No M&M&L in this one - I decided to close up everyone else's story first. Only one part to go!
Part Ten
Alex popped the end of his ice cream cone into his mouth and closed his eyes in ecstasy. Remembering he was in the company of someone he wanted to impress, he chewed and properly swallowed before speaking.
“Mmm,” he sighed. “Nothing better than mint chocolate chip, eh?”
Beside him on the park bench, Isabel gave him a smile from behind her butter pecan cone. “Unless it’s butter pecan. With a splash of red pepper.”
“Of course,” Alex agreed, though the thought of the combination made his belly burn.
Isabel picked at the remnants of her cone, then tossed it into the trash can beside the bench. She looked down at the wooden slats of the seat and remembered a day not so long ago, when her brother found her here.
“We were sitting here,” she said quietly, touching the seat beside her. “When I knew that I was already dead.”
Alex frowned sympathetically. “Did he tell you that you had died?”
She shook her head. “No. He didn’t have to. I knew. He came back alone. He’s never left me or Michael behind and I doubt he would have left us this time with the circumstances being what they were.” She looked across the darkened park. “And I knew that I died before he came back. Worst yet, I could see it in his eyes.”
He wanted to move closer to her, to wrap his arm around her shoulders in comfort, but one didn’t just spring sympathy upon Isabel Evans. Her shell was fragile and to do so might crush her beyond repair.
“But that might all be different now, right?” Alex ventured. “I mean, things have been changed, so maybe that changed as well.”
She nodded silently in agreement. Then her eyes fell to the ground. “There’s something else,” she began, afraid to speak the words. “Something that probably didn’t change.”
He didn’t like the sound of that, but he couldn’t let her see he was concerned. Instead, he crossed his legs, ankle-over-knee, and leaned back, stretching his arm across the back of the bench. If she sat back, he could use that as an excuse to put his arm around her…
“Is there something you want to talk about?” he asked casually.
Isabel’s eyes remained fixed on the ground and he could practically feel the waves of uncertainty coming off her. “I haven’t told anyone any of this, Alex.”
“Okay. Your secret is safe with me.”
He hoped she trusted him enough to tell him. And apparently she did. He sat in rapt attention as she reiterated what the congresswoman had told her about Vilandra being the betrayer and downfall of her people. Isabel couldn’t look at her friend, couldn’t bear for him to see the worry in her eyes that it may have been the truth.
“So, that’s what I’ve been dealing with,” she finished, toying with her fingers. “Knowing that I brought death to my family. And then he came back and I had to wonder if I did it again. Maybe I’m still bad underneath, Alex. Maybe the day will come when I’ll sell them all out.”
Alex gave her a gentle smile, even though she couldn’t look at him. “Oh, I doubt that,” he replied easily.
At his denial, she finally met his eyes. “How can you say that? Knowing what I did in the past?”
“Well, for starters, I’m wondering why you believe what an enemy told you. She was trying to manipulate you, Isabel. Why wouldn’t she lie? Why wouldn’t she use guilt as a weapon against you?”
She looked away again, down at the ground. “I guess that’s possible.”
“It is. But more than that, I know you. I know that’s not who you are – outside or in. Search your heart, Iz. Do you really believe that person still lurks in there?”
Isabel was silent for a long moment, the light wind toying with a loose strand of her hair. Finally, she drew in a breath and said, “What if I don’t know? What if I’m capable of things I’d never dream of?”
Alex sat forward, rested his elbows on his knees. “I think on some level we all have some aspect that we’re not aware of. People don’t know how they’ll respond to crisis until it happens, for instance. Whether they freak out or become calm and collected, they don’t just abandon everything they stand for. It’s not like they become an entirely different person when the crisis happens. And that’s what you’re talking about here, Isabel. You’re talking about going entirely against your character.”
She looked up at him again, so wanting to hope.
His eyes softened. “I know what kind of character you have, and you’re not the person that Skin accused you of being. You’re the most caring person I’ve ever met, Isabel. Nothing is ever going to change that.”
Finally, she smiled, an action of gratitude. “Thank you, Alex,” she said. “I really needed this tonight.”
Alex beamed. “More than happy to comply. More than happy.”
She giggled lightly.
“I hope your test goes okay. I kind of ruined your studying.” His words dropped off suddenly, his blue eyes growing round. “And mine, too. Oh, shit!”
Isabel sat up abruptly. “What? What happened?”
“Oh, I’m in trouble,” he moaned, dropping his head to his hands. “I’ve messed up.”
Trying not to panic, Isabel looked around for some reason for his distress. “Why?”
Lifting his head, he gave her a grimace of despair. “I stood up Maria. I was supposed to pick her up at the Crashdown so that we could study and I forgot all about her. I know she’s been sad and this is only going to make it worse. Oh, crap…”
Isabel’s brow furrowed at his dramatics, then she reached into her purse and pulled out her cell phone. “Call her, apologize. Tell her it was my idea.”
Alex sat up and looked at the phone. “I can’t blame you.”
She jiggled the phone. “Then call her and blame yourself.”
