Again (CC, Mature) - Chapter 40 - 08/28/2025

[totallizfan]

Liz's talk with Alex seems to have helped her.
She's more self assured. Not taking crap from Isabel.
Maybe the twins will talk to Liz about what they saw.
Ella seems to trust her.
Will Liz stop pushing to see Max..or will she go along with the groups decision
to keep Max hidden until they know what Yvonne is up to?

[Parker1947]

Yes, it was all so complicated. Everyone was aware of this. None more so than Maria and Kyle, who were taking the opportunity to walk from a restaurant they had stopped in, after the discussion with Jim had finally ended, and with no pressing business to deal at the station. Jim chose to go home to his wife. And because Michael was still not home. Maria had time before she was planning on checking in at the bar. And because Kyle knew that Isabel and the children were headed towards the Crashdown. The Crashdown was where they were headed because that was where Maria’s car was located.

Everything was so close, and on the same street.

They had wanted something other than a Crashdown burger, and they did not know if Liz was going to be headed back to her family restaurant so they thought their friend could use a little time away from the reminders of the recent past. Of course, they had no way of knowing what their friend had encountered after the meeting at the Sheriff department. So, they had stopped at an establishment on the way to the Crashdown.

And while they had not talked about what was at the top of both of their minds, because they had other things to talk about. Once they were walking back to the Crashdown, to collect Maria’s car, well, they found themselves discussion the matter.

"It's not that unreasonable, right?" Maria was asking. Revisiting a subject that had laid dormant since the station.

"No," Kyle murmured. "And probably it is the best thing for both of them. Although what it would mean, I don't know,” he sighed because he was the last one to know what it would mean. Although he sensed none of them did know.

It was a very murky situation. With no winning solutions.

At least, not yet.

"I don't think anyone can know?" Maria muttered. Why does it have to be so complicated. "If the bitch is not coming back here, and Sean's not calling in..." she sighed, "I don't know how we can end this thing," she muttered with irritation because she did not know what the ending looked like.

"What is he doing?" Kyle murmured of Maria’s cousin.

"Hell, if I know, because I never was in favour of him doing this at all," Maria muttered. Thank you, Mom, she sighed of Amy Deluca’s love for her nephew. "Even if he is partial towards Liz and wants to help, still, he’s a wildcard" she sighed, and wildcards are dangerous she sighed of the situation she was now in as she saw the flashing sign of the Crashdown approaching. So much changed during that September in 1999 she muttered to herself.

"You think he might be liking the life he has down there?" Kyle wondered. Who wouldn't he sighed. "On some tropical island?"

"It would be very different from the land of aliens," Maria smirked.

"Nice," Kyle said softly.

Who wants to be on a beach paradise when you have aliens and mystery Maria sighed, "Where does this go?" Maria murmured as she thought of the situation that had no clear answers. "I am sorry that your father is in the middle of it," she said with a smile. "He did not deserve Liz's wrath."

"Well Dad is one who dreamt all of this," Kyle muttered. "We could have told him that it would end like this."

"I did," Maria murmured. "I told you all..."

"I know," Kyle said as they saw the flashing lights of the Crashdown up close. "We know,” he sighed of the rant that Maria had unleashed when word first came down. It’s still ringing in my mind Kyle thought as he also saw the flashing sigh. “Our lives are completely different than we imagined them to be back in school, huh?" he murmured with the acknowledgement of how things were completely different. "Who knew..."

"I know, but if Max had not sprung into action. Liz would have been lost to us" Maria said shaking her head at how their lives could have been completely, but likely without Liz in it if the bullet had really taken her...

"Crazy," Kyle murmured as they saw a car approaching them, and he could see Maria's mood improved, and therefore he knew who it was.

"Michael?" Kyle asked.

Yup Maria smiled as she stopped in her spot, “Space boy to the rescue,” she smirked as she chose to walk towards the slowed. “Finally,” she smiled. “You are back?" she laughed. “What took you so long?”

"Like you did request," Michael Guerin said as his eyebrows raised at the tension in his wife’s voice, something obviously has happened he thought, she knew it was going to take me time to come back he muttered. I cannot beam back into town. "Valenti?" he said as he acknowledged his wife’s stepbrother.

It’s an odd life we lead he thought of the small fraternity he was in these days. As it ever was some vast collection of personalities.

"Michael" Kyle nodded.

"So, what have I missed?" Michael asked and frowned when both his wife and her stepbrother burst out laughing. "What?"

*

Moments later,

The laughter was now gone. The car was parked. And Michael was glancing at his wife or more like he was glaring and Kyle Valenti with astonishment in only way that Michael Guerin could get away with. One of his patented glares. "I have been gone, for what, only a day, and I come back to all hell breaking out?" he muttered as they were gathered on the side of the Crashdown. In a quiet place. Which was good because of their conversation they were having.

Because Michael could not believe it.

Even if he should.

Because it was something that was long in coming, but now that it was here. Michael wished he was almost anywhere else than listening to his wife.

Because Maria had been the one to spill. She figured her Space boy husband would be able to take it better for him, "I know, but it happened" she said softly. "And you certainly took your sweet time getting back?"

"We had to move," Michael muttered simply, and both Maria and Kyle nodded. "Staying became unfeasible."

Of course, Kyle would mutter. "So, where is he?" Kyle asked. With the knowledge that no names could be spilled, because of their location, which was not secure.

"Some place safe," Michael murmured. "Off the grid."

"That is good," Maria murmured because they both knew they were not going to get anything more out of her husband. “Because Liz is demanding to see him, and we don't know how much longer we can hold her off.”

She’s demanding is she Michael grunted, even if he had to temper his opinion because he knew only too well about how they had been keeping Liz in the dark. "I cannot believe you told her" he said as he glanced over at his wife with a groan and a grumble in his voice, and she glared at him.

In only the way Maria could get away with her husband. Because no one else would be able too...

Not with its level of strength or intensity. As Maria’s back went up and she was ready to unload. "Well, excuse me, because I have wanted to blurt it out to her for months Michael, but I resisted because I understood the gravity of it. So don't get on my case, okay. When it was not even me who was the one who told her. You know as well as I do that we live in a small circle, unbelievably so" she sighed as she thought of their fraternity and how small it was. "How do you think I like knowing how she found out?" she sighed. "She might have taken it better if I had been the one to tell her."

Yes, I know Michael muttered to himself. Because his ears were still ringing from all the times that his wife had been in his ear hammering the idea of telling Liz the truth. "What are you trying to tell me,” he asked as he glanced at his wife and Kyle. “Are you seriously telling me Ella told her?" Michael asked.

The children he would tell himself. I never thought they would...

"Yes," Kyle said with a nod. "She has not come to Isabel or me," he sighed. "But it's new, so who knows when that will break," he sighed as he glanced at Maria who nodded. The dam might hold, or it might break any minute…

Maria knew this as well, "We knew it was possible that the children might pick up on something" she murmured as she glared at her husband and looked at her stepbrother. "It's why we have tried to be so careful where we meet on the subject. I know we did try, but how could we be so clueless?" she murmured. "Those two are way too smart. After all, they are Max's children, and we know how special they are. And added to it, is that they miss their father, and they know none of it makes sense."

"I think we can all agree with that" Kyle sighed. "Right, Michael?" he asked. "None of this makes any sense,” he allowed. “You don’t have to be nine to know that.” he sighed. None of this makes any sense.

"Right," Michael groaned. "So, Ella says it's her dream?"

"Which is probably the truth, but she is too smart not to have picked up on something we may have said or did not say" Maria sighed. "You know how it is, with your abilities" she muttered. As she knew she was very different from her husband, and even her best friend. She did not have the capacity to have added abilities.

And given how she saw the downsides of them. She had never been one to want them, although to see the future might have been nice or the ability to see what others was thinking so I can plan accordingly.

But yeah, she saw the downside.

"How are we going to handle this?" Michael asked as he brought his wife out of her mind.

"You tell me," Maria murmured.

None of them knew, and that was not good. So, all they could do now was try to manage it. And try to wart off any consequences. Because Liz has the potential to go rogue, he thought. "So, she knows. How did it go?" Michael asked, even though he did know. Of course, it was not going to be good.

"I told you. Not well. So far, she has kept her fire to the group. And to Kyle’s father, but she’s demanding to see him, and she is being loud and insistent" Maria murmured. "I don't know how long we can hold her off."

"Doesn't she know the gravity of it?" Michael asked.

"Of course she does," Kyle murmured snapping. "We have always understood the gravity of it you know. Ever since Max brought Liz into a world, she was not ready for," he muttered. "And it went on to become more dangerous with every passing day. While also expecting her to lie, to keep secrets. You guys changed our lives, and expected us to take it and understand it, even when nothing made a lot of sense" he said of the months after the shooting in the Crashdown when another shooting took place, and he was brought into a life he was not aching to be in and it had shaken his reality, as he was having to deal with having been shot and almost dying, and having been brought back from certain death. It shook me up really good he sighed. And sent me into Buddhism for a time he thought.

Maria was glaring at Michael.

"Sorry," was all Michael said.

Maria could only shake her head at how callous her husband could be given it his life that they had been brought into, and we have had to keep it a secret she sighed. For Maria. She loved the players, in particular her husband. So, she was fine with keeping certain secrets if that came down it, but Michael was not stupid not to what it had cost them to keep his secret, and that of his small fraternity. "Space boy knows what it has cost all of us all these years, right Space boy" she muttered of the man she had grown to love. Surprising the heck out of her in the process. She might have come in from the other route, as Liz's friend, and falling for Michael he thought because she had not been healed. She was in this story because she loved those who were in it.

"Yes," Michael muttered.

"Then show some gratitude for it, will you" Kyle said softly as he looked at his watch. "We are not in this thing for the heck of it," he muttered. Annoyed. "I think I can go in and meet Isabel, and the children, she just texted and said they were still there..."

"Thank you, Kyle for your support," Maria murmured. "Sorry that it had to happen this way" she said softly.

"We will make it through it" Kyle simply said. "And we will help Liz through it" as he started to walk away and headed for the door to the Crashdown.

"Michael?" Maria murmured.

"Look I am sorry it's just a shock that is all" Michael murmured. "It's not how I would have liked it to have happened." Or what I would have liked to come back too after having the conversation I had to have with Max…

"That is something we agree on, because I may have lost my best friend because I love you and agreed to protect your best friend. Who happens to be the love of her life," Maria murmured. "We lied to her and kept something fundamental from her" she said. "It's on us."

"I know," Michael murmured. “Look, I know.”

"Then how do we move on?" Maria asked.

"I wish I knew," Michael said softly.

"Liz was really mad Michael," Maria said softly as she remembered the hurt and the pain on her friend’s face. "Really hurt and really mad. And I don't blame her," she sighed. "I would probably be the same if it happened to me, with you, as she pointed out to me. But it did not happen to me, it happened to her, and she hates me."

"She does not hate you Maria, she loves you, and she will come around" Michael murmured. "She knows why we did it, right?"

"She does, but she loves him." Maria murmured. "Love can make us quite irrational" she muttered. It has made me do a lot of things I did not think I would do.

"I know," Michael sighed.

"Then you have to get Jim to allow Liz to visit Max" Maria murmured. "She's determined, and we should be happy she has not gone to the press yet about how we deceived this town to believe a murder took place, when it did not." she sighed. Something happened, but it was only an attempted murder. "We staged a funeral and are lying to heck of a lot of people" she sighed. "Including the man's children..." she sighed "Regardless of what Ella might think."

"I know, okay, I know" Michael said.

"Then we allow her to visit?" Maria asked. "It's the least we can do," she sighed. "If we give her this. It will quiet them both down, right" she murmured because the longer this goes. She knew that it was not going to be only Liz that had the possibility of being a rogue agent in this mission. But the dead man at the center of the deception. "She will see the weight of it with the two eyes, and if he sees her, then he would know he has to stay out of sight, until we figure out where this goes." Assuming we are able to get them to part once they see each other.

There was no guarantee of that of course.

"I will talk it over with Jim" Michael sighed. “But I cannot make any promises…”

"Good," Maria said. "I love you Space boy" she said as she approached. "You make me crazy, but I love you."

"I love you too," Michael said with the acknowledgement that they were able to be together, and not everyone could be together.

We are very lucky they both would think.

They were.

But not everyone else was that lucky...

*

Liz certainly wished she could have the one she loved. She knew that love was complicated. And if this situation went away tomorrow, she still would be a bit of a pickle because Max is still married at the end of the day.

Not that she wanted to think of that factor.

He might have been trying to divorce his wife at the time of his departure from her life, although the trigger had not been pulled yet but that was the intention. But she had ended things between them because she knew it was going to be unfair. Because the wife would not make them so as she fought for her share of what she knew now was Max's hefty bank account although most of it was tied in the children's trusts and they were untouchable by Yvonne. And of course, she had now experienced three months without Max in her life.

She hated it.

With a passion.

Which is what she had for Max too.

It was not natural or made a lot of sense.

Like Maria indicated. Love is irrational.

And it makes you crazy Liz knew, which is why she had spent the vast amount of the last three months in a shrink's office, and in the hospital. But she was no longer in that place. She was standing and watching as Isabel sat with the twins at the counter. A reminder of this situation, and how insane it was...

And she saw the door open, and Kyle come in, and join the threesome. They glanced at each other and acknowledged each other but did not try to approach.

Callie should be in bed, but she was still around. "Mommy?" she asked as she approached her mother.

"Yes Callie?" Liz murmured.

"Are you okay?" Callie asked.

"I am fine, honey" Liz murmured. As she knew no eight-year-old should be asking if their mother was okay, she knew. "You should be going to bed,” she asked as she saw the clock on the wall. “You have school in the morning.”

"Ella and Noah are still here," Callie pointed out.

"I know," Liz murmured as she watched Max's children with their aunt and Kyle, and she sighed. It was good to see the children out and doing things, but she could not help but know that Max should be here, and seeing Noah Evans, meant she was seeing so much of Max in his eyes. "Which means, I don't have to go to bed."

"Nice," Liz smiled. "But you should be upstairs at least?"

"I will go up soon," Callie murmured. "But you didn't answer me."

"Yes, I did" Liz murmured. "I am fine, sweetheart. You don't have to worry about me."

"But I do" Callie murmured.

I know Liz murmured. "But don’t," Liz sighed. She's too young to be worried about me.

"Grandpa saw you talking to someone who is dead" Callie murmured. "Did you really do that?" she asked. "Or did he come back alive?"

