You Can Always Count On Me(M/L MATURE) COMPLETE A/N 12/2

[Heavenli24]

Thanks for the feedback, glad you're all still enjoying this story - not long left to go now :

begonia9508 - It would have been easy to have them become physical during the trip, but it's not like they're strangers - they would have had to deal wih that when they got home .
txndreamer06 - You know, they may not need to hide from everybody .
jbangelo - Thanks . You're right, no matter how hard they try to hide it, Maria's gonna know something's different between them .
Erina - Yeah, they can't take thier eyes off each other !
dreamer destiny - Good old Maria! The trip may be over, but Max and Liz definitely aren't .
clueless - Thanks . And maybe they won't need to hide from everyone!
Roswell 10/2/00 - Thanks . Sorry, still haven't got the photos sorted yet .
Gater101 -
youre my dreamgirl - Maybe they don't think they're being obvious, but people are gonna know something's up . I know what you mean, I can barely understand my brother on the phone - it's a series of 'Yeah's' and grunts!
roswell3053 - Thanks .
janesdilemma -
anonymousarfan - Yep, they're not gonna be able to hide it for long !
lazza - I don't know which song either . Don't worry, they will get around to it eventually (just not quite yet).


Part Thirty-One

As soon as I’m sure that Maria is no longer paying any attention to what I’m doing, I sneak out the back door and up the stairs to my apartment. As I approach my bedroom, I notice that the door is open. I can hear Max and my mom talking inside. Unable to help myself, I stop just before the doorway and eavesdrop on their conversation. I know it’s wrong and I shouldn’t do it; I’ve never listened in on their conversations before, but this time its different. Now Max is talking to my mom as more than my childhood best friend. He’s speaking to her as my boyfriend (I know what you’re thinking, but the fact that she doesn’t know that yet is irrelevant here, alright?).

“So, I take it you two had a great time then, Max?” my mom questions casually.

“Yeah, we really did,” he replies, his smile evident in his voice. “And we got to see so much more of the country than I ever thought we would.”

“So, Lizzie didn’t drive you completely round the bend with her crazy ideas, I take it?”

Oh, Mom…please don’t go there!

“Not at all,” he replies, but there’s something else in his voice, something that tells me he’s trying not to laugh.

Bastard!

“Uh huh?” she doesn’t sound convinced either.

“Honest, Mrs. P,” he claims with a small laugh and I roll my eyes “I mean it; Liz was great company. I can’t imagine anyone better to spend my summer vacation with.”

Aww…He’s so sweet.

“Well, I’m glad you both had a good time. You know, Jeff and I were a little worried about the two of you going away together on your own, especially considering that she’s a girl and you’re a boy. You know, my only saving grace was knowing that you would be safe and sound in separate bedrooms – ”

Shit! Quick, think of something fast so that Max doesn’t have a chance to put his foot in it.

I creep backwards a little way and then make a suitable amount on noise to indicate that I’m just entering the apartment.

“Hey, Mom, Max,” I nod to them, leaning against the doorway. “Thanks for bringing my stuff up. I would have done it myself, but Maria dragged me off to the counter.”

“No problem,” states Max warmly. “But, I’m not helping you unpack it all, so don’t even try,” he warns and I stick my tongue out at him when Mom’s not looking.

“Would you two like something to drink? Tea, perhaps?” my mom offers.

“Tea would be great, thanks, Mrs P,” replies Max.

“Coming right up; Liz, what about you?”

“Oh, nothing for me, thanks, Mom,” I say, as I make eye contact with Max and smile.

She leaves the room and my smile becomes a full-fledged grin as I sidle up to Max, leaning up for a kiss.

“Mmm, I missed you,” I murmur against his lips.

“Liz,” he pulls back, a glint in his eye, “it’s only been about 10 minutes sine we last…”

“I know, but I just can’t help it. You’re so yummy.” Max chuckles and pulls me close. Our lips are on the verge of meeting once again, when my mom’s voice floats in from the kitchen.

“Max, honey, do you take sugar?”

He sighs and rests his forehead against mine for a moment before lifting his head and calling back, “One, please, Mrs P.” He looks down at me again, “Hey, I need to go see my parents. You want to come with me to let them know we’re back? I’m sure they’ll want to see you, too.”

“Sure,” I grin. “I’d love to.”

“Okay, cool, we’ll go right after I’ve drunk my tea and your mom’s grilled us about everything we saw.”

I groan. It was almost too close for comfort when my mom started talking about separate bedrooms earlier. And I still need to talk to Max about what were going to do.

“Max, there’s something we need to – ”

“Max, your tea’s ready.”

Damn my mother for interrupting!

I guess I’ll just have to tell him about Maria on the way to see his parents.

***

“Max?” I question as he starts the engine and pulls the jeep out onto the street.

“Yeah?” he responds, checking over his shoulder for traffic.

“Maria knows.” Oops, that was a bit blunt, wasn’t it?

He frowns. “Maria knows what?”

“About us,” I tell him. “And before you ask, no, I didn’t say anything to her; she just guessed.”

“Okay. So...” he trails off.

“So, I didn’t tell her anything; but we do need to work out what we’re going to say when she asks about it again.”

He nods. “What do you want to do?” he asks me then.

“I don’t know; I mean I don’t want to keep this from everyone, but on the other hand, I’m not sure I’m entirely comfortable with our parents knowing. Especially considering what my mom said earlier – ” I stop. Shit, now he’s gonna know I was eavesdropping on their conversation.

“Yeah, I know,” he chuckles. “I thought I was gonna die right there!”

I’m stunned. He’s just completely brushed off my last comment. Maybe he hasn’t realised what I’m talking about.

“Huh…”

He glances over at me, but I’m so busy being confused that I don’t really pay much attention to it.

“Come on, Liz,” he chuckles again. “You don’t think I didn’t know you were listening outside the door when I was talking to your mom, do you?”

“But I…I didn’t mean…how did you know?”

“I don’t know, I just always seem to know when you’re around…it’s like this radar or something; my body just reacts to your presence, I guess.”

“Eww, Max! That’s disgusting.” I screw my nose up at the thought of Max’s ‘radar’ telling him when I’m nearby.

“Disgusting? What?” He looks taken aback for a moment, but then his eyes widen in understanding. “Oh God, Liz; I didn’t mean that. That would just be weird. I just meant that when you’re around, my skin gets all tingly and warm. It’s nice.”

Oh. Oops.

“Oh,” I breathe and then send him an apologetic smile and a shrug, “Sorry.”

He just smiles and shakes his head, turning his attention back to the road.

I relax back in my seat as he drives, but barely two minutes later, I realise that we didn’t actually decided what to do.

“So, about what we’re telling people about us…” I start.

“Yeah?”

“I think maybe we should tell our friends, but not say anything to our parents just yet; especially mine. I hate to think what my mom would say if she found out we were actually sharing a bed.”

“Okay, that sounds fair enough,” he nods thoughtfully. Then he smirks, “At least that way, I won’t have to worry about keeping my hands off you all the time.”

“Oh, ha ha,” I smack his arm lightly; but I can’t help the warmth that floods my cheeks when he says that.

***

“Max! Liz! You’re back!” exclaims Max’s mom, as she opens the front door to us and engulfs us both in a hug.

“Yep, here we are,” Max grins, when she finally decides to release us from her grip.

“So, did you two have a great time? Come on in, both of you. I want to hear all about it,” she smiles and holds the door open for us to enter the house. “You know, it’s been so lonely here for me these past few weeks. Isabel’s in California, you’ve been all over the country and you father’s at work all day.”

“Aww, I’m sorry, Mom,” Max tells her. “If I’d realised I was leaving you all on your own this summer, I would never have gone.”

“Nonsense,” she waves her hand dismissively as Max drops his bags to the floor and we all take seats in the living room. “I bet you two were off having the time of your lives.”

Max turns to me with a soft smile. “Yeah, we were.”

“Isabel told me that you got up to San Francisco to see her a couple of weeks ago.”

Max is still looking at me and I silently will him not to (his mom is right here), so I answer her instead, “That’s right, we did. It was great seeing her. It sounds like she’s having a great time up there.”

“Yeah, she said the two of you seemed to be having a good time; maybe even more than a good time, in fact,” she said with a small smile.

At that, Max’s looks at me in panic and then snaps his head back to his mom, as I straighten up in my seat. “What do you mean, Mom?”

“It’s okay; Max, Liz, you don’t have to hide it from me. I think it’s great that you two are together now,” she tells us warmly. “You know what? I think it was a long time coming. I’m happy for you.”

“B-But…?” Max stutters, his expression one of shock.

“You don’t mind, Mrs Evans?” I ask and she shakes her head. “But, how did you know?”

“Better yet, how did Isabel know?” Max cuts in before she can reply.

“Well, you know, a mother can sense these things. I’ve always known there was something special between the both of you; it was only a matter of time,” she tells us. I can feel my face heating up. All this time and we didn’t know it ourselves? “As for Isabel; well, I guess you weren’t as subtle as you thought, Max,” she smiles.

“Oh my God,” he groans, leaning back against the couch and running a hand down his face. “You’re not gonna tell Dad, are you? Or the Parker’s? They don’t exactly – ”

“Don’t worry, Max, your secret’s safe with me – for now. But just one thing; you are being careful, aren’t you? I know you’ve just spent a lot of time together and I know how crazy hormones can be when you’re young, I just want to make sure – ”

“Mom! Please!” Max cries suddenly, making me jump (although, I’m just as embarrassed here). “Look, Liz and I aren’t…we haven’t…I mean…”

“It’s okay, Max, I understand,” she stops him before he can say anything else. “Just keep what I said in mind, okay?”

“Okay,” we both manage, before Max suddenly grabs my hand and his bags and making a quick excuse to his mom, he pulls me out of there and up to his room.

“Oh. My God,” he breathes, as he ushers me into the room and shuts the door, leaning against it heavily. “I can’t believe…”

“I know, me neither.”

