AN: icequeen... not exactly. I think that's actually in tomorrow's post.
The Fate of Destiny 24
June 2010
The storm raged over Roswell. This particular storm had cancelled two parties; a bachelor and a bachelorette party. It also threatened to post-pone the next day’s wedding. Lightning flashed and thunder rumbled, shaking windows in houses all over town.
--
"Max... mmm..." Liz breathed out. Her hands roamed over his shoulders and chest. Max’s hands urged her hips’ rocking on top of him.
"Liz, shh." He half whispered/ half groaned. "Don’t want to wake anyone."
She just nodded and kept riding him. A loud clap of thunder made them both shudder as they came, muffling their cries with each other’s mouths.
Afterwards, they lay stroking and petting each other, enjoying the sound of the rain on the window. It was the only sound, which made it an even more welcome sound.
"How long has it been since we’ve had a whole night of uninterrupted togetherness?" Liz asked softly even as Max reached for his pack of cigarettes.
"Seems like forever. But let’s recount. There was the first time, nope. Cut short by your friend Michael." He smirked when she hit him.
"I believe he was still just your friend back then." Liz sat up and pulled her nightgown back over her head.
"There was the night that Danny was conceived but then we started worrying when we found out the condom broke. A welcome accident as it turned out." He picked up the picture of his kids from the nightstand. "Well, there were all the nights in our own apartment."
"That was still so long ago." She watched as he continued to look at the picture in one hand while he freed a coffin nail and lit it with the other.
"Okay... OH! I know. Our 5th wedding anniversary. Isabel and Kyle had the kids. Mom and Dad were overnight in Clovis." Max grinned wickedly. "You remember that?"
"Remember that? I pray for a repeat." She tossed his sweats at him and lay back down. "Any chance of that happening?"
"Sorry, not anytime soon." He placed the picture back on the nightstand and yanked on his sweats. "Maybe for our 9th?"
"I’m gonna remember that." She warned him, leaning in for a kiss but stopped. "Put that out."
"Sorry."
"Why don’t you just quit already? I hate it, the kids hate it... your parents hate it." They both laughed.
"Yeah, I know. It’s gets kinda hard when we’re over there sometimes." Max put out the cigarette. "I guess I’m a masochist."
"Uh-huh."
"Inhale the smoke, let it out, and fix the damage. Just a nervous habit."
"Whatever. I’ll kill the doctor that introduced you to those things." She shook her head. The door creaked open and a dark head made its way onto the bed. A flash of lightning lit up the room and thunder rocked the old house. The child let out a shriek and scrambled up the bed between her parents.
"Baby, what’s wrong?" Max brushed the black curls back from her face.
"Can I sleep in here tonight?" Kathy pleaded.
"But you’re such a big girl. You’ve got your own bed in your own room."
"Daddy, it’s scary and Danny’s making scary noises."
"No, I’m not." The small boy yelled from the doorway.
"Daniel Parker Evans, front and center." Liz sat up on the edge of the bed. Danny shuffled over. "How old are you?"
"8." He grumbled.
"And your bedtime is?"
"Two hours ago."
"So why were you scaring your sister?" Max spoke up.
"I can’t sleep and I’m bored." Danny whined.
"You both have to go to bed and get some sleep. Tomorrow is a busy day." Max sat up and picked up his daughter. "You, young man, are the oldest. You’re supposed to take care of your little sister, not scare her. You know she’s scared of thunder."
"I’m sorry, Kathy. Can I go now?"
"I’ll take him, you take her." Liz slid off the bed to tuck her son in for the second time that evening. "This time you guys will stay in bed."
"Will you read me a story? Please? Like you used to?" Kathy pleaded.
"Sure thing, princess." Max nodded.
--
Michael closed his eyes and prayed for sleep. It just wouldn’t come. He thought maybe the rain would drum him into sleep, like being hypnotized but it didn’t. He didn’t even flinch when a small body clung to his side, trying to hide from the storm. "Em."
"Yes, Daddy?"
"Do you have a bed?"
"Yes, Daddy."
"Do you have a night-light?"
"Yes, Daddy."
"Then why are you here?"
"Because, Daddy, there are monsters under my bed. AND. There’s a ghost in the closet." Emily hugged her doll tighter. "Maria’s scared too. Can we sleep in here tonight?"
"Maria’s scared too, huh?" Michael opened his eyes and glanced over at his daughter.
"Yes, Daddy." She nodded solemnly, her large green eyes shining brightly.
"And how long did you practice that in the mirror?"
"Daddy..." She whined.
"Just for tonight. Remember you’ve got a big day tomorrow."
"I get to wear the pretty dress and the flowers. Right?"
"Yep." Michael nodded. "You all ready?"
"Yep."
"Good. Now go to sleep."
--
"Mom." Alex Jr. bounced on the bed. "Mom."
"Baby, it’s late. We’re getting up early tomorrow." Isabel groaned.
"There’s a monster in my closet. He wants to eat me." Jr. pleaded.
"Kyle?"
"What?" He mumbled into his pillow.
"Could you go slay the monster?" Isabel shook him gently.
"Sure thing. Me and my trusty badge, off to slay the invisible closet monster." Kyle shoved himself off the bed. Jr. handed him his badge and off they went to Jr.’s room. Kyle opened the closet door slowly. "Alright, Monster, listen up. This is Officer Kyle Valenti speaking. By the power of this badge of Roswell, I order you to cease and desist. If you are uncooperative, I will be forced to place you under arrest. There will be no eating of 7 year olds tonight or any night following this one. Is that understood?"
Jr. held up Kyle’s badge in front of him while he looked around in the closet. "I think it’s gone."
"Good. We’ll slay him next time." Kyle rubbed a hand over his face. "You think you can sleep now?"
"Uh-huh. Can I keep this here?" Jr. placed the badge on the table next to his bed.
"Sure, kiddo." He started to leave but the small voice called out to him again.
"After tomorrow... can I call you Daddy?"
Kyle froze. He hadn’t discussed that with Isabel yet. "We’ll talk about it after tomorrow. Let’s just get some sleep. Kay buddy?"
"Ok, Kyle."
He made his way back to his bed, lightning illuminating the way. He dropped onto the bed next to Isabel. "Is he alright?"
"Yeah, he’s fine. He’s ready for tomorrow."
"Good." She whispered.
"He... wants to know what to call me after tomorrow."
"To call you?" Isabel sat up and searched her fiancé’s face.
"He wants to know, after tomorrow, am I still Kyle or am I Dad." Kyle locked his blue eyes on her brown ones. She had on her mask. He couldn’t tell what she was thinking. "We’ll talk about it later."
"Ok." She sounded almost relieved. She curled up in his arms and let herself drift off. He wrapped his arms around her tight and followed her into sleep. Tomorrow would change everything.
TBC
The Fate of Destiny Part 181E CC/UC ADULT 09/02/10 COMPLETE
Moderators: Anniepoo98, Itzstacie, truelovepooh, Erina, Forum Moderators
Part 25
AN: Yes there was a five year leap in time. I try to mark the parts but sometimes I forget. So join my thumbtack brigade and get on my case or else I'll forget to remind myself. '-)
The Fate of Destiny 25
Liz locked eyes with Max as the vows were read out. She caught his smirk from across the way and knew he was thinking of their own wedding day with the crooning Elvis, the gaudy costumes and the smell of booze in the air. They still didn’t regrets having eloped. She squeezed Emily’s shoulders next to her. The young girl still held onto the basket of rose petals. Max smiled and glanced down at Jr., who was holding the pillow with the rings on it.
Michael watched his friends up at the altar and couldn’t be happier for them. He sat next to the Evans. Mrs. Evans was crying and sniffing and smiling, holding her husband’s hand, who was also trying to hold back tears. On the other side of him were Danny and Kathy. Michael had had to whisper to them more than once to keep them from using their powers to alleviate their boredom.
"The rings please." The priest took the pillow from the little boy and blessed the rings. Max and Liz untied the ribbon and held it out to Kyle and then Isabel, each taking the appropriate ring. After the ring had been placed on the other’s fingers, the couple locked eyes and waited for the final words. "I now pronounce you, husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride."
As their lips softly touched the past four years came flooding back to them. It had all started innocent enough.
[Isabel wandered down the aisle in the supermarket, throwing in things that Jr. liked. She didn’t feel much like eating anything herself. Her eye caught the oncoming basket and froze. Michael.
He hadn’t seemed to notice her yet but it was too late to get away unnoticed. She hadn’t spoken to him in weeks. Isabel had steered clear of him since the day she had overheard Liz tell Max that Liz had told Michael what had happened. Liz had told Michael why Max and Isabel had stayed at the hospital even after Mr. Evans had been released to go home.
Michael was reaching for a box of cereal when he saw her. She looked scared. He pushed his basket down the aisle, straight for her. Isabel debated on whether or not she should turn and run but before she could make up her mind he had his arms around her. "It’s okay. It’s okay. I understand."
Relief flooded her body with his words. Isabel hugged him back. "Are you mad?"
"No. Maybe a little confused as to why you didn’t tell me... were you going to?" He whispered. He took her silence as affirmation of what he thought, that he would never have found out had Liz not slipped up. "It’s okay... and I’m not mad."
He let her go and kept on going down the aisle. Isabel finished her shopping in a daze. When she stopped by her parents to pick up Jr., Kyle was there. He was closing his notepad when she walked in. "Hi Kyle. What’s going on?"
"Officer Valenti was trying to get a statement honey." Her father answered. "I just can’t seem to remember a darn thing."
"It’s ok, Mr. Evans. Nothing was stolen or damaged, except maybe your head. I’ve been keeping an ear out for any news of crimes and your car but nothing’s come up." Kyle nodded his head then turned to Isabel. He gave her a smile and a light hug before shuffling out the door.
"He likes you honey." Diane Evans smiled gently, hopefully, at her daughter.
"Well, he *is* my *friend*." Isabel shook her head.
"He’s been coming around more often... usually when you’re here, sweetie." She insisted.
"I think your mom’s right." Philip grinned when his daughter glared.
"So now you’re both ganging up on me." She crossed her arms and looked from her mom to her dad.
"I’ll jump on that wagon." Max spoke up from the doorway. He had a kid hanging off each arm and another on his leg. "You wanna get your kid?"
"Kyle does not like me... not like that." Isabel insisted as she removed her son from her brother’s arm.
"You forget. I am a guy. I am a guy about the same age as Kyle. Kyle and I are also friends to a certain extent. Trust me. He likes you and he likes Jr." Max’s expression softened as he gave his sister a meaningful look. Their parents had known nothing about Isabel being pregnant or about the abortion. "He’s been there for you lately. I have a feeling he’ll stick around."]
Kyle took Isabel’s hand as they made their way out the front of the church. A beeper going off made them turn around. Max grinned sheepishly. "Sorry. Occupational hazard."
"You can’t go." Isabel hissed. "Not now."
"I’ll be back in time to do the toast. I promise. Just go." Max rushed forward to kiss his sister’s cheek and gave a quick nod to Kyle before dashing out a side door.
"Don’t forget the pictures!" Isabel called after him.
"He’ll be there." Kyle whispered and guided her on their way out to the limo.
Liz took both Emily and Jr. by the hands and followed the bride and groom down the aisle. Michael jumped up and joined her with her kids. "It’s always good to have a stand-in best man."
She resisted the urge to laugh as their little crowd marched out of the church.
--
Isabel kept trying to stall the cameraman. "He said he’d be here."
"I get paid by the hour." The photographer warned.
"I’m here, I’m here!" Max was yanking on his jacket when he joined the group on the backdrop.
"Max, you’ve got blood on your tux." Isabel exclaimed.
"It’s not mine, I swear." He joked lamely. "You won’t be able to see it, I promise."
"Are we ready now? Good. Now smile." The flash went off blinding the entire wedding party.
--
"Congratulations to Kyle and Isabel." Max raised his glass as he stood before everyone at the reception. "Isabel, you are my sister and I love you dearly. You deserve to be happy. Kyle... You take care of her.
"Can you handle this man? I remember you used to be the guy in the locker room with all the stories." Everyone laughed good-naturedly. "Then again, come to find out from a certain former girlfriend of yours that most of those stories weren’t even true..." More laughter.
"Seriously though. My best friend and my sister couldn’t be more right for each other. On behalf of everyone here today, I wish you the very best that life can offer. Welcome to the family, Kyle."
Isabel and Kyle kissed softly, receiving ‘ahs’ from the gathering of family and friends. A song began to play. Kyle stood and pulled Isabel out onto the dance floor. Some people started to get up but Max raised his voice.
"And now for the wedding couple’s first dance as husband and wife." He knew that was their song and they deserved to dance this song alone even if the official dance wasn’t planned until later.
Kyle held Isabel close and they both remembered the first time they had danced to the song.
[Kyle shut the door to Jr.’s room and headed out to the living room of Isabel’s apartment. They had worn the kid out with several board games and Disney cartoons. Isabel had put on the radio to wind down from taming her 5-year-old son.
Kyle stood in the doorway, stunned by how beautiful she looked while she rested her head on the back of the couch, eyes closed. They fluttered open and stared back. "What?"
"You look amazing." He admitted.
"I look like a tired mommy." She pulled her hair back into a ponytail on the top of her head. "A tired 25 year old mommy with a case tomorrow."
"You still look amazing." Kyle crossed the room and held out his hand. "Dance with me."
"What?" She looked at him, surprised. "Dance? Why?"
"When was the last time you danced?" He pulled her to her feet.
"About six years ago... I guess. I mean... I haven’t done much partying since high school."
"Then let’s dance." He lifted her arms and they came around his shoulders. He slid his own hands down around her waist. They swayed to the music. Then a song came on that made them both close their eyes and hold on a little tighter.
"Looking at you, I can’t believe that it’s true/ I’ve got someone who’s crazy over me/ Here and now, I am sure that I’ve found/ What true love is and what love should be."
Kyle leaned his head against hers; he tried not to step on her bare feet with his boots as they moved in slow circles.
"When you hold me then I know/ That’s where I belong and I don’t want/ To let you go/ Nowhere in the world I’d rather be/ You and I, can’t deny/ Heaven’s here between your lips and mine/ I promise I, I will never say goodbye/ It’s you and me, ‘til the end of time."
Neither of them noticed when the door opened. The longer they danced, the more relaxed both of them became.
"It’s just enough, all I’ve ever dreamed of/ The love I pray for before I go to sleep/ Just in time I never thought that I would find/ Another reason to give all of me."
Max and Liz held onto each other in the doorway of the apartment as Isabel and Kyle swayed to the music. Isabel lifted her head to look at Kyle. Their lips met sweetly for the very first time. Max squeezed Liz’s hand and pulled her tighter against his body.
"When you hold me then I know/ that’s where I belong and I don’t want/ To let you go/ Nowhere in the world I’d rather be. You and I, can’t deny/ Heaven’s here between your lips and mine/ I promise I, I will never say goodbye/ It’s you and me, ‘til the end of time."
Liz exchanged a knowing smile with her husband and leaned back against the doorframe.
"You are the air that I breathe/ I’ve seen all that I need to see/ Finally I know/ Love is what used to be when/ I don’t and I won’t have to spend another night alone (You don’t have to be alone).
"You and I, can’t deny/ Heaven’s here between your lips and mine/ I promise I, I will never say goodbye/ It’s you and me, ‘til the end of time/ It’s you and me, ‘til the end of time/ It’s you and me, ‘til the end of time."
Finally, Kyle broke the kiss, lifting a hand to stroke her face with a finger. "You are so beautiful."
Isabel started to respond when she spotted her brother and his wife in the doorway. She stepped out of Kyle’s arms. "Yes? Can I help you two?"
"Don’t stop because of us." Liz pleaded. "We were just in the neighborhood. We’ll leave."
"We were really on our way home, anyway." Max pulled his wife out the door.]
Liz scooted her chair next to Max’s. "So, what happened?"
"Car accident. Nothing too bad. A little girl had a cut and she wouldn’t sit still, got all over me." He glanced around and dried the stains with a wave of his hand. "She’ll be okay. I knocked her out. I think her parents were grateful."
She laughed. Liz looked around. They were the only couple still sitting. "Let’s dance."
"I’m tired. I just need some time to get my heart rate back to normal." Max shook his head.
"What’s this I hear? A beautiful wife wants to dance and her husband doesn’t?" Michael suddenly appeared behind them. "Come on. I’ll dance with you."
"Thank you Michael. Let’s go." She smiled up at him. "Bored?"
"I’m one of the only men here without a wife or a date. It’s either dance with my married girlfriends or satisfy the dancing needs of elderly women that I don’t know." He explained and glared at Max when his friend started laughing. "Yuk it up, Maxwell. I’m the one dancing with your wife."
Liz let Michael lead her to the dance clearing. He caught her smile. "What?"
"I’m just trying to figure out what crawled up your butt. You feel left out of the wedding?"
"Could you imagine me rehearsing for one of these things?" Michael waved his hand around, gesturing to all the made up people. He was wearing a suit but it wasn’t nearly as fine as the ones other men were wearing. "Could you imagine me in a tux?"
"I think you would look good in a tux. But you’re right... I mean, look at the dress that Isabel made me wear. I look like I was dipped in pepto bismol. I wouldn’t wish this on anyone." She flipped a scallop on her dress.
"You look fine." He looked over her head at the newlyweds. "She looks awesome... like she’s about to fly away at any moment."
"It’s a great feeling to finally marry that somebody... and you?"
"What about me?" Michael rolled his eyes.
"When do I get to see you married?" Liz thumped his shoulder. "Emily needs a mother."
"I’m fine, Liz. I don’t need to find someone. I was as good as married to Maria. She was Emily’s mother." He sighed. "Don’t spoil the day."
"All I’m saying is she’s 7 years old. She’s going to need someone to talk to about girl stuff."
"When that happens... I’ll send her to you."
"Real cute, Michael. I’ll shut up for today but this isn’t the last you’ll hear about this."
"Whatever."
--
"I love you." Isabel whispered softly.
"I love you too." Kyle whispered back. Together they cut the cake. Kyle picked up the piece and held it to her mouth for a bite. Then she pushed it to his mouth for his bite. Then she shoved it into his face, getting frosting all over his chin and his nose. "Is that how it goes Mrs. Valenti?"
"That’s exactly how it goes Mr. Valenti." Isabel giggled and backed away slightly. "You wouldn’t dare."
"You’re right. I won’t do a damn thing now... just you wait." He warned her.
"I’ll hold my breath." She kissed his frosting covered mouth, getting frosting all over her face in the process.
"Mom." Alex Jr. suddenly appeared.
"What sweetie?" Isabel wiped off her new husband’s face.
"Can I stay at Uncle Max’s tonight instead of Grandpa’s?" Jr. pleaded. "Me and Danny wanna play on his Playstation."
"Oh baby. Grandma and Grandpa want to see you this weekend. Aunt Maggie will be there." Isabel smiled brightly.
"Ok..." He grumbled. "Why can’t I ever go into the room at the end of the hall?"
Isabel bit her lip and looked away. She wiped at her mouth with a napkin. Kyle caught her distraught look and rushed to fix things. "Do you remember how we talked about your real dad?"
"Yeah. I have his name."
"Well, no one goes in that room because it used to be his. It makes your grandma real sad to think about it." Kyle whispered. "But you... you make her happy. Spend this weekend over there. Make them feel happy."
"Okay, Dad." Alex Jr. nodded. He hugged them both quickly before running off again.
"I guess he’s made up his own mind about the ‘dad’ thing." Kyle gave her a tight smile, not knowing how she was going to react to that.
"I guess so." Isabel nodded and smiled gently.
"You okay with it?" He nudged her.
"I was worried about how he was going to deal with it." She kissed him softly. "He loves you. If he wants to call you dad... then it’s okay with me."
"I know I like it."
--
Michael watched the limo drive off with his friends inside it. Then he turned back to the reception still going on. The music still played. He spotted his little girl taking turns dancing with both Danny and Alex. Liz sat next to him at the table. Without turning he spoke to her. "Can’t I freeze her like this? Never let her grow up and realize that she wants to date boys."
"If I can’t do it with my kids then you don’t get to do it either." She smiled though. "That is something I could watch for the rest of my life."
Michael followed her gaze. Max was dancing with Kathy not too far away. There was a big goofy grin plastered on his face.
"I like him like this." Liz whispered and leaned her head on Michael’s shoulder. "He’d do anything for his kids."
"He’s a father... of course he would." Michael replied.
"Things are going really good."
"Watch they’ll beep him right when he really starts having a good time." He shook his head.
"Not if I have his beeper." Liz grinned wickedly. "I took it from his jacket. It hasn’t even gone off once."
"You’re bad."
"I know but any shred of pleasure is worth it in my eyes." She leaned on her friend until their children got tired and demanded to go home. That was the best day any of them had had in a long time. As long as the momentum kept up, everything would be fine.
TBC
The Fate of Destiny 25
Liz locked eyes with Max as the vows were read out. She caught his smirk from across the way and knew he was thinking of their own wedding day with the crooning Elvis, the gaudy costumes and the smell of booze in the air. They still didn’t regrets having eloped. She squeezed Emily’s shoulders next to her. The young girl still held onto the basket of rose petals. Max smiled and glanced down at Jr., who was holding the pillow with the rings on it.
Michael watched his friends up at the altar and couldn’t be happier for them. He sat next to the Evans. Mrs. Evans was crying and sniffing and smiling, holding her husband’s hand, who was also trying to hold back tears. On the other side of him were Danny and Kathy. Michael had had to whisper to them more than once to keep them from using their powers to alleviate their boredom.
"The rings please." The priest took the pillow from the little boy and blessed the rings. Max and Liz untied the ribbon and held it out to Kyle and then Isabel, each taking the appropriate ring. After the ring had been placed on the other’s fingers, the couple locked eyes and waited for the final words. "I now pronounce you, husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride."
As their lips softly touched the past four years came flooding back to them. It had all started innocent enough.
[Isabel wandered down the aisle in the supermarket, throwing in things that Jr. liked. She didn’t feel much like eating anything herself. Her eye caught the oncoming basket and froze. Michael.
He hadn’t seemed to notice her yet but it was too late to get away unnoticed. She hadn’t spoken to him in weeks. Isabel had steered clear of him since the day she had overheard Liz tell Max that Liz had told Michael what had happened. Liz had told Michael why Max and Isabel had stayed at the hospital even after Mr. Evans had been released to go home.
Michael was reaching for a box of cereal when he saw her. She looked scared. He pushed his basket down the aisle, straight for her. Isabel debated on whether or not she should turn and run but before she could make up her mind he had his arms around her. "It’s okay. It’s okay. I understand."
Relief flooded her body with his words. Isabel hugged him back. "Are you mad?"
"No. Maybe a little confused as to why you didn’t tell me... were you going to?" He whispered. He took her silence as affirmation of what he thought, that he would never have found out had Liz not slipped up. "It’s okay... and I’m not mad."
He let her go and kept on going down the aisle. Isabel finished her shopping in a daze. When she stopped by her parents to pick up Jr., Kyle was there. He was closing his notepad when she walked in. "Hi Kyle. What’s going on?"
"Officer Valenti was trying to get a statement honey." Her father answered. "I just can’t seem to remember a darn thing."
"It’s ok, Mr. Evans. Nothing was stolen or damaged, except maybe your head. I’ve been keeping an ear out for any news of crimes and your car but nothing’s come up." Kyle nodded his head then turned to Isabel. He gave her a smile and a light hug before shuffling out the door.
"He likes you honey." Diane Evans smiled gently, hopefully, at her daughter.
"Well, he *is* my *friend*." Isabel shook her head.
"He’s been coming around more often... usually when you’re here, sweetie." She insisted.
"I think your mom’s right." Philip grinned when his daughter glared.
"So now you’re both ganging up on me." She crossed her arms and looked from her mom to her dad.
"I’ll jump on that wagon." Max spoke up from the doorway. He had a kid hanging off each arm and another on his leg. "You wanna get your kid?"
"Kyle does not like me... not like that." Isabel insisted as she removed her son from her brother’s arm.
"You forget. I am a guy. I am a guy about the same age as Kyle. Kyle and I are also friends to a certain extent. Trust me. He likes you and he likes Jr." Max’s expression softened as he gave his sister a meaningful look. Their parents had known nothing about Isabel being pregnant or about the abortion. "He’s been there for you lately. I have a feeling he’ll stick around."]
Kyle took Isabel’s hand as they made their way out the front of the church. A beeper going off made them turn around. Max grinned sheepishly. "Sorry. Occupational hazard."
"You can’t go." Isabel hissed. "Not now."
"I’ll be back in time to do the toast. I promise. Just go." Max rushed forward to kiss his sister’s cheek and gave a quick nod to Kyle before dashing out a side door.
"Don’t forget the pictures!" Isabel called after him.
"He’ll be there." Kyle whispered and guided her on their way out to the limo.
Liz took both Emily and Jr. by the hands and followed the bride and groom down the aisle. Michael jumped up and joined her with her kids. "It’s always good to have a stand-in best man."
She resisted the urge to laugh as their little crowd marched out of the church.
--
Isabel kept trying to stall the cameraman. "He said he’d be here."
"I get paid by the hour." The photographer warned.
"I’m here, I’m here!" Max was yanking on his jacket when he joined the group on the backdrop.
"Max, you’ve got blood on your tux." Isabel exclaimed.
"It’s not mine, I swear." He joked lamely. "You won’t be able to see it, I promise."
"Are we ready now? Good. Now smile." The flash went off blinding the entire wedding party.
--
"Congratulations to Kyle and Isabel." Max raised his glass as he stood before everyone at the reception. "Isabel, you are my sister and I love you dearly. You deserve to be happy. Kyle... You take care of her.
"Can you handle this man? I remember you used to be the guy in the locker room with all the stories." Everyone laughed good-naturedly. "Then again, come to find out from a certain former girlfriend of yours that most of those stories weren’t even true..." More laughter.
"Seriously though. My best friend and my sister couldn’t be more right for each other. On behalf of everyone here today, I wish you the very best that life can offer. Welcome to the family, Kyle."
Isabel and Kyle kissed softly, receiving ‘ahs’ from the gathering of family and friends. A song began to play. Kyle stood and pulled Isabel out onto the dance floor. Some people started to get up but Max raised his voice.
"And now for the wedding couple’s first dance as husband and wife." He knew that was their song and they deserved to dance this song alone even if the official dance wasn’t planned until later.
Kyle held Isabel close and they both remembered the first time they had danced to the song.
[Kyle shut the door to Jr.’s room and headed out to the living room of Isabel’s apartment. They had worn the kid out with several board games and Disney cartoons. Isabel had put on the radio to wind down from taming her 5-year-old son.
Kyle stood in the doorway, stunned by how beautiful she looked while she rested her head on the back of the couch, eyes closed. They fluttered open and stared back. "What?"
"You look amazing." He admitted.
"I look like a tired mommy." She pulled her hair back into a ponytail on the top of her head. "A tired 25 year old mommy with a case tomorrow."
"You still look amazing." Kyle crossed the room and held out his hand. "Dance with me."
