Strangers Again (AU, M/L, Mature) Ch. 11 (08-14-06)[WIP]

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Strangers Again (AU, M/L, Mature) Ch. 11 (08-14-06)[WIP]

Post by Crashdown_51 »

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Strangers Again
(AU-no aliens; M/L; Mature)</center>

Summary: "Soul mates", a term that could not be used in West Roswell High without thinking of Max Evans and Liz Parker. What made their relationship so desireable to others was a mystery, but there was no bigger mystery then the reason why in one night, the two disappeared from each others' lives. Now, after five years of wondering what happened to one another, the two return to Roswell.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters, but I wish I did because the show would still be on.

A/N: I would like to thank my beta Kris, and Jazzy of course too. The torment I've put the two through in finding the right name for the fic. Wow, lol.

Well, hope you guys like it.

<center>_____________________________________________________________

Chapter 1

Las Cruces University – November 21st, 2005 2:19 P.M.</center>

Watching the scattered scenery of students hugging each other good-bye, from her opened dorm room window, was enough human interaction to cause Eileen’s stomach to turn. “God, I hate this school,” Eileen muttered, removing the half-smoked cigarette from her lips as she released two clouds of menthol smoke from her nostrils.

Liz shook her head inspirited, “that’s what you said about Winnaman Academy,” she answered softly as she made her way back and forth from her drawers to her suitcase on her bed without looking to Eileen.

“Yeah, but Winnaman was different. I had authority there.” She replied before taking another drag from her cigarette. “This school blows so much. Ugh, I can’t wait to leave.” Sighing in affliction, she stood up from the window ledge and looked over to Liz, who seemed to be in her own world. “What about you? You almost done packing?” Eileen questioned as she hopped on Liz’s bed, causing her opened suitcase to tip over and fall on the floor.

“Well, I was,” Liz answered with soft laugh before looking down at her hand to see the only thing she managed to hold on to from the falling suitcase, was a black spaghetti strapped tank with the word “Kitty” outlined with glitter.

“Shit.” Eileen cursed, lifting the suitcase from the floor and causing the items that managed to stay on from the first fall, to fall out. “Fuck!” Eileen snorted with an entertained laugh as she knelt down beside the pile, placed her cigarette between her lips, and then scooped up an armful of clothes before she noticed Liz’s dazed focus on the tank top she had in her hands. “What? Did I dirty it?” She questioned in a mumble before tossing the clothes on the bed and moving beside Liz, to get a look at the tank herself. “I don’t see anything.” She declared, taking the cigarette from her lips and blowing the smoke out from the corner of her mouth before flicking it out the window.

Liz finally responded indifferently, “No. No. You didn’t dirty it,” before she sat down on her bed and set her heels on the width of the wooden bed frame while she continued to eye the shirt.

“What is it then? A name brand shirt?” She continued to press as she sat beside her.

Liz continued to stare absentmindedly into the tank, ignoring Eileen’s meddling questions while she traced over the lettering. Focusing on the tips of her fingers until they morphed from feminine, manicured fingers to familiar masculine ones.


“Yeah, well, we won’t be making it to State if he keeps dragging his ass.” Max retorted to Michael on the phone, lying on his side as he traced over the lettering of Liz’s tank while she brushed the back of his hair with her fingertips and read silently from her magazine.

“Tell him Maria left her magazines in my book bag again.” Liz whispered looking to Max just as he bit down on the hem of her tank and lifted it to reveal her toned tummy.

“Hey, Michael.” Max called out with the cotton material still clenched between his teeth before he let go to smile at her. “Liz said that Maria left her magazines in her book bag.” He relayed before placing a small butterfly kiss on her stomach, causing her to stir from the tickling feeling.

“What?” Liz questioned curiously with a smile when she saw Max look up quizzically at her.

“He said he hid them inside your bag because they’re quiz bonus pack magazines, so make sure you don’t give them back to Maria.” He answered with a chuckle as he traced repeated circles around her belly button. “Hey Michael, hold on. I got someone on my other line.” Max announced before hitting the “flash” button on his cordless phone without needing to look at the keypad. “Hello? Maria? Yeah, one sec. Michael, hey, I’ll call you back. Maria wants to talk to Liz. Yeah, okay, later. Hello? Maria? You there? Her she is.” Max announced handing the phone over to Liz before he saucily started to undo the bow to her sweat pants.

“Maria?” She answered, giving Max a warning look when he stripped himself of his shirt. “No, no, I haven’t seen your magazines.” She replied, covering her mouth and moving the phone away from her mouth so she wouldn’t hear her laugh. “Uh huh.” She hummed, rubbing Max’s back as he leaned over her abdomen, barring a third of his torso’s weight on her as he rummaged through the top drawer of his nightstand. ”Mm hmm.” Smiling at his discovery, she continued to speak on the phone while he began tearing away the foiled material that covered the condom he found and then hissed in satisfaction when he felt her wet mouth hover over his nipple. “Yeah, that is weird.” She commented half interested in the phone conversation as she brushed her fingers through Max’s dark hair and watched him intently as he veiled his arousal. “Well, Maria, we um…Max and I are kind of studying right now so I’ll let you go, okay?”

“Studying? Is that what you call it?” Max questioned with a mischievous smile as Liz’s eyes widen in shock.

“No, no, I’m not trying to hang up on you. Maria.” She assured her, trying desperately to hold her laugh back.

“She’s trying to make love to her all-star boyfriend…” Max whispered before Liz’s small hand covered his mouth, making the rest of his sentence sound like a mumble.

“No, no, that was Max. He um, said he was just uh talking to your boyfriend.” She corrected shaking her head in amazement as Max mouthed the words “hang up” to her. “Max!” She protested in a small yelp when he snatched the phone from her hand and held it above his head, out of her reach, as he held her down. “Max, come on.”

“Hello? Maria?” Max called out, pinning Liz down by pressing his forearm down on her collarbone and dodging her hands whenever they would reach for the phone. “Yeah, look. I’m trying to make love to my beautiful girlfriend here…”

“Max!” Liz gasped in shock, nearly choking on her saliva.

“… can you call back in like a couple of hours?”

“Oh-my God, Max! Give me the phone. Maria! Maria, he’s lying!”

“Hey.” He shushed, covering her mouth with one hand as he looked to his closed bedroom door and then looked back to her in playful disappointment. “My sister’s here, remember?” He warned in a whisper, causing Liz to bite on her bottom lip from guilt before he returned to the phone conversation. “Maria? Yeah, better make that like 6 hours.” He growled as he eyed the hardened peaks of her breast. “She has this tank top on that’s driving me crazy right now.”

“Max!”

“Bye Maria.” Max bid before he quickly hung up the phone and tossed it beside him on the bed.

“Max, I can’t believe you just did that.” Liz giggled as she tangled her legs with his and smacked his hand away from lifting her tank any higher.

“What? She knows I’m kidding.” Max shrugged innocently before lowering down to the crook of Liz’s neck, causing her to giggle as he blew raspberries on her neckline and tickled her on her sides.

“For your sake, you better not be kidding.”



“Hello? Liz? Hey? Earth to Liz.” Eileen chanted as she waved her hand and snapped her fingers in front of Liz’s face before becoming mildly stupefied when she saw Liz blink back into reality. “Welcome back. Any probing I should know about?”

“Ho-what? Probing?” Liz repeated confused.

“Yeah, from the aliens that abducted you to la-la land for that whole minute and a half.”

“Oh, sorry. It’s just…”

“Max Evans again, huh?”

“How did…”

“You always have this glow to your face when you’re thinking about him. It’s kind of annoying really.” Eileen nodded, giving Liz a disappoint shrug. “How long has it been anyway?”

“Almost 5 years.” She whispered dispiritedly as she looked down at the silver ring bound around her ringer finger.


“Liz.” Max whispered softly in her ear before moving the soft strands of hair covering her sleeping face and then kissed softly behind her ear lobe before calling to her again. “Liz, wake up.”

“Mmm.” She hummed as she stirred beside him. “Max?” She called out sleepily without opening her eyes.

“Yeah.” He replied, kissing her bare shoulder before he moved his kisses down the line of her naked back, smiling at the sound of her purring in enjoyment.

“What time is it?” Liz questioned sheepishly as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

“Almost 11. We have to get dressed so I can get you home in time.”

“Uh, I don’t want to go home yet.” She whined with a small stretch and then cuddled closer to him for warmth. “I’m so tired.” She yawned as he pulled out his arm from underneath her pillow to prop his head up and admire her as she slowly drifted back to sleep.

“Liz.”

“I’m awake. I’m just resting my eyes.” She sighed before turning her back to him and cuddled close to him when he wrapped his arms around her.

“Do you love me Liz?”

“What?” Liz questioned opening her eyes and looking up at him puzzled.

“Tomorrow, we’re gonna go to those out-of-state games in Texas for a few days and since you’re not allowed to go, I wanted to give you this before then.” He stated softly before he showed her the end of chain dangling from his closed fist while he clutched onto tightly to the opposite end in the center of his hand.

“Max, you didn’t have to get me anything.” She replied in a breath of appreciation as she turned to him and tenderly kissed him while stoking his cheek. “Thank you.”

“You haven’t even looked at it.” Max acknowledged with a faint chuckle.

“Yeah, but it’s from you, so thank you.” She smiled proudly and then closed her eyes in delight as Max kissed her forehead in adoration. “Can I see it?” She questioned coyly as she chewed nervously on her bottom lip and looked to Max from underneath her eyelashes to see him smiling at her.

“Yeah,” he answered before opening his hand, “it’s not fancy…”

“No, it’s beautiful.” She interrupted with a tone of astonishment and then picked up the slender ring from the center of his palm, feeling the cold silver chain attached to the ring, brush against her chin as she admired the characteristics of the ring. Turning the ring slowly, as if on display, she gazed at the small squares that divided the ring. 8 squares, 4 containing an engraving and the remaining 4, colored of in ancient silver to separate each design. First engraving contained the letter “M” which she could safely assume stood for “Max”, the next a heart, followed by an “L” for “Liz” and a medieval cross on the last. “Max, where did you get this?”

“I got it made. Do you like it?”

“Like it. I love it.” She replied with an ear-to-ear grin. “Thank you.”

“It’s for when I’m away on games and you miss me… you can put it on so I can be close to you.”



“Do you know if he’s gonna be there?” Eileen questioned, startling Liz out of her memory.

“I don’t know.” Liz answered as she shook her head desolately, taking a minute to consider the possibility of seeing him again, before she concluded her statement. “I really hope not.”

“Why not? I thought you were like head over heels on this guy?”

“I was…but that was a long time ago.” Liz shrugged and returned to her suitcase to refold her clothes.

“5 years isn’t a long time.”

“When you’re in love…were-in love…5 years is a lot longer than what it seems.”
Last edited by Crashdown_51 on Mon Aug 14, 2006 6:06 am, edited 23 times in total.
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Post by Crashdown_51 »

lizard_queen ~ I think it'll be Memento to me too.
Natz wrote:Dude where do you come up with all these stories, there all great.
I have no clue, but I have like 20 more, just I know I will never write them. :cry: Maybe I should put up a challenge thingy???


Thanks for all the FB everyone. Hope I keep you guys smiling. :D

<center>_____________________________________________________________,</center>
Song: Have You Seen Me Lately? by Counting Crows

<center>Chapter 2

University of New Mexico November 21st, 2005 – 4:15 P.M.</center>

“Exactly how many weeks of vacation did they give you, Maria?” Michael questioned as he and Max struggled to zip close one of her overstuffed suitcases.

“One. Why?” Maria answered as she packed her toiletries into a matching bag, big enough to carry a bowling ball.

“Because you packed like you’re moving back to Roswell.”

“Seriously Maria. We can’t even close this shit.” Max cursed as he wiped the sweat from his brow, getting the zipper an inch further than he did before.

“Pull, Max.” Michael ordered from on top of the suitcase as he watched Max pull on the zipper again.

“They’re necessities, Max.” Maria exhaled in annoyance as she cat-walked her way to them and shooed them away from her suitcase before she zipped up the rest effortlessly.

“Well, we did all the work.” Michael declared after a stunned moment and then looked to an astonished Max as he bent down to pick up his basketball from the floor.

“Noted.” Both Max and Michael hear Maria giggle before they looked to her.

“Maria, are you kidding me?” Michael exclaimed when Maria slammed her middle drawer shut and began rummaging through the top drawer. “You got enough frickin’ clothes packed to open up your own damn store. Let’s go already.”

“Okay. Okay. I just need to find my earrings.”

“Aren’t you wearing like 20 already?” Michael questioned sarcastically, over the triple ear piercings she had on each ear.

“Very funny, Michael.” She huffed, rolling her eyes at him before continuing her search.

“Max still has to pick up Tess from the airport.” Michael exhaled in frustration as he twirled the basketball in his hands.

“Actually, the airport is 10 minutes…” But before Max could finish his statement, Michael hurled the ball unexpectedly to his stomach and watched with amusement as Max coughed in pain from the impact. “Prick.” Max puffed, throwing back the ball to Michael with force and then bent forward, holding his knees and rubbing his stomach in order to catch his breath that was abruptly knocked out of him.

“You know, the faster you guys help me find them, the faster we can get out of here.” Maria suggested as she shook her head in disapproval to their childish behavior.

“Alright. Alright.” Michael snickered, stepping behind her, “What do they look like?” He asked, nearly falling on Maria when Max gave him a prankish push and then laughed his way to Maria’s nightstand, while Michael toiled to regain his balance.

“They’re Bronze…” Max heard her begin to describe as he sat on her bed and began looking through her nightstand for them. “They have like tiny little blue rocks dangling…” Just then, his hand froze and his eyes narrowed on the pair Maria was searching for.


“…Happy Birthday dear Maria. Happy Birthday to you.”

“Yay, presents.” Maria clapped as Michael and Amy DeLuca started to surround her with gifts. “Which one first?”

“Open Max’s first.” Liz cheered, turning slightly to her side to smile at Max, who was sitting closely behind her with his hands holding her hips.

“This one right?” Michael questioned as he handed Maria a small, wrapped squared box with a red bow on the lid.

“It goes with Liz’s present.” Max pointed out as he wrapped his arms around Liz, feeling her lean back against him as they watched Maria untie the bow and remove the lid.

“Nice wrapping man.” Michael teased as he rubbed the small of Maria’s back.

“Leave him alone.” Liz defended with a giggle before looking up to Max, who gave her a thankful wink, and then caressed his left cheek to get him to lean down closer to her in order to kiss his right cheek for support.

“Earrings.” Maria announced, causing Max and Liz’s attention to be diverted off each other and back to her.

“According to Liz, they match the dress she got you.” Max chuckled as he and the other guests looked on as she removed one pair of earrings and replaced them with the pair he gave her.

“Dress?” Maria repeated, looking straight to Liz who had her eyebrows arched and huge grin across her face. “You didn’t.”

“I did.”

“You lie.”

“I don’t.”

“Shut up.”

“I swear.” Liz laughed just as Michael laid another her present on Maria’s lap.

“Let me guess Maxwell. It was your job to wrap the presents.” Michael sarcastically questioned, seeing that Liz’s present was wrapped in the same poor condition as Max’s.

“Get bent, Michael.” Max retorted and then returned his sights to the unveiling of the famous dress.

“You did!” Maria screeched in happiness as she hugged the silky dress to her.

“I did!” Liz screeched in the same happy manner and then leaned forward to hug Maria.

“Oh, I just have to try this on. I’ll be right back.” Maria clapped with excitement before running off into her bedroom.

“What’s so special about that dress?” Michael shrugged before standing up and following after Maria.

“Are you staying over tonight?” Max whispered in Liz’s ear as he hugged her closer to him.

“I promised Maria I’d stay the night.” Liz answered, closing her eyes as she invoked the feeling of his hot breath heating the crook of her neck and sending a rush of Goosebumps over her skin while he groaned in disappointment.

“It’s getting harder Liz.” He whispered drearily in her ear.

“I know Max. I can feel you.” She whispered back in a heated breath as she caressed his neck with the tip of her nose.

“That’s not what I meant.” He corrected with a small chuckle, but acknowledged her statement by pulling her back by her hips, closer to his sudden erection. “I meant it’s getting harder to not have you next to me at night. Dropping you off every night, back at your house in the middle of the night…it feels like we’re sneaking around.”

“We are sneaking around, Max.”




“Any luck Max?”

“Huh?” Max coughed out, looking over to the dresser Michael and Maria were standing by, to see Michael whispering in Maria’s ear.

“Yeah.” He answered, clearing his throat as he picked up the earrings and then walked over to the occupied couple to hand them over to her. “You know what. I have to make a stop before I pick up Tess from the airport. I’ll see you guys back at Roswell okay?”

“You alright man?” Michael questioned with concern, noticing Max had suddenly become pale and jittery.

