Couple: Alec and Liz
Rating: Teen
Disclaimer: Roswell and Dark Angel don't belong to me. I've borrowed some lines from Skin and Bones, I don't own those either.
Summary: When Liz arrives back from Florida she discovers that a new chef is working at the Crashdown. Hmm I wonder who that could be then.
A/N: I'm off work with a throat infection, so I thought I'd write an update to YGMS or a new part to the xtremer fic I am working on (coming soon btw) but my muse wasn't co-operating and this came out instead. This is a one parter although there will be one maybe two (or maybe more) sequels.
Timeline wise in Roswell it's beginning of season 2, Skin and Bones and DA after Berrisford Agenda. Just imagine Alec found out about Rachel near summertime. Ooh and also I'm going with the DA timeline so it's 2020.
I hope you guys enjoy and you know I love feedback!
A tight knot squeezed in Liz's stomach as her parents drove the car past the "Roswell" sign. She'd had a summer off from the alien abyss, Destiny, Max and now she was back and just as confused as ever.
"Liz," she heard her mother say.
"Huh?" she answered.
"I said we hired a new chef at the Crashdown," her mother repeated to her obviously distracted daughter.
"Oh?" Liz answered feigning interest.
"Mmm, name's Alec McDowell. Comes from Seattle. Quite a hotty."
"Hey,” her dad cried in mock outrage.
"Oh Jeffy, you know I love you," her mother reassured him.
Liz smiled, if there was one thing she missed about Roswell it was her parents and of course Maria and Alex. And Max.
She shook her head for thinking of the "M" word.
Her parents seemed more relaxed at the moment or maybe since she'd been sucked into the alien abyss she just hadn't noticed. Hmm, she made a note to herself to spend more time with them.
The next day Liz lounged around the house, avoiding going downstairs. Maria had informed her that there was a pod squad meeting and she had of course invited Liz to join them to which Liz declined, she was still psyching herself up to see Max after she'd left him in the desert.
Her parents were at a restaurant convention in Phoenix, so Liz did the housework and chores before settling on the top of the stairs to eavesdrop on the others. She knew it was pathetic, too scared to go downstairs in her own home but she just wasn't ready.
After about 5 minutes she'd heard Congress Woman Whittaker on C-SPAN and then it was just Max and Maria.
"Girl, I know we like bonded over the summer but I'm not quite ready to show you the bod just yet."
"No, I was just wondering if you'd heard from Liz yet." Liz's breath hitched in her throat at the sound of his voice.
"Not since you asked me an hour ago, no," she heard Maria answer.
"I heard you on the phone with her."
"Max. A little advice the girl went off to visit some aunt in Florida for the entire summer and barely said goodbye to you. Layman's Terms she blew you off big time. And look at you, look you’re like a groveling dog. "Have you heard from Liz today?" "Did Liz call?" No that's no good. You gotta play it cool alright. Let her come to you."
Liz was in shock. Since when were Max and Maria all chummy? She was a little hurt when she heard Maria say that she blew him off big time. Maria of all people should know the ramifications of the day in the pod chamber.
She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't realized that Max had left and Maria had changed into her uniform and gone to work until a deep voice startled her.
"Spying are we?" She heard a deep voice ask. She looked down and saw a guy a few years older than her leaning against the banister.
"What? No," she said trying to brush of her embarrassment of being caught. "Wait a minute this is my house I don't have to answer to you."
He smirked at her. "So you must be the famous Liz that Max guy has been pining over for the last couple of months," he said looking her up and down.
"I'm Alec; it is a pleasure to know you." He had moved from the bottom of the stairs to a few steps down from Liz.
She rolled her eyes at him but took his hand anyway. He surprised the hell out of her by putting her hand to his mouth and kissing it softly.
"Um, I got stuff to do so..." with that Liz walked back into the apartment willing herself to stop blushing. She couldn't even remember the last time a guy had made her blush. Well actually she could it was with Max.
Alec watched as the small brunette fled into the apartment above her as if she had been burnt. He'd heard about her from her father and Maria and it obvious she was listening in on them. He'd only heard the last sentence or so from their conversation but assumed that they were about Liz and Max's obsession with her.
He had been in Roswell for about 2 months now. He needed to clear his head after learning that the girl he fell in love with had was erased from his memory and worse than that she was dead. And it was all his fault.
He left Seattle on the spur of the moment stealing a car on his way out of town. He hadn't had a destination in mind, he just somehow found himself in the alien capital of the world.
He enjoyed working at the Crashdown although the guy he worked with occasionally, Michael, was a little abrasive. Alec didn't care though as long as the guy didn't start anything with him then he was cool.
Roswell was a town that was fortunate not to be majorly affected by the pulse, they had constant electricity, hot water and Alec's new apartment was like a palace compared to his Seattle home. Roswell still had sector points but far fewer and they were the only police surveillance in the small community. As Alec first said when he arrived, it was not too shabby.
