Ghost (CC,M/L,Mature/Adult) [COMPLETE]

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Doublestuf
Enthusiastic Roswellian
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Joined: Tue Oct 09, 2001 4:58 pm

Part 30

Post by Doublestuf »

Part 30

Fly Away

Fly away little bird
Any place in this open mouthed world
Begs to be fed like a bed that beckons you, but you won't rest
Everyone's got a need to go
Most of us stick with our row to hoe
But not you, you're the black crow
With a straight line, and no time
For the birds of prey who wreck your nest
Twice your size steal your best
They set you on this course of your collision

I am a stop along your way
I am the words you'll never say
I crossed the great beyond of fear
I opened my eyes and saw us there, what a view
You went there too

Fly away little bird
Find the song in you that no one's heard
Strenghthen your wings as you sing your solo flight
Through this short life
Everyone's got a deep regret
We try to ground ourselves to forget
But your race to the end is neck and neck
You love them, you love them not
The birds of prey who wreck your nest,
Twice your size steal your best
They set you on this course of your collision

I am a stop along your way
I am the words you'll never say
I crossed the great beyond of fear
Opened my eyes and saw us there, what a view
And you went there too

But all along your chosen path are
Window panes and sheets of glass
That you won't see
You fly too fast
One day it will be over

Fly away little bird
The saddest song I ever heard
Was the one I wrote you in my heart


- Indigo Girls




Liz’s feet fell softly as she walked through the alley toward a small neighborhood park – the same one she had run from less than a week ago. The freshly fallen snow had yet to be disturbed in this part of the town, a few side-streets away from most traffic. Its sense of seclusion in the midst of this bustling city was probably part of what drew Max here.

Liz stopped short as she turned the corner of the alley onto the street lined with townhouses. Her eyes were filled with the sight of the man she had been seeking. He was where she hoped she would find him: sitting on a bench in the park he had brought her to the day they had said those awful things to one another.

Alex had been right when he said she knew where to find Max. Max had always sought a place familiar and soothing when he was confused or upset. For a while that place had been her balcony. At the moment it seemed to be this park.

Slowly approaching him, Liz let the youthful joy she felt upon seeing him wash over her. He was dressed in tan slacks and a green knit-sweater, his coat draped across the park bench. His eyes fixed on something in front of him. Or maybe they were fixed on something within. He looked lost in thought.

He looked lost.

Perhaps sensing a presence, or perhaps hearing her steps, Max turned from his contemplation to Liz. Their eyes met and her heart jumped.

“Liz,” he startled. His lips remained parted, his breath shallow.

She said nothing until she finished the last few steps to the bench. Sinking down on the bench next to him she offered a hesitant smile. He opened his mouth wider—as though to say something more—but offered no words. She took a breath and then took the opportunity to fill in the silence.

“It doesn’t work like that between us.”

“What do you mean?”

She gave him her best “I-know-you’re-not-that-thick” look and answered his question anyway. “Did you think you could write me that letter and I’d read it and go about my merry way? After what happened the night Nicholas kidnapped me and everything yesterday, did you really think we could just leave things like that?”

“I didn’t think there was anything to say. You’ve moved on. You did a long time ago.” He didn’t sound angry or betrayed. If anything he sounded resigned.

“Is that really how you see it?”

“Liz,” he sighed and turned his gaze away from her. When Max didn’t speak to her for more than a few moments, she decided to try another route.

“Max, in your letter you said something that just isn’t right. I don’t know what to tell you about being a king or an alien, but I do know that you have people to love.” Her words drew his attention back. “You have your sister and Michael and your parents.

Max winced and she hoped he wasn’t focusing on the fact that she had rather conspicuously left her own name off that list.

“Right, because I’ve been so easy to love these past few years. Blind to the needs of anyone other than myself, so pathetically self-involved. I’m sure they’ll welcome me back to the fold with open arms.”

“It’s not going to be easy. You’ll probably have to eat a lot of crow and most likely it’ll take a long time to mend those fences. But you can, Max, and that’s the point. It won’t be simple and it won’t be painless but I doubt the people who loved you ever stopped.” She paused for a moment, daring herself to take the chance she had just given herself. “They just might not have known how to show it or if you even wanted their love. So you have to show them that you do.

“The people who loved me?” His voice was softer and almost… almost hopeful? Liz quickly rejected that thought. There was no way the Max who wrote her that beautiful but dejected letter could know what she was trying to say but terrified of doing so.

“Yes, Michael, Isabel, your parents…” Her voice dropped off, not able to speak another name. Coward, she internally accused herself. Shaking off her inner battle, she focused on the man in front of her. “Look, I don’t know if that really helps your identity crisis, but it’s all I really know to tell you. Maybe in rediscovering what it is to love and be loved, you’ll figure out yourself and your place here on earth”

“Do I even have a place on earth?” he countered.

“Max, you—” she began but was cut off.

“I don’t mean that in some pitiful way. I’ve had a place – a weird one, sure – but a place, a purpose. And now that’s done. What if I don’t get another one?”

Liz reflected on his words for a moment before she spoke. “Okay, maybe you don’t have a place already set out for you. But think about it – very few people do. Now you’ll get to be like the rest of us message-from-mom-less humans. You’ll have to make your own place. Determine your own destiny.”

The corners of his mouth turned up slightly. “That would be nice. Better than nice.”

She smiled back but was disheartened to see the trace of hope falling quickly from his face.

“What did you just think about?” she pressed.

“Nothing,” he muttered dismissingly but she wouldn’t stand for evasion any longer.

“It wasn’t nothing.”

He shifted on the park bench, kicking gently at the snow in front of him. He was clearly uncomfortable with telling her whatever had entered his thoughts. She probably could have probed his mind with her senses—gotten at least a more accurate assessment of his feelings—but she wouldn’t do that. The time where she could rationalize such subterfuge had long passed.

“Max, you’ve been amazingly honest with me. Please, don’t stop now.”

The pleading in her voice and visage got to him.

“I just had that little voice in my head remind me that I can’t make my destiny what I want it to be.”

He looked at her so pointedly Liz had no doubt what he meant.

“Because I’m over you,” she filled in, recalling his previous statements.

“Yes.”

“Over you, huh?” Was he really this dense?

“Liz, it’s okay,” he tried to assure her, something which just made her frustrated. She shook her head, telling him it wasn’t okay.

“I used to think I was over you. Longed to be over you. I would tell myself I was. But you were everywhere.” Her voice wavered slightly as she continued. “You are everywhere. In my conscious thoughts, my unconscious; I dream about you at least once a week. You’re imprinted on my mind… on my heart.”

