Baby, It's You (CC, Mature) - Chapter 38 (Page 12) - Completed: 07/31/2021

[totallizfan]

Now that Maria knows Michael is ill, will she stay and maybe tell Charlie about his father?
Will she try to get Liz to stay a little longer so she can consult with Serena to try and help Michael?
Could his kids be the key to Michael waking up from his coma?

[Parker1947]

Gravely ill Maria thought as she stood in a fog. Nothing else was registering to her. Since Serena’s words penetrated her thoughts, and her brain. All day since she had arrived at the wedding. She had wondered why Michael had not been here, because this was the last place that Michael would miss because it was Isabel’s wedding day. And Michael and Isabel were too close for him to miss it especially since the gods on their planet had once upon a time had wanted them to be together. But here on their planet. A mix of destiny, chemistry and attraction had its own plan for Michael and Isabel whom this planet had named them.

And Maria had met the boy who had captivated her at fifteen. Someone she had loved. Someone who was different, and risky, and everything a growing girl should stay away from. Especially if you wanted to get out of this town one day. And Maria was that girl. She was not someone who was destined to the Ivy League like her best friend.

She was destined for a different path.

Then she met Michael and being different, and alien, had enticed her, when she could have walked away because she had not been her best friend. She had not been saved by one of them. Marked, and forever changed. Even if they had not known it on that September day just how different their lives would end up being. She and Michael had a bond sure. But they were not like Max and Liz. Whose eyes glanced on each other on that September, and they were done for. And for Max, it had been years before.

But for her best friend. It was that September when life forever changed for her. Maria came along for the ride. And along on the ride, she had fell for her own risky alien. But that ride also was rocky, and dangerous. Because those who came with them did not always get out of that adventure without a lot of heart ache.

Alex did not come out of it, at all Maria thought.

Alex Whitman. Someone good. Someone who should have not been lost because of someone who was only looking out for them, and did not care what they had to do, to get what she had wanted. And they were forever missing Alex.

She had seen too much of the pain and the angst. So, she had enough, and she had called it quits with Michael even after he had picked this planet to be with her. When he could have left them, and her, but he chose to stay and make a life with her, but she had been too young. She was starting to see the effects the life was having on her best friend. Watching your best friend being picked up for armed robbery, and almost sentenced to prison will make your eyes open.

And no matter how much she had loved Michael. And she did. But you can not get the thought of you were sacrificing for the insane drama that was getting more dangerous with each day that went by, and then an unfortunately timed visit from a childhood friend Billy Darden got her thinking of what she was giving up for a relationship with Michael.

And so, she had wanted time. Away from Michael.

Michael had given it to her. But being in the same town. In the same circle of him was confusing and despite some deliberate attempts to stay away from Michael. Still, he attracted her like honey, and she could not resist herself with him.

No matter the signals she was giving to him.

So, going to New York was about going for her dreams. But also getting away from Michael and trying to be her own person. Her own woman away from the relationship that had defined her high school career. Unfortunately, she had decided to sleep with Michael before she got on that bus for New York.

And therefore, her son was a result.

She would never regret Charlie. But, looking at him was looking at the man she had given up even though he had wanted her.

She had not told him about the baby because she did not know what he would have done. Certainly, he would have tried to be there for her she knew. But he would not have meshed with New York, Michael and New York would not have co-existed well. It would have been like oil and water and she was going to continue to pursue her dreams in New York unless she failed.

But she had not failed.

She had succeeded. Beyond her expectations. Once Charlie was born, it was only up and up and up until she finally reached where she currently was.

“I am sorry,” Serena’s words were saying as finally they penetrated her words. “I did not know he meant something to you as well as to Max and Isabel?”

“Yeah, you can say we have a history” Maria murmured. “What happened?” she asked softly. “What happened to Michael?”

“Max and Isabel would rather it be kept a secret,” Serena murmured.

“Well, too bad” Maria murmured. “I am the mother of his son” she said with a declaration that she had not made since the start of this drama. Unspoken until this day, although everyone could see it and certainly Serena could see as she had seen Charlie and Micah spending time together. She did not see it in Micah even though she knew the circumstance from Max’s own lips that at most, he was only the child’s adoptive father even though no papers had been formalized due to Michael’s illness. The girl’s mother had signed away right in legal papers that Phillip Evans had executed for his son and the girl who would be his granddaughter.

She knew everyone treated Micah as Max’s. And an Evans.

“Oh,” Serena said.

“It’s not widely spoken off,” Maria muttered. “I mean I did not even tell Michael back in the day, but it’s the truth,” she said. “And if you see it, you are not the only one. Which is why I was hesitant in coming back…”

“I would think so,” Serena murmured.

“I understand Max and Isabel’s need for privacy but given the circumstances. I want to know what is going on with Charlie’s father.”

“I guess you deserve to know…”

*

“Thank you to everyone who has been here to share my day with Kyle and me. We very much appreciate it” Isabel said in her speech. As the dancing had stopped for the moment. Max and Liz were still together, standing next to each other. Neither taking the opportunity to leave the other yet, and Maria was talking to Serena. Isabel was standing up in front of the mike, and next to her new husband and she it was a small enough room that she could see the talk in process, she did not know if that were good or bad except to know that maybe Maria did deserve to know, and Serena probably would be an easier one to crack because she did not know any better despite the known wishes of both Isabel and her brother to keep it a secret. But it was Maria, and once she was on scent, she was unlikely to leave it alone until she knew more…

Like Max. Isabel hated to acknowledge the reality that they had to deal with Michael. It was better off to think he was far away, and it was only when she entered that facility did, she accepted reality. Because Michael should have been here today, and he was not, and that was hard to accept for Isabel.

But it was a reality, but she had Kyle now, and at least she could focus on something special and something that was right in her world. And of course, tomorrow, was her honeymoon, and she did not have to deal with the fallout once she was off with her husband. “Thank you to my family, my parents and my brother for being so supportive. And to those who cannot be here today. Either by choice, or by circumstance. We are thinking of you today. In more ways than you know, and especially for those we have lost. We are thinking of you. So, thank you again for your support. And I hope everyone has a fun night, because I suspect it will be entertaining…” she said as she stepped down and took Kyle’s hand and they went to the dance floor.

“You are not going to stop Serena and Maria from talking?” Kyle was asking as he knew Isabel’s mood was slightly off given, she had been thinking of both Alex and Kyle during her talk.

“I suspect that it would be useless,” Isabel murmured as she glanced over, and Mari was still in intense conversation with Serena. “And I rather be happy tonight, and I know Michael would not want us to dwell on it, when nothing tonight will change what is happening with him,” she sighed as they continued to dance. “Thank you for being there for me all this time. I know I can be a challenge to be with, and to love?”

“We understand each other. You have helped me immensely, and I can do the same” Kyle sighed as he thought of this mixed-up world. Completely bizarre from those days in high school, but he will take this life if he could love Isabel and raise a family with her…

“I love you,” Isabel smiled.

“I love you too,” Kyle sighed as they heard, a “Sorry, I guess I picked a wrong time, but can I cut in?” came Max. “I wanted to dance with my sister?” he asked as Liz had finally left his side as she gone somewhere into the back to talk to her father and mother, who was catering the wedding. She had not spent much time with them since she had come back.

And now Max had taken the chance to dance with is sister. “Can I?”

“Sure,” Kyle sighed. “I will check in with my father,” he said as he walked over to his father while Max and Isabel continued to dance on the floor.

“I amazed you let Liz get away?” Isabel smiled as she asked her brother because she had noticed that he had spent most of the night so far with his former girlfriend. “And because of that, I am surprised that I would rate?”

“Now don’t you start,” Max muttered. “Of course, you rate sis,” he murmured. “And about Liz. All we are, is friends?” he sighed as he knew he was already missing his ex-girlfriend as he looked around and saw Micah with her grandparents. Charlie was talking to his mother, and to Serena. Which is troubling in its own way, but I cannot control everything he told himself. Even if I wish I could, but life has a way of surprising us.

He did not see Liz…

“And I believe that, yeah not so much so” Isabel laughed and got a smile out of her brother. “But given that you deserve your chance at happiness because I know you have taken on a lot these past years, and you deserve the same level of happiness that I have achieved with Kyle?”

“My life is okay sis,” Max said softly as he thought of all that he did have in his life. “I have Micah, and she’s a handful on a good day” he sighed as he thought of his bustling daughter, so youthful in her ambition, and energetic ability. “So, I cannot complain about my life. Because I know I am lucky, because it all could have been so different” he sighed he thought of his past, and how a single moment, and everything could have been different for good and for bad “And when I consider where Michael is these days?”

