Scripted (AU ML/MM ADULT) AN 1/14/07 [WIP]

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Luzser1800
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Post by Luzser1800 »

AN: Thank you to everyone for all the wonderful feedback! :D Just a little note to some feedbacks:

RhondaAnn: HaHa! I think you may be reading a little too far into it. :D

LairaBehr4:HAHA!! You are hilarious! You already know since I PMed you about it.

Behrsgirl1230: Luckily, I didn't make any PROMISES, it took me a little longer to come back than I had anticipated. There was just a little extra tweaking that needed to take place first.

Candycane14: Look! I'm baaaack!!! :lol:



CHAPTER 30

2005

“What the hell happened?” Alex was practically on the edge of his seat. He needed to know more! Boy, this story was addicting.

Liz bit the inside of her lip. “Do you remember when you asked me why I eventually left my mother to live with Max, even though I thought I could never do that to her?”

“Yes...” Alex said carefully.

Her bottom lip began to quiver as she seemed to become washed over with emotion. “She actually left me,” she said as a tear fell onto her cheek and Max immediately reached over to brush it away.

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

July 1999

When Michael had finally gotten through to Maria again, after she had hung up on him, he had a hard time understanding what his girlfriend was upset about. When Max came out of the audience, feeling pretty good about himself, his smiled faded almost instantaneously when he heard Michael on the phone. "Maria, calm down! I can't understand what..." Maria had been freaking out, as if she didn’t really believe what was happening. "Maria, please, just tell me what happened!" Max watched as tears of frustration began to form in Michael's eyes. Max then watched as frustration gave way to pain.

"What the hell's going on?!" Max had demanded, and after a few minutes of silence, Michael had explained painfully that Liz's mother had been killed in a sky-diving accident when her chute didn't open. Max had sat down in the nearest chair in total disbelief. After a moment, Max had pulled the flask from his jacket pocket, obviously needing a few good drinks to function under the circumstances.

Max had also demanded to talk to Liz, of course, but Michael informed him that Liz would not come to the phone. Maria had told him that it was as if Liz was catatonic or something, and she wasn't speaking. She had run up to her room and locked herself away, shutting out the world. The only reason Maria had known what had happened at all was because she had picked up the phone after Liz had dropped it, inquiring what had happened herself.

Max had quickly called his mother, not knowing everything, but knowing that he needed to get to Liz. Michael, Max, and Diane had all hopped on a private jet to get to their loves as quickly as the laws of the world would allow. Diane had met them in Roswell, since she had been in Minnesota at the time.

On the plane ride over, Max and Michael were silent the entire way. The cabin was full of pressure, and it had nothing to do with being in the air. Inside Michael's mind, he knew he just had to see Maria. He had to be with her now, and he had to help her through this. It was hard for him to stop imagining how something could have gone so wrong. Nancy Parker had been on numerous jumps, as Maria had told him. Nothing had ever gone wrong before. All he could do at this point was hope that she didn't suffer at all.

Max's mind had been on overload as well. He wanted to get to Liz and be with her. He was already concocting what he was going to do in order to help her. He already planned to speak with his mother about her staying with them in Minnesota. ..........

“Where is she?” Max pushed past Maria through the door before she could even answer him. She was crying so hard, she probably wouldn’t have been able to speak anyway.

Michael came through the door next, gently looping an arm around his sobbing girlfriend as she cried even harder into the napkin she held in her hand.

Diane Evans came in right behind Michael, closing the door behind her. She was stricken with a sad expression herself.

“Baby?!” Max called as he threw open the door to her bedroom, where he found that it was empty. He could hear her crying, though, and he knew where she was. He came upon her after opening up the closet door, where she sat with her knees drawn up to her chest, crying her eyes out into an old blanket. She had shown it to him before. It was a baby blanket that her father had given her once. There was a wallet-sized picture on the closet floor in front of her of her parents and herself. It was balled up, indicating that she had been crushing it with her fist. “Oh, baby...” His tone became soft and sincere as he sat in front of her, holding her close as soon as she fell against him.

“Max....” She sniffled and Max could feel the tears soaking his chest through his designer shirt.When she said his name, he hoped it was a good sign since she was speaking. He put his hand in her hair, to bring her even closer still, wishing he could take every ounce of pain away from her and put it on himself. She lifted her eyes to his. “It’s not a dream, is it?” she whispered painfully.

Max couldn’t even bring himself to shake his head in the negative. He didn’t want her to hurt anymore. But his expression was enough to send Liz into another crying fit and fisting his shirt in her hands, pulling at him to bring him as close to her as possible. He picked her up gently and she curled her body into him. He brought her to the bed and attempted to lay her down. When he began to move, to make himself more comfortable, she pulled at his shirt frantically.

"No! Max, please!" Her eyes went wild with fear. "Please don't leave me, Max!"

He stopped himself, in his still uncomfortable position and smoothed her sweat-soaked hair from her forehead. He moved to her ear, his lips gently brushing the cartilage. "Not even if you leave me."

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

“How are you, Liz?” It was the lawyer’s first question when he entered the room. He didn’t need to ask it though. It was obvious. She was extremely pale and her eyes were bloodshot. As sad as it was, she bore the same expression on the day he had read her father’s will.

Liz was so stricken with grief that she couldn’t even speak. She felt even worse than when her father had died. At least then, she had her mother still. Now, it was a harsh world to find herself in with no parents at all. Her mother had only been doing something she had found to love, and now it had become her demise. Liz felt as if the whole world was against her now. She could still hear Diane’s words ringing in her ears when she had sat on the porch of her home the day before.

“Liz, it’s going to be okay. I promise I will take care of you.” Her eyes were filled with caring sympathy.

Liz wiped the tears from her eyes. “I know you will, Diane. I know you will.” She pulled the woman into an almighty hug, grateful to have such a wonderful person to care for her.


Liz held tightly to Max’s hand, who sat beside her, comforting her the best he could. His mother sat next to him, holding onto his other hand. She had told Max prior to this meeting that she would help anyway she could. She had taken Michael in and she would be happy to take Liz as well. Max had hugged her when she had said that, and thanked her for being the best mother in the world. Max was determined to leave this room with Liz in his arms, and pretty soon, he would care for her while she stayed in his house. He swore to himself that he would shield her from anymore pain. At least, that’s what he had wanted at the time.

