Chasing Memories (M/L - Adult) (Complete)

[To_Kiss_A_Frog]

Thanks for all the great feedback!!

LairaBehr4
midnightstar29
Morning Dreamgirl
Jason's Lover
PMP
believer_evans
fallenstar
emz80m
Ellie
Behrystrwbry
tequathisy

Chapter 10

“Honestly, I haven’t gone that far before” Kyle admitted later that afternoon as the two sat up in her bedroom talking. “And in all seriousness, jokes and embarrassment aside, the truth is that I’ve never even gotten a blow job before because I was scared of radio active sperm or something like that” he candidly revealed. Because he was being so great and so open about everything, Liz desperately tried to stifle her laughter at the idea of radio active sperm.

“What I was thinking was that condoms should be good enough” Liz said a few moments later. “I mean our blood is really the only visible difference between us and them, right? And I’ve healed all sorts of little cuts and bruises on you guys before so I would have noticed if there was something really wrong with you. Plus when I healed Max, his insides were no different than yours or Michael’s.”

“You’re probably right” Kyle agreed after a beat.

“Also, nothing bad happens when we kiss people” Liz stated as something else occurred to her. “I mean, if we had some weird alien diseases or something, it would be transmitted through saliva as easily as it would be through blood” she pointed out, logically.

“True” Kyle agreed again and watched Liz pace back and forth for over a minute before she finally sat back down on the bed beside him. “So… you’re really thinking about it giving it up to Evans, huh?” he asked when he figured that his friend had nothing else to say.

“You know, it’s really funny” Liz said instead. “You and Maria kept teasing me about Max but I kept waving it away. I was so sure that you were both wrong… that he didn’t really have feelings for me beyond friendship” she stated and shook her head self deprecatingly. “I didn’t want a boyfriend. I didn’t think I was ready for one yet but then everything with Max just snowballed from that day in the café and I was just… powerless to stop it” she admitted. “I’ve never once regretted saving his life and I don’t regret allowing myself to care about him as much as I do now. I want to be with him… in every way I want to be with him.”

“Well I’m no expert… but it sounds like you’re falling for him” Kyle opined and watched Liz nervously bite her lip in response.

Whether he was right or wrong, Kyle never got to find out as Michael barged in a few seconds later. “Take a chance… she’s worth it, isn’t she… just ask her… well I asked her, Liz and she already had a date. Thanks for nothing” he barked and then fled the room as quickly as he had appeared.

Shell shocked, Kyle and Liz exchanged a quick look before Liz jumped up and ran after Michael. “Wait! Michael!” she called out and threw her hand out in front of them, pushing a burst of energy out strong enough to slam shut the door he was about to walk through. “Michael stop” she said and roughly grasped his arm when he lowered his hand to the knob, prepared to force it open if he had to. “Hey… I’m sorry. I didn’t know someone had already asked her” she informed. “Damn it, look at me.”

Before he could flinch away, she raised her hands up to cup his face and forced his gaze down to hers. Even then, the mutinous expression refused to leave as he looked everywhere but in her eyes.

“It doesn’t mean that she stopped having feelings for you. It just means that she didn’t want to sit home alone on homecoming night” Liz stated while frantically trying to find the words to make things right. “The two of you can still make it work.”

“It doesn’t matter” Michael informed and pried her hands away from him. “I don’t care anymore” he stated. Liz could see him retreating back into himself as quickly as she watched him walk away.

“Well that was… difficult to watch” Kyle said from where he stood, lingering in Liz’s doorway.

Making a split second decision, Liz hurried back towards her room and grabbed Kyle’s arm along the way. “Come on… we have something to do” she said and climbed out her window, leaving him no other choice but to follow along. Hurriedly, she clambered down her balcony ladder and jumped down on the pavement when she was three rungs away from the bottom. “Come on” she coached and grasped onto Kyle’s hand the moment his feet touched the ground. Together, the two ran down the alley to the front of the café where his mustang was parked.

“Wait… where are we going?” he asked as Liz stood on the passenger side, waiting for him to unlock the door.

“To help our friend” Liz answered.


~&~&~&~&~&


“I wanted to go with him, okay. You know how much I like him but he kept waiting and waiting and so I finally just gave up” Maria said as she sat perched on her bed, guitar in hand while her fingers absentmindedly strummed on the strings. “It’s his own fault” she shrugged and while she may have been right, it made Liz angry because she knew how hard it had been for Michael to take that first step. The only thing that kept her from expressing that anger was the fact that she couldn’t blame Maria for not understanding something she didn’t know.

“I get what you’re saying, Maria and I’m not trying to get you to break your date or anything. I just want you to understand how difficult it is for Michael to let people in” Liz tried to explain.

“It’s hard for everyone to let people in” Maria responded, informatively.

“That’s different” Liz immediately countered as her emotions began to build up inside of her.

“Why?” Maria demanded and angrily set her guitar down on the bed. “What gives him special priveledges? What makes you think it’s so much harder for Michael than it is for…”

“Because he was abandoned in the middle of nowhere” Liz yelled before she could stop herself. Her gaze widened as did Maria’s but despite her friend’s shock, she just continued. Something buried deep inside was driving her to keep talking, to somehow get Maria to understand.

“We were all just left there to fend for ourselves but it was worse for Michael” she stated and shook her head as more images began to assault her mind. “Do you even remember that he lived somewhere else before he moved in with Alex’s family? Do you have any idea what it was like for him to live with that monster, Hank?” she questioned and felt tears quickly fill her eyes as she remembered the bruises on his body. He let her heal the visible ones so that no one at school talked or asked questions but he refused to let her heal the ones hidden by his clothes. He said they were reminders of what happened when he didn’t clean his room or if he forgot to wash his cup when he was through with it.

“He was an abusive drunk but he was also Michael’s guardian and it stung like hell when he disappeared after only a few months” Liz continued on despite how much it hurt her to think about it. She continued because she knew it hurt Michael more and if she could just find a way to help him, maybe he could slowly start to heal inside. “Its hard for him to let people in because he’s scared to death of opening himself up to one more person who’ll eventually just leave.” Shaking her head, Liz swiped at her tears and noticed that Maria had begun to cry too. “I know that he messed up… that he waited too long to say something to you but if you knew how much he cared about you… how much it took him to go to you” she trailed off, knowing in that instant that she had already said too much.

Michael would undoubtedly be angry when and if he found out what she had done. Liz knew that he would consider it a betrayal but she could live with that if it meant that Maria finally had enough understanding to give him a chance.

“I’m sorry. None of this is your fault” Liz apologized and cursed the tears that continued to fall. “It’s just that when you get past all the walls he’s built, Michael is this truly amazing person. He’s so kind. He’s protective and caring… he’s one of my best friends, my brother and I just want him to be happy too.”

To know that either Kyle or Michael was hurting was a hard thing for Liz to deal with. The two of them had always been her biggest weakness. Cuts and bruises and even broken bones were things she could handle because she had the power to make them go away. What was going on with Michael was something she didn’t have a quick fix for. She couldn’t change the past, she couldn’t make it easier for him to trust people. All she could do was be there for him for as long as he trusted her to.

Kyle was reluctant when Liz asked him to drive her over to see Maria. He thought that telling her anything about how Michael’s mind worked would cause more damage than good because it wasn’t her place. Yet Liz stubbornly insisted that she had to do it anyway. Maybe he had been right and if so, Liz would accept without question whatever anger Michael might want to feel towards her but in her heart, she believed that she needed to at least try.

“Why won’t he understand that I don’t want to leave him behind?” Maria asked, breaking the calm that had settled between them.

“He will” Liz assured. “He just needs time to see it. Time with you” she said with a small smile.

“So why was it so easy for you to let Max in?” Maria wondered after a moment’s consideration.

“Trust me, it wasn’t easy” Liz admitted, thinking back to the days surrounding the café shooting. “I have a lot of the same insecurities that Michael has, it’s just that Max was determined to break them all down. Each time I tried to push him away, he pushed right back until I just couldn’t fight it anymore. I didn’t want to fight it anymore.” Even after they officially began going out, Liz still had her moments where she started to pull away but each time she tried, Max would hold on a little tighter.

His words told her how much he cared but it was the flashes that showed how much she was hurting him every time she tried to distance herself from him. In her wildest dreams, Liz never imagined that a boy could care as much about her as Max did and sometimes it scared her. It scared her because she feared that who she was would one day hurt him and because he cared so much, it wouldn’t be an easy thing for him to get over.

“So I give him time” Maria eventually sighed. “What else?”

“Follow your heart. Then hopefully everything else will fall into place.”


~&~&~&~&~&


“Are you… sure that… Tess… doesn’t mind?” Liz asked between kisses. After deciding to skip biology, she and Max locked themselves up in the eraser room and had been making out ever since. Perched in his lap, she looped her arms around his neck and buried her fingers in his hair while his hands continued to roam up and down her smooth thighs, grateful that she had chosen to wear a skirt to school that day.

“Mmm hmm…” Max answered and tipped Liz’s chin up so that he could have access to her neck. Slowly, he kissed his way across her soft skin, all the while growing bolder each time his hands wandered up her skirt. “So beautiful” he murmured as Liz threw her head back and quietly moaned at the havoc he was wreaking on her body. Slowly, he trailed his hands up and lightly fingered the buttons on her shirt. With tentativeness, he flicked the first one opened and asked, “Is this okay?”

“Uh huh” Liz breathed out and continued to enjoy the feel of his lips on her skin as he moved onto the next button, revealing more of her olive toned flesh to his hungry eyes. When he finally reached the bottom, he slid both hands inside her shirt and gently skimmed his fingers up and down her skin, leaving goose flesh in their wake. Her bra was white lace and had a front clasp that Max curiously eyed.

“Is this okay?” he asked again as he skimmed his knuckles along the undersides of her breasts, eliciting another quiet moan from Liz. “Tell me when it’s not okay” he whispered with his lips against her ear and placed several small kisses on her cheek, leading back to her swollen lips.

Deftly, he worked the clasp, causing the material to part and Liz’s breasts to spring free from the flimsy lace. She moaned into his mouth when his hands cupped her bare skin and unconsciously began to grind into him while his fingers brushed against her puckered nipples. “Max” she sighed as his lips began kissing a path down her throat and across her collarbone. He paid special attention to every inch and when he was satisfied that he had kissed her everywhere, he continued south until his mouth was level with her breasts.

Teasingly, he flicked his tongue out against her nipple and felt Liz arch closer to him. Taking that as a good sign, he lowered his mouth to pepper her pert breast with kisses, slowly working from the outside in until he had reached the puckered tip. Softly, he enclosed the aroused flesh between his lips and lightly sucked as Liz writhed and quietly moaned. “Oh god, that feels good” she muttered and whimpered in protest when he pulled away. The complaint was short lived though as he quickly moved to her other breast and laved it with the same thorough attention.

“Are you sure… that the sound proofing worked?” Max queried and kissed back up to Liz’s lips.

When they first walked in, they figured that best way to spend time in there without getting caught was to lock the door with Liz’s powers and to sound proof the room. Liz deduced that by manipulating the molecules in the wall, she could change their properties, therefore making the room sound proof.

“Uh huh” she mumbled, distractedly.

“Good” Max murmured and stood up with Liz in his arms.

“Max, what are…” she trailed off as he turned around and deposited her on the chair he had just been sitting in.

As he knelt down before her, Max leaned up to press several more kisses to her lips, hoping to relax her as he resumed his earlier explorations. “I want to make you feel good” he said and trailed his hands far enough beneath her skirt so that he was able to feel the final scrap of lace.

“But we’re at school” Liz protested weakly.

“Sound proof room” Max reminded and saw that despite her protestations, Liz looked intrigued and even a bit excited by the idea. “Just trust me” he said and began kissing her again as he slowly pulled the lace down her legs. Liz felt her heart beat quicken when his hands wandered beneath her skirt again and slowly began to finger her wet folds.

“Max” she moaned and wrenched her mouth away as he plunged one finger inside her in a deep, steady rhythm.

“How does it feel?” he asked, getting even more turned on by watching the look of pure pleasure on Liz’s face as her hips began to rock in time with his hands. When she could only provide a keening moan in response, he added a second finger and gently thumbed her clit.

“That feels really… really good” she lightly panted.

“It’s supposed to” Max murmured and used his spare hand to push her skirt further up her legs. He took one last look at her pleasured expression and the way her body began to move quicker with each little thrust and lowered his mouth to moist center.

“Ah” Liz called out and nearly bowed off the chair as he flattened his tongue and licked the length of her slick flesh. Slowly, he continued to work his fingers in and out of her wet core and latched his lips onto her hooded clit. Liz’s moans began to grow louder as he gently sucked the aroused bud and curled his fingers inside of her. “Max…” she moaned and tightly snapped her eyes shut.

Her breathing had been reduced to short pants as she drew closer to that final, rapturous peak. With renewed fervor, Max continued his erotic ministrations and used his spare hand to travel up her lithe body. With a small bit of pressure, he pinched her nipples, just as he resumed sucking on her overly sensitive clit. The combination of it all was too much for Liz who came loudly in a rush of intense spasms of pleasure that lasted several minutes after Max had stopped and leaned back on his heels.

When she finally opened her eyes and looked down at the boy who had brought her so much satisfaction, she noticed the strange look on his face. “What? Did I do something wrong?” she immediately asked and self consciously began straightening her clothes.

“No” Max quickly assured and took both her hands in his. “You were beautiful” he said and pressed a soft kiss against her lips. “It’s just that whatever it is that makes you different doesn’t seem to be a bad thing in your case.” Realizing that he wasn’t explaining himself right, Max tried again. “Orgasms usually last for several seconds… yours lasted for several minutes” he said and watched realization dawn on Liz’s features.

“So then when other girls… normal girls… do this, they don’t get to have that incredible… intense feeling for as long as I just did” she asked and despite her earlier embarrassment, she couldn’t help the smile that crossed her lips. For once, it seemed, her strangeness had some definite benefits.

Grinning, Max nodded his answer and just as their lips were about to meet again, the ringing bell quickly jolted the couple apart.

“I guess we should…” Liz said, gesturing towards the door.

“Yeah” Max reluctantly agreed and ran his hand through his hair several times while Liz finished straightening her clothes. “I’ll see you sixth period” he said and pressed one more kiss to her lips. Then with their hands clasped together, the two slipped out of the room and into the throng of passing students.


~&~&~&~&~&


Lunch was awkward for the group since they all knew the problem but were too afraid to bring it up. Instead, Michael and Maria sat on opposite ends of the table while Liz, Alex and Kyle tried to keep conversation flowing. Unfortunately it wasn’t an easy task given the fact that they weren’t mentioning anything about the upcoming game, dance or anything having to do with relationships. Normally someone would tease Liz about her and Max or discuss the football team’s chances but without those topics, they were left discussing Alex’s latest video game.

“I’m telling you, the graphics on this thing are amazing” Alex raved with a mouthful of sandwich. “There are these tanks and these neat planes called ghosts. So basically you’re all on this battlefield somewhere and there are two bases, red and blue. Then while you’re trying to capture the flag, your opponents are shooting at you and throwing these blue bombs that stick to your body. Plus there are all these rocket launchers and shotguns and… and needlers” he continued to explain though Kyle was really the only one paying attention to the description.

“Dude, we have to play tonight” Kyle said, looking enthused at the prospect.

“We’ll get online. There’s this thing called XB-Connect and you can play against guys all over the country… the world, even” Alex added with the amount of enthusiasm.

“Alright, it’s on” Kyle agreed and raised his hand for a high five.

Rolling her eyes, Liz couldn’t help but grin at the two. “Invite Max and we’ll all form a team” Alex said, looking between Kyle and Michael who merely grunted in response. The invitation caused Liz’s mind to think back on what had happened in the eraser room and she couldn’t help but smile in remembrance.

“Uh oh… Liz has left the building” Kyle informed when he caught sight of her dreamy expression.

“Shut up” Liz replied and lightly pinched Kyle’s arm. “I’ll ask him about playing tonight, Alex” she added to her other friend while balling up her sandwich wrapper. “And I am officially six minutes late to my science club meeting” she groaned after checking her watch. “I’ll see you guys later.”

“I’m out too” she heard Michael say and half turned to watch him leave the table without a second glance at the other occupants.


~&~&~&~&~&


“Even though I’m a bit late with this, I hope you understand that as his official best friend, I have to ask you if you really care about Max or if this is just some fun you’re having” Tess burst out as she maneuvered her SUV in and out of traffic. “Because at the risk of revealing something that you don’t already know, Max has liked you for a long time now. So I guess I just want to know if this is a mutual thing or if I’m gonna have to lend him my shoulder any time soon.”

The randomness of the question had Liz momentarily startled into silence. Then when the meaning of Tess’ words sunk in, Liz found herself feeling extremely defensive, a fact that was apparent in her reply. “No, I’m not gonna hurt him” she stated in no uncertain terms.

“Liz, I’m not trying to imply that you would intentionally do that” Tess was quick to amend. “It’s just that in spite of his reputation, Max can be a really sensitive guy. Okay, he’s not like all his idiot jock friends who only stare at a girl’s breasts when she talks to him. He’s the type that really listens and really feels things” she explained and again, Liz’s first impulse was to be offended… then she thought about her own chat with Maria, the day before.

Maria was a good friend and had been since she was first adopted but that hadn’t stopped Liz’s angered tirade when she found out Michael had gotten his feelings hurt. She realized then that Tess was just doing the same thing for her friend.

“I care a lot about Max and I know that he’s different” Liz acknowledged after searching for the right way to explain herself. It would have been so easy to have the conversation with Michael or Kyle because she could just say that she knew Max and that he knew her through the flashes. She could explain the way they had connected but with Tess… with Tess she had to sensor herself which made it difficult to explain why things between her and Max were different… special. “The last thing I’d ever want to do… would be to hurt him.”

“Good” Tess sighed. “So now that we’ve covered that, let’s talk about Isabel” she said and this time Liz was unable to hold back the look of confusion on her face.

“What about Isabel?” she queried.

“I know that Isabel was kind of weird with you when you and Max first began dating” Tess elaborated. “Honestly, it’s nothing personal. I think she just always had it in her head that Max and I would one day end up together because of all the time we spent together as kids. The thing is that after all these years I can’t help but look at him like a brother. To even think of him in any other way feels almost incestuous. Plus I’m positive that Max feels the same” she explained and pulled into one of few available spaces. “But I wouldn’t worry about it anymore. I think Isabel finally understands the way Max and I feel about each other.”

Again, Liz was left uncertain as to what she was supposed to say next. At a loss, she simply smiled nervously and pushed her door open after Tess rolled to a stop.

“There’s this great dress shop in here that Isabel and I came to for prom last year” Tess excitedly informed. “I still can’t believe she’s refusing to go to homecoming this year. God, I could just strangle that asshole ex-boyfriend of hers for screwing with her head the way he did” she ranted.

