Roswell Fanatics

Title: Alone

Author: EmmyAwards

Theme Song: Alone by Emily Chai Kym
(Lyrics are on the first post, Song can be downloaded from this http://www.emilychaikym.tk

Feedback: First story ever written and I suck at writing, but some feedback would be appreciated.

Sorry it's been sooo long guys and sorry the chapter is so crap...

**********


Song For Part Twenty One: Home by Abra Moore

Hey what's your name?
Do you live around here?
Don't I know your face?
You say I've been a stranger for too long
Well I didn't even notice I was gone

And I want to come back home
Show me the way to make a start
Show me the road back to your heart
And I've learnt the only truth I need to know
There's a million places I can go
But without you it ain't home

Please say what I need to here you say
Say I'm thoughtless and foolish
But say its not too late
Now I don't know exactly where we go from here
Trying is the only way we'll know

And I want to come back home
Show me the way to make a start
Show me the road back to your heart
And I've learnt the only truth I need to know
There's a million places I can go
But without you it ain't home

It ain't hopeless please believe me
Don't give up cos we're halfway there
We're at the crossroads in the middle
Between hope between despair
All we need is some direction
Let me know you're there for me
Cos where you are is where I'll be

Show me the way to make a start
Show me the road back to your heart
And I've learnt all the truth that I need to know
There's a million places I can go
But without you it ain't home

No it ain't home


**********


Part Twenty One

“OMG” Maria said panicked. They immediately got up and ran to the door, opening it up to reveal the two figures. The one at the front stepped forward, her face coming into the light.

“Help us. Help her” the girl gasped looking up at them pleadingly. Without another thought, Kyle and Max helped them up and got them inside. The girl moved forward quickly, wincing in pain, as she helped the other figure, still hidden by a large blanket.

“Are the Parkers here?” she asked. Maria looked at her in surprise.

“Uh… they’re out of town for the week” she said dumbly.

“Good. We have to get her upstairs to a bed quickly” she said moving towards the back door.

“Here let me” Kyle said as he picked the girl up. She hid her face in his chest so they were still unable to tell who she was. The girl behind her refused requests from the rest of them to help her and motioned them away.

“I’m not important. I need towels, warm clothes, hot water, blankets, I need them now” she said demandingly. They all complied swiftly, although they did not know why. The girl ran up towards Liz’s bedroom where Kyle laid the moaning figure down. The cloak shifted off her head and he gasped in surprise.

“OMG you guys its LIZ!” he yelled in surprise. The others ran quickly to her room to see that lying on the bed was indeed, one Elizabeth Anne Parker.

“Liz” Max breathed.

“Ah!” she screamed in agony.

“Liz!” he said more urgently and moved towards her. She screamed, clawing at him as she attempted to get away.

“Who are you? Serena? Serena?” she cried. Max moved back hurt clearly showing on his face. The mysterious girl crouched by her side and began to whisper, trying to comfort her.

“What happened there?” Isabel asked noticing the blood flowing from Liz’s arm.

“We got shot at” the girl replied.

“What? Again?” Maria exclaimed. “Liz what is it with you and getting shot? Anyone would think you enjoy it.”

“Let me look at it” Max said moving forward to Liz. She buried her head into Serena and grabbed her tightly.

“Serena… who’s that?” she asked clutching at the girl.

“That’s Max dearie” Serena replied, causing Liz to look at her in confusion.
“That’s not Max” Liz stated. The others looked at her in confusion. How could she not know that was Max? Max looked at Liz with a mixture of hurt, sadness and confusion in his amber eyes.

“No, this is YOUR Max. My sister Maxie, she’s gone to Seattle, remember? To be with Logan” Serena corrected her.

“Where’s Alec?”

“He’s coming soon. He’s making sure its safe” she said stroking Liz’s hair. She looked down at Liz’s wound, which was bleeding profusely after all the jolting she had been given as Serena made her way to the Crashdown.

“Can you heal it?” she asked looking at Max. Max looked startled; it was obvious she knew about them then if she was asking that. Without a word he moved to Liz’s side and began to place his hand over the wound.

“No leave me alone!” Liz shrieked panicked. Max felt another stab going through his heart. She didn’t want him near her, she didn’t even seem to remember her.

