Til We Meet Again (CC, Mature) - Chapter 84 - Completed - 09/01/2022

[Parker1947]

Title: Til We Meet Again
Author: Parker1947
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters. They were created once upon a time by Jason Katims and those associated with the writing staff of Roswell and before them it was the esteem creator of the Roswell High series by Melinda Metz that captured all our attentions for over 20 years… This story is based on the television show that started in 1999 and ended way too early, in 2002. I am only borrowing the characters or creating some new ones for my own fun and using my imagination within the framework given to us by our favorite show.
Rating: Mature (Angsty)
Category: CC
Characters: ALL
Couples Established: Michael and Maria. Isabel and Kyle…
Synopsis: Post Graduation: Nothing went as it should have and therefore Max and Liz were separated by events in the aftermath of their high school graduation. And they were forced to go their own way, which they did with both moving on in different pursuits. One more successfully than the other. One is quite content with life. The other one has seen much better days. But when tragedy strikes, and they happen to meet again…
Changes from the Show: Everything is the same, except those events in the wake of Tess’s return. Graduation went ahead, but not how we saw it. What else is new. And therefore, Max and Liz made different choices that forced the other to go on with life, separately, until of course, they meet up again and naturally things begin to evolve… in ways they never would have expected nor did I.

So, Enjoy…

*

December 2018
Roswell, New Mexico

Snow was starting to fall in the desert outside of town. The festive season was starting to blossom. Plans were being made. Sing a-longs in the downtown park were only days away. The Christmas lights, and decorations were all over the place in town. Signifying the start of the holiday season. But outside of town was a different story as it was an eerie sight as snow was starting to land on the desert sands that gave New Mexico its distinctive feel but at a nearby house… doors slammed.

Yelling could be heard even if there was no one around for miles to hear the sounds because only one family lived in this vicinity and a front door opened, and a teenage boy stalked out of the home he shared with his father. Seventeen years old just that previous summer and now he was cursing at the inside of the house “Why did you even keep me?” he yelled into the house before slamming the door behind him.

The young man knew better than to expect a response because it was not like he had not said something like that before, because nothing was going right for his father, and for the teenager to get his father teed off because of something he wanted to do was not going to help the situation brewing between he and his father, which was a situation that was been growing tenser with each day since even before his sixteenth birthday. But then he and his father had always been an explosion ready to happen because it had gone off before. Ever since he was old enough to know the situation that was his family. And to know this was not the life his father had wanted to be living…

And only settled for it because he had lost out on the life, he did want. Especially when it became clear that his father could not stand his biological mother even though the woman had been dead since he was only months old, and he had been too young to remember the woman who had birthed him, to be able to know whether he should be thinking different, because to hear his family talk about his mother….

You only got a lot of curses uttered at the mention of her name he thought because no one had a good word to be said about the woman. They had even called her the devil who had bewitched his father, and as a result he had ended up with a baby. Him the teenager thought as he walked down the pathway and waited for his ride to come and pick him up because there was no chance, he was going to borrow the family car even though he did have his driver’s license. Because if he had tried than that really would have set off a battle with his father.

He could feel the snow coming down and he looked up at the sky and saw a storm brewing and he did not want to call a halt to his plans because then that would mean going back inside the house and spending time with his father, who looked at him, like he had cost him a good thing.

Or a life he should have been living today…

But did not have it because he had devoted it to being a father to me, he thought. Even though his father had decided to keep him in the end. Because he had known from the family that his father had planned on adoption but chickened out at the last minute and decided to keep him. And so, he had stayed with his father and his grandparents until his father had moved out with him, and ever since, it had been only them in the house by the desert.

On the outskirts of town. Even though the teenager went to the local high school within town limits. His father old school he was told. West Roswell High. Not that his father was that interested in his education because he always looked haunted by what he had lost out in high school, and the boy supposed he had himself to blame. Because if not for his birth mother and devising some scheme to get pregnant with him than his father might have a better time of it.

So, yeah, he was not exactly high on either one of his parents. Of course, because he had to live with one of them. The one who was dead, seemed like a better person to him but he knew enough to know that was only something that resided in the furthest recesses of his mind. As he picked out on a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket and went for a lighter and just stood and waited for his ride.

Puffing as he thought of the brunette, he had seen in home room that day. A transfer student from Chicago he heard through the grapevine that was his best friend and his cousin. A looker he thought as she looked beautiful in her studious ways.

Of course, you had to wonder who would transfer into class at the end of the semester, right before Christmas break. What kind of parents would move the kid at this point in the year, why not wait for classes in January, but then he was born and raised in Roswell? So, how should he know?

Okay, maybe not he thought. After all, his birthplace was another planet, but it was not like he could own up that to the local government or the federal one for that matter he thought so his legal documentation told people he was born in this town, and it was a town that had been his home since he showed up in it when he was only months old.

His birthdate and age being a little funny, because his birth mother had not been the honest type, his aunt would tell him. Yeah, my relatives never held any punches from me he thought. Except my grandparents because they freely admit my birth mother was a mystery to them So the stories had come from others, who had firsthand experience with the woman who would become his mother. So, because of what they did not know? They could only work with what they did know. Which meant a little fudging of the legalities to make him an official citizen.

But he felt human, although he knew his genetics told another story all together as a car finally arrived with three teenagers.

One male, and two females.

“Hey River, are you going to come out of dreamland and join us” came the voice of the male “Yeah, that is my name if you are asking” as River did snap out of his trance of his inner thoughts and walk to the car and open the side door of the passenger seat as the two females were in the back.

But they were not some dates, ready for a night out on the town when it was a school night and every one of them should be studying for their final final exam of the semester. River thought he had done enough studying, and that was one of the fights he had with his father even though his father was not one to keep an interest in his education. Well, he knew enough to know his semester was riding on these exams.

But River wanted to have some fun, and so he put out the call and his friends had come calling. “The old man was giving me trouble.”

“Sorry about that,” came one of the girls. The blonde by the brunette in the backseat. “Mom was saying he was even more jerkish than usual” she was saying because she knew it had been one of the discussions in the house when they left it, to get into the car and come and collect River.

“That he is,” River thought as the driver drove back to town, and they went looking for adventure. “Eighteen more months until I graduate and then I am out of here,” he thought as he was already checking out universities, so my grades do mean something to me he thought as he turned and faced his best friend who looked amused. “What?”

“That was apparently my father’s motto was back in the day,” said the friend.

“If it was, then that it is my plan too” River sighed as he hated that his father and he did not get along. Although he sensed it was because his father was deeply disappointed by the fate of his life, and not getting what he wanted out of it, or who he wanted because River Michael Evans knew that his father wanted the one who he had been with when his mother came into the picture and disrupted destiny. Events would take place that would take his father’s girlfriend away from him and so unfortunately his father was at the state of life he was in and was taking it out on his only child.

That he could have been given me away but chose to keep me and his action spoke as if he regretted doing so. So, River was counting down to graduation even though he had many months to go but he was counting on getting out of this town so that maybe one day he and his father can see eye to eye.

*

Ninety minutes later,

“I am disappointed in you Mac” came the blonde as she and her companion met up with the guys after being separated. River and his best friend, Mac Guerin, short for Mackenzie because his parents or mostly his mother wanted to be clever with her only child’s name therefore, and gave him a name that he resented and therefore tended to only go by his short form Mac is a fine name he thought as the group had gone their own way and each had found a way to get what they were after, and now they were meeting up by the car that Mac had been driving the group around in.

“It’s for River,” came Mac as if that were an excuse that would work as he was holding the beer that he and his friend had gotten a hold because he knew his friend was in a mood and he was open to anything. Including breaking of some rules. Rites of passages and all that… After all his parents were busy for the night. They were Christmas shopping in Las Cruces. So, he was willing to have fun. Even though River was usually more responsible than this. But then Mac knew that when River and his father got into one of their blowouts then his friend was going to be in a mood so they both tended to give into the worst of their impulses.

“Somehow I doubt it,” came the blonde “What do you think Jaime?” she asked as she asked the shorter girl, she was next too, the brunette that had also been in the car with them.

“I think River is too saintly for that?” Jaime Valenti muttered. “What do you think “Jessie” short for Jessica Amanda Ramirez Evans as she was being raised by her single mother who had become widowed when her father died in a car crash before she was born. So, her mother had decided to give both a form of her birth father’s name, and yet her maiden name to her daughter at birth, and therefore, her daughter had gone by the name Evans ever since.

Even though her mother was now engaged to Jaime’s father, Kyle. After dating him for the last ten years. A wedding had still not been scheduled. Although currently Jessie was living in the same house as Kyle and his own daughter Jaime whose mother also died when she was a kid. Although at the time Kyle had been in the process of divorcing his wife. Custody automatically went to her father after the funeral.

So, you could say that all the kids were missing something except for Mac who had the classic family to write home about, and yet here he was the one who was looking for trouble despite what River was telling himself. River was too much of a choir boy to want to drink and cause trouble, except maybe on the surface of things. But Mac was the one who was looking for action, and on this night, River was allowing him to because he was that annoyed at his father but then his eye turned to the side and saw the same brunette that he had seen in home room that day looking at him with amusement. “Got to go” River said. “Be back shortly.”

“Well,” Jessie said of her cousin’s interest in the new girl at school. West Roswell was too small for a transfer student in the middle of December, and in the middle of the school year not to be noticed and so they had all noticed her, and Jaime looked jealous as the 14-year-old saw River walk towards the new girl from school.

“You are too young kid,” Mac said as he and Jessie were both 15 years old with Jessie slightly older than he was, but not my much. Although River was oldest one of their group, so he was a year ahead of Mac and Jessie with Jaime a year behind them, so she was a freshman that year while Mac and Jessica were both Sophomores. Life was starting to become serious for all the teenagers. But still, they wanted to have a night jolly fun before they had to worry about end of semester exams.

“Do not call me kid,” Jaime muttered as she saw River approach the new girl. “After all you are only a year older than me, and you should not have even been driving,” she muttered even she had known better, and still she had gotten into the car because her stepsister was going to be there too, as she dismissively looked to where her crush had walked off too, and the newcomer that River had been entranced by. “What is her name anyway?”

“Mariah” Mac said softly as he ignored Jaime’s taunts as he did recognize the new girl from school. Because she was a topic of discussion at home. Along with Mariah’s younger brother, Alex but known to everyone by the nickname Lex. “Mariah Anthony.”

“You know her?” Jessica asked of her friend as she like River had noticed her in school. She did not know all the details, but the new girl was making waves in their school. And she and Mac treated each other as honorary family because of the fact their mother and father were so close that they were practically brother and sister, and so they had grown up together, along with Mac’s best friend, River who was of course, Jessie’s cousin because his father was her mother’s brother.

