Diane was stuck on her son. The same as she had been when he was a teenager. At the expense of her relationship with her daughter. While Isabel and Diane have grown closer over the years since then, and especially since the truth had come out. Still, everyone knew Max had been the favorite child. A child she had lost when he was barely eighteen. And had not been able to see since those day. Because of that, in the wake of everything that happened. She and Liz had not always seen eye to eye, but she had allowed them to love and to help with Olivia because she knew her daughter needed all the grandparents she could have in her life and knew Max would want his parents to be involved. And despite the tension. It was an easier association than her own parents.
As Phillip and Diane accepted that she loved their son, and was married to him, and did not want to change that fact. They also had known what actions they had done to bring about some of the evidence that would take their son down. Which is why it had led to some tension filled days because Liz had not always had been as open minded as she was now in the past. She was filled with denial and craving for her husband. And did not know how parents could do that to their own children.
Spy on them.
Now she knew as a parent herself, and as they were approaching or were in those dreaded years. She could understand it a whole lot more, even if Phillip had taken the blame, and said he had pressured Diane to set it up.
Still, it had led to a lot of information being given the authorities.
But because they loved her husband and now her daughter. Liz accepted it, and things were better than in those early days. But still, it was a level of tension and awkwardness between them, and so she was surprised to see how Diane had come to Maria and Michael’s house.
While Michael was treated as an honorary son to the Evans. Still, there was not a real closeness.
The last time she had seen Diane had been at a lunch they often found themselves at over the years. Talking about Olivia, or simple small talk.
“Diane, this is a surprise?” she murmured as she allowed her mother-in-law to come into the house.
“Liz, I heard what happened” Diane muttered as it still stunned to think of what was happening in her town, and to her extended family, once again. She still had not come to terms with what had happened all those years ago. And now they were getting a replay of it “Not like I can miss it, because it is on television and Phillip has been watching the news reports?”
“Yes,” Liz admitted as they walked into the living room. “Olivia is at home…”
“It is not Olivia I came to ask you about. I trust everything is well on that front, although Liz, Phillip has told me everything” Diane murmured as her mind was going crazy. “So, I have to ask, is it true?”
“You mean about Amelia,” Liz asked as if she did not know what her mother-in-law had been alluding to. “Then yes…” she murmured as she heard Maria approaching.
“Who was at the door?” Maria asked as she came out of the kitchen and she stopped when she saw Diane. “Mrs. Evans?”
“By now I think you can call me Diane,” Diane smiled. “I have been talking to my husband, and of course the story is all over the news…” she murmured as she glanced at Liz, as Liz could only sigh over the state of affairs in their lives.
“It has not been my daughter’s finest day,” Maria muttered. “Come on in,” she said as she wanted to be welcoming as she understood her friend’s level of awkwardness with her mother-in-law, and it was a rarity that this occasion had come to them. “Do you want a drink. Liz and I were going to share something to lift our spirits.”
“No, I am stopping off and meeting with a friend for lunch” Diane smiled. “I was stopping by because I was nearby.”
“It is nice to see you, because it has been a while” Maria acknowledged as she was aware of the flowy nature of her best friend’s relationship with her mother-in-law. While the Evans were family to Michael. Still, Maria was happy in a way that she did not officially have one even if she knew if Michael had been that fortunate, then his life would have been a lot easier.
“Yes, it has been” Diane murmured. “Liz, I am aware that things have not always been the easiest for you and me over the years?”
“I know you love your son,” Liz murmured as she did not want to add to the frustrating state of their relationship with Diane. “And I love him more than life itself. And that has been since we were teenagers…”
“I know,” Diane smiled. “And you have Olivia as a link?”
“Yes, we do” Liz murmured. “I am sorry Diane,” she sighed. “I know how much you and Phillip miss your son, and I only wish things could be different…”
“We all do,” Diane acknowledged. “Which is why I was surprised when my own husband told me what he did, about the recent events in our clan” she sighed of the big extended clan that had developed over the years.
“Children tend to make things hectic,” Liz murmured and that would be an understatement.
