All's Fair in Love and Tennis (AU M/L MATURE) [COMPLETE] 7/6

[Heavenli24]

Hey everyone . Thanks for your feedback:

Lairabehr4 - Thanks . I'm sorry - but we're picking up from where the last part finished .

keepsmiling7 - Thanks . This could very well be a new beginning. First, Liz and Max need to get through the rest of the week and then they can think about the future .

Alien_Friend - Thanks . It's been a little tough moving over here on my own, but things seem to be getting better - I taught my first ever lab class on Friday - kinda scary, lol - but strangely enough, two of my students are from Roswell .

Natalie36 - Thanks .

Addicted2AmberEyes - Thanks . Don't worry, this next part continues on from the last .

kethryveris - Thanks .

dreamsatnight - Thank you .

RiceKrispy - Thanks .

guelbebek - Thanks . I've finally found some time to write (although not sure how long that will last, since homework and teaching duties are going to start piling up soon), so hopefully I can update more frequently.

begonia9508 - Thank you .

roswell3053 - Thanks .

Tamashii - Thanks .

nitpick23 - Thanks . Honestly, I struggled to find a way in which Liz could try to make things better without it seeming contrived. To me, something like a fancy dinner and/or gifts etc. just seemed like all Liz would be doing was saying 'I can afford to splash out on you'. I felt that spending some time in the comfort of her home, in her personal space, talking and sharing her most intimate thoughts and feelings with Max would be much more beneficial and meaningful to him - to both of them - than anything else.


***

Part Twenty-Nine

Thursday 5th July 2007

Liz slid her arms around Max’s neck, burying her fingers in his short hair as he deepened the kiss. Their tongues met, tangling urgently as Liz felt Max’s hands grip her waist, pulling her flush against him. The feel of his hands splayed flat across her back, his fingertips gently moving against the material of her top, sent shivers shooting up and down her spine. Despite the intensity and passion of the moment, she couldn’t prevent the tears that sprung to her eyes at the relief of finally being in his arms again. For the first time since before the doctor had broken the news about her illness, she felt complete.

“Max,” she murmured, withdrawing her mouth from his for a moment to catch her breath.

She kissed his lips briefly once, twice, before opening her mouth to him once more, letting him invade her senses entirely. This was where she belonged, in Max Evans’ embrace… how could she have ever felt differently, she wondered. How could she have thought that either of them would be better off alone, without each other? As they continued to kiss, her senses became overwhelmed with emotion and she felt a tightening in her chest. The feeling was so strong that she couldn’t hold it in any longer and suddenly an unexpected sob tore from her throat. She tightened her grip around Max’s neck, pressing her loosely clothed body against his jean-clad lower-half and bare torso.

“Liz?” murmured Max, breaking the kiss so he could look down at her in concern. He slid his hands up and down her back comfortingly. “What’s wrong?”

She shook her head, burying it in the crook of his neck as she clung to him, breathing heavily as she tried to get herself under control.

“Liz?” wondered Max, his tone soft. Liz could feel his warm breath against her shoulder. “You okay?”

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, her fingers digging into the bare skin of his upper back. “I didn’t mean…” she pulled back so she could look into his eyes. “I love you so much, Max. You make me whole; and I don’t ever want to not be whole again.”

“You make me whole too,” he replied softly, gently running his fingers through the long strands of her hair. “Having you back in my life again has made me realise just how stupid I was to ever think that I could move on without you.”

Liz gazed up at him, her eyes searching his for a moment before she impulsively leaned up and captured his lips with hers once more. This time, their kisses were more meaningful, more intense than just now and before she had time to digest what was happening, Max had begun walking her backwards toward her bedroom.

They fell to the bed, Max trapping her small body beneath his much larger one, as one of his hands slid down her side until it reached the hem of her top. He dipped his fingers beneath the material, tracing small patterns against her skin, causing Liz to shiver. She let out a small moan against his lips as his fingers rose, walking their way up over her stomach and just brushing the underside of her bra-clad breast before cupping her in his palm, squeezing gently and causing a small gasp to escape her lips. Their embrace continued to heat up, as Max shifted so he could get more comfortable, but for Liz, the moment he settled between her legs and she felt the evidence of his arousal pressing against her, she came crashing down to earth.

“Max, wait,” she muttered, tearing her lips from his and releasing her arms so she could push him away slightly.

“What?” he mumbled, as he opened his eyes and tried to focus. “What’s wrong?”

“We should stop,” she whispered, “it’s too soon.”

Ho looked down at her for a moment, as if trying to read her thoughts, before letting out a slight sigh.

“You’re right,” he said regrettably, “I’m sorry.”

He shifted off her and sat up, swinging his legs over the side of her bed. Liz sat up too, moving so she could rest her chin on his bare shoulder and cup his upper arm with her hand. They sat together in silence for several moments, Max looking down at his hands as she stared at the wall, until Liz plucked up the courage to voice her thoughts.

“Where are we, Max?” she wondered in a soft sigh.

“Hmm?” he lifted his head, turning to glance at her over his shoulder.

“I mean, what are we doing here? We’ve talked, we’ve kissed, I’ve told you I love you and you’ve said you still love me… so where does that leave us?”

“Liz…” Max started, shifting round to face her properly. “It’s hard for me, you know, to put a label on what we are right now. Of course, I want you – I want to be with you, but to come right out and say ‘we’re back together’… it’d be like we’re trivialising the situation, like everything we’ve been through is forgotten just like that. I don’t think I’m quite ready for that yet.”

Liz frowned, feeling a lump form in her throat. She’d thought he understood and that he’d forgiven her for leaving.

“But–”

Max cut her off, “I know what you’re thinking, Liz, but that’s not what I meant. I want to be in a relationship with you again, I really do, but I don’t think we’re quite ‘there’ yet. Maybe for now we’d be better off just to take things as they come and see what happens.”

“Okay,” Liz nodded in understanding, as the meaning of his words sunk in. He wasn’t saying that he didn’t want her; he was saying that he wasn’t ready to formally announce the state of their relationship just yet. She exhaled, “Okay.”

Max’s lips curled up into a small smile and he reached out to touch her arm, letting his fingers rest gently on her elbow.

“Look, I think I’d better go now, leave you to finish getting ready for the day and for our match this afternoon.”

Liz nodded, a wave of disappointment flowing through her as he broke their physical contact and stood up. She moved to get up as well, following him back out to the living room, watching as he reached for his T-shirt and pulled it over his head. She stood in the bedroom doorway, her arms crossed over her chest as she watched him put on his shoes and gather the rest of his belongings. When he was done, she followed him down the hallway to the front door.

“I’ll see you later, okay?” he said, “Twelve o’clock at the practice courts?”

“Twelve o’clock,” Liz nodded in agreement. “I’ll see you there.”

Max reached for the door handle, but his hand froze as his eyes locked with hers. There was an awkward hesitation between them for moment, until Max sucked in a breath and leaned in to capture her lips with his in a brief, but meaningful kiss.

“Bye,” he smiled gently when they parted a few seconds later.

“Bye,” replied Liz dazedly, her lips tingling from the contact, as Max opened the door and slipped out of her flat.

When he was gone, Liz leaned against the door and let out a sigh, a soft smile gracing her features. Perhaps things with Max were finally looking up after all.

***

As Max arrived home and entered his flat, picking up the morning newspaper from the floor, his attention was caught by the large headline on the back page:

“EVANS AND PARKER CELEBRATE WIN WITH KISS – Is there something they’re not telling us?”

Max rolled his eyes in annoyance as the article went on to speculate the state of their relationship, barely touching on the outcome of the match itself.

“Typical,” he muttered, walking towards his bedroom and discarding the paper onto the sofa as he went.

As he took a shower and got ready to head back to Wimbledon, he realised that he’d made the right decision at Liz’s flat earlier – now was not a good time to rekindle their past relationship, especially with the press hanging around 24/7 at the moment, just waiting for a story. Not to mention the fact that they would be rushing things… and rushing was never a good idea, especially when it came to relationships. Nevertheless, as he pulled into a parking space at the Club and grabbed his racket bag, he couldn’t help his thoughts from returning to the events of last night and this morning, distracting him.

Things got even worse when Liz showed up on the practice courts a while later, sending him a shy, yet alluring smile and he almost lost his concentration completely. God, what was wrong with him? Just a couple of days ago he was having trouble even talking to her and now she was driving him to distraction with just one look. On second thoughts, maybe he shouldn’t have left her flat this morning… perhaps if they’d gone all the way, the sexual tension wouldn’t be driving him crazy now. No, wait, that wasn’t right. It was a good thing that she’d stopped them from going any further. Of course it was. Right?

He spent the next couple of hours trying to get his head in the game and put the state of his private life to the back of his mind for now. He was doing pretty well, although there were a couple of slips when their match began and he couldn’t help his gaze from lingering on Liz, crouched low at the front of the court, her short tennis skirt riding up on her thighs exposing the back of her smooth bare legs to his eyes. Each time it happened he had to stifle a groan and force himself to focus on the ball rather than her.

Unfortunately, his inability to concentrate was the least of their problems during the match – their opponents were the defending mixed doubles champions and although Max was evenly matched with their male side, the female was a much stronger player than Liz, giving them an advantage. While they managed to put up a decent fight at first, bringing the first set to a tiebreak, which they won, unfortunately, things went downhill after that. Liz began to tire, while their opponents only seemed to get stronger, easily winning the second set, 6-2 and then going on to win the first three games of the third.

Despite playing the best they could and winning two more games, the reigning champions were just too strong for Max and Liz and their opponents had an easy ride to 5-2 in the final set. Although they had the advantage of serving in the next game, any hopes that Max and Liz had of regaining their impetus were dashed when first Max double-faulted and then they lost the next two points, providing the opposition with 3 match points. Liz managed to win back one of those points, but their luck ended when the male player broke Max’s serve sending the defending champions right through to the semi final.

As realisation set in that their 2007 mixed doubles experience had come to an end, Max tried his best to appear happy for the winners and put on a brave face for Liz, but internally he was extremely disappointed. But the unusual thing was that his disappointment had very little to do with the fact that they’d lost the match. No, in fact, it was the thought that he would no longer be working with, training with or playing with Liz that hit him hardest. Sure, it had been a long and difficult few weeks, seeing Liz again, adjusting to her presence on court and in his life, finding out the truth and dealing with that, but now it didn’t seem fair that just as he’d accepted that he still loved her and wanted her, their partnership on court had come to an end.

Apart from giving Liz a brief kiss, a consoling hug and whispering a few words of comfort and reassurance in her ear, Max decided against saying anything else to her until they returned to the changing rooms. He didn’t want to draw any more attention to either of them than was absolutely necessary. However, the second they were inside, away from prying eyes and Liz turned to him with unshed tears in her eyes, he pulled her to him, wrapping his arms tightly around her.

“I’m a failure, Max,” she sobbed against his white T-shirt, finally letting her frustration out. “I’m not good enough.”

“Hey, hey, hey,” Max soothed gently, one hand cupping the back of her head, his fingers playing with the strands of her ponytail. “You’re not a failure, Liz. It’s not your fault, okay? They were just too strong for us – after all they’re the best mixed team in the world right now.”

“I know, I know,” she sniffled, her words muffled against his shirt. Max pulled away a little, lifting her chin so she was looking up at him. “I just really wanted to win; to prove everyone wrong when they said I wasn’t fit enough to play.”

“You’re played some great tennis these last couple of weeks, Liz,” Max told her gently, his heart tugging at her forlorn expression. “I’m really proud of you.”

“Thank you,” she whispered, tightening her grip on his back slightly.

“It’s the truth,” he admitted.

She gazed up at him and Max began to lose himself in her expressive eyes. With a small hint of a smile, he lowered his head, brushing her lips with his in a brief caress before deepening the kiss, pouring all his emotions into it.

“Come on,” he murmured as they pulled apart several moments later. “Let’s go somewhere. I’d say we’re both in need of some cheering up. What do you think?”

He released her, taking a couple of steps back and holding out his hand for her to take. She took it, smiling up at him gratefully.

“I think I’d like that very much.”

TBC…

[Heavenli24]

Hey everyone, thank you for your feedback :

Natalie36 - Thanks .

begonia9508 - Thanks . Let's hope so.

Lairabehr4 - Who said anything about getting drunk ?!

guelbebek - Thank you .

Alien_Friend - Thanks . Yeah, it does suck that they lost, but then losing at sport is what the British seem to do best .
Talking about Roswell coincidences, my field geology instructor was talking about driving down the 285 South this afternoon!

clueless - Thanks .

dreamsatnight - Again, I don't recall mentioning anything about alcohol in the last part ... and we'll have to see about that sexual tension - remember, Max does have a big match coming up the next day, so things can't get too out of hand .

behrluv32 - Thank you . You know, I'm not sure how much of a problem Max's family and friends will really be - after all, Nathan has already given Max his blessing and Max's parents just don't want to see him hurt again, I'm sure they'll understand when they know the whole truth. As for Isabel, remember in this story, she's only 17, she cares more about boys and clothes right now than whether or not Liz is good for Max!

roswell3053 - Thanks .