“I know,” Isabel sighed as she thought of her lost friend. “But still if Liz can make you happy?”

“Isabel,” Max sighed as he thought of his ex. “This town is not Liz’s life anymore. Roswell is only her hometown. We do not rate for anything else as she does not live here, and she has a life that is settled far away from here, and I am going to be here for the long haul” he allowed. Roswell is my town he thought. I cannot leave, even if I could… “As she has said to me. Starting anything would be foolish when we both of responsibilities, and they are not conducive to being together.”

“Which is some nice rationalization, but yes, you both have different lives, but it does not mean you cannot try” Isabel asked. “Lives can always be molded…”

“Unfortunately, in this case, yes, it does,” Max sighed. “What we started a decade ago cost us both a lot. And I do not want that for Liz, and she does not want that for me” Max sighed. “So, you should take your happiness that you have now that you and Kyle are married and are preparing for a new life together. And leave my life to me to deal with, okay?”

“I can be happy and do both at the same time,” Isabel laughed and then her face turned. “Listen to me Max. We have seen for ourselves that life is short. We lost Alex back in high school. I mean he did not have a chance to live to see his eighteen birthday and now with Michael… We cannot know what the future is for any of us, and especially even after today and marrying Kyle. We both know we are taking the chance of building a life together. It could all end tomorrow for all we know. Michael shows us that it all can be taken from us in flash, and you do not want to lose out on something that might work now that you are both older, and wiser.”

“Leave my love life to me, okay?” Max asked as he glanced as he did recognize that life was short. And you would have to be foolish to give up on an opportunity of a lifetime when you are presented with it, seven years after losing out on that opportunity because you did not go after your dream girl when she left you…

“If you say so,” Isabel smiled as Max could see that Liz had yet to come back into the party zone.

*

“Are you sure you do not need any help?” Liz was asking in the back of the restaurant and knew while her parent’s place had done catering for big events before and had even done Isabel’s first marriage but still it was a lot of work, and this time she had not been around to help or supervise it. “I can give you a hand you know?”

“Honey, you do not work here anymore” Jeff smile as he glanced at his daughter. So, grown up. And so sure of herself even if her career was on a firm track, and her personal life was more off track but then there were things a daughter did not tell their father about her romantic life. And it helped that she lived in a vastly different part of the country or another country all together. “And you are guest at this wedding, so we have all the help we can handle” he assured her daughter. “Seems to me that you might want to stay away from someone than wanting to help out your dear old parents with a wedding that is very manageable.”

“Dad,” Liz sighed.

“Look, honey. You are not sixteen anymore. So, you have a right to your own life. Which you have been capably managing for these last seven years without any input from your mother and me, so I know not too but it does seem as if you are perfectly settled in all parts of your life, but one.”

“Dad,” Liz tried again.

Jeff did not let his daughter an inch. “Lizzie, I know I gave you and Max a hard time back when you were in high school, for good reason” he muttered as he said it, and Liz could only shake her head because she was very much aware of how much a time her father had given her for wanting to be with Max which was for yes, good reason as any parent would be worried she would know but it did not mean she did not resent it, because she did she thought now, and I fought it until we won. And yet, in the end, I left she mused to herself because she knew it was a difficult time to get through because she had wanted Max and did not like seeing her father butting in and making it hard to see him.

“Yes, you did” Liz muttered.

“I was concerned, rightfully, at the time but now is not then,” Jeff murmured. “I cannot know what was going on back then for the two of you,” he sighed because there was a lot he still did not know about that time and Liz knew it because while she did stay away from this town. She did know what had been said to the parents, or elements of what had been told and she knew that Phillip and Diane knew certain factors in their children’s life, but they did not know everything, and because certain events had not happened, then there was no need for them to know everything and especially with her staying gone. Such truths had not been imparted on her parents, and Liz knew this.

“I know Dad,” Liz sighed.

“But as I said that it obvious that times have changed. And I have seen Max these years, and he has been trying to do right by himself, his family, and especially his daughter” Jeff said although he had not known Max to have been seen with any females, but then as with anyone. Who knows what goes on behind closed doors? Still, it was obvious Max was Micah’s father.

At least as to what Jeff had been told, and the town had been seen for themselves.

Although Liz now knew differently. “I am happy Dad; I promise that to you and Mom” she sighed. “I cannot complain about my life” she sighed as she gave the same excuse that Max had given to her sister. “I am still young, and if I want to concentrate on my career for now. Then that is what I should be doing” she said even though she was making a more concerted effort to get part of her personal life into movement.

“Fine but know honey that you can only work so much” Jeff sighed. “Which is something you told your mother and I the first time you wanted us to leave the restaurant and join you in Europe?” he smiled at the thought of the adventures he and his wife had with their only child. “Sometimes it is better to take it easy, and to be happy with other parts of your life” he asked. “You do not want to burn yourself out, do you?”

“Yes, Dad” Liz sighed as she desperately wanted to get away from that conversation that had been her sincere offer to help her father had turned into, and now she wanted out. “I do not think I am in any danger of burn out Dad,” she allowed and maybe she needed to concede that her father might be right. If I am not burnt out, then why I am causing drama now? she wondered but still she was too fascinated with her career to change things completely. “But thank you for caring for me?” she smiled as she hugged her father. “It means the world to me that you and Mom worry so much about me.”

“Always, Lizzie, always” Jeff murmured. “You are our daughter,” he said with s smile. “We just want you to be happy. NO matter who it might be with,” he sighed as he looked at the festive atmosphere. “Are you going to go back and join the party?” Jeff asked.

“No, I think I will go upstairs, and look at my old bedroom” Liz sighed with a sudden desire to go up and return to a place that held so many memories, far more than her father even knew because that was the site of some unique times, and she wanted to see it. She had yet too, since she had left town all those years ago.

“Really?” Jeff asked, a little surprised at the decision by his daughter.

“This weekend has been about memories, of all kinds, so I might as well go up and see where I lived all those years” Liz laughed. “Or have you changed my room into a man cave in my absence?” she asked with a smirk, and Jeff laughed that his daughter would even think that “Given that I have not returned until now?”

“No, we were too busy with the restaurant or traveling to see you to do anything like that,” Jeff smiled. “It’s exactly the way you left it.”
Liz smiled as she hugged her father once more and allowed him to go back to his catering duties, and her mother as she walked upstairs.

Talking a step at a time. As she wondered if she really wanted to open this door to the past. How bad can it be? she asked herself as she opened the door to her bedroom.

And walked through it, to a land of memories.

*

“Where did your daughter go?” Max asked a few minutes later when he saw that Jeff Parker came out from the back of the restaurant, but Liz had still not come back out, and he wondered why that was. As his eyes were already trained for any sight of her.

Was she hiding from me? Max asked himself. Max do not give you that much credit he told himself. It is not always about you he told himself as this was Liz’s home at one time. And it was natural that his ex would want to spend some time elsewhere, and not with him even though he wished she could spend all his time with him. But that was not realistic, but it would feel nice.

“She offered to help out, but when I rejected her offer. She decided to go up to her old bedroom and check it out,” came Jeff as he could sense how Max seemed far away. As his mind was elsewhere. Likely thinking of my daughter Jeff wondered. What else is new?

“Really?” Max asked surprised.

“She has not spent too much time here since she left as you know,” Jeff sighed as he did know how even if it was not in this restaurant. Max had made visits to other parts of this building, out of hope for his daughter to return. But she never did. Jeff had allowed it even though he had known Max was only hurting himself, but now he wondered if all meant something. “This is the first weekend back here in more than seven years.”

“Yes, I know,” Max sighed at the history of that time before and after she had left him. “I am just surprised she has not been up there before?”

“As I said, she has not spent time here?” Jeff murmured.

“If you are thinking that is because of me?” Max asked even though he did know that Jeff now accepted him, still old angst had a hard time dying, and he was never sure of what Jeff Parker thought of him. While he and his daughter were welcomed in the Crashdown, did not mean he was truly accepted because of what had happened years before.

“No, it is on my daughter as much as it was you,” Jeff allowed. “She is one who stayed away, for a lot of reasons. And certainly, Nancy and I have enjoyed our trips to spend time with our daughter but to know she is back, even if it is only for this weekend. It means the world to me to be able to see her back at home. Yet it is 2009 Max. Time goes on, and it changes people, and the past is the past.”