“So, it is true about you know what with my son?” Diane asked.
“I do not know what your husband has told you” Liz murmured as she tried to create some room for herself.
“I know you are being watched.” Diane said softly as if it still felt foreign to think of her family in such jeopardy, and especially her granddaughter, and now to hear the son her son had given up for adoption was now on the road, away from the authorities…
“Yes,” Liz sighed.
“I would hate for anything to happen,” Diane murmured as she knew it was awkward, and it was hard for all of them. “Which is why I did not to come by the house, because Liz, I wanted you to take this bag, to you know who” she said as she only wished she could say her son’s name but knew she had to be careful.
“Oh,” Liz murmured as she had skipped over the fact, she had been carrying a bag with her, so she took it from her mother-in-law, and glanced in it, and she smiled. “You bought him clothes?”
“I could not help it,” Diane murmured. “I want to see him, but I do not want to put anyone in any trouble…”
“I know you would not,” Liz smiled. “Thank you. You know who was commenting to me just this morning that he did not have many clothes” she sighed. “Because of the circumstances that we are finding ourselves in?”
Diane nodded, “I have to go, but I wanted to stop by because Maria, that girl of yours will be home before you know” she sighed. “If you guys made it through all those years ago, then your daughter will also…”
“But not everyone made it through,” Maria muttered as she thought of her fallen best friend Alex, and even Max.
“I know,” Diane said as they walked the older woman to the door and watched her get into her car as Liz could only sigh and see turned back to face her best friend, and saw her friend laughing.
“Your love life my friend is a television show,” Maria smiled. “So, thank you for brightening up my mood.”
Liz could only shake her head. Because it was the truth…
Meanwhile at the house. Max felt like he was barely breathing. A federal agent was in his family’s house, and his daughter was in danger. Because he did not care about himself. All he cared for was his daughter. And now she was alone. Defenseless, and the bastard was interrogating her and while his daughter was holding her own.
He knew she should not have to, as she took his phone out of his pocket, and text 911 to his wife. And hope she would come back and save the day.
Liz got the message and did not know the meaning but knew it was Max’s cellphone. One that he did not have a clear grasp of but she knew it had to mean something so she hugged her best friend, “Amelia will be home.”
“She had better be” Maria muttered as she waked Liz to her car and watched as her friend drive home. As a car pulled up, and she saw her husband returning home.
“Michael,” Maria murmured. “Anything?”
“Nope,” Michael sighed.
“That girl,” Maria muttered as they walked into the house, and slammed the door before them as they knew they were the most watched house in town.
Except she was not, because the most watched house was the one that had Olivia in it, as she was battling a federal agent of all people. As she was not giving him an inch, “I let you in only because I was raised to be polite, and welcoming” she muttered as she gave some lethal eyes at the agent who held her future in his hands, and they both knew it.
Except Agent Barker had no evidence, and he knew it was illegal to question a sixteen year without representation or at least a parent in the room. Of course, Olivia had a parent in the house, but said parent was fugitive, and the teenager being questioned aided in that happening, and now said parent could not show his face to protect his daughter unless he wanted to give himself up.
He did not want to do that because it would mean going back to that prison, and being forced into even worst conditions, and he did not want to leave his wife and his daughter. The family he was finally getting a chance to experience. And he did not want his daughter’s actions to be in vain, nor Zack’s flight for freedom.
He was being selfish, but he also knew he would do anything to protect his wife and his daughter, so he was in a quandary, and prayed his wife would make herself come home sometime soon.
“Then I thank you,” Agent Barker murmured because he knew this would get the case thrown out of court should he find out anything. And so far, he was batting zero. The big zippo.
“You should not,” Olivia muttered because she was only allowing for the conditions for him to hang himself. “I do not know why you think I would know anything about what those two runaways are up to.”
“One is your best friend, Amelia Guerin” Agent Barker. “Who I am told you go back to being babies together, and super close, and you have even dated her twin brother in the past. And the other is your half brother?”