“Liz he won’t hurt you, and if he tries anything I’ll kick his ass, you know I will,” the girl, Serena said reassuringly. Liz slowly nodded.

“I need you to look at me Liz” he said to her quietly. She turned her two luminous eyes at him scared and in pain. He took a deep breath and began to focus his healing powers into her arm. He felt the heat radiate from his palm as the flashes began to transfer between the two of them through the connection.

*flash*

“Liz, LIZ! You have to look at me. You have to look at me.”

*flash*

“I'm gonna have to touch your hair...cuz it's so soft...and I'd have to tell you that...no matter what we go through, it's all worthwhile for me because we're together.”

*flash*

“You're my dream girl, Liz.”

“And what if I believe you tonight?”

“ Then we live happily ever after.”

“And then what about tomorrow...when you go back to realizing who you really are, and all of your fantasies go away.”

“ I'll still have you.”

“This can never be normal, Max.”

“What's so great about normal?”

*flash*

Liz, when I was in that room, and they did what they did to me. You're what kept me alive. The thought of you. The way your eyes look into mine. Your smile. The touch of your skin. Your lips. Knowing you has made me human. Whether I die tomorrow or fifty years from now, my destiny is the same: it's you. I want to be with you, Liz. I love you.

*flash*

This isn't about Tess. It's about you and me. You think I'm gonna forget about you or get over it or something, but...but I'm not. I don't...I don't care about my destiny or my planet or anything else. All I care about is you. So just know this...I'm coming for you, Liz.

*flash*

Max, you can't stop what's happening to you. I mean, your life will always be dangerous, but my life, it doesn't have to be. My life is only in danger if I am with you. I...I want to be in love with boys...normal boys. I...I want to see my 21st birthday. I...I want to have a wedding day. I...I...I want to have children...and I want my children to be safe. You know, Max, if...if you truly love me, you'll let me go. I may love you, but I...I don't want to die for you.”

*flash*

“Max” Liz breathed.

“Are you ok?” he asked her gently. She nodded and turned to Serena.

“I remember Serena, I remember!” she exclaimed.

“How?” Serena asked incredulously.

“The flashes. Max and I always get flashes from each other when we’re connected. It made me remember… everything,” she said, her face falling. The others stood there slightly confused.

“What do you mean… everything?” Isabel asked.

“I remember how you all hated me for thinking that Alex was murdered. I remember how you all tried to stop me from finding out the truth. I remember that you” she said pointing to Max “threatened to end our friendship if I continued with my quest.” “I remember how my best friend didn’t believe me.” “I remember how when everyone else had someone to turn to… I didn’t. And mostly, I remember that I waited for months for you to find me.” Everyone was silent, guilt running through their bodies.

“Liz…” Isabel began when Liz screamed as an iridescent blue liquid started seeping onto the bedspread.

“What the hell…” Michael began

“Oh” Liz moaned “Serena I think my water broke”

“Water broke? She’s PREGNANT?” Maria exclaimed in disbelief.

Title: Alone

Author: EmmyAwards

Theme Song: Alone by Emily Chai Kym
(Lyrics are on the first post, Song can be downloaded from this http://www.emilychaikym.tk

Feedback: First story ever written and I suck at writing, but some feedback would be appreciated.

Sorry it's been sooo long guys and sorry the chapter is so crap...

**********


Song For Part Twenty Two: Find My Way Back by Michelle Branch

I used to get away with so much
Now I can't get away
I even thought that it was simple
To say the things I wanted to say
And you told me
Everything I wanted to hear
And you sold me
Now I don't know how I should feel
I should know me
And baby you would think I'd know better oh oh yeah

I'm finding my way back to you
And everything I used to be
And waiting is all that I can do
Until you find your way back to me

What if I said what I was thinking
What if that says too much
When everybody's got a reason
I feel like giving up

And you told me
Everything I wanted to hear
And you sold me
Now I don't know how I should feel
I should know me
And baby you would think I'd know better… oh woo

I'm finding my way back to you
And everything I used to be
And waiting is all that I can do
Until you find your way back to me
Until you find your way back to me
Oh until you find your way back to me

I used to get away with so much

I'm finding my way back to you
And everything I used to be
And waiting is all that I can do
Until you find your way back to me… yeah… ho whoo oh… yeah… oh

And waiting is all that I can do
Until you find your way back to me… oh
I used to get away with so much


**********


Previously...

