Roswell Fanatics

You guys know I love you, right? Every chapter you guys rock my world. I know I promised you a part this weekend before my life really gets kinda hectic. I'm sorry it's at the tail end of the weekend, but my weekend was busier than expected. I've been working on a new board that a few friends and I are opening up. I'll eventually be posting all of my fics on this new board - so yay! One central place for all of my fics! Hehe. The board is called The Roswell Cocktail and you can find it here. I'd love to see some of your beautiful faces over there.

Anyway, I've got an early morning tomorrow (ugh) so I'm just going to leave this new chapter in your hands. So thank you for all your great feedback. I can't express how much I appreciate it. Happy writing and reading everyone, and enjoy.

Lines borrowed from episode Sexual Healing.

Chapter Eleven

Liz glanced through the slit of the door, peeking to see if Natalie was in the hallway. Her left hand cradled the cordless telephone against her ear, and her right cupped the space between her lips and the receiver. Her voice was low and whispery, every hair on her body standing at attention.

“Nat’s been in her room for like, an hour,” she murmured. “She came in here, stole a top when I wasn’t looking, and has been holed up in her room ever since.” Liz let out a quiet giggle. “And she refuses to admit it’s a date.”

“If she says it’s not a date, then it’s not a date.” Max’s voice was rich and gentle to Liz’s ear. “Tsk, tsk, Liz,” he scolded teasingly. Max raised his voice to replicate Nat’s, and said jokingly, “We’re <I>just</I> friends!”

Liz rolled her eyes. “Oh, puh-lease,” she drawled. “Just friends my ass!” She turned her back to the door and whispered quickly into the phone. “Nick is just her friend like you are just my friend!”

“Maybe she’s doing the same thing you are,” offered Max. “Trying to hide her relationship.”

“Hide!” Liz exclaimed. “I’m not hiding anything. I’m just, well – protecting her from being hurt.”

Max sighed. “Natalie isn’t a stupid kid. Don’t you think she knows about us yet? It has already been a month.” He paused, repeating the words he had shared with Liz several times in the past week. “Nat isn’t stupid – maybe she’s really okay with us but she’s too embarrassed to say anything.”

“Max,” replied Liz slowly as if she were addressing a child. “I know my sister. When she finds out about you and me, there will be explosions and rampant screaming and threats of brutal massacres.” Liz fell back onto her bed, and exhaled noisily. She reached up and rubbed her eyes tiredly. “Even if she was okay with us,” continued Liz in a soft voice, “Natalie has never done anything quietly in her life.”

“LIZ!”

“Oh shit,” exclaimed Liz. She sat up swiftly, her eyes round. “I’ve got to go, Max. I’ll call you back.” Without waiting for a reply, she clicked off the phone and threw it farther down the bed.

“Liz?” Nat poked her head inside Liz’s room, and raised an eyebrow in question. Liz sat as casually as she could on the end of her bed, giving Nat a relaxed smile. Nat shook her head and glanced at where the phone was laying. “Were you on the phone?”

“Uh, yeah.” Liz waved her off. “It was just Maria, wanting to chat. You know her,” she laughed nervously. “Chatterbox and all.” Standing up, she moved to where Nat was standing and pulled her into the light of her bedroom. Taking her sister’s wrist, Liz spun her in a circle. “You look very pretty tonight. Nick will definitely enjoy this.”

Nat slapped Liz’s hand away. “For the last time,” she replied irritably. “Nick is just a friend of mine. We’re just going to hang out.” She gave her sister a penetrating stare, and added, “Maybe you do need a life.”

It was Liz’s turn to roll her eyes at her sister. “Please, I get too much enjoyment out of ruining yours,” she joked. “Why would I want my own?” Liz pointed at Nat’s turquoise top, and gave her a pointed look. “If you get anything on that top, you’re paying for dry cleaning. Got it?”

“Yeah, yeah.” Nat waved her off, and glanced into the mirror. She puckered her lips, and smudged her lip gloss a little more. Turning to her sister, she gave Liz a nervous smile. “So I look half decent, right?”

Liz grinned proudly and swept Nat warmly into her arms. Leaning back, she gave Nat a content expression and told her softly, “You look beautiful.” Unaccustomed to the emotional closeness, she tugged playfully on Nat’s long chocolate strands, and added, “Don’t do anything I would do, kid.”

Nat pushed Liz away and smirked. “Well, you don’t do a whole heck of a lot, so I guess I’m pretty much set.”

Liz scoffed and reached over to flick Nat in the forehead. “Just remember who pays the rent around her, chickie.” She heard a light rap on the door and grinned at her sister. Pushing Nat’s shoulder gently, she told her tenderly, “C’mon, get out of here. Go have fun.”