“If you sure, and yes, it does have a way of moving” Max sighed. “Time that is…”

“As I told my daughter, I cannot begin to understand what happened back then, but life goes on, and my daughter is happy and has been able to prosper in her career, and you have been able to be successful yourself in whatever endeavors you are up to these days” Jeff murmured as he knew that no one in town knew exactly Max was up to these days, in his chosen career.

There were rumors, but rumors can mean so much.

Max only nodded in response. “Thank you for that, and again, I am sorry for back then” Max sighed. “I only wish so much could have been different.”

“I know you do, but as long as my daughter is happy. That is all I care about at the end of the day,” Jeff sighed as he walked away as he was prepared to let the past reside well, in the past and there was that could be done today to change what happened during those days, and it was not like Max did not deserve the benefit of the doubt when today is a quite different time, and different age.

“And thankfully your daughter is happy and alive?” Max muttered to himself as he looked around and saw his sister and Kyle having a good time. And his parents dancing and enjoying themselves. Serena was dancing with a relative of his, and Maria was just in the corner watching, and looking at him sternly. And he knew she knew, but he was not going to deal with that tonight because tonight still had so many opportunities, that were more meaningful than hoping for a miracle that was unlikely to come.

So, he turned, and went in the back, and went up to the roof…

*

Liz walked into her old childhood room and it felt like she was going back into a time loop and arriving back to those days in February 2002 when she vanished from this room for a saner life in Vermont because her life was in constant upheaval due circumstance and because of choices she had made because she had fallen in love with a boy who had changed the very fabric of her being. At the time, she had assumed she would be back. She was wrong, and now it was years later.

And everything was the same.

She had expected over the years that maybe her parents would have done something with her room because she had not shown any interest in coming back. So, why would they not take the opportunity to give them some space? Because for their daughter. Once she was finished with her studies in Cambridge. She was off to the next stage in her rebellious flight from Roswell. And a result. She had not come back.

Until now.

And so, this was the first time she was setting foot back into her old room. Since those days in 2002 when life changed from even the abnormal state it was in when she started to change and exhibit powers that had finally manifested after being in oblivion since her shooting in 1999. Although she could not say that she did have a warning of what it could be for her. Especially once Ava, the duplicate of their Tess long story she thought. Ava gave an ominous warning that she was different. She point-blank said that she Liz had been changed because of the shooting. To prove it. She had show how Liz could helped Isabel save Max from dangerous undertakings and as a result. It should have told them that she was different. And it did of course, but it was soon back to the oblivious nature of their lives. Where everything else was more important than the fact she had been given life altering side effects to being saved from certain death on that September day.

Those days seem simple. But they were not when it came to losing Alex. And then finding out they had been betrayed when they should have had their eyes opened, and seen that Tess had been coming for them because her arrival had caused confusion and conflict in her and Max. We were given a warning, but we ignored it. My god, Tess actually kissed Max and warped his mind and we thought she could see reason or that I am was with Max?

Yeah, right Liz thought now.

No, they should have taken it as a red flag.

But they had not and lived the consequences with the loss of Alex from their lives, and then the loss of their relationship.

Of course, Max had wanted her still after all they had experienced. But she rebelled and ran because she had wanted normal.

And she got that normal, and now she was back and seeing her old life through new eyes as she glanced around and seen the bed, she had dreamt so many dreams of Max in. It was the same one she had in senior year. The red pillows, white and red covers. If only we could have so much more in this bed, she thought but they had kept their interaction to the roof. She thought as she looked at the window that had brought everything to a different level for herself and Max. As she looked back around the room, as the room felt like it was touched by Max.

She remembered back to those days when he found herself upon a discovery of a lifetime. As she thought back to the fallout of her shooting. The fact she had been alive.

And had a silver handprint on her stomach as proof.

Shattering at the memory.

She saw the posters on her wall. The paint, and the books in the shelves. So, much is like it was in those days, but now, she was back seven years later, a completely different person. Sighing, she walked around and looked at it, now with an older eye.

And out of the corner of her eye, she spotted him.

Already on the roof. Looking in on her…

The searing eyes of the dark hair mystery man who had captured her heart at fifteen.

Max

*

Max did know why he had taken a beeline up to the roof instead of tracing her steps up the stairway, behind her. Maybe because this place had memories. And because he would have known that the bedroom would be more confusing, and she had more of a chance to shut the door on his face. But coming to the roof. He was outside, and in their place he thought.

If any place had been theirs, it had been the roof.

Outside her bedroom. A place they could have put to much use if they had been different people. All American teenagers, who always did the right thing.

Until they did not, but that was another story all together. But they had kept their time on the roof for moments that captured so much about themselves.

A few kisses, and a lot of angst.

Their lot in life.

So, why would Isabel want to advocate for them trying to make it work when they could not make it work when they were younger, and in love, and thinking life could not be as bad as it was turning out to be. It turns out being an adult was a lot easiest than being a teenager and having the love of your life stumble onto the real you and then watching as you screw that chance up before you got to make the most out of it.

So, he stood and then he heard the common into bedroom. That had been dark for so long. So many years without a ray of light in it. Because unlike his ex-girlfriend Max knew it had been kept almost as if it was a monument of lost time. The Parkers had not changed one iota of the room.

How he knew was, that on occasion. He would come up to the roof and looked down over the main street of the town. And looked through the locked window, which at one time had been open for him to slide through it, or most of the time, for her to slide right through to be with him. For a moment or two before life took them another route.

But now he knew she was here for real. And he turned and stared through the window, daring it to open.

And then he saw her…

Liz.

She stood almost paralyzed, and not sure how to respond. Should she turn around, and go back down the stairs, and return to her old life.

Go back to the party, and then vanish tomorrow.

But no, she stayed. She looked at him, as he was as desirable as ever as he stood and stared at her like she was the only one for him.

When the past tended that belief, and tore it apart, and made her question everything she held dear.

Which is why she left.

And now she was back. But for how long.

She did not know.

And then she did. As took a hold of her life, with the knowledge that she was no longer the eighteen-year-old who was indecisive about her life. Okay, maybe she was about her personal life. But she was supposedly older, and wiser, right? Yeah, right, she asked herself once again as she walked over to the window and wedged it open despite it having dust and having not been open for a good seven plus years.

“Why are you here?” Liz finally uttered when she got open the door, and neither moving from their sides of it.

“This place has memories,” Max allowed as if Jeff Parker had not planted the seed. Since he was aware Liz’s father had known of his times of trespassing his property, outside his daughter’s bedroom. Jeff never said anything, allowed it, and ignored it. So, it was as if Jeff tonight was telling him something. “Your father said you had come up here, and I had to make sure that this time when I came, you were actually here?”

“What do you mean by that?” Liz asked. “Have you been here before?”

“A hundred or more times, although personally I have lost track the number of times I have come here over the years and been forced to see this window closed tight, and no evidence that you had come back,” he thought of the first time he had come here. Within hours of reading the Good-bye Max letter she had written to tell her that she had left for boarding school because she could not have done it personally. Which goes with why she had not come back because it was hard to see him face and face, so she wrote a Dear Max letter and she hated herself for not saying it face to face.

And then when he had called her at school, but she told him not to call back, and so he had not, and she had come back. And that had ended their association.

Seven years later, he was standing there, and he put his hand out, and she took, and the jump over the window ledge and came out, and they almost tumbled but they did not, and they stayed upright, and they were staring into their eyes.

“Hi,” Liz said.

“Hi,” Max smiled, and the simpleness of the smile almost undid Liz as she could only stare because stepping back and turning around and looking at the roof that had started their crazy story.

When he had come here and showed the depth of how he was looking at her all those years when he looked within her soul, and she looked within his…

“Why come back?” Liz asked.

“This was our place,” Max sighed. “Everything that happened had some meaning to here, and I needed to come here and remember as they walked to the edge and looked down at the town. As they looked down at the main street of their town. “I mean this was the place, where you first kissed me?”

When we kissed each other, Liz thought as they remembered back to those days as a heat wave had snapped, and mayhem had broken up in the hours before. And they had not taken advantage of it because they had been too much of a straight arrow not that we did not try but they always had gotten denied. Now they were older, and should be wiser, and yet they were acting on desires that had not quenched themselves in the seven years since they last each other.

As the party was still bustling within her parent’s establishment, so no one was coming up and interrupting them.

They had all the time in the world.

And neither knew what to do with it.

As the did not say anything as they looked down at the mains street below them, as they saw Maria leaving. With Serena not long after her, and both knew what that meant.

But neither wanted to stop it.

Or say anything.

