Night Sky (AU,M/L,Adult) chpt 10, 7/5/16

Fics using the characters from Roswell, but where the plot does not have anything to do with aliens, nor are any of the characters "not of this Earth."

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jake17
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Re: Night Sky (AU,M/L,M/M,Adult) chpt 8 1/14/16

Post by jake17 »

Dreamon x2
BQ1
Lizza x2
dreambeliever
Eve
Carolyn
sarammlover


We're back! Thank you so much for your fb, so happy our site is up and running again :)






Chapter eight



The next day at school Maria, after a full morning of ‘just missing’ Liz at each and every class, she pounded on the glass of the main office waiting for Alex to finish making copies advertising his first solo gig at Sundown Coffee House.

Rolling his eyes as she pleaded with praying hands for his time, he quickly stacked his flyers and turned the corner to meet her in the crowded hall.

“Alex, pleeease let me sing with you, we could be the next Simon and Garfield! I’ll even let you pick the songs, I’m an awesome singer. You need me, I can provide much needed sexy hotness to attract a huge male audience.”

Walking briskly to Civics, Alex shook his head smiling widely at her.

“First of all it’s Simon and Garfunkel, Garfield is the cartoon cat who hates Monday’s and loves Lasagna. Second, while, yes, you are a truly gifted singer, I’m leaning towards more of a smooth jazz sound, and third, while there is no discounting your so called ‘sexy hotness’, bringing a male audience isn’t exactly what I had in mind. Becka Johnson works weekend nights at the Sundown, and I’ve seen her playlist on her phone, it’s all Miles Davis and Billie Holiday.”

Grabbing his backpack as he rounded the corner she followed him into class crooning the blues.

Whispering as Mr. Leeds began writing on the board, Alex jerked her hand off the strap on his back.

“Go Maria, now, you’re going to be late for English.”

Sighing hard, frustrated, she suddenly grabbed him again pulling him backwards, remembering why she wanted to talk to him in the first place.

“Wait! Have you talked to Liz? She’s not answering my texts, and her phone’s going straight to voicemail.”

Gritting his teeth while Mr. Leeds flashed him an irritate glare, Alex shook his head.

“Same here, haven’t heard a word or seen her all morning. Now go away Maria!”

Letting him go she mouthed ‘I’m sorry’ to Mr. Leeds before taking off down the hall.

Realizing it was well past the bell, and she’d be late for English anyway, she figured she cut and search for Liz, who was supposed to be in Spanish.

Arriving at Mr. Lopez’s class she peeked in the tiny thin window on the side of the door to see Liz looking exhausted leaning on her fist as if she were to about to fall asleep.

She was also disheveled, her hair pulled up in a messy knot on top of her head, dressed in a hoodie and jeans, this was way out of character, and highly suspicious, Maria thought as she waved tireless trying to get her attention to no avail.

Giving up she decided to spend the rest of the period in the courtyard getting some sun, that was before she spotted Michael rolling a joint through the slightly opened door of the janitor’s supply closet.

“Care to share?”

Clutching his jaw, Michael kept his eyes on the rolling paper while edging his sneaker to shut the door only to have Maria jam her shoe inside it first.

“I’m thinking Principle Harris would be very interested to see what you’re up to, this would be your fourth suspension this month? Or am I off, because I know anymore and you’re facing expulsion not to mention - “

Before she could finish he grabbed her by the arm and pulled her inside locking the door behind her.

“Just stand there, don’t say a word… nothing.”

Placing a towel from the guy’s locker room underneath the door, Michael lit the joint taking a long drawn out hit before handing it over to Maria.

It had only been her second time smoking pot, the first was with her grandma Roxy, a proud hippie with a serious glaucoma problem, and at that it was only a few shallow puffs.

Not wanting to look inexperienced to Michael, especially when she needed to dig for dirt on Max and Liz, she grabbed the joint like a pro.

Sitting on an upside down bucket, Michael stared at the ground in obvious distress as his knee shook up and and down nervously.

Fishing for information, Maria tried bluffing her way into his head.

“So, what do you think about all this Liz and Max … stuff… pretty crazy huh?”

Lifting his whiskey gaze up at her she found herself backing up against the wall taking several hits off his weed.