“Who my biological father put up for adoption,” Olivia murmured. “So, by doing that, it renders any claim that we are family void,” she sighed. “So, he is not my brother because our mutual biological father made that possible to save his relationship with my mother…”
Agent Barker smiled over the attempt for Olivia to disengaged herself from her biological father once more, and unfortunately for them both, they had eyes on them and overhearing what Olivia was saying. “You claim you do not know your father. That he has not been a father to you, and basically is only a sperm donor?”
“You remember well,” Olivia muttered.
“It’s my job to,” Agent Barker murmured. “You really have no love for either your biological father or your half brother, who are blood to you?” he murmured as he could not sense the undercurrents that had eyes on them. But Olivia knew, and she knew she had to be hurting her father’s feelings if he was overhearing what she had said in the past, when she was attempting to snow the federal agent.
And yes, inside the kitchen, and at the door, Max was of course overhearing, and his heart had dipped to hear his daughter to say those words.
Back in the living room. Olivia knew she had to continue with the show, even if she did not mean her words, and wished she could disown the words as she said them. “He’s blood, but the adoption rendered our links severed, and just because he happened to come to town…”
“And I understand you have been spending time with him over the last month?” Agent Barker asked.
“As I said, I was raised to be welcoming, but it does not mean that either of us think of us as anything more than having the same biological father in common,” she sighed. “I do not tell him what to do, and he does not tell me what do, and he came here, because he wanted answers, and we are nothing more than a genetic link to the past… because of course neither of us knew the man who helped give us life.”
“This has been a fantastic performance you know Olivia” Agent Barker murmured. “You should be an actress instead of an accomplished writer, who is about to head off to the Big Apple to pursue her dream, and we would not want anything to get in the middle of that, do we?”
“You have nothing,” Olivia murmured as hairs rose at the genuine threat to her future that the agent was issuing. Of course, the teenager she was knew she was in danger, and should be afraid. But she was not, “And I am a minor, so you should not be calling me by my name or even threatening me because my lawyers could have you in court tomorrow…”
“Your grandfather, Phillip Evans” Agent Barker murmured.
“No,” Olivia smiled. “And I think you are aware those pertinent facts Agent. You are not going to get anything from me Agent. I might be best friends with Amelia, but she does not run her life by me, and she does not tell me everything she does, or everywhere she goes. She is one who chose to leave, and she has not contacted me…” she sighed. “As I said, I do not know my father’s son very well, because as I said, the adoption severed any family ties between us.”
“Has she not?” Agent Barker wondered. “I know you two to be very close?”
“We do not live together. She goes home at the end of the day, and she does not always tell me what she’s doing and the same goes for me,” Olivia murmured. “I have certainly surprised her by some of my actions, and now, she has surprised me by doing this.”
“Even though you have dated her brother?” Agent Barker asked. “Who would be her brother, who I am told is her twin, so, would he know?”
“You are asking the wrong person,” Olivia said as her back was up against the wall once again as he brought Alex into the threat against her and was using her ex as a weapon against her. “I am single, and no longer tied to their family.”
“Except your baby will be,” Agent Barker asked. “Whom I am told your mother will be raising? It makes you very much like family and maybe even more so” he asked with a sinister smile that annoyed Olivia and from afar Max “As I have said before. All I am doing is looking for your biological father, and now it’s escalated into a search for your half brother, and your best friend?”
“I do not have any answers for you” Olivia muttered as Max from the kitchen could sense the hurt, and the confusion he was bringing to his family by bringing here. The more he was hearing his daughter lie and put herself in more danger from a court of a law if they ever found out that she knew he was here and knew this when she was being interrogated by the agent.
It was too much.
And he had to do something…
As he could stare at the door behind him. And knew there was only one way he could save his family the heartache. But before he did drastic action, there was a door that was slammed and it woke Max out of his trance of sacrifice, he was planning, and by a yell…
“What the hell are you doing talking to my daughter without a guardian or her lawyer present” Liz demanded as Agent Barker whipped around and was confronted by a livid Liz. And Olivia’s face turned from irritation, and fear, and into a huge smile, as she knew she had won this round.