Somewhat reluctantly, he took the phone from her and punched in Maria’s cell number. Wincing as it rang, he dreaded the ass-chewing that was about to come his way. It took many rings for her to answer – many. And after the phone clicked on, there were a lot of fumbling noises.
“Hello?” Maria finally said, her voice sounding groggy.
“Oh, thank God I found you!” Alex replied. “I’m sorry – did I wake you up?”
A long, slow sigh. “No…”
“Good, good. Look, we were supposed to study tonight –”
“Hmm mmm.”
Alex’s eyebrows drew together in confusion. She sounded distracted. He wasn’t sure why, but he didn’t feel like he had her full attention.
“I’m really sorry –”
“It’s okay…oh…”
His eyebrows shot straight up in the air. “Um, Maria? Are you okay?”
“Hmm? Oh, yes, I’m okay…oh God! Alex, I’ve got to go!”
With that, the phone went dead. Alex held it before him and looked at it in confusion.
“Did she sound mad?” Isabel asked carefully.
“Mad? No. She sounded rather pleased, actually.”
Then he turned beet red.
* * * * *
A shabby apartment that smelled of many roses. Whispered staccato words, interrupted by many kisses.
“I’m – sorry – Maria.”
“Mmm hmm.”
“I didn’t – mean – to hurt – you.”
“Mmm hmm.”
“Courtney – meant nothing – to me.”
“Mmm hmm.”
“I was only – trying to get – information.”
“Mmm hmm.”
“I didn’t – want - to hurt – you.”
“Mmm hmm.”
“And I’m sorry - I sent – you away – last spring.”
“Michael.”
“What?”
“I’m going to get angry all over again if you don’t stop apologizing and put your hands back where they were.”
* * * * *
When Tess returned home from the Crashdown, her spirits couldn’t have been any lower. Max had stood her up. Michael didn’t even have time for a 3-minute conversation with her. Isabel was nowhere to be found. In short, she’d been abandoned by those who were supposed to be her “people.”
She found Kyle lying on his back on the couch – his new bed – flipping channels on the television. He craned his neck when she walked through the front door, gave her a grin before returning to his program.
“Hey, Tess,” he called.
“Hi, Kyle.”
“I’ve got some nachos in here with your name written all over them. Jalapenos and everything. Nice and spicy, just like you like them.”
She dropped her purse by the chair and sank into it, letting out a sigh. Kyle glanced her way, then did a double-take at her gloom.
“You okay?” he asked.
She shrugged.
“You don’t know? Did something happen?”
Tess pulled on one of her blonde curls, let it boing back up into place. “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking.”
“’Bout?”
“Why Future Max is here.”
Kyle didn’t really want to hear anymore about Liz’s house guest. Everyone was all abuzz about Future Max, the savior of the planet. He was a little sick of it. But, he cared about Tess and would indulge her anyway.
“Yeah?” he asked, grabbing a chip and crunching it.
“I mean, he said I left, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Why did I leave? Did things really get so bad that I’d walk out on my people?”
“That’s what he said. I guess we don’t have any reason to not believe him.”
“That’s just the point.” She frowned and looked into the distance.
Out of respect for her, Kyle turned off the TV and sat up. “What are you thinking?” he asked.
“I can’t get any of them to talk to me,” she finally blurted. “Max doesn’t show up when he’s supposed to. Michael acts like I’m not really here and Isabel couldn’t care less about me. They don’t even like me, Kyle.”
He could see the hurt behind her pretty eyes and gave her a sympathetic look.
“I mean, maybe things are already that bad,” she said quietly. “Why am I here? Why did I stay here? There’s nothing for me here, Kyle.”
“Aren’t you worried that the world will end if you don’t stick with the group?” He raised his eyebrows questioningly.
“No,” she snorted. “I find that hard to believe.”
“Well, yeah, me too. But I thought maybe you aliens believed it for some reason.” He shrugged noncommittally. “Okay, so you think you need to leave. Where would you go?”
She sighed in frustration. “I don’t know.”
Kyle toyed with his fingers, then bounced the tips together. “Can I offer you my opinion?”
She shrugged. “Okay.”
“I say screw Max Evans and the rest of them. Why does your life have to revolve around theirs?”
Tess’s eyebrows rose sharply. “So you’re saying I should leave then?”
“No. I’m saying that you need to worry about making yourself happy and forget about them. So what if they don’t want you in their club? Did you really want to be there in the first place?”
“Well, yeah.”
“Why?”
“Because they’re my family.”
Kyle glanced around the living room, at the room that had become his bedroom since donating his to Tess. “And what about us?”
“Us?”
“Me. Dad. The Valentis. We opened our home to you, welcomed you in, gave you a place to stay. Doesn’t that make us family in some way?”
For some reason Kyle didn’t understand, Tess looked like she was about to cry.
“But more than sharing a home,” he said, looking bashfully down at his hands, “we care about you. I care about you.” He glanced at her, then away quickly.
Tears appeared in Tess’s blue eyes.
“Are we enough?” he asked, looking at her questioningly. “Are we enough to keep you from running?”