Is this my life? Liz muttered to herself. Like her daughter had hit her in the stomach she thought, not literally she muttered. How I wish Alex could still be alive she sighed. Unfortunately, my life is not that strange, "Callie" she wearily sighed.

"I know, I know" Callie murmured. Mommy does not want me talking about it.

"Go to bed," Liz murmured.

"Fine, you don't want to talk about it, do you?" Callie asked.

"Right," Liz sighed as Callie decided not to press it and she chose to walk away, passing her grandfather who had spotted the twosome together, and chose to come towards his daughter.

"Are you alright Lizzie?" Jeff asked as he was closing up the restaurant. Only people who were in the restaurant would be served. And Isabel and the twins were grabbing their coats as Ella walked up to Callie, and they stopped to each other. While Liz saw Ella eyeing her, and Liz could only sigh.

"Why are people constantly asking me that?" Liz muttered as she focused on her father. "First my eight-year-old, and now you..."

"Because you worry us" Jeff murmured. "You used to never do that." he sighed. "Except when you were in high school." These last ten years have so tame...

Liz nodded. "I know but this is not then," she said. Probably it's more problematic she murmured. "You don't have to worry about me, because somehow I will make it through whatever this is.”

And what it was, I have no idea.

"Honey," Jeff murmured. "Earlier..."

"Dad, let's not talk about that, okay?" Liz pleaded. "I was talking on the phone, that is all it was" she lied. "If anyone should ask about it, that is what you should tell them, okay?" she murmured as she glanced at her father. "Please, it's all that was…"

"I would love to believe that, but the twins did not think so. They are sure you were talking to someone who was not here anymore..."

"Oh god," Liz murmured. Why am I dealing with this "That would be a little hard to believe, right?"

"Normally, but you have to agree that some very unique events have happened to you" Jeff murmured. "I remembered that diary of yours..."

Journal Liz wanted to correct her father but chose not too. "Again, let's not talk about it" Liz murmured. As she was having to remember that she had sent the journal to her father, and when she had come home and tried to move with her life. She and her parents morphed into a version of Don't ask, don't tell... although it did help that she would eventually move on, away from Roswell.

So, her father could go back to not knowing anything or believing he did not, and she could move on, and try to figure out how to create a new life.

Now that was all up in smoke...

"You wanted me to come back here," Liz muttered. "So, you will have to put up with my ways" she sighed.

"Fine, don't tell me" Jeff murmured. Just like every other time I questioned something going on with my daughter he would murmur. "But just be careful okay because your mother and I love you, and you have already lost so much and you have so much to look forward too, and it's not only you that you have been careful of because you have your daughter. And therefore, Callie needs you to keep it together, and not to fall apart, so please try to figure out what is going on..." he sighed, what is going on with you…

"I will Dad, I promise" Liz murmured as she thought of the complexities of the situation. "I just might need you and Mom to help me with Callie for a little while longer," she sighed because she did not know where she would be tomorrow, because she was very much aware of the threat she had issued towards Jim.

A threat that she was very much determined to follow through on. Of course, she did not know what it would mean to go through with it, but I need to see Max with my eyes to know he's alive and well.

"Of course, honey," Jeff murmured. "You stepped up to help me with her, so we will gladly help you with our granddaughter. But be careful, please..."

"I cannot promise you that" Liz murmured. "Because I have no idea what is going to happen next."

Jeff could only sigh and walked away from his daughter. None of us do.

While Isabel, Kyle, and the twins walked towards her, and she knew she had to address the quartet. "Hello" she said simply. Trying to keep her tone neutral for the sake of the children. "Late night?"

"Yes, it is" Isabel murmured softly. "We have to get home. School tomorrow."

"Don't remind me," Ella murmured.

"You love school" Kyle murmured as he looked down at the young girl.

Clearly grieving.

"I love a lot of things, but I cannot have them all" Ella murmured as she looked at Liz as if she was challenging her to say something. But Liz was wisely choosing to stay quiet. "Thank you for talking to me earlier."

Liz nodded. "No problem," she said simply. Aware that a lot of hours had transpired since that conversation. "You can talk to me again if you want to talk about your father," she said softly. "I cared greatly for him," she said as she stared at Isabel who also wisely stayed quiet. "I have stories that I am sure both of you would love to hear," she said as she focused on Noah.

"Maybe," Ella nodded.

"Can we go?" Noah asked.

"Yes, let's go" Kyle said softly. "I will call you tomorrow Liz" he said simply.

"Oh, I am sure we will be talking tomorrow" Liz murmured. "Good night" she said as she walked away from the foursome.

"She's going to be trouble," Isabel mumbled almost under her breath. But not as quiet as she wished because Ella overheard.

"Why would she?" Noah asked.

Isabel and Kyle only sighed but did not answer as the four left the restaurant and headed back to the house.

[totallizfan]

So..Michael is back.
Marie and Kyle seem sympathetic to Liz wanting to see Max.
Michael and Isabel might be a little harder to convince.

[Parker1947]

Meanwhile,
Outside of town,

While everything seemed to be stopped in their tracks back in Roswell. A few hours north of town, in a cabin in the woods. A man was trying to sleep. There was not much he could do since he moved to his location earlier in the day. Once he had started talking to his best friend again. Because until that happened, he was holding onto a lot. There had always been a push and pull between him and Michael, but the last three months had tested things. And had brought them back to their youth.

When they were at each other’s throats every so often he knew.

He also had though they had moved on from those days.

I guess not would be something he would think as his eyes closed, and shots rang out in his mind, and he felt him jumping into action. Throwing himself in front of the bullet. Liz, he had screamed. Everyone was thinking the bullet was for him, and it was but the shooter had badly misfired, and it had gone in another direction and the resulting victim would realize that in time, and jump in front of the bullet, and take it for the woman he loved.

So, that she would not be lost to the world, and to him.

But unfortunately, it meant he would take the full blast. And he felt the immediate results, as he heard the cries. The shouts, the mayhem.

And the feeling of being held in her arms, as his eyes closed, and his heart stopped. But he had enough energy to say softly, Liz, it was always you.

It was always Liz...

Always and forever.

And the last look he had was the tear streaks coming down of the woman who had often been his salvation.

His soulmate.

"Max, please stay with us" Liz cried. "I cannot lose you," she had whispered. "Think of your children."

He was, I love them he would say to himself. I know they will be okay Max would think but it was always Liz who was in the front of his mind.

For good and for bad.

And he would die a thousand times if it was to protect the woman he loved. Since the age of nine, when he first saw her on the playground. In the aftermath of having come to this land and having to learn the ways of it. And stepped onto the ground with Isabel beside him, and I had seen her.

A vision with brown hair.

It would take years to really know what love would mean Max thought as he remembered growing up and watching her, and when she began to work at the Crashdown. Always, he would find himself in there, to the grumbling of both Michael and Isabel he would think. And there was a lot of grumbling.

Lots of it.

But he could sit and watch her, work, and just be herself.

Laughing it up with Maria, smiling at the customers on a daily basis. Talking to her father, or even her mother if Nancy came into the restaurant. She was a normal young woman, and he loved every minute of it.

Because it was obvious from an early age that he had been different.

Abnormal.

Despite appearances to the contrary. He, Isabel, and Michael were different from their fellow classmates, and they learned early they had to blend in and keep secrets. From everyone. The authorities, their friends, and even their parents. Unsure of how Phillip and Diane would respond. And for Michael, it was from his foster families. They had the sense that it would not be good to reveal who they were.

Because they were different.

And then the day occurred when everything changed.

For the better?

Well, that was certainly debatable, but for Max, it brought Liz into his life. His daily existence. But first, he had put their secret into a dangerous place when a bullet rang out in the Crashdown. On a normal day. Or it was what it seemed at the time.

Liz had been working in the Crashdown. Like she always did.

And he was in watching, with Michael as his side kick this time, and then the shot rang out and he saw where the gun, and the bullet was aimed at, and before he knew it had rang out, and hit Liz, and she had fallen to the ground.

And he had jumped into action. And stopped the bleeding.

Bringing Liz back from the dead.

And into his heart, and into his secret. Forever changing their destinies. And for the next nearly three years, a lot of difficulties would be felt.

A lot of pain.

But in reality, the chance to love Liz had been given to him, and he would always be thankful for that time. No matter how it would work for them. He was given a chance to have his dream girl in his life. But early on, he had recognized how difficult it was for her.

Max had saved her life and put the weight of the world on her.

So, even though they had finally fought the world and won, or seemly won and we were given the world and the chance to be together...

Still, he had seen how much her world had been changed. And when she wanted to walk away. Despite having the coast way clear, in the ability to be together. She had needed to try to get some semblance of control, he had allowed it.

Sure, it had hurt like hell. And he made some mistakes along the way, but he would always want Liz to be happy and healthy. And he would take the bullet for every time if he could. And he had before when it was not even been the form of a bullet.

It had been falling out of a window. To prevent a madman a chance to kill her.

So, yeah, I do recognize that Liz's life was changed he would think as he would weeks later see her walk away. And they would move on, away from each other, and he would find himself in unwise relationships, and marriages along the way.

And become a father. Although he would never regret his children.

But it was always Liz who drew him.

And when they had walked out of that house, after she had ended their affair. And the bullets had rang out, he had jumped in and sacrificed himself for her.

For Liz.

For his children.

What he had not counted on, was his eyes opening in the hospital. Right when they were to call the time of his death. Protocol he was told because it was standard, even though his last breath had been called more than an hour before. A hospital had to call it. So, he was an oddity once more, in that he was dead, and came back.

Opening his eyes and seeing his parents and Jim Valenti's astonished face. The elation on his mother's face, and the confusion on both his father and Jim's face. It would make him laugh if he could laugh. But he had not been able to laugh in many months. If he was ever able too.

Because Max by the nature of who he was. Was not a happy individual.

Look at my life he would think.

It was not a happy one he would tell himself. Unless Liz was in my life he thought, or the pure moments that he had experienced with his children. But he soon realized that his life was back in a period of angst as if I ever left, he thought. But on that day, he had soon learned that it was his wife who had planned to terminate him.

And had.

If I had not defied the odds once again and because he had. Jim and his parents decided the best course of action was for him to hide. To make it appear to the world that he had really died, and for Yvonne to believe she had succeeded in mission.

And put on a show, meaning a funeral and the reading of the will. And see what Yvonne would do. And where she would go from here. And even though he could not see her, what he had not known was that they had kept Liz in the dark.

Because most everyone else in their lives knew the truth, but they had allowed Liz to believe he was dead.

Insane he would think.

Unacceptable was more like it…

When the last three months had been a hell for him because he had not had her in his life. Max assumed because he had spent ten years without her, and without seeing her, that being placed into protective custody and stash in a hotel room, far away from their hometown would be something he would be able to handle.

But he was wrong. He would soon find that he had not been able to handle not being able to see the love of his life.

Yeah, it had been hell.

His version of hell.

The one that Yvonne had sentenced him too and then fled town. And gone down south. And they had no idea of what they were doing. But he had gone along with it because he believed he was protecting everyone. His children. Liz.

But now he did not know.

He craved Liz.

He needed to see her. And things had taken a turn earlier when Michael had shown up for the first time in a long time and admitted that Liz did not know about his being alive, and that things had taken a turn for her too, and things in her life had not been well.

And had even been admitted to a hospital.

He had been livid. And Michael was forced to call in reinforcements, namely his wife who had warned him that by deceiving Liz, that they were not making things right, but making things even worse.

Of course, Maria was right.

But she had gone along with the masses, and that meant Max could be furious with her too. And he was. But he had agreed not to do anything, at least not right now he thought. So, he had tried to take a nap but all he could was think of Liz.

All he could do was dream of how beautiful, and how despite the immorality of it. About how those days when he and Liz had spent together after the wedding had been the best of his life. Since those days in high school. When nothing went right, but at least we got a chance to spend time together and so to have it again. Despite his blatant cheating on his wife.

Causing these collision of events.

He would take it. But he would never regret it.

Though he hated it. But again, he did not regret spending time with Liz. And loving her. As if he ever had stopped.

Because she would always be in his heart. It has always been Liz he murmured to himself.

As his eyes opened and he looked around the room and did not want to get out of bed because it would mean he could not see her, oh Liz.

So, he closed his eyes again... but he found he was unable to will himself to sleep, or dream of Liz, so grumbling, he got out of bed, and got up, and put his shirt on. Looking down and seeing the gunshot in his chest.

Despite his ability to do. He had not healed himself.

I need to prove they tried to kill me he would think if this ever did end, he thought as he felt no lingering results of being shot, but he needed evidence to show it happened. Even though they had the shooter on record saying he had dealt the fatal shot.

Of course, how it would go when it was clear it was not a murder.

Max was alive.

A mess he told himself as he shuffled out of the bedroom in the cabin that Michael had found for him. Believing that a hotel room was going to cause trouble in the long run, so Michael had gone out of his way to find an abandoned cabin, and they had move here, earlier in the day. So, Max was getting used to his new environment.

As he opened the door, and went out on the stairs, and looked out into the night's air.

Sighing.

It was a very different day he would think. As he could not help but wonder what was going on back in Roswell. A town that had used to be his life.

Now, the hours that filled his days were a very different structure. As he was hiding from his wife. Not that I am missing that wife.

Not on this planet he thought. I am missing someone else.

Someone so good and so compassionate he thought of the woman he loved. As he was also yearning to see his children, but he knew he could not head back to town for fear of what it would mean. And therefore, he did not want to put his children through. Even though he knew what it was costing him to keep it from them, as they were forcing the children to live a reality that was not true.

Sighing, and still finding that he was unable to sleep. He looked at the wires, and different connections in the box. And went to work, using his abilities to connect the wi-fi to the cabin. Because it was obvious it was an old-style cabin.

A not very modern.

Which was what appealed to them because it was the definition of being off the grid. And long abandoned from the looks of it. But of course, Max needed information.

And he went to work…

...to find it.

Thinking of his old life back in Roswell as he labored…

And knew he was getting nowhere because he missed Liz and longed to see her.

*

Meanwhile,
Paradise,

Was it paradise? The blue skies, and the blue water certainly would give the appearance, but the reality was very different. Not that the woman sitting at the bar had any worries, as the dark was starting to show. She was laughing it up and trying to find someone to go back to a hotel room with. She was drinking too much, and Sean Deluca could see that, which was fine for him. You can find out more that way he thought.

Or so he hoped. It can go either way he knew.

As he had spent the last few hours watching, and enjoying endless beers and other beverages, some even on the house because he had smooth talked some beautiful waitress, because he knew the tab he was building was unlikely going to be paid by his boss.

