Roswell Fanatics

Wow!! Can't believe I haven't posted since last year. Okay I'm sorry i just had to get that out of my system. Thanks for all of the feedback and I hope you enjoy this next part.


Chapter 9
Tuesday

“Hey sexy!!” A voice called behind Liz as she walked out of the school and into the parking lot.

She saw Kyle leaning up against the building smoking a cigarette. “Go away Kyle!!” She kept walking, not bothering to even stop to give him the time of day. Couldn’t he take a hint? Get the hell away from me meant just that. She was headed to see Max and she didn't want to deal to deal with Kyle right now.

Kyle threw down his cigarette and crushed it with the heel of his shoe. It was time to earn his fifty bucks and he wasn't going to let anything get in the way of that. He patted his back pocket tp make sure he had his camera for the proof.

“Oh come now. Why do you have to always be so mean to me? Is it cause you really want me?” He said smoothly. He roughly grabbed her arm and whirled her around to face him. She could fell the bruise already forming.

“Go fuck yourself Kyle. You know I‘m with Max.” She began to yank her arm away, but he held her firmly in place.

“Why hasn’t he been in school lately?” He smirked. "Fuckin' another chick?"

She jerked out of his grasp. “None of your damn business.” She spat out.

“Well, my good old dad was at the hospital questioning a victim of a robbery. Guess what he heard. Maxie boy finally went crazy and tried to kill himself.”

Before he knew it, he was on the ground, his left eye aching like hell.

“You never cease to amaze me at how much of an ass you really can be.” She said in a calm, firm voice as she towered over him, shaking her throbbing hand.

"You fucking bitch!!" He jumped up grabbing her around the waist.

"Let go of me!!" She squirmed to get away. She grabbed his hand and bit him.

"Ahhhh!! You stupid bitch." He picked her up and threw her over his shoulder, kicking and screaming.

"Liz!?!" Alex and Maria called in unison from across the parking lot. "Maria, go get the principal." He ordered before taking off in Liz's direction.

"Let her go." Alex growled. He didn't want to hit him and risk hurting Liz in the process.

Kyle smirked as he stared at the lanky in front of him. He drew his fist back and Liz took that opportunity and pinched the underside of his arm until he howled in pain.

He dropped her gripped his arm with a scowl.

"What would your friends think when they heard you got beat up by a girl and the computer geek?" Alex said before he punched Kyle in the nose, knocking him down.

"Liz!!" Maria called as she ran over to them, with Mr. Samuels behind her. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. I'm fine." She stood and brushed off her clothes.

"Hey!! Break it up!!" Mr. Samuels shouted as he pulled Alex off of Kyle. "What happened?" He asked

"Kyle was harassing me." Liz said, gesturing to the boy who was struggling to stand.

Mr. Samuels moved over to Kyle and helped him to stand. "Is this the first time?"

"No. It's been going on ever since I moved here." She explained, rubbing the bruise forming on her arm.

"I need you all in my office. Now!" He grabbed Kyle by the arm and headed inside of the school.
*******************

The little boy hurried through the maze of mirrors as fast as he could. He bumped and banged on the glass, desperately trying to find his way out. He had to find his daddy. He had to find Izzy. They would help him. She was after him and they would help him.

He stumbled backwards as he slammed into another image of himself.

"Daddy!! Isabel!!" He called out as he pounded on the mirrors around him. The maze's dull blue light flickered and he froze when he saw Isabel's face in the mirrors around him. She motioned for him to come forward.

He took a step forward, but slammed into a mirror. "Help me Iz. She's after me. She wants to hurt me." He cried helplessly, spinning around trying to find his way to her. The light flickered again before they cut off completely.

"IZ!!! Isabel?!?" He shouted in panic, as he waved his arms franticly in the darkness, as if that would help him find his way out.

"It's your fault." A menacing voice whispered around him in the darkness. "She can't help you. You killed her."

His eyes widened in fear as the lights flicked back on and the owner of the voice appeared around him. She reached out to grab him, but he stumbled backwards into a mirror. It fell back, crashing into the one behind it, causing a domino effect. A bright light burst into the maze once the last mirror fell. He jumped up, running towards the light as quickly as his legs could carry him. But it seemed as if the harder he pumped his legs, the slower he went. He felt as if he were running against a strong wind. But whatever it was, it seemed to have no affect on her, because he could hear her footsteps quickly gaining on him.

Soon he fell to his knees, exshausted. "No. Stay away from me!!" He shouted as she came closer.

"No can do Maxie. You have to get what you deserve." She cooed. She reached out for him and he closed his eyes tight, not wanting to see what she was going to do to him.

He waited.

He could just image how much fury burned in her eyes. How much hate and bitterness she had towards him.

He waited.

But nothing happened.

He opened his eyes and found that she was gone. The light shimmered away and suddenly he was at his old house, sitting on the front lawn.

He looked at the blue house with the red shudders. A chill ran through him until he spotted Isabel standing on the porch, motioning him forward.

He dashed towards her, his arms wide open. She smiled sweetly, her eyes sparkling with love, her blond hair blowing in the gentle breeze.

"Iz, I've missed you so much." He said as he crushed her into a tight embrace.

"Max." She gasped before she slumped in his arms.

"Iz?!?" He gently laid her on the porch. Blood trickled from scrapes and deep gashes that appeared on her body. "Isabel!?! Don't leave me!! Not again!!" He cried. He hugged her limp body close, his tears mixing with her blood. "Don't leave me. Don't go. Please...."

He heard the crack of her bones and the snap of her neck. Blood seeped from her mouth as her head turned at an odd angle.

Her blood continued to flow out of her body until she disappeared completely, vanishing right before his eyes.

"No, no, no, no." He chanted, banging his fist into the ground.

"See Maxie. You killed her. It's your fault. You get what you deserve." A voice sounded behind him. He felt cold hands clasped around his neck.

"Noooooooooo!!!!"
************

Max jerked up in bed, right into a pair of warm inviting arms. His chest rose and fell with his labored breathing. He hadn't open his eyes yet, afraid of what he might find, afraid he was still in his nightmare and these warm arms weren't real.

Swallowing down the vomit that rose in his throat, he buried his face in silky, vanilla scented hair. A soft hand stroked his hair and a soft voice whispered soothingly in his ear.

He slowly opened his eyes. He was still at the hospital. These warm arms were real.

"You're safe now. It's okay." Liz soothed while she held his trembling form.

"You wanna tell me about it?" She asked softly.

"I can't." He whispered on the verge of tears.

"Why not?" She pulled back, wiping the sweat off his forehead.

"You wouldn't understand." He said. "No one would."

She cupped his face in her hands. "You assume that no one would understand. You don't know that for sure."

He adverted his eyes, staring hard at the white sheets clutched in his fist. "I don't think I can. It hurts too much." He said quietly.

"Max I know it's hard to talk about something like this, but you can't keep going on like you are." He turned away from her, refusing to let her see his tears.

"I can't."

She sighed and shifted so that she was sitting right in front of him on the bed. "What are you afraid of?" He refused to meet her eyes as his tears began to fall.

He wiped his eyes. "I-I'm...uh I'm afraid that I'll be more alone than I am already after I tell you. And I'll lose you."

She placed her finger under his chin and brought his eyes to hers. "Max, you're not alone and you aren't gonna lose me. Don't ever think that. I'll always be here for you and whether you like it or not, you're stuck with me, because I'm not leaving you alone." She said. "So, whenever you're ready to talk, I'll be here. Anytime, any day."

He nodded and she leaned forward to give him a quick kiss on his lips.

Max panicked as Liz started to get up. He didn't want her to leave. Not yet. He needed her here, even though it was wrong. His hand shot out and grabbed her wrist before she could get to far from him.

Liz stared at him in surprise. He was still staring at the sheets, but he held onto her wrist tightly as if he needed to hold on to her.

He took a deep breath. He slowly brought his eyes to hers.

“I-Isabel was my step-sister." He said suddenly, making Liz jump with the sudden intrusion to the silence. She resumed her former position and waited for him to continue. "I used to live in Albuquerque with my dad, Hank. She was eight years older than me, but she was my best friend. I could tell her anything and she just knew what to say. She never hesitated to put me in my place either. She was actually a taller version of Maria." He shook his head solemly. "I miss her so much sometimes that it hurts.” He adverted his eyes. “I was six and she was fourteen when she died. It’s my fault she’s gone. She was pissed at me because I read her diary.” He let out a bitter laugh. “It’s funny how something so simple could screw up your whole life. We didn’t speak for three days. Those three days were hell for me. I couldn’t stand her hating me. I went to her and I meant to apologize, but we got into another argument.” He stopped to take a deep breath. He clutched the sheets tighter in his fists and shut his eyes, trying to keep the tears from falling, but they fell anyway.

He was reliving that day. The day that his life went to hell. “She was so angry. I had never seen her like that before.” He sobbed. “She.....She left to go for a walk, to let off some steam. I watched as she walked out into the street. There was a car coming......" He stopped his sobs overtaking him.

Liz pulled him into an embrace, blinking rapidly to keep her own tears from falling.

"I-I could've helped her. I-I could've warned her, b-but I just stood there. S-She was supposed to come back. S-She was supposed to come home. S-She left me alone. I-I never wanted her to die. It was my fault.” He mumbled against her.

“It wasn’t your fault.” She whispered to him.

Max went rigid against her and abruptly sat up. “Damn it, yes it was!! She told me it was!! S-She said that it was my fault that
Isabel is dead! It was my fault that we were no longer a family. I fucked up my whole family!!”

“Max calm down. You didn’t kill your sister. It wasn’t your fault.”

“I just stood there and watched her die!! I should be dead instead of her!!” He yelled hysterically, his arms waving around him. He didn’t bother to hide his tears. It was no use anyway. “Why am I living, when she’s dead?!? It’s not fair!!”

She pulled him back to her, pressing gently on his head until it rested on her shoulder. "Calm down. It's not your fault. You had nothing to do with her death. You had no control over what happened."

"I-I could've helped her. But I just stood there, watching her die. Why couldn't it be me instead of her?" He cried against her shoulder.

"Shhhh. It's okay. Relax." She soothed, alternating between rubbing his back and stroking his hair. "You couldn't do anything about it Max. What happened, happened and you were not responsible for it."

He nodded, even though he didn't believe one word she said. If it wasn't his fault, then why was he in so much pain? Why was he so alone? Why couldn't he get a full night's sleep without waking up screaming from a nightmare?

He buried his face deeper into the crook of her neck as if it would just make everything okay. As if she would undo all of his wrongs and heal all of his scars. Physically and mentally.

But that was impossible. Because he was never goning to be okay. He'd told Liz half of his story and somehow he managed to fell worse. Because regardless of who he told or how many times he told it, it wasn't going to change what happened.

He was still a screw up.

Liz pulled back after Max's cries began to waver. "Are you okay? Do you want anything?"

"N-No. I'm f-fine." He said, resting his forehead on her shoulder.

She nodded. "Um....what happened to your father?" She asked hesitantly.

He shook his head in shame. "I don't want to talk about this anymore."

She nodded again. At least he told her something. "Max, you should get some rest." She said. But he made no effort to move. Liz's presense and sweet scent calmed him and he wanted to bask in her for as long as he could. "Dr. Mason said that you could leave Thursday. Maria wants you to stay with her. She's at home fixing up the guest room for you."

"I'll be fine at my own apartment." He said.

"Max, we're trying to prevent this," She took hold of his left hand a held up his bandaged wrist. "from happening again."

He sat up. "I'm not a charity case."

"No one said you were." She said, wiping his tears away. "We're just trying to help you."

He rubbed at his temples, desperately needing a drink so he wouldn't have to deal with this. "That won't help me. Nothing will."

"Were you seriously thinking that we would let you go back to your own apartment alone?" He layed down, shutting his eyes. "You may not like it Max, but I'm not coming this close to losing you again." He opened his eyes and cringed when he saw the tears gathering in her eyes. "You may hate us for it Max, but I can live with that as long as you're alive." She cried.

"Liz," He held out his arms to her and she was quick to react. She laid next to him, resting her head on his chest. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

Max wrapped his arms around her and laid his cheek on the top of her head. He could feel her tears soaking through his hospital gown and it broke his heart to know that he had caused them. He placed a feather light kiss at the top of her head, but stop all movement when she whispered "I love you."

Max felt tears prick his eyes.

It was bittersweet.

It warmed the ice wall he'd built around his heart that someone could actually feel that way about him. No one had ever said that to him, except Isabel. But because she did, he'd hurt her in the most possible way.

It scared him. He was told that no one could ever feel that way about him. He was told that he would always be alone, and he believed that.

So to save himself from a lot of pain, he convinced himself that she hadn't said a thing. Because it wasn't possible. She couldn't really feel that way about him. Not someone as beautiful and caring as Liz. She could never feel that way about him.

He rubbed her arm, but stopped when he heard her hiss and he ran his fingers just above her elbow.

"Liz?"

"It's nothing Max. I'll tell you later." She said. She didn't want to get him all worked up right now. She'd wait until Thursday.
**************

Thursday

Max stood in the middle of his new room. He looked at the beaded curtains and colorful bedspread. He shook his head in disgust. This was definitely Maria's doing. He sat his bags on dresser next to the bright orange bean bag chair. At least he had his own bathroom.

There was a knock at the door and he turned to see Maria poking her head into the room. "Max, dinner's ready. Liz and Alex are staying too."

"I'm not really hungry."

She stepped fully into the room, placing her hands on her hips. "Max look at yourself. You're a walking skeleton. We need to fatten you up chico."

He sighed and slumped down on the bed. "Maria, I appreciate your concern, but I'm fine." She raised her eyebrows in qestion. "Really." He said

She closed the door and sat next to him. She turned to him, her eyes serious. "Is it her cooking? I mean, my mom's no Marta Stewart, but it's not bad enough to swear off eating."

"No. I love your mom's cooking." He chuckled, only half serious.

She stood and walked to the door. "Okay then, let's go." She sighed when he made no move to get up. "Max what's the problem?"

"Nothing. I'm just not hungry."

"Bullshit! You haven't eaten all week! And I'm not gonna sit by and just watch you waste away!" She shouted, surprising Max by the intensity in her voice.

"Maria I don't need the mother mode right now." He said tiredly.

"Too damn bad, because you're gonna get it. I don't understand why you can't get it through your head that of yours that you have people around you that want to help you and love you. Do you even realize how much you're hurting everyone around you? Max, what you did was so selfish. I know you're hurt and I know it's hard, but did you even stop to think about any of us? I walked into your apartment that day and found you just....God. I can't even think about it."

Max bowed his head in shame, because he knew exactly how she felt. And he would never want to put his worst enemy through what he's been through, let alone his best friend.

"I'm sorry." He said quietly.

Her eyes softened and she moved to sit next to him. "Max, I know you don't want to be here, and I know you think I'm being a mother hen, but I'm just trying to protect you. I love you and I just want you to be happy and marry Liz and have twelve kids and name the first girl after me." She said very seriously.

He smiled. "That's a nice fantasy but it'll never happen."

She took his hand and pulled him to his feet. "What did I tell you about putting yourself down like that? Stop looking for the negatives in every situation. It's obvious that Liz is crazy about, so why couldn't that happen?"

"Can we talk about this later?"

She sighed "Only if you eat dinner." He quickly nodded and she lead him out of the room.

"Hey Max, I brought your jeep over." Alex said as Max walked into the kitchen. He handed him his keys and the moved into the kitchen.

"Thanks Alex." He sat next to Liz at the table. She leaned over and gave him a quick peck on his lips.

"How are you feeling?" She asked softly.

"Fine." He said simply.

"Okay kids." Ms.DeLuca said as she brought out a steaming bowl to the table. "Eat up!" She said cheerfully.

They all peeked into the bowl and groaned with disgust.

"Um...mom? Can we order a pizza?"
***********

After dinner Max retreated back to his room. Liz just finished telling him about what happened with Kyle. She said that Kyle has gotten expelled from school and that she and her father are pressing charges against him for sexual harassment.

Max felt awful. He felt like somehow this was his fault. He knew this would happen. Everyone he cared about always got hurt. He was a jinx to the people around him.

He walked passed the bed and into the bathroom and flicked on the light. He was surprised to find that Maria hadn't worked her decorating magic here. He walked over to the mirror and stared at his pale features.

Maria was right, he had lost some weight. His facial features were more jagged and the dark circles under his eyes had gotten bigger. But as horrible as he looked, he deserved it.

He splashed some cool water on his heated face. He turned out the light and collapsed onto the bed.

So here he was. Back to pretending. Back to feeling all the fear, the pain, the rejection, and the loneliness. He wondered how he could feel so alone while he was surounded by so many people.

His stomach twisted into knots as that image of Isabel from his nightmare unwillingly flashed across his mind. He'd done that to her. He could've saved her. But he didn't. He let her die.

He rolled over on his stomach and buried his face into the pillow. He felt his first tear drop. And then another, and another, leaving hot trails as they slowly rolled down his cheek. He watched as they fell then vanished somewhere in between the pillows. How he longed to vanish, to just disappear. To make all of his pain stop.

His tears were falling faster now, blurring his vision. He didn't dare to close his eyes, for fear of seeing her face and that horrid image of Isabel. He hugged his pillow close and bit down on the edge of it to keep from crying out. Liz, Maria and Alex were still in the other room and he didn't want them to hear.

Through his sobs, he didn't hear the soft knock at the door. And he didn't see Liz walk into the room.

She sat beside him and rubbed his back. She leaned down and rested her head on his back, wrapping her arms around him. Max made no move to stop her. He didn't know whether it was right for her to be holding him. He didn't know how he was supposed to feel about it. He didn't know whether to be outraged that she would just barge into his room without his knowing or to be happy that she actually cared enough to soothe him.

More tears began to fall. It was the only thing he could do to keep from going crazy.

"Shhhh. It's okay. You're okay." She whispered in his ear.

But it wasn't okay. He wasn't okay. Far from it. He would never be okay. So maybe this was his own personal hell. His life was complete torture. And there was no way out. No shortcuts. No blinking exit signs. No cheat sheets. Everything just came at him at once. He could just feel every onuce of pain thrown his way and it just rushed at him. He wasn't sure if he could kept it in any more.

He needed to get away from all of this. Because he was tired of people trying to fix his screwed up life. Because he couldn't stand the fact that everyone he cared about was going to end up getting hurt because of him and it was better if they stayed away. Because he was supposed to be alone and he wasn't worth any of their time. Because he hadn't had any alcohol in three days and it was driving him crazy.

He needed that numbness it brought. He needed something to take this pain away. And that was the only thing that he knew to do.

Liz continued to soothe him until his cries eased and he relaxed under her. He'd cried himself to sleep. His deep, even breathing was music to her ears after hearing his choked sobs.

She eased her way away from him and began to take off his blue jean jacket. She lifted his arm and pulled the sleeve through. She stopped when he stirred and turned on his side, giving her easy access to his other arm. She folded his jacket up and set it on the dresser and took off his shoes. She pulled the sheets from underneath him and tucked him in.

She bent over and gave him a light kiss on his cheek. "Sweet dreams Max. I love you." She whispered in his ear. She walked to the door, giving him one last look before closing the door.

"What took you so long?" Alex asked from where he sat on the couch in the living room. "Where's Max. I thought you were gonna get him so that we could watch these stupid Brad Pitt movies."

Maria reached over from where she sat next to him and smacked him on the head. "They are certainly not stupid!! Brad Pitt happens to be a fine actor." She said. "A very very fine one indeed." She muttered, smiling to herself.

"Max is asleep. He...um wasn't feeling too good. So I stayed with him until he fell asleep." She explained as she plopped down in the recliner next to them and stared at the blue screen on the t.v.

"What do you mean he wasn't feeling good?" Maria asked suspiously.

Liz ran her hand through her long dark hair in frustration. "He was just upset." She sighed. "He told me who Isabel was while he was in the hospital. She was his step-sister. She was killed in an accident when he was six and I think someone blamed him for her death."

"Damn. That's harsh. Did he tell you anything else?" Alex asked.

Liz brought her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around her legs. "No. We have to do something. It's slowly killing him and I wouldn't put it past him to try and hurt himself again."
***********

Max sprung up from his nightmare, his eyes wide, his breathing quick. He looked around at the strange, dark room in confusion. He threw back the covers and got out of bed.

"Fuck!!!" He muttered when he stubbed his toe against the nightstand.

He fell back on the bed and hissed as he rubbed his foot. He squinted his eyes in the darkest, when realization dawned on him. He was still at Maria's. He remembered Liz holding him as he cried himself to sleep. Her telling him that he was okay when he really wasn't.

He needed a drink and he needed one bad. He craved it and he was pretty sure he'd go insane if he didn't get any soon.

He had of get out of there.

He stood again, making sure to steer clear of the nightstand. He walked to the door and poked his head out. The rest of the house was dark. He could hear Maria's heavy breathing from the room next door. He quietly closed the door and hurried to find his shoes and jacket.

He franticly searched his pockets, looking for his keys.

He pulled them out and jumped out the window into the backyard. He ran around to the front of the house, jumped into the jeep and started the engine. He cringed when the it roared to life and he hoped to God it didn't wake Maria or Ms. De..Amy.

He quickly backed out of the driveway and headed down the street.

He drove, without having any real destination in mind. But he found himself turning off the highway and into the desert. He pulled his jeep in front of the cliff.

His safe haven. The only place where he felt free.

He jumped out of the jeep and reached underneath the backseat, pulling out a metal box with a key lock. He took his keys out of the ignition and unlocked the lock with a small silver key.

Inside were many bottles of whiskey and a couple of flasks. He took some bottles out, locked the box and started up the side of the cliff.

He moved to the edge and stared down at the rushing water below. He sat down, his legs dangling off the edge. He popped opened the first bottle and chugged it down and immediately felt the calm overtake him as polished off the rest of the bottle.

Relief washed over him as the numbness began to take effect after the third bottle. Everything seemed to slow down as his vision blurred, his eariler nightmare vanishing from his thoughts. Then he did the one thing that he hadn't done in a long time. So long that he'd forgotton how to do it and how it made him feel.

He laughed.

He opened his fourth bottle. His deep hearty laugh echoed around him. He found it funny at how pathetic and alone he felt. But that's the way it had to be, because it was best for everyone. He laughed, because for a second he was actually contemplating the thought that someone as beautiful and perfect as Liz Parker could ever love him, a drunken teenage screw up. He laughed, because he actually thought he could pretend to be happy for so many years and go on as normal. Just forget about the pain and heartache, and all of the wrongs he'd done. But he couldn't. He was horribly mistaken. He'd screwed up his life from the minute he was born.

Max Evans, a curse to everyone around him and the world. That should be his motto. And he bent over, clutching his stomach with laughter, his body swaying on the edge. His laughing ceased as he stared down at the water at the bottom of the 60ft drop. Would he really care if the wind just happened to blow a little harder at that exact moment and he "accidently" lost his grip and fell?

