Lost & Found (CC, Mature) - Chapter 48 - Completed: 03/28/2019

[Roswelllostcause]

Yes Maria why doesn't Betty have any brothers or sisters? Yes Max is differnt but I think if he were to reunite with his family we may see some of the old Max once again.

[keepsmiling7]

Michael finding Max passed out........that's sure a change.
He definitely isn't the same person he used to be.
Did Antar change him that much??
Was glad to get the answer to Isabel's question regarding siblings for Betty.
I am encouraged that Max is willing to help Liz find her daughter.
Hurry back,
Carolyn

[L-J-L 76]

Glad Molly is doing good. So Max is going home to see Molly. Hopefully Molly will talk to Max. Max should go back home to Roswell. So Micheal tells Isabel and Maria about Max. Wondering how Max changed. Crossing fingers Max will go to Roswell.

From:
L-J-L 76

[RoswellFan68]

I'm wondering if Isabella only looks Liz or does she have any of Max's characteristics (besides the powers). I curious what Molly looks like.

[Parker1947]

Los Angeles,

Max meanwhile was letting himself into his home, and the bags landed all in a pile by the door as he went straight for a glass of whisky. He knew he was not the same person, none of them were but he couldn’t deal with the memories that kept lambasting his brain, and he cursed how seeing Michael had added to them with thoughts of his family and friends. Still he knew he had to pull himself together. Molly needed him to solve her case. Sighing again as a flash of a little girl by Liz’s side from the video came to him. Swearing off the past, he went to his computer and tried to concentrate…

When the doorbell went a short-time later, he didn’t want to answer but when the knocking starting. He knew he had to answer it. “What is it?” he asked as he answered it.

“Max, what is up with you?” Serena asked as she came into the house and saw the unpacked bags, and the bottle of whisky half drunk. “God, you’re drinking again.”

“What if I am?” Max asked as he remembered that he hadn’t yet cleaned up his act when he first started on the force, and he had been drinking too much when he and Serena first partnered up. After some icy times between the partners who finally warmed up enough to him that she realized he was in pain and drinking too much to compensate for that pain and to dim it. She had gotten through to him that he needed to slow down and clean up otherwise he stood to lose his chance in Los Angeles. He listened and changed his approach to life, and she was clearly shocked to see him falling into an old pattern.

“What happened?” Serena asked.

“Nothing much,” Max muttered as he took the glass to sink, as a signal maybe he was stopping as he knew that Serena would not let him sink again,

“Who is it?” Serena asked.

“No one,” Max lied as he sighed as he fell onto his couch and tried to change the subject. “You came by, how are your girls and how is Molly?”

“They are a mischievousness as ever, and with Molly, she’s getting better every day and so she’s great,” Serena said as she took a glance at some papers on the table as Max earlier had been looking at Isabella’s case before he went to work on Molly’s case. “What’s this?”

“Nothing,” Max lied.

“No, it isn’t,” Serena muttered as she picked up a picture of Liz and she took a glance at the woman in the picture, and she was shocked as it was an amazing resemblance to the picture that Molly drew. “Unbelievable,” she muttered to herself. This is eerie.

“What?” Max asked.

“Nothing,” Serena muttered. “Who is this anyways?”

“Someone from my past,” Max sighed as thoughts of Liz washed over him. “Someone I wish didn’t have such a hold on me.”

“Did you see her in Vegas?” Serena asked.

“No,” Max said adamantly but knew the near miss rattled him. If she hadn’t gotten sick, he knew he might have.

“So, what has got you blue?” Serena asked as she picked up another piece of paper, the police report on Isabella’s disappearance and waved it at Max, who only sighed. “What’s this?”

“A local disappearance out of Roswell, New Mexico.” Max said honestly and knew he was letting too much out of his guarded nature.

“Why does a child’s disappearance in Roswell concern you?” Serena asked.

“Because it’s my hometown,” Max muttered.

“Are you kidding me?” Serena asked as she stared at Max like she hadn’t seen him before. “You always told me you come from afar, like another country.”

“It seems at times I do,” Max said. “But no, my hometown where I grew up from age of 6 to when I was eighteen, I come from Roswell.”

“Where aliens come from?” Serena asked.

“It’s one of the myths that come from that place,” Max sighed as it was too close to him. “I haven’t been home in a decade.”