“Yeah. Yeah. Fine. I-I just got this thing to do.” Max stuttered as he stepped backward towards the door that he was pointing to with his thumb. “Later.” He waved before turning on his heel and moderately exiting the dorm room.

Why he was suddenly running? He didn’t know. But before he could regain control of his feet, he had already reached the visitor’s parking lot and walked the rest of the way to his car, at a normal pace.

Once inside, he gripped tightly to the steering wheel, pulling and pushing his torso near and away from the steering wheel before he turned on his car. Leaning his head back against the headrest, he looked to his CD player when he heard it automatically loading the CD already cued up and then turned to look at the empty passenger seat beside him.


Get away from me
Get away from me, this isn't gonna be easy
But I don't need you
Believe me
You got a piece of me
But it's just a little piece of me
And I don't need anyone
And these days I feel like I’m fading away
Like sometimes when I hear myself on the radio
Have you seen me lately?
Have you seen me lately?



“I can’t believe this is the only safe place I can see you in.” Liz voiced as she adjusted the seat back and then pressed her back against the glove compartment.

“It’s okay, Liz. I mean it’s better then not seeing each other at all, right?” Max replied with a shrug. They were far from the grinding adventures the majority of the teenagers’ search for at Buckley Point, and like her he was just as furious over the fact that their situation resulted in them meeting in such a place.

“Yeah, I guess your right.” Liz nodded after taking a moment to consider his view. “But I just feel kind of…cheap…being here.”

“How do you think I feel bringing you here?” Max snapped back without thinking. “I hate that it looks like I just brought you here for a backseat ride, Liz. I’ve told you before. I never wanted you like that so don’t say you feel cheap because it looks like you’re saying that’s the way I treat you.”

“Don’t get mad at me, okay?” She pleaded almost in a sob as she lowered her head and picked at her nails nervously. “You know I didn’t mean it like that.”

“Liz.” Max sighed with regret, pinching the bridge of his nose when he realized his outburst had frightened her. “I didn’t mean to scare you.” He clarified as he maneuvered his way from the driver’s seat, carefully to the passenger seat so that Liz could sit side ways between his legs. “Come here.” He requested, rubbing the back of her neck before he pulled her to him and kissed the top of her head twice. “I’m sorry,” He whispered before kissing her head again. “I didn’t mean to yell, okay?” He could feel her respond with a fragile nod before cuddling closer to him. “We can’t fight Liz. Not now, okay? In a year, we can tell whoever we want that we’re together. That I’m with you and that you’re with me.”

“No more having Michael and Maria cover for us.” Liz added in a hopeful tone. “No more sneaking around.”

“No more sleeping without you in my arms.” Max appended as he hugged her closer to him.

“No more blind dates.”

“Blind dates?” Max repeated quickly in surprise, looking to Liz for an answer when she sat up and looked out towards the driver side window before facing him.

“Just kidding.” Liz laughed, nudging him to sit back when he let out a deep sigh of relief. “You said something funny so I thought I should too.”

“That wasn’t funny. That was pure evil.”

“I know. Maria would be so proud.” Liz giggled as Max wrapped his arms around her again and pulled her back down on him.

“I’d bet.” He chuckled before her words fully registered in his mind. “Wait. What did I say that was so funny?”

“Backseat ride.” Liz laughed, pulling the clutch of the seat again to make the headrest touch the backseat before she stood on her knees and then seducingly lowered herself on top of him. “That’s something Michael would say. Not you.”

“Michael would be so proud.” He repeated slyly as he arched his eyebrow and flashed her a smile.

“Yeah, I’d bet.”


Have you seen me lately?


Sitting up abruptly, Max popped in the car lighter and then opened the glove compartment, reaching in to pull out his worn out carton of cigarettes.

Have you seen me lately?

“Fuck,” He cursed when he realized the carton was empty and then began searching the car frantically for a cigarette from the storage section on the door to the small compartment inside his arm rest, he search desperately until he recalled hiding one in the pocket behind his seat. Shoving his hand in the pocket, he smiled in victory when he felt the paper cylinder between his fingers and then turned back when he heard the lighter pop out.

I remember me
And all the little things that make up a memory
Like she said she loved to watch me sleep
Like she said:
"it's the breathing, it's the breathing in and out and in and..."
Have you seen me lately?


“She’s just a memory.” Max mumbled after setting the filter of the cigarette between his lips and lighting it with the car lighter. “Just a fucking memory.” He repeated, releasing his inhalation of smoke before returning the lighter to where it belonged and then shifted the car gear into reverse.

Have you seen me lately?
Have you seen me lately?
Last edited by Crashdown_51 on Wed Jun 21, 2006 1:18 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Author's Note: Hey guys, sorry about the last two weeks. I share a computer and my brother caused 33 viruses to delete EVERYTHING in our computer. My Photoshop7...gone. My Words program...gone. My music...gone. My pictures...gone. My fics...gone. Absolutely everything has been deleted.

Anywho, aside from wallowing in my misery, I'm posting 2 chapters to catch up.

Answers to all the questions:

1. Is Max going out with Tess?

Yes.

2. Is she evil?

Nopes. Well...you'll see.

3. What happened to Max and Liz?

You'll find out.

Erina wrote:I'm confused...Why they couldn't be together? They had said some things even in the first part, that made me wonder about that...But it doesn't look like the cause of their current state. There is something more...
We got a yahtzee. Erina you are one smart cookie.


Thanks everyone for all the feedback.

<center>_____________________________________________________________


Chapter 3

Las Cruces University –
November 21st, 2005 – 4:21 P.M. </center>

“Your parents are here.” Eileen announced as she held their door open for Jeff and Nancy Parker, who both seemed high-strung as they waited by the doorway.

“I’ll carry your bag.” Jeff Parker offered impassively as he cleared his throat and took a step into the room.

“Thanks.” Liz replied, just as indifferent to the offer as she was to their presence, and then grabbed her purse from the nightstand.

“See you later Liz.” Eileen waved, unsure if it was appropriate to say at the moment.

“Bye.” Liz responded sadly and then closed the door behind her before she looked down the dormitory hallway to see her parents reach the staircase.

“Liz! Liz!”

“Chris?” Liz called out to the running, mid 20’s brunette that jogged his way down the opposite end of the hall to her. “Chris, what are you doing here?” She questioned while he caught his breath.

“Just---wanted---to say,” He coughed out before clearing the exhausted knot in his throat and then attempted to complete his sentence in one breath “…good-bye.”

Opening her eyes in surprise, Liz let out a faint laugh and then patted his back when he started to cough out dry air, “are you okay?”

“Yeah,” he choked out, straightening his posture as he waved off her unnecessary concern, “just ran from the other side of the campus to reach you. Nothing big.”

“Are you kidding? Why?” Liz questioned in shock, calculating the distance in her head and dreading ever having to run it herself some day.

“You’re leaving today.” He reminded with a confused assertion.

“For a week, Chris.” She declared as she cupped the side of his face to express her concern. “God, you could’ve really hurt yourself.”

“Yeah, well, don’t ever say I never did anything for you, Parker.” He coughed out for a final time before he noticed a middle-aged couple eyeing them impatiently. “Are those your parents?”

“Yeah.” She sighed as she slowly slid her hand off his face and shoved it into her back pocket.

“They look just as happy as you do.” He pointed out sarcastically.

“Shut up, dork.” Liz laughed as she pushed him back lightly.

“I swear, all this happiness is gonna make me hurl.”

“Keep talking about happiness and ‘I’m’ gonna be the one to hurl.” Liz warned playfully and then looked down to the tip of her Converse shoes.

“Will you call me when you get back?” He questioned unsure as he tucked her wavy locks behind her ear. Looking up at him, almost in surprise to hear how doubtful he was, she took a step forward and pressed her lips softly against his.

“Liz, let’s go.” Her dad ordered as he grabbed hold of her suitcases again and watched as she slowly walked away from Chris.

“I’ll call you.” Liz promised, taking on last look at him before lowering her head and making her way down the lonely corridor to where her parents stood.

<center> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</center>

It wasn’t until she reached her parent’s car that she looked up from the ground and truly smiled for the first time in years. A smile she quickly hid behind the cover of her hand as she watched as her father loaded her luggage onto the backseat and then signaled her to climb aboard.

Just the touch of the interior was enough sense to send her back down memory lane, but she restrained herself from doing so until the Jeep Cherokee was officially in motion, then and only then did she allow herself to remember.

“How long?”

“Two or three days.” Max replied in between hungry kisses.

“But I don’t want you to leave.” Liz answered out of breath as she entwined her fingers with his.

“Liz, I’ll be back before you know it.” He promised as he tucked her long hair behind her ears and softly pulled her head down by her chin to kiss her forehead.

“Max, I know it now and I already miss you.” She pouted as she played with the small, thin, silver cross from his chain that rested on his bare chest.

“Liz, if you don’t want me to go, I won’t go.” He declared as he cupped her face and looked into her eyes to assure his seriousness.

“Max, you have to go.” She replied solemnly, resting her forehead against his cheek before alluring him with an open mouth kiss.

“Here?” Max whispered, feeling her unbutton his jeans with sudden desperation.


If her parents only knew that the backseat of their jeep that she and her luggage currently occupied for the duration of the ride back to Roswell had been enjoyed with Max to the full extent of the word “enjoyed”.

Just thinking about it made the corners of her mouth curl spitefully.

How she wished that she could’ve collected every single wrapper from the condoms Max had used on her and create a vivid collage of the countless times she and Max had made love, pointing out the two occasions they made love in her parents’ Cherokee in big, red, bold letters.

But it didn’t matter anymore to her. Her parents were obnoxiously right and Max was no more than a memory to her, just like everyone else she knew before Winnaman.

Maria.

Michael.

All just memories.

“And you know this how?” With an humoring smirk, Liz lingered on the “how” to ensure Maria picked up on her skepticism, which she was certain Maria had since she heard her insulted gasp echo from the inside of her locker.

“Hello? Maria DeLuca, the information highway, dot-dot-com, remember me? I got goods that even gossipers kill for.”

It sounded like an authentic piece of gossip to her, but with Maria, Liz could never tell if she was telling the truth or messing with her to see how far she’d believe her since Maria had the ability to put tabloids into shame with the elaborate stories she came up with.

So far, she had only heard a portion of the story, being half-interested with what Maria had to say since she was distracted with the list off school assignments she was trying to check off mentally. It was hard enough for her to see inside her narrow locker, let only trying to figure out what frivolous subject to weed out with Maria chattering in her ear.

“Babe, sweetie,” Maria’s voice reached her ears again and she intuitively hopped back when Maria pushed the locker door shut in order to get her undivided attention, “you’re talking to me now.”

“Hey. I didn’t get my Geometry book.”

“Liz, come on, you and I both know that Max + Liz = more than kissing, so A’s for everyone.”

“Maria, I’m serious. I need my Geometry book.”

“Yeah, right, like you’ll be studying anyway.” Maria snorted as she rolled her eyes in annoyance.

“And what the hell does that mean?” The insinuation was as readable as the first letter at the top of an eye exam…as clear as day. But Liz loved the way her relationship with Max caused her friends to gag.

“Yeah, like you don’t know. You guys have been going out, for what, a year almost? You guys are practically joined at the hip.”

“Oh, you should talk, Maria.” Liz rebutted in complete shock. “Who’s the one that’s doing her boyfriend's laundry?”

“Those are extenuating circumstances, Liz.” Maria defended as they started to walk towards the nearest exit.

“Oh, they’re always extenuating circumstances when it comes to Michael, Maria.”

“Ah! You should talk, making little care packages for Max on away games.”

“In which I distinctly recall you asking me for the recipe for my cookies to make a care package for Michael, a-thank you.”

“That doesn’t count.”

“Why not?”

“Because I never gave it to him.”

“That’s because you burned the cookies and nearly burned your house down to the ground. I bet if you wouldn’t have gotten grounded for it, you would’ve gone to the store, bought some cookies and pass them off as homemade, just to satisfy you’re little Space boy.” Liz teased as she squeezed lightly on of Maria cheeks.

“Bite me Liz. Fully.” Maria retorted as she swatted Liz away from her.

“Aww, come here.” Liz giggled as she hung her arm around Maria’s neck. “You know I love you right?”

“Of course. I mean, come on, who doesn’t love me?” Maria replied sarcastically and then stopped abruptly before slapping her forehead. “Shit!”

“What?”

“I forgot my car keys in my locker.” Maria stomped once in disbelief and then looked back to the double doors they had just exited out of. “Forget it, we’re too far.”

“Maria, the door is like 5 steps away.” Liz laughed in amazement as she pointed to the door. “Go ahead, I’ll wait for you here.”

“Alright, I’ll be right back.” Maria vowed before running back in the direction they came from.

“Liz!”

Shielding the sun from her eyes with her hand, Liz smiled courteously when she made out the person calling her to be none other than the headliner to Maria’s gossip, Peter Gulla.

“Hi, Peter.” Liz greeted with forced enthusiasm and then glanced in the direction of the double doors with hopes to see Maria return.

“Hey, listen, Friday…”

“Yeah?” Liz replied suspiciously.

“Well, you know the Crash Festival is this Friday, right?”

“Um, there are poster all over the school.” Liz answered as her eyes moved to one of the promoting posters that was taped to the wall and then looked back at him to see that he was still awaiting an answer. “Yes, Peter. I know.” She bluntly replied in disbelief before noticing Michael heading towards them.

“So how about it?” He questioned eagerly as he shoved his hands in his pockets.

“How about what?”

“Do you want to go?”

“Um, you do know I have a boyfriend right?” Liz questioned in surprise as she nervously rubbed the straps to her book bag.

“Max? Really? No, I didn’t know that. I just assumed that, you know…” He trailed of to insinuate the rest of his assumption with the wiggle of his eyebrows.

“No, I don’t know.” Liz answered back defensively as she crossed her arms.

“Forget it. I just saw you in Buckley Point and I…”

“And you what?” Liz questioned, completely offended and irritated by his dense assumption, just as Michael stepped up to them.

“What’s going on?” Michael questioned suspiciously as he lifted his chin to greet Peter.

“Nothing, this jerk off was just leaving.” Liz spat as she arched her eyebrow and eyed Peter in repulsion.

“What?” Michael questioned, surprised by her profanity that made him realize he had just walked into something other than a friendly conversation.

“Jerk off?” Peter repeated with a sarcastic chuckle as he stroked his chin. “Funny, here I was coming to you because I thought that was your specialty.”

“What the hell did you say?” Michael disputed angrily over Liz’s offended gasp and then grabbed Peter by his shirt. “What did you say?” Michael repeated between his clenched teeth and then shook Peter once before pushing him back against the wall.

“Hey, relax man.” Peter advised with his hands up in surrender, unable to hide the fact that he feared Michael.

“Relax, you piece of shit?”

“Michael, forget it, let’s just go, okay?” Liz pleaded as she pulled Michael by his forearm. “He’s not worth it.”

“You’re lucky Max isn’t here.” Michael warned with a chuckle as he pointed to Peter and took a step back away from Peter.

“Oh yeah, what’s his punk ass gonna do?” Peter questioned with a smirk when he assumed Michael was walking away just as Liz supplicated, but then found himself swallowing back what little bit of courage he mustered when Michael chuckled and then scratched the back of his head.

“You’re about to find out.” Michael announced with a cocky grin as he pointed for Peter to look behind him.

“What’s going on?” Max questioned, looking from Michael and Liz to Peter, who had suddenly turned pale at his presence.
Last edited by Crashdown_51 on Wed Jun 21, 2006 1:38 am, edited 2 times in total.
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<center>Chapter 4

Albuquerque International Sunport Airport –
November 21st, 2005 – 4:45 P.M.</center>

“Boo!” Tess cooed from the rolled down window on the passenger side of Max’s parked car and then giggled when Max coughed out a cloud of smoke. “Did I scare you?” She smiled with hope as she climbed in the passenger seat and then began fanning the smoke away.

“Yeah, you did.” He confessed with a faint smile as he leaned towards her and kissed her “hello”. “Where’s your luggage?” He questioned, surprised to see her climb in with only a travelling Louie Vuitton satchel shaped bag he had heard so much about.

“I thought I could buy my clothes when we get to Roswell.” She replied unconcerned as she removed her sunglasses and then scanned Max’s toned form. “Wow, look at you. I see you haven’t been a stranger to the gym.” Tess complimented before squeezing his biceps.

“Yeah, well, it’s something to do.” Max shrugged off modestly and then glanced at his mirrors before pulling out of his parking space. “How was your flight?”

“A complete drag,” She exhaled as she leaned back against the seat and rubbed her forehead. “I didn’t have time to catch breakfast this morning so I literally had to ration the in-flight peanuts they gave us. It’s pure mutiny that a passenger is only allowed one packet of peanuts per flight. I swear, like 5 people, besides me, we’re about two seconds away from rioting.” She rambled on before noticing the empty back seats. “Where are Maria and Michael? I thought they were suppose to come with you?”

