Roswell Fanatics

Hi everyone,

Firstly, I would like to explain the reason I am posting this here, rather than in the CC forum is because this fic does explore alternative coupling. Although it is minor, i think it's best our of the CC relm so it doesn't offend anyone.

I would like to issue a Read At Your Own Risk Warning to sesitive readers. I will not offer dreamer assurance. You have been warned

Anyway i hope you enjoy this fic



Title: Destiny Will Have It’s Way
Author: Emma
Disclaimer: I don’t own Roswell or the characters.
Rating: ADULT
Category: M/L and A/L
Summery: No one and nothing is ever what it seems. Liz Parker has fled Roswell and the things that have hurt her. What happens when she gets answers about the Pod Squads past and finds out that sometimes life is not always something you can control?
Authors Note: The best way to explain this is that the events of EOTW didn’t happen. So no Future Max, which means Max and Liz got back together the night of the Gomez concert, but Tess didn’t leave Roswell. Also, I’m not normally a CC writer so I apologise if this totally sucks.

Prologue

He watches her as she walks down the street with her head down, her hair covering her sad face. It’s the same thing every day for the past two weeks and he wonders why someone so beautiful is always so sad.

He follows behind her as she walks her normal route to work. He started following her a few days earlier wondering where she was going. There is something about her eyes that haunts him. She seems familiar to him but he has no idea why. He has never met her before; he knows that if he had that he wouldn’t forget. She is the most beautiful creature he has ever seen and he wishes that he knew her name.

He had been sitting on the same very sidewalk two weeks earlier when he had seen her for the first time. Every day he feels drawn back to the spot, drawn to her.

Mayne Labs. The sign is large but the building secluded and he wonders what his brown haired beauty does there.

Today though he intends on finding out.

***

Liz pulls her coat tighter around herself as she walks through the brisk coldness to work. When she arrived three months ago in Las Vegas she never expected to find such a good job and she wondered sometimes if this was her reward for all the bad cards she had been dealt in her life so far.

When she arrived in Las Vegas she had hoped to get lost in the sea of people, the tourists that were drawn to the city, she hoped that she could find some sense of normalcy in a city that was known to be anything but normal.

She had found her normal at Mayne labs. Liz was responsible for running diagnostics on all the blood that came into the lab. Sure it wasn’t the most exciting job but it was better than some of the alternatives. Working in nightclubs and serving people drinks or food.

It was also in a field that she enjoyed and she hoped that once she proved herself that she would get the opportunity to work on some of the more exciting things.

“These are the labs where all the blood work is done.”

Liz looks up when hears the voices talking.

“Good morning Liz,” Frank from HR smiles.

“Morning Frank,” she nods. She doesn’t make eye contact with him though; she never does with anyone anymore.

“Liz is head of the team here,” Frank explains to the blonde man standing next to him.

Liz casts a look at the man then. He is strikingly handsome is her first thought. His hair is sandy blond and cut short, his eyes are a dull brown and his face is free of spots.

“Hi,” he smiles at Liz.

“Hi,” Liz replied with a nod. He is staring at her intensely causing Liz to look away embarrassed.

“I’m Alexander York,” he introduces himself.

“Liz Evans,” she whispers.

Liz notices then that Frank has disappeared.

“You’re new?” she guesses.

“Yes, I started yesterday,” he informs her.

She is more beautiful close up, he thinks. He can see her face now, stare into her eyes. He can still see the overwhelming sadness that lingers in them but he also sees her determination to not show her emotions. He wishes that she would smile, he longs to see her face light up like he can only imagine it will.

Liz glances at him briefly again. Something about his face is familiar but she can’t put her finger on it.

“That’s nice,” she answers him finally before she turns her back on him and goes back to her work.

Alexander is shocked by her actions. This small wisp of a women who has captured his attention turned her back on him.

“I work over in marketing,” he informs her.

Liz casts a look over her shoulder not sure why he is still there.

“Well I hope you like working here Alexander,” she replies.

“I’m sure I will,” Alexander tells her flashing her a brilliant smile.

***

Three Months Later

“Morning Liz,” Alexander smiled as he approached her desk.

Liz looked up and despite herself smiled at him. “Morning,” she replied.

Alexander's grin only widened when he saw the small smile on her face. It had been a long three months trying to knock down the large walls Liz had around her. He wouldn’t brag and say he had succeeded but he had now gotten to the point where Liz would at least speak to him, and on occasion have a coffee with him. The more he got to know her the more he wondered what it was in her life that made her so sad and guarded, but it also made him want to know more of her.

“How are you today?” he asked.

“I’m ok,” Liz replied. “You?”

“Well I can’t complain,” he told her. “It’s a beautiful Las Vegas day and I get to spend it with you,” he flirted.

Liz’s smile disappeared and Alexander immediately sensed his mistake.

“Actually you work on the other side of the building,” she pointed out.

Alexander smiled in relief at her comment. He had expected her to completely close off from him but she hadn’t.

“True,” Alexander laughed.

He watched mesmerised then as Liz raised a hand and pushed a piece of stray hair that had fallen out of her messy ponytail, behind her ear. He wasn’t sure what caught his attention first though, the way she bit her lip nervously or the tan mark on her ring finger that he had never noticed before.

Before he could study the finger more closely Liz moved her hand back into her lap.

“Well I should get back to work,” she said. “Have a nice day Alexander,” she said politely.

Alexander had gotten to know her enough over the past three months to realise that that was Liz’s way of informing him that there conversation was over. “You too,” he told her before he backed away from her desk.

***

Three Months Later

Alexander looked at his watch again as he passed the section and the desk that Liz normally sat at. It was ten am and there was still no sign of her, and a few of her team’s member had already informed him that they hadn’t heard from her.

Was she sick? He wondered. She hadn’t looked sick the day before but he new it was possible. Did she have someone to take care of her? He wondered then. He had no idea. Liz Evans was the most private person he had ever met. Unlike all the other people that worked at Mayne labs Liz had no personal things on her desk, no photo’s and he had never heard her speak of any friends or family.

Alexander knew that he was over reacting but over the past six months he had started to feel very protective of Liz. She looked so innocent that Alexander felt that she needed someone to look after her. It was obvious that whatever happened to make her so sad was something big, something that made her close herself off from other people. Unable to trust them.

Lately though he thought she had been getting a little better. He had seen her chatting with a few of the girls in her section and one day she had even gone out to have a drink with a group of them after work. It was baby steps but Alexander had hoped if he was patient enough that eventually he could get Liz Evans to let him into her life, and hopefully one day even her heart. Because although she might have been completely oblivious he had fallen hard for her. There was no one like Liz; she was one of a kind.

Unable to help himself he made his way back to his office and pulled up Liz’s personal file on his computer system. It was against the rules but it was the only way he would be able to find Liz’s address.

Twenty minutes later he hopped out of a taxi in front of the apartment complex she lived in. He made his way to the fourth floor and to her apartment and knocked on the door hesitantly. He had no idea how she would react to him showing up at her door.

Liz looked through the peephole when she heard the knock. She had no idea who would be knocking on her door since no one in Las Vegas knew where she lived. She was surprised when she saw Alexander’s face staring back at her.

Liz did her best to dry her eyes before she opened the door slightly.

“Yes?” She whispered.

“Liz?” Alexander asked shocked. It looked like her hair that was covering most of her features but it didn’t sound like the soft spoke women he knew. “Are you ok?”

“What do you want?” she asked.

“You didn’t show up for work and no one had heard from you, I was worried,” he told her.

“I’m ok. I’m sorry that I didn’t call anyone,” she whispered.

“Liz what’s going on? You don’t seem ok?” he said concerned.

Liz felt the sob in her throat trying to break free and did her best to try and hold it in but it was useless. Even after several hours crying on the phone to Maria it was still the single worst day of her life.

Before she knew it Liz was crumbling to the ground in a sobbing mess. Alexander was quick to react, his arms catching her before she slumped to the ground.

He pulled her sobbing body against his body and led her back into her apartment and to the lounge. He let her cry until she could not cry and longer and then he sat there as she tried to gather her thoughts.

“I know we don’t each other that well,” he said. “But I like you and I consider you a friend. You can talk to me you know,” he told her.

Liz nodded and tried to smile. “Thank you,” she whispered. “For coming here,” she added.

“You don’t have anyone here in Las Vegas do you?” he asked her then and watched as she shook her head.

“No my family and friends are all in Roswell,” she informed him.

Alexander was surprised at how freely she offered the information. He had gotten more from her in five minutes then the last six months.

“Then why are you here?” he asked. It wasn’t as though you would move to Las Vegas to further your career in biology.

“It’s a long story,” she said sadly.

“Ok,” he said. “What happened today then, why are you so sad?”

Liz bit her lip then before she reached for a yellow envelope sitting on her coffee table. She pulled the papers out slowly, all the while tears gathering in her eyes again.

She handed the papers to Alexander who looked at them in confusion.

“I got those today,” she told him.

Alexander read the top of the forms then.

“Petition for Divorce,” he said.

“My marriage is over,” she whispered broken. “I-I can’t believe after everything it’s all over,” she sobbed.

Alexander looked at the papers again and the first thing he noticed was the names signed neatly on the bottom. It told it’s very own story, one that Alexander was surprised and heartbroken to see but after five years of marriage Elizabeth Claudia Parker and Maxwell Phillip Evans were no longer married.

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One

Approximately 10 months earlier, Roswell New Mexico

Liz groaned as the alarm went off and she felt her husband move his arms from around her and move to get out of bed.

“No,” she protested.

Max laughed at her and leaned over to kiss her. “I’m sorry honey but we’re all meeting to train,” he told her.

Train. That was something that the four aliens had gotten together to do often over the past six months since Liz and Max had moved home to Roswell. For a long time both Isabel and Max had wanted to believe they were normal and that they were all alone on Earth, but with Michael and Tess’s persistence they finally began to develop their powers. Liz was secretly glad. Although there was no reason to suspect that they would one day need them she was just happy that if the FBI or any enemies ever came looking for Max they would be ready.

“Ok,” she sighed. She knew that Michael would blow a gasket if Max were late.

“But you owe me later,” she told him.

“Ok,” Max chuckled knowing that the minute he was out of bed Liz would be out like a light again.

They had gotten married five years earlier and they had been the happiest five years of their life. Max looked down on his beautiful wife and felt his heart swell with love.

***

“You’re getting a lot better at keeping up with me,” Max teased Tess as they jogged into the front yard of the house he and Liz had purchased when they had moved back to Roswell after attending College in Chicago.

He did his best to avoid looking at her so that he wouldn’t see the way her large breasts stuck out in her sports bra, or the way her nipples pressed against the fabric. Max wasn’t sure where it had come from but in the past couple of weeks he had been unable to stop staring at Tess, which would eventually lead to his body reacting to her in a way that he never thought it would.

“Yeah it’s not easy but I’m getting better,” she replied panting.

Tess had taken up jogging in an effort to get fit. All the aliens did some type of exercise. Max and Isabel both jogged and Michael went to the gym at Metcham. Max told them that it was just as important to be in shape as it was to have their powers fine-tuned. So Tess had started jogging with Max and on occasion Isabel.