“Why the hell not?” Serena asked as she took a glance of police report.

“Because the memories are too hard for me to go home,” Max admitted as she took the picture of Liz and couldn’t help but stare at her. “She’s my ex.”

“Really?” Serena asked as she glanced at Liz’s picture with renewed interest. “The one who got away?”

“The one I threw away,” Max mourned.

*

Roswell,

“What do you mean he’s drinking too much,” Isabel asked her friend as her anger was rising with every mention of her brother. “We can’t drink,” she muttered as Maria remembered the time when Michael tried, and it had bombed big time as it was during one of those low points and he had turned to alcohol to cope, and it had an alarming effect on him. The one prior time Max had done it, in high school… he had different effect, as it had made him a happy drunk.

“He says he’s different” Michael said as he and his wife sat with Isabel in the living room as they discussed the conference.

“How can he be that different?” Isabel asked.

“You didn’t see him Izzy,” Michael muttered. “He’s darker, and it seems alcohol has no effect on him at all, except to make him drunk and pass
out, which is very human of him.”

“How is that possible?” Maria asked.

“He did reveal he managed to make it to Antar…” Michael sighed.

“Jim also mentioned the possibility,” Maria asked. “So, it’s true?”

“So, Max says, and he says he barely made it home and nearly died as result and needed a lot of hospital care in the months to come when he did
make it back here. He even lost his powers for a time…”

“He what…” Isabel asked as the reality of her brother having gone to Antar unbeknown to them hit home, as it did for Michael as they faced the knowledge that they wouldn’t have known if Max hadn’t come back. “How is it possible?”

“In that letter he wrote, he mentioned that guy Kal. Something similar happened to him when he came to Earth except that he was a shapeshifter. With Max, all he has of his alien side of him is the DNA and powers. So maybe he lost them for a time, as he had to adjust to being back on Earth.

He did say when they did start to come back, he went through an equally dark spot and almost lost himself in the process.”

“Oh god,” Isabel cried. “We missed it.”

“Don’t think I didn’t ream him for that suicide mission,” Michael muttered. “Anyways, it’s influenced who he is. So maybe he’s no longer the Max we knew him to be…”

“What about Liz?” Maria asked.

“What about her,” Michael asked as he knew full well most of Max’s behavior had to be linked to his ex and if they could come back together and be in the same room, things might turn for the better because it’s almost like karma decided to give them a hard time because they screwed up so royally in high school.

“Does he miss her?” Maria asked as Isabel interest was piqued.

“I have to think a lot of his behavior is directly influenced by the impact she made to his life, and how things ended for them. He is staying away because of her…” Michael sighed. “For some reason the memories of Liz have been harder recently, and he’s drowning because of them.”

“God Michael,” Maria sighed.

“What does that mean?” Isabel asked as she feared for her brother because that was not the Max she once knew. Sure, he had made some questionable choices, but he was by his nature even keel and was the one to reign in Michael, who was known to be a rogue himself.

“I wish I knew Iz, I really wish I knew…” Michael sighed.

*

Los Angeles,

“She’s the one who messed you up?” Serena asked meanwhile over at Max’s place as she took a look at the picture once again and then picked up the one of the child who was missing. “How are they related?”

“It’s her daughter, and she’s missing?” Max admitted as he felt the need to defend his ex. “She’s not the who messed me up, I screwed up all on my own. I don’t blame her for walking away…”

“What?” Serena asked as she ignored the defense and went with the intimate revelation which was odd coming from her partner as he had closed himself off and hadn’t revealed anything personal in the five years since they met. “Your ex-girlfriend has a kid who is missing?”

“Yes, and I didn’t find out until I was in Vegas. She’s the reason I was called into service to attend the conference. She went missing a year ago, and there have been no clues.”

“Oh my god,” Serena said as she imagined her own daughters missing. “That can’t be easy for her mother…”

“No, she apparently is in the hospital because of the stress over the girl’s disappearance. She was almost at the conference, but instead sent someone else in her place.”

“Whom” Serena asked.

“My childhood best friend,” Max admitted as he thought of Michael and didn’t even know who they were to each other at this point, after so much time apart. “Whom I haven’t seen in a decade.”

“Wow, you have been keeping a lot to yourself, haven’t you?” Serena whistled as she picked up on the wealth of background she had been missing out on over the years. “Why haven’t you been home in a decade?”