Just the week before, Max had told her that when the girl Grant got pregnant found out he had been dating Isabel at the same time, she ended things and said she’d rather raise the child herself than to do it with a liar and a cheat. Afterwards, Grant tried to come crawling back to Isabel which caused her to fall back into the depression she had just been climbing out of. The only good thing was that she held strong and didn’t give in to him.

Together, the two girls walked around the shopping center until they found the store Tess had been talking about. “So what’s your style? Long and elegant… conservative… daring?” Tess queried.

“Not sure. I guess I’ll know it when I find it” Liz shrugged and began looking through the racks of formal and party dresses. “So who are you going to the dance with?” she inquired for lack of having anything else to say.

“I decided to go by myself” Tess shrugged though she looked distinctly uncomfortable. “I mean guys are really only good for two things. Taking care of you and having sex with you. I already have Max for that… the caring part, I mean… and its not like I can have sex on the dance floor so really, why would I need a date” she rambled like Maria did when she was nervous. “This one would look great on you” she stated and pushed a black, spaghetti strap dress into Liz’s hands. “Why don’t you go try it on?”

Surprised by her sudden change in demeanor, Liz wordlessly nodded and headed to the back of store which was lined with small changing rooms. Carefully, she hung the dress up on one of the hooks and began to pull her shirt up when her cell phone began its incessant ringing. With a frown on her face, Liz dug around in her purse to retrieve the ringing object and quickly hit the ‘talk’ button. “Hey, Kyle. What’s up?”

“It’s Michael. He was driving out on that old highway and there was a horse and he swerved and… Liz, he’s in the hospital” Kyle breathlessly informed.

Liz felt her heart constrict like someone had closed their fist around it, making it hard for her to breathe. “Is he stable? Did they take him into surgery or.. or.. or is um…?”

“No” Kyle quickly assured. “He just has this big nasty bump on his head and a few scrapes but… Liz, he still hasn’t woken up yet.”

Forcing herself to calm down and to stay in control, Liz took several deep breaths as she listened to Kyle speak. “Okay… okay, this is what I want you to do, Kyle. Call Max, okay. Please. If they drew any blood from Michael, we’ll need someone else’s blood to replace it with” she quietly reminded. “I’m in Las Cruces now but I’ll be back as soon as I can” Liz said with her eyes snapped tightly shut in fear over what could happen if they tested his blood and if something worse happened to him before she had the chance to get back to Roswell. “And Kyle… if it’s the only way you can get the blood back… use the mind warp.”

[To_Kiss_A_Frog]

Thanks for the feedback everyone! After reading this chapter, some of you might be wondering WTF but just remember that everyone's personalities are tied together and that things will eventually be made clear soon! More about the others in the chapter after this too!

LairaBehr4
Ellie
PMP
Behrystrwbry
believer_evans
Sternbetrachter
tequathisy
Emz80m
Jason's Lover

Chapter 11

“Come on, Michael I need you to wake up. I swear that I’ll break my date for homecoming if you just wake up” Maria tearfully promised as she sat vigil beside his hospital bed. Her eyes were red and swollen from nearly half an hour of sporadic crying and her fingers had yet to loosen the tight grip she held Michael’s hand with.

With his soon to be step sister occupied, Kyle slipped out of the room undetected when he noticed Max walk by door. Down the hall sat Gloria and Charles Whitman, each holding a cup of coffee and quietly talking to each other while Alex paced back and forth across the waiting room. “Thanks for doing this” Kyle said and looked around for a secluded spot to draw the blood. “Linen closet?” he suggested since it was out of eyeshot from the nurses station.

“Yeah, that should work” Max agreed. Kyle used his powers to lock the door while Max overturned a small trashcan to sit on. “Are you sure you know how to do this?” he couldn’t help but ask as he watched Kyle pull a syringe and tourniquet out of his jacket pocket. Both had been carefully swiped when the nurse had turned to try and comfort a frantic Maria.

“Are you kidding me?” Kyle asked back. “The moment Liz tested our blood and found out it was different, she had us reading all kinds of medical journals and how to books on first aid” he informed with a small laugh. “She even started to learn how to manipulate the blood to resemble what it’s supposed to look like but Michael and I never thought much about it. I guess now I sort of wish that I’d tried to learn how to do it.”

Forgoing his pride, Max tightly shut his eyes and turned his head away from where Kyle had begun to tie the tourniquet around his arm. “So what happens when Liz gets here” Max asked in an effort to distract himself as he felt the needle prick his skin. “Is she gonna heal him or is he just supposed to wake up on his own? I mean, I know that Liz said you guys never get sick but have any of you ever been in an accident or anything before?” he nervously asked in rapid succession.

“There’s never been a time when Liz wasn’t around when we needed her” Kyle answered after a moment’s hesitation. “She’s always healed everything before anyone noticed something was wrong.” His thoughts immediately wandered to Michael and all the injuries Liz had to heal for him when they were kids. Kyle still cringed whenever he stopped and remembered all the bruises and scrapes and burn marks Hank put on Michael’s body.

At six years old there was a lot that they didn’t understand but one thing they did know and share was their intense feeling of hatred towards the man that hurt their friend. Looking back on it, if Hank hadn’t disappeared and if Michael hadn’t gone to live with the Whitman family, either he or Liz would have eventually killed Hank Whitmore. Neither would have been ashamed to admit that either.

“Alright, we got it” Kyle said and released the tourniquet while Max slowly worked up the courage to look down at his arm. He watched, unblinking as Kyle waved his hand over the area and removed all traces of blood from his skin. It was the same thing Liz had done that day at the Crashdown and it still managed to intrigue him. “Thanks. This’ll really help out a lot.”

“We should probably go find Michael’s and get it switched out” Max responded as both males felt obvious discomfort at the shared moment.

Nodding, Kyle pocketed the blood and used his powers to unlock the door. After taking a quick glance around to make sure no one was paying any attention, the two males hurried out of the room and quietly shut the door behind them. “In your opinion, Liz is a really forgiving person, right?” Kyle questioned, causing Max to look at him strangely. “Right, that’s what I thought. So since I’m the one with the hocus pocus, I need you to distract the nurse” he instructed, gesturing to the scrub clad woman who they saw through the window, writing something down on a clipboard.

“How am I supposed to do that?” Max questioned.

“That’s where the forgiving part comes in” Kyle answered and nudged Max towards the door. “Talk to her, pretend you’re lost or something and if all else fails…flirt with her.”


~&~&~&~&~&


Liz, with Tess hot on her heels, quickly rushed down the hospital corridor while looking around for some sign of Kyle or Max. “Liz” she heard and turned to find Alex stepping towards her. Without hesitation, he pulled her into his arms in a comforting embrace and whispered in her ear “He’s still not awake yet, Lizzie.”

Though she expected as much, to hear it caused another sharp pang of worry while tears prickled in the corners of her eyes. Accepting, she nodded against his chest and reluctantly put some distance between them. “I need to see him” she murmured with a stubborn lilt in her quiet voice.

“I figured you would” Alex said and wrapped his arm around her shoulders as he turned and guided her down the hall to Michael’s room. Inside stood Max and Kyle who had their eyes averted from Maria who continued to quietly cry and hold tightly to Michael’s hand. “He wasn’t wearing his helmet” Alex whispered so that only Liz could hear. “The doctor’s aren’t sure when he’ll wake up and they say that there isn’t anything left they can do for him. He just has to come around in his own time” he explained.

Wordlessly nodding, Liz stepped across the threshold and tentatively walked towards her slumbering friend. Neither Kyle nor Max spoke as they watched her enter. Only Maria looked up, staring at Liz with bloodshot eyes and a worried expression. “He’s gonna be okay, Maria” she assured in no uncertain terms. “I promise you that.”

After waiting a beat, Kyle looked around at the group and asked, “Is anyone else thirsty?” knowing that they’d need to distract both Maria and Alex before Liz could heal Michael.

“I am” said Liz. “Me too” Max added.

“I’m fine” Maria softly replied.

“Whitman, why don’t you help me go grab some sodas from the vending machines” Kyle suggested and strode towards the open door where their friend had been standing.

It wasn’t until the two males were gone that Liz pulled up a chair on the opposite side of the bed and took Michael’s other hand in hers. Gently, she ran her fingers across his forehead, pretending to swipe away an errant strand of hair as she instead tried to scan for any superficial injuries. With his guard down, Liz opened herself up to him and found it easy to connect long enough to search for the problem.

Healing him completely would be too conspicuous. When he woke up, the doctor’s would undoubtedly check him over completely and no one would be able to explain a full and instant recovery.

“Sweetie, maybe you should go outside and get some air” Liz suggested after a moment’s consideration. “It might be good for you.”

“I don’t want to leave him” Maria stated, emphatically shaking her head in response.

Helplessly, Liz looked at Max, conveying with a single look how uncertain she was. During their many talks about her abilities, the one Liz had never before mentioned was the group’s ability to mind warp. She never wanted him to think that it was something any of them used for personal gain or amusement. In fact, they had only ever used it on one another and only as a way of practicing it.

Kyle picked it up faster than she and Michael did and he was more precise than they were. Liz, however, was stronger and that strength scared her. She was always too afraid to use the mind warping, even for practice sake, because she was scared that she would unknowingly go too far and do more damage than good. Sometimes she didn’t know her limits. Sometimes it felt like something else was taking over her, overpowering her senses and emotions to the point where the enormity of it all felt like too much to handle.

Since she and Max began dating, those moments were fewer and far between but the dreams had also become more frequent, as though substituting one unexplainable thing for another.

As Max stared down at her then, she saw confidence in his gaze. He believed in her, even if she didn’t believe in herself.

Turning away, Liz looked back at Michael’s still form for several moments before closing her eyes against the tears that had rapidly gathered. Concentrating, she tried to conjure up the image she wanted to project to Maria who continued to hold tight to Michael’s hand. Desperately, she tried to calm her emotions long enough to begin the warp.

Her tears fell steadily as she used her power against her friend. Getting inside Maria’s mind was almost too easy. Her emotions were running high and Liz had to struggle to keep up the warp and at the same time block herself off from Maria’s thoughts. The guilt of it all was almost overwhelming but she pushed past it long enough to raise her hands to Michael and heal the majority of his head injury.

Behind her, Max looked on with a mixture of surprise and shock that she was openly using her healing ability in front of Maria. He didn’t realize what she was doing and Liz dreaded having to explain it to him when it was all over.

“I’m so sorry, Maria” she murmured just before she dropped the warp and quickly pulled herself out of Maria’s mind. “Excuse me” she whispered and fled the room before anything else could be said.

“Liz!” Kyle called out as she ran past him. In her haste, she didn’t see or hear him and instead kept running until she made it to the hospital doors. At a loss, she looked both ways before hurrying as far away from the building as she could get. But it didn’t matter. Each step carried her further away but she couldn’t escape the guilt she felt burrowing itself in her heart. So she kept running… running until she couldn’t run anymore.

She was in an empty, uncut field behind the hospital when she finally dropped down onto the earth. Her breath came out in short pants as she leaned forward, hoping to calm the sick feeling she felt welling up in her stomach.

Liz wasn’t sure how long she sat there before she felt someone place a tentative hand on her shoulder. “I’m so sorry” she whispered and sunk into Kyle’s embrace. “I didn’t know what else to do. She was just sitting there and he was getting worse. I could feel it… could sense it. I didn’t know what else to do” she sobbed almost frantically.

“Shh…” he attempted to soothe and awkwardly ran his hands over her hair. “Its okay, Lizzie. It was for Michael. You did it to heal Michael” he said, immediately understanding what it was that she had done. “It’s okay.”

“I’m scared” she broke down. “I hate having to use my powers like that… I hate it because… because I feel like something changes inside of me… when I heal, I’m okay but… but I hate connecting because I’m so scared I’ll go too deep… that I won’t find my way back. I hated being inside her mind” she sobbed brokenly, soaking his shirt with her tears.

At a loss, Kyle continued to kneel with her, holding Liz tightly in his embrace as he tried to decipher her fears. He wondered what exactly had caused her to fall apart so suddenly, especially since he had never once seen her cry. “But you connect with Max all the time” he murmured, half to himself and half in question to Liz.

“It’s not the same” Liz shook her head. “I’ve only willed a deep connection with him to heal” she tried to explain. “I don’t let him that deep inside of me… I won’t go deep inside of him… it just… just happens sometimes when we kiss. I can’t help it and I can’t feel it until it’s done. I don’t even know how to block myself from him… I can’t” she sadly whispered and hiccupped quietly as her tears slowly began to slow.

“Lizzie, what’s going on with you” Kyle whispered when he finally noticed her body had been shaking.

“I don’t know” she murmured. “Oh god, Kyle… please help me” she begged and sagged against him, drained of all her energy.


~&~&~&~&~&


Michael was slightly groggy, but finally awake when Kyle and Liz entered his room nearly twenty minutes later. “Bout time you quit napping” Liz teased, wearing a small smile as she walked forward to envelope him in her embrace. “I’m glad you’re okay” she whispered in his ear before slowly pulling away.

She could feel the heat of Max’s gaze on her but couldn’t turn to face him. He saw too much when he looked at her and she was scared that one look would be all it took for him to read the guilt and fear her eyes exuded. “Dude… helmet” Kyle said simply and gave him a quick, brotherly hug.

“I know” Michael winced and cast furtive glance at Maria who had finally calmed down.

“Well the doctors want you to stay overnight for observation” said Gloria Whitman as she, accompanied by her husband, Charles, walked through the doorway. “Then if you’re still feeling okay in the morning, we’ll be able to take you home” she informed and offered the group a small, motherly smile.

“I’m feeling fine now” Michael instantly spoke up.

“Maybe… but the doctor still wants to keep you” Gloria responded.

“Nothing’s gonna change between now and the morning” Michael was quick to argue. “I just wanna go home and get some sleep in my own bed” he said, glancing between his two foster parents.

“We could all come over and stay with him” Kyle then suggested when it appeared that both adults weren’t sure what to say to Michael next. “Just kick back and watch some movies or something” he shrugged and looked to each friend in the room for confirmation.

“I’m up for it” Liz agreed gamely.

“Me too” Maria quietly added.

“Well… I guess it wouldn’t hurt” Charles finally threw in. “As long as you come straight to us if something starts to hurt you” he conditioned.

“Deal” Michael agreed, willing to promise anything if it meant getting him out of the hospital.

“We’ll go see what we can do” Gloria said and followed her husband out of the room.

“I have snack detail” Liz volunteered after checking with Kyle who agreed to pick up the movies. Alex then agreed to go on home and get things settled in Michael’s room while Maria said she’d stay behind until they knew for sure that the doctors would agree to the release.

Throughout it all, Max remained quiet, merely standing in the back of the room as the others planned out their night. It wasn’t until the friends separated to depart that he finally caught up with Liz in the waiting room. To his surprise, Tess had continued to sit there, leafing through a six year old magazine. Silently, he watched the two girls talk for several moments before Liz gave her a quick hug and turned to walk away.

“Go” Tess said when she saw his uncertain glance. “We’ll catch up later.”

“Thanks, Tess” Max replied and chased after Liz who was headed towards Maria’s Jetta. Keys in hand, she fumbled as she tried to unlock the door and eventually dropped the keys onto the pavement. “Talk to me” he said and reached for the keys at the same time she did. Their hands brushed up against each other and he was immediately assaulted with an image. It came and went too quickly for him to really understand it but he felt the pain it left behind.

Liz didn’t seem to notice he had seen anything as she resumed her task. “I know you have questions. I have… the answers but I just can’t talk about it right now” she said from behind the curtain her hair had formed in front of her face.

“No” Max stated and leaned against the door when Liz attempted to pull it open.

“Max, I have to go” Liz reiterated to no avail. Still, he continued to stand unmoving, staring down at her until she finally worked up the courage to meet his gaze. “What do you want me to say?” she asked, dejectedly. Though Kyle had managed to calm her down considerably, Liz still felt jumpy inside. She had no idea where her breakdown had come from and unfortunately, talking about it hadn’t given her any answers.

“How about the truth” Max answered and placed his hands down gently on Liz’s shoulders. “What happened in there? What made you run out like that?” he asked.

Averting her eyes, Liz looked around at all the parked cars and the people coming and going. The thought of answering Max’s question and breaking down again in front of the passing visitors wasn’t an appealing one. “Not here” she finally said, eyes pleading with him. “Anywhere else but here.”

“Okay” Max nodded and took the keys out of Liz’s hand. “I’ll drive” he added and placed his arm around her shoulders to guide Liz towards his jeep a few rows over. His presence surrounded her, making Liz feel safe and comforted. She welcomed his touch and was loathsome to have it disappear when released his hold to go around to the driver side.

Both were silent as he pulled out of the parking lot and out onto the street. Liz wasn’t sure where he was taking her, not that it mattered as long as it was away from the hospital. With her eyes closed, she leaned her head back against the seat and took a few steadying breaths, willing her body to calm down.

Then without warning, an image flashed before her eyes, leaving her shaken and gasping breath.

The invisible bonds holding me back are released and I fall to the floor in a weary heap. My eyes, lined with dried tears, focus on the two bodies lying haphazardly just beyond the royal altar. Their limbs are twisted in impossible angles, their gazes wide eyed and lifeless. “No…” I murmur and shake my head in disbelief. It has to be a trick, a mind warp of some kind. Then, out of the corner of my eye I see another figure being hauled in by three soldiers in red garb. “Villandra” I attempt to call out but my voice is roughed with fatigue.

“You three are my witnesses. Here I stand, fulfilling my end of the agreement” he says to the guards and presses both his hands against her struggling body. Her cries could only be described as torturous as smoke begins to radiate from his flattened palms.

“Stop it” I call out from where I lay and desperately try to crawl towards them. The stone feels rigid against my palms, ripping small cuts into my skin as I slowly propel myself forward. “No… leave her be” I demand but my cries fall on deaf ears. Villandra is howling, slumping in the tight embrace the soldiers hold her in. Tears sting my eyes as I struggle to my feet. Slowly, my strength begins to return in full force and I know then that my father’s life force has risen into the heavens.

I throw my hands out but it’s too late. Her lifeless body tumbles to the ground.

As she struggled to fight back the tears filling her eyes, Max rolled to a stop in his driveway and quickly cut the engine. Liz couldn’t hear him calling out her name as the sounds of piercing screams filled her ears instead.

Her mind was no longer in the jeep but somewhere else entirely. Everything else ceased to exist as the images left her feeling paralyzed with fear. Unknowingly, a whimper fell from her lips and she clutched tightly to Max as he carried her into his house. Her body shook like a leaf in the wind but she didn’t notice. Even with his lips pressed to her ear, she couldn’t hear Max speak and instead continued to hold tightly to his shirt when he set her down on the bed.


