Endings & Beginnings (M/L AU ADULT) (Complete)

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Thanks so much everyone


LoveIsForever
begonia9508
IheartMax
Tamashii
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mezz
roswell4life
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Michelle in Yonkers
Mariael311

Forty-One

“Get what over with?” Tess asked confused.

Max’s brow furrowed. “You said you think the baby is sick,” he reminded her.

“Oh yes of course,” she nodded.

Liz frowned. Tess didn’t seem like someone who was worried about her baby’s safety right now; she seemed more concerned at Max being home. In fact, Liz didn’t think she showed any signs of being pregnant or sick.

“Why don’t we go in the living room,” he suggested and waited for her to step past him and into the room.

Once inside Tess greeted Maria and Michael happily whilst Max took the moment to speak to Liz.

“You ok?” he asked concerned.

Liz nodded hesitantly and Max didn’t buy it for a second.

“I love you,” he whispered. “Nothing is ever going to change that,” he added.

Liz smiled slightly then. “I love you too,” she told him.

“Let’s get this over with,” she said then more confidently than she was feeling.

Max nodded and stepped into the room.

“Are you ready Tess?” he asked.

Tess nodded nervously. She had never expected Max to be so down to business, but he was and she knew that if she didn’t cooperate then he would be back on the first plane to New Haven and as far as Tess was concerned, the only person who would be on that flight would be Liz.

The room was silent as Max stood in front of Tess. He placed on hand on her temple and the other on her abdomen where a baby would be.

“Just let your mind blank out,” he told Tess after a few seconds of not being able to form the connection.

“Ok,” Tess agreed.

A few seconds later Max pulled back abruptly gasping for air.

“Are you ok?” Tess asked immediately reaching out for him.

“Max what did you see?” Isabel asked.

Max did his best to get his breath before he slowly raised his head. He cast a glance at Liz and with that one look, Liz knew that any hope she had that Tess was lying, was gone.

“You’re pregnant,” he whispered to Tess.

Tess’s face broke out in a brilliant grin. “I knew it,” she said.

Max looked at her again then. “But you’re right, there is something wrong with the baby.” he said. “It was very different from when I connected with Isabel,” he explained.

Tess frowned. “What’s wrong?” she asked alarmed.

“He can’t breathe,” Max replied.

“It’s a he?” Isabel asked.

Slowly, Max nodded.

Max dared a look at Liz again then. She was leaning against the doorframe and there were silent tears falling down her face. Without a thought he moved towards her and took her in his arms.

“I’m so sorry,” he whispered to her. “I’m so sorry.”

Tess frowned and her anger built. This was not how things were supposed to be. Max had just found out that he was about to be a father, that she was carrying the heir to Antar, and that there was something wrong with him. He should be hugging and comforting her. Not Liz.

Tess didn’t have to try to hard to make the tears fall and soon she was sinking to the couch sobbing. Both Isabel and Maria wasted no time going to her.

“It’s going to be ok Tess,” they tried to tell her.

“How?” she cried. “My baby is sick.”

Tess’s performance drew Max’s attention from Liz but he stayed by her side.

“Is he going to be alright Max?” she asked.

“I don’t know Tess. I honestly don’t know.”

“What did you see Max?” Alex asked.

“I’m not sure. It just wasn’t right, it isn’t the same as when I connected with Isabel or even with Liz. I came out of it feeling like I couldn’t breathe so I assume that was the message he was trying to send me,” he explained.

“Maybe you should connect again, it might be clearer,” Michael suggested feeling bad for Max and Tess.

“What do you mean it wasn’t the same with Liz?” she objected.

Max immediately realised his mistake then. He hadn’t intended on Tess finding about Liz being pregnant this way.

He met Liz’s gaze then and she nodded.

“What’s going on?” Tess demanded witnessing the look between them.

“Liz is pregnant Tess,” he revealed.

“What?” Tess gasped. “No that’s impossible!” she yelled standing up.

“Not its not. She’s four months along,” Max replied calmly.

“No that’s not the way it’s supposed to be,” She cried and stomped her foot surprising the occupants of the room. “I’m the Queen, I’m supposed to have the heir to the throne, not some human whore,” she spat.

“Don’t call her that,” Max yelled.

“Why? That’s what she is. A home wrecking whore,” she spat at Liz.

“No she’s isn’t,” Max said again angrily.

“You’re always rushing to her defence aren’t you Max? But what about me? I was supposed to be your wife, I loved and was faithful to you for five years, don’t I deserve more than this?” she cried.

Instantly Max felt bad.

“How do you know it’s yours Max?” Tess asked again. “Who knows who else she’s sleeping with behind your back if she was willing to sleep with you while you were supposed to be with me?” Tess said then.

Liz’s anger snapped then.

“What are you so upset about Tess, the fact that a human is pregnant with the heir to the throne or the fact that you can’t use being pregnant as an excuse to get Max to stay with you?” Liz asked sarcastically.

“Max and I were happy until you came back into the picture. The only reason Max came back to you is because of your bastard child,” Tess yelled, “but it doesn’t matter that your baby will be born first Liz, no one will ever acknowledge it as the rightful heir to the throne.”

“Enough!!” Max yelled angrily at both women.

Didn’t they realise it was hard enough to be the father of two children to two women? He deserved everything he got but his mind was spinning right now.

Liz ignored Max though and stepped forward. Something about this whole situation didn’t feel right, she couldn’t put her finger on it but she knew it was off.

“Max didn’t know I was pregnant when he chose me Tess,” she told her and then smirked happily when she saw the shock pass over Tess’s face...

Instead of answering though, Tess doubled over in pain and clutched at her stomach. “Ahhh,” she cried.

Max instantly rushed to her side. “What’s wrong?” he asked.

“The baby,” she gasped.

“Is he ok?” Max asked.

“I’m not sure, I don’t think so,” she panted.

“Let me check,” he said and this time he was able to form the connection a lot quicker to his surprise.

To the others in the room, especially Liz, it felt as though it was taking forever for Max to come out of the connection and when he did they all knew that something was wrong.

Max slumped to the floor almost exhausted and Tess quickly fell down next to him.

“He can’t breathe.” He said.

“It’s the atmosphere,” Tess whispered. “It’s toxic for him.”

“Oh God,” Maria gasped.

“How is that possible?” Liz asked. “Isabel and I aren’t having a problem,” she pointed out.

“You and Alex are human,” Tess replied coldly. “Our child is more alien, and he’s powerful,” she added.

Liz looked at Max for confirmation. “She’s right.”

Liz began to shake her head. Nothing about this made sense but everyone else in the room, Max included, didn’t seem to think so.

“What are we going to do?” Isabel asked.

Max shrugged helplessly. “I tried to heal him but I don’t think it worked,” he said.

Liz wanted to ask why all of sudden Tess’s condition had seem to worsen when only moments ago she appeared to be fine but before she could Michael came up with a new suggestion.

“Maybe we should try the healing stones?” he suggested.

Max nodded, “That’s a good idea.” He agreed. “Can you get them?” he asked.

Michael nodded and stood. All of their alien artefacts were stored in a secure box at the bank in Las Cruses. They didn’t feel comfortable with keeping everything in Roswell when they were in Las Cruses.

“Bring everything. We might need the book, there might be something in it that can shed some light,” Tess added.

Michael nodded and began walking to the door. “I’ll be back as soon as I can,” he told them.

“What do we do now Max?” Isabel voiced what they were all thinking.

Rising to his feet Max sighed. “We wait until Michael gets back and hope to God that something he brings gives us the answer we need to save my son,” he said.

Slowly, without anyone noticing Liz slipped out of the room and up the stairs where she sunk onto the bed and finally allowed her tears to fall.

***

“Liz, are you alright?”

Liz looked up from where she was crying on the bed to the doorway where Maria stood hesitantly.

Downstairs, Max was too occupied with thinking about what he could do to save his son, Alex was comforting Isabel so that it was only Maria who had noticed Liz’s departure.

“No,” Liz replied.

Maria entered the room and hesitantly sat on the bed. “I’m really sorry about all of this; I know this isn’t what you wanted.”

“All I ever wanted was to be with Max, to be happy, but I guess that’s just not meant to be,” Liz replied.

“You guys love each other, you’ll get through this,” Maria told her. Because it was obvious how much they loved each other and Maria could no longer be angry with Max for putting himself first and being with Liz.

“It’s already too late,” Liz whispered. Liz knew that if Tess and the baby were in fact sick like it appeared then there would be no way Max would leave her. Any ideas about the happy every after she had were slipping away before her very eyes and Liz knew there wasn’t anything she could do about it.

“No it’s not Liz,” Maria tried to assure her.

“This is all just a big mess,” Liz said.

“You’re right it is, but Max will find some way to fix it,” she assured her.

They heard the front door open and slam then.

“That’s Michael,” Maria said and stood up and offered her hand out to Liz. “Come on Lizzie,” she whispered.

Reluctantly Liz stood up and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand before she looked Maria’s hand. She was surprised that the blonde had come to her. “Why are you doing this?” Liz asked.

“Because despite what you probably think of me, and what I’ve done, I love you Lizzie. Nothing will ever change that,” she replied with tears in her eyes.

Liz nodded, she understood, she felt the same way. She would always love Maria but she also knew they couldn’t go back.

Liz took her hand and stood up and together they walked down the stairs to join everyone else.

[Emz80m]

Thanks everyone

Forty-Two

The others looked up from the living room table, where everything that Michael had brought back from the bank was sprawled out, when Liz and Maria walked into the room.

Tess glared at Liz as she reached for the destiny book and the crystal that accompanied it.

“So what do we think?” Maria asked taking a seat next to Michael. “Found anything helpful?” she added

Max looked up and smiled at Liz as she took a seat in the corner of the room where she could watch everything but he frowned when Liz avoided his eyes.

“I’m not sure but there has to be some answers here somewhere, or at least something that might be able to help,” Tess replied.

“I think we should try the healing stones first,” Isabel piped up.

“Do you think they’ll work, because technically there isn’t anything wrong with Tess?” Max asked.

“But maybe it can fix whatever is wrong with the baby?” Alex answered.

“Or maybe there is nothing to fix with him either,” Tess voiced.

“What?” Maria asked. “I thought you guys said he couldn’t breathe?”

“He can’t but that doesn’t mean there is anything wrong with him,” she said.

“You're not making sense Tess,” Max told her completely confused.

Tess placed the destiny book down then as the thoughts of what she was about to suggest swirled around in her brain. It was perfectly really, and it would certainly get Liz Parker out of the picture, and her baby, for good.

“Think about it, we were made half human for a reason. So that we could live here long enough until we go back to our planet,” she started to explain. “I don’t think we were ever supposed to stay here, so why does it surprise us so much that our baby wouldn’t be able to be breathe here either?”

