Rescue Me (AU,M/L,Adult) - AN 11/30 [WIP]

[truman11883]

I'm so glad everyone is enjoying the Michael and Maria scenes. They are so fun to write!

Hope everyone enjoys this chapter. Please let me know what you think!

Also, I just read the post about Foreign_Taste. I have to say I was just a little :mad: and disappointed. I can guarantee all my readers that my stories are completely original, and give credit to any and all inspiration that I have. I don't know if that means anything to anyone, but there it is. On record.

~Sarah



Chapter 19

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The gravel emitted a dusty fog as their feet kicked the rocks on the ground. The parking lot wasn’t paved, just another characteristic of the derelict lot that housed the McDonald’s. It seemed to be the theme around them. Unpaved lots and roads, dying plant life, dust in the desert air, sand in their shoes. But for some reason neither of the three seemed to realize or mind. They had better things on their mind. Friends, love, fun. They wouldn’t let the chaotic, callous world interfere with their upbeat state of mind.

Michael’s right arm was slung over Maria’s shoulder and Alex walked to her right. The bell above the door rang as they entered the fast food eatery, which was slightly busy from the remnants of the dying breakfast rush. Alex voted to find a booth for them while Maria and Michael retrieved the much-needed sustenance.

Alex scouted and quickly reserved the last clean booth, which sat towards the back of the restaurant, allowing them some peace and quiet. A TV affixed to the wall above him aired a muted talk show and he watched with slight amusement when the title of the depraved show read, “My Father Is A Drag Queen & He Stole My Boyfriend.”

‘Very Jerry Springer,’ Alex thought. As the quiet time past, the good mood that he had been in just a few moments ago quickly faded, fizzled by the loneliness and isolation he now felt. He couldn’t help but think how left out he was. Maria had Michael. Liz had Max. Alex had … his computer. Fun, fun.

He gave a sigh as his self-deprecating thoughts invaded his mind. He knew it was futile to dwell in what, in his eyes, could never be. He knew he wasn’t the macho type, the suave, sophisticated guy that always had a beautiful woman on his arm. And he never would be. If only he had someone to love. That was really all he wanted. Someone that he could love and take care of. He had such a big heart; Maria and Liz were always telling him. Why couldn’t he find someone to share it with?

He rested his elbow on the table in front of him, and leant his chin on his palm. A slight frown graced his face as he became lost in the endless maze of loneliness as his eyes blankly stayed affixed to the TV.

He didn’t notice the eyes across the way that shyly glanced at him every few moments in complete adoration.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“So, what’re you having?” Maria asked as she studied the menu. There were about five patrons ahead of them, giving the two ample time to make their breakfast choice.

Maria stood close to Michael, her front to his right side, her left hand mindlessly caressing his upper back and shoulders. In the short time they had been together, they had already formed a silent, subconscious pattern. They fit well together, although on the outside spectators might assume there were no loving feelings at all. Sure they fought, but who didn’t? It was just a normal, healthy aspect of their budding relationship. They just happened to take pleasure in it, that’s all.

Maria was falling head over heels for Michael. And she assumed the feelings went both ways. But she didn’t need the words from him. He proved his feelings, and that was enough for her. His demeanor, his words, his aura screamed his adoration of Maria, and the fact that no one else could read it satisfied her completely. It gave the feeling of a private world for just the two of them. When he looked at her, she knew that for him only she existed.

AND he was still with her, even after learning of her flightiness, her ever-present confrontational attitude, and the tendency of her blasé behavior morphing into spontaneous emotion and energy with the snap of her fingers. If he could keep up, she was willing to go the long run with him. He definitely made the journey interesting.

“Biscuits and gravy.”

She made a face that emitted her distain for the selection, but kept her voice soft and pleasant, slightly amused by his choice. “Biscuits and gravy?”

He nodded, choosing not to verbally respond to her obvious distain for the breakfast pick.

“Do you know how much fat and cholesterol and … crap is in that?”

“Yeah.” She could only give him a look as if to ask ‘Why?’ “I like it. It’s the only thing on the menu I like.”

She studied him for a minute, and then nodded, accepting his answer at face value.

“Besides,” he continued. “Its not like I need to watch my weight or anything.” He patted his flat stomach to illustrate his point.

A mischievous grin broke across her face, and she continued to touch his back. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. You’re not morbidly obese or anything.” Her hand wandered lower. “Although some of you is rather … plump.” She accentuated her statement by pinching his round butt.

He turned to give her a grin, taking her into his arms as they waited in the line. “I’m glad you approve Miss Deluca.”

“That I do Mr. Guerin.”

They shared a less than chaste kiss and didn’t notice the line moving without them.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Alex continued to stare blankly at the TV screen, along with four other elderly gentlemen who sipped their coffee. The sixth individual stayed hidden far in the corner, gazing at Alex with innocent fascination.

Her eyes lingered for a few more seconds, thoughtfully wondering why such a handsome man would be alone. She shifted her gaze to the application in front of her, pen in hand suspended above the paper. She needed the job, but she would give anything for something besides fast food. Something better.

It had been three weeks since she had been kicked out of her home. Truthfully, she hadn’t really been kicked out; she never did anything to provoke such a punishment. Her belongings had been on the porch when she arrived home late from a shift at a local restaurant in her hometown in Colorado. The doors had been locked, the locks changed. She wasn’t welcome anymore, not that she really ever had been. And now it was painfully obvious that she was on her own for good.

No doubt, it had been the idea of her stepfather Mick to throw her out. He had always seen her as the bastard child of his wife, her mother Joyce. She was unwanted, unloved, and even though her mother occasionally put up a timid fight in her defense, it was nothing compared to the alcohol-induced temper that Mick owned. He was a force to be reckoned with, but also to despise.

Joyce had been working two jobs trying to sustain Mick’s drinking habit, and when his ‘disability’ checks were terminated, he had demanded that his stepdaughter get a job … at 14. She couldn’t argue or plead or negotiate. Neither would her mother. For three years she had been handing over her paychecks, only pocketing what she could out of tips, all so that Mick could sustain and feed his ever growing addiction.

She had been a victim ever since she could remember, ever since her birth father had walked out on them, never to be seen again.

Thinking back, she knew better but she couldn’t help but hope that her mother had put up some sort of fight in her defense. Maybe Joyce had tried to reason with him, pleaded to allow her daughter to stay a little longer. She was still a minor, and they did need her paycheck to stay afloat. Maybe she had even physically tried to stop him, blockading the door with her diminutive frame. But she was sure that he had put a stop to it quickly, and no doubt painfully for Joyce. She was probably sporting a black eye or a bruise somewhere on her body. They both had gotten well acquainted with hiding bruises early on in the strained marriage. Her mother and her never went long without some type of battle wound to mask.

She sighed heavily, and focused on the paper again. She needed a job, and if she had to she would take whatever she could get. Her savings were running low and the month deposit she put on her motel room would be coming to an end soon.

Gen tried to ignore the growing hunger in her stomach. She couldn’t seem to focus on much of anything these days. Except of course for the attractive young man sitting a few table ahead of her. She lifted her eyes to appreciate his features again when their eyes met in a silent analysis.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

They didn’t hear the first time, or the second. But on the third “Excuse me!” they turned to the annoyed cashier in front of them.

“Oh, sorry.” Michael apologized and briefly let go of Maria to get his wallet. “Um, I’d like the biscuit and gravy breakfast, ummm a medium number two with –”

“Sir we stopped serving breakfast ten minutes ago.”

He stopped mid sentence to study the cashier and then his watch. “What? It’s not even eleven o’clock!”

“We stop serving breakfast at 10:30,” the young girl answered, still quite annoyed. She chewed her gum with a less than innocent attitude, smacking the gum against her gums and teeth loudly in aggravation. Maria gave her an unappreciated look with one raised eyebrow in response to the tone they were receiving.

“Well, you should have a sign or something. I mean I was looking forward to biscuits and gravy and I finally get through the line to order and you’re not serving breakfast anymore. What the hell? I’m sure you have one order back there somewhere, just give me that one. I’ll take it.”

“We can’t do that sir. Its not fair to the other customers.”

Michael was starting to lose his composure, and Maria read it quickly saying in a cool voice, “Let me speak to your manager.” She refused to shy away from the barely 16-year-old employee, who gave a poorly hid eye roll as she walked towards the kitchen.