[keepsmiling7]

Yes Serena, Maria deserves to know the truth about Michael.
Liz returns to her old bedroom and guess who she finds out on balcony?
Maria and Serena leave the party.......can't wait to find out about this exit.

[totallizfan]

Well... looks like everyone is on board the Max and Liz love train. Even Jeff.
Now we just need Michael to wake up.

[Parker1947]

Thirty minutes later,

Max and Liz were tempting fate by spending time together in place that meant the world to them. Maria on the other hand was walking down a hallway in a medical institution she had never seen in her town before. But it now existed in the bones structure of Meta Chem after it exploded, due to unrelated circumstances in their senior year after she had fled town for New York. And Liz had done the same with Vermont, and her boarding school that she had finished the year at.

And now she had been escorted into the facility by Serena who showed the guard on patrol her badge, and then did the necessary finger punching and swipes to get further into the building, as they walked into the elevator and punched the basement floor as their destination. Maria had not said anything since they left the Crashdown as finally she got up the nerve to demand that she be taken to Michael.

She needed to know.

She needed to make sure Serena was not some crank who was telling stories. Although Maria doubted it because the little time, she had spent with the woman told her that you never doubted Serena Thomas. As she felt on the tip of the mystery behind why no one was being upfront with her about where Michael was, and why he could not be at the wedding. She knew Michael. She loved him at one time, and maybe still did although that was something, she was not wanting to acknowledge she thought. She had done dangerous things for the guy. Aided and abetted federal crimes if the law ever came down on her. Still, she had walked away because it had gotten too much.

And she had his son to show for their intense time together.

So, when Serena to finally spill about some mystery project that Max and Isabel had a special interest in, well, it started to make a whole bit of sense. She knew the man right, and she knew Michael loved Isabel too much to stay away from a wedding, her wedding. Even if he did not approve, and she suspected her would approve of Kyle. He had gone when she had married Jesse after all. So, the Michael Guerin she knew would not have stayed away. And there was whole Micah issue she had yet to address, and she did not know she wanted to address it, to be honest.

But she knew this had to be why Max had stayed away from her once Serena had fessed up about Max and Isabel’s gravelly ill friend who she was helping. As Max suspected. Both knew what the other one knew, and neither wanted to confront the other because they both had reason to be angry or that is what Maria was thinking as she walked along the hallway once the doors of the elevator opened itself. “Why are we here?” Maria asked as if she did not know.

“I think you know,” Serena murmured as she had taken time since the wedding assessing Maria Deluca, and she could tell the woman loved Michael a great deal, and a lot of unresolved baggage regarding her patient. “You wanted to see what I have been working on and why Max and Isabel have been investing into this place?”

“How can they afford to be the funding?” Maria asked as she looked around and saw the high tech that was only starting to become available as they were turning into a newest decade. She had no idea how Max and Isabel could have afforded this level of control of their secret.

“They find the money is ways that you I cannot even imagine,” Serena muttered. “I do not ask too many questions except to accept my pay at the end of the pay cycle” she sighed as that is how she handled the situation because she knew Max and Isabel had their ways of making sure she had all the equipment she needed to monitor her patients’ care, as they entered through more doors.

“You do not sound too concerned?” Maria asked, wondering if she should be concerned that Max and Isabel were most likely using their powers to their advantage, or whether she should be worried about where it might take them.

“Why should I? I figure as long as I get the money I am owed, and if I trust my employers, which I do…” Serena smiled, and Maria only shook her head. “After all, I have learned in my life that if you worry or ask too many questions. The jobs will as a result dry up,” Serena murmured as her ethical lines could be quite broad, which is why she was sticking around because not many jobs were like this one “Max and Isabel have been good to me, and as long as my bank accepts the money. Then I am good” she smiled as she put the final password within the system that would get them through the final gate. “But as I said, I do not ask too many questions.”

“Max and Isabel are lucky to have you involved in their project” Maria commented.

“It’s a good gig, and I like your town” Serena smiled.

“It’s not my town anymore,” Maria murmured, and she wondered if her statement was the truth. “My city is New York with my son” she sighed as she thought of Charlie back at the party, with the intention of going back to his grandmother’s place for the night. Amy had naturally jumped at the offer to keep with schedule she had negotiated with Liz. Initially her thinking was that Maria was going to be heading back to Liz’s place. Now she did not know. Especially since her friend had disappeared with her former flame. Given it is Max and Liz. Maria sensed they were together. She could not blame her friend. Especially since she was at the same time going with her gut and because of that. Here I am she thought. She was getting the answers she needed. Even though I have no idea what I am opening up by being here…

She thought of her son. Charlie had been okay with the arrangement, and barely said goodbye to his mother. As Maria was seeing for herself the downside of keeping her son to herself and because of that. She had not been exposing him to the rest of their life, and to the rest of his family, and that had cost him without her really knowing. She could see that her son was thriving in this town. And she could not help but wonder what would come from it once they were back home. Away from this place, and this town.

Whenever this weekend ended. Whenever it does, she muttered to herself.

“I think you will surprise yourself by how much of this place is still your town,” Serena murmured. “I have seen your son all day since the ceremony, and he seems to have fit right in?”

“He has, has he not?” Maria asked as once more she was thinking of her son. “But my job is back in New York and that is where we have made our life. Michael would support it if he knew?”

“If you are sure,” Serena murmured as if she did not expect that the decision would be one that would stay on the books long.

“Yes, I am sure,” Maria sighed as they walked through the door, and down another hallway. “This is some level of security. It’s like Fort Knox to get into this place?” she muttered as the continued to walk and bypassed even more security, and she had not seen this much in years.

“Max and Isabel wanted it that way,” Serena murmured as they finally came to the end of their journey. “If you are sure you want to do this, then we are almost there…”

“I need to see for myself,” Maria murmured.

“Then you have asked for it,” Serena murmured as she pushed open to a room and invited Maria to walk in with me.

“Yes, I have” Maria murmured as she took a deep breath, and walked right through the door, and she felt like she was taken back nearly a decade.

*

Meanwhile Liz was also reaching into the past although unfortunately for her, it was facing off with choices she had not made seven years ago as she stood and felt the still warm air crystalize the night for her and Max. She and Max were still there, as if nothing had changed. But it had. And both knew it.

Both were different. As Max was sitting on the ledge that she did not dare approach. Looking so sexy, and handsome. And she knew how she had missed seeing him even though she knew this was not helping either of them by spending this time together. When they should be going downstairs and joining the party. Which is why you came to this town, Liz, right? “You did not stop her?” Liz said softly as they finally talked for the first time in since they joined each other on the roof.

She had not know what to say. Neither did Max. As they did not want to say anything that would risk that the other would leave. And now she had spoken, and she was referring to Maria of course. Because they had seen her go off with Serena.

“It would do no good too,” Max allowed as he had not tried to stop Maria or try to call Serena off with a phone call which he could have done but calling would call attention their spot and he did not want anything to disturb them.

“Really?” Liz wondered as she assessed the grown man she was seeing. No longer the boy or the teenager who had secrets to hide. Sure, he still had those in spades, and she did not know yet how much was known or who knew them except to know her parents obviously were not apprised of what had gone down all those years ago. Still, she gotten enough of what was going on at the wedding to know Phillip and Diane had been apprised of certain elements of their children’s lives, so they did not have to live in obvious obliviousness. It made for a lot less tension between parents and their unusual children.

Still, she knew her parents did not know. All they saw was the boy who had almost disrupted her future, and took her down a path that neither of them should have been on but one that had been started when that bullet flew into her chest, and she would have died if not for Max. She had gotten lucky in that they managed to escape that adventure except that it had scared her parents and caused them to disrupt. Thankfully, they had gotten the clear to spend time together after her father saw that Max was not a bad guy, out to destroy her.

Although it was close, and only after did it cause her to rethink things and want that moment of normalcy, and now she was looking at him and wondering what kind of decision she had made even if she had gotten her degree and had every success professionally, she could achieve at this moment.

And sitting on the ledge Max knew what Liz was referring to but did not answer her until finally he did. “You think I would have stopped her?”

“The guy I knew back in high school might have?” Liz asked as she though of the Max she had known back in high school. As one of the less than desirable qualities in her ex had been his tendency towards paranoia over his secrets. Which is why he and Michael were such a pair because they both tended towards that thinking and yes, Liz knew it had been warranted. After all one needed to be careful given the nature of what Max was hiding from the world. And the fear of judgement.

