The Passage Through Distrust (CC, Teen) [WIP]

[dreamer19]

Title: The Passage Through Distrust

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in the Roswell community.
Rating: Teen
Couples: CC
Summary: Starts after wipe out. Michael befriends Liz and it creates an interesting dynamic to the group.

Part 1

Michael watched as Liz wiped at the counter, the same spot. He just had this curious feeling. One he couldn’t just ignore. Maria and he had gotten back together, and that was a great feeling. Max was his best friend and he had confided in him about what happened with Liz. There was just something wrong here. He could feel it deep down in his gut.

“Hey Liz,” Michael approached her.

Liz woke up from her absentmindedness to see a concerned Michael before her. That was not a sight she was accustomed to. “Hi Michael,” She replied back in a friendly tone. Liz couldn’t help but wonder what was up with him.

He wanted to continue their conversation but he had to talk to Maria first. “I’ll be right back.” He then ran off to where Maria had just finished taking a table’s order and dragged her into the backroom.

“Okay…” Liz rolled her eyes, “he sure is acting weird.”

After a few minutes, the unlikely couple returned. Maria had this beguiled look in her eyes and both of her lips were sucked inside her mouth. She looked too giddy when Michael gave her a quick peck on the lips and headed back towards Liz.

“Um Liz,” Michael approached her again.

“Yes Michael.”

“I was just talking with Maria,” he gestured over at his girlfriend and her best friend who was watching them shamelessly.

“I happened to have noticed. Anything I need to know about?”

“Yes, um, well you see…” Michael couldn’t for the life of him for a coherent sentence. “Well I was wondering if you wanted to hang out tonight. I was just going to hang around here while Maria was working the late shift, but since you get off in half hour, I was wondering if you wanted to hang out, as like friends.”

Liz was stunned, absolutely stunned.

“Um, wow…okay, that’d be great.”

“Great, I’ll um just go sit and wait and keep Maria company until then.”

Seriously, what on earth had gotten into Michael? He was being so nice. That was a change.

^^^^^^

Max glared through the glass door window at the exchanged between his supposed best friend and ex girlfriend. They looked a little too cozy for his liking. So Liz slept with Kyle and now she thought she could move onto his best friend.

Max knew he was being ridiculous with his thought process, but the blood boiling through his veins were ready to listen to logic yet.

How could Michael do this to him?

Maria seemed pleased with their little pleasantries, he knew it was probably very harmless what they were talking about but it didn’t hurt him any less. He was going to get to the bottom of this. Michael and Liz were never friends.

^^^^^^

Isabel stared at the phone for the millionth time willing it to ring. She’d messed things up with Alex so badly. She tried to muster the courage to call him but she’s afraid he would just hang up on her at the sound of her voice. Deciding she needed to do something to occupy her mind, she scoured her selection of DVDs and settled on Pretty Woman.

Just when she was about to pop the DVD in her player, her clueless brother burst her locked door open with his powers invading on her self-pity party and privacy. “Max, what the hell are you doing?” She bellowed at him.

He looked so angry. “My life is falling apart Isabel. I feel as if I’ve lost everyone I love.”

Ridding herself quickly of any annoyance at her brother, she rushed to embrace fragile state, “Max, I’m here for you. I’m always here for you. Tell me what’s wrong.”

“Where do I start?”
“What’s been going on between you and Liz? You haven’t told me so far. You just stopped pursing her. Why Max?”

“Because…Because I saw her in bed with Kyle.”

Isabel’s jaw dropped, “Oh Max.” She engulfed her brother in a much needed hug.

“Now she and Michael are going out tonight,” Max added the final blow.

“What?” Isabel shrieked, standing up and knocking her brother off her bed in the process.

“Owe.”

^^^^^

Kyle watched as Tess danced her way around the kitchen cooking dinner. He watched her shimmy her hips back and forth, which sent his pulse rocketing. How he wanted to tap a piece of that.

“See anything that looks good?” Tess asked over her shoulder.

Kyle choked down his bewilderment, while his face remained fixated and frozen on her. “What?”

She gestured to the steak, baked potatoes and rice she was cooking. She smiled knowingly back at him.

“Oh yeah, it all looks scrumptious,” Kyle said while licking his lips, his eyes still set on her.

“Good,” she replied.

“Did you want to hang out tonight Tess?” Kyle asked getting his hopes up

“I would, but I already have plans with Max.”

“Oh.”

“Maybe Liz is available,” Tess remarked, having turned her attention back to the blueberry pie she was putting into the oven.

“Yeah maybe…” Kyle replied crestfallen. He was about to walk off when he stopped to add, “Max told you that he saw Liz and I didn’t he?”

“Yes he did.”

“It’s not what…” Kyle tried to explain himself.

“It doesn’t matter Kyle. I belong with Max, so save it.” Tess though she sounded convincing, but if he’d seen the blurring tears escaping her lids, her cover would have been completely blown.

^^^^^

“So let me get this straight,” Alex announced with the biggest giggly grin on his face, “Michael asked your permission to take Liz out tonight, strictly as friends because he thought it was about time he formed a friendship with her.”

“I know, I about slapped myself silly with giddiness,” Maria shrieked at Alex. She had pulled into the bathroom the moment he had step foot in the backroom. She just had to share this information with someone.

“Well let me finish now Maria, I want to make sure I’ve got all of this right,” Alex uttered from the toilet where he was sitting. “Michael stated that he knew he wasn’t the most emotionally and friendly person, but that Liz always seemed so nice and he never wanted to give her chance. He’s had a change of heart and sees that Liz could potentially be a terrific friend and it’s about time he had a heart to heart with her. Have I got it all?” Alex finished.

