A Tale of Three Christmases (AU,M/L,MATURE) [COMPLETE]

[CandyDreamQueen]

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Title: A Tale of Three Christmases
Author: Candice AKA CandyDreamQueen, candedreamer@yahoo.com
Disclaimer: I don’t own nothing. Well I own some things, but not much.
Rating: Not sure yet, but it will probably end up being MATURE
Category: ME and LP baby! (I like saying that) Other CC characters as well. AU, no aliens. Max Michael and Isabel are all brother and sister.
Summary: Max Evans and Liz Parker fell in love when they were young, but something happened that caused them to split apart. Years later what happens when a little Christmas magic throws them together again? (Hehehe I always wanted to write one of those cheesy lines like that.) Warning: Max is a bit of a scrooge in this story.
A/N: “It’s the most wonderful time of the year” okay Hi! This is the first Christmas story that I have ever written. EVER! I hope you will all like it. I’m going to try and post every two days. So leave lots of feedback. Love ya. And for those who have never read anything by me just a heads up writing Lalala at the beginning of all my chapters is something that I do to clear my writer’s block. Oh and I came up with that corny little poem at the beginning all by myself. “PRAISE ME!” Yeah I’m weird. Lots of feedback please Anyway enjoy. Lalala here it is.

Prologue: I’ll Tell You a Story

I’ll tell you a story, you’ll never forget
A story of wonderful dreams to be met
I’ll tell you a story, you would not believe
But, listen its true, I’d never deceive

A tale like no other, I want you to hear
So pull up a seat, and lend me your ear
And once you have heard it, you’ll be not the same
A tale of such love, is the tale that I claim

So listen carefully, If it’s one thing you do
A tale of three Christmases, I’ll spin for you
And when I am done, then maybe you’ll see
The magic of Christmas, in these stories, three

Chapter One: The Sound of Christmas

Max hated the Christmas season. He hated everything about it. He hated the ugliness of late Christmas shoppers trying to rip each other apart for the last of whatever fad toy every child in America had to have this year. He hated the annoying sound of the constant jingling of bells, bells, and more bells. He hated the never ending hustle and bustle of traffic, as every person in the world lost their ability to drive like they had an ounce of a brain. He hated the sight of fools dressed like a jolly little fat man on the corner of every street. And he hated the sound of off key carolers interrupting people’s lives to belt out Christmas songs that could already be heard on every radio station anyway. But the reason he hated this season most of all was because it reminded him of her.

Oh how she loved this time of year. Loved everything about it that he hated. And he hated her ability to make him love it too.

Liz.

He wanted to cringe at the name. But he knew he would never be able to. He could just imagine the ball she was having right now. She was probably out and about buying out the stores for presents for friends and family that would never be used. It was what she did every year. Oh, but she wouldn’t care. She was like a child in her Christmas joviality. She didn’t care what she brought or whom she brought it for. The only thing that mattered to her was the look on her family’s face when she handed them whatever ridiculously thoughtful gift she had gotten them. Damn, he hated thinking of her now. He hated thinking of the way she adored Christmas like no one else he had ever known. He hated thinking of the way she had made him love the holiday just as much. And he hated thinking of the way she had made him hate it.

“Max come on you know I’ve still got to pick up a ham from Benny’s and I want to get there before he closes.”

Max was brought out of his scrooge like thoughts by the sound of his sister’s voice. He had just flown in from California last night and already she had him chauffeuring her around town while she did what she referred to as her ‘last minute Christmas shopping.’

“Isabel, Benny’s is halfway across town. A ham is a ham. We’re at the grocery store now, why can’t we just get one from here?”

She gave him a look that suggested he had just said the most blasphemous thing she had ever heard

“Brother, since you have been living in California for the past three years, and I’m not even going to mention how this is the first Christmas that you have spent with us since then.”

Max rolled his eyes at her obvious mention of it

“BUT, since you have been away from people that actually celebrate Christmas I’m going to forgo that last statement you made, and pretend that you just replied ‘Yes Isabel, I’d be happy to drive you to Benny’s so we can pick up the ham for the wonderful Christmas dinner that you are going to spend so much time preparing for me; your loving little brother who has not had a proper Christmas in years.’” She smiled sweetly at him and turned her cart towards the check out lanes.

“Isabel, if I haven’t had a proper Christmas in years, it has been by choice.” Max said as he walked beside her.

“Well, I guess you hot-shot lawyers see Christmas as a time to take hundred thousand dollar vacations to remote Islands where you can work on your golf swing.” She said mockingly.

“Isabel please.” Max said. “I hate golf.”

Isabel gave him a drool look. “What was it last year? Oh yes I remember. I believe it was the Truman case that kept you in Cali over the Christmas season.”

“Isabel.” Max groaned

“Oh and what was it the year before that? The Hopkins case was it?” she asked ponderingly.

“Isabel I’m a very busy man, alright. Beside, it doesn’t matter. I’m here this year.” He said defensively

“Psth,” she scoffed. “Michael and I practically had to beg you to come.”

“Well I came didn’t I?”

“Max the point isn’t that you came. It’s that you made it evidently clear that you don’t want to be here.”

“Isabel, this is Roswell, what do you want me to say. I left this part of my life a long time ago. You, Alex and the kids don’t live here. Michael and Maria live in New York for god’s sake. That’s farther away then California.”

“And you know what Max? Even though Alex, the kids and I live in Albuquerque and Michael and Maria live in New York we still all manage to come down and be with mom and dad on Christmas.” She said folding her arms across her chest.

Max said nothing. She was right. He had been avoiding coming home for Christmas. But she couldn’t blame him. She knew why he didn’t want to be here during this time of the year. She knew why he really hadn’t come home for Christmas in the past three years.

“You’re still avoiding her.” Isabel said voicing his thoughts.

“What?” Max asked looking up at her unexpectedly. “I’m not avoiding anyone.”

“Max please, I’m your sister and you’re a horrible liar.”

“I’m not.” He said again. “Avoiding who?” he asked knowing damn well ‘who’ she was referring to.

“Max don’t be cute, we both know who I’m talking about.”

“Isabel, I believe that one of the stipulations for me coming down this year was that we not talk about this.” Max said as Isabel pushed the cart into the check out and they began to unload the groceries on to the belt.

“Was it?” she asked innocently. “I don’t recall.”

“Now who’s being cute?” he said lifting a heavy sack of potatoes onto the counter. “Honestly Isabel do we really need this many potatoes?”

“Well Alexis only likes mashed potatoes, and Evan only likes baked potatoes. You know Michael likes tatter tots but they’re just so unhealthy, so I was thinking of doing a stir fried potato for him. Of course I’m not worried about Alex because he’ll eat any kinda potato I put in front of him, but daddy likes these little potato wedge things that I was going to try and make so I was thinking …”

Max stopped listening as Isabel went happily on about the different styles of potatoes that were going to be served at dinner. Shaking his head as he lifted yet another sack of potatoes into the cart Max stopped suddenly as he caught sight of a familiar face.

Oh no. Anybody but her. He could deal with anyone right now, but please not her.

“Max!”

Damn

“Hello Tess.” He said plastering on a fake smile.

“I didn’t know you were back in Roswell.” She said smiling sweetly at him.” Max decided to be nice. There wasn’t really anything wrong with Tess. She was a nice girl. Well sort of. But she had always been a little flirtatious with him, even when he had been…
“So, I hear you’re a big shot lawyer now. How are things in California?” she asked tossing her blonde hair behind her.

“Great.” He answered evenly. “Things are great.”

“Well that’s good. Hi Isabel.” Tess said waving to his sister.

“Tess, hi. I haven’t seen you since the wedding.” Isabel said smiling warmly at the other woman. Tess and Isabel had once been really good friends. Apparently they had fallen out of touch over the years.

“Wedding?” Max asked

“O yeah silly me I completely forgot. I’m Mrs. Kyle Valenti now.” She said holding out her left hand that was flashing a huge diamond ring.

“Valenti?” Max asked with shock evident in his voice. Isabel smacked him across the chest.
“I mean, Valenti. That’s great. I’m…very happy for you.” Max rephrased.

“Thank you.” She said. There was an awkward silence.

“Well, I guess I’d better be going.” Tess said and then pushed her cart away.

Max turned to his sister after Tess was out of earshot from them

“Tess and Kyle?” he asked her

“Yes, Max well the world didn’t suddenly screech to a halt when you left. Some people actually did move on with their lives.”

“Ha-ha.” Max said drably.

Max finished loading the food onto the belt and the casher rang it up. After all of the groceries were paid for Max. And only Max, placed all of the groceries into the bags and placed them in the cart as they took then out to the car.

“Alright, just one more stop for the day.” Isabel said as they got into the car.

Max noted the ‘for the day’ part in his head which most likely meant that they would be making more trips of a like fashion before Isabel could have her perfect Christmas.

Max started the car and pulled out of the parking lot onto the street. Of course he was not aware of the station wagon that was zooming down the road and going way over the speed limit, nor was he aware of the silver SUV that was rounding the corner onto the store parking lot.

“Max watch out!” Isabel screamed as the station wagon ripped past them. Max quickly swerved out of the way as fast as his instincts would allow him to. Luckily he avoided the station wagon. However, unluckily he did not avoid the SUV. He slammed on the brakes as hard as he could in attempt to stop the car; nevertheless the hard jolting of fiberglass to fiberglass made it blatantly obvious that he was too little too late.

Damn, damn, damn. This was just what he needed.

“Oh my god.” Isabel said as she uncovered her hands from her face. “Max are you alright?” she asked.

“I’m fine.” He said gruffly “Just freaking fine.” Suddenly the airbag exploded into Max’s face nearly knocking the wind out of him.

Isabel stifled a laugh as she watched Max struggle to push it out of his face.

Great, could this day get any worse?

Max and Isabel watched as the door to the SUV opened slowly, and a pair of legs slid out. The woman got out of her car quickly walking around to inspect the damage. Then she turned and walked over to their car.

“Are you both okay?” she asked with concern in her voce. Isabel opened her door and got out preparing herself to exchange insurance information then stopped dead in her tracks as she got a good look at the woman.

“Liz?” she asked “Liz Parker?” The woman turned to look at Isabel, confusion evident on her face for a moment but then she smiled as recognition began to don on her.

“Isabel Evans?” she asked
“Oh, it’s Whitman now.” Isabel said smiling and showing Liz her wedding ring.

“I haven’t seen you in ages.” Isabel said as she and Liz embraced.

“I know me either.” Liz said smiling

All the while the two women talked Max sat in the car in silent shock as he watched the woman he hadn’t seen in three years hugging his sister. He couldn’t believe he had just gotten in a car accident with the one person he had been trying to avoid for three years. Elizabeth Parker, his former fiancée.

TBC

[CandyDreamQueen]

Lalalal her is the next chapter.

Chapter Two: The Ghost of Christmas Past

Max couldn’t breath. Three years. It had been three years since he had last seen her, and she was still just as beautiful now if not more so. He couldn’t even move from the car so awed was he by the sight of her. She wore a long red coat that reached all the way to the tips of her feet. With a pair of black gloves and a matching scarf. Her long dark hair flowed down her backs in waves and was dusted with snowflakes. Max had to force himself not to smile as he recalled her preference to not wear a hat in the winter. He remembered how much she loved the way her hair looked when it was full of snowflakes. He was constantly worried that she would get a really bad cold. Oddly enough she had always remained strangely immune.

