You Broke It, You Fix It M/L chapter 10 10/15/06 [WIP]

[Christmasnazi]

here's the latest update... sorry it took so long... thanks to everyone who takes the time to read and review... this fic is dedicated to each of you

chapter 8

Isabel sat on the edge of the couch, staring blankly at the wall. God, what was wrong with her? Liz was Alex's best friend! Isabel knew that she could be cruel sometimes, but to be more worried about Max finding out that she'd tried to leave town than about the life of the only girl Max had ever loved... that just wasn't like her, no matter how angry she might be with her brother right now. She would never take her anger out on someone who might be in danger.

"We have to find her, Michael!" Isabel blurted out loudly. "We have to find her before the alien kills her, too"!

Amy blinked, looking to Michael worriedly. "Maybe you should get Isabel to the doctor's, Michael. I think she's losing her mind with grief."

"Y... yeah," Michael stuttered, his horrified gaze darting between Isabel and Amy. "She's talking crazy. It must be losing Alex... I know she hasn't been handling it very well."

Four pairs of startled eyes darted to the door at the sudden bout of desperate pounding. "Michael?" Oh, God, Isabel thought. Oh, God, no!

Michael quickly moved to answer the door, deftly catching Max as he began to fall to his knees, sobbing and babbling incoherently.

"Woah, Max! Slow down," Michael soothed softly, using the same tone he'd been using on Maria the last couple of days.

"Tess!" Max spat, clutching onto Michael's arm. "She did this, Michael! Tess did this to me!"

"Did what, Max?" Michael asked warily. Did Max already know about Liz? Was that why he was so hysterical? Michael prayed that he was wrong, prayed that Max was talking about something else entirely.

"She used her powers on me, Michael," Max confessed brokenly. "She took everyone away from me. You, Isabel, Li... Li... Liz! Oh, God, Michael! She took everyone and I di... didn't even se... se... see it!"

"Come on, Max," Michael coaxed, moving Max to seat him beside Isabel on the couch. "You haven't lost us, Maxwell. Isabel and I are right here. We won't leave you, Max," Michael promised, staring pointedly at Isabel as he spoke the vow.

"It's all my fault," Max muttered bitterly. "Why didn't I see what was happening?"

"Maxwell, you aren't making any sense," Michael said softly. "Didn't see what happening?"

"Tess," Max repeated. "She's been mindwarping me - us, I think - since she set foot in town."

"She used her powers againt us?" Isabel repeated, stunned. "Why would she do that, Max?"


tbc...

[Christmasnazi]

Just to let everyone know... the time is fast approaching! I will be unveiling my new fic, Meant To Be, on Wednesday September 6th, and will be doing an all day author chat over at Roswell Heaven. I truly hope you guys will join me there. I'll be happy to answer your questions about Meant To Be or You Broke It, so feel free to pop in and ask me anything!

anyway, here it is, as promised... enjoy!

chapter 9

Liz replayed that hellish week that had started this whole nightmare. Why hadn't she trusted her first judgement? She knew time travel wasn't possible. Why had suspended her belief in reality, just to trust some outrageous claim made by a total stranger?

Because he wore Max's face, she admitted finally. He wore the face of the one person in this world that she would follow into Hell itself if neccessary.

But this wasn't the first time she been tricked. Hadn't Nasedo managed to kidnap her and ultimately get Max captured by Pierce by wearing Max's face? Why didn't she learn her lesson after that? She should have known in her heart that Max would never have asked her to break both their hearts.

"It's all my fault," she whispered thickly, wiping at her tears. "I broke his heart. I pushed him to be with Tess. I did this to him. I have to fix this. I have to tell him the truth."

Liz sat up shakily and dried her eyes. She would fix this. Max would know the truth. All of it. And then, whatever he decided, Liz would accept it. Even if it meant she lost him forever. It would only serve her right.

Squaring her shoulders, Liz moved to her feet, shuffling toward the door. She had to find Max! She stumbled to the door, leaning heavily as the room spun crazily around her, her head throbbing relentlessly. Raising a hand to her head, she was surprised when it came away sticky with blood. Wha-? Oh, that's right.... someone had hit her...

It had to be Nasedo, she thought. It couldn't have been Pierce... She'd almost fainted when she'd seen him through the window. Oh God! Max had no idea that he was alive, that he was Khivar's clone! She had to find him, had to tell him, before it was too late.

She looked around the room, hoping against hope for any means of escape. Liz reached for the door handle, not really expecting it to open, shock filling her already cloudy mind as it turned easily in her hand. Peering cautiously out into the hallway, she found it deserted.

Stepping out into the dimly lit hallway with it's startk white walls, the world spun crazily again, forcing her to lean heavily against the wall, her vision blurring and black spots swimming before her. I have to get out of here, she thought hazily. Max needs to know...

She saw the exit sign and stumbled toward it. Liz pushed against the door but it was locked. Despair started to sink in, followed by desperation. Then something Ava had said came back to mind... Max had changed her. She sent a silent prayer to whatever deity might be listening. "Please let this work!"