Something passed over his face at hearing those words but Liz didn’t pause to ask what had prompted that look. She already knew what that particular mixture of disbelief and hope looked like on him.

“When I try and think about it logically it seems a little ridiculous. We didn’t even date for two months—at least not officially. When my college friends ask me why I’m not good at keeping guys around, when they want to know who the man I must be pining over is, I feel a little silly telling them what happened, the non-alien version of course.”

“You don’t keep them around?” he asked softly, that discernable look no longer just passing by. It was firmly fixed on his face.

“It’s kind of hard for another guy to hold your interest when you’ve already dated a life-saving, soul-seeing, dream-causing, serious, dark-haired mystery man from an exotic place.

Max didn’t smile at the reference. Instead he added, “Who broke your heart and treated you like dirt.”

“We’ve both done our fair share of heart-breaking.”

“Liz, I definitely believe you haven’t met someone worthy of you. I don’t even know if that person exists. But I’m not one to hold up for comparison. I’m not worth it.”

“You aren’t a monster, you aren’t worthless.” She heard herself getting louder, as though the more firmly she said these words, the more likely he would be to believe them. “You aren’t unwanted or unneeded. You… you’re my Max. You always will be.”

“Liz,” his voice cracked.

She refused to get lost in the emotion she felt flowing from him. Being this open with him, Liz couldn’t help but sense some of what he was feeling. But she couldn’t allow herself to sit and bask in that overwhelming love. The love she had longed for. She had to get this out now. “What you saw this morning wasn’t evidence of me being over you. It was a misunderstanding. Another misunderstanding. Except this time I hadn’t planned it.”

“What are you talking about?” The confusion in his gaze mixed with the closeness she felt. How was she going to do this? Where did she even start?

She must have looked as pained as she felt because Max leaned slightly closer to her and in a soft voice asked, “Liz, are you all right?”

Liz gave a half-laugh. “No. I’m really, really not.”

The concern and worry she felt washing over her combined with the expression on Max’s face quickly pulled her out of her own turmoil. Placing a hand on his arm in assurance, she said “I’m not hurt or in trouble or anything. I need to tell you something but I don’t know how.”

“Liz,” he said encouragingly.

“I’ve thought about telling you a thousand times.”

Max reached out and took both of her hands in his. “Whatever it is, you can. Just say it. Trust me, it’s easy.”

“I…” A thought came to her. “A few nights ago you gave me a gift. You took something that had been so ugly, so hurtful, and turned it to what it should have always been. A memory of love…”

He squeezed her hands lightly.

“I want to do the same.”

A blend of confusion and hope danced on the edge of Liz’s senses. Though she was not reaching out to Max, his emotions were reaching out to her. Her words must have cut him off guard.

“There’s something that’s been between us for a long time. A lie told out of the best intention.”

Max pulled his hands away from hers. Though his emotions were no longer reaching out to her, his face told her that his confusion was now mixed with apprehension.

“A lie?”

Not ready to address the lie in question quite yet, Liz backtracked.

“Maybe I should start somewhere else.”

“Okay.” The apprehension in his face eased a bit.

“That autumn—no, not just that autumn. Since the moment you saved me, I would have done anything for you.” Both smiled slightly at memories of eager teenage devotion.

“So much that I did in those days came out of love for you. I ran away at the rocks in part because I was overwhelmed—scared even—but also because I thought it was the least I could do for you. In that split second, I thought I could just take myself out of the picture and uncomplicated things. Make it easier to follow the path that had been laid out for you.”

“Nothing could have made me forget you then. Nothing ever has.”

Her heart clinched. “I know. Believe me, I know. I just want you to understand what I was thinking—where my mind was—when it happened.”

“It?”

“The night you sang to me,” she paused, smiling at the memory. “I never did get to tell you how absolutely romantic—and ridiculous—that was. The night you sang to me, someone else was there with me.”

“Kyle?” Max asked, his voice darker.

“No, not Kyle,” she rushed to assure him. “No, the person who was there was someone who knew a lot about me and even more about you. Someone who knew you were going to show up at my balcony, who knew what you’d sing, the flowers you had. Everything.”

“Liz, I didn’t tell anyone, other than Mr. Delgado. Not Isabel and certainly not Michael. Not even Maria.”

“But you knew.”

“Yes.” He answered her slowly, processing her words as he replied. “Okay, now I’m getting lost.”

She grimaced, not at his words but her inability to say what she needed to say. “I’m saying this all wrong. I guess the easiest way is just to say it. You were there that night—not the high school you, but an older you. A future you.”

“A future me?” His tone was—rather expectedly—incredulous.

As though she were explaining a chemistry equation, Liz used her calmest, clearest voice as she continued. “You had come from the future—fourteen years into the future—a future where Kivar had not given up power, a future where Earth was a battleground. A future where you had held Michael as he took his dying breath.”

“H-how?”

“The granolith. Among its many other uses, it can be used to manipulate the time-space continuum. You used it to leave that horrible time behind and come back to me. To try and stop that future from ever happening.”

Max opened his mouth to speak stopped; something had caught his eye. Liz glanced behind her and saw a young family coming out of their brownstone. The man was carrying a little girl down the steps while the woman followed behind with a stroller. As the family reached the bottom, the father placed his daughter in the stroller while the mother reached into her purse and pulled out small fuzzy hat. After securing the hat on her child, the mother reached out and took the father’s arm, walking alongside him as he pushed the stroller. Liz and Max watched the family until the disappeared around a corner bend.

Liz couldn’t help but glance back at Max with a little envy in her heart. Future Max had never mentioned children nor had she seen any evidence of any in her vision of the future. Such things between them might never be possibly – biologically let alone emotionally. Still, a small part of her longed for a moment like they had just witnessed.

“So a future version of me appeared and enlisted you to stop the end of the world?” Max asked, drawing them both back into their conversation.

“Yes.”

“Why didn’t you come to me? Uh, the present version of me, that is.”

She shrugged. “It may sound silly, but it was because you told me not to. You thought your younger self wouldn’t go along with the plan. Wouldn’t like what saving the world had to mean.”

Max’s eyes narrowed. “What did it have to mean?”

“That’s the worst part.”

“What did I tell you, Liz?” His hand reached out and took hold her arm gently.

The roughness in his voice worried her. This was why she had hesitated to ever tell him. He was already blaming himself. How did she tell him the rest of her story without giving him more ammunition for his constant battle against his own self-worth?

“Future Liz and Max didn’t know Tess’ true colors. She had left when they were still in high school, not long after the point in the timeline that he came to visit me. They thought that with her power, they would stand a better chance of beating their enemies.”

