Again (CC, Mature) - Chapter 11 - 06/06/2025

[Parker1947]

Moments later,

A passion unlike anything else they had experienced had undertaken them. In such a fashion that made it unable to be stopped, and it was a fire that was not going to be quenched unless maybe there was a bucket, or an ocean of water poured over them. And even then, maybe not. But any attempts to stop this display of amoral behaviour was all for naught on this night. As they felt possessed and backed against a wall. A position that they were playing out, as Max had Liz back to the wall. As he was kissing her all over. As they could not keep their hands off each other. So, yeah, it was not detouring them, because it was fuel for their fire.

A fire like no other.

It was always like this with the two. Back in the beginning. It was always something unexplainable to them that they could be so All American. Strive for the honour roll, but behind closed doors. It was something different between them.

And only them.

Because anyone else would get the other version of them. Not that Liz allowed herself to find someone else. But when they were together. They could go from zero to a hundred miles per hour in a mere second.

In a flash.

It was hot. To feel desired, to feel wanted, and to feel loved. It was not something that Liz had much experience with since leaving Roswell a decade before.

And Max had too much experience.

Except with the love part. Not that you have to be in love to have sex. Max would certainly have an opinion on that because he would agree that he had been going through the motions these last years and today was showing that in all its glory. Absolutely NO one has my heart like this woman he was thinking, as he felt the fire exploding between them.

He supposed he should be feeling guilty.

Because he knew he was causing a world of hurt for himself, and his children, and his family if this got out.

And he could not say for certain that this would not get out. Our record at keeping our indiscretions a secret is not a good one.

But he was not thinking of tomorrow, when he was acting in the now, and all about how he wanted to feel.

It is about what I want to feel... Max thought.

But all common sense was out the window as they fell into each other's arms and acted out what they wished they could back in the beginning. Even though for six or seven weeks, they were able to.

Because they were fleeing for their lives. And could be together.

But then it ended, and she walked away.

And Liz wished she could have felt this sensation all these years. Why did I walk away from this and allow Max to feel like this with other women. Except he had not felt like this with others, and especially not with those he had married.

Liz felt the dress she had been wearing was being released from her body, oh god she was thinking. It had not felt sexy when she chose it. She had always been so conservative in her wardrobe. Because her career had demanded it. Although there were times where she could go out and celebrate her accomplishments, but she always stuck to the usual that would be said about Dr. Elizabeth Parker.

She had always been Elizabeth in her chosen profession. She had never really been Liz. Because she felt like Liz was Roswell. A name for her family, and for Maria.

Or for Max to utter, oh, damn Liz just as he was under his breath right now, when they are throwing all caution to the wind.

Oh, Liz Max whispered as he was removing the dress from the women he loved. She might have thought it was conservative, but it had been sexy as hell to Max.

Earlier to see Liz in it as she had walked down the aisle as Maid of Honour to her best friend, and he had nearly popped out of his skin. If his wife was not glaring to him and showing her clawing at him, as he stood at the altar, who knows what he might have done.

He had known he had done enough to keep it professional at the reception that followed. That was assuming what he actually did at the wedding reception could be described as professional. When everyone who had seen him would have the exact opposite opinion if they were asked. They would not have described him as very professional.

Or married.

Which he was.

But he was not acting like it. Because he was here with the woman he loved.

And the woman he was married to had walked out of the hotel earlier that evening with hatred in her eyes, which was a recipe for disaster if they caught wind. Which it was bound too, but for Max and Liz.

They were acting irrationally. As Liz felt the last of her garments being removed, and she felt sexy. She did not know who she was most of the time these days. But she felt loved. She felt like the world was finally giving her something as she moved onto Max.

He is way too sexy to still be dressed like he is she was thinking as she felt exposed. But she did not care because she was with the man she loved. As she started to pick at his shirt, "Let me" she was saying as Max was finally ways of making her want to explode. "You are not helping me," she whispered to sudden movement of his arms caressing her own arms, and she saw the glow coming down the arm.

And she stopped.

Because it brought back memories. Flashes of a night that had ended way too soon. When Maria had walked in and ruined their glow. Which was in respect, something right, but it did not feel like it at the time. Especially not when Tess came to town shortly afterwards and wrecked most of my dreams, she sighed even though she knew she had contributed to some of the losses herself, but she was not going to quibble about that tonight. When flashes of that night when everything seemed possible were playing out within this union, as she felt his touch, and the glow that he showed by his very touch.

"You don’t know what you do to me, when you do that..." Liz whispered.

"It was always you" Max whispered as he did not care that she had not gotten his shirt off, because he was going to burst. He ripped his own shirt off...

As I said, I don't care about tomorrow Max muttered. I am a goddamn alien, aren't I? he asked of himself.

Yes, he was.

And picked up Liz into his arms, and she clung onto his body, and they walked into bedroom, as they could not keep their hands or mouths apart and slammed the door.

*

All the while,

Morality was being completely thrown out the window. And vows were breaking into pieces that were not going to be repaired. Near the heart of town. A car drove into a covered parking lot and went down into the deep recesses of the building. Before stopping and waiting. Unaware that another car was following it into the parking structure.

This car was staying away. And monitoring the situation that was brewing ever since the hotel. When he had gotten suspicion. Not that the woman had a reason to be considering devilish things, because Sean Deluca knew that Evans deserved whatever he was going to get when he obviously chose the worst woman possible to be his wife. You are going to get it Sean knew.

But he did not know the situation.

Yet because he cared about Liz. Simply because she was a good person. As much as he wished that things might have worked out with them when they were younger. He gave her credit that she had stopped herself from doing anything that would come back to haunt them. Not that he liked it at the time.

Which is why he had to get out of town. I had to get out of this place he remembered. Even though he was grateful for Aunt Amy and even for Maria in giving him a place to stay for a few months. Not that he figured that his cousin would be that happy to have his appreciation because they had an oil and water relationship. We were always different people. But he was grateful to his aunt. And his cousin and wanted to come to town and go to the wedding.

And see a celebration within their family.

At the same time, he did have some slight hopes that things might be different with Liz, this time. Maybe this time was the time.

But only seconds told him that it would not be possible even though Evans was stupid to have given up on the best person in this world he thought when it was clear that Liz and Max were not together, and Max was taken.

But if he knew anything. He would know it was Liz who had walked away.

But Sean Deluca was partial towards Liz which is why he was here. Looking out for her interests.

And in this car.

And watching as Yvonne Evans sat and waited in dark and dirty parking garage, in the dead of night. Instead of heading home. Which is what he figured he would be finding when he saw the blonde stocking to her car and start driving.

So, on a lark, he had gotten in and started driving. And found himself to be here.

On the other side of the garage, but close enough to see Yvonne's car, as he waited.

Unsure of what he would find.

Is she planning on cheating on Evans? Sean asked. And if she was, then he would egg it on and not dissuade it because not that he was hoping that Liz would get with someone who was willing to cheat on his wife. But it meant there might be some hope that life would be easier. Which is why he had even had some thoughts if the blonde was heading home then maybe he would come on to the woman.

What do I know Sean thought. It might have led to some fun. But that was not to be, because of going home. She had driven to this garage.

Obviously, there was a lot he did not know.

He figured that was true. And it made him curious. Curious enough to hold out and keep an eye on a woman he did not trust. Because he knew she was up to something. Why come to a dark and dusty garage when she could be going home and prepare to get even with her husband?

