Roswell Fanatics

Hiya!

I’ve been following this discussion over at the Fanfic Discussion Forum about lurkers... You should really check it out. It’s fun and interesting to read about writers’ and readers’ (mostly lurkers) viewpoint upon feedback. Before I started to write fanfiction myself I never really understood how much feedback really means and it’s difficult for me to tell you just how much your feedback means to me. I just want to tell you that you don’t have to leave lengthy feedback and you don’t have to have very constructive feedback or anything. Of course, I do love the lengthy feedbacks (duh), but I appreciate the short replies too. It makes me see how many that actually read this story and you might not believe it, but it actually makes me write faster. Knowing that there are people out there, waiting for me to update, wanting to read something little ole me is writing – well, that’s just an immense boost for the self-esteem. So, those of you who have lurker tendencies , I’m not forcing you to write feedback, but I just want to tell you that I don’t bite and I’m so happy if I just get a simple “Great part” or even just a bump.

Well, that was all I wanted to say

Now... guys... Big hugs and kisses for the feedback!!

Lelle

BehrObsession

frenchkiss70

Liz

Lynn

Elizabeth

roswelluver

Lilac Stardust

Stephanie

Gigo wrote: Well, that certainly was an ominous ending... And they had been doing so well! *tears out hair* How long do we have to wait for their relationship to get rolling? I don't know how much more of this I can take...

You might find this chapter interesting . It’s heating up a bit and I know that I’m dragging it out – getting Max and Liz together that is – but I’m getting there. Maybe even in the next chapter... Not this one...but the one after that



Chapter 30

“Max!“
As he walked into his bedroom, the sight assailing him made him stop dead in his tracks. Liz was standing in the middle of his bedroom, dressed up for dinner at his parents. She wore a dark burgundy dress that hugged her body like a second skin, softly hugging her hips before widening out and floating around her, shielding her legs. His eyes languidly traced her body, from the thin straps that rested against her delicate shoulders to her thin bare wrists. Her hair was loose, falling softly over her shoulders, making him envy the hair that got to touch her smooth and soft looking skin. A flush to match her dark dress spread over her cheekbones as his hot eyes traced her curves and she shyly ducked her head. He was speechless. He had never seen anything so beautiful before in his life.

“Could you help me with the zipper?“
Her voice was so soft, so timid, that he barely heard it.
He cleared his throat and discreetly wiped his suddenly damp palms against the back of his khaki pants.
“Sure,“ he got out, his voice cracking by uttering only that one-syllable word. He moved towards her, feeling his breathing becoming shallower and the room seemingly heating up around him as he moved into the confines of her scent. It was the sweetest mixture of strawberry and vanilla, reminding him of a fresh breeze in the summer. He came to stand behind her and followed her hand as she pulled her hair into a ponytail, pulling it over her shoulder, to get it out of his way. She angled her head forward, granting him better access. His eyes traced her slender neck, memorized every freckle grazing her skin, his hand unconsciously coming to hover just over her skin. Without being aware of it, he licked his lips, as he imagined tasting her skin with his lips.

Liz closed her eyes and angled her head to the side. She didn’t even care about analyzing what was happening. She could feel him. She could feel him moving over her skin. She could feel his hand brushing against her skin and goose bumps breaking out under his touch. Her breath hitched in her throat and she moaned softly as she felt his lips on her neck, his tongue moving over her sensitive skin. And yet she knew that he hadn’t even touched her.
“Max?“

Max jumped when he heard her soft voice. He looked at his hand hovering over the crook of her neck and took a deep breath in a fruitless attempt to calm the havoc thundering inside his body. To dampen the rush of hot blood in his ears, the ecstatic beating of his heart in his chest. He swallowed and slowly turned his gaze downwards to the base of the zipper. He slowly drank in the sight of her naked skin, the zipper starting just above her caudal vertebra. He took a deep breath and took a hold of the zipper. Her skin was so soft, so perfect, so warm. He lightly brushed his fingers against her naked skin as he pulled the zipper upwards.

Liz felt as though she needed to hold onto something. Her legs felt weak, as though they were turning into cooked spaghetti from the heat emanating from Max’s fingers. Every millimeter they touched her skin, her nerve endings awoke. She could feel herself trembling and something started to grow inside of her. A want. A need. Desire. And it barely cooled down as he removed his hands.
“There you go,“ he said softly, his voice sounding strained to her ears.
“Thanks.“ She didn’t want to move, didn’t want the moment to end. But it did and he stepped away from her.

“So,“ she said, raising her eyes to meet his. She momentarily forgot what she was about to say when she saw the blazing heat in his eyes. The beating of her heart sped up and she unconsciously wetted her lips with the tip of her tongue as she watched his eyes lowering to her mouth.
“So,“ she tried again, “do I look okay?“
Max almost snorted at the absurdity of her question. Nothing could even come close to her beauty tonight. Nothing.
“You look beautiful.“
And it was something about the way he said it, the words softly floating over his lips as though every letter was filled with his love. Combined with the look in his eyes that made her heart flutter in her chest, it made a safe warmth spread over her entire body.