Michael and Maria sat beside Diane, with Michael holding Maria close to his chest. He knew that Nancy was practically the only mother Maria knew, and if he had to sneak her back to L.A. with him, he would. He wanted to be near her while she went through such a tumultuous period in her life. He wanted to be there for her.

“Well,” the lawyer began as he sat across from the group. “I suppose we should begin.” He opened the vanilla folder and began to search the documents with his well-trained eyes. He knew exactly what to look for and he knew exactly what to relay to make it as simple as possible for everyone to understand.

Everyone waited while he scanned the paperwork. They all wanted to get this over with. Nobody wanted to be in this room, faced with Nancy’s death when it was still so strongly hanging over everyone.

“As I’m sure you already know, Liz, everything is yours. The house, the property and everything in it.” Liz just nodded. She had already known that. “Your mother had enough money in her bank account to cover the funeral expenses.”

“It doesn’t matter. I’ll pay for it all,” Max interjected. “I don’t want Liz to have to worry about it.”

The lawyer simply nodded and went about looking for more information to divulge. “Now, there is the matter of custody.”

Max immediately turned to his mother and she lifted her head to speak. “I’ve agreed to take Liz into my home. I’ll care for her as if she were my own.” Liz’s loud sniffle had everyone turning their heads toward her until the lawyer spoke again.

“Well, that’s very kind of you Mrs. Evans...”

Miss,” she interjected smoothly.

He lifted his eyes to hers. “Miss Evans,” he corrected. “But Nancy already chose a guardian for Liz in her will.”

Everyone seemed to stop at that moment. “What?” Max asked. “Who?!” he demanded.

The lawyer looked back at the paperwork. “A Mr....” he trailed off as he searched for the name. “Michael Guerin.”

“What?!” Everyone at the table, including Michael, shouted in astonishment.

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

2005

“Whoa!” Alex chuckled. “Seriously?”

Liz nodded. “Yup!”

“What did that feel like, Michael?”

“I was shocked. I couldn’t believe it. I had no idea she had changed her will to put me in it.”

“How did that feel for you, Liz?” Alex turned to her.

“I was shocked, too. And, once everything had been said, if I hadn’t have been so upset about my mom, I probably would have said something in rebellion, especially since Michael wasn’t that much older than me, but at the time, I was too drained to even bother.”

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

July 1999

The lawyer began to pack everything away in his briefcase, after carefully explaining everything that Liz now owned and that if she ever needed anything at all to contact him. Just as everyone stood up from their chairs, another legal document caught the lawyer’s attention. “Wait a minute,” he said, causing everyone to stop moving and regard him. “Maria, this concerns you.”

“What is it?” she asked warily. She wasn’t sure she could handle anymore surprises tonight.

“This page here, and you can see for yourself,” he held it out for her to gaze upon it. “It states ‘In the event of the death of Nancy Parker, I, Amy DeLuca, can freely admit that there will be no one here to care for my daughter, Maria DeLuca, as I will be exploring myself in a Nudist Colony in Tibet.’”

“What the hell?!” Maria wasn’t sure what she was seeing was real.

“A nudist colony?” Michael couldn’t help repeating. If the situation had been different, he may have laughed his ass off.

“It also states that you are legally unbound to your mother, making you an emancipated minor...in the loosest sense of the term.”

“What does this mean?” Maria asked, completely confused. She was pretty sure that only a judge could grant an emancipation.

“It basically means that your mother has signed over legal custody of you to yourself,” the lawyer explained. “It basically means that you are now an adult.”

At this point, when Maria’s tears ran freely again, she wasn’t even sure which part she was crying about. The death of the woman who had mothered her for so long. The emptiness at knowing that her real mother was now gone from her life as well, intentionally. It could have even been the joy that at least her mother knew what would come with Nancy’s death, and to give Maria the best life she could, knowing she wouldn’t be a part of it any longer. Her tears came from many places inside her heart now.

TBC...
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Luzser1800
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Post by Luzser1800 »

AN: Okay, this chapter has been beta-approved and it is ready for your perusal. I hope you all like it. The song used is Dru Hill - These Are The Times.

CHAPTER 31

July 1999

Liz laid back on Max’s bed after her bath. It had been a week since the funeral. When she closed her eyes, she could still smell the freshly cut grass. She could still feel the stockings scratch her legs whenever her black dress would ride up even a bit. She could still feel Max’s fingers intertwined with hers as they lowered the casket into the ground. It was still hard to fight off the tears.

She heard the door creak and opened her eyes to see Max standing in the doorway in a pair of baggy, blue jeans with a thick, black belt to hold them up. A black beanie was on his head. A white Nike Swish adorned the front portion of it, which came just above his eyes, covering his eyebrows. He wore tan Timberlands on his feet with the laces haphazardly undone and falling beneath his soles. He was also topless.

Liz may have laughed at the absurdity of his outfit, but she was still so depressed. And so, she just stared at him, unblinking.

Max hadn’t really expected to get a reaction from her, but he had been hoping for something.

“You haven’t left this room all week,” he said softly. She remained silent. Max sighed loudly and his boots stomped on the hardwood floor, his laces swishing, as he made his way toward her. He sat down on the bed, facing away from her. “I only want you to be happy. I hate seeing you this way.”

Liz couldn’t stand that he was in pain simply because she was. After a moment, she sat up and placed a cold hand on his bare shoulder. He immediately snuggled his chin with her hand. That was when she noticed the stubble there.

Max turned his head up to look at her. It was the first time in a week that he had seen even a small spark of emotion there. It was enough to make him cry.

Without a single word, she moved herself forward to capture his lips between her own. Her hands cupped his face, smoothing over the rough hair on his jaw.

With his eyes closed, Max could almost pretend it was a month ago, before any of this had happened. When Liz was touching and kissing him out of lust and passion instead of this never-ending despair. Just when he had decided to pull away, for the sake of not wanting to take advantage of her, she suddenly pulled his hat off and reared back anyway with a surprised gasp.

