Michael you can’t take risks like that…”
She was pacing. “….especially not now, god your too important to me....” Her voice trailing off and breaking. “….to us…”
He was frowning as she stopped herself. She had almost lost herself. Sensing something he went to go to her but she now stepped back.
“Don’t bother.” Her mood changing and holding once more. She hoped that he would but then he saw Liz and he pushed Maria aside to get to her. He did not see the tears now falling from her eyes as she turned away from them all. Hiding the truth from them all.

Michael was the other side of Liz as her breathing was laboured. Max caught his eye.
“Did you get her medication?” His eyes wide. Michael shook his head as she wailed this time, doubling over. Both caught her, neither letting go.
“She’s in pain Michael.” He pleaded.

“I know” He bit out. “We need to take her to a hospital.” He was gently trying to ease her away from Max. She moaned again. He stopped as she now clung harder to Max. Michael let go completely as Max now took her full weight on him.

“I’m coming with you.” Josh stated, he had slithered up beside them as they walked. Everyone was ignoring Maria’s blood shot eyes as they followed Michael and Max as they carried her best friend to the waiting car. She never felt so alone in her life as she unconsciously cradled her tummy.
Liz felt so sick but it felt so good to be in Max’s arms again. It felt so safe, warm. He felt her encircle him tighter as they approached the car only to have their path blocked by Josh.

“MOVE!” Max ordered as Liz moaned again. Josh just stood there blocking the path to the car. Michael stepped past Max and forced Josh away from the car. Max gently placed Liz in the passenger seat of the car and then raced around and got into the drivers seat. Michael held Josh away from car with ease as it sped off into the night.


Part 12a

Josh could only stand there and do nothing as he watched Max drive the car containing Liz away from him. He had his back to Michael so he couldn’t see the expression on Josh’s face nor the blood starting to drip ever so slowly from where his nails now dug into his clenched fists. He then heard Michael speak.

“Well, Liz is safe from you for now. Catch you later.” Michael spat out as he turned to go. He felt a tug on his arm as Josh grabbed a hold of his elbow. Michael just looked between him and his hold as he then threatened.
“I’d rethink your position right about now.”

Michael leaned in to Josh, placing his hand on his shirt collar, the little drama unnoticed by the crowds around them. Josh just smacked Michael’s hands away, and grabbed one of his wrists tightly in his hand. Both men tried to stare each other down, as they both had a hold of the other, squeezing harder with every second that passed. Neither backed down as Michael began to realize just how strong Josh was.

“So should you my friend.” He hissed, stealing a glance round to see who may be watching them as he leaned in closer.
“I’ve dicked around with you long enough Rath, …don’t make me have to show you just how pissed off I am right now.” He reveled in the look of utter shock that now took hold of Michael’s face when he used his Antarian name. His grip was so strong on Michael now that it was causing pain like Michael had never had in his life. But Michael was determined not to show Josh the effect it was having on him and his grip was just as hard on Josh.
“Don’t try to get in my way again …you’ll lose. Now do us both a favour, stay out of my way..” He then peered over his shoulder.
“….or you’ll be picking them up in pieces for days.” He promised nodding over to where Maria stood alone, arms tightly held around her, head down low. Michael frowned, looking at Josh in confusion. Josh smiled in understanding, realizing why Michael appeared so confused. She hadn’t told him, he didn’t know. This was just getting better and better, as he decided to break the good news himself. While he started to open his mouth to speak he was interrupted by someone walking up to the group.

“Where’s Liz?” Jeff worriedly bit out as he eyes searched the area for his daughter. He noticed the interaction between the two just before they pulled apart. He wanted to ask what was going on between them but his daughter was more important right now.

“At the hospital…Jeff.” Josh’s oily voice answering Jeff while Michael still stared at him in confusion.

“ALONE!…you let her go ALONE…” Jeff was more afraid of that fact than his whole livelihood in flames before him.

“No, Max is with her.” Michael replied as he snapped out of the daze he was in. His brain was still raging with questions to the impossible words that ‘Josh’ had just posed to him. Jeff began to freak out also but not hiding it as well.

“WHAT? God I knew the moment Max got anywhere near her at he’d say two words and she’d get sucked right back into it. GOD, after all the heartache he’s caused her why can‘t he just leave her the hell alone.” He bit out as he looked for his car. Finally spotting his car he began to walk towards it while reaching deep into his pockets looking for his keys. As he reached the car he stopped and turned back to Josh.
“You coming?” At Jeff’s request Josh started to walk after him.

“Of course I’m coming, I can’t have my angel alone with that jerk for too long now can I?” He looked back over his shoulder at Michael and smirked as he approached the car and reached for the door handle. Michael glanced at Josh and then back at Maria, trying to decide what to do, follow Josh to keep him away from Liz or stay with Maria. Isabel and Kyle were now holding Maria, comforting her and Michael figured she would be fine in their care. Max and Liz on the other hand, had no idea what was about to hit them. To be honest, neither did he, but he had to at least warn Max and Liz. Taking one last look back at Maria, Michael turned and jogged over to Jeff’s car. He didn’t notice Maria eyes as they were glued to his retreating back. She could only look on as he chased Mr. Parker and thatassholeexcuseofahumanbeing. ‘Mr. Parker and Josh must be going after Liz and Max.’ Maria thought. ‘But why does Michael think he has to go too? What does Michael know about Josh that he isn’t telling everybody? Isabel and Kyle continued to hold her and comfort her but she didn't even realize it till Isabel asked her if she was alright. She asked why she was crying.

"NO, (sob) it's not (sob) alright (sob) Isabel...." She whimpered as she yanked her arm out of Isabel's comforting hand.
"..this is just (sob) so fucked up (sob) its unbelievable (sob)...god (sob)..."
As Maria went to stomp off she seemed to stagger and then bending nearly double she promptly threw up her entire days food intake. She hadn’t had that much to eat that day and her nausea quickly turned to dry retching. She staggered a little more and before Kyle or Isabelle could try to catch her, she fell to the ground hard.

Michael didn’t witness the little scene behind him as he jogged over to Jeff’s car. “Hey wait up….“ he said as he reached the car. “….I’m coming too.” He said to Jeff as he looked at Josh.
“You’re the guest in Roswell, why don’t you ride shotgun?” Michael said through gritted teeth as he reached for the handle to the back door. Michael didn’t trust Josh so there was no way that he would let Josh sit behind him. He definitely wanted to keep Josh in full view.

“Sure.” Josh replied as he jumped into the front seat.

“Liz is lucky to have a friends like you..." Jeff said as he looked over at Josh. “..sorry fiance.” Jeff corrected himself sheepishly., his head understandably not completely there right now as he started the car.
“ By the way, I still haven’t thanked you for saving our lives back there…I don’t know what we would have done if you hadn’t have been there.”
The car was now speeding away.

“ No problem….” He replied, smiling harder as he felt Michael’s eyes burn into the back of his head. “….it’s the least I could do, I’m just glad that I was there to help and that no-one was hurt.” His voice oozing out of him effortlessly.

“Yeah right, mind you don’t choke on it.” Michael muttered under his breath as he now looked into total darkness out the window.

“What was that Michael? We couldn’t quiet hear it up the front.” Josh asked sharply, having heard every word of it. “ Was it a joke maybe, we all need a laugh right about now wouldn’t you agree?…” Still nothing from the back.
“WELL, you care to share it with us Michael?” His voice piercing as Michael finally bit out a reply.

“NO joke, just the one sitting in front of me!"
He had no idea who 'Josh' was, or what he was capable of but he just couldn't stand the guy. Michael never used the word hate and meant the word but he'd make an exception for Josh. The anger was now raging within him as he began to feel a pull towards Josh that he'd never felt before. He'd only met in twice before, taking an instant dislike to him the moment that they met at Liz's flat that day...hating him by the time the night was through when he rushed to the hospital after Liz had been pulled from the water. After Josh had supposedly saved her from killing herself that is.
Now he could feel something which only he could feel, correction, that only an alien could feel as his head began to throb. He'd had the headache all day but it was worse now....he'd had it since....He tried to think but it felt like he was being blocked from doing so, not from him but from the outside as thinking got harder, hurting all the more he heard Jeff speak.

"But I thought you said that you and Michael were......"

"aquaintances." He snapped round at Jeff who only smiled and corrected himself. Michael smirked at just how wrong they both were. They were neither, they were enemies which would become apparent to Josh soon enough but then Michael began to remember that day. The day that he'd made his excuses and gone to Florida to be with Liz when she had her appointment to go the hospital.......

******************************************

That day.

.....Michael walked down the street looking intently at every door to see if it was hers, bumping into people on the crowded sidewalk as he went along. Michael didn't like crowds and he certainly had his work cut out for him in this street. He stopped and looked back at the street sign to make sure he was on the right one.

"Shit." He hissed, as an elderly lady trundled past at that exact moment, as she ran into him, then ran over his foot with her shopping cart.
"HEY!..." He barked about to get pissed very, very quickly when she spoke.

"You swear at me young man and you'll have the other one to match." She then waggled her index finger at him and had waddled off. Michael rubbed a little as he muttered again that there was far too many people here and that he was in the wrong street. Liz's apartment was around the corner on the next street.

He stopped dead as he turned the corner. The street was a mess, it wasn’t as crowded as the street he had just left but the going was still hard as you had to dodge the people and the garbage that was piled along the curb. His stomach grumbled but not through hunger...how could she be living in a place like this? He took a deep breath but it caught in his nostrils from the stench of rotting garbage. The realization hit him, this was why the phonecalls had been so short....she didn't have her own phone. The thought, 'God I have to get her out of here and take her back home with me' kept going over and over in his head as he found himself approaching the door with her number on it. Climbing over kids toys mixed in with assorted pieces of garbage he approached her door. He was about to knock as he saw that the door was slightly ajar. He was about to knock again when he heard muffled voices and saw naked bodies fading in and out of the gap between the door and the jamb. He began to get a strange feeling inside of himself as his curiosity got the better of him the leant in closer, not knowing why, but just doing it. Michael was shocked to see a man with his back to him hungrily feasting on a girl as they moaned and groaned. Michael saw her hands and legs wrapped around his waist as he lifted her high to feed on her again. Letting his mouth close over the girls naked breast. Michael felt shocked and terribly embarassed watching Liz as she leaned round the man to kiss at his neck. Michael froze at the sight of the girl’s hair, it wasn't Liz. It couldn’t be Liz. Not unless she'd dyed her hair blonde and curled it like the girl that was quickly disappearing from view. He could hear their laughter decreasing as they moved further away from the door and deeper into the apartment. Needing to know who this could be in Liz’s apartment Michael started to look in further when he heard his name being called from behind.

"Michael..god you're here." He almost fell through the doorway as he spun round to see a wide eyed Liz heading towards him, arms outstretched. He did a double take as she was still Liz but she looked different. She was thin, having lost way to much weight that her tiny clothes looked big on her as he felt the beginnings of her bones poking out of her skin as she flung her arms around him in a tight embrace.
"God I'm so happy that you were able to find me okay. " Adding as she was now holding him tight She appeared so fragile that he was afraid that he might break her if he squeezed too tightly but he did none the less, unable to help himself.

"Me too, your apartment was a real bitch to find." He was glad that her face was buried in his chest so she wouldn't be able to see the shocked expression on his face at the sight of her.
She was far worse than she'd told him he thought as she pulled away from him, her face beaming from ear to ear. Her smile instantly drawing his out as she went to go round and open the door.

"Here let me get you something to eat or drink, we have awhile before the appointment and we have a lot to catch up on...." Liz said as she reached for the door.

His words then stopping her dead. "NO...wait..." He block her, not wanting her to see that obvious bastard do the wild thing with some blonde bimbo.
She was just too good and special to have to see that.

She frowned nervously. "Michael what's wrong?" Her smile now gone as she noticed the door. It was open. He was home. there was no time as she caught her next breath in her throat, eyes wide, pulling him away from the door as she shut it.

"Lets not go in here...lets do lunch out first..." Her smile now back except it was so obviously forced. She was pulling at his arm, ushering him away from the door and down the stairs, nervously looking back only once.

Michael's daydream ended as he shifted slightly in the backseat just as Josh's remembrance of that day sparks up...


The door flung open. Josh had felt something but now he was faced with an empty hallway. Looking down the hall one more time he went back into the apartment as she called out to him.

"Come back to bed , I need my daily fix of you Babe." He smiled as he padded back to her, gazing out of the window as he did so. He suddenly stopped and pressed his nose flat against the glass. He saw the tiny figure of Liz walking away from their home with a man in tow, looking very cozy as she linked her arm into his. He frowned hard with rage as he felt the girl’s arms encircle him from behind. Glancing out the window to see what he was staring at she said.
"Leave them. They can wait. Come back to bed." As she ducked under his arm to face him, nibbling at his chest as she did so. He didn't really want her right now but if he couldn't have Liz then she would do to satisfy his hunger once more as he tore himself away from the window to look into her sky blue eyes.