Addicted2AmberEyes - Thank you . RE: Max's distractions - as I was writing the part, I realised that he's been standing behind her like that for weeks now, yet he was too preoccupied with his anger and hurt to pay attention to what was right there in front of him .

nitpick23 - Thanks . Yeah, they do over-analyse everything, don't they, lol?!


***


Part Thirty

Friday 6th July 2007

“Great,” muttered Liz as she parked outside the All England Club and got out of the car. “Just great.”

Reporters and members of the paparazzi surrounded the players’ entrance to the club, and judging by the headlines in the sports section of the newspaper this morning, they were most likely waiting for either her or Max to show up. Adjusting her small handbag on her shoulders, she held her head high and began walking towards the crowd.

It had been such a disappointment to wake up in her flat this morning after a wonderful evening with Max last night, only to find their faces splashed all over the newspapers and their quarter-final match being talked about on the TV. The stories had varied from further speculation over their relationship and the possibility that they were having a torrid affair that had distracted them from the game, to suggestions that Liz’s collapse earlier in the week and apparent lack of strength because of it had something to do with their loss.

Steeling herself against the attack of the reporters, Liz marched through the throng of people, trying her best to ignore their intrusive questions and throwing out the occasional ‘no comment’ as she passed them and then disappeared through the door. She didn’t want to deal with any more questions right now. It had been bad enough after the match yesterday when she and Max had had to give a live interview with the BBC before they’d been able to leave the stadium; and she just wasn’t up to another interrogation. In fact, the only reason she was even here today was to support Max in his semi-final match this afternoon.

She smiled as she thought of Max and the time they’d spent together last night. He’d been wonderful, trying his best to cheer her up and reassure her that she was in no way to blame for the outcome of the match. First he’d made sure that they met up with their parents, who had been watching the match from the VIP box, then he’d stolen her away and had taken her out for a delicious, romantic meal at one of her favourite restaurants, and finally he’d invited her back to his flat, where they’d relaxed on his sofa with a bottle of wine and a movie. They hadn’t done much more than kiss and snuggle up together on the couch, yet Liz couldn’t help the tingle that ran down her spine at the memory of the evening.

At the end of the night, when the movie was over, there had been a slightly awkward moment, in which she hadn’t been sure whether Max was expecting her to stay with him or if she should go back home. Her hesitance was partly due to the wine she’d consumed; Max had only had one glass, since he had a match to play the next day, so she’d ended up drinking more than him. However, Max quickly and gently eased the tension by reminding her that he needed a good night’s sleep in preparation for his match and offering to call her a cab home. Liz had given him a soft smile, thanking him for a wonderful evening and then promising that she would come and watch him play tomorrow. While they waited for the cab to arrive, he’d taken her in his arms and pressed gentle kisses to her lips, face and neck, before smiling down at her tenderly and telling her how happy he was to have her back in his life again, despite their past problems and bad decisions over the last two years.

She’d gone back home to her apartment – she’d had to check out of the hotel due to the fact that she was no longer an active player in the tournament – with a smile on her face. For the first time in a very long time, her life was actually making sense again; and now, as she entered the Centre Court stadium and took her seat in the VIP box, just in front of Max’s family and next to Todd, his coach. While she waited for Max to arrive on court, she spoke with Diane and Philip, enquiring after their health and Max’s sister Isabel, who was currently at school (supposedly), before engaging Todd in conversation about the strengths and weaknesses of Max’s opponent today – the number four player in the world – and the tactics Max would need to use today in order to beat him.

When Max and his opponent finally appeared, she couldn’t help the grin that broke out on her face as she clapped and cheered his arrival along with everyone else. She watched the fluid movements of his strong body as he pulled out his racket and headed out onto the court to warm up. He bounced a tennis ball on the ground a couple of times and when he looked up in preparation to take a shot, his gaze caught hers and their eyes locked. Max smiled indulgently at her and mouthed a quick ‘hi’, before turning his attention back to the ball. A warm feeling spreading through her body, Liz relaxed back against her seat and proceeded to watch the match with a smile on her face.

***

Max was playing the match of his life out on Centre Court – it seemed that nothing could go wrong for him today, as he hit shot after perfect shot, winning point after brilliant point. Despite the rough start he and Liz had gotten off to the other week and the problems they’d dealt with, it seemed that this might just be his year after all. The match went so well, in fact that it was over in three short sets, with Max winning 6-0, 6-3, 6-2 and securing himself a place in the final on Sunday.

He felt an almost overwhelming sense of elation as the crowd leapt to their feet, clapping and cheering wildly as he won the match. He jumped into the air, punching it with his fist before conforming to one of the rituals of male players by tugging his shirt over his head and tossing it into the crowd. As screams sounded from the group of girls who caught the shirt, Max shifted his gazes towards the VIP box and after nodding to his parents, his eyes locked with hers.

Liz was grinning widely at him as she joined in the applause, her eyes sparkling with happiness and pride. Max grinned back and then punched the air again, making her laugh, but her expression quickly froze as he saw her gaze drift lower than his face and linger on his chest. Shit, he thought, as he glanced down, he was still shirtless. With a sheepish smile, he sent her a silent apology, before breaking their gaze and walking over to his chair to grab a clean shirt. He pulled it on and then, realising that his opponent had long ago left the court, he gathered up his things, sent Liz one last smile and headed off the court, pausing briefly to sign autographs for the fans before he had to give the BBC a short post-match interview.

After the interview, he made his way into the changing rooms, where he took a shower, changed into a pair of jeans and a collared T-shirt and then headed over to the clubhouse where he knew his family and friends…and hopefully, Liz… would be waiting. He tried his best to keep a low profile from the paparazzi as he walked over to the other building, which seemed to work, but he wasn’t as successful in avoiding the fans and was stopped for autographs and pictures several times on the way. As he signed a Wimbledon programme for two giggling teenagers and posed for a photo with them, his gaze wandered up to the window of the VIP lounge opposite, where he knew everyone was waiting for him, and he recognised a familiar face looking down at him.

It was Liz, with a smile on her face. He smiled back and she waved, signalling for him to come upstairs. He gave a small nod, careful not to draw attention to their exchange, and an apologetic shrug, before turning back to the teenagers in front of him. He handed back the programme he’d signed for them and wished them all the best before disentangling himself from the small crowd and heading inside the clubhouse. Once upstairs, a chorus of “Congratulations” and “well done” greeted him, as first his mum, then his dad gave him a hug, followed by Isabel and also Nathan, who had been watching the match on the big screen outside the court.

After they had all congratulated him, his family began to disperse, leaving Max standing alone with Liz, who had moved toward him from her spot by the window as he’d entered the room. His face broke out into a grin as he regarded her.

“Congratulations, Max!” she exclaimed excitedly, pulling him into a tight hug. His arms automatically came around her and he enfolded her in his embrace. “I’m so proud of you.”

“Thanks,” he murmured, releasing her and letting his hands cup her elbows as he looked down into her eyes. “Everything just went right today for me, I guess.”

“You’ve made it, Max,” she delighted, “you’re in the Wimbledon final!”

“Yeah,” he nodded, his expression one of awe. “I’ve wanted this for so long, I almost can’t believe it’s really happening.”

Liz smirked, “You’d better believe it, mister. You totally deserve this.”

“Max, my man,” came a sudden interruption, causing Max to raise his head in surprise. Nathan patted Max on the back declaring, “I think it’s time you got a drink in you, don’t you?”

Max looked to Liz for her reaction, but she just shook her head, “Go ahead, Max. I’ll talk to you again later.”

Max sent her another smile as he allowed his best friend to drag him towards the bar.

He spent the next hour nursing a couple of beers and making small talk with his family and friends. He barely had a chance to speak to Liz again, until he finally caught up with her as the gathering was winding down.

“Hey,” he murmured, drawing her attention away from the conversation she was involved in by gently taking hold of her upper arm and urging her to speak to him.

“Hey,” she replied. “What’s up?”

“Look, we’re leaving now – my parents want to take Isabel and I out for dinner – but I was wondering if you wanted to do something with me tomorrow? I could use some downtime before the final on Sunday and I’d like to spent some more time with you.”

“Oh, um, sure,” she agreed softly, a smile gracing her pretty features. “That’s sounds good.”

“Great,” grinned Max, pleased that she’d agreed so readily. “I’ll pick you up in the morning, okay? How’s ten o’clock?”

“Ten’s good,” she told him. “So… I’ll see you tomorrow, then.”

“Tomorrow,” he confirmed with a soft smile, before finally acknowledging the fact that his mother was frantically waving at him to join them and turning towards the door. For a moment, he debated whether to kiss her goodbye, but he was fully aware of all the eyes in the room, most of which were currently focused on him and so he decided against it. “Bye.”

“Bye, Max.”

TBC…

[Heavenli24]

Hey everyone, thank you for your feedback and bumps. Sorry this part has taken so long - life has been busy the last few weeks (blame the extremely difficult math homework assignments that take 2 weeks each to finish ).

This part is unbeta'd - my beta is out of town this week but I've decided to post anyway because I realised it's been almost a month since the last update , so I apologise for any typos.

Alien_Friend (x2) - Thanks . Yes, we are getting closer to the Prologue - we'll be there in part 32 actually . The story's not going to end just yet, but I am only thinking of writing a few more parts after this .
Yeah, I think Roger might be waning too (here's hoping), but unfortunately there's no chance for Tim Henman since he's retired now, but Andy Murray's gonna get my vote now. He's currently the British No. 1 and ranked 10th in the world, but although he's good, he's not quite consistent enough yet.

guelbebek (x2) - Thanks .

Natalie36 - Thanks . Yeah it can.

Lairabehr4 - Thanks .

roswell3053 - Thanks . Yeah, things are looking up right now, aren't they?

begonia9508 - Thanks .

Addicted2AmberEyes - Thanks .

nitpick23 - Thanks . Let's hope so .



***


Part Thirty-One

Saturday 7th July 2007

Liz smiled to herself as she opened the front door of her flat at five minutes past ten the next morning. For the first time in a long time, she actually felt like something was going right in her life. Despite having to pull out of the singles tournament last week and losing in the quarter-final of the mixed on Thursday, she couldn’t help but feel happy; Max was here and they were going to spend the day together… just like old times.

“Hi,” she chirped, as she opened the door to reveal Max on the other side, looking very handsome in faded designer jeans and a Ben Sherman polo shirt. His dark hair haphazardly framed his perfect, chiselled features and his demeanour was casual; his hands shoved in the back pockets of his expensive jeans.

“Hey,” he murmured with a laidback grin. “Sorry I’m late.”

“Only by five minutes,” she pointed out. “It’s not that late in the grand scheme of things.

“Still,” he shrugged apologetically, before adding, “So you ready to go?”

“Sure,” she nodded, “just let me grab my purse.”

She left Max standing in the doorway for a moment while she picked up her bag and tugged on a jacket and then they made their way downstairs to Max’s car.

“So, where are we going?” wondered Liz, fastening her seatbelt before turning her head to the right to face Max in the driver’s seat.

“It’s a surprise,” he grinned. “You’ll just have to wait and see.”

“Aww, come on,” she pouted, “can’t you give me a hint?”

“Nope, sorry,” he shook his head, as he started the engine, moved the gear stick into first gear and pulled out into the road.

“Spoilsport,” she grumbled, crossing her arms in mock annoyance and turning to look out of the window.

Beside her, Max just chuckled as he manoeuvred the car through the busy London streets toward their destination. It took Liz only a minute or two to drop the pretence of being annoyed and soon she and Max were making light-hearted small talk as they drove. In fact, Liz was so preoccupied with their conversation that she failed to notice they’d reached their destination until Max pulled into a parking space and turned off the engine.

“We’re here,” he announced suddenly.

Liz looked out of the window in surprise.

“Kew Gardens?” she wondered, her smile widening. “We’re spending the day at Kew Gardens?”

“Yep,” Max smiled smugly, as they got out of the car. “I know how much you love it here and I think we could do with some peace and quiet away from the media and the fans today.”

“Max, are you sure this is a good idea?” asked Liz as she joined him in front of the car. “It’s a Saturday in July – it’s gonna be full of tourists. We’re sure to get noticed here.”

“Not necessarily,” he quirked an eyebrow, “There are plenty of places we can get lost in, or don’t you remember?”

Liz’s eyes widened as she realised what he was referring to, “Oh, um, yeah… I remember…”

***

Friday August 20th 2004

“It’s lovely here, isn’t it?” sighed Liz as she and Max strolled hand-in-hand along the gravel paths of London’s Kew Gardens.

“Yeah, it is,” smiled Max, squeezing her hand tighter in his for a moment. “And a perfect day for it too.”

“Yeah,” nodded Liz languidly. “This was a great idea of yours to spend the day here.”