"What?" She looked at him, surprised. "Dance? Why?"
"When was the last time you danced?" He pulled her to her feet.
"About six years ago... I guess. I mean... I haven’t done much partying since high school."
"Then let’s dance." He lifted her arms and they came around his shoulders. He slid his own hands down around her waist. They swayed to the music. Then a song came on that made them both close their eyes and hold on a little tighter.
"Looking at you, I can’t believe that it’s true/ I’ve got someone who’s crazy over me/ Here and now, I am sure that I’ve found/ What true love is and what love should be."
Kyle leaned his head against hers; he tried not to step on her bare feet with his boots as they moved in slow circles.
"When you hold me then I know/ That’s where I belong and I don’t want/ To let you go/ Nowhere in the world I’d rather be/ You and I, can’t deny/ Heaven’s here between your lips and mine/ I promise I, I will never say goodbye/ It’s you and me, ‘til the end of time."
Neither of them noticed when the door opened. The longer they danced, the more relaxed both of them became.
"It’s just enough, all I’ve ever dreamed of/ The love I pray for before I go to sleep/ Just in time I never thought that I would find/ Another reason to give all of me."
Max and Liz held onto each other in the doorway of the apartment as Isabel and Kyle swayed to the music. Isabel lifted her head to look at Kyle. Their lips met sweetly for the very first time. Max squeezed Liz’s hand and pulled her tighter against his body.
"When you hold me then I know/ that’s where I belong and I don’t want/ To let you go/ Nowhere in the world I’d rather be. You and I, can’t deny/ Heaven’s here between your lips and mine/ I promise I, I will never say goodbye/ It’s you and me, ‘til the end of time."
Liz exchanged a knowing smile with her husband and leaned back against the doorframe.
"You are the air that I breathe/ I’ve seen all that I need to see/ Finally I know/ Love is what used to be when/ I don’t and I won’t have to spend another night alone (You don’t have to be alone).
"You and I, can’t deny/ Heaven’s here between your lips and mine/ I promise I, I will never say goodbye/ It’s you and me, ‘til the end of time/ It’s you and me, ‘til the end of time/ It’s you and me, ‘til the end of time."
Finally, Kyle broke the kiss, lifting a hand to stroke her face with a finger. "You are so beautiful."
Isabel started to respond when she spotted her brother and his wife in the doorway. She stepped out of Kyle’s arms. "Yes? Can I help you two?"
"Don’t stop because of us." Liz pleaded. "We were just in the neighborhood. We’ll leave."
"We were really on our way home, anyway." Max pulled his wife out the door.]
Liz scooted her chair next to Max’s. "So, what happened?"
"Car accident. Nothing too bad. A little girl had a cut and she wouldn’t sit still, got all over me." He glanced around and dried the stains with a wave of his hand. "She’ll be okay. I knocked her out. I think her parents were grateful."
She laughed. Liz looked around. They were the only couple still sitting. "Let’s dance."
"I’m tired. I just need some time to get my heart rate back to normal." Max shook his head.
"What’s this I hear? A beautiful wife wants to dance and her husband doesn’t?" Michael suddenly appeared behind them. "Come on. I’ll dance with you."
"Thank you Michael. Let’s go." She smiled up at him. "Bored?"
"I’m one of the only men here without a wife or a date. It’s either dance with my married girlfriends or satisfy the dancing needs of elderly women that I don’t know." He explained and glared at Max when his friend started laughing. "Yuk it up, Maxwell. I’m the one dancing with your wife."
Liz let Michael lead her to the dance clearing. He caught her smile. "What?"
"I’m just trying to figure out what crawled up your butt. You feel left out of the wedding?"
"Could you imagine me rehearsing for one of these things?" Michael waved his hand around, gesturing to all the made up people. He was wearing a suit but it wasn’t nearly as fine as the ones other men were wearing. "Could you imagine me in a tux?"
"I think you would look good in a tux. But you’re right... I mean, look at the dress that Isabel made me wear. I look like I was dipped in pepto bismol. I wouldn’t wish this on anyone." She flipped a scallop on her dress.
"You look fine." He looked over her head at the newlyweds. "She looks awesome... like she’s about to fly away at any moment."
"It’s a great feeling to finally marry that somebody... and you?"
"What about me?" Michael rolled his eyes.
"When do I get to see you married?" Liz thumped his shoulder. "Emily needs a mother."
"I’m fine, Liz. I don’t need to find someone. I was as good as married to Maria. She was Emily’s mother." He sighed. "Don’t spoil the day."
"All I’m saying is she’s 7 years old. She’s going to need someone to talk to about girl stuff."
"When that happens... I’ll send her to you."
"Real cute, Michael. I’ll shut up for today but this isn’t the last you’ll hear about this."
"Whatever."
--
"I love you." Isabel whispered softly.
"I love you too." Kyle whispered back. Together they cut the cake. Kyle picked up the piece and held it to her mouth for a bite. Then she pushed it to his mouth for his bite. Then she shoved it into his face, getting frosting all over his chin and his nose. "Is that how it goes Mrs. Valenti?"
"That’s exactly how it goes Mr. Valenti." Isabel giggled and backed away slightly. "You wouldn’t dare."
"You’re right. I won’t do a damn thing now... just you wait." He warned her.
"I’ll hold my breath." She kissed his frosting covered mouth, getting frosting all over her face in the process.
"Mom." Alex Jr. suddenly appeared.
"What sweetie?" Isabel wiped off her new husband’s face.
"Can I stay at Uncle Max’s tonight instead of Grandpa’s?" Jr. pleaded. "Me and Danny wanna play on his Playstation."
"Oh baby. Grandma and Grandpa want to see you this weekend. Aunt Maggie will be there." Isabel smiled brightly.
"Ok..." He grumbled. "Why can’t I ever go into the room at the end of the hall?"
Isabel bit her lip and looked away. She wiped at her mouth with a napkin. Kyle caught her distraught look and rushed to fix things. "Do you remember how we talked about your real dad?"
"Yeah. I have his name."
"Well, no one goes in that room because it used to be his. It makes your grandma real sad to think about it." Kyle whispered. "But you... you make her happy. Spend this weekend over there. Make them feel happy."
"Okay, Dad." Alex Jr. nodded. He hugged them both quickly before running off again.
"I guess he’s made up his own mind about the ‘dad’ thing." Kyle gave her a tight smile, not knowing how she was going to react to that.
"I guess so." Isabel nodded and smiled gently.
"You okay with it?" He nudged her.
"I was worried about how he was going to deal with it." She kissed him softly. "He loves you. If he wants to call you dad... then it’s okay with me."
"I know I like it."
--
Michael watched the limo drive off with his friends inside it. Then he turned back to the reception still going on. The music still played. He spotted his little girl taking turns dancing with both Danny and Alex. Liz sat next to him at the table. Without turning he spoke to her. "Can’t I freeze her like this? Never let her grow up and realize that she wants to date boys."
"If I can’t do it with my kids then you don’t get to do it either." She smiled though. "That is something I could watch for the rest of my life."
Michael followed her gaze. Max was dancing with Kathy not too far away. There was a big goofy grin plastered on his face.
"I like him like this." Liz whispered and leaned her head on Michael’s shoulder. "He’d do anything for his kids."
"He’s a father... of course he would." Michael replied.
"Things are going really good."
"Watch they’ll beep him right when he really starts having a good time." He shook his head.
"Not if I have his beeper." Liz grinned wickedly. "I took it from his jacket. It hasn’t even gone off once."
"You’re bad."
"I know but any shred of pleasure is worth it in my eyes." She leaned on her friend until their children got tired and demanded to go home. That was the best day any of them had had in a long time. As long as the momentum kept up, everything would be fine.
TBC
Part 26
The Fate of Destiny Part 26
March 2011
"Sh. He’s not awake yet."
"Please, can we wake him?"
"Yeah, it’s gonna get cold and yucky."
Max opened one eye to find his three favorite people huddled in the doorway trying to be quiet and failing miserably. "I’m already awake and I can hear you."
"Happy Birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday dear Daddy! Happy birthday to you." Liz, Danny and Kathy sang. Liz spotted the children as they carried a tray onto the bed.
Max sat up and pulled the tray onto his lap. "Wow. This looks really good."
"I made it." Daniel announced.
"Hey, I helped." Kathy whined.
"They both made you breakfast." Liz smiled as carefully climbed onto the bed next to him. Max hesitantly took a bite of what looked like strawberry pancakes with Tabasco. He moved it over his tongue and turned to Liz.
"Um, why do these taste like blueberry?" Max swallowed and caught the look in Liz’s eyes. "What am I missing here?"
"They made the entire breakfast a la magic fingers." She grinned.
"That’s great, guys. This tastes really good, thank you." He took another big bite to prove it to his kids.
"Your welcome Dad." They said in unison. They turned to each other. "Presents!"
They ran from the room to retrieve the presents for their father. Liz watched him eat his birthday breakfast. "So, old man... how does it feel?
"It’s weird. 28... that’s like almost 30." Max sat back. "You know, if you had asked me on my 17th birthday what I was going to be 10 years down the line... I would have said ‘I don’t know, ask me next year.’" He took a sip of what looked like orange juice but what really tasted like lime juice and made a sour face. "Their powers are really coming along huh?"
"I only supervised to make sure they didn’t blow anything up." Liz held up her hands then settled back next to him. "And if I had asked you on your 18th?"
"I would have said dead." He caught the look of horror on her face. "I didn’t have you so I didn’t have anything. You are my everything."
"Max..." She whispered, tilting her head back. "I didn’t have time to get you a present."
"You gave me my present last night. I had a dream." He smirked at her. Then he reached over and patted her stomach. "At least we’ll be prepared for this one."
"What?!" Liz paled and then groaned but with a smile. "Boy or girl?"
"I don’t know yet." He kissed her forehead and barely looked up when the arguing started. "But I am sensing he or she is in for a world of this…"
"Me first."
"No me."
"No me."
"No me."
"Kids. Please, be good today." Liz called out. Daniel and Kathleen raced into the room.
"Daddy, I got you a present." Kathy hopped on the bed first and held out an ashtray made of clay. Liz eyed it and turned to Max. He just grinned and took it.
"Thank you baby. I’ll keep it right here." Max set it on the nightstand on his side of the bed.
"Dad, I got you a present too." Danny held up a piece of paper. "I drew it for you but I had to change it this morning cause I had a dream."
"And why is that?" Max took the drawing and looked it over. "Oh. I see."
He held it out for Liz to see. It was a picture of the family. Max and Liz, Danny and Kathy... and a baby stroller with a big pink bow.
--
Liz wiped flour from her face and laughed. Danny had batter in his hair and Kathy’s hands were covered in frosting. "Mom, for my birthday, can I make my own cake?"
"Danny, why do you want to make your own cake?" Liz scooped the batter out of his hair and threw it away.
"Cause this is fun."
"Yeah, it is... but remember... your birthday falls on a school day. You’re not going to have time. How about... you can help me make Kathy’s cake on her birthday?"
"But I want to make my own cake too." Kathy held out her hands for help cleaning them.
"We’ll all help make your cake. Come on guys; let’s get this cake in the oven. We want it cooked by the time your dad gets out of surgery." Liz clapped her hands.
"Daddy’s a good doctor huh?" Kathy asked. "He helps a lot of people?"
"Yes, he does. Your daddy is the best doctor in town."
"How about out of town?" Danny challenged. "I think Dad is the best surgeon in the whole universe."
"And you’re probably right." Liz nodded with a smirk.
--
Alex hopped up and down. "Tell me, tell me, tell me."
Isabel laughed and turned to her husband. Kyle grinned and bowed his head. "You do the honors."
"Okay, baby, we have something to tell you." Isabel started. "In about eight months... around Halloween... we are going to have a baby. You are going to get a baby sister. What do you think about that?"
"It’s about time." Alex Jr. nodded his head. "I’m the only one without a sister."
"What are you talking about, buddy?" Kyle chuckled.
"Danny has a sister, Dad had a sister, my real dad has a sister, and Uncle Max has a sister. I don’t have a sister." He crossed his arms.
"Uncle Michael doesn’t have a sister, Emily doesn’t have a sister." Isabel pointed out.
"Uncle Michael says he doesn’t need sisters or brothers and Emily’s a girl, she doesn’t need a sister." He explained to his parents the logic of a seven year old.
"Well, now you’re gonna get one." Kyle patted him on the back.
--
Michael walked past an empty room with a stack of notes to transcribe. Suddenly he stopped and looked in. Max was sprawled out on the bed, asleep. "Maxwell!"
"I’m up!" Max leaped off the bed and wrapped his stethoscope around his neck. He was almost out the door before he’d even opened his eyes.
"Hey, where’s the fire?" Michael steadied him.
"Michael... damn it... I was sleeping." Max pulled off the stethoscope and flopped onto the bed.
"What are you doing here? I thought you’d be home... celebrating... you know, being old."
"Very funny, Michael. The plan was to come, perform a simple procedure and go home to my own private party."
"What happened?"
"I came in, did the surgery, due to an unforeseen complication, we lost her. Then I got called down to the ER and now I’m on call. Happy Birthday Dr. Evans."
"You on tomorrow?"
"Thank God no."
"I think that we should have another little party. Adults only." Michael nodded. "I’ll leave Emily with Jim, you send the tykes over to Grampa’s. Kyle and Iz can leave the kid with Grampa number one, two or three."
"When?" Max perked up.
"Tonight. Kyle’s got a bottle that he’s been trying to open for months but since none of us drink..."
"Liz can’t have any." Max stopped him. "Brand new life and all."
"So, we’ll make it a guys’ night. Iz can’t drink either. Must be something in the water." Michael shook his head.
"We’ll get together some other time. I’m still trying to figure out how to tell the kids that I missed their little party for me."
"Okay..." Michael scratched his head. "I’ll bet if you look around then you won’t have to."
"What?" Max sat up and stared after his friend. Just then his beeper went off. "Damn it."
Max jumped off the bed and made his way down to the first floor. The nurses saw the look on his face and ducked into open doorways. "Alright, I’m here, what did you want?"
"Who?" Dr. Logan asked, flashing him a bright smile. Max ignored her.
"Someone from down here paged me. So I’m here."
"Um, Dr. Evans..." The head nurse interrupted. "There’s someone to see you in the lounge."
"Right." Max stormed off.
"That is one awesome doctor." Dr. Logan winked at the nurse.
"He’s married with kids."
"So."
--
Max threw open the lounge door, ready to snap at whoever was looking for him. The sight took his breath away.
"Happy Birthday!" Liz had brought the kids into the hospital with their cake to surprise him... as well as all their friends and family.
"Wow." Max was genuinely stunned. "Wow."
"You said that already." Liz pointed out.
"You did all this?" He waved to the small lounge filled with all the most important people in his life.
"I did. If you can’t come to the party, then the party comes to you." Liz kissed his stunned lips. "Happy birthday my king."
"You, my queen, are one of a kind." Max stepped fully into the crowded room.
"We couldn’t light the candles because it’s fire hazard." Michael cracked.
"Ha ha. You aren’t too far behind me good friend... and speaking of friendship... You couldn’t have told me about this when you were waking me up?" Max kissed his children’s heads and hugged his parents.
"Well, then it wouldn’t have been a surprise now would it?" Michael shrugged. When Max made his way over, he caught him by the arm. "I didn’t know until Liz let me know, like when I was talking to you."
"What do you mean?"
"She didn’t tell you?" Michael furrowed his brow.
"Tell me what?"
"I’ll tell you later. It entails some heavy discussion."
Max nodded and moved around to his cake. Isabel was waiting with a match. "I was thinking that we may need more than one match for this."
"Excuse me and who is turning 29 this year?" Max tossed back.
"Your tone is noted but your message ignored." Isabel turned her nose in the air. "Blow out your candles, Max."
Max glanced over at Liz and made a wish before blowing out his 29 candles: 28 years of life with the hope of one more. Max was going to enjoy his party while he could.
The other doctors took pity on him and were determined not to bother him unless absolutely necessary. It was Dr. Logan’s entrance that signaled the end of the party. "Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt."
"It’s ok, Joan. Why don’t you have a piece of cake?" Max offered even though there wasn’t much of the cake that Liz had made for humans. The cake the kids had made was full of Tabasco.
"How about I just take a piece and run? My shift’s over." Her fingers brushed Max’s as they took the plate. Liz’s eyes narrowed as she watched how Dr. Logan’s eyes ran over Max’s body.
"I wouldn’t worry, Mrs. Evans." A nurse whispered as she passed. "Your husband ignores everything that woman throws his way."
"This happens a lot?" Liz’s eyes widened.
"Constantly." The nurse grabbed her coat and left. Liz turned to Max with a meaningful glare. He shot a glance over her shoulder, so she turned to look.
"Stephen, hi." Liz smiled. "What are you doing here?"
"Picking up my sister." He smiled back. "Joan. Sometime today?"
"Right. Bye... Max." She squeezed his shoulder before leaving. Max didn’t notice that but he did notice the way Stephen smiled at Liz before he left. He glared after him.
"Someone’s jealous." Isabel whispered not so quietly to Kyle.
"I think it’s going both ways." He chuckled.
"Shut up." Max growled.
--
"Max, he’s just a friend. We took a lot of classes together and we keep in touch." Liz sighed and slid into bed. "He’s practically a child anyway... like a little brother."
"I don’t like him. I get weird feelings from him and I don’t like the way he looks at you." Max pulled off his shoes.
"And Joan?"
"What about Dr. Logan?" He scratched his head.
"You never told me that she’s been coming on to you." She accused him. "The nurses told me."
"She has not been coming on to me." Max insisted.
"Bullshit. I saw how she was looking at you tonight. The way she was touching you... and she did it right in front of me." Liz crossed her arms. "She doesn’t care that you’re married or that you have kids."
"Liz, I don’t know where you got this crazy idea but nothing’s going on."
"My ass." She stopped him when he started to get into bed. "I don’t think so."
"This is insane." Max dropped the sheet.
"You’re right." Michael’s voice floated over from the window. "You two are so obviously in love with each other that it would take an insane person to even try to come between you. So just kiss and make up."
"Why are you here, Michael?" Max groaned and sat on the edge of the bed.
"Because Liz was upset." Michael caught Max’s confused expression. "She didn’t tell you yet because you two are idiots."
"Thanks, Michael." Liz glared at him. "Want to tell us why you’re here?"
"Thank you for the segue dear." Michael swung his legs into the room. "So I followed Stephen and Joan from the hospital. They aren’t brother and sister."
"What?" Max and Liz asked at the same time.
"So not brother and sister... unless they’re the kind that share a bed and have sex."
"You’re kidding." Liz shook her head.
"Did I mention their lifetime supply of hand lotion?"
"Skins?" Max’s shoulders slumped. "My god... they’ve been around for over five years."
"Max, they showed up around the same time. Stephen was in my classes when I started up again... Joan showed up the morning that your dad was found in the hospital." Liz gasped and blindly reached for Max. He reached back and met her hand. "They’re trying to tear us apart."
"That’s what I figured." Michael nodded.
"Shit." Max shook his head. "Okay, now that we have that established. Michael, explain to me how you knew Liz was upset."
"Max, you know that we’re good friends." Liz scooted over next to him. "We’ve gotten really close because of... you know."
"Maria." Max whispered softly. "I understand that."
"Yeah so, neither of us wants to forget her. When you work late, it gets creepy." Liz explained. "Michael keeps me company and we talk about her. One night, Michael wanted to know some of the things about her from before. It was hard for me to remember so we tried a connection."
"Since Liz knows how to send... I figured it would work and it did." Michael nodded. "But when we broke contact, the connection stayed."
"He can feel what I’m feeling if I feel it strong enough." Liz whispered to her shocked husband. "He knows if I’m near. Sometimes, if his feelings are overwhelming... I feel them too."
"So that’s what you were talking about earlier." Max looked up at Michael. "Why hadn’t you told me sooner?"
"We didn’t want you to be mad that we tried something like this when we didn’t know what we were doing." Liz kissed his neck lightly.
"I’m not mad, really. It’s just strange." He whispered.
"I’ll leave you old farts to kiss and make up now." Michael hopped out the window and continued on down to his bike. He mentally pat himself on the back for fixing the damage before it got started. As he revved the engine, he glanced back at the window he’d just climbed out of. The shadows kissed and petted each other before the light went out.
A pang shot through his heart. He hadn’t even told Liz everything. He couldn’t. Her friendship meant too much to him. Michael’s friendship with Max meant too much to him. No, he wasn’t about to reveal the real reason he wanted to spend so much time with Liz... not even to himself.
TBC
On that note, I'm out for the weekend. '-)
March 2011
"Sh. He’s not awake yet."
"Please, can we wake him?"
"Yeah, it’s gonna get cold and yucky."
Max opened one eye to find his three favorite people huddled in the doorway trying to be quiet and failing miserably. "I’m already awake and I can hear you."
"Happy Birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday dear Daddy! Happy birthday to you." Liz, Danny and Kathy sang. Liz spotted the children as they carried a tray onto the bed.
Max sat up and pulled the tray onto his lap. "Wow. This looks really good."
"I made it." Daniel announced.
"Hey, I helped." Kathy whined.
"They both made you breakfast." Liz smiled as carefully climbed onto the bed next to him. Max hesitantly took a bite of what looked like strawberry pancakes with Tabasco. He moved it over his tongue and turned to Liz.
"Um, why do these taste like blueberry?" Max swallowed and caught the look in Liz’s eyes. "What am I missing here?"
"They made the entire breakfast a la magic fingers." She grinned.
"That’s great, guys. This tastes really good, thank you." He took another big bite to prove it to his kids.
"Your welcome Dad." They said in unison. They turned to each other. "Presents!"
They ran from the room to retrieve the presents for their father. Liz watched him eat his birthday breakfast. "So, old man... how does it feel?
"It’s weird. 28... that’s like almost 30." Max sat back. "You know, if you had asked me on my 17th birthday what I was going to be 10 years down the line... I would have said ‘I don’t know, ask me next year.’" He took a sip of what looked like orange juice but what really tasted like lime juice and made a sour face. "Their powers are really coming along huh?"
"I only supervised to make sure they didn’t blow anything up." Liz held up her hands then settled back next to him. "And if I had asked you on your 18th?"
"I would have said dead." He caught the look of horror on her face. "I didn’t have you so I didn’t have anything. You are my everything."
"Max..." She whispered, tilting her head back. "I didn’t have time to get you a present."
"You gave me my present last night. I had a dream." He smirked at her. Then he reached over and patted her stomach. "At least we’ll be prepared for this one."
"What?!" Liz paled and then groaned but with a smile. "Boy or girl?"
"I don’t know yet." He kissed her forehead and barely looked up when the arguing started. "But I am sensing he or she is in for a world of this…"
"Me first."
"No me."
"No me."
"No me."
"Kids. Please, be good today." Liz called out. Daniel and Kathleen raced into the room.
"Daddy, I got you a present." Kathy hopped on the bed first and held out an ashtray made of clay. Liz eyed it and turned to Max. He just grinned and took it.
"Thank you baby. I’ll keep it right here." Max set it on the nightstand on his side of the bed.
"Dad, I got you a present too." Danny held up a piece of paper. "I drew it for you but I had to change it this morning cause I had a dream."
"And why is that?" Max took the drawing and looked it over. "Oh. I see."
He held it out for Liz to see. It was a picture of the family. Max and Liz, Danny and Kathy... and a baby stroller with a big pink bow.
--
Liz wiped flour from her face and laughed. Danny had batter in his hair and Kathy’s hands were covered in frosting. "Mom, for my birthday, can I make my own cake?"
"Danny, why do you want to make your own cake?" Liz scooped the batter out of his hair and threw it away.
"Cause this is fun."
"Yeah, it is... but remember... your birthday falls on a school day. You’re not going to have time. How about... you can help me make Kathy’s cake on her birthday?"
"But I want to make my own cake too." Kathy held out her hands for help cleaning them.
"We’ll all help make your cake. Come on guys; let’s get this cake in the oven. We want it cooked by the time your dad gets out of surgery." Liz clapped her hands.
"Daddy’s a good doctor huh?" Kathy asked. "He helps a lot of people?"
"Yes, he does. Your daddy is the best doctor in town."
"How about out of town?" Danny challenged. "I think Dad is the best surgeon in the whole universe."
"And you’re probably right." Liz nodded with a smirk.
--
Alex hopped up and down. "Tell me, tell me, tell me."
Isabel laughed and turned to her husband. Kyle grinned and bowed his head. "You do the honors."
"Okay, baby, we have something to tell you." Isabel started. "In about eight months... around Halloween... we are going to have a baby. You are going to get a baby sister. What do you think about that?"
"It’s about time." Alex Jr. nodded his head. "I’m the only one without a sister."
"What are you talking about, buddy?" Kyle chuckled.
"Danny has a sister, Dad had a sister, my real dad has a sister, and Uncle Max has a sister. I don’t have a sister." He crossed his arms.
"Uncle Michael doesn’t have a sister, Emily doesn’t have a sister." Isabel pointed out.
"Uncle Michael says he doesn’t need sisters or brothers and Emily’s a girl, she doesn’t need a sister." He explained to his parents the logic of a seven year old.
"Well, now you’re gonna get one." Kyle patted him on the back.
--
Michael walked past an empty room with a stack of notes to transcribe. Suddenly he stopped and looked in. Max was sprawled out on the bed, asleep. "Maxwell!"
"I’m up!" Max leaped off the bed and wrapped his stethoscope around his neck. He was almost out the door before he’d even opened his eyes.
"Hey, where’s the fire?" Michael steadied him.
"Michael... damn it... I was sleeping." Max pulled off the stethoscope and flopped onto the bed.
"What are you doing here? I thought you’d be home... celebrating... you know, being old."
"Very funny, Michael. The plan was to come, perform a simple procedure and go home to my own private party."
"What happened?"
"I came in, did the surgery, due to an unforeseen complication, we lost her. Then I got called down to the ER and now I’m on call. Happy Birthday Dr. Evans."
"You on tomorrow?"
"Thank God no."
"I think that we should have another little party. Adults only." Michael nodded. "I’ll leave Emily with Jim, you send the tykes over to Grampa’s. Kyle and Iz can leave the kid with Grampa number one, two or three."
"When?" Max perked up.
"Tonight. Kyle’s got a bottle that he’s been trying to open for months but since none of us drink..."
"Liz can’t have any." Max stopped him. "Brand new life and all."
"So, we’ll make it a guys’ night. Iz can’t drink either. Must be something in the water." Michael shook his head.
"We’ll get together some other time. I’m still trying to figure out how to tell the kids that I missed their little party for me."
"Okay..." Michael scratched his head. "I’ll bet if you look around then you won’t have to."
"What?" Max sat up and stared after his friend. Just then his beeper went off. "Damn it."
Max jumped off the bed and made his way down to the first floor. The nurses saw the look on his face and ducked into open doorways. "Alright, I’m here, what did you want?"
"Who?" Dr. Logan asked, flashing him a bright smile. Max ignored her.
"Someone from down here paged me. So I’m here."