The uncle by marriage who had sent him down.

Given the resources of the Roswell Sheriff Department, and he and his aunt were not that well off to begin with, so he had to pace himself. Which is fine, because he was a smooth talker, or he felt he was one, even if he did not always get what he wanted. But so far, things had been going too well…

Until he saw eyes on him, uh oh he thought.

“Why are you watching me?” came a voice of a long leg woman as she stood at his table. And he realized he had not seen her coming.

Am I busted Sean would think as he looked like the woman did not even recognize him from their only prior meeting, three months before…

That could work for me Sean would also think. “You are beautiful,” he would instantly say as he tried to keep his identity anonymous because the chances that he could get more of the situation that way, it would not work if she knew of my association with the town of Roswell he knew. And especially because I like Liz Parker, and she tried to ruin Liz’s life he thought. “Why would I not look at you?”

Not that Liz had not played with fire and probably earned the payback. You sleep with a married man, well, the wife is not going to like it he thought. Unless they have an arrangement, which is what he figured was not the case between the husband and wife. Life for Evans probably would be easier if it were the case he smiled, but he figured that Evans was unlikely to stray unless it was Liz. They have a bond he knew.

A bond, sure, I don’t why they do he thought. Why would you want that misery he thought of Liz. If it cannot work during high school, when life is easier? he wondered. Why is it going to work when you are older. But he was not stupid. He had known the bond that Liz somehow shared with Max, and he had known a decade. Which is why he had left, but still he knew from his own life, and experiences. That a straying marriage was not good. Which is something he would know from experience.

I am not a choir boy he thought. As my juvenile record will tell you, which is why I ended up where I did, he knew, but he tried to move on from that, he was thinking he had been pretty successful in that mission.

Hopefully…

But that could go up in smoke if he was truly busted.

“Do I know you?” Yvonne asked. As the more she was looking at the guy, the more she felt like she had seen him before. But she had too much alcohol in her system to really know for sure…

“Do you?” Sean asked as he planned to take advantage of the fact, she could not place him. She might tomorrow but today is a different day.

“You look familiar,” Yvonne asked. As she accessed the man. Clearly trying to see whether she knew him from somewhere.

“You tell me,” Sean smiled. Not giving an inch. Hoping a single meeting more than three months ago might hold up, there is a chance that she was too angry that night to really see me. “Of course, they always say that everyone has a twin somewhere in this world. A doppelganger. Maybe we crossed paths, or you met my double?” he laughed.

“Smooth” Yvonne asked with a smile.

“Name?” Sean smiled.

“Yvonne Duncan,” Yvonne murmured.

Interesting Sean thought. Not that he did not know this already because it was one of the reasons that Yvonne had stayed below the radar for awhile, because she had stopped using her married name, and went back to her maiden name.

“What is your name?” Yvonne asked.

“Sean Connery” Sean smiled. Were you expecting me to say Deluca he said to the eyebrows of Yvonne. “Seriously,” he said to pre-empt the blonde. “Want to see my ID?”

“No, I believe you” Yvonne smiled.

He doubted she did. But he did have the ID to indicate his alias. Because the last thing he could be seen as being seen as Sean Deluca he knew. Because it will lead to Roswell eventually. Even though his criminal record was expunged by now, because of his age and his lack of offences in the last decade.

The criminal record had closed his record, and now he would have major consequences if he did something.

He was not looking for it.

He liked being who he was, and not getting into trouble, although sometimes it was unavoidable of course Sean thought. But still, to cover his old identity. He had a pretty crafty backstopped ID that would stand up too scrutiny.

Thanks to Michael he thought of his cousin’s new husband.

He did not know how Michael could create such well crafted fake identities and the paperwork to go with them. Wish I knew him in my youth he thought, I might not have been caught and had to do time in juvenile hall he thought. But then he might not have gone to Roswell.

And I would not know Liz.

That might have been good for his ego, but he might have strayed back to his dark impulses, if he had spent those months in Roswell. Because Aunt Amy loved me, and he had some good times even if he had not gotten the girl in the end, it set me on my path, and now here I am he thought as he saw the leggy blonde. And thought of his old life.

I like this one he thought. As he remembered to be in the role that he was playing, and he had a laugh when the ID came in, but he remembered he had heard that the gang was notorious with going with alias that seemed ludicrous at the time.

But they managed to work.

“You don’t look ancient?” Yvonne quipped.

“The name is not reserved for the revered,” Sean smiled.

“I guess not,” Yvonne said.

“Can I buy you a drink?” Sean asked.

“Sure, why not” Yvonne said as she sat down.

Score Sean thought, one several levels as he knew he now had a in, in the situation as the blonde sat down, “So, what is your story?” he asked. “Got some guy back home?”

“Nope,” Yvonne smiled. “Dealt with him before I came here,” she sighed.

“Miss him?” Sean asked.

“Hell no,” Yvonne smiled.

“Looking for anything in particular?” Sean asked.

“A good time,” Yvonne smiled. “Do you want to give me that?”

“Sure, why not” Sean smiled, as the bartender brought them drink after drink as he played a role of a lifetime, with acknowledgement of the stakes in the game. Might as well have a good time when I am down here.

*

Meanwhile,
Roswell, New Mexico,
After midnight,

Not everyone else was having a good time. Back in Roswell, Liz would not know that Sean had finally gotten a hold of Yvonne, nor was she was not even thinking of Max’s wife at the moment. All she was trying to do was sleep. Because she was still on the couch. As she had not want to be in her old bedroom. She figured there had to be a reason for her sleepiness and tried to hang it on the fact that she had overslept earlier that day, so she was unable to sleep now.

Whether she was tired or not.

And she was tired.

She wanted to sleep.

And dream good dreams and not have to think of the reality of her life. She wanted her life to make sense. She did not like feeling out of sorts. And that was what she had been feeling these last three months, even knowing what I know now is not allowing me to feel settled she muttered to herself as she tried in vain to sleep. Even though the apartment was dark. Everyone was in their rooms, and asleep. She had finally tucked her daughter into the bed in her own bedroom, and she had gotten out of there as soon as she could because of the memories.

Even knowing that Max was alive. It only brought back memories of a time that was much easier, even if we were dealing with a new danger every single day she muttered. She wanted separation from that, but she could not find that separation.

Everything was in flux.

She hated when things were in flux.

She did not do well when she was in this state. She had long known this. She wanted things to make sense, and she got up from the couch, and she put on her wardrobe from the day before, and she knew she could not go out on her trusty balcony for fear of disrupting her daughter’s sleep. She had already caused too much disruption to her daughter, and she did not want to cause anymore.

She wanted stability. She craved it.

And yet too much was of disorder.

She grabbed the set of keys from tray by the door and walked out of the apartment. And a door opened after they heard the door closed, and Jeff Parker peeked out. And saw his daughter leaving the apartment.

Sighing, he went back to his bed that he shared with his wife, “It was Liz?” was all he said. As he had been unable to sleep because he sensed that his daughter had been struggling to sleep, and he worried for her.

“She will be okay, won’t she?” Nancy asked as she also had been awaken from her restless sleep.

Obviously, no one in the apartment was getting a good night sleep they would think, except maybe an eight-year-old child which was something they all would root for.

“I hope so,” Jeff sighed as he tried to go back to sleep. But the knowledge of his daughter being out there caused more tossing and turning before he finally settled.

*

Meanwhile,
Cow Patties,

It was now after midnight. Closer to closing time than it was to the opening. But the bar was still growing and going strong. Bringing in business. Mostly, it was still full, although here were more seats than there were a half hour ago. The doors were still open. So, Maria Guerin Deluca was on duty. She knew that she could have been at home with her husband of three months, but Maria felt the need to be in a crowd, and to keep busy. So, she had headed to the bar and took over from her second in command. And to show his support, Michael had come with her. As there was no need to go home.

Without Maria there, it was lonely.

And his friends were little busy, with Isabel with Kyle and the twins. She cannot come out and play much anymore he thought unless it is planned well in advance he thought, as he looked down at his beer. And Max…

Yes, Max…

So, Michael now he was sitting in a booth, nursing a beer.

Maria was watching him because she knew how he got when he was drinking. Although any repeat of antics when he was younger had not repeated themselves in the months, and years that followed. He had been too settled, and too in love with Maria to be able unsettled and fall into old antics.

Because they had managed to be together.

And not apart, and while their romance was certainly not smooth sailing, but he had been able to keep an even keel. But since reopening Cow Patties under her stewardship, Maria still kept an eye on her husband. Because she did know how sometimes her husband could be when things were unsettled. And what was going on now, was the definition of being unsettled.

And his tempered sobriety had been tested in the three months preceding them. So, as Maria bustled around the bar. She needed to feel busy, because she did not want to think about the messy, and about Liz.

She worried about Liz.

And yet she knew she had hurt her friend, and her friendship with that friend. She did not regret that she kept the information because she knew there were greater forces out there, but I still should have told her before a nine-year-old did she thought of Ella Evans.

Coming back to town was going to test us she thought. But she was happy her friend was back in town.

Assuming she could still count herself as Liz’s friend.

She hoped she could.

Because it was a friendship that had defied the ages. Some friendships float away after a short time, or a few years, but theirs had stayed for so long that it was the one constant in her life. When she could not count on one everyone who was close to her to stay around or stay alive for that matter.

Losing her father had hurt her as a child. But she always had Liz, and the Parkers. Jeff and later Jim have been like fathers to me, so why I would want the one who helped Mom create me…

Of course, losing Alex had hurt her, but she had Liz although that time had indeed tested them because her friend was hurting as well, but they stuck it out, and helped solve the reason for Alex’s death, and even graduation did not get in the way. When it could have, and for so many other friendships.

But she always known she could count on Liz.

Unfortunately for Liz, she saw that she could not necessarily count on Maria to tell her that the love of her life was not dead but was alive.

Maria prayed that Liz would be able to see why she had done it and forgive her. Until that came, Maria kept busy within the bar. Making sure everything was on the level, and she was not being cheated. She kept a hawk of an eye on the books, and on the staff.

She knew she had her muscle if she was being cheated.

And made sure that everyone knew that too, that they had to run through Michael if they were trying to pull one over on her. And that she had a in with the town Sheriff, so she was sitting pretty. But there had never been any need to do that, so far, she mused. So, far the staff had showed their loyalty. And as result, she felt she had found her passion.

Her meaning to be still in Roswell, despite wanting to get out.

She realized fame was going to be elusive. And plus, she was famous in this town for a whole other reason when the town got a sense something was up with their run from it, back in 2002. It exploded their names, and pictures onto the front pages, with rumors and innuendo.

Nothing proven.

Because Liz’s journal had stayed in the hands of the Parkers, with peaks at it from her mother, Amy and the Evans who were able to fill in some. Some corroboration also coming from Jim. But even then, they were a very in the dark, and then it had all ended when they were able to come back to their hometown.

With Liz leaving soon after, and she Maria had chosen to stay with her sexy, gruff alien and make a new life for herself. She had found she did not want to really compromise her vision for her music career, and plus, she was worried if she got too famous, what it would mean for Michael and her friends.

She was willing to sacrifice her dream for Michael.

And it was not like she had not found her own dream when Cow Patties had come up for sale, and she had pounced. Taking the settlement the government had paid out, for unlawfully targeting teenagers. And even though their gang knew deep that the government was righter than they were wrong. For the government, the easy way out from sordid press was to pay out large payouts, and for those teenagers who had been targeted, it was even easier to take the settlement and let the stories about them die off…

It is way easier to take the settlement Maria knew.

A big fat one.

They all got it. Although she and Kyle had not gotten as much, but certainly Max, Liz, Michael and Isabel got a lot of money…

And it sat in her account until Cow Patties had become available. After a temporary closure due to the suffering economy in the late 2000s, so she pounced, and had made it her own.

Finding a lot of liberation in running her own business, celebrating people and music, and even singing on occasion.

On her own terms.

That was how she liked it.

When her private life was a little more chaotic. It helped that her professional life was a little more settled, and she was willing to take it, and she was busy at it, when the door to her establishment opened, and she stopped in place when she saw who it was.

Oh god she whispered to herself as she spotted her best friend walk in.

[totallizfan]

Sean can keep Yvonne busy and hopefully report back to Jim on any important information she might reveal.
Max and Liz are pining for each other.
Looks like there will be a confrontation between Liz and Michael.
I think Liz has Maria on her side now. (Good luck Michael)

[Parker1947]

Liz did not know why she was here, to be honest with you. Because she could not tell even herself, except the establishment sold alcohol, and she could not get it back at the apartment because ever since his father’s youthful escapades, well, they never kept it on the premises, and she had been too much of a law-abiding All-American girl to want to rebel in that direction when she was a teenager. I found my ways to rebel that were very different.

I did not need alcohol she thought.

Therefore, she did not have the temptation, despite having those moments, when she was away at school. Back during a turmoil filled senior year and she had tried a little boarding school experiment. After she had initially managed to avoid it after her father had threatened it as she entered into senior years after some hairy filled experiences that got her parents, and mostly her father going. I admit it, it was not good she thought of the time she had spent in jail.

And the fact she almost landed in prison.

Because she had followed Max.

Although a lot of it was her initiative, I chose to go all the way with him in that mission she knew. Max wanted me to be stay behind, but I added myself to the fray.

Sure, I did not know where it would go.

But that was how it often was she knew. We often did not know what was going to happen she thought. We were constantly surprised she mused to herself as she looked around and saw it was still largely the same as she last experienced, back in high school she thought.

I did not come for the alcohol she thought of time. I came for other reasons, namely Maria she thought of the last time. When Maria was playing with Jim’s band, I was so right when I said senior year was insane, she muttered to herself.

For all of us.

None of them had been left unscathed, but at the time Maria was trying to go for her dream. What she perceived to be her dream. So, she was singing more in the wake of a recent breakup with Michael, and that lead to her singing with Jim as he had started his country western band.

And so, she had come only to support her best-friend little did I know what would happen from there she thought of some of the discoveries she would go under in the ensuring days, weeks and months and they were never the same.

And she had never come back.

Not until tonight.

Again, she did not know why she was here as she looked around and saw all the same décor and remembered how Maria had said that she had not needed to do much except to clean up, but she had wanted to keep it the same as it was.

There was no need to rename it. Everyone knew the name. “So, why make it something different” Maria had told her, and Liz could not disagree as she stopped and seen all the subtle changes, as she glanced around and found herself staring over at the bar and she spotted Maria who had seen her arrive.

But Maria did not try to approach her.