It was a beautiful summer’s day in late August. Although England hadn’t seen the best weather earlier in the month, for some reason it had decided to warm up considerably this week. Today there was barely a cloud in the sky and the temperature was a wonderful twenty-five degrees Celsius. The calm air was only marred by a slight warm breeze, which Liz found rather refreshing.

“Well, you know,” Max murmured airily with a shrug, “we all know that I have all the brains in this relationship.”

Liz snorted, “Is that so?” She moved closer to his side, wrapping her free arm around his bicep, her other hand still firmly encased in his. She rose up on tiptoes until her mouth was close to his ear. “I beg to differ,” she murmured, a sly grin on her face.

“You do, huh?” he chuckled, “What’re you gonna do to prove it?”

She smirked, leaning in to whisper, “Well, I thought maybe I’d –”

“Oh my God, it’s Liz Parker and Max Evans!”

“Urgh,” Liz groaned as she was interrupted from describing her plans by a group of fans that had apparently recognised them. She sighed against Max’s neck before lowering her heels to the ground and turned to the fans with a smile.

“Excuse me, Max, Liz,” said one of them, a tall, wiry lady with styled blonde hair. “Could I trouble you for an autograph?”

“Sure,” Max smiled, his tone smooth and pleasant. Liz released his arm as he reached for the pen and small scrap of paper the woman had obviously just found in her purse. “Here you go.”

“Could I get one too?” piped up a young girl from behind the woman. “You’re my favourite player, Liz.”

“Of course,” smiled Liz courteously as she scribbled her signature for the girl.

They spent the next few minutes signing more autographs and making polite small talk with the group, but it wasn’t long before they began to draw a crowd. Max quickly made an apology to the group around him and explained that they ought to be getting a move on, but unfortunately, as they walked, more and more people began recognising them.

“Come on, this way,” Max muttered, holding Liz’s hand tightly as he pulled her into a section of trees.

“Where are we going, Max?” she wondered as they manoeuvred themselves through the trees.

“Somewhere quiet,” he returned quickly. “Somewhere we won’t get harassed by the public.”

“Um, are you sure we’re allowed back here?” she asked as they wove deeper into the vegetation. “Isn’t the wildlife protected or something?”

“Who cares?” he shrugged with a grin. “Here,” he announced suddenly, indicating the small clearing before them, “we can hide out here for a while.”

“Are you sure we won’t get in trouble for this, Max?”

“Well, I won’t tell anyone if you don’t.” he winked. “Look, no one’s around… we’re completely alone.”

“We are, aren’t we?” smiled Liz taking a glance around. “What will we do to pass the time for a while?”

“Oh, I can think of a few things…” grinned Max suggestively.

“Yeah?” murmured Liz as she moved closer to him.

“Yeah,” he replied, slipping his arms around her waist. “How’s this?”

He lowered his head, capturing her lips in a soft, tender kiss.

“This is good,” breathed Liz, when their lips parted a few moments later. “In fact, it’s more than good.”

She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him down for another kiss…

***

“So, shall we?” asked Max, bringing Liz out of her reverie.

“Sure,” she smiled, slipping her hand into his offered one. “Let’s go.”

They crossed the car park and headed for the entrance. Max paid their entrance fees and the two of them headed into the gardens.

“Wow, it’s even more beautiful here than I remembered,” breathed Liz as they walked through the greenery.

They walked through the various plant-life attractions and houses in the North section of the Gardens, taking in the gorgeous scenery, until Max suggested they get some lunch. He took her for a delicious hot lunch in the White Peaks restaurant located near the edge of the Gardens.

“This is great, Max,” Liz informed him as they ate their meal in a secluded corner of the restaurant. “Thank you for bringing me here today.”

“Yeah, well,” he shrugged, “I remembered that you loved the Gardens and I thought it might be nice to come here again.”

“Good choice,” she smiled. “Although I can’t help but remember the last time we were here, when we had to escape from all the people.”

“Yeah,” grinned Max, “that was funny.”

“Yeah,” murmured Liz, her smile fading then as her mind returned to all that that happened between them… or not… since then.

“Hey, you okay?” asked Max a moment later.

“Yeah,” she forced a half-hearted smile. “It’s just…”

“It’s just what?” he looked concerned.

“Max, do you think everything will work out okay?” she wondered.

“What do you mean,” he asked in puzzlement.

“Well, I know we’ve been making progress the last few days, but we haven’t really spoken about what’s going to happen now – after the tournament is over,” she struggled to put her feelings into words. “Are we here just because we’ve been partners in the tournaments and because you’ve made it to the final, or is this a more long term thing?”

“Liz, I–”

“What I mean is, are we going to see each other again after tomorrow? Or will we just go back to our own separate lives?”

Max sighed softly, “Liz, of course I want to see you again. While I’ll admit that I’m not completely over everything that happened two years ago, I do know that I still want you in my life.”

“Really?”

“Liz,” Max reached across the table to take her hand in his. “You’re the best thing that ever happened to me. I already lost you once, and at the time I thought it was forever, but now you’re back, I don’t want to lose you again.”

Liz smiled shakily, tears threatening to fall at his heartfelt confession, “Me neither. I don’t want to lose you again either, Max.”

“Look,” he said gently, “it’s not going to be easy; you know we still have a lot to work through, but I’m willing to try again.”

“Thank you, Max,” she murmured, squeezing his hand with hers. “You know how sorry I am about what I did and I promise you that I won’t let you down again. In fact, I’m gonna to everything I can to make it up to you.”

Max simply smiled and they shared a meaningful look, before returning to their food.

God, Liz couldn’t help thinking to herself as she snuck glances at Max throughout the meal and for the rest of the day, I love this man so much that I will spend forever trying to make things right between us if I have to.


TBC…

[Heavenli24]

Thanks for the feedback, everyone .

Alien_Friend - Thanks . I was originally planning for the story to be a bit longer, but with all my school work and everything, I'm kind of running out of steam with it. Also, I'm working on two other stories which I want to be able to start posting soon without having to worry about writing this story too.

Tim's actually retired already - his last match was was in the Davis Cup last September. So all of Britain's hopes now lie with Andy Murray in the Singles and Jamie Murray in the Doubles .

Addicted2AmberEyes - Thank you .

begonia9508 - Thanks . I hope I did the gardens justice - I've never actually visited them before, despite living just a couple of hours away my whole life .

pookie76 - Thank you

roswell3053 - Thanks . You'll find out what happens in the Final right now...

clueless - Thank you .

Lairabehr4 - Thanks, hon .


Here we are, finally back to the Prologue again ...


***


Part Thirty-Two

July 8th 2007 – Men’s Singles Final, Wimbledon 2007

‘Okay, you can do this; just take deep breaths and stay calm,’ twenty-six-year-old Max Evans repeated to himself silently as he bounced the tennis ball on the ground once…twice…three times, preparing for the serve.

He closed his eyes in concentration as he geared up his body to begin the match. When he opened them, the first thing he saw was Liz Parker watching him from the side of the court. A small grin tugged at his lips as she sent him a smile of encouragement and gave a thumbs-up. He nodded in response, sucking in one final breath as he threw the ball in the air and brought his racket smashing down, thereby opening the match.

As he watched his opponent hit the ball back over the net, he lunged forward to return it, a burst of adrenaline shooting through him. He almost couldn’t believe this was really happening; he’d made it to the Wimbledon final – something he’d been dreaming about since he was a small boy, watching the legendary Jeff Parker win his third consecutive Wimbledon title back in 1986.

The first rally of the match was well underway and Max was playing well. Every now and then, he’d glimpse her flowing dark hair and pensive gaze on him as he moved and a smile would slide across his face at the sight. Liz Parker, daughter of famous tennis player, Jeff Parker, was the most beautiful girl he’d ever laid eyes on and the woman who, after years of struggles and hurting, was actually back in his life again. And being honest, if it weren’t for her, he wouldn’t be standing here today, competing for the championship cup, with a 50:50 chance of actually winning it.

“Game, Evans.”

Liz was definitely his good luck charm today, he decided, as the umpire called his name: he’d won the first game. He jogged back to his chair for a quick swig of water. His eyes flew to her once more as he picked up his racket again and made his way back onto the court. At one time, she had been everything to him: his best friend, his support, and his other half, and back then, he couldn’t have imagined being without her. However, there had been obstacles in their way over the last few years, things that had kept them apart and now it amazed him that she was actually here supporting him today.

Right this moment, life was great, and if he could manage to stay on top and play his best today, in a couple of hours, his life could be perfect once again.

***

For the remainder of the set, the match continued as it had begun; Max’s confidence soared with every point he scored and the crowd were going wild, their shouts of encouragement for him echoing around the Centre Court stadium between points. Max couldn’t stop himself from glancing in Liz’s direction every chance he got, that was until Todd, who was seated beside Liz, shot him an exasperated glare, which told him in no uncertain terms to focus on the game instead. The thing was though, Max realised, nodding to Todd in consent, Liz wasn’t distracting him at all; far from it in fact. Just knowing that she was here, cheering him on, and that they were well on the way to sorting out their lives again, gave him more encouragement than he really needed.

As he headed back onto court to begin the second set, Max took a moment to stop and suck in a breath, taking in the atmosphere of Centre Court on Final day and the enormity of what this day meant to him. It was incredible: the weather was perfect, warm and sunny with barely a cloud in the sky, the stadium was full – almost 14,000 people – the majority of whom were here to cheer him on. A small smile tugged at his lips as a Mexican wave travelled around the court, and he saw Liz stand up and join in when the wave reached the section she was sitting in.

“Go on, Max!” shouted someone from the stands behind him, as he bounced the ball in front of him, preparing to serve for the first point of the second set. “You can do it!”

“Come on, Max!” called someone else from his right, blowing a whistle in encouragement.

More people piped up and their obvious support for him simply made him more determined to win this tournament; not just for him, but also for all of the British tennis fans who were holding out hope for another British Wimbledon champion. Jeff Parker had been the last Briton to win the tournament and that was almost twenty years ago.

“Quiet please,” called the umpire, his tone slightly irritated as if he couldn’t stand the thought of spectators making any noise at all during the match.

Max bounced the ball a couple more times for effect, before throwing it in the air and lifting his racket to serve. It travelled over the net and landed neatly in the serving box, whereby his opponent quickly returned it smoothly. The first few games were pretty evenly matched between them, both winning on their own serve, but neither managing to break the other’s serve and the second set drew to a close with a tiebreaker, which eventually Max won eight-points-to-six.

In the break between the second and third sets, Max took a moment to observe his opponent, the twenty-four-year-old third seed from Australia. His name was Marcus Turner, currently ranked at number four in the world. Max had played against him a few times over the years and although he’d beaten him the last time they’d met, overall they were about neck-and-neck in terms of wins vs. losses. So while Max already had two sets under his belt in this final match, he knew that Marcus definitely had the ability to pull out all the stops.

The third set began and sure enough, Marcus began to up his game, his serves became more powerful, all his shots went in and he made only two unforced errors in the whole set. It wasn’t that Max was making mistakes or playing any worse than he had in the previous two sets, but instead Marcus had the control and Max barely had a chance to take the lead. As a result, he lost the set 6-2.

In response, the crowd began to boo, shouting their disappointment and displeasure that he’d lost the set, but Max didn’t let it faze him. Yes, this had been his dream for as long as he could remember, but ultimately it wouldn’t be a complete life or death situation if he didn’t win today. However, from the shouts of the crowd, you would think that the world was gonna end if Max Evans didn’t win Wimbledon this afternoon.

As they went into the fourth set, he wasn’t too worried about having lost the third; after all, he was still up two sets to one and could still win this thing. He began the set with a strong serve and the first game was in the bag. Everything was going like a perfectly and Max was on a roll at 4-0, until a particular moment in the fifth game, when for a heart-stopping few minutes, it looked like the Wimbledon dream could be over for Max Evans.

The game beginning as any other; Max served the ball, hitting a perfect ace and winning the first point, before continuing to win the next two, but the next point brought about a particularly long and frustrating rally in which neither player seemed to be able to get the upper hand. The crowd was tense as shot and after shot sailed over the net, with no sign of letting up. After fifteen strokes though, things got a little more interesting as Max hit a daring shot just over the net, causing Marcus to sprint to get it back over and out to the other corner. Max ran for the ball, scaling the width of the court, determined not to give away the point that would put him at 5-0 and only one game away from the Wimbledon title.

The crowd watched with bated breath, waiting to see if Max would make the shot. Max’s heart was beating fast as he watched the ball sail through the air; he dived for it, his racket outstretched, as renewed sweat began to bead on his forehead. The ball connected with the tension-filled strings and bounced off again. But Max didn’t see whether it went over the net or if it was in, for he tumbled to the floor, pain shooting up his left leg.

A collective gasp rang out around the stadium when he didn’t get up. On the floor, Max bit his lip, his eyes closing, fighting tears as he clutched his ankle. No, this couldn’t be happening; not now, when he was so close to achieving his life-long dream. He wasn’t sure how long he lay there, his leg throbbing with pain, but it seemed an age before both Todd and his trainer appeared on court and helped him to his chair.