Nat moved for the door, but stopped momentarily and glanced at Liz. A trace of admiration ran through her eyes, and Liz felt herself shiver from the intensity. Giving her a bittersweet smile, Nat said, “Mom would be proud.”

Liz nodded slowly but surely. “Yeah,” she agreed. “She definitely would be.”

~*~*~*~

Max rapped on the door with one hand and tucked the other into his pocket. He rocked back and forth on his heels, waiting for Liz to answer. When long, agonizing seconds passed, he knocked on the tall door again but much more forcefully. His knuckles ached from the effort, but he barely acknowledged the tingle.

“Liz?” His voice boomed through the hall, and he began to pound on the door again. Max’s heart rate began to increase irrationally. He knew that he was overreacting, but a deep ache was beginning to roar to life inside of him. He wanted to see Liz – he <I>needed</I> to see Liz. The pale rosiness of her lips or the meandering strands of hair that always fell across her delicate face – they just made him crave her until the hunger swallowed him whole.

The door suddenly swung open before him, and a sullen Liz stood in the doorway. “I’m sorry,” she deadpanned. “Do I know you?” She glared at him for a moment, and then reeled back in mock surprise. “Surely you’re not Max Evans, because that man adores me too much to awake me so rudely from a nap.”

Max stared at her and felt a current run through him. Even though Liz’s hair fell haphazardly to one side, and a faint red mark still stained the side of her face she had been sleeping on, Max couldn’t control the passion running through him. Pushing Liz against the wall, he ferociously attacked her with his lips.

“Max!” Liz squealed. He felt his craze rise even more at the sound of her voice, and he assaulted the tender skin of her neck with his lips. He moaned at the saltiness that graced his lips, and his arms wrapped protectively around her waist. He pulled her slender body impossibly close to him, his hips rocking sensually against hers.

“Max,” moaned Liz. Her hands rested on his shoulders, but she couldn’t find the drive to push him away. Before long, her hands were tangled in the mop of his hair and she arched her neck higher as he nibbled on her. Swallowing, she said weakly, “We should slow down.”

Max growled with desire, and his smoldering eyes bore into hers before they raced hungrily over her skin. He whispered hotly, “Right this minute… I can’t… not touch you.” He dragged his lips along her ear lobes, nibbling playfully. “You just make me crazy inside.”

Liz stared at him momentarily, before pushing him away. Max stumbled back in surprise, but the fire inside of him flared back to life as he watched Liz tear her top off. She reached back and unclipped her bra, recklessly throwing it away. Max’s lips curled lustfully as he followed suit, removing his own shirt.

Their bodies collided again, lips melded together. Liz’s hands caressed the prominent muscles stretched across Max’s back, as he ran his hands down her thigh. She moaned his name in passion as his hand slipped inside of her pants; her body exploded with fireworks as she felt him touch her bare skin.

“Oh, Max,” she moaned helplessly. “We shouldn’t be doing this.” Liz’s lips slid down the base of his throat as her tongue darted sensually along his Adam’s apple. “This is so…” Liz moaned again, as she felt his hands pull down her pants entirely. “… wrong…”

Max ignored her pleas, and cradled her naked body passionately against his. Swinging her legs up, he hefted her easily and carried her quickly to her bedroom. Liz fell gently onto the bed, and quickly grasped the buttons on Max’s jeans, unfastening them. Her hands were frenzied, and she mumbled distantly, “And my sister… my sister, who I love, is just going to kill me…” Her eyes widened as she stared at Max, his boxers the only thing standing between them.

“If this doesn’t kill me first,” she muttered faintly. Liz reached out for Max, and suddenly their haste to devour each other was thrown away. He intertwined his fingers with hers, and sat down besides her on the freshly made bed. His other hand rose to cup her face tenderly, and she leaned her cheek into it, her eyes focused on him.

“I know this seems crazy,” Max whispered gently to her, his thumb stroking her flawless skin. He leaned towards her, and laid a gentle kiss on her shoulders. It was sweet and affectionate, and nothing like the rough, passionate kisses had been before. He smiled amorously at her, and said softly, “I love you, Liz Parker.”

Liz smiled back, her eyes suddenly moist from the tidal wave of emotion washing over her. She lay down on the bed, her head resting on the pillow. Looking at him, she reached for his hands and pulled him down with her. Liz wrapped her arms around his neck as he knelt above her.

“I love you too, Max Evans.”

~*~*~*~

“It’s okay, Natalie. I don’t bite.”

Nat glanced up from her cherry cola, where she had been fretfully sucking on her straw. She blushed and gave Nick a weak smile. “I’m sorry,” she told him. “I guess I’m just rusty at this whole friend thing.”