He shook his head. “How could they—we—be so naïve? Where did we get that idea?”

Liz quickly debated whether or not to tell Max of Serena and decided not. Her story was complicated enough without including a mysterious and wise little girl and how the future versions misunderstood her message.

“We needed more firepower, I suppose. Something to even the odds.”

“You managed to take out Nicholas just fine here and now. Why would we have needed her?”

Liz smiled slightly at Max’s vote of confidence in her. “I hadn’t developed those particular abilities in that other lifetime. My current snap, crackle, and pop must be one of those side effects from altering the future.”

He squeezed her arm gently. “Then there is one thing to be thankful for.”

“Didn’t also seem that way. You should see how many lamps I’ve gone through over the years.”

He began to smile but cut himself off. “So out desperation we thought we needed her. What did we do to get her? What did it cost us?”

“Everything.” The word slipped out before Liz could censor herself.

Max’s hands moved to grip her by the shoulders. It wasn’t a violent hold, rather excruciatingly tender in its care for her. With a somber voice he asked, “Liz, what happened? What did I make you do?”

“Max, you had just been through hell and back. Not only had you lost Isabel and Michael, but you had almost lost me.”

His hands slightly tightened their grasp on her.

“The future version of me,” she continued softly, “she was captured and tortured by Nicholas.”

“Oh God.” Max pulled his hands away from her, clinching them until his knuckles turned white.

Liz hurried to assure him, “But the other you came and rescued her. And she was okay. She was strong enough to make it through physically and mentally.”

“But she—you—suffered at the hands of my enemy. Because of me.”

Liz grimaced. “That’s what Future Max thought. Even though that other me told him she loved him, even though she assured him everything she went through was worth it to be with him, he didn’t believe it.”

“I have seen what Nicholas could do. Nothing—no one—is worth that.”

Liz sighed. She had seen the future version of herself lose this argument with her Max; she doubted she’d have any better luck.

“Right or wrong, that was what he thought when he came to visit me. That’s why he came up with the plan to keep Tess around that changed the course of our lives forever.”

“And what exactly,” Max asked slowly, “was this plan?”

“To find a way to make you fall out of love with me. Or at least hate me enough that you’d run to her.”

Max blinked. Once. Twice. She could tell pieces were starting to come together for him.

“Nothing could make me do that, Liz,” he spoke, though his words lacked conviction.

Matter-of-factly, Liz replied, “Making you think I had slept with Kyle seemed to do the trick.”

His deep inhale of breath told her he had heard he words. No other response came. His hands remained in his lap, his eyes still held hers, and the air between them didn’t whisper any of his emotions. She forced herself to remain quiet while he processed her words. She would give him all the time he needed; she wouldn’t press for a response.

Her insides froze as the seconds turned into what seemed like minutes.

Finally, something happened. He raised a hand to the back of his neck, a gesture she had seen before, but not usually accompanied by a shaking hand. At least she hadn’t shocked him into paralysis. Another moment passed and he spoke, “You and Kyle never…”

“No, we never. I never…” She gave him a half-smile. “Let’s just say you weren’t wrong in thinking the Liz Parker you knew would only be with someone she loved. And you’re the only man I’ve ever really loved.”

“Oh.”

Liz’s stomach turned. The word did nothing to warm her.

The two sat on that bench, words lost to the ruminations of the heart and mind. Second by second slowly ticked by and he said nothing. Liz tried to swallow the tears she felt rising. She had just bared everything she had been holding on to in silence and sadness for years and all he could manage was “oh?” It was too much, or rather too little. There was no way she could keep all her anxiety from bubbling up and over.

“Do you hate me?” Liz rushed the words out, hoping with speed she could avoid a break in her voice or a few dropped tears. She wasn’t successful.

“Hate you?” Max sounded stunned. He quickly gathered her in his arms, pressing her head against his chest. She continued to let loose tears as he spoke. “Never. I have never hated you and I’m certainly not going to start now. Yes, I’ve got a lot of questions and maybe I’ll wonder at the hows and the whys for awhile, but that doesn’t change how I feel about you. How I have always felt about you.”

“Oh.” Her voice muffled against his chest, she couldn’t lift her head up to say anything more. She just wanted to rest in his arms, listening to his steady heart beat.

“I do have one question now, though.”

“Hmm?”

“What does this mean?”

“Mean?” she echoed as she lifted her head up.

“For us.”

The essential question.

Liz pulled back slightly, still within the security of his arms. “I don’t know what it means exactly. I don’t know a lot of things.”

“Do you think… you would think about...”

“What?” Liz pressed as she lifted her hand to his cheek.

“I always thought you didn’t love me as much as I loved you.” He took the hand on his cheek in his own hand as she started to protest.

“And who could blame you if that was true? I may not have done it well, but loving you is the easiest and most profound thing I’ve ever done. But what you did, years ago and in the last few weeks...” His mouth turned up slightly at the corners. “Maybe I was wrong.”

So wrong, she agreed silently.

He took a deep, shuddering breath. She could tell he was either incredibly excited or nervous. Or both.

“I know I have no right, but I have to ask. Do you see a path for us? Would you consider being with me?”

Liz’s heart stopped mid-beat. The look on his face, that hope, that love. The feel of his arms around her, so strong, so secure. How could she say no?

“Max, I can’t.”
Last edited by Doublestuf on Fri Sep 04, 2009 4:58 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Doublestuf
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Posts: 56
Joined: Tue Oct 09, 2001 4:58 pm

Part 31

Post by Doublestuf »

Part 31

Free In You
A hard knock
A cold clock
Ticking off my time
A long look
But no luck
Couldn't seem to find
Or unwind
Into peace of mind
While I was trying

A quick glance
A big chance
My heart beat like a drum
I saw you
And I knew
Chances just don't come
Round again
Not like this
First a laugh
Then a kiss

And I'm free in you
I've got no worries on my mind
I know what to do
That's to treat you right
And love you kind
Thank you ever on my mind
Love is just like breathing
When it's true
And I'm free in you

The lost time
And self pride
Are my big mistakes
A clear voice
A bad choice
Sounding like an ache
In my day
Not too bad
But too real
To go away

But now I'm free in you
I've got no worries on my mind
I know what to do
That's to treat you right
And love you kind
Thank you ever on my mind
Love is just like breathing
When it's true
And I'm free in you

And I don't know
How you show
Such gentle disregard
For the ugly in me
That I see
That for so long
I took so hard
(I took so hard)
And I truly believe
(I truly believe)
That you see the best in me
(That you see the best in me)
I'm in love
We all love
And that thought
Sets me free

Free in you
Got no worries on my mind
I know what to do
That's to treat you right
And love you kind
Thank you ever on my mind
Love is just like breathing
When it's true
And I'm free in you
Yes I'm free in you


- Indigo Girls







The moment the words left her mouth, Liz wanted to kick herself. Max’s countenance morphed from one of hope, to one of despair, to one devoid of emotion in the blink of an eye. His cold wall was back and she only had her emotional ineptitude to blame. She struggled to find the words to explain what she had meant; Max found his voice first.