“I freakin' knew it! I told her not to tell anyone! Who else knows that he’s staying with her? That skinny kid Alex, your boyfriend, does he know too?”

Stunned, Maria listened while Michael spilled everything, thinking she knew it all, the fight with his foster dad, Max and his fatal illness, Liz keeping him hidden above her garage.

“I’m just freaking out, I mean I guess if Jim was going to call the cops on me he would’ve done it by now. I don’t know, Max’s medication is going to run out soon and I can’t go back to that house, they’ll be expecting me to show up, and this time they’ll be ready for me. I just have to come up with a plan… there has to be - “

Rambling Michael happened to catch Maria’s face as he paced back and forth in the tiny space.

She was bone white, her bright green eyes were as big as saucers, it was clear she had no clue any of this had happened.

“You didn’t know… did you?”

Raising her eyebrows she shrugged with a goofy, adorable sideways smile.

“Weeeell… I had an idea something was up. I mean I knew that she was into him, and when she didn’t show up at the bonfire last night, and was avoiding all my texts and voice mails… I kinda figured she was with him.”

Running his fingers through his spiky hair he stepped close, towering over her, determined to be pissed but finding himself strangely unable to keep his eyes off her plump raspberry lips.

“So you figured you’d corner me in here, get high with me, play along with whatever I said until I unknowingly gave up everything?”

Twirling her finger around the string hanging from his sweatshirt, she bit her bottom lip flirting shamelessly suddenly finding him extremely hot and dangerous, two traits that Maria could never resist.

“First of all I can be trusted, I’ve been Liz’s best friend since like...forever. Second, I can keep a secret Michael, and third, Alex... is not my boyfriend.”

Michael wasn’t sure if it was his steadily climbing high, or the cute little short skirt she was wearing, but he soon found himself wanting very much to kiss her.

Suddenly his voice dropped a few octaves as he whispered close to her ear.

“Maria, if you tell anyone, I could get arrested. I beat the hell out of that guy Jim, this is serious.”

Barely hearing a word he said, caught up in the way his body felt pressed up against her, she hooked her fingers inside the belt loops of his jeans pulling him closer.

Finding herself breathless, she swallowed hard making eye contact fluttering her long brown eyelashes up towards him.

“I said... I can be trusted.”

Licking his lips unconsciously, Michael cupped her face running his thumb over her bottom lip.

“Oh yeah? You think can keep … this … a secret?”