It had been hard at first for Max. Tess had left Roswell their senior year after finding out that Max and Liz were back together. At first Max had been angry with her for deserting them and had refused to speak to her when she had returned several months later. Eventually Liz had convinced him to give her a second chance, and that they needed Tess as part of their unit, and he had never regretted listening to Liz.

Tess settled back into Roswell with a new outlook on life and eventually her and Kyle had gotten together. She had accepted Max and Liz, and was even present at their wedding. They were all good friends now, including Tess and Liz and it made things easier on everyone.

Max looked down at his watch then. “Shit I better get moving or I’ll be late,” he said heading for the front door.

Tess also looked down. “You’re right,” she agreed. “Do you mind if I grab a shower here?” she asked.

Max opened the door and let her enter before him. “Sure.”

Liz was coming down the stairs dressed for work as they entered.

“Hey how was your run?” she asked.

Max met her on the bottom stair and kissed her gently. Just one smile from her and she made his world feel right. He didn’t have to worry about his growing attraction to Tess when she was around.

“Good,” he replied.

“I’m just going to grab a shower if that’s ok?” Tess said then.

“Sure help yourself Tess,” Liz smiled and moved so she could pass her on the stairs.

“Are you off to work?” Max asked.

“Yeah,” she nodded. “I’ll see you tonight though. And you owe me remember,” she winked at him.

“Yep, and I’ll enjoy paying that debt,” he agreed. “Love you.”

Liz kissed him and smiled. “I love you too.”

Once Liz was gone Max ran up the stairs and into their bedroom so that he could take a shower too. He pulled off his running clothes and threw them in the hamper before making his way into the ensuite.

“Max!” Tess gasped as he entered.

Max stopped frozen and wide-eyed. He’d assumed Tess would be using the main bathroom, not the one in their bedroom.

Tess’s eyes roamed Max’s beautiful naked form as she stood before him with only a towel wrapped around her. Max’s towel to be exact.

“What are you doing in here?” Max asked his voice a little higher than normal and edged with a little anger. He was having a hard enough time fighting off the attraction towards her without having to see her almost naked.

Not knowing what she was doing but stepping forward all the same Tess let go of the towel covering her. It fell to the ground and she stood in front of Max naked. Her nipples were hard and erect and he noted that she was a natural blonde.

Max immediately responded to the sight of her naked body in front of him.

“Max,” she whispered not able to fight the attraction she felt to him a second longer, especially now that she saw he was obviously feeling the same thing.

Neither would remember who made the first move but when it was over both felt the same shame and guilt at their actions.

***

The house was quiet as Max entered late that night.

“You’re home,” Liz said as she watched him take of his jacket and hang it up.

Max looked up and immediately felt a new wave of guilt envelope him as he looked at his beautiful wife.

After his moment with Tess in the shower that morning Max had immediately felt sick. Tess dressed quickly and had fled upset, leaving Max to get dressed and drag his ass to work. His shift at the hospital had ended a few hours ago and instead of coming home to his wife he had stayed and done some paperwork, which could have easily waited until the next day.

“Hi,” He whispered.

Liz watched him concerned. He was acting strangely. She hopped off her seat and walked towards him.

“I kept your dinner warm in the oven,” she said as he wrapped her arms around him and leaned up to kiss him.

Max kept the kiss brief before pulling away and making his way to the kitchen. Liz watched as he pulled the roast dinner she had cooked out of the oven. She had been bitterly upset when he hadn’t showed up to eat it but she had calmed down now.

“Was it busy at the hospital?” she asked. Max was in his second year of residency at Roswell Memorial. He worked in the ER and sometimes the hours could be long and hard.

“A little,” he lied. His lie pacified Liz though and she smiled at him as he sat down and ate the meal she had prepared.

Max knew he was a coward. He should just come clean with Liz now and beg her for forgiveness but he didn’t. He didn’t because he was scared shitless that she would leave him, that she wouldn’t be able to forgive him. One of Liz’s biggest fears over the years was that one day he would decide she wasn’t enough for him and he would turn to an alien. Eventually she had dealt with it and gotten over it especially after Max explained his biggest fear was the same thing. That she would leave him for someone normal. Max knew that there would be no forgiveness for what he had done.

Liz sat and watched concerned as Max ate. She reached out to him through their connection and what she felt chilled her to the bone. Max’s walls were tightly up and although she could fee his presence that was all she could feel.

“What happened today?” she asked.

Max’s head snapped up and he had a deer caught in the headlight look on his face. The only time Max ever blocked her from his feelings and thoughts was when something happened that was troubling him.

“Did something bad happen with a patient?” she asked worried.

“I’m sorry,” he apologised. “I’m just tired.” He tried to smile.

Liz nodded and smiled back not quite believing him but accepting it all the same.

“Why don’t we go to bed then?” She suggested.

Max nodded and followed Liz to their bedroom where he lay awake staring at her beautiful face all night as his guilt became almost to much to bare. How could he have betrayed the love of his life, his soul mate? He didn’t love Tess, he knew that. He loved Liz and he wondered if he would survive if she weren’t by his side.

***

Liz looked over at Max as the alarm went off early the next morning. Max ignored it, switching it off, and rolling back over.

“Aren’t you and Tess running this morning?” she asked.

Max opened his eyes and looked at her. “Um, no, I thought I’d stay in bed with you,” he smiled.

Liz smiled back and turned over so he could spoon against her. “Good, I miss you when you’re not here.”

“Me too,” he whispered cuddling up and kissing her neck.

Seconds later Liz was sleeping quietly again and Max closed his eyes and pleaded for sleep to take him too.

***

Max looked at the clock when he woke up surprised he had been able to go back to sleep. He looked across expecting to find Liz in the bed but it was empty.

He heard the water running then and his stomach churned as he thought about Liz showering in the same shower he had betrayed her in with Tess the day before. His mind also wondered to how many times he had made love to her in that same very shower. Now he had tainted it.

He could hear her singing happily and he wasn’t surprised since it was Saturday and she didn’t have to work.

He heard the shower turn off and he laid in bed waiting for her to emerge and come to him. He knew she would. Her hair would be wet and she would ask him to dry it for her, something that he loved to do.

Seconds turned into minutes though and Liz still didn’t come out.

“Liz?” Max called out.

There was no answer. Concerned Max got out of bed and walked to the bathroom.

He poked his head inside expecting to see Liz drying herself or rubbing some cream on her body but there was no sign of her. He looked to his left then and when he saw her profile through the shower door he opened it up to check on her.

“Liz what are you doing?” he asked.

He would never forget the look in her eyes, on her face for the rest of his life.

“Liz?”

Her eyes were wide and filled with tears but underneath the tears was shock, anger, and agony.

She stood naked her hand placed on the back wall of the shower.

“How could you?” she choked.

“Liz what’s wrong?” he asked alarmed. He tried to touch her but she flinched away from his touch like he had burned her.

“I saw it,” she cried. “How could you, in our home, in our shower? Did you fuck her in our bed too?” she sobbed sinking to the floor.

“Liz, no…”

“I saw you,” she sobbed. “I saw you.”

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Part 2

The next hours of Max’s life were like a bad dream. Not willing to hear his pleas for forgiveness or explanation Liz fled their house leaving him unsure of where she was going, and if she would come back to him at all.

Minutes turned into hours and eventually night fell and Liz still hadn’t returned. Max paced the house waiting for her, practising his words, which would beg her for forgiveness.

He called her cell continuously but she never picked up and after the tenth time her message bank was full and he couldn’t leave any more messages.

It was 8pm before he finally gave up and sank into the lounge with a bottle of tequila that Liz kept for when her and Maria would have a girl’s night. He knew the effect would be disastrous but what he needed most other than Liz right that second was to forget.

***

Tess drove her SUV down Milky Way towards the house she had shared with Kyle for the past two years.

She had spent the day shopping and was exhausted and happy to be almost home. Her happiness soon disappeared though as she pulled into the driveway of the house.

Strewn all over the lawn were her things. Her clothes were falling out of suitcases haphazardly thrown on the ground, and her other things were everywhere.

“What the hell is going on?” she cried.

“You’re home” Kyle commented snidely as he placed another suitcase full of Tess’s things on the lawn.

“Kyle what the hell are you doing?” she cried.

Kyle snorted. “You have a real nerve,” he told her. “Take your stuff and get the fuck off my property.” He told her. “I never want to see your cheating ass again”

“Oh god” she closed her eyes in panic. How had he found out?

“Who told you?” she asked.

“Oh don’t worry it wasn’t your beloved el’presidente” he laughed bitterly. “No, he’s too big a coward to come clean”

“Kyle it was a mistake” she cried.

“You’re right, it was,” he told her. “He’s probably already running around Roswell trying to find Liz and beg her for forgiveness. Knowing Liz’s she’ll probably forgive him too but I’m not Liz” he said.

“I don’t ever want to see you again,” he told her.

“Kyle please” she begged but her please went unheard. Kyle walked back into the house slamming and locking the door behind him.

Tess wanted to sink to the ground and cry but soon she noticed that their neighbours were standing on the porch watching the entire thing unfold, and embarrassed she began grabbing her things and throwing them into her SUV. Once it was all loaded she got in the car and quickly pulled out of the driveway. She had no idea where she was going but she knew one thing for sure, she wasn’t welcome in Milky Way any longer.

***

Max jumped to his feet when he heard someone knocking on the door and almost fell over his own feet in his haste to answer it.

“Liz” he cried as he opened it.

However, it wasn’t Liz on the other side instead it was devastated Tess Harding.

Disappointed Max turned and walked back into the living room and sunk back onto the lounge.

“I didn’t have anywhere else to go” Tess cried as she entered the living room.

“What happened?” she asked wanting to know how everything had turned so wrong. She had never thought for one second that Max would be stupid enough to confess to Liz.

“Wha ya doin here Tess” Max slurred.

Tess eyed Max carefully. “Are you drunk?” she asked as she saw the bottle of half empty tequila sitting in front of him.

“Nah” Max shook his head yes.

“Kyle kicked me out,” she cried as she sunk down next to him.

“Liz gone….” He whispered in reply.

Tess looked at Max and then back to the bottle of tequila. It was obvious the alcohol had gone a long way to knocking him out. She had expected a completely devastated Max not a drunk one.

Reaching forward she picked the bottle up and eyed it before she took a big swig. The alcohol was working for Max so there was no reason it wouldn’t for her.

***

“Are you sure chica?” Maria checked with Liz as she dropped her off out the front of the house she shared with Max.

Liz nodded sadly. “Yeah I have to talk to him. Find out what happened I cant just ignore this”

“You did the right thing telling Kyle” Maria said.

At first Liz had no intention of telling him what Tess and Max had done but Maria had argued that she had to; she knew that Tess never would. But Liz felt like shit delivering the news to Kyle and at first he hadn’t believed her.

“Do you want me to come with you?” she asked.

“Will you wait ten minutes and if I don’t come back out you can go home?” Liz asked hopefully. She had fled straight to Maria after she had left her house. After hours of sobbing in her arms Maria had helped her work through everything she was feeling. Now she was extremely hurt and also very angry with Max.