Maria patted Michael on the shoulder saying, “Don’t worry baby. If I have anything to say about it, you’ll have your biscuits and gravy, AND that girls head all on a silver platter.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

A young woman in a visor and green polo shirt, as opposed to the blue of the other employees, walked calmly up to the counter and prepared herself for a disgruntled patron. “May I help you?”

“Yes, I need to complain about you cashier … Missy,” Maria started, read the annoyed cashier’s nametag.

“Its Misty,” she said hostilely.

“Thank you Misty, that’s quite enough,” came the response of the manager on duty.

Maria gave the woman before her a once over. She seemed to know what she was doing, keeping her employees in line. But she was young, probably wanting nothing more than to please as many customers as possible, avoiding any confrontation. Maria would have no problem getting what she wanted out of this situation. And if she was lucky, they would get their meal free. She let her eyes roam low to the manager’s nametag in preparation. Pamela.

The woman’s voice sounded again, although her face was slightly shielded by her visor. “What can I do for you Miss?”

Maria furrowed her brows for a minute in thought, and then asked, “Pam?”

The woman looked up in confusion, not recognizing the woman’s voice or face. “Do I know you?”

Maria’s ears clearly registered the voice coming from the young woman behind the counter and her eyebrows raised in surprise as she asked, “Pam Troy, is that you?”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The heavy sigh behind him had caught Alex’s attention, having not realized someone was behind him in the first place. He turned with the premise of stretching, so as not to alert the person that he was only turning to look at them.

But the beautiful woman with the forlorn, lost expression on her face held his attention and he couldn’t seem to pull his eyes away. She was in every sense beautiful. Her long auburn hair hung around her shoulders with waves cascading throughout. Her pale skin was clean and unmarred. She had a grace about her that no one else seemed to possess, at least no one he knew. She had been nervously playing with a strand of her hair, rolling it in her fingers and spinning it around her pinky. He wistfully questioned if it was as soft and thick as it looked.

She was young, but her emerald green eyes seemed to hold a wisdom that her youth should not have possessed, as if she knew a life secret that no one else did. For the first time in months, he was trying desperately to go up to a woman, to introduce himself. How could he do nothing when the woman of his dreams was sitting before him alone? He had to approach or he knew he would regret it for the rest of his life. If only he could get his damn legs to work.

And then she had looked up to him. Not indirectly, or discreetly. But honestly, precisely, as if she knew exactly what she who she wanted to look at, knowing exactly where he was. Should he dare to think that she had been looking at him before? Had she noticed him just like he had notice her? He smiled softly at her after a few moments of stunned staring. Her reverie was broken at that and she ducked her head shyly, but returned his smile while tucking a lock of red hair behind her ear.

God, she was beautiful. His knees felt weak as he stood slowly from his seat in the booth along the wall. He took two cleansing, strengthening breathes to try and calm his frazzled nerves. He hadn’t been this nervous since … he couldn’t remember ever being this nervous. How was he ever going to formulate a coherent sentence in the presence of this angel? It was impossible, but he was helpless to stop his advance to her table in the far corner of the restaurant.

With a strangled voice he said, “Hi.”

A shadow had loomed over her, but she knew without looking who it was. It was him, the mystery man. He had come over to talk to her and his voice was just as she had thought. It rocked her to her core. She hadn’t felt this way before, not this shaken, this fearful, this nervous. Sure she had felt these emotions before, back home in Colorado when Mick was in another alcohol-induced rages.

But every emotion coursing through her veins at that moment was welcomed. As opposed to feeling shaken from being thrown against the wall, she was shaken by the look that the man before her held in his eyes – and it was directed at her.

Instead of being fearful of Mick groping her blindly in her bedroom, she was now fearful of feeling too much for the young Adonis in front of her who had done nothing more than say hello.

And instead of being nervous about never being enough for anyone in her life, she was nervous that her dream man would feel the same way and leave her life just as quickly as he had entered it.

She swallowed hard, trying to gain as much composure as she could, before uttering the small greeting, “Hello.”

Alex stood awkwardly for a second before asking, “May I sit down?”

She seemed surprised that he would ask, and Alex quickly tried to explain, “I mean, I don’t want to disturb you or anything. If you’re busy I’ll just leave … but I – I just wanted to say hello, or something. And I already did that, so …”

Great, now he was rambling. Perfect. Why did the part of the brain that scored a 1450 on the SATs or a 164 on the IQ test have to shut down at a time like this? Now he desperately needed something intelligent to say and he couldn’t even muster a coherent sentence. He had been hanging around Michael and Maria too long. His IQ really had dropped ten points just from being in their presence. ‘Yeah Alex, keep telling yourself that,’ he thought.

She nodded shyly, and said, “Um, yeah. Have a seat.”

Alex visibly relaxed at her invitation, and then quickly tensed again when he realized that, now that he was in her presence with permission, he would have to engage her in some kind of conversation. ‘Great,’ he thought. ‘What the hell am I suppose to say now?’

He was saved when the young woman before him spoke first with her hand extended, “My name’s Genevieve.”

He took her hand and her skin was so soft her didn’t even notice that he was lightly rubbing his thumb along the knuckles of her hand. But she noticed, and a bolt of joy went through her.

“I’m Alex,” he said. “It’s nice to meet you Genevieve.”

“You can … you can call me Gen.”

They stared at each other in admiration, as he softly spoke her name in awe, “Gen.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“I’m sorry, I don’t think I know you.”

Maria was trying to jump-start her brain after realizing that none other than Pam Troy herself was standing before her, in a McDonald’s uniform. ‘If only every member of the class of 2002 from Roswell High could see her now,’ she thought.

“Michael, you remember Pam Troy don’t you? From Roswell High. Pam this is my boyfriend Michael Guerin.”

Pam furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. Michael Guerin didn’t sound familiar.

Maria stuck out her hand for a handshake when Pam was still doubtful as to who the two in front of her were. “Maria Deluca, from homeroom?”

“Maria De …” A smile graced Maria’s face when she could visible read the realization on Pam’s face. “De-Deluca. Wow … uh, you look great.” She swallowed hard and timidly took the girls hand in a handshake, plainly shaken by the turn of events.

“Yes, thank you,” she said smugly, completely pleased with her self.

“And Michael, I’m sorry I didn’t remember you before. I don’t think we had a class together and …”

“Nah, its cool. We weren’t exactly in the same circle, ya know?”

There was an extremely uncomfortable pause between the three until Pam asked, “So, you wanted to talk to a manager.”

Maria nodded, and the pleased grin just wasn’t going away. “Yeah. Missy over there was completely out of line. We were in line in time to order breakfast, but she was going so slow we didn’t get up to the register to order until after 10:30. She mouthed off to us with a lot of attitude. I really don’t appreciate her behavior. All we want is our breakfast.”

Pam nodded silently, still reeling from the fact that someone from her high school had discovered her secret. She had never been nice to anyone in high school, and she knew it. She didn’t think that she needed to. But now two years later, she was scraping by on her own after her parents cut her off. She knew why they did it, but it didn’t make it any easier to pay the bills. And now her worst nightmare had come to life. The gossip queen herself was standing before her with a smirk on her face in triumph. Pam Troy had been found out, and it was only a matter of time before everyone in Roswell came in to throw it in her face.

“Well, I’m very sorry for her behavior. I’ll make sure that she is fully aware of what is expected of her in the future when dealing with our customers. She is new, but that’s still no excuse.” Pam was literally forcing the words out of her parched throat. “Um, she mentioned something about biscuits and gravy?”

Michael jumped in quickly, very eager to get his meal. “Yeah! I wanted a medium number two with an orange juice.”

Pam nodded. “And for you?” she asked Maria.

“I’ll have a small coffee and a bacon egg and cheese biscuit. We’ll also need an order of pancakes and a large orange juice for our friend who’s been patiently waiting for us for the last twenty minutes,” she said purposefully.

“Of course. I’ll be right back with your meal.” Pam left quickly, very eager to get them the hell out of the restaurant.

A few short minutes later she returned with the desired items and when Michael pulled some money from his wallet, she shook him off saying, “It’s on the house.” He nodded thankfully, already walking towards the booth Alex was saving for him.