“What happened, Max?” asked Todd in concern.

“I don’t know exactly,” he murmured, wincing as John, his trainer, moved his ankle experimentally. “One minute I was running for the ball, the next I’m on the floor in pain. I guess I landed on it.”

“You think you can keep going?”

“I’m not sure,” sighed Max, frowning in pain as John began massaging his skin, assessing the damage.


“Well, nothing’s broken,” announced his trainer a moment later. “It just looks like a strain or maybe a sprain to me.”

“Thank God,” breathed Max. There was still a chance.

“I’m gonna strap it for you and then we’ll go from there, okay?” said John.

“Sure.”

Max leaned back against the chair as John worked his magic on his ankle. With nothing else he could do for now, Todd excused himself and headed back to his seat. Max watched as he took his seat next to Liz again, speaking to her in low tones. She nodded as her head turned in his direction and her worry-filled eyes met his. He gave her a small smile, letting her now that it really wasn’t as bad as it looked.

“Okay, all done,” John told him a few moments later. “Why don’t you see if you can walk on it.”

“Sure, thanks,” replied Max as he stood up.

John had bandaged the ankle tightly for support, but still Max felt a twinge of pain as he put weight on it. He took a few steps, testing the support and as the pain began to dwindle, he tried out a slow jog.

“How does it feel?”

“Not bad,” murmured Max. “I might need a couple more minutes though.”

“Okay, I’ll let the umpire know.”

***

In the VIP section, Liz waited with baited breath as Max had his ankle strapped and then slowly stood up. Things had been going so well until just a few moments ago; it would be absolutely devastating for Max if he had to withdraw from the match this close to winning the trophy. Across the court, Max walked around a little, even jogged to test his ankle and then turned to speak to John, who then murmured something to the umpire. Liz tapped her foot anxiously, folding her hands into her lap as she waited for the outcome. Max was sitting down again now, rolling his ankle experimentally and massaging his lower leg with his hands.

Around the court, the crowd began murmuring in concern for Max, and a few people shouted words of encouragement. It was a tense few minutes for everyone in the stadium, but eventually a loud, collective sigh of relief sounded as Max once more reached for his racket and the umpire announced the recommencement of play. Liz clapped and shouted along with the crowd as Max made his way back out onto the court. His ankle was now firmly strapped in a white bandage and he was limping slightly, but apparently he had decided that he was capable of continuing with the match.

The first game started out a little shaky, with Max somewhat unsteady on his feet, which allowed Marcus to win the first two points, but he quickly found his feet again and managed to win the next point, winning the game. Liz smiled with relief. Come on, Max, you can do it, she thought. It was 5-0 in the fourth set and Max just had to hold out for a few more minutes to win the next game and then it would be over. She crossed her fingers in anticipation as Marcus served for the next game.

Liz was on the edge of her seat for the next fifteen minutes as both Max and Marcus fought for the points. Max was definitely not up to the same standard as he had been earlier, so he was struggling in that respect, but on the other hand, Marcus seemed to be trying his best to take advantage of Max’s injury, but was obviously distracted by the interruption of play. The atmosphere was tense as the score reached Deuce and then Marcus double-faulted, giving Max Advantage. This was it, realised Liz, Max had Match Point, no make that Championship point, he was on the brink of his dream. She closed her eyes; please God, let him win, please.

***

Max was breathing heavily, the weight of the situation on his shoulders, as he focused in on Marcus, who was preparing to serve. This was it, the moment he’d been building towards since he was five years old. This was everything he’d ever wanted in his career, and it was potentially just moments away.

Around him, the crowd was tense as Marcus tossed the ball in the air… and hit it into the net. A collective sigh resonated through the court and people began calling out in support of Max again. On the other side of the court, Marcus appeared slightly flustered at his sudden inability to serve the ball in. He tossed the ball up again and this time didn’t miss. The ball flew over the net and Max was quick to return it, not about to let Marcus win the point. The rally continued for three more strokes, but Marcus’ last shot was ill placed and he left the other side of the court open for Max to hit it in, with no chance of return.

The crowd went wild as they realised what had just happened. For Max, though, it took a few more seconds longer for it to sink in. Slowly, his jaw dropped and a faint ‘Oh, shit!’ escaped his lips as he sank down to his knees, his hands covering his face.

He had just won Wimbledon!!

He’d finally done it!

He simply sat there on the court for a few moments, taking in the enormity of what had just happened. Eventually, though he pulled himself up off the grass and punched the air, a huge grin on his face, before he moved to the net and shook Marcus’ hand, thanking him for the match.

The crowd were clapping and cheering, amazed that finally Wimbledon had a British champion once again. But Max didn’t see any of them; no, he was just focused on one thing. His gaze locked onto it and he jogged across the court to the VIP seating area.

“Congratulations, Max!” squealed Liz as he came to a stop in front of her. She reached over the barrier separating them and wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug. “I’m so proud of you for getting back out there,” she murmured in his ear. Max pulled back a little, cupping her head in his hand.

“Thank you,” he told her sincerely, before leaning in for a sizzling kiss, one that would make the front page of all the papers tomorrow. “Liz, I –”

But Liz cut him off, “Go on you, get back out there and receive your cup. Enjoy the moment.”

Max glanced behind him, realising that they were waiting for him on court. He sent Liz a quick grin, before complying with her suggestion and heading back out there again. Less than five minutes later, he was jogging around the edge of the court, careful not to hurt his ankle again, holding the shiny cup high above his head.

This really was the best moment of his life – career-wise, at least – now all he needed to do to make his life complete was fix his relationship with Liz once and for all.

TBC…

[Heavenli24]

Hey everyone, sorry this part has taken so long - I couldn't decide what I wanted to happen in it . Thank you for all your feedback :

Lairabehr4 - Thanks .

Addicted2AmberEyes - Wow, thank you ! I'm really glad you enjoyed the part .

Alien_Friend - Thanks . Oh man, I just realised that I'm not flying back to the UK until the week after Wimbledon this summer - I'm gonna have to make do with the US coverage of the tournament at random times of the day .

guelbebek - Thanks .

begonia9508 - Yeah, it was, wasn't it ? .

Natalie36 - Thanks - I'm glad it could make your morning .

roswell3053 - Thank you - I couldn't let him win easily, now could I? Where would the fun be in that?

sarammlover - Wow, it's great to see a new reader . I'm glad you like the story .


***


Part Thirty-Three

Tuesday July 17th 2007 – London

Max let himself into his flat after his early morning run and found Liz lying on his sofa, still clad in her nightclothes – one of his old T-shirts and a pair of his black boxers – TV remote in hand as she flicked through the channels.

“Morning TV, huh?” he said, announcing his presence as he approached her, running his hand through his damp locks.

“Hmm?” she murmured, turning her attention away from the screen to look up at him. “Oh, yeah.”

He gave her a small smile, “I’m just gonna have a shower.”

“Okay,” she said then, her eyes falling back to the screen and Max frowned, wondering if everything was all right with her. She seemed a little… subdued.

“Back in a few,” he told her, watching her for a moment before heading into his bathroom.

He sighed as he stepped under the hot stream of water a couple of minutes later. The past ten days had been a little strange, almost surreal in fact. At first, he’d been ecstatic over finally achieving his dream of winning Wimbledon, but as the days afterwards passed, he found himself settling back into a more normal routine, the novelty wearing off slightly. Having said that though, there had been one major change in his life compared to the time before the tournament, and that change was his newfound relationship with Liz. His heart swelled as he recalled the time they’d spent together the night of his win.

A smile tugged at his lips as he remembered how happy she’d been for him that night; she’d barely left his side all afternoon and evening; hell, she’d even followed him into the changing rooms, waiting patiently while he showered and got dressed in a smart shirt and black trousers ready for the big party being held in his honour at the clubhouse, before taking his arm and leading him over to where his family were waiting to congratulate him.

They’d spent the night talking and drinking champagne and socialising with his friends, until they were so tired they could barely stand up, at which point he’d had a car drive them back to his flat, where they’d shared a few passionate kisses before eventually collapsing on his bed in exhaustion, Liz curling up beside him as they drifted off into a much-needed dreamless sleep.

After that night last week, Liz had practically been living in his flat, only returning to her own to grab some clothes and toiletries and collect her mail. If he was honest, Max couldn’t disagree that he was happy to have her back in his life again, despite everything. She really was his soulmate, he’d come to realise in the last few weeks and as much as he’d spent the last two years trying to deny it, life wasn’t worth living if she wasn’t in it.

Which was why he found it disconcerting that she’d seemed so down just now.

He shook his head in concern as he stepped out of the shower, wrapping a towel around his waist before making his way back into his bedroom to get dressed. Less than five minutes later, he entered the living room again, now clad in a polo shirt and shorts, to find Liz on the sofa still, but now her eyes were closed and the remote was dangling from her outstretched hand, threatening to fall to the ground any moment.

Max smiled as he slowly made his way over to her, carefully extracting the small device from her hand and placing it down on the armrest, before gently lifting her feet from the cushions and taking a seat at the end of the couch. She stirred, mumbling incoherently, before sleepily pulling herself upright and then switching positions so that she could curl up next to him her head resting on his chest.

He gazed down at her tenderly, slipping one arm around her shoulders as the other reached across her body to slide around her waist, holding her close. He pressed a gentle kiss to the top of her head as he relaxed back in his seat and turned his attention to the TV.

It was almost thirty minutes before she stirred again, her cheek rubbing against his chest as she began to wake.

“Hey,” he murmured when she opened her eyes and looked up at him. “You okay?”

“Mmm,” she mumbled, bringing one hand up to rub the sleep from her eyes. “I’ve been really tired the last couple of days, Max.”

He frowned, “From the MS?”

She nodded, “Yeah.”

He nodded too before, “Liz, have you thought any more about what we discussed the other day, about your plans for the future?”

She looked down at her lap, where their fingers were now entwined, “Yeah, I have.” She paused for a moment and Max bit his lip, “Wimbledon was supposed to be my big comeback, but after everything I’m beginning to realise that I’m never gonna be as good as I was before.”

“Liz–”

“I’ve made a decision, Max,” she continued, effectively cutting him off. She exhaled heavily, “I’m going to officially retire from the singles game.”

Max stilled, his fingers closing around hers a little, “Are you sure? I don’t want you to regret this.”

She nodded against his shirt, “I’m sure. As much as I hate to admit it, I don’t think my body can handle the pressure of playing singles anymore.”

He nodded, “Okay.”

“But, tennis is and always has been a part of me and I’m not ready to give it up completely yet.” She sat up a little, turning to face him properly. “Max, if it’s okay with you, I still want to play doubles.”

His eyes widened, “Of course it’s okay with me, Liz. I love to play with you.”

He watched as a bright smile lit up her lovely features and she leaned forward to hug him.

“Really? Thank you so much, Max.”

“Don’t thank me,” he smiled. “It’s your life, your decision. I’d be more than happy to play with you, but you have to promise me something.”

“Yes?”

He reached out to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear, gazing down at her seriously, “Promise me that you won’t work yourself too hard and that if the game ever gets too much for you, that you’ll stop, okay?”

She nodded solemnly, “I promise, Max.”

“Thank you.”

They remained sitting like that, staring into each other’s eyes for several long moments, until Max slowly began to lower his head to hers. Their lips met in a long, slow, passionate kiss and for the first time since before she’d disappeared and broken his heart, he allowed himself to feel completely again.

***

Liz let out a gasp when Max began raining soft, gentle kisses along her jaw line and down to her neck. Gently, he eased her backwards, her body stretched out on the sofa as he settled above her.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, her eyes falling closed and her back arching as she felt him slide one hand up her side to lightly cup her breast.

“Max–” she breathed, his soft, warm lips capturing hers again, caressing her lovingly as his fingers kneaded her sensitive breast, the heat of his hand penetrating the T-shirt she wore.

He made a guttural sound in his throat when she shifted beneath him, her legs parting to allow his hips to settle snugly between her thighs.

“Oh, God,” she whispered when he felt his arousal graze her aching centre.

It had been two very long, very painful years without him, without any kind of intimate contact with a man, and now her body was throbbing for his touch. She felt his lips curl into a smile as he lowered his hand from her breast and instead slid it beneath her shirt, easing the material upwards, exposing her flushed skin to the cool living room air. Max lifted himself up slightly, supporting his weight on his hands as Liz followed suit and reached down to pull the T-shirt over her head.

She felt her cheeks flush, feeling Max’s intense gaze on her, his eyes darkening when they landed on nothing but bare flesh – she hadn’t bothered to get dressed yet this morning.

“Liz…” he murmured, his tone almost… awed.