Nick waved it off, grinning easily. “Don’t worry about it. I just really wanted to get to know you better.” He leaned back in the booth, his arms stretched across the cushioned seat behind him. “Tell me about yourself, Natalie.”

Nat sighed, her eyes looking elsewhere. “What do you want to know?” she asked. She swirled her straw in the glass, watching the cola whirl around. Glancing up, she shrugged, telling him, “I’m not very interesting.”

Nick leaned forward, propping his elbows up on the table and leaning his head into his hands. “I beg to differ!” he exclaimed. “I think you seem like a very interesting person. Otherwise we wouldn’t be here tonight.” He reached over and lifted her chin up with the tip of his finger. “Tell me anything. Parents? Your sister? What do you like to do? Anything that concerns you, Natalie.”

Nat watched as Nick leaned back again comfortably. Did it mean that he was comfortable with her? Did it mean that she was supposed to be just as comfortable with him? She sighed, and her lips softened into a smile.

“Well, for starters, people call me Nat for short,” she informed Nick. “For the longest time I hated the name Nat. It just sounded so masculine.” Her eyes drifted away, the corners of her lips dipping slowly. “But just the way it rolled off my mom’s lips, Nat was anything but masculine. It was… beautiful. She made me feel beautiful.”

“You are beautiful,” Nick told her softly. He placed his hand over hers, giving her a sympathetic smile. Nat stared at his hand, unsure whether she was uncomfortable or just unfamiliar with the physical touch. For the most part, she wasn’t a touchy feely type of person. Swallowing, she pulled her hand away from his as inconspicuously as she could.

Nick straightened when he realized Nat had pulled her hand away. He studied her for a moment, and Nat began squirming under his eyes. Shaking his head quickly, Nick spoke up again. “So your mom? What’s she like?”

“Dead,” replied Nat quickly.

“Oh.” Nicked blinked, his lips moving for a moment without sound. “I’m sorry to hear that,” he added. “We don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want. We can -”

“She was really pretty,” interrupted Nat. Her arms were folded on top of the table, her eyes sparkling but distant. “She had this red hair that was nearly impossible to keep neat. It was always frizzy and curly.” Nat laughed softly. “She loved Elvis Costello and stand up comedians. Even through the chemo, she’d find a way to laugh.”

“Chemo?” echoed Nick.

“She had breast cancer.” Nat swallowed thickly, and shook her head. “Lets talk about something else.” She tried to give Nick a grin, but it fell short. “What about you? Family? Sisters or brothers? Pets?”

“Both parents, kind of simple people. One sister who is way older than me. No pets. They shed too much.” Nick shrugged. “That’s pretty much all there is to me, so I guess it’s your turn again.”

Natalie laughed. “My turn?” She sat back, and pondered momentarily. “Well, I live with my sister, Liz. You know about my mom and I don’t really know my dad nor do I like him.” She shrugged. “And that’s all there really is to me.”

“What’s the deal with your dad?” Nick questioned.

“There is no deal,” she said distantly. Her glazed over eyes were focused on the saltshaker to the right. “Gerald wasn’t around when I was kid. He had better stuff to do.” Nat began to twirl a strand of hair around her finger, avoiding Nick’s eyes.

“So really, you don’t know where you come from.” Nick’s statement startled Nat, and she stared straight at him, her eyes round and questioning. “Well,” explained Nick, “your mother died and you don’t know your father. Seems to me that you’re missing all your family roots. How do you even know where you come from?”

Nat reeled back, momentarily shocked by his words. Her surprised quickly wore off as her lips slowly pressed together, and a clear expression of anger crossed her face. She shook her head, unable to form words. She began to move out of the booth, obviously insulted by what Nick had said. He grabbed her arm as she started to stomp away from him.

“Natalie!” he called. “Wait! I’m sorry. Just listen -”

Nat spun around, wrenching her arm away from his fingers. She leaned over Nick as he sat in the booth, poking him roughly in the chest. “No, Nick, you listen. You have no idea who I am. We barely know each other. I may not know my father and maybe I didn’t get enough time to know my mother fully, but there is one thing I do know. I know who I am.” Her voice lowered, the words falling in a menacing tone. “I come from a wonderful, giving woman who taught me manners and when to mind my own business!”

Nat turned and stormed away. Her fury and rage were boiling so hot that she could practically feel it bubbling up into her throat. How dare he insult her like that – how dare he insult her mother like that. She felt like a kettle, the anger inside of her body growing hotter and hotter until she was on the brink of exploding.

Nat stomped her way past the exit of the Mexican restaurant. She was already halfway down the block when she heard Nick calling her name. She refused to turn around, and even considering breaking out into a run. She didn’t want to deal with him or any of the stupid, wrong presumptions that he had of her.

