Again (CC, Mature) - Chapter 13 - 06/11/2025

[Parker1947]

Moments later,

A passion unlike anything else they had experienced had undertaken them. In such a fashion that made it unable to be stopped, and it was a fire that was not going to be quenched unless maybe there was a bucket, or an ocean of water poured over them. And even then, maybe not. But any attempts to stop this display of amoral behaviour was all for naught on this night. As they felt possessed and backed against a wall. A position that they were playing out, as Max had Liz back to the wall. As he was kissing her all over. As they could not keep their hands off each other. So, yeah, it was not detouring them, because it was fuel for their fire.

A fire like no other.

It was always like this with the two. Back in the beginning. It was always something unexplainable to them that they could be so All American. Strive for the honour roll, but behind closed doors. It was something different between them.

And only them.

Because anyone else would get the other version of them. Not that Liz allowed herself to find someone else. But when they were together. They could go from zero to a hundred miles per hour in a mere second.

In a flash.

It was hot. To feel desired, to feel wanted, and to feel loved. It was not something that Liz had much experience with since leaving Roswell a decade before.

And Max had too much experience.

Except with the love part. Not that you have to be in love to have sex. Max would certainly have an opinion on that because he would agree that he had been going through the motions these last years and today was showing that in all its glory. Absolutely NO one has my heart like this woman he was thinking, as he felt the fire exploding between them.

He supposed he should be feeling guilty.

Because he knew he was causing a world of hurt for himself, and his children, and his family if this got out.

And he could not say for certain that this would not get out. Our record at keeping our indiscretions a secret is not a good one.

But he was not thinking of tomorrow, when he was acting in the now, and all about how he wanted to feel.

It is about what I want to feel... Max thought.

But all common sense was out the window as they fell into each other's arms and acted out what they wished they could back in the beginning. Even though for six or seven weeks, they were able to.

Because they were fleeing for their lives. And could be together.

But then it ended, and she walked away.

And Liz wished she could have felt this sensation all these years. Why did I walk away from this and allow Max to feel like this with other women. Except he had not felt like this with others, and especially not with those he had married.

Liz felt the dress she had been wearing was being released from her body, oh god she was thinking. It had not felt sexy when she chose it. She had always been so conservative in her wardrobe. Because her career had demanded it. Although there were times where she could go out and celebrate her accomplishments, but she always stuck to the usual that would be said about Dr. Elizabeth Parker.

She had always been Elizabeth in her chosen profession. She had never really been Liz. Because she felt like Liz was Roswell. A name for her family, and for Maria.

Or for Max to utter, oh, damn Liz just as he was under his breath right now, when they are throwing all caution to the wind.

Oh, Liz Max whispered as he was removing the dress from the women he loved. She might have thought it was conservative, but it had been sexy as hell to Max.

Earlier to see Liz in it as she had walked down the aisle as Maid of Honour to her best friend, and he had nearly popped out of his skin. If his wife was not glaring to him and showing her clawing at him, as he stood at the altar, who knows what he might have done.

He had known he had done enough to keep it professional at the reception that followed. That was assuming what he actually did at the wedding reception could be described as professional. When everyone who had seen him would have the exact opposite opinion if they were asked. They would not have described him as very professional.

Or married.

Which he was.

But he was not acting like it. Because he was here with the woman he loved.

And the woman he was married to had walked out of the hotel earlier that evening with hatred in her eyes, which was a recipe for disaster if they caught wind. Which it was bound too, but for Max and Liz.

They were acting irrationally. As Liz felt the last of her garments being removed, and she felt sexy. She did not know who she was most of the time these days. But she felt loved. She felt like the world was finally giving her something as she moved onto Max.

He is way too sexy to still be dressed like he is she was thinking as she felt exposed. But she did not care because she was with the man she loved. As she started to pick at his shirt, "Let me" she was saying as Max was finally ways of making her want to explode. "You are not helping me," she whispered to sudden movement of his arms caressing her own arms, and she saw the glow coming down the arm.

And she stopped.

Because it brought back memories. Flashes of a night that had ended way too soon. When Maria had walked in and ruined their glow. Which was in respect, something right, but it did not feel like it at the time. Especially not when Tess came to town shortly afterwards and wrecked most of my dreams, she sighed even though she knew she had contributed to some of the losses herself, but she was not going to quibble about that tonight. When flashes of that night when everything seemed possible were playing out within this union, as she felt his touch, and the glow that he showed by his very touch.

"You don’t know what you do to me, when you do that..." Liz whispered.

"It was always you" Max whispered as he did not care that she had not gotten his shirt off, because he was going to burst. He ripped his own shirt off...

As I said, I don't care about tomorrow Max muttered. I am a goddamn alien, aren't I? he asked of himself.

Yes, he was.

And picked up Liz into his arms, and she clung onto his body, and they walked into bedroom, as they could not keep their hands or mouths apart and slammed the door.

*

All the while,

Morality was being completely thrown out the window. And vows were breaking into pieces that were not going to be repaired. Near the heart of town. A car drove into a covered parking lot and went down into the deep recesses of the building. Before stopping and waiting. Unaware that another car was following it into the parking structure.

This car was staying away. And monitoring the situation that was brewing ever since the hotel. When he had gotten suspicion. Not that the woman had a reason to be considering devilish things, because Sean Deluca knew that Evans deserved whatever he was going to get when he obviously chose the worst woman possible to be his wife. You are going to get it Sean knew.

But he did not know the situation.

Yet because he cared about Liz. Simply because she was a good person. As much as he wished that things might have worked out with them when they were younger. He gave her credit that she had stopped herself from doing anything that would come back to haunt them. Not that he liked it at the time.

Which is why he had to get out of town. I had to get out of this place he remembered. Even though he was grateful for Aunt Amy and even for Maria in giving him a place to stay for a few months. Not that he figured that his cousin would be that happy to have his appreciation because they had an oil and water relationship. We were always different people. But he was grateful to his aunt. And his cousin and wanted to come to town and go to the wedding.

And see a celebration within their family.

At the same time, he did have some slight hopes that things might be different with Liz, this time. Maybe this time was the time.

But only seconds told him that it would not be possible even though Evans was stupid to have given up on the best person in this world he thought when it was clear that Liz and Max were not together, and Max was taken.

But if he knew anything. He would know it was Liz who had walked away.

But Sean Deluca was partial towards Liz which is why he was here. Looking out for her interests.

And in this car.

And watching as Yvonne Evans sat and waited in dark and dirty parking garage, in the dead of night. Instead of heading home. Which is what he figured he would be finding when he saw the blonde stocking to her car and start driving.

So, on a lark, he had gotten in and started driving. And found himself to be here.

On the other side of the garage, but close enough to see Yvonne's car, as he waited.

Unsure of what he would find.

Is she planning on cheating on Evans? Sean asked. And if she was, then he would egg it on and not dissuade it because not that he was hoping that Liz would get with someone who was willing to cheat on his wife. But it meant there might be some hope that life would be easier. Which is why he had even had some thoughts if the blonde was heading home then maybe he would come on to the woman.

What do I know Sean thought. It might have led to some fun. But that was not to be, because of going home. She had driven to this garage.

Obviously, there was a lot he did not know.

He figured that was true. And it made him curious. Curious enough to hold out and keep an eye on a woman he did not trust. Because he knew she was up to something. Why come to a dark and dusty garage when she could be going home and prepare to get even with her husband?

Sean did not know.

Which is why he sat and waited for some fifteen minutes before a car came into the parking garage and parked next to Yvonne's car.

Nothing happened.

So, Sean was curious to know whether it was an unrelated action? Maybe she is planning something in that car? he wondered. Maybe it is something unrelated.

Maybe.

But doubtful, because just as he had that brainstorm. He saw some action. And therefore, he perked up. As he saw the doors open to the car, and he watched as Yvonne in her dress from the wedding.

And a dark hooded man got out of the car.

She is totally going to hit that one Sean wondered. She is trying to prove she has come far, but you always go back to your basic nature, right? he wondered. But then he had tried to come far in the last decade since when it was second nature to fall to his dark angels. And the devil on his shoulder and do something that would break his mother's heart and get him sent to juvenile hall. And then sentenced to stay with his Aunt while he proved to his mother, he was not going to fall over the cliff again.

And certainly, he had some close slips. But eventually he got it right.

And he was not going to go back over the cliff. Not after a decade of moving on and trying to get away from the guy he once was.

But he sensed Yvonne was playing a role. She wanted to show the world that she was someone different than who she truly was. And she was coming home to her true self tonight. And undertaking some purpose, and it did not take a genius to guess that it was not going to end up somewhere good for Evans or Liz.

If it were to become known.

So, he could have driven off and not cared in the slightest if Evans got something he probably deserved. But given that he was partial towards Liz.

He stayed.

And watched as the dark hoodie guy walked over to Yvonne, and they started to talk. Animatedly at some points, and quiet at others.

He was too far away to know what was being said.

I cannot read lips Sean thought. I don't have that talent. Even though occasionally over the years he had gotten a six sense on those things and could figure out what a lady or two was going to say when she was going to give him a slip. But nope, he did was too far away to know what was being said.

But instead of making a date to go to the nearest hotel. He saw an envelope being passed between Yvonne to the dark hooded man.

Shit Sean thought.

He had enough criminal instincts over the years to know that it could not be considered a good thing to see. Of course, it could be a payoff if she is trying to protect some information or something Sean reasoned because it was obvious to him that Max's wife was someone different than what she would have presented to Max, to get him to marry her, as he thought of the ways it could mean something to see Yvonne Evans pass over a fat envelope.

Which meant there was serious dough in the envelope.

He thought back to hearing that Evans was worth a bundle now. Because of his first wife. So, he had to wonder what the current Mrs. Evans was up too.

But it was only an envelope that was passed between the two, and it was clear it was not an illicit extra marital tryst, as the dark hoodie man said something. Took the envelope and got back in the car, and so did Yvonne and hightailed it out of the garage.

He waited a minute, before trailing the wife back to the marital home.

And she unlocked the front door, and went inside, and stayed inside.

Before Sean decided she was home for the night. So, he went back to his motel room. And did his research to understand what was going go down.

But he had no idea.

No one did.

But unfortunately, they would find out all too soon.

Or at least Max would.

With the ripple effects affecting everyone.

*

At the same time,

Back in the forbidden zone of hidden desires. And a tryst that was showing no signs of showing any regret, and eyes were being opened. And Max was not seeing the wounds to the life he was currently leading that were developing with rapid intensity or the ripple effects that his actions that he was undertaking in this room might have the power to take him down. All of that common sense was lacking and far from these proceedings. Because he was feeling like he was still in the dream land. Because all he could do was open his eyes and see that he was laying beside his dream girl.

Someone he had loved since even before he knew of the word love or what it felt like to be in love. Seeing a brown hair little girl on the playground and feeling compelled to be in her presence. But she was playing with her friends, and especially Maria at the time, and therefore they were not seeing each other than the other classmate that they were growing up, and heading to the next grade with...

Until it came time for high school, and they became partners in the same science biology class.

Yet, even then, they just sat and did their work.

Maybe saying a word or two if it was needed for the work they were doing together, to stay on the honour roll they both were on. But that was all it was, even as he was crushing hard and spending a considerable amount of time at the Crashdown and spending his disposable income on burgers, and milkshakes.

And forcing his best friend or sister to come with him on many of an occasion so not to be considered a stalker. Because he could not say a word to his dream girl.

But that all changed on September day back in 1999. On the cusp of a new millennium. Everything seemed so normal. But the day that ended would be anything but normal because it would bring them face to face. As he worked to save her life.

When a bullet flew into her and tore off the mask that he had been shielding from her, and from everyone else. And little by little brought them together, into a new world together, and they each saw each other differently.

And he had gotten a chance to know. The girl he had longed to know, and to love.

Even as the resulting relationship would have an expiration date. Still, his love for her always remained. And burst forth on this night, when he was doing something, he knew would have real ramifications to his current life. But he did not care, not in this moment.

Not when it felt so good to be with the woman he loved.

Because the past decade had shown that the love, he had led was a pretender’s life. Because there was only one woman for him.

There would never be anyone else who could touch the depths that Liz had.

Even if these hours were all they shared together. Because he knew they had to come back to reality.

But he was not forcing the issue. As his eyes opened and he saw the sexy back of the woman he loved, and he was tempted to touch it.

To feel her touch.

Her warmth.

The temptation was so great, and eventually it would break as he could not not do it as he touched her back, and felt it rush over her back. Thinking she was asleep. He took back his hand, his touch. But he heard a quiet, "Don't stop".

And he knew she was awake, and she moved to face him. "Max, don't stop" she said simply. Because she knew fully well that she should be ending this encounter. Getting up and heading home to her daughter. But just like Max was finding with Liz. Being with Max now that they had escalated things.

Only a little more than twenty-four hours back in each other's lives. After a decade away. But they had relapsed into an addiction for each other, that even though it might not be wise. Still, she could not help it.

They both could not help it. And she needed more of it.

She needed Max.

She did not care about the come down. The withdrawal. She needed Max. "Max..."

And they fell into each other's arms. As she got up on him, and they continued to come together in ways that they showed they could not quit each other.