Letting her tears finally flow, Tess nodded her head.
tbc
One Max Over the Max (CC / Teen) (Complete)
Moderators: Itzstacie, Forum Moderators
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Midwest Max
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Last edited by Midwest Max on Mon Apr 24, 2006 4:29 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Midwest Max
- Addicted Roswellian
- Posts: 461
- Joined: Sun Aug 03, 2003 8:11 pm
I will answer fb when I get the chance!
Part Eleven
Future Max wasn’t feeling so well. It had come upon him suddenly; he felt tired and a little disoriented, like he’d taken too much cold medicine. He still knew where he was however – he was on Liz’s balcony, with her and the younger version of himself.
“First off,” he said to Max. “You just accused me of not respecting Liz’s wishes. To that, I say this – you can’t seem to respect them either. If you had just left her alone like she asked, then you wouldn’t be here, all broken-hearted and ‘Liz betrayed me.’”
Max’s jaw set in irritation.
“So while you’re flinging accusations around, consider that between my actions and yours, you drove her to do what she did with Kyle.”
Max glanced at Liz, who immediately looked at the ground. He felt a wave of sympathy for her, being so stuck in the middle like she was.
“You’re a stubborn young man,” Future Max continued. “You’re going to need to get over that. I know what you think.”
Max frowned. Was he really about to betray himself aloud? Apparently, yes.
“You think it’s all your responsibility. You think that only you can keep the group safe.”
Max snorted. “Isn’t that what I was told? That I was a king of some kind? Isn’t a king responsible for the well-being of his people?”
Future Max drew in a long breath, something shifting inside of him. “Yes. I remember feeling that way. But the truth is that you’re also responsible for listening to the people around you. You’re not the only one with a clue.” He looked at Liz. “Even some non-aliens are going to play a significant part.”
Liz looked up, her doe eyes round. “Me? No, not me. What could I possibly know about all of this stuff?”
He smiled gently at her. “More than you can imagine. Trust me – you’re going to play a significant role in what happens.”
Liz looked at Max, who was looking at her in surprise and with more love than she thought possible.
Future Max turned back to present-day Max. “So, listen to her when she tries to tell you things. You haven’t done a very good job of that in the last few weeks. In fact, I told her that the thing with Kyle would never work. I didn’t think you’d really believe that she’d slept with him.”
Max flushed a light shade of pink.
“But you were wrapped up in yourself. You indulged yourself in confusion and hurt and you couldn’t see that something was going horribly wrong with her. You didn’t listen to your heart. You’re always going to fail when you don’t do that.”
Max looked down at the floor, scolded by himself.
A dull hum started in Future Max’s brain. Was this it? Was his time coming to an end? “I don’t know what’s going to become of me,” he said, brushing a hand over his face.
Panic flared inside of Liz and she reached out to touch his arm. Max saw her do so and felt an odd mix of affection and jealousy.
“Are you okay?” she asked. “Is something happening?”
He dropped his hand and gave a sad nod of his head. “Yes, Liz. I’m surprised it hasn’t happened yet, but I have a feeling something has changed.”
“Something we’ve done?”
He shook his head. “I don’t think so. I don’t know what, but whatever was keeping me from leaving has changed. I think my time is short.”
“What else did you want to tell us?” Max interjected, now eager to learn from his older self. He tried to ignore that this visitor might be going back to his time – or he might be about to die entirely.
Future Max turned to Max. “I can’t tell you too much.”
“What can you tell us?”
“Be cautious. You’re never alone – the enemy can be anyone at anytime. Someone is always watching.” He gave a small laugh. “Yeah, I know – it’s enough to make you paranoid as hell, but don’t look at it that way. Look at it as a caution.”
“Who is our enemy?” Max asked, anxious.
“You have many.” Future Max frowned. “Outside of your circle. And within also.”
Max’s eyes snapped to Liz’s, both frightened.
“Who?” Liz demanded. “Someone we know now?”
Future Max studied her for a long moment, like an artist appreciating a masterpiece. “The potential is there. Just be smart. Never stop watching your back.” He looked to Max. “Appreciate her, Max. Make every day matter. I saw what can happen. I saw the end of the world coming and if I had known that time would be so short, I would have worshipped her every day. I would have made the time, just to see her smile, no matter how busy I thought I was.”
Liz felt a stinging at the back of her eyes, listening to this person speak of missed opportunities, of the world ending before he got to show his wife how much he really loved her. Deep inside, she wondered how many opportunities had been missed by her fleeing to Florida instead of staying in Roswell for the summer and working things out with Max and Tess.
Max watched Liz’s eyes become misty and he too felt the weight of lost chances. After all, he’d been the one to push her away last year, the one to insist that they were too different or that it was too dangerous to be together. Here was someone who had come from the future and knew that to not be the case. He knew that they could be happy together, somehow.
“Max,” Future Max said softly, drawing the attention of the younger man. “Your sister has a secret. When she tells you, be gentle with her. Don’t react immediately.”
Max’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “A secret? Oh, God. What is it?”
“She’ll tell you – when she’s ready. When she does, don’t go ballistic on her. She’s going through a lot right now that you don’t know about.”
Max paled. “She’s keeping things from me?”
Future Max smiled. “As you’ve always kept things from her.”
Max withdrew, ashamed.