Again, Liz did not know why she was here. Because she was still mad at everyone. Including Maria she muttered. So, why did I come?

She did not know. Because she had not been known to drink.

She had her moments in the past, namely at boarding school she thought when I was trying to fit in, and there were those moments when I thought Max was dead.

And then when the situation repeated itself, just in a different way when she believed Max to be dead. And she had fallen into the bottle, big time she knew, and it was Maria who had dragged her out of it. And they knew by then… she moaned of the deception. But she believed at the time, that time Max was dead.

Truly dead.

Well, I got that a little wrong Liz thought… How will I ever know if he is truly gone, she muttered. If he has a habit of defying death?

Good question.

*

Meanwhile,

Michael was watching the scene. Drinking a beer or two but trying to be good. His tolerance had been built over the years, and now he was able to handle it without getting drunk, mostly he thought. I have the ability to get plastered he knew, but he largely kept it in check despite his now wife owning and operating a bar.

But it did allow him to know his limit and not go beyond. But really, there really had not been a reason to go too far.

Except for those immediate hours when he thought his best friend was truly off the planet, when he and Maria been on their honeymoon and coming back to their hotel room to the awful news. News that would orient themselves differently by the time they had managed to make it back to their hometown.

Only to find out that Max had defied the odds again.

Both times, it had looked like he had died.

But not really.

But this time he has kept the same body Michael knew. And he knew with his very two eyes that his best friend was alive because he had spent some unfortunate hours dealing with his friend’s fury, and that fury was very real.

And very Max.

And it was not like he was not used to it, I am.

From their go-arounds back when they were growing up.

On a new planet and having to deal new circumstances. They had largely grown out of that dynamic in recent years as they dealt with life, on their own terms and in their own ways, but recent months had put a strain on their friendship because Michael had to keep Max’s whereabouts a secret.

Which is why, they had finally moved him away from a hotel because a hotel seemed dicey after a certain amount of time. Even if no one really knew them where they were stashing Max. But you never wanted to take chances.

So, Michael was happier with the new location.

Off the grid. But having Max be alone was pretty dicey in its own way, but it was better to be off in some woods than in a modern hotel.

As he looked up, preparing to see Maria bustling around. But he saw his wife standing still, and he turned his attention at the door, and groaned because he saw Liz.

Damn it Michael muttered. He almost wished it had been an unruly customer or something, or something else that had erupted, which had been known to happen when you had an establishment that featured a lot of alcohol being consumed. But nope, this time, it involved something very personal for his wife.

As he looked down at his beer, and he could not help but take a giant swig of it and get up and walk towards the front door. Which is something Liz saw.

And something she did not particularly care for, not that she had a choice in that it was not Maria who was approaching, but Michael was. Just great Liz muttered to herself because she did not know what she wanted.

I know I don’t want this she sighed. But she knew she had probably signed up for it to happen when she picked this destination. “Michael?” she said. He’s back she thought.

What does that mean, for Max? she wondered.

But she was trying not to think of Max. Although she knew she was having a hard time not thinking about the love of her life. As she looked at the love of her best friend’s life. Someone who was making her Maria happy, although at the moment, all it was succeeding in doing was allowing Liz to feel a great deal of envy in that her best friend had the man she loved, and was committed too, in her life.

And right here in her present life she mused.

And it is not something I can have Liz thought.

“Liz,” Michael said as he interrupted her muttering to herself.

“What do you want?” Liz asked as she was back into reality of her daily life and having to deal with the reality of today.

“I don’t want trouble,” Michael said simply.

And to the point.

A worthy ask Liz knew, but she could not help but lean in her snide side, “Is that any business of yours?” Liz muttered. As she saw that Maria was now watching. Tuning out all those around them. “This is a free enterprise is it not?” she asked of the establishment that they were now in.

“It’s my wife’s” Michael said grimly.

“But not yours” Liz murmured.

“It’s the same thing,” Michael said. “Look Liz…”

“No, Michael” Liz said softly. “I came here,” she said and stopped. Because she did not know why she had come. There was no good reason to have come here, it only gives the potential for pain. “I did not come here for this,” she said softly. “I don’t need it.”

“And I don’t need you giving Maria a hard time,” Michael murmured.

“Why not?” Liz asked. “She told me what she told me,” she sighed as she looked at the beer in Michael’s hand. “You are drinking?” she asked with a slight tone of surprise in her voice.

“I am better than I was,” Michael said softly of the question that Liz was posing. “I can tolerate it more,” he said simply. Because he knew there was a time when he was unable to tolerate it, and it had led to a breakdown of sorts. And it was one of the few times of true bonding between them because most of the time, he had tried to ignore Liz, and her impact on his best friend.

Michael had to acknowledged that Liz had helped greatly.

And of course, he repaid her… by…

Yeah, I know, Michael was thinking.

“I don’t want this,” Liz muttered. “I didn’t come for this.”

“Then what did you come here for?” Michael asked. When you chose this place to come for?

“I don’t know,” Liz sighed.

“Look,” Michael tried again.

“Leave it alone Michael,” Liz said softly. “None of us need this, any of it” she murmured. “You did what you did, and nothing will change that for any of us, what is done is done, and nothing can change it so all we can do is try to get past it, okay?” she muttered. “So, we can get through the day.”

“Just don’t take it out on my wife,” Michael murmured with a subtle warning. “She did not want to keep it from you, and therefore you should not take it out on her…”

“Fine,” Liz sighed, as she felt the need for a drink. In fact, she craved it. If only to get out of this situation. Out of this conversation. I don’t need this she thought. “Just so you know, I am mad at her. Because she kept information that I would never have kept from her, about you, if it were in my shoes” she said pointedly at Michael. “But at the end of the day, I can be mad at her, but I know that it was only because of you and because of Jim that she kept it from me at all. And that is what I cannot accept. Because both of you knows how much I sacrificed. What I gave up in helping you guys, and you chose to keep certain information from me,” she said. Totally aware that she could not say too much, not in this place she thought.

“It was important…” Michael murmured.

Liz laughed. “That is crap, and you know it” Liz sighed. And Michael was sort of surprised by the language. Not the Liz I knew… “I would have protected him to my death, and you know it because I gave up almost everything for him. We both know that I gave up so much because I love him.”

“Not enough to stay ten years ago?” Michael muttered.

“So, it was all about payback, huh?” Liz asked as she dared Michael to actually say it was. “Because I had the audacity to hurt him. Because I wanted to see if there something out there for me than the daily dangers we were facing, given what we had just come back from you know, hell” she muttered. Now on a tangent. And with knowledge of what she could not say. “I wanted to see what was out there. Max knew this. So, that is the truth, isn’t it? You didn’t tell me because I left him?”

Shit Michael muttered.

And from the bar, Maria could see the tension rising between the two. Without knowing what her Space boy and best friend were saying, but she had enough gist to figure out that it could not be good. Leaving Michael alone to have a talk with Liz is never good she knew, given the situation.

So, she started to walk over, but got stopped by one of her waitresses, “Yes, Rena?” she asked as she was stopped from going over…

“So, is it that?” Liz was asking. “Payback?”

“Of course, not” Michael said through gritted teeth. “Why would it be?”

“I don’t know,” Liz murmured. “When, maybe, because we both know why,” she muttered. “Because I have to tell you that if were payback, then you that is proof that you never knew me” she muttered. “None of you knew me,” she mused. “So, why don’t you leave me alone,” she demanded. “I so need a drink” she said softly as she brushed past Michael and walked past Maria, who was answering a series of questions from one of the waitress.

Maria nodded, and Liz simply nodded.

She did not know what that meant, “If you need anything, find me” she said. “Closing time is approaching” she said “So, be choosy who you serve, or how much more you serve, okay?” as she left Rena and walked towards her husband. “Michael, what did you say to Liz?”

“Why do you think I might have said something?” Michael asked.

“I don’t know, maybe because I know you,” Maria muttered. “Michael, what did you say to her?”

“Nothing, okay, nothing” Michael muttered. “I was trying to get her to not take it out on you,” he said. “I told it was because of me, and because of Jim.”

“You did?” Maria asked.

“Yes,” Michael muttered. Don’t say I didn’t do anything for you he thought. Even though he knew that a lot of the current turmoil was on him.

“Then thank you,” Maria muttered. “I do appreciate it Space boy, but I doubt it will make much of a difference” Maria sighed. As she looked and saw Liz taking a beer from the bar and heading for a table. “She knows it was you, and mostly Jim who instigated it.”

“Well, thanks” Michael groaned.

“Well, it’s the situation, isn’t it?” Maria murmured. “None of us can make it any different than it is. Because did you think I was not going to tell her how it was,” she muttered. “So, yeah, we all know it,” she sighed. “And now we much deal with it.”

Michael nodded as he checked the clock on the wall as the music was still in full swing. “Closing time?”

“There is sometime still to go,” Maria murmured. “Go tell Ray to replenish your beer and take a break. And while you are at it. Leave my friendship with Liz alone, okay, because I appreciate that you wanted to help, but it’s all new, and the wound is very fresh, and you were only going to provoke more damage, when all we need is some time to figure it all out,” she sighed. “Okay?”

“Okay,” Michael nodded and walked to the bar.

Leaving Maria to decide what to do next, which was something she had no idea about…

*

Meanwhile,

None of them did. And Liz certainly did not as she sat by the stage. There were tables free by the bar, but she did not want to be by the bar. She wanted to be alone. She knew that closing time was probably approaching, but she was still too much in her head. Sighing, she knew she should be going home.

Home, what is that? she thought.

She did not know if Roswell was her home or not. Everything now was changed compared to what she had known just twenty-four hours ago. Prior to this, all she wanted was to get out of this town, and away from the memories. Away from the pain that came from thinking, not that it really helped because it followed me to Maryland she thought.

Maybe the pain was trying to tell me something she would think, because I know that Max is alive, and she knew it. Although she had yet to see him for herself, so how can I know?

My life could not be that messed up he thought for it not to be true.

But I have to see him and that is what Liz knew. But she did not know how to get what she wanted. Or for her life to make some semblance of sense, so she was still in the middle of a debate with herself and did not see some close to her, approach…

“Can we talk?” came a familiar voice, and it snapped Liz out of her trance, as she looked up. She did not know if it was the three beers she had chugged, quickly, but Maria was looking a little blurry.

I might have had too much she conceded, but then she did not want to be dealing with this… “Can we not?” Liz muttered. I do not need this “And say we did?”

“About Michael?” Maria asked.

“He’s your husband,” Liz muttered. “I don’t have anything to say about your husband.”

“Yes, he is.” Maria agreed. “I hope you know I did not ask for to fight for me,” she said softly as she could only sigh. But Liz also could not help but sigh and wish she did not have to be dealing with this, although she also knew that she had something to say. I know you didn’t ask him too she said softening Maria would never want Michael to fight her battles she knew. It was part of the attraction they had for each other, the ability to fight amongst themselves but fight their own battles. “I know you would never have asked him too,” she said softly. “You should know that your husband tried to defend you, and say it was all him. Or that was the inference in what he wanted to say if I had allowed him to say the words, and I know that is true. Because I know it was him, and it was Jim. After all, Jim carries more weight in this town than any of us.” it’s useless to go against what Jim wants for the situation.

No matter, if it was the right thing to do.

“Yes, he does” Maria agreed. “I would have told you, if I could and I do know that you would have told me if the roles were reversed?”

“Yes, I would” Liz sighed. “Which is why it’s so painful to know that you and Kyle kept it from me because I expect it almost from Isabel and even Michael because I am not their favorite person, and I never was, and they will always uphold Max and think that his safety would be the most important thing in the larger scheme of things,” she sighed. “They came up together, and so, it is to be expected. Even if I hate it because I have given up everything, Maria, I have done things for both of them. To keep them safe, and how do they repay me?”

“I know,” Maria murmured. It sucks! “So much changed, back…”

“Yes,” Liz sighed. The shooting changed everything she sighed as she thought of September 1999. “So, as much I hate them for it, it’s too be expected. But you and Kyle of all people. To not tell me. Even if I was not talking to you guys, send me a letter or something. Email or something and say it was confidential. But to know what you knew, and not to tell me?” she muttered. “That is hard to take, because if it was in my own shoes, I would have told you.”

“I know,” Maria sighed. Although if Max had told you not too, Maria sensed that her friend might have kept it from her. “I wanted to tell you.”

“I believe you,” Liz murmured.

“Thank you,” Maria murmured.

“But it’s still going to take me time to deal with it,” she sighed. “So much is different than it was…”

Maria nodded. “I know, and I am sorry.”

Liz nodded.

“I will give you space,” Maria murmured. “I am glad you were able to come anyways. You have been not able to see this place in a long time.”

“Yeah, forever” Liz said softly. “Looks like you are making it a success,” she said trying to be polite, and for a brief moment. She was happy for Maria because she had known for so long Maria had not been able to know what she wanted, with the exception of Michael, and therefore, this was something physical. A symbol of meaning in her life, and Liz was happy for her, despite the pain in her heart.

“More so every day” Maria said softly.

“I am glad,” Liz said. “You deserve the success you have built for yourself,” she acknowledged. I will always want Maria to be happy she knew.

“I appreciate it,” Maria smiled. Knowing at the same time that she needed to give her friend some space. And that at the end of the day, she might get her friend back because it had been nice for a split second there for her friend to actually be nice to her, for a change. “I will give you that space.”

Liz nodded as Maria walked away.

“Drink?” a passing waitress asked.

“Yup,” Liz said as she ordered another beer, and the night got more and more blurry.

In many more ways…

*

90 minutes later,
Closing time,

The crowds were almost gone. Maria and Michael were in the process of closing it all down. Liz had stayed simply, because she had called for a taxi because she knew she was too hammered to be able to drive. She knew her father or mother would be missing the car in the morning, especially with getting Callie to school. I was probably not thinking at the time when I wanted to make my getaway she thought.

Clearly, I am past thinking she knew.

Way too far gone she knew also knew, as the music was still playing as the DJ was saying, “One more song, we will be playing Bryan Adams “When You Love Someone”

Hearing the opening words, it made Liz want to be sick. Which is what she would say literally, “I am going to be sick” she muttered as she rushed out, past Michael and Maria who had come into the main area, and Maria heard the song, and she sighed as she looked over at her Space Boy, “Who picked that song Charles?” she muttered as she looked at the DJ.

It came out up the rotation, “We don’t want something to get them wanting to drink, right?”