Maria stayed behind, looking thoughtfully at Pam. She had changed, Maria could tell. Pam was wiser, more down to Earth. She wasn’t so stuck up or full of herself. Obviously real life had been a harsh reality for Pam, but from the looks of it she was doing all right for herself.

“So, how long have you worked here Pam?”

“About a year. It’s not much, but it pays the rent.”

Maria nodded, and then said kindly. “You look good. Did you color your hair?”

Pam froze at her words, but nodded slightly in response. Why was she being so nice to her? “Yeah, just the other day. I heard it was suppose to be really great, but it turned out a little darker than I would have liked.”

“It looks good. It matches your eyes.”

“Thanks,” she said softly.

Having made her decision, Maria stuck her hand out again in friendship. “It was nice to see you again Pam.”

“Yeah you too,” she answered as she shook the girls hand firmly. She silently thought of the changes that the girl in front of her had obviously gone through the last two years. But then she thought of herself and realized that high school didn’t really matter in the great scheme of things. It didn’t matter that two years ago just about any guy in Roswell wanted her. That she was the richest person in school, with anything and anyone at her disposal. None of that did her a damn bit of good now, two years later, when she really needed it.

Maria walked away feeling much the same. She rounded the corner and her eyes fell on Alex and a mystery girl candidly holding hands in the far corner of the restaurant.


TBC ... next week!


Read my other fic Providence:

http://www.roswellfanatics.net/viewtopi ... sc&start=0

[truman11883]

Chapter 20

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

She sat on her living room floor, playing happily with her new toy. The Barbie was so pretty, with blonde hair and a bright pink dress. The doll skipped across the carpet in the little girls hand, who contentedly humming a quiet tune. She was trying to stay extra quiet for her mommy, who was in the next room. She was crying and yelling at her daddy. So she played with her new Barbie, trying to drown out the angry voices in her home and in her head.

She knew why her mommy was so upset.

The older woman’s voice permeated through the closed door, muffled by sobs and anger. “Jeffrey I don’t know what you want from me. I’m so tired of pretending she’s normal. I don’t think I can do it any more. Its just too much.”

“Nancy, please! This is our daughter we’re talking about.”

“I know, I know. God, I never thought I would be saying these words.”

Liz was oblivious to their meaning, skirting quick glances at her parents’ bedroom door. They had been in there for a long time, and she wanted to play with them. Show them all the pretty outfits for her Barbie, and the hairstyles she could make up. It was her birthday; she wished her mommy didn’t have to be so sad.

Inside the bedroom, Nancy Parker’s face was tear-stained, her eyes swollen with lament. “Jeff, I love her. I do. But, I look at her, and I…”

Jeff sat next to her on their bed, laying his arm across her shoulder. “You what Nancy?” he asked softly.

“There’s only so much a parent can deal with. When we got her I was so worried that I wouldn’t know when she was hungry, or when she needed her diaper changed. When she was sick or when she just needed to be held.”

She sniffled into her husband’s shoulder. “But I never thought that I would be dealing with a daughter who has special powers.”

Jeff sighed heavily.

Honestly, he never thought he would be having this discussion with his wife. Sure, arguments are common between a husband and wife, even healthy to a certain extent. But when Liz had blessed their home with her presence just five and a half years ago, he was so full of love for the little girl that he was blind to the signs that were so obviously right in front of him.

And Liz was, in every aspect, Daddy’s little girl. He had always held a special bond with his daughter, even more so than if she were “normal.” But, even despite everything that was different about the six year old in the next room, he loved her beyond anything, even his wife. The little girl with big, brown, expressive eyes, the little girl that held so much emotion and love and possibilities, the little girl that had completed their family, was sitting in the next room while they discussed her abilities. It wasn’t right that she had to be so different. And it certainly wasn’t fair, to anyone.

“Nan, I know. I know. It’s crazy, and scary, and completely inconceivable. But she’s still our daughter. Today’s her birthday for God sakes. It’s not her fault. Its no ones fault.”

She nodded into her husband’s chest, trying to bring herself under control.

Liz had stopped playing with her doll, which at the moment sat forgotten on the carpet. She was worried about her mommy. She could hear her crying through the door, and Liz wanted to go and see if she was all right. But she didn’t. She knew why her mommy was upset. It was because of her.

She didn’t mean to make her mommy cry.

She had gotten a Barbie and pretty clothes for the doll for her birthday. And she had been in her room playing, putting an outfit on her doll. But the color wasn’t right; she didn’t like red. She wanted a pretty pink outfit instead. So she had changed it. And her mommy had seen her do it.

Liz had looked up and saw the look on her mommy’s face. She wasn’t too happy with her. Her mommy started crying. And Liz knew it was because of her. It always was.

It reminded her of her last birthday, when she turned five. She had really, really wanted to go to the zoo for her birthday. But it was raining, and her parents told her they couldn’t go. It wasn’t fair. She started crying, more than she ever had. And then the table moved. It rose off the ground and hung in the air. And her mommy screamed and stared.

She was really sorry. She never wanted to make her mommy sad.

She knew that she had moved the table, and she wasn’t sure how. And she knew that it scared her parents. Normal kids couldn’t do that. But she wasn’t normal. She knew she wasn’t. She felt it everyday at school. The kids would play at recess and laugh and be normal boys and girls. But she didn’t. She wasn’t normal like them.

Her mommy and daddy didn’t know how scared she made herself. She didn’t know how she could do the special things she did. And she was scared that one day, she might hurt somebody. Or lose somebody.

She didn’t want her parents to hate her. She didn’t want to lose them

She was always so scared.

“Nan, listen to me,” he said soothingly, trying desperately to get his wife under control.

“You have to get it together here, all right? Liz is still our daughter. And we love her, right?”

Nancy nodded into his chest.

“I mean, she’s still the little girl that we’ve wanted our whole lives. She’s our world. And we don’t love her any less, right?”

She nodded again.

“Right. So how about we go out there and play with our daughter on her sixth birthday? This can’t keep happening on her birthday. You remember last year. The zoo? So today, we can just play with her, and eat cake and ice cream, and watch movies all day. And we’ll talk more later when’s she asleep, okay?”

Nancy lifted her head and looked at her husband. Her eyes were red and swollen.

“I’m so sorry Jeff. I just … I freaked out.” She wiped her eyes with her Kleenex, and then her eyes widened with horror. “Oh Jeff! What is she going to think?! Oh God, I cried right in front of her because of what she did and … and she saw. Oh Jesus, she’s going to hate me.”

“No, no. She loves you. She’s probably just worried that you’re crying. Liz might be six but she’s so smart. She’ll know that you didn’t mean anything. We just have to teach her that she can’t do it again. At least not in front of anyone.”

They waited a few minutes for Nancy to regain some of her composure before leaving their bedroom to go find Liz.

She had starting playing with her doll again after her mommy stopped crying, assuming that her daddy had made her better. She watched as her Barbie, who she had named Susie, skipped across the floor of the living room, her plastic hair swaying as she floated above the carpet.

She was so excited with her new trick that she didn’t hear the door of their bedroom open or her parents’ walk out. Liz was humming again, watching as her Barbie did a twirl in the air, and then turned to walk back to her hand that was outstretched guiding the doll across the floor.

Susie floated back to Liz’s hand, and she clasped her small fingers tightly around the doll, and turned to get the brush. She wanted to style her hair now, and show her mommy how pretty it was. She turned and saw her mommy and daddy standing behind her, just looking.

They saw the Barbie floating in the air as their daughter guiding the doll with her hand. The Barbie had walked across the floor hands free, with no assistance.

The two parents looked at each other, and Jeff squeezed Nancy’s shoulders before setting his eyes on his daughter.

She just looked at them, waiting for her mommy to start yelling or crying again. Her eyes were big and teary, and when they said nothing, she quietly started. “Hi.”

“Hi baby,” her mommy said softly.

Liz looked from her mommy to her daddy, who had a big grin on his face. Maybe they weren’t scared or angry anymore. Maybe she wasn’t in trouble after all.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“Liz … Liz, you okay?”

She turned towards his voice, effectively leaving her daydream. “Huh?”

