Let Me Love U (AU, CC M/L, TEEN) [COMPLETE]

[roswellianprincess16]

Title: Let Me Love U

Author: Roswellianprincess16 aka RosP16 (Selena)

Rating: TEEN

Coupling: Dreamer M/L, other CC couples make an appearance

Disclaimer: I do not own Roswell or it's parts, only those of higher power, aka Jason Katims, WB, UPN, etc etc are responsible for them.

Summary: Liz Parker is opening up her very own Bed and Breakfast in Newport, Rhode Island and she is very exited that the opening will fall on Christmas Day. She has planned a huge party where her childhood group of friends will all come and stay. This includes those she still talks to, Maria, Alex and Kyle and those she's lost touch with, Isabel and Michael. But it turns out that before she can get in touch with her best friend, Max Evans, he surprises her first with news of his own. Then their life long frienship takes an unexpected turn...

Author's Note: I want to first of all thank Lindsay for letting borrow her songs before chapters idea, it was such an awesome idea I couldn't not do it. And for writing Home For Christmas, which inspired me to do something lighter and brighter for a change. I want to thank lissalou aka Melissa for being awesome and beta-ing for me. And of course, Ella because her banner rocks my socks. Thanks guys. You are all awesome.



Let Me Love U

Part 1- Not In Love

I’m not in love,
I try to tell myself all the time,
I just can’t help how I feel tonight,
So don’t go running away. – Enrique Iglesias

The music played loudly as the sounds of the Spanish guitar floated through the air. The window blinds were pulled halfway, and the wooden door was covered with a sign that read COMING SOON. He walked up to the large glass window on the door and stood, struggling to look into the dimly lit room through the lacy curtain. In the distance he could see her body, moving swiftly from side to side, the broom in her hand swaying as she moved her hips. His lips curved into a smile as he watched her, totally amused, letting himself enjoy the sight of her. She was completely unaware that anyone was watching. Acting, completely like herself.

I know you’re not the one.
But I can tell that this is gonna be fun.
Won’t hesitate to lie,
But I can tell you what to feel inside.

He chuckled to himself as he heard her sing loudly and amazingly just as bad as he remembered. The high octave sound of a voice that could shatter glass. Or perhaps make a grown man cry. He laughed at his thoughts, and then looked back at her. It seemed for a moment that nothing had changed, and still, looking at her, he knew a lot had changed. After all, it had been nearly three and half years since they'd seen each other and they'd both grown up. But thankfully, they hadn't grown apart. He listened to her pitchy voice as she let the music take over and the sweeping ceased. She grabbed the top of the broom and used it as a microphone.

Ohh…
I’m not in love.
I think I’m too young.
I’m not in love.
Oh, let’s have some fun.
I’m not in love.
Just run away with me.
I’m not in love…
Do you wanna take a ride with me…
But you can’t spend the night with me.

As the music began to fade, she finished her final few swoops with the broom and continued her dancing. He loved the private moment and the way it made him feel. Focus, he told himself. That’s not why he was here. Why was he here?

“Because she’s your best friend and you haven’t seen her in three years.” He said out loud, reminding himself that he was alone and in public. It wasn’t very normal to talk to oneself in public, at least not aloud. He finally knocked on the door and looked back over the sign as he saw her stop and look over. Her big, brown eyes opened wide as she dropped the broom, and went running for the door. He heard the unlatching of a few locks and then the door swung open.

“OH MY GOD! What… what are you doing here?” She took him into a tight hug, which forced him to drop his luggage at his sides. He wrapped his arms around her small frame, taking in her scent.

“This is crazy! Why didn’t you call?” She pulled away excitedly, but kept her hands within his own gloved ones. There was a beautiful smile on her face, genuine and golden, as she searched his eyes for some sort of answers.

“What, I can’t just come and visit an old friend?”

“Of course you can, I didn’t mean that.” She grimaced at him playfully as he fought the urge to smile like an idiot. God, he had missed her so much.

“So, can I come in? It’s like the North Pole out here.” Her head shook in acknowledgement as she grabbed one of his suitcases and went in, expecting her to follow his lead. He walked in and closed the door behind him, taking in the sight.

The place was much more than he’d expected. The room was lit by soft torch lights and candles, despite the golden chandelier that hung on the ceiling. The furniture was all warm and inviting, solid neutrals and darks blending effortlessly with the large rug and wooden floor. He looked over to the source of the warmth and was pleased to find a stone mantel and fireplace that was burning brightly.

“So… what do you think?” She walked over next to him and began to remove his coat as she awaited an answer.

“Wow. It’s… impressive.” He smiled and released his arms as the black winter coat came off to reveal his dark sweater and turtleneck. She smiled, obviously recognizing it immediately.

“You never thought you’d have to wear one of those again, did you?” She laughed as she gathered up his coat in her arm and the boots he’d removed at the door. He turned back toward her and smiled.

“Well, I was glad you’d given it to me, because you didn’t warn me that you were at the poles of the earth.”

“It’s not so bad. You get used to it. Besides, I love the snow.” She smiled as she walked over to a door which she opened to reveal a closet.

“This I know.” He said with a smirk and continued to walk around. Past the luxurious living room was a kitchen on the left and a large dining room on the right. The dining room held six tables, each covered by a white cloth and a vase with fresh flowers. The walls were covered in wallpaper, light and flowery, but not too feminine. Past the room were two French doors which he noticed lead out to the cold snow outside. He walked up to them and looked out as he noticed the fountain and the benches.

“That’s the garden. It looks a lot better when it’s in bloom.” She crept up behind him and he turned to look at her face. He allowed himself a few moments to explore the differences. The eyes were exactly as he remembered them; big, beautiful, and full of life and laughter. Her features had matured slightly, her apple cheeks a little less round and her bone structure more pronounced. Her lips were fuller than he remembered, like those a woman, rather than a girl, and her hair was shorter now, a sleek adult cut that fell and framed her face like a picture.

“So Mr. Evans, are you going to inform me about why you’ve blessed me with your presence?” He smirked, knowing that there were things that needed to be said. Things he knew that he had left out of his letters and his phone calls. But he wasn’t sure if that’s why he’d come. Or if perhaps… there were other reasons.

“Well, Ms. Parker, I would not have missed the opening of your B&B for anything. I’d like to be your first client.”

“Are you serious?” She laughed as she wrinkled her eyebrows in disbelief. “Come on Max, I wouldn’t charge you.”

“You don’t have a choice. I’m staying the weekend. And it’s a long weekend, so do me a favor and give me your best suite.” He said with a serious face as he began to remove his wallet from his pant pocket.

“Wait! Wait! You just got here. I don’t want to discuss business. How about a cup of tea? Then you can tell me what’s been up.” He smiled and nodded in agreement. Maybe after he could tell her what he’d come all this way to say.

***

“Well, last time I spoke to Michael, he said that he was just waiting to see if his offer was accepted on the property. Then he’s going to start to fix it up. He thinks that in the next six months, he’ll have himself a gallery.”

“That’s great.” She turned around as she poured the hot water into the cup and nodded. She couldn’t believe he was here. No call, no notice. It just didn’t seem like him to just show up. She felt the tingle in her stomach that perhaps there was something wrong that he wasn’t saying, something important, but she ignored it, knowing that just enjoying his company was enough. It had been a few lonely months as she arranged the B&B, ever since Maria had moved back to New York City. She had been essential in getting the property, and helping purchase the furniture; everything else, had been up to Liz.

“And how are Alex and Maria? Last time I heard from Maria she was helping you finish up here.”

“Yea, she moved back to New York about a month and a half ago. She finally got a deal you know.”

“Really?”

“Yup. So, she’s working on writing the first album.”

“That’s great.” She smiled as she turned to face him with the tray and the two hot cups of tea. She put it down on one of the tables and handed him the sugar, milk and honey.

“And Alex is still in Europe, but he’ll be coming home for the holidays. He’s just finishing up his work over there.”

“Another merger?” He looked up after taking a sip from the hot cup. She nodded, keeping hers close to her face, allowing the steam to warm her skin.

“You know him, he’s a workaholic. Besides, it’s his job. Buy out the smaller companies and try to form a major corporation.”

“What does he specialize in again?”

“He deals with computer software, and finding new and promising programs. You know… the nerdy stuff.” She laughed, and he nodded in agreement as he took another sip of his drink. She watched him carefully, exploring his face. How different he looked from the last time she saw him. His face was full of stubble, in the form of a promising beard and a short mustache. His hair was longer and seemed to have been lightened slightly by the sun. It was slicked back, very mysterious and debonair. His eyes still seemed to glow with the golden light. His skin was a beautiful tawny shade, she assumed from hours in the sun. She smiled at the thought, and tried to focus back in on what he was saying.

“So, are we all getting together for Christmas?”

“Umm… I know Alex and Maria are coming. I was going to call you. I hadn’t heard from Michael… then again… he and Maria left off kind of bad … I really haven’t spoken to him since we graduated. I figured I could tell you to invite Isabel. I know Kyle is coming. I think that he’s dating someone, and will be bringing her. I was going to have a big opening day, and have you all as my guests. But… I guess you beat me to it.”

“College really messed us all up, didn’t it.”

“No, not really. I mean, we’re supposed to move on and go to college and move away. That’s just how life works. I’m just glad we didn’t lose touch.” She smiled as she took another sip of her hot tea.

“How do you think everyone’s going to react when they see each other again? I mean… we’re the only ones from our groups that have kept in touch. And… well, there’s a lot of history, both romantic and otherwise.”

“I think we’re all adults and we can handle it. Besides, the only people I’m really worried about are Michael and Maria. But… I can control her if things get too rowdy.” She laughed, watching as he chuckled to himself, understanding completely. She bit her lip nervously, forgetting what it had been like to be so close to him, to look upon him.

“Liz, do you remember when we were kids? Our family moved to town, and your parents gave us a free dinner at the CrashDown to help me and Isabel feel better. From that day on, you and I became the best of friends. When we became friends everyone kind of followed suit. We were all a big group, and we were inseparable. I was thinking about that the other day… about how our parents freaked out in high school, when we all started to kind of fall into our own groups and separate. How you and I were the only ones to keep us all together until graduation. And prom….” His voice trailed off as she stopped sipping her tea midway, and felt her stomach turn.

“Yea… that was a great night.”

“All of us went together.” She looked up, as she felt the glare of his eyes upon her, and she met his stare, a stare that was full of warmth, friendship and… something else.

“Yea.”

“It just, life as kids was great, you know? The CrashDown, the Halloween pranks every year, the sleep-overs, Ms. DeLuca’s breakfasts’, and even just pissing Michael off. I just… I kinda wish we hadn’t lost all that.” She stared at him now, suspicion in her eyes.

“We didn’t Max.”

“But it’s not the same.”

“Are you going to tell me what’s bothering you? Or are you gonna make me beat it out of you?” She smirked, but knew deep inside that she was serious. She’d get it despite his protests.

“Liz… you know how I was telling you about this girl I was dating?”

“Yea….”

“Well….”

She paused, letting the tense silence fall between them. Then he said words she never expected.

“I’m getting married.”

[roswellianprincess16]

A/N: Hello everyone! I'm having some trouble with my internet connection, so please forgive me, I am instead posting tonight. I did however, want to know, if you would be interested in having me post closer together. I can post twice a week (life is getting busy), so would you all prefer Mondays and Wednesdays? Or does Monday and Friday work for you all??? PLEASE LET ME KNOW! Thanks.

Part 2- Beautiful Disaster

If I try to save him, my whole world could cave in.
It just ain’t right. It just ain’t right.
Oh and I don’t know, I don’t know what he’s after.
But he’s so beautiful, such a beautiful disaster. – Kelly Clarkson

The minute the words left his mouth he felt the wrongness of them. It all seemed surreal. He wasn’t sitting here saying those words to her.

“I’m getting married.”

He said it again… as if to assure himself that the words were real and coming from his mouth.

“Wow.” She managed to breathe out, her face completely stunned. He couldn’t read the expression in her eyes, but everything seemed to register pure shock. “That’s… I… wow.”

“I, umm, I just wanted you to be the first to know.” He looked at her carefully, exploring her body language. Trying to really get a sense of what was running through her mind. She nervously reached up to take a strand of hair and place it behind her ear. He tensed up. That wasn’t a good sign. It was at times like this, when she did the hair thing, that she was flustered. He looked down, and heard her take a deep breath across from him.

“Why isn’t she here?” She whispered questioningly. He looked up to meet her now confused gaze. Why isn’t she here? He asked himself the same question during the entire plane ride. Why hadn’t he brought her to meet Liz? Hadn’t he been harping about how Liz was the one person she would love? He took a deep breath, and looked up as he attempted to smile.

“I guess I just wanted to get your opinion first.” She shook her head, unsure of what he meant.

“Max, I’m happy for you. Why wouldn’t I be? I mean, this is… it’s great! You’re getting married! Congratulations!” She reached out and hugged him. He wrapped his arms around her again, closing his eyes to simply enjoy the comfort of her arms. He’d been in those arms so many times before, and they always made him feel just right. It was odd, he always thought, how just the feeling of her beside him could make it seem… like home.

“Liz… no one else knows about this. Not even Isabel.”

“No, no, I understand. Well, this is perfect then! We get some time together alone before we tell everyone!”

“Tell everyone?”

“Christmas! We’ll throw you an engagement party! You can send for her! What’s her name again?”

“Christine.”