“Liz I swear it’s been ages. I had no idea you were back in Roswell.” The sound of Isabel’s voice broke Max from his thoughts.

“Actually I’m not. I’m just here for the holidays.” She said pushing her hair behind her ears the way she had done since forever.

“Oh I bet your parents are happy to have you home.” Isabel said glancing over at the car and giving Max a dirty look.

Max let out a frustrated groan. He couldn’t just stay in the car. That would be proving that Isabel was right, and that he had been avoiding Liz all this time. Opening the door, Max stepped outside of the car.

“Hello Liz.” He said

Liz looked up at him and he almost winced as he saw the friendly sparkle fade from her eyes.

“Max…hi.” Her voice was detached sounding. “It’s been…it’s been a long time.” She said and he watched as she again pushed her hair behind her ear.

“Yeah it has.” He said stuffing his hands in his pockets. There was a long silence where neither one of them said anything. Liz shifted nervously on her feet and then looked away from him completely.

“Okay then, I guessing by the looks of this we’re going to need to call a toe truck.” Isabel said breaking the silence.

“Max give me your phone.” She said holding out her hand for it.

Max quickly reached in his pocket and handed his phone to Isabel. He wanted this to be over as soon as possible.

“Crap, there’s no reception out here. It must be the storm. Listen you too, I’m going to run inside and see if I can find a pay phone.” Isabel said as she began walking in the direction of the store.

“Isabel I can do it!” Max said quickly, not wanting to be left alone with Liz.

“No, it’s okay Max.” she said brushing him off. “I want to call Alex and the kids and let them know that I we are going to be late. “

Well this was just perfect, Max thought as he watched Isabel disappear into the store. He turned back to face Liz who had hoisted herself up and was now sitting on the hood of her car.

Max leaned against Isabel’s car, and waited.

Liz snuck a glance over at Max as she sat on the hood of her car. This was definitely the last thing that she had expected to happen. Well she had expected it she just wasn’t prepared for it. Seeing Max again was a shock. A BIG shock. He looked good. Really, really good. And seeing him now she couldn’t help but remember a time when things had been good between them.

Three Years Earlier.

There was something very magical about waking up on a cold winter morning. Liz didn’t know if it was the sight of the snowflakes falling outside of the bedroom window at their languid pace, or if it was just part of the magic that was her favorite time of the year. She sighed as she snuggled more deeply into the covers. Maybe it was the feeling of her boyfriends strong arms wrapped tightly around her waist.

A small personal smile grazed Liz lips. Fiancée, she corrected herself as she stared down at the engagement ring that sat beautifully atop her left hand. The sight of the ring brought back wonderful memories of the night before and the beautiful proposal that Max had given her.

She and Max had been dating for almost four years now, but they had known each other for almost their whole lives. They had always been really good friends, and there had always been the undercurrent of an attraction there. Then, freshmen year in college, they had finally told each other how they felt, and had been dating ever since. They were deliriously happy, and completely and utterly in love.

Everyone had assumed that they would eventually get married, but Max and Liz had never made anything official. That had all changed as of last night.

Last Night, Max had taken her on the most romantic date of her life. Liz had been begging Max to go ice-skating with her ever since it had gotten cold enough for the skating rink to open for the season. She knew that Max hated skating, mostly because he couldn’t, but she had continued to pester him, claiming that the winter could not officially start until they went skating. Still, he had declined, and she had just about given up on him and had put it out of her mind. Then, last night Max had told her that he wanted to take her someplace special, because he had something that he wanted to give her.

They had gone out to dinner, and afterwards he had placed a blindfold over her eyes telling her not to peek. Taking her hand he led he out to what she would come to realize was the icy center of the skating rink.

“Max, where are we going? Where are you taking me?” Liz asked laughingly as Max led her blindly to their destination. Max just smiled and continued to lead her out onto the ice. They were both slipping and sliding like crazy, but he didn’t care. He was so happy. Tonight was going to be the most special night of her life, and he knew she was going to love it.

“We’re here. Just stay right here, and do not move.” Liz wondered what Max was up to as he released her hands. She stayed in place waiting for him to return, but soon her excitement began to get the best of her.

“Max what are you doing?” she called out

“Just wait and see!” she heard Max yell back to her. It sounded as if he was not too far away.

Suddenly she was vaguely aware of a slight glow of light against the darkness of the blindfold. She wanted to open her eyes and remove the blindfold, but Max had obviously worked very hard a preparing whatever this surprise was.

“Okay.” Liz was startled as by the sound of Max’s voice behind her. She felt his hands slowly began to move up to remove the blindfold from her eyes.

“Open them.” He whispered against her ear as he let the blindfold slide off of her eyes.

It took a moment for her eyes to readjust from the darkness, but it didn’t take her brain a fraction of as long to realize what she was seeing. There was nothing that could have prepared her for the sight before her. All around her the entire skating rink was decorated in tiny little Christmas lights. It was breathtakingly beautiful. They surrounded her completely. Twinkling like little rays of sunshine. But the most wonderful thing was not the lights themselves. It was what they said. For, written before her in what had to be over a thousand Christmas lights were written the words. ELIZABETH PARKER WILL YOU MARRY ME?

Liz was speechless, unbelievably speechless. She could do nothing but stare in awed shock as the man that she loved asked her to spend the rest of her life with him.

“So Liz.” Max asked turning her to face him. She saw now that he was down on his knees and between his fingers he held out the most beautiful diamond engagement ring she had ever seen.

“Will you marry me?” Max asked taking her small hand in his placing it against his heart.

“Yes!” Liz whispered nodding her head vigorously. The strongest dam in the world couldn’t have held back the tears that began to form in her eyes. She couldn’t believe that this was happening. It was the most amazing moment of her life. “Yes Max Evans, a thousand times yes!”

Max breathed a happy sigh and reached up to remove the tears of joy that were cascading down Liz’s cheeks. Then, removing the glove from her left hand he placed his ring on her finger.

“I love you Liz Parker.” He said rising to his feet and pulling her into his arms. “I love you with all of my heart.” And he sealed his declaration, and their engagement with a kiss.

Liz smiled at the memory and rolled into the warmth of Max’s body. Last night had been perfect.

“So how does my beautiful fiancée want to spend the rest of the day”? Max asked drawing her into his arms and kissing her everywhere that he could reach. Liz sighed as Max ran kisses all over her face and neck. Oh what she would give to be able to spend the rest of the day lounging in bed with Max, but she knew that she couldn’t. She had an early morning class that she needed to start getting ready for ten minutes ago.

Regrettably Liz disentangled herself from Max.

“As much as I would love to stay here with you I really need to be getting up right now.”

“No.” Max said reaching to pull her back to him. However, Liz evaded his grasps.

“Oh I’m sorry baby.” Liz said leaning over to kiss him on his soft pouting lips. He was just so cute when he was pouting. Max took that advantage to deepen their kiss.

“Okay, Max now I really have to go get in the shower or else I ‘m going to be late.” She said as she began walking backward towards the bathroom. Though she did not release Max’s hand from her and she continued to pull it with her until he was sitting up in the bed. When he didn’t get the message she just raised an eyebrow at her.

“Max, did you hear me? I said I was going to go and take a shower.” She said seductively. “Care to join me?”

He definitely understood that.

Liz squealed as Max rose from his position on the bed, lifted her against his chest, and carried her into the bathroom in one fluid motion.
Max barely waited until the water was on before he stepped inside of the tub with Liz. He loved taking showers with her. There was just something highly erotic about the sight of water cascading down her naked body. Combined with the exotic scent of the lavender soap that he knew she loved to use, and the natural sent that was just her own. Making love to Liz in the shower was one of the most natural and fulfilling experiences that Max had ever had.

Grabbing the soap off of the soap tray Max squeezed a considerable amount of the aroma filled soap onto the towel. Then, he gently pulled Liz back until she was standing directly in the center of the spray of the shower. Soaking her thoroughly.

Max leaned down to place a kiss on the wet skin of her shoulder. He trailed kisses down her arm to her chest, and gently let his teeth tease the sensitive tip of her nipple.

“Max.” Liz said running her hands threw his hair in a loving caress. He was driving her out of her mind with his tongue. He was mastering her body, and she was loving every second of it. But she didn’t want him to have all the fun. Giving him a devilish smile Liz pushed away from Max, and stepped back into the water. “Aren’t you going to bathe me?” she whispered giving him a sultry look.

Oh, she was wicked, Max thought as he watched the corners of her mouth turn up in what had to be the sexiest smile he had ever seen. Fine, if that was how she wanted to play it then that was how they would play it. Max gave Liz his own seductive smile as he took her hands in his.

“No sweetheart.” He said placing the soap soaked towel in her hand. “I’m not going bathe you. You’re going to bathe yourself.” Slowly, he brought his hand, still clutching hers, still clutching the towel, to her breast.

Max was in complete control of the movements that their hands made across her body. He teased her body with his hands until she wanted to scream with the intense pleasure of it. He moved their hands in gentle patterns across her body. From her neck, across her breast, to trail down her abdomen, and finally to rest at the soft juncture between her thighs. Once he reached his destination Max pulled on the towel letting it slip from her fingers. Then he walked her back into the water allowing it to rinse the soap from her body.

As if to deliberately torture her, Max took his free hand and placed it against the opening of her vagina. Using his free hand, Max spread her nether lips in preparation for the penetration of her fingers.

“Oh Max.” Liz whispered breathlessly, pushing herself into their joined hands.

“Do you like that love?” Max asked, knowing very well how much she was enjoying their caresses.

“Yes…oh yes.” That was all she could manage.

“How much do you like it Liz?” he asked giving her hand a squeeze. Liz threw her head back and moaned as the wiggling of their fingers caused their fingers to brush against her softest most sensitive spot.

“So much.” She said pressing back hard into his body. Max kept up their ministration until he could sense that Liz was on the verge of coming.

“Not yet love.” He whispered against her cheek, kissing it, and then removing his hand from her body. Then he pressed his other hand against hers so as to keep her hand buried deep inside her sheathe. He wanted to watch her come from the touch of her own hand, and nothing more.

“I want you to come Liz. Will you do that for me? Make yourself come for me Love.” he asked kissing the side of her neck. Liz just nodded her head, as she was miles away from being able to form a coherent thought. Then she began to work her fingers on the inside of her body, just as she and Max had earlier. It was the most incredibly erotic pleasure she had ever felt. There was something about touching herself, and knowing that Max was watching and feeling her touch herself that caused Liz’s orgasm to began to raise in a crescendo of intense pleasure. And she knew that Max was enjoying it just as much as she was. The evidence of his enjoyment was pressed firmly against her buttock, which was only heightened her pleasure. She should have been embarrassed, but she wasn’t. Not even a little bit. Everything just felt so natural with Max. She loved him and she knew that he loved her. She could never be embarrassed by anything that they did in the name of that love. All too soon it was too much, and Liz knew she was not going to be able to take much more.