“Well, I guess that’s one parent we don’t have to worry about,” he sighs, pulling me into his arms.

I bury my face in his shirt, my cheeks still flaming from the incident downstairs.

“Oh my God,” he mumbles again, this time against my hair. “I can’t believe my mother.”

TBC…


Again, no pics - sorry, I've only just got up and still haven't got round to sorting them out. But, I promise there will be some photos of Roswell soon .

[Heavenli24]

Thank you for all the feedback :

lazza - I'm pleased to say that we won't be seeing much of Tess, although she does pop up soon .
begonia9508 - Although, going by Liz's idea of the 'radar' that might be little scary!
Alien614 -
dreamer destiny - I thought it would be nice to have atleast one parents approve of their relationship .
Gater101 - Thanks .
jbangelo - I know ! I like to think of Max's mom as being pretty cool about the whole thing .
Ellie - Thanks . I'm glad it made you laugh!
youre my dreamgirl - Thanks .
roswell3053 - Hmm, I'm not too sure about Max's parents' reaction, although they may end up leaving for college without telling them !
anonymousarfan - Thank you .
janesdilemma - Thanks . You know, I hadn't thought about it like that - the women all knowing straight off !
Roswell 10/2/00 - Thanks . I've finally got the pics sorted - I've included most of yours too.
Erina - Yep, they're just going to have to tell people about it .
clueless - Thanks, glad you liked it .


Okay, here's the next part. I'm not completely happy with it, but I hope you like it anyway .


Part Thirty-Two

Friday August 15th 2002

Well, it’s been just over two weeks since we arrived back home in Roswell and I have to say, it’s been going pretty well.

Needless to say, almost everyone was fine with my relationship with Max (I say almost everyone, because we still haven’t told my parents yet), and well, okay, that’s not saying much considering that basically all of our friends knew except for Michael!

The night we got back, we gathered the others – Maria, Michael and Alex – in Michael’s apartment and told them that we were together. Maria was the first to react with a hysterical scream and a shout of ‘I knew it!’. Michael just looked kind of bewildered, his brow furrowed in confusion, but once he got over the initial shock, he smiled at me (a rare occurrence, I have to say) and clapped Max on the back (in a very masculine way, of course) with a ‘way to go!’ (I know I should have been offended at this, but honestly, I was more concerned about everyone accepting our relationship than anything else). Alex, though; Alex didn’t really say anything, but just gave me a knowing smirk when we announced it and every few minutes after that, he would catch my eye, giving me a meaningful, ‘remember what we talked about in San Francisco?’ look; which I desperately tried to ignore. Eventually I got him to stop by dragging him into the kitchen and threatening to tell Max exactly what he was doing with his sister (obviously, I left out the part about Max already knowing that Alex and Isabel were sleeping together).

So, at the moment, out of our parents, only Diane Evans knows about us; which, in a way, is almost harder than if none of them knew. See, every time Max and I are alone in his room, I just know his mom is keeping her ears and eyes open for anything suspicious going on between us. I’ve got so paranoid about it; I’ve even suggested we keep the door open while we’re there (I know – crazy)! Luckily, Max won’t have any of it, though. Claiming that yes, I am being paranoid and that if she trusted us enough to spend the entire summer together, surely she can trust us for a couple of hours in his room, while she’s in the house.

At least, when Max comes over to mine, my parents don’t think anything of us spending time in my room or on the balcony – it’s what we’ve always done in the past when we were nothing more than friends.

But anyway, the last 2 weeks have been pretty great. Max and I have gone out on dates (although, since we couldn’t be honest with my parents, there was no grilling from my dad and we had to be careful not to give the game away) and we’ve spent as much time together as we can. I have to admit that it was hard having to sleep alone those first couple of nights, but I’m dealing with it (although not very successfully, I might add).

But, after all, I’d better get used to not seeing him every day.

The sad thing is, both UNM and Harvard orientations start next week, which means that I only have 3 more days with Max before I have to fly out to Massachusetts and he moves up to Albuquerque. I’m dreading having to say goodbye to him; I mean, I know we’ll be able to talk on the phone and online whenever we want, but it’s just not going to be the same without him…

“Writing in that thing again?” comes a half-amused, half-incredulous voice from the doorway and my head snaps up. “I thought that was just for the trip!”

“Oh, ha ha,” I retort, but the grin that spreads across my face basically counteracts the annoyed tone I was going for. I snap the journal shut and practically bounce off the bed and over to him.

“Hey, you,” I murmur, leaning up for a kiss. Max obliges, his arms coming around me, pressing me against his warm, solid body. “You know, it’s a good thing my parents are downstairs this afternoon.”

“I know,” he mumbles between kisses. “I just saw them in the café.”

“Mmm, I could just stay here like this all day,” I tell him, as my arms come up around his neck.

“Me too,” he agrees against my lips. But then he gives me one last kiss and pulls away.

“Hey, I was enjoying that!” I exclaim indignantly.

“I know,” he commiserates, with a twinkle in his eye. “But the thing is, there’s somewhere we have to be and we’re gonna be late if we don’t leave now.”

“Ooh, where are we going?” my eyes light up in excitement; we didn’t make any plans for today

“I thought we could catch that new movie that you wanted to see and then maybe spend some time out in the desert,” he suggests with a smile.

“Really?” I grin; I love going out to the desert with Max, which we’ve done a few times since we got back. We usually just stretch out on a blanket and gaze up at the stars. It’s also pretty much the only time that we get to be alone these days and so we like to make the most of it, if you catch my drift. “Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s go.”

***

Unfortunately, we don’t make it to the movie. In fact, we don’t even make it out of the Crashdown.

The reason?

Tess Harding.

Yes, that’s right, you heard me; Max’s ex-girlfriend. You know, the one who is pregnant and currently claiming that Max is the father.

Which, of course he isn’t. I mean; he never even slept with her. But you try getting that into her head!

So, anyway, Max and I were just walking through the café to leave, when in walked Miss Harding. I’m not going to bore you with the details (mainly because I’m really not in the mood to think about it any longer); but needless to say, she started making a scene and eventually Max had to agree to talk with her outside, just to shut her up.

Not wanting to seem like the jealous girlfriend, especially in front of my parents (who don’t even know that I am a girlfriend, yet), I had to force myself to stay calm (and inside the building) and help my dad out with restaurant duties, all the while wondering like crazy what was going on out there.

After what felt like an hour (but was probably only about ten minutes), Max came back looking particularly stressed and upset. I asked him what had happened with Tess, but all he told me was that he thought he’d finally gotten through to her, but that he didn’t want to talk about it.

So anyway, here we are, alone together in the desert. Having missed the movie, we are more than making up for it now; although as wonderful as it feels to have Max in my arms, I get the feeling that his heart’s not really in this. Not that I can blame him, of course. I offered to let him have some time alone and to forget doing anything tonight, but he insisted on coming out to the desert anyway; and now his body is blanketing mine as he presses swift, yet fervent kisses to my lips and face and his voice whispers my name over and over.

“Max,” I whisper as soon as I can catch by breath. “Max, stop,” I urge, slipping my hands between our bodies and pushing him away slightly.

“What? What’s wrong?” he manages, his face flushed and breathing ragged.

“I just…” my eyes roam his face. “I think we should stop.” At his puzzled frown, I hastily continue, “I mean, dealing with Tess today obviously upset you. You’re distracted, Max. Do you want talk about it?” I ask, reaching up to brush his hair off his forehead, before cupping his cheek with my hand.

“Liz…” he avoids my eyes, rolling to lie on his back beside me. “I’m fine.”

“Max,” I start, but he holds his hand up to stop me.

“Okay, so maybe I’m not fine, but I’m dealing with it. Tess just said some things this afternoon that were uncalled for and that upset me, but I don’t want to bring it up again right now. I just want to forget about it. Please.”

I sigh and agree, knowing that I probably should make him talk about it; but at the same time, understanding that he’s really not comfortable with it. We lie there on the blanket; not speaking, but just staring up at the dark sky. A few minutes pass before I can’t take it any longer, and I reach for his hand, entwining my fingers with his. I feel his fingers squeeze mine and I know he’s not angry or upset with me.

I just hope that he hasn’t taken whatever Tess said to him to heart. I’d hate for him to feel insecure or troubled over the situation.

I turn my head slightly to look at him. He’s staring straight ahead, gazing up at the stars, seemingly unaware of my attention. It’s hard to believe that in just a couple of day’s time, we’ll be heading in different directions. I’ll be leaving the state, for God’s sake.

I’ll be leaving him.

Although, since Roswell only has a small airport, I have to fly over to Boston from the Albuquerque Sunport (no more cross country road trips for this girl just yet!), and we’ve arranged for me to go up there to say goodbye to Max before I get on the plane (the airport is only a couple of miles from UNM). I’ll get to help Max move into his new room in Coronado Hall and spend my last bit of time in New Mexico with him.

I drag my thoughts back to the present and realise that tears are collecting in the corners of my eyes. I chance another quick glance at Max, only to find him staring right back at me.

“Liz? What’s the matter?” He uses his free hand to wipe away the few tears that had fallen from my eyes.

I shake my head, but my heart lurches suddenly and I can’t prevent my face from screwing up and a sob from escaping my lips.

“Hey,” he murmurs pulling me into his arms and cradling my head against his chest.

“I’m sorry,” I sniff, my voice coming out all garbled. “It’s just…there’s only a couple of days left until we leave.”

“I know,” he soothes, placing a kiss to the top of my head. “I know, Lizzie.”

“I’m going to miss you like crazy, Max,” I mutter into his chest.

“Me too,” he sighs. “Me too.”

“But we’ll talk, right? On the phone?” I ask, in a pleading tone.

“Of course we will; all the time,” he reassures me. “And we can talk online too, whenever you want. I promise.”

“I don’t want to go,” I blurt out suddenly. “I want to stay here, with you.”

