Everything You Are (CC,M/L, Mature) AN PG 15 5/3/07 [WIP]

[javagin]

Story Warnings: EYA contains scenes of violence, rape, and attempted rape (male and female)

Please feel free to let me know what you think of the new version!



Thanks to the fabulous GabrielKnight for this beautiful picture he made for me!

Pairings: M/L, M/M, K/I, A/S

Title: Everything You Are

Author: Javagin

Summary: This story takes place immediately after Viva Las Vegas ends and takes off in my own direction from there. Max and Liz find each other at last, in a way that no one ever expected. Their destiny is now clear, but their adventures are just beginning. What really happened to Max in the White Room and how does that continue to affect him? Learn how each of the pod squad is affected by Max and Liz’s joining and how it pulls them together in ways they never anticipated.

Rating: ADULT

Disclaimer: The characters from this story are borrowed and I only own the situations I put them in! I make no money from this complete work of fiction.

Part 1

"It's 226!" Michael declared adamantly as he leaned back in the leather recliner and popped the top on another Mountain Dew.

"No, it's 227," Max replied, "did you count the guy whose head was in the basket?" He grimaced as Michael liberally laced his soda with Tabasco and took a long chug. “How can you drink that so early in the morning?”

Michael rolled his eyes, taking another long drink. He’d had worse for breakfast, that was for sure. "I still think you’re wrong. Let's watch it again!" Michael suggested eagerly, already searching around for the remote to start the Braveheart DVD over again and resume the body count.

"No, Michael, we have to catch our plane, remember?" Max stood up and stretched his arms over his head, looking around the opulent hotel room. His shirt rode up over his chiseled stomach and he absently reached down to rub his fingers over his abs as he tried to memorize the luxurious hotel room. He wouldn't be forgetting this trip anytime soon. His eyes automatically searched out Liz, who was laughing with Maria, Alex, and Isabel as they finished off room service breakfasts across the suite. She glanced up and caught him staring. Again. He gave a slight wave and turned quickly back to Michael feeling the heat flood his face, not catching her own heated expression as her eyes hungrily longed for another glimpse of his leanly muscled form.

"Let's get our gear together and head out!" He stated loud enough for everyone to hear. He hid a half smile at the general grumbling that filled the suite at his announcement. He didn't mind, he was used to being the voice of responsibility, the reminder of reality. He also couldn't blame them, they were headed back into certain trouble. After Sheriff Valenti got done telling all of their parents that they had given themselves a vacation in Vegas and skipped 6th period last Friday they probably wouldn't be allowed out of their respective houses again for weeks-except for school or work, of course.

Oh well, thought Max, that won't be so different from my life right now anyway! He shook off the dark mood and grabbed his backpack, sweeping it onto his shoulder and scanning the room to make sure they had not left anything behind. His gaze collided with Liz's once more before skittering away quickly. Was it too much to wish that she might still have feelings for him, or was it just a coincidence that she seemed to be looking at him as much as he did at her? He remembered the amazing way she felt in his arms during their dance earlier and the happy camaraderie they shared until they came back to their suite and found Valenti waiting.

"Our plane leaves in an hour and a half, Max. Let's hit the road!" Michael slapped him on the shoulder and opened the door, sweeping his arm grandly to usher out the gang. "Let's go! Let's go! No loitering in the halls, no trips to the boutique, and you better not have any of that money left, because it's all staying in Vegas!"

As Michael made this declaration all the girls filed past and then Max and Alex. He took one last look around and closed the door. He felt that maybe he had purged the nightmares and he certainly felt he had reconnected with Max. That had really been the most important point of the trip for Michael. Max was his beacon of sanity, his reality check, the one constant that kept him on course. Not that he'd ever admit that out loud! Michael knew he was rough around the edges, he liked it even, in a way he felt just as necessary as Max to the group because he thought outside the box, acted impulsively, and sometimes that was their only answer.

They'd almost made it to the lobby doors when Maria suddenly declared she had to pee and grabbed Liz's arm to steer her across the hall to the lavatory.

Michael rolled his eyes and turned to Isabel. "Is, what is up with girls pairing off in bathrooms? Do you hold each others hands in there, or what?"

Isabel rolled her eyes dramatically, crossing her arms in front of her. "Hey, don't ask me! I am not breaking my oath as a woman by revealing our secrets to you!"

"Uh huh, so you don't know either?" Max asked, grinning broadly.

"Nope. I have no clue," Isabel shook her head with a wide smile as she leaned back against the wall to wait.

"What is taking them so long?" Michael asked in frustration a couple minutes later. "Liz has the room keys and we need them to check out!"

"I'll go in to check." Isabel volunteered readily, tired of waiting, and already heading across the hall.

"Oh no, you don't!" Michael grabbed her arm to pull her back. "Maria will just suck you into the make-up, gabfest and we'll miss our plane!" Michael strode to the bathroom door and shoved it open just as Maria came careening out.

"Michael! Is Liz out here?" she asked, clearly in a panic.

"What? No, she came in with you!" Max swept past Maria and scanned the bathroom.

"Liz! Are you in here?" His voice came out steadier than he felt inside, but he still got no answer. His gaze fell to the floor under the sinks and landed on Liz's purse. He strode forward and picked it up. She would never leave that behind, she was just as responsible as he was. A sick feeling of dread washed through him. His eyes roamed the room as he tried to slow his heartbeat and ease down the panic he felt building inside him. He spotted another door across the bathroom and ran to it. It was locked tight so he used his powers to pop it open and stood looking down a Staff Only hallway.

Michael, Isabel, Maria, and Alex crowded in behind Max. Max held up Liz's purse as silent testimony that something was very wrong and took off down the hall yelling "Liz! Liz! Where are you?" They all searched frantically for several moments knocking on doors and eliciting surprised reactions from various employee's, several of whom eventually escorted them back to the public areas forcibly.

Max began to pace muttering under his breath about needing a plan.

"Okay stop!" Alex held up his hands. "Here's what we need to do: Isabel, try your dreamwalking thing, you connected with her before when Max was in New York right?" Isabel nodded her agreement.

All the friends crowded around as she closed her eyes and tried to focus. All of a sudden a vision of Liz appeared in front of Max and showed him the number 134. Her face was streaked with tears and she was trying to tell him something, but he couldn't make out the words. She disappeared abruptly after looking quickly over her shoulder.

"Liz!" Max and Maria cried in unison. "We've got to find her!" Max ground out.

"What does 134 mean?" Isabel asked the group. "It looked really familiar..."

"It's a room number!" Max burst out, suddenly certain that's where they would find her as he took off running down the Staff Only hall again.

^ ^ ^ ^ ^

Liz trembled in fear as she cowered down in a heap where her abductor had thrown her. It was the man who had turned Tess and her away from the casino for being under age.

"I am sick and tired of you young girls flaunting yourselves and thinking you can deceive me!" he ranted. He was agitated and sweating as he paced around her. His constant motion was making her dizzy and sick. Or maybe it was from the mind-numbing fear that was streaking through her in waves of pulse-pounding adrenaline.

Liz’s eyes were fixed on the large man’s powerful hands clenching and unclenching. The only thought in her head was for Max to save her, to somehow know where she was and swoop in to rescue her. Her mind screamed out for Max to come for her and she tried to reach out with her senses, knowing there was almost no hope. No one was more startled than she when she suddenly found herself standing in front of Max.

"I'm in room 134!!" She yelled urgently, visualizing to him the number plaque from the door that she'd glimpsed while she was being dragged in. She heard the man approach her from behind and turned her head to look over her shoulder in fear, just as he grabbed her around the neck and pulled her to him until her back slammed hard into his chest..

"Please don't!" She rasped out with the small amount of breath she had left. Her hands clawed over his fingers, but he wouldn’t loosen his grip.

"You want to be all grown up?" he growled lowly by her ear, grinding his erection nastily against her lower back, while her fear ratcheted up sharply and she almost gagged at the foul stench of alcohol on his breath. "I'll teach you how to be a grown up!" His large hands wrapped over her slender shoulders as he slammed her to the rough carpet forcing the last breath from her body. He braced his forearm over her throat and leaned heavily against her as he groped low with his free hand to rip at her skirt and underwear. She kicked feebly under his weight as sick fear rolled through her again and spots danced in front of her eyes. Knowing what would happen if she couldn’t fight him off, Liz struggled for air and freedom, but the room was getting fuzzy as she felt him rip off her underwear and force her legs apart with impatient jabs from his knees as he groped at his own zipper and held her down with his hand at her throat. He leaned in close to her face and his hot breath panted over her face as he made her look at him. “You’re gonna love this,” he groaned nastily as he licked his tongue over the soft skin of her cheek.

"Max!" her mind screamed out her last thought before succumbing to the welcome darkness, knowing she had lost.

^ ^ ^ ^ ^

“She’s here!" Max yelled out as he felt Liz's frenzied panic in his mind. He kicked the door open, all of his adrenaline screaming for physical action.

The scene before him shocked him to the core. A large man with his hand around Liz's throat was crouched down between her bare legs, cock in hand, clearly about to rape her.

In a blind rage Max leaped forward with superhuman speed and ripped the attacker away from Liz. His fists flew at the mans face with cruel force before the surprised criminal knew what was happening and collected himself enough to retaliate. He threw a couple of ineffective punches at Max before falling ungracefully to the ground unconscious.

Max continued to pummel his face into the ground until Michael and Alex dragged him away forcibly.

"He's out, Max! He can't hurt her anymore!" Alex shouted. Max's gaze flew back to Liz and he dropped his fists to crawl across the distance separating them and gather her into his arms.

"Liz? Liz? Please be okay!" He pleaded, his hands running over her body, using his power to ascertain the damage. Just then the hotel security burst in, followed by Maria and Isabel, and demanded to know what all the noise was about. Alex explained quickly while Michael grabbed Max’s arm to get his attention.

"You can't heal her in front of them!" he whispered urgently, glancing fearfully back at the guards. “Wait until I…” He moved around to block their view and gestured to Max to do it quickly. Max started Liz's breathing again, but did not have time to fix her bruises before a security officer knelt down by them.

"Is she okay?" he asked. The security guard took in her state of undress. "Was she raped? Does she need an ambulance?"

"No," Max held her closer as her eyes fluttered open. "No ambulance. She's going to be fine."

He lowered his face into her hair and whispered, "I'll never let anyone hurt you again!" Liz looked up into the most beautiful amber eyes she had ever seen.

"Max, is it really you?" Suddenly she flew into his chest in fright, huddling as close as was physically possible.

"There's a man! The one that wouldn't let Tess and me into..."

"Shhh... I know, he can't hurt you anymore," he promised, stroking her hair back and turning her to look at him. "I'll keep you safe -always." He promised solemnly.

"Ma'am, can I ask you a few questions?" The security man asked as he reached out for her arm to divert her attention from the young man holding her. She flinched violently further back into Max's arms, trembling uncontrollably.

"Max! Get me out of here!" she whispered frantically, her eyes darting around the room and stopping in horror on the unconscious form of her attacker. Max gathered her up and stood effortlessly. He smoothed her skirt back down tenderly over her bruised legs and began walking to the door. As he left the room he could hear sirens outside getting closer and hoped viciously that it was the police and not the ambulance the attacker probably needed.

One of the hotel security officers followed them out, "We're going to need a statement!”

Max shot him a fierce look over his shoulder. "Give her a few minutes to pull herself together!" He continued striding down the hall. "We'll be in the Presidential Suite."

Their friends crowded with them into the elevator, closing in a protective circle around Max and Liz. Michael held his hand over the controls and the elevator glided uninterrupted to the top floor. They swept into the room they had just vacated and Max took Liz directly to the largest bedroom to lay her tenderly on the bed, sliding in quickly behind her. She leaned back against him gratefully. He always seemed to know exactly what she needed.