“Right… Christine.” She nodded as she looked down, and bit her bottom lip pensively. “You know what Max? I’m going to make this week the best week we’ve ever had. That way it can last you for the rest of your life.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, once you’re married, I doubt that we’ll really have a lot of time together. I mean, you’re all the way in California with your job, and Christine….. I’m sure you’re going to start a family. I… well I’m gonna have the B&B. You know… I will be getting my life together. We gotta make the memories now.” There was such finality to her voice, such certain conclusion that he shivered internally, the thought of losing something that had lasted his entire life terrifying him. He didn’t want things to change. Couldn’t he be married and be her friend at the same time? Couldn’t they just continue the way they were, comfortable and happy? The silence lingered between them and finally he felt Liz’s hand upon his own.

“This is good news… isn’t it?” She whispered and looked up into his eyes. He looked at her for an extended moment and nodded.

“Yes.”

***

She didn’t think that she would be able to regain her breath after feeling like she’d been kicked in the stomach. Married? Did he say married? He had barely met this woman! He had been writing about her in his letters, but there was never any hint that it was serious. How long had he known her? How long had they dated? Was she a blonde or a brunette?

She took another long sip of her tea, letting the questions swirl furiously through her brain. Why would he simply avoid telling her about this woman? Was there something wrong with her? And why was there so much emotion in his eyes?

“This is good news… isn’t it?” She asked him, in hopes that she’d get some hint of the regret that was shining in his eyes. He looked up, and for a second she remembered a similar look, from a long time ago. She smiled, seeing his face as a teenager again in her mind and then shook it off, remembering that the man before her was an adult now. He would be going to someone else with that expression very shortly. She felt a pang in her stomach, and fought it off, refusing to let it take over. She was his friend, and she would support his decisions.

“Yes.” He stated finally and she smiled and breathed out, as if she had been holding her breath awaiting his answer. She realized that in a sense, she had.

“Good. I’m glad you came Max.” She smiled finally, deciding to put him at ease. He was counting on her this week, and she would be there for him.

“So, you want me to just stay straight ‘til Christmas?”

“Well, yea. You might as well. It’s only a week away. And don’t worry… I’ll give you a discount.” She winked and picked up their empty cups to place them in the sink.

“Liz, I know this is a big shock.”

“Hey… it’s me. You can tell me anything.” She turned from her position before the sink and raised her eyebrows at him. She watched as he looked at her for a moment, and then his mouth slowly curved into a smile. “Ok, now let’s get you settled in, it’s gonna be a cold week.”

She headed back out into the living room area, near the stairs, and picked up his garment bag as he picked up his suitcase and overnight bag.

“This is the official tour so pay attention.” They walked up the stairs, the second floor was large and spacious, three doors on either side of the hallway and one at the very end. The wooden floor was covered with a central rug that ran the length of the hallway, and the walls were wallpapered in a similar pattern as the dining room. The doors were all a clean white as she walked to the second door on the left and pushed it open.

“This here will be your room. The amenities include a small fridge, cable television, a queen size bed, a safe, and a balcony, although, in this weather I doubt you’ll want to use it. The dresser can be used to store your things as well as the closet. The phone on the desk works, but you can only make local calls for now… unless you have an international calling card. Umm… what else? Breakfast buffet is at 9am, or you can have breakfast brought to you at whatever time you wake up. Dinner is not included, for most guests, but I’ll make an exception for you. The bathroom comes with a shower and a full whirlpool tub separately. There’s also a hairdryer, but I doubt you’ll need it.” She smiled as she finished walking around the room and pointing everything out. He simply stared at her as he sat on the edge of the bed.

“This is so incredible.”

“What?”

“You.… this whole place. I can’t even imagine how much money….”

“Uh uh, we shall not discuss price. I applied for a small business loan, and some grants. Between Maria and I, we saved up some money to make repairs and decorate. It’s… it’s good. It’ll all be worth it.”

“I’m just amazed at how great it turned out. It’s even better than you described it.”

“Why thank you.” She beamed proudly. After all, it was her baby, and she felt so proud of all that she had put into it. She knew for a fact that people staying here would feel at their utmost best.

“So….”

“So?”

“Do you carry porn?”

“STOP IT!” She slapped his arm playfully and shook her head in mock disgust. “I can’t believe you. Now follow me.” He stood up, leaving his things on the bed to follow her into the hallway.

“That door down at the end is mine. That’s my room. If you need me for anything, just scream out or come knocking. Umm…. There’s another floor upstairs with three suites which are for honeymooners or couples, etc etc. Those have Jacuzzis and king size beds and they come with champagne and fruit baskets.” She clicked her tongue against her teeth and nudged him while raising her eyebrows suggestively. He nodded in understanding and laughed at her silly gesture.

“I should’ve known you would’ve gotten into this kind of business. I mean, with your parents owning the CrashDown and everything.

“Yea, well, I just took that idea and extended it.” She looked down at her watch and nodded. “Well listen, I still have quite a bit to do, so why don’t you start getting comfortable, unpack, watch some TV, shower, whatever you wanna do. I’ll be downstairs finishing up. Then, I’ll get ready, and we’ll go out to dinner ok?”

“Oh, Liz we don’t have to go out.” She watched as his face lit up with concern. Her financial concern, she was sure. She had promised him a good time. That’s what she would give him.

“Quiet. Just make sure you’re ready by 7:30pm. I’m going to take you to a great place.” She smiled and couldn’t help giving him another hug. “I know I’ve said this… but I missed you.”

“Don’t worry… I like hearing it.” They laughed as they held each other for a few moments, and then she pulled away from him, not wanting to let the feelings linger.

“Ok, I’ll come up when I’m done.” He nodded and she walked out of the room as she closed the door behind him. She stopped for a moment and took a deep breath. This would be fine. She could handle this. She just hoped it wouldn’t be a total disaster.

[roswellianprincess16]

Disclaimer: The restaurant and the food and drinks stated are real and are located in Newport RI, as is the cliffwalk. It is a beautiful place and I couldn't not use some of these landmarks. So I'm giving them credit for doing such wonderful things with them.



Part 3- Everytime

I make believe, that you are here
It’s the only way, I see clear.
[…] And everytime I see you in my dreams,
I see your face, it’s haunting me.
I guess I need you baby. – Britney Spears

“Max?” She knocked on his door, the sound of the television making her smile. She reached down and fixed her sweater. She’d put on her favorite one, the one that was dark red and fell off the shoulder. She knew very well it was because of how it made her feel. She knew the red brought out her skin, which had lightened considerably since she’d left Roswell. She left her dark hair down and styled it with the wax stuff Maria had given her, giving her hair a sexy grown up look. She smiled guiltily knowing that he liked it that way best. She wore her long chandelier earrings which brought the attention to her bare neck, and her black slacks. Nice, but not overdone. She didn’t want him to feel all stuffy.

“Max?” She opened the door softly, not hearing his response. She wondered if perhaps he’d left the room and forgotten to turn of the TV. She took a step inside, and froze as she saw the back of him. He was standing tall with his hands in his pockets, looking out over the balcony.

She smiled at the picture before her. She stood there watching him, his dark black coat against the cool white snow. The look of the flakes as they fell upon his head; and tangled with his hair, only to disappear moments later. She closed her eyes wanting to memorize what he looked like, something special for her to keep when he was gone.

She walked quietly up to him and stopped behind him, feeling his warmth, even in the cold outside.

“I’ve never seen snow like this.” He said with a voice full of wonder. She smiled, and grabbed his hand as she led him inside.

“You’ll see more of it as the week progresses. Right now, I’m starving.” She smiled and her smile faded as she watched his face.

“You look incredible.” He whispered as he eyed her and then looked back at himself.

“I’ve got this black turtleneck and blazer. I hope it’s not too underdressed.”

“You don’t even need the blazer.” She smiled and helped remove it.

“Actually, I just use it because I’m cold.” He laughed. She rolled her eyes in amusement.

“Ok, well, my coat’s downstairs. So, let’s go.”

She grabbed her black pea coat and laughed as she realized that they pretty much matched, except for her red top.

“Did I tell you that you have great taste in clothes? What happened?” She smirked as she put on her gloves and scarf.

“Isabel told me that v-neck sweaters and jeans are ok for high school but that if I dared go into the adult world looking that way she’d disown me forever. So, she took me shopping for essentials and I’ve been shopping this way ever since.” He shrugged as he tugged on his last leather glove.

“You look great in black.”

“Think so?”

“Yea, very… James Bond, Johnny Depp, evil Englishman type.”

“What?” He laughed and this time she shrugged her shoulders playfully. She felt great. It had taken her an hour or two to get over the initial shock of that afternoon, and to really put together the list of questions she had for him about the new mystery woman. But that would come with time. They had all week. For now, she just wanted to enjoy him.

They arrived at the restaurant and he looked up at the sign swinging above the door.

“The Red Parrot?”

“It’s got fabulous food. And, it’s right near one of the city’s landmarks. So, you get a bit of both worlds. So we’ll eat here and then I’ll go take you after. Ok?”

“Whatever you say.” He smiled and opened the door to let her in.

Immediately, the smell of food and the warmth of the heat made her feel cozy all over. That’s what she had loved about this place; all the luxuries of a city, with the feel of a small town. She had felt both afraid, and at home all at once.

“Liz, honey, how are you?”

“Great Jamie, how are you?”

“Good, good. How’s Maria?” She smiled as she looked into the bright blue eyes of the man before her. She’s not gonna call you Jamie. She wanted to tell him, Maria was never really interested, but she just wanted to go on a few dates, as something to do while there in Newport.

“She’s doing great, last I heard.”

“Is she coming up for Christmas?” He asked as he gathered the menus and began to walk them toward their tables.

“I don’t… uh… perhaps. I have to talk to her about it.”

“Well, tell her to give me a call when she gets here.” She opened her eyes widely at Max who smirked. Then she turned back toward Jamie as they sat down.

“I, uh, I will. I will most definitely.”

“Your waiter will be here shortly.” He walked away as she sighed loudly. Poor Jamie.

“He didn’t even notice I was with you.” Max said with a hint of laughter in his voice.

“Yea, well if you couldn’t tell, he was still day dreaming about Maria. Who by the way, is never going to call him.”

“I figured.” They both laughed as they began to look through the menu. “So… we have three years worth of catching up to do. Letters aren’t exactly my idea of communication. You can’t always read between lines. Where do you want to start?”

She looked up from her menu as she watched him, still eyeing his menu, and then his eyes came up to meet hers expectantly.

“You didn’t think we were only going to talk about me, did you? I’m not really interested in my life Liz; I already know what’s happening. I want to know what’s going on with you.”

“What do you want to know?” She asked cautiously, afraid that she already knew where he was headed.

“Well, for starters… what ever happened to that guy? What was his name, umm, Antonio?”

She tried to prevent the uncomfortable shake, but when she looked up; she could tell by his eyes that he’d noticed her reaction.

“We aren’t together anymore.”

“Obviously Liz, you told me that. I want to know why. From all your prior letters, you kept saying what a wonderful guy he was, and you two really seemed to have hit it off. Then suddenly, I get a sentence. Antonio and I broke up. You never mentioned him again. I want to know why.”

She looked down as the waiter came with two cups of water.

“Hi, welcome to The Red Parrot. Can I start you off with some drinks?”

Liz looked up thankfully, the smiling waitress before her oblivious to the tension at the table.

“Umm, yes. I’d love a Snow Monkey in a Coconut Blizzard and an order of U-15 Shrimp Cocktail.” She smiled and looked across the table at Max’s startled expression.

“You want a, what monkey?”

“It’s a drink, silly. Now, order.”

“Umm… I’d like the Red Parrot Ultimate “1800” Margarita and Steamed Mussels please.”

“Ok, I’ll be right back.”

“That monkey drink sounds wild.”

“It’s warm. It’s made with banana liquor, Malibu rum, hot chocolate and whipped cream.” She licked her licks and smiled in anticipation.

“Sounds good.”

“Oh, it is.” She smirked, and looked down as she played with her napkin.

“So, Antonio.”

“Look, Max, don’t take this personally, but I don’t really want to talk about it.” She spit out quickly and looked down, hoping he wouldn’t pry any further.

***

He watched her face carefully. Something must have happened, he thought quickly, as he felt the blood begin to boil within him. Whatever the jackass did to hurt her, he would have to face Max Evans. And Max Evans didn’t play games.

“So, you’re really going to love the steamed mussels, they’re great here.” She interjected into their silence. He hadn’t realized that he had been silent for so long, simply thinking to himself.

“Liz, please talk to me.”

“Look Max, both you and I know, I haven’t always had a great deal of luck with men. I’ve been so involved in this project for the past few years. Then I was in school and I just… I didn’t expect things to get serious.”

“But they did.” He leaned forward, his eyes staring into hers passionately.

“I just wasn’t what he was looking for.”

“What did he do Liz?”

“I didn’t even want to really get involved, it just kind of caught me off guard….”

“Liz.” He stated firmly and looked down in frustration. The silence sat between them for a few seconds, when he looked back up. Her eyes were downcast, her face serious.

“I caught him sleeping with some lady he met at a bar.”

“You CAUGHT him?”

“Yea. As in I walked in and saw them doing it… in my B&B.”

“What an a-”

“As I was saying… I didn’t want to talk about it because it’s all behind me now.” She kept her eyes on his. He could see the pain that he knew was lying between the words she’d sent him.

“You deserve better than that Liz.”

“I think I’m gonna hold off on relationships for a while, just focus on my business.” The waitress came and placed their drinks and appetizers before them.

They began to eat, in silence at first. He continued to look up at her, seeing the broken heart the loser had left behind. How had he missed it? He took a deep breath to calm his frustration, and took another bite of the garlic buttered mussels. She was right, they tasted great.

“Liz… you’re 25. You’re beautiful, smart….”

“Max, stop.”

“Listen to me. You’re beautiful, smart; you’ve got a successful business on the brink. You’re one of the nicest most sincere people I’ve met. There is no reason why you shouldn’t be involved in a good, healthy relationship.”