But still, he tended to overreact out of fear. And therefore, they had given themselves a lot more angst than it could have been called for if they had been honest. But then when you lose people Alex and are betrayed by others Tess she thought now. One would be wary about exposing yourself. But still Max and Michael did tend to worry too much, and so now, she could see subtle changes in her ex.

He was not rushing to stop Maria from finding the truth out about Michael. Even if there was no reason why Maria could not know. Still, old habits are hard to quit.

In many ways. Which is why she here looking at him and wondering why she did not come back And yet she knew she needed the time away. So, it was quite the quandary to be in…

“Maybe I have changed?” Max only murmured. “After all we are not the same people, we were back then…”

“I can see that” Liz said as she could not help but smile…

“And really Liz. You are right. Maria does deserve to know. And we can trust her, given the circumstances, well, I cannot deny her that even if I wish sometimes, I could because I know what happened back then…”

“Max, you should not blame her for not coming back or not telling” Maria sighed. “We all wish we could do things differently about back then, but there is no need to be angry at her” she said in defence of her friend, and her choices. “She had a baby to look out for…”

“That she did,” Max allowed. “You would not have done that to me, would you? he asked as his former girlfriend. “I know fate was not that kind to us,” he allowed, and Liz smirked a little. “Any attempt we had was quickly vanquished,” he sighed. “But if circumstances had been different. And you would have found yourself like Maria, would you have stayed away from me, nor told me?”

“I am not Tess,” Liz said softly even if she sometimes wondered if she wanted to be like Tess in that at least Tess had Max’s son.
She did not.

She had not gotten anything out of their relationship except the ability to love him. And even then, she had walked away from the ability to love him.

“I know you are not,” Max murmured softly as she finally decided to approach him, and they looked down at the street with the party still going on, down inside. “That is why I loved you. You are special. You are one of a kind and I know you are nothing like Tess, and I curse myself every day that I gave her the time of day.”

“Max,” Liz sighed as she felt the fluttering of emotions inside her...

“It is the truth Liz,” Max murmured. “What I said sort of slipped out there. Because I know you would not be like Tess and take my kid and not tell me where you are, or that he or she existed” he murmured. “And even then, I allowed Tess to leave…”

“You had just found out she had betrayed us,” Liz muttered because it was a hell of a situation to have lived through, and she had to live through it once, and she did not want to do it again. So, to even reference was hell, but she could see how the decisions Max made weighed on him, and in the end lost him his son. “You reacted before you knew better…”

“I was acting before thinking,” Max muttered. “Which seems to be a bad habit of mine.” he sighed if only yeah. I did not have my son, and in the end, I did not have Liz he thought. I still lost everything…

I wanted her gone Liz thought so she was not crying for the fact that Tess left their solar system, but could see the burden that baby had left Max. Whether it was the right time or not. It had been Max’s baby she though.

Max could see the conflict in Liz, which is why he hated to speak of that time. “We have to live with the decisions we make all the time. And that goes for that time. Still, I gave her the time and space to do that to us, and to Alex?”

Liz bristled at the memories of Alex because it was still so raw. But she did not want to blame Max because it was not only his fault. It was all of their faults because they did not see until too late “You have nothing to be sorry about Max,” Liz sighed. “We are all guilty of not seeing who she was, and what her agenda was until it was too late. And when you think about it,” she sighed. “It cost you your son.”
Max nodded.

“You do not know where he is, do you?” Liz asked.

“No,” Max allowed. “She has never come back. So, yeah, I have never met my son, and I hope he is okay, but I do not know for sure.”

“I am sorry,” Liz allowed even though she had no positive thoughts about the traitorous actions of Tess, and what it cost them.

“You do not have to be,” Max allowed.

“I know how much it cost you Max,” Liz sighed. “I might not think anything good about Tess, but you are different. You have your son out there, somewhere?”

Max nodded as they glanced across the street and was reminded how much things have changed since they were teenagers and on this roof. “How many times have I been on this roof and wondered what if things had been different?”

“So, have I” Liz murmured as they heard the music from downstairs and yet neither felt the need to move, or to return to the party. “Maybe you should be going back to the party?”

“Why should I be?” Max asked as his smile turned sexy once again with the shift away from the difficult subjects onto more manageable topics. “You have not either?”

“Given you are Isabel’s brother,” Liz murmured. “One would expect you to be down there supporting her and celebrating her day with Kyle.”’

“My sister knows I support her,” Max murmured. “In fact, just a little while ago my sister was advocating for you and me, and therefore I am sure she is okay with the fact we are spending some time together.”

“Really?” Liz asked surprised as she decided to sit down on the ledge, so that could feel somewhat in control of herself even though when she was with Max. It was often a feeling of feeling unbalanced, and on the cusp of doing something she was going to regret. All she could do was stare at him.

Him at her. As both did not want to leave the other. “Your sister was never my biggest fan?”

“We all change,” Max allowed. “Were we not just saying that?”

“We do,” Liz asked. “She does not care much about Maria, because she left this town. Max, I left, so, why does she not hold it against me?” she wondered.

“She’s protective of Michael,” Max sighed. “I am too, but she wonders what would have happened if things had not happened, they did, and Maria left him, when Michael wanted another chance, and now you know with Charlie?”

“Max,” Liz sighed.

“We all choose our own paths,” Max sighed. “I know it. I am hurt on Michael’s behalf, but you are right, we do not know what it would have been like if she had come back and told him because I know how he responded in the months before my daughter was born, and he was not the happiest of expectant parents.”

Liz nodded.

“Isabel tends to hold it against someone more than I do” Max allowed.

“I left you Max, so why does she not hold it against me?” Liz asked.

“She does,” Max smiled because he had certainly heard Isabel’s opinion on his ex-girlfriend over the years, and those opinions were roughly in the same league as one held about Maria until this weekend of course, where it all changed. “But she wants me to be happy…”

“Max…” Liz sighed by the meaning in her ex’s words, and she did not want to go there…

“I also want me to be happy,” Max said, and Liz could only sigh with disbelief that after so much time he could have this affect on her. She had grown up. She had moved on. She was a different person but when she was near him. She felt like that fifteen-year-old blown away, and even now, she felt the bond they shared, and it was like it was retying its knot, and there was no way she could move on now that they had this time together…

Max could only look at her as if she were the only person in his world. And to him, she was. She was the sexiest thing she had experience. She had been at sixteen and now she was seven years later, now that she was older, and her on doorstep once again. Or on their roof he thought. Still, he was wanting to assure her that he did not expect anything to change. “You do not have to worry Liz because I told her it does nothing for us to start anything, right?” Max asked as he glanced into his dream girl’s eyes and wished for a different answer than the one, he knew she would be giving since in many ways, he knew she was right.

“No, it does not” Liz agreed as they just stood there and knew the more time they spent together. The more risk they were taking… “Yet…” she murmured. Liz, really. What are you doing? she was chastising herself because she knew she was playing with fire. And yet she was whipping up the flames.

“Liz?” Max asked as he took her hand and she felt weak with his touch on her skin. Even a simple touch on her hand, and the flame was lit. Trying to steady herself. Unsure of herself. Like this was quickly becoming something that was uncontrollable, and something she did not want to control You came to this town. You knew you would see him. You had to know you would not be able to say no…

“Yes?” Liz wondered as they looked into each other’s eyes…

“Do you want me to go back to the party?” Max asked, as he broached the dreaded question. “I will leave you alone if you want me too?”

And Liz was forced to make a choice. What did she want? She could leave herself. Go back to her hotel room, right next door to Max’s or she could stay, and let the night fall the way it was falling. Could she, do it?

She wanted to ask him to leave. But she was finding there was very little appetite for being apart from him. And her appetite was waking up, for something deeper, and more adult…

“Liz?” Max asked once again.

She said no. “No”

And they leaned in for a kiss…

…before moments later falling to the ground… together…

*

“Oh god,” Maria whispered as walked into the room as she saw that it was set up like a lab in so many ways. There were machines all over the place. She wanted to believe that it was not going to be Michael in this room. That it was some else, someone else foreign to her, and this had been all one big hoax, but no, her hopes were dashed. Because it was Michael. Michael in all his glory, or not so much glory right now Maria was thinking as she was forced to take in the sight she was seeing. She could see Serena was taking it all in as it was any other day, and she guessed, that would be for the other woman. But this was too shocking for Maria. It was horrifying for her to see. All her dreams, all her assumptions all these years were false. Yes, all her assumptions were wrong. As her brain cried out as her eyes were forced to comprehend that Michael was here, of all places.