Grazing her lips with his tongue, Maria nearly melted on the floor, needlessly to say neither of them made it too any classes for the rest of the day.



~~~~~~~~~~~


Making sure no one was around, Liz ran up the back steps leading to the room above the garage feeling horrible for leaving him alone all day.

Knocking softly, she edged the door open after setting down a large bag on the floor.

Trying to adjust her eyes to the darkness, she looked frantically around the cluttered room for him.

“Max? Max is just me… Liz… it’s okay to come out.”

Shutting the door behind her she lit a small candle holding it out before her praying that no one outside would pick up on it.

Slowly he emerged from behind a stack of boxes, grasping onto the wall as if he had no strength at all.

“Max!”

He was shaking, his face was pale, he movements halting as if he were going to pass out any minute.

“Max! What are you doing out of bed? You should be resting, here let me help you.”

Liz did her best to hide her reaction to his appearance, but her big expressive eyes said it all.

Running to him she wrapped her arm around his waist helping back into bed.

His voice was weak, hoarse, he tried to put on a brave face for her, but it was useless, there was no hiding the serious nature of his condition.

“I wasn’t sure it was you, I’ve been having crazy dreams all day, I guess I was just out of it. I’m sorry Liz, I didn’t mean to scare you.”

Afraid of running out of his medication, Liz had been giving him a lower dose than he was used to and the effects were beginning to show.

“Take off your shirt, I need to check you.”

Shyly, Max lowered his gaze to the floor before lifting his black tee shirt over his head.

Immediately she took out a stethoscope that she nicked from the hospital and listened to his heart while placing her two fingers on his wrist to take his pulse.

Getting through day without her had been horrible for him, hours seemed like days while he tossed and turned stuck in dreams that were always the same, his foster parents taking him away from her, losing her forever, or for what little time he had left.

But as she sat next to him, so very close, with just the gentle glow of one small candle lighting her beautiful face, full of concern and genuine feelings for him, it all seemed to fade away.

Taking out her journal containing carefully written notes on him, she began to record his symptoms and the rate of his pulse.

He loved the little crinkle over her nose when she was concentrating, and how she chewed on her bottom lip when she wrote making sure everything was perfect.

He loved everything about her, he always had, for as long as he could remember. It was what kept him going when things became impossibly hard, whether it be with his abusive foster parents, or the long lonely nights at the hospital wondering if he would make till the morning laying there all alone.

It was always her, giving him a reason to fight, to try, when it seemed as though he couldn’t make from one minute to the next.

And now, she was here with him. It was beyond his wildest dreams, more than he could’ve ever hoped for, he truly felt if his heart should give out now it would be okay, that it would be selfish to ask for anything more.

Shaking her head, Liz sighed, tears welling in her eyes.

“I have to think of something, I need a blood pressure cuff, a hypodermic needle full of adrenaline just in case, and more of your medication. I need all of this and I need it yesterday.”

Letting out a ragged breath he reached out tenderly, tucking a stray dark curl that fell from her messy bun behind her ear.

“Liz, it’s alright. I look worse than I feel, honestly. I’ve been through more dangerous situations than this. Did you get any sleep last night? I’m so worried about you.”

Gazing at him as if he were insane, she closed her eyes for a moment taking a deep breath.

“You're worried for me? Max… how can I possibly sleep? It’s so unfair, I’ve only just found you and now… “

Realizing what she was about to say she wanted to kick herself, how incredibly cold, how deeply selfish was it for her to be thinking of feelings, of her healthy racing heart whenever she was close to him, when he was battling every day just to hear his beating.

“Stop, Liz, I know what you’re thinking and you’re wrong. To hear you say such things, to know that you feel for me, that you... care for me… it’s so much more than I had ever hoped for.”

Pulling the stethoscope away from her ears, she reached for his hand, bashful herself, overwhelmed by emotions she had never experienced before, she whispered his poem that refused to leave her.

Her voice was sweet, soft, like music floating all around him, wrapping around his weak heart filling it with life.

“No one knows what it’s like, you and me, you and I, underneath, the night sky, you and me, you and I. I get lost all the time, in my thoughts, in my mind, you come through like a light, in the dark give me sight.”

Somehow they found themselves closer, their fingers intertwined as he rasped deeply, still in disbelief that this was really happening.

“You memorized my poem.”

Nodding she traced small circles on his hand with her fingertips, afraid of the powerful urges that refused to give her any peace.

