Finding the Way Home (AU,CC,MATURE) Ch 11 - AN 12/29 [WIP]

[Applebylicious]

Title: Finding the Way Home
Author: Lindsay
Category: AU M/L, K/T and other CC
Rating: MATURE
Disclaimer: The characters of Roswell belong to The WB, Melinda Metz, and UPN.
Summary: The small town of Roswell is a place where secrets and lies run rampant. Liz Parker holds the darkest secret of all, one that could put the lives of the ones she loves in jeopardy...
Author’s note: For some reason, I felt the need to try my hand at an actual alien AU fic, maybe just to prove to myself that I could do it. So the aliens will be aliens, and the humans will be humans - but the relationships will be different. I hope you guys enjoy this momentary burst of insanity!








(Best Supporting Portrayal of Kyle Valenti - Round 5)





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<center>Banner by the lovely and talented Cristine. Thank you my loooove! </center>

<center>Part One</center>


The day Liz Parker left Roswell, people talked.

It was whispered among the disapproving that the young teenager had gotten herself in trouble, something they all claimed to have suspected from the beginning.

“Too damned shameless,” one man grunted, shaking his head at the thought of the brown-haired, doe-eyed girl who had just begun to bloom into a woman. “Always figured she’d get ‘erself knocked up by one of those local boys.”

His female companion sniffed in disdain. “It’s atrocious, the way she behaved. Why, if my Eleanor had acted that way, I’d have sent her off to one of those boarding schools back East.”

A murmur of agreement sounded.

The youth of Roswell made their own assumptions, although they didn't differ greatly from those of their elders.

“I heard she was having an affair with Mr. Winston,” Pamela Troy confided to her friends, eyes flashing maliciously. “His wife found out, and threatened to leave him if he didn’t get rid of her.”

“I thought she ran off with Max Evans?” one of the girls breathed, momentarily caught up in the romance of forbidden love.

Pamela snorted. “Max Evans left for college on a football scholarship, Mary Anne. Besides, he’d never run off with that girl.”

She said the word as if it were the vilest of curses.

“Well, they were together for awhile before he left,” Mary Anne mumbled defensively.

This caused Pam to laugh at the younger girl’s naivety. “They were never together… except maybe in the way Liz Parker was with every other man in Roswell.”

Mary Anne frowned, but didn’t question her further. She’d learned long ago not to go against Pamela unless you wanted to be seen a fool.

A new voice piped up, silencing the scandalized murmurs.

“Max Evans and Liz Parker were friends.”

The group of girls turned and stared at the newcomer. Her blonde hair whipped in the summer breeze and her petite form was clad in a simple blue dress.

Her blue eyes narrowed as she dared anyone to contradict her statement. “Max cares for Liz. When he finds out she’s left, he’ll go after her. You just wait and see.”

Pamela laughed, but the sound was hesitant. Still, she held her head up and responded with a sneer. “You’d like to think that, wouldn’t you, Tess? If your worthless step-sister somehow managed to snag Max Evans, you’d be a part of the richest family in Roswell.”

Tess’s mouth tightened. “You should watch what you say, Pamela. That way when you’re wrong, you won’t be obliged to apologize for being so incredibly stupid.”

The girls gasped and Pamela fumed.

“Who the hell do you think you are?” she snapped, standing to confront the other girl. “You’re nothing, Tess Harding! Don’t you realize that? You’re a freak, and your sister is a slut. You both could die tomorrow and the only thing anyone would say would be good riddance!”

Tears of anger filled Tess’s eyes. “You’re wrong!” she choked out, biting her lip as the girls began to laugh unkindly.

Tess began to shake, feelings of rage building inside her small form until they threatened to explode. Without thinking, she lifted her hand to silence the girls. Her vision was blurry, her ears ringing with chaos.

The sound of her name being called barely filtered through the cloud of anger.

“Tess, no!”

Kyle Valenti touched her shoulder, fingers squeezing lightly against her skin. He bent his forehead to hers, gently turning her into his arms. “Calm down, baby,” he whispered, aching inwardly at the tears streaming down her face. “Shh… it’s going to be okay.”

Tess clung to him, forgetting the shocked expressions of the girls behind her. She pressed her face into his strong shoulder and sobbed, allowing herself to vent the pain that ate her inside to the person she loved. “She’s gone, Kyle.”

“I know.”

His voice, usually so full of optimism and cheer, was bleak with misery. It made the guilt that churned inside of her bubble to new heights. She broke away from him, wiping a hand over her eyes as she forced a distance between them.

Without looking at him, she confessed, “It’s all my fault. She… she wasn’t ready to know…”

“No, baby,” he murmured, attempting to draw her back into his arms. It destroyed him to see the look on her face, the expression of stark grief.

When she turned her blue eyes on him, the tears that clung to her lashes shot through him like an arrow. With a low sound, he grabbed her back, unable to let her go. “We’ll find her, I promise.”

“We have to tell Max,” Tess whispered, wincing as she imagined the young man’s reaction to the news that the woman he loved had disappeared. “He’ll… he’ll want to know.”

“Of course,” Kyle nodded. With shaking hands he cradled her face and placed a light kiss on her lips. “We’re in this together, Tess. I’m not going to let you do this alone.”

Though his words brought a measure of relief, Tess still knew that in the end, she was exactly what she had always feared.

She was a monster.

What she had done had driven her sister away, and nothing Kyle or anyone else could say would ever allieviate the feelings that crashed through her when she had seen the look of horror on her sister’s face.


<center>One year earlier…</center>


Liz Parker wipe down the grimy counter at the CrashDown Café and sighed as the door opened to admit even more customers on this busy summer afternoon.

Laughter reached her ears, and she looked up to see a handsome dark-haired boy smiling as he made his way to one of the corner booths. He was with a tall statuesque blonde and a brooding sandy-brown haired boy who wasn’t smiling, rather scowling as he made himself comfortable on the red vinyl bench.

Liz dismissed the latter immediately, and her gaze returned to the dark-haired male.

In deference to the smoldering summer heat, he wore a sleeveless white-cotton shirt and a pair of battered jeans that were worn white in certain stress points, like his knees and back pocket.

A pair of silver sport sunglasses perched on his nose and a ballcap was slung backwards over his hair, small tendrils of dark locks escaping to frame his ears and brushing his neck.

Despite his worn clothing, he exuded wealth and privilege. It was in the way he carried himself as he followed his friends to the table, all loose-limbed and graceful power.

It was in the way he spoke, deep and warm with a cultured southwestern inflection that reached her ears in snippets.

It was in the way his wallet bulged in his pocket.

Liz allowed herself a momentary admiration for the way his well-muscled backside filled out the pair of jeans, then tucked the rag into her apron before heading over to take their order.

On the way, she was stopped by a catty voice.

“Well, well, if it isn’t Liz Parker, serving the masses.”

Liz forced herself not to react to Pamela’s snide tone; instead she plastered a benign smile on her face and turned to meet her adversary’s gaze.

“What can I get for you, Pam?” she asked in her best waitress-to-annoying-customer voice. “Green Martian Shake? Blood of Alien Smoothie?” A vat of arsenic?

Pamela looked down her nose at Liz’s grease-spotted uniform and sneered at the bouncing antennae adorning her head.

Liz ignored the snicker that came from Pamela’s cohorts. But that didn’t stop her from wishing she was wearing something as nice as Pamela’s designer clothing.

“Do you realize how ridiculous you look in that thing?” Pamela laughed.

Liz locked her knees and bit her tongue. She couldn’t afford to tell Pamela off in the middle of the café, not if she wanted to keep her meager job.

Pamela Troy belonged to one of the wealthiest families in Roswell, and she played the part of spoiled rich girl to perfection. She had hated Liz on sight, many years ago, and did her best to ruin her life at every turn.

Liz wasn’t sure what it was about herself that so disgusted the other girl, but she had long ago given up trying to apologize for her inadequacies.

She was what she was, and if someone didn’t like it, well then that was their problem, and she would be glad to tell them so.

Unfortunately, Liz’s family didn’t have the means that Pamela’s did, and they greatly depended on whatever she and her step-sister Tess could bring to the table. So while at work, she was forced to survive Pamela’s and other ungrateful customers sneering jabs.

But that didn’t mean she had to like it.

“Might I recommend the special?” she asked with razor-edged politeness. “Today it’s the Trekkie Tuna Casserole, with a soup and salad.”

Pamela’s eyes flashed as Liz ignored her previous dig. With a flick of her wrist, she thrust the menu onto the table and snapped, “We’ll each have a salad, light on the dressing. Can you manage to remember that?”

Liz poked her tongue into her cheek and nodded. “Would you like to make that low-cal dressing?” she blinked her lashes innocently, but Pam’s eyes narrowed.

“Are you implying that I need to lose weight?” she growled dangerously.

“Of course not, high calorie dressing it is,” Liz responded cheerfully, then turned on her heel to leave.

And found herself drowning in a pool of rich amber.

The dark-haired male from earlier had removed his sunglasses and was now staring at her intensely.

Liz felt a wave of heat creep up her neck and wondered if he’d heard the altercation between her and Pam. She walked over to his table.

“Hi, I’m Liz and I’ll be your waitress this afternoon,” she said graciously, trying not to glance at the young man as she delivered the customary speil. “What can I get you today?”

The cool blonde answered in a bored tone, “It’s too hot for anything heavy. I’ll just have a sweetened tea.”

Liz nodded and jotted on her notepad. The sandy-haired male made his order, then she turned and once again found herself snared by his gaze.

She struggled to understand the strange feelings coursing through her as she stared into this stranger’s eyes.

“Max, sometime today, please?” the blonde snapped, bringing them both out of their bizarre daze.

Liz flushed and looked down at her order pad, but not before noting that his cheeks had turned slightly pink as well.

“Right, well, I’ll just have an Alien Blast,” he spoke and the words wrapped around her like silk.

Liz shivered.

“Great, I’ll be right back with your orders,” she promised, then turned to make her retreat. She couldn’t get away quick enough.

The whole way back to the order station, she felt him staring after her.

She pushed the bell and tapped her fingers as she waited for the on duty cook to appear.

Kyle Valenti’s handsome face popped up in the window. He flashed her a toothy grin. “Hey, Liz.”

Liz smiled back. “Kyle, I didn’t know you were on today?”

He shrugged, adjusting the apron that tied around his neck. “Just got here to relieve Jose. Say, is your sister on by any chance?”

Liz laughed at his hopeful tone. Kyle had a major crush on Tess, although Tess did everything in her power to dissuade him. “No, she’s at home.”

His smile fell momentarily. Then he perked back up. “Well, tell her I’ll see her whenever she comes in.”

Liz promised to do so, then gave him her orders.

While she waited, she glanced around the busy restaurant. Her eyes trailed towards the back corner booth, and her brows rose.

The dark-haired male wore a slight frown as he listened to whatever the blonde was saying in a low voice. He plucked at a packet of sugar, replying only whenever the blonde took a breath.

The other boy only watched them both with a raised brow, shaking his head back and forth.

As if he felt her gaze, the dark-haired boy looked up. Liz slunk back, hiding behind the wall as he stared straight at her.

She felt… disconcerted whenever their eyes met.

When she chanced another glance, he was wearing a half-smile as he stared at his hands, obviously not listening to whatever his companions were saying.


<center>TBC................</center>

[Applebylicious]

Okay, I'm back and wow! I'm glad you guys seem to like this! It's really different from anything I've tried before, so I hope you all won't be disappointed.

Some quick feedback to your feedback, and then we'll get into the new part.

1) Where is Maria? And my little stud Alex?
2) I'm assuming that Max, Michael and Isabel just moved to Roswell. Am I right?
3) Okay - why the heck did Liz just up and leave? I'm going to guess that it's because she found out that Tess, Max, Isabel and Michael are all aliens (those are the aliens right)?
4) When you said different couples what did you mean? *gasp* No Alex/Isabel?!? Huh??! I think I might faint.
5) Is Pamela Troy about to be hit by a shopping cart anytime soon?

Erin! You crack me up with your shopping cart revenge methods. We need to have a little talk, hunnie. As for Alex and Maria, the gang is all here, I promise. The couples will be the same way they were in the show, with the exception of the Max/Tess disaster. I can swear to you all, there will be NO Rebelness in this fic. EVER. End of story. Rest easy. LOL.

Is Tess good in this one? Don't get me wrong, I hate Tess, but I get tired of her always being the bad guy.

Tess is a good little girl in this one, folks. I've recently come to the realization that it is more satisfying for me to write Tess's character in a non-horrifying manner. Helps keep the whole disaster that was season 2 and 3 far from my mind.

Lindsay are you really writing another fic?

*hides* I know!! God help me, it was just something that popped in my head and refused to leave. Don't hate me! LOL!

if the aliens are aliens, then tess is an alien, then how did she turn up as lizs step sister?? why would liz run off and leave roswell??

All your questions and more will be answered very shortly.

Do Liz's parents owns the Crashdown or not? Just wondering.

No, Liz and Tess just work there. You'll find out more about Liz's parents in this chapter.

why does Liz have such a reputation in town? ... that's something that really intrigues me... was she like used to going out with a lot of guys and all, and that's why people assumed she was some kind of 'slut' ... or was she really the 'easy type' and her 'slutty' reputation is indeed true ... somehow I've some difficulties picturing Liz being that way... or at least, continuing with that attitude once she met Max

Okay, I have to warn you all... Liz in this story will be slightly different from on the show. Yes, she has a reputation, and it isn't all substantiated. But I promise you all that there is a reason she acts the way she does, and Max will definately have an impact on her life. Have faith, and I believe you will all be satisfied with the way she finds herself. That, after all, is what this story is truly about.

He has an accent? That little country boy accent that Rae just stumbles over herself everytime she hears it (any accent, really)? *dreamy sigh*

LOL, yes, Max has a bit of an accent in this one. Which is weird, because he's actually from California... hmm... artistic license? I dunno, I just work here. We'll just pretend he adapts well to the surroundings.

“Right, well, I’ll just have an Alien Blast,” he spoke and the words wrapped around her like silk.

Rae shivered.

Wait, what? How'd that get in there? /:-D

LOL, Rae! You kill me. Really. That's a good thing, considering how sick I feel today. So, thank you dahling!


Okay, on we go....


<center>Part 2</center>


“God, this town reeks.”

Max Evans ignored his sister’s cynical moan as they drove along the dusty desert roads. His hair ruffled in the breeze, and Dave Matthews’ mellow voice soothed his frazzled nerves.

His mind was still in the small diner, focused on the petite brunette with the sad eyes who had served them lunch.

When he had walked inside the café, he’d felt the energy somehow… shift.

Although he’d been momentarily distracted by something Michael had mumbled about the restaurant’s alien-decor, the hair on the back of his neck had prickled, his eyes had unconsciously sought out the source of his attention.

When the girl had walked by in the drab aqua uniform and antennae, something in him had seemed to sigh. Then he’d felt as though he’d suffered a blow to the gut.

He’d listened to her conversation with the snarky blonde, and experienced a mixture of outrage and pity when he’d glimpsed the walls she’d raised to protect herself.

He’d had the most absurd inclination to save her.

Then she’d looked at him, and he’d realized this was a girl who needed no saving.

Or at least, that’s what she believed. Her dark eyes flashed and her shoulders were set with determined pride as she’d made her way to his booth.

She’d taken his breath away.

“Maxwell, are you listening to me?”

Max glanced over at his sister and forced his lips to quirk in a sheepish grin. “Sorry, Isabel. I guess I’m just… thinking.”

Her eyes changed from irritated to understanding. “I know things are strange right now with the move and all, Max. But… we’ll survive. Maybe we’ll finally find some answers. This seems to be the town for it.”

Max nodded, and felt guilty from hiding his true thoughts from Isabel. He knew she didn’t really believe what she was saying, more she wanted to comfort him. She believed he was still brooding over their parents sudden decision to move their law practice from California to New Mexico.

He was wary of the change. They’d managed to live a seemingly standard life in Los Angeles, and Max had finally reconciled himself to the fact that they’d never really learn where they’d come from.

Isabel had thrown herself into being normal, and had taken it the hardest when they’d been torn from their comfortable lives.

For her, Max wanted to be strong.

But it wasn’t easy, for as much as Isabel wanted to be normal, their adopted brother Michael went out of his way to be an outsider.

Max glanced at the rearview mirror and sure enough, Michael’s trademark scowl was on his lips as he leaned against the door, his slate-gray eyes narrowed and intense.

Michael had wanted the move to Roswell.

He’d never really accepted that they had been left on this earth with virtually no knowledge of how or why they’d come to be there.

He spent his days, not attempting to fit in as Isabel had, or even with the sense of resigned complacency that had filled Max. Instead, Michael used his time desperately searching for clues to their past.

In the end, Max became the peacemaker between his siblings, and although he hid it well, it took a lot out of him when Isabel and Michael would argue over things that couldn’t be changed.

But that wasn’t what had him brooding now.

No, his current thoughts had nothing to do with his alien side. Or maybe they did.

He recalled the strange primal sense that had risen in him when he’d stared into her… Liz’s… eyes. Perhaps he really should be worrying about his apparent connection with a small-town waitress.

He pulled into the long driveway of their home. Michael was already out of the Jeep, shoulders stooped as he trudged towards the ambling ranch house.

Max knew his brother would hole himself in his room for the remainder of the night, ignoring anyone and everyone who attempted to talk to him. It was just Michael’s way.

Max and Isabel had always known they were related, they both recalled that night ten years ago, when the Evans’ had found them walking naked on a dark highway.

Why they would have wanted to take in such scraggly children, children who hadn’t known how to speak or communicate in any way, and raise them as their own, Max would never know. And he knew he could never fully repay the debt he felt towards Phillip and Diane Evans.

But Michael had been a different story.

He’d been a problem child from New York, tossed in the foster care program at the age of twelve, when a group of beat cops discovered him living behind a dumpster in a dank alley.

He’d gone from home to home, never acclimating to any family in particular. He caused trouble, talked back, and basically became a juvenile deliquent.

When his then-foster father had accused him of stealing, he’d been sent to juvenile custody where he’d met Phillip Evans, a young public defender who had taken one look at the troubled adolescent and had brought him home.