And not conscious. Unconscious. All these years yes, she had thoughts about her ex, and about this town but she never imagined any of this. “What has happened to you” she whispered as if she was going to get an answer. But she was getting no answers, and only silence and the beeps of the medical equipment attached to the patient.

A patient that was no ordinary patient to her. “As I said on the ride over, we do not know what has happened to him” Serena muttered. “There has been nothing Max could do before I came on staff helped the situation, nor has anything I have tried over the years.”

“So, you know?” Maria asked as she turned and faced Serena and could tell that the blonde was privy to many of the gang secrets. Given the whole nature of this setup. It was obvious that Serena was not in the dark. She knew what the gang and in particular Max was capable of, or any of them except maybe Michael because his abilities were always hampered by his inability to control his emotions.

“Yes, I know” Serena acknowledged. “I came on the secret by accident, and Max then let me on it. Because he and Isabel were hoping my knowing would help, but unfortunately it has only led to disappointment. So, yes, I know how much of a burden he feels about not being able to do anything to help his friend.”

That is one way to describe Max Maria thought. Max did take it hard when he could not save everyone especially since his abilities had helped them out numerous times but prevented them from bringing back the one before today that would have made mattered to come back to them Alex she thought. “I have proven to Max and Isabel that they can trust me.”

“Yes, I can see that” Maria acknowledged. “And I guess it’s a thank you.”

“No problem,” Serena nodded. “So, I know how much it takes to know what we know. And Max said that it cost you and his former girlfriend a lot of angst back in high school, which is why the both of you left?”

“Yes,” Maria acknowledged. “It was overwhelming for both of us. Even though Michael and I had an easier ride than Max and Liz. Still, the daily routine of being in this drama had gotten a bit much, and so we both ran, but you are probably thinking if I knew, why I did not tell Michael or and how it impacts on my son?”

“We all have what we can handle. I did not know Michael before he had fallen sick. Max hired me after he went into his coma, and it became clear that anything Max could do was not going to help him, and so I was brought on…” she sighed. “How you handle the secret is up to you, and I can see why it be a lot to deal with…”

“Yes, it is” Maria confirmed. “I never wanted to hurt him. But I had to protect my son, but maybe if I had only come back…”

“We do not know if you had come back would have changed anything…” Serena murmured because she did happen to know as much as anyone that Michael was a medical oddity. Nothing made sense about his case. She could find no basis for his unconscious state. There was no injury or known cause for it except that Michael had been known to drink too much, but even then, so Serena knew how much it baffled all of them.

Still the path might have been different Maria thought as she could not tear her eyes from her ex. As during these years, she had not regretted her decision to walk away because she did remember how dicey it had been, but she only wished it could have been different, and now she was coming to realize how her assumptions were shams. “This does shock me because like you, I know them,” Maria murmured as she continued to glance down at her fallen ex and could not help but wonder how it could be such a mystery. Surely there is some reason why Michael would be in this state? she mused to herself. Of course, so much had been unknown back in the beginning. “I know for a fact that they have an awfully hard time getting sick?” Maria muttered as she walked closer to the bed and glanced down at her former boyfriend.

“They do?” Serena allowed. “Max and Isabel allowed me to do a DNA panel on them when I came on staff to see if there was anything, I could do to give them their friend back…”

“Wow,” Maria said as she turned to face Serena. “Then they trust you. Because ever since began to know more about you know, themselves. They were hesitant to tell anyone or investigate themselves…” she thought. “And we got paranoid after certain losses and they refrained from telling the truth even more…”

“Yes,” Serena acknowledged. “I am aware, but I wanted to make sure, and they wanted to know if there was anything, they could possibility do” Serena allowed and because she did not want to give false hope that she might have found something. “Unfortunately, all three of them are completely different, and their DNA showed no compatible traits except in their blood to help them. Therefore, we have tried blood transfusions, but it became clear that it has not been helping the situation.”

Maria nodded as she thought back to those three years, and how much she knew of the alien human hybrids. “Michael did become sick when we were high school?” she thought. “That was the only time I can think of except maybe a brief time Max was rendered unconscious due to a car accident that he was in with Liz” she muttered as she thought back to those times in high school when everything started to become uncontrollable. Little did we know what would be coming.

“Max did mention those incidents to me,” Serena allowed. “His unconsciousness likely stemmed from the car accident. Blunt force trauma, and all that. It probably shook him in ways he had not experienced before that, and yes, they did tell me about Michael’s prior sickness when he was in high school. Something that did not occur to Max when Max went through a similar experience?” she asked.

“Right,” Maria muttered as she though of the bonding experience Michael had gone through to try to gain information from River Dog. Without telling anymore. But unlike Max who had gone through something similar although his test was different. Michael had adverse reaction that had unnerved River Dog, and them when they saw him, and how bad it would turn out to be before Michael was able to break through the shell he was turned into. “Michael experienced high fevers, and a webbing shield around him. I guess, the only other time was during a night of drinking when were in senior year of high school. During a New Year’s Eve party, and he drank too much, and it was like his circuits became fried, and it overwhelmed him?” she sighed. “Fortunately, Max was there at the time, and was able to help bring him back to normal, but it was close.”

“Max has a different experience when he drinks?” Serena asked. “Not that I have seen it in action, but he told me. Although he has not had many test sessions?”

“Right,” Maria muttered. “He becomes happier,” she muttered which makes him trippy she thought. But Liz knows of that time more than I do” she sighed as she walked closer to Michael, as if she could not believe that this was happening to her, and she could not. All she knew of what that the aliens were unnaturally healthy except for some odd situations that they had been discussing. “And I was only aware of that once…”

“As I said, all three of them are completely different. They have their DNA that comes from their alien sides, which makes Max and Isabel related, but they also have their human donors?”

“Their unwilling donors,” Maria thought of the time they had found out about Michael’s human ancestry, she thought of their time in Arizona. A rare bright weekend when they were not even together, but they acted as a team, even if danger did find a way of raining on that time together, but still, it brought them closer, which was our tendency she thought of their knack of being on and off until she left New York. If only it had been different, she thought. But then that was not Michael and me.

Unfortunately,” Serena confirmed. “Max said Michael indicated that he did know where he came from in terms of his human DNA, but that unfortunately that does not extend to him and Isabel,” she asked. “They never did find out about their history?”

Maria nodded. “Can I ask. Did you speak to Laurie Dupree?” Maria asked as she wondered if this stemmed from his human DNA, “She and Michael became close during our high school experience. She was the granddaughter of Michael’s donor,” she asked, Although I do not know if they stayed close or not and Serena only nodded as she still could not tear her eyes from the proneness of Michael’s body in the bed. Sound asleep, and a shell around him, as if nothing could penetrate it. “Oh, Michael” Maria murmured as she took his hand in her own and squeezed.

Hoping that his eyes would open. But no, they did nothing...

Those eyes stayed closed, and asleep.

“Is there anything that can help him?” Maria asked as she turned her attention to Serena, who took in the scene, and could tell even if Maria would deny it if she were to ask that it was plain as day that she and Michael were connected. They shared an incredible bond. A connection that was rare and you could not turn off, no matter how many years you had been apart.

Of course, Serena knew the story. She knew how Max had saved Liz from a nearly fatal gun shot wound after a shooting her father’s restaurant. And how Maria had come along for the ride and as a result she had fallen for Michael, and that she to this day, she also still completely human. While Liz could not call herself that despite her human status. Which made the fact that Maria had found such a bond with Michael remarkable and rare… If everyone could be that lucky Serena thought. She saw a lot of regret in Maria’s eyes, of how she wished life could have been different and yet she knew Maria had made something of herself, and everyone in their town was proud of that success. Even if Maria could not quite believe how she was being celebrated by this town.

But still, she saw the regret, and desire to have wanted things to be different.

She saw love. And it was obvious that whatever connection Maria had with Michael. It was not normal.

But it was real. And it was still there…

And if Maria were to try to deny it to herself or anyone, then she would be lying to herself?

“I am afraid not,” Serena muttered. “We have searched for something, anything. And after all these years. I cannot think of anything that will change things for our patient…” she murmured as she even brought up the dreaded words that she could not even broach with Max nor Isabel. Because they did not want to hear it. Because I have tried to broach in the past “And it might be time soon, to let him go…” Assuming he was not hanging on for another reason?

“No…” Maria said adamantly as she recoiled at the idea that they could let Max leave them. As she did not even respond to Serena’s comment. She spoke instead to the patient. Unconscious, sleeping, and connected to every machine available to keep him alive.