“It’s all gone,” she whispered, disbelievingly.

Max chuckled softly. “Yeah, the role required a shaved head.” He had to admit that it was a completely unusual and sensual feeling when she ran her fingers over the prickly hair on the top of his head. “Mmm...” he grumbled. “How does it look?”

“Different,” she admitted quickly.

“I hope it’s not too bad,” he smiled slightly.

He watched as the corner of her mouth turned up just barely. She shook her head slowly. “Not too bad,” she whispered.

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

2005

“Well, that sounds like a cute outfit,” Alex said with a smug smile as he wrote it all down.

“It was for this movie where I played this kid obsessed with the whole hip-hop culture. I was just making sure I looked the part when I went to go check up on Liz,” Max said.

“It must have been a pretty rough week,” Alex noted out loud.

“Yeah, it was. Eventually, though, it got better. But not before it got worse,” Liz said.

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

July 1999

“Liz, what the hell is wrong with you? It’s ten o’clock in the morning.” Maria had come downstairs and taken a drink of Liz’s coffee, which was a mistake. Her coffee was 80 proof.

“Leave me alone, Maria,” Liz grumbled, taking another drink.

“Hey, Liz, how ya feeling?” Michael asked before he snaked an arm around Maria’s waist, resting his head on her shoulder.

“Dandy,” Liz replied bitterly.

“Morning, everyone,” Max said as he came downstairs behind everyone. He was leaving for L.A. in the morning with Michael to start his latest flick, and he had been bugging Liz all week to come with him, but she kept declining, not in the mood for the Hollywood lifestyle. “Morning, baby,” he said in a much softer tone. He placed a kiss on her temple and sat down next to her at the kitchen table with his coffee cup in hand.

Maria gave a disgusted huff and stomped out of the room. Everyone watched as she left except Liz, who was still enjoying her morning alcoholic beverage. When Max looked at Michael in question, Michael answered sympathetically. “She thinks you’re starting to rub off on Liz.”

“What?” Max asked. Michael pointed to Liz’s cup and Max picked it up to take a whiff.

“Liz, what are you doing?” he asked gently as he stole the cup from her and dumped it in the sink.

“Max! I was drinking that!”

“And you shouldn’t be.”

“You’re one to talk!” she growled, and sped out of the room and into Max’s bedroom. Well, Max’s and her bedroom.

Max rubbed a hand down his face, tiredly. “She’s getting worse.”

“You’re the only one that’s gonna get through to her, Max,” Michael said knowingly.

Max sighed loudly. “I know. I’m going.” He followed his girlfriend and Michael watched him close the door behind him.

Liz was lying back on the bed, her eyes open, staring at the ceiling. Max sat down on the edge of the bed, waiting for Liz to acknowledge him. She didn’t bother even looking at him. Max sat in silence, unsure of exactly what he could say to make her feel better. He had remembered a line in a film once, where his on-screen crush had told him that he needn’t say anything. That he just needed to stay. And so, that’s what he did. He inched himself closer and laid his head on Liz’s stomach, feeling her heart beat against his ear.

Max wasn’t sure how long he had been laying there, before he suddenly felt her hand on his head, gently stroking the stubble of his hair. He took the chance to lift his head, and was met with her big, brown eyes. “How can I help you, baby?” He was desperate for an answer.

Liz felt tears brim in her eyes. Her bottom lip trembled and her entire body began to shake. She shook her head. She was done with the crying and moping. “Help me forget.” His eyebrows came together. “I only have you for one more night, and since I still don’t plan to go to LA with you right now, I just want tonight to be about forgetting everything. Let’s just get tanked and forget.”

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

Max had gotten everyone out of the house that night. He wasn’t sure what kind of drunk Liz would be. He had seen quite a few in his time. Either she would be the ‘fun-loving, everything is right in the world drunk’, or she would be the ‘promiscuous drunk’, or she could be the worst of all, the ‘angry drunk’. And with what she was going through, he wanted to be able to handle her alone, without anyone else around to judge or to not allow her to let her free whatever was bottled up.

His plan was that she would get smashed, and finally let it all go. He hoped she would feel better at the end of it. He hoped that in the morning, even though she would still be healing, she will have been able to have gotten it all off her chest, even if only for a single night. So, everyone left the house so that he could begin his ‘therapy.’ His mother was at Bingo and would be out on the town for the night, and Michael and Maria had decided on dinner and a movie, before they would be retreating to a hotel for the remainder of the evening.

Max came back from the liquor store with more than enough alcohol for the two of them, and when he got home, Liz was in the living area, already working on her first drink. He sat down on the leather couch next to her, placing the brown, paper bags on the floor at their feet.

Four hours later, his mother had already come home and retreated to a bedroom in another part of the house, so as not to disturb the couple. Michael and Maria had not even bothered to call, and Liz and Max were so drunk they could hardly see straight.

They had spent the entire time playing stupid drinking games, and were now too saturated to even speak. Liz had not said a word about how she was feeling, and Max had realized early on that his plan may not go as he had originally wanted it to. Liz had not been lying when she had told him that tonight was about forgetting. She was not dealing with one important thing at all. The stereo played softly in the background.

God knows that you're a sexy thang
It's taking everything in me
Not to kiss you over, under, feel you inside
Feel my thunder
How the hell could I not wantcha


“Maxxxx,” Liz cooed softly as she laid on the couch on her back. Her feet were erotically massaging his groin, and if Max had thought that he had problems seeing straight before, he was now almost blind with want and need.

Girl it don't have to be a thang
I'll wait for you, you wait for me
Cuz true love is insisting
We don't have to rush at all, baby yeah


“Liz, you might want to stop that,” Max slurred, taking hold of her bare feet in his hands, but not removing them from his hard erection.

“I don’t want to,” she said and moved so that she straddled his lap. “Ya know, you haven’t said that you love me all day.”

These are the times we all wish for
The moment when less means so much more
We don't have to do a thing at all
We take our time and talk


“I haven’t?” Liz shook her head and Max fiercely took her lips. “I’ll have to show you, then.” He smothered her mouth and laid her back so that he took the top. His groin drove suggestively into her own, unable to stop the natural response of his body against hers.

