“I am surprised your brother allowed me to see you home?” Finn asked as he and Elizabeth walked up the street where the Guerin house was located. They had taken the bus from the park because it was late, and Finn promised Jake that they wouldn’t walk home. The musical had been a very big success and Elizabeth was forced to admit Stephanie Hudson was the right choice for the role of Maria. Jake had offered to share the limousine with the two, but Grace convinced him to allow Finn to see his sister home, and they all knew Elizabeth had to be home by her curfew otherwise there would be no second date.
“It is Grace’s influence,” Elizabeth commented. “I am amazed myself but then Jake knows he can trust you… or at least me” she said with a laugh which also got one from Finn. “I do want to thank you for a great night.”
“My pleasure,” Finn said as they stopped walking in front of the Guerin house. It was five minutes before the curfew ran out, and so they felt they were on safe ground. He saw a curtain rattle and so did Elizabeth who only smiled because she didn’t know which one of her parents it would be. “Maybe we can do it another time, without your brother to chaperone.”
“I would love to,” Elizabeth said. “I think Jake knows he can trust you… or at least you have Grace’s approval which holds a lot of water with him.”
“It matters whether Grace approves?” Finn asked.
“Sure,” Elizabeth smiled. “She’s my best friend and Jake listens to her, more than our parents.”
“Doesn’t it bother you how close your families are?” Finn asked as it was known around school how close the Evan and Guerin families were.
“No because that is how it always been and I can’t think of life without our families being there for us,” Elizabeth smiled. “I better go in before Dad comes out,” she laughed. “I don’t think either of us want that after such a wonderful night”
“I had a great time so good night Elizabeth” Finn smiled as they leaned in for a simple kiss as he quickly broke it off and smiled once more before walking away. Elizabeth could only smile as she stood there. She was surprised by how much she liked Finn. She didn’t think she was into the dating scene at school and had watched in amusement over Grace’s romantic issues, and now she was falling for someone.
Turning around she stiffened when she saw her mother on the porch. “I wasn’t late…”
“I know,” Maria smiled. “I see you had a good time with Finn tonight,” she asked as she had to physically prevent Michael from coming out and she was glad he didn’t. She knew now that their daughter was growing up and now going to be doing more than any other teenage girl her age would want to do, which was date.
“It was a lot of fun,” Elizabeth said. “He wants to see me again.”
“Do you want to?” Maria asked.
“I think so,” Elizabeth said. “We’ll probably talk about it more on Monday at school. If that is okay with you and Dad.”
“We can talk about it tomorrow, as it’s late and you probably should be getting to bed”
“Thanks Mom,” Elizabeth said as she passed her mother and walked into the house. Sighing Maria glanced into the darkness of the night as a few minutes later Michael came out and Maria simply smiled.
“Our little girl is growing up?” Maria asked.
“Unfortunately,” Michael gritted through his teeth. “Let’s go in, as Jake has a key and I don’t expect him home yet.”
“I know,” Maria sighed as she thought of her other worry that night, but she knew to call it a night, and walked in holding Michael’s hand and they turned off the downstairs lights while leaving the porch light on, and they walked up to bed together.
*
“Thank you for agreeing to tonight,” Grace asked as they sat on the porch of the Evans house as Jake had sent off the limousine, and now he sat and talked with Grace. She knew she should be going in as the lights were on and so she knew one of her grandparents would be up to see that she got home alright. But she didn’t want to bust up the night yet.
“It wasn’t hard to if I got to spend it with you,” Jake smiled. “I am amazed your grandfather isn’t out here counting down the clock.”
“They trust you,” Grace commented.
“I doubt it,” Jake smiled. “Afterall I am a boy and went out with their granddaughter. They might know me, but all bets are off within the family.”