"Don't you want me?" She mumbled with big puppy dog eyes. He lifted her up and around his waist in one swift move, as he began walking her back to Liz's bed. His bed was across the street in his apartment. Liz hadn't let him move in yet, he doubted that she ever would. Max had fucked her up so much that she was no good to anyone. Her spirit was broken but still strong enough to fight it, to fight him but after what he had planned for tonight all that would change.

Making his way to Liz's bed again and her mouth he finally spoke.
"How could I not want you when I only see her when we have sex." He threw them both on the bed as she clawed at his back.

"Nor I you when I see you as Max." She smirked as she bit his neck hard. She moaned as he settled down onto her.
"But this time don't call me by HER name...its such a passion killer you know." She felt him yank her arms hard above her head by her wrists as she relished her name as it purred off his tongue.
"...Tess..."



Part 12B


As Max drove towards the hospital he kept stealing glances at the form curled up in the seat beside him. Liz sat curled in a ball on the passenger’s seat. Her head bent down.

"Liz..." He reached over, afraid to touch her as her head bobbed down once more. She'd gone so quiet all of a sudden
"Liz, stay with me...don't go to sleep...Liz stay with me baby." He didn't care what he was saying as there was now nothing from her.
"LIZ..!" He shouted out. Her head snapped back up as she moaned, letting it drop back down again fast. Too fast.
"LIZ...GOD...LIZ?"

He reached across again this time touching her shoulder as she cried out.
"NO...CALEB...DON'T...!!" She screamed as she slumped forward smacking her head on the dash. She then began mumbling something.
"...leave... me...alone." She began to thrash about as she stayed doubled over.
"..I ...don't..want to hear...I don't want you....I'm here aren't I...."

"LIZ!" Max yelled as she seemed to be in so much agony while on some other plane, finding it harder and harder to concentrate on his driving and not comfort her at the same time. Max kept snapping his head around between both her and the road.
"LIZ, what’s wrong? Tell me...it's caleb trying to contact you? Liz please." She was grabbing her stomach as her temples throbbed, and seeming to pay no attention to Max’s pleas she began crying out once more.

"...I came just like you wanted me to....just leave me alone....GOD..." She felt Max reach a comforting hand towards her but she found the strength to push his hand away as her cries got even worse. Then her resolve broke as she cried out to Max.
"MAX! HELP ME. PLEASE. MAKE IT STOP. MAKE HIM STOP!"

They were both thrown forward as Max stomped on the brakes and swerved to the side of the road totally ignoring any other traffic. Max turned and seeing her waiting for his touch, in one swift motion pulled her towards him. He was stopped by the seat belt and quickly punched at the release to free her. He gathered her into his arms and nothing was said apart from Liz’s moans of pain that raged out of her eyes into his as she drew him in closer. He felt her tremble as he lay a hand on her belly, not realizing just what affect it was having on her but knowing what affect that simple act was having on him. He was dizzy with it as she took a hold of his hand before he could go any further. Her breath was shallow as her short pants now hit at his face, he couldn't breathe as they both leaned slowly into each other. She searched at his eyes relentlessly as her grip tightened.

"...Max, just find out what he wants then make him go away.....please..." She begged, her voice behrly a whisper as Max could do nothing but nod as she used her two hands to gently his onto her belly as another spasm of pain wracked her stomach and she cried out once more. She arched up right off the seat, pressing harder onto his hand as she reached for his other hand and placed it gently to her face, her eyes never leaving his. Max had to strain to control his emotions as the feeling of his hand touching her skin was playing havoc with his already over wrought feelings as she finally let her guard down and the connection was then free to pulse and spread between them.


%%%% Pain. Light. Like being born. Growing fast. Alone. Pain. Alone. Calling out for you to come. Daddy needs you. Why don't you want me momma. Help me. Pain. Let me in. I can't get in. Pain. You won't let me. There’s something else in here. Alone. Please come for me. Please. We need each other. I need My family. Help me Momma. You were here then you went away. They're hurting me. Momma it hurts so bad. Why are they hurting me. Pain. Please come back to me. Daddy has you. I need you both. Blood. God help me. Come back for me. Let me heal you momma. Let me in. Please. Let us both in. Pain. Why don't you love us like we love you. Pain. Afraid. Pain.....darkness Colours...sounds....light....

Liz curled up in a tight ball trying to hide as he flings the door open. She feels him over her as she pulls her knees up tighter in fear. Yanked. Tied. Stretched out. Pain. Blood. Pain. Puncture. Cut. Screaming into nothing but water .Josh. Shoving. Screaming. Fighting. Splashing. Icey cold. Not breathing. Darkness. Yanking....%%%%


They both cried out as the connection broke, sucking in air hard as they threw themselves violently apart, eyes wide, fixed upon each other. Max banged up against the door unable to function, unable to believe what he had seen as he went to reach for her again. She then found the power of speech.

"My God Max... he's in Florida....Caleb's in Florida.." Her mouth hanging open in shock to the realization of what she'd heard. She saw Max reaching for her.
"...no....please.....don't.." She pushed herself back right up against the door, her tears stinging on her face as she clawed for the door handle. She finally found it and opened the door. She had to get away from Max right now. She hadn’t wanted him to see all that. She fell out of the car and to the ground wincing for air as she began trying to crawl away.

"L..Liz..w..wait..." He stammered as he crawled out after her slipping at the car door and also hitting the ground hard as he landed in a bundle. They were both finding it hard to breathe, unable to understand what they had just witnessed together they both lay out stretched on the ground a little way from the car. Liz’s sobbing was the only sound that pierced the cool night air as he called to her again.

"Liz?" Max called as he crawled to her side. As he neared, Liz somehow managed to get herself to her feet needing to get away from him. The pain was strangely gone and there was something else now making her ache to the point of pain. Guilt. She stumbled and fell, just getting up again as she felt Max by her side. The first thing she noticed was his eyes as they feverishly attacked hers. She wobbled as he caught her with one strong but shaky arm. She fought as if his touch brought her pain, as if it burned The connection was still there and about to take hold again. Just his closeness was able to start the rekindling of the connection but she couldn't handle anymore as she felt his warm breath hit her face. She could feel his breathing and heart beating in unison with hers as she began to lose herself to the connection again. To him.

"NO!" She screamed and he let go instantly as she pushed away and started to back from him. She continued to stumble away, getting stronger with every step but the ache increasing with every step that she took away from him. She felt him follow.
"No, Max...stay away." Her plea was noted but he had to go to her. Her pleading eyes that now faced him, stopped him. She could feel herself losing herself to him as she cried out.
"GOD WHY'S HE DOING THIS TO ME...I DON'T UNDERSTAND." She hands now at her head, not with pain because that had now eased but in confusion as she began to look away from him.

"You know why." His voice behrly there as he stood trembling , beginning to understand just what had happened. Her mood suddenly changed as she stood upright actually beginning to sound like she was laughing.

"Liz?" He edged forward frowning as it got louder as he got closer.
"Liz?" She knew he wanted an explanation of things but she just wasn't able to explain. Besides he didn't deserve any explanations. She totally ignored him as she made her way back to the car, passing him without even a sound.
"Liz talk to me...." Nothing. "...LIZ!" He yanked her round, her hair smacking in his face as it spun round after her.
"TALK TO ME!" He begged as he gathered her into his arms. He was emotionally and physically drained but he never felt more alive than he did at that point as he held her close. But she just ignored his pleas as her laughter stopped and he reluctantly let her go.

"Talk? You want to talk? ....What about? How you were right about me, about everything. Go on tell me I told you so..." She was shaking out of control as she started to advance on him, pushing him backwards.

"Liz..." He shook his head. "...I don't know what your talking about." He really didn't as he let her continue to walk them back.

"Come on Max don't give me that, you've been dying to say that what you said in the letter was right ever since I got back. My life is total shit and worth absolutely nothing at all..." He stopped her mid sentence, shaking his head as she stopped and turned away from him and started back to the car.

"Liz...." Max started but she stopped him.

"No Max, you were right...about everything. You should be proud. You've proved the experts wrong. There is intelligent life in outer space. Congratulations!" She began to clap her hands as she saw him shake.
"Now you know where your son is, you’re free to go get him happy in the knowledge that Tess can't be far away from him. The family will have a happy reunion!"

"Liz don't say that.." He pleaded. She saw his eyes ever so slightly begin to well with tears as hers were about to begin again. Refusing to let Max see her cry, she carried on, feeling sick at every word she'd spoken and was about to again

"Why not, its true, I deserve to be unhappy and feel pain while you go back to playing a happy family. You, Tess and your son. I deserve everything I get. So you should be happy..." She didn't get any further as she he strode across to her, eyes full of fire as he yanked her hard to him.

"NO LIZ DON'T SAY THAT...EVER...!" He held her away and stared into her eyes.
"YOU DON'T DESERVE ANY OF THIS..I'M THE ASSHOLE HERE NOT YOU...." He raged as he pulled her even closer only to push her away again to lose himself in her eyes once more.
"I'm the asshole, its all my fault. You've done nothing wrong..." Knowing he was hurting her he let her go but she didn't move away from him. He couldn't breathe at her closeness as he stepped back letting his eyes fall away from hers, unable to look at her.
"I made you leave. I brought you all this pain. I wrote that letter....." he found her eyes again.
"....I knew exactly what I was doing when I wrote that, but I never wanted to hurt you like I did... NEVER. I could never hurt you. I'd die before I let that happen..." His tears now beginning to fall as he saw her begin to shake harder still.

"Then why did you write it Max?" She was finally ready to hear him talk about the letter. And he was as ready to tell.

"What about the hospital Liz?..." He saw how pale and broken she was, still ragged with pain. She shook her head.

"Just tell me why, I deserve that and its killing me not knowing what I did wrong to make you write that... you owe me that at least...can that be my dying wish.." Her voice trailing off as she saw the pain held in his face by what she had said.
"please Max...I NEED to know." She begged.

"Just stop.." He held up his hand as his voice broke.
"please, just stop, I'll tell you why just don't say that...please Liz." He stepped forward a little and then he changed direction, pacing up and round as he ran the back of his hand across his cheek. Her eyes were wide, never leaving hers as he stopped dead in front of her to speak, swallowing down hard.

"I..I..wrote that letter so that you would move on, so you could live a normal life. So you could be free of all this mess once and for all...." His eyes pulled her in further.
"....I wanted you to decide to pursue your dreams without me holding you back. I wanted you to hate me so that you could move on with your life."
Suddenly breaking off he waited for a response from her, any kind of response as he felt his knees waver, having to changed his stance just to keep himself from falling. He didn't have to wait long as she slowly opened her mouth to respond.


part 13

She was playing with her hair, pulling at it at the side of her face before nervously tucking and retucking it behind her ear. A moment later she did exactly the same to the other side. She still wasn't looking at him so he felt safe enough to let himself smile secretly at her actions that he remembered so well. He missed Liz so much but it was the little things that brought home just how much. He now began to realize that it felt like he was seeing her for the first time. Like he'd been in darkness for so long until the light of her face made him come alive. As he was beginning to lose himself in her, she began to feel his eyes staring at her and she suddenly glanced over to where he stood.

His breath caught in his throat as he watched her lightly run the tip of her tongue over her beautiful lips. She cleared her throat as she thought of how to respond. To ready herself for some sort of response. Max had never been so scared in his entire life than at that moment. She had no idea what she was doing to him as he felt a little dizzy, thankful that he had enough control to keep from doing something really stupid, like kissing her.

She finally stopped and turned to him, "Congratulations Max. It worked. Happy now? "
She bit out, her fists were now clenched by her side as Max felt the bottom of his world fall out from under him. He just continued watching her, unable to talk as she now started pacing back and forth in front of him. She could feel his eyes following her every move as she spoke again not allowing him to respond even if he could have.

"So just tell me one thing and we won't EVER have to speak of it again. What possible reason was there for you to say ANY of those things that you did to me in THAT letter Max?" She had now stopped directly in front of him, staring him in the eyes, making him feel like the alien that he was as she now waited for his explanation.

"I thought it was the right thing to do...." She cut him off as she took a step toward him.

"The right thing to do? Way wrong answer Max. You'll have to do better than that!" She was trembling.

"It's the truth Liz!" So was he as it was her how spoke again.

"But why such horrible things Max, you could have just said what you just did and that would have been enough. I would have left you alone." She lied.
"But no, you decided to destroy what little we had left between us by making my decision for me. By giving me no choice. Was that it? You didn’t want me to have a choice!?" She blasted as her arms aimlessly waved about her. Max made no response he had expected this reaction from her and was accepting her tyrade.