“I've had boys like me before, I’ve dated some, but no one has ever made me … feel the way you do. It’s the way you look at me, you really see me, the real me, the me that I’m afraid to even know myself.”

Her voice trembled slightly as she let go of his hand to move up towards him, while he braced his back against the headboard.

“You know I’ve always noticed you. Through the years, It’s like you were there, not in the middle of everything, but in the corner, just off to the side, watching me with these kind, soulful eyes. It made me feel safe, like nothing could hurt me, because you were there, always, writing in your notebook, deep in your thoughts that somehow I felt a part of.”

Lightly touching his chest, just over his heart, she gazed up at him, her mouth so close that their lips were but a breath apart.

She rambled on afraid of what would happen in the silence that would stretched out between them if she stopped.

“I’m going to steal your medication from the hospital tonight, I’ve been planning it all day. My ID card will get me in the locker room, I’ll swap my card with a nurse I know. She’s a mess, always late, unorganized, she leaves all her stuff there. All I have to do is make it to the supply closet without being seen… it shouldn’t be hard, I just have to - “

“Liz, no. You can’t, if you get caught - “

Drifting her other hand beside the one next to his heart, bringing her closer to him, she gasped as his body trembled in response to her touch.

"Liz, if anything were to happen to you, because of me... I just ... I couldn't ... "

His deep sultry voice drifted away, his mind distracted by the heat from her hands on his skin, and the way his body responded in turn.

The world around them began to spin, it was as if they were the only two people in the world, as if nothing else existed.

Hearing her speak again, Max moved closer, unable to hold back, nuzzling her neck, lost in her scent of lilacs and vanilla.

“I won’t get caught, I can do this. I want to do this... I-I have to.”

It was all too much, and not nearly enough, he couldn't help himself, whispering softly, causing her to gasp slightly in response to his words.

"I'm going to kiss you."

Nodding, she shivered as he smoothed his hands along her cheeks lifting her toward him.

Brushing his mouth along hers, he released the bun from her head letting her raven hair fall in messy waves down over his skin.

The sensation flushed his body, he was hot to the touch, warmed by desire, by years of longing to be with her, to know what it was like to feel her, to know her as he imagined in his poems, intimately, loving her as thoroughly as the lines that shaped the curves of her body in his mind.

“Liz, don’t go… stay with me. We’ll think of another way, tomorrow, please… just for tonight.”

Her answer came with a kiss, soft, tender, urgent as though time itself was against them, as if every second together was a stolen moment they were desperately clinging to.

Unzipping her sweatshirt she edged it off her shoulders needing to feel his skin flush with hers.

She was wearing a light purple bra, it shone along the swell of her breasts like violet petals in his eyes.

The straps fell down from her shoulders, her body curled along his side as she held herself over him afraid of hurting his badly bruised ribs.

Their kisses never ceased, they were making up for lost time, or rather the end of time that was slipping away like sand through their fingers.

Breathless she swept her lips along his neck as her hand returned to cover his rapidly beating heart, always worried, her mind never far from the reality of his dire situation.

His head had fallen back against the pillow, the fiery embers glowing in his eyes disappeared as they closed, he was lost, left falling deeper, harder in love as she continued on.

His fingers were tangled up in her silky hair holding her close as he drifted closer to the dream that played itself out in the beauty of his words, night after night, alone in his mind, always, with her, loving her, making love to her endlessly.

If you let my soul out, you let my soul out, you let my soul out… it will come right back to you.
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"Doubt thou the stars are fire; Doubt that the sun doth move; Doubt truth to be a liar; But never doubt I love."

Hamlet, by William Shakespeare
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begonia9508
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Re: Night Sky (AU,M/L,Adult) chpt 8, 1/14/16

Post by begonia9508 »

WOW!!!! :shock: :oops: Finally they let theirs feelings talk... and that was beautiful... You won't let him die, do you?
Because then, I am not sure if I will read another of your stories! :roll: :lol: :lol:

EVE :wink:
- Les jouissances de l'esprit sont faites pour calmer les orages du coeur!
- On reconnaît le bonheur au bruit qu'il fait quand il s'en va!
- L'amour vous rend aveugle et le mariage vous redonne la vue!
keepsmiling7
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Re: Night Sky (AU,M/L,Adult) chpt 8, 1/14/16

Post by keepsmiling7 »

So many unanswered questions regarding Max....
I am beginning to feel the tension and draw between Max and Liz.
Will they act on it???
That one volunteer job can't wait to get to.........and how wonderful Max is with kids.
Thanks,
Carolyn
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dreamon