Sean did not know.

Which is why he sat and waited for some fifteen minutes before a car came into the parking garage and parked next to Yvonne's car.

Nothing happened.

So, Sean was curious to know whether it was an unrelated action? Maybe she is planning something in that car? he wondered. Maybe it is something unrelated.

Maybe.

But doubtful, because just as he had that brainstorm. He saw some action. And therefore, he perked up. As he saw the doors open to the car, and he watched as Yvonne in her dress from the wedding.

And a dark hooded man got out of the car.

She is totally going to hit that one Sean wondered. She is trying to prove she has come far, but you always go back to your basic nature, right? he wondered. But then he had tried to come far in the last decade since when it was second nature to fall to his dark angels. And the devil on his shoulder and do something that would break his mother's heart and get him sent to juvenile hall. And then sentenced to stay with his Aunt while he proved to his mother, he was not going to fall over the cliff again.

And certainly, he had some close slips. But eventually he got it right.

And he was not going to go back over the cliff. Not after a decade of moving on and trying to get away from the guy he once was.

But he sensed Yvonne was playing a role. She wanted to show the world that she was someone different than who she truly was. And she was coming home to her true self tonight. And undertaking some purpose, and it did not take a genius to guess that it was not going to end up somewhere good for Evans or Liz.

If it were to become known.

So, he could have driven off and not cared in the slightest if Evans got something he probably deserved. But given that he was partial towards Liz.

He stayed.

And watched as the dark hoodie guy walked over to Yvonne, and they started to talk. Animatedly at some points, and quiet at others.

He was too far away to know what was being said.

I cannot read lips Sean thought. I don't have that talent. Even though occasionally over the years he had gotten a six sense on those things and could figure out what a lady or two was going to say when she was going to give him a slip. But nope, he did was too far away to know what was being said.

But instead of making a date to go to the nearest hotel. He saw an envelope being passed between Yvonne to the dark hooded man.

Shit Sean thought.

He had enough criminal instincts over the years to know that it could not be considered a good thing to see. Of course, it could be a payoff if she is trying to protect some information or something Sean reasoned because it was obvious to him that Max's wife was someone different than what she would have presented to Max, to get him to marry her, as he thought of the ways it could mean something to see Yvonne Evans pass over a fat envelope.

Which meant there was serious dough in the envelope.

He thought back to hearing that Evans was worth a bundle now. Because of his first wife. So, he had to wonder what the current Mrs. Evans was up too.

But it was only an envelope that was passed between the two, and it was clear it was not an illicit extra marital tryst, as the dark hoodie man said something. Took the envelope and got back in the car, and so did Yvonne and hightailed it out of the garage.

He waited a minute, before trailing the wife back to the marital home.

And she unlocked the front door, and went inside, and stayed inside.

Before Sean decided she was home for the night. So, he went back to his motel room. And did his research to understand what was going go down.

But he had no idea.

No one did.

But unfortunately, they would find out all too soon.

Or at least Max would.

With the ripple effects affecting everyone.

*

At the same time,

Back in the forbidden zone of hidden desires. And a tryst that was showing no signs of showing any regret, and eyes were being opened. And Max was not seeing the wounds to the life he was currently leading that were developing with rapid intensity or the ripple effects that his actions that he was undertaking in this room might have the power to take him down. All of that common sense was lacking and far from these proceedings. Because he was feeling like he was still in the dream land. Because all he could do was open his eyes and see that he was laying beside his dream girl.

Someone he had loved since even before he knew of the word love or what it felt like to be in love. Seeing a brown hair little girl on the playground and feeling compelled to be in her presence. But she was playing with her friends, and especially Maria at the time, and therefore they were not seeing each other than the other classmate that they were growing up, and heading to the next grade with...

Until it came time for high school, and they became partners in the same science biology class.

Yet, even then, they just sat and did their work.

Maybe saying a word or two if it was needed for the work they were doing together, to stay on the honour roll they both were on. But that was all it was, even as he was crushing hard and spending a considerable amount of time at the Crashdown and spending his disposable income on burgers, and milkshakes.

And forcing his best friend or sister to come with him on many of an occasion so not to be considered a stalker. Because he could not say a word to his dream girl.

But that all changed on September day back in 1999. On the cusp of a new millennium. Everything seemed so normal. But the day that ended would be anything but normal because it would bring them face to face. As he worked to save her life.

When a bullet flew into her and tore off the mask that he had been shielding from her, and from everyone else. And little by little brought them together, into a new world together, and they each saw each other differently.

And he had gotten a chance to know. The girl he had longed to know, and to love.

Even as the resulting relationship would have an expiration date. Still, his love for her always remained. And burst forth on this night, when he was doing something, he knew would have real ramifications to his current life. But he did not care, not in this moment.

Not when it felt so good to be with the woman he loved.

Because the past decade had shown that the love, he had led was a pretender’s life. Because there was only one woman for him.

There would never be anyone else who could touch the depths that Liz had.

Even if these hours were all they shared together. Because he knew they had to come back to reality.

But he was not forcing the issue. As his eyes opened and he saw the sexy back of the woman he loved, and he was tempted to touch it.

To feel her touch.

Her warmth.

The temptation was so great, and eventually it would break as he could not not do it as he touched her back, and felt it rush over her back. Thinking she was asleep. He took back his hand, his touch. But he heard a quiet, "Don't stop".

And he knew she was awake, and she moved to face him. "Max, don't stop" she said simply. Because she knew fully well that she should be ending this encounter. Getting up and heading home to her daughter. But just like Max was finding with Liz. Being with Max now that they had escalated things.

Only a little more than twenty-four hours back in each other's lives. After a decade away. But they had relapsed into an addiction for each other, that even though it might not be wise. Still, she could not help it.

They both could not help it. And she needed more of it.

She needed Max.

She did not care about the come down. The withdrawal. She needed Max. "Max..."

And they fell into each other's arms. As she got up on him, and they continued to come together in ways that they showed they could not quit each other.

*

Hours later,

It continued until it stopped. And they stepped out of the accompanying shower together, and despite their urge to fall back into bed. They quietly kissed and got dressed. The addiction was running its course for today at least. And the recovery time was starting. As reality was hitting them hard.

Neither could say what they wanted to say.

There were many things they wanted to say. But they knew it was not appropriate because of the circumstances. Neither knew what the fact that Max had spent the whole night in Liz's hotel room and had not even entered into his own might cause problems with his home life.

A home life he was only returning too because of two very important people.

His children.

Noah and Ella Evans.

Not the woman that had his ring on his finger. "Liz," Max was trying to think of what to say. But Liz stopped him by putting her fingers to his lips. And stood up for a small quick kiss, if you anything between them could be quick but this was indeed a simple kiss "You don't have to say anything. Neither of us will tell anyone. We will keep last night a secret if you want. No one has to know. Especially not Yvonne."

"I want to run and shout it and especially force it, into the face of my wife" Max said softly as they both wanted to wince at the utterance of the word, wife because it was proof to anyone other than them, their night the previous night was considered amoral. And something that was a sin.

Good thing I don't believe in God and did not get married within the church Max thought to himself, as if that was the only saving grace for this situation but it was not because he did not have any regrets. And wish he could throw it into the face of his wife, and he knew what kind of guy that made him. But it would set off a whole chain bomb if Yvonne knows.