“Yes, I was flabbergasted, I didn’t know my spaceboy had it in him, my people skills must finally be rubbing off on him,” Maria sat in her aqua-green Crashdown uniform on the sturdy old sink, swinging her bare legs back and forth.

“That or perhaps hell as finally frozen over?” Alex offered as a serious thought.

[dreamer19]

Thanks for all the amazing feedback! keepsmiling7,Dziumka,begonia9508, Carrie, Natalie36, chanks_girl, garcia88 and Lena7. And also a special thank you to xmag, I appreciate your honesty.

Part 2

Liz was actually kind of nervous about how tonight was going to go. It was a scenario she never thought she’d have the opportunity to face. It seemed to her that Michael held some kind of grudge against her because of Max’s feelings toward her. Wait correction, feelings he had toward her. He couldn’t stand the sight of her now.

Everything was so screwed up right now for her. Who knew, maybe her and Michael could actually become good friends. They had their moments in the past, although very sparse, they were there.

Putting a pair of black slacks and her button down red sweater, she put back on her white tennis sneakers she wore to work and then pulled it back into a loose ponytail. She grabbed a light coat and went down to meet Michael.

“You going out sweetie?” Her mother asked as she passed her down the stairs.

“Yes, I’m going to hang out with Michael tonight.”

“Michael? Hmm, well he definitely is a nice boy, have a good time.”

“I’ll try,” then Liz added slightly perplexed, “You don’t think it’s a date do you?”

Her mother’s smile beamed at her from top of the stairs, a load of laundry tucked to her side in a white basket. “Sweetie, it’s acceptable to have male friends and go out. Not every guy has to be a potential boyfriend.”

“I know I just didn’t want you getting the wrong idea. Michael and Maria are in a relationship.”

^^^^^

“I have to say, I’ve never done this before,” Liz said has she hit the next ball that came her way.

“Well, it’s your lucky day isn’t it,” Michael joked waiting his turn behind the gate.

“So what brought this on today?”

“What?” Michael said in a defensive tone.

“You asking me to hang out, I was wondering why,” Liz was just curious.

Michael wasn’t sure how to answer her. He didn’t want to come off as sap. “Honestly, you just looked so glum. I promised Max I’d be nicer to you and I figured it wouldn’t kill me to try to get along with you.”

Hitting another ball, Liz asked, “Max asked you to be nicer to me?”

“Yeah.”

“Why?” Liz was honestly confused, “I mean I’m sure he told you what happened between…” She couldn’t finish, too disgusted to say it.

“Yeah he did,” Michael didn’t deny this.

“Then why?” Liz asked again, maneuvering herself out of the batting cage to change places with Michael.

“Listen Liz, you hurt him bad, but he asked me before that happened to be nicer to you. We both know he could never stop caring about you. But just for the record, I think you’re a liar.”

Liz didn’t know what to say then accept, “oh.”

^^^^^

With Isabel in toe, Max jumped out of his jeep after his cunning parallel parking job. He just hoped he wasn’t too late to miss the duo from heading out on their little outing.

“So once we get there, assuming they haven’t left yet, what are you going to say to them?” Isabel asked while pulling her long blond hair into a tight ponytail. She just hoped they didn’t run into Alex at the Crashdown because she looked like a total and utter bum in her pink tracksuit and sneakers. Max wouldn’t let her change before they left; he was in too much of a hurry. Brothers stunk in her opinion.

Max actually stopped walking and looked at Isabel thoughtfully with a creased brow, “I haven’t the faintest clue,” and then he grabbed Isabel’s hand and pulled her quickly toward the Crashdown.

Once they reached the doors and Max burrowed through, still pulling her, Isabel’s feet froze, Max was forced to drag her. Annoyed, he stopped to look back at his sister’s ridiculous antics.

“Alex is here, I’m going to kill you for this Max.”

“Why?” Max honestly didn’t have a clue.

Wanting to slap the stupid out of her brother, Isabel opted for the evil eye and gesturing to her attire. And just to add to her enjoyment, Alex spotted them and waved them over. Max was so going to die.

^^^^^

Kyle was helpless, utterly helpless but also in heaven. A crying Tess was in his arms. He ran his rough fingers through her soft, spirally curls trying to soothe her. Apparently, being an alien-hybrid who hatched out of a pod after forty something years didn’t change the fact she was still a female on earth.

“I just don’t get it Kyle. I followed the directions perfectly. The dinner was good, wasn’t it good?” Tess lifted her dripping eyesight up to Kyle for confirmation.

“You betcha.”

“Then you would think I could handle a simple pie. I didn’t try to cheat and use my powers. I tried it the human way and it just burned,” Tess thought of her burnt as a crisp pie and just started bawling again, sinking back into Kyle’s firm shoulder.

“Tess, just because one pie burnt that doesn’t mean the next one will. You are the epitome of a domestic goddess.”

Kyle held his breath with that one, not sure how it would go over. He didn’t think of her as housewife, he thought of her in some many other ways. Those references were available upon request.

“Thanks Kyle.”

“Hey, why don’t we head down to the Crashdown for some pie? No worries about the baking, just the eating.”

“Okay,” her eyes brightened up.

“Let me just go fix my makeup, Max might be there,” Tess did an about face and ran out of the kitchen to her room. Maybe then she could really make herself believe that everything she did was to win Max and fulfill her long awaited destiny.

The sheriff passed by his son, hooking his gun belt around his waist, “I’m heading off son.”

“Okay dad,” Kyle growled.

Jim stopped to assess his son who was glaring venom at his old bedroom’s closed door and then just rolled his eyes.

[dreamer19]

Thanks for all the feedback: Kachie (Thanks and me too in regards to "Missing"), autumnfall3, garcia88 (yeah Michael is a tough cookie to crack), keepsmiling7, begonia9508, Carrie (no I'm sorry, I have no immediate plans for a shirtless Max), Jan, and marymary.