Maria jumped on the bed and gave her a fierce hug. "I was so worried! What happened?! I was still talking to you and then I heard a noise and then you stopped answering and when I came out from the stall you were gone! What can I do? Are you okay?"

Maria's questions ceased abruptly when Michael pulled her back and whispered "Give her a break! She looks like she's in shock." He directed his gaze to Max. "What can we do?"

Max looked up into the faces of his four worried friends. "Get Liz some water -and an extra blanket," he added when he felt her shivering, "and then I want you guys to fly home."

That was a very unpopular suggestion and elicited immediate protests from all four of their companions.

"No arguments!" Max glared at them meaningfully, "We can't get you all tangled up with the police here! I want you all to catch that flight, you need to explain to Mom and Dad that I had to stay longer, okay, Isabel?" Isabel nodded. "And, Maria, take Alex and cover with Liz's parents for another day, okay?"

They nodded also.

Michael came back just then with blanket and an entire pitcher of water. Liz favored him with a small grateful smile and huddled closer under the blanket into Max's broad chest.

"Wait, wait,” Max scrubbed a weary hand over his forehead, vaguely registering the ache in his fingers from the fight, and trying to think. “Does anyone have Tess's cell number? I may have a better idea." Max looked up at the faces surrounding them.

"Yeah, yeah I know it." Isabel volunteered.

"Okay, call her and tell her to put the sheriff on the phone and explain to him what went down here so he can help cover the situation with our parents, that way we won't be expected back for another day anyway. Maybe he hasn’t told them all yet. Michael, this room was paid for one more night anyway, right?"

Michael nodded.

"Good! Now does everyone know what to do?"

They all nodded silently.

"Okay, Max, call if you need anything all right?" Michael said.

"Yeah, I will," Max pulled Liz closer and gently kissed the top of her head, running his hands up and down her arms to stop her shaking. "Now get out of here before the police start knocking!"

The group left together with many worried looks cast back over their shoulders. It just didn't feel right to leave their friends in that condition.

Max felt Liz let out her breath in a deep sigh as they heard the suite door close behind their friends. "I want to heal your bruises. Is that all right?" Max gently moved his hand up toward her neck.

"No, Max!" Liz exclaimed, flinching away. When she saw the hurt look in his eyes she turned into his arms and hugged him hard. "The hotel security already saw them remember?" she sighed when she saw comprehension dawn over Max's face. "Besides, it's like evidence against him right? He needs to pay for what he’s done!" She trembled at her memories.

"Yeah, if he makes it out of the hospital," Max agreed quietly.

Liz looked back at him anxiously, "Max, what did you...?"

"I didn't use my powers," he reassured her quickly, "but I beat him up pretty bad -he wasn't moving when we left." Just then a loud knocking rang out.

"Open up! Police!

TBC

[javagin]

Part 2

Liz couldn’t hold back a soft whimper when Max moved off the bed to get the door.

"I'll be right back," he promised, leaning back swiftly to place a quick kiss on the top of her head.

He quickly answered the door and led the two officers back into the bedroom with Liz. He automatically moved in behind her again and pulled her in close against his chest.

The two male officers made note of the protective posture before beginning to ask a series of questions about the events of the morning.

Once they seemed satisfied with the completeness of their accounting they brought in a female police photographer to document Liz's bruises.

Max looked away to lend her privacy when the officer asked to take Liz's torn clothes into evidence. When they were finally left in peace Max made sure the hotel door was "double" locked against any further intrusion before making his way swiftly back to Liz's side.

She looked impossibly small and helpless huddled inside her voluminous terry hotel robe. She folded naturally back into his arms and he felt her shoulders begin to shake against his chest as she began to cry. He held her trembling body close and stroked her back tenderly, marveling at how strong she had been while it was necessary and unspeakably grateful that she could release her pain to him.

When her sobbing subsided into occasional sniffles and hiccups he cupped her face in his hands and looked deeply into her eyes.

"Please, Liz?" he pleaded, tears trembling in his own eyes at the thought of her in pain.

Understanding immediately, she gave him a slight nod and lifted her chin trustingly to give him access to her neck.

His hand crept up gently to touch her bruises and, keeping his eyes locked to hers, the marks disappeared as his fingers brushed over them.

His body stiffened unexpectedly as he began to experience the entire episode from her memories in a sudden flash as if it were happening to him. He moaned out loud, his breath coming in shuddering gasps as his hands sought out the bruises he now knew were on her arms and inner thighs from her desperate struggles.

"Liz!" he breathed her name in heartfelt sympathy as he cupped her face between his palms and fell deeper into their connection as she surrendered to his care.

Now the flashes he was seeing were coming so thick and fast that it took him a moment to process the sequence of events.

An older, long haired version of himself saying he needed Liz to make him fall out of love with her or they would cause the end of the world.

Liz's fierce sobbing and heart wrenching cries of despair at her efforts to push Max away.

Liz's desperate ploy with Kyle to give Max that final push away -because she loved him too much not to.

Max rocked away from her in shock as he realized what he had seen.

"Liz! What did you do?" he gasped out harshly, staring at her as if she were a stranger.

Liz stared at him blankly -not knowing what he had seen, a sense of rising panic almost choking her with fear. "What?!" She was starting to worry he thought the attack was her fault. "He just came after me –I…I tried to get away, I swear!"

"No! I mean pushing me away -that thing with Kyle…it was all a lie."

The blood drained abruptly from Liz's face increasing her pallor alarmingly. She leaned back away from him, as if her proximity would continue to give her away.

"Max, I don't know what..." her trembling voice tripped over the lie.

"No! Don't lie to me, Liz. Not anymore! I saw! I…I can't believe how strong you were. Are! I felt how hard that was for you and I know now how you really feel about me, but you did it anyway. For me, for us, for…for everyone!"

Lis slumped back in defeat. She was so tired of fighting this, and now it was useless anyway. He knew!

"I couldn't tell you. That was the hardest part! Max -I will never lie to you again." She swore earnestly, looking him in the eyes so he would know the sincerity of her vow, her own eyes filled with tears that threatened to spill again at the slightest provocation.

"I know, I know," he cuddled her close and realized she was still shivering, her skin cold. "We need to get you warmed up!" With sudden resolve Max picked her up and walked her into the bathroom.

He set her on her feet gently still holding her close to his chest as he reached into the shower, turning it on and adjusting the temperature.

He started to step away to give her some privacy, but she pulled him back begging him to stay. "Max, please! I don't want to be alone!" Slowly she fumbled with the knot at her waist before she managed to untie her robe and let it drop to the floor.

Her beauty and trust stunned him into immobility as she reached to open the buttons of his black shirt. She pushed it over his shoulders, her hands skimming over his muscled arms until the shirt felt silently to the floor before she reached for his pants.

The touch of her fingers at his waist shocked him back to himself enough to place a gentle hand over hers on his pants button and ask "Are you sure?"

She nodded mutely, her dark eyes never leaving his as she unbuttoned his pants, slowly lowering the zipper. She pushed her hands inside the waistbands of his pants and boxers and tugged them both down simultaneously.

Max pulled her close, so their bodies touched from feet to shoulders, reveling in the first press of their naked bodies against each other. They stepped into the spray of the multiple showerheads together and Max ran his hands up and down Liz's arms and sides, enjoying the slick softness of her skin.

His bodies natural reaction to Liz's proximity could not be hidden, he pulled his pelvis away from her slightly, praying she would not notice. Now was a time to take care of her, rebuild her trust and make her whole again. After what she had been through she didn't need to worry about his intentions!

But Liz had other ideas and pulled him back, wrapping her arms around his neck, she lifted her face and pleaded softly, "Kiss me, Max."

Max could not deny her. Staring into her eyes he gently lowered his lips to hers and feathered them over her mouth.

Liz whimpered and stood on tiptoe, sliding her slick body against his to gain better access to his sweet mouth. Max slowly deepened the kiss, his hands sliding up her arms to tangle in her hair. He angled his mouth to gently tease her lips with his tongue. Her lips parted naturally, her own tongue peeking out to deepen the kiss further.

Max groaned deep in his throat and pulled back with a Herculean effort of will.

"Liz -let me take care of you! Please -you don't have to do this!"

"Max -you're always taking care of me and I need you now. I need to feel close to you. Please don’t deny me now, Max!"

"I have always loved you, Liz," he groaned at her throat, his tongue sliding over the tender skin there.

"I feel like I’ve loved you forever, Max" She echoed sincerely, "Now show me. Please," she added, hoping he wouldn't resist, she needed his loving touch to wipe away memories of her unwelcome attack.

Max reached slowly to the side of the shower and retrieved the soap, rubbing it between his palms. Liz's initial disappointment at his withdrawal trickled away when he drew her back to him and began rubbing soap over her arms and sliding his hands slowly down her back.

The sensual feel of his hands running over her now overheated flesh caused new shivers of desire to shake her slight frame. She closed her eyes and tipped her head back, enjoying the sensation of Max's strong hands on her body at last. Working up more lather from the soap Max began running his hands up her sides from the waist, watching her reactions, ready to stop if she changed her mind. He gradually brought his palms across her pert breasts, carefully rubbing his thumbs over the now straining peaks.

Liz whimpered her enjoyment, her body straining forward into his hands in an unconscious bid for more.

"You are so beautiful!" he exclaimed in wonder. He marveled at the love and trust she displayed toward him after everything she had recently endured.

His hands continued their route up her body and gently massaged her shoulders for a few moments, trying to show Liz with his hands how much he wanted to nurture and care for her.

Applying more soap to his hands he began to rub slow circles over her hips, kneeling down he carefully ran his hands down her legs and back up. Both of their breathing patterns became erratic and ragged.

Liz didn't know how much more she could take. Her trembling legs could no longer hold her up and she sank down to kneel with Max on the floor of the large shower. The water sprayed over them from all directions, the misty steam giving a surreal feeling to all that was happening. Liz slowly reached up, cupped Max's face in her hands, and drew his mouth back to hers.

"Make love to me, Max," she whispered, pleading with her eyes.

"Liz, we can't! It's too soon and you'll regret..."

"No! Max, I will never regret anything we do together and I want to be with you!"

"We don't even have any protection, Liz! What if..." he stopped talking when her face suddenly flushed and she looked down.

"What?" he asked, intrigued by the shy blush that moved slowly over her down turned face.

"Um, Max -you saw the flashes of what happened when Future Max came back, right?"

He nodded uncomprehendingly, puzzled by the apparent non-sequitur.

"Well, after he told me that we had "cemented" our relationship I couldn't stop thinking about how sometimes things just happen without any planning and you know how I always need a plan, right?"

Max nodded again, still not sure where this was going.

"So I made an appointment with my doctor and she put me on the Pill," she finished in a soft rush, finally meeting his eyes.

Realization dawned over Max's face as the last barrier to their intimacy was neatly removed for him. He could no longer resist. The overwhelming feeling of love and longing he had felt for her for so many years were too strong to be denied.

TBC

[javagin]

EYA Part 3

Max turned off the shower and reached out the door grabbing two towels off the warming rack. He bundled Liz into one and wrapped the other around his waist. He swept her effortlessly into his arms, his eyes never leaving hers, and walked purposefully to set her gently in the middle of the king size bed.

He crawled on the bed and lay out full length beside her. Still holding her gaze his mouth slowly descended to lightly brush her lips. Their eyes swept closed as new sensations washed over them. They slowly increased the intensity of the kiss until their mouths opened.

Max's tongue sought Liz's and he angled his head for greater access as he tangled one hand in her dark hair while slowly removing her towel with the other. He flung it to the side and pulled back to gaze at his only love. Her beauty constantly amazed him. He stroked his hand down her body to her thigh and back up, resting it just beneath her breast amazed at his freedom to touch her so intimately.

Her chest heaved as she tried to control her breathing. He made her feel so beautiful, like he couldn't even see any of her flaws.

"You don't have any," he answered her thought absently, already licking a path down her throat.