~&~&~&~&~&


When she finally awoke, more than a half hour had past. “What happened to you?” Max whispered so as to not startle her when he saw her eyes had finally opened. There was worry in his gaze as he looked down at her and only then did Liz realize he had been holding her, pressed up against his body as she slept.

“I had a flash… a vision” she said in a quiet voice. “Someone I know… or that I used to know. She was being killed. I tried to stop them but I felt so weak and empty… I couldn’t get to her in time” Liz tried to explain. “I have never idea where it came from.” The flash had been frustratingly random since Liz hadn’t been touching anyone or anything that could have made her recall such a gruesome memory. At least she believed it was a memory.

He didn’t say anything at first, simply listening and trying to figure out what it all meant.

“What about the hospital. How did you heal Michael without Maria noticing?” he eventually queried and held her closer when he felt Liz stiffen in his embrace.

“It’s um… it’s what we call a mind warp” Liz reluctantly answered. “We can make people see things that aren’t really there or in this case, make them not see something. I got into Maria’s head and projected an image of me just sitting there so that I could heal him while she was in the room.” It was easy to hear the guilt in her voice as she admitted what she had done.

“How?” Max persisted.

“I don’t know” Liz answered honestly. “It isn’t something I do often… or ever, really. It’s the one power that I’ve always been scared to use” she softly explained. “I’m too strong for it and once I’m inside, it’s hard to know my limit. Michael and Kyle can handle it but I don’t know about other people so I just… I just don’t ever use it.”

Liz felt him nod against her and a moment later he began to run his fingers through her hair soothingly, almost unconsciously. “So why’d you run away?” was his next question.

“Because I used my powers against someone who has no defense against them” Liz whispered shamefully. “Because doing it made me feel something familiar… something inside of me that I hate… something that I can’t remember. I was scared that I had done it before. That maybe I wasn’t good before” she admitted, voicing a deep rooted concern she had been feeling for a long time.

Frustration was evident in her voice and in her tears as she quietly began to cry again. Liz could probably count on her hand the number of times she had cried in her life yet in one afternoon, she had shed several tears… too many for her liking.

“No” Max denied, despite being unable to understand what exactly was going on inside his girlfriend’s mind and body. “You healed me without a second thought about what could happen to you… you trusted me to keep your secret even though you had no reason to. You’re good inside, Liz. You love your family and your friends and you couldn’t love anyone if you were really bad inside” he stated strongly.

“Maybe… but we don’t know that for sure” Liz replied. “I mean, I’ve made so many mistakes with both Michael and Kyle and maybe there’s a reason for it. Maybe nature is stronger than nurture. Maybe this is who I am” she mused aloud.

“Where’s is all this self doubt coming from?” Max leaned back to ask. “This isn’t you, Liz.”

“Max, there are times when I feel something inside of me… it’s quick but it’s so strong. I haven’t felt it in a long time, not since before I healed you but I felt it today. I felt it twice and I’d be lying if I said it didn’t scare me. I’m scared of what it means or what I might be. I’m scared that something inside of me could hurt you or Michal or Kyle or Maria or Alex. I’m just… scared” she trailed off in a voice no louder than a whisper.

She was falling to pieces and Max had no idea how to help her. The person lying in his bed wasn’t the girl he had fallen for. This person was someone else entirely, someone being torn in two by something he didn’t or couldn’t understand. All he wanted was to make things better for her.

“That’s okay” Max said after several silent seconds had passed between them. “You can be scared. Because I’m not. I’m not afraid of you, Liz and I don’t think it’s possible for you to ever hurt me or any of your other friends. So be scared and I’ll be here for you until you aren’t scared anymore. I promise” he vowed and held her close as her body shook with the force of her sobs.

[To_Kiss_A_Frog]

Thanks everyone for patience and understanding. This chapter was mostly finished so I just went back in and made some adjustments and I'm working on updates for some of my other stories. Thanks again for your feedback and bumps!

LairaBehr4
Jason's Lover
PMP
Ellie
Emz80m
nibbles2
dreamsatnight
tequathisy
RoswellScripter
L-J-L 76
loviedovie
Behrystrwbry
haveapancake
RosyLady
FSU/MSW-94

Chapter 12

“You didn’t have to stick around” Michael gruffly informed as he tiredly sat down on the edge of his bed. From where Alex stood just inside the door, he winced at his foster brother’s declaration and discretely stepped out into the hallway, leaving Maria to respond.

“I lent Liz my car so I sort of do” Maria bit back more out of defense than actual truth.

“Whatever” he muttered in reply and leaned back against the soft mattress, silently conveying to Maria that he had nothing left to say to her.

“God, you’re such a stubborn ass!” she declared with fire lighting her emerald green eyes. “I can’t believe that after everything’s that happened, you’re still mad at me for saying yes to Dylan Watts. It’s just a stupid dance, Michael. It’s not like I’m gonna marry and bare the guy’s children” Maria succulently informed.

“Good for you” Michael retorted tonelessly, not rising to the bait of her anger.

“Grrr!…” Maria all but screamed in frustration. “Fine Mr. Stonewall. Lay there and pretend you don’t care about me or anything I have to say. But don’t you dare expect me to feel sorry for what I did when you can’t even admit the truth” she stated in an irritation laced voice. With her arms crossed over her chest in defiance, Michael thought she looked ready to scream again as he lifted his head up enough to see her stance.

“And what truth would that be?” he asked, disinterested.

“That you want to be with me. I mean, really be with me” Maria stated evenly. “Not just making out in the eraser room but a real relationship. Except you have so much pride that you aren’t willing to admit it because it might mean getting hurt. Well guess what, Guerin… we aren’t even together right now and we’re both still hurt” she strongly informed. “But that’s okay because it’s what happens when people care about each other. Someone always gets hurt. You just haven’t learned that not all arguments mean the end of the relationship.”

For several silent moments, Michael continued to lay there, unmoving and unwilling to respond. A part of him wanted to throw all caution to the wind and just admit that she was right. Another part of him, a very deeply buried part of him, was still afraid of letting her in. He wasn’t sure that the two of them could fight and yell and still not fall apart. She wasn’t his brother like Kyle and she wasn’t his sister like Liz. She was someone who could walk away from him because there was nothing tying them together.

Even if Kyle and Liz weren’t blood, they were still his family as far as Michael was concerned and family always stuck together. Would Maria still want to stick by him when and if she found out the truth about what he was? Michael wasn’t sure of that answer and because of it, wasn’t sure whether or not he was ready for the risk after all.

“So what? You’re just gonna lay there and pretend I didn’t say anything?” Maria demanded, while anger began seeping into her voice again.

“What do you want me to say?” Michael asked, his tone rough and tired.

“How about that I’m right? Or that you understand it won’t be perfect but that you’re willing to try anyway… because I’m worth it.”

“It wouldn’t work” Michael said instead.

“You didn’t seem to think so when you were asking me to homecoming” Maria reminded.

“I got the movies. Where’s the grub?” asked Kyle as he burst into the room, carrying with him a plastic bag of rented DVD’s. “Where is everyone else” he slowly asked, belatedly realizing that he’d most likely walked in on a serious conversation between his two friends. “Why don’t I just…” he trailed off, gesturing towards the doorway.

“I’ll go call Liz” volunteered Maria who cast one last glance at a laying Michael before exiting the room.

“Dude, what’d I just walk in on?” Kyle immediately queried once Maria was out of earshot.

“Nothing” Michael all but grunted and sat up long enough to snatch the bag out of Kyle’s hands. “A chick flick?” he asked, wearing a look of disbelief after sorting through the titles and finding ‘Pretty Woman’ at the end. “A chick flick about a hooker, no less” he added, disgusted.

“This isn’t just a chick flick” Kyle defensively informed. “It’s a distraction. Something for the girls to watch out in the living room while us guys watch Busty Biker Babes on video” he said, producing the final movie from the inside pocket of his jacket.

“Are you sure you’re not the one that hit his head?” Michael queried, baffled. “Who wants to watch porn at a sausage fest?”

Thankfully, Kyle was saved from answering that particularly awkward question when Alex and Maria returned to the room, toting four cans of soda and glasses of ice. “Well I tried calling Liz and she’s not picking up her cell” Maria told and made herself comfortable on the surprisingly clean carpet. “So she’s probably already on her way.”

Kyle, who quickly flashed back to the broken way Liz cried in his arms, wasn’t so sure. The only thing that stopped him from going out to look for her was the fact that he knew she was with Max. And despite any reservations he or Michael had about their friend’s boyfriend in the beginning, Kyle was certain Max would take care of her. “So we’ll pop in the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre until they show up. Sorry Maria” he added, sounding anything but as she grimaced in response.

Alex hit the lights while Michael got comfortable on his bed and Kyle straddled the desk chair. “Pull up some carpet” Maria invited and patted the place beside her, missing the almost imperceptible way Michael narrowed his eyes.

Alex, however, did the catch the look and reluctantly sat down next to his childhood friend. “It’s gonna be a long night” he muttered under his breath as the movie began.


~&~&~&~&~&


“Are you sure you’re okay to drive?” Max inquired once more as he maneuvered into the hospital parking lot where the Jetta continued to sit. There was concern in his voice and in his eyes as he pulled to a stop beside the old Volkswagen, causing Liz to feel guilty that she’d burdened him with her mini-breakdown.

“I’m fine” she easily assured. “Besides, we already picked up the food so it’s just a straight shot to the Whitman house” Liz reminded.

“I know, I just… “

“Contrary to my earlier behavior, I’m not gonna break” Liz quietly said, thankful for his concern yet saddened that he was so worried. “I just need some time to figure out whatever’s going on in my head but until I do… you don’t have to worry about me. I’ll be okay.”

“I guess I’m just wondering if you’re gonna try to walk away from me because you’re scared I’ll get hurt by whatever it is that’s going on with you” Max softly admitted. Liz felt her heart break a little when she spied the sadness in his eyes.

It was still a mystery to Liz why he cared so much. She still asked herself why he chose her. She wondered how she managed to gain and hold the interest of someone as wonderful as Max was. Because the truth was he could have any girl at West Roswell, yet he picked her. “I’m not going to try”

“Okay. Why?” he persisted.

“Because I’m selfish” Liz candidly revealed. “Because as much as I want to protect you, the really selfish part of me wants to hold on and never let go.”

“I don’t want you to let go” Max confessed and gently cupped her face between his palms. Slowly, he lowered his lips to hers and caressed them until Liz opened up, allowing his tongue to teasingly duel with hers. “Don’t try to protect me” he murmured against her lips. “I’m not gonna break” he said, returning her earlier words.

Wordlessly, Liz nodded and swiped at the tears the escaped from the corners of her eyes.


~&~&~&~&~&


When Max and Liz finally made it to the Whitman Residence, the rest of the group was halfway through their first movie. Eagerly, Kyle reached for the bag of junk food Liz held and began digging through it for something to eat. “Swearing you didn’t just eat half of a day old pizza ten minutes ago” Maria stated, receiving a dirty look from her soon to be step brother.

“Sorry we’re late” Liz apologized but offered up no other explanation. She knew they would all draw their own conclusions regardless of anything she said so she didn’t bother. “I’ll go make the popcorn” she offered and swatted Kyle’s hands away long enough to grab the box of Pop Secret.

“I’ll come with” Maria volunteered, leaving only the males in the room.

“So what took you guys so long?” Michael was the first to question.

“Mr. and Mrs. Parker wanted to talk to Liz when I took her back to the Crashdown to change” answered Max who half told the truth. While the Parker did want to speak to their daughter about Michael, it had only taken ten or so minutes instead of the hour and half they spent together at his house. Though with Alex in the room and his uncertainty over whether or not Kyle had mentioned anything to Michael, Max decided to go with the safest answer he could come up with.

“Speaking of Liz, it seemed like Maria was pretty eager to go make popcorn” Kyle reminded, turning devious eyes to Michael. “She wouldn’t by any chance have something important to tell Liz, would she? Maybe something about you, Mike?” he asked.

“Dude… seriously! You can’t use Vicky as your excuse anymore. You gave her her walking papers over a month ago and you still gossip” Michael stated, hoping to divert everyone’s attention away from him and Kyle’s question.

“Chicks gossip. I’m merely ask questions and gather information for my own personal knowledge” Kyle replied, wearing a smug grin for his rationalization.

“Half empty, half full… doesn’t matter, either way you spin it, you still have half a glass of water” Michael retorted, to which Kyle had no answer.


~&~&~&~&~&


“You would think that after everything that happened today, Michael would be a little more receptive but no… he still won’t let me in” Maria declared in obvious frustration. “It’s just a school dance! How long is he going to hold it against me?”

“I don’t think he’s holding it against you” Liz replied after a contemplative moment. “He’s probably still just a little reluctant is all” she opined.

“When he was lying on that hospital bed, I swore that if he just woke up, I’d break my date with Dylan but… I can’t help but wonder what the point would be when it seems like there’s no way to get through to Michael” she sadly admitted. “Maybe we missed our chance. You know, maybe it just isn’t meant to be” Maria couldn’t help but think.

“Is that how you really feel?”

“Yes… maybe… I don’t know” Maria answered.

“Well it’s up to you. If you want to try and make it work with Michael then hold your ground. Don’t give up no matter how much he makes you want to” Liz advised as she poured out the second bag of popcorn. “But if you really and truly feel like it isn’t meant to be, then nothing I have to say will make you change your mind.”

It hit Liz earlier that she was in no position to hand out advice. For so long she felt like she had a handle on her life, like she saw the big picture but after everything that had happened at the hospital, she wondered whether she knew anything at all. The dreams not only made her question her actions but everything she believed about herself. A very loud and rude awakening, she thought.

Maria didn’t reply as she watched Liz sprinkle a healthy dose of hot sauce into the first bowl. Instead, she reached out for the second and waited until Liz had replaced the bottle before leading the way back into Michael’s room. “This one’s ours” Liz said to Michael and Kyle and set the bowl down on the bed so that each of them could reach it. She noticed Kyle had already pulled out the bag of twizzlers, the box of Twinkies and the Hot Tamales candy.

“I got lights” said Alex.

“And I got the remote” added Michael.

“Blood, guts and gore… let me guess, Kyle picked the movie” Liz deduced, only to be shushed by said friend.

Rolling her eyes, Liz settled with her back against Max’s chest and watched The Texas Chainsaw Massacre for what could have easily been the thousandth time.


~&~&~&~&~&


The next morning found five sleepy teenagers with dark circles underneath their eyes. Michael had been the only one to get the day off, leaving the rest of the movie gang to suffer through a long and sunny morning on next to no sleep. “I’m glad to hear your friend is okay” said Tess as she stood beside Max’s locker, talking to him and Liz. “And I’m going back to the boutique today to continue the search for a perfect dress. You’re welcome to come with me, if you want” she graciously invited.

“I’m not sure yet but I’ll let you know before the day’s out” Liz replied with a half smile.

“Sure thing, Liz and I’ll see you in Spanish” she added to Max before leaving the pair alone.

“You still want to go to the dance, don’t you?” Max thought to ask once Tess was gone. It hadn’t occurred to him before that after everything that happened, Liz might have changed her mind.

“I do” she slowly acknowledged. “But I guess I’m just afraid that something else will happen while I’m away from Roswell” Liz admitted, instantly feeling silly. She knew that the day before had been a unique situation but she still couldn’t stop herself from feeling scared that there would be another accident. Only this time she wouldn’t make it back in time to heal or fix whoever needed it.

“Nothing’s gonna happen” Max assured with utmost certainty.

The way he said it made it almost impossible for Liz to think otherwise, she noted. “Come on, we better get to Astronomy” she instead replied. “The last thing I want is for you to cause me to get detention again” she teased lightheartedly and playfully tugged on Max’s arm.

“Excuse me, Miss Parker” he sarcastically stated. “But I think he never would have heard us talking if you hadn’t been so busy trying to shut me up” he informed in the same teasing tone.

“Well of course you don’t realize it was your fault. You’re a jock. All jocks think the world revolves around them” she said in mock seriousness.

“Is that so” he said with narrowed eyes.

“Uh huh” Liz confidently assured.

“That’s because it does” Max shrugged, offering Liz a playful grin. “Come on little miss scientist” he said and took Liz’s hand in his, then teasingly led her down the hall while she rolled her eyes at his silly antics.


~&~&~&~&~&


“With all this sneaking around, I might start to think you’re ashamed of me” Tess muttered in between kisses. “Mmmm…” she moaned as Kyle’s lips slowly trailed down the smooth column of her neck. “Hiding in… the eraser room. Beneath the bleachers… empty classrooms…”

“I just want… to keep it… between us, for now” Kyle murmured against her skin while his hands began a tentative journey up her shirt.

“Our friends will understand” she argued and unconsciously began grinding her hips into his lap.

“Enough talking” Kyle replied and fused his lips with hers in a long, sensual kiss. Eagerly, Tess thrust her tongue into his mouth and snaked it around his own. Of their own volition, their hips began to gyrate against one another, fueling the fire already burning hotly between them.

“Soon?” Tess asked as she pried her lips away from his long enough to get the question out.

“Promise” he assured and attacked her neck with several languid, open mouthed kisses.

[To_Kiss_A_Frog]

Hello everyone! Thanks for all the great feedback. I'm sorry that it's taken me so long to update. I've just been so busy trying to get ready to start classes again but I finally had some time today and I managed to finish up the latest update. Thanks everyone for your patience!!

Chapter 13

“You look great” Liz complimented as Maria twirled in front of her, causing the skirt on her pale blue dress to flare upward. “I love your hair like that” she added, referring to her friend’s springy spiral curls which had been swept up elegantly.

“Thanks” Maria smiled though it didn’t quite reach her eyes.

Liz knew and understood that her friend was still very frustrated with and disappointed in Michael. The two had yet to work things out between them and Liz was starting to wonder if they’d ever manage to meet on the same page. Unfortunately, as much as she wished she could help, Liz acknowledged that there really wasn’t much she could do. She’d already listened to and talked to Maria about it, not to mention the previous conversations she had with Michael.

Now, she supposed, it was up to the two of them to find some middle ground. “And thanks for letting me get dressed over here” Maria added. “There are way too many boxes at my place and I wasn’t about to attempt it at Jim’s house either. Imagine standing in front of the bathroom mirror, trying to put on my make up while Kyle’s stands beside me shaving or… something.”

“It’s no problem” Liz smiled and took her turn twirling in front of the full length mirror. Unlike Maria, Liz had chosen to wear her hair up for the night with several falling tendrils framing her face. Despite eyeballing a simple black dress, Liz had ended up picking an equally simple but no less beautiful, cranberry colored dress. It was form fitting on top and flared out nicely until it fell to just below her knees.

