After examination, Dr Sanchez seemed to reach the same conclusion the first nurse who had examined Liz had come to, and Liz was happy to hear that she had just sprained her ankle and that should she not put any weight on her foot, she should be completely healed in a couple of weeks only.
After having instructed a nurse to bandage her foot and ankle and bring her some clutches, Dr Sanchez excused himself and wished her a good recovery, and Liz was just getting about done when another nurse came to inform them that there was a young man at the reception asking for them.
Max told her it was okay, knowing that it could only be Michael and they both saw him barge into the room only a few seconds after the nurse had left. Liz was still having her foot strapped, but that didn’t stop Michael from taking her in his arms and hugging her tightly after having, gruffly, greeted Max.
Much to the nurse’s confusion, who could only raise an eyebrow in question at them, Liz had almost automatically remembered to close the last buttons on her cardigan and hold Max’s jacket even closer before Michael entered, and she was glad when he didn’t seem to pay attention to that fact, or find anything weird with what she was wearing. Only Max had noticed and understood her move seconds ago, just like he understood why she looked so apprehensive while Michael took a quick look at her. He had no idea how they would explain her torn top to Michael. It was already a miracle no one else had seemed to notice here, or questioned them about it, now that he thought of it. But then Liz had spent a good portion of her time in his arms, so they had probably not seen much of the state of her clothes.
“God, Liz… what did you do?” Michael grunted once his eyes rested on her ankle.
“Don’t start having a fit… it’s just a sprained ankle…” Liz told him and couldn’t help rolling her eyes when she saw Michael look at the nurse for confirmation like he wasn’t sure he could believe her.
When he received it, he concentrated on her again.
“You still scared the crap out of me… don’t ever do that again!” he still growled, but the way he caressed her hair almost unconsciously and then kissed her forehead was in total contradiction with his tone.
In those small gestures, Liz could see how much he had been worried and she couldn’t help apologizing.
“I promise… I’m sorry… my phone died after I called Max…” she explained with an apologetic shrug.
“Yeah, about that… no offence…” he said as his eyes met Max’s briefly and then continued when Max told him there was none taken. “Why did you call him in the first place?”
That was a question Liz knew she couldn’t give a true answer to and therefore she had no choice but to lie.
“I… uhm… I knew you were with Maria and I just didn’t want to bother you…”
“Well, he was with Pam and you bothered him!” Michael retorted with a frown that only deepened when he saw Liz’s reaction to the news.
“Y-You were?” she asked Max, his small shrug enough to confirm the fact for Liz. “I… I-I’m sorry… I didn’t think…” she apologized right away, feeling stupid now for not having even taken that into consideration.
The truth was that she hadn’t thought about anything except finding someone to call and get her and Max had been the only name that had come to her mind. It had come so naturally in fact, it was even scary.
What she didn’t understand however, was why he hadn’t said anything about that. Not once, whether it was when he had picked up the phone, or later on, had he hinted on the fact that he had not been alone and that she had most certainly been messing with his plans for the night.
“It’s okay…” Max replied with another shrug, thinking that it had certainly been no big deal. One thing made him wonder though, “You said you were by my apartment… did you talk to Pam?” he questioned Michael, just realizing that he had not just made an assumption, it was like he had known for a fact that Max had been with Pam tonight.
If that was indeed the case, he couldn’t understand how Michael had not known where to go sooner. Then again, Pam could just have chosen to not say a word, so upset and miffed she had been after his departure, or maybe she had just been too busy trashing his apartment in retaliation to bother talking much to Michael. That suddenly seemed more like her style.
“No, I just saw her leaving when I was getting there…” Michael corrected and Max was glad to know that at least, she wouldn’t be still there when he would get back. He had no desire to go through another one of her scenes, one had been enough.
“Okay.” He just answered, not having much more to say on the subject for now. He didn’t think it was the right moment to inform his best friend and Liz that he and Pam were apparently broken up and that he was single again.