“Oh” Liz moaned “Serena I think my water broke”

“Water broke? She’s PREGNANT?” Maria exclaimed in disbelief.


Part Twenty Two

“Is that why you look and weigh like a heifer cow?” Kyle remarked. Liz glared at him, and he was awarded a punch in the face which sent him sprawling to the floor unconscious. Serena glowered at him.

“Now unless anyone knows anything about babies I suggested you move out of here and give her some room.” Serena said pushing people away from the bed. Everyone quickly obeyed, not wanting to end up like Kyle except Max who was taken with horrible visions of Liz having sex with someone else like he had thought she did with Kyle, or even worse, that she had been raped.

“Why is her water glowing?” Maria said panicking.

“Because she’s having alien twins” Serena said as though it was a normal occurrence.

“A what!” Isabel exclaimed. “How is that possible? Are you saying there are other aliens out there?”

“They’re Max’s.” Liz said through gritted teeth as she bore down again. Serena took over the explanation from Liz as she instructed Liz to breathe deeply.

“When Max was captured they collected some sperm samples. These were mixed with Liz’s eggs in a test tube and implanted back into her uterus. Invitro fertilisation.”

“So these babies are mine” Max said in awe. Serena nodded.

“So do you want to be useful and help the mother?” she said. Max moved beside Liz and held her hand as she gripped it painfully.

“I’m right here Liz, I won’t leave you.”

“You did before” she said quietly before turning her concentration back to pushing.

“Come on Liz I can see a baby head keep pushing hard!” Serena said as the others stood around dumbfounded. A moment later a cry was heard followed by another one a few minutes later.

“Congratulations Liz, you’ve got your little boy and girl.” Serena said handing Liz a child and Max another. Max stared down at the little girl in his arms. She was so perfect, just like a mini Liz. Likewise Liz looked at the little boy in her arms, a mini Max right down to the little sticking out ears.

“They’re beautiful” she said through tears. She felt utterly exhausted like she’d been hit by a Mack truck two times over.

“What are you going to call them Liz?” Serena asked. Names were important to her, as long ago she had simply been a designation, a person with a barcode. Liz looked at Max. She had picked the names long ago, but now seeing him again, she wasn’t sure if it was fair for her to choose them without his permission.

“I don’t mind whatever name you choose Liz. I wasn’t there for them like you were, it’s only right you get to choose.”

“Well…” she began, “I want to call them Alexander Zachary Evans and Claudia Eva Evans. After Alex, and my Grandma, and after your siblings Serena.”

“Thankyou” Serena choked out. She was so touched that Liz had honoured their memories in that way. “You better sleep you look terrible” she said trying to lighten the moment.

“Gee thanks” Liz remarked tiredly sticking out her tongue. They left the room to let Liz sleep, Serena and Max carrying out the two new bundles of joy.

“Guys I’d like to introduce you to Alexander Zachary Evans and Claudia Eva Evans” Max said proudly displaying his newborn children to the rest of the gang. Maria and Isabelle squealed, causing the now conscious Kyle to groan in pain. Michael rolled his eyes, but shot a congratulatory smile to Max.

“Congratulations man” he said patting Max on the back.

“Isn’t it just like a man to take all the credit when the woman does all the hard work!” Serena scowled at them.

“Amen to that sister!” Maria agreed raising her fists in the air. They smiled at each other and Serena felt a liking towards the girl.

“How’s Liz?” Isabel asked in a concerned tone.

“She’s out like a light. Giving birth isn’t easy, and she’s been through an awful lot lately” she said pointedly.

“We’re really sorry” Isabel said. Serena shook her head

“Don’t tell me, I’m not the one who was waiting for you to show up.” Serena said.

“NO!!! LEAVE ME ALONE!! I DON’T KNOW ANYTHING!! I DON’T KNOW ANYTHING!!” came a scream from Liz’s room.

“Liz!” Max said in an urgent breath. He handed Claudia to Michael and took off running for the bedroom, with the rest of the pod squad close behind.

“Uh… Max… uh guys… what do I do with this thing? Guys?!..... Nice thing…. Don’t cry whatever you do please…” Michael could be heard saying as they entered her room.

“No! Please!” Liz screamed in her sleep, thrashing about wildly, sending pillows, blankets and anything else nearby crashing to the floor.