“Just…be careful with her. She’s breakable.”
Max nodded.
Future Max put a hand to his head and closed his eyes. Inside of his mind, he felt things rolling backwards, saw the deaths of Michael and Isabel erased, saw the end of the world diminishing. His memories were dissipating so quickly, being replaced by new ones that he couldn’t think past them, simply sat in silence.
“Max,” Liz whispered.
Max met her eyes, then followed her gaze to his older self.
“Something’s happening to him.”
Max swallowed hard, waited with pounding heart for something cataclysmic to happen to Future Max. The older man never budged, sat still for so long that Max caught himself watching his chest to see if he was still breathing. The wind sent fallen leaves tumbling across Liz’s rooftop, into the corners of the building, the candles flickered in the breeze. Other than that, the silence was deafening.
Max turned to Liz and was about to ask her what she thought they should do when a blinding light sent him tumbling backward, onto the roof. He could barely hear Liz’s scream of terror over a loud clap of thunder as he threw up his arm to shield his eyes from the light. Instinct kicked in and he began to form the green shield…
Until the light started to dim and he could distinctly make out a pair of leather boots. Small boots. Women’s boots. He lowered his arm and blinked away the white spots before them. From somewhere in the distance, he heard Liz moan, “Oh, no. Not again.”
The light faded and went out and Max followed the boots to a pair of leather pants, his eyebrows rising appraisingly the farther north he traveled. The pants led to a leather jacket, and then he saw the face of their visitor.
Her hair was dark, trimmed to her shoulders, soft bangs caressing her forehead. Her skin was still smooth and unlined, giving her the appearance of someone five years her junior. Her eyes…he would know those eyes anywhere, their dark pools, the small scar above one of them.
It was Liz. Just not Liz as he knew her.
The new visitor drew in a long breath, looked around for a moment, then broke into a smile. It was the kind of grin that belonged on someone returning to their childhood home after years of absence.
Max looked quickly to Liz, who was sprawled opposite of him, the visitor between them. She was staring at the guest in wonder, her lips parted in speechless surprise. Future Liz smiled at her, then turned to Max. He gulped and struggled to think of what he should say or do.
“Excuse me,” she said affably, as if asking to scoot past in a crowded movie theater, and stepped over his legs to reach Future Max, who was still sitting catatonically in the lounger. “I thought I might find him here,” she laughed. Reaching down, she cuffed his arm. “Sweetheart?”
Max was still trying to clear Future Liz’s terrifying entrance from his head. He looked over at Liz, who was still staring in a mixture of fascination and horror. He knew that inside, she understood how he’d felt the first time he’d encountered himself from another time.
“Hey, baby,” Future Liz said, squatting beside the lounge chair. “Wake up. Guess who’s here.”
His motions slow and that of someone on too much morphine, Future Max lowered his hand and turned his face in her direction. Only a few seconds passed before he became totally animated, jumped from the chair and pulling her into his arms. So abrupt were his actions that Max and Liz both withdrew slightly.
“It’s you!” Future Max beamed, planting tiny kisses all over her face. “Oh, my God – you survived!”
Future Liz laughed, indulging his eagerness. “Yes, Max. We all lived. I’ve come to get you.”
He pulled away and took her face between his hands, tears in his eyes. “You’re really here, aren’t you?”
She grinned and nodded.
“I’m not dreaming? This isn’t a trick?”
She shook her head.
“Are you real?” He held her at arm’s length, followed her form with his eyes.
“I’m real,” she said softly. “And I’m happy to see you. And I can’t wait to get you home.”
He stopped, her words finally sinking in. “Home?”
She nodded again. “You remember home, right?”
Future Max’s face contorted as a new stream of tears slid down his cheeks. “Yes. I remember.” With that, he crushed her to him again, so tightly that she could barely breathe.
Struggling for air, she pushed her chin past his bicep and looked at Liz. “He gets like this,” she explained. “Not that I mind.” She winked and Liz’s eyebrows rose in surprise.
“How?” Future Max demanded. “How did you manage it?”
“Serena,” Liz explained.
He let out a sound that was half-laugh, half-snort. “Of course. She always comes through.”
“You want to go home now? I know how.”
He nodded eagerly. “Yes. More than you know.”
Future Liz pushed back from him and looked to the others on the roof. Coming to his senses, Max stood and held out a hand to help Liz up. Once they were on their feet, neither of them thought to let go. Future Liz looked at her younger self.
“I wish I could tell you that we never fight,” she said. “I wish I could tell you that it’s always been easy. But I can’t. You know the circumstances and you know that nothing is going to be easy.” She turned to look into her husband’s face, hers spreading into a wide smile. “But it’s worth it, Liz. So worth it.”
Max looked at Liz hopefully; she returned a bashful smile.
“Let’s go home,” Future Liz said.
Future Max smiled and nodded. Then he looked at Liz. “I’m sorry I had to ask you to do what you did.”
Liz gave him an understanding smile and glanced at Future Liz. “It’s okay – I think I understand why.”
Future Liz wrapped her arm around Future Max’s waist. “Shall we?”
“Okay. Um, how?”