So, it was a small community. And it was coming to a head with the addition of the family whose details were still mysterious to the others in the group, but Mac obviously knew more than the others did of the newest girl to join their ranks.

“Yeah, I do” Mac murmured as the girls were paying attention to him so that they could hear more of what he knew as he looked over at where River and Mariah was now talking. “She has lived in Chicago until recently.”

“City girl?” Jessie remarked. Cool “This will be a culture shock to her?” she asked because this had been the only town she had known since she was born even though her birth father had moved to Boston, and her parents had been separated when her mother had found out she was pregnant. Apparently, her mother had been planning on joining her husband only for her birth father to die in a car crash before they could arrive, and therefore her mother stayed here in this town, and presto, she had been born in Roswell, and it had been her home ever since.

“Something like that,” Mac muttered. “Parents transferred her, so she did not have any choice” he allowed.

*

Across the road, and within the park. Admiring the park lights, and the Christmas tree that had been put up the previous weekend, and she could feel eyes on her, and then a soft voice and tone “You are new to town?” River as he approached the brunette his vision had caught attention of as he stood with his friends before leaving them and coming into the park towards the girl who had attracted him. Any thoughts of illicit behavior were forgotten as he had seen the girl with long flowy brown hair looking at him, like she knew him. “I saw you in home room?”

“Yes,” the girl murmured as she did remember him from her home room as she took her glaze from the Christmas tree as she did not know why she had been eying the blonde with an eye of wanting to get to know him, but she was as she waited for her father and little brother to return and pick her up after they went to search for something for their new house. She had wanted to see the action of the town, and shop for Christmas along the main street. So, her father had let her out, and gone with her brother to pick up the order he had called in, and she was expecting him any minute as she saw the crowd over across the road. “So, you are here with your friends?”

“Yes,” River smiled. “We should be studying but you know, the night called us to have some fun.”

“Right,” the girl smiled. “The principal gave me a pass from the exams because I just transferred in,” she sighed as she thought of her old home and old school. “Mom and Dad did not even let me finish off the school semester back home before they decided to move me and my brother?”

“I am sorry about that,” River thought as he did not know what it was like having to move to a new town. So different from the one he had lived in before and so late in a semester. “But I cannot say that I have any experience with that kind of thing because this is the only town I have ever known since I was a little baby” he murmured because he knew very well, he had come to this town as a baby, and had not been born in it.

“Yeah,” the girl asked as she was observing the bustling nature of the small town. The differences between her hometown and this one was so stark and different, and she had wanted to take it all in. Especially with the festive season upon them. After all the big city lights of Chicago where she had been born, and Roswell were like night and day. It was so different to be in this classic small town. As it was one that you would read about even if you did not experience it, and now she was experiencing it for herself and she did not know what to think about the place she would now call home.

“Yeah,” River murmured as she taken by the brunette’s beauty. “So, can I ask. What is your name?”

“Mariah” the girl muttered.

“Mariah….” River asked with a smile as he was trying to get more from her as the girl interested him and he did not know why because of his issues at home. He had spent his time with his friends or studying and doing homework so that he could get out of this this town one day, and did not have to be stuck here, unless that was his choice. And as of an hour ago. All he had known was that he would be on the first bus out of this town one he graduated. Because while he might love his family, and his hometown. Still, there was nothing to tie him here.

As he had not wanted to date. Nothing but the truth of this town kept me tied to it, but he was determined to reverse that when he graduated, and he left town.

And yet now. He was not too sure as he was looking into Mariah’s eyes, and the smile on her face. Something about her attracted to him, and yet he got a vibe from her that she was off limits, so he did not know why he was even trying to enquire about her?

“Mariah Anthony,” the girl asked as she was also taken by boy who had approached her out of nowhere. “And your name?”

“River,” the boy said before he amended his answer. “River Evans.”

“Hello, River” Mariah smiled. “It is nice to meet you River. Yes, I have seen you around the hallways,” she thought of her new school. Quite the change from the halls she had been used to. Small, and close knit. She did not know how she was going to take to it, but so far, she had managed to make it through the days, as she turned her focus back onto the boy who had come to say hello. “I find that your name is different?” she wondered because she had not known any Rivers back home. Intriguing she thought.

“Then you might have found my birth name even more different,” River laughed as he could not understand why he was even bringing this up. Because Mariah was a stranger to him, and he had not known her until this day. And the vibes coming off her were intoxicating, and yet it was nonthreatening at the same time. And yet, he here was, confessing secrets and it did surprise him.

“You had a different name?” Mariah asked as she was amused by River, and the nature of the boy who had blonde hair but had an aura of danger to him. “Why would you have had a different name?”

“You had to be here,” River muttered as he thought of his origin story. “It is an old family name” he thought of the name and how his birth name was not the name he had now because his father had changed it once he decided that he would not go the adoption route. As he had been named by his birth mother, and of course being that no one could stand his birth mother. His name was the first thing they changed about him. And came up with a unique monitor that apparently had connotations of the past for the clan that birthed him. “My birth name was Zan.”

“Wow, you are right, I think I like River, it’s different but normal” Mariah smiled. “I guess you can say that my name is relatively simpler because I was named after my mother’s best friend, although it is not an exact copy of the name because she is still alive but still close enough…”

“I like it,” River smiled.

“So, do I?” Mariah allowed as she glanced over and saw the boy by the car who noticed her and smiled. “So, you know Mackenzie?”

“You mean Mac?” River asked as his friend bristled at his legal birth name as he had gone by Mac ever since River had known him, which had been when they were kids growing up in this town together because of the closeness between his father and Mac’s parents. As he had seen how Mariah had recognized Mac, and Mac had down the same thing, and that surprised him because he could not remember his best friend mentioning Mariah to him in the past. “How do you know Mac?”

“You can say our families are close,” Mariah murmured.

“Funny thing is that Mac never mentioned knowing you?” River asked as he glanced across the street at his best friend and struggled to remember if there had been any time over their friendship that Mac had mentioned knowing someone like Mariah but could not think of something. “We have been friends since we were kids together?”

“It does not surprise me because it has been kind of a like a rule that I stay in Chicago until now,” Mariah allowed. “I mean we would have not moved here but my parents both got a job here, and before now, we rarely came out here or if my mother did, which was not very often, my brother and I stayed back home with our Dad who had to work and could not take time for a visit. Which was always weird if you ask me, and you did not ask me” she laughed as she too found a need to give out facts about her life “Because my mother is from this town.”

“Really?” River asked with a sexy smile that made Mariah fluttered a little. “So, you are not that much of a newcomer to our town?”

“Oh, I am” Mariah allowed as she looked around the park, and the Christmas tree. A symbol of celebration. “This town is completely brand new to me” she sighed. “All kind of experiences of all kinds are finding me since we arrived.”

“Then I guess I can say welcome” River smiled as he saw his friends by the car, talking amongst themselves as they were not paying attention to him and Mariah anymore, and so it drew his attention back to the newcomer to their fair town. As she was nothing like anything those, he had experience so far in his life. “So, since we have established you are new to this town. How are you liking Roswell?”

“It has had its moments,” Mariah laughed as they continued to talk, and time was ticking down, and neither were realizing it because they enjoyed talking to the other. For Mariah River was a chance to see there was some good in this town. Because she had not had a chance to make many friends since she started at the high school, and now someone was welcoming her to the town, and it was making her see that maybe moving was not the worst thing ever to happen to her only for that to change when they both heard a scream, and River focused his attention where it was coming because he had instantly recognized the sound of the voice. It was Jessica’s voice. His cousin, as they looked in horror as a car came out of nowhere, out of control and was coming right for Mac’s car or he shall qualify that as his parent’s car. Oh, shit he cried as horror struck him.

“Oh no” Mariah cried as she instantly recognized the car, and one of the people in the car with horror as. “No, please, no god” she screamed.

“You know the car?” River asked.

“Yes, it belongs to my Dad. And my little brother is in it with him” she said and before they could reach the scene as they started to run, but they were too late and the car rammed right into the car that had been stationary, and not moving, but had kids in the vicinity of it, as they heard the commotion of the crash…

Then the car catching on fire… because of the overwhelming force it was coming at, and how hard it hit…

River and Mariah did not have time to react as they watched in horror as Mac, Jessie and Jaime were all lying on the ground, and it was obvious there was two people still in the other car. River wanted to go and help his friends, but Mariah had other ideas…

“Dad,” Mariah screamed. “Alex…” she yelled as she took off for her car, and River raced after to cause her to prevent herself injury as they reached the fiery car.

And from what he could see as he reached the scene, River did not know how both were going to make it… or if they were even still alive for the matter.

But he dug in to help as he yanked open the door…

[Stefuh]

I haven't been here in months but I'm glad that I saw a new story from you posted today!! So I guess Michael kept in contact with Liz but not Max? Since Mac knows who Mariah is but not River... and God, that ending!! Come back soon to post more please!!

[totallizfan]

I like it.

[RoswellFan68]

So happy to find this story. Looking forward for more.

[Parker1947]

Two hours before,

At the same home out in the desert that River had just stalked out in a huff. Inside, the television was running. And a basketball game was on, but the man in the chair with a beer in one hand and his phone on the seat rest beside him but he was not focusing on either the television and the score of the game that was should be pleasing him, or his phone because he was still thinking of how his son had left, cursing and the yelling that had taken place before it. And it did not make it go down easy to know when he looked in his son’s face, he saw…

The Devil or unfortunately why he did not have the life he should be having today. He had heard his final curse, why, did you even keep me? and it rang in his head as he looked out the window as he finally got out of the chair because he was not focusing on the television anyways, and he paced and wondered what his son was up to. Because whenever he was in a mood, then his son was libel to do something crazy.

Especially with his friends egging him on. Even though he did not have a negative thought of any of the ones he knew River to hang out on a regular basis, because Mac was a decent kid, a little wild he thought and getting wilder but then Mac was not his father, nor his mother. And fortunately, Mac had a lot of his mother in him, and that tended to outweigh the negative in the boy which is fortunate. And Jessica, or Jessie as she liked to be called.

A total replica of her mother. Isabel, he thought. Tall and beautiful because she also had inherited a slight mix of her father’s ethnic identity, and she was bossy, and loyal, and Jaime was just coming into her own as he thought of the relationship his sister had been in for ten years and finally, they decided they wanted to get married. They had recently become engaged although a wedding had not been set so he had known Jaime, as she had been in their life for a good chunk of that life. And he did not have anything bad to say about a relationship that had given his sister a chance at happiness, with someone who knew the real her, and loved her for all her quirks.