“Yeah, they sort of got backed up trying to find a pair of earrings…”

“Oh my God, that’s exactly what happened to me. I couldn’t find my earrings that matched with my tennis bracelet, so I was like two seconds from having a melt down but like two seconds later, a pledge found them in my jewelry box.”

“Wow, lucky you.” Max responded blankly, turning right when he spotted the “I-25” highway sign and then glance to Tess when her cell phone started to ring.

“Oh, that’s probably my mother.” She announced before answering. “Sheila, hi.” She greeted, missing the surprised look Max had given her at the sound of her calling her mother by her first name. “Yeah, it was horrible…”

Drowning out the second telling of her peanut fiasco, the sounds of the tires rotating on the asphalt was all he focused on hearing as he relished the pleasant wind that brought a certain coolness to the suddenly cramped car.

“Do you mind?” Max asked, pointing to the radio and nearly smiled in relief when she insinuated him to go ahead.

I saw it written and I saw it said- pink moon is on its way.
None of you stand so tall, pink moon gonna get you all
and it's a pink moon, yeah, pink moon.
Pink, pink, pink, pink, pink moon.
Pink, pink, pink, pink, pink moon.


Glancing to the passenger side, he was suddenly captured at the sight of Tess’s presence and golden curly locks being replaced by the memory of Liz sitting beside him and her silky, straightened, dark strands of hair flagging wildly at the guidance of the desert night’s breeze.

I saw it written and I saw it said- pink moon is on its way.
None of you stand so tall, pink moon gonna get you all
and it's a pink moon, yeah, pink moon.
Pink, pink, pink, pink, pink moon.
Pink, pink, pink, pink, pink moon.


She had been quiet that entire trip. Her face in the corner of the rolled-down window, staring in a daze at the star-filled sky while the cool wind brushed against her face.

“What are you thinking about?” Even though her ears had gone numb from the cool breeze, she could still make out his nervous tone.

“Us.” Liz whispered back and then shut her eyes to intensify the feeling of the wind’s touch.

She wanted him to stay quiet, for him to leave it at that, but it wasn’t too much of a surprise for her to hear him continue to press the topic.

“What about us?” Curiosity blended with his dilemma as his cold hand entwined with hers. She wanted to tell him what had been bothering her so much, but when she turned to look at him, he looked so sad. Even though he was smiling, his smile never really reached his eyes and seeing his tightening grip on the steering wheel just further told her that it wasn’t the right time to talk about it, especially not in Michael and Maria’s presence. So, she forced herself to smile, giving him a small hope that everything was all right and then returned her gaze to the stars.

“Hey, I just noticed we don’t have a song.”

He quickly glanced to her quizzically, expected her to say something other than the fact that they didn’t have a song, but by her timid expression, he assumed it was all she could say at the moment and just followed along to humor her.

“We don’t have a song?” His eyebrows scrunched up in bewilderment and he desperately tried to keep his eyes on her, if it wasn’t for the dark road he chose to drive on.

“Not you too.” Michael huffed, sliding up between the front seats to look from Max to Liz in annoyance.

Liz turned to face him since his outbursts had proved to be quite entertaining in the past, mostly because Maria was always right behind to shoot his comments down.

“Oh, shut up Michael.” Maria commanded as expected and pulled him back by his shoulder to sit back. “They weren’t even talking to you.” Maria spat before slapping his stomach with the back of her hand and then crossed her arms in animosity.

“Fuck Maria. Enough with the fucking hitting already.” Michael shouted before returning to the small space between the driver and passenger seats and tapped on Max’s arm with two of his knuckles. “If you ask me, Maxwell. Get a song that you barely hear on the radio. Trust me. Because they expect you to go all Fabio on them whenever they hear it.”

“Fabio?” Maria repeated with a sarcastic snort. “You wish.”

“Fuck you Maria.” He huffed before turning to look at her.

“Promises, promises, Space boy.” She replied, shaking her foot as she eyed him up and down in desire, the same desire he was eyeing her with. Then, like a bolt of lightning had struck underneath the two, they jolted into each other’s arms and began tackling each other with lust. Liz giggled softly as she turned back around and then looked to Max as he shook his head in amazement.

Knowing them as long as they both did, Liz longer than Max, had taught them to not be surprised to see the two clawing at each other hungrily after insulting one another. What they were both shocked to see was the fact that the Ping-Pong verbal abuse only lasted a few seconds when traditionally their back-and-forth banter lasted hours, evens days once, but never seconds.

Once, they had tried imitating one of Michael and Maria’s arguments with each other, and in the end, they both ended up feeling unbelievably ashamed with each another. How Maria and Michael could extract love from hateful words is beyond Max, but with him and Liz, it was something they learned the hard way that it should never be combined.

“Drop them off, okay?” She suggested timidly, causing Max to look to her abruptly as she blushed from the yearning look she was giving him.

“What about you?” He questioned as she looked down at her knees and then hesitantly looked to him from the corner off her eye.

“Drop them off.” She repeated with a husky longing laced in her words and then watched with content as Max placed a warm kiss on their joined hands.


His vision swiftly transition from seeing himself driving, into the sight of seeing himself, ravishing Liz intently against the bare wall in the corridor leading to Liz’s bedroom.

Recalling the gratified pants that escaped from her lips and spilled into his mouth when he hungrily kissed her that night, was practically enough to drive an aching groan from him…

“Max?”

If it wasn’t for the sound of Tess’s voice cutting into his bewitching recollection like nails on a chalkboard.

“Huh?” Max responded, surprised to see that his dreamy drift wasn’t a result of a major car accident. “What?”

“I said like two seconds ago that you missed our exit back there.” She informed him as she pointed behind them with her thumb.

“What?” Max repeated as he leaned forward, catching the next regulatory sign just in time to see that he indeed missed his turn. “Shit!” He cursed as he signaled to change lanes and exit.

“Are you okay?” Tess questioned after Max shouted and honked to the car before them.

“Yeah, fine. Why?” He replied in an edgy tone.

“I don’t know, you seem a bit tense.”

“I’m not.” He assured her as he remained looking forward to avoid seeing the skeptic look he could feel her giving him. “I just wish these jack asses would learn how to drive.” He argued as he honked his horn demandingly and then tilted his head back against the headrest when he found himself suddenly stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic.

“Well, it looks like we’re gonna be here a while.” Tess pointed out, irritated by the fact, and then commenced pushing numbers on her cell phone while Max decreased the volume to the radio before he pulled out his own cell phone.

‘Hello?’

“I’m stuck in traffic.” Max answered in frustration.

‘I’m not.’


“Thanks Michael.” Max snorted with an amused chuckle and then glanced at his rearview mirror. “Your concern always manages to amaze me.”

‘What are friends for man?’


“Apparently to throw my faults in my face.”

‘Hey, life sucks, we both know this, yours more than mine, so suck it up.’

“You know, I love these talks we have.”

‘Hey, it’s not my fault Tess is sucking the life out of you. No, wait. She’s sucking the life out of you every two seconds.’

Max suddenly burst into a loud laugh that startled Tess to the point where she was clutching her heart. “Sorry.” Max quickly apologized and then returned to his cell phone.

‘It’s annoying man. Every time I hear her say it ‘I’m’ the one about two seconds away from choking her.’

“Uh huh.” Max answered as he scratched his cheek with the tip of his thumb and then cleared his throat before glancing to Tess.

‘She’s sitting next to you isn’t she?’

“Yeah.”

‘Was she like ‘two seconds away’ from having a heart attack when you laughed?’

“Alright, Michael.” Max replied instead to avoid bursting into another laugh.

‘She did, didn’t she?’

“I’ll see you in Roswell.”

‘In two seconds right?’

“Bye!” He laughed and then quickly hung up.

“What was that about?” Tess questioned curiously as she leaned towards him and rubbed his thigh as he shoved his cell phone back in his pocket.

“Um, Michael—he was getting yelled at by Maria.” Max replied as he tried to contain his laugh. “It was funny, that’s all.”

“Poor Michael, it’s like every two seconds Maria’s yelling at him.” Tess stated, causing Max to break out into another hard laugh. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah. Fine.” He added, coughing out the rest of his laugh as she crossed her arms and eyed him suspiciously.
Last edited by Crashdown_51 on Wed Jun 21, 2006 1:47 am, edited 1 time in total.
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confusedfool wrote:im assuming they're dating other ppl now??
Yeps. :cry: Perhaps I should warn you guys ahead of time when there's gonna be some UC. But there isn't really. If there is, it's as small as this period ---> . :D
begonia9508 wrote:What provocated the break-up between Max and Liz?.... Let me guess? Tess!


Nopes. :twisted: Tess had absolutely nothing to do with Max and Liz's current status.
Erina wrote:Now the main point, Max and Liz. Or maybe not....It is just that something happened not just between Liz and Max, but between her and Maria and Michael as well. What? I'm confused about that. Their friendship was described as the good one, so I assume that they couldn't just lost contact. Once again, there is something more....
50 MILLION COOKIES FOR YOU!!!!!! :lol: You're on to something. You're definitely on to something. :shock: :D
Erina wrote:I'm confused as well about what this Peter said. At first I had thought that Liz had cheated on Max, but then I gave up to this possibility. So, what happened? Did Peter see some girl who is similar to Liz or what?


Liz DID NOT cheat on Max, so you can put that worry on ice.
Erina wrote:I think that Peter is the main problem, not Liz, because I have understand that he was the one, who in the paled, when Max came in. Peter knew that Max was her boyfriend, but still he mentioned Buckley Point, so I assume that she was there without Max....


Let me quote something from Chapter 3:
“I can’t believe this is the only safe place I can see you in.” Liz voiced as she adjusted the seat back and then pressed her back against the glove compartment.

“It’s okay, Liz. I mean it’s better then not seeing each other at all, right?” Max replied with a shrug. They were far from the grinding adventures the majority of the teenagers’ search for at Buckley Point, and like her he was just as furious over the fact that their situation resulted in them meeting in such a place.
Okay, now to explain. Max and Liz are sneaking around for some "Crash-explainable" reason, :wink: , so they've resulted in seeing each other in Buckley Point. As for Peter Gulla, later on you guys will find out that the gossip Maria was telling Liz was about Peter Gulla giving mono to Wendy Lavely (hehe, that's a little tidbit from the show that I've been dying to use). So, it's safe to assume that Peter is a total sleaze-ball, hence his assumption about Liz. So, keeping in mind that Max and Liz are sneaking around, it's safe to also assume that maybe Peter saw Liz only. (i.e. in the memory I wrote of Liz and Max at Buckley Point, they lowered the seat down, having Max lying down and Liz on top, maybe Peter was driving up and only saw Liz that way.) OR (i.e. Maybe Peter DID see Max and Liz together, and just assumed Max had her there for "a back seat ride" like Max said it looked like. Later on you guys will see that Max has a little reputation of his own that might've added to this assumption.)

Also, to make it clear that Liz was never alone nor with anyone other than Max at Buckley Point. :wink:
Erina wrote:They were together and now they are....strangers....!


Hence the "Strangers Again", lol. :lol: Man, you do not no the ordeal it was to come up with a title for this fic. Right Kris and Jazzy? :oops:
janesdilemma wrote:And Liz's parent's dont seem thrilled to have her coming back home...


Cookies for you too! :D
janesdilemma wrote:it because they think she's going to be running into Max?
Um, well, technically...I'm not telling. More on Liz's relationship with her parents will be revealed once they get to Roswell.
janesdilemma wrote:How long has she been gone?
It's been 5 years since Liz has seen anyone and anyone's seen her.
icequeen wrote:Are we going to get to see what Max did do that jerk Peter?
Nopes. :twisted: The memories are samples of their relationship. I offer you guys a snack, not the whole kitchen. :lol:
Earth2Mama wrote:Annoying twit!

I hope he gets rid of her soon. Doesn't sound like anyone is much of a fan of her's as well. That should tell Max something!


So angry. Damn that rap music. :lol:
Eccentric One wrote:Okay, I'm like two seconds away from telling Tess to close her vapid mouth.


Ha! :lol:
Eccentric One wrote:What on earth is Max even doing with her? It seems pretty obvious he can't stand her. Is that a recent thing? Or was he somehow 'forced' into being with her? Maybe his parents are really wealthy and this is one of those 'you have to date the daughter of a business client' things.
Aren't you a clever cookie. But you'll just have to wait to find out.
Eccentric One wrote:Apparently Liz was already having some concerns during that car ride Max was remembering from back in Roswell.
Very very observant of you. Cookies for you too.
Eccentric One wrote:I get the feeling that her parents had a lot to do with the break-up. That they didn't want Max and Liz together. The question is why. Differences in the wealth of their families? Social rivals? Something criminal? And it obviously also spilled over into Liz believing that Michael and Maria weren't true to her either. I think it all got manipulated somehow.
If I even try to explain this, it would give it away. Sorry kiddo, gotta read to find out what's up buttercup. :D
lizard_queen wrote:When i read the memento's between Max and Liz,
Ha! Very funny. I was rolling when I saw that.
Emz80m wrote:Why the hell is Max dating Tess if he can't stand her?
She has her not-annoying moments...sometimes.

<center>_______________________________________________________________

Chapter 5

Roswell, New Mexico
November 21st, 2005 7:43 P.M.

Parker Home</center>


Even though 5 years had passed, the touch of her bedroom’s doorknob was oddly homey to her. She presumed it was probably due to the fact that in her years of living under the Parker roof, her bedroom had been her sanctuary when she wasn’t in school, Maria’s house, or in Max’s arms.

“Are you gonna stand there all day or are you gonna actually go inside?”

With her forehead against the door, she looked down to her hand and rubbed the rusted brass from her doorknob before shutting her eyes and sighing, “I’m still thinking about it,” without looking to her mother.

“Look, if you don’t want sleep here, it’s fine with us. I just thought we were past the silent treatments and the coldness.”

She could hear the frustration in her mother’s voice and quickly bit down her urge to answer so her mother wouldn’t hear the bitterness in hers, because no matter how much it killed her, her mother was right…again. It had been 5 years since she’d last seen her parents and she thought she would be past resenting them, but the knot in her throat told her she was far from it.

“Just forget it. I can’t talk to you.”

Turning her head to the direction of her mother’s angry voice, without lifting her head from the door, Liz watched as her mother turned on her heel and stormed off into the living room.

Looking back down to her doorknob, she wondered what it was about her parents that rubbed her the wrong way and noticed it was more than just the Max factor. Thinking back on Elieen’s thesis that she proofread for her, “Why Young Adolescents Hate Their Superiors”, she recalled a distinct point that Eileen made that she didn’t give a second thought to until then. She had simply out grown her parents who lived their lives vicariously through her and started thinking for herself, which poses a threat to her parents who realize that they no longer have control.

Shaking her deranged thought from her head, she took in a breath of sanity before returned her attention to her doorknob as she turned it and then stepped inside.


<center>Liz’s Room</center>

“Oh my God,” baffled by the sight, Liz spun a dazed 180 from the center of her room, realizing that her room had gone 5 years without being touched.

“Ah!” Unable to contain her gasp of surprise when she laid eyes on her balcony, she quickly ran to her window and traced the dragon decal that was adherent to the glass.


“What is that?” Maria asked with a giggle, noticing Liz absentmindedly smiling at a small piece of cardboard she had opened like a book in the palm of her hand.

“It’s one of those 50 cent decals you get at those machines by the gumball ones.” Liz answered with a shrug and then turned the cardboard around to show it to her.

“Wicked dragon.” She complimented before her eyes narrowed on the Chinese scripture near the tale of the black dragon. “What does the writing mean?”

“Love.” Liz answered with a smug smile as she nodded her head.

“Naturally.” Maria giggled with a nod and then proceeded to open the taped box between them.

Liz cheerfully looked over the decal’s detail one last time before she crawled to her window and peeled the dragon from the sheet. Smoothing it out on the glass, slightly above and parallel to the window’s handle, she smiled contently at the new decoration and then tapped on the window to get Max’s attention.

“Come here.” Liz waved with a giggle to Max when he looked in her direction as she sat on her legs, watching him hand Michael the string of lights he had in his hand and then squatting down in front of the window.

“Okay, so exactly how many strawberry candles did you want, Liz?” Maria questioned as she rummaged through the box of divers candles she had brought from her mother’s store. “Liz?” She called out, looking to Liz and rolling her eyes at the sight.

“Do you like it?” Liz asked as she pointed to the decal and then lifted the window to hear his muffled answer better. “Do you like it?”

“Is that what you used the 50 cents you found in my car for?” Max questioned with an amused chuckle.

“Yes.” Liz nodded proudly.

“Nice.” Max nodded in approval and then smiled mischievously as he brushed her cheek playfully with the side of his finger.