"Um, Dr. Evans..." The head nurse interrupted. "There’s someone to see you in the lounge."
"Right." Max stormed off.
"That is one awesome doctor." Dr. Logan winked at the nurse.
"He’s married with kids."
"So."
--
Max threw open the lounge door, ready to snap at whoever was looking for him. The sight took his breath away.
"Happy Birthday!" Liz had brought the kids into the hospital with their cake to surprise him... as well as all their friends and family.
"Wow." Max was genuinely stunned. "Wow."
"You said that already." Liz pointed out.
"You did all this?" He waved to the small lounge filled with all the most important people in his life.
"I did. If you can’t come to the party, then the party comes to you." Liz kissed his stunned lips. "Happy birthday my king."
"You, my queen, are one of a kind." Max stepped fully into the crowded room.
"We couldn’t light the candles because it’s fire hazard." Michael cracked.
"Ha ha. You aren’t too far behind me good friend... and speaking of friendship... You couldn’t have told me about this when you were waking me up?" Max kissed his children’s heads and hugged his parents.
"Well, then it wouldn’t have been a surprise now would it?" Michael shrugged. When Max made his way over, he caught him by the arm. "I didn’t know until Liz let me know, like when I was talking to you."
"What do you mean?"
"She didn’t tell you?" Michael furrowed his brow.
"Tell me what?"
"I’ll tell you later. It entails some heavy discussion."
Max nodded and moved around to his cake. Isabel was waiting with a match. "I was thinking that we may need more than one match for this."
"Excuse me and who is turning 29 this year?" Max tossed back.
"Your tone is noted but your message ignored." Isabel turned her nose in the air. "Blow out your candles, Max."
Max glanced over at Liz and made a wish before blowing out his 29 candles: 28 years of life with the hope of one more. Max was going to enjoy his party while he could.
The other doctors took pity on him and were determined not to bother him unless absolutely necessary. It was Dr. Logan’s entrance that signaled the end of the party. "Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt."
"It’s ok, Joan. Why don’t you have a piece of cake?" Max offered even though there wasn’t much of the cake that Liz had made for humans. The cake the kids had made was full of Tabasco.
"How about I just take a piece and run? My shift’s over." Her fingers brushed Max’s as they took the plate. Liz’s eyes narrowed as she watched how Dr. Logan’s eyes ran over Max’s body.
"I wouldn’t worry, Mrs. Evans." A nurse whispered as she passed. "Your husband ignores everything that woman throws his way."
"This happens a lot?" Liz’s eyes widened.
"Constantly." The nurse grabbed her coat and left. Liz turned to Max with a meaningful glare. He shot a glance over her shoulder, so she turned to look.
"Stephen, hi." Liz smiled. "What are you doing here?"
"Picking up my sister." He smiled back. "Joan. Sometime today?"
"Right. Bye... Max." She squeezed his shoulder before leaving. Max didn’t notice that but he did notice the way Stephen smiled at Liz before he left. He glared after him.
"Someone’s jealous." Isabel whispered not so quietly to Kyle.
"I think it’s going both ways." He chuckled.
"Shut up." Max growled.
--
"Max, he’s just a friend. We took a lot of classes together and we keep in touch." Liz sighed and slid into bed. "He’s practically a child anyway... like a little brother."
"I don’t like him. I get weird feelings from him and I don’t like the way he looks at you." Max pulled off his shoes.
"And Joan?"
"What about Dr. Logan?" He scratched his head.
"You never told me that she’s been coming on to you." She accused him. "The nurses told me."
"She has not been coming on to me." Max insisted.
"Bullshit. I saw how she was looking at you tonight. The way she was touching you... and she did it right in front of me." Liz crossed her arms. "She doesn’t care that you’re married or that you have kids."
"Liz, I don’t know where you got this crazy idea but nothing’s going on."
"My ass." She stopped him when he started to get into bed. "I don’t think so."
"This is insane." Max dropped the sheet.
"You’re right." Michael’s voice floated over from the window. "You two are so obviously in love with each other that it would take an insane person to even try to come between you. So just kiss and make up."
"Why are you here, Michael?" Max groaned and sat on the edge of the bed.
"Because Liz was upset." Michael caught Max’s confused expression. "She didn’t tell you yet because you two are idiots."
"Thanks, Michael." Liz glared at him. "Want to tell us why you’re here?"
"Thank you for the segue dear." Michael swung his legs into the room. "So I followed Stephen and Joan from the hospital. They aren’t brother and sister."
"What?" Max and Liz asked at the same time.
"So not brother and sister... unless they’re the kind that share a bed and have sex."
"You’re kidding." Liz shook her head.
"Did I mention their lifetime supply of hand lotion?"
"Skins?" Max’s shoulders slumped. "My god... they’ve been around for over five years."
"Max, they showed up around the same time. Stephen was in my classes when I started up again... Joan showed up the morning that your dad was found in the hospital." Liz gasped and blindly reached for Max. He reached back and met her hand. "They’re trying to tear us apart."
"That’s what I figured." Michael nodded.
"Shit." Max shook his head. "Okay, now that we have that established. Michael, explain to me how you knew Liz was upset."
"Max, you know that we’re good friends." Liz scooted over next to him. "We’ve gotten really close because of... you know."
"Maria." Max whispered softly. "I understand that."
"Yeah so, neither of us wants to forget her. When you work late, it gets creepy." Liz explained. "Michael keeps me company and we talk about her. One night, Michael wanted to know some of the things about her from before. It was hard for me to remember so we tried a connection."
"Since Liz knows how to send... I figured it would work and it did." Michael nodded. "But when we broke contact, the connection stayed."
"He can feel what I’m feeling if I feel it strong enough." Liz whispered to her shocked husband. "He knows if I’m near. Sometimes, if his feelings are overwhelming... I feel them too."
"So that’s what you were talking about earlier." Max looked up at Michael. "Why hadn’t you told me sooner?"
"We didn’t want you to be mad that we tried something like this when we didn’t know what we were doing." Liz kissed his neck lightly.
"I’m not mad, really. It’s just strange." He whispered.
"I’ll leave you old farts to kiss and make up now." Michael hopped out the window and continued on down to his bike. He mentally pat himself on the back for fixing the damage before it got started. As he revved the engine, he glanced back at the window he’d just climbed out of. The shadows kissed and petted each other before the light went out.
A pang shot through his heart. He hadn’t even told Liz everything. He couldn’t. Her friendship meant too much to him. Michael’s friendship with Max meant too much to him. No, he wasn’t about to reveal the real reason he wanted to spend so much time with Liz... not even to himself.
TBC
On that note, I'm out for the weekend. '-)
Part 27
AN: You get a twofer tonight because I was a dunce and forgot my disk last night.
The Fate of Destiny Part 27
Michael tapped Max on the shoulder as he walked through the fourth floor of the hospital. Max finished looking over the chart in his hand and walked down the way that Michael had just come.
Michael sat at his desk and nodded to Liz who was sitting on the other side. She clasped her hands together and bowed her head, whispering to herself. Michael reached over and pried her hands apart, rubbing the indentions her fingernails made in her hands. He forced her to look at him. "Max has got it all under control."
"I hope you’re right." She whispered.
--
Max hid behind a SUV and watched Joan make her way over to her car. He watched her stare into the side-view mirror and then glance around. She peeled the skin off her nose before unlocking the car door.
Max rushed over to the passenger side and hopped in before she could take off. She hit the brake, startled. "Dr. Evans..."
"Evening, Dr. Logan." He nodded. "How are things?"
"Um, fine." She smiled brightly. "Can I help you with something?"
"Actually, yes. You see, I just got a call from a dermatologist. She told me that excessive skin peeling and shedding is not a normal problem for anyone. She thinks you should see a doctor right away."
"What are you talking about?"
"I mentioned to her that on occasion I’ve seen you peel rather large pieces of skin from various parts of your body. It’s not really sanitary where the patients are concerned. I wanted to help you out before anyone else at the hospital got wind of it." Max scratched his neck and avoided looking in her eyes.
Joan’s eyes widened. "You know, don’t you?"
"Give it up. Your people are not going to win." Max raised his gaze, eyes burning with anger. "I hate to kill but I feel an example needs to be made."
"An example?" She tried to get out of the car but Max held the lock shut with his powers.
"I’m sorry." He whispered as he put a hand to her chest. "You really were a good doctor." Her body heated up rapidly, her eyes were locked on his, keeping her from doing anything to defend herself.
--
Liz hopped up the minute Max walked into Michael’s office, brushing skin flakes from his shoulders. "I took care of her, let’s hope Stephen gets the message."
"Ok." Liz nodded and turned to Michael. "Then, I’ll see you later."
"Yeah." He gave her a tight smile and nodded to Max as they left his office.
Max wrapped an arm around Liz as they stepped into the elevator. When the doors closed, she turned to face him. "Max."
"What?" He leaned against the wall and closed his eyes.
"Are you going to kill Stephen?"
"I hope not." For a moment there was silence. Then Max groaned as Liz’s mouth burned up and down his throat. "Liz... what are you doing?"
"I don’t know." She paused for a moment. "I’m a little anxious right now. Want me to stop?"
"I didn’t say that. Can we hold on until we get home?" He slid his eyes open just a crack, a smirk crossing his face.
"I don’t know." She whispered even as a hand slipped under his scrub top. "I’m really rather anxious... I think my symptoms are kicking in. Anyone ever tell you that these scrubs are a major turn on?"
Max sucked in a breath involuntarily as her fingers ran up his abs. Her nails scraped at his belly button. Without warning her fingers slid the other direction and underneath his scrub bottoms. "Liz!"
"What?" She continued to cup him through his boxers.
"Not here." He hissed as the elevator doors opened. Liz quickly pulled her hand out and drug him out and into the nearest vacant room she could find.
--
Michael gripped the desk tight. "God, Liz, couldn’t you have left the building first?" He whispered to himself. Their connection was sending him all the desire shooting through her body.
--
Max reached back and locked the door to the bathroom they were in. Liz pulled him back. She had already shoved her jeans down her legs and hopped back up on the counter where he had sat her. Max covered her mouth with his, matching her tongue’s movements with his own.
Both sets of hands reached down and pushed his pants and boxers to the ground. Max slid into her waiting body and began a swift rhythm. Liz clung to her husband, latching onto his neck with her mouth.
--
Michael dropped his head onto the desk and tried to regulate his breathing but Liz was out of control. All the sensations she was feeling were being transferred over to him.
"Mr. Guerin? Are you okay?"
He snapped his head up. "What?"
"You okay? I’ve been calling in here for a few minutes." The nurse shook her head.
"I’m fine. What... what did you need?" Michael scooted into the desk carefully.
"The cart is outside. Dr. Logan’s notes, Dr. Evans’, as well as Dr. Price’s..."
"Just put it right there." Michael pointed and tried to block the stream of sensations flowing into his head. "I’ll get it in a moment."
"Alright." The nurse looked him over. "I know it’s hard to move on but I have a niece about your age. Pretty, smart, loads of fun."
"I don’t think so." Michael shook his head. She turned to walk out. Michael’s body shuddered as Liz reached her climax. "You know what... it is about time... what’s her name?"
--
"I can’t believe we just did that." Max pulled his scrubs back up.
"Me either." Liz hopped off the counter and fixed her own clothes. "Meet you at home?"
"Hold on a minute. I just have to grab my things from my locker and I’ll be ready." He opened the door slowly and snuck out into the hall.
---
Kyle pulled off his belt, setting his gun on the nightstand. Isabel didn’t even look up. She had her knees drawn up to her chest. {I can do this. I can do this. Michael said he was okay with it. He sounded like he meant it. I can do this.} Her gaze was fixed on her nails.
"Something wrong?" Kyle whispered.
"Just thinking." she whispered back. Isabel snapped herself out of her thoughts and pasted on a bright smile. "Did you talk to the realtor?"
"She’s willing to work with us. As long as your dad pays you so well, we should have no problem getting a house." He stood and began getting ready for bed. "What’s really bothering you?"
"Do you think it’s right?"
"What?" His blue eyes searched her brown ones, trying to decipher exactly what she was talking about.
"The baby." Isabel could feel the sting of tears and blinked them away. "Michael says that he’s okay with it but after what I did..."
"Iz... Do you want this baby?"
"Yes, but does that make it right? Five years ago I gave up on that baby and now I’m having another one. I just feel like such a... I don’t know." Her eyes fluttered closed and her body tensed until her husband’s arms surrounded her.
"Then why did you do it? You’ve never talked about it... even all those nights we stayed up talking... you just never talked about it after you came home from your parents." Kyle’s heart clenched and waited for her to talk.
"I was scared. Kathy came and Tess died. It was like some tragic play. Destiny fulfills itself and moves on. That meant Michael and me. Things are still awkward between us." Her thoughts raced, everything that she had held in for so long was surfacing. "Max was so good though. And you. Without the two of you to lean on... I would have gone crazy."
"Did you know that Max didn’t want you to-- to go through with it. He told me there were too many risks." Kyle stroked her back, giving her comfort and strength to keep talking.
"Well, what my brother says and what he does are two totally different stories."
"What I’m saying that whatever reservations he had about it, he went back on his word for you. He knew that it was going to be hard for you. That you needed some time." Kyle kissed his wife’s head. "I know things were really hard for you after Alex... I saw how it affected you."
"That’s the thing. We were both hurting so much; a baby would have made it worse. And what would have happened if that prophecy had been fulfilled. I was so scared that if I had that baby, the world would suddenly come tumbling down on us." She squeezed her eyes shut. "Every step closer to destiny that we came... our lives slipped away from us a little more."
"Maybe this is a test. To see how strong you are. You won’t be alone this time. I’m going to be there every step of the way. You have all of us." He lay back with her. "Now, we’ve got a doctor’s appointment in the morning."
"How’s Liz taking her news?" Isabel changed the subject.
"I talked to Max this morning. He’s all excited about a third child but Liz is less than enthusiastic. He told me that she’s probably hoping for a girl. She wants one of her own, that will look like her." He stroked her hair.
"I’ve always thought it was funny that Kathy looks so much like Max, except for those eyes. She’s got Tess’s blue eyes. They look so out of place on that child." Isabel flicked her fingers in the direction of the light and it went out.
"Does she know?" Kyle held his wife against his body and closed his eyes.
"No but she’s starting to notice things. It won’t be long until they have to tell her."
--
"When is she going to get here?" Kathy knelt between her parents, one hand on Liz’s stomach.
"Around Thanksgiving probably." Max told her. She then held up her other hand and started rattling off the months.
"That’s nine months, pea brain." Danny muttered.
"I knew that." Kathy glared at her brother. "Is that how long it takes to make a baby?"
"Um, yeah." Max nodded and ignored Liz’s head shaking.
"But what about Kathy?" Danny spoke up and scooted next to his mother. "Her birthday isn’t nearly that far away from mine."
"Yeah, how come?" Kathy looked from her mother to her father.
"I think that it’s bedtime." Max dodged the question and pushed himself off the floor.
"Yes, bed time, school tomorrow." Liz announced and shooed off her kids with a kiss.
"Yeah!" A loud voice shouted from outside. Max immediately tensed.
"Kids, stay here with your mom. I’ll be right back." He grabbed a poker from the fireplace and made his way to the back door. Slowly he inched it open.
"Hey Maxwell." Michael popped in.
"Was that you?" Max looked around outside. Skin flakes fluttered to the ground.
"Yeah. Stephen was snooping around. We don’t have to worry about him anymore." Michael nodded and plopped down on the floor next to Liz. "So what’s up?"
"Getting the kids to bed." Max let out the breath he’d been holding. "Go."
"Dad..." They whined.
"School tomorrow. Go to bed." Liz sent them off once more. She turned to Michael. "You’re nervous, why?"
"I have a date?" He grimaced.
"With who? Do I know her?" Liz smiled and urged Michael to keep talking.
"You know Nurse Mendez?"
"Yeah, she’s a real bitch." Max nodded.
"She set me up with her niece." Michael admitted. "I figured it was time."
"Good for you." Liz nodded. "I am happy for you. Hopefully she’ll be nice."
"Yeah."
Max pulled Liz to her feet. "That’s good Michael. Have fun. Now, if you’ll excuse us, we’ll be heading to bed."
"You old married fogies. It’s barely 9 o’clock." Michael rolled his eyes.
"Who says we’re going to sleep? He just said that we’re going to bed." Liz pulled Max after her down the hallway.
Michael couldn’t stop the jealous pang he felt when they disappeared into the master bedroom. {This Brenda chick better be perfect or else I’m in trouble.}
TBC
The Fate of Destiny Part 27
Michael tapped Max on the shoulder as he walked through the fourth floor of the hospital. Max finished looking over the chart in his hand and walked down the way that Michael had just come.
Michael sat at his desk and nodded to Liz who was sitting on the other side. She clasped her hands together and bowed her head, whispering to herself. Michael reached over and pried her hands apart, rubbing the indentions her fingernails made in her hands. He forced her to look at him. "Max has got it all under control."
"I hope you’re right." She whispered.
--
Max hid behind a SUV and watched Joan make her way over to her car. He watched her stare into the side-view mirror and then glance around. She peeled the skin off her nose before unlocking the car door.
Max rushed over to the passenger side and hopped in before she could take off. She hit the brake, startled. "Dr. Evans..."
"Evening, Dr. Logan." He nodded. "How are things?"
"Um, fine." She smiled brightly. "Can I help you with something?"
"Actually, yes. You see, I just got a call from a dermatologist. She told me that excessive skin peeling and shedding is not a normal problem for anyone. She thinks you should see a doctor right away."
"What are you talking about?"
"I mentioned to her that on occasion I’ve seen you peel rather large pieces of skin from various parts of your body. It’s not really sanitary where the patients are concerned. I wanted to help you out before anyone else at the hospital got wind of it." Max scratched his neck and avoided looking in her eyes.
Joan’s eyes widened. "You know, don’t you?"
"Give it up. Your people are not going to win." Max raised his gaze, eyes burning with anger. "I hate to kill but I feel an example needs to be made."
"An example?" She tried to get out of the car but Max held the lock shut with his powers.
"I’m sorry." He whispered as he put a hand to her chest. "You really were a good doctor." Her body heated up rapidly, her eyes were locked on his, keeping her from doing anything to defend herself.
--
Liz hopped up the minute Max walked into Michael’s office, brushing skin flakes from his shoulders. "I took care of her, let’s hope Stephen gets the message."
"Ok." Liz nodded and turned to Michael. "Then, I’ll see you later."
"Yeah." He gave her a tight smile and nodded to Max as they left his office.
Max wrapped an arm around Liz as they stepped into the elevator. When the doors closed, she turned to face him. "Max."
"What?" He leaned against the wall and closed his eyes.
"Are you going to kill Stephen?"
"I hope not." For a moment there was silence. Then Max groaned as Liz’s mouth burned up and down his throat. "Liz... what are you doing?"
"I don’t know." She paused for a moment. "I’m a little anxious right now. Want me to stop?"
"I didn’t say that. Can we hold on until we get home?" He slid his eyes open just a crack, a smirk crossing his face.
"I don’t know." She whispered even as a hand slipped under his scrub top. "I’m really rather anxious... I think my symptoms are kicking in. Anyone ever tell you that these scrubs are a major turn on?"
Max sucked in a breath involuntarily as her fingers ran up his abs. Her nails scraped at his belly button. Without warning her fingers slid the other direction and underneath his scrub bottoms. "Liz!"
"What?" She continued to cup him through his boxers.
"Not here." He hissed as the elevator doors opened. Liz quickly pulled her hand out and drug him out and into the nearest vacant room she could find.
--
Michael gripped the desk tight. "God, Liz, couldn’t you have left the building first?" He whispered to himself. Their connection was sending him all the desire shooting through her body.
--
Max reached back and locked the door to the bathroom they were in. Liz pulled him back. She had already shoved her jeans down her legs and hopped back up on the counter where he had sat her. Max covered her mouth with his, matching her tongue’s movements with his own.
Both sets of hands reached down and pushed his pants and boxers to the ground. Max slid into her waiting body and began a swift rhythm. Liz clung to her husband, latching onto his neck with her mouth.
--
Michael dropped his head onto the desk and tried to regulate his breathing but Liz was out of control. All the sensations she was feeling were being transferred over to him.
"Mr. Guerin? Are you okay?"
He snapped his head up. "What?"
"You okay? I’ve been calling in here for a few minutes." The nurse shook her head.
"I’m fine. What... what did you need?" Michael scooted into the desk carefully.
"The cart is outside. Dr. Logan’s notes, Dr. Evans’, as well as Dr. Price’s..."
"Just put it right there." Michael pointed and tried to block the stream of sensations flowing into his head. "I’ll get it in a moment."
"Alright." The nurse looked him over. "I know it’s hard to move on but I have a niece about your age. Pretty, smart, loads of fun."
"I don’t think so." Michael shook his head. She turned to walk out. Michael’s body shuddered as Liz reached her climax. "You know what... it is about time... what’s her name?"
--
"I can’t believe we just did that." Max pulled his scrubs back up.
"Me either." Liz hopped off the counter and fixed her own clothes. "Meet you at home?"
"Hold on a minute. I just have to grab my things from my locker and I’ll be ready." He opened the door slowly and snuck out into the hall.
---
Kyle pulled off his belt, setting his gun on the nightstand. Isabel didn’t even look up. She had her knees drawn up to her chest. {I can do this. I can do this. Michael said he was okay with it. He sounded like he meant it. I can do this.} Her gaze was fixed on her nails.
"Something wrong?" Kyle whispered.
"Just thinking." she whispered back. Isabel snapped herself out of her thoughts and pasted on a bright smile. "Did you talk to the realtor?"
"She’s willing to work with us. As long as your dad pays you so well, we should have no problem getting a house." He stood and began getting ready for bed. "What’s really bothering you?"
"Do you think it’s right?"
"What?" His blue eyes searched her brown ones, trying to decipher exactly what she was talking about.
"The baby." Isabel could feel the sting of tears and blinked them away. "Michael says that he’s okay with it but after what I did..."
"Iz... Do you want this baby?"
"Yes, but does that make it right? Five years ago I gave up on that baby and now I’m having another one. I just feel like such a... I don’t know." Her eyes fluttered closed and her body tensed until her husband’s arms surrounded her.
"Then why did you do it? You’ve never talked about it... even all those nights we stayed up talking... you just never talked about it after you came home from your parents." Kyle’s heart clenched and waited for her to talk.
"I was scared. Kathy came and Tess died. It was like some tragic play. Destiny fulfills itself and moves on. That meant Michael and me. Things are still awkward between us." Her thoughts raced, everything that she had held in for so long was surfacing. "Max was so good though. And you. Without the two of you to lean on... I would have gone crazy."
"Did you know that Max didn’t want you to-- to go through with it. He told me there were too many risks." Kyle stroked her back, giving her comfort and strength to keep talking.
"Well, what my brother says and what he does are two totally different stories."
"What I’m saying that whatever reservations he had about it, he went back on his word for you. He knew that it was going to be hard for you. That you needed some time." Kyle kissed his wife’s head. "I know things were really hard for you after Alex... I saw how it affected you."
"That’s the thing. We were both hurting so much; a baby would have made it worse. And what would have happened if that prophecy had been fulfilled. I was so scared that if I had that baby, the world would suddenly come tumbling down on us." She squeezed her eyes shut. "Every step closer to destiny that we came... our lives slipped away from us a little more."
"Maybe this is a test. To see how strong you are. You won’t be alone this time. I’m going to be there every step of the way. You have all of us." He lay back with her. "Now, we’ve got a doctor’s appointment in the morning."
"How’s Liz taking her news?" Isabel changed the subject.
"I talked to Max this morning. He’s all excited about a third child but Liz is less than enthusiastic. He told me that she’s probably hoping for a girl. She wants one of her own, that will look like her." He stroked her hair.
"I’ve always thought it was funny that Kathy looks so much like Max, except for those eyes. She’s got Tess’s blue eyes. They look so out of place on that child." Isabel flicked her fingers in the direction of the light and it went out.
"Does she know?" Kyle held his wife against his body and closed his eyes.
"No but she’s starting to notice things. It won’t be long until they have to tell her."
--
"When is she going to get here?" Kathy knelt between her parents, one hand on Liz’s stomach.
"Around Thanksgiving probably." Max told her. She then held up her other hand and started rattling off the months.
"That’s nine months, pea brain." Danny muttered.
"I knew that." Kathy glared at her brother. "Is that how long it takes to make a baby?"
"Um, yeah." Max nodded and ignored Liz’s head shaking.
"But what about Kathy?" Danny spoke up and scooted next to his mother. "Her birthday isn’t nearly that far away from mine."
"Yeah, how come?" Kathy looked from her mother to her father.
"I think that it’s bedtime." Max dodged the question and pushed himself off the floor.
"Yes, bed time, school tomorrow." Liz announced and shooed off her kids with a kiss.
"Yeah!" A loud voice shouted from outside. Max immediately tensed.
"Kids, stay here with your mom. I’ll be right back." He grabbed a poker from the fireplace and made his way to the back door. Slowly he inched it open.
"Hey Maxwell." Michael popped in.
"Was that you?" Max looked around outside. Skin flakes fluttered to the ground.
"Yeah. Stephen was snooping around. We don’t have to worry about him anymore." Michael nodded and plopped down on the floor next to Liz. "So what’s up?"
"Getting the kids to bed." Max let out the breath he’d been holding. "Go."
"Dad..." They whined.
"School tomorrow. Go to bed." Liz sent them off once more. She turned to Michael. "You’re nervous, why?"
"I have a date?" He grimaced.
"With who? Do I know her?" Liz smiled and urged Michael to keep talking.
"You know Nurse Mendez?"
"Yeah, she’s a real bitch." Max nodded.
"She set me up with her niece." Michael admitted. "I figured it was time."
"Good for you." Liz nodded. "I am happy for you. Hopefully she’ll be nice."
"Yeah."
Max pulled Liz to her feet. "That’s good Michael. Have fun. Now, if you’ll excuse us, we’ll be heading to bed."
"You old married fogies. It’s barely 9 o’clock." Michael rolled his eyes.
"Who says we’re going to sleep? He just said that we’re going to bed." Liz pulled Max after her down the hallway.
Michael couldn’t stop the jealous pang he felt when they disappeared into the master bedroom. {This Brenda chick better be perfect or else I’m in trouble.}
TBC
Part 28
The Fate of Destiny Part 28
October 2011
Liz lectured her class from the chair behind her table. Max had brought it in especially for her, it was high enough so that she could work comfortably but low enough to climb onto without a struggle. It came complete with cushions. "And that’s it. Start in on the homework."
"Mrs. Evans?" One of her favorite students, Nicole, spoke up. "Are you going to leave when the baby comes?"
"Yeah, when are you due?" Another one, Heather, called.
"Well, I’m gonna try to keep coming as long as my husband will let me." Liz smiled and rubbed her large stomach. "She’s due next month and then I’m out for the rest of the semester. I will be back in the spring though."
"You let your husband tell you what to do?" Nicole shook her head in disbelief.