She couldn’t help smiling softly, reaching forward for the hem of his shirt and urging it upwards. Max caught on quickly to her intentions and wasted no time in pulling it over his head. Liz’s breath caught in her throat at the sight of his well-defined muscles and the way they flexed deliciously as he lowered his body down onto her once again. They both sighed as his bare skin came into contact with hers and their lips met in a hurried, passionate embrace.

Liz found herself so caught up in his wonderful, spine-tingling ministrations that she barely noticed when he hooked his thumbs inside the boxers she was wearing and slide them over her hips and down her legs. It wasn’t until she felt his fingers gently caressing her that she realised she was naked.

“Max,” she gasped, his fingers hitting a particularly sensitive spot. “I need you.”

“Me too, Lizzie,” he whispered, his mouth close to her jaw, as he carefully slid one finger inside her. Her hips bucked in reaction. “I need you too.”

“Make love to me,” she whimpered. “Please.”

He just smiled at her tenderly, before moving off her and quickly disposing of his shorts and underwear. Her eyes roamed over his body as he climbed back onto the couch again and spread his body over the length of hers. She parted her legs again and a low groan escaped her lips when she felt his tip pressing against her intimately.

He supported his weight on his elbows, which were positioned either side of her on the couch, and looked down into her eyes with a smile.

“I love you,” he whispered softly.

“I love you, too,” she replied, suddenly feeling choked up. “And I’m so sorry for hurting you.”

“Hey, hey,” he shook his head, “none of that right now, okay?”

She nodded, her lips curling up into a small smile. However, that smile quickly became a gasping moan as Max entered her, gently rocking his hips against hers. They made gentle love right there on the sofa, as they got reacquainted with each other’s bodies and afterwards, when Max collapsed against her chest and she wound her arms around his neck, gently stroking his hot, sweaty skin, Liz felt more satisfied than she could ever remember.

***

Two hours later found Max lying on his back in his bed, extremely sated. Liz was pressed against his side, her soft, naked skin causing havoc on his senses.

“Wow,” she breathed, her warm breath floating across his chest. “That was…” she raised herself up on one elbow to look him in the eye. “Max, I’ve missed you so much. I wish I’d never–”

“No,” he murmured, placing a finger on her lips, effectively silencing her. “Let’s not dwell on the past. I love you; you love me; for once, I need for that to be enough.”

She nodded and Max felt his heart twist at the happy expression on her beautiful face. He took a deep breath to prepare for what he was going to say next.

“I’ve been thinking about something the last few days, and I’ve decided that…” he stopped for a moment, suddenly wondering if this was the right time. Oh, what the hell, “Liz, when you’re ready, I want to give you that baby.”

He heard her sharp intake of breath as her eyes widened in surprise, “What?”

“I’ve been thinking about it ever since you told me the truth; how selfish I was back then, especially considering the circumstances.” He sighed, “I just keep thinking, ‘What if it’s too late? What if, because of me, you lost your chance for a baby?’ and I would hate for that to be true. So, I’m willing to do whatever it takes to give you your dream.”

“Max, I–” she stopped, tears forming in her eyes. “Are you sure about this?”

He nodded firmly, “Totally and completely sure.”

“But, isn’t all this a bit sudden?” she asked, turning away from his side and pulling herself up into a sitting position, hugging the sheet to her chest. “I mean, two weeks ago, you weren’t sure if you could forgive me and now you want to have babies? Max, maybe this isn’t such a good idea.”

“Liz,” Max sat up too, his hand on her lower arm. “You told me that the doctor recommended having children early, before the symptoms got too bad for you to take care of a baby. Two years have gone by already and I’m just worried that if you wait much longer, you won’t be able to cope with giving birth and raising a child.”

Liz looked down at her lap and Max frowned at her miserable expression.

“Hey, what’s wrong?”

She looked over at him with sad eyes, “God, it’s all my fault, isn’t it? I’m the one who’s putting myself at risk here.” She sighed, “If I hadn’t been so stupid, if I hadn’t left like that, then we would have been married by now… and maybe I would have children already.”

“Liz, blaming yourself isn’t gonna do anything but make you feel bad,” argued Max gently. “There’s no point dwelling on the past; you can’t change what happened back then, but what you can do is concentrate on the present and look to the future.” He shifted so that he was directly behind her, his bare chest pressing against her back as he slid his arms around her waist, “Whatever happens, Liz, I want to help you, okay? I want to make sure you get everything you want out of life.”

He felt her chest hitch and he waited patiently as she turned around in his arms. He inhaled sharply at her expression and the tears that were now beginning to roll down her cheeks. She gave him a watery smile, lifting her hand to cup his cheek.

“Max, you are just the kindest, most wonderful–” she stopped, her voice catching in her throat. She took a steadying breath before continuing, “Thank you.”

Max let his fingers run through her soft, dark locks, as he searched her face with his gaze.

“Anything to help you, Liz,” he smiled tenderly. “Whatever I can do to help you, I’ll will. Anything; as long as you’re happy in life.”

He watched her face began to crumple in response and he was ready, enfolding her in his embrace as she let herself fall against him.

He closed his eyes to prevent his own tears from falling as she whispered another heartfelt ‘Thank you, so much’. As much as her actions had hurt him, he still loved her and he couldn’t bear the thought that her illness was only going to get worse as time went on. All he wanted was for her to enjoy her life and be happy.

TBC…

[Heavenli24]

Thank you for your feedback and your patience, everyone . I really didn't mean to leave it this long between updates, but with everything being so hectic at the end of the Spring semester and then suffering from writer's block after that, I just haven't been able to get anything written for this story . However, I have given myself the goal of finishing this by the end of Wimbledon 2008 (which starts June 23rd and finishes July 6th - which is a good deadline for me because I'll be doing a lot of travelling from July 8th until early August ).

Lairabehr4 - Thanks .

Alien_Friend (x3) - Thanks . I'm not sure how many chapters will be left - it'll probably be 2 or 3 more at the moment.
I finally managed to get digital TV and internet installed in my apartment last week (after some major hassles), so I will be able to watch Wimbledon - they're showing it on ESPN2 every day. Only drawback is that because they show it live and I'm in Mountain time zone, it's being broadcast from 5am until 3pm! Unless I can stream the matches online, I think I might just have to work from home for the two weeks .

begonia9508 - Thanks . Although she hasn't given up tennis completely just yet; she's still going to play Mixed Doubles with Max, but she doesn't feel she's strong enough to keep up in the Singles game anymore.

pookie76 - Thank you .

Natalie36 (x2) - Or was it? Keep reading to see how everything plays out .

roswell3053 (x2) - Thanks .

sarammlover - Thank you .

kay_b - Thanks

Is it too much to ask, that by some miracle, Liz will heal fully and have the life that she dreamed of with Max?

It will be just so heartbreaking if they do start having a family together and she gets even worse.

This is an Alternate Universe after all.

While it is an Alternate Universe fic, I try to keep my stories as realistic as possible - so since in real life, there is no 'cure' for MS, unfortunately Liz won't be healing from it - when you 'relapse' and develop new symptoms, you will basically suffer from those symptoms for life (they won't just suddenly 'go away' or anything). However, having said that, she has the most common and least debilitating form of the illness, which very rarely is life-threatening (life-expectancy is similar to healthy individuals) and if she's lucky the seriousness of her symptoms will not worsen too much over time.

sunrise102 - Thanks . Good question, actually - I'm not sure if Max realised how his words might have come across to Liz. Hopefully this part will alleviate some worries.

dreamsatnight - Thanks .

confusedfool - Thanks .

keepsmiling7 (x3) - Don't worry - I'm finally back with a new part (sorry it's taken so long) .

Addicted2AmberEyes - Thank you . Yeah, I'm not sure Max thought it through completely - this next part should hopefully clear up some things .

guelbebek - Thank you .


***

Part Thirty-Four

Thursday August 2nd 2007 – London

Liz let out a small sigh, leaning forward on the bench, propping her elbows on her knees and supporting her chin on her hands as she watched Max and Nathan playing a friendly singles game on the local courts. Something had been bothering her over the last couple of weeks, and she didn’t quite know how to deal with it, or how to approach it with Max.

“Yes! That’s it! You’re arse is mine, Thomas!”

The sound of Max’s joyous exclamation rang out across the court and caused her to let out a soft chuckle, her worries temporarily forgotten.

“Hey, give me a break, man,” retorted Nathan. “I’m not exactly used to playing against Wimbledon champions, here.”

Max shot him a grin, “You’re right. I guess I’d better go easy on you then.”

“Don’t you dare,” Nathan contradicted himself with a grin. “I intend to win this fair and square.”

“Whatever you say, mate.”

Liz tried to stay upbeat for the remainder of their game, but it was hard to watch Max play, obviously in his element out there on the court, and not think about the things that had been bothering her lately. She did smile and cheer when Max won the game, although she had to give Nathan credit – he’d played really well this afternoon and as a result, Max had only won by a small margin.

Max and Nathan shook hands across the net, giving each other a friendly pat on the back, before coming off the court and Liz couldn’t help but smile as Max swept her up in a sweaty hug and pressed an enthusiastic kiss to her lips.

“What was that for?” she smiled.

He shrugged, “What, I need an excuse to kiss you now?”

“No,” she shook her head, still smiling as she tried not to let her troubled thoughts show on her face.

“That’s good to know,” he grinned, moving his hands to her waist and pulling back so he could gaze down at her. “Come on, let’s go home and get changed – I’m taking you out to dinner tonight.”

“Oh, you are, are you?” teased Liz, as she looked up into his soft, inviting gaze. “And you just assume that I don’t have plans?”

His face fell for a moment, concern crossing his features, “You don’t, do you?”

She chuckled, shaking her head, “No, I don’t. Don’t worry.”

“Whew,” he let out an exaggerated sigh of relief.

“So, where are you taking me?”

Max shook his head, “Nuh uh, it’s a surprise.”

She gave him an annoyed glare, but he only smirked and shook his head again, before letting go of her to return his racket to his tennis bag on the bench and gather his things.

“Aww, come on, Max.”

“No,” he chuckled, hoisting his bag onto one shoulder and taking her hand in his. “I’m not telling you.”

They said a quick goodbye to Nathan, who was busy checking in with Sarah on his mobile as he packed up his gear, and headed for Max’s flat so they could shower and change for the evening.

***

Two hours later, Max held out his hand for Liz to take as she got out of the taxi they’d taken from the flat to… somewhere in Covent Garden.

“So, are you finally going to tell me where we’re going tonight?” she asked as she allowed Max to help her out of the car.

“Nope,” he grinned. She opened her mouth to protest, but he continued before she could, “I thought I’d just show you instead.”

He paid the taxi driver and then turned her around so she was directly facing their destination.

Liz let out a gasp, her eyes widening with a mixture of surprise and happiness as she turned to him, “Mon Plaisir?”

He grinned, “Yep.”

“You’re taking me to Mon Plaisir, Max?” she couldn’t keep the wide smile off her face. “I haven’t been here in forever.”

“I know,” he said softly, letting go of her hand and instead slipping it around her waist as he began to guide her towards the quaint French restaurant.

Liz felt her heart tug with emotion as Max led her inside the restaurant foyer, his hand resting on her lower back now, and spoke to the waiter in the entrance. Mon Plaisir had been one of their favourite restaurants to visit when they’d been a couple and it was strangely nostalgic to be here again, after all this time. As the waiter showed them to their table, Max’s hand remained in place just above the curve of her bottom until the very last moment, only moving away when she sat down.

Liz watched Max with a small smile as he took his seat also and then smoothly picked up the wine list, only scanning it for a second before turning to the waiter and ordering a bottle of champagne. As the waiter nodded and scurried off to fetch the wine, Liz couldn’t help but shake her head at Max.

“Max …”

“What?” he raised an eyebrow, his expression playful.

“What’s all this in aid of?”

“Does it have to be in aid of anything?” he wondered.

“But, all this…” she gestured around them. “The fancy restaurant, expensive champagne… is it really necessary?”

He looked at her thoughtfully for a short moment, before leaning forward in his seat, “Liz, I just earned nearly three-quarters of a million pounds from Wimbledon and with the money from the other Grand Slams, it’s not like I can’t afford it. Besides, it’s all worth it just to see you happy again.”

Liz shifted slightly uncomfortably at his admission, “Max, you know I don’t need any of this to make me happy. Just having my life back again is enough for me.”

Max frowned then and Liz saw him open his mouth to say something, but then the waiter reappeared with their champagne and proceeded to pour them each a glass. He then took their food orders and left them alone once more. There was a moment of awkward silence between them until they both spoke simultaneously.

“Liz, what’s going on –?”

“Max, there’s something I –”

They both stopped, staring at the other for a second, before Liz gestured towards Max.

“Sorry, you go first.”

Max nodded and then sighed, running a hand through his hair, “Liz, I can tell that something’s been bothering you lately. You’ve been really distracted; what’s going on?”

Liz sighed, looking down at the table for a moment before returning her gaze to his.

“You’re right, there is something bothering me… What you said the other week, about wanting to have a baby…?”

“Yeah?”