She laughed. “Not in front of the kids. There are some things they shouldn’t know yet.” Looking to Max and Liz, she made a circular gesture with her finger. “Turn around, you two.”
They complied, still holding hands.
“And no peeking!” she called.
Max braced himself for a dramatic exit, given that the entrance was a little on the over-kill side, but all he felt was a sudden blast of air that tousled his hair and kicked up some dust. There was a whooshing sound, then silence.
“Can we look now?” he asked Liz without turning to look at her.
“I don’t know,” she replied, also standing rigid.
Max cleared his throat. “Can we look now?” he called. When there was no answer, he looked over his shoulder and found the balcony vacant. “They’re gone,” he said in wonder.
Liz turned as well, feeling like something was missing. In the past few weeks, Future Max had become a fixture in her life and now he was just gone. There was a little empty spot inside of her.
Then she became aware that her hand was still entwined with Max’s. Her heart started to thump a little quicker as all of her senses became aware of him, this man that she was destined to marry and time travel with.
Max cleared his throat again, obviously coming to his senses at the same time she did. “So,” he said, looking down at their hands. “They looked happy.”
Liz nodded, glanced away shyly. “Yeah, they did.”
He caressed her thumb with his. “So…what do we do now?”
A light flush colored Liz’s cheeks. “I know what he said, that we, um, you know…but I’m not ready for that yet, Max.”
“Okay.” He wasn’t really ready for that yet, either. Too much had happened lately for the timing to be perfect, and he knew in his heart that he wouldn’t be with her until everything was perfect.
Awkward silence ensued and his mind struggled for something to say or do. It felt like they both wanted to say something, but neither of them could find the right words.
“Are you ready to see me?” he asked tentatively. “I mean, like go out?”
She looked up at him, her dark eyes full of many emotions.
“Because I would like to take you out,” he said, trying to not hurry his words, to not appear as anxious as he was. “I’d like to start over. Could we do that? Start over?”
Liz shook her head and Max’s heart sank. “I don’t want to start over,” she explained. “I want to pick up where we left off. I want to go back to when you told me you loved me and I said I loved you. I want to start over from there.”
Relief flooded over Max and he squeezed her fingers in his.
“It might not be easy,” she said lightly, “but I have it on good authority that it will be worth it.”
Epilogue
There were coffee stains on the counter, quickly drying and becoming more difficult to remove. Maria Deluca was ignoring them, mainly because there was no ignoring the eyes that were looking at her.
Happy. Healed. Hopeful.
“So what did she look like?” Maria prodded. “Future Liz. Did she get all old and frumpy?”
Max chuckled. “Um, no, not exactly.”
Maria pouted. “Oh, the bitch got all ripped, didn’t she?”
He laughed but didn’t answer.
“I knew it,” she sighed in disgust. “I probably end up fat and hag-like, don’t I?”
“By the time you’re thirty?” Max raised an eyebrow as he laughed.
Maria shrugged. “Well, I’m sure it happens that soon to some.” Her eyes drifted to Tess, who was sitting in a booth with Kyle, but she couldn’t make the snide remark she wanted to. For some reason, she’d decided to lay off the blonde for a while. “So, how come I’m here serving you and Liz is nowhere to be found?”
Max sipped his coffee. “She’s upstairs getting ready for our date.” He couldn’t stop the smile that came to his lips.
“Hmm, a date.” Maria picked up a glass and started drying it. “You guys are on the mend then, eh?”
He nodded. “Yeah. I mean, it’s not like we’re ready to jump into the sack or anything…” His eyes fell on the choker that Maria had been wearing the last few nights and his words drifted off. “Um, how are you and Michael these days?”
Maria’s eyes grew round and her hand went subconsciously to the necklace as a light flush crept across her cheeks. “Fine. I may actually forgive him someday.” She cleared her throat and started to assault the glass she was drying.
Max’s eyes drifted over her shoulder, to the window that separated the eating area from the kitchen. Michael was working the grill; being a man and having a sweaty job, he had no option to wear a choker to hide the evidence of Maria’s “forgiveness”.
Max chuckled. “Well, good luck with that.”
From the back of the restaurant erupted a loud laugh, followed shortly thereafter by the unmistakable snort. Max and Maria both turned to see Alex giggling and Isabel clamping her hand over her mouth, her cheeks red with embarrassment.
“Maria?” Max said.
“Yeah?”
“Did my sister just snort? In public?”
“Yeah, I think so.”
Max blinked a couple of times, watched as his sister picked up a menu and tossed it at her companion. Inside, he felt a little relieved that she was opening up to someone. He didn’t know her secret yet, but he would heed the advice he’d received when she did.
The door to the kitchen swung open and Max’s breath was stolen away. Liz was wearing a black strapless dress, black heels and simple earrings. Her dark hair was long and loose around her shoulders, her smile pretty and just a little shy. Immediately, he hopped down from his stool and met her halfway to take her hand in his.
“You’re beautiful,” he said.
“Thank you,” she replied, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear. “You look good, too.”
Maria watched the exchange as she picked up another glass to dry. While they walked by, she called, “Have a good time. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.” Almost as though she could feel his eyes on her back, she turned to see Michael grinning at her from the kitchen. Then she added under her breath, “And God help you.”