“Natalie!” Nick came running behind her, wheezing slightly. “Just slow down and talk to me!”

“Talk to you?” Nat repeated incredulously. She halted and turned to him, her eyes blazing. “I can barely stand to look at you! Why would I want to talk to you?” She was about to turn away again, but he reached for her wrist.

“I’m sorry, all right? I have this bad tendency to shoot off my mouth without thinking things through.” Nick inhaled deeply, trying to regain his breath. Dropping her wrist, he gazed at her with pleading eyes. “I’m sorry if I offended you in any way,” he apologized sincerely.

Nat’s temper began to deflate. She looked away and heaved a heavy sigh. She wanted to be angry still, but suddenly she felt too tired to conjure up the emotions. Crossing her arms over her chest, Nat glanced back at Nick. “You can’t just say things like that,” she told him in a low voice.

“I know and I really am sorry,” Nick replied. He gave her a boyish grin. “I guess I’m not so good at the friend thing either.”

Nat laughed softly. She began to relax, and let go of any residual ill will towards Nick. “I guess not,” she replied. Noticing the dark sky above, she glanced down at her watch. “Damn, it’s pretty late,” she announced. Glancing at Nick, she jerked her head to her right. “C’mon, you can at least walk me home.”

Nick grinned momentarily, and nodded. “So we’re cool?” he asked.

“Yeah, we’re cool,” Nat confirmed. She glanced over at him, and smirked. “Just don’t piss me off on the way home.”

Hey y'all. This is a fly by posting. I'm actually going out of town for a few weeks, so it's going to be a while before a new part is out. Thanks for understanding and still reading... haha, I'm so mean. This is a bad part to leave you with for weeks.

Oh well.

Thanks everyone. Ciao! Enjoy.

Chapter Twelve

“Well, thanks for walking me home,” Nat told Nick. They stood side by side as she reached into her pocket for her keys. “I guess I’ll talk to you soon.” She moved to put her key into the lock, but Nick grasped her wrist gently.

“Wait,” he said. Nick smiled softly as he glanced at her, but dropped her wrist when he saw her staring warily at his hand. “I just wanted to tell you that I had a good time tonight. I’d like to hang out with you again.”

Natalie tucked her hair behind her ears, and nodded. “Yeah, sure. That would be fun.” She turned towards the door, but Nick stopped her again. Without saying another word, he leaned forward and brushed his lips against her cheek. Nat was taken by surprise and stumbled back. Her eyes were wide as she stared at Nick.

“Good night, Natalie,” he whispered softly in Nat’s ear. He gave a small wave and began to walk down the sidewalk. Nat just stared dizzily at his retreating figure. She gently touched the spot where he had kissed her. It still felt warm and tingled. Suddenly her shock melted into a warm grin.

Nat unlocked the door and stepped inside. She felt confused and slightly flustered. She had been saying goodbye to him one moment and the next he had kissed her. It was an innocent kiss, but nevertheless, it was her first kiss. Why had he kissed her? Was he interested in her?

Nat swept her fingers across her cheek again and couldn’t keep herself from grinning. She hadn’t thought of Nick as anything more than a friend, but she now wondered if he felt the same way. Did he really have more than friendly feelings for her? Nat blushed at the mere thought. A boy! Liking her! That would be amazing.

And so totally bad.

Nat chewed on her bottom lip as the image of Max floated in her mind. Intelligent, beautiful Max, the man who had treated her like a real person for once, not just some random teenager. Nick was a boy who could possibly have feelings for her, but Max – he was a man. Nat’s feelings for Max ran deeper than they ever could for some boy she barely knew.

Max could look in her eyes and see her soul. Nick – well, when he looked into her eyes, all he seemed to see was a pretty girl with a half decent personality.

Natalie shook her head to clear her thoughts and moved up the stairs towards her apartment. She took long steps and reached her door quickly. Grasping her keys again, she place the right one into the lock and turned it as slowly and quietly as she could. Liz had never set a curfew for her, but it was late regardless. Nat had no intention of receiving a lecture from her sister about the dangers of staying out so late, and she most definitely didn’t want to be grounded for such a reason.

Natalie crept quietly into the apartment, her right arm stretched in front of her to keep her from bumping into anything. With her left arm, Nat closed the door behind her. All the lights were turned off, and she was having a difficult time creeping through the darkness. She reached out with both arms this time, trying to feel her way to her room.

Starting to tiptoe, Nat felt something beneath her foot. Pausing, she wiggled her foot, wondering what it was that had caught her toe. She bent down and reached for the item; her fingers coming in contact with a lacy fabric. Confused, she tilted the item towards the nearest window, trying to catch the light from outside. Realizing it was a bra – Liz’s bra – Natalie let out a loud gasp and dropped the offensive material.