Max almost smiled as he recalled the first time he and Isabel had set eyes on Michael Guerin.

Isabel had been ecstatic that their father had brought her a new friend to play with, whereas Max had been markedly wary over bringing another person into their lives.

But the second Michael had walked in, all stiff-necked and challenging eyes with a personality as prickly as his hair, something had clicked.

Without speaking, he’d known Michael was one of them. And from the look of astonishment on the other boy’s face, Michael had felt the same bone-deep recognition.

From then on, they were three against the world.

The loved each other, depended on each other, even if they didn’t always agree.

Case in point, the present move to Roswell. At least Isabel had quit threatening to fry Michael with her powers.

“Are you coming?” Isabel tossed her long blonde hair over her shoulder as she regarded her brother. “Max, are you sure you’re okay? You were acting strange at the café earlier. Is there something you need to talk about?”

Max thought about the reaction he’d receive if he admitted to Isabel that he’d been so distracted because he’d felt an unexplainable attraction… to a human.

Isabel may be understanding about a lot of things and even push Max to live more, but when it came to developing personal relationships, she was even more disapproving and close-minded than Michael.

Even anticipating their reactions, he couldn’t bring himself to forget the brunette.

“You know, I think I might just take a quick drive by myself,” he murmured, squinting as he stared into the distance.

The sun was beginning to set, splashing the sky with vivid pinks and oranges.

Isabel raised a brow. “Where do you plan to go in this town?” she wrinkled her nose. “It’s not exactly like LA… everything probably closes around six.”

“Maybe I’ll just go out in the desert,” he responded, already imagining himself laying on the hood of the Jeep, staring up at the stars in the summer night sky.

Wondering if one of them had been his home.

Oblivious to his thoughts, Isabel’s eyes narrowed, then rolled. “Whatever. Have fun.”

“Don’t let him mope around too much,” Max said, and caught Isabel’s gaze. “I know he was disappointed that last night’s search didn’t show up with anything.”

“He’s just setting himself up for disappointment,” Isabel retorted, but her tone was worried instead of sarcastic. “I just wish he wouldn’t get his hopes up.”

“I know. Everything will be okay, like you said. Even if we never find out the truth, we have each other. That’s all that really matters.”

Isabel’s lips quirked. “Always the optimist.”

Max returned her half smile, then started the Jeep and backed back down the driveway.

On impulse, he headed back into town.


<center>********************************</center>


Liz stepped out of her white sneakers as she entered the small, cluttered living room. She felt dead on her feet, yet at the same time full of restless energy.

She headed down the hall towards the room she shared with her sister, passing the bedroom where her father snored drunkenly on the dingy bed, one foot hanging limply off the side.

She shut her eyes against the pain that came from seeing how much worse he’d become since her mother’s death. Every day seemed to be filled with more alcohol, more women.

The scent of cinnamon permeated the stale smoke that wafted from her father’s room, and she stepped inside her own room to find Tess typing away on the second-hand word processor Liz had found at a flea market two years ago.

Tess’s curly blonde hair was pulled into a haphazard knot on her head, wild ringlets escaping along her forehead. A pair of wire-framed glasses perched delicately on her nose as she squinted at the screen. Her fingers clacked quickly as she typed, murmuring to herself.

She wore a light pink shirt that reached mid-thigh and a pair of fuzzy bunny slippers that had been a birthday gift from their father during one of his more lucid intervals.

All in all, she was the perfect picture of innocence. It made Liz smile.

She threw her purse on the dresser and started pulling off the awful turquoise uniform.

Only then did Tess seem to realize her presence. She slowed her typing, then looked over her shoulder and smiled. Removing the glasses from her nose, she blinked and regarded Liz. “Hi.”

Liz bent over to stretch, clad only in a pair of skimpy black briefs and a matching bra. She touched her toes and then reached for the sky, moaning as her muscles began to loosen. “Homework? In the middle of summer break?”

Tess nibbled her lips and yawned. “Summer reading. For AP English.”

Liz paused and gave her an incredulous look. “Summer reading? Tess, you have got to be kidding me. You are a nerd, sister dear.”

Tess didn’t take offense, simply smiled. “Long night? You have that look you had during the Orthodontist Convention last year.”

Liz groaned and flopped down on the bed dramatically. “Must you remind me? I had nightmares of the dentist for months. But no, I spent the afternoon catering to Pamela Troy and her nasty little groupies.”

Tess’s expression immediately melted into concern. “Did she say something to you?”

Liz shrugged, hiding her embarrassment and bruised feelings. Tess would only get upset and worry if she thought Liz had been hurt by anything the girls had said. And Liz would rather cut her own eyes out then upset Tess.

Her sister was naïve and Liz wanted her to stay that way. She loved Tess the way a fierce mother bear protects her cubs. She’d never let anything happen to her step-sister.

“It was just the usual, vapid insults and sneering grins,” Liz said in a casual voice. “Nothing I can’t handle.”

“Are you sure?” Tess asked worriedly. “I just don’t like the way she treats you. It’s so unfair. You’ve never done a thing to Pamela Troy.”

Liz grinned at the outrage in her sister’s voice. “That’s the breaks, kid. Life is never fair, especially for a Parker or a Harding. Kyle asked about you again.”

Tess’s mouth fell open at the sudden change in subject. Her pretty face reddened and she looked down at her fingers. “What does he want?”

“He wanted me to tell you hi, he’ll see you the next time you come in, that he loves you and wants to give you your first born child…”

“What?” Tess cried, clasping her hand to her chest. “He did not.”

Liz burst out laughing at the expression on Tess’s face. “Don’t act so shocked, Tess. Kyle Valenti’s a major hunk-of-burning-love, and he happens to be on fire for you.”

“Me and the entire cheerleading and dance teams,” Tess mumbled in response. “I don’t take him seriously.”

Liz thought back to the naked longing on Kyle’s face when he’d spoken of her sister, and cocked her head. “Maybe you should.”

Without giving Tess opportunity to disagree, she turned and sniffed the flickering candles sitting on the window ledge. “Mmm… apples and cinnamon?”

“Maria made it,” Tess replied, turning back to the computer. “She brought over a whole cache of incense earlier. I told her we weren’t planning on having a séance anytime soon, but she wouldn’t leave without it. So, apple cinnamon candles it is.”

Liz snickered. “Amy must have decided to have another yard sale.”

Maria DeLuca’s mother owned an aromatherapy store, and mother and daughter were both avid promoters of the healing powers of essential oils and burning incense.

“Sean also called and said he’d be by to pick you up around eight,” Tess shot Liz another look over her shoulder. “I told him you’d call to confirm.”

Liz slapped a hand against her forehead. “Shit! I completely forgot about our date.”

Tess didn’t reply, but Liz felt her sister’s censure from across the room.

She knew Tess didn’t agree with the way she dated so many different young men.

It made her feel small to know her sister disapproved of her personal behavior, but at the same time she couldn’t make herself adhere to the rules Tess lived her life by.

Liz had spent her entire life living for other people – first her mother, who had been diagnosed with cervical cancer at the young age of thirty, and then her father. When Jeff Parker had married the young and busty Michelle Harding a year after her mother’s death, Liz had immediately taken the woman’s quiet daughter under her wing.

Michelle may not have stuck around, but her daughter had been left behind.

She walked over and picked up the phone. After calling Sean, she pulled on a pair of tight cut-offs and a tank top, slipped on a pair of flip-flops and kissed her sister on the cheek before walking outside to wait for her latest boyfriend to arrive.

She’d never allowed Sean or any of the other boys she hung around with to set foot in her house. She didn’t want to expose them to Tess, or just how bad her life really was.

The house was in shambles, even with her and Tess working steady jobs to support themselves.

She leaned against the front gate, arms hanging over the fence as she slipped a cigarette out of a brand new pack and lit it.

She inhaled the nicotine with a grateful sigh, and immediately felt the drug’s calming effect soothing her system. Another drag, and she threw the cigarette on the ground and stomped it with her foot.

A breath mint later, she heard a horn honk as a car came flying down the street. She recognized Sean’s souped up Camero and headed out to the street to hop in as he pulled to the side of the curb.

He flashed her a sexy grin and cocked a brow as she slid in, then immediately pulled her across the gear shift for a hot kiss.

Liz allowed herself to melt into his skilled caresses, even as she held a part of herself aloof from him. She nibbled his lower lip.

Sean groaned. “Damn girl, you’re so hot for me. You wanna go back to my place? Parent’s are outta town.”

Liz hesitated, feeling a little sick at the idea of meaningless sex with Sean. Then again, it wasn’t something that she hadn’t done before. But it always left her feeling… used.

And worthless.

Even as she succombed hoping she’d find an ounce of happiness in another’s arms, she was always left feeling disappointed.

But as he ran a hand along her bare thigh, Liz forced herself to smile and nod. “Yeah. Sure.”

His face lit up and he quickly started the car.


<center>***********************************</center>


Max drove aimlessly along the darkened streets of Roswell, inwardly chuckling as he noticed that Isabel had been correct in her assumptions.

All the storefronts were dark; the signs in the windows proclaiming them Closed.

As he passed the CrashDown café, he again thought of the lovely waitress. He slowed, taking in the large spaceship that served as a blinking sign for the restaurant.

Then he saw the figure walking down the road, arms hugged around a petite body.

He felt that same connection, and his heart rate increased as he pulled alongside her.

When his headlights bathed her in light, she turned and held a hand to her face, squinting at him. The movement caused her skimpy top to ride up, affording him with a view of smooth, taut belly. Coupled with the length of leg presented in the sinfully-short shorts, Max had to swallow against the heat that rose inside him.

Her eyes widened as she realized who he was.

When he stopped next to her, he leaned out to address her. “Taking a midnight stroll? Isn’t it kind of late to be out walking around?”

Her lips tightened and her eyes flared. “Should I ask you the same?” she retorted nastily, and Max bit back a smile at her quick temper.

“True,” he conceded, then with a charming grin added, “but I’m driving.”

Her eyes narrowed and her mouth flattened impossibly more. “Fuck off, buddy.”

With those succinct words, she turned and continued walking down the dark road.

Max sat in surprised silence for all of ten seconds before he caught up with her, keeping the Jeep at a slow and steady cruise as she pretended to ignore him.

“Need a lift?” he offered, desperate to see her face again, as it was hidden by the long, thick curtain of her hair.

She snorted and kept on walking.

“Where do you live?” he tried again.

This time she turned to him with an incredulous expression. “You have got to be kidding me. Do I have stupid bimbo tattooed on my forehead? Listen, I’m not interested. Whatever you’ve heard about me, tonight it isn’t going to do you any good. So beat it.”

Max raised an eyebrow. “Should I have heard something?”

Liz glared at him. “I’m not going to sleep with you. So take your knight-in-shining-Jeep-Cherokee routine and find another damsel in distress, okay?”

She stared at him, as if she expected a resonse. But Max still felt as if he’d been clubbed over the head with her statement that she wouldn’t sleep with him.

When she rolled her eyes and started walking again, he quickly pulled himself together.

“All I want is to make sure you get home safe,” he answered honestly. “You can either ride with me, or I can follow you back.”

She faltered, then simply threw her hands up and stalked over to the car, making sure to slam the door as she got in. “Fine, you asked for it. Take me to Roadkill Avenue.”

Max grimaced. “Are all the streets around here so… colorful?”

Liz laughed at his expression. “Honey, you’re in Roswell. Most of the places are named for something to do with aliens. My street just happens to have a high animal death-toll, otherwise I’d probably live on Vulcan Circle or Darth Vader Drive like all the other people in this crazy town.”

Max laughed. “They do seem slightly alien-obsessed around here.”

Liz smiled back, and suddenly they found themselves staring at each other.

They both flushed and looked away, Max gazing at the road ahead as she fiddled with a silver bracelet on her slim wrist.

“I’m Max Evans,” he said shyly, determined to break the awkward tension. “In case you wondered what to call your shining knight.”

That gained another short laugh from her. “Yeah. Right.” But she smiled. “I’m Liz Parker.”

“Well, Liz, why are you really out wandering the streets by yourself?” he asked in a light tone, following her directions to turn onto a bumpy road that appeared to lead to a section of town that could only be described as shabby at best.

Roadkill Avenue, indeed.

“I got dropped off by my… by a friend,” she corrected, frowning slightly.

That’s all she said.

Max wanted to press her for more, if simply to hear her breathy voice slide around him. But something in her expression warned him against pushing for the time being.

He pulled up in front of a small, dilapidated one-story brick home. The shutters hung from one of the windows and the front yard was badly overgrown with weeds. A pair of rusted trash cans lay against the side of the house.

Max swallowed hard. He was so used to the privilege that came with being Phillip Evans’ son, that he often forgot about what it was like to have nothing. He suddenly thought of Michael.

His brother would have called a place like this home, not even six years ago.

Her turned to Liz, unsure of what to say, and saw her staring at him with blatant challenge.

Her eyes dared him to pity her, so Max forced down the sadness and smiled brightly. "Well, here we are. I don’t suppose you’d let me walk you to the door?”

Her face registered shock, he assumed because he hadn’t made a comment about her home. Then she sighed in frustration.

“No, I can walk myself to the damn door. God, what century were you born in?”

Max knew her snippish words were meant to hide her embarrassment, and he simply smiled. “My mother taught me to treat women with respect. Good night, Liz. I hope we see each other again soon.”

She rolled her eyes. “Yeah, whatever. Thanks for the lift. You don’t have to wait around, I’ll be fine walking twenty feet.”

Despite her sarcasm, he waited until she was safely inside the door before he started the Jeep again and headed towards his own home across town, a smile on his face.


<center>TBC.............</center>

[Applebylicious]

Thanks again to Cristine for the beautiful banner! I hope you guys like this part, I really struggled with it and it still didn't come out right.

Bah... so is life...


<center><img src="http://ita1ianmama.diaryland.com/images/banner4linds.jpg"></center>



<center>Part 3</center>


“Tess! Tess, wake up!”

“Hmm…?” Tess mumbled, turning on her back as she blinked the lingering vesige of sleep from her eyes. “Liz?”

She sat straight up in bed as she focused on her sister’s face, not inches from her own. “What time is it?”

Liz sighed and curled up next to her sister, toeing off her flip-flops as she began playing with a long corkscrew of golden hair. “A little past midnight.”

“Midnight?” Tess hissed, turning to glare suspiciously at Liz. “Did you just get in?” She took in Liz’s clothing and sniffed in disdain. “Never mind, don’t state the obvious. What were you doing out so late?”

Liz almost had to bite back a smile at the irate tone in Tess’s voice. “You know, it isn’t really that late,” she pointed out.

Tess simply cocked a brow and Liz realized this was one of the times her sister wouldn’t be put off by a teasing distraction.

Not that Liz hadn’t planned on telling Tess the truth, anyway.

She let out a long sigh, and stretched out on the small bed. “I broke up with Sean. He’s a fucking bastard.”

Tess shook her head sadly. “Liz… you shouldn’t speak that way. It makes you seem crass.”

“Well, shit, Tess.”

Tess gave an offended sound, then sobered. “What happened?”

“He…” Liz hedged, playing with the ragged edge of Tess’s pillowcase. She took a deep breath, then blurted out, “He wanted to have a threesome with some girl from school. I told him I wasn’t into that and… well, he tried to convince me I was.”

Tess’s perfect mouth dropped open into a perfect O. “Is he still alive?” she asked in concern, so worried that Liz actually laughed.

“Nothing an ice pack won’t cure in the morning,” she admitted. “Maybe he’ll think twice about ganging up on a poor, defenseless woman in the future. Creep bastard.”

Tess didn’t even bother to correct her. “Liz… why do you allow these boys to use you so?” she asked in a sad voice. “I just don’t understand. What if something had happened to you tonight? What if you hadn’t managed to get Sean to back off? What if…”

“Tess, I can take care of myself,” Liz answered in a stiff voice. All she heard was, Why do you allow these boys to use you so?

“Never mind, I don’t know what I was thinking,” she mumbled, sitting up abruptly and moving across the room. She stared out the window, hugging her middle as she heard Tess heave a long sigh.

A moment later, Tess spoke in a soft voice, “I didn’t mean it that way, Liz.”

“Yes, you did,” Liz replied just as softly. “Don’t be ashamed, Tess. Everyone else thinks it, why shouldn’t you?”

It wasn’t a question so much as a statement.

“That isn’t true,” Tess denied.

But it was.

Liz knew what the people of Roswell thought of her. White trash. A whore. No good, just like her daddy. Anger filled her, along with an acute sense of hopelessness.

Dammit, she was better than them. Wasn’t she? Her mother had always said so.

You’ll be a woman for the ages, Lizzy Beth. Just you wait and see. You’re gonna make me so proud…

Her eyes filled with the memory. A silver drop caught in the moonlight as it trickled from the corner of her eye, but she wiped it away before it could land on her cheek.

As she stared at the wetness on her finger, she allowed herself a moment to imagine what her life could have been… if her mother hadn’t died. If her father hadn’t become a drunk.

If Alex was still alive.

The reminder of her childhood friend, beaten and raped with a wooden basbeball bat, made her fingers clench. Her nails bit into her palms, leaving angry red welts behind.

“Liz?”

The sound of Tess’s voice rang like a gunshot and she jumped ten feet.
Tess shrank back from the expression on her sister’s face. At that moment, she almost thought Liz held more secrets than she did.

“I’m sorry, Liz,” Tess whispered. Her big blue eyes were filled with her own tears. “I don’t know what made me say that.”

Liz collapsed onto the floor, hugging her knees as she stared at the wall. “How did things become so messed up?” she asked herself, but Tess heard her sister’s mournful words.

Tess picked up the comforter from Liz’s bed. Sitting next to her sister, she tucked the blanket around them and laid her head on Liz’s shoulder. “It will get better. I know it.”

Liz snorted. “For you, maybe. You actually have a chance of getting out of this damn town, Tess. I’ll be stuck here waiting tables at the Crashdown Café until I’m gray and wearing support hose.”

“I’m not going anywhere without you, Liz.”

Liz looked up in surprise, seeing the sincerity burning in Tess’s eyes. “I won’t let you ruin your life for me,” she answered quietly. “You’re getting out of this place and making something of yourself. Damn it, one of us is going to prove to this town that we’re not worthless.”