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Re: Night Sky (AU,M/L,Adult) chpt 8, 1/14/16

Post by dreamon »

So glad to have you and the board back! Thanks again for another awesome part!
I have a few dreamer challenges in mind if you are looking for ideas so pm me!
BQ1
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Re: Night Sky (AU,M/L,Adult) chpt 8, 1/14/16

Post by BQ1 »

I am so glad the site is back up and Liz is planning a heist.... this is going to be interesting.
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dreamon
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Re: Night Sky (AU,M/L,Adult) chpt 8, 1/14/16

Post by dreamon »

Please post more soon!!!
I have a few dreamer challenges in mind if you are looking for ideas so pm me!
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Re: Night Sky (AU,M/L,Adult) chpt 8, 1/14/16

Post by Roswell_Dreamer86 »

Cool story!
There's no point going back to yesterday because I was a different person then...
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dreamon
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Re: Night Sky (AU,M/L,Adult) chpt 8, 1/14/16

Post by dreamon »

Missing this!
I have a few dreamer challenges in mind if you are looking for ideas so pm me!
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Re: Night Sky (AU,M/L,Adult) chpt 8, 1/14/16

Post by flyawayraven »

I am in love with this story! I can't wait for more and yet I am so terrified to find out that Max slips away! The emotional way you right has really caught my attention! Love it!
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Re: Night Sky (AU,M/L, M/M, Adult) chpt 9, 6/16/16

Post by jake17 »

Eve
Carolyn
dreamon x3
BQ1
Roswell_Dreamer86
Flyawayraven

Thank you for your sweet fb, sorry for the very long absence. Please excuse my many mistakes and rusty writing, it's been awhile.


Chapter nine






Climbing over hedges, cutting through backyards, even scaling fences, Michael and Maria ran trying to hide from sight on their way to Liz’s house after several failed attempts to reach her.

Panicked, Michael couldn’t help but think the worst.

His mind raced with thoughts that Jim had found them, or that Max’s medical condition had declined even further, or even that the police were now involved.

Maria was having trouble keeping up, still trying to wrap her head around the fact that this was all real.

She demanded to know every detail, still in shock that Liz was involved in something so dangerous.

She was lagging behind, out of breath, and working on his last nerve.

Whispering harshly, he shook his head berating himself for getting high and letting his guard down.

He now felt responsible for one more person’s safety, which is the last thing he needed, especially when that someone was her.

“I never should’ve let you come, this is serious shit Maria, Jim will be looking for me, and after seeing Liz, there’s no telling how long it will take his foster parents to figure out exactly who she is, and more importantly where she lives.”

Pissed by how little faith he had in her, Maria yanked his hand back forcing him to stumble straight into her.

They grabbed onto each other to keep from falling, it was suddenly obvious as they stood wrapped in each other’s arms that what was occurring between them went far beyond a one time weed inspired make out session in the janitor’s closet.

Her usual flippant attitude was nowhere to be found now as she pulled him closer so she could speak softly against his ear.

Her words were calm, but none the less tinged with anger in response to his implied accusation that she couldn’t handle this, or worse didn’t care.

“Look I know I have a reputation of being flighty, but this is my best friend we’re talking about, and if you think for one second that I am so shallow that I wouldn’t care about Max’s life, than maybe I should just go with my gut and tell her parents everything. We need help Michael, her dad’s a lawyer, one of the best in Roswell. This isn’t something we can handle on our own.”

Letting him go, she began to walk away, leaving him scrambling to change her mind.

Breathing out slowly, trying to reel in his temper, he ran out in front of her to try and convince her otherwise.

“Maria, you cannot go to her dad, Jim and Ellie have legal parental rights over him, he will end up right back in that house, and god knows what they’ll do to him now that I beat the crap out of the guy.”

Biting back Maria shook her head in frustration.

“That is exactly why we need help, Liz’s father will know what to do, he can talk to the cops, get Max the medicine he needs. I’m looking out for them both, I’m doing this with or without you Michael.”

Taking off again, leaving him behind, Michael paced back and forth tugging at his spiked hair.

“Maria, no one is going to believe what really happened, we have no proof that Jim attacked Max, and was going to hurt Liz. We both are fucked up, covered in bruises. I will be arrested, so will Liz for pretending to be his nurse, taking him away from his legal guardians, for giving him drugs... please just think about it.”

Sighing, Maria grew quiet, it was clear he was getting through to her, but she wasn’t totally convinced.

Lifting her chin, Michael lowered his voice showing her a side of himself that people other than Max rarely witnessed.