“But this one,” Maria muttered as she turned to her Space boy husband. “It would probably get me to drink if I were Liz,” she sighed. “Should I go out and see how she is going to handle it?” she asked as she looked at her husband.


When you love someone
You'll do anything
You'll do all the crazy things
That you can't explain


“Let her go,” Michael suggested. Because they both knew the situation. And neither of them wanted to make it any worse for Liz than it already was. “Neither of us is too popular with her right now,” he sighed because the only reason he had stayed was to keep an eye on Liz because he could see was pouring down the drinks, and it was not going to end up good for any of them. Thankfully, she was a little more able to handle it.

Which made Michael wonder if Liz had any experience… But I am not going to go there…

“Yeah, I know, and I hate it” Maria murmured.

“She will be fine,” Michael muttered.

“I hope so,” Maria whispered as she and Michael worked on closing up. When someone probably should have been outside keeping an eye on the situation. But it was a messy situation.

While, outside, Liz knew she was not going to be okay. She literally was going to sick. As she weakly stood by the building, and vomited on the ground, “Shit,” she muttered. She knew she felt terrible, and she did not know how she was going to get home.

Back to her parent’s apartment.

But she knew how wasted she was, as she threw up once more. And the fact she was so wasted was unlike her, despite her past moments of weakness. She knew she had called for a ride, but she did not know if she could identify the driver who was coming to pick her up, as she tried to stand upright, but found herself vomiting again. Ugh she thought.

As the song continued to play out Liz’s nightmares… and reminded her of how it used to be.

You'll shoot the moon
Put out the sun
When you love someone

You'll deny the truth
Believe a lie
There'll be times that you'll believe
That you could really fly
But your lonely nights
Have just begun
When you love someone

When you love someone, Liz thought as she heard the music, and she was wanted to vomit once more but she could not do, you are in for a world of pain she muttered weakly out loud as she tried to stand up once more, and she was sure she saw a car come her way and stop.

When you love someone
You'll feel it deep inside
And nothin' else
Could ever change your mind
When you want someone
When you need someone
When you love someone


She knew what wanted, and what she needed. But she could not have him, she thought as she did not know who she was seeing. “You here for me?” she muttered with her eyes blurry, and unable to see straight. “I called you like forever ago…” she thought even though she had no idea what time it was…


When you love someone
You'll sacrifice
Give it everything you got
And you won't think twice
You'd risk it all
No matter what may come
When you love someone, yeah

You'll shoot the moon
Put out the sun
When you love someone

The world was spinning. As she tried to make the person stop spinning, but once did, she was sure she was had collapsed somewhere.

“Liz,” came the simple words.

Sweet words, to be spoken and to be heard by this person and yet Liz could not believe them. Or that she was hearing them from this particular person. As she stood feeling sick and totally drunk but in shock and unable to move, as she tried to move, but found that she could not. Oh god she whispered. “I must be in some insane asylum or something, and dreaming this,” she whispered. This must be a dream “Am I dreaming this…”

Fortunately, that would be a no.

But instead of calling the person by his name, she simply collapsed into the man’s arm.

And the man whose arms she had fallen into, had picked her up, and carried her away…

…into the woods, and away from civilization.

Without a warning to anyone.

[totallizfan]

Well I hope it's Max carrying Liz away.
Alcohol is not Liz's friend.
I hope Maria and Liz can get their friendship back on track.

[Parker1947]

Hours later,

And it would be indeed hours before anyone in her circle would think anything might be wrong. Although Liz might dispute it, if she had been conscious. Which she wasn’t. But back in Roswell, eventually there would be repeated knock on the door as Maria tried to slumber. Groaning as she was awaken. “Can’t you handle it?” she muttered half asleep, half awake to her husband. As it was very late by the time she and Michael had gotten home, and after some sexy times, you can never get too much with your sexy alien husband she thought, the sex is amazing she thought as in the aftermath, they finally drifted off to sleep, and now it was hours later. When she heard the repeated knocks, she turned, “Come on Michael, can’t you handle it. I had to work all night,” she muttered “You drunk beer,” she moaned, but sighing only because she saw that Michael was not in bed with her. Given that both of them had a long night, she was surprised that Michael was not trying to get some shut eye. Because as far as she knew, he had no pressing concerns to deal with at work, for now.

“Of course,” she muttered. “Michael” she yelled as she sat up in bed.

But she did not get a response because she heard the water running and then remembered that Michael had an early basketball game with Kyle. Something of a tradition when their schedules were light. Groaning. It meant that she had to get up and deal with the persistent knocking at the door. “I don’t need this,” she said as she wanted to crawl back into bed and deal with some more sleep until she had to go into the bar, and deal with inventory after a successful night.

Grabbing her robe, she put it on. “Thanks a lot Space boy,” she muttered. “I want to be sleeping,” she told herself as she walked downstairs, and when the doorbell came, she “Alright, alright, I am coming” she said as she pulled the door open. “Jeff?” she asked as she saw the surprise in seeing Liz’s father.

Jeff Parker did not come here to the house. Never had the need she thought. We always went there. As there was no need to bring the food here. “Jeff?” she asked.

“Where is my daughter?” Jeff asked as he saw his daughter’s best friend in her robe, even though it was now almost lunch. A lunch he should be supervising back at the restaurant. But Nancy was doing that honor, while she took care of this.

“What?” Maria murmured. Surprised by question as she rubbed her eyes, thinking she had mistaken the question. “Liz?”

“Yes, Lizzie” Jeff said. “Where is my daughter?”

“How would I know?” Maria murmured. “Is she not at your place, because that is where she should be?”

“You would think,” Jeff muttered. “But she did not come home last night Maria,” he sighed. “I saw her leave last night, but she nor my car did not come home. Why is that?” she asked. “I checked with Jim, and reports are that she was seen at your bar. So, why is she not at home?”

“God, I need coffee” Maria murmured and because she knew she would not be going back to sleep, god, I wish this was a dream she thought. “Come in,” she said as she checked the clock, and saw it was almost noon. Damn, I have to get to the bar. “I just got up, and I am not exactly human, so repeat that to me will you Jeff” she asked as she welcomed Jeff Parker into her home. “She has to be at home,” she asked. “Why is she not at your place?”

“That is what I want to be asking you,” Jeff murmured as he glanced at his daughter’s best friend. “What is going on here?” Jeff asked as she entered Maria and Michael home.

“Hell, if I know,” Maria muttered.

*

Several hours earlier,
Jeff and Nancy Parker’s apartment,
Over the Crashdown,

Jeff had a history of getting up before dawn, because he had a restaurant to open and he did not have his daughter working the early shift, neither did he have Maria, so that meant over the last decade, the duty of opening the doors for the morning shift had fallen onto him and a supply of trusted wait staff, but mostly it meant that he had to supervise the working staff of the early mornings. And of course, now with Callie in the house. School was in the offering, so both he and Nancy tended to get up early. As they got going so that they could make sure Callie got her day going. Which is exactly what was happening on this morning. Therefore, he was in the bathroom, as Nancy had gotten up to go make sure Callie was up and ready for breakfast. Jeff was taking his time getting ready, because it was not like he had to go far to get to his job. He was nothing thinking of anything in particular when his wife came back in short order. “Is Callie awake?” he asked, because the child sometimes was known to sleep in if she could manage it.

Rarely did it work.

“Getting dressed,” Nancy said softly as she looked at her husband. “Breakfast is on the stove, but honey, where is our daughter?”

“What do you mean?” Jeff as he stopped and turned to face his wife. “Is she not sleeping on the couch?” he asked, because he very much wished his daughter could be sleeping in her old room. Along with Callie. He could not understand why she was so insistent on sleeping on the couch since her return. The couch is uncomfortable he thought. No wonder she could not sleep last night he muttered.

Hopefully she was able to sleep he would have thought before now, although he was wise enough to know there were other reasons for why his daughter would be unlikely to be able to sleep. And it was not about the comfort of the family room couch. Which had not been replaced since before his daughter became a rebellious teenager.

Never needed too when it was only Nancy and I here in the apartment he would think but the concerning look on his wife’s face snapped him back to their conversation. Liz, he reminded himself. “Nancy?” he asked.

“No,” Nancy shook her head. “The living room, and the couch is empty Jeff,” she said softly. As it was the first thing she had noticed once she came out of the bedroom, and started to prepare breakfast for herself, and her husband and granddaughter. “And honey, the car keys are gone,” she said of the family car.

Something else I noticed she muttered to herself as she rushed back to find her husband.

Damn Jeff murmured.

“Have you checked to see if the car is actually there?” Jeff asked as he hated the sound of it. Of course, she would take my car he thought because they had sold Liz’s old car, once it had been fixed up, and at their daughter’s suggestion, they had put the funds in Callie’s college fund. So, it meant they only had one car. Because it had only been him and Nancy living as empty nesters until their granddaughter came to stay, and they had managed it because most of the opportunity. And because Jeff was tethered to the Crashdown. So, it meant it was Nancy who took the car more often than not, he would think. As he checked the clock and noted the hour. “She should have been back by now,” he sighed softly as he remembered seeing his daughter leave the apartment, after midnight. At the time, he figured that she was planning to go for a drive, because she had been unable to sleep. And because they lived in a small community, the drive would not have taken hours he would think.

“Yes, I did,” Nancy admitted. “But nope,” Nancy said. “It’s gone.”

“Okay” he said softly as he let out a deep sigh. “I will handle it,” Jeff murmured as he glanced int the mirror and wondered what his daughter was up too now, god Lizzie, what is going on?

“Honey, about Callie, and school?” Nancy asked. “She needs to get there?’

The burdens of only one car he would think. Because they had never needed it. After all, he had had been almost chained to the restaurant and it was usually Nancy who tended to go out, until the last few days when I brought our daughter back as he had kept the car at the airport. Because it was only a few days. “I guess I can call Isabel and see if she can come and pick her up,” Jeff sighed as he was quite aware that that Callie was in the same school as Ella and Noah Evans. Sometimes in the past, they had done that very thing. Even if the kids were in different grades. It was all pretty simply.

Being in a small town.

Nancy nodded. “That will be helpful. Let them know we can pick the kids up later when I head over to the school, that is that they would like, that is assuming we get the car back,” she said with a deep frown. “But where could our daughter be?” she asked.

“I have no idea,” Jeff sighed. “I will check with Jim.”

Nancy nodded and left the bathroom. “Oh Lizzie, where are you” Jeff sighed because he knew his daughter was a grown woman and could conduct her life how she wanted too, and I cannot have opinion that I will voice to her he knew but bringing his daughter back after her recent developments in her life had made his worry, and he had no idea of what his daughter would be doing.

And whether he truly should be worried.

As he walked into the living room, and Callie was now eating breakfast at the breakfast table. “Good morning sweetheart.”

“Where’s Mom?” Callie asked. Because the first thing she had seen was that her mother was not trying to sleep on the couch. She had figured that because of all her mother’s sleeping the day before, that she would be up early, so she was surprised not to see her mother, at all. “Where is she?”

I wish I knew, but I don’t know Jeff murmured but knew better than telling his eight-year-old granddaughter that he was not sure where her mother was. “She probably got up early,” he murmured as he latched onto the simply answer. One I hope is true.

It’s plausible he thought. Maybe she did go out.

And we don’t have to worry.

But of course, Jeff did worry. Liz always tended to make him do so. And he knew it could not be that simple.

“Earlier than this?” Callie asked referring to the time on the clock, as she was used to getting up early. Because of the restaurant, her grandparents were always on duty. Because Nancy sometimes helped during the early morning rush, and so she was used to over the summer if she wanted to see her grandparents, that getting up early was what was needed to do.

Now she had school. So, she had a reason to get up early. Although usually in her old life, it was not this early she thought.

But she was a child, so she had a lot more energy and could deal with the lack of sleep, better than those older.

“She’s been going through something…” Jeff said, unsure of how to phrase it to his granddaughter. Because they were both aware that her mother was going through something.

“I think I know that Grandpa,” Callie smiled.

“Smart alec,” Jeff smiled, and it was good to smile. Callie brings joy into the apartment again he thought. “You have to give your mother a little time,” he said. “Because she has always had a way of getting through it all in her own time and using her own process. She probably needed to go out and do some errands.”

“I guess,” Callie said. Knowing not to question her grandfather any further, what is open at this hour she would think but knew better than to ask this to her grandfather. “Okay,” she said. “How am I going to get to school?” because she had overheard her grandmother make a comment about the family car.

“I am going to call Ella and Noah’s aunt and see if she or Kyle could pick you up” Jeff said softly as he went to the phone. “You would not mind that, right?”

“I have to get to school somehow,” Callie smiled. “Or I could always take this as a off day?” she said with a laugh. “Like I need to deal with my math test?”

Jeff laughed. Because he knew that his granddaughter was not that serious because he knew Callie liked her school. And her studies, she is very like Lizzie she thought as her grades showed it. But he could not help but momentarily pause as he briefly dealt with the remembrance of the truth in regard to Callie, and how she was his granddaughter. Jeff tried not to dwell on the past, and especially the pain in his heart. I might not have known her father but still hurts to not to have known him.

Of course, he had known how messed up he had been at one time. Causing the scenario of why he had not been told about Callie’s father.

“Do you want me to call Ella?” Callie asked.

“No, I can handle it,” Jeff murmured. As he went to the phone, “I have to make another call anyways,” he sighed as he dialed Isabel and arranged for her to come and pick Callie on the way over to the school to drop the twins off. Because Kyle was busy. “I appreciate it Isabel,” he said as he hung up and turned and face his granddaughter. “All arranged. Go get ready. She will be here in half hour or so.”

Callie nodded and rushed off.

While Jeff could not help but sigh as he watched his granddaughter go off, he turned back to the phone and dialed. Looking at the clock. He was not sure if Jim would be in the office yet, but he had to try. “I need to take to Sheriff Valenti, this is Jeff Parker” he said softly as Nancy came out of the bedroom and stopped to listen to his call. “Callie’s ride is arranged.”

“She told me,” Nancy sighed as Jeff waited for Jim to come on the line. “Yes, Jim. This is Jeff Parker, and I need your assistance” he said quickly. “My daughter did not come home last night, and Nancy and I are not sure whether we should be concerned or not” he sighed. “She took the car,” as he ratted out the license plate number. “My assumption is that she could not sleep, and left, but I figured she went for a drive. But when we got up this morning. She was not here in the apartment. Yes, I know that it could mean anything. She could have gone somewhere by her own power, and maybe that is what I afraid of because my daughter is going through a lot these days, and her judgment might not be completely there” he sighed. “So, if you could be on the lookout,” he asked. “I don’t really think she’s in danger, but this is a small town,” he shivered. “You can never be too sure, and my daughter does not know of all the changes the town has gone through,” he sighed, of the fact that Liz was only newly returned. “Thank you,” he said as he got off the phone and looked at his wife.