Tess bit her lip and a long beat of silence lingered before she responded. “It’ll have to be you, then. I’m not leaving Roswell. I can’t.”

“What are you talking about?” Liz demanded. “You’ve taken all these special courses… aren’t you going to put them to good use?”

Tess looked away from her sister’s incredulous expression. “Maybe we should talk about this another time,” she stated firmly, standing to return to her bed.

But Liz caught her arm. “What is it, Tess? What aren’t you telling me?”

Tess wavered, lips already forming to blurt the answer. At the last second, she pressed her mouth in a straight line and turned to stare Liz directly in the eyes.

Seconds later, her sister was asleep, head lolled back against the wall as her breath came deep and even from her lips.

Tess stared at her a moment longer, then smoothed Liz’s hair from her cheek. With a kiss to her forehead, Tess made her way to her own bed, and cried herself to slumber.


<center>***********************************</center>


“Max, would you hurry up! We’re going to be late!”

Max groaned as Isabel pounded on his door again, and he quickly grabbed a ball cap and shoved it on his head before stalking over to the bedroom door.

He threw it open to find his sister standing there, hands on hips as she glared at him, one foot tapping against the expensive carpet.

“What were you doing in there?” Isabel asked curiously, noting the scattered papers surrounding Max’s desk.

Max blocked her attempt at entering, firmly pushing his sister down the hall. “I thought you said we were going to be late?”

Isabel narrowed her eyes at him, faked a left then a right, and neatly slid beneath Max’s arms. Before he could catch her, she had grabbed one of the papers and was reading it.

“Give me that back,” Max snapped, feeling foolishly like a five-year old as he tried to snatch the letter from Isabel’s hand.

Isabel’s brow raised. “Who’s Tess Harding? You’ve been writing letters to her? What’s going on, Max?”

Max cursed, raking a hand through his hair. “I can’t explain just yet. Please, Iz… just leave it alone for now.”

“Who is she, Max?”

He sighed in resignation. Lowering his voice, he reached out and ripped the paper from Isabel’s fingers. “She’s one of us.”

“What?!”

“Don’t tell Michael just yet,” Max spoke quickly. “I… I’ll explain everything later. Please, Izzy… just let it go for now.”

Isabel’s face was red with anger. “How long have you been hiding this from us, Max? What else do you know that you aren’t telling?”

“Isabel… it’s complicated.”

With a sneer, Isabel turned on her heel and stomped out of the room. Max stared after her in trepidation. He glanced down at the letter.

It was the latest one he’d received from her, just before they’d left California.

I’ll see you in your dreams…

Max recalled the pretty blonde who had visited him in his dreams the night he’d arrived in Roswell.

He’d been lying in his bed, thinking of Liz… a smile on his face as he’d remembered the look of incredulous disgust on her face when he’d offered to walk her to the door… when all of a sudden he’d found himself dreaming.

But it was no normal dream.

No, Max recognized when someone was dream-walking him. Isabel had the power, and she had used it to torment both him and Michael when they had been younger… before they’d all realized how dangerous it was to use their powers too frequently.

Neither he nor Michael had the ability, so Max assumed it belonged only to the females of his species. So, he’d expected to see Isabel when he’d opened his eyes.

But the woman coming towards him through the mist didn’t have Isabel’s illustrious platinum waves, or her tall, slender shape.

This woman was petite and her curly hair was the shade of fresh honey. Her eyes, a bright cobalt, stirred a jolt of recognition deep within him.
He could tell from the similar look on her face, that she’d somehow known him as well.

She stopped before him, eyes curious yet soft with a smile. “Max.”

“Tess…” he’d breathed, momentarily filled with affection. He wanted to pull her into his arms, reassure her that he’d never let her come to any harm. She seemed to bring forth his protective instincts.

“I knew you’d come,” she answered, and Max frowned slightly.

Hadn’t she come to him? Then he realized she must have meant his arrival in Roswell.

“It wasn’t really my idea…” he admitted honestly, seeing her face fall he added, “but we’re here now. We’ll help you. You don’t have to be afraid any longer.”

Her expression turned blank, and she looked away from him, hugging her arms around her middle. “It isn’t myself I’m worried for, Max. You must help her.”

At this, Max frowned. “Her?”

He’d found himself awake and sweating in his bed.

He hadn’t heard from Tess since.

He’d kept his eyes open every day after that night, waiting for that same jolt to alert him to her presence, but the only time he’d felt the hair on his neck stand up, had been when he’d stared into a pair of deep brown eyes…

He shook himself out of his daze, and the paper fluttered to the floor as he went after Isabel.

He found her and Michael already waiting in the Jeep, bookbags thrown in the backseat.

Max tossed a glance at a stoic Michael, eyes hidden behind a pair of Oakley’s, and then to where Isabel sat pouting in the front seat. Her eyes spit flame at him, and Max audibly gulped when she turned to stare out the window, mirroring Michael’s movements.

He knew she wouldn’t tell until he’d had a chance to explain. But he still hated having her upset with him.

As he drove them to their new school, Max felt the ice from Isabel’s cold shoulder. Several times he opened his mouth to speak, but then was blasted by the frost of Isabel’s ire or the coolness of Michael’s indifference.

When they pulled in front of the sprawling campus of West Roswell High, Max was still trying to figure out a way to diffuse the situation. But Isabel jumped out of the car, stalking into the school in a typical Michael manner.

With a heavy sigh, he glanced at Michael in the rearview mirror. His brother lifted a questioning brow, a huge sign of emotion from his impassive brother.

“What’s up her ass this morning?”

A wave of guilt washed over Max. He averted his eyes. “We need to have a talk later. After school?”

Michael’s eyes immediately lit with curiosity. “Did you find something in the desert last night?”

“Later, Michael.”

For once Michael didn’t stalk away, instead he followed Max the entire way up the front steps. Max felt his questioning gaze burning into his back as he walked down the hall.

Students stopped to stare at the pair, their faces alight with interest as they began murmuring amongst themselves.

“That’s them… the new kids from Murray Ranch. They’re loaded.”

“More than the Troy’s?” a voice whispered incredulously.

“Way more. They’re from some place in California.”

“I think they’re gorgeous.”

That was the general consensus from the female body, who stopped and stared as the two boys walked past. Max felt like he was on display as they manevered the halls filled with bodies.

He was about to make a break for it, when the back of his neck prickled. His head jerked around and he saw her.

Her brown hair fell in a silky waterfall down her back, and she stood on tip-toe to reach into the top of her locker.

His senses alert and over-sensitive, he heard the muffled curse as she pricked her finger on a jagged edge of metal, bringing the wound to her lush mouth as she sucked.

His knees wobbled. What the hell was happening to him?

“Maxwell?”

He heard Michael’s worried voice as if from far away. His tongue felt thick and heavy, his head light. He continued to stare at her as suddenly everything returned to normal.

“Maxwell!”

He turned to find Michael staring at him, white-faced. “Wh… what?”

“What the fuck was that?” his brother hissed. “Are you all right?”

Max glanced back and found that she was gone. He caught a tell-tale glimpse of raven hair disappearing around a corner.

He shook his head. “I… I’m… fine.”

But he knew he wasn’t.


<center>***********************************</center>


“Liz, wait up!”

Liz turned from frowning at her finger to find Kyle Valenti rushing towards her. She obediantly stopped and waited as he bumped into a group of loitering freshman, mumbling a quick apology, then made his way over to her.

Liz cocked a brow at his harried expression. “What’s up?”

Kyle took a deep breath, running a hand through his sandy hair, biting his lip nervously as they continued down the hall. “Where’s Tess?”

Liz laughed and shook her head, squeezing him affectionately on the arm. “Kyle Valenti, you sure know how to make a girl feel good about herself,” she teased, stroking the varsity patch on his letterman’s jacket.

He blushed, then laughed as well. “God, I’m not exactly subtle, huh?”

“Not really,” Liz answered ironically.

He smiled sheepishly. “I was actually looking for you.”

“Well, you found me,” Liz chirped. “I was just heading for the nurse to see if they have a bandage.”

Kyle pulled her to a stop. A frown of concern lit his handsome features. “What happened? Let me see.”

Liz pulled away before he could look at her injury. Embarrassed, she muttered, “It’s nothing, just a little cut.”

Kyle doubted it, but nodded anyway. He’d known Liz for years, and he knew how important it was for her to hide behind her bravado. He only wished she’d see herself they way he saw her. The way Tess and Maria saw her.

“Okay, well… mind if I walk you there?”

Liz’s frown cleared and was replaced by an inviting smile. “What will people think?” she murmured ironically. “The class quarterback following around the school slut?”

“Liz, don’t say that,” he snapped, clenching his fists. “Those people… they don’t know you.”

“And you think you do,” she said in a light voice, but he caught the edge beneath. “What’s wrong, Kyle? You’ve never been good at hiding your feelings.”

He took a deep breath, forcing his anger down. In a tight, controlled voice he answered, “I know what happened with Sean.”

The smile on her face faded, replaced with a closed-off expression. She immediately began walking away. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Yes you do, damn it, Liz, don’t walk away!” Kyle bit off, jerking her to a stop.

She spun around, knocking him back as her chest heaved. “Don’t touch me!”

Kyle stared in shock at her vehement response, then noticed the look of terror in her cloudy eyes. “Liz… you know I won’t hurt you,” he stammered, holding his hands up. “I… I just wanted to ask if you were okay.”

Her breathing slowed, her hands fell and her cheeks drained of color. “I… I need to go,” she muttered, turning blindly on her heel. “Tess will be here soon, you can talk to her then.”

“Liz, you can’t let him get away with it.”

She stopped at his sad tone, and slowly turned around. “Do you think anyone would believe me, Kyle? Me, the town whore?”

Her words weren't bitter, simply resigned.

Kyle just stared at her, his eyes huge. “I would believe you.”

“That’s your first mistake,” she snapped, and this time Kyle didn’t stop her as she walked away.


<center>TBC.......</center>

[Applebylicious]

Okay, new part! Yay!! Before I start on comments, I wanted to let you all know that things are going to be confusing starting from here on out. You're probably going to go huh? more than once, and I want to beg you all to just wait it out and I promise things will become clearer in the near future. Also, there won't be such a long wait in between parts again. Sorry about that, I was wrapped up in finishing RB.

So in the dream, it was purely plutonic? Did I even spell that right LOL.

All I can say is that this is a dreamer fic.

Liz wasn't telling Tess the truth was she? I have a feeling that Sean raped her and she couldn't do anything about it since nobody would believe her if she told. Poor Liz.

Is Max's reaction to Liz otherwordly or is it just teen hormones talking?

Liz is definitely hiding some things. But then again, a lot of people are hiding things in this fic. LOL! And Max's reaction to Liz and vice versa... well, it's going to get complicated. But I'll tell you it's more than just hormones!


<center>Part 4</center>


“I hate the first day of school,” Liz mumbled as she slouched in the back of the crowded classroom. Around her, students squealed and became reacquainted from the months of summer separation.

She rolled her eyes as Pam Troy and Courtney Banks started arguing over whose vacation had been more exotic. The Bahama’s or a cruise to Cozumel?

“Hey, chica!”

She glanced up and found Maria DeLuca’s petite form sliding into the chair next to her. A smile lit her face as she caught sight of Maria’s latest attempt at a trendy haircut. “You look like Meg Ryan caught in an electrical storm.”

Maria sniffed and ran her fingers through the short, choppy blonde waves. “I like it.”

“Well, thank God,” Liz snickered. “Because you’re the one who has to look at it every morning. So, how’s Billy?”

“We broke up,” Maria sighed. “It was a tragic, ill-fated romance, which I should have seen from the beginning.”

“Uh oh, what happened?” Liz asked in amusement, propping her head on one fist.

“Eh, he says toe-may-toe, I say toe-mah-toe,” Maria shrugged. “Plus, he thinks orange oil is the name of Popeye’s girlfriend. The idiot.”

“Some people just don’t appreciate aromatherapy,” Liz answered with a straight face.

“Amen, sister,” Maria chortled, then her expression became sly and devious. “Say… have you heard about the new guys? Supposedly, they’re hotties with a capital H. Whoa, momma.”

“Oh, goody, more chauvenist pricks with ego’s the size of Texas,” Liz said sarcastically. “Just what this school needs.”

“Oh… come on, Liz! Maybe they’re nice. Who knows… maybe one of them is your destiny,” Maria giggled, ignoring the look of disgust Liz shot her way. “I heard they’re rich, too.”

“Of course,” Liz answered sweetly. “And I’d also assume that they’re older… maybe seniors… just to make it every teenage girl’s fantasy.” When she caught Maria’s shrug, she groaned. “I knew it.”

“Ladies,” a voice sounded, and the two girls looked over to see a tall, lanky male grinning widely.

“Oh, hey Alex, what’s up?”

Liz looked away from Alex Whitman’s gaze and focused on the front of the room as Maria began chatting up their classmate.

Alex gave her the creeps.

It wasn’t that he was mean, in fact he was quite sincerely nice… he reminded her a lot of Tess in that way. But there was something about the way he looked at her. As though he knew all her dark secrets.

And the fact that he reminded her of things better left in the past.

“How’s your finger, Liz?”

She jerked when she heard him address her suddenly, and turned to stare at him. He was smiling politely, but his brown eyes held a hint of compassion.

“How did you know about my finger?” she demanded, her voice sounding harsh and defensive even to her own ears.

“Liz!” Maria said in surprise, glancing at Alex in apology. “She’s cranky in the mornings.”

Alex simply inclined his head. “I didn’t mean to offend you, I just saw the bandage and the way you’re cradling your hand. I put two and two together.”

Liz felt like a fool. “Oh.”

Something flickered again in his gaze. “I guess I’ll see you guys later. Bye, Maria. Liz.”

When he left, Maria turned to Liz with a reproving expression. “Why are you always so rude to him? He’s a nice guy, Liz.”

“He’s a freak and he creeps me out,” Liz shivered. “Do you see the way he looks at you? Like he’s seeing right through you. It’s not normal.”

Maria just stared at her. “I have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about. Besides, he’s not a freak, he’s one of the most popular kids in school!”

“Well, that makes everything okay, then, doesn’t it?’ Liz snapped, feeling embarrassed and sulky. “God, where the hell is Ms. Hardy?”

“One day you’re going to need to open up to someone, Liz,” Maria shook her head sadly. “Kyle told me how you bit his head off earlier. And then the way you treated poor Alex. What’s wrong with you today?”

“Kyle shouldn’t have been blabbing his fat mouth,” she answered flatly. “Anyway, I thought Buddhists didn’t believe in gossiping.”

“Always changing the subject,” Maria sighed. “Anyway, what happened with you and Sean? I see him giving you evil glares from the front of the room. You two have a fight?”

Liz glanced up and sure enough, Sean’s dark frowned burned into her gaze. He shrugged off the flirtatious advance of a sultry blonde cheerleader and crossed his arms as he glowered at her.

Her stomach tightened into a knot and her palms grew damp as he continued to stare at her. “We… we broke up, too,” she croaked, forcing the words past the lump of fear in her throat. “Oh, God… I think I’m going to be sick.”

She stood up quickly, a hand to her mouth as dizziness consumed her, making her gag. She barely heard Maria’s panicked cry or the whispers of the surrounding students as she stumbled towards the door.

Once in the empty hallway, she staggered blindly towards the restroom, using the wall for support as her vision blurred and her head spun.

Her legs gave out suddenly, and she waited to feel the jarring of her body hitting the floor, but something caught her on the way down.

“Whoa, are you all right?”

She blinked at the sensually gruff rumble, and tried to focus on the person who now held her in their arms. Through her lashes she caught sight of golden whiskey eyes, concerned and somehow familiar.

“What… what happened?” she mumbled, the nauseous feelings beginning to subside.

“You look like you need to lie down, Liz,” the voice said again, and her eyes shot up as she recognized the deep, husky tone.

“Oh, not you,” she moaned, leaning over to stick her head between her legs as he continued to hold her. “What is this, let’s make Liz miserable day?”

“Do I make you miserable, Liz?”

The surprised hurt in his voice made her feel slightly guilty, even as the honeyed tone sent a wave of heat through her that she tried to ignore. “Just… let me go.”

“Can you stand?” Max asked, running a hand down her hair. She shivered as his knuckles brushed the bare skin of her neck.

“Yes,” she snapped, stepping away from him so quickly she almost lost her balance. They stared at each other in silent consideration. “What are you doing here?” she finally asked, feeling idiotic as soon as the words left her mouth.

One corner of his mouth lifted. “Trying to get an education?”

Her eyes narrowed as something clicked in her mind. “Are you one of the new guys everyone’s talking about? The hottie with a capital H?”

He had the grace to blush. “Uh… well, I don’t know. Who’s saying that?” He scratched his head sheepishly, and Liz fought the urge to grin.

“Everyone,” she repeated. “Especially the girls. Can’t say I disagree,” she teased, delighting in the way his eyes narrowed intently on her. “Don’t be embarrassed… you aren’t my type, anyway.”

His brows raised. “What’s your type?”

She shrugged. “I like my men a little less-” Mind-numbingly gorgeous? “- short,” she blurted out desperately, trying to ignore the way his muscled body filled out the jeans and shirt he was wearing to perfection.

“Short?” he echoed in indignation. “I’m not short.”

She laughed. “Whatever you say… peewee.”

He frowned. “Are you trying to distract me from the fact that you nearly passed out in my arms?”

The smile faded from her face. “I’m fine, I just… needed some air.” She turned and started towards the bathroom, but he caught her arm. She spun around, hands in the air, “Hey!”

“Calm down,” he murmured in a richly compelling voice, not releasing her arm. “I think you should lie down.”

“And I think you should move your hand before I move it for you,” she shot back, beyond irritated at his forceful behavior, and the fact that it somehow turned her on. Damn him. “Now!”

He lifted a brow, smiling softly as he let her go. “You seem to be feeling better.”

She stared at him, and nearly growled. “You are so…”

“Reasonable? Intelligent? Concerned?” he tapped his chin thoughtfully. “Tall?”

“Delusional,” she snapped, turning on her heel and walking away.

“I hope we run into each other again soon, Liz,” he called after her with a chuckle. “It’s always a pleasure.”