“Ok”

***

Liz was surprised that the house was dark when she entered. She had expected Max to be waiting for her, to pounce as soon as she entered the house.

Figuring he must be upstairs she made her way up there. For some reason she had a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach and she wasn’t sure why.

***

Maria sighed as she watched Liz enter the house. It broke her heart to see Liz so broken and Maria was so angry with Max for doing this to her. She had been completely shocked when Liz had shown up crying on her door. Maria had always believed that Liz and Max were perfect for each other.

Looking back towards the house Maria noticed for the first time that it was dark. She gazed over to the driveway then and her heart stopped.

Wasn’t that Tess’s SUV?

***

“Max” Liz called out as she reached the top of the stairs. Surprised when he didn’t answer Liz pushed open the door to their bedroom. It was dark inside so reached for the light.

“Max are you awake?” she called again.

When the light switched on a surprised Max jumped in the bed until he was sitting.

“Liz” he whispered. “You came back” he smiled.

Liz nodded and looked away as she tried to avoid looking at Max’s naked chest.

“Yeah” she whispered. “I thought we should talk”

Before Max could respond there was movement in the bed.

“God stop yelling” Tess groaned.

Liz’s hand flew to her mouth as she watched Tess sit up in her bed, the sheet falling away from her body to reveal she was wearing nothing.

Max looked to Tess beside him in shock.

“What the fuck Tess?” he asked confused.

“How could you?” Liz choked.

“No Liz it’s not what you think” Max cried jumping to his feet. But he wasn’t fast enough.

Liz ran down the stairs like her life depended on it, praying that Maria hadn’t left yet. She yanked at her fingers until she felt her rings come loose. They fell to the polished floor in a thud.

Max reached the top of the stairs just in time to see Liz disappear out the door.

“Liz” he screamed.

***

Maria was just about to get out of the car to check on Liz when she saw the front door fly open and her best friend running towards her.

“Oh shit” she sighed and quickly started the car.

Liz was sobbing as she threw herself into the car.

“What happened?” Maria asked.

“Just drive Maria” Liz cried.

Without another word Maria chucked the jetta into gear and flew out of the street as quickly as possible.

***

“Liz!”

Max screamed out as he ran out of the house but he was just in time to watch as Maria’s taillights disappeared down the street.

Tess was standing at the top of the stairs with a sheet wrapped around her body when Max rushed back into the house.

“Max what the hell is going on?” she asked completely confused. She had no idea how and why she had ended up in bed with Max, and to make matters worst it appeared they had been caught again.

Max stopped when he felt something against his foot and bent down to pick it up.

“Oh god” he whispered as he picked Liz’s engagement and wedding rings up.

Liz had never taken those rings off since the moment he had placed them on her finger. He had no idea what had happened and why Tess was even in his house. The last thing he remembered was sitting down and drowning his sorrows in Liz’s tequila.

“Max?” Tess asked concerned.

“What are you doing here?” Max asked.

“I had nowhere else to go. I…”

“That doesn’t explain how you ended up in my bed” Max snapped.

Tess felt tears sting her eyes. “I don’t know either,” she said.

“Just leave” Max whispered.

“I have nowhere to go” Tess cried.

Never once taking his eyes off Liz’s rings in his hands Max shook his head. “That’s not my problem”

***

Max decided to wait until the next morning before going in search of Liz. His first stop was Maria and Michaels but there was no one home there. Next he went to his sisters thinking that Liz may have gone to Alex.

“You shouldn’t be here,” Isabel said sadly as she opened the door.

She was not only shocked but also completely disappointed when Maria had delivered the news that morning.

“I need to see her Iz,” he pleaded.

“She’s not here and believe me she doesn’t want to see you. Either does Alex…” right now Isabel knew that if Alex came home and found Max on his doorstep that he would attack him.

“Just tell me where she is” Max begged, tears in her eyes.

“I have no idea what’s going on Isabel I don’t even remember Tess coming to my house last night”

“Yeah and what about the other morning?” Isabel replied sarcastically.

“That was a mistake” Max whispered.

“Yeah a mistake that you’re going to regret for the rest of your life” Isabel replied sadly.

“Iz please” Max cried. “Is she at the Crashdown?”

“I’m sorry Max, you’re my brother and I love you but what you’ve done is so terribly wrong and I can’t take your side in this”

With those final words Isabel stepped back inside the house and closed the door on her brother.

After a trip to the Crashdown where Jeff Parker literally threw him out Max decided to head back to Maria and Michael’s where he waited on their porch for them to get home.

It was late when they finally pulled up and Maria walked past him and into the house without a word leaving Max to face his brother and best friend.

“You shouldn’t be here,” Michael said. “Your lucky Maria didn’t kick your ass”

“I deserve it” Max replied dejectedly.

“Yeah you do” Michael nodded.

“Where is she Michael?” Max asked.

“She’s gone,” Michael told him.

“What? Gone where?” Max asked.

Michael sighed as he ran a hand threw his hair. He knew what he was about to tell Max would break him but Michael also knew that it was his own fault.

“She’s left Roswell, she’s left you Max,” he answered.

“God no” Max sobbed his heart literally breaking.

“Maria will come by to collect her stuff in a couple of days. Liz doesn’t want to see you, or talk to you” Michael told him. “She’ll send the divorce papers through the mail”

“No” the sob broke through and Michael would swear for months after that it was like a wounded animal. He sat and watched as Max collapsed into a sobbing mess, literally falling apart in front of him and Michael knew right then that he would never see his best friend again.

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Part 3

18 months later

“I had a really nice time tonight,” Liz smiled as Alexander walked her to the door.

He smiled at her before he leaned in to kiss her. Liz returned his kiss eagerly. Wrapping her arms around his neck and welcoming the familiar feel of his lips against hers.

She had surprised even herself when she had agreed to go out with him six months earlier but the truth was he made her happier than she had felt in a very long time and as Maria told her, that was all that was important. He had been there for her when she had been alone and needed a friend and he had never tried to push her for anything more. He had waited for her to be ready to take their relationship to the next level.

“Can I come in?” he asked huskily.

Liz nodded shyly. They had only be intimate a couple of times and even though it was weird and hard for Liz to be with someone other than Max she enjoyed being with Alexander and he made her feel special.

At first she didn’t think she would ever be able to be with someone intimately other than Max but Alexander had surprised her. It helped that in some ways he reminded her a lot of Max in the way he treated her and touched her.

Pulling out of his arms Liz turned around and let them into her apartment.

“Would you like a coffee?” she asked making her way to the kitchen.

“Yeah thanks,” he replied.

Like he usually did when he entered Alexander looked around the small apartment. Liz had added a few photos to the walls of her friends and parents but she didn’t like to talk about her past very much. It had taken months for Liz to confide in him the reason for her marriage breaking up and even now he understood that it still hurt, and haunted her.

Liz had done her best to put her past in Roswell behind her. Apart from her parents and two best friends she rarely spoke about Roswell. Sometimes Alexander didn’t think it was healthy but he respected Liz’s wishes to put the past behind her.

He noticed a few new boxes sitting against the wall then.

“What’s with the boxes?” he asked curiously.

Liz pushed a piece of hair behind her ear as she looked at the boxes. “I got them a couple of weeks ago. Maria sent them,” she shrugged. She had gone to go through them on a number of occasions but was unable to bring herself to do it.

Alexander could tell right away that Liz had barely glanced at the boxes let alone gone through the things inside.

“Can I?” he asked gesturing towards the boxes.

“Um, yeah sure,” Liz replied.

He reached inside and pulled out a few books and smiled at them. They were science books.

Liz returned to the kitchen then to pour them two cups of coffee while Alexander continued to go through the box. He stopped when his hands encountered some photo frames.

He pulled them out hesitantly and his hands froze as he looked over what was obviously one of Liz’s wedding photos.

“Oh god,” he whispered.

“What are you looking at?” Liz asked as she approached.

Alexander didn’t answer though and Liz walked closer to see what had him so enthralled.

“Oh,” she whispered. She hadn’t realised that that was in the box and wondered why Maria would have sent that to her. She recognised it as the photo that been on the bedside drawer near her bed in Roswell.

“This is Max?” he asked.

“Yeah,” Liz nodded.

Alexander closed his eyes in dread. “Do you have a photo of Tess?” he asked then.

Liz looked at him confused. “Why would you want that?” Liz asked.

“It’s important, do you?” he asked.

Surprised, but sensing that he meant it Liz went through the box until she found the photo album she knew was in there. She flicked it open until she came to her high school prom photo.

“Here,” she said.

“Oh god,” Alexander gasped as he looked at the faces staring back at him.

“How could he do this?” he whispered angrily. Alexander’s first instinct was to get on the first flight to Roswell and beat the shit out of Max Evans. He had wanted to do it since he found out that he had cheated on Liz but now that he knew that the lies had run deeper his anger was growing by the second.

“Who wouldn’t,” Liz whispered. “She’s gorgeous.”

She walked away from Alexander then not wanting to look at the photo for a second longer. It brought up memories that she thought she had put behind her, things she definitely didn’t want to think about.

“God Liz, that’s not what I mean,” Alexander shook his head.

“Can we not do this?” Liz requested all of a sudden regretting letting him go through the boxes.

Alexander took a deep breath then. “I can’t believe this is happening, but it is,” he said more to himself then to Liz.

“Alexander what are you talking about?” she asked.

“Liz, I have to tell you something,” he said then.

“Ok.” Liz said.

“And it has to do with Max and Tess and….”

“What are you talking about?” she asked.

“Liz there are things about Max that you don’t know,” he said.

Liz eye’s narrowed and she wondered what Alexander was talking about. There was no way he could know about Max was there?

“You don’t even know Max,” Liz pointed out.

“You’re right I don’t but…”

“Just spit it out Alexander,” Liz demanded then.

“Ok well there is something I need to tell you, or rather show you,” he said.

“Ok,” Liz nodded maintaining her distance on the other side of the room. All of a sudden she felt as though she didn’t know Alexander.

“Here goes everything,” Alexander whispered to himself as he reached a hand out and swiped it across his face.

Liz let out a gasp at Alexanders appearance changed before her very eyes. She didn’t waste a second before she rushed into her bedroom and shut and locked the door before reaching for the phone.

When Alexander finished changing his appearance he opened his eyes. The process was painful since he wasn’t a shape shifter.

“Liz?” he called out when he noticed that she wasn’t in the living room anymore.

***

In the bedroom Liz dialled Michael’s number without hesitation.

“Yo?” he answered.

“Michael,” Liz whispered.

“Liz?” Michael asked barely able to hear her.

“Help,” she cried.

“Liz what’s wrong?” he asked.

“There’s an alien in my apartment,” she told him.

“Oh fuck,” Michael panicked already rushing into the house. “Maria ring Isabel,” he yelled.

“Liz where are you?” he asked.

“Michael is that Liz?” she heard Maria ask.

“In my bedroom, he’s in the living room,” she said.

“Ok. Stay there I’ll be there as soon as I can,” he promised.

“Please hurry,” she pleaded.

***

“Michael was that Liz?” Maria asked.

“Call Isabel and Max,” Michael ordered. “We’re going to Vegas.”