The knock at the bedroom door alerted the two girls of the time. “Maria, your date is here” Nancy announced as she poked her head in doorway. “Oh, you girls look so beautiful. So grown up.” Liz spotted the camera in her mother’s hand and knew a round of photographs was sure to come next. “Let me just get a quick picture” she added while Liz bit back a smile.

With their arms slung around each other’s waists, the two girls looked at the camera with big, bright smiles. “I guess I’ll see you at the dance” Maria said once Nancy had left the pair alone again in the room. Gone was the smile she sported only a few seconds before, only be replaced by a tentative expression.

Liz could see that beyond Maria’s angry bravado, she truly was sorry for the way things were between her and Michael.

“Have fun sweetie” Liz smiled and waited until Maria was gone before allowing it to fall away. Tiredly, she flopped down on the bed and closed her eyes for a quiet moment. Dreams from the night before and each night before that continued to haunt her every waking moment. So many images that she couldn’t understand. Liz felt exhausted by it all but tried to hide it from everyone except Max.

Despite her best efforts, she’d been unable to hide the truth from him. He saw right through her excuses and knew that the dreams were the reason behind her behavior.

She had no idea how much time had eventually passed between Maria’s departure and Nancy’s arrival. “Max is here, honey” she announced while Liz plastered on another smile. Quickly, she gathered her clutch and gave her reflection one last glance before following her mother out the door.

Waiting, talking to her father, stood Max. He wore a black tux, the requirement of all on the royal court and in his hand he held a single white rose.

“Wow” he breathed out when he caught sight of Liz entering the room. “You look beautiful” he complimented and placed a chaste kiss against her lips, mindful of the fact that her parents were curiously watching the entire exchange. “This is for you” he murmured, presenting her with the rose. It was pure with perfect petals and stood out against the red of Liz’s dress.

“I like” Liz teased and lightly fingered his lapel.

“You ready to go?” he queried but was unable to wipe the awestruck look off his face.

Liz couldn’t express how flattered his expression made her feel. For a few moments she was able to forget all the pain she experienced in her dreams each night and got to pretend she was a normal teenage girl on her way to a school dance. “I am” Liz stated but if she thought she was going to get away without having to pose for any more picture, she was wrong.

With smiles on their faces, Max and Liz patiently stood as Nancy snapped photo after photo until she was finally satisfied with the amount. “And you’re going to make sure my daughter gets safely to the Deluca house, right?” Jeff had to ask just before they left.

Instantly, Max reached out for the overnight bag Liz lifted off the floor and turned to face Jeff Parker. “I promise Liz will safely be delivered at the end of the night” he assured, refraining from repeating the part about the Deluca residence. Since he didn’t want to lie to her parents, he just left out the part that would have made his assurance a lie.

Once they got outside, Liz realized Max had driven Tess’ SUV as opposed to his jeep. “You look great” the blonde complimented from where she sat in the backseat.

Since Tess was dateless for the night, Max had asked Liz if she minded the three of them all going to the dance together. Of course he wouldn’t actually be both their dates. It was just so that Tess didn’t have to walk in alone.

The request made Liz think of Michael and without hesitation she had agreed.

“So do you” Liz returned when she twisted around in her seat and noticed the straightened locks replacing Tess’ usual curls. Her hair and skin tone were complimented by the lavender color of her ankle length dress while beside her sat a single Iris, a perfect shade darker.

“Aren’t I the lucky one with two beautiful girls to walk in on my arms?” Max lightly teased, drawing a smile from both girls at his obvious cheesiness.

When asked where she wanted to eat before the dance, Liz chose Senor Chow’s because she knew that was where Maria and her date were going and she wanted to be around in case her friend needed her. Liz didn’t know Dylan all that well and rightfully guessed that Maria didn’t either. Plus several of Max’s friends would also be dining there for the night so Liz figured it was a good choice for the both of them.


~&~&~&~&~&


“I thought you were going to the dance?” Michael called out when he saw Alex walk by his door, dressed in jeans and a long sleeved t-shirt. A black and white re-run of Bewitched played on his TV and a half empty bottle of Snapple rested on the nightstand beside him. On first and second glance, it was obvious that he had no plans to leave the house at any point in the near future.

“Nah. I figured I’d just swing by the Crashdown and pick up some food or something” Alex replied, after a quick survey of his foster brother’s room. “Dude, when was the last time you cleaned?” he couldn’t help but ask as he spied empty food wrappers and discarded Snapple bottles. “Mom’s gonna freak when she sees all this” he felt the need to add.

A grunt was the only response Alex received. Just like all the others in the group, he knew that his foster brother was angry with Maria and still a little shaken up after the accident but he knew better than to mention either topic.

“See you later” Michael stated instead, causing Alex to bite back a frustrated sigh.

“Later” he returned and backtracked out the door, leaving Michael to his fruity drink and oldies television show.


~&~&~&~&~&~


Come to me now
And lay your hands over me
Even if it’s a lie
Say it will be alright
And I shall believe

With her eyes closed and her arms twined around his neck, Liz gently swayed against Max’s body. The soft strains of the song lulled her senses, relaxing Liz as they danced among more than a dozen other couples. “You are so beautiful” Max whispered against her ear. The low timber of his voice caused a small shiver to dance up her spine while his arms reflexively tightened around her body.

“And you’ve been amazing with me” Liz whispered back so softly it almost went unheard on the populated dance floor.

Nearby Maria and Kyle danced with several inches of space between their bodies. Dylan looked unhappy where he sat and if she turned just a fraction, Liz would have been able to see the same look on Kyle’s face as Tess danced with Tommy Simpson.

I’m broken in two
And I know you’re on to me
That I only come home
When I’m so all alone
But I do believe

Her eyes fluttered open as she looked up at Max with such wide eyed innocence. Neither said anything. Each simply looking upon the other, studying… memorizing… remembering…. The music began to slowly fade into the background as Max lowered his mouth to her lips.

Without hesitation, Liz surrendered herself to the soft touch and returned his gentle caress.

That not everything is gonna be the way
You think it ought to be
It seems like every time I try to make it right
It all comes down on me
Please say honestly you won’t give up on me
And I shall believe
And I shall believe

“Liz” he murmured against her lips. Slowly, her eyes opened, looking up at him with a dazed expression in her soft brown orbs. “I love you.”


~&~&~&~&~&


“This is a dance. Why do you look like the Grinch just stole Christmas?” Kyle questioned as the Sheryl Crow song they had been dancing to drew to an end. Around them, some couples went to take their seats while others came forward when a faster song began to play.

“Nothing’s wrong” Maria replied but it was obvious to Kyle that she was being less than truthful.

“Well that was convincing” he dryly retorted and steered Maria away when he noticed Dylan making his way over. “What’s really going on?” he asked, concerned. Though he and Maria had never been best friends, they were close in their own way, more so ever since their parents began dating. Kyle also cared a lot about his future step sister and wanted to help her if there was any way he could.

“I just… you know what, it’s okay. I know what I have to do” Maria stated and embraced Kyle before hurrying off the dance floor. Behind him, Dylan looked on, puzzled by her quick disappearance while Kyle wore basically the same expression.


~&~&~&~&~&


“Isabel, hi” Alex greeted as he walked into the café and found the pensive blonde sitting alone at the corner booth. When she looked up at him and politely smiled, he felt his knees go weak and nearly faltered on his way over to her table. “Do you uh… um... mind if I… if I join you?” he stuttered, mentally slapping himself for sounding so uneasy.

“Oh um… sure” Isabel agreed. “You didn’t want to go to the dance tonight?” she queried after a silent moment.

Normally during their study sessions, Alex wasn’t so nervous because he hid behind his role as a tutor. Now all he could think about was fumbling and bumbling like an idiot. “I thought about it” he acknowledged, hoping he sounded cool. “But I wasn’t really up for it so…” he trailed off and barely managed to refrain in time from asking Isabel why she had chosen not to go.

“You ready to order?”

Both teens looked up when the smoke roughened voice of Agnes greeted their ears. She held her order pad in one hand while the other rested against her hip, making her appear just as bored as she sounded. “A Will Smith with an order of space fries and an orange soda, please” he politely ordered but didn’t expect much since Agnes never wrote it down.

“So…”

“So….” Alex repeated.

“Um… how’s Michael?” Isabel eventually asked. “Max said he was in some kind of an accident. How’s he doing?”

“Full recovery” Alex assured then found himself at a loss as to what he should say next. “So how’s your…”

“I just finished my…” they both began to say at the same time. Nervously, Isabel laughed and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. Alex had seen Liz use the same gesture more than a thousand times before but when Isabel did it, he found himself unable to look away from her. She is so beautiful, he thought.

“You first” he invited but before Isabel had a chance to say anything, Agnes reappeared carrying Alex’s plate. Neither was particularly surprised when instead of the cheeseburger he ordered, she set down a galaxy sub and Saturn rings. Then without uttering a single word, she sauntered away again. “You forgot the… soda” he trailed off when she didn’t so much as half turn around. “And that’s why I only come here when either Liz or Maria are working” he added to Isabel he broke out another smile.

“Well there’s Mr. Parker” Isabel pointed out. “Maybe he’ll get your drink for you” she suggested with a small shrug.

“Right. I’ll be back” Alex said and prayed he wouldn’t trip over his laces or something else as he walked towards the café owner.


~&~&~&~&~&


Maria had no idea if she had made the right choice but it was too late to turn back once Gloria Whitman opened the front door. “Hello dear. Are you here to see Michael or Alex?” she queried and Maria was grateful that she made no mention of the fact that she was wearing a dance dress.

“Michael, if he’s home” she answered and was instantly ushered into the house.

“He’s in his room but I have to warn you that he’s not in the greatest mood” Gloria candidly revealed.

“Thanks” Maria lightly smiled and tentatively made her way up the stairs. From the landing she heard the theme song to Bewitched and knew she was in trouble. Michael only ever watched the old show when he was frustrated and in need of a laugh.

With his door already opened, Maria didn’t have the opportunity to collect herself before walking in. Instead, she found herself standing before him in all her homecoming glory. “What are you doing here?” he gruffly asked. His eyes only flicked away from the television for a moment or two but Maria wasn’t fooled. She knew that even if he wasn’t looking at her that she still had his full attention.

“I came to see you” she quietly answered.

“Why?”

Already she wanted to tear her hair out but curbed the impulse to scream in frustration. “Because I had something I wanted to say to you” Maria said and steeled her resolve. Butterflies danced a wicked number in her stomach as she took a long, steadying breath. “I’ve liked you for… so long. I want to be with you, Michael. I want to be your girlfriend but for whatever reason, you don’t trust that. You think that I’m going to break your heart or something and I really wish you could see that by not trusting me… you’re breaking mine.”

By now she had his attention but Maria remained unseeing as she stared at a single spot beside him. It was the only way she could get through her speech without running out the door in embarrassment.

“I can’t promise you forever but if you want to take a chance anyway, I can promise you right now. Here and now that I’ll be here for you. That I won’t let you down. I just need you to look past your pride and your stubbornness. I need you to look at me and see the truth I’m telling you” Maria stated and finally allowed her eyes to focus on his shocked ones. “So what’s it going to be? Are you willing to give me a chance… to give us a chance? Or are you going to tell me to leave?”

[To_Kiss_A_Frog]

Hi everyone! Thanks for the feedback.

FSU/MSW-94
Alien614
RosyLady
Kitten
tequathisy
Emz80m
LairaBehr4
Sternbetrachter
KarenEvans
dreamsatnight
Jason's Lover
Ellie

Chapter 14

Liz was silent and unmoving as the song drew to a close. For what felt like an endless moment, she tried to wrap her mind around the words Max had just spoken. Did he really just say that he loved me, she wondered. Yet even as she asked herself that question, she knew the answer because she could see it in his eyes. So open and expressive, conveying to her the same emotion his voice had just declared.

However, before Liz had the opportunity to say anything in response, Kyle appeared by their side. He looked more than a little confused, Liz noticed and instantly worried that something was wrong. “What’s that look about, Kyle?” she asked in what Liz believed to be a calm tone.

“Long story short. Maria was all down, so I asked what was wrong. Then she said she knew what she had to do and took off” he explained while all three turned to find Dylan, looking both angry and confused as well.

Liz suspected Maria was going to see Michael. At least that was the only conclusion she could come up with given recent events. She hoped that maybe Maria could finally break through Michael’s defenses once and for all. Both deserved the happiness if only they’d give in to each other. The unfortunate part though was that now someone had to tell her date that she ditched him. “How do you tell one guy that his date left to go be with another?” Liz asked both males.

“You don’t” Max stated while Kyle added, “You lie.”

“But wouldn’t it be better if we tried explaining the truth to him. Gently but… truthfully” Liz queried only to receive another round of reluctant expressions from the two boys.

“Dude, you never want to tell a guy he just got one upped by another. Especially when it’s about chicks” Kyle felt the need to inform. “You should just tell him she’s sick or something. You know… girl problems” he suggested. “That way he won’t ask any questions.”

“I can’t tell him that she… wait a minute, why do I have to be the one to tell him?” Liz asked, realizing that somehow she had just gotten nominated to be the barer of bad news.

“Because girls are sympathetic” Kyle said as though it should have been obvious. “Coming from a guy it just sounds like he’s rubbing it in” he added in what he believed to be a helpful manner. “So, Maria gone… girl trouble… sorry, smile, walk away” he coached while Liz looked between the two skeptically.

In her opinion, Kyle was full of crap and just trying to get out of having to talk to Dylan. Yet she went along with it anyway on the off chance that it actually would be easier to hear it from than from one of the guys. “Alright, fine” she eventually relented. “But you owe me one” she added with a pointed look. “I’ll be right back” she smiled up at Max.

With purposeful steps, she strolled over to her friend’s date and prepared herself to gently let him down.


~&~&~&~&~&


“It isn’t that simple” Michael said and heaved a heavy sigh.

“It can be” Maria countered, allowing him to hear the defiance she felt. “So what is it Michael? Do I stay… or do I go?” she repeated, all the while nervous and uncertain about which answer he would pick. She also told herself that if he asked her to go, that would be it. She wouldn’t try again. She’d do her best to get over her feelings and move on because she had her pride too and she couldn’t put herself out there another time, only be shot down again.

When he didn’t immediately respond, Maria began to assume the worst. She had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach that refused to go away even after he finally opened his mouth to speak. “I don’t want… I don’t want you to go.” He cleared his throat as though it cost him to say the words.

It was a start, Maria thought.

“Look, I’m not good with words, okay” Michael slowly continued. “I can’t explain what’s in my head or anything I just… I like you too.”

Tentatively, Maria took a few steps closer until she was right in front of him. With slow, unhurried movements she lowered herself to the edge of the bed and reached out to take his hand. “I’m not asking for rhyme and verse. I just want you to be honest with me. If you’re confused then tell me you’re confused. If you want to be more than friends then… then I need to hear it. I can’t be the one to make all the moves. I need a little help here.”

“I did make a move” Michael instantly stated and Maria realized then that she’d used the wrong words.

“I know. I’m sorry” she apologized. “I just mean that… actually, I have no idea what I mean. I have no idea what I’m doing or how this is going to work” Maria admitted and looked away for several moments as she attempted to gather her thoughts. “I’m just as scared as you are, Michael. But I want to be with you anyway” she softly concluded.

Michael found himself at a loss for words. He wanted so much to tell her what he was feeling, what he was scared of. He wanted to tell her the truth. But despite all his efforts, he couldn’t make the words fall from his mouth. So he did the only thing he could do to show Maria that he wanted her.

Tenderly, Michael cupped her face between his palms and lowered his lips to hers. A gentle caress. Their lips softly moved against one another. Neither made an attempt to deepen it, each content with the closeness and the way their breath mingled together. “I want to be with you too” he murmured and kissed her again.


~&~&~&~&~&


“Well I’m sorry it bothers you so much to see me dancing with other guys but that’s kind of your own fault” Tess stated in a harsh whisper as she and Kyle stood in the darkened eraser room, arguing. “Even if you’re so adamant about keeping us a secret, you could have still asked me to the dance. No one would have made a big deal about it.”

“I couldn’t okay. Liz had already seen the hickey you gave me and figured I’d take that girl to the dance” Kyle tried to defend though the excuse sounded flimsy to his own ears.

“So what?! Liz is dating my best friend. What makes you think it would make a difference if I started dating hers?” Tess demanded. “Not that it should even matter. This is between you and me, Kyle. If you’re just having fun and don’t want more from me then say so. Don’t hide behind your friends.”

“I’m not” Kyle angrily defended.

“Aren’t you?” Tess questioned in the same angered tone.

With their tempers flared and their anger spiked, both simultaneously reached for each other and began kissing as though their lives depended on it. Normally the pair took things slow. They didn’t just make out but they also got along and talked. They were friends as much as they were anything else. But there was something about the angry lilt in Tess’ voice and the glint in Kyle’s eyes that had both unable to keep their hands off of each other.

“Don’t touch the hair” Tess muttered against Kyle’s lips when his hand roved upward to burry in her golden locks. With her body pressed up against his the two desperately struggled to get closer, convinced it was never close enough.

Then from outside the door they heard. “This year’s runner-ups are…Princess Isabel Evans and Prince Kyle Valenti” announced Principle Forrest from inside the gymnasium. Both teens looked at each other, wide eyed before looking down at their disheveled appearances.

“Shit” Kyle muttered and frantically began trying to tuck in his shirt while Tess worked on smoothing away the wrinkles on her dress.

“Isabel? Kyle?” the principle asked.

“You know, Isabel didn’t come to the dance” Tess reminded and looked up at Kyle with a come hither stare.

“Screw it” he said and continued kissing Tess, who eagerly returned them.


~&~&~&~&~&


“I wonder where Kyle went” Liz whispered from where she stood beside Max. The other students were also looking around, searching for the pair that had just been named prince and princess. After a few more moments, the principle shook his head and gave up.

“Moving along. This year’s homecoming queen and king are… Tess Harding and Maxwell Evans” he announced as a round of applause filled the room.

Max rolled his eyes at Liz and grinned when she playfully slapped his chest. “Just go” she encouraged and made a shooing motion with her hand. A group of football players had gathered near the stage and all high fived Max as he walked by, causing the principle to roll his eyes. A quick survey around the room revealed that Tess was also absent, leaving Max as the only one of the night to accept his crown.

When the soft strains of a slow song began to fill the air, the group of students all backed away, leaving the center of the floor open for the spotlight dance. He waited until he was standing right in front of her before Max held his hand out to Liz invitingly.

I thought that dreams belonged to other men
Cuz each time I got close
They’d fall apart again

Liz half smiled, half laughed when she heard the opening words of the old Footloose song. She and Maria had seen the movie more than a thousand times and always used to sing along whenever Ren and Ariel danced together at the end of the movie.