Max seemed to sense her desire to come, for he placed his finger gently on her clit and began to massage it in earnest. That was all it took.

An orgasm so powerful flew through Liz body that her legs gave out on her. The only thing that kept her from clasping was Max’s arms wrapped tightly around her supporting her weight against his body.

Before she could regain her breath she felt as her body was turned to faces Max’s and he lifted her body against his. And then pressed his body inside of hers.

“Good girl.” He whispered against her skin.

Liz moaned at the feeling of his body inside hers. It was the most exquisite, most intense pleasure and she loved every moment of it.

Max began to move inside her. Trusting his body in and out of hers in a rhythm that was intended to drive her mad, and was doing an admirable job of it.

“Oh Max, you feel so good.” Liz whispered placing soft kisses on his shoulders, his cheek, his lips, anywhere that she could reach.

“Liz,” Max groaned trusting into her body. “Oh yes.”

They were both mad for each other. Their passion was one of epic proportions and their lust was uncontrollable. They strained their bodies against each others in a frenzied pace, and soon both of them were on the verge of coming.

“I love you.” They both said at the same time, and then finally aloud they shuttered in orgasmic climax.

Max leaned against the back of the shower, and tried to catch his breath. Liz, who was also breathing intensely, rested her head against his.

“That was amazing.” She whispered kissing the underside of his chin.

“It was.” Max nodded his head in agreement.

“I’m late.” Liz said with not much care as she glanced over at the wall clock above the sink.

“Yeah, I know.”

Max reached behind Liz to turn of to water. Then he lifted her in his arms and carried her out of the shower.

Grabbing a large towel, Max wrapped it around Liz body and began to towel her dry. When he was done he handed her the towel and allowed her to dry him.

“You know Max, as long as I’m late I don’t see what the harm would be in going one more round.” She said leaning in and running her tongue against his earlobe.

“Why Liz Parker, I do believe you have peaked my interest.”

Lifting her high in his arms Max carried her back to their bedroom.

“Now lets see what else you can peak.”

Present Day

Again there was silence and neither of them spoke a word. It was awkward, and uncomfortable, but Max preferred it to all of the things that he knew they could say to each other. Liz however felt differently. She couldn’t believe that after three years of not a word to each other, Max could do nothing but casually lean against the car and pretend that she wasn’t there.

“Max this is ridicules.” She finally said. Max looked up at Liz’s outburst.

“Excuse me?” he said

“Are we just going to stand here and pretend that there’s nothing to say?” She asked folding her arms across her chest in a stance that said she was impatient.

“Liz there hasn’t been anything to say for three years.” Max said in an even tone. He couldn’t believe that she was upset that he didn’t want to talk about their past relationship.

“Max just because we don’t say it, doesn’t mean there’s nothing to say.”

“Liz I thought we said everything that needed to be said three years ago.” Max said as he pushed away from the car.

“Well you thought wrong Max.” Liz slid off of the hood of the car. “There are a million things that need to be said. “ she said angrily.

Max just shook his head and took a step away from her.

“Liz we both made different decisions alright.” He said in a calm voice

“No Max you made different decisions, not me.”

“That’s not exactly how I remember it.”

“Well that’s how it was.”

They were at a face off. Both meeting each other’s gaze with the intense passion of their anger. But as Max stood there gazing into Liz smoldering brown eyes for the first time in three years all he could think about was how entrancingly beautiful she was. And he hated that. He hated that after all of this time she still meant so much to him. Hated that one look in her eyes still had the ability to make his heart skip a beat. And how just her nearness was affecting him in ways that it should no longer affect him.

“You see this is exactly why I didn’t want to come here. Because I didn’t want to do this with you, I didn’t want to see you, or have to have this conversation with you.” Max said getting just as angry as she was.

“What conversation Max? You’ve barely said a thing to me.”

“What do you want me to say?” he yelled

“Why Max!” she yelled. “I want you to tell me why!” Liz walked over and stood directly in front of him. There was fire in her eyes and she was gorgeous in her anger.
Why? She wanted to know why. Well so did he.

“None of that matter anymore.” He whispered softly and began to back away from her.

Liz just looked at him in silence, and then finally she backed away as well.

“You’re right Max. It doesn’t matter anymore.

Max could have sworn he saw a touch of hurt in her eyes at those words, but Liz looked away from him before he could examine her any farther.

And all at once they were back to awkward silence. Well that was fine with him. It sure beat the hell out of opening old wounds. As far as he was concerned he and Liz had nothing more to say to each other. It was all in the past, and that is where it was best left.

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

Isabel watched her brother and Liz through the window of the grocery story. They were completely hopeless. Whether Max knew it or not her was still desperately in love with Liz. And Liz…well she hadn’t been in touch with Liz since she had moved to Boston, but Maria had, and according to her sister-in-law Liz was just as much still in love with Max as he was with her. If only the two of them could see it.

After there brake up three years ago and Max had moved to California he had become a terrible workaholic. He rarely called home, and he’d come home even less. He clamed that his and Liz’s called off engagement had nothing to do with why he was working all the time, but she knew differently. Max was still hurting, and if she ever wanted to get her brother back to normal then she was going to have to make things right between him and Liz.

Isabel smiled as a plan began to formulate in her head. She glanced down at the cell phone in her hand and then dialed her mother’s number. She had an idea that was going to bring Max and Liz together whether they wanted to or not.

“Hey, Mom it’s me. I was just thinking what do you think about inviting the Parker’s over to spend Christmas with us?

Jeff and Nancy Parker had been friends of her parents since forever, and she knew that her mother would just love the idea of them all having Christmas together.

“Oh Isabel honey that sounds like a wonderful idea.” She heard her mother say on the phone.

Excellent. Now all she had to do was make a few more phone calls and everything would be perfect.

It was the season of giving, after all, and she planed to give Max a Christmas present that he would never forget.

TBC

[CandyDreamQueen]

New chapter everybody. Lalala here it is.

Chapter Three: A Ring, a ‘Noman, and a Broken Ornament

As Max sat in his old bedroom he let his mind become awash in memories of old. A lot of things had happened to him in this room a lot of good memories. And some bad ones too.

Three Years Earlier.

“Max we shouldn’t be doing this, your parents are right downstairs, besides, I brought you up here because I wanted to talk to you in private.” Liz said laughing as she was led inside of Max’s room.

“So, we can talk and kiss at the same time.” Max said nibbling gently on her shoulder.

“Max.” Liz giggled as his breath teased her throat. “Max stop I’m serious.”

“What?” Max asked innocently as he leaned her back against the bed.

Oh he was the devil, Liz thought, and he had the ability to make her want to do the most sinful of things. But there was something important that she had to tell him and she could not be waylaid by him.

“Max for real there is something I have to tell you.” Liz said pushing him off of her and sitting up on the bed.

“Okay,” Max said smoothing her hair behind her ear. “Go.”

“Okay,” Liz said biting her lip nervously. “Well, yesterday Professor Woodson, he’s the head of the Molecular Biology department, well he offered me this really great internship, um…it’s a chance to work with Dr. Landon, who is one of the number one field specialist in the world, and he’s doing this research project dealing with splicing…um I would get to work with him, as his assistant.” Liz finished.

“Liz.” Max said giving her a brilliant smile. “That’s great news. I’m so happy for you.”

Liz smiled back at him, but it wasn’t a very happy smile, and the looks of it told Max that there was something else that she was not telling him.

“What?” he asked sounding worried.

Liz took a deep breath and then took both of his hands and placed them in her own.

“Max the internship is in Boston.” She finally said.

Max’s heart twisted just a bit as those words left her mouth, but his face remained stoic.

“Max I don’t have to go if you…if you don’t want me to.” Liz said meeting his eyes.

“How,” Max cleared his throat and tried again. “How long is it?”

“It…it starts at the end of the holiday and last to the beginning of the summer.” Liz said looking away from him.

“Six months!?” Max shouted.

“Max please, I told you I don’t have to do it.” Liz said quickly.”

“But you want to do it.” Max said.

“That…that’s not important. What’s important Max is if you don’t want me to do it I wont.”
He didn’t want her to do it. And he knew if he told her so she wouldn’t. But he also knew that if she didn’t do it she would regret it for the rest of her life, and she would eventually grow to hate him for stopping her. It really was a great opportunity for her, and to tell her not to go would be really selfish of him. He wanted to be selfish. He wanted to beg her not to go, to tell her that he would die if she left him, to make her feel guilty for wanting to leave him. But he wasn’t shellfish, and he didn’t do any of those things. All he did was look at her and smile.

“Go Liz.” He said placing his hand on her cheek.

“What?” she asked looking up at him obviously expecting him to tell her not to go.

“Go to Boston.” He repeated. The way her eyes sparkled as if her had just given her the greatest gift in the world only reinforced to Max that he had made the right decision.

“Oh thank you Max!” she said gripping him in a fierce hug. “I love you so much.” She whispered against his ear, then kissed his ear, then his brow, then his cheek, and as she worked her way sown to his lips and then began unfastening the buttons on his shirt Max knew that this was her way of saying thank you.

Afterwards, as she lay in his arms in peaceful sleep a sense of dread overtook Max. No matter how good an opportunity this was going to be for Liz, Max couldn’t shake the feeling that it was not going to be such a good thing for them.

Present Day.

Max shook the memory as fast as he could. It was not good to dwell on things that were in the past.

Standing up from his position on the bed Max opened up his suitcase and began to unpack, but as he opened his dresser he was stopped, for sitting on the inside was a heart shaped sawed covered box. Max’s hand shook as he slowly lifted the box from his dresser. He knew what was inside, he knew he shouldn’t open in, and yet he couldn’t bring himself not to. Very carefully, he lifted the lid to the box and stared down at the diamond engagement ring that he had given Liz on that day three long years ago. The sight of it broke his heart into a million tiny pieces. It shouldn’t be sitting in an old sock drawer collecting dust. It should be sitting proudly atop her fing…No! No no no no no! He would not think like that. He wouldn’t think about what could, or should have been between him and Liz. He couldn’t, or he would most definitely go crazy. Closing the lid, Max placed the ring back inside the drawer. He didn’t even know why he still had it. He should have sold it back to the jewelry store, but he couldn’t. And he knew that he would rather it collect dust in his drawer the way it had been for three years, then ever part with it.

Max sighed and closed the drawer. Just more bad memories.

“I’m telling you our sister is a Christmas Nightmare.” Max looked up at the sound of Michael’s voice entering his bedroom. He watched as his brother plopped down on his bed and reclined back, with his shoes still on of course.

“The other night she had Alex and me stringing popcorn Maxwell, stringing popcorn.” He repeated as if to emphasize the horror of it.

“Do I look like some kinda popcorn stringer to you?”

“No Michael, you don’t look like some sort of popcorn stringer.” Max said as he took his neatly folded close from his suitcase, and began to hang them up in the closet. He almost laughed at the outrage his brother had at such a usually cheerful chore.

“And then, the other day Alex and dad left to go get the tree while I was sleep, Isabel was at practice for the Christmas recital and mom was teaching Maria how to make her famous Holiday Cookies, so guess who got stuck with the joy of taking Even and Ally to sit on Santa’s lap? There is nothing worse then two three year olds hoped up on sugar in the Mall at Christmas time.” Michael groaned.