She didn’t dare laugh until safely ensconced in the women’s bathroom.


<center>***</center>


Max watched as she walked away, several feelings rushing through him. Desire, prominent and overwhelming, heated his blood and made him hard and throbbing. But there was also protectiveness… and unease.

When he’d turned the corner to see her lurch, face pale and eyes rolled into the back of her head, his heart had skipped and he’d practically run to catch her.

He wondered what had caused her sudden spell, and at the same time felt impatience and disappointment, knowing she wouldn’t tell him. He could sense the walls she’d built around herself, could see how she used brass to cover feelings of insecurity that plagued her.

The connection he felt to her was completely inappropriate, given the circumstances surrounding his heritage. But he couldn’t deny the spark that lit every time he saw her. Or thought about her.

He knew he should just walk away, forget he’d ever looked into her soft wounded eyes. But the thought of doing so left him with a painful ache.

He needed to find out just who Liz Parker was, and why he felt the way he did about her. And maybe… just maybe, he could also find out what had hurt her.


<center>***</center>


“Hey, Blondie.”

Tess looked up and fought the jolt of giddiness that ran through her as Kyle Valenti leaned against the table she was seated at in the library.

He wore his customary grin, devilish with just a hint of charm, and it made her melt. He’d slung his letterman’s jacket over one shoulder, revealing the soft, blue cotton shirt that clung to every hard, defined muscle.

She swallowed, forcing her gaze away. “Hi, Kyle.”

Kyle tried not to feel disappointed by the lack of response as she went back to writing in her notebook, her brow wrinkled in concentration. He cleared his throat, and sat down across from her. “So… how’s your day going?”

She looked up at him, as if surprised he was still there. “It’s been okay,” she nibbled on her lower lip and he fought back a groan as his eyes followed the movement. “It’s my off period, so I’m starting on an assignment for chemistry,” she mumbled, her cheeks tinged a pretty pink.

God, he loved her. He loved the way it was the first day of school, and she was already in the library doing homework. It brought a goofy grin to his face. “Yeah, it’s my football period, but since it’s the first day… Coach pretty much lets us do whatever.”

Tess smiled politely, even as her palms dampened and she nervously smoothed the demure skirt that covered her legs. “That’s nice.” She wanted to hit herself, wishing she knew what to say to him. Liz would know, she thought, feeling awkward and clumsy. Liz would have him hanging on her every word.

“So…” Kyle looked down at the table, absently folding a piece of paper into a paper football. He cleared his throat. “Have you… had lunch yet?” He glanced up through his lashes and saw her staring at him with an unreadable expression. He held his breath.

“I brought my own,” she finally said, and his shoulders slumped in disappointment.

“Oh, well… that’s nice,” he mumbled, feeling foolish. He started to stand, missing the flicker of regret cross her face. “I guess I’ll see you around?”

“Sure,” she smiled, looking back to her work. She bit her lip as he hesitated beside her, before calling out to a few kids passing by and joining them.

She watched as he started laughing and joking with the other boys and girls, and tears pricked her eyes as she wished she could do the same. That she wasn’t a freak.

She sniffed and picked up her notebook and pen, stuffing them into her bookbag and started out of the library.


<center>***</center>


Liz chewed on an apple underneath the giant oak tree that towered over the school courtyard. She inattentively watched as students came and went, laughing and talking.

A shadow fell across her and she didn’t bother to look up before saying in a bored tone, “Get lost.”

“You dropped this.”

She started at Alex’s voice, and scrambled against the tree as she shielded her eyes and saw him smiling at her. He was holding out a dark blue notebook, one that she’d left in the science lab after her frenzied departure earlier that morning. She reached out, mumbling a thank you.

“No problem,” he grinned, sticking his hands in his pockets as he glanced around. “It’s a beautiful day, isn’t it?”

She stared at him. Who is this guy, Mr. Rogers? “Um… yeah, sure.” Whatever.

He beamed at her. “I love being outside. There’s nothing like walking around and feeling the sun on your face, the wind in your hair. Listening to the birds sing. Wouldn’t you agree?”

She barely refrained from rolling her eyes. “Okay.” When he started to sit down, she began to panic. “What are you doing?”

“Eating lunch,” he answered, and she caught sight of the brown paper bag in his hand. “You don’t mind, do you?”

She wanted to say, hell yes, asshole! But for some reason, when he turned to smile at her, she found herself saying, “No, I don’t mind.”

“Great!” he smiled, digging into the bag and pulling out a bag of Cheetoh’s. “So, Liz, is that apple all you’re eating? Because my mom has a tendency to overstuff this thing, so if you're hungry I can definitely hook you up.”

She stared at him. “I’m fine, thanks.”

“You sure?” he pulled out a huge slice of chocolate cake and her mouth began to water. As if knowing her reaction, he grinned. “We can share.”

She nibbled her lip, staring at the drizzling chocolate for a long moment. “Oh, what the hell,” she shrugged, scooting closer and taking the proffered fork. She began digging into the cake as Alex started eating a sub sandwich.

People walked by and looked at them strangely; one of the most popular boys in school sharing his lunch with the town riffraff. Some students rolled their eyes and started whispering, and some called out to Alex in questioning voices.

“No thanks, I’m eating with my friend, Liz,” he answered, winking at her. “I’ll talk to you guys later.”

“Are you for real?” Liz asked, after he’d turned away the fourth group of kids. “Do you have any idea what you’re doing, pretending to be my friend?”

“I’m not pretending,” he said, biting into a cheese cracker. “I am your friend. You just don’t want to believe it, because you don’t think you deserve friends.”

She sputtered, ignoring the greasy streak of fear, focusing on the affront that comment brought forth. “Excuse me? You don’t even know me!”

“I know you better than you think,” he answered cryptically. “Maybe even better than you know yourself.”

Before she could answer, he stood up and brushed the crumbs on his jeans. “Well, this was nice. We’ll have to do it again sometime. But I have to go now,” he called over his shoulder.

Liz wondered if she screamed, if anyone would even hear her.


<center>TBC...</center>

[Applebylicious]

Back so soon? LOL! Well, in case any of you wondered... I've added an updating schedule for my fics under my works page here. Check the last post.

Learn it, live it, love it.

Okay, that out of the way... on to some questions and comments.

The chemistry between Max and Liz is awesome you've pictured it perfectly. Max is definitely going under Liz's skin Why is he so attracted to her, and yet protective of her? Is it alien related?

Hmm... this is the crux of the whole problem, isn't it? I'll say it definitely is alien related... and more.

Does Alex knows something about Liz? Why is he trying to be her friend? There's something more than meet the eyes about him.

You are very right...

Okay, what is the deal with Alex? He's confusing me too! However, I think his intentions are good, so I'm not horribly worried... just confused. Hopefully we'll figure out what's going on soon enough.

Elizabeth

ps - Sorry I haven't been around much lately! I've been absolutely swamped with RL stuff. Sadly, it'll probably continue for the next week or two (at least!), so I have no idea how much time I'll have to be here.

Alex is a very complex character in this story. But yes, his intentions are good. And glad to see you back on the boards!

This whole fic is just wow...though i am a little put off buy the beginning, how liz runs away. I hope this has happy ending insurance!

There will be HEA... but much angst to go first. So just keep that in mind when things get bad... which they will.

This fic reminds me of a backward Not So Little fic

LOL, really??! How so?

Congratulations on being the first person to make me feel sorry for Tess! lol. Believe me, it is very hard to make me not want to kill her, so you did very well!

Now THAT is quite a compliment! Wow... thank you very much!

i've got many questions, but ones i just need it to be cleared out.
so there are 2 alexs in this story. one that was beaten to death with a bat and then popular alex. they are two different paople right??

Okay, let me clear this up because I know everyone is confused. Yes, there are two Alex's in this fic: Alex Whitman, who is OUR Alex and very much alive... and Alex Manes, who was Liz's childhood friend. You'll found out more about each of them as the story goes on.

Tess brought Max to Roswell to help Liz???

*whistles*

Gah, I'm getting so mad at you. You KNOW I don't dwell at Fanatics anymore...so why aren't you telling me when you update?! We talk for hours and hours on end everyday and that seems to slip your mind?! I'm like the last person to read this, bitch! I should be the first.

Ahem. I shouldn't even reply to this, because I TOLD YOU I UPDATED! I even gave you the link, screwball! LOL, sometimes you are so slow... oh well, I love you anyway!


Hope you all enjoy...


<center>Part 5</center>


Kyle listened half-heartedly as his teammates blathered on about the upcoming football season. He managed to smile and nod at the right times, but his mind was focused on his brief interaction with Tess that afternoon.

Why didn’t I stay and convince her to eat with me?

Inwardly, he kicked himself for the umpteenth time for allowing her extreme shyness to get to him. He had gone over to her table for the express purpose of finally asking her out, but when she’d looked up at him with those soft blue eyes filled with nervous surprise, he’d found himself bumbling and giving her a way out.

If she had been any other girl, he would have used a well-placed smile and flirting comments and he’d have had her right where he wanted her. Not that he was arrogant, but he knew he was considered good-looking and a catch, thanks to his position as varsity QB and MVP.

But all the girls he had dated held nothing on Tessa Harding.

He’d been infatuated with her from the day she’d first appeared in Roswell back in fifth grade. He’d noticed her hesitation, the way she hid behind her studies and her stepsister, never venturing beyond her safe bubble of security.

He’d been friends with Liz as long as he could remember, had even fostered a childish crush on her at one point. But one look at Tess and his heart had taken a one-way plummet.

She was beautiful… with her long blonde curls and soft skin that reminded him of peaches and cream. And… okay, yes she had the sweetest body he’d ever laid eyes on. But it wasn’t just her looks that had him panting every time she was in the near vicinity.

He loved to hear her speak, the gentle intelligence that radiated from her southern inflection. He loved to watch her move, the easy grace that exuded from her.

God, he was in so deep with no end in sight.

“Valenti! Wake up, man!”

He started at the sound of Tommy’s voice, and he offered a mumbling apology as he looked up and tried to concentrate on what was going on around him. He leaned back in the booth and crossed his arms.

“Are you okay?” Vickie Delaney murmured as she leaned against him.

He barely glanced at the busty cheerleader, simply answered with a casual, “Sure.”

Vickie pouted her glossy lips at his abrupt statement, but didn’t deter as she slid a finger across his arm. She fluttered her heavily made up lashes and gave him what he assumed to be a flirtatious look. “Have you heard about the Sadie Hawkins dance?”

He shrugged boredly, even as his heart fluttered. “You mean the one where the girls ask the guys?”

If only a certain girl would ask him…

“It’s also the first dance of the year,” Vickie continued to speak, even though he was lost in thought.

“Hmm… that’s great.”

“Do you want to go?”

It took him a second to realize she meant with her. He turned to stare at her, and she bit her lower lip as she smiled. He smiled back, and removed the hand that had crept up his thigh. “I, uh… I don’t know if I’ll make it. And I wouldn’t want to make you any promises and then have to bail at the last second.”

“That’s so sweet, Kyle,” Vickie purred, ruffling his hair. “Well, if you change your mind…” She left the sentence hanging deliberately, and he got the hint.

Before he could answer, the door to the small café opened and Sean Adams walked in, his arm slung around a buxom redhead who was practically plastered to his side. He started for their booth, then faltered when he caught sight of Kyle.

His eyes narrowed, then he placed a sneer on his face before ambling over at a casual pace. “What’s up, boys?” he pulled a chair up and sat down, dragging the floozy into his lap.

The others greeted their teammate and friend, whereas Kyle frowned darkly, seeing red behind his blue eyes. He met Sean’s gaze and a hint of fear replaced the cockiness in the other boy’s expression.

“You’re a fucking bastard, Sean.” The group gasped at Kyle’s growled words, but Sean didn’t look surprised. He picked up a fry and ate it calmly, never leaving Kyle’s gaze.

“Want to expand on that before I kick your ass?”

“Sean!” Vickie exclaimed, as the other girls tittered and the guys looked on in bewilderment. It wasn’t often that the laid back quarterback started a fight with anyone… much less one of his own receivers.

But Kyle simply bared his teeth in the imitation of a smile. “I’d love to see you try.” With that, he picked up his drink and took a sip, his biceps bulging. Sean’s eyes caught the measured movement, and a bit more of his conceit vanished. “Would you like to take this outside, then?”

“What’s going on?” Tommy asked, not in concern so much as straight curiosity. Kyle raised a brow, daring Sean to comment.

“Valenti’s just pissed that I screwed his pretty little friend,” Sean sneered, secure in the knowledge that Kyle couldn’t very well hit him while sitting opposite him in a booth. “Not that she hasn’t been screwed a dozen times before, so what’s really pissing you off man? That it wasn’t you she was begging it from?”

“You son of a bitch!” Without warning, Kyle leaped across the table and his fist landed squarely in Sean’s nose. A burst of blood shot out as the cartilage snapped, and Sean let out a howl.

“You broke my fucking nose!” he scrambled to his feet, the redhead falling on her bottom as he cradled his bruising face. “What the hell is wrong with you!”

“For God’s sake, Kyle! It’s just Liz Parker,” one of the other guys said in confusion, then shrank back as Kyle spun around on him. “Hey… I didn’t mean anything.”

“The hell you didn’t,” Kyle snarled. “This goes for all of you; if I hear one fucking word against Liz, I’ll take you all down. She’s a nice girl, she deserves respect.” He spat the word as he looked down at Sean’s moaning form.

The group didn’t appear to agree with him, but nodded. “Hey, cool down buddy,” Tommy said, eyeing Kyle with new admiration. “Damn, you took him out with one hit.”

Kyle suddenly felt disgusted. He grabbed his jacket and mumbled a goodbye before starting out the café.

When he entered the school again, he ran straight into a head of blonde curls as he rounded a corner. He put his hands out automatically to steady them, and Tess gasped.

“Oh my God, Kyle what happened to your hand?!”

He was too busy staring at her to catch the concern in her voice. But when she took his hand and began examining it, he swallowed and forced himself to reply. “I… I got into a fight.”

Tess studied the bloodied knuckles and shook her head at him. “I didn’t think Buddhist’s believed in fighting,” she answered, a hint of a smile lingering at the corners of her mouth.

He used his free hand to scratch his head sheepishly. “Yeah, well…” He trailed off when she looked up and they found themselves pressed closely together in the hallway.

His pulse began to race when she licked her lips, and his breathing became heavy. It didn’t seem to matter that they were surrounded by other kids returning from lunch. All that existed were the two of them.

Her eyes fluttered as his head descended towards hers, and then someone screamed. They both jumped as a girl flew by, jumping into the arms of a tall blonde boy. Kyle released a breath, and glanced back at Tess.

“You need to get this cleaned up,” she said softly, slowly dropping his hand as a flush crept up her cheeks. “Before it gets infected.”

He stared at her, waiting. But she only continued to look at the ground, shifting on her feet. He closed his eyes and pressed the heel of his hand against them. “Right,” he answered hoarsely. “I’ll… go do that.”

Before he could turn, he felt a hand on his arm. He looked back and found Tess biting her lip. “I could go with you…?”

His eyes widened at the overture, and he opened his mouth to reply. “Well, uh…”

“Of course, you already know where the nurse’s office is, so it would be pretty much ridiculous to have me tag along,” she added quickly.

“No!” he shouted, then rolled his eyes. “I mean… I could use some company while I get bandaged. I don’t mind you coming with.”

She stared at him as if she didn’t believe him. “You don’t?”

He smiled, some of his dour mood lifting. “Of course not,” he murmured, drawing closer to her once again.

Someone walked by and called, “Get a room!”

Kyle almost growled at the teasing interruption, but then to his amazement he caught a trace of embarrassed humor in Tess’s eyes.

“Oh my God,” she snickered, then laughed out loud. He felt an answering chuckle escape from his own lips as they both realized how ridiculous they must look, standing there discussing a trip to the nurse’s office as if it were a life or death situation.

In an almost dreamy voice, he admitted, “You have such a pretty smile.”

She smiled again; looking away as her cheeks pinkened. “What?”

“You do,” he insisted, enjoying the fact that she for once wasn’t running away from him. “I’ve never really seen it… you must not think I’m a very funny guy.” She obviously didn’t know how to respond to his joke, so he saved her by adding, “I’m dripping on the floor.”

She frowned in confusion, then glanced down at the small crimson puddle. “Oh! I’m so sorry! I can’t believe we’re standing here when you need to get this tended. Come on.”

With that, she took his arm and dragged him away. He went with a sappy smile on his face.


<center>***</center>


“Max, we need to talk.”

Max looked up at the clipped tone and met Isabel’s determined eyes. With a sigh, he pitched the remainder of his lunch in the trash and turned to his sister. “If it’s about… you know what, I thought we agreed that we’d discuss it later?”

Her lips tightened, but she pressed on. “I met Tess Harding.”

Max’s elbows slipped, nearly knocking his drink in his lap. “You did? Where?”

Isabel slid into the seat across from him in the quad. “She’s in my chemistry class. I… I felt something when I saw her, Max. I knew even before I heard the teacher call her name.”

“So it’s true,” Max murmured to himself, absently playing with the rim of his Coke as he pondered the significance this revelation brought. Not that he hadn’t been expecting it… but having live proof of another alien presence still gave him a strange jolt. “Did she recognize you?”

Isabel shook her head. “At least, she didn’t act like it. But then again, it’s you that she’s been contacting. Do you know why?”

He shook his head. “No. I… I got a letter from her one day, and it basically said she’d been looking for me.”

Isabel stared at him in shock. “She just… mailed you a letter saying she was an alien?” she hissed. “Is she insane?”

“It wasn’t anything anyone else could read,” Max said, giving her a warning look. “Only one of us.”

An understanding light came into Isabel’s brown eyes. “You mean… she used her powers to burn it into the paper?”

Max nodded. “It was proof enough for me to write her back. After we contacted each other a few times, she came to me.”

“She what?”

“She dreamwalked me, Iz. And she seemed so happy to see me… she was asking me to help… someone,” Max’s brows lowered as he recalled that detail of his dream.

“According to school gossip-“

“You already heard school gossip?” Max broke in with a touch of amusement.