“What’s so funny?” Max whispered against her ear as they gently swayed together.

I feared my heart would be in secrecy
I faced the nights alone
Oh, how could I have known
That all my life I only needed you

“Who picked this song?” Liz asked back, leaning into Max as his arms protectively encircled her.

“Tess, probably” answered Max. “They asked everyone on the royal court to pick the songs we’d want if we won. Since she and I were nominated together, I let her pick the music. She’s an eighties freak” he added, sounding so utterly disgusted by it that Liz found herself laughing again. “Again, what’s so funny?” he repeated in the same low timber that always managed to give Liz goose bumps.

“Nothing” she assured. “I like this song. Actually, I think the eighties were pretty cool” she added, drawing another appalled expression from her boyfriend.

Whoa. Almost Paradise
We’re knocking on heaven’s door
Almost paradise
How could we ask for more
I swear that I can see forever in your eyes
Paradise

While they danced, Max tried to work up the courage to bring up his earlier declaration. They had been interrupted before Liz had the chance to say anything one way or the other and he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t curious about what her response would have been. “It’s not so bad getting to dance with the king” Liz murmured from where her head rested against his chest.


~&~&~&~&~&


Some time later, Tess finally resurfaced looking just as pristine as she had when she picked Max up at the beginning of the night. “Yeah, sorry I missed the whole coronation thing. I needed some air and I never heard Principle Forrest call out my name” she explained but refused to look either Max or Liz in the eye. “So are we ready to go?” she asked, seeming eager and a little anxious.

Max and Liz shared a confused look but agreed none the less. “Sure. Let me just go say bye to Kyle first.”

“Oh, he already left” Tess stated, then quickly explained. “I mean I’m guessing he’s gone. I saw him walking towards the main doors a couple minutes ago.”

“Right” Max slowly responded.

“Okay then” Liz added in the same slightly suspicious tone.

A few minutes later found the trio trekking into the student lot where Max had parked Tess’ SUV. There were a few less cars around than when they first arrived and Max and Tess guessed the majority of the athletes had already left to set up the after party. Each year different people took turns hosting the various gatherings of the year. Parties on the first Friday of the new school year, Halloween, New Years and then ones following Prom, graduation and Homecoming.

That year, Tommy had been nominated as host since his parents had recently divorced and both were willing to let him get away with anything so that he would take their side. First it would start out at the Soap Factory and everyone would be welcome to show up. Then once the party began to wind down, all the most popular kids at school would go back to Tommy’s place and party out the rest of the night.

“Are you sure you guys don’t want to go?” Tess asked once more as Max pulled up to his house. With the jeep absent from the driveway, Max knew Isabel was still out and relished the alone time he was going to have with Liz.

“Nah, I don’t really feel like it” Max stated while Liz nodded in agreement.

“Okay” Tess relented as she pushed the back door open and climbed into the front seat. “So I’ll call you tomorrow and tell you all about who got drunk and made out with who” she promised and blew both Max and Liz a kiss. “Have fun” she called out and sped down Murray Lane.

“Are you sure you didn’t want to go?” Liz double checked. With her overnight bag in one hand and the other arm looped around Liz’s waist, Max led the way up to the front walk.

“Are you kidding? I’d much rather stay here with you tonight than go to the same party I’ve been going to for the last three years” Max assured and pushed the door open. All except one lamp had been turned off and without Isabel or his parents around, the house was eerily quiet. So much so that Liz felt the need to whisper when she spoke again.

“Max, about what you said earlier at the dance…did you…” she trailed off uncertainly.

“Hey” he murmured and tipped her chin up so that her eyes met his. “I meant it” he promised and couldn’t resist placing a long, lingering kiss against her lips. “I love you, Liz Parker. I think I have for a while now. I just didn’t realize it or I was… too scared to admit it. Maybe I was afraid I’d scare you away since we’ve only been together a couple of months.”

“Would it scare you if I said I loved you too?” Liz queried with such innocence that Max felt his love for grow even more if that was possible.

“It would probably be the best thing you’ve ever said to me” he stated in the same quiet tone.

“You know, I really didn’t expect you, Max. All these years I always thought you were just some jock. A guy who liked to party and toss a football around with his buddies. I guess I didn’t give you enough credit” Liz remorsefully admitted. “But then you accepted me… all of me. Secret and all. You’ve been the perfect boyfriend. The guy that says and does all the right things at all the right times. So much more than the guy I used to think you were.”

The words washed over him and Max felt a small pang in his chest. He had always known that was the way Liz thought of him because it was the person he let her see. He never showed her anything else because that person was tied to the feelings he had for her and was afraid to let Liz see them. She was so different from any other girl he’d ever dated. Definitely more complicated and undoubtedly a challenge but that was one of the things he loved most about her.

Max couldn’t just sit with Liz and guess everything she was going to say before she said it. She wasn’t predictable and didn’t sit there gossiping like his ex-girlfriends did. She was full of surprises. She was unique and the perfect girl for him, flaws and strange dreams and all.

“I love Michael and Kyle and Alex and Maria. I’ve loved my friends and my family but I’ve never been in love before… until you. I’m in love with you, Max.”

There was nothing else to say as Max drew her close and plundered Liz’s mouth in a fiery, passionate kiss. Flash after flash assaulted their senses as they opened up completely to one another. There were no secrets and no mental barriers. Only love and memories passed between them with each breath they shared.

Neither knew how much time had passed when they finally broke their kiss. Each was panting and had hearts rapidly beating. Liz’s lips were swollen and her lipstick smeared. Her eyes were dazed, reflecting the desire she held for Max. “Let’s go to your room” she quietly suggested, deciding that she was finally ready.

She had already shared her heart and her mind with Max. Now she was ready to share her body.

[To_Kiss_A_Frog]

Hello everyone, thanks for the feedback. When I first started writing again a few days ago, I had a little burst of inspiration and got a few chapters ahead so I figured I'd go ahead and post again since I made everyone wait so long before this week.

From this point on, what happens in the fic is what I really wanted to do from the very beginning but I just had some trouble getting from there to now. I think i've got it worked out and even though I'm not totally satisfied with chapter, I hope you all enjoy it

FSU/MSW-94
KarenEvans
Jason's Lover
Ellie
LairaBehr4
Behrystrwbry
Kitten
tequathisy

Chapter 15

His lips skimmed down her neck in an intimate caress as Liz slowly worked her way down all his shirt buttons. Beside them on the floor rested his discarded tie and jacket along with Liz’s clutch and overnight bag. Her heels had been kicked away to some unknown location, leaving her several inches shorter. Liz used the lack of height to her advantage and pressed a series of soft, open mouthed kisses against his lightly muscled chest.

A low groan rumbled from his throat, causing small vibrations against her lips with each kiss. His gentle hands trailed from the tips of her fingers up her arms until they rested against her creamy shoulders. Nimbly he reached around and slowly lowered the zip of her dress, causing the silky material to part along her back.

Liz stilled when his hands tentatively pushed the straps of her dress down her arms. The bodice fell several inches below her breasts before slithering all the way onto the floor. For a self conscious moment, Liz bit her lip, hoping the sight of her nearly naked body wouldn’t be a disappointment to Max. She knew the girls he had dated in the past had been taller and curvier than she was.

His movements were tender and unhurried. The pads of his fingers began their journey at the base of her neck and followed the smooth contours of her skin all the way down to her waist. Goose flesh broke out across her skin as she shivered, enjoying the feel of his hands on her.

Still, without saying a word, Max took Liz’s smaller hands in his and led them to the button and zip of his pressed black trousers. Taking the hint, Liz tried to push the button through its opening but her fingers fumbled twice before she managed to get it through. The sound of his zipper being lowered seemed to echo in the otherwise quiet room, competing only with the nervous breaths each took.

Taking her hands again, Max walked backwards until the backs of his knees met the edge of his bed. He sat down and pulled Liz to him so that she stood between his opened legs.

Max flattened his palms against the flat expanse of her stomach and slid them up until he was able to cup the fullness of her breasts. “Max” she quietly moaned when the tips of his fingers lightly pulled her nipples into stiffened twin peaks. Her hands dropped to his shoulders, using him to stay balanced while his hands continued their unhurried exploration.

The steady hum of the wind outside his window rustled the trees, providing a quiet distraction from their low, pleasured sighs.

His lips returned their earlier journey across her skin. Soft kisses… light nibbling as Liz’s breath quickened in obvious arousal. His name fell from her lips again in a contented sigh. Her head fell back in enjoyment while her fingers gently kneaded his defined muscles. This time her name dropped from his mouth. He pulled her closer so that she straddled his lap. Her wet heat, hidden only by a small scrap of lace, rubbed sinuously against his boxer clad erection.

All other bits of clothing had been removed, leaving only two articles left before their skin could touch, uninhibitedly. Awkwardly, his fingers pulled at the pins holding her hair up until the cascade of chestnut strands fell around her shoulders.

The moonlight streamed in from partially opened curtains, bathing them in a warm, white light. It hid her face in the shadows, making her look like an enchanting temptress.

Max’s hands buried themselves in her silky locks as their lips met once again. Gone was the slow and unhurried of before, replaced by passionate and intense. Their tongues danced playfully while their lips frantically nipped and sucked. Of their own volition, Liz’s hips began to rock back and forth, grinding her hot core into his obvious arousal. Both moaned into the other’s mouth, each swallowing up the pleasured sounds.

More flashes assaulted their senses. Bits and pieces of a story that rushed by too quickly to discern.

Each ignored the images in favor of the feelings their bodies were evoking.

Their kisses lasted minutes though felt more like seconds when they finally broke apart to drag in deep breaths. Her lips were red and puffy and the faint trace of lipstick she still wore now clung to Max’s lips instead. Hair was disheveled, breathing was labored and each was anxious and willing to take things a step further.

“Are you sure this is what you want?” Max queried. His voice was just as soft as the feel of his hands, lightly brushing away the silky strands that had fallen in Liz’s face.

“More than anything” Liz murmured and leaned her forehead down against his. Her eyes closed for a moment, relishing in the feel of his bare skin pressed up against hers. So soft and feminine compared to his hard and masculine. Her breasts pressed up against his chest and her arms wrapped around his neck, embracing him in an erotic hug.

Max gently nipped at her lips and said in the quietest of whispers. “So beautiful. I love you so much, Liz.”

“And I love you.”

They separated then only to crawl further up the mattress until they each rested on their sides. Lingering kisses followed as Liz worked up the courage to hook her fingers in the waistband of Max’s boxers. She could feel how hard and ready he was for her and used that knowledge to gain the confidence she needed. Helpfully, he lifted his hips as she pulled them down his powerful legs and kicked them off when they reached his ankles.

Soundlessly, they fell to the floor, discarded and ignored.

With open curiosity on her face, Liz reached out and lightly grasped his straining erection. As she stroked him from base to tip, she was unable to hold back the apprehensive wonder in her eyes, realizing that he was so much bigger than she had imagined.

“Liz” came his low groan of enjoyment.

“Is this okay” she queried and moved her hands up and down in a torturously slow pace.

“Perfect” Max replied, eager to return the favor. So he used their kisses to distract her, knowing that she was already feeling a little self conscious. His hands caressed her body, fueling the fire that had sparked between them until he began to get lost in the sensations of her kisses and the subtle movements of her hands.

Without thought, his fingers pushed down the final barrier. A thin scrap of black lace which joined his boxers somewhere on the carpet.

Liz moaned his name into their kiss when he dragged his hand down her skin and plunged one finger into her hot, wet depths. So slow like everything else had been that night. He pushed in and out, matching her pace and quickly driving her crazy with want in the process.

Still, it wasn’t enough. Not nearly enough to satisfy either of their desires. Together they rolled around on the bed until Max ended up on top. “Are you sure” he had to ask once more before reaching into the nightstand for a condom.

“Are you?” Liz asked back and took the square, foil packet from between his fingers. Carefully, she tore at the wrapper but made no move to retrieve the rubber inside.

“Positive” he responded and accepted the packet Liz handed back to him.

“So am I.”

Supporting his weight with one arm, Max reached down to roll the latex over his straining erection. Liz couldn’t help but peek and found her earlier apprehension returning. She had no doubt in her mind that she wanted to be with Max but she couldn’t help but feel a little scared too. Then he looked into her eyes and any reservations she might have had flew right out the window. There was so much love in his hazel eyes that it was impossible to feel anything else. “It’s gonna hurt a little” he said remorsefully.

“I know” Liz acknowledged and wrapped her arms around his waist. “Go slow?”

Max’s lips kissed hers as he guided himself to her entrance. He was gentle and slow when he pushed inside, stretching Liz in a way that was both painful and pleasurable. Then he reached her barrier and thrust his tongue inside her mouth at the same time his hips pushed forward, breaking through. He swallowed her cries and kissed away the tears that fell from her eyes. “I’m so sorry” he murmured against her skin and remained still, waiting for her to let him know when she was ready.

“Its okay” she quietly panted and waited for the pain to dissipate until it was only a slight discomfort.

Their eyes locked when she bucked her hips up, silently asking him to keep moving. Again the flashes were automatic as their lips found their way back to each other. Max’s hips moved slowly, sliding almost all the way out before thrusting back inside.

Liz wrapped her legs around his waist, needing to feel like there wasn’t a single space between their bodies. She could feel something inside of her. Something building up so strongly that she lifted her hips to meet his, eager for more of the intense feeling. “Max” his name fell from her lips like a whimper. She gasped and writhed beneath him before whispering “Kiss me again.”

She knew he felt it too when he began to move a little faster. Their tongues thrust wildly together. Kiss after kiss brought forth more images. Feelings… emotions. Her eyes closed and her arms tightened around his body. He pressed her into the mattress with every thrust. Pushed her closer and closer to what she craved.

Their breathing was ragged. A fine sheen of sweat covered the skin as they moved as one. He pulled out and grazed her clit when he thrust back inside. “Ah” she cried out against his lips. “Max….” His name was a reverent moan and hers was a low groan from deep in his throat. Still, it kept building, filling Liz with a strange sense of euphoria. They moved together faster. The flashes were a constant. One after the other but both were too wrapped up in the feelings of their bodies to notice.

Minutes or seconds could have passed by as he kept pushing deep inside of her. Liz felt herself slipping into some unknown and somehow knew that Max was slipping alongside her.

Neither spoke a word because no words would have been able to do their feelings justice. They said everything with their bodies. Their kisses. Their hearts and their minds.

Then their world shattered and both cried out as they fell as one.

Her body shook with spasms of intense pleasure. Max buried his face in her shoulder and continued to move. He groaned against her skin, placing a series of hot opened mouth kisses along her silky flesh. A tingle ran up the length of her spine and she tightened her legs around him, unwilling to let him go. Her body kept shaking and she kept lifting her hips to meet his thrusts.

Liz felt boneless, almost mindless with pleasure but it continued to build inside of her. It was overwhelming. It filled her, making her feel whole for the first time. Pleasure and strength melded into one. Her energy hummed and her body pulsed but still she continued to feel indescribable pleasure.

It was almost hallucinogenic for Max who had never experienced anything like it before. He had reached the final peak but continued fall in a never ending spasm of pure, unadulterated pleasure. Max could feel the way her body pulsed. Swore he could hear their hearts beat as one.

Neither had any sense of time. It was as if reality had slipped away and there was nothing but the other.

When it all finally began to dissipate, both were left panting, each trying to drag in large gulps of air. “That was…” Max trailed off, unable to find any words to describe what they had just experienced together.

“I know” Liz panted with her eyes closed.

The pleasure had faded into the background but her body continued to hum with an excess of energy.

With his arms wrapped around her, Max rolled their bodies onto their sides so that he wouldn’t crush her. He was exhausted but wide awake at the same time.

By chance, his eyes caught sight of the clock on his nightstand. He blinked, believing that his eyes were playing tricks on him but when he closed them and opened them again, they still saw the same numbers in glaring red. Over a half hour had passed since he first reached over to grab a condom. It really was as if time had slipped away while they were joined.

Liz struggled to get her breathing and the rapid beat of her heart under control. Her hands began to itch as she desperately attempted to hold in all the energy consuming her. “Liz?” She barely heard his voice speaking her name. She didn’t see the look of worry on his face. All she felt was the energy growing stronger by the second.

It was working its way to the surface and she pushed away from Max, afraid of somehow hurting him.

She rolled onto the floor and fell on her hands and knees. Her fists clenched as she tried to control it but it was too much. More than she could handle. “Max” she whimpered and curled up into herself. “No! Don’t touch me” she warned when he attempted to wrap his arms around her body. She was scared. She knew she had to get away but couldn’t figure out how to do that without Max’s help.

“Its okay” he tried to soothe but he was unable to hide the fear in his voice. “It’s going to be okay.”

Quickly, he got up and pulled on a pair of sweat pants and a plain white t-shirt. Max also retrieved a large hooded sweatshirt for Liz and grabbed an old pair of wind pants. Carefully, he tried to dress her, mindful of her fear to have him touch her. The clothes were so big that she was almost swimming in them but it suited Liz just fine. She kept her hands buried in the sleeves, hoping it would somehow contain what ever it was that was trying to find its way out of her.

It was quiet in the house, revealing that Isabel had still yet to come home, a fact Max had never been more thankful for.

“Come on” he said and hoisted her up into his arms.

Liz instantly curled up against him and closed her eyes while he carried her through the house.

Max paused only to grab his cell phone and a set of keys by the door and walked into the garage where his parents’ SUV sat parked. After placing her in the passenger seat, he hurried around to the driver’s side and quickly pulled out onto the street. He wasn’t sure where to go but knew that he had to get Liz somewhere far enough away so that she wouldn’t somehow expose herself with her powers.

She closed her eyes, unhearing as Max lifted his cell phone and called first Kyle, then Michael.

<center>Morning smiles
Like the face of a newborn child
Innocent unknowing
Winter’s end
Promises of a long lost friend
Speaks to me of comfort</center>

I open my eyes and look over at my confidant. The person who has taken on the burden of two men since Zan and Rath died. I don’t know how I could have managed to get the pods ready in time if it hadn’t been for him. “Is it done? Have you hidden it?” he asks and I feel a pang of guilt that this is one secret I cannot share with him. It’d be too dangerous to give him this knowledge. Even with the others on their way, its one burden too big for any of them to bear.

“Yes” I answer simply and offer him a small smile. I wish I could be happier but I know that my mind and my heart will never be at rest until this is all finally over.

“This will work, my queen” he assures me with unwavering confidence and loyalty.

“I hope so” I quietly murmur. My mind races, recalling all the death and destruction of Antar just before we left. With all my heart I wished I could stay and fight for our people but with our numbers down and my father gone, I knew I wouldn’t stand a chance at defeating the rebellion army. It had to be this way. It was the only way. Yet even with that knowledge, the guilt is overwhelming. “At least it’ll be safe until we re-emerge” I say, thinking of the one object more important to him than his obsession with me.