“Well?” Nancy asked.

“He will put some feelers out,” Jeff sighed.

Nancy only sighed as she left, and Jeff proceeded to finish getting ready for the day. And it was about fifteen minutes later, as he was preparing to head downstairs to the restaurant to open up, when he got the call. “Are you sure it’s the car?” he said softly. “Thank you,” he said quickly. “No, I will arrange to go pick it up” he said. “I appreciate the effort,” he said softly as he got off the phone and looked at Nancy who was in the kitchen. “The car has been located at Cow Patties.”

“Maria’s place?” Nancy asked.

“Yes,” Jeff said softly. “Only the car. One of Jeff’s deputies did check, and it’s empty.”

“What about Liz?” Nancy asked.

“The assumption is that she probably went to the bar because Maria was there and probably got a lift somewhere else. Maybe even back to Maria and Michael’s place, because she might have been drinking too much,” he said. “Thinking the car was safe, which it is.”

“Liz, Jeff” Nancy murmured. “Getting a lift somewhere is not actually calm inducing?”

“I know,” Jeff sighed. Oh, I know. “Which is why I did say that she probably went to Maria’s” he murmured with tons of hope, but less certainty. Because he had been aware of the tension between the friends the day before, and therefore, he was unsure of what it all meant. Then he picked up the phone again and tried the Deluca/Guerin household. But he did not get any answer. “No answer,” he sighed “They probably had a late night, so I’ll go over there later…”

Nancy nodded as they spotted Callie watching them. “All ready,” she said quickly as she tried to mask the concern on her face. “We should take you downstairs,” she said simply. And Callie, knowing that something was not right with her mother but knowing that her grandparents were not going to be telling her. So, she allowed them to cover.

As Jeff could only sigh, as he went downstairs and opened the restaurant for the morning shift. And it was later, after the morning rush was finished, that he managed to get over to Cow Patties and pick up the car, and on the way back, he continued to talk to his wife and Liz had yet to show up.

Worried. And needing answers, he decided to stop by the Guerin household.

Aware that it was getting towards lunch and sighing when he knocked repeatedly and got nothing. He saw the car was in the driveway, but it did not mean they would be at home. Although he sensed if they had been working at the bar at all during the night then they would be sleeping in.

Finally, the door opened. And second later, “Where is my daughter?”

*

Now,

Jeff was looking at his daughter’s best friend. Someone he had seen grow up, from before they were Callie’s age. Ever since the girls had gravitated to each other as young girls, and for a time, they would have a third musketeer in Alex Whitman attached to their hips. But tragically, that cord had been severed during high school but fortunately for his daughter, the same cord that brought his daughter and Maria Deluca together had never been snapped. Not even during their tumultuous teen years, it actually probably brought them together instead of apart he thought.

As he tried not think of the reasons for that he muttered to himself. Because he was in denial over a lot of the insight that he had gathered from his daughter’s journal. After all, it had been easy enough to ignore when his daughter came back to town, and then promptly moved on, away from Roswell. It was all too crazy to be true he thought and wanted to write it down as his daughter being imaginative. And certainly, his daughter was imaginative, true, but she was very logical and a scientist to her very core, so she was not some fiction writer.

Jeff wanted to ignore it.

Because it was easier too. And it had been without his daughter at home. And not having to witness the daily drama that had filled her days before her departure. Because Max was not coming in with great frequency, and if he did, only on occasion. It was easy to move on as if those three years had not happened. Because his daughter was not around to worry about trying to achieve her dreams. And he did not have to worry so much. Of course, there were worries, but they seemed very normal and tame compared to what happened in her senior year of high school he thought.

“What is going on here Maria?” Jeff Parker asked, and he assessed his daughter’s best friend. “Is my daughter here?” he asked softly. “Is she sleeping it off?”

She’s sleeping it off somewhere Maria guessed, but not here she thought of what she had witnessed the night before. “Why would you think that?” she wondered. “Is Liz not at home?” she asked as she racked her brain to the closing moments at the bar. “She should be at home,” she said softly. “Are you telling me that she is not here,” she sighed. There is no way she would come here, even if I had asked her, she knew. So, it was pointless to even ask.

“What is going on?” Jeff asked again. “My daughter cannot have disappeared, can she?” he asked. “I saw her going out last night. I assume she was heading for a drive, because she could not sleep. But when we awoke this morning, she was not at home,” he said softly. “Then I get word from Jim that my car was at your bar,” he sighed. “I go out there, and it’s all locked up, and my daughter is nowhere to be seen,” he asked. “No trace whatsoever.”

“Well, she’s not here,” Maria said softly as she looked confused. I AM confused. “I don’t know where she could be if she’s not at your place” she murmured as she tried to figure out why her friend would not be at home.

Because she had been so sure that Liz had gone home. When she and Michael had come out of the bar not long after Liz had run out, looking like she was going to be sick because of that stupid song, she thought of the unpredictable way for the night to end. But once she and Michael had finished closing up, and left, they had not seen Liz still there.

Sure, we saw the car, but we just assumed that she took the cab. But it was not the only car to be left behind, she thought. It is kind of expected if you run and operate a bar, and you have intoxicated people on occasion. “I heard from one of waitresses that Liz had called a cab, because she had been drinking.”

“You let my daughter drink?” Jeff asked with a concerning look on his face. That is not good.

“She was not going to be detoured, because she came to my bar for a reason,” Maria murmured. Yes, I know I should have probably put some controls on her drinking she thought of her friend. But she was not going to listen to me and if she knew I was pulling strings given my power of owning the bar, well, it would make things worse.

“Maria…” Jeff murmured.

“Your daughter is a big girl Jeff, and you cannot control her. She’s not eighteen anymore,” she sighed. “She has her own mind, and she will do what she wants.”

Obviously…

“I think I know that” Jeff muttered as Michael chose this time to walk down the stairs behind them. “Michael?” he said with politeness.

Acknowledging Jeff with a nod. “What is going here?” Michael asked. As he had taken a shower after early morning basketball game with Kyle. Because it had been a ritual even when Max had been around, and something we had kept up so that we could talk about sensitive matters in a friendly game. After it finished up, he came home and found his wife still in bed. And he figured she needed her rest, so he hopped into the shower, and was surprised to see that she had awoken when he had gotten out and come back into the bedroom.

And heard the voices… so he had come to investigate and saw that Jeff Parker was talking to his wife, and the tone of the conversation was not an easy one. “Is there is a problem?”

“Yes, there is” Maria said softly. “Michael, Liz did not go home last night,” Maria murmured to her husband.

“Are you sure?” Michael asked, not sure if he was addressing the question to his wife or Jeff.

Jeff laughed for a moment, because it was a funny question, before of course the laughter died. “My place is not some palace,” Jeff sighed as he looked around at the home Michael and Maria shared together. “It’s pretty easy to know if my daughter came home or not,” he said softly. “She sleeps on the couch, so it’s very evident that she was not home this morning.”

“She’s sleeping on the couch?” Maria asked, slightly surprised. She could not really remember if she knew or not.

“She said she did not want her to sleep in her old room,” Jeff said softly. “I don’t know why not?”

“Memories,” Maria said softly and quickly because she got it. And because she was aware that Jeff was under the impression that Max was dead. Due to an event that had rocked this town. Like everyone else in this town still assumes she thought, so it tempered what she could reveal. “A lot of memories of that bedroom is tied up with Max…”

“Oh,” Jeff said softly. “I don’t think I want to know…”

Maria could only smile. “You don’t have to worry it was all pretty G rated” she laughed. “Mostly,” she cracked. Most of the “not” being much more than any sexual shenanigans she mused to herself. Life would have been easier for them, if they had… “But still, because of what has gone down of late, she has a lot of memories, good and bad tied to that room, and her balcony.”

Jeff nodded. “So, Maria you especially, know why it’s so apparent that my daughter did not come home last night, and I called Jim, and he put some feelers out and found the car at your bar Maria, so I know she went there, but I figured she came here, with you at some point,” he asked. “Because she did not want to disturb her mother or I, and especially Callie.”

Maria only shook her head. I wish she would have…

“So, where is my daughter?” Jeff asked.

“I wish I knew,” Maria said softly. “I really do wish I knew.”

“What is going on Maria?” Jeff asked. “Where is my daughter?’

“You know what is going on,” Maria murmured. “What more can I say. Jeff, she misses Max, and she’s been having a tough time coming to a grip with what has happened,” she said softly stopping because she knew she was hypocrite given all she did know, “It’s as simple as that,” was all she could repeat. “She is having a hard time.”

“Obviously, I know that” Jeff muttered. “So, I have to ask, is there something more that I am not aware of?”

“What do you mean?” Michael muttered, wondering if they were getting into a tricky situation. One that was perilous, probably he and his wife would think.

“You know, I try not to notice” Jeff murmured as his patience had snapped. Because he knew something had to be up and there was so much that they were not telling me, I have had too much experience with it to take it now.

“What do you mean?” Maria asked, this time.

“Everything,” Jeff muttered.

Maria and Michael waited for Jeff to go on, and for the other shoe to drop. As they did not know what Jeff was getting at. It could be anything they knew.

“Whether it was the disagreement that you and my daughter were clearly having yesterday,” Jeff asked. “Or is the greater cause that I try to ignore,” he sighed. “That goes back to my daughter’s teen years. As well as yours Maria. Because I know something went on back then. I probably know more than you want me to do, and I mostly choose to ignore it and try to believe that it was all some imaginative teen drama because it has been easy to this past decade. With my daughter gone, and the nightmares lessening, but things are stirring up again. So, I have to ask if any of it plays into whatever was going on with my daughter?” Jeff asked. “And last night?”

Maybe Maria conceded, as she looked at her husband, and they sighed deeply. Because it is not that Jeff is ranting at us, she thought, and bringing up a subplot that he should not even know about Maria murmured. Sure, she knew that Liz had sent her journal back home, but then everything happened the way it did, and they were back in Roswell before long. So, it was easy to allow it all to go away and ignore and move on like he would not know their deepest secrets. And have their parents operate under “Don’t ask, don’t tell” so she simply sighed and pretended that Jeff had not said what he had just said. “Yesterday was a private matter,” she muttered. “That is all I can say about it, Jeff, I wish I could, but I can’t.”

“Are you sure?” Jeff wondered.

“Yes, she is.” Michael said quickly and Jeff’s eyebrows were raised.

“Michael is right,” Maria murmured. “It is not on us to tell you what is going on with your daughter,” she sighed. “We had a disagreement. They happen, especially if you are as close as Liz and I have been, and we will get past it,” she said. Hopefully she sighed because she was not so sure that she and Liz would be able to get past it. “It’s not something to get into right now. Because it does not give us any answers into what is going on now with Liz.”

“Where is my daughter?” Jeff asked, knowing full well that Maria and Michael were being secretive, it’s all so blatant.

“I wish I could tell you,” Maria murmured softly. “If I knew, I would have told you. As we have mentioned. Liz and I had that slight disagreement yesterday, and therefore I would be the last place she would want to come too, and she chose to come to my bar last night because she needed to drink. Maybe I should not have served her, but she was going to get around me. And I do know she was there at closing, but once we left ourselves, she was gone. And we assumed that she got into that cab that we heard had been called for her. So, we were left to believe that she was going home.”

“But she did not,” Jeff said.

“We know that now,” Maria murmured. We did not know it at the time. “So, I suggest that you give your daughter time. Because she needs time. For a whole host of reasons. Maybe she’s somewhere, some motel or something, sleeping it off. After all, she probably did not want to make noise by returning home, especially in the condition she was in, with you guys sleeping, and Callie. Because as you said, you have a small apartment. So, she went somewhere else. Which means that she will be home later. Once she wakes up. But if you would like it, Michael and I will look into it for you, if you want us too.”

“Can you?” Jeff said. “Tell her that her mother and I want her at home.”

Maria nodded.

“Thank you,” Jeff murmured. “I have to get back to the restaurant. I was only supposed to be getting the car. Nancy is supposed to be helping out at Callie’s school this afternoon” he muttered.

Maria nodded.

“If you find my daughter…” Jeff asked.

“I will make sure she gets home,” Maria murmured. “Personally” Whether she likes it or not.

Jeff acknowledged the promise with a slight smile to say thank you. As he prepared to turn back to the door, but before he said. “About that other stuff I said…”

“Forget it,” Michael said quickly.

“A lot went down…” Jeff asked. “Us parents do know things…”

“Yes, it did” Maria murmured. “And yes, we know…” she said as she glanced at her husband who nodded. “We appreciate the secrets that you have kept all these years. Knowledge that was known.”

Jeff sighed. Why would we want to make waves when we knew the collateral damage he thought. Our children, he would mutter to himself. Lizzie was in the middle of it, and then she was gone, and so it was easy to go back to acting as if it was an ordinary group of people. “All I want is my daughter to be happy,” he said softly.

“That is all we want too” Maria murmured.

“She’s so unhappy,” Jeff commented as he turned to head for the door. “So, let me know if you find out anything” he said with a quickness as he departed from the house, and it only left Maria and Michael to look at each other.

“Space boy, the million dollar question,” Maria muttered. “Where is she? she asked. “Where is Liz?” she asked Michael.

I have no idea Michael murmured to himself. “She has to be somewhere here in town, some motel or something, right,” he asked. “It is a small town, right?” Michael asked. “And she happens to hate most of us, right now…” for secrets kept.

Yes, I know. “Which makes you wonder…” Maria murmured. Petunia, where the hell are you?

That was a good question.

*

Hours later,

And it was a question that was not easily solved because it was evident by the end of the day when Callie was returning home with her grandmother that Liz had vanished. If she was sleeping it off, no one close to her knew where she could be. The Sheriff department was alerted but there was little they could do before they gave the requisite hours to wait. After all, Jim had been burned once before when he went gung ho before he had cause too and certainly, he knew the players in this drama.

And he felt that if you gave Liz some time, she would eventually come back, he would tell his son and Maria when they called him up personally to intercede and at least have someone go out and look for her. Comb the woods or check the few town motels.

“Sorry,” Jim would say at the request. “I am sure she’s fine. You saw her, and she had some drinks…” he commented.

Drinks, which makes this all the more dangerous. Maria murmured. I know how she was when she was drunk at boarding school.