"Any what?" Liz questioned in confusion, her senses clouding into a haze of desire at the sweep of his velvet tongue over her sensitized flesh.

"Flaws,” he moaned lightly as her hands kneaded the hard muscles at his shoulders, “You don't have any."

"Max... I…,” she gasped as his tongue skirted her nipple for the first time, not quite touching. She tried to remember what she was saying before, it had felt important. “I didn't say that out loud!" Her eyes widened at the realization of what this meant.

Their connection was deeper than it had ever been. Max smiled slightly and shook his head.

"Nothing should surprise us about what we can do when we're together." He then stared into her eyes projecting one thought.

"Oh!! I love you too!" Liz exclaimed, thrilled with the new realization of how they were meant to be. She reached out and removed his towel, feeling his surprise at her boldness through the new connection that hummed open between them.

She reached out tentative hands and pushed him back to lay down on the bed. She ran her hands all the way down his chest letting her fingertips trace slowly over his rippling muscles. She enjoyed the effect she was causing in Max as she watched his breathing quicken and his fists clench at his sides. Lowering her mouth to his masculine nipple her tongue lapped out and she licked all around it causing Max to groan as it hardened. Encouraged, she began to suck lightly.

Max's hands instantly went to her shoulders so he could drag her up the length of his body for a deep, drugging kiss. He trailed his lips down her neck and mimicked the movements she had practiced on him.

Liz thrashed under him, moaning for more. Max switched to the other breast and licked it. He lightly blew air over it and watched in fascination as it grew and hardened. Unable to resist he sucked it deeply into his mouth and laved it with his tongue. Liz clamped his head to her chest and thrashed her hips under him, not able to believe he was capable of eliciting such sensations. Max continued his sensual journey downward, trailing kisses over her ribs and swirling his tongue around her navel. He gently let his hands travel over her thighs, fingers moving in small circular motions to her inner legs. He then used his thumbs to part her curls and gazed for the first time at the source of his beloved's pleasure. He trailed his fingers along the edges of her nether lips causing her hips to jump forward in frantic response.

No longer able to resist her lure, he lowered his mouth and tasted her.

Liz screamed out his name and arched her back up to be closer to him. Her body was on fire! Max held her hips firmly to the mattress and began to gently lick and suck her center of pleasure in a steady rhythm sensing exactly what she needed. Liz's hips bucked up to match his pace and she tossed her head and clenched her hands over the sheets as she let go and fell over the edge into bliss.

"Max!! Oh Max!!" Liz panted, her body now flushed and hot with arousal and trembling with new need.

When her tremors calmed Max slid up in the bed and leaned into her passionately, sharing her sweet taste with her. Liz returned the kiss heatedly, finally letting her hands roam over his hard buttocks and around to the front where she explored his straining erection for the first time. Silk over steel. Her small hand circled his width and she stroked him up and down. A thought flittered through that he wouldn't fit.

"Don't worry," Max whispered to dispel her brief concern, as he nuzzled a path down the slender column of her throat. "We'll go slow."

Unable to take any more of her innocent exploration Max gently nudged her knees apart and guided himself to her entrance. He teased the head of his cock over her opening, loving the slick glide as her wet arousal and his pre-cum eased the path.

“Ma…Max! Don’t make me wait anymore!” Liz moaned and arched her hips up to meet his hardened flesh, just wanting…needing…him inside her. Max took a halting breath and pressed himself into her entrance until he met her barrier. Wanting this memory to be pure pleasure he paused to move his hand down between their bodies. Max stared into Liz's eyes and, understanding what he intended to do, she gave him a slight smile and nodded.

Liz rocked her hips up as Max pushed in and breached her barrier, immediately healing the slight sting of pain. The feeling of being inside his love rocked through him in waves of ecstasy. He held himself motionless over her for a moment to catch his breath, regain control, and give Liz a chance to adjust to his sizeable bulk.

Liz caught her breath as she wrapped her hands around his upper arms, loving the fierce look of arousal and concentration that covered his features as he tried to hold back as long as it took for her to signal she was okay with this. She felt his cock throbbing inside of her and could wait no longer. Max, inside of her! This was the way they should always be. They completed each other.

As she began to move her hips under him, it caused such a riot of sensations between them that they both moaned aloud. They realized in shock that their connection was allowing them to feel the others pleasure as well as their own. His hips began rocking into hers and she matched him thrust for thrust.

Max sensed that Liz craved his lips on her breast and bent his head to pleasure her taut nipples. He sucked one hard nub into his mouth and flicked his tongue over it while she cried out her pleasure and arched desperately underneath him, her hands clutching his arms for stability as her world rocked apart. He moved up her chest to her throat and sucked the tender skin before licking a path over her jaw and sweeping a new trail over her lower lip. She gasped as his thrusts grew longer and harder and she wrapped her legs around his hips to allow him greater access as his mouth plundered hers, out of control.

He could feel her inner walls clench over his manhood as she came for him a second time in long rolling waves and he couldn't wait any longer. With several long, firm thrusts he joined her over the edge and spilled his seed inside her. Their realities spun out as they gasped together before Max collapsed to her side, still connected, and they stared at each other in awe. He gathered her close until their breathing steadied and asked, "Are you all right?"

"Great!" She managed to gasp between breaths with a wide grin which he returned full force.

Liz was stunned by the beauty of his rare smile.

"Hey, I smile!" Max protested her thought.

Liz looked down, embarrassed that he’d discerned her thoughts once again. "Uh, not much lately, Max. It's like you've always got the weight of the world on your shoulders and you never take time to laugh and enjoy yourself."

Uncomfortable with the truth behind her words, Max kissed her quickly and changed the subject. "I had a flash, Liz."

"Me too."

"What did you see?" They asked together and collapsed laughing at how in sync they were.

"You start," Max said as Liz settled her head on his shoulder.

"It started with a man running through the desert toward the cave where we found the healing stones..."

"And he hid something in an opening in the cave wall!" Max finished for her realizing they had seen the same thing.

"We need to get back and check it out!" Liz exclaimed, realizing it may be an important find for the pod squad.

"Not right away, okay? I just want to concentrate on you -on us. I can hardly believe we're together like this! Liz, I can never let you go, it's you and me from now on. We're stronger and better when we're together. I love you..." His impassioned speech ended with a tender kiss that gradually turned more serious.

Max's cock stirred back to life inside Liz and he rolled her on top of him. Liz began to move up and down his length for long moments setting the pace. Gradually, her movements became more erratic as she worked herself on top of him, her thighs flexing with the effort. Max reached his hands up to run over the smooth skin of her sides until he was massaging over her breasts, stimulating her nipples with his fingers until arched her neck back in ecstasy as she let the explosions of pleasure roll through her.

Feeling the intensity of her release triggered his own as he used his hands on her hips to pull her more strongly into him as he filled her with his seed again and she leaned down to his lips for a soul searing kiss.

Liz collapsed on his chest and trailed kisses wherever she could reach before snuggling back into his shoulder. They dozed together for the next hour.

Liz woke first and just looked in awe at her beautiful mate. That's what they were, she realized with a satisfied smile. Life-mates. She couldn't imagine spending another day away from Max, and wondered how she had survived so long without him.

Max felt such a surge of loving emotion from Liz that he woke up to wrap her tightly in his arms. Her stomach chose that moment to growl and he smiled.

"Maybe we should order room service." Liz suggested, "I seem to have worked up an appetite!"

"Yeah, that's a good...Wait! We spent the last of our money this afternoon!" Max worried about what they would do.

"Oh...about that... Max, I still have about $2700 bucks," Liz admitted.

"What?! Michael said to spend the money in Vegas before we left!"

"Max, think about it! It's hard to spend three thousand dollars in the arcade, our cab driver to the airport was going to have a fabulous tip!" Max and Liz grinned at each other.

"So room service it is!" Max decided and jumped naked out of bed to grab the menu, much to Liz's fascinated delight. She got up too and donned her robe, disappointed when Max did the same. His smile promised he wouldn’t leave it on for long.

When Max called down their order they discovered the hotel personnel would not take their money. They sent up a large selection of lunch items along with a half dozen new outfits for both Max and Liz. The clothing ranged from casual Polo's and slacks, to a formal tuxedo for Max. Liz's selections ranged from slacks and sweater sets to a sequined evening gown.

"What in the world??"

The note that accompanied the items was attached to two large suitcases and apologized profusely for any "inconvenience" they had suffered at the hands of former hotel personnel. Max and Liz exchanged amused glances and Max wryly noted, "They're trying not to get sued over our "inconvenience"!"

"How did they know our sizes?" Liz marveled as she held the new gown in front of her and twirled.

"Maria arranged our dinner wardrobes through the hotel last night, remember?"

Liz put the dress down and hugged Max closely, inhaling his masculine scent. He leaned his head down and kissed her hair.

"Can I get you anything else?" The hotel waitress asked with a slight gleam of envy in her eyes at the obvious love flowing between this gorgeous couple. They couldn't keep their eyes or hands off each other!

Max looked up startled. He had forgotten she was there!

"No, that will be all for now," he told her, holding out a tip. She shook her head and backed out of the room, reluctant to take her eyes off of them.

"Your money is no good in the hotel. Please let me know if you require anything else!"

Liz shook her head. "Now how am I supposed to get rid of Michael's money?" she wailed in mock despair.

"Don't worry, we'll figure it out!" Max told her, "Now let's eat!"

They turned to the banquet of food that had been set up and filled their plates. Max doused his with the Tabasco he had specially requested and then was surprised when Liz held out her hand for it.

"What?! I like my food spicy!" she answered his questioning look.

"Since when?"

"Since you changed me, Max Evans! Kyle and I had a long talk about the effects of your healing us, and we both seem to like things a little spicier now...Not as much as you, of course!"

"So you like things spicy huh?" He gave her a comical leer and pumped his eyebrows up and down.

"Max! You're incorrigible!" Liz chuckled, happy to see this lighter side of Max once again.

They proceeded to try various dishes and exclaimed over how good it all was. They occasionally shared a bite of something particularly tasty, smiling through their attempts to feed each other. They finished with strawberries dipped in thick whipped cream (and Tabasco for Max). Liz rubbed one over Max’s lips and he parted them to accept the bite. He held her hand there and proceeded to suck each of her fingers into his mouth treating each one to a sensual tongue bath, unable to get enough of her sweet, spicy taste.

TBC

[javagin]

EYA Part 4

Liz was startled by her bodies immediate reaction to such a simple stimulus. The feel of Max's lips and tongue sucking on her fingers caused a matching pull in her groin. She leaned in and gave Max a long sensual kiss.

Each enjoyed the unique taste of the other as their tongues explored the recesses of the others mouth. Soon they were scattering clothing along the floor as their hands sought out the planes and curves of their bodies.

Max smoothed his hands up Liz's sides and captured a breast in each one, loving the silky perfection of her skin against his callused palms. He lowered his head and suckled her straining nipple deeply into his mouth, lavishly stimulating it with his tongue at the same time.

Liz's body jerked in response and she gripped his shoulders as her hips began moving unconsciously to the rhythm they had shared earlier. She could feel a flood of new moisture between her legs as Max switched his attention to her other breast.

His hands traveled down her stomach to settle over her dark curls as he lowered them to the floor and stretched out over her. He parted her curls and began to rub his fingers over her pleasure point in a circular pattern.

Waves of his love and awe passed through mind and body and she moaned his name and tossed her head at the dual stimulus. Max felt her pleasure through their heightened connection and had to tamp down on his control as he realized how close she was to the edge. He carefully slipped two fingers into her slick opening and her hips bucked up to take him deeper. He began to move his fingers up and down within her until he located her most sensitive spot and pleasured it exclusively.

Liz came apart in his arms, arching her back and moving her hips in rhythm to prolong the pleasure. As she came down from her explosive orgasm, Max leaned up and kissed her passionately.