“What?” Liz asked, examining his Cheshire smile suspiciously.

“Can I get a kiss?” Max questioned as he held her chin and leaned toward her.

“Aren’t you suppose to be hanging up lights with Michael?” Liz replied leaning back, out of Max’s hold and then looked at him skeptically.

“You distracted me.”

“Well, now I’m un-distracting you.”

“Give me a kiss and I’ll get back to hanging up your pink lights.” He bargained leaning towards her again, but quickly stopped before his head hit the window when she pulled away again.

“They’re not pink, they’re…um,” She hummed pensively as she tapped her chin with her finger, knowing he adored how she looked when she was in deep thought, “they’re like the color of Hawaiian Punch.”

“Hawaiian Punch colored lights?” Max repeated with a dubious chuckle as she nodded spiritedly.

“Max better get his ass back over here and help me or I’m gonna punch ‘his’ lights out.” Michael threatened as he held a string of Chinese lanterns in place against the brick wall and then looked to Max and Liz, who were both laughing as they looked at him. “I’m serious.”

“You got me in trouble.” Max pouted when he faced Liz again.

“I’m sorry.” Liz giggled behind her hand and then shrugged innocently at him.

“You got me in trouble so now you have to kiss me.” He propositioned with an expectant smile.

“Okay.” Liz agreed, seeing Max smile graciously before he leaned towards her with his lips puckered, a motion she took as her cue to quickly shut the window and watched with amusement as his lips pressed up against the glass. “Oops.” Liz shrugged with her palms open.

“That’s mean.” He declared self-conscious as he cleared his throat and then leaned back slowly, giving her a disappointed smile.

“Okay. Okay.” Liz giggled and then curled her finger seducingly for him to approach her again. With his eyebrow arched in suspicion, he hesitantly leaned closer and then stopped to give her an unsure look when he didn’t see her open the window. “Come on.” She continued to guide with her finger until his forehead was pressed up against the glass and then blushed in adoration as she rested her forehead against the glass as well.

“I love you.” Max mouthed, making her bite on her bottom lip when he aligned his face with hers and kissed the cold glass instead.

“I love you.” She whispered, tracing over the smug his lips had made against the glass before she closed her eyes and kissed it lovingly. Leaning back slowly as he smiled at her in devotion, she watched glowingly as he traced over the mark of her lipstick and then smiled in appreciation before returning to help Michael with the lights.



Tracing over where she had kissed in her memory, Liz frowned in disillusion to see that his smug was no longer there and that she was looking through her window without someone looking back.

Looking down at the faded dragon decal, she pushed herself away from the window and then stood in front of her full-length mirror, where she realized, she was no longer looking at the Liz she thought she was. It was a surprise to her that she could even remember what that Liz looked like after all these years.


“What are you looking at?” Max questioned with an amused chuckle as he pressed up behind Liz and brushed his fingertips up and down her arms.

“Today, a complete stranger told me that I looked like I was in love.” Liz replied as she continued to turn her face side to side and look curiously at her half-naked features.

“Okay?” Max questioned confused before he planted a kiss on her shoulder and wrapped his arms around her.

“Do you see it?” She asked naively as she stroked his arms and continued to examine her reflection.

“Do I see what?”

“Love.” Liz answered with inquisitive wonder. “Do you see it?”

“Well,” Max paused, wondering how to answer her imaginative question before he caught his reflection in the mirror as well and smiled. “Look at me, Liz.” He suggested, rocking her side to side as he hugged her closer to him and watched as she examined his reflection intently. “Do you see “love” in me?” He asked seeing her eyes immediately lock with his in the mirror and then her head tilt to the side in wonder.

“It depends,” Liz answered carefully, “on how you look at me sometimes.” She shrugged and then looked at his mystified expression that silently urged her to explain. “Sometimes, when I’m thinking, you look at me in a cute way. Um, the way you’re looking at me now.” She blushed, lowering her head in embarrassment before she felt his hand lift her head softly back up by her chin and smiled when their eyes locked again.

“I told you before, that you look cute when you’re thinking.” He defended, smiling when her cheeks timidly turned a rosy red from the compliment.

“Yeah, I remember.” Liz smiled and then recalled what started the conversation. “But that’s my point,” She reminded, turning to face him and wrap her arms around his neck as he wrapped his around her waist. “I was just reading the ingredients,” she paused as rested her palms on his shoulders, allowing Max to lift her up off her feet and carry her with her legs wrapped around his abdomen “ to a conditioner when the lady told me that I looked like I was in love. I mean, Maria says it all the time but that’s because she knows us.”

“Well, answer this, do you feel like you’re in love?” He questioned getting a quick nod from her before she kissed his lips.

“You know I do.” She voiced and smiled when she felt he regain his embrace on her butt to hold her up higher. “You know what?” She questioned with a devilish smile as she brushed his hair back.

“What?” Max replied with a smile of his own as he turned away from the mirror and slowly carried her back towards her bed.

“I was thinking about you when I was reading the conditioner.” She confessed shyly, seeing him give her a flattered but confuse smile. “I was thinking about how you smell my hair when we’re falling asleep together and I felt all tingly just thinking about it, so maybe…”

“Maybe what?”

“Well, I have to test my theory so put me down.” She ordered looking down to the ground.

“That depends.”

“On what?” Liz asked looking back at him lost.

“If I’m the test subject?” He smiled and then lowered her when she rolled her eyes and giggled. “So what do I have to do?” He asked as he rubbed his hands together and looked around the room.

“Sit here.” Liz ordered, pointing to her vanity seat.

“Okay?” He answered skeptically as he did and then looked at her quizzically when he saw her rest her chin on his shoulder through the reflection of the vanity mirror and smile. “Okay, now what?

“Now, say my name.” Liz answered with a smile.

“Uh, Liz?” He obliged unsure and then looked at her confused.

“No. Look at yourself in the mirror and think about me with you before you say my name.” She explained and then pointed to her vanity mirror with her chin. “Go.”

“Um,” He hummed as he moved his eyes from her face to his and then focused on his memories of her before he repeated her name. “Liz.” He spoke, smiling at the sound of her name.

“I see it!” Liz cheered as she clapped behind him.

“See what?”

“Move, let me try.” Liz commanded as she nudged him off her vanity seat and sat down herself.

“What did you see?”

“Shh. Love.” Liz snickered in a whispered, feeling Max rest his chin on her shoulder as she closed her eyes and exhaled as she focused on memories of him. “Max.” She whispered before fluttering her eyes open and seeing him smile at her in astonishment before her eyes move to her glowing face. “I see ‘love’.”


“Not anymore,” She sighed desolately when she saw the brooding Liz she had turned out to be in the reflection that unmistakably appeared to be heartbroken.

Looking around her room again, she felt the tears start to pool in her eyes before she swallowed back the urge to cry and stormed out of her room.


<center>Living Room</center>

“I gonna go out for a walk,” Liz announced before appearing in the living room and then froze solid when she saw someone she hadn’t seen in 5 years, sitting in the living room with her parents.
Last edited by Crashdown_51 on Wed Jun 21, 2006 1:50 am, edited 3 times in total.
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A/N: Hey guys. Gradually, my computer problems are slowly upgrading to pests, lol. But, da ra rat ta da, I'm moving so I'm dealing with packing and I'll be offline for a while, not sure for how long, but my online addictions will be missed until I get my connection back.


1. Why are Maria and Michael with Max? Why not with Liz? This is a good question. In Chapter 4, we find out that Liz was friends with Michael and Maria way before Max did. *hint hint* So why are they hanging around Max now and not Liz? You'll find out in Chapter 8.

2. Where is Isabel? Is she in this fic? Where's she been and does she know what drove Max and Liz apart? Isabel is in this fic, you meet her in this chapter. As to does she know about Max and Liz, perhaps, perhaps, perhaps. :twisted:

3. Does Max and Liz's separation have to do with the parents? Um...can't say. Gotta read and find out but I can assure you it's not b/c Liz found out they were bro and sis, lol. I don't think I'm in that level of the game to write a fic about incest. So, in short, Max and Liz, unrelated.

4. Why did Max and Liz let that ruin what they had? You'll see. :(

5. Who's in the living room? You'll see on Chapter 7.

6. Is Alex in this fic? He's mentioned, but I don't know as of yet if he'll make a cameo appearance or not.

7. Why are Liz and Max back in to town? Liz and Maria are in college, Junior year, something mentioned between the lines. In one of Liz's memories, she's telling Maria she forgot her *Geometry* book, hinting they are in their Sophmore year. Count five years after that (you'll find out why) and we get Juniors in college. :wink: Anywho, they are on their Thanksgiving Break thing, if real colleges don't have them, then tough cookies, in Crash's world they do. 8) Michael goes where Maria goes, which is to visit her mom, and Max probably didn't want to spend the whole week alone with Tess so he tagged along too.

Thanks for the feedback guys!


<center>_____________________________________________________________

Chapter 6

Roswell, New Mexico – November 21st, 2005 7:43 P.M.

Evan’s Home
</center>


“Max!” Isabel cheered as she ran down the hallway and threw her arms around him.

“Hey, Iz, how you been?” He chuckled patting her on her back and then pulled her away to get a better look at her.

“Great.” Isabel smiled and then her eyes narrowed to Tess who was standing behind him. “You must be Tess Harding.” Isabel assumed as she extended her hand to her. “Hi, I’m Isabel. Max’s gorgeous twin.”

“Yes, I’ve heard so much about you.” Tess smiled in courtesy and then looked around from where she stood.

“Where’s Mom and Dad?” Max questioned nervously, standing on his toes as he looked down the hallway that led into the kitchen and shove his hands into his pockets.

“Well, Dad will be back here tomorrow with Jesse and Mom went to run an errand, she’ll be back in a few.”

“So, you’re here by yourself?” Max questioned with concern.

“No, I have Jacob in the playpen. Do you want to see him?” Isabel questioned with a smile as she pointed behind her.

“Yeah, sure. How old is he now?” Max questioned as he and Tess followed behind Isabel to the family room to where the playpen was set up and smiled at the sight of his sister picking up her son.

“He’s two.” Isabel answered with a proud chuckle as she bounced the baby on her hip and then moved toward Max. “Do you want to hold him?” Isabel offered as she handed the baby to him.

“Hey, Jacob.” Max whispered as he carefully held his nephew in his arms. “I’m your Uncle Max.”

“And I’m your Aunt Tess.” Tess added, playing with Jacob’s chin while Max and Isabel exchanged tense looks. “He’s adorable.” Tess complimented before looking to Isabel.

“Thank you.” Isabel blushed and then looked to her brother. “Um, are you hungry? I can make you something? I was making Jacob something, so if you want anything…”

“Isabel.” Max called out with an overwhelmed laugh. “I’m fine. Go ahead and finish what you were doing, I’ll keep an eye on Jacob for you.”

“You sure?” Isabel questioned as she brushed her bangs away from her eyes. “Because I can…”

“Yes, I’m sure.” Max assured her with a smile and then returned his attention to Jacob, who was bouncing in his arms.

“Oh-okay then. I’ll be in the kitchen if you need me.” Isabel announced in a stutter and then turned on her heel, heading back into the kitchen.

“I’m gonna go see my old room,” Max informed Tess as he squatted stiffly to pick up the baby’s rattle and then stood to look at Tess “If you want to stay here…”

“No, no. I’ll go with you.”

“Okay. Come on.” He signaled with his head as he led the way.


<center>Max’s Room</center>

“Can I ask you a question?” Tess asked nervously as they entered into his room.

“Yeah, go ahead.” Max answered half interested as he looked around his room in amazement.

“What’s wrong with your sister?”

“What do you mean?” Max asked turning to look at her.

“She seemed a little…I don’t know, like she worshipped the ground you walk on or something.” Tess shrugged and then moved to sit on his bed.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Max shrugged off and then turned and rocked his way with Jacob, to his old desk that seemed to be in the same condition he left it in. “This use to be my desk, Jacob.” Max gasped playfully to Jacob as he sat down on his desk chair and set Jacob on his knee.

“What happened there?” Tess asked from behind him and pointed to one of the burned cupboards of his desk, that stored an autographed baseball.

“It still smells,” Max chuckled in disbelief as he leaned closer to the cupboard and then took in a deep breath of the scent of Old Spice burnt into the wood like it was burnt into his memory.


“Are you okay?” Liz giggled in a whisper when she witnessed him fall from the window ledge, inside his dark room.

“Yeah,” Max snickered back as he hurried to lock his door and then reappeared at the window to help her in. “I got you,” he assured her, holding her by her hand as she held her skirt down with her other hand and then hopped down carefully.

“You sure you locked the door?” Liz giggled as she watched Max move to his desk and light the candles he had amongst his toiletries.

“Yeah,” Max replied, reaching over to his window to close it and the curtains before returning to her side to wrap his arms around her waist and pressed his forehead against hers. “Now, where was I?” He asked with a pondering expression as he looked around and scratched his chin pensively.

“Come here and I’ll remind you,” Liz answered as she invitingly signaled him to come to her as she sat on the surface of his desk with her legs crossed and then scooted back until her back touched the cupboards.

“Where? Here?” Max asked with a smile, pretending to be confused as he pointed down in front of him and took a step forward.

“Nope. Here.” Liz played along, pointing to the desk as she smiled devilishly at him.

“Here?” Max asked again, taking another confused step forward as he pointed to the floor.

“No,” Liz answered huskily, pressing the palm of her hands down on the desk, between her legs, and then bit on her lower lip in teasing enjoyment when Max groaned at the sight of her opening her legs. “Here,” she purred softly as she pointed down to the ledge of the desk and then curled her finger for him to move to her.

“Oh, there,” Max answered, swallowing back his nerves and then took his rightful place between her legs. “So, this is where I was,” he smiled, holding on to her waist as she wrapped her arms around his neck and then captured her bottom lip between his.

“Close, Max. But,” Liz grinned, breaking their kiss and looking up all wide-eyed to him as she dragged her hand down his arm to his hand, “but I believe,” she paused, closing her eyes as she began guiding his hand up her side, “that you were right about…”

“Here?” Max hissed, hearing her inhale in surprised fascination when she felt his hand hungrily squeeze her breast.

“Mmm hmm,” she hummed, nodding before she opened her eyes and licked her lips when she saw his lips approaching hers again.

Closing his eyes when his lips pressed against hers, he growled at the feeling of her small hand sliding into his pants and grabbing his arousal as he slid his hand underneath her skirt to her panties and began pulling them down.

“No fair,” Liz whined with a smile, biting on her lip after Max removed her underwear completely and tossed them behind him.

“You’re right,” Max whispered with a grin and then pulled Liz by her hips, until she was at the edge of his desk.

“Still no fair,” Liz pouted as she unbuttoned his pants and smiled in satisfaction when she heard the belt on his pants hit the floor, leaving him in his boxer briefs.

“We have to be quiet,” Max whispered, placing his finger over her lips and smiled when she nodded anxiously as she proceeded to strip him of his shirt. “Careful,” he warned, feeling the desk tremble when she tossed his shirt over his shoulder.

“Shh,” she hushed before silencing him with her lips and dragging her fingernails down his back and into the back of his boxer briefs.

Opening his mouth in splendor, Max held in his breath and relished the sight of her licking her lips seductively before she grasped onto his butt and pulled him closer to fell his arousal against her aching heat. But the greedy motion caused the cupboards to shake viciously and a sudden burst of flames to ignite in one of the cupboards when a candle tipped over on the spilled after-shave.



“My cigarette fell out from the ash tray I use to keep here when I fell asleep,” Max answered gratingly with a shrug and then quickly removed his hand away from the burned wood just as the sound of the doorbell echoed throughout the house. “That’s probably my mom,” Max speculated, safely positioning Jacob in his arms as he stood up and then looked to Tess, who was staring at him skeptically. “Come on.”


<center>Living Room</center>

“Hey, I thought it was my mom.” Max greeted at the sight of Michael and Maria removing their jackets at the front door as he walked down the hallway.

“Hi,” Tess greeted, getting a wave from Maria in return and a cool nod from Michael.

“When did you guys get here?” Max questioned, seeing Maria beeline her way straight to Jacob, who was bouncing cheerfully in his arms at the attention he was getting.

“Not that long,” Maria answered and then started playing peek-a-boo with Jacob. “Where’s the baby?” She questioned with a playful voice as she covered her face with her hands. “Where’s the baby?” She repeated with her hands covering her face as Michael quietly moved behind her. “There’s the baby,” Maria exclaimed in surprised baby-talked as she opened her hands and giggled when Jacob started to shake and laugh in Max’s arms, at what she thought was her, but in reality was the abstract faces Michael was making behind her.

“Did you guys eat something yet?” Michael questioned with his hands on his side and then noticed Isabel walking in the room as she dried her hands with her apron.

“Michael, Maria, hi,” she greeted as she hugged them one at a time, “sorry I didn’t hear the doorbell.”