“Liz its ok its me Max” he said trying to wake her up.

“NO!!!” she screamed rising up and holding onto him fiercely. He put his arms around her as she sobbed against his chest. She felt different in his arms. He had never thought that she could be any skinnier than she had been, but she was. Thinner, more delicate, more broken than he had ever known before. God, I know I’ve never really believed in you, but please, please let Liz be alright… he prayed silently.

“It’s okay Liz, I’m here” he said soothingly, stroking her long brown hair.

“No! No, it’s not okay!” she said pushing him away from her. “I WAITED[\i], for you to come and rescue me, and everyday you didn’t turn up broke my heart a little more. Now I know you’re the father of my children, and I’m not going to deprive you from seeing them and being with them, but right now I just can’t handle seeing any of you. So will you all please leave” she said angrily and forcefully.

“Liz… we’re sorry…” Maria began, but Liz cut her off.

“GET OUT! GET OUT ALL OF YOU!! JUST GET OUT!!” she screamed at them. She grabbed Serena’s arm and took Alex out of her arms. Serena took a fighting stance and said to them all icily.

“You all have to leave now. You can either leave quickly and quietly now or I can move you by force.” Shocked and silent Isabel and Maria left, helping Kyle out with them. Max stood there numb and Michael stumbled in after the girls had gone.

“Um… the girls said they were leaving and I don’t know what to do with this” he said indicating the sleeping baby in his arms. He had an awkward look on his face and was hopping about from foot to foot. Serena took Claudia from his arms and stepped back.

“Liz” Max said his voice and his eyes pleading for her to let him stay.

“GET. OUT.” She said slowly and deliberately. The anger in her voice noticeably reined back.

“Max, come on” Michael said gently taking his arm and leading him towards the door. He had seen what the scary girl had done to Kyle, and there was no way he was going to let her do that to Max.

“LIZ!!!!!!!” Max shouted as he was dragged out of the door by Michael, his arms outstretched towards her. Liz turned her face to the window, tears streaming from her eyes as the knife in her heart stabbed deeper.

Title: Alone

Author: EmmyAwards

Theme Song: Alone by Emily Chai Kym
(Lyrics are on the first post, Song can be downloaded from this http://emmy.will.id.au

Feedback: First story ever written and I suck at writing, but some feedback would be appreciated.

Sorry it's been sooo long guys and sorry the chapter is so crap... been awhile. I will try to get another chapter up as soon as I can.

**********

Song For Part Twenty Three: You Weren't There by Lene Marlin

She came home, just won the game
Long time struggle she fulfilled her dream
All she wanted was to make you proud,
You weren't there

He had his birthday few days ago
He got some presents, a big party too
And there were congratulation calls
As the years before, not ever one from you

You weren't there, distant, far away
It's like this every day, they see you in their heads
Wonder if you'll come
Afraid to close their eyes, and miss you once again

She cut herself on a piece of paper
It didn't hurt, but she saw the blood
She could need that embrace, you weren't there

Did he have to cry louder,
Would that make you hear him
You see, his heart was broken, for the first time

You weren't there, distant, far away
It's like this every day, they see you in their heads
Wonder if you'll come
Afraid to close their eyes, and miss you once again

Cannot turn back time, a wish yet to come true
They're making up these stories about you

You weren't there, distant, far away
It's like this every day, they see you in their heads
Wonder if you'll come
Afraid to close their eyes, and miss you once again


**********


Part Twenty Three

“I can’t believe she’s back” Maria exclaimed to Kyle. He nodded groggily nursing the icepack to his throbbing head. He would have loved for Max to heal him, but right now Max was too preoccupied with worrying about Liz. How she hated him and how she had been pregnant with children. His children.

“Hey how’s Liz?” Isabel asked standing up suddenly as Serena entered the Parker’s living room.

“She’s resting with the twins if you really care to know.” Serena replied haughtily walking towards the bathroom.

“Excuse me how dare you speak to me like that. We tried to look for her and she didn’t want to be found!” Isabel said raising her voice.

“No you’re wrong. She was waiting for you to find her. She kept waiting and waiting and waiting until we busted out. So don’t try to excuse yourself because I don’t want to hear it. As far as I’m concerned Liz was waiting for you to appear and I don’t know maybe Max forgot about her because he was getting too close to some blonde bitch she told me about or whatever but bottom line – YOU GUYS DIDN’T COME.” Serena hissed.