Isabel ignored him, continuing on in her softly accented tone, “Apparently Tess has a stepsister with quite a reputation around town. There’s a rumor going around that she’s been knocked up by three or four different guys already, but lost the baby each time.”

Max frowned. “That sounds like a bunch of jealous idiots talking, to me.”

“Well, you know how people are,” Isabel admitted. “I haven’t met Liz, but if she’s anything like her sister… well, I can’t see Tess sleeping around. She’s a complete bookworm.”

His ears perked up. “Liz? Her name is Liz?”

“Yeah, Liz Parker,” Isabel shrugged, not noticing the look of shock on her brother’s face. “Like I said, I haven’t met her… but maybe she’s the person Tess wants you to help. Maybe Liz had an abortion and it messed something up inside her-”

“God, Iz,” Max swallowed against the bile in his throat.

“-and maybe she knows you can heal her,” Isabel finished.

Max thought about finding Liz walking down the street at midnight, wearing nothing but a pair of skimpy shorts and a tank top. The words she’d spoken to him that first night.

I’m not going to sleep with you…

Whatever you’ve heard about me, tonight it isn’t going to do you any good...

He closed his eyes against a wave of sorrow, his fists clenching as he imagined her trying to drown the sorrow that clouded her eyes in the arms of men who would use her.

He felt… achy and possessive. He wanted to find her and show her she didn’t have to sell herself short that way. He wanted… what he couldn’t possibly have.

“Max, are you okay?”

He shook away the melancholy thoughts, and nodded. “Yeah… I was just thinking about what you said. You may be right.”

“Right about what?”

They looked up as Michael made himself comfortable in the seat next to Isabel; sunglasses firmly in place, requisite scowl turning down his lips.

Max felt another twinge of guilt for hiding such an important discovery from his brother, but he also knew that if he were to mention it without careful consideration, Michael would go off half-cocked and do something that might get them all in trouble.

He caught Isabel’s eyes and she smiled. “I was just telling Max some of the gossip I’ve heard today.”

It was impossible to know for sure, but Max somehow knew Michael rolled his eyes. “It’s only our first day here, Isabel.”

Max grinned. “That’s what I said.”

“Oh… you two shut up,” Isabel answered. “I happen to be extroverted and sociable… you two should learn something about that.”

“Hey, I’m sociable,” Max answered in a wounded tone. Michael simply shrugged.

“Show me someone interesting, and I’ll be sociable.”

As if on cue, they heard a loud female voice shout, “Hey, asshole! I’m walking here!”

They all looked over to see a diminutive girl with blonde hair cut stylishly short glare at the retreating back of a hurried male. Books were scattered at her feet and her face was red with frustrated anger.

As they watched, she bent and picked up a pen, hurling it after the kid who’d undoubtably run over her. With a final humph, she bent and snatched up her belongings, stomping off in her five-inch platforms.

Michael raised a brow. “Now that was interesting.”


<center>***</center>


Liz glanced around the corner and breathed a sigh of relief as she saw the empty hallway. Stepping out of the vacant classroom, she hitched her bookbag over her shoulder and headed towards the bathroom to wash the scent of sulfur from her hands.

Every day she ate her lunch then spent an hour fiddling around the biology lab. No one, even Tess, knew of her fascination with the subject, and Liz preferred to keep it that way.

Tess was the brains, she was the bimbo, and so it went. She knew firsthand just how difficult it was to change anyone’s opinion once you’d already been judged and found wanting.

The sound of familiar laughter stopped her in her tracks, and she looked down the hall to see Tess and Kyle walking towards her. Neither saw her, as they only had eyes for each other.

Tess gazed into Kyle’s eyes as he smiled down at her, his lips moving in a tone too soft for her to make out. But she easily read the pleasure in his gaze. Tess also looked like she was in heaven.

Liz cleared her throat in amusement, causing the two to look up guility. Tess broke out into a smile, her face flushed with pleasure that no doubt was thanks to the warm, sandy-haired boy standing next to her, watching with lovestruck eyes.

“Hey, Liz!” Tess laughed, glancing at Kyle out of the corner of her eye. “Kyle got into a fight, can you believe it?”

Liz grinned wickedly. “Oh, really? I thought Buddhist’s didn’t…”

“Yeah, yeah,” Kyle grumbled around a smile. “I already heard it from Blondie, here.” He accented that comment with a tender look in Tess’s direction, which left the blonde blushing and biting her lip. Liz just shook her head.

Then her eyes fell on the bandage crossing Kyle’s knuckles. She raised a brow. “Spoils of war?” she nodded toward the injury. “Who’d you clobber anyway?”

The smile faded from his lips. “No one,” he answered, a bit too quickly for her taste. “Just some asshole who deserved it.”

She wanted to question him further, but the bell rang, signalling the end of lunch period. Students began pouring into the halls and Kyle heaved a sigh.

“Well, ladies… history calls. I’ll see you guys at work. Bye, Liz.” He turned and snared Tess in another affectionate stare. “Take care, Blondie.” He tucked a curl behind her ear, then winked at them both before walking off.

Tess sighed, then turned bright red when she caught Liz’s wide grin.

“Where are the violins when you need them?” Liz asked, holding her hand to her heart. “Damn, is it hot in here or what?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Tess mumbled, linking her arm through her sister’s. “And stop smiling.”

Liz laughed. “He has got it so bad for you,” she cocked a glance at Tess. “And I think someone has a little crush on him, too, huh Blondie?” she deliberately added the nickname Kyle had used.

“There’ll be no living with you now,” Tess complained, then the two girls bursted out laughing.


<center>TBC...</center>

[Applebylicious]

Thanks to Cristine, my new beta! Not only did she make a gorgeous banner for this fic, but she agreed to put up with my crazy ideas and correct me when I go spelling wonkers. Much love, hunny!

So, Tess wanted Max to come to Roswell because he wanted her to heal Liz? Or that was just Isabel's prediction?

Not EXACTLY. That was just Isabel's thoughts.

Was Maria who threw the pen at the kid? lol. Even if it wasn't it reminded me of her.

Yes, that was Maria.

I almost wish that he would just take Liz away, and let her start over. Frankly, I think that that would be easier, and more effective, than trying to change everyone in Roswell.

Elizabeth

Well... think back to the prologue. That's all I'm gonna say...


<center>Part 6</center>



Later that day, Liz entered the CrashDown through the back door, tossing her bookbag on the ancient couch and yanking off her shirt along the way to the bathroom.

"Liz, is that – oh shit, I’m sorry," Kyle immediately turned around when he caught sight of her bra-covered chest. "Uh…"

"It’s okay, Kyle," Liz laughed, walking into the bathroom and leaving the door cracked so she could hear him. "You can open your eyes now."

Kyle turned hesitantly and peeked through his lids. Heaving a sigh of relief, he wandered over to the lockers. "I was wondering when you’d get here. Um… something’s up with Tess."

"What do you mean?" Liz called, frowning as she shimmied her jeans down her hips. "What’s wrong with her?"

Kyle frowned, running a hand through his hair. "She’s… I dunno, acting weird." He scratched his head. "I don’t know if it’s because we got… closer or what, but she’s acting all on edge."

Liz caught the underlying vulnerability in his tone, and quickly buttoned up her aqua uniform. Walking out, she took the silver antennae from Kyle’s hands and slid them on her head. "I’m sure it isn’t because of you," she smiled reassuringly. "Who knows… maybe she just isn’t feeling well."

Kyle resisted the urge to run back out to the café. "You think so?" he asked in a worried voice. "If she’s sick, she shouldn’t be working."

Liz took pity on him and reached over to pat his arm. "I’ll go talk to her, okay? Just try not to have a nervous breakdown in the meantime."

She left him standing there, jaw locked, and pushed through the double doors. The sounds of the late afternoon lunch crowd filled her ears, and she looked around until she caught sight of Tess’s blonde head.

Her sister indeed looked strangely distracted, tapping her fingers against the counter behind the register, blue eyes unseeing as she stared at some unknown point.

With a slight frown, Liz walked up and tapped her on the shoulder. "Hey, whatcha looking at?"

Tess blinked, and glanced at her. "What? Oh… when did you get here?"

"Just now," Liz’s frown deepened as she looked her sister head on. "Are you okay? You look… anxious." Like you’re waiting for something.

Tess’s eyes flicked towards the front door as the jingle sounded and her back went stiff. Liz glanced over and her heart skipped a beat as she saw Max enter.

Or someone, she thought as Tess’s eyes focused on Max as he headed for a booth seat.

"Tess?" Liz asked, a little more stiffly than she’d intended as she watched Max glance up and freeze as his eyes locked on Tess.

"I’ll be back…" Tess mumbled, moving slowly as if drawn by some unseen force towards Max’s table.

Liz watched in complete fascination as Max stood up and met her halfway. They both stopped just short of actually touching, and her heart sank as Max’s face lit up and he smiled brightly at her sister.

Tess looked dumbstruck, and then she did something Liz had never seen her reserved sister do. She reached out and hugged Max, wrapping her arms tightly around him.

If Max was surprised that a virtual stranger was embracing him, he didn’t show it. Instead his eyes closed and he hugged her back, in the middle of the CrashDown café.

"Who is that?" Kyle asked, coming up to stand next to Liz. He looked… shattered. His blue eyes emanated hurt as he stared at the two across the room.

Liz fought back hurt of her own, refusing to acknowledge why it hurt to see Max in another woman’s arms. For God’s sake… she didn’t even like him!

She had to clear her throat before answering, and her voice still sounded miserable. "He’s one of the new kids from school."

Finally, they stopped hugging, and Max stepped back until he held Tess at arm’s length. His eyes roamed over her body, seemingly devouring her whole as Liz and Kyle watched on with various degrees of anger and injury.

Max’s mouth opened and he spoke. Liz narrowed her eyes, trying to read his lips, but it was impossible when they shifted to allow a scurrying waitress to move by.

"I think I’m going to go back to the kitchen," Kyle mumbled, tearing his eyes away and starting for the doors.

Liz didn’t even hear him leave, she just stared at her sister and Max.

Suddenly, Max looked up and their gazes locked. His golden eyes widened with… was that pleasure?… and then his entire face softened. On the other hand, Liz stiffened and glared at him. He looked confused, then glanced at Tess and blinked.

Liz rolled her eyes and turned on her heel, heading for the register as she saw a couple walk up to the counter. Without glancing back, she offered a tight smile and began to ring up the customers, aware of Max’s eyes on her the entire time.


<center>***</center>


Max stared in shock as he met Tess’s blue eyes. Even knowing she was here, hearing the way Isabel described seeing the other alien, he hadn’t been prepared for this… to feel like he’d been knocked on his ass.

She was beautiful.

He noticed that right off. She was more beautiful than even in his dreams, and at the time he’d thought she was the most beautiful creature he’d ever seen. But he noted this with a sort of detached admiration, as though he were studying a particularly stunning piece of artwork.

He felt no desire for her… just that same sense of protectiveness. An almost familial sense of duty as she wrapped her arms around him. He staggered, emotions pouring over him as he held onto her. He closed his eyes against the onslaught, and struggled to comprehend what was happening.

When she pulled back, she had tears in her eyes. "You really came."

He held her gaze, drowning in the blue depths. "You knew I would," he answered softly. "I have many questions."

She smiled, reaching up to cup his cheek. "I know. We have much to discuss."

Just then, he felt the familiar ache and glanced up to find Liz staring at them with unreadable eyes. He straightened, his entire body lighting with tenderness as he smiled at her.

She glared back and stomped off, leaving him staring after her.

Well, shit. He glanced back to see Tess watching the exchange, and felt like a complete idiot. "Well… this is really awkward."

Tess narrowed her gaze on him, and he felt a strange prickle in the back of his mind. Then she murmured, "You have feelings for her." She smiled. "It won’t be easy."

He frowned, unsure what to make of her comment. "What do you mean? There… there can’t be anything…"

She only offered him a mysterious smile, and leaned in to whisper into his ear, "Meet me tomorrow night, out at Guffey Park. We’ll talk then."

With that enigmatic comment, she turned and headed towards the back room. Max stared after her, poleaxed. His eyes fell on Liz once again, and he walked over to her.

"That’ll be nine dollars and sixty-seven cents," he heard her say to the man in front of her. The cash register chimed as she gave the man his change. "Thank you for eating at the CrashDown, have a nice day."

The polite smile disappeared from her face as the man walked away, revealing Max to her gaze. "Oh, what do you want?" she snapped, brushing a strand of hair from her eyes, not bothering to conceal her disgust.

Max ignored the harsh tone, and smiled. "Hello to you, too."

"I’m busy," she barked, looking completely flustered. She turned and stared out the window, effectively dismissing him. It lasted a moment before she spun around and glared at him. "Stay away from my sister, okay? Tess is a nice girl."

He raised an amused brow. "Yes, she is."

Liz waited for him to expound, and when he didn’t her expression grew darker. "What’s so damn funny? Do you have a problem?"

He allowed his eyes to widen innocently. "I don’t have a problem. Do you?"

"Oh…" she snarled, and yanked off her antennae, forgetting the people around as she poked him in the chest. Hard. "You listen to me, Max Evans. I don’t know who the hell you think you are, but you are not going to come here and start leading my sister on with your big golden eyes and… and your sexy little smile, do you hear me?"

He bit back a pleased smile. "You think my smile is sexy?"

She blinked then growled, "No!"

He gave her said sexy smile, completely enjoying himself as he leaned on the counter, bringing their bodies closer together. "I think you’re lying. And… I think you’re jealous."

She stared at him for a moment, then laughed so hard tears came to her eyes. Max watched in fascination as she held her stomach. "Me? Jealous? God, you are delusional."

Max waited until the performance ended, then lifted her gaze to his, a finger under her chin. Her smile died and grew mutinous as he stared into her eyes. "You have nothing to worry about," he murmured sincerely, piercing her with his hot, intense gaze. "I’m not interested in your sister."

The implication of that statement didn’t escape either of them, and they both flushed. Liz jerked her chin away and nervously straightened her apron, unable to meet his eyes.

Max just stared at her, wondering why he always felt so primal around her. He’d always been vigilant… careful not to draw attention to himself. Of course, he couldn’t help the fact that females found him attractive, but he’d always made sure not to provoke their advancements.

But here he was… actually chasing after a girl. Good Lord.

"How do you even know Tess?" Liz finally broke the awkward silence, turning to stare at him suspiciously. "I thought you were new here…?"

Max fumbled for a reply. "I uh… we…"

"Did you know her before she came to Roswell?" Liz asked, unknowingly giving him an out. He gladly took it.

"Yes, we’re old friends," he smiled. "We haven’t seen each other for a long time, so I’m sure you can imagine my surprise to find her here."

"Right," Liz frowned, appearing unconvinced but willing to let the subject change. "Well… I really need to get back to work, so…" Her brows rose as he didn’t move. "In other words, move out of the guy behind you’s way."

Max glanced over his shoulder, and sure enough, a line was forming behind him. He flashed an apologetic smile and turned back to Liz. "Right, well… I guess I’ll see you later, Liz."

She rolled her eyes impatiently, doing an admirable job of appearing indifferent as he turned to walk away. As he bent over to retrieve his bookbag from the booth, he felt her gaze and looked over his shoulder.

She was staring at his butt.

As soon as he caught her, she turned dark red and returned her attention to the man in front of her. Max felt a grin stretching across his face as he straightened, hitching the bag over one shoulder and leaving the CrashDown.

Indifferent was she? He didn’t think so.


<center>***</center>


Tess smiled happily as she entered the kitchen, the steam causing her blonde curls to tighten.

For once, things were falling into place. Max was here. She felt the urge to shout it to the rooftops. How long had she waited for this moment, planned for it? She couldn’t remember.

She’d had the strangest feeling ever since she’d left school that day. The sense that something was about to happen, something that would irrevocably change her life.

It had almost been surreal, looking up and seeing him staring at her with the same stunned expression he’d worn in their shared dream.

He was even more handsome than she’d remembered. And she’d felt his instinctive response to her. It pleased her to know she wasn’t the only one experiencing the bond. Somehow, it made what had to happen easier to bear.

Her glance bounced from cook to cook, until she finally caught sight of Kyle. He was standing at the far right grill, frowning in concentration at the stainless-steel stovetop as he flipped burgers and other assorted meats.

Her heart swelled as she drank in the sight of him. She smoothed out her hair beneath the silly antennae, and made her way over. She paused when he didn’t even look up, then cleared her throat. "Hi," she said softly.

His eyes flicked up and trained on her, several emotions flying through their blue depths before an unreadable mask covered his features. He turned back to the stove, barely acknowledging her. "Oh, hey."

She blinked at his cool tone, taken aback. "I… I was looking for you," she said, stepping back as he flipped a burger pattie with a vengeance, sending a shower of grease through the air.

"Oh, were you now?" he murmured, and she frowned at the sarcastic insult in his voice. "Well, you found me. What do you want?"

She’d never heard Kyle use this tone on her. She grasped the skirt of her uniform, wondering what she had done wrong to warrant such a reaction, especially when they had seemed to connect so well earlier. "Well, I was wondering about the dance next weekend." When he didn’t reply, she swallowed and continued. "I just… I wanted to know if you… maybe wanted to go…?"

He stiffened and looked up at her. His eyes hardened and he immediately looked away. "I have a date," he mumbled, flipping another pattie.

She blinked, her heart sinking in her chest. "You… what?" Her happy mood evaporated at those four words. "But I thought…" she broke off as her eyes began to sting, a lump filling her throat.

"You thought what?" he slammed the spatuala down, turning to face her with crossed arms and heated antagonism.

She jumped at his loud exclamation, and took another step back. Despite the tears clouding her vision, she saw the anger on his face, along with another emotion she couldn’t read. "Never mind," she whispered. "I’m sorry… I’ll… let you get back to your grilling. I’m sorry," she repeated.

She turned to leave and heard him utter a low curse before saying in a soft voice, "Tess… wait."

But she refused to cry in front of him, and hurried through the doors leading to the main café.


<center>***</center>


Kyle watched her leave, and felt like his heart had been ripped out of his chest. "Damn it," he muttered, raking a hand through his hair and letting his arm hang limply at his side.