Still, he had no regrets.

None.

Neither did Liz. The sex feels too good to think last night as a regret.

I know what kind of person that makes me too she thought.

"We are grown ups," Liz said softly. "We both own this decision."

Max nodded. "I will never regret it Liz," he said softly. "Because I love you."

Liz bristled at the mention of love. Not because I don’t feel it too, she sighed. But she knew their situation was way too complicated to be talking about love after a night they had shared together. "No talking about love, because that will make things even worse" Liz said softly. "We did what we did, and now you have to go back to your children. Your wife."

"I don't know if I can" Max said softly. "She's not the woman I married," he sighed as if that made things better in that the charade of his marriage was now exposed to him in the proof that Yvonne was not the person, he thought she was.

"You are not the man she married," Liz said softly.

"I never was who she wanted," Max said softly. "But then I only wanted you."

More and more she was coming back to reality. And so, she winced. Because she knew how dicey it was. "Okay Max, we are now going to get into trouble with this talk" Liz said softly because as much as she loved the talk. Yet it is a little bit much. "Go back to the kids. Go back to Yvonne. We will always have last night, but it does not have to be anything more than it was. Because I am not holding on to anything okay. I have no expectations," she said as she leaded in to kiss Max.

A kiss that was not so simple. When it was way too passionate for two people in the situation that they were in. And they both knew it. So, before he found himself falling back into bed with the woman he loved. Max had enough restraint to drag himself out of it, and Liz who had ended up in his arms, forced herself down from those steady and sexy arms "Go Max. Think of the kids."

"I am" Max said softly. It's the only thing that gets me out of this room he thought, because he knew he had the desire to drag her back behind the bedroom doors, because his addiction for her was growing intense.

Now that they were back in each other's orbits.

But he knew he had to drag himself away from her and therefore, he walked out of the hotel room. And sighing, she closed the doors and fell herself fall against them, as she did not know what was going to come next.

No one did.

As she walked back into the bedroom, and saw the messed-up sheets, and she sighed at the exploding flashes of their night, and their passion for each other. She wondered if she was making things worse for herself by relapsing into the addiction she had for Max. He makes me too weak.

But was she strong enough to move on?

Who knows.

And Max did not know either as he briefly walked into his hotel room, and picked up his overnight bag, and changed, so that was not apparent that he had been do what he was doing. Once done, he went down and paid the bill.

And walked out into the chilly day.

The blast of fresh air was a relief almost to him as it cooled him off, as he climbed into the car, and drove across town. And parked in the driveway of the home he shared with his children, and his wife.

And walked through the door. Just as Yvonne walked downstairs.

"Hello" was all they said at each other.

Neither talking about the accusations coming through their eyes of the previous twelve hours, or the fact Yvonne had a sinking suspicion of what her husband had been doing. And it was not simply because she had tried the hotel room in the middle of the night and gotten no answer. And she had pestered the people at the front desk, but they would not tell her if he was actually in the room.

They also did not talk about how Yvonne was not the woman he believed he was married.

Neither of them, were the people they were, going to the marriage. I am not a choir boy he muttered. He did not know if after last night that it made him a better person than his wife, after all I strayed.

So, what did that mean now?

Who the hell knows Max thought as he simply said hello to his wife. He did stop to kiss her, or anything that would be a normal hello between a husband and wife. Even after night like the night before. Instead, he took his bag up to the spare room in their house. The last thing we need to be doing is sleep in same room he thought.

When truthfully, they had not had marital relations in several years. And more often than not, he stayed in the spare room. So, he was not unfamiliar with it. Splashing water on his face, to force him to come back to his real reality. Not the fantasy that he wanted to be living. Max came downstairs and muttered as he spotted his wife. "I am going to pick the kids up," he said softly. “They spent the night at my parents,” he said.

“Obviously,” Yvonne to herself. They have not been here she sighed of her stepchildren. But she only nodded.

“You should not expect us back until later,” Max said simply.

"You don't have to work?" Yvonne muttered. Because if it was not the day shift. Max was often on the night shift.

“I am not on the schedule until Tuesday," was all Max said softly.

Frowning at the disclosure. "Nice of you to tell me" Yvonne muttered.

"I just did," Max said softly. "I am not forcing you to change whatever plans you have made Yvonne. We both have what we want to do, and I plan on spending the day with the children" he allowed. After I spent the night with the woman I love, he thought to himself as he could not forget that he was cheating on his wife. And not caring about it at all.

"Naturally," Yvonne muttered. They always get your time.

"It is what it is," Max said brusquely at the accusations that existed in his wife’s eyes. He knew only too well that Yvonne was annoyed by the time he often spent with his children and not with her… as he walked to the door, and out of the house and got back into his car and drove as fast as he could.

Back inside the house he shared with his wife and children. Practically spitting nails. Yvonne simply went upstairs and ripped through the bag he had just brought home, a bag she had found in the spare bedroom. But there was no proof inside that he had spent any time with his ex after she left the hotel. But still, she had suspicions. Because she could smell perfume on the clothes, but there was no proof. But still, she went to the phone and dialed a familiar number. "Plans have changed," she said into the phone. "He does not work until Tuesday," she said softly. "I did not ask for it to change. He only just told me his schedule" she said with a mutter. "Call me when it's over. Don't call me until it is, and if you do. Call that other number."

She slammed down the phone and left the house.

[totallizfan]

Yvonne has to go.
Hopefully what ever evil she has planned backfires.
Things will get really heated if Liz ends up pregnant.
Still waiting for Callie's story

[Superman86]

Just found that your back with this fic. As usual your writing is good. Can't wait to continue on this journey of Max and Liz and the gang. This Max and Liz is giving season 1 vibes but with some naughty coming of age mix. Look forward to seeing what Yvonne is up to, hope she gets stopped and about Callies full story.

[Parker1947]

Meanwhile,
The Crashdown,

The restaurant was bustling for a Sunday. Open since the early rush. And now it was getting into the lunch rush. And Callie Jean Parker was watching it all go down as her grandfather and even grandmother was rushing around the weekend crowd. She was behind the counter and observing. She liked the flow of restaurant. She liked the atmosphere. She found it funny that her grandparents operated an establishment focused on aliens. As if they are real the eight-year-old thought as she saw the laughter among the customers. She loved the uniforms, and the paint. It was original and different from what she had experienced anywhere else she would live with her mother.

She watched as her grandfather pitched in at the tables because his senior waitress was out sick. She saw him joking around with the customer he was serving. She did not fail to forget that her grandfather had never finished the conversation with her hours before, when she had finally spoke the unspoken truth.

Even as she did not know the whole truth.

By some uncanny twist. Her grandmother had woken up and overheard their attempted conversation and swooped her off to bed and she was forced to go to sleep. Which is what she did. She found it much easier to sleep. And the apartment had gone dark soon after. An easy out for the adults she supposed. She knew that by opening up to her grandfather, it might mean she might have to have the conversation that was long in coming with her mother.

She did not know if she wanted to have that conversation. Because it was easy with her grandfather.

But more difficult with the woman who had given her single life to become a mother to a child that she did not have to take into her home. But she had because it was the easy answer to the sticky question. But Callie Jean did not know it. She only knew what was easy to see on her birth certificate.

That listed two other people as her birth parents.