“Many things,” Max sighed as he knew he was fighting ghosts on many fronts of the fight.

“Wow,” Serena muttered as she saw how miserable her partner was, yet it was uncanny how Molly knew more than they ever thought possible. “That kid really knows…”

“What!” Max asked as he in his pity party glanced up at his friend and partner.

“Molly… she’s really seen parts of you that I didn’t know was possible… That child is really something.”

“What do you mean? Max asked as he was coming out of his self-pity funk, and curious.

“Look,” Serena asked as she took some pictures out of her purse. She had all of them except for the “alien” one which Molly refused to part with… for some reason, but Serena took the others to research, and now she had to wonder what Molly could see that the others didn’t…”

“What are these?” Max asked as he studied the pictures and were amazed by them.

“Molly drew them…” Serena asked.

“Whoa,” Max eyes opened as she saw very eerie child drawings of Liz, and him and Liz. When did you get these?”

“Yesterday when I was visiting,” Serena asked.

“How…” Max asked as he sat up further and further concentrated on the picture his partner had given him. “How is this possible?”

“Maybe you should ask her…”

*

Wednesday morning,
Hospital,

After waking up from a restless night sleep, that hadn’t been induced by alcohol, because he had stopped drinking by the time Serena had gone home. Max made his way to the hospital to visit with Molly before reporting to work. Checking with the doctor’s first, he heard that Molly’s injuries were improving each day…some faster than they once expected, but still, she had a long road to travel. Max felt more comfortable about her future, even if he knew where she went from her, it was still unknown. As he entered Molly’s room; she was drawing… “Hey beautiful…” Max said…

Molly who was intensely into her drawing looked up and her eyes shot up and then a wide grin came to her face as she saw Max come into the room…

“M..a..x,” she said slowly.

“So, you’re starting to speak a little,” Max asked.

Molly nodded as she tried to speak some more but found she couldn’t, so she smiled instead.

“Don’t push it,” Max suggested as she showed her what he had gotten for her in Vegas. “Look what I found where I was staying…” he asked as she showed a fluffy brown rabbit.

“Thank you,” Molly scribbled on her board.

“You’re welcome,” Max said as he sat down. “So more of your bandages are coming off that is great. You’re looking great,” he said of the tiny little girl whose hair was looking very light brownish, almost blondish at times. He didn’t remember noticing that before… “So, how are you feeling?”

“Better,” she wrote. Molly picked up the rabbit and hugged it as she put down her pad of paper as Max noticed more drawing. “So, Serena tells me that you like to draw?”

Molly nodded.

“What do you draw?” Max asked.

Molly shrugged.

“Can see your new ones? Max asked as she picked up the pad of paper and missed the “alien” one. “Wow, you’re talented. How do you decide what you draw?”

Molly shrugged but wrote, “What comes to my mind”

“Wow,” Max smiles as he didn’t notice anyone familiar in these latest ones, although there was a young girl in one of them seemed like someone
who he should know. She had long curly hair. “Who is this?”

Molly shrugged.

“You did good,” Max said as he said his good-byes, as he needed to get to work but he didn’t realize that Molly had drawn a picture of Betty Guerin.

*

Max appeared at the station and filled out his report on the conference which he turned into the boss who was out of the department, and then filed it and after checking and finding nothing on the Davidson family, as he found his mind drifting and couldn’t stop thinking about Liz’s daughter.

He left a decade before thinking she could have a better life without him, and instead she was in pain. So, he used his connections to nose into the investigation, and check in on the status.

“So, nothing on Isabella Valenti of Roswell, New Mexico. She went missing in May of last year,” Max asked.

“Nope. There have been no tips or anything during these last couple of months. The mother has been going all around but nothing has shown up. Even that interview that went viral last month came up nothing but a few crank calls?” The voice on the other end of the phone muttered.
Max’s eyebrows shot up, “What kind of crank calls?”

“It appears ex-husband and the birth father who has been in jail on an unrelated murder case is claiming to know something. He wants a face to face with the girl's mother, his ex-wife.”

“But hasn’t he been in jail and out of the child's life?” Max asked as he perked up. “The authorities can’t be allowing that?”