And this is the way things need to be
No pressure from you and none from me
Just let the mood set the moment off
We can make love or not all


Liz’s moans and gasps drove him on even further, and she was completely unwilling to allow him to stop anyway. In the back of her mind, she knew that the alcohol was giving her the desire to tease and generate a reaction from him, but she couldn’t stop now if she wanted to. He tasted too good, and his body was driving her insane with sexual frustration. She just had to hope he was drunk enough to give into her this time.

Be thinking 'bout you all the time
Morning, noon and suppertime, baby
Tear you up in little pieces
Swallow you like Reeses Pieces
Come on girl you know I need it


Before either one of them could have said the alphabet while inebriated, the found themselves trapped together in a naked heap, with their clothes strewn about everywhere. Liz’s sweaty back slipped and glided against the leather surface of the couch, and if it weren’t for Max’s large body atop hers, she may have slid right off.

I know
It ain't spose to be a thang
I know
I wait for you , you'll wait for me
And I know
True love's insisting we don't have to rush at all


Before Max even had time to think about what he was doing, or who he was doing it with, Liz had snatched hold of his extremely thick cock, and placed it against her sex, the tip of him sliding ever so slightly inside the folds of her body.

These are the times we all wish for
The moment when less means so much more
We don't have to do a thing at all
We take our time and talk


The touch of them so intimately joined was all it took to sober Max just enough to stop before he had a chance to break her virginal barrier. “What are we doing, Liz?”

And this is the way things need to be
No pressure from you and none from me
Just let the mood set the moment off
We can make love or not all


“You’re making love to me, Max. Just like I’ve always wanted.”

I don't make promises
Cuz I know my heart gets weak
When I get around you , girl
It makes them hard to keep


“Baby, I... I don’t think...You’re so drunk.”

You bring out the best
You make me the man
God knows I'm proud to be, baby yeah


“Don’t stop, Max, please...I want you so bad!” Liz begged.

These are the times we all wish for
The moment when less means so much more
We don't have to do a thing at all
We take our time and talk


Max found himself in the position where he couldn’t deny her. She was intoxicated, and so was he, but hearing her pleading for him was too much. He thrust forcefully against her with a wild cry of satisfaction.

And this is the way things need to be
No pressure from you and none from me
Just let the mood set the moment off
We can make love or not all


TBC...
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Luzser1800
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CHAPTER 32

AN: Come on, you guys! How big of an A-hole do you think Max really is? Okay, maybe it’s my fault for setting it up that way. Hee hee!

LairaBehr4 - Did you somehow hack into my computer and get the latest update? Cuz you hit the nail right on the head! And, same to you, Roswell3053! Shame, shame!

DreamerMaxBehrian - It's nice to see you come out and say something. I am happy to have you. :wink:


“Wait, Max,”Liz whispered against his dry lips. He stopped all movement. “I know I’m a virgin, but I really don’t think that’s how you do it.”

Max looked down between their bodies, and Liz was right, but Max already knew that. His hard member had simply surged straight up against her folds, not entering her body at all. “I can’t do it, Liz. Not when you’re like this.”

Having sex with her right now wouldn’t be right, no matter how much either of them wanted it. He found a way around sex again.

Liz blew out a deep breath. She resented his avoidance of her offer, but at the same time, she loved him for it. Tears began to leak from her eyes for the first time that night, her pain suddenly breaking to the surface of everything else. “I just want to forget, Max. I want you to help me forget.” She leaned up for a sloppy kiss, and he held her lips with his until air was a factor.

“I wish that I could help you forget just by making love to you. But that’s not possible. You need to let it out, Liz. And I don’t care how you do it. If you want to use my body to let go of that frustration, than I won’t stop you. But I won’t allow you to submit your innocence while you can barely think a coherent thought.”

Liz trembled underneath him. He was right. She needed to stop harboring the feelings that were bound to tear her apart. And she was trying to use him now. Just so she could have someone to yell at in the morning. Just so she could have someone to blame. She closed her eyes and pulled him tighter against her. “I don’t know, I just...” The flood of tears that followed were no longer able to be held back.

Max laid his forehead in the crook of her neck, placing slow, soothing kisses there. His lips brushed her ear. “I know what it’s like to lose a parent, Liz. Maybe not in the same way, but I know what that’s like. And I know what happens when you keep things buried inside yourself.”

“What do you keep buried?” Liz watched as he raised his head and met her eyes. There were a hundred emotions swirling behind those gorgeous eyes, and not one shown on his face. There were secrets there that Liz wasn’t sure she ever wanted to know. His eyes held so much pain and sorrow in that one moment, before suddenly, his eyes clouded over, masking everything she had just seen there.

Instead of answering her, sure that he had said too much without words already, he leaned down and kissed her on the lips. His tongue gently probed her mouth open, and slipped inside. As the kiss deepened, the body’s natural instinct to thrust began to take over. Max tenderly pushed against her, easing his manhood slowly up and down, in between her slick folds, extra careful not to penetrate her accidentally.

Liz had to cry out at the strange, yet glorifying sensation of their naked parts pressed together and rubbing against each other so intimately. It was not easy for her to stay within the limits that Max had so clearly set for them, but in the end, Liz knew it was the right thing.

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

2005

“It’s hard to talk about those things and keep a straight face,” Liz told Alex while her cheeks burned incessantly.

He simply smiled at her. “I assure you, Liz, we will keep this at an R rating. It’s just important to get as many facts and details as possible so that we can give as true a recount as possible.” Liz nodded, understanding. He looked down at his watch and noticed that the day was already coming to a close. “Before we go, I just have to ask...” The group nodded. “What did that feel like Liz?”

“What? Being rejected?” She asked.

“Yeah, I mean, given the circumstances.”

Liz looked at Max. She could tell that he was wondering himself. “It’s a strange feeling. On one hand, I was furious. It can be pretty painful when you throw yourself at someone, and he turns you down...repeatedly.” Liz watched Max look down, biting the inside of his jaw. “On the flip side of that,” she continued, “It made me love him more.” Max raised his eyes to her. She stared at him as she spoke. “I know it must have been just as painful for you to reject me.”