“Yea, well men suck.” She looked up and he stared at her for a moment. Then, they broke out laughing.

“That was Maria and the snow monkey talking, so I’m going to ignore that.” He smiled as he saw her laugh. Then he reached over grabbing her hand. “Seriously, don’t judge the whole barrel because of a rotten few. There is going to be a man out there that will adore you… I promise.”

He smiled, knowing in his heart that every word was true. In fact, more true than she realized.

“Well, he better hurry up and get here, my biological clock is ticking.”

“Again, Maria speaking. You have to stop spending time with that woman. She’s thoroughly affecting you.” They both laughed and continued to eat.

Halfway through the meal, in between a long silence, he looked up to see her dark brown eyes focused on him.

“What?”

“There were so many times I wished you were here… someone to turn to and embrace. I always felt so alone. Thankfully Maria was never too far away… but without you and Alex, and with her budding career… sometimes I felt like I had nowhere to turn.”

“You were wrong.”

“I know.”

“I’m always here for you. No matter how far away.”

“But you won’t always be. Now that you’re getting married, Max, I need you to understand that things are going to change between us. She’s going to be your best friend now. I don’t want to make it all awkward, and put myself in the middle. I’m still here if you need me, but… I’ll be at a distance.”

“Liz….”

“No, that’s it. Just leave it. There’s no point trying to rationalize it. We will always be friends, but we’re grown up now Max. The days of sleep-overs and late night talks are over. We have to be adults about this now.”

“You’re the one rationalizing it.” He laughed. She had always had a tendency to over-think everything, and try to give it some scientific explanation. There were times when it drove him crazy. This was one of those times; especially because she was right.

“Whatever. Ok, no more of this. Eat.” He smiled and continued to eat; enjoying every second of her company, and dreading the day he’d have to leave her.

Once dinner was over, he followed her into the cold, dark night. The air outside smelled slightly of ocean water and the breeze was cool and moist, due to the snow. He smiled, loving the feel of the town, and seeing clearly why she’d love it there.

“Let’s go.” She smiled as they got into her small, silver Toyota Camry. He laughed as he got in.

“It’s so weird to see you driving.”

“Hey, just because I always had Maria drive me everywhere doesn’t mean I couldn’t drive. Besides, she had the Jetta, so she drove. Her mother would have killed anyone one of us if we’d crashed it.”

He nodded in amused agreement as they drove into the quiet night. They drove for a little in a comfortable silence as he tried to process their entire conversation. He’d missed a lot, but there was no way he was going to let her suffer alone anymore. Suddenly, her voice interrupted his thoughts.

“This is the University of Rhode Island.” She smiled and turned to look back at him. “I transferred here junior year from Harvard. I just wanted something a little more… quaint.” He nodded in response. He looked around at the world that had been a part of her life for almost five years. He remembered the last time he saw her, she had just graduated from college. Her stressed out Harvard look was gone. She looked relaxed, and happy. Time had only enhanced that look, and aged it as gracefully as wine.

“We’re here.” She proclaimed as she began to get out of the car. He got out, and looked around the empty parking lot, and then back at Liz. Had she lost it?

“Umm… here?”

“Come on.” She grabbed his hand. They walked to the end of the small lot, and down some narrow stone steps. Once at the bottom they reached a path which they followed for just a few feet before he saw the sight before him.

The moon was full, and it was shining brightly against the water. The reflection wrinkling as the water swirled. He looked down at the rocky mass below, and around at the snow and the stone path. It was like something out of a movie. It didn’t even seem real.

“This is my favorite place in the world. This is the famous Cliffwalk, a landmark here in Newport. It’s beautiful year-round, and full of tourists most of the year. But late at night… late at night it’s just pure peace.” She smiled as she looked up and leaned on the small stone wall. “Isn’t it beautiful?”

He looked at her, the way her hair fluttered in the brisk wind, the way her long earrings moved against her scarf. The color of her skin, with the moonlight shining against it was beautiful. He had never seen anything like it before.

“Yes, you are.”

“What?” She turned her head in his direction, her eyes looking at him curiously. What had he just said?

“It’s incredible.” He whispered, and smiled softly, trying to keep his heart under control. He would have to solve this inner conflict soon. Before, it completely consumed him.

[roswellianprincess16]

A/N: Hello everyone. Thanks so much for all your feedback. Makes me feel so good. I know you are all wondering... where do these two REALLY stand? What happened? Well, here's a few answers.

Part 4- Tsunami

I feel so nice, just when you’re here.
The reason why is not so clear.
And I know the first time when you told me.
I’d fall in love just as you’d hold me.
And now I want to stay at your side tonight.
I want to watch you as the sun lights up your eyes.
I wanna know when you wake first thing you see is me.
Cause you’re all the things I pray that I need. - Res

She opened her eyes at the sound of her alarm and stretched out in bed, letting the music play loudly. The holiday carols were already playing. They made her smile first thing in the morning. There was something else making her smile. Today, unlike the days before, she would not be alone. She jumped out of bed and headed to her closet, readying herself for the day ahead.

She pulled out some clothes, remembering to layer so she wouldn’t get cold in the snow. When was the last time she played in the snow? She couldn’t remember. Probably the slight snowfall they’d had in Roswell back during her senior year of high school. They’d been so psyched that they spent all day playing outside. In what must have been an inch of snow. They’ve never seen real snow; she smirked as she looked out her window at the snow covered ground. It had snowed for three days straight already; every day adding a little more to the magic.

She jumped into the shower and enjoyed the feeling of the warm water against her skin. It was both refreshing and reinvigorating. She smiled, showering quickly, hoping to run downstairs and start breakfast. She was sure that Max would be famished.

She threw on her tights and then her jeans and her thick socks. Then she put on her long john shirt and a turtleneck over it. She’d put on a sweater before they leave. She brushed her hair and rubbed in some gel, the way Maria had taught her. She’d never thought she’d like having short hair, but since she’d done it, she loved it.

She whistled as she went down the stairs and into the living room when, she smelled the scent of cooking bacon. She stopped for a moment, making sure that she was in the right place and then continued on into the kitchen. She stood at the doorframe when she saw him, at the stove, the griddle on, eggs and bacon sizzling. He turned around to face her, an old v-neck sweater and some jeans adorning his body. She smiled, remembering the Isabel story and finally looked up to meet his eyes.

“Good morning.” He smiled as he turned to grab the toast jumping out of the toaster.

“What… what are you doing?”

“Well… you were so hospitable yesterday, that I felt obliged to make you breakfast.”

“But… this is MY B&B.”

“And I’m making breakfast. Go sit.” He smiled. She smiled back, not believing what she was seeing. “Coffee, tea or orange juice.”

“Coffee please.”

“You sure?”

“I can’t start my morning without it.”

“Liz Parker addicted to coffee? Our conscientious Liz Parker? You do realize caffeine is a drug?”

“If you don’t give it to me, I’ll be very grouchy.”

“Coffee it is.” He laughed and proceeded to pour her a cup. He walked over with her plate of food and her cup of coffee. He returned to the kitchen for his own. Then sat across from her at the same table they’d sat at the day before.

“Bon appetite.” She nodded in response as they began to dig into the warm breakfast.

She enjoyed the flavor of scrambled eggs with onions and peppers, and savory smoked turkey bacon. Of course a slice of potato bread toast buttered lightly. He knew exactly what she loved. She felt the familiar feeling in her stomach and wished it away. He’d known her for too long.

“This is nice.” She put down her fork for a moment and took a sip of her coffee.

“Good?”

“Mmmhmm.” She nodded as she drank. When she put her cup down she took a bite of her bacon and smiled. It was better than good. “Actually… it’s nice to wake up and be able to have breakfast with someone. With you.” He looked up, and smiled at her; then continued on his quest to devour his food.

She was right, he was famished. She watched him eat for a while, and then proceeded to finish her own plate. Once they were both done, their forks clunked against the plates. They sat back against their chairs, full and satisfied.

“So, what are the plans for today?” Max stood and gathered the plates, heading to place them within the sink.

“Umm… I was thinking maybe we could go sledding.”

“Sounds great.”

“But first I have to make a few calls. Make sure everyone will get here this weekend. Can you call Michael and Isabel?”

“Yup.” He smiled as he headed back toward the table and plopped back down on the seat.

“Great. It’s Tuesday, Christmas is on Saturday. I want everyone here on Friday, early preferably. So, they have three days to get themselves ready and over here.”

“Well, they all know about the B&B, and unless something comes up, I know they all wanted to come and congratulate you.” He smiled and she just had to smile back. There was something so infectious about his grin. Something, that stated that he was truly happy.

“So, umm… I chose a name. I think I’m going to call it the Northern Bungalow. I kinda like the way it sounds.” She began to put away all of the food that he used to cook as she spoke. She turned when she felt his eyes on her. “What, you think it’s stupid?”

“NO. No, it’s a great name.”

“Good.”

There was a pause in the conversation as she cleared off the counter, and began the dishwasher.

“Liz, I have to talk to you.” She turned around to face him as she leaned up against the counter. She had a feeling this would be serious.

“Ok.”

“There’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you….”

She cursed under her breath as the phone rang loudly.

“Hold on to that thought.” She headed over to the phone and picked up the cold handle.

“Hello?”

“LIZ! Merry Christmas sweetie!”

“Maria! Hi!”

“How are things going? How’s the place coming along?”

“Not too bad actually. It’s fully furnished and I’m just putting the finishing touches on it. It’ll be ready by this weekend.”

“Perfect. Well, I was calling to let you know that I’ll be coming up tomorrow. Help you set up.”

“Oh… oh umm… actually Maria, Max is here….” She tried to be as subtle about the hint as possible, not necessarily telling her not to come, but not making her think she needed to.

“MAX! How is that boy doing? Why hasn’t he called me? He knows my cell phone number! I can’t wait to see him, you tell him I said hello.” She looked up and saw the smile on his face. Obviously, he’d heard. He stood up and walked past her with his cell phone in hand. He whispered Isabel and Michael and she nodded in response, upset that Maria was taking away from their time.

“Anyway girl, Alex just called me, that’s why I’m calling. He said he has his ticket. He’ll be home Thursday night.” Great, they were all just flocking in early.

“Great.” She said slightly unenthusiastically. She was dying to see Alex, but it meant her time with Max was very limited.

“Ok, well, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“No problem Maria. Oh hey, watch out for Jamie. He’s been asking about you.”

“Argh, that guy just doesn’t get a hint does he?”

“Guess not.”

“Did you tell him I’d gotten a job and relocated?”

“Yes, but it seems he thinks you’re coming back for him.”

“He better keep dreaming. I’m not going to be anybody’s sugar momma. Ok babe, I have to run. I’ll call you when I’m in Newport tomorrow.”

“Ok Maria, bye.” She smiled and hung up the phone, actually glad that she’d spoken to her. It’d been almost a week since she’d called, mostly because she was busy, but she had missed the sound of her voice.

She walked into the living room and stopped short when she heard the angry whisper.

“I know I said I was only staying a few days, but the opening is this weekend, and I told you I was going to be here for it. I decided to come early. Just stay, because there is no point in flying back and forth.”

She stood frozen in place, knowing that he wasn’t talking to Michael or Isabel in that tone.

“No Crissy, I didn’t think it was necessary. I told you I had some things to take care of. Look, I’ll call you if anything. You’ve got your family, you won’t be alone.” She opened her eyes wide as she understood the conversation. She was upset because she didn’t want to spend the holidays alone. Because her fiancé had flown across the country to some friend of his she’d never met, and was staying for the week to handle some mysterious situation. She had to admit, even she would have been upset.

“Goodbye.” He hung up the phone and sighed loudly as she cleared her throat to announce her presence.

“Hey. How are Michael and Isabel?” She smiled, trying not to let on that she’d heard his conversation.

“They’re fine. They’ll be here on Thursday night.”

“Great. So most of us will be here and we can just have a nice dinner together before the official opening.”

“Yea.”

“Max?” She looked at him quizzically and he looked up, his eyes still serious. “You wanted to say something earlier?”

“Yea, let’s go sledding.”

***

He held his breath as they went flying down the hill on the plastic sled, and felt the tingle in his stomach from the drop.

“WOAH!” Liz screamed as she closed her eyes, and held on tightly to his arms. He sat behind her and smiled, trying to be the strong one. He wrapped his arms around her tighter, and put his chin in the crease of her neck.

“Close your eyes.”

“What?”

“Close your eyes, it feels like you’re flying.” She looked back for a moment, their faces touching and he felt his cheeks heat up at her proximity. She smiled and turned back around as she closed her eyes. They kept falling and finally with a few bumps landed, and toppled over onto each other.

They laughed hearty heavy laughs that kept them on the ground. He lay on the snow, and began to calm his laughter as he felt her head upon his stomach. He looked down, seeing the knitted hat on her head, the little chunks of hair peeking out around her neck. Her cheeks were red from the piercing wind and lips were sparkling with chapstick.

“That was so great.” He heard her whisper. He smiled, a sense of satisfaction running through him.

They finally sat up and just remained on the floor for a few minutes.

“Max, why did you never tell me about Christine?” The question caught him off guard as his smile faded. He focused his eyes on her face.

“I did tell you about her. I told you that I was interested in her, and that we were seeing each other.”

“You said you guys had a sort of relationship, you didn’t ever say you’d fallen in love and were ready to get married.” He sat in silence. She was right. He never had said that.

“It’s complicated.”

“How complicated?”

“Look, Liz… we kind of got involved in this relationship which we both thought could be something bigger. I was pretty much sold that I could be with her.”

“But….”

“There was something else.”

“Something else?”

“Someone else.”