Grace burst out laughing at Jake’s thinking and knew there was cause for it but then she wasn’t about to think about it tonight. “They aren’t like that. Dad after all let me go out with you without a fuss, and he’s a little more freaked out about me dating…”
“He had other pressing matters which your grandparents don’t have,” Jake commented because he knew Grace couldn’t help but think and wonder how her parent’s night was going, “I would have gone anywhere with you Grace, so the fact we spent it as a school play was just icing on the cake.”
“Well I appreciate it,” Grace sighed as she appreciated how the night wasn’t to cold as it was now April. Time was flying. “Hard to believe graduation is going to be around the corner for you… I am going to miss you next year.”
“You don’t have to miss me yet, as I don’t know where I am going” Jake lied which was part truth. He still hadn’t decided about school in the fall. He hated not being able to share his ideas with Grace but knew she would be upset when she heard so he was trending water until the time came where he had to be honest with himself and with Grace.
“Are you sure,” Grace asked. “Everyone and their brother know their plans for next year if they are a senior. I am surprised you haven’t heard…”
“Let’s not talk about it okay,” Jake asked as he didn’t relish having to keep the lies going. “It’s a bummer of a subject.”
“What aren’t you telling me,” Grace asked a tuned to the odd change in Jake’s behaviour at the subject of university in the fall.
“You should go in,” Jake said as he suddenly wanted to get home and not having to deal with what the future held for them both. “We can talk tomorrow… I do know your grandparents will want to know you’re safe.”
“Jake,” Grace asked.
“Go,” Jake smiled as he stood up as he checked the clock and saw that it was late. “I better be going home, to make sure Elizabeth made it home.”
“I guess,” Grace murmured as she didn’t know why Jake was suddenly so secretive and not wanting to talk about his university plans for the following year but knew it was getting late and she did need to get in. “Call me tomorrow or I will since I don’t know what time I will be heading home.”
“Right,” Jake said as he leaned down to Grace in her wheelchair and gave her a sweet kiss, which she returned. “Good night, sleep tight”
“You too,” Grace nodded as she watched Jake head off as the door opened and she saw her grandfather watching, sighing but amused. “Grandpa.”
“Fun night,” Phillip Evans asked as he didn’t relish knowing his eldest granddaughter was growing up and had a love life, they would all have to worry about. He might trust Jake Guerin but still Grace was his granddaughter and he didn’t want anyone hurting her…
“Yes,” Grace commented as she went up the ramp that now decorated the doorway, and she slid into the house. “Are my sisters in bed?”
“Yes, and your Grandmother wanted you to know we’re planning a breakfast before your mother comes to pick them up to take them to the airport.”
“Good,” Grace nodded as she saw the pull-out sofa bed, all made up for her. She hated not being able to go up the stairs to the room she was so familiar with when she came to spend time with her grandparents. “If you want to turn in?”
“Do you need any help?” Phillip asked referring to his granddaughter’s wheelchair.
“I can handle it, I swear Grandpa I am doing great and I am an old hand at this now…” Grace assured her grandfather as she knew she could handle getting into bed, as she saw her bag next to the couch.
“If you say so, then good night sweetheart,” Phillip said as he leaned in to give his granddaughter a kiss on the forehead and he headed upstairs to join his wife in bed while Grace just stayed in her chair for a moment and wondered where the future was headed…
*
A few hours later Beth looked over at Max asleep in master bedroom and she didn’t know what had possessed to do what she had done. She didn’t regret it
as it was magnificent and wild and totally unbelievable, she mused to herself, but she knew that this did nothing to help their situation and, in some ways, it might have hurt things because she was leaving.
The best sex of her life, or of the life she could remember, didn’t change things she told herself as she thought of how incredible it was to have been with Max the previous night, and now it was the next morning and she knew she had to stop this…
Sliding out of bed, walking to the bathroom she soon was dressed and walking downstairs while Max remained in bed, asleep. She saw her dress on the floor and remembered the night activities. “God why…” she murmured. “Why did I do this to myself, and to Max” she whispered into the quiet downstairs.
Telling herself that she was stupid, she took the dress back upstairs and she quietly put it in her suitcase and quickly finished packing.