“You...don’t think it’s...too much?“ she stuttered. She was extremely aware of how close he was standing, of how she could literally feel his body heat wrapping around her.
“It’s perfect...you look perfect,“ he answered. She had the strongest urge to taste his lips. To have his strong arms wrap around her waist, pulling her body flush with his. To feel his hands against her naked skin, to feel his mouth sucking on her neck.
“Are you...um…ready to go?“ he asked. She swallowed, trying to push back the overwhelming feelings of just wanting to push him backwards on the bed and make him forget everything about having dinner with his parents. She mentally shook her head in disbelief at her own thoughts. When did she begin to think like that? The answer was instantaneous.

Since Max Evans entered your life.

She wet her lips again and nodded. “Yes. As ready as I’ll ever be.“
Max couldn’t help but think that there was something more behind her words when he gave her one of his half smiles. “Great.“

<center>------------------------------------------------------</center>

“Hi! You must be Liz.“
“Yes,“ she answered, shaking his hand.
“I’m Max’s dad, but you can call me Philip.“
Liz smiled. “Nice to meet you.“
Mr. Evans looked at the petite dark beauty standing in front of him. She wasn’t just beautiful. There was something special about her beauty. There was something in the way she moved, in the way she smiled. Her beauty was almost… otherworldly.
“My pleasure,“ Mr. Evans answered, “It’s not everyday that we have such beautiful company.“
Liz blushed and smiled shyly. “Thank you for inviting me.“
Mr. Evans relieved Liz from her coat and put it on a hanger. “Well, we love to meet all of Max’s friends.“

“Let me show you around,“ Max said, taking Liz’s hand.
Mr. Evans looked after them as they disappeared into the living room. It was the first time Max had taken a girl home to his parents, not counting Maria. But even though Mr. Evans had never seen Max with a girl, Max’s every act, every movement, betrayed his feelings. It was in the way he looked at her. The way his eyes caressed her face and shone every time she smiled. There was no mistaking that Max was in love, deeply in love, with Liz Parker. He felt his wife’s arms go around his waist.
“So, what do you say?“ she asked, resting her chin on his shoulder.
“I think that we can rule out that Max is gay.“
His wife laughed warmly. “You never actually believed that, did you?“

He turned around in his wife’s arms and chuckled. “Actually, the more time that passed, the more Maria’s theories began to make sense. But this,“ he vaguely nodded in the direction of where Max and Liz had taken off, “is something else.“
“Did you see how he looked at her?“
“Yes,“ Philip answered.
“Could this be it? Could this be the one he’s been waiting for?“
“I would not be the least surprised,“ her husband answered, “We Evans men sure know how to pick them.“
Diane snorted and moved out of his arms. “Yeah right.“ But he didn’t miss the smile in her voice.

<center>------------------------------------------</center>

Max opened the door and turned on the ceiling lamp. “And this is Isabel’s room.“
Liz peeked inside. “But she doesn’t still live here, does she?“
“No, only on the weekends when she’s not at school.“
“Oh…So why is it that you don’t study anything?“
“I tried that,“ Max answered.
Liz looked at him, expecting him to elaborate, but when he remained silent she inquisitively raised one of her eyebrows. “And…?“
He shrugged his shoulders. “It wasn’t my thing.“
“Why?“
“It was boring.“

Liz couldn’t stop the laugh from escaping her throat. “Sorry, but I never would’ve guessed you to find studying boring.“
“Really?“ Max taunted.
“Really.“
“Then what exactly did you expect from me?“
She could hear the pounding of her heart in her chest as he leaned closer, their bodies extremely close as they were both standing in the narrow doorway.
Liz casually shrugged her shoulders. “A Ph.D.“
Max chuckled. “That’s a bit prejudicial, Miss Parker.“
“Aha? What about me? What did you expect from me?“
“A Ph.D.,“ Max answered casually.
Liz rolled her eyes. “Exactly my point. Then what stopped you from fulfilling everyone’s expectations?“

“I told you. It was boring.“
“Aww, come on! I wouldn’t believe for a second that you would give up so easily.“
“Actually, it’s a long story,“ Max said, reaching around her to switch off the light. In the process he accidentally brushed against her breast. She lightly gasped at the contact, the energy that had been awakened when he had helped her getting dressed earlier flaring to life again.
“Where’s your room?“ she asked quickly before he had a chance to put words to what had just happened. He swallowed and, not being able to form a sound, pointed wordlessly at the door further down the hall. She nodded slowly and started walking towards the door. His eyes moved down her back, watched how smoothly and lightly she swayed her hips from one side to the next. He groaned in frustration. This was going to be the death of him.

Liz slowly pushed the door open. Somehow it felt somewhat significant that she was to see his bedroom. It was the place where he had grown up. Where he had done his homework, where he had thought, where he had dreamt his dreams. Even before she turned on the lamp she was surrounded by his spicy scent. She found herself deeply inhaling, letting it fill her. Only the scent that was him could fill her with this feeling of security. Only his scent told her that she was protected and looked after. She could feel him stepping up behind her and she turned on the lamp, bathing the room in a soft light. The first thing her eyes landed on was a big bed and her eyes moved to take in a desk, a desk of drawers, and a nightstand. A normal bedroom, but still she felt as comfortable here as the first time she had stepped into Max’s apartment. Max’s presence permeated every object in this room. Every object had somehow been a part of his life.