Their tongues met and began to imitate the dance of love as Liz let her hands explore his muscular back and massage his hard buttocks, pulling his hips down to hers. She reached under him and guided his pulsing member into her. He sank full length inside of her with one smooth push. She was made for him! Who would have thought someone as tiny as her could accommodate his body!

Max's pleasure increased as her walls tightened around him, still pulsing from her earlier release. He began to move slowly within her, varying the pace teasingly when he felt her coming close to her peak again.

At last they could take no more and shared their pleasure with a last series of deep, satisfying thrusts. They lay side by side until their breathing slowed.

"If I had known it could be like this I could never have stayed away from you!" Max whispered hotly at her ear, licking out his tongue to tease her.

"And I would never have let you go!" Liz answered breathlessly, practically purring at the feel of his tongue at the tender spot under her ear.

"What do you think? Is it time for another shower?" Max asked, imagining the new pleasures in store for them there. Liz's gaze strayed to the hot tub along the back wall and her eyes lit up in anticipation.

Max followed her thought and picked her up in his arms. It made him feel so good to hold her close to himself. To be able to touch her any way they liked. He gently lowered her into the bubbling water and slipped in behind her.

He began a gentle massage of her neck and shoulders and after long minutes began to work his way down to soothe the muscles in her slender back. When he had finished he leaned her back against his chest and let his hands explore her flat tummy and ribs, eventually cupping her firm breasts and massaging them until she turned in his arms to straddle his lap.

"I can't get enough of you, Max! I need to touch you." Liz moved back and indicated she wanted him to sit on the edge of the hot tub.

As Max moved to comply Liz was mesmerized by his magnificent male beauty. Her gaze wandered from his gorgeous face, his eyes full of love for her, down the strong column of his neck, to his muscular shoulders and developed arms, further down the rippling strength of his chest to his washboard stomach, eventually settling on his obvious arousal.

Liz reached out her hands to the sides of his thighs and began a massage of her own. She worked her strong fingers deeply into his hard muscles from his outer legs to his inner, careful not to brush against his erection. She slowly moved her fingers up his sides to massage his bulging chest muscles up to his shoulders and down his arms. Bracing her hands on his thighs she finally lowered her mouth over his manhood.

Max's hands tangled convulsively into her hair. Liz used her tongue to stimulate the silky underside of his erection while lowering her head to take as much of him in as she could hold.

She began sliding her mouth up and down, sucking strongly and loving every minute of his obvious enjoyment, his groans of pleasure echoed through the room.

When he could take no more Max lifted Liz up and she wrapped her legs around his waist as he lowered her onto his straining erection. He used his muscled arms to raise and lower her, setting a steady rhythm.

Liz cupped his face in her hands and pulled him down for a deep kiss. Their pace quickened and their groans of release were muffled by their kiss.

Max lowered them back into the water and Liz cuddled into his embrace as they relaxed at last.

"We're going to kill each other!" Max mused out loud, amazed at his loves boldness.

"I know what you mean, but I can't seem to stop touching you!"

"Me either," Max admitted, "I don't even want to!"

"Max, what will we do when we get home? I can't stand the thought of being apart from you for even a minute -let alone every night!" Max turned love filled eyes to Liz.

"Marry me, Liz," he whispered softly, projecting his sincerity and love.

Shocked, Liz stared back at Max. "We…we can't do that, Max! We're too young and what about the future version of you predicting the end of the world if we are together?"

"First of all, we're both almost 18, I can change our ID's so we are right now if you want. Second, I think we have already changed the course of events over the last few months. I think Tess has grown a lot, she's not trying to make me love her anymore, and it looks like her and Kyle may be starting something. I think if we explain what could happen if she left the group that she would stay."

Liz felt hope stir in her. "When do you want to do it?"

"Now! Tonight! Let's do it before we go back and then no one can separate us! How do you feel about the Elvis Chapel?" Liz laughed out loud at Max’s eagerness.

They dried each other off, resisting the urge to be together again, and went to put on some of their new clothes. Liz started a list of what they would need for the wedding. A dress, flowers, rings, a license, Max already had a tux thanks to the hotel, shoes... They held hands as they descended to the hotel shops armed with their list and $2700.

Max waited in a secluded seating area while Liz found the perfect dress and matching shoes. When she went to purchase them though the clerk refused her money and just folded it into a huge box and told her she would deliver it to their room, no charge.

Liz shook her head as she came up to Max, "I guess they're pretty serious about making up for our bad experience!" The same thing happened when they tried to purchase flowers. They went to the jewelers and found a simple wedding set for Liz and a beautiful gold band for Max, but when the clerk refused to take their money again both Max and Liz protested.

These were their wedding rings and they wanted to be the ones to purchase them. The clerk finally relented and took the $2100 when he saw how upset they would be if he refused. Max shot Liz a puzzled look when she whispered some special instructions to the jeweler. The man nodded and then announced the rings would be sent to their room within an hour.

"It's a surprise!" Liz answered his look with a secret smile.

Max took his and Liz's ID's and changed them back to their real names and made Liz 18 and himself 21 since he had been seen in the casino the day before.

Together they made an appointment in the chapel and signed for the marriage license. When they went back to their room there was a stylist and make-up artist from the salon waiting at their door. It had been obvious to the hotel personnel that they were planning a wedding so they sent up their best people from the salon to pamper them before the ceremony.

The next several hours went by in a rush as Liz's long, dark hair was swept up in a classic style and she got a manicure and pedicure as someone else did her make-up. They helped her into her dress and she stared at her reflection in wonder.

While this was happening Max had his hair trimmed and styled and consented to the manicure, but protested at the offer of a pedicure. His tux fit perfectly.

Max called through the door when he was ready and Liz let him know that she didn't want him to see her until they reached the chapel.

The hotel staff assured him they would accompany her safely to the chapel and he started down alone, feeling strange to be parted from her.

They would never forget the next hour as they pledged their eternal love and devotion to each other with the teary eyed hotel staff as witnesses.

Max was stunned that Liz had chosen the exact dress he had seen in his memory/vision earlier. When the brightly sequined Elvis minister pronounced them husband and wife Max needed no prompting to kiss his bride.

With her face framed between his palms, Max gently lowered his lips to hers in a kiss that revealed how much they cherished and loved one another.

The staff sighed and began clapping spontaneously as the kiss continued.

Max and Liz broke apart at the sound of applause. They looked around in confusion, having been lost in their own world. Max picked Liz up and spun her around, experiencing pure joy at the thought of spending a lifetime with Liz. He couldn't resist one more passionate kiss before setting her back on her feet.

"Congratulations, kids!" The Elvis minister drawled out and Max and Liz burst into laughter as they linked hands and raced through the rain of rose petals being thrown enthusiastically from all directions.

Before reentering their suite Max once again swept Liz into his arms and carried her across the threshold. Setting her back on her feet he fingered the heavy, unfamiliar weight of the new ring on his finger. Liz had had the jeweler engrave "Everything You Are" on the inside of the band. He hoped she would like his surprise just as much.

"Mrs. Evans, will you dance with me?" Max asked, holding out his hand in formal invitation. Liz thrilled to the sound of her new name.

"Why certainly, Mr. Evans!" she smiled back at him, slipping into his arms easily.

Max cued the CD with the remote and Liz's eyes filled with tears as Sheryl Crow's "I Shall Believe" came on.

She melted into his arms while the tears slipped down her cheeks because of his thoughtful surprise. Each movement flowed gracefully into the next and when the dance was done they shared a tender kiss and Max swept Liz up and carried her to their bedroom.

They began to slowly undress each other between kisses. When they both stood naked their hands began slow explorations that gradually became more urgent until they were sprawled across the bed facing each other.

Liz lifted her leg over his hip and he entered her in one long stroke. Their enjoyment built on itself as they felt each other getting closer to the peak. Liz kissed his lips and chin and gently sucked a path down the sensitive column of his neck. Feeling his pleasure build to an exquisite high sent her over the edge and with her tight, hot, walls clamping over his turgid flesh Max moaned out loud as he pumped his pleasure into her.

They lay panting in each other’s arms, whispering of their love and devotion until they drifted into a peaceful sleep.

Reality intruded with the shrill ring of the phone and Max groped for the receiver blindly as he squinted against the morning light. "What?" He ground out, annoyed by the intrusion.

Liz stirred beside him and looked up inquiringly from where her head rested on his chest.

"Get home now, Maxwell. We've got trouble." Michael stated tersely.

TBC

[javagin]

EYA Part 5

“What’s wrong, Michael?” Max sat up, immediately back in “leader” mode, his hand immediately moved to caress Liz’s hair in apology for dumping her off his chest onto the soft pillows.

“Valenti decided to give us a break by not telling anyone’s parents where we went, but he’s got us all holed up in his house together so we won’t be seen around town…”

“That doesn’t sound so bad,” Max slumped back in relief, giving Liz an encouraging look to remove the worry from her eyes.

“Yeah, you’re not stuck here in a two bedroom house with seven people in it getting remodeling instructions from a drill sergeant with a grudge!”

“Just what is Valenti making you do?” Max asked wryly with a half smile, picturing the scene Michael was painting for him, and letting the relief wash through him that it was nothing more serious.

“He’s decided we can use our abilities and hard labor to build on a new bedroom for Tess. I swear, Max, he’s got way too much time on his hands to think out these punishments now that he’s not the sheriff!”

That sobered Max instantly.

“It is our fault that he’s not the sheriff anymore, Michael.”

“Like hell, Max! He chose to stick his nose in and get involved in our lives and he should have known there would be consequences! I can’t believe he’s trying to take it out on us now just because we needed a break! We just saved Earth from an alien virus –you’d think we could take a couple days off…”

“Listen to yourself, Michael!” Max broke through the tirade. “We saved the world from an alien virus that was here because of us. It was our job to fix it!”

“I’m just saying we deserved the break is all. Now could you and Liz get your butts back here so we can all break out of this labor camp and go home?” Michael paused as if just remembering why they were still there. “Is Liz okay? Did they put that perv in jail?”

Max gazed down at his wife as she propped her chin on his chest and gazed up at him lovingly.

“Yeah, they did, well, the hospital anyway, under guard until he recovers. Seems he has a concussion and, uh, a broken jaw and cheekbone, but then he’s going straight to jail. This isn’t the first incident they’ve had with him, so…,” Max choked on a gasp as Liz decided to start playing, “And Liz is just….ahhhhhh……fine!” Max wiggled underneath Liz who had begun teasingly kissing and licking her way up his chest.

“You don’t sound so good. Did you have a rough night?”

The concern in Michael’s voice made Max feel slightly guilty.

“Yeah, I guess it was kind of a long…mnnn…hard… night. We’ll try to get a flight out this morning, okay?”

Liz collapsed onto his chest in a fit of giggles before she composed herself to continue her sensual assault.

“The sooner the better, Max. We left your Jeep at the airport. Come straight over when you land.”

“Ahh….sure, no problem!” Max gasped out as Liz’s adventurous tongue ranged lower. “I’ve got to go see what Liz is, uhhh…up to…see you later!” With that he hung up and pulled her into his arms. Nuzzling his face in her sweet smelling hair he chuckled.

“You little minx! Didn’t you get enough last night?”

She turned her face up to nibble on his neck. “Never enough!”

Max wiggled out from under her reluctantly and moved to stand. “I told Michael we’d get a flight back this morning.”

Liz lay back on the bed and practiced her pouty face at him.

“Max, don’t you have just a few minutes to spare for your loving wife this morning?”

“Ahh!” Max growled out in near defeat. Wife! That had to be the best sounding word on the planet! His body hardened instantly at the thought. Leaning over her he covered her mouth in a kiss filled with longing and love before pulling away slowly with a teasing grin. “What I have in mind for you would take more than a few minutes! Now let’s get moving!” He turned away from her before she could change his mind.