“Are you saying that you think your baby can’t breathe in Earths atmosphere?” Liz asked completely shocked. There is no way what Tess was saying made any sense.

“That’s exactly what I’m saying.” Tess replied. “That’s what’s wrong with our baby Max. The atmosphere here is toxic to him,” she said.

“That makes no sense,” Liz argued. “You and Max can both breathe this air, and are half human which means that part of your baby is made up of human genes to allow him to be compatible to this world,” she stated confidently.

“Not everything is scientific Liz,” Tess snarled. “I mean I’m sure all those teachers at your fancy college would have laughed at you had you mentioned alien life.”

“Science has nothing to do with it. Why all of a sudden are you so sure that the earth’s atmosphere is what is killing the baby? Did it ever occur to you that maybe yours and Max’s genes just aren’t compatible for creating life?” Liz asked.

“Oh you’d like that wouldn’t you,” Tess yelled.

“Stop it,” Michael said. “This is getting us nowhere,” he sighed.

“Michael is right,” Max agreed.

Liz made good arguments and Max couldn’t help but start thinking along the same lines that she was, because he too was a scientist and everything she said was right. But then again he also knew that they were aliens and most of the time science did not have an answer for them either, which made him also believe what Tess was saying could be true.

Tess turned her big blue eyes on Max then. “You know I’m right,” she whispered and willed him to believe her.

“You felt it,” she added.

“I know,” he agreed. He had in fact felt it; his son couldn’t breathe.

“So what are we going to do?” Michael asked.

Tess looked between them all and then at the destiny book. “We have to go home,” she declared.

“What!” Both Maria and Alex yelled.

“Do you mean?” Alex asked pointing up towards the sky.

“Yes,” Tess nodded.

“How the hell do you propose to do that, Tess?” Maria asked.

“Maria’s right? Its not like we have a space ship in the backyard,” Michael pointed out.

Although he had always wanted to go home the very thought of what Tess was suggesting scared the shit out of him.

“We don’t need a space ship. We have the granolith,” she remaindered him.

Liz stiffened. What Tess was suggesting didn’t sound good to her. She looked at Max but his eyes were focused on Tess.

“What do you mean?” Max asked.

“It’s all in here,” Tess said and pushed the destiny book forward.

“It tells us all about ourselves but it also tells us how we use this key,” she said and then also pushed the crystal forward, “to get home.”

Max flicked through the book but just like the last time he had seen it, it was all in a language he didn’t understand.

“I can’t understand that,” he pointed out to Tess. “So how the hell are we supposed to know what it says?” he asked.

“We don’t need to understand it,” Tess said. “Because Nacedo told me how to work the granolith before he died.”

“Why the hell haven’t you said anything?” Michael asked angrily.

If Tess was keeping this from them who knew what other types of secrets, she was keeping.

“Because I didn’t know we had this,” She said gesturing to the crystal.

“We found that in Whitakers office, we didn’t’ know what it was,” Isabel admitted.

“You still should have told us,” Michael argued.

“I’m telling you now,” Tess snapped.

“So you’re saying we can go home?” Isabel asked.

“Yes.” Tess nodded.

The aliens all exchanged looks. They had talked about this many times over the years but it had never been offered to them like it was now.

“Oh God this can’t be happening,” Liz cried from the corner of the room. Were they honestly sitting there discussing leaving Earth?

Immediately all eyes turned to her and Alex rose to his feet and went to her.

“Shh it’s ok calm down,” he suggested.

“How can you be so calm?” she cried. “They’re talking about leaving us to go to another planet!”

Liz’s words were like a bucket of cold water for Alex and Maria who hadn’t considered exactly what was going on even though they were hearing it too.

Maria turned to look at Michael. “Are you really going to do this?” she asked them all.

“We have to Maria.” Tess said. “My baby can’t survive,” she added placing a hand over her abdomen.

“I can’t,” Isabel whispered.

“What?” Tess asked.

“I’m sorry but I can’t go,” she said. “I don’t want to,” she added. “My life is here with Alex, we’re going to have a baby,” she said with tear filled eyes. She turned to look at Tess then. “I’m sorry about your baby,” she whispered, “but who’s to say my baby would survive on Antar?” she asked.

Alex immediately went to her side then and took her into his arms completely moved by her words. He’d been scared for a few seconds.

“I understand Isabel,” Tess nodded. “I’d understand if you felt the same way Michael,” she said.

Michael looked from Max to Maria then back again.

“Maria’s my home now,” he admitted.

Liz closed her eyes to try to stop the onslaught of tears that continued to fall.

“Looks like it’s just us Max,” Tess smiled.

Max froze and he looked from Tess to Liz and then back again. His heart was screaming one thing his head another.

“You promised,” Liz cried as the reality of what was about to happen took hold. Max was about to leave her and their unborn child to go with Tess and his son to another planet. She sobbed harder. “You promised,” she said again and Max rose to his feet and took her in his arms.

The whole room watched on as Max hugged her so closely. “Calm down baby,” he whispered. “It’s not good for the baby,” he added but his words only made Liz cry harder. It literally felt like her heart was about to break.

Max reached between them then and placed his hand over their baby until he felt the connection between them all spring to life. He stood letting the connection flow through them both until he could tell that Liz had calmed down somewhat. He could feel the pain he was causing Liz and he hated himself for it. He was also sure that Liz could feel how conflicted he was over the situation he found himself in. Once again, he was going to have to choose between Liz and Tess but this time it didn’t just involve them, it involved his children.

Liz was the first to pull back and Max watched as she raised her hand and pulled the ring he had given her only the day before, from her finger.

“Here,” she whispered and tried to hand it to him.

Isabel gasped when she realised what it was Liz was doing. How had she not noticed the diamond ring her on hand before now?

“No!” Max cried.

“You promised,” she said again.

“So did you,” he replied and slipped the ring back on her finger.

Liz closed her eyes to try to ward off the pain.

Max turned back to the group then and he met each set of eyes before he rested on Tess’s.

“You were going to marry her?” Tess asked, the hurt she felt evident on her face.

Max nodded.

“Don’t worry Max, you won’t remember her where we’re going,” she smiled.

“I can’t,” he whispered. “I’m sorry but I can’t go,” he told her answering the call his heart was giving him.

“W-What?” Tess stuttered. “What do you mean you can’t go?” she asked clearly shocked. “This is our baby Max,” she added.

Liz cried in relief against his chest and Max wasted no time wrapping an arm around her.

“There are no guarantees in what you want to do Tess. We don’t even know if it’s safe for us to return to Antar, or if we’ll be able to come back once we get there. I can’t play a game of ‘What if’s’ when I have Liz and our baby to think about too.”

“But you will with me and our baby?” she cried.

Max felt like the scum of the earth.

“That’s it isn’t it? We’re not as important to you as Liz and her bastard child,” she yelled rising to her feet.

“I will do everything I can for you and this child here on earth but I can’t leave Liz and our baby to go to Antar, I wont.” Max told her.

Tess fell back to her chair sobbing. He had chosen Liz again and she felt like her heart was literally breaking. Her plan had been solid until she had found out about Liz’s stupid child.

Everyone watched on as Tess sobbed and Max held an upset Liz close to his body.

“What are we going to do now?” Alex asked the question everyone was thinking.

Defeated, Tess raised her head. There was nothing left on earth for her now. “I’m still going,” she said.

“Do you think that’s a good idea?” Isabel asked alarmed.

“Someone has got to save my baby,” she snarled at Max.

“Maybe it isn’t smart to be using the granolith. We might need it someday if Earth ever becomes unsafe for us, or our enemies attack. I mean it’s not like its only job is a space ship,” Michael pointed out.

Everyone looked at Michael surprised. “What, I’m not always saying dumb stuff. This is serious, the granolith is the only protection we have, the only way to flee earth if we ever need it,” he told them.

“Michael’s right,” Alex agreed.

“What are you saying?” Tess cried. “That I can’t use it at all now?”

“We should vote,” Max spoke up. He wanted Tess to be able to save their baby but he also agreed with Michael’s comments. “This affects all of us.”

“Now my baby’s life is a vote?” Tess asked appalled.

“It’s not like that Tess, but Michael is right, if you take the granolith…”

“Yes,” Isabel was the first one to speak up. “If Tess truly believes this is what she needs to do to save her baby then yes,” she said.

“No.” Michael said. “It can’t just be about one person,” he said.

“Yes.” Maria said her sympathy for Tess showing in her gaze.

“My vote is yes obviously,” Tess said.

“Alex?” Max asked.

Alex gulped. “No,” he whispered feeling terrible. “I have a pretty good idea what activating that is going to do and I for one don’t think it’s smart. I’m sorry Tess.”

“Liz?” Michael spoke up.

“No I don’t get a vote,” Liz argued.

“Yes you do. You’re involved now, you’re one of us,” Isabel added with a small smile and a peace offering of sorts.

“Ok then my answer is no. I don’t believe you Tess, if our atmosphere was toxic to be the baby, he would he be dead already,” she replied calmly.

“It’s up to you Max,” Michael announced and everyone watched as Max’s head dropped.

Tess smiled confidently.

Max closed his eyes. “No,” he whispered.

“What!” Tess cried.

“Michael and Alex are right. The risk to us all is…,” he explained as he walked to the table and picked up the crystal.

“I’m so sorry Tess,” he whispered hating what he was doing to her but in the back of his mind, he couldn’t shake the feeling that Liz was right. That Tess wasn’t telling them the complete truth.

In a fuzz of blonde, Tess rushed past them all without a word, and a few seconds later, they heard the slamming of Isabel’s front door.

[Emz80m]

Thanks everyone! i hope you enjoy the new part



Forty-Three

The room was deadly silent after Tess’s departure.

“Maybe someone should go after her,” Maria suggested.

“I think she probably just needs some time to herself. What just happened was pretty upsetting,” Michael replied.

Liz sobbed against Max’s chest. In the space of an hour, she had thought her whole world was going to come down around her. She wasn’t proud of her patheticness but the idea of Max leaving her alone and pregnant while he went with Tess was too much.

“Shh,” Max soothed. “I’m not going anywhere, I promise,” he told her.

He slowly wrapped an arm around Liz before he leant down and lifted her legs from the ground and into his arms.

“I’m taking Liz upstairs,” he explained before he walked her towards the guest bedroom they were staying in.

Once there he placed Liz down on the soft mattress and curled up behind her.

“I’m sorry about all of that. But don’t you realise that I couldn’t leave you and our baby?”

“I-I thought you were,” she cried.

It had been hard. Max had hated the idea of abandoning one child for the other. His head was telling him he had to find a way to make it right but his heart kept reminding him of his promise to Liz. That she and their baby would come first.