“Well, that’s what been bothering me,” she admitted, biting her lip softly when Max frowned. “I guess what I want to know is why you said it.”

“What do you mean?” he sounded miffed and Liz resisted the urge to wince. “I thought that’s what you wanted.”

“Exactly,” she pointed out. “Is that the only reason you suggested it… to give me what I’ve been wanting for the last two years before it’s too late? Like you’re doing me a favour or something – because if that’s why, then I don’t think I want to have a baby with you.”

She watched in anticipation of his answer as he sucked in a breath and then let it out slowly, his eyes narrowed.

“Is that what you think? That I just want to do you a favour? God, Liz…” he trailed off, his head shaking from side to side.

“Well, what else am I supposed to think?” burst out Liz then, unable to take the tension that had settled between them suddenly. “Two months ago you never wanted to see me again, then a month ago we’re just starting to get close again and suddenly two weeks later you want a baby with me! Oh, and of course there’s also the fact that the longer I wait to have children, the less easily I’ll be able to cope with them so it would be best to have them right away. It just all seems a bit too … I don’t know –”

“Liz,” Max cut her off with a hand on her arm. “I’m sorry.”

She looked down at his hand for a second before raising her eyes to his, to find his expression soft and tender.

He shook his head, “Lizzie, I love you. I know I probably shouldn’t after everything that’s happened, after what you did to me, but I can’t help it. You’re the love of my life; I don’t think I could stop loving you even if I tried… and believe me I’ve been trying so hard to not love you for the past two years.”

“Max…” Liz murmured, feeling tears spring to her eyes.

“Elizabeth Parker, I would love nothing more than to spend the rest of my life with you in my arms, to marry you, to have beautiful children with you, to grow old with you,” he paused for a moment, reaching across the table so he could take both of her hands in both of his. “But I also know that this is moving very fast. What I said that day… I meant it with all my heart. I want to have a baby with you, so much… because I love you and because we both deserve to have a family and to be happy.”

She shook her head, willing the tears not to fall as her heart constricted at Max’s tender words.

“Liz, I was so close to asking you to marry me again the other week –” She couldn’t help the gasp that escaped her lips as his admission. “– But I knew it was too soon for that; we’d only been back together for a couple of weeks. The thing is, I wish we could do all of this traditionally; you know, get married, spend a few months of quality time together, maybe try for a baby after a year or two… but the truth is that we don’t have that luxury. We both know that the safest thing for you is to have children when you’re young and still healthy enough to take care of them. That’s why I want to give you a baby now, as soon as you feel you’re ready – because I want to do everything I can to make sure your life is a healthy and happy and risk-free as possible.”

By now, the tears were falling fast down Liz’s cheeks and her heart swelled with love for the man sitting across from her. With everything she was, she wished desperately that she could turn back the clock and prevent herself from ever hurting him so long ago.

“Max, I–” her voice caught in her throat. “I don’t know what to say. I love you so much too. And I’m sorry… I’m sorry for assuming, and for doubting you. I would love to do all those things too, but you’re right.” She sighed, “The truth is, I don’t have time to do this properly, or to take my time over these decisions.”

Max smiled softly across the table at her, his fingers tightening around hers briefly.

She took a deep breath, “And I know it wasn’t a proposal or anything just now, but I just want you to know that I want to marry you too – not just yet, but definitely sometime in the future, when the time is right.”

Max just nodded, swallowing sharply and Liz could see that he was almost as overwhelmed with emotion as she was. Gently, one of his hands drifted up to cup her jaw and he leaned across the small table to capture her lips with his in a sweet kiss, full of love and promise.

Just as they parted, the waiter returned with their food and the rest of the meal was spent in comfortable silence, the air between them filled with love and hope. This was the first day of the rest of their lives and Liz made a silent promise to herself that she would never be so stupid as to allow anything to come between them ever again.

TBC…

[Heavenli24]

Okay, everyone, we're almost at the end of this story - this is the last numbered part, and then there'll be an Epilogue after that (my plan is to finish writing it this week and have it posted by next Monday ).

Thank you for your feedback :

kyliemou - Thanks . I'm lucky that Wimbledon is on right now, because I've been inspired in the last week... I should get the Epilogue finished by the end of the week . Luckily I'm not taking summer classes, but I'm supposed to be doing research full-time at the moment. I've been having trouble concentrating on work though, due to Wimbledon and the fact that I'm flying home to England to see my family in less than 2 weeks' time .

Lairabehr4 - Thanks . My first thought when I read your post was: Worried about what? That I was taking so long to write a new part, or the state of Max and Liz's relationship?

begonia9508 - Thanks .

veronica - Thanks ... I managed to make it back much more quickly than with previous parts .

Natalie36 - Thanks . It certainly did .

roswell3053 - Thanks . Yes, it is important that they talk things out - after all, lack of communication was the reason everything went wrong in the first place.

sarammlover - Thanks . They really should have done this two years ago, huh? (but if they had, then there would have been so story for me to write ).

confusedfool - Thanks .

Alien_Friend - Thanks . They've been very lucky with the lack of rain at Wimbledon this year - I think it's about 80 degrees out there today! It's proving to be a rather surprising tournament though, with so many of the top seeds being knocked out so easily! I'm sorry about Roddick - that was disappointing . I'm so happy that Murray is doing well though - he's our big chance now with Henman gone. Thing is though, if he wins his match today, he'll face Nadal in the Quarters and I have a feeling he'll lose that match (from what I've found online, I don't think Murray has beaten Nadal on a match yet - although he has beaten Federer twice on other surfaces!)

***


Part Thirty-Five


Friday August 24th 2007 – London


PARKER FAULTS FROM PRESSURE: Weeks After Wimbledon Comeback, Parker Throws In The Towel

Two and a half months after making her big Wimbledon comeback following a two-year absence from professional tennis, ex-British number one player Liz Parker has announced her retirement from the singles game.

The news comes as a surprise so soon after her reappearance at the All England Club back in June, although perhaps not a complete shock after Ms. Parker experienced difficulties on court during the tournament, including a shocking collapse resulting in her withdrawal from the singles tournament.

Is this a sign that Liz Parker’s tennis talent is waning at the tender age of twenty-three, a time when most players come into their own, or has the obvious lack of training taken it’s toll on her stamina? Ms. Parker stated vehemently in yesterday’s press conference that she was not retiring from tennis altogether and will still enter mixed doubles tournaments with ex-fiancé and world number one Max Evans. However, one can’t help but wonder if the proposed partnership will be a healthy one for Evans, considering the couple’s history and Parker’s still unexplained two-year disappearance from the public eye. Will Evans now be forced to carry the weight of two champion tennis players?

And speaking of history, it has been reported that Evans and Parker have been seen out and about together in London recently. Several pictures of Ms. Parker leaving Mr. Evans flat early in the mornings have emerged in the last few weeks, leading to speculation that the two of them are once again on intimate terms. It has been suggested that this apparent newfound relationship could spell trouble for Evans, considering how his game suffered after Ms. Parker disappeared without a trace more than two years ago.



Liz sighed, shaking her head in annoyance as her eyes skimmed the newspaper article spread out on the kitchen table in Max’s flat.

“Great. That’s just great.”

“Everything okay?” asked Max, glancing over at her in concern from his position in front of the open fridge.

She looked up and rolled her eyes again, holding the offending article up so he could see it, “We’re on page six of the Daily Mail.”

Max’s expression became one of sympathy, as he closed the fridge and moved across the room, taking a seat beside her at the table.

“Well, we knew it would happen when we decided to do the press conference yesterday.”

“I know.”

“So, how bad is it?” he asked, placing a comforting hand on her arm.

“Well, they’re questioning my talent and my stamina as a player, suggesting that us playing together is a bad move because my ‘lack of training’ will hold you back, and speculating about the current state of our relationship.”

“Lizzie, you shouldn’t pay any attention to what the press think,” Max said softly, as a small smile played on his lips. “You know, I don’t understand why you insist on reading the Mail anyway; everyone knows they’re not the most reliable source of information out there.”

“I know, I know,” sighed Liz, placing the paper back down on the table.

She shifted in her seat so she could lean against him and his arms slipped around her automatically. They sat together in comfortable silence for a few moments, until Liz broke the silence.

“Max?”

“Hmm?”

She drew back from Max a little and turned to face him again, “Do you think we made the right decision yesterday? About not telling everyone the real reason I’ve decided to retire from singles?”

Max regarded her thoughtfully for a second before replying, “I know it feels like we’re deceiving everyone by not saying anything just yet, but yes, I think we did make the right decision.”

“Really?” Liz felt doubtful. After all, she had told her coach that she would tell them the real reason she had collapsed on court.

“Yeah,” he nodded. “Look, I know David advised you to come clean after Wimbledon this year, the truth is that I knew you weren’t comfortable with that. And if you’re not comfortable with the public knowing then you shouldn’t be forced to tell them yet.”

“Thank you – for saying that.”

“It’s the truth, Liz. You deserve your privacy right now, and if you’d admitted the truth in the press conference yesterday, you would be dealing with the fallout for the next few weeks. You don’t need that right now.”

It was true, Liz had to admit; yesterday would not have been a good time to let the truth come tumbling out, not when they were about to fly to New York for the US Open, which began in a few days’ time. Especially when they were in the process of rebuilding their relationship and working through everything in their personal life. Dealing with the press hounding her about her illness as well would have just caused them both too much stress.

No, they would just have to keep the press in the dark until the time was right.

***

Monday December 24th 2007 – London

LOVE’S GAME, SET AND MATCH FOR SECOND-TIME LUCKY EVANS?

Max Evans has done it again! He was spotted in a secluded spot of Wimbledon legend Jeff Parker’s Surrey estate last Friday, getting down on one knee in front of Liz Parker for the second time in their tumultuous relationship. After the world witnessed Max’s emotional and career breakdown two years ago when Liz disappeared shortly after they announced their engagement in July 2005, no one imagined that the two would reconcile, but judging by her enthusiastic reaction to the proposal three days ago, it seems the Evans-Parker engagement is back on with a vengeance.

There has been no official announcement of the engagement as of yet, but a close friend of the pair confirmed our suspicions on Saturday, stating, “Max and Liz are most definitely back on, Liz even showed me the engagement ring herself. It’s gorgeous – white gold, with a 1 carat princess-cut diamond stone – it must have cost a fortune!”



Max rolled his eyes in disgust as his eyes skimmed the article in the Christmas issue of Heat magazine that Liz had requested he pick up for her when he went to the supermarket for some last-minute Christmas food shopping this morning. He didn’t know where they got these stories from half the time. Sure, some parts were true – he had proposed to Liz again on Friday in the expansive grounds of her parents’ house, but the second paragraph was definitely not true. As of yet, no one but their parents knew of the engagement and Liz had not shown her ring to anyone else – and although the magazine description of the ring was elaborate, unfortunately it was incorrect. He knew that Liz didn’t like expensive, over-the-top jewellery and so he had chosen something a little more discrete and conservative for her, albeit a ring he knew she would love.

As he entered his flat a few minutes later, Max couldn’t help the smile that lit up his face when his eyes landed on Liz, standing in front of his large gas fireplace dressed in one of his large sweatshirts and a pair of jeans, gazing down at the flickering ‘coal effect’ flames. She looked so serene standing there, her shiny dark hair seemingly glowing in the orange radiance of the fire. He hated that he would have to break the news to her that the press had somehow found out about their private conversation on Friday afternoon and so already knew of the engagement. But forgetting his frustration over the article for a moment, he moved across the room towards her, placing the shopping bags and magazine on the sofa so he could slip his arms around her waist from behind.

“Hey,” he murmured softly, resting his chin on her shoulder. She smiled and tilted her head to glance at him.

“Hey.”

“I got your magazine,” he started tentatively, knowing that he might as well get it over with now.

“Thanks,” she smiled again, although this time Max noticed that it didn’t quite reach her eyes.

“You okay?” he questioned softly, the magazine article forgotten for now.

“Yeah, I guess,” she sighed. “I mean, I’m happy, don’t get me wrong; it’s Christmas Eve; I’m engaged,” she glanced over at him again with another smile. “It’s just…”

Her expression became sad and in response Max tightened his arms around her in support, “Just what?”

“Just… what if I never get pregnant, Max? What if I really did miss my chance?”

“Hey,” he turned her round in his arms so that she was facing him. Looking down into her teary eyes, he reached up and ran a gentle hand through her soft hair, “You haven’t missed your chance, okay? It’s just… taking a little longer than we’d hoped. It’ll happen eventually, I know it will.”

“But what if it doesn’t, Max? You heard the doctor; he said that the MS shouldn’t affect my ability to conceive; yet here we are four months later, still not pregnant. God, what if there’s something wrong? What if we can’t get pregnant/”

“Hey, hey, hey,” Max cut her off with a finger to her lips. “No more of this ‘what if?’ talk, okay? There’s not really anything we can do but just keep trying. You’re taking all the recommended supplements and we’re doing everything the doctor advised, but some things you just can’t control.”