“In more ways than one,” he grinned devilishly.

“One more question,” Alex said and waited for everyone to look at him, including Max and Liz, who were exchanging heated glances. “Did you guys really think that getting drunk was going to help?” He looked around at the guilty faces. “Any of you?”

“I wanted her to feel better,” Max began. “I wanted to help her let it all go. I thought that it would help her take her mind off everything for the night, and that she would finally talk to me.”

Alex looked at Michael expectantly. “What are you looking at me for?”

“You were her guardian,” Alex said.

“True, but I already knew that there was nothing I could do. And I was still coming to terms with the whole ‘guardian’ thing anyway.” Alex nodded that he understood. It wasn’t his job to judge, just to listen and write. Alex finally sighed reluctantly after watching the couple exchange heated glances. “I guess it’s that time again. We’ll meet back in the morning.”

“How much time do you have off?” Maria asked Liz when they had left the building.

“A couple of weeks. It should be enough time. We’re almost done anyway.”

“Yeah, I know,” Maria said fearfully.

“I’m going to be fine, Maria,” Liz assured her friend. “It’s the past.” Even as she said it, her tone told Maria that she was trying to convince herself as well.

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

“How are we doing tonight?” Michael asked as he rubbed Maria’s shoulders while she sat on their bed.

“It sucks having to think about my mom again.”

“I’m sorry, babe.” Michael’s expression was one of sadness.

“No, it’s okay,” Maria assured him, turning to face him. “I came to terms with it a long time ago. It’s just now...” She trailed off. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to talk about what was really bothering her.

“What is it?” Michael asked, as she had already known he would.

“I don’t think I want to talk about it.”

“Tell me, we don’t keep secrets.” Michael pouted adorably.

“It’s just...Max and Liz...and I know we are no longer supposed to be helping them deal with their demons, we’re all adults and all that, and...”

Michael listened to her ramble for a bit before just bursting with laughter. “Maria, shut up!” His tone was forceful, but he was smiling, and Maria smirked at him. “They’re our best friends, no matter what happens. We’ve known this for years now.” She nodded in acceptance. “Now, what is it?”

“I think Liz jumped back into this thing with Max way too quickly, I’m sorry.” She had said it all so quickly, it took a second for the words to register in Michael’s brain. Once they did, he smiled.

“What are you sorry about?”

“Well, because Max is your best friend, and...”

“Whoa! Whoa!” Michael stopped her. “There’s no sides anymore. You’re the love of my life, you come first.” Maria’s face lit up entirely then. “Now, back to what you were saying. I think you’re absolutely right. But, this time, we cannot get in the middle. I won’t allow them to come between us again.”

“Neither will I, Michael, I swear, it’s just...”

“I know that you are worried about her, and that’s fine. I’m worried about the both of them, too. But, Liz is a big girl and Max is a big boy. They’ve been through so much together and apart already and they’ll get through this. I know you still hate Max and all, but...”

“I don’t hate Max, Michael. I just hated the way he was. You said he’s changed a billion times already and I believe you.”

“He has changed. No one knows it better than me. And if I thought he would ever hurt Liz again, I would have said something when this all started.” Maria nodded. “But, he loves her. The same way I love you. The only difference is that they have to work their way back to each other.”

“I know, Michael.”

“Well, good,” he smiled. “Besides, I’m not allowed to let anything happen to Liz anyway.”

“You already know that I’m not going to get on your ass for shit you have no control over anyway.”

“No, it’s not you,” he shook his head. “It’s just that Liz is practically my daughter,” he said offhandedly.

Maria laughed out loud. “You wanna go tell her that?” She pointed toward the wall separating their room from Max’s.

Michael threw on a terrified face. “Are you crazy?! I still remember what happened the last time I tried to use authority on that girl!” They laughed together, thinking about that one time he had tried to put his foot down, when he had decided he never wanted children of his own unless they all moved out before they became teenagers.

TBC...
Last edited by Luzser1800 on Thu Aug 03, 2006 1:50 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Luzser1800
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Post by Luzser1800 »

AN: Thanx for all the great feedback, you guys! I really appreciate it! This chapter has been beta-approved by Lissa, thanks so much, sweetie! The song is Everclear - Wonderful. Here's to the readers:

RhondaAnn: You already know that Maria is hiding that question behind her back, so we will just have to wait and see how long it takes. :wink:
BehrObsession
roswell3053
clueless
begonia9508
candycane14
maya
hazz : I know that you, along with everyone else is dying for Max to reveal his past, and this part will definitely give us some insight into that.
tequathisy
DreamerMaxBehrian

CHAPTER 33

“Good morning, everyone!” Alex said cheerfully when everyone walked into the warehouse. Everyone sat down in their respective chairs. “Just out of curiosity...how much longer is this story?”

“There’s only a year left,” Max said sorrowfully. “And this is where things go from bad to worse.”

“Well, then, let’s hop right into it,” Alex said, cracking his knuckles with a stretch.

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

July 1999

Liz woke up slowly. When her eyes finally opened all the way up she realized that she was in bed, not on the couch, where she was sure she had fallen asleep. She was also covered in one of Max’s t-shirts, and she was sure she had fallen asleep naked. But, then, she was drunk, so it was hard to remember much anyway.

Liz clucked her tongue against the roof of her mouth, disgusted at how dry it was in there, and she got up to brush her teeth and get a drink of water. Her head began to twirl as soon as she stood up. She had to close her eyes against the spinning just to get back in control. Tylenol, she thought, as she moved to the bathroom.

When she got back to the bedroom, after a quick shower and freshening, Max was waiting for her. “What are you doing here, Max? You’re supposed to be in LA!” She had thrown another one of his shirts on after the shower, not really planning on leaving the bedroom at all today.

Max smiled, hearing some life finally return to her voice. “I told Michael to wait a few while I convinced you to come with me.”

She sighed softly. “Max, I’m really not up for it.”

“Come here,” he said, holding out his hands. She took them and allowed him to pull her down onto the bed. “I don’t want to be away from you.” He kissed her gently. “You need me right now and I need to be here for you.” He placed a light kiss on her throat. “My job is making me travel, but that doesn’t mean we have to be apart.” He spoke softly and inched her backwards until she was laying down with him hovering over her.