No.

He wouldn't care at all. He'd open his arms wide and close his eyes in bliss as he fell, the cool air blowing back his hair as he rushed to the water below. He'd whisper a soft goodbye just before the plunge. Goodbye to all the pain, the pretending, the loneliness, the regret, the guilt and the heartache.

In antipation, he scooted up a little farther until he was barely on the edge.

He waited.

He waited for that one small push. That one small gust of wind to push him over the edge.

But it never came.

Sighing in disappointment, he pushed himself back until he was a safe distance from the edge. He finished the rest of the fourth bottle and stumbled back down to the jeep. He threw the empty bottles into a bag in the back of the jeep, to be thrown away later. He hopped into the jeep and started the ignition.

A hour later he managed to get himself home without being pulled over for driving drunk. He pulled up into the DeLuca driveway and literally fell out of the jeep.

"To bad that didn't kill me." He muttered to himself. He stood and leaned against the jeep until his head stopped spinning and his double vision cleared a little. He staggered around the house to the backyard and through the guest room window, tripping over himself the whole way.

He kicked off his shoes and shrugged off his jacket. He moved to the bed and just let himself fall.

He was asleep before his head hit the pillow.

This became Max's nightly rountine for the next month. Every night he would go up on the cliff, bringing with him four bottles of whiskey. And every night he would sit on the edge and wait for that one small gust of wind to push him over the edge. Be it never came. But he kept going, because it was the only thing he had to hope for as his world slowly went downhill.

TBC......

Hey guys!! Sorry for the wait. My muse went on a little vacation. And it's just getting back into the routine. Sorry if this chapter sucks. Blame my muse. Thanks for the wonderful feedback. I really appreciate it. So enjoy!

Chapter 10

Friday

Liz sighed heavily as Mr. Martin talked on and on about some linear graph that she could really care less about. She had 20 minutes until this class was over and she was free for lunch.

She really wanted to be with Max right now. He'd been sick lately and Maria and Liz had to force him to stay in bed today.

It had been a month since Max was released from the hospital and somehow he'd convinced them all that he was stable enough to go back to his own apartment after staying three weeks at Maria's house. They'd only agreed becuase Max seemed to be getting worse while he stayed there. Everyday, he seemed to shut himself down just a little more. But Liz was beginning to think that it was a bad idea. She was constantly over there "hanging out", but secretly watching to make sure he was okay. And Maria stayed with him during the night to keep an eye on him.

On the upper hand, after hearing about what happened to Liz a few other girls spoke up against Kyle, including Pam Troy. As it turns out Kyle had raped her while she was a sophomore, but she was too embarassed to speak up about it. Kyle was evenutally convicted with sexual harassment, and rape and was sent to prison.

Liz fiercely tapped her fingers on her desk as she watched the seconds slowly tick by.

“Miss Parker.” Mr. Martin towered over her, an annoyed expression marredhis face. “I know I’m boring, but could you please stop playing musical fingers. Thank you.” He walked back into the front of the room and resumed his lecture.

After what seemed like forever, the bell finally rung and Liz was the first one out of class. Only three more hours, then she could go see Max.

She felt someone slip their arm in the crook of hers. She looked over to see Alex falling in step next to her and Maria on her other side.

“Hey Liz. Thinking about Max again?” Alex questioned.

“Yeah. How'd you know?"

“Because we all are. Plus, you had that starry look in your eyes and you love him.” He said as a matter of fact.

She nodded. “I’m just so worried about him. I wish I could help him.”

He slid his arm around her waist. “I know. Me too."

Maria let out an audible growl as Michael walked past the trio. "I can't believe him. He's been acting so stupid lately. He won't even talk to Max." She complained.

“He’s being as stubborn as ever. I understand that he’s mad, but that’s not the way to deal with this.” Alex said, a little ticked off at his brother too.

Liz lowered her eyes to the ground as they continued walking in silence, her thoughts turning back to Max..

Maria sighed and reached into her pocket and pulled out her keys. She unhooked one from the key ring and handed it to Liz. “Go.” She said, pushing her towards the door leading to the parking lot.

“What? Where? What’s this for?” She held up the key to give it back to her, but Maria pushed her hand away.

“Go see Max. This is my key to his apatment. Go before you make yourself crazy with worry.” She nudged her toward to door.

She smashed her into a hug. “Thank you Maria.” She kissed Alex on the cheek before hurrying out the door and out to the parking lot.

She practically speed walked her way to her car. Half way there, she slowed, getting the uneasy feeling that someone was watching her. She stopped and looked around the parking lot only to find no one there. She shrugged it off and proceeded to her car.

She hopped in and started the ignition. She checked her rear view mirror and froze when she thought she spotted a figure ducking behind a green SUV, just a few cars away from her.

Nervously, she turned around in her seat, narrowing her eyes as she craned her neck, searching for the figure among the many cars.

She let out a breath she didn't know she was holding as she turned back around and put the car in reverse. It was probably her imagination, she thought.
But that suspious feeling didn't go away as she made her way to Max's apartment.
**********

Max tossed and turned on his lumpy couch, tangling himself in the sheets as he tried to fight his way out of his nightmare. He rolled and fell off the couch, hitting the coffee table, scraping the long scar on his bare back. He jolted awake, pulling the sweat drenched sheets away from his body. He ran a shaky hand down his face and took a deep breath.

He’d dreamt about Isabel and the last day he saw her. He’d seen the way she’d looked at him. The way they both screamed at each other at the top of their lungs that day. He’d seen her storm out of the house in fury and he followed shouting at her as he watched her make her way towards the street. He’d killed her. In his nightmare, he was the one behind the wheel of the car. He was the one who had hit her. He killed her.

He pulled himself off the floor and sat on the couch, suddenly feeling nauseous thinking about what he had done.

He stood unsteadily on his feet and staggered towards the bathroom. The room spun as he flicked on the light and he quickly flicked then back off.

His legs gave out underneath him and he crumbled to the ground, laying on his stomach. He felt exhausted and he blinking slowly before his eyes involuntarily fell shut. He began to gag and cough, but he didn't rouse. Bile rose in his throat and he started to vomit up all the alcohol he'd consumed earlier, but he still didn't rouse. He groaned as he slowly moved his heavy hand to his aching head.

And then he was still.
***********

Liz glanced behind her as she walked into Blue Square Apratments. She still felt as if she was being watched and she quickened her step as she made her way up the stairs, towards Max's floor.

She unlocked the door and walked into the living room. "Max?" She called. She sat her keys and purse down on the coffee table. "Max?" She heard a groan coming from the bathroom and quickly made her way towards the hall.

"Max." She gasped when she saw him. He was laying on his stomach, coughing up what smelled like alcohol. One arm under his chest and the other over his head. Blood seeped from the long scar on his back. It started in between his shoulder blades and stopped just before it got to his waist.

Liz dropped to her knees, crawling over to him. "Max, wake up! Max!" He didn't respond.

She pulled his shoulder, rolling him on his side. She grabbed a towel that hung on the rack behind her and wet it in the sink. She cleaned his face, the cool towel causing him to stir.

He moaned and cracked his eyes open. "Max? Wake up!"

He mumbled something and put his hand to his forehead. "You need to go lay down." She said, helping him sit up. She grabbed the towel and wiped the blood from his back.

He shook his head, swiping her hand away. "No. I need a drink." He said horsely, his eyes falling half closed. He reached for the bathroom cabinet, where he kept his stash of alcohol and took out a bottle of whiskey. With Maria and Liz over there all the time, he had to find another place to store it. This was the only place he could find where they wouldn't go.

He popped the bottle open, but before he could drink it, Liz snatched it out of his hands.

"What the fuck are you doing drinking!?!" She stood and poured the contents of the bottle down the drain.

Max licked his lips and reached for another bottle. "No, Max!! This is the reason why you're sick!!" She shouted as she took the bottle from him. She poured it down the drain and then proceeded to empty all of the bottles in the cabinet.

"I need it." He mumbled. "It stops the pain."

She whirled around to face him, staring down at his pale form. "You don't need this shit!!" She yelled. Max flinched at the intensity in her voice. "This doesn't help. It's only making things worse!!"

He lowered his eyes, staring at the alcohol that he vomited up. He grabbed a towel and wiped up the mess.

She threw all of the empty bottles into the trash can next to the counter. "Are there any more bottles in the house?"

He stared at the empty bottles. He needed it. He needed something to take this pain away. It seemed as if everything was hurting and the one thing that could help him was being poured down the drain.

"Are there any more bottles, Max?" She asked again.

He shook his head, closing his eyes as the room began to spin again. He pressed his hand to his forehead, hoping that somehow that would soothe his headache. He groaned as he started to feel queasy again. He got on all fours and crawled to the toliet, just before he began to retch.

Liz stood beside him, rubbing his back, avoiding his scar. Max sat back, even more exhausted than he was before.

"Max, you need to lay down."

Max swiped her offered hand away and stood on his own. Suddenly he felt angry. He was angry at Liz for caring, angry with his family for leaving him here, and angry with himself. He knew he had no right to be mad at anyone but himself, but he couldn’t help it.

“I don’t need any help. I’m fine.” He bit out. He swayed on his feet andbegan to fall.

“Whoa, Max. You’re not fine.” She said putting a hand on his back to steady him.

“Liz, stop it. I AM fine. Just leave me alone.” He said through gritted teeth. He glared at her then staggered to the door.

She stared at the long scar on his back and wondered how it got there. He couldn't have done it himself. “Max what happened to your back?”

“Nothing.” He mumbled.

“Who did this to you?” She stepped closer to him.

“Liz, just drop it.” He shouted as forceful as he could. He went into his room and pulled a shirt out of his dresser. He pulled it over his head, hiding his scar. “Just leave me alone. It’s nothing.” He said, when Liz called out to him.

“Max this is not nothing. Someone hurt you. What happened?” She said, stepping even closer.

“Liz, please. I can’t talk about it.” His voice broke and Liz‘s heart twisted at the sound. “Please.” He begged.

He looked so helpless, so lost. “Max?” She said reaching out to touch him. He recoiled and shrank down against the wall.

He couldn’t believe he was breaking down in front of Liz. But right now he didn’t care. He couldn’t keep it in anymore. It was slowly eating him alive. He was trapped in a endless hole of his own despair and he’d hit the bottom.

She kneeled down in front of him and gently touched his knee. “It’s okay.”

“No. It’s not okay! I can’t take this shit anymore! I’m trapped in this fuckin’ hell! I try to get away from it all, I try to act as if I’m normal, but all this fuckin’ pain won’t go away!!" He fired. He covered his eyes with his hands and took a deep breath. "Shit. I need a fuckin drink."

"Drinking isn't going to help." She said fimly.

"It does!!" He turned towards her, his chest heaving in anger. "You just pour out my whole fuckin stash!! And I just.....I just can't deal with this shit!!"

"What was I supposed to do!?! Just sit there and watch you get wasted!?! Max, you may think that it's helping you but it's not. You're just making things worse!!"

He shook his head in denial. "No. No, i-it helps. It stops the pain." He whispered to himself. "I need it."

She held onto his shoulders. "You don't need it. You are going to quit drinking Max. It's not helping you at at all." She said, staring dead in his eyes.

He turned away. "No, Liz. I can't do this. I need a drink. I can't stand this pain."

"Well then talk to me Max. Instead of drinking, talk to me." She said, gesturing to himself.

"I can't." He muttered as his tears began to fall. "I need it. I need something."

She sighed and grabbed his hand. “Come here.” She said softly. She guided him to his bed and he collapsed onto it. He folded into her arms automatically with his head resting under her chin.

"This is what you need Max. You need someone to help you." She tightened her arms around him for emphasis. "You need love Max."

“I don't have that." He mumbled agianst her.

"Yes you do Max. I'm here to help you. And I love you."

His eyes widen at her comment as he lifted his head and stared at her in wonder. “Y-You love me?” He asked in a small
voice. He thought it was a mistake the last time she said it, but he couldn't deny the sincerity in her eyes.

“Yes.” She said like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “I love
you.”

He shook his head. “You can’t.” He said, scooting away from her a little.

“Why?”

“You...I’m...you just can’t.” He stuttered tearfully.

“Max, I’m in love with you.”

He opened his mouth to respond, but nothing came out. She was in love with him, the drunken teenage screw up? She couldn’t be. She wasn’t supposed to be. “I......um.....”

She pressed her finger up to his lips to silence him. “Max, you don’t have to say it back. Just know that I love you and I know you’re thinking that I shouldn’t, but I do. And there’s nothing you can do or say to change that.” She kissed his forehead. "I love you Max. And don't you ever forget that."

He nodded, more confused about his feelings than ever. He didn't want to deal with it right now, so he closed his eyes and rested his head back on her shoulder and buried his face in her sweet scented hair, hoping that she'll somehow sheild him from his pain.

But she couldn't. And he broke down into quiet sobs.

“Shh I’ve got you.” She soothed as she stroked his hair. His tears fell onto her shoulder, soaking through her shirt. “I’m here.” She planted soft kisses on the top of his head.

After awhile, Max felt his eyes lids grow heavy. Liz’s presence calmed him, pulling him into sleep.

He pried his eyes open and stared ahead. Never in his life had he felt so confused. He knew he had friends he could talk to, but he was so afraid that he would lose them. That they would look at him differently.

And then there was Liz. He had these feelings for her and he didn’t know why or what they were. She loved him, but he didn't know how to feel about that. And as always, it scared the shit out of him. He knew he was being harsh by the way he acted towards Liz. He just didn’t know what else to do to get her to leave him alone. To not care. But the problem is, is that he wanted her to care so badly. But he didn't know if he was supposed to feel that way or not.

Liz continuously rubbed Max’s back as he lay in her arms. She watched as the movement began to lull him to sleep. His breathing began to even out and his eyes began to drift shut. She watched as he tried hard to fight it. But he lost the battle. He sighed as his body sagged against hers. And he fell into a stressful sleep.

TBC.....

A/N: Hey guys!! I just need to clear something up. A lot of you think that Max's mother is the one that was hurting him. But she died during child birth. So just keep that in mind. You'll find out Max's whole story in a couple of chapters. So enjoy!

Chapter 11

Friday

Liz protectively tightened her arms around Max as she watched him sleep. There was really no need for her to keep holding him, she’d been holding him a lot lately, but she just couldn’t bring herself to let go. So she sat there, watching over him as he slept. Right now it seemed like the only thing she could do for him.

Hot, angry tears slid down her face, dropping on the top of Max‘s head. She didn’t understand why someone would hurt Max so much by blaming him for his sister’s death. And the sad thing is, is that Max believed it. He believed that he was the cause of his pain. He believed that he was the reason why he felt he shouldn’t be living. Liz didn’t know the whole story, but she knew that Max couldn’t be the cause of all this pain.

She slowly eased away from him, not wanting to disturb him with her tears. She left the room and headed into the living room.

The front door opened, and Liz wasn’t surprised to see Maria walking into the room.

“Hey. Where's...” She trailed off when she saw Liz’s tears.

"He's sleeping." Liz answered before she could ask.

“Oh. Is he okay?”

She managed to shake her head before breaking down into quiet sobs.

Maria immediately went to her and pulled her into a hug. “What’s wrong?”

She pulled back, shaking her head, struggling to form a coherent response. “He so hurt.” She sobbed.

“He still blames himself for Isabel's death?"

Liz nodded. “And he's drinking Maria. He had a cabinet full of whiskey. When I got over here he was passed out on the bathroom floor, vomiting up the alcohol.” She cried. "He says he needs it."

Maria shook her head. “Max shouldn’t be left alone right now. He can come and stay with us again." She reasoned.

Liz sighed and dropped down on the nearest chair. "It won't help if he's miserable. I was thinking that if you could cover for me so that I could stay here with him.” She threw a worried glance to the hallway leading to Max’s room. "He's already told me some part of what was wrong. Maybe if I'm here with him, he'll finally open up to me."

"For how long are you planning to stay? Liz, one weekend isn't gonna solve everything. This is gonna take time."

"I know, but it's a start. " She said.

Maria reluctanly agreed, but she didn't like it. She knew that if Max told anyone, it would be Liz.

How had she let this get like this? She couldn’t believe that she never caught on to how depressed Max was. So much to the point where he was drinking and wanted to take his own life. She began to think that she could have done something more, or pushed him harder to tell her what was wrong. She shouldn’t have let it go so easily.

“Don’t do that.” Liz said, knowing exactly what she was thinking. “It’s not your fault. There was no way you could have known any of this. So stop blaming yourself.”

She sighed, knowing Liz was right. “I know. But I just can’t help thinking that I could have done something.” She said sinking into the sofa next to her.

“You have. To be perfectly honest, Maria, I think you’re the reason why he waited to long to try anything. You of all people know how hard it is to get Max to talk about something he doesn’t want to talk about. You did the best you could do by just being there for him and being his friend. You can’t go back now, so let’s just concentrate on trying to help him out now.”

“You’re right. I’m just on emotional overload right now.” She announced. “God. Michael’s gonna be pissed when he hears about this.”

“I can’t believe he still won’t talk to Max.” Liz said, a hint of anger in her voice.

“I know. I’m still steamed at him. But, that’s just his way of dealing with things. Michael thinks of Max as his little brother. He’s just as worried about him as everybody else.”

Liz didn’t hear a thing she said as she continued stare at Max’s door. She could hear him whimpering and moaning in his sleep and she didn’t know whether to wake him, or to let him get some much needed sleep.

“Liz?” Maria called, pulling her out of her thoughts. “He’ll be okay Liz.”

She nodded and wiped her eyes. “I just love him so much and I can’t stand to see him this way. And I don't know what to do to help him.”

“I know chica.” She gave Liz some tissue she kept in her purse. “You want me to call your dad?"

She shook her head. "No. I'll do it." She grabbed the phone.

"Wait Liz. Use your cell phone. You have caller id right?"

"Oh, thanks." She took her phone out of her purse and dialed her home number. "Dad?"

"Hi Lizzie. Where are you?"

She watched as Maria made her way into Max's bedroom. "I-I'm over Maria's. Is it okay if I stay over for the weekend?" She asked hopefully.

"Sure sweetie. As long as you two aren't for your shifts tomorrow."

"We won't be dad."

"Don't stay up to late eating ice cream Lizzie." He teased knowingly.

"We will dad." She said in mock playfulness, masking the agony of hearing Max's cries in the other room. "I have to go. I'll see you later dad."

"Bye Lizzie." As soon as she hung up she ran into the other room.

She found Maria sitting on the edge of Max's bed, trying deperately to wake him up. He tossed and turned, his arms flailing around him. Liz moved to his other side and he immediately clung to her, wrapping his arms around her waist and burying his face in her side.

“Please, I didn’t mean it.” He mumbled.

“Max? Wake up.” She whispered into his ear as he continued to whimper. He balled her shirt into his fist.

“Please, don’ t hurt me.” He moaned. He fingers twisted into her shirt, tearing small holes through the thin material.

She shook his shoulder. “Max. You have to wake up.” He buried his face into her stomach, clenching his eyes shut. “Max!!!” She shouted.

His eyes flew open. He jumped away from her, scurrying to the other side of the bed, bumping right into Maria. His eyes grew wide wih fear and he sat up, moving to the foot of the bed.

Liz moved towards him and reached out to touch his arm. He flinched and backed off of the bed, shaking his head vigorously.

“Max, what’s wrong?” Maria questioned on the verge of tears.

“Please, leave me alone.” He voiced weakly.

Liz slid off the bed and moved towards him, She reached out to touched him, but he retreated against the wall.

"No. Don't hurt me anymore." He cried.

“Max, we're not going to hurt you. Just let us help you.” She begged.

“I can’t be helped.” He said dejectedly.

“Oh Max, what happened?” She said reaching out for him.

He slid down to the floor and pulled his legs to his chest. God only knew how he longed to tell her. It was right on the tip of his tongue, but he couldn’t tell her. He wouldn’t be able to stand her looking at him in disgust. He wouldn’t be able to take her dismissing him as nothing, which he knew he was. Instead he tighten his arms around his legs and rested his head on his arm.

Liz watched him as he drew back into himself. She felt her first tear drop when she heard his choked sobs.

“God, I can’t do this anymore.” They heard him mumble.

“Max, let us help you.” She urged him.

“I can’t.” He cried.

Liz moved closer to him, throwing a worried glance in Maria's direction. “We're just going to sit here with you.” She sat down next to him, crossing her legs. Maria moved to his side also, mimicking Liz's position, pulling Max into an embrace.

He fought her at first, trying to push away from her, but Maria held him in a tight embrace and he evenually gave in and slumped against her. “We're here regardless if you tell us or not. So, we're just gonna stay right here with you. Is that okay?” Maria said. He sat still for a moment. He really didn’t want to be alone. He wiped his tears with the back of his hand and nodded against Maria's shoulder.

They sat in silence until Max got up and paced the length of the room. "How could I screw up so fuckin much?!?" He picked up a comb from the dresser and threw it across the room. It slammed into a lamp on the nightstand, shattering the base to pieces. He ran both of his hands through his hair, muttering curses as he paced.

Liz got up and stopped his pacing, holding his arms at his side. “Stop it Max! You did nothing wrong!”

“I don’t believe you!! I killed her!! I killed her!!" He sobbed.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, pushing his head onto her shoulder.

He kept his arms at his side.

“No. You didn’t.” She whispered in his ear. “You’re not responsible for what happened. You had no control over what happened.” His shoulders shook with his harsh sobs. "It's not your fault. It was an accident Max. You had no control over what happened."

He suddenly pulled away from her, sitting at the foot of the bed, wrapping his arms around himself. His once bright honey colored eyes were cold and lifeless. They were losing their golden sparkle.

Max was shutting down.

Maria kneeled in front of him, cupping his cheeks with her hands. "Don't do that Max." She said firmly. "Don't shut down. Max you need help."

"I need a drink." He said flatly.

She dropped her hands. "Max, do you realize that you could have been seriously hurt or could've died eariler!! You keep doing these things and you're not even thinking about how they're going to effect everyone around you!! I know you're hurting over your sister's death and whatever else it is that's going on, but you need to just stop and look around and realize that you have people who do care and love you!! And can't stand to see you this way!! But right now, you're just being selfish!! And that's not like you Max!" He stared down at her, the worry and love in her eyes keeping his eyes locked on hers. It was something he rarely saw. And it mesmerized him. "Now I'm going to go into the kitchen and make you some lunch. And you are going to eat it. All of it." They stared at each other, both waiting until the other caved. But, Max was to tired for a fight, so he reluctantly nodded. "I love you Max. Know that." She stood, kissed him on the crown of his head and left to make him lunch.
************

Saturday Morning

Max stirred as he slowly came awake. But he kept his breathing deep and his eyes closed and savored the feeling of waking up in Liz's arms and having his first full night's sleep in over ten years. He had forgotton what it felt like to feel rested and that brought a certain peace to him. He had nightmares last night, but every time they got to a point where he couldn't handle it anymore, he heard Liz's sweet voice soothing him back into a peaceful sleep. In his dreams, she was his protector, his rock. He wasn't sure if it was just in his imagination or if it was really Liz, but regardless, he was eternally grateful for her.