Max tried to smother the laughter that was growing inside of him, but the image of Michael running around the mall trying to keep control of Alex and Isabel’s three-year-old twins was too much for him not to laugh at. Since Michael and his wife Maria had arrived a few days before Max, Isabel had Michael doing just about every little ‘Christmas task’ (as she called them) that she could possibly think of. It was funny to hear all of the unpleasant jobs that Michael had to undergo.

“What, you think it’s funny?” Michael gave Max a look that would have cut down any man.

“No, I don’t find it funny at all.” Max said as a string of laughter burst threw his lips.

“Oh yeah?” he asked eyeing Max coldly. “ How’s Liz by the way?”

Max immediately stopped laughing.

“Yeah that’s what I thought.” He said taking one of the pillows off of Max’s bed and placing it behind his head.

“You’re not funny Michael, and that was low.”

“Well you asked for it.”

Max shoved Michael’s arm hard.

“Alright, alright, I see we’re still a little sore on the subject.”

“I am not sore on the subject okay, I just…I just don’t want to talk about her.”

“Or think about her, or hear about her, be in the same room as her, or breath the same air as her…”

“You’ve made your point.”

It had been a long time since the two brothers had been home at the same time, and it was nice to catch up with each other. They were not just brothers but also best friends, and no one knew the other as well as they knew each other. Michael must have been the only person that Max had ever talked to regarding his true feelings about his brake up with Liz. And he alone knew all of the facts of their brake up.

“Look Max, Isabel already told me that Liz is here for Christmas, and that the two of you already had a run in that did not go over too smoothly.”

“Isabel needs to mind her own damn business.” Max said angrily. He had a feeling that Isabel had been listening in to his and Liz’s conversation.

“She’s just worried about you.” Michael defended.

“Well she doesn’t need to be. I’m a big boy. I can deal with seeing my ex-girlfriend in a grocery store parking lot without having to get my big sister to hold my hand.” Max said as he began to refold a sweater that he had just unfolded.

“Yeah well the way you’ve been avoiding her like the pelage I would think differently.” Michael said watching as Max refolded the sweater for a second time.

Max huffed. He wasn’t avoiding Liz. He was avoiding a bad situation. No doubt seeing him was just as awkward for her as it was for him. By doing his best to not run into Liz he was doing them both a favor. So what if the sight of her always made him think of the ten wonderful years that they had been friends, along with the four magical years that they had dated? So what if just the smell of lavender made him remember the plethora of times they had showered together, and he had smothered her body in it? So what if there wasn’t a day that went by when he didn’t wonder what she was doing, how she was feeling, or what she was thinking? He was over Liz Parker. And the only reason he was avoiding her was for her own sake.

“You know Maxwell, denial is one of the top defense mechanisms.” Michael said giving his brother an apathetic look.

“Michael I am not using a defense mechanism. And I don’t want to talk about this anymore.”

“Avoidance is one too.” Max said finally taking the sweater from Max and putting it on the hanger then handing it back to him.

“Shut up Michael.” Max said snatching the sweater from his brother’s hands.

Before Michael could say anything else Isabel and Maria walked into the room. Isabel carrying Alexis on her hip, and Maria holding Evan’s hand. Both children were bundled up from head to foot in their winter wear.

“Hey here you guys are. I need the two of you to do me a huge favor. It seems that our guest list for Christmas dinner is going to be a tad bit bigger than I originally thought, so Maria and I have to go out and by a few more things.”

“A tad bigger?” Michael asked eyeing his sister suspiciously “How much is a tad bigger?”

Isabel looked at Maria and then back at Michael. “Oh just a few more people here and there.” She answered vaguely. “Nothing too big. But that’s not important. The important thing is that I promised Evan and Ally that I would let them build a snowman in front of the house today, so would you two be the dear uncials that I know you are and take the kids outside to make a snowman? Thanks you’re the best.” She said handing Ally to Max, and Maria putting Evan in Michael’s lap. And before either of them could make a protest, both women were out the door.

“What the-” Max started, but Michael just shook his head.

“Don’t fight it Maxwell.” Michael said standing up and bending down to make sure Evan’s hat was secured. “Just don’t fight it.”

Max nodded and closed his closest door, then made sure that his little niece was bundled up tightly and fallowed Michael to the door.

“Yea! We gonna make a ‘nowman!” both the children exclaimed as they were carried outside by their uncials.

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

Liz Parker let out an exhausted sigh as she hung tiny little Christmas lights in the room that used to be hers I her parent’s house. It had been a long times since she had last spent Christmas in her childhood home. Her parents usually flew out to Florida to spend the holidays with her aunt Millie. Liz would fly down and spend a few days with her family there, and then fly back to Boston where she would resume her busy life. It was the perfect set up. She could spend Christmas with her family, and still not have to set foot back in Roswell, where she would run the risk of having to see him again. Until this year.

Her parents had decided that this year instead of dealing with the trouble of holiday traveling they just stay in Roswell this year. Although they said that they knew it was an inconvenience for her, and that it would be complexly all right if she didn’t fly home to see them, Liz had decided to take her chances, rather then miss spending the holidays with her family. And the look on their faces when she had shown up at the door had been worth the trip. She had hoped against hope that she would not have the unfortunate luck of running into Max, but luck had not been on her side. Not five minutes from the airport, she had decided that she would stop by the store really quick to pick up a few things, when low and behold she had wound up in a car accident with the one person that she had been hoping she could make it threw the season without running into. And the encounter was not a pleasant one.

Max seemed much different then he had been when last she saw him. Not so much physically, he was still just as gorgeous as ever, but he had a different sense about him. He seemed more harsh and cold. He had the look of a man who was always being rushed. So much different from the romantic dreamer that he used to be. The Max that she had known. But that was the past, and people rarely stayed the same. She herself had changed dramatically from the person that she had been three years ago.

But she had come to realize that her meeting with Max had been unavoidable. And of course everything about their encounter had not been all bad. She had gotten to see Isabel again. At one point they had actually been really good friends. But that was before…anyway, as Max had said, it was all in the past now. Besides, now that she had seen Max again it was obvious that his feelings for her had not changed in the last three years. She no longer had to worry about the awkwardness of seeing him again.

Liz shook her head. She didn’t want to think about Max anymore. Christmas was her favorite time of the year and she wasn’t going to let bad memories spoil it.

After putting up the lights Liz took her small little Christmas tree out of its box and quickly assembled it. She had had this thing since high school. It had to be the teeniest Christmas tree she had ever saw. The top only reached her chin, and at her 5’2 inches that wasn’t saying a whole lot. Small as it might be she sat it up and decorated it every year faithfully. Her own little Christmas tradition. Just hers. She reminded herself. Going to her closet she opened it and began to search threw it for a brown box marked ornaments. Before she had moved to Boston she had left the box in her old apartment. She had asked her father if he would move it to her old closet so it should have still been inside.

Liz smiled as she spotted the big brown box, and dragged it out of the closet. She opened it and began to rummage threw the content. There were several traditional ball ornaments, along with a few irregular ones. There were also some paper ornaments that she had made in grade school. Liz chuckled to herself at their haphazard design. An artist she was not. Then she faltered as she came across another ornament. It was a crystal frame in the shape of a snowflake, and inside of the frame was a tiny picture of Max and her.

She was sitting astride Max’s lap wearing her sexy Mrs. Clause outfit that Maria had brought her just for the event. Max had refused to dress up like Santa completely, but he had donned the Santa pants with a white turtleneck, and Santa hat.

They had dressed up like this for a Christmas party in high school, and Max had had the picture framed and made into an ornament for her on their first Christmas after they had moved in together. She remembered the exact day her gave it to her, and the wonderful feeling that she had gotten when her had presented it to her. It was one of the most special gifts that she had ever gotten.

Eight Years Earlier

Max opened the door to his and Liz’s apartment with as much stealth as he could muster. He had a surprise for Liz, and he couldn’t wait to give it to her.

“Liz!” he called out her name. “Where are you Honey?”

“I’m in the bedroom!” he heard her call back.

Max quickly slipped his surprise in his pants pocket, hung his coat up on the door, and then made his way to the bedroom. As he walked threw the apartment her took in the sight of all of the Christmas decorations that were everywhere. It looked like Christmas had exploded in their little apartment, and had left not a piece of furniture of un-Christmasafied.

Of course Max would never say that to Liz. He knew how much she loved Christmas, and sometimes she had a tendency to go overboard with the decorations. But he didn’t mind so long as it made her happy. Max fettled with the surprise in his pocket once more. He knew that this was going to make her happy.

As he walked into the bedroom he had to withhold the urge to laugh. Liz sat on the middle of the floor next to her tiny Christmas tree, which she had had ever since high school. It was the ugliest little tree Max had ever seen in his life. It was small and ill proportioned. But Liz loved the little thing, and every year without fail she would set it up in her bedroom and decorate it to make it as beautiful as any other tree. It was her little Christmas tradition. Now it would be their Christmas tradition.

Beside Liz was a large brown box marked ornaments, and sitting on the floor next to that were several of the ornaments.

Max walked up behind Liz, making sure not to step on any of her ornaments and squatted down behind her. Then he wrapped his arms around her shoulders in a warm embrace.

“Hey sweet, having fun?” he asked kissing her on the side of her forehead

“No!” she answered frustrated. “I can’t find my Mary and baby Jesus ornament.”

“Well did you take it out of the box?” Max asked looking around at all the other ornaments that were scattered about the room on the floor.

“I don’t remember. I might have.”

Max could hear the hitch in her voice that indicated that she was on the verge of tears.

“Hey, don’t cry.” He said kissing the side of her cheek. “Don’t cry we’ll find it.” He knew how special each of her ornaments were to her, and her hated to see her cry more then he hated anything else in the world.

Liz nodded her head, and they both began crawling around the floor for the missing ornament. They searched in the box, and through the other ornaments, but still they could not find it.

“Where is it?” Liz groaned as she went through the box for the third time.

Then out of the corner of his eyes, Max spotted something protruding from underneath the bed.

“Oh, what’s this?” he asked teasingly as he picked the ornament up off the floor.

“Mary and baby Jesus!” Liz exclaimed with the glee of a child. She took the ornament from him, and clutched it in her hand as if it were her most precious possession. Then she crawled over and placed it on the tree very carefully.

“There.” She said examining her work.

“It’s beautiful.” Max placed his arm around her shoulder and brought her flush against his side.

“Want to help me finish decorating it?” she asked looking up at him.

“I’d love nothing more.” He said smiling down at her.

As they set about the task of decorating the tree Liz felt a burst of excitement run through her body. This was something that she usually did on her own at Christmas time, but sharing it with Max was a million times better.

At her parent’s house, she would have this tree set up in her room, and then there would be a huge traditional Christmas tree in her Living room. But since their apartment was too small to fit a traditional tree her little Christmas tree was all that they have. It was perfect for them. Small and quaint. Once they were done Max and Liz sat back on their hunches and looked at the tree.

“It’s perfect.” Liz stated, smiling at their creation.