Who were now dead.

And neither was a Parker. Or maybe one was, but Callie did not know the grittiness of the situation. She only knew her mother gave her a home. When she did not have too. So, she was figuring the difficult conversation was coming. Whether she wanted it or not.

So, she spent the morning watching her grandparents in the rush of the restaurant. And forgetting the darkness of her family, and truths that were so easy to hide. As the door opened and the bride and groom from the day before came in.

"Aunt Maria?" Callie asked as she came running at Maria and Michael.

Callie was happy to the newlyweds. Because she loved her Maria. Even though she might not have been able to see her much because of the lives she was leading with her mother. And with the business her in Roswell, Maria could only come so often and visit. Maria and Liz had gone in different circles. But they had kept their sister bond. But it meant that the life Callie had was very different from the one that existed back here in Roswell.

The eight-year-old did not know if they would be going back to that other life.

Maybe.

Or maybe not. Whatever that was to happen. Callie hoped that it did not have to happen anytime soon. Because she was having a great time in Roswell. She suspected there was so much to experience.

Because there was so much to see. Which included her godmother. Because she knew of the plans for today was a meet up for lunch. "You are finally here."

"We got a late start," Maria said with a laugh at her now husband.

Michael laughed.

After all, Maria Deluca was now Maria Guerin, and she loved the sound of it. And even though she would always be a Deluca in her heart, but her life has always been with Michael for more than a decade, and sure they had many good times, but finally they had gotten to a new level.

And a new level of their commitment to each other and she could not wait to experience the future.

Smiling at Callie. But she could not help but look around for her best friend. When she did not see her, she turned her glaze at the eight-year-old. "Where is your mother?" she wondered. “Is she upstairs in the apartment?”

"Who knows," Callie said with an air of dismissive that amused the adults. "I stayed with Grandpa and Grandma last night. Because Mommy stayed at the hotel."

Oh, she did Maria thought as she exchanged a knowing glance with her new husband. Michael only shook his head at the glint in his wife’s eyes and walked off. Because he knew it would make Maria speculate. Even though the child had not been there when she had said goodnight to her best friend. She did not know plan was for Callie not to stay at the hotel. Especially given she knew the dynamics that existed within the Parker family at the moment. So, the newlywed figured that it was a last-minute decision because of circumstances. A circumstance named Max Evans she amusingly mused to herself. Because it was useless to try to ask anything more adult to an eight-year-old.

As the door opened once more, and a very tired Liz walked in.

Maria burst out laughing. Oh, she got some the newlywed correctly assumed of her best friend. Because she knew her best friend's previous life. A life that had made way too celibate. Basically, a borne again virgin. And it was not because her friend had found religion. Nope, it was because she had walked away from the love of her life and given up all men.

But Max Evans was likely too great a temptation not to fall into the past once more.

Because Maria knew from experience. Once you had an alien, ordinary men will not hold a candle to them. And if you happen to have sex with one...

Well, any chance of a different kind of life would be over…

And certainly, Liz has seen that over the last decade.

"Be careful Maria," her new husband warned as he rejoined his wife. Simply because he knew what Maria wanted to be asking… "Ears” he murmured as he references the child looking up at them.

"Oh, I know," Maria simply said as knew Callie was listening, as they walked to the door to greet a friend. I am not stupid you know she smiled at herself as her friend joined them. "So, what did you do last night?"

Or who did you do was the subtle question between the two women.

"Drop it Maria," Liz said softly and simply because she spotted her daughter. She might not have any regrets regarding her actions. Yet still, she knew she was in the gossip central of their town. Because what was often heard in the restaurant often went around town at a speed unlike anything they had experience anywhere else.

So, you have to be careful.

"Tell me everything" Maria said simply. "How is Max this morning?" she said softly, below what could be heard by ordinary ears.

"I would not know," Liz said for the sake of those who might be around them. "Leave it alone Maria."

Maria could only laugh. "You are one in a million Petunia," she said softly. But she was willing to leave it alone, for right now she allowed because she knew there was ears in this restaurant. And they did not belong to simply an eight-year-old. But they belonged to others, who were more prone to spread the gossip of the previous night.

Which is why she and Michael had kept their wedding to an intimate gathering.

Not that they knew that many people. But you had to set limits.

Even as her best friend was blasting through them.

And Maria was loving every moment of it, and she was sort of proud. And in spite of the situation. She was cheering it on. I never knew Parker had it in her, to go there.

Because the Liz Parker she knew as a teenager, would never go there with a married man. Even if were Max she smiled. So, even though Maria knew she should be cautioning her friend from going there with Max given how explosive the situation had the capacity to get. Because being a resident, Maria was all too aware of the whole situation.

Still, Liz needs to be naughty sometimes Maria thought.

And it was not like Maria was a fan of Yvonne. So, she was not going to be upset even if at the same time, she knew Yvonne was not the type of person to take being wronged lightly. Everyone is trying to convince me she knew. And they are right.

We should be careful with Yvonne.

But it’s Max and Liz.

And they need some happiness Maria thought. Because she saw the level of unhappiness that Max was under.

So, she was thrilled at this turn in events.

But across the restaurant, Jeff had seen his daughter arriving. Sighing at how dishevelled his daughter seemed to be... which has to mean something, but he was willing to go back to his oblivious state about his daughter’s private life right, it’s her private life and she is not a teenager anymore, so he finished with a customer and walked towards his daughter. "Hello Lizzie."

"How are you, Dad?" Liz said softly. "Thank you for taking Callie for me."

"She was no trouble," Jeff said softly. Mostly he would think as they spotted who had gone off into the kitchen to observe. "I know you have just arrived. But we do have to talk about her. So, after you have some food. We should find some time..."

Oh god, now what "About what?" Liz asked. After all, she could not think of what it could be about. She knew that she was too old for her father to have an opinion on her love life. Not that he would not love to try But this time, it did seem to be about Callie and not her decision to risk everything she had built these past ten years on an illicit moment of passion with her former fiancé.

Someone who was very married.

Don't I know it.

She knew it.

Which is why she walked away when she did. Instead of spending the day in bed with the love of her life. She walked away. She might have her responsibilities with her daughter, but she had known Callie was safe and sound and probably should be spending more time with her grandfather anyways, given the circumstances of the past. But Liz knew the giant hornet’s nest that existed there. Which is why she had become a mother in a first place, even though she had not given birth to do it.

She had given a homeless baby a home.

And became a mother.

While Max had become a father because he had moved on, because she had told him too. Because she had not come back to Roswell. Even though every urge had told her too at the time. But she needed to work on herself. She needed to see who she was. Be the person she was meant to be.

She knew she had accomplished so much in her life. Yet she did not know the person right now. She did not know who she was. Which person she should be.

Which is why she probably had done what she had with Max. Because it was about seeing who she was. She had known the old Liz Parker of Roswell, New Mexico was too much of a straight arrow to sleep with a married man even though he was mine first.

I was the one he loved first. So, should that mean something and get me out of trouble, but she knew she was only asking for it. She did not blame if the heavens banned her or something. She had done enough in her life to ask for that ban but also had done so much good.

She did not if the good and bad evened out or not.

She looked at the small child she had taken into her home, and she felt guilty for falling for her basic urges. She should be better than this. She knew her father was accessing her. And probably guessed that she was up to her old tricks with Max.