The End
Part Eleven
Future Max wasn’t feeling so well. It had come upon him suddenly; he felt tired and a little disoriented, like he’d taken too much cold medicine. He still knew where he was however – he was on Liz’s balcony, with her and the younger version of himself.
“First off,” he said to Max. “You just accused me of not respecting Liz’s wishes. To that, I say this – you can’t seem to respect them either. If you had just left her alone like she asked, then you wouldn’t be here, all broken-hearted and ‘Liz betrayed me.’”
Max’s jaw set in irritation.
“So while you’re flinging accusations around, consider that between my actions and yours, you drove her to do what she did with Kyle.”
Max glanced at Liz, who immediately looked at the ground. He felt a wave of sympathy for her, being so stuck in the middle like she was.
“You’re a stubborn young man,” Future Max continued. “You’re going to need to get over that. I know what you think.”
Max frowned. Was he really about to betray himself aloud? Apparently, yes.
“You think it’s all your responsibility. You think that only you can keep the group safe.”
Max snorted. “Isn’t that what I was told? That I was a king of some kind? Isn’t a king responsible for the well-being of his people?”
Future Max drew in a long breath, something shifting inside of him. “Yes. I remember feeling that way. But the truth is that you’re also responsible for listening to the people around you. You’re not the only one with a clue.” He looked at Liz. “Even some non-aliens are going to play a significant part.”
Liz looked up, her doe eyes round. “Me? No, not me. What could I possibly know about all of this stuff?”
He smiled gently at her. “More than you can imagine. Trust me – you’re going to play a significant role in what happens.”
Liz looked at Max, who was looking at her in surprise and with more love than she thought possible.
Future Max turned back to present-day Max. “So, listen to her when she tries to tell you things. You haven’t done a very good job of that in the last few weeks. In fact, I told her that the thing with Kyle would never work. I didn’t think you’d really believe that she’d slept with him.”
Max flushed a light shade of pink.
“But you were wrapped up in yourself. You indulged yourself in confusion and hurt and you couldn’t see that something was going horribly wrong with her. You didn’t listen to your heart. You’re always going to fail when you don’t do that.”
Max looked down at the floor, scolded by himself.
A dull hum started in Future Max’s brain. Was this it? Was his time coming to an end? “I don’t know what’s going to become of me,” he said, brushing a hand over his face.
Panic flared inside of Liz and she reached out to touch his arm. Max saw her do so and felt an odd mix of affection and jealousy.
“Are you okay?” she asked. “Is something happening?”
He dropped his hand and gave a sad nod of his head. “Yes, Liz. I’m surprised it hasn’t happened yet, but I have a feeling something has changed.”
“Something we’ve done?”
He shook his head. “I don’t think so. I don’t know what, but whatever was keeping me from leaving has changed. I think my time is short.”
“What else did you want to tell us?” Max interjected, now eager to learn from his older self. He tried to ignore that this visitor might be going back to his time – or he might be about to die entirely.
Future Max turned to Max. “I can’t tell you too much.”
“What can you tell us?”
“Be cautious. You’re never alone – the enemy can be anyone at anytime. Someone is always watching.” He gave a small laugh. “Yeah, I know – it’s enough to make you paranoid as hell, but don’t look at it that way. Look at it as a caution.”
“Who is our enemy?” Max asked, anxious.
“You have many.” Future Max frowned. “Outside of your circle. And within also.”
Max’s eyes snapped to Liz’s, both frightened.
“Who?” Liz demanded. “Someone we know now?”
Future Max studied her for a long moment, like an artist appreciating a masterpiece. “The potential is there. Just be smart. Never stop watching your back.” He looked to Max. “Appreciate her, Max. Make every day matter. I saw what can happen. I saw the end of the world coming and if I had known that time would be so short, I would have worshipped her every day. I would have made the time, just to see her smile, no matter how busy I thought I was.”
Liz felt a stinging at the back of her eyes, listening to this person speak of missed opportunities, of the world ending before he got to show his wife how much he really loved her. Deep inside, she wondered how many opportunities had been missed by her fleeing to Florida instead of staying in Roswell for the summer and working things out with Max and Tess.
Max watched Liz’s eyes become misty and he too felt the weight of lost chances. After all, he’d been the one to push her away last year, the one to insist that they were too different or that it was too dangerous to be together. Here was someone who had come from the future and knew that to not be the case. He knew that they could be happy together, somehow.
“Max,” Future Max said softly, drawing the attention of the younger man. “Your sister has a secret. When she tells you, be gentle with her. Don’t react immediately.”
Max’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “A secret? Oh, God. What is it?”
“She’ll tell you – when she’s ready. When she does, don’t go ballistic on her. She’s going through a lot right now that you don’t know about.”
Max paled. “She’s keeping things from me?”
Future Max smiled. “As you’ve always kept things from her.”
Max withdrew, ashamed.
“Just…be careful with her. She’s breakable.”
Max nodded.