“You okay there, Iz?” Michael questioned, noticing Isabel’s red and puffy eyes.

“Yeah. Fine.” Isabel smiled and then noticed everyone looking at her with concern. “What?”

“You just look like you’ve been crying,” Max answered, making her shift her weight from one hip to the other and nervously look around the room in order to dodge his suspicious eyes.

“Crying?” Isabel stammered with a laugh. “No, that’s crazy. I was just, uh, chopping some onions.”

“For Jacob?” Max interrogated, seeing her look quizzically at him. “You said you were making Jacob something to eat.”

“Yeah-I,” stumbling over her words, her eyes moved to Maria in relief, as did everyone else’s, when her cell phone started to ring.

“Sorry,” Maria winced and then moved to the hallway to answer her phone.

“Come on, Jacob. I have to change your diaper,” Isabel announced, taking him from Max’s arms.

“What’s up with her?” Michael questioned as he, Max and Tess watched her quickly pass Maria in the hall before disappear into the kitchen.

“Don’t know. She been acting weird lately for some reason,” Max shrugged, keeping his eyes in hallway to avoid an “I-told-you-so” look from Tess.

“Think she’s having Jesse problems?”

“Who’s Jesse?” Tess questioned curiously seeing Max exchange looks with Michael before he answered her.

“My sister’s husband,” he answered uncomfortably and then looked to Michael. “I talked to Jesse. He said she’s been acting weird too.”

“Do you want me to talk to her?” Michael volunteered, placing his hand on Max’s shoulder for support.

“No, I will. Later though.” Max replied and then noticed Maria approaching them.

“Who was it?” Michael questioned curiously as he shoved his hands in his pockets.

“Oh, it was-um, my mom. She was just telling me that the restaurant was confirming our reservations,” Maria answered nervously as she rubbed the tension from her forehead, “we better get going, Space boy.”

“Right.”

“What restaurant?” Tess questioned in an excited pitch.


<center>Chez Pierre8:13 P.M.</center>

“French, fantastic!” Tess cheered, hooking her arm with Maria’s in excitement as Michael and Max walked behind them. “Thanks for inviting us, Maria. I was like two seconds away from starving.”

“Those two seconds will kill you,” Maria replied sarcastically with a smile as they waited for a couple to exit from the doors of the restaurant and then ducked when Michael reached over her head to hold the door open for them.

“They’re gonna literally kill her if she keeps saying it,” Michael threatened to Max from the corner of his mouth before he walked in, hearing Max chuckle in amusement behind him.

“Okay, I’ll…” Max quickly paused when his attention was diverted to the loud swirling sirens of a honking ambulance that urgently stopped in front of Pizza Pan diagonally across the street from the Chez Pierre.

“Glad we chose French,” Michael commented in a huff while Tess squeezed her way between them and laced her fingers with Max’s.

“Come on, let’s eat,” she advised, pulling Max as he continued to watch in a daze as the paramedics lower a gurney down to the sidewalk and rolled it into the Pizza Pan. “Max,” he heard Tess call out as she pulled his resisting hand.

“Okay,” Max replied in awe as he slowly started to move into the restaurant with his eyes still locked on the disturbance until something…someone caught his eye. “Liz?” He exhaled bewildered as he watched the petite brunette pass by the ambulance, uninterested, and hugged herself as she waited to cross the street. Fixed on her face as she walked into the street and unintentionally glanced his way as she struggled to tame her hair in the playful wind. “Liz.” He assured himself when her eyes opened in shock and then painfully felt his face collided against the side of the French wooden doors. Cupping the side of his face, he bent forward in pain and winced, “Fuck!” while he heard the witnesses gasp in concern.

“Are you okay?” He heard all around him.

“I’m fine,” Max answered quickly as he shielded the side of his face and then straightened his posture to search the street visually, internally outraged that she was no longer there.

“Baby, are you okay?” Tess questioned, cupping the side of his face.

“I’m fine,” he assured her more firmly and then walked in the restaurant while the onlookers whispered.
Last edited by Crashdown_51 on Wed Jun 21, 2006 1:53 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Author's Notes: Hi guys. I just wanted to remind you guys that what's happening in this chapter, is occurring during Chapter 6, so the time codes on each are important. :wink:

1. What's wrong with Tess and her 'Aunty Tess' hallucination? You know, maybe their relationship is on that level and the only reason why Max is thinking about Liz is because he's about to get married to Tess..........sorry, had to go vomit. LOL.

2. What's wrong with Isabel? So you guys picked up on that, huh? Well, as you read along, you'll notice that the return of Max and Liz, affects a lot more people. Which makes you wonder, wtf happened, well at least I hope it does.

Thanks everyone for the amazing feedback, I really appreciate it.

P.S. I'll be having an Author's Chat on the 29th, 8pm EST at DAS in case you guys wanted to ask me anything about any of my fics. :wink:

<center>___________________________________________

Chapter 7

Parker Home – November 21st, 2005 7:57 P.M.

Living Room</center>

“I’m going out for a—walk” Liz gasped out at the sight of Amy DeLuca sitting in the living room talking to her parents.

“Hi, Liz.” Amy greeted indifferently.

“Hi, M-Ms. DeLuca.” Liz stammered, precarious to why Amy DeLuca wasn’t as affected to the reunion as she was, when Amy DeLuca had been like a second mother to her.

“You look,” Amy paused as she scanned Liz with her eyes and then lowered head. “I’m sorry. I can’t do this.” She choked out as she shook her head in denial and then gathered her purse as she stood up, locking eyes with Liz one last time before she turned on her heel and left.

Unsure of what had just occurred, Liz’s eyes moved to her parents and watched as they straightened forms into a red business file, contently, as if they didn’t witness Amy’s erratic behavior.

“A walk, Liz?” Her mother questioned coolly as she collected the coffee cups on the tray set in the middle of the coffee table. “You better take a sweater. It’s a little windy tonight.” She suggested as Liz watched her parents simultaneously stand up and beelined their way into the kitchen.

Left to drown in her questions, Liz quickly turned on her heel and headed back into the security of her room where she snatched her purse and black knitted sweater wrap off the doorknob and straight lined her way to her decal decorated window.

<center>Crash Down Alley</center>

Why she climbed down her balcony instead of using the front door like a normal human being was beyond her. But by the time she set foot on the graveled ground, she had forgotten about her parents and Amy DeLuca. Instead, she was captured by the thought of last time she climbed down those very stairs, as she stood frozen, staring in a daze at the metal bar her hand was still clutching on to.

“Cover your eyes.” Liz commanded with a warning smile as she looked down from her balcony to Max, who was looking up at her with an expecting smile.

“Cross my heart.” Max replied, but continued to look up without covering his eyes.

“Max.”

“Okay. Okay.” Max chuckled covering his eyes with his head still pointed up to her.

Crossing over on the ladder, Liz climbed down the first three steps before looking back down to Max to see him looking at her from between his fingers.

“Max!” She giggled in dismay. “I said no looking.”

“Liz, I wish you could see what I see, then maybe you’ll understand why I have to look.” He replied with a smile as he lowered his hand and watched her freely climb down the rest of the ladder. “Did I thank you for wearing that skirt tonight?” Max questioned playfully as she hopped down the last step and then timidly swayed to him.

“No,” lingering playfully on her response, she swayed her way innocently to him with her hands behind her back and stopped directly in front of him, blushing as she stood on her tippy-toes with her eyes targeted on his lips he licked expectantly. She canvassed him head to toe, enticed by what she saw, before her eyes stopped again on his lips and added, “but when you do,” she paused leaning closer “I want it to be somewhere we’ve never done it on.” She whispered huskily before teasingly biting his lower lip and lightly pulling on it, causing him to groan in fascination.

“I have a desk.” He notified her as he swallowed his growl hard at the sight of her eyes examining his body gluttonously.

Biting her lip, desirably intrigued by the suggestion, she looked down at his hand as she entwined it with hers and replied, “show me,” to him as she looked up at him mischievously.


Hugging herself as she looked fearfully at the ladder, she moved hesitantly down the alley towards the front of the Crashdown and took a moment to look around the old neighborhood before she noticed the Crashdown was gone.

“What the hell?” She questioned out loud as she moved to the front of the diner and looked over the newly remodeled building.

It was no longer known as The Crashdown, instead, it was called “The Crashdown and The Botanical Garden”.

“They merged?” She asked herself confused and moved closer to the bay window to look inside the new addition to her parents’ diner. “What the hell is going on here?” Liz exhaled as she started to walk away.

Gripping tightly to her purse, Liz made her way down the street, towards the park as she attempted to decipher the bizarre events that were occurring on her visit back in Roswell.

Conveniently, her parents had forgotten to mention merging the diner with Amy DeLuca’s botanical shop to her, even with the visit from Amy DeLuca herself. In which was a rarity in itself since in the past, Amy DeLuca and her mother had never been in the same neighborhood of being friends, let alone business partners.

Unable to figure out the obscure events, Liz rummaged through her purse and pulled out her cell phone, dialing for the only person she could think of that could actually assess the situation with a clear head.

“Chris?” She called out when she reached the pedestrian walkway.

"Liz? Home sick already."

“Yeah, like a bad country western song.” Liz huffed sarcastically and then looked in both directions before she crossed the street.

"What’s wrong?"

“What’s wrong?” She repeated with surprise as she turned the corner. “Chris, I wish I knew. I wish I knew if I wanted to know what you want to know right now.”

"Okay, so 3 hours with the folks and you’re already cracking on me?"

“Chris, it’s not funny. Something really weird is going on here.” She distressed, tucking her arm in and clutching her purse to her when someone passed by her.

"Liz, you’re in Roswell, New Mexico. Weird is good. It’s when things are going normal that you should be panicking."

“I’m serious, Chris. Something is going on here. My parents are acting all weird and they merged the diner with a botanical store without telling me.” Liz informed him with conviction. “A botanical store, Chris. Amy—DeLuca’s botanical store.”

“DeLuca? As in…"

“Yes, Maria’s mother.” Liz interrupted just as she reached the end of the sidewalk again and then crossed the street after a car passed by. “I’m telling you, Chris, it was like so weird. No, beyond weird. Deranged.” She vented as she touched her forehead in frustration and then covered her phone-less ear when she passed by the local bar of rooting football fans. “Oh, and when I first saw her, she acted like nothing, like she knew I was there already.”

"Maybe your parents told her you were coming?"

“No, Chris, my parents told me that nobody knew I was coming and trust me when I say that ‘they didn’t’. It’s like they’re hiding me or something.”

"Hiding you?"

“Yeah, like on the way here, my dad told me not to use my credit cards and gave me $500 in cash.”

"What?"

“I swear.” Liz chuckled at the insanity and then stopped in front of a boutique to admire the displays. “And when I asked him why, he got all defensive on me and ignored me the whole trip over here. Not that I was complaining or anything, but still.” She explained as she continued to walk. “Oh, and when Ms. DeLuca was here, he acted like everything was okay between us.” She stomped and then turned to look behind her when she heard the loud sirens of an ambulance approaching. “Crap, Chris, an ambulance is coming.”

"It’s okay, I have to go anyway. But listen, if it’s going that bad there, how bout’ I come down and visit you for a couple of days? You can show me the conspiracies of the government and of the Parker generation."

“Funny.” Liz retorted sarcastically as she smiled and then spotted the approaching ambulance on the right lane. “Look, if you’re willing to come down here to restore what little piece of sanity I have left, please, by all means, come. It’ll be greatly appreciated.” She shouted, hearing the sirens closer to her when she approached the next pedestrian walkway near the Pizza Pan.

"Alright, let me throw somethings together and I’ll call you when I get to Roswell, okay?"

“Okay. Thanks Chris.” She shouted before hanging up and shoving her phone in her purse again, and then watched as the ambulance cut the corner in front of her, making a gust of wind blow her hair around wildly. Turning her face in the direction of the wind to get the hair away from her face, she noticed a man staring at her across the street as he walked into the Chez Pierre restaurant. Quickly, she brushed her wild locks from her eyes and identified the man staring at her to be none other than Max Evans. “Max?” She gasped in shock before she walked straight into shrubs half her size and somersaulted into the shrubs' center, landing flat on her back.

“Holy shit, are you alright Miss?” An elderly man questioned as he knelt down beside her. “Hey!” He protested when Liz quickly pulled him down by his scarf and signaled for him to be quiet as she covertly attempted to look through the snapped branches.

“Where did he go?” Liz whispered in a panic when she no longer saw him by the doorway of the restaurant.

“Miss, if you don’t let go of me, I’m gonna call the police.” The elderly man threatened with a stern face.

“Huh? What?” Liz questioned, finally acknowledging the man’s presence and her tight grip on his scarf. “Oh, get out of here.” Liz ordered in annoyance as she released her grip on the man’s scarf and then shoved her face through the bushes to search for Max.

“Seek help, Lady.” The old man declared as he dusted himself off and quickly walked away.

The thought that it being a figment of her imagination crossed her mind, but if it truly were, the phantasm of Max wouldn’t be staring at her like a deer caught in headlights or disappear as quick as the wind. Instead, her vision of Max would’ve been kneeling down by her in that very moment, asking her if she was okay as he helped her up and picked the twigs from her hair.

The only way for her to confirm if what she saw was a hallucination or in fact the real Max Evans, was for her to dust herself off and go to the Chez Pierre.
Last edited by Crashdown_51 on Wed Jun 21, 2006 1:54 am, edited 2 times in total.
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A/N: Hey guys, I wanted to thank you for nominating Strangers Again in this round, I really appreciate it. Also, I would like to apologize for those who went to my author's chat and were promised an update. I've been entertaining guests...family, from out-of-state, so my time has pretty much been reserved. I'll be going to Chicago in two weeks as well, so as for the next update, I don't know when that will be since we all know my sister's computer sucks major alien butt. :(

Now to answer some feedback:

1. Why, in all that is holy, aren't Max and Liz together? Oh, no one asked that, so I guess I'd skip this one. :twisted:

2. Why is everyone acting so weird? Okay, so far, we've established the people that are acting weird are Liz's parental units, Isabel, and Amy DeLuca. Trust me when I say, the weirdness doesn't stop just with them. We have yet to read up on when the Evans' make an appearance and a few other cameos sprinkled around there as well. As to why, I would've thought it was obvious, I must be slippin' with my 'find- the-evil-clues-between-the-lines'. They know something Max, Liz, and you guys don't know. :twisted:

3. Why isn't Liz friends with Michael and Maria anymore? I thought I mentioned this before? :?: If not, my bad. Seeing how it is that Michael and Maria aren't hanging around Liz anymore, I think it's safe to say that it's because she left them as well, not just Max.

P.S. Lotta clues in this one.

Thanks for reading. :wink:
<center>_____________________________________________________________

Chapter 8

Chez Pierre8:23 p.m.</center>

“What are the chances that your parents don’t get you in trouble for nearly burning down the house?” Liz asked with a giggle as she examined her reflection from the passenger side visor.

“I think my chances are good,” Max replied with a nod as he waited patiently for the streetlight to turn green, “it’s how the fire started that I think they’d have a problem with,” he added, looking to her with playful conviction.

“I’m sorry,” Liz laughed, pushing him lightly as she blushed with embarrassment.

“Don’t be,” Max shrugged smugly as he looked to his side mirror and then pressed on the gas when the light turned green, “I’ll just tell them that it was a cigarette.”

“A cigarette? Max, you don’t smoke,” Liz reminded as she smoothed out her hair and then flipped the visor shut, “and God forbid you let your parents think you are, I mean, can you imagine how’d they react to knowing that their little Max Evans isn’t as innocent as they presume?”

“I never said I was innocent,” Max acknowledged, glancing to her to flash a mischievous grin while he coyly added, “and you shouldn’t presume to think that I am either.”

“I never said I did,” Liz corrected as she turned slightly to the side to face him, “and I’m not either.”

“Right,” Max chuckled as he shook his head.

“What’s so funny?”

“Liz,” Max exhaled as he entwined his fingers with hers and placed a small kiss on their joined hands. “If you look up the word‘innocent’, I’m sure you’ll find a picture of yourself underneath.”

“How can you say that especially after what we just did?” Liz questioned after tossing Max’s hand aside.

“That was creative, still innocent, but none-the-less creative.” Max responded with an apologetic shrug as he rejoined their hands. “Face it Liz, you’re nowhere near the realm of tainting yourself,” Max explained as he focused on the road, “at least not with me you’re not.”

“Yeah,” Liz sighed with disbelief as she stroked the bumps of Max’s knuckles absentmindedly with her fingertips, “with my parents, there’s a big snap shot of me, right underneath the word ‘tainted’.”

“You know, one of these days, I’d like to know what exactly happened to make your parents act the way they do with you.”