She knew her father had his opinion on her past with her former boyfriend.

But he was able to say something when she was seventeen and getting caught robbing a convenience store. But now, he did not have a lot of ground that she had just slept with her married ex-boyfriend. And she did not have any regrets.

It is not like I am a good friend with Yvonne she smiled at herself. Yeah, that is some rationalization, but I will take it.

I don’t know what kind of person she is.

But if Max is unhappy?

"What is it about Dad?" Liz asked, trying to get back to reality, and her responsibilities in this life.

"Nothing serious," Jeff muttered. Even if it is important, he thought because he had no idea what his daughter might have spoken to Callie about in regard to her heritage, and how she started out in this world. "Why don’t you have your brunch with Maria and Michael, and we can talk when you are done?"

"Are you sure?" Liz asked.

"I am sure," Jeff said softly. "You want to see you friends. And by the way, I did not get a chance to say it last night but Congratulations Maria. I hope you and Michael will be very happy."

"Thank you, Jeff," Maria smiled. It was still weird for her to use her best friend's father's name, because she did not feel like she was any older than she was a decade ago. When she was Liz's friend. And Jeff was her boss. "We do appreciate how much you and Nancy did last night with the catering. Everyone loved the food."

"My pleasure," Jeff smiled. "You are family," he sighed. Because it still amazed him that he had known Maria as a small child. And now she is a confident woman. A business owner to boot he sighed. Time flies as he looked at both women and sighed at how small they once were, and who they were now. "I will let you two have time to talk because I know you two did not get much of a chance before the wedding as he pointedly spoke the words to his daughter.”

A dart that landed on Liz. Because she knew fully well how she had not brought Callie back. She had forced her father and mother to come visit her, and it always seemed so easy to do so. But I should have come back here she knew. Maybe it would not have gotten to this point if I did, she thought.

But if she had been back only twenty-four hours and she and Max had found themselves in bed. Who knows what would have come before if she had come back and he still would have been married. And happier than he currently was. Who knows what could have been prevented, but also the destruction that could have been brought forward.

"You don't have to say it Dad, yes, I know, I should have visited more." Liz muttered.

"I was not saying that because I know why you could not come back before now," Jeff muttered himself because he was always a little more relieved that she had not come back because he knew only too well the bond that his daughter shared with her former boyfriend. Being away prevented a lot of pain he would know. "You were where you were meant to be. Your mother and I still got to visit. And you were able to accomplish great things while being away from this town. But we are happy that you could come home again." he said softly. "Even if it for a short time."

"Are you looking to get rid of me?" Liz teased because she knew it was a joke. Maybe not so much. "Already?"

"Of course, not Lizzie," Jeff Parker smiled. "You and Callie are welcome to stay as long as you like. But I know how busy you are."

"Yes, I am" Liz agreed. "But she did not know if she wanted the life she was leading before. Because she knew the life, she was leading had been something that she did not like leading. She wanted a different life. She wanted to feel more whole. She also knew that something snapped in her, once she was with Max.

She did not know if she could bring herself back together, to figure out who she was...

"Anyways, I will let the two of you talk" Jeff smiled. "Let the kitchen know when you are ready, because they are prepared."

"We will" Maria said as Jeff walked away. "So..."

"Don't say it Maria," Liz warned.

"I am not going to say anything," Maria teased. "At least not here," she smiled.

"I appreciate it," Liz sighed a sense of relief. "So, how has married life been?"

It has only been less than a day Maria smiled but she was a bundle of happiness. "Petunia, it is amazing," she said as they walked to a booth, and swung into their sides. As they looked over at Michael who was making answering a phone call. "You should try it."

"I don't think so" Liz muttered. Hell no, am I getting married.

Unspoken was the thinking, not if I cannot be married to Max she moaned because she knew she had the chance, and she had given it up.

"Girlfriend, the sex is amazing" Maria smiled. As if she did not know what her friend was thinking, but she was so happy to get brought down from her glow. As she looked around and saw the people surrounding them. "Of course, you know it is, with who they are" she said in code because only few knew the truth about who Max, Michael and Isabel truly were. And Liz had to smile. "But it's another level altogether..." she said softly to a further smile from her best friend. "So, yeah, you should try it."

"I don't think that is meant to be...." Liz sighed, because she knew sex with an alien was downright amazing. It is extremely passionate, but she also knew you don't have to have a ring on your finger to feel the depths of the connection. "I gave up my chance."

"Oh, Petunia" Maria sighed.

"I am fine with it, Maria," Liz said softly. "I have made my peace."

Yeah, right.

"Have you?" Maria asked because she doubted it, but she could not press her friend on her late-night antics because she spotted her new husband approaching, and because of the environment they were in. "Hey, Space boy" she said with a smile. "We were just talking about you."

"I am sure you were," Michael said with a knowing glance at both his wife, and Liz.

As any talk of the benefits of alien sex was stopped with Michael's arrival, then Callie, and moments later, the waitress arrived to take their order. And they were onto other topics.

*

Meanwhile,
The home of Phillip and Diane Evans,

"Are you sure son that you want to be doing this?" Phillip Evans was asking as sat with his son in his home office. A place he spent a lot more time than his actual office, as he was spending more time at home. But he still went into the office a couple of days of week. But this was the weekend, and because he was a corporate attorney. One of the benefits always was that he had the weekends off, most of the time unless he had to go out of town.

Or deal with a case.

But those business trips had tapered off as he had gotten older. And did not want to deal with the travelling, even as he and Diane dealt with the empty nest situation at home. He was spending more time with his wife. As they did things together, but there were times when a little separation was good for them, and their marriage. But he just usually barricaded himself in the home office. When he did not go into the office.

After all, he was back to being a single small-town lawyer.

With the loss of Jesse Ramirez. First to a bigger firm in Boston, and then the loss of him as family with the eventual divorce from his daughter. He did not want to take someone new in, so he kept most of his business to town business.

And there was always a need for a good corporate attorney.

He never had done any criminal work, except for a very brief time because of his son's determination to become an outlaw, but that is another story he thought of the time where his son was a mystery to his wife and himself. We did not get it he thought. At the time.
Now we do Phillip thought.

Because time would change things. As he thought of how his son was a different person than who he was as a teenager.

Max was a different person now.

Yet he appeared to be someone entirely different today than he was yesterday. As he settled into doing some family law.

Some personal family law...

And just what it meant Phillip did not know as he watched as his son saw before his desk. And he looked down at his notes.

"I have to do something Dad," Max muttered as he sat in front of his father desk, acting as if he was client than a son. But on this occasion, their discussion was not purely family but had moved into his father professional realm. Even though he did wanted to be here. Doing this. Which is why he had withstood the last six years, when the woman he married had turned from the sunny and compassionate woman he had met to the distrustful and suspicious shrew she had become in recent months, years. "It has been a long time coming."

"You know she is going to fight it" Phillip asked as he thought of his daughter-in-law. And those thoughts told her that she was definitely going to fight what my son has in mind he would think as he glanced at the unhappy state of his son.

"She is going to fight the prenuptial," Max said realistically. "I should have seen it all along. She was looking at me for the money that I got from Edie's death and even before that, due to my deal with the government,” he thought of the initial bundle of money he would receive. “I don't think she cares if we stay married, but she cares about money she might get out if she can get the prenuptial thrown out."