“Sorry,” he mumbled dully as he dropped her hand, pulled away from her, and stood up.

Liz felt like she was going to be sick.

“Sorry,” he repeated again, shaking his head as he grabbed his coat that was draped across the bench. Liz realized that he was planning to leave; standing up herself, she reached out to the man who had already turned his back on her.

Taking hold of Max’s arm, she pleaded, “Please. Please sit back down with me.”

As he turned to face her, Liz felt her nausea rise. He looked so calm and collected.

“I think it would be better if I went.”

Liz forced the nauseous feeling down. “No, you can’t.”

“Liz-“

“Not yet,” she begged, not caring how desperate she sounded. “Please, I’ve said everything all wrong.”

Something—compassion perhaps—flickered across his face. “You’ve just said what you feel. I may not like it but that doesn’t make it wrong.”

“What I feel?” A self-deprecating laugh escaped her lips. “No, I haven’t said that at all.”

“Then what do you want to say?” The way he said this words—as though he were becoming exacerbated—didn’t do much for her courage.

She silently pleaded with him to sit down. Taking pity on her, he obliged. As they sat back down on the park bench, Liz folded her hands in her lap. She would be calm and in control too. Maybe if she tried to speak about her emotions without engaging those emotions, she could actually say what needed to be said.

“I didn’t mean for that to come off like it sounded,” she started.

“What did it sound like?”

Oh, so now she had a caustic Max to contend with. Liz sighed internally. It’s not like she didn’t deserve it. Avoiding the rhetorical question, she continued her attempt at an explanation.

“I don’t know why your question surprised me, but it did. I wasn’t prepared and I guess I just responded with defensive words.”

Max just continued to look at her expectantly, her explanation not ringing true to either of them.

“No, I suppose that’s not it. It’s not just about being defensive. It’s about everything. From what happened years ago to what happened this morning.” Liz could tell she wasn’t making much sense but she couldn’t seem to stop her rambling. Cool and calm Max did not calm or ease her nerves. “There’s truth to what I said, but I don’t think that came out. It never comes out when you really need it to, you know? I-“

Max cut her off with a soothing touch to her clasped hands. “Liz, what exactly are you trying to say?”

Assured by the gesture, she endeavored again, “You want to know how I feel? You are everything I could hope for—everything I long for. You’re kind, intelligent, charming, compassionate. You make me laugh; you make me think. You make me a stronger person. That’s how I feel.”

He eyed her—suspiciously—for a moment before he spoke. When he did speak, his voice wasn’t as steady as it had been moments before. “You don’t have to try and make me feel better. I’ve grown up and grown used to handling disappointment.”

“That’s not what I’m trying to do,” Liz avowed. “I’m trying to be honest. Really and true honest with you and honest with myself.”

Max looked at her long before he spoke again, her words clearly running through his head. Whether or not he believed her, she wasn’t sure. “You think I’m everything you could hope for?”

She spoke truth in a single syllable: “yes.”

“But you can’t...”

“But I can’t think about being with you,” Liz admitted uncomfortably. “Not now.”

Max nodded stiffly as though she had just confirmed whatever he had decided about her declaration of feeling. When he spoke, his voice sounded gruff. “I understand.”

“No,” she countered tenderly, “I don’t think you do. And I’m partially to blame for that. The danger, the alien insanity: that means nothing to me. None of that could keep me away from you.”

Max raised a brow at those words and Liz wondered if he was remembering that awful speech she had made in her attempt to save the world so many years ago.

“I know when I told you that I wouldn’t die for you,” she continued, “that I wanted a normal life, you believed me. But what I said then was part of that long and terrible lie. Max, I would give anything to be with you. Anything.”

He struggled to put the pieces she had given him together. “Then why?”

“Why can’t I be with you?”

He nodded.

Now or never, Liz Parker, an inner voice prodded her. A very Alex-like inner voice. She listened and words restrained for so long were finally liberated.

“Max, I love you.”

He half-opened his lips but no words formed. Liz’s heart ached for them both.
Max appeared confused, elated, and in disbelief all at the same time. Love had a way of doing that to a person.

“I love you,” she repeated, for his sake and for hers. “I love you, but you don’t love yourself. You think you’re this monster, this strange creature that doesn’t deserve to be loved. But you do. You deserve more than I could ever give you though goodness knows I would try and give all that I could.”

“Liz, I am something of a monster,” he countered firmly.

“Max-“

“There’s no getting around it. You know what I did.” He grimaced. “And worse, why I did it.”

He was thinking about Tess again. “That happened a long time ago and we weren’t even together.”

“That’s not an excuse. She was right about me.”

Something inside Liz snapped and the words that came out of her mouth sounded hard and harsh. “Don’t you ever say that again.”

“What?” He startled at her outburst.

Breathing deep, she explained. “Max, are you saying this woman who killed my best friend and betrayed you and your family knows you better than I do?”

“No! Never.”

“If you keep insisting that she’s right about you and how awful you are, then yes, that’s exactly what you’re doing.”

Max’s lips pressed tightly together as he ruminated over her words.

“I never really thought about it that way.”

“Well, do.”

“Okay, so she’s not right. I’m not the worst thing in the world, but I have hurt you.” He looked almost as vulnerable as he had the night at the warehouse, when he let her connect with him. “And what’s worse: I’ve wanted to hurt you just as you had hurt me.”

“Max, that doesn’t make you a monster. I’d say that makes you rather human.”

“That doesn’t make what I did okay.”

“No, that’s true.” Liz paused, reflecting on a scene that had been playing in her mind the last several days. “The other night, at the warehouse, when you asked me to tell you that I knew—knew that you were a monster, knew you couldn’t be saved—I couldn’t say a thing. Mostly it was because when you reopened our connection after Nicholas had been playing in my mind, it overwhelmed me to the point I couldn’t discern your feelings from my own-“

“Oh god,” Max interrupted her, “Liz, are you okay?”

“I’m fine, now,” she assured him with the small tilt to her lips. “Everything’s back in balance. But if I had been able to say anything, it wouldn’t have been to tell you I hated you or what you did was so horrible you should rot in hell or whatever it is you think you deserve. You’re right; what happened wasn’t okay. Some things aren’t going to be okay. But they can be forgiven. And I forgive you. I don’t know if I need to anymore but I think you need to hear it. I forgive you.”