*

Hours later,

It continued until it stopped. And they stepped out of the accompanying shower together, and despite their urge to fall back into bed. They quietly kissed and got dressed. The addiction was running its course for today at least. And the recovery time was starting. As reality was hitting them hard.

Neither could say what they wanted to say.

There were many things they wanted to say. But they knew it was not appropriate because of the circumstances. Neither knew what the fact that Max had spent the whole night in Liz's hotel room and had not even entered into his own might cause problems with his home life.

A home life he was only returning too because of two very important people.

His children.

Noah and Ella Evans.

Not the woman that had his ring on his finger. "Liz," Max was trying to think of what to say. But Liz stopped him by putting her fingers to his lips. And stood up for a small quick kiss, if you anything between them could be quick but this was indeed a simple kiss "You don't have to say anything. Neither of us will tell anyone. We will keep last night a secret if you want. No one has to know. Especially not Yvonne."

"I want to run and shout it and especially force it, into the face of my wife" Max said softly as they both wanted to wince at the utterance of the word, wife because it was proof to anyone other than them, their night the previous night was considered amoral. And something that was a sin.

Good thing I don't believe in God and did not get married within the church Max thought to himself, as if that was the only saving grace for this situation but it was not because he did not have any regrets. And wish he could throw it into the face of his wife, and he knew what kind of guy that made him. But it would set off a whole chain bomb if Yvonne knows.

Still, he had no regrets.

None.

Neither did Liz. The sex feels too good to think last night as a regret.

I know what kind of person that makes me too she thought.

"We are grown ups," Liz said softly. "We both own this decision."

Max nodded. "I will never regret it Liz," he said softly. "Because I love you."

Liz bristled at the mention of love. Not because I don’t feel it too, she sighed. But she knew their situation was way too complicated to be talking about love after a night they had shared together. "No talking about love, because that will make things even worse" Liz said softly. "We did what we did, and now you have to go back to your children. Your wife."

"I don't know if I can" Max said softly. "She's not the woman I married," he sighed as if that made things better in that the charade of his marriage was now exposed to him in the proof that Yvonne was not the person, he thought she was.

"You are not the man she married," Liz said softly.

"I never was who she wanted," Max said softly. "But then I only wanted you."

More and more she was coming back to reality. And so, she winced. Because she knew how dicey it was. "Okay Max, we are now going to get into trouble with this talk" Liz said softly because as much as she loved the talk. Yet it is a little bit much. "Go back to the kids. Go back to Yvonne. We will always have last night, but it does not have to be anything more than it was. Because I am not holding on to anything okay. I have no expectations," she said as she leaded in to kiss Max.

A kiss that was not so simple. When it was way too passionate for two people in the situation that they were in. And they both knew it. So, before he found himself falling back into bed with the woman he loved. Max had enough restraint to drag himself out of it, and Liz who had ended up in his arms, forced herself down from those steady and sexy arms "Go Max. Think of the kids."

"I am" Max said softly. It's the only thing that gets me out of this room he thought, because he knew he had the desire to drag her back behind the bedroom doors, because his addiction for her was growing intense.

Now that they were back in each other's orbits.

But he knew he had to drag himself away from her and therefore, he walked out of the hotel room. And sighing, she closed the doors and fell herself fall against them, as she did not know what was going to come next.

No one did.

As she walked back into the bedroom, and saw the messed-up sheets, and she sighed at the exploding flashes of their night, and their passion for each other. She wondered if she was making things worse for herself by relapsing into the addiction she had for Max. He makes me too weak.

But was she strong enough to move on?

Who knows.

And Max did not know either as he briefly walked into his hotel room, and picked up his overnight bag, and changed, so that was not apparent that he had been do what he was doing. Once done, he went down and paid the bill.

And walked out into the chilly day.

The blast of fresh air was a relief almost to him as it cooled him off, as he climbed into the car, and drove across town. And parked in the driveway of the home he shared with his children, and his wife.

And walked through the door. Just as Yvonne walked downstairs.

"Hello" was all they said at each other.

Neither talking about the accusations coming through their eyes of the previous twelve hours, or the fact Yvonne had a sinking suspicion of what her husband had been doing. And it was not simply because she had tried the hotel room in the middle of the night and gotten no answer. And she had pestered the people at the front desk, but they would not tell her if he was actually in the room.

They also did not talk about how Yvonne was not the woman he believed he was married.

Neither of them, were the people they were, going to the marriage. I am not a choir boy he muttered. He did not know if after last night that it made him a better person than his wife, after all I strayed.

So, what did that mean now?

Who the hell knows Max thought as he simply said hello to his wife. He did stop to kiss her, or anything that would be a normal hello between a husband and wife. Even after night like the night before. Instead, he took his bag up to the spare room in their house. The last thing we need to be doing is sleep in same room he thought.

When truthfully, they had not had marital relations in several years. And more often than not, he stayed in the spare room. So, he was not unfamiliar with it. Splashing water on his face, to force him to come back to his real reality. Not the fantasy that he wanted to be living. Max came downstairs and muttered as he spotted his wife. "I am going to pick the kids up," he said softly. “They spent the night at my parents,” he said.

“Obviously,” Yvonne to herself. They have not been here she sighed of her stepchildren. But she only nodded.

“You should not expect us back until later,” Max said simply.

"You don't have to work?" Yvonne muttered. Because if it was not the day shift. Max was often on the night shift.

“I am not on the schedule until Tuesday," was all Max said softly.

Frowning at the disclosure. "Nice of you to tell me" Yvonne muttered.

"I just did," Max said softly. "I am not forcing you to change whatever plans you have made Yvonne. We both have what we want to do, and I plan on spending the day with the children" he allowed. After I spent the night with the woman I love, he thought to himself as he could not forget that he was cheating on his wife. And not caring about it at all.

"Naturally," Yvonne muttered. They always get your time.

"It is what it is," Max said brusquely at the accusations that existed in his wife’s eyes. He knew only too well that Yvonne was annoyed by the time he often spent with his children and not with her… as he walked to the door, and out of the house and got back into his car and drove as fast as he could.

Back inside the house he shared with his wife and children. Practically spitting nails. Yvonne simply went upstairs and ripped through the bag he had just brought home, a bag she had found in the spare bedroom. But there was no proof inside that he had spent any time with his ex after she left the hotel. But still, she had suspicions. Because she could smell perfume on the clothes, but there was no proof. But still, she went to the phone and dialed a familiar number. "Plans have changed," she said into the phone. "He does not work until Tuesday," she said softly. "I did not ask for it to change. He only just told me his schedule" she said with a mutter. "Call me when it's over. Don't call me until it is, and if you do. Call that other number."

She slammed down the phone and left the house.

[totallizfan]

Yvonne has to go.
Hopefully what ever evil she has planned backfires.
Things will get really heated if Liz ends up pregnant.
Still waiting for Callie's story

[Superman86]

Just found that your back with this fic. As usual your writing is good. Can't wait to continue on this journey of Max and Liz and the gang. This Max and Liz is giving season 1 vibes but with some naughty coming of age mix. Look forward to seeing what Yvonne is up to, hope she gets stopped and about Callies full story.

[Parker1947]

Meanwhile,
The Crashdown,

The restaurant was bustling for a Sunday. Open since the early rush. And now it was getting into the lunch rush. And Callie Jean Parker was watching it all go down as her grandfather and even grandmother was rushing around the weekend crowd. She was behind the counter and observing. She liked the flow of restaurant. She liked the atmosphere. She found it funny that her grandparents operated an establishment focused on aliens. As if they are real the eight-year-old thought as she saw the laughter among the customers. She loved the uniforms, and the paint. It was original and different from what she had experienced anywhere else she would live with her mother.

She watched as her grandfather pitched in at the tables because his senior waitress was out sick. She saw him joking around with the customer he was serving. She did not fail to forget that her grandfather had never finished the conversation with her hours before, when she had finally spoke the unspoken truth.

Even as she did not know the whole truth.

By some uncanny twist. Her grandmother had woken up and overheard their attempted conversation and swooped her off to bed and she was forced to go to sleep. Which is what she did. She found it much easier to sleep. And the apartment had gone dark soon after. An easy out for the adults she supposed. She knew that by opening up to her grandfather, it might mean she might have to have the conversation that was long in coming with her mother.

She did not know if she wanted to have that conversation. Because it was easy with her grandfather.

But more difficult with the woman who had given her single life to become a mother to a child that she did not have to take into her home. But she had because it was the easy answer to the sticky question. But Callie Jean did not know it. She only knew what was easy to see on her birth certificate.

That listed two other people as her birth parents.

Who were now dead.

And neither was a Parker. Or maybe one was, but Callie did not know the grittiness of the situation. She only knew her mother gave her a home. When she did not have too. So, she was figuring the difficult conversation was coming. Whether she wanted it or not.

So, she spent the morning watching her grandparents in the rush of the restaurant. And forgetting the darkness of her family, and truths that were so easy to hide. As the door opened and the bride and groom from the day before came in.

"Aunt Maria?" Callie asked as she came running at Maria and Michael.

Callie was happy to the newlyweds. Because she loved her Maria. Even though she might not have been able to see her much because of the lives she was leading with her mother. And with the business her in Roswell, Maria could only come so often and visit. Maria and Liz had gone in different circles. But they had kept their sister bond. But it meant that the life Callie had was very different from the one that existed back here in Roswell.

The eight-year-old did not know if they would be going back to that other life.

Maybe.

Or maybe not. Whatever that was to happen. Callie hoped that it did not have to happen anytime soon. Because she was having a great time in Roswell. She suspected there was so much to experience.

Because there was so much to see. Which included her godmother. Because she knew of the plans for today was a meet up for lunch. "You are finally here."

"We got a late start," Maria said with a laugh at her now husband.

Michael laughed.

After all, Maria Deluca was now Maria Guerin, and she loved the sound of it. And even though she would always be a Deluca in her heart, but her life has always been with Michael for more than a decade, and sure they had many good times, but finally they had gotten to a new level.

And a new level of their commitment to each other and she could not wait to experience the future.

Smiling at Callie. But she could not help but look around for her best friend. When she did not see her, she turned her glaze at the eight-year-old. "Where is your mother?" she wondered. “Is she upstairs in the apartment?”

"Who knows," Callie said with an air of dismissive that amused the adults. "I stayed with Grandpa and Grandma last night. Because Mommy stayed at the hotel."

Oh, she did Maria thought as she exchanged a knowing glance with her new husband. Michael only shook his head at the glint in his wife’s eyes and walked off. Because he knew it would make Maria speculate. Even though the child had not been there when she had said goodnight to her best friend. She did not know plan was for Callie not to stay at the hotel. Especially given she knew the dynamics that existed within the Parker family at the moment. So, the newlywed figured that it was a last-minute decision because of circumstances. A circumstance named Max Evans she amusingly mused to herself. Because it was useless to try to ask anything more adult to an eight-year-old.

As the door opened once more, and a very tired Liz walked in.

Maria burst out laughing. Oh, she got some the newlywed correctly assumed of her best friend. Because she knew her best friend's previous life. A life that had made way too celibate. Basically, a borne again virgin. And it was not because her friend had found religion. Nope, it was because she had walked away from the love of her life and given up all men.

But Max Evans was likely too great a temptation not to fall into the past once more.

Because Maria knew from experience. Once you had an alien, ordinary men will not hold a candle to them. And if you happen to have sex with one...

Well, any chance of a different kind of life would be over…

And certainly, Liz has seen that over the last decade.

"Be careful Maria," her new husband warned as he rejoined his wife. Simply because he knew what Maria wanted to be asking… "Ears” he murmured as he references the child looking up at them.

"Oh, I know," Maria simply said as knew Callie was listening, as they walked to the door to greet a friend. I am not stupid you know she smiled at herself as her friend joined them. "So, what did you do last night?"

Or who did you do was the subtle question between the two women.

"Drop it Maria," Liz said softly and simply because she spotted her daughter. She might not have any regrets regarding her actions. Yet still, she knew she was in the gossip central of their town. Because what was often heard in the restaurant often went around town at a speed unlike anything they had experience anywhere else.

So, you have to be careful.

"Tell me everything" Maria said simply. "How is Max this morning?" she said softly, below what could be heard by ordinary ears.

"I would not know," Liz said for the sake of those who might be around them. "Leave it alone Maria."

Maria could only laugh. "You are one in a million Petunia," she said softly. But she was willing to leave it alone, for right now she allowed because she knew there was ears in this restaurant. And they did not belong to simply an eight-year-old. But they belonged to others, who were more prone to spread the gossip of the previous night.

Which is why she and Michael had kept their wedding to an intimate gathering.

Not that they knew that many people. But you had to set limits.

Even as her best friend was blasting through them.

And Maria was loving every moment of it, and she was sort of proud. And in spite of the situation. She was cheering it on. I never knew Parker had it in her, to go there.

Because the Liz Parker she knew as a teenager, would never go there with a married man. Even if were Max she smiled. So, even though Maria knew she should be cautioning her friend from going there with Max given how explosive the situation had the capacity to get. Because being a resident, Maria was all too aware of the whole situation.

Still, Liz needs to be naughty sometimes Maria thought.