Part 3

Tight-lipped and pumped up rage, Isabel actually kept her composure while sitting at one of the stools at the counter of the Crashdown.

“You look splendid this fine evening Miss Isabel Evans,” Alex said with his up most charm and was quite believable because he believed everything that came out of his mouth when it came to one blond-haired, blue-eyed alien goddess divine.

Not being able to help it, Isabel smiled. Any encounter with Alex was always pleasurable. He liked her for more than her looks and she knew that, deeper than anyone knew. “Thank you Alex,” Isabel gushed.

“So why is your brother brooding over in the corner booth by himself,” then a light bulb sparks in head, illuminating is eyes, “he knows about Michael and Liz doesn’t he?” He then gazed back at Max who was having it out with the back wall where the bathroom is.

Her brother had had the good sense to sit as far away from her as the walls would allow. “That or he’s just constipated,” Isabel announced definitively.

“Oh my god,” Maria grounded out through spit and laughter. The evidence of her mouthful orange soda now resided on Alex’s face.

Isabel giggled into her hand, while Maria fell into fits of laughter with her head on the counter and her first pounding endlessly into the white granite.

“Well that was refreshing, thanks so much for sharing your spit with me,” Alex added to the moment while he dabbed a napkin to his orange flavored face.

Max just glared from his corner booth, sparing them a momentary glance to confirm their stupidity. While he continued to glare at the wall, a new thought now occupied his mind.

He did not look constipated!

^^^^^

“Hey Max,” Tess greeted Max heading over in his direction, but his growl made her do an about face and marched straight back to the group. She stood next to Kyle, who had his thumbs hooked in the back pockets of his jeans. She sorely tempted to stretch her neck back a bit and get a glance of his tush.

“Mr. Happy send you away already?” Kyle asked trying to irk Tess for going over to him.

Feeling tired, Tess just gives in. "Apparently so, I guess you’ll have to settle for my stimulating company.”

This statement quickly wiped out all of Kyle’s anger. With a suddenly parched throat, Kyle repeated the one word his mind was stuck on, “Stimulating?” There were just so many possibilities with that one. He actually had the audacity to shut his eyes and emit a pleasurable sigh.

When he opened them, he was greeted with three sets of grossed out female eyes and a one smirking pair of male eyes, “What, what’d I do?” He asked dumbfounded.

Isabel’s eyes really hurt after she rolled them, “right…moving on.”

“So when should we be expecting the odd couple to return?” Isabel asked.

Maria started, “Well...” but her gossip was put on hold for an impatient customer. She kept trying very hard to forget that she was working, but then some straggler came in and just had to remind her. “I’ll be right back,” she grounded out through clenched teeth.

As she was walking out from behind the counter, Alex’s “hey!” caused her to pause.

“Don’t forget your antennas,” he threw them into her waiting hands, earning grins from the rest of the group.

Maria grumbled something about him being a dumbass as she happily shoved her antenna headband back on top of her head. Her hair blond, curly hair was pulled back into a ponytail. She hated having to keep fixing her hair after she took it off. She hated those things.

As Maria was forced to deal with the customer, Tess was the one to continue to the conversation, “So who’s the odd couple?” She looked around them to see who was missing. Then it dawned on her, “Michael and Liz? No!”

Alex glared at her, he was having a Maria moment because he wanted to smack some of the denseness out of her alien brain, and “They are not a couple. They just are hanging out to become better acquainted friends. That’s all.”

The girls were silent. Kyle took this one home for the confusion team.

“Well that’s where it gets harder to digest. Michael and Liz--friends? Come on man, that’s like Michael suddenly taking up polka, it couldn’t feasibly happen.”

Alex balked. Then mimicked, “feasibly—well I guess you just blew that theory out of the water because your vocabulary has gone to unknown territory. If your brain can accept you using big words, why can’t it accept Michael and Liz being friends? Lizzie’s a nice person you know. It just took Michael a little longer to realize that.”

Tess let out a slow unbelievable whistle. Isabel became slack-jawed and just stared at Alex like she never had before. Kyle unhooked this thumbs from his back pockets so he could grind them into fists that wanted to use to choke the living daylights out of one Alex Whitman.

Alex just glared at him. Even though he had a hard time adjusting at first, he just knew in his heart that Michael and Liz would never do that to Maria or Michael. Even though Max and Liz had been on the outskirts it didn’t mean they didn’t have feelings for one another anymore.

“Whoa, what did I miss? Did you tell them? What’s pricking Kyle, I’ve never seen his face so red before?” Maria asked her friends—and well Tess. But just because she was there—she was always there, like a raccoon always snooping through your garbage.

“I’m going to bring table six their order because Carlos is ringing that annoying little bell and when I come back, I expect the foot in mouth disease to be obsolete. Get me people,” she scrunched her brow and pointed a finger at the little quiet as mouse; you could hear a pin drop group.

Alex and Kyle just continued with their glaring game. Isabel darted her eyes back and forth, feeling extremely uncomfortable among the humans. Tess took control, mostly because she was getting bored, and bullied Kyle over to one of the back booths.

As he walked away with Tess’s hand on his denim-covered buns, he just had to ask the ceiling above him, “I just don’t get. What did I do?”

Isabel watched the strange and dorky couple move, she turned her eyes on Alex. He’s shoulders seemed to be relaxing and his eyes softened when he looked at her.

“What exactly was that all about? You have to admit that Michael and Liz hanging out is a very weird as a concept and now it’s a fact. I just don’t get why you got so defensive.”

Alex thin lashes thoughtfully closed for a brief moment. Then he just looked at her and shrugged, “I don’t know. I’ve just felt very defensive lately.”