But the Agent was too strong for the battle to be won unless they did something to stop it.
“I have people I am looking for…”
“Well, you have now taken it too far” Liz demanded. “Get out, otherwise I am calling my attorney and having your charges filed for attempted entrapment and talking to a minor, alone, without her being represented by a legal professional,” she muttered. “When you are more than aware that she does have legal representation,” she said as got out her phone. “Do, I make a call?” she asked as she was prepared to call Isabel, and then the police no matter the risk she was putting the household under.
Agent Barker knew he was in quicksand, and so he did not say anything more except to silently leave the house. Slamming the door behind him, as he went out to his car, and Liz before she said anything, she watched as the car drove away.
“Mom,” Olivia murmured.
“It’s alright,” Liz sighed as she hugged her daughter as the situation was getting extremely complicated, and all she wanted was some semblance of normal. And sanity to reign. “Are you okay?”
“I okay,” Olivia sighed. “Dad is in the kitchen…”
Liz nodded, as they spotted as the door opened, and out came an extremely nervous Max, and it was a reminder to all involved how complex their situation was…
“Max,” Liz asked.
“Liz, Olivia, I cannot do this anymore” Max sighed. “I am bringing too much heat on you guys, and therefore, I know my best course of action is to leave…”
Hell, No came both women silently, but they wanted to say it out loud.
“I am leaving,” Max said softly. “And it is best that you do not stop me.”
While down south, near Las Cruces, and in the small guest house that they were renting for another night. But only one more night because they had to get out of dodge. They both knew his. Because they were lucky the landlady had bad eyesight and did not watch television or listen to the radio because their story was all over the State. And they knew they could not even stay in New Mexico.
“Where to?” Amelia asked as the television was on, and they were watching for developments of their story. Of course, the media was glommed onto it because it was sexy as they were running from the law, and even their families. I am sorry Mom and Dad as sanity was coming back to her and she realized just what she was putting herself through, and that of her mother and father. While her family had a unique reputation in town. Now she had added to and made it notorious, and there would be a lot to be answer for if they ever did go home.
But Amelia knew Zack was protecting his birth father. And most of all Olivia, and she could get down for protecting Olivia, but she did know she was putting her future on the line.
They both were… Since returning from town. They had been hatching plans. Trying to figure out where to go.
They were less than an hour from the boarder of Texas, and she did not have to be genus to know their problems would be added to if they crossed the boarder, but then Zack was only a year older than him, but to Zack, he was too close to eighteen and he was risking a lot even if Michael Guerin might approve of his flight.
But he would not approve that he had taken his teenage daughter with him on his run from the authorities. It added to the danger, and it was not needed, and he reminded himself that it was not his decision. She was the one who drove the bike, initially, but he got control of the bike eventually and he could have turned around and taken her home.
Or insisted on her leaving. But no, and now he was on the edge of leaving the state. But it was either that or get caught.
So, tomorrow they would be on the move once more…
“El Paso,” Zack muttered. “I have been there before, so I know the lay of the land more…” he sighed. “First though, I have to go out, and do something.”
“Where are we going?” Amelia asked.
“You are not going anywhere. You will stay here, because your look is too radioactive, even if we are in a small town so I will go and do the errand and be back in an hour or so.”
“I want to come,” Amelia muttered. “You might need me,” she asked. “For you know what?”
“I do not need backup for this,” Zack muttered. “It will be better if it is just me who does this, as it will not look as odd.”
“If you are sure,” Amelia asked as she watched him leave their room as she looked at the television and saw the picture from last night, from her party. A dream night that turned into tears and then a stint of running from the law. She so wanted to turn on her phone and see the messages, and reach out to Olivia, but she knew she could not.
She was risking too much.
Zack was keeping her safe, and she had to make sure they did not get caught, for her sake and for Olivia’s sake.
She was not going to have her niece or nephew born in jail, or juvenile hall.