“No, never,” he promised her.

He placed a hand on her abdomen and he let the connection form between them, and his feelings wash over Liz. They told her how much he loved her and their baby, and although he was sad his son might die, that he was happy with the life they had created together. He also took in Liz’s feelings. Her anguish over what was happening and the hurt she felt thinking he might leave them.

“I can’t do this alone Max. I just can’t,” she told him.

“I know and you don’t have to. I’m here baby, always and forever.” he replied.

Liz calmed slightly at his words and from what she was feeling through their connection.

“I won’t lie and tell you how hard it was, but you were never far from my thoughts. I’m sorry that you thought I was going to leave. I’m going to have to spend a lot of time convincing you that I won’t,” he smiled.

“Yeah you are,” she admitted.

“I think you need to have a nap,” he said. “I can feel how tired you and the baby are.”

“Stay with me?” she pleaded.

“Always and forever Liz, always and forever,” he whispered.

He lay with Liz as she fell into a calmer slumber and eventually their baby too. Soon he would have to get up and face the world that was waiting for him, but for now, he was right where he needed to be.

***

Tess could barely see the road she was crying so hard. She wasn’t sure where she was going but she continued to drive until she saw the “Welcome to Roswell” sign.

Her car didn’t slow as she saw it, and she failed to see the police vehicle on the side of the road which had clocked her speeding.

Now that she was in Roswell, there was only one place for her to go.

***

After Max and Liz left the room only Isabel, Alex, Michael and Maria remained.

“I should finish dinner.” Michel declared and stood up.

“I’ll help.” Maria offered and followed him into the kitchen.

Alex hugged a sniffling Isabel closer. “You ok?” he asked.

“No,” she cried. “Poor Tess.”

“Are you angry with me?” Alex asked referring to his vote of no.

“Oh no,” Isabel cried. “I understand your fears, but as a mother I can also understand Tess’s.”

“Isabel, I’ve known Tess a long time and I know you two are friends but there was just something about her story.”

“What?” Isabel asked.

Alex felt bad for what he was about to say. “I agree with Liz. Its fishy, it doesn’t make sense,” he admitted. “I honestly think that she was just grasping at straws to try and keep Max.”

“Do you think she would do that, go that far?” Isabel asked.

“She’s been a little unstable recently. She’s hurt,” he explained.

“But to lie about the baby being sick…” Isabel sighed. “I don’t know.”

“We’ll know soon enough,” he said.

***

“Thank you,” Maria said as they entered the kitchen.

Michel looked up surprised. “For what?”

“For choosing me. I know you’ve always wanted to go home and today you got your chance but you didn’t, you stayed for me,” she said tears in her eyes.

“You’re my family Maria, my home,” Michael whispered. “I love you.”

“I know,” she cried and walked around the bench to hug him. “And I love you too,” she said.

“Shh Pixie,” he soothed her crying form.

“I’m a terrible friend Michael,” she declared.

“No you’re not.”

“Yes I am. I wasn’t here for Tess and I wasn’t there for Liz,” she cried.

“We can’t change any of that now, but Liz is here, in this very house Maria so if you don’t like the way things are between you maybe now is the time to try and fix things?” Michael suggested. He sometimes was angry with himself for letting Maria just piss her friendship away with Liz the way she had. So now he thought he owed it to her to get her to talk to Liz.

“I want to but I’m afraid.” she admitted.

“Of what?”

“That she won’t want to talk to me, that what I did was truly unforgivable,” she explained.

Michael sighed as he continued to stir the sauce he had on the stove. “Maybe you shouldn’t focus too much on trying to mend past fences rather than trying to build new ones?”

Maria mulled over what Michael said to her, “When did you get so smart?” she asked him.

Michael smiled slightly at her. “I’ve always been this smart, I just kept it a secret,” he teased.

“Thanks Space Boy.”

“Not problem Pixie.”

***

Sheriff Valenti frowned when he heard the name over the radio.

“Re-confirm base, Tess Harding?” he asked.

He had been doing speed checks on the highway when Tess’s SUV had flown past him going at extraordinary speeds. He had begun to chase to begin with but soon realised the car was going too fast so he had called it into the base.

“Yes Sheriff.”

“Thanks,” he said.

“What the hell are you doing Tess?” he said to himself.

He pulled out phone and quickly hit the speed dial for Kyle.

“Hello?”

“Kyle it’s me,” he said.

“Hey dad what’s up?” Kyle asked.

“Tess just passed me in her SUV doing at least 50 kilometres over the speed limit, I was going to chase her but I figure something might be up, have you heard from her?” he asked.

He had gotten to know Tess fairly well during the two years she and Kyle had been dating. She was a nice girl and from what he understood from Kyle she wasn’t used to being part of a family, her own father not really caring about her too much. So he had enjoyed what she had brought to them during the Christmas’s and thanksgiving she had shared with them.

So that was why he was cutting her a break. He knew from Kyle that she had just broken up with Max Evans and that Kyle was concerned about her.

“I think I know where she might be heading Dad, thanks for the heads up,” Kyle rushed to explain.

Kyle remembered that Tess had liked to spend a lot of time out in the dessert near Pullman Ranch during their years of dating and he suspected that if she wasn’t on her way to his place, which she would have reached doing the speeds his father was talking about, then that was where she was headed.

“Tell her to slow down Kyle. I don’t want to be picking her body up off the tar.” he said sternly.

“I will and thanks Dad.” Kyle replied before quickly hanging the phone up and reaching for his keys.

***

Tess pulled the car up with a skid in front of the pod chamber.

“I’ll show you all,” she mumbled to herself as she got out of the car and headed up the incline. She opened the cave door with ease and walked in and straight towards the granolith.

She walked around the machine until she came to the control panel. Nascedo had taught her everything he knew about the machine, including on how to use it without the key. She’d make them pay for not believing her, for leaving her for a human.

She started to play with the control pad and the granolith came to life. Tess smiled with glee. She would be royalty on Antar. On Antar Liz Parker would be a distant memory.

Once she had completed what she thought was needed to be done to use the granolith she placed her palm on its surface but the machine instantly recoiled her and threw her against the wall. Her head hit the rock surface hard and before she knew it her world was going black.

***

Kyle pulled his car up next to Tess’s and quickly got out to go in search of her.

“Tess!” he yelled when he couldn’t find her anywhere near the car. He walked around the rock formation until he finally looked up and noticed an opening that he hadn’t known was there before.

So he took up the incline until he reached it. He frowned when he peered inside what looked almost like a door. It was darkish inside.

“Tess!” he called out again but there was no response.

He stepped inside and it took a few seconds for his eyes to adjust but when he did he felt his world spin out of control as the first thing he saw were the four pods hanging on the walls.

“What the fuck?” he whispered and took a step forward.

He was just about to reach out and touch them when he heard the groan and his eyes snapped to the side where Tess was trying to sit up.

“Oh my God Tess,” he rushed towards her.

“Kyle what are you doing here?” she asked clearly confused.

“I came looking for you, my dad saw you speeding into Roswell,” he explained. “What happened?” he asked referring to her being on the floor.

“I’m not sure,” she said clearly confused as to why the granolith rejected her.

“Tess what the hell is this place?” he asked then.

Tess looked around and cursed then. Obviously she had left the door to the pod chamber open and now Kyle had discovered it.

“What are those pod things and what the hell is this cone thing?” he asked.

Tess closed her eyes to try and fight off the headache. She knew that she would have to explain everything to Kyle but she didn’t want to do it here.

“Help me up and we’ll head back to your place and I’ll explain everything there,” she promised.

“Ok,” he said determined that he would get answers because Kyle finally felt like he might actually be close to getting Tess to reveal her entire self to him.

[Emz80m]

Thanks everyone

Forty-Four

Tess groaned as she drove next to Kyle on the way back to his house in Roswell. He had insisted that she leave her car and go with him.

Kyle was quiet as he drove but he kept casting looks at Tess to check that she was ok.

“Did you hit your head?” he asked.

“Yeah, I guess so.”

“What happened?” he asked.

Tess remained tight lipped. “You promised you were going to tell me,” Kyle said.

“I will but I guess what happened is all part of the story,” she admitted.

“We should get your head checked out. You could have a concussion or something,” he said.

“I’m fine Kyle,” she smiled, touched at how much he cared about her. She was lucky really. Even though their break up had not been overly angsty, Tess knew that Kyle had been deeply upset with her when she had refused to tell him all the things that she was hiding. It was the biggest reason they decided to part ways. Kyle wanted her to go to Texas with him and she said she couldn’t, although she would never tell him why, only that her life was in New Mexico.

Sometimes, especially now that she was so alone, Tess regretted her decision. Kyle had been good to her; he had loved her and wanted to be with her, unlike Max.

Once they reached Kyle’s he opened her door for her and placed a hand on the small of her back to help her into his house. Once inside he led them to the kitchen where he turned the coffee machine on before he retrieved a glass of water for Tess and a couple of headache tablets.

“Thanks.” she said and accepted them both but instead of taking the pills she placed them on the table. “I don’t need these though.”

“What about your headache?” he asked.

Tess raised her hand to the bump on her head and after a few seconds of concentrating the bump, and the headache was gone.

Kyle’s mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water. He had seen Tess raise her hand and the unnatural glow appear.

“What did you just do?” he asked.

“I healed my headache,” she said.

“What, how?”

Tess sighed. “I’m not from around here Kyle.”

“I know, you moved to Roswell our sophomore year,” he answered dumbly.

“No I mean I’m not of this earth. Those pods, that chamber you were in today were where I was born. I’m an alien Kyle.” she said bluntly.

“That’s impossible.”

“You just saw me heal my head, you saw the pods,” she pointed out.

“You can’t just say it like that!” he yelled at her.

“You’re right; maybe I should have prepared you a little better.”

“But we’ve had sex,” he choked.

“Yeah,” she nodded.

“Did you do something to me?” he asked.

His question hurt Tess more than she expected. “Of course not,” she denied.

“How do you know?” he asked.

Tess sighed she was feeling a little annoyed. “You look fine to me.”

That didn’t make Kyle feel better. “You’re not the first person to have sex with an alien ok?” she said then.

“There are others?” he asked.

“Three others,” she said but she didn’t feel comfortable revealing their identities to Kyle. So far he wasn’t taking the news that well.

“Who?”

“That’s not important,” she told him.

“Ok,” Kyle gulped.

He stared at her then. “You look human,” he said then.

Tess rolled her eyes. “I’m half human as well. I look the same and have all the same equipment that humans do. The only difference is my brain is more advanced which gives me powers.”

“Powers?” Kyle gulped again and Tess could tell that revelation scared him. “Like what?”