“Beast!” Liz groaned into her pillow just before she threw it at his retreating back, laughing, but wishing they didn’t have to be so responsible for once.

They decided to shower separately to save time since they knew they would be a distraction to each other. While Liz showered Max called down and had the hotel arrange their flight and for breakfast to be sent up.

When Liz came out wearing only a short hotel robe and a smile Max just groaned and shielded his eyes as he scooted past her and quickly into the bathroom for a cold shower of his own.

Liz chuckled as she answered the door to receive their breakfast trays. Standing back to allow the waiter to wheel in the room service cart she was suddenly overcome by a wave of heat and dizziness and collapsed to the floor.

“Miss! Are you alright?!” The waiter rushed to crouch over her to see if she was injured. Just as he touched her face he was hauled off his feet and hurled across the room by Max.

“What have you done to her?!” Max yelled in anguish. Not bothering to look where the waiter landed, Max gathered Liz into his arms and moved her to the couch. His hands trailed over her body to scan what he could fix. She was burning up!

Just as he was attempting to deepen the connection and heal her she fluttered her eyes open.

“Wh…what happened?” She whispered softly meeting his dark, worried gaze.

“I don’t know. Tell me what you remember….he didn’t do anything to you? Touch you at all?” Max waved behind him at the waiter who had gotten up and was edging toward the door.

“No! Max, no. Nothing like that!”

“Get out! Now!” Max growled at the waiter without looking behind him to see if he was obeyed. The door slammed loudly.

Max trailed his hands over Liz again. “You feel really hot. Do you feel sick?”

“Just a little dizzy. Max, I’m fine! I’ll be…” Liz pushed herself up to a sitting position and braced her hands on his bare, water beaded shoulders to steady herself. A worried look crossed her face. “Max! Your skin is burning up!”

“It’s why I got out of the shower, I felt really strange…I didn’t know if it was you or me.” His vision blurred for a second and he blinked heavily to clear it before focusing on Liz again. Their eyes locked and Liz slowly drew Max toward her without conscious thought.

“Touch me, Max,” she whispered against his throat, her breath hot against already over-heated skin.

“Yeah, that…that would be a really good idea.” Max agreed, almost panting as he inhaled her clean, fresh scent. He felt the strongest pull to be with her…Right. This. Second. To be a part of her, to connect and be one, body and soul. He placed small, urgent kisses over her brow and down her temple to her chin. He nipped the sensitive column of her neck that always made her shiver. He struggled to his feet, keeping her body close to his own while he sucked the tender skin at her throat.

Liz moaned and threw her head back. How could he always make her feel better, always know just exactly where to touch?

As if her moan was a signal, Max lifted her up by her hips and she automatically wrapped her legs around his waist and slipped her arms around his neck. He held her up with one hand and twined the other into her silken hair, holding the back of her head at an angle to kiss her as deeply as possible. Liz’s hips began to writhe against him in a hungry imitation of what was to come. Their motions became frantic as his hands moved hurriedly to untie her robe and loosen the towel wrapped to his waist.

Freed of all encumbrance, Max took the one step back to the couch without letting her go and sat with her in his lap. The sweat gleamed on their bodies as they slid eager hands and mouths against each other.

I love you! So glad you’re all right!

I need you! Please, pleeease…now!

Unable to ignore her plea, and feeling her desperate urge to be one, he lifted her under the arms and reached down to guide his aching erection inside of her. Unable to move as urgently as he needed to in that position, he flipped her over onto her back on the couch and began a frantic rutting rhythm. She raised to hips to meet him stroke for stroke, urging him faster, harder, now!

Their kisses grew harsher to match the motion of their hips, tongues dueling for possession of each others mouths. Reaching, reaching…

I can’t be gentle right now!!

Don’t stop!!

Bodies slapped together, urgently primal, hands groped, kneaded, raked marks down the clean canvas of the others skin. Their connection heightened and spiraled so they could feel their souls merging, dancing, twining with them, exploding with the love and elemental need they were pledging to each other.

When their climax hit the pleasure imploded back and forth through the bond, reverberating between them for an impossibly long heartbeats of time.

Panting ragged breaths against each other it took several moments before either could attempt to move or speak.

What was that??

I…I don’t know what happened!

When Max opened his eyes and really looked at Liz he scrambled up beside her and found his voice quickly.

“What did I do to you?! My God! Liz, I am so sorry! Are you all right?” His hand reached out, trembling and hovering just short of touching her. What had he done?

Liz opened her eyes at the horrified tone in Max’s voice and then widened them in fear. “Max!! You’re bleeding! Did I do that to you?!”

Each was covered in bite marks and red welts that were the beginnings of bruises. Max’s shoulders and back were marked with angry red nail tracks, some of which had drawn blood.

“I swear I don’t know what came over me! I didn’t mean to…to…I didn’t mean…” Max was shaking in disbelief. How could he have hurt his Liz this way?

“Max, it’s okay! The same thing happened to me, it’s…it’s like I couldn’t get enough of you, or get close enough to you.” She reached out, not sure if he would let her touch him yet.

“Yeah. Yeah,” Max was nodding, agreeing, letting himself be soothed by the brush of her hand down his arm. “I felt that too.”

“I know.” Liz suddenly flushed as images flashed back to her of how out of control they had been. “I wonder if this is what Future Max meant when he said our relationship had been “cemented” after we made love?”

“Do you mean you think we could get this out of control all the time?” Max asked, vaguely horrified at how intrigued with the idea he was.

“No! Well…No! Not that this wasn’t great, but it might be a tad inconvenient in front of everyone else!” Liz trembled slightly at the thought of a repeat of what they had just experienced. Maybe it wasn’t such a bad idea…

“Your temperature is back to normal.” Max noted with satisfaction, brushing a tender kiss over her temple.

“You seem to be able to heal me no matter what you do!” Liz teased with a small smile, noting with relief that his temperature was back to normal as well.

“Speaking of which…” Max ran his hands gently over the marks on her body and then his own, making them disappear.

They stood up on shaky legs and finally finished packing.

Liz gave their shocked cab driver the remaining six hundred dollars after he dropped them off at the airport and, as they waited for their flight to be called, they began to discuss how they would break the news to family and friends.


TBC

[javagin]

EYA Part 6

Liz stared out the Jeep window distractedly as they drove toward the Valenti’s house. What have we done? All of a sudden she felt so young. How were they going to tell their parents what they had done? Where would they live? Well, she thought pessimistically, maybe we won’t have to worry about that for long. If my Mom doesn’t kill me, then Dad is sure to make me a widow anyway.

Max reached his hand out to take hers. It didn’t take any special powers to figure out what was on her mind.

“We’re going to be okay. We’ll be together and that’s all that matters!”

Allowing herself to be comforted by his words, she let her head fall against the back of her seat and relaxed for the first time since the plane had landed.

“I know you’re right, Max, it’ll just be hard for everyone to accept what we have done. They don’t know all that we have been through in the last two years. They don’t realize how fast we’ve had to grow up. My Mom is going to kill me!!”

“I think you’re underestimating your mother, Liz. She’ll be shocked, yeah, but she loves you so much…”

“That’s what you think,” Liz muttered under her breath.

“What was that?” Max asked curiously.

“Nothing! Let’s not talk about my mother anymore, okay? It’s just making me more nervous!”

Liz began searching the back of the Jeep for a ribbon to tie her hair back with so the wind would stop whipping it in her face. Max admired the view for a moment before tearing his eyes away to pay attention to the road.

“With all the girls in this car all the time you would think there would be one stray barrette! Oh! Here we go, this should work.” Liz plopped back into her seat, triumphantly waving a silk scarf. She quickly secured it over her hair.

“It’s so soft, does it belong to Isabel?”

“No, I think it’s Te…Liz! What’s the matter?!”

A low moan had escaped Liz’s throat and she was staring straight ahead. Her pupils were dilated so large that her eyes appeared black, and she was shaking softly.

Max veered off the road and stopped the Jeep with a jerk. Turning quickly in his seat he grabbed Liz into his arms and shook her gently, smoothing his hands over her pale face. He was immediately pulled into a vision.

Max and Liz entered the Valenti house and Liz saw immediately that Tess was mindwarping the others into believing that she was helping with the construction project.

Their friends surrounded them with their faces filled with shock as they shared the news of their marriage.

Tess screamed out hysterically that they had ruined everything.

Tess unleashed her powers on everyone in the room saying that they would never remember this after today, taking their wedding rings from their unresisting hands with a smirk of satisfaction.

Everyone standing around in confusion after the mindwarp before returning to the project as if no announcement had been made.

Alex collapsing in convulsions.

Max rushing up to try to heal him….

“Ma….Maaax! What’s happening to me?” Liz wailed softly, as the vision finally let them go and she slumped back into his arms.

“I don’t know, angel, I don’t know!” Max ran his hand through her hair softly to comfort her. He looked down and saw the scarf where it had fallen on the floor at the end of Liz’s vision. Reaching down to pick it up, he looked back at Liz consideringly.

“This belongs to Tess. Maybe when you put it on…”

Seeing where he was going with that theory Liz began to shake her head, holding her hands up to ward off his statement.

“No, no, no!! I don’t have powers like you! I don’t get visions! And besides, you guys don’t see into the future do you?” Liz looked at him desperately.

“Liz, just because none of us have seen into the future doesn’t mean that it’s not possible. We haven’t fully explored all of our powers yet.”

“Do you really think that I’m becoming like you?” Liz tried desperately to hold back panic at the thought. There had been so many changes recently, so many heartbreaks and tragedy, drama everywhere. Did she really deserve to have one more life changing event heaped on her at this point? Wasn’t life going to be stressful enough having to tell friends and family that she was married, let alone having to break the news that she was turning into an alien??

“Would that be so bad?” Max looked slightly hurt. He knew she loved him, but was she that scared of who he really was?

“Oh, Max! You know what I mean, don’t you? We’ve been through so much! I don’t know how much more I can take!”

“Do you want to touch the scarf again to see if that’s what caused the flash?”

“No!!” Liz shrank back automatically from the offending garment.

“I think maybe this has something to do with our making love.” Max offered softly. “Maybe our joining together like that has accelerated the development of your gifts. Ava said that when I brought you back that I changed you. I did this to you, Liz!”

“Max! Please don’t feel guilty! I love you and that will never change. We’ll deal with this together and figure out what it is okay?”

Max nodded slowly and brought his forehead to touch hers.

“We need to talk about what we saw.”

“You’re right. Right now I don’t think we can tell Tess about us until we figure out what all this means.”

“I agree. It looked like she just flipped out when we told her and made everyone, including us, forget about the entire marriage! Liz, how could she do that? I’ve never seen her use a power like that before! She has to be stronger than we thought if she can use her powers like that even on Michael, Isabel, and me all at once!”

“Uh huh. Oh! Well, here’s one good thing, if we can’t tell Tess then we can’t tell our parent’s either!” Liz smiled at Max in relief.

“Leave it to you to find the bright side! Who can we tell? I think Isabel needs to know, she might be able to help us be together if she knows and I’ve never been able to keep secrets from her anyway.” Max looked to Liz for agreement.

“Yeah, you’re right, you definitely need to tell Isabel, and I think we should tell Michael and Maria too.”

“Maria? Are you sure she won’t let something slip?”

“She’s kept your secret for a long time now hasn’t she? And she’ll know something’s different about me the minute she lays eyes on me!” Liz knew her friend well, and she would never be able to keep this from her.

Max nodded. “You’re right. She’s your best friend, and I trust her.”

“What about Alex? Does he need to know?”

“I don’t know. Did you see him collapse in the vision? What was that about? Did Tess throw extra powers at him, or maybe the stress weakened him. I think we need to figure out if he has a medical problem before we embroil him in more drama.”

“Yeah. Do you think you can, like, use your powers to scan for illness or weakness?”

“I’ve never done that before, but I can try!” Max smiled at her new enthusiasm for the plan.