“You’re right about that” Maria snorted “Max slept with Tess.”

“So I was right. While Liz was busy being kidnapped you and your sha boing boing were getting busy with some intergalactic skank?” She spat. Max stood there hanging his head in shame.

“It was a mistake” he began but she interrupted him, not finished with her spiel, reminding Michael of Maria on her crazy outbursts. Liz sure knows how to pick them he thought.

“Oh a mistake. What’s the matter, couldn’t keep your ants in your pants? Your dick just mistakenly fell into her?” Serena said sarcastically.

“I’m sorry” he said defeated.

“Don’t. Don’t apologise to me. Liz went through hell because of you. Now I want all of you to leave her alone do you hear me? I don’t care if you’re the father of her children because as far as I am concerned you weren’t there for her. Not like I was, or my sister Maxie or Alec or even Joshua. NONE of you were. You weren’t there to hold back her hair and comfort her while she puked up time after time and you weren’t there to hold her when she cried, wondering where these people she said loved her were. Do you even wonder why she didn’t remember you when she arrived? It’s because she lost her memory. It’s because I taught her how to forget. Why? So she could protect YOU. So while you stand there and say to yourself ‘oh but we did look for her’ you weren’t there to help pick up the pieces of her fragile mind after she’d been through another round of torture, just to get out the information of where and who you were. You might have saved her life that day in the Crashdown Max, but what kind of life did you give her. It’s not really her life anymore is it? She had dreams; she wanted to go to bloody Harvard, whatever the hell that is. Now she’s a teenage mother who’s on the run from people who want to experiment, torture and kill her. All because of you.” Max and the others were silent. None of them had bothered to inquire what Liz had gone through. Max shivered flashbacks of what he had endured in the White Room flooding back to him. He had sworn to himself that he would never let another one of his friends be harmed in that way, especially Liz. Somewhere from that moment in time to now it had all fallen apart. Alex was dead. Max didn’t know whether or not it really had been a suicide or not, but with Liz’s evidence he was begin to waver on his original stance. They hadn’t even bee looking for his killer, too preoccupied with finding Liz. Liz. She had been taken and possibly subject to what he had been through in the White Room or worse. The worst thing was that where they had all gone out to look for Max and HAD found him. They had given up looking for Liz. They never found her, she had found them.

“Will she ever forgive me?” he whispered, mostly to himself, but catching the attention of some genetically enhanced ears.

“Liz is a saint. She might forgive you. If I were her, I’d squish you like a bug. That being said, she’s been through so much, she might never be the Liz you knew again so she might just not forgive you. I know that Liz will let you see the children unless she thinks you’re a danger to them, otherwise I’m pretty sure she’d let you get to know them seeing they are half yours.”

“Please let her forgive me” Max prayed.

Title: Alone

Author: EmmyAwards

Theme Song: Alone by Emily Chai Kym
(Lyrics are on the first post, Song can be downloaded from this http://www.emmy.will.id.au

Feedback: First story ever written and I suck at writing, but some feedback would be appreciated.

Sorry it's been sooo long guys and sorry the chapter is so crap... I'm kinda in a rut at the moment.

**********


Chapter Twenty Four


“Mama!” A little girl cried happily. Liz could see the girl’s long silky brown hair swing up and down as she jumped into her mother’s arms. She couldn’t see the face of the mother but she could see the little girl. She had a cute button nose and fair skin. The most startling thing of all, noticed Liz were her eyes. Swirls of amber mixed with brown, a most unusual colour, more so than Max’s. The door to the house swung open and she could see a little hand pop through the door waving at the girl and her mother. Then a little boy with dark brown hair and big doe eyes like her own appeared. Carrying the little boy on his back, she noticed was a man. Max. He hugged the woman and then released her laughing, the woman turned around and…it was her…

Liz woke with a start, her body aching with exhaustion from the night’s events. The births of her son and daughter. HER children. It brought her back to the dream, she wondered if it was really just that, a dream. Her dreams had never been so vivid in detail before, this one making every other dream she had seem like comparing black and white next to technicolour, they were lacklustre and unexciting. This gave her chills, it was her ultimate fantasy, to raise children with Max…. Max. She was still hurt by the fact that he hadn’t come looking for her. She didn’t know what to make of them all, she couldn’t decide if she was angry or sad or both. She looked around for Serena and saw her sitting in her desk chair by the window cradling one of the babies in her arms.