Eyes that were usually hard and cold melted before her revealing a sense of fear that was alarming but mostly touching.

“Max will die if he goes back now, whether it’s by the hands of Jim, or that damn heart of his that is far too good for this world, please Maria… I can’t lose him.”

Releasing her, his voice broke, causing him to back away embarrassed from such an uncharacteristic, and unexpected show of emotion.

Walking ahead, eyes focused on his worn boots as they sunk into the dewy grass of the early morning hours, he fisted his hands by his side as an uncomfortable wave of vulnerability twisted his gut.

Taking a beat she ran up to him taking his hand once more, the look in her eyes told him all that he needed to know.

They were now allies, equals, who would not betray each other, maybe even more.

After finally squeezing through her neighbors gate that bordered the backyard they had reached her house.

Leaning against the garage, Maria tried to catch her breath as she pointed towards the driveway.

“Her car isn’t here, it’s two am Michael, where the hell could she be! Her curfew is eleven, she’d never disobey her dad, Liz doesn’t break the rules… never once since I’ve known her.”

Quietly climbing the stairs that led to Max’s hideout, Michael whispered looking back leaving no room for doubt.

“She’d do it for him.”

Slowly opening the door to the small room, Maria shone the light from her cell over Max who was out cold, covered in sweat, pale as the white sheet that covered him.

Running over to him Michael fell to his knees to press his ear to his chest, searching for a heartbeat like he had so many times before.

Scanning the room Maria spotted a note sticking out of Liz’s notebook.

“Michael, you need to see this, it’s from Liz … she’s in trouble, Oh my god...I can’t believe she would do this.”

Michael fisted the sheet around Max finally hearing a very faint irregular rhythm.

Taking a halting shuddered breath, Max’s eyes fluttered open before weakly whispering his friend’s name.

“Michael?”

Falling back on his knees, gripping his spiked hair trying to catch his breath, Michael sighed heavily.

“God damn it, you fucking scared me Max!”

Needing a moment to calm himself, Michael glanced over to her impatiently.

“Read it to me Maria, it’s too fucking dark in here. I can’t see anything.”

Running her fingers over Max’s hand, Maria froze, she had never seen anyone so close to death before. Over the years she had come to his rescue when the heartless sharks would bully him in school, she always knew he was hurting, troubled… but this was something altogether different.

“Maria! The note!”

Shaking now Maria had a hard time fumbling with her cell as the paper trembled in her hand.

"Gone to get more medicine
stay with him Michael,
if I’m not back by dawn,
you have to call an ambulance,
he doesn’t have much time."


Holding up the note Maria’s voice hardened, “Where did she go Michael? What did she mean? How is she getting this medicine?”

“Fuck!”

Rushing towards the door he stopped just short realizing they didn’t have a car.

“She’s going to steal it from the hospital, this is bad Maria, Jim and that bitch Eleanor will be waiting there, they know he can’t survive without it, they’ll be expecting her to show up. Fucking hell why didn’t she call me!”

Flipping through Max’s notebook, glancing over his endless poems devoted to Liz, she held it up for him to see.

“Because she knew you’d stop her, and she loves him too much to let him go.”

Drifting in and out of consciousness, Max could do little but shed a tear knowing the danger she was walking into.

“If they get to her… Maria we need a car… we need to get there, now!”

Shaking her head Maria pressed her hand against his chest as she typed away on her cell, down by her thigh, away from his sight.

“You can’t go, Jim knows you, if he sees you it’s over. It has be someone they won't recognize.”

Turning for the door he grabbed her by the shoulder spinning her around to face him.

“Where the hell do you think you’re going!”

Leaving no room for arguement Maria took off down the stairs with Michael hot on her heels.

“I’m going to get Liz’s scrubs from her room, they have no idea who I am, I can bullshit my way past the guard, I know where to find her, I’ve been there before.”

Following her, Michael reached for her hand as she took the key to the basement that was kept under a potted plant.

“Maria you can’t do this, I won’t let you, we don’t even have a car, how the hell are we supposed to get there!”

Edging her eyes carefully towards him, she cupped his face leaving him startled by a measure of affection he was far from used to.

“It has to be someone his foster parents don’t know, we have no choice here, and as far as a car goes... Alex should be here any second.”

Before he could react, she was inside the house just as headlights appeared over the hill lightening up his face.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Pulling up alongside the hospital, Alex grabbed Maria’s hand before she rushed out his car.

“Are you sure about this, I really think we should call her dad. I don’t like this Maria, I have a feeling this is all going to go sideways fast.”

Tilting her head, she gave him a cheeky smirk, that only she could.

“In all the years you’ve known me, have I ever been wrong? Wait, don’t answer that … just trust me, don’t worry I got this.”