“Well, when you find out, don’t hesitate to clue me in as well,” Liz desolately replied. “I honestly have absolutely no clue what I did, or what I could’ve done for that matter to have them be so…disappointed in me. I mean-” glancing to Max in the mist of her rambling, she noticed the irk expression plastered on his face as he looked straight ahead. “Max? What-”

The sound of Liz’s sudden silence assured him that she spotted the source of his sudden rage, Peter Gulla, jogging across the street to his car that was parked in front of shoe restoration shop.

Blinking out of the scarlet red that seemed to consume him for that brief moment before Peter drove off.

Shaking his head, Max then looked to Liz, who was casting a worried look to him, and asked, “what” with concern.

“N-nothing,” Liz answered with hesitation as she looked away and shook her head. “Max,” Liz called out softly when they pulled up in front of the Crash.

“Yeah?”

“Promise me you won’t do anything to make your parents take you away from me.”

“What?”

“Please, just promise me.” Liz pleaded as she picked at her nails, “you know what will happen if you get into another fight,” she reminded as she scooted closer to him, “so please, please promise me.”

Closing the space between them, Max cupped the sides of Liz’s face and then brushed away the wild strands of hair that draped over her eyes, “I promise,” he whispered before kissing her forehead and then tilted her head up to face him when he repeated his vow with assertion, “I promise okay?”

“Okay,” Liz nodded with a breath of relief and happily accepted the presence of Max’s lips against hers. “Good night,” Liz bid in between their kiss as she slowly pulled away.

“Call me tomorrow, okay?” Max requested, with his forehead resting against hers.

“I’ll miss you,” she pouted in response before stealing another kiss.

“I’ll be back before you know it.”



“You okay Maxwell?” Michael questioned, lowering his menu when he noticed Max sitting stunned across from him. “You look like…well, remember that day I killed your turtle? That’s how you look right now.”

“Jesus, Michael. Do you have to be so direct?” Tess snickered as she leaned forward and then turned to look at Max with concern. “Do you want to go to the hospital? Maybe you hit yourself harder than what you think?” Tess suggested as she rubbed his back.

“I’m fine,” Max shrugged off, “just wallowing in my stupidity.”

“What the hell were you looking at anyway?” Michael questioned as he reached over the table to grab one of the dinner rolls.

“The accident,” Max stuttered and then shielded his face with his menu.

“And what’s with you?” Michael questioned Maria, causing her to jump in her seat. “You’ve been acting all weird too,” he pointed out, making Max lower his menu to curiously look at her as well for her answer.

“Who? Me?” Maria questioned pointing to herself. “I’m not acting weird.”

“Whatever, I’m too hungry to play twenty questions right now.” Michael shrugged and then returned to reading his menu.

“What are you getting?” Tess whispered over to Max as she covered her whisper with her menu.

“I’m not very hungry right now, Tess,” Max whispered back, letting out a nervous breath before he leaned over and kissed her cheek. “I’m gonna go to the bar for a few minutes. Order whatever you want.”

“Okay.” Tess replied before Max kissed her quickly on her lips and stood up, grabbing Michael and Maria’s attention.

“Where are you going, Maxwell?”

“I’m gonna go get a drink at the bar,” he stammered as he shoved his hands in his pocket and shrugged. “I’ll be right back,” he announced before walking to the bar section of the restaurant.

“What’s with everyone today?” Michael questioned rhetorically as he watched Max beeline his way to the bar.

“I don’t know what’s wrong with him,” Tess shrugged as she stood up, “but I’ll find out when I come back from the bathroom,” she smiled to Michael with assurance and then looked to Maria expectantly.

“What?”

“I have to go to the bathroom,” Tess repeated again with insinuation.

“Oh, well. Michael doesn’t like it when I go to the bathroom in public venues,” Maria quickly answered seeing Michael’s head snap up by the comment.

“What?” Michael questioned mystified before he caught an elbow to the ribs from Maria. “Oh, oh, right,” Michael coughed out, “no bathrooms, I get jealous.”

“Of her using the bathroom?” Tess repeated in disbelief.

“Yeah, you know, gotta keep the ol’ ball and chain close. She might run off with some nut job and pierce something else.” Michael shrugged holding his smile as Tess eyed him skeptically and then finally walked away.

“What the hell was that all about?” Michael muttered between his teeth.

“Shh,” Maria hushed as she leaned closer to him, “Liz is back.”

“What?”

“I said Liz is back.”

“Liz who?”

“Liz Phair,” Maria answered sarcastically as she glared at him in annoyance. “The only Liz we know, Michael, Liz Parker, and she’s here.”

“What?” Michael snickered as he looked suspiciously around them. “Where, I don’t see her.”

“Not here here, dope. I mean like "in Roswell" here.” Maria corrected in annoyance and then looked in the direction of the bathroom to make sure Tess wasn’t coming back. “My mom said she was at the Parker’s and then BAM," she voices, startling the party in front of them, "out pops Liz from her room.”

"She's an Emeril fan," Michael informed the other diners with an apologetic shrug and then scratched his eyebrow nervously before he turned in his seat to face Maria. “Does Max know?”

“Uh, no, and for his sake, we better hope he doesn’t find out,” Maria declared as she glanced back to the bathroom.

“You can’t expect me not to tell Max that Liz is here, Maria.”

“What are you gonna tell him? ‘Hey Max, guess what I heard. Your girlfriend that went MIA on all of us 5 years ago is back in town, out of the blue. Can you pass the ketchup?’ I don't think so, Michael. You don't know what it might do to him.” Maria huffed and then noticed Tess returning. “Crap, Princess is on her way back already.”

“She probably pees in two seconds.”

“Ugh, don’t start with that,” Maria huffed as she rolled her eyes in annoyance.

“What about Liz then?”

“Just don’t tell Max anything until I think of something.”

“Maria—”

“Just give me a few hours okay and then we can tell Max.”

“Tell Max what?” Tess questioned curiously, looking from one to the other before she sat back down on her seat.

“Uh, tell Max that, uh, that we noticed a bruise forming on his eye,” Maria quickly thought up as she nodded “You were right, Tess. The hit must’ve been harder than we thought.”

“He’s still not back yet?” Tess questioned as she attempted to see the bar area from where she was sitting.

“Nope not yet,” Maria smiled nervously, “hence the empty seat.”

“What’s taking him so long?”


<center>Bar</center>

“I’ll be back before you know it.”

“And I’ll be waiting.”


He came back, like he promised. Only to return to find out Liz was no longer in Roswell, like she did.

Five years since then, five years and the smell of burnt after shave still stayed with him, five years and her promise that she’d be waiting for him still haunted him.

Red, red wine
go to my head
make me forget that I
still need her so


With the companionship of Courvoisier on the rocks, Max replayed the hallucination of Liz in his head trying to make since of it all. He would’ve been trying to convince himself it was another fabrication of his broken heart if he didn’t see her in the street, going on about her business.

It wasn’t a memory.

Or was it?

Five years and it’s been nothing but memories, so what made this delusion so different?

Red, red wine
it's up to you
All I can do, I've done
But the memories won't go


The bitter taste of heartbreak returned into his mouth, which he quickly washed down with another sample of Courvoisier, if there was only something stronger to replace his thoughts of her.

What if it wasn’t a figment of his imagination?

What if she truly was back?

But why?

Why was she back? After five years, why?

Where has she been for the past five years?

Why did she leave in the first place?

“I’ll be back before you know it.”

“And I’ll be waiting.”


He felt as if he had been kicked in the stomach and he couldn’t breathe, a feeling he recalled experiencing, only invitingly, the very first time he laid eyes on her.

No, memories won't go

It was his first night at Roswell and he was still bitter with his parents for the big move there. Going against their plans to have dinner at Senior Chows, he drove around the quiet town until he came upon The Crashdown and decided to check it out.

Sitting on the second booth closest to the door, he looked around the UFO theme diner and noticed that he was the only one there.

“Can I get you anything?” The waitress on duty questioned as she pressed her pen against her order book and then looked up to the door when she heard the chimes ringing. “Hey Liz.”

“Hi Agnes.” Max heard someone reply before he saw a pixie brunette walk around the waitress and sit in the booth in front of the one he was sitting in.

“Need a minute?”

“Uh, no. I’ll have some Orbit Rings and a Meteor Shower Malt.” Max read off from the menu and then glanced to the waitress as she took his order down.

“Is that it?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay. Be back in a few.” She stated before she turned on her heel and walked passed the petite wonder after touching her shoulder, getting a smile as a response from her while she pulled out books from her book bag.

Captivated by her as she tapped on her chin with the eraser of her pencil, he smiled at the sight of her pensively flipping through the pages of her textbook, and wondered who she was.

It wasn’t until she glanced up at him that he looked away and pretended to be looking to the order window.

“I’m Liz.” He heard her say before he looked at her stunned.

“I’m sorry?”

“My name. It’s Liz.” She repeated with a smile before she bit down on her lip and tucked her hair behind her ear.

“Max,” he replied with a half smile and then looked down to his hands to see that he tore his napkin to shreds.

“You’re new here right?” She asked as she pointed at him.

“Yeah,” Max nodded and then nervously scratched his eyebrow.

“So how do you like it here so far?” She asked curiously as she leaned forward and rested her arms over her book.

“It’s okay, I guess. I’ve only been here a day.”

“Yeah, I've noticed,” she answered absentmindedly and then looked to him in dismay when she realized what she had said, “I mean, I’ve seen you…at school,” she stammered while he looked at her mystified.

“Where?” He asked with a small chuckle.

“At Gileyfield,” she answered back blushing and then shrugged. “A couple of friends of mine are on the basketball team,” she explained with a nervous nod.

“Oh yeah? Who?” He questioned curiously.

“Michael Guerin, Kyle Valenti, Alex Whitman, Paulie Walker, Tommy Chidic…”

“Right, so basically everyone on the team,” he smiled, making her giggle.

“Well, I thought I did,” she smiled with her head lowered and then looked to him, “but I guess ‘now’ I officially do.”

“Well, I’m not on the team yet.”

“I guess we’ll see tomorrow.”

“I guess,” he replied with a stutter. “Are-are you a cheerleader?” He questioned, seeing her quickly shake her head ‘no’.

“Uh, I mostly cheer for academic achievements rather than athletic ones,” she answered timidly as she picked at her nails.

“Oh,” he mouthed as he cracked his knuckles.

“You know, maybe if you sit over here we can talk a little bit better.”

“Sit there?” He asked surprised as he pointed to her booth.

“Yeah,” she nodded with an amused smile.

“Okay,” he replied hesitantly before getting up and moving over to her booth as he pulled out his rolled up playbook from his back pocket, “hi.”

“Hi,” she laughed and then looked to Agnes when she appeared at the booth with Max’s order.

“So, I’m assuming you’ll be closing up tonight, Liz?” Agnes questioned as she set Max’s food in front of him.

“Yeah,” Liz nodded and then pointed to Max’s food, “that’s on the house, okay?”

“Whatever you say,” Agnes saluted and then walked away.

“My parents own the place,” she explained.

“Oh,” he smiled and then pointed to his food, “do you want some?”

“No, thank you. I ate before,” she informed him as she shook her head and then picked at the corner of her book nervously.

“There isn’t gonna be some guy threatening to break my legs tomorrow if I saw ‘hi’ to you right?” Max questioned directly as he leaned forward.

“Um,” Liz hummed, leaning forward herself and biting her lip, “probably,” she laughed, “is that gonna be a problem?”

“No,” he answered presumptuously as he leaned back and rested his arm on the booth, “boyfriend?”

“Friends,” she corrected, “still gonna say ‘hi’ to me tomorrow?”

“You’re gonna have to wait til’ tomorrow to find out.”


I'd have thought
that with time
thoughts of her would leave my head
I was wrong
and I find
just one thing makes me forget


“You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” the bartender commented as he cleaned the inside of a glass with his dishrag.

“And then some,” Max muttered from the ledge of his glass against his lips and then swallowed the rest of the contents before heading back to the table.

Red, red wine
stay close to me
don't let me be alone
It's tearing apart
my blue blue heart
Last edited by Crashdown_51 on Wed Jun 21, 2006 2:03 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Crashdown_51
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Post by Crashdown_51 »

I'm baaacck! Yes yes, I know, I suck. I don't deserve the amazing FB I've seen collecting this past month and change. So, getting down to brass tacts here, lets answer some of them. Lets see, L-J-L 76 seemed to ask all the obvious ones:

1. Why did Liz's parents sent her away? So quick to assume that the Parkers' had a hand in this whole fiasco, huh? Wouldn't it be funny if they were just as innocent as Max and Liz are in this whole thing? Wouldn't it? *wink wink*
2. Why did Liz stop talking to Max and friends? She didn't stop willingly, I can say that much. There's definitely foul play involved.
3. What will happen when Max and Liz see each other? The million dollar question. I'm still not sure when they'll see each other, perhaps chapter 30??? LOL.
4. Will Liz and Max talk it out and try and figure out what happened? Yes.
5. Will Max and Liz ever get back together? I don't know. Max seems so happy with Tess and Liz doesn't seem far from the amore tree either with Chris, did you guys forget about him?? He's due for another cameo I think. :twisted:
6. Will Liz and Max fall for each other? I think it's clear that they haven't stopped loving each other. If they didn't, they would'nt be giving another thought as to why they aren't in ech others lives right now.
7. Will their friends get Max and Liz to talk? Maria did have a plan if you recall. The only question is "what".
8. Does anyone know why Liz left and stop talking to them?
9. What will Maria do now? You'll see, but whatever she has planned, she'll be keeping everyone out of the loop.
10. What is Liz planning? Finding out what's 'rotten in Denmark'.
11. Will Liz and Max see each other again? YES! :D But what chapter I might ask. <stroking>

(BehrObsession):
1. But it is very weird that her father gave her cash so she won't have to be using her credit cards. Is there someone after them or something? Like the mob? LOL. No.

(Smac):
1. Since Amy was at the Parkers have they told her why? You'd be surprised how many people know what happened.
2. Do they lie about the reason she left or just refuse to discuss it with anyone? No one talks about it.
3. Was this Peter guy involved in some way? Like I said, you'd be surprised. But like him and the guilty party, he's had a pinkie in it.
4. Did he threaten to harm Max if Liz continued to see him? Um, no. I think in this chapter you'll realize that Max has a rebel side as well and from his memory in Chapter 8, it was clear that Liz was begging for Max to stay away from Peter.
"Max,” Liz called out softly when they pulled up in front of the Crash.

“Yeah?”

“Promise me you won’t do anything to make your parents take you away from me.”

“What?”

“Please, just promise me.” Liz pleaded as she picked at her nails, “you know what will happen if you get into another fight,” she reminded as she scooted closer to him, “so please, please promise me.”
5. Did he or someone else tell Liz a lie about something Max was supposed to have done and made her think Maria and Michael helped cover for him? From the memories, you can see that there isn't any animosity between any of them. Max misses her and Liz misses him. Vice versa with Mi/Ma. I see how people are considering their fall out to be Liz's fault because she left, but ask yourself this, what did Mx/Mi/Ma do to find her? If you're best friend with someone or in love with someone as much as Max said he was, would just go on about your business? It's unclear what happened once Liz arrived at the Academy. Did she try and get into contact with Max? Remember, Isabel is reacting the same way to seeing Max as Amy DeLuca did at the sight of seeing Liz. Like I said, something is 'rotten in Denmark'.
6. Did someone tell Liz's parents lies about something Liz was supposed to have done and that is why her parents treat her like crap? There's definitely som tense history between Liz and her parents. From the memories, we can see that there was tension before Max and Liz hooked up and even now after, so maybe Max has nothing to do with Liz and her parents relationship.
jamy21 wrote:OMFG.
this is by far one of the best fictions that i've read. it's hilarious, romantic, suspensful, and beautifully written!


Thanks, that means the world. :oops:

1. Did Liz get pregnant? No.
2. Did they find out that Max did something before he came to Roswell (the whole "max isn't innocent" thing)? Interesting theory. There will be more on that in this chapter.
3. Did Liz find something out about her past possibly? Perhaps.

(Blue*Soul):
1. Which raises the question about what on Earth Max is doing with Tess? And a very good question it is. Too bad I can't answer it on account that I'm evil. :twisted:

(LairaBehr4):
1. Tess and Max are engaged? *Spits pop out from mouth* :shock: God no! That's evil. Even for me.
2. Max had to ask how old his nephew was - does that mean it's his first time back in a while, too? Yes. Max no longer lives in Roswell anymore. He resides in Albuquerque.

<center>____________________________________________________

Chapter 9

Chez Pierre
– 8:24 p.m.</center>

“Good Evening, Miss,” the hostess greeted Liz as she gripped on to leather covers of the menus in her hand. “Just one,” she questioned as she handed a menu to her.