And it was not like Maria was a fan of Yvonne. So, she was not going to be upset even if at the same time, she knew Yvonne was not the type of person to take being wronged lightly. Everyone is trying to convince me she knew. And they are right.

We should be careful with Yvonne.

But it’s Max and Liz.

And they need some happiness Maria thought. Because she saw the level of unhappiness that Max was under.

So, she was thrilled at this turn in events.

But across the restaurant, Jeff had seen his daughter arriving. Sighing at how dishevelled his daughter seemed to be... which has to mean something, but he was willing to go back to his oblivious state about his daughter’s private life right, it’s her private life and she is not a teenager anymore, so he finished with a customer and walked towards his daughter. "Hello Lizzie."

"How are you, Dad?" Liz said softly. "Thank you for taking Callie for me."

"She was no trouble," Jeff said softly. Mostly he would think as they spotted who had gone off into the kitchen to observe. "I know you have just arrived. But we do have to talk about her. So, after you have some food. We should find some time..."

Oh god, now what "About what?" Liz asked. After all, she could not think of what it could be about. She knew that she was too old for her father to have an opinion on her love life. Not that he would not love to try But this time, it did seem to be about Callie and not her decision to risk everything she had built these past ten years on an illicit moment of passion with her former fiancé.

Someone who was very married.

Don't I know it.

She knew it.

Which is why she walked away when she did. Instead of spending the day in bed with the love of her life. She walked away. She might have her responsibilities with her daughter, but she had known Callie was safe and sound and probably should be spending more time with her grandfather anyways, given the circumstances of the past. But Liz knew the giant hornet’s nest that existed there. Which is why she had become a mother in a first place, even though she had not given birth to do it.

She had given a homeless baby a home.

And became a mother.

While Max had become a father because he had moved on, because she had told him too. Because she had not come back to Roswell. Even though every urge had told her too at the time. But she needed to work on herself. She needed to see who she was. Be the person she was meant to be.

She knew she had accomplished so much in her life. Yet she did not know the person right now. She did not know who she was. Which person she should be.

Which is why she probably had done what she had with Max. Because it was about seeing who she was. She had known the old Liz Parker of Roswell, New Mexico was too much of a straight arrow to sleep with a married man even though he was mine first.

I was the one he loved first. So, should that mean something and get me out of trouble, but she knew she was only asking for it. She did not blame if the heavens banned her or something. She had done enough in her life to ask for that ban but also had done so much good.

She did not if the good and bad evened out or not.

She looked at the small child she had taken into her home, and she felt guilty for falling for her basic urges. She should be better than this. She knew her father was accessing her. And probably guessed that she was up to her old tricks with Max.

She knew her father had his opinion on her past with her former boyfriend.

But he was able to say something when she was seventeen and getting caught robbing a convenience store. But now, he did not have a lot of ground that she had just slept with her married ex-boyfriend. And she did not have any regrets.

It is not like I am a good friend with Yvonne she smiled at herself. Yeah, that is some rationalization, but I will take it.

I don’t know what kind of person she is.

But if Max is unhappy?

"What is it about Dad?" Liz asked, trying to get back to reality, and her responsibilities in this life.

"Nothing serious," Jeff muttered. Even if it is important, he thought because he had no idea what his daughter might have spoken to Callie about in regard to her heritage, and how she started out in this world. "Why don’t you have your brunch with Maria and Michael, and we can talk when you are done?"

"Are you sure?" Liz asked.

"I am sure," Jeff said softly. "You want to see you friends. And by the way, I did not get a chance to say it last night but Congratulations Maria. I hope you and Michael will be very happy."

"Thank you, Jeff," Maria smiled. It was still weird for her to use her best friend's father's name, because she did not feel like she was any older than she was a decade ago. When she was Liz's friend. And Jeff was her boss. "We do appreciate how much you and Nancy did last night with the catering. Everyone loved the food."

"My pleasure," Jeff smiled. "You are family," he sighed. Because it still amazed him that he had known Maria as a small child. And now she is a confident woman. A business owner to boot he sighed. Time flies as he looked at both women and sighed at how small they once were, and who they were now. "I will let you two have time to talk because I know you two did not get much of a chance before the wedding as he pointedly spoke the words to his daughter.”

A dart that landed on Liz. Because she knew fully well how she had not brought Callie back. She had forced her father and mother to come visit her, and it always seemed so easy to do so. But I should have come back here she knew. Maybe it would not have gotten to this point if I did, she thought.

But if she had been back only twenty-four hours and she and Max had found themselves in bed. Who knows what would have come before if she had come back and he still would have been married. And happier than he currently was. Who knows what could have been prevented, but also the destruction that could have been brought forward.

"You don't have to say it Dad, yes, I know, I should have visited more." Liz muttered.

"I was not saying that because I know why you could not come back before now," Jeff muttered himself because he was always a little more relieved that she had not come back because he knew only too well the bond that his daughter shared with her former boyfriend. Being away prevented a lot of pain he would know. "You were where you were meant to be. Your mother and I still got to visit. And you were able to accomplish great things while being away from this town. But we are happy that you could come home again." he said softly. "Even if it for a short time."

"Are you looking to get rid of me?" Liz teased because she knew it was a joke. Maybe not so much. "Already?"

"Of course, not Lizzie," Jeff Parker smiled. "You and Callie are welcome to stay as long as you like. But I know how busy you are."

"Yes, I am" Liz agreed. "But she did not know if she wanted the life she was leading before. Because she knew the life, she was leading had been something that she did not like leading. She wanted a different life. She wanted to feel more whole. She also knew that something snapped in her, once she was with Max.

She did not know if she could bring herself back together, to figure out who she was...

"Anyways, I will let the two of you talk" Jeff smiled. "Let the kitchen know when you are ready, because they are prepared."

"We will" Maria said as Jeff walked away. "So..."

"Don't say it Maria," Liz warned.

"I am not going to say anything," Maria teased. "At least not here," she smiled.

"I appreciate it," Liz sighed a sense of relief. "So, how has married life been?"

It has only been less than a day Maria smiled but she was a bundle of happiness. "Petunia, it is amazing," she said as they walked to a booth, and swung into their sides. As they looked over at Michael who was making answering a phone call. "You should try it."

"I don't think so" Liz muttered. Hell no, am I getting married.

Unspoken was the thinking, not if I cannot be married to Max she moaned because she knew she had the chance, and she had given it up.

"Girlfriend, the sex is amazing" Maria smiled. As if she did not know what her friend was thinking, but she was so happy to get brought down from her glow. As she looked around and saw the people surrounding them. "Of course, you know it is, with who they are" she said in code because only few knew the truth about who Max, Michael and Isabel truly were. And Liz had to smile. "But it's another level altogether..." she said softly to a further smile from her best friend. "So, yeah, you should try it."

"I don't think that is meant to be...." Liz sighed, because she knew sex with an alien was downright amazing. It is extremely passionate, but she also knew you don't have to have a ring on your finger to feel the depths of the connection. "I gave up my chance."

"Oh, Petunia" Maria sighed.

"I am fine with it, Maria," Liz said softly. "I have made my peace."

Yeah, right.

"Have you?" Maria asked because she doubted it, but she could not press her friend on her late-night antics because she spotted her new husband approaching, and because of the environment they were in. "Hey, Space boy" she said with a smile. "We were just talking about you."

"I am sure you were," Michael said with a knowing glance at both his wife, and Liz.

As any talk of the benefits of alien sex was stopped with Michael's arrival, then Callie, and moments later, the waitress arrived to take their order. And they were onto other topics.

*

Meanwhile,
The home of Phillip and Diane Evans,

"Are you sure son that you want to be doing this?" Phillip Evans was asking as sat with his son in his home office. A place he spent a lot more time than his actual office, as he was spending more time at home. But he still went into the office a couple of days of week. But this was the weekend, and because he was a corporate attorney. One of the benefits always was that he had the weekends off, most of the time unless he had to go out of town.

Or deal with a case.

But those business trips had tapered off as he had gotten older. And did not want to deal with the travelling, even as he and Diane dealt with the empty nest situation at home. He was spending more time with his wife. As they did things together, but there were times when a little separation was good for them, and their marriage. But he just usually barricaded himself in the home office. When he did not go into the office.

After all, he was back to being a single small-town lawyer.

With the loss of Jesse Ramirez. First to a bigger firm in Boston, and then the loss of him as family with the eventual divorce from his daughter. He did not want to take someone new in, so he kept most of his business to town business.

And there was always a need for a good corporate attorney.

He never had done any criminal work, except for a very brief time because of his son's determination to become an outlaw, but that is another story he thought of the time where his son was a mystery to his wife and himself. We did not get it he thought. At the time.
Now we do Phillip thought.

Because time would change things. As he thought of how his son was a different person than who he was as a teenager.

Max was a different person now.

Yet he appeared to be someone entirely different today than he was yesterday. As he settled into doing some family law.

Some personal family law...

And just what it meant Phillip did not know as he watched as his son saw before his desk. And he looked down at his notes.

"I have to do something Dad," Max muttered as he sat in front of his father desk, acting as if he was client than a son. But on this occasion, their discussion was not purely family but had moved into his father professional realm. Even though he did wanted to be here. Doing this. Which is why he had withstood the last six years, when the woman he married had turned from the sunny and compassionate woman he had met to the distrustful and suspicious shrew she had become in recent months, years. "It has been a long time coming."

"You know she is going to fight it" Phillip asked as he thought of his daughter-in-law. And those thoughts told her that she was definitely going to fight what my son has in mind he would think as he glanced at the unhappy state of his son.

"She is going to fight the prenuptial," Max said realistically. "I should have seen it all along. She was looking at me for the money that I got from Edie's death and even before that, due to my deal with the government,” he thought of the initial bundle of money he would receive. “I don't think she cares if we stay married, but she cares about money she might get out if she can get the prenuptial thrown out."

We all saw that coming, Phillip muttered. Which is why he had been the one who was insistent on the subject of a prenuptial agreement between his son and his chosen bride. I had to protect my son, and my grandchildren.

I am not sitting on a fortune Max muttered. It is all taken care of he thought of his personal wealth which is almost entirely focused on his salary from his job. Anything else that comes from any inheritance is spent on a needed basis, for the kids.

Edie's kids.

I never married Edie for her money Max thought of his first wife. I had my own nest egg he thought of his late wife. Someone who he missed for the compassionate person she always was. But now he knew, he had been crying out for companionship because he missed Liz.

It was always a poor substitute.

But he did care for Edie. Because she had been a good woman. Someone special.

Who was taken too soon.

But she was never Liz, Max thought. "I know that you and Mom have wanted me to do this a long time ago?"

"We only ever wanted you to be happy," Phillip sighed.

"I know you have," Max allowed. "And I am trying to do that now," he sighed. I want to be happy again he murmured. I want to live for more than my children he sighed as glimpses of the woman of his dreams came floating through his mind once more, and he had known he had captured something the previous night. And I want that again. "Yvonne is not the woman I want to be with..." she said. “It’s become very clear to me.”

As if it was not already apparent Max knew, but he had been able to hold off his unhappiness because he did not want to deal with it.

But he could not do it any longer. No matter where this goes now, he thought. I have to deal with this…

Who do you want to be with? Phillip was thinking but he also knew the answer and knew better than to ask his son. "Son..."

"Don't, Dad, okay" Max sighed. Because he did not want to involve Liz in this mess.

"Your life is your life. The same with your sister," Phillip said of his daughter. "You two are adults now. We don't have a say, but your mother and I want you to be happy. But I do have to say that if you are intending to divorce your wife. Then you should be careful with whatever you do from here on out, until you have signed papers, or a divorce decree signed off by a judge. Because Yvonne is going to fight it long enough to try to get the prenuptial overturned,” he warned. “Which means that she will look for any way to do so.”

"So, if she can prove something?" Max asked as he did not come and say it, infidelity.

"Neither of you asked for the word or grounds to be put in your prenuptial," Phillip allowed without getting into his son's admittance of it. A man's marriage is his own. "So, any act committed by you, or by Yvonne is not automatic grounds for it to be thrown out. But she could get a sympathetic judge who sees from her point of view that you are asking to leave your marriage only after you become involved with someone else. And that person comes from your past. Therefore, your wife might be entitled to a bigger settlement than what is laid out in your prenuptial," he said softly. "For pain and suffering."

Hell Max thought. Any pain and suffering would be with me, he muttered yeah, I know I am being too much "I don't want Liz dragged through the mud."

"Then you need to be careful." Phillip allowed. "If you cannot stay away from this person," he said simply, as he was choosing to ignore that his son admitted the name. I know nothing he thought because by now he had many of his son's secrets that he could not acknowledge. "Be discreet."

Max nodded.

"She might not be able to prove anything before now, but if you do slip up, she will have grounds. And you will have to pay out a hell of a lot more than what is in the prenuptial," he said softly and watched as his son realize the scope of what he was asking. "So, I have to ask, are you are sure that you want to open this can of worms?" Phillip asked. "Because the last thing you should be is in a rotten marriage. And I am not endorsing that. But you have to know that Yvonne is not Liz, nor is she Edie," he said of the daughter-in-law he had. And the one he wished they had. "She is going to cause trouble. So, you will have to be sure you want to open this up for you and the kids, when there could be considerable fallout. So, I have to ask again, are you sure?"