And who was a great father figure to Jessie, and his own daughter.

Being a good father was something he knew he was not, as he knew he was in one of his moods. When am I not in one of my moods according to my son or even my sister he thought because he knew his parents always thought the better of him even when he did not deserve it? And tonight, he had known he had not deserved it because he had overreacted to something River had said, and they had exploded into a fight, until his son had finally walked out.

And he saw the snow falling and landing on the desert. The caves were not that far away, as he thought of the place, he called home. Once he was out of his own, well, he had not wanted to be anywhere civilized people wanted to call their home, meaning Michael and Maria or even his sister.

No, I had to come out here, where there was a living reminder out there in the eye of sight of the window he always looked out, every morning as he watched his son head off into town, to better himself, so that he did not end up like him. And it was not like he wanted his son to end up like him.

Only thinking of the past, and how it went wrong or who he had let walk away because he had changed his mind about adoption, and instead kept his son. And therefore, he had watched as his greatest love walked away to start a new life.

Liz, he thought.

She did now have a new life. Even though he did not know for sure where she was. At least she is out there, leading the life I wanted her to have …even if it cannot be with me although that rang hallow because it did not make his life easier to live to know she was alive, and out there, away from him, and most days, he did not want to know where she was because all he wanted to think of was the girl he had loved once upon a time. So, no, he did not even know she was these days although he suspected that Michael and Maria did. But they never told him, nor did he ask because he had not wanted to know even though he did.

All he did know was she was married, and happy. The white picket fence that she so deserves.

And that is what he had wanted for her, but like I said, that did not make it easier to live his life, and unfortunately, he tended to take it out of on his son, and his sister because his parents still wanted to believe he was good and decent, even though he had shown them enough times past and present that he was anything than the man they wanted for a son.

Needing fresh air, he grabbed his coat. And walked out into the snow and did not care that it was accumulating, and the desert was fading into a sea of white. And taking memories of old days from him, and most years, he enjoyed when they did have snow because it meant he did not have to remember, except there were memories that he treasured of when they had snow and ice. Still, he should be better than this. It was not like he was a kid anymore. And Liz was leading the life he wanted for her to lead. But it did not mean he liked knowing he was not living up to his potential, because it meant that memories of Tess were in his house more than those of woman he loved, because his son looked like his mother.

Why could he not look like me? He muttered. Genetics he thought. Which is why he had changed his mind about keeping his son and did not in the end sign the final adoption papers. Because in the back of his mind he felt that Tess had been lying to him. Sure, he was not stupid. He had known that there was a chance his son was human, but given who his biological parents were, something dug into him, and he could not give up his son.

And because of that, it had cost him Liz.

She had walked away. Taking the offer from Northwestern, and never come back. And now he was forced to live with the consequences of his decisions that he had made when he was seventeen and he had been too weak to resist the arms of someone who had wanted him even though he had loved someone else.

So, as he himself walked around in the snow, thinking of getting out of the shovel and spending time getting rid of the snow. As he continued to feel guilty about treating his son badly. River was only growing up and wanting to be his own person.

He is not me or Tess, and I should be celebrating that, but I am not, and he knew in a year in a half he would be off to university, and he should be wanting a relationship with his son instead of pushing him away because he knew once graduation did happen than he would be walking away, from him, and unlikely to come back.

Just like Liz he thought. And he would be alone.

And he hated to be alone. Yet it is the life I have pursued to the end that I have alienated everything else in my life So, he walked back into the house to get dressed to do some shoveling when there was a ring of his phone that he had not taken with him, cursing, and hoping that he did not have bail his son out of jail. Or out of something stupid.

As he knew from experience, you never could be sure of what your children are doing once they leave your house. And especially in the manner that River had gone off in, in a huff, and with a lot on his mind.

Picking up his phone, “This is Max?” he said snapping back to reality.

*

At the same time of Max’s sulking, and before the faithful phone call Back when Max had too much on his mind and therefore, he had not been watching the television that was playing in his living room. In town, in a new subdivision that had built in the years since the Class of 2002 graduation went off without a hitch. And in one of those new townhouses. A Christmas tree was newly up, and some new ornaments were being placed on the tree with a lot of laughter in the house as a returnee to this fair town was celebrating the holidays with her best friend, and her ex-boyfriend who had come calling even though there was no threat of rekindling of their past romance.

Because she was now married, and had kids, and he was newly engaged to someone who had his heart since his high school, and a relationship he had been in for these last ten years. Instead, they were drinking spiked eggnog, and they were reminiscing and thinking about the holidays, and how she finally had returned to the town for the first time in sixteen years. “Thank you, Maria, and Kyle” she smiled. “For coming over and spending the evening with me,” Liz Parker smiled as she viewed her friends.

A small group, but the two people who had been in her life since the beginning…

“I am glad I sent Michael to go get Mac’s Christmas present,” Maria Guerin smiled as she glanced at her best friend, newly back in town, and her stepbrother since their parents had gotten married in the months after they had graduated from high school. She and Kyle often laughed at how far they had come since those days when she had been egging on Liz from being with Kyle, and towards someone else altogether. Now, they were friends, and family. “This is much better than dealing with the traffic on the drive to Las Cruces, which is where the only store we could find the computer in,” she laughed as she muttered at the changed their lives had gone through over these years.

All of them were parents.

“You were the one who bought him the computer,” Liz giggled. “I thought you told me his old one still has many miles to go on it?”

“What can I say, the boy is gifted” Maria muttered in so many ways she said even though she did not want to admit it, as she and Michael had many battles especially Mac was getting older and more independent and scaring the hell out of them with his antics. Good and bad ones, “Apparently, all the kids in his art class are talking about this program that only the newest computers can handle, and he wants to express his art, because I guess he managed to get that level of talent from Michael?” she said. “God knows I did not have the talent for those kinds of gifts,” she sighed as she thought of her miserable semester in Wood making and how she had failed that class, despite her boyfriend at the time stepping up to try to help her, but she gone with her own talent and she had gotten the grade she had wanted for the project, and ultimately the class. “And Michael always did manage to come up with the ability, even if he hated to show how smart he truly was” she thought. I kept mine to singing or developing music she also thought although she had not done anything with that ability since high school as she had moved onto other pursuits and raising her son.

“Right,” Liz said of that time as she still had many memories of that time. Both good and some very bad, and sometimes she wondered what happened if she had never left, but she knew she had needed to leave for her own sanity, and to make it through the kind of life that had changed her into when she was only fifteen years old. “Well, I am thankful you were able to come, and even though I have asked you to keep it a secret from Isabel, I am glad you were able to come Kyle” she smiled as she glanced at her ex-boyfriend, and now good friend. Someone who she had stayed in contact in her years away from Roswell. “Because I know that it pains you to keep my return from your girlfriend?” she said as she wanted to keep it a secret until after the holidays so that she, her husband, and their children could celebrate the holidays in their new home after she and her husband Brady had moved them so close to the end of the semester. But Brady started his job early, even though her term at Roswell Memorial did not start until after the holidays. It gave her time to set up the house and put the kids in school before she started the responsibilities of her new job. So, she did not want old secrets to haunt their Christmas. She wanted Isabel to be kept in the dark until January.

“I hate keeping it from her,” Kyle conceded as he though of his girlfriend. Someone he had been able to make a relationship with over these years, and he hated having to keep something from the woman he lived with because they were supposed to telling each other everything. Although he could see why Liz was hesitant because if his girlfriend, then someone out might find out before Liz was ready. “You know she can be trusted?”

“I know,” Liz murmured as she thought of what she had been asking Kyle to do. “It is not that I do not trust her because I do. Sure, we were never that close in school. But I know she would understand my reasons, but I only want my family to know I am here, for anything longer than the holidays. Anyone else finding out would be complicating things assuming you know who were to find out?” she sighed as she thought of the one who got away, or the one who she threw away, but she was not dwelling on it because she was happy.

Brady makes me happy. The kids make me happy, she said confidently to herself. I made the right decision leaving Max, and Roswell behind Although now she was back, she did not know what it might mean for her return to get out there into the ether, and for people to know that she was back for longer than the Christmas break. If it got out, she wanted them to think she was only here for the holidays. As she figured that Max or Isabel were unlikely to know her children were already in school, which would signify a much longer stay, and something permanent.

Of course, she did not know about River, nor Jessie. Although she knew of the existence of the kids. Although she had not known Max had ultimately renamed his son, Zan and what his name was now. Still, though she knew that Kyle had a daughter from his previous marriage who was a year younger than Isabel’s surprise child with Jesse that she conceived with her late husband before hell broke out, and before Jesse himself also died. Still, it did not occur to her that the kids would all be in school together, or they would meet up at such an important event on this very evening.

“Isabel would understand” Kyle sighed. “If you are afraid of you know who finding out. You do not even have a need to be because Max does not even live here in town” he allowed, and Liz could not help but look surprised at that tidbit and beside her, Maria could not help but be amused by her stepbrother’s distinction when discussing Max’s current living arrangements. She knew it was a reach to consider Max not a resident of their town given his son went to their local high school.

“What are you talking about?” Liz wondered. “Did Max leave town?” she wondered in her confusion. “That does not seem like something Max would do I mean of course, I left so anyone could leave but I cannot believe he would have ever left this town?” she sighed. “Especially not if Isabel and Michael were still here?” Do they not always need to be together, because of whatever havoc might break out? she thought to herself.

“Kyle is being funny,” Maria laughed as she was quick to reset her friend’s understanding of the situation. “Max is still a resident of our fair land. It is just that he no longer resides right here in town. He built himself a house out by the desert,” she thought of how Max managed to disappear and had used his skills to make himself a house that he was sharing with his son.

“Oh,” Liz sighed as she had tried to re-bolster her steel wall after the initial penetration of thoughts of how they had started to crumble her wall that guarded her past from her present. She had largely succeeded because she had managed to open her heart enough to find love with her husband and to raise a happy family that it had taken her attention from her former love. She would always love Max for what he had given her He gave me a chance to live, and to love but she needed to be away from the chaos, and to live her life.

She had found such a life, and it had taken a lot of debating her inner self and with her husband when she got offered a job at the hospital here and town and almost at the same time Brady got a job that had a lab here in New Mexico. And it almost was like God was telling them something. To come back to a town, she had stayed away for since she left after graduation.

“I hope you know that Max would be happy for you,” Maria murmured as she thought of her old friend. Someone who had drifted away from them even though he had stayed in their lives because to sever the connection among those involved would be virtually impossible given the ties that bound. Which were so numerous at this point despite their little clan. Because they had to deal with the younger generation and whatever gifts they might have. Fortunately for her, she was the same person she always was. And so was Kyle…

The fact Kyle was unchanged was a surprise given Liz was not although she had kept her abilities since she left for university, mostly dormant, by choice.