“Max, I just don’t think I can deal with the whole Hollywood thing right now.”

“Don’t you wanna be with me?” His fingers traveled down her stomach, inching his shirt up her body a little.

“Of course, I wanna be with you, Max, I just...” she trailed off, her mouth circling into a small O when Max’s fingers gently slipped inside her. It was simple when she wasn’t wearing any panties.

“Then, come with me, Liz.” His words were spoken thickly, indicating to her that they held a double meaning, and it was hard to say anything negative right now. “I just want to take care of you.” His fingers pumped slowly, spreading her lips so that his thumb could find the middle. “I can’t do that if you’re so far away.”

Liz gulped and gasped. Her eyes were closed and her head was thrown back. “Max,” she whimpered.

“Say yes, Liz. Say you’ll come with me.” He watched her face contort in pleasure.

“Oh, Max...” Liz didn’t even know what he was saying. All she could hear was the gentle, soothing tone of his voice, and the way it lullabied her into an oblivious mess. She shuttered involuntarily.

“Say yes, Liz. Please say yes.”

“Oh! Yes!” She missed Max’s smile of victory as her eyes were still closed and her climax was slowly coming to an end. “Yes, Max,” she whispered contentedly.

“Good!” He kissed her quickly and got up. “I laid out an outfit for you on the dresser and your bag is already packed. I’ll see you in a few minutes.” He spoke as if nothing at all had just happened and Liz had to wonder if she had imagined it.

Liz sighed heavily and fell back against the pillows. “Dirty pool, Old Man,” she grumbled and got up, quickly putting on the outfit Max had chosen for her. A simple red sundress. When she was ready, she left the bedroom and met Max, Michael, and Maria in the foyer. It looked like the whole foursome was heading to California for a couple months.

Just as they were reaching the door, Max stopped when the telephone rang. He ran to the phone in the hall and put it on speaker, as everyone filed out the door. Liz hung back without Max noticing her.

“Yeah?” He answered after pressing the button.

“Hello. This is a collect call from...” Before the operator had a chance to say anything else, Max hit the button on the phone, forcefully ending the call. He seemed to grow very angry and fearful in just that one second, obviously lost in a thought.

“Max?” Liz asked in a meek voice.

He lifted his head and when he saw her, he smiled beautifully. “Come on, baby, we don’t want to miss the plane.”

Liz followed him out the door, wondering what that had been about. And wondering if she would ever find out.

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

August 1999

Max, Liz, Michael, and Maria had been in California for two weeks now. Nothing monumental had happened in that time, except that Liz was starting to notice some strange behavior from Max. Ever since the phone call at his house, before they had left, he had been lost to the world. He focused on the film and nothing else. Liz was growing more impatient with worry.

“There’s a party tonight at Shane’s house. We going?” Michael had walked onto the balcony, where Max stood, staring out at the city below his high apartment.

“Yeah,” Max sighed. “Let me get Liz ready.” Shane was one of Max’s co-stars, and just like any other time, the Hollywood lifestyle was never ending. Max would have to make an appearance, just so he could be seen out and about, the way everyone expected him to behave.

“Uh, Liz isn’t going,” Michael stopped Max.

“What? Why not?”

“She’s just not in the mood, Max.”

“The hell she isn’t,” Max growled. Liz had to go. He had to show her off and she had already promised to be at his side at all times.

“Max!” Michael grabbed a hold of Max’s arm. “Leave her alone, will ya?”

“Who the hell do you think you are, telling me what to do?”

“Her mom just died, give her a break,” Michael whispered passionately.

“And I’ve been taking care of her, haven’t I?”

“Max, you know damn well there’s nothing you can do for her. The girl needs some time. Let her have it.”

“How bout I just let you have it?!” Max ripped his arm from Michael’s grip and turned on him with a solid expression.

Michael might have been intimidated, but he was quickly growing tired of Max’s antics and he refused to back down this time. “What the hell is up with you lately?” Max tried to retain his hard look, but Michael had known him too long. It was taking a little more effort than usual. “You’ve been a cold bastard since we left Minnesota! What the fuck happened between leaving the house and the plane ride that’s got you acting like a complete asshole?”

Max was quiet briefly, but when he spoke, his voice was a dead calm. “I’m going to the party tonight. You stay here with the girls since you’re so God damn good at protecting them.”

Max left the apartment, having nothing more to say. Michael may have followed him, but he didn’t want the girls in such a strange city by themselves, and the party could run all night. He figured that he would just give Max some time to cool down. He wasn’t sure what exactly was happening with his best friend, but he had his theories.

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

The party was nothing new for Max. Gorgeous, drunken girls and lots of guys who relied on the fact that they were more pretty than handsome for a salary. He scanned the area, looking for something or someone to lose himself in. He was looking for a way to forget, because it had been an emotional week. There was way too much going on, and since the phone call at the house, his nerves had been on edge. It didn’t matter how much he drank, the feelings that he had been harboring since he was seven years old just kept coming back to haunt him.

He knew that his attitude with Michael was wrong, and he probably could have handled it better, but his emotions were controlling his actions, and there was nothing he could have done about it. He was here tonight, simply so that he could find an outlet for his emotions. He needed to lose himself, and when he spotted a gorgeous, leggy blonde, he put on his signature grin, and sauntered over to her.

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

“He just left?” Liz asked in mild shock. “He didn’t even say goodbye.”

“He’s going through some stuff right now, Liz,” Michael said.

“What could he possibly be going through that’s worse than what I’m going through?!” She stood and advanced on her best friend’s boyfriend. “I lost my mother! I need him! That’s the whole reason he made me come with him here anyway! I didn’t even wanna be here! But, oh no! Whatever Max wants, Max gets! I’m sick of it!”

“Liz, calm down,” Michael said in a soothing voice. He checked the direction of the bathroom, hoping they hadn’t disturbed Maria, who was in the shower.

“What is he hiding from me, Michael?” Liz knew that there had been something going on with Max, but it was hard enough for her to figure him out when she was dealing with her own issues at the moment.

“I don’t know, Liz.”