“What’s going on?”

“Liz, alien,” Michael said already on the phone and booking five tickets to Las Vegas on the next flight”

“Oh God,” Maria began to panic.

“Call Isabel,” Michael yelled again.

“Right,” Maria nodded grabbing the phone.

***

“Liz are you in there?” Alexander called out.

“Stay away from me.”

“Liz please open the door. I’m sorry I scared you,” he pleaded.

“What do you want?” Liz asked.

“Just to talk to you,” he said.

“Just leave me alone, Max and I are divorced now you can’t use me to get to him,” she called out.

Alexander frowned at her words. Had he been mistaken? Did Liz know about Max being an alien?

“Liz I’m coming in,” he said as he placed his hand over the door and used his powers to open it.

Liz was huddled in the corner on her bed as he entered but she emitted a gasp when she caught sight of him.

“Oh God,” she said.

“Liz I know this is strange.”

“You look just like him,” Liz continued to rant.

“Yeah I know,” He nodded.

“What are you?” Liz yelled. “Are you a shape shifter?”

“A shape shifter? What?” Alexander shook his head.

“Stop looking like him!” Liz yelled then.

“Liz, I can’t this is what I look like.” Alexander said.

“No, no,” Liz yelled.

“Liz, do you know about Max being an alien?” he asked then.

Liz’s eyes went wide. “What do you want with Max?” she asked protectively.

Alexander sighed. “Nothing, Liz I know that Max, Tess, Isabel and Michael are aliens. They’re the royal four. What you might not have know was that they sent two sets, a back up set.”

“No that’s a lie Max can’t shape shift,” Liz yelled her hand held out in defence. Her zap would do nothing to stop him hurting her if he wanted to.

“You’re right he can’t. What I did wasn’t a shape shift I just changed my appearance slightly. My bone structure and everything is still the same,” he told her.

Liz watched him with narrowed eyes. “If what you’re saying is true then where are the rest of your four?” she asked.

Zan sighed. “Lonnie and Rath tried to kill me because I wouldn’t make a deal with Nicolas to get home. I let them think they killed me and then I took off,” he shrugged. He wasn’t sure whether Liz was buying his story but she had lowered her hand. He wasn’t sure what she thought she was going to do with it anyway.

“Ok, say I believe you why have you never gotten in contact with the others?” Liz asked.

Zan shrugged. “I thought about it but in the end I didn’t see the point. They had a king I wouldn’t have fit in,” he said.

Liz eyed the man in front of her unable to believe how much he looked like Max. The only difference was the hair. He had left his hair the same short length he was previously wearing it.

“Well you’re going to get your chance,” Liz told him.

“What?” Zan asked confused.

“I called Michael and he’s on his way.”

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Part 4

“What the hell is going on? Is Liz ok?” a panicked Max asked as they ran to make their flight to Vegas.

Max had gotten a call half an ago and told to be ready that they were going to Vegas to help Liz.

Everyone ignored him instead they continued to run to the boarding gate, only just making it before the hostess closed the flight.

There seats were all over the place, Michael was only able to book singles at the last minute so they all took a seat as they nervously waited for the flight to take off. It would only take an hour to get there but as far as Michael was concerned it could be an hour too long.

Maria looked over at Max who was sitting two rows up from her. As he usually did over the past 18 months she thought he looked like shit. His hair had grown almost to his shoulders, he hadn’t shaved in weeks, and he looked thin and sickly.

To put it mildly Max Evans had vanished along with Liz Parker from his life. It was clear to all of them that Max couldn’t function without her. His life had pretty much shut down except for his job, which was the only reason he got up every morning. Maria knew that Isabel and Michael had tried talking to him, tried to help him but nothing seemed to work.

It was sad really. Maria had lost her best friend because of Max’s actions but at the same time Michael had lost his. Max went nowhere and saw no one unless they visited him. It suited Maria and Alex who refused to have anything to do with him.

She watched as he shook his foot nervously. She had seen more life from Max in a half an hour than she had in 18 months. At first when Michael had suggested ringing Max she had been dead against it. Maria was scared that one encounter with Max would bring all of Liz’s hard work down around her. She was happy now and had met someone that treated her well; Maria didn’t want Max to ruin that.

But Michael had insisted. It was bad enough that they would not have Tess’s expertise let alone Max’s healing abilities he had argued, and Isabel, and a reluctant Alex has agreed.

Although Tess was once again living in Roswell, Maria and Alex had nothing to do with her. After Kyle had kicked her out, and the second incident occurred with Max things had gone down hill for her. Whilst Tess had hoped her and Max would ban together to get through their ordeal the opposite had happened. Max had turned his anger towards Tess and blamed her for the whole thing. In the end she was unwelcome anywhere and had left Roswell for several months.

She had returned three months ago. While she was gone she had kept in contact with Michael for alien matters only, and he had been slightly concerned when she’d returned. Her first port of call had been to Kyle though and unbeknownst to any of them why, or how, Kyle had agreed to try and work things out with her. They were currently living together again on Milky Way and they seemed relatively happy, something that made Maria even angrier.

Not surprisingly though Kyle wanted nothing to do with Max anymore. He would still catch up with Maria and Alex on the odd occasion but he was happier staying out of the alien abyss. That was why they were all so surprised he had been willing to forgive Tess.

Max turned when he felt someone staring and his eyes locked with Maria’s green ones.

“She’s ok, she’s alive.” he told her confidently

“How do you know that?” a scared Maria asked.

He placed a hand over his heart and smiled what Maria was sure was the first smile since Liz had left. “Just like I always know,” he whispered.

Maria nodded her thanks not sure what else to say and Max turned back to facing the front.

When they landed they all rushed straight to a taxi and Maria gave them the address to Liz’s apartment. It would take another fifteen minutes still for them to get there so Maria tried to ring Liz again on her phone, but there was no answer.

“God Michael what if she’s not ok?” Maria cried.

All eyes turned to Max then. “I told you she’s ok at the moment,” he said.

“Will someone tell me what’s going on now?” Max asked.

“Liz called me, there was a Czechoslovakian in her apartment,” Michael answered vaguely.

Max simply nodded and looked back out the window.

***

“Ok so what you’re saying is that there is a duplicate set, and you’re Max’s duplicate?” Liz tried to clarify.

Zan had finally coaxed her out of her bedroom and she was now pacing her living room whilst Zan sat in the lounge and tried to explain everything to her.

“Yes that’s right,” he nodded.

“So what’s the go with the disguise?” Liz asked.

“I have enemies,” he said simply. “If my sister or Rath new I was alive they wouldn’t leave me alone not to mention the skins. This way I’m just a faceless person in the crowd,” he answered.

“Did you know who I was?” Liz asked suspiciously.

“Who are you exactly?” Zan asked.

“You know what I mean. Did you know about my connection to Max?” she snapped.

“No,” Zan shook his head. “Not until I saw the picture. In fact I thought you were clueless to the fact aliens existed. I thought Max had lied to you.”

“He didn’t,” Liz said softly. “Max saved my life after I was shot whilst working in my parents diner. After that I learnt everything about them.”

Zan studied her for a while then. “Then why were you so devastated about Max and Tess?”

Liz’s eyes went wide in shock. “How do you expect me to feel?”

“I think you need to start from scratch,” Zan said then. “Firstly, tell me about the four.”

“What do you want to know?” Liz asked.

“Everything,” he nodded.

Liz spent the next hour telling Zan everything she could remember since her shooting. Starting with finding out about Max, letting Maria and Alex in, about Tess and Nasedo’s arrival until the day that she had fled Roswell after Max’s betrayal.

When she was finished Zan was frowning.

“That’s about it,” she sighed sitting down next to him.

Zan remained quiet as he thought about what to tell her.

“You really loved him didn’t you?” he asked then.

Liz was surprised by the question. “Yeah I did,” she whispered in response.

Zan was by no fault of his own a selfish person. He was raised believing he was a king and that he should be able to have anything he wanted. Obviously as he grew older he realised that wasn’t the case in this world but at that moment it was. Zan wanted Liz and he was worried that if he revealed the information he had that she wouldn’t stay with him.

“When will Michael be getting here?” he asked then.

Liz looked at the clock and realised almost two hours had passed. “They should be here soon.”

***

“This is it,” Maria said as she jumped out of the taxi while Alex paid him.

“Hold on a minute Blondie,” Michael demanded.

“What? Michael we don’t have time to waste Liz could be in serious trouble,” Maria yelled.

“Well you wont help the situation if you run into the line of fire,” he pointed out.

“Fine,” Maria huffed.

“Ok, I think you and Alex should stay here with Max,” Michael said.

“What! Why?” Max asked. He wanted; no he needed to see Liz desperately.

Michael answered Max’s question with a single look. “Because 18 months ago I promised her I wouldn’t let you near her again,” Michael said honestly. “And I’m going to keep that promise. If we haven’t signalled for you in fifteen minutes then come on in,” Michael said.

Michael didn’t give anyone time to argue with him he simply turned and headed towards the apartment block giving Isabel the choice to follow or not, which she did.

***

Liz didn’t know how to act now that they had finished talking. It was obvious that Zan was pretending to be a completely different person and she didn’t know how she was supposed to be with him now.

“I have to tell you something,” he said then. He knew he couldn’t hide what he knew, if later on she found out then any chance he had of making things work with her would go out the window.

“Ok.” Liz nodded.

“Our protector, Cal, he wasn’t around very much when we were growing up,” he said. “He didn’t really care about us or how we ended up.”

Liz smiled sympathetically and nodded in encouragement for him to continue. “But one thing he did right by us was training us to use our powers, to look after ourselves,” he added.

“That’s good,” Liz said.

“He explained who we were on Antar and the reason we were sent here.”

“They expect you to go back to save your people don’t they?” Liz asked.

“Yeah I guess, not going to happen though,” Zan shrugged. “The plan got fucked when we crashed.”

“Ok,” Liz could understand that, it was pretty hard to factor in.

“But see there were things always set into motion that no one could change.”

“Ok,” Liz nodded not really understanding what he was getting at. “Like what?” she asked.

“We’re programmed,” Zan said.

“Programmed?” Liz asked shocked.

“Yeah.”

“Why?”

“I guess it was their way,” he said pointing to the sky, “of ensuring that things went to plan.”

“Ok,” Liz nodded, “What are you programmed to do?”

Zan took a deep breath before answering. “As King it’s very important that I have an heir,” he said. “For me the programming kicked in around sixteen, it made me feel things and act in a way I never wanted to but I did anyway,” he said.

Liz didn’t say anything she just waited for Zan to continue.

“I slept with Ava,” he said.

“What are you saying?” Liz asked.

“The thing with Max and Tess?” he said.

Liz nodded she understood what he meant.

“It was inevitable, Liz,” he whispered. “Its part of their programming. It should have kicked in years ago.”

Zan knew he would never forget the look on Liz’s face as long as he lived. It was possibly worse than the day he found her after she had gotten the divorce papers.

The sobs over took Liz without warning, the utter devastation she felt from Zan’s revelation ripping her in two as he crumbled to the ground.