“I don’t think I understand.” He stood up finally and began to gather the sled. He didn’t quite know what he was saying. He felt his mind begin to swirl. He cursed himself for not having the guts to just come out and say what he was thinking.

“Let’s go back up.” He began the trek back up the hill. She followed closely, obviously frustrated.

“You’re changing the subject.”

“I just wanted to go for another ride.”

“Max.”

“What? What Liz? What do you want me to tell you?” They stopped finally as they reached the top of the hill. He turned abruptly to face her. They stood there for a few moments, the cold air between them, and their eyes glaring into each others challengingly.

“I want you to tell me what is going on. What are you feeling? Why does this whole situation seem so… weird?”

“I don’t know if I really want to tell you.” Her eyes opened as her nostrils flared in exasperation. He could tell she was reaching her wit’s end.

“What?! Since when can you not tell me something? Even though I didn’t want to, I told you about Antonio, now you tell me what’s going on. This is obviously bothering you Max, I just want to be able to help you.”

“What I’m going to say might change everything.” He spit out before he could think, and then tightened his jaw, wanting to bite his tongue off for opening his big mouth. Her face softened as she looked at him again, something different in her eyes. Was it fear?

“What is it? Just… say it.” She stood before him, her feet firmly planted, her jaw set. He looked into her eyes, the eyes he had come to trust, and admire. He knew if he didn’t say it now. He’d never say it.

“I think I’m in love with you Liz.” She froze, her expression blank as he awaited some sort of answer or acknowledgement. When he received none, he put down the sled and sighed. He didn’t know what else to do. He’d said it. It was out. Now it was up to her to make the next move. He sat on the sled and let himself fall, leaving her shocked and silent atop the hill

[roswellianprincess16]

A/N: Hey everyone! You all seem to think that I'm quite evil!
LOL. Well, I decided to post a day early. As a matter of a fact, now that I have finished the story on this end, I will be posting the chapters every two days. SO... now, I'm posting today and I will be posting Tuesday. Hope to see you all then.

This new part is short, but... it should answer your questions about Liz.
See you Tuesday.

Part 5a- Confessions

There’s always that one person that will always have your heart,
You never see it coming ‘cause you’re blinded from the start.
Know that you’re that one for me
Here for everyone to see. - Usher

They rode home in complete silence. She was still incapable of putting together a sentence. The shock had been like a punch in the stomach. Similar to the feeling she’d gotten when he’d confessed he was engaged, except this felt like more of a kick to the stomach than just a punch.

She could feel the tension and she hated it, but every time she went to say something, she went blank again and simply continued focused on the road, wanting to drive.

“Pull over.”

“What?” She stated as she was snapped back into reality.

“Pull over.” She pulled over to the side of the road and noticed for the first time that it hadn’t snowed all day. Not since yesterday afternoon. And suddenly, it had begun to flurry. Max opened the door and stepped out of the car. He walked with his hands tucked in his pockets, and his head down to protect against the wind.

“Max, wait!” She jumped out and followed him, realizing they were near the cliff. She fell in line with him as they walked in silence for a few moments.

“Say something Liz, for the love of God, say something.” She looked down and sighed loudly, trying to think of what she wanted to say.

“I… I don’t know where this puts us.”

“What do you mean?” He stopped, and looked over at her. The snow was now falling heavier, and beginning to get on his lashes. She watched them and then looked into his desperate eyes.

“I mean that I… I don’t know what to say to you. You come here saying you’re engaged. You just show up, after three years of being gone and it’s like all these things are happening in my life, all these feelings at once, and now you throw this bombshell on me and I… I don’t know!”

“Do you love me?”

She stood in stunned silence as he expected an answer.

“Max… I… we’ve been friends for a long time….”

“That wasn’t what I asked. I said do you love me?”

“I… I’ve always loved you, you know that….”

“That’s not what I mean either. Liz, you and I have been closer than anyone else in my life. You know things about me I would never tell anyone. Every time I’m around you there are these feelings, this panic that runs through me that you will never see me the way I see you. I can’t live with that.”

“Max….”

“Now, I know you feel something for me. I know you do, and I know it’s deeper than friendship. Liz, my first night with any woman was with you, after prom. I cherish that memory more than you know. What I am realizing is… I have been in love with you ever since. I know that you have had failed relationships, but I have never given you reason to doubt me. I need to know if what I’m feeling is in vain.”

He grabbed her face in his gloved hands and breathed out, the warm smoke warming her skin.

“I know you loved me once. I wasn’t ready then. We always promised each other that if nothing else, we would have each other. I need to know if that still stands.”

She stood in silence, simply staring into his eyes, hers now filling with tears.

“I’m going to kiss you.” He stated simply as she felt the electricity begin to build throughout her body. She felt the flutter of butterflies that she was constantly fighting in her stomach. “If you don’t want me to, just tell me to stop.” He looked at her carefully, and she simply stared at him, no answer visible in her face.

He leaned in closer, slowly, giving her time to change her mind. She felt her body tense as he stood right before her. Then she closed her eyes, and felt his cool lips upon hers. She sighed, letting the tension slip as the familiar taste of his mouth warmed her. She smiled as she tasted the melting snowflakes on his lips. She hadn’t wanted to admit it to herself. All these years she could never commit. Now, she knew why. She’d always been in love with another man. Max Evans.

[roswellianprincess16]

A/N: Hello Everyone! You all seem to be wondering what Liz is thinking and feeling. Well, have you ever been completely wrapped up in a moment? Lost in the magic of a situation? Yea... read on.

PS. See you all on Thursday.

Part 5b- She Will Be Loved

Beauty queen of only 18,
She had some trouble with herself.
He was always there to help her,
She always belonged to someone else.
I drove for miles and miles and wound up at your door.
I’ve had you so many times, but somehow I want more. – Maroon 5

It was the distant sound of the phone that first made him alert of his surroundings. The world began to come into a foggy haze as he slowly opened his eyes. He heard it again, a little louder this time, as his brain began to focus on reality. There was some noisy fumbling and then the voice.

“Hello?” It was groggy and deep with the leftover of sleep. He felt everything in his body begin to warm. He looked to the side and saw her lying there beside him; her bare shoulders exposed, and the warmth of her skin warming him.

“Maria?!” Suddenly, she was up against the headboard, the comforter held up to her chin by her spare hand.

“I didn’t expect you so early. No, no of course it’s alright, I just wasn’t awake and you startled me. No, fine. I’ll start making breakfast. Ok. Ok, bye.” She hung up the phone and simply sat as he watched her, remembering the night before.

Images of passion rushed through his mind. He smiled, knowing that it was a moment he’d carry with him forever.

“Liz.” He said, for lack of anything else to say. He was desperately hoping that it would break the silence she was keeping.

“This was a mistake. It was all a big mistake. I shouldn’t have let it get this far. You… you’re going to get married and I… I have this business and we… we’re friends. We’re best friends. This can’t… it won’t happen again. I’m sorry.”

She began to get up as she wrapped herself in the blanket. She walked out into the cool hallway. He rushed up, grabbing a blanket to wrap around himself as well, and went after her.

“No, don’t do this. You know just as much as I do that we both wanted each other last night. That we both have been holding back years of passion, hiding behind our friendship. Liz, we love each other….”

“It’s too late for us.” She closed the door of the bathroom and he stood still, watching as it closed before him. He wouldn’t let her ruin this for him. This was the moment he’d waited for since senior year of high school. They had been doing a dance, flirting with their feelings for so long, knowing that one day it would explode into this. Unfortunately, their timing was not that great.

He threw on some sweat pants and headed downstairs. He washed his hands and pulled out the waffle maker. He would start breakfast until Maria got there. He thought about the day before, about his confession. About how he felt when she looked at him, her face in awe and then they kissed. It was like magic, with the snow falling on top of them, as the holiday lights decorated the areas around them.

He started to put together the mix, feeling the cold linoleum against his toes. He shivered, realizing he didn’t have on a shirt, and headed for the thermostat. He felt so at home here, more so than he had in years. Not since Roswell had he felt that way. It seemed like it was true, what people said: Home is where the heart is. He’d left his heart with Liz so long ago. He smiled, enjoying the thought of the whole gang together again. He really couldn’t wait.


***


She turned off the hot water and began to dry herself off with the towel. Her heart was feeling heavy in her chest. What had she done? Slept with another woman’s man? Then again, he was HER man first.

“STOP IT.” She willed herself, but couldn’t help the jealousy that had begun to penetrate her system. After all, she and Max had shared everything. He had been her first in all ways, emotionally and physically and she had been his. Even after, they managed to reclaim their friendship and had been the best of friends ever since.

Not without their share of flirting and games. She stepped out of the bathroom and into her room as she heard the pipes start to work. He must’ve turned on the heat. She smiled, suddenly realizing that she was already getting used to having someone there with her. Not just someone… but him.

She couldn’t. He wouldn’t be there for much longer and getting her hopes all up would only disappoint her. Then again… he’d just admitted he loved her. Where did that put them?

She threw on a pair of her comfy, worn-in jeans and her favorite sweater, the one with Rudolph on it; the one Max had given her for Christmas her first year of college. She always loved to wear it, because the little red cottonball that stuck out of Rudolph’s nose was extremely fun to play with.

She laughed at herself, realizing how ridiculous she sounded and combed out the tangles in her wet hair. She put on a pair of warm socks and headed out the door, just as Max was making his way into his room. She stopped for a moment, wondering if he’d seen her because he didn’t say anything. Then again, with the way she’d reacted, she wouldn’t be surprised if he was hurt and angry at her.

What kind of woman lets a man open up his heart, then turned him down? She had always suspected there was something more between them, but she would never have said anything. For fear that she would lose him completely.

She made her way down the stairs and took a deep breath to take in the scent of the cinnamon and pine cone reefs she’d made and put over the fireplace. Then she noticed another smell; the aroma of sweet butter and Belgian Waffles. She went into the kitchen and smiled as she saw the stack of waffles on the serving plate, and the pure maple syrup on the table. She took out some sausage links and threw them on the griddle.

She looked around and decided she wanted to change the centerpieces. She headed toward the backroom and pulled out the baskets she’d bought and the pine cones she’d been collecting throughout the fall. She placed a basket on each table, and filled it with pine cones, fall leaves and in the center she placed cinnamon and vanilla scented candles. Once they were all set, she lit the candles, and waited a few moments to take in the smell. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, pleased at the results.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang, startling her out of her reverie. She heard the sizzling on the griddle, and ran to remove them. She placed them on a separate serving plate. The doorbell rang again and she scrambled to put the plates on the table. Before she could reach the door, the doorbell stopped and there was a loud shriek. Maria had arrived.

“OH MY GOD! Look at you! You… you look great. Jesus Christ, when did you get so frickin’ sexy. You’re lucky you’re not my type.” She stood at the kitchen entrance and watched as Maria draped her arms over a sharply dressed Max Evans.

He had showered and washed his hair, which was slicked back. He had cleaned up his beard a bit, so it was less shaggy man and more stubbly and sexy. He’d thrown on a turtleneck and sweater. He had on a pair of sexy dark blue jeans to complete the outfit. She smiled, liking the way they hugged his butt.

She shook her head and laughed at herself. How completely ridiculous! She looked at Maria, who was wearing a sweater and a pencil skirt with boots. Her pea coat lay against her body fitted, and she had a colorful scarf wrapped around her neck that matched her winter hat. She looked absolutely adorable. They all made quite a picture.

“Maria, it’s great to see you.” Max pulled her away from him and spun her around, taking her in. “You look great.”

“Thank you, thank you.” She smirked and looked past his shoulders to see Liz standing in the doorway with a silly grin on her face.

“LIZZIE!”

“Maria.” She smiled widely, truly feeling happy to see her friend again. Maria ran over to her and took her in for a huge hug.

“Sweetie, you look beautiful. Except for that sweater… you know how I feel about it.”

“Yes, you’ve told me. It looks like it belongs to an eight year old.”

“Hey, hey, I gave her that sweater.”

“Right… well, if I recall, you were never much of a fashionista, so I wouldn’t want Liz wearing it.” She smirked, and they all laughed knowing just how true it was.

“Where are your bags?” Liz asked as she looked around the front door and didn’t see anything.

“Oh… they’re in the car. Along with everything I brought.”

“What’d you bring?” Maria looked around and nodded her head as if confirming a mental thought.

“You don’t have a tree Liz.”

“Oh… well, I was going to get one.”

“When? Huh? Next Christmas?”

“I brought one. It’s on top of the car.” Maria smiled as she crossed her arms across her chest. Liz ran over to the door incredulously. “I’m going to need Max to bring it in, because I definitely can’t in these boots. I also have a box of decorations in the trunk.

We can start right after breakfast.” Liz laughed and shook her head. If she didn’t know any better, Maria might have seemed to be spending time with Isabel. Isabel had always been infamous for her over the top Christmas antics. Then again… Isabel had yet to arrive.

“Ok, I’m going to close the door because it’s freezing.” Max smiled as he closed the door and Liz lead Maria into the kitchen.

“Mmmm… it smells so good in here.”

“Max made breakfast.”

“Woah, and he can cook!” He laughed as he appeared at the doorframe. Liz looked at him, loving his comfortable easy going expression. She felt her heart tug at her. What was she going to do? Would she tell him how she felt? What could they do with him all the way in California and with her here? In Newport? She couldn’t give everything up, not after all the work she’d put into it. She felt her heart drop. Perhaps, they would be right where they started; knowing that only friendship was the right choice.

[roswellianprincess16]

A/N: Won't be around on Saturday guys... soooo... I'll post the new part on Sunday.

See you then.



