A/N: Finished! It took over a year, but this is the final chapter of Coffee Shop. I don't think I'll be doing a sequel--in fact I'm almost sure I won't, but you're welcome to take a look at my other fics once I get them back up out of D&B. Thank you all for holding on this long, and I hope it's worth the wait.
Thank you very much for all of the feedback and feel free to let me know what you think of the ending.
Chapter 11
Liz
This man’s lips should be illegal. It’s almost sinful really, and it only becomes more so as I lead him to my tiny little couch. There’s barely enough room for Maria and I on that thing, so I push Max down gently before setting myself on his lap.
“Is this ok?” My voice is a whisper, and Max merely nods before reaching out for my chin.
Tilting it ever so slightly, he draws me in for another magical kiss and I’m left dazed when we pull back for air. His hands reach to caress my waist and I take that as a go-ahead, melding my lips back to his and snaking my hands behind his head. His hands still for a moment before increasing pressure, pushing me further into his arms.
Max
I can’t help it. My right hand seems to have a mind of its own, drifting until it finds the silky softness of her leg and making its way up near her thigh. Liz gasps in response and attacks my lips with increased ardor. I can feel my control slipping as my hands continue to explore her of their own action, seeming completely independent of my mental command.
Jeff
“Damn!” The one thing I hate about shrimp is that I never fail to drop marinara sauce on my new white tux shirt. I stare for a moment at the offending stain, mourning the loss of another dress shirt due to shrimp cocktail before calling to Nance. She rolls her eyes and waves me off, reminding me of my little Lizzie. I take the kitchen stairs, make my way into our room and hear Liz’s door slam behind me. ‘Probably avoiding her mother…’
I shake my head and shrug out of my suit coat and shirt, reaching for my “back-up shirt” on the bed. Nancy means well, but Liz is grown up and doing well. I’ve learned to trust my daughter and her judgment, as she developed my head for business—and made it her own.
Lost in my thoughts, I fumble with the buttons until I give up and make my way across the hallway to ask Lizzie for help.
Liz
We pull apart in shock as the shout reaches our ears, followed by a heavy thud. I recognize the voice and bolt out of the room. “Daddy!?”
He’s lying unconscious at the foot of the stairs and as I move closer I see red spots in his thinning hair. “Oh my God!”
I look up in panic to see that Max has followed me out of the bedroom, and I turn to him for help.
“Go call 911. I’ll stay with him. I started college pre-med, just let me have a look at the damage.”
A small surge of relief fills me as I dash back up the stairs for a phone. I grab the cordless set from my parents’ open door and make the call before slipping back out to see my father.
Max is bent over his head, speaking to himself in low tones, and my father’s eyes drift open. I should be next to him but I can’t move. Some force holds me at the top of the staircase, watching unnoticed as Max kneels over my dad. His hands shift on my father’s head, Max inhales deeply, and his hands…glow. There is a faint white light emanating from them that lasts just moments before my father is trying to sit up, looking disoriented and confused.
‘You’re not the only one…’ I rush down to him, whatever force that held me now lifted. I must have been hallucinating. “Dad, are you ok?” I’m checking him over for some kind of sign, as he stares over my head at Max. He appears to be coming back to himself, and finally turns to look at me.
“Yes, I’m…”
Max stands abruptly and begins to make his way downstairs.
“Max, where are you—?”
He calls back to me from the top of the stairwell. “I’m sorry. I have to go, I...” He looks absolutely torn. “I’m glad I met you, Liz, Mr. Parker.”
Then he’s gone and I’m staring into space when my father turns me gently to face him. Once he has my attention, he speaks. “Did you see him save me, Lizzie?”
_________________________________________
Max
I wonder vaguely why no one has run after me as I grab my car keys from the valet, calling me a monster or demanding to know what’s going on, but I’m all too grateful to escape. I jump in and pull out of the driveway, debating my next move. Do I go home? Do I hop the next plane to Mexico and just get out of dodge? These are all very pressing questions, yet I can’t keep my mind on them. I start thinking about Liz. Will I ever see her again? Will she want to see me? Should I drive back now, tell her the truth, and beg her to love me?
The third is a definite no, and by the end of my aimless drive I decide to just wait things out and see how this plays out. I mean, Liz and her father are the only witnesses and Mr. Parker suffered a head injury. Liz doesn’t seem like the type of woman who would run screaming to the government with nothing to back up her case. The worst that’ll happen is me never seeing her again…but that
is the worst.
I’ll never feel her lips on mine again, never hold her hand, or run my hand up her smooth legs. She won’t smile at me again, or serve me coffee. My thoughts become more fantastical as I make my way up my block. I won’t ever come home to find her asleep on the couch with a book, or roll over and spend hours watching her sleep. I refuse to be sorry for what I’ve done, because Mr. Parker would not have walked away from the accident without sustaining major injuries, but I can certainly mourn the loss of what’ll never come to pass as I pull into a space and climb the stairs into my building.