If he was scared now Tess knew he would be running out the door when she told him what she could really do, but regardless she felt she owed him the whole truth.

“I can manipulate the molecular structure of things, change the way it looks, or the colour of it,” she explained, “but the power unique to me is a mind warp.”

“What’s that?” Kyle asked but he wasn’t sure he really wanted to know.

“I can make you see whatever I want to, to get into your head.”

Kyle immediately went white as a ghost. “Have you ever done that to me?” he asked.

Tess looked away. “Answer me Tess,” Kyle yelled.

“Once or twice in high school I used it on you and your dad.”

“Why?” he asked.

Then it all seemed to come together and make sense to him. “This has all got to do with Evans, doesn’t it? Is he one of you?” he asked.

“Yes,” Tess nodded. “Your dad was right. Max healed Liz that day in the Crashdown. The only times I ever used my power on you or your dad was when your dad was close to getting some real evidence on us,” she explained herself. Besides Nascedo had made her do it, not that that would matter to Kyle if she told him.

Kyle sunk down into a chair then. “This is a lot to take in.”

“I know,” she nodded. “But you can’t tell anyone Kyle. We’re not dangerous. We’re just trying to live our lives. We’re not here to hurt anyone but you can’t tell your dad or someone else about this because there are plenty of people who will hurt us,” she told him.

Kyle studied Tess as though to make out if she was telling him the truth and after a few seconds he nodded. It would be hard to keep this from his father, but he would, for her.


“Ok. I won’t say anything,” he said.

Tess sighed in relief. “Thank you Kyle,” she said and reached out to place her hand over his.

They sat there is complete silence for a few seconds before Kyle hopped back up, and poured them both a cup of coffee.

“So you want to tell me what brought you to Roswell?” he asked.

Tess’s mood instantly changed at Kyle’s reminder of why she was there to begin with.

“Tess?” he asked when she didn’t answer.

“I think I did something really stupid,” she admitted.

Kyle sat back in his seat across from her and took a sip of his coffee. “Tell me about it,” he offered.

Tess smiled sadly, “I don’t want to.”

“Why not?” he asked.

“Because I don’t want to see the disgusted look you have on your face when I tell you what I’ve done,” she admitted.

“Tess, it’s going to take me a while to get used to this whole alien thing but I’m still sitting across from you so I can’t even think of what you could tell me that would change that now,” he replied.

He had a point Tess thought. But she was disgusted with herself in what she had done so she expected nothing less from Kyle.

“What happened back at that chamber thing?” he asked.

“I tried to use the granolith and I think it rejected me,” she said.

“What’s the granolith?” he asked.

“This machine that does all sorts of things, but it is also able to take us back to our home planet.”

“You were going to leave?” Kyle asked.

“Yeah.” Tess nodded.

“Why?” he wondered. He knew she hadn’t been happy since she broke up with Max but he didn’t think she would want to leave the planet over it. Max Evans certainly wasn’t worth it and the sooner she figured it out the better she would be.

Tears came to her eyes then. “Because I played my cards and my bluff was called,” she replied cryptically.

“What does that mean?”

“I told Max I was pregnant,” she whispered.

Kyle sat in shock for her a few seconds. “Are you?” he asked when he recovered.

Slowly Tess shook her head. “Then why did you tell him you were?”

“I thought he’d come home,” she whispered, “I thought once he came home to me he’d realise that I was the one he was meant to be with, that he would forget about Liz.”

“What happened?”

Kyle didn’t really need her to answer he could figure it out for the most part.

“At first I don’t think he believed me so I told him I thought something was wrong with the baby so he would agree to come home,” she began to explain. “But when he came home he had Liz with him,” she whispered as tears rolled down her face. “I was so angry and hurt, I wanted him to hurt too so I made him believe that I was pregnant and that the baby was dying.”

Kyle sat patiently and let her get her story out. It wasn’t pretty though, that was for sure.

“Then I found out that Liz was pregnant too,” she sobbed. “They’re having a baby together Kyle and he asked her to marry him.”

Kyle felt his heart go out to her.

“We were together for five years Kyle and he’s been with her a few months.”

Kyle shuffled his chair forward and wrapped his arms around her until her sobs subsided.

She wiped her eyes, “I knew once I’d told the first lie that I had to keep telling them or I wouldn’t stand a chance of winning him back. I convinced them that the baby couldn’t breathe on earth and we needed to go home. I figured if I could get rid of Liz that he would come back to me,” she scoffed.

“What happened?” Kyle asked urging her to continue.

“He chose her and her baby,” she sobbed. “He said he couldn’t come with me because he couldn’t take the chance he couldn’t come back to her and their baby,” she revealed, “But then they decided that they weren’t going to let me use the granolith to go home either, they voted, and I lost.”

Kyle knew there was more to the story but she had given him the general gist.

“Sounds like a big mess.”

Tess nodded, “God Kyle, what am I going to do?” she asked. “They’re my family and how can I go back to them now that I’ve lied to them?”

“I think you have to go back and tell them the truth and then earn their forgiveness and their trust, Tess,” he answered her.

“Max will never want anything to do with me again,” she cried.

“Tess, I think you need to accept that he doesn’t. I know it hurts but he doesn’t want you, he wants Liz and even if you did have a chance before at getting him back you definitely don't now. You didn’t the second Liz got pregnant but now that you’ve lied to him like this I doubt he will ever trust you again, but the others, they might,” he offered.

Sadly, Tess nodded. “C-can I stay here for a few days?” she asked.

Kyle nodded, “Of course but you can’t hide forever.”

“I know. Thanks Kyle, you’re a good friend. I don’t know what I’d do without you,” she told him.

Kyle stood and smiled sadly. “Well I’m not going anywhere at the moment,” he told her before he turned so that she couldn’t see the sad look on his face.

[Emz80m]

Thanks so much everyone

IheartMax
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begonia9508
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Forty-Five

It was a tired looking group who sat at the dining room table quietly eating the dinner that Michael had made for them. None of them looked as exhausted as Liz though who felt like she had been to hell and back in the last 12 hours.

“So...” Michael broke the silence.

Everyone looked up at him and waited for him to continued. “In all the commotion earlier I don’t think any of us acknowledged that you and Liz have some more good news to share.”

Max looked at Liz and smiled. “No nothing really went to plan,” he admitted.

“Well we’re all listening now Max,” Isabel told him. Her voice conveyed that they would all be a lot nicer this time around than they had been earlier.

“Ok, then,” Max agreed with a nod and placed his cutlery down before he reached for Liz’s hand.

“I asked Liz to marry me yesterday and she said yes,” he grinned.

“Congratulations,” Alex was the first to speak and he quickly got to his feet and walked around the table to give Liz a kiss and hug, and to shake Max’s hand.

The others followed quickly after only Maria was next.

“Congrats Max,” she whispers as she hugged him. When she got to Liz she stood nervously and awkwardly for a second before she took a deep breath and took the plunge. She stepped forward and leaned in to kiss Liz’s cheek. “Congratulations Liz. I hope the two of you are so happy together,” she whispered.

Liz felt a tear spring to her eye. This was the best friend she remembered. “Thank you,” she whispered in reply.

***

Everyone was up the next morning except for Liz as Maria walked into the kitchen. They were sitting around the kitchen table sipping on coffee as Maria made her way over and poured herself a cup.

“Any news from Tess?” she asked knowing that was what they had all been talking about before she had walked in.

“Nothing,” Isabel replied looking like she hadn’t gotten any sleep.

Max stood, “I'll try calling her cell again,” he said. “I think I'll go check on Liz. She had a rough night,” he explained before he walked out.

“Max I can call her cell if you like?” Isabel suggested.

“Thanks Iz,” Max smiled.

***

Tess felt emotionally drained as she walked into Kyle’s kitchen. She stopped at the door and watched as Kyle moved around smoothly making eggs and pouring coffee. She smiled at the image he made, after everything she had told him the night before she hadn’t expected him to be so carefree.

“Morning Tess.” Kyle greeted when he saw her.

“Morning.” she replied and stepped into the room.

“How are you feeling this morning?” he asked as she took a seat and poured several spoonfuls of sugar into her coffee.

“I didn’t get much sleep last night,” she admitted.

“Understandable,” he nodded. “What are you going to do today?” he asked then.

Tess sighed. “I guess I need to go back and face the music,” she said.

As much as she wanted to hide she knew she couldn’t. There was only one reason she couldn’t sleep last night and that was guilt. Besides, Max wouldn’t be staying around forever and if she didn’t go home she might risk never seeing him again.

Kyle nodded as he sat down. “Treat it like a band aid, rip it off quick and it will hurt less in the long run.”

Tess nodded as she sipped her coffee, “Somehow I don’t think it will matter how I do it, I’ve fucked everything up and it’s never going to be the same again.” she whispered. “I can’t take back what I’ve done, and honestly if things had worked out I probably wouldn’t have wanted too. It's only because I lost that I now wish I hadn’t done it and that’s really sad, what does it say about me?” she asked.

Kyle wasn’t sure that she really wanted him to respond. “I think it’s says that you have issues. You’ve built your whole world around this idea and now it’s gone.”

Tears filled Tess’s eyes. “Yeah it is and I’m never going to get it back.”

“Would you want to at this point? He doesn’t love you Tess, if he was willing to come back wouldn’t you always wonder if it was her he was thinking about?” Kyle asked.

“Probably,” she nodded, “But right now I’m not thinking logically about it. I’m just hurt and I miss him.”

“Tell him that then,” Kyle encouraged.

“Tell the truth Tess and it will set you free.”

***

“Any word from Tess?” Liz asked as she walked out of the bathroom and into the room she and Max were sharing.

Max smiled at her from where he was sitting on the bed as she walked out with only a towel wrapped around her body and one around her wet hair.

He held his hands out to her and gestured for her to come closer.

“No,” he said. “Isabel is going to keep trying her cell.”

“How are you feeling?” he asked pulling her down until she was sitting on his knee.

“A little better after the shower.”

Max removed the towel from around her hair and began to run his hands through her long hair drying it as he went.

“Thank you,” she whispered leaning into every touch.

“I’m worried about you,” he admitted, “that this is causing you too much stress.”

“I won’t lie and tell you that this has been easy because it hasn’t. But I’m not going anywhere without you.” Liz replied.

“Thank you,” Max whispered leaning up to kiss her. “I promise we’ll get this sorted out as soon as possible and then we’ll go home.”

“Home, I like hearing you call New Haven home.” she admitted.

“No, home is where you are Liz.”

“I love you,” Liz whispered.

“I love you too.”

***

Tess picked up the phone and looked at the menu.

12 missed calls.

With a sigh she placed it back in the car as she turned back to Kyle who was standing by the car to say goodbye.