That evening Liz sat in restaurant, it was pretty empty and apparently Max, Maria, Isabel and Alex had gone to the movies. That still creeped her out. The aliens and the humans all pally pally. Well apart from Tess and Michael who from what Maria had told her, had been hold away practicing their powers for an alien invasion.
The only one's who knew that she was back were Maria and Alex. They had a movie night last night, sharing gossip over ice cream and candy. Apparently that new guy flirted with anything with a pulse. She of course learnt that that was indeed true only a couple of hours ago.
"You know, you just always seem deep in thought," she heard his voice rumble at the opposite end of the table.
"What can I say, I'm a complex kinda girl,” she answered with a smile. Oh my God was I just flirting? The thought filled her mind afterwards. What is it about this guy? He's not even your type. She looked up at him. Ok he was gorgeous but so are a lot of guys and when you see Max again those thoughts will disappear, she told herself.
"So when did you get back? I hear that some of your friends don't think your home yet,” Alec said to her. He wasn't working, he was bored and talking to the cute brunette would tide him over until his date with Courtney in about half an hour.
"Oh so you eavesdrop on people's conversations too, do you?"
He shrugged. "Yeah, I'm not gonna deny it. I have excellent hearing."
"I'm sure," she nodded as she had another sip of her blood of alien smoothie through her straw.
Alec's eyes were drawn to her mouth as she licked her soft, pink lips. He shifted slightly.
"So Liz Parker."
"So Alec McDowell."
"How are you enjoying Roswell?" she asked beating him to a question.
"I enjoy it even more now your here."
"Smoothe," she laughed.
"Why thank you," Alec said with a grin as he puffed out his chest in an exaggerated way.
Hearing her laugh made Alec feel weird. And not bad in a bad way either, if he was asked he couldn't describe it.
"It's good; it's a fresh start for me."
"I wish I could get a fresh start," she murmured quietly, obviously not meant for him to hear, although she didn't know that he had genetically enhanced hearing so he let it slide.
They continued talking for another 45 minutes or so, just about random things really, her trip to Florida, the other customers in the diner, Alec's stories about his road trip from Seattle. Everything was light and happy and just was Liz needed. In fact she hadn't had any pod squad related thoughts once.
His ringing cell phone interrupted their laughter after Alec's story about his former boss having a slight obsession with him.
"Yeah?" he said flipping the phone open, silently cursing whoever had interrupted their conversation.
"Alec, where are you?" Courtney's nasal voice replied.
Oh shit, he'd completely forgotten about her.
"Yeah, listen I gotta do an extra shift, the place is buzzing," he said looking around at all the empty seats that surrounded him, avoiding Liz's gaze.
"Gotta go. Bye."
He hastily hung up the phone.
"I'm sorry, I'm keeping you from something," Liz said with her head down slightly.
He gave her a genuine smile. "Trust me, it's nothing important. I rather listen to your whiny voice anyway."
"Hey! I do not have a whiny voice!" She pouted and turned her head away from him dramatically.
"Jackass," she muttered loudly when she heard him laugh which caused him to laugh even more. Liz stuck her tongue out at him.
"Liz."
She looked up, her smile quickly disappearing.
"Max, hey."
"Hey," Max greeted rocking on his feet slightly, his hands jammed into his pockets. "So when did you get back?"
"Uh a couple of days ago actually." She picked at her nails slightly.
"Oh that's odd Maria said you were still away." His tone wasn't accusing which made Liz feel guilty about not telling him she was home.
"Yeah, I know she did. I just wanted to get settled a little bit before...." she gestured between them and Max nodded. The silence that hung in the air was uncomfortable.
Alec whistled. "Wow, awkward."
She glared at Alec but at the same time wanted to laugh at his unabashed nature.
"So...." Max trailed off.
"Max you know Alec right?" It was the only thing that popped into her head.
"Yeah."
"Hey Max," Alec greeted. He kept his tone friendly but the guy was Liz's ex, so he'd been told, and he'd just interrupted their chat.
Alec hadn't really talked to a girl for that amount of time without asking her to come home with him and yet he could talk to her for hours. Not that Alec would say no to more than talking with Liz. He thought she was beautiful; she had a quality about her, an innocence which Alec found endearing and sexy all at the same time.
"Oh hey chica." Maria came bounding in behind Max.
"Hey stud," she nodded at Alec before turning to regard Liz again.
Maria liked Alec, when she was down about Michael ignoring her or her best friend being away for the summer he'd cheered her up.
She wasn't attracted to him, well she corrected herself, she was slightly, the guy was hot stuff but Maria couldn't think of him as anything more than a new friend who would make cocky bets. Like the time she bet him $50 that he wouldn't go and hit on the male shy-looking college student who had come in for coffee one morning and he did it. She felt bad for the poor guy after Alec touched his leg after talking to him and blew him a kiss from the kitchen but at the same time tears of laughter had sprung into her eyes at his antics.