“Radio… tower” Liz panted as an image flashed in her mind. “Rocks… outcropping… Puhlman Ranch” she muttered before falling into her next flash.

[To_Kiss_A_Frog]

Hello everyone! Thanks for reading and leaving feedback. I'm glad you liked the previous update but again, I'm a little nervous about this one. It's kind of a filler to start the explanation and set up a few things. Hope you enjoy!

FSU/MSW-94
Jason's Lover
Ellie
LairaBehr4
lvlyfem
Kitten
RosyLady
Behrystrwbry

Chapter 16

<center>But I fear
I have nothing to give
I have so much to lose
Here in this lonely place
Tangled up in our embrace
There’s nothing I’d like better than to fall
But I fear I have nothing to give</center>

The invisible bonds holding me back are released and I fall to the floor in a weary heap. My eyes, lined with dried tears, focus on the two bodies lying haphazardly just beyond the royal altar. Their limbs are twisted in impossible angles, their gazes wide eyed and lifeless. “No…” I murmur and shake my head in disbelief. It has to be a trick, a mind warp of some kind. Then, out of the corner of my eye I see another figure being hauled in by three soldiers in red garb. “Villandra” I attempt to call out but my voice is roughed with fatigue.

“You three are my witnesses. Here I stand, fulfilling my end of the agreement” he says to the guards and presses both his hands against her struggling body. Her cries could only be described as torturous as smoke begins to radiate from his flattened palms.

“Stop it” I call out from where I lay and desperately try to crawl towards them. The stone feels rigid against my palms, ripping small cuts into my skin as I slowly propel myself forward. “No… leave her be” I demand but my cries fall on deaf ears. Villandra is howling, slumping in the tight embrace the soldiers hold her in. Tears sting my eyes as I struggle to my feet. Slowly, my strength begins to return in full force and I know then that my father’s life force has risen into the heavens.

I throw my hands out but it’s too late. Her lifeless body tumbles to the ground.

Max looked over at Liz as she whimpered in agony. Her eyes were closed and her fists were clenched. There was torment on her face while she muttered inaudible words. He knew them only by the slight movement of her lips but had no clue what they were about or what exactly was causing them.

He had already spoken to Michael and Kyle who were on the way to the desert, a few minutes behind him and Liz.

There had been no explanation as to what had caused Liz’s reaction. Just a brief description of what she going through had been enough for the two males who were probably speeding down the highway. He would be lying though, if he said it hadn’t crossed his mind that it was his fault. Max wondered if what they had done has been the cause of Liz’s current state.

If it was, he knew he’d never forgive himself.

“How could you do this?” I demand with tears in my eyes and anger in my voice. Already, I can feel the change begin to manifest inside my body and I welcome the numbness it brings. “How could you claim to love me and then… then destroy everyone who matters to me?” I question and close my eyes against the pain coursing up and down my body.

“I do love you. I did this for you” he vehemently declares. “Every breath I take is for you… for the love in my heart that I hold for you.”

“You don’t know the meaning of the word” I bite back as a new energy begins to swirl inside, mixing with my own. “You’re just a monster with an obsession for something you’ll never have. I could never love you. You’re beneath me.” I want my words to sting. I want him to hurt just as much as I’m hurting right now… but in a moment, I see the anger behind his pain. “I hate you” I say in voice filled with forced control.

“You will love me” he mutters and grabs both of my arms, pulling me up against his body. His eyes, grey and cold stare down at me with barely concealed lust. “I don’t care how long it takes, I will break you. You will surrender to me” he says and forces his lips down against my own.

<center>Wind in time
Rapes the flower trembling on the vine
Nothing yields to shelter it
From above
They say temptation will destroy our love
The never ending hunger</center>

Max carried her to the rocks at the base of the outcropping she had spoken of. She was unmoving and if it hadn’t been for the mutterings beneath her breath he would have assumed she was unconscious. Any fear he might have felt for himself had long since flew away as he held her in his arms, whispering soothing words into her ear. Max had no idea if she could actually hear him but hoped that wherever she was, she would hear his voice and follow it back.

“I love you” he murmured. “Please come back to me. Please wake up” he desperately begged.

Neither realized the tears falling from their eyes. Each for different reasons. Each experiencing something different as they sat together, trying to get through it all.

“No!” I scream and place both my palms flat against his chest. Mustering every bit of strength in my body, I push bursts of hot energy against his skin, causing him to cry out in agony. The sounds falling from his lips are animalistic as he gasps and falls to his knees. “You will kneel before me” I declare through my tears and silently beg my heart to slow its vicious beating.

“My lord!” cries out his most loyal servant. His entrance is immediately followed by a group of skins, palms raised out in defense as they rush forward. I feel it then. The change is strong and growing by the moment, making me feel weak and powerful at the same time. I can’t control my breathing, I can’t calm my heart. It’s too much and not enough at the same time. I can feel it, every nuance of its power spreading throughout my body. It fills me like nothing else ever could. “You vile bitch” he swears and throws his palm out, prepared to shoot a fatal blast my way when another hand flings out to stop the blow.

“No” he gasps from where he lays on the ground, struggling for his next breath. His eyes plead to me. I can destroy him now but he will still love me. “Ava” he murmurs, a whisper of a sound that’s nearly drowned out by the heavy footsteps of arriving soldiers. “Please” he begs and I feel tears fall from my eyes to pool onto the ground, mingling with the piles of ash that already surround us.

I lied. I loved him once but I don’t recognize the man he has become. He isn’t the one I fell in love with and my heart mourns for the death of that person as it does for all those who lay around me.

When Kyle and Michael arrived, Max was surprised to find Maria with them. She looked panicked as she stared wide eyed at Liz. “What’s wrong with her?” she asked, rooted to her spot as both males rushed forward.

“Lizzie” Kyle murmured and pressed his hand against her damp forehead.

“Can you do anything? Can you… can you heal her?” Max asked, knowing it was a long shot. After what had happened at the hospital on the day of Michael’s accident, he knew that she was the only one in the group that could heal. Still, he held onto the hope that maybe one of them knew a way to connect and use her ability on herself.

“She’s the only one with that gift” Michael stated while the look on his face told Max he was barely hanging on to his composure.

“How’d this happen?” Kyle questioned. “What was she doing before it…” he trailed off when he saw the remorse in Max’s eyes. He remembered the conversation he had with Liz earlier that week and realized exactly what had happened beforehand. He wasn’t sure what to think about it but it was obvious how much Max had already beaten himself up over it. Thankfully, Michael wasn’t paying attention to their words and was instead trying to focus on somehow connecting with her. “Did she say anything else?” he asked instead.

“No” Max shook his head. “She keeps muttering things but I can’t hear them. I can’t figure out what she’s saying.”

“Maybe the two of us can figure out a way connect with her” Michael suggested with frustration in his voice when he tried and failed to form a link. Without waiting for Kyle’s response, he slowly pulled her out of Max’s arms. “Try to combine our energy to pull her out of this.”

“It’s worth a shot” Kyle agreed and helped lay Liz across their laps. Both reached out at the same time and took one of her hands before joining with each other. Max and Maria watched the two males close their eyes, concentrating on forming a connection. Each had fear on their faces. Max for the safety of his girlfriend and Maria for the unknown of what was going on around her.

“Your highness” Zan calls out and shields my body with his as a rogue blast causes a shower of debris to rain down around us. Just beyond the throne, my father’s seat of honor, stands Rath with both hands extended as he fends off a troupe of four infantry soldiers. I see more arrive from the antechamber, headed straight towards my general.

“Run!” I yell as loudly as I can and throw out my shield to halt the men in red. Beside me, Zan goes on the offensive and begins to blast one after another until nothing but tall piles of ash remain.

“Stop them” I hear him demand, his voice a quiet croak that barely reaches my ears. He’s injured by my hand, yet he still refuses to let them harm me.

“Princess” Rath warns and grabs me around the waist, twirling me around just as a blast of red light sails by my head. “This way your highness” he encourages and takes my hand in his, leading me out through the opening the shape shifters previously blasted into the wall.

“Fuck!” Kyle swore and snapped his eyes open in obvious frustration, the same that was mirrored in Michael’s eyes. “We can feel her. She’s right there but we can’t…”

“No. Try again” Michel demanded, refusing to give up despite two failed attempts.

He didn’t want to leave Liz but Max knew there was nothing he could do while Michael and Kyle tried to form another connection. So he stood up and slowly walked over to Maria. She looked torn between running to Liz and running far away. “Its okay” he quietly said so as to not startle her.

“What are they doing? What are… what’s wrong with her? What happened?” Maria asked in rapid succession. Max noticed that she was still wearing her homecoming dress and the way she shivered as the late autumn air swirled around them. She seemed absolutely terrified by the scene playing out in front of them and it made him remember the day in the café when Liz healed him. The day his entire life changed because of some unforeseen circumstances. The same kind that were now causing Maria to be brought in on the secret.

“It won’t be long now” I say but the look on his face tells me that those words bring him no comfort. There’s such sadness in his eyes. Fear of the unknown. Fear of what comes next. Yet it’s all faint compared to the emotion I see first and foremost in his eyes. Fear of abandoning me. “I promise we’ll get through this” I try to assure him. I want him to know that when he’s gone, I’ll be okay. I’ll have the spirit of him and Rath to comfort me along with the knowledge that we’ll all meet again one day.

“My queen” he croaks and rolls onto his side, coughing violently. I wish with all my heart that there’s something I could do but my healing touch would do no more than prolong the agony he’s experiencing. My hands don’t have the touch to bring back a life but I’m hoping that my mind does.

“Shh…” I try to soothe. “Just rest.”

I look over and see the two shape shifters standing in the corner of the room. One has turned away, offering me as much privacy as his presence will allow. The other has obvious disapproval on his face. I know that look but I ignore it. He believes it’s inappropriate for me to sit on a dirty stone floor, holding the body of a soldier. But I know that he would never voice that opinion. Even away from our home planet, he knows his place and would never question royalty.

I’m not sure how long I sit with Zan. My throat is dry and thirsty. My stomach groans in protest from having neglected it today but I refuse to move. I refuse to let him pass alone. He’ll feel my presence until the very end, even if it means holding him for days.

“My queen. Perhaps you should…”

“No” I instantly protest. “No, I’m fine” I assure them and continue to gently rock back and forth. He loved to fly. Loved the motions and though the rocking is poor substitute, I hope it soothes him.

<center>~*~*~*~</center>

“How could you do this?! How could you betray me after everything you’ve seen him do?” I demand with my palm outstretched towards him. “Answer me!” Anger courses through my body, empowering me and draining me of my strength at the same time. I know that my own end is near and the weakness fights to take over.

“A woman cannot successfully run a planet, much less take the highest seat on the interplanetary council” he states without remorse. “They are too emotional. Unable to deal with situations as quickly and effectively as a man could. Our people will be better off having him as our leader.”

“You won’t find out” I inform with forced control. “I swear to you now with all that I am… if anything happens to Zan or Rath because of your interference, I will bring you back from the dead myself and kill you again” I vow as my energy gathers, forcing its way to the surface. Without remorse, I fling my hand out at him and before he has a chance to bring up his shield, the blast hits him square in the chest. He’s knocked off his feet and falls crumpled to the ground.

His breathing is ragged as he looks up at me with hatred in his eyes.

“Don’t worry” I add. “Before this is over I’ll make sure that your precious leader, Khivar joins you in hell” I say and deliver one final, fatal blast.

Memory after memory assaulted her. Some smiles and laughter from a pleasant childhood. Others anger and heartache from the death and destruction of all she cared for. It was too much, too fast. Her head pounded and her body shook. Sparks of green energy crackled along the skin of her hands, making them itch. The sparks shocked both Michael and Kyle, causing them to involuntarily release their grip on her hands. “No” she muttered over and over again.

Max hurried forward but was held back from going too close by Kyle. Liz had somehow pushed herself away from them and crawled a safe distance away. Her eyes remained closed. Her words were still muttered as she rested on hands and closed fists.

“Oh god!” Maria cried out from behind them.

“No… no… no… no… NO!!!” Liz screamed and forced herself up. Her hands shot out into the distance, away from all her friends. They watched in awe as a light show shot out of her outstretched palms. Blast after blast of colored lights. Fragments of decimated rocks flew out in all directions, leaving small clouds of dust that were barely visible in the darkened night.

Neither friend had ever seen her powers react that way. The light… the strength… the power and anger behind it.

Tears fell from her eyes as she finally surrendered herself to it. Something inside of her was telling Liz to let go. To give in. She was too tired to fight it anymore and continued to let loose a violent stream of blasts.

Then when it was over, she dropped her hands and collapsed from the exertion of it all.

All three ran to her but Max reached Liz first. He looked down at her, crumpled with fatigue, tears streaming down her eyes and finality on her face. “I’m sorry” she murmured and closed her eyes.

His hesitation fell away and Max scooped her up in his arms as they saw the faint light of head beams heading their way. Michael went to Maria, standing protectively in front of her while Kyle remained with Max and Liz, ready to protect them if he needed to.

None of them expected to see the person who stepped out onto the hard gravel. “Alex?” said both Michael and Maria at the same time.

From where she rested in Max’s arms, Liz’s eyes fluttered open for several brief moments before falling closed again. “Shape… shifter” she panted and slipped into unconsciousness.

<center>But I fear
I have nothing to give
I have so much to lose
Here in this lonely place
Tangled up in our embrace
There’s nothing I’d like
Better than to fall

But I fear
I have nothing to give
I have so much to lose
I have nothing to give
We have so much to lose</center>

[To_Kiss_A_Frog]

Hello everyone! Thanks for reading and leaving feedback. I'm glad you liked the previous update but again, I'm a little nervous about this one. It's kind of a filler to start the explanation and set up a few things. Hope you enjoy!

FSU/MSW-94
Jason's Lover
Ellie
LairaBehr4
lvlyfem
Kitten
RosyLady
Behrystrwbry

Chapter 16

<center>But I fear
I have nothing to give
I have so much to lose
Here in this lonely place
Tangled up in our embrace
There’s nothing I’d like better than to fall
But I fear I have nothing to give</center>

The invisible bonds holding me back are released and I fall to the floor in a weary heap. My eyes, lined with dried tears, focus on the two bodies lying haphazardly just beyond the royal altar. Their limbs are twisted in impossible angles, their gazes wide eyed and lifeless. “No…” I murmur and shake my head in disbelief. It has to be a trick, a mind warp of some kind. Then, out of the corner of my eye I see another figure being hauled in by three soldiers in red garb. “Villandra” I attempt to call out but my voice is roughed with fatigue.

“You three are my witnesses. Here I stand, fulfilling my end of the agreement” he says to the guards and presses both his hands against her struggling body. Her cries could only be described as torturous as smoke begins to radiate from his flattened palms.

“Stop it” I call out from where I lay and desperately try to crawl towards them. The stone feels rigid against my palms, ripping small cuts into my skin as I slowly propel myself forward. “No… leave her be” I demand but my cries fall on deaf ears. Villandra is howling, slumping in the tight embrace the soldiers hold her in. Tears sting my eyes as I struggle to my feet. Slowly, my strength begins to return in full force and I know then that my father’s life force has risen into the heavens.

I throw my hands out but it’s too late. Her lifeless body tumbles to the ground.

Max looked over at Liz as she whimpered in agony. Her eyes were closed and her fists were clenched. There was torment on her face while she muttered inaudible words. He knew them only by the slight movement of her lips but had no clue what they were about or what exactly was causing them.

He had already spoken to Michael and Kyle who were on the way to the desert, a few minutes behind him and Liz.

There had been no explanation as to what had caused Liz’s reaction. Just a brief description of what she going through had been enough for the two males who were probably speeding down the highway. He would be lying though, if he said it hadn’t crossed his mind that it was his fault. Max wondered if what they had done has been the cause of Liz’s current state.

If it was, he knew he’d never forgive himself.

“How could you do this?” I demand with tears in my eyes and anger in my voice. Already, I can feel the change begin to manifest inside my body and I welcome the numbness it brings. “How could you claim to love me and then… then destroy everyone who matters to me?” I question and close my eyes against the pain coursing up and down my body.

“I do love you. I did this for you” he vehemently declares. “Every breath I take is for you… for the love in my heart that I hold for you.”

“You don’t know the meaning of the word” I bite back as a new energy begins to swirl inside, mixing with my own. “You’re just a monster with an obsession for something you’ll never have. I could never love you. You’re beneath me.” I want my words to sting. I want him to hurt just as much as I’m hurting right now… but in a moment, I see the anger behind his pain. “I hate you” I say in voice filled with forced control.

“You will love me” he mutters and grabs both of my arms, pulling me up against his body. His eyes, grey and cold stare down at me with barely concealed lust. “I don’t care how long it takes, I will break you. You will surrender to me” he says and forces his lips down against my own.

<center>Wind in time
Rapes the flower trembling on the vine
Nothing yields to shelter it
From above
They say temptation will destroy our love
The never ending hunger</center>

Max carried her to the rocks at the base of the outcropping she had spoken of. She was unmoving and if it hadn’t been for the mutterings beneath her breath he would have assumed she was unconscious. Any fear he might have felt for himself had long since flew away as he held her in his arms, whispering soothing words into her ear. Max had no idea if she could actually hear him but hoped that wherever she was, she would hear his voice and follow it back.

“I love you” he murmured. “Please come back to me. Please wake up” he desperately begged.

Neither realized the tears falling from their eyes. Each for different reasons. Each experiencing something different as they sat together, trying to get through it all.

“No!” I scream and place both my palms flat against his chest. Mustering every bit of strength in my body, I push bursts of hot energy against his skin, causing him to cry out in agony. The sounds falling from his lips are animalistic as he gasps and falls to his knees. “You will kneel before me” I declare through my tears and silently beg my heart to slow its vicious beating.

“My lord!” cries out his most loyal servant. His entrance is immediately followed by a group of skins, palms raised out in defense as they rush forward. I feel it then. The change is strong and growing by the moment, making me feel weak and powerful at the same time. I can’t control my breathing, I can’t calm my heart. It’s too much and not enough at the same time. I can feel it, every nuance of its power spreading throughout my body. It fills me like nothing else ever could. “You vile bitch” he swears and throws his palm out, prepared to shoot a fatal blast my way when another hand flings out to stop the blow.

“No” he gasps from where he lays on the ground, struggling for his next breath. His eyes plead to me. I can destroy him now but he will still love me. “Ava” he murmurs, a whisper of a sound that’s nearly drowned out by the heavy footsteps of arriving soldiers. “Please” he begs and I feel tears fall from my eyes to pool onto the ground, mingling with the piles of ash that already surround us.