"The kids are why I am doing this" Max muttered. "Because, this is not about my personal happiness," he said. "Because I have been unhappy for a long time now, so I have gotten quite used to it. And it might be better for the situation if we don't, and we do our own thing. But this is about the kids. Because I cannot have them living in a house with two warring people, who hate each other, and are waiting out, my eventual death, so she can get money out of my dead body. So, this is not about me. Dad, I have to do this for the kids."

"Speaking of the kids," Phillip murmured.

They deserve to be in a happy house Max murmured to himself. I plan to do that from now on. Regardless of where my personal life goes. "They don't have to see her, do they?" Max asked. "She doesn't have to have a role in their lives?"

"No, you are their only legal parent. If you divorce. They stay with you, because Yvonne never made any attempts to be considered a parent" Phillip acknowledged. "Any custody arrangement is purely to be decided by you. So, you don't have to worry on that front."

Thank god he muttered. Not that he really thought that Yvonne would want some kind of custody arrangement. But he was well aware that his current wife had been part of the kids' lives since they were toddlers. So, it might be hard to walk away from them, and both eventually will come with a hefty trust fund.

Holy hell he muttered again as he hated having to think of that. But Yvonne has made it clear she only sees money signs. Which made him have to rethink a lot in his life. "Speaking of my eventual demise. If something were to happen to me?" Max asked.

"Son, are you worried?" Phillip asked, slightly concerned.

Quick to reassure his father. Because it’s the last thing I need is for either of my parents to worry about my health. Which is something they have not had to do since they adopted me, he sighed, "No, I am not" Max said. I am lucky to still be living when you think about it, he sighed. Because I should be dead. "But I am getting older, and with the kids now, it safer to plan than to worry about the future yet do nothing about it. So, I do think I need to make some changes to the will that I had you draft up for me."

It is always better to be safer than sorry Phillip knew. "You and Edie had them drafted after the twins were born?" Phillip asked as he bent to his personal drawer at the bottom of his desk drawer, and entered the code, and brought out the will and testament assigned to his son. His daughter had her own, in another file. Apparently close calls when they were younger made want to have something on paper, not that they really ever told Diane or me of those close calls he muttered to himself of the secrets his children had kept from his wife and himself. "Although you made slight changes after you married Yvonne," he said as he flipped through the document as he familiarized himself with it once more.

"Yes, before she became sick" Max sighed of the decision that he and his first wife made once they became parents, to get something down on paper so they could protect their children. Especially since Edie had financial reasons to be wanting something official. Max had decided to have one done too, because as he had told his father, close calls when I was younger, he sighed, not that I have a tremendous amount of assets to protect for the kids, but maybe by the time I am officially declared to be dead, or ash for that matter, I will be worth something but now knowing that he was wishing to make some changes to his marital status. "But if I am going to be single, I am going to have to make changes. Because if anything were to happen before the divorce is final, because as you have indicated. It might become drawn out if Yvonne is going to fight about the prenuptial,” he sighed. “I am not going to pay more than what she deserves.” he muttered. “The prenuptial is already substantial enough” he mused, regretting that he had put the amount he had in the document. “Obviously, if she is looking for an increased payout. She is not going to give me a clean and easy out. So, unfortunately, it could be drawn out. And if I don't make the changes now, and we do eventually have our divorce finalized. She might still be entitled to something?"

"Whatever is in your will at the time of your death goes," Phillip agreed. "Unless there is a fight, But you can try to prevent it with legal language." Although it might not detour Yvonne, he thought of his daughter-in-law…

"Then I have ideas of some changes to make," Max muttered as he and his father batted back and forth the changes Phillip was to make, along with a petition of divorce he was planning to serve his wife.

"Currently, you have your sister as the twin's guardians, do you want to change that?" Phillip asked. "You know your mother and I could help out?"

"The thinking this would play out after you and Mom have unfortunately passed on," Max said softly with a frown because of the day he was not looking forward too because he already had to promise that if something were to his parents, that he would not do anything to prolong any potential suffering for his parents.

He had agreed.

Unfortunately, but regardless, one day it would happen. "And before the twins are old enough to care for themselves or before their trust funds kick in?"

Phillip nodded. "So, these changes?"

"Here's what I was thinking," Max was saying, unaware that there was slight opening in the door of Phillip's office.

And they unaware that there were ears listening.

*

Meanwhile,
Currently, and before...

There were ears listening, alright. Eventually three pairs of them. But it had not started out that way. Because initially Noah Michael Evans had been one to be suspicious of the need of his father to immediately go in to see his grandfather upon arriving at the house. The younger of the Evans twins saw the amusement on the face of his aunt and the glare between his father and his sister. And therefore, he knew something was up.

And because Noah Michael was always the more mischievous of the twosome. Clearly, he had inherited his father's need for adventure.

Although Max would not say he had that need for adventure. He was usually a lot calmer and even keel. But there were those moments, and he could not help himself, and Noah had inherited that need. Although his older sister, by three minutes also could give her brother a run for his money in that regard. But Noah could be described as wilder.

Which might be a cause for concern when he was older.

But for now, he was only eight, and it was harmless.

And after his aunt went to talk with his grandmother, and his sister Ella had gone up to her bedroom that they had when they stayed at their grandparents. He had set off and found himself a comfy spot to listen.

And boy did he find the conversation illuminating. Even if the almost nine-year-old would not be able to understand the stakes of it, and the grown-up talk. Because he tended to think of himself older than he truly was.

"What's you doing" came the voice of his slightly older sister. As he turned and spotted Ella. "You know Dad hates you eavesdropping."

"What he doesn't know, won't hurt him" Noah smiled. How can you not want to catch up on the gossip in our family? he would often tell himself, and his sister when she had previously asked. "You want to join in?"

So, Ella did as she often did. Join in. As she quickly realized what they were listening to. The state of their father's marriage. Of course, being as young as they were. Neither of them knew the nitty gritty of the unhappiness that existed in their father's life, and the reasons for it. But they knew enough to know that their father and Yvonne were not happy.

Especially Yvonne.

Certainly, Ella had gotten that message at the wedding. And of course, she had been amused by the notion that her stepmother was jealous of someone else. Being slightly older, she got a little more than her brother did. Three minutes can mean a lot she smiled. She got that her father was goo goo eyes at Ms. Parker.

She did not feel comfortable calling her by her name. Not yet. But she had inherited enough from her father's side of the family to get a sixth sense about people. So, she saw how unhappy her father was with her stepmother.

And her stepmother was not the happiest woman.

But she never was, Ella thought to herself. She and Noah saw it more than their father did at times. Although she was never cruel to them. She was never a wicked stepmother she thought. But she was never what she showed when our Dad was around either.

She got that their father was talking about divorce with their grandfather. Grandpa can help she smiled at the though that maybe soon they would not have to deal with their stepmother anymore...

"Okay, what are the two of you doing?" came an older voice. And they turned and spotted their aunt.

"We were curious," Noah said in their defence. "We wanted to know."

"I bet you did," Isabel Evans smiled at her niece and nephew. Fraternal twins by the nature of their birth gender, and because of their behaviour. They look nothing alike except for their moments of twins speak. Because Noah looked like a miniature Max. And Ella looked like her namesake. Except if you knew her birth mother than you would know that Ella looked exactly like her mother, Edie and not Isabel.

She got the kids wanted to be mischievous. They are only young once she thought with a smile. At the same time, she also felt a pang at the thought of the fact that she was not a mother. She was already divorced once and was a long-term friend with benefits with Kyle. She always imagined if she was still on this planet, that she would be a mother by now. But she was not, and she was keeping to a low serious relationship with Kyle. Neither of them had made it anything more than what it was.

Although she knew Kyle wanted it to be more serious. And that he also wanted to have children.

She did not know what her hang up was.

Maybe because she had run into a commitment with Jesse too fast, and now I am fearful of making the same mistake she sighed even though she and Kyle had been genuine friends for more than a decade and have been intimate for many years. So, it was not the same thing as she had found with Jesse.

Jesse did not get me.

Kyle gets me.

But it doesn't mean I want it to be something more than it is, Isabel thought. Or did it?

But in the meantime, she loved her niece and nephew. And she spoiled them. And because she was naturally curious about her brother. I am always poking my head into his life and she after all, had a special talent for it.

Even though she tried to restrain herself from using it against her brother, or his family. How I would have loved to have used it more regularly that sister-in-law of mine she muttered. But given Yvonne remained in the dark, I had to restrain myself she muttered.

Because her talents were a little more invasive to just checking in on those, she worried about… “Okay, you two, lets get you going” she muttered. “You don’t want your father to discover that you have been listening in on his private conversations?”

“You mean, you don’t want him to know you were?” Ella asked. “We are kids, we have more leeway.”

Smart ass Isabel smiled. You are right, but I am not going to say it. “Both things can be true, and wrong at the same time. Let’s go. Leave your father and granddad in peace,” she muttered as she carolled the children from the door.

Max and Phillip were too into their talk to hear the commotion.

“You think Dad and Yvonne are really going to get a divorce?” Noah asked of his aunt.

“It looks like it is a possibility, so, yes” Isabel murmured. Sure, she might be celebrating it deep inside her. But she had to deal with the fact these were only children. They are tender minds. So, she had to be circumspect about it. “Although I have not talked to your father about it. It will be your father who makes any decision on the fate of his marriage to your stepmother. I am sure he will come to us when he knows more. So, what do you two think about it, if he were to end things with your stepmother? Because she has been in your life a long time…” she sighed because the only redeeming quality of her sister-in-law was that she was somewhat decent with her niece and nephew. Many things could be said about Yvonne, but she had been good to the kids.

Sure, she might have been looking at what she could get out of the marriage and being good to Noah and Ella was the one thing that would keep things going because Max does love his children, Isabel sighed. As they are the only good things to come from his post Liz life she sighed.

Not that she had been a fan of Liz Parker. But he did love her…

But Liz had left Isabel so that was a strike. But Liz was a good person at the end of the day she sighed. I am not sure Yvonne can say the same thing.

“I guess it would be okay,” Ella murmured. “Because Daddy is unhappy all the time.”

Yes, he is Isabel knew. “Noah?”

“Yvonne is nice sometimes,” Noah mused. “But she can be mean to Dad too,” he allowed. “So, it’s not such a loss, I guess.”

“Is she mean to you two?” Isabel asked. It is not something we have asked before she sighed as she thought of what she had witnessed between Yvonne and her young stepchildren.

“No,” Noah shook his head.

“Ella?” Isabel asked. Because she knew Noah tended to sometime say things were better than they were. Much like my brother she sighed. Ella seemed to be more of a straight shooter. And she will tell it like it is. “Do you have the same opinion as your brother?”

Ella was quiet. So, Isabel did not know if her niece was going to answer or not. She is too scared to be mean to us Ella smiled at herself as she thought of the question her aunt had asked. She was three minutes older than Noah and often told herself that she was more worldly. Whether that was true or not, she said what was on her mind. She did not care about what it meant, and it shows Isabel thought of her nice. She did not know where the girl got it. Max was more introspective she thought. Which described her nephew to a tee. Ella is different she thought.

She knew that could pose its own set of problems when she was a teenager.

But like Noah’s penchant to lean towards being wild. Everything was tame for the moment.

But it would be something they would have to watch as they got older.

“Ella?” Isabel wondered.

“Yvonne has been okay with us” Ella smiled. “She knows that Daddy loves us, and therefore it would cause a problem with Daddy if she was not okay with us,” she said softly. Because she was not going to be get into the fact that she and Noah made sure they were protected from Yvonne wrath, being Daddy’s kids, we know we are special…

On many fronts she thought. Even though Max had not sat them down yet and had the talk with them.

The other talk.

One that comes with being the next generation. Given that they were the only next generation born so far within their group. Everything was a learning curve, and Max could only do so much, so far, because having people in the dark in the same house. Only so much could be said. And Max did not know exactly how special his children were. Because he knew from personal experience, that any knowledge of his own quirks had come later.

But his situation was different from his children.

Because he had not been born on this planet. I came later he sighed.

Ella and Noah were different. And he had not come to terms with it yet. So, it was not apparent yet to the Evans family that maybe they should have the other talk with the children so as Ella and Noah were coming into their abilities. They knew enough keep things to a minimum but still, he found it was easy to deploy some of them.

To keep their stepmother off their backs.

The way Ella was smirking made Isabel wonder. “Ella?” she asked. She had to wonder if she had to worry.

“Seriously Aunt Isabel, you don’t have to worry” Ella smiled. “All is fine on that front. We would say something if Yvonne was an evil witch to us,” she smiled. “Yvonne leaves us alone,” she said. “We would be sad of course if something did happen with her and Daddy, but we want Daddy to be happy. And it’s obvious, he’s not happy right now.”

“Okay, if you are sure” Isabel asked. And no, he’s not happy she sighed.

“We are sure,” both twins piped up. “You don’t have to worry about us.”

We shall see about that Isabel muttered. “At the end of the day, this a grown-up discussion to be had between your father and stepmother. So, we should leave it to them, to work it out among themselves,” she said. “They will figure something out.”