“I asked if you were okay. You kinda spaced out there.” He eyed her carefully. She had been exceptionally quiet on the last part of their ride to Roswell. They still had an hour and a half to go and he didn’t want her to shut him out. They had had a close call at the motel, and he desperately didn’t want her to return to the shell that she always hid herself in. She had come so far, and Max grasped her hand snugly in an attempt to keep her as close as the jeep would allow.

She looked at him, and immediately her eyes softened. “Yeah I’m fine. Just thinking.”

The memories were coming back slowly. For so long she had purposely buried them deep within her mind, not wanting to remember the tears and pain and isolation that her childhood held. She sighed and turned to her window again, watching the desert landscape pass them by. She missed her parents, more than she could ever say. But she didn’t miss the loneliness she felt when she had been in their presence. Especially her mother’s.

They always seemed to watch her, keep her at arms length. Out of fear or self-preservation she wasn’t sure. She had this … power that she at times couldn’t control. Especially when she was young. Her powers scared her, probably more than her parents. She never told them that the night of her fifth birthday, after levitating the dinner table, she had cried herself to sleep. She cried herself to sleep more times than she could count because of her powers. And she had desperately tried to be as normal as possible, to please her parents.

Her father had been so loving and open, but she could see the apprehension in his eyes. He hadn’t expected to have a freak for a daughter. Even though he loved her, he was leery of her also. Whenever she had been having an exceptionally hard day, he would hug her, and whisper to her how beautiful she was, how gorgeous she was. How every boy knew it and wanted to be with her, and how every girl wanted to be her.

She never believed him, but it was still reassuring to hear the words. She always felt so much better in her father’s loving arms.

And her mother, even after coming to terms with her daughter’s gifts, never really accepted her as hers. Liz had always felt like she had to prove herself to win her mother’s love. She was always giving Liz speeches about staying strong and being careful to not accidentally “out” herself.

Now it seemed ironic that her mother would say that. Of course she didn’t want to “out” herself. She came from Roswell, New Mexico. She knew the rumors of alien hunters and cover-ups. And while they were in every likelihood completely false, she knew that the government would love to have her in their custody. She would be their weapon, and they would control her power for their own gain. And if that happened, everything she knew would be gone. Her life of hiding and secrecy would be in vain. Liz was determined to die before she was captured or confined to a life or imprisonment, even though she was quite certain that they wouldn’t kill her.

If she were ever captured, the government would use her as a weapon, harnessing her gifts for war. She had so much devastating potential. She could move objects with her mind. She could speak to people without saying a word. She could pick up on emotions and events just from holding an object in her hand.

No, she knew they would keep her alive, and she would in effect slowly die inside. Her body might stay alive for power-hungry tyrants, but her soul and heart would die inside, leaving a shell of a girl.

But now it was time to uncover the memories. Despite how painful it was, she needed to find answers. Despite everything, she still loved her mother. Liz knew that her reaction to her powers was probably much better than the average person would react. Nancy Parker had been a good mother. Loving, comforting, and constantly supporting her – in her own way. She was the only person, save Maria, that Liz actually admitted to openly about how self-conscious she was about her looks. She was short, plain, and had nothing special to offer a boy. Any boy. At school she saw how the girls filled out their clothes and flitted their blonde curls.

But her mother and father had reassured her several times how beautiful she was. Liz knew they had to say that, they were her parents. But when Max said it … well that was different. He didn’t have to say that. He didn’t have to say that she was beautiful, or that he loved her, or that he would do anything for her. He was perfectly content with just being with her. And she had to admit, that was quite refreshing and exciting.

Max left her to her thoughts. He knew she was waging a major internal battle and he could only sit back and be supportive, and offer his help when she asked for it. It wasn’t his place to tell her what to do, to dictate her life. She was a very strong woman. He was sure that they would make it through this. What ever “this” was.

She still had not told him why they were going to Roswell on such short notice. And he didn’t ask. Once again, it wasn’t his place. He just wished she were more open with him. But with everything that she had been through in her life, it was no wonder how guarded she was. He had no idea what he would do if he had to live her life. Losing his parents or his sister, nearly losing his best friend, or if he had to live with the terrifying reality of being psychic, or clairvoyant, or whatever you want to call it.

He didn’t want to think about it.

He was sure he would crack after five minutes. And here she was, living everyday for twenty years, and still unbelievably strong and resilient. She shamed him with her courage.

“So … where are we going in Roswell?”

She turned to him again, and said, “Roswell Self Storage, off 19th Street.”

He turned and looked at her briefly. Max had an idea why they were going there, but waited for her to supply the reason.

“My parents’ things are there. I need to go through them … to find something.”

He nodded slightly, while drawing invisible images on the back of her hand with his thumb. He knew where the storage sheds were, and he knew that that was where she had put her parents’ belongings after she moved in with her grandmother after their accident. She needed to find something. Great, he thought. Cause I was thinking she might be too vague about this.

He immediately chastised himself. It shouldn’t matter, didn’t matter, why they were going to Roswell. He was just extremely curious. But he couldn’t help it. His girlfriend was hurting inside and withholding information from him. Could anyone blame him for wanting answers? He had to bite his tongue to not ask her why or what.

They returned to companionable silence as they drove, Liz reliving her troubling, painful memories one at a time, and Max desperately wanted to relieve the pain for her.

[truman11883]

Here is Chapter 21A. I have the second part written, but am not quite happy with it. I'm going to wait until Friday to post it because it really does need some proofreading and rewriting.




Chapter 21A

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“Michael! Michael!” Maria whispered harshly at her boyfriend who was already headed towards Alex’s figure.

He turned around slowly with a frown on his face. All he wanted to do was eat his damn breakfast and she was holding him up.

With a strangled sigh he sat the tray down at a booth and headed in her direction, where Maria was impatiently waving her hands to encourage him to move faster.

It didn’t really work.

“What?” he asked.

“Sshhh!! Lower you voice!”

“Why? Why are we whispering?”

She dragged him back behind the corner they had just previously rounded, and then snuck a look at Alex and the stranger he was holding hands with.

“Do you not see that?” She pointed at Alex, and Michael cast a confused look in the direction.

“Yeah I see it. What’s the big deal?”

“The big deal? The big deal is that Alex is sitting with a girl. A strange girl. And … and they’re holding hands. Do you not see how monumental this is?”

“What’s so monumental about it? He’s getting himself some. There’s nothing wrong with that Maria.”

“Michael! That’s not it. Alex is hitting on some girl. He never, never does that.”

He shrugged.

“So he’s turning over a new leaf. Good for him,” he said. “Weren’t you the one who wanted to set him up on a date and give his ‘Little General’ a workout just a few minutes ago?” He emphasized his words with his fingers, making quotation marks.

She rolled her eyes.

“I said that to prove a point.”

Michael gave an incredulous look, as if to say, “Yeah, right.”

“He needed to see how isolated he was making himself. He’s always locking himself up in his dorm room and sitting for hours in front of his computer. He needs to get out more, socialize. Maybe meet a few girls. That Lana girl really did a number on him, ya know? He needs to know that he deserves better.”

Michael cast another look in Alex’s direction, where he and the girl were shyly laughing.

He pointed.

“Looks to me like he’s doing just that.”

Michael watched as Maria gave a sad sigh.

“What are you so worked up over anyway? Isn’t this what you wanted?” he asked.

She nodded.

“Yeah but …”

“But what?”

“I don’t know her. He could get hurt all over again. I can’t let that happen.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

He had yet to relinquish his tender grip on Gen’s hand, but for some reason it felt so natural. Like he was meant to have that privilege.

Alex found himself getting lost in her green eyes all over and fought to answer her question.

“Yeah I uh … I’m a sophomore at UNM.”

Her eyes grew in amazement.

“So you’re in college. Wow, that must be really great.”

He considered it.

“Yeah. I mean, it’s the next step you know? High school, college, and then hopefully getting a job.” He smiled, “But that’s the hard part.”

She was in awe of him. He was in college. Here she was a high school drop out, and he was a sophomore in a really great university. What could she possibly say to him? She was sure that anything out of her mouth would seem completely ridiculous.

“So, what’s you’re major?” she asked, hoping the question sounded more intelligent to him than it did to her.

He smiled.

“Computer Science.”

When she nodded with a slight smile on her face, he continued. “Yeah, I know what you’re going to say. Only geeks major in Computer Science. Well, here I am. Alex ‘Super Geek’ Whitman at your service.”