We all saw that coming, Phillip muttered. Which is why he had been the one who was insistent on the subject of a prenuptial agreement between his son and his chosen bride. I had to protect my son, and my grandchildren.

I am not sitting on a fortune Max muttered. It is all taken care of he thought of his personal wealth which is almost entirely focused on his salary from his job. Anything else that comes from any inheritance is spent on a needed basis, for the kids.

Edie's kids.

I never married Edie for her money Max thought of his first wife. I had my own nest egg he thought of his late wife. Someone who he missed for the compassionate person she always was. But now he knew, he had been crying out for companionship because he missed Liz.

It was always a poor substitute.

But he did care for Edie. Because she had been a good woman. Someone special.

Who was taken too soon.

But she was never Liz, Max thought. "I know that you and Mom have wanted me to do this a long time ago?"

"We only ever wanted you to be happy," Phillip sighed.

"I know you have," Max allowed. "And I am trying to do that now," he sighed. I want to be happy again he murmured. I want to live for more than my children he sighed as glimpses of the woman of his dreams came floating through his mind once more, and he had known he had captured something the previous night. And I want that again. "Yvonne is not the woman I want to be with..." she said. “It’s become very clear to me.”

As if it was not already apparent Max knew, but he had been able to hold off his unhappiness because he did not want to deal with it.

But he could not do it any longer. No matter where this goes now, he thought. I have to deal with this…

Who do you want to be with? Phillip was thinking but he also knew the answer and knew better than to ask his son. "Son..."

"Don't, Dad, okay" Max sighed. Because he did not want to involve Liz in this mess.

"Your life is your life. The same with your sister," Phillip said of his daughter. "You two are adults now. We don't have a say, but your mother and I want you to be happy. But I do have to say that if you are intending to divorce your wife. Then you should be careful with whatever you do from here on out, until you have signed papers, or a divorce decree signed off by a judge. Because Yvonne is going to fight it long enough to try to get the prenuptial overturned,” he warned. “Which means that she will look for any way to do so.”

"So, if she can prove something?" Max asked as he did not come and say it, infidelity.

"Neither of you asked for the word or grounds to be put in your prenuptial," Phillip allowed without getting into his son's admittance of it. A man's marriage is his own. "So, any act committed by you, or by Yvonne is not automatic grounds for it to be thrown out. But she could get a sympathetic judge who sees from her point of view that you are asking to leave your marriage only after you become involved with someone else. And that person comes from your past. Therefore, your wife might be entitled to a bigger settlement than what is laid out in your prenuptial," he said softly. "For pain and suffering."

Hell Max thought. Any pain and suffering would be with me, he muttered yeah, I know I am being too much "I don't want Liz dragged through the mud."

"Then you need to be careful." Phillip allowed. "If you cannot stay away from this person," he said simply, as he was choosing to ignore that his son admitted the name. I know nothing he thought because by now he had many of his son's secrets that he could not acknowledge. "Be discreet."

Max nodded.

"She might not be able to prove anything before now, but if you do slip up, she will have grounds. And you will have to pay out a hell of a lot more than what is in the prenuptial," he said softly and watched as his son realize the scope of what he was asking. "So, I have to ask, are you are sure that you want to open this can of worms?" Phillip asked. "Because the last thing you should be is in a rotten marriage. And I am not endorsing that. But you have to know that Yvonne is not Liz, nor is she Edie," he said of the daughter-in-law he had. And the one he wished they had. "She is going to cause trouble. So, you will have to be sure you want to open this up for you and the kids, when there could be considerable fallout. So, I have to ask again, are you sure?"

"The kids are why I am doing this" Max muttered. "Because, this is not about my personal happiness," he said. "Because I have been unhappy for a long time now, so I have gotten quite used to it. And it might be better for the situation if we don't, and we do our own thing. But this is about the kids. Because I cannot have them living in a house with two warring people, who hate each other, and are waiting out, my eventual death, so she can get money out of my dead body. So, this is not about me. Dad, I have to do this for the kids."

"Speaking of the kids," Phillip murmured.

They deserve to be in a happy house Max murmured to himself. I plan to do that from now on. Regardless of where my personal life goes. "They don't have to see her, do they?" Max asked. "She doesn't have to have a role in their lives?"

"No, you are their only legal parent. If you divorce. They stay with you, because Yvonne never made any attempts to be considered a parent" Phillip acknowledged. "Any custody arrangement is purely to be decided by you. So, you don't have to worry on that front."

Thank god he muttered. Not that he really thought that Yvonne would want some kind of custody arrangement. But he was well aware that his current wife had been part of the kids' lives since they were toddlers. So, it might be hard to walk away from them, and both eventually will come with a hefty trust fund.

Holy hell he muttered again as he hated having to think of that. But Yvonne has made it clear she only sees money signs. Which made him have to rethink a lot in his life. "Speaking of my eventual demise. If something were to happen to me?" Max asked.

"Son, are you worried?" Phillip asked, slightly concerned.

Quick to reassure his father. Because it’s the last thing I need is for either of my parents to worry about my health. Which is something they have not had to do since they adopted me, he sighed, "No, I am not" Max said. I am lucky to still be living when you think about it, he sighed. Because I should be dead. "But I am getting older, and with the kids now, it safer to plan than to worry about the future yet do nothing about it. So, I do think I need to make some changes to the will that I had you draft up for me."

It is always better to be safer than sorry Phillip knew. "You and Edie had them drafted after the twins were born?" Phillip asked as he bent to his personal drawer at the bottom of his desk drawer, and entered the code, and brought out the will and testament assigned to his son. His daughter had her own, in another file. Apparently close calls when they were younger made want to have something on paper, not that they really ever told Diane or me of those close calls he muttered to himself of the secrets his children had kept from his wife and himself. "Although you made slight changes after you married Yvonne," he said as he flipped through the document as he familiarized himself with it once more.

"Yes, before she became sick" Max sighed of the decision that he and his first wife made once they became parents, to get something down on paper so they could protect their children. Especially since Edie had financial reasons to be wanting something official. Max had decided to have one done too, because as he had told his father, close calls when I was younger, he sighed, not that I have a tremendous amount of assets to protect for the kids, but maybe by the time I am officially declared to be dead, or ash for that matter, I will be worth something but now knowing that he was wishing to make some changes to his marital status. "But if I am going to be single, I am going to have to make changes. Because if anything were to happen before the divorce is final, because as you have indicated. It might become drawn out if Yvonne is going to fight about the prenuptial,” he sighed. “I am not going to pay more than what she deserves.” he muttered. “The prenuptial is already substantial enough” he mused, regretting that he had put the amount he had in the document. “Obviously, if she is looking for an increased payout. She is not going to give me a clean and easy out. So, unfortunately, it could be drawn out. And if I don't make the changes now, and we do eventually have our divorce finalized. She might still be entitled to something?"

"Whatever is in your will at the time of your death goes," Phillip agreed. "Unless there is a fight, But you can try to prevent it with legal language." Although it might not detour Yvonne, he thought of his daughter-in-law…

"Then I have ideas of some changes to make," Max muttered as he and his father batted back and forth the changes Phillip was to make, along with a petition of divorce he was planning to serve his wife.

"Currently, you have your sister as the twin's guardians, do you want to change that?" Phillip asked. "You know your mother and I could help out?"