Part 6- Diary

Lay your head on my pillow
Here you can be yourself
One has to know what you are feelings
No one, but me and you
I won’t tell your secrets,
Your secrets are safe with me.
I will keep your secrets; just think of me as the pages in your diary. – Alicia Keys

They all sat on the couch, exhausted and worn from the extensive holiday decorating. They had brought in the large Christmas tree Maria had on top of her car. After bringing in her luggage and the box of ornaments, they spent the last two and half hours decorating the whole B&B. The tree was full of sparkly circles in red, green, silver, and gold. There were bright lights all over the place and stockings on the mantel for everyone arriving, even Michael Guerin.

The upstairs had been arranged for each person as Liz had already decided where she would room everyone. She was going to be offering the large suites on the third floor first. Then the smaller rooms downstairs after. Kyle and his guest would be in the master suite, Michael and Isabel would be in the last two suites.

Max had decided he liked his room downstairs, near Liz’s, and refused to give it up for an upgrade of any kind. Maria agreed, she demanded that Alex and she be roomed on the second floor as well. Each room was cleaned, vacuumed, and had the sheets turned down in expectancy of a guest. He could see Liz’s excitement begin to grow as she realized it would be the grand opening of her project. The baby she’d been nourishing for over two years.

Now, the three of them sat on the couch, it was well past noon, and they were simply enjoying the fire crackling before them.

“The place looks incredible. Thank you Maria.” She smiled, bringing up her knees onto the couch making herself comfortable. She sat between Max and Maria. He let himself enjoy the warmth of her body beside him.

“Yea, I have to admit, it looks a lot better than I thought.”

“Oh, ye of little faith. You all have to trust me; I know what I’m doing.” They sat again in silence for a few moments. Maria finally began to stand up. “I’m going to freshen up. I’m hitting the showers, and then we are going to go for a little ride. We have to put out the flyers, and discount offers at the local stores and areas before the grand opening to the public on New Year’s.”

The three of them nodded in agreement as she slumped her way up the stairs. They heard the door slam. He sat in the thickening silence, just enjoying Liz’s company.

“Max… about last night.” He felt his heart stop. He reached for his chest to press his hand against it. He didn’t want her to say it. He simply wanted to enjoy her.

“We can’t do this. You’re getting married and… I’m throwing you an engagement party. It would be so hypocritical of me to sleep with you and enjoy you. Then hand you over tainted to the woman that you lov….”

She stopped short at her words and turned to look at him finally, her dark brown eyes digging into his as he felt her trying to pry within him.

“Do you even love her?”

“I can’t love anyone the way I love you.” He managed to breathe out, despite his chest burning and his heart now beating wildly.

“Why did you come here?” She asked exasperated, her face pulled together tightly, with her feelings becoming evident in her eyes.

“Because I didn’t want to make the biggest mistake of my life.” They sat in silence as she turned to look away. He stared at her profile. The face he saw grow into the woman he’d known, and loved his entire life. He watched her carefully, seeing how hard she was trying to work things out in her head. He reached out and grabbed the hand she had on her thigh. He held it tightly as she turned to look at him.

“Max, I….”

He held his breath, waiting for the words, wanting nothing more than to hear them.

“I….”

“Ok! You guys ready to go?” Maria appeared at the bottom of the stairs. and he cursed beneath his breath wanting to slam his head against the wall. He sighed loudly and began to stand up after Liz. He could really use a Snow Monkey right now.

***

“Well, I am stuffed. Steaks and mashed potatoes… you two spoil me.” Maria smiled as she started to get up from the couch. They had just finished watching A Christmas Story and stuffing their faces with food. Liz could only smile, loving how exhausted she was from all the hard work and entertaining guests.

She began to clean up and take things into the kitchen when she heard the footsteps behind her.

“We should finish talking.” She heard the deep voice that stirred her soul. She turned to see his face behind her, with plates in his hand.

“Maybe tomorrow, I’m ready to get into some pajamas and lie in bed for a while.” He nodded as he helped her put the dishes into the dishwasher.

“I’m going to hang out down here for a while, watch some TV… is that ok?”

“Please, make yourself at home.” She leaned forward and did something she hadn’t done in years. She gave him a soft kiss on the cheek and bid him goodnight. She headed upstairs. Once she reached her room, she closed the door behind her with a sigh.

“Ok, time to talk.” She opened her eyes, startled by the voice, and smiled at seeing Maria lying on her bed.

“You’ve got the gifts?”

“Of course! Who do you think you’re talking to?” She leaned across the bed and pulled up a large garbage bag full of gifts. Liz could only smile. This had to be one of her favorite holiday traditions, hands down. She headed toward her closet. She pulled out some rolls of wrapping paper and scotch tape.

After throwing them on the bed, she headed toward the dresser to find her pajamas. She looked around and spotted some warm flannel pajamas that were buttoned in the shirt and had a loose waist. Perfect. Just what she wanted.

“So tell me… what’s with all the tension?” She froze for a moment at hearing Maria’s voice. She couldn’t lie to her. Maria always knew when she was lying. She chose denial instead.

“What tension?”

“Oh come on Liz, it oozes out of the both of you when you’re near each other. Did something happen?” There was a moment of silence and then Liz turned to Maria, fully dressed in her pajamas. She jumped onto the bed beside her friend. She sighed loudly and Maria laughed, shaking her head in response. “You know it disturbs me that you still look just like you did when we were 16. You’re just as cute and innocent.”

They both laughed as Maria began pulling out items from the bag and Liz curled up, her feet underneath her butt, to try and keep them warm.

“Maria… he’s involved with a woman. Seriously involved. He came here to tell me that he’s getting married.” The room went silent as Maria slowly put down the gift and stared up at her best friend’s sad face.

“Oh my God… are you serious?”

“Yes.”

“Well, how do you feel?”

“What do you mean?”

“Oh come on Liz, everyone knows that the two of you have been in love since we were like 6 years old. You guys are like soul mates. You’re just going to let him go off and get married?! I mean… didn’t you see My Best Friend’s Wedding?!!!??”

“Maria HUSH!” Liz reached out and covered her friend’s mouth desperately trying to silence her.

“I’m not ready to be in a relationship.” Maria leaned forward and shook Liz by the shoulders.

“Will you listen to yourself? This wouldn’t be a relationship. This would be… I don’t know it would be like beyond that. It would be like intense.”

“He told me he loved me yesterday.”

“WHAT!?”

“SH!!”

“What?” Maria whispered again, this time her eyes wild with frustration. “And you’re just going to sit here?”

“I’m throwing him an engagement party tomorrow Maria. What am I going to do?”

Maria pulled out an album that had been in the bag. She opened it up to a page full of old friend pictures. They both looked down and on the left hand side was a picture of Max and Liz, hugging, while ice skating. On the opposite side was a picture of the two of them as children, in front of the camera with dirty mouths, and Maria in the back with the spaghetti that had fallen in her hair. They started laughing as they looked up at each other and then back down at the album.

“If I believed in signs honey, I’d say that this was proof enough that you know what you have to do. You have to let him love you. And you have to love him back. You are incapable of anything else.” Maria smiled and closed the book.

She reached in and pulled out a trendy new I-pod. “Now… we both know Alex is a downloading music freak. I figured I’d give him a place to store it, so he doesn’t go nuts getting all those blank CDs.” She held it out for Liz to see and she nodded in agreement. “What’d you get him?”

“Blank CDs.” They both laughed and began to wrap their presents.

After what seemed like hours, they had pretty much wrapped up all of their gifts.

“These are the last two.” Liz looked down, at the basket before her as she started to fill it with some of the gifts. Maria looked down at her gift, and sighed loudly. “Liz… I didn’t know what to get him because I haven’t even seen him in like three years.”

Liz looked up from her work and looked into Maria’s eyes confused. “Get who?”

“Michael.”

“You actually got him something?”

“Well, yea… I’m not completely heartless.”

“No… no I just thought… forget it. Let me see.”

Maria held it out and crossed her arms around her chest in frustration. She reached up for a moment to rub her eyes and looked over at the alarm clock which now read 2:30AM.

Liz smiled as she looked down at the CD in her hands. Metallica- Live in London. He probably already had it, but it was the thought that counted.

“Maria, this is great. I think he’s going to love it.”

“It’s signed.”

“What?”

“I met up with the guys at the studio, I guess they’re working on a new album or something… anyway, I got them to sign it. So it’s like a collector’s item now.” Liz’s eyes opened wide in amazement and she looked back over at Maria.

“He’s going to die when he sees this.”

“Let’s hope so.” Maria laughed and then reached out to look at the goodies still on the bed. “What’s that?”

“Max’s gift. I bought him some cologne, the kind that he likes, I baked him some gingerbread cookies which are wrapped up in cellophane paper. I threw in some old photographs, a few scented candles, and this bracelet. I had gotten for him a few months ago.” She opened up the gold box and Maria’s eyebrows went up in curiosity.

“I swear to God Liz you better have an awesome gift for me after showing me this.” They both laughed as Liz finished wrapping up the gift. They put all of the wrapped gifts back on the floor beside her bed. They fell back onto the plush bed, exhausted.

***

He knocked softly on the door, awaiting some sort of response. Nothing. Complete silence. Well of course, it was practically 3am. He opened the door softly, not sure what to expect. He smiled at the sight of Liz and Maria sprawled out on the bed. Maria was still in her regular clothes and Liz was comfortable in her pajamas. He tip toed in and tapped Maria’s shoulder. She made a few grunting noises and then finally her eyes opened slowly as she tried to focus on his face.

“Hey, you fell asleep. I thought you might want to get into something more comfortable.”

“Are you hitting on me?”

“You just don’t miss a beat, do you?” She smiled and stood up, following him out of the room as she turned off the light and closed the door.

“Admit it Evans, you just wanted to catch a glimpse of Liz in her nighty.”

“I’m not denying it. I was going to fight if you two were in skimpy lingerie and I wasn’t invited.” He winked at her and started making his way toward his room when he felt her hand on his arm.

“She loves you, you know. She just needs a little convincing. She hasn’t had the best of luck with men. She’s just not ready to have her heart broken.”

“I would never do that to her. You know that.”

“I do… but does she?”

“She should.”

“You’d be surprised babe, you’d be surprised.” She smiled and headed to her room. The room across from his, and as they stood in their doorways, the doors partially closed. She turned, blew him a kiss, and closed it behind her. Maybe her words were a sign. Maybe he wouldn’t give up on Liz. It was Christmas after all. He could at least pray for a miracle.

[roswellianprincess16]

PLEASE READ: It seems you all are concerned about Max's actions. He is after all, making moves on Liz when he's engaged. Or is he? What exactly is going on???!!! AHH!!! I know, I'm making you all miserable. lol Well, here I have decided to add another chapter, one that I think is important in the movement of the plot. Maybe this will answer just a few questions. And don't worry... I'm posting again on Sunday (as I originally promised.) Have a great day you guys. And again... Thanks for reading.

Part 7- Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground

Thirty notes in the mailbox
Will tell ya that I’m coming home
And I think I’m gonna stick around
For a while so you’re not alone,
For a while so you’re not alone. – White Stripes

It was the sound of the telephone that shook her awake as she scrambled to find the receiver. She reached over, stumbling over a few items. She finally picked up the phone wondering what time it was.

“Hello?” She replied groggily.

“Bonjour mon amie! Buen dia!”

“Huh?” She sat up trying to make out the voice. She knew it was familiar, but could not figure out for her life why.

“I believe you have a package waiting for you at the airport.”

“A package?” She tried to remove the hair on her face so she could see the alarm clock. It read 10AM. She’d totally overslept.

“Yes, there’s an Alex Whitman waiting for you in the lobby. Feel free to come get him sometime today.”

“ALEX! I thought you weren’t coming until tonight!”

“Well, change of plans. I got a ticket out early. I’m sick of working, and the truth is… I really miss you and Maria.” She smiled, enjoying the timber of his tone. She hadn’t realized until now just how much she missed him too.

“Which gate are you at? I think everyone here is sleeping.”

“Everyone?”

“Well, Maria and Max are the only ones here so far. We’re expecting Michael and Isabel today too.”

“Uh-oh. Is the house to the Christmas Nazi standards?” She laughed, knowing he meant it in the most lovable way possible.

“I don’t think it’ll receive a failing grade.”

“Good, so come on and get me, I’m starved.” She nodded, as if he could see her. She stretched, and then began to get up out of bed.

“We’ll be there in a few.”

She hung up the phone, a fuzzy feeling filling her tummy. What a great day it would be! She opened the door and ran out to the hallway screaming out to her guests.

“OH! The weather outside is frightful, but the fire is so delightful, since there’s no place to go. Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.” She knocked on Max’s door, and then twirled to Maria’s.

“When we finally kiss goodnight, how I’ll hate going out in the storm. But if you’ll really hold me tight, all the way home I’ll be warm!” She sang at the top of her lungs, a bright smile plaguing her features. She heard the stirring begin in the rooms. Finally, a door cracked open slightly to reveal a very messy Maria.

“Will you please not torture us this way… we are your guests.” Liz smiled, and kissed her best friend on the forehead.

“Get ready, we’re getting Alex at the airport in twenty minutes.”

She turned around, and was startled to see Max at his doorway. His body leaning up against the frame, his hands crossed against his chest. He had the makings of day old stubble and his hair was messy from sleep. She couldn’t help but smile at how beautiful he still looked.

“I hope this is not your idea of morning wake up calls, because business is going to be bad.” She laughed and hit his chest as she ran toward her room to jump into the shower.

Once she was ready, she grabbed her scarf, hat and gloves and headed out her room, ready to face the cold winter day. Maria was talking to Max in the dining room over coffee. As soon as she walked in they poured her a cup.

“Why aren’t you dressed?” Liz looked at him curiously, then back at Maria.

“I’m not going. I’m going to stay here, wait for Michael and Isabel to call.”

“Oh come on, they probably won’t be here until much later.”