“That’s bullshit, Michael! You’ve known him since you were what? Eight?!”

“Yes, I have known him a long time, but whatever is going on with him has been going on since before I even met him and Diane.”

“And you’ve known him ten years and you don’t know anything?” Liz asked incredulously.

Michael’s mouth opened and closed for a short time. “I have suspicions, but yes, I don’t know for sure. Neither one of them has ever mentioned it to me.”

Liz growled I exasperation and turned around. As she was leaving the room, she threw out, “I’ll bet he’s plastered already and holding some bitch up against a wall!”

Maria came out of the shower, rubbing her hair with a towel, just as the bedroom door slammed shut. She looked at Michael, who had his eyes closed tight. “What did I miss?”

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

“Don’t worry, man, it’ll take the edge off,” Shane said, holding the mirror out.

“It’ll make you forget about everything bad in the world,” the blonde he had sauntered up to earlier said as if she was singing while she caressed his chest with her long, blood-red fingernails.

“Just try it,” Shane reiterated.

Max swallowed hard, unsure if this was right, but everyone else was doing it, and they seemed to be okay. Plus, they had told him he would be able to forget. He took the one hundred dollar bill in his hand and brought it to his left nostril.

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

2005

“Did you just do what I think you just did?” Alex asked, his eyes wide in terror.

Max simply nodded in shame.

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

August 1999

Max turned the radio up in the rented corvette and pushed the gas pedal down farther. He was going so fast that everyone on the street would have only been able to see a red blur fly past them.

I close my eyes when I get too sad
I think thoughts that I know are bad
Close my eyes and I count to ten
Hope it's over when I open them


Max finally pulled to a screeching halt on a dead end street.

He sniffled loudly, he could taste the disgusting drip at the back of his throat. They had told him that would happen. His high was finally fading and he was now left with everything in his head that he had wanted to avoid.

I want the things that I had before
Like a Star Wars poster on my bedroom door
I wish I could count to ten
Make everything be wonderful again


His lips quivered as he finally allowed himself to feel everything that he had been bottling up.

Hope my mom and I hope my dad
Will figure out why they get so mad
Hear them scream, I hear them fight
They say bad words that make me wanna cry


Ten years of tears fell down his cheeks.

Close my eyes when I go to bed
And I dream of angels who make me smile
I feel better when I hear them say
Everything will be wonderful someday


He thought of everything he had gone through and how much pain it had brought.

Promises mean everything when you're little
And the world's so big
I just don't understand how
You can smile with all those tears in your eyes
Tell me everything is wonderful now


He thought of Liz, and how she had always tried to help him and be there for him, no matter her own situation.

Na na na na na na na

Please don't tell me everything is wonderful now


He thought of Michael, and how patient and understanding he had always been.

I go to school and I run and play
I tell the kids that it's all okay
I like to laugh so my friends won't know
When the bell rings I just don't wanna go home


He laid his head on the steering wheel and sobbed with repent.

Go to my room and I close my eyes
I make believe that I have a new life
I don't believe you when you say
Everything will be wonderful someday


He thought about his mother, and how much she had been through just for him.

Promises mean everything when you're little
And the world is so big
I just don't understand how
You can smile with all those tears in your eyes
When you tell me everything is wonderful now


He thought of the motherly smile she would give him every time she told him that he was safe now.

I don't wanna hear you tell me everything is wonderful now

He finally sat up, wiping the tears away, not wanting anyone to see the evidence. Not wanting anyone to see his pain.

I don't wanna hear you say
That I will understand someday
No, no, no, no


He wished so badly that he could talk to Liz about what he had been through. He wished he could talk to anyone. Hell, even Michael didn’t know the whole story.

I don't wanna hear you say
You both have grown in a different way
No, no, no, no


He had to keep it behind him. He had to bury it. He had to keep smiling. The cameras never lied, and as long as he smiled and posed, no one ever had to know.

I don't wanna meet your friends
And I don't wanna start over again
I just wanna my life to be the same
Just like it used to be


As long as Liz stayed by his side and Michael kept supporting him, he would be fine.

Some days I hate everything
I hate everything Everyone and everything
Please don't tell me everything is wonderful now


He turned the car around and drove back to the apartment.

I don't wanna hear you tell me everything is wonderful now

TBC...
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Post by Luzser1800 »

AN: Thanx so much for all the wonderful feedback. It means a lot. I wish I could reply back to each of you, but this time, there was just so many, lol. And this is kind of a post and run. I do want to personally thank Laira, La'Shon, and vampyrax for your kind words, though.

And now, on with the fic. This one is kinda short only because I didn't know where else to end it. The song in this chapter is Elvis Presley - Can't Help Falling In Love.


CHAPTER 34

August 1999

Max fell into bed very late that night. If Liz hadn’t still been awake, she may have missed him. Originally, she had planned to wait for him to come home simply so that she could scream at him. But now that he was home, she was so tired from waiting up, and he seemed so exhausted, she somehow lost her nerve.

She felt him roll close and pull her into him, and she felt him shiver as if he were cold, but it was California and the summer time, so she knew that cold couldn’t have been the cause of it. When she rolled back to look in his face, she realized that he must have fallen asleep instantly.

She looked at him in the moonlight, noticing that it gave his face such an innocent glow. She tried to remember back to before she had really known him, when all she had were her fantasies of what he would be like. He looked so much different than he did in magazines and in the posters she had adorned her walls with. He looked human now.

She tried to imagine what her life may have been like if she had just run in the same direction Maria had when they had snuck into that hotel. If she had just went looking for Maria instead of walking home in the snow. She wondered if she would do it all again. A part of her longed for the normal life she had led before meeting Max Evans. But a bigger part of her, the part that loved him, wouldn’t change their chance encounter for the whole world.

“Oh, Max,” she whispered across his cheek. “Why won’t you just talk to me? Tell me what you’re hiding. We’re supposed to be supporting each other, the way Michael and Maria do.” She took a deep breath and snuggled close to him, imagining different circumstances.

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

It had been another week in California. Everything had been pretty normal. Max’s behavior had seemed to get much better, his attitude showing a great improvement. Liz never brought up the night of the party, hoping that if she could just forget about it, she could pretend it didn’t matter. Besides, the last thing she wanted was to spoil Max’s mood.