"My husband is a doctor, he’s just watching out for me and the baby." Liz glanced down at a picture on her desk of her, Max and the kids. "He couldn’t keep me from coming back next semester. He’s stopped trying to argue with me."
"Hey... so Dr. Max... um... Evans is your husband? He took out my appendix last summer." Heather blushed suddenly. "He’s... really nice."
"That’d be him." She nodded. She’d seen the cards and pictures of all Max’s female patients in his office. She hadn't known doctors had groupies until then.
"Yo, Mrs. E. I know you’re pretty young cause my aunt says you were like three grades behind her in high school and your son is in my little sister’s class... You must’ve gotten started right out of high school." Erik joined the conversation.
"Something like that... which I don’t recommend any of you do. I had a husband and a son at the age of 19. I didn’t get to go to college until I was 22. I just turned 28, the only reason I’m here now is that I went to school specifically to be a biology teacher." Liz leaned forward on her desk. "I’ll tell you... I was valedictorian of my graduating class. I’m smart and I kept my nose to the grindstone to get here."
"And looked beautiful doing it." Max’s voice floated over her head as she turned to the doorway. He was standing there with a bag in his hands. "Brought you lunch." He pulled a stool up next to her chair. "Filling the kiddies in on our wonderful life?"
"Sounds more like a warning to me." Nicole crossed her arms.
"Yeah it is. Although I wouldn’t trade my life for anything else in the world... it could have been different. It’s all in how you look at it. I wanted to be a molecular biologist but that didn’t happen." Liz pointed out. "But this way, I’ve got a wonderful husband, two adorable children and one more on the way."
"Which reminds me... you’re going to stay home starting next week... right?" Max clasped his hands and set them on the desk.
"I will start staying home when I can no longer get my butt in this chair." Liz quipped.
"Guys, don’t ever let your woman get this much power over you." Max ducked the swat Liz aimed at him. "You give them an inch and they’ll walk all over you."
"And if your woman manages to squeeze out your large headed babies, you’d better be prepared to walk on water for her." Liz smiled sweetly.
"Oooh!" A few kids called out.
"Well, she’s right." Max bowed his head. "And if you want her to do it again you’ve got to kiss her feet for the rest of your life."
"You whipped." A boy called out.
"No. I’m in love." Max grinned sheepishly when he got a chorus of ‘ah’s from around the room. Just then the bell rang. All the kids filed out.
"So why are you really here?" Liz slid off her chair and pulled on her coat.
"Can’t I come in to see my wife at work?" Max grabbed her bag and her lunch and followed her out into the halls.
"In your scrubs?"
"Right. I’ve been temporarily suspended." Max blew out a breath and waited for a reaction.
"Why?" Liz stopped in the middle of the hall. After a few moments of silence between them, the hall was empty but the roar of high school students could still be heard. "Max?"
"I broke policy to save someone in the ER. The thing is... I’m a surgeon today and I wasn’t even supposed to be in the ER this morning. I was following up on last night’s surgeries when the case came in..." Max trailed off. "I’m suspended until further notice."
"What about Isabel? You were supposed to deliver the baby at the hospital and she’s due any day now." Liz’s mind raced.
"I’ve been trying to get the chief to talk to me but he won’t even see me until we get this straightened out. I have Michael feeling things out for me. He’s a real charmer with the women at work."
"I’ll bet." She noticed him looking around. "What?"
"It’s weird to be here again. Let’s go outside... you meeting anyone for your conference period?" Max pushed open a door.
"No. We’ll have an hour and a half." She nodded and waddled through the doorway.
--
Michael tried to stifle his yawn. His date was really boring. Sure, she was pretty and easy to get along with but... there was no real chemistry. As she prattled on and on about how fun it was to work at the town jeweler’s, Michael found his mind wandering.
["Is it working?" Liz whispered, not wanting to break his concentration.
"I think so. Maria had a pillow named Donald?" Michael furrowed his brow in confusion until Liz burst out laughing, breaking both their concentration. "What?"
"I had forgotten all about that." She gasped for breath. "She used Donald to practice, you know, kissing. She drew a face on the pillowcase with marker and there was lipstick all over that thing."
"Really now?" Michael smirked.
"Oh trust me, after she met you she forgot all about Donald." Liz sat there for a long time just staring down at their linked hands. "You never did tell anyone about my journal... did you?"
"Nope. It wouldn’t be right. I really shouldn’t have read it back then..."
"I forgave you for that. I knew you needed to know whether or not you could trust me... I’m glad you found you could." She looked up at him, giving his hands a squeeze.
"Yeah but, could you trust me after that?" He glanced away.
"Yes. I knew why you had done it. It was just a little more intimidating to see you. You know, just knowing that you knew what I had written down. I haven’t even shown that journal to Max yet."
"You still got it?" He smirked. "I thought you would have burned it or something."
"No, it’s put away." She shook her head with a slight smile. Liz turned and glanced at the clock. "Oh wow, it’s really late. Max will be home soon. You should get going."
"Yeah... I guess. I gotta pick up Em. We’ll do this again?" He asked uncertainly.
"Sure, anytime."]
"Are you even listening to a word I’m saying Michael?" Helena demanded.
"Yeah. I am. The ring was a total fraud." He quickly recalled what she’d been talking about.
"Oh. You were listening." She colored a light pink before she continued. "So Mr. Harrison calls up the people..."
Michael sighed and put his napkin on his plate. He was going to have to end this before she got her hopes up. Without even thinking, he pulled out his wallet and flipped it open.
"That’s a pretty group of kids? Relatives?" Helena took the wallet from him and looked over the four children.
"The one on the right is my best friend’s. The two in the back are Dr. Evans’ kids and the girl on the left is my Emily." Michael had that picture memorized.
"Oh. You have a daughter." Helena’s eyes widened slightly. "Mind if I ask what happened to Mrs. Guerin?"
"She died." Michael never said another word as he took the check from the waiter. He could consider his relationship with Helena over. No woman wanted to compete with a ghost... least not in his limited experience.
--
Kathy sat next to Liz on the bed, her hand on her mother’s stomach. "Wow, she kicks really hard."
"Did I do that?" Danny stopped doing somersaults on the floor long enough to ask the question.
"You sure did. I hardly got any sleep at night." Liz laughed.
"What about me? Did I kick you real hard?" Kathy’s blue eyes met Liz’s brown ones. Liz panicked and looked to Max, who was putting his clothes away in the dresser. Max never turned around. He didn’t ever want to deal with it. "Did I?"
At Max’s lack of response, Liz finally reached into the nightstand and pulled out a picture. "Kathy, look at this."
"Wow, that’s you. Why are you all by yourself over there?" Kathy pointed to the picture. It had been taken senior year a week before prom. Liz had been reluctantly pulled into the picture moments before Christina, Kyle’s girlfriend at the time, took it. Kyle was in the middle, arms crossed. Michael and Maria had been sitting close but not touching. Alex and Isabel were grinning like idiots and hugging each other tight. Tess was sitting in Max’s lap on the opposite side of the picture from Liz. "Who’s that lady with Daddy?"
"Hey, that’s Emily’s mommy." Danny pointed to Maria. Then his finger drifted over Alex. "That’s Alex’s dad."
"Yep, that’s them." Liz nodded. "Kathy, do you know who that girl is?"
"No. Sometimes I see her in my dreams but I don’t know her name." Kathy stared at Tess hard. "She’s got pretty blue eyes."
Liz looked up at Max. He hadn’t moved an inch.
"Momma... how come you and Daddy and Danny all have brown eyes and I have blue eyes?" Kathy asked softly.
"Hey Dad, come look. Kathy has the same eyes as the lady with you in his picture." Danny called back. Max winced slightly but didn’t turn.
"Her name was Tess." Liz spoke softly. "She’s Kathy’s real mommy."
"But you’re my mommy." Kathy shook her head.
"You know how Alex’s daddy isn’t his real daddy?" Liz looked from child to child. "Well, Uncle Kyle is Alex’s daddy but Alex’s real daddy is in heaven. You know that right?"
"Uh-huh." Kathy nodded uncertainly.
"Tess was your real mommy... but I’m your mommy, too."
"Where is she?" Kathy whispered. "Is she in heaven with Alex’s daddy and Emily’s mommy?"
"Yeah, she is." Liz nodded.
"Why did she go? Didn’t she want Kathy?" Danny asked.
"Yeah, she did... but she was real sick." Max still didn’t turn but he answered their questions. "She was even more sick than Emily’s mom was. I know you kids don’t remember that but she was."
"Why?" Kathy took the picture in her hands and stared at Tess.
"I don’t know. Maybe she didn’t take her vitamins like she was supposed to or maybe she just got sick and couldn’t get better." Max closed his eyes and turned around. "She went to heaven right after you were born so I brought you home to Danny and Mommy."
"Can I take this picture to my room?" Kathy asked softly.
"Sure." Liz nodded.
"Ok. Good night." She left without another word. Danny mock saluted his parents and went to his own room.
"Max?" Liz watched her husband sink onto the bed. "Max."
"It wasn’t as hard as I thought it was going to be... does she even understand any of that?"
"If she doesn’t... she will."
--
"Kyle? What’s wrong?" Isabel looked up from the book she was reading with Jr.
"Hey chief. Why don’t you head off to bed?" Kyle locked his gun belt away in a cabinet and tucked the key back inside his shirt on its chain.
"Night, Mom. Night dad." Alex picked up his books and scooted down the hall to his room.
"Kyle?"
"I didn’t even know that he had done it." Kyle sank into a chair. "Dad put in for retirement and got it. He didn’t tell anyone so when he got the notice... he hid it. Announced it to us today. This is his last week as Sheriff of Roswell."
"But... why?" Isabel tried to sit up but couldn’t find the strength.
"He won’t tell me but I know that he can’t deal with this anymore. He knows he wasn’t there for me after Mom left... so he wants to spend more time with Emily and Alex and the baby." Kyle shook his head. "He blames himself for Maria, still."
"Kyle..." Isabel didn’t know what to say.
"You know, I swore to myself that I was never going to be a policeman like my dad... and then I did so I could spend more time with him. You know? So we would have more in common." Kyle ran a hand over his face. "He’s going to drive himself crazy."
"Kyle, he’s still here. Maybe you’ll even get to spend more time with him. He’s going to stay in town and you know he’ll be over here all the time." Isabel tried to comfort him.
"For as long as I could remember my dad was a cop and now... he’s not." He closed his eyes. "Maybe you’re right. Maybe it won’t be so bad."
TBC
October 2011
Liz lectured her class from the chair behind her table. Max had brought it in especially for her, it was high enough so that she could work comfortably but low enough to climb onto without a struggle. It came complete with cushions. "And that’s it. Start in on the homework."
"Mrs. Evans?" One of her favorite students, Nicole, spoke up. "Are you going to leave when the baby comes?"
"Yeah, when are you due?" Another one, Heather, called.
"Well, I’m gonna try to keep coming as long as my husband will let me." Liz smiled and rubbed her large stomach. "She’s due next month and then I’m out for the rest of the semester. I will be back in the spring though."
"You let your husband tell you what to do?" Nicole shook her head in disbelief.
"My husband is a doctor, he’s just watching out for me and the baby." Liz glanced down at a picture on her desk of her, Max and the kids. "He couldn’t keep me from coming back next semester. He’s stopped trying to argue with me."
"Hey... so Dr. Max... um... Evans is your husband? He took out my appendix last summer." Heather blushed suddenly. "He’s... really nice."
"That’d be him." She nodded. She’d seen the cards and pictures of all Max’s female patients in his office. She hadn't known doctors had groupies until then.
"Yo, Mrs. E. I know you’re pretty young cause my aunt says you were like three grades behind her in high school and your son is in my little sister’s class... You must’ve gotten started right out of high school." Erik joined the conversation.
"Something like that... which I don’t recommend any of you do. I had a husband and a son at the age of 19. I didn’t get to go to college until I was 22. I just turned 28, the only reason I’m here now is that I went to school specifically to be a biology teacher." Liz leaned forward on her desk. "I’ll tell you... I was valedictorian of my graduating class. I’m smart and I kept my nose to the grindstone to get here."
"And looked beautiful doing it." Max’s voice floated over her head as she turned to the doorway. He was standing there with a bag in his hands. "Brought you lunch." He pulled a stool up next to her chair. "Filling the kiddies in on our wonderful life?"
"Sounds more like a warning to me." Nicole crossed her arms.
"Yeah it is. Although I wouldn’t trade my life for anything else in the world... it could have been different. It’s all in how you look at it. I wanted to be a molecular biologist but that didn’t happen." Liz pointed out. "But this way, I’ve got a wonderful husband, two adorable children and one more on the way."
"Which reminds me... you’re going to stay home starting next week... right?" Max clasped his hands and set them on the desk.
"I will start staying home when I can no longer get my butt in this chair." Liz quipped.
"Guys, don’t ever let your woman get this much power over you." Max ducked the swat Liz aimed at him. "You give them an inch and they’ll walk all over you."
"And if your woman manages to squeeze out your large headed babies, you’d better be prepared to walk on water for her." Liz smiled sweetly.
"Oooh!" A few kids called out.
"Well, she’s right." Max bowed his head. "And if you want her to do it again you’ve got to kiss her feet for the rest of your life."
"You whipped." A boy called out.
"No. I’m in love." Max grinned sheepishly when he got a chorus of ‘ah’s from around the room. Just then the bell rang. All the kids filed out.
"So why are you really here?" Liz slid off her chair and pulled on her coat.
"Can’t I come in to see my wife at work?" Max grabbed her bag and her lunch and followed her out into the halls.
"In your scrubs?"
"Right. I’ve been temporarily suspended." Max blew out a breath and waited for a reaction.
"Why?" Liz stopped in the middle of the hall. After a few moments of silence between them, the hall was empty but the roar of high school students could still be heard. "Max?"
"I broke policy to save someone in the ER. The thing is... I’m a surgeon today and I wasn’t even supposed to be in the ER this morning. I was following up on last night’s surgeries when the case came in..." Max trailed off. "I’m suspended until further notice."
"What about Isabel? You were supposed to deliver the baby at the hospital and she’s due any day now." Liz’s mind raced.
"I’ve been trying to get the chief to talk to me but he won’t even see me until we get this straightened out. I have Michael feeling things out for me. He’s a real charmer with the women at work."
"I’ll bet." She noticed him looking around. "What?"
"It’s weird to be here again. Let’s go outside... you meeting anyone for your conference period?" Max pushed open a door.
"No. We’ll have an hour and a half." She nodded and waddled through the doorway.
--
Michael tried to stifle his yawn. His date was really boring. Sure, she was pretty and easy to get along with but... there was no real chemistry. As she prattled on and on about how fun it was to work at the town jeweler’s, Michael found his mind wandering.
["Is it working?" Liz whispered, not wanting to break his concentration.
"I think so. Maria had a pillow named Donald?" Michael furrowed his brow in confusion until Liz burst out laughing, breaking both their concentration. "What?"
"I had forgotten all about that." She gasped for breath. "She used Donald to practice, you know, kissing. She drew a face on the pillowcase with marker and there was lipstick all over that thing."
"Really now?" Michael smirked.
"Oh trust me, after she met you she forgot all about Donald." Liz sat there for a long time just staring down at their linked hands. "You never did tell anyone about my journal... did you?"
"Nope. It wouldn’t be right. I really shouldn’t have read it back then..."
"I forgave you for that. I knew you needed to know whether or not you could trust me... I’m glad you found you could." She looked up at him, giving his hands a squeeze.
"Yeah but, could you trust me after that?" He glanced away.
"Yes. I knew why you had done it. It was just a little more intimidating to see you. You know, just knowing that you knew what I had written down. I haven’t even shown that journal to Max yet."
"You still got it?" He smirked. "I thought you would have burned it or something."
"No, it’s put away." She shook her head with a slight smile. Liz turned and glanced at the clock. "Oh wow, it’s really late. Max will be home soon. You should get going."
"Yeah... I guess. I gotta pick up Em. We’ll do this again?" He asked uncertainly.
"Sure, anytime."]
"Are you even listening to a word I’m saying Michael?" Helena demanded.
"Yeah. I am. The ring was a total fraud." He quickly recalled what she’d been talking about.
"Oh. You were listening." She colored a light pink before she continued. "So Mr. Harrison calls up the people..."
Michael sighed and put his napkin on his plate. He was going to have to end this before she got her hopes up. Without even thinking, he pulled out his wallet and flipped it open.
"That’s a pretty group of kids? Relatives?" Helena took the wallet from him and looked over the four children.
"The one on the right is my best friend’s. The two in the back are Dr. Evans’ kids and the girl on the left is my Emily." Michael had that picture memorized.
"Oh. You have a daughter." Helena’s eyes widened slightly. "Mind if I ask what happened to Mrs. Guerin?"
"She died." Michael never said another word as he took the check from the waiter. He could consider his relationship with Helena over. No woman wanted to compete with a ghost... least not in his limited experience.
--
Kathy sat next to Liz on the bed, her hand on her mother’s stomach. "Wow, she kicks really hard."
"Did I do that?" Danny stopped doing somersaults on the floor long enough to ask the question.
"You sure did. I hardly got any sleep at night." Liz laughed.
"What about me? Did I kick you real hard?" Kathy’s blue eyes met Liz’s brown ones. Liz panicked and looked to Max, who was putting his clothes away in the dresser. Max never turned around. He didn’t ever want to deal with it. "Did I?"
At Max’s lack of response, Liz finally reached into the nightstand and pulled out a picture. "Kathy, look at this."
"Wow, that’s you. Why are you all by yourself over there?" Kathy pointed to the picture. It had been taken senior year a week before prom. Liz had been reluctantly pulled into the picture moments before Christina, Kyle’s girlfriend at the time, took it. Kyle was in the middle, arms crossed. Michael and Maria had been sitting close but not touching. Alex and Isabel were grinning like idiots and hugging each other tight. Tess was sitting in Max’s lap on the opposite side of the picture from Liz. "Who’s that lady with Daddy?"
"Hey, that’s Emily’s mommy." Danny pointed to Maria. Then his finger drifted over Alex. "That’s Alex’s dad."
"Yep, that’s them." Liz nodded. "Kathy, do you know who that girl is?"
"No. Sometimes I see her in my dreams but I don’t know her name." Kathy stared at Tess hard. "She’s got pretty blue eyes."
Liz looked up at Max. He hadn’t moved an inch.
"Momma... how come you and Daddy and Danny all have brown eyes and I have blue eyes?" Kathy asked softly.
"Hey Dad, come look. Kathy has the same eyes as the lady with you in his picture." Danny called back. Max winced slightly but didn’t turn.
"Her name was Tess." Liz spoke softly. "She’s Kathy’s real mommy."
"But you’re my mommy." Kathy shook her head.
"You know how Alex’s daddy isn’t his real daddy?" Liz looked from child to child. "Well, Uncle Kyle is Alex’s daddy but Alex’s real daddy is in heaven. You know that right?"
"Uh-huh." Kathy nodded uncertainly.
"Tess was your real mommy... but I’m your mommy, too."
"Where is she?" Kathy whispered. "Is she in heaven with Alex’s daddy and Emily’s mommy?"
"Yeah, she is." Liz nodded.
"Why did she go? Didn’t she want Kathy?" Danny asked.
"Yeah, she did... but she was real sick." Max still didn’t turn but he answered their questions. "She was even more sick than Emily’s mom was. I know you kids don’t remember that but she was."
"Why?" Kathy took the picture in her hands and stared at Tess.
"I don’t know. Maybe she didn’t take her vitamins like she was supposed to or maybe she just got sick and couldn’t get better." Max closed his eyes and turned around. "She went to heaven right after you were born so I brought you home to Danny and Mommy."
"Can I take this picture to my room?" Kathy asked softly.
"Sure." Liz nodded.
"Ok. Good night." She left without another word. Danny mock saluted his parents and went to his own room.
"Max?" Liz watched her husband sink onto the bed. "Max."
"It wasn’t as hard as I thought it was going to be... does she even understand any of that?"
"If she doesn’t... she will."
--
"Kyle? What’s wrong?" Isabel looked up from the book she was reading with Jr.
"Hey chief. Why don’t you head off to bed?" Kyle locked his gun belt away in a cabinet and tucked the key back inside his shirt on its chain.
"Night, Mom. Night dad." Alex picked up his books and scooted down the hall to his room.
"Kyle?"
"I didn’t even know that he had done it." Kyle sank into a chair. "Dad put in for retirement and got it. He didn’t tell anyone so when he got the notice... he hid it. Announced it to us today. This is his last week as Sheriff of Roswell."
"But... why?" Isabel tried to sit up but couldn’t find the strength.
"He won’t tell me but I know that he can’t deal with this anymore. He knows he wasn’t there for me after Mom left... so he wants to spend more time with Emily and Alex and the baby." Kyle shook his head. "He blames himself for Maria, still."
"Kyle..." Isabel didn’t know what to say.
"You know, I swore to myself that I was never going to be a policeman like my dad... and then I did so I could spend more time with him. You know? So we would have more in common." Kyle ran a hand over his face. "He’s going to drive himself crazy."
"Kyle, he’s still here. Maybe you’ll even get to spend more time with him. He’s going to stay in town and you know he’ll be over here all the time." Isabel tried to comfort him.
"For as long as I could remember my dad was a cop and now... he’s not." He closed his eyes. "Maybe you’re right. Maybe it won’t be so bad."
TBC
Part 29
The Fate of Destiny Part 29
March 2012
Max cradled his daughter to his chest as he watched his two older children play on the playground inside the hospital grounds. He only had an hour before he was expected back inside for surgery. With Liz back at work so soon, they had to rely on the hospital’s childcare system.
"Hey Maxwell." Michael plopped down on the bench.
"Hey Michael." Max didn’t even turn. "Where’s Em?"
"Grandpa Valenti took all the grandkids to a movie. Hope he can keep up with them both." Michael shrugged. "He reluctantly left Liberty with your folks. Liz?"
"At the school. She’s in charge of the science fair. So, child free... got another date?" Max let a smirk creep across his face. His best friend had gotten in the habit of dating nearly every single woman in Roswell... but never for longer than it took the women to find out about Emily.
"No." Michael growled. "I don’t like these women. None of them are my type. Every nurse in the hospital has set me up with his or her sisters, nieces, daughters or granddaughters. I’m pretty sick of it."
"What are you looking for? I know I’m no expert on women but maybe if you were to talk out loud or something."
"How’s Bethany?" Michael said out of the blue.
"Sound asleep as you can see. Now don’t change the subject."
"Nancy and Jeff? You talk to them at all?" Michael did his best to distract Max for as long as it took to put the words together.
"Now you know as well as I do that the Parkers didn’t want anything to do with us after they found out that Liz and I eloped. They send Daniel presents for Christmas and his birthday but they won’t swallow their pride to come see him." Max shook his head. "I don’t even know if Liz has told them about Bethany."
"Well, I’m sure Amy’s told them or someone else. Word does get around in a small town."
"Quit changing the subject." Max ordered.
"Ok. Let’s say I’ve found a woman that I can talk to. She’s beautiful and caring... you know, just special." Michael stared at his feet and hoped that Max couldn’t read between the lines. "Someone that I could see myself loving..."
"But..."
"She’s married."
Max blew out a deep breath. His mouth worked up and down as he struggled to find any words of advice for his friend. "Wow. That’s a major problem."
"Another thing is... I know her husband pretty well. We get along most of the time." Michael closed his eyes, praying that he just hadn’t said too much.
"Does this woman know how you feel?" Max shifted Bethany in his arms.
"No. I mean... she sees me as a friend, a good friend but just a friend. I don’t think she knows how I feel about her." Michael relaxed. Max’s tone hadn’t indicated that he had figured anything out.
"So... so far this attraction is one-sided? Michael, first of all... you should have never fallen for her." Max pursed his lips in thought.
"I know that." Michael got to his feet and started pacing.
"Second, even if she felt the same... do you think she would leave her husband for you?"
"No. She wouldn’t. She loves him, she loves their kids. She’d never leave him... even if she did feel the same about me." Michael couldn’t believe how pathetic he was. "I couldn’t ever tell her how I felt about her."
"Well, that’s good. I don’t think you should tell her. If you value her friendship... just be a friend. Some lines were meant never to be crossed."
--
Liz directed traffic in the small auditorium. They had tables set up all over the place but she couldn’t think about anything that was going on with the science fair. Michael was frustrated about something. It had to be bad if she was feeling it.
"Lizzie?" She spun around at both her name and the familiar voice.
"Dad?" She couldn’t believe it. It felt like forever ago that they had been in the same room. "What are you doing here?"
"I... brought you Daniel’s birthday present." Jeff Parker handed her an envelope. "We didn’t know what to get him for his birthday."
"I’m sorry, Dad. It’s just... you usually mail his presents..." She trailed off. "How did you know I was here?"
"Jim. He brought in Alex Jr. and Emily and we got to talking." Jeff dug into his pockets for another envelope. "This is for... Bethany?"
"Yeah. Uh, thanks... for both." Liz gave a little smile. "Mom doesn’t know you’re here, does she."
"She’s just upset, Lizzie. You didn’t even tell us you were pregnant again and all of a sudden Jim is telling us what a beautiful daughter you have." He sighed and glanced around. "What is this?"
"Science fair tomorrow. A lot of my students have entered." She trailed off and sighed. She reached up and hugged her father. "I love you."
"I love you, Lizzie." Jeff kissed her head. "You’re always gonna be my little Lizzie, whether you’re 8 or 28, married to Max with two kids."
"Three." She corrected. "Don’t forget about Daniel’s sister, Kathleen."
"Right... that’s from that blonde girl, right?" They both nodded. He hugged her tighter before letting her go. "I should go."
"Tell Mom I love her too." Liz let go reluctantly. "If you want to see the baby, just drop by. Sher-- Mr. Valenti will take you by now that he’s itching for babies to hold."
"We’ll do that." He waved and disappeared into the noisy crowd of people hurrying in and out of the auditorium. Liz stared after him. She knew he wouldn’t go by without her mother and it would take a miracle for Nancy Parker to enter the Evans home.
--
Isabel opened her eyes and tried to focus on the book in front of her once more. She relaxed a little as she felt her father’s comforting hand on her shoulder. "Six months away and suddenly this is hard."
"You didn’t have to come back so soon, Isabel." Philip sat down next to her. "I’m sure you want to spend more time with Liberty."
"Ha. Like Papa Valenti would let me. You’d think Liberty was his daughter instead of Kyle’s." She laughed. "When he doesn’t have my daughter, then Mom does."
He squeezed her shoulder then picked up a stack of books from the table. "Don’t work too much longer. We’ll close up in a few minutes."
"Ok, Dad." Isabel nodded and went back to researching the case in front of her. After a few silent moments a loud crash met her ears. She looked around. The offices were dark. "Dad?"
No answer. She went to investigate. "Dad?"
Slowly she crept down the hallway that he had just passed through. One light was on. She hurried down to it. "Dad?"
Books lay strewn across the table, but her father was nowhere in sight. Then she heard the gasping. She rushed to it, finding her father lying on the ground, clutching his left arm. "Dad!"
