Pairings: M/L
Rating: Teen
Disclaimer: I own nothing just borrowing the characters for my own amusement.
Summary: This little one parter was born from the following story prompt: You're traveling in a rental car when you hear the thumping of a flat tire. You pull over and discover the thumping is not coming from a flat, after all, but from the trunk. What—or who—is making the noise?
This wonderful banner was made by dreamer<3 (thanks Jessika )
The Inescapable Us
"Liz Parker....Parker, Liz...... L for loco, P for pissed.... do you need me to enunciate anymore clearly?"
The desk attendant pursed her lips "for the fifth time miss, we have no record of a rental booked under that name."
Liz groaned in frustration, the heel of her stiletto grinding into the weathered linoleum "look I'm sorry I was snippy okay? but this is a life and death situation. I've flown half way around the globe to stop the only man I'll ever love from making the biggest mistake of his life" at the attendants vacant look she added "he's going to marry the wrong woman."
"How do you know she's wrong for him?"
Liz narrowed her eyes "because she's not me."
Sighing Liz slouched across the counter, her palms smoothing across the cheap wood laminate "he's the love of my life and in about an hours time I'm going to lose him forever" she swallowed past the knot of sorrow wedged firmly in her throat "please you have to help me."
The attendants whole demeanor softened "oh sweetie" she cooed, her hand sliding over Liz's in a gesture of solidarity and comfort "I'll see what I can do."
She paced the length of the desk, her eye's flickering periodically from the attendant as she typed at her keyboard to the clock behind her. Liz closed her eyes in despair, she had less than fifty minutes to make it back to Roswell before the ceremony began and even if she 'burned rubber' and broke the land speed record she still wouldn't make it on time.
"Aha!"
Liz's eyes snapped to the woman before her "please tell me you've found a spare car" she pleaded, no longer able to disguise the tremor in her voice.
The attendants smile was contagious "I sure did!" she exclaimed proudly "it was returned this morning by a bunch of guys just back from a bucks party in Vegas, the only thing is the car hasn't been valeted."
Liz laughed joyously, tears of relief and gratitude brimming in her eyes "are you kidding me? The car could be filled with horse manure and I'd still rent it!" fumbling in her bag with a trembling hand she retrieved her credit card and thrust it toward the sweet saviour before her.
The attendant handed Liz the rental keys "it's the blue Taurus at the back of the lot."
Liz clutched the keys to her heart and smiled, on impulse she reached across the counter and engulfed the desk attendant in a warm hug "you have just saved my life and hopefully my heart, thank you" she whispered close to the other woman's ear, a solitary tear escaping her eye.
"You go get your man honey" the attendant choked out, completely overwhelmed by the depth of raw emotion displayed by the young woman before her "hurry along now before you miss your chance!"
Liz wiped her nose and eyes before pulling away, jangling the keys she swallowed nervously as she backed out the door "wish me luck?"
The attendant smiled and shook her head "trust me sweetie you don't need luck, not when you have love on your side....."
Gunning the ignition, tyres squealed and smoked as she peeled out of the lot, her foot stabbing against the accelerator.
She had Forty Five minutes to make it to the church before he said 'I do' and made the biggest mistake of both of their lives, it would take nothing short of a miracle....
Her hand slammed against the steering wheel in frustration as she pushed harder on the gas, she hadn't come this far to give up, she'd either stop this wedding or die trying.
Forty Minutes.... Her eye's stung with unspilled tears and jet lag. Panic was starting to set in, why hadn't she confessed her feelings? Why when he asked her to give him a reason not to go ahead with the wedding had she said no? why? why? why? Stupidity and pride was why, she always had been her own worst enemy....
Switching on the radio, the melodic strains of a familiar tune caused her to swerve the car slightly, the tyres crunching against cats eyes. Matthew Good's haunting voice mocked her over the radio waves as he sang 'The inescapable us' "how fitting" she murmured her gaze momentarily lifted to the heavens. If the radio playing the favourite song of her paramour as she made her way to sabotage his wedding wasn't some cosmic sign she didn't know what was.