~~~~~~~~~~~


Within seconds of arriving it was apparent that the hospital was in a frenzy from a multiple car pile up on the highway.

People were running frantically in and out of otherwise guarded doors searching for loved one’s, there was a constant flow of injured people arriving by ambulance, and police vehicles.

It was the perfect time to sneak in unnoticed, to find Liz, to get her the hell out of there safely.

Like a shot Maria jumped out of the car barely giving Alex time to pull over.

“Text me if you need help, Maria! Did you hear me?”

Breathing out hard, he slumped back in his seat, strumming on the steering wheel before noticing a cop directing people to the ER.

A nagging voice inside him was telling him that this was too dangerous, that Max would be in better hands if the authorities knew of his situation, not to mention his two friends that were taking a huge risk, too big of a risk in his opinion.

In the end he gave in to Maria’s promise and stared nervously at his phone praying for the best while expecting the worst.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Coming to once again, Max painfully turned on his side to see Michael sitting in the chair that Liz had made her home over the past few days.

“Water?”

Jumping up to help him, Michael eased him to an upright position, before handing him a bottle of water.

“Do you need anything else? Are you in pain?”

Shaking his head, Max focused his eyes around the darkened room searching for her, forgetting the earlier conversation that took place, too out of it to remember.

“Where’s Liz?”

Knowing any more stress could push him over the edge, Michael shrugged nonchalantly.

“It’s almost three am kid, she’s asleep in her bedroom.”

Hesitating for second Max shot up in bed, holding his side reeling from the pain coming from his ribs.

“God damn it Michael, you never could lie to me, she’s at the hospital isn’t she?!”

Wincing, Max pushed himself off the mattress making it nearly five feet before collapsing to the floor.

Everything went dark as the distorted echo of his heart slowed to a frightening pace.

Off in the distance he could hear Michael calling out his name, but that too eventually faded away.

Her name rumbled weakly as he slipped away.

Max could still hear her, in a memory, softly reciting his poem in the darkness as he was pulled further down.

No one knows what it’s like… you and me… you and I … underneath the night sky … you and me … you and I…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


After searching for Liz everywhere, Maria had no choice but to run back to Alex.

Dodging a security guard she ran to an elevator used for large deliveries in a part of the hospital that was on a floor closed for remodeling.

Sliding around the corner, breathless, reaching for the phone to text Alex, she stopped dead in her tracks.

Biting the inside of her cheek to keep from screaming, she stared at Liz who was standing inside large freight elevator doors, clutching her backpack filled with Max’s medication.

On either side of her stood a man and woman, both fitting the terrifying description Michael had given her.

There was no doubt by the look on Liz’s face that it was Max’s foster parents.

The tall lanky man had a tight grip on Liz’s shoulder, the frightening woman short and fat stood slightly behind her as if she were holding something against her back.

Jim spoke startling both Maria and Liz, his voice deep and gruff, scaled off the charts in terms of insidious evil.

“We’re in a rush, you mind getting the next one?”

It was clear they had no idea who she was.

Her large green eyes darted back and forth from the woman who stood silent glaring at her, to Liz who began to shake her head slightly when Maria took a step towards them.

Shrugging, trying hard to hold back tears, Maria nodded, afraid her shaky voice would give her away.

Liz breathed out a sigh of relief, keeping Maria locked in her gaze, waiting until just the right moment.

The downward arrow lit and as a sharp ping sound shattered the tension in the air.

Maria’s eyes widened, watching as the silver doors began to close, it was then she heard Liz yell out to her before tossing the backpack through the narrowing space into her arms.

“Run! Get this to him as fast as you can! Please - “

The last thing Maria saw was Liz getting jerked backwards by her hair as a big hand covered her mouth, muffling her screams.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Looking up as the doorknob slowly turned, Michael grabbed the backpack emptying the contents on the floor frantically.

In a mad rush to work the syringe into Max’s vein, he failed to notice Maria quietly crying in Alex’s arms.

It was only after Max opened his eyes that he gazed up at them both from the ground still kneeling beside his friend half lying in his lap.

“What is it? What happened? Where’s Liz?”

Unable to speak, Alex held her close, furious at himself for not talking to that cop outside the hospital.

“They have her, she was able to throw the drugs to Maria just in time, but she’s gone… Jim and that woman, they have Liz.”

Unfortunately Max also heard the frightening news.

Going limp in Michael's arms, with one final gasp of air, it deemed to be too much for his fragile heart to bear.
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"Doubt thou the stars are fire; Doubt that the sun doth move; Doubt truth to be a liar; But never doubt I love."

Hamlet, by William Shakespeare
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