She frowned at his words.

“You’re not a geek. Believe me.”

Gen had said the words with such determination and conviction that Alex faltered. It was almost as if she were unaware that he was completely out of her league. He wasn’t sure if he should be relieved or worried. Relieved that he could take advantage of the situation and spend time with the beautiful woman on front of him. Or worried that she would soon figure out that he really was ‘Super Geek’ and take off running.

Unbeknownst to him, Gen was having very similar feelings regarding him. She knew very little about him, but didn’t really need to. He was amazing, smart, and obviously caring if his thumb stroking the back of her hand was any indication. Why he seemed so unsure of himself, she couldn’t say. But his shyness and subtle insecurity was quite endearing. If she hadn’t been smitten prior to this discussion, she would have been head over heels by now.

But as the tendency was in her life, good was always followed with bad. She just hoped to God that the bad this time, wasn’t devastating. That it didn’t break her heart into a million pieces. That she would be able to pick herself back up and keep going after everything was said and done. Because looking into Alex’s eyes, she thought that she could actually see into his soul. And everything she saw told her that, despite the bad, the good would be worth it.

She would just have to keep her fingers crossed.

Alex watched as her eyes formed a far-away look, as if she were thinking things over in her mind. For a second he was nervous that he had done something wrong and their chat would end, but the smile on her face made his anxiety pause. Whatever she was thinking about, she was happy. He made a mental note to make her as happy as possible for as long as he knew her. He definitely wanted to see that look on her face many, many more times.

He didn’t quite remember when or how they had gotten into this position. One minute he was stumbling over his words, trying to impress quite possibly the love of his life, and the next thing he knew, he was holding her hands and participating in a rather hushed, amorous discussion. She had faltered for a minute, hesitating at the close contact, but rather quickly abandoned all rational thought, just about the same time he did, and embraced the new, mysterious individual in front of her. They were both very much on new territory.

Alex struggled for a minute to regain his clarity. Staring into Gen’s eyes was making it very easy to forget everything around him. He blinked hard a few times, and then focused his attention at their clasped hands in front of him. Her inviting green eyes were just begging him, pleading with him to make contact, and he desperately didn’t want to get lost again.

At least not yet.




~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


TBC.... Part B will be posted on Friday!!!

[truman11883]

Here's the second part of Chapter 21.


The next chapter is going to be quite long, so this is kind of like the calm before the storm.




Chapter 21B

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“So, what do we do now?”

He parked the jeep in the parking space and killed the engine, looking over to Liz as she sat quietly in her seat. She hadn’t said much the entire ride from the motel room, but he wasn’t really surprised. She had always been quiet.

She opened her door and exited the jeep, he tiny feet hitting the pavement of the parking lot. Her hair hung in the air and Max had to take a second to memorize her appearance. Even without knowing it, without trying, she was so beautiful.

He got out and circled the jeep to stand in front of her, and watched as she took in her surroundings. They were back in Roswell, for the first time in a long while. At least for Liz. She had come back over the years, but only because Maria and Alex made her. For Thanksgiving and for Christmas she would make the three-hour drive and visit with their families. She knew it helped them feel better, knowing she wasn’t alone for the holidays. It made her feel better knowing that they cared so much about her.

But now being in Roswell of her own volition, a shutter ran through her spine. Everything was eerily similar as it was when she was younger. She could see Main Street to her right, the Dairy Queen, and the Crashdown Café. It was all the same.

A part of her wasn’t really surprised. Small towns hardly ever change dramatically, especially Roswell. But she couldn’t help but wish that it had changed. Maybe then it could be easier for her to go through with this. If her hometown had changed, there would be no memories surprising her at every turn. Old, familiar locations and acquaintances around every corner remembering who she was. What she had been through. What she had lost.

“Um,” she looked around the storage unit lot. “Yeah, I guess we should go to the office. I need to get the key.”

He looked at her. “You mean you don’t have it?”

Liz shook her head.

“No. I didn’t want it. It just reminded me … ya know? I asked them to hold onto it for me.”

He nodded.

Too many bad memories, a constant reminder, he knew without her saying.

They walked hand in hand into the small office, the door creaking in argument. The room was small, one chair seated by the entrance, a small counter in front of them, and a door leading to a small back room. The walls were yellow, more from age than from paint. No pictures were hung on the wall, and only one near-death plant stood in the corner.

When they found no attendant at the desk, Max lifted his hand to ring the bell for assistance.

A few silent minutes passed, and Liz looked to Max in question. He rang the bell again, and a voice was heard.

“Yeah, yeah. I hear ya. Just a minute!”

Liz jumped a bit at the harsh voice that surprised the two of them. Max squeezed her hand, and gave the direction the voice came from a harsh look. This was the last thing she needed, to be cared shitless.

The aging man emerged carrying two rather large boxed, and dropped them carelessly on the floor behind the counter. Because of his height advantage, Max was able to peer over the counter and see the contents: shirts, books, candles.

“Sorry for the hold up. One of the tenants wasn’t paying rent and I had to pack up the stuff. This is the last of it,” he said, slightly out of breath.

When Max and Liz gave no response, the older man eyed them. “Well, can I help you?”

“Um … I need to get into my unit. You’re holding onto my key.”

The man nodded, and moved to a cabinet with keys in hand. “Which unit?”

“24.”

Her voice hadn’t risen above a quiet murmur, which did not go unnoticed by Max. He wasn’t sure if it was from fear, or anticipation, or the gruff man behind the counter and his lack of manners.

As the man opened the cabinet to retrieve the key, Max turned to Liz. “Are you okay?” he whispered.

She nodded.

“Are you sure? Do you want to wait for Maria and Alex?”

“No. I’m fine Max. I need to do this.” She was cut off when the man returned to the counter and placed the key in front of her.

“What’s your name?”

“Liz Parker.”

The man nodded, and looked through a book that Max guessed had a listing of tenants’ names, to verify Liz as the renter of Unit 24.

After a few seconds the man nodded his head.

“You just need to sign here.” He handed her a paper with a pen, and pointed to the line where her signature was needed.

Liz glanced over the paper, which basically relieved the owners of responsibility or liability while she was at her Unit, assuring that she would return the key afterwards, etc., etc. After a brief moment of skimming, Liz signed and handed the items back to the older man who was eying her carefully. She averted her eyes under his unwelcome gaze.

“You been here before?”

She nodded.

“Yeah, about two years ago.”

He looked down at his logbook, and noticed that it was the first time anyone had come in requesting a key for Unit 24 in two years. He thought silently for a moment, trying to remember her.

“That’s right. Now I remember you. You were here with that loud mouth girl and that kid. Two years ago, yeah I remember.”

She didn’t respond, just nodded.

“It’s been awhile, huh? What are you here for? Taking a trip down memory lane?”

When Liz didn’t respond, Max turned with her to leave, throwing over his shoulder, “Something like that.”



~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~



TBC ... next week. Providence is being updated tonight to, for all of you who read my other fic.

Thanks for reading everyone!

[truman11883]

Okay. I know I'm bad. I'm worse than bad, I'm terrible, dreadful, ghastly, attach any adjective you'd like. I deserve it. Four months. Its been four months since I last updated. Shame on me.

In all honesty, if it hadn't been for the bumps, feedback, and emails baggering me to update, I probably never would have. At the time I wasn't sure if anyone really wanted me to or if anyone cared. This is my first attempt at a fic, and after almost a year of writing, I'm still not done. Procrastination is a dirty bastard, I swear.

So anyway, this part is basically to start the second part of the fic. Don't expect any revealing info yet. That won't happen for a few parts yet. And yes, I will be updating regularly again. I will! I swear it!!!

If it sucks, let me know and I'll redo it. Since its been four months, I was a little iffy on some stuff. But once it started flowing, I remembered how much I loved this story and why I started posting it in the first place.

Once again, my apologies, and thanks to Alien 614, pandas2001 and everyone else who inquired about Rescue Me.


~Sarah




Chapter 22

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Alex and Gen walked across the parking lot hand in hand, each wearing a huge grin.

“So, can I call you?”

Gen smile faded some.

“Well, I don’t really have a phone right now. I just moved.”

“Oh. Where from?”

“Colorado.”

Alex turned with that genuine smile on his face. “Mountain country. I bet being here in the desert is a culture shock, huh?”

