Max got out of his car and walked into his house and this time it felt differently than it ever had before. Something was missing. Walking into the kitchen, he tried to ignore the feeling by fixing something to eat and then sitting down at his desk and trying to work on case when he knew he was expected back on the job the next morning.
Memories of Liz rang through his mind, and memories of the daughter he had and had a chance to know rang through his mind. Picking up a beer in his hand and taking a sip as he tried to drown the memories when there was a knock on the door. Taking the beer with him, he opened the door and saw a friendly face. “You…” he asked.
“Yes, me and put that beer down will you” Serena muttered as she walked into the house. “You’re not turning into a drunk again…”
“It’s only one beer,” Max said defending himself. “I was only thirsty,” he lied but knew he wasn’t going to go for more… No matter the memories, he knew Liz wouldn’t have wanted that…
“With you, one beer turns into more…” Serena said as she walked through the house. “So, they got off?”
“Yes,” Max nodded. “I checked the tracking once I left, the flight left on time.”
“I am truly sorry Max,” Serena sighed as she saw the traits of her friend having the potential to spiral again. “I know how much it meant for you to have Liz back in your life.”
“Don’t be, I will be fine. I will be seeing them on the weekend, and so I don’t have to worry about losing touch…this time.”
“I hope so,” Serena murmured as she truly hoped that reality didn’t intrude on Max’s desires. “I do have a warning for you. Chief Gibson wants to see you first thing in the morning, so you should be sober because he doesn’t have that much tolerance for you lately…”
“I noticed,” Max sighed as he put down the beer after finishing it as he knew how his boss didn’t appreciate his taking an extra week off despite it allowing the station to save on his salary, and then there were his extra little visits to the office to deal with the Davidson boy so he knew he had to have been testing his boss, and he was sorry for it but then he did need the truth.
“So be careful,” Serena advised.
“I plan to be and really I have nothing to lose now, and I do plan to give the job 100% of me because otherwise I have no real reason to be here…”
Serena nodded and knew it was the truth and despite her friend’s insistence of returning to the job she had to wonder just how much longer he could last without Liz because she hadn’t seen a love like the one Max and Liz shared and it was truly special, and she didn’t want to think he was giving up his only shot at happiness.
“Are you headed home?” Max asked.
“Yes, I was although my husband is spending time at his parents with the girls until Tuesday, so I am going home to an empty house.”
“Do you want to watch the Dodgers; the game should be starting about now…” Max asked. “I was having pizza, I have plenty.”
“Sure,” Serena smiled because she knew he didn’t want to be in an empty house, so they enjoyed the game and some pizza while Max tried to forget the reality of Liz and Isabella flying back to New Mexico.
*
While at the same time the flight was landing in Roswell. The had flown into Santa Fe, and then taken a connecting flight onto Roswell and now was walking off the plane. Liz was apprehensive because it was reality now. She was returning home with her daughter, and she didn’t have Max with them. She hadn’t realized how much she had depended on him these past weeks, and now she was on her own.
I wanted that, didn’t I she mused herself as they walked off the plane and down to collect their luggage.
“Mommy are we really home…” Isabella asked as she stared out around the conveyor belts in the small airport. She realized she hadn’t been home in a year and she was anxious about it.
“We are close…” Liz smiled as life had righted itself when she saw her daughter by her side. Something she didn’t know if she would ever have again in her life, and now she had it… as she waited for their bags to arrive.
“It’s been so long…” Isabella asked.
“You’re home now…” Liz assured her daughter. “Everything will be alright in the end.”
Isabella nodded as Liz swung their bags onto their cart and they rolled out the rolling doors and she noticed the greeting group, whose faces had tears coming down as they spotted Isabella.
“Mommy why is Grandpa crying?” Bella asked of her mother as they spotted Jeff and Nancy with tears coming down their face as they saw their granddaughter approach them along with their daughter.