“Uh, actually,” Liz hummed as she pulled the hostess aside and attempted to see the dining floor from the stenciled glass that separated the dining area from the waiting area. “I was meeting someone here,” she added, finally spotting Maria and Michael before she witnessed Max, leaning over and kissing the blonde that was sitting beside him. “Um, you know what,” Liz choked out as she straightened up and looked to the hostess, “I don’t see him.”

“Would you like to wait at the bar?”

“Uh, no,” she quickly replied as she shook her head, “no, thank you.”

Turning on her heel, her shoulder collided hard against a man entering the restaurant doors, “excuse me,” she sobbed before she cut around him and running out the restaurant.


<center>Liz’s Room – 8:37 p.m.</center>

Slamming the door shut after her, Liz rested her back against the door and covered her mouth with both her hands before she screamed into them.

Eyes opened wide as she hyperventilated, she looked around her room until her watery eyes landed on her suitcases that were propped up by the bed.

“Liz?” She heard behind her closed door after a faint knock.

“Um, yeah?” She squeaked out as she stood up from the floor, wiping the traces of her tears away before opening the door, just as her mother turned on her heel to leave. “What?” She coughed out, causing her mother to turn around and walk back to her.

“Just wondering what you decided on your sleeping arrangements.”

“Actually,” Liz paused to look at her wrist watch “Chris is going to hang around with me for a few days, so I’m gonna be staying at the Roswell Inn with him until he goes back to Las Cruces.”

“Okay,” Nancy sighed as she stroked her cheek as she looked down, to the carpet, “I guess that was expected.”

“Mom,” Liz called out when her mother started to turn away again, “why didn’t you tell me that the Crashdown merged with the Botanical Garden?”

“Since when does what happen in our lives concern you?” She replied coldly before turning away.

It was an expected reaction, to have her mother answer her question with another question, and a snooty one at that. But at that point, the reason for the merger was the least of her worries.


<center>Roswell Inn – 8:49 p.m.</center>

Maxwell Evan was back in Roswell and with the dramatic somersault into the bushes, she was sure he knew she was back too. It was why she decided to stay at the inn instead of in her old room. She was sure that once Max finished romancing whatever blonde playmate he was eating dinner with, he would surely sneak up her balcony with intentions to talk to her.

Running her fingers frantically through her hair as she paced back and forth the small room, she closed her eyes and then tilted her head back as she willed herself to regain her composure. Chris was not due to reach the bus depot for another two hours and she knew if she didn’t control her emotions, she’d be back on the road of depression she found herself walking on 5 years ago.

“Anything,” Eileen questioned as she looked over Liz’s shoulder to see the stack of letters Liz was flipping through.

“No,” Liz replied softly after flipping through the pile for the third time and then dropping them all in the wastebasket by the door before she ran to her bed, to sulk. “I don’t understand,” she cried with her face buried in her pillow, “he should’ve written to me by now.”

“Look Liz, maybe he’s caught up with homework or whatever. I hear the first year of college is a drag when it comes to getting homework.”

“I,” Liz sniffled as she sat up and rested her back against the wall, “I just thought that maybe he would’ve just answered at least one of my letters to let me know if he’s ok,” she admitted, making her pout out the rest of her cry before she buried her face in her pillow again. “I miss him so much, Eileen.”

“That’s how it is with everyone’s first,” Eileen sighed as she stared at the floor “They manage to find a way to latch on to your skin like some leech and suck the life out of you by making you miserable when you’re not with them…bastards.”

“But Max isn’t like that,” Liz protested as she wiped her tears away, “he loves me.”

“How can you be so sure?”


After seeing Max with the mysterious blonde, she couldn’t be sure of anything anymore. She started to rethink all the theories she came up with as excuses as to why Max was no longer part of her life, but she never even considered him leaving her for another girl as one of them. How could she? Back when they were together, he made it abundantly clear to whatever hussy that approached him, that he was taken.

But why string her along for year? Why confess something as private as the reasons why he even stepped foot in Roswell in the first place, to her? Was it part of his gimmick, to make her fall in love with him, to be her first and then dump her? It didn’t sound like the Max Evans she knew.

But how much did she really know about the real him?

From what he told her, it almost seemed like he was describing his rebellious twin.

It was the afternoon after she met him, and instead of meeting Maria in the girls’ bathroom like she always did to plan their weekend, she was bee-lining her way to the gymnasium to see if the basketball roster had been pinned up. She had no idea why she was so intrigued by Max, all she knew was that her curiosity had kept her up until one in the morning, plotting and planning on what to wear and say the next time she would see him.

She planned to be as confident as she was in the Crashdown, capricious and adorably attractive, but when she saw him looking at the athletics bulletin board, her mind suddenly went blank.

Taking a confident breath, she wiped her sweaty palms on the sides of her jeans and then cautiously made her way up to him to see him looking pensively at the roster, “did you make it?”

“Hi,” he replied instead and then shrugged indifferently as he shoved his hands in his pockets, “it’s just a stupid game anyway.”

“What? Are you serious? How could they not take you?” She exclaimed as she moved in front of him and scan down the roster with her finger as she continued to vent, “Max, you were great from what I saw, I mean, were they even paying attention? You…” she trailed off at the sight of his name, “Max Evans, #12, Forward.”

“I was gunning for #8, but like I said, it’s just a stupid game,” he laughed teasingly.

“Funny.”

“Apparently you were paying more attention then you let on,” Max chuckled when she turned and glared at him.

“You jerk,” Liz pouted, pushing him away from her as he continued to laugh, “I really thought you didn’t make it.”

“Did I play that bad to you?” He asked curiously when he noticed how sincere she was.

“No,” Liz mouthed as she tucked her hair behind her ears and looked down to the waxed school floor.

“So, do you have plans for the next few hours?”

“Few hours?” Liz repeated as she crossed her arms at his assuredness of how much time she was willing to spend with him.

“Yeah.”

“I have to check my calendar,” she answered bewitchingly as she started to walk away. Turning to walk backwards, she asked, “are you coming,” before smiling innocently to him and then turning back around again.

“Where?”

“To check my calendar with me,” she answered as she looked over her shoulder to him, “I think I left it in your car.”

“You know,” he pondered humorously as he jogged up to her, “I thought I saw it there,” he added before leading her outside to his jeep. “Here, let me help you up.”

“You know,” she hummed playfully as she made herself comfortable in the passenger seat, “besides your name and athletic preference, I hardly know anything about you.”

“Okay?” He replied, biting on his lower lip as he leaned against the car, “I have a pet turtle named Rabbit.”

“Rabbit,” Liz repeated with a confused giggle.

“Yeah, he’s sort of going through a whole identity crisis thing.”

“You know, they give Oscar’s for that now.”

“No kidding.”

“Yeah,” she blushed.

It was a topic that launched random witty remarks until they reached the top of a secluded gravel quarry that overlooked a pond beyond the point.

“For someone who’s just moved to Roswell, you certainly know your way around it,” Liz acknowledged as she watched him hop out impressively out of the driver’s side seat.

“I did my research,” he replied teasingly as he bit the skin of his thumb.

“Oh, you did, did you?”

“Well, when I found out we were moving here,” he spoke as he desperately tried to ignore the gleam of the setting sun that was hitting his eyes. “I tried to find things that would, well you know,” he paused, picking up a rock from the ground and then pitched it into the quarry before turning back to look at her, “not make me go insane by living here.”

“That’s understandable,” she nodded in agreement and then looked around the location from where she sat, “Roswell can get a bit smothering sometimes.” She confessed before looking up to see his back facing to her as he overlooked the quarry. “So, why Roswell? Why not Las Vegas or some exotic place?” She asked, opening her eyes to intensify her wonder.

Max let out a deep sigh before casting another stone into the quarry and then turned to face her with an apprehensive expression.

“Look, Max, if you’re not comfortable talking about it, then we can talk about something else, okay?” She suggested, seeing him take a minute to consider his options before he faintly chuckled and then looked to her.

“I’d rather you hear it from me then by someone else,” kicking the gravel he shoved his hands in his pockets and then shrugged, “I got into a little trouble back home.”

“What kind of trouble?”

He walked slowly back to the jeep and climbed in the driver’s side while she turned to face him, patiently waiting for him to answer her. Turning as well to face her, he moved his lips, preparing to speak, but didn’t know how to begin.

Liz watched curiously as he cleared his throat and then lowered his head before he attempted to speak again, but still no words. It was clearly a delicate issue and she felt guilty for putting him on the spot, but the fact that he was fighting within himself to confide his past with her was something she found to be endearing. So endearing that it caused her to lean over and kiss the horizon on his cheek that separated the stubble from the smooth patch of skin.

“Why did you do that?” He asked softly as she slowly pulled away, noticeably savoring the scent of his after-shave.

“I didn’t mean…I’m sorry if…”

“I didn’t mean to sound…I like that you did that,” he declared confidently, “it’s just, you might not want to do that again after you find out about me.”

“Well, you’ll never know unless you tell me, right?”

“I guess,” he shrugged and then looked away from her, taking a few seconds before he spoke again, “moving here was my fault.”

“Why?”

“For beating a guy up pretty bad.”

“Why-why would you do something like that?”

She expected to hear something else from him, despite the earlier hint that his confession wasn’t going to be a delightful one, but being in a small town, hearing about a guy getting into a fight was just as common as hearing about an alien sighting.

“I was supposed to meet my sister in the auditorium after practice, I really didn’t know it was a school play,” he acknowledged before he continued. “All I know is, that when I came in, I saw some guy pushing my sister down on the ground, I don’t even remember how I got to the stage, all I remember is being pulled off of him by half the schools’ security staff.” He confessed, keeping his eyes deadlock on the center of his steering wheel. “I got kicked off the basketball team, judge ordered me to do community service and go to anger management classes for a year.”

“So…” pausing, she straightened her back against the seat and tucked her hair behind her ears, “so, it was an accident?”

“Yeah-“

“A stupid accident,” she added before looking at him again, “What? Why do you look so surprised?”

“Never mind, forget it,” he answered resentfully as he shook his head and shrugged indifferently.

“Look, I know you expected me to say it was brave of you to stand up for your sister like that, but-but you seriously, seriously, over reacted.”

“I know that,” Max answered defensively as he gripped tightly to the steering wheel. “If I could take it back, I would. But I can’t,” he confessed as he lowered his head.

“We all make mistakes Max,” she replied as she touched his shoulder, “you made a mistake and you paid the consequences for it.” He remained silent, even after her statement. “Your intentions were good; it just makes me worry though.”

“Why?” He asked looking to her with dejection.

“Well, I just don’t want you to bite my head off or anything if I try to kiss you again,” she answered boldly, making him cough in surprise. “So, are you?”

“You’re gonna have to kiss me in order to find out,” he added, slowly falling back into their witty banters.

"I will," Liz added coyly, "not right now, but someday maybe I will."


It was a surprise to her now how much of a tease she was in the beginning with him, making him wait a long excruciating month before she finally allowed him to get closer.

Tracing over her lips, Liz recalled their very first kiss. It had felt exactly like how Maria described it should be…magical…addicting. It was no wonder why, since their first kiss, they were inseparable.

“You never forget your first, Liz,” Maria sighed as she draped her arm around her, “the fifth guy can be the best you ever had, but your first always seems to be beyond compare.”

“Is that what it felt like being with Michael?” Liz asked curiously.

“I’d hate to admit it, but the guy has an affect on me. The arguing is just a front, because when we’re alone, he can be so… it just makes me love him even more.”


Just recalling Maria’s words made her all the more envious. The two had been dating since Maria’s freshman year and from the looks of them in Chez Pierre, they were still very much in love with each other.

If only it had been that simple for her and Max.

“Ugh,” Liz groaned as she rubbed her temples. The phrase “splitting headache” didn’t quiet cover what had took over her that very moment. Aside from the migraine and heartache, her eyes felt as they had been on fire from all the crying and her stomach had started to rumble.

‘One problem at a time, Liz,’ she thought to herself as she crawled over to her purse and began rummaging through it until she pulled out a bottle of Advil. Shaking four into the palm of her hand, she thought that that would solve her headache problem for a while. The granola bar she carried with her would handle her hunger. The Visine, her eyes, and then all she would need next would be a solution to cure her heartache.

She needed closure. All these years, the only thing that obsessed her was not knowing the reason as to why her and Max had suddenly gone on hiatus. Looking at the doorknob she wondered, if she returned to Chez Pierre, she would find Max and perhaps the answer to the question that had been haunting her:

What happened between them?
Last edited by Crashdown_51 on Wed Jun 21, 2006 2:08 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Crashdown_51
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A/N: I redid the banner!!! Yay! NEW BANNER
Earth2Mama wrote:OMG, so he beat someone up. Big deal. Who was the guy though? Someone important?


That sounded like an Icequeen comment. That everyone I mention in my fic, has some importance somewhere down the line in my fics. I think that theory goes 50%-50% in my fics, depending what mood I'm in. :twisted: So in other words...maybe yes, maybe no.
Smac wrote:So Max is a bit of a hot head and a bad boy huh? And Liz is attracted to that. {Hey me too} LOL!.........He may have loved her but no guy is going 5 years without getting any.
LMAO!! :lol: OMG, the tears, lol.
Smac wrote:And why did she wait so long to come home if she wanted to talk to him? Or does she?
A very excellent question indeed. :twisted:
lizard_queen wrote:Go Liz! Run to the restaurant and, in the words of the Prodigy, "smack that bitch up" and get your man back. Or is it "my bitch"? Meh.
I believe it's the first one, or unless you want to do the PG rated version, it's "take my picture", lol.
lizard_queen wrote:I know that fluff isn't your thing, in fact you didn't really know what fluff was when you started writing this
It's funny cause it's true. :lol: :lol:


<center>____________________________________________________

Chapter 10

Chez Pierre
- 8:40 p.m.</center>

“Welcome back, Maxwell,” Michael announced as he toasted his beer to him, “I ordered you a salad on account of me not knowing if I had to pick up the check.”

“Thanks Michael,” Max chuckled faintly as he sat down in his seat.

“He’s just messin’ with you Max,” Maria laughed, pushing Michael away, “he got you a steak.”

“Do you feel any better?” Michael questioned in mid-swallow, getting a simple nod from Max in return. “Yeah, it’s the booze man. Get enough in you, you’ll be singing show tunes in no time.”

Max simply shook his head and then quickly stopped Tess from touching his eye, “I’m alright,” he whispered, not wanting to interrupt Michael and Maria’s debate.

“Hmm, strange, I didn’t know belching was considered being a show tunes,” Maria retorted sarcastically.

“That’s because—”

As entertaining as Michael and Maria’s argument was getting, Max found himself lost in his thoughts once again. He was far from feeling better and was surprised that Michael would even make such an assumption that he was. Only one person could, only one person could’ve ever make him feel better no matter how beaten or low he felt, but she was no longer there for him.


“Max,” Isabel called as she knocked on his bedroom door, “can I come in?”

“Yeah,” Max grumbled as he held an ice bag carefully over his eye. From all his cuts and bruises, it was his eye that hurt the most. ’Lucky shot’, he thought to himself just as Isabel walked in.

“I thought you wouldn’t fight anymore,” Isabel stressed as she sat beside him on his bed.

“This was different,” Max defended, before he stood up and started pacing, “you didn’t hear what Peter was saying about Liz.”

“No, I didn’t,” Isabel answered solemnly as she shook her head. All she heard of the event was that it dealt with Max and Liz being at Buckley Point and that Peter had offended Liz somehow. That aside, she was more concerned with Max’s actions. She knew the risk involved if Max would’ve gotten caught and Max knew as well. “Max, you know what will happen if you get into trouble with another fight. You’re lucky this Peter guy didn’t tell—”

“Lucky,” Max repeated in disgust. “Shitty choice of words, don’t you think.”

“Look, Max, for all I know, the guy deserved it,” Isabel argued as she pointed to him in accusation, “but you know the risk and Liz does too. Why couldn’t you’ve just walked away? Why couldn’t of Liz just walked away?”

“Don’t blame her for this, Is. You know Jesse would’ve done the same thing for you if he were in my shoes.”

“But Jesse can control his anger. You can’t, especially when it comes to your precious Liz.” Isabel retorted in annoyance. “If I were you, I’d slow down a little with Liz. You got that scholarship to think about, scouts, and college applications. If Liz loves you as much as she says she does, she’ll see that you can’t afford to get into trouble.”

“Look, Is, I’m a little tired okay so can we talk about this later?” Max asked as he held his door open for her, insinuating for her to leave.

“Remember, I was your voice of reason,” Isabel warned before she stormed out.

“Noted,” Max muttered as he closed his door and then walked over to his full-length mirror to take a closer look at his eye. The swelling was still noticeable and the rosy bruise had now turned to a deeper crimson shade.

‘Jack off,’ he cursed beneath the sound of someone knocking on his door again.

“What?” Max questioned in annoyance as he walked over to the door and swung it open to find Liz standing nervously on the other side. “Liz, what are you doing here?” he asked, lowering the ice bag. “Do your parents know you’re here?”