“They said about 2 or 3 o’clock. It’s already half past ten.”

“Good point.” She smiled as she took a sip of her coffee and shrugged. “I really wanted you to come.”

“I’ll be here when you get back.” He smiled, and stood up to kiss her forehead. Then he headed to the sink. She blushed and looked down to see Maria staring at her with a raised eyebrow.

“Shut up.” She whispered and Maria just laughed. “Alright, well let’s go.”

***

He headed back upstairs, ready to get in some more snoozing time. He had been up until really late. Then even when he’d gotten into bed, he spent most of the night thinking about what was to come.

Just as he was getting comfortable and pulling the comforter up tightly, he heard the ringing of his cell phone. He scrambled to grab it off the nightstand and smiled as he saw the number.

“Morning Isabel.”

“Morning little brother, how are things going?”

“Not too bad, can’t wait to see you guys.”

“Soon, soon. We just left Detroit, Michael took forever to get himself packed and ready… you’d think that he wants to bring his entire wardrobe. Either way, his flight just landed. We’re taking the connecting flight to Green Airport. Anyway, we should be there at about 2pm. Be at the airport, I don’t want to be standing around like a stranger in a foreign land. See if you can get a truck, I brought gifts.”

He smirked at his sister’s words, knowing that she meant well, but she was already going crazy with her Christmas activities.

“No problem Isabel.”

“Max… is everything alright? You sound a little down. It’s Christmas, where’s your holiday spirit?”

“I told Liz.” There was a bit of a silence. He could imagine the expression on her face as she thought out the situation.

“And?”

“Well, it didn’t go as well as I thought.”

“She’s probably scared Max.”

“I know… that’s what Maria said.”

“You have to have faith Max, faith in yourself, faith in Liz, and faith in the love that you two share. If you believe in it, nothing can tear you both apart.”

“Now that I’ve said it… I can’t imagine not being with her.”

“Just keep according to plan. Trust your big sister… you’ll get what you want for Christmas.” He smirked and breathed out, knowing that she was right.

“Ok Iz, I’ll see you in a few hours.”

“Ok. Bye Max.”

“Bye Iz.” He hung up the phone, and closed his eyes, finally allowing himself to drift into a peaceful sleep.

***

“Is that him?” They both looked over at the crowd excitedly, awaiting the figure of their best friend.

“Maria, it’s obviously been a long time since you’ve seen him.” They started laughing as they watched the heavier set man walk past them.

“Yea, huh?” They turned back around, looking through the crowds when they saw the small square glasses.

“ALEX! That’s him, that’s him! ALEX!” Liz started jumping up and down. Maria turned around, trying to hide the embarrassment and covering her face.

“Liz… stop. He can see you.” He walked closer and they smiled at him. His hair longer and a bit shaggy, his face covered in a full beard and mustache. He looked like a complete stranger.

“LADIES!” He dropped his bags and opened his arms wide as the two small women ran toward him and smothered him with hugs and kisses.

“You look… barbaric.” Maria stated with a smile and reached up to touch the fuzzy hair.

“Don’t worry, I’m shaving for Christmas.” He winked at Liz and kissed her forehead. “Look at you. All growed up. You guys look great.” He released the women in his grasp. He picked up his bags as they headed to baggage claim.

“I’m .so glad you’re here Alex!”

“Me too! I can’t wait to see your place. Maria has been raving about it for weeks. It was kinda driving me crazy.”

“Excuse me!”

They all laughed as they waited for the big silver machine to start up and spit out everyone’s personal belongings.

“So I’m starving… where are we going to eat?”

“Well, actually, Max is still home…”

“So? We bring him something. Who told him not to come?” Liz opened her eyes widely as she tilted her head in amusement.

“Alex!”

“What? Look, I had a LONG flight. I deserve some breakfast.”

“I agree… I mean look at him; eating all that European food has made him look… stringy. He needs some good old fashioned American fat.” They rolled their eyes and laughed.

“There’s a diner down the street from the B&B. We’ll stop there. They’ve got some great omelets.” They grabbed his bags, and headed out into the snowy winter morning.

***

Max was just finishing up wrapping his gifts when he heard the doorbell. He felt his stomach jump excitedly. Who would it be?

“OPEN THE DOOR! It’s like a frickin’ igloo out here!” He heard the yell from outside the door. He smiled, ready to run down the stairs.

“I’m coming, I’m coming!” He thudded down, skipping a few steps along the way and then he gathered himself together before he swung open the door.

“Merry Christmas!” The excited yelp was accompanied by a big hug. He smiled, hugging his sister back.

“Isabel… you look beautiful. What did you do to your hair?” She smiled, and turned her head to make her hair swing from side to side.

“I’m glad you noticed! I had it cut into layers, darkened it to a bit of a chestnut brown and added highlights. This moron didn’t even know I looked different.”

“Hey, don’t get all pissy with me Nazi, you had it back when I first saw it. Besides, it’s not like I care that you’ve done something with your hair.” Michael smirked, and looked over at Max with a smile.

“Nothing has changed huh?” Max smiled. He reached out to hug Michael.

“Guess not. This place is pretty sharp.”

“Yea, she’s done a lot of work. Come in, come in. Look around.” He moved over to let them in, and smiled as Isabel looked around with a pleased expression.

“She really has the Christmas spirit this year. I like it.”

“WOOHOO! She has succeeded in pleasing the Christmas Nazi. I say Liz deserves a serious prize.”

“Shut up Michael.” He laughed, loving how it felt to have them all together again.

“So, what did you need a truck for?”

“Gifts, what else? They’re all packed up in the car. Trunk and back seat are stuffed.”

“I should’ve known.” Max smiled and rolled his eyes. “Before we go out there, let me show you where you two will be staying.” He headed up the stairs as he heard them stepping behind him. He could hear the whispers as they admired the décor on the second floor. He continued up the stairs toward the suites on the third. He looked around and saw the welcome signs hanging on the door knobs. Liz must’ve done that today. He smiled, and reached for the first door.

“Isabel, this is your suite.” He opened the door to reveal a large queen size bed adorned in a large red comforter and gold sheets. The pillows were fluffed, the fireplace was going, and there was a small decorated Christmas tree on the other side of the room. He felt his heart swell, seeing how Liz had taken such care to make his sister feel at home.

“My God… it’s gorgeous.” She walked in and sat on the bed, giving it a little bounce and smiling in response. “And, so comfortable.”

“There’s a bathroom past that door over there, with a Jacuzzi and a separate bath and shower.”

“I must say, this is way beyond what I imagined.”

“Yea… Liz is full of surprises.” He smiled and left his sister to take Michael next door to his own room. He opened the door and Michael walked in and threw himself on the bed, covered in green and brown sheets.

“Liz is something.”

“Yes, she is.”

“You’re so hooked, worse than a pathetic fish on a bait hook.”

“Thanks Michael.”

“Well, it’s not like she couldn’t take care of you with this swanky place.” He sat up and looked around as Max sat beside him.

“I don’t want her to take care of me Michael. I can take care of her just as well. I just want to be with her.”

“And do her… until both of your brains explode.”

“MICHAEL!” They looked up to see the menacing shadow of Isabel Evans at the door. Max laughed, feeling like a kid again, for the first time in a long time.

***

“So let me get this straight, amongst the entire opening of the B&B and the hustle and bustle of Christmas, Max came and declared his love, despite the fact that he’s getting married?”

“He said he’s engaged… but I think there’s more to it. Something he isn’t telling me. I mean, he’s always told me everything Alex, and not mentioning that he and Christine were that serious doesn’t seem right.”

“Geez… I guess that’s what happens when you’re gone a while.”

“Yea… hey Alex, do you want the rest of your home fries?”

“No, go ahead. So what are you going to do Liz?”

“I’m not sure.”

“How can you not be sure? We all know you love him.”

“But, can I drop everything to be with him?”

“Woah, woah.” Maria tried chewing the food stuffed in her mouth. She looked over at Liz sharply. “Why should you have to drop everything? You have a life here Liz, a great life too. If he loves you, he’ll respect that.”

“I hate to say it Lizzie, but I agree. You two should be able to work out a compromise.”

“I guess you’re right. Come on, it’s time to go.” They stood up as Maria took one last bite of her food.

“Stop stuffing your face Maria, you’re going to get fat.”

“WHAT! Alex, the cold air must have fried your brain child, don’t you ever say Maria and fat in the same sentence or I might have to cut you.”

Liz laughed, and sighed as they all stepped into her car. They drove off down the plowed streets as Maria and Alex argued, and then laughed, and then argued again. They’d obviously missed each other.

She pulled up, and looked at the extra car parked out front. She paused for a moment, wondering what it would be like to be all in the same room again. They stepped out and walked up the front steps as she slowly opened the door.

“Hey!” Isabel and Michael both stood up from the couch as Liz walked in with Alex and Maria behind her.

“Liz, it’s so great to see you!” She felt the warm arms of her old friends embrace her. She smiled as she hugged back.

“It’s so great to see you Isabel.” She looked over and saw Michael, his hands in his pockets, standing awkwardly beside Isabel. “Come here.” She pulled him in for an odd hug and laughed when he pushed away. Seems like nothing changed.

She moved over as she watched Max, still on the couch, a large smile on his face. She knew she mirrored his joy exactly.

“Alex Whitman, I can’t believe it.”

“Isabel Evans… look at you. I love what you’ve done with your hair.”

“Thank you!” Liz laughed as Isabel twirled her hair, and then hit Michael, obviously some sort of inside story. “It’s so great to see you. I’ve missed you.” She smiled and reached out to hug him tightly. The only two that had never really hooked up, Liz thought. Wouldn’t it be great? On Christmas even?

The room went deathly silent as Michael ended up before Maria, the tension between them thick and visible. They stood in silence for a few moments, looking at each other and taking in the differences of time.

“Michael.” Maria broke the silence first. Liz held her breath, hoping it wouldn’t be an all out war. Please, please, please.

“Maria.” Michael stated and they continued to stare at each other, their faces softening a bit before them.

“It’s great to see you.” She stated finally, and smirked. Liz could see his shoulders losing their tension.

“Yea.”

The room seemed to suddenly come alive again as everyone breathed out a sigh of relief, and the voices all proceeded and everyone continued catching up.

Liz sat on the couch, finally letting herself relax. She looked over at Max’s smiling face and couldn’t help smiling in return.

“So?” He asked her, seeing the happiness in her eyes.

“I think this might be my favorite Christmas ever.”

She smiled widely, and took in the people and faces in the room. After a whole year pretty much alone, she hadn’t realized how much she wanted… no, needed, to be with friends. She felt complete now.

[roswellianprincess16]

A/N: HELLO GUYS! I'm here, just as I promised. Now you all seem to be posing some very good points about the reaction Max might get if he were in fact... tricking Liz. And after all... that is definitely NO WAY to start a relationship. So... what IS going on? What is he doing? Read on and see....

Part 8 – The First Taste

Oh your love gives
Me a heart confusion,
Adagio breezes fill
My skin with sudden red;
Your hungry flirt
Borders intrusion
I’m building memories on
Things we have not said. – Fiona Apple

Max looked at the long shopping list before him. His eyes were wide with disbelief.

“You can’t possibly need ALL of this for tonight, can you?” He looked up at his sister, her arms crossed against her chest. “I mean, this is… this is A LOT of food.”

He looked down at it again, unrolling it to see it all. He looked back up to see her still staring at him in that scary, obsessive, Christmas Nazi look that she gets when she’s really serious about something. He nodded, understanding her look.

“Ok, well, let me get dressed and ready. I shouldn’t be too long.”

“Great. Take Michael and Alex with you.”

“Huh? Umm… I didn’t volunteer.” She turned sharply to look over at Michael and his eyes widened in terror. Alex stood up taking the hint. Max could only shake his head and laugh at how much power Isabel held in one look.

“Liz, Maria and I will be here setting up for dinner tonight. And it has to be perfect, because it’s Christmas Eve. You know how I get when things aren’t perfect on Christmas!” The three men stood in a straight line and nodded their heads quickly in agreement.

“Let’s get the hell out of here before she turns into a demon child and kills us all.” Michael whispered as they ran up the stairs to hang out in Max’s room until they were ready to go. They could hear her yelling up the stairs.

“I heard that!” They ran into the room and closed the door behind them with a laugh. They sat on the bed as Max started pulling out some clothes.

“I almost forgot what Isabel was like during this time of year.” Alex shook his head and laughed, visualizing the few minutes they just had downstairs.

“Well, she’s like Scrooge in search for the perfect holiday and making everyone miserable until she finds it.” Max laughed, and nodded in agreement, knowing that Isabel has been like this forever. Michael picked up the remote control and started flipping through the channels.

“You know, why can’t we have a night like last night? Just order in some pizza, tell old stories and just… hang out, you know? What’s with the whole perfect Christmas crap?”

“This is a big event Michael. Liz is opening up the B&B tomorrow and Isabel really wants it to be great. Other than her whole obsession with Christmas, she really wants to make this special now that we’re all together for the first time again.”

“Yea, whatever… I say pizza with everything on it and some good movies. We stay up until midnight, give the stupid gifts and then sleep in on Christmas morning. Who’s with me?” They all laughed at Michael as Max grabbed his towel and headed toward the bathroom.

“Oh well… it doesn’t matter how crazy she acts. I’m just glad to be here, to see everyone again.” They all nodded in agreement as Max closed the door behind him.

***

Liz looked through cookbook as she tried deciding what deserts they were going to be having that evening.

“What I was thinking is we can take those long tables you have in the back and lay them against the wall. Maria, you still have those silk table cloths?”

“Yup, in the box in my room; I brought them to decorate, but we didn’t need them.”