“With the mother hospitalized a final decision on the request hasn’t decided one way or another yet and regarding his claims, well, the authorities in Roswell are apparently looking into it, but so far nothing to indicate whether this guy is telling the truth or just wanting to rattle the cage of his ex-wife.”

“Why would he do that to the mother of his child?” Max asked.

“Makes no sense to me,” said to voice. “Apparently the ex-wife turned him in, and he vowed revenge.”

“That is not the Sean Deluca I know…”

“You know this guy?” came the voice.

“We met once or twice,” Max muttered as his mind flashed back to their junior year in high school as he and Liz were apart, and she was spending time with Maria’s cousin who had come to town after being in juvenile hall and needing supervision from his aunt. “He doesn’t strike me as someone who would want to hurt his ex, that way.”

“As one would say, we all change,” same the voice. “Do you want me to keep my eyes open?”

“Do that,” Max requested and muttered. “This is the weirdest child kidnapping I have seen.”

“So, can I ask why you are curious about this case. You are removed from this type of case these days.”

“Elizabeth Valenti is an old friend. We went to school together, I am just concerned for her daughter?”

“Okay? But you should know, she goes by her maiden name now… Elizabeth Parker, and she is single.”

“Right,” Max whispered as he contemplated the single part of the answer as he hung up and his computer came up with an update on the Davidson brothers and father… still nothing to report. Sighing he continued working…

*

Roswell,

Meanwhile Michael was arriving at the hospital to speak to Liz and an on-going debate with himself whether he was going to tell her that he had run in Max, and he knew he wouldn’t know until he was in the situation. Walking into the room, Liz was sitting in a chair reading another state’s newspaper as she checked for any leads. “You’re looking healthier” he said as he saw more life in her cheeks.

Looking up Liz saw Michael and gave a wide smile. “So how was the conference”

“We made good progress. It was a chance to get the story out there more, and they responded well but unfortunately nothing hit but we didn’t think we would get it immediate. Time will tell…”

“I wish I could have been there” Liz said. “Tell me everything.”

Michael went onto discuss the conference and some of the issues that came up, but nothing that had any direct relationship to Bella’s case. Liz thanked Michael profusely, as she was calmer now that she had seen Michael and knew things were still in the works for trying to find her daughter.

“Sean is causing problems again?” Liz revealed, and Michael’s blood pressure started to rise.

“WHAT in the hell is that man doing?” Michael asked in a low dangerous voice Liz knew so well, which at this moment was nice and comforting thought when thinking of her ex-husband.

“He says that he wants to see me? It's about Bella” Liz indicated, as she put down the newspaper, and looked at Michael. “I don’t know what to do.”

“Hell NO,” Michael growled. “Whatever he’s saying, well, it’s a lie. They checked him out and he’s been in jail in New York. There is very little chance he knows something.”

“That is what Maria and Kyle say, and even Jim doesn’t seem to think it’s a legitimate avenue, but what if he does? He did vow revenge, and maybe he’s trying to get it now…

“Sean Deluca is trouble. He is in jail for the rest of his life, and just because he is backtracking doesn't mean he has any real information?” Michael vowed of the man. Deluca had snuck by them on the trust meter, and he knew it grated on everyone how they had been fooled by the man. “You don’t need to worry about him Liz. You just need to concentrate on getting stronger so that Bella can come home to a healthy mother.”

“Michael, I want to not dwell on it, but he did have some creepy friends, and who knows know who he had brought into his cult since being in prison. Maybe he could have… I did send him to jail, and therefore he has reason to be angry.”

“You shouldn’t stress yourself out. He’s locked away, and he’s a criminal and that is why he’s in jail. You didn’t put an innocent man away, as he confessed to you and therefore he’s guilty.”

“I see you brought a bag with you, did you get me something?” Liz asked as she saw that Michael was carrying a bag, and it smelled wonderfully. She realized for the first time she could sense something, and it wasn’t full of dread. Maybe she needed this time, but still she missed her daughter and she couldn’t wait to get out and start her search once again.

“Because your mother and father are consumed with the café, well, they wanted me to bring you’re your favorite.”

“Oh my god Michael thank you,” Liz said profusely. “God, I hate the hospital food they have been forcing on me as she took the bag and saw the burger and fries. “Oh my god, bliss.”

“Eat up,” Michael smiled.