“Oh, Lizzie,” he sighs. “You have to go to Harvard. It’s your dream,” he tells me firmly. “And there is no way I am letting you give up on your dream for me.”

He’s right. Of course, he’s right.

“Max…” I feel a sudden rush of warmth run through my chest. I don’t know what to say. I settle with, “I love you.”

“I love you too, Lizzie. Just remember that. No matter how crappy I’m feeling today about what happened with Tess, or how upset I get about things, always know that I love you.”

I can only nod at his declaration. Any further words I might have said are now lodged in the back of my throat. I relax against Max’s side and enjoy the peacefulness of the desert.

After all, who knows how long it will be before we can spend some time out here again?

TBC…

Okay, finally I have some Roswell pics:

Here are mine (although they're scanned, so the quality id not that great:

Main Street and UFO Centre
Cool Streetlamp
Surrounding countryside 1
Surrounding countryside 2

Also, Roswell 10/2/00 was kind enough to send me some links to photos of Roswell:

Downtown Area
http://www.alienresistance.org/7.JPG
http://www.alienresistance.org/3.JPG
http://www.alienresistance.org/walmart.JPG
http://www.alienresistance.org/1.JPG
http://www.alienresistance.org/14.JPG
http://www.alienresistance.org/18.JPG
http://www.alienresistance.org/17.JPG
http://www.alienresistance.org/12.JPG

Parking lot for UFO Center
http://www.alienresistance.org/0.JPG
http://www.alienresistance.org/4.JPG

Roswell UFO Museum
http://www.alienresistance.org/10.JPG
http://www.alienresistance.org/9.JPG


The Crash Down Diner opened in response to the TV show "Roswell."
Until Fall 2000, there was no such thing in Roswell, really.
http://www.amelor.com/travels/roswell/crash_down_35.jpg
http://www.alienresistance.org/11.JPG

Welcome Sign For the state of New Mexico
http://www.roundamerica.com/images/apri ... gn-200.jpg

Welcome sign for the town of Roswell New Mexico
http://www.roundamerica.com/images/apri ... gn-200.jpg

UFO Museum
http://www.roundamerica.com/images/apri ... um-200.jpg

Inside UFO Museum
http://www.roundamerica.com/images/apri ... ay-200.jpg

Street Lamp
http://www.roundamerica.com/images/apri ... ts-200.jpg

Desert View outside of Roswell
http://www.roundamerica.com/images/apri ... ll-200.jpg

[Heavenli24]

Thank you for your feedback and comments :

Erina - Yes, they really are going to be apart. And don't worry the Tess thing will be discussed .
txndreamer06 - I know, not long until college starts for them
roswell3053 - Can you believe, I didn't even notice the Crash Dwon diner when I was there!
clueless - I know, it is sad, but life goes on, as they say .
Alien614 - Thanks, glad you liked the pics .
jbangelo - You're right, it would have been fair to either of them if Max were to give in and let her stay with him.
Roswell 10/2/00 - Thanks .
begonia9508 - Thanks, glad you enjoyed the photos
dreamer destiny - I'm checking out the set pictures of Roswell right now, but haven't had a chance to see them all yet .
Gater101 - You'll just have to read and find out if they decide to wait .
youre my dreamgirl - I know .
ISLANDGIRL5 - It's not that serious - honest. But Max wasn't in the mood to talk about it with Liz at that time.
janesdilemma - Don't worry, the Tess thing is'nt that bad.
lazza - You know, you're pretty good at guessing what's going through my head when I write new parts for this fic !
Ellie -
kismet - Yep, not long now!
Emz80m - Yeah, I guess she should have told them; but even though she is 18 and an adult, I'm sure her parents wouldn't be too pleased, especially since they just let her spend 6 weeks alone with Max .


Well, from your comments, I guess the Tess thing caused quite a stir, but to be totally honest, I didn't want to include much of Tess in the fic, so I opted against writing the conversation between her and Max or having Max tell Liz what happened - but don't worry, you will find out basically what was said .


Part Thirty-Three

I can’t believe this is it.

We’re in Albuquerque and I’m helping Max move into his room at UNM. In just a couple of hours, I’m going to have to say goodbye to him and I honestly don’t know how I’m going to do it.

“Hey, you okay?” Max’s voice sounds behind me and I turn round from my position at the window of his room to see him dropping yet another bag onto the bed he’s claimed as his.

The room is pretty big, with white walls and a sink. It is sparsely furnished, with two single beds, two desks and two built-in wardrobes. Max’s roommate hasn’t arrived yet, so he had first pick of the beds and wardrobes.

“I’m fine,” I murmur as I watch him arranging his stuff on the bed. I shake my head quickly to clear it. I’ve promised myself that I’m not going to cry today.

“Hey, my parents are just bringing up the last of my things. When they get here, I’ll finish sorting everything out and then maybe we can go for a walk together or something?”

“Okay,” I force a smile, pushing my woeful thoughts aside, “sounds great.”

My own parents are around here somewhere, since they drove me (and all my stuff) up from Roswell; but since I agreed to help Max move in, I sent them off to look around for a couple of hours.

I help Max organise his things until his mom and dad arrive. They barely have enough time to place his remaining boxes and bags on the floor, before Max is shoving the stuff alongside the bed and ushering us all out of the room, telling his parents to go have a coffee or something. At first, his dad protests that they should be spending some time together before they leave, but Diane catches my eye and seems to realise that Max and I want to be alone for a while, so she nudges Philip and casually suggests that they go and explore the student union. Luckily, I remember that my parents were planning to take a look around it as well, so I quickly propose that maybe they could meet up for a chat over there.

Thankfully, Philip agrees and once we are all outside the Hall, we say goodbye and they head off in the direction of the SUB.

“Whew, I thought they would never leave,” Max exhales beside me.

“Max!” I whack him on the arm. “They’re your parents. They’re about to go home and leave you here all on your own. You could at least pretend you want them here!”

He rolls his eyes and pulls me into his arms, “Now, why would I want to do that, when this way, I get to spend some more time with you before you go.”

My lips curl into a smile at his words. “Well, okay, when you put it like that. But, for the record,” I wag a finger at him. “I still think it was rude.”

This time, he smiles and captures my hand in his, bringing it to his lips. He places a soft kiss to my fingers and then pouts at me, “Sorry, Lizzie. I won’t do it again.”

I can see that he’s trying to be serious and keep a straight face, but it doesn’t work, because a second later, his solemn expression turns into a smirk.

“Yeah, right, Evans. You just keep believing that.”

His smirk becomes a cheeky grin and I can’t resist planting a kiss against his cheek, entwining my fingers with his.

“Come on, then, you. Let’s go for a walk.”

***

We end up by the Duck Pond again. Almost as soon as we get there, Max takes a seat on the grass and pulls me down with him. I settle between his legs and lean back against his chest. For a few minutes, we just sit there, staring out at the water. I let my mind travel back to Saturday night, when Max took me out for dinner at this gorgeous little Italian restaurant on the outskirts of town. We had a long talk that night, and he finally told me what Tess had said to him.

Apparently, she’d still been under the impression that they’d slept together and that the baby could be his. Max told me that he actually asked her straight out who the father was; who the person she had cheated on him with was, and she had the nerve to flat out deny that there had been anyone else. When Max informed her coolly that he’d never laid a hand on her that night, she accused him of having performance issues and that he was just afraid to admit that he’d been inexperienced in bed.

You know, I really don’t understand Tess. One minute, she’s insisting that she’s pregnant with Max’s child and the next she’s putting him down and insulting him. Although he denies it, I think that Max was really hurt by what she said. To be honest, I think that she made him feel inadequate and that’s why he was so determined to be with me on Friday night.

I sigh as Max’s arms tighten around me and his head lowers to nuzzle my neck. The action takes me back to last week, when we sat like this out in the desert one evening. We were so close to making love that night, but for some reason, we both stopped just before it could happen. I think it was because, whether subconsciously or not, neither of us want our first time together to be on a blanket in the middle of the desert, especially Max. I want his first time to be special; he deserves that.

“Max,” I whisper, my hand coming up to his head, my fingers burying themselves in his hair. My eyes close at the sensations flowing through my body as his lips dance over my skin.

Unable to contain my feelings any longer, I shift in his arms and capture his lips with mine. Not breaking contact, I turn the rest of the way to face him and rise up to my knees, wrapping my arms around his neck. I smile against his lips at how wonderful this feels right now, locked in my boyfriend’s embrace, with the hot sun beating down on us. It’s just perfect.

“What the hell?” A loud, angry and familiar voice interrupts us and we abruptly pull away from each other, turning in the direction of the noise.

Oh, shit.

It’s my father, standing there with his hands on his hips, glaring furiously at the two of us. Surrounding him, are my mother, and Diane and Philip. All of them except Diane are wearing shocked expressions.

“What exactly is going on here?” demands my father.

Max and I exchange a look of trepidation before turning back to face our parents.

***

Well, that was certainly interesting.

So, I guess everyone knows about us now; although I can’t say that either of my parents were particularly pleased when they found out that Max and I were seeing each other. My dad got angry with Max, accusing him of trying to take advantage of me while we were on the road, where as my mom was more disappointed that Diane somehow knew about us, but I obviously hadn’t felt she was important enough to be told.

We had a pretty intense talk (well, I should really say ‘argument’) about it, but in the end, I managed to convince them both that this – a relationship with Max – was what I wanted and that they had no right to try to break us up. I explained to them how hard it was going to be for us going to college on opposite sides of the country and that if the two of them were going to object to our relationship, then that would make it so much harder.

It was at that point I realised how glad I was that Max and I hadn’t gone all the way yet. At least then, I could be truthful and honest when they asked me if we were sleeping together (they still think I’m a virgin, since there was no way I was going to admit that I’d started having sex when I was 16).