Okay, so he’d overreacted to seeing her hug another guy. Jesus, the least he could have done was ask her about it. But oh no… he’d acted like a complete ass and pushed her away out of stubborn male pride.

She’d asked him out.

For a moment he just stood in complete shock. Tess Harding, the girl of his dreams had actually asked him out. And what had he done? He let out a groan, and pulled at the hairnet covering his tousled locks.

"Fucking hell, Valenti, you are a moron," he mumbled in despair. "Another date? Christ Jesus…"

"Kyle! Your weiners are on fire!" the head cook José called out. Kyle looked down and cursed again at the sight of the flames leaping from the charred remains of what used to be a hot dog.

"Yeah Buddha, I hear ya," he muttered, reaching over to grab the fire extinguisher. "Karma’s a bitch."


<center>TBC...</center>

[Applebylicious]

Back with more! I do believe I'm a little late, but RL decided to intrude on my happy bubble yesterday. I just wanted to let you all know, that I seem to be focusing on the Tess/Kyle relationship right now... but I promise this is a Dreamer fic. I'm just getting some stuff out of the way, which is why there seems to be so much lamptrimmin' going on. Max and Liz are the prominant couple so no worries! Okay... comments...

I Luuuuvv Kyle!

He the man of my dreams!

Ha, you and me both! Can we share him? You can have him mondays, wednesdays, fridays... alternating Saturdays...?

I'm very intrigued with Max's strange attraction to Liz. You know it would be really neat if we found out more about Liz's past and why she is the way she is. Just a thought.

We will definately be finding out about Liz's story... actually, right about the same time that she and Max take a very important step forward. No, not THAT step, you horn dogs!

I'm guessing that Tess is thinking that somehow they have to break the bond between them or fight an instinct to be together. In other words, go against their programming. But then there's that attraction to Liz Max has, so maybe there's some other programming going on. Frell, it's late, and I'm not expressing this well. I'll just sit back and see what the story brings.

Hmm... very interesting thoughts. I won't say if you're right or not, because I don't want to spoil anything. But... I'll just say to keep an open mind, because things are not what they seem, and lots of people in this fic have a secret.

Greta part.

I'm sad both Kyle and LIz misunderstood what Max and Tess' encounter, but I can't blame them, I would have misunderstood too. And when Max's first thought when he saw Tess was "She was beautiful" my heart stopped beating for a second. You like to play with our nerves, don't you?

I would NEVER do that!!

I just had a baby boy. He is two weeks old now so things are getting easier for me to handle now. And I just have to come online for my Roswell Fix...heheh.

Aww, congratulations Wendy! :smilecolros: Don't you worry about not leaving feedback... I know exactly how it is. Why do you guys think I left for so long? Being a mommy is demanding stuff! Now that my own is a year old, I'm able to turn on Spongebob and leave him long enough to type up a quick part. Glad to see you back!

Alex Manes...wasn't that the Alex from the Roswell High Books?

Lys

Cookie for you! Yes, he is the book Alex. Glad to know I'm not totally confusing EVERYONE, LOL!

Oh, and thanks for the posting schedule; Tuesday is now my favorite day of the week (cuz my current favorite fic is being updated!! nfire: ).

:BIG:

Is it sad that I had to go look up what story was updated on Tuesday so I'd know which was your fave? Then I was like... "oh... DER!" LOL! I'll let you in on a little secret... GTC is my fave too! Hee hee!

I almost wish that he would just take Liz away, and let her start over. Frankly, I think that that would be easier, and more effective, than trying to change everyone in Roswell.

Elizabeth

Well... think back to the prologue. That's all I'm gonna say...

So does this mean that Liz will leave with Max when he goes to college? But from prologue we know that Tess had no idea where Liz was.

Hmm... not exactly. Everything at the beginning was in Tess's POV, so you don't really know what went down. The part where Liz leaves is going to be in her own, so you'll know how and why and what happened. But that isn't for like, a million more parts, LOL! Just stay tuned and try not to let me confuse you.


<center>Part 7</center>



"Are you fucking kidding me?!"

Max winced as his brother shouted at him, running a hand through his sandy hair and glaring out of stormy gray eyes. "Michael, calm down-" he began, but was cut off when a rock exploded next to his head.

"Calm down?" Michael bellowed, practically shaking with anger as he stalked across the sandy desert floor. "You hide the fact that you’ve been playing pen pals with one of our own kind, knowing this is something that Isabel and I should have known about… and you expect me to calm down?"

"Michael," Isabel spoke up for the first time since they’d all convened in the desert that afternoon. "He’s right… you need to calm down, or else you lose your control."

Another rock exploded in the distance. "You aren’t pissed off that he kept this from us?" he snapped, treating Max to another glare.

Isabel gave him her perfected icy stare. "Of course I am," she said in a frosty tone. "But you don’t see me blowing up boulders and shouting."

"No, God forbid you show emotion," Michael returned heatedly. "Why the hell didn’t you tell us, Max? Since when do we keep things from each other?"

Max closed his eyes against the hurt he heard in his brother’s tone. "I made a decision," he said quietly. "Maybe it wasn’t the right one, but I can’t take it back. I never planned on keeping this from you, Michael. I just… needed time to assess what was going on."

"And in the meantime, you let me wander all over the fucking place looking for clues to our past, while you had the goddamned answer!"

"That’s not how it was!"

"Kiss my ass, you-"

"That’s enough!" Isabel finally yelled and the two males found themselves suddenly unable to speak. "God, I’m getting a headache from you both."

Max and Michel both glared at her as she sighed and began tying her long hair into a ponytail. After patting down the smooth top, she tossed the tail over her shoulder and put her hands on her hips. "Now, can you both speak calmly and rationally, or should I just leave you this way?"

Michael made a rude gesture and Max gave her a look.

With an amused brow raised, she released them from her mind control.

"I swear to God, Iz, if you use that crap on me again…" Michael threatened her. "I hate that."

"I’m always calm and rational," Max added in response to her earlier comment.

"I want to know everything, Max," Michael said, seating himself on the edge of a jutting stone. "And I want to know it now."

"That makes two of us," Isabel added, crossing her arms under her breasts as she eyed her brother.

"There isn’t really much to tell," Max admitted, and proceeded to fill them in on his dream encounter with Tess and the letters they’d exchanged. When he got to the meeting at the CrashDown, he noticed as Michael reined in his anger once again. "I didn’t plan to run into her, Mike," he said softly. "I wasn’t planning on seeking her out until I told you both the entire story."

"What were you doing there, then?" Michael asked suspiciously. "Something tells me you weren’t just there for a burger. You never go out by yourself, because of all the girls drooling all over you."

Max flushed darkly at that, even though it was true. He reached up to scratch his ear. "I… uh…" He bit his lip, wondering how he could admit that he’d gone there looking for someone, all right. It just hadn’t been Tess.

"Max, what’s going on?" Isabel asked, reading his sheepish expression. "Who were you there to meet?"

"I wasn’t there to meet anyone," he corrected. "I was just…" He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "There’s a girl, okay?"

"Oh my God," Michael threw his arms in the air. "We’re on the brink of possibly discovering the truth about where we come from… or at least getting some answers, and he’s thinking with his dick. Perfect timing, Maxwell."

"Michael, shut up," Isabel said without glancing away from Max. "A girl?" she demanded, raising a brow.

Max sighed. "Her name is Liz, and as it turns out… she’s Tess’s sister. Her step-sister," he added quickly when Michael sucked in a breath. "There’s no reason to believe that she is one of us, or that she even knows what her sister is." He frowned lightly. "Except… I feel a connection to her. I don’t understand how or why, but… I’m drawn to her."

"Define ‘drawn to’," Michael grunted. "Is this alien? Or just a case of overdeveloped hormones talking?"

Before Max could answer, Isabel broke in with, "Liz? The same Liz we were talking about earlier? The one with the… reputation?"

"Reputation?" Michael snorted. "What, you got the hots for a country slut, Max?"

Before the words even finished leaving his lips, Michael found himself flat on his back, held down by an invisible force as Max stood above him, golden eyes fiery and expression dark.

"Don’t say that about her," he said in a voice that neither of his siblings had ever heard him use before. It reeked of authority and command, seemed to vibrate with intensity.

Michael stared in shock at his brother, and nodded slowly. Isabel stared on without speaking, but her eyes showed her surprise.

As if coming out of a daze, Max shook his head and stepped back, dropping his hand. "Don’t say that about her," he said in a more subdued tone.

Michael stood, brushing the sand and dirt from his clothing as he watched Max warily. "My mistake," he spoke stiffly, wondering why he felt the need to genuflect in front of his brother.

"You said you felt a connection," Isabel stated softly. "How do you mean? Is it… is it like the one you feel around us?"

Max looked out over the desert, squinting at the setting sun as he rocked forward on his heels. "No, it’s different," he murmured. "It’s… it’s more intense, in a way. It’s like I feel the need to own her, or something," he admitted. "Like I know she’s supposed to belong to me."

Isabel’s eyes narrowed. "I don’t like this. You’ve never had this reaction to a human, Max. Why now? Why her?"

"I don’t know," he sighed, raking a hand through his hair as he turned to address them both. "But I have to find out." Before they could balk, he held up a hand. "This isn’t open to debate. I’m not going to tell her anything, but I am going to get closer. I have to. I have to know."

With that statement, he walked off towards the Jeep, leaving Michael and Isabel staring after him, wondering how their quietly spoken brother had suddenly become a commanding leader.


<center>***</center>


Liz walked into her room and let out a loud groan, falling face-first onto her bed. Turning only her head, she regarded Tess across the room. "What’s wrong with you?" she asked, her words muffled by the press of her cheek against the mattress.

Tess barely glanced at her, just continued staring out the window, her knees tucked up to her chin. Judging by the faint tracks on her face, she’d been crying.

Liz sat up, running a hand through her hair and grimacing when she found a piece of pasta, a souvenir from the five year-old Thompson twins temper tantrum. "Hey, what happened?" she asked in concern, scooting across the bed.

Tess sniffed and finally turned to look at her. "I hate men," she said simply, then locked her jaw and turned towards the wall.

"Uh… this isn’t the conversation where you tell me you’ve decided to become a lesbian, is it?" Liz tried to joke, but Tess only snorted. "Okay, let me guess… Kyle saw you hug Max and being a typical male who acts first and thinks never, he jumped to the wrong conclusions and didn’t give you a chance to explain."

"Pretty much," Tess returned dryly. "Not that I care. He’s an ass. A good looking ass, but still an ass."

Liz gave her a look and pretended to sigh. "He does have a nice ass, doesn’t he? I love it when he wears his football pants and you can see it jiggle when he runs."

"Liz!" Tess cried out, staring at her sister in affront, but couldn’t hold onto her indignation as she dissolved into giggles. "God, so do I."

Liz smiled and walked over to Tess’s bed. Sitting down beside her, she laid her head against the wall, mimicing Tess’s position. "So… you really like him, huh?"

Tess’s smile faded and a guarded look entered her eyes. "Yes, well… it would have never worked out between us. I must have lost my mind for a minute there."

"Why?" Liz questioned. "Because you’re a brain and he’s a jock? Please, all kidding aside… Kyle Valenti is one of the smartest guys I know. Granted, sometimes his brain seems to vacate the premises, case in point this afternoon, but still… he’s a great guy. And he really likes you."

"Not anymore," Tess mumbled. "I asked him out, and he told me to get lost."

"Kyle?" Liz arched a brow. "I find that hard to believe."

"I’m telling the truth," Tess insisted. "I asked him to go to the dance with me and he said… he said he already had a date."

"Who?" Liz demanded, cracking her knuckles. "I’ll kick her ass."

"Liz, I’m serious," Tess moaned, turning to look at her sister. "I felt like such an idiot. Obviously it wasn’t just that hug with Max that had him upset. He really just doesn’t like me anymore."

"Yeah… what was that hug all about anyway?" Liz squirmed, hoping her sister didn’t catch the desperate curiosity in her tone. "He said the two of you are old friends…?"

A ghost of a smile lit Tess’s lips. "Hmm… I guess you could say that."

"What’s that supposed to mean?" Liz cried, giving up all pretense of indifference. "Tess, how do you know Max Evans?"

Tess stared at her after the outburst, then grinned. "You like him."

Liz’s cheeks burned. "What? No… no I do not. He’s like a throwback to the nineteenth century! God, he drove me home the other night and he wanted to walk me to the door. It was twenty feet away! I mean-" she broke off as Tess smiled smugly. "No, no… we aren’t talking about Max. We’re talking about you and Kyle."

"I think you want to talk about Max," Tess said philosophically. "What’s this about him driving you home?"

"It was… it’s no big deal," Liz mumbled. "I was walking back from Sean’s and he offered me a ride. End of story. Moving on…"

"What were you doing walking from Sean’s?" Tess demanded.

Liz jumped up, feigning surprise. "Oh no, look at the time. The OC’s about to start, and tonight’s an all-new episode! We’ll have to continue this talk later. Bye!"

As she dashed out the room, she didn’t notice Tess staring after her with narrowed eyes.


<center>***</center>


Kyle stood outside the Parker’s house, nervously running a hand through his hair as he contemplated the rusted hinges on the door. He closed his eyes and reached out a fist, prepared to knock.

The door swung open and he almost banged on Liz’s forehead. Dropping his hand, he stared at her in shock. "Uh… hi."

"Kyle," she said in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, well, I…" he swallowed, pulling at the collar of his shirt and feeling ridiculous as he stared into Liz’s questioning eyes. "I came to see Tess," he blurted out. "Is she here?"

Her eyes narrowed. "Maybe," she said a little too casually, "But she doesn’t want to see you," she continued.

With that she slammed the door in his face. Kyle winced and bit back a sigh, knowing that he was going to have some serious explaining to do to Liz before she let him within five feet of her sister. With resignation, he lifted his hand and knocked again.

Liz opened the door, blinking innocently. "Oh, hello Kyle. Can I help you?"

He barely refrained from rolling his eyes. "Come on, let me in Liz. I came to apologize."

"Apologize for what, Kyle?" she asked in a sweet voice. "For being a complete asshole? Or for not having any backbone whatsoever? Hmm… or is it both?"

He glared at her through frustrated eyes. "You saw her hugging him! What was I supposed to think?"

She tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Let’s see… like a rational human being? But wait, you have a penis. There goes that suggestion."

"Liz…" he growled, but was cut off when he heard Tess’s voice from inside the house.

"Liz? Who’s at the door? Did Dad foget his key again…" she trailed off, appearing behind Liz. Her eyes immediately turned guarded when she glimpsed him, and she drew back. "Oh."

"Tess," he breathed, drinking her up as she stared at him in hurt confusion. "Can we… talk?"

"Why don’t you go talk to your date," Liz suggested with a bite in her tone and Kyle imagined reaching out and wringing her neck.

He expected Tess to let her sister handle him, to stand back shyly and withdraw into herself. But to his surprise, she touched Liz’s shoulder, her eyes never leaving his.

"Liz, it’s okay. I want to talk to him."

Kyle’s heart lifted at those quietly uttered words, and then plummeted with her next breath.

"So that I can tell him myself what a jackass he is."

Liz smirked and folded her arms, obviously taking great joy in his predicament. "I guess I’ll leave you two alone," she sang, and patted him on the shoulder before strutting back inside.

Tess shut the door behind her, and then there they were. Standing on her front porch alone in the darkness. The moonlight afforded him a glimpse of her face, and the mask over her emotions cut him deeply.

She’d already closed herself off from him. With an inward curse, he attempted to break the silence. "So… this is where you live," he tried to sound upbeat. "I looked it up on the employee call list."

As soon as the words were out, he realized what a mistake it was. Her face flushed and she looked away, embarrassment clearly written on her face. God, now she probably thought he was making fun of her.

He’d known that they were low on money and he knew that was hard on both girls to live in a town where money and prestige meant everything. Hailing from an upper-middle class home himself, he’d never had to worry about such things.

But looking around the neighborhood Liz and Tess called home, a lump formed in his throat as he realized how much he’d taken his own privilege for granted.

"You wanted to see where I lived?" Tess asked uncertainly, breaking him from his self-revelation. "Well, you’ve seen it. I’m going inside."

She turned around and he reached out and grabbed her arm. "Wait. That’s not why I came," he said softly. "God, Tess… I’m sorry about this afternoon. You’re right, I’m a complete jackass."

She didn’t yell at him or give him a scathing setdown as he’d half expected. She simply removed her arm and faced him with those heartbreakingly blue eyes. "Why?" was all she asked.

He swallowed and ran a nervous hand through his hair. "I was jealous," he finally admitted, and oh how it stung to do so. He’d never been jealous in his life. "I saw you hug that guy and I just… lost my mind, I guess. It knocked me on my ass, Tess."

She looked surprised that he’d confessed it. "You were jealous?" she asked softly, with a question of uncertainty. "But… why?"

He took a step closer, watching as her eyes widened and she swallowed. "You know why," he murmured thickly, reaching up a hand and brushing back a blonde curl. "Because I wanted to be the one you hug like your life depended on it."

She swallowed again, backing into the door as he pressed closer. "What about… the girl you’re dating?"

He paused, genuinely confused. "What girl?"

"The one you’re taking to the dance," she reminded him, trying to hide the hurt in her eyes as she looked at the ground. The sound of his short laugh raised her head.

"Oh, baby," he shook his head, sliding a finger beneath her jaw. "There is no girl. That was just me acting like a jackass again… and maybe trying to make you a little jealous as well."

"Well, it worked," Tess grumbled, smiling a little. "You jackass."

He dropped his forehead to hers. "If the invitation still stands… I’d love to go with you."

"Hmm…" she shook her head, teasing him with a brush of her lips against his as they stood so close together. "No, I already asked and you said no. If you want to go, you’re going to have to ask me."

"But it’s the Sadie Hawkins," Kyle smiled slowly, his hands creeping up her back and caressing her beneath the silky camisole she wore. "The girl’s supposed to ask the boy."

"If you want to go with me, Valenti, you’ll damn well ask," Tess replied starchly.

Kyle sighed and made a show of taking both her hands. "Tess Harding… will you take pity on this jackass and go with me to the dance?"