Hopefully they all thought. But Ella had her doubts, with talk of her stepmother wanting more money from her father. She had a bad feeling about it. Something is going to happen, and we are not going to be happy about it she sighed as she remembered her more recent nightmares that had her and Noah crying.

And Liz Parker despondent Ella thought.

Sometimes I hate my abilities she muttered. She had not wanted to talk about it because I would mean she and Noah would have to have that talk so it was easier to keep the adults in the dark about what they might have to worry about with the twins.

She did not want to have to think about whether they had to worry about their father. “Do you think Daddy will be happy if Yvonne goes?” she asked, as she walked off with her aunt. Away from the area of the office.

“Hopefully,” Isabel muttered, without thinking.

Well, okay the eight-year-old could not help but think. “But would Daddy’s friend, Liz Parker make him happy?” Ella asked, as she tried to get away from the negative fears rattling her brain.

Oh, Ella Isabel smiled at the inquisitive nature of her niece, when a dog is after a bone? “Maybe you should leave that to your father to figure out,” she muttered even though she had to wonder about the answer to the question. She did not know what the answer was, because Max and Liz had not been able to make it work before, and her brother had been broken hearted once before, when she failed to come back to Roswell she muttered.

So, she did not know the answer.

*

Neither did either of them. As Max left his father’s home office moments after Isabel had taken his children from the scene, with the promise from Phillip to draw up the documents and Max agreed to come by as soon as they were, to sign them. Walking out into the living room and encountering the rest of his family. He would not have known that his sister and children knew what was going on.

Because everyone was playing the oblivious game, playing as if everything was alright but for the children. They had a kids wonder to life, and so little made them happy, and Max spent the rest of the afternoon at his parent’s home. Leaving with the children right before dinner, denying his mother wish for them to stay for dinner.

Max only said he wanted to take the kids out for dinner. He figured that he needed to spend some time with them, so that he did not think of other things, or other people he thought. Sexy as she is he thought. Now that he had made some sort of decision about his marriage. I need to be careful he muttered. Dad is right. So, dinner with his kids was the answer.

Which is something Ella and Noah gladly accepted.

Leaving the house, and Diane shortly walked into the office held by her husband in the house. Unable to get a sense from her son, and sensing Isabel knew something but was tight lipped when she left herself after Max and the kids departed the scene, because of her own plans with Kyle. “What is going on with Max?” she immediately asked.

“Max is fine Diane,” Phillip sighed.

“I don’t believe you,” Diane muttered. “You certainly spent a lot of time in here before,” she muttered. “It was pretty suspicious, so what is going on?” she asked because she knew something definitely was going on with their son. Max rarely spends so much time here in the office. “The kids, and Isabel certainly noticed,” she muttered. “So, did I.”

Phillip knew Diane had a right to be concerned. She will always be concerned about Max he knew. Because their son tended to keep things to himself, unlike their daughter who could be more upfront. Max tends to keep everything inward, and Isabel will tell you how she is feeling “Everything will be fine Diane,” Phillip muttered. “We just had some matters to talk over.”

“What matters?” Diane asked.

“Legal matters,” was all Phillip was willing to say. “I was talking to him as a lawyer Diane, simple as that. When our son wants you to know what is going on, then he will let you know. I happen to be his lawyer, which is why he came to me” he murmured, “It is not all that complicated. So, you don’t have to worry.”

“I do worry” Diane sighed. “Our son has great capacity to hold things in, and I know something is up with him. Because it has been obvious for days now, even months” she sighed. “Is it because Liz Parker is back in town?” she wondered. Because she had seen the display between their son and his former girlfriend, because she and her husband had not been aware of the short engagement between the two. Because things had ended so quickly once they were back in town, it had caused whiplash for the parents.

It had not been a good time for their son, to come back to town and figure out how to move on without his girlfriend. And as a result, he would run into two unwise marriages she muttered even though I did like Edie she muttered. After all, she was the daughter of a good friend.
Because she had been friends with Edie’s stepmother. And that was how their kids had met. Things looked positive for their children, until the end came too quickly.

Barbara and Ken Franklin moved to East Coast to get away from the grief of losing Edie she thought. Because Ken had lost his first wife very early on, and then his daughter, and he could not stay in Roswell any longer.

Even though they had grandchildren. She knew Max was talking about the taking the kids out East for a visit.

She could not help but wonder if Liz’s return to town the reason for the sudden changes in their son’s life was.

“Are things over with Yvonne?” Diane asked.

“No,” was all Phillip said. Technically that is true he allowed. Nothing has been served yet. “Let Max come to us when it’s time for him to say something. It’s better if we keep what we know to our selves. Because the situation is truly unpredictable.”

“She’s going to fight it, isn’t she?” Diane asked. “She wants the children’s money?” she asked, because she and Phillip knew that the trust funds set up for the children were very significant, and Max did not use the money he inherited personally from his first wife, unless it was for the wellbeing of their children.

“I don’t know what she wants,” Phillip muttered, and that is true.

Because none of them knew what was going on in Yvonne’s head…

…or what was in play.

[totallizfan]

Drama...drama... Callie's story...Yvonne and the divorce (trouble)...Max's kids...Liz & Max.
And there's Maria...who usually wants all the details.
Looking forward to the next post.

[Parker1947]

And certainly, Liz Parker did not want to be thinking of Max’s wife. Because it would mean she would have to look at her part in how they had gotten to today, even if she did not know that Max had every intention of filing for divorce. She had gone for what felt good, it always felt good to be with Max she knew, and yet in a moment of weakness, she had fallen for her most basic urges or those urges that were always there when she looked in Max’s eyes and saw the man she loved.

Which is why I stayed away all these years she thought. Coming back to Roswell would mean I would see Max, and you know what would happen then she sighed because as often was the case when they were teenagers, and actually got the chance to be together, and that had not completely worked out for us she sighed, but when we were given the chance she knew, we could not keep our hands off each other.

Or stay away from each other.

Even when she had tried to walk away. She always went back.

And she often found herself doing things she would regret, but I don’t regret this she thought as she had brushed off memories of the night before, and the great passion we experienced she muttered to herself to have a lunch with Maria and Michael and celebrate their new marriage. The glow of the newlyweds made things all the brighter for her, even though it only made her lack of a romantic life even more apparent.

She had been very single the last decade. Since a short-lived engagement ended way too quickly. Thanks to me she knew. She could not blame Max because he wanted them to stay together, I needed it at the time. But once she had left. She had not allowed herself to find someone. She had always been able to hide in her schoolwork, or even being a mother once she took Callie into her home. Being a harried new mother was an easy diversion when schoolwork, and eventual jobs did not always fill the bill. It had allowed her to forget about her past.

Even if nothing really made her forget Max.

I was living in a fantasyland if I thought I had forgotten about him she knew.

Which is why she had come back to him, or Roswell. Because she liked the life she had found. And the person she had become. But she had become another persona so profoundly, she did not know which end was the right end. Which person was the person she was meant to be. Which is why she had given her vacation notice, and RSVP to her best friend’s wedding, and come back to her hometown.

Even if she would see the man she had given up.

Because by seeing him, it would tell her who she was, right?

But she had not counted on him moving on. Or her lack of restraint when it came to Max. I should have seen it as a teenager. But she was no longer a teenager. Hell no.

I am twenty-eight she thought of her latest birthday. I should be bigger than this.

But she was not. So, she had fallen to those basic urges, and she did not regret it.

Because Max is mine, she muttered. He loved me. He wants me.

I am the one who walked away, and who told him to move on.

To find a new life.

Without me.

So, she supposed what she had done since coming to town showed her what she truly wanted. But it was not that easy. Because there were consequences. I just don’t what they are right now, but she knew they would come.

Because they had certainly come back when she was a teenager, and for the greater cause, she had given up the boy she loved. For something bigger than herself. So, she could look at herself in the mirror and know what she did, was for the best because she had known Max would not have been able to live without Isabel and Michael in his life. If they died way too early.

She was paid back for that decision in having to watch as the boy she loved fell by the charms of another and became a father by the other girl.

She had always wanted to be the one who had Max’s child.

When I dreamed of that and given the circumstances. Having that dream was a little farfetched she thought. But I did dream about it.

Occasionally.

And then have to watch as it would happen with someone else, she muttered. Even if Max would eventually give the child up for adoption. But it meant her dreams would have to in a different ways.

“Liz?” came a voice of someone she loved.

She turned as spotted her mother. Someone who had found herself in a similar predicament. Even if she would never know it for many years.

After she had said good-bye to Maria and Michael, she had found herself up here in the apartment. Callie had come up for a short time before she found herself going back down to the restaurant and watched as her grandfather dealt with the slowing afternoon rush. Jeff and his daughter had yet to have their talk. But Liz had promised to stay for dinner with her parents. Because she had not spent much time, or none at all since arriving back in town.

She felt she owed it to her parents, and to Callie.

She had been so preoccupied by her selfish desires.

Even if had not spent enough time on her selfish desires until now.

“Yes Mom?” Liz murmured. “Sorry, if you were trying to say something” she said softly. “My head was somewhere else.”

Clearly.

And it was not like Nancy Parker did not know this, and she could not help but smile, a reassuring smile at her daughter. “With Max?” Nancy Parker could not help but ask.

Oh, Mom Liz thought. How right you are she muttered to herself. “Mom, I would not rather talk about Max” Liz said. “Because that is the past.”

“Is it?” Nancy asked. “Because I saw you, honey,” she sighed. “Last night,” she muttered. I am not talking about when you were eighteen, she muttered to herself. It was very apparent last night she mused. “You and Max did not seem to be in the past last night,” she sighed as she knew the whole town practically, or whoever was at the wedding because she knew Maria and Michael had tried to keep it, to a smaller affair, than it could have been. But it was pretty blatant the way her daughter and Max had spent a significant time together the previous night.

And their interaction was not so simple Nancy knew.

Because of the past.

How can it be? Nancy asked herself. After all they went through together, good, and bad she knew. She might not have approved at the time. For good reason because she saw the changes her daughter was going through, and not all of the changes were welcome. And they were not easy to see as they grew up, and things escalated. So, yes, she and Jeff had disapproved at one time. But their daughter was no longer eighteen so she could not have a direct hand in her daughter’s relationships, but I can have an opinion she knew. Although she did not know what to think.

She knew the history, or what was fit to tell by her daughter to tell me and Jeff she muttered because she knew there was so much that was not told to us, she sighed. But the frustrations of those days and seeing their daughter so close to messing up her future was defused by the ultimate decision of her daughter to leave town. Although there was those missing six weeks, she knew of the time her daughter vanished from town. And there was a whole confusing chapter that involved the federal government but that ended as quickly as it started and kept under wraps with a quick payout to her daughter.

It is all so confusing she thought of what she and her husband did not know.

But now was a different time, and she could see the bond that existed between her daughter and Max Evans. 10 years has not changed much she thought. But… “Because honey…” she said softly.

“Mom,” Liz said softly. “If you are going to say I am an adult now, and I should mine the consequences of my actions or that Max is married, and I should be careful with how I conduct my private life?” she asked. “Which is basically the same thing?”

And Nancy smiled, “Yes, you are right, you are an adult now. Therefore, whatever your father and I might think of your relationships. They are up to you to handle because we might have an opinion but that is all we can have. An opinion. Because it is you who will have to deal with what comes of them, or the emotions. But honey...” she murmured once more.

“Max is married,” Liz muttered, more for me than for my mother. “You don’t have to remind me.”

Because it was something she had to constantly reminding herself of, because of her behavior since coming to town. It was not like she could escape it. When it not something you can hide, she thought, not when this town is so small, and if you know the players as well as you do.

“Yes, he is” Nancy said. Even it was not her place to judge because it was not like she could have a sense of Max and his wife’s marriage. Because she and Jeff had not really had any contact with Max’s second wife, Yvonne. Because if Max came into the restaurant and he is known too with those kids of his she thought of the cute little children he had. And how happy they were to come into the Crashdown on occasion, and have the burgers, and gorge on the ice cream floats, milkshakes. And whatever sweets there were. She could see how much Max adored his children. But rarely did Yvonne come in with them.

Except for the other night, and Max was not there Nancy thought of the night of Ella’s ballet recital. And how Max had gone back to work, instead of coming to the Crashdown to treat Ella.

“Mom, I know he is” Liz said softly. “So, you and Dad don’t have to remind me of that fact,” she muttered out loud once more, for effect. “I know he’s married…” it’s very apparent, and the fact he is wearing a wedding ring.

A ring she could not ignore. Even when she wanted too, and for many hours the previous night, she had been able too.

But it was a new day.

Which meant she had no idea what was going to happen now…

“Yes, he is, so what does that mean for you?” Nancy asked, because she had seen her daughter and Max the night before.

The whole town practically did. And therefore, Nancy was aware of how messy it was, and she did not want her daughter to be the one who got the short stick in all this. Becoming involved in failing marriage is very tricky business she sighed as she looked at the conflict in her daughter’s eyes. Like her husband before her, she never imagined the day when she thought of the possibly of her daughter being the other woman and just thinking of it, did get her the willies. She knew how the situation looked, but she also knew the bond between her daughter and her former beau. A bond that made imaging the next steps very tricky.