“But...” He was at a complete loss. “Why?”

“You just forgave me for taking our relationship and the future of the world in my hands alone, destroying the trust between us with lie after lie, and hiding such a huge secret from you for years. Without so much as a thought. How could I not forgive you?”

“I....” His brow furrowed in the way that made her want to reach out and soothe it. Max was wrestling with her words; she hoped in this moment her faith in him would win out over his self-doubt. “I guess you’re right.”

“I am. And I’m going to hold you to that statement. I’m right about you, which means you can’t go and throw away all the people who care about you. Because you do deserve their—our, “she corrected herself, “our love.”

“But you said...”

“I know what I said. But just because I can’t be with you doesn’t mean I don’t love you.”

“It means you can’t be with someone who can’t stand to be with himself.”

“Something like that,” she offered gently, reaching out to take his hand, “I would try and give and give but no matter how much I loved you or how much you loved me, if you never loved yourself, you could never fully accept all that I want to give to you. You would doubt all that we are, all that we could be because you doubt your own self-worth. And that would kill me, slowly and more painfully than from something one of your enemies could devise.”

And there it was: the full truth. The truth she had somehow always known and yet what had not been made clear to her until she saw that alternative future, until she saw how Future Max had turned his back on all that they were because he didn’t believe in himself. She knew in her bones what she said was right; the question was, did he?

In a low voice, Max answered her unasked question. “I know.”

Liz pulled the hand she held to her heart. “You were right that night after Michael got so sick. I didn’t want to believe it then; I was so blinded by my desire for you. But I know it now. You have to figure you out before we can ever really be together.”

He said nothing but looked down at their wreathed hands.

“So, I’m going to take a step back.”

“A step back,” he echoed, glancing back to her face.

She offered a supportive smile.

“Liz,” his voice was thick, his eyes intense with longing. “I know you’re right but I wish to god you weren’t.”

“Me too,” she admitted quietly. “If I thought there was anyway I wasn’t, I’d take the risk and.... I suppose it does no good to travel down the path of ‘what ifs.’”

“What if?” The rawness of his emotion called out to her. “That’s all I can think about. What if I can never be the man I should be? Because how can I believe in myself without the one thing that makes me believe? How can I be whoever it is I can be without you?”

He brought their enjoined hands to his mouth, kissing lightly but oh so intensely the back of her hand. Lowering her hand and gently releasing it, he whispered so softly she almost didn’t make out his words, “You save me, Liz. You save me from the darkness. You save me from myself.”

“Max.” Her voice was hesitant, not as sure sounding as she would have wished. His words were poignantly reminiscent Future Max’s words to her other self. Right before he went back in time and tore this Max and her apart, because of that self-doubt. It was this reminder that gave her the strength to keep from breaking, from pulling him into her arms and promising to be with him no matter what.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean that...” Max shook his head, turning his eyes away from hers and toward the snow-covered ground. “No, I meant what I said, I just didn’t mean for it to sound so desperate. I’m not going to try and plead with you. I understand what you’re saying. I get it.”

“You do?” Liz wasn’t sure exactly what he got.

His eyes still not reaching hers, he nodded. “I need you—desperately—to keep sane, to be the man I want to be. And that’s not right. I shouldn’t need you like that.

“Max, I don’t know if that’s it.” She processed his words. “I mean, I need you too. Sometimes so desperately my heart feels like it’s going to collapse under the pressure of this intense ache I feel without you. I won’t lie; my life feels more full and whole with you in it. While I don’t like some of the situations I find myself in, I like the person I am when I’m with you. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that. But Max, I like the person I am without you too. I think maybe that’s the key.”

Again, he nodded.

“But even if we can’t be together, that doesn’t have to mean I’m out of your life. Does it?”

“I-“ Max startled, his gaze quickly meeting hers. “God, no.”

Liz felt the tension she hadn’t realized she had been building up release. “Good. Because I think I’d like to be your friend as you figure out who Max Evans is without this destiny hanging over his head.”

“That may be something of a risk.”

“I think it’s worth taking. I think that the man you’ll discover is amazing. A man worthy of all the love his family, friends, and I would like to give him.”

“Guess I’ve got to figure that out too.”

“I have faith in you, Max,” she said. “And part of that faith is believing that you will figure that out.”

“Yeah,” he mumbled.

“And when I say I can’t be with you,” Liz dared to add, “I don’t mean forever. I just mean for now. I think we both have some things to figure out before we could think about coming together.”

“So one day...” He couldn’t finish the statement.

“Max, I can’t promise you anything. That wouldn’t be fair to either of us. But...” She couldn’t repress the earnestly hopeful smile that wanted to break forth. “I don’t think this is the end for us, the last line in our little saga.”

Max took a deep breath, trying to control the range of emotions that were running through his body.

“I guess there’s only one thing left for me to do.”

“What’s that?”

Max smoothly cupped her face in his hands and leaned in so that their lips almost touched; his breath was warm against her skin, causing her lips to tingle. Her heart clenched; he was giving her the choice to pull away, giving her the chance to refuse this gesture of love. She didn’t. Instead Liz closed the few centimeters between them, letting their lips gently touch. They held the soft kiss until one of them—Liz wasn’t sure which one—deepened the kiss; their lips moved in perfect sync, as though they had never been apart. Liz whimpered not from need but from the promise of such tenderness. One day—somehow—they would be together. She had to believe this.

After a few sweet moments, Max smiled as he pulled away from her. It wasn’t a hesitant or unsure smile. It was downright beaming. She caught herself girlishly giggling at the sight. The rush she felt at their kiss and his reaction made her feel like she was sixteen again.

“You just might be right, Liz Parker.”

“Hmm?”

“Any guy that can get a girl like you to kiss him like that must be worth something.”

Liz couldn’t be sure but she thought she might actually be blushing.

“Would you walk me back?” she asked.

Max raised his eyebrows teasingly. “It’s kinda a long way.”

“Then take a taxi back with me. I just...” She tried to find the words. “I’m not quite ready to...”

“I know.” The teasing was gone, replaced by understanding. “I’m not ready either.”

He extended his hand and Liz readily took it. They left the little park hand in hand, slowly and silently strolling through the snow. Though nothing was said, they kept glancing at one another, smiling when they caught each other’s eye. As they moved from side streets to the main street, Liz was vaguely aware that other people were hustling about with packages and briefcases. She faintly noticed when Max hailed a cab, opened the door for her, and told the driver where to go. All she could fully see, hear, and feel was the wonder of being with him.