He felt her brush the hair out of his eyes and press her soft lips to his forehead. He couldn't help but smile.

"Faker! You're not asleep." She accused playfully.

He opened one eye and stared up at her. "Who me?" He asked, with a sleepy smile.

"Yes you." She said, chucking him under his chin. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine." He mumbled. He closed his eye and breathed in her sweet scent. "You make a great pillow." He pressed his cheek deeper into her chest, running his fingers up and down the soft skin on her arm.

"Your pillow thanks you." She placed a chaste kiss on his lips. "Milton called this morning. He said that you don't have to come in for two weeks. He's headed to California for some UFO convention." She explained. "Do you know what that means?" She mumbled as she kissed his temple.

He opened his eyes. "What?"

"You get to help me cook breakfast." She grabbed his hand and pulled him to his feet and out of the room.

They worked in a comfortable silence, manuvering around each other as they made their meal. Liz had asked about the scar on his back, but he just changed the subject, accusing her of putting too much salt in the eggs. After their arguement over the eggs was resolved, she asked again, but he simply kept quiet.

"Max, you can't just not talk about this. Why won't you talk to me?"

"Because there's nothing to talk about. I'm fine." He said stiffly as he took another bite of his pancakes.

"You weren't fine yesterday." She countered. He kept quiet, knowing she was right. Max was still a little naueous, but he was doing much better. His body craved for a drink, but Liz and Maria hadn't let him out of their sight yet. He wasn't able to go to the cliff like he normally did and even though his last drink was yesterday morning, Max was already feeling a little off without a it.

"Max, why can't you just tell me what happened?"

He didn't answer her, deciding it was best to just let it go. They ate the rest of their breakfast in silence. And afterwards, Max cleaned up the table while Liz went to take a shower. When she came out, Max went in, silently walking passed her into the bathroom. Liz stayed beside the door, waiting for him to come out. But he stayed in longer than necessary and Liz started to get worried when she heard a soft thump coming from inside.

She opened the bathroom door and rushed to the shower. But what she saw tore at her heart.

Max, had his back to her, his left arm against the wall and his head against his arm. The scar on his back bled a little. The blood mixing with the water, running down his back. He banged softly on the wall as his shoulders shook and she knew he was crying. She waited to reach out to him, but she didn't know how he would react to her creeping up on him while he was in the shower. So she silently turned and left the bathroom, sinking down to the floor, next to the door. The running water did nothing to drown out his sobs.

A half a hour later, Max still hadn't emerged from the bathroom. He cries had stopped as far as she could tell and she was sure the water was cold. She reached over to knock on the door when the water suddenly cut off and she heard the screech of the shower curtain being pulled back. He walked out a minute later, a towel loosely wrapped around his waist, his body dripping wet. He looked down at her with bloodshot eyes.

For a minute, Liz was speechless as her eyes wandered over his toned body in awe. Her eyes started at his well built legs and then up to his powerful thighs. She didn't dare to glance at what the towel was covering, for fear that she'd jump him right now. Her eyes travelled north to his amazing abs and up to his broad shoulders. How could someone so perfect have so many insercurites, Liz wondered. She shook her head, scolding herself for gawking at him when what he really needed was her help.

"Are you okay?" She squeaked out.

He nodded, avoiding her gaze. She stood and cupped his chin in her hand, raising his bowed head. "You were crying." She said. He nodded again. "You should get dressed so we can talk." He nodded and turned to walk ino his room.

A few minutes later, he returned and they settled on the couch, sitting side by side.

"i'm sorry." Max said suddenly.

She frowned and turned towards him. "For what?"

"I'm sorry that I can't talk about this with you...or anyone. I'm just not ready. It hurts too much." He said, his tone somber. "And I'm sorry that I brought you into this whole mess."

She sighed "Max, what did I tell you yesterday?"

"That...you love me."

"And?" She gestured with her hand for him to go on.

His brow creased in thought. "And?"

"I said I love you and that there was nothing you could do or say to change that. I meant that Max. You're stuck with me, so you might as while stop feeling guilty about me being in your life. I want you to be able to talk to me. I want to help you Max. Because all this....this pain you have, you don't deserve it. I know you don't. I just want you to know that you can always talk to me. Okay?"

He nodded, giving her a small smile. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if he told Liz. It could only help him right? Or it could destroy him if she rejected him. But, then she could help him with his nightmares. Or she could confirm what he already knew. He was a screw up who killed his sister. There was too much at risk and he couldn't take a chance at losing Liz.

She cupped his cheeks. "Now say, Liz loves me." She said in all seriousness.

"What?"

"Say it. I want you to know that until you're reciting it in your sleep."

"L-Liz loves me." He said slowly.

"Again."

"Liz loves me."

"And I want you to say it until you believe it." He smiled and leaned forward, pressing his lips to her forehead.

"Thank you Liz."

"For what?"

"For loving me."

"Your welcome." She smiled. Max stretched out on the couch and pulled Liz so that she leaned back against his chest. They stayed that way for an hour, just relaxing and enjoying each others company.

"I think someone was following me yesterday." Liz said.

"Like in a stalker kind of way?"

"I don't know. I'm not realy sure if I was being followed or not. I just got this strange feeling and I thought I saw someone ducking behind a car in the parking lot before I came over here."

"Did you see who it was?" He asked, wrapping his arms protectively around her.

She shook her head. "No. I'm sure it was just my imagination."She said as she played with his fingers, which were laced in her lap.

"I don't know." He said skeptically.

"It was my imagination. Don't worry about it." She said, leaning her head back on his chest.

"Need a body guard?" He asked playfully, nuzzling her neck.

She sighed and tilted her head. "Depends."

"On what?" He murmured, nibbling on her neck.

"On...um..on stuff." She shivered as he lightly ran his hands up and down her arms.

"What kind of stuff?" He asked as he slowly made his way to her lips.

"Y-You know. H-He'd have to be tall and um...." She moaned as he suckled on her neck, his tongue dancing over her heated skin. "a...great kisser."

He raised his head and crashed his lips to hers. He caressed her lips, loving her sweet flavor. But he pulled away just as she started to deepen the kiss. "Do I quailfy for the job?" He asked breathlessly.

She shook her head. "You're over quaified, but I think I could find a job for you." She said slyly as she leaned up to meet his lips.

"God they're at it again. Don't you two ever stop to breathe?" Maria teased as she and Alex walked into the living room.

"You know you have really bad timing." Liz commented.

"Yeah. It's a curse. Anyway, my mom made you pie Max." She held it out in front of her. "Lemon."

"Yum." He said. He frowned as he stared at the pie. "Um...there's a huge chunk missing." He said, turning his gaze to Alex who sunk deeper in his chair.

"What? Okay fine. I got a little hungry on the way over here." He rasied his hands up in surrender. "Hey!!" He ducked as a pillow came flying towards him.

"How are you feeling Max?" Maria asked as pulled Alex out of the recliner and sat down. He scowled at her and took a seat on the floor next to her.

"Better than yesterday. I actually got a full night's sleep." He said smiling down at Liz. "Where's Michael?" He asked knowing that that would change the subject off of him.

"Asshole." Maria muttered.

"What did he do this time?" Max asked, rolling his eyes.

"If you haven't noticed Max, Michael hasn't spoken to you since you were in the hospital." Liz explained, leaning her head to look up at him.

"Asshole." Maria muttered again.

"You guys know how Michael is. He'll come around." Max reasoned.

"He's just as worried about you as we all are." Alex commeted. So much for changing the subject off of him, Max thought. "Even though he does have a hard time showing it."

"As..."

"Okay Ria. We get it. Michael's an asshole. Let's move on." Max said.

"Maybe you should talk to him, Max." Alex suggested.

Max sighed and rested his chin on the top of Liz's head. "I will."
************

Saturday Evening

Liz sighed in relief as the last customer finally dragged out of the Crashdown. She was the only waitress left so she was stuck cleaning up the resturant. But she didn't mind, because she knew that Max would be here in awhile and she was happy to keep herself busy until she saw him again. She giggled herself. She was acting as if she hadn't seen him in a long time, when he'd only left here a few hours ago to talk to Michael. But she couldn't wait to see him again. Did that make her crazy?

Yep. Crazy in love.

Sure it was cheesy, but she couldn't help it.

Her father's chuckle brought her out of her thoughts. "Lizzie, when you're done daydreaming about Max..."

"Dad!!" She shouted in disbelief.

"The goofy grin gave you away." He smiled. "Anyway, take the trash out for me. Are you going back over Maria's house?"

"Yeah." She said as she turned the 'We're Open' sign on the door to 'Sorry We're Closed'.

"I'll be upstairs working on these figures if you need me." He said holding up a stack of papers. She nodded and watched him disappear into the backroom.

She groaned as she emptied all of the trash cans in the cafe. The smell made her dizzy and she held her breath as she lifted the bag out of the trash can. She tied up the bags and headed out into the alley.

She didn't take two steps out the backdoor before a rough hand clamped around her mouth, preventing her from screaming.

"Hey sexy." A voice slurred. "Remember me?"

All she heard was his drunken chuckle, before everything went black.

TBC.......

Chapter 12

Saturday

Max shifted from foot to foot as he stood in front of the Guerin household and waited for someone to answer the door. Max would never admit it, but he was always jealous of Michael and Alex. They had the picture perfect family. The kind that you'd watch on t.v. and ask God why your own family couldn't be that perfect. Phillip was the successful father/businessman who always had time for his kids. Diane was the loving, sweet working mom, who always gave the best advice. Alex was the smart younger brother, always making his parents proud, while Michael was the misunderstood older son, who acted like he didn't give a damn about anything, but he really loved spending time with his adoptive family.

Max never had any of that. He'd always dreamed of that when he was younger. He would always dream that his family would come back to him. That his whole life was just a sick and twisted nightmare. And one day he'd wake up and see that everything was okay. But it never happened. And as he got older, he realized that no one would ever come for him. He would always be alone. That was just the way is was supposed to be.

He was just about to turn away from the house, when an irritated Michael flung open the door.

"Hey Michael."

"Maxwell." He said with a slight nod.

Max nervously stuffed his hands in his pockets. He'd never been this uncomfortable around Michael. And he was never on the recieving end of Michael's cold glares. "Can we talk for a minute?"

Michael leaned against the door frame and crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Talk." He said flatly.

"Uh..I don't think it's something that can be done out here." He said, gesturing around them.

Michael straightened up and turned into the house, leaving the door open. Max followed, closing the door behind him. Michael lead Max up the stairs and down the hallway, before entering his room, which was more like a shrine to Metallica. Dozens and dozens of posters cluttered the walls. Maria had bee trying for ages to get him to redecorate, but he simply refused.

Michael sat on his bed, staring up at the younger boy, watching him as he closed the door behind him and stood uncomfortably in the middle of the room.

"Well? Talk." He said, after Max failed to start on his own.

"Oh...um...okay. First, I guess I should say that I'm sorry. I know I could've come to one of you guys, but I didn't. I chose to keep everything to myself and I guess I'm paying for that. I didn't mean to hurt anyone. I just couldn't deal with everything. I felt like I was sufficating. And I still feel like that some times. I just don't think I can talk about what's going on right now. I know that there's no excuse and I know that what I did hurt you guys, but I did what I thought was right."

"How could killing yourself be right!?! Max, you act as if you have no one who gives a shit about you!! But you do!! You didn't see Maria's face when she told me that she found you barely alive in your kitchen or when she was sitting in the hospital, waiting to know if her best friend was alive or not!! How the fuck is that right?!?" He was standing now, advancing towards Max as he ranted.

Max held his hands in front of him. "I know. I......"

"Look, I know you're still grieving or whatever over what happened with your sister, but it was fucking ten years ago!! It's not your fault!! You didn't kill her!! Suck it up and move on!! Can't you see how you're hurting not only yourself, but everyone else!! Get over it already!!" Michael yelled in frustration.

"You have no idea what I've been through!!" Max countered.

"How could I?!? You won't tell anybody what's going on!! You hide yourself behind that damned alcohol bottle!! How the hell am I supposed to know what you've been through!?!" He questioned in fury.

Max bowed his head. "I have to go." He said, turning away from him and flinging the door open.

"See that's your problem!! Stop running away from everything!!! You have to deal with this shit!!" He shouted at Max's retreating form.

He hurried down the hall and down the stairs. He jumped when he heard Michael slam his door shut and turned his head to see if he was following him. Keeping his eyes locked on the front door, Max quickened his pace.

"Hi Max!!" Diane exclaimed as as she walked out of the kitchen, seemingly oblivious to his desire to leave as quickly as possible.

Max muttered a curse before plastering a fake smile on his face and turning torwards her. "Hi Diane. How are you?" He asked politely.

"I'm good. How have you been?" Looking sympetically at the boy before her.

"I'm doing okay." He said, shooting a helpless glance to the door behind him.

"You want anything to eat? I just tried a new brownie recipe." Before he could answer, she disappeared into the kitchen and returned with a container full of brownies. "Just keep the container."

"Thank you. They smell delicious." He said, taking the container from her. He spotted Michael standing behind her and he racked his brain for a good excuse to leave, but Michael beat him to it.

"Mom, Max was just about to leave. Weren't you?" His cold tone was not lost on Max and he took a step back as Michael moved forward to stand next to his mother.

"Uh...yeah. I have to get going." He said, trying to avoid the death glares Michael was sending him.

Diane stepped in front of Max, laying her hand on his arm. "Max, I know you're going through a tough time right now and I want you to know that we're here for you. You're always welcome here." She said gently.

He managed a soft smile. "Thank you Diane. I'll uh...see you later." With that, he hurried out of the house, feeling Michael's eyes burning into his back the whole way out. He jumped into his jeep, set the plate of brownies in the back seat and pulled off, his tires screeching as they rubbed against the cement, leaving black marks in their wake.

Max weaved in and out of traffic, hoping that he'd get lucky and get into a horrible accident. But as always, luck wasn't on his side and he managed to safely make his way through the heaviest traffic.

After awhile, the grass thinned out and the buildings became scarce as he drove out into the desert. He pressed harder on the gas and sped down the road, desperate to get away from the samll town.

A half a hour later, he brought his jeep to a stop in front of that familar rock formation. His hands shook and his heart pounded in his chest as he took his keys out of the ignition and searched for that little silver key. Some time during the year that he'd been drinking, his body became dependant on alcohol. But Max didn't mind, as long as the liquid continued to block out his pain.

That nauseous feeling began to creep back up on him and he hurried to unlock the box in the back seat. He took only one bottle of whiskey, knowing that he was going to have to meet Liz later and it wouldn't help him if she knew that he'd been drinking when he was supposed to be quitting. He locked the box, slid it under the backseat and started up the side of the cliff.

He settled himself down on the edge and squinted as he stared out at the sun as it dipped behind the mountains. It's rays burst across the sky, throwing assorted colors of reds, oranges, and pinks to mix with the blue of the darkening sky. He leaned forward a stared the the water below, as it glimmered in the sun's light and he wondered why such a beautiful sight would be wasted on him.

He laid on his back and closed his eyes, not wanting to see the beauty of the sunset. He popped open the bottle and took a sip. He moaned in pleasure as the warm liquid made it's way down his throat. It eased his shakiness and his heart slowed a bit. How could this make his problems worse? It always eased his pain. How is this bad? Besides Michael drank all of the time. Why is it okay for Michael and not for him? Why did Michael have a family and he didn't? Why was he in so much pain and Michael wasn't? So many questions with no answers. And as long as he didn't have any answers, he was going to do everything he could to keep from going insane.

He finished the bottle and let it roll over the edge. He laid still until he heard the smash of the bottle against the rocks below.

"Just one more." He whispered to himself. He stood and made his way down the rocks, towards his jeep. Just as he took out another bottle, he felt something vibrating in his pocket, followed by a loud ringing. Startled, he jumped, the bottle slipping from his grasp, shattering to pieces on ground.

He watched in agony as the liquid seeped into the desert floor. He muttered a curse as he yanked his cell phone out of his pocket.

"Hello?" He barked.

"Where are you? Are you okay?" Maria practically screamed into the phone.

"I'm fine." He sighed. He tilted his head so that he could hold the phone in place between his shoulder and his ear. He locked the box back and slid it under the seat.

"Where are you?"

"I'm...I'm just driving around." He said as he hopped into the drivers seat.

"Michael called me and told me what happened." She said knowingly. "Why did you run out on him Max? You were supposed to resolve this thing with him."

"I know." He said as he leaned his head back on the head rest and stared up at the darkening sky.

"He told me what he said."

She was met with silence.

"He's right you know. I woudn't have put it so harshly, but he's right. You need help Max."

"Ria, I have to go. I told Liz that I'd come back to the Crashdown after closing." He explained.

"But, Max...."

"Bye Ria." He hung up before she could say anything else. He turned off his phone and flung it into the backseat, knowing that she would just call back. He sighed and took one last look at the sun as it disappeared behind the horizon, taking the day with it. He started the igition and turned the jeep away from the view.

Sights like that shouldn't be wasted on screw ups.
***************

Max made his way towards the front doors of the Crashdown. He reached out to pull the door open, but suddenly paused as small scuffling sounds reached his ears. He turned, searching the deserted streets for a clue as to which direction the noise came from. He heard the scuffle again, followed by a voice, harshly whispering slurred words. A muffled cry sounded and he turned in a hurry towards the alley that lead to Liz's balcony.

His eyes widen in panic when he saw what the commotion was. Flashbacks of his tortured childhood came to mind as he worked to process what he was seeing.

Liz was pinned to the ground behind a dumpster, a torn garbage bag lay just a few feet away from her. She was still dressed in her Crashdown uniform. The front had been forcefully ripped open, the silver buttons littered the surrounding area. She squirmed and whimpered as her assailent tightened his grip around her neck in a fight to keep her still and undress her at the same time.

Max charged forward.

He lunged at Liz's attacker, pulling him off her and throwing him against the adjacent wall in one swift motion. The attackers face was hidden in the darkness, but that didn't discourage Max as he alternated between banging him against the wall and throwing fierce punches in his face.

The attacker shoved Max off of him and managed to jab Max once in the jaw. Max stumbled back, holding his hand up to his face. He let out a fierce growl and threw the attacker on the cold ground. He straddled his stomach and repeatedly threw hits left and right. Liz's cries in the background only gave him more reason to hit harder.

After awhile, the attacker stopped fighting, but Max didn't care. He continued to punch even when he heard Liz's pleas for him to stop.

He heard voices in the background and then felt someone pull him away, but he struggled against him, trying to jerk his arms away, kicking at the motionless attacker.

He felt a soft, small body press into his and hug him close.

He stopped struggling.

"Max." Liz cried into his chest.

"Are you alright?" He asked softly. She nodded and buried her face in his chest.

He held her tight, stroking her hair soothingly as he rocked her in his arms. "Shhhh, it's okay. You're okay." He whispered. He looked up at the man who pulled him away from the attacker.

Mr. Parker looked down on the couple with worry. "Are you okay Max?" Max nodded and returned his attention to Liz. Mr. Parker glanced at the still form of his daughter's attacker and then back at the couple. "I'll go call the police." He mumbled softly. Max nodded and watched the older man walk into the back door of the Crashdown.

Max continued to sooth Liz, but his eyes were locked on her assailent. He secretly dared him to move a single inch. Max would just love to pound on him some more for hurting Liz.

After her cries had died down, he pulled back and checked her for injuries. She had a very visible red handprint on her left cheek and a few scratches under her left eye and on her lower lip. His eyes dared to wander lower and his blood boiled as he spotted the fingerprints around her neck and over her breast. His eyes traveled lower to where she bled from angry scratches on her stomach just above her belly button.

He let out a low growl as he ran his fingers over her marred flesh. He narrowed his eyes angrily at the bloodied assailent and started towards him. But Liz caught his arm before he could get close enough.

"Max, don't." She said horasely.

Max scowled at the unmoving figure. "That bastard deserves to die." He growled in a low voice.

"Max." She laid a gentle hand on his arm. He turned to face her and his features softened immediately. He kneeled down in front of her and reached to close her torn uniform. He held the two sides of the torn fabric together as she again pressed her face into his chest, gripping his jacket to pull him closer. He wrapped his arms around her, trying to bring warmth to her small, trembling frame.

"They're on their way." Mr. Parker announced as he walked towards the couple. He noted how protectively Max held Liz and how she clung to him for dear life. He smiled in spite of the situation. Max was an exceptional young man. And he wasn't just saying that because of the way he defended Liz. Mr. Parker had seen the way the couple acted around each other. He'd seen the way both of the their eyes lit up when the other was near.

Mr. Parker was also aware of what Max was going through right now. And he felt for the young man. He knew exactly how it felt to feel alone and he was happy to see Liz helping him out. He couldn't help but think that history was repeating itself with Max and Liz.

Liz raised her head and stared up at Max. "Max, I was so scared. H-He told me that he was gonna k-kill me for getting him into trouble. He said that it was my fault that this was h-happening to me." She cried.

Max shook his head. "Liz, it's not your fault." He whispered, placing his warm palm against her cheek and wiping away her tears.

She nodded. "I know. He was so drunk he didn't know what he was doing." She explained tearfully. She hide her face in Max's chest, breathing in his fresh scent.

"Kyle's a sick bastard." Max muttered, glancing over at the unconscious attacker. Liz shook her head against him. He pulled back a little to see her face. "No? He didn't get out?'' She shook her head again. "Well then who's that?" He asked pointing to the figure on the ground.

"It's....Sean."

Tbc......

Dun, dun, dun!! I know I'm evil, but I couldn't help it. The next part should be longer. I hoped you enjoyed this part. I'll see you guys later

Tiffany

A/N: Hey guys!! To clear something up, Sean was the one who was in on the bet with Kyle. There is a small history between he and Liz and that will be explained in this chapter. But that wasn't the reason she came to Roswell. She moved there to be closer to family. And what Mr. Parker said about "history repeating itself" has nothing to do with Sean or that whole situation. That too will be explained in this chapter. So as usaual thanks for the wonderful feedback and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

P.S. Yes Julia_Behr I do read your stories. I love "The Crush" and I just started reading "Two Weeks". Great job with both of them.