“I have no idea,” Liz muttered. “There was a reason I did not come back. And that was before I even knew he had moved on…”

Why could he not have stayed in suspended motion, waiting for me to come back to him Liz selfishly thought. I know I am being selfish thinking I can walk away and stay away for a decade, and he would not move on.

“Your father and I figured that was indeed one of the chief reasons why you had stayed away” Nancy said softly. “Because it did not take a genius to figure that out,” she sighed. After all, it was pretty easy to see why their child was not coming back to her hometown to see them. She was staying away for more than us, it was not about us at all. It was about Max Evans she thought of daughter’s old boyfriend. “Which is why we were not fighting for you to come home and visit us sweetie. Because we could see that he had moved on, and because we knew some of what went down during those days. So, we know that it was not easy for you,” he said with a sigh. “But we want you to be happy honey. You might have accomplished a lot in your career so far, but your personal life has been a little barren.”

“Barren?” Liz said with a smile.

“Can you tell me your love life was not some desert wasteland,” Nancy asked to a laugh coming from her daughter, which was something Nancy wanted to see. “You never talked about anyone you might have dated?”

Because there has been no one Liz knew. No one.

“I was a little busy Mom” Liz said softly. “It did not leave me a lot of time for a love life,” she sighed. “Callie was and is a lot of work,” she smiled. “And I did not pick any ordinary job,” she said. “It requires a lot of commitment, and it has not allowed me a lot of time for a personal life, and the little time I have had, is time I spend with Callie.”

“Callie, I know” Nancy sighed.

“Sorry Mom,” Liz winced.

“I have made peace with it,” Nancy said softly. I have. “Your father is a good man. And he did not know…” she said softly. “He would have done something if he knew, and I certainly knew going in, that your father had a past, and to some people, it would have been hard to accept how he was trying to move on, and to make peace with what happened, and there would have been a fight. Your father did pay for his mistakes, and he regrets them, and wishes that they had not happened.”

Liz nodded. We all have regrets, and certainly I have them…

But not when it involves Max.

“Which is why he did not want to see you go down a similar road,” Nancy said softly. “He saw you revisiting some of those moments in his life, even if you were going at it by in different ways. It made him react.”

“More than react Mom,” Liz muttered at her father attempt to be an overprotective father. “I am not saying he did not have a reason too” she muttered because as she got away from that time in her life, more than a decade now she thought. She could see that her parents had a legitimate reason to fear for her, I could have gone in any direction there she knew, I am very lucky to have not spent significant time in prison she knew.

She got that her father feared for her.

She probably would have done the same if her own child had done what she had done. But it did not mean she liked that her father was getting on Max’s case. And forbidding her from seeing him. It probably escalated our actions she wondered in not being able to spend time together. It made us sneak around until Dad wanted to send me away…

Although by the time she actually did go away, it was my choice she muttered.

Another way of running away. Walking away when she could have had everything, she wanted she thought. But by going away to boarding school almost lost me Max she knew, of change in their fortunes that had led to some truly miraculous moments when she should have lost Max from this world, and yet I got him back.

And then I left him she muttered as she was in a world of her own.

As her mother was fighting to bring her back to reality. “We thought it was the only way to save you” Nancy murmured. Even though she knew she had not always agreed with her husband’s approach, and she foreseen exactly what would happen. Our daughter would rebel and by doing that, it almost took her away from us she thought.

But we got lucky Nancy knew. “What you were doing was reckless,” she would mutter. And the same could be said about now she knew, but she knew she could not say anything about her daughter’s actions today. Because I cannot do anything about it at the end of the day she sighed. But she did wish her daughter would think about the pain that comes with going there she thought.

“I admit back then was a live wire, as we were constantly on one” Liz agreed of her previous life here in Roswell. “Everything was completely over the top, and adrenaline fueled,” she sighed because as she told Max, the withdrawal was brutal she muttered, to come down from all I experienced.

“So, why would you want to go through it again?” Nancy asked as she gave her daughter a concerning look.

Oh, Mom Liz thought. Because the answer was a simple one. Because it’s Max Liz knew, but she knew what it would mean to say those words. “Mom, I understand what it all means. I’m not blind in any of this. Because I am going into whatever happens with my eyes fully open,” she sighed. “Because of the past,” she allowed. “I know I am creating a mess, and I don’t know what is going to happen,” she sighed and knew that was truth. “I came back for Maria’s wedding. Because I could not miss it. But I also came back because I needed to do some accessing…”

“Accessing, what does that mean?” Nancy asked, “We thought you were happy with your life?”

“I love my job,” Liz said. “Okay, some days are better than others but that is the nature of the beast in any job, but my field is a little more temperamental. Because everything has to be so exact, and precise. But I do love coming up with new breakthroughs and figuring the processes of how to get there and most of the time I am fulfilled. But as you did say, my personal life is a little on the undesired side of things, and even though I have Callie to go home to at the end of the day, so I am not going home to an empty house at night, but if I am being honest. I have spent so much time trying to forget my life here in Roswell...”

“Why would you want to forget your life here?” Nancy asked.

“Because I needed convince myself I did not make a mistake in leaving Max, and Roswell” Liz said. She knew what she had told Max, and she was convinced that it was the truth, I needed to get away she sighed. That is the truth but… “You can say that I turned myself into something completely different than who I was, and therefore, I don’t know who I am right now. So, I need a little time to figure that out,” she sighed. “Because I need to know if I am Liz Parker of my teenage years, or the Elizabeth Parker I became in my professional life, and if I can merge the two, if that is what I even want to do?” Do I pick a side of myself and become that person completely.

And change my life.

Which means that I need to pick a side and stand by it she would mutter to herself as her mother could only look at her only child with confusion.

“Why would you want to be someone other than who you are?” Nancy wondered. Oh, honey she thought because it was not like she knew the issues at play here, and why Liz was having problems with the dualities of her life. I might get some of it, but I can see there is so much I am not up on she would think.

Liz could only sigh as she looked at her mother. If Mom is confused, imagined what it is like to be me she mused. “Because as a teenager, I was someone so different than who I am now. Back when I left this town. I could have had a much different future. I could have married Max. We could have stayed here and had a life together. Or he could have come with me. Because he wanted that. He wanted to come with me. But I chose to say no, Mom, I chose to return the ring. To leave him; I chose to go for the unknown. Now, I don’t regret that I did choose that route, because I needed to know what was out there. Because so much happened back then, and I needed a break from it. Even though I loved Max, I needed a break from it. I needed to see the outside of this town. And not come back because I almost lost the man I loved,” she sighed, and she could see that her mother was confused, and she got that because she knew her parents did not know what had happened in Vermont. Or the real reason I came back after only two weeks at boarding school she sighed. So, she knew her mother had a reason to be looking confused. “Long story,” she mumbled, and Nancy nodded. “Yeah, one of those things I cannot tell you” she sighed, not because after all this time her parents should not know what Max died and came back via a possession of a wealthy mad man, but it was just too confusing. “But now, I am coming to some realizations that maybe my life was better for having Max in it, and I gave back the ring Mom. And I walked away from him.”

“What?” Nancy asked.

“You heard me. We were engaged” Liz said softly. “And I broke his heart when I returned the ring.” Or the diamond. Even if he allowed me to keep it, still the symbolism was there…

“What?” came the surprise voice of someone else into the conversation as she and Nancy turned and saw her father, and Callie coming to join them. “You were engaged to Max?”

“Yes,” Liz said softly. “He asked me, before we left Roswell,” she sighed. “But upon our I return. I gave back the ring when we came back to town, you know after everything that went down,” she said softly because Callie was too young to hear the warts of her brush with the federal government. “But the essence of it all is that I am the one who forced him to move with life, and now he has, and I have come to a lot of realizations. And I don’t necessarily like those realizations…” she muttered.

“Oh Lizzie,” Jeff said softly.

“What are you going to do?” Nany asked.

“I have no idea,” Liz said. “I left town. Max moved on. He’s married. Whether I want him or not. He is committed to his wife and children,” she muttered. Almost forgetting for a moment about their night together, the previous night, and how much he had expressed his true feelings. I know they are his true feelings she muttered to herself. And she had no way of knowing what was going on now, or some of the decisions Max was making…

She was in the dark.

In so many ways.

She did not know what she wanted. Even if she desired Max. But I don’t want him to screw up his life for me she thought.

I am not supposed to be the other woman she thought.

But was she? Because she had been in that position before, even though he found me first when she thought of the mess with Tess, but now she was in that position in her adult life where Max was truly committed to another woman, and there was a lot of pain involved because she was not the one who was with Max.

She was not on the marriage certificate.

*

Meanwhile,
Across town,

“Your friend should be on the lookout,” came the warning Sean Deluca as he showed up at the Guerin household. The newlywed glow that Maria and Michael were sharing was shattered by the unwanted intrusion of Maria’s cousin’s arrival. An arrival neither wanted, and Deluca was proving to be hard to get rid of.

We should have tried to get a flight today Maria muttered as she looked at her new husband. But the flights were expensive, and Maria knowing she probably would not see her best friend before the wedding because Liz would be getting in at the last possible moment, I know she was staying away until she could not anymore Maria smiled inwardly. So, she was holding out hope she could spend a little time before she and Michael headed off on their beach honeymoon. Because Maria wanted some place warm. Even though we live in a warm climate most of the time she smiled at the New Mexico weather conditions.

Still, it was about getting away from Roswell, and our lives she thought, and they did not want to pay the insane prices, so a Monday departure was better off, but now she was doubting their choices. “I don’t need you here. You came for the wedding, so why aren’t you heading home?”

“Trying to kick me out, are you?” Sean asked.

“I am trying to spend some time with my husband,” Maria said with a smile at her Space Boy. A word they had not been able to say officially until now. We might have been common law since we lived together, so we were legally on the hook if we ended things, but husband was not something I could say.

Unless she was trying to ward off a suitor at her bar. Because when people drink. They say things they don’t normally say.

So, being in a long-committed relationship was wonders when you are a female owning a male driven business.

“It’s not like you were living with Aunt Amy until you got married. You have had plenty of time with Michael,” Sean smiled. “Seriously, do you really think I would come over here without a good reason too?” he asked. “I am not on a suicide mission, but I have some qualms about your friend.”

“Which friend?” Maria snarked. “I have quite a few.”

“You know who I mean,” Sean smirked at the interplay that his cousin was doing. “Because it is not like you branched out much since you met Guerin here. Because you have kept your circle pretty small.”

For good reason both Maria and Michael would think. Out of necessity. Even though they had done their own thing for the last decade since coming back to town, after the misadventure with the government. Which had led to pay out for a lot of them. Even me Maria knew. I might be normal, but I had my life affected by their hunt she thought of the payout that had come to all of them. More to Max, Michael, Isabel, and Liz but she and Kyle had gotten something out of it. Which is why eventually she could use the money to buy Cow Patties when it came up for sale. She had let it sit and accumulate until it became a good sum. And she gone for what could still give her dream, to sing on occasion and do it by my own terms she thought.

I would have my Space boy, and a career at the same time.

“So, you know who I am talking about” Sean muttered.

“Say I do, humor me then and hurry up with whatever you are going to because I want to spend some alone time with my husband. Because it does not matter if yesterday was a formality Sean, we are on our honeymoon.” Maria muttered with a glare at her cousin. “You are seriously interrupting. Once you are done, then head to the airport and leave New Mexico why don’t you?” she sighed. “Because I am sure someone is missing wherever you do live” she muttered because she had no idea what kind of life her cousin may be living, wherever he did live.

“I think I will stick around a few more days” Sean said with a smirk. “Why do you even care, because it’s not like the two of you will be here” he said with a laugh at the glare coming from his cousin, and from her new husband. “Even if it might be wise if you do stay around.”

“Stuff it, Deluca,” Michael muttered. “My wife is right, say whatever is on your mind and then leave us alone” he asked because he did not know if they could trust Deluca. Because history had showed that they had no history with him, because his stay was so brief the first time he knew. All Michael knew was his bride did not care for her cousin, and they seemed to get off on snarking at each other.

“I was meaning that I have serious qualms about that wife of Evans” Sean sighed.

“How is it any business of yours?” Maria muttered We all have had our qualms about Yvonne she knew, but one would not want to admit it. Especially to Max she sighed.

“I care about Liz,” Sean muttered.

“Sean,” Maria muttered. “Stay away from Liz, I am warning you…” she sighed. The last thing Liz needs is more drama.

“What will you do if I should go near her?” Sean asked with a smirk. “Because your friend is a big girl. After all, she is her own person Maria, so you don’t need to tell me what I can do or not do” he sighed. “Regardless, as I have said before, I am not on some suicide mission. I know she’s not interested in me. So, why would I want to do that to myself,” he allowed. “Sure, I wish it was different, but it is not, so I am not on some mission to hurt myself because I am not who I am in my past” he muttered. So, stop judging me by my past. “I am trying to be a friend for her, even if we technically have not run into each other yet,” he said with smile. “She has been busy with Evans,” he muttered of the one who his former crush had her eyes on. Max Evans. “So, believe me when I tell you that Yvonne Evans is trouble,” he sighed. “And that your friend better watch out,” he said as he came back to his original statement. “Because I suspect she’s up to something…”

“How would you know anything about it?” Michael muttered as he bristled. Because he was not about to humor his wife’s cousin, but by invoking his friend. Well, I do have to pay attention he muttered. Max might have abdicated his role as King, and the leader of our group. But to his very being, Michael always was a soldier of the group. And a protector if it came to it, and he had to pay attention even if he did not want to humor Sean Deluca of all people.