“I don’t know, it seems to be missing something.” Max said placing his hand on his jaw in contemplation.

“What? What is it? That’s all the ornaments.” She said glancing at the tree again just to make sure.

“Are you sure?” Max asked giving her a secretive grin.

“Yes I’m sure that’s all the ornaments. Max what are you up to?”

“Why don’t you go and check the box again.” Max nodded in the direction were the box sat on the floor, indicating that she should go and check it.

Liz looked from Max to the box and back to Max.

“Go on.” He said reassuringly.

An overzealous smile played across her face, and she quickly crawled over to were the box sat and looked inside.

She gasped as took the ornament out of the box

“Oh my god, Max it’s beautiful.” She said in awe looking at the crystal frame of the ornament. And it was beautiful, a treasure.

“Why don’t you do the honors?” he said motioning towards the tree.

She just smiled and crawled back over to him and took his hand in hers.

“Why don’t we both?”

Max nodded. It sounded like a good idea to him. They both got to their feet and walked over to their tiny little Christmas tree and together they placed Max’s very special gift in the center, for all to see.

“Thank you Max.” Liz said turning to wrap her arms around his neck bringing his lips to hers in a petal soft kiss.

“You are every much welcome.” He whispered back, just before he laid her down on the bed.

Present Day

“Liz honey, I have some great news.”

Liz was startled by the sound her mother barging into her room. Lost in thoughts of the past as she was. In fact, she was so startled by her mother’s sudden intrusion that she jumped back a bit, forgetting about the box of ornaments behind her. She stumbled over the box and fell backwards onto the bed, but as she did she watched in horror as the tiny crystal snowflake slipped out of her hand and crashed onto the floor into a million tiny pieces.

“Uh-” was the only sound she could manage to make as she looked at the broken pieces surrounding the picture of her and Max.

“Sweetheart?” her Mother asked claming her attention.

Liz looked up at her mother, but was able to say nothing from the shock of just braking the precious gift that Max had gave her.

“Sweetheart the Evans’s have invited us over to have Christmas dinner with them. Isn’t that great? I can’t remember the last time we all got together for Christmas. It’s going to be wonderful!”

“Oh…uh” Liz still hadn’t made her way up to complete sentences, she couldn’t even manage a complete word

“Oh sweetie did you brake an ornament?” Nancy asked looking down at the shards of shattered crystal on the floor.

“Uh…it…it’s okay mom.” She was finally able to get out

“Oh okay, come down for dinner when you’re done.” Her mother said with a smile and then left the room.

Liz bent down and began picking up the broken pieces of crystal off of the floor as quickly as she could. But as Liz looked down at the broken pieces of glass that lay on her floor that in so many way represented her and Max’s relationship, she realized that it wasn’t okay, it hadn’t been okay for a long time.

TBC

[CandyDreamQueen]

Here is the next part. Thank you to everyone for the feedback. I love it very much, and am so happy that you are all so interested in the story. I never really meant for it to be so sad, but I guess it kinda turned out that way. Well enjoy the next post. Lalala

Chapter Four: O, A Christmas Dinner to Remember

“What do you mean you invited the Parkers over for Christmas dinner?” Max shouted to his sister as he walked behind her while she set the dinning room table for dinner.

“Well let’s see Max, what do I mean? Oh I know what I mean. I called mom, told her that I thought that it would be a good idea if we invited the Parkers over for Christmas dinner, she agreed that it would be a good idea, called them up, invited them, and they said yes.”

Max hated the way Isabel explained it all to him as if he were simple. She was always meddling about in affairs that were none of her business, well this time she had gone too far. What was she thinking inviting Liz’s family over for Christmas dinner?

“Isabel, you just happen to forget to tell me that you invited my ex-fiancée over for Christmas dinner until the night of Christmas dinner?”

“Oh did I not say anything?” she asked looking as innocent as a lamb as she placed red and green napkins on everyone’s dinner plate. “I could have sworn I mentioned it before.”

Isabel turned and began walking towards the Living Room.

“Well you didn’t. And I would have appreciated it greatly if you hadn’t.” Max said as he followed her to the Living Room.

The entire Evans family was sitting around the tree waiting for the guest to arrive and for dinner to be served. Mr. Evans was sitting in a lounge chair and enjoying a glass of eggnog. Mrs. Evans was just now walking into the room from the kitchen and setting a plate of her famous holiday cookies out for the guest to enjoy. Michael was sitting on the couch watching It’s a Wonderful Life for the hundredth time, and Alex and Maria were sitting on the floor with Evan and Alexis playing with their new toys that Santa had brought them for Christmas. It was a warm holiday family scene.

“Oh, and The Valenti’s, all four of them, or coming too.” Isabel threw over her shoulder to Max just as the doorbell rang signaling that the first guest had just arrived.

“Isabel, hi, it’s so good to see you.” Jim, Amy, Kyle, and Tess, all greeted everyone as they entered into the Evan’s house.

“Hi, thank you all so much for coming.” Isabel said greeting the guest. “You remember my brother Max, it’s been so long since last he was home for Christmas.”

“Oh yes, Max, I remember you, I haven’t seen you in a while.”

Max said reaching out and shaking the Jim Valenti’s hand. It had been a long time since he had seen the Sheriff. Not since high school actually. As a matter of fact the last time that Max had seen him had been at his and Maria’s mother’s wedding.

“It’s nice to see you Sheriff.” Was all Max said.

“Long time Evans.” Kyle said as he gave Max a slap on the back. Max couldn’t tell if it was goodheartedly or not. He and Kyle had never been the best of friends, maybe because Liz dumped Kyle to start dating him, at least that was what Max always thought, but seeing as how Kyle was married now, and he and Liz were no longer together, Max didn’t really see a reason for Kyle to dislike him.

“Kyle!” Alex said standing and embracing Kyle in a tight bear hug.

“Alex!” Kyle said back wrestling out of Alex’s hold and locking him in a headlock.

Max just eyed the two strangely. What the heck? Kyle and Alex? Friends? Now when had this happened? Last he’d known Kyle and Alex had never even spoken to each other, outside of exchanging the occasional pleasantries. Now they were acting as if they were long lost brothers, let alone friends. It seemed that more things had changed then he thought.

Next to greet him was Tess. She gave him a friendly smile and then went over to join her husband in greeting Alex.

“Michael stand up, the guest are her.” Mrs. Evans said hitting Michael on the shoulder as he continued to stare transfixed at the television.

“Oh Diane please, you couldn’t get him away from that thing if you tried to pry him with a crowbar.” Maria said as she stood and went to go and sit next to her husband on the couch.

“It ends the same way it did the 99th time you watched it Michael!” she shouted in his ear.

“Shh,” Michael said swatting her away. Maria just laughed and then stood and went to stand next to her mom, and Jim, giving them both hugs in greeting.

“Ho ho ho, Merry Christmas!” Everyone turned to the door at the sound. They all smiled at the sight of Jeff Parker standing in the doorway dressed up in a Santa suit complete with a big bag of gifts.

“Santa!” Evan and Ally both screamed at the same time as they got up from the floor and ran over to him.

“Why Hi kids, were you good a good little boy and girl this year?” Jeff asked in a booming Santa voice. Both of the children nodded their heads vigorously.

“Then let’s see what Santa has for you in his bag of goodies.”

”Yay!” both the children said excitedly.

“Come on kids.” Phillip said helping Jeff with his bag. “Let’s take these in the kitchen and see what Santa brought for you.”

Mr. Parker followed Mr. Evans and the children into the other room.

“Nancy, I’m so glad you came.” Diane said as she greeted her long time friend with a huge hug, and an even greater smile.

“Oh I’m so glad that you invited us.” Nancy said returning the hug.

“Lizzy!” Maria screeched running over to Liz and throwing her arms around the other woman. “I’m so glad that you’re here.”

“Maria,” Liz said shaking her head “We had lunch like two weeks ago.”

“Yeah well that’s two weeks ago too long.” Maria said.

Liz just laughed and hugged her friend back. She tried her best not to look over at Max, but the temptation was just to great, and so while she embraced her friend she slowly lifted her gaze to Max who was standing across the room.

He looked amazing in his red turtleneck and black pants. He was offering her mother a glass of eggnog, and he had that amazing charming smile that he always had when he was being polite. God he looked good. God she didn’t want to be here. Then he looked up at her, and she could have died at that very moment as he began walking toward her.

Maria, with her perfect timing, chose that moment to go over and join Alex and Kyle by the Christmas tree.

“Wow, that’s twice in one week.” Max said giving her what she was guess was a smile, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. She just smiled back.

“All things aside Liz, it really is good to see you. And you look…” he gave her a long once over. “Fabulous.”

She actually blushed. He was putting forth an effort, and there was no reason that she shouldn’t try to as well.

“Thank you Max. It’s nice to see you too. And you look great.” There that was civilized.

Max Just nodded excepting her complement.

“Oh look,” Amy said drawing everyone’s attention. “Max and Liz are standing under the mistletoe.” And it was then that Liz realized that she was still standing in the doorway, and she and Max were indeed standing under the mistletoe.

“Well now the two of you gotta kiss.” Michael said from nowhere. Max gave him an evil look, but he just shrugged. “It’s tradition.”

“Max that’s okay, you don’t have to if you don-”

Liz was stopped mid sentence as Max pulled her flesh against him and kissed her softly. There was nothing overly passionate about the kiss. It was just a soft brushing of lips against lips and it was not deep nor was there any tongue involved. But there was something about the lack of intense passion that gave the kiss a fire Liz knew she only felt because it was Max.

Max pulled away from Liz slowly letting his lips linger just a millisecond longer. He hadn’t done that in three years, and he wanted to saver the taste of her lips again if only just for a moment.

No one spoke and all eyes were on Max and Liz. Neither of which said a thing either. When the silence was unbearable and still no one spoke Diane Evans stood up and spoke to everyone in the room.

“Well now that everyone is here what say we go to the dining room for dinner?” she asked, and then motioned for everyone to follow her to the dinning room.

The set up in the dinning room was lovely. The chairs were covered in red and green chair cushions. The dinnerware was decorated very festively with Santa on one plate, and one of his eight reindeer on the others. The flatware was decorated with little snowman handles. And the glasses had pictures of Santa’s Workshop. In the middle of the table as a centerpiece was a small replica of Santa’s sled that was dull of candy canes. Isabel had truly outdone herself.

“Oh well now isn’t this lovely.” Amy said admiring the layout.

“It’s wonderful.” Nancy agreed.

“Why don’t we all have a seat then.” Jeff Parker said coming in from the other room. He was no longer wearing his Santa suit, and Phillip entered shortly after him along with Alexis and Evan.

“I agree. This all looks mighty good, and I’m sure that Isabel and Diane went to a lot of trouble to prepare this meal so let’s eat.”

Everyone agreed, and took their seats. And as if by magic, Max and Liz ended up sitting next to each other. Something Liz couldn’t help but noticed seemed a little fixed.

“So Max I here you migrated to California.” Jim said about halfway into the meal.

“Yeah.” Max said passing Michael the stir-fried potatoes that Isabel had made for him. Michael frowned, sniffed them once, then dumped a boatload on his plate.