“Well I guess I should stop putting it off,” she sighed.

“Call me when you get home,” Kyle nodded.

“I will and thank you for everything Kyle. For being there for me through all this shit and for accepting me and not judging me,” she told him.

Kyle nodded. “Anytime,” he said.

Tess turned to slip into the car but then quickly turned back and wrapped her arms around Kyle for a hug.

“Thank you.” she whispered again before she turned and slipped into the car

Kyle stood and watched sadly as she pulled the SUV away from the pod chamber and headed towards the highway. At one point he had honestly thought there was the possibility of a second chance for them but now he realised that there wasn’t. It would be a long time before Tess was over Max Evans and Kyle knew that he couldn’t put his life on hold waiting any longer.

***

“Try again.” Michael suggested.

Isabel picked up the phone and hit redial and waited as the phone rang.

“Hello?” Tess greeted hesitantly. She wasn’t sure if she should pick it up when it had started ringing but she thought it would be best to give them some warning that she would be returning.

“Tess thank God.” Isabel sighed in relief. “We’ve been so worried about you, where are you?”

“I’m on my way home,” Tess replied.

“Are you ok?” Isabel asked.

“Yeah,” she replied.

“Will you come here please so we can talk, we’re all really worried about you we have to talk about what we’re going to do about the baby. There has to be something else we can do,” Isabel said.

“Ok. I'll see you in an hour or so,” Tess agreed.

“Ok, see you then,” Isabel agreed before ending the call.

“So?” Michael asked. He had been listening intently as Isabel talked to Tess.

“She’s on her way here, she must have gone to Roswell because she said she’ll be here in an hour or so,” Isabel frowned. She could only think of one reason Tess would go to Roswell and that thought alarmed her.

“Michael you don't think she would have tried something with the granolith do you?”

Michael looked surprised by the question. “I don’t know. She didn’t have the key, Max still has it. I saw him put it with the other stuff last night.”

“Yeah you’re right. Maybe she went to Kyle,” Isabel shrugged.

“Either way she’s coming here right?” Michael asked.

“Yeah.”

“Good. I'll let the others know,” he said before he headed up the stairs to fill the others in.

***

Maria knocked on the door hesitantly and when she heard Liz’s come in and entered the room slowly.

“Hi,” she said.

Liz looked up from the book she was reading, surprised to find Maria.

“Hi,” she replied.

“Do you think... can we talk?” Maria asked.

Liz placed the book down and sat up. “Ok,” she agreed.

“I owe you an apology,” Maria started. “I’ve been unfair to you for a very long time and I was a really bad friend,” she acknowledged. “I know there is very little I can say to make up for that, you can’t take back some things. But the thing is I miss being your friend and I know it’s going to take time but do you think it might be possible that one day we could be friends again?”

Liz was surprised by Maria’s admission and she didn’t really know what to say.

Maria took her silence to be bad. “It's ok, I understand if you don’t want to be friends,” she said and began to back out of the room.

“Maria wait,” Liz called out halting her movements.

Maria turned and looked at Liz expectantly.

“You’re right. I can’t just forget about everything that’s happened in the past but we’re going to be family pretty soon and I don't want us to be at odds with each other. It isn’t fair to Max and Michael,” Liz replied. “So yeah maybe one day in the future it would be possible for us to be friends again.”

Maria smiled. It wasn’t exactly what she had been hoping to hear but it was certainly a start. “Great,” she said.

Liz smiled slightly too. It felt night nice to put one more ghost from the past to rest.

***

“Ok so before Tess gets here maybe we should talk about what we’re going to do?” Michael suggested.

Everyone in the room looked at Max expectantly.

“I’m not sure what you’re waiting for me to say,” he shrugged. “We have little say in what’s going to happen here, most of the decisions lie with Tess.”

“We have to have a plan though to make sure that Tess and the baby are ok,” Michael objected.

Max looked at Michael and sighed. “I’m honestly not so sure that there is anything wrong with her anymore. The more time I’ve had to think about it the more I don’t buy what I saw or heard.”

“But Max...” Isabel began to object.

“Let's just wait until Tess gets here and we’ll take it from there,” Alex stepped in and stated.

“I agree with Alex,” Liz and Maria said that the same time and when they realised what they had done they smiled at each other.

Michael was just about to object again when they heard a car pull up out the front and door slam.

Isabel rose to her feet and looked out the window and confirmed what everyone already suspected.

“Tess is here.”

[Emz80m]

Thanks everyone


Forty-Six

If I had the chance love,
I would not hesitate.
To tell you all things I never said before;
don’t tell me it’s too late.
Because I’ve relied on my illusion,
to keep me warm at night.
And I’ve denied in my capacity to love,
but I am willing to give up this fight.

Tess knew she couldn’t sit in the car forever. They would be waiting for her inside but she needed a few minutes to gather her courage before she faced them.

On the drive back from Roswell she’d had time to think about how she was going to break the news of her lies to the group and she had decided that she owed it to Max to tell him first.

Been up all night drinking to drown my sorrows down.
But nothing seems to help me since you’ve gone away.
I’m so tired of this town where every tongue is wagging.
When every back is turned.
They’re telling secrets that should never be revealed.
There’s nothing to be gained from this but disaster.

Taking a deep breath, she opened the door to her SUV and climbed out. She noticed the blinds shift in Isabel’s front window and she knew that they were aware that she coming.

The walk up the front path and to the door seemed to go much too quick for Tess this time and by the time she knocked her fist against the door she felt as though her stomach was in knots.

Here’s a good one.
Did you hear about my friend.
He’s embarrassed to be seen now.
Cause we all know his sins.

When the door opened Isabel pulled her into her arms and hugged her tightly as best she could with her expanding stomach.

“Are you ok?” Isabel asked.

Tess’s head dropped. She didn’t deserve Isabel’s concern. “Yeah, I’m ok,” she replied.

“You sure?” she asked.

Again, Tess nodded.

“Come inside then,” Isabel said and led her into the room where everyone was waiting.

If I had the chance love.
I would not hesitate.
To tell you all things I never said before.
Don’t tell me it’s too late.
Cause I’ve relied on my illusion
to keep me warm at night
and I’ve denied in my capacity to love
But I am willing to give up this fight
Oh I am willing to give up this fight

All eyes were turned on Tess as she walked into the room behind Isabel.

Tess could see that they all wanted to speak and she knew she had to stop them or she wouldn’t tell them the truth and one thing she did know was that she owed them the truth.

“Please don’t say anything,” she whispered.

Her eyes sought out Max and found him sitting close to Liz at the back of the room. Her heart ached at the sight, she knew it would be a very long time before she could accept that he didn’t belong to her anymore and she was even surer that she would never get over it. Maybe the idea of her and Max being friends after this might not be a good idea after all, she considered then.

“Can we talk please?” she asked him. “Alone.” she added.

Max seemed surprised by her request but reluctantly nodded.

Tess watched as he kissed Liz’s forehead lovingly before standing up and following her out of the room and towards Isabel and Alex’s back yard.

***

Once outside Tess headed towards the swing out under the trees and wordlessly Max followed.

He didn’t sit down when Tess did. Something told him that he wanted to be standing to hear what she had to say to him, so he remained standing and waiting patiently.

Tess took her time collecting her thoughts. Once she told him there would be no taking it back, he would no longer be standing and looking at her with any kind of emotion other than hatred in his eyes and she wanted to savour that for as long as she could.

“Are you ok?” Max finally broke the silence and asked.

“Yeah,” Tess replied in a whisper. “I just needed to get away and collect my thoughts.”

Max nodded in understanding. “I’m sorry about last night; it wasn’t the way I wanted things to go…”

“Don’t be,” Tess said. “You were right,” she told him.

Ironically, last night Max had finally become the leader she knew that she and Michael had always wanted him to be. Max had been strong and decisive which is why he hadn't bought into her manipulations the way she had expected him too. The weaker Max who she had gotten used to over the years they had been together would have believed her and acted irrationally. She wasn’t sure if she was happy or sad that Zan had finally begun to emerge in Max and suspected he hadn’t even realised it himself.

“Still, I don’t want you to feel like you mean nothing to me, to us,” he told her.

Tess smiled sadly but didn’t respond.

“I’m also sorry that you had to find out about Liz and I the way you did. It was inconsiderate of me. I should have told you before hand,” he said. It was something he had felt truly guilty about the night before, he had seen how the revelations had hurt Tess.

“Yeah, that would have been nice,” she admitted. Tess thought it might have made her reconsider doing the stupidest thing she knew she had ever done, but then again she doubted it would have. She had been a desperate woman trying to cling on to anything hope she could.

Max felt awkward. Tess had said she wanted to talk but it seemed as though it was he who was doing all the talking.

“I should have realised,” Tess said then. “I mean you told me how you felt but I guess I just didn’t want to listen or to believe it. Even when I realised you’d bonded with her I still thought you’d realised your mistake and come back to me” she spoke.

Max frowned slightly in confusion. “What do you mean by bonded?” he asked.

“You said you share a connection with her.” Tess said, “That means you bonded your soul. Nascedo told me about it. Ava and Zan were bonded on Antar,” she said.

Max resisted the urge to break out into a smile for Tess’s benefit but he liked what she had told him. “Oh ok,” he nodded instead.

“Max I have to tell you something,” Tess said then.

“Ok.” he nodded, urging her to continue.

“And when I’m done I don’t think you’re going to want to talk to me ever again,” she added.

Max’s frown deepened. This didn’t sound good at all.

“Go on.”

“I lied,” she whispered.

“About the baby being sick?” he asked already assuming that she had anyway.

Tess’s head dropped and she nodded.

“Why would you do that Tess? We could have been on our way to Antar right now for no reason,” Max’s voice asked angrily.

A single tear slid down Tess’s face.

“No Max. I lied,” she said again.

“I know, I heard you the first time,” he snapped.

“No I lied about the baby,” she whispered.

Max froze.

“There is no baby Max. I’m not pregnant.”

“But I saw it, I connected with him,” Max argued.

“You said it yourself. It didn’t feel right. It was a mind warp,” she replied.

Tess could already see any warm feelings he had for her quickly disappearing from behind his eyes. They had hardened along with his jaw line.

“WHY?” Max yelled so loudly that Tess jumped in her seat.

Her tears were flowing freely as she looked up at him.

“Because I’m in love with you and I want you back.”

“So you thought if you told me you were pregnant I’d come back to you?” he shouted in disbelief. “Did you honestly think I would have been happy if I had done that?” he continued to yell whilst Tess continued to cry.

“You are….” He whispered angrily but then stopped.

He waited until Tess looked at him then. “You have no idea how relieved I am right now that I don’t have ties to you for the rest of my life,” he told her angrily.