She attempted a laugh. “Yeah, pretty much.”

“Are you traveling with your family?”

Gen shook her head, her smile now a distant memory.

“Oh,” he said, sensing her emotional withdrawal. “Well, how long will you be in town?”

Gen shrugged, now fairly certain that when he knew the whole truth about her, Alex would ride away in the Jetta and never return.

“I guess until I make enough money to move on.”

His hand tightened on hers instinctively. He didn’t want her to leave. He wanted her to stay with him.

“Where are you staying?”

“The motel down the street for now. It was all I could afford.”

He nodded.

“And you’re only renting it for the month?”

“Yeah,” she said. “Its up in a few days.”

Alex took a huge breath, hoping he wouldn’t make a complete fool out of himself.

“Well, I was thinking … maybe you could come with me … to Albuquerque.”

Gen stopped short, and turned to face him. Was he serious?

“Are you serious?”

“Yeah. I mean, if you can, or … or want to. There’s a motel close to campus, and we can get you enrolled in school and look into scholarships and loans.” He pulled her close. “Gen please say yes. We’ll see each other so much more.” He brought his right hand up to her cheek, cupping it tenderly. “You’re just too far away.”

Her heart melted. He was serious, he really did want her. How could she say no?

“Okay.”

“Really?” he asked, genuinely surprised at her response.

She laughed for real. “Yeah, really.”

Alex kissed her, because he just couldn’t not kiss her. It was impromptu and unplanned, and he thought nothing of it. Of course he would kiss her. She had just made him the happiest man on the face of the earth.

Who cares if she was only seventeen, or living on her own, or not in school, or any other cliché you could tack onto her? She was beautiful and smart and funny and … and his. Genevieve was his.

She was almost eighteen, his practical mind rationalized. Her birthday was in a few weeks. And she was supporting herself, which proved how mature and responsible she was.

And even despite that, he could tell she was perfect for him, and he for her. She needed someone to love her and care for her and protect her. His arms tightened around Gen as their kiss prolonged with moans of satisfaction. Yes, he was that man. He was hers, and she was his.

They hadn’t talked about everything yet, like why she was all alone at seventeen, or why she wasn’t in school, or where her parents were, or why she was living in a motel. But they’d get there.

They broke apart breathless and staring intently at the other. There were so many new emotions running through their veins. For the first time, Gen truly felt wanted and loved. And Alex was finally realizing how much love he had to give, and how he only wanted her to have it. It was like she had opened a well of happiness and now it was overflowing.

“Here,” he said. He placed a small piece of paper in her hand and her fingers closed around it quickly.

“I know you have to go,” she said quietly, wishing so much that he didn’t have to. “But, when you pass through on your way back to school … do you think that, maybe you could pick me up … and take me with you?”

Alex’s toothy grin smiled back at her, making her eyes dance in happiness. “You don’t even need to ask.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“So?”

“So.”

Michael sighed. “So, do you believe me now?”

Maria rolled her eyes dramatically. “You’ve got to be kidding.”

“Oh no, I’m serious. And you know I’m right. Just admit it Mare.”

“No.”

“Yes.”

“NO.”

“YES.”

She looked at him with a depressed look on her face, knowing that nothing she said was going to change anything. She wasn’t much up for a fight right now. He was right, she was wrong. Since when did Maria Deluca actually admit it?

“Hey,” he said at her crestfallen expression, and pulled her into a hug. “Remember, this is a good thing. Alex needs somebody. And now, Alex has somebody. Isn’t that what you wanted?”

“Yeah,” she said glumly.

“Then what’s with the pout?” he asked, and flicked her pooched bottom lip with his finger.

In a very tiny voice, she said, “He’s gonna fall in love with her.”

“And that’s … bad?”

“He’s gonna fall in love with her and spend all his time with her and give his heart to her and she’s gonna trample all over it. It happened once.” Maria looked across the parking lot at the two people in question in a chaste lip lock. “Its gonna happen again.”

“Maria, maybe it won’t.” She closed her eyes and shook her head, obviously not believing him or wanting to hear a God damn word he had to say. But damn it, he was saying it. It was for her own good. “Maybe something good will come of it. Sure, they’re moving … fast.”

He looked up and caught a brief glimpse of tongues touching in a not-so innocent gesture and shifted Maria’s head so she wouldn’t see it. Way to go Alex. “But, Alex is a smart guy, you know? Always thinking with his head. And look where it’s gotten him? Alone and depressed. Now he’s thinking with his heart and he’s happy. Is that really so wrong?”

A tear rolled down Maria’s cheek at his words, and she shook her head. No, it wasn’t wrong. She wanted to see Alex happy more than anyone. And she didn’t have a problem with moving fast, her and Michael were currently on that same superhighway of love. Honestly, she was more than a little surprised at her reaction.

She was probably the most selfish person, she realized, wanting Alex to never leave her, to never find someone so that he would always be there … for her. God, she hated herself. Since when did her heart become so cold? Of course Alex wanted to find someone and be happy. And if this Gen is the one, she better treat him right, she thought. Or else she’s going to find herself six feet under.

But the pain didn’t hurt any less, loosing another friend. First Liz to Max, and now Alex to Gen. Michael’s arms surrounded her as she cried into his shoulder.

Control, her mother’s words echoed in her head. Always maintain control. Never let a man rule you. Never let them hurt you.

Why couldn’t she just find some control right now when she needed it the most?

“Maria,” he said softly. He didn’t want her to cry. “You can’t protect everybody, and you can’t control everything. I know it hurts that your friends are moving on. Just be there for them. You know, you’re an amazing friend when your mouth doesn’t screw it up.” He felt her laugh against his chest.

Michael watched as Gen and Alex parted, their fingers lingering together as she walked away from him, his phone number hastily written on a piece of scrap paper was clutched to her chest.

Who knew Alex could be a lovesick fool, becoming a completely different person for some chick he didn’t really even know? Michael looked down to the puddle of tears Maria was collecting on his shirt. Maybe Alex wasn’t the only one changing.

Soon after, the Jetta sped down 285 South with Roswell as a destination.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“Is there anything in particular that we’re looking for?” Max’s voice sounded behind several large boxes. He roughly dropped the box in his hands behind him and cringed, prayed that there was nothing valuable in them.

Liz stood slowly, stretching her back. She rolled her neck and shoulders, and rubbed her hands against her jeans to rid herself of the gray-brown dust. Her back ached and her knees popped; she was tired, and she knew Max was getting that way himself.

They had been looking through box after box for nearly two hours and she wondered not for the first time where the hell Michael, Maria, and Alex were? They were supposed to be at the storage shed hours ago, and Liz had waited, and waited … and waited some more. Eventually she gave in and they started searching.

But searching for ‘what’ she didn’t really know.

How was she supposed to explain to Max or anyone else that she didn’t even know what she wanted to look for, what she needed to find? It had been a while since she had had that feeling of total and complete turmoil. Not since she first started exhibiting powers, or when she lost her parents, or when she moved to the dorms of UNM. Or even Kyle.

But now was different. She wasn’t just in turmoil, she was confused. Because being hesitant and compelled at the same time was exhausting. She needed to find something but she was scared to find it.

It was obvious why she was hesitant: she didn’t want Max to run for the hills when he realized how crazy she really was. She didn’t want to loose her friends or any semblance of security she had somehow managed to acquire over the years. What if they did find something, and it was so awful she was left all alone? What if it left her crushed and broken forever? Without any of the support she had had over the years, Liz wasn’t sure she would make it through. She had barely survived the few months after her parents had died, with no one knowing of her ‘extraordinary’ status.

Liz wasn’t even sure of how she would react to any information they found today. There was one thing for sure though: they were finding something in the storage shed. She wasn’t leaving until that compelling feeling was gone, until she found some resolution or answer, until that fear in the pit of her stomach was either quenched or stoked.

Or until she had a reasonable excuse to finally end her miserable existence. It certainly would be miserable, she thought, if Max and everyone else left her. She would literally have no reason to live.

Focusing her attention on this task allowed her to forget for the time being how she didn’t deserve Max’s love, or Maria’s loyalty, or Alex’s undying friendship. This was the one thing she could hold on to. At least it put off the inevitable.