To both of their surprise, she yanked on his shoulders and kissed him. Kyle’s shock didn’t last long when he felt the warm press of her lips, and he immediately pulled her closer, his eyes closing and his mouth opening to deepen the kiss.

Tess leaned against him, holding on to his strong shoulders as sensations swept through her. She gasped, arching her neck as images flashed through her mind.

"Higher!" Kyle laughed, swinging his legs as he swung back and forth. "Daddy, push harder!"

"Pump your legs son, and you can make yourself go higher. That’s it, Kyle! Look at you go…"

Kyle’s lips nibbled at her neck as she held on, the flashes coming faster.

"I’m getting a new sister," Liz said solemnly, coloring intently with a bright purple crayon. "She’s gonna be my best friend, and you’re gonna beg us to let you play Barbies and dress-up."

"No way," Kyle answered. "’Sides, you can’t just get a sister. They gots to bake for awhile, my momma said so."

"You’ll see, Kyle Valenti. She’s gonna be beautiful and nice, and you’re gonna fall in love and wanna marry her, just like Cinderella."

"God, you taste so good," he whispered in her ear, sucking the lobe into his hot mouth as she struggled to comprehend the orgasmic feelings coursing through her. “I’m taking this to mean yes?”

"Hi, I’m Kyle Valenti."

"I’m Tess."

"You wanna play with me?" Kyle asked shyly, kicking his feet as he stared at her. "You’re really pretty…"

"Oh my God," Tess moaned as Kyle’s lips returned to her own, and she trembled with pleasure, her legs folding beneath her.

"I know," he whispered, holding her up, nuzzling her cheek. "It’s too good… it’s incredible."

Tess could only stare at him, heart beating fast as the images began to subside. She nodded, tucking her head against his shoulder as he ran a hand through her hair.


<center>TBC...</center>

[Applebylicious]

Hi all! This is Cristine stepping in for Lindsay for the time being. She's off on her fun-filled Hawaiian vacation but didn't want us poor readers waiting too long for a new part. So here it is!

p.s. A word of warning to those who are squeamish. There is some violence in this chapter so be forewarned.
_____________________

Part 8

"Kyle!"

Kyle jumped and looked over to where Liz was glaring at him in exasperation. "Huh? What did you say?"

She rolled her eyes, closing her book with a snap. "Would you wipe that stupid grin off your face? I thought we were going to study?"

"Right, of course," he answered, although he didn’t quite rid himself of the smile. "What were we studying again?"

"Oh!" Liz punched him in the shoulder. "You’re pathetic. Drooling all over my sister… I think I’m gonna be sick."

"Well, do it over there. This is a new shirt," he shot back, ducking the next punch Liz threw his way. Laughing, he said, "Damn, Parker. You got a helluva right hook."

"Obviously we aren’t going to get anything done with you mooning the entire period," Liz snapped, although there was no real animosity behind her words. In fact, she felt like grinning herself as she watched the way Kyle’s eyes constantly strayed across the library to where Tess sat with Alex. "Ugh, take a picture," she announced.

"Got a camera?" he answered impishly. "God, she’s beautiful today."
"She looks the same as every other day," Liz replied wryly. But in truth, there was something different about her sister today. It was as if a beam of sunlight was surrounding Tess, her cheeks and eyes bright as she glanced over her shoulder.

Her cheeks flushed when she caught sight of Kyle staring openly, and bit her lip before offering him a small smile and looking away. "God, this is so… cute," Liz shuddered. "I really am going to throw up."
"You’re so damn sentimental, Liz."

"We’ll have to do this at a time when you can actually use your head… the one attached to your shoulders."

"Liz!" Kyle’s head whipped around and his cheeks turned dark red. "Listen… why don’t we get together after practice? I just got a new job over at Murray Ranch, taking care of the horses."

"You mean, shoveling dung out of the stalls?" Liz fluttered her lashes. "How appropriate."

"Ha ha," he growled. "Wanna meet up there? You can tell me whatever I need to know while I work."

Liz shrugged. "Sounds good to me."

"If you want to wait until practice is done, I can drive you over there," Kyle offered, glancing back at Tess.

"No, I can get myself there," Liz said immediately. "I’ll see you then."
Kyle barely noticed her leave, staring at the back of Tess’s head.


Liz slid her bookbag to the opposite shoulder and turned around to walk straight into a person going the opposite direction. "Oh, shit."

"Are you okay?" a masculine voice grunted and she looked up to see the sandy-haired male that was friends with Max, studying her intently.
She stepped back, not intimidated by his probing eyes… just surprised. "Um, yeah. Sorry for running into you."

She tried to go past him and he looked as if he’d stop her until the last second. She felt his gaze on her the entire time she walked away.

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

Tess frowned into her bag as she searched for a pen, walking quickly down the hallway. As she passed by the eraser room, a hand shot out and yanked her inside, the other palm covering her mouth as she shrieked.

"Hey, Blondie… stop kicking."

She immediately relaxed and stopped the power surge within her as she recognized Kyle’s voice. "Kyle!" she hissed when he pulled his hand away. "What are you doing?"

In the dim light, she saw him grin. "Abducting you for your free period?"
Despite the irony of his words, she smiled. "Couldn’t you have just left a note?"

"Would you have come?" he returned on a low voice, sliding closer until she was backed against the wall, his warm body pressed against hers. "God, I’ve been wanting to do this all day."

"What?" she breathed, swallowing as his heavy-lidded gaze fell to her lips. The second his lips met hers, she lost her grip on the bag. It fell to the floor unnoticed as they clung to one another.

Kyle’s fingers threaded in her hair, anchoring their mouths together as their lips rubbed and their tongues teased. Tess grasped his shoulders, wrapping her arms tightly around him.

"You make me crazy," he moaned, pulling away to stare at her, his breath coming out in shallow gasps. "God."

"I… I’m sorry…?" she looked away, not knowing if he meant it as a good thing.

"No," he shook his head. "Don’t be sorry. Damn, you’re incredible." His lips touched hers again, lightly.

They exchanged soft kisses until once again passion took over and tongues delved. The sound of the bell ringing broke them apart and they stood staring at each other again.

Kyle laughed self-deprecatingly. "I think we better slow down."

"Isn’t that supposed to be my line?" Tess whispered, tracing the ridge of his pecs beneath the soft cotton shirt.

"Oh, baby…" he murmured as her fingers slid up and into his hair, yanking his head back down.

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

Liz parked outside of the sprawling ranch and just stared for a long moment. The sun beat down overhead, bathing the land in a golden glow. As she stepped out, she was glad she’d changed into simple shorts and a tank before heading out.

She walked over to the stable, glancing around for any sign of Kyle. She really didn’t want to get arrested for trespassing. As she rounded the corner that led into the pens, she stopped dead in her tracks.

She stared in fascination as she caught sight of Max, naked chest gleaming with sweat, bent to brush the shining black coat of a giant black stallion. The horse’s Romanesque nose flared, and he tossed his long, silky mane as Max murmured in low, soothing tones while he ran the paddle across the horse’s muscled flank.

But Liz barely gave the magnificent creature a second glance, as her eyes were trained on the worn denim hugging Max’s butt as he crouched. She swallowed, and opened her mouth to call out, when he froze, then turned around to face her.

"Hey." Surprised pleasure emanated from his husky tone, and he stood up, brushing his gloved hands against the dusty jeans as he started forward. The horse made a noise, and he turned to run his hand through his mane. "Stay, Conrad. I’ll be right back."

His drawl rolled over her like honeyed molasses, and she felt her brain melting in the blazing heat as he grinned at her. "You’re not Kyle."
He raised a brow, pulling a red bandanna out of his pocket and using it to wipe the sweat from his face before tying it around his forehead. "No… I’m not. Thanks for noticing."

She flushed, struggling to pull her gaze away from the rippling muscles of his chest. "I… I mean, I was looking for Kyle," she amended quickly, her face heating even more when he simply continued to smile. "He said he worked here."

Max nodded, scratching his ear. "He’s not here yet. I’m watching the horses until he shows up."

Liz nodded. "Oh… then, you work here, too?"

He chuckled and took another step towards her, hooking a foot on the wooden fence that separated them. "I live here, Liz. My parents own this ranch."

Her mouth fell open and she looked away in embarrassment. Of course! No wonder the name had sounded so familiar when Kyle had informed her of his new job. Of course, he could have bothered to mention…

"Liz?"

She glanced back at Max’s quizzical tone, and forced away the irritation at her friend’s thoughtlessness. "Well, I guess I’d better… go. I really just needed to talk to Kyle about… something."

"Wait, don’t go," he said earnestly as she turned. "I mean, at least come in for awhile. It’s hot out."

Like she hadn’t noticed. Her eyes practically glued to a bead of sweat as it rolled across his collarbone, slipping down to his navel. She swallowed again. It was hot out, all right. But it had nothing to do with the sun.
Max’s eyes narrowed. "How did you get here, anyway? You didn’t walk, did you?"

She flicked her eyes up to his face, glad he hadn’t noticed her momentary distraction as she’d stared at his body. She slowly shook her head. "No, I borrowed Maria’s Jetta."

The suspicion died in his stare, replaced with a much hotter expression as his eyes fell to her lips. Maybe he hadn’t missed her longing gaze, after all. "Stay for awhile."

The stallion threw his head back and whinnied, and Max shared a grin with his horse. "Conrad wants you to stay, too. You know better than to let a pretty girl get away, don’t you boy?"

Pretty.

She’d heard it before. Well, something along the lines, anyway. Usually it was more like, "Damn, honey, you are so hot." Or maybe even, "Baby, you’re gorgeous."

But the simple compliment from Max’s lips as he grinned at her, made her heart turn over in her chest. He wasn’t saying the words as a way to get in her pants, or to get her in his. He really meant it.

A shy smile lifted her lips, and she nodded slowly. "I’ll stay. For awhile," she added when his face lit. She turned her gaze to the animal watching them with dark eyes, and amazement colored her features. "He’s beautiful."

Pride shone in Max’s eyes as he turned to regard Conrad. "He is, isn’t he? My dad bought him from an older couple in Albuquerque. He’s a show horse."

As he continued to talk, she was captivated by the way his voice dipped and glided with the soft twang. When he paused, obviously awaiting a response to a question she hadn’t heard, she answered with, "Where did you get your accent?"

He looked so adorably confused she almost giggled. "Excuse me?"

She took a step forward, bringing her to the edge of the corral. "I heard you were from California, so why do you sound like you’ve been living on the wide-open range all your life?"

"I grew up on a horse ranch in Arizona," he admitted, raising an arm to wipe his forehead, causing the muscles in his arm and shoulder to bunch and shift in an appealing manner. "My dad was a rancher before he ever was a lawyer. When he passed the bar, we moved out to LA."

Liz wrinkled her nose. "So, what are you… a cowboy?"

He laughed again, and winked at her. "Why, you like cowboys? Is that your type?" he joked, taking off the handling gloves as he watched her with a teasing curl of his lips.

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, the scent of manure really gets me off," she retorted, a feeling of lightheartedness consuming her as they bantered.
He managed to appear crestfallen, then shrugged. "Oh well, maybe one day I’ll find the way to your heart." Then he smiled so slowly that she felt a slow thud begin in her chest. "You wanna ride?"

Her eyes snapped to his, a sudden flash of heat filling her. "What?"

"You ever ride a horse?" he elucidated, dimples flashing as though he knew exactly what had gone through her mind.

"N… no," she mumbled, wondering just how many times she was going to allow herself to be cajoled by him. With a firmer voice, she added, "Never had the opportunity. I guess I’d like to try sometime."

He hitched his head towards the excited stallion, straightening the leather saddle on his back. "Climb on, then." He bent slightly at the knees and cupped his hands together.

"Wait, what?" Liz backed up, glancing from the huge animal to Max. "You mean, now?"

"Why not?" he returned patiently. "I was about to take Conrad out for a run today, anyway."

"But… I mean, can we both get on there?"

"It’s a double saddle," he pointed out, and she bit her tongue. His eyes narrowed in curiosity. "Are you scared?"

Her back immediately stiffened. "No! I’m not scared of anything," she mumbled, glaring at him as he fought back a grin. "What are you laughing at?"

He shook his head, still biting back amusement. "Nothing… you just look really cute when you’re mad."

Her anger shifted into uncomfortable shyness. "Stop flirting with me," she accused, turning her nose up at him. "It’s not going to get me on that saddle with you."

"Maybe not, but it’s a lot of fun."

She stared at him, dissolving into a laugh. "What is with you? Do you just say whatever pops into your head?"

He looked honestly chagrined for a moment. "Actually… no. It pretty much only happens around you. Everyone else claims I’m pretty closemouthed."

"They must be hard of hearing," she answered, and they both smiled. "If I get on that thing, you promise I won’t fall and break my neck?"

He held out his hand, a twinkle in his eye. "I promise I’ll put my arms around you and protect you, is that good enough?"

Even as his words were meant to be playful, her heart longed for just that. For someone to protect her. To shoulder some of the pain she lived with. She forced the gloomy feelings down and took his hand.

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

"Go faster!"

Max chuckled into her ear as he watched Liz lean forward, gripping Conrad’s silky mane as they raced across the open ground. "You like it?" he asked, smiling at the unrestrained pleasure that lit her face.

She turned back to smile at him. "Can you make him go any faster?" she pleaded, biting her full lower lip. "I want to fly!" She accented this cry by throwing her arms out and closing her eyes.

She bobbled slightly as Conrad took a turn, and Max chuckled as he tightened his grip around her. "Whoa, there. Keep a good hold, or else you’ll be flying, all right. Straight to the ground."

Liz giggled, sinking deeper into his embrace as she unconsciously leaned against his shoulder. "This is incredible," she admitted, taking in the surrounding scenery and the sensation of riding atop the giant animal. "I feel ten feet tall! And let me tell you, being short all my life… it’s quite a gift." She tilted her head back and tossed him a naughty look, teasing, "Of course, you’d know what I’m talking about, wouldn’t you, Max?"

"I’m not short," he growled into her ear, and Liz fought back a moan as his gruff tone sent goosebumps shivering across her skin. "I assure you, I’m perfectly proportional."

Liz lifted a brow, humming under her breath as she snuggled up closer to him. "Oh, really?" she purred, shocked at her behavior, but at the same time desperately curious to see how he’d respond to light flirtation.

He sucked in a breath as her bottom brushed against his lap, then his arms tightened more as he bent his head. "Are you flirting with me, Liz?"

She felt a surge of pure feminine delight at the hoarseness in his slow drawl. "And if I am?" she answered coyly, batting her lashes at him. "Hmm… are we having fun yet?"

His gaze burned into hers as Conrad slowed to a trot, and their bodies thudded against the supple leather with each step. Her teasing smile faded and her lips parted as he reached out and cradled her face with one hand. He traced her cheek, the rough calluses on his palm softly abrading her skin. He let out a low groan and his gaze fell to her lips. "You are so dangerous." The words were uttered in such a low tone she wouldn’t have heard them had she not been staring at his mouth just as intently.

And right there, with her head lying against his bare shoulder and the sun beating down on them as they rode across the desert earth, Liz Parker received her first kiss. For surely none of the slobbering, frantic liplocks she’d ever experienced before could compare to this monumental meeting of mouths.

She could smell the earthy scent of sweat on him as he slanted his head to brush his lips more firmly against her own. She reached up and knotted a hand in his hair, pulling him closer as their mouths opened and tongues tangled together.

"Oh, God…" someone moaned, and they exploded in a fervent mesh of roaming hands and scorching lips. Liz clutched at his shoulder as she twisted half in the saddle, desperate to feel more of him.

He caught her lower lip between his teeth and bit her gently, laving the slight sting away with his tongue. She sucked in a breath, tasting the saltiness of perspiration as he pulled her closer.

She ran her fingers down the sleek skin of his shoulders, reveling in the solid muscle over thick bone. When she pulled back to gasp, he went to work on her ear, nibbling the tender lobe. "Max…"

"God, what are you doing to me?" he whispered harshly. "This… this is wrong…"

Her heart skipped even as he caught her lips again. "Why is it wrong?" she moaned, sliding her hands down his lower back, to the dip where his spine met the rise of his buttocks. "Oh, God, Max… don’t stop…"

"I can’t stop," he groaned in reply, then pulled Conrad to an abrupt stop. Liz dazedly wondered how he’d managed to keep hold of the reins in the wake of that incredible kiss, when he simply lifted her and turned her in his lap. Her legs went around his back, cradling her thighs between his as they kissed again. And again.

Between kisses, he told her, "We… shouldn’t… be doing… this… oh, God, Liz…"

The sudden flash took him by surprise, causing him to arch in orgasmic response as their minds melded.

His entire body hurt.

He cowered in the corner, tears streaming down his face as the sound of drunken arguing continued, growing closer to his hiding place. He tucked his knees to his chest, wishing he could draw himself up tight enough to disappear.

"Liz! Where is that little bitch?"

He cringed as the man came into view, his eyes blurry and wild. When he caught sight of him hiding, his lips curled and he plodded over to tower over him.

"There you are, you worthless bitch. What did I tell you about leaving your shit in the living room? I almost broke my goddamn leg! Don’t you cry, you fucking bitch!" He knocked his open palm into the side of his head with enough force to send him reeling across the floor.

He scurried on his hands and knees, trying to escape as red liquid poured into his eye.

"Daddy, p… please," he whimpered, flinching as he awaited the next expected blow. But it didn’t come. Through a bloody haze he watched as someone threw himself at the man, beating him with tiny fists.

"Stay away from her! Stay away!"

The blubbering voice filled him with frightened relief. But then he watched in terror as the man roughly shoved the small boy away and laughed cruelly.

"What the hell… the little orphan bastard from next door?" her father chuckled, wiping the spittle from his lips with the back of his hand.

Despite the ringing in his ears, he struggled to warn his friend. "No, Alex… run! Daddy… please don’t… hurt him!"

But it was too late. A scream tore from his lips as the baseball bat came down over the boy’s back, a loud cracking sounding through the room. He held his hands to his head, dizziness consuming him as he watched the man rip the boy’s pants from his legs, exposing the cotton Spiderman underwear.

"I’ll show you what happens to little boys who mess with people much too big for them," the man grunted, and shoved the narrow end of the bat up the boy’s behind, as the boy screamed in pain.