It wasn’t until the cityscape outside the cab slowly transformed into landmarks that told Liz how close to her hotel they were that she was aware of much else other than Max Evans. Her grip on his hand tightened as the cab pulled onto the street her hotel resided. Max softly squeezed back. Liz let out a content sigh. Even though she was the one who had said they couldn’t be together now, he knew that she ached as much as he did thinking about their parting. That they had somehow come to this place where they understood one another comforted her.

The cab pulled up to the portico of the Grand Hyatt and Max handed the driver the requisite fare. Liz sat with her free hand on the handle of the cab door, not able to will herself to open it.

“Walk me to my door?” she asked hopefully.

“Of course,” Max nodded.

As they left the taxi and made their way to the hotel lobby, Liz noticed for the first time just how romantic everything was. The brightness of the day had faded into an early cloud-cover twilight, the Christmas lights around that graced the city’s storefronts twinkled and the Chrysler Building was flooded with green and red lights. Entering the lobby, Liz took in how the warm glow of the lobby lights hit the waterfall installment and the large tree that had been placed in the center of waterfall glittered like the Milky Way. Amazing how she had never seen these things before.

On the elevator ride up—which was thankfully free from other people—they finally spoke, making small talk about the near future.

“Christmas is in three days.” Max’s voice was steady and assuring, as though they weren’t about to part for who knew how long.

“I guess I just noticed. I’ve completely been out of the season’s spirit. It doesn’t seem like it should be here already.”

“Oh, I can always tell. Even a little thing like fighting for our lives never lets Isabel forget Christmas. Michael and I always get little stockings filled with candy. And a list of possible presents for her.”

Liz smiled to herself at the image of Isabel the Christmas Nazi. This year she’d actually get a chance to enjoy Christmas with her family—probably the greatest gift she could ask for.

The elevator doors opened and the pair stepped out, hands still entwined.

“What are you going to do?” Max queried.

“Um, Kyle asked me to head back to Roswell and spend Christmas with him.” She silently cheered when he didn’t wince at Kyle’s name. “My folks are leaving for a cruise tomorrow since I told them I wouldn’t be coming home and he’s offered me a place. I think he just wants a buffer for the Amy and Sherriff love fest. With Maria spending the holiday with Michael, I’m his best option.”

“I think Isabel is going to want to go back there sometime soon. I guess I should go with her. Start that healing thing you were talking about.”

“That would be really good.”

Liz hadn’t observed just how close her hotel room was to the elevators. They had arrived already. She didn’t reach into her coat pocket for the key card, however. Instead she turned her back to the door and faced Max. He reached out with his free hand, brushing a piece of hair out of her eyes. Liz smiled at the symmetry of the moment.

“So, if we’re going to be in the same town again, does that mean we will see each other?” Max didn’t sound eager—just curious. Being friends with the knowledge that more was possible had to be just as confusing for him as it was for her.

“Maybe,” she offered hesitantly. She didn’t want to promise anything and she didn’t know if going to Roswell was the best thing right now. Not if Max was going home and facing his parents for the first time in years. Being that close during that situation was just dangerous for her resolve. She’d probably crack and run to him the moment she heard any uncertainty in his voice. She was having a hard enough time just standing by her hotel door, holding his hand. “I’m not sure if I’ll actually go to Roswell. I think I’m going to try and spend it with Ava. Since she’s going to be gone for who knows how long.”

“She really is a good friend—a good person—isn’t she?”

“She is. You’d like her; she gives Kyle a hard time.” Liz laughed softly. “I think it’s her way of flirting.”

“Kyle and Ava, huh?” Max grinned. “That would be fun to watch.”

“Maybe when she gets back.”

Something about her words turned his countenance from playful to serious.

“Maybe. But you never know how long someone’s willing to wait around.”

Liz reached out and cupped his cheek with one hand; the other she placed over his heart. “For the right person, you wait forever.”

Max didn’t respond with words; he leaned down and kissed her. This kiss wasn’t like the one they shared in the park—sweet and tender. This was a passionate kiss, a claiming kiss, a kiss full of the promise of completion. Their tongues danced and played, years of repressed need bubbling up and over. His arms wrapped around her, pulling her full against him. Liz’s knees literally weakened as she felt his warmth and firmness even through both their coats. He nibbled gently on her bottom lip and Liz thought she was done for.

Perhaps sensing that any more and they would be cementing things way too soon and way too public, he pulled away. Liz had to catch her breath. Thank god he was still holding her; she didn’t know if her legs would support her anytime soon.

Max pressed a soft kiss on her forehead as he murmured, “Liz Parker, do you really love me?”

She closed her eyes and took a deep shuddering breath. “So much”

Another soft kiss, this time on her lips, and Max gently withdrew his hands from her body. She opened her eyes to see that he had taken a step back.

It was time to say goodbye.

With firm resolve Max promised, “Then I’m going to figure out how to love me too.”

Liz offered a half-smile, trying not to let the tears she felt welling fall. He smiled back. They stood in the hallway, taking in the sight of one another in.

“Merry Christmas,” she said, proud that her voice didn’t break.

A slight nod and Max turned away from her and began walking toward the elevators. She found the strength to keep from shouting out after him. As hard as it was to watch him walk away, she knew it wasn’t forever. Just for now.

Max pressed the down button and the doors swiftly opened. He stepped inside and turned back to face her. Liz didn’t have to reach out with her extra abilities to know how hard this was for him. But he would do it. He would leave her and start figuring things out.

For him.

For her.

“I love you,” he mouthed just before the doors shut.

The tears she had held back fell freely now. She laughed lightly as she allowed herself to seek out his emotional signature even as the elevator took him away from her. She could feel nothing but deep and abiding love from him. It washed over her, clearing away the sadness with a reminder of what could—no, what would—come. Of course they would find a way back to each other. Of course she would always love him and he would always love her. It was so right and easy to be in love with him. It was as natural as breathing and just as necessary.