“It’s not much, but it’s home.“
She smiled as his voice drifted across the few inches between them, his warm breath caressing her neck. She stepped inside the room, her eyes slowly taking it all in.
“You’ve lived here your whole life?“
“Yes...more or less,“ Max answered. Liz frowned at the afterthought in his statement, but decided not to address it.
Her fingers were lightly tracing the surface of his desk as she slowly asked, “What did you dream of?“
“Excuse me?“
She looked up at him, her expression serious. “What did you dream of?“
He didn’t know why he blushed, but her question was so personal... so intimate.
“Normalcy.“
The three-syllable word almost caused her heart to stop. “What do you mean?“ she whispered.
He looked at her, trying to find calmness in her dark eyes. But he didn’t find solace there because they had turned the same tint that they had when she started to drift away from him. He had come to fear that expression. Afraid of pushing her away from him, he decided to deny what he had just said. “I mean, everybody wants to be normal, right?“
He could see that she didn’t believe him. “Max, what do you mean?“
It was like she could see into his soul, as if she had already guessed that there was something else to his answer.
He took a deep breath and started to move towards his bed to sit down and tell her. He didn’t know what he was going to tell her. But he wanted to tell her. He wanted to tell her something. Anything.

Everything.

They both jumped at the soft knock on the door. Diane peeked her head inside and looked at them with a smile, oblivious to the tension in the room. “Dinner’s ready,“ she announced cheerfully.
“Thanks mom,“ Max said weakly.

Max and Liz looked at each other as the sound of Diane’s footsteps down the stairs echoed through the room.
“We should probably...“ Max moved his head lightly in the direction of the doorway. She didn’t react. She was staring at him, as if she were trying to see through him. As if she were pulling him apart, looking at every piece up close, turning them around, in an effort to find answers to her questions.
“Liz...“
She closed her eyes, rubbing the knuckles on her hand against her forehead as she nodded. “Yes, let’s go.“


TBC...

Hey everyone!

I want to thank the people who delurked at my very subtle request . Thank you! You don’t know how much it means to me to see that there are people reading.. but I guess I’ve already mentioned that . I just can’t thank you enough, I guess .


Claire Hi! Welcome to this fic and thank you so much for the feedback!! And about Liz’s past... yeah, you will find out more about it as the story develops, don’t worry .


BehrObsession Yep, Liz does have a tendency to retreat back into herself when things get too intense and I think we can all agree that it’s pretty intense when Max is around, right?


Lelle

Lelle wrote: And by the way, I agree with Gigo here (at least I think it was her), if you keep on leaving us those bits and pieces of what their realationship might become, and not take the step, I'm going to be bald by the time I graduate.

Ahem... *cough cough* Sorry, Lina! I guess you are getting pretty frustrated by now, huh? Yeah, well, let’s put a change to that, shall we?


LttleMrmade

LttleMrmade wrote: Ok, ok. I admit it! I'm one of those horrible lurkers!! In fact, I can't remember if I've left feedback at all for this story (although I've been following it since the beginning) and I don't have time to go check.

I think you have left me feedback once or twice actually, because I remember you . I’m soooo happy to hear from you again!! And I’m so happy to hear that you are still enjoying my story – and of course, still reading it at all Thank you!!


Twilighteyes Hi! I’m so happy to hear from you again! Thank you!!!


Liz Well, things are going to heat up some more... *hint hint*


frenchkiss70

frenchkiss70 wrote: I wish Max could tell Liz the truth, she's suspecting something, too bad Diane interrupted them.

Yeah, everyone seems to adapt Maria’s interruptus tendencies here. First Michael and now Diane...


Phi

Phi wrote: So close yet so far, he was really going to tell her there, wasn't he. Oh well, at least she seems to be beginning to read between the lines.

Yeah, he was certainly about to tell her something... And Liz is really starting to put two and two together. She’s getting more suspicious and she might not settle for the discreet change of topics Max does when he doesn’t want to discuss his past...

Phi wrote: I must say that the ending has me a little concerned. You've insinuated in the past that Liz could be alien but now I'm a bit confused. The blood cells could be alien I guess (though FBI guy didn't think so) but she didn't pass the ultimate test, Tabasco.

Well...yeah.. You’ve almost figured it out though, I think


Elizabeth Wow, girl. You are quick at editing!! Great!! I’ll have to sit down and go through the rest of the chapters so that I can send them to you...

Elizabeth wrote: But seriously, Josse, I don't know how much more of this I can take. Why couldn't Liz have just followed her inclination to "push him bakwards on the bed and make him forget everything about having dinner with his parents"? I really liked that idea!

You liked that, huh? Well.. since you’ve already read the chapter you know what’s going to happen... So I rest my case


roswelluver Thank you!!


Cassandra

Cassandra wrote: god why can't he just tell her i mean she tells him her deepest darkest secret and i really don't think its fair that she so open and vulnerable and max doesn't give anything in return

Really good point! Liz is growing increasingly suspicious because Max always avoids answering her questions about his past. She wants him to trust her with things – like telling her about himself. And when that trust isn’t returned, Liz starts to doubt that fragile relationship they have started to build... Well, you’ll have to read on to find out what’s going to happen next...


Lynn Thank you for the bumps, sweetie! And don’t worry about the feedback...


LeighAnn Thank you!!


nayney Hey!! I’m always happy whenever you decide to drop by Thank you!!


mareli Thank you!!!