If I had not been there, who knows what might have happened, she told the air around her as she talked into the phone. “That is what I am afraid of,” Maria murmured. “She could be anywhere. She is mad at the world right now, and that makes it risky for her right now,” she muttered. “Liz is capable of everything when she’s feeling down on the world, and when it’s not making sense for her.” And so, yeah, when she’s down, then that is dangerous.

Jim sighed from his side of the conversation. “You are probably right, but I am stuck. Legally, I cannot do anything unless she’s missing longer, so if she does not show up by tomorrow, then yes, I will have someone go out” Jim reasoned. “But I have to remind you that I lost my job last time I got in the middle of something, when I should have waited, for more precise information.”

“That was different, and you know it” Maria murmured of the situation during junior year. Isabel got the ID of the girl wrong… But she had a weak answer, and both of them knew it, and she knew deep down that Jim was right. Because assuming that Liz was sleeping it off, then putting manpower and department resources into something that was meaningless in the end would not help anything, especially with Jim close to retirement.

But it did not mean Jim was not willing to help off the books, and so he and Michael went out, and did some looking. But they could find nothing.

Upsetting Maria more and more.

As she handed off opening, running the bar to her trusted deputy, and stayed close to home. Because he had a bad feeling that this would end up being a big drama.

So, Nancy and Callie returned to The Crashdown. They would see that Liz was still a no show. “Where is Mommy?” Callie asked her grandfather as she came downstairs once she was home. Ella and Noah were both at one of their practices, so, she was alone. And it was clear that she was worried about her mother. “You told me that she was out doing some errands?”

“She might be,” Jeff weakly said as he spent the afternoon in the restaurant, and in the backroom and making calls to the hotels around town, and outskirts, but no one resembling his Lizzie had asked for a room.

“All day?” Callie asked.

“There are errands that can take up your day,” Jeff murmured, weakly.

“Mommy is not like that,” Callie murmured. “She always makes time for me,” she muttered. Until she didn’t, she thought of the last three months.

When Mommy has been a funk.

“Your mother is fine,” Jeff said softly as the door opened, and he breathed a sense of relief because his granddaughter would have a diversion from the answers that he was unable to give her. “Looks like Noah is here.”

“Really?” Callie asked as she turned. “Hey,” she said softly as she smiled at Noah. “I thought you had swim practice?”

“It was cancelled at the last minute,” Noah murmured. “Ella has her dance lesson, so Aunt Isabel is picking her up, so I am supposed to wait for them to come. Uncle Kyle might show up, but he seems to be busy.”

“Why?” Callie asked.

“With something regarding your mother,” Noah said as she looked at Callie’s grandfather.

“What is this about my mother?” Callie asked.

Interceding quickly, “How about you go over to the booth,” Jeff said softly as he wanted to get the kids away from talking. Because it could be anything. “Look at a menu or something…”

“Do you know what is going on with my mother?” Callie asked, obviously on the scent of something because it was more than a little clear that the adults around her knew more than they were willing to tell her. She was too smart to take the “errand” excuse at face value, sure she might have gone out, but I know my mom, and she would have been back by now. So, yeah, she knew the adults were deliberately keeping her in the dark.

“You probably don’t have to worry about that…” Jeff said quickly as he walked the kids over to the booth. “Right, Noah?” he asked because the last thing he wanted was for his granddaughter to be overly concerned.

Too late.

“Right,” Noah said as Jeff nodded, and walked off.

Callie only grumbled. “Why won’t they tell me what is going on?” she muttered as she and Noah sat in the booth, and she looked over at her friend. “I know something is up,” she sighed. “They are keeping something from me about my mother.”

“Probably because something is probably up,” Noah murmured as he remembered how the house was buzzed with activity when he got home from school, and his botched lesson only to see that his uncle was very upset about something, and he heard curses from both him and his aunt about Callie’s mother. “They won’t tell me either what is going on, which is why I came here, while Aunt Isabel went to pick up my sister.”

Callie nodded. “I don’t know where my mother is?” she muttered.

“Maybe she is with my father,” Noah muttered, half in jest and maybe half seriously, and a look of instant alarm flew onto Callie’s face.

Oh shit…

[totallizfan]

Noah....does he know his father is alive?
Callie thinks Max is dead...so she wouldn't want her mother to be with Max.
Where ever Liz is I hope she's safe.
Wouldn't want her in the grips of Yvonne.
Has Sean returned?
Still hoping Max found a way to get to Liz.

[Parker1947]

Noah knew what he had done. Oh, shit he muttered to himself. Because he could see the alarm on Callie’s face, and therefore, he knew that he had stepped in it this time. And tried desperately to get out of it. “Sorry, I didn’t really mean it like that,” was all he could think to say because he knew full well what his twin sister’s suspicions were in regard to their father, and while he tried to ignore it and try to be blissfully unaware of what it could mean. Still, down deep, he wondered if his sister was onto something. Because after all, he knew how perceptive his sister was.

Most of the time.

She is going to be big trouble when she gets older, he knew, and he had heard his aunt tell his uncle’s Kyle and Michael, and it was something they all could agree. Ella is untapped in all she can do. And so, Noah knew they were onto something with what he did know of his sister’s abilities.

And I am going to be in trouble if anyone knows what I have implied to Callie Noah knew as he looked at the girl across from her, “Sorry,” he said again with a whisper. “I did not mean for it sound like it did.”

But you said it, Callie muttered to herself. You cannot take something like that back “You think my mother is with your father?” Callie asked with fear in her eyes.

Maybe Noah thought, but not for the reason that she might think he sighed. “I did not mean it.” he said simply.

“Then what did you mean?” Callie asked with a weary look in her eyes. I think you knew what you were saying she muttered to herself.

Unfortunately, Noah was at a loss to explain. Because he did not really subscribe to his sister’s suspicions for fear that they would be wrong, and where would that get us? he would ask about what might happen were they to be wrong, probably a lot of pain, and maybe in front of a shrink he thought.

Because he knew that his teachers at school thought they should be seeing someone. Given we have lost both parents. But his family were against it, and so he and Ella tried to keep it sane over these last months, so they were the least of the worries confronting their aunt, and grandparents. Because the twins knew they could be a real big problem if they tapped into what they could do, but they knew enough at their age to know they should be on the down low. And find an outlet in other ways, which is why Isabel signed them up for sports or activities over the summer. And they were continuing now that school was back in session.

And he liked it, so he did not have to think.

And why that was one of the reasons why he did not think his sister was on the right path. But then another side of me wonders because my family is bizarre.

On a good day he thought with a shudder.

You don’t have to be special like us, to be bizarre in Noah’s mind.

He and Ella knew what their stepmother was believed to have done to their father, which is why we don’t see her anymore. And we really don’t want to see her.

They knew that she had vanished.

So, it made for a messy family, and he and Ella were deemed too young to really know the truth. But of course, the twins were Max’s children and therefore they knew more than they should, you find out a lot by eavesdropping he knew.

When they do not think you are around.

But now he had to deal with Callie. “It’s complicated.”

“I know complicated,” Callie murmured. “So, why don’t you try to explain it to me?” she said softly. “You really think my mother might be you know, gone…”

“Of course not,” Noah murmured. “As I said, I did not mean what I said, and I am sorry if that is how you took it.” Oh crap, what did I mean he asked himself. But he did not know the answer as he looked at the girl who was only a year younger than him.

And they both were so young to be experiencing this type of situation.

Something that no one should have to experience.

Especially not an eight-year-old or a nine-year-old.

“Come on Noah,” Callie whispered so that no one, particularly her grandfather could hear as she saw Jeff was observing them yet moving around among the restaurant and the patrons. “I want to know.”

“I don’t know what I mean, it’s really Ella’s deal” Noah muttered. You should be talking to her about this he muttered to himself, why does it have to me?

Because I believe Dad is dead.

“What is?” Callie wondered. Because this was not something she had really talked about with Ella. We talk about other stuff.

“She does not want us to talk about it,” Noah muttered. “And really, I don’t really believe it,” he sighed. “Mostly.”

“What don’t you believe?” Callie asked. “If this is about my mother. Then I should know. She’s scaring me right now, you know, because she’s acting so odd. And that is not like her. As long as I have known my Mom, she’s been the most put together person I know. I like that about her. My other friends have families that are dysfunctional in some way,” to put it mildly she thought. “But Mommy has always been there for me, especially given my real parents are dead.”

“God,” Noah muttered. “I should not have said anything. Sorry…”

“You keep saying that, but you have now said it, so tell me, what is going on. You think my mother is gone to be with your father?” Callie asked. Scaring herself at the utterance of the words. Because it meant the worst.

After all, she knew how much her mother cared about Noah’s father, and he’s dead, right? she asked herself. So, if my mother is with him?

“No, yes, no, I don’t know okay” Noah muttered at he hated the pressure of what he had now stepped in, because he was at a loss to explain it. It is all so much bigger than me he told himself. I am only nine after all. “As I said, it’s Ella’s deal. It’s what she believes, and I mostly ignore her, and try to believe the party line.”

“What do you mean?” Callie asked. “Party line?”

“The story they tell us kids,” Noah muttered. “Ella and me, and you know the town.”

“What?” Callie asked with confusion in her eyes. “You are not making any sense,” she muttered.

Believe me, it is a senseless story Noah murmured. It is hard to believe any of it he thought. It’s some soap opera that Aunt Isabel loves to watch But he knew he had to say something to Callie because of what he had implied, which would only now give the girl questions. Questions he did not have any answers too, so he knew he was creating a whole mess.

But he had to say something. “Ella believes our Dad to be alive,” Noah said softly.

Stunning Callie. Is that even possible she thought. How is that possible she wondered. “Isn’t it impossible for someone not to be dead when everyone believes them to be?” Callie wondered.

“You would think” Noah muttered. Normally yes, but in my family. “Which is why I believe it, even knowing how crazy my life is, and my family for that matter.”

“Your Dad is alive?” Callie asked.

“Quiet, please, it’s not something we can talk about” Noah muttered. “Because as I said, I don’t believe it.”

But did he?

But naturally, it was too late, because someone had already overheard the words. And it was a person that was too stunned to think straight as Jeff Parker stood behind his granddaughter and Max’s son, Noah. As Noah knew it too as he looked up because of course he would think to himself as he saw that Callie’s grandfather had overheard, Shit he muttered to himself because he knew the adults did not like hearing him curse, and swear.

“You cannot tell anyone,” Noah said softly.

“I promise,” Callie murmured.

“What did you just say?” Jeff Parker said, superseding his granddaughter’s promise. Because it was not something he could believe, but maybe it is he also told himself.

“I don’t want to talk about it,” Noah muttered. “I should not have said something,” he stammered. “Because obviously, I have said too much, but I didn’t mean it. It just came out,” he said trying to cover it up. “It’s nothing,” he tried to say. “Everything is the way it should be. Dad is dead. Oh god, I have to go to the bathroom,” he said as he rushed out of the booth, and in the direction of the bathrooms.

Leaving both Callie and a much older Jeff Parker stewing, and pondering, “Grandpa, can it be true?” she asked as she turned to face her grandfather.

“I have no idea,” Jeff sighed because he knew this was a whole new brand thing, like we need something brand new he mused to himself, and he also knew the last thing he should be talking about Noah and Ella’s maybe dead father with his eight-year-old granddaughter. “Let me deal with it.”

“Will you?” Callie asked.

“Yes,” Jeff muttered. It might be the only way I can get some answers into all this mysterious drama that is messing with my daughter. “Don’t you worry about it.”

“Okay,” Callie murmured.

*

Outside,

Isabel was pulling up to the Crashdown with her niece. Ready to pick up Noah or at least have an early dinner. Kyle was going to meet them, or that was the plan because he was in tizzy back at the house she knew, so she was not all that convinced that he would be meeting them, but she had texted him to remind of his promise to join them. A few hours, you can do it Kyle she had written.

He responded that he would try.

But no promises.

Sighing, Isabel could only hope they would get some semblance of normalcy soon, and getting out of the car, she and Ella walked but before they were able to go in, Jeff Parker walked out. “Can we talk?” he asked of Max’s sister. Cutting off her attempts to enter his establishment.

This is not what I need “Sure,” Isabel said and looked down at her niece. “Go inside and find your brother” was all she said to the child who nodded. Even though Ella had some sense that this was not going to be a good conversation. But was not that interested in it, and plus, she wanted to see Callie, and she wanted to see her brother, and not deal with adult drama. Because the house had been full of it since early that morning.

When Jeff Parker had started making calls, looking for his daughter.

Ella sighed and walked through the doors while her aunt looked at Liz’s father. “What is it Mr. Parker?”

“You can call me Jeff; you have been part of this establishment for many years” Jeff murmured. “And your brother meant the world to my Lizzie,” he muttered given how close his daughter was to the Evans clan, for good and for bad.

And it definitely went both ways over the years.

“But he’s gone,” Isabel said as the lie came off the tip of the tongue. And she did not know whether to be proud of the fact such a lie could come off her tongue so easily these days. It shouldn’t she thought, but it does. “We come because the kids enjoy it, and they are friends with Callie.”

Jeff nodded. “And I appreciate the friendship they have with my granddaughter,” Jeff said. “She needs some friendly faces in this town,” he smiled because he did liked that his granddaughter could have some friends, and she is meeting new ones every day he thought which is good, since we don’t know how long she will be staying he thought because he did not know how long his daughter would be staying. And now this news about Max.

It changes everything Jeff told himself. But what did it mean? Which is why he had come to Isabel. “But we both know that your brother is not that far gone, is he?” he thought as he threw the bombshell, right there, seeing if it would go off.

And have the desire effect.

Shit Isabel murmured. I don’t want to be dealing with this she muttered. “My brother is dead Jeff,” she sighed. “I may not want it to be true, but it’s true” she lied. “It’s a fact of life.”

“Is he?” Jeff asked with eyes that were widening. And Isabel now knew that Jeff knew something, and she could only groan, What does he know? She asked. This is so not what I needed she thought as she chose to come to Crashdown to please the children because it was their favorite restaurant, and it was easier than putting together a meal at the house.

Isabel had never grown into being a homemaker like her mother was, my cooking skills have gotten slightly better than those early days with Jesse she thought of how ill-equipped she had been to be a wife, in so many ways that went beyond pleasing my husband in the bedroom.

Which was something that was easy to do.

The other parts of marriage. The day-to-day routine was more difficult she remembered. As she had gotten out of her parent’s home before she had learned to cook. So, while she had gotten better, she still was not the cook her mother was or had been.

If I had been, I could be home she thought of a way out of this mess. But nope, I am here, and Jeff is on the scent about something she thought.