“Would he?” Liz asked.

“Yes,” Maria murmured. “All he wanted for you was for you to be happy. And he understands why you stayed away, or why you left in the first place” she said as Kyle only shook his head as they both knew Max had never gotten over the fact that he had lost Liz because of actions that had been started when he should have known better and exercised better judgment. Of course, Liz also took some of the blame. Because she had pushed Max at Tess. But in the end, she had been unable to look at Max’s son and not see Tess, or the fact Alex was lost to them.

And that was largely the reason she had walked way.

Leaving Max, and Roswell…

“I have a hard time believing that because hell, no one in my life here in town understands why I did not come back until now” Liz said thinking of her parents. While on the surface Jeff and Nancy were indeed happy with the life that their only child was leading. And how she had grown into a respected researcher, scientist and of course they loved their grandchildren beyond description. But they had not understood why their daughter had stayed away.

Especially since she was happy. And she had been the one to end it with Max, and she was married, And I am happy Liz said in defence of her actions, but she had always known that Roswell was a hot zone. Which is why she had not come back. As much as she loved her hometown. Still, there were elements of it that felt dangerous to her and even though she was happy with her husband, and they were able to share children together.

Still, she did not want to put herself through it and most of all she had not wanted to Brady through it because she wanted to prove to herself that she had made the right decision to move on. And now being back in Roswell was like a wound that she did not want reaggravate in herself because she had succeeded. And had moved on. Sure, it was easy to stay gone and she did not know why now she was ready to come back, or to face those ghosts of the past.

“Your parents wanted to be able to see you, and their grandchildren more than they were able to with the Crashdown to run” Maria murmured as she knew that Jeff and Nancy had been able to see their grandchildren over the years but they had to go to Chicago, and Liz had not come to them and if she had, well, she had not brought her children because they always had something to do, or that was the excuse she had used, when she came to town.

And her visits if that the rare occasion did happen. They were short and sweet, and then she vanished from their shores once again.

“I know,” Liz murmured as she put a final ornament on the tree and looked at the clock and was seeing how time was ticking away, and she was surprised by the time because the store should have closed by now, and her husband and their kids should not be that far behind, and yet they still were not home. She knew Mariah had gone off on her own, and probably was doing her own thing, and she trusted her daughter. But Brady and their son, she was surprised that she had not heard from them. “Hmm,” she though again as she checked her phone, and did not see any messages or indications of a call that she had missed. Or anything to indicate they were running late. “Brady and the kids should be home by now?” she murmured. “Should I worry?”

“You husband usually calls if there is trouble, right?” Maria asked as she did not know Brady well except, she had been a member of their wedding, and she had visited Chicago over the years and so she had seen Liz and her husband over the years, and knew Brady was good one, and he loved his wife, and Liz had actually loved Brady in her own way that was quite different from her feelings for her former boyfriend. “So, I think if something was going down than he would call…”

“It’s just this place is small?” Liz asked. “I cannot imagine what would be keeping them. I know Mariah got off and is doing her own thing, but Brady was going to pick her up, and there is school tomorrow, so I cannot what is keeping him? she thought. “The store they were going to, would have closed by now?”

“Come on Liz,” Kyle said with a smirk. “You have not been gone that long because I mean we are small, but we are not dangerous” Kyle murmured although he did frown as memories of their high school experience came popping into his mind. “Okay, maybe once upon a time, we were but that was years ago. This is your town, and you know it” he asked. “And you know this town is perfect for you and the kids” he murmured even though she knew that Liz being back would tempt fate if Max became aware his former girlfriend was not just back for the holidays, but now would be living here. “And about Brady. As you said Mariah was doing her own thing. She might have been later, or they stopped for ice cream or something?”

“This has not been my town for sixteen years,” Liz muttered. “Brady would have at least texted to say they had stopped off, on the way home.”

“Well, it is now, and really,” Kyle smiled. “And so, I say, welcome back,” he said as he was trying to tamp down on her feeling of doom, as they toasted with their eggnog, and Liz was trying but she could not relax as she was becoming more antsy by the moment, as she was also getting a queasy feeling in her stomach like a foreboding sense was coming to her, and while she had largely disowned her abilities over the years. Still, they were known to creep up on her, and it was how she could keep a remarkable level of control of what her kids were doing on any given day, while giving her husband the ability to deal with his own life.

Now it was coming back to haunt her because Brady had been known to check in with her, and especially to say when he was headed home, as she was trying to keep her gut feelings in check and have a nice time with her friends because this was a new chance, and they had not had many of these moments to see each other over these past sixteen years since she did leave for Chicago, and stayed there, while Maria and Kyle had stayed and continued to reside in their hometown.

“It is going to be alright Liz,” Maria smiled as she saw her friend get swept up in the worry. “I promise.”

“You should not do that,” Liz murmured. “I have known too much to have fallen apart on that kind of promise,” she thought as she tried to finish off the tree and spend the time with her friends, but the sense was still nagging on her, and it was a short time later when that feeling was confirmed when the cellphones of both Maria and Kyle went off with precision and rhythm.

And that would be bad news, she knew Damn it, she cursed as Kyle was the first one to answer his phone, and after a moment, he identified who he was talking to. “What is wrong Jaime?” Jaime is Kyle’s daughter Liz knew. While she had not spent much time with the girl. As it had been years since in fact, she had seen the girl, so Jaime was bound to not remember her, but she knew that Kyle doted on his daughter, who was named after her grandfather who she was close to.

Jim Valenti loved to spoil his granddaughter, and even Jessica since his son and Isabel had formalized their relationship into living together over the last number of years. Isabel and Jessica were very much an apart of the Valenti family, and were treated as such, although Liz did not know this as well as she could have if she had spent time back in her hometown.

But she has, but she could see that Kyle was immediately on guard as he talked to his only child Jaime Rose. “Jaime,” Kyle murmured. “What’s wrong” he asked again but he went quiet. “Come on honey, you can tell me anything?”

And from that Liz knew with a mother’s radar that there was trouble. And then Maria added. “Michael why are you calling?” she asked as she was surprised by the fact it was her husband who was calling. “Oh god,” she whispered,

…and Liz hated being a spectator in her own home…

Kyle dropped the phone, and looked at Liz…

“What is it?”

*

Same time,

Max was the first one to arrive at the scene. During the whole drive into town, he was pondering what he was going to find. All he knew was that his son was fine. Completely safe, but that did not mean he was sitting pretty in the wake of the call because he had been told his niece had been hurt, and his honorary one too. His godson, Mac was barely conscious when he had been phoned by the first deputy on the scene. Because his son had not wanted to make the call. That much he knew, and he did not blame his son Because I would be the same, he thought as he remembered the numerous close calls, he had gotten into without his parents being wise to his actions. And then when they were, he always found a way to weasel out of it to such an extent that he eventually moved out of the family home to keep the suspicion at bay.

So, now as he walked onto the scene and saw the smoked filled scene. With a darken charred car looking like he had been smoked out, and then he looked around and spotted his son by a brunette. As if River was comforting her for some reason. The girl could not help but feel like she was familiar, but he could not place her at this moment.

All he was concerned with was his son at this moment. “River,” Max said softly as he approached his son.

River was not happy to see his father, as he flashed back a short time at the sight of the flashing lights of the ambulance and the vehicles from the local Sheriff department. “Daddy” Mariah had screamed out as River had used what seemed like super human strength to open the hot doors because it was clear this car was going to blow also, and dragged out a unconscious boy, who was a couple of years younger than his sister was, and then River ran around to the other side, but the door was wedged shut, and unable to be pried open, and so he went back to the other side, and managed to drag the man out of the car, and dragged him away from the fire…

With the fire department arriving within minutes and managing to put out the car before the it exploded.

But both victims of the crash were unconscious, and the man was not breathing, and Mariah was going to pieces, as he was trying to give CPR to the man because the boy just look like he was unconscious, but was badly bruised, with unknown injuries but the man, which he assumed was Mariah’s father was not breathing.

When the paramedics arrived on scene and took over…. As River came back to reality as he looked at his father with irritation as Max took an assessment of the scene he had walked into as he knew the situation called for him to make the scene, and to show his concern even though his son had questions as to what kind of support he would be getting from his father even though he knew his father did feel some loyalty to his sister, and her family. And therefore, that meant Jessie and Jaime would be getting some support as he looked over at the ambulance before they were taken off in an ambulance.

“Are you okay?” Max asked softly as he did not know what to say or do because his son had been always a mystery to him.

“What do you think?” River muttered because this was the last thing, he wanted to do was deal with is father as Mariah did not have any strength for the obvious estrangement between father and son as she glanced over at the ambulance on scene, as it was the second one or was it the third one, because her mind was too fried, but she knew it was dealing with the less serious of the fallout. As the previous ones had gone off, and she had not gone with them because she had been a witness to the crash, and she had to stay and make a statement….

“I think you have some explaining to do,” Max said softly. As he was not happy that he did not know how to deal with his own son. Someone who he had raised since he was only months old and dropped off back into his life when his mother came back, and promptly died, and therefore he had been the only parent for son and yet he had not been able to deal with him. As he knew his sister, and his parents had a better relationship with River than he did, and he was sorry about that, but did not know how to change it.

“I knew you would find a way to blame me,” River cursed.

“Do I have some reason to blame you?” Max muttered as this was their relationship. Combative and he was sorry for it, but he did not know how to end it either, because whenever he looked at his son, he did not see himself but his birth mother.

“Of course, you would blame me” River muttered.

“I did not say that River,” Max muttered as he was a bit exasperated because of the situation was deteriorating. “All I want to know is what happened here, and how do you fit in with what happened?” he asked. “I know that initially Mac, Jessie and Jaime were hurt. “But I do not see them here on the scene?” he asked.

“They were taken the hospital,” River muttered as he also struggled with his emotions and his lack of ability to handle his father, and their relationship. “They are fine,” he sighed. “They got a little banged up due to the collision, but they were taken the hospital as a precaution” he allowed as he though the commotion that came when his friends had woken up. Mac first, and then Jessie and then they managed to bring Jaime back because the fourteen-year-old had taken the brunt of the fall when her stepsister had shielded her in the fall, but fortunately they were all relatively unscathed as they woke up and wanted to help but they were told they would have to be taken to the hospital because they had spent time unconscious and put under concussion protocol. While River and Mariah had to stay. “But because I was not a part of it, I was told to stay here to talk to the cops.”