I lied. I loved him once but I don’t recognize the man he has become. He isn’t the one I fell in love with and my heart mourns for the death of that person as it does for all those who lay around me.

When Kyle and Michael arrived, Max was surprised to find Maria with them. She looked panicked as she stared wide eyed at Liz. “What’s wrong with her?” she asked, rooted to her spot as both males rushed forward.

“Lizzie” Kyle murmured and pressed his hand against her damp forehead.

“Can you do anything? Can you… can you heal her?” Max asked, knowing it was a long shot. After what had happened at the hospital on the day of Michael’s accident, he knew that she was the only one in the group that could heal. Still, he held onto the hope that maybe one of them knew a way to connect and use her ability on herself.

“She’s the only one with that gift” Michael stated while the look on his face told Max he was barely hanging on to his composure.

“How’d this happen?” Kyle questioned. “What was she doing before it…” he trailed off when he saw the remorse in Max’s eyes. He remembered the conversation he had with Liz earlier that week and realized exactly what had happened beforehand. He wasn’t sure what to think about it but it was obvious how much Max had already beaten himself up over it. Thankfully, Michael wasn’t paying attention to their words and was instead trying to focus on somehow connecting with her. “Did she say anything else?” he asked instead.

“No” Max shook his head. “She keeps muttering things but I can’t hear them. I can’t figure out what she’s saying.”

“Maybe the two of us can figure out a way connect with her” Michael suggested with frustration in his voice when he tried and failed to form a link. Without waiting for Kyle’s response, he slowly pulled her out of Max’s arms. “Try to combine our energy to pull her out of this.”

“It’s worth a shot” Kyle agreed and helped lay Liz across their laps. Both reached out at the same time and took one of her hands before joining with each other. Max and Maria watched the two males close their eyes, concentrating on forming a connection. Each had fear on their faces. Max for the safety of his girlfriend and Maria for the unknown of what was going on around her.

“Your highness” Zan calls out and shields my body with his as a rogue blast causes a shower of debris to rain down around us. Just beyond the throne, my father’s seat of honor, stands Rath with both hands extended as he fends off a troupe of four infantry soldiers. I see more arrive from the antechamber, headed straight towards my general.

“Run!” I yell as loudly as I can and throw out my shield to halt the men in red. Beside me, Zan goes on the offensive and begins to blast one after another until nothing but tall piles of ash remain.

“Stop them” I hear him demand, his voice a quiet croak that barely reaches my ears. He’s injured by my hand, yet he still refuses to let them harm me.

“Princess” Rath warns and grabs me around the waist, twirling me around just as a blast of red light sails by my head. “This way your highness” he encourages and takes my hand in his, leading me out through the opening the shape shifters previously blasted into the wall.

“Fuck!” Kyle swore and snapped his eyes open in obvious frustration, the same that was mirrored in Michael’s eyes. “We can feel her. She’s right there but we can’t…”

“No. Try again” Michel demanded, refusing to give up despite two failed attempts.

He didn’t want to leave Liz but Max knew there was nothing he could do while Michael and Kyle tried to form another connection. So he stood up and slowly walked over to Maria. She looked torn between running to Liz and running far away. “Its okay” he quietly said so as to not startle her.

“What are they doing? What are… what’s wrong with her? What happened?” Maria asked in rapid succession. Max noticed that she was still wearing her homecoming dress and the way she shivered as the late autumn air swirled around them. She seemed absolutely terrified by the scene playing out in front of them and it made him remember the day in the café when Liz healed him. The day his entire life changed because of some unforeseen circumstances. The same kind that were now causing Maria to be brought in on the secret.

“It won’t be long now” I say but the look on his face tells me that those words bring him no comfort. There’s such sadness in his eyes. Fear of the unknown. Fear of what comes next. Yet it’s all faint compared to the emotion I see first and foremost in his eyes. Fear of abandoning me. “I promise we’ll get through this” I try to assure him. I want him to know that when he’s gone, I’ll be okay. I’ll have the spirit of him and Rath to comfort me along with the knowledge that we’ll all meet again one day.

“My queen” he croaks and rolls onto his side, coughing violently. I wish with all my heart that there’s something I could do but my healing touch would do no more than prolong the agony he’s experiencing. My hands don’t have the touch to bring back a life but I’m hoping that my mind does.

“Shh…” I try to soothe. “Just rest.”

I look over and see the two shape shifters standing in the corner of the room. One has turned away, offering me as much privacy as his presence will allow. The other has obvious disapproval on his face. I know that look but I ignore it. He believes it’s inappropriate for me to sit on a dirty stone floor, holding the body of a soldier. But I know that he would never voice that opinion. Even away from our home planet, he knows his place and would never question royalty.

I’m not sure how long I sit with Zan. My throat is dry and thirsty. My stomach groans in protest from having neglected it today but I refuse to move. I refuse to let him pass alone. He’ll feel my presence until the very end, even if it means holding him for days.

“My queen. Perhaps you should…”

“No” I instantly protest. “No, I’m fine” I assure them and continue to gently rock back and forth. He loved to fly. Loved the motions and though the rocking is poor substitute, I hope it soothes him.

<center>~*~*~*~</center>

“How could you do this?! How could you betray me after everything you’ve seen him do?” I demand with my palm outstretched towards him. “Answer me!” Anger courses through my body, empowering me and draining me of my strength at the same time. I know that my own end is near and the weakness fights to take over.

“A woman cannot successfully run a planet, much less take the highest seat on the interplanetary council” he states without remorse. “They are too emotional. Unable to deal with situations as quickly and effectively as a man could. Our people will be better off having him as our leader.”

“You won’t find out” I inform with forced control. “I swear to you now with all that I am… if anything happens to Zan or Rath because of your interference, I will bring you back from the dead myself and kill you again” I vow as my energy gathers, forcing its way to the surface. Without remorse, I fling my hand out at him and before he has a chance to bring up his shield, the blast hits him square in the chest. He’s knocked off his feet and falls crumpled to the ground.

His breathing is ragged as he looks up at me with hatred in his eyes.

“Don’t worry” I add. “Before this is over I’ll make sure that your precious leader, Khivar joins you in hell” I say and deliver one final, fatal blast.

Memory after memory assaulted her. Some smiles and laughter from a pleasant childhood. Others anger and heartache from the death and destruction of all she cared for. It was too much, too fast. Her head pounded and her body shook. Sparks of green energy crackled along the skin of her hands, making them itch. The sparks shocked both Michael and Kyle, causing them to involuntarily release their grip on her hands. “No” she muttered over and over again.

Max hurried forward but was held back from going too close by Kyle. Liz had somehow pushed herself away from them and crawled a safe distance away. Her eyes remained closed. Her words were still muttered as she rested on hands and closed fists.

“Oh god!” Maria cried out from behind them.

“No… no… no… no… NO!!!” Liz screamed and forced herself up. Her hands shot out into the distance, away from all her friends. They watched in awe as a light show shot out of her outstretched palms. Blast after blast of colored lights. Fragments of decimated rocks flew out in all directions, leaving small clouds of dust that were barely visible in the darkened night.

Neither friend had ever seen her powers react that way. The light… the strength… the power and anger behind it.

Tears fell from her eyes as she finally surrendered herself to it. Something inside of her was telling Liz to let go. To give in. She was too tired to fight it anymore and continued to let loose a violent stream of blasts.

Then when it was over, she dropped her hands and collapsed from the exertion of it all.

All three ran to her but Max reached Liz first. He looked down at her, crumpled with fatigue, tears streaming down her eyes and finality on her face. “I’m sorry” she murmured and closed her eyes.

His hesitation fell away and Max scooped her up in his arms as they saw the faint light of head beams heading their way. Michael went to Maria, standing protectively in front of her while Kyle remained with Max and Liz, ready to protect them if he needed to.

None of them expected to see the person who stepped out onto the hard gravel. “Alex?” said both Michael and Maria at the same time.

From where she rested in Max’s arms, Liz’s eyes fluttered open for several brief moments before falling closed again. “Shape… shifter” she panted and slipped into unconsciousness.

<center>But I fear
I have nothing to give
I have so much to lose
Here in this lonely place
Tangled up in our embrace
There’s nothing I’d like
Better than to fall

But I fear
I have nothing to give
I have so much to lose
I have nothing to give
We have so much to lose</center>

[To_Kiss_A_Frog]

Hello everyone! Sorry for the delay. Classes have begun and I actually had a test on the first day because one professor wanted everyone to know just how hard the class was gonna be. Grr... anyhow. this chapter might be a little confusing but you'll finally have answers in the next one. Hope you enjoy!

tequathisy
Jason's Lover
Kitten
LairaBehr4
FSU/MSW-94
Alien614
believer_evans
nibbles2
pandas2001
cocopucks
Augustus Snodgrass
RosyLady

Chapter 17

“You can’t do this alone, Kal. It’s too much” I say with finality in my voice. “Who knows what other damages Nasedo was able to cause before we found out the truth? For all we know Khivar already has men down here looking for us.” He wants to argue with me but it isn’t in his nature. All my life he has watched over me and despite all the years that separate us, he’s always had the utmost respect for me.

“Very well, my queen… but you will have to mind warp me afterwards because I insist on going with you while you use the granolith” Kal states unwaveringly. “If Nasedo did, in fact, have the opportunity to alert Khivar, then it isn’t safe for you to wander out on your own.”

It’s on the tip of my tongue to argue with him now but I bite back my statement. I can feel my energy waning and it’s going to take every ounce of strength I have to use the granolith.

“So be it” I agree and begin discussing with him which shape shifters we should send for.

“What the hell is a shape shifter?” Kyle questioned as he looked back and forth between Liz and Alex. Up until that point, the new arrival had remained quiet, trying to prove that he wasn’t a threat to any of them. “What’s she talking about?” he asked, pinning Alex with a penetrating stare.

“Shape shifters are one of many races that occupy Antar. The planet you, Liz and Michael come from” Alex dutifully volunteered with no hesitation in his voice or stance.

“Planet” Kyle repeated, confused.

“Antar” was the one word Michael picked up on.

“What’s wrong with Liz?” Max demanded when no one else had anything to say. It seemed that the others were still trying to digest the new information but for him, it was an easier pill to swallow. Ever since Liz first told him about the dreams she had, his mind accepted the fact that no truth about her origins would ever surprise him.

“Liz was a princess, the only royal heir” Alex stated, once again garnering the attention of the other two aliens. It didn’t surprise him that Kyle and Michael had yet to lower their hands but it did sting a little after all the years they’d known each other. “When her parents were killed, she became the rightful queen. She carries a seal inside of her that marks her as the ruler but after the three of you were podded, the seal became dormant. Because the mental capabilities of a human are less than an Antarian, it wasn’t supposed to activate itself until her mind was ready to accept the strain of her strengthened powers. But for whatever reason, it’s becoming active now. It’s what’s causing her to react the way she has.”

“So you’ve known who we were all this time and you never told us?” Michael questioned, hiding the obvious hurt he felt.

“I couldn’t” Alex quietly replied.

“Why?” Kyle asked in the same hard tone Michael used.

“Look, we all have reasons for doing the things we’ve done. The three of you never said anything to me because you were scared of exposing yourself” Alex stated in defense. “That might not have been my reason but that doesn’t mean I didn’t have one.”

“So then what is it?”

“I can’t” Alex shook his head remorsefully. “Not until Liz is awake. She has to hear all of this too. She might even be ready to help me explain it.”

“Well then can you at least tell us when she’ll wake up? Or how or… something?” Max wondered, seeming slightly calmer with the new bits of explanation. He was also the only one in the group who wasn’t affected somehow by the new revelation. Even Maria was learning things she couldn’t have ever imagined. Combined with the betrayal Michael and Kyle felt, Max really was the only one thinking straight.

“I’m not really sure. If she’s fighting the transition, she’ll be in a lot of pain and it’ll take some time for her to come out of it” Alex informed, seeming just as worried as everyone else was. Revealing the truth about his own origins didn’t change the fact that he had grown up with Liz, Michael, Kyle and Maria. He was still the same person they had always known. He just had abilities that they wouldn’t have ever suspected.

“Well what is it? What is the transition?”

“Look I know you all have a lot of questions. I get that and believe me, I understand it but there’s so much about all of this that I don’t know either” Alex attempted to explain.

“Well then why don’t you start by telling us who the hell you are?” Michael demanded, feeling a deep sting of betrayal.

“Alex” he stated. “That’s who I am. The guy whose house you lived in for over ten years. They guy you all grew up with. I’m not from some other planet. I was born here in Roswell.” Despite the severity of the situation, Max truly felt sorry for him. He seemed to be carrying around the same insecurities Liz had when he first learned her secret.

“So then what? There’s just a bunch of aliens running around Roswell?”

“Oh my god” Maria moaned and held her hands over her ears. “Everyone I care about is a liar” she muttered under her breath, temporarily shifting the heat away from Alex.

“Maria we…”

“No!” she yelled and took a step back. “What the hell is going on here Michael? Aliens… shape shifters… a queen” Maria said, turning to Liz as she uttered the last part. “I want the truth and I want it now. All of it” she demanded strongly.

“I don’t know anything about aliens or… any of it” Michael stated while his eyes begged her to believe him. “We don’t know why we’re different, we’ve just always known that we are different. All that other stuff is new to us too.”

Maria shook her head, fighting back the tears that threatened to fall. “And what about you?” she asked Max who continued to hold onto Liz as she gently writhed in his arms. “Why don’t you seem surprised about any of this? Are you one of them too?”

“No” Max shook his head. “I just found out a couple months ago when Liz used her abilities to save my life” he stated, recognizing the look of confusion she wore because of his response. “The shooting in the café… the one where the guys shot a bullet into the wall” he reminded. “The bullet didn’t hit the wall. It hit me and I probably would have died if Liz hadn’t healed me. She exposed herself to me to save me.”

“There’s something I want you to do for me” I say, knowing that my time is running out. Beyond the walls of the chamber I hear the others trying to somehow mask its entrance. “Don’t spend the next few years waiting to do your job. Live your life and promise me that you’ll tell the others to do the same.”

I see the hesitation on his face but he remains quiet. I think it’s finally sinking in that this is almost over… at least for now.

“My queen, I…”

“No, Kal. No buts. You’ve all given up so much to do this for us. Promise me that you’ll try to live your lives.”

“As you wish, my queen” he relents with obvious reluctance.

“Thank you” I say and allow my eyes to close. My strength is almost non existent now. I know it’s only a matter of time. Hours or maybe even minutes. Then it’ll end so it can all begin again.

With a loud gasp, Liz finally pulled herself out of her dream-like state. From the moment she opened her eyes, she could feel the change. Something was different… stronger even and along with that strength came a slew of memories. Their death… hers… what happened with Khivar.

Khivar. She finally had a name to put with the face and was horrified to realize that all her sweet dreams had been about a monster hidden behind a gentleman’s mask.

The others abandoned their respective interrogations and went to Liz, glad that she was finally awake. “Max. I’m sorry for all of this. Sorry I scared you” she apologized, her voice no more than a whisper before she turned towards her other friends. Their faces weren’t those of Rath and Zan but she recognized something inside of them that belonged solely to her two guards. “I’m okay” she assured and got swept up in the hugs of both friends.

Maria still remained at a distance from the group, looking on though there was a hint of relief in her gaze.

Slowly, Max helped Liz stand while she felt her strengths slowly begin to return. Her eyes zeroed in on Alex and after once last glance at her friends, she tentatively walked towards him. For a silent moment, no one said anything. Liz closed her eyes as she felt his presence wash over her. In the past she had never noticed it before but now it was as though all of her senses were heightened. Now she finally understood all the things that had been placed aside in the questions without answers list.

“You aren’t one of them” she said but there was no accusation in her voice. “I recognize… something, but… I don’t understand it” she admitted. The others could barely hear the exchange but it was obvious from close distance between them that Liz wasn’t in the least bit threatened by the new revelation.

“Larek and Sarina” he stated quietly.

A small smile formed on her lips as she remembered more bits and pieces of the memories she had just re-lived. “So he kept his kept promise to tell them” Liz mused aloud and surprised everyone by wrapping her arms around Alex. “I’m so glad you’re one of us” she said while Alex closed his eyes, grateful for the easy acceptance. Then even after she pulled away, she reached out to grasp his hands. “Does that mean that Charles and Gloria Whitman are…” she asked, letting the question hang in the air.

“Yes” he agreed while everyone behind them was now thoroughly confused by the exchange.

“Liz…?” Kyle asked.

“He’s the son of…” Liz began and trailed off. Before she could even to begin to explain who Alex was, there was so much else that Kyle and Michael needed to hear first. So much that she had no clue where to begin. “Would you… would you trust me… to open yourselves up to me?” she asked her two long time friends. Her fear of connecting was also something that had changed.

In the past it had been an issue of control. She was scared of going to deep or of losing herself inside someone else. Now that fear no longer existed. She had a confidence in herself that had never before been present. She knew she could do it because she now had the knowledge to control her powers.

“If you don’t think you…” Liz trailed off because it was then that she looked passed her friends and saw Maria standing beside Kyle’s mustang. “Maria…” she said and turned her inquiring look to Michael.

“We were together when Max called… she knew something was wrong and wouldn’t let me leave without her” he quietly explained. To be honest, Michael was surprised that Maria was taking it as well as she had thus far. It was possible she was still in shock and would melt down later but there was also a chance that she’d hear the complete truth and just accept it.

“I trust you” Kyle said, intervening and held his hand out to Liz. Wordlessly, Michael did the same as Liz took a long, deep breath. She was still trying to familiarize herself with the new strength and focused on the images she wanted them to see before projecting them into their minds.

Max, Maria and Alex watched the trio with varying degrees of curiosity. Though he wouldn’t admit it, Max felt a little left out but understood that it was their past she was most likely sharing with her two friends. They had a right to know whatever it was she had learned. So he would accept it and wait until Liz was ready to share it with him too.

A series of images played themselves out in Michael and Kyle’s minds, complete with Liz’s emotions throughout each event. She kept the majority of her memories concerning Khivar to herself but let them see a few of the events leading up to their departure from Antar. They got to experience the decisions she made, the reasons behind them and the outcome of each one. Along with it all, they saw who Larek and Sarina were and felt the way Liz could sense the subtle difference between the Antarians and the humans.

When it was over, both boys were left speechless. It wasn’t that they couldn’t speak but that they had no idea what to say.

“So what happens now?” Max asked when the silence became too much.

“Do you know if he’s dead?” Liz questioned, knowing that Alex would somehow know who she referred to.

“I don’t know. I don’t think so” he quietly replied.