“Anyway… what the hell happened with Doug?” Michael turned to Liz once more and Liz was reminded that Michael was never one to bother with niceties.
Always to the point, that was her brother, only this time she would have much preferred he had forgotten all about what he had been said before.
Michael was unaware of the look exchanged between Max and Liz at that moment, but Max knew exactly what it meant.
“I wanted to get home before curfew… he wanted me to stay longer since mom and dad weren’t home… we had a small fight… I left and twisted my ankle on my way home…” Liz explained, lying by omission, but at least there was some truth in her words. “And then I called Max and he came and picked me up.”
Michael nodded and then, way too seriously, he addressed Liz again. “Do you want me to kick Doug’s ass?”
“No, Michael… it’s okay… Max already proposed…” she informed him with a small secret smile to Max, all too aware that he had done way more than that. “I just want to forget about this date… and forget that I ever even knew that guy…” she then finished with a small shudder that although completely ignored by Michael, didn’t go past Max.
“Okay, whatever you want…” Michael agreed quite quickly, much to everyone’s surprise, and then he looked at Max gratefully, despite how he had reacted earlier on the phone. “Thanks, man!”
It had been stupid anyway. He knew that Max would never do what he had accused him of earlier and try anything with Liz. He knew he just had too much respect for him to do that.
“Don’t thank me…” Max replied, sure that Michael would have done the exact same thing for Isabel, had the roles been reversed.
“Okay… can we go now?” Michael then wondered out loud, looking at the nurse that was still in the room, writing down something on a file. “Can she go?”
“She’s good to go, yes…” she confirmed before handing Liz a small bottles of pills and a sheet of paper. “Here’s your medicine for the next couple of days and your prescription for later… and these…” she then paused before bringing a pair of clutches to Liz’s view. “These are you pretty clutches… don’t forget to use them… no putting down your foot for as long as you can if you want that ankle to heal nicely and fast…”
“I will…” Liz promised and then couldn’t help rolling her eyes when Michael said that she wouldn’t need them for now and proceeded to pick her up with as much ease as Max had before.
The nurse looked amused at the sight but couldn’t help wondering who this new guy here now was. With the way the girl and the dark-haired –handsome- guy who had brought her in had looked at each other earlier, she had no doubt they were an item, or they soon would be, but this guy looked just as protective, if not even more, as the other one had been. And she couldn’t help noticing either how guy number one had actually barely said a word since the other one had arrived, or how he had almost immediately taken a step back when he had. What was sure was that their interaction was fascinating and quite fun to watch. She was sure they didn’t know how much they all could express with just one look or a simple smile.
“What is it with you guys and your need to carry me everywhere?” Liz tried to joke, but Michael’s raised eyebrow told her that he didn’t understand what she was referring to.
Max near them had at least the grace to blush, even if just slightly, and even if Michael was completely oblivious to the fact.
Without a word, clutches in hands, Max followed Michael, all too aware that Liz was looking at him from over Michael’s shoulder, but he forced himself to not return her gaze, knowing that the last thing he needed right now was to get caught exchanging meaningful glances with Liz.
When they reached the car, Michael pulled him out of his thoughts and he opened the passenger door for Michael when he asked him to, both Liz and him noticing that Michael, apparently in a hurry when he had arrived, had not even bothered to lock up the doors or park correctly for that matter.
Knowing that his job was over here, now that Michael had taken charge, Max just stood by the car with his hands in his pockets, waiting for Michael to put Liz in the car.
Both of the guys were surprised though, when Liz made Michael stop and asked him to put her down first. He was about to protest when she insisted and Michael had no choice but to comply.
On one foot now, she turned to Max who had just given Michael her clutches, and they were both relieved when they saw him move to the back of the car to put them in the trunk.
Liz herself threw her purse and shoe on the passenger’s seat and proceeded to take Max’s jacket off.
“Here…” she said, ready to give it to him, but Max stepped closer and stopped her from doing so.