“Do you need me there when you do talk to them?” Max asked as he did not relish having to talk to the authorities in lieu of his teenage son because it brought too many memories of being forced to deal with them when he was his son’s age even though they had an ally in the town Sheriff but the encounters they did have left scars, and he did not want that for his son.

“If you think they will blame me just like you do” River muttered, and Max could only look at his son and want to swear and curse about how things had turned for the worst between him and his son, and yes, he did not know how to fix the situation.

“Of course not, River that was not what I was saying at all” Max sighed as a Sheriff’s deputy approached. “I understand you want to talk to my son?” he asked of the Deputy he knew that Jim’s second in command. “Where is the Sheriff. I do not see him here at the scene?”

“He is allowing me to handle the scene because he went to the hospital to deal with situation and to deal with his condition of his granddaughters and grandson,” Deputy Lee murmured as he knew that Jim thought of both Jaime and Jessica as his granddaughters, and not only Jaime and of course he had another honorary grandson in Mackenzie Guerin as he could see that there was tension between father and son brewing, but that there was a resemblance that made them as father and son even though the son was clearly blonde. But from the little he knew of the family life of River Evans, he knew the son took after his biological mother, who died when the boy was an infant. In a controversial manner, that the Sheriff had waved him off investigating. Saying it was handled before he took back the job.

“How old is your son?” came the Sheriff’s deputy as he looked between father and son and saw the irritation that was clearly on display.

“17” Max said softly. “So, obviously, I would like to be here when you question my son?”

“We only have a few questions because we have been told that you have no part of it,” Deputy Lee said as he took an assessment of River who was also taking his own assessment of the Deputy. “Ms. Anthony told us that she was talking to you when you both saw the out-of-control car, and she is the one who was able to identify it first, and you both ran to try to stop it, but neither of you could get there in time?”

“Right,” River murmured because he had been well trained by his family to say the bare minimum when confronted by the authorities, whether you had any role in whatever they wanted from you, and Max knew this, and wished that he his family had not had to drill that into their kids over the years, but they had unfortunately he thought as he looked around and took in the situation before returning to concentrating on the Deputy, like his son..

“Who is this, Anthony?” Max asked clearly not up on the facts related to the case as of yet.

“The victim’s daughter” came the Deputy as River looked over at Mariah who was staring like a ghost as she waited to see if she would be needed to ask anymore questions.

“Your friends, Mackenzie Guerin, Jessica Ramirez Evans and Jaime Valenti were nearby the car that was rammed, which is registered to one Michael and Maria Guerin. Mackenzie’s parents, and they were knocked to the ground by the blast of the collision and remained unconscious for a few minutes before they all became conscious once again,” the Deputy was saying and River nodded, and Max could see the two cars, and the big mess that had been made as he knew his friend Michael would not like that his car was a casualty in this, as he prayed it was the only one. “You ran and managed to get the two victims’ out of the crash?”

“Yes,” River allowed, and Max looked impressed.

“That was brave thinking, although from the other onlookers on the scene, the car was pretty wedged shut. How did you have the strength to get it open with assistance from the equipment we have at our disposal?” Deputy Lee asked with his pad of paper out, and he was taking notes of the answers.

And father and son could only look at one another and they both knew how River could have done such an act, but neither were ones to admit it because of two much of their lives having to be spent in the oblivion, and blending in.

“I guess I was lucky and found the strength?” was all River could say. “I could see the urgency of the situation, and sometimes you will do anything if it means helping others,” he thought as he looked over at Mariah again, and Max could only see how his son was staring at the new girl. Being Roswell, and a small town. And despite living on the outskirts of town, he knew every family, and he could not think of a family named Anthony in his town.

Max was struck how the girl looked so familiar, and yet, he could not place her as the Deputy called his attention back onto the situation and away from the thoughts in his head. “Well Mr. Anthony and his son should be very thankful,” the Deputy managed.

“We do not know if Mr. Anthony is alive, do we?” River muttered because he had seen the how the paramedics looked when they loaded Mariah’s father into the first ambulance along with his son.

“The hospital still has that information,” the Deputy managed.

“So, I might not have been in time?” River muttered and for once Max felt for his son because he knew how that was, to feel the burden of being too late to save someone, someone who should be alive, and was not…

“At least you gave it a good try,” Deputy said as nodded. “Will you be going to the hospital to see your friends?”

“If you are done with me?” River asked.

“We have enough for now, but we might have more…” The Deputy murmured as both Max and River nodded, and the Deputy left them with themselves. As neither man knew how to handle the other, as both looked on the collision that had happened.

“Sounds like you did a lot?” Max asked.

“Yeah, but it might not be enough?” River muttered as he spotted Mariah still looking like a ghost and wondered if the Sheriff’s department should just let her out of her misery and allow her to go to the hospital, before out of nowhere, he saw a woman running onto the scene. “Mariah?” she called out.

Mariah turned around and look distraught when she looked at the woman who had come upon the scene. She instantly recognized her, and ran to her… “Mom” she cried as she swept up into her mother’s arms, and River was watching this while his father was in some space not paying attention as he was commiserating with himself about the fact that sometimes our enough is not enough until a whiff of brown sweeping hair, brought him back, as he looked astonished at what he was seeing…

And who he was seeing…

“Liz,” Max whispered….

[Stefuh]

I forgot to say that I love the fact that you rename Zan River, it's so clever, I love it. Also, I'm so nervous that Liz's husband wont make it... I hope Max will be there for her if that's the case. I hope Alex is safe!! Also I wonder how Liz will react seeing Max at the accident scene. Amazing chapter, can't wait for the next one.

[keepsmiling7]

Wow, what a way to start off.
River and the new girl Mariah..............Liz and Brady.
You have me hooked, can't wait to see what happens next to Max and Liz after all of this time.

So glad to see this new story and I'm really glad to see you posting again.
Thanks!

[totallizfan]

And...we're off. Looking forward to your next post.

[RoswellFan68]

River is more like his father that he thought.

[Parker1947]

Liz was uttered but the subject of his fixation did not have eyes for Max this time because all she could think was her daughter. No one in the area mattered except for one person. Mariah Christina Anthony named after her mother’s best friend, in a more subtle way than a direct naming of her only daughter and also, for the child’s paternal grandmother. And even though her daughter would take after her mother in looks and temperament, there still was a lot of Brady in their daughter. Although not a lot of observers could see it, but a mother knows, and she could see it. As she could see it right down to how her daughter ran to her once she arrived on the scene.

After it had taken too long to get there. Because she was diverted into making a trip to the Sheriff’s office only to learn her daughter was not there, as someone on the phone had told her she was. Once she got to the Department. She was then told that her daughter was still at the scene. And of course, they had not been privy to be able to give her the information that she craved because she was told only the Sheriff, or the Deputy had that information, and both were in the field. Idiots she thought. The runaround. Do they not know I am scared to death?

So, she raced over to the scene and now she saw her daughter and she felt immediately comforted by the notion that one of her children was accounted for and was safe and sound “Mariah” Liz whispered softly as she felt her daughter’s anxiety and fear as they embraced. “It’s going to be alright” she sighed even though she knew they were only at the start of this journey, and there was still a fair distance to go.

“Is it?” Mariah asked with relief to see her mother. As she had stayed because she was forced to talk to the authorities on scene, and even then, she had no information to indicate what was going on the scene. So, she was terrified. “Why are you here, and not at the hospital?” she asked as she needed answers, and she was not getting them. Even if she did feel comforted by the notion of seeing her mother and knowing that someone was here for her and someone loved her. Still, she did not know why her mother would come here, when she should be going to the hospital to seek answers about her father and brother?

“I needed to see you, and make sure you were alright” Liz allowed as she thought of the scene back at her new home. Only hers for two weeks since they had moved in, after relocating from Chicago. And now her family was on the edge, and she did not know what she was going to find underneath that cliff they were on.

She, Maria, and Kyle had gone different directions with Maria and Kyle taking their own vehicles and heading to the hospital after being told that was where the children were. Likewise, Liz had been informed by her own phone call just as Maria and Kyle were conducting their call that there had been an incident down by the town park. Therefore, Kyle did not have to say those dreaded words because he was interrupted by the ringing of the phone, and she knew it bad. Since that call came, she had been informed that her husband, daughter, and son were involved in some kind of accident. Although her daughter was being transported to the Sheriff’s department.

Someone screwed up, she thought. And so, the diversion had kept her from coming straight here or even going to the hospital. She had been informed that the Deputies on the scene needed her daughter’s witness statement because she had been on the scene, why they could not do this at the hospital or even tomorrow Liz muttered to herself. She did not know, but she was not going to question anything until she knew more. “Have they talked to you?” she asked of the authorities and was comforted by the notion even if she would have rather be here when her daughter talked to the authorities, but she knew her eldest daughter knew enough to be able to handle her with the authorities.

Growing up in a large city like Chicago had the tendency to toughen you up even if they had lived more in the protected suburbs once the children had started to grow up and she and Brady had the money to be able to buy something in the safer neighborhood for the kids to go to school. The commute was mostly a nightmare, but those early years had been an education for all involved. It was not like Roswell as she thought of her own childhood.

And it took an alien invasion to make her leave a sheltered upbringing that she had, and the ensuing three years before she got out had been an education of its own kind for Liz and she had seen the school of tough knocks in trying to survive, and get to the next day, and to protect her friends when she lost one far too early. She had not wanted that for her children. So, she and Brady had made sure to protect Mariah and their son Alex Mitchell Anthony “Alex” she thought although her son chose to go by the nickname Lex and that was fine with Liz because she did not want to think of her lost friend when she said her son’s name.

So, while her daughter lived an easier life in Chicago as she got older and went into high school, but Chicago was not Roswell, New Mexico. And that is why she and her husband had been open to the idea of coming back. A small town feel of her hometown appealed to them so that they could raise their children in relatively peace. Even though the flashes the history a return would bring about in her life made her uneasy. But for her children. She would do just about anything. So, they had come back to a town that had instilled a lot of life in three years for still. And she had only set foot in this town for a few weeks, and it was now threatening to rob her of something fundamental in her rebuilt life.

A sense of normalcy.

Normal is overrated she swore she was told once, or maybe she thought it in the recesses of her mind, but she had wanted normal. Which is why she had left. And met and married normal and had the white picket fence existence. “Are you okay?” she asked as she came back out of her brain and concentrated on her daughter because she knew her daughter needed her to concentrate on her.

“Can we go to the hospital?” Mariah asked. “I need to see Dad and Lex?” she asked. Because she needed to know they were okay, because she was not getting the answers she needed. She might be too independent for her parent’s liking because of her upbringing in Chicago, but still, she was only fifteen. And she needed something to make sense.