Liz stood in the hallway, leaning against her hotel door long after Max had disappeared from her sight, clinging to the traces of love she could still sense from the man who had pierced her spirit and claimed her as his own.
Last edited by Doublestuf on Fri Sep 04, 2009 5:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.
A better world has got to start somewhere. Why not with you and me?
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Doublestuf
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Part 32

Post by Doublestuf »

Part 32

All That We Let In
Dust in our eyes our own boots kicked up
Heartsick we nursed along the way we picked up
You may not see it when it's sticking to your skin
But we're better off for all that we let in

Lost friends and loved ones much too young
So much promises and work left undone
When all that guards us is a single centerline
And the brutal crossing over when it's time

I don't know where it all begins
And I don't know where it all will end
We're better off for all that we let in

One day those toughies will be withered up and bent
The father son the holy warriors and the president
With glory days of put up dukes for all the world to see
Beaten into submission in the name of the free

We're in an evolution I have heard it said
Everyone's so busy now but do we move ahead
The planets hurting and atoms splitting
And a sweater for your love you sit there knitting

I don't know where it all begins
And I don't know where it all will end
We're better off for all that we let in
See those crosses on the side of the road
Tied with ribbons in the medium
They make me grateful I can go this far
Lay me down and never wake me up again

Kat writes a poem and she sticks it on my truck
We don't believe in war and we don't believe in luck
The birds were calling to her what were they saying
As the gate blew open the tops of the trees were swaying

I've passed the cemetery walk my dog down there
I read the names in stone and say a silent prayer
When I get home you're cooking supper on the stove
And the greatest gift of life is to know love

I don't know where it all begins
And I don't know where it all will end
We're better off for all that we let in


- Indigo Girls



“How did you do it?”

Liz and Maria lay sprawled across the bed staring at Liz’s bags which—of course—were packed to perfection. Maria’s things were—also rather expectedly—strewn across the hotel suite on the dresser, chairs, and floor. For someone who hadn’t slept here in several evenings before last night, she still had managed to create quite the chaotic mess. It was a good thing Maria was staying over the holidays with Michael in this same suite thanks to a very generous Larek.

“Um, I like to be organized?”

Maria landed a playful smack on Liz’s arm. “You know what I mean.”

She did. Kyle had spent last night with Ava who also saw him to the airport this morning, leaving the two girlfriends time alone. The two had spent the better part of yesterday evening digesting just what had happened between Liz and Max earlier that day. And several years before. It had been a long conversation but a good one. Maria didn’t even berate Max for what he had done to Liz five years ago nor did she give her a hard time for keeping what happened on that anniversary of the shooting from her. At least not too much.

“I honestly don’t know,” she admitted. “It was just what I had to do.”

“Hmmm,” Maria mused aloud. “You’ve got cajones, girl.”

Liz laughed lightly. “I don’t know about that. I think I’ve just got faith. Even if it seriously sucks right now, I really do think this is the best thing for us.”

“Yeah, but don’t you just want to go running to him, say ‘screw it,’ and then, uh, maybe do just that?”

Her laughter was much louder this time. “Oh yeah.”

“Man, Liz,” Maria sighed as she rolled over onto her back, “I don’t think I’d have the strength.”

“You might surprise yourself.”

The blonde appeared to ponder Liz’s words for a moment and then shook her head. “I know it’s selfish, but I’m just so glad that Michael and I don’t have to go there.”

“It’s not selfish,” Liz disagreed as she pulled herself up into a seated position, looking down at her friend in complete seriousness. “And I’m happy for you. Really, really happy for you.”

“I know you are,” Maria grinned. “That’s why you’re the best friend.”

“So, does this mean I can expect to see Michael in Boston after your Christmas together?”

“No, not yet. He’s going to go help Max and Isabel readjust in Roswell. We’ll do Christmas and New Year’s and then he’ll head down there. He’ll help Isabel and Max readjust and I’ll spend time working on my music.”

“And this is fine?”

“Yes,” she replied and then added, “of course.”

“Come on,” Liz countered. “You and I both know it wouldn’t have always been ‘of course.’ That just proves I’m right; you’re being strong.”

“Well,” Maria pondered, “maybe so.”

“No maybes about it.”

“You’re right,” Maria proclaimed as she stood up on the bed, dramatic flair in full force. We are two strong, independent hot chicks. Of course we can handle whatever life and the men in our lives throw at us!”

“Damn straight,” Liz laughed as Maria plopped back down.

“That being said,” Maria turned more serious, “are you sure you’re just going to hang out in Boston for the holidays?”

“Yep. Ava and I are planning on celebrating her takeoff in style.” When Ava asked Liz if she could join her for a couple of days before she took on her new duties on some far off planet, Liz had rejoiced. Not only would she get to spend time with her friend but she didn’t have to face a Christmas alone. She also wouldn’t have to rethink the decision not go home to Roswell and risk temptation sooner than she knew she was ready. “We’re going to see the Nutcracker, go ice skating, roast chestnuts, and sit on Santa’s lap.”

“What?” Maria asked, a wicked grin on her lips.

“Er, that last one will probably just be Ava. She wants to cram in all the holiday fun she missed as a kid before she leaves. You know, have the fully human holiday experience.”

“So does that include smooching hot strangers on New Year’s Eve?”

“Um, maybe for Ava.”

“Yeah,” Maria sighed in solidarity,” from what you said, it sounds like that kiss at your door will last you for awhile.”

Liz blushed, remembering the intensity of the last kiss she had shared with Max. A kiss that had been so intense it had been several minutes after Max left before she even realized they had shared flashes. It just seemed so right and so perfect to see the longing he had for her and her for him that the flashes’ presence hadn’t even registered in the moment. “It may have to.”

“See, strong woman.”

“I’m just emulating my best friend,” Liz teased as she got off the bed. The clock on the nightstand told her it was time for her to go. “I guess I better get downstairs. I’ve got a ride to catch.”

Maria rose up from the bed. “Are you absolutely positive you don’t want me to come home with you?

Liz shook her head. “I’ll be fine. You and Michael deserve some time alone. Besides, I don’t think the walls in our apartment are that thick. I want you and Michael to be blissfully happy; I just don’t want to hear it.”

Maria laughed as she bounced off the bed. “Fair.”

Liz grabbed the handle of her suitcase as Maria grabbed her backpack. Larek’s limo and Whitmore would be waiting for her at the hotel entrance. Her driver and friend at insisted she and Ava go to Boston in style. Liz wasn’t sure how he still had access to the limo since Larek had give back the limo owner’s body but she didn’t ask. Alien leaders and their powers of persuasion were well known to her.

“Hey, Liz,” Maria said softly as they reached the door of the suite.

“Yeah?”

“I’ve been thinking about something for a couple days now.”

“What’s up?”

“Nothing, not really. I just…“ Maria struggled for words. “You know how you say you can sometimes feel Grandma Claudia’s presence, like when you’re stressed and stuff?”

“Uh-huh.”

“This last week or so, it’s like Alex has been right here with us.” Maria shook her head gently. “I mean, I know he’s always with us, but it’s been like he was really here, watching us. Watching over us. When I was knocked out after Nicholas attacked us, I even imagined his voice calling me back to consciousness.”

“Maria…” Liz’s brain wouldn’t let her speak the words her heart wanted to. She couldn’t tell Maria about their best friend’s help, she knew that.