“It’s okay… keep it for now…” he told her and moved to put the collar of the jacket correctly before he could stop himself and realize how close to Liz the move had brought him.
“You will come see me?” Liz asked softly as she burrowed into the warmth of Max’s jacket once more, secretly pleased that she could keep it for a few more hours, or maybe even days.
She wondered if she would look like a complete lunatic if she slept with it on, but she just loved his scent and it certainly permeated his jacket. If she couldn’t have the real thing, she sure would be able to sleep better with his scent all around her.
“Definitely!” Max didn’t even think about it twice before he answered, but he still wondered nonetheless why the hopeful look in Liz’s eyes had the power to make his chest constrict the way it just had.
“Okay…” Liz then said, knowing that it was probably time for Max to go, but not ready yet to see him leave.
Michael stood by them again now and as much as Liz loved her brother and appreciated his concern, she still wished that he hadn’t come, so she would have been able to spend even just a few more precious minutes with Max.
“Okay…” Max repeated, one hand still in his pocket and the other coming to scratch his neck almost nervously.
For some reason he couldn’t quite understand, it just felt wrong to him to leave her yet. Which was completely ridiculous since she was with her brother and he knew that if someone could protect her even better than he could himself, that guy could only be Michael, and yet, he couldn’t control the weird feeling unfurling in the pit of his stomach.
It was like knowing that something was about to happen but not knowing what yet.
For a long moment, they just stood there, looking at each other, a million emotions clouding their eyes, until Liz coughed and tried to smile again.
Not able to contain herself any longer, she stepped forward, or more like ‘hopped’ in all actual fact, and Max sucked in a breath when all of a sudden she pulled him into a hug that had the power to make his knees go weak.
After a few seconds of hesitation, he wrapped his arms around her as well and they both savored the feeling they were discovering they needed more than either of them could have suspected, neither of them heeding Michael’s presence.
He looked at them with a small frown, wondering what exactly had happened tonight that he didn’t know of. After all it wasn’t the first time he saw Max and Liz showing affection toward one another, but there was just something different tonight, something he couldn’t quite put his finger on.
There seemed to be a new… intimacy… between his best friend and his sister, Michael had least aware of the way Max held Liz, with one hand cupping the nape of her neck while the other rested on the small of her back, but he wasn’t sure he liked what he saw very much.
Not knowing what else to do, he coughed loud enough to be noticed and couldn’t help frowning once more when it still took a few more seconds for Max and Liz to part.
“Thank you… for everything…” Liz whispered into his ear before she eventually let go of Max and with those words he understood what she couldn’t say out loud.
Thank you for being there. Thank you for staying with me. But more than that, thank you for not saying anything to Michael.
“You’re welcome…” Max replied with a small smile that looked more sad than Liz thought was normal.
Before she could ask him if something was wrong, Michael stepped forward and thanked Max as well once more, giving him a manly hug that had Liz smile a little.
“Bye, Max…” he then added and was ready to help Liz into the car when she told him that it was okay and that she got it. “See you…”
Reluctantly, he let her do as she pleased and made his way around the car, giving Liz the opportunity to do what she wanted to.
Using the open door to support herself, she moved to Max again and after having cradled the side of his face with one hand, she placed a tender, burning kiss on Max’s other cheek, or at least it seemed to burn his skin at that moment.
Before Max could react, Liz was in the car and Michael was pulling out of the parking spot, and Max could only watch as they left, Liz just waving and mouthing a soft ‘bye’ before they drove away, both of them being left with regrets of their own.
Max for not having reacted quickly enough and not having even managed to wave back at Liz, and Liz for having not dared do what her heart had been begging her to do and not having kissed Max on the lips like she had wanted to.
As he watched Michael’s car disappear from view, fingers unconsciously caressing his cheek where Liz had kissed him, Max was also left with another dangerous and scary thought… Maybe Pam hadn’t been as blind or delusional as he had first been so quick to assume.