Chapter 13

Saturday

Everything happened in a blur after the police arrived. They took Sean into custody and Liz to the hospital. She simply refused to let go of Max, so the paramedics were forced to let him ride in the ambulance with her, leaving Mr. Parker to follow them in his car. They arrived at the hospital a few minutes later and were immediately surrounded by doctors, who performed a series of tests to make sure that she was okay. Liz held onto Max's hand the whole time, needing to feel his comforting presence. She had only let go when the police needed to take Max's statement and to take some pictures for evidence.

"Elizabeth Parker?" Liz looked away from the nurse and turned her attention towards the two officers standing before her. "I'm Officer Olive and this is Officer Lawson. We understand that you were the victom of attempted rape and assalt by a Sean Morison." She nodded. "Can you tell us what exactly happened?"

She swallowed trying to clear her sore throat and began her story. "I-I was taking out the trash and I stepped outside through the back door and he....he grabbed me from behind and clamped his hand over my mouth. I uh...don't remember after that. I think I passed out. When I came to, h-he was on top of me, ripping off my uniform." She closed her eyes and continued in a shaky voice. "I-I tried to get away, but he was too heavy and he had his hand over my throat."

"Other than the bruises and scrapes, did he hurt you in any other way?"

She shook her head. "No. Max got there before Sean could do anything. He told me that...that he was going to kill me becuase it was my fault that his friend was sent to prison and that he'd gotten into trouble." She said and she nervously fidgeted with the stings on her hospital gown.

"Do you know why he assumed that?" Officer Lawson asked, while she wrote everything down on her notepad.

"About two years ago, I was living in Michigan when I caught Sean beating on this girl in the bathroom at my old high school. I reported him, but I'm not sure that he was ever convicted of anything because he left town shortly afterwards. And about a month ago, he and this guy, Kyle, made a bet that...that Kyle could..um...sleep with me by the end of spring break. Kyle was caught and was sent to prison. Somehow Sean came to the conclusion that this was my fault." She explained.

"Have you had any other contact with Mr. Morison before this occured?" Officer Olive questioned.

She shrugged. "I've only said a few words to him before, but that was about it. I never noticed that it was Sean. Back in Michigan his hair was brown. He must have dyed blond or something." She said nervously.

"When did you move to Roswell?"

"A few months ago." She answered horasely, darting her eyes to the door, trying to catch a glimpse of Max. She needed him with her right now.

"Thank you, Miss Parker for your copperation. And I can assure you that you won't have to deal with Mr. Morison anymore." Officer Olive commented with a gentle smile.

She gave a slight nod. "Thank you." She let out a shaky breath as they turned to leave. All she wanted to do was to go home right now.

She sighed in relief as Max walked in followed closely by her father, Maria, Alex and Michael.

There was a round of 'are you okay?' and 'did that bastard hurt you' before they even reached her bed.

"I'm fine guys. A little shaken up, but fine." She assured them, reaching for Max's hand again and he was more than happy to comply with her need for contact. Because he needed it too. Probably even more so.

"How you doing sweetie?" Mr. Parker asked as he came to the side of the bed.

"I'm fine daddy. My throat hurts a little, but other than that, I'm okay."

He raised an eyebrow. "You sure, because I could have them keep you here fo...."

"No, dad. I'm okay." She said with a slight smile. He nodded, but still kept a close eye on her.

Maria stepped up, her eyes brimming with tears. "God, Liz. I'm so sorry I didn't stay with you. I shouldn't have....."

Liz shook her head, cutting off her apology. "Maria, it's okay. It's not your fault. Sean was drunk, I'm glad you weren't there because you could've gotten hurt too."

Maria nodded and wiped her eyes. "I'm just glad Max kicked his ass. I wouldn't mind getting in a punch or two." She said bitterly.

"I second that." Alex and MIchael spoke up in unison.

"Excuse me." The nurse said as she walked into the room. "I'm sorry, but only one person can be in at a time." She said.

"We'll be waiting outside Liz." Alex said. Michael and Maria nodded and left the room.

"I'll go see what time we have to check out." Mr. Parker said, leaving Max and Liz alone.

Max waited until the door closed before turning to Liz "Hi." He said, not knowing what else to say.

"Hi." She returned with a gentle smile. But it faded when she saw the torment in his eyes. "Are you okay?"

He plastered on a smile and sat on the edge of the bed. "I should be asking you that."

"Max, I'm fine. My bodyguard rescued me, remember?" She smiled, reaching up to stroked his chin. She stopped when she saw him wince. "I'm sorry. You're jaw still hurts?"

He shrugged and covered her hand with his. "It's okay. It doesn't hurt much." He said, giving her a reassuring smile.

She frowned. "You sure?" There was something about the way he just brushed it off that rubbed her wrong. Sean had hit him pretty hard and there was a bruise forming already.

"Liz, stop worrying about me. I'm the one who's supposed to be worried right now."

"If I have to say that I'm fine one more time, I just might scream."

He smiled. He knew the feeling of everyone continuously asking if he was okay. "I know you're okay physically, but...."

"Oh. I'm still pretty shaken up." She said as she took his hand again. He rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb, offering her as much comfort as he could. "But I know that both Sean and Kyle are more than a little messed up in the head and that this wasn't my fault. It'll take me awhile before I can go out into that alley in the dark alone, but I'll be okay." She said honestly.

Max marveled at how strong Liz was. He only wished that he could be that strong. He was more shaken than she was, but he knew how to hide it. He guessed that was the best thing about holding everything in. You learn how to hide your feelings and along the way, hide yourself.

What made this situation worse was that Sean was drunk. And it scared him because that could've easily been him. What if he did something to hurt Liz or anyone for that matter while he was drunk? Could he be that abusive to the point where he would try and force himself on someone while he was drunk? Max seriously doubted that. Because he knew exactly how it felt to have someone force themselves on him, he wouldn't dream of wishing, let alone doing that to someone else. He didn't think he could give up drinking anyway. He didn't think that he had enough will power to do that. And he depended on alcohol too much to give it up now.

They heard a knock at the door and turned to see Mr. Parker poking his head in. "We can get ready and go." He said.

They both nodded in refief, happy to get out of this place. "Okay dad." She said feeling exhaustion take over her. The nurse brought her clothes back and Max excused himself and left her to dress.
**********

"You can take her to her room." Mr. Parker said as he stepped out of the way. Max carefully maneuvered around him, as not to disturb Liz, who was peacefully sleeping in his arms. She had fallen asleep the minute she got in the car and Mr. Parker and Max were reluctant to wake her. Max glided pass him and effortlessly carried her up to her room. He gently laid her down and took off her shoes and jacket. He pulled the sheets from underneath her and tucked her in.

"Sweet dreams, Liz." He whispered before he leaned down and kissed her temple.

"Max." She whispered as she stirred. Her eyes fluttered open and he smiled down at her. "When did we get home?" She asked with a yawn.

"Just a few minutes ago." He answered as he moved to her side. "You should get some sleep now." He said as he brushed a strand of her hair behind her ear.

"Stay with me?" She asked hopefully, her big brown eyes pleading with him not to leave her alone.

He shook his head. "Liz, I would, but I can't. You're father....."

"Says it's okay." Mr. Parker interrupted. Both Max and Liz snapped their heads towards the door where he stood. "It's okay if you stay Max."

Liz sat up, studying her father. "In the same house?"

He chuckled and stepped forward. "Yes Lizzie. In the same house, in the same room. Just keep the door open and no....you know," He gestured between the two of them and they immediately understood. "I'll be fine with it."

Liz narrowed her eyes. "Okay, who are you and what have you done with my real father, who'd kill any guy who came within three feet of me." Max's eyes grew wide and he jumped up from the bed, moving as far away from Liz as he could.

Mr. Parker let out a bark of laughter at Max's reaction. "Don't worry Max. I'm not out to get you." He assured.

Max visibily relaxed but made no move towards Liz. He wasn't taking any chances. "Get some sleep Lizzie." He moved to her side and kissed her on the cheek.

"Thank you dad." She said before he walked out of the room. She turned to Max who still stood on the other side of the room. "Are you going to sleep over there?" She giggled.

"Ha, ha. Very funny." He moved to the edge of the bed and proceeded to take off his shoes and his jacket. Max jumped when he heard Mr. Parker's door close and Liz burst out in full laughter. "This is really funny to you isn't it?" He said with a mischievious smirk.

"Yes. I think it is." She laughed, holding her stomach. "Ahhhh!!" She screamed as Max pounced on her, tickling her sides. "Nooooo, Max!! S-Stop!!" She laughed as she squirmed underneath him.

"You want to laugh, I'll give you something to laugh about." He said as he held both of her hands down with one of his large ones and tickled her with the other.

"MAX!!! I need to pee!! STOP!!!" She laughed.

"Go to bed you two!!!" Mr. Parker yelled from the living room.

Max stopped his movements and looked down at Liz, her face red from her laughter, her chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath. Max rolled off her and she stuck her tongue out at him. He wiggled his fingers threateningly with an evil smirk. She squealed, jumped up and ran into the bathroom.

Max sighed and laid back on her pillow, settling himself under the covers. Her vanilla scent surrounded him and he closed his eyes, letting it take over him. And it just hit him that she could've have been seriously hurt tonight. He should've been there to prevent it from ever happening. He could've lost her today. He didn't know what he would do if something ever happened to her because of him. He wouldn't be able to deal with it.

He heard her coming out of the bathroom, but he kept his eyes closed. He knew that if she took one look at him, she'd know there was something wrong. The bed dipped slightly as she crawled over to him. He heard a soft click as she cut off the light and then cuddled next to him. His arms automatically wrapped around her, pulling her close.

"I love you Max." He heard her whisper and his heart wrenched. He just couldn't say it back. He knew he cared about her, she made him feel things that he never felt before. But he was so scared to love her, for fear that he'd get hurt. It always happened. And he couldn't stand to get hurt that way again. He needed to build his stone wall around his heart again. He was getting to careless and he knew that it just would be a disaster in the end. For the both of them.

So then why was he with Liz if he knew that? Why couldn't he let her go? Why did she have to love him and make this so hard? And why was he still holding her in his arms while he knew he needed to get away from her? He let out a sigh and opened his eyes, letting them adjust to the darkness. He could feel Liz's deep even breaths agianst his neck and he pulled away a bit, watching her as she slept. How could someone as goregous and perfect as her love him? What was he doing here?

He slowly eased away from her, and backed away from the bed.

"Max?" She called sleepily, pulling the sheets up to her chin. "Where are you going?"

He looked around helplessly for an excuse. He glanced outside of the room. He could see the flickering light of the television from the living room and he knew that he wouldn't be able to get out pass Mr. Parker.

"I'm just going to the bathroom." He said, walking to the other side of the room and into the bathroom. He leaned up against door, running his hand down his face. Letting out a deep breath, he pushed himself off the door and stood in front of the sink, his hands gripping either side as he stared at his reflection. "Come on Max. You're just sleeping. You can do this." He whispered to himself. He nodded in agreement with himself and proceeded to use the toliet and splash his face with some cool water.

He returned to the room to find Liz still asleep. Careful not to wake her, he slid under the covers and laid still. He let out a sigh of relief when she made no move to wrap her arms around him.

For awhile he watched her sleep. Just watching her breathe. And she was beautiful, her face was serene. Her hair fanning out around her, catching the light shining in from the hall. He couldn't help but reach over and brush a strand of her hair behind her ear. He placed his palm on her cheek, rubbing his thumb lightly over her soft lips. He scooted closer to her and wrapped his arms around her. She instantly curled into his side, resting her cheek on his chest.

Max sighed as exhaustion began to take over him. Why did she keep doing this to him? She kept drawing him to her, and she wasn't even doing anything. He was helpless to fight against it. He didn't know what kind of pull Liz had over him, but he knew he had to break it before he got himself in even deeper.
************

The little boy rolled over in pain and came face to face with a pair of feiry eyes, burning with hatred and disgust. He clutched his stomach as he scrambled away from her, his eyes wide with fear as he knew what was coming. He backed against the wall, trapping himself.

"Max!!!" A voice screamed.

He looked around in confusion. "Isabel!!" He called, he looked back to find those evil eyes gone and he staggered to his feet. "Izzy!! Where are you!?!" The walls around him disappeared and suddenly he was standing in the street in front of his old house. It was hot out and the air around him seemed to wave and shimmer in the sun's light.

"Max!! Help Me!!" She screamed. Just a few yards away from him, Isabel sat on her hands and knees, her body red with sunburn. Bruises and cuts appeared on her arms as she tried to move closer to him.

The sun shone brighter and it grew hotter. The street around her began to melt into a liquidy tar.

"Iz!!" Max lifted his feet to move to her, but found that he couldn't. The street around him had melted into a sticky substance trapping him place.

"Max, help me!!" She called desperately. She was drowning in a whirlpool of tar and she reached out for him. Max feel to his knees, stretching as far as he could. Not being able to reach her, he sat back and hurriedly untied his shoes. The street burned his feet as he ran across it, but he didn't care. She was his only concern. He couldn't lose her again.

"I'm coming Iz." He said as he came closer to her. Just as he came within a foot from her, he was thrown back, stopped by an invisible force. He got up, started towards her, but was stopped again. He banged desperately on the invisible wall that prevented him from getting to her.

"No!! Izzy!!" He slid to the ground, helplessly watching her fearful eyes as she drowned. "No, no, no, no, no." He chanted.

He closed his eyes, not wanting to see the ground swallow her whole. He clasped his hands over his ears as her screams vibrated around him. And then suddenly everything stopped. The cries ceased and the temperature dropped to normal and everything went black.

"Max?" A soft voice called in the darkness.

His head jerked up and he found himself in his own apartment. He was no longer the little boy, he was seventeen and standing right in front of Liz.

"Are you oka..." He crushed his body to hers before she could finish her sentence. He ran his hands all over her body, making sure that it was really her standing there with him.

"Liz, I was so scared." He cried onto her shoulder.

"It's okay. You're safe now." She whispered in his ear.

He straightened up and crashed his lips to hers, sucking her bottom lip into his mouth, thrusting his tongue into her sweet mouth. She reacted just as fiercely as he was, burying her hands into his hair, moaning as his tongue made contact with hers. He pulled back, needing to catch his breath.

"I love you Max."

"I love you Liz. I love you so much. Please don't leave me." He whispered to her. She smiled and he placed his hand on her cheek.

"AHHH!! Max let go!!" She yelled as she stepped away from him. There were burn marks on her cheek where he'd touched her and cuts on her lips where he'd kissed her.

"Liz?" He stepped towards her, holding out his hands.

"No!! Stay away!!" She barked backing away from him. The closer he got the more pain she was in. "AAhhhh!!" She screamed as he came closer. She collasped onto the floor, withering in pain.

"Liz, please." He kneeled in front of her, touching her knee. She let out a painful cry before her eyes fluttered shut and she grew still. "Liz, no. Please, don't go. Please." He gathered her lifeless body in his arms and rocked her. "No. Please don't go. Please." He leaned forward and kissed her cold lips. She glowed a brillant white light, blinding Max and causing him to cover his eyes. There was a sudden rush of cold air before the light faded and he found himself alone.

"Liz!! No, Liz!! Please don't go. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry! No!!"

She was gone and it was his fault. He collasped onto the floor and cried for the love he lost. The love he wasn't supposed to have.
**************

Liz jerked up from the depths of sleep at Max's cries. She looked at the digital clock on her nightstand to find that it was only 11:30. She rolled over to find Max thrashing on the bed, tangling himself in the sheets. She reached over and flicked on the lamp.

"Liz, please." He moaned. His breathing quickened as sweat formed on his forehead and his upper lip.

She shook his shoulder as he kicked and twisted in the sheets. "Max, wake up!!" She said.

He grabbed onto her, burying his face into her lap. "Liz, no. Please, don't go. Please." He whimpered.

"I'm right here Max. I'm here."

"No. Please don't go. Please." He cried.

At that moment Mr. Parker ran in, his robe flying behind him like a cape. "What's going on?" He asked as he sheiled his eyes from the light.

"He's having a nightmare." She said worriedly, her eyes locked on Max as he clung to her, his eyes squeezed shut.

"Liz!! No, Liz!! Please don't go. No!!" His grip around her tightened as his tears escaped from his closed eyes. He let out a helpless cry as his body shook with harsh sobs.

She leaned forward and whispered soothingly in his ear. "Shhhh. I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere." She rubbed his back, hoping to calm him back into a peaceful sleep. She continued to murmur in his ear and after awhile his breathing calmed and his body went limp again.

Mr. Parker looked on with concern as he watched the young man cling to his daughter. He'd never seen anything like this before. And he wondered what was troubling him so much until the point where he couldn't be woken up from a nightmare. "Is he okay?"

"I think so." She eased away from Max. His body sagged forward as she climbed out of the bed. She cut the light off and followed her father out of the room. "Dad, I'm sorry for waking you." She said once they made it into the living room.

"It's not your fault or Max's. He's got a lot on his shoulders and I don't blame him for having nightmares. Especially after what happened today." He said as he sat on the couch.

"I know, but he won't talk to me. He just bottles everything inside and won't let anyone help him. And I'm scared that he'll try and hurt himself again." She explained. "And when we were in the hospital room, you should've seen his eyes dad. He looked terrified. But he won't tell me why."

"Lizzie, you can't make him talk. All you can do right now is be there for him. Obviously he needs you. He'll come around evenually."

She nodded. "Dad... you know when I was staying over at Maria's house yesterday?" He nodded and waited for her to continue. "Um.. I really wasn't staying over her house. I was over Max's house." She bowed her head and waited for her father to explode.

"I had a feeling that you were over there." He said with a slight smile.

"Y-You did? And you're not mad?"

"I am a little angry that you lied to me. But I understand why you did it."

"You do?" She asked, smiling at the fact that she may not get into trouble.

"Yes. But I do have to punish you." Her face fell and she waited to have her freedom taken away. "You have to cook me breakfast in bed for the next two days."

"You're serious?" The smile returning on her face.

"Yes. I know I'm being a little harsh, but I have to teach you a lesson. There is no way around this." Holding his hands up.

She caught on that he was joking and decided to play along. "Oh yeah. Dad, you really gave it to me this time. But I guess I deserve it. Although I don't know how I'm going to get through this." She said with a dramatic sigh. "But seriously, what has gotten into you lately. Usually you'd be going crazy."

He formed a sad smile. "I know how Max feels, not on the same level, but somewhat. I was really stressed and had a lot of problems with your grandfather when I was Max's age and I was suicidal. You're mother was the only person who could get through to me and tell me that I shouldn't just throw my life away and she showed me love."

"How come you never told me about this?" She asked, seeing her father in a new light. Never in her life would image that her father would try and commit suicide.

He shrugged. "I don't know. But I see so much of you're mother in you. And I see so much of the younger version of me in Max. And I know you can help him. Just don't let him push you away Lizzie. He's going to try and distance himself from you. No matter how hard he tries, don't let him do it. He needs you Lizzie. He's just scared."

"How do you know?"

"Because I did it to your mother but she kept coming back. And each time she did, I loved her even more. Be patient with him. And if you're going to stay over at Max's just call me and let me know. You two are very responsible and I trust you and I know that you guys won't do anything you're not ready for and if you do, you'll use protection." He said knowingly. She smiled and threw her arms around him hugging him tight.

"You're being really cool about this. I still don't think you're my real dad." She smiled.

"I am. And I was seventeen and in love once so I know that even if I tell you not to do something you'll do it anyway. And I'd just rather you do it and I know about it than you do it and I don't."

"Are we talking about staying over Max's house or....sex." She blushed, not used to talking about this with her father.

"Both. Just be careful. I love you Lizzie."

"I love you too dad and I will be careful. And thank you for being so understanding."

"You're welcome. Now are you sure you're okay?" He asked one last time. "You need me to do anything?"

She shook her head. "I'm fine. I have you, Max and the rest of my friends to protect me. I'll be okay after a night's sleep." She said.

He nodded. She kissed him on the cheek, stood and headed back into her room.

Max was still sleeping peacefully when she returned and she quietly made her way back into bed. She slid under the sheets and propped herself up on her elbow and watched him sleep. A small frown creased his forehead and she lightly ran her fingers over his features smoothing out his frown. She wrapped her arms around his waist and laid her head next to his.

"You are so beautiful Max. I just wish that you could see that yourself." She whispered as she placed a gentle kiss on the tip of his nose. She closed her eyes and murmured a silent prayer for him as she laced her fingers with his under the sheets and drifted off.

TBC.......

Hey guys!! Thanks for the feedback. I really love it. You guys are great. So here's the next chapter and I hope you enjoy. Let me know what you think.

Chapter 14

Sunday

"Damn it." Maria muttered as she tried to hold her purse, two pops and a two lunches from the Crashdown and open the door at the same time. Finally deciding to do what she should've done from the get go, she set everything down and opened the door.

"Max?" She called as she moved to put everything in the kitchen. She took off her jacket and draped it over the back of the kitchen chair. "Max?" She stepped into the living room just as she heard a soft moan coming from the couch. Fearing the worst, she closed her eyes and made her way to the couch. She stood there for a second, with her eyes closed, afraid of what she might find. She took a deep breath and slowly opened her eyes.

She rolled her eyes heavenward and let out a long sigh when she spotted Max asleep, unharmed on the couch. She dropped to her kness, stroking back his hair, as she waited for his eyes to flutter open.

"Hey." He smiled sleepily.

"Hey chico. How you feeling?"

"I'm okay." He sighed at her raised eyebrows. "Really. I am." He said as he sat up.

"No you're not." She got up and sat next to him as he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. "Liz told me about the rough night you had. Well we all had a rough night. Want to tell me about it?" He shook his head and stared at his hands, which lay neatly in his lap. "Max..."

"I know, I know. You need to talk about your problems." He said mockingly. "Well I don't want to talk about it so just leave me alone." He said through gritted teeth.

"Max I'm just trying to look out for you." She said, turning towards him. "And I have strict orders from Liz to give you, watch you and/or make you eat the lunch she sent over."

"I don't need the mother mode right now Ria." He sighed, rubbing his forehead with his thumb and forefinger.

"It's not mother mode." She stood and took his hand, pulling him to his feet. She guided him into the kitchen and sat him down. "It's just a lunch between best friends that may include a little talk about what's bothering the male best friend. Uh...that's you." She said, gesturing towards him. "And the wondeful advice from the female best friend. Which would be the lovely me." She said as she placed Max's lunch in front of him and sat across from him with her own.

"So what's bugging you chico?" She said before taking a bite of her galaxy sub. Max did the same, but remained silent. "I know it has something to do with what happened to Liz. I know it shook you up pretty bad." He kept his eyes glued to the table top as he chewed on his food.

Maria stood and moved to the seat closest to him, taking his sub out of his hands and holding them in the both of hers. "Max, she's okay now. You saved her. Sean's going to jail and he can't hurt her anymore." She said when he still remained quiet.

Max turned his head, keeping his eyes low.