Future Max put a hand to his head and closed his eyes. Inside of his mind, he felt things rolling backwards, saw the deaths of Michael and Isabel erased, saw the end of the world diminishing. His memories were dissipating so quickly, being replaced by new ones that he couldn’t think past them, simply sat in silence.
“Max,” Liz whispered.
Max met her eyes, then followed her gaze to his older self.
“Something’s happening to him.”
Max swallowed hard, waited with pounding heart for something cataclysmic to happen to Future Max. The older man never budged, sat still for so long that Max caught himself watching his chest to see if he was still breathing. The wind sent fallen leaves tumbling across Liz’s rooftop, into the corners of the building, the candles flickered in the breeze. Other than that, the silence was deafening.
Max turned to Liz and was about to ask her what she thought they should do when a blinding light sent him tumbling backward, onto the roof. He could barely hear Liz’s scream of terror over a loud clap of thunder as he threw up his arm to shield his eyes from the light. Instinct kicked in and he began to form the green shield…
Until the light started to dim and he could distinctly make out a pair of leather boots. Small boots. Women’s boots. He lowered his arm and blinked away the white spots before them. From somewhere in the distance, he heard Liz moan, “Oh, no. Not again.”
The light faded and went out and Max followed the boots to a pair of leather pants, his eyebrows rising appraisingly the farther north he traveled. The pants led to a leather jacket, and then he saw the face of their visitor.
Her hair was dark, trimmed to her shoulders, soft bangs caressing her forehead. Her skin was still smooth and unlined, giving her the appearance of someone five years her junior. Her eyes…he would know those eyes anywhere, their dark pools, the small scar above one of them.
It was Liz. Just not Liz as he knew her.
The new visitor drew in a long breath, looked around for a moment, then broke into a smile. It was the kind of grin that belonged on someone returning to their childhood home after years of absence.
Max looked quickly to Liz, who was sprawled opposite of him, the visitor between them. She was staring at the guest in wonder, her lips parted in speechless surprise. Future Liz smiled at her, then turned to Max. He gulped and struggled to think of what he should say or do.
“Excuse me,” she said affably, as if asking to scoot past in a crowded movie theater, and stepped over his legs to reach Future Max, who was still sitting catatonically in the lounger. “I thought I might find him here,” she laughed. Reaching down, she cuffed his arm. “Sweetheart?”
Max was still trying to clear Future Liz’s terrifying entrance from his head. He looked over at Liz, who was still staring in a mixture of fascination and horror. He knew that inside, she understood how he’d felt the first time he’d encountered himself from another time.
“Hey, baby,” Future Liz said, squatting beside the lounge chair. “Wake up. Guess who’s here.”
His motions slow and that of someone on too much morphine, Future Max lowered his hand and turned his face in her direction. Only a few seconds passed before he became totally animated, jumped from the chair and pulling her into his arms. So abrupt were his actions that Max and Liz both withdrew slightly.
“It’s you!” Future Max beamed, planting tiny kisses all over her face. “Oh, my God – you survived!”
Future Liz laughed, indulging his eagerness. “Yes, Max. We all lived. I’ve come to get you.”
He pulled away and took her face between his hands, tears in his eyes. “You’re really here, aren’t you?”
She grinned and nodded.
“I’m not dreaming? This isn’t a trick?”
She shook her head.
“Are you real?” He held her at arm’s length, followed her form with his eyes.
“I’m real,” she said softly. “And I’m happy to see you. And I can’t wait to get you home.”
He stopped, her words finally sinking in. “Home?”
She nodded again. “You remember home, right?”
Future Max’s face contorted as a new stream of tears slid down his cheeks. “Yes. I remember.” With that, he crushed her to him again, so tightly that she could barely breathe.
Struggling for air, she pushed her chin past his bicep and looked at Liz. “He gets like this,” she explained. “Not that I mind.” She winked and Liz’s eyebrows rose in surprise.
“How?” Future Max demanded. “How did you manage it?”
“Serena,” Liz explained.
He let out a sound that was half-laugh, half-snort. “Of course. She always comes through.”
“You want to go home now? I know how.”
He nodded eagerly. “Yes. More than you know.”
Future Liz pushed back from him and looked to the others on the roof. Coming to his senses, Max stood and held out a hand to help Liz up. Once they were on their feet, neither of them thought to let go. Future Liz looked at her younger self.
“I wish I could tell you that we never fight,” she said. “I wish I could tell you that it’s always been easy. But I can’t. You know the circumstances and you know that nothing is going to be easy.” She turned to look into her husband’s face, hers spreading into a wide smile. “But it’s worth it, Liz. So worth it.”
Max looked at Liz hopefully; she returned a bashful smile.
“Let’s go home,” Future Liz said.
Future Max smiled and nodded. Then he looked at Liz. “I’m sorry I had to ask you to do what you did.”
Liz gave him an understanding smile and glanced at Future Liz. “It’s okay – I think I understand why.”
Future Liz wrapped her arm around Future Max’s waist. “Shall we?”
“Okay. Um, how?”
She laughed. “Not in front of the kids. There are some things they shouldn’t know yet.” Looking to Max and Liz, she made a circular gesture with her finger. “Turn around, you two.”
They complied, still holding hands.
“And no peeking!” she called.