Liz shook her head in misery, “Two years ago, I’d given up hope of ever having children, and I was pretty much okay with that, but now… now, I can’t bear the thought that it might never happen.”

He gazed down at her, his heart giving a tug in his chest, “Look, sometimes these things just take time. It doesn’t mean that it’s not going to happen ever.”

“But the point of doing this now was so that we could have a baby before I relapsed again, before I got too tired or weak to take care of a child. The longer it takes for me to get pregnant, the more chance I’ll have problems with the birth and will struggle to cope with a baby. Does that not worry you at all?”

Max sighed, “Okay, so maybe it does worry me a little, but you’re strong, Lizzie; you’ve been taking it easy and you’ve hardly had any health problems in months. I believe in you, okay? And I believe that everything will work out in the end.”

Liz’s face brightened a little and a small smile tugged at her lips, “Really?”

“Yes, really,” he nodded firmly. “But… if you really don’t want to take any chances or waste any time, then may I suggest that we take a trip to the bedroom and see if we can’t get in some practice right now?”

This got a chuckle from Liz, one that warmed Max’s heart, and he couldn’t resist capturing her lips with his and pouring all of his love for her into the kiss. The magazine with the offending article inside was forgotten as he effortlessly swept her into his arms and carried her to the bedroom for some festive lovemaking.

***

Sunday July 6th 2008 – Wimbledon, 2008, Men’s Final

SMASHING SUCCESS FOR FALLING STAR EVANS: Max Finally Back On Form Again

World number four, Max Evans will certainly be breaking out the champagne tonight after a spectacular victory over the current world number one player, German favourite, Christoffer Reinhardt. Despite getting off to a shaky start in the first set, losing three games straight,, Evans managed to break back to take the set 6-4. His winning streak continued from there on and he went on to defeat Reinhardt in straight sets.

Reinhardt shot to fame earlier this year, winning first the Australian Open in January, beating Evans in the Final and claiming the world number one spot, and then continuing his winning streak at the French Open last month, when Evans was knocked out in the Quarter-finals. However, when asked how it felt to drop to world number four, Evans responded that although it was obviously disappointing, he was happy for Reinhardt and that his priority at the moment was his personal life. He and fiancée, mixed doubles partner, Liz Parker, announced their engagement in the New Year.

It seems that Wimbledon has been the main priority for Evans in the last fortnight and it paid off. He was on fire on court, dropping just one set in the entire tournament, and storming through to claim the coveted trophy this afternoon. And that’s not all he’s celebrating today – he and partner Liz made a surprise announcement after the match…



“Well, I think congratulations are in order once again, Max,” came Sue Barker’s pleasant tone as Max and Liz settled into the BBC studio seats thirty minutes after the trophy presentations on Centre Court. “Amazing win out there today.”

“Thanks, Sue,” replied Max with a grin, as he gave Liz’s hand a gentle squeeze. “I was definitely in my element out there on court.”

“You certainly were, Max,” complimented Sue. “It must be a great feeling to come back and win the title again after a few months of taking the focus off your career and not playing as many tournaments.”

“Oh, definitely,” nodded Max and Liz smiled at him, her heart brimming with happiness for him. “My lifelong dream was to one day become a Wimbledon Champion and last year, it finally came true. After that, I felt that it was time to step back a little and concentrate on my personal life for a while.”

He glanced at Liz for a moment and she blushed when Sue also followed his gaze and she suddenly became the centre of attention.

“Well, you indisputably proved today that you still have what it takes to win Grand Slams, despite not training as hard this year.”

“Well, tennis is still my passion and I have no intention of giving up the game any time soon. I’d definitely like to win a few more in my career too,” replied Max, his eyebrow raised speculatively and Sue laughed, while Liz just shook her head in amusement.

“Well then, I’ll be rooting for you, Max,” joked Sue, before turning her attention to both them.

“Now, I know we were all surprised when you and Liz decided not to enter in the Mixed Doubles this year; was that a conscious decision made prior to the qualifiers or a last minute one?”

“Well…” Max smiled at Liz, squeezing her hand once more. She sent him a quick, confirming nod. “Actually, that’s why I asked for Liz to join me in the studio this evening. We have an announcement to make.”

“Really?” wondered Sue interestedly. “Do tell.”

This time it was Liz who spoke up, “I’m going to be taking a break from tennis for a while. I’m almost four months pregnant.”

She couldn’t help but grin as Sue expression became one of shock and then quickly changed to pleasant surprise.

“Wow, congratulations, Liz, Max. That’s wonderful news.”

“Thanks, Sue,” grinned Max. “We’re both very excited about it. Actually, I’ve been bursting to tell everyone since we found out, but Liz convinced me not to until after we made it past the first trimester.”

Sue chuckled, but Liz rolled her eyes with a smile, “Better to be safe than sorry.”

Sue reached up to her earpiece then, before announcing to the camera, “Well that’s all we have time for tonight, but I’m happy for you both. Congratulations on your engagement and your pregnancy, Liz. I wish you all the best.”

They thanked Sue again and shook hands with her before leaving the studio hand-in-hand. Liz couldn’t keep the grin off her face; Max was Wimbledon Champion for the second year running, she had been relatively symptom-free for several months now, she was fifteen weeks pregnant with a healthy little baby and she and Max were planning for a Spring wedding next year.

It had been a long, bumpy road getting here, but she and Max were finally living the life together they had always wanted. And so far, it was perfect.

The End


Epilogue to follow…

[Heavenli24]

Wow, what a final match today – go Nadal ! The longest ever Wimbledon Final at 4 hours, 48 minutes… and Federer has finally been knocked off his Wimbledon thrown after 5 consecutive wins!

Thank you so much for all of your feedback for and for being patient with me when I wasn’t updating very often . So, this is the end of the road for this story - I know it seems to have ended pretty fast, but that was part of the reason for the slow updates… I’d been having trouble working out how to tie all the ends together and I didn’t really feel that I had the motivation or enough material to keep writing more and more parts .

A few weeks ago I gave myself a goal to finish the story by the end of Wimbledon 2008, and luckily the tennis over the last 2 weeks has inspired me to write . Unfortunately it was a Nadal-Federer final again this year, although I’m happy because Andy Murray got to his first ever Grand Slam Quarterfinal and 14-year-old Laura Robson became the first British Junior Champion in 24 years (she’s tipped to get a wildcard for the main draw next year) – apparently she even asked if Marat Safin would accompany her to the champions dinner, but he politely declined (aww).

A quick note to say thank you to my beta, Laira, for helping me out with a great deal of the story… last year I’d pretty much lost all inspiration for it, but she helped me out with suggestions and ideas and I finally got back into writing it – so thanks for everything, hon .

Also, since Laira is currently without a computer and because I wanted to post the final part on the last day of the tournament and also because I can’t really wait much longer to post as I’m going to be away from Tuesday, this final part is unbeta’d. I hope that I’ve managed to tie up all the loose ends and written a decent ending to the story .

Thanks, everyone :

sarammlover – Thank you so much .

begonia9508 – Thanks .

roswell3053 – Thanks .

pookie76 – Thank you . Sorry it feels like its ending quickly – it feels like I’ve been writing it forever . I took the challenge about 2 years ago and was originally intending to finish the story last summer!

kay_b – Thank you .

Alien_Friend – Thanks . I think the only reason for Jay-Z being there is because he was in the UK last weekend to play Glastonbury Festival (although there were complaints from festival goers this year and ticket sales were slow because a ‘hip-hop’ artist was headlining… it’s traditionally an indie music festival with headliners like Oasis, Radiohead, Coldplay, Chilli Peppers etc.).
Unfortunately, there was no such luck for Safin on Friday, but I'm happy because Nadal won today !

Natalie36 – Thank you .

sweetbrowneyes – Thank you . It’s probably not worth me trying to get match tickets now, since Andy now lives in London, 500 miles away from my aunt and I live 5,000 miles from the UK! It is pretty cool that my aunt and cousin know the Murrays – I think my cousin was a couple of years ahead of him in school. It’s also kind of strange, because back in 1996 I remember seeing the news story about a shooting at Dunblane Primary School, where 16 five- and six-year olds and one teacher were shot dead before the gunman shot himself - nine-year-old Andy Murray was in the building at the time .

yayaliens – Thank you .

behrluv32 – Thank you so much .

veronica – Thank you .


***


Epilogue

Monday June 23rd 2026 – Day 1, Wimbledon Championships 2026

“Evans is doing well out here on court this afternoon, after a difficult first set in which he lost 3-6, he’s pulling out some great tennis now in the second. He’s definitely not going to let this opportunity pass him by,” announced one of the commentators in the BBC box. “At just seventeen years old, this is his first Wimbledon and he’s going to want to give it his all.”

“Yes, I think you could be right about that, Tom,” agreed the other commentator. “This is a big deal for new kid on the block, Evans. People are going to have high expectations for him, considering that he’s the son of not one, but two Wimbledon Champions. And look, there they are on your screen right now, seated in the VIP box along side Todd Davis, Evan’s coach and his manager, Peter Wilkinson.”

***

Liz felt her heart swell with pride as she watched her son hit a powerful serve across the net. When she’d retired from tennis all those years ago, she would never have imagined that she would be back here almost twenty years later, cheering on her teenage son in his first ever match at Wimbledon. It had never been her intention for Jonathan to follow in her or Max’s footsteps, but their son was a natural… he’d first picked up a racket at the tender age of three and that was it. He’d been destined to play tennis.

She felt a large, warm hand slip into hers and squeeze it gently. She smiled contentedly as she turned her head, her eyes meeting those of her husband of almost seventeen years. Max returned the smile before nodding and turning towards Jonathan who was currently involved in a long rally. Liz took a moment to study his profile; he was still as handsome now, at forty-five, as he had been at twenty-six, in fact, Liz would argue that he was even more so now, the light smattering of grey sprinkled through his dark locks giving him a very distinguished air.

Turning her attention back to the match, she couldn’t help but smile at how much Jonathan looked like Max, with his slightly unruly dark hair and tall, lean frame. He had inherited her ears (thankfully) and her eyes, but everything else was pure Max. As she cheered and clapped as Jonathan won yet another game, she couldn’t help her thoughts drifting back to the day he was born – Christmas Eve 2008 – and how happy she had been when she’d held him in her arms for the first time.

Surprisingly, her pregnancy had been much smoother than she’d thought it would be. Although the doctor had told her that pregnancy often suppressed the symptoms of MS, she’d still been expecting more discomfort and tiredness than she’d actually experienced. However, the birth itself had been very hard on her body as her energy had quickly waned and pushing had proved difficult. But the moment she heard the loud cries of her newborn son and he was placed in her arms, she knew it had all been worth it. Both she and Max had fallen in love with him immediately.

Unfortunately, the first few months after the birth had not been easy on her. Despite all of her and Max’s efforts to make sure she had children while she was still young and had enough energy to cope with raising a child, staying at home to look after Jonathan while Max was off travelling the world on the ATP tour really began to take its toll on her body and after six months, she was really struggling. Of course, Max spent as much time at home with her and their son as he could, but he still had a career to think of, and often it just wasn’t practical for her and the baby to travel with him.

They had originally planned for a Spring wedding, when Jonathan was three or four months old, but as the time drew nearer and Liz was struggling with lack of sleep and general fatigue, along with the increased possibility of a relapse, they’d decided to postpone it for a few months. In the end, the ceremony had been held in the grounds of her father’s large Surrey estate on a gorgeous early August afternoon that summer. It had been an absolutely perfect day, followed by an even more perfect wedding night and a luxurious two-week honeymoon in Mauritius, just the two of them.

Liz had not wanted to leave Jonathan at home for those two weeks, but Max had pointed out that all the stress she’d been under over the last few months was really wearing her out and that she could really do with the break to rejuvenate her body without having to worry about taking care of Jonathan too. Plus, Max’s mother, Diane had insisted on taking him for the two weeks and she refused to let Liz even think about flying the baby all the way to Mauritius on what should be a holiday just for two.

Liz glanced at Max again, feeling a rush of warmth flow through her body as she recalled a particularly perfect morning on their honeymoon…

***

Thursday August 13th 2009 – Mauritius

“It’s so gorgeous here,” sighed Liz happily as she leaned against the balcony of their honeymoon suite and gazed out at the white sands and sparkling blue sea of the beautiful coastal resort they’d chosen to stay in.

“It certainly is,” murmured Max, as Liz could hear him shuffling around behind her.

A moment later, she felt his hands on her hips and she reluctantly tore her eyes away from the breathtaking view and turned to face him. Her breath caught in her throat as she saw the look on his face, his dark eyes dancing with happiness, a leisurely grin lighting up his handsome features, as he leaned in to kiss her hungrily.

“Hmm,” Liz moaned in against his lips as he pulled her flush against his half-naked body, clad only in black boxers, and wrapped his arms tightly around her.