"The thinking this would play out after you and Mom have unfortunately passed on," Max said softly with a frown because of the day he was not looking forward too because he already had to promise that if something were to his parents, that he would not do anything to prolong any potential suffering for his parents.

He had agreed.

Unfortunately, but regardless, one day it would happen. "And before the twins are old enough to care for themselves or before their trust funds kick in?"

Phillip nodded. "So, these changes?"

"Here's what I was thinking," Max was saying, unaware that there was slight opening in the door of Phillip's office.

And they unaware that there were ears listening.

*

Meanwhile,
Currently, and before...

There were ears listening, alright. Eventually three pairs of them. But it had not started out that way. Because initially Noah Michael Evans had been one to be suspicious of the need of his father to immediately go in to see his grandfather upon arriving at the house. The younger of the Evans twins saw the amusement on the face of his aunt and the glare between his father and his sister. And therefore, he knew something was up.

And because Noah Michael was always the more mischievous of the twosome. Clearly, he had inherited his father's need for adventure.

Although Max would not say he had that need for adventure. He was usually a lot calmer and even keel. But there were those moments, and he could not help himself, and Noah had inherited that need. Although his older sister, by three minutes also could give her brother a run for his money in that regard. But Noah could be described as wilder.

Which might be a cause for concern when he was older.

But for now, he was only eight, and it was harmless.

And after his aunt went to talk with his grandmother, and his sister Ella had gone up to her bedroom that they had when they stayed at their grandparents. He had set off and found himself a comfy spot to listen.

And boy did he find the conversation illuminating. Even if the almost nine-year-old would not be able to understand the stakes of it, and the grown-up talk. Because he tended to think of himself older than he truly was.

"What's you doing" came the voice of his slightly older sister. As he turned and spotted Ella. "You know Dad hates you eavesdropping."

"What he doesn't know, won't hurt him" Noah smiled. How can you not want to catch up on the gossip in our family? he would often tell himself, and his sister when she had previously asked. "You want to join in?"

So, Ella did as she often did. Join in. As she quickly realized what they were listening to. The state of their father's marriage. Of course, being as young as they were. Neither of them knew the nitty gritty of the unhappiness that existed in their father's life, and the reasons for it. But they knew enough to know that their father and Yvonne were not happy.

Especially Yvonne.

Certainly, Ella had gotten that message at the wedding. And of course, she had been amused by the notion that her stepmother was jealous of someone else. Being slightly older, she got a little more than her brother did. Three minutes can mean a lot she smiled. She got that her father was goo goo eyes at Ms. Parker.

She did not feel comfortable calling her by her name. Not yet. But she had inherited enough from her father's side of the family to get a sixth sense about people. So, she saw how unhappy her father was with her stepmother.

And her stepmother was not the happiest woman.

But she never was, Ella thought to herself. She and Noah saw it more than their father did at times. Although she was never cruel to them. She was never a wicked stepmother she thought. But she was never what she showed when our Dad was around either.

She got that their father was talking about divorce with their grandfather. Grandpa can help she smiled at the though that maybe soon they would not have to deal with their stepmother anymore...

"Okay, what are the two of you doing?" came an older voice. And they turned and spotted their aunt.

"We were curious," Noah said in their defence. "We wanted to know."

"I bet you did," Isabel Evans smiled at her niece and nephew. Fraternal twins by the nature of their birth gender, and because of their behaviour. They look nothing alike except for their moments of twins speak. Because Noah looked like a miniature Max. And Ella looked like her namesake. Except if you knew her birth mother than you would know that Ella looked exactly like her mother, Edie and not Isabel.

She got the kids wanted to be mischievous. They are only young once she thought with a smile. At the same time, she also felt a pang at the thought of the fact that she was not a mother. She was already divorced once and was a long-term friend with benefits with Kyle. She always imagined if she was still on this planet, that she would be a mother by now. But she was not, and she was keeping to a low serious relationship with Kyle. Neither of them had made it anything more than what it was.

Although she knew Kyle wanted it to be more serious. And that he also wanted to have children.

She did not know what her hang up was.

Maybe because she had run into a commitment with Jesse too fast, and now I am fearful of making the same mistake she sighed even though she and Kyle had been genuine friends for more than a decade and have been intimate for many years. So, it was not the same thing as she had found with Jesse.

Jesse did not get me.

Kyle gets me.

But it doesn't mean I want it to be something more than it is, Isabel thought. Or did it?

But in the meantime, she loved her niece and nephew. And she spoiled them. And because she was naturally curious about her brother. I am always poking my head into his life and she after all, had a special talent for it.

Even though she tried to restrain herself from using it against her brother, or his family. How I would have loved to have used it more regularly that sister-in-law of mine she muttered. But given Yvonne remained in the dark, I had to restrain myself she muttered.

Because her talents were a little more invasive to just checking in on those, she worried about… “Okay, you two, lets get you going” she muttered. “You don’t want your father to discover that you have been listening in on his private conversations?”

“You mean, you don’t want him to know you were?” Ella asked. “We are kids, we have more leeway.”

Smart ass Isabel smiled. You are right, but I am not going to say it. “Both things can be true, and wrong at the same time. Let’s go. Leave your father and granddad in peace,” she muttered as she carolled the children from the door.

Max and Phillip were too into their talk to hear the commotion.

“You think Dad and Yvonne are really going to get a divorce?” Noah asked of his aunt.

“It looks like it is a possibility, so, yes” Isabel murmured. Sure, she might be celebrating it deep inside her. But she had to deal with the fact these were only children. They are tender minds. So, she had to be circumspect about it. “Although I have not talked to your father about it. It will be your father who makes any decision on the fate of his marriage to your stepmother. I am sure he will come to us when he knows more. So, what do you two think about it, if he were to end things with your stepmother? Because she has been in your life a long time…” she sighed because the only redeeming quality of her sister-in-law was that she was somewhat decent with her niece and nephew. Many things could be said about Yvonne, but she had been good to the kids.

Sure, she might have been looking at what she could get out of the marriage and being good to Noah and Ella was the one thing that would keep things going because Max does love his children, Isabel sighed. As they are the only good things to come from his post Liz life she sighed.

Not that she had been a fan of Liz Parker. But he did love her…

But Liz had left Isabel so that was a strike. But Liz was a good person at the end of the day she sighed. I am not sure Yvonne can say the same thing.

“I guess it would be okay,” Ella murmured. “Because Daddy is unhappy all the time.”

Yes, he is Isabel knew. “Noah?”

“Yvonne is nice sometimes,” Noah mused. “But she can be mean to Dad too,” he allowed. “So, it’s not such a loss, I guess.”

“Is she mean to you two?” Isabel asked. It is not something we have asked before she sighed as she thought of what she had witnessed between Yvonne and her young stepchildren.

“No,” Noah shook his head.

“Ella?” Isabel asked. Because she knew Noah tended to sometime say things were better than they were. Much like my brother she sighed. Ella seemed to be more of a straight shooter. And she will tell it like it is. “Do you have the same opinion as your brother?”

Ella was quiet. So, Isabel did not know if her niece was going to answer or not. She is too scared to be mean to us Ella smiled at herself as she thought of the question her aunt had asked. She was three minutes older than Noah and often told herself that she was more worldly. Whether that was true or not, she said what was on her mind. She did not care about what it meant, and it shows Isabel thought of her nice. She did not know where the girl got it. Max was more introspective she thought. Which described her nephew to a tee. Ella is different she thought.