TBC
March 2012
Max cradled his daughter to his chest as he watched his two older children play on the playground inside the hospital grounds. He only had an hour before he was expected back inside for surgery. With Liz back at work so soon, they had to rely on the hospital’s childcare system.
"Hey Maxwell." Michael plopped down on the bench.
"Hey Michael." Max didn’t even turn. "Where’s Em?"
"Grandpa Valenti took all the grandkids to a movie. Hope he can keep up with them both." Michael shrugged. "He reluctantly left Liberty with your folks. Liz?"
"At the school. She’s in charge of the science fair. So, child free... got another date?" Max let a smirk creep across his face. His best friend had gotten in the habit of dating nearly every single woman in Roswell... but never for longer than it took the women to find out about Emily.
"No." Michael growled. "I don’t like these women. None of them are my type. Every nurse in the hospital has set me up with his or her sisters, nieces, daughters or granddaughters. I’m pretty sick of it."
"What are you looking for? I know I’m no expert on women but maybe if you were to talk out loud or something."
"How’s Bethany?" Michael said out of the blue.
"Sound asleep as you can see. Now don’t change the subject."
"Nancy and Jeff? You talk to them at all?" Michael did his best to distract Max for as long as it took to put the words together.
"Now you know as well as I do that the Parkers didn’t want anything to do with us after they found out that Liz and I eloped. They send Daniel presents for Christmas and his birthday but they won’t swallow their pride to come see him." Max shook his head. "I don’t even know if Liz has told them about Bethany."
"Well, I’m sure Amy’s told them or someone else. Word does get around in a small town."
"Quit changing the subject." Max ordered.
"Ok. Let’s say I’ve found a woman that I can talk to. She’s beautiful and caring... you know, just special." Michael stared at his feet and hoped that Max couldn’t read between the lines. "Someone that I could see myself loving..."
"But..."
"She’s married."
Max blew out a deep breath. His mouth worked up and down as he struggled to find any words of advice for his friend. "Wow. That’s a major problem."
"Another thing is... I know her husband pretty well. We get along most of the time." Michael closed his eyes, praying that he just hadn’t said too much.
"Does this woman know how you feel?" Max shifted Bethany in his arms.
"No. I mean... she sees me as a friend, a good friend but just a friend. I don’t think she knows how I feel about her." Michael relaxed. Max’s tone hadn’t indicated that he had figured anything out.
"So... so far this attraction is one-sided? Michael, first of all... you should have never fallen for her." Max pursed his lips in thought.
"I know that." Michael got to his feet and started pacing.
"Second, even if she felt the same... do you think she would leave her husband for you?"
"No. She wouldn’t. She loves him, she loves their kids. She’d never leave him... even if she did feel the same about me." Michael couldn’t believe how pathetic he was. "I couldn’t ever tell her how I felt about her."
"Well, that’s good. I don’t think you should tell her. If you value her friendship... just be a friend. Some lines were meant never to be crossed."
--
Liz directed traffic in the small auditorium. They had tables set up all over the place but she couldn’t think about anything that was going on with the science fair. Michael was frustrated about something. It had to be bad if she was feeling it.
"Lizzie?" She spun around at both her name and the familiar voice.
"Dad?" She couldn’t believe it. It felt like forever ago that they had been in the same room. "What are you doing here?"
"I... brought you Daniel’s birthday present." Jeff Parker handed her an envelope. "We didn’t know what to get him for his birthday."
"I’m sorry, Dad. It’s just... you usually mail his presents..." She trailed off. "How did you know I was here?"
"Jim. He brought in Alex Jr. and Emily and we got to talking." Jeff dug into his pockets for another envelope. "This is for... Bethany?"
"Yeah. Uh, thanks... for both." Liz gave a little smile. "Mom doesn’t know you’re here, does she."
"She’s just upset, Lizzie. You didn’t even tell us you were pregnant again and all of a sudden Jim is telling us what a beautiful daughter you have." He sighed and glanced around. "What is this?"
"Science fair tomorrow. A lot of my students have entered." She trailed off and sighed. She reached up and hugged her father. "I love you."
"I love you, Lizzie." Jeff kissed her head. "You’re always gonna be my little Lizzie, whether you’re 8 or 28, married to Max with two kids."
"Three." She corrected. "Don’t forget about Daniel’s sister, Kathleen."
"Right... that’s from that blonde girl, right?" They both nodded. He hugged her tighter before letting her go. "I should go."
"Tell Mom I love her too." Liz let go reluctantly. "If you want to see the baby, just drop by. Sher-- Mr. Valenti will take you by now that he’s itching for babies to hold."
"We’ll do that." He waved and disappeared into the noisy crowd of people hurrying in and out of the auditorium. Liz stared after him. She knew he wouldn’t go by without her mother and it would take a miracle for Nancy Parker to enter the Evans home.
--
Isabel opened her eyes and tried to focus on the book in front of her once more. She relaxed a little as she felt her father’s comforting hand on her shoulder. "Six months away and suddenly this is hard."
"You didn’t have to come back so soon, Isabel." Philip sat down next to her. "I’m sure you want to spend more time with Liberty."
"Ha. Like Papa Valenti would let me. You’d think Liberty was his daughter instead of Kyle’s." She laughed. "When he doesn’t have my daughter, then Mom does."
He squeezed her shoulder then picked up a stack of books from the table. "Don’t work too much longer. We’ll close up in a few minutes."
"Ok, Dad." Isabel nodded and went back to researching the case in front of her. After a few silent moments a loud crash met her ears. She looked around. The offices were dark. "Dad?"
No answer. She went to investigate. "Dad?"
Slowly she crept down the hallway that he had just passed through. One light was on. She hurried down to it. "Dad?"
Books lay strewn across the table, but her father was nowhere in sight. Then she heard the gasping. She rushed to it, finding her father lying on the ground, clutching his left arm. "Dad!"
TBC
Part 30
The Fate of Destiny Part 30
Max ignored the pounding on the glass. He was in the middle of a critical procedure. He could not just stop. If it were really important, whoever it was would come inside and let him know. He ran through each vessel and vein name in his head.
"Dr. Evans, I think they are calling you." The other doctor hissed.
"As soon as I finish this, I will see what they want." He calmly kept up the procedure.
"I think it’s important. Your sister’s out there."
Max quickly passed off his equipment and charged out of the surgical room. "Isabel? What’s wrong?"
"It’s Dad." She was shaking so badly that Max almost forgot to take off his bloody shields before hugging her. "He was putting away the books in the library and... Max..."
"What is it?"
"They said he had a heart attack." Isabel let tears slip down her face. "Is he going to be okay?"
"Come on. Where do they have him?" Max guided her down the hall.
"Um..." Isabel racked her brain. "He was down in the ER but they stabilized him. I think they took him to a private room. Um... we need to call Mom and..."
"Don’t worry about it. I’ll find out what’s going on and I’ll make the phone calls." Max calmed her down. {Not again. We can’t go through this again.}
--
Liz felt ready to pull her hair out. Nobody was listening to her because from the view of a 6 ft. 3 in. football player, a 5 ft. 3 in. teacher didn’t command much authority. "No, no, no. The tables go on the right. On. The. Right. Kenny Desmond! Yes. I’m talking to you."
"Hey! She said on the right." A voice bellowed.
"Yes sir." Kenny nodded in fear and put the table where Liz had been trying to get him to put it all afternoon.
"Michael... thanks." Liz sighed wearily.
"Get someone to take over. Let’s go." He ordered.
"What? Why?" Liz shook her head and pointed to another student, which direction to take the chairs.
"Philip’s in the hospital. Let’s go." Michael breathed.
"Oh my god..." Liz’s head spun for a moment. "Raelene! I have to go."
"What?" The teacher spun around. "You can’t leave now."
"My father-in-law’s in the hospital. I have to go." Liz quickly explained. "Just finish up and let everyone go. I’ll see you tomorrow... hopefully."
"Yeah, go. Go." Raelene nodded.
Liz blindly followed Michael to his bike. It took her a minute to realize he was talking to her again. "Huh?"
"I’m on my bike, is that okay?" Michael studied her face. "Or I could drive your car..."
"We’ll get there faster on your bike." Liz shook her head free of the fuzziness. Michael nodded and mounted his motorcycle and waited for her to climb on.
"Liz."
"Right." She pulled the extra helmet off the side and tugged it onto her head. "Ready."
"Hold on. We’re taking short cuts." Michael called back as her arms wrapped around his middle. He tore down the street and down a few alleys at breakneck speed.
--
Kyle rushed into the hospital, dragging Diane Evans and Liberty behind him. Max met them at the elevator. "He’s fine for now. The doctor that worked him over wants him to stay overnight for observation."
Kyle took his daughter while Diane hugged her son. "He had a heart attack?"
"Yeah. I saw his chart. If Isabel hadn’t been there, it could’ve been worse." Max nodded.
"Where is Isabel?" Kyle asked, shifting his 5 month-old daughter in his arms.
"She’s in the room with him. Kyle, you can’t take Liberty in there." He shrugged. "Policy."
"I know. Just showing concern for my wife." Kyle nodded and tried to soothe Liberty, who had started whimpering.
When the doors opened the foursome hurried down the hall, almost running into Michael and Liz in the process. Liz grabbed Max’s hand and followed him down to Philip Evans’ hospital room.
"Mom!" Isabel called out.
"Has the doctor been in?" Max asked as he pulled the chart and started reading vitals on his father.
"They said he’d be asleep for awhile." Isabel hugged her mother tightly.
Liz stayed by Max’s side while he tried to make sense of another doctor’s notes.
Michael looked on, wondering what exactly he should be doing. Slowly, he backed away down the hallway. The longer he was there, the less he felt he had a right to be. They had everyone they needed. Diane, his wife. Max and Isabel, his children. Liz and Kyle, the in-laws.
It was as these thoughts ran through Michael’s head that he turned and glanced through an open doorway. There she lay, all alone. Machines beeped around her, giving off signs of life.
"Amy?"
TBC
Max ignored the pounding on the glass. He was in the middle of a critical procedure. He could not just stop. If it were really important, whoever it was would come inside and let him know. He ran through each vessel and vein name in his head.
"Dr. Evans, I think they are calling you." The other doctor hissed.
"As soon as I finish this, I will see what they want." He calmly kept up the procedure.
"I think it’s important. Your sister’s out there."
Max quickly passed off his equipment and charged out of the surgical room. "Isabel? What’s wrong?"
"It’s Dad." She was shaking so badly that Max almost forgot to take off his bloody shields before hugging her. "He was putting away the books in the library and... Max..."
"What is it?"
"They said he had a heart attack." Isabel let tears slip down her face. "Is he going to be okay?"
"Come on. Where do they have him?" Max guided her down the hall.
"Um..." Isabel racked her brain. "He was down in the ER but they stabilized him. I think they took him to a private room. Um... we need to call Mom and..."
"Don’t worry about it. I’ll find out what’s going on and I’ll make the phone calls." Max calmed her down. {Not again. We can’t go through this again.}
--
Liz felt ready to pull her hair out. Nobody was listening to her because from the view of a 6 ft. 3 in. football player, a 5 ft. 3 in. teacher didn’t command much authority. "No, no, no. The tables go on the right. On. The. Right. Kenny Desmond! Yes. I’m talking to you."
"Hey! She said on the right." A voice bellowed.
"Yes sir." Kenny nodded in fear and put the table where Liz had been trying to get him to put it all afternoon.
"Michael... thanks." Liz sighed wearily.
"Get someone to take over. Let’s go." He ordered.
"What? Why?" Liz shook her head and pointed to another student, which direction to take the chairs.
"Philip’s in the hospital. Let’s go." Michael breathed.
"Oh my god..." Liz’s head spun for a moment. "Raelene! I have to go."
"What?" The teacher spun around. "You can’t leave now."
"My father-in-law’s in the hospital. I have to go." Liz quickly explained. "Just finish up and let everyone go. I’ll see you tomorrow... hopefully."
"Yeah, go. Go." Raelene nodded.
Liz blindly followed Michael to his bike. It took her a minute to realize he was talking to her again. "Huh?"
"I’m on my bike, is that okay?" Michael studied her face. "Or I could drive your car..."
"We’ll get there faster on your bike." Liz shook her head free of the fuzziness. Michael nodded and mounted his motorcycle and waited for her to climb on.
"Liz."
"Right." She pulled the extra helmet off the side and tugged it onto her head. "Ready."
"Hold on. We’re taking short cuts." Michael called back as her arms wrapped around his middle. He tore down the street and down a few alleys at breakneck speed.
--
Kyle rushed into the hospital, dragging Diane Evans and Liberty behind him. Max met them at the elevator. "He’s fine for now. The doctor that worked him over wants him to stay overnight for observation."
Kyle took his daughter while Diane hugged her son. "He had a heart attack?"
"Yeah. I saw his chart. If Isabel hadn’t been there, it could’ve been worse." Max nodded.
"Where is Isabel?" Kyle asked, shifting his 5 month-old daughter in his arms.
"She’s in the room with him. Kyle, you can’t take Liberty in there." He shrugged. "Policy."
"I know. Just showing concern for my wife." Kyle nodded and tried to soothe Liberty, who had started whimpering.
When the doors opened the foursome hurried down the hall, almost running into Michael and Liz in the process. Liz grabbed Max’s hand and followed him down to Philip Evans’ hospital room.
"Mom!" Isabel called out.
"Has the doctor been in?" Max asked as he pulled the chart and started reading vitals on his father.
"They said he’d be asleep for awhile." Isabel hugged her mother tightly.
Liz stayed by Max’s side while he tried to make sense of another doctor’s notes.
Michael looked on, wondering what exactly he should be doing. Slowly, he backed away down the hallway. The longer he was there, the less he felt he had a right to be. They had everyone they needed. Diane, his wife. Max and Isabel, his children. Liz and Kyle, the in-laws.
It was as these thoughts ran through Michael’s head that he turned and glanced through an open doorway. There she lay, all alone. Machines beeped around her, giving off signs of life.
"Amy?"
TBC
Part 31
The Fate Of Destiny Part 31
Without thinking, Michael rushed into the room. There she was, Amy DeLuca lay hooked up to life support machines. He knew that he hadn’t spoken to the woman in weeks but she hadn’t been sick at the time.
"Sir, you can’t be here. Only family." A nurse told him. "Oh, Mr. Guerin... I’m sorry."
"What happened to her?" Michael whispered hoarsely.
"Did you know her?"
"She’s practically family. What happened to her?" He asked again.
"She had a heart attack this morning. I’ll go get the doctor." The nurse hurried out of the room.
Michael didn’t know what to do. Emily loved her grandmother but she shouldn’t see this. He took a seat beside the bed and stared into Amy’s face, willing her to wake up as he had done her daughter 9 years ago.
/"It’s no use."\
Michael’s head jerked up at the familiar voice. There she stood against the far wall. "Maria?"
/"No." Maria sat on the other side of the bed.\
"What happened to her?" He demanded.
/"It would appear that she had a heart attack. She won’t recover... and neither will Philip Evans." She turned her face to Michael. "This is payback."\
"For what?"
/"Our King and Queen were murdered in cold blood by your King and by your own hand. They wanted nothing but an alliance but Zan would have none of it." Her green eyes flashed with fury. "Although this can never be avenged, the heartache it will cause will be punishment enough for the time being."\
"Your King and Queen?" Michael’s mind raced but he couldn’t think of a damn thing that would have caused this.
/"Joan and Stephen... I believe those were the names they chose."\
"Oh God no." Michael let the tears flow over his cheeks. He gripped Amy’s hand tight. "How much longer do they have?"
/"Not much more. We had to be certain that the suffering was taking effect before we let them go." Maria rose to her feet. "I can leave now."\
"Who are you?" Michael asked softly.
/"Your mistake was believing that all Skins are Evil. Only some of them were. Some of us were quite willing to cooperate. Here, I personally thought that the new King Zan would be a pacifist..." Maria began the trip to the doorway. "Joan had taken quite a liking to your King... and Stephen to your King’s wife. I’m sure something could have been arranged."\
"Just end their suffering." Michael let go of Amy’s hand.
/"Just be sure that Zan knows what’s happened, Rathard. We did mourn the loss of Avaria... She would have made a great Queen. See that Zan suffers as much as you do." She passed through the doorway and flickered away.\
Michael rose to his feet as the doctor walked in. He ignored the doctor’s overtures to explain her condition. The second that Michael stepped out of the room, the beeping filled the air.
A second later, wailing could be heard from down the hall. "No! Philip!"
Max stumbled out of the room, Liz by his side. Both pale and crying. Michael made his way over to them. "We did this."
"What?" Max raised his head in question.
"This is our fault." Michael swallowed. "Amy’s dead. Your father’s dead and it’s our fault. We killed the wrong skins."
"Amy?" Liz’s jaw dropped. "No..."
"How do you know?" Max whispered. This was too much. There were doctors in his father’s room, working on him but not giving any confidence and now... It was just too much to deal with.
"They sent me a vision or whatever. It looked and sounded like Maria but it said that it wasn’t." Michael shook his head. "I don’t understand it but the second that the vision went away, her heart stopped."
They stood in silence for a long time. Isabel and Kyle joined them. Isabel was the first to speak. "Something is happening. What is it?"
"We’ll talk about it later." Max whispered. "Where’s Mom?"
"The doctor’s talking to her now. Trying to explain." Kyle answered.
"He won’t be able to." Michael whispered.
--
"Daddy?" Emily combed her doll’s hair as she sat in the middle of her father’s bed.
"What up, Em?"
"How come Grandma went to heaven? Is it because she missed Mommy?" She didn’t even look up as she asked her questions. Michael couldn’t think of how to answer them. He just lay there and watched his daughter. "If she did... do you think that Mommy will recognize her? It’s been a long time since they’ve seen each other."
"Why do you say that?"
"Well, Daniel’s other grandpa sometimes doesn’t recognize him because they don’t see each other alot." Emily fingered the thinning hair on her doll. She was the only girl who still played with dolls, or doll rather.
"You going to let me fix that doll?" Michael asked with a slight smile, knowing what her answer was.
"No. She’s beautiful the way she is." Emily hugged the doll to her chest. "Do you think Mommy misses me?"
"What’s with all the talk about Mommy?" Michael felt the guilt rise. All these months he’d been so involved with trying to ignore his feelings for Liz and he’d forgotten the way he had loved Maria.
"I was just thinking about her today. Do you think she misses me?"
"Yeah. I’m sure she does."
"I... I don’t miss her." Her little lip protruded as she pursed her lips. "Am I a bad girl? I don’t remember her."
"No, it’s okay." Michael sat up and stroked her long brown hair. "You were still wearing pampers when she died."
"Don’t worry Daddy. I’m not going to Heaven with Mommy and Grandma." She threw her arms around his neck.
"Well, I’m very glad." Michael bit back a wave of tears.
"I have to stay here and take care of you."
"You’re gonna take care of me?" He kissed her forehead. "Why is that?"
"Because you don’t have a mom or dad... and you’d be lonely without me." Emily sat back on her feet. "I have to tell you when to eat, what to wear and when to not be sad."
"Do I forget to eat?" Michael raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, Daddy." She smiled. "And you mismatch your socks and you buy ugly ties."
They both laughed. Michael shrugged. "Am I one of those embarrassing dads?"
"No... I’m the only girl in school who gets dropped off and picked up on a motorcycle. That’s cool." She smiled brightly at her dad. "I love you, Daddy."
"Love you too. Now." He looked her in the eye.
"It’s bedtime." They said together. She hopped off the bed with her Maria doll and headed for the door.
"Daddy?" She paused. "Don’t cry anymore. Daddies aren’t supposed to cry. Promise?"
"I promise." He nodded.
--
Jim Valenti watched his son try to explain what had happened at the hospital to his stepson.
Kyle sighed. The kid was smarter than they gave him credit for. He had known before anyone had told him about Grampa Evans. Kyle supposed it was an alien thing.
"Dad, are you okay with Berty?" Kyle asked.
"We’re fine." Jim nodded as he dangled her toys over her head, making her squeal with laughter. "This isn’t the first time that I’ve done this, son."
"Just checking." Kyle let a small smile out.
"Is Mom coming home tonight?" Alex kissed his little sister’s forehead.
"No. She’s going to stay with Grandma Evans, tonight." Kyle patted the young boy’s head. "Help me with Berty tonight?"
"Yeah."
--
Liz tried as hard as she could to comfort her husband but she knew that he hadn’t even started to mourn. He would wait until everything was taken care of and after he was sure everyone was alright.
Max sat with his head in his hands and ran over what Michael had told him. He barely looked up when Isabel entered the room.
"Mom’s at least pretending to be asleep." She whispered and knelt beside her brother.
"That’s good." He nodded and closed his eyes. He tried only to feel the physical. The couch beneath him. Liz’s hands running through his hair, her head against his back. Isabel’s hand on his arm. The focus on all that kept him from feeling the impact just waiting to knock him down.
"Is what Michael said, true?" Isabel whispered, tears falling down her face once more.
"I think so." Max felt his bottom lip quiver and stopped long enough to gain control over his senses. "Amy and Dad’s hearts stopped at exactly the same time and the chances of something like that happening are like..."
"Phenomenal." Liz whispered.
Max gave up on trying to control himself. The tears slipped down his face and he sank back into Liz’s arms. "I can’t believe he’s gone."
"We’re going to have to be more careful." Isabel leaned up against the couch. "This can’t happen again."
TBC
Without thinking, Michael rushed into the room. There she was, Amy DeLuca lay hooked up to life support machines. He knew that he hadn’t spoken to the woman in weeks but she hadn’t been sick at the time.
"Sir, you can’t be here. Only family." A nurse told him. "Oh, Mr. Guerin... I’m sorry."
"What happened to her?" Michael whispered hoarsely.
"Did you know her?"
"She’s practically family. What happened to her?" He asked again.
"She had a heart attack this morning. I’ll go get the doctor." The nurse hurried out of the room.
Michael didn’t know what to do. Emily loved her grandmother but she shouldn’t see this. He took a seat beside the bed and stared into Amy’s face, willing her to wake up as he had done her daughter 9 years ago.
/"It’s no use."\
Michael’s head jerked up at the familiar voice. There she stood against the far wall. "Maria?"
/"No." Maria sat on the other side of the bed.\
"What happened to her?" He demanded.
/"It would appear that she had a heart attack. She won’t recover... and neither will Philip Evans." She turned her face to Michael. "This is payback."\
"For what?"
/"Our King and Queen were murdered in cold blood by your King and by your own hand. They wanted nothing but an alliance but Zan would have none of it." Her green eyes flashed with fury. "Although this can never be avenged, the heartache it will cause will be punishment enough for the time being."\
"Your King and Queen?" Michael’s mind raced but he couldn’t think of a damn thing that would have caused this.
/"Joan and Stephen... I believe those were the names they chose."\
"Oh God no." Michael let the tears flow over his cheeks. He gripped Amy’s hand tight. "How much longer do they have?"
/"Not much more. We had to be certain that the suffering was taking effect before we let them go." Maria rose to her feet. "I can leave now."\
"Who are you?" Michael asked softly.
/"Your mistake was believing that all Skins are Evil. Only some of them were. Some of us were quite willing to cooperate. Here, I personally thought that the new King Zan would be a pacifist..." Maria began the trip to the doorway. "Joan had taken quite a liking to your King... and Stephen to your King’s wife. I’m sure something could have been arranged."\
"Just end their suffering." Michael let go of Amy’s hand.
/"Just be sure that Zan knows what’s happened, Rathard. We did mourn the loss of Avaria... She would have made a great Queen. See that Zan suffers as much as you do." She passed through the doorway and flickered away.\
Michael rose to his feet as the doctor walked in. He ignored the doctor’s overtures to explain her condition. The second that Michael stepped out of the room, the beeping filled the air.
A second later, wailing could be heard from down the hall. "No! Philip!"
Max stumbled out of the room, Liz by his side. Both pale and crying. Michael made his way over to them. "We did this."
"What?" Max raised his head in question.
"This is our fault." Michael swallowed. "Amy’s dead. Your father’s dead and it’s our fault. We killed the wrong skins."
"Amy?" Liz’s jaw dropped. "No..."
"How do you know?" Max whispered. This was too much. There were doctors in his father’s room, working on him but not giving any confidence and now... It was just too much to deal with.
"They sent me a vision or whatever. It looked and sounded like Maria but it said that it wasn’t." Michael shook his head. "I don’t understand it but the second that the vision went away, her heart stopped."
They stood in silence for a long time. Isabel and Kyle joined them. Isabel was the first to speak. "Something is happening. What is it?"
"We’ll talk about it later." Max whispered. "Where’s Mom?"
"The doctor’s talking to her now. Trying to explain." Kyle answered.
"He won’t be able to." Michael whispered.
--
"Daddy?" Emily combed her doll’s hair as she sat in the middle of her father’s bed.
"What up, Em?"
"How come Grandma went to heaven? Is it because she missed Mommy?" She didn’t even look up as she asked her questions. Michael couldn’t think of how to answer them. He just lay there and watched his daughter. "If she did... do you think that Mommy will recognize her? It’s been a long time since they’ve seen each other."
"Why do you say that?"
"Well, Daniel’s other grandpa sometimes doesn’t recognize him because they don’t see each other alot." Emily fingered the thinning hair on her doll. She was the only girl who still played with dolls, or doll rather.
"You going to let me fix that doll?" Michael asked with a slight smile, knowing what her answer was.
"No. She’s beautiful the way she is." Emily hugged the doll to her chest. "Do you think Mommy misses me?"
"What’s with all the talk about Mommy?" Michael felt the guilt rise. All these months he’d been so involved with trying to ignore his feelings for Liz and he’d forgotten the way he had loved Maria.
"I was just thinking about her today. Do you think she misses me?"
"Yeah. I’m sure she does."
"I... I don’t miss her." Her little lip protruded as she pursed her lips. "Am I a bad girl? I don’t remember her."
"No, it’s okay." Michael sat up and stroked her long brown hair. "You were still wearing pampers when she died."
"Don’t worry Daddy. I’m not going to Heaven with Mommy and Grandma." She threw her arms around his neck.
"Well, I’m very glad." Michael bit back a wave of tears.
"I have to stay here and take care of you."
"You’re gonna take care of me?" He kissed her forehead. "Why is that?"
"Because you don’t have a mom or dad... and you’d be lonely without me." Emily sat back on her feet. "I have to tell you when to eat, what to wear and when to not be sad."
"Do I forget to eat?" Michael raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, Daddy." She smiled. "And you mismatch your socks and you buy ugly ties."
They both laughed. Michael shrugged. "Am I one of those embarrassing dads?"
"No... I’m the only girl in school who gets dropped off and picked up on a motorcycle. That’s cool." She smiled brightly at her dad. "I love you, Daddy."
"Love you too. Now." He looked her in the eye.
"It’s bedtime." They said together. She hopped off the bed with her Maria doll and headed for the door.
"Daddy?" She paused. "Don’t cry anymore. Daddies aren’t supposed to cry. Promise?"
"I promise." He nodded.