Max braced himself for a dramatic exit, given that the entrance was a little on the over-kill side, but all he felt was a sudden blast of air that tousled his hair and kicked up some dust. There was a whooshing sound, then silence.
“Can we look now?” he asked Liz without turning to look at her.
“I don’t know,” she replied, also standing rigid.
Max cleared his throat. “Can we look now?” he called. When there was no answer, he looked over his shoulder and found the balcony vacant. “They’re gone,” he said in wonder.
Liz turned as well, feeling like something was missing. In the past few weeks, Future Max had become a fixture in her life and now he was just gone. There was a little empty spot inside of her.
Then she became aware that her hand was still entwined with Max’s. Her heart started to thump a little quicker as all of her senses became aware of him, this man that she was destined to marry and time travel with.
Max cleared his throat again, obviously coming to his senses at the same time she did. “So,” he said, looking down at their hands. “They looked happy.”
Liz nodded, glanced away shyly. “Yeah, they did.”
He caressed her thumb with his. “So…what do we do now?”
A light flush colored Liz’s cheeks. “I know what he said, that we, um, you know…but I’m not ready for that yet, Max.”
“Okay.” He wasn’t really ready for that yet, either. Too much had happened lately for the timing to be perfect, and he knew in his heart that he wouldn’t be with her until everything was perfect.
Awkward silence ensued and his mind struggled for something to say or do. It felt like they both wanted to say something, but neither of them could find the right words.
“Are you ready to see me?” he asked tentatively. “I mean, like go out?”
She looked up at him, her dark eyes full of many emotions.
“Because I would like to take you out,” he said, trying to not hurry his words, to not appear as anxious as he was. “I’d like to start over. Could we do that? Start over?”
Liz shook her head and Max’s heart sank. “I don’t want to start over,” she explained. “I want to pick up where we left off. I want to go back to when you told me you loved me and I said I loved you. I want to start over from there.”
Relief flooded over Max and he squeezed her fingers in his.
“It might not be easy,” she said lightly, “but I have it on good authority that it will be worth it.”
Epilogue
There were coffee stains on the counter, quickly drying and becoming more difficult to remove. Maria Deluca was ignoring them, mainly because there was no ignoring the eyes that were looking at her.
Happy. Healed. Hopeful.
“So what did she look like?” Maria prodded. “Future Liz. Did she get all old and frumpy?”
Max chuckled. “Um, no, not exactly.”
Maria pouted. “Oh, the bitch got all ripped, didn’t she?”
He laughed but didn’t answer.
“I knew it,” she sighed in disgust. “I probably end up fat and hag-like, don’t I?”
“By the time you’re thirty?” Max raised an eyebrow as he laughed.
Maria shrugged. “Well, I’m sure it happens that soon to some.” Her eyes drifted to Tess, who was sitting in a booth with Kyle, but she couldn’t make the snide remark she wanted to. For some reason, she’d decided to lay off the blonde for a while. “So, how come I’m here serving you and Liz is nowhere to be found?”
Max sipped his coffee. “She’s upstairs getting ready for our date.” He couldn’t stop the smile that came to his lips.
“Hmm, a date.” Maria picked up a glass and started drying it. “You guys are on the mend then, eh?”
He nodded. “Yeah. I mean, it’s not like we’re ready to jump into the sack or anything…” His eyes fell on the choker that Maria had been wearing the last few nights and his words drifted off. “Um, how are you and Michael these days?”
Maria’s eyes grew round and her hand went subconsciously to the necklace as a light flush crept across her cheeks. “Fine. I may actually forgive him someday.” She cleared her throat and started to assault the glass she was drying.
Max’s eyes drifted over her shoulder, to the window that separated the eating area from the kitchen. Michael was working the grill; being a man and having a sweaty job, he had no option to wear a choker to hide the evidence of Maria’s “forgiveness”.
Max chuckled. “Well, good luck with that.”
From the back of the restaurant erupted a loud laugh, followed shortly thereafter by the unmistakable snort. Max and Maria both turned to see Alex giggling and Isabel clamping her hand over her mouth, her cheeks red with embarrassment.
“Maria?” Max said.
“Yeah?”
“Did my sister just snort? In public?”
“Yeah, I think so.”
Max blinked a couple of times, watched as his sister picked up a menu and tossed it at her companion. Inside, he felt a little relieved that she was opening up to someone. He didn’t know her secret yet, but he would heed the advice he’d received when she did.
The door to the kitchen swung open and Max’s breath was stolen away. Liz was wearing a black strapless dress, black heels and simple earrings. Her dark hair was long and loose around her shoulders, her smile pretty and just a little shy. Immediately, he hopped down from his stool and met her halfway to take her hand in his.
“You’re beautiful,” he said.
“Thank you,” she replied, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear. “You look good, too.”
Maria watched the exchange as she picked up another glass to dry. While they walked by, she called, “Have a good time. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.” Almost as though she could feel his eyes on her back, she turned to see Michael grinning at her from the kitchen. Then she added under her breath, “And God help you.”
The End
Last edited by Midwest Max on Mon Apr 24, 2006 4:31 pm, edited 1 time in total.