“Max…”

“Don’t,” he snapped. “How could I have ever loved someone like you?” he added harshly.

“Apparently you couldn’t because you left me remember,” she cried.

“No I did, I loved you for five years,” he replied, “but now I don’t even know you anymore.”

“Max please,” Tess pleaded.

“I’m done with you Tess,” he said. “What you’ve done to me, what you’ve put Liz and I through is unforgivable.”

“I know but it’s so hard Max. I miss you so much. Can’t you understand that?” she cried.

“All I understand right now is that I don’t really care if I never see you again,” he said quietly before he turned and begun to walk away from her.

“Max wait. Please don’t say that. Where are you going?” she cried frightened that he meant what he said to her and that she would never see him again.

“I’m going to go and marry the woman I love and have a baby with her, and be happy and I’m not going to feel guilty about it anymore, Tess. If you know what’s good for you then you’ll stay out of our lives.”

Tess broke into sobs as he disappeared back into the house. She knew that no one would come. That Max would tell them all what she had done and that from now on she was on her own.

After what felt like hours, she stood and made her way through the side gate towards her car.

She looked back at the house her best friend lived in, all the people she considered family were inside that house but she knew that she would most likely never be there again; any maybe not see them either. What she had done was unforgivable in many ways.

After a few seconds, she hopped behind the wheel of her SUV and drove away knowing that for right now she needed to get her own life in order and that she could no longer do that in the cocoon that was New Mexico.

Tess didn’t know what life had install for her as she drove off, but she now knew what it didn’t, and that was Max Evans, and it would take her a long time to get used to the idea.

Song is Dirty Little Secret - Sarah McLachlan

[Emz80m]

Thanks Everyone

Forty-Seven

One year later

Tess didn’t know what to expect as she drove into town. It had been a year almost to the day that she had packed up her bags and fled from New Mexico, from the people she considered family, from her friends.

She felt her stomach lurch as she saw the welcome to Roswell sign.

It had been hard to make the decision to return home but after being away for so long Tess knew that it was time she started putting her life back together again.

***

“Hey there honey” Max cooed at his daughter as she smiled up at him from her cot. “Are you hungry?” he asked her as she reached her hands up for him.

Riley Serena Evans had arrived seven months ago and they had been the happiest of Max’s life.

After the fiasco with Tess, Max and Liz returned to New Haven fairly quickly wanting to put it all behind them and get on with the life he was building with Liz and their unborn child.

He remembered the first time they had felt her move inside of Liz’s stomach. It was the day he truly knew that he had fulfilled his destiny because he knew that he could never be truly happier than he was in that moment.

But he had been the day that Riley came into their world. Liz cried as Serena helped deliver her and Max had barely been able to contain his own, and afterwards when it was he, Liz and Riley he hadn’t.

”She’s so beautiful Liz” Max whispered in awe.

“I can’t believe we made her” he added as his finger traced her chubby cheek.

“We did” Liz replied, “our love made her” she added.

“Thank you” Max whispered. “Thank you for not giving up on me, for fighting for us, for giving me this” he choked out, his eyes full of tears, and his heart full of love.

“Now all you have to do is make me your wife Max and our life will be perfect” Liz told him.

“Name the day and the time and I'll be there Liz, hell I'll organise the whole thing if you want me to” he replied eagerly.

“Let’s wait until we’re used to this whole parents thing and Riley is a little older” Liz suggested.

“Ok” Max agreed, “But let’s not wait too long”

“No definitely not too long” Liz agreed.

“What are two up to?” Liz asked as walked into the nursery to find Max holding their daughter.

“Someone’s hungry,” he grinned.

“Really, are you hungry Princess?” Liz asked as she kissed her chubby cheek.

“You’re such a daddy’s girl aren’t you?” Liz grinned then.

“Do you want me to take her?” Liz asked Max.

Max didn’t want to hand her over but he knew he had to so with a final kiss he placed her in Liz’s hands.

“How about we have some breakfast Princess?” Liz cooed as she headed out of the nursery and towards the kitchen.

Max made his way to the bathroom and took a quick shower while Liz was looking after their daughter. They were due at the airport in an hour and he was nervous. It would be the first time that they would take Riley on a plane, hell it would be the first time she had been to Roswell but it was for a special occasion.

Max grinned as he thought about the upcoming weekend. After years of yearning he was finally going to marry his soul mate, Liz would be Mrs Max Evans and he could hardly contain his happiness. So they were headed to Roswell where the ceremony would be out near the rock formation where he was born, followed by a small reception for family and a few friends at the Roswell Country Club.

As Max was getting out of the shower Liz entered with a naked Riley. “Bath time?” Max asked.

“Yeah” Liz grinned, “just a quick wash before we get dressed, we’ve got time” she added.

“What time did you tell Serena we were picking her up?” Max asked as he used his powers to remove the five o’clock shadow from his face.

“Eleven,” Liz replied.

“Ok, other than getting Riley bathed and dressed have you done everything else you need to?” Max asked.

“Yep, after you dress all you need to do is pack the car”

“Ok” Max nodded before leaning in to share a sweet kiss with her. “I Love you” he whispered

“Love you too” she beamed

***

“Isabel would you slow down” Alex called as he rushed to keep up with her.

“There’s so much to do. Liz and Max are going to be here in a few hours and I haven’t even called the reception venue to check on everything” she explained.

“I’m sure that Liz has it all under control”

“No because I insisted on taking care of it remember” Isabel reminded him.

“Why did you do that again?” Alex asked.

“Because Liz and Max are in New Haven, I’m here; it’s just easier this way”

Truthfully Isabel had been over the moon when Liz had called to ask her would she mind checking out the venue with her mother, wanting a second opinion from someone a little more her age and style. After Tess had left Isabel quickly realised what a bitch she had been to both Max and Liz and she done everything she could to try and fix things. It had been easier with Max, she was his sister and he had forgiven, but Isabel knew that it would be a long time before she gained Liz’s trust fully, and her friendship. So when Liz had called Isabel finally felt as though Liz was beginning to trust her again and she was so grateful for the chance.

“Look, just slow down Isabel. Their plane doesn’t get in for a few hours and they’re heading straight to Roswell remember” Alex pointed out.

Alex had been happy when Isabel and Liz had started working together on the wedding plans. It was great to see them trying to work towards a friendship again. But he could have done without all the stress that came when she began organising something

“You’re right” Isabel sighed in relief.

“Are you packed to leave for Roswell?” she asked then.

Alex did his best to hide his grin, although his wife’s tendencies to over organise everything can get on his nerves he also found it completely endearing too.

“I'll go double check that we have everything” he offered.

“That’s a good idea” Isabel replies already satisfied

***

“Maria, are you ready?” Michael yelled as he stood at the front door to their New York Apartment.

“Give me a minute” she called back.

Michael clenched his jaw. “You said that ten minutes ago and if we don’t leave now we’re going to miss our flight Maria, you know what the traffic is like”

“All right I’m coming” she grunted as she hopped out of the room whilst trying to put her shoe on.

“Come on lets go, the cars downstairs” Michael said encouraging her out the door.

It had been a good year for Michael and Maria, especially for Maria. Her first single had been very successful and her album was also doing very well too so they had decided to stay in New York for the time being, since it was the best place for Maria to be. Besides, it had grown on Michael and he liked the big city mentality where he could hide in plain sight. It helped make him feel safer.

It was hard being away from Isabel and Max but they made do with phone calls and visits when they could but Max and Liz’s wedding would be the first time they would all be back together again since the drama with Tess.

Michael wasn’t sure what to expect. He knew that things were better between them all, even Maria and Liz had formed a tentative friendship. He had been scared when Maria hadn’t been asked to be in the wedding that it would fall apart but apart again but Maria had been surprisingly strong.

”You ok?” Michael asked when he found Maria crying after her latest phone call with Liz.

“Yeah” she nodded and tried to wipe the tears away. “Liz and Max set a wedding date” she informed him. “They’re getting married in Roswell”

“That’s good” Michael smiled at her unsurely.

“Are you not happy?” He asked.

“I’m happy for them it’s just...”

It wasn’t hard for Michael to put the pieces together. “She didn’t’ ask you to be in the wedding?” he guessed.

“No” Maria shook her head.

“She said they’re keeping it simple”

“Well that’s understandable” he nodded.

“She’s having Serena” she added then.

“Oh” Michael nodded.

Maria looks up then “I only have myself to blame” she whispered. “I mean we swore once that we’d have each other as head bridesmaid but that was before I threw away our friendship”

“I’m sure if she was having more people she’d ask you” Michael offered.

Maria shrugged. “I should be thankful that we’re friends at all after everything”

***

Tess hesitated as she drove down the main street. Her first thought was to head to Kyle’s but she wasn’t sure how welcome she’ll be after not getting in touch with him in over a year, so instead she made her way to the Tumbleweed.

“Single please” she requested.

“Lucky last” the girl behind the reception desk grinned as she handed her the key. “There’s a wedding in town on the weekend as well as a convention at the UFO centre and we’re booked pretty solid” she explained.

Tess smiled politely, “well I’m glad I got the last one then”

“Are you from around here or are you just passing through?” she enquired.

“I used to live here” Tess explained.

“I just need a credit card” she explained and took the card Tess offered.

Tess waited while she swipes the card and noticed the paper but before she could pick it up and read it the receptionist handed her the card back.

“Room 223, its right at the end, enjoy your stay”

“Thank you” Tess nods

[Emz80m]

Thanks everyone

Forty-Eight

Liz couldn’t help the smile that lit up her face when they got off the plane.

“It's so good to be home,” she turned and commented to Max.

Max grinned as he shuffled Riley around in his arms.

“It is,” he agreed.

“Is it always this hot?” Serena complained.

Liz and Max laughed. “You’ll get used to it,” they assured her but both knew that she wouldn’t.

It had never come under question that Liz and Max would get married in Roswell. Max knew how much it meant to Liz and so it meant a lot to him. It didn’t matter to either of them that there weren’t that many happy memories between them associated with Roswell. It was where they were both born and where both of their families were and that’s what mattered to them.

“So are you sure your parents have room for me Liz?” Serena asked.

“Of course they do,” Liz agreed.

There was never any question that Serena wouldn’t stay with them. Most of their relatives were coming in after being invited after both sets of parents insisted. Neither Liz nor Max really cared but since Liz was bending to their wishes she had told her parents that she wanted their spare room to go to Serena. The Parkers had been fine with that and Liz’s Aunty and Uncle would be staying at the Tumbleweed instead.

“Honey can you take Riley and I'll go get our bags?” Max asked as he handed their daughter over.

Liz and Serena watched as he walked away.

“You must be getting excited,” Serena said.