“Jesse let me in. I hope its okay,” Liz winced at the sight of his eye, “I just wanted to see how you are.”

“I’m fine,” Max answered just as Liz touched the side of his face, noticing a small gash on his eyebrow.

“Baby, you’re not fine, you’re bleeding,” she informed him with a concern sob before he pulled him by his hand, towards his bed, “come on, let me see you.”

“Liz,” he protested lightheartedly before receiving an affectionate kiss from her, “I said I’m fine,” he assured her with a chuckle as he joined her on his bed.

“Come on, lay down,” Liz ordered, patting on the empty space beside her.

Despite how tough he wanted to appear in front of her, he couldn’t turn down the opportunity to be “the wounded soldier”, especially not after hearing her refer to him as “baby” for the very first time, so he did as she said.

Lying down next to her, with his head on her lap, he felt weightless at the touch of her fingers stroking his cheek as she looked at him in devotion. He could’ve very well fallen asleep in her arms if it wasn’t for the cold bag of ice on his eye that she held in place for him.

The shot was a lucky one. He was without a doubt sure that if Liz wouldn’t of been in the way, trying to stop him from fighting, Peter would’ve never got that shot in.

“Thank you, Max,” Liz spoke in shame as she looked at her fingertips, toying and twirling his hair, in order to keep herself from crying. Clearing her throat, she added, “I know what could happen if Peter tells on you…and-and I don’t really know what to say to you to make it better.”

Looking up at her in adoration, Max hooked his arm around her hip and softly stroked the exposed skin of her lower back. “You don’t have to say anything, Liz,” Max replied softly, “just being here with me is enough.”

“I wish that could be true,” Liz exhaled in defeat as she slipped out from underneath him and moved towards the window with her arms crossed. “Max, this was all my fault,” she confessed with her back turned from him.

“How do you figure that?” Max asked with a chuckle of confusion as he sat up on his bed, fidgeting with the icepack in his hand.

“I was the one that asked to see you that night,” she answered, “maybe if I wasn’t so… insatiable, Peter would have never seen us at Buckley Point.”

“So aside from everyone else that we have to hide from, we have to hide from morons like Peter as well?” Max questioned with bemusement.

“Especially from guys like Peter,” Liz stressed.

Shaking his head, Max stood up, saying, “I’m sorry Liz, but that’s the stupidest thing I’ve heard.”

“It may be stupid to you Max, but it’s true.” Liz replied with a defeated shrug.

“Screw Peter,” Max exclaimed, tossing his ice pack on his bed. “Liz, if he didn’t mess with you, he would’ve messed with anyone else, Maria even, and I don’t need to tell you what Michael would’ve done. The guy’s an idiot, he got what he deserved, and-and so what if he tells,” he argued as he stepped behind her, “we were already gonna tell anyway.”

“Yeah, that seems like a bright idea now, huh?” Liz snorted sarcastically.

“Don’t say that Liz,” Max exhaled as he wrapped his arms around her, “please not now.”

“I’m sorry. I’m just scared of what could happen.” Liz sighed as she stroked his swollen knuckles. “Look at your hand, Max” she stressed in heartache, pulling his hand up to her lips and kissing softly the torn skin.

Max winced from the contact, playing the role of “the wounded soldier” to the T.

“Oh God, I’m so sorry,” she apologized, turning to face him with both fists covering her mouth in terror, “did I hurt you?”

“It’s still a little sore,” he answered, enjoying the sight of her planting small butterfly kisses on the center of his palm.

“How’s that,” she asked in between kisses.

“It still hurts.”

“Yeah,” Liz questioned playfully, catching on to his playful banter, “how bout now,” she asked before another affectionate kiss.

“No,” Max replied with a pout.

“Now?”

“Still.”

“I guess I have to take a closer look then,” Liz shrugged mischievously as she led him to his door, locked it, and then led him back to his bed where she guided him to lie down. “Where else does it hurt,” she asked as she climbed on top of him and sat on his legs.

“Everywhere,” Max answered in imaginary pain as he watched Liz lift up his shirt and continue with her kissing remedy.

“Right here,” she asked stroking between his abs.

“Yeah,” Max answered, groaning from the feeling of her soft lips brushing against his skin, “that must’ve been the brass knuckles.”

“Really,” Liz asked, gasping in amused shock, “and here?”

“Steel pipe,” Max winced.

“Here,” Liz questioned before swirling her tongue around his nipple.

“Gun shot,” Max hummed in gratification.

“My poor baby,” Liz pouted as she sat up and then stripped herself of her shirt, “I hope I can make it better.”

“You can try,” Max shrugged innocently with a nod as he held her by her hips, trying to get himself back up, but only to be pushed back down lightly by her.

“Relax,” she purred in response to his longing groan when she held him down, “I’m gonna take good care of you,” she vowed as she undid his belt and slid down to attend his manhood.

“You always do.”



“You alright, Max,” Michael questioned, noticing Max’s dazed expression.

Startled, Max struck his knee against the table, making the silverware jump and clatter, before he noticed the three were nearly finished with their dinners.

“You okay, Max?” Tess questioned as she brushed his hair back.

“Yeah, yeah,” Max coughed out as he quickly covered his growing erection with his napkin, “just uh, distracted, that’s all.”

“By what,” Maria asked curiously, arching her eyebrow in suspicion as she forked through her salad.

“Uh, nothing, nothing,” Max waved off, “just thinking about why Isabel’s been acting so weird.”

“Maybe she’s seen a ghost,” Michael shrugged before receiving a kick to the shins from Maria, “Maria,” he yelped in pain.

“Footsies,” Maria apologized to Max and Tess, who both looked at the couple in suspicion. “Um, maybe we should, you know, wrap this dinner up, grab a doggie bag and head back to my house.”

“Wait, I can’t,” Max groaned as he looked down to his untouched meal, “my mom will kill me if I don’t let her know I’m here.”

“Well, that works out perfect,” Maria cheered as she snapped for the waiter to bring the check, “you go visit the folks for a while, meanwhile the three of us go back to my place—”

Smirking smugly, Michael leaned back on his seat, arms behind his head as he said, “—and Christen the ol’ guest room—wait,” he pause in mid-air tap when he realized what Maria had suggested, “did you say the three of us,” Michael questioned in surprise, “as in her too?”

“Yeah. Me…you…aaand, uh, our pal Tess,” Maria nodded, as she batted her eyelashes to him in innocence while her smile reached ear-to-ear.

Michael quickly looked to Max, held out his finger, “excuse us a second alright,” he bid as he grab Maria’s arm, pulled her to stand up with him and then looked to Tess, “make that two,” he added with a wink, making Max spit out the sip of water he was trying to consume.

“What was that about?” Both Maria and Michael heard Tess question Max as they quickly walked over to the bathroom area.


<center>Bathroom Area</center>

“Ouch, Ike,” Maria spat before yanking her arm from Michaels grip, “have you gone, like, completely insane?”

“Hey, I’m not the one inviting the trigger for “murder-suicide” to a sleepover, alright,” Michael snickered, pulling Maria into the women’s room in order to talk more freely.

“Well, I do need a reason to leave the house in order to find Liz, Michael.” Maria answered in an astonished manner as if she expected him to know her reasons without explanation.

“One, how do you even know Liz is still here? Two, how’s inviting Tess gonna help when she’s the only shadow out at night, and three,” he paused, catching his breath as he pointed to the wall across from them, “what the hell is a couch doing in the bathroom.”

“Uh, I’m going against my better judgment here, but I’m assuming it’s there to sit down on,” Maria answered, eyeing him skeptically before slapping Michael on the side of the head, “what else would could it be used for dope, and as long as Tess is with us, Max will stay at his mom’s, preventing him from running into Liz, in the case if I don’t find her in time and he all of a sudden decides to go up and start strutting around town.”

“First of all, Max doesn’t strut, he broods. Second, what makes you so sure Max will stay at his mom’s? I mean, if I were dating the walking vortex of annoying death, and I had a way out, I’d take it and vamoose some place far from a two second radius. And three, you come to the bathroom, to crap in a toilet, not to sit. There’s places where all you do is sit, it’s called the Free Clinic Waiting Room, so unless there’s some foreign girl country out there in this bizarro world, where you take a dump on Dr. Phil’s loveseat, there shouldn’t be a couch in here.”

“I already told you what it’s for, okay, and Max hasn’t seen his mother for like 5 years now. I doubt his mother will let him escape with a simple ‘hi’ and ‘bye’.”

Just then, a group of five girls stormed into the room, laughing and chattering about themselves, arm-in-arm, before one unlinked and scurried off to a stall while the rest of the girls sat on the couch Michael had been debating about.

“Un-believable,” Michael coughed out in shock.

“Right, now that the investigation is over about the couch, we can get back to the real dilemma,” Maria plotted as she stroked her chin.

“You’re the only one making it a bigger deal than it is, Maria. Way I see it, all we gotta do is just go back in there and tell Max that Liz is here,” Michael requested as he pointed to the door, “plain and simple.”

“What were you, raised by savages?” Maria questioned in bewilderment. “You can’t just go and tell a guy that the once, love-of-his-life, is back in town without there being repercussions.”

“Does anyone have a Tamp,” echoed from the stall, making Michael grunt in disgust.

“We can’t tell him yet,” Maria continued on as if nothing happened, “I got to find Liz first before we tell him.”

“Okay, that’s three times already that you say you’re going on a Liz scavenger hunt on your own,” Michael pointed out suspiciously with his arms crossed.

“Well, somebody’s gotta baby sit ‘lifestyles of the rich-and-the-famous’,” Maria shrugged innocently.

“You better be talking about your mother,” Michael threatened with his finger.

“Look, we both can’t go look for Liz. I mean, with both of us gone, she’ll be sure to call Max, and then he’ll come looking for us, and then he’ll find Liz, and you know how he got when she left—”

“Psycho,” Michael snorted with a fearful nod.

“—so I can just imagine how he’ll react when he finds out she’s here—”

“Psycho,” Michael repeated, again with the same reaction.

“—and as for us telling Max, yeah, just add that to the nix column, because I for one am not going to be the one to tell him that I’ve known, throughout the whole steak tar-tar main course, that Liz is here, because he’ll just go—”

“Psycho,” Michael added in doom.

“Exactly,” Maria nodded in agreement and then looked to her watch, “now, it’s getting late, only one’s out are pimps and druggies—”

“Cool, so we’re visiting Sean,” Michael responded with amusement.

“Yeah, cause your dad is out of town,” Maria replied with dry sarcasm as she grabbed Michael’s cell phone from his pocket and phoned for Sean, meanwhile Michael wallowed in the burning retaliation.

“I’m still going with you,” Michael declared as he moved closer to the cell to hear.

“No you’re not,” Maria answered firmly as she plugged her free ear for clarity, “you’re baby sitting Princess.”

“I’m going or I’ll go out and tell Max right now,” Michael bullied as he leaned on her shoulder and wiggled his eyebrows in mischief.

“You’re not or no sex,” Maria threatened with her eyebrow arched in dare.

“I got my hand,” Michael hit back with a careless shrug that made Maria snort in disgust, “and I’m going or I’ll tell Tess that you want to have a “girls-night-out” with your very best friend, your words of course.”

‘Hello?’

“You wouldn’t,” Maria gasped at the threat, missing Sean’s answer.

‘Hello?’

“I would.” Michael dared, pointing to the cell for Maria to answer back.

“Sean, one sec,” Maria grunted while Michael held up two fingers and mouthed the word “two” to her, “fine, but if we find her,” Maria warned with an accusing finger, “you wait in the car until I say.”

“Whatever.” Michael shrugged and then snatched his cell from Maria’s hand. “Hey, stoner, we’re coming over so you might want to dust off some of the roaches.”

‘Heyyyy, Mickey! What’s up man?’

“Give me that,” Maria huffed, snatching the phone back, “Sean, its Maria.”

‘Mary J?’

“No—no, sweetie, Maria. You know, the one you can’t roll up and smoke,” Maria exhaled as she pinched the bridge of her nose in aggravation.

‘Yeah, yeah, what’s up?’

“Listen, an old friend of mine is back in town and I was wondering if you can find out where she is for me,” Maria chatted as she toyed with a strand of her hair.

‘Sure. Sure. Hey, did you get my Christmas card?’

“The napkin? Yeah, yeah, I got it.”

‘Cool, cool. Hey, its cool you called man because I was just about to call you.’

“You were?” Maria replied in surprise.

‘Yeah. I was gonna tell you, what’s that chic you use to hang around with in high school?’

“Who? Liz?” She questioned eagerly, clutching on to Michael’s wrist. “You saw Liz?”

‘Liz? Yeah, yeah, that’s her, the one with the psycho boyfriend. Man, he totally wailed on that guy. What was his name?’

“Peter Gulla?”

‘Nah, not him, the boyfriend.’

“Max.”

“Excuse me,” one of the five bathroom vixens interrupted, waving her hand in front of both of them for attention, “did I just hear you say Peter Gulla?”

‘Yeah, that’s the one. Do you still talk to him, cause I gots to know what he’s puffing on?’

“Well, the next time I see him, I’ll ask,” Maria answered him as she shooed the girl.

‘Thanks Mary—’

“I thought I heard you say-”

“Maria, Sean,” Maria corrected to Sean, “it’s still Maria.”

“Yes, yes, we heard, Peter Gulla. What’s it to ya?” Michael questioned as he lingered over Maria in suspense to know what Sean was telling her.

‘Right, right, the one I can’t smoke.’

“Well, he’s my husband,” she replied with a smile as she flashed her wedding ring.

“And you’re proud of that?” Michael snorted a laugh.

“Uh, beg your pardon,” she coughed out, clearly offended.

“Hold on Sean,” Maria huffed in annoyance.

“Are you two friends of his,” she pressed.

“What are you, like the Census Bureau for the ‘I know Peter Gulla’ fan club?” Michael questioned, equally annoyed by her as Maria was.

“Hi there, yeah, incase you haven’t noticed, we’re on the phone, oh, and no, we don’t associate with jackasses,” Maria spat back, completely irritated by the woman’s meddling questions and presence. “But since you’re so interested, my boyfriend here kicked his ass in high school—” Maria informed her while Michael gave the woman a cool nod and then kissed his bicep, “—for interrupting us while we were on the phone, now if you’re smart, which you apparently aren’t since you married the guy and became Mrs. Gulla—”

“And she’s proud of it too,” Michael added with a sardonic chuckle.

“—I suggest you leave before history repeats itself, okay,” Maria warned and then returned to Sean, on the cell, “Sean?”

‘Mary J?’

“Still Maria,” Maria exhaled in frustration as she glanced to Mrs. Gulla when she snorted in disgust and turned on her heel to rejoin her bathroom posse.

‘Hey, you know I saw your friend? What’s her name?’

“Liz, sweetie,” Maria reminded.

‘Is like you’re reading my thoughts man.’

“Sean, sweetie, focus now, do you remember where you saw her?” Maria asked in a tone that wouldn’t reveal her desperation.

‘Um, yeah, yeah, at the-um, where did I see her? Oh right, at the Roswell Inn.’

“At the Roswell Inn,” Maria repeated in enthusiasm.

‘Yeah.’

“Are you sure?” Maria pressed as she hit Michael a few times from the excitement.

‘Yeah, I’m sure.’

“How can you be so sure Sean? For all I know, you saw Kujo talking to you.”

‘I’m sure because I’m looking at her.’

“Liz is there?”

‘I just told-do you just want me to put her on the phone?’

“No, no, no, no, no! Listen to me Sean, okay? Don’t give her the phone, just try finding out what rooms she’s staying in okay.”

‘How do I do that?’

“I don’t know Sean, follow her, anything.”

‘Can I—’

“No, Sean, you can’t ask her what rooms she’s staying at!” Maria stressed.

‘Is like you’re reading my thoughts man.’

“Okay, we’ll be there in like 10 minutes. DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT, in any way, shape or form, talk to her, do you understand?” Maria warned.

‘Okay. Okay.’

Hanging up, Maria looked to Michael in disbelief and then began jumping up and down, “oh my God, am I good or what?”

“The verdict is still out on that one babe,” Michael shrugged as he guided her out the bathroom, finally clear of hearing the five bathroom vixens bickering about the way Mrs. Gulla was treated. “I mean, how is it that you can find a whole entire person, but not a simple pair of earrings?”

“Shut up Michael,” Maria huffed as she rolled her eyes and then stop midway from the dinner table, with Max and Tess in their sights. “Okay, so, when we get back to my place, we get my mom to baby sit Princess Poodle while we go get Liz, and then bring her back to Max and finally restore the holy balance to our group again.”

“Alright, crystal ball, one question,” Michael reasoned curiously, “what makes you so sure that Max and Liz would hook back up after all this time?”
Last edited by Crashdown_51 on Sun Jul 09, 2006 5:11 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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