Merely a second later, Nat heard a creaking coming from the hallway to her left. Suddenly bright, blinding lights flooded her sight, and Nat shielded her eyes with her arm. Blinking a few times, she waited for her eyes to readjust. Dropping her arm, another loud gasp came from her lips.

There was Max, standing nearly naked. The only thing that stood between Natalie and Max were his pale blue boxers.

Natalie’s eyes were wide with baffled surprise.

“Max,” she called quietly. “What are you doing here?”

~*~*~*~

Liz let out a groggy sigh, her body enveloped comfortably by her blanket. She had entered that perfect state of semi-consciousness. Her mind was still slightly disorientated with sleep, but slowly she became aware of her surroundings. Her body was devoid of clothing; her soft, bare skin pressed against the cotton sheets. Wiggling her toes, she forced her body into full consciousness.

It was then that Liz fully realized that she had been sleeping naked. Oddly, she felt a small ache between her thighs. Her body jerked upright as her mind finally connected the dots. She had had sex. Last night. With Max. Liz’s hand covered her mouth in surprise.

Suddenly sitting rigidly upon her bed, Liz sat stunned with only a blanket and a cool breeze to keep her company. She looked down at her legs, covered only with a layer of fabric. She didn’t really have an ache between her legs anymore; rather, she just felt an odd sensation there. Taking a deep breath, she lifted the blanket up slightly and took a peek underneath. She let out a sigh of relief. She hadn’t really seen anything, but she felt peculiarly reassured that nothing was broken.

Liz glanced over at her bedside clock, and realized it was only midnight. She had been asleep for barely two hours. Max was nowhere to be found, and Liz felt her stomach drop. Had he left as soon as she had fallen asleep? Had she merely been a conquest for him? Liz reached over to the other side of the bed where Max had laid beside her and found the spot still warm. Unable to control herself, she leaned down and smiled when she could still smell his scent lacing the sheets.

Liz berated herself. She was being silly. Max had confessed to loving her. There was no way he would have left her in the middle of the night. Perhaps he had gone to get a drink of water or to go to the bathroom. In fact, she should be a good hostess and check on him. Liz stood up and searched around for her robe. Shrugging it on, she wrapped the belt around her and moved towards the door.

Just as Liz opened her bedroom door, a bright light flooded her sight and she fell back a step. Rubbing her eyes, Liz looked down the hallway and found a bare Max with just a pair of boxers on.

“Max, what are you doing here?”

Liz’s eyes widened in horror as she recognized Nat’s strained voice ringing through the hallway. How could she have been so foolish? She had just had sex with Max – the man Nat didn’t know Liz was dating. The same man that Nat had claimed as her love interest weeks ago. Liz swallowed thickly, and put her hand on Max’s muscled back, pushing him aside.

“Natalie, it’s midnight.” Liz’s voice hardly contained the amount of parental authority she had been aiming for. Straightening her shoulders, Liz attempted to give Nat a harsh, penetrating glare. “Did you just get home, young lady?”

Nat’s mouth just seemed to hang open, and Liz knew her attempts to take control of a potentially bad situation failed. She felt Nat’s eyes run up and down her body, carefully taking in the fact that Liz was merely wearing a robe and Max was wearing next to nothing beside her.

“Yes, it is midnight,” Nat replied nastily. “And just what have you been up to?” She leaned over and picked up Liz’s discard bra. Tilting her head, she looked at Liz with a sense of mock interest. “Gee, look at what I stumbled on when I came home. I wonder how this got here.”

“Natalie…” Liz tried to think of something to say, but her mind was blank. She knew what it looked like to Nat, and any response she could give wouldn’t be enough. Bowing her head, Liz whispered, “I’m sorry.”

“You’re sorry?” Nat exclaimed, her voice loud and wild. She crumpled Liz’s bra into a ball and threw it angrily at Liz. “I get to come home to… to this, and all you have to say is that you’re sorry?”

Max took a step towards Nat. “We didn’t want you to find out this way,” he told her softly. He went to lay a comforting hand on her shoulder, but Nat shrugged it off roughly.

“You!” Nat pointed at Max, glaring at him with heated intensity. “Don’t you dare touch me!” Her eyes were moist, but she just shook her head in anger. “I don’t want your fucking dirty hands on me after you touched her.”

“Nat,” Liz warned. She crossed her arms over her chest. “Don’t take this out on Max. I know you’re angry and upset. Maybe we should just go calm down before we discuss this.”

“You know I’m angry?” Natalie retorted bitterly. Her hands were clenched, and leaking trails of tears fell violently down her cheeks. “You don’t know anything!” Her words were coming out between sobs now, and her voice was high and ragged. “You think you know me, Liz? You’ve never known me! I don’t even want you to know me!”