“Yes.” Liz nodded. “I can’t wait to be his wife,” she sighed. “After everything we’ve been through to get here I just know it’s going to be perfect.”

“You’re damn right it will be. I won’t let anyone ruin it for you. Anyone.”

“Thanks Sere.”

***

Tess wondered for the hundredth time that morning why she had thought it was a good idea to return to Roswell. It wasn’t like there was anything there for her anymore. The only thing in the town was the pod chamber which she had already promised herself she would go out to see the next day.

But today she had decided to do a bit of shopping which is why she found herself on the main street only a block away from the Crashdown.

Her feet seemed to be carrying her in the direction of the restaurant and she was almost there when she saw a familiar figure emerge from the glass doors.

“Kyle,” she whispered.

She tried to get her feet moving but she couldn’t move fast enough, instead she tried to call out but his name died on her lips when she spied the women he approached.

She froze as he took a bag from her hand and smiled at her.

Her heart clenched. He had moved on, but then again what had she expected, she had been gone a year without as much as a word.

Unable to watch anymore she dropped her head, turned and scurried off in the opposite direction.

***

“So this is it?” Serena asked as they pulled the rental car to a stop out the front of the Crashdown.

Serena had seen pictures but they were nothing compared to the site in front of her. Her mouth dropped when she looked across the road to spy the UFO Museum.

“That’s where Max worked,” Liz explained.

“Shit, I can’t imagine living here,” she whispered.

Max chuckled, “Imagine being me.”

“True.”

Serena turned her attention back to the Crashdown just as the most gorgeous guy she had ever seen stepped into view.

“Oh my God, please tell me you know him,” she cried.

Liz looked over to where Serena was staring and grinned when she found Kyle standing at the cash register.

“Yep I sure do and if you’re nice I'll introduce you,” Liz grinned as she got out of the car.

Serena followed and took the time to look around the street as Liz and Max got Riley out of the car seat and walked towards the glass doors.

“You coming?” Max asked.

“Yeah give me a second,” she smiled.

A minute or so later Serena was just about to bend down and pick up her bag when a quiet voice called her name.

She looked up surprised and froze when she realised it was the hot guy from inside the restaurant.

“Serena?” he smiled.

“Yeah?” she replied nervously.

“I’m Kyle Valenti, ex-boyfriend of the bride to be,” he grinned introducing himself.

He had groaned when Liz had asked him to go and meet Serena and help her with a bag. He recognised a set up when he heard one but just one look at Serena he found himself not minding so much.

She was gorgeous, he thought.

He was gorgeous, she thought.

“Can I help you with your bag?” he asked.

“That would be great,” she agreed.

***

“What time is your suit fitting?” Maria asked Michael as they pulled up out the front of her mother’s house.

“Three,” Michael replied.

Michael was Max’s best man, Maria remembered how proud he was when Max had rung and asked him.

“Then after the fitting we’re all meeting at the Crashdown,” Michael reminded her.

That was when they would get to meet Serena for the first time and just get the chance to chat before they were heading out to the desert for a quiet rehearsal with the celebrant.

After that the girls were all going back to the Parkers for some champagne while the boys were heading off to the Evans.

Michael knew Maria was apprehensive about meeting Serena and he was doing his best to calm her fears.

“Don’t worry Isabel will be there.”

“I'll be fine. It will be great to see everyone,” she smiled.

“Yeah it will.”

***

“Alex, hurry up!” Isabel yelled up the stairs as she juggled their daughter in her arms.

“What’s the rush?” he asked coming down the stairs and taking Mia from his wife.

“Max and Liz would have gotten there by now. I want to see them,” she said.

The Evans were already over there they didn’t want to waste a second of time with their granddaughter or their son.

“Ok let’s go,” Alex agreed and followed his wife out the door. He knew not to mess with her when she was on a mission.

***

“You ready?” Michael asked as they paused out the front of the Crashdown.

Glancing inside he could see that everyone was there.

The grandmothers were fussing over the babies while Isabel was talking Liz’s ear off, about wedding plans most likely. Alex and Max were engrossed in a conversation with Phillip and Jeff and then over in the corner an unfamiliar red head sat talking and smile with Kyle Valenti.

“Is that Kyle?” Maria asked.

“Yeah.”

“Who’s he talking to?” she wondered.

“I’m going to guess that she would be Serena,” he replied.

“Oh,” she frowned. She certainly was beautiful.

Everyone looked up when they entered and then the room erupted again.

Isabel rushed forward to hug her brother and Max, Liz and Alex were following closely.

After all the greetings were exchanged Liz cleared her throat.

“Michael, Maria this is Serena,” she introduced.

Serena stood nervously. This was one meeting she hadn’t been looking forward to. She knew that Maria used to be Liz’s best friend and she also knew that if she was in Maria’s place she wouldn’t be too accepting of the new girl on the block.

“Hi,” she smiled. “It's nice to finally meet you.”

“You too,” Michael replied and stepped forward to shake her hand.

Maria stood back for a second before she stepped forward. She had already decided that she wasn’t going to make a scene or make everything about her.

“It's nice to meet you too,” she smiled.

***

“I don’t want you to leave,” Liz pouted as Max wrapped his arms around her.

They had just finished rehearsing for the next day. Everyone knew where they were supposed to be and when they arrived the next day it would all be set up.

“I know but it’s just for one night and then we’ll never be apart again,” Max promised.

Liz knew he was right. They had agreed to spend the night at separate houses but they didn’t have to like it.

“Are you sure you’re ok keeping Riley? I'll take her if you like?” Max offered.

“No, she can stay with us. Isabel will have Mia too,” she replied.

The girls were only planning on a bit of champagne and some nibbles before some girl stuff like manicures and pedicures.

“Well I guess I'll see you tomorrow,” Max whispered as he leaned down and kissed her.

“You sure will,” she agreed. “I can’t wait to marry you Max Evans.”

“Me either Liz, me either,” Max agreed.

[Emz80m]

Hi everyone, thanks for your feedback. This is the second last part. I will post the final part on Wednesday night as i'm going away on Thursday. I hope you enjoy

Forty-Nine

The day of the wedding dawned sunny and beautiful and when Liz woke she was happy and well rested. Even her daughter seemed to understand the importance of the day and had slept the entire night.

“Morning darling,” Nancy greeted as she pushed into Liz’s room with a tray full of breakfast food.

“Oh mum thank you,” Liz smiled.

“Anything for my daughter on her wedding day,” Nancy replied and kissed her cheek.

“Is Serena up?” Liz asked.

“Yes, she’s in the shower.”

“What time are the other girls coming?” Nancy asked then.

The night before Liz asked both Isabel and Maria to be with her to get ready. It was her way of trying to include them both in her important day; especially Maria who she could sense was disappointed that she wasn’t asked to be a part of it. Unfortunately they had decided to keep it simple and there was no way, after everything that had happened between them, that Liz could have anyone other than Serena stand by her side.

“Not until this afternoon.” Liz replied.

“What time is your appointment at the hairdressers?” Nancy asked.

Liz looked at the clock. It was eight; she had slept in this morning.

“11 o’clock which pretty much gives me enough time to bath Riley and have a nice soak myself.”

“I can take care of Riley sweetheart,” Nancy offered.

“Actually, I think Dianne is coming to collect her to take to Max. He’s offered to get her ready so that I don’t have to worry about it,” Liz explained.

Nancy frowned. “Are you sure that’s safe? I mean how well are the guys going to be able to dress her up?”

Liz grinned and rolled her eyes. “You’d be surprised what Riley will do for her daddy,” she told her.

***

Tess woke later than normal and when she looked out the hotel window she noticed the day was sunny which didn’t suit her mood.

“Why couldn’t it have been raining?” she sighed.

She went about getting ready with no real enthusiasm or haste, she had nothing but time on her hands today.

***

“Are you nervous?” Maria whispered as she helped pin Liz’s veil on her head.

The girls had all got dressed together and now they were just putting the finishing touches on Liz before the car was due to pick up her up.

Right now it was just Liz and Maria, and Liz had asked her to pin her veil.

“No,” Liz shook her head. “Just excited,” she smiled.

“You look absolutely beautiful,” Maria gasped when she stood back and gazed at Liz.

“Thank you,” Liz replied a tear coming to her eye.

“Thank you for letting me be here, be part of it,” Maria responded, “it means so much to me,” she added, tears also appearing her eyes.

“I’m sorry that...”

“Don’t,” Maria stopped her. “I understand,” she added.

Liz nodded.

“I love you Lizzie. Go marry the man of your dreams,” she whispered.

Liz moved forward and hugged her tightly feeling overwhelmed by the moment with her former best friend.

“You might not be physically standing beside me today but you’ll be in my heart,” she whispered before she pulled back.

Isabel and Serena returned to the room then and both gasped when they saw Liz.

“Wow,” Isabel said. “Max is going to lose it,” she grinned.

“That’s the plan,” Serena laughed.

“We should go Maria,” Isabel said then. “Alex is picking us up. Your mum is going to come down and get Riley, Liz.”

“Great,” Liz grinned looking forward to seeing her daughter.

“I'll make sure she’s dressed ok, before I send her up.” Isabel added.

“Thanks Isabel.”

“See you after the ceremony Liz.” they called out as they bid her goodbye.

“Did you think a year ago that I’d be marrying my alien soul mate?” Liz asked Serena.

“Not in a million years but I’m so happy for you.”

“Thank you, for everything,” Liz told her.

“Come on girl, let’s go marry you off so that I’m the only old maid in New Haven,” she teased as she grabbed Liz’s hand and led her out of the room.

***

“Man if that grin gets much bigger your face might crack,” Michael commented as he looked over at Max.

They were on their way out to the rock formation for the wedding and it was obvious to Michael that Max wasn’t nervous at all. He had been happy all day and as the time got closer his excitement just grew.

“I can’t help it, I’m just happy,” he shrugged.

Michael nodded, “It really makes a big difference? You know making it official?” Michael wondered.

Max looked at Michael curiously. “Yeah, I don't know why but it just does.”

“Maybe I might have to try it someday,” he said.

“I think Maria would like that,” Max replied.

***

Tess frowned as she drove on the highway towards the pod chamber. For some reason there were an unusual amount of cars heading out towards Pullman Ranch today and it was making her nervous.

Her car was packed and after her brief trip at the chamber she was leaving again. Where? She had no idea but she knew that there was nothing in Roswell for her anymore. Especially not Kyle.

Her frown deepened as she watched the cars behind her and in front of her take the same trail off the highway and into the dessert. Her instincts told her to turn the car around and get out of there but her curiosity drove her on.

After five minutes of driving she found herself pulling up with all the other cars out the front of the rock formation. She stopped and stared at the scene in front of her in shock. There was red carpet laid out, white chairs and at the front an archway.