“They have missed you honey, as it’s been a long time since they have seen you and they can’t help but express it” Liz smiled as she squeezed her hands and fingers, “You are home…”
“I guess I am,” Isabella said. “I wish Max… I mean Dad was with us…”
“I wish that too,” Liz said softly as she and Isabella walked towards the crowd of people clapping loudly at the sight of Bella before them. “But you’ll see him soon enough.”
“I hope so…” Isabella whispered as an eerie sense came over her like being away from Max wasn’t going to be good for any of them… She shook over that sense as nerves, and was eagerly greeted by Jeff and Nancy, and Kyle and Isabel. Phillip and Diane were nearby.
“Oh, my Isabella,” Nancy whispered.
“Grandma,” Isabella whispered as she got swept in the magic of being with her grandparents. Diane Evans cried at the sight of her granddaughter. Phillip took a picture as Kyle picked Isabella up and swung her around. He was thrilled to have his daughter back where she belonged.
“Where’s Max?” Jeff asked as he looked at his daughter and saw some tension within his daughter.
“Dad…” Liz muttered. “You knew he wasn’t coming…”
“I am surprised that is all…” Jeff asked.
“Max has a job to get back to, and right now we’ve decided to allow him to do it and allow Bella get back into the swing of things back here at home.”
“You’re taking her to Everwood Lodge?” Diane asked as she came into the conversation as she hated knowing her son hadn’t come back but it hadn’t shocked her as they were warned about it by Isabel.
“Yes,” Liz admitted. “It’s a rehab facility that will let her adjust and help with her lingering injuries”
“We get to see her right?” Diane asked.
“Certainly,” Liz confirmed as they walked towards the exit as she finally felt comfortable at home, in the loving comfort of those who loved and cherished her. “I definitely plan to be over there all the time, and everyone is allowed to visit her.”
She just wished she didn’t miss Max so much…
*
And Max certainly missed Liz as he felt he was dragging once Serena had gone home. He couldn’t help but glance at the pictures that Bella has drawn and left with him, and pictures of both Liz and Isabella. Sighing, he tried to ignore the memories and concentrate on other meaningless tasks around his home when there was a phone call. Answering it, he was softened to hear a familiar voice. “Hey, where are you. I don’t recognize the number?”
“My parent’s place,” Liz said as she had just arrived at the Crashdown and the apartment over it. She hadn’t wanted to go home after making sure Isabella was adjusted over at the lodge. Isabella would be starting therapy the next day and so far, so good, as she helped hang the drawings that Isabella had drawn in Los Angeles.
“You couldn’t go home?” Max enquired.
“No, it’s evening here and we just got Isabella settled and I couldn’t handle going home to an empty house given I wasn’t there even before we left for Los Angeles.”
“I know the feeling,” Max murmured as he sat on the couch and enjoyed just talking to her on the phone, as he missed it over these years and missed just seeing her eyes, and her beautiful hair and her intoxicating touch as he tried to shake himself out of the blues that he was feeling by the memories he was invoking.
“Your parents wished you could have come back…” Liz said softly.
“They were there?” Max asked, surprised but not so on the other hand. He knew he had given the warning to Isabel not to expect him along with Liz that he had to stay behind, but he knew his parents would have wanted to be there for Isabella.
“They were the greeting party along with my parents and Kyle and Isabel,” Liz acknowledged.
“I hope they understood why I couldn’t…” Max asked.
“They understood but they wished you had come…” Liz said.
“I would have come back with you, you just had to say the word…” Max said softly.
“Max, that wouldn’t have solved anything, and you know it” Liz muttered as she looked out the window and onto the balcony that brought so many memories to life between her and Max and best of all, their
first kiss.
“I know,” Max sighed. “I miss you.”