Okay, everyone... We have now reached the update itself. Let me just say one thing... Finally. It only took me 30 chapters to reach the point of Max and Liz's first real **** (insert censoring beep here)... Hehe.. I think you can guess what that is... Enjoy, cuz here’s...




Chapter 31


His lips were warm and soft, yet pressed firmly against hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer, opening her mouth to reward his tongue with further entry. Her lips tingled, almost tickled, as she felt his tongue lightly brush over her lower lip before fully taking it into his mouth. Her body arched up against his as she felt his hand close around her breast, softly brushing over her sensitive nipple. Her hands caressed his naked back, feeling the muscles ripple under her touch. She whimpered, a strong craving for his touch, his taste, him, overwhelmed her senses. She moaned as she felt him move between her legs, pressing up against her, sending jolts of electricity through her body.
“Na nothríe vir.“

Liz slowly opened her eyes, the dream still clear in her mind. She lay there perfectly still and listened to the silence. It was morning. The morning sun was letting its beams spread through the room, cascading over the wooden floor. The dream had been so vivid that she could still feel his hands moving over her skin, still taste him on her lips. She took a deep breath, his scent filling her nose. She moved to lie on her back and watched the shadows chase each other over the ceiling. Something was different. She felt it in the air. Something was missing. Someone was missing.

She lazily stretched her body, the stiffness sleep had brought to her limbs quickly disappearing, and swung her legs over the edge of the bed, leaving his pillow which she had cradled close to her chest throughout the night in the middle of the bed. She slowly moved out of the bedroom, her dream still lingered in the back of her mind; sleep still clogging her thoughts and making her movements slow. Her heart started beating faster in her chest as she took in the signs of his absence. His current sleeping situation on the couch was neatly made. She found a used glass in the sink, and his shoes were gone. She knew that she was being ridiculous. He had probably just gone grocery shopping or something, but she had somehow begun to take his presence for granted. That he would always be there when she woke up in the morning. She was about to fill a glass of water when she saw the note on the counter.

Good morning, beautiful.

She smiled softly at the endearment.

I didn’t want to wake you. I’m at my parents’, washing my car. If you want you can call me on my cell and I’ll come and get you, or you can walk to the CrashDown, and I’ll meet you there.

Max

She put down the note, filled the glass with water, and down, the soft smile not leaving her lips.

<center>-------------------------------------------------</center>

“Oh, hi Liz! How nice of you to stop by,“ Diane said.
“Hi. Um...is Max around?“
Diane smiled at the sparkle in Liz’s eyes and the slight flush on her cheeks.
“He isn’t outside?“
Liz shook her head. “No, I didn’t see him.“
“Well, let’s see if we can find him.“
Liz trailed after Diane as she led the way into the kitchen where they found Max rummaging through one of the cabinets.
“Look who I found wandering around,“ Diane said, making Max turn his head. The change to his face was immediate. Diane had to take a step back as something changed in the air as Max and Liz’s eyes met. It felt as though something shifted. Something powerful.

“Hey,“ Max said softly. “Sleep well?“
“Just great,“ Liz answered just as softly.
Diane got the feeling that she was interfering in a rather intimate moment.
“I’m… gonna go outside and finish hanging the laundry,“ Diane said, “Just yell if you want anything.“
Max glanced at her briefly. “Thank you, mom.“
Diane smiled inwardly. She had to admit that she had been worried about Max. He had always seemed so closed off, so private and secretive. But seeing him with Liz made her hope that maybe Liz was the one to open him up, to bring him out of his shell. And seeing him barely give his own mother a second glance made her do mental somersaults.
“I didn’t want to wake you,“ Max said softly, his attention once again on Liz.
Diane smiled and shook her head slightly as she moved out of the kitchen. She had probably disappeared from either of their worlds the moment their eyes had met.

“I guess I was pretty tired,“ Liz reflected.
“That’s an understatement,“ Max grinned. She had almost fallen asleep sitting at the dining room table when they’d had dinner at his parents’ the previous evening. Finally, Diane had insisted that Max take Liz home. She had been exhausted from endless nights plagued with nightmares. She had fallen asleep in the car during the short trip from his parents’ house to his apartment and she had more or less leaned against him the whole way up to his apartment, lingering at the brink of sleep the entire time. She had been asleep the moment her head had touched the pillow. Max had removed her shoes, and pulled the covers over her before leaving her to sleep.
“Did you have any nightmares?“
She shook her head. “No.“ It was amazing how easy it was to answer that question now. Earlier she had tried to deny it, and just tried to convince him that she was fine, but now she didn’t even bother. He wanted to support her and now she was inclined to let him. She could slowly feel herself opening up to him, and the most freeing part about that was that it didn’t scare her anymore.