“Thank you again Michael,” Liz said as she tore into the bag, and the burger. “Oh my god how much I miss this,” she smiled as he took a bite of the Crashdown special.

“Good,” Michael asked as decided while she consumed with something positive, to spring the big news. “Um, Liz.”

“What?” Liz asked, unfazed by the change in Michael’s tone. “How’s Maria and Betty?”

“Oh, they are fine, as I am sure Maria will be around this afternoon as she’s spending the morning with her mother” Michael said. “But I thought you should know that I saw someone while I was in Las Vegas. Liz, someone we know.”

“Really, whom?” Liz said as she took a fry from the bag, “delicious” she smiled.

“Um, Liz, I ran into Max…” Michael said giving the bombshell, and Liz didn’t quite register it at first as she happily attacked the fries. “I am sure it can’t be someone we truly know…wait, what did you say?” she asked as she backed up to Michael’s revelation.

“I saw Max,” Michael said quietly as he didn’t know how she was going to react as he regretted telling her as her face went deathly pale, as she looked at him like he didn’t register. “Um, Liz…. Liz,” he asked again.

“You saw… Max,” Liz said in a whisper.

“Yes,” Michal nodded.

“In Las Vegas?” Liz asked as she comprehended the weight suddenly on her as she was transported to the past, and their last moments together. She thought she gotten over him, or enough to move on with her life to the extent she had… but now, just to hear his name. “What was he doing in Vegas?” she whispered.

“He was at the conference I was attending…” Michael said softly.

“What…” Liz asked.

“Yes,” Michael nodded as she sighed at the discomfort on his friend’s face. “He was there, working on assignment…”

“What, I don’t understand…” Liz said. “How could he be there… at a conference devoted to missing children?”

“Liz, he’s a cop.” Michael said softly, and even though he was saying the words and had time to register them he still didn’t quite understand how his best friend from their childhood days could be a cop so it was bound to be even more confusing for Liz.”

“That is crazy,” Liz said softly as flashes of high school and Sophomore through the fall of her senior year flew through her mind, as she felt faint. “He’s a cop, I don’t understand.”

“I know, me either. But he’s currently assigned to the LAPD and was asked to speak at the Vegas conference because of his past association to the FBI. Currently he works as a detective.”

“What, back up, what is this regarding the FBI. Max did work for them?” Liz asked, as she couldn’t understand given how much the Special Unit had given the group trouble back in high school, and how much Max and Michael in particular had an anti-authority policy before getting mixed up with Jim back in their Sophomore year of high school, given the nature of their secret.

“Better, he was an agent with them…” Michael said softly as Liz’s mind felt like it had exploded.

“What,” Liz asked. “He was an FBI agent, of all things?”

“I know,” Michael chuckled. “He sees the irony of it.”

“God,” Liz muttered as her mind drifted back to the newspapers she had been reading the other day. “Whoa, he’s the Evans in that newspaper article,” she wondered.

“The Sunday edition of the LA Times,” Liz said as she picked up the old copy from the other bed in her private room. Michael was amazed she could find anything in the mess she had created with papers, and clippings all over the place as she handed the newspaper section to Michael. “I saw this the other day, and Maria made the connection before I did. I tried to say there was plenty of Evans in this country, but now…”

“I guess so,” Michael thought as she he looked at the article. “He made a reference to a case he was working on back home.”

“You talked to him?” Liz asked, softly as she couldn’t comprehend how the situation had changed.

“Of course,” Michael said. “We went for drinks after the first day, and then met up yesterday” he said skipping how much of a different man he had encountered because he knew Liz didn’t need to hear or dwell on it.

“How is he?” Liz asked as she was forced to confront the reality.

“He is different, but then we’re all different than we were back in high school. He seems content in his job,” Michael nodded. If little else seemed to be as at ease.

Liz felt like her head was exploding with memories flashing back to her, but then she had to wonder… “Michael, did you tell him about Bella?”

“Only that she was missing,” Michael assured her… “He knew of the case, but didn’t know many of the details, and didn’t know how it stuck so close to home for all of us.”

“You didn’t…” Liz asked…

“Liz, any other matters were left out…” Michael said referring to any discussion on paternity and other matters. But, Liz, he knew you were married to Sean, but he assumed you still were…”

“Oh god,” Liz thought. “He knew…” but also thought to herself, if he knew, why didn’t he come back and stop me…

“Yes,” Michael nodded…

“Is that why he didn’t come back?” Liz asked… and knew from his face that it was likely a chief reason and she hated the knowledge that she was part of the reason that kept him away.