Alex overreacted, Isabel knew it and he realized it, but she knew that comment was aimed at her. And the thought made her sick. No matter what, he was always so kind to her. How could she make him feel secure with her again, if she couldn’t even do that for herself?

^^^^^

He heard them talking. He heard what Alex said. Maria didn’t seem at all upset by this. He just didn’t get what suddenly sparked Michael’s interest in befriending Liz, especially after—he couldn’t even bring himself to repeat in. He wanted to break down and cry. That wouldn’t look very good if the always in control, now fearless leader did that, now would it?

He didn’t think so.

He glanced around, Kyle and Tess were chatting about something two booths behind him. Isabel and Alex were just gloating at one another. There were two other patrons in the restaurant who were eating. Agnes walked by him, obviously having just come from a smoke break in the backroom. She continued to walk right out the front door; Maria came out of the kitchen screaming for her. Then she noticed Max watching her.

Her little silver apron with the dark alien eyes gazed at him, daring him to lose it. Maria slid into the red vinyl, took off her stupid antennas and rested her cheek on one restless arm.

“How you doing girlfriend?” Maria asked softly with a warm smile.

Max looked vacantly back at her, “What’s going on Maria?”

Maria sighed. She cut him some slack since he didn’t know the whole story. “It’s not what you think. Liz has been down in the dumps lately and Michael just felt sorry for her. He asked my permission to ask her to hang out. Can you believe it?” She snickered, because Michael typically acted, not concerning himself with others feelings beforehand.

Max wasn’t smiling. Maria knew it was really Michael. His whole world had been falling apart since that day he found out who he really was. She wished she could just put him out of his misery and tell him the truth about Kyle and Liz. But she couldn’t betray Liz like that. That was her decision. That didn’t mean she had to keep her nose completely out of it.

He was hurting and she couldn’t stand it. She was going to have a serious talk with Liz when she got back from her little rendezvous with Michael. Lifting her head up, she let her wrist float down to rest on her thigh, where her other one was sitting. “What do you trust more Max, your eyes or your heart?”

His golden-brown freckled eyes flickered with a light of hope, but he shook his head in the negative. “No, it’s not that simple Maria.”

“Sometimes it just is,” was her fleeting reply as she back to her duties.

^^^^^

Michael was driving Maria’s mother prized red Jetta. He didn’t think Liz was ready for his motorcycle yet. Just being out and bout alone with him, was daring enough he bet. Which made he wonder, was he really that scary to be around? He’d have to ask Maria. Scratch that, he knew what Maria would say and say and say.

“So this was different,” Michael started the conversation.

Liz nodded in agreement, “yeah it was, but I actually enjoyed myself.” Liz said it like she couldn’t believe it.

“Hey, I’m a fun guy to be around. I just never gave you the opportunity to find out before,” Michael replied and he had a weird reflection moment.

“You didn’t press me about Max or Kyle. And I appreciate that.”

“Maria told me not pry,” Michael repeated, realizing he’d actually listened to Maria and that made him feel good.

Michael parked in a free space on the opposite side of the Crashdown. When he shut the engine off, he left the key in the ignition. His hand just stalled next to it. Liz sat next to him in the passenger seat quiet, still taking in these evenings strange turn of events. She had a sneaking suspicion that this was more than Michael fulfilling some vow to Max to be nicer to her. She knew she was about to find out.

“Stop hurting him Liz. Stop the lies. I’m begging you,” Michael’s words were so drawn and obviously painful for him.

Liz squeezed her painfully burning eyes shut. She wanted to stop the tears. It was no use though; they came of their own volition. “You don’t know how much I wish I could.” Her cheeks burned from the tears, giving her so little of what the pain she really deserved.

No matter how much Michael respected Liz, his sympathies remained with Max. “You can stop it any time you want. I know you honestly believe you have good reasons, but it’s not worth destroying Max over. Whatever you believe, please just let it go.”

[dreamer19]

Thanks to: Kachie,tequathisy, carrie, keepsmiling7, eve, destiny, autumnfall3, and chanks_girl.
A/N: Just wanted to address a couple of things. Michael and Liz's potential friendship is the starting off point, not the center. I'm trying very hard to keep this story updated and not fall off the face of the planet because of personal problems. My mind is very busy and I try to remember everything I originally intended, but its hard. So just let me know as the story progresses if mess things up with previous parts. This part may not be what you are expecting, but it's just how it flows from my brain to my typing fingers. I believe some of you see them as acting unusual. To me, I see it as their true selves being forced to come forward. Everyone hides too much. It's not a healthy way to live. This is how I see them. To me, they acted unusual in the show, well from EOTW on...One more thing lol, the rating will probably move up to mature. I'll let you know if it does. Thus ends my short author's note. Hope you like this part.

Part 4

Liz wasn’t prepared to face Max just now. Oh, not because she came back from her ‘play date’ with Michael, but because she couldn’t stand to see the contempt and hatred he had for her in his explosively expressive eyes.

She didn’t have a choice. She walked alongside Michael, who was annoyingly quiet, but she knew she wasn’t going to get anymore conversation out of him. She really thought he had wanted to be her friend. How stupid she was.

She had seen Max inconspicuously staring from the glass window of her parent’s restaurant. That how’s how she knew she was going to have to face him. He disappeared seconds after he had appeared. She didn’t have enough time to gauge his reaction. She was feeling very nauseous.

Michael was the first to open the doors, he held one open for Liz. The dinging bell alerted their friends of their arrival. Liz walked on delicate waters. She wanted Michael to say something to her, but he didn’t even look at her. He just walked over to his flustered girlfriend, giving her thorough kiss.