"Max..." She said as she leaned back, trying to catch his eye. She cupped his chin, lifting his bowed head. She gasped as she stared at his guilt-ridden face. "Please don't tell me you think this is your fault."

"I almost lost her." He whispered. "I could've lost her last night." He frowned as a million feelings rushed at him that second. His eyes darted across the surface of the tabletop as he came to a realization. "And that terrified me becuase.....I need her."

Max didn't want to need her, but he did. And that scared him the most because he knew that the pain would come ten-fold when the time came to give her up or when she found someone better. He wasn't supposed to need anyone. He was supposed to be alone in this world. And just like in his dream, as soon as he admitted to the world and to himself that he loved Liz and needed her, everything was going to come crashing down on him. And he wasn't ready for that kind of pain.

But he didn't know how to stop himself from caring about her. One minute he was trying to find a way to distance himself from her and the next he couldn't keep his hands off her. Everytime he was with her, he didn't know how to not give into her. He was so confused about his feelings, he didn't know what to do.

"Max, you're not going to lose her. She's safe now. And it wasn't your fault. Sean was drunk. You had nothing to do with that. Stop blaming yourself for things that you can't control. Max, please just tell me what's wrong. Why can't you talk to me?" She pleaded.

"I can't." He whispered.

"Why? Max I swear to you that if you let someone in that it'll be a lot easier. And over time you'll get better. I promise Max."

He pulled away from her, returning his attention to his meal. He'd let her see to much. He didn't even know why he'd said that to her in the first place. He was cracking, his stone wall slowly crumbling into dust and debris. So he closed himself off and changed the subject. She was reluctant, but she didn't push him. They continued with their lunch.

“You know what we all need right now?” She asked an hour later as they sat on the couch, watching television. “A good Brad Pitt movie and bowling.” She said with a wide grin.

Max let out a small chuckle, shaking his as she bounced giddily beside him.

“What? Come on Max. No one can resist Brad Pitt and bowling. That’s like the ultimate combination.” She explained.

He rolled his eyes and headed into the kitchen. “I know. You’re afraid that I’ll kick your ass in bowling, aren‘t you.” She said with a knowing smirk.

That got a reaction out of him. Maria and Max were well known for their fierce competition in bowling. Both were pretty good and there was no telling what would happen when they competed.

“I am not. I just don’t feel like it.” He said defensively.

“Yeah. Don’t feel like losing.” She teased.

He narrowed his eyes playfully. “You know what? I refuse to stoop to your level of....of.... Mariaism.”

“Mariaism? I like that.” She said with an approving nod. “Anyway, come on Max. You scared you’ll lose like you did last time? What was the score?” She stroked her chin thoughtfully as she moved into the kitchen. “Oh yeah. I believe you had a 120 to my 155.”

He grabbed two Snapples out of the refrigerator. “I told you, my bowling shoes were too tight and they didn’t have any more in my size.”

“Excuses, excuses.” She said, shaking her head.

“It’s the truth.” He countered.

“Is not.”

“Is too.”

“Is not.”

“Is too.”

“Hey, what’s going on?” A voice sounded from the living room.

They both turned to see Liz, standing in the doorway of the kitchen. “Max here is denying that I beat him fair and square in bowling the last time we went.”

“It was not a fair game.” He said as he popped open his bottle.

“Sore loser.” She muttered. She took her drink from him and sat at the table.

“That’s it!” He slammed his fist down on the counter. “You, me, 4:30, bowling alley. Loser buys dinner for everyone at Senor Chows.” He challenged.

She quickly accepted the challenge. “You’re on!!”

“You‘re going down, blondie!!” He swore, poking her in the nose. He received a slap on the ass in response.

Liz watched Max and Maria’s banter in satisfaction. She was glad that he could have some fun even through of all of this chaos. It was good to see him smiling and her heart fluttered everytime he did.

She was pulled out of her thoughts by a loud scream. She turned to see Max throwing Maria over his shoulder and carrying her, kicking and screaming into the living room. He threw her down on the couch and began to tickle her senseless.

“Nooo Max. STOOOPPPP!!!” She howled with laughter. “L-Liz, help me!!!”

Liz smiled evilly and charged forward, jumping on Max's back, tickling him as he tickled Maria. Together, Liz and Maria were able to turn the tables on Max until they all collapsed with exhaustion.

“Cheaters. You can't have tag team in tickle war.” Max muttered. He closed his eyes and smiled as Liz and Maria burst into another fit of giggles. It was good to hear them laughing, and to know that he had a part in causing it.

His girls.

Liz laid on his right side, while Maria laid on his left, both had their heads on his chest. He wrapped his arms around them, feeling his heart swell with love that he shouldn’t feel.

But out of all the wrongs he had done in his life, Max figured that he must have done something right to have them in his life. To have them love him. And whatever he had done right, he hoped to do it again. Because as wrong as it was to feel this way, he never wanted it to end.
**************

By the time 4:30 rolled around, Max and Liz hopped into the jeep and headed to the local bowling alley. They sat in the jeep and waited until the rest of the gang arrived.

Max stared at Liz as she watched a group of kids walk into the bowling alley. She looked up, feeling his eyes on her. “What?” She said with a slight smile.

He shook his head. “Nothing.” He looked away, but brought hers eyes back to her once she turned away.

“Sweetie, that’s really annoying.” She said, when she caught him staring again.

“Sorry.” But he didn’t take his eyes off of her. “Can I ask you a question?”

“Shoot.”

“Why....I mean....what.... made you notice me?” He asked shyly.

She studied him for awhile before answering, taking his hand in hers. “To be honest, it was your eyes. You have the most gorgeous eyes I have ever seen.” She moved closer to him. “My grandma Claudia used to say that the eyes are the window to the soul. And I saw yours. You have a beautiful soul Max. But, your eyes hold so much pain. You’ve seen and been through things that no one should have to experience. From then on, I just felt this need to help and protect you. I didn’t know why.” She gave him a sweet kiss before smiling evilly. “Plus, you were hot!!” He smiled shyly, but then frowned. “What? What’s wrong?”

He stuck out his lower lip and looked at her from under his eyelashes. “You said I was hot. Am I not hot any more.” He pouted.

“Maybe. You‘ll have to refresh my memory.” She said before she pulled him down for a passionate kiss.

Liz made sure she kept her potentially wandering hands firmly laced around his neck. She moaned as Max ran his fingers through her hair, caressing the back of her head. Their tongues clashed as they fought to get in the others mouth.

“Am I hot now?” He mumbled, nibbling and kissing her neck.

“Very.” She breathed, before pulling his lips back to hers.

“Geez, don’t you two ever take a break?” Maria said as she walked towards the breathless couple. “I swear one day your lips are going to fall off because of all this work your putting them through.” She teased.

“You’re one to talk.” Max muttered, as he helped Liz out of the jeep.

“Hey Maxwell. See you’re gettin’ a little action. At least one of us is.” Michael announced as he walked towards them. Alex stood behind him, glaring at the back of Michael’s head for being rude.

Liz narrowed her eyes at Michael. She was still very ticked off at him for the way he’d been acting towards Max. He’d barely been by to see how he was doing. She knew that Michael had very little patience, but that was no reason to avoid him when he needed his friends the most.

“That’s none of your business.” She spat out, her voice harsh and cold.

“Liz.” Max hissed in a warning tone.

“What do you care? You haven’t been around supporting him, why do you care what he’s doing?” She continued. She advanced towards him, much to Max’s protests. “What was all of that shit about Max being your little brother and protecting him from as much heartache as you could? That was a bunch of bullshit!!” She was now in his face, poking him in the chest with her index finger.

“Liz!!” Max pulled her hand away.

“No. He needs to hear what an asshole he’s being. You’re a fuc.....” She was cut off when Max threw her over his shoulder.

“Max, put me down!!” She commanded.

He turned his friends who stood in shock. “Sorry. We’ll be right back.”

They all watched as Max carried a muttering Liz away until they were out of eyeshot. “Wow. And you thought you were in the dog house with me.” Maria commented.

“Would you put me down now?” Liz asked as Max carried her to the side of the building.

“No. Not until you tell me what the problem is.” Max firmly secured her on his shoulder and waited for her to talk. She didn’t respond. “Well? We can stand here all day. You’re not that heavy.” He said.

She sighed and crossed her arms. “It’s just that, the first week we started dating, he practically threatened me not to get involved with you. He said that he was “protecting“ you.” She said, making the invisible quotations marks with her fingers.

“He threatened you?!?” He set her down, his hands already balling into a fist. “I’ll kill him.” He started to move away, but Liz grabbed his arm.

“Wait. He told me that you were like his little brother and that he wanted to protect you. Then he practically goes crazy on you while you were in the hospital and doesn’t talk to you when you get out. I think that qualifies as being an asshole.” She huffed. "Not to mention what he said to you when you went over there yesterday."

Max let out a long sigh. “Liz, Michael is.....he’s....well he’s Michael. He deals with things differently than everybody else. Just like when he threatened you. He meant well, he just handled it wrong. He's very stubborn. Much like someone else I know." He said staring knowingly at her. "So, can you forgive him?”

She hesitated and he wrapped his arms around her waist. “Please?” He said, giving her the puppy dog eyes.

“Give me a kiss and I'll think about it." She said slyly. He leaned down a pressed his lips to hers in a quick kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer. "I'm still thinking. I need more convincing." She smirked.

He smiled and leaned down again, this time caressing her lips with his. He nibbled at her bottom lip, loving the taste of her. She opened her mouth, granting him access to enter.

Liz whimpered in protest as Max left her lips and traveled down her chin, before stopping and suckling sweetly at her neck.

"Liz?" He said breathlessly.

"Hmmm?" She moaned as she buried her hands in his hair, trying to pull him closer. She shuddered at the feeling of Max’s breath against her ear. He nibbled at the sensitive area before responding in a deep husky voice, that rumbled against her ear and made her legs turn to jello. If Max wasn't holding her up, she was sure she would fall to the ground.

"Do you forgive him?" He asked.

"Who?" She breathed. She gasped as his deep chuckled melted her already fluttering heart. Whatever he was talking about just slipped from her mind as Max ran his hands up and down her back and nibbled at the tip of her ear. She closed her eyes and bit her lip to keep from crying out.

"Michael." He said.

"Wha....what about him?" She sighed and leaned her head back, giving him greater access as he moved back down to her neck.

He stopped and looked at her in amusement. "Do you forgive him?"

"Who?" She said opening her eyes, realizing that he had stopped. "This is not funny Max." She scolded when he broke out in laughter. But her tone didn't match the laughter in her eyes.

"So I take it you're convinced now? Or did you forget the reason we're here in the first place." He teased.

She hit him playfully on the arm. "Just know that I want a continuation of this later." She said pointedly.

"Yes ma'am." He saluted.

She smiled and took his hand and lead him back to the rest of their friends.

“I’m sorry Michael.” Liz said once they reached the small group of friends. "You're not an asshole." Maria let of a snort of laughter and Michael glared eviliy at her.

“S’kay. I guess we have something in common now.” He said, tilting his head in Max's direction. She nodded in agreement.

Michael smirked when he saw Max's slightly disheveled hair and he knew they were doing more than talking. Liz was really something and he was glad that Max had finally found someone that he could be himself with and would be there for him.

“Okay, okay. That’s enough of this. It’s time for me to kick Max’s ass.” Maria said. She lead the way as they filed into the bowling alley.

“In your dreams blondie!!” Max retorted.

After they paid for their shoes and their games, they settled in their lane. Alex sat in front of the computer and typed in their names.

“Okay, Liz you’re up first.” He said.

She got up and got her ball. She lined up the shot perfectly and concentrated on the pins. She heard the snickers from her friends behind her, but she chose to ignored it. Taking three smooth steps and brought the ball behind her. Just as she was about to release the it she heard a loud “GUTTER!!!” She shrieked, causing her to drop the ball. Somehow it bounced a few times before curving right into the gutter.

She whirled around and was met with four innocent faces, all whistling and acting as if nothing happened. “What?” They all said in unison.

"No fair. I should get a redo." She complained, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"No can do. You rolled a gutter." Alex said, with a wide grin on his face.

She shot him an evil glare and rolled her second ball, knocking down seven pins.

Next was Alex. He took a deep breath and cracked every bone in his body that he possibly could.

"Would you go already?" Michael barked.

“Alright already. I’m just going to grab my ball and score.” He explained dramatically.

"You only have one ball? I thought you were supposed to have two?" Liz said with a smirk.

Alex shrugged. "My other ball got caught in the ball return."

Everyone was too busy laughing to try and mess him up. “Whoohoo!!” He shouted in triumph when he got a strike. “Go me, go me, go me.” Everyone groaned as he proceeded to do the moonwalk up and down their lane. He managed to turn a few heads of the other bowlers, but he didn't care.

"Booooo!! Get off the stage!!" Maria shouted, holding out the thumbs down sign.

"Don't be hatin'." He said, moving his head from side to side.

Michael was up next. There was no need to do anything to mess him up, he would do that on his own anyway.

“That’s right, just laugh it up. I don’t know why I hang out with you juniors in the first place.” He said with a scowl as he moved to sit down.

Maria wrapped her arms around him. "Awww, it's okay sweetie. I still love you, even if you do really suck at bowling." Maria commented slyly.

"Ha, ha. I hope Max kicks your ass." He said. She let go of him and pushed him away, muttering something about stupid hair-brained boyfriends.

Max was next, cool and confident. “Watch and learn.” He said to Maria, as he walked by. She stuck out her foot to try and trip him, but he caught himself before he fell. “That was so childish.” He said before sticking out his tongue.

He grabbed his ball, and stood still, his eyes locked on the pins.

“Gutter, gutter, gutter, gutter.” His friends chanted in the background, getting louder by the second. But he paid no mind. With perfect form, he strode up to the lane, but just as he was about to let his ball go, he felt something smack him right on the head. He released the ball, whirling around to see what had hit him.

“Alright, who threw it?” He said, holding out the empty soda can that had hit him. He was about to accuse Maria when he heard the clatter of the pins falling behind him. He turned around, seeing the last pin fall. “Oh yeah!! Beat that.” He challenged them as the big X flashed on the screen above him.

"You just got lucky." Maria snided.

Max sat next to Liz, pulling her into his arms. "Don't think so. I'm just good."

"That you are babe." Liz remarked as she leaned up closer to him. "That you are." She pressed her lips to his in a passionate kiss much to the protests of their friends.

"God, I'm blind!!!" Alex exclaimed as he covered his eyes. "Too much for my virgin eyes."

Maria was the last to go. “You might want to take notes from a pro Max.” She said as walked up to retrieve her ball. Max smirked and snuck up behind her. He stood a little off to the side so that she wouldn't see him. He quietly followed her as she made the approach. Just as she brought the ball back and was about to release it, he grabbed her around the waist and shouted, “Boo!!”

She screamed, throwing the ball into the lane next to them.

“Max!! That was so not fair!!” She slapped him the shoulder as he fell on the floor laughing. Even though he’d scared the shit out of her and she’d just blew the first frame, she was ecstatic to see Max so happy.
************

“You only won, because I slipped that one time.” Max said.

“You did not slip. I'm just better than you.” Maria laughed as they walked towards their table at Senor Chows.

“Children, children. I’m the one who won. I believe that my 225 beats Maria’s 162 and Max’s 154.” He said, stepping in between them. They both growled at him and his smug smile disappeared. “Okaaaayy. I’m just going to go over there.” He said pointing to Michael who was already seated at their booth. He was truely scared for his life.

"We really need to get you a girlfriend Alex." Maria commented as she slid into the booth next to Michael.

"Maybe we can hook him up with that new girl Serena. I've seen you two eyeing each other a couple of times." Liz said as she leaned into Max.

"What? No I haven't. I've barely noticed the girl." He said defensively.

"Don't lie Alex. I've seen you looking at her too. Looks like my little bro has a thang for the new girl." Michael teased.

"I do not. I don't even notice her." He sighed. "With her silky brown curls and curvy figure and emerald green eyes." He said in a dreamy voice.

"Oh yeah, you hadn't noticed her at all." Maria said sarcasticly. They all laughed as Alex sunk into his seat.

Two hours and six Michael and Maria arguements later, everyone sat back, their bellies full. They made small talk, none of them wanting to go home yet.

"Liz, did you get your dress for prom yet?" Maria asked.

"Not yet I'm supposed to go next weekend to look for it." She answered.

"What? I got mine at the beginning of this year. You won't have enough time chica." She said as she tried to sneak and steal Max's drink while he was busy nibbling on Liz's neck.

"Touch it and you die, Ria." He mumbled against Liz without even looking. Liz giggled and Maria pouted, returning her attention back to the conversation at hand.

"What's the big deal? It's only prom and it's a month away." Michael questioned. "Why buy an expensive dress that you're only going to wear once for one stupid dance?"

"Becuase it's a special night." Maria answered, eyeing him evily.

"How is it special? Is just a stupid dance in the smelly gym. What's so special about that?" He countered as he cracked open his fortune cookie and popped it into his mouth.

“You want to go for a walk?” Liz whispered to Max as Michael and Maria continued their arugement. He nodded, leaving some cash to pay for dinner, giving Maria an evil look. They excused themselves and headed out.

“You know, even though I did lose in bowling, and had to pay for dinner, I‘m actually glad we came out tonight.” Max said as they walked down the street, hand in hand.

“Me too. It’s great to see you laughing again.” She said, smiling up at him.

The moon was full and bright, casting a soft glow on the couple as they walked down the deserted street. The stars danced above them, twinkling in the darkened sky. They walked in silence, just basking in the presense of the other, enjoying the cool breeze, until they came to the park.

Max looked at Liz with a playful gleam in his eye. “I’ll race you to the merry-go-round.” She looked up at him in amusement. “What? I need to redeem my pride after losing to Maria.”

“You’re on.” They bent over, putting one foot in front of the other. Liz counted down. “Okay. On your mark.....Hey!!! Get back here, Evans!!” She called as Max made a run for it. She took off after him, giggling at his antics.

“Not on your life Parker!!” He called back over his shoulder. “Woohooo!!!” He shouted as he slowed down when he came within a few feet of the merry-go-round.

“Cheater!!” Liz called. She charged forward, jumping on his back.

“Holy crap!!” He shouted in surprise. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he locked his arms under her legs, securing her so that she wouldn’t fall.

"Go horsey go." She said as she nudged him slightly with her heels.

He jogged the rest of the way to the merry-go-round and set her down. Settling next to her, he pushing them around with his foot.

“This night has been perfect.” Liz said as she laid her head on his shoulder and watched the blur of lights as they spun.

“I know." He wrapped his arms around her, loving the feeling of her small body against his. "Michael apologized to me earlier. “ He announced. “H-He said that h-he was s-sorry that he w-wasn’t around as m-much as he s-should have been.” He stuttered as Liz began to nibble on his ear.

“That’s good.” She mumbled. She shifted her position so that she was settled on his lap.

“That is good.” Came his muffled response.

“You know what else is good?” She murmured against his lips. “This.” She said as she kissed him deeply, nibbling at his lower lip. “And this.” She said as she kissed down to his jaw and under his chin. “And maybe even this.” She moved down his neck, before reuniting with his sweet lips.

She moaned as he thrust his tongue into the sweet recesses of her mouth. His hands wandered to her back and under her shirt, caressing her soft skin.

She sat up higher on his lap, trying desperately to get closer to him. She whimpered as he pulled away and created his own path down to the base of her neck. She was sweet like sugar and Max’s sweet tooth was begging to be satisfied.

“Max.” She moaned. He raised his head, crashing his lips to hers in a steamy kiss.

He finally pulled away, resting his forehead against hers, panting heavily.

“I love you Max.” Liz breathed.

He closed his eyes at hearing those words that scared him so. “I....I...” He attempted to say it back, but he was too afraid that somehow he’d get hurt. Or more importantly, Liz get hurt.

“I’m sorry.” This was wrong. He shouldn’t feel like this. She shouldn’t feel this way towards him. She deserved better than him. He shouldn’t be here with her.

He gently let her off his lap and stood.

“You don’t have to be afraid Max. I won’t hurt you. Don’t be afraid of me or what you feel.” She said gently as he began to walk away.

“I...I don’t know what I feel.” He said.

“You don’t know if you love me or not?” She asked, trying to mask the hurt in her voice.

“I don’t......I do....I...have to go.” He turned to leave.

“You do? You don’t? You what? You keep running away like this Max. It’s not going to help.” Her irritation at his reluctance to open up to her growing.

“That’s the only way I know how to deal with this shit?!? Okay?!? I don’t know what I’m feeling!!” He snapped.

“Why don’t you let someone help you and then maybe you could figure something out!! Why can‘t you just let me help you?!?” She fired back.

Frustrated, he ran his hand through his hair. Funny how the mood could change dramtically because of three little words “You know what? Fine, I love you!!” He shouted.

She was taken aback, her mouth agap. She hadn't expected that at all, but she recovered quickly. “Don’t say it if you don’t mean it!!”

He rubbed at his temples. “Damn it Liz, I love you, okay?!? I love you, I love you, I love you!! And you know what else? I wouldn’t be able to live without you!! I can’t even fuckin get to sleep at night without you!!! You're everything that's good in my life!! You light up my life!! I probably would've died if something would've happened to you last night!! Are you happy now!?! Did I talk about it enough for you!?! Am I letting you in enough?!?” He exploded.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, running a shaky hand down his face.

Liz stood in shock. She had never seen Max this angry before. She’d never seen him so raw, his emotions just displayed for her to see.

And it was bittersweet.

She saw his immense amount of love he had for her, and it blew her away. But she also saw an almost equal amount of him fear and pain.

“Regardless if I talk about this or not or love you or not, I’m still not good enough for you, and you deserve so much better.” He said in a broken tone.

She stepped towards him, her arms outstretched in front of her. “Max....” She started.

He stepped back. “No. Just.....don’t.” With that he walked away, too afraid to look back. Afraid of what he might see. And he didn't know which scared him the most. To see her hurt and in pain or her love for him.

He heard her call for him, and then her heavy footsteps as she ran to catch up with him, but he didn’t stop. He couldn’t.

She fell in step next to him, trying to get him to talk. But he stared straight ahead, too afraid of what he might say. Too afraid of what he might see. At one point she yelled at him, but he blocked her out, he blocked everything out. He felt numb and that was just the way he wanted it.

They made it back to his jeep. Maria, Michael and Alex had already left. In silence they got in and Max drove her home.

They sat still in front of the Crashdown, both staring straight ahead. The only sound was the crickets chirping and the occasonal car that drove passed them.

All of a sudden, Liz moved closer to him and straddled his lap. Max sat still, refusing to meet her in the eye. She cupped his face in her hands.

"Max, I love you. You know I do as much as you want to deny it. But," She shook her head as she gathered her thoughts. "you need to figure out what it is that you want. Because I can't help you if you keep shutting down like this. It's either you love me or you don't. You want help or you don't. And I know you're scared, but you have to figure this out. Now, I'm always going to be here for you, but we can't keep doing this. It hurts too much."