“You cannot die Michael,” Maria said stubbornly as she turned her attention back to the patient in the bed. “You cannot leave me. You cannot leave us, and you cannot leave your children and you especially cannot leave Charlie…”

Would he though…

Because as Maria said those words. As an invisible trace remained in the room, with an unseen figure watching them. Who had shown itself immediately after Maria had walked into the room? It was watching Maria before vanishing…

[totallizfan]

When Maria tells Liz about Michael and the condition he's in, they might not be going back to NY on Tuesday.
Max and Liz......well... it's Max and Liz.

[keepsmiling7]

Good question, where do Max and Isabel get the money to fund Michael's confinement?
Is it time to let Michael go???

[RoswellFan68]

If Max and Isabel's DNA does match Michael maybe Charlie or Micah would match. Maybe Liz needs to put her schooling to work to find a cure for Michael.

[Parker1947]

At the same time,

Charlie Deluca woke with a startled gasp as he came out of nightmare, turned into a dream. The boy was seeing caves. He was seeing mythical powers. The ability to do things he could not comprehend in his nearly seven-year brain. And to top it off he was seeing a man staring at him, first in his dream, and then as his eyes opened, he swore he could see the same man in his bedroom.

The room that was completely new to him because it was in grandparent’s home. And not the one he had in his home in New York. Where he was used to having dreams of all sorts, and now he was in this town, and having ones that come from the movies. And out of the corner of his eye, he swore he saw the older version of himself looking at him.

As if it was a look of wistfulness…

As the man was not just looking at the boy. But also looking at the photo of Charlie and his mother, Maria who stood in its frame beside the bed that his grandmother had put in the year earlier because it was a school picture, and a newest one has not been done as of yet and mashed with a formal of a portrait of Charlie and his mother, together. So, it was a double frame.

And he swore he could see the figure looking at him, and at the picture. “Who are you?” Charlie asked finally coming up with the nerve to pose the question.

But he did not get an answer, and instead the door swung open. “Charlie?” came a concern voice as it came into the room.

“Yeah Grandma?” Charlie asked as he was rubbing his eyes to make sure he was seeing what he was seeing. The vision was still there, but obviously unseen to his grandmother’s eyesight. As it was clear, he was the only one who was seeing what he was seeing. Charlie did not know what to make of it.

“Are you alright?” Amy Deluca Valenti asked as she walked into the bedroom where her grandson slept.

“Someone was watching me” came Charlie said as he turned his attention towards his grandmother and away from the vision that had eyes only for him. “Was watching me sleep?” he voiced, and it immediately cause concern in his grandmother, who had come solo into the room.

“Jim” Amy called for her husband and it was only moments later that his grandfather, Jim walked into the room, “What is it?” he asked both his wife and his grandson.

“Charlie said someone was watching him?” Amy Deluca Valenti murmured as she turned her attention towards her grandson once more “Do you see him now?” she asked of her only grandchild. A treasure to her because he belonged to her daughter, and finally she had a chance to see her grandchild in her home instead of having to travel to New York or wherever her daughter was traveling to be able to see her grandson. So, it meant everything to have Charlie visiting them. And to know her daughter was also back in her hometown although Amy did not know where her daughter was off to at the moment, but suspected it had something to do with the boy’s father, anyone could see he was a ringer for Michael Amy thought. She had seen it, and been sworn to secrecy by her daughter, and she knew Kyle suspected. Jim was the only other one who knew. Because she could not keep it a secret from her husband.

Until Charlie of course showed up in town.

And now the rabbit was out of the bag. Adding to it was the fact her daughter was also newly back in town. For how long Amy could not hazard a guess, but at least it was vast improvement over the last seven years, and especially these six years since her grandson had been born.

“No,” Charlie shook his head because the figure, his invisible friend was gone. Vanished from the room. As he had a feeling that the spirit was more than just an ordinary imaginary friend that often came to kids of his age as he had seen his share over his childhood. “But he was here, and he was in my dreams too…”

“It might just be a nightmare, sometimes that happens” Jim said. “When you are dreaming something, it becomes too real when you wake up and it takes a moment or two to get your bearings. You swear you see them in your room,” he said assuring the boy. “It happens no matter what your age…”

“Yeah,” Charlie muttered although he did not seem too convinced.

“Trust me,” Jim smiled.

“I guess,” Charlie acknowledged as he knew the right answers to give to his elders, who often was trying to sooth his fears without knowing what he was honestly saying or seeing.

“Why don’t you go back to sleep, or at least try” Amy said as she and Jim had just been about to head to bed after lugging the decorations in from the car. Charlie had fallen asleep in the car, and Jim had to carry him into bed, so it was getting to be late in the evening.

“I guess,” Charlie sighed. “Thank you, Grandma and Grandpa,” he sighed as he was happy to be able to say that because any visit before this weekend had been without Jim because of his job as Sheriff meant that he could not leave for longer than a day or so… and therefore this had been the only time Charlie had been able to see his grandfather in person, rather than a call or in letters or emails.

“Sleep tight,” Amy smiled as she stayed and watched as the boy succeeded in falling back to sleep… Only then to depart the room, closing the door behind her, as she sought consult from her husband of their grandson’s dreams “What do you think that was about?” she asked of her husband as they walked to their bedroom.

“As I told Charlie. It was probably only a nightmare that became too real,” Jim smiled as he had no reason to think it was anything more or sinister who would want to cause trouble for a child he thought. “Probably nothing to worry about,” as he knew the drama and the danger had long vanquished from their town line and while he knew who the father of the boy was. Still, he had no reason to believe stepping foot in town limits would begin anything more than an ordinary dream in the boy. He was wrong but he did not know that.

But Amy was not so sure, but with Charlie was sleep and they did not have any more disturbances. Any concern did fall by the wayside while across town at Phillip and Diane’s home. Micah Isabel was getting the same presence, but she was passed out, completely zonked, and she did not have a care in her world that she was dreaming of…

She was Alice in Wonderland, down the rabbit hole… and a dream that did not make a great deal of sense to reality, or to the life she had now…

But in this dream.

She was a tea party. She was the head of the table; in the dress she wore at the wedding. Her father was there, with a woman she had only seen in a brief glimpse on the arrival in town, and at the wedding she had just been to. Charlie was there, and so was his mother… Her aunt, and now uncle…

A baby cradle was off in the corner.

And unbelievably, the Cheshire Cat was there… a grin, and a face that was awfully familiar to those at the table, except for Charlie and Micah… All they saw was the grin disappearing before just being left with the trace of the person, and the grin.

Before turning into an actual person, who was walking down the pathway towards the tea party. The identity of the person was just out of the child’s reach or knowledge.

While back in the reality. Micah continued to dream, as she had no reason to think anything was wrong with her world.

Except that the dream gave her everything she wanted or did not know she wanted.

As the vision glanced at the photo of Max and Micah by Micah’s bed, and then a slight voice would say the words, I am sorry. But Max clearly loves you and is looking out for you, so you are Max’s now…

Before disappearing again.

And transporting across town…

*

While all this was happing. Max and Liz took each other in. As they stayed on the roof and felt the fresh air of the night breeze on them. Neither were feeling the urge to go back to the party. And their absence was becoming noticeable, as downstairs Isabel was talking to her father who had just come back from dropping his wife and granddaughter off at home as the reception was starting to die down. Kyle was dancing with a friend from work. “Where is your brother?” Phillip asked as he handed his daughter a drink. She and Kyle were due to leave anytime now for the hotel where they would be spending their wedding night, and then they would be leaving for a two-week honeymoon in Hawaii the following day.

Both had someone taking over for them at their individual works, and they were looking forward to it.

“Where else?” Isabel remarked with a smile.

“Liz?” Phillip asked as it had come to him that he had not seen either his son or his ex-girlfriend in quite the while. Certainly, before he had left to take his wife and granddaughter back to his house.

“Would there be anyone else?” Isabel remarked as she had overheard Jeff talking to his wife about how their daughter had gone up to her old room, and Max had vanished not long after, after exchanging some words with Jeff about his daughter. And given that neither had been seen since. One could assume that wherever her brother and Liz were. They would be together. Which was how the fates seemed to want it to be, and it was okay with her as long as it gave her brother happiness. And it was becoming clear to her that his happiness only could come from Micah, and from Liz, and it was pretty interchangeable at this point.

“Should they be making things complicated?” Phillip Evans was asking.

“Dad,” Isabel said with a smile. “Everything about Max and Liz is complicated. From the very beginning and I cannot see how it would be different today. Given that Max deserves every happiness…” she sighed. “So, I am game for anything…” she sighed. “I think they both know by now what they are getting into with each other.”