“I think maybe I’m ready to touch the scarf again,” Liz told him, boldly reaching out for it.

“Are you sure? I don’t want you to be hurt by any of this.”

“I have to know what’s happening to me, Max.” He reluctantly relinquished the soft fabric to her.

Liz twined it through her fingers slowly. Nothing happened. She closed her eyes and concentrated on the item. Her breathing quickened and the flashes began again in sequence.

Max reached out quickly and removed it from her grasp when he saw its effect on her.

“Yeah, that’s definitely not of this earth!” Liz gasped out when she got her breath back. “The vision was the same, and I think we absolutely need to take it as a warning of something that could happen and keep our eyes on Tess!”

They settled back in their seats again, their hands intertwined. Looking down at the joined fingers Liz let out a soft breath.

“I have to hide my ring.” Her voice cracked and her eyes filled with tears that she blinked back furiously. I will not let him see me get all weepy over this! It’s just a ring, and it’s only a symbol of something that has been cemented in our hearts for ages!

“Me too.” Max nodded sadly. He gently slipped Liz’s ring off her finger and closed it into his glowing fist. Liz watched in awe as he reopened his fingers to reveal a newly shaped silver ring that he slipped over the middle finger of her left hand. “That way you can still wear it.”

“Thank you, Max. I know it was kind of dumb to be worrying over a little thing like that after everything we just saw, but you knew exactly what to do.”

Max cupped her face in his warm hand. “It’s not dumb. I feel exactly the same way. I want everyone to know that you are mine and I am yours for all time.”
Max took his ring off next and after a brief manipulation he slipped it on his right forefinger. It gleamed silver in a design that almost matched Liz’s.

“I left the inscription.” He whispered gently as he placed a kiss on her soft lips.

Linked by their kiss it seemed impossible that anything could go wrong.

TBC

[javagin]

EYA Part 7

Max pulled over to the side of the road one block from the Valenti house. He took a deep breath and turned to face Liz.

“We’re here. We can do this,” he whispered into her hair as she buried her head in his chest, trying to convince himself as much as her. His strong arms surrounded her, pulling her into a tight hug. How can I let her go? How can I pretend that we’re just friends? He allowed his fingers to stroke over her sweet smelling hair for a few moments and then cupped her face in his hands.

“You going to be okay?”

She nodded. Tears pooled in her eyes and then he could see the resolve solidify in her as she straightened her shoulders and offered a trembling smile.

“This is only an act for Tess, when we’re alone we can still be together, right?”

“Absolutely! And I’m sure Isabel will help as much as she can to make sure we can have time together. This is only until we figure out what is going on with Tess. We were obviously wrong about her developing a thing for Kyle, so we’ll just pay attention to her reactions to everything and find out how to break this to her without her going psycho on us.” He was hoping desperately that his plan would work quickly.

“Right. Okay. Yeah, we can do this,” she whispered, her eyes never leaving his. She lifted her face and gently brushed her lips over his. Electric. Their eyes drifted closed as their mouths mated in a sweet goodbye kiss that continued until a horn blared two streets over. With one last hug Max released Liz and drove the rest of the way to the Valenti’s.

^ ^ ^ ^ ^

“Liz! Your’re here! Are you okay? I’ve been so worried about you, but Michael wouldn’t let me call and Valenti’s had us working all night…” Maria had been just rounding the house from the backyard when she caught sight of her friend and ran to her.

“Maria, I’m fine!” Liz couldn’t help laughing at her friend who had her wrapped in a tight hug that was beginning to cut off her air. She wriggled free as quickly as she could without hurting Maria’s feelings. “Max took really good care of me,” she added to reassure her.

“I’ll bet!” Maria gave her an impish grin and looked carefully between a pink-cheeked Liz and Max, who couldn’t quite meet her eyes. Hmmmm.

“Well come on in, everyone’s been working so hard and been so stressed about you! This will give them a break from worry and work!”

They walked in, Maria trailing behind struggling with a pail of paint, and Liz scanned the room for Tess. She found her laying on the couch, just like in her vision, while another version of her appeared to be working industriously on the new addition.

“Max! Do you see this?” Liz whispered fiercely.

“I just see everyone working at painting the walls. Do you see something else?”

Liz directed his gaze subtly to the couch by darting her eyes toward it. Tess had not turned to notice them yet, she appeared almost asleep.

Max just shook his head.

In frustration she grabbed his arm and made him look again. Awareness washed over him as he stared back and forth between the real Tess and the vision of Tess working. His mouth dropped open.

“Do you realize what this means?” He whispered urgently.

“We’ll analyze it later, pretend you don’t see her on the couch or she’ll realize we’re on to her.”

“They’re here!!” Maria called out loudly to get everyone’s attention as she banged the door closed behind them.

Liz and Max were quickly surrounded by friends and Liz watched as the real Tess got up and merged with the vision of herself that had been following everyone to the front door. She couldn’t help the small shudder that overtook her as Tess smiled at her and gave her a seemingly sincere welcome back hug.

“I hope you’re feeling better?” Tess asked in her sweet little girl voice.

“Yeah, I’m doing much better now, thanks. They put the guy in under arrest at the hospital, and there was enough evidence that they should keep him there for a long time.”

“Good! That scum bag should never have laid his hands on you!” Michael declared with conviction, his eyes glowing with the heat of his anger.

Everyone turned to him with surprise at the vehemence in his tone.

“What?” He glared at his staring friends. “They shouldn’t mess with one of us!” He still didn’t realize how possessive he sounded.

“All right then. Everyone’s okay now, so tell us what’s been going on over here.” Max interjected to save Michael any more awkward looks. What was with him? He almost sounded like he cared about Liz. Maybe too much. He’d have to watch him to see what was up. Max shook his head, he was being paranoid.
“Why don’t you guys show us what you’ve been doing for the last couple days.”

“I can show you that.” Jim Valenti crossed the room until he was standing in front of Liz.

“Is there anything I can do for you?” He asked her gently.

“Thank you, Sher… I mean, Mr. Valenti, but I’m fine now. Really,” she added at his look of disbelief. “Max healed all my injuries and helped me through last night, I think it was just bad luck and that man was just…”

“Insane!” Michael finished for her, before muttering and walking back to his assigned project with quick, angry steps.

“What is going on with him?” Max asked Maria.

Maria watched Michael stalking away and shook her head. “He’s been more worried than any of us, it’s like he couldn’t get it out of his mind last night. I think he feels like he should have protected her or something, like it was his duty to protect all of us and he messed up. He worked like a dog all night. He probably just needs to rest.”

Max nodded, understanding exactly how Michael felt. He should have been there for Liz also, should have known there was something wrong, done something different to prevent….he had to stop thinking that way. It had all worked out, better than anyone here knew! And he would protect her with his life from now on.

Valenti led them to the back of the house and Max and Liz gasped in awe at the amount of work that had been accomplished overnight. The room was framed, wired for electricity, sheet rocked, plastered, and they were nailing on the trim and painting.

“Wow! I can’t believe what you’ve done!” Liz gasped out.

“Yeah, well with all of our talents combined it doesn’t take much to put up a room like this once we saw the blueprints,” Isabel boasted proudly. She’d never thought to use her powers on a project of this magnitude. This was a far cry from changing her nail color!

“You guys have done a beautiful job on this!” Max complimented them sincerely.

“It’s been work.” Michael stated in a flat tone, glaring at the cause of their labors.

“I think you’ve all been punished enough.” Valenti returned Michael’s stare pointedly. “I guess you’ll think twice before skipping class and taking off without telling me again. Am I right?”

A chorus of “Yes, sir!” “Absolutely!” and “Let’s get out of here!” immediately followed his question.

“I’ll finish this up myself with Kyle and Tess, of course. The rest of you can go.”

“Dad! That’s not fair! I’ve been busting my as… uh, butt working on this and I think we deserve a break too!”

“You can have a break when you two aren’t grounded, Kyle, now let’s get busy!”

“Grounded! How long?” Tess wailed, looking over her shoulder at her departing friends.

“One week ought to be enough time for the three of us to get this done, by hand, and you moved in. Be glad I’m giving you the room at all after the stunt you pulled this weekend! And Kyle, be happy you won’t have to sleep on the couch. Just make sure you’re home right after school every day this week and maybe I’ll let you off the hook next weekend.”

^ ^ ^ ^ ^

“I can’t tell you how glad I am that you’re all right, Liz!” Alex pulled her into a big brother hug. “We were all worried about you.”

“Thanks you, guys.” Liz’s eyed misted at the sincerity of the faces surrounding her.

“Alex, you look really tired, are you feeling all right?” Liz asked with worry, remembering him collapsing in her vision.

“Yeah, I’ve been tired since I got back from Sweden. I thought it was just jet lag, but it’s not going away. I’ve been thinking about going to see a doctor, but I haven’t had the time…”

“Maybe you could let Max check you out.” Liz suggested, casting her eyes toward Max, who began to nod his head.

“Yeah, Alex. Liz and I were just talking about testing to see if my healing ability can be expanded to diagnose illness and stuff. I could try it out on you.”

“Hey, I don’t want to be beamed up to your ship and experimented on! I’ve seen the video’s and I don’t think that’s really the way I want to get cured!”
Alex laughed to show he was joking and dodged back to escape Max’s playful grab at him.

“Okay, okay!! I’ll let you probe me! But not tonight! I need to get some sleep and I don’t want you getting fresh with me while I’m unconscious! Now I’m going home to bed.” He gave Liz a final hug and jogged to his car which was parked around the corner.

Max had gone still and serious at Alex’s last remark and stared after him until Liz lightly touched his arm.

“Max?”

“Uh, yeah, what were you saying?” He made himself turn to focus on Liz.

“It’s just you, me, Maria, Isabel, and Michael.” She raised her eyebrows significantly.

“Oh. Ohh!” He turned to Michael as he realized the importance of this particular group. “Michael, would it be all right if we all met at your house for a while before the rest of us head home?”

“Yeah, sure, no problem.”


TBC

[javagin]

EYA Part 8

“Okay, Max, you got us all together here, now what’s the big secret?” Michael demanded irritably. It came out sounding gruffer than he had intended. He scratched the back of his neck and rotated his head to get the kinks out. Maria had been right. He’d worked like a dog without even bothering to rest the night before because of his agitation over the Las Vegas incident. He really should have been there to protect Liz; she was a part of their circle. Besides, what if it had been Maria? He shook his head, that thought did not bear thinking! “What can’t wait until tomorrow?”

Liz and Max turned together to face their friends. Now that the moment was here they weren’t sure how to start. Max unconsciously reached back and found Liz’s hand waiting for him. They grasped each other like a lifeline.

They were saved the trouble of having to figure out the words, because the gesture spoke volumes. All eyes were drawn to the locked hands and jaws dropped.

“What the hell?” Michael demanded in confusion. It couldn’t be what he was thinking.

“I knew you two were back together! It was only a matter of time!” Maria squealed out clapping her hands happily. Oh yeah, she was good! She’d seen this coming a mile away! No way anyone could keep a secret from her. All the little clues, the intimate glances, the “Max took really good care of me last night” oh yeah, they were more than just “back together”! She sighed happily, planning on prying all the juicy details out of Liz later.

“So I guess you two worked things out in Vegas? It’s about time!” Isabel smiled. Now maybe all the moodiness and sulking that had landed him in therapy last fall would end!

“Um, yeah I guess it’s safe to say we’re back together,” Max smiled shyly, not meeting anyone’s eyes yet. He looked to Liz for help with the next part, his eyes opened wide in mute appeal.

“THIS couldn’t wait until tomorrow?” Michael demanded grumpily. “This is hardly an earth shattering event! Now can I be excused to get some much needed rest, Oh Mighty King?” he added sarcastically.

“Michael, we needed the three of you here so we could tell you that yes, we are back together, but it’s more than that…” Max looked to Liz and she nodded her encouragement. “Liz and I got married in Vegas.”