“Of course,” Liz said although she knew she did not have the greenlight to go but fortunately for both of them. A deputy who had only recently talked to Max and River and who was then doing a final assessment of the scene before moving back to the office because he knew his boss could handle the hospital was coming their way. As Deputy Lee had seen Mariah now with a woman who resembled her, and so he naturally deduced that she was the mother… “Ms…”

“Mrs. Anthony” Liz commented. Even though she took her maiden name in her professional life. Still, legally she had changed her name once she married to Brady’s name because she had wanted to move away from that identity, she had at one time. I love my Parker identity. But the history behind the name. She needed distance from it. “Can I take my daughter to the hospital to see her father and brother?” she asked. “Can you also tell us what happened?”

“The Sheriff is handling the rest of the questioning at the hospital, but from what we know your daughter and an acquaintance of hers saw your husband’s car come out of nowhere, out of control, and it collided into the car over there, and the force of the car and the way it hit, brought a fire that we were able to put out, but it was a tricky scene there for a moment or two, but it as helped that your daughter’s acquaintance ran into the flames and brought out your husband and son, and was seen doing CPR on your husband when paramedic showed up, and were able to take over, and they transported them to the hospital. “We do know your husband was alive when he left the scene…”

“But you do not know about now?” Liz asked. “And who is this acquaintance of my daughter?” she asked as she glanced at her daughter. Fifteen, and beautiful and so self assured before this night, and their move to a new atmosphere so far into her school year, and she knew that Mariah had attracted the boys back in Chicago and knew in a small town it might even be worse, but they had only been in town two weeks, and so she was unsure of what this meant. “Mariah?”

“Someone I met tonight,” Mariah said softly. “I saw him in home room, and he had seen me, and we took the chance to see each other and were talking when Dad’s car came out of nowhere, and we ran over, and River took it from there…”

“River?” Liz asked softly as her brain was triggered by a name River Dog from her youth here in town and he had been too old to have sire any children her daughter’s age. Nor have grandchildren because she remembered him to be solitary, but then one never knew what one did behind closed doors.

“Yes,” Mariah said as she did not know about the inner conflict in her mother or anything related her mother’s past here in Roswell or the upheaval, she was about to bring it with her next words. “River Evans” she uttered, and she did not know that she had just wiped out her mother’s wall of composure that had had stood for the last sixteen years with the name Evans as she knew this town, and there was only one family named Evans in their nearest vicinity, and they had a son, who would have a name, but the name River had thrown her.

“Are you kidding me?” Liz muttered.

“What do you mean?” Mariah asked, astonished about how her mother had reacted to the change in discussion.

“It’s nothing” Liz said as she quickly tried to reign in her composure before she lost it completely because she was running on fear of the unknown. Of what she did not know about her husband, and her son, and her need to get her and her daughter to the hospital right away, but now her composure was rattled, and she knew her daughter could feel it.

“Mom?” Mariah asked.

“It’s fine honey,” Liz said but she knew that she was not fine as she saw two people in the corners of her eyes and two people she had ignored since she arrived on the scene because it had been so easy to concentrate on the person she had come to see, and tune everything else that surrounded her, and now her eyes were opened, and she was seeing those she had not seen in many years. How could I not know he was here she asked herself This is Roswell. And Roswell means Max she muttered to herself as her eyes were drown across the accident site, and Max’s eyes had found her two, and she quickly wanted to end this torture. “God, no”

Unaware of how Liz had recognized Max, even if she did not register River yet because she only remembered a tiny baby. The deputy was oblivious to it and could see Liz’s glance towards the father and son pair as he followed the mother’s eyes. “Yes, that boy was here with your daughter at the time of the incident,” Deputy Lee muttered he was unaware of a prior relationship and therefore he had no idea of how he had rocked Liz’s world. “That would be River and his father…”

“Max” Liz said absently and without thought, and both the Deputy and Mariah were startled…

“You know them?? Deputy Lee asked because it was his information that she was only a recent arrival in their town.

“You can say that I knew River’s father back in high school” Liz muttered absently as she tried to regain control of the situation as she turned back and took her daughter’s hand as she was reminded that she did not know Max today, nor had she been aware that he had renamed his child. Although River is probably appropriate as would take the memories from the name Zan she thought “We have not seen each other since those days,” she sighed as she was instantly taken back to those days when she broke his former’s boyfriend’s heart by again walking away, and for good this time, as she came back to reality and focused on the Deputy, named Harry Lee and was even more anxious to leave the scene “Are you finished with us Deputy Lee, or at least my daughter. Can we head to the hospital?”

“Yes,” Deputy Lee murmured.

“Then thank you,” Liz said softly as she reached for her daughter “Come on Mariah, let us get going so that we can check on your brother and your father” she sighed as she took her daughter around her shoulders, and they walked right past Max.

As she chose not to acknowledge them in the least…

Even though a part of her had wanted to, and he had wanted her to… But she resisted, as they walked to the car, and she held the door for her daughter, and looked back at Max. Whose eyes followed her, but he broke off eye contact and walked around to the other side of the car, a second car they had brought from Chicago, and she silently walked to the other side, and got in, and drove away from the scene.

With Max’s eyes trailing until he saw the car vanish.

River could not but notice it.

“Who was that?” Max murmured as he tried to detach himself for it, after watching the car drive away, once again as he asked the passing deputy who was heading towards his car, as if Max did not have a clue as to who it could be. As he would always know who she was. But he was trying to keep an even keel to try to stay sane, because the situation called for some sanity.

And while it had been only sixteen years, and yet Liz was still as distinctive as she had been as a teenager and that brought plenty of memories back to Max as the newest glimpse rocked her mind.

“Elizabeth Anthony” Deputy Lee murmured as he had seen the identification that Liz had showed him when he had first appeared on the scene. “Mariah’s mother, and they will be on the way to the hospital to see her husband and son.”

Liz is back Max said as his world was rocked.

And River was getting an eyeful…

*

As Liz drove her daughter across town. Maria was in all kinds of a rage as she walked into the emergency room and dealt with the receptionists as she did not know what was keeping her best friend. And fear for her only child also ran through her but she had not heard from Liz, nor did she know that her friend had been sent on a runaround and been sent to the Department first before moving onto the scene of the crash. Although she had been comforted at the notion that her son was awake and asking to be released, but she knew that the doctors had all three kids on concussion protocol which meant a little more time in the hospital before being released to their parents, and to their homes.

All the parents were all in some level of worry. As Isabel was now arriving and entered the emergency room and was allowed to see the girls in their curtain. As she saw Jessica and Jaime sitting up. Fortunately, Kyle had arrived at the almost the same time as his stepsister and had rushed into see his daughter. “Come on Dad, I am fine.” Fourteen-year-old Jaime Valenti was saying as she was insisting, she was fine, even though she had taken the hardest of the hits despite Jessica’s shield of protection when they had fallen, as she was trying to ignore the concern on her father’s face.

The Sheriff was on the phone, talking on his phone to those still at the scene. “What happened?” Michael asked as he came out of nowhere and walked in a mere minute after Isabel as he walked to his wife who had been awaiting to be allowed to see her son who had been undergoing more testing. Worrying for someone who had a son who was gifted and hiding in plain sight, but she took comfort in knowing that her son was not as gifted as his father, and was more like her, but still enough of him could raise a red flag.

“Out of control car,” Maria murmured as she chose to hug her husband who had gotten the call after picking up the computer and had needed the drive home to try to figure out what was happening. “It was Brady’s car Michael. Lex was in it with him.”

“Oh god” Michael muttered. “Does Liz know?”

“I don’t know where she is Michael” Maria whispered as she was trying to grasp for details. Knowledge of what was going on. She was still at a loss to understand where her friend had gone. She would have expected to see Liz being the first one here at the hospital, but her best friend was nowhere to be seen. “We were all at the house when you called. Liz’s house,” she clarified. “And putting up some of the newest ornaments on her tree, and we were enjoying ourselves when you called me, and told me, and Jaime called her father…” she muttered as he thought back that yearly ritual, and how comforting it was, and now they were back into a nightmare that had been so familiar to them when they were too young to know different. And now they were, and it was coming for them. “I do know that Liz had gotten her own call, but we all went our different ways. And yet, Liz is still nowhere to be seen”

“Do we know what happened?” Michael asked as she glanced around and saw the different curtains, and patients under assessment, and did not immediately see his own son. But assumed he was being checked up on because he did know he had come out of it largely unscathed from the little he could gather on the drive from Las Cruces.

“Nope,” Maria sighed.

“Out of control MVA” Jim said as he walked over after hearing the tail end of the conversation of his stepdaughter and her husband. As he had spent his time at the hospital trying to get a lay of the events of the evening. That involved his three grandchildren. While his son, Kyle was still in with Jessica and Jaime, and now Isabel who had just joined them… “Motor vehicle accident” he said as he quickly turned from the terminology to something his stepdaughter could understand. “Unconscious at the scene. Not breathing…”

“Oh god,” Maria asked. “Jim?”

“They got his heart beating thanks to CPR at the scene, but it’s touch and go, and he’s in surgery as they work to figure out what happened” Jim sighed as he did not like this situation. “Did you know Liz and her family were back?”

“Yes,” Maria nodded as she could not help but feel for her friend in multiple ways. Most importantly regarding the state of her husband’s health, but also the fact her return was now going to be front page news as much as they could be given the situation and the situation was not as radioactive as it had been back when they were in high school and were one international incident away from major chaos. Fortunately, they had just escaped it, but by the barest of their teeth, and the chaos had slowed down, and it had allowed them to move on with their lives. “They recently relocated back to town.”

“So, they were not just here for the holidays?” Jim asked as this was the first time, he had been aware that Liz Parker or as she was formerly known as was back in town. As he had known she had moved away, and married, and was living in Chicago but nothing about returning to Roswell.

“No,” Maria shook her head. “As the kids were just put into new schools” she sighed as she wondered if their town was cursed. Although for the last sixteen years it had been pretty quiet. By our standards she thought. And then the moment Liz decided to return. The trauma started, and it was beginning to haunt them again. Maybe it is Liz she thought, and she did not like that thought one bit. “How is Alex?”

“Alex?” Jim asked.

“Yes,” Maria murmured as she thought of her godson. She was godmother to both kids. “Liz’s son by her husband. But his nickname is Lex” she thought. “He wanted to be different” she though as both kids knew that the name had come from someone who had meant a great deal to their mother when she was their ages.