Liz felt her own eyes begin to mist. She opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out. She didn’t know what to do. Nat was so consumed with her own anger and emotions that anything Liz could say or do would be unwelcome. Liz was beginning to worry though – she knew how intense Nat could be, but this was far exceeding anything Liz had ever witnessed.

Liz saw Max take another slow, cautious step towards Natalie. He had an odd gleam in his eye – like he recognized something in Natalie that he hadn’t before. His arms were stretched before him in an unthreatening stance. “Natalie,” he said slowly. “You need to calm down.”

“Calm down?” Nat repeated. She glared at him, and at the top of her lungs, she screamed at him, “I DON’T WANT TO CALM DOWN.”

Liz let out her own scream when the hallway light above her exploded into tiny glass fragments. She stumbled backwards, bumping into the solid wall behind her. Her heart was beating so erratically that she was sure it was going to pop right out of her chest. Her breath was loud as she inhaled harshly. Liz swallowed, and called out in a cracked voice, “Natalie? Was that… was that you?”

“I didn’t do that.” Natalie’s voice was frail and childlike. There was a pale moonlight scattered across the hallway floor from a nearby window. Nat was leaning up against another wall, her face pale and shaking. Shutting her eyes tightly, she shouted again, “I didn’t do that!”

“Nat, it’s okay,” responded Max. He patted her arm, but Natalie wrenched it far away from his grasp. He looked at her, and told her gently, “I can help you.”

Nat took another step away from Max. “I don’t want your goddamn help!” Her eyes were frantic again, and she glanced quickly around. “I don’t want to be here,” she whispered with fright.

“Why don’t we just all go our separate ways, okay?” suggested Liz. She attempted to sound calm, but she knew she had failed. She nervously smoothed her robe down, and moved away from the wall. “Nat, how about you just head to your room? We’ll talk in the morning.”

“No.” Natalie’s voice was crisp and angry. “I’m so sick of you ordering me around. I don’t want to go to my room, all right?” Liz stumbled backwards, affected by Nat’s fierce stare, and saw the rage returning to her sister’s face.

“You told me that this was all over!” Nat accused Liz. “You told me that Max and you were over!” Liz swallowed, biting back any null response she could possibly have. “So much for telling me the truth, huh?” Natalie yelled. “Instead of keeping your promise to me, you spread your legs like a slut for him!”

“Natalie!” Liz cried. Suddenly, she felt her guilt melt away and in its place was pure, unadulterated fury. Walking right up to Nat, Liz moved until their faces were only inches apart. “Don’t you ever say something like to me again,” warned Liz in a low, aggressive tone. “You just remember that I’m all you have left. If you think you can continue to disrespect me while I’m putting a roof over your head and feeding you, you can think again.”

Max reached his arm between them and gently pulled Liz away. “Okay, really, you two need to be separated for a while,” he told them. Max took Liz’s hand and began to tug her back down the hallway. Liz was about to walk back into her bedroom when she heard a low whisper from Natalie.

“Slut.”

Liz whipped around, surprising Max by roughly pushing him away. “He chose me, Natalie!” Her voice was loud, and echoed raucously through the hallway. She glared at her younger sister, and repeated herself. “Max. Chose. Me. When are you going to understand that? He doesn’t want some kid. He wants me.”

Liz was about to escape to her room when something pushed her back, sweeping her violently backwards until she collided with the wall. Her head struck the hard surface, and she tumbled limply to the ground. She blinked once, catching sight of Nat standing a few steps away and her arm outstretched in front of her. Nat’s face was no longer angry, but stunned as she stared back at Liz.

That was the last thing Liz saw before she blacked out.

Hey y'all. I'm so sorry about going MIA for the last month. I've got a lot of things going on in my life at the moment. It's been a little bit of a rough month over in my neck of the woods, so I apologize for going AWOL. But thanks as always for the feedback and warm words. Here's chapter thirteen. It may a few weeks before I get the next part posted, but don't worry - this story is long from over. Enjoy!

Chapter Thirteen

        Natalie’s legs ached from running and her breath was coming in short gasps. Her tears impeded her from drawing air in, and she eventually slowed to a stop to catch her breath. Her tears were leaving long, wet black mascara trails down her cheeks. Looking around, she staggered towards a nearby park bench and collapsed.

        Who are you?

        Nat’s hands came up to her ears, covering them as she rocked back and forth. Loud, wracking sobs tumbled from her lips and she couldn’t seem to stop her profuse tears. Max’s voice echoed through her head, and she was desperate to make it stop. He had sounded so cold, as if his voice was made of steel. His eyes seemed even colder as he had stared down at her.

        Are you her? Are you the fourth one?