“California, really? Sounds exciting. Jeff said putting a slice of ham on his plate.

“No not really.” Max shrugged.

“Oh nonsense.” Jim said. “I bet you meet a lot of girls.”

All movement stopped and everyone seemed to look at Max as if waiting for his answer. Everyone except Liz that is.

“Um…a few.” Max said feeling a bit uncomfortable.

“Umm.” Jim said as if accepting that answer, and everyone went back to serving themselves.

“So Liz I saw you on television the other day.” Kyle said turning the conversation “Something on the snooze cha- I mean discovery channel about genes and stuff.”

“Oh yeah.” Liz said her face brightening with a smile. ”Dr. Landon finished his research and they wanted to do a small piece on it.”

There was a loud clatter as Max dropped his fork on his plate. All heads turned to face him.

“Excuse me.”

Not waiting to be excused Max stood up from his seat, and left the table, and headed for the Living Room.

“What was that about?” Kyle asked

No one said anything.

“I’ll go get him.” Isabel said and began to push her chair from the table.

“No, let me.” Liz said standing up before Isabel could be unseated. It was time that she and Max had a little talk.

Maria stood up and walked over to the door pressing her ear against it.

“Maria what are you doing?” Michael asked as he watched his wife place her ear to the door.

“What? I want to here.” She frowned when she couldn’t here anything.

“Here use this.” Isabel said handing Maria a glass. She put her own against the door, and listened in.

“You guys that is a complete invasion of their privacy.” Tess said, but she got up from her seat next to Kyle and squished in next to Maria.

“Maria, Tess, and Isabel!” Amy, Nancy, and Diane all said at the same time. They all turned around and looked guiltily at the older women.

“Move over.” Amy said and the three women went to join them at the door.
All who remained seated were Michael, Alex, Kyle, Jim, Phillip, and Jeff. And of course little Evan and Alexis.

“Women, always sticking their noses were they don’t belong.” Michael said looking at the six women who had their ears firmly pressed to the door.

“Right.” Alex agreed.

“I know.” Kyle said.

“Um-hm.” Jim nodded.

“Couldn’t be more true.” Phillip said.

“It’s in their nature.” Jeff stated.

There was a short pause, and then all six men stood at once and ran to squeeze in with the women at the door. They too tried to listen to what was going on on the other side.

Liz followed Max into the Living Room. As she entered she watched a Max began to make his way for the stairs.

“Max!” Liz shouted, causing him to stop.

“Max wait, we have to talk.” She said coming to stand next to him.

Max stopped at the foot of the stairs. It seemed like talking was all anyone wanted to do now. Well he didn’t want to talk. As a matter of fact it was the last thing that he wanted to do. Not, about his feelings, or her, or especially Dr. Landon.

Just the thought of his name sent chills coursing down Max’s spine. He had been beginning to think that he would be able to get through this dinner without his and Liz’s past coming up. He had thought wrong. He knew that that was never going to happen the moment that the Valenti’s had started questioning him and Liz. Damn them anyway. None of this was any of their business in the first place.

“Liz do you really want to do this right now?” Max groaned.

“Max I don’t know what your problem is but I suggest that you get over it.”

“Well excuse me if an evening of sitting around and discussing all of your little boyfriend’s wonderful accomplishments doesn’t make for a very merry Christmas for me.” Max said giving her a sarcastic look.

“Oh my god, I do not want to have this argument again.” Liz said placing her hand against her face in exhaustion.

“No Liz let’s have this argument. You’re the one that felt the urge to talk about the past. I already told you how I felt about what happened between us. But you, and everybody else in that room just can’t bring yourselves to let it rest.”

“Max the past keeps bringing itself back up because you wont let it rest. You’re the one who can’t move past it. Isabel told me that you haven’t seen your parents in almost two years. Because of me Max? Is this…this person that you’ve become because of me? Because of what happened between us.”

“So what if it is?” He shouted. “So what if I’ve spent the past three years of my life trying desperately to forget how much I loved you. Trying to forget how much you hurt me. So what if I work, and I work, and I work, in an attempt to not think about you, not wonder where you are or what you’re doing. So what if I cling to my job because it’s the only thing that keeps me going insane with anger anytime I hear anything about your perfect Dr. Landon on television. I have the right to be as angry or as spiteful, or as hurtful as I want to be!”

Liz looked at him thoughtfully, her lips slightly trembling in shock. Max had never said any of these things to her. Not three years ago, or any time after that. And she wondered how long he had been keeping all of those things inside. Bit of everything that he had said one thing stood out to her. I’ve spent the past three years of my life trying desperately to forget how much I loved you.

How much I loved you, not how much I love you. Those words gave Liz a sickly sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. They told her that there would never be anything more between Max and her.

“Why couldn’t you trust me Max?” she asked him all of a sudden.

“What?” he asked looking at her in shock.

“You didn’t trust me Max. That’s why we didn’t work out. You didn’t trust me then, and you don’t trust me now.” She said.

“What are you saying Liz?’ he asked.

“What do you think I’m saying Max?”

He didn’t know what to say to that. Honestly, he didn’t really know what she was saying to him.

“Would you have trusted me?” he asked instead of answering her question.

“Yes.” She said nodding her head sadly. “Because I knew that you would never hurt me like that. That you would never do something like that to me.” She reached up and placed a hand on his cheek. “Just like I thought that you knew that I would never do something like that to you.”

Max shook his head and backed away from her.

“Liz you were hundreds of miles away. What was I supposed to think?” he asked quickly.

“You were supposed to trust me Max,” she said and Max could have sworn he saw tears forming in her eyes. But she quickly blinked them away. “You were supposed to trust me.” She whispered desperately.

Max’s own lips began to tremble. He knew he was supposed to trust her. He had wanted to trust her so badly. He had wanted to believe that she loved him enough…that she would never…but she had been so far away, having the time of her life with people who had the same passion as she. With a man who had loved the same things that she had, and Max had been insane with jealousy.

She had been gone for three months when he had decide to make a surprise visit. And though he was ashamed to admit it part have him had wanted to check up on her. And when he had arrived in Boston and gone to the address that he knew she was staying at he had been shocked at the sight before him. Because there she had been standing in a locked embrace with Dr. Landon, and they had been kissing. It was like seeing his own heart be ripped out of his chest. Over and over he had told himself that his suspicions were silly. That Liz would never have cheated on him. But when he was standing there with the evidence right in his face he could nothing other then face the truth. Liz had been cheating on him.

And when she had turned and saw him the look of guilt on her face had only twisted the dagger farther into his heart. Without waiting for an explanation he had left. And that night he had left Boston, and returned back home to Roswell, calling off their engagement, and calling off the rest of his life.

Three Years Earlier.

Michael yawned as the loud ringing of the doorbell continued to alert him that someone was at his door a three in the morning. God hadn’t people ever heard of a telephone. There was a reason that they had been invented. And part of that reason was so that he didn’t have to get up at ungodly hours of the night to answer the door for who knows who for who knows what reason. The only reason that he had even bothered getting up was that he didn’t want the ringing to wake Maria. She was murder to get to sleep, and if she were wakened then there would be hell to pay.

“I’m coming I’m coming.” Michael groused as the doorbell continued to ring relentlessly.

“What the hell do you want?” Michael asked opening the door, but then stopped suddenly when he stood face to face with his little brother.

“Max? What the hell man I thought you were supposed to be in Boston?”

Then he noticed the state that his brother was in. To be frank he looked offal. His cloths were completely mussed. His hair was in disarray, and his eyes were blood shot red. Then Max noticed the luggage at Max’s side.

“What happened to you Max” he asked his brother worriedly.

“She…she’s.” But that’s all he would say. And to Michael horror, he watched as silent tears flowed down his brother’s cheeks.

In all there childhood he didn’t think he had ever seen Max cry. Not when he was five and their pet dog GooGoo died. Not when he was six and he broke his arm trying to see which of the two of them could jump farther off the swing, and not any time he could remember. But sure enough right now his little brother was definitely crying.

“Why don’t you come in Max.” Michael said ushering his brother inside the house.

Max just nodded and picked up his luggage as he entered the house.

“Sit down.” Michael said taking the luggage and throwing it on the floor. He then came and joined his brother on the couch.

“What happened Maxwell?” he asked carefully.

“Liz.” Was all Max said.

“What about her?” Michael asked. Was Liz hurt? Is that why Max was so upset?

“She…she’s.” she said again.

“She’s what Maxwell? Is she hurt?” he asked

Max just shook his head in the negative. Michael breathed a sigh of relief. Well that was good.

“Well then what is it?” he asked now a little less worried.

“She’s cheating on me.” Max whispered hoarsely.

“She’s what?” Michael asked in disbelief.

“With the Dr. Landon.” Max continued.

“The science geek?” Michael asked is shock.

Max only nodded.

“No, fuckin way.” Michael said. He couldn’t believe it. He had known Liz forever. There was no way she would cheat on Max. Not with some science nerd she had barely known for three months. Hell it had taken her four years to admit she had feelings for Max. This just wasn’t possible.

“Are you sure?” Michael asked his brother.

“Of course I’m sure Michael what the hell kinda question is that?”

“It just doesn’t seem right. I mean, it doesn’t seem like Liz is the type of person that would do that to you.”

“Yeah, well you know what Michael I didn’t think so either.” Max said.

Something still didn’t seem right. The Liz he knew wouldn’t cheat on Max. Not in a million years. But he would reserve his questions for her personally.

“What are you gonna do?” he asked Max.

“Well it’s over. What can I do?” he asked.

“Did you ask her why?”

Max just looked at him. “Not exactly my first instinct Michael.” Max said angrily.

“So you just left?” Michael asked in disbelief.

“Michael I don’t really want to talk about this right now. I’m really tiered, and I just want to get some sleep.” Max said.

Michael nodded and stood from the couch so that Max could lie down. He would let it rest for now, but he would definitely have to find out more in the morning.

The next morning, after Max went back home Michael paid a little call to Liz.

“Hello, Max?” she answered on the first ring.

“Not quite.” He said

“Michael?” she asked.

“Yeah, what the hell is going on with you and Max?” he asked with no reservations.

“Michael listen to me. I need to talk to Max.” she said. Michael could hear a bit of urgency in her voice.

“Yeah I’ll say you do.” Michael agreed.

“Do you know where he is?” she asked ignoring his statement.

“He was here earlier, but he left.”
“Well do you know where he went?” she asked.

“Not sure.” Michael said “Liz what the hell happened up there?” Michael asked becoming rather annoyed that neither Max nor Liz would divulge any of the details of what had gone down between them in Boston.

“Michael, I really need to talk to Max right now so if you don’t know where he is I would appreciate if you would let me go.” Liz said and Michael could tell that she was about to hang up the phone.

“Wait Liz.” He said stopping her.

“What?” she asked.

“What happened between you and Max? When he came in last night he was really upset. I’ve never seen him that upset before. Never!”

“Michael I don’t really want to get into it all now, but I can tell you is that it was all a big misunderstanding.” Then she hung up the phone.

After that Liz tried to get in touch with Max. But without any success. She called their apartment in Roswell, but no one answered. She called Max’s parents house, but they only informed her that he was not there either. Then she tried calling Max’s sister Isabel’s house. Isabel also told her that Max was not their either. Finally she called Michael again, and asked him if he had any idea where Max was.

