Longing for You
Rating: Teen/Mature
Disclaimer: Roswell belongs to first to Melinda Metz, then to Jason Katims and 20th Century Fox. She created them; they killed them. I’m just borrowing them.
Author’s Note: This is set during A Tale of Two Parties. Some of the storyline is the same, and there may be a phrase or two that is similar to the dialogue from the show. I did not intentionally plagiarize anything.
“Max, you really don’t need to do the chaperon thing anymore,” Maria said. “Michael’s back at Liz’s sleeping off his alien OD. I can look for Enigma by myself.”
“Why don’t you believe me when I say I want to do this, Maria? I need to do this. I’ve been serious Max Evans for too long. Maybe it’s time for me to break free and explore my wild side.
“Uh, Max, let me just point something out to you, every time you explore your wild side, their were police end up involved.”
“That’s not true, Maria,” Max said, his voice filled with a righteous sense of indignation.
“Let’s see, there was the time you and Liz decided to cut class, you drove off the road and the police showed up as did the fire department and the county ambulance. Then there was the time that you and Liz decided to become junior felons and rob the convenient store. High jinx ensued and then came the police. Oh, and let’s not forget the party at the old soap factory. Remember that one? Yeah, police, fire trucks, Liz ending up in jail. I’m sensing a trend here, how about you?”
“Maria, I was a victim of circumstances, okay. Now are you going to come with me, or are we both going to try and find the same party alone.”
“I’m with you, girlfriend,” Maria said. She liked this playful side of Max Evans. Hell, she liked everything about Max Evans. She always had, but Max was off limits to her. Max belonged with Liz. Everybody knew it, everybody said it, and she had no choice but to accept it. And she did accept it, on some levels anyhow. But there was one tiny part of her that kept hoping, that maybe, some day, Max Evans would notice her.
“Maria, come on, the party train is leaving,” Max said.
Maria shook herself out of her reverie and followed Max to his car, a bemused expression on her face. Max was acting to totally out of character. He had an opportunity to stay with Liz, with Mr. Parker’s approval even, and he still wanted to go and find Enigma. Maybe things were changing.
They made short work of the trip back to West Roswell High, and stood staring at the clue on Mr. Seligman’s chalkboard.
“Okay, so we know the clue doesn’t have anything to do with Dave and or football,” Maria said.
“Well, maybe it’s some sort of math equation,” Max offered.
Maria’s look clearly said ‘Oh puhleeze,’ and Max rushed to defend his theory. “Well, look, the 24 and the 7 could be integers, or place holders or…24/7 it can’t be that easy, can it?”
“Max, girlfriend, I think I love you,” Maria said excitedly. She clapped her hands together, like a small child and jumped up and down.
Max watched her exuberance and smiled indulgently. He loved Liz, he really did, but she was always so serious, so down to earth. Liz was as pragmatic as they came. Not that he didn’t love that about her, her did, but it gave him great pleasure to see Maria getting so excited over something so simple.
He helped her back out the window, and they ran to the car and sped across town to Buds. Once there, they began to casually look around for the next clue, without looking obvious.
Max put up with a lot of harassing from classmates who couldn’t believe that he was out looking for Enigma.
Maybe that’s part of the reason I’m so attracted to Liz, he thought to himself. I’m just as staid and boring as she is.
Max immediately felt disloyal, thinking about Liz in that way. She was loyal to a fault, and everything in her power to help and protect him. Liz wasn’t staid; she was steady. That was it; Liz was steady.
While Max stood aimlessly, contemplating his relationship with Liz, Maria searched the area for clues. In minutes, she was back at his side, excitement dancing in her eyes. Max found himself getting lost in those eyes.
“Did you find something?” he managed to ask, fighting down the strange rush of excitement he was starting to feel every time Maria was around.
“I think so,” she whispered, quietly. “Look. This is supposed to be a menu from the CrashDown, but Max, it’s wrong. See this here, ‘Blue Moon Quesadillas.’ Max, we don’t serve anything like that. It has to be a clue.”
“I think you’re right,” Max agreed. “Blue Moon Canyon, that has to be it. Maria, you’re fantastic.” Max reached down and hugged Maria tightly, pulling her body close to his.
Just as quickly, he released her, stepping away as if he had been burned, and Maria felt a sense of loss without his arms around her.
“Let’s just walk quietly to the car,” Maria said, trying to cover the rush of emotions that coursed through her body. “Act like we haven’t found anything.”
As they walked back to the car, Maria thought about Max. It was fun being here with him, secret crush notwithstanding. He was nothing like Michael. He was more than willing to listen to her ideas, and he treated her with respect. That alone made the night enjoyable. But there was something more tonight. Some sort of electricity that seemed to flow between them – almost like sexual attraction. But it couldn’t be that, could it?
Without conscious thought, her hand reached out to Max’s hand. A tingle of electricity that was not alien related shot threw her, and she started to pull her hand away. Max, however, tightened his grip and gave her hand a gentle squeeze. At the car, Max released her hand. The climbed in, and drove off to Blue Moon Canyon, neither one of them mentioning what had just happened.
It wasn’t long before the canyon, aglow in the lights of the party, came into view.
“We did it, Max, we found it,” Maria squealed. “I will never doubt you again.”
“Are you ready?” Max asked, parking the car.
“Max, I have been waiting for this moment my entire life. I am so ready.” She opened the door and slid out into the cold New Mexico night. “I have never been more ready in my life,” she continued when Max joined her outside the car.
The started to walk down the overgrown path to the party in the canyon proper when a skyrocket shot up into the air, followed by another, and then another. Firecrackers exploded everywhere; they’re sharp, staccato, explosions echoing like gunfire across the canyon. Roman candles shot upward, filling the path with glowing light.
“I, I guess it’s midnight,” Max said.
“Yeah, I guess,” Maria answered.
“Well, Happy New Year,” Max said.
“Yeah, you too,” Maria replied, annoyed by their stilted exchange.
Without warning, Max leaned down and kissed her, shocking her into silence. After a shocked second, Maria reacted, and kissed him back, putting every moment of pent up longing and emotion in the kiss. She reached up and twined her arms around his neck, and his arms encircled her waist, pulling her against him, tightly. Her lips parted a bit more, and his tongue found it’s way into her mouth, sending a thrilling rush of emotion throughout her body.
Max groaned and held her tightly, and one hand slipped down and began to caress her bottom. His other hand found its way under her shirt and gently fondled her breast. Maria moaned slightly, an image of Liz flashing in her mind, but she forced it back, giving in to this one moment of forbidden passion. For years she had longed for him, for this one moment, she would have him.
The echo of the fireworks faded away, and almost as if it had been pre-ordained, Max and Maria pulled away from each other. The moment was over, lost. The longing would always be there, but neither of them would act upon it ever again. Their kiss was a memory to treasure, on to remember fondly when the longing got too strong.
“Happy New Year,” she said, again.
“Yeah, Happy New Year,” Max responded, smiling down at her. “Let’s go party.”