        A loud, animalistic scream emerged from Natalie’s throat, its sound echoing raucously through the park. The light from the lamppost above her shattered suddenly and caused Natalie to jump up and back away from the bench. Her eyes were round and terrified as she gazed numbly at the now lightless lamppost. Her hand moved to cover her mouth as the rest of her body became paralysed.

        Why Liz? She had nothing to do with this.

        The sight of Liz lying on the floor flashed through Natalie’s mind. She could still recall how lifeless Liz had looked with her eyes shut and her body motionless. Nat hadn’t meant to do it. She had tried to control this. She had tried everything from attempting to understand her new ability to simply wishing it away. She wasn’t even sure whether they were magical powers or if she had some sort of telekinetic strength. The only thing she knew was that they had appeared before.

        Natalie thought back to her first incident. She had been tucked away in her room just after her mother’s funeral, skipping out on the reception. The endless rows of faceless people trying to express their “deepest sympathies” had made Nat ill to her stomach, and she had bailed at her first chance. Curled in a fetal position, she had reopened the gates to her tears. As she cried, she leaned into her pillow and muffled the loud screams she had been waiting to unleash.

        Just as she let out her last, feral cry, Nat had leaned back and discovered a brightly coloured pillowcase. Confusion set in, and she fell into deep thought, wondering if the pillowcase colour had in fact changed. Taking a deep breath, she poked the pillow but it kept its bright shade. Chalking it up to her distressed mind playing tricks on her, she ignored it.

        Days later, Natalie realized it wasn’t her mind playing tricks. After each night of falling asleep to her ragged tears, she would awake the next morning with a newly coloured pillowcase and bed sheets. She had been slightly intrigued at first, but soon lapsed into blatant disbelief. Nat had heard of people going crazy after a close death, and she was sure she was experiencing a bout of insanity.

        Obviously, Natalie knew now that her mind had never played tricks on her. Having exhibited these special abilities in front of Liz and Max had raised everything to a new level. She could no longer pretend that any time something peculiar happened that it was just a figment of her imagination. Why was this happening to her? Was something wrong with her body? Was she a mutant of some sort? Natalie suddenly felt winded from just the thought of it all.
       
        What if Nat had killed Liz?

        Natalie’s legs could no longer support her and she fell limply to the ground. She had murdered her own sister. Natalie couldn’t wrap her mind around the idea, protesting to herself that she had just gotten angry. She was tired of people continually treating her like a child. Liz’s words had been the last straw, and Nat had lashed out without thought. Now all she could think about was Liz’s still body lying on the ground as Max barked questions at her.

        Her hair spread across the ground, Nat gazed dizzily up at the starlit sky. What had Max meant by the fourth one? The fourth one what? Thinking back, Nat realized that Max had tried to help. He had acted almost as if he knew what was going to happen.

        “Natalie, you need to calm down… Nat, it’s okay. I can help you.”

        Help her? What did Max mean when he said he could help Natalie? It was like he knew what was happening to her and why. But how could he know? Nat needed answers. She sat upright, and glanced around at the dark, empty park. There was no way she could go see Max now though. By the time she had fled the apartment, Max had been angry. His eyes were dark and untrusting. She couldn’t face him again.

        Nat stood up, and brushed off the grass from her clothes. She couldn’t see Max, but there was someone else who would know the answers. Without another thought, she began sprinting through the night again.
       
~*~*~*~

        Max fell back against the wall and took a deep breath. He always felt tired after healing someone. Liz had had a severe concussion and slight hemorrhaging from where she had hit her head. Max wasn’t entirely surprised by the damage, having witnessed Natalie’s strong, direct blast. The force of Nat’s power took him aback though. The only other time he had felt energy like that was from Michael.

        Why hadn’t Max realized it before? He had always felt a connection to Natalie, and now that he knew she was an alien, it all made sense. There was no denying it. Max had felt the familiar hum of energy when Natalie had become overemotional, the same hum he had felt a number of times from Michael and Isabel before they used their powers. But why was Nat here? Was she really Liz’s younger sister? There were four pods in the Pod Chamber – was Natalie the fourth alien? And if so, had she played mind tricks to make Liz think they were sisters?

        Max glanced at Liz, and felt a warm relief spread through him. She was beginning to blink back into consciousness. Although she was still slightly pale, Max knew she was going to be okay. He reached for her hand and laid a gentle kiss on her skin. All that mattered to him at that moment was that Liz was all right.
       
        “Liz?” Max called to her. Already feeling his own energy returning, he bent over Liz and cradled her face in his hands. “Baby, are you awake?”

        Liz blinked again, and stared up at Max. Her eyes were glazed, and Max could see that she was still dazed from the fall. Her robe had come undone slightly, and the smooth skin across her stomach stared up at him. Max rushed to tighten her robe again, knowing that this was hardly a time for his mind to wander.