When I finally calmed them down enough to have a civilised conversation, we made our way back over to Max and his parents, who were sitting on the grass by the pond. I have to say that I was surprised at how easily and calmly Mr. Evans accepted our relationship, although something tells me that he wasn’t as in the dark as both Max and I had thought (something also tells me that Diane may have already spilled the beans to him).

So, anyway, now we’re all at the airport. My plane leaves in an hour or so and Max and I are desperately trying to make our last few minutes together worthwhile. Our parents have respectfully given us a little privacy so we can say our goodbyes before I have to go through to the departure lounge. So, right now, Max is clinging to me for dear life, his face buried in my neck, his strong arms holding me close.

“Don’t go, Lizzie. I need you here with me,” he murmurs softly and despite the seriousness of the situation, I can’t help a small smile forming on my lips. His words are the complete opposite of what he was saying on Friday night.

“I have to, Max. I have to,” I whisper, feeling the tears well up in my eyes. “I’m already checked in and everything.”

I pull back to stare into his eyes, noting the tears visible there too. “I love you, Max Evans,” I declare softly.

“I love you, too, Elizabeth Parker,” he returns. I smile through my tears. No one ever calls me Elizabeth, unless it’s something serious.

We stand there, just staring at each other for a few moments, before the temptation is too great and I crush my lips against his. His arms tighten around me, his hands roaming my back as we kiss desperately. How am I going to do this? How am I going to survive without him? Without my best friend?

I feel the tears finally spilling down my cheeks and a sob catch in my throat as I hold him to me, my hands buried in his hair. Eventually, Max breaks the kiss, his lips moving urgently over my face and down to my neck. I enfold my arms around his neck and just breathe in his scent as I’m wrapped in his embrace. Several moments later, we pull away and Max just looks at me, his hand coming up to wipe away my tears as I do the same for him.

I take a deep breath to get my emotions under control, before I speak. “So, I guess I’d better go,” I say finally.

He just nods resignedly.

“I have to go say goodbye to my parents.”

He nods again, but I’m not moving.

“I really should – ”

He cuts me off with one last passionate kiss to my lips.

“Go,” he whispers against my lips. “Go, before I kidnap you and hold you hostage in my room.”

A small giggle escapes my lips and I relish the feel of his arms around me for one more minute, before reluctantly pulling away. Turning away from him, unable to risk another glance in his direction just yet, I walk towards my parents, who are standing several feet away.

“Oh, Lizzie, honey,” my mom cries and she enfolds me in her arms. “You really going off to college. I can’t believe it; my baby girl, all grown up.”

It’s Dad’s turn next. He hugs me, kisses my forehead and tells me to be careful and responsible at college. There’s no mention of Max, other than the meaningful glare he sends in his direction.

I hug my parents once more and say goodbye to Mr and Mrs Evans, who wish me luck. With one last hug and a brief kiss from Max, I force myself to make my way towards the security gates and departure lounge. I told myself I wouldn’t, but I can’t resist one last glance back at Max just before I disappear round the corner. He’s stood there, hands in his pockets looking so incredibly sad and vulnerable that I almost give in and run back to him. But I know I can’t, so I gather enough strength as I can and start walking towards my gate, tears dripping down my face.

An hour later, the plane is taxiing down the runway, preparing for takeoff. As we begin to gain speed, I close my eyes and remember every single goodbye I said today; Maria, Alex, Michael, even Kyle (who stood there awkwardly as we all gathered in the Crashdown); Max’s parents, Mom, Dad and Max.

I feel the plane lurching upwards as we take off and with a deep breath, I resolve to make the most of the life ahead of me at Harvard; I make a promise, to both myself and to Max, that I’m going to enjoy myself and make friends and not wallow in sadness over being apart from him.

Let’s just hope it works.

TBC…

[Heavenli24]

Thank you for the feedback :

youre my dreamgirl - I think they both understand that college is something they need to do and that they might as well make the most of it while they're there.
Gaby7tvm - That must be tough, only seeing each other a couple of times a year .
Gater101 - Yeah, I'd happily go and look after him for her .
dreamer destiny -
Behrsgirl1230 - I made you cry? And in front of your roommate! Oh no, I feel bad now .
jbangelo - Yep, happy reunions await .
roswell3053 - Glad you liked it. I wasn't going to have the Parker's find out just yet, but then the idea of them catching Max and Liz enjoying their last couple of hours together came to me, so that's what happened
Erina - They're going to try to make the most of it, and see each other as often as they can.
clueless - Thanks, not much more left to go though .
begonia9508 - I seem to remember college going pretty quickly after that first semester - it only feels like yesterday that I was off to university and now almost 5 years have passed !
Maxssoulmate - Thanks, glad you liked it and I think Max and Liz will be okay .
Sweet Liz -
lazza - I just thought it was kind of scary that when I read your feedback, your thoughts on what was going on with Max or Liz were almost exactly what I was thinking when I wrote the parts! I don' think either of them will be transferring schools - mainly because that's not something you can do in the UK (as far as I know). If you leave one university, you pretty much have to reapply and start all over again at another because every course is slightly different and the lectures may not correspond with each other.
Emz80m - I think Jeff was more in shock because he hadn't expected to see Max and Liz in that position than anything else and he took that out of Max.
Alien614 - Yes it is .
txndreamer06 -
kismet - - They will be meeting up eventually, don't worry.


Okay, this part is a little different (and a bit shorter) than normal and will be the last part before the Epilogue.

I'm going on holiday on Sunday, so I'm hoping to have the Epilogue up before I go. Otherwise it will be posted after I get back (which is on 4th Feb).

Hope you enjoy...


Part Thirty-Four


Thursday August 22nd 2002


I can’t believe I’ve been away from home (and Max) for 3 whole days now!

I finally arrived here in Cambridge on Monday evening and since then it’s been a whirlwind of unpacking, meeting new people and campus orientations. I’ve barely had any time to wallow in my misery over not being with Max (which I suppose must be a good thing – it would be awful if I spent this time moping around and feeling sorry for myself instead of getting out there and making friends).

When I got to my residence hall, I found that my roommate had already arrived; her name is Katie and she hails from Florida. She’s really nice and has been introducing me to all these great new people. I’ve made a few friends already; in fact, we’ve already formed a small group – there’s Katie and me, our next-door neighbour Becca, and Jack and Tim from down the hall. I’ve been so busy the past couple of days, getting to know the campus and all the local hotspots with everyone that I’ve only had the chance to talk to Max once since we said goodbye at the airport.

Luckily, though, he’s settling in well too. His roommate, Steve, turned up at Coronado Hall while he was seeing me off at the airport and Max tells me that they’re getting along great, although Steve keeps encouraging him to go out with him to meet hot college girls and he has to keep reminding him that he’s not available.

Crap, I have to go now, Katie’s dragging me along to a ‘meet and greet’ gathering in the student union and she’s already halfway out the door and looking at me expectantly…


***


Monday September 2nd 2002


Classes started last week and I have to say that college is hard work! High school was easy compared to this and it’s strange because some of my classes are so big – there are about 200 students in Freshman Biology alone! I’m having a lot of fun though; Katie seems to be quite the party animal and has managed to persuade me to go out with her almost every night since we got here. I’ve been having loads of fun with the others as well; we’ve had a couple of’ video and popcorn’ nights in with the girls from the corridor and if we have a free hour or two, we’ll get together with John and Tim for a game of pool in the student union (unfortunately, they usually win – damn those guys!).

I have to admit that college life is great and I’m so busy that with socialising and lectures, I haven’t had much time to sit in my room and think about Max and what he’s doing right now.

Oh great, now I am wondering what he’s doing and it’s suddenly making me miss him like crazy.

God, now I’m fantasising about receiving one of his breathtaking, hot kisses and having his warm, strong arms wrapped around me…great, I’m gonna start crying any minute now.

You know, it’s a good thing that Katie’s out for the day, cos I think I might need some time to myself to wallow right now…


***


Friday October 4th 2002


Well, I’ve been here a month and a half now and overall, I think it’s going okay. It’s getting a bit crazy though, because midterms are coming up in the next couple of weeks and everyone’s starting to go kinda crazy in preparation for them. I’ve been studying a fair bit for all my classes anyway, so hopefully I’ll be on top of it by the time the exams start.

From what I’ve heard, Max is doing pretty well too. He’s told me that he’s met some great people and that he’d love for me to meet them. I do feel a bit sorry for him though – it sounds like UNM is pretty strict when it comes to co-ed dorms and alcohol on campus. The university is dry, so no drinking is allowed at all – if alcohol is found in your possession, they send you off to substance abuse counselling! Also, Coronado Hall has strictly same-sex corridors, so guys and girls don’t really get to mix that much in the dorms. I’m glad that we have both males and females on our floor, though – it kinda evens out the balance!

Max and I have been talking about when we’ll get to see each other again. We really don’t want to have to wait until Christmas vacation to be together again, but it’s not going to be easy. Max is hoping that we can meet up over Thanksgiving, but he doesn’t have the money to fly out there, so I’m going to try to make it back to New Mexico that weekend to see him. At least that way, I can see my parents and our friends (if they’re around) without anyone having to spend any money coming out to visit me on the other side of the country!

I’ve been trying to tell myself that the time will fly by and Thanksgiving will be here before I know it, but every so often this little voice in the back of my head cries out that I have to last until November and suddenly another month and a half months seems like a very long time!

Crap, I’ve been trying so hard to stay upbeat and happy about being here without Max, but some days I can’t help thinking about him and wishing that there had been some way to avoid this separation. I’m lucky though, because I have Katie, who’s turning out to be a really great friend. Every time she sees me looking upset over Max or just sitting at my desk, staring into space, she’ll try to cheer me up and then she’ll drag me out with the gang to have some fun. Like tonight, we’re all going over to this keg party at one of the Frat houses. I’m not convinced that I’ll be in the best mood to go, but Katie’s not going to take no for an answer and has told me very specifically, that if I don’t get off my butt and go to the party, she will personally pick me up and carry me there; and considering that she’s even smaller than I am and can barely lift a heavy suitcase, I’d rather go to the party than be responsible for crushing her to death!