“I am told she has a life away from Roswell?” Phillip asked as he though of the years of Jeff and Nancy boasting about their daughter’s accomplishments. It was clear that she had a life away form their town, and she was not going to change that to come back to a town that did not offer her the achievements that she could gain elsewhere “Your brother’s life is centered here in town, with his daughter, and his life…” he asked as he knew that his son lived a isolated life with mysterious elements to it, but still it was a far cry from what it could be, or so he knew

“Which is something they both know,” Isabel murmured which is why they have not blurred the line before now. “They are now adults, so I think they can deal with whatever comes…”

“Yes, they are, but I know how much your brother was hurt by the events of seven years ago” Phillip murmured as she had only seen their son act like he did after Liz left once before, and that was also when Liz left town, to spend the summer in Florida with some relatives. It had led to a summer of isolation, moodiness, and secretive ways what else is new he thought. It would take a long time before they even became fractionally aware of those days, but he revisited those days when Liz then went and left during senior year. While their son at the time had been living out of the house because of events Phillip did not like remembering he and Diane were aware of how Max had gotten dark, even more so before the events that had taken him out of the family home, and they had barely been able to deal with him until Micah’s birth changed him.

“I do not want him to be hurt either, but I think it will be worse if he does not try” Isabel smiled as Kyle came up. “Ready to go?” Isabel said smiling at both her father and now her husband. Kyle only nodded. The crowds were thinning out, and everyone was leaving. “If I am ready for my new chapter than I want my brother to be too…”

“So, do I” Phillip acknowledged. “I am proud of both of you, and I know the both of you will be very happy together” he said as he it did make him happy to see his daughter so happy, and he and Diane knew that Kyle was the right person for their daughter. Time had allowed them all to make peace with the past. And start a new chapter for the family. “I love you.”

“I love you Dad” Isabel smiled. “Trust me, Max can handle his own life” she laughed. “And that takes a lot for me to say,” she said as she hugged her father, and he gave her a little kiss of the forehead.

“I love you honey,” Phillip said as he saw Kyle take his wife’s hand and walk off as they were pledging to start a new life together…

As he said his goodbyes to Jeff and Nancy and headed home to his wife and granddaughter and prayed that his son would gain some happiness in all this drama that seemed to attract him.

*

“Is Liz still upstairs?” Nancy was asking not too long after that as they were turning out the lights of the downstairs restaurant as they pledged to clean up the mess before they opened for lunch service, sacrificing the breakfast crowd but neither had any energy to clean the mess or get up early to be able to open the doors. It was not lost to Jeff either that he had not see his daughter since she went upstairs to have a look at her bedroom.

“I went up earlier,” Jeff indicated as he had indeed gone up only a short time before to see if his daughter needed anything, and he had only found darkness “and her bedroom lights were off…”

“So, do you think that maybe she left,” Nancy wondered as it would be strange for her daughter to leave without saying something to them, but then her daughter was not a teenager anymore. And was a woman, had her own life.

“Yeah, maybe” Jeff sighed as he had not seen Max either since his daughter vanished from the reception it was pretty noticeable that he disappeared not long after his talk with his daughter’s former boyfriend. And since that time, that both disappeared. Neither had come back to the party. So, he had no idea what that meant as they walked upstairs, but as long as his daughter was happy. Yes, as long as Liz was happy, he thought. He could live with almost anything that would come to his daughter’s life as he walked down the hall to the bedroom that had been blocked off all these years.

“Liz?” Jeff asked as he knocked on the door of the bedroom that had been his daughters for her childhood until she vanished from their lives in senior year of high school. All he wanted was his daughter to happy. She had strived for years to climb the ladder in her chosen career, but it was clear to her parents that she had walled off her personal life. Not that they knew much about it. Or seen any prospective guys, that she had been willing to introduce to her parents, which was not happening but still, they knew she was hiding.

And knew you could only hide for so long, and they knew that the reason she had been hiding was because of one man. Who seemed to have captured her heart so early in life? “Are you still here?”

They got nothing. So, Jeff opened the door to his daughter’s old room, and saw that it was empty. And he walked in, and saw the window open, so he went to close it.

But neither were on the roof. Which he had had known to be their place and he saw the old ladder that he had taken away from the edge years earlier was there, and that meant they had left by that method.

As he though of the roof. And how it had been hard to keep them away from each other. If they were outside. And not in their apartment.

But they were not there right now…

*

Instead, they were attacking each other. The walk across the street had been hellish because they for some reason could not keep their hands off each other, as Max pushed Liz against the wall off a out of the surveillance camera view sight, and they kissed. As both of them knew instinctually that this was the last thing they should be doing, and they should be stopping themselves. But tonight. After too many sexy glances at each other, and too much time together, and yet shockingly little alcohol in their systems to allow for this out of the characteristic display. So, they could not blame the substance for their lack of control.

They should be stopping themselves…

Liz’s dress was not completely on as a shoulder strap of hers had broken, and neither cared as they took advantage of the fact their places of residence was across the street as they pulled themselves off each other, as they had certainly used the roof in ways, they had not been able to except for a streamy kiss when they had been sixteen and too All American to think of the other uses they could have used the ability to get away from being under her parent’s roof. And yet they left the roof simply because they knew the party would be ending, and they did not need to be busted.

Because being busted was something they had been used to, but they could not in this instance stop themselves from finding themselves in a place where they should have been seven years before, together.

Neither stopping the other but egging it on. “Liz”

“What?” Liz thought as this was not her. Even if it was because this had been here these years without him, and her nightly activity. She was not a virgin anymore. Not by a long shot. And yet, she could not help herself, or think rationally.

Because this was Max. The one she should have had years before but was denied by choices she or they both made together. She could not bear stopping them, not tonight.

As she felt the bricks of the building behind her back as he leaned into kiss her, and she took the kisses, and knew it felt too good for common sense to rain on the parade now. “We should be stopping ourselves, should we not?” Max was trying to say but she smothered the words with their kisses, and he stopped.

Max knew he had responsibilities. A daughter he was raising who was sleeping her worries away in her grandparent’s home. A best friend who was lost to them. And maybe would never come back to them, and he had gotten too used to be celibate all these years, since the worst decision of his life hampered his future.

And his ability to be with his dream girl. Who was in his arms and so intoxicating in her touch on this night? They should be restraining themselves and see where they were in the cool light of day tomorrow.

Because both knew this was Liz’s life anymore. He was not Liz’s life anymore. No, she had a normal life. A ground-breaking career to go home to, and a life that involved Maria and Charlie. There were things they did not know about them today.

They were different now than they were when the bullet shattered everything and brought them together, and then betrayal broke them apart.

Micah he should be thinking of Micah he told himself. But he could not, not in this instance when he felt his dream girl want him after denying him her presence so long ago.

It was always Liz.

No one else.

“I do not want to talk tonight,” Liz said as felt her legs go around him as they tried to walk, and thank the lord that it was after midnight, and the camera were actually broken down and needing to be fixed. He had told himself he was going to report it to the landlord, but he never did, and he thanked the lord he had not.

I do not believe in you God but thank you Max cursed.

“What?” Liz said as she swore, she felt he was trying to say something between the kisses, and they went into the stairway, and she forced himself against the wall, “God, Max.”

“Yes, God” Max thought as he looked up and saw those imposing stairs. The stairs were a perfect reason to stop this, but nope, neither wanted to and instead he took her into his arms and climbed up those stairs with almost superhuman speed with her laughter keeping her company, and she felt safe in his arms as he did not even use keys to get into his apartment, and she giggled at the heat of his hand on the door.

“Handy?” Liz said softly.

“You bet,” Max said as he slammed the door shut, “Are we sure?” he asked. “I can take you next door?”

“No,” Liz said simply, as she knew if she was in her room, then she would have more reason to stop this, as he carried her into the bedroom. She found herself on her feet once in the room, and her dress was a shamble as it easily came off…

As he pushes Max onto the bed, and climbed onto her, and they went to places neither had anticipated, as they ended up with her on her back, and Max kisses raining down on her and both knew there was no going back now as they both were clearly in this, despite what it might mean for tomorrow.

Tomorrow was after all tomorrow…

“Liz,” Max tried.

“No, do not say anything” Liz murmured as she attacked him and pulled him into her embrace, and reality got ignored some more…

[keepsmiling7]

What is going on with Charlie's dreams.........and those of Micah too.....???
Of course Max and Liz would disappear from the wedding festivities.....