“It wasn’t the only reason,” Michael said softly as he made sure to check if the door was closed. “He also went to Antar…”

[Roswelllostcause]

Molly really does remember more then she is admitting. I am guessing that she also knows that Max is her real daddy. Now i really like Serena. If she can get Max's head out of a bottle.

[keepsmiling7]

Great part, so close to everything coming out......yet so far!
Good for Serena helping Max with the drinking problem. Those eerie pictures Molly drew.....
Serena is finally finding out Max's background.
Glad Max is back seeing Molly, and she spoke his name. She is one special little girl, and I hope Max soon realizes that. He's a smart guy, should put 2+2 together soon.
Why is Molly's hair lighter??
I wonder what information Sean has for Liz........I think she should talk to him.
At least Liz knows where Max is now. Wish she would reach out to him.......please.
Thanks, Carolyn

[L-J-L 76]

Wow Liz gets hit with a lot of news in one day. Think it is good that Michael told Liz though. Wow what way to get Max to talk Serena. So it seems everyone is getting some shocking news too.

From:
L-J-L 76

[RoswellFan68]

I wonder what alien picture Molly created. Would it be one of the murals from the Crashdown.

[Parker1947]

Michael sat in the hospital room as he knew Liz was battling a lot of conflicting emotions, and while he didn’t want to put any more pressure on her, she did have to know. Sighing, he looked around and wondered if things could change for the better from here, as Liz slowly registered what Max had done. “What,” Liz squeaked as she was running the scenario through her mind and she couldn’t quite have it compute… “Isn’t Antar where you’re from, you know… before?”

Michael nodded.

“He actually went there, when he left Roswell?” Liz asked as she remembered back to the time of his departure, and knew he was determined to do anything to find his son but to go to Antar, it didn’t compute.

“Well he was looking for that ship,” Michael sighed at the memories.

“But to do it, did he go alone?” Liz asked as she thought back to that time, and knew he almost had to but didn’t want to believe it.

“I assume so,” Michael sighed. “I never asked him, but the way he was talking about it, I assume so…”

“But if you saw him, he made it back here…” Liz asked as she thought of Max in Los Angeles. To have a location after all this time was rattling her mind, and she didn’t know how to take it, “I mean Earth…”

“I know what you mean,” Michael nodded. “I don’t want to put too much on you with you in recovery mode.”

“Tell me,” Liz insisted as she needed more, and despite the anger she has kept close to her heart… it was like a carrot out there needing her to go for it as she sought more tidbits.

“I don’t know much more…” Michael insisted as he didn’t want to let her know the state of his mind, or the darker times that Max apparently went through… We talked about our lives, but also about Isabella’s case.”

Liz knew a change in subject when she saw one, and went with it because was also curious to know what Max thought… “What did he say about Bella?” she asked of her daughter, and for a minute wondered if life could have been different, if only she had somehow told Max before he left for Antar, if she could have…”

“I am sure a lot more would have been said if he knew he was her father, but all he was concerned about was you, and how you were doing. Especially knowing you were in the hospital…”

“Did you really have to tell him?” Liz muttered as she sighed at the thought of her ex-boyfriend’s concern over her health. “And I don’t appreciate that crack about Bella’s paternity…”

“Liz, he was concerned about you?” Michael sighed as he sidestepped Liz’s slap. “He was worried…”

“Well, he wasn’t too worried if he decided to stay away from Roswell, and not come and see how I was doing?” Liz muttered as she knew she wasn’t that rational, and she didn’t even know if she would want to see him. A decade was a long time not to see the guy, and she had lot of conflicting emotion regarding her ex.

“He has a case back home, and he had to get back there…” Michael tried even though he knew that Max had been stubborn about Roswell. “I told him not to be a stranger, and maybe who knows, he might come back…”

“I won’t hold my breath,” Liz muttered as she thought of her ex and figured just how stubborn he might have been with Michael and what Michael might not be saying at the same time. “He’s been gone ten years, so I doubt he’s that motivated to come back now…”

“You never know…” Michael sighed as he prayed that they would be wrong.