He smiled warmly at her. “That’s great.“
She returned his smile. “Yeah… so what are you up to?“
“Well, Michael’s been complaining that my car needs a makeover.“
Liz giggled. “Okay. You want me to help?“
Max thought about it. “Sure, if I could just found that sponge I usually use.“
He bent forward, his head disappearing inside the cabinet, and Liz couldn’t stop her gaze from wandering over his firm behind.
Max straightened up, proudly presenting her with a yellow sponge. “Found it.“
He frowned with concern as he saw her flushed face. “You okay?“
Liz could feel her cheeks getting even hotter and when he stepped closer to her, she flushed all the more. “Yes, I’m fine.“
Max gave her one last suspicious look before shrugging it off, “Okay, you can take this,“ he handed her the sponge, “and then I have some stuff outside.“

Liz followed Max outside where he had his black jeep. He had pulled out a hose, a bucket of soapy water already positioned in front of the car.
“I’ll just wash the car off with water first, and then you take the sponge and use the water in that bucket and…well, I can show you later.“
Liz laughed. “I think I can figure it out.“
“I’m sure you can.“
Max went over to the tap at the hose and turned on the water. The water flowed out of the hose, hitting the black metal of the hood of the car with a soft stream. He quickly and efficiently washed off the car, turned off the hose, and came to stand beside Liz.
“Are you gonna help me?“ Liz asked. “Or are you just going to stand and watch me?“
“I can’t complain about the view,“ Max grinned.

Was he flirting? Liz looked at him, and saw the playful sparkle in his eyes. Oh yes, he was. Well, two can play that game!
“Okay then.“ She bent forward over the bucket, immersing the sponge in the water, taking her time to let the water soak into the sponge. She could feel his heated gaze moving over her behind and down the back of her thighs. She slowly straightened up and without turning around, walked over to the car and started to move the sponge over the hood of the car.
“How am I doing?“ Liz asked innocently.
She heard Max take a deep, shaky breath before he answered, “Amazing.“
“Are you going to help me at all?“
“Well, I think I’m enjoying this far too much.“
“I think so too,“ Liz said, and turned around and flung her sponge at him. It hit him squarely in the chest, the water splashing over his body and soaking into his shirt. His mouth fell open in surprise and Liz started laughing.

“Sorry, you looked like you needed to cool down a bit.“
Max’s mouth twitched, a look that was a mixture between shock and laughter playing across his face.
“You think so?“ he asked, trying to regain his composure.
Liz giggled and nodded vigorously. “Aha.“
“Well, then,“ Max said, taking a step closer to Liz. Liz moved backwards as she read the intentions in his eyes.
With a sly smile, Max bent down and picked up the sponge.
Liz laughed and pointed her index finger warningly at him. “No… Max! No!“
She moved backwards until her back was pressed up against the car. Max seized the opportunity and slowly lifted the sponge, aiming at Liz, his eyes twinkling with mischief.
“Max...no!“ Liz laughed and then jumped to the side as the sponge came flying trough the air, narrowly escaping being hit. She laughed wholeheartedly as he took after her, chasing her around the car.



“What the hell? Is that Maxwell?“
Maria stopped dead in her tracks and stared at the scene unfolding in front of her very eyes. Max Evans, shy, cautious, inconspicuous Max Evans, was running around his car with a hose in his hand, spraying water around him. But the most amazing thing was that he was actually chasing after someone, trying to hit her with the water. Liz Parker.
“Oh, this I gotta see...wet chick!“ Michael said.
“Michael! Don’t even get me started,“ Maria said, tightly hooking arms with Michael’s and using all her strength to pull him inside the Evans’ house.


Liz slipped on the wet ground and fell on her knees.
“Are you okay?“ Max asked, laughter still in his voice but the concern for her wellbeing more pronounced.
“I think I hurt my knee,“ Liz murmured.
Max bent down beside her. “Let me see.“
He didn’t even have the chance to react as she quickly turned around and pressed out the water of the sponge over his head. She started laughing as the water ran down the sides of his face.
“Oh, that was low,“ Max said. Liz was trying to get away, but was delayed because of her hysterical laughter.
“Oh no, you’re staying here,“ Max said, taking a firm hold of her waist. She wiggled under his grip, her laughter tinkling through the air. Max took the sponge from where it had landed on the ground beside them, and held it up over her, maliciously raising his eyebrows with a smile playing in the corners of his mouth.
“No, Max... please…I’m sorry,“ Liz begged breathlessly.

She could feel the water drip down her chest from the still soaked sponge. But the cold water did nothing to smolder the heat that was building inside of her as she felt the insides of Max’s thighs press up against her hips. She had been too caught up in their play to register when he had straddled her hips. She immediately saw it in his eyes the moment he too noticed their compromising position. She watched as his cheeks heated up, flushing with the hot blood moving through his capillaries. She could almost hear the thoughts stumble around in his head as she became increasingly aware of the places where her body was in contact with his. She barely registered that her breathing grew shallower and more erratic as she found herself unable to tear her eyes from his. His dark warm eyes were pulling her in. The air around them sparkled and shifted as the heat generated by their bodies became too great to remain restrained within the confines of their flesh.

A drop of cold water dripped onto her forehead as the hand with the sponge slowly glided through the air, over her head. The unconscious goal of his hand was to place the sponge on the ground, but the road to achieve this goal was disrupted as Max watched the round water droplet trickle down her forehead, continue down her flushed cheeks, and momentarily nestle in the corner of her mouth, before overcoming the obstacle and continuing down her chin. The world seemed to stop around him. All he was aware of was the water wetting Liz’s skin, making it glistening in the sunlight. He felt a deep hunger begin to simmer within him. The desire to taste her skin, to run his tongue over her lips was so strong that his body started trembling as the emotions became too wild.

Too uncontrollable.