“We cannot talk about it until Liz gets here…” Jim sighed. “I have probably told you enough before I trend into any grey zone…”

“Right,” Maria acknowledged as an elevator opened and before she could tempt anymore information out of her stepfather. Mac was wheeled back into the emergency room after being taken for additional x-rays and Maria stood relieved to see her son, and how normal he appeared as Jim walked with her and Michael as they approached their son. As Mac was just as much a grandchild as Jaime and Jessica.

“Mom, Dad” Mac muttered as he saw his parents and grandfather approaching “Get me out of here…”

“How is he?” Michael asked as he ignored his son’s wishes and concentrated on the medical professional behind him, pushing the chair.

“So far, passing colors” came the nurse. “Dr. Hunt was happy with his present condition. But your son did encounter a blunt force when he fell to the ground, and so he and the other kids are being monitored for a concision. So, a little while longer, and he should be able to be cleared to go home. Of course, naturally, as goes with any of these situations. If there are any symptoms of a concussion or anything else abnormal you see presenting in your son. Or any dizziness, then you are to bring him right back…”

“Right,” Maria muttered as if they had not already been through this once before. When Max encountered a similar if less anxiety inducing incident back in high school. Of course, that had been early in her unique courtship with her husband, and they had not expected Max to become unconscious. And he had quickly recovered, and she could only hope that would happen with her own son now that she was a mother as she noticed as the nurse behind Mackenzie’s wheelchair gave Jim a chart, and he frowned when he did read it.

“What is it?” Michael asked.

“Thank you, nurse,” came Jim in his capacity of town Sheriff even if he was the grandfather of the kids in this emergency room as he looked down at what he was reading, and then looked at both his stepdaughter, and then his grandson. “You were drinking?’

“God, Mac” Maria muttered as Michael stayed quiet.

“Barely,” Mac muttered.

“While you were under the legal limit which prevents me from doing anything about it, but they did register you as having alcohol on your breath, and we are told you were the one who was driving, even though the whole car except for River is underage, and you do not have your driver’s licence” Jim asked. “Why was River not driving?” he murmured. “Your car is a complete wreck?” he said focusing on his stepdaughter and her husband who could only groan at the mere prospect.

“What are you talking about?” Michael muttered as he was finally registering in the conversation. “You took our car, and then you wrecked it?”

“It was not me Dad,” Mac muttered. “Clearly the other car, who came out of nowhere, did. We were out of the car. Just nearby it when it steamrolled right into us, and it caused a commotion that led to us on the ground. And you know concussions, and everything?” he asked as he was trying for the sympathy card and his parents and grandfather knew it and was not going to give it to him on this one. “I did nothing to the car that the other car did not do to it?”

“Except drive it when you do not have your driver’s license. Mac, you are only fifteen. You and Jessica are both, Jaime is even a year younger that that and you should be protecting her by not driving in the first place. Jim asks a good question. Why did you not take River’s car,” Maria asked as she knew that Max did have a second car that River had been known to take even if it meant having to get the keys without his father knowing. “Or better yet, let him drive you around?”

“That would mean getting around his father,” Mac muttered. “And on this night. Well, he was in one of his moods. River reached out to us, saying that he wanted to get out of the house, and he was not in the mood to drive,” he said pointedly and Michael and Maria both winced because they knew what happened when Max was in one of his moods. And that he and his son, River had a combative relationship to put it mildly, and therefore the boy was probably needing space, but it does not give our son the right Maria murmured to herself as Mac continued to speak. “So, I offered. The plan was to go into town and take a breather from the studying we were doing, and then head on home.”

“Even though there was a storm brewing?” Michael asked as it had taken his own sweet time getting back from Las Cruces, because of the snow on the ground.

“I figured we would beat the worst of it,” Mac muttered.

“And the beer?” Jim asked. “You know I can write you up for driving under the influence, or being underage?”

“But you will not” Mac muttered, “Right, and I did not have the beer until we stopped, and it was only a sip.”

“That does not make it better,” Michael muttered. “You know what means to drive under the influence Mac, and you were asking for trouble?”

“Well, I found it even without being on the road, because some car came out of nowhere and slammed right into us” Mac muttered. “Look, I know I was playing the odds Grandpa, but River was looking for let the steam out for moment, and I promise, I would have been careful if I had drunk more than I did. I might have even had River drive, but we did not get the opportunity because Armageddon happened, and here I am.”

“So that you understand. Once you are home, and safely out of this crisis. Your father and I will be having a talk with you, and you can think of how long you should be grounded for because you will be grounded.” Maria muttered as she and Michael did not relish having to deal with the insurance company, and knowing it was Brady’s car that had slammed into their car, and how it was going to be for Liz the consequences of this night in the hours and days to come.

Assuming Brady survived. Maria fretted as the doors flung open, and in rushed Liz and Mariah.

*

Yes, the doors did fling open as Liz and Mariah rushed into the emergency room and saw Maria with their first glimpse of the emergency room. A hospital where Liz had been scheduled to begin working within weeks. It would be starting after the start of the new year. Even though it was a position that would make her primarily a researcher, scientist role but she would also have privileges to see the patients if the emergency room were to, become overrun in a case of an emergency. She did not like knowing this was her first visit to the hospital before that day. “Maria,” she called out as she and Mariah recognized her best friend, and of course Mariah’s namesake.

“Liz, Mariah” Maria said as she walked away from her misbehaving son who was being lectured to by the town Sheriff and his friend, and Maria decided to concentrate on something that had dire fallout for her friend. Since she knew that trying to keep her son on the straight and narrow could wait for tomorrow, but her friend’s life was on the edge.

As she glanced at Liz’s daughter and could see her mother at that age. She was so composed usually, and she was falling apart now… “I am glad you are here, what kept you?”

“The Department sent me there to that building before they told me that Mariah was still at the scene, so I went there, and collected her, and now we are here. So, what have missed? Where is Brady, and Alex?” she asked as she called her son by his given name, even though she could not bare losing another Alex. God, you will not punish me, twice, will he? She pleaded with herself.

“Last I heard he was being tended too,” Maria murmured. “About Alex I mean.”

“Brady?” Liz asked of her husband. Someone she had been married for sixteen years. Someone she had found when she was not looking. When she arrived at school and found him in one of their mutual science classes. Brady eventually would be guided towards pharmaceuticals and using his science degree in working on drugs and vaccines. Liz had kept her focus on medical genetic research, because she was curious about the unexplainable, and helping those who needed help, and knew maybe her exposure to Max and his friends had guided her even if she had moved away from that life into a new one, far far away from them.

“I do not know,” Maria murmured “We are not family?”

“Liz,” Jim said as he saw Liz and Mariah arrive and was talking to Maria as approached the newly arrived. “I am sorry for this.”

“My husband?” Liz asked before anything else.

“In surgery,” Jim muttered. “A doctor can explain it fully what happened, and his condition, and your son, I do know he was being monitored. Again, a doctor will be better informed” he sighed as he saw the weight on both Liz’s shoulders. “I have only just heard you were back in town, and not just for the holidays?”

“No, we relocated back here” Liz said softly and wondered what would have happened if they had stayed in Chicago. Would this night have happened?

Liz did not know but she knew her return would have surprised the town Sheriff because she had barely come back over these sixteen years since she left in the wake of graduation, and now she was back. “Jim, this is my daughter, Mariah Christina Anthony.”

“Hello, Mariah, it’s nice to meet you” Jim smiled and could see Liz inside Mariah, as the brief glimpse of Alex he had seen told him that he favored his father. But Mariah favored her mother in her brown hair, and small build. She is also older than I would expect Liz’s oldest child to be since she only left sixteen years ago Jim commented to himself. Interesting…

“Yeah, you too” Mariah murmured.

“I guess, I better check in with a doctor?” Liz asked. “I know you have questions to ask me Jim?” she murmured. “Before I do find out what I do not want to know, you might as well ask any of those questions now?”

“We understand it was your husband’s car that caused this accident?” Jim murmured. “Would you have any information to explain what might have happened?”

“No,” Liz shook her head. “Brady has been in perfect health…”

“Any problems with your car in the past?” Jim asked.

“No, because we bought it when we first hit town” Liz murmured. “It was going to be our second car. We have another one that we brought from Chicago with us, but because of our jobs, and our kids growing up. We felt that we needed two cars. After all, in Chicago, we could rely on the transportation around the city. So, we decided to wait until we got here to go for it. And before we did it. Brady does all the research on that stuff, and he did it this time too. He’s even more anal than me about being up to date on things, and buying the best and we definitely did not buy a run-down car…” she said with a slight smile as she remembered all the quirks of her husband that she had loved in him, and how compatible they were…

Jim nodded.

“So, we have had no problems to this day, but of course it was new” Liz allowed. “And we have only been time little more than two weeks.”

“I understand. Do you know the dealership you bought it from?” Jim asked.

“I probably have some record of the purchase at home. It’s a mess with us just moving in, and boxes all over the place as you know with any move, and with now Christmas upon us and bringing out those boxes as well, so it’s probably in the desk that Brady set up in the office,” she sighed as she thought of the home they had found, and just were starting to make her own, and now they were here… “But there cannot be too many dealerships here in town, right?” she asked as she was not up on that kind of thing because she had not had her own car before she left town once she graduated. She was always borrowing her friend’s cars, or driving with Max in his car, with him as a driver most of the time.

“One or two,” Jim confirmed. “So, it probably will not be hard to do” he sighed. “Except we do not have a big office, and this is a small town, so any investigation is going to take it’s time” he allowed. “So, we would appreciate any help you can give us to make our investigation as complete and timely as possible.”

Liz nodded. “Can I go and check in on any progress with my son and husband?”

“Sure,” Jim nodded as Liz rushed over and quickly identified herself and was told to wait for the doctor who was assisting with the surgery, and that he would be able to brief her in short order as she looked around and saw how her world was so different now. As she waited for information to be given to her on both her husband and son…

She did not know if she could handle anything more…

Just as the doors to the emergency room swung open again and she watched as Max re-entered her life…

*

And Max was not alone. Because River was also walking solemnly in step with his father. And the landscape was going to be different. And they all knew it. And especially Maria and Michael did as they watched as the father and son walked in, they both knew this was a vastly different world they were experiencing now. Irritation was clear on River’s face as it had been a touchy drive from wherever they were coming from because neither of the Guerin’s had known that they had been at the scene of the crime, or that River was a witness along with Mariah. And Max’s mind was elsewhere.

For both Max and River, yes, it had been a quiet ride across town to the hospital. Neither saying anything. There were no words of wisdom from a father who had experienced so much that his son could not imagine experiencing the same, and the son who felt pushed away and a fading priority in his father’s life. When his father would rather focus on how disappointed his life was turning out to be, and not focusing on his only child.