For a moment no one moved or spoke. The silence was so sudden that it heightened their awareness of each breath they took. And then all hell broke loose.

“You did what?! How stupid could you be? If you’re supposed to be the ‘responsible leader’ then God help us all!” Michael fumed, flushed with anger, getting in Max’s face.

“My God, Liz, how could you do something like that without even telling me?” Maria moaned she had definitely not seen this one coming. She grabbed Liz’s arm and pulled her closer. “We need to be there for each other! Is this even legal? I mean you’re both underage! Were you just freaked out or something? That’s it! You just needed someone to lean on and there he was! I’m right, aren’t I? What are you going to tell your parents?” Maria inhaled another deep breath as another thought overtook her. She leaned close to Liz’s ear, “What about what Future Max said? That doesn’t all just go away does it? I can’t believe you’d risk the end of the world just to get a little nookie from Max!” As she spoke her volume rose and Michael caught the last of her speech.

“You married Liz just so you could get some? Man, if that’s all you needed you could have just gone to Tess! She’d give it up without…” Michael choked as Max caught his throat in one strong hand and squeezed.

“Don’t you EVER even think that what Liz and I share is anything less than love! I married her because she is what makes me whole. Without her I can barely think straight! She is the best part of my life and I will not listen to anyone who disparages her or believes that she is anything less than a pure, honest, selfless person…so back off!” With that Max shoved Michael away from him by the throat as Isabel rushed between them, arms outstretched to each to prevent Michael from taking a swing.

“Okay everyone, just calm the hell down!” Her authoritative tone brooked no arguments. She swung her head toward Max. “First off, Max, you have to understand that this is a major shock to all of us. Have you even thought of the amount of attention this will bring to our group?” At Max’s blank look she huffed, “I didn’t think so.” She turned to Michael, whose chest she was now firmly pushing back to keep him from Max. “And you! Are you deaf? I said calm yourself down! What’s done is done and now we have to figure out how to deal with it! We don’t need a testosterone driven fighting match over something we can’t change. Just listen to what they have to say. I’m sure they have a reasonable explanation for this, am I right?” She implored Max and Liz with her eyes to tell her they had an explanation.

“Of course we do, Is,” Liz offered softly, crossing the floor to wrap her arms around Max and transfer some of her calming energy.

“Great! Now let’s all just sit down and listen for a minute. Okay?” Max nodded his assent. “Okay, Michael?” Michael reluctantly stepped back, clenching and unclenching his fists, before he slowly nodded also.

Michael, Maria, and Isabel arranged themselves on the couch opposite the overstuffed chair that Max sat in before pulling Liz down to his lap. He really needed to touch her right now. He had shocked himself with the amount of rage that had coursed through him at Michael’s words. He knew Michael often spoke without thinking and regretted his words later, but no one was allowed to put Liz down like that! Liz stroked his arm gently before turning to her friends.

“A lot of things happened in Vegas after you guys left,” she began in a matter of fact tone.

“Obviously,” Michael muttered under his breath. “What?” He shot a look back at Isabel and Maria’s glares.

“Let her speak, Michael!” Maria implored.

“Go ahead, by all means. This has got to be good!”

Liz started again. “After you all left, well you saw what kind of shape I was in.” Maria nodded sympathetically. “The police came and took our statements, I had to live through the whole experience all over again. That was all right though, because Max was there and he gave me the strength to get through it.” She leaned back against his chest and he circled her delicate frame with his arms.

“When they were through and we were alone again Max healed all of my injuries. We started getting flashes and we just realized that we couldn’t be apart anymore. It’s like we were drawn together by something outside of ourselves. We have loved each other so much for so long and finally all the barriers came down and we just….had to make it official.”

They all just stared at her.

“That’s it? That’s the entire explanation? What was in these flashes? Did they tell you that you HAD to get married or the world would end? I mean what??” Michael couldn’t believe they were going to try to get away with that lame ass explanation. He ran his fingers through his already disordered hair in agitation.

“Michael, don’t start, okay? We did it and we’re not sorry. Nothing will change my love for Liz or hers for me. It’s cemented. Got it?” Max’s glare dared Michael to object again.

“Fine! I got it, okay? Nice of you to include the rest of us in your major life changing decision!” Michael fumed at Max and then looked down between his legs, his elbows on his knees.

“We should have waited to let you know, but understand this: Nothing would have changed what we did, because it was right and necessary.”

“Necessary? Liz, you’re not… pregnant…are you?” Maria interjected worriedly.

“What? Maria, no!” Liz blushed with embarrassment.

“Good! I was gonna say, you’re barely back together and I know you guys have always been intense, but this is…” She trailed off as she finally registered Liz’s acute embarrassment.

“God, Maria! Let it go already!” Isabel insisted, trying to salvage the situation.

“Michael actually brought up a good point. Liz and I did have flashes that don’t really make sense. And some other things have happened.” Max looked to Liz for agreement before going on at her nod. “Liz is developing a power of her own.”

“WHAT? Any other bombshells for us, Max?” Michael groaned and raked his hands through his already disordered hair. He was never gonna sleep tonight.

“What power, Max?” Isabel looked at Liz with new interest.

“It seems that she can see into the future.”

A chorus of “How do you know that?” and “Are you sure it was Liz’s energy and not yours?” and “No one can do that, is it even possible?” quickly filled the room.

“All right! One at a time! We know because we tested it on the way back. Liz was doing it by herself, but I can see what she sees if we’re making physical contact. And yes, it is possible, we just maybe haven’t tapped into that yet.”

“What did she see?” Isabel asked, assessing Liz with new eyes.

“When I touched a scarf that Tess had left in the Jeep I got a flash of her mindwarping everyone into thinking that she was working while she was really sitting on the couch relaxing.”

“I knew it! I kept having to do things over after she was done, I just thought she was sloppy!” Maria cried out angrily.

“Yeah, well when we walked in I saw her laying back of the couch, just like in my vision and I could also see another version of her working alongside you all.”
Liz shuddered again at the memory of the proof of her vision. If that part was true, then the other part would have come true as well if they had not averted it.
“Max didn’t see anything wrong until I grabbed his arm, and then he saw what was really happening.”

“That sounds like another power as well, if you can see through one of Tess’s mind warps! I can’t believe that she is so strong that she could fool all of us like that at the same time!”

“That’s only part of the story, Is,” Max continued for Liz. “In the original flash of the future we saw Tess flying into a rage after we announced our marriage and she used a new power to make us all forget the wedding, the announcement, everything!” He paused to allow that to sink in.

Isabel was horrified. Who was this girl that seemed so innocent. Could they be wrong to trust one of their own? It seemed like every time things started making sense in her life her world tilted again.

“Why would she do such a thing? Is it all that destiny crap again?” Michael got straight to the point.

“I think I need to tell you guys what happened to me last fall, it’s what’s kept Max and I apart all this time.” Liz proceeded to fill in Michael and Isabel on the details of what had happened when Future Max came to visit and the lengths she had gone through to protect them all. “We thought that Tess had grown and moved on to care for Kyle, but after that vision we realized that she hasn’t, and we can’t tell her or anyone but you guys about us until we know what’s going on with her.”

“You’re right, we can’t say anything. Do you have a plan to figure out what’s going on?” Michael wondered how far they’d thought this out and if they were even going to consult the rest of them on this important new development.

“Actually, we could use all the suggestions we can get. We’re still a team here and we need to work together so no one gets hurt.” Max directed his statement at Michael. He was sorry their fragile bonding in Vegas seemed to have been broken, but he hadn’t been able to control his reactions around Michael for almost a year now. It seemed like every time he turned around Michael was challenging his decisions, his leadership.

“Do you think the planet is still in danger?” Maria asked directly. “Because you guys got married, I mean?”

“We don’t know. Future Max disappeared, which has to mean that that reality no longer exists. I think if we know what we’re up against we can change the future, and maybe that’s why I’ve been given the visions. We’ve already changed that version of the future that I saw with Tess making us all forget, and I never would have known anything was wrong unless I had had the vision, right?”

Maria and Isabel nodded. There was logic to her theory.

Isabel noticed how Liz was now slumped back against Max, and how tired she appeared. “Let’s all go back to our houses and get some rest. We need to think about all this logically, and while I know it’s only 5pm some of us have worked all night,” she looked pointedly at Michael, “and I think we will make better decisions after we’ve eaten and slept. Let’s agree to meet tomorrow, just the five of us at say, 3pm right here, okay?” They all looked at each other and nodded before getting up to stretch and head for the door.

“Maria, would you mind giving Isabel a ride home? I’m just going to drop Liz off and I’ll be back later, okay?”

“Yeah, sure no problem. I’ll see you later, Liz,” she leaned in for a hug whispering, “I want details tonight!”

“Maria!” Liz flushed pink again, knowing the exact details Maria was talking about. “I’ll see you later, okay?”

Maria nodded, her eyes twinkling.

“You bet you will!”


TBC

[javagin]

EYA Part 9

“Hey, Mom, I’m back,” Liz stated the obvious as she tried to edge around her mother to avoid the hug being offered. When would she get the hint? Liz had been avoiding her mother for months, at times been downright rude to her and still her mom wouldn’t take the hint and leave her alone.

“Liz! How was the debate? Did you guys win? It’s strange that you never mentioned it before you just left! We had a really hard time trying to cover shifts for you and Maria both, but we worked it out.” She tried to block out that Liz obviously didn’t want to talk right now. Teenagers! So moody! Especially Liz lately, hopefully she would outgrow this ‘I don’t need you anymore’ stage. It was getting old pretty fast.

“Yeah, sorry about that, it was kinda last minute.” She faked a yawn. “You know I’m really wiped out right now, I think I’ll just go up and rest for a while before dinner, okay?” Without waiting for a response she slipped away to her room.

“Oh, okay. I’ll just knock when dinner’s ready,” Nancy called at her retreating back, before she shook her head and went back to her chores.

^ ^ ^ ^ ^

Max was just struggling from the balcony into Liz’s window with her new suitcase when Liz slammed into her room.

“Hey, what’s the matter?” He dropped the suitcase, crossing his arms in front of his chest and leaning back against the wall as he watched her moving restlessly around the room.

“My mother just constantly gets on my nerves!” Liz fumed as she straightened up her room agitatedly. “She just can’t leave me alone, and I can’t stand it when she tries to act all motherly and concerned!”

Max watched her pacing around the room moving things from one location to another and back again. Something was definitely going on between Liz and her mom, and he regretted not being around long enough in the last few months to pick up on it before.

“Liz,” he began hesitantly, “that’s what mothers do…they hover and get concerned and care about their children. Is there something else going on here?”

Liz paused with a framed photo in one hand and looked up at him as if trapped. He could see a look of indecision change to resolve as she plunked the photo back down and sat on the bed. He moved to take his place beside her and took her hands into his.

“Max, you know at the end of last year in biology class when we learned about genetics?” Max nodded his head in confusion at the apparent change of subject; maybe Liz wasn’t ready to talk about her mom yet.

“Well, remember when Mr. Harris was telling us about eye color and we charted out the various combinations of dominant and recessive genes?” Max nodded again, Liz was obviously going somewhere with this, but he was still in the dark.

“Max, have you ever noticed what color eyes my parents have?” Now he was really confused.

“They have blue eyes, Max. Both of them.” Comprehension dawned and Max gathered Liz into his arms for comfort. He remembered Mr. Harris’ lecture very clearly now. ‘Blue eyes are the result of having two recessive blue genes, people with this eye color can only pass along a blue gene. If a person has both a blue and a brown gene, then the dominant brown gene will manifest itself .’ This meant of course, that it was genetically impossible for two blue-eyed parents to create a brown-eyed child.

Max stared sympathetically into Liz’s chocolate brown eyes and kissed away her tears.

“Does this mean that you think you are adopted?” Max asked softly.