--
Jim Valenti watched his son try to explain what had happened at the hospital to his stepson.
Kyle sighed. The kid was smarter than they gave him credit for. He had known before anyone had told him about Grampa Evans. Kyle supposed it was an alien thing.
"Dad, are you okay with Berty?" Kyle asked.
"We’re fine." Jim nodded as he dangled her toys over her head, making her squeal with laughter. "This isn’t the first time that I’ve done this, son."
"Just checking." Kyle let a small smile out.
"Is Mom coming home tonight?" Alex kissed his little sister’s forehead.
"No. She’s going to stay with Grandma Evans, tonight." Kyle patted the young boy’s head. "Help me with Berty tonight?"
"Yeah."
--
Liz tried as hard as she could to comfort her husband but she knew that he hadn’t even started to mourn. He would wait until everything was taken care of and after he was sure everyone was alright.
Max sat with his head in his hands and ran over what Michael had told him. He barely looked up when Isabel entered the room.
"Mom’s at least pretending to be asleep." She whispered and knelt beside her brother.
"That’s good." He nodded and closed his eyes. He tried only to feel the physical. The couch beneath him. Liz’s hands running through his hair, her head against his back. Isabel’s hand on his arm. The focus on all that kept him from feeling the impact just waiting to knock him down.
"Is what Michael said, true?" Isabel whispered, tears falling down her face once more.
"I think so." Max felt his bottom lip quiver and stopped long enough to gain control over his senses. "Amy and Dad’s hearts stopped at exactly the same time and the chances of something like that happening are like..."
"Phenomenal." Liz whispered.
Max gave up on trying to control himself. The tears slipped down his face and he sank back into Liz’s arms. "I can’t believe he’s gone."
"We’re going to have to be more careful." Isabel leaned up against the couch. "This can’t happen again."
TBC
Part 32 and Part 33
The Fate of Destiny Part 32
{I wish I could change things for you but I can’t. Why won’t you talk to me?} Liz held back the tears as she watched Max stare out their bedroom window. He had been sitting like that ever since they’d gotten home that morning from the funeral. He had barely said a word to anyone since he had finished making all the arrangements.
"All--" Max stopped because his voice was hoarse with under-use. "All this has happened because of who I am. If I had never come to Roswell... none of this would have ever happened." He took a deep breath and kept talking. "My dad would be alive. Maria and Alex would be alive. Maria’s mom would be alive. You would have gone to school, become a molecular biologist and gotten married to some normal man."
"Max, stop it. Don’t say things like that. If it wasn’t for you I’d be dead now." Liz rushed around the side of the bed to look in his eyes. "It wasn’t your fault."
"This is all my fault, Liz. All of it." Max couldn’t hold the tears in anymore. She wrapped her arms around him. "He didn’t do anything. They should have taken me if they wanted revenge. He didn’t do anything. He was innocent."
--
Michael sat in the Evans’ living room and watched the people come and go. Liz’s house was crammed full of people who had paid their respects to Philip Evans or Amy DeLuca or both. His eyes fell on his daughter as she politely smiled at people she didn’t know.
["I--I’m proud of you Michael." Amy smiled at the young man. "I didn’t think that you’d stay with my little girl but you did… to the end."
"Am-" He started to stop her but she waved him off.
"Let me finish. I was worried, the way you took off after Maria died. I honestly didn’t think you’d come back for Emily... but you did." She ruffled his hair. "You came back and made a home. She’s a wonderful little girl. You are always proving me wrong. Thank you."
"Come on." Michael shook his head, uncomfortable with the words of praise.
"And the way you moved on with your life when she wouldn’t wake up. You got a job and went to school and took care of Em. You got everything ready for Maria to come home." She squeezed his hands. "You make me proud. If I had a son... I’d want him to be like you."
"Stop it." He insisted, turning a bright shade of red.
"I don’t care that there were no legal ties. You are my daughter’s husband, you are my son-in-law. You are family." Amy looked him in the eye. "I want you to remember that. You and Em and I are family."
"Yeah, I know." He whispered.
"And don’t listen to Liz. You don’t need someone to be a mother to Em. If I could be mother and father to Maria. You can be mother and father to Em." They shared a laugh as they watched Emily play with her Maria-doll.]
Michael remembered that day as if it were yesterday instead of a year ago. Slowly he stood and made his way around the house. Kyle held Berty while Isabel greeted her relatives. Valenti greeted Amy’s friends.
A turn of the hallway brought Michael into the dining room where Jeff and Nancy Parker were looking after their grandchildren. Bethany was crying in Nancy’s arms. "Michael? Do you know where Liz went?"
He shook his head and stepped into the room. "Wherever Max is most likely, Mr. Parker."
"Bethany won’t stop crying." Nancy tried rocking the small girl but Bethany kept crying.
"You’re doing it too fast." Michael said out of nowhere.
"What?" She shook her head in confusion.
"You’re out of practice. Rock her slower, she’ll calm down." He placed a gentle hand on the baby’s back. "She’s probably hungry. I’ll go see if Liz left a bottle in the fridge."
--
Michael couldn’t find a ready bottle so he set about making a fresh one. He had just screwed the cap on when Liz wandered into the kitchen, her arms wrapped around her body. "Where’s Max?"
"He’s asleep." She whispered, hugging herself tighter. "He hasn’t slept since... for a few days. He wouldn’t let himself grieve. He finally cried himself to sleep." He set the bottle down on the counter and listened to her let it out. "Philip was like a second father to me. He let me live in his house, he helped Max and I get on our feet, he even got me a job as his secretary to help with the bills until I finished school." Liz took in a ragged breath. "You know... Max was in there all day, just festering in guilt."
"Well, that’s Max for you. Taking on the world." Michael drew Liz into his arms and let her get some comfort before she had to go out and face everyone. "Bethany’s driving your mom crazy." Liz nodded against his shoulder. "Most everyone is clearing out. It’s just family left, really."
"Diane?"
"She left with her sister a while ago." Michael whispered. "I’ll drop the hint that everyone’s worn out. Get everyone on their way home. You go deal with your parents."
"Thanks Michael." Liz pulled back and gave him a small smile. "You’re a good friend." She pecked his cheek and grabbed the bottle from the counter.
--
"Isabel, sweetie. How about we take Alex and Berty for the night?" Mrs. Whitman hugged the woman. "You and Kyle look like you could do with some rest."
Isabel opened her mouth to protest but Maggie butt in.
"It’s no problem. Really." Maggie took Berty from Kyle. "We’ll take care of both of them and bring them home tomorrow afternoon. Don’t worry about a thing."
"Thanks, Mags." Kyle nodded. "We appreciate it."
--
"Mom..." Liz sighed. "I’m sorry but you didn’t make things any easier. He’s taken care of me and Danny and Kathy and Bethany."
"Elizabeth... I was just disappointed that you felt you had to hide these things from us." Nancy traded whispers with her daughter. "You and Max just eloped, didn’t tell anyone afterward. I heard about it from Jim Valenti. Then I heard about Kathleen from that awful Troy woman." She shook her head. "And Bethany... again, I heard about from Jim Valenti. We didn’t even know you were pregnant."
"Mom-"
"We saw you on Daniel’s birthday and again on Kathleen’s and you never said a word."
"Mom, what would you have said? You made it quite clear that you thought I was throwing my life away." Liz blinked back the tears. "So I stopped trying to make you see that. I left it up to you and you didn’t pick up. I saw dad once in a while and... I knew he was disappointed but he never told me that what I was doing was a mistake."
"You shut us out."
"No. No. No. I made do with what I was given." She turned away, watching her father holding her daughter in his arms. "I’m sorry that things were the way they were but I can’t change that. Make an effort now."
"Okay. Will you let me?" Nancy turned Liz to look in her eyes. "How about I take the kids tonight?"
"That’s actually a good idea." Liz nodded slowly. "I can’t concentrate on them if Max is like this."
"How’s he holding up?" Jeff Parker spoke up.
"He’s finally asleep. I haven’t seen him go without so much sleep since his internship." Liz felt her lip tremble but she refused to start crying again. "Philip was the only father that Max has ever known. He’s taking this real hard. He hasn’t been talking much to anyone but me."
"I imagine. The kids don’t need to see him like this." Jeff hugged his daughter.
--
Max sat up. He was getting tired of staring at the ceiling. Pulling his care package from the nightstand, he pulled himself to his feet and made his way out into the dark house. "Liz?"
"In the den." She called back. He followed her voice, only pausing to light a cigarette. When he stumbled into the den an unfamiliar sight greeted his eyes. He had been expecting to find Liz and the kids watching a movie or reading a story but instead Isabel and Kyle lay curled up on the floor, Liz was sprawled on one of the couches and Michael lay with his head against the couch. "How’d you sleep?"
"Not well." Max took a drag on the cigarette and crossed the room to the couch. "Where’re the kids?"
"My parents took them." Liz moved her legs so he could sit down. He balanced his ashtray on one knee and his pack of cigarettes on the other.
"Everyone else?"
"Mom went to Aunt Mandy’s." Isabel whispered. "Alex and Berty are at Chuck’s."
"Em’s upstairs asleep." Michael filled in. "It’s just us tonight."
"Any suggestions about what to do?" Max flicked his cigarette and focused his eyes on the back of Michael’s head.
"What can we do?" Michael sighed. "The score is even. We just gotta be more careful from now on. Ask questions first, shoot later."
"Score one for Mr. Guerin." Max drawled sarcastically.
"Max." Liz warned.
"There’s nothing we can do." Isabel picked up. "I just think this answers some questions."
"And brings up a lot more." Kyle tossed it.
"Go team go." Max mock cheered.
"Stop it, Max." Liz curled into a ball and turned away from him.
"Do you have any bright ideas, oh fearless leader?" Michael half turned to look at Max.
"Give up. We’re obviously losing this damned war. Why fight anymore?" Max shrugged. "I’ll just turn over the throne. I don’t even know what I’m doing."
"Stop it!" Liz screamed and crossed the length of the couch. "Max, I know you’re hurting. You’re not the only one."
He leapt to his feet, not caring that the ashtray flipped onto the carpet. "But you aren’t the one that killed your own father. I killed an innocent woman and because of that my father died."
"What about me?" Michael was on his feet in no time. "I killed her husband and my daughter’s grandmother was taken in retaliation. Amy was like a mother to me."
"But she wasn’t. She was Maria’s." Max bit out.
"Philip was not your father. I’ve told you that before. If you can feel pain because he’s dead then I can feel pain because Amy’s dead. She made me her son when I took her daughter away from her." Michael let himself calm down a little. "We need you with a straight head. Get it together, Maxwell."
Max was ready to lay into Michael but Liz stopped him. She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him back to the couch. "Max, sh. Emily’s upstairs, asleep. Don’t wake her. We know you’re upset. We aren’t saying that you shouldn’t be but we need to get this business settled."
All eyes watched Max as he listened to Liz’s soothing whispers and leaned into her as she rubbed his neck and smoothed back his hair. "I’m sorry."
No one said a word. After a few moments of silence and a few tears, Max spoke again. "There’s nothing we can do right now. We wait until we’re contacted by the new King Skin."
"We need to unwind... if just for tonight." Kyle sat up and pulled a flask from his pocket. "Who’s with me?"
Liz glanced at Kyle, then Isabel who was shaking her head, Michael who was still trying to control himself, then at Max. Max stared straight ahead. What he said next, surprised everyone.
The Fate of Destiny Part 33
"Is that all you brought?" Max took a drag on his cigarette.
"I’ve got a bottle in my car." Kyle answered, sharing bemused looks with his friends.
"Well, bring it in." He ordered as he reached for his overturned ashtray and his fallen pack of cigarettes. Liz watched him carefully, as did Isabel and Michael. Kyle hopped to his feet and jogged out to his car.
"Babe... you sure you want to do this?" She hissed in his ear.
"What? You want me to relax and you and Kyle both told me I’m my most relaxed when I’ve had a little." He shrugged her off. "Come on, we all need to be relaxed. Everyone drink. It’ll be fun."
"Max, you also get a little crazy when you drink. Last time you wanted to run away with me." Liz pointed out.
"Last time I didn’t have a good job and kids. Besides we’ll all stay in the house I’m sure." He shrugged.
"Okay but I’m not going to drink. Someone has to stay sober to watch after the others."
"I’ll do it." Isabel spoke up. "I’m not going to risk getting out of control. Liz you have a good time. I’ll be the designated sober."
"Are you sure?" Liz knew she needed to relax but she wasn’t sure if this was such a good idea.
"Yeah. Don’t tell Kyle but he could be surprised soon." Isabel gave a slight shrug of the shoulders.
"So soon?" Liz furrowed her brow. "Don’t you use anything?"
"Well, yeah but so far it seems that birth control is the only way to go and I haven’t tried that. You’re the one that found out that condoms don’t always work." She tilted her head at her sister-in-law.
"Okay, fine. Just a word of caution if you decide to start on birth control. Don’t miss a single day." Liz gave Max a light tap on the back of the head. "I have a feeling that Bethany was planned."
"If you think that I was the one who let your pills fall behind the dresser..." Max started but got another harder smack.
"How did you know that’s where I found them?" Liz scooted closer, leaning her head on the hand resting on his shoulder.
"Well, you left them on the dresser and then you dumped the clothes on the dresser so either they got folded in one of the drawers or got knocked behind the dresser." Max hid his grin as he took a long drag on his cigarette.
"Real smooth, Maxwell." Michael shook his head.
"How are you handling your situation?" Max tapped his fingers over his heart.
"I didn’t tell her if that’s what you’re asking." He glared at his friend. It figured that Max would bring that up in the absolute wrong company.
"Tell who what?" Liz and Isabel asked at the same time and giggled at their eagerness to see their friend happily squared away with a nice woman.
"That is none of your business. Drop it." Michael ordered. Then he turned to Max. "And not another word about it."
"Here we come to save the day!" Kyle burst into the den with two bottles. "In one hand we have Tequila, guaranteed to drown your sorrows in one shot, that’s human or alien. In the other hand we have Senor Cuervo... it may take a little more of him for us humans but I’m sure you aliens will have no problem with Jose. And what’s this?" He set the bottles down on the coffee table and produced another bottle from his back pocket. "It seems I’ve got some Kahlua."
"I’ll go get some glasses." Liz hopped off the couch and disappeared into the kitchen. When she returned she had a tray with five glasses and bottles of juice, Coke, Sprite and Tabasco.
"Smart woman. Have you done this before?" Kyle teased as he began mixing drinks. "Oh wait. You have!"
"You have?" Max eyed his wife curiously. "And you didn’t share?"
"You told me that you didn’t want to hear a single thing about my relationship with Kyle. The alcoholic experience was in my relationship with Kyle." Liz explained as she passed Isabel a Coke with Tabasco.
"You remember the blast at Doug’s house?" Kyle laughed suddenly. Liz turned bright red. "So Miss Parker thought she could make up her own drink. I, the idiot I was, left her alone with the odds and ends of peoples drinks while we went cow tipping..."
"Please no." Liz pleaded but Max joined the group around the coffee table to hear the story. "So the night was really hot and we came back all sweaty and dying of thirst. Liz hands me a glass of some brown fluid and I down it. Little did I know that she had gotten quite bored and began mixing the different alcohols on the table before her." Kyle handed a drink to Liz with a bright smile. "It didn’t bother me at first but later, when we were making out in my car..."
"Oh God." Liz blanched at the memory.
"I start feeling kinda strange and the next thing we know... Liz has got barf in her hair, all over her clothes and I’m still puking by the side of the road." Kyle finished the story leaving the others either laughing or disgusted. "That was the last time that Liz Parker went to a beer blast."
"I think I’m gonna be sick." Liz complained. "That was so disgusting."
"It was also your fault." Max pointed out. Finally, everyone had a drink in front of them. They made a silent toast first, clinking their glasses together. Max cleared his throat and made the verbal toast. "To a night of lost inhibitions and a little fun in a life so full of... crap."
"Cheers." They all whispered and took a drink. Michael and Max barely had time to set down their drinks before they were both caught up in coughing fits.
"Wusses." Kyle muttered taking a long haul off his flask before lifting his glass to his mouth. Liz glanced at him. He shrugged. "It doesn’t last long. From what I remember Max was drunk the second the coughing cleared."
An hour later they were all, with the exception of Isabel, drunk and laughing their heads off. When Emily stumbled into the room, they all looked up. "Daddy, it’s too loud."
"Oh." Michael snickered and tried to get up. "Sorry baby. Let’s get you back to bed." Then he fell back on the floor.
"I got it." Isabel rose to her feet. Emily stepped further into the room.
"Goodnight Daddy." She kissed the top of his head.
"Night Em. Sweet dreams." Michael watched her leave again before turning to his friends. "Okay, we need to quiet down now."
"Yeah, ok." Liz nodded from where she sat between Max’s legs. "And enough Liz and Kyle stories. I wanna hear some Isabel, Michael and Max stories."
"Oh come on. We never got into nearly as fun situations and you and Kyle did." Max groaned wrapping his arms around his wife.
"I wanna hear about the time that you and Maria went into the mens’ dressing room." Michael laughed.
"It was an accident, I swear." Liz protested.
"Uh-huh." Kyle snickered. "Hey, what about the time in the eighth grade that Isabel told me about?"
"Eighth grade?" Max and Michael exchanged confused glances.
"I know." Isabel walked into the room, her face beet red. "I remember it was in the eighth grade, I was walking down the hall pretty late at night and there were these strange noises coming from Max’s room..."
"NO." Max shook his head and buried his face in Liz’s hair.
"So, the nosy person I am... I open his door a crack and Max is laying on his bed, jacking off and on the night stand is the yearbook open to..."
"Liz’s picture." Kyle finished.
"Hold on, I didn’t know that yet. Of course I’m stupid and I make a noise when I try to shut the door and Max just freaks out." Isabel started laughing.
"Can we please stop this story now?" Max pleaded.
"That’s where I come in." Michael spoke up. "I’m climbing in the window and Max is spazzing because he’s got Max Jr. in his hand and Isabel is standing in the doorway, mouth hanging open in horror. I start laughing and Max starts spazzing again."
"Then I get over the shock and start laughing. That’s when I reach for the yearbook and Max rips it out of my hand but... I still had the page in my hand." Isabel giggled.
"She just ripped that page out of the yearbook and sure enough. Fifth row from the top, sixth person from the end was Elizabeth Parker, her picture decorated with little hearts..." Michael snickered.
"Okay, okay. Ha ha. You guys think it’s funny. Enough with the Max stories." Max scoffed, his face was bright red and burning with embarrassment. Liz turned in his arms and placed a kiss on his nose. Michael watched as they shared some quiet whispers and a few kisses. He tossed back the rest of his drink, his eyes on his friends.
Isabel leaned back in Kyle’s arms and watched the emotions flicker across Michael’s face as he watched the Evans. "So, Michael. Let’s hear about mystery woman."
"I thought I told you to drop it." Michael growled and pushed his empty glass toward Kyle. "Fill ‘er up."
"Take it easy Guerin." Kyle warned as he mixed another drink for his friend.
"Not like I can get any more drunk." He muttered as he raised the glass to his lips. When his eyes returned to the Evans, Liz had shifted so that she straddled Max’s legs. The two were engaged in deep kisses and probably wouldn’t have noticed if World War III were to start right there in their living room. Max’s hands had started to roam regardless of the company.
"Somebody needs to get a room." Isabel said loudly as she averted her eyes.
"Have some compassion for those of us who don’t have a warm body to love every night." Michael joined in. His own body was heating up as Liz’s desire overflowed their connection.
Suddenly, Liz pulled away from Max and shook her head. She kept her eyes closed but a look of confusion remained on her face. Max tried to pull her back but she climbed off his lap. "Sorry guys."
"How you feelin’ Max?" Kyle asked slyly.
"Frustrated." Max answered before lifting a handful of Liz’s hair to his nose to inhale her strawberry scented locks.
"And he’s regressed into a Neanderthal. Happy Kyle?" Isabel groaned.
"Yes. Why aren’t you drinking babe?" Kyle squeezed her gently.
"I’m the designated sober. Don’t worry about it." She pecked him on the lips. Liz settled herself between Max’s legs once more. She ignored the way Max was nuzzling her neck. "Michael. I demand to know about this woman."
"I can’t get her, enough said." Michael lay himself out on the floor and stared at the spinning ceiling.
"Tell us about her. Maybe then we can help you find someone." Isabel whispered. "If we don’t know what you’re looking for, we can’t weed out the bad apples."
"Fine." Michael closed his eyes and lost himself in the buzz. "She’s beautiful in that Sandra Bullock kind of way. She’s really smart in a Geena Davis kind of way. Scratch that, they’re old. She’s like Natalie Portman."
"So, she’s quirky and smart?" Isabel sounded out loud. "What does she look like?"
"Haven’t you been listening?" He sighed. "She’s got brown hair and brown eyes. She’s kinda short but not too short. She’s funny and she cares about everyone, takes the time to listen to their problems... really wonderful type of person."
"Why can’t you get her?" Liz furrowed her brow at how hopelessly in love her friend seemed to be and how discouraged he was at being with this person.
"She’s married." Max answered.
"Oh Michael..." Liz sat up and reached out to touch his arm. "You want me to kill her husband?"
"No. She loves him. She loves their kids..."
"I’m gonna... go piss. I’ve heard all this already." Max moaned as he pulled himself to his feet. "God, I’m getting old."
"Other bathroom?" Kyle hauled himself to his feet.
"Upstairs." Isabel instructed. When the husbands had left the room, Liz and Isabel scooted closer to Michael. "So what you’re looking for is someone who’s a good listener, caring, that’s smart, and good-looking. You don’t mind that she has kids or has been married before."
"That’s half the female population of Roswell, Iz." Liz reminded her sister-in-law.
"You know I should take Amy’s advice on this and not worry about it." Michael murmured, opening one eye. "She also told me not to listen to you." He poked Liz in the side.
"How are you taking this?" Isabel asked softly. "I know that she meant a lot to you and Em."
"While she was wary of me at first... she was on my list of close friends." Michael sat up. "She was family. Amy was taking care of the female aspect of Emily."
"How’s that?"
"She helped me explain to Em where babies come from. That... was not something that I could have done by myself... I just assumed that she’d be around for the other girly stuff later. If it were up to me... I’d never have the sex talk with Em." He chuckled. "I can’t lock her up. Can I?"
"Nope." Liz shook her head and smiled. "At least your daughter isn’t going through an identity crisis. Kathy tried to change her hair color last week."
"You’re kidding." Isabel’s mouth dropped open. "What happened?"
"Max caught her and flipped out. He’s... he’s still real touchy on the Tess subject. I mean, he walked into her room and there Kathy was, blonde and... he lost it." Liz sighed. "Then Kathy was upset. It took me awhile to calm her down, longer to calm him down and then we had to convince her to change her hair back."
"Alex told me that he’s going to be a rock star. Maggie’s been encouraging him. She found one of Alex’s first guitars and the first songs that he ever wrote down." Isabel smiled softly. "He wants to sing a song to Susan Ashby’s daughter."
"Danny has just discovered that he’s as good looking as his father. You should have seen all the Valentines that he sent out... not to mention all the ones he got. That boy is going to drive me crazy when he gets to high school." Liz gave a little smile. "Kathy still insists that boys are noisy and dirty and full of bugs though."
"Lucky. Emily told me she’s going to marry Markus Alvarez’s son. You know, that kid with the weird hair." Michael snorted and ignored the laughter from his female friends.
"You better watch it if she’s anything like Maria." Liz warned. "You used to be that kid with the weird hair."
"Hey. I looked good."
"You looked like you stuck your figure in an electrical socket." She laughed harder. "Dad always said that you looked like someone scared you then sprayed you with Aquanet." Isabel giggled.
"I have never used styling products on my hair." Michael turned his nose in the air. Silence suddenly settled over the trio. Michael glanced at Liz then turned to Isabel. "I know that things have been strange with us... it feels good to talk again."
"Yeah. It does." Isabel sighed wistfully. "Tell me the truth. Were you upset by what I did?"
"I’m not going to lie. No. I wasn’t. Izzy... as far as I see it... what happened between us was wrong." Michael took her hand.
"I was scared Michael. Tess died giving birth to Kathy. I was afraid that our lives would have been taken away from us. Does that make sense?" Isabel risked a glance into his face.
"Yeah." He nodded. "Besides, could you imagine that talk show? The All-American family."
"What?" Liz and Isabel asked together.
"Well, with the way things turned out. Let’s start with Kathy. She’s half-sister to Danny and Beth. All three are first cousins to Alex and Liberty. Liberty is first cousin to Emily, seeing as Alex is only her half-brother. Valenti saw Tess as a daughter so that kinda makes Kathy a cousin to Emily and to Liberty on both sides... A child between you and me would have all of us booted to the Ozarks." He laughed, taking Liz and Isabel with him.
"I can hear Kathy now. ‘Jerry, not only are Danny and Beth only my half-siblings... both my parents are aliens. No, not my stepmother, just my biological parents. Oh and my aunt and my parents’ best friend are aliens too.’" Liz burst out laughing again.
"I’m going to go check on my husband." Isabel picked herself up off the floor.
"Hey, got any food?" Michael pulled himself to his feet.
"Yeah. Got six casseroles and two cakes, three pies and a plate of brownies." Liz held out her hands for Michael to pull her up. He grabbed her hands but tripped over his own feet and landing on top of Liz in a heap of tangled limbs. "Oof. You’re heavy."
Michael started to push himself off her but paused as their close proximity dawned on him. Gently, he brushed her hair out of her face. He stared down at her face, flushed from laughter. He had to do it. He brushed his lips over Liz’s, hers reflexively pushed back. Before he knew what he was doing, Michael slipped his tongue into her mouth. The connection that was always in the back of their minds, flared up and strengthened. Images flashed back and forth until a voice snapped them apart.
"Daddy?" Michael pushed himself off Liz and scrambled to his feet. Emily had her Maria doll by the arm in the doorway. Isabel stood behind her. Emily rubbed at her eyes. "Daddy, I can’t sleep."
"Okay, sweetie... I’ll be right there." Michael shook his head to clear it. Max wandered into the room and tossed an arm over Michael’s shoulder.
"Have I ever told you what a good friend you are?" Max slurred. "I mean, you’re there for me when I need you, you look after Liz when I’m not home, you babysit when we need a night alone... You are a great friend." Max suddenly hugged Michael tight. "I love you, man. I want you to know that I didn’t mean what I said earlier. We’re all hurting and I was being an ass like Liz said."
"It’s no problem." Michael hugged Max back. "Love you too man."
"Never forget that we love you, man." Max started to let go of Michael but suddenly planted a noisy kiss on his cheek. Then Isabel attracted Max’s attention, leaving Michael to follow Emily up the stairs. Isabel hugged her brother back and let herself accept the comfort that he couldn’t give while sober. "I love you and I’ll never let anything happen to you or Mom or Liz or any of the kids."
"I know, Max." She whispered to him. Isabel kissed his cheek and pulled away. "I have to go tend to my husband now. Night you two."