“Liz…Max has been staying here for the last couple of days, and he has told me that he doesn’t really want to talk to you.”

Liz sighed and closed her eyes. She needed to explain to Max what he saw in Boston. But how could she explain when he wouldn’t let her talk to him.

“Well…will you tell him that I love him…and that I really need to talk to him.” She said, as she felt the beginning of tears form on her eyes.

“I’ll tell him.” Michael said. “Bye Liz.” Then he hung up the phone.

Liz sniffed back the tears, and hung up the phone. Max thought that she was cheating on him. But he had everything all wrong. It hurt that he would think that she could do something so horrible to the man that she loved. And it hurt even worse that he wouldn’t give her the chance to explain.

But somehow she had to get in touch with him. She had to let him know what had really happened, and she had to do it soon, or else their relationship would be destroyed.

Present Day.

“I’m sorry Liz.” Max said quietly. “Sorry that I couldn’t find it in myself to try and let you explained then Liz. But I was hurt. I loved you more then my own life, and well…like I said it doesn’t matter anymore.” Max said bitterly.

“Max it dose matter!” Liz shouted grabbing his face and turning him to look at her. “Now I want you to listen, and I want you to listen good. I did not cheat on you with Dr. Landon, no matter what you think!” she was shouting. She knew she was shouting. But she wanted to be shouting right now. “She knew she would have to apologize for this later, but right now what she needed was to tell Max what she had been wanting to tell him for the past three years. She had not been having an affair with the Doctor, and she still loved him.

“I never cheated on you Max.” she whispered softly. “Never.”

Then she released his chin from her grip and turned to face the front door. All of a sudden the room was too small, and she desperately needed to get out of the house.

She bolted for the door as quickly as she could, leaving a stunned Max standing in her wake.

TBC

A/N: Okay people there is only one more part and then the epilogue. I’m a bit sad that I couldn’t have it posted before Christmas, but I hope that you all enjoyed the story anyway.

[CandyDreamQueen]

Hi Loves! I am well aware of the fact that I have not really told you how and why Max and Liz broke up. But everything will finally come together in this part. Thank you all for reading this story. All of your great feedback meant the world to me. I’m so glad that you liked my fic. And FYI, this story is called A Tale of Three Christmases for a reason. Which mean there will be two more stories after this one. I look forward to seeing you all again for them, and I want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas, and a happy New Year. Lalala hereit is.

Chapter Five: Resurrection of Love (and a broken ornament.)

As Liz ran out of the front door into the chill of the cold wind, she cursed herself that he didn’t have her coat with her. But she needed to get away. She couldn’t stand there any longer with Max looking at her with hatred in his eyes. She knew she should have stayed and explained everything to Max. But it all just hurt so badly. Everything hurt. She hated him for making her feel this way. She hated that he hated her, while she still loved him so much, and she hated herself that she was running away instead of trying to explain to Max what had happened three years ago.

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

Max stood silently in the living room not knowing what to do. Should he go after her? Should he go back to dinner? What should he do? She said that she had never cheated on him, but he knew what he had seen.

Do you? A voice in his head asked him. He shook his head. Of course he did. But one thing was clear. Three years ago he had not given Liz the chance to explain to him what he had seen. Three years ago he was too hurt to even stand in the same room as her. But he had paid for that, both of them had. Because for three years they had been miserable without each other.

“What the hell is the matter with you?” a voice behind him said. “Go after her.”

Max turned around to see his whole family, Liz’s family, and the Valenti’s standing in the doorway of the dinning room. It was Michael who had spoken.

“You obviously still love her, and I know she damn sure still loves you.” Michael glared at his brother.

Isabel stepped forward and placed a gentle hand on Max’s shoulder.

“Max don’t you think that this has all gone on long enough? Go after her. If you don’t you are going to regret it for the rest of your life.” Isabel gave him an encouraging smile and motioned towards the door.

They didn’t understand. None of them understood. They were all so eager to tell him what he should do. To say that he should go after Liz. But none of them had gone through the hurt that he had. None of them knew what it felt like to see the person you loved kissing someone else.

Max turned and looked at his family. Everyone in that room had happiness. His parents had each other. So did Liz’s parents. Michael had Maria. Isabel had Alex and their kids. Kyle and Tess had each other. Hell even Kyle’s dad had Amy. They were all loved. They had their perfect lives in their perfect relationships. They didn’t know what it felt like to be betrayed by the person they loved.

Without a word, Max turned and left the house.

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

Max found herself at the Park of all places. He didn’t know why he had come here. He just knew that he had needed to get out of that house away from all those people who were accusing him of not giving Liz a fair chance. They were right. Deep down he knew they were right. He also knew that he had not given Liz the chance to explain. But three years ago he had not wanted to hear an explanation.

Three Years Earlier

Michael said that he had gone for a walk. Whenever he went for a walk he always ended up here. She supposed it was a favorite spot of his. Or maybe it was just where he liked to come and think. Whatever the reason sure enough he was here.

Liz watched Max from across the street. He was sitting on a park bench. His head was down so she could not see the expression on his face. But she had a gut feeling that it wasn’t a happy one.

Slowly she began to walk towards him. He couldn’t see her approach because of his down turned head. She was nervous. She had no idea how he would react to seeing her, but she needed to talk to him. And that need was greater than her fear.

“Is this seat taken?” she asked as she stood in front of him. She bit her lip as she waited to see what he would say.

He looked up at her. His eyes were completely red, not from crying, but from trying so hard to keep himself from crying.

He didn’t say a thing to her. Just looked at her for a long time, a really long time. She didn’t know what it was he was looking at. Or what he was looking for. She didn’t know what he was seeing, or even what he was feeling. Then, after what seemed like forever, he looked back down to the ground.

“Max we have to talk.” She said as she sat down next to him on the bench.

He just shook his head, but still he said nothing.

“I have to explain to you what happened in Boston.” Liz could hear the desperation in her own voice. She watched as Max shoulders stiffened. He closed his eyes briefly and then opened them again. Finally he turned and met her eyes. There was so much pain in his eyes. And he gave her such a look of hurt and betrayal that she almost winced from it. Then he opened his moth to speak, and the world seemed to slow down as the words came out of his mouth.

“Give me my ring.” He said holding his hand out to her.

She was stunned for a moment. He was asking for his ring back. Her engagement ring. She knew what that meant. It meant Max didn’t want to marry her. He didn’t want anything to do with her.

“Max please, you have to let me explain.” She started.

Max’s eyes narrowed, and he squeezed them tight again then opened them.

“Give me my ring.” He repeated. His voice was horse and yet at the same time harsh.

Liz felt tears pool in her eyes as she looked down at the ring that was sitting on her finger. The ring that Max had given her at Christmas. The ring that Max had proposed to her with.

Why wouldn’t he let her explain? Why was he doing this to them.

“Max I never-”

“No!” he shouted, standing up from the bench so quickly that she felt it tilt. “Just give me my ring.”

The tears finally flowed down her cheek, but they were silent. Then she held up her hand to him with the ring still on it. Let him take it. She thought to herself. She would not remove it herself. And as he took it from her finger she wanted him to remember that it was he who had ended things between them without giving her a chance to explain, and it was he who was changing the rest of their lives. But if he didn’t trust her enough to let her explain, what had happened in Boston, than maybe they really didn’t have a future together.

As Max took the ring off of Liz’s finger he felt as if his heart were being ripped in tiny pieces. He couldn’t believe that this was happening, and yet he knew it was. Max placed the ring in his pocket and then turned away from Liz. As he walked away a part of him wanted to turn back. It didn’t want to believe that they were over, but he did not turn back. He just kept walking.

Liz watched as Max walked away from her. What was she going to do now? The man that she loved had just walked out of her life without even looking back. The pain of the blow was stunning. It hurt like nothing had ever hurt in her life. Liz felt as more tears began to trickle down her face until she realize that she was no longer silently weeping, but she was full-blown crying. So she sat there and cried. Until she could not cry anymore.

The Present

Max walked a little ways more into the park until he came upon the same bench that he had left Liz at three years earlier. How apropos. He thought as he took a seat on the bench.

The park was beautifully lit. There had been a Christmas light show and slay ride earlier that evening in the park. The park was still glowing with the lights. And as he looked around admiring them his first thoughts were that Liz would love it. He mentally cursed himself as he thought of her. If he knew what was good for him he would put her out of his mind.

“Now what’s a guy like you doing sitting out here all by himself on a night like this?”

Max looked up as he was drawn from his thoughts by the sound of the intruder’s voice.

The man who had joined him was a skinny man. He wore a brown overcoat that looked like it had seen way too many days, and his shoes were worn and run over. His hat had a hole in it that had a look that said it had been sown many times. The threads of his scarf were unraveling, and the pair of gloves he wore on his had seen better days. his face was overgrown with hair suggesting that he had not had a good shave in many days, maybe even weeks, and he reeked of days without a bath. All politeness aside, he was a bum.

He came and took a seat next to Max on the bench. Yep, he was definitely a bum.

“Look, I’m sorry but I don’t have any money.” Max said before he could stop himself. He didn’t mean to be rude, but he found it hard to believe that this fellow had any real interest as to why he was sitting on a park bench on Christmas.

“Hey, what a coincidence neither do I.” the bum said giving Max a polite smile. Max looked at him guiltily.

“Listen I didn’t mean to offend you, it’s just…”

“No offence.” He said cutting Max off. He then stuck out his hand for Max to shake. “The names Chris by the way.” He said with a smile.

Well he was definitely the friendliest bum Max had ever met. “Max.” he said shaking the bums hand.

Chris nodded his head. “Nice to meet you Max.” he said.

“Likewise.” Max said. There was more silence and the two of them sat on the bench quietly. Max was a little nervous, but not uncomfortably so. For some reason he didn’t feel threatened by Chris, like he planed to rob him or anything like that. They were just two men sitting on a bench in the park on Christmas.

“So you never answered my question.” Chris said breaking the silence.

“Oh, just thinking.” Max answered.

“Well, I’m no boy genius, but couldn’t you do that at home where it’s nice and warm?” Chris asked giving Max a look that said he was crazy to want to be away from home at a time like this.

“I’m just thinking about some things that it’s better for me to think about here then at home.” Max said.

“Mind if I ask what?” Chris asked.

“I’d rather not say.”

They were both quiet again.

“You know Max, Christmas is a time you should spend with your family. The people you love. It’s a time when everybody should get together with their loved ones, no matter how mad are unforgiving they feel towards them. They shouldn’t be alone. Nobody likes to be alone. Especially on Christmas.

Max just looked at Chris strangely. How weird. His words were so close to Max’s own situation. He really should have been with the people he loved. Not out here thinking of bad memories. And as far as Liz was concerned he hadn’t really been all that fair to her. He wanted to forgive her, but he hadn’t actually given her the chance to be forgiven.

“I said I don’t want to talk about it.” Max said looking back over at the lights that decorated the park. The more he talked about it, the more he was beginning to see what a big fool he was for not trusting Liz, or giving her the chance to explain herself.