"ANSWER ME DAMN IT!" She was now beginning to shake as he just nodded.
“God! Max, that wasn’t YOUR decision to make! You had no right to take that away from me. GOD! We should have talked about it. You should have at least told me how you felt Max. We could have worked something out. I know we could have!" Her eyes were now pleading with him, as she unconciously reached for him as he went to go to her. But she regrouped in an instant, turning away from him as she rubbed at her temples.
Liz turned back to Max as she continued, "But writing a letter worked better for you right. You weren’t man enough to face me, right? Another stupid, selfish, cowardly decision that YOU made without me. No matter what had gone on between us, or how you felt, I thought I meant more to you than just a worthless piece of paper.” She shook all the more as she held back the tears that were about to fall. She finally looked back in his eyes as she motioned for him to say something, anything, but he remained mute.

"But obviously I was wrong about that too wasn't I?" She stopped rubbing at her head, needing air to breathe as Max finally broke his silence.

"Would it have made a difference to you?" He mumbled with a questioning look. Her face wasn't showing him anything so far.

"Oh no! You don't get to do that Max. This is about YOU, not me. You try and explain yourself while I listen remember.... so talk." She couldn’t go easy on Max, this was the only way that she would be able to get through this without getting sucked back into the whole alien thing, to Max. His words were already affecting her in a way that she wasn't ready for, it was too soon as her legs were turning to mush. Max bowed his head against her stare, not able to look upon her as he dared to continue.

“Yes, it was YOUR decision Liz..... And I’m sorry I made it for you but one of us had to. I could see what being with me was costing you. You were dying Liz. Right before my eyes. I was watching you die. The search for a way to save my son, to even find him was killing you inside and I just couldn't let that happen.”

His eyes now found hers again as he shifted in his stance. His hands were deep within his pockets, his eyes moved between hers and the ground as his shoulders hunched up further still. Liz tilted slightly as she finally realized what had been bugging her for the last few minutes. This was the old Max, ‘her’ Max standing in front of her. Shy and nervous Max was making a reappearance in their lives once more and he was rocking her whole world. She'd missed shy Max so much, and she knew she had no defense against that...against him.

"So you killed me with that letter instead doing it face to face? Why, were you afraid that you'd look into my eyes and know just how fucked up you where sounding." She stepped towards where he was now standing, looking at the ground.
"Look at me Max." She waited as he slowly raised his eyes to hers. "You wrote me a letter because you were afraid to tell me to my face didn't you? Because you knew you couldn't go through with it if you saw me right?" Her eyes now relentlessly searching his full of hope as he shook his head. She took it a lot better than either of them thought at she turned away from him.

"Figures. I have to hand it to you Maxwell, you've out done yourself. Clever really I guess, at least I wouldn't be around anymore for you to have to injure right! And with a letter there'd be no blood on your hands, a clean break, so we could both get on with our lives. And you wouldn’t have to see how you destroyed me." She smirked. "What a bunch of crap." She spun round. " I died that day. I have no life."

"And you think I do? You saw me when you got here. You saw what I had become without you." He bit out for the first time, making her jump. "I died that day too Liz, long before that ... God Liz. You have no idea how important you are to me. I had no idea until after you left." He stepped towards her, eyes wide as she suddenly felt this going somewhere that she wasn't ready for so she cut him off, continuing down another path.

"I wanted to help you Max, how fucked up is that. I just needed to be around you, you were the air that I breathed. Yes, it hurt Max, but we were together….” Max tried to break in, not wanting to change the direction of their talk. He saw the sudden loss in her face at what she was saying so he backed down.

Max waited to see if Liz would continue and when she didn’t he said, “I know you wanted to help. I know you did. But deep inside it was killing you, you knew that.” Seeing Liz start to protest, Max held up his hand and continued, “Liz, that job in Florida was a Godsend. You had to get away from Roswell. You know you did. I knew you did. I'd known that for along time but I was holding onto something that could never be. I knew I had to let you go so that you could be Liz Parker again...." he found her eyes. "....the Liz Parker that I fell in love with...a Liz Parker without a Max Evans fucking her life up ever again!"

Breathy shallow, heart racing as they both wavered a little at what he was saying. Max tore his eyes down as he swallowed hard to continue. "Anyway you knew that there was no going back for us, it was just too late, too much had happened...you said it yourself remember? ”

Liz felt herself blush, having to look down too as she too remembered that night, a few days before she left. The night they almost forgot themselves, the past, the future, everything when they nearly found their way back to each other. Max could see her remembering , cursing himself for having brought that night up again even though he knew they wouldn't be standing there now if he'd let her stay in his room and not have made her go. He closed his eyes as he too began to let the memory invade him again, quickly knowing to stop it as he rushed to speak just as she did.

"But I wasn't yours to let go was I Max. I hadn't been for a long time, you saw to that the moment that you slept with that bitch." She spat out, now angry at the remembrance of letting him make her go that night. She felt like she couldn't breathe as her tummy ached that little bit more having eased off completely since being with Max.

"Although I don't need to relive the gory details if why you did that, its all in black and white so I guess you had no control over your actions. She made you do it. Or oops, you slipped and your dick accidentally fell into her? You can forget the excuses now."

"Liz." he now tried breaking in.

"WHAT?" He saw her shiver when it wasn't cold as she continued to snap. " I thought there had to be some other reason for all this apart from you being a heartless, selfish bastard...." She repeated again in disbelief.

“Liz, I knew exactly what I was doing when I wrote that letter.” Max looked at Liz as she lifted her head up, then seeing the shock and pain in her eyes. “Liz, I had to make you let go. I had to make you move on, to forget about me. I thought that if I just let you go to Florida you still wouldn’t recover from this past year. God, recover from everything, so I wanted you to stop loving me knowing that would be the only way. Nothing more nothing less.”

"So there was nothing else?..." She whispered. "No-one else?... it was just you trying to get me to hate you?"

"Yes." He replied firmly.

"To keep me away?" She changed again, moving into him a little closer, her eyes wide.

"Yes!" Her closeness suddenly hitting him.

"But why Max?" She almost pleaded.

Looking down in his hands and sighing deeply, Max continued, “Remember last fall when you came to my room? You told me then that you wanted normal boys, that you wanted a normal life, you didn’t want to be afraid anymore, you wanted to go to college."
He looked at her more intently as he also whispered the next statement to her. "..... that you wanted kids…" they both looked up and at, their eyes holding one another’s, both knowing at that exact moment what the other was thinking about. Caleb. But saying nothing as Max knew he had to carry on or collapse.

"And if you stayed with me I couldn’t promise you any of that. We would have gotten back together you know that as well as I do and I couldn't drag you back into that life again. You would have had no life Liz." His hands were now in his hair as he let out a prolonged sigh.

"God, Liz. I wanted that life with you. Just to think of having kids with you. When I wrote that letter I knew that we could never have children. It killed me inside to know that Liz when that’s all I'd ever wanted.” He was now looking straight at her. “ It was my dream to have my child growing inside of you…..” His voice trailing off into nothing as his words made them both ache with a longing that could never be fulfilled. Both felt the tears begin to well but not allowing them to fall, knowing what would happen if they did.

"Maaax." Was all she said, unconsciously taking a baby step towards him, stopping as she saw him take one back.

“..but at that time I thought that any child of mine couldn’t survive on earth. And knowing the kind of person you are you would have made me believe that we could have had that dream. Allowed me to foolishly believe, to let yourself believe.” He choose to skip the now obvious, this was all about her.. not Caleb..not yet!

“I couldn’t do that to you Liz. You deserved to get all of your wishes and so much more. You would make a terrific mother and a brilliant scientist but you couldn’t have any of that with me. And I knew you wouldn't go without me doing what I did. ” He then had to start pacing. He was shaking so much his legs would have surely given out on him if he hadn't. He was now rubbing at his forehead hard as he dared to look upon her. He was startled as he saw her staring right back him, mouth open as her head slightly tilted to the right as she was now motioning with her hands.

"I'm sorry Liz." She saw his eyes begin to shine over. "I'm so sorry Liz." He had to put his hands deep into his pockets to stop him for going to hold her as she saw him begin to fall apart in front of her very eyes. She'd never wanted to go to him so badly, needing him to hold her as at that point but something was stopping her from doing just that.

"And?" She questioned. He frowned. "Is that it?" She stood bolt upright. "Is that all you have to say for totally ruining my life. You wanted to set me free so I could live my own life away from you...." She was finding it hard to talk as she saw him go to talk not letting him. "I have no life if I'm away from you. Can't you see that? I tried...." She trailed off as she wavered a little.

"...it hasn't worked out. It least, unlike you I have the guts to admit that I'm nothing without you. I don't believe you would say any of those things to me. But if you wanted me to hate and despise you, wishing too that you'd just let me die that day as you said you did, because if it was your purpose, then you succeeded Max." She now saw the pain held in his eyes. At that moment he just snapped as she saw him stride towards her, grabbing her hard and fast by the arms.

"NONE OF IT WAS TRUE LIZ." He shook her. " IT WAS ALL A LIE. A LIE TO PROTECT YOU, LIKE THE ONE YOU DID FOR ME!" She saw the rage and pain in his eyes as she didn't understand.

"What, what lie?" She honestly didn't know as he let her slowly down, moaning silently of him having done so as he felt her breath smack repeatedly into his face.

"Your journal Liz...." He replied able to catch his breath just a little before her breath touched his skin once more. He closed his eyes to it as he took a shaky step away from her. "...I read your journal. " He now dared to look in her eyes, to look upon her startled face once more. "I KNOW everything Liz, what you did for me....what you gave up for me....what I made you gave up....." He couldn't take much more as he continued on. "....how you felt about me. How you STILL felt about me from your last entry the day you left..."

A single felt a single tear fall and roll down his cheek as she saw the pain and sorrow held in his eyes. Hers held with confusion.

His head tilted a little as he saw her step away.
"Liz...what’s wrong?" Wiping the back of his hand across his face as he stepped towards her knowingly.

"..I .I.don't understand." She followed up with a shake of her head. " What are you talking about Max? What Journal?"

******************************************

Michael could always feel when Max was close, ever since they were children. They were close but not too close as finally feeling like he had broken free of something made both front tyres blow out as safety as possible, allowing the car to thump to a slowing stop.



Part 13b.


“Liz..” He stepped towards her. “What do you mean, don’t you remember?” His voice now mirroring her face. She could only shake her head as he continued on. “Liz. Talk to me. What‘s wrong that journal was your lifeline, you wrote EVERYTHING in it and now you can’t remember it? Talk to me please Liz, you‘re scaring me.” His voice now telling her that for sure.

“What did it say?” She was now looking blankly at him.

“Liz?” He pulled back a little as her face became harder.

“Tell me what it said, what you read Max.” Her eyes were wide, body tense. He looked down and away. “Please Max.” He felt her touch at his arm as then the connection dared to flare again. He pulled his arm sharply out from under her arm as she stumbled a little without it’s support. He breathed out hard.

“Why don’t you remember or are you just trying to punish me?” He bit out.

“Do you think you don’t deserve to be punished Max?” She would only allow him to shake his head. “But no Max, I really can’t remember.” She rubbed her head again. She was looking so lost, almost afraid as Max inhaled slowly. His eyes then snapped open.

"Did he DO something to you?" He stepped in again as his eyes became wide in remembrance of what he'd seen before, somehow forgotten for a moment. She did nothing. He took hold of one of her shoulders. She let him turn her as the heat cracked between them. "Did Josh hurt you Liz?" he shook with every word as he saw the images of her again as rage took him. "TELL ME!" He roared as she jumped back.

"I..I..." She held her head in her hands also beginning to remember again. "...I..can't remember Max." She looked up at him. He gaspped as he saw her tears and utter hopelessness. " I...I..need you to help me remember. Tell me what I wrote...please Max."

Swallowing hard, clenching his fists to stop his hands from touching her as he so wanted to. He was burning to as he felt the heat begin to spark off of her.

“You wrote about what you did for Michael , Isabel and..... Me.” She shook her head. “....you SAVED us." His eyes light up as he was humbled once more. She shrugged her shoulders as he dared to continue. " From the end of the world when I came back from the future and made you give up our future....." His words breaking up. "...god Liz you gave up EVERYTHING because I asked you too. You gave up...US " His stepped in closer. "....you gave up our wedding...." Her shiny eyes drawing him in as her mouth opened and closed willing the voice that just wouldn't come. He couldn't help but gently reach and cup her cheek as the connection invaded them once more.

%%%%She was standing in front of a mirror smiling, so happy as she pretended to be a bride. She then saw a flash of light and a different him come to her window. Voices mixed with images "..make me fall out of love with you".... "...you think that I'll forget about you...." "...you have to try something else...." "...the night of Gomez we made love....." "..you have to let yourself change..." ".....normal boys....." ".....I've fought a thousand battles..." "....it worked, I'm leaving....." them dancing.......%%%%

The images slowly faded as he still held her cheek, her tears now soaking his hands.

"I...I...remember. God I remember." Her wide as she leaned into his hand a little more savoring the feel of his hand on her cheek. He moaned as he gently pulled away from her breaking the contact.