Slowly, she got out of the car and watched as the people that pulled up next to her got out too.

Tess almost asked them what was going on but decided against it not wanting to look out of place.

“Tess?”

Tess froze at the sound of his voice.

“Tess is that you?” he asked so she slowly turned around until she was facing him.

Her eyes took him in. He looked good in his charcoal suit.

“Hi Kyle,” she whispered.

“Tess, what the hell are you doing here?” he asked furiously as he approached her and grabbed her arm leading her back to her car.

“I got back into town a couple of days ago,” she replied.

“No I don’t mean Roswell, I mean here.”

Tess looked at him like he was on crack, “Where is here exactly?” she asked. “Last time I checked this was the pod chamber,” she reminded him. “You know the place I was born?” she added in case he had forgotten.

Kyle openly gaped at her. How could it be possible that her timing could be so terrible?

“Kyle?”

“What?” he snapped and Tess shrank back.

“Sorry,” he said.

“What’s going on here?” she asked. “And why on earth are you in the dessert dressed in a suit?”

Kyle sighed. There was no way around telling her the truth he was surprised she hadn’t figured it out on her own.

“There’s a wedding,” he told her with a meaningful look.

Tess gulped, “A wedding?” she whispered.

Kyle nodded.

As if it was scripted and he received his cue, Max’s car approached and pulled up right next to the red carpet.

“Tess....” Kyle tried to get her attention but her eyes were focused on the car where Michael had just emerged, followed by Max.

“Max and Liz?” she asked.

“Yeah,” he replied.

“Oh.”

Her eyes followed Max

Until that very moment she had convinced herself she was over him, over the hurt and all the bullshit but just like it had happened yesterday she felt her heart break.

“He’s getting married,” she whispered.

“Yeah,” Kyle said watching her with concern.

Tess wasn’t the only one who had gotten some perspective in the last year. Kyle knew in that second that he had moved past the whole Tess thing. Although he was concerned for her right now it wasn’t because he wanted something from her, but because once upon a time they were close and he had loved her, and he knew that she didn’t have anyone anymore. The other reason Kyle knew that he had gotten over Tess was because for the first time in a long time he had met someone he thought he could be more with, Serena, and he didn’t want Tess’s presence to ruin that, or Max and Liz’s wedding.

“Look, I’m sorry that you stumbled upon this but you should go. Liz and Max definitely would not want you here.”

“Yeah,” Tess nodded knowing he was right.

“But if I go now he’ll see me, see the car.”

“I doubt he’s paying attention,” Kyle argued. “If you have an ounce of decency in you, go before Liz gets here.”

“Did they have their baby?” she asked.

Kyle was about to object, “Just answer a couple of questions and I promise I'll go and never come back.”

“Ok, but make sure you leave your cell in case we need to get hold of you,” he told her. Alex had confided in him that Isabel was scared that one day they would need her for something have no idea how to get in contact with her, or that something could happen to her and that they would never know.

Tess nodded and wrote out her number and handed it to him.

“A girl, her name is Riley,” he told her. “Isabel also had a girl, Mia.”

Tess smiled and nodded. “Tell them, tell them I said congratulations,” she nodded. “I heard Maria’s single, I’m so happy for her.”

“I'll tell them,” he promised.

Tess looked at Kyle sadly then. “You look good. I hope you’re happy,” she whispered.

“Thanks. I’m getting there.”

Kyle watched as she got back into her car and slowly drove away from the wedding just as Liz’s and her parent’s cars arrived.

[Emz80m]

Hi everyone,

Well this is the sad part, where i post the final part, i hope you've enjoy reading Endings & Beginnings as much as i've enjoyed writing it Thanks to all of you who have left feedback through out this fic, i really appreciate your support.

Hopefully I'll have something new for you soon, but until then stay tuned for new parts of Broken.

Cheers

Emma

Part Fifty

One Year Later

“This was a great idea Liz,” Isabel grinned at her sister in law as they looked out at the beach spread in front of them.

“I totally agree.” Maria chimed in, pushing her sunglasses down onto her nose to look at her the other girls.

It had been a year since Liz and Max’s wedding and Liz had invited them all to Mexico to help celebrate with her and Max, and so that they could all spend some time together. It was very rare that they ever could juggle their schedules to be together anymore and they all agreed that it was a great idea.

“Well it’s been a years since we’ve all been together. This week should be great for all of us,” Liz replied as she spied her husband talking animatedly to Michael out of the corner of her eyes.

Liz knew how much he missed seeing his sister and Michael all the time. It was even harder to manage to get the three of them together at the same time anymore. So she knew that they needed this time together and was glad that she, with Alex’s help, had been able to make it happen.

“It might have been easier if some of us weren’t jet setting around the country on tour,” Serena teased from beside Liz.

Isabel and Liz laughed.

“Ha ha,” Maria replied. “It's hardly jet setting when you’re in a crummy old bus but one day...”

“One day you’ll have your own jet and Michael will be a kept man,” Isabel jumped in.

“I can’t wait to see that,” Liz grinned.

“So what do you ladies think?” Alex asked as the men approached. “Is it what we wanted?” He added knowing how fussy Isabel was.

“Better,” she replied.

“I knew you were the man for the job Alex,” Liz added.

“I was a little worried when you told me you put Whitman in charge, Liz,” Kyle piped up.

“Better Alex than you Kyle,” Serena replied.

“Hey! I could have booked this,” He told her.

“If you say so,” she teased.

“You’re asking for it woman,” he warned her.

“Yeah?” she asked as she began edging past him.

“Yeah.”

“Well you’ve got to catch me first,” she called out over her shoulder as she took off running onto the beach.

“Shit,” Kyle yelped before taking off after her.

“They make a really good couple,” Maria smiled as she watched them.

“Yeah they do,” Max agreed. It was odd for him at first when they had started dating, even weirder when Kyle had moved to New Haven to be with Serena. It meant that Max saw him all the time because they spent so much time with Serena but they had somehow managed to get over their issues with each other and were now pretty good friends. Kyle would never replace Michael but it certainly was good to have a close friend, especially one who knew about his alien status.

“You think they’ll get married?” Alex asked.

“I’d say it’s on the cards,” Liz smiled.

“Speaking of marriage,” Michael cleared his throat.

All eyes turned to him, including Maria who rolled her eyes at his not so subtle attempt at an announcement.

“Maria and I thought we’d try it sometime soon,” he said.

“What!” Isabel cried.

“What Space boy is trying to say,” Maria stepped in producing her hand with a beautiful quaint diamond ring, “is that he asked me to marry him and I agreed.” she grinned.

“Oh my God,” Liz and Isabel cried and threw their arms around her.

Max turned to his best friend, his brother, with a smile. “Took you long enough.”

“Yeah well, those things aren’t cheap,” he nodded towards the ring she was showing off.

Alex laughed, “Hope you got a good payment plan.” He still shuddered at the thought of what Isabel’s engagement ring had set him back.

Serena and Kyle joined them again then and both offered their congratulations to the couple too.

“It will be your turn next,” Maria whispered to her when Kyle wasn’t paying attention.

Serena beamed. “I hope so, but thank you,” she said.

The two women had forged a friendship in the past 12 months. At first they had both attributed it to their love and friendship with Liz but soon they realised that they had a lot in common and except for the science stuff they got a long really well. It made Liz happy too and it meant that Serena had been welcomed openly into their group, along with Kyle.

“Come for a walk?” Max whispered coming up from behind his wife and wrapping his arms around her.

“I’d love to,” she grinned.

They walked hand in hand down the beach quietly. Both of them had many thoughts going through their minds but both were content to just be with each other.

“Thank you for this,” Max finally broke the silence and came to a stop on the beach. He took a seat and pulled Liz down to sit between his legs as they stared out into the ocean.

“You don't need to thank me. I really wanted to see everyone too.”

“I know but after everything we all put you through, the way you’ve forgiven us all and let us into your life whole heartedly just amazes me,” he told her.

“They deserved my forgiveness, they all earn't it,” she told him. “Especially you,” she assured him with a kiss.

They truly had. After everything with Tess, Michael, Isabel and Maria had all gone out of their way to fix things between themselves and Liz, and not just for Max’s sake but because they realised for the first time what they had truly missed being a part of Liz’s life and having her as part of their group.

Liz knew that the memories would always be there and there would always be scars to remind her of those times but she also knew that you couldn’t move on and concentrate on the future if you were living in the past, and she definitely wanted to concentrate on her future.

“Can you believe we’ve been married a year?” Max asked her.

Sometimes he still wanted to pinch himself when he woke up of a morning with Liz wrapped in his arms. How had he been lucky enough to deserve her and the wonderful life they had created together?

It had been hard moving past his relationship with Tess and her betrayal and lies. Not just on Max, but on everyone. It was hard to accept that someone you had trusted so much could hurt you by using that very trust. Max knew he would most likely never forgive Tess for it, he also accepted that his own betrayals had played a large part in driving her over the edge.

He sometimes wondered where she was now, if she was ok. Even though he could never forgive her he also hated what he had driven her to, what she had lost because of her lies and betrayals and knew how high she had paid.

“It's been the best year of my life,” Liz told him. “You and Riley are my life Max and you make me so happy,” she assured him.

“Me too, Liz, me too. I’m going to love you and make you happy for the rest of my life,” he vowed and Liz smiled as she remembered the vows they had made saying exactly that a year ago.



After sitting on the beach together for some time and sharing a few kisses they finally stood, and hands clasped, made their way back towards where their friends and family were waiting.

The group all smiled as they approached and made room for them to sit with them.

Max looked around the group and it made him smile to realise that they were all as happy as he was. Isabel and Alex were still madly in love and were enjoying Mia, Michael and Maria were getting married and had managed to find a balance in their life that allowed them both to follow their dreams, and Serena had found love in and he had found a friend in an unlikely source in Kyle.

“I know we’re all busy but let’s make a promise that once a year, no matter what, we’ll all stop and get together like this,” Isabel spoke up to the group.

“There is nothing more important in life than family and friends,” Liz chimed in, sending all of them a meaningful look that told them all what they meant to her.

They were all sharing different thoughts as they thought about Liz’s words.

Some were thinking about old friends who although were no longer part of their lives, would never be forgotten. Others were thinking about the circle of life and the journey to get there.

“I think that’s a wonderful idea Isabel,” Michael agreed.

“Yep,” Serena chimed in too.

Max smiled and leaned over to kiss his wife. He had learnt a lot in such a short time, he had hurt and been hurt, but he knew he was a better person because of it.

When one thing ends another thing can begin, sometimes it can be beautiful and sometimes it might just be a stepping stone on the way to something else. No one can know until they take the first step and they only can hope that something good is bordering on the new horizon.

THE END