*
With parents like Diane and Philip Evans, Max had been inculcated and raised with a certain number of values that were dear to his heart and that he liked to stand by. Among the things he hated most in the world, was lying and breaking a promise on top of the list and Max knew that after having already done the former first, he was about to do the last as well.
Sitting in his car, he watched with eager eyes the entrance of ‘The Red Fish’, knowing that in no time people would start going home now, since the famous club in Artesia would close its doors soon.
He had already taken a quick tour inside earlier and knew that Doug Shellow was in there, apparently not caring in the least about what could have happened to Liz after he had left her in Frasier Woods, all too busy he was, trying to pick up another girl for the night apparently.
Rage had almost blinded Max when he had spotted him there near the bar, flirting shamelessly with a short, buxom brunette, and Doug didn’t know how lucky he had been that he hadn’t wanted to create a scene for fear Liz would hear about it all the way to Roswell, or he would have certainly thrown himself at the guy and ended there his life.
Doug had also been clever enough to not go looking for fun in his own club, but then Max guessed that even without obviously knowing what Michael was capable of when it came to Liz, he had probably not wanted to take the risk of coming across him.
That hadn’t stopped Max from going after him and finding exactly where he had gone after having attacked Liz and then deserted her. All Max had had to do had been to take a quick look at the phone directory and he had easily found the scum’s address.
Refusing to dwell on the fact that Liz would probably not approve of what he had planned to do, he had driven to the address and had been all but tearing the door down before he could really think about it twice.
The man that greeted him, apparently Doug’s roommate, had been quite confused when he had opened the door, only to find himself face to face with Max Evans, the owner of that new club in town, but he was even more so when Max’s fist landed on his face when he asked him where he could find Doug Shellow and he had made the stupid mistake of telling him that he was ‘out with some chick, probably banging her brains out’ as they spoke.
He had been just as surprised when Max had all but picked him up and told him that while he wanted Doug, he would have no problem kicking his sorry ass as well if it had to come to that. After all, Max had promised Liz that he wouldn’t kill Doug, she hadn’t said anything about his lousy friends.
Just the threat had been enough to scare the guy shitless, and it hadn’t taken much more of Max than a growl and a murderous glare for him to tell him that Doug liked to hang out at ‘The Red Fish’ on the weekends when he wasn’t out on a date and that if he hadn’t come home yet, that was probably where he still was.
Max had left the guy with the promise that he would come back for him if he just even thought about warning Doug in any way and with how carefree Doug had looked when Max had seen him, he could only guess that the dear roommate had heed his threat.
All the way to Artesia, Max had had to fight the persistent voice that kept reminding him of his promise to Liz and what a mistake he was about to make, but the urge to go find Doug and have a ‘little talk’ with him had been stronger that everything else at that point. He would just deal with the consequences of his actions later if he had to.
If Max had been a smoker, he would have certainly smoked a whole pack while he waited for Doug to come out and he couldn’t help exhaling a long breath when at last, he started to see people leaving the club.
Doug wasn’t in the first small group to leave the place, but he was in the third one, Max’s nostrils flaring when he saw him smile and shake hands with a few guys, even chuckling at something one of them said to him.
Here he was, laughing, having a good time, when Liz had spent most of her night crying and was now home with a hurt ankle, the thought enough to make Max’s blood boil once more.
Luck at least seemed to be on his side, he thought, as he saw Doug and just another guy walk away from the rest of the group and turn into the first street just behind the club.
Getting out of his car and not even bothering to lock it up, Max followed them and reached them quite quickly and he felt his anger double, when Doug, still completely oblivious to what was about to befall him, made a comment about some ‘hot girl he had flirted with in there’ and ‘how bad it was that he hadn’t managed to get her to agree to go home with him’.
Mere seconds after the words had passed his lips, Doug found himself back against a brick wall, groaning in pain from the sudden impact, a guy he didn’t recognize pressing a hand around his throat.