"I read what I MADE you give up Liz. It made what I wrote to you even more cruel because you gave up EVERYTHING for me." He trembled as she stepped closer. He held up a hand to stop her. "..I..don't...I don't deserve you." He stumbled out. " I should never had written any of that. I knew there had to be something more to you 'sleeping' with Kyle but I was just too stupid to see. I didn't fight it, I didn't even qusetion it that hard did I?. I let my eyes rule my heart when I'd always been able to trust it, follow it when ever it concerned you." He was the one now lost. "I can't explain any of it Liz...I wish I could but it was like I had no control over any of any of it. My life was passing me by and I could do nothing....." He looked deeper at her.

"Max?" She whispered.

"...I was losing you Liz and I just let it happen. You are my world and I just let you go." He was fighting back the tears as his hands went deeper into his pockets afraid to not have them there. " Without fighting I just let it happen when I knew I should fight for you forever. I had nothing then...."

"..and then you slept with Tess?" She slowly added for him. He just nodded.

He looked at her as he shook his head, and continued "...but that's no excuse. It was all me, it had nothing to do with you. It wasn't your fault like you wrote Liz....I can't explain why I did what I did only that I let it happen just that one time. " He shook hard, closing his eyes tight to it.

"..but you said..." Liz tried to break in but Max cut her off.

"To make you hate me even more Liz but it was only that one time. I swear you have to believe me." his eyes pleading with her as she believed him, nodding that fact to him. He exhaled hard.

"Max.. I know you said that you.... loved her...." She whispered.

"What? When did I say that?" He bit out. "I NEVER loved that bitch...NEVER!!" He raged.

"But that night you were leaving, when we were in bob, I asked you if you loved her and you said..."

"not like I love you." He said looking away from her as he cried out, falling hard to the ground.

"MAX!!" She was on her knees beside him.

*******************************************

"Yeah we're on highway 285, nearly at the hospital......." Jeff looked back to where Michael and Josh stood. ".....we need you to come and get us...." His voice trailing away as he turned from them.

"Funny both tires blowing like that isn't it ....Rath." Josh mumbled as he now faced him, blocking Jeff's view of them both.

"Yeah I guess but why don't you do your thing and make it all better. Give us all a break and fix the tires." Michael was in his face, daring him, getting stronger by the minute. Josh just smiled.

"Now I don't know what your talking about my friend..."

"I'm not your friend." he said, grabbing a hold of his shirt, still out of sight of Jeff. Josh smacked his hand away.

"As I said I don't know what your talking about, I'm human your the freak! Why don't you fix your mess." He replied smirking at Michael's look of confusion. Michael's eyes were wide as he grabbed him again.

"Easy...MY FRIEND we don't want to make a scene now do we...." Josh continued.

"Don't we!" Michael bit out at him as his grip tightened, about to do something more when Jeff interrupted.

"Nancy's on her way." He looked about him. " I just hope she gets here soon we have to get to the hospital before Max has a chance to mess with Liz again."

Michael let him with a little shove as Josh oiled out, "I agree!"

Michael leant into him. "No. That's your job isn't it....my friend!! To mess with her mind?" He said so only Josh would hear.

"Of course. You learn fast but it’s not just my job. I have help!" Josh smiled as Michael was about to either ask who helped him, or just kick his head in and ask questions later, when Jeff walked up beside them.

"Everything okay?" Jeff asked sensing the tension between the two men.

Both looked round at him answering at the same time. "Just Peachy."
All three men then jumping as now an ambulance screamed past them.

"Maybe we should hitch a ride." Josh joked.

"Lap it up. Easily arranged." Was all Michael said as he turned to look back at its tail lights as they faded into black.

************************************************

%%%%He felt her on him as she sucked and bit at his neck, her silky hair cascading around both of him. Moaning, he arched himself up to meet her heat as she moved her hand away from his neck and back onto his hardness. He moaned once more as he heard her voice. "Make love to me Max." She whispered as she rubbed her hand gently up and down him. He found her hips, placing a hand other side as he then began to rock her harder on him. Harder and faster with every motion as he heard her crying out, her hands now fumbling between them to open his jeans. Snap! as the first button came free. He heard the sound of the zipper slow going down as he fought to open his eyes as he now looked up at Liz stradling him...%%%%

He cried out as he pushed her aside to sit upright. He couldn't breathe as he grabbed a hold of her arm.
"God Liz...she.. made.. me.. think.. it.. was.. .YOU.... " he felt her pulling at him as he inhaled harder, his lungs needing to be fed. "...she made me think that I was making love to YOU Liz, that's how she got me to do it...." He had a hold of her shoulders as he yanked her with every word, eyes wide. "SHIT I KNEW IT!! I knew something was wrong, I could never.... god you have to believe me.." he had his hands in her hair as he cupped her face.

"Its okay, its okay...." Her now had hers on either side of his face as she felt him tremble. "..shhhhh." She let him pull her to him as his head fell into her lap. She gasped as he pulled her in tighter, also wanting to crawl up inside of her as he began to cry. She let her head fall as she touched his cheek, her hair falling around them. "..its okay Max I saw it too...its okay I believe you." She began to rock them slowly as his grip as now becoming almost painful.

"I'm so sorry Liz....god I'm so sorry I let that happen....." he was clawing at her waist.

"You had no choice Max. Don't you understand. She mindraped you into doing it....." She felt him stiffen. "....into doing a lot of things. I think that's why you've been the way that you have been Max. She been fucking with you...... With both of us." She bit out. She heard him go to speak but she stopped him.

"If you can remember Max tell me what I wrote that last day. I can't remember and I want to know....." She now felt him rise and move away from her quickly, his eyes red raw from crying.

"If I can remember..... Liz I'll have that with me till the day I die...." He gently stroked her jawbone. "....I'll always remember it." he was now up on his knees facing her as he began to recite the letter from memory again....

Max,
I know it is too late for us now, all that you said the other night was true. But doesn't mean that I have to except it because I don't. I never will. You told me once that I was your destiny, that I was the one the only one. I've always known it , that you would be it for me too. Even after everything I know that to be the one true thing to come out of all this mess. I believe that with all my heart and soul as I know you do too. But you have your reasons for feeling like you do now, I don't understand them but I trust you with all my heart.I guess I always have, I believe that you believe it .It doesn't make it right and it doesn't hurt any less. God it hurts so much Max. I don't want to leave you. I love you. I'll always love you my Max no matter what you've done. You are my life, my whole world but I will do it for you. Always for you. Everything for you.

I need you to promise me one thing Max, that we'll always be friends. That we'll always be there for each other. That there won't be a time that you won't be in my life or at the end of a phone. I need to know that you'll always be there for me, I can't live with not having you in my life. Your the air that I breathe. This journal will tell you just how much you mean to me, what you'll always mean to me. I'll carry you with me, in my head, in my heart, in my dreams always. I may never be able to forget but I forgive you Max because that's what you do when you love somebody as much as I love you. I just hope that when you read this you'll find it in your heart to love me enough to come and find me. I pray that you'll come for me Max.That we can start over. They'll never be a going back because we've both changed so much and I wouldn't want to because then that would mean that these past two years never happened when they did. There's hopefully only our future now.

I'll wait for you forever my love, Liz.


He was looking at her the whole time, holding her arms to steady her as she shook with every word, wiping away her tears as they fell saying nothing until she finally found the words and breath to talk. Her eyes were wide as she suddenly grabbed at him.

"I remember Max, god I remember. Josh knows where Caleb is Max and he's been controlling me from the beginning...to get to him...." She pulled at him harder. "He's been keeping me from you, I've wanted to come home before, you see you, to find out why you said all those things but he wouldn't let me....they wouldn't let me...he's been letting them hurt me Max...and oh god, they've been hurting Caleb...."She couldn't breath.

"Liz, I don't understand. Who's they? What's that bastard done to you and our son Liz?" He shook her a little as anger now consumed him. She stopped at his words.

"Our son.." She repeated clawing at him all the more. "...yes Max Caleb's our son I believe that now. Don't ask me why or how I know that but just believe me when I say that he is. I haven't wanted too believe for along time, not letting him in for so long when he's needed me the most. God! " She began to break. "..but I was afraid. I didn't understand and I was so angry at you...."

"...I made you hate me Liz, it was my fault not yours. Please don't ever blame yourself." He pulled her to him so their faces were only inches apart, their closeness playing havoc with their emotions. "...please Liz hate me but don't ever hate yourself...."

"I don't hate you Max. I could NEVER hate you...... I love you...I've always loved you." She leaned in closer as she felt his breath hit her face as the longing deep inside of her began to throb and spread. There was no pain, no urgency, no need for closeness because of anything else.... anyone else. It was just them as Max closed his eyes to her words.

"I love you too Liz...I never stopped" He let his forehead rest against hers, feeling she was just as hot as he. "....god so much that its been killing me inside..." He rolled his head gently from side to side against hers. ".....I should have never let you go Liz. I was stupid and foolish to believe that I could live without you.. I'm nothing without you Liz..." He had his hands other side of her flushed face as she clawed at his shoulders.

"Max!" He pulled away from her as he placed a finger to her lips, shaking his head to get her to stop.

"I wanted to come for you Liz, I nearly did so many times but I thought you wouldn't want me... and there was my son. He'd always come between us...."

"But I'm here now and I'll never leave you again Max...." She now moved her hands feverishly up to his face as she forgot about the disease that was slowly killing her as she looked into his eyes.

"I won't let you Liz, you hear me I won't ever let you leave me again." As he pulled at her waist. They'd now risen off their heels and onto their knees. Max let himself smile just a little as he saw hers now forming

"....and he's not just your son Max, he's OUR son." They ached all the more as she spoke the words. "... We have a little boy who needs us to find him. He's in so much pain Max..." Their lips were now hovering over each others, behrly touching. "We need to get him back..."

"..we need to be a family." They both said together as they both finally found each others lips. It was so gentle that it made them tremble as he ran his hands ever so lightly through her hair.

"There are no excuses for what I did.....to let any of that happen" he pleaded breathlessly. "..... and I don't expect you to ever forgive me but please let there still be a chance for us. For me to somehow make it right with you because...." he was coming apart in her arms as she touched at his cheek with a trembling hand from hearing his words. From feeling him trembling too as she melted to him.
"..... God....I ( kiss) love (kiss) you ( kiss ) Liz...." The kiss now breaking but no less gentle as his mouth now clashed against her smile. She leant into his neck as he placed little kisses down to her neck as she nuzzled into him.

"and I ( kiss) love (kiss) you..." She moaned as she leant her head back, letting him kiss her where she knew he wanted to go. But something was changing as both grabbed at each others clothing. They moaned together as it become more heated between them.

"..MMaaax.." She began to lose herself in his kisses as he now gently sucked at her neck, holding the back of his head to hold him there. She couldn't breath as she ran her fingers through his hair about to say something when she winced.

"Liz." He pulled away. "What's wrong?" She steadied herself with one hand on his shoulder as her other hand grabbed her stomach.

"You need to get me to the hospital Max..now..." He pulled her lightly to her feet. "...I still need my medication Max." She winced again.

"Okay baby. I'm here..." She wobbled as he scooped her up in his arms in one smooth motion. She clung to him as he almost ran with her to the car. ".....I'll get you there, just hold on...Okay, just stay with me." He was panicking as she held his neck tighter.

"I'm not going anywhere Max...not yet." He couldn't let himself respond as he gently placed her back in the car. He raced around to the drivers seat and they were then moving again towards a place that would help her cope with her illness but couldn't save her. Only their son could do that, where ever he was in Florida.

Part 14

“Doctor Ambrose, room 235 please, Doctor Ambrose, room 235 please.” The public address system had been making contact announcements since Max and Liz had arrived 20 minutes earlier. As soon as they had arrived at the hospital Liz had been rushed into an ER examination room. The fact that they weren’t forced to take a seat and wait caused feelings of dread to flow through Max’s mind.

“Code Blue, Code Blue Room 112. Code Blue Room 112” Suddenly came pouring out of the speaker. Max had do dodge as a team of medical personnel raced by pushing a crash cart. He followed the progress of the team to see if they entered the room that held his life. No, it wasn’t, Liz was in room 123. Max started to breath again as he resumed his pacing.

Max was almost pacing a groove in the floor as he continued to stare towards the closed door to the room that now held his heart inside. Back and forth, back and forth only stopping to reach for its handle with a shaking hand every now and again, only to then pull it away again and continue his pacing, ‘What the hell are they doing in there? What the hell could be taking so long.’ He thought as he ran a hand through his hair. He stopped again at the door, tempted to enter as a young nurse bumped between him and it again, smiling at him as she opened the door and started to squeeze in. Max stepped back with a shy smile, his eyes not holding hers as they fell to the floor once more. He heard her mumble some words of encouragement to him as he put his hands deep within his pockets but he wasn't listening, he could hear nothing but the uncontrollable humming of his body. It was as overwhelming as his need to go to Liz, to hold her close, missing her touch to the point of pain tore through him causing him whobble just a little. Spinning almost out of control he had to close his eyes to it as he felt his world begin to tilt.