“Hi little Claudia, I’m Serena. I’m a good friend of your mummy. She loves you very much and so do I. I’m sure your dad will too, once he gets his head around it all. I just want you to know that I’m going to protect you and make sure you get the best life ever, the life I never got to live. Now I don’t know much about this world, and to tell you the truth I’m scared, but don’t worry we can find out about this world together.” Liz smiled sadly. She’d forgotten that Serena had never been beyond the gates of Manticore before, at least not in this capacity. How scared must she be? For Liz, coming home made her scared too, it left her with a lot of answers to give. Where was she?, How come she was back?, Whose children where they?, What was going to happen to them? Everyone would be pointing fingers at her. The prodigy child of Roswell, destined to go for Harvard. Now she was just another statistic on the teen pregnancy map. She knew from Maria’s mum what the town would react like and it wasn’t so pretty. It had taken Amy Deluca a long time to be able to hold her head high in the town again, to not worry about the constant stares or jibes she was being given. Liz didn’t know if she could do that, be as strong as Amy.


**********

Max dragged himself tiredly into his room and flung himself onto the bed. He just wanted to dig himself into a hole there and never come out. He could hear the bedsprings creaking as Isabel sat beside him and tried to talk to his blanket cocoon as she had done often in the past few months.

“Max it wasn’t your fault” Isabel said. Max didn’t answer her. “It was a mistake that we all made, we ALL made. I don’t think that stupid bitch had any right to say anything that she did. Liz would have died along time ago if it hadn’t been for you.”

“And what kind of life did I give her? A life of lying to her parents, running of in the middle of the night to search for some alien thing, running for her life from the FBI, being kidnapped by some sickos and tortured for information about us, being impregnated against her will to carry a child? Serena was right. I ruined her life Isabel.”

“No” she grabbed his hand forcefully. “You GAVE her life. Max if you hadn’t helped Liz, she would have died that day on the Crashdown floor. Many good things came from you saving her Max. You opened yourself up, you became a better brother. Michael found Maria, I found Alex, You had Liz, and we finally found friends we could trust. People who we could tell the truth and they still treated us as normal, as people and more importantly as friends. I always wanted that Max, I know I came off as the Ice Queen, but that was to protect us. Deep down I’ve always wanted to be able to confide in someone. You gave all of us that.”

“Ok” Max agreed. “But I think now, the best thing I can do is stay away from her before I hurt her more.”

“But Max! What about your children? They are your children every much as Liz’s” Max looked at her.

“Are they really Isabel? Are they really? It wasn’t as though Liz and I slept together to make them, or I was there to help her through her pregnancy. I was pretty much like a sperm donor at a sperm bank. They don’t get to know their children. Besides it’s safer if I don’t go near them. I ruined Liz’s life already Is, I’m not going to do the same to my children. I won’t put them in the kind of danger that I put Liz through. Not now. Not ever.”

“Max…” Isabel pleaded.

“No. This discussion is over Isabel.” Isabel got up and headed towards the door.

“Don’t count on it.” She said turning her head to him before walking away.

Title: Alone

Author: EmmyAwards

Theme Song: Alone by Emily Chai Kym
(Lyrics are on the first post, Song can be downloaded from this http://www.emilyck.com

Feedback: First story ever written and I suck at writing, but some feedback would be appreciated.

Sorry it's been sooo long guys and sorry the chapter is so crap... I felt like being good for once and posting.... thankyou for being patient.

**********

Chapter Twenty Five



Serena ran gracefully across the rooftops of Roswell taking caution not to be seen. Even though Roswell could be considered a tiny town, it was huge for her, the impact of freedom putting everything under a magnifying glass. She was free. She could walk where she wanted, say what she wanted, dress the way she wanted, sleep, and do whatever she wanted. It was a scary yet exciting thought for her. Briefly, she wondered how her siblings had coped when they first escaped. They were much younger that she had been, it would have been much more difficult. Not only that but they had been alone by themselves to fend off whatever nomalies and evils existed in the world outside. She had escaped with her family and with Liz, and she had travelled all this way with her mind on keeping Liz and her babies safe, too preoccupied on her mission than on focusing on her lack of restriction. Her mind wandered back to Liz. Poor sweet, brave Liz… she had given up so much and had been given so little. Abandoned and betrayed, and she didn’t even really know to what extent yet. Should she tell Liz of Max’s infidelity? Serena was unsure if it was her place to tell Liz, she didn’t know how things worked out here in the big wide world.

