Connected (CC, Teen) -- Banner by Tanya7496
Author: Zanity
Summary: Liz leaves for Florida. Max is left hurting in Roswell. Liz is hurting in Florida. Max decides it’s time to set things right.
Pairings: M/L
Rating: Teen
Disclaimer: The characters of "Roswell" belong to Jason Katims, Melinda Metz, WB, and UPN. They are not mine and no infringement is intended.
Disclaimer #2: The Song used in this fic is not mine. I’m not sure who the original author was, and I’m not sure what the original title was. I found it on an old cassette tape remix and modified it slightly to fit the story better. I don’t own it either. I've done a web search but I can't find the song online anywhere, if anyone knows the title or the artist please let me know so I can credit them properly.
Max was in pain. He was having nightmares every night of what Pierce had done to him. He so needed Liz, he needed to find comfort in her arms again. To feel her love again, but she’d left. She’d run from the cave. But still, it’d been a couple of days now; he figured Liz had had enough time to cool off.
Come to me, Comfort me,
Join your spirit with me.
He went to find her to work things out, but when he got to the Crashdown he immediately knew something was wrong. It didn’t feel like coming home, the way it always did when he drew near to Liz.
Oh, I ne-ee-ed you.
Maria was inside working, she gave him the news. “She left Max. She went to stay with relatives for the summer.”
The look of absolute devastation on Max’s face was almost too much for her to bear. She offered, “You want to stay anyway? We could talk when I’m not busy with customers.”
Max looked at Maria carefully, and for a split second he actually considered her offer. Then reality set in and he knew he had to fix things with Liz. Maria could never fill the place in his heart that he needed filled right now. Getting that back was his top priority. “No that’s ok Maria. I’m going to go find Liz.”
You’re everything I’ll ever need,
Place your love around me.
Max turned and left before Maria could process the statement. He got in the jeep and he closed his eyes. When Pierce had been torturing him there was only one thing that kept him sane, his connection to Liz.
He did now as he’d done then. He shut off his senses and concentrated on Liz. When he felt her presence at the periphery of his consciousness he opened his eyes and drove eastward out of town.
Oh my darling, oh my precious,
Oh, I love you, yes I do.
Yes I do.
He didn’t stop for food, he didn’t take bathroom breaks, and he didn’t stop to sleep. He didn’t know where he was going, he just drove; drove to where his heart was calling him. He drove for nearly thirty hours straight. Finally he parked in the beach parking lot.
He walked down the beach and he found her there. She was fast asleep on a beach towel, and the tear tracts on her face tore at his heart. He was tired from all the driving so he carefully spooned himself behind her. With Liz finally back in his arms he allowed his exhaustion to overtake him and was soon sleeping soundly.
<center>*~*~*~*~*</center>
Every day I’ll be your friend,
Every night I’ll hold you tight.
Liz awoke feeling better than she had since she heard the cave message. Her heart had ached continuously since then, but now it had finally stopped hurting. She thought it was a good sign, maybe she was finally moving on. Then she became aware of the arms wrapped securely around her.
For we share in a love so sweet,
A love that makes us complete.
She knew even before she turned around whom they belonged too. Only one person could make her feel as she did. She turned in his arms and her suspicions were confirmed. Max had found her and was sleeping beside her.
Every day I’ll be your friend,
Every night I’ll hold you tight.
How she longed to just stay there in his arms, but she knew it was wrong. He belonged to Tess. But then she thought, as long as Max was sleeping what harm could it do? So she snuggled into his embrace, placed her head on his chest, moments later she fell back asleep.
And until the end of time,
I’ll be yours and you’ll be mine.
<center>*~*~*~*~*</center>
Max awoke next, judging by the moon high in the night sky he figured he’d slept longer than he’d been able to since Liz had run from him. It had been the first time since then that his sleep went uninterrupted by nightmares.
As he shifted position Liz stirred in his arms. She awoke with a start, “Max!” she hadn’t meant to fall asleep again.
I will come to you,
With a love that is so true.
Max smiled, “Liz.”
Liz scolded him, “How did you find me? You shouldn’t be here.”
Max rebutted, “On the contrary Liz, I’m exactly where I belong.”
I’ll be all that you need.
Liz squirmed and backed out of his arms. “No Max, no you don’t. You belong with Tess.” To speak the words broke her heart, but she couldn’t deny it; she saw the message.
Max shook his head, “No I don’t Liz! That may have been the original plan, but the ship crashed and the plan changed.”
I’ll adore you,
Pour my spirit over you,
Liz shook her head. She wanted to believe Max so badly, but she couldn’t. Max had a destiny that couldn’t involve her.
Max didn’t let her argue. He continued, “Liz, you and I are connected in a way Tess and I never will be. Don’t you see? Tess claims I’m supposed to be with her; but it took her and Nasedo over ten years to find us. We were in the closest town to the pod chamber and it took them over ten years to find us. Even then they only did because we brought attention to ourselves; me by healing you, and Michael and Isabel by leaving a sign in front of the library.”
Oh my precious, oh my lovely one,
Oh, I love you, yes I do.
Yes I do.
Max pleaded, “Liz, I know you can feel it, this connection between us. It took me less than two days to follow it to you and you ran all the way across the country. Please Liz, you’re the one that owns my heart, you’re the one I’m connected too, you’re the one I held on to in the white room, you’re the one I need.”
Every day I’ll be your friend,
Every night I’ll hold you tight.
He punctuated his plea with a kiss. There was nothing shy or tentative about the kiss. It was demanding and pleading all at once and while Liz’s mind was still prepared to argue; her body and heart betrayed her and she melted into the kiss. Her defenses fell and their connection flared, their souls and spirits merged.
For we share in a love so sweet,
A love that makes us complete.
She felt his love for her, his desperate need of her. She felt the truth. That no matter what the original plan was, or what was true in any past life, or what might have been if Tess had been introduced to Max’s life earlier… Tess had come to town too late.
Every day I’ll be your friend,
Every night I’ll hold you tight.
Max had already chosen her; hers and Max’s relationship had already progressed too far for Max to ever accept another. They already had a connection. And while it wasn’t time yet, that connection would one day be cemented into a permanent bond.
And until the end of time,
I’ll be yours and you’ll be mine.
She had left and Max had followed his heart, straight back to her. She’d promised her grandmother that she would always follow hers, but she’d broken that promise. But Max was here, and as her mind conjured up the memory of that moment; Liz silently apologized to her departed grandmother, “I’m sorry grandma, I promise I’ll follow it from now on.”
And until the end of time,
I’ll be yours and you’ll be mine.
When the kiss broke Liz looked up at Max with tears in her eyes; but these tears were different from the ones that had stained her face before Max arrived. These tears were tears of joy.
For we share in a love so sweet,
A love that makes us complete.
Time held no meaning for either of them as they stood there in the moonlight, each basking in the precious knowledge that they belonged to the other. Each reveling in the fact… that they were connected.