Rubbing hard at his temples he began to mindlessly pace again...up and down, only able to take a few baby steps before turning back and doing the same the other way. It was driving him crazy as he looked back at the cup of hot chocolate that sat on the table next to the waiting room chair he had tried to sit in. He'd got her that ages ago, he had to do something when they'd taken her shaky, burning form from him, almost having to prize her away from his strong arms, not letting him follow because he wasn't family, the door was then shut in his face. He still wasn't sure what he was to her but he stood, forehead to the door, for a long time before he went to get her the drink. But it must be stone cold by now. As he reached slowly down to it so he could get her a fresh one the door finally opened. Max spun around, knocking the cup over and onto the floor, to see the young doctor coming out of the room.

"Okay Miss Parker but I still strongly suggest that you stay here a while, over night at least...."
Max heard him call back to her as he turned to face him now. Max was trying to peer into the room round him, bobbing from side to side to catch a glimpse of Liz.

The doctor turned and was now speaking to him.
"You can go in now, she's been asking for you Mr. Evans...." Max now looked at him.
"...but she needs her rest."

Max tore his mind away from Liz long enough for him to actually find speech.
"How is she?"
His voice low as he tensed up for the answer, almost not daring to breathe.

"She's fine, you got her here just in time but she needs to be taking her medication regularly."
Max exhaled hard as they both looked back into room, Max now able to see her sitting up in bed catching his breath in his throat. She hadn't seen him yet but she looked so pale and lost sitting up like that in the big clinical bed. Her hospital gown hung loosely about her shaky shoulders, his heart aching as she now looked about her, the doctor blocking her view of him. Her eyes were wide as she pulled her knees up tightly under chin, pulling the gown down to her feet which only in turn exposed more of her to him. He swallowed as she then folded her arms tightly around her knees, now holding herself while rocking gently as if afraid of something. Max took a step towards her, his need to hold her just too much to behr as the doctor then leaned close to him while stopping him with his clipboard as he spoke just so he could hear.
"Maybe you can talk some sense into her try and get her to stay here over night. She says she's fine..."
Max couldn't help but smirk a little as he now looked back at him.
"...but she NEEDS to be here."
Max couldn't hide his concern as it now invaded his face.

"But you said...." He voice breaking off as he looked back and round at Liz.

"She is, for now but the medication has made her a little groggy and we need to keep an eye on her, that’s all." He said with a calming voice after seeing Max's look. The doctor saw him begin to shake as Max spoke again, his voice behrly a whisper.

"I..Is.. she... getting... worse..?"
He then stammered continuing on when he didn't answer.
"tell me..please." He then pleaded, having to again put his hands deep in his pockets to stop himself from shaking.

"Yes." He replied as Max closed his eyes.

"Does she know that?"
He didn't need to look to see that he was shaking his head as Max now dared to look back at her. He jumped a little when he saw her wide eyes staring back at him.

"MAX!"
She yelled, a big smile now on her face as she uncurled her legs to swing them to the side of the bed as if to get up.

"Hey you..."
He forced the best smile he had, lightly pushing the doctor to one side, holding onto his arm a little longer than need be as if to say thank you as he went to her, finding her arm gently just as she was about to push herself off the bed.
"..and just were do you think your going."
He was now standing in front of her, space behrly between them as she went to get up again.

"Home."
She replied firmly, as she placed her hand on his shoulder to steady herself. Both jumped a little from the closeness that they now shared as their grip on each other tightened.

"Oh no you don't..."
He was now trying to push her back on the bed again as he stepped in closer still, her closeness and behr shoulder from where the gown had slipped further sending him somewhere where he shouldn't go right at that second. Not looking at him she pulled and pushed at the same time till she was standing. As she finally stood up straight she whobbled, wincing a little as her legs fell from under her.

"Hey easy."
He caught her hard with both arms tight around her back as her arms encircled his neck tightly. He gently lifted her up higher onto his chest, about to put her back down on the bed when he felt her arms tighten around his neck.

"no..don't..." She whispered.
"..please Max..." She buried her face into his chest as she trembled.
"...I can't stay here..." Her grip was like a vise around his neck.

"Liz..."
Slowly he grabbed at her shoulders, pulling her away from him but she still wasn't letting him go as she trembled with pain.

"..no Max don't make me stay...I can't stay here..."
She wasn't looking at him as she continued to plead. Her eyes were looking wildly about them.

"Why? They can help you here..... You need to be here Liz..... The doctor said you should stay."
His was finding it harder and harder to maintain some sort of restrain against what she was doing to him let alone coherent speech but somebody had to as their bodies began to respond again to each others. He was now feeling dizzy and hot as she began to tremble as the feeling throbbed then spread. He was losing himself to her again, unable to stop it..not wanting to as he felt the behr skin of her back where the hospital gown had come open under his shaky hand. He was thankful that the moment was broken as she pulled herself away from him to look up with fear in her eyes.

"No Max I NEED to be with you, please..."
She whimpered, now yanking it his leather collar to pull him in closer still. He held her tighter as he now rested his chin on her hair, expecting it to smell of strawbehrries only to smell nothing. He closed his eyes as her trembling only made his worsen.

"Shhhhhh its okay...." He was stroking at her hair as he heard her moan. "Its okay I'll stay here with you...if they'll let me just don't be upset Liz." Totally missing that it was his touch that was making her moan again. "...but you need to be here..." He felt her pushed him away hard but the contact with his chest never breaking.


"NO MAX I want to be with you but not here. I don't feel safe here...." Her eyes pleading with him as she was about to continue if not for them taking her again...


%%%%% She felt so cold, her skin clamy with sweat as she felt the hard, cool base under her with her flat palm. It felt shiny and smooth almost slab like as she heard distant mumbles. Voices coming in and out. She tried opening her eyes, they were already open but she was blind folded. She was trying to move, coming to nothing but a tiny, useless wiggle as she now felt that her hands were bound to what lay beneath her. Tight to the point of painful. She now wiggled into painful as she heard footsteps approaching from the side and loud panting. Louder and longer, faster and harder. It was her panting as it now spun out of control as she slowly became more aware of her situation. Of her fear as she felt someone hover above her. Suddenly she felt hands touch at her belly as she heard and felt material tearing there. She tried screaming but nothing would come. It was like she was wide awake, able to feel everything but unable to do anything about it as she felt a sharp ended thing enter there. It tore roughly into her flesh, she only able to arch herself up a little off the slab as something then flowed out and over her, reaching and touching at her hand. She felt like she was going to puke as it happened again as she felt blackness coming again, coming to take her prisoner once more as the last thing she saw was light from above and white around as her blind fold was then ripped from her by a figure from above. A woman with hair that hung down, blonde hair as the darkness did then take her again...%%%%%


She heard a scream, it was her as she felt herself snap out of the flash and realize that she was still on the hospital bed. Max was kneeling in front of her on the bed, his hands clasped at other side of her head eyes wide with concern.
"MAX! I..I..oh god...." She said breathlessly as she clawed at his arms.

"It's okay I know Liz..." He gently fisted at her hair.
"...I saw it too. Remember we can do that again."
His voice trying but failing to hide his fear of what he'd seen. Max could feel that Liz didn’t understand what they had just saw any better then he did. She was trying to form words as her eyes grew to the size of saucers. He felt her tense under his touch as she lightly shook her head in disbelief.

"You did? God but what did we see? It felt so real.....W..What's happening to me Max? I'm so scared. What did I do that was so bad for me to end up like this..."
Her tears now tumbling out and down her face as she looked at the ground, as she pulled herself away from his embrace still breathlessly shaken by it.

"Liz listen to me."
He had to literately push up hard at her jawbone to get her to look at him. He had to look at her.

"Nothing..you've done nothing wrong."
He snapped, instantly softening once he found her shiny eyes.
"...something unimaginable has been done to you Liz and its because of me. Because of knowing me that any of this has happened to you. I'm to blame."

He thumbed her tears away while swallowing his own that were now daring to fall as he saw her shake her head to his words. He could do nothing but shake his back at her knowing that this was not the time or the place to be having this conversation as he slowly rose to feet, his hands never leaving her shoulders once he was there. He saw her face frown as he leant in and lightly kissed her on the head.

"We'll talk about this later, I promise but right now we have to get you out of here and back home."
he was already looking about the room for her clothes. His body needing her to have her clothes on. The gown she had on was causing havoc on his already frayed emotions as he left her side for a moment to retrieve her clothes from the chair across the room. His simple act giving his body time to calm down and to stop humming. She turned on the bed to follow him across.

"Home but..."
Suddenly stopping when remembering about the fire. He turned back to see the utter look of horror and confusion now held on her face. He tilted his head to the left slightly. She never looked more beautiful sitting there like that as he walked back to her side again.

As he handed her the clothes he said, "..home to my house."
Her eyes were wide. Seeing this he stepped away a little, realizing his foolishness as he suddenly felt like he had in the beginning. Shy and totally unable to speak to the angel that held his heart. That always had and who always would have his heart.
"..if..if..thats...thats...okay with you..." He was looking down again,his face turning red, not seeing that her face had broken into a smile.
"...I...mean if you..." She let smile break wider at his stumbling as she found the words to speak.

"If its okay with me? Your kidding right? I so love you Max Evans and there’s no other place that I'd rather be, but won't your parents mind?" She said without pausing, without thinking only feeling as she saw him smile again too.

"I don’t think they will." He was walking back to her slowly, both their breathing shallow, hearts racing. Everything forgotten as it was only them, alone in that room.
"They've always liked you and you can stay in my room." Their eyes both becoming wide to what he'd just said, their bodies beginning to throb to it.
“Of course my parents will make me sleep on the couch.”
He chuckled as he moved to stand in front of her, leaning down to kiss her as she was pushing herself up to meet that kiss. Almost home their breaths caressing each other’s faces, tongues lightly licking at waiting lips as they then slightly caressed each other when..

"MAX!"
Both jumped back as they turned to see a wide mouthed Isabel leaning into the room.

"IS."
Max reluctantly answered as he stepped away from Liz. As he took a closer look at his sister he noticed the fear and concern that was etched on her face.
"What's wrong?" He said as he strode over to her.

"Thank god your still there."
She sounded out of breath as she now looked over his shoulder at Liz as she jumped off the bed, knowing something was wrong. She was next to Max in no time. She was ignoring Max's eyes on her or his gentle hand rubbed her back trying to keep her calm.

"Isabel, what's wrong?"
She echoed, suddenly feeling sick with dread. Finally Isabel spoke

"It's Maria."

"What about Maria?" Liz couldn't help but grab Isabelle’s arms.
"Isabel TELL ME..." She shook her a little harder.

"She just collapsed after you left...they're with her now...."
She trailed off as Liz went to push past Isabel and find Maria. Max grabbed her arm, stopping her.

"Hey, you’re not going anywhere, you need your rest..." His whole body now blocking her.

"Screw rest Max! Maria NEEDS me."
She was trembling so much that Max had to physically hold her to stop her from falling.

"I know but your too weak to come Liz. Anyway, you can’t run through the hospital in that gown. You stay here.... Change in to your clothes, and rest." He now bent down to her level, searching out her eyes.
"..I'll go find out what's going on and I'll be right back." She believed him and she may not like it but he was right, she was too weak as she wavered a little more.

“But she’s my best friend, I should be there for her..” Liz tried to argue without much conviction.

Max started to lead Liz back to her bed. "She's okay Liz, if not she WILL be....." Max then lifted Liz into bed his eyes looking at her intently. From knowingly to longingly as he had to tear himself away from her.
"Liz, just promise me that you'll stay here till I get back. Okay? I won’t be long." She could only nod as he gave her one last squeeze and they were gone.

******************************************

"Look, I did what you asked..." He was whispering on his cell phone as he gently pulled his door open, peering out and round it as he did so.
"...she's been given the dose so its up to him to persuade her to stay. Then she'll be yours for the taking. It's out of my hands now....” He closed the door and continued,
“No! I won’t do anymore. If they ever found out what I did to that girl, I’d be in the prison cell next to yours." He turned to walk back towards his desk, he instantly stopped talking when he heard the door being flung open behind him.

******************************************

Liz watched Max and Isabel hurry out of the room. She layed back down for a minute to regain her strength then sat up and looked around for her clothes. Max had left them at the foot of the bed and she decided to get dressed. As she changed into her clothes her thoughts were on one person, Maria. Her friend was in the hospital. She had collapsed. She needed her. As she finished dressing, she remembered the last thing Max had said. ‘Stay here, I’ll come get you.’ She sat on the bed after changing, the thoughts racing through her head.

"Fuck it! Maria needs me now."
She cursed under her breath she jumped off the bed just as she heard footsteps rushing down the corridor. She was starting to walk towards the door as heard the footsteps stop just outside her door. ‘It must be Max’ Liz thought as she saw the door lever start to move.