“Great. We’ll throw them upon the tables and set up the candle holders and the candelabra I brought. We’ll put one of Liz’s centerpieces in front of the candelabra, that’ll look really beautiful.

Now, the menu.” Isabel looked over at Maria, who held a list beside her on the table, in front of the stack of cookbooks.

“Green bean casserole, stuffed turkey, lasagna, garlic bread, rolls and butter, and mashed potatoes with gravy.”

“Deserts.” Liz looked up, as if being summoned and held up the recipes in her hand.

“Apple pie, pumpkin pie, gingerbread cookies, strawberry shortcakes, and peppermint ice cream.”

“Ohhh, sounds good.” Isabel smiled and turned back to look toward the wall, trying to get a mental picture of the setup. “We’ll set all the food up buffet style on the long tables, and for drinks, other than soda and hot chocolate. I say we have some hot cider and cappuccinos, with the little dollop of French Vanilla Cool Whip.”

The three girls nodded their head in unison as Maria added French Vanilla Cool Whip to the grocery list. Max was going to have a fit. She laughed and then looked down at her own agenda. She had some magical plans of her own.

“Now, as for the entertainment….” Maria started off when the phone rang. Liz excused herself and stood up, heading to the wall to answer it.

“Northern Bungalow, Liz Parker speaking. Can I help you?” She smiled, loving the sound of her words. Yes, Northern Bungalow was perfect.

“Liz?!”

“Hello?”

“Hey, Liz it’s Kyle!”

“Kyle! Where are you?” She looked up at the clock above the kitchen, realizing it read 10AM. He was supposed to have arrived early this morning, in order to get settled for tonight.

“Listen, we’re in Rhode Island already, but we’re kind of stuck at the airport.”

“Is everything ok?” She looked over at the concerned faces sitting at the table.

“Umm… well, yea. Just a little hold up.”

“Do you need us to come get you?”

“Well, we have to pay a few damage fees and we’ll be right out of here.”

“Damage fees?” She pulled the phone away from her ear for a moment, to make sure she was hearing right and brought it back up with a puzzled expression on her face. What did Kyle get himself into this time?

“Yea. My girlfriend and I were being silly in the bathroom… you know, trying to join the mile high club. Then there was some turbulence so the fasten seatbelt sign came on and... Well, let’s just say that her heel dug into sink cabinet. I dropped a roll of toilet paper in the toilet, and it clogged sending that nasty blue water everywhere. We lost our footing, hit the door and went flying onto the floor half dressed.” She could hear the smirk in his voice and she couldn’t help but laugh.

“Well, good to hear that you’re alright and that you’re still the same Kyle Valenti from high school.” She could hear him laughing on the other line. She shook her head, not being able to avoid her own smirk.

“Ahh, come on Liz! I’ve changed! I was gonna use a condom!”

“Ooookkkk. Goodbye Kyle. Call me if you need me.” She hung up the phone and laughed as Maria and Isabel watched interested. “Don’t ask. I’m sure it’ll be a story told over dinner.” She headed back to the table just as the men came from upstairs. They lined up behind each other, as if appointing Max as rebel leader against the Christmas Nazi.

“Ok. We’re going. Do you have the list?” Maria reached her hand out and Isabel took it and placed it in Max’s.

“Don’t forget. I need it all by at least noon so that we’ll have enough time to start dinner.”

“And after that we’re free?” Michael asked from the back, his head poking out from behind Max.

“Yup. The rest of the afternoon will then belong to you.” They nodded and turned as they began to walk away. “Alex!”

He turned around, walking back toward the kitchen doorway to meet her.

“Do you mind hanging this on that hook for me?” She asked and he looked down at her bare feet, realizing that she couldn’t reach. He smiled, and nodded as he placed the object on the hook in the doorway. As soon as his hand came down she leaned in and kissed him, a soft, passionate kiss that left Liz and Maria with open jaws at the table.

“Merry Christmas.” She pointed up toward the object and he smiled.

“Mistletoe.”

“Now go, the guys are dying to get out of here.” She laughed as she turned around and he ran out, letting the door slam behind him.

“Ok, spill.” Maria stood up with her arms crossed around her chest.

“What? I figured I’d simply extend the Christmas spirit.”

“You better not have made it your job to be a gold digger Isabel Evans because if you hurt Alex Charles Whitman I will personally kick your as….”

“Ladies! Please! Let’s just… let’s enjoy the day.” Liz stood up and laughed, as she headed to the living room to put some more logs in the fire.

Maria walked in after her and Isabel followed suit, as they all sat on the couch enjoying the sparks that emerged from the fireplace before them. They all had a little while before the guys would be back, and even Isabel could use a rest after all the planning they’d been through all morning.

“Now, as I was saying. I brought entertainment.” Maria smiled as she pulled out a few of her favorite Christmas CDs. She passed them down as the girls looked through them and sorted out their favorites.

“And… since Liz is our host… I figured she should be the one most in the holiday spirit.” She stood and headed toward the stairs where a black bag sat on the floor. She walked back over to the two women on the couch and pulled out a red velvet dress with white fur trim.

“WHAT is THAT?” She saw Liz’s horrified expression and laughed.

“It’s your hostess outfit.”

“THAT? No… NO! That’s… I don’t know what that is.” Maria then proceeded to pull out a red and white Santa hat.

“It’s a Santa costume.”

“A HOOKER Santa costume! Wasn’t there a Mrs. Claus outfit? Or even a regular Santa outfit? I’d wear that!”

“Oh come on, that’s boring. I got this for you from Frederick’s of Hollywood and it comes with matching red stilettos. The guys will love it.” Liz looked over at Isabel terrified and huffed angrily as she saw the smirk on her face.

“You don’t think this completely insults everything about Christmas?”

“Actually, I think it’s hilarious. And to be honest, we could get a bunch of matching Santa hats and you can give it to everyone to wear after dinner. And we can all take a picture together. It’d be adorable.”

“ARGH! I can’t believe this!” Liz stood up, furious, and walked toward the kitchen, away from a laughing Maria and Isabel.

“HEY! Wait….” Liz turned around and Maria smiled widely as she pulled up a second black bag.

“Oh God….” Liz whispered as Maria began to pull out more red dresses. She handed one toward Isabel as her smile began to fade.

“We’re performing.”

“PERFORMING?” Liz took two steps back into the living room and stood, her hands at her side, her feet firmly planted on the ground, and her eyes and mouth wide open in shock.

“I’m doing dinner.” Isabel stood up quickly, as if pretending the words had never been spoken.

“After dinner.” Maria smiled again, shaking the garment in her hand, demanding that Isabel take it from her.

“And what are we going to be performing? I’m assuming nothing of a holy nature in these outfits?” Liz asked as she walked closer to the awful red velvet lying sprawled on the wooden coffee table.

“Santa Baby.”

“This just gets better and better, doesn’t it?” Isabel crossed her arms across her chest in frustration.

“Hey, that crap doesn’t work on me Isabel, so don’t even try it. Now come on! Lighten up! Let’s have some Christmas spirit!”

“This is not what Christmas is about!”

“Oh?” Maria rolled her eyes and waited patiently for Isabel’s long speech.

“It’s a holy celebration in which we are supposed to help those less fortunate and…”

There was a long silence and then her loud sigh.

“Give me the damn costume.” Maria laughed and jumped up and down in excitement.

***

“Christmas. What a joke. It’s the commercial man’s way of getting the public to spend thousands of dollars on silly traditions. Do you know it’s one the most expensive holidays of the year?” Max shook his head amused at Michael’s blabbering. Maybe he and Maria were more perfect for each other than they knew.

He turned the corner with the shopping cart as Alex walked up to them with a bag of apples and a can of cherry filling. As they headed down the next shopping aisle, Max wondered how ridiculous they must look.

“Ok, we’re almost done. Geez, you’d think we were feeding a nation.” Alex looked down the aisle and headed closer to the canned of mushroom soup, and also grabbed a box of lasagna pasta. Max looked down into the cart at the plethora of food. Frozen turkey, flour, sugar, stuffing, potatoes, apples, and every other imaginable food from every food group. It was making him nauseous just thinking about it.

“And you know what else? Women! They have this whole thing about demanding gifts! What if the guy is Jewish! Then he’s forced to give her eight whole days of gifts!”

“Actually, Michael, Hanukkah is a very religious holiday.”

“Yea, ok. Again, another reason to buy gifts. It’s all about the money making machine people. Why don’t you both see that?” Alex and Max looked at each other, and shrugged as they continued to the end of the aisle.

“We’re done!”

“Time?” Max asked excitedly.

Michael looked down at his watch and smiled. “It’s half past eleven.”

“WOOHOO! Half hour early! Oh baby!” Alex did a little dance as they raced toward the check out lines.

They proceeded to put the items slowly on the conveyor belt and Michael picked up a Cosmopolitan magazine.

“What are you doing?” Max looked up suspiciously at Michael as he continued emptying the cart.

“This thing is like the female Bible man. It tells you everything you need to know about women, from women….”

“To women.” Alex said with a smirk.

“Yea, that’s what they want you to think. But why would they put sexy pictures of women on the cover of women’s magazines?”

“Because it’s statistically known that women are self conscious and look toward other women to determine their own beauty?” Alex said again as he looked at Max with his eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

“No. Because it’s calling up men’s attention, so that we can figure out all of the secrets of women.”

“You know what? He’s much more philosophical than I remember.” Alex said to Max as they both laughed.

“Whatever. Believe what you guys want. I get the women.”

“All except the one you really want.” Max said with a smirk. “I saw the way you looked at Maria, as if you would devour her right then and there.”

“Well, she looks hot. I mean, she didn’t have breasts like that when I knew her.”

“She did, she’s just spending more money on better bras.” Alex said with a laugh as Max and Michael turned to face him in shock. “What? You’re friends with chicks you get privileged information.”

“What about you and Liz?” Michael asked as Alex froze and turned to look at Max.

“What about me and Liz?”

“Did you come all the way out here to get your itch scratched or are you actually planning on telling her how you feel?” Alex stood and watched the interaction between the two men.

“It’s more than that with Liz and you know it.”

“What about Christine?” Alex interjected as Max looked at him curiously.

“How do you know about Christine?”

“Again, privileged information.”

“I broke up with her the day before yesterday.”

“YOU WHAT?!” Alex and Michael stood staring at Max in total disbelief.

“I thought you were engaged?!” Max reached into his pocket and pulled out a small black box and both men held their breaths before him.

“Yea… that’s uh… that seems to be the misconception. I kind of lost my head. What I meant to say was that I had fallen in love with someone and instead, I panicked and screwed it all up.”

“So… you and Christine are over?”

“Yes. I just… I haven’t been able to bring myself to tell Liz yet.”

“She’s throwing you a frickin’ engagement party tonight dude, you have to say something.” Michael passed the accumulated money to the cashier as they rolled the cart out into the cold.

“Does she think Christine is coming?”

“I don’t know what she thinks.” Max stood in silence and stuffed the box back in his coat pocket. “But… I’m going to tell her everything tonight.”

[roswellianprincess16]

A/N: Just letting you all know the last part will be posted on Wednesday! Until then... ENJOY!!!!

And thanks for reading.




Part 9 – Stranded

It’s coming over you, like it’s coming over me
Crashing like a tidal wave.
That’s dragging out to sea
And I wanna be with you,
If you wanna be with me,
Crashing like a tidal wave.
I don’t wanna be stranded. - Plumb

Liz took in the scent of the cooking foods. The house smelled so festive, so full of life and holiday cheer. She smiled, loving how it felt to be with friends. She wasn’t so sure she would be able to be alone again, after the week of love and laughs and friends.

“Everything is pretty much set up, all we have to do now is wait for the food.”

“What about the deserts?”

“There is only so much room in the oven Isabel.” Liz smiled and continued to roll the dough as she prepared to cover the apple pie.

“Ahh! Hot! Someone grab the pot!” Maria plopped it upon the counter as Isabel grabbed it with the potholder.

“Maria, you’re not supposed to touch it with your bare hands.” She rolled her eyes and brought it over to the table with a large serving spoon. She scooped in some of the cinnamon apples, and Liz proceeded to cover it and put on the little apple carvings they made of dough to decorate it. They smiled at it and then put it off to the side. The oven would be empty in ten minutes, then they could put in the deserts.

They sat at the table, a peaceful silence falling between them. The air seemed to hold both holiday excitement and a sad air of finality. After all, once the holidays were over, they would all have to go back to real life, to their own corners of the Earth, and Liz would be left in her open B&B… alone. It was a sad thought, and yet, she loved every second she was spending with her friends. Her mind drifted back toward Max. The past week had been such a rollercoaster ride. She wasn’t quite sure how it would end.

She remembered his look as he opened his heart and felt her stomach flutter. She had waited for so many years for him to look at her that way. The way that he had looked at her several times before in high school, when they could dance around their feelings, and pretend not to see what stood right before them. At least then, they had each other at all times, and knew that they were never too far away. But now… now she was afraid of losing him forever.

The doorbell rang, shaking her out of her reverie and she headed to see who it was.

“MERRY CHRISTMAS!” She heard as she opened the door. She smiled, looking into the bright blue eyes of Kyle Valenti.

“HEY!” She reached out and hugged him tightly, and then rushed him inside, to get him out of the cold. He was followed by a small blonde woman with bouncy curls and a slight flush in her cheeks. Liz smiled as they both stepped inside and she closed the door behind them.

“Liz, Liz. Look at you! You look fantastic!” Kyle smiled widely as he started removing his coat and gloves.

“It’s so great to see you.” She couldn’t help but smile, after all, Kyle had always been able to make her do that. “And you must be his girlfriend.”

The small woman smiled as well and nodded as she removed her glove and extended her hand. “Hi, Tess Harding.”