With a simple nod, Liz turned away and faced Max. “I’m not sure yet. There’s still so much to figure out. So many memories to work through.” Though she didn’t voice it aloud, Liz also acknowledged that she and Max had personal issues to deal with as well. She needed him to know that what happened to her wasn’t his fault. He needed to know that it was a one time thing because of the seal she carried inside of her. She also wanted to thank him for overlooking any fear he might have felt in favor of taking care of her. “Where are Sarina and Larek now… and Kal?” she asked Alex, wondering why they sent him instead.

“Mom and dad left tonight when they started to feel the change” Alex replied, hoping that once all the secrets between the group had dissolved, they would all begin to trust each other again. “I’m not really sure of the specifics but Cero found some kind of anomaly and he thinks it might be the skins. So they went with Kal to check out a few leads. Places that the skins might be hiding out in.”

“Because if your parents, Kal and Cero felt the change, then that means Khivar did too” Liz mused and closed her eyes in disappointment over the mistakes of her past. “Alex, what form are Kal and Cero in?” she then asked because it was apparent that everything had just been pushed into fast forward.

“Cero is Karl Edwards of The Science Institute of Astronomy in Las Cruces” Alex responded while Liz was able to guess who Kal was before he even had to say the words.

“Mr. Seligman, right?” she asked, thinking back to the day he talked to her about the extra credit assignment for his astronomy class. He had seemed pleased with her choice of the Whirlwind Galaxy and even encouraged her to talk with a classmate of his. Now Liz understood why.

“Right” Alex agreed.

Up until that point, the others had quietly listened. Kyle and Michael were still trying to wrap their minds around everything Liz had shown them.

Each had always had questions about their origins but neither had ever speculated that it could be something nearly as elaborate as the story they had just viewed. Shape shifters, guards, royalty, other planets and galaxies… it almost felt like too much to take in. It also helped them realize why Liz had literally overloaded while she was remembering it all. Especially since they had no doubt that she had just given them the abbreviated version rather than the entire tale.

“Okay. Then when you talk to Larek and Sarina, tell them that I remember. Tell them that I’ll take care of it” Liz stated, knowing that anything else would have to be saved for another day. It really was a lot to take in at once and until she could get everything straight in her mind, she didn’t want to say anything else. “They’ll understand.”

Wordlessly, Alex nodded, wondering now if things would ever be the same between all of them.

“Liz?”

“I know, Kyle. I just need some time.” She knew they all still had so many more questions but the pounding in her head had yet to subside and all she wanted to do was curl up with Max and lose herself in the love and security he gave her. She just wanted to stop and take a breath because if the others did find the skins, it would be a long time before any of them would get a break. “Maria, are you…” she trailed off when the other girl flinched away.

Liz tried not to let it hurt her but it brought back so much insecurity that she hadn’t felt since telling Max the truth. He had been so supportive and understanding that Liz managed to trick herself into believing that the others would understand too.

She didn’t blame Maria for being scared, especially given everything she had seen. She just wished that it could have been different.

“We should probably all take some time. Maybe talk some more tomorrow” she quietly suggested.

With varying degrees of reluctance, the others all left until only Liz and Max remained. Neither said anything at first, each trying to gather their thoughts and work up the courage to voice them. Finally, when the silence became almost deafening, Liz turned to Max and said in a quiet voice, “I love you.”

“I love you too” he murmured but still stood a short distance away. “But am I the only one? Or is there someone up there who’s been waiting for you to get your memories so that you could go back to him? Did you really leave behind a husband?”

When she first mentioned the possibility to him that first night, he had seemed okay with the possibility. Maybe because in the back of his mind he had always believed that they were just dreams. Or maybe because he hoped it wasn’t true. Now faced with the honest possibility that there was someone else waiting to get her back, he seemed so distant and resigned.

“Yes. I left behind my husband.”

[To_Kiss_A_Frog]

Hello everyone! I worked on this next part off and on today and just finished it up a little bit ago. Thanks for all your feedback and I hope you enjoy!

FSU/MSW-94 - Glad you're still enjoying it and college is going okay so far, thanks!
Sternbetrachter - You'll learn a little more about Alex's situation in this part
Jason's Lover - Thanks!
pandas2001 - I wouldn't worry about it

Chapter 18

“But… not a husband in the traditional sense” Liz added and waited for Max to look up at her before she took a few tentative steps towards him. “At least not by the standards of where I… she… I grew up.” With all the memories still flashing in and out of her mind, it was difficult for Liz to separate the person she was from the person had become. “Max, will you please just…” she trailed off as all her previous insecurities came rushing back.

To Liz, it was one thing to speculate about her origins but now that she knew the truth and remembered her past sins, she feared Max wouldn’t be able to accept it. She was scared that in gaining knowledge, she may have lost the person she truly loved.

“His name was Khivar” she stated after taking a deep, calming breath. “He was a soldier in our planet’s army and served in the Royal Guard. It’s um… a group… men and women with exemplary defensive skills and high intelligence. Kind of like the FBI and CIA rolled into one with the sole purpose of protecting the planet’s royals and dignitaries.” As she recalled the memories of her former love, Liz felt so many conflicting emotions that she knew came from the part of her that was still Ava.

It was a difficult distinction to make. Liz felt like the two halves of her were melding into one and she didn’t have the strength or know how to stop it. All she could do was hold on to her own memories as Liz Parker until she was able to find the control she needed.

It was ironic, she thought. So much time spent worrying about losing herself in someone else, only to now carry around the possibility of losing herself in her.

“It’s kind of a cliché if you think about it” she mused while staring out into the darkness of night, unable to look at Max in case there was rejection on his face. “See, I was this… princess” Liz admitted, shaking her head at the thought. “So of course it was forbidden. A soldier and the royal heir. No one would have ever accepted a marriage between us so I kept him at a distance for a long time but…” she trailed off, knowing that continuing that sentence would only hurt Max.

“But he broke down all your walls” he finished for her. Liz could hear the pain in his voice and hated that she was the one to cause it.

“We kept our relationship a secret from everyone” she continued, hoping that the sooner she finished, the sooner they could try to get passed it. “And eventually I did marry him. I wore a hooded cloak over my dress and…changed my hair color… my eyes. I used my middle name and my mother’s maiden one so the chaplain wouldn’t know who I was. It wasn’t legal or binding… the granolith would have had to accept it in order for anyone to… but it was… and then everything changed. Then I found out who I had really married. She found out who she had married” Liz corrected herself.

By now tears had gathered in the corners of her eyes. She was shaking but it had nothing to do with the autumn wind. The memory and the sting of betrayal cut so deep that Liz almost didn’t finish. She didn’t want to relive it even if it was only through words. She wouldn’t have for anyone else but Max.

It wouldn’t be enough to just connect with him and force him to feel everything she had been through. He didn’t have the ability to separate himself from it like Michael and Kyle could and aside from that… Liz believed that she owed it to him to hear the words from her own mouth.

He had yet to speak again but Liz didn’t blame him. It was a lot to take in.

“He didn’t come from much. A small family. A father that was killed during active duty and a mother that never recovered from her grief” Liz spoke though she had no idea where the words were coming from. She couldn’t see it… couldn’t exactly remember it but somehow, she still knew the words to the story. “He may have loved her for who she was but it was second to the love he had for what she was. A princess. A future queen. A chance to rise above his station and become someone that the people would listen to… would protect… would… revere. She was a means to an end. A way of achieving all his dreams and fulfilling his aspirations.”

“The horizon is a wondered beauty” he acknowledges in a soft voice. “But its beauty pales in comparison to the one who raptly watches it.”

“You flatter me” I say but refuse to meet his eyes as his own gaze intently watches me. I should feel unnerved by his attention but on the contrary, a tingle of pleasure crawls up my spine.

“Flattery has nothing to do with it” he says tentatively turns me around to face him. “My lady… could there ever be a day when you might look upon me and see more than a soldier? Could I ever be worthy of your affections” he questions with such reverence that the breath leaves my body for a still moment.

“My heart aches for the answer I must give you” I say and watch as defeat fills is gaze.

“He tricked her with innocent charm and she fell for it… until her final day on Antar before coming here” Liz quietly added and shook away the memory of a dream she’d had weeks before. “The planet was in an uproar. There was a rebellion recruiting soldiers and spreading vicious rumors about the royals. My father was scared, but not for himself. For his family. So he made arrangements. He talked with shape shifters who he knew were loyal to the throne. Men that could fly and that could fight to protect his wife and daughter.”

Liz didn’t even realize the way she slipped back and forth between referring to the past as belonging to someone else and belonging to her.

“Kal and Nasedo were the two shape shifters he picked for me along with Michael, Kyle and Khivar who were all soldiers in the Royal Guard” Liz stated, pausing to wonder how her two friends were handling the latest revelations.

She worried about Michael being able to talk with Maria, while trying to deal with it all himself. She was concerned for Kyle and for Alex. One who had to learn something completely unexpected about himself while the other had to reveal something that had previously been so closely guarded.

So many things had changed in the span of an hour and Liz only hoped that they’d all be able to claw their way back from the loop they’d been thrown.

“I worked as an apprentice in one of the research facilities. It was where I met my best friend, Villandra” Liz added as she tried to focus on the story at hand. “She was this brilliant scientist that taught me about genetics… cloning… DNA… so many advances that scientists here could only dream about.”

The invisible bonds holding me back are released and I fall to the floor in a weary heap. My eyes, lined with dried tears, focus on the two bodies lying haphazardly just beyond the royal altar. Their limbs are twisted in impossible angles, their gazes wide eyed and lifeless. “No…” I murmur and shake my head in disbelief. It has to be a trick, a mind warp of some kind. Then, out of the corner of my eye I see another figure being hauled in by three soldiers in red garb. “Villandra” I attempt to call out but my voice is roughed with fatigue.

“You three are my witnesses. Here I stand, fulfilling my end of the agreement” he says to the guards and presses both his hands against her struggling body. Her cries could only be described as torturous as smoke begins to radiate from his flattened palms.

“Her knowledge made her a target” Liz quietly added and once again tried to shake away her memories. “A lot of her experiments were rejected because the people believed they were unnatural. They weren’t her only enemies though. She made a much bigger one when she accidentally discovered a serum that could be used as a weapon against the skins.”

“Wait, what are skins?” Max questioned, finally breaking his silence as he recalled hearing that name earlier when Liz talked to Alex.

“Another race” Liz stated as simply as possible. “Their planet was obliterated in a war a few hundred years ago. So the survivors split up and settled wherever they could but…” she trailed off and closed her eyes, trying to search for the rest of the story. She knew it was locked away somewhere, she just wasn’t immediately sure where to find it. “But there was something in our atmosphere that made it difficult for them to… exist, I guess is the right word. So they had these…” she trailed off again, frustrated that the details evaded her.

The pain in her head was starting to pound harder so Liz turned away again. She didn’t want Max to see it and worry. He had already worried too much that night.

“So they joined the rebellion on the condition that Villandra would be killed” she continued on with the story. “No one really knew who was calling all the shots until that last day. Khivar, he… he killed my parents in front of me… her… in front of her. He said it was so that they could be together. So there wouldn’t be anyone to stand in their way. He claimed he did it for love. He tried to hold me… her, hostage. He swore he would break me. He killed everyone that mattered to me. He was a - a… a monster… a cruel, lying monster. He stripped away every single part of my life until there was nothing but this… this shell… a vessel for the seal I inherited because of my father’s death. Then he just… he kept taking things away from me even after I got away. He had traitors… Nasedo…”

Another memory assaulted her mind. The day she learned that the traitorous shape shifter had tampered with the pods Michael and Kyle had been placed in. The fear that something would go wrong and that he’d taken away their chance to be reborn. She remembered the anger and the hatred… the heat against her palm as she pushed energy out towards him. The smell of singed flesh as he died on his knees. The desolateness of the entire situation.

It was so much at once that she crumbled before him and it was then that Max let go of the pain he felt because he knew that in that moment, she needed him. Not Alex or Michael or Kyle but him. She needed him to tell her it would be okay. To offer reassurances and promises. She needed to believe that he’d be there to help her get through it all.

Max wasn’t sure of anything except one feeling coursing through his body. Love. Husbands, powers and betrayals. Who she once was and what she once did couldn’t change the person kneeling in front of him. She was Liz. Even if she wasn’t sure of that, he was.

So without hesitation, Max dropped to the ground beside her and wrapped his arms around her body.

Liz sunk into the embrace and cried for everything she had lost and everything she had remembered. For the first time in over fifty years, she was given the opportunity to grieve. Something that she had never allowed herself after leaving Antar. Too much had been at stake for her to ever lose her composure. So she pushed it all aside in favor of completing the tasks she came to earth to do.

“Max, I’m scared” she sobbed as her tears soaked through his shirt. “I don’t want to lose you. I don’t want… I don’t want to lose you.”

He closed his eyes and held her closer against him. Max could feel his heart breaking at the sound of her broken sobs. The fear in her voice. “You won’t lose me. I promise. I’m always going to love you, Liz Parker. I’m always going to love you.” He buried one hand in her hair and used the other to gently cup her cheek. “Always” he said and wiped away her tears with the pad of his thumb.

With his forehead against hers, he closed his eyes and brushed her lips in the gentlest of caresses.

“Did I do this to you?” he asked, his voice no more than a whisper.

“No” Liz shook her head. “I was always meant to remember, I just… you helped me open up. My heart… my mind…” she whispered. “My body… it all added up. My soul.” Her last two words were so quiet that they were almost carried away before Max could hear them. “This isn’t your fault. You made me whole” she said through the tears that continued to fall. “I love you.”

Several tears fell from the corners of Max’s closed eyes but he made no move to wipe them away. “You made me whole too” he murmured and took her lips in an urgent kiss.


~&~&~&~&~&


In an effort to give Michael and Maria a chance to talk without her feeling like she was outnumbered, Alex left his car with Michael and instead got a ride home with Kyle. Neither said a word throughout the entire drive. Alex understood that Kyle was still trying to come to terms with everything and tried to give him the space he needed. It wasn’t until they reached the Whitman residence that Kyle finally asked his first question since connecting with Liz.

“Did they know about what Hank was doing to him?”

“No” Alex shook his head. “Not at first. Not until I heard Liz beg him to let her heal the bruises.” He hadn’t understood it, at least not really but his parents had and they had immediately gone to the source of the problem. “And before you ask, I don’t know what they did. I just knew that Hank was gone and that they were petitioning to be Michael’s foster parents.”

It wasn’t the entire answer but it was good enough for Kyle, who despite his confusion, was glad that someone really was watching over them throughout the years. Even if they didn’t make it known, the Whitmans were still trying to take care of them until they were old enough to take care of themselves. “So what are your powers?”

“Same as yours but on different levels” Alex answered without hesitation. He wasn’t trying to hide anything and was glad that Kyle at least seemed to be accepting his answers, thus far. “A weak shield, a strong blast… the ability to manipulate the molecular structure of objects.”

Kyle nodded once and despite being embarrassed by it, asked one more question. “But if you’re a shape shifter… what does that mean? Are you still like us or… you know… alien?”

“I’m only part shape shifter” Alex responded, realizing where Kyle was leading to. “My dad was… is a shape shifter. My mom was only half so she could only change parts of her appearance at will. Hair, eyes… some facial features… partial body type. I’m the same way but I’ve never changed anything about myself. This is who I am. This is what I was born to look like.”

Again, Kyle nodded in understanding as he realized that this was no less difficult for Alex than it was for him. He knew from Liz’s memories that the shape shifters hadn’t been allowed to reveal themselves until the seal became active again. It was too big of a risk that Liz would attempt to activate it before her mind was ready to accept it. So really, Alex had never had a choice. Not if he wanted to protect those he cared about.

“Dude, I’m sorry about earlier. It’s just that Liz was out and we…”

“I know” Alex interrupted. “Thanks for the ride” he added and pushed the door open before anything could be said.


~&~&~&~&~&


“I can’t stop thinking about what Max said” Maria admitted as she sat with her arms wrapped around herself. It had little to do with the chill and more to do with trying to find some way to ground herself. She felt so many different things at once and desperately tried to center on one. “About how Liz saved his life” she added with a far away look in her eye. “The power to save a life. To heal someone to… to stop a death. To destroy things” she said, remembering the anger radiating from Liz’s entire body as she blasted rock after boulder out in the desert. “You guys could pretty much do whatever you wanted, huh?”

Since leaving the outcropping, Maria was considerably calmer than she had been after hearing their exchange of words. Michael wasn’t naïve enough to think everything would now fall into place but he hoped that by allowing him to sit beside her… to talk to her about it, that she was willing to at least give him a chance.

The porch light behind them was dim, most likely close to burning out and it left the pair with little light other than the moon and a nearby street lamp. It created shadows on Maria’s face with every word and new expression, Michael couldn’t help but notice. So he watched each new shadow, trying to learn which ones appeared when she was calm and which ones showed just before she was about to question him again.

“But we don’t” he stated with a slight frown.

“But you could” Maria persisted before finally turning towards him. The emerald in her eyes held a shiny glint that reflected the tears she had been holding back. It tore Michael apart knowing he was part of why she felt the need to cry and why she wanted to hide away those tears.

“You can sing but you don’t belt out songs every time someone’s quiet for long enough” Michael countered because he needed her to see the difference between having an ability and actually using it. Plus it was the only analogy he could think of.

“My songs can’t fix bullet holes and blast rocks into a thousand pieces” she quietly returned.

“Neither can mine” he said in an attempt to light the situation. “Sorry” Michael added, seeing that Maria was most definitely not amused.

“Michael, if Liz hadn’t gotten sick tonight… would you have ever told me the truth?”

He wasn’t surprised but he still didn’t have an answer. At least not the one she needed to hear. “I’d like to say yes. I’d like to think that I would have said something… one day, at least but I don’t know. Maybe.”

“Good” Maria stated, only to receive a confused look from Michael. “I wouldn’t have believed you if you had said yes without hesitation” she explained.

Despite the situation, Michael couldn’t help but smile at her response. “Well at least now you know why I kept pushing you away” he added after a moment’s thought. “It had nothing to do with the way I felt it was just… I was just…”

“Scared” Maria finished when he didn’t.

“I guess” he muttered, disliking the idea of ever admitting fear.

“I need time” she added. It was a lot to take in and Maria felt like she was standing on the outside, looking in as some crazy story began to unfold. She didn’t want to push Michael away but she needed the chance to think about everything she had seen and heard in the last couple of hours. “I don’t want you to go. I still care about you I just…”

“Need time” Michael said, repeating her previous words. “Right” he nodded and began to stand up from his place on the porch. Without thinking, Maria reached out for his hand, trying to stop him before he walked away. He didn’t turn back to face her, afraid of what he would see if he did. Instead he continued to look out at the house across the street, waiting for her to say whatever it was she needed to say.

“If you promise not to shut yourself off from me, I promise not to shut myself off from you” she whispered and Michael lowered his head to stare at the ground, humbled by her words.

“I promise” he quickly said and walked away while he was still able to.