*bounce**bounce**bounce**bounce*
posted on 1-Jan-2002 1:01:23 PM
Part 15


Liz started to walk towards the door to pull it open. The lever had stopped halfway down as if the person outside was trying to decide whether to come in or not. She didn’t want to wait for Max to come in. She had decided that she had to be there for Maria. As the door continued to open a feeling of nervousness came over her. A chill was running down her spine as the door finally came completely open.

“Oh! Doctor…” She broke off losing it for a moment, too many other things occupying her mind to remember his name as she breathed out a sigh relief to see it was him standing in the doorway. Her heart was still thundering in her chest seeming to sense that something wasn’t quiet right as she now let her face break into a smile, her cheeks now crimson from still not being able to remember to remember his name.

“…Stone. I’m Doctor Stone.” He saw her trying to remember his name, smiling back at her only to have it fade away the moment that she turned her back to the bed in order to get her coat. His eyes got smaller as he stepped into the room while watching her wince a little while hurriedly putting it on.

“Going some where?” He said coarsely beginning to slowly push the door shut behind him, eyes never leaving her back while his hand was reaching for the needle in his pocket.

“errrm yeah…” She was still gathering the remainder of her stuff which lay strewn across her bed, not looking at him as he stole a quick glance in the hall to make sure they wouldn’t be disturbed.

“my friend’s been rushed in here and …” She’d now spun round to face him again and was suddenly light headed because of the quick movement. She felt disorientated as he took his needle grasped hand out of his pocket making sure that she couldn’t see it. Seeing the look on his face and the door almost closed she suddenly became aware of her situation as her heart began to pump and her skin prickled. She felt afraid, jumping when he spoke to her again.

“and?” He didn’t seem right. The look he was giving her. Something was wrong. She took a baby step back, not liking that they were alone as he leaned back against the closed door. He started to take a step towards her when the door slammed open, hitting him hard as Max then peered around the partially opened door. Max had felt the door hit some type of obstruction and as he was peering round he saw that the doctor was there.

"Oh, gees, I’m so sorry..." He blurted as his eyes found Liz. “I didn’t know anybody was in here with Liz.”

“MAX!” She couldn’t hide her relief striding towards him as Stone hurriedly placed the drug loaded needle back into his deep pocket unnoticed.

“I’m sorry Liz, I was halfway down the hall when I decided I couldn't just leave you here alone. So come on. Hurry up and come with me.” Max confessed, his stupidity obvious as he ignored the shifting man in white as he now gently rubbed at her back. His face broke into a shy smile, sounding like he’d been running as her hand how tugged at his arm. His smile stopped when he saw her eyes. They were so big. She looked scared as he felt her beginning to tremble immediately. Fear suddenly engulfed him as looking slowly between the two his mind wondered as his heart pumped faster. He found her hand and clasped at it tightly.

“What’s wrong?” His searching eyes never leaving hers as he felt her starting to pull him out of the room.

"Nothing." He didn't believe her as he could feel the nervousness and tension coming off of her in waves.

The had almost reached the door when the doctor stepped in front of them and asked, "Where are you going?" His ability to hid his concern non-existent as he shamelessly tried to block their exit. Liz couldn't help but step back her feeling that something wasn’t right taking control of her feet. Max felt a tug at his shoulder as she pulled him again about to say something when the flashes hit:

%%%%% White coats. Light. Feeling of being tied down tight as a flash of light caught the shine of the needle just before it punctured her skin. Pain as she felt herself losing consciousness. Only to be suddenly awakened hitting the ground hard as she was thrown into a white padded cell...%%%%%

She stumbled back, Max steadying her with a strong hand either side of her waist to stop her from falling back, her hands on his forearms as he pulled her to him tighter. She couldn't breathe, the visions partially responsible as it was now the warmth radiating off of Max's body that had captured her senses completely.

"LIZ!" She felt his hands bunched in the material of her coat as her entire body swayed again from his urgent touch, his eyes looking directly back at the doctor for answers. He felt so sick suddenly as is mind become muddled with answers of his own to questions that he didn't dare ask. Didn't want to face, not now, not ever as his grip intensified.

Liz was losing her own battle, she was feeling progressively worse by the moment as she felt Stone's eyes burn into her. Liz knew that she had to get them out of there, suddenly fearing for Max as she blurted out her plea.

"Max I have to see Maria....now!"

Not allowing him to talk any further, just wanting out of that room white room....she gasped. The white room and white coats, she'd been in a hospital before, she knew that but not as she remembered it. She began to fight whatever it was that was invading her already sick body.
Somewhere along the line she'd pulled away from Max, and was in the process almost dragging him out of that room as her plead panged deep at his heart.

He'd seen what she had, the flashes almost causing him as much pain as he knew that they had her, feeling her body jerk with every single flash, shamelessly helpless to stopping them. Unable to help her.
They'd had visions before, both together and apart but with each new encounter they seemed to be becoming much more violent leaving them in a state of utter confusion unable to understand what had been happening to the both of them. He NEEDED answers but he could sense by the way her entire body was reacting that she just didn't want to talk deal with them so he didn’t push Maria was the focal point of Liz’s mind as they now went to walk past the concerned looking doctor.

"SHE CAN'T LEAVE!!..." His frenzied tone obvious as his arm now blocked their path. Max gave him a questioning look, wondering why the doctor wouldn’t let them leave. Max felt Liz tremble more, digging her nails into his hand until they were white. He looked at Liz’s nervous expression and then back to the doctor. He didn’t like his tone of voice, and liked the feeling of being trapped in the room even less.

"...she needs her rest." He quickly added his is manner instantly changing upon realizing how he had sounded. But it was too late Max had already noticed, his whole body tensing, not liking any of it as he just stared between his eyes and his arm which was still in their way.

Seeing that it wouldn’t stop them from walking out, he tried another tack, “She hasn’t been released yet. She has some paperwork to be filled out. Uh, I’ll, uh, I’ll get a nurse to bring it in.”

“Don’t worry, we’re not leaving the hospital. We’re just going down to the emergency room. If you need us, we’ll be down there.”

Seemingly as if to sense as well as see the tension in Max and realizing that he couldn’t stop them he dropped is hand away and stepped away from the door.

"Just make sure she's allowed to sleep Mr. Evans, she needs to get some sleep."
The Doctor’s calming tone was doing nothing to ease the tension that seemed to electrify the air as his eyes burned of fire but Max's burned brighter. He was staring back at him, noticing that his eyes had now fallen away to where Liz was buried deep at his heaving chest. “I’ll take care of her. Don’t worry.” Max's tone of voice drew his eyes away form her. Max was purposefully trying to get Stone’s attention away from Liz because he just didn't like the way that he was leering at her.

Max finally whisked her out and down the corridor, turning once to look back over her shoulder and back behind them. Now not surprised to see him standing behind them watching as they turned the corner and he was out of view.

The Doctor stood there wondering just when they'd contact him again. They were expecting him to have been successful and would be calling to arrange to collect her body because it was needed again to ensure the boy's survival. She'd been used too long already and she was fast being depleted of the essence they extracted. Soon they would to turn to the father for the sons needs. Stone looked anxiously about him desperately hopeful that the first dose now pumping round her body would be enough and they would be forced to bring her back. Either that or have to face what ‘she’ would do to him when ‘she’ found out that he had failed. Trembling at the thought of what would happen to him because of his failure, he turned to see her standing right behind him.

******************************************

They'd both calmed slightly during the walk between the two rooms but neither wanted to break bodily contact for a second as they wended their way past every obstacle, often having to squeeze up hard against each other to do so. Their bodies were again forgetting their situation and reacted to each other in such a way that just wasn't possible, that might never be possible. There was still too much going on around them to even comprehend anything more no matter how strong their feelings were for each other. Their feelings that were growing stronger by the moment as they approached Maria's room, as they neared the room they were slammed to the side by Amy blindly hurrying past them in order to get to her daughter.

"OHMYGOD!....my babygirl...." They heard her shout followed up by a loud gasp then sheer panic as she kicked off beginning to babble mindlessly things that no-one could understand. Like mother like daughter.

Max felt Liz hesitate a little, pulling him to a stop. Looking back he was met with wide eyes as he understood instantly what she was thinking what she was feeling. ‘Would Maria want her there?’ Stepping slowly into her he then smiled, squeezing her hand that was still clasped tightly in his just a little harder as he gently pulled her to him.

"It'll be okay Liz...." He dared to thumb a cheek with his other hand. "Even if she doesn't know it yet she needs you Liz." His voice like sweet honey off the tongue as he felt her put her arms around him for comfort.
"...as much as you need her Liz."

His head was now resting against the top of hers as she stopped trembling enough to nod her head gently.
"Besides I'm here if that helps."
He trailed off as he felt her tense and pull away, pulling them both to one side as a crashteam raced past their eyes intensely duelling the whole time.

"If it helps?..." Her tone mirroring her shocked expression. "Max how can you even say that to me I thought after what we said you understood."

Max suddenly felt this beginning to spiral into something else as he felt her pull away to continue on.
"don't you realize that your it for me and I want you with me.... That I need your support?"
She let her head drop away, unable to even begin to explain what she was feeling. He'd upset her with his stupidity as he felt like the biggest asshole in the world all over again.

"Liz...." He was lost as he lifted her face so that he could look in her eyes. "I'm sorry...." was as far as he got as heard his name being called from behind them and knowing it was Michael. Upon turning they saw Michael rushing up to them closely followed by Liz’s father looking like he wanted to kill Max. Max instantly pushed Liz behind him protectively when he noticed that Josh was with them too.


Part 16

“LIZZIE…” Jeff went to push Max away from her but Max held fast, his grip around her back tightening as she grabbed at his jacket. Jeff tried to reach around Max again but was only met with his strong chest as Michael now stood beside him. Liz loved her father and would have liked nothing better than to feel the safety and love she always did in his arms, but she knew that she needed to be with Max now. That Max was the answer to everything that was going wrong with her life.

“Look… Max…. thank you for taking care of Liz but I can take it from here….” He bit out, shaking out of control. But his hands were just fighting with air as Max was completely ignoring him, only looking at Josh who‘d taken a step closer.

“ WE can take it from here. We’ll make sure that she’s properly taken care of. ” Josh piped in, eyes catching hers as she peered out from behind Max's shoulder as he too went to reach round for her. Max caught his wrist, smacking it away before he was anywhere near her.

“Touch her again and I’ll kill you.” His whispered his voice nothing but calm, but his eyes were flashing with burning rage. Josh leaned back a little and just smiled. 'HE KNEW SOMETHING!!!This was just precious'.

“I KNEW IT! You ARE a freak! What the HELL'S wrong with you Max, just let her come with us…” Jeff was trying to reach around Max again, like a thing possessed not caring where they were as he began to shake uncontrollably but Max wasn't budging and inch. From behind him Liz felt like she wanted to die, worse than she had before she arrived... before they'd given her anything. Her next breath caught in her throat as an impossible thought flashed into her mind, making her tremble, but she was given no time to comprehend as she heard slightly raised voices.
“….she needs to be with Josh......" Her father seemingly had cooled a little, his arms now crossed but still with eyes of fire as he gently began drummimg his fingers on his upper arms.

“No! She NEEDS to be with me.” Max cut in as he felt her grab at his jacket tighter. He was trying to restrain himself but he was losing the fight, fast as Josh dared to speak again.

“You have no idea what she needs.” He stepped in closer still as Max felt his breath hit at his face hard. Both men not backing down then having to move as an oncoming trolley rattled past.

“Oh and YOU do?” Max spat out, knowing that they were in full view of everyone but not caring as what he’d seen done to Liz flashed through his already muddled head. It only fuelled his anger as he no longer cared where they were stepping forward and taking Liz along with him.

“Maxwell!” Michael pulled him back by the elbow sensing exactly where this was going but they needed to talk before taking any action…they needed to understand just what was going on as he felt Max try to shake his arms lose, then back down, just a little.

Josh looked between the two his smile widening as his eyes widened .“Awwww ain’t it sweet? Number two looking out for number one for a change. Don’t you just love this alien shit?”

The hall then filled with breathy gasps .“WHAT! What did you say?” Jeff leaned in, confusion now ruling his features as he continued to eye ball Max. His arms were now tightly crossed as he began to drum his fingers continously against his upper arm.
Max looked sidewards at Michael, who shook his head very slowly from side to side eyes pleading as if to say not now. Later. Max felt Liz reach down and squeeze is hand tight, hard enough to begin to hurt as he took comfort in that while his thoughts spiralled out of control. Everybody was utterly speechless, not knowing what to do as Josh dared to speak AGAIN.

"Oh nothing Jeff, just a little Roswell humor, I'll explain it later if you want...." he said with glee while revelling in watching them begin to shift uneasily. He looked at Max and sneered, “Unless you'd rather care and share with my future father- in -law instead Max?" He said with such confidence, his smile growing, like the only kid in the only candy store who had the only key.