Walking downstairs again, she sat down and wrote a letter to Max…
Moments later she picked her stuff up and put her bags in the taxi she called to go over to the Evans home.
Max heard the door slam shut, as his eyes opened, and he looked over and saw that Beth was gone…
And knew she wasn’t just gone from the room but gone…
gone…
Getting out of bed, he saw her suitcase gone and knew that she had left. Putting his robe on, as he walked downstairs, he saw an envelope leaning up on the table by the door.
Picking it up, she saw it was in Liz’s handwriting…
Beth’s handwriting he told himself.
Taking the note and walked into the living room and sat down and read it.
Dear Max…
I know I am a coward for leaving like this, but I knew it does neither of us any favors for you to watch us walk away. Last night was incredible, and I don’t regret it, but I can’t stay. You know it as much as I do. I need time and you need to time to figure it all out and hopefully to end the threat against the family not only for the girl’s sake but for yourself too.
Know I have never experienced anything like I have experienced, and you have opened my eyes to a world I couldn’t have imagined, and I do know I am risking more than I know at this time. I am sorry if it seems I am running, but it is better this way…
I will make sure you stay in Alexandra and Carrie’s lives, and I will be part of Grace or as much as she allows me to be, but for right now…
I need to figure out what life is best for me… So, I hope you understand…
Thank you, Max, for being who you are… You will never know how much I appreciate all you have done for me and for the girls.
Sincerely,
Beth
She is running Max thought.
What else is new he also mused to himself.
Beth might not remember her prior life as Liz, but this is Liz to a tee he sighed as he flashed back to those early days and how Liz had run to Florida and then later to boarding school. He may have asked her to officially go due to whatever threat they faced, but she chose to go, and especially in the light of day after such an incredible encounter.
He knew he shouldn’t be surprised, and he wasn’t, but then he was at the same time.
Going upstairs, he got dressed and stewed further on the fact he had lost the best thing in his life, and he didn’t know if she was ever going to come back to him and maybe he was better trying to move on.
Without Beth or Liz in his life. Because he couldn’t live through the pain… of having hope… not again as he had too much of on the line to let it all roll on something that wasn’t going to happen, and so if Beth was sure about this than he would deal with it and move on, even if it meant they weren’t going to have another chance at that miracle.
*
“I’ll call” Beth was telling Grace as she watched as the drive loaded the bags into the trunk of the taxi that that waited outside the Evans house. It had been a few hours earlier when Grace and the twins had woken up early and had a nice breakfast with their grandparents as Phillip and Diane relished the experience, but it would be all too short when Beth arrived to pick up Alexandra and Carrie.
“I know,” Grace sighed as she prepared to watch her mother walk out of her life, maybe for good. “I get why you’re going but I do hope you do come back…”
“I don’t know what I will do,” Beth sighed. “Maybe when you’re feeling better and have your mobility back, you can come to Madison and check it out over your summer break. Yale is there, and we could always go for a visit, alone or the twins will love the opportunity.”
“I saw it remember,” Grace murmured as she thought of the weekend rebellion that started this whole mess rolling. “It is a beautiful campus,” she allowed with a snappy tone. “Any kid would love to go there…”
“Right,” Beth said as she was reminded of why she found out she had another kid. “If you wanted to, well, I could make some arrangements so that you can meet professors and get a true tour of the campus… and you would have a place to stay if were to go to Yale when it comes time for university.”
“If you don’t come back,” Grace asked as she wondered if she needed to get used to the reality that might have her mother choosing her other life and she would have to get used to the reality that would make her from a broken home instead of a product of the greatest tragic love out there…
“I can’t know what the future holds,” Beth murmured as she knew she was disappointing Grace and maybe even herself, but it was something that needed to be done because the last few weeks have been overwhelming.