“Fair enough. I wouldn’t want to intrude on your brooding.” Chris said shaking his head. Max turned to face him.

“I never said I was brooding.” He defended.

“Oh please. You are voluntarily sitting by yourself on a park bench on Christmas. If that’s not brooding I don’t know what is. “

“Fine, so I’m brooding.” Max confessed. “What are you doing out here alone on Christmas?” Max shot back.

“Me? Oh I’m just catching the show.” Chris said.

“What show?” Max asked.

Chris didn’t respond, just looked up at the dark clear sky. Max looked up too, wondering what show Chris was talking about. Then he gasped as the sky went from clear to bathed in a glow of lights as hundreds of stars suddenly shot across the sky at an unreliable speed. There were too many to count, but the seen was breathtakingly beautiful. And just when it seemed they were going to stop, more stars took the place of the ones before them. It was sight like no other.

“Go talk to Liz Max.” Chris said

Max was not prepared for those words. How had Chris known about Liz? He looked down from the sky back to where Chris had been sitting on the bench next to him, but he found himself sitting completely alone, as if no one had ever been there.

“Chris?” he asked, but he was alone. The park was completely empty. He looked back up at the sky to see if the shower of stars remained, they too were gone. Max looked back at the seat where Chris had been seating. That was strange. People didn’t just disappear. Then something caught his eye. Sitting next to him on the bench was an ornament. He recognized it. He had given it to Liz as an early gift one Christmas. It was a tiny snowflake framed ornament. The frame was the same but the one he had given to Liz had had a picture of the two of them inside it. How had it gotten here? It hadn’t been here before. He pick to up and looked at it closely.

It couldn’t be. There was no way.

Max placed the ornament in his pocket. He knew what he had to do. What he should have done three years ago. He stood up from the bench and began walking in the direction of Liz’s house, but before he left the park he turned once more to look at the now clear sky.

“Thanks Chris.”

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

Liz sat on her bed in her old room with her knees drawn up tight against her chest. She hadn’t cried like this in a long time. She felt weak from it, but she couldn’t bring herself to stop. Max hated her. Really hated her for what he thought she had done to him, and after three years he wanted nothing to do with her. This was why she had not wanted to come to Roswell. She couldn’t deal with him, or his hatred for her. It was all too painful. Well she couldn’t take it anymore. She wouldn’t take it, and she was leaving first thing in the morning.

Liz wiped her eyes and stood to walk over to her closet and pack up her things, but she stopped have way there.

Max knelt outside Liz window like he had done so many times when they were younger. She had been crying. He knew that was his fault. He had been so unfair to her. He only hoped that she would forgive him. When she stood up from the bed and looked over at him, he knocked gently on the window.

“Can I come in?” he asked.

Slowly she walked over to the window and opened it. He climbed inside and stood next to her not knowing what to say.

“What do you want Max?” she asked. Her voice was horse from crying, and she didn’t even bother to wipe the tears from her eyes.

“I want to say I’m sorry.” He started not knowing where his words were coming from. “I’m sorry that I wronged you Liz. Wronged both of us really. Three years ago you told me that you needed to explain what I saw in Boston, but I wouldn’t let you. I was so angry. You hurt me, and I just wanted to hurt you too. In the end I just hurt the both of us.” Max took her hand in his and led her to the bed where they both sat down.

“Liz I’m ready to listen to what happened, if you’ll tell me.” He said looking deeply into her eyes.
Liz was shocked. She had not expected this at all. She had not even expected him to come here. Least of all say what he was saying. He wanted to know the truth of what had happened three years ago, and he was finally allowing her to tell him.

“Max,” she began taking a deep breath. She had had this conversation with him so many times in her head, but now that she was actually having it she didn’t know where to began.

“Max the guy you saw kissing me was not Dr. Landon.” She started.

Max looked shocked. He had not expected her to say that.

“At least he’s not the Dr. Landon I work with. The guy that kissed me was his grandson. Dr. Landon is a sixty-eight year old man who has less interest in kissing me then I have in kissing a toad.” She said.

“But I don’t understand. I’ve seen Dr. Landon on TV, and he’s the same guy I saw kissing you.” Max said confused by all she was saying.

“I know. The Dr. Landon you saw kissing me was working with his grandfather that year as an intern too. He was…attracted to me. When you came to visit me that year he had just told me that he had feelings for me. And then…he kissed me. That’s when you came in. Max I didn’t kiss him back. I couldn’t have. I would never do that to you. When I saw you, and I realized what you thought was going on I couldn’t help but feel guilty. I had only been gone for three months, and I knew what it must have looked like to you. Max I never cheated on you. After that I told Dr. Landon that I could no longer work with his grandson anymore, and he moved him to a different division.”

Max felt like a gush of air had just blown over him. All this time he had thought that she had cheated on him with Dr. Landon, and it turned out that Dr. Landon wasn’t even who he thought he was.

“But Kyle said that he saw you on television with that guy. I’ve seen you on television with him.” Max said trying to make since of all this.

“After I told his grandfather that I couldn’t work with him anymore, he apologized to me. We aren’t the best of friends, but we do work together. Max Cliff is married and has a son. There is nothing going on between us.” She said smiling at him.

Max was speechless. So everything they had gone through for the past three months had been a big misunderstanding, all because he had jumped to conclusions without giving her the chance to explain. He had messed up their relationship, not her.

“Liz…I’m so sorry.” He said placing his hands on her cheek. “I messed up everything.” He said more to himself than to her.

“Max it’s okay.” She said placing her hands on top of his.

“No it’s not. I was so horrible to you, and you hadn’t even done anything wrong.”

“Max I know what it must have looked like to you. I’m just sorry that this all happened. That we’ve wasted three years because of it.” She said sadly.

Max bent down and kissed her gently on the lips. The first real kiss he had given her since they had broken up.

“No more Liz.” He said. “I don’t want to waist another moment. Then he kissed her again, and this time not so gently.

His moth explored hers like a thirty man searching for water. He kissed her as if he would die if he stopped. And a part of him felt as if he would. He did not want to stop kissing her. Not if his life depended on it. He had not kissed her in forever and her moth tasted like heaven. She tasted like heaven. As he kissed her all the memories of all the wonderful nights they had spent in each other’s arms came rushing back to him, and he knew at that moment that he would never let anything come between them again.

Liz moaned as she felt Max lean her back against the bed. She had wanted this for so long. She has wanted the chance to explain to him what had happened in Boston. Now she had explained, and he had understood. She wrapped her arms tightly around him hugging her to herself. He was hers again, and everything would be okay between them.

“I love you Max.” she whispered against his ear as she kissed his neck. Max closed his eyes and just inhaled her sent. He absorbed the feel of her in his arms after three years without her. God he had missed her. He had missed her greatly. He hadn’t even realized how much until this moment.

“I love you too Liz.” He said. “I never stopped.” And he hadn’t.

They made love to each other after that. Lovingly and passionately. Slowly removing their cloths, and seeing the others body after so long of being without each other. With the window slightly still opened a gentle breeze blew inside over them as they embraced each other for the first time in three year.

Max kissed his way up and down her body touching his lips to every place that he could reach. He loved her like a mad man, running his hands everywhere. And when he entered her it was like coming home after being gone for so long.

Nothing had ever felt like Liz. She was his everything, and he was hers. He felt that whenever he had made love to her in the past, and he felt it now. She would always be his, and he would always be hers. She called out his name from the intensity of their lovemaking. She had always been the most responsive of lovers, and he wondered how he had managed to survive three years without her.

Liz moved against Max with an urgency so great she thought she’d pass out from it. It had been so long since she had had him. That was the one thing she hadn’t been able to move past. She had gone out with other guys when they were broken up. But she had not given her body to anyone else. She couldn’t, not when she knew that her heart still belonged to Max.

Liz lifted her leg and hooked her foot behind his calf bringing his body even deeper inside hers. She wanted to feel all of him. She didn’t want to think of the horrid time that they had been apart. All she wanted was him, and she finally had him.

Max kissed her deeper as he drove his body deeper into hers, his lips and his body finding the same movement. In and out, slow and hard, deeper and deeper. Max felt as Liz’s body clenched around him, and he knew that she was close to her peek. He couldn’t wait. He wanted her to come in his arms and he wanted her to do it now. Faster, he began to move knowing that his deep strokes were driving her insane. Then she was crying out his name and they were both experiencing the orgasm of their lives.

Afterwards Max rested his head against Liz shoulder, and at the same time placed gentle kisses there. It felt so good to finally have her in his arms again and he always wanted to remember the feeling.

“I love you Liz Parker.” He said moving his lips up to graze her lips. And he did. He loved her very much.

“I love you too.” She whispered, still a bit breathless from the exertion from their lovemaking, but she wanted him to know that his love was returned. Max rolled over and gathered her to him and kissed her forehead. Finally things were the way they should have been, and she was back in his arms were she belonged.

Max smiled as he caught sight of the tiny Christmas tree at the foot of her bed. It was the same tree that she had had all those years ago. She had kept it all that time. How wonderful. Then he remembered the ornament that was in his pocket. And he noticed that of all the ornaments that were on the tree that was the only one that was missing.

“I can’t believe you still have that thing.” He said laughing at the ugly tree.

“Yeah, old habits die hard.” She said snuggling into him. He would ask her about the ornament now.

“Liz, what happened to the ornament I gave you?”

“Oh,” she looked saddened. “It broke. I still have the picture but the frame was completely shattered.”

Max couldn’t believe it. There was no explanation for it. He refused to believe that Chris had been who he thought he was, but then where had the ornament come form? Again it didn’t make any since. Maybe it was best if he didn’t try to make since of it. Maybe he should just be thankful.

He smiled

“I have something for you.” He said reaching down off the floor for his pants.

“What?” She asked smiling back at him.

He reached inside his pocket and pulled out the ornament then turned to face her.

“Now don’t ask how okay, but I have this.” He said holding it up for her to see.

Liz gasped and put her hand to her mouth. How could he have known?

“Max how did you…”

He shushed her. “Let just call it a Christmas miracle.” He said kissing her on the lips.

Liz reached over on the drawer to her nightstand and took out the picture that had once been placed it in the ornament.

“Let’s do the honors.” She said taking his hand and walking over to the tree with him, and together, like so many years earlier they put the ornament on the tree.

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

Max lay in the bed next to Liz as she slept with his arm wrapped tightly around her. This had been a truly special Christmas. After three years of being apart they were finally back together. It had seemed to have taken forever. And after three years of heart ach they had found their way back to each other.

Max looked out the window and saw a star shoot pass the sky. Then another, followed by hundreds more.

“Thank you.” He whispered softly. He had truly been given the most wonderful Christmas gift of all.

(Merry Christmas Everybody!)
THE END

Epilogue

A Tale Not Quite Finished

So that was the tale of our lovers two
It’s far from the end our story’s not through
Far more of the tale there seems to remain
So do not go far I bid you to stay

And listen again to the rest of the tale
If you think it’s done then surly you’ve failed
To see that our lovers have much more to do
There still is a wedding we need to see through

So join me again and listen once more
Take up a seat, or sit on the floor
We’re not done just yet, I have more to say
Listen till the end come what may