She shivered with anticipation as she felt the warmth from his hands pressed against her lower back seep through the large dress shirt of his that she was currently swimming in. It was the same one he’d worn out to dinner last night and that she’d hurriedly tugged at and pulled over his head the moment they arrived back at the hotel room later on.

Liz felt Max grin against her lips just before he pulled back and lifted one hand to gently push her tousled hair back off her forehead.

“I love you, Liz Evans,” he murmured, his eyes searching hers. “I love you so much.”

“I love you too,” she replied softly, her hands moving to his lean hips, her fingers clutching at his warm skin as he kissed her again, this time briefly though, before he took one of her hands in his. Liz gasped in surprise at the sight before her as Max led her towards the white chaise lounge in the corner of the large balcony.

“Oh, Max…”

“You like?”

“Wow…” she breathed.

Several large, fluffy hotel towels were draped over the chaise lounge, creating an inviting relaxation spot. A cold bottle of champagne stood proud in the centre of the small balcony table next to the chair, accompanied by two tall champagne glasses, a bowl of juicy strawberries and a jug of whipped cream.

“I thought we could go with tradition today,” murmured Max, his lips nuzzling her neck as he acknowledged the condiments customarily served at the Wimbledon Championships each year.

“Good choice,” nodded Liz, her voice slightly breathless now.

Max’s mouth continued to wreaked havoc on her sensitive skin as he urged her toward the chaise lounge, sliding onto the chair before holding out his hand for her to join him. She did so eagerly, settling her hips between his legs and leaning back against his chest as Max reached for the champagne bottle to fill their glasses with the sparkling liquid. The next few minutes were spent in relaxed pleasure as they fed each other cream-dipped strawberries.

It didn’t take long for the bubbly champagne to have its effect on Liz though and the tingly warmth of the alcohol quickly began to spread through her limbs, causing her to relax more fully against Max, a blissful smile on her face.

“Hmm, I could get used to this,” she murmured contentedly when she felt Max’s hands on her shoulders, his fingers gently massaging her skin, working their magic. “I haven’t felt this good… or relaxed… in forever.”

“That was kind of the point,” came Max’s amused tone, as he let out a soft laugh, his warm breath tickling her neck and making her shiver with delight.

Liz closed her eyes in satisfaction as she moaned her approval at his movements.

“Sit up,” he murmured in her ear a few moments after she’d gotten comfortable.

“Huh?” she mumbled, not opening her eyes.

“Sit up,” he repeated gently, “So I can reach your back.”

She sighed, as if his request was too difficult to achieve right this moment, “Oh, okay. Fine.”

She eased herself up into a sitting position, resting her hands on Max’s thighs and tilting her head forward, as his hands began working their way downwards from her neck. She arched slightly as he reached the middle of her back, brushing a sensitive spot, and a small moan escaped her lips.

Ten minutes later found her stretched out on her stomach along the chaise, Max straddling her legs as he continued his wonderful ministrations on her body. Every now and then, he slipped beneath the hem of the shirt she was wearing and she would feel his bare hands on her warm skin, which rather than relaxing her, actually served to send tingles of arousal through her body instead.

“You feeling better now? More relaxed?” he asked, his voice a mere rumble as his thumbs pressed into her lower back, causing her to stiffen slightly beneath him.

“Uh huh,” she mumbled, unable to actually form words at this point.

“Great,” his voice held a smile. “That’s exactly what I was going for.”

“Oh God,” she gasped a second later when he hit yet another sensitive spot. “Right there.”

“Where?” he murmured, moving his thumbs over her skin, pressing down again. “There?”

“Yes,” she groaned, her breathing becoming laboured, her arousal growing. “Max… I need…”

She didn’t need to say anything else, as Max appeared to understand exactly what she was asking. He quickly removed his hands from her back and climbed off the chaise, as she pulled herself up into a sitting position. Barely a few moments later, Max had resumed his earlier position on the chair and had pulled her onto his lap. Liz gasped as Max pulled her close and her bare skin came into contact with his boxer-short-covered arousal.

Within seconds, his hands were under her shirt again, this time cupping her full breasts, his thumbs gently grazing the sensitive nipples. Liz brought her head down, capturing Max’s lips in an urgent, needy kiss as his hands moved down over her skin to cup her bottom, pressing their lower bodies together. Liz reached down and quickly freed Max from the boxers, before lowering herself onto him, letting out a groan of satisfaction at the delicious contact.

They made love slowly and luxuriously on the chaise lounge, savouring every blissful moment, not caring if anyone could see them (which thankfully, they couldn’t, due to the small concrete wall that surrounded the balcony) and afterwards, they lay there together gazing up at the bright blue sky that was so different from the usual cloud and rain back home in London.

“Max?” murmured Liz softly, as she drew imaginary circles across his chest.

“Hmm?”

“I really miss him,” she confessed, knowing Max would know exactly who she was talking about – their son.

“Me too,” he sighed.

“It’s so strange not having him here with me. He’s become so much a part of me.”

“I know,” said Max softly, pressing a gentle kiss to the top of her head. “But you needed this break; we both did. You’ve been so tired and stressed lately trying to keep on top of things and I’ve barely been at home with all the tournaments and everything. This was just something we had to do on our own.”

“Yeah,” smiled Liz, turning her head to look up at him. “I know.”

“Plus, it is our honeymoon,” he grinned then, causing Liz to chuckle. “We have to make the most of it now, don’t we?”

“Definitely,” she replied resolutely, leaning up for a kiss.

“After all, this could be the one of the few times we’ll be fully alone again, especially when we decide to have more children.”

At his words, Liz stiffened, her good mood dipping slightly.

“Hey, what’s wrong?”

She shook her head, pulling herself up to sitting so she could look at him properly.

“Max,” she started tentatively. “I don’t want any more children.”

“Really?” Max sat up too, a concerned expression appearing on his face as he took her hand. “Are you sure?”

“Yes… no… I–” she sighed. “Okay, yes, in theory I do want another child; but Max, it’s hard enough for me trying to take care of just Jonathan. I don’t think I could handle raising another child too.”

“Okay,” Max’s features relaxed as he took in her words. He reached out a hand to caress her cheek. “I understand; I really do. I know how difficult you’ve been finding it all lately, with the fatigue and everything.”

She nodded, “I didn’t think I would even get to have one child, let alone more than one and now I have Jonathan – we have Jonathan – Max, I love him with all my heart and truthfully, he’s all I need.”

“Me too,” agreed Max, as he took her into his arms, holding her tightly against his bare chest. “Me too, Liz, I have you and I have my son, and the two of you make me the happiest man alive. I couldn’t ask for anything else.”

***

Max felt like a nervous wreck as he watched his son play his first ever Wimbledon match out on Court No. 2. Although it had been nine years since he’d retired from tennis and twenty-five since he’d been in Jonathan’s position, competing against a high-seeded player in his first ever match, he could still remember how it felt to be out there on the Wimbledon courts like it was yesterday. Despite his fears for his son, he still couldn’t deny that he was extremely proud of his achievements. He had to admit that a career in tennis hadn’t been his first choice for him – he hadn’t ever wanted to push him into the sport or anything like that – but it had been obvious from an early age that he was a natural and absolutely loved the game.

Although Max wished for his son to make it as far as he could in the tournament and in tennis overall, he couldn’t help but worry that the pressure of playing professional tennis might be too much for him to handle. Jonathan had always been a quiet, soft-spoken, sometimes shy child and even as he’d matured into a teenager, he’d still retained those qualities, and Max knew firsthand how tough being in the spotlight could be. He just hoped that he wouldn’t fall into the trap of the press and the pressures of celebrity in the future.

After his second Wimbledon Championship win back in 2008 and then winning the US Open a couple of months later, Max had eased off on his training a little to concentrate more on Liz and her pregnancy. Since Jonathan had been born in December, he had also opted not to enter the Australian open that January, preferring to stay at home with Liz and the baby. However, he knew that if he wanted to keep his ranking up in the top twenty, he needed to compete in the smaller ATP and Masters tournaments in the following months. He hated to leave Liz at home alone with their son, especially when she was struggling to cope with him, but there was little he could do about it if he wanted to keep his career on track. However, he did make sure that his mum could be available to help out if Liz ever needed her to and Diane had eagerly agreed to help out with anything Liz needed.

Although he continued to play in Grand Slams over the next few years, he found that he wasn’t as determined to win them as he had been in the past. He’d already achieved all this goals – winning all four Grand Slams in the same year and then winning both Wimbledon and the US Open again the next year – so he continued to play because he loved the sport and because it was so much a part if his life that he couldn’t imagine not playing.

Liz, on the other hand, had decided not to return to professional tennis after Jonathan was born, a decision that Max had supported wholeheartedly after seeing how tired she had become just being at home trying to look after the baby. However, she too had not been able to give up the sport completely and it was quite common for the two of them to head down to the tennis club courts every week or so for a friendly match, sometimes for a singles game and sometimes playing mixed doubles with Nathan and Sarah.

In the end, Max had retired from the Men’s Singles game at age thirty-two, but had continued to play in the Seniors tournaments for another four years, before putting down his racket permanently and switching to the commentary box and presenting from the BBC TV studios at age thirty-six. Since then, he’d become a regular fixture on British television during Wimbledon tournaments – although this year he’d opted out of working for the BBC, preferring to support Jonathan from the sidelines instead.

***

Out on court, Jonathan Evans was both energised and determined. He knew that his chances of winning even this first-round match were pretty slim, since his opponent was seeded at number ten and he himself was unseeded and ranked at only one-hundred-and-twenty in the world, but he was still determined to play to the best of his ability today.

Not only were the stands full of fans, cheering him on as a British player, but his parents were sitting just a few feet away in the VIP box and as much as he knew that they wouldn’t care if he didn’t win this match, he still didn’t want to disappoint them. After all, if it weren’t for his father’s encouragement and valuable advice and his mother’s resolve to do anything and everything she could for him even though she was sick, he would never have made it this far.

He knew it had been hard on his mum, watching his dad play in tournaments while she herself was not out there playing the tennis circuit. When he’d been younger, about eight or nine, he’d worried that was reason she was sad about not playing tennis was because of him, because she had to stay at home and take care of him instead of playing tennis with Dad. But when his mum had found him sulking in his bedroom after school one afternoon, she’d been quick to reassure him that it was not his fault at all.

That was the day that she’d sat him down and told him about her illness. She’d wrapped her arms around him and stroked his hair back off his forehead as she told him that he was the most precious thing in her life and the best thing that had ever happened to her. It wasn’t until a few years later, just after he’d turned fifteen that he’d finally learned the truth about his parents’ relationship; how his mum had once given up on ever having children and how he’d been a complete blessing to them.

While his mum had been relatively healthy when he was younger, only suffering the odd dizzy or fainting spell and occasional lack of coordination, by the time he began to hit puberty, her relapses started to become more frequent, bringing worsening symptoms with them each time, and two years ago, she’d started using a wheelchair. She was still very much capable of walking unaided, but she would get tired very quickly and so chose to use a wheelchair to travel longer distances.

He still remembered the day when the story of her illness broke in the newspapers. He knew that his parents had been planning to make a formal announcement after she’d suffered an unexpected collapse in the middle of Oxford Street when he was thirteen, but unfortunately the paparazzi had gotten a few pictures of the incident and hadn’t hesitated to print them and so they’d had to come clean sooner than planned. Thankfully, they’d had a good, supportive reception from both the press and the general public and within a few weeks it was old news.

As he shifted his weight from foot to foot while he waited for his opponent to serve, Jonathan couldn’t stop the bubble of excitement that was threatening to rise up in his throat. He almost couldn’t believe that he was actually here at Wimbledon, playing on the same court that both of his parents had once played on. It was like a dream come true. Now if only he could just win this… shit. The ball had just whizzed past him in a perfectly placed ace from his opponent and as the crowd cheered, he couldn’t help the groan of annoyance that escaped his lips. He looked to the sidelines, to see his parents nodding and giving him encouraging smiles and he knew he just had to suck it up and carry on.

By the beginning of the third set, it appeared that the match was a losing battle. He was down two sets to love and it was obvious that the seeded player on the other side of the net was just too good for him to beat. Well, Jonathan resolved when in was his turn to serve, if he couldn’t win this, he’d better at least give it his all in this, potentially final, set. With that thought in mind, he bounced the ball a couple of times, threw the ball into the air and slammed his racket down.

It turned out that his prediction was correct: he didn’t win the match, but if he was honest, Jonathan wasn’t too disappointed. True to his word, he’d upped his game in the third set, giving his opponent a run for his money as much as possible and even winning most of his games. The match finished with a third-set tiebreak and though his opponent won, he knew that he’d played some of his best tennis in those final few games. As he glanced to the sidelines again and saw his dad standing up as he clapped, a look of pride on his face, and his mum still seated beside him, but with the same proud expression, he realised what an achievement it was just to be able to play at Wimbledon. And after all, he was still only seventeen. He was just starting out; who knew what the future held?

End