"We were just gonna go to the pizza place down the street, you coming?" Maria asked. She wanted Max and Liz talking again, she wanted things the way they used to be her back with Michael and Liz with Max, before Tess the Tramp had arrived and before Destiny.
Liz looked at Max then at Alec again before regarding Maria. She was going to do what she wanted for once and even to her own surprise not with Max.
"Um nah. I think I'll just stick around here for a bit."
"Oh ok," Maria said disappointedly. "I'll see you later then. See ya stud."
"Bye Maria," he answered as she walked out of the door. He looked at Max and saw of flash of hurt in the younger man's eyes which was the only reason he suppressed his cocky smirk over Liz choosing to talk to him rather than going with them.
"Can we talk soon Liz?" he asked quietly, ignoring Alec's presence.
"I just- I need time, Max."
Max nodded. "See you guys later."
"Bye Max," Alec hollered as he started to walk away.
"Whewee, girl. Things got heavy there," he said lightly. He noticed her expression, it was of confusion and hurt.
"Hey, how about we share that huge chocolate cake that's in the back. We'll just blame Michael if your dad asks." He punched her shoulder affectionately.
She giggled. "I don't know after all a moment on the lips is a lifetime on the hips." Alec just had a way with him that made her forget everything around her.
"Well I know a few ways to work it off," he said with a wink.
"Ugh, pervert," she muttered.
"I am shocked Elizabeth. I was talking about going to the gym. Tut tut, mind in the gutter."
"Whatever," she laughed.
A few days later Liz and Max did talk alone although he wanted things the way they were and she had told him that she couldn't go back. It was like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders.
Weeks went by and she had tried to detach herself from the aliens but with Nasedo's death and then the whole Isabel's party/Tess being kidnapped fiasco it kind of made it hard. Her and Max were slowly becoming friends again although he made it obvious how much he wanted her back he was giving her space. Liz honestly didn't know what she felt for him anymore, he still meant a lot to her but just not in the same way as before.
She was still close with Maria and Alex; she could never imagine not being close to either of them and of course Alec. The cocky, egotistical, blonde had become a good friend. He made her laugh and being mixed up in the alien mess; she really needed to laugh sometimes.
Liz was sweeping the floor when a new song came on the radio. She ran over and turned it up. Alec looked up from wiping the counter with his eyebrow raised.
"What? It's a good song to sweep to," she said to him, handing him the other brush.
He watched in fascination as she danced around her broom to Queen's Don't Stop Me Now. Her hips swaying side to side almost hypnotically, while he head bobbed back and forward. Over the last month he had gotten closer to her than he ever had anybody else. Sure he had friends in Seattle Sketchy, O.C., even Max when they weren't arguing but Liz had become the only person in the world who he looked forward to seeing when he woke up in the morning, the only person he would die for if necessary.
He did feel guilty about not telling her the truth about being a transgenic, about how he had killed people without batting an eyelid but he didn't have any intention of telling her the truth. He was a coward he knew but he didn't want her too look at him differently. Alec also knew that her group of friends had their own secret. He didn't know what it was and he was cool with not knowing, it didn't affect his friendship with Liz and that was all he cared about.
During the guitar part Alec joined her with his broom as they both pretended to play guitar dramatically, sliding onto their knees and laughing hysterically at each other.
As the song finished Alec got onto his feet and pulled Liz up after him.
She lost her balance slightly and fell into him. He grabbed both of her arms to steady her. He looked down at her and smiled. His heart started pounding in his ears as he saw her gaze linger on his lips. He moved his head slowly down to hers at the same time she tilted her head and their lips met in a tentative kiss. They both pulled back and looked at each other as if waiting for the other to back away, after a couple of seconds their heads drifted back together and their lips touched again. Alec took the plunge and deepened the kiss slightly, smiling inwardly as she melted against him, standing of her tiptoes as he placed his hands on either side of her face. His tongue slipped inside her warm, eager mouth and she groaned in pleasure.
"Ah-hem."
They instantly broke apart and turned around to the source of the interruption.
"M-Mr. Parker," Alec stammered quickly taking is hands off Liz.
"I um - I gotta go, see you later Liz," he mumbled before heading to the door. After a few steps he walked back to Liz and kissed her cheek lightly before walking quickly out of the door.
Later as Liz walked back into her bedroom, a huge smile spread across her face. Her dad wasn't mad, not really, neither father nor daughter wished for him to walk in. It was just uncomfortable.
She laughed to herself at Alec's reaction. Who'd have thought that the sometimes arrogant, unflappable Alec would be so intimidated by her father?
For the first time in ages, Liz Parker was happy; she just hoped things stayed that way.
The End