He slowly brought his eyes to hers and her heart broke at the tears glistening in his eyes. "So....are we...over?" He asked hesitantly, speaking for the first time since they left the park.

"That's what you need to figure out." She said, rubbing her thumbs across the smooth skin of his cheek. She stared into his brown eyes, wishing not for the first time to know what he was thinking. How he saw the world through his eyes. She slowly leaned forward and pressed her lips to his. Her heart dipped a little further when he didn't returned the kiss.

She pulled back. His eyes were closed, his brow furrowed into a frown.

"I'll see you at school Max." She slid off his lap and walked into the Crashdown.

She turned back and watched as he wiped his eyes and drove off. It wasn't until she couldn't hear the engine of his jeep that she let her own tears flow free.

TBC........

Hey guys. Thanks for the wondeful feedback. Just don't hate me because of the ending. I promise I'll fix this. So enjoy

Chapter 15

Monday

Max let out a long sigh as he pulled into the parking lot of West Roswell High. He killed the engine and sat still, watching as the students filed into the doors of the school, their only worries is if they remembered to do their homework or if their secret crush has noticed them yet. Max longed to be apart of that, but he wasn't. And unfortunately, that was the way it was supposed to be.

After most of the kids had gone into the building, Max grabbed his backpack and headed around the building to the side doors. He didn't want to take a chance in running into any of his friends. Especaily Liz or Maria.

He was sure that Liz had told Maria about what happened last night and Max really wasn't in the mood for a lecture right now. And it didn't help the situation that he had all his classes with Liz except second and third hour. And those were covered by both Maria and Alex.

Max had been up all night thinking about what Liz had said to him. And he figured that it was best of they just stopped seeing each other. It would be best if he would stopped hanging around all of them. Max was supposed to be alone and the sooner he broke away the better.

He cautiously snuck around the side of the building and peeked into the door before going inside. Knowing that Maria would be waiting for him, he didn't bother to stop at his locker. So he made a beeline towards biology.

"Crap." He muttered under his breath as he spotted Liz standing outside of the biology room, chatting with Alex. He backed up before making a quick turn and smacking right into Maria, almost knocking them both to the ground.

He instictively reached out to steady her, but then jerked his hand back once she was safely on her feet.

"I need to talk to you." She said.

"I have to get to class." He mumbled, shifting his backpack on his shoulders, trying his best to avoid her gaze.

"We have ten minutes before the bell rings." She gave him the don't-argue-with-me-just-do-what-I-say look, took his hand and pulled him into the nearest empty classroom. She closed the door behind her and set her backpack and purse on a nearby desk.

"What is going on with you? And do not lie to me because you know I can tell when you lie. Where did you go last night? And why didn't you answer your phone?" She asked, placing her hands on her hips and tapping her foot impatiently.

"I was out." He said somewhat irritated.

"Then why didn't you answer your cell phone? I called like fifty times."

"I didn't want to." He said with a shrug.

"You didn't want to?!? Max I was worried sick about you!! You could've been hurt and I wouldn't have known anything about it." Her voice wavered a bit and Max almost waited to go and comfort her. But he couldn't. This was his chance to break away. His chance to build that stone wall back up. And this time it was going to stay up.

His eyes hardened as he masked his emotions and he balled up his fist, ready to put on an act. "Well you see that I'm fine now. So if you'll excuse me I have to go." He grabbed his backpack and moved to the door.

She grabbed onto his arm befor he could walk away. "Max..."

He whirled around to face her. "What?!? Damn it what do you want!?!" He yelled in frustration.

"I want you to talk to me!! I want you to stop acting like a jackass and tell me what's wrong!!" She shouted. "I want you to let me know what's going on so I'm not up the whole night worry about you."

He jerked his arm out of her grasp. "I don't need to check in with you everytime I leave my own damned house!" He towered over her, his eyes narrowing in anger. But she didn't back down like he hoped she would.

"I never said that you did!! What the hell is going on with you!?! First you break up with Liz for no reason and now your angry at me!! What is wrong with you!?!" She yelled, her arms waving around her.

It was then that Max got seriously angry. Who was she to demand to know what he was doing? She wasn't his mother. She had no control over him. He could do whatever the hell he wanted. He didn't need her to regulate whether it was right or not.

His face flushed with anger, his eyes darkening, the golden specks drowning in the dominating dark-brown. "What happened with Liz and I is none of your fuckin business!! And where I go and when I answer my phone is none of your buisness!! Just stop trying to tell me what to do!!"

Maria was surprised by the sudden change in his demeanor. She took a step back, convinced that this wasn't her best friend of ten years standing in front of her. He was a stranger, a dark, cold person. She didn't come in here to fight with him. She reached into her purse and took out a bottle of Cypress Oil and waved the bottle under her nose.

"I don't have time for this shit." He muttered. He started towards the door, but Maria jumped in front of him, throwing herself against the door.

"Wait Max. You can't leave." She said, her tone desperate.

"Why not. I have nothing else I want to say to you." He glared down at her, his eyes hard and cold, void of any emotion.

"What happened to you Max? Last night....you weren't anything like this. And now....I don't even know you. How can you just change over night?" She said, her tears gathering in her eyes.

He shrugged. He hated it when he saw her crying and he knew that if he didn't get out of here soon, his resolve was going to break.

"I haven't changed. I've always like this. I just decided to stop pretending." He turned his back to her, hoping that she didn't here the weakness in his voice.

She grabbed his arm and whirled him around, cupping his cheeks in her hands. "Max, this isn't you. I know it. You're not.....this. Whatever you're turning into is cold and mean and..... Please just let me help you. I'm worried about you. I don't want to lose my best friend." She pleaded.

Stepping away from her, he shook his head at her desperate plea. She just didn't know that what he was doing was best for everyone.

"Too bad for you. You lost him a long time ago." He said before pushing passed her and out into the crowded hallway, disappearing among the herd of students fleeing towards their classes.
**************
"Hey Max." Liz greeted as he walked into the classroom.

"Liz." He said coldly.

She frowned watching him intently as he pulled out his books. "Are you okay?" He didn't respond to her and she shook his shoulder, trying to get his attention. "Max?"

He slowly turned to her and she gasped as she looked into his hard eyes for the first time. "You know what Liz, do me a favor and shut the hell up. Okay? Can you do that for me?" He said in a venomous tone, his eyes narrowing into dangerous slits.

She frowned and jerked her hand away from his shoulder as if he had burned her. "Are you okay?"

"I'm just dandy." He responded, opening up his notebook.

"What's your problem?"

He turned to her, staring her down. "Want to know what my problem is? It's people like you who don't know what shut the hell up means." He turned away returning his gaze to his notebook.

Her jaw fell open at his harsh words. She had never seen Max act so cold to another person and it scared her to think that this is where he'd given up and closed himself off from her for good. She stared at him as he wrote in his notebook and she could definitely see that he indeed had changed over night. His posture was stiff and straight, his body tense. He wore a frown as he clenched his jaw. His fingers gripped his pen tightly, his eyes were free of emotion, cold and dark, almost as if he were some kind of robot, just made to look and pretend to be Max.

She was snapped out of her thoughts as the bell rang and the Mrs. Anderson came in and started the lesson, giving the class their instructions for the day.

Max and Liz worked on the lab mostly in silence. The tension around them was sure to be sensed by the rest of the class. Occasionally, Liz would ask him a question and she would be met with a grunt a grumble or nothing at all for an answer.

At lunch he'd retreated to the library only to be followed by all of them including Michael who practically threatened him to talk to them. Max promptly ignored them.

They all ganged up on him and was ready to forcibily drag him out of the library until the librarian threatened to call the principal. And by the time lunch was over, they'd all left, given up on trying to get him to talk, except Liz. She sat with him and followed him everywhere he went, not saying a word. And that irratated him because he'd treated her the worst and here she was, still stuck to his side. He didn't know what to do to get rid of her.

"Max!! Wait up!!" Liz called after him as she practically chased him down the hall. She ran up behind him, grabbing his arm. She pulled him down the hall, into the eraser room.

"What is wrong with you!! Why are you acting like this?!" Liz started.

"You told me to make a decision and I did." He said, trying desperately to keep the act up. He wanted so badly to tell her the truth, but he couldn't. Then she'd be the one avoiding him. And he wouldn't be able to take that.

"So you decided to blow us all off?!? Max..."

He cut her off advancing towards her. "Save it Liz!! I really don't need this shit right now!! We're through and that's the end of it!!" He moved to the door, only stopping when Liz caught his wrist. She stopped all movement when she saw him winced in pain.

She stared up at him, pleading with her eyes that he hadn't tried to do what she thought he did. He avoided her gaze and tried to pull his wrist out of her grasp. She held on firmly and slowing pulled the sleeve of his blue jean jacket up.

"Oh Max..." She gasped as she spotted the angry red scar along his wrist. She looked back up at him, her eyes shining with unshed tears. "Max, why are you doing this to yourself?" She asked quietly, her eyes moving back to his wrist.

"I didn't. I fell on a piece of glass." He said, knowing that that statement would push her buttons. And before he knew it, she pulled her hand back and slapped him.

"Don't play with me Max!!" She shouted, tightening her hold on his wrist. Her tears fell, rolling down her cheeks, before falling onto his wrist. The salty liquid stung as it mixed with the fresh blood and he brought his free hand up to his throbbing cheek.

"Oh God." She said as she realized what she had done. Her hand shook as she clamped her hand over her mouth. "Max...." She started, but Max cut her off.

"No, Liz!! Stop!! Whatever inspirational, "you have so much to live for" shit that you're about to say, just keep it to yourself!! Because it doesn't help!! It doesn't work!! What I need is for you to fuck off and leave me the hell alone!!" He bellowed as he jerked away from her, pulling his sleeve back down.

"Too damn bad because that's not going to happen until you tell me what's wrong!!" She yelled just as fiercely.

"I'm not telling you Liz!! Can't you get that through your head?! It's better for you not to know!!"

"Tell me!"

He moved to the door.

She put her hand on his chest to stop him. "Max..."

"I was raped!!!" He screamed. His eyes grew round and wide as he realized the mistake he just made.

Everything was silent as Max's words vibrated around them. Liz stared up at him in shock, her mouth moving to form words, but none came. She could feel his heart pounding underneath her hand and she was sure that he heard hers beating just as fast.

"So now you know." He said, masking his emotions yet again. He pulled away from her, bowing his head in shame.

"Max...." She stopped when he flinched, his tough act diminishing quickly.

"I have to go." And before she could say anything, he bolted out of the door.
****************
Max drove straight home after his encounter with Liz. His hands shook dangerously as he fumbled to open the door. He walked into the bland apartment, uncharacteristly throwing his things to the side. Dragging his feet across the room, he slumped down on the couch, drawing his legs to his chest.

Max couldn't believe he cracked. And the fact that it was Liz that he'd told, the one person he was desperately trying to get away from didn't make it any better.

He knew that she wouldn't leave him alone now. Max didn't know what to do anymore. He was as cold and cruel to her as he could be, but she was still refused to leave, wanting him to let her in. And the worst thing was that it was getting harder and harder for him to push her away. He didn't know if he could do it anymore and he was starting to think that it would be easier if he just told her. He'd lose her anyway, so what was at risk here? Why not give her what she wanted?

But he couldn't do that.

And he didn't know why.

Wanting to be free from everything, wanting to fel numb, he stood and moved into the kitchen, searching for the knife he'd used earlier this morning. Spotting it in the sink, he grabbed it and placed it over his scar on his wrist. His hand tightly gripped the handle of the knife, as he slowly began to move it back and forth in the air. Anticipating the jagged edge of the blade, he shut his eyes.

Just as he felt the cold metal agiant his skin, he stopped, dropping the knife, before falling to his knees.

Why did she have to love him? Why did he have to love her back? All he wanted was to be normal, but that couldn't happen. He was never going to be okay. Regardless if Liz loved him or not, it wouldn't be enough.

Nothing would take this pain away.

And now he couldn't even kill himself because of her.

Curling himself into a ball, he rocked himself as his tears began to fall.
He heard the front door opening. He wanted to get up, hide the evidence of his sucide attempt, of his breakdown. But he was too tired.

Through his blurred vision, he saw Liz standing in the doorway. He guessed she must have spotted the knife, because before he knew it she was by his side, grabbing his wrists, making sure he hadn't cut himself.

"Max...." She sighed as she pulled him into her arms. His body tensed, but soon gave in and sagged against her, letting her hold him up.

"I couldn't do it. I couldn't do it." He cried.

Liz stroked his hair and silently thanked God for stopping Max from doing the unthinkable again. After Max had left, she'd searched the whole school, even charging into the boy's bathroom, desperate to find him. And after finally accepting that he wasn't in school, she'd drove like a maniac to get to him.

Her mind still hadn't been able to grasp the fact that Max had been raped. It didn't make sense to her. How could someone intentionally hurt Max? He was the sweetest, kindest person she'd ever met and here he was hurting, wanting to die because someone had violated him. She shuddered at the thought and held him tighter, as if she could protect him from his inner demons. She knew she couldn't, but it didn't hurt to try.

Max started to shake uncontrollably as his sobs grew harsher. He didn't really know why he was crying. It could be because he'd cracked and told Liz, or because he was raped.

I was reborn when I was broken
I wouldn't believe, I wouldn't believe, no

Or maybe it was because, Liz wouldn't leave him alone, she wouldn't let him die like he wanted. She was the reason why he couldn't slit his wrist. She was keeping him alive.

been thru a storm, no use in hoping

And he hated her for it.

But what could he do? She was the one holding him up right now, keeping him from falling, hitting the the cold hard bottom.

that you would come rescue me

And he loved her for it.

Suddenly, feeling himself start to drift, he let himself fall into everything that was Liz and let her presense soothe him. Feeling her all around him, his cries ceased and he into sleep.

somehow your love set me free
**********
Monday Night

Liz jerked up from where she slept on the couch as a loud, tortured cry pierced through the darkness of the small apartment. Confused about her surroundings, she squinted her eyes trying to determine where she was. Another cry sounded and she jumped up, realizing that she was still at Max's house and those cries were coming from him.

She hurried to his room, bursting through the door. Max was sitting in the middle of the bed, curled into a ball. He rocked himself as violent tremors racked through his body. His eyes were glazed and unfocused as they stared straight ahead. Liz moved to him. She made it to the edge of the bed before his pained cry stopped her dead in her tracks.

"Max?"

"Please stop hurting me. I didn't mean it. I never wanted her to die. Please." He moaned fearfully.

Liz cautiously crawled towards him, reaching her hand out to him. "Max, I won't hurt you." His eyes grew wide as her hand touch his shoulder. He let out a desperate cry and pushed her away, almost knocking her off the bed. He back away against the head board of the bed, shaking his head vigorously as she came closer.

"Please stop hurting me. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry." He cried, his eyes haunted as he franticly looked around for an escape.

He was back at his old home. That hell hole. He was staring right into those cold anger filled eyes. He was being hurt and his body felt as if it were on fire. He drew in quick shallow breaths as he backed up against the wall as far as he could.

He was trapped.

"Max, it's me, Liz. You need to focus on me. You're still stuck in your dream." She slowly inched towards him, not wanting to frighten him even more. "I promise I won't hurt you. Everything's fine. You're alright."

He flinched and hugged his legs closer to his chest once she touched his arm. "No, it hurts!! You're hurting me!! Please...." Liz jerked her hand away at his screams.

Max wanted so badly to fight back, but he was afraid that he'd get cut again. He'd get cut everytime he struck back and he didn't think that his body could take anymore pain.

She settled herself in front of him and slowly placed her hands on his shoulders. He closed his eyes and let out a painful whimper. "I'm not going to hurt you."

"No, no, no!! It hurts!! It hurts!!" He sobbed, increasing his tremors. He pushed at her, trying to squirm himself out of her grasp, but his sobs weakened him and Liz's firm grip was to much for his tired body.

She cupped his cheeks with her hands. "It was just a dream. Look at me Max. You're at home. You're safe now. It was just a dream."

His eyes focused on her as the haziness of his dream cleared and he realized what was going on.

"Liz?" He whispered. He stared at her, mesmerized by the immese amount of love and worry shining in her eyes.

"Are you okay?"

His tears started to fall harder as he shook his head. He collasped into her arms, too exhausted and overwhemled to hold himself up anymore. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." He whispered against her chest.

She wrapped her arms around him and rocked him gently. "Shhh. It's okay. You're okay. It was just a dream."

He shook his head as a sob caught in his throat. "I-I d-don't want to h-hurt you. I-I'm s-sorry. I-I didn't m-mmean to h-hurt you." He sobbed.

"Shhhhh. It's okay now." She rubbed her hands up and down his back, trying to calm his tremors. His fingers held onto the back of her shirt in a claw-like grip. He tears seemed to fall faster and harder, gathering in the fabric of her pajama shirt as the seconds ticked by. "I'm here. I'm not going anywhere." She whispered into his ear.

"No, no. Y-You have to. I-I'll hurt you. Please." He whimpered in bewteen his sobs.

"Max, I'm staying here with you. I'll be here for you. I've told you before, I'm not leaving you. I'm not letting you hurt yourself."

"She t-told me that I'll h-hurt you. I-I'm supposed to be a-alone."

"Who told you that?" She leaned back to try and catch his eyes, but he keep his head low. Partly because he was too tired to lift it.

He didn't answered her, and he buried his face into the crook of her neck and held onto her like a lifeline.

Liz moved to his side and leaned against the wall. Max leaned against her, his head on her shoulder. She pulled up the sheets around them and again wrapped her arms around him.

After what seemed like ages to Max, Liz's soft soothing voice and her loving presense calmed him. His tears had stopped, leaving dry tear streaks on his face. His body heavily sagged against her as his eyes started to drift shut and his head started to slide off of her slinder shoulder but he quickly jerked it back when he realized he was dozing off.

"Max, just relax and close your eyes." Liz whispered to him once she noticed that he was fighting sleep.

He shook his heavy head against her as his eyes fell half shut. "No. I don't want to fall asleep. I'll have those dreams. I......" The thought of what he knew was going to happen to him made him want to bolt. Every night, he relived those painful memories and Max was reaching his breaking point.

His breathing increased and his heart pounded in his chest at the thought about what was waiting for him in his subconscious.

"Max calm down. You're going to make yourself sick." She said as he began to hypervenilate. He grabbed his chest and leaned forward, wheezing as he drew in quick, shallow breaths into his lungs. "Relax. Just breath. That's it. Calm down." She soothed.

He fell back against the wall as he struggled to get his breathing under control. "Max, lay down." She instructed. He shook his head frantically. "No?"

"I'll fall asleep. I don't want to fall asleep. Liz..." He said in a jumble as he began to panic.

"Shhhh." She pulled him into her arms, and he held on tight, his face buried in the crook of her neck. "You don't have to. We'll just sit right here." She said, knowing that by the looks of him, he'd be asleep within a few minutes anyway.

He nodded against her, already feeling the droswiness of sleep overtake him. "Thank you for being here Liz." He murmered as his fell half closed.

"I'll always be here Max." She kissed the top of his head. He mumbled something then grew still as he passed out in exhaustion. And somehow, she managed to move him so that he was laying down, his head resting in her lap.

She stayed up and watched over him for a few hours until she slowly drifted off as well.
*************

Tuesday Morning

Liz slowly became aware of her surroundings as she began to wake. She wasn't leaning against the wall like she was last night. She was neatly tucked in, nice and warm beneath the covers. She closed her eyes and pressed her face deeper into the pillow, breathing in Max's spicy, fresh scent.

Max.

Max was raped. Max was in pain.

Liz sprung up, realizing that Max wasn't in bed, let alone in the room with her. She jumped up from the bed and ran into the living room.

"Max?" She called out into the silent apartment. He wasn't there. She ran into the bathroom and saw that his toothbrush and the towel that was hanging on the rack was gone. She hurried into the bedroom and looked into the dresser. Most of his clothes were gone.

Running back into the living room, she picked up the phone and quickly dialed Maria's number.

"Hello?" A groggy voice answered.

"Maria....Max, his stuff!! His toothbrush!! His clothes...." She said in a big jumble.

"Whoa, whoa, Liz. Calm down. What happened?" She asked sounding more alert.

"Maria, Max is gone!!"

TBC...........

Maxwell "Lifetime"

I love Orli Sean was the person following Liz in the eariler parts. Fortunately he has joined Kyle in jail. Hoped that helped.


Chapter 16

Liz weaved in and out of the morning rush hour as she searched the streets for Max. She'd ditched school to look for him, but was having no luck. She'd called everyone, including her father asking if any of them had seen him. Maria, Alex and Michael were also out looking for him. They'd tried calling his cell phone, but found that he'd left it at the apartment.

"Damn it!!" She said as she pulled up to the park where she first began her search. Parking her car, she leaned forward and rested her head on the steering wheel.

Liz knew that Max was probably long gone by now. He was either half way out of the state or had hurt himself. She didn't know which one she hated more. She closed her eyes as helpless tears gathered and started to fall.

If Max was gone, she wouldn't know what to do with herself. Even if they weren't together anymore, she still loved him so much until she just wanted to burst. And it did hurt that Max couldn't love her back. But, she understood and was willing to wait. But now, she might not ever get a chance to hear him say 'I love you' or for her to say it back to him.

Last night, Liz thought for sure that Max was going to turn over a new leaf and evenutally open up to her. She thought that since he'd told her that he'd been raped, he would open up to her. She thought that everything was going to get better and that it was going to get easier.

Max's pain was so deep, she could feel it rolling off him in waves everytime she was near him. It almost knocked her off her feet the first time she felt it. Max was a tortured soul and it hurt her that someone as beautiful on the inside as well as out had to be in so much pain for something he had no control over. And it was even worse that he believed that it was his fault.

Feeling any hope she had of finding him dwindle down into nothing, she lifted her head and wiped her eyes. All she could do was wait for a miracle.

A shrill ringing vibrated through the silence of the car and Liz fumbled to answer her phone.

"Max?!?" She yelled into the phone.

"I take it you haven't found him." Maria said disappointedly.

"No. Any luck with you?" Liz replied just as sadly.

"No. But Alex asked around to see if anyone had seen him and Mr. Jenson, the man who owns the cafe on Citris, he said that he saw Max headed west out of town around six this morning." She said with a long sigh.

"West?" Her eyes widen as she thought about the one place where Max could be. "Maria I have to go. I may know where Max is." She said in a rush. Liz didn't bother to wait for her reply as she flung her phone into the seat and pulled into traffic. Pressing her foot against the gas, she sped down the streets of Roswell, silently praying that Max was there.

She made it there in record time, breaking every speed limit along the way.