His friend seemed completely stunned at first, but when he moved to come to his help, the man who was still stopping him from breathing properly, pressed his forearm against his windpipe and turned to Oliver instead.
“You better get out of here… or I’m kicking your ass the second I’m done with him!” Max pointed a threatening finger at him and promised him in a tone that left no doubt about how serious he could be.
As much as Oliver could like having fun with Doug, they weren’t close enough yet nonetheless for him to want to get into trouble for him for all that. Doug knew well how to do that all on his own and there was no doubt in his mind that whatever trouble Doug had managed to get himself into this time, he wanted no part in it.
Raising his hands in surrender, Oliver took one last look at Doug and was quick to beat a safe retreat before the angry guy Doug had managed to piss off decided to come after him instead.
As he ran away, he heard Doug calling him and insulting him for leaving him there, but nothing could have made him stop at that moment.
“See, at least your friend is clever enough to not mess with me!” Max growled and if Doug hadn’t been completely scared already before, he sure was now that the man sole focus seemed to be on him.
“Who the fuck are you?” he breathed past the constriction in his throat, feeling the lack of air with the way the guy just kept pushing on his windpipe.
“Who I am is not important… it’s what you are… what you did! You son of a bitch…” Max exclaimed, barely resisting the urge he felt to pummel Doug’s face with his fists until even his own mother wouldn’t recognize him anymore.
“What… what…” Doug stuttered, trying to ask him what exactly he had done, but Max cut him off before he could.
“What… what…” he parroted mockingly, bringing one of his hands around Doug’s throat and squeezing, even if just slightly. “Not so talkative, are you, now that you don’t just have an innocent girl in front of you…”
“I don’t know what…”
“Of course you don’t… why would you, huh?... it didn’t matter to you, did it? You didn’t get what you wanted, so you just went and tried to get it elsewhere!” Max all but yelled into Doug’s face, interrupting him again before he could say once more that he didn’t know what this was all about, a fact that was driving Max completely insane. “ She just didn’t matter at all to you, did she?”
Like a light had gone off in his head way later than it would have if he hadn’t been so inebriated, Doug remembered where he had seen the guy before and with whom.
He hadn’t been living in Roswell long enough to know everyone yet, but he had seen Max Evans with Liz Parker several times at the ‘Crash Down After Hours’ before he had dared approach her to not suddenly understand what was all this about and how much trouble he was really in.
“Is this about Liz?” he stammered, real fear unfurling in his gut now.
He had never understood Liz’s relationship with the guy, but whatever it was, he was obviously here to make him pay for what he had done earlier.
It had been a stupid mistake, he could admit that now. He had wanted her and had thought that he would have no problem seducing her after he had heard about Sean Delfino and her, but the little slut had just gone all frigid on him and then when he had insisted and called her on it, she had fought like he had been some monster trying to rape her or whatever. And now she had apparently gone and cried on this guy’s shoulder, probably pretending that she hadn’t been asking for it.
“What do you think?” Max threw back angrily, pushing Doug against the wall when the man suddenly seemed to perk up a little and be ready to fight him back.
The strange thing was that he hadn’t tried to do so sooner, but Max attributed it to the alcohol it was obvious he had consumed and the fact that, even in his state, he could probably still see that he was stronger than he himself could be.
“L-Look… I didn’t do anything that she didn’t want me…” Doug tried to explain, but Max’s fist tightening around his throat while another one hit the wall mere inches from his face, prevented him from going any further.
“Just shut the fuck up!” Max shouted, a vein pulsing at his temple. “Shut up or I swear I’m killing you!”
Doug was tempted to tell him that apparently that was already what he planned to do, but the glare he received before he could open his mouth was enough to make him change his mind.