“But it sounds as you might know what you’ve decided, and that just maybe you won’t be coming back, to me or to Dad?” Grace asked as she glared at her mother who she only came to know. “If you want me to consider Yale when it’s comes time…”
“I promise you that I haven’t made any decisions. I just need to go back. My patients need me, and the girls need their finish their year… I wish things could be different Grace,” Beth sighed as she looked up at Phillip and Diane who only nodded as they watched out of concern for their granddaughter. “But for now, well, this is how it needs to be, and your father agrees, and he understands.”
‘I somehow doubt it,” Grace said as she nodded because somehow, she knew her father wouldn’t be okay with this as much as he had to be adult and accept it because she knew her father. “But I understand you feel you need to do this…” she sighed. “We’ll be here if you want to come back…”
Beth nodded. “Girls it’s time,” she told the twins who nodded as they hugged their grandparents and then their older sister who smiled. “Call me if you need help with homework or just need to talk. Alex if you need help with science or math, I am game” Grace smiled, and Alexandra nodded and while Carrie said her good-byes to their sister, Alexandra walked and got into the taxi. “Make sure your sister has fun, okay because she can’t spend all her time with her nose in the books” she asked of Carrie who laughed because Grace was one to talk and they both knew it. “But both of you if you want to have fun, you better be careful.”
“Thanks to you and Dad, we now know why we do so I promise” Carrie nodded as she hugged Grace again and then got in the car, while Beth smiled.
“It’s not fair but I understand,” Grace murmured as Beth nodded and got into the taxi and waited for the taxi to drive off and let out a deep breath at the unknown and turned and spotted her grandparents from her chair.
“Honey, are you okay?” Diane asked her granddaughter as Grace sat in her chair, and watched the taxi turn off the street as she turned back to face her and wheeled up the ramp Phillip had built onto the front porch. “We’re here for you…”
“I am fine Grandma, truly” Grace sighed as she was getting ready to roll back into the house when she saw her father’s car come roaring into the driveway. Turning and watching the car stop and park, and sadly, as he opened the door, and stepped out, she blurted out…
“Dad, you just missed them, as they just left…” Grace said.
“I know,” Max said. “I saw the taxi as I came around the corner” Max sighed as he focused on his daughter, and ignoring the reality of how he missed out on his wife and daughters leaving him… and leaving Grace behind “How are you doing?” he asked as he came in for a hug with the daughter he had left. The one who had always been with him, since the beginning.
“I have had better mornings,” Grace admitted and saw the heaviness in her father’s expression and knew her worries were warranted about the spell her mother had her father under yet again, and this time he might not be as successful overcoming the pain. “So, how are you doing?”
“I have had better mornings,” Max admitted as he looked up at his parents who were frowning at the sight of their son as they saw the same heavy toll on Max, and knew they didn’t like what they were seeing “Mom, Dad… good morning…”
“Max,” Diane said relieved to see her son at least in one piece and hoped he stayed that way… and yet she saw the tension within her son and didn’t know how he would handle it as it was true grief that she saw him in the beginning after losing Liz the first time, but now more rougher, and more anger at life and it surprised her as Max wasn’t one to be angry at life despite the obstacles. “Are you okay?”
“I am fine Mom,” Max sighed as he thought of what he was losing out on yet though he still had a lot and he wasn’t about to give up on what did have over a dream that wasn’t meant to be…
“Maybe she’ll come back…” Diane asked hopefully…
“I am not counting on it,” Max sighed as he knew if Beth could walk away after the night they shared even if it was at his request than maybe they weren’t meant to be… and he would need to get used to a life that didn’t include his soulmate but then he figured that he learned over the last fourteen years to do it,
so why couldn’t he do it again? he mused to himself as he tried to keep his spirits high for his daughter’s sake; the one child who he had in his custody.
Grace matters more than my love life
“You really think that,” Grace asked appalled even if she had the same suspicious. “That she might not come back…”
“Yeah,” Max said. “Anyways there isn’t anything I can do about it. It’s
all on her,” he said, and Grace knew her father was miffed about something as he looked down at his daughter and knew anger wasn’t going to help anything if he was to be there for his daughter, and then a sudden desire came to him “I am thinking of getting out of a here for a few days. Since you can do your homework from anywhere, do you want to come?”