Liz looked up and caught Maria and Isabel, standing at the kitchen doorway, watching the new girl carefully. She laughed internally, the protective look of the girls not going unnoticed. They were like territorial cats, for goodness sakes.

“Well, it’s a pleasure to have you here Tess. I hope you enjoy your stay.”

“Thanks.” She smiled and they both handed Liz their coats.

“Well, if it isn’t Kyle Valenti.” Isabel smirked as she walked into the room.

“Oh geez, you didn’t tell me Isabel would be here.” Kyle winked and grabbed her in for a hug. “How are YOU doing stranger?”

“I’m doing well. In a few months I open my third boutique; this one will be in Los Angeles. So, I’m going big time.”

“Yea, not surprised. Just glad that I didn’t hang around, you always threatened to use me as your model.” They laughed and he grabbed Tess’ hand as he moved her over next to him. “Isabel, I want you to meet my girlfriend, Tess.”

“Hello.” Isabel smiled as she shook her hand and then looked back at Kyle. “You better be careful with him, he’s a maniac. One of those, belching, farting, and push up machine kind of guys.”

“ISABEL!” Kyle rolled his eyes and turned to Tess. “Don’t listen to her, she’s probably upset because her gingerbread cookies didn’t come out perfect.”

“Don’t worry Isabel, it’s not like it’s a big secret.” Tess said with a grin and they all laughed. She’d passed the test. She was now a friendly part of the group. Liz smiled and walked over to the couch to move the pillows. She motioned for them to sit as Isabel and Tess sat down and started talking. They seemed to have hit it off so quickly.

Maria walked in from the kitchen and Kyle froze in place, an evil grin forming on his face.

“SIS!”

“DON’T call me that. I am NOT your sister.”

“Oh come on, our parents have been going at it since we were like 16, and now it’s official. You’re my sister!” He opened his arms wide, moving slowly toward her for a hug.

“STOP IT! KYLE! I am NOT your sister! AGHH!” He threw his arms over her and hugged her tightly, as she struggled to get loose. “YOU MORON!”

Tess laughed at the sight and shook her head.

“I can’t take him anywhere.”

“So, where are the rest of the guys?” Kyle asked as he headed to sit down and left Maria trying to fix her hair and sweater.

“They left to enjoy the city before dinner tonight.”

“Yea, they were afraid Isabel would make them go around caroling or something.” Maria whispered. Everyone started to laugh, well, everyone except Isabel of course… she was looking at Maria with wicked eyes.

“Well… this place looks great Liz. I must say, you’ve outdone yourself.”

“It is beautiful.” Kyle and Tess stood, looking around the room and into the kitchen.

“You guys want to see your room?” They nodded and Liz ran up the stairs excitedly, wondering if it would be so much fun with each new guest.

***

“What a life. Can you imagine being able to live like that? A room dedicated solely to dancing. A dinner table to seat like 12.” Alex ranted on excitedly as they walked down the steps of Marble House, one of the many famous Newport Mansions.

“They had lots of kids then. You figure, without the anesthetic….”

“Michael.” Max and Alex looked at him and started laughing. Where did he come up with this stuff?

“These places are incredible. So, rich and full of history. It’s like you walk in and are transferred back in time.”

“Yea, I know.”

“You guys are a bunch of nerds.” Michael rolled his eyes and headed towards the back when he froze. They walked behind him, and stopped to stare at the image before them.

“Woah.” It was as if the three of them breathed it out at the exact same time.

“Now, that is worth the price of the airfare.” Michael whispered as he walked up to the stone ledge. They looked out over the cliff into the cold blue waters as the winter sun set.

“That’s pretty awesome.” Alex said with a smile and looked over at Max who was deep in thought. “Hey, you ok? You’re not going to cry are you?”

Max smiled and shook his head. “This is Liz’s favorite spot. It’s incredible, right? Imagine living in a place like this.”

“Uh oh, are you imagining it?” Michael turned to look back at Max and he simply shrugged his shoulders. “Crap man, if that’s the case, you’re in deeper than sh-.”

“We get the point Michael. Thanks.” Alex laughed and patted Max on the back. “Tonight’s the night Max. It’s now or never.” He nodded in agreement as Michael continued to stare out.

“This would make an awesome painting for my gallery. But it’s too frickin’ cold to sit out here and paint in the Alaskan cold. I’m surprised there aren’t Eskimos floating around here.”

They laughed and headed back toward the car.

“Any way you can take a picture of it and paint from the picture, right?” Michael threw his arm around Alex’s shoulders and smiled.

“I knew you were my friend for a reason. You’re a genius kid.” They got into the car and closed the doors as they rubbed their hands to warm them. “Now let’s go eat, I’m starving.”

***

Liz knew the minute they’d walked through the door. She felt the vibrations of the floors as the door was slammed shut. She smiled, knowing Isabel was seating them in the dining area. Liz looked ahead into the full length mirror before her and sighed.

“You look great babe.” She looked at Maria’s reflection and smiled.

“Yea, sure.” She laughed as she smoothed down her red velvet skirt and fixed her Santa hat.

“You ok? You seem a bit… sad.”

“I just have a weird feeling tonight, that’s all.”

“What kind of feeling?”

“I don’t know how to explain it. Maybe, I’m just nervous.” She turned to face Maria and smiled. “Ok, you ready?”

“Ready.” Maria smiled, her own red dress flowing as she walked in her prim heels, her hips swaying from side to side down the hallway. Liz laughed as she closed her bedroom door behind her, and headed down the stairs to meet the guests.

Maria led the way down the stairs, and into the living room as the voices and laughter grew louder. The smells of candles and food were mixing to form a cozy home atmosphere.

“Ahem! Excuse me, can I have your attention?” The room went silent as everyone looked up from their tables to look at Maria. “Hello everyone. My name is Maria DeLuca and I am your MC this evening. I now present to you the hostess of the estate, Liz Parker.”

Liz smiled as Maria made way for her to appear at the doorway as the room erupted in clapping and laughter. She blushed slightly, and bowed slightly, establishing herself as hostess.

“Welcome everyone to the Northern Bungalow. I hope you have enjoyed your stay and will be enjoying Christmas here. Dinner is a special treat tonight. The menu was prepared by our own Isabel Evans.” She looked over as Isabel stood and took a small bow.

“As you all see, there is a fabulous array of entrees as well as deserts and I hope you will all enjoy it. Then after, there will be the exchange of gifts and the Three Golden Santa’s performance.” Liz smiled as everyone laughed. Then, she stepped in closer to the table. She looked down, the spread of edible masterpieces looking fit for a royal court. She couldn’t help but smile. What a job.

“Ok everyone. Eat!” The minute she gave the flag, the crowd jumped up, plates in hand, and headed to form the line. She moved over, giving everyone enough space and leaned up against the wall, awaiting her turn. She would eat last, that way she could watch everyone enjoy themselves. That in itself was worth the wait. She looked over to the kitchen doorway, as Maria stood, leaning up against the entryway, with a funny smirk on her face. She obviously was feeling the excitement as well.

Liz turned her head as she saw Michael head over to her, a sly smile on his lips.

“What?” She looked at him, recognizing the devilish grin.

“Aren’t you going to eat?”

“I’m trying to be polite and wait.”

“You, polite? You never had manners before, why start now?” He leaned against the wall before her, his body leaning in suggestively. Liz giggled, obviously the attraction had never truly left those two.

“Michael, why don’t you just….” That’s when he leaned in and pressed his lips tightly against her, catching her totally off guard and making her wrap her arms around him for support.

“What was that?” Maria yelped, her voice shaky from the passion. Michael pointed upward at the mistletoe hanging above them, and leaned in again, devouring her lips.

“Guys… we’re trying to eat over here. Please… wait until after dinner.” Liz laughed as Isabel screamed over at them and sat herself beside Alex. They all were laughing as they started to talk and eat.

On the other side of the table were Kyle and Tess, whispering to each other, a few moments of private romance, and then jumping into the conversation between Isabel and Alex. There was an air of romance within the dining room, with the candles burning upon the tables, and everyone pairing off. Liz smiled and finally headed toward the buffet table.

She managed to put a little of everything on her plate, hoping to enjoy at least a taste of all of their hard work. She looked at the deserts and decided it was best to wait. She might not even have room after all the food.

She turned to look for a space and caught the smiling face of Max, obviously coming down from a laughing fit with Michael at the table. He was looking at her with an expression of pure happiness. She thought back and smiled as she remembered that laugh, that smiling face of his youth.

She was startled when she noticed the movement of his head, motioning for her to join him at the table. She smiled and nodded, as she headed slowly over to the table and put down her plate as Max pulled out her chair for her to sit.

“Either way, there was that one Christmas, our junior year, remember? Me and Maria had just started dating….”

“Maria and I.” Isabel interjected between her bite of food. Michael looked at her with a low growl and continued telling his story.

“Maria and I… had just started dating and Alex had volunteered to be Santa for Isabel, because she was having this ridiculous Festival of Lights. So we all volunteered… what a nightmare.”

Liz laughed, remembering the picture that was forming in her mind. That had been one of the craziest winters of her life. Not including this one of course.

“Hey! I was trying to put together a benefit concert ok? Those kids were orphans and they needed better winter gear and toys! I was trying to do a good deed!”

“Yea, but you made me wear the Santa costume, even though I was allergic to the material. So, I ended up with a huge rash for like three days after Christmas.” They all erupted in laughter as Alex whined. Maria nodded her head in remembrance.

“Liz and I were forced to wear those dreadful elf costumes. Snowflake and Candy Cane. What were you thinking Isabel?”

“And Kyle was the head Elf… what was your name?” Maria looked over with a smirk.

“Well, the kids called me Peppermint King, but I let the ladies call me Big Poppa P.” They all laughed as Michael continued the story.

“Yea, that was a great time.”

“Except, when you pretended to be Alex in his Santa costume. You lured me into the little house and then tried making out with me.”

“Yea, she was mad at me for like a week Michael. She thought I’d lost my mind.”

“Look people! All I’ve ever tried to do was be a good person! Try to make a nice holiday for the little children. Can you blame me?!”

The room went silent for a long moment and then everyone responded. “YES!”


Then the room erupted in laughter.

Liz looked over at Max, remembering another aspect of that Christmas that she’d forgotten. The promise. Max looked over at her, as if suddenly remembering the same thing.

It was about fifteen minutes until midnight that Christmas Eve and she’d been on elf duty all night. He pulled her aside and offered her a cup of hot chocolate to warm herself. It had been a cool night in Roswell and she seemed exhausted. It was exactly what she’d needed. They snuck off to the edge of the Winter Wonderland Isabel had created for a few moments of peace.

“You look… great.” She looked over at him and elbowed him softly. The hint of playfulness in his eyes not going undetected.

“Shut up. I look insane. Like a little insane elf. That’s what I get… for being short I guess.” They laughed and took another sip of their hot chocolate. “Thanks for this, by the way, I really needed it.”

“No problem.” They stood in silence once again, enjoying only the feeling of each other’s company.

“It’s beautiful isn’t it? I mean, as crazy as Isabel can get… she sure has the right idea.” They looked out over the brightly lit trees and the snow covered ground. Isabel had created her own fantasy land.

“You know… it’s moments like these that I’ll never forget. Having hot chocolate with you, in your elf suit, on the edge of the Winter Wonderland.” She looked up and smiled, his eyes holding an earnestness she’d seen few times before.

“Max?”

“I’m scared Liz. One more year, and then what… what happens to us?”

“Nothing happens. We grow up. We go to college and we keep in touch through email, and letters and cell phones.”

“I don’t know if I can make it through college without you.”

“Oh come on, you’re smart. You haven’t always cheated off me in Biology.” She smirked, making reference to their sophomore year.

“Will you promise me something?”

“Anything.” She smiled as she took another sip of her chocolate.

“That when we get older, if we find out way back to each other again… when we find out way back to each other again… you won’t leave me.”

“What do you mean?”

“That if I go to you, pleading, I want you to accept my offer.”

“Offer of what?”

“Marriage.”

“MARRIAGE!?” She almost choked on her hot chocolate as she looked up into his now flushed face. His cheeks were becoming red with the cold but his eyes still held that warm golden fire.

“If we meet up, say ten years from now, and life has passed, and we haven’t grown apart, and we’ve accomplished things we’ve set out… I say, we make a pact tonight, that we’ll then enjoy the rest of our lives together.”

“What if I’m with someone else?”

“Then, you make a decision. Who do you truly love?”

“What if you’re with someone else?”

“I doubt I could ever be with anyone else.”

“And if you are?”

“Then… I’d have to see if you were still willing to be my wife before I could ever move on.” She smiled widely, enjoying the sound of his words. Of course, she’d always known they held some special connection. But she’d never wanted to push it. What they had was beautiful. There was no need to add complications.

“Ok.”

“Ok?”

“I agree.”

“You’re not messing with me?”

“Here.” She removed the Christmas tree broche she’d pinned on her elf suit. “As a sign of my acceptance.”

And then he’d kissed her.

Liz was suddenly shaken out of her reverie by the loud laughter in the room. Seems Maria and Michael had brought up another crazy story of their pasts. Tess was red with laughter as she listened carefully to stories of Kyle as a teenager, which sadly, weren’t too different from him as an adult. Isabel and Alex threw in a few of their own references. She looked over at Max, still sitting beside her. He was staring at her as well, obviously just as indulged in his thoughts as she was.

She’d forgotten about that pact. She thought back to the first day he’d arrived. The hesitancy he’d held.

Her stomach began to flutter. Could that be why he seemed so unsure to tell her about Christine? She shook off the feelings. How ridiculous. It was just a little conversation they’d had back in high school so many years ago.

There was no way he even remembered. Right?