“Because I make it my business,” Sean allowed. “Given Evans’ antics last night, I got a wee curious.”

“Take your curiosity and leave Max and Liz alone,” Maria warned. “Because I am serious Sean,” she murmured at her cousin. “It’s none of your business. It’s none of my business. It’s none of any of our business how they conduct their lives,” she sighed. “I might have egged things on, I admit it” she said as she looked at her new husband who only nodded. “But at the end of the day, it is none of our business” she sighed. “Leave Yvonne alone,” she advised. “Let Max deal with his wife.”

“I would,” Sean sighed. “But the way Max is playing with fire. He and Liz have not had to deal with someone like Yvonne.”

“How would you know that?” Michael asked. I can think of a time where Max and Liz did have to deal with someone like Yvonne in our past, he muttered. Max’s royal bride he muttered at the traitorous blonde. “And really, how do you know that Yvonne is not simply pissed that her husband is spending time with his ex-girlfriend?” Michael asked, as he looked at Maria and knew his wife had egged things on the night before, and it was recipe for disaster. You did not have to be a genius to know this he sighed.

And he definitely knew it could lead to anything. But he was in the glow of his wedding, and he did not want to believe it will lead to something. “My wife is correct. At the end of the day. Max’s marriage is his own. What he chooses to do is none of our business, but of course, it might be our business sure, because we are a big family together,” he sighed, you don’t have to be blood to be family he knew. “But you are not part of it, nor are you a part of our group, so why do we have to listen to you?” he muttered as he looked at his new wife. Yeah, why do we have to listen to your cousin.

Maria smiled.

“Well, that hurts,” Sean muttered with a playful jab at his cousin’s husband, but the three of them knew that Sean was not that hurting over the fact he was not considered a part of the group. The group was small and did not welcome newcomers.

And none had applied for admission in more then a decade when things went badly for them, because of who they had lost from their group. Therefore, they did not interest in their group kindly and kept their interaction informal. Spouses were not brought in. They knew Edie might have come in at some point, but she died too early.

And Yvonne was giant no.

And that had hurt her marriage to Max. And neither Maria nor her new husband cared about that fact because they had not liked Yvonne. Or that she was not a part of their inner sanctum.

“I don’t think you are hurting that much” Maria muttered.

“You are right about that,” Sean smiled. “I am not exactly hurting that I was not welcomed into whatever group you are part of it,” he muttered at his cousin. “But you two have to believe me. Because maybe the fact that you are a small group makes you blind to the realities of trouble brewing. You are not seeing it. Because seriously Maria,” Sean said. “Max better be careful because I suspect his wife is going to cause trouble.”

“What can she do?” Maria muttered. “They have a bad marriage,” Maria muttered. “And after last night in particular, she’s not a happy woman.”

“Exactly,” Sean sighed. “Last night did not help matters, and probably only added ammunition to the fire they are starting because I don’t think this will be a simple as a betrayed wife going all hellfire on her husband for spending a little too much time with an ex-girlfriend,” he sighed. “Or whatever they did afterwards…”

“Deluca watch it,” Michael warned.

“I don’t care what they did, but I care if Liz gets burned,” Sean said. “She was a good friend to me. We did not work out. I wish things were different, but she told me the truth, and she walked away. She did not string me on,” he allowed. “Therefore, when I see a spark start, I want to get her out of the way so believe me when I tell you that Yvonne is not going to be a simple woman to erase from Max’s life.”

“We all know that…” Michael muttered. None of us thinks it going to be that easy he sighed.

“Then your friend better see that,” Sean sighed. “Because Yvonne is planning some kind of disruption.”

“What could see do?” Maria muttered once more. “Max is not exactly powerless you know,” she said even though she could not dwell on why her friend was not exactly powerless, but Sean was not seeing it. Even if he had seen stuff over his time in town to question the little society that his cousin had now married herself into… “Max knows who his wife is.”

“Does he?” Sean asked.

Maybe not.

Well, Max was just beginning to figure that out. But the others would not know it. And Maria and Maria winced and forced into defense. “Leave it alone Sean” Michael advised. “We can handle it.”

“You are leaving town,” Sean sighed.

“We are going on our honeymoon. Max’s bad marriage can wait,” Maria muttered as she was looking at the chance of getting out of Roswell and going someplace warm, and away from all this madness.

“Can it?” Sean asked.

“If you know something say it or leave us alone” Michael grunted. “We don’t want you here.”

“That is obvious,” Sean smiled. “Look, I did a little following of your friend’s wife” he sighed at the frown that came from his cousin and her husband. “After she left the hotel last night, after your wedding. I happened to follow her…”

“What the hell” Maria muttered. “Why would you do that?”

“Maybe I wanted to pick her up and pay Evans back for my inability to sweep Liz off her feet by being a changed man,” Sean murmured, annoying his cousin all the more. Which of course amused him.

“I doubt you are a changed man” Maria sighed.

“You don’t why kind of man I am” Sean batted back. “But seriously, I did not how she looked yesterday with what her husband was doing. Now, I would sympathize with the woman because no woman wants to witness what she had to witness, but I had a chance to talk to her, and I didn’t like what she was thinking” he muttered. “We all know what she was thinking,” he allowed as he looked at Michael, who winced because he also had a chance to talk to his best friend’s wife. And did not like what she was thinking either, but I am not trying to worry about it. Because Max can handle his own marriage.

Which is exactly what he told me Michael thought as he tried not to think trouble was in the offering.

“I followed her to a dusty dark garage, and she met up with some strange man” Sean mused.

“So what?” Maria asked. “If she’s cheating, then that is all the better if Max wants a divorce” she muttered. But I know it would be too easy.

“She was not exchanging sexual favors,” Sean muttered. “She was handing over a wad of cash in an envelope” he said bluntly. “She immediately left. Which tells me, something is up.”

“That could mean anything” Michael grumbled.

“Maybe, but the vibe I get off here is anything but…” Sean said. “So, I am thinking I am going to stick around for a few days at least and see what goes on.”

“Stay out of it, Sean,” Maria warned. “Don’t make trouble.”

“I am a choir boy now cuz,” Sean smiled. “You can trust me. My first motivation is to make sure nothing happens. If only for Liz’s sake. If you want to have your honeymoon without trouble developing, or the need to come home early. Then I will keep watch. I promise, I won’t do anything about it unless it’s called for…” he sighed, “And I will call you if I do.”

Shit Maria muttered.

Again, what can Yvonne possibly do? Maria privately muttered to herself once more. Because she knew Max’s wife was trouble, but there was only so much a human could do when you are married to an alien.

And oblivious alien who does not know his wife’s true nature, Maria conceded.

Although Max was becoming more aware. Which was something Maria would not know.

Do I even want to know Maria wondered.

“Go, have your honeymoon and leave it to me” Sean suggested.

Which was what Maria was afraid of…

[totallizfan]

Good....Sean is looking out for Liz.
Who will Yvonne take revenge on...Max or Liz?
Still waiting for Callie's story.

[Superman86]

Good....Sean is looking out for Liz.
Who will Yvonne take revenge on...Max or Liz?
Still waiting for Callie's story.

My thoughts exactly!

[Parker1947]

Meanwhile,
The Crashdown Café,

Liz was not thinking of what Max’s wife was capable of, and for once Max was not on the top of her mind because she was talking to her father while her mother Nancy had taken Callie down to the restaurant to get some ice cream. Liz knew it was to give father and daughter some privacy. Dinner had progressed and the revelation of the past was long gone but something else within their families past had come up, and Liz was now having to deal with it. “You don’t have to worry Dad. I knew that she knew” she said simply as she looked at the confusion on her father’s face. As they dealt with the topic that both of them were dreading but knew it should not take place when the child was in the room.

And the sensitivities of the matter made it also easier not to have her mother in the room even though Nancy had told her daughter she was fine with it now, and Liz almost believed her. She wanted to believe the years had allowed her mother to come to terms with the past. Which is the same thing for me she knew. More than a decade had past since her own teenage drama, and she had come to terms with a lot.

But she knew she had not come to terms with everything. Which is why coming back to Roswell had been a revelation so far. And had brought her down a path that was leading her in unexpected avenues but this discussion with her father was something that was expected. She knew it was coming.

Even if they wanted to ignore the larger implications of it. “Dad, I know.”

“You do?” Jeff asked surprised. “She did not seem as if you knew?” he asked of his daughter of the topic of the moment. About how Callie came into this family, or more importantly became his daughter’s child.

“She does not know I know,” Liz muttered. “But at home I have wonderful security,” she smiled. “Surveillance all over the place, so I know she was doing some digging and hit on the truth of the matter.”

“Why would you have surveillance?” Jeff asked. Maybe it should not be a surprise he thought, and he reworked his thoughts, “But then, I guess, you don’t have to tell me,” he would mutter of the unspoken nature of some secrets.

“Yes, you would figure right” Liz said. “Because the past has definitely taught me that I have to keep my secrets well guarded and well, secret. Especially since I was not in Roswell. Although I did not expect that my eight-year-old would go snooping into my private belongings,” she said with a smile. Although I guess it should be expected one of these days, she muttered to herself, but she was hoping for a longer grace period. “I guess she did not want to do her homework one day and went snooping. And the babysitter was watching television. But I know Dad that Callie does know but I have not wanted to deal with it. And I did not really have the time to deal with it because I was busy at work, and that is the truth. And then we had to come here, so we have not had the conversation about you know…” even though she knew the long drive ride could have been the right vehicle, but she had not wanted to broach it.

“Yes, I know” Jeff sighed. “Honey, I do appreciate all you did for this family.”

“We are family Dad, that is what you do for family” Liz murmured. “We could not have Callie out there in foster care,” she sighed. “And I know it would be easier for you and Mom if she came to live with me.”

“Your Mom is very accepting of it honey,” Jeff said. “She knew who I was when we married. And it’s not like I knew because I did not, because I did not know until it was too late.”

Liz sighed of the nasty business of secrets. They catch up to you. “They kept it a secret from you,” she sighed of the discovery that had rocked the family not long after she had left town. She had spent the first couple of years being an ordinary college student before the family was rocked…and I became a mother.

Suddenly, and instantly.

She thought of the day when her life changed. Not like her life had not already been changed. But until it did with the arrival of her daughter, she had been allowed to find a new part of herself and was able to be normal for once she thought. She did not have to think of what was hiding under the surface.

Long dormant, but not completely forgotten.

Even today she could not even forget it. Even though she was very different than others in her past. “You can accept that?” she asked of her father on what he had not known.

“Yes,” Jeff nodded. “Because I was a different person back then, and I did not like who I was. There were a lot of reasons for it, and it’s not the right time for that kind of discussion right now,” he said softly. Because if given the chance, he knew a shrink would criticize his mother’s parenting, it allowed me to go wild when she was not being a parent as he thought of his mother’s quest to write about the different findings, she was finding out there…

Which is why Nancy, and I wanted to give Lizzie a different life he thought, and we did he knew. “I am forever sorry for what I did, and my part in it so I cannot blame them for keeping me from the truth,” he muttered. “I was so inside myself; I did not even realize it at the time” he muttered. “So, I do appreciate when we became aware of what happened that you stepped up because you did not have too, because I know what it had to have meant for you. To become a parent when the child was not yours.”

I had good experience at that she thought even though she knew the first attempt at it, did not actually happen she muttered. But the worry that if I had stayed with Max and he had wanted to raise his son. What that would have meant for us she sighed; I still do not know what it would have meant.

But she had not have to make that decision about whether she was going to stay with Max because he chose to give the baby away. She knew it was a gut-wrenching decision for her former boyfriend. But it had given them a new chance.

One that they had taken, until she had walked away.

“Honey,” Jeff murmured.

“Dad, I am fine” Liz murmured. “My mind is somewhere else.”

“Or with someone else?” Jeff muttered.

“Enough of that,” Liz sighed. Because I definitely do not want to be talking about that either. “Let us get back to our original topic. I know that Callie knows at least some of her history. She does not know what it all means, but she knows who her biological parents were. At least their names.”

Jeff nodded. “What are you going to tell her?”

“I have no idea,” Liz sighed. “Probably her age is a saving grace,” she acknowledged. “There is only so much she is going to understand. But she’s a smart girl.”

“Just like her aunt.” Jeff sighed. “Excuse me, her mother.”

“We can tell her everything if you want to have that discussion with an eight-year-old,” Liz murmured. “Eight years old, last month” she thought. She acts older than her actual age she acknowledged to herself.

“We can wait,” Jeff smiled.

“I know, I hate those kind of talks too” Liz smiled as Nancy and Callie came into the room. “One day we will have but right now, we have to get going,” she said finally to Callie. “Thank you for dinner. I do know you have the dinner rush to look after,” she said of the restaurant downstairs that was still being run.

“You can stay as long as you want honey,” Nancy asked.