“We buried him,” Isabel murmured as she tried to keep the lie going of her brother’s demise. “I was there, and I saw it myself” she sighed. “And so did your daughter.”

Which is why my daughter went and had a nutty… “But he’s actually alive, isn’t he” Jeff said softly, very softly so that no one could hear as they moved over to the side of the restaurant, near the stairs to the apartment above. Fortunately for them, they were alone.

Thankfully, for the moment, they were…

But they were walking a very thin line. The longer they were in this conversation.

And both of them knew it.

“Jeff,” Isabel murmured as she quickly looked around to see if anyone was around them to overhear, but fortunately for them both, they were both alone, but it was something she would rather short-circuit with the knowledge of being watched, but unfortunately for Isabel, they were alone. Shit she would curse.

“You have lied to my daughter, haven’t you?” Jeff asked as he was quickly putting two and two together and getting the truth of the matter. “Is that why she was so upset with Maria yesterday? Those two are thick of thieves, as close as sisters and they were going at it and the tension was thick.”

“Friends fight. It is not always going to be rosy” Isabel muttered. She might not have many friendships like the one that Liz and Maria shared, but still I know friends fight, as she frantically was trying to get a handle on this escalating conversation. “Where did you get any of this?” she asked. “Did your daughter say something?” she wondered. God, Liz did you have to go to your father?

I thought we could trust you Isabel muttered to herself and knew what kind of hypocrite it made her, to think this, because of what they had purposely kept from her brother’s former flame.

“No, Lizzie has not said anything to me,” Jeff muttered with real anger on his face “She knows how to keep your secrets.”

Yes, I know Isabel murmured as she thought of the many secrets, they had that were bubbling under the surface. Some had popped up, but they had also popped on down. Which is why it was insane for them to pay Liz back in this way. But still, she had a façade, and a story they would have to maintain, no matter the consequences. “It’s not true Jeff,” she sighed. “Why would you believe such a thing?”

“I would love to be oblivious to it, and believe the story you have told the town, and I was until about ten minutes ago. Because I just had to witness your nephew implying to my granddaughter that her mother has gone to join his father.” Jeff murmured. “And I had to overhear those words.”

Shit Isabel muttered. This is not how it should be.

“Of course, Callie thought what you know what this town believes. And what I thought. So, of course it naturally would alarm my granddaughter.” Jeff murmured of the conversation he had casually overheard. As he had been observing the patrons and come onto the conversation.

One that stunned him.

“Noah should not have said anything” Isabel sighed. Damn it, Noah. “I am sorry Jeff.”

But Jeff was not in the mood for any attempt at sorry. “No, he should not have but of course he is a kid, and sometimes kid cannot help them with what they will express, and once he said the words, he could tell what was implying to my granddaughter and it was not just a case of kids saying the darndest things, because he had to explain what he had meant. That Ella believes her father to be you know… alive.”

Fuck Isabel murmured to herself. Sure, she had known this. But the dreaded secret or lie that should be locked away was suddenly moving around with warp speed, and the carnage was spreading. “Jeff.”

“Don’t, okay, don’t” Jeff sighed as he could see that Isabel was trying to think of how to fix it, with another lie. “Noah made it seem that he does not believe it, but I think it’s more of a case that he does not know what to believe because you told him that his father was gone. You told this whole town didn’t you, and you are keeping to this town. You allowed my daughter to believe it, and to leave this town and have a nervous breakdown because she loves your brother so much, and you told such a despicable lie.”

“Jeff…” Isabel muttered.

“Don’t,” Jeff murmured with frown because Isabel had not disputed his rants or his theories. “Now she’s disappeared.”

“I don’t know where she is” Isabel said weakly. “I truly don’t.”

“Does your brother?” Jeff sighed.

“My brother is dead,” Isabel said more confidently.

“Jesus,” Jeff murmured. “My daughter is missing, and you want to continue to with the story?”

“I have people to protect here,” Isabel murmured. “We have told the truth,” she sighed because the last thing she needed was this to spin out of control, too late Isabel she was thinking and to have Jeff Parker believe that her brother was alive was what was not needed. “Noah and Ella miss their father, and they want to believe something that is not true, and I am sorry that he’s telling a story…” she said softly. “I will be talking to them.”

If I can find the words, she told herself, because I know that conversation was going to spin out of control.

It was clear he was not believing her, and there was very little she was going to say to make him believe her. “God,” Jeff sighed. “You were a better liar when you were a teenager,” he said with a sigh. “That is how you want to play it, fine, but my daughter is missing, and if your brother has something to do with it…”

“My brother does not have anything to do with it,” Isabel murmured as she could almost be sure of it. “Your daughter is missing him and probably needs some time. She probably does not want her daughter to see how things are for her right now.”

“Right,” Jeff sighed, a little skeptically. That is true, but so much of the situation is not true.

“Your daughter is a big girl,” Isabel murmured.

“Yes, she is, but she was forever changed because of your brother,” Jeff muttered. “She was never the same.”

She also would dead if not for my brother Isabel muttered to herself because she knew full well that she could not utter such a thing, out here in public. When we are lucky to be having this conversation without ears taking it in.

“Where is he Isabel?” Jeff murmured.

“In the cemetery,” Isabel said. We did have to show that he was dead. As she saw people walking towards the restaurant, and knew they had to end this conversation. “I don’t know what you might think, but it’s not true. Your daughter is probably drying off somewhere and will reach out soon” she sighed. “My brother does not have anything to do with it, because he’s dead.”

“Do you actually believe that…” Jeff murmured.

“It’s what’s true,” Isabel murmured. To the world, Max Evans is dead. “I have to join Noah and Ella,” she said softly as she looked at the deep concern on Jeff Parker’s face. “Please don’t spread around your suspicions, please…”

“I suspect that everyone knew…” Jeff muttered. “Except for my daughter.”

“Your daughter knows what she knows,” Isabel said, neither denying nor even confirming “Please, excuse me.”

Oh, I believe that Jeff murmured as he watched as Max’s sister walk into the restaurant, and towards the table that had Callie and Ella in it. Noah still had not returned to the table. Isabel could be seen smiling, and saying something, and Jeff could only sigh because he saw Callie’s eyes find him, and Jeff did not know what to do.

As the sad tale was getting messy, and he did not know how long it would stay…

“Where are you, Lizzie?” Jeff murmured. Are you with him?

Because that was something he could believe, but he did not know what it would mean. Because he’s playing dead for a reason Jeff thought.

Because Isabel could lie to his face, but he saw the truth on her face.

Max is alive.

*

Inside,

“Where’s your brother?” was all Isabel could say as she entered the restaurant. Because any deeper conversation would have to be for home, and not here at the Crashdown. As she had interrupted some easy conversations between her niece and Callie Parker. She had been expecting to see Noah, but the young boy was not at the table.

What is he up to now? Isabel wondered of her troublesome nephew.

“Hiding,” Callie admitted. Because she knew how Noah was probably hiding from their earlier conversation. One that was not repeated when her friend had come to the table. “We were talking about stuff,” she said simply as she looked and found her grandfather, still outside. And she had seen the intense conversation between her grandfather and the twin’s aunt. And from the look on Jeff’s face, it was not good she thought.

Not in the least.

So, the topic was not something she wanted to get into when her friend came to the table. Instead, they chose to talk about school, and fashion. And a friend’s birthday party the following day, as it would be a sleepover. Callie’s first one since she came to Roswell and started at the school.

Even though she was in a different grade. She was still friends with all kinds of kids at the school, and she was looking forward to it. She was a joiner and was enjoying her time in Roswell.

Isabel nodded.

Conscious of the fact that Isabel was supposed to be with her nephew and niece, “I will go find my grandfather,” Callie murmured as she got up from the booth.

“You don’t have to leave,” Isabel murmured.

“It’s fine,” Callie said softly. “Thank you for the drive this morning, but I will see you tomorrow, Ella,” she said briefly. “If Noah, comes back, say sorry that we had to discuss what we did…” she said briefly before getting up fully from the booth.

This sucks Isabel murmured. “Tomorrow?”

“Faith’s birthday party,” Ella muttered. And Isabel nodded. “What did Callie mean about her talk with Noah?” she asked of her aunt.

“Don’t know,” Isabel lied. “It was probably nothing serious…”

Even though, she knew that it was very important as she saw her nephew peeking out from the bathroom, and sighing a relief when he saw it was only her and Ella at the table, oh god Isabel muttered because she had no idea about how she was going to address this situation.

But she was becoming convinced that she it was coming…

Maybe I can vanish, to wherever Liz is she sighed.

Almost like Ella was reading her mind, “Where is Callie’s mother?”

“I don’t know,” Isabel muttered. And that is the truth. “I wish I did, but I don’t” said as she looked at her watch and wondered if Kyle would be joining them. Because she needed a diversion from where this conversation was headed.

Clearly.

Ella glanced closely at her aunt. Almost like she was judging and accessing her, and Isabel did not like the feeling. These two sometimes are too perceptive. “Callie was talking at school about how her mother did not come home last night,” Ella asked.

“That is for her family to discuss,” Isabel murmured. “I don’t know what Liz gets to up at night,” she said softly, and quickly. “But I am sure Callie’s mother is okay.”

“Are you sure?” Noah asked as he glanced up at his aunt.

“Sure,” Isabel muttered. “I may not be close to Callie’s mother, never was,” she muttered. She was always closer to your father she wanted to say but knew she couldn’t. “But I do know she can take care of herself,” she said softly. Because that was one of the traits of the Liz Parker that she knew, and actually admired of her brother’s former girlfriend, and true love. She is quite capable to handling herself as she looked the twins. “And she will be fine at the end of the day,” she murmured as she tried to focus on the twins.

But will she?

“But Dad was close to her” Noah commented.

Yes, unfortunately, he was… Isabel murmured. Knowing that for both of Liz and her brother, they were very defined by the other. For good and for bad. “Yes,” she said softly.

“So, do you think she went to where Daddy is” Ella blurted out, without thinking. Unaware that was exactly what her bother had pondered not that far before, almost like they are sync.

Or twins.

But they were very different.

But on some matters, they figured out the same thing.

And that was going to pose problems for adults who were trying to cover for massive lie told to the town and told to those around them. And Isabel hated it.

She wanted to be better for it, but it was needed.

For how much longer, she had no idea.

I have to protect Max she sighed as the door opened, and Kyle came in, and she sighed some relief because she would have diversion. Although looking at the eyes of her niece and nephew, she could tell that this was all coming to ahead.

I have to deal with this she sighed. She could not have Noah and Ella relaying what they had already said, because it would open them up to a completely escalating mess, and it would be bad for all of them.

Including Jim.

So, before she was able to answer Ella’s question, that is assuming she wanted to answer it, which of course, she did not as she saw that Kyle was approaching.

“Kyle,” Isabel murmured. “You came.”

“I said I would, didn’t I?” Kyle asked with obvious frown lines on his face.

“You did, but I was not sure…” Isabel murmured. “You were busy.”

“I was, but because I know nothing more than I did when we last spoke,” was all Kyle said. Liz is still missing, and I have no idea where she went.

Isabel nodded.

*

Kyle did not want to be there, but he knew he needed some food. And maybe coming to the Crashdown would give him some inside information. Information that he currently lacked. Despite checking in often with his father, and while officially Jim was unable to do anything at least until the following day. Kyle along with Maria had used their connections to the Sheriff to try to get some unofficial channels going, but nothing had come from them.

Because no one knew where Liz was. How can that be? he mumbled to himself. We are a smalltown.

Only so many places he thought that one can go in this town.

Especially if they know you, and Liz is not some anonymous person in this town he would think. Everyone knows her face, and he knew if they did not before three months ago, well they did after everything went down and she became the soap opera on the nightly news or on the front page of the paper.

Where are you Liz he would also think. And hated the fear that coursing through him because he had known how hurt and disappointed his friend was the previous day, and even though Maria had said she was last seen at her bar. Which meant, she had to forgive at least a tiny bit if she chose to go there.

Even though he knew it was unlikely Liz would seek out another bar, because there were not that many. So, she did not have many choices Kyle knew.

But that was then, and they were now in the now.

And they still did not know where Liz was.

“We are glad to see you,” Isabel smiled as she leaned in for a small kiss, and it was a kiss that Kyle did want to give. Because he did love Isabel, greatly, and he valued the life they were creating. Even if it lived in the realm of unknowns.

He did not know where they would be, when this is over, he thought as he looked down at the kids. “Happy to have it be a weekend?” she asked the twins.

Ella and Noah nodded.

“How was school?” he tried asking the twins. Trying to make small talk.

“Fine,” Ella and Noah both said. Neither elaborating, and Kyle was not in the mood to ask for more, because it was a common refrain from the twins and given his own state of mind at the moment, and his worrying about a friend.

“That is good,” Kyle said as he tried to make sure everything had the appearance of normal when Jeff Parker chose to walk out of the back room that he had gone into with his granddaughter after he had come back into the restaurant, glancing at the table, but not doing anything other than heading upstairs with the girl.

Now he was returning, alone. Frowning when he saw that Kyle had joined Isabel and the twins. That is odd he thought.

“I need to check with Jeff about something,” Kyle murmured.

“Kyle…” Isabel said softly.

“What?” Kyle asked as he glanced over at his girlfriend. Aware that the kids were watching them with some interest.

“Be careful,” was all she could say. “Jeff is asking questions.”

Kyle knew enough to not get into it, with the eyes and ears that were following their conversation. Noah was being very quiet, quite aware of his previous conversation with Callie, and what he had admitted. All the kids were aware that the conversation between their aunt and Mr. Parker had not been easy.

Even if they did not know what had been said.

“I am sure he is,” Kyle said softly.

“Not about…” Isabel said but stopped.

“What about?” Kyle asked.

“Callie’s mother is missing,” Ella blurted out. “She’s worried.”

“I know she is,” Kyle murmured as he glanced at Isabel who could only nod given the complex situation. This is our life these days. “Which is why I should have a talk with her father…”

“Kyle, Jeff is obviously anxious, and he is thinking many things” Isabel warned. “So, be careful…” she tried saying, without getting into too many specifics. Because of where they were, and she did not want to get into it. Especially in front of the children, when it was obvious that the children were thinking many things that they did not them to be thinking.

Kyle simply nodded and prepared to walk away.

“Do you think Callie’s mother is with Daddy?” Ella said before Kyle was able to move on, as she posed the same question that she had given before, one that had not gotten an answer.

Shit Isabel and Kyle both thought.