Oh no, she’s just walked in the door and is looking at me disapprovingly for sitting here alone and writing in here, so really have to go now…


***


Sunday November 17th 2002


Well, midterms have come and gone and overall, I did pretty well – mostly A’s and B+’s (although there was one bad grade in there; Astronomy – I really don’t know what happened that day) - which I think is pretty good considering I’m studying at one of the best and most demanding schools in the country. Max’s exams went well too and he seems pleased with his grades although, like me, he’s found that it’s a jump going from high school to college workloads.

Unfortunately, after all this waiting, I do have some bad news. I’m not going to make it back home to New Mexico for Thanksgiving. Something’s come up over that weekend and I have to stay here to get some work done. See, I’m taking an Astronomy lab as part of my course load, and it turns out that the professor has been waiting ages to show us this spectacular event or something in the night sky and it’s only supposed to be visible on the Friday and Saturday nights of next week (which surprise, surprise, is Thanksgiving weekend). He wants as many people as possible to attend and he’ll give us extra credit if we attend a special additional class on one of those nights.

Now, normally, I wouldn’t even consider cancelling a trip back home to see Max and my family, but it turns out that Astronomy is not my best class right now (the bad midterm grade) and I really need the extra credit if I want to pass the semester.

I just have to work out how to break the news to Max – I don’t think it’s going to go down well at all. I think he said he was going to be really busy this week, so I don’t even know if I’ll be able to get a hold of him – when I finally pluck up the courage to pick up the phone and dial his number that is…


TBC…

Okay, I just want to apologise for my possible lack of knowledge of American university life. Although I did attend UNM, I don't know much about other US universities.

I also want to say that the UNM rules about drinking and same-sex dorms baffled me somewhat while I was there. At my university, there was no question about guys and girls living together - I shared 1 shower, 2 baths and 2 toilets with 9 other girls and 5 guys in my first year.

We had subsidised bars for each residence hall making about 7 bars/pubs on campus and a student nightclub. We also held cocktail parties in the common room, in part arranged by our warden and paid for out of our subs for the year!

[Heavenli24]

Okay, I tried my best, but I just haven't had the time to completely finish the Epilogue, so I'm posting it in two parts. The first part is below and when I get back from vacation next weekend, I'll write the last couple of scenes and post the second part .

Thank you for all your comments and feedback (sorry I don't have time to reply to all of you - I have to leave in less than 2 hours!) :

begonia9508
Erina
Emz80m
lazza
jbangelo - I think that it surprised me so much because I've been a legal drinker since I was 18, and British student life is pretty much ruled by alcohol most of the time (I was on the welcoming committee for international students last year, and they were warned in orientation not to feel pressurised by how much and often the British students drink!)
tEFLON bABEE xo - Wow, those are scary parallels, especially considering that I totally made up the Astronomy part! Sorry to hear that you didn't last, though.
behrluv32
roswell3053
txndreamer06
Alien614


I know it seems like Liz is having a really good time without Max, but she is still missing him like crazy! She's just making sure that she stays upbeat about the separation instead of being miserable without him.

Don't worry, Liz and Max are fine .


Okay, there's a twist with the Epilogue - see if you can guess what it is !


Epilogue - Part One


Monday November 25th 2002

“Max, I’m so sorry. I know how much this meant to you, to us, but I really can’t get out of it; not if I don’t want to fail the semester.” My heart sinks at her words; I’ve been looking forward to Thanksgiving for so long, but I know I have to be strong.

“I know, Liz; I know. I’m sorry too. It’s just frustrating that we can’t be together on Thanksgiving. I’ll be thinking of you this weekend, and hey, we’ll still have Christmas, right?”

“Yeah, we will,” she agrees. “God, Max, I’m missing you so much right now.” Her voice hitches as she speaks and I just want to wrap her up in my arms and never let go.

“Me too, Lizzie. You know, I keep imagining that you’re here with me and we’re going to class together and having fun; but then I think about how well you’re doing at Harvard and how lucky you are to be there, and I can’t feel sad that you’re not here because I know that Harvard is where you’re meant to be.”

Where did that come from? Of course, I want her here with me. In fact, sometimes my heart literally aches for her, but my in reality, my head knows that Cambridge is where she belongs.

“Oh, Max, you’re making me cry now!” I can hear her sniffling on the other end. “I love you so much, don’t ever forget that.”

“Oh, I won’t, Lizzie; because I love you that much too.” God, when did I turn into such a sap? Oh, that’s right, it was when I fell in love with my best friend.

“How is it that you always know the right things to say?”

Yeah, that’s what I’d like to know too!

I’m saved from answering because she suddenly exclaims, “Oh, shit, I forgot! Max, I have to go; I have an appointment with my Biology professor in less than 10 minutes! I’m sorry, Max.”

“That’s all right.” I force a smile. “I’ll talk to you later, then.”

“Okay, I’ll call you when I get in,” she assures me. “Love you.”

“Love you, too.”

I click off the phone with a sigh, closing my eyes against the sting of tears that I can feel there.

“Man, you are so whipped!” I snap my head up to find that Steve has stopped working and is now smirking at me as he rolls his eyes.

“I am not whipped,” I say indignantly. “I’m just…”

“Yeah,” he nods with a grin. “You’re whipped.”

“Fine,” I sigh. “I give up. There’s no point trying to explain it to you.”

“Damn right! You’ll never see me getting sappy like that over a woman. I have a reputation to maintain.”

“Yeah, I bet you do,” I return. “Don’t think I don’t know what you and your ‘flavour of the week’ get up to in here when I’m in class or out with the guys.”

“Yeah, well. When you’ve got it, you make the most of it,” he preens, nodding his dark-blond head smugly and I suppress the shudder that runs through me.

I suppose now is the best time to tell you that Steve doesn’t know about my virginal status. I’d be the butt of his jokes for weeks if he knew. As far as he’s aware, Liz and I have a sex life and I’ve made no moves to correct his assumption.

“Well, I’d better be going. I have class at three and I want to get some stuff done in the computer lab before it starts,” I announce suddenly, grabbing my bag off the floor. Actually, that’s not quite true. I just had an idea and I want to use the Internet to look something up.

I head for the door, leaving Steve to do whatever he was doing when I was on the phone and make my way down the stairs and outside.

I’m going over my idea in my head when a shrill voice interrupts my line of thought.

“Max! Hey, Max!”

I close my eyes briefly before turning around to face the newcomer.

“Abigail. Hi,” I reluctantly greet the skinny blonde, as she hurries to catch up with me.

“Fancy seeing you here,” she smiles.

“Yeah, fancy that.” What is it with this girl? We both live in this building, for Gods sake.

Steve introduced us the week we moved in (before I’d managed to get it into his head that I was actually already seeing someone) and she’s been practically following me around since. No matter how many times I tell her that I’m not interested, she still keeps suggesting that we hook up.

Yeah, right!

“Look,” I say, shifting my backpack on my shoulder. Now, she’s just standing there watching me expectantly. “I really have to get going. Lots to do, you know.”

“Oh, okay; if you have to go…” she trails off, pausing for a moment. “I’ll see you around, maybe tonight? Eight o’clock at Saggio’s?”

“Yeah, maybe,” I say offhandedly, if only to get her off my back. There’s no way in hell I’m meeting up with her tonight, or any other night for that matter.

“Okay, great,” she replies perkily. Suddenly I feel her hand on my arm and I have to fight the urge to shake it off. Shit, what did I have to go and say that for?

I look down at her hand for a moment, before subtly shaking it off and turning away from her. “I really gotta go now,” I mumble quickly. “Bye.”

“Bye, Max,” she calls sweetly as I begin walking away. My back turned to her; I roll my eyes in exasperation as I get as far away from her as possible.


***

The computer lab in the student union is surprisingly quiet for 2.30pm on a Monday. I take a seat at one of the monitors near the back and quickly log on to the Internet.

Twenty minutes later, I’ve found what I’m looking for and actually have a real smile on my face for the first time in days.

Oh, that’s right, I haven’t shared my plan with you yet, have I?

Okay, well here’s the thing. I’m not planning on spending Thanksgiving by myself and without Liz. So, I’ve decided to plan a little trip to Massachusetts this weekend to surprise her. I’m going to find out how much the flights are and then call my parents to see if they might be able to temporarily loan me some money to help pay for it.

I haven’t seen Liz in what feels like forever; and you know, I’m not just missing my girlfriend right now, I’m missing my best friend too.

I miss lounging around with her, watching DVD’s and chucking popcorn at each other; I miss laughing with her and grossing her out with locker room stories; I miss the way she always insists that she’s right, even when we both know that she’s not.

God, I just miss her.

I know that she’s having a great time at Harvard; she’s enjoying herself, mainly due to Katie, her very social roommate. I’m happy for her. When we were talking on the phone a few weeks ago, Liz told me that she was actually glad that Katie kept dragging her off to parties and introducing her to new people; because otherwise she would be spending every day sitting in her room, missing me and not making the most of being at university; which I’m glad about.

That’s not to say that I don’t have a social life her at UNM; it’s just that I’ve never been as quite as outgoing as Liz and it’s kinda hard to go out socialising with your roommate when all he’s interested in is finding girls who will put out; and that’s really not my idea of a fun night out. Luckily, my fellow teammates on the soccer squad are pretty nice guys and most of them have become good friends of mine. We go out on guy’s nights and to the occasional Frat party, but it’s not like a constant flow of social activity; which to be honest, suits me fine. I feel like I’ve found a good balance between studying and partying.

Shit! A quick glance at the clock reminds me that my English class starts in less than 5 minutes and I’m still sitting in front of the computer, oblivious to everything else. I grab my bag from the floor and log off, quickly making my way out of the room and towards the English department.

***

Thursday November 28th 2002 – Thanksgiving.