Zan jumped out of his seat and was moving to Liz’s side but before he could there a blast hit him square in the chest and sent him flying across the room.

Hi everyone, thanks for reading and especially to those who left feedback, i hope you enjoy this next part

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Part 5

“Oh god, Liz!” Isabel cried as she caught sight of her friend lying on the ground in sobbing mess. Michael and Isabel had opened the apartment door without knocking when they had heard Liz’s sobbing. Michael had just looked up in time to see someone he didn’t recognised approaching Liz and that was enough for him to shoot first and ask questions later.

While Isabel was checking on Liz, Michael went over to the slumped form, he held his hand out preparing to blast the alien again if he had to but before he got the chance Zan held out his own hand and put his shield up.

“What the fuck?” Michael yelped quickly stepping back. He had never seen someone other than Max put up a green shield.

Unable to gain a response from Liz who had sobbed herself out Isabel made her way over to Michael.

“Oh my god,” she gasped when she got a good look at the guy.

“Michael, he looks exactly like Max.”

***

Down in the car park Maria and Max were both pacing and Alex was doing his best to get them to calm down.

“I’m going up there,” Max said.

“No,” Alex said stopping him. “Michael said to wait.”

Since Liz left and Max had completely broken down Michael had had no choice but to except more of a leadership role and had gotten quite good at it.

Maria was also ready to charge up to the apartment and find out what was going on. She knew that Michael and Isabel had only been gone minutes but she was anxious

Before Maria could make a move either way Max collapsed to the ground in anguish.

“What’s wrong?” Maria asked him.

Max didn’t respond though. He felt like his heart was shattering in two and he knew it wasn’t him that it was Liz.

“Liz,” he cried out.

“God Alex, what’s wrong with him?” Maria cried.

“I don’t know,” Alex said worriedly. He tried to shake him out of it but Max was too distraught to listen.

“I think we should go get Michael and Isabel,” Alex told Maria.

“I’ll go,” she offered and took off in a run towards the apartment.

***

“Don’t blast me,” Zan breathed out harshly. “I’m not here to hurt Liz,” he said then.

“Who are you?” Michael demanded.

“It’s a long story but basically there were two sets, duplicates. I’m Zan, Max’s duplicate,” he said.

Michael slowly lowered his hand and when Zan saw this he also lowered his shield.

Michael was about to fire more questions at Zan until Liz let out a cry of a hurt animal turning their attention to her.

Zan was on his feet in an instance pushing past Michael and Isabel to get to her.

“Liz baby!” He cried falling to his knees and pulling her into his lap.

“What’s wrong with her?” Isabel asked. The minute she saw the way Zan cradled Liz she knew they had nothing to fear from him. He reminded her of her brother in that very second.

“She got some disturbing news before which is why she was upset, now though I don’t know what’s wrong.”

“Max,” she cried out.

Isabel and Michael shared a look of concern.

“Liz baby look at me,” Zan coaxed.

“Oh god make it stop,” she cried her own despair mixing with Max’s.

“Look at me princess and I will,” he whispered.

In the end Zan guided Liz’s eyes to his. It took a few minutes to form the connection with her and when he did Liz gasped at the sensation.

Once inside of Liz, Zan realised what it was that was making her upset. She still had a profound connection to Max and he wondered why he had never seen it before. It was then he realised that they shared no connection at all. Liz considered him being in her head an intrusion. The only one welcome was Max. Right now though that connection was wreaking havoc on them both. After months of separation neither had been prepared for the connection to spark to life so drastically and when Liz had gotten upset over the news of the programming she had sucked Max easily into the black whole of despair. Now Zan would bail them out.

He followed the connection to the point it met and using a little spark of power he severed it. He wasn’t however prepared for Liz’s reaction though; with a blood-curdling scream she kicked him out of her head.

***

Max had calmed down slightly but he was still lying on the ground sobbing and Alex was glad that it was late and dark and that there was no one around.

His ease didn’t last long though as he heard the ear-piercing scream coming from the apartments and he was scared to hell that it was Liz.

At the same time a sobbing Max rose to his knees and began retching.

“No, Liz no,” he cried in agony but Alex could barely understand him.

***

Maria reached the apartment just in time to hear Liz’s scream. She wasted no time rushing in and pulling Liz into her arms.

“No, Max no,” Liz cried completely unaware that she was in Maria’s arm.

“What did you do?” Michael demanded.

Zan looked confused at Michael. “It was her connection with Max,” he told him. “That was what was making her so upset. They were upsetting each other so I severed it,” he explained like it meant nothing.

Maria gasped at the same time Isabel did both understanding now the reaction from their friend. After years of hearing about the connection between Max and Liz they had a better understanding.

“Where’s Max?” Isabel asked worriedly.

“He’s in the car park with Alex. He’s acting funny that’s why I came up, we don’t know what’s wrong with him,” she explained.

It made more sense to Maria now that she had seen Liz.

“Shit,” Michael cursed. He shared a look with Isabel telling her with his eyes to stay and protect Maria and Liz if need be, and he took off in a run towards the car park.

***

“Max buddy calm down,” Alex tried to sooth as he patted his back. He was concerned through because Max was sick and he knew the aliens never got sick.

Max however wasn’t listening. “No, no, no,” he kept chanting.

“Liz, Liz, Liz,” he sobbed.

That was how Max was when Michael reached them.

“What’s going on?” Alex asked.

“Help me,” Michael said. “We’ve got to get him upstairs.”

“Is Liz ok?” Alex asked.

“Not really,” Michael replied honestly.

“Liz, she’s gone Michael,” Max cried when he caught sight of his best friend, and brother.

“No buddy she’s fine,” Michael tried to assure him but Max was too hysterical to listen to him.

Seeing no other option Michael reached a hand out and placed it at the back of Max’s head, a second later Max’s eyes fell shut and he was out.

“What did you just do?” Alex asked shocked.

“I knocked him out,” Michael replied. “It’s the only way we’re going to get him calm enough to move him upstairs.”

Michael went to Max’s head and Alex went to his feet and together they lifted him and began to walk towards Liz’s apartment.

***

“Who are you?” Maria asked after Michael had gone. It hadn’t escaped her notice that the man in front of her looked exactly like Max.

“Alexander,” he replied.

“No you’re not,” she argued. “Liz told me about Alexander and you don’t look anything like him.”

Zan smiled, this was Maria, Liz’s best friend, and she knew all about him. That had to be a good sign, wasn’t it?

“I’m an alien,” he said.

“Duh,” Maria mocked.

“There were two sets of pods, I’m Max’s duplicate, Zan,” he shrugged. “Alexander was my disguise.”

Maria frowned. “So all this time you’ve been lying to her?” she asked angrily.

“Don’t Ria,” a small voice whispered.

Maria looked down and smiled when she saw Liz’s eyes open. “Hey chica, you ok?” she asked.

Tears immediately came to her eyes, “He’s gone isn’t he?” she asked.

Maria frowned. “Who?”

“Max, I can’t feel him anymore,” she said.

“He’s fine,” Maria told her.

Liz turned big eyes to Zan then and she was about to speak when Michael and Alex burst through the door carrying Max.

“Where’s the bed?” Michael grunted.

Zan pointed to Liz’s bedroom and watched as his dupe, who was passed out, was carried in there.

“Max!” Liz cried when she saw him and jumped woozily to her feet.

“Liz where are you going?” Maria cried.

Michael had just placed Max on Liz’s bed when she came rushing in. “What happened?” she cried faltering on her feet again. Michael reached out to grab her and led her to sit on the bed too.

“I’m not sure, he was hysterical and I had to knock him out,” he told her.

“Why can’t I feel him?” she cried.

The room went quiet and all eyes turned to Zan. “I had to sever your connection,” he explained. “You were both upset and you were dragging each other further under, neither of you could separate your own feelings,” he told her. “It was the only way to get you to calm down.”

Maria wanted to ask what it was that had upset her in the first place. Whatever it was must have been big because it had toppled Max in seconds so Liz must have been in a sorry state.

Liz’s hand went to her heart and she gasped for air. It was unlike anything she had ever felt before, she literally felt empty inside, incomplete.

“Put it back,” she demanded in a whisper.

“What?” a startled Zan asked not sure if he heard her correctly.

“Put it back,” she cried.

“Liz…”

“No I feel empty, please put it back,” she cried.

Maria rushed forward then and enveloped Liz in her arms. “It will be okay sweetie, you’ll see.”

Liz shook her head. “No, I can’t breathe Ria,” she said. “I feel like half my soul has been ripped out.”

Maria looked up at Zan as Liz sobbed in her arms. “You heard her, put it back,” she said with a raised eyebrow.

“I-I can’t,” Zan stuttered.

Liz cried harder when she heard the news and Maria shared a helpless look with Alex who stepped forward and hugged Liz from the other side.

Isabel shared a look with Michael and they stepped out of the room and into the living room.

“This is not good,” she said. “If that’s how Liz’s reacts imagine how Max is going to react,” she said knowing that out of the two of them Liz was always the stronger. Hell, she had proven it by surviving without Max in her life, unlike Max who was barely living.

“I know,” He agreed.

“I think we should put Liz out until we come up with something,” she said.

Although reluctant Michael finally agreed. In the end though Zan wouldn’t let either of them touch her and did it himself.

When he was finished Michael looked at him. “Right I think it’s time that you and I had a little chat,” he said.

With a nod Zan followed Michael and Isabel into the living room leaving Alex and Maria to stay with Liz and Max who were now sleeping peacefully side by side on Liz’s bed.

A/N: Hi everyone, thanks to all of you reading especially those who left feedback, i really appreciate your support


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mrsjbehr
begonia9508
guelbebek
Jason's Lover
Luna_Seer
pandas2001


Part 6

“What the hell happened?” Was the first thing Michael demanded.

Zan took a deep breath before he started. “Liz and I were out on a date. When we got home I noticed the boxes,” he said pointing to the where the boxes still sat in the corner. “Liz told me I could look through and when I did I found a wedding photo of Max and Liz.”

“So you had no idea who Liz was before tonight?” Isabel asked disbelievingly. It was too coincidental that both Zan and Max had fallen for Liz.

“No,” he shook his head. “The first time I ever laid eyes on Liz was when I saw her walking to work one morning. I’ve been in love with her ever since,” he admitted.

Isabel frowned.

“So you saw the picture of Max, then what?” Michael asked.

“I ask to see some more pictures and that’s when I saw the rest of you and I put two and two together.”

“That doesn’t explain why Liz flipped?” Michael pointed out.

Zan sighed. “I wasn’t exactly looking like myself. I changed the appearance of my face slightly, my hair and my voice,” he said.

“Why?” Isabel asked.

Zan looked over to her, she looked nothing, and acted nothing like Michael.

“I have enemies, my plan was to hide in plain sight,” he shrugged.

“So why reveal yourself to Liz?” Michael asked.

“Because I love her,” he said truthfully. “If I had suspected she’d known about you I would have told her who I was before I changed. Instead she flipped out because she thought I was some type of shape shifter.”

“Well that’s not surprising. None of us can change our appearance so drastically.” Michael had also seen pictures of Alexander and you would never have guessed that it was Zan underneath.