“THAT'S A LIE…!” She yelled as she finally stepped out from behind the protection of Max. Max felt her begin to move round him, as he went to hold her back with his arm across her. But she pushed his arm aside but still stayed close, contact never breaking as she held onto his arm instead. She was shaking as she was now at her breaking point.

"And THIS young lady is a hospital!" Liz's raging flow interupted by a short, red cheeked staff nurse politely known to everyone as 'thunderthighs' by her own volition who now stood beside her. "So if you wouldn't mind taking your......" She stopped to look between them as her hardened face went from Josh then to Max. There her eyes stayed as her face broke into a smile. "...lovely young man either somewhere less public or keep your voices down, no shouting if you don't mind. We have sick patients in this hospital." Her voice warm and fuzzy now as Liz forced herself to smile back.

"S...Sorry about that." She replied awkwardly.

"That's okay." She now turned and as she past Liz she leaned in to whisper something up into her ear. "I'd go for the dark and exotic if I were you, they do it to me everytime you lucky thing." Liz couldn't help but smile as she felt her touch her elbow lightly and then she was moving away down the busy hallway, barking orders to some student nurses as she went.

She was brought back to reality with a bump as she felt someone grabbing at her arm, pulling her away form Max.

"Look enough of this , she's coming with us and that's final." Jeff was hurting her, the grip on her arm like iron. Liz was shocked, he'd never touched her like this in her entire life before. He had never hurt her. NEVER!

"NO!" Was all Max needed to say as he blocked him again his hand now tightly grasping hers.

"JUST GIVE HER TO ME!" Jeff roared as he suddenly grabbed Max hard by his collar, ripping his hand away from her's as he threw him up against the hallway wall.

"DAD!" She yelled, eyes wide as she started clawing at her fathers arms to force him to let go of Max.

"DAD...LET HIM GO!" But it was no use as he just gripped Max harder. Max could have freed himself with his eyes closed, blind drunk but this was still Liz's father and he didn’t want to hurt him. Besides, they were in the middle of a busy hallway as he felt Jeff thump him up against it again.

"HEY MR.P..." Michael called as he went into help Max, only stopping when he then heard a familiar voice screaming from beside them.

"HEY! I'VE GOT A DYING DAUGHTER IN HERE SO WILL YOU JUST......" Amy was hanging out the door frame, eyes glazed and hysterical as Maria interrupted her.

"MOM...." Her voice echoing from the room as Michael eyes widened to scene laid out before him. He changed his direction from going to help Max to turning towards the noise as he heard Maria carry on from inside. “Stop being a drama queen mom. That's my job."

"MARIA!" he was in the room beside her in seconds, pushing Amy out of the way as Maria was getting up out of bed in order to dress.

"Maria?" He gasped, his eyes widening as his heart was thundering out of his chest.

"Oh, look who’s here? So you remember me then?" She said face and tone unmoving, ignoring him even as she looked past him to the commotion outside shaking her head when she saw who was also with him.

"Yepp that's me I'm Maria...." She was padding around looking for her clothes as he immediately followed her like a lost puppy. "....your GIRLFRIEND...." She bent over to grab a shoe getting up a little too fast and swaying as she stopped to finally look at him. "Oh, correction ex- girlfriend. Your new ones outside with 2 other hopeless idiots fighting over her." She wasn't letting him talk, she needed to get him out of there before the doctors or nurses spilled the beans to anyone.

"That's a point Mickey G..." he knew instantly that she was pissed, she only called him that when she was and she knew he hated it.
"...in here anyway. Liz needs your help so you'd better run..." She made silly jerky running movements. "....to her rescue." She bent down slower to retrieve more stuff as Amy then butted in.

"Hey and where do you think your going young lady?" She was beside her, pulling clothes from her hands only to have Maria grab them back again.

"Home....." She scowled back at Michael then continued to her mother. "....with you!" Michael took a step back, she'd been at his place for almost a year and now she was telling him she was going back to her mothers house.

She walked slowly back to the bed as her mother continued, "But the doctors..."

"I'm fine Ma." She lifted herself up on to the bed not looking at either of them for fear of breaking out into tears. "...the doctors said I can go home." She felt his eyes burn into her as she felt her mother's hands cup at her face in order to make her look up.

"..and your sure your okay?" Her searching eyes making her tremble as she broke into a smile.

"Yeah I'm just not eating properly, that's all." The only thing she could think of that would get her mother to stop probing. She looked over at Michael with saddened eyes. "....too much going on in my life, not that anybody would notice."

That look did more damage to him then a thousand wounds. She meant him, that he had been ignoring her, and she was right.

As he stepped towards her Amy snapped round to him. "Hold it right there buster...." and he did, knowing not to mess with her when she was like this. "...I thought I told you to take care of my baby. look at her, does she look cared for." She hissed as pain and worry took over. He slowly looked back at Maria. He gasped. She looked awfully, pale...pasty, even sick as he felt like he hadn't looked at her in months. He couldn't move, his feet seemed rooted to the spot as he heard raised voices from outside.

"DAD! NO LET...HIM....GO...." On her last word Jeff did. As she ripped his hands away she stumbled a little with the force of it as she was consumed with the ripples of pain that were bombarding her over and over. She reached up to her temples as Max stepped towards her, encircling her tight into his chest before she had a chance to fall.

"Liz?" he whispered as he felt the heat coming off her. She was burning up as his hands shamelessly roamed over her making sure that she was okay. Max ignored Jeff and Josh as they rambled on while catching the odd word here and there. "..your fault...doesn't belong with you.......belongs with Josh....me....leave her alone.....you've done enough damage......Florida...."

Both shuddered when they heard 'Florida'. Caleb! She pulled away from him seeing what she thought held in his eyes. They had to go there! They had to find him! NOW!

She slowly looked away from Max and over at the other two who were still thundering away.

"Stop." She said quietly but they continued on. "STOP IT!" She screamed it out after the third attempt at getting their attention. They stopped instantly and looked at her as she and Max stepped forward a little.

"Liz..!"He held her at her waist as she touched at his arm.

"No Max I NEED to say this... they need to hear." her eyes pleading as she turned round, he now encircled her with both arms from under her coat. She needed to feel him close right now more than anything in the world as she folded hers arms over his. Josh's eyes were of fire, he knew this would happen if they weren't quick enough. He didn't like it, he didn't like it one little bit as his hands were now at his hips.

"Ohh come on you can't be....." he wined, only looking at Liz.

"SHUT UP!" She spat out. " I'm sick of your bullshit. I'm not with you. I NEVER was and I never will be with you , you SONOFABITCH...." She was over whelmed with anger that was finally coming to the surface as she tore herself out of Max's hold. "....just get it into your thick skull that I'm with Max now, I always was." She was shaking with rage, feeling sicker by the moment, wanting to get to Maria so badly.

"That's what you think!" Josh replied with a smile whiter than white, moving towards her as she backed away. "What, don't you remember? We’re together." He moved in a little closer as suddenly she felt sick. What did he mean by that and no, she didn't remember but she had to keep focused.

"No! We’re not and whatever your screwed up little mind is thinking now it never happened. Now do me a favor and fuck off back to Florida." Liz responded. Josh just continued to smile, a little turned on by her kicking off.

"LIZ!...." She now turned to her father who seemed 'normal' again as she cut him off from going any further.

"And you..." She was on a roll now as she stepped into him, taking Max with her by the hold that she had of his coat. "...how come are you so willing to believe HIM and what he says over ME. GOD!...." She was finally about to cry, trying to understand but it hurt too much as she waited for an answer from him. He didn’t reply and she was about to continue to speak when she noticed that his fingers were drumming at the wall were he leaned. Gasping she stepped back hard into Max as she stared at her father's endless tapping. She felt the tears start to spill from her eyes as she stepped back, taking Max with her.

"Liz? What's wrong Hunny." Her father now said with a face full of love and concern stepping towards them, but was blocked by another trolley rushing between them. Liz backed up further as Josh smiled at her obvious distress.

"Clever girl." Josh whispered as he grabbed hold of Liz’s arm and started to pull her away with him. "Now enough small talk, we're got to get you home lil' lady."

"NO! LET GO OF ME!" She had lost contact with Max as he moved in front of Josh and in one swift motion floored him. He was standing over Josh, about to get some more as 'Thunderthighs' came back with a few friends.

"That's it, party's over. Everybody out!" She was making hurried hand movements as the beefy security guards started man handling Josh and Jeff down the hall.

"Hey, you can't do this I'm her father...get off of me."

"Oh really! Funny that! From what I saw you were being everything but a father. You should be ashamed of yourself." She looked at Josh, who was about to kick off.
"And you!... don't you even think about kicking off in 'my' hospital. Their together, get over it!" Both men to totally stunned by this tiny woman to say anything as she looked up at her 'motley crew of young men. "Ship 'em out boys! And don’t let them back in till they cool off, right!!!" She ordered, her thumb behind her showed them the way. She winked at the other two as she turned to leave. As Josh was starting to be pushed down the hallway he turned back.

"I'll..be..seeing..you..again." He whispered with a menacing tone as he looked between them. Max put an arm round her shoulders and pulled her into a life stealing embrace as they heard them kicking off again.

Max felt her trembling so hard that she nearly took him right along with her as he leaned in to look at her. Her eyes were so big as he gently lifted her chin, no words necessary as he leaned into kiss her. It felt the right thing to do as she willingly opened up to him, breath mixing, lips brushing then they heard Isabel calling to them....again.

"Max! Liz!" They looked up with a startle expressions to see Kyle and her walking towards them with hands full of lukewarm, pukey liquid that the hospital cafeteria tried to pass off as tea. They walked up and started to hand Max and Liz a cup each when Amy came out of the room.

"Okay hun I'll go get the car. Just wait right here." She pointed back into the room. "...and YOU. Don't upset her!!" She whipped round almost bumping into them, jibbering rubbish as she hurried off.

Liz held back, afraid as she let the others go in first as she continued to stay out of sight at the back of the room.
"Maria..please tell me what's wrong! Why are you moving out?" Michael pleaded mirroring her every more as she walked around the room collecting stuff.

"Well, if you don't know Michael then I'm so right to move out ." He was still giving her a blank expression so she relented and asked him, "Okay you wanna know why?"

"Yes."

"You haven't shown the slightest bit of interest in me for months." She was chunking things on to the bed now as she saw everyone else over by the door.

"ahhh.... the rest of the Lizziefanclub I was wondering when you'd all get here, she must be okay then!" She stepped sidewards to look down beside Max where she found a pair of sheepish eyes staring back at her. Maria was relieved that she seemed to be okay, she looked terrible but thought she was fine. Maria tried to hide her relief with more attitude.

"Hi Liz, everything okay?" She smiled. After being Maria’s friend since forever, Liz knew the various DeLuca smiles, this was gonna hurt.

"Yes." Liz whispered, waiting for the storm that she knew was coming to break.

"Not in grave danger anymore? The bad guys have been chucked out have they? No broken nail that needs urgent Michael attention!" She hissed.

"MARIA!" Max shouted, she turned to look at where Michael stood.

"Isn't that your line." She smiled.

"What?" Michael always bit easily. "Maria...what the hell's going on with you?" He was shaking, he never shook.

"You know how it goes. Poor little Lizzie's being picked on so big strong Michael comes to the rescue." She motioned with her arms to indicate a strong man as she then turned to gather her things to change in the bathroom as her room was now full.

"Maria we don't need this right now....." Max stepped forward as if to speak further. She stopped dead, turning round slowly before totally blowing her stack.

"You need....YOU need...what about what I NEED!" She threw all her clothes back on the bed, not caring that she was in just a hospital gown.

"It’s always about you isn't it Max...you and your little alien woes...namely dumb and dumber over there.." Maria waved her hand indicating Michael and Isabel as they both responded, "HEY!" at the same time as Maria stormed right up to Max. She glared up at him then turned to look at Liz. "....or YOU....but what about US?" She could feel her eyes well up as she saw just how sick Liz looked. "GOD! What about me?" She said hitting at her chest hard now beginning to shake.

"What about you, your the one who usually kicks off about a nail...." Michael replied through gritted teeth, he'd had enough as he was now beside her pulling at her arm. "....don't you dare stand there and have a go at Liz when she's done NOTHING wrong. You haven't a...."

Maria glanced at the watch on her wrist and snapped, "Four minutes."

"WHAT?"

"Well, actually Four minutes and 27 seconds before you came to her rescue. Tut Tut...your slipping Michael." She crossed her arms tight.

"Look this is something you and Michael have to discuss alone, we're outta here." Isabel said as she turned to go trying to get the others out too. "Come on....everybody out!"

"No wait...." Max chipped in wanting to tell them what was going on. He wanted to tell them that they should all stick together till they knew more but Maria broke in again.

"Yes wait, you don't have to leave....we share EVERYTHING.... right Michael?" Her arms were still folded as a nurse came in.

"Is everything okay in here?"