She sighed and swung herself down back to the Parker’s house. The pod squad had returned even though Liz refused to see them. Michael and Maria were asleep on the couch, Michael’s arms protectively wrapped around Maria as they slept. Isabel and Kyle quietly played a game of poker while curled up on the other couch. Max was sitting next to the window in an armchair, sometimes looking at the street below, and other times staring at the brown wood that made up Liz’s bedroom door. She could see them starting to get tired. Max was close to exhaustion from being put through the emotionally wringer. She had given him a good whopping… she knew exactly what to say because she had practiced the speech so many times over in her head for her own family before she had known what had happened.

“Serena” Max said as he began to walk towards her. She immediately tensed up ready to fight. Years of conditioning had left her permanently ready to attack with a second’s notice.

“Thank you.” Huh? Serena thought. He just thanked me?

“Why are you thanking me for?” she asked her inner senses going haywire. Max looked down at the floor and then looked back up at her with his amber eyes full of regret and apology.

“Everything you said… before… you were right. I know that once Liz finds out everything that has happened, she will probably never want to see me again, or forgive me… she probably feels that way now. But…” he continued. “You bringing her back to me… to us… words cannot express how thankful I am for you doing that. You have my eternal gratitude and… well if there is anything I can ever do for you, I’m in your debt.” Serena reeled from the words that he had just spoke. She had spent her whole life living in Manticore, never knowing what real kindness was, other than those she had witnessed from her family. But that was because they had been her brothers and sisters, it was a family thing. This guy, he wasn’t family to Liz yet he loved her and he cared for her. Even though he had screwed up royally, he seemed like a really nice guy.

“Well… I did it for Liz, not for you.” She said trying to regain composure. Feeling highly uncomfortable Serena ducked outside again to look out at the stars.


**********


Maria awoke from the sound of the window being opened. Yawning she untangled herself from Michael hoping not to wake him. He grunted and turned in his sleep, making Isabel laugh quietly as she carefully painted Kyle’s nails a bright pink. Kyle unbeknown to him had fallen asleep on the couch leaving his nails at the mercy of Isabel’s boredom. Maria looked about for Max. He was sitting in the chair in a corner of the room, staring out the window at the sky. She heard a sound coming from Liz’s bedroom and decided to go inside.

“Liz?” she whispered cautiously opening the door slightly. She peered in to see Liz cradling her daughter in her arms singing her sweetly back to sleep. She looked up noticing Maria.

“Maria…” she said

“Liz… can I come in?” Liz was silent for a moment, making Maria think she would turn her down. She had every reason to, Maria supposed, after all what kind of best friend had she been lately?

“Ok” Liz said finally, surprising Maria. She timidly sat down on the bed near Liz and looked upon her friend.

“I’ve missed you, you know. I’m really sorry I was such a crappy friend. But… we did try to look for you. Max… he tried to search for you with his mind, and he found you. When he did he could hear you talking, see you in his mind. He said… he said you said stuff that you didn’t want us to find you.”

“That’s not true. I never said that” Liz said. “I waited for you guys to find me… but you never came.”

“I know Liz and believe me we are really sorry. I miss my best friend Liz. I know things can’t go back to the way they used to be, but I really want to be friends with you again. I want to help you with your kids, I want to eat ice cream and gossip like we used too… I…” Maria said crying.

“Maria… I… I don’t hate you. I guess I was mad… I’m still really hurt about this whole situation… but… I miss you too.”

“Really?” Maria said through her tears. “Cos I thought maybe you found a new best friend in Serena.”

“Well…” Liz began “she is a good friend, she’s like a sister to me too, I mean she saved my life. But there is no one as wacky, as insane, as good as a friend as you Maria.”

“Liz!” Maria gushed.

“Come here Maria” Liz said taking Maria’s hand in hers. “I forgive you.”