“Where,” Grace asked shocked because it wasn’t like her father to want to leave town. In fact, they barely had left Roswell until her ill-advised trip to Connecticut, and for his father… the cabin was the farthest they had gone for over the years, and now he was wanting to travel
What did Mom do to Dad? she wondered.
This is not my father!
“The cabin at least for now. IF that poses too much difficulty than somewhere else because I feel the need to get out of Roswell for a while,” Max muttered as he warmed to the idea of getting away for a few days because he dreaded going home and moving on with life within Beth in his home and looking into those eyes and seeing Liz
Which is what I guess Beth worries about but I can’t stop not seeing Liz when I look into those gorgeous eyes. “Dad, you can deal with the office, can’t you?” Max asked. “I know it would be a lot of responsibility on you because I don’t know how long we will be gone.”
Phillip was shocked. It wasn’t like his son to run from his problems and yet he knew what his son had just potentially lost from his life and knew he needed time, so he wasn’t about to balk at it. “Sure, you have no cases in court, right?”
“Nope, not for a week or so… and if I do, I am sure you can get continuances in them because none are in the trial phase.” Max murmured as he thought of Beth on the way to the airport and knew he needed space and to spend time with Grace. “I think this is what we need to get over the last few weeks.”
“If you think so,” Phillip agreed. “We’ll make sure the house is cared for…”
“Thanks for the offer but I need to stop by Maria and Michael’s anyways and pick up the key so I’ll fill them in and see if they can keep an eye on things while we’re gone…” Max murmured as he focused on Grace again. “Do you need help collecting your stuff?”
“Sure,” Grace nodded as they maneuvered into the house as Phillip and Diane stayed outside for a moment. “That is not our son…”
“Nope,” Phillip asked and wondered if Beth took the man their son had been with her when she left Roswell… and they couldn’t help but ask themselves if they would get back the same man if she never came back.
*
“Are you okay Mom,” Alexandra asked as she and her mother were sitting and waited for their flight as Carrie was off looking for the bathroom and getting a snack for the plane for herself and her sister. Beth hadn’t talked much in the taxi or as they were checking for their flight. “You seem different.”
“Just tired,” Beth murmured. “But it’s all good sweetheart. I will be happy when we’re back home.”
“Will we?” Alexandra asked a little wearily at her mother as if she didn’t believe her mother. “I mean I miss home, but still it’s nothing like we’ve experienced here in Roswell.”
“Life will get back to normal,” Beth murmured to try to convince herself because she wasn’t so sure she believed those words she was telling her daughter. Sighing she smiled, “Once we’re back to normal, and back to our own homes than it will be normal”
“If you say so,” Alexandra murmured as if she didn’t believe her mother because her mother didn’t look like she was excited to be going home to their old life as Carrie soon came back, and moments later their flight was called.
Walking down the gate pathway, they disappeared into the plane.
And a half hour later the plane took off… on route for Connecticut while Max and Grace were packing and were working on driving away their feelings, as they got on the road after dropping by the Guerin house to pick up the spare cabin key as Max couldn’t find her own copy as Maria was left stupefied at why Max was running, but both he and Grace needed to try to forget everything that happened over the last few weeks or he did.
Running worked for Liz at one time, so why couldn’t it work for me?
“You are seriously running” Maria asked of Max as Jake took time to talk to Grace in the den because none of them expected what they heard when Grace and her father stopped by the house and filled them in, and Maria needed time to talk some sense into her long-time friend but knew from his face, it was going to be losing battle.
“I am not running. I need to get away. I can’t deal with this right now, and Grace needs to recover” Max lied because he fully knew he was trying to run from his problems, but he wasn’t about to admit it. “You can keep an eye on the house, right?”