While Zack took the opportunity to ride his bike back to the town they had just left, and he went and sold his bike. The thing that had taken him across the country, and he immediately got them undetectable car, that had looked like it had seen its time and should be condemned, but it would serve his purpose to keep them hidden as he drove back to Amelia, with the knowledge they were asking for trouble and to be caught.
As back in Roswell, Alex was heading home from the public courts where he had played some ball with friends as he worked to get his aggression out from his worrying about his sister. And even Olivia’s future, but most of all his sister because he knew they did not have a lot of proof to nail Olivia yet, but that could change any moment.
But Amelia was wrecking her bright future with every second she prolonged this bizarre road trip of hers, and all he wanted was for life to make sense.
To much had been spinning out of control since Olivia went and visited her father. I told her she would be waking up the monster underneath us he muttered as he walked home. He did not have his drivers license yet because he only turned sixteen the day before, and their appointment was not until Monday.
But he and his sister had past Driver’s Ed, and knew how to operate a vehicle, but still sometimes walking allowed him to get his head straight, but then his head was spinning too much to straighten itself out anytime soon as he saw a text come through on his phone. Hoping it was his sister, he went for it immediately, but no.
But it was a friend who lived near Las Cruces, and they had met through basketball camp the previous summer, and his high school had played his team a few times during the season, so he did not hear from him much except it was about basketball, or about the camp they were both signed up for this summer.
“Hey Todd, what is up?” Alex asked as he needed something to get his mind of his sister. “How’s the team?” he wondered. “I know, it is hard to believe that the time is flying, and it will be almost time for camp. I can’t wait,” he smiled but then he stopped. “What the hell. Where,” he asked.
“Thanks for letting me, and I appreciate if you do not tell anyone else, okay?” Alex asked. “Yes, I know my sister is famous right now, and there is a cash reward, but this is about family, and if were your sister, then I would do my part,” he murmured. “I would appreciate this…” he asked. “Thank you,” he asked profusely as he could help but curse as he got off his phone.
Amelia had been spotted near Las Cruces, damn it, Amelia he said as he knew from the map that his friend lived in a town that was too close to the Texas boarder, and he knew that was where his sister and Zack were running to.
He changed directions and headed straight across town to Olivia’s house.
“No Max,” Liz said as they moved out of the living room and back into the kitchen so if people were looking through the windows. They would not seeing them, and so they were having it out. “You will not, no, you cannot leave us,” she said softly as the mere idea gave her a lot of pain within her heart. Of course, she knew their situation was completely unworkable for the long term or maybe even to get them to tomorrow, but she was not going to have him sacrifice himself, so they could be happy, and free. We will be without you “We need you here.”
“And I need you two to be safe,” Max murmured as he took his wife’s hand in his hand and looked over at his daughter whose face was undetectable. “Look at what just happened in there. We have an agent sniffing around. Even if he has no proof and will never find any to pin it on Olivia unless our daughter confesses. Still, he is getting closer and closer, and therefore I am putting you two in danger by staying here so yes, I need to leave. And I need to go somewhere, where there will be less heat, and things then can start to settle down.”
“But it does not change anything you know,” Liz murmured “Amelia and Zack are still gone.”
“I know,” Max muttered.
“They still will not be able to come home,” Liz asked. “Even if you are gone. They will still be in trouble,” she sighed. “Until they find you, they will want someone to answer for it, and that is what Zack is offering them.”
“But he will not be able to get anything on me, and Zack can retract his confession” Max muttered. “Say, I do not know, something, anything to get out of trouble and really they have nothing except the fingerprints, and his confession.”
“The fake badge,” Olivia muttered as she spoke up. And we could find a way to make sure it exposed as fake “It does not solve anything Dad for you to go, and I know you will want to save us the conflict, but we are still going to be in it if you do leave, and they cannot find you…”
“Maybe one day you and your mother will come and join me, when everything settles down” Max asked as he saw the stubbornness on his wife’s face, and knew that look so well, and loved her all the more for it because the last thing he wanted was to be without her “Liz, but this is the best thing for you,” he said softly. “Let us face it. I am sitting duck if I stay here. And it puts the two of you in peril if they find me. No matter how good of job we do. There is a reason why he is still sniffing around the house. Even with Zack gone. And if they do find me, then they will have something on Olivia and can show how we are connected?”