Liz turned to Max and watched as he huffed and lifted, his muscles stretching, his brow sweating. Even now in the heat of the midday desert heat, he was the most magnificent thing she had ever seen.

She was hesitant to answer him truthfully. What would he say if he knew she had no idea?

“Um … actually, I don’t really know.”

Max stopped short and turned to her inquisitively. “What do you mean, you don’t know?”

Liz sighed heavily. Moment of truth, she thought.

“Well, lately I’ve been thinking a lot about my family … I didn’t necessarily have a normal childhood – even despite the powers and crap.” She took another breath, hoping to God he wouldn’t wash his hands of her. “I never saw any baby pictures. I never heard any stories of my mom in the hospital giving birth to me, or how difficult her pregnancy was, or how hard it was raising an infant for the first time.”

Max thought for a moment, trying to understand where she was coming from, and more importantly where she was trying to go.

“So … what? You think you’re … adopted or something?”

“I don’t know, maybe. It would explain a lot, wouldn’t it?”

He nodded in agreement, considering the possibility.

“I guess I’m just looking for some proof that my parents … are my real parents.” She turned to him with a desperate look on her face. “I just want to know where I come from. Where I belong.”

Max wasn’t sure what to say. He wanted to tell her how very much she belonged with him, but knew that the words would go in one ear and out the other. Instead, he asked a question.

“And when you find out, what will you do then?”

She shrugged.

“I don’t know.”

He figured she didn’t, and decided to let it lie. Part of him was screaming how absurd this was, to leave school on a whim and search through dozens of boxes for an unknown object. Another part of him gently encouraged him to stay and help. Liz needed him. That was all the convincing he needed.

“So, baby stuff.” He moved from where he was knowing that all the boxes next to him were labeled kitchen and bedding.

Liz focused her energy again, somewhat surprised that he didn’t question further on her intentions. He was either extremely good at hiding his curiosity or he didn’t give a damn. She hoped for the first.

“I think a lot of it is over there,” she pointed to a corner to her left. There were only a few boxes there, somewhat secluded from the rest of her parents’ belongings.

Max moved to the corner, and was about to start looking when he felt a small hand on his arm. He turned and found Liz next to him, her eyes searching his.

“Max … um, I just – I just want to say … thank you. Thank you so much, for helping me.”

He took her tiny hand in his, and traced her bones with his finger. Her skin was so soft, so feminine, so fragile.

“Liz, there’s no where else I want to be.”

She nodded, desperately trying to stop the tears that were flooding her eyes.

After a moment of companionable silence, they both turned at the same time, seeing the boxes that loomed in front of them. What secrets did they hold? Liz needed to know, but didn’t want to know. Her throat tightened as Max opened the first box, and they both leaned over to see what was inside.



TBC ...

[truman11883]

I know its short, but it does the job.

~Sarah



Chapter 23

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“Well, this isn’t what I expected.”

Liz stared dumbfounded at the contents in the box below her, not sure how to respond to Max’s comment.

No, it wasn’t what either of them expected. Least of all her.

“Liz?”

She turned to him with a stricken look on her face.

What was she suppose to say? What did any of this mean?

Her throat was tight with emotion and confusion, and she could only shake her head.

Max slowly reached into the cardboard box, careful of its precious contents, and slowly pulled out a faded baby blanket. He fingered the material, and outlined the pattern on the fabric.

“Trains,” he said, with a small smile.

The baby blue color seemed strangely out of place.

Especially when both she and Max had anticipated pink.

She looked into the box again, and found several toys. Trucks, rattles, fire engines. All of them were untouched, some still in there packaging.

The white cardboard surrounding a small yellow school bus was brown around the edges and bent with age. The aged price tag attached to a brown teddy bear was marked $.99. Blue and green baby clothes were uncovered. A musical mobile with ducks, dogs, and cats followed.

As Liz pulled out the items, she touched them reverently, inspecting them as if they were each piece if an intricate puzzle. A puzzle she didn’t understand.

A puzzle she hadn’t even known existed.

The bottom of the box neared. She hesitated to retrieve the last item, unsure of what it would hold for her, or what answers she would get.

Even as her fingers shook, she grasped the book with all the strength she had. It was heavy, and it looked like a photo album. An old photo album. It was brown with ivory trim, covered with dust and slightly faded.

As she settled it onto her lap, her realized she was close to sobbing uncontrollably. Her eyes burned with unshed tears. Her lips quivered as she looked to Max for guidance, for some confidence, finding that she had very little left inside her.

He smiled slightly, trying his damnedest to stay calm himself, and nodded in encouragement.

She ran her fingers down the front, and then inched the cover of the album open, half anticipating and half dreading what was to be exposed.

A picture of her mother, much younger than Liz had ever seen, greeted her. A brilliant smile lit her mother’s young face. She was gazing into the camera with supreme happiness written on her features.

Her father was with Nancy, hugging her close and a similar smile enfolded on his face as well.

Her fingers skimmed the image lightly, and a slight sob did escape her lips then. It had been so long since she had seen her parents in any form, living or otherwise. Happy or otherwise.

Liz could only recall a few isolated moments where her parents had been as happy as she saw them now. And even those memories had faded with time.

A note below the photograph read, May 23rd, 1980. Our announcement!

“Liz? What is it?”

She gulped in a breath, and tried to swallow the lump in her throat.

“I-It’s a photo album.”

She felt more than saw Max scoot closer.

He smiled as he saw the picture and the people he hadn’t seen since high school.

“Wow,” he said, in a hushed tone. “They look so happy.”

She nodded. Her chin quivered as she tried to stop her crying. But tears still escaped down her cheeks.

Happy tears, she realized. Good tears. They were not tears of grief or loss. Her parents had been happy in this picture, and their feelings radiated into her. She smiled, and as a few more tears escaped, she swiped them away.

“Our announcement,” he mumbled to himself. “Announcement of what?” He turned to her with a grin. “Of you?”

She hesitated and looked at the date again. “Uh…no. It says 1980. I was born until 1983.”

She disregarded the discrepancy though. Liz was too enamored by the photographs to care.

Nancy had rarely been so carefree. Her smiled were usually guarded, her hugs quick. The mother staring back at her contradicted everything Liz knew about her.

She turned the page, and another picture of her mother greeted her. The same serene smile. The same sparkle in her eyes.

But this time she wore maternity clothes, a large dress with extra clothe in the front to house her growing waistline. Her stomach had grown several inches, and she was stroking the small bump with her hands.

Page three held a similar picture. Her mother’s stomach bigger still.

The next page was much the same.

And so it went on.

“Your parents look so happy Liz.”

“I know,” she said with eagerness. “It’s been so long…I was starting to forget what they look like. God,” she trailed off. “My father must have taken the pictures.”

“Why?”

She laughed. “Because, they’re all out of focus. He was always so horrible at photography. My mom always took pictures at birthdays and parties. My dad couldn’t even turn it on without her help.”

“Sounds like my dad,” Max offered.

“Look how big she’s getting. December 15th, 1980. She’s seven months.”

They were nearing the final three pages. And as Liz turned the page, her hands started trembling again.

Nancy was standing, showing her profile to the camera. Her stomach had gown to full term. Nine months.

She read the note accompanying the photo. “February 15th, 1981. Any day now.”

“She doesn’t look so happy,” Max said.

“No, I would think not. She’s probably wanting the baby out as soon as possible. Either that or my father made some smart ass comment.”

Her grin resurfaced. Max only chuckled.


She turned another page.

Her throat couldn’t work. Her eyes clouded with renewed tears.

A baby. A newborn baby with a shriveled face and wrapped in warm blankets.

James Connor Parker. February 20th, 1981.

“Liz…” Max said dumbfounded. A brother?

Her breathing became erratic. Her chest heaved with pain. She hurt all over, inside and out. There was a ball of tension in her throat now, nearly suffocating her.

What did this mean?

“Liz, you have a brother?” Even as he asked the question, he could feel the alarm in him…and her. It didn’t seem to be real.

“I…I guess I do. But…” She shook her head wildly in disbelief. “Why would they say anything? Why would they tell me I have a brother!”

Max rubbed her back, and shook his head. “I don’t know.”

She ran her hand through her hair, and stared hard at the brother she never knew.

He could feel her start to tremble, and brought his hands to encircle her, giving her his warmth.