She knew that could pose its own set of problems when she was a teenager.

But like Noah’s penchant to lean towards being wild. Everything was tame for the moment.

But it would be something they would have to watch as they got older.

“Ella?” Isabel wondered.

“Yvonne has been okay with us” Ella smiled. “She knows that Daddy loves us, and therefore it would cause a problem with Daddy if she was not okay with us,” she said softly. Because she was not going to be get into the fact that she and Noah made sure they were protected from Yvonne wrath, being Daddy’s kids, we know we are special…

On many fronts she thought. Even though Max had not sat them down yet and had the talk with them.

The other talk.

One that comes with being the next generation. Given that they were the only next generation born so far within their group. Everything was a learning curve, and Max could only do so much, so far, because having people in the dark in the same house. Only so much could be said. And Max did not know exactly how special his children were. Because he knew from personal experience, that any knowledge of his own quirks had come later.

But his situation was different from his children.

Because he had not been born on this planet. I came later he sighed.

Ella and Noah were different. And he had not come to terms with it yet. So, it was not apparent yet to the Evans family that maybe they should have the other talk with the children so as Ella and Noah were coming into their abilities. They knew enough keep things to a minimum but still, he found it was easy to deploy some of them.

To keep their stepmother off their backs.

The way Ella was smirking made Isabel wonder. “Ella?” she asked. She had to wonder if she had to worry.

“Seriously Aunt Isabel, you don’t have to worry” Ella smiled. “All is fine on that front. We would say something if Yvonne was an evil witch to us,” she smiled. “Yvonne leaves us alone,” she said. “We would be sad of course if something did happen with her and Daddy, but we want Daddy to be happy. And it’s obvious, he’s not happy right now.”

“Okay, if you are sure” Isabel asked. And no, he’s not happy she sighed.

“We are sure,” both twins piped up. “You don’t have to worry about us.”

We shall see about that Isabel muttered. “At the end of the day, this a grown-up discussion to be had between your father and stepmother. So, we should leave it to them, to work it out among themselves,” she said. “They will figure something out.”

Hopefully they all thought. But Ella had her doubts, with talk of her stepmother wanting more money from her father. She had a bad feeling about it. Something is going to happen, and we are not going to be happy about it she sighed as she remembered her more recent nightmares that had her and Noah crying.

And Liz Parker despondent Ella thought.

Sometimes I hate my abilities she muttered. She had not wanted to talk about it because I would mean she and Noah would have to have that talk so it was easier to keep the adults in the dark about what they might have to worry about with the twins.

She did not want to have to think about whether they had to worry about their father. “Do you think Daddy will be happy if Yvonne goes?” she asked, as she walked off with her aunt. Away from the area of the office.

“Hopefully,” Isabel muttered, without thinking.

Well, okay the eight-year-old could not help but think. “But would Daddy’s friend, Liz Parker make him happy?” Ella asked, as she tried to get away from the negative fears rattling her brain.

Oh, Ella Isabel smiled at the inquisitive nature of her niece, when a dog is after a bone? “Maybe you should leave that to your father to figure out,” she muttered even though she had to wonder about the answer to the question. She did not know what the answer was, because Max and Liz had not been able to make it work before, and her brother had been broken hearted once before, when she failed to come back to Roswell she muttered.

So, she did not know the answer.

*

Neither did either of them. As Max left his father’s home office moments after Isabel had taken his children from the scene, with the promise from Phillip to draw up the documents and Max agreed to come by as soon as they were, to sign them. Walking out into the living room and encountering the rest of his family. He would not have known that his sister and children knew what was going on.

Because everyone was playing the oblivious game, playing as if everything was alright but for the children. They had a kids wonder to life, and so little made them happy, and Max spent the rest of the afternoon at his parent’s home. Leaving with the children right before dinner, denying his mother wish for them to stay for dinner.

Max only said he wanted to take the kids out for dinner. He figured that he needed to spend some time with them, so that he did not think of other things, or other people he thought. Sexy as she is he thought. Now that he had made some sort of decision about his marriage. I need to be careful he muttered. Dad is right. So, dinner with his kids was the answer.

Which is something Ella and Noah gladly accepted.

Leaving the house, and Diane shortly walked into the office held by her husband in the house. Unable to get a sense from her son, and sensing Isabel knew something but was tight lipped when she left herself after Max and the kids departed the scene, because of her own plans with Kyle. “What is going on with Max?” she immediately asked.

“Max is fine Diane,” Phillip sighed.

“I don’t believe you,” Diane muttered. “You certainly spent a lot of time in here before,” she muttered. “It was pretty suspicious, so what is going on?” she asked because she knew something definitely was going on with their son. Max rarely spends so much time here in the office. “The kids, and Isabel certainly noticed,” she muttered. “So, did I.”

Phillip knew Diane had a right to be concerned. She will always be concerned about Max he knew. Because their son tended to keep things to himself, unlike their daughter who could be more upfront. Max tends to keep everything inward, and Isabel will tell you how she is feeling “Everything will be fine Diane,” Phillip muttered. “We just had some matters to talk over.”

“What matters?” Diane asked.

“Legal matters,” was all Phillip was willing to say. “I was talking to him as a lawyer Diane, simple as that. When our son wants you to know what is going on, then he will let you know. I happen to be his lawyer, which is why he came to me” he murmured, “It is not all that complicated. So, you don’t have to worry.”

“I do worry” Diane sighed. “Our son has great capacity to hold things in, and I know something is up with him. Because it has been obvious for days now, even months” she sighed. “Is it because Liz Parker is back in town?” she wondered. Because she had seen the display between their son and his former girlfriend, because she and her husband had not been aware of the short engagement between the two. Because things had ended so quickly once they were back in town, it had caused whiplash for the parents.

It had not been a good time for their son, to come back to town and figure out how to move on without his girlfriend. And as a result, he would run into two unwise marriages she muttered even though I did like Edie she muttered. After all, she was the daughter of a good friend.
Because she had been friends with Edie’s stepmother. And that was how their kids had met. Things looked positive for their children, until the end came too quickly.

Barbara and Ken Franklin moved to East Coast to get away from the grief of losing Edie she thought. Because Ken had lost his first wife very early on, and then his daughter, and he could not stay in Roswell any longer.

Even though they had grandchildren. She knew Max was talking about the taking the kids out East for a visit.

She could not help but wonder if Liz’s return to town the reason for the sudden changes in their son’s life was.

“Are things over with Yvonne?” Diane asked.

“No,” was all Phillip said. Technically that is true he allowed. Nothing has been served yet. “Let Max come to us when it’s time for him to say something. It’s better if we keep what we know to our selves. Because the situation is truly unpredictable.”

“She’s going to fight it, isn’t she?” Diane asked. “She wants the children’s money?” she asked, because she and Phillip knew that the trust funds set up for the children were very significant, and Max did not use the money he inherited personally from his first wife, unless it was for the wellbeing of their children.

“I don’t know what she wants,” Phillip muttered, and that is true.

Because none of them knew what was going on in Yvonne’s head…

…or what was in play.

[totallizfan]

Drama...drama... Callie's story...Yvonne and the divorce (trouble)...Max's kids...Liz & Max.
And there's Maria...who usually wants all the details.
Looking forward to the next post.