“It seems to me she’s doing pretty okay with her recovery,” Maria asked as she saw the hollowness in her friend’s eyes and knew Max wasn’t not taking Beth’s departure well. She was surprised as it had been Max’s decision for her to go. And yet she couldn’t help but ask what had happened to bring them this starkly different Max. “But of course, I can, or we can. It will give the kids something to do.”
“Still she could use some time away from Roswell and since she can study from anywhere… Including the cabin, well, I figure I need the time…”
“Will we see you again anytime soon? Maria asked as she saw the look that she didn’t like in Max’s eyes. A look that she didn’t even see back when they originally lost Liz, but she saw now, and maybe he needed time but if he did indeed go, would he be back? “Seriously Max, why leave when we’re dealing with the threat of Nicholas.”
“I don’t know,” Max said honestly and it shocked Maria as inside Jake was asking the same thing of Grace. They had an incredible first date, and now she was leaving town and he didn’t know when she would be back… “And with Nicholas. Getting out of town might be just what we need to keep my daughter safe until Michael can figure out how to deal with him because I don’t have any energy for it right now. I need the time, and then I will come back and we will figure out how to handle him. With everything happening these past few weeks from Grace and Jake’s adventure, and all the discoveries we have made. I can’t deal with it and going away for a few days will give both of us the time we need,” Max sighed. “I do intend to come back, because we have too many responsibilities not to but right now, I can say that I don’t have any desire to be here in Roswell.”
“You don’t know when you will be back?” Jake was asking Grace in the den as they visited while the parents talked. It had stunned him when she had showed after their glorious date the previous night only to tell him that she was leaving town, and didn’t know when she would be back “Why can’t you stay with your Aunt Isabel or us…”
“I could, but Dad needs this,” Grace admitted because she knew she had a whole list of people she could have stayed with while her father took some time to sort out his life but she knew she wanted to be there for him, to help him and she couldn’t do it from Roswell. “Something happened between him and my Mom and I don’t know if he’s the same man because of that, and I need to make sure he’s okay. I don’t want to be away from him. Not now” she sighed. “He needs to know he has me in his corner and that I am not leaving him”
“He’s a big boy Grace and one day you’re going to be leaving” Jake reminded his girlfriend. “And what about us?”
“I want us, as last night was fantastic but this is my family. You would want to be there for your mother or even your father if something happened to the other. It’s only me and my father. And especially with my sisters in another state. One day I will leave, and I want him in a good place. If I stay here, I can’t be sure he won’t do something he’ll regret.”
“I don’t think Uncle Max would ever be that bad off…” Jake muttered as he didn’t like the idea of her leaving him and leaving town.
“It’s only ever been us, and so I need this right now. And it is only a few days” Grace assured Jake, but Jake wasn’t sure as he watched as Grace was helped into the car, he like Maria weren’t too sure when they would be seeing them again…
And when Michael came home from work, he was astonished to find that Max had left town with Grace. “Are you serious?” he asked of his wife who only sadly nodded.
“Beth did a number on him, which is weird given it was his own damn decision for her to leave” Maria moaned.
“She was leaving regardless” Michael reminded his wife. “She’s wasn’t staying Maria. Nicholas was the push she needed but she wasn’t going to stay, and Max knew it so I think he understands that he might not get his miracle this time. In high school he did, and even finding out she was alive, well, he played the odds and this time the odds ran out.”
“We don’t know that. She could end up coming back,” Maria asked.
“I think she’s gone, and Max knows it” Michael murmured. “There is only so many times the fairytale can win, and he needs to play the odds that bring him a reality he can live with…”
Maria prayed they were wrong as the flight was landing in New Haven and Beth, Alexandra and Carrie walked off the plane and into the state of Connecticut and knowledge they were going home again…
“I want this, right?” she asked herself as they waited for their bags. Sighing, she only nodded to the girls. “Come on girls, let’s go home” as they waited for shuttle to the parking lot where her car was parked.