Isabel and Alex were sitting on the red vinyl stools, with steel legs at the countertop. It appeared they were holding their tongues and as well as their breath in anticipation of what she would do next. Kyle and Tess were to her to her right sitting in the second booth. Kyle’s eyes were held with touch a sympathy and Tess strangely enough almost seemed empathic.

She passed the few customers that were in the store, greeting this with a warm smile and soft hello. She met her best friend by the entrance to the back. Michael was helping himself to someone’s order of fries.

“So I asked Michael how it went and he said fine,” Maria shared, dripping with droll.

Deciding to ignore that last part of their night together, she told the truth of the rest, “It went well Maria. Michael was actually pleasant company.”

While Maria let that comment sink in, her slap me happy grin continued to grow the more she thought of her reformed boyfriend. Michael—pleasant? She was so proud she couldn’t stand it. She wanted to march in her own parade, yelling her enthusiasm for all of Roswell to hear.

“Um Maria…where’s Max?”

Momentarily oblivious by her own happiness over teaching Michael manners, she missed her friends despair.

“He’s uh,” she was floating on her own puffy cloud of glee.

“He’s right here,” Max’s voice penetrated the fog clouding Maria.

Liz’s insides started to bounce around.

Knowing when her presence was creating interference, “I’ll let you two talk, I’ve got customers.”

“Hi Max,” Liz prayed her voice didn’t come off as unsteady as she felt.

“Hi.”

She wanted, no she needed to be able to look into his eyes and not find hate. She couldn’t bear to look away. Michael was right, it would be so simple to tell him the truth. When he looked at her, she saw as much as she felt pained love. No matter what she said to convince herself, she wasn’t stupid enough to believe she had succeeded in making him fall out of love wit her.

“So I heard you went out with Michael. Have a good time?” His tone was clipped.

“Yeah, we went to a batting cage. Maria had to work, so Michael asked if I wanted to hang out. Apparently I was looking pretty glum.” Liz explained the situation to her. She felt she had to.

“You don’t own me any explanations,” Max said, trying not to show his relief. At hearing she was looking glum, he asked, “Is everything okay with you?”

Liz was taken aback, “What?”

Asserting the power of his masculine prowess, he stepped into her, gapping the tenseness between them. His irritable hands itched for him to touch her, offering up some show of support, but he couldn’t bring himself to do so.

“I asked if everything was okay with you.”

Feeling like the fat woman at the circus as tripped and fell on her chest and stomach, Liz struggled to breath. She was feeling very sick. His caring concern was not something she was able to handle at this particular self-loathing moment.

“No. I’m not.”

Liz’s mind started to distance, her body slowly dragging behind. She headed to the backroom, struggling to gain control again.

Max followed. He watched her approach the stairs.

“Max?” Tess stood behind him, the revolving door pinned behind her back. “About tonight,”

Max about exploded when he saw Liz’s shoulders scrunch up and tense together. Then she high-tailed it upstairs.

Knowing it wasn’t Tess’s fault. He had asked her to hang out. It was just the timing he was upset about. Tess and he were just friends. No matter what, he couldn’t understand why he needed Liz to know that so bad. She’d moved on. She didn’t want him. Hadn’t she made that clear enough?

“I don’t think I’ll be able to make it tonight. I’m enjoying Kyle too much and things are really starting to develop between us. It’s fun. It’s different. I don’t want to mess it up.”

“So what are you saying Tess?” He couldn’t believe he lost another one to Kyle Valenti. Not because he wanted to be with Tess intimately, but losing the only other girl romantically interested in him to Kyle seemed like some kind of cruel fate.

“That we should just be friends Max. Besides, I think you have some unfinished business to attend with right now. I’d only be in the way,” laughing at herself, “What am I saying, I’ve always been in the way.”

Tess disappeared, the door swinging in her wake. Tess had been his crutch, but surprisingly he felt stable without it.

^^^^^

Stalking over to Kyle, she staked her claim and planted a big wet one on Kyle’s eager lips. He stood up, melting his body to hers. His hands started roaming south and hers the same, but Alex’s noisy fake coughing forced them to break a part.

“Cough*get a room*cough,” Alex was so subtle he couldn’t stand it.

“That’s not a bad idea,” Isabel responded at Alex’s request, only she was directing her comment at him and not the fresh hand twins of Kyle and Tess.

“Lets go back home, dad’s working,” Kyle suggested, but only after taking one more bite of Invasion of the lemon meringue pie.
“Mm looks tasty. I think I’ll like lemon meringue kissable lips,” Tess licked her lips, trying to entice Kyle to the car. They were getting hot and heavy fast, but she didn’t want to fight her attraction to him anymore. He was just too damn hot for his own good.

They left. Kyle hustled while Tess giggled. The remaining couples didn’t really notice.

“Are you sure Isabel? I mean to go and be alone somewhere?” Alex just couldn’t believe it. He honestly couldn’t.

“Yes, let’s go,” Isabel voice was laced with seduction. She wasn’t so sure she would be killing her brother anymore.

Those two leave, which left Michael and Maria.

“So tell me more about your outing with Liz. Did you bore Liz with stories about me? Poor girl,” Maria flattered herself with her own attention.

Michael choked down the Tabasco inspired chocolate milkshake. Michael wasn’t sure where to go with this. With fish lips, straw still in mouth, he continued to innocently sip on his milkshake. He avoided her gaze with careless effort. He’d been a flapping fish caught in her web before. He hoped he died quickly this time.

Maria was unperturbed. With a glint in her eye, she circled behind him, moving her warm body closely to his back. She leaned close into his left ear, her breath tickled his eardrum.

“Just wait until I get off, you’re getting a little something special from me,” she blew into his ear, making him tingle down his spine.

Michael shuddered with pleasure over what was to come.

“But first, tell me every detail of what happened.”