        “Max?” Liz cried softly. She licked her dry lips and glanced around. “What happened?”

        Max swallowed nervously, and looked down at her again. “Do you remember what happened before you fell?”

        Liz’s looked away, trying to remember what had happened. “I remember waking up in my bed, and coming out to see where you were. I remember a bright light in the hallway. I remember Natalie and I were fighting.” Her eyes widened and she gazed at Max. “Natalie! Is she okay?”

        Max stared back at her. “Well,” he swallowed, “she’s not here right now.”        Liz’s eyebrows furrowed, and she slowly sat up. Max watched as she grasped her head in pain. “What’s wrong?” Max asked quickly.

        Liz gave him a weak smile. “Just a little dizzy is all. I must have hit my head hard.” She rubbed her head gently, and looked at Max. “So where is Natalie? And what happened?”

        “You really don’t remember what happened?” Max let out a sigh and sat cross-legged beside her. Could he tell her that Natalie had blasted her with alien powers? How could he possibly tell Liz that he knew Nat was an alien because he was an alien too? He had felt the rising hum of Nat’s powers when she had become more emotional – but would Liz understand?

        “I think there’s something different about Natalie.” Liz’s statement was calm and gentle, but it still surprised Max. He patted Liz’s hand, encouraging her to explain. “I always knew she was special. Nat’s just that kind of girl. Out of the ordinary.” She paused, and glanced up at the hallway ceiling. “That light. It was Natalie’s doing, wasn’t it?”

        Max nodded. “Yeah,” he responded softly. “I’m pretty sure it was.”

        Liz brought her knees up and wrapped her arms around them. “Does she have ESP or something? I don’t get it. Magic powers?” She glanced around at the dark hallway. The only thing allowing them to see each other was the moonlight falling from a nearby window. “It’s really late. Where is Nat?”

        “She left,” Max told Liz. “After you got hurt, Natalie ran out the door.” Liz gave him a worried expression, and sprung to her feet. Max followed suit, and stood up beside her. He reached for her arm when she started to stumble. “Take it easy, Liz.”

        Liz waved him off. “I’m fine, just still a little dizzy.” She began to move towards the door, but Max grabbed her arm. “Max!” Liz exclaimed. “I need to go find Natalie.”

        “I don’t think that’s a very good idea.” Max dropped his arm, but gave Liz a pleading look. She crossed her arms over her chest and gave him a penetrating look.

        “Why is that?” Liz questioned, demanding an answer.

        Max exhaled noisily, and ran his hand through his scruffy hair. “First off, you only have a robe on. You need to put on clothes before you go anywhere.” He stepped towards Liz and put both of his hands on her arms. “Secondly, you don’t know what Nat is capable of. I don’t think you should go running off to find her by yourself.”

        “What?” Liz shouted at him. She glared at him with anger, and pulled away from his roughly. “Earlier you were calling her ‘Peanut’, but now you’re acting like she’s a freak! I don’t care what you think. Natalie is still my sister, regardless of any special abilities she may have!”

        “She’s not like you, Liz. She’s more different than you realize.” Max’s voice was quiet but demanding. He looked at her earnestly. “She could be dangerous.”

        Liz paused, and gazed at Max curiously. “Why do I have a feeling that you know something that I don’t, Max? Is she really special?”

        Max sighed. “Yes, Nat is special.” He looked away and ran both of his hands through his hair. He just had to say it. He had to tell her. “Natalie is an alien.”

        Liz blinked, and continued to stare at him. Max saw the incredulity flash through her eyes, and he couldn’t help but groan to himself. “Excuse me?” she sputtered. “Did you just call my sister an alien? Have you completely lost your mind?”

        Max turned away, suddenly unable to look at Liz. He couldn’t bear the expression of disbelief or shock that was playing on her face. “Yes, I did just call Nat an alien and no, I have not completely lost my mind. The reason I know that she’s an alien is because -,” Max swallowed, “- I am an alien.”

        Liz’s mouth just hung open for long seconds, and Max closed his eyes. He could hear her trying to form words, but nothing was coming out. His whole body became heavy, feeling suddenly foolish for laying his heart out on the table without thinking. He wondered if any aliens had the power to turn back time.

        Nothing else was said about the matter. There was not enough time to exchange any more words before the apartment door had flung open, making a loud banging sound. Both Max and Liz turned to look, their attentions immediately drawn by the noise. Standing in the doorway was Michael, and beside him was a tall, slender blonde girl, her collar being held up by his fist. His clothes were ruffled and he looked like he had just been involved in a fight. A grim frown was painted across his lips, and he stared at Max.

        “Maxwell, we’ve got a problem.”