“Yes, you can,” Zan responded, “You just don’t how to yet.”

“Where are the rest of you four?” Isabel asked then.

Zan looked Isabel in the eye as he answered, “After Lonnie and Rath tried to pop me I wasn’t feeling the family love ya know, so I left.”

“They tried to kill you?” Isabel gasped.

Zan nodded.

“What about your Tess?” Michael asked.

Zan shrugged, “Aves was cool but there was nothing between us, it was better that she thought I was dead.”

“And you have no idea where they are?” Michael asked still suspicious.

“No, but if they had there way they’d be gone home by now.”

“I didn’t think we could,” Isabel said.

“There are always ways if you really want to,” Zan shrugged.

“What about you guys, where’s your Ava?”

“We left her in Roswell. We didn’t think Liz would really want to see her,” Isabel answered.

Zan simply nodded.

“I think it would be best if you left,” Michael said then.

“Excuse me?”

“It’s going to be hard enough dealing with Max and Liz when they wake up. You being here will just makes things harder on everyone,” Michael explained.

“I’m not going anywhere. Liz and I need to talk.”

“Look there will be no talking tonight and as you can see this place isn’t that roomy.”

Zan knew he was right but he was reluctant to leave. He hated the way Liz had looked at him after she had found out about the connection. He wanted to assure her he would fix everything, he wanted to connect with her, to share himself with her, but he was afraid she would turn him away.

“Ok,” he finally nodded. “But tell Liz I’ll be back first thing.”

Michael nodded and followed Zan to the door.

“Shit,” Zan cursed remembering almost to late his appearance.

“I can’t be seen like this,” he told them.

Isabel and Michael watched in astonishment as he closed his eyes and used his hands to manipulate his face until standing before them was Alexander York again. A swipe of his hand and his hair was once again sandy blonde and his eyes blue instead of deep Amber.

Isabel could see why Liz was attracted to him. He had all the features Max did, just different or enhanced.

“Did I miss anything?” he asked when he opened his eyes and found them staring at him. He hadn’t changed himself from Alexander to Zan in almost two years. Before that he would change every few months, move apartments and change his life. Until Liz. She made him want a normal life. Hell he had never had a job as long as he had the one at Mayne Labs.

“Yep,” Isabel told him.

“Cool,” he said exhausted. “See you tomorrow,” and then he left.

***

“Why don’t you and Alex take the car and get a room at the motel down the road?” Michael suggested. It was clear that everyone was exhausted and since both Max and Liz were still out, and not likely to wake up anytime soon it made so sense for them all to sit around waiting.

“Ok,” Isabel nodded.

“The lounge is a pull out,” Maria informed as she came out of Liz’s room with some blankets and pillows.

“Ok, well then we’ll stay here for the night,” Michael said.

“Good,” Maria nodded; she wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Ok well we’ll come back around eight in the morning,” Isabel told them. “We’ll bring breakfast and if Max and Liz haven’t woken by then we’ll wake them up.”

They all agreed and a few minutes later Isabel and Alex had left and Maria was making the bed.

“What do you thinks going to happen when they wake up?” Maria asked.

“I don’t know,” Michael admitted.

“Did Zan tell you why Liz was so upset?” Maria asked.

“No he didn’t but I get the feeling he knew, I think he knows a lot that he’s not letting on.”

Maria agreed with a nod.

***

Maria and Michael were still asleep when Isabel and Alex knocked on the door the next morning.

Yawning Michael got out of bed to open the door for them whilst Maria went to check on Max and Liz.

Upon entering the room Maria could see they were both still asleep but what surprised her was when she approached the bed she could see them wrapped in each other’s arms.

“Are they awake?” Alex asked walking into the room.

Maria shook her head. “God Alex, look at them,” she whispered tears springing to her eyes.

“Years of being apart haven’t changed anything.”

Alex nodded, “I know,” he agreed. Things certainly hadn’t been the same for either Liz or Max since they’re horrible divorce and it was obvious that they had both been paying the price.

Isabel entered the room then but she didn’t comment over their positions. To her it seemed like the most natural thing in the world. She knew better than anyone from dream walking Max for so many years just how important Liz was to him, so that was why she could never understand why Max would risk what they had for Tess, someone he openly despised most of the time.

“Time to wake them up,” she said.

Michael came in then and went to Max, whilst Isabel climbed on the bed and knelt near Liz. They shared a look; silently counting to three before waving a hand over the back of their heads and bringing them back into consciousness.

Nothing happened immediately so Michael and Isabel backed away.

“Let’s wait in the living room a few minutes,” Isabel suggested. “Imagine waking up to all of us staring at them?”

They all agreed and retreated to the living room to enjoy the breakfast and coffees Isabel and Alex had brought.

***

Max stirred slowly and was confused when he opened his eyes, he didn’t recognise his surroundings at all. His coherent thoughts didn’t last long before the ache in his chest begun. He gasped for air not sure at first why he felt so empty, so lonely but when he searched for Liz and could not find her he realised, and tears filled his eyes. She was gone and he was scared to death of what would happen without her. Even before, when she had left him, he could still feel her inside of him and that had been enough to get up every morning but without that he didn’t think he could breathe.

He didn’t even realise that someone was in his arms until Liz begun to stir. He snapped his head in the direction and his mouth fell open in shock when he saw her eyes pop open and meet his.

“Max,” she whispered.

He sat up instantly pulling her with him, his hand trailing all over her face as though not quite believing that she was there with him.

“I thought you were dead,” he cried in anguish.

“I know,” she nodded; her own loneliness and emptiness beginning to settle in like an ache.

“I thought you were too,” she told him.

“What happened?” he asked. “Why can’t I feel you?”

“I don’t know exactly what happened but the connection is gone,” she whispered.

Liz felt panic begin to set inside her as the ache continued to grow.

“Please Max,” she cried reaching for his face and cupping it.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

“Please give it back,” she whispered in anguish. “I need it,” she told him.

Max nodded and instantly gave her what she asked for. The connection sprang to life instantly and their essences literally ran and collided with each other. This connection was not about sharing thoughts it was simply about filling gaps.

After a few minutes they both felt better and they slowly pulled out of it. It never occurred to either of them that the connection wouldn’t be there when they pulled out.

“NO!” Liz cried when she realised instantly that it was gone.

Her cry brought the others into the room and they smiled relieved they were both awake.

Maria took one look at her best friend though and was alarmed. Liz looked like shit literally, and Max, if possible looked worse than he had the day before.

“What’s wrong?” Michael asked Max.

“Our connection,” he said sadly. “It’s gone,” he whispered.

“Yeah,” Michael nodded.

Before the group could talk much more there was a knock at the door and Alex went to open it.

“That’ll be Zan,” Michael said to Liz.

Liz nodded but Max looked confused. “Who’s Zan?” he asked.

Liz robotically moved off the bed. She felt dead and she wondered if she would ever feel alive again. “I’m going to have a shower,” she whispered before she walked into the bathroom attached to the room.

“A lot happened while you were out of it,” Isabel said coming to sit on the bed next to Max.

“Well someone better fill me in,” he said.

Isabel looked at him concerned. “Are you ok?” she asked.

Max shook his head and looked away. “I don’t think I ever will be again,” he admitted.

Isabel did her best to fill Max in after that on what had happened, who Zan was, and why the connection was gone. Max’s emotions were on a roller coaster as the information was revealed. Firstly, he was devastated to learn that Liz had moved on from him, then he was angry at Zan for lying to her about who he was, after that it was scared for Liz because he had no idea what had upset her so much but at the end he was angry again.

As far as he was concerned Zan had no right to do what he did. Max knew that he and Liz would have worked through the connection had they been given the chance but now they never would again. He had taken something sacred from both of them.

Maria and Liz were still in the bathroom when Max finally, but very wobbly, pulled himself to his feet and made his way into the living room.

Zan looked up surprised when he saw him, he opened his mouth to speak to him, but one seething look from Max made it very clear not too.

“Alex will you help me take Max back to the hotel?” she asked.

All Max wanted to do was be away from this Zan, the man who had taken his life from him before he did something stupid.

Alex nodded and rose to his feet to support a weak and disorientated Max from the apartment.

Thanx everyone, I hope you enjoy this part


guelbebek, begonia9508, behrluv32, Earth2Mama, hazz

Part 7

When Liz emerged from the bathroom, with the help of Maria everyone was in the living room waiting for her. She looked around and noticed that Max, Alex, and Isabel were nowhere to be found and her eyes met Zan’s briefly.

Zan frowned when he saw her appearance. “Are you ok?” he asked.

Liz shook her head and turned to Maria. “I want to lie down,” she whispered.

Without a word Maria helped her back into the bedroom and into bed.

Zan’s head dropped as he left the room. “Was Max ok?” he asked then.

“Do you care?” Michael asked curiously.

“I mean him no harm,” Zan shrugged.

“Of course not,” Michael nodded, “but at the same time you like having his wife.”

“They’re divorced,” Zan pointed out.

“Right,” Michael said.

“I should go talk to Liz,” Zan said standing up.

Michael allowed him to go and sunk into the couch exhausted. Maria joined him a few minutes later, sitting down and resting her head against his chest.

***

“Hey,” he said as he sat down on the bed.

“Hi,” Liz replied.

She didn’t think she would ever get used to seeing him look like Max. “Why do you look like that?” she asked.

Zan frowned. “Would you prefer I didn’t?” he asked.

“I would prefer it if you were the guy I thought you were,” she whispered.

“I deserve that I guess but under the circumstances I would have thought you of all people would understand why I didn’t tell you.”

Liz didn’t reply. “Are you feeling ok?” Zan asked.

“Not really,” Liz shook her head.

“Can I check you over?” he offered.

“There’s nothing wrong with me,” she said. “Physically anyway,” she added.

Zan nodded understanding what she was saying.

“It’s for the best,” he said despite his better judgement and he swallowed when he saw the glare on Liz’s face. “We never could have had that whilst you shared it with Max, now maybe….” He trailed off.

“You don’t understand,” Liz whispered. There was no way he could understand that he had taken something from her that had been a part of her for nearly ten years. That essentially he had taken half her heart and soul.

“Talk to me about it, maybe I can help,” he suggested.

“I’d just like some time to myself for a while,” she said.

“Ok,” he nodded. “I’ll be in the living room.”

“No,” Liz stopped him. “I think you should give me some space.”

“Oh,” he frowned. Was this it, was he going to loose her over this?

“It’s just until I can come to terms with things. Finding out about the programming it…”

“Does it change things?” he asked the question that had been on his mind since he revealed it.

Liz wondered herself if it did. The news meant that Max had most likely not betrayed her of his own free will; the programming had kicked in and caused him and Tess to mate. But then she remembered that he had done it twice, and not in some random place but in the place where they lived. Also, although she didn’t know much about the programming she assumed that Max would have had some type of warning that something was not right yet he hadn’t said a word to her about it. And then lastly the most shocking part of the whole ordeal was that he hadn’t told her the truth. He had allowed her find out through flashes, the most painful way because she had to see the situation with her own two eyes. She knew that what they had shared was passionate and she never wanted to see Max with anyone like that, but her. She didn’t know if she would ever be able to wipe the vision of him pressed against Tess from her mind.