“Why would they lie to me? They never said anything. They never said I had a brother! And where is he? Where has he been for the last twenty two years!” She sat the photo album on the ground by her feet and buried her face in her hands.

“My whole life is a lie,” she said miserably.

Max felt nearly as helpless as she did. He didn’t have any answers. He didn’t have anything to offer her in resolution. Only his love.

He gathered her into his arms, and she came willingly. She clung to him as she cried, the sobs that she had trapped in her chest bubbling to the surface.

“Liz…shhh. There has to be a reason. Something must have happened. Are you sure you never remember him? Think back. What’s you’re earliest memory?”

“My fifth birthday. I had a Cinderella cake.”

A crooked grin threatened to form on Max’s lips. “Is that as far back as you can remember?”

She nodded against his chest.

Liz pulled back, roughly rubbing the tear tracks from her face. “What does it mean Max?”

He didn’t have an answer. So he shrugged his shoulders.

“Is that the end of the album?” he asked, trying to give her something to go on. He knew for a fact that she would never stop until she had answers, and they only had so much time to work with.

“Um, no. I think there’s one more page.”

“Well, let’s check it out. Maybe it’s the answer.”

She nodded in agreement, finally over her crying spell thanks to Max’s embrace. Liz shifted in his lap, leaning her back against his chest and pulled her knees up. The album was laid against them.

“Last page,” she said.

And what she saw didn’t give her the answers she wanted. Quite the opposite in fact.

Her heart seemed to stop in her chest.

“Oh God.”

Max didn’t have to ask. He saw it, too.

The words Death Certificate burned holes in his eyes.

[truman11883]

Long awaited, thanks for putting up with me...






Chapter 24

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“So? Who is she?”

Alex inwardly groaned at the question he knew had been riding on the tip of Maria’s tongue since they had resumed their journey to Roswell.

He loved her dearly…really, he did. But sometimes Maria could be too much. And this was one of those times.

Right now all he wanted to do was sit back, let the miles tick away, and remember every sweet curve of Gen’s face, every glorious inch of her skin, every delicious taste of her lips…

“Alex! Spill it right now!”

“Maria, please. Not now.”

“What do you mean, ‘not now’?” she sputtered. “You make out with some strange girl and you act like its no big deal? Are you crazy?!”

Alex turned in his seat to look at her. “One, it is a big deal. Two, she’s not some ‘strange girl’. And three, we were not making out. We were…” he struggled to find the right words. “We were…getting to know each other.”

Maria looked at him incredulously, obviously not believing a word he had said. Getting to know each other? Yeah right.

Before she could utter another word, Michael spoke up. “If that’s how you get to know people, leave me the hell alone.”

“Alex, she’s a complete stranger! You just met her not two hours ago,” Maria continued, pretending not to have heard her boyfriend’s comment.

“That doesn’t matter Maria! I feel like I’ve known her a lot longer.”

“I just want you to be careful, okay? Do you not see how fast the two of you are moving?” Alex scoffed, but she continued uninterrupted. “I mean, we leave you alone for fifteen minutes to order breakfast and then suddenly you’re already head over heels for a runaway. That’s a little out of left field.”

“I know,” Alex sighed, sagging his shoulders in the front seat. He did know. And for the first time in his life, he didn’t care anymore. He didn’t care about getting the best grades or always doing the right thing. It didn’t matter to him what he did or didn’t have in his life, because without Gen, he wouldn’t have anything. Nothing would be worthwhile. Nothing would be special. But how do you explain that to someone who didn’t understand? How do you explain that without sounding like a complete idiot?

“I’m glad you’re happy, Alex,” Maria continued quietly. “Really, I am. But…I just want you to be careful. There are a million things you don’t know about her. And a million things she doesn’t know about you. I don’t want to see you get your heart broken again.”

He nodded absently. He really would rather not talk about the obstacles he and Gen would face in the coming weeks and months. He’d rather focus on the good things…like being able to see her everyday. Maybe sharing a few classes together. Anything, as long as she didn’t leave for good.

“Well, how about this…” Alex said hesitantly. “How about you spend a few hours getting to know her. Then you’ll see what I see.”

Maria considered this, and then quickly agreed. “Alright. When?”

Alex gave a sheepish look to Michael and then Maria. “I hope you guys don’t mind a fourth passenger on the drive back.”

“Alex!”

He gave an innocent look. “What? She needed a ride.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

By the time they arrived in Roswell, Liz and Max had already closed and locked the storage shed. The two were sitting on the pavement, Max’s arm around Liz’s shoulders. She had stopped crying long ago, and was currently staring off into space, lost in her thoughts.

Max hadn’t tried talking to her, instead just holding her and giving her his strength. He knew she wouldn’t be much for conversation. When something that big is uncovered, people tend to shut down for a while, reflect silently. That’s what Liz was doing now, he had realized. Trying to come to grips with the past she hadn’t known about. The past her parents had hidden from her.

Maria approached her first, wondering what her best friend as clutching to her chest. She was happy to see her friend, but her jubilation was short lived when she noticed the tears in Liz’s eyes. She approached cautiously, as one would a frightened or injured animal. And Liz did look wounded…on the inside.

“Sorry we’re late. We stopped for breakfast,” Michael offered.

“Liz?” When Liz didn’t respond, Maria tried again. “Liz, what is it? What do you have?”

“I had a brother,” she said softly, her averted gaze continuing its numb stare.

Max sighed deeply and hugged her closer. The three newcomers didn’t know how to respond, so they remained silent.

Liz continued, “He died three months after he was born. A heart condition. His name was James. The buried him at the old cemetery outside of town.”

“I didn’t know,” Maria whispered, softly shaking her head in wonder. She was now kneeling in front of Liz. Alex and Michael stood behind her.

Liz looked down to the photo album in her hand, and then the piece of paper she clutched tightly. “Me neither.” Her eyes rose to Maria’s as she extended the document. “I didn’t know.”

Maria took the paper and read it quickly. What could possibly make Liz so frightened and sad all at once? The knowledge that she at one time had a brother would have been a happy discovery; even with knowing he had died. Her parents had never told her, but that was probably out of their grief, never wanting to talk about the baby that never had a chance to live.

Maria had always wanted a sibling, and if she had found that at one time she had had a brother or a sister, she would have clung to that and found solace in it. But Liz didn’t look comforted.

She looked haunted.

State of New Mexico…Bill Gordon & Associates…Adoption Proceedings…Baby Jane Doe

“Adoption?”

“They…they found me in a supermarket,” Liz explained. “The police came and took me to an orphanage. They said…n-no one reported me missing. They contacted an adoption agency and Jeff and Nancy Parker…my parents were selected for temporary placement. I was three.”

A shuddered breath barreled through her before she continued. “I don’t remember. The…the doctor’s report said my amnesia was due to a trauma, that I’m blocking it out. Possible physical abuse. I was officially adopted eighteen months later.”

A tear escaped and trickled down her pale cheek. “Why wouldn’t they tell me, Maria?”

“I don’t know sweetie. I don’t know.”

Max lifted her to her feet and Maria engulfed her in a hug, Alex close behind.

Michael stood back uncomfortably. Tears weren’t his forte. Neither was emotion. He figured the best thing he could do was hang back and not say something stupid, which he was known to do. But he had a feeling that Max wouldn’t appreciate his unique sense of humor right now.

“So…” Max said, watching as the three friends consoled each other.

“Yeah.” Michael scratched his ear, before blurting out, “You never make it easy, do you Maxwell?” Damn. There went his mouth again. He was spending too much time with Maria.

Max just sighed in response. No, he supposed he didn’t do anything easily. Not where Liz was concerned. But then, that somehow made it more worthwhile. Nothing was worth it if it wasn’t hard, if you didn’t struggle or fight for it.

He found himself incredibly tired all of a sudden. The day had been taxing, both physically and emotionally. And they still had a long drive back to campus, plus another week of school before Thanksgiving break.

He braced himself for the battles he knew were going to come.

[truman11883]

I'm sorry I haven't been updating like I promised. I've had health problems for the last three weeks, and have been in and out of doctors' offices. Its not resolved yet, and until then I can't guarantee that I'll update. If I do find some free time, I will write and post. I haven't forgotten, I promise.

Thanks so much for your patience.

~Sarah