*

Memories over the next few days managed to confuse Liz as she tried to rest, but if the flashes weren’t of her little girl and her smile then it was memories of high school, and her love for Max and how dark she had gone in the wake of losing him. She should have embraced being single once he was gone and gone back to her old life and worked towards graduation and going to an Ivy League university who were already making tracks in recruiting her, but once Max was gone… she felt restless, and changed. She couldn’t go back to her life, and she felt her drifting into a new vision of herself. One that was at odds with any version of her that her parents, or her friends knew. She found herself drinking and when Sean days later came back to visit Amy and Maria; well she found herself with him again, and this time she didn’t resist.

When a couple of weeks later she realized she was pregnant, she wanted to believe it was Sean’s, but knew the timing had to Max because of their antics during the Bonnie and Clyde-esque mission, and how drawn the were to the adrenaline, and the action of what they were doing, and they had thrown caution to the wind and then things escalated, and she ended up losing him forever.

She lied and told Sean that he was the father. And he believed it, and they planned to get married. She wanted to do it immediately, but her parents were dead set against, so just hours after turning eighteen… she and Sean and eloped and forced her parents to throw a small reception for their only daughter with a grand announcement of the wedding, which unknown to her… Max had seen.

“What are you going do about it?” Maria was asking as she saw that her friend was in conflict, at least it was no longer consumed by her daughter’s disappearance but now it was about the past and she didn’t know if that was any better mode for her friend to be in, but if it got her friend to come back into a more feistier mood… she was all for it.

“Not much more I can do about it,” Liz admitted. “I want out of here…”

“You need more time,” Maria reminded her friend. “The pneumonia is still hanging around, and while the ulcer is clearing… it still not the time to go home when we all know you’re going to be consumed by Bella’s case.

“She’s out there, I have to find her.” Liz muttered.

“You will,” Maria sighed. “What are you think about the news that Max has been seen?”

“It’s blown my minds, but I can’t do anything because he’s not even here… And chances are he won’t come back…”

“You never know” Maria smiled.

*

Friday,
Los Angeles,

Max was trying to ignore the memories that still came to him as he concentrated on Molly’s case as the little girl continued to get stronger and her voice was returning in little doses, and her drawing continued to intrigue both Max and Serena while at the same time Max couldn’t help but think about Liz. Serena was amused by her partners distracted demeanor and the knowledge that since coming back from Vegas, he had stopped drinking and he seemed different

But Serena also noticed on this day, Max was also tense, so she was confused by it. “What’s going on?” she asked as they went to a call.

“Nothing,” Max muttered.

“There is something bothering you, and it’s not your sober kick.” Serena offered.

“It’s just the past, it has an ability to haunt you” Max muttered as he thought of the past, and what he was running from and he knew by this point that he was running...

“Only if you let it,” Serena commented as she could see her partner troubled by something. “Is it Molly’s case?”

“No,” Max shook his head. “No, the drawings are odd I grant you but it’s like once you open a door, you can’t close it, however you might try.”

“You’re still thinking of your friend, aren’t you?” Serena asked as it dawned on what Max might be dwelling on and she couldn’t help but be curious what was so powerful to draw her friend into such a funk. Max hadn’t been this deep in a long time, and Serena couldn’t help but be curious what got her friend.

“Yeah,” Max nodded as he wasn’t sure who Serena was referring to, whether it was Michael or Liz.

“You know, maybe it’s time to make peace with it and go home and visit. You have vacation coming up that the Chief is making you take, right?”

“Right,” Max muttered at the knowledge he would have time on his hands and he didn’t very much relish that notion, but the Chief and the bean counters had noticed he had accumulated a tremendous amount of overtime and with very little vacation time, well, it got into their heads that he needed time off. He tried to stand his ground and say he was fine if they didn’t pay him after a certain point for the overtime, and he had Molly’s case, but nope, the Chief insisted he had to be gone for at least a week or 10 days and so they were forcing him to go off… whether he liked it or not.

“Maybe it’s time,” Serena asked.

“I do have a sister who hates me,” Max muttered as she thought of the anger he had heard in Isabel’s tone when she revealed she and Kyle were married and expecting a baby.

“Wait up, you have a sister?” Serena asked further stunned by the notion of how little she knew of her partner.

“Yeah, she’s newly married and expecting a baby and she hates me for missing it.