Liz put on a smile for Zan’s benefit. “I’ll call you, I promise,” she said.

Zan was assured by the smile so he stepped forward and leaned in to kiss Liz. Liz accepted the soft kiss but was careful to keep it short.

“Anytime, I’ll be waiting,” he assured her.

“I know,” she nodded.

***

“I’m really worried about him, Alex,” Isabel said as her and Alex watched over Max’s sleeping form.

After getting Max into the hotel room he had basically fallen onto the bed and into a fitful sleep. He looked worse than Isabel had ever seen her and she wondered briefly if she would loose him.

“It’s like he’s going to die of a broken heart,” she whispered.

Alex wondered then if she was right. He knew it was part of the Antarian race to bond, but so far Max and Liz were the only one’s that had achieved that connection. Sure, things between him and Isabel had changed after they slept together their first time but it was nothing to the magnitude of what he knew Liz and Max had shared.

“God I hope not,” Alex said thinking of Liz.

***

“Liz would you stop pacing,” Maria asked.

It was one extreme to another for Liz right now. One minute she would feel hollow and empty and would want to do nothing but sleep her life away the next she was feeling antsy and couldn’t sit still.

There was a knock on the door then, and already up Liz went and opened it letting Isabel and Alex in.

Liz felt an instant pang that Max was not with them. It was stupid really. The last thing she wanted was to see him, to be faced with his eyes questioning her but at the same time she felt a need to see him. She wondered if maybe he didn’t want to see her.

“We left Max at the hotel, he’s been sleeping on and off most of the day,” Isabel explained to everyone.

They all sat down and started to discuss the information Zan had given them the day before then. Wondering if there was a need to be worried about Lonnie and Rath.

“Liz, did Zan tell you anything else we should know?” Michael asked her.

“Liz!” Maria called out when she didn’t answer.

“Um I’m sorry what?” Liz asked. She had been in another place altogether.

“Nothing,” Michael shook his head.

Liz stood up again then. “I’m going to get some fresh air, go for a walk,” she told them.

“I’ll come with you,” Maria offered.

“Um no,” Liz said. “I just want some time to myself,” she said.

“Oh ok, take your phone ok?” Maria relented.

Liz nodded and picked up her phone as promised on the way out the door. She wasn’t sure where she was going at first and just begun to walk aimlessly around where she lived. She couldn’t believe everything that happened in the past 24 hours.

To start with she had found out that her boyfriend, the guy she was starting to develop strong feelings for was actually an alien, and not just any alien, the duplicate of her ex-husband. Despite herself though she wasn’t as angry as she knew she should be with him.

Then on top of that she finds out that the love of her life, the man she thought was her soul mate, who she believed had betrayed her twice had most likely not done so at all. Liz knew that neither Max nor Tess was aware of the programming and she wondered if she should tell them, and if she did what it would mean.

But probably the most conflicting thing was the loss of her connection to Max. Liz knew she wasn’t dealing very well with it and she wondered how Max was handling it.

Liz didn’t even realise where she was going until she stopped out the front of the motel. She stood staring at the sign for a few minutes before she walked to the reception and asked which room was Alex Whitman’s. A few minutes later she walking down the corridor towards room 102.

***

Max was lying on the bed staring at the ceiling blankly after just calling the airport to book a flight home to Roswell, when he heard the knock on the door. He assumed Alex and Isabel had forgotten a key so he hopped up and opened the door for them. He was however not prepared to see the person on the other side.

“Hi,” she said nervously tucking a piece of hair behind her ear.

“Hi,” he whispered back shocked.

“Can I come in?” she asked.

Max nodded and stepped back to let her in.

Liz bit back the urge to ask him how he was because she could tell from looking at him that he wasn’t good. She knew realistically that the weight loss and long hair weren’t all a result of the loss of their connection. Obviously Max had been on a downward spiral for a while now.

Max sat weakly on the bed and watched as Liz fidgeted, apparently unable to sit still. “Must be where all my energy went,” he joked.

Liz however didn’t laugh. “I feel like I’m loosing my mind,” she admitted.

Max nodded that he understood.

“I want it back,” she told him then.

“What?” Max asked shocked.

“Give it back, Max,” she cried. “It’s mine and I want it back.”

“What exactly is it that you want? Because as you can see I don’t have much to give right now,” he told her.

With her hand pressed over her heart, tears flowing down her face she answered him, “You.”

“It didn’t work,” he pointed out. He knew that forming another connection with her would only ease their aches momentarily and he didn’t think it would help.

“There has to be another way?” she pleaded.

Max knew there was but he also knew that Liz wouldn’t be prepared to do that.

“We would have to cement again,” he whispered.

Liz looked startled at his revelation just as Max assumed she would be. He wanted to use this time with her to talk to her. To find out how she was, what she had been doing but he just didn’t have the energy and he knew she didn’t either.

Surprising him Liz rose from her seat and walked towards him. “I want it back, I feel empty inside without. I don’t think I can survive,” she admitted.

Max gulped. “Please Max, I lost everything else that we shared I can’t loose it too.”

Max wanted to scream at her that she hadn’t lost him that he would be there whenever she wanted him.

“What about Zan?” he asked. “If you do this you can’t have this with him.”

Liz shook her head. “We chose each other a long time ago and just because we’re not together anymore doesn’t change that. You have been a apart of me for so long and he had no right to take that away from me, or from you.”

Max nodded in agreement. “Ok,” he whispered.

“Ok?” she asked hopefully.

“I would do anything for you, Liz,” Max whispered not looking at her. “I would never deny you anything.”

“It doesn’t change anything though,” Liz told him. The last thing she wanted was for Max to think that they would be getting back together.

Max nodded sadly.

Max left it to Liz to make the first move, and when she did Max thought he might actually die of happiness. The first touch of her hands on his naked chest, and her lips against his was like heaven.

Max deepened the kiss, tugging gently on Liz’s bottom lip to gain entrance into her mouth, she moaned and opened for him and a connection instantly sprang to life.

The connection remained as they undressed each other and slipped onto the bed together. Their hands explored each other, but like lovers for years they both knew what each other liked and when Max slipped his long length inside of Liz they both moaned in pleasure.

They could each feel what the other was feeling, there was no need for words, and because they were connected when Liz begun to tumble over the edge she took Max with her.

Max collapsed exhausted, but at the same time rejuvenated against Liz. It had been too long since he’d felt her touch and he wanted to savour it as long as he could.

Liz sighed in contentment but had to bite back a groan of protest as Max slipped from her warm depths, and through the connection that was now back she knew Max felt the same.

“Will you lie with me a little while?” Max requested as he lay beside her on the bed.

Liz smiled and nodded turning to her side to allow Max to spoon in behind her. A few minutes later she was fast asleep and not wanting to alarm their friends Max called and told them she was with him before pulling a sheet up their body and following her into slumber.

Hi everyone, thanks so much for reading and for those of you who left feedback. This fic is like 99% finished, so there will be constant posts until it's over. I hope you enjoy this next part

Behrystrwbry, Earth2Mama, begonia9508, rie482, pandas2001, dreamsatnight, HBGO, c_which, hazz, L-J-L 76,

Part 8

Zan couldn’t shake the feeling deep down that something was wrong. That was why despite his better judgement, and Liz’s request he was knocking on her apartment door early the next morning. All the previous night he had a sense of foreboding and he couldn’t stay away any longer.

He was surprised when Maria answered the door.

“Hi.”

“Hi,” she replied. “I thought Liz asked you to leave her alone?”

“She asked for space but I just wanted to see her this morning,” he told her.

Maria looked around the apartment nervously. Inside Michael was packing the last of their things and straightening everything out. They were flying out that morning since everything seemed to be sorted out. They all had jobs and lives to get back to, and it was obvious that Liz wasn’t in danger, although Michael would prefer it if she returned to Roswell.

“So can I come in?” Zan asked.

“Liz isn’t actually here at the moment,” she admitted.

“Oh,” he frowned. It was Sunday so where could she be?

“She just went for a walk,” Maria told him. It wasn’t a complete lie since that was what she had done the night before.

Maria had no idea why Liz had gone to Max, or what had happened between the two of them all she knew was Liz had stayed the night with Max at the Motel.

“Can I come in and wait?” Zan asked.

“We’re getting ready to leave,” Maria told him.

“You guys are heading back to Roswell already?”

“Yeah this wasn’t exactly a planned trip so we didn’t take time off work,” she explained.

Maria let him in the apartment then and Zan was surprised that Isabel and Alex were also present. “Where’s Max?” he asked.

“He stayed at a motel,” Isabel answered.

“Oh ok,” he nodded.

“We should get going,” Isabel pointed out to Michael and Maria.

“You’re right, we still have to pick Max up,” Michael agreed.

They all said goodbye to Zan then. It wasn’t like they were all pretending to be friends but they all realised that he was part of Liz’s life so they respected him.

“Maybe you shouldn’t have let him wait,” Michael said to his girlfriend as they all piled into Liz’s car to drive to the motel.

“What was I supposed to say? Sorry but Liz is shacking up with her ex-hubby and I have no idea what time she’ll be back?” Maria said.

“Ok point taken,” Michael said.

At the hotel Liz was still sleeping peacefully as Max sat and watched her. He had been up for a few hours, feeling better than he had in a very long time, and was already packed to leave.

Liz stirred slowly and when her eyes opened they met Max’s.

“Hey,” He said.

“Morning,” she replied. “What time is it?”

“Almost eight,” he replied. “The others will be here soon, we’re leaving today,” he told her and looked away to resist the urge to beg her to come home with him.

“Oh,” Liz replied. “I better get up then,” she said.

“How do you feel today, you look better?” Max asked.

Liz smiled. “I feel like me again. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” he nodded. “Besides I think I might have gone a little crazy myself without it,” he admitted.

Liz nodded in understanding.

Max turned away as Liz picked up her discarded clothes and quickly re-dressed. She had just finished when the others knocked on the door.

“Come in,” Max called out.

“Morning,” Isabel greeted and smiled happily at her brother. He looked better than he had in 18 months and Isabel knew it was all thanks to Liz.

“Are you ready?” she asked Max.

“Yep,” he said.

“We have to get going or we’ll miss our flight,” she said regretfully. Liz and Isabel shared a hug then just as Michael, Maria, and Alex joined them.

“I’ll go check us out,” Max offered and picked up the key and walked out of the room.

Isabel watched sadly as he went. Obviously him and Liz hadn’t resolved anything.
“You look better,” Maria smiled when she saw Liz.

“Yeah,” Liz nodded. She didn’t tell her that she had re-established the connection with Max.

“Is everything ok?” Maria checked.

“It’s fine. Thank you so much for everything,” she said hugging her friend. She came to Michael then and hugged him too.

“Thank you so much for being there for me,” she told him.

“Anytime,” Michael assured her.

Alex was the last to hug and kiss her, and with a promise that they would call when they got home safely Liz followed them out of the hotel room as they waited for the taxi they had called earlier.

“Here are your car keys,” Michael said handing them over. “You have a visitor waiting for you at your apartment to.”