Max turned and spotted Liz as she downed a glass of what looked like Sprite. "Liz... Have I told you how much I love you?"
She turned to him and before she could say a word, he had taken her in his arms and spun her around, making her incredibly dizzy. "Whoa. Max... are you an ‘I love you drunk’? Hm?"
"Maybe." Max continued to dance them to some unheard music. "You know what?"
"What?" Liz’s Tequila smile spread across her face as she leaned into him fully.
"I think we need one more child. A boy."
"Oh you do, do you? Are you going to carry this one? Hm?" She tilted her head back to look up at his face.
"Come on..."
"Maybe after Bethany is able to talk. I don’t think I could handle two babies at once again."
"Okay." Max pouted. After a few turns a sly grin crossed his face. "Well, we could practice in the meantime."
"Prac-- AH!" Liz squealed as he scooped her into his arms and carried her down the hall to their bedroom.
--
Michael lay snoring on the floor next to the bed that Emily was sleeping in. It had taken a couple of verses of ‘My Favorite Things’ to get her to sleep. He had even fallen asleep humming the old Disney tune. 10 years ago he would have never admitted to such a thing but at this point, if it made Emily happy then he’d sing it to the President on C-Span and everyone else be damned.
--
Isabel helped Kyle into the guest bedroom and shut the door. He shook his head at her. "Are you sure?"
"Kyle. I saw them kissing." Isabel hissed. "It’s a good thing they stopped when they did. Max went in and started hugging on everyone." She sighed. "And I’m just going to have to explain all this to you again when you sober up."
"Probably." He chuckled and kicked off his shoes.
"You don’t have to be in today do you?" Isabel pulled off her own shoes and climbed onto the bed.
"No. Sheriff Blackwood told me to get out of the station and not to come back until my family was squared away. If he needs me, he’ll find me." Kyle yawned. "We should do something. Take your mom out to eat or something."
"We could tell her about your son."
"My son. See we could tell her about my son." Kyle let his eyes close but then they snapped out. "Did you just say... my son?"
"Yes. He’ll be here in October probably." Isabel snuggled up next to Kyle.
"Poor kid."
--
"I’ve finally got you alone." Max whispered huskily into Liz’s ear even as his fingers swiftly unbuttoned her blouse.
"Can you put me down before we do this?" She asked bracing herself against the wall as she struggled to undress him.
"Uh-uh." He shook his head as he stared at her breasts. A flick of his fingers flung open her bra. He pulled it down her arms, trapping them at her sides. His mouth closed over one hardened nipple and sucked furiously. Liz arched her back and gripped his forearms as the pleasure shot through her body. Max’s tongue swirled around the tight nipple, tasting her as thoroughly as he could before switching breasts.
"Max... mmm... Max..." Suddenly, the world spun when Max turned on his heel to deposit her on the bed. "Now we can do this."
He stepped back to undo the buckle on his pants as Liz wriggled out of her skirt and stockings. She waited impatiently for Max to completely strip down. When he was done he knelt on the edge of the bed. "Did you mean what you said earlier?"
"What?" Liz sat up confused. "What did I say?"
"This turns you on?" He began stroking himself slowly. He forced himself to keep his eyes on her as he started a smooth rhythm on his cock. Liz bit her lip and felt her breathing pick up as his large hand slid from tip to base. "Does it?"
Liz nodded her head when the words wouldn’t come. She crawled down the bed to him, matching her hand over his and kissing his lips as he panted lightly. "You used to do this a lot?"
"Not as much after that night but always to you." He groaned when her body wrapped around his, ceasing the movement of his hand. Together they leaned backward, shifting their bodies so he could slide inside her hot wet body. Liz arched her body up against Max’s, lifting herself almost completely off the bed in an attempt to bring him deeper inside her. She clung to his shoulders, running kisses down his throat. Max braced one hand against the bed and the other slipped under her hips, urging their rocking against his own thrusting hips.
"God, Liz." Max rasped as his pounding picked up speed and force. Anticipating the cries about to propel themselves from her lungs, he took her mouth, successfully silencing her. Max held out on his own orgasm until he felt her nails scraping down his back and her body stiffen under his. Then he let go with a full body shudder of pure pleasure.
They rolled over so he wouldn’t crush her with his weight. Liz lifted her head to look down into his face. They locked gazes and caught their breath together. Suddenly Liz’s eyes widened. Max shrugged sheepishly. "Ready to go again?"
TBC
{I wish I could change things for you but I can’t. Why won’t you talk to me?} Liz held back the tears as she watched Max stare out their bedroom window. He had been sitting like that ever since they’d gotten home that morning from the funeral. He had barely said a word to anyone since he had finished making all the arrangements.
"All--" Max stopped because his voice was hoarse with under-use. "All this has happened because of who I am. If I had never come to Roswell... none of this would have ever happened." He took a deep breath and kept talking. "My dad would be alive. Maria and Alex would be alive. Maria’s mom would be alive. You would have gone to school, become a molecular biologist and gotten married to some normal man."
"Max, stop it. Don’t say things like that. If it wasn’t for you I’d be dead now." Liz rushed around the side of the bed to look in his eyes. "It wasn’t your fault."
"This is all my fault, Liz. All of it." Max couldn’t hold the tears in anymore. She wrapped her arms around him. "He didn’t do anything. They should have taken me if they wanted revenge. He didn’t do anything. He was innocent."
--
Michael sat in the Evans’ living room and watched the people come and go. Liz’s house was crammed full of people who had paid their respects to Philip Evans or Amy DeLuca or both. His eyes fell on his daughter as she politely smiled at people she didn’t know.
["I--I’m proud of you Michael." Amy smiled at the young man. "I didn’t think that you’d stay with my little girl but you did… to the end."
"Am-" He started to stop her but she waved him off.
"Let me finish. I was worried, the way you took off after Maria died. I honestly didn’t think you’d come back for Emily... but you did." She ruffled his hair. "You came back and made a home. She’s a wonderful little girl. You are always proving me wrong. Thank you."
"Come on." Michael shook his head, uncomfortable with the words of praise.
"And the way you moved on with your life when she wouldn’t wake up. You got a job and went to school and took care of Em. You got everything ready for Maria to come home." She squeezed his hands. "You make me proud. If I had a son... I’d want him to be like you."
"Stop it." He insisted, turning a bright shade of red.
"I don’t care that there were no legal ties. You are my daughter’s husband, you are my son-in-law. You are family." Amy looked him in the eye. "I want you to remember that. You and Em and I are family."
"Yeah, I know." He whispered.
"And don’t listen to Liz. You don’t need someone to be a mother to Em. If I could be mother and father to Maria. You can be mother and father to Em." They shared a laugh as they watched Emily play with her Maria-doll.]
Michael remembered that day as if it were yesterday instead of a year ago. Slowly he stood and made his way around the house. Kyle held Berty while Isabel greeted her relatives. Valenti greeted Amy’s friends.
A turn of the hallway brought Michael into the dining room where Jeff and Nancy Parker were looking after their grandchildren. Bethany was crying in Nancy’s arms. "Michael? Do you know where Liz went?"
He shook his head and stepped into the room. "Wherever Max is most likely, Mr. Parker."
"Bethany won’t stop crying." Nancy tried rocking the small girl but Bethany kept crying.
"You’re doing it too fast." Michael said out of nowhere.
"What?" She shook her head in confusion.
"You’re out of practice. Rock her slower, she’ll calm down." He placed a gentle hand on the baby’s back. "She’s probably hungry. I’ll go see if Liz left a bottle in the fridge."
--
Michael couldn’t find a ready bottle so he set about making a fresh one. He had just screwed the cap on when Liz wandered into the kitchen, her arms wrapped around her body. "Where’s Max?"
"He’s asleep." She whispered, hugging herself tighter. "He hasn’t slept since... for a few days. He wouldn’t let himself grieve. He finally cried himself to sleep." He set the bottle down on the counter and listened to her let it out. "Philip was like a second father to me. He let me live in his house, he helped Max and I get on our feet, he even got me a job as his secretary to help with the bills until I finished school." Liz took in a ragged breath. "You know... Max was in there all day, just festering in guilt."
"Well, that’s Max for you. Taking on the world." Michael drew Liz into his arms and let her get some comfort before she had to go out and face everyone. "Bethany’s driving your mom crazy." Liz nodded against his shoulder. "Most everyone is clearing out. It’s just family left, really."
"Diane?"
"She left with her sister a while ago." Michael whispered. "I’ll drop the hint that everyone’s worn out. Get everyone on their way home. You go deal with your parents."
"Thanks Michael." Liz pulled back and gave him a small smile. "You’re a good friend." She pecked his cheek and grabbed the bottle from the counter.
--
"Isabel, sweetie. How about we take Alex and Berty for the night?" Mrs. Whitman hugged the woman. "You and Kyle look like you could do with some rest."
Isabel opened her mouth to protest but Maggie butt in.
"It’s no problem. Really." Maggie took Berty from Kyle. "We’ll take care of both of them and bring them home tomorrow afternoon. Don’t worry about a thing."
"Thanks, Mags." Kyle nodded. "We appreciate it."
--
"Mom..." Liz sighed. "I’m sorry but you didn’t make things any easier. He’s taken care of me and Danny and Kathy and Bethany."
"Elizabeth... I was just disappointed that you felt you had to hide these things from us." Nancy traded whispers with her daughter. "You and Max just eloped, didn’t tell anyone afterward. I heard about it from Jim Valenti. Then I heard about Kathleen from that awful Troy woman." She shook her head. "And Bethany... again, I heard about from Jim Valenti. We didn’t even know you were pregnant."
"Mom-"
"We saw you on Daniel’s birthday and again on Kathleen’s and you never said a word."
"Mom, what would you have said? You made it quite clear that you thought I was throwing my life away." Liz blinked back the tears. "So I stopped trying to make you see that. I left it up to you and you didn’t pick up. I saw dad once in a while and... I knew he was disappointed but he never told me that what I was doing was a mistake."
"You shut us out."
"No. No. No. I made do with what I was given." She turned away, watching her father holding her daughter in his arms. "I’m sorry that things were the way they were but I can’t change that. Make an effort now."
"Okay. Will you let me?" Nancy turned Liz to look in her eyes. "How about I take the kids tonight?"
"That’s actually a good idea." Liz nodded slowly. "I can’t concentrate on them if Max is like this."
"How’s he holding up?" Jeff Parker spoke up.
"He’s finally asleep. I haven’t seen him go without so much sleep since his internship." Liz felt her lip tremble but she refused to start crying again. "Philip was the only father that Max has ever known. He’s taking this real hard. He hasn’t been talking much to anyone but me."
"I imagine. The kids don’t need to see him like this." Jeff hugged his daughter.
--
Max sat up. He was getting tired of staring at the ceiling. Pulling his care package from the nightstand, he pulled himself to his feet and made his way out into the dark house. "Liz?"
"In the den." She called back. He followed her voice, only pausing to light a cigarette. When he stumbled into the den an unfamiliar sight greeted his eyes. He had been expecting to find Liz and the kids watching a movie or reading a story but instead Isabel and Kyle lay curled up on the floor, Liz was sprawled on one of the couches and Michael lay with his head against the couch. "How’d you sleep?"
"Not well." Max took a drag on the cigarette and crossed the room to the couch. "Where’re the kids?"
"My parents took them." Liz moved her legs so he could sit down. He balanced his ashtray on one knee and his pack of cigarettes on the other.
"Everyone else?"
"Mom went to Aunt Mandy’s." Isabel whispered. "Alex and Berty are at Chuck’s."
"Em’s upstairs asleep." Michael filled in. "It’s just us tonight."
"Any suggestions about what to do?" Max flicked his cigarette and focused his eyes on the back of Michael’s head.
"What can we do?" Michael sighed. "The score is even. We just gotta be more careful from now on. Ask questions first, shoot later."
"Score one for Mr. Guerin." Max drawled sarcastically.
"Max." Liz warned.
"There’s nothing we can do." Isabel picked up. "I just think this answers some questions."
"And brings up a lot more." Kyle tossed it.
"Go team go." Max mock cheered.
"Stop it, Max." Liz curled into a ball and turned away from him.
"Do you have any bright ideas, oh fearless leader?" Michael half turned to look at Max.
"Give up. We’re obviously losing this damned war. Why fight anymore?" Max shrugged. "I’ll just turn over the throne. I don’t even know what I’m doing."
"Stop it!" Liz screamed and crossed the length of the couch. "Max, I know you’re hurting. You’re not the only one."
He leapt to his feet, not caring that the ashtray flipped onto the carpet. "But you aren’t the one that killed your own father. I killed an innocent woman and because of that my father died."
"What about me?" Michael was on his feet in no time. "I killed her husband and my daughter’s grandmother was taken in retaliation. Amy was like a mother to me."
"But she wasn’t. She was Maria’s." Max bit out.
"Philip was not your father. I’ve told you that before. If you can feel pain because he’s dead then I can feel pain because Amy’s dead. She made me her son when I took her daughter away from her." Michael let himself calm down a little. "We need you with a straight head. Get it together, Maxwell."
Max was ready to lay into Michael but Liz stopped him. She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him back to the couch. "Max, sh. Emily’s upstairs, asleep. Don’t wake her. We know you’re upset. We aren’t saying that you shouldn’t be but we need to get this business settled."
All eyes watched Max as he listened to Liz’s soothing whispers and leaned into her as she rubbed his neck and smoothed back his hair. "I’m sorry."
No one said a word. After a few moments of silence and a few tears, Max spoke again. "There’s nothing we can do right now. We wait until we’re contacted by the new King Skin."
"We need to unwind... if just for tonight." Kyle sat up and pulled a flask from his pocket. "Who’s with me?"
Liz glanced at Kyle, then Isabel who was shaking her head, Michael who was still trying to control himself, then at Max. Max stared straight ahead. What he said next, surprised everyone.
The Fate of Destiny Part 33
"Is that all you brought?" Max took a drag on his cigarette.
"I’ve got a bottle in my car." Kyle answered, sharing bemused looks with his friends.
"Well, bring it in." He ordered as he reached for his overturned ashtray and his fallen pack of cigarettes. Liz watched him carefully, as did Isabel and Michael. Kyle hopped to his feet and jogged out to his car.
"Babe... you sure you want to do this?" She hissed in his ear.
"What? You want me to relax and you and Kyle both told me I’m my most relaxed when I’ve had a little." He shrugged her off. "Come on, we all need to be relaxed. Everyone drink. It’ll be fun."
"Max, you also get a little crazy when you drink. Last time you wanted to run away with me." Liz pointed out.
"Last time I didn’t have a good job and kids. Besides we’ll all stay in the house I’m sure." He shrugged.
"Okay but I’m not going to drink. Someone has to stay sober to watch after the others."
"I’ll do it." Isabel spoke up. "I’m not going to risk getting out of control. Liz you have a good time. I’ll be the designated sober."
"Are you sure?" Liz knew she needed to relax but she wasn’t sure if this was such a good idea.
"Yeah. Don’t tell Kyle but he could be surprised soon." Isabel gave a slight shrug of the shoulders.
"So soon?" Liz furrowed her brow. "Don’t you use anything?"
"Well, yeah but so far it seems that birth control is the only way to go and I haven’t tried that. You’re the one that found out that condoms don’t always work." She tilted her head at her sister-in-law.
"Okay, fine. Just a word of caution if you decide to start on birth control. Don’t miss a single day." Liz gave Max a light tap on the back of the head. "I have a feeling that Bethany was planned."
"If you think that I was the one who let your pills fall behind the dresser..." Max started but got another harder smack.
"How did you know that’s where I found them?" Liz scooted closer, leaning her head on the hand resting on his shoulder.
"Well, you left them on the dresser and then you dumped the clothes on the dresser so either they got folded in one of the drawers or got knocked behind the dresser." Max hid his grin as he took a long drag on his cigarette.
"Real smooth, Maxwell." Michael shook his head.
"How are you handling your situation?" Max tapped his fingers over his heart.
"I didn’t tell her if that’s what you’re asking." He glared at his friend. It figured that Max would bring that up in the absolute wrong company.
"Tell who what?" Liz and Isabel asked at the same time and giggled at their eagerness to see their friend happily squared away with a nice woman.
"That is none of your business. Drop it." Michael ordered. Then he turned to Max. "And not another word about it."
"Here we come to save the day!" Kyle burst into the den with two bottles. "In one hand we have Tequila, guaranteed to drown your sorrows in one shot, that’s human or alien. In the other hand we have Senor Cuervo... it may take a little more of him for us humans but I’m sure you aliens will have no problem with Jose. And what’s this?" He set the bottles down on the coffee table and produced another bottle from his back pocket. "It seems I’ve got some Kahlua."
"I’ll go get some glasses." Liz hopped off the couch and disappeared into the kitchen. When she returned she had a tray with five glasses and bottles of juice, Coke, Sprite and Tabasco.
"Smart woman. Have you done this before?" Kyle teased as he began mixing drinks. "Oh wait. You have!"
"You have?" Max eyed his wife curiously. "And you didn’t share?"
"You told me that you didn’t want to hear a single thing about my relationship with Kyle. The alcoholic experience was in my relationship with Kyle." Liz explained as she passed Isabel a Coke with Tabasco.
"You remember the blast at Doug’s house?" Kyle laughed suddenly. Liz turned bright red. "So Miss Parker thought she could make up her own drink. I, the idiot I was, left her alone with the odds and ends of peoples drinks while we went cow tipping..."
"Please no." Liz pleaded but Max joined the group around the coffee table to hear the story. "So the night was really hot and we came back all sweaty and dying of thirst. Liz hands me a glass of some brown fluid and I down it. Little did I know that she had gotten quite bored and began mixing the different alcohols on the table before her." Kyle handed a drink to Liz with a bright smile. "It didn’t bother me at first but later, when we were making out in my car..."
"Oh God." Liz blanched at the memory.
"I start feeling kinda strange and the next thing we know... Liz has got barf in her hair, all over her clothes and I’m still puking by the side of the road." Kyle finished the story leaving the others either laughing or disgusted. "That was the last time that Liz Parker went to a beer blast."
"I think I’m gonna be sick." Liz complained. "That was so disgusting."
"It was also your fault." Max pointed out. Finally, everyone had a drink in front of them. They made a silent toast first, clinking their glasses together. Max cleared his throat and made the verbal toast. "To a night of lost inhibitions and a little fun in a life so full of... crap."
"Cheers." They all whispered and took a drink. Michael and Max barely had time to set down their drinks before they were both caught up in coughing fits.
"Wusses." Kyle muttered taking a long haul off his flask before lifting his glass to his mouth. Liz glanced at him. He shrugged. "It doesn’t last long. From what I remember Max was drunk the second the coughing cleared."
An hour later they were all, with the exception of Isabel, drunk and laughing their heads off. When Emily stumbled into the room, they all looked up. "Daddy, it’s too loud."
"Oh." Michael snickered and tried to get up. "Sorry baby. Let’s get you back to bed." Then he fell back on the floor.
"I got it." Isabel rose to her feet. Emily stepped further into the room.
"Goodnight Daddy." She kissed the top of his head.
"Night Em. Sweet dreams." Michael watched her leave again before turning to his friends. "Okay, we need to quiet down now."
"Yeah, ok." Liz nodded from where she sat between Max’s legs. "And enough Liz and Kyle stories. I wanna hear some Isabel, Michael and Max stories."
"Oh come on. We never got into nearly as fun situations and you and Kyle did." Max groaned wrapping his arms around his wife.
"I wanna hear about the time that you and Maria went into the mens’ dressing room." Michael laughed.
"It was an accident, I swear." Liz protested.
"Uh-huh." Kyle snickered. "Hey, what about the time in the eighth grade that Isabel told me about?"
"Eighth grade?" Max and Michael exchanged confused glances.
"I know." Isabel walked into the room, her face beet red. "I remember it was in the eighth grade, I was walking down the hall pretty late at night and there were these strange noises coming from Max’s room..."
"NO." Max shook his head and buried his face in Liz’s hair.
"So, the nosy person I am... I open his door a crack and Max is laying on his bed, jacking off and on the night stand is the yearbook open to..."
"Liz’s picture." Kyle finished.
"Hold on, I didn’t know that yet. Of course I’m stupid and I make a noise when I try to shut the door and Max just freaks out." Isabel started laughing.
"Can we please stop this story now?" Max pleaded.
"That’s where I come in." Michael spoke up. "I’m climbing in the window and Max is spazzing because he’s got Max Jr. in his hand and Isabel is standing in the doorway, mouth hanging open in horror. I start laughing and Max starts spazzing again."
"Then I get over the shock and start laughing. That’s when I reach for the yearbook and Max rips it out of my hand but... I still had the page in my hand." Isabel giggled.
"She just ripped that page out of the yearbook and sure enough. Fifth row from the top, sixth person from the end was Elizabeth Parker, her picture decorated with little hearts..." Michael snickered.
"Okay, okay. Ha ha. You guys think it’s funny. Enough with the Max stories." Max scoffed, his face was bright red and burning with embarrassment. Liz turned in his arms and placed a kiss on his nose. Michael watched as they shared some quiet whispers and a few kisses. He tossed back the rest of his drink, his eyes on his friends.
Isabel leaned back in Kyle’s arms and watched the emotions flicker across Michael’s face as he watched the Evans. "So, Michael. Let’s hear about mystery woman."
"I thought I told you to drop it." Michael growled and pushed his empty glass toward Kyle. "Fill ‘er up."
"Take it easy Guerin." Kyle warned as he mixed another drink for his friend.
"Not like I can get any more drunk." He muttered as he raised the glass to his lips. When his eyes returned to the Evans, Liz had shifted so that she straddled Max’s legs. The two were engaged in deep kisses and probably wouldn’t have noticed if World War III were to start right there in their living room. Max’s hands had started to roam regardless of the company.
"Somebody needs to get a room." Isabel said loudly as she averted her eyes.
"Have some compassion for those of us who don’t have a warm body to love every night." Michael joined in. His own body was heating up as Liz’s desire overflowed their connection.
Suddenly, Liz pulled away from Max and shook her head. She kept her eyes closed but a look of confusion remained on her face. Max tried to pull her back but she climbed off his lap. "Sorry guys."
"How you feelin’ Max?" Kyle asked slyly.
"Frustrated." Max answered before lifting a handful of Liz’s hair to his nose to inhale her strawberry scented locks.
"And he’s regressed into a Neanderthal. Happy Kyle?" Isabel groaned.
"Yes. Why aren’t you drinking babe?" Kyle squeezed her gently.
"I’m the designated sober. Don’t worry about it." She pecked him on the lips. Liz settled herself between Max’s legs once more. She ignored the way Max was nuzzling her neck. "Michael. I demand to know about this woman."
"I can’t get her, enough said." Michael lay himself out on the floor and stared at the spinning ceiling.
"Tell us about her. Maybe then we can help you find someone." Isabel whispered. "If we don’t know what you’re looking for, we can’t weed out the bad apples."
"Fine." Michael closed his eyes and lost himself in the buzz. "She’s beautiful in that Sandra Bullock kind of way. She’s really smart in a Geena Davis kind of way. Scratch that, they’re old. She’s like Natalie Portman."
"So, she’s quirky and smart?" Isabel sounded out loud. "What does she look like?"
"Haven’t you been listening?" He sighed. "She’s got brown hair and brown eyes. She’s kinda short but not too short. She’s funny and she cares about everyone, takes the time to listen to their problems... really wonderful type of person."
"Why can’t you get her?" Liz furrowed her brow at how hopelessly in love her friend seemed to be and how discouraged he was at being with this person.
"She’s married." Max answered.
"Oh Michael..." Liz sat up and reached out to touch his arm. "You want me to kill her husband?"
"No. She loves him. She loves their kids..."
"I’m gonna... go piss. I’ve heard all this already." Max moaned as he pulled himself to his feet. "God, I’m getting old."
"Other bathroom?" Kyle hauled himself to his feet.
"Upstairs." Isabel instructed. When the husbands had left the room, Liz and Isabel scooted closer to Michael. "So what you’re looking for is someone who’s a good listener, caring, that’s smart, and good-looking. You don’t mind that she has kids or has been married before."
"That’s half the female population of Roswell, Iz." Liz reminded her sister-in-law.
"You know I should take Amy’s advice on this and not worry about it." Michael murmured, opening one eye. "She also told me not to listen to you." He poked Liz in the side.
"How are you taking this?" Isabel asked softly. "I know that she meant a lot to you and Em."
"While she was wary of me at first... she was on my list of close friends." Michael sat up. "She was family. Amy was taking care of the female aspect of Emily."
"How’s that?"
"She helped me explain to Em where babies come from. That... was not something that I could have done by myself... I just assumed that she’d be around for the other girly stuff later. If it were up to me... I’d never have the sex talk with Em." He chuckled. "I can’t lock her up. Can I?"
"Nope." Liz shook her head and smiled. "At least your daughter isn’t going through an identity crisis. Kathy tried to change her hair color last week."
"You’re kidding." Isabel’s mouth dropped open. "What happened?"
"Max caught her and flipped out. He’s... he’s still real touchy on the Tess subject. I mean, he walked into her room and there Kathy was, blonde and... he lost it." Liz sighed. "Then Kathy was upset. It took me awhile to calm her down, longer to calm him down and then we had to convince her to change her hair back."
"Alex told me that he’s going to be a rock star. Maggie’s been encouraging him. She found one of Alex’s first guitars and the first songs that he ever wrote down." Isabel smiled softly. "He wants to sing a song to Susan Ashby’s daughter."
"Danny has just discovered that he’s as good looking as his father. You should have seen all the Valentines that he sent out... not to mention all the ones he got. That boy is going to drive me crazy when he gets to high school." Liz gave a little smile. "Kathy still insists that boys are noisy and dirty and full of bugs though."
"Lucky. Emily told me she’s going to marry Markus Alvarez’s son. You know, that kid with the weird hair." Michael snorted and ignored the laughter from his female friends.
"You better watch it if she’s anything like Maria." Liz warned. "You used to be that kid with the weird hair."
"Hey. I looked good."
"You looked like you stuck your figure in an electrical socket." She laughed harder. "Dad always said that you looked like someone scared you then sprayed you with Aquanet." Isabel giggled.
"I have never used styling products on my hair." Michael turned his nose in the air. Silence suddenly settled over the trio. Michael glanced at Liz then turned to Isabel. "I know that things have been strange with us... it feels good to talk again."
"Yeah. It does." Isabel sighed wistfully. "Tell me the truth. Were you upset by what I did?"
"I’m not going to lie. No. I wasn’t. Izzy... as far as I see it... what happened between us was wrong." Michael took her hand.
"I was scared Michael. Tess died giving birth to Kathy. I was afraid that our lives would have been taken away from us. Does that make sense?" Isabel risked a glance into his face.
"Yeah." He nodded. "Besides, could you imagine that talk show? The All-American family."
"What?" Liz and Isabel asked together.