Thump
Lowering the volume on the radio she cocked her head to the side, her hearing trained on the persistent thumping noise "oh if I've got a puncture I'll lose the will to live!" she growled her gaze leveled on the steering wheel. Bringing the car to a halt she quickly glanced at the clock on the dash, it read twelve o'clock, only thirty minutes until her very own apocalypse.
Flinging the driver door open, Liz hoisted herself from her seat cursing the cramp in her legs. Moving around all sides she checked the tyres for any signs of a puncture but everything looked okay. Kicking the back wheel she slumped against the boot and massaged her temples. It was useless! she was still forty minutes outside of Roswell and by the time she made it to the church they'd be standing on the front steps of the chapel in a rain of confetti, she may as well hop back on the first plane to Paris...
Thump...
Help!!!...
Thump...
Yelping in surprise Liz jumped back from the car, her eye's and ears trained on the trunk. Hearing the muffled 'help' yet again convinced her that she hadn't been hallucinating. Jogging back to the front of the car she reached in and pushed the lever to pop the boot, hesitantly she edged forward feeling extremely vulnerable and unprepared for what she might find. "Hello?" she queried reluctantly as she peered into the open boot of the car "Oh My God!" she gasped, her mouth and eyes rounding in shock "Max?" she whispered suddenly feeling lightheaded.
Max mirrored Liz's shocked expression "Liz what are you doing here?" he panted, trying desperately to free his hands of the duck tape that bound them.
Liz closed her eyes and shook her head from side to side, she was hallucinating due to lack of sleep and her overly emotional state of mind. That was the only logical explanation, there was no way that Max Evans was trussed up naked (save for a learners L plate placed strategically over his private parts) in the boot of her rental car.
"Liz?"
One eye opened then the other, he was still there, still naked "what am I doing here? Max your the one who's in the boot of my rental car, don't you think I should be asking you that question."
Max blushed profusely as her gaze lingered on his L plate, he was going to kill Michael and Alex when he got back to Roswell "Stag party got a little out of hand" he offered by way of an explanation, rubbing gingerly at his now free wrists "do you think you could turn around so that I can put my tux on?"
Liz's brow crinkled in confusion "your tux?"
"Yeah" he smiled at her crookedly and she felt her heart stutter "the guys bundled it into the boot with me."
Liz laughed at the absurdity of the situation "sure, um you can use the back seat if you want. I'll even keep my eye's to myself, see?" she squeezed her eye's shut and gestured with her hand for emphasize.
Max pulled his aching body to a standing position, his gaze fixated on Liz's smiling face as he stepped into his trousers "you know Liz it's nothing you haven't seen before."
Liz's smile faltered "not in a long time...."
"Who's fault is that?" his words were harsh and accusing and he couldn't quite mask the bitterness in his voice.
Liz slowly removed her hand and looked his way, he had just finished zipping up his pants but the expanse of his glorious chest was on open display and she drank her fill of him. "lets not rehash ancient history" she murmured softly, she would not let herself be drawn into a fight about past hurts not when so much was at stake, her future happiness was hanging in the balance.
"Your right, I'm sorry" Max sighed. Pulling his shirt over his shoulders he offered her a warm smile "think I could hitch a ride to Roswell. I'm kind of late for a wedding and the bride will kill me if I'm not there to hear the wedding march."
Liz's heart sank at the affection in his voice, standing face to face with him it was clear that she had made a gross miscalculation, Max had clearly moved on from her "sure I can get you there" she swallowed the tears clogging her throat and forced a smile "fashionable late..."
Once Max was fastened into the passenger side Liz pulled the car back onto the highway, her knuckles turning white against the steering wheel as she tried to hold on to her last shred of sanity.
"You are coming to the wedding right?" Max queried as he fiddled with his bow tie.
Liz choked back a sob "um I don't think that's a good idea" her eyes travelled from the road to his "I wouldn't want to intrude."
Max pulled an 'are you crazy' face "she'd want you there Liz" he reached his hand out to cover hers which had dropped to change gears "I want you there."