“Oh,” Liz frowned wondering what Zan would be doing there after she had asked for space.

Max walked back from the reception just as the taxi was pulling up and helped Michael and Alex load their stuff before they all piled into the car.

He didn’t hug or kiss Liz goodbye and she knew why. She could tell through their connection that it was just too hard for him. That he still hadn’t let go and the only reason he was walking away from her right now as because that was what she wanted.

She waited until the taxi was out of sight before she let the tears fall.

***

Zan stood up abruptly as he heard Liz’s key in the door.

“Thank god,” he sighed when she entered.

“What are you doing here Zan?” She asked.

“Where have you been?” he asked. “I’ve been sitting here for an hour worried sick about you.”

“I went for a walk,” she shrugged.

“Why are you wearing the same clothes you had on yesterday?” Zan frowned.

Liz avoided his question though and instead went into the kitchen and turned the kettle on.

Zan stood in the doorway and watched her as she put some toast in the toaster.

“You look better today,” he commented with a small smile. He knew that given time Liz would adjust to the connection with Max being gone and now he knew he was right.

Liz looked up at him and nodded.

Once the connection had been restored last night Liz knew instinctively that it would be best to keep it to herself. It wasn’t important to anyone but her and Max and in the end it didn’t matter.

Liz knew eventually Zan would find out. That he wanted to share that connection with her but Liz knew regardless of what had happened with her and Max she had given him that part of herself a long time ago and it wasn’t available to anyone else. Zan would just have to deal with that fact. Besides after everything that had happened she didn’t think she ever wanted to share that part of herself again with anyone. She was content with what she shared with Zan for now.

Sensing she was deep in thought Zan walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist resting his head on her shoulder.

“Are we ok?” he asked hopefully.

Liz smiled weakly at him and nodded. “We will be,” she told him.

“Good,” he sighed in relief.

“What am I supposed to call you now?” she wondered.

“What do you want to call me?” he asked. “I mean Zan is short for Alexander in a round-about sort of way so no one would think it was strange.”

“True. I think I’ll stick with Zan but do you think you could stop changing form?” she requested. At the moment Zan was in Alexanders form and Liz preferred it that way, she didn’t think she could handle him looking at Max right now.

“Of course, besides its not like I can walk around looking like Zan all the time anyway,” he said.

Liz nodded.

“You’ll see Liz everything will be back to normal before you know it,” he smiled.

Hi every one, thanx so much to all of you who left feedback

confusedfool, dreamsatnight, Earth2Mama, rie482, c_which, behrluv32, begonia9508, Mariael311, sylus27, kitten, shadowlynxbehr

Part 9

Zan was wrong.

It had been three months since Zan’s alien status had been revealed and Liz had learned about Max’s programming.

They had discussed it at length on a number of occasions since that night. Liz was thirsty for the knowledge and she found the more she learnt the more disturbed she was.

Zan’s programming had kicked in at 16. Ava was considered the same age and apparently neither of them really had any problem with shacking up together. By that time Lonnie and Rath were already having sex, and Ava had developed feelings for Zan from an early age. The programming only lasted a month, in that time it was assumed Ava would get pregnant and have a baby, but apparently Antarians new nothing about earths modern contraceptives and Hal had told them to use condoms to prevent bringing an alien child into the world.

During the month they had sex countless times. Zan explained that the programming was impossible to ignore, or stop. During that time Ava’s body generated an alien pheromone designed to attract Zan. His attraction to her would grow until it reached the point that neither could deny it.

Liz assumed that was what had happened with Max and Tess. Whilst Zan and Ava hadn’t tried to fight the process Max and Tess most likely had.

After the programming and up until the day Lonnie and Rath had tried to kill him Zan had been with Ava. He didn’t love her but it had been much simpler to be with her.

Liz spent a lot of time working through the details of the programming and why she believed it had taken almost 8 years for it to kick back in. Firstly, when Max had been 16 Tess had lived in a different state. If the process was to happen yearly it was easy to see why it also hadn’t effected even of them then. The following year Tess had already taken off and she didn’t return to the following year, shortly after that and for the next four years Liz and Max had lived in Chicago.

By her calculations 2 years ago was the first time Max and Tess had lived in the same place long enough, and spent enough time around each other to be affected.

It still hurt to think of Max with Tess but the more Liz learnt the more she was coming to terms with it and sometimes she was scared of that. She asked herself on occasion what she would have done if they had known it was supposed to happen.

Would she have given Max up?

Would she have accepted fate and that Destiny would have its way and allow Max to sleep with Tess?

The truth was she didn’t know. What she did know was that her anger was fading and deep down she knew that everything had changed. Now she just had to work out what to do about it all.

It concerned Zan at times how interested Liz was. So far she had said nothing about telling Max and Tess the truth, or show an interest in seeing Max and he was thankful for that. His worst fear was that eventually Liz would work through the programming and find a way that enabled her to forgive Max without looking stupid.

On the other side of things they hadn’t been together intimately since Liz had found out. He’d broached the subject briefly with her once and her response had been she wanted to take things slow, get to know the real him before they progressed again.

It didn’t do anything to calm Zan’s fears that he would loose her.

***

“I have to go away on business,” Zan said unhappily.

Liz looked up from her dinner surprised by his announcement. Business trips weren’t a regular thing for Zan.

“Where too?” she asked.

“There’s a conference in LA and Rick thought I should attend,” he said.

“Sounds like fun,” Liz smiled.

“It’s for a whole week,” Zan frowned. He didn’t want to be away from Liz for that long.

“When do you have to go?” she asked an idea already forming in her head.

“Next Sunday night,” he told her. “I’ll be home Friday night if I can get a flight.”

“Its only a week,” she told him.

“I know but I’ll miss you,” he told her reaching across the table to cover her hand.

“I’ll miss you too,” she said.

***

On Monday morning Liz was running around like a chook with her head cut off. She had driven Zan to the airport the night before for his trip to LA. He was reluctant to leave and had even tried to convince her to take some time off and go with him but Liz refused. Unbeknownst to Zan, Liz had other plans.

She heard the taxi honk the horn and she picked up her bag, and with a final look around her apartment to make sure she had everything she rushed out of the door.

“Where to?” he asked.

“Airport please,” she told him. “Domestic,” she added.

“Where you heading?” he asked curiously.

“Roswell, New Mexico,” Liz replied.

She heard the driver laugh. “You an alien, or something?” He joked.

Liz smiled despite his bad sense of humour. “That’s where my family is,” she clarified, “so I’m going home for a visit.”

Liz knew that if Zan knew he would be upset. He wasn’t against her going home; in fact he had encouraged it she just knew he planned on being with her. Liz loved Zan, but one thing she did not like about him was his controlling nature. It was something that had gotten worse over the past three months.

Liz’s parents already knew she was coming and she had asked them not to say anything to Maria or Alex because she wanted to surprise them. This was the first time she had been home in 2 years and she knew her parents were happy.

Once the taxi arrived at the airport Liz paid and thanked the driver. She saw that her flight was still on schedule so she made her way to book in. She was excited and anxious about returning to Roswell after so many years. She knew this trip wouldn’t be all fun she had some very important things to do, and that was why she was feeling anxious. She also couldn’t wait to see her parents and eat Crashdown food, it really had been way too long, and she swore to herself then that nothing would keep her away again.

***

“Oh sweetie we’re so happy to see you,” her mother cried when she saw her.

Liz hugged her mum back and when she pulled away she looked around the apartment noticed nothing really had changed. A few of the photos had been replaced; specifically her wedding photo but that was it.

“It’s good to be home,” Liz grinned.

“You look wonderful sweetheart,” her mother commented.

Liz smiled happily and nodded. “Thank you.”

“So why didn’t this wonderful boyfriend of yours come with you?” Nancy asked.

“Oh,” Liz said. “He had to go away on business.”

“Oh that’s a shame hopefully we’ll be able to meet him next time,” Nancy smiled.

Nancy Parker was the first person to tell Liz, she told her so when her and Max had split up. As far as Nancy was concerned they had gotten too serious to young and that was why Max had turned to another women. So consequently she was glad that Liz had started dating again telling her that second time around would be so much better.

“Yeah,” Liz replied.

Jeff Parker entered then and a bright smile lit up his face as he saw his only daughter.

“Lizzie,” he whispered.

Liz went running into her father’s arms and he welcomed her kissing the top of her head.

“Welcome home sweetie,” he smiled.

Liz spent most of the day catching up with her parents before she decided to venture out of the house.

“I’ll be back for dinner,” she told her mother as she headed out of the apartment and towards her rental car.

Once she reached her destination she drove slower. The house looked exactly the same from the road but on closer inspection, as she approached the front door she could see some major differences.

The garden hadn’t been kept up and the lawn, although mowed hadn’t been watered very often.

She was just about to step on to the porch when her phone went off in her purse. Pulling it out she saw that it was Zan and thought she better pick up.

“Hi,” she said.

“Hey yourself,” he replied.

“How are you?” she asked him. “Hows the conference.”

“Boring as hell,” he laughed. “Where are you?”

“Oh just out and about,” she shrugged.

“Oh ok, I tried calling you at work but no one picked up,” he informed her.

“I finished up early but we’re really busy. Probably best not calling me there for the next few days,” she fibbed.

“I’ll be in the conference most of the day, we finished up early so I thought I’d see how your day was.”

Feeling stupid for standing in the middle of the lawn whilst on the phone Liz tried to rush the call along. “Look, I’ll call you back later, I’m in the car so…”

“Oh ok, well drive safely.”

“I will. Bye,” she said and prepared to hang up but Zan’s voice caught her before she did,

“Liz?” He said.

“Yeah?” she answered.

“I love you,” he whispered.

At that very second Liz felt like the worst person in the world. She knew he was waiting for her to say it back but her throat had gone dry.

“I’ll talk to you later,” he said when she didn’t respond.

“Um yeah, ok later,” she finally got out and then quickly hung up.

She stood on the lawn trying to get her breath for a few minutes before she proceeded back up the path and onto the porch. She tried ringing the doorbell but it apparently didn’t work any more so instead she opened the security door and knocked loudly on the wooden door.

She stood there waiting for a few minutes for it to be answered. Max’s jeep was in the driveway so she knew he was home.

When the door finally opened a tired, half dressed Max answered it.

“Oh I’m so sorry Max did I wake you up?” she said concerned.

Max’s eyes widened when he realised it was her and his mouth opened to respond but no words came out.

“Liz?” He finally blurted out.

Liz smiled at him. “Yeah,” she nodded. “Could I come in?” She had to drag her eyes away from his naked torso. Although he had lost weight his upper body was still all muscle, even more so than she remembered.

“Sure,” he said stepping aside and letting her in.

The house was dark as she entered, all the curtains were drawn, and Liz wondered if they were ever opened. But the scary thing was that everything looked exactly the same as the day she had left. Nothing had been moved or changed. She could see a few spaces where things of hers had been taken, most likely by Maria but nothing had been put in their place.

“Um Liz, not that its not nice to see you,” Max whispered as he watched her look around the house. “But what are you doing here?”

Liz turned around to face him then and although she was trying to smile her face held a grim look. “Max, we need to talk,” she said.