It was as if she had forgotten how to breathe. She was seeing only him. Sensing him. Smelling him. The desire for him was running through her body like a faint whispering echo, but it was growing stronger by the second. It didn’t scare her. It was a part of her, once forgotten and buried deep inside of her. That part was slowly awakening.

Reaching out to him.

Her hair fanned out around her face, slightly moving with the wind. He was mesmerized. Intoxicated with her scent. He could read what was going to happen in the way her dark eyes flickered, how her body slightly shifted, and in the change of the currents of electricity coursing through the air that was softly whipping around them. Yet he gasped, his whole soul taking a deep shuddering breath, as he felt her lips on his. He was faintly aware of her small hands moving around his head, nestling in his hair and pulling him closer, his main focus on the burning sensations her lips ignited in the sensory nerves in his lips. He could feel the energy build up between them, could literally feel as every nerve cell was excited, as every channel was opening to send away neurotransmitters. He could feel them joining with the next nerve cell, bringing the current further within him, spreading throughout his whole body. They barely moved their lips, the sensations ripping through their bodies reducing their capacity to do anything but feel.

“Max? Liz?!“

They ripped apart, their dazed looks immediately meeting its kindred eyes. Liz’s chest was heaving up and down, her breathing felt forced in her chest as if she were trying to remember how to breathe.
“Wha...“ She panted, struggling to find any words. Struggling to connect her mind with her feelings.

He watched the emotions flicker in her eyes as he slowly plummeted back into his own solid body. What had just happened hit him squarely in the chest with its cold reality. Acting on pure feeling he cradled his hand against her cheek, wanting to stop her from pulling away from him. But something was different now from the first time they had kissed. In the midst of all the emotions that were shimmering in her eyes, he could nowhere see fear. This time she wasn’t afraid.

They both felt the almost scorching heat blaze through their bodies as Liz placed her hand on top of the one Max had resting against her cheek.

“Max? Where are you?!“

Max jerked his head upwards as the voice of his mother drifted through the bubble that had formed around him and Liz, separating them from the real world. Like a blind man regaining sight, Max straightened up and looked at Liz. She was lying on her back, her shirt damp from Max’s few successful hits with hose. He quickly averted his eyes from her chest, feeling dangerously close to completely losing control of himself when he saw the prominent contours of her breasts press against the wet fabric. In that moment he realized that he was practically sitting on top of her. His hips were straddling hers, and he could feel the heat of her body move, like violent thick waves, into the area of him that ached the most for her.

“Are you out here?“

Max quickly scrambled to his feet, relieved to find that they were behind the jeep so no one could see them. But from the increasing volume of her mother’s voice, he suspected that they wouldn’t be able to stay hidden for much longer. Liz had already moved up into a sitting position and he could see by the fidgeting movements of her hands as she straightened out her hair and her shirt, that the same restless energy coursing through his body was moving through hers as well.

He offered her his hand to help her up, and she hesitantly took it. They both tried to ignore the feelings that were once again ignited as their hands touched. Liz got to her feet just as Diane stepped around the car.

“Oh, there you are!“
Then she stopped and just stared at them, her mouth slowly falling open. Max could feel his heart hammering in his chest at her reaction. He hoped that her baffled reaction was only due to their wet clothes and altogether disheveled appearance, and not something else. Could his mother see, feel, the energy coursing through his body? He guiltily tucked his hands in the front pockets of his jeans as he struggled to regain his composure.
“Mom...hi...um...we were just...“
“I dropped the sponge.“
Max turned his head to look at Liz, feeling his heart flutter at the sight of her.
“Yeah...and it fell under the car and...“
“Max had to help me find it.“
Diane looked from her son to Liz, her head moving back and forth.
“Mom? Did you want something?“ Max asked, his voice timid with insecurity.
Diane looked at his wet son as if she had never seen him before in her life. “What?“
“Are you okay?“ Liz asked beside him. Diane cleared her throat, furrowed her forehead, only to smother out the lines again and force a faint smile to appear on her lips.
“Yes...I was just wondering if you wanted something to eat.“
“Yes, sure. We’re almost finished,“ Max said.

Max’s heart slowly started to beat at a normal speed. Diane stared at Max, or more precisely, at the faint glow she could not so much see, but feel around him. And Liz was just the same. Diane had never felt anything like it before. It was as if she had stepped right in the middle of a sauna as she had approached Max and Liz. The air around them was hot and thick with emotions.
“Mrs. Evans?“
She met Liz Parker’s concerned eyes and was able to produce another smile.
“Well, you just come inside when you’re finished.“
“Okay,“ Max said, “Thanks mom.“
She nodded and with one last long look she turned around and walked towards the kitchen door.

Max instantly turned to Liz. “Are you okay?“
“What just happened?“ Liz whispered.
“We kissed,“ Max said slowly, his body humming with the mere statement.
“Yes,“ she breathed, stepping closer to him, “But... I’ve never felt anything like that before. Is that supposed to happen?“
Max leaned closer to her. “You mean you’re never kissed anyone before?“
How could someone as beautiful as she is not have been kissed? Those red soft lips were just begging to be kissed...