Nearly passing as she spotted his jeep within a few feet, she threw the car into park and jumped out before it even stopped rolling. She ran to his jeep, halting when she saw a metal box full of flasks and bottles of whiskey sitting in the backseat. Muttering a curse, she picked up an empty bottle that lay on the ground at her feet. She turned her gaze to the top of the cliff, hoping that he hadn't gotten drunk and jumped. Grabbing the box, she tossed the bottle aside and hurried to the top. She was hit with a rush of panic as she spotted him, swaying on the edge, his arms open wide as if he was just waiting to fall.

"Max!!!!" She screamed as she dropped the box and charged forward.

He didn't hear her and he raised his foot and tilted forward, the wind pushing against him, blowing his hair back. A small smile touched his lips as he whispered a soft goodbye. He closed his eyes, awaiting the plunge. And for that one moment, he didn't feel any pain, no guilt, no regret, and no heartache. Everything was perfect, until he felt something pulling him back. In confusion, he opened eyes and found that he longer could see the rushing water below.

He sat up, looking around for whatever pulled him back. Something moved underneath him and he jumped away.

Liz sat up and threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly. "Max, thank God you're okay." She pulled back, franticly searching him for injuries. "Are you hurt? Are you okay?" Max only stared at her, his eyes large and glossy.

She hugged him again before pulling away and drawing her hand back and slapping him hard.

His head snapped to the side, the crackling sound of her hand contacting with his cheek still echoing around them. He closed his eyes as he felt the familiar stinging sensation and he brought his hand up to where she'd hit him.

"Don't you ever scare me like that again!! God...." She scolded as she pulled himinto her arms again.

She pulled back, ready to fuss at him some more. "Max what the hell is wrong with you!!! Damn it!! I can't believe you!!! This is the dumbest shit you could ever do!! What the fuck were you thinking?!? Do you know how worried we were about you!! We thought.....we thought you were....." she trailed off as she crashed him into another tight embrace. But he pushed her away and stood, stumbling towards the edge without another thought.

"Max, stop!" She yelled as she jumped in front of him, pushing him back. He stumbled as he tried to recover his balance, but failed miserably as he tripped over his footing and fell onto his back.

Liz towered him, studying his face. She took in his dilated pupils and pale skin. He was clearly drunk off his ass.

"Max?" He blinked.

He closed his eyes and shook his head, trying to clear up his double vision. He focused on her the best that he could.

"There's two of you Liz." He slurred as he tried to reach out and touch the image of her.

"Max, stop it!" She snapped as she slapped his hand away. "How many drinks have you had?"

He held up three fingers. "Nine." He said as he struggled to sit up.

"What the hell are you doing drinking so much?! I thought I threw out all of your alcohol!!" She stalked over to the box and picked it up, holding it in front of his face. "Where did this come from!?!" She fumed.

"Bob." He said, pointing down to where their cars were parked.

She let out a growl and moved to the edge. She held the box out over the edge.

"No." He whispered. "No, please don't. I need it. Please."

"Max, you don't need this." She said before she threw the box over the edge.

"Noooo!!" Max shouted as he watched the box fall in horror. He crawled to the edge, too drunk to stand, and reached out as if he could somehow catch it before it fell. He let out a painful whimper as the box crashed on the rocks below before disappearing under the flowing water.

"No." He moaned. Liz pulled him back, not trusting him to be that close to the edge. "No." He whispered, his eyes wide and haunted, as if he'd lost his best friend.

Tears gathered in his eyes and one by one, they fell, making a puddle in the desert dirt. He swayed drunkenly as he sobbed, pulling his legs up, rocking himself gently.

Liz kneeled in front of him. "Max, it was just alcohol. You don't need it." He didn't respond, seemingly lost in his own world.

"Max, I have to get you home." She grabbed his hand and pulled him to his feet. She was in the process of wrapping his arm around her shoulder when he jerked away from her and stumbled back.

"Liz, just leave me alone. I don't want to go home." He said, shaking his head, making himself sway. "I can't go home. I want to be with Isabel. It's my fault she's gone." He started towards the edge with great difficulty.

Liz grabbed his hand and pulled him away, towards the cars. He stumbled and tripped behind her.

He jerked his hand out of her grip once they reached the bottom. Unable to keep his balance, he fell to his knees, gagging as the alcohol forced it's way into his throat. He leaned forward, clutching his stomach as he vomited.

Liz winced at the sound of his retching. Moving closer to him, she reached out to comfort him.

He recoiled back as she touched him. "No. Leave me alone." He said weakly as he finished.

"Max, you're sick. I have to get you home." She said, hurt that he had pulled away from her.

"N-No. I can't go back." He said as he trembled. "I have to get out of here." He stood shakily on his feet, but stumbled as his eyes rolled to the back of his head and he fell into a heap on the ground.

"Max!!" Rushing to his side, she fell to her knees. "Max, are you okay?" She said as she pillowed his head in her lap and stroked his cheek, waiting for his eyes to flutter open.

She shook his shoulder, trying to gain his attention. "Max?" She struggled to helped him sit up and he sagged against her, his head lolling to the side. "Max, wake up." She said as she patted his cheek.

He groaned as he slowly cracked his eyes open. His head pounding as the sun's light hit his eyes and increased his throbbing headache. Moaning in pain, he placed his hand to his forehead.

"I need you to help me get you to the car. Okay?" She asked, not sure that he was fully conscious. She wrapped his arm around her shoulder and took on as much of his weight as she possiblily could as they got to their feet. Half dragging him towards the car, she helped him in. Leaning over, she pulled the lever next to the seat so that he could lay back.

"Please get me out of here. Liz, please take this pain away." He begged weakly. "Please..."

Liz's heart tore into pieces and she paused as she heard his desperate plea. What was she supposed to do now? She knew she should take him home so that he could get sobered up. But then what? Max would be at home safely again, but there was a great chance that he'd be even worse off than he was now. Maybe he did need to get away for awhile, just to breath and get himself together.

Uncertain what was best for Max, she sat next to him and reached to stroke his hair back from his forehead. "What should I do Max?" She whispered to him.

She stared at his fatigued features, taking in his pale skin and thinning frame. The dark circles and bags under his eyes had grown, his facial features jagged, due to his loss of weight. The boy she had met a few months ago was deteriorating right in front of her eyes and he was going to disappear completely if she didn't do something soon.

Making a quick decision, she leaned forward kissing him softly on his forehead. "Don't worry, I'll get you out of here." She whispered in his ear. Liz gathered his bags from his jeep and put them in the back seat of her car. They would have to come back for his jeep whenever they came back. She jogged around to the driver's side of the car and started the ignition. Pulling off, she glanced at Max as he slept next to her.

As she came to the road, she turned and headed West, away from Roswell.

Reaching for her purse which lay in between the seats, she pulled out her cell phone and dialed her home number.

"Hello?" Her father answered after a couple of rings.

"Dad, I found Max."

"Thank God. Is he okay?"

"Um...." She glanced at Max before answering. "Not really. He's drunk and....dad, I'm about to ask you the biggest favor." She said, not sure how her father would react to her and Max practically running away, especially during the school week. She was going to keep going regardless if her father agreed to this or not, but she'd feel so much better if he gave her his blessings.

"What is it Lizzie?" He asked sounding a little worried.

She took a deep breath and threw another glance at Max before continuing. "Max....uh....he asked me....Max and I are....we're not coming home tonight." She said, not knowing any other way to put it.

"What?!?"

She held the phone away from her ear at his loud cry. "Max wants to get out of town for a few days and I think that it'd be good for him to get away from Roswell for a couple of days." She was met with silence and she nervously bit her lip in anticipation.

Since he didn't respond, she continued in a low voice, as not to disturb Max. "Dad, I know you're thinking that it's a school week and that I'm crazy, but.... Max tried to kill himself again today and I don't think that he should go back to everything right now. Now, I don't know how long were going to be gone, but I just need your blessing. I'm going to go regardless, we're on the road right now, I just would feel a lot better if I knew you were okay with it." She explained. "I'm afraid that if he goes back now, then he'll just shut down and we'll be even worse off than when we started."

She was again met with silence followed moments later by a long sigh.

"Liz, promise me that whatever the amount of days you guys miss at school, you both will make up the work." Just like she had said, Liz was going to go whether he agreed or not. So Mr. Parker decided to just have faith in his daughter's judgement and hope that she was right about Max.

Liz grinned. "We will dad."

"Do you have money, clothes? You need anything." He said, immediately going into protective father mode.

"I have money. I have that credit card you gave my in case of emergencies. And I was just going to uh.... wear some of Max's clothes." She was again met with silence. "Dad? Are you mad?"

"No.." He sighed. "I'm glad you called and told me. Liz....please be careful. I know you're trying to do what's best for Max. Just be careful."

"I will dad." She sighed in relief that he was okay with this.

"Call me when you guys settle down...somewhere." He said uneasiliy. Even though he was being understanding about this, he still had his doubts about his seventeen year old daughter going on a road trip with her seventeem year old boyfriend. But because of the cercomstances, he seriously doubted that there would be anything inappropriate going on.

"I will. Call me on my cell if you need me. Bye dad." She hung up after he said his goodbyes. She then called Maria and had a similar conversation with her, only Maria had demanded to speak with Max. Liz refused, saying that he was really out of it and needed his rest. Finally, Maria gave in, giving her consent and said that she was going to tell Michael and Alex so that she wouldn't have to call them.

Liz hung up and resumed concentrating on driving to God knows where.
**************

Liz pulled into the first gas station she'd seen in hours and killed the engine. Max stirred in the absence of the movement.

"Shit." He muttered as he pressed his hand to his head. "What happened?" He asked, in too much pain to open his eyes.

"You left. Got drunk and tried to kill yourself. Anything ring a bell?" She spat out. She was still angry at him for pulling that stunt of his and worrying them half to death.

Max flinched at her bitter tone. Unfortunately for him, he remembered everything that had happened. It wasn't clear, but he remembered. He cracked one eye open to look at her. She was staring right at him and he could only image how furious she was with him right now.

"Where are we?" He asked after a few minutes of silence.

She shrugged her shoulders. "I'm not sure. Anywhere special you want to go?"

"What?"

Liz sighed and turned towards him. "You asked me to get you out of here, so that's what I'm doing. I'm getting you out of here."

"Oh." Was all he could think to say.

Max had been nothing but a jerk and a pain in the ass to Liz and here she was again, staying by his side and looking out for him. Maybe she wasn't lying when she said that she would always be here for him and that there was nothing he could do to get rid of her. Because after everything he'd done, she was still here, very pissed at him, but here nonetheless.

"Do you need anything?" She asked, nodding her head towards the gas station. He shook his head, but quickly stopped as the world around him began to spin. "I'll see if they have any asprin." She said. She began to move out of the car when Max suddenly reached out and grabbed her hand, halting her movements. She stared at him in confusion.

"Thank you, Liz. For everything." He said softly.

Smiling gently, she covered his hand with hers. "Your welcome Max." She grabbed her purse. "I'll be right back."

She returned a couple of minutes later. After filling the gas tank, she climbed back into the car and handed Max a bottle of water and some asprin. He smiled his thanks and they were off.

Liz drove on, having no idea where she was headed. They'd been driving for over an hour and had come across nothing but desert since they left the gas station.

"Why didn't you tell anyone that you were raped?" She finally asked. It had been bugging her all day and she didn't know how to bring it up. Deciding that it was best to be forward with him she'd blurted out what she wanted to know and Max instantly paled at her words.

He kept silent, staring out the window.

"Why won't you talk to me? Keeping this to yourself is not helping Max." She said when he didn't answer.

He looked down at his hands in his lap and spoke in a quiet voice. "I was afraid that you'd be disgusted with me." He jerked forward as Liz slammed her foot on the brakes, causing the car to slide on the dusty road until in came to a complete stop.

She turned towards him. "Max, how could you think for one minute that I would be disgusted with you? You were violated, raped. Yeah it's sickening. Whoever this person that raped you is sickening, but don't you think for one second that you are disgusting. Were you disgusted with me when you saw what Sean was doing to me?"

Her words stung as he remembered that night. He felt nausous and he wasn't sure if it was because of the alcohol of the thought of that night.

"Never." He said quietly.

"Then why on earth would you think that I'd be disgusted by you?" He shrugged. "Max, I love you and there's nothing you can do to change that. And I know you're thinking that's it's you're fault, but it's not."

He shook his head in disagreement. "But you don't know the whole story." He whispered. If she did, he was sure that she'd see that it was in fact his fault. It had to be. Why else would he be so miserable.

She reached over and cupped his chin in her hand, bringing his eyes to hers. "Then tell me everything." She said as her eyes bore into his.

He turned away from her, returning his gaze to the desert outside. He couldn't see the love in her eyes, because she wasn't supposed to to love him. He wasn't suposed to love her. He was supposed to be alone in this. That was the rule and she was trying to break it.

He heard her sigh and put the car back into park. They drove on.

An hour later, they still hadn't come across anything but desert. Liz glanced over at Max, who was holding his stomach as he grimaced in pain.

"Liz, pull over." He voiced weakly, his knuckles turning white as he gripped the door handle.

Liz understood immediately and jerked the car to the shoulder of the road. Max undid his seatbelt and stumbled out of the car, staggering a few feet before falling to his hands and knees. He gagged as he threw up the alcohol and the asprin he'd consumed.

Liz climbed out of the car and walked to his side, kneeling next to him, offering as much comfort as he would allow. Her heart wrenched as she listened to his violent gags mixed with his desperate cries. She hated to see him like this, but there was nothing she could do if he didn't want her to help him. She wanted nothing more than to just take on all of his pain for him, but that wasn't possible and the only thing that she could do was to be here. And that was what she was going to do and she was going to do it to the best of her ability.

Max finished, feeling empty and light-headed. Sitting back on his heels, he tried to avoid collapsing in exhaustion. He felt horrible. His insides felt as if they were going to explode and his head throbbed as the sun's bright rays shone in his eyes.

As the exhaustion and pain took over him, he backed up, leaned against the car, curled into himself and closed his eyes. It wasn't like he hadn't gone through this before. He was use to getting sick after drinking too much. But, the problem was that Liz was here to witness it and she still was by his side, rubbing his back soothingly even after everything. For most people that wouldn't be a problem, but Max wasn't most people and Liz's persistence at staying by his side was only going to make it more painful in the end.

“Feeling better?” She asked, her eyes full of concern as she watched the violent tremors rack is body.

He nodded.

“Come on. We need to find somewhere to stay.” He didn’t respond and he kept his eyes closed, his head leaned back against the car, his legs pulled up to his chest. “Max?” She shook his shoulder.

He cracked his eyes open, too drained to do anything else. “I’m okay.” He mumbled.

Liz looked at him doubtfully, knowing well enough not to believe him when he said that he was okay.

She pushed herself up and walked to the car. She opened the back door and opened his backpack. Pulling out a blanket, she closed the bag and the door before opening the front door and reaching down to pull the lever to let the seat lay all the way back. She moved back to Max, wrapping his arm around her shoulders, she helped him to stand. Max leaned heavily against her as she helped him back into the car. He collapsed onto the seat, curling into a tight ball on his side as she covered him with the blanket. Closing the door, she moved to the other side of the car and climbed in. She glanced at Max once more before pulling off into the road.

Liz yawned as she finally found a descent, cheap motel where they could stay for the night. It was almost nine and she had been driving for hours. She didn't know where they were, all she knew was that they somewhere in Alberqurque.

She glanced over at Max, who had his back turned to her. He hadn't moved or said a word since they had gotten back on the road. But, she could hear his soft, fearful whimpers as he slept. It broke her heart that he had to go through whatever he was going through alone. But what was she to do, if he didn't tell her what was wrong?

Pulling to a stop in the parking lot, she killed the engine and headed into the front office. Not knowing how long they'd be staying, she payed for only one night, figuring that she could just pay for any more if neccesary. She returned to the car and debated on rather to wake Max or take in his stuff first.

Finally deciding on it, she opened the back door and grabbed his bags. She walked around the building to the side and opened room number 1E. She walked in a flicked on the light. It wasn't the best room, but it would due. There was a table and two chairs off to her right and a small dresser with a t.v. on top to her left.

She sat the bags next to the dresser and left to wake Max. She opened his door to find him in the mist of a nightmare. His face contorted in pain and fear as he gripped the sides of the blanket that was covering him.

"Max, wake up." She said as she shook his shoulder.

Max shot up like a bullet, panting heavily as he checked his surroundings. "Liz?!?" He shouted, not sure if it was her or not. He couldn't tell if he was awake or still in his dream. "Liz?!?"

She placed a comforting hand on his arm. "I'm here Max. I'm right here." He pulled her onto the seat and crushed her into an embrace.

"Liz, oh God. Are you okay? Are you hurt? Did I hurt you?" He asked in a jumble as he checked her for injuries.

"Max, I'm okay. It was just a dream." She said soothingly.

His hands stopped their search and he pulled back. "A dream?" He said as he looked around in confusion.

"What happened?" She asked, using the balnket to wipe the sweat from his face.

He opened his mouth to explain, but snapped it shut when he realized what he was about to do. He couldn't let her in. She'd leave him if she knew the truth.

Liz nodded to herself, understanding that he was close to telling her what was wrong. She stood, holding out her hand. "Come on. Let's get you inside."

Hesistating, he grabbed her hand and let her help him up. "Where are we?" He asked as she pulled him to their room.

"Somewhere in Alberqurque." He suddenly stopped walking, tightening his grip on her hand.

"A-Alberqurque?" He whispered, his eyes growing large and round.

Liz frowned at the fear and torment in his eyes. "Are you okay?"

He quickly masked his emotions, shutting himself down. "I'm fine." His grip on her didn't loosen, in fact it tighten even more. "Can we just go in?" He asked in a shaky voice.

She nodded, and lead him towards the room. Just then it hit her. Alberqurque, his sister. He used to live here with his father. No wonder Max was so tense. How could she be so stupid to bring him here? She turned to him before walking into the room.

"Do you want to go somewhere else?"

"Uh... N-No. I'm f-fine." He stuttered as he bowed his head.

Liz cupped his chin in her hand and brought his eyes to hers. "Are you sure? We could go somewhere else. I know how hard this is on you."

He shook his head. "This is fine." He said in a stronger voice.

Even though she wasn't convinced, she lead him into the room. Maybe she could learn something about Max's past while she was here.

Max closed the door behind them, but still held a tight grip on her hand.

"Sorry about the bed. They didn't have any doubles left." She said, pointing to the queen sized bed on the far end of the room. He nodded as he looked around, staying close to her side. She didn't know how well he'd like the idea of them sharing a bed considering their current relationship. But from the way he was acting, it seemed that he didn't mind too much.

"Are you hungry? I think I saw a couple of fast food places up the road." Liz said as they sat on the bed.

He knew there were restaurants all over this area. He used to live around here, not even five minutes away.

"I'm not really hungry." He mumbled, finally letting go of her hand.

"Max, you have to eat something. You haven't eaten all day." He was silent, knowing she was right. "Now, what do you want?"

He shrugged, not really up for an arguement. "It doesn't matter."

"You want me to go and you stay here?" She asked as she stood.

"No!!" He shouted, reaching out and grabbing her wrist. "I-I mean..." He jerked his hand away in embarrasssment. He didn't know what he meant. He didn't want to go out there and be reminded of those bad memories he had here, but then again, he didn't want to stay here alone. And as much as he hated to admit it, he needed Liz right now.

"C-Can we just order a pizza?" He asked softly.

She nodded and moved to the nightstand and pulled out the phone book from the drawer and looked for a pizza place that would deliver.
************
Late Monday Night

Max lay awake, staring at the flashing screen of the television, but not really paying attention. He'd been up most of the might, too afraid to sleep and to exhausted to get up.

His mind was elsewhere, recalling all of the times he'd walked these streets just to get away from everything when he was younger. He remembered everything about this town. Mr. Lowens bakery just a few blocks away, he'd always go there and just sit outside of the store and smell the fresh baked goods coming right out of the oven. It was then that he would picture a small family, all sitting around a dining room table, having converstions, making jokes, being carefree and loving each other. He remembered the small park around the street from the ice cream shop. He always sit alone on the bench and watch the other kids play. Watching them interacting with each other, having the time of their lives. He'd always wished that one of them would come and talk to him, but they never did. He always hoped that one of the parents would come and get him and take him away from his pain. But they never did. He was invisible to them. He didn't matter.

Liz shifted in her sleep beside him and he looked down at her, his heart jerking at he stared at her beautiful features. He longed to reach out and touch her, but he couldn't. He was supposed to be staying away from her. But as it seems, he wasn't doing a very good job of that.

He turned away from her, leaning his head back aginst the head board.

Silently, he wondered if his old house was still standing. If someone had moved in and started a new life there. He wondered if they were as miserable as he was. Of if they were as happy as he wished he was. He hoped for the latter, becuase he wouldn't wish this pain on anyone.

Curiosity got the best of him and he got up and moved to the window. Pushing back the curtains, he looked down the dimly lit road and strained his eyes to see if he could see his old street. Not being able to see anything, he backed away from the window and sat on the edge of the bed. He pulled on his shoes and his jacket and then searched for Liz's keys.

Max knew full well that he was setting himself up for some unneccesary pain, but he couldn't help it. He needed to know. Finally finidng the keys, he turned off the t.v. and walked to the door, throwing a glance at the sleeping Liz. He quietly left the room, creeping around the building to the car. He unlocked the door and climbed in. Placing his hands on the steering wheel, he took a deep breath, preparing himself for whatever he was about to see.

After a few minutes he started the igntion and backed out of the parking space, but he suddenly stopped in panic and pulled the car back in. He couldn't do this on his own. But he needed to see the street where everything went wrong. He needed to see if anything good could ever come out of that house. He cut the car off and climbed out, making his way back to the room.

He opened the door and quickly moved to Liz's side.

"Liz. Liz, wake up." He said as he gently shook her arm.

Her eyes fluttered open and she turned towards him, in confusion. "What is it Max?" She asked with a yawn. She sprung up when she noticed his state of dress and the look of panic in his eyes, "What's wrong? What happened?"

He shook his head before he said, "I need to show you something."

TBC............

Wow!! Thanks for all of the feedback. You guys are great. Hope you enjoyed the new part. See you guys next week.

Tiffany

Chapter 17

Monday Night

Max stood on the porch of the abandoned house with Liz close by his side. It still looked the same, except for the uncut grass, the weeds growing from underneath the porch and the boards on the windows and doors. In the darkness, he couldn't see much detail, but it was enought to bring everything back to him. He could still hear her drucken rants. The sounds of her calloused hands hitting against his bruised skin made him shudder. He could still hear the doors slamming, making them fall off their hinges, glass shattering, all of the yelling and screaming and tortured cries.