Michael groaned. He should have known he wouldn’t get off that easy.

^^^^^

Liz wept into her crisscrossed hands. Her body heaved from the emotional earthquake. She felt like she was dying inside and she knew exactly how to stop it. She turned on the faucet and splashed freezing cold water onto her undeserving facial features. She was being so hard on herself, she knew it.

She was being weighed down with this secret. This future Max trusted her. He came to her. Put the weight of the world on her shoulders. Why did he have to come to her? If he loved her so much, why be so cruel? It was too much for her to handle. Her reflection in the cabinet mirror caught her it was something she couldn’t bear.

She closed her eyes from the impact of seeing herself as she truly was. A betrayer, a heartless bitch, someone not worthy of Max’s love. Tears pounced on her ducts again, trying to relieve her of her shame. It wouldn’t work.

What if she told Max the truth? Would he hate her then for giving up so easily on him? Would that finally set him free of her? Would everyone she loved still die in the end because she told?

This future version of Max, he never would have gone away. He was stuck there until things changed. It had been so easy for him to leave me. If the world was to end, wouldn’t it still occur? Things that were meant to be, found a way to conquer.

Liz’s entire being flushed with disgrace as well as pleasure at the present specially delivered to her bathroom doorway.

“Liz?”

He looked so fragile for a boy who screamed masculinity.

“I don’t think I can go on this anymore,” Max broke.

[dreamer19]

Thanks to tequathisy, carrie, eve, keepsmiling7, jan, and lena for leaving feedback. Thanks to anyone else who is still reading.

Part 5

Was it possible for a human girl’s heart to burst from excruciating self-torment? Didn’t think so…Why should this girl be so lucky?

Here was the love her life, the one who risked everything to stop a bullet from killing her, the one who allowed her to say goodbye to her grandma, the one who declared his loyalty to her even after even after he’d heard his destiny with Tess.

And how did she pay him back? She walked away from him, flew across the country to get away from him and then when he tried to woo her back, she pretended to sleep with her ex-boyfriend, breaking both their hearts into a million fragile pieces.

“You have to move on Max,” Liz reminded him.

Filled with overwhelming wretch, Max dared to bring her heart back to his, “I can’t go on—my life has been stuck in landfill and filled with instant repeat since I saw you in bed with Kyle—making love with Kyle, as you so eloquently put it for me.”

Liz’s breath hitched in her throat, her heart pumping a million times a minute, “I’m sorry.”

“That’s not enough Liz—tell me you don’t love me,” Max demanded.
He was standing there before her, this tall, dark-haired boy in grey-knit sweater and black jeans. Her eyes drifted over his body. She forbid herself to do what she longed to do, to touch some part of him.

“I could never do that.”

“Could you lie to me then?” Max asked with a dreaded hope.

Liz raised her chin and bit down on her tongue, tears raced down her cheeks. She nodded. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to hold her contempt in. She didn’t want to let anymore out. She held herself tightly to try to keep from shaking ridiculously.

Max gulped, processing all that was occurring. He couldn’t not go to her. He wasn’t wired that way. He took a step forward, gauging her reaction the whole way. His visibly shaken hands inched out from his side. The air around him drifted away, causing a strict bubble to form around his mouth. It was so hard to breath. He was getting closer to her, closer to the truth about what really happened between her and Kyle.

Liz was helpless. She couldn’t move. Her bedroom was on fire around her and she couldn’t even take a step to escape. Because this dangerous fire igniting around her and Max was gaining oxygen from their closeness. This was a moment she longed for and dreaded. Not sure that was ever coming. One certain fact she learned from future Max, one could never be content with the future. Like the past, it could come back to slap you in the face. To remind you that how you lived now was what counts.

“Why didn’t you want me anymore?” Liz broke.

Max’s jaw flexed, his eyes disbelieving. “What on earth are you talking about? I never stopped wanting you. Not even when I saw you in bed with him. I love you Liz. I always have.” Beyond hurt, he added, “How could you ask me such a thing?”

Liz was in drowning in tears. She backed away from him, away from the fire that ignited their souls. “I know it’s stupid. You—you just can’t understand.”

“You’re right, I don’t. I can’t. So explain it to me.”

“This whole thing just got too huge too fast.” Liz stated with tears in her eyes.

The hurt weighed his heart, “Us?” He asked.

“I don’t know…maybe.”

“Quit talking in riddles. Tell me.”

She lost it, so she blurted it, “Fine you want the truth, you came back from the future and told me to make you fall out of love with me. That it was the end of the world,” Liz rolled her eyes, “or some garbage like that.”

“What—I don’t under--? I could never do that.”

“Well maybe you couldn’t but your future self did.” Liz added with finality. “Otherwise we wouldn’t be where we are right now.”

“Where are we?” He questioned.

“I don’t know.”

“Liz,” his husky tone was interrupted by a pleading sob.

“Just go okay.”

“Let’s talk this through.”

“Not tonight. I can’t please go. Please.” Liz almost dropped to her knees begging.

Max was a loss for words. He left because she seemed to need it and because he’d do anything she asked because he loved her. He tried to think of something helpful to say, he even thought of mentioning he’d come back. For some unfathomable reason, he said nothing. He just gave her one last glance before guiding himself out the open doorway. With his back turned, he passed Mrs. Parker. She glanced curiously at him, not even aware he was visiting.

“Max?” Liz’s mother questioned.

He just nodded in acquiesce, again he said nothing. He heard Liz’s sobbing, his features scrunched together, he wanted to share her pain. He couldn’t go back. She needed to be away from him—for the time being.

Mrs. Parker dropped her stack of old Better Homes and Garden magazines to the hallway floor. She glared at Max’s back, while she went to aid in her daughter’s emotional breakdown.