"Well, with the way things turned out. Let’s start with Kathy. She’s half-sister to Danny and Beth. All three are first cousins to Alex and Liberty. Liberty is first cousin to Emily, seeing as Alex is only her half-brother. Valenti saw Tess as a daughter so that kinda makes Kathy a cousin to Emily and to Liberty on both sides... A child between you and me would have all of us booted to the Ozarks." He laughed, taking Liz and Isabel with him.
"I can hear Kathy now. ‘Jerry, not only are Danny and Beth only my half-siblings... both my parents are aliens. No, not my stepmother, just my biological parents. Oh and my aunt and my parents’ best friend are aliens too.’" Liz burst out laughing again.
"I’m going to go check on my husband." Isabel picked herself up off the floor.
"Hey, got any food?" Michael pulled himself to his feet.
"Yeah. Got six casseroles and two cakes, three pies and a plate of brownies." Liz held out her hands for Michael to pull her up. He grabbed her hands but tripped over his own feet and landing on top of Liz in a heap of tangled limbs. "Oof. You’re heavy."
Michael started to push himself off her but paused as their close proximity dawned on him. Gently, he brushed her hair out of her face. He stared down at her face, flushed from laughter. He had to do it. He brushed his lips over Liz’s, hers reflexively pushed back. Before he knew what he was doing, Michael slipped his tongue into her mouth. The connection that was always in the back of their minds, flared up and strengthened. Images flashed back and forth until a voice snapped them apart.
"Daddy?" Michael pushed himself off Liz and scrambled to his feet. Emily had her Maria doll by the arm in the doorway. Isabel stood behind her. Emily rubbed at her eyes. "Daddy, I can’t sleep."
"Okay, sweetie... I’ll be right there." Michael shook his head to clear it. Max wandered into the room and tossed an arm over Michael’s shoulder.
"Have I ever told you what a good friend you are?" Max slurred. "I mean, you’re there for me when I need you, you look after Liz when I’m not home, you babysit when we need a night alone... You are a great friend." Max suddenly hugged Michael tight. "I love you, man. I want you to know that I didn’t mean what I said earlier. We’re all hurting and I was being an ass like Liz said."
"It’s no problem." Michael hugged Max back. "Love you too man."
"Never forget that we love you, man." Max started to let go of Michael but suddenly planted a noisy kiss on his cheek. Then Isabel attracted Max’s attention, leaving Michael to follow Emily up the stairs. Isabel hugged her brother back and let herself accept the comfort that he couldn’t give while sober. "I love you and I’ll never let anything happen to you or Mom or Liz or any of the kids."
"I know, Max." She whispered to him. Isabel kissed his cheek and pulled away. "I have to go tend to my husband now. Night you two."
Max turned and spotted Liz as she downed a glass of what looked like Sprite. "Liz... Have I told you how much I love you?"
She turned to him and before she could say a word, he had taken her in his arms and spun her around, making her incredibly dizzy. "Whoa. Max... are you an ‘I love you drunk’? Hm?"
"Maybe." Max continued to dance them to some unheard music. "You know what?"
"What?" Liz’s Tequila smile spread across her face as she leaned into him fully.
"I think we need one more child. A boy."
"Oh you do, do you? Are you going to carry this one? Hm?" She tilted her head back to look up at his face.
"Come on..."
"Maybe after Bethany is able to talk. I don’t think I could handle two babies at once again."
"Okay." Max pouted. After a few turns a sly grin crossed his face. "Well, we could practice in the meantime."
"Prac-- AH!" Liz squealed as he scooped her into his arms and carried her down the hall to their bedroom.
--
Michael lay snoring on the floor next to the bed that Emily was sleeping in. It had taken a couple of verses of ‘My Favorite Things’ to get her to sleep. He had even fallen asleep humming the old Disney tune. 10 years ago he would have never admitted to such a thing but at this point, if it made Emily happy then he’d sing it to the President on C-Span and everyone else be damned.
--
Isabel helped Kyle into the guest bedroom and shut the door. He shook his head at her. "Are you sure?"
"Kyle. I saw them kissing." Isabel hissed. "It’s a good thing they stopped when they did. Max went in and started hugging on everyone." She sighed. "And I’m just going to have to explain all this to you again when you sober up."
"Probably." He chuckled and kicked off his shoes.
"You don’t have to be in today do you?" Isabel pulled off her own shoes and climbed onto the bed.
"No. Sheriff Blackwood told me to get out of the station and not to come back until my family was squared away. If he needs me, he’ll find me." Kyle yawned. "We should do something. Take your mom out to eat or something."
"We could tell her about your son."
"My son. See we could tell her about my son." Kyle let his eyes close but then they snapped out. "Did you just say... my son?"
"Yes. He’ll be here in October probably." Isabel snuggled up next to Kyle.
"Poor kid."
--
"I’ve finally got you alone." Max whispered huskily into Liz’s ear even as his fingers swiftly unbuttoned her blouse.
"Can you put me down before we do this?" She asked bracing herself against the wall as she struggled to undress him.
"Uh-uh." He shook his head as he stared at her breasts. A flick of his fingers flung open her bra. He pulled it down her arms, trapping them at her sides. His mouth closed over one hardened nipple and sucked furiously. Liz arched her back and gripped his forearms as the pleasure shot through her body. Max’s tongue swirled around the tight nipple, tasting her as thoroughly as he could before switching breasts.
"Max... mmm... Max..." Suddenly, the world spun when Max turned on his heel to deposit her on the bed. "Now we can do this."
He stepped back to undo the buckle on his pants as Liz wriggled out of her skirt and stockings. She waited impatiently for Max to completely strip down. When he was done he knelt on the edge of the bed. "Did you mean what you said earlier?"
"What?" Liz sat up confused. "What did I say?"
"This turns you on?" He began stroking himself slowly. He forced himself to keep his eyes on her as he started a smooth rhythm on his cock. Liz bit her lip and felt her breathing pick up as his large hand slid from tip to base. "Does it?"
Liz nodded her head when the words wouldn’t come. She crawled down the bed to him, matching her hand over his and kissing his lips as he panted lightly. "You used to do this a lot?"
"Not as much after that night but always to you." He groaned when her body wrapped around his, ceasing the movement of his hand. Together they leaned backward, shifting their bodies so he could slide inside her hot wet body. Liz arched her body up against Max’s, lifting herself almost completely off the bed in an attempt to bring him deeper inside her. She clung to his shoulders, running kisses down his throat. Max braced one hand against the bed and the other slipped under her hips, urging their rocking against his own thrusting hips.
"God, Liz." Max rasped as his pounding picked up speed and force. Anticipating the cries about to propel themselves from her lungs, he took her mouth, successfully silencing her. Max held out on his own orgasm until he felt her nails scraping down his back and her body stiffen under his. Then he let go with a full body shudder of pure pleasure.
They rolled over so he wouldn’t crush her with his weight. Liz lifted her head to look down into his face. They locked gazes and caught their breath together. Suddenly Liz’s eyes widened. Max shrugged sheepishly. "Ready to go again?"
TBC
Part 34
The Fate of Destiny Part 34
Isabel eyed Liz carefully as she sat gingerly at the kitchen table. "Interesting night."
"Was it?" Liz whispered, her head was pounding and every muscle in her body was sore. She reached for the foil covered plate with the fudge brownies. She was so tired that she hoped an infusion of sugar would perk her up.
"How much do you remember?" Isabel poured two cups of coffee and took one to Liz.
"I remember Kyle telling embarrassing stories and that’s about it. This morning I woke up pinned to the bed. I feel like I attempted a triathlon and Max wanted to... again this morning."
"You poor thing." Isabel snickered. "I’ll tell you... I didn’t get much sleep last night the way you and Max went at it all night."
"Oh, you’ve got to be kidding." Liz groaned and sipped the coffee. "All night?"
"You really don’t remember anything?"
"Like what?" Max stumbled into the kitchen. Liz noted how stiffly he was walking. She ducked her head when he reached into the freezer and pulled out the instant ice pack. Grabbing a dishtowel, he ambled over to the table, placing first the pack then the towel on a chair before sinking onto it. "Maybe an explanation for why I’m so damn sore?"
"That was your own fault." Liz whispered, ignoring the looks from Isabel.
"So, were we wild and crazy drunks?" Max took a drink of Liz’s coffee then switched to Isabel’s Tabasco laced coffee.
"That’s mine." Isabel protested but let him have it. "Not wild and crazy. Loud and obnoxious, maybe. You, my brother, are an ‘I love you’ drunk."
"I am not."
"No?" She raised an eyebrow at him. "I wonder what you would have told Kyle had you run into him during that phase of the night. You were hugging and crying on Michael."
"I was not."
"How do you know?" Liz piped up. "I’ll bet you don’t even know why you’re sore. I know you weren’t sober 30 minutes ago."
"Okay. I’ll concede that I sobered up just before I came in here but..." Max rolled his eyes back in his eyes, trying desperately to think of something. Liz scooted next to him and rested her head on his shoulder. "I guess it doesn’t matter, does it?"
"Maybe I should give you the highlights." Isabel grinned. "We started off with stories about Liz and Kyle’s escapades while dating, shifted onto you for one hilarious story--"
"Me?" Max lifted his head from where it had been resting on Liz’s.
"Oh you remember, or at least you did last night. In the eighth grade I walked in on you having a little too much fun by yourself." Isabel pursed her lips to hide the grin as Max stiffened suddenly. He cupped a hand over Liz’s ear. "What? She heard the story last night."
"I did. I remember now." Liz sat up when she felt the heat of Max’s face and neck as he blushed furiously. She whispered in his ear. "That’s the reason why you’re so sore. That story turned me on. Isabel said we went all night... and then, I know, we went again this morning. I think we might have to get you drunk more often."
Max cleared his throat loudly. Images filled his head of what had gone on after they had retired to the bedroom.
["Oh God! Max!" Liz screeched as her nails sank into his arms and her body arched up to meet him, thrust for thrust.
"Mmm! Yeah!" Max panted as he kept up the steady rhythmic pounding that his body was screaming for. It was still several thrusts after Liz’s orgasm that his rushed through his body. "Liz!"
He rolled them over and stroked her back as she caught her breath. "You haven’t done this since our 5th wedding anniversary..."
"I think we can top that." He growled even as he felt his need for her arise once again.]
It was rather uncomfortable, especially while he was sitting on an ice pack. "So, nothing else happened?"
"Not really, no." Isabel said even as her eyes rested on Liz. As much fun as it was to tease her brother about things she knew he was uncomfortable talking about, what she had seen was sobering. Michael and Liz sprawled on the floor, engaged in a kiss that was anything but friendly. She just didn’t know how she was going to handle the situation. With Michael’s talk about the woman he was in love with... Isabel coughed suddenly to hide her gasp. Liz was the woman. The MARRIED woman that Michael was in love with.
"Morning!" Emily’s brown little head bounced into the kitchen.
"Hey Em." Max patted her head as she passed him. "Where’s your dad?"
"He’s still asleep... least he was when I came down." She shrugged and eyed Liz warily. "Can I have some cereal?"
"Go you one better. If you don’t tell your daddy... you can have a brownie." Liz gestured to the plate.
"No." Emily groaned. "Daddy knows when I’m lying to him."
"Ok. You know where everything is." Liz nodded and Emily bounded off to fix her breakfast.
"Morning." Kyle grumbled and sat down next to Isabel, a hand came to rest on her stomach. "And morning."
"How’s the head?" Max asked, drinking more coffee.
"How’s yours?" Kyle raised an eyebrow over half shut eyes.
"Then we’re doing good." Max sat up straighter.
"Of course." Kyle suddenly smiled. "I’m gonna be a daddy... well, again. Yeah." He turned to Isabel’s shocked expression. "Unlike some people, I do not black out."
"Did he just say that my sister is pregnant?" Max closed his eyes and rested his head on top of Liz’s.
"Yes, he did." she mumbled back.
"Just checking. Congrats, Izzy." Max felt himself drifting back to the bad place that he had been the day before. Where all he wanted to do was sleep and pretend that his father was going to call him up in the afternoon and ask how everything was going, if he needed any help, if there was any chance of him getting a week or so off from the OR so they could plan a family vacation.
["Max. Don’t tell me that the hospital forbids its best surgeon to take one week off to relax." Philip sighed into the phone.
"Don’t get me wrong, Dad. I would love to take a week off but now is not the best time--"
"When is a good time? I hardly see the kids anymore."
"Well we can’t all be our own boss. I report to higher authority. I may well be the best at that hospital but I’m too young to have any real pull around there. I’m still on shaky ground since that incident last fall." Max shook his head at Liz who had poked her head into the room to see what the deal was. "I was barely allowed to deliver Liberty like Isabel wanted... not to mention I had to deliver Bethany at home just so I could do it instead of those doctors at the hospital that Liz hates."
"Son, I just want a little time with my whole family. Look, Kyle has time off coming to him. Isabel gets vacation when I say she does. Liz has spring break soon and so do the kids. See if you can get the week off."
"I’ll try."]
Max didn’t even want to remember how it was he was able to get that very Spring Break off. The hospital had decided that he could take the next week off to mourn his father. It was singing that pulled him out of his mind’s wanderings.
"...I will do the laundry if you pay all the bills./ Where is my John Wayne?/ Where is my prairie son?/ Where is my happy ending?/ Where have all the Cowboys gone?" Max turned around to find Emily singing that song as she poured milk into her cereal. Liz had also turned and her mouth dropped open. Michael stumbled in just then. They were all waiting for him to tell Emily something but he just kissed her head and kept walking to the table.
"Michael, aren’t you going to stop her?" Isabel hissed.
"What for?"
"That is not a song for a eight year old little girl to be singing." Liz smacked him.
"Where did she even hear that song?" Max had on his father face at that very moment. The one he wore when Liz was screaming about something that Daniel had captured and forgot about in one of his pockets. The one that usually melted whenever Kathleen pouted and made puppy dog eyes when she was in trouble.
"It was one of Mama’s CDs." Emily answered still humming her song as she sat down with her cereal.
"I let her listen to all of Maria’s CDs." Michael shrugged. "Emily has her mother’s voice and my permission to use it as she sees fit."
"Daddy told me that I can only sing them when he’s around." Emily nodded.
"Paula Cole is her favorite... it was Maria’s too." Michael raised an eyebrow at his friends. "Are you going to tell her that she can’t listen to her mother’s music?"
"And on to other topics of conversation..." Kyle interrupted.
"Or we could clean up the mess we made." Max slowly got out of his chair and went to inspect the damage in the den. Faintly he could hear their voices as he put all the bottles on the tray and went to work collecting the glasses.
"Hey Emily, guess what?"
"What Uncle Kyle?"
"Monkey butt."
"You are such a dork." Emily giggled.
"You know why? ... Chicken thigh."
"You’re stupid."
"Em..." Michael’s voice came over sternly.
"I’m sorry, Uncle Kyle. You’re not stupid."
"Hold on. No one said he wasn’t stupid, but it’s not a nice thing to say." Michael corrected his daughter. Max let out a chuckle and waited. "Ow."
"Nice values you’re teaching your daughter." Liz’s voice sounded disgusted but only falsely so. Max knew that Liz thought Michael was doing a great job with Emily.
He bent over to pick up a glass sitting on the edge of the coffee table. As his finger’s brushed it, it went toppling onto the ground a couple of feet away. Sighing, Max knelt on the floor to pick it up. The combination of the location he was kneeling on and the glass in his hand prompted a vision.
[Liz gulped down a glass of Tequila.]
Max shook his head to clear that image as the next was surfacing. He was seeing them from Liz’s point of view.
[She opened her mouth and Michael slid his tongue into her mouth. The deep kiss prompted their already strong connection to open like a floodgate. Liz was overwhelmed with the strong emotions that Michael associated with his memories of her. Their full attention was on the places their bodies touched, where their mouths met and melded, how his weight pressed her into the ground. Just moments before he broke the kiss, Liz realized one thing. Michael Guerin was hopelessly in love with his best friend’s wife.]
Max snapped out of it and dropped the glass as if it had burned him. {No, it can’t be true. It’s not.} Max picked up the glass again and nothing happened. {See, that proves it. It’s just your overactive imagination... but why would I imagine such a thing?}
Max placed the glass on the tray with everything else and carried it into the kitchen. As he set the full tray on the counter he found himself eyeing his wife and his best friend. {Stop it. It’s not true.}
Then he noticed how Liz and Michael were holding hands over the table and talking softly to each other. Forcing his eyes away, he met with Isabel’s face. She was watching them too... and like a hawk. {What happened last night?}
"Babe. Babe. Yoohoo... Max, you in there?" Liz was waving her hand in front of his face. "You okay?"
"Um, yeah. Fine." Max nodded, avoiding Liz’s eyes.
"Ok..." She nodded not believing him but putting it off to him repressing his feelings again. "I’m gonna jump in the shower. I’ll get the dishes when I get out. Then we’ll go pick up the kids at my parents."
Max nodded. Then watched how she walked back to the table, squeezed Michael’s hand, kissed his forehead, and whispered something in his ear before she left the kitchen. Then he watched how Michael was staring down the hallway after her.
{No. This is NOT happening. It can’t be. They would never do that to me.}
TBC
Isabel eyed Liz carefully as she sat gingerly at the kitchen table. "Interesting night."
"Was it?" Liz whispered, her head was pounding and every muscle in her body was sore. She reached for the foil covered plate with the fudge brownies. She was so tired that she hoped an infusion of sugar would perk her up.
"How much do you remember?" Isabel poured two cups of coffee and took one to Liz.
"I remember Kyle telling embarrassing stories and that’s about it. This morning I woke up pinned to the bed. I feel like I attempted a triathlon and Max wanted to... again this morning."
"You poor thing." Isabel snickered. "I’ll tell you... I didn’t get much sleep last night the way you and Max went at it all night."
"Oh, you’ve got to be kidding." Liz groaned and sipped the coffee. "All night?"
"You really don’t remember anything?"
"Like what?" Max stumbled into the kitchen. Liz noted how stiffly he was walking. She ducked her head when he reached into the freezer and pulled out the instant ice pack. Grabbing a dishtowel, he ambled over to the table, placing first the pack then the towel on a chair before sinking onto it. "Maybe an explanation for why I’m so damn sore?"
"That was your own fault." Liz whispered, ignoring the looks from Isabel.
"So, were we wild and crazy drunks?" Max took a drink of Liz’s coffee then switched to Isabel’s Tabasco laced coffee.
"That’s mine." Isabel protested but let him have it. "Not wild and crazy. Loud and obnoxious, maybe. You, my brother, are an ‘I love you’ drunk."
"I am not."
"No?" She raised an eyebrow at him. "I wonder what you would have told Kyle had you run into him during that phase of the night. You were hugging and crying on Michael."
"I was not."
"How do you know?" Liz piped up. "I’ll bet you don’t even know why you’re sore. I know you weren’t sober 30 minutes ago."
"Okay. I’ll concede that I sobered up just before I came in here but..." Max rolled his eyes back in his eyes, trying desperately to think of something. Liz scooted next to him and rested her head on his shoulder. "I guess it doesn’t matter, does it?"
"Maybe I should give you the highlights." Isabel grinned. "We started off with stories about Liz and Kyle’s escapades while dating, shifted onto you for one hilarious story--"
"Me?" Max lifted his head from where it had been resting on Liz’s.
"Oh you remember, or at least you did last night. In the eighth grade I walked in on you having a little too much fun by yourself." Isabel pursed her lips to hide the grin as Max stiffened suddenly. He cupped a hand over Liz’s ear. "What? She heard the story last night."
"I did. I remember now." Liz sat up when she felt the heat of Max’s face and neck as he blushed furiously. She whispered in his ear. "That’s the reason why you’re so sore. That story turned me on. Isabel said we went all night... and then, I know, we went again this morning. I think we might have to get you drunk more often."
Max cleared his throat loudly. Images filled his head of what had gone on after they had retired to the bedroom.
["Oh God! Max!" Liz screeched as her nails sank into his arms and her body arched up to meet him, thrust for thrust.
"Mmm! Yeah!" Max panted as he kept up the steady rhythmic pounding that his body was screaming for. It was still several thrusts after Liz’s orgasm that his rushed through his body. "Liz!"
He rolled them over and stroked her back as she caught her breath. "You haven’t done this since our 5th wedding anniversary..."
"I think we can top that." He growled even as he felt his need for her arise once again.]
It was rather uncomfortable, especially while he was sitting on an ice pack. "So, nothing else happened?"
"Not really, no." Isabel said even as her eyes rested on Liz. As much fun as it was to tease her brother about things she knew he was uncomfortable talking about, what she had seen was sobering. Michael and Liz sprawled on the floor, engaged in a kiss that was anything but friendly. She just didn’t know how she was going to handle the situation. With Michael’s talk about the woman he was in love with... Isabel coughed suddenly to hide her gasp. Liz was the woman. The MARRIED woman that Michael was in love with.
"Morning!" Emily’s brown little head bounced into the kitchen.
"Hey Em." Max patted her head as she passed him. "Where’s your dad?"
"He’s still asleep... least he was when I came down." She shrugged and eyed Liz warily. "Can I have some cereal?"
"Go you one better. If you don’t tell your daddy... you can have a brownie." Liz gestured to the plate.
"No." Emily groaned. "Daddy knows when I’m lying to him."
"Ok. You know where everything is." Liz nodded and Emily bounded off to fix her breakfast.
"Morning." Kyle grumbled and sat down next to Isabel, a hand came to rest on her stomach. "And morning."
"How’s the head?" Max asked, drinking more coffee.
"How’s yours?" Kyle raised an eyebrow over half shut eyes.
"Then we’re doing good." Max sat up straighter.
"Of course." Kyle suddenly smiled. "I’m gonna be a daddy... well, again. Yeah." He turned to Isabel’s shocked expression. "Unlike some people, I do not black out."
"Did he just say that my sister is pregnant?" Max closed his eyes and rested his head on top of Liz’s.
"Yes, he did." she mumbled back.
"Just checking. Congrats, Izzy." Max felt himself drifting back to the bad place that he had been the day before. Where all he wanted to do was sleep and pretend that his father was going to call him up in the afternoon and ask how everything was going, if he needed any help, if there was any chance of him getting a week or so off from the OR so they could plan a family vacation.
["Max. Don’t tell me that the hospital forbids its best surgeon to take one week off to relax." Philip sighed into the phone.
"Don’t get me wrong, Dad. I would love to take a week off but now is not the best time--"
"When is a good time? I hardly see the kids anymore."
"Well we can’t all be our own boss. I report to higher authority. I may well be the best at that hospital but I’m too young to have any real pull around there. I’m still on shaky ground since that incident last fall." Max shook his head at Liz who had poked her head into the room to see what the deal was. "I was barely allowed to deliver Liberty like Isabel wanted... not to mention I had to deliver Bethany at home just so I could do it instead of those doctors at the hospital that Liz hates."
"Son, I just want a little time with my whole family. Look, Kyle has time off coming to him. Isabel gets vacation when I say she does. Liz has spring break soon and so do the kids. See if you can get the week off."
"I’ll try."]
Max didn’t even want to remember how it was he was able to get that very Spring Break off. The hospital had decided that he could take the next week off to mourn his father. It was singing that pulled him out of his mind’s wanderings.
"...I will do the laundry if you pay all the bills./ Where is my John Wayne?/ Where is my prairie son?/ Where is my happy ending?/ Where have all the Cowboys gone?" Max turned around to find Emily singing that song as she poured milk into her cereal. Liz had also turned and her mouth dropped open. Michael stumbled in just then. They were all waiting for him to tell Emily something but he just kissed her head and kept walking to the table.
"Michael, aren’t you going to stop her?" Isabel hissed.
"What for?"
"That is not a song for a eight year old little girl to be singing." Liz smacked him.
"Where did she even hear that song?" Max had on his father face at that very moment. The one he wore when Liz was screaming about something that Daniel had captured and forgot about in one of his pockets. The one that usually melted whenever Kathleen pouted and made puppy dog eyes when she was in trouble.
"It was one of Mama’s CDs." Emily answered still humming her song as she sat down with her cereal.
"I let her listen to all of Maria’s CDs." Michael shrugged. "Emily has her mother’s voice and my permission to use it as she sees fit."
"Daddy told me that I can only sing them when he’s around." Emily nodded.
"Paula Cole is her favorite... it was Maria’s too." Michael raised an eyebrow at his friends. "Are you going to tell her that she can’t listen to her mother’s music?"
"And on to other topics of conversation..." Kyle interrupted.
"Or we could clean up the mess we made." Max slowly got out of his chair and went to inspect the damage in the den. Faintly he could hear their voices as he put all the bottles on the tray and went to work collecting the glasses.
"Hey Emily, guess what?"
"What Uncle Kyle?"
"Monkey butt."
"You are such a dork." Emily giggled.
"You know why? ... Chicken thigh."
"You’re stupid."
"Em..." Michael’s voice came over sternly.
"I’m sorry, Uncle Kyle. You’re not stupid."
"Hold on. No one said he wasn’t stupid, but it’s not a nice thing to say." Michael corrected his daughter. Max let out a chuckle and waited. "Ow."
"Nice values you’re teaching your daughter." Liz’s voice sounded disgusted but only falsely so. Max knew that Liz thought Michael was doing a great job with Emily.
He bent over to pick up a glass sitting on the edge of the coffee table. As his finger’s brushed it, it went toppling onto the ground a couple of feet away. Sighing, Max knelt on the floor to pick it up. The combination of the location he was kneeling on and the glass in his hand prompted a vision.
[Liz gulped down a glass of Tequila.]
Max shook his head to clear that image as the next was surfacing. He was seeing them from Liz’s point of view.
[She opened her mouth and Michael slid his tongue into her mouth. The deep kiss prompted their already strong connection to open like a floodgate. Liz was overwhelmed with the strong emotions that Michael associated with his memories of her. Their full attention was on the places their bodies touched, where their mouths met and melded, how his weight pressed her into the ground. Just moments before he broke the kiss, Liz realized one thing. Michael Guerin was hopelessly in love with his best friend’s wife.]
Max snapped out of it and dropped the glass as if it had burned him. {No, it can’t be true. It’s not.} Max picked up the glass again and nothing happened. {See, that proves it. It’s just your overactive imagination... but why would I imagine such a thing?}
Max placed the glass on the tray with everything else and carried it into the kitchen. As he set the full tray on the counter he found himself eyeing his wife and his best friend. {Stop it. It’s not true.}
Then he noticed how Liz and Michael were holding hands over the table and talking softly to each other. Forcing his eyes away, he met with Isabel’s face. She was watching them too... and like a hawk. {What happened last night?}
"Babe. Babe. Yoohoo... Max, you in there?" Liz was waving her hand in front of his face. "You okay?"
"Um, yeah. Fine." Max nodded, avoiding Liz’s eyes.
"Ok..." She nodded not believing him but putting it off to him repressing his feelings again. "I’m gonna jump in the shower. I’ll get the dishes when I get out. Then we’ll go pick up the kids at my parents."
Max nodded. Then watched how she walked back to the table, squeezed Michael’s hand, kissed his forehead, and whispered something in his ear before she left the kitchen. Then he watched how Michael was staring down the hallway after her.
{No. This is NOT happening. It can’t be. They would never do that to me.}
TBC