Liz already flushed cheeks acquired a slightly darker tone and she shook her head.
“Oh,“ Max said.
“I have all this...energy inside of me,“ Liz said, stepping even closer to him, “Do you have that too?“
Max nodded, putting his arms around her waist and getting wet from the drenched back of her shirt. “My whole body is humming.“
Liz looked up at him, a hint of fear in her eyes. “I can’t stop trembling.“ She put her arms around his neck.
“Me neither.“ Max pulled her closer, their wet fronts pressing into the other.
“I...I have this... I need you, Max.“
He nodded slowly and then lowered his lips to hers. A violent trembling ripped through their bodies as their lips fused together. They pressed up against each other to keep the other from falling. Their lips moved together with fierce passion. Feeling everything. Tasting everything. Max’s tongue entered her mouth easily, tasting her. Exploring her. She whimpered under him, letting him fill her every sense. His hands pulled her wet shirt from her warm skin as they moved under her shirt, restlessly skimming over her damp naked skin. She could feel the blood pulse through her and the strong ache in the pit of her stomach intensified. She needed more of him.

She pressed firmly up against him, both gasping as she brushed up against his arousal. She moved her hands under his shirt over his firm muscles, his skin almost burning her fingertips.
“Max...“ she breathed.
He moaned in her mouth, the sound vibrating though them. He couldn’t get enough of her. He had to have all of her. Now.

There was something nagging at the back of his head, demanding his attention, but he kept brushing it away. He felt lightheaded, like he was floating on a big fluffy cloud with Liz Parker’s arms around him. They broke apart, in a desperate need of oxygen and Max leaned his forehead against hers, suddenly realizing how hot she was.
“Liz...“ he breathed. Their erratic breathing mingled together, and not being able to go another second without tasting her, he started to kiss her neck, smothering her neck with openmouthed kisses. She moaned upon his assault, angling her head to grant him better access. She pressed her chest into his, her hard nipples aching for his touch, her whole body aching for his touch. The energy and heat were building up inside of her, screaming for some kind of release. The slight tremors ripping through her body turned into shaking and she felt her knees getting weaker. Her focal point was only on one place. Where Max lips grazed her skin. Where his lips were loving her skin.

He could feel her shaking underneath him. The trembles coursing through his body were violent but only weak in comparison with hers.
“Liz...“ he groaned against her throat. The sound vibrated against her neck and she moaned, feeling the heat increase within her. It was curling up into a powerful and scorching heat within her abdomen.
“Please Max...“ She didn’t know what she was asking for. But he understood her perfectly, because he felt the same. They needed more. They needed a release for the energy charging through them. The need to feel her naked body, all of her, moving against his was so overpowering that he almost started to undress her right there on the spot. But the nagging voice in the back of his head was slowly growing stronger, and he broke apart from her.

“Liz…we can’t,“ he panted.
He could feel her small fingers move into his hair, trying to force his lips back to hers. He knew that with one touch of her lips that nagging voice in his head would be talking to deaf ears. He slowly pushed away from her, and saw the hurt flash through her eyes.
“Liz...“
Her name was so sweet, so soft on his tongue. She looked around, her face the face of a passionate woman, and she realized where they were.
“Oh... I guess,“ she swallowed, trying to force the almost painful energy down to a more acceptable level, “I guess we should get inside.“
“Yeah...“ he breathed.
“Okay,“ she sighed.
They were both highly aware of the other as they tried to regain composure enough to show themselves in public. But the strong feelings within them refused to go away, refused to cool down. It was a desperate attempt to feed that strong need when Max reached out and entwined Liz’s fingers with his. She gave him a shaky smile and they started to walk towards the house.



TBC...

Hey!

Thank you everyone for the great feedback! You are the best!! Kaela - welcome to this fic!!



Chapter 32

“So, what do you suggest?“
“I don’t really feel up to giving you any advice,“ Michael grumbled.
Maria frowned at him. “Ah come on, Mickey G!“
“Don’t call me that!“
“Don’t get snappy with me! What’s wrong with you today?“
“I just don’t feel up to giving you advice on your love life,“ Michael said sharply.
“My lack thereof,“ Maria corrected.
“What do I care if you go on a date with Jack or not?“
“I just wanna know what you think of him.“
“Do I look like a girl to you?“
“Is it so difficult to just tell me your opinion?“
“You don’t wanna hear it anyway,“ Michael huffed.
“No, I’m beginning to think that I don’t!!“

Just then the door opened and Max stepped in, his hand entwined with Liz’s.
Maria threw her hands up into their air, clasping them together as if praying at the sky. “Thank GOD! A reasonable person!“ She stopped in her movement, staring at the couple.
Behind her, she heard Michael stifle a laugh. “What happened to you, Max? You look like a drenched poodle!“
Maria narrowed her eyes suspiciously as she saw Max blush. Actually, his face was already quite red. Water was trickling down his face in slow tendrils, his already dark hair was as dark as the night sky because of the water molecules that were bonded to it. Her eyes moved lower to see the contours of his chest be outlined against his wet T-shirt.
“We...um...“
Maria averted her eyes from Max’s stuttering mouth and looked at Liz standing behind Max, partly hidden by his body. Her hair was very dry in comparison to Max’s, but there was moisture at the tips, dropping on her wet T-shirt. Maria’s eyes widened and she turned to look at Michael, knowing exactly where he would be looking. He didn’t disappoint her; His eyes were transfixed on Liz’s wet T-shirt, or more precisely, what was underneath that wet fabric. Max evidently noticed his friend’s unwavering attention and stepped more fully in front of Liz.