“I would too if my brother stayed away,” Serena sighed. “You have to go home, and deal with it Max. Have you seen them at all…? Are your parents still alive?”

“I think so,” Max said as guilt filled him that he didn’t even know if his parents were indeed alive, although he knew if they were dead Michael would have likely told him. But still, the knowledge he had screwed up so royally, weighed on him, and made him wonder…
Sighing they drove to check out a suspect’s home, and he tried to forget Roswell.

*

Roswell
Phillip and Diane Evans’ home,

“Mom, thank you for the baby clothes” Isabel said as she hugged Diane Evans as Isabel and Kyle were visiting her parents for a Friday night dinner, and they were looking at the baby clothes that her mother had already purchased for their grandchild, unisex colors at this point, as it was the first one they could acknowledge as even Phillip and Diane knew or had a strong suspicion that Bella was their granddaughter, but Liz was unable to confirm the truth.

Back when Liz was pregnant with Bella, and before she cleaned up her life and truly committed herself to being a mother or a wife; she was in her dark phase and therefore a loose cannon because at the same time, her powers suddenly decided to show up in the wake of Max’s departure. Emotionally she was all over the place, and the gang were worried about what she might end up doing or revealing… so Isabel and Michael sat down the adults, all of them, including Liz’s parents, as they had a story to tell and it was a doozy, and it took time for the adjustment to come around to acceptance for Phillip and Diane but they were surprisingly accepting once they knew why their children had been so cagey, and why their son was so worried and secretive.

“It’s so easy to spoil,” Diane cracked as they all laughed but then Isabel exchanged a look with Kyle, who nodded.

“What’s going on honey,” Phillip asked as he noticed how tense his daughter was… “Is it the baby?”

“No, the baby is perfect. Everything is normal so far,” Isabel assured her parents. “But there is something we need to discuss because you might hear some rumors.”

“Oh god, what now?” Phillip asked. “Is it youknowwhat?” he asked of the kid’s secret.

“No, that’s safe” Isabel assured her parents, but didn’t really want to discuss what she needed to discuss but she had too because they needed to know. For the last decade they have wondered about their son, and she had no answers and now she did. Not that it meant anything because she didn’t know if she would ever see him again, but they needed to know.

“What’s going on Isabel,” Diane asked as she was just as worried as her husband about what her daughter and son-in-law had to say to them…

“Say it.”

“Mom, Dad… We’ve heard from Max,” Isabel whispered as both her parent’s faces went pale. “He’s alive…”

“He is,” Phillip asked after a silence descended on the room. Diane was speechless, and Phillip walked into the conversation as he tested his voice as it was something so feared within the household was that maybe Max might be gone… that he might even be dead. After a decade of nothing, they couldn’t believe… and now they had something… a kernel of information.

“Yes,” Isabel whispered as Kyle nodded at his in-laws.

“Where is he?” Diane asked, whispering as she was not sure whether she could believe this…

“He’s in Los Angeles,” Isabel muttered.

“California, but, he wasn’t there before…” Phillip asked.

“He’s now,” Isabel muttered. “He called me a few days ago.”

“You knew before now, and you didn’t tell us?” Diane asked her daughter. “Why?”

“Because I didn’t want to believe, and so I had Jim look into it and he confirmed and added some newer information out and then Michael had to go to a conference on Isabella’s behalf, and for Liz and he literally ran into Max there…”

“What?” Diane asked. “Michael saw your brother?”

“Yes,” Isabel nodded. “The conference was in Las Vegas, and I guess Max was sent there on assignment and he and Michael ran into each other.”

“Assignment… what is your brother doing?” Phillip asked as there was a knock on the door, and then a ring of the bell at the front of the house. Neither he or his wife wanted to answer when they were so close to knowing what was going on with their son. But knew that the knocks would keep going if they weren’t going to answer.

“I’ll get it,” Diane said softly as she didn’t know what to believe in hearing her daughter’s tale. She so wanted to know their son again, and to be a part of his life, and now they had a kernel of that in what their daughter was trying to tell her…

As she walked to the door, she sighed… opening it, she went pale… and wanted to faint, but she didn’t…

“Max…” Diane whispered as she saw a man turned around, face towards the front gardens, but the essence was… all her son…

“Hi Mom,” came the voice as he turned to reveal a returned Max.