"YES!!!!" Both Michael and Maria snapped to her at the same time as their heads whipped around to glare at her. She was only a wee girl and was out the door in no time as Michael and Maria snapped round to face each other again.

"And just what's that supposed to mean?" He'd recrossed his arms

"That we tell each other everything, or so I thought till you decided to go fall in love with Liz that is..."

"WHAT???" Everyone in that room answered at the exact same time

"You heard me, this is what this whole things about right?" He was too shocked to even breath. His mouth was opening and closing but no words would come out. ".....and just when where you gonna tell us...before or after you slept together...." She looked between the two of them. She was beginning to cry as her hormones raged out of control.

"Maria!" Liz had stepped out from behind Max and was pushing her way through to get to her.

"WHAT!" Liz stopped dead in front of her. Any other person would have left it there but she was Liz and this was Maria. Enough said.

"It's not like that, it's NEVER been like that." Maria let herself soften as she noticed Liz was losing the fight to stand up. Liz wobbled and Michael was there to catch her before she had a chance to fall.

"Hey." He pulled her up, holding her close. Something just snapped in Maria, seeing the way that he was holding her and the way that she was looking at him, Liz was looking at Michael, trying to focus but to Maria it sent out messages of love.

"GODAMNIT!! WHY CAN'T YOU TOO JUST FUCK AND GET IT OVER WITH! OR BETTER STILL IF YOU WOULD HAVE DONE IN THE BEGINNING INSTEAD OF PRETENDING NOT TO WANT TO THEN I WOULDN'T BE IN THIS FUCKING MESS!!!!" She slid to the floor next to the bed, emotionally spent after getting that all out in one breath. She was far from fine as the whole room gasped into silence.

The room was silent until her crying started and Liz spoke, behrly a whisper but loud enough to hear.

"Maria...." She bent down slowly to where Maria now slumped, a crumpled mess on the floor against the bed. "Maria..." She held out a shaky hand as Maria shied away from it but at least she was looking at her now. Neither could talk as they just kept looking at each other until Liz whispered again trying to find the words but failing.
"a..a.are you...Maria...tell if your....are ...you..."

"I'M PREGNANT OKAY!!!" She screamed out only to bury her hands into her arms that were tightly held around raised knees as Liz lurched backwards onto her heels.

"Oh god!" Isabel gasped as she put a hand across her mouth. She was now searching out for Michael

"Holy fuck!" Kyle was never good with words as he'd found Michael first. Liz just looked straight up at Max who'd found her eyes instantly. A billion things were flashing up in her mind, echoed in his. He held them there only to let them fall away till he too had found Michael who still hadn't moved a muscle.

"Michael?" Max's warm tone now filling the room. Still nothing.

Liz leaned forward and placed a comforting hand on her back expecting it to be pushed away or for Maria to move. Liz was surprised that she did neither. Maria probably would have move away but for two things, One; that she couldn't find the strength to move, her limbs feeling like jelly and two; it was Liz her best friend. She looked up over her arms slowly to see that Liz was crying too, then she felt someone squat down beside her. She didn't need to look as she knew it was Michael, Liz wasn't the only one that could feel things. But she continued to look at Liz as she heard him cough for attention.

"..Maria.."

"(sob) don't even think of asking me...(sob)... if its yours (sob) ... or I swear to god....(sniff, sob) I'll put you in one of these beds myself (sob). Period. (sob, sniff)" She was shaking as she felt him reach for her, only to retreat back when she shied away.

"W...why.... didn't you tell me?" For once in his life Michael felt completely and utterly helpless. He had all his alien powers but his human ones were failing him with every second that passed.

Isabel had gotten hold of herself enough to stand guard by the door, peering in and out of it furiously as she heard Maria cough out most of her next wave of tears in order to talk.

"(sob)I can't believe your even asking (sob) me that Michael....." She was now looking at him, laughing as she wiped the tears from her cheeks with the palms of her hands. "....although I don't see how I could be surprised..... god! why I'm even saying any of this, what's the point if you can't even remember saying that you didn't want kids.GOD!" She wiped her eyes once more, not giving him time to even answer as she hauled herself up. Both Liz and Michael came up with her holding out arms to steady her.

"Ohhh NOW you want to help." She smacked them away. "Guitly concious?" She was back with attitude as Michael grabbed her hard by the arms and pulled her round to face him.

"WOULD YOU JUST STOP!..." he shook her just a little eyes locked with all the emotions that were him. "There's nothing going on between me and Liz...there never has been.....I love you." His eyes blazing as his words panged straight to her heart wanting so much to lose herself in them when finally she took a breath.

"It's too late Michael." Her voice sounding so fragile, just like she was.

"..Maria I....."

"Hey someone's coming." Isabel hissed just as he arrived. She smiled as she stepped a side to let Dr. Stone through.

"Now what do we have here." Liz froze, stepping closer to Maria as he smiled. He held it for a while before looking at her chart.
"Well Miss Deluca...I’m sure that your friends won't mind leaving while we talk about your....situation now will they?" He was smiling as if butter wouldn't melt in his mouth.

"...errr no of course not Doctor I'll...."No-one saw the look of sheer panic that Liz shot to Max as the Doctor came closer. Max responded instantly.

"We were having a private conversation." Max piped up, he was getting more aware of his surroundings and their situation with every moment that he was with Liz. The fog that he had been living in the past few years seemed to be disappearing as he walked round to where the doctor stood. "..so if you don't mind coming back later.....Doctor." he was staring him down as the doctor just smiled at him.

"As you wish.... I'll come back later." The clipboard now at his chest as he began tapping at it. He held their looks a while longer then he slowly turned and walked out. Max motioned for Kyle to shut the door. Max walked over to Liz who grabbed on to him as if he was a lifeline.

Maria had watched Max tell the doctor to leave and it had brought back her angry mood. "Max what the hell did you do that for? I wanted to talk to a doctor to see what my options are."

"Options? What do you mean options?" Michael's couldn't hide his shock and confusion.

"A girl in my position has options you know Michael. Anyway what concern is it of yours?" She bit out as she grabbed her clothes to finally walk to the bathroom to change.

"Maria." He went to follow but Liz held him back.

"No...don't. I'll go!" Her voice sharp as she had pulled away from Max and turned to follow. He gently held her back.

"Are you okay?" He cupped her burning cheek already knowing the answer.

"No, but Maria needs me like you said." She placed her hand over his just before she turned to follow.

"What's going on Max?" Isabel was now beside them as Kyle stayed by the door.

"I don't know myself..." He rubbed his forehead hard as he watched Liz disappearing, missing her closeness already. Then his mind immediately wondering if that room had other doors or windows leading into it, immediately fearing for their safety. "....all I know is that something was done to Liz while she was in Florida and that my....our son is still there. It had something to do with doctors and hospitals."

"WHAT? Max I don't understand. How do you know all this?" Isabel was fighting with all sorts if emotions as Max began to pace.

"Look you can't talk here, we've got to get out of here if Josh....."

"Josh knows who we are....." Michael broke in, finally tearing his eyes away from the closed door. "......who we REALLY are!"

"WHAT? HOW?" Max was confused, unable to take in much more of this but knowing that what Michael was saying made sense.

"He knew my name Maxwell, from before. How could he know my REAL name?"

"Is he one of us?" They frowned at her. " I mean not of this earth?" She added.

"No he admitted that he wasn't but he knows about us....all of us."

"Shit!" Kyle was adding his pennies worth the only way he knew how.

"What are we going to do Max?" Isabel was panicking as he rubbed her arm.

"I don't know but we've got to get Maria out of here and go somewhere safe to talk."

"My place." Michael was back from the dark place that this new development had put him in as soon as he realized what Max was saying. Maria was in danger.

"Yeah!" Max was getting nervous because he couldn't hear anything from the bathroom as he strode over to the door.

"Liz....!" He gently tapped at it. " Are you okay?" Nothing as his heart pounded out of his chest. "LIZ!" Still nothing as he ripped the door almost off its hinges to get it open.
Inside he found Liz holding Maria tightly as she looked back at him over her shoulder. He said nothing more, only exhaling hard to see them safe as he backed out and shut the door.


Upon closing the door behind her Liz saw that Maria was leaning over the toilet, having just been sick. Immediately with no words she wet a face cloth, bending down to give it to her as she held her hair back. Liz still said nothing as she watched Maria being sick again and again until she had nothing left in her stomach. Liz left her to get a glass of water. When she turned round she saw that Maria was now standing up, looking straight at her. Maria didn’t take her eyes away from Liz as she gave her the glass of water. Maria sipped a little then turned, put the glass down on the counter before slowly turning back to Liz. Maria was just about to say something as she broke into tears once more. Liz just leaned in and gave her a hug, not knowing what her reaction would be but she needed to hug her. Maria's arms stayed at her sides for only a moment as she slowly brought them up behind Liz's back. She let them hover there as she felt Liz squeeze her even harder. With that Maria finally dared to embrace her back, harder banging her gently on the back as more tears followed. There was still so much to say but she dared to feel like she was home as she squeezed harder. All she needed was a hug. Someone to tell her that it was going to be all right.

Maria cried harder as Liz finally spoke for the first time.

"It's gonna be okay Maria...it's okay..." She was shaking not believing her own words but knowing that this is what Maria needed to hear right now. Beside, why worry her before everything that they were up against was known. There they stood till Max knocked at the door to say that they were leaving.


"But that still doesn't explain what you meant about something happening to Liz in Florida ..what happened Max?" Isabel asked.

"She can't remember." His words were filled with sorrow. "She can remember bits....we had a flash...." He stopped as they hit him again.

"Something was definitely done to her....and to our son. " His eyes were shiny "...and its all my fault." he felt the first one fall, quickly wiping it away, he couldn't let Liz see him like this as he hadn't heard the door opening from behind him.

"No Max...its NOT your fault..." Liz was coming towards him, Maria in tow but still apart. Michael went to go to her but she side stepped him.
"You didn't do anything it's only that I dared to love you, to have you in my life that any of this happened. " She was now at his side, linking arms with his.
"Please don't ever think that..."

"But it's true...if I hadn't had written that Letter, let you go to Florida then none of this would be happening." His whole body wracked from emotion as she held him tighter.

"But your wrong that position at the research center came completely out of the blue. It was the perfect job for me Max. It was my decision to go. I needed time away. I hadn't even sent my application through when they contacted me........" She stopped, wide eyed as he was thinking exactly what she was.

"Why me, why contact me like that...Max." She was grabbing at his coat. "...was that planned too...."

"What?" Isabel was lost all over again.

"I don't know, could it have been?" he stopped to search her eyes. "...if you we're even there?"

"Hello what just happened there? of course she was there....why wouldn't she be?" Maria had found her voice as it seemed to be back to normal. Liz clawed at his front as she then found the phone on the table with her eyes. Both stood fast, unable to move as Isabel after seeing where they were looking went over to it and started dialing.

"ohhh hello I was wondering if you could give me the number for the Florida Research Center, please, its in Coral Gables .......thankyou....." 5 pairs of eyes were on her as she said thank you again, then dialed the number.

"Ohhh Hello could I speak to a Miss Elizabeth Parker. I'm a friend from out of town and she said that she was working there....." She looked about her and at them. ".....thankyou." She shifted a little as both Max and Liz seemed to step in toward her, willing an answer. the right answer whatever that was.
"Ohhh yes Hello I was......" Her telephone smile falling fast as she continued to hear what the person at the other end was saying to her. She leant back hard on the counter, not moving.
"...thankyou..." her voice trailing off, as she slowly replaced the headset with a stunned expression on her face as she leaned on the wall for support.

"Isabel!" Max knew instantly that something was wrong. "ISABEL TELL US...what's wrong!" he pulled Liz in with him as he walked towards her. She finally looked up at them, her face having no colour to it as she swallowed down hard.

"She...she said that there was a car accident..." She was breaking up, shaking hard. "....t.that..that Elizabeth Parker and an unidentified male were both found dead at the scene...."

******************************************

"Look I don't care what you say it can't be done in time. We need you to meet us half way or else this has all been for nothing. Now DO IT!"
Tess cut off the phone connection in a manner that mirrored her mood as she felt someone approaching her from behind.
"What took you so long? What have you got to tell me?...Good news I hope."
She turned to see Josh now standing beside her in the hospital parking lot.

"Just a little waylaid that’s all. She's remembering too much too fast. We need them out of there fast before everything gets fucked to hell."

She looked at her watch.

"....5....4.....3.....2.....1...." There was an explosion from the direction of the hospital as flames and screams now licked the air as Tess stopped her count.

"Nice!" Josh remarked with glee as he pulled her to him.

"You like that?"

"I do but I have something even better for you?" She turned to hold him about the waist as he did the same. She nuzzled into his neck, knowing that there was no time for this but she was very aroused, causing destruction always turned her on.

"Not that!.... Later. Maria's Pregnant!"


see you soon

*bounce**bounce**bounce**bounce*