“I miss you too…” Liz sighed and knew it was true. “Please take care of yourself tomorrow will you…”
“It’s just another day at the office,” Max said as he heard a beep on his line. “Nothing to worry about…”
“It’s just I don’t know,” Liz thought as she wondered if Bella’s newest worries she had expressed to her mother on the flight home as she got this sense that Max would face challenges, and Liz had tried to think them away but wondered as she talked to her ex if those worries were transferring over to her and now she wondered what it might happen with Max so far away from them…
“I promise you that everything is fine,” Max smiled into the phone as he longed to hold her and kiss her good-night. “I’ve got to go as the other line is ringing… I’ll call tomorrow night.
“Good night,” Liz said as the both hung up as she let out a deep sigh and turned and was startled by the guest at the door. “Maria, how long have you been standing there…”
“Long enough,” Maria with a smirk. “Was that Loverboy?”
“Maria… please,” Liz sighed. “You weren’t at the airport?” she asked as she got up and went for a hug with her best friend. “I expected you there…”
“I had a newscast shoot in Albuquerque, so Michael and I took Betty for the weekend. I got back and heard about your return. So, I thought I would come out and see how you’re doing.”
“I am fine Maria, truly…” Liz smiled.
“I tried the house, when that came up with nothing, I tried here…” Maria asked.
“I couldn’t go home…” Liz admitted.
“In more ways than one I suppose,” Maria cracked. “I shouldn’t expect you to be at home with Isabella at Everwood, and the house so alone. You can deal with it tomorrow, I guess.”
Liz nodded.
“So how is Max?” Maria asked.
“Maria, don’t you start…” Liz muttered as she thought of Max. “I don’t have any energy for it…”
“You’re whipped my friend,” Maria murmured. “You are such a goner, and it’s just the matter of how much longer you can go before you give in.”
Liz wondered if she was right.
*
Max got off the call with Liz and pressed the button and went onto his next. He was missing Liz like crazy after that conversation and he was on a collision course to life changing action and he knew it. “Yes, hello.”
“Evans?” came a commanding voice.
“Sir,” Max said standing upright at the sound of his boss’ voice and all the memories of the past were gone, and he was forced into the reality of today.
“We need to talk…” came the voice.
“I understand that sir, and before you say anything. I am sorry for my actions in New York.” Max said sounding contrite, which he was to a point. He wished Sean Deluca was alive today, so he could strangle him to death.
“I don’t appreciate my detectives going rogue on me…” Chief Gibson muttered in his office as he checked the clock and knew his wife was expecting him home for a late dinner, but that couldn’t be because of late breaking case he needed to discuss with his lead detective.
“I know you don’t, and if things could have been different… I would have made them different. It’s just that…”
“It was personal to you, right?” Chief Gibson asked. “Detective Franklin filled me in on your situation and I feel for you, and likely wouldn’t have made a different choice myself but I don’t appreciate the heat you put on me and this department with your actions.”
“I realize that, and it won’t happen again…”
“Somehow I doubt that,” Chief Gibson muttered as he knew when family was involved, well, you would go to the ends of the earth. “I am aware your daughter’s case is closed off…”
“As far as her disappearance goes… But how she was taken that is still a bit of a mystery. We have identified the mastermind, but he’s dead so we don’t know how it was done and how the Davidson’s come into it…
“Then you might want to come in and speak to me on the double…” Chief Gibson sighed.
“Why…” Max asked as his gut was on alert. “We could talk about it in the morning…
“I have some information you might wish for…” Chief Gibson said. “It can’t wait, so can you be here in 30.”
“I am at home sir,” Max said quietly thinking of the beer he had drunk but knew it was hours ago, and he was likely fine to drive, “I can make it in an hour?”
“Fine, be here…” Chief Gibson grumbled. “If you want answers into your daughter’s disappearance.”
“Thank you, sir…” Max said as he wondered what he would be finding out.
“See you then Evans,” Gibson growled as he dropped the phone and called home and nixed that late dinner while Max got into gear as he quickly changed and hopped into his car and headed for the station.