Checking my watch, I open the door. I’ve been out long enough to keep Michael and Isabel from undue suspicion. ‘Michael.’ I wince as I think about his budding relationship with Liz’s friend. The lights are off when I enter, and I find the darkness soothing so I bypass the switch. Isabel is probably still out with friends and a glance at Michael’s door shows him to be awake, judging by the faint light strip under his door. Peeling off my uncomfortable clothes as I go, I make my way to my room to find the light on. I shrug it off and open the door.
Liz
My head snaps up when he enters, clothing in disarray. I must have fallen asleep waiting, and he’s obviously shocked to see me here.
“Hi.” I am a goddess of words. I’ve been waiting here for hours going over this in my head, and my first words are hi…
“Michael let me in. I told him my dad hurt himself and we agreed to meet up once I took care of everything.” I watch him closely for some reaction, but his face remains the neutral mask he adopted after his initial shock. “He says thank you, by the way. My dad, I mean.”
“For…?” He’s playing dumb, and I decide to just jump right in.
“For saving his life with your alien healing powers. I should thank you too, for the shoe thing. I thought I was just tingly because you’re ridiculously amazing. Not that you aren’t still ridiculously amazing, I mean, if anything you’re more so. I’m actually at a loss figuring out why you’d want to date someone as plain as me when you could have Tess.
“Tess? Why would I choose her over you?” He’s completely skipped over the important part of what I’ve just said, but I’ll play along.
“Because she’s your ex-wife and she’s pretty and she’s an alien just like you. I’m just a coffee shop owner with a neurotic mother.” I shrug my shoulders depreciatingly. “I mean, it’s no wonder you ran off tonight. I…I don’t know.” I shake my head and trail off, sure he wants me to leave. Grabbing my purse, I rise and head toward the door, only to be trapped in his arms.
“You’re not
just anything Liz Parker. I ran because, if anything you’re the one who’s too amazing to be with me. I’m not normal, Liz. You…well, you saw that tonight. I’m a freak.” His eyes bore into mine, willing me to understand.
“I saw you save my father’s life tonight, Max. And if we’re both too amazing for each other…I’d say that’s perfect. We’re perfect for each other. That is, if you’re willing to date a human?” I punctuated my question with a hopeful smile. It is rather sudden and quite unbelievable to say the least, but I’m not averse to happily ever after with this man. “Max?”
“You’re willing to date an alien…? To touch me, to kiss me, knowing what I am?” His eyes search mine for the answer he desperately wants.
“When you healed my father he saw you, your life and your feelings. He saw your thoughts and your fears, and he gave us his blessing. I’m willing to date you, Max. Alien, human, or whatever, and quite frankly, the sooner you kiss me the better. I think I’ve been falling in love with you since the moment you walked into my coffee shop.”
I’m rewarded with a dazzling smile before his lips close on mine, and I’m utterly swept away.
________________________________________________
Maria
“Michael, stop playing around and help me with these cups!” I’ve got two trays full of hot coffee in my hands and this idiot keeps trying to feel me up.
He just grins before reaching over and takes both trays, carrying them effortlessly into the front and leaving me following behind. “Thank you.”
I push through the double doors and slide onto the chair next to Liz’s side of the couch. She smiles in acknowledgment before returning to her conversation with Isabel. Michael lifts me off the chair, steals my spot and lifts me onto his lap. I roll my eyes at him and reach for my chai tea.
“So Isabel, your boyfriend is coming?” She had been telling us about her client and their weekend away. “What’s his name again?”
Just then the doors chime, and in walks Alex. “Oh hey, Alex. We haven’t seen you in weeks. Have you met a girl or something?” I’m laughing at my own joke until he strides over to Isabel and kisses her cheek.
“As a matter of fact, I have. Small world, huh girls?”
But it isn’t. The world, heck, the universe, is large and open. We spend the next few hours chatting happily away, and it’s hard to believe how wide my world has gotten. I marvel at the way the light catches Liz’s engagement ring. Her mother almost died in the middle of the shop when she found out. Max, Isabel, and Michael’s parents are coming up in a few days. They’re anxious to meet Max’s fiancée and have volunteered to help us move Max and my things to the different apartments.
I’d be lying if I said I’m not slightly uncomfortable with how fast things are moving, but I’d also be lying if I said I’m not deliriously happy. Liz’s mother had the nerve to ask her whether or not she’d be giving up on the “coffee shop nonsense” with a husband to support her, but in a rare instance Max was the one to set his foot down, telling Nancy they’d never sell and with Isabel’s help we’re looking into expanding next door. Max and Liz would have plenty of room upstairs for “expansion” of their own in the future, and it’ll be nice to have more room in the coffee shop. Maybe John’ll stop tripping so much. ‘Or maybe not’, I turn back to the current conversation and bury my head into Michael’s neck, catching Alex’s wink and smiling back at him.
All of the while
All of the while it was you
The End.
It switches P.O.V. and it's inspired by the loveliest little song by Landon Pigg that I suggest you all check out. It really fits the story and sounds very 'Dreamer' to me.
go figure...I can understand staking out diggers though, I have a baby brother who's too 'good' for his own good sometimes 
I'm trying to get them longer though. 