“Max,” Liz sighed.
“I love you Liz, and I will never forget you or stop loving you, and I hope one day you and I will be together. If I am gone. You, and Isabel and focus on saving Zack and Amelia. And you will not have to worry about me,” Max murmured as he touched Liz, and she wanted to scream and yell and plead no, hell no…
“We took vows” Liz sighed.
“We also vowed to protect the other, and this is what have to do” Max murmured. “This is the only way it ends…”
“It does not end,” Liz murmured as Olivia could not say anything as she saw the pain in her parents, and there was a knock on the door. “You know you are big at sacrificing yourself, but it never adds anything, and the pain will not stop because of choosing to do what you are suggesting.”
“I know,” Max murmured. “But this is the only way. It eliminates the danger from this house?”
“We could go somewhere together,” Liz offered even if she knew it was not very realistic “We could be together…”
“No, if you two suddenly vanish than that would look even more suspicious, so it only can be me for time being with the hope that one day that we will be together…” Max said as he wished he could take her offer to abandon Roswell, but he knew the situation was too complicated for that to happen, not at this point, at least Maybe sometime in the future, but not now.
“When?” Liz asked as she had not even heard the knock on the door, but their daughter had vanished. “Where is Olivia?’
“I do not know,” Max sighed as he saw that yes, Olivia was missing as they went into the living room, and they saw that Olivia was outside on the front porch with Alex. She was still in their view sight.
“Good,” Liz muttered.
Olivia was sitting on the porch because she needed out of the house. She hated how her father was going to sacrifice himself for her, and for their family and they would not know where he would be, but he definitely would not be in their life or where they could see him. She almost wished he were in prison then because at least then I would know where to find him but if he was out there in the world.
He could be anywhere, so when there was a knock on the door. She had taken the opportunity to answer the knock, and she had been surprised to see Alex, and she had quickly decided to move out on the porch so they could talk. “What are you doing here?”
“We need to talk,” Alex murmured.
“It is about Amelia,” Olivia asked.
“Yes,” Alex said. “But first, are you okay?” he wondered because they had not talked all day, not since the night before. When things were brighter between them, and of course today was a new day.
“I am fine,” Olivia murmured. “Just staying close to home today,” she sighed. “Alex, if this is about last night, and you know, you and me?”
“No,” Alex smiled. “We had a good time. But I know you are not looking at last night as anything but a good time, right?”
“Right,” Olivia nodded. “I do not know what tomorrow is, but I know…”
“That we are over…” Alex asked, as he almost wished for a different answer because there was still feeling there, but he knew it would not help their situation because they were not ready for it to be anything more.
“For now, at least” Olivia sighed as they looked out onto the street, and saw the cars passing by, and the eyes of people walking by coming on the house. She and her mother had lived here since she was six years old, and most of the time it was in silence, and peace because they had gotten the judgmental glare elsewhere, but now that everything had fallen off the cliff once again. The eyes were being focused on the house.
“Which is what I knew, and I did not come over because of that” Alex murmured. “I came over because of my sister, Amelia.”
“Yes, you said,” Olivia murmured. “So, what does it mean?”
“It means I know where my sister, and your brother are” Alex murmured. “My buddy from basketball camp saw them in some vintage store he works at, and he saw Amelia there this morning…” he murmured. “They were there this morning, so I do not know where they are, now” he sighed. “But it’s something…”
“Oh god,” Amelia murmured. “Where?”
“A small town near Las Cruces,” Alex murmured.
“You did not tell your parents, or your grandfather?” Olivia wondered as the acknowledgement that they were near Las Cruces; meant they were headed out of the state. And if they did go over state lines, that would lead to a whole lot more pain for Zack, who will have taken a minor across state lines even if he were only seventeen.
“No,” Alex shook his head. “I figure I need to find them, and get them to come home, and back to sanity…”
“Are you kidding me?” Olivia wondered.