Liz gasped at the stabbing pain in her chest, his words slicing through her heart like a hot knife through butter. She slide her hand out from under his and fixed her gaze on the road ahead of her, she wondered when he had become so insensitive and cruel....
The rest of the drive to the church was silent and uncomfortable.
When they pulled up outside, the courtyard was empty. Liz killed the ignition and steeled herself "um you'd better get inside" she rasped blinking back hot tears as best she could, she turned her face toward the drivers window so that he wouldn't see her break apart.
"Aren't you coming?" he queried casually.
"No" she cringed at how strangled that one word had sounded coming from her mouth but she couldn't hold her anguish at bay for a second longer "no..." she stated harshly tears spilling freely down her cheeks.
Max was oblivious to her discomfiture "ah okay then, I guess..." he pushed the door open "thanks for the ride, I'll see you later."
Liz whipped her head around at the sound of the slamming door, pressed her fist to her mouth she bit back a sob as she watched him move further away. Just as he reached the front steps she scrambled out of the car "Max!" she almost screamed his name in her urgency to halt his progress, she watched as his step faltered and when he turned to look at her quizzically she shook her head "please don't do this."
"What?"
She swept a hand across her tear sodden face before walking toward him, she stopped about a meter away and looked into his beautiful eyes clouded with confusion. "Please don't marry her, It'll be the biggest mistake of your life."
"What?"
Her whole body shook as her eyes roamed over his tender features, she couldn't let him go, not without a fight, not without a declaration of her feelings "six months ago you asked me to give you a reason not to marry her" she paused momentarily and swallowed back her fear "I'm standing before you as that reason."
She watched as he raised a hand to his temple "what?"
"I'm in love with you" she murmured, her shimmering eyes ensnared in his gaze "Your my soulmate...my heart...my raison d'etre and I know that you feel the same way about me."
"No" he shook his head and laughed.
Liz staggered backwards her hand pressed against her heart "God I'm such a fool..." her gaze locked with his before she turned on her heel and bolted.
She made it half a meter before Max was at her side, his fingers gently closing around her wrist as he turned her to face him.
Max sucked in a breathe as he craddled her face in his hands "do you have any idea how long I've waited to hear those words?"
Liz sobbed bitterly as she looked into his soft, expressive eyes "but you said no-"
Max pressed his fingers to her lips in a silencing gesture "I'm sorry about that, you took me unawares and before I got a chance to finish what I was trying to say you'd bolted."
"What were you trying to say?" she whispered unable to meet his gaze.
Max sighed, the tip of his tongue sweeping out to collect a teardrop from the corner of her eye "I love you Liz. I always have and I always will. Your my dream girl....."
Liz gasped "so your not getting married?"
Max felt his heart clench as he watched her beautiful eyes fill with hope, it was like watching the sun burst through clouds, stroking her cheek he shook his head fervently "no I'm not getting married." He pulled her mouth to his, lifting her an inch from the ground in the process. Their affirmation of love continued until the church bells chimed and the doors where flung open, pulling apart Max took her hand as they watched the wedding party spill out the doors. He held Liz's hand tighter as the bride made her way down the steps.
"What's going on Max? Liz queried as she looked from him to the happy couple as they kissed on the church steps.
Max laughed and pressed a kiss to her forehead "Liz, this is Isabel and Alex's wedding."
Liz's mouth dropped open "So you aren't getting married?"
"I thought we'd already established that fact."
"We did but" Liz narrowed her eyes at him "there never was a bride or a wedding was there?"
Max flashed her his crooked smile, suddenly coy "no, this was a last ditch, desperate attempt to get you to admit you love me."
Growling she pulled him to her for a fierce kiss "well it worked" she laughed as she watched Michael, Alex and Maria give them the thumbs up, Isabel was making a cutting gesture across her throat (that was aimed at her brother). Liz felt fit to burst with joy, she couldn't imagine ever being happier than she was now, nothing could surpass this "I still can't believe it, no wedding...."
"No but there still could be" Max murmured as he went down on one knee........
The End