Liz closed her eyes and concentrated on her need to get out. She concentrated on what she'd learned, about Khivar being Pierce, Nasedo tricking her into breaking up with Max... it was the thought of Tess with Max that made it happen. That was the thought that flared the power inside her, blasting from her fingertips, blowing the door off it's hinges.

The spots in front of her eyes got bigger, her head grew fuzzier, her knees buckled and Liz was forced to crawl out into the bright sunlight. Max... have to find Max... one hand in front of the other, one knee at a time, she crawled across the hard ground, her sight set on the large fence surrounding the grounds.

It took a lifetime to reach the fence, and even longer to get beyond it, and Liz only her determination to reach Max and tell him the truth kept her going. She couldn't give up until Max knew the truth... With that thought repeating itself in her mind, Liz crawled away from the bunker, out into the vast New Mexican desert.

Another lifetime passed as she made her way slowly into the desert, the sun beating down relentlessly, sapping away her remaining strength, until finally, her mind seemingly stuck in mollasses, Liz gave into the blackness waiting to claim her.

tbc

[Christmasnazi]

Thank you to everyone who left fb. I'm sososo sorry for the long delay in updating, I've been focused on getting Meant To Be up and running, and You Broke It has suffered. Hope this chapter was worth the wait...

Chapter 10

"Why would she do that to us, Max?" Isabel repeated. "What does she want?"

"She wanted to fulfill 'Destiny', Isabel. She wanted me to... to... be with her," Max sobbed brokenly. "She tried to seduce me into sleeping with her tonight."

Maria and Isabel both gasped loudly at the revelation. "You... you didn't, did you, Max? You didn't really sleep with that... that... gerbil!" Maria demanded. "Tell me you wouldn't betray Liz by sleeping with that conniving witch!" Max grimaced at the very thought.

He looked up as Michael came out of Amy's room, quietly shutting the door behind him. It had taken a miracle to convince Amy that this was all some strange nightmare she was having and get her into bed.

"Michael, I know she's mindwarped me over and over again. I think she probably warped all of us at least once. If you... if you trust me, I think I can remove her influences over you," Max stammered, his eyes pleading with Michael to trust him enough, to forgive him for the things he'd said and done while under Tess's influences himself.

"Maxwell, you're my brother. Of course I trust you, man," Michael answered, clamping a hand on Max's shoulder.

Max's eyes flashed his gratitude and he placed his hands on either side of Michael's head and began to probe gently with his mind, seeking and removing the influences Tess's powers had left in his brother's mind.

Michael's eruption was exactly as Max expected. "I'll kill her!" he bellowed, furious. "If she so much as shows her face around me I'll kill her!"

"Michael?" Maria murmured, staring at him in disbelief.

"God, Maxwell, what she did... the dreams... the skins.... me killing Pierce..." Max cringed at how bleak him brother's voice sounded to his ears. "God, I've been sitting here blaming Liz for Maria's grief and all this time... You're right, Bro. All this time she's been trying to force us to follow her version of 'Destiny'. Making us doubt each other, turn on each other." Max flinched when Michael released a fraction of his anger on the wall, slamming his fist clear through.

Michael turned to Isabel. "You're right, Izzy. We have to find her."

"Wait, you two were going to look for Tess anyway, before I even got here?" Max asked, confused.

"No, Max... we were going to look for Liz," Maria whispered thickly.

"Oh... she's gone, Maria... I don't know when she'll be back," he answered sadly, his shoulders slumping.

"God, Max, how can you be so calm about it?" Isabel demanded. "I thought you loved her. What, you changed your mind?"

"No, Isabel, of course not," Max denied vehemently. "I tried to talk her out of going. But she went anyway... renounced our friendship and got in the cab."

Isabel, Maria and Michael stared at each other before turning back to Max. "Max I... I was going to leave Roswell tonight. I was in a cab on the way to the airport when..."

"I know, Izzy," Max interrupted, moving to hug her to him tightly. "I'm so glad you didn't go. I need to explain about what I said... to... to apologize for it. Please, Isabel... you know me... I would never have said those things to you if... if Tess hadn't..."

"Oh, God, Max! That was Tess... I should have known..." Isabel hugged her brother back just as tightly, tears rolling down her cheeks; tears of relief that Max hadn't really meant the words; anger that Tess had used her powers to turn her brother into someone that even he didn't recognize; tears of guilt for almost abandoning her brother when he needed her most; and tears of fear: fear for Liz's safety; fear for Max's sanity if he lost the only girl he had ever, and would ever, love.

"No... Max, this is important. Please, you have to listen to us," Isabel insisted urgently.

"What is it, Isabel?" Max asked, fear lacing his words as her actions and reactions sent a chill coursing down his spine.

"I was leaving Roswell, Max, and I called a cab to take me to the airport," Isabel began, wringing her hands nervously. "I... I... Max, I found Liz's luggage on the side of the road."

The blood drained from Max's face at his sister's words, and his knees buckled. "Wh... what?"

"God, Max, what if she was right? What if Alex was murdered?" Isabel cried. "We have to find her!"

tbc...