“Does that sound weird to you? I mean, weirder than normal for me?”

Liz’s face lit up in a smile, words finally coming to her. “Absolutely not. I think you’re right. I think Alex has been here. I know I’ve felt his presence too.”

There. It was the truth without saying too much. Maria wrapped her free arm around Liz’s shoulders and gave them a squeeze.

“I’m glad you did too. I wasn’t sure if I was crazy but even if I was, I was grateful we didn’t have to go this last week without feeling Alex by our side.”

Liz felt the emotion inside well up as she opened the door, leaving her hotel room behind. “I know what you mean.”

“Kivar and Nicholas never stood a chance,” Maria grinned as they walked to the elevator. “Not with the Three Musketeers on the ride again.”

“No,” Liz laughed in agreement, “they really didn’t.”


************************

Perhaps it was a sign of better things to come or perhaps the superintendent had just finally done his job for when Liz turned her key into the front door of the apartment she and Maria shared, it opened without any protest.

Dragging her luggage into the living room, she breathed in deep. Even though it was hard to leave Max behind, it was good to be home. The apartment looked welcoming, even excited to see her home. After days of quiet, it would be good for the place to be filled with the laughter that would no doubt reign during Ava’s visit. Ava—who was still at the car finalizing her travel plans after the New Year with Whitmore—would make sure there was no time for deep introspection or too much longing for an absent alien.

Actually, Liz noted to herself as she headed toward her bedroom, the apartment didn’t just feel welcoming, it felt warm and comforting. It felt like –

“Alex,” Liz exclaimed joyfully as she reached her room. “You’re here!”

“Of course,” her Guardian friend flashed a grin as he got up off her bed and reached for a hug. “You didn’t think our previous visit was the last one, did you?”

“I hoped not,” she said as she squeezed him tight. “But I wasn’t sure about the rules. I mean, the council is done so I wondered if that meant your part in my life was done too.”

“Never,” he countered as he squeezed her back. Pulling back he looked those bright green eyes into hers and added, “No rules could keep me out of your life.”

“I know,” Liz smiled back. “I just meant officially.”

“Ah, well, that’s a little different. I guess this would be my last official visit.”

She threw her backpack on the bed and kicked her suitcase toward her closet. The last time to be with Alex. The pain of that fact contrasted the joy of her reconciliation with Max sharply. Before she could dwell too much on that fact, Alex spoke.

“Congrats on saving a handful of worlds, by the way.”

Pulled out of her thoughts, Liz replied, “I didn’t exactly do the saving. I just… I don’t know. Helped.”

“Okay, congrats on helping to save a handful of words, by the way.”

She smiled both at his words and his unceasing ability to lead her out of troubling thoughts. “Maybe I could forget this PhD stuff and go into the world rescuing business.”

“I’d love to see those business cards. ‘Liz Parker, Savior of Worlds.’ And your reference list would be stellar. Literally.”

She laughed and shook her head. “I still have trouble grasping why those Greater Beings of yours chose me.”

“Please,” he countered with a grin, “it’s the ordinary folks who often do the most; you’ve studied history enough to know that. You may be small town Liz Parker, but what does that mean?”

Liz mulled over his words for a moment. “I guess you’re right.”

“Of course,” he said in faux offense. “I’m a Guardian. How could you think any less?”

“Well, Mr. Omnipotent, I was wondering if you could tell me something.”

“Something about you and Max, perhaps?”

Liz opened her mouth to say no but paused. While she had no doubt that she and Max would come back to each other, that didn’t mean she weren’t things she wanted to know. Like how long it would take. No, she decided firmly. Better to let it happen naturally, without any foreknowledge. Knowing too much about the future didn’t tend to work well for her.

“Actually,” she finally said, “I was thinking about Larek.”

“Ever the good friend, huh?”

Liz blushed. “He was just so good to me and, well, I don’t know if I’ll ever hear from him again.”

Alex looked deep in thought and took a few moments to reply. “I don’t actually know what’s going to happen to him. I haven’t been privy to his future path or anything.”

“Oh.”

“But,” he continued, “I can tell you what I think.”

“What’s that?”

“I think that now that Kivar’s gone, now that the Whirlwind galaxy and his planet are headed for a better future, now that he has helped the friends whose lives he couldn’t save once, I think he’ll be able to start living for himself.”

“I like the way you think,” Liz said softly. “I like it a lot.”

Alex nodded and then glanced at her balcony doors. “I think Ava’s almost done with her conversation.”

“Okay” Liz replied, trying not to let the impending goodbye overwhelm her. As hard as the goodbye was, she could never forget how lucky she had been to get to see him at all. “I guess this is it. I won’t be seeing you again, will I?”

“Seeing me?” he echoed, his eyebrow raising in an impish manner. His humor again made her laugh, even in this serious moment. “Maybe not. But Parker, I’m sure this isn’t the last time I’ll be around. I’ve got a feeling a certain young woman you are going to come to know and love is going to need a good friend and I happen to have excellent references for such a position.”

His words took her by surprise and lifted her spirits simultaneously. “Someone I should be on the look out for, huh? I don’t suppose you could give me a name or anything?”

Alex shook his head playfully as Liz gave him her best puppy dog eyes.

“What I can do is assure you though that once you meet her you will never doubt the choices you’ve made again. You’ll know that everything you’ve experienced on this journey will be more than worth it.”

“Really?” She left that question hanging in the air, hoping he’d give her just a little bit more. When he wouldn’t budge, she shrugged her shoulders and smiled. “Well, sounds like I’m in for a treat.”

Alex smiled, almost to himself. “Liz, you have no idea. But you will. And I’ll be there, watching you and loving you through it all.”

“Oh Alex,” she sighed as pulled her lanky Guardian in for a hug. The pair stood in her bedroom like that for what seemed like a brief moment and at the same time an eternity. When Alex finally pulled away, both wiped tears from their eyes.

“It's time for me to go," he explained gently.

“Thank you,” Liz said with a voice full of emotion. “Thank you for everything.”

“What are best friends for?”

She nodded and pulled him in for one more quick hug. When they pulled apart this time, both friends had smiles on their faces.

“Love you, Lizzie,” he said as his grin grew wider.

“Love you right back,” she laughed.

“Liz,” Alex added even as he began to fade from her sight “one last thing before I go.”

“Yeah?”

“Thank you,” his eyes twinkled. “Ally is a beautiful girl and I couldn’t be more honored.”

“What?” Liz’s eyes widened in confusion.

“Love you.” With those last words, Alex disappeared from her sight and Liz was left with the sound of his laughter in her ears.


THE END
A better world has got to start somewhere. Why not with you and me?
Locked