Liz tried to spend a lot of extra time just watching her boyfriend, as if she could somehow tell what had been going on through all the little things he said and did. It wasn’t until recently that she could now tell when he was masking his emotions, his true emotions. It was something she hadn’t noticed before, but that may have been because he was always doing it. When he was smiling and filling space by talking about insignificant things, he was hiding. And Liz wanted nothing more than to break him down, piece by piece.

Liz, herself, was feeling better. It was still hard with her mother gone, but she was dealing with it better, opting to stop using liquor to hide behind. She was facing her pain, and she could tell that it was working.

Michael and Maria were also happy that she seemed to be happier, and that there were no incidents with Max. They were still being the supportive best friends, just as they always were. Liz was happy to have them at her side.

On this particular day, Max had asked Michael to take Liz shopping, just to get her out of the apartment. He had something special planned, feeling as if he hadn’t been very attentive lately.
Michael, as promised, kept Liz out the entire day before dropping her off in front of the apartment, telling her that he and Maria wanted a private night.

Liz took the elevator up and gasped in surprise at the setup. White candles were lit everywhere. A candle-lit dinner for two sat atop the table, waiting for her with a bottle of white wine. Soft acoustic guitar complimented the scene.

Max stood in the middle of the apartment in a fancy suit. His black tie contrasted his white suit with a very nice touch. Liz looked into his eyes, wondering what this was all about.

Wise men say only fools rush in
But I can't help falling in love with you


“Happy birthday, Liz,” he said with a smile, taking his hand from behind his back and thrusting forward a single white rose.

“My birthday was two months ago,” she said in shock as she stepped closer to him.

Shall I stay
Would it be a sin
If I can't help falling in love with you


He smiled again, something she was sure he hadn’t done in weeks. “I’m well aware of that, sweetheart. But, what with the awards and the prom and everything that happened after, we never got a real chance to celebrate it.”

“You did all this for my birthday?” Liz’s wide eyes took in the scenery again. “Max, it’s so beautiful.”

“It pales,” he said simply, cutting off the rest of the sentence, knowing it wasn’t necessary. He handed her the rose and took her free hand in his, inching himself closer. He bent his head slightly, looking deep into her eyes. “I honestly can’t remember the last time I kissed you.”

Like a river flows surely to the sea
Darling so it goes
Some things are meant to be


“Three days ago,” Liz said sadly. “You’ve been going through some things.”

“I know, and I’m sorry. It’s not about you, you know that right?”

Take my hand, take my whole life too
For I can't help falling in love with you


“Then how come you can’t talk to me about it?” She frowned and it cut deep into his heart.

Like a river flows surely to the sea
Darling so it goes
Some things are meant to be


He was silent for a long moment. All he could think to tell her was, “I love you, Liz.”

Liz sighed softly, knowing tonight would not be the night they talked. “I love you too, Max.” She tried her best to pour her entire heart into that sentence. She wanted him to believe it so much. He needed to know that she was here, through the good, the bad, and the ugly. No matter what.

Take my hand, take my whole life too
For I can't help falling in love with you


Max brought her to him, splaying his large hands across the expanse of her spine, burying his head in her neck. “I promise you...that as soon as I am ready...you will be the first to know.”

His heartfelt words had Liz closing her eyes in anguish for him. She took him very seriously, though. She pulled back to look in his eyes. “I promise you...that I will hold you to that.” He smiled at her again.

For I can't help falling in love with you

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

“Liz, I left an outfit out for you on the bed,” Max said as he breezed into the bedroom, where Liz was standing in a towel after coming from the shower.

After some cuddling last night, Max was assured that he still had Liz, and therefore, needed nothing more in the world.

“I know, I saw it, thank you,” she replied as she brushed her hair out.

“How are you going to do your hair?”

“I was thinking about putting it up.”

“Leave it down,” he said as he approached her from behind, staring at her in the mirror. He took the brush from her and ran it through her hair. Then, he leaned down and put his nose where the brush had been, breathing in her showery scent. “I like it better that way,” he said huskily into her ear.

“Okay,” she said, looking back at him in the mirror. He smiled and left the room, giving her privacy to get changed.

Max had put a red dress on the bed for her, heels to match on the floor. They were going to a dinner tonight with his agent and some close Hollywood friends. Max wanted her to look her best, he had told her. It was important to him, and she wanted to make him happy.

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

“Where’s Maria?” Max asked Michael as he cuffed his suit.

“She’s almost ready, don’t worry,” Michael said, going to their bedroom anyway to check on her.

Fifteen minutes later, the couples left the apartment and headed to the Italian restaurant for their dinner date.

Once inside, at the table, Max’s agent, Leslie Point, stood up and kissed the hands of both Maria and Liz, before shaking the hands of Max and Michael. Leslie was a tall blonde man with dark skin, as if he had spent years in the Carribean. He had crystal blue eyes. “Maxwell,” he said as Max, in turn, shook the hands of the other men seated around the table. “I’m so glad you made it.” Max nodded and pulled a chair out for Liz to sit. “And your date is stunning, as usual. Nice to see you again, Liz.”

“You too, Les,” Liz said with a shy smile.

“Max,” Les went on, gesturing to the two other men, “This is Gary and Frank.” They each nodded as their names were called. “They’ll be working together on a new film due out next year if all goes well.”

“Really?” Max asked as if he was interested.

“Yes, this one is supposed to be a real tear-jerker. They saw what you were able to do with your character in Our Heart’s Desire and would love for you to sign on to play the lead.”

"We're big fans, Mr. Evans," Gary said with stars in his eyes. It was almost amusing to watch a grown man star-struck over a teenage boy. Max didn't seem to notice, though.

“What’s this one about?” Max asked, cutting to the chase.

Before anyone was able to answer Max, the waiter came with a bottle of wine and to take their orders. Once everyone had ordered, they waited patiently for the food over some small talk. The movie was almost forgotten through the rest of dinner as everyone seemed to opt to get to know each other better.

TBC...
Last edited by Luzser1800 on Wed Aug 16, 2006 9:03 am, edited 1 time in total.
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