Strange enough, Max felt something, a wet substance leak down his face, creating a slight burning sensation. He was crying. He raced down the apartment steps, into the backroom stopping at his best friend and girlfriend as they devoured each other’s faces.

*****

“Oh god Michael,” Maria sighed breathlessly.

Michael was quickly losing control and he very much liked it. Maria was as flushed as him. She was panting like a bull about to get her jollies on. She was sprawled on top of him, her top snaps of her aqua uniform undone. Her hands were riding up the front of Michael’s shirt.

Maria bent down for another steamy session of kissing when she noticed an innocent bystander to their very public liaison.

“Oh um hi,” that was the best Maria could come up with.

Michael bent his head as far back as it could go on the arm of the sofa, he saw his best friend staring at him. His no-longer-in-control demeanor danced right through his heartbroken eyes.

“Are you crying?” Michael asked incredulously, his head still stretched out, started to ache but was too lazy to move it.

Max opened his outraged mouth, but his only retort was a grunt before storming out the exit door to the alley.

“Max,” Maria called after him, not before punching Michael in the gut as she stood up.

“I’m going after him.” Maria stated, as she fixed up her messy appearance. She made sure everything was buttoned to where it was suppose to be before wagging a finger at Michael. “Since you want to be friends with Liz so much, here is your chance to continue that.”

“What?” Michael was petrified. If Max was crying after seeing her he could only imagine what she would be like.

“Maria, wasn’t once enough for today?” He asked seriously.

Maria’s retort was a grunt similar to Max’s and then she stormed out. Michael sat up, rubbing his aching gut and neck.

“Man I knew this sensitive side was only going to cause me trouble.”

He tucked in shirt that had come undone and then smoothed out his hair into new clean-cut style. With each step, he grunted like Oscar the grouch.

[dreamer19]

A/N: Sorry the long wait, I've just been working on making the parts longer. Also, I have an author's chat over at Roswell Heaven this Wed, at 8pm EST. If anyone is interested, hope to see you all there.

Part 6

“Michael what are you doing up here?”

Michael honestly didn’t know how to answer Mrs. Parker. He came up because Maria told him to. He’d opened up a little by inviting her out. It wasn’t like him. He could admit that.

“I came to see Liz,” he said begrudgingly.

“Well she’s upset right now.”

“Okay then.” Michael did an about face and tried to make it down the stairs.

“But I’m sure she’d appreciate some company. I need to get downstairs and check on things in the restaurant. I’m sure Maria is losing her mind.”

Michael sighed. He wasn’t going to get away that easy. Seriously, wasn’t once enough for today…

“Yeah,” Michael didn’t feel the need to mention that Maria wasn’t down there; she could discover that on her own. He wasn’t going to help any by pointing out she’d run off, so he was keeping his mouth shut.

“Lizzie, Michael is here to see you. I’ll be downstairs.”

Michael stuffed his hands into his pockets. Liz came down the hall. Her nose was red, her eyes were too.

“What do you want?”

“Nothing.”

He turned to leave.

“But I thought you wanted to be friends Michael. I mean you’re all of a sudden concerned about my well-being. I don’t buy it.”

“I did it for Max. That’s it.”

“So did I,” only Liz couldn’t admit what.

“Did what?” Michael’s interest peaked.

Liz nodded, understanding washed over her. That made more sense.

“That’s between Max and me. I wish you would butt out.”

“Gladly,” Michael decided now was the perfect time to exit, but he wasn’t quite finished. “I guess my original gut instincts were right—you and I as friends—is nothing but a joke.”

“Yeah you’re probably right there.”

*****

He was still trying to get that image of Maria and Michael out of his head. He was momentarily stunned; it was not something he had been eager to walk in on. It was just weird. He felt like an idiot for being caught crying so openly in front of them.

“You know what your problem is Max, you always have to be in control.”

Those words flashed through Max’s mind at lightening speed. He almost laughed out loud. He wasn’t in control anymore was he? He hadn’t been for a long time now.

He wiped at his foolish tears. Liz believed something that couldn’t be true. There had to be a better explanation. He could never—he had to calm down. There was more to the story, much more he needed to know. Tomorrow he’d find out more. He hoped. If Michael knew about this, he’d blow a gasket.

‘Wait a second.’ Max stopped walking.

Max didn’t know what he was thinking, but he sure as hell thought it was interesting. “Did Michael know something?” He whispered casually to himself, unbeknownst to him Maria was right behind him.

“What does Michael know?” Maria was very interested to know.

Her question caused Max to jump ten stories high.

“Jesus Maria.”

“I’m pretty sure it’s Jesus Christ, but I can’t disagree with your assessment, now what were you talking to yourself about?”

“Nothing much.”

“I don’t believe you, so spill it girlfriend. You know I won’t leave it alone, so you might as well just get it over with and tell me.”

“I think Michael knows something about what is going on with Liz. This act of him befriending Liz just sticks out like a sore thumb. It doesn’t make sense.”

Maria huffed, “so it’s not possible that I actually reformed the manners on that spaceboy? There’s not even a remote chance I had something to do with his personality change because I have such great people skills!”

Max started backing up, surrendering with his palms face forward. He couldn’t even attempt to answer that. “I have to talk to Michael, is he still at the Crashdown?”

Maria’s mouth dropped. Was he seriously ignoring what she just said? Whatever…she rolled her eyes. “Yeah, I sent him up to talk to L—oops.”

“To Liz.”

“Perfect,” Max uttered.

“I think its time I talk to him about this. There’s just something not right here.”

Max twisted himself around and kicked a beer bottle sitting on the curb near the gutter. Maria followed suit. She contemplated what could possibly happen after his encounter with Michael. Part of her wanted to sigh with relief and the other to bang it against the blue mailbox sitting discreetly next to her.