Well, it’s all arranged. I spoke to my parents (well, begged them, really) and they agreed to help me out with the cost of the flights; so, this morning, I’m flying out to Boston to see Liz!

I haven’t told her that I’m coming; I want it to be a surprise. We chatted online last night and she told me that a friend of hers (her next-door neighbour, Becca, I think) who lives locally, has invited her over for Thanksgiving Dinner, but after that, she’s planning on a quiet night in, in front of the TV; so I’m going to surprise her this evening.

There’s still about half an hour before I have to leave for the airport. I’m all packed and ready to go, so I put my hands behind my head, stare up at the ceiling and think about Liz. Steve has gone back home to Chicago for the holiday weekend, so I’ve had the luxury of being alone with my thoughts for a few hours.

As I lie on my bed, my mind wanders back to our trip this summer and how great it was.

You know, looking back, I still can’t quite believe that I actually plucked up the courage to tell Liz how I felt about her. I’d lived in the shadows for so long, dating other girls in a vain attempt to keep my mind off her. I wasn’t confident that she would feel the same way about me, yet in my heart, something told me that we were meant to be together.

I can still picture the way she looked that night in San Francisco; she literally took my breath away. I could barely take my eyes off her that night; the way her dress clung to her body in all the right places, the way her hair shone in the restaurant lights; the way she kept looking up and catching me watching her. I honestly hadn’t intended on kissing her when we got back to the hotel; but once we’d arrived, I just couldn’t help it.

But, I’m so glad that I did. I mean, look where we are now: I love her and she loves me, and we’re both happy. I have everything I’ve ever wanted with her. Okay, so maybe we haven’t had sex yet and I can’t really complain, since it was my decision to wait, but I can tell you that I’m seriously hoping that we will finally take that step this weekend. After a lot of thought (and more than two months away from Liz), I’ve realised that I don’t want to wait any longer; I’m ready to be with her.

TBC...

Back next weekend sometime with the last part .

[Heavenli24]

Well, this is it, the last part of this story. Can you believe that when I started this, I'd only planned for it to be about 10 parts long, but it just didn't want to end!

I want to say a big thank you to mlover25 for being my beta, not just this fic, but for all my stories and also to everyone who has either left feedback or has just enjoyed reading this story.

dreamer destiny
behrluv32
lazza
jbangelo
begonia9508
roswell3053
Gater101
youre my dreamgirl
kismet
Erina
Roswell 10/2/00 - As far as I could tell when I was in the states, US Master's degree are on a par with final year undergrad in the UK, considering that I was only halfway through my undergrad degree when I was taking US Masters/PhD classes. The difference in the UK is that Freshman/Sophomore year of US college is approximately our last 2 years of high school, an undergraduate degree is 3 years, a Master's is only 1 year and a PhD is 3 years of straight research with no classes (there is no such thing as 'all but dissertation' here - the entire 3 years is research and dissertation).
clueless
Alien614
POM


It was a very nice (and unexpected) surprise to come back from (freezing cold) Disneyland Paris to find that I have received 5 nominations for Round 2 of the Memories Fanfic Awards. Thank you to everyone who nominated this fic for them :

Best Dreamer Fiction

Best All Around Fanfiction

Best Long Fiction

Best POV

and also

Best Newcomer

Thank you !

**

Okay, don't worry, Liz will not be going back to New Mexico for Thanksgiving .

This part is still in Max's POV...


Epilogue - Part 2

My flight arrives at the airport in Boston at 8.30pm (can you believe that it took 8 hours and a connection in Phoenix to get here!), I grab my bag off the carousel at baggage claim as quickly as I can and hail a cab to Cambridge. As we approach Harvard University, a knot of excitement begins to form in my stomach. After two whole months, I’m finally going to see Liz again!

The cab driver pulls up outside Liz’s residence hall and I get out of the car. After I thank him and pay for the ride, I’m left standing outside the building, wondering how on earth I’m going to get inside. The easiest thing would be to call Liz and have her come let me in, but then that would ruin the surprise, wouldn’t it?

Fortunately, a small group of students appear a few moments later and I manage to sneak in after them, casually pretending that I’m part of their group. Once I’m inside, I glance down at the piece of paper in my hand, the one that has Liz’s room number scribbled on it and I set about finding her.

Ten minutes and several wrong turns later, I finally find myself outside her room. I can hear the sound of the TV through the door and I smile. My girlfriend is right on the other side!

I’m feeling kinda nervous as I take a deep breath and raise my hand to knock. I don’t know why, really; this is Liz, a girl I’ve known forever. But somehow, it seems different now that we’re together. I rap on the door three times and stand back as I wait for her to answer. I hear her voice on the other side, as if she’s talking to someone and I start to get worried. Does she have company?

But then the door opens and my worries are immediately put to rest. There she is; a vision in pale blue sweatpants and an oversized grey sweatshirt (actually, come to think of it, that’s my sweatshirt!) – her standard vegging-out attire. A smile breaks out on my face as she gasps at the sight of me.

“Max?! Oh my God!” she cries in disbelief, her hand flying to my mouth.

“Surprise!” I grin. “Happy Thanksgiving, Liz.”

“Oh my God,” she repeats in wonder. “What are you doing here? I thought you couldn’t afford…” she shakes her head. “I can’t believe you’re really here!” she exclaims suddenly, and flings her arms around my neck, hugging me tightly for a moment and then letting go to plant a long-awaited kiss on my lips.

Oh my God, I’m in heaven. She feels so good. My bag slips from my hand, landing on the floor with a thud as I lift my arms and hold her to me as I deepen the kiss. She’s so warm, and soft, and sweet; I can’t get enough of her. We’re just getting into our embrace, our tongues tangling together as our hands drift everywhere, when suddenly a throat clears behind Liz. My eyes snap open in surprise and I pull away from her. There is a guy standing in the middle of the room, a guy I don’t know.

“Max? What – ?” She looks confused, so I nod my head in the direction of the strange man. Her eyes widen in realisation, “Oh.” She turns in my arms so that she can see both of us. “Max, this is Jack. He lives down the hall,” she tells me. “We’re both stuck here over the holiday, so he came to keep me company,” she explains. “Jack, this is Max, my boyfriend.” He nods in my direction with a small smile. I remember now, she told me about him, and that other guy…Tim, I think; they’re part of her new group of friends. I know she’s just friends with him and that I shouldn’t feel jealous, but I can’t seem to stop the feeling of envy that rises up in me. It’s like when we were in Arizona and I came out to the pool to find her talking to that guy, Aiden. I was so jealous that day.

I’m so caught up in the memory that I almost miss the fact that the guy’s talking to me.

“Hey, Max. It’s good to finally meet you,” he says, holding out his hand. “We’ve heard all about you.”

I shake his hand. “Nice to meet you, too,” I smile pleasantly. “I gather you’ve all been taking care of my Lizzie the past few months. Thank you, I appreciate it,” I tell him warmly and beside me, Liz blushes. She looks so cute when she blushes; she always has. I remember when we were kids and she used to blush like that when she got embarrassed. Even back then, I thought she was the sweetest, most precious thing I’d ever seen.

Suddenly, I can’t seem to take my eyes off her and I think Jack senses it too, because the next thing I know, he’s politely excusing himself and he quickly leaving the room. Liz reaches round to close the door behind him and just like that, we’re alone.

Before I have a chance to say anything though, Liz’s arms are around me again and her lips are pressing firmly against mine. Wow, I’ve missed this; her warmth, how soft her skin is, the feel of her lips on mine. All too soon, it’s over however, as Liz pulls back and the excited questions begin,

“What are you doing here? How did you get here? I can’t believe you kept this a secret! I can’t believe I never guessed! Oh my God, Max!” she finishes with a laugh and a happy grin.

“Well,” I start. “I didn’t want to you to spend Thanksgiving here all by yourself, and I also didn’t want to spent it without you; and so, since you couldn’t make it home, I asked my parents to lend me some money for the flights and I came out to visit you.”

“Max, thank you,” she sighs, wrapping her arms around my neck once again. “I love you.”

I smile; I’ll never get enough of hearing those words fall from her lips. A swell of emotion rises up inside me and I have to swallow quickly before I reply.

“I love you, too.”

Suddenly, our mouths are fused together again; our bodies flush against one another and Liz is walking me backwards towards her bed. As soon as I realise which bed is hers, I spin her around so that it’s her legs that come into contact with the end, not mine, and we fall to the mattress.

For several moments, we don’t think, just feel. Liz’s hands are roaming the length of my back, causing wonderful sensations to shoots through my body. My own hands are running up and down her sides, occasionally brushing her breasts with a thumb as I go. She’s planting feather-like, soft kisses to my face and I reciprocate by nuzzling her neck, caressing a tender spot at the base that I know turns her on. I am rewarded by a sharp gasp from her and I smile against her skin.

I love this woman. I want to make love to this woman; right here, right now.

Eager to show her exactly how much I love her, I slip my hands beneath her sweater; feeling the warm, smooth skin of her stomach.

“Max,” she gasps, her fingers finding their way under my shirt. The feel of her small hands caressing my lower back is almost too much to bear and I return my mouth to hers, pouring all my love for her into that one kiss, before taking hold of her top, easing it over her head and dropping it to the carpeted floor.

Before I know it, my shirt has joined hers and I am bare-chested, which is more than I can say for her, considering that she’s still clad in a delicate camisole, although not for long.

I realise, as I gently tug the camisole over her head, leaving her only in a white lacy bra, that I haven’t seen her totally naked yet. That night in Vegas, when I couldn’t help myself and just had to taste her, I didn’t even remove her clothing first!

I suck in a breath, preparing to remove the last barrier between me and her naked chest. One at a time, I carefully slip each strap of her bra down over her shoulder, caressing her skin lightly with my fingers as I go. She writhes beneath me, her breath coming in short pants. I don’t want to just pull the garment down and embarrass her, but I now realise that I haven’t exactly had that much experience in the unfastening of bra and now I’m kind of stuck.