It was evident that neither got each other, and Maria could see it. And the anxiety in the father and son relationship had been gaining steam over the years, and there was nothing they do to quell it. Especially, to know it could be amusing if it were not also heartbreaking at the same time because she and Michael also had a son who was growing up, but with a much happier life, when life could have been much different if only certain roads had been taken.

And Maria knew that Max was forced to take roads he would rather have avoided. And they are largely choices he made himself she thought. He cannot blame anyone but himself and Max knew it, she knew. And that is what was killing him over the years and killing his relationship with his child. The child he kept, at the expense of a life of happiness.

Michael having been raised in a life of dysfunction. He saw the signs in his best friend’s life, and how he approached his son, and he hated it for both of them because he knew what it meant to be resented, he thought. Hank only kept me around for the money he mused. We were not blood. But we were supposed to be family he thought. But they never were. And he did not want that to happen with his friend and River because while they shared more blood than he and Hank ever shared. Still, he knew what it meant when you are pushed away and treated badly. You eventually rebel. I have no love for Hank, but he was my family he thought. And knew he had been better off on his own. And yet he knew that River was not going to, and therefore, he hoped father and son could make up one of these days, before they lost everything that meant something to each other, whether they knew it now or not.

“You handle Liz, and I’ll handle Max” Michael muttered as he knew as well as anyone to life his friend was living. And why he had taken to living outside of town, out by the desert, and by the caves where they had been born, and hatched or whatever you wanted to say that had happened to them out there, back in 1989.

“Good luck,” was all Maria could say as Isabel and Kyle chose the same time to come out of the one of the curtains that held both of their daughters, who were both in a wheelchair. Which was protocol, despite the wishes of the teenagers who wanted out of them, and on their feet but they gave in. Fortunately, all three were given clean bills of health, but still wanting to be careful given that they were dealing with similar to what Mac dealt with, concussion. Although Jaime had gotten hit harder, and she had taken the bruises.

Jessie had some bruises, but due to their genetic makeup. She, Mac and even River were known to heal quicker than Jaime did. Because of her human heritage, and the fact despite being healed by an alien. Kyle had not changed, and his first wife had been of the normal human variety, and so Jaime had gone through some of the pains of growing up that it was evident the other kids did not have to face to the same degree.

“Why did you say good luck?” Mac muttered as she he wheeled his wheelchair to be closer to his mother after getting quite the verbal beatdown by his grandfather and his father. Who he had come to see that you did not want to cross, and therefore getting such a verbal reprimand, it made him not want to experience the event anytime soon, so he was going to abide by and hope his further punishment was something he could handle?

I do not blame Mom and Dad. I did it for myself Although all he had wanted was a good time this night, and he knew he should be happy that he had not actually gone on the road, with any amount of alcohol in his system. And he was, but then he liked the walk the line, and the blur the lines and have fun with his life. And knew if he had drunk anymore than he had, then he would have drafted River to drive. Because I am not an idiot even though he knew what it sounded like. Because he knew Mariah would have dulled his anxiety about home. But that was all now lost in the chaos of this evening, and he could see his friend was tense due to whatever he was experiencing with his father. River is a hero.

But that was always his friend. The hero, while Mac liked to be the outlaw. Although he did not like the bruises that came with being an outlaw and running too close to the edge.

“I rather your father deal with your godfather” Maria muttered as Max was Mackenzie’s godfather. He was barely involved in their lives most of the time. Deciding to lead a quiet existence outside of town. But still when their son had been born. She and Michael had asked him to keep an eye on Mac if anything had happened to them, and over the years. Max had drifted further away from them, and it cause even more of a painful growing up for River.

River Maria did not know what to think of the kid, despite knowing him ever since he hit town thanks to his mother’s return. He is a good kid she thought but the blonde hair was a give away to the biological mother that the boy had to claim as his own. And she could see why her friend had such a bad time of it, with his son even though he totally understood River’s quest to understand his father, and to get his father not to see his mother when he looked at him. Any child should want that she thought.

Seeing River grow up made Maria almost glad that her friend had stayed in Chicago and made her life there after university. Because being in the same town as Max would have been a hell of a thing, especially to see the boy grow up, and be such a vision of a woman who had cost them everything.

So, she knew her best friend’s return would cause an adjustment all along, but she did wish the coming out party for her friend’s return could have happened after the holidays, and especially not on a night like this. So, it was easy to have mixed feelings about the whole situation and knew could not be easy for her friend to deal with this on top of what else she had to deal with on a night like this.

Because whenever Max and Liz were in the same vicinity. Drama ensured whether it was intended or not. They just cannot help themselves.

“It’s Mariah’s mother, right?” Mac asked as two and two came together, and years of comments about his godfather’s past was finally dawning on him, and why maybe they had barely seen Mariah or her brother before they relocated here to town, and the way his parents were reacting. Yeah, she has to be the one.

“What do you mean?” Maria asked as she turned her attention from her friend back to her own son. As they watched as her husband approach her old high school friend, and his son. So, she turned back to his son, a son who had been testing his limits, and she hated it. He is exactly like Michael she muttered. In looks, Mac took after a combination of them, but his behavior is all Michael she thought, and it was already a daily battle for herself and yes, Michael to keep their son’s actions at bay. And unfortunately, their son had come way too close tonight. And she did not like thinking that a deadly car collision had saved their son from making a mistake, because she did not think her son was wise enough to have called River in to drive the car if they had gotten back onto the road. And fate had taken that from them, and unfortunately delivered more chaos to them all.

“Mariah’s mother is the one who got away from Uncle Max?” Mac asked.

“How did you come with that?” Maria asked a little surprised by directness of her son’s question. Because her son had never seen Max and Liz together and therefore, she would not have guessed he could have come up with that kind of conclusion.

“I have heard you and Dad talked enough about it when I was growing up” Mac commented. “How Max lost a good thing when he was in high school, and that he had truly was in love with someone who later walked away from him, and that is why he is making a mess of his life and River’s life these past years” he asked. “I never made the connections of the names, and now I am, and it’s Mariah’s mother, is it not?”

“In a way it is,” Maria muttered as she was not ready to concede that it was all true.

“Wow,” Mac murmured. “And now they are back in town?”

“Yes,” Maria muttered.

“So, you are saying that this drama is bound to get interesting?” Mac asked.

“Yes,” Maria sighed, and interesting was not something they needed.

*

Across the room, Max and River were taking it all in before River saw Mariah and went to sit by her and be next to her. Max only shook his head Love will get you nowhere he thought to himself. But if it allowed his son to concentrate on something than the disappointment that their life at home was, then he was all for it. Even though he knew nothing of his son’s current existence except that he rarely had to be called into the high school, and his son most of the time kept it on the right side of the law, which was something Max wanted to be kept going “Anything new?”

“No,” Michael shook his head as Isabel came and stood next to her friend.

“How’s Jessie and Jaime?” Max asked of his sister.

“It could have been worse than it was, so thank god it was not” Isabel muttered as she was relieved her brother was taking Liz’s appearance in stride barely, she conceded to herself because she knew her brother wanted to do more, but he largely kept to his corner, but she knew he was accessing the situation. “Kyle will drive the girl’s home in a few minutes. They need time to rest.”

Max nodded as he was proving his sister’s inner debate with herself right because he knew he was barely keeping himself on an even keel as he was trying to deal with the reality of the situation when he wanted to rush over to Liz, and to experience her talking to him once again. But he was not a child. He was too old to ask like a teenager, even if one glance at his former flame made him feel like he was indeed a teenager. While he was trying to concentrate on what hiss sister and Michael were trying to tell him, but his eyes could not help but reach across the room where Liz, Mariah and his son was. “So, Liz is back?” he said as he needed assurance of this incredible feat that he was seeing with his eyes.

“Yes” Michael confirmed.

“Holidays?” Max asked as he did not know what to think, or whether to hope it would be a quick in and out, or whether she would be here for good. As this had been the first night, he had seen her since she walked out of his life, and boarded the bus once again, but this time to Chicago, and once she was there, she had stayed there.

Until now…

“The intention was for good,” Michael muttered as he knew the situation called for Max to be told the truth because there would be no getting away from it as they glanced over at a waiting Liz. “Or at least until tonight since we do not know what tomorrow will bring?”

“No one does,” Max sighed and sometimes we should be asking as if tomorrow will not be there, well, tomorrow as he wondered if he and Liz had acted like that back in those days whether they would have been treated in the way they were. “So, she has relocated back here?” he asked stuck on the thought that his former girlfriend was now back and intending to be a citizen of their town. “What made that happen?”

“A job,” Michael murmured.

Max nodded as he could understood why his best friend was being cautious about the information, he was parting with… as the same could be said of over the years especially as Michael and Maria had solidified their commitment to each other, and because he had known Maria had stayed best friends with his former girlfriend. So, there was only so much he had been told, or want to be told he thought. Because not knowing made it easier to live, even though the problem was, he was not living, and he knew it. I do not know how to make myself live because everything was about Liz he knew. And it did make it good to know, and knew he was losing his son because of his commitment to staying in the past.

“River saved the day,” Isabel asked as she tried to bring her brother back to the realities of their current day lives. And knowing full well how complicated her brother’s relationship with her nephew was, and how well she and her parents got along with the boy, which was the very opposite of how River got along with his father. Whether Max meant to be as dismissive as he tended to be over these years.

“Yes, apparently, he did” Max granted of his son. “Although the Deputy on scene could not help but question how my son could be so powerful to save the Anthony family?” he thought. “All by himself?”

“Adrenaline, it’s a funny thing” Michael murmured. “And the perfect excuse?”

“Let us hope it holds,” Max muttered.

“Jim will make sure it holds,” Isabel said with confidence of her future father-in-law. “You should be proud of your son Max because River did an amazing job. And apparently, he helped greatly with my daughter, and Jaime” she thought of her daughter, and her stepdaughter to be. “There were on-lookers who did not jump in to save the day. Your son did, and we should be proud of that…

“I am,” Max sighed.

“Then show it sometime will you” Isabel muttered as movement took place across the rooms, and Max’s eyes were on it. As he saw Liz getting up, and turning around and eying him, and it was like sixteen years had vanished in a second. “Your son is looking for some encouragement from his father, you know…” but she knew those words were lost in how her brother was looking at his former girlfriend.

Which meant that Isabel and Michael could only shake their heads because they knew Max was only opening himself up for more pain and angst if this continued because they were no longer back in 1999 or in those days when they had last seen his former girlfriend in town limits. After all, they were in a new millennium, and new decade, and they could never go back to how it was in those days and right wrongs, even if we wanted to…

And especially because Liz had moved on, and was someone else’s wife…