“No, Max, I think it’s worse than that.” Liz could barely look at Max as she revealed the rest of her pain.

“I have pictures of Mom pregnant, bringing me home from the hospital, pictures of me as a baby, I have her mouth, her ears; Max I think my mom had an affair!” She burst out and then leaned into his chest sobbing.

Max just held her while gently stroking her back. That would explain her shortness with her mother and several stinging comments she had made lately. He couldn’t believe she had been carrying this around inside for so long.

“Have you confronted your mother with this?” Max asked her after a while.

“No, I couldn’t do that to my dad! I don’t think he knows that I’m…I’m not his daughter!” Liz’s tears streamed down her face again and Max gently brushed them away.

“I just can’t respect her after that, Max! I’ve barely been able to be civil to her for almost a year! I mean, I think I still love her, but how could she do something like that to Dad? I could never even think about being with anyone but you, Max!”

“Of course not! I feel the same way. But maybe there’s more to the story.” Max was grasping for plausible explanations. “Maybe she was artificially inseminated! Maybe your dad is sterile or something!”

“I’ve already thought of that, but they were so poor back then, there’s no way they could have afforded that kind of a procedure, and I’m not sure how common it was then anyway.”

“I don’t know what to say, Liz.” Max began stroking her hair away from her face. “It was a long time ago, and if something happened back then, they have obviously worked it out. She makes your father very happy and she’s always been a good mother, right?”

Liz nodded, not breaking eye contact. Her tears stopped flowing. It was so comforting just being able to share this with someone. Maybe things would be okay. And Max was right, her dad seemed very happy with his family. Maybe, with time, she could try to let it go.

Max drew her into a tight hug and held her for a long while.

“Okay, chica! Give me all the gory…. Oh! Um, hey, Max!” Maria stopped in her tracks; she’d really have to learn to knock from now on, she thought to herself. What if she’d walked in on something more…Okay, Maria, turn off that thought!

“Hey, Maria, couldn’t wait to get the gory details, huh?” Max grinned at the red flush moving up Maria’s cheeks. He’d gotten to know her pretty well last summer, and he knew that she’d soon be grilling Liz for all the juicy details of their marriage and especially their abbreviated honeymoon.

“Well, I uh… just came over to…okay! All right! Inquiring minds really do want to know, okay?” Maria gave up with a laugh. “Now can you tear yourself away from Liz long enough for me to pry it all out of her already?”

Max laughed with her and gave Liz a quick kiss, whispering, “Are you going to be all right if I go?”

Liz nodded. “I will now that I know you’re here for me.”

“Always.” Max straightened and headed back for the window pausing briefly to say, “Hey, Liz, don’t tell her the part about the hand cuffs and the chandelier, okay?” He ducked out the window to the sound of Liz’s helpless giggles and Maria’s shocked gasp. He paused on the balcony and turned to poke his head back in with a serious expression. “Or, uh…the hot tub either, okay?” He glanced back and forth between the girls, feeling his own face flushing now, before looking back at Liz . “Really.” He turned quickly and left again.

“Okay, now I have got to know! Was he being serious? Are you guys already so kinky? How was it? Tell me everything, girl!”

“Maria!” Liz groaned, she would not escape this with her dignity if she weren’t careful. “Max was just pulling your chain when he said that! Although it was pretty intense!” Her eyes twinkled with mischief as Maria’s eyes widened into saucers.

“You were only gone for one night! How many times could you possibly…..is this an alien thing? I mean like super stamina or something?” Maria paused, maybe she was getting a little personal, but hey, this was her best friend who told her everything, right? Right!

“I refuse to answer on the grounds that I may incriminate myself.”

“Liiiiiz! Come on! You’ve got to give me something!” Maria wheedled, giving her the puppy dog eyes.

“All right, it was the sweetest most intensely romantic experience that I have ever had. Oh! And when we are together we can read each other’s minds and feel what the other is feeling, I can’t even explain how close that made us feel. It was just….consuming.” She ended on a sigh, a faraway look in her eyes.

Maria sighed too. This conversation definitely called for ice cream. Maybe that would release Liz’s inhibitions about telling her everything!

TBC

[javagin]

EYA Part 10

Max drove toward home, reflecting on all that had happened already that day. Poor Liz! He knew first hand what it was like to wonder about who your parents were. But she had him to lean on now and he would always be there for her to talk to and confide in. He ached at having to leave her like that after he had thought they would be together every night of their lives after their marriage. Maybe she would get a surprise visit later…Max shook his head and shifted in his seat as his cock sprang to attention at that thought. He needed to think about something else if he wanted to walk decently into his house and greet his parents in a few minutes!

His thoughts turned to Michael and the blow out they had nearly had. It just didn’t feel right the way they had left it. Before he could talk himself out of it he swung the Jeep around and headed toward Michael’s apartment.

Knocking on the door Max stepped back and took a deep breath. They had to figure a few things out tonight. Why was Michael on his case all the time? Did he want to be the leader? Why was he sounding so possessive about Liz all of a sudden? That last thought made Max shift uncomfortably and knock again, impatient. He didn’t like the jealous edge to his thoughts, but it brought up every protective instinct Max had.

“Come in!” Michael yelled through the door, clearly irritated already.

Max walked in to find Michael sprawled on the couch, the remains of a take out pizza spread out in its box on the floor in front of him.

“Well, if it isn’t Fearless Leader,” he began sarcastically, not bothering to get up. “Come to drop another bomb or check for survivors of your fallout?”

“Michael, this isn’t necessary. I came so we could talk this out and figure out where we need to go from here.”

“Oh, so now I’m finally getting consulted? Very noble of you!”

“Is that what this is all about, Michael? Do you feel like I just jump over your head and do whatever I want no matter who it hurts?”

“Lately, yeah. That is exactly how I feel, and let me tell you it’s getting old real fast, Maxwell!”

“Michael, that is not what I meant to do at all! I respect your position within our group. In a way, you’re the strongest of us all, the most equipped to handle whatever our enemies throw our way. I depend on you to be there for all of us….”

“Then how can you justify all the major life changing decisions that you have made for us lately? Marrying Liz? I mean, what could you have been thinking? Like we don’t get enough exercise hiding from the FBI, parents, and school already. And all that crap this entire year about blending in and acting normal? You are a junior in high school who’s now MARRIED! How normal is that? I just can’t help wondering whether you’re thinking with your ‘power source’ there or if you really don’t know what this is going to do to us!”

Michael leaned back exhausted from his outburst and the long day he had put in. It felt good to unload and it didn’t look like Max was ready to explode as he had half expected. It would have almost been a relief if he had. Just to have a physical outlet for all of his frustration.

“You’re right, Michael.” You could have pushed Michael over with a feather. Those were probably the last words he expected from Max. [/I]Fearless Leader is admitting I’m right?[/I] He glanced out the window to check if pigs were flying. Nope, nothing yet.

“I didn’t consult you before doing this, Michael, and I probably should have. This does affect all of us, but I want you to know that nothing could have changed what we did, for a lot of reasons. I don’t know too much about your relationship with Maria, and I’m sure you know more than you want to about what’s been happening between Liz and me for the last year. Knowing all that, I think somewhere deep inside you can see that I am a better person, a better leader, when I am with her. She completes me in a way I haven’t even been able to justify even to myself. I need her. I feel stronger and more focused than I ever have before, and since we have joined, I can already feel my powers taking on a new dimension. It’s like they fit me now, like I can expand them at will….I…I don’t know how else to explain this.”

Max raked his hand through his dark hair in frustration. “I want you to understand that I did this for the team, and for myself, but also that I couldn’t help myself. I needed to be with her and after everything we’ve been through I feel like we deserve some happiness together. She’s the only thing that I am absolutely sure of right now. I don’t always feel like I know exactly what to do about all the crazy situations we have to deal with. I’m just trying to figure out this whole ‘king of another planet, save the earth while you’re at it’ thing. Believe me when I tell you that I am taking this all seriously and I truly believe that Liz was meant to be a part of my life. Just the way I’ve always been drawn to her, from the minute I saw her! Now that she is developing powers of her own, can’t you just think of her as one of us? Can you stop challenging every decision I make and just accept that maybe, just maybe, there is a good reason for what I’m doing?”

“I’m really trying here, Maxwell. But I’m not sure you realize how big this is. You should have told us.” Michael was somewhat blown away by the passion in Max’s voice and the expression of earnest concern that Michael really understand what Max had done. He hadn’t seen Max this passionate and strong since…,well, since he’d been with Liz last year. “I actually do think that Liz is good for you, but marriage? Don’t you think that’s taking this a little far? How long do you think you can keep a secret like that? Maria knew you were back together the minute she saw you. What’s to stop Tess from figuring this out?”

“That’s part of the reason I’m here tonight, Michael. I want to make sure we can agree on a plan. And, Michael, we haven’t told you guys everything yet. We didn’t say anything earlier, but when Liz had her vision of Tess slacking off at the Valenti’s earlier she also saw her reaction to our marriage announcement, and it wasn’t pretty! Alex collapsed.”

“Wait, Max, what announcement? You never…Wait, why did Alex collapse?”

“We didn’t make it because Liz and I saw in her vision that Tess put a mindwarp on us all that made us forget that we’d ever gotten married, that we’d ever made the announcement. I already told you that part, remember? She just freaked out, and Michael, when she did that Alex just collapsed. I ran up to try to heal him and then the vision ended.”

“Oh my hell, do you think this could get any creepier? Now we don’t just have to worry about our enemies, we have to worry about one of our own making us keel over or forget anything she doesn’t like! That’s crazy! I’ve never seen her use a power like that before!”

“Yeah, but would you remember if you had? That is part of the reason we didn’t tell everyone about Liz and me. We can’t afford to let Tess in on this until we know why she’d react like she did.”

“Yeah, I totally see your point about that.” Finally! Agreement about something. Cue the confetti and fireworks!

“Michael, something else. I really want to know why you seem so protective of Liz one moment and so against her the next? Is there something going on with you that I should know about? You…you don’t have…feelings….for her, do you?” Max asked the question that he feared would tear them apart, but he had to know the answer.

“Max! NO! Feelings? You have got to be joking! I’m with Maria, and believe me, she’s all I can or want to handle right now. It’s hard to explain. I do feel protective of Liz, but I’m not sure why. When I saw her today I just felt like I needed to be there for her, like I was compelled to protect her from any harm. I don’t know! It sounds crazy when I say it like that, maybe it was just me sensing that she is becoming one of us, that she’s changing. But at the same time I think I resent her too. She’s never going to really be one of us, is she? She wasn’t created and sent down here to fight our enemies. Does she even believe in what we’re doing? Why should she care? She’s always had a nice comfy life and why would she really want to stick around for all the grimy, dirty fighting that our lives will inevitably become? But you know, I’ve been thinking about that thing you said earlier, about how she gave up all of her happiness, everything really, for the chance to save the world. That was the first time I think I really ever thought about her as being strong. She never said a word. She could have just said, ‘screw destiny, I can have fourteen happy years with Max and I’m taking them’, but she didn’t. That’s given me something to think over while you were gone.”

“She’s the strongest woman I know. Believe me, I’ve seen into her soul, and she does believe in what we’re doing. She was going to stay close to us, whether we were together or not, just so she could help the cause. She would never abandon any one of us. She cares too much.”

“I think I’m just starting to figure that out.” Michael met his friend’s eyes, gesturing down to the half empty pizza box on the floor. “So, want some pizza?” Max looked at the congealed mess of pizza left in the box and shrugged.

“Sure, why not.” He sat on the floor by the couch and liberally dumped Tabasco on a slice before taking a large bite.

“Now how do you think we should handle the Tess situation?” He began, as he settled back against the couch. “We all will have to deal with her in school tomorrow.”

“Well here’s what I think…” Michael launched into his theory on how to handle Tess. He was enormously grateful that Max had stopped by, maybe this could work after all.

TBC