She could keep secrets very well. Her loyalties had been tested lately. But once she made a promise to a loved one, she kept it, no matter what. Even if those secrets were shredding up the pod squad’s unity. Even if all the secrets finally came out, could they all trust each other again?
Maria resolved herself the current situation. She followed Max back to the restaurant silently begging for a resolution to all of this. After shoving her hands into waist pockets of her uniform, she frowned.

“Oh my god! I left Agnes in charge,” Maria stormed past a determined Max Evans knocking the wind out him, sending him down to meet the paved earth.

*****


Mrs. Parker was having a conniption sandwich, “Maria how could you be so careless, I left you in charge, not Agnes.”

If Maria’s hair wasn’t already pulled back in a ponytail, she’d be happily pulling it while grinding her poor teeth.

“I’m so sorry Mrs. P. I won’t ever let it happen again.”

“What was so important you just want gallivanting off like that?” Mrs. Parker crossed her arms, tapping her beige booted heel with an unnervingly calm beat.

“Um,” Maria didn’t have a clue what to tell her.

“I thought I saw a mouse?” Maria tried with a shrug.

Mrs. Parker shook her head over Maria’s foolishness and told her to get back to work.

“Yes ma’am.” Maria was tempted to salute, but she squashed that urge mighty quick.

*****

Michael saw him coming. He’d expected him too, just wondered what was taking him so long. “What’s going on Maxwell?”

Max approached him casually. Michael appeared the same as he always did. He has rarely been one to keep knowledge to himself. He’s impulsive and wanted answers. He just didn’t understand when things changed between them.

“We need to talk,” Max stated taking on his leader persona.

“This about Liz?” Mr. direct was back.

“Yeah this is about her, but there’s more to it than that.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I don’t know, but I figure it’s about time you tell me.”

“Can we do this later Maxwell? I’m beat, just want to go home and watch the game.”

“No we can’t,” Max was starting to get very irritated. He was so fed up with how everyone was acting. No one could be straight with him. “There is something going on, you know something, I don’t know what it is, but it’s something important. Just like Liz knows something. You’re my best friend Michael. We were never one to keep things from each other.”

Michael glowered.

Max knew exactly what he was thinking—last year with Liz. “I never intentionally kept information from you Michael. I’m sorry again if seemed like it. I loved Liz, I saved her. Things changed for all of us, things happened. But I was still straight with you man.”

“Talk to me.” Max wasn’t going to let up.

Michael started walking away, his pace stiffened.

“Michael.” Max yelled to his friend’s retreating back.

“Not here, not now,” He didn’t bother to turn around.

“When the hell did everything change between us?” Max shouted dripping with malevolence, though Michael wasn’t the only recipient.

Yes Michael did what he always did best, he kept silent and continued to brood.

“I need to think,” Max said absentmindedly, he was light years away. He pounded the pavement and tossed himself into the jeep. He was going back to when he knew things changed. The day he found out what he really was and lost control over his own destiny.

*****

Michael hid in the alleyway watching Max drive away. He’d urged Liz to tell him the truth because he saw how much she was hurting him, but was he any better? Being a jerk came natural to him. He certainly had secrets. Secrets that still kept him awake at night. Secrets Maria knew but not because he told her.

He’d been good at blocking Maria from having flashes. He was in control. He’s let her in before, but that night, after all the humans reappeared and Tess destroyed the skins. He’d become ridden with an inescapable nightmare.

One week ago…

Michael was sweating bullets. His body jerked in every which direction. He body was on fire.

Maria appeared to him. She cloaked in a white nightgown, she looked so pale and cold. There were worn lines around her smile should be. He knew she was dying. He knew he couldn’t stop it. She kept whispering to him. Only he couldn’t hear her.

She was disappearing so fast. Her image subsided, leaving a bright light in her wake. Then the pain was gone, leaving him cold. Metal surrounded him, he knew where he was. The granolith.

“Maria!” Michael frantically called for her.

The light narrowed to one slither of a showing. Michael focused in on it. He was inching closer to the metal rounded wall when the light flickered, leaving him in darkness. The blast came again, knocking him awake.

Knocking over a desk lamp, Michael cursed his way to finding his blue denims and black boots. He left his mess behind, opting for the keys to his motorcycle instead. He blasted through the back door to his apartment. He had to get to her. He had to find her.

Michael raced through the streets of Roswell with the stench of his nightmares at his heels. Giving his motorcycle more respect than he did his door, he kicked the kickstand down, easing it to the side of the house. All the lights were off. Michael knew she was safe and sound in her bed, dreaming the night away, but he had to be sure.

He lingered at her window, pressing a light touch to the glass. Her window was locked, but he could see her clearly. The night sky light silhouetted her for him. He waved his hand over the middle of the window pane, where he knew the lock was situated, allowing him easy access to really see for himself that she was alive and well.

She looked peaceful enough. Watching her chest rise with each intake of breath and then release put him at ease. He’d never seen her so quiet. He smiled devilishly at the thought of Maria knowing what he was going through his mind, but it released him from any anguish.

He had planned to only stay a few moments, but before he knew it, her eyes were staring dreamily into his. Realizing she was only half asleep, he almost fell on his backside when she lifted herself up, pressing her lips delicately against his. Tentatively he jerked his back, leaving him them some breathing space to see if she was fully awake yet.

Her eyes darkened and then as if just realizing this wasn’t a dream and Michael really was in her bedroom late at night, she uttered, “Michael, what the hell?”

“Nothing just came to see if you were awake because I was bored at home, couldn’t sleep. Sorry I woke you, I’ll just go now.” Michael tried to make a quick getaway, but Maria’s “Hold it buster.” That kept him from escaping.