Feeling his knees buckle underneath him, he felt himself falling to the ground. But Liz grabbed him around his waist, holding him up with all of her strength. She helped him back to the car before climbing in herself and driving back to the motel.

Max sat as still as a statue, his eyes wide and unfocused. He was gone. Lost in his memories. In his mind, he still stared out into the street.

It was hot out and the sun was shining brightly, the gentle breeze gave little relief from the hot air. He heard the loud bang of the door slamming shut behind him and Isabel's heavy foot steps as she stormed away from him. Whirling around, she shot him a death glare, before stalking away, into the street.

Max let out a soft whimper and Liz turned to him with a worried gaze. "Max?" Liz called as she looked at his blank features.

Liz hadn't known that that was where he was taking her. He'd just told her to get dressed and hadn't said a word after that. It was when he pulled up in the driveway of this house and sat still, staring at it with haunted eyes that she'd realized where she was. She'd tried to get him to turn back, but he refused, got out of the car and walked to the porch.

Looking down the street, he saw the car speeding towards her. Max stood still, eyes wide with horror as he watched the scene before him. He heard the squealing of the tires against the asphalt.

Max didn't register Liz helping him into their room. Taking off his jacket, she laid it at the foot of the bed and proceded to take off his shirt. She grabbed the bottom and pulled it over his head. His arm fell limply at his side. She took off his shoes and socks and wrapped his arm around her shoulder to help him stand. Unzipping his pants, she pushed them down to his thighs before letting him sink back down on bed. She freed his legs from his pants, leaving him in only his boxers. Pushing gently against his shoulders, she layed him down and covered him with the sheets.

After dressing into one of Max's large shirts, she climbed in next to him. She propped herself up on her elbow, stroking his cheek with her other hand as she stared into his glassy eyes as if she was trying to see what he was seeing.

Standing still, he watched as she paused, her eyes widening as she spotted the car advancing towards her. He heard the thud of the car hitting her body, throwing her clear across the street.

"Max, you have to snap out of this. Please snap out of it." Liz laid her head on his chest. "I wish I can take you're pain away."

He watched as her body tumbled through the air like a rag doll becoming coming in contact with a lamp post. The sun suddenly became too bright. The air becoming too hot. And he stood there, watching. He didn't move.

"Snap out of it Max. Let me help you. Talk to me." Liz whispered brokenly as her tears fell onto his chest.

He saw blood. Her blood. Lots of blood, spreading across the street. It was his fault. The street was crowded with police, paramedics and curious spectators.

Liz felt something wet dripping on the top of her head. Looking up, she gasped when she spotted Max's eyes glistening with tears.

He felt someone grab him, shaking him violently, smacking him until his blurred vision came into focus. And he saw her.

"No." Max whispered, as he shook his head slowly from side to side in denial.

Isabel was dead. He could've helped her, but he did nothing but watched. Frozen in place as her life was ripped from her. He watched them carry her away. And he turned to be meet with cold angry eyes.

"No." He said a little louder. "She's not dead. She's not dead." He cried. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

Liz cupped his cheeks, turning his tortured gaze to her. "Max. Talk to me. Tell me what's wrong. Please."

He blinked. His eyes finally focused on her before they clouded over. The golden specks faded as their brightness dimmed, turning cold and lifeless.

"No. Max, don't shut down on me! Tell me what's wrong!" She said, willing him to let go and just get everything out in the open.

He focused on her. "I-I can't." He whispered brokenly.

She didn't loosen her grip, staring intently into his eyes. "Listen to me. Isabel is gone." Max gripped at the matress, needing something to hold on to. "She's gone, Max. And it's not your fault that she is. But you are still here. You have to get help and move on or else you're just going to waste away. And you're going to live with this pain for the rest of your life."

He squeezed his eyes shut, not wanting to see the love shining in her eyes. She wouldn't love him if she knew what happened to him. "But I-I deserve it." He said through gritted teeth.

"No, you don't. I know you don't. You deserve so much better than this." Max remained quiet, his tears somehow escaping from under his closed eyes.

He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out.

"You can tell me. Please let me help you." She begged. “What are you afraid of?”

Max slowly opened his eyes and was taken aback by the sincerity in her eyes. He found himself enchanted, unable to look away. Could he really tell her and expect her to be here when he was finished? Would she stay, comforting him, holding him as he relived everything? By the the look in her eyes, he found it hard to say no. And he couldn't help pushing the fear of rejection aside and letting her in, if even for a little while.

“I...I’m just scared that if you knew about me...than,” He took a deep breath. “you’ll be disgusted and wouldn’t be around me. It’ll just be another reminder of how I screwed up my life.” He explained tearfully.

“Max, I already told you that I love you and that there was nothing to could do to change that. And I meant it." She said as she brushed his hair back from his face. "I just want you to be happy, and you’ll never have that if you’re having panic attacks all the time.”

He laid in silence, letting her words, soak in. What did he have to lose? This could only help him, right? But he couldn’t look at her. It was hard enough to tell her, but to see the revulsion in her eyes would be too much.

So he took a deep breath, turned his back to her and began.

"Like you already know, I lived here with my dad. Like I told you.... my mom died giving birth to me. And my dad.....I don’t think he ever recovered from her death. It always seemed like his mind was somewhere else. He never outwardly blamed me for her death, but I could always tell he did. It was like I was never.......never good enough for him. But I never thought much of it because he was the only one I had.” His voice broke and he felt Liz spoon against his back, wrapping her arms around him and he found the strength to go on.

“He used to go out a lot, leaving me by myself. Every night he’d bring home a different woman. Most of them were nice to me. They would pinch my cheek, say I was adorable, until my dad dumped them for another woman.” He took a deep breath, curling himself into a ball, wrapping his arms around his legs.

“I had just turned five when I met Isabel and.......her mom, Lauren Harding. They were moving in next door and my dad was instantly infatuated. Isabel and I became instant friends. She was my big sister and I was her little brother. She brought me out of my shell.” He smiled a bit in Isabel’s memory. “She used to say, ’Max, how are you ever going to meet your soulmate if you’re hiding behind the tree your entire life?'” He chuckled softly. “We were ecstatic when our parents started going out and then they moved in with us a few months later.”

“Even though I loved it when Isabel moved in, her...... mother was a different story. She never liked me. I never knew why. And when.....when
Isabel...... died, I guess that set her off. That same night was the first time she'd ever beaten me." He drew in a shaky breath. "At first....it-it was just little slaps.... but by the end of the night, it turned into punches."

"Oh Max." Liz gasped as she tightened her arms around him.

"A-And my dad, was in the other r-room watching t.v. He didn't....didn't even come and help me. I....I knew he c-could hear me. H-Hear her. But he never came." He sobbed. "No one ever came for me."

“S-She w-would tell me t-that I took her only child away from her. S-She told me it was my fault that....that my.....mom was dead. My d-dad never said anything. H-He let her say those things to me. H-He was just there.”

“At first I denied it. I said it wasn’t my fault, and she went crazy every time I denied it. Sometimes she would get um..... violent, other times, we would just argue until the other stormed away. This went on until I turned seven and my d-dad disappeared and we moved to Roswell shortly after that. Lauren....she said he didn’t want me anymore, so h-he left. And I believed her. S-She told me that I was worth shit and that I would always be alone. I believed her. S-She told me that....no one loved me and that she would kill me if it wasn‘t for the check she got every month for having me. And I believed her.” He sobbed.

“She almost did kill me.” He finally turned around to his other side and buried his face in her chest, gripping the front of her shirt tightly. “God, I wish she had.” His voice muffled against her.

Liz tried to swallow the lump in her throat. “You don‘t believe that.” She said, as she tried to fight off the tears that threatened to overtake her. It wouldn’t do Max any good if he saw her breaking down as well. It just broke her to hear how horrible Max’s life was. And it certainly didn’t help that he was convinced into thinking that is was all his fault.

“But I do.” He said dejectedly. “One night, last year, she came home drunk. She....she kept muttering that her life was screwed up....and that....that it was my fault. Then she......she came.....came into my room....while I was asleep..... and she tied me down.....and......” He voice cracked dangerously and he pressed his face deeper into her chest, as if it would somehow ease his suffering.

Liz rubbed his back as he sobbed, her own tears threatening to fall. But she kept them in, wanting to be strong for him.

After his cries subsided, he started again, his voice raw and full with tears. “She.....I-I got what I deserved that night.” He shook his head as that night played clearly in his mind. “But.....that wasn’t the first time she rap....did it. This was just the worst. I had bruises all over my body. S-She bruised my face, and she was the one who gave me that scar on my back. I wouldn’t stay s-still, so.....she took... a knife and....."

"Oh my God." Liz gasped.

"I don’t remember what happened next, I....I must have passed out. I woke up in the hospital and..... she was gone. She packed her bags and left.” He stopped and choked back a sob, determined to get this out. “The doctors said that I....I would have bled to death, if it wasn’t for a n-neighbor who came over and f-found me. I.....I was in the hospital for t-three weeks because s-she bruised one of my ribs. B-By the time I got out, the bruises on my f-face had gone down. No one was able to tell that....that anything had h-happened."

"The police set out a search for Lauren and about three months ago, they found her dead in a motel just outside of Las Crues. She overdosed on pills. They said that she was coming back for me. She wanted to kill me."

"Hope she rots in hell." She muttered, as she protectively pulled him closer to her chest.

His sobs became harsher and he shook with the force of them. "I've never t-told anyone. I'm s-sorry for putting you t-through all of this. I'm s-sorry. I'm s-so sorry.”

Afraid that this would be the last time he would ever get to be near her, Max's grip increased as he clung to her as if his life depended on it. And it did.

Her fingers traced along the path of his scar on his back and her blood boiled as she thought of how someone could hate him so openly for no reason. It wasn't even possible for her to stay mad at Max for more than an hour. How is it possible for someone to put him in so much pain for ten years?

"I'm so sorry that you had to go through that alone Max."

Pulling away in shock, he stared at her in confusion. She was supposed to scream at him for being such a screw up. She was supposed to dismiss him as trash, say he deserved everything he got. She was supposed to be disgusted with him and walk out of the room, never to return. But she didn’t do any of those things. Instead, her eyes shone with compassion, amazement, and......love.

“You are amazing.” She whispered as she wiped his tears away. She pulled him back into her arms, raining kisses on the top of his head.

“I don’t understand.” He cried against her.

“You are the most beautiful person I have ever met. You’ve been through so much. Your mother and sister‘s death, your father leaving and that bitch brainwashing you and violating you. But, even after all of that, you’re still the sweetest, kindest, most loving person I have ever met. Any other person would be bitter and angry, but not you Max.” She pulled back to look at him. Tears leaked from his closed eyelids.

"I know how you feel. I lost my mother too." She explained softly. "I know how it feels to lose someone that close to you even though you don't remember her. You feel empty?" He mutely nodded, his thoughts drifting back to how empty he felt when he would see other kids with their mothers. "You feel like part of you is missing?" He nodded again, not daring to look her in her eyes. "I know exactly how you feel and believe me, it helps to talk to someone. Don't be afraid to ask for help."

“Look at me Max.” She cupped his cheeks in both her hands, forcing him to look her in her eyes. Pain, doubt and guilt shone brightly in his eyes. “Listen to me. None of what happened was your fault. It is NOT your fault that your mother passed. You are NOT the reason your sister was killed. You have so much love to give, and that bitch and that jackass of a father missed out on that. It’s their loss Max, because you are a wonderful person. You have Alex, Michael, Maria, me, my father, Alex and Michael’s parents, and Maria’s mom. We’re here all here supporting you Max. We want to see you happy, because you deserve it. And it hurts us to see you in this pain. Do you understand?”

He nodded meekly. He hadn’t realized he had so many people behind him. He was so blinded by his own pain and suffering that he never really looked around and noticed how the people around him felt. And because of his own selfishness, he managed to hurt those he truely cared about, whether he knew it or not.

"I'm sorry Liz. I never meant to hurt you. I'm sorry....." He trailed off as his sobs overwhelmed him.

"Shhhhh. It's okay. You'll be okay." She soothed, rubbing his arms, trying to calm his violent tremors

An hour had passed and Max cries had quieted down to quiet whimpers. His grip on her shirt hadn't lessened in the least, neither did the need to be close to her. But she didn't mind at all. She stared at him, just watching him breathe. His eyes were closed, his face streaked with tear stains and she was sure that hers matched his. She saw the occasional tear that escaped from his closed eyes and rolled down his cheek. Every time one fell, Liz was there to catch it. Knowing he was thinking that everything was his fault, she wondered how to undo false information that’s been literally beaten into someone for so many years? How do you tell someone that everything that they believed in since they were young that it was wrong?

Feeling Max sag against her, she pulled the sheets up to cover them both. He pried open his heavy eyes and looked up at her with a helpless gaze. His big amber eyes begging her not to let him fall asleep. He may have told Liz everything, but that didn’t mean the nightmares were going to go away. He just knew Lauren would be there in his dreams, just waiting to torture him. He didn’t want to deal with that right now.

"Max, just relax. I'll be right here. I won't let anyone hurt you." She said as she stroked his hair. "I'll be right here when you wake up. Everything's okay." She rubbed his back as she hummed a soft tune, hoping to calm him into a peaceful sleep.

Max let out a sigh as he let his eyes drift shut and he hovered in between the space of consciousness and sleep. Even though Max had told Liz, a part of him still had doubts. What if he lost her like he did Isabel? What if he hurt her to the point where she never wanted to see him again? What if she just stopped caring all together? What if this was all an act, played to make him suffer for the wrongs he'd done in his life?

But, as Liz's soft voice floated around him, her warmth and love comforting him, making everything fade away, he didn't believe that last part for too long. The sincerity and love that shone brightly in her eyes, couldn't be faked. He'd seen it faked before and it wasn't as nearly as breathtaking as the real thing. It was still surreal to him that she'd accepted him even after learning about what he had done. He felt as if that huge weight hanging over his head was now lighter than before. Liz, helping him carry it around, as heavy as it was. And she still stayed by his side.

With that in mind and Liz comforting him, knowing that he was safe with her and that she was going to be here when he woke up, Max let himself fall into a deep sleep. His tight grip on her shirt loosened as he drew in deep even breaths.

Liz pulled away a bit, making sure that he was really sleep. Seeing that he was, she protectively tightened her hold on him, pulling him as close as she could without smothering him against her chest.

Finally giving in, she let her tears flow free, silently crying. She cried for his mother, who never got the chance to know what a wonderful son she had, and Isabel who never got to see her little brother come from behind the tree. She cried for herself and the rest of Max's friends for having to see him in such a state.

But mostly she cried for Max.

Her Max, whose innocence and childhood was taken away from him, because of something that he had no control over. He'd lost the people closest to him, leaving a huge hole in his heart, only to be filled with pain. She cried because he was afraid to love and be loved in return when that was really what he deserved in the first place.

Her tears fell onto the top of his head, causing him to stir. He frowned as his hand moved, searching for something under the sheets. After a awhile, he started to get restless, letting out a small cry when he didn't find what he was looking for.

"Max?" She whispered, placing her hand gently to his cheek. His hand glided over hers, before removing it from his face and intertwining his fingers with hers.

A small smile touched her lips as he placed their clasped hands in between them and he settled back down into sleep.

"I love you Max." She murmered as she closed her eyes and drifted off, next to her love.
***********

Thursday

A low moan interrupted the silence of the small motel room.

Liz slowly began to wake, feeling something clawing into her side. Squinting her eyes against the sun shining in through the window, she turned her head to see Max struggling in his sleep, his face buried in her chest.

His legs kicked under the sheets as his grip around her tightened, his fingers digging into the side of her waist. Extracting his hand from her waist, she pulled away from him, only to have him reaching out for her, catching her hand in a death grip.

"No, Liz. I'm sorry. Don't go. I didn't mean to hurt you." He moaned as he began to thrash on the bed.

"Max, wake up!!" She yelled as she shook his shoulder.

"Noooo!!! Please don't go!!" He shouted, his arms now flailing around him, fighting some invisible demon.

Even in his sleep he looked exhausted and her heart broke again, knowing that for ten years, Max had to go through this alone. He had no one to share his pain, no one to carry the burden with him. And now at seventeen, he was scared to let someone help him, he was scared to love, thinking that it'll only hurt him. Thinking that if he isolated himself and that it'll go away, when it only got worse.

He never knew happiness. He never got to have his first kiss with the girl of his dreams. He never got to just be and enjoy being young. Instead, he was forced to take the blame for an act that he had no control over only because he was dealt a bad hand. He had to experience things that no human being should have to go through and somehow came out the sweetest person she had ever met.

And in that sense, Lauren didn't win. She tried to make him bitter, to make him hate the world and everyone in it, like she did. She'd succeeded in scaring him into his shell. But that could be broken through and Liz was proof of that. And she was going to keep going until Max saw how wonderful he truely was and he wasn't afraid to love and be loved in return.

"Max!!" She climbed on top of him and held his arms down, while trying to keep him from kicking and hurting himself.

"No, get off. Please, it hurts." He whimpered.

Strecthing her body over his, she took his face in her hands. "Max, I won't hurt you. Open your eyes." She whispered as stroked back his hair. "Open your eyes Max."

His eyes snapped open, a sharp gasp leaving his lips. He brought his gaze to hers, his eyes a mixture of pain and torment.

"Liz..." He whimpered before he broke down into harsh sobs.

She rolled off of him, laying on her side, pulling him close. "I'm here Max. Shhhh, I'm right here." She said as he sobbed into her shoulder. She stroked his hair as he tried desperately to get himself under control.

This had been their routine for the last two days. Max would wake up screaming and Liz would be there to comfort him. Max hadn't said much since Monday. He'd only speak if it was necessary and when he did speak it was only in few words. He refused to talk to anyone back home when they called and he barely slept. He stared up and the ceiling as if he were in a trance. He was closing himself off from her. It was like he wasn't even there, off in his own world. And that scared Liz, because she knew his world consisted of self-loathing and dispair. Max was digging himself deeper into a hole and Liz didn't know how the help him out.

Suddenly he pulled away from her, scrambling out of the bed. He hurried into bathroom, dropping onto his knees in front of the toliet. The acidic vomit burned his throat as he coughed up anything that was in his empty stomach.

He hadn't eaten since Tuesday afternoon. And it wasn't like he refused to eat, it was that every time that he did, he'd throw it right back up. It was like his body wouldn't accept it. And Liz had a feeling that it had to do with his addiction to alcohol and the fact that he hadn't had any since Monday morning.

Liz appeared in the bathroom door. She winced at the sight of him and moved to the sink. Picking up a cup she filled it with water and kneeled next to him. "Here. Drink this." She said softly when he finished. She held the cup up to his trembling lips. He tilted his head back and relished in the feeling of the cold liquid washing his warm mouth. "Talk to me Max."

"I can't." He said quietly.

Liz cupped his chin and turned his gaze to hers. "Max, it's never going to get easier if you don't get help. You have to let go and let me help you. I know these nightmares are taking their toll on you, but if you keep everything in, then you'll always live in this pain. Max, I've told you once before that you had a decision to make. You either want help or not. I'm always here for you regardless, but I want to see you happy. And I want to help you. You shouldn't have to go through this every time you wake up in the morning." She stopped as she wiped away the fresh tears streaming down his face. "I know it's hard, but you have to try, because it kills me to see you like this. This is what hurts me Max. This is how you hurt me."

He closed his eyes. He'd done it again. Hurting the people most closest to him. "I'm s-sor...."

She placed her finger over his lips to silence him. "I know you don't mean to, but you have to let me in Max. You can't shut down on me like you have in these last couple of days. It's not going to help."

"Why do you stay if I hurt you? How can you stand to be around me?" He murmured miserably, his helpless gaze boring into her.

"Because I love you so much and you deserve so much more than this pain. And I know that I can help you if you just let me in. And regardless of all of this, you make me happy. And I consider myself lucky to be able to be in your company." She leaned down and kissed the tip of his nose. "I love you Max. And don't be afraid of that. It won't hurt you. Don't be afraid to love back. It can only help you Max."

He shook his head, squeezing his eyes shut. "How do you know? How do you know that I deserve better?" He asked, pulling away from her, wiping his eyes. "How do you know that this isn't my fault?"

"Max..." She reached out for him, only to have him recoil back, shakily getting to his feet.

"No!! If I'm so damned innocent, then why am I in so much pain?!! If I deserve better, why did my father watch while I was being beaten and then leave me?!! Why is my mother dead?!! Why is Isabel....." His voice cracked as his legs crumbled underneath him and he slid to the floor. "She's gone." He whispered as he covered his face with his hands.

Liz moved to his side, placing her hand on his leg. "Max, I don't know why those things happened to you. But I know that once you let me in that you'll get better. I can help you Max. And I do know that what happened wasn't your fault. You had no control over what happened. And I do know that you deserve better. Because you have a beautiful soul Max. And you just need to realize that." She pulled his hands away from his face.

Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath, running a shaky hand through his hair. "I tried so hard to hate you Liz." He said slowly.

Liz was taken aback by his comment, but stayed quiet.

"I tried to push you away. But you kept coming back. That day when I told you I was raped and you found me in the kitchen, I hated you so much." He opened his eyes and stared at his feet. "You were the reason I couldn't kill myself. And I hated you because you loved me and I hated myself because I loved you back. That's why I left. Because I figured that I'd be able to die like I wanted." He let out a humorless laugh. "You still came for me. You saved me. Damn it, I hate you for that." He shook his head as fresh tears started to fall. "But I love you so much for it." He cried.

"I'm so tired...of everything. I'm tired of feeling trapped and in pain. I tired of feeling. And you won't let me go numb. I feel these things for you and they won't go away. I don't want to feel this way for you. I don't want to get hurt." He said as he closed his eyes, a heavy wave of exhaustion crashing over him. He pulled his legs up to his chest wrapping his arms tightly around himself. "But I need you with me."

"Oh Max." She moved to his side, hesitant to touch him. "I won't hurt you. I'll always be here with you. What can I do to make you see that?"

He shook his head and leaned against her, automatically feeling her arms wrap around him, surrounding him in her warmth.

"Max?" She called once she felt him growing heavy against her.

He jerked awake, sitting up straight. "Hmmm? What?"

"Maybe you should go and lay down." She suggested as she stroked back his hair.

"No. No, I'm fine." He stood and walked into the other room, sitting in one of the chairs at the table, determined to keep himself awake.

"Max...." She started as she walked out of the bathroom.

He held up his hand to stop her. "No. Liz, just don't say anything. I'll be okay."

Liz nodded, knowing that she wouldn't be able to get him to talk. And knowing that he was no where near okay. But she waited.

She would wait until he was ready. Ready to talk, ready to live, ready to love.

TBC.........

Thank you so much for the feedback I really love reading what you think and how you take the story. You guys are too cool. Well I'm off to my driving test. Wish me luck.

Tiffany