He finally passed out, hearing the screaming and pleading echoing in his mind…

Max gasped as the flash ended and blinked against the tears that stung his eyes, staring at Liz through blurred vision. He ignored the stunned expression on her face, and pulled her against his chest, burying his face against her hair.

"Oh, baby," he whispered, shaking as he rocked her back and forth. "You poor baby…"

He showered her with kisses, kisses meant to heal even as his heart broke with the knowledge of what she’d been hiding. He wrapped his arms more tightly around her, desperate to feel close to her after the horror he’d envisioned.

"Max, you’re smothering me," she said with a nervous laugh, gently pushing him away. "What… what’s going on?" She tried for a casual tone, but he caught the underlying fear in her voice.

He simply stared at her, unable to keep from reaching out and stroking her cheek… the place where he’d felt the sharp sting of a slap. His hand trembled. "Oh, honey… you don’t ever have to be scared with me. You know that, don’t you? I’d never hurt you… oh God."

She blinked at him, her lips still full and swollen from their fervent kisses. "Max, you aren’t making any sense…" she laughed again, but the sound fell flat as he continued to stare at her. “Why are you staring at me like that?"

"Like what?" he whispered hoarsely, still rubbing her cheeks with the pads of his thumbs. He brushed a soft kiss across the spot where he half-expected to see a colorful bruise.

How he wished he could cure the bruises that were hidden much deeper.

"Like you’re afraid I’m going to break in two and disappear," she answered in a confused voice. "Are you okay? You’re really pale."

Suddenly, he realized she couldn’t have known he’d seen a glimpse of the past she guarded so zealously. God, and here he was, ready to blurt the whole thing out and swear to take care of her until the end of time.

He swallowed carefully, and aimed for a bright smile, hoping the corners of his mouth didn’t twitch. "Sorry… I think I’m a little dehydrated," he lied, once again cursing his heritage.

Part of him wanted, needed to tell her the truth. But the other half of him knew she wasn’t ready. That it would push her away before he’d had the opportunity to bind her to him so that she’d never think of leaving. And he didn’t intend to ever let her go. Not now. Not since he’d seen inside her soul, and glimpsed the girl begging for acceptance. For love.

He knew how she felt. He’d spent his whole life searching for his place in the world. As he stared into her wide brown eyes, flecked with tiny shards of gold, he realized that maybe he’d already found it.

[Applebylicious]

Sorry for the long wait... enjoy the "calm before the storm".

hugs,

Linds


<center>Part 9</center>


Liz couldn’t help but notice the way Max kept looking at her throughout the entire time they rode back to the ranch. She wished she could pretend it was because of that singularly amazing kiss they’d shared… but somehow she knew it wasn’t.

Ever since, he treated her so tenderly it was all she could do not to crawl into his lap and let him stroke her worries away. In fact, it seemed as if that was what he wanted her to do.

As they dismounted Conrad back at the corral, she broke the awkward silence. "Max… about what happened—"

"—Liz I want you to know," he began at the exact same time, and they both stopped and stared at each other, dissolving into nervous laughter.

Liz nibbled her lip, trying to figure out exactly how she wanted to ask what was on her mind. "Max… about that kiss…"

"Liz?"

They both looked over to see Kyle heading their way, hands shoved into the pockets of a pair of ripped jeans. He looked extremely happy and was whistling as he approached.

"Kyle…" she answered inanely, fighting back a strange feeling of disappointment as she glanced at Max. "I… I was waiting for you."

"Yeah, sorry I was late," Kyle grinned sheepishly, scratching behind his ear as he reached them. "I was… taking Tess home after her study group." His eyes glowed with the memory of intimacy.

The sheer adoration in his voice had Max and Liz blushing, remembering their own personal moment. Their eyes met and clung, both unable to look away as the recollection of searching hands and heated lips burned into their minds.

"I think I’ll go… give Conrad a cool down," Max cleared his husky throat, his golden gaze sharp with desire. "I’ll let you two do… whatever."

"Wait, Max," Liz called as he turned around. She felt like an idiot when she heard the desperation in her own voice, and the surprised look in Kyle’s eyes said he caught it too. Still, she waited for Max to face her again before she asked, "When will I see you again?"

It was a toss-up as to who was more surprised by her question. Kyle’s eyes grew wide and he looked around uncomfortably, obviously realizing he’d stepped into the middle of a private event.

Max simply stared at her, then his lips slowly curled into a smile. "I’ll see you in school," he answered in that drawl that sent pleasant chills across her skin, the sexy purr in his voice speaking of so much more than was on the surface. "Bye, Liz."

"Bye Max," she murmured, watching as he led Conrad back towards the stable, all loose-hipped and unhurried. She resisted the urge to melt right into the dusty ground as Kyle finally cleared his throat.

"Okaaay… what was that all about?" he wondered out loud, regaining her attention as Max disappeared. "Liz, what the hell’s going on with you and Evans?"

"I don’t know," she answered with a small smile. "I have no idea."

However, she knew she couldn’t wait to find out.



<center>***</center>



"She said she’d meet us at Guffey Park. When?"

Max jumped, pulling himself out of thoughts of Liz’s soft lips and struggling to focus on the situation at hand. God, but it was hard… especially now that he knew what those ripe lips tasted like.

"Max, are you all right?" Isabel asked, frowning at the cloudy look in her brother’s eyes. She exchanged a glance with Michael, who scowled and reached over to thump Max in the back of the head.

"Ow! Hey!" Max rubbed the tender spot and glared at his brother. "Was that really necessary?"

"Get out of La-La Land, Maxwell. This is serious," Michael answered gruffly.

"You don’t think I know that?" Max snapped. "Look, I already told you everything I know. She just said to meet her at the park, that she had stuff to talk about. That’s all I know, okay?"

Michael watched him through narrowed eyes while Isabel fretted silently. "I don’t buy that, Maxwell," he finally replied. "Why is she only contacting you? Why not me and Isabel? What’s the connection? What if it’s a trap?"

"So you don’t want to hear what she has to say?" Max raised a brow.

"Of course I do!" Michael hissed.

"Then why are we having this conversation?" Max threw his hands in the air. "We’ll go and see what she has to say, find out what the heck’s going on. Maybe she doesn’t have any more of an idea than we do. Maybe she does. Either way, don’t get your hopes up, Michael."

"I agree," Isabel spoke up softly. "You can’t go running off half-cocked, Michael. We have to be together in this."

"I know," he answered in offense. "I just… this is the closest we’ve ever come to finding out anything about who we are. Where we come from. What if… what if she can help us?"

"Help us what?" Max answered, though he already knew.

Michael stared at him directly in the eye. "Help us find the way home," he replied.

"Michael—" Isabel started in a tired tone, but he hurried right on.

"How many years have we been looking for clues?" he whispered roughly. "And we’ve found nothing. There’s a connection between us and this place. This is where it all began, right? Maybe this is where it ends."

Max and Isabel glanced at each other, both feeling uneasy with the way the conversation was going. "If she knew how to go home, wouldn’t she have already left?" Max tried to be logical, but he knew once his brother was on one of his kicks, logic had nothing to do with it.

"Maybe she needed us," Michael supplied. "Maybe we were all meant to come here, at this time. I mean, Mom and Dad were perfectly happy in Los Angeles, and then one day Dad decides to up and move out to the middle of nowhere? And then Max starts getting visions from a fourth alien… this is all too convenient."

"If you look at it that way, it could be a trap," Isabel pointed out wryly. "So we should be prepared."

"Look, everybody calm down," Max stood up, shoving a hand through his hair. "We’re taking this one step at a time, and we’re not going to get in over our heads. We’ll go to Tess and found out what she knows, and then we’ll figure out where to go from there. All right?"

"I agree," Isabel stated firmly, catching her brother’s eye as she gave him a small smile.

"Michael?"

Michael looked up and met Max’s warning gaze. His jaw tightened, but he jerked his head in the semblance of a nod. "Fine. Whatever."

Satisfied, Max nodded and moved away to stare out the window. Somewhere, she was out there. He couldn’t help wondering if she was thinking of him, too. The memories he’d accessed from her during that incredible kiss still haunted him, and he vowed to find a way to make her realize… they belonged together.

He didn’t question it. He didn’t try to understand. Somehow… he just knew it was true. They were two different people, two different species for God’s sake, but they were one soul. And he’d die before he let anyone hurt her again.

"We better go," he murmured, stepping away from the window with a sigh. For now, he’d concentrate on finding out everything he could about himself, so that when he finally told Liz the truth, maybe she wouldn’t run away screaming.

The thought that she might, that she may well look at him as if he was a freak filled him with unimaginable pain, but it was a risk he knew he would have to eventually take. He refused to be with her through deceit. The time would come… and when it did, he only prayed that she would be as tightly-bound to him as he already was to her.

[Applebylicious]

Thanks for making this fic Runner-up for Best AU w/ Aliens and Supporting Portrayal of Kyle, guys. I'm sincerely touched! And for the Best Portrayal of Tess!! Hope you enjoy the new part... I know it's going to confuse you even more... but that's my intention, lol.

hugs, Linds


<center>Part 10</center>


Liz’s eyes flew open at the sound of rustling across the room. She stayed still, watching through the darkness as Tess quietly opened the window and stepped out. Only then did she sit up, running a hand through her tousled hair as she stumbled from the bed. Dressed in only a pair of panties and a tank, she shimmied into a pair of cotton shorts and slipped her feet into a pair of tennis shoes, sans socks.

A few minutes later she found herself following her sister’s tracks, keeping in the shadows as she trailed Tess down the darkened streets. A frown settled on her lips as she wondered what her well-behaved sister was doing out at this time of night, after obviously sneaking out of the house.

Was she meeting someone?

Her steps almost faltered as the sudden thought that perhaps Tess and Kyle had planned a romantice rendevouz flittered through her mind. But she was determined to make sure nothing happened to her sister, and until she was safely in Kyle’s hands, she would not leave.

Her confusion grew as they neared Guffey Park and Tess glanced around nervously before sliding through the wide arched entrance. She hid behind a tree until she could sneak behind. Her foot twisted over an overgrown tree root, and she nearly cried out as she lost her balance. She threw her hands out and caught herself against the ground, glancing up as voices reached her ears.

From her prone position on the ground, she was unseen by the three figures approaching her sister who waited next to shadowed picnic table beneath a large elm.

Her eyes widened as one figure in particular stepped out of the darkness, thus affording her with a view of his face in the pale moonlight. "Son of a bitch," she whispered harshly, heart pounding as she watched Max motion to his companions.

Tess immediately stood, appearing nervous as she met the threesome halfway. Murmured words she couldn’t quite detect filtered through the night air, and Liz held her breath to better eavesdrop. She caught fragments of conversation, words that made no sense to her.

"—letters. They know it all, Tess," Max was saying, motioning towards his companions once again. "We’re here… what you have to…"

Liz stared as the taller of the two figures, the statuesque blonde she recalled from the CrashDown and school stepped forward. When she spoke, her higher-pitched tone carried. "I’m Isabel, Max’s sister. This is Michael, our brother." She gestured towards the third figure, who stepped forward.

She frowned as she recalled bumping into this Michael at school the previous day. And the way he’d watched her so intently. "What the hell is going on here?" she whispered, leaning forward, ears perking.

A sudden hand on her shoulder nearly had her screaming, if said hand hadn’t then clamped over her mouth. "Shh… it’s me," a quiet voice assured her.

She looked back to see Alex Whitman watching her. Her eyes widened and she began to struggle anew, making sounds behind his hand as he tried to calm her. Her heart beat wildly at the grim look in his eyes, and she bit down on his palm, expecting to draw blood.

He cursed quietly, but didn’t release her. "I’m not going to hurt you," he promised in her ear, holding her against his chest and gently running a hand down her hair. "Liz… calm down. It’s me."

Why that should have any effect on her, she had no idea. But despite herself, she began to feel herself relax in his hold, breathing heavily as he continued to whisper to her with words she didn’t understand. Words that nevertheless soothed her.

After a long moment, he murmured, "You shouldn’t be here."

She began to worry again at his tone, and prepared to strike out the moment he let her go. But he merely released her from his grip and placed a finger to his lips as he leaned forward to watch the proceedings. She stared at him, wanting to scream but somehow knowing he wasn’t there to harm her.

"What are you doing here?" she demanded in a whisper, pressing herself against the tree as he straightened the collar of his shirt that she’s managed to skew during their scuffle.

His lips quirked as he glanced at her over one shoulder, blue eyes sparkling in the moonlight. "I followed you, like you followed your sister."

She blinked at that. Then frowned fiercely, folding her arms across her chest. "Why did you follow me?" she hissed, wondering why she had yet to sock him. "Why are you such a freak, Whitman? And why am I the only one to notice it?"

He turned and fully caught her in his gaze, and something inside of her lit in recognition. She began to back away, disturbed, when he spoke softly, "We’re all freaks, in one way or another."

She froze, watching him through narrowed eyes. "What does that mean?" she wondered, a little louder than she had intended. Her eyes widened as the group across the park stiffened and started looking around in tense unease.

"Shit," Alex mumbled, and to her complete shock he pulled her into his arms and pressed his lips against hers, forcing her against the tree. "Don’t say anything," he whispered against her, noting her frozen body.

"What the hell do you think you’re…" she trailed off when she caught sight of Max and Michael heading their way, and quickly wrapped her arms around Alex’s neck, kissing him urgently in order to hide her face.

"Oh, shit." Max’s throat cleared. "Um… excuse us," he mumbled, murmuring to Michael as they both moved off.

Alex pulled away when their footsteps receded and regarded her with amusement. "Nice moves, Parker."

She smiled sweetly… and slammed her foot down not-so-sweetly on his instep, watching in satisfaction as he jumped and started cursing under his breath. "Pull a stunt like that again, and you’ll have the imprint of my foot on your balls for the rest of your life, okay?"

"I don’t doubt it," he muttered. "Look, you have to get out of here, all right? You shouldn’t have come."

"You said that before… and I’m asking again," she placed her hands on her hips. "Why not? And why the hell were you following me, huh? And why is my sister meeting a group of new kids in the middle of Guffey Park in the middle of the night?"

"You ask too many questions," he answered vaguely, taking her arm and pulling her away. "It’s not safe here.

"I’ve had just about enough of this," she hissed, only allowing him to pull her away because her cover had been blown and she couldn’t very well spy on her sister and Max when they had moved on. "Where are we going?"

"I’m taking you home," he said firmly, leading her towards the silver sports car that was parked on the curb outside of the park. "And you’re going to go back to sleep. We’ll talk about this in the morning."

"Fuck you, Whitman," she yanked her arm away. "We’ll talk about this now. What the hell is going on with you? We’ve hardly ever spoken to each other, and now you’re following me around and giving me orders? Am I missing something? And why the hell am I not kicking your ass, huh?"

He smiled at her ranting, then calmly opened the door and motioned for her to sit inside. "Because we’re friends, remember?" was all he said.

She stared at him, then snorted. "We are not friends!"

"Whatever you say, Liz."

She pouted the entire way home, staring out of the passenger side window as she tried to sort out the events of the evening. Dammit, she still didn’t know why Tess had been meeting Max and his siblings in the park! Part of her was seething with jealousy and hurt that neither of them had felt the need to share with her whatever connection they obviously shared, and the other part of her wanted to trust that they would never do anything behind her back.

But she’d seen it with her own two eyes. Hadn’t she? Already the entire escapade was becoming fuzzy, and she rubbed her eyes tiredly, assuming it was the interrupted sleep that was making it hard for her to remember.

She was asleep by the time Alex laid her back in her bed, watching her for a long moment before he slipped from the room and sat outside to wait.



<center>***</center>



Max listened in silence as Michael and Isabel questioned Tess on every topic under the alien sun. His head was pounding with the information, and yet a part of him seemed completely isolated from the experience. Ever since he and Michael had come aross the couple making out in the park, he’d felt… strange.

He could feel her.

It was the strangest sensation, and had him rubbing the place where his chest ached, a frown piercing his features as he struggled to concentrate on Tess’s words. But it was as if he was ensconced by her… her scent, her taste…

"Maxwell? Are you all right?" Michael’s annoyed voice broke him from his daze and he realized he was teetering on his feet as he stared at the other three through glazed eyes.

"I’m… huh?" he panted, gasping as flashes began to race through his mind. Sounds - laughter, murmured words of love, shouts of pain. Scents – the sweet perfume of vanilla, the thick aroma of sexual pleasure, the acrid smell of death.

And images. Images of dark eyes, smiling lips, entangled limbs, roaming hands, writhing bodies…

"Liz," he croaked in surprise, somehow recognizing her in each flash. He was unaware of Michael and Isabel’s frightened cries, and Tess’s silent observation. He sunk to the ground, holding his head in his hands as the flashes increased in speed, feeling as though he were being flung through space and time.

Finally, they stopped, throwing him back into the present where Michael and Isabel were each holding him up and calling his name. He blinked, opening his mouth to speak. "I’m… I’m here. I’m all right."

"What the hell was that?" Michael demanded in a rough tone, shaking him unnecessarily due to his fear.

"Max?" Isabel asked shakily. "Max, what happened? Oh my God… your eyes!" She gasped, a hand coming to her mouth as she stepped back.

"My eyes?" he licked his dry lips, shaking his head to drive away the fuzziness in his mind. He met Tess’s gaze. "What was it?" he demanded, somehow knowing she had the answer.

She nibbled her lips, looking uncertain and afraid. "It’s the seal," she finally whispered. "It’s been activated. Your… your memories are returning."

"Seal?" he asked in confusion, at the same moment Michael bellowed, "Memories of what?"

Tess turned pale, and he thought he caught a glimpse of something akin to terror in her blue gaze. "Of home," she whispered. "Of who you were."

He frowned fiercely. "What are you talking about? Who I was? I’m still here… how can I be a was?"

"I… I don’t know," Tess mumbled, pressing her fingers against her skull as she hissed as if in pain. "It just… for some reason, I just know. Max… there’s something you need to know." She reached for his arm, and the second they touched, sparks flew through the air.

They both jolted and then stared at each other. "Zan," she whispered in a reverant voice, her eyes swirling in the darkness.

"Ava," he whispered, swallowing against the sudden lump in his throat.