Luckily, Liz’s eyes open when I make no move to continue, and I guess she sees the uncertainty in my eyes, because she then raises herself up, reaching behind her to unclasp it. I watch hungrily as she lets the straps slide further down her arms and she shrugs out of the bra, allowing it to fall to the ground beside the bed.

I’m mesmerised by the sight of her as she settles back down against the mattress. I can’t take my eyes off her; she’s so beautiful.

“I know it’s not much,” she whispers, averting her eyes.

“No, Liz,” I say quickly. “You’re just…perfect. Absolutely perfect.”

I watch her face as she blushes in response and I just have to lean down to kiss her once more. However, the kiss doesn’t stay chaste and quick like I’d intended and before I know it, our hands are everywhere, touching, caressing, stroking, my hands cup her breasts as she places the palms of her hands against my back.

Somehow, we both end up reaching for each other’s pants at exactly the same time and there’s a moment of hesitation as we both simply stare at each other.

Eventually, Liz breaks the silence, “Max, are you sure? Do you really want to do this tonight?”

I press a quick kiss to her lips. “Yes, I’m sure, Liz. Completely, totally sure,” I assure her. “I even came prepared.”

“You did?” she smiles.

“Yep, they’re in my bag.”

“Okay,” she whispers. “Let’s do this.”

I respond with, “Your wish is my command, milady,” and reach down to slip her pants down over her hips.

“Wait!” she cries suddenly.

“What?” I’m confused. Has she suddenly changed her mind?

“I think we ought to lock the door first,” she suggests. “We don’t want anyone disturbing us, do we?”

“No!” My eyes widen at the thought and I roll to the side to let her up.

I watch as she pads across the room and I smiled as she holds her hands to her chest self-consciously. After she’s clicked the lock shut, she picks up my bag and quickly returns to the bed.

“You know, I’m so glad that Katie’s gone home to Florida for the weekend,” she states, as I kick off my shoes and settle back down onto the bed, under the covers this time. Before I slide into the bed, I take the opportunity to reach into my bag and pull out the box of condoms that I bought before I left Albuquerque. I place them on the table next to the bed and then lie down, turning my attention back to Liz.

“So…” I start, somewhat awkwardly.

“So…” she echoes in the same tone; but then she smiles, “Well, I guess I kinda killed the mood with that one, huh?”

A small chuckle escapes my lips as she bites her lip and looks up at me sheepishly. “Yeah, I guess you did,” I smile, suddenly entranced as her tongue snakes out to wet her lips. “But you know,” I add, my voice coming out slightly hoarse. “I don’t think it’ll be too hard to get it back again.”

“No?” she grins.

“No,” I whisper back, my gaze fixed on her lips. I snake an arm around her waist and pull her closer. “Come here, you,” I manage to get out, only a second before our lips meet in an eager kiss.

Before I know it, Liz’s nimble fingers have unbuttoned my jeans and she has slipped her hands inside, easing them over my hips. I almost jump at the feel of her fingers squeezing my backside through the thin material of my boxers, pressing my erection into her; but suddenly her tongue is begging entrance to my mouth and my surprise dissipates and instead is replaced by arousal at the feel of her intimately pressed against me. Once Liz has managed to manoeuvre my pants down to my knees, I finish the task by kicking them off the rest of the way and then to the floor.

Hastily, I reach for the waistband of her sweatpants. I’m pleased to find that it is elastic and that I don’t have to wrestle with any knots or bows. Eager to see her, to touch her, I pull them down over her hips and with her help, they fall to the floor. We’re now both clad only in our underwear and I look up at her, stopping all movement for a moment. Her face is flushed and her chest is rising and falling noticeably, but she has the most beautiful smile on her face and I can’t help brushing her hair back off her forehead and smiling back at her.

The moment is broken however, when I realise something embarrassing; something that, even though this is my first time, I should have remembered.

I still have my socks on.

I’m in bed with Liz, we’re almost naked, and I’m still wearing my socks!

What was I thinking? God; someone shoot me, now!

My expression must show my dilemma because Liz gets a concerned look on her face.

“Max? What’s wrong?” she asks tenderly, but I can’t bring myself to make eye contact with her. I can feel the tips of my ears getting hot and I just know that they’re turning pink. I open my mouth to speak, but nothing comes out. I chance a peek at Liz. Great, she knows I’m embarrassed about something.

Okay, well here goes…

“I…” is as far as I get, before I feel a foot brush against my calf…and my sock. Liz’s eyes widen in realisation.

“Oh…” she grins.

Oh…what?

Crap!

But what she does next surprises me. With a mischievous grin, she disappears beneath the covers, furrowing downwards.

“Liz, what…?” I don’t get any further because suddenly her hands are on my legs, as she tugs first one, then the other sock down and pulls each of them off.

“Liz, stop it!” I exclaim as she runs a finger along the bottom of my right foot and a muffled giggle sounds from the end of the bed. Damn! She knows how ticklish I am; yet she still tortures me!

“Lizzie!” I try again; this time with what I hope is annoyance in my tone.

I let out a breath when she sighs, “Fine,” and stops the movement of her fingers; but my relief is short-lived, because the next thing I know, she’s kissing her way up my legs.

Oh my God!

I don’t know how long I can stand this new torture. With every kiss and caress, she inches closer to where I need her most, teasing me until I can’t think straight, but never quite reaching her target.

The moment she bypasses my groin and begins covering my stomach with light, open-mouthed kisses, is the moment I snap. Wrapping my arms around her, I pull her up my body, letting out a groan of pleasure as her stomach and thighs brush against my straining erection, and I capture her lips in a passionate embrace.

“I want you, Lizzie,” I whisper between feverish kisses. “I want you now. No more waiting.”

“Okay,” she murmurs softly, supporting her weight on her arms as she gazes down at me, her long, dark hair falling over her shoulder like a sheet of silk. It tickles my chest and a shiver runs through my entire body. “So,” she begins, leaning down to nuzzle my neck. I close my eyes with the sensation. “How do you want to…you know…do this?”

“Um…I…uh…” What was the question again? Oh, right. How do I want to…Okay.

“Just, um…the usual way, I guess,” I manage eventually, my face burning. Why is this suddenly so difficult?

“Okay,” she smiles against my skin. “Well, I guess these had better go, then,” she whispers, kissing my shoulder as she loops her fingers in the waistband of my boxers and eases them down. I suck in a sharp breath as my erection springs free from its confines, and then my shorts are gone.

I gasp, my breath coming fast as Liz gently strokes me a couple of times, before shifting to my side. She removes her panties, kicking them to the floor to join the rest of our clothes, as she settles beside me once again. I turn towards her, slipping my arm around her waist so that our bodies are touching. I can’t help but gasp at the contact. God, she feels so perfect against me, her bare breasts brushing my chest, her stomach and soft thighs touching mine, her pelvis trapping my hardness between us.

“Liz,” I mutter, my voice coming out a little deeper than usual. I can’t stop my hips from rolling against hers; I’m aching to be inside of her and I don’t think I can wait a moment longer. “I need you.”

She smiles lustfully, her hand coming up to cup my cheek, her lips moving closer to mine. “I need you, too,” she murmurs, sealing our mouths together in a sweet kiss. The movement of my hips against her becomes more frantic as our tongues tangle together eagerly, but before I can give in to temptation and bury myself within her, Liz lays a hand on my chest and stops me.

“Max, wait. We’re forgetting something here.”

“We are?” I wonder, my brain too fuzzy to think of anything but her.

“Yes,” she nods towards the bedside table behind me and I realise what she’s talking about. Protection.

“Right, yes. Sorry,” I apologise, rolling onto my back as I reach for the box.

A couple of moments later and with little trouble, the condom is in place and I’m ready. I may be a virgin, but I’m no stranger to condoms. When we were in middle school, Michael managed to get hold of some and we each made sure that we knew how to use them (separately, obviously; and in the privacy of our own homes, of course).

Liz rolls onto her back in preparation, smiling softly at me, but I make no move to join her. It’s like I’m frozen, just lying on my side, staring at her.

I’m suddenly extremely nervous.

“Hey,” she whispers, propping herself up on her elbow. “What are you thinking about?”

“How nervous I am right this moment,” I admit.

“Max,” she murmurs, stroking my arm with her free hand. “There’s no need to be nervous. You’re gonna do great, okay?” she grins and despite my reservations, my lips curl into a smile too.

She kisses me then, her hand running down over my stomach towards my groin and then round to my waist. As our tongues meet once more, she stretches out on the bed, bringing me with her until I’m resting above her, my hips nestled between her legs, my arousal pressing against her intimately. At the feel of her soft, wet centre next to me, my nervousness all but disappears and is replaced with desire.

“I love you, Max Evans,” Liz declares as her hand snakes down between our bodies and guides me to her opening. I bury my head in her neck to muffle my groan as I enter her.

“I love you too, Liz Parker,” I manage in a gasp, my eyes practically crossing at the sensations coursing through my body.

‘Oh my God’ is all I can think as I ease myself further into her, my breath coming in short pants as her tight, wet heat envelops me. God, this is perfection. Liz is perfection. I can’t imagine being this way with anyone else, nor can I imagine knowing anyone else in this way.

Carefully, I sheath myself within her fully and my heart leaps at her breathy moan, as my name falls from her lips. Her arms wrap around my shoulders as I withdraw from her body almost completely before gently pushing back in. The feeling is indescribable; it makes me wonder why I never did this before, why we never did this before.

As my nervousness and uncertainty melts away, I find myself moving more urgently, eager to keep building the wonderful sensations that Liz and I are creating. Liz is pressed firmly against me, her chest flush with mine, her warm, slightly damp skin rubbing wonderfully over mine as we move together. Just when I think this can’t get any better, she wraps her legs around my waist and I drive deeper into her than before. We both gasp at the change in position, losing ourselves in a deep, passion-filled kiss, which causes the movement of my hips to quicken, becoming more frenzied and even more urgent than before.