“I think we better get back to Michael and Maria’s” she said softly. “The last few nights have been a late one, so we probably need to get some proper sleep,” she said without having too just why the last few nights have been very late endeavors. “Even though they are supposed to be honeymooning, it will be a chance to see them before they head off to the airport early in the morning.”

Jeff nodded. “We are here if you need to talk. How long do you plan on staying?”

“I really have no idea,” Liz said. “I have the next week blocked off, and we are staying at Maria and Michael’s to keep an eye on their place while they are gone. When they are back, I have to make some decisions” she said softly. “Callie still has a few weeks before her first camp session begins,” she said of the multiple sessions she had picked out for the girl over the summer.

“Stay as long as you want” Jeff advised.

“Thank you, Dad,” Liz murmured. “We love you both,” she said as she hugged her parents. “I am glad we have got a chance to see each other” she said softly. “The last few days have been one thing after another.”

“They have,” Jeff said softly as they walked Liz and Callie to the day. “Stay safe, okay.”

“We will be fine Dad,” Liz promised. “Talk to you tomorrow” she said as she and Callie headed for the exit. With the plan to walk the several blocks to the Guerin home. With being in a small town, you did not really need a car. Not yet she thought, which is just fine she thought. Because the car in the shop she thought.

Another reason we are not leaving this anytime soon Liz muttered to herself. As upstairs in the apartment, Jeff and Nancy closed the door. “Are you sure it’s wise to encourage that she stays here in Roswell?” Nancy asked of her husband. “I love our daughter…”

“I know you do” Jeff smiled. “We don’t see her enough…”

“No, we don’t,” Nancy sighed. “And there is a good reason for that Jeff isn’t there?” she muttered. “She’s only been here slightly south of 48 hours, and she has gotten over her head?”

“She’s a big girl Nancy” Jeff muttered. “Lizzie can handle herself.”

“Can she?” Nancy asked.

“She’s a strong one, our girl” Jeff muttered. “I think she can handle herself. We don’t have to worry about her…”

“I think we do” Nancy muttered. “She and Max are mixing up again, and he’s married Jeff. That is a recipe for a disaster in the making” she sighed. “We should not be encouraging that by asking her to stay longer.”

“She’s not eighteen. We cannot make her decisions for her” Jeff reminded his wife. “As much as we would love too. I learned the hard way when we did have more control over” he sighed. “She’s an adult, and she and Max will figure it out.”

“I hope so” Nancy muttered. “But I afraid they won’t have a chance. Max is married Jeff” she sighed.

“I know,” Jeff muttered. Repeating it won’t make it any less true he muttered. Unfortunately, he thought, and wished that his daughter could have an easier time with it. We love who we love he would think. It’s impossible to change that…

“And the little I do know of the situation means that his wife is not going to be happy. After last night’s display…” Nancy said softly. “She’s not going to be silent about it or allow it to fester into a wildfire.”

“I know,” Jeff muttered. “Last night did enflame things.” More than a little they both knew. And the fire has the potential to take everything in its wake.

“Therefore, I worry for our daughter” Nancy muttered.

“She will be fine” Jeff muttered with confidence. But he did not know whether he should be having that kind of confidence. Because experience told them that the unexpected can happen, and therefore, it’s never good to think something is alright, when nothing is alright. But he prayed for their daughter’s sake that things continued to be manageable.

So, Jeff was trying to hang onto that confidence.

*

But it’s not like Liz had all that much confidence. Because she knew she was playing with fire outside on the street. It was still early enough in the night that people were milling around. Heading in different directions. Much like her, she did not know what direction she was going on she thought. And she knew her parents worried that she was heading once more in the wrong direction once more. Like I did when I was a teenager she thought.

And headed back to one person in her past.

Which was a worthy worry given the events of the previous night. I came home for a simple wedding. Not to get in the middle of a bad marriage she muttered.

Even if it was Max.

Even if it is Max Liz told herself. And you should stop trying to make trouble for yourself she thought. You have your responsibilities and one of those responsibilities was looking at her, “So, I think we can head over to Maria and Michael’s place” she sighed as she looked down at the young face looking at her.

“Can we wait?” Callie asked.

“Honey, it’s getting late” Liz muttered. She knew it was still early enough, that the stores were still open. “We have been very busy; you need to get a good night sleep,” she thought, both of us need a good night sleep. Because Liz did not want to be thinking about her ex anymore for this night.

“We have time, don’t we?” Callie smiled, and it got Liz to smile. “We are on vacation, aren’t we?” she asked with a smile. “Sleep can come another time.”

Are we? Liz did not know. I don’t know what I am doing she sighed. And sleep does not always catch up…

She knew that was true on many fronts. There were many of a time that she had been lacking it, and right now, was not helping the situation. Although she could not blame the lack of sleep on her actions. “We are definitely not at home, are we?” she sighed as she looked at her daughter. As they looked out onto the street, and it was a much different environment from back home.

“No,” Callie said. “But I like this place,” she said of this town.

A place she did not know. But she wanted to know it. It was fascinating to her. It was very different from the home she had known since she had come into her mother’s life. “Can’t we look around or something?” the eight-year-old asked.

She’s so old for her age Liz smiled. “I suppose we have a little time” she said as she looked at her watch, and knew she was a little jumpy because of what she did not know. And mistakes I have already made she thought.

Although I will never call Max a mistake.

Not when I was fifteen, and not last night. But she knew last night had made things all the more difficult because she was not fifteen anymore. Nope, I am an adult, and I have to come to terms with my decisions she thought.

But Callie had no such worries because she was a kid. And kids can be carefree she thought. Or most of them she thought, and she wanted that for the little girl in her care. She did not want Callie to get into the muck of her early life, and knowledge of the truth behind the curtains of their life.

She wanted her daughter to be in carefree bliss.

“Cool” Callie smiled, and they were walking a few more feet, and they were still only about 100 feet from the Crashdown. Liz could tell that her daughter was fascinated by the shininess of the sign for the Crashdown. “It’s unique, isn’t it.”

“It’s glowy” Callie smiled.

“Yes, it is” Liz agreed.

“Are aliens real?” Callie wondered.

“Um” Liz sighed. Unable to know what to say to the child. Because she was so young. And the truth was only known to a very select few. How do I explain it she sighed to herself because she did not know how to explain it. You think I could she acknowledged given her close personal attachment to the issue. “People think they are real.”

“Why would Grandpa have a restaurant that deals with them, if they are not real?” Callie asked.

“It’s a long story,” Liz smiled. A lot of it for my father is about tourism and catering to the paying patron and putting a roof over my mother and I’s head while I was growing up, she knew, even though it was long known that the restaurant was her father’s true passion. His calling she thought. So, she knew it was more than simply trying to serve a paying patron. When Liz only knew too well that aliens were real.

But her daughter was only eight and she would not understand the difficult distinctions.

“Well, well, well” came a snarking voice and it caused a great deal of discomfort to Liz as she only barely recognized the voice because she had heard it briefly the night before. But it was a voice she did not want to know or hear. Fuck she muttered to herself as she turned and spotted Yvonne Evans.

Max’s wife.

Yeah, really Liz said. Damn it, she muttered to herself. While Callie did not know the complexities of anything that was running between the woman as they recognized. She was of course, only eight years old, therefore she did not know what was going on. So much was going to go over her head because of her age.

Time would fill her in.

“Is it not the slut who is sleeping with my husband?” came a visible distressed and angry Yvonne.

Shit Liz uttered. This is not what I need “I don’t know who you are?” she murmured ever so softly. Because she knew it was a lie.

A brazen lie.

And they both knew it. They both knew who the other was. They did not have to have interact before to know this. But they also knew Yvonne was spinning her tongue because she had no evidence that Max was cheating nor who it was with if he were. So, of course, they both know Yvonne was speaking the truth.

Assuming Max’s wife knew the truth, which she did not. So, she was putting it out into the world hoping that she would be told something that she did not know was the truth. And they both knew. Liz could only sigh.

“I think you do” Yvonne muttered. “Since you are so unnaturally close to my husband?”

It so easy and natural to be close to your husband Liz was thinking. But she knew she needed to downplay because of where they were, and she knew they had eyes on them. Which she knew Yvonne was counting on. She wants to make a show of this, she thought. To taint my reputation in this town. Because she knew just how important Liz was to this town. So, Liz needed to tamp own things. So, she tried to be as dispassionate as possible, “Your husband is someone I was close too in the past, and that is indeed in the past, so I don’t know what you may think you know but it’s not true,” yeah Liz, sure try saying that she told herself and Yvonne burst out in an almost evil glee. Damn she muttered as she could see it all crystalizing as she had her first real experience with Max’s wife. Because she had not really seen Yvonne the night before.

We kept to our own corners she knew.

So, the fact they had not had much contact had been the saving grace regarding her later actions with the woman’s husband.

But now they were in each other’s faces.

With a small girl as a witness.

Shit Liz moaned inner-wardly. So, she was trying to oblivious way of getting through this awkward situation. “I don’t know you and you don’t know me, so if you mind letting us go” Liz murmured. “I have to get my daughter home.”

The word Daughter well, that penetrated Yvonne anger fueled mind as she quickly turned the focus from the woman in her midst. And on the small child.

Someone who did not look like her mother, but it gave her thoughts. Genetics can play games with how someone looks she knew. “Is she, my husbands?” she asked, as she gaged the age of the child to be close to when she knew Max and Liz had split all those years ago. Does not matter if she’s blonde she thought. “Is the brat my husbands?” she asked with barely disguised fury.

“My daughter is not a brat,” Liz said with a look of hatred in her eyes. This woman is too much she thought. Just because I am sleeping with her husband does not give her a right to be so upset.

Uh oh.

As people turned to focus on the escalating fight between the women. And most of them would not know who Liz or Yvonne were for that matter.

“Did my husband get you pregnant, too” Yvonne muttered. “Did you keep her away from my husband?” Yvonne asked.

How you wish I did Liz thought to herself. Knowing full well the situation today would be different if she had gotten pregnant back when she and Max had been together. How that would have changed our destinies she muttered. And part of her wished she had the opportunity to give Max a child. And do one better than Tess and allow him to raise it. But nope, that was not how it would play out.

I would become a mother through different means. Means that have nothing to do with Max she thought. “Leave my daughter out of this.”

“I think I asked you a simple question?” Yvonne asked. “One that deserves to be asked given I know your history with my husband.”

“Well, it does not deserve an answer,” Liz muttered. “You may be Max’s wife Yvonne” Liz muttered, no matter how I got there first. But I left Max, and it allowed you to move in she thought. “But leave my daughter out of this. And leave me out of your marriage.”

Even though she knew she was the one putting herself right there in Max’s marriage with her conduct. Actions she did not regret.

Not one bit she knew. Because it had felt so good.

After a decade of experiencing it, she was not about to regret having it back in her life. Even it made her lack of regret or guilt a little amoral. I should have some sympathy for the woman whose husband I am sleeping with she knew.

But I am not the one who is married to the woman.

Max is, she knew.

“I am his wife. If you want not to a part of it, then stay the hell out of my marriage, and stay away from my husband,” Yvonne spat. “But that is not what I am asking, at the moment. Answer me because I think I deserve to know. Is she Max’s child?” she asked. Am I going to have to deal with one more kid she thought. Because she knew of the son that her husband had back in high school. One that thankfully was put up for adoption. Because you would not think I would not know that did you? Yvonne muttered to herself. “I asked you a simple question. Is she my husband’s child?”

“No” came the simple answer.

But it did not come from either Liz’s mouth, or Callie’s mouth because she was annoyed by this woman getting on her mother’s nerves and pushing buttons. She was so young, and therefore she was too young to know the realities of the situation or the bile that Yvonne was spewing in her mother’s face. She only knew it was bad news. And she got some of it. But most of it did not make sense.

It would take years before she would really know what any it meant. But she knew enough to know she was not an Evans. By birth or by family.

Callie knew a lot about her history without really knowing any of it too. By the virtue of knowing how to snoop around and her mother being a single mother and having to work. But this time, she was not speaking up. Because she did not think she knew what she knew. Callie knew who her biological parents were.

And it was not Max.

So, she was not speaking up. Instead, the women in the showdown froze as they recognized the voice and turned and spotted the person this was all about.

Max Evans.

And his children, Noah, and Ella. Who were standing there unsure of what to think as they looked at the anger on their father’s face. Something they were not used to seeing because he tried to keep his true emotions on a different level most of the time. So, that it did not bleed into the welfare of his children.

“Honey” Yvonne’s appearance chance. And everyone who was spotting this confrontation could see how she was putting an act as a smile came to her face. “You came?” she said as she walked to her husband and smoothly tried to touch him.

A touch he coldly rejected.

“What the hell is going on here Yvonne?” Max said softly with anger in his voice. “What have you done?”

Or unleashed.

[totallizfan]

Ok..so...Liz is.. Callie's aunt? Hmm...so Liz has a brother or sister out there somewhere?

Jeff had a child before Liz? Still waiting for Callie's story. I hope we don't have to wait till.....chapter 25 or 35 before we get the answers.

Then there's Max and Yvonne..(and Liz)..a disaster waiting to happen. I hope they all survive...(Yvonne should just go away).