“You have no idea… no idea at all, just how special Liz is… for you to just… to just…” Max had to swallow hard, seeing the face of the man who had hurt Liz, so close now, not helping any in stopping the images of what he had put her through from swirling through his mind again. “You don’t even know just how lucky you are she even just looked at you…” he continued in a strangled tone and Doug understood that whoever this guy was to Liz Parker, he obviously felt strongly about her and that instead of badmouthing her, he should probably try to placate him instead and show some remorse.
“Look, I’m sorry, okay?” he apologized and brought his hands up in surrender, but even that wasn’t obviously enough for the other man.
“I don’t give a fuck about your sorry!” Max spat out, thinking that if he should apologize to someone, it was definitely to Liz and not to him. But that would never happen, because he would make sure Doug couldn’t come anywhere near Liz again. Ever. “The only reason I’m not really kicking your ass… the only reason I’m not killing you… is because of Liz…”
At that Doug looked at him with round eyes, clearly confused since he was actually thinking that he would indeed get his ass kicked because of Liz actually, and not the contrary.
“You’re a son of a bitch who can’t even have a girl without forcing himself upon her…” Max said disgustingly, wishing he could forget all about his promise to Liz and just end Doug’s life there, but he was already breaking it by just being here and he swore to himself that he wouldn’t hurt her more than she had already been tonight. “But Liz… Liz, she’s just so much better than you… so much better than me…”
“I don’t understand…” was the only thing Doug could say as he saw the other man’s nostrils flare once more, like it was taking a lot of strength on his part to not do what it was so obvious he wanted to.
It was all too clear to Doug that he would like nothing better than to hurt him and badly at that, and it could only be some kind of miracle if he hadn’t already. If that was in any way because of Liz, which was even more confusing than anything he had heard so far, he wasn’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth either way and realized he should better not say another word if he didn’t want to make matters worse for him.
“Consider this your only warning… so I hope you’re listening carefully…” Max growled, not caring in the least if Doug understood the reasons why his life was being spared, and Doug could only nod mutely. “From now on, you don’t know any Liz Parker!... if you ever look at her or approach her again… if you ever touch her or even just think about her ever again… be sure I’ll come back and this time I will kill you!... and don’t think I won’t… or think I won’t know… trust me, I will… wherever Liz will be… I won’t ever be too far…” Max promised and Doug had no doubt that he meant every word and that was a promise the other man intended to keep. “I see you anywhere around her… you die!”
Max’s final had Doug swallowing audibly and even in his inebriated state, he knew there was no way he would even think of going against that man in the future. As much as he still wanted Liz Parker, he would surely forget all about her now.
Another jerky nod was all the answer he gave Max and he was sure that that would be the end of it. If the guy wanted to really hurt him, he would have certainly already done so, Doug was sure, even if he honestly had a hard time believing that Liz herself was apparently the one he owed his life to, even with what he had done to her, but as much as Max tried to reign on his anger, just looking at Doug nodding like an idiot and looking all scared, ready to accept or do anything now, even beg if he had to, was more than he could take.
How much had he been willing to listen himself only hours ago when Liz had been the one asking, begging him to let her go and not hurt her?
Seeing him cower now in front of him, in front of someone who could be his match, made Max sick and before he could stop himself or Doug could see it coming and react, Max was driving his knee as hard as he could into Doug’s stomach, making him double over with a painful grunt.
“Just so we’re clear… I was never here and we never had this conversation, understood?... I’ll be watching you though, Doug Shellow!” Max squatted down to Doug’s level who was half lying on the ground holding his stomach, and justified simply before he moved away, leaving Doug behind without a second glance, sure he would certainly not stop at only one blow if he just had to look at him a second later.
His job here was done, at least what he could afford to do without completely breaking his promise to Liz and he therefore forced himself to get back to his car and drive away, not caring in the least about what could happen to Doug after his departure. If the guy couldn’t ever stand up, or if he was mugged there and died in that alley, Max would certainly be the last person in the world to shed a tear.
~ * ~
TBC…
well, you'll let me know, right? 