Suddenly, Liz’s inner walls tighten around me; squeezing me so deliciously that I’m not sure how much longer I can hold out. Beneath me, Liz is breathing heavily, her eyes closed, her head flung back and I can tell she’s close as well. I continue to stroke in and out of her whilst I lean down and press kisses to the exposed skin of her neck. The hands leave my shoulders, her fingers curling in my hair as she whispers my name. I dart my tongue out to lick the sensitive spot behind her ear and suddenly she tenses beneath me, crying out her release.

I can’t help but watch her face as she writhes in ecstasy below me and a feeling of pride swells in my chest with the knowledge that I can do this to her, that I can make her lose control like this. I look away a moment later however, as my own release builds up inside me and I have to close my eyes with the force of it.

“Liz! Oh my God, Liz. I love you,” I gasp, the words coming out in a jumble as sensation take over and my mind turns to jelly. All I know is what I’m feeling right now and it’s the most wonderful, most luxurious feeling in the world. I never want it to end.

Exhausted, my arms give out and I collapse onto Liz, my head buried against her neck once again. Her hands trace small circles on my back and she drops a soft kiss to my hair as I try to catch my breath and gather enough strength to move.

It takes me a few moments, but eventually I manage to roll off her and pull her to me. She settles against my chest, her hand coming up to rest over my still rapidly beating heart as her leg entwines with mine.

“Wow,” I exhale. “That was just…incredible.”

She giggles softly, “It was, wasn’t it?”

“I wanna do it again,” I declare sleepily.

“You do, huh?” she lifts her head to look at me.

“Yep. And again and again.” I can barely keep my eyes open. “In fact, let’s do it again right now.”

“Of course, Max. Whatever you want, you just let me know when you’re ready again.” Her teasing tone is the last thing I hear before I’m dead to the world.

***

Sunday December 1st 2002

I have just had the most amazing weekend of my life. I’ve spent two wonderful, blissful days with Liz, making love with her. Liz. The love of my life; my best friend in the entire world.

My life is perfect.

Well, except for the fact that I currently live two thousand miles away from said best friend and girlfriend, and there’s still three weeks until Christmas vacation, when I’ll be able to see her again.

But you know, this weekend has taught me two very important things:

One, I am more in love right now than I have ever been in my whole life and two…

I love sex!

Honestly, I don’t know how I’ve gone without it all this time. It has to be the best experience in the world, bar none.

Of course, I don’t just mean sex in general; I mean sex with one Miss Elizabeth Parker. Actually, I really should call it making love, because I don’t think it ever could be just sex with us. Even if it’s hard and fast and passionate, it will still always be making love (and believe me, I know – I’ve learned quite a bit about Liz Parker this weekend).

Man, it’s going to be a tough few years with her at Harvard and me studying here at UNM!

With thoughts of Liz, and everything we did these past few days on my mind, I open the door to my room and am greeted with an unusual sight. Steve, obviously back from Chicago, is sitting on his bed, a book in his hand, looking rather serious.

I frown in puzzlement as I walk over to my bed and drop my bag on the floor. Steve looks up at the noise, confused. But then he realises that it’s me and his confusion becomes a smirk.

“So, where have you been this weekend?” he wiggles his eyebrows slyly. “I was under the impression that you were spending Thanksgiving with the folks, but Dave from down the hall says he saw you boarding a plane to Boston Thursday morning.”

I can’t prevent the grin that spreads across my face at the thought of Liz as I reply, “Yeah, I went to see Liz. We had a great time together,” I practically sigh, the words slipping out unintentionally.

Steve just eyes me suspiciously for a moment, before he grins, “Well, looks like someone got lucky this weekend!”

I look away, slightly awkwardly, but then his words sink in. “Wait, someone? Do you mean to say that you didn’t get any over Thanksgiving? And that I’m the only one in this room that did? Wow,” I whistle as he suddenly looks away uncomfortably. I frown. “What about all those girls you were bragging about back home – what was that one girl’s name…Donna?”

“What about her?” he asks suddenly and I detect a slightly defensive tone in his voice. I watch him for a second, his body language, and suddenly it dawns on me. He likes this girl; like, really likes her. Wow, the beast may have actually been tamed, who’d have thought it?

“Nothing,” I amend quickly. “It doesn’t matter.”

He watches me for a minute, but then simply shrugs and returns to his book, leaving me to unpack my bags.

“Max?” he asks about thirty minutes later.

“Yeah?” I ask from my inside my closet, where I’m hanging up a couple of shirts.

“Liz, your girlfriend…” he trails off and I poke my head round the door.

“Yeah?”

“You’re always telling her you love her on the phone, but do you mean it? Are you really in love with her?”

Wow, this must be serious if he’s asking about love.

“Yeah I do,” I smile happily. “I really love her. In fact, I think she might just be the one. Why?”

“Oh, no reason,” he shakes his head quickly and I have to suppress a grin. My player of a roommate might just be falling in love. “So, she’s the one, huh?”

“Yeah,” I smile. “She was my best friend for years, but one day I just found myself looking at her and thinking ‘One day, I’m going to marry that girl’.”

“And do you think you will?” questions Steve curiously.

“Yeah, I think I will,” I grin, before turning back to the cupboard.

Just think; Liz Parker: my future wife.


The End


Since I don't have any more pictures from the story, I thought I'd share with you some photos from my trip to Disneyland last week - I stayed in the 'Santa Fe Hotel', which is in the style of a New Mexico pueblo, with it's own (frozen) 'Rio Grande River' - I thought it was appropriate :

Sleeping Beauty's Castle
View of Fantasyland
View of Discoveryland
Big Thunder Mountain
Pirates of the Caribbean
Santa Fe Hotel
The 'pueblo' buildings
More 'pueblo' buildings
The 'Rio Grande' and the Cheyenne Hotel
The New York hotel - complete with the Rockefeller ice rink out front!
The Newport Bay club hotel - New England style

[Heavenli24]

I still don't see why Max can't transfer to a school in Boston.

Okay, so I guess technically Max could have transferred schools pretty easily, but I wanted them to be in the situation that they had to spend the 4 years doing their own thing, although I suppose that I didn't really give a good reason (or any, come to think of it) for Max to have to stay in Mew Mexico instead of moving closer to Liz.

My reason for doing this is because as far as I am aware, transferring schools here in the UK just not possible, mainly due to the fact that we each apply to study a specific course in one subject only, so each university can have a different course curriculum and not every institution will offer the same options or opportunities (for example, not every university offers a study abroad year, and those that do may only offer it in certain subjects).

If you want to change universities, you have to leave the school completely, go through the entire application process again (which can take months) and then you will have to wait until the next school year (September/October) to go to a new school.

So, since I'm English, the whole concept of transferring schools halfway through the school year just seems really strange to me !

Also, when I first started university, several of the girls I lived with were in serious long-distance relationships, but now, almost 5 years later, some of them are still together and now married!

I wanted Max and Liz to have to deal with these issues, just like a lot of British students do (although, the difference in Britain is that it only takes a few hours to drive from one end of the country to the other), instead of giving in and moving across the country to be together .


Heavenli24

[Heavenli24]

Hey guys,

I just want to say thank you for all your wonderful feedback . I'm glad you all enjoyed the story, and to all the lurkers, I hope you enjoyed it too.

So, thank you to:

Behrsgirl1230 - It actually wasn't so much that I changed my mind, but that I thought I could get the whole written in ten parts - which obviously didn't happen ! I actually thought that after they got together in San Francisco, that I could finish it in 3 or 4 parts! I hope you enjoy Disneyland next month .
youre my dreamgirl - I know, it does seem too soon, but it's the ending I had planned from the beginning .
Erina - Glad you liked the socks part - as I said to you before, I got the idea from Coupling (the original UK version), where the guys were discussing when to take your socks off when you're with a woman!
jbangelo - Thanks, glad you liked the ending .
dreamer destiny - Thanks.
begonia9508 - Thank you.
Ellie - I actually had the lovemaking scene planned alomst from the beginning - I decided pretty early on that it was going to happen at college !
Maxssoulmate - Thanks .
clueless - Thanks, I'm glad you liked it .
Poison Ivy - Thank you, and fingers crossed for the awards, although, just the fact that I got nominations is amazing for me !
anonymousarfan - Thank you.
lazza - I guess if you're in love, you don't mind admitting it (and I think that Max might just have been trying to prove a point to his womanising roommate ).
roswell3053 - Thanks.
Alien614 - Thank you.
Roswell 10/2/00 - Thanks, I'm glad you liked all the pics and I thought that Liz's diary entries were appropriate, considering the show.
Emz80m - Thanks , I didn't want to be inconsistent with updates, and have everyone waiting ages between updates - luckily, the story flowed easily and I managed to get it written quickly; which is more than I can say for I'll Never Let You Go on the CC board, for which I am having major writer's block at the moment !
kittens
ISLANDGIRL5 - For some reason, writing angst seems to come easier to me than fluff, so I'm glad you liked the lack of it (if that made any sense at all!)
cherie - Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed it .

Having read kittens' comment about why Max couldn't just transfer schools, I realised that people reading in America might have thought it a bit strange , as I know how easy it is to transfer schools there. So my explanation is that although the fic was set in the States, I was writing what I know - that many British couples have to survive long distance relationships when they go to college, as they can't transfer without dropping out and then reapplying somewhere else for the next academic year.

So, sorry if it seemed a bit out of place in this fic .

Just want to let you know that I'm not adverse to writing the odd tag or a sequel to You Can Always... (providing you'd like to see one, that is), although I would like to get started on some new stories too.

Having said that, I'm currently working on a fairly short (I think, I haven't written it all yet, so it could go the way of You Can Always... )Valentine's fic which I only got the idea for yesterday, so look out for it on this board in the next few days .