“I thought you were washing the car, not each other,“ Maria said, unable to not tease them about it. Michael snickered beside her.
“We’re just gonna go...“ Max waved towards the stairs.
Maria grinned. “Yeah, you do that.“
She watched Max take a firmer hold on Liz’s hand and pull her behind him.
“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!“ Michael yelled after them.
“No chance in that happening, is there Michael?“ Maria punched him on the arm.
“Ouch! What was that for?“
“That’s for you lacking any manners whatsoever!“
“You don’t have to get nasty about it!“

<center>------------------------------------------------------</center>

Max closed the door behind them, moving over to the adjoining bathroom to retrieve two towels. He suddenly felt very shy in front of her. The intense heat was still radiating off his skin, the water droplets that were cold in his hair turned warm as they trickled down his hot cheeks. She was sitting on his bed. He moved up to her, and placed the towel in her lap. She looked up at him, and smiled softly.
“Thank you.“
He noticed her trembling hands before she buried them in the towel and softly moved it over her hair.
“You cold?“ he asked.
“No…“ she said. She was quite the opposite.
“You need some dry clothes,“ Max reflected.

Liz wrapped herself up in the towel. “Yeah, I guess so.“
“I’ll go and see if I can find something in Isabel’s closet.“
“Oh...you sure she wouldn’t mind?“
Max smiled softly, making the heat within her flare to life again. What was wrong with her? Why did she feel like she couldn’t control her body any longer?
“I’m sure. I’ll be right back...“
She nodded and watched him move out of the room. She felt the heat within her simmer down a tad and she took a deep breath, only to realize that with the absence of the warmth came the increase of the ache in her lower abdomen. She looked around the room, feeling his scent soothing her, somehow mitigating the burning emptiness within her.

She looked around the room and could feel her breath quickening, her cheeks heating up, and then the door opened and Max appeared. He had a blue sweater in his hand that he held out for her.
She gave him a soft smile. “Thank you.“
“It might be a little too big-“ Max mumbled
“It’s just fine,“ Liz assured, and then nodded towards the slightly ajar bathroom door, “I’m just gonna… go and change…“
“Yeah, of course,“ Max said, stepping out of the way to allow her to walk to the bathroom.

<center>---------------------------------------------------------------</center>

“Liz, are you sure you’re okay?“ Diane asked, concern in her eyes.
Liz smiled weakly. She was feeling completely drained. “Yes, I’m just tired.“
“She’s probably not used to the water games Max subjects her to,“ Michael grinned. Max momentarily glared at him.
“It must be truly exhausting,“ Maria said.
“How about some more ice-cream?“ Diane asked, interrupting them. “Liz?“
“No, thank you, Mrs. Evans.“
Diane narrowed her eyes as she looked at her and then put her hand against Liz’s forehead.
“Liz, you’re burning up!“
Max turned his head to look at her sitting beside him, guilt and worry flaring in his eyes.

“Maybe you should go and lie down, Liz,“ Maria said, casting a glance at Max and noticing his guilty expression.
“Yes...maybe I should,“ Liz said slowly.
“You can lie down in Max’s room,“ Diane said.
“Maybe we should just go home,“ Max said, meeting Liz’s dazed eyes.
“You might be coming down with something,“ Maria said.
“Yes,“ Liz nodded.
“Then we’re going home,“ Max said, resolute in his decision and stood up.
Liz gave Diane an apologetic smile. “Thank you for the ice-cream, Mrs. Evans.“
“Please Liz, I’ve told you to call me Diane.“
“Okay. Bye, Diane.“
Diane reached over the table as Liz began to rise and squeezed her hand. “Bye Liz. It was nice that you stopped by.“
Liz nodded with a weak smile on her lips and then looked at Michael and Maria. “Bye, guys.“
“You take good care of her now,“ Maria told Max as Max helped Liz up from the chair.
“I will,“ he said.

<center>-----------------------------------------------------</center>

The middle aged man slowly sifted through the documents that were spread out in front of him on his desk. He buried his hand in the dark hair that was tinted gray at the temples and let his hand support his tired head. The words in front of him were floating together into an incomprehensible blur. One second they made complete sense, the next they were preposterous. As he now stared at the words, trying to make something out of them, he felt the headache pound behind his skull bone. He glanced at his clock. It was 2:30 in the morning. He should really get home.

The subject had tiny holes in his teeth. The smoothness of the holes were so perfect that they couldn’t have been drilled by any of the equipment of modern dentistry.

Mr. Eash sighed and started to read through the sentences again.

The subject reports that the whole purpose of the abduction was mainly for reproductive functions, to create hybrids – part human, part alien.

He knew that a lot of the information was to be taken lightly. There were many lies to sift through when dealing with this. He glanced at the profile tucked away to his right.

The marks, in the shapes of human handprints, were positioned over the subject’s heart.

He pulled out the profile from underneath his half-eaten bagel. Somehow he always came back to that profile.

At the age of seven, Max Evans had an intelligence level of that of a normal 20-year-old.

He sifted through the school records at the back for the umpteenth time. Straight A student, most subjects on an advanced level. But many people were good in school. Many people were straight A students, and they were never of any interest to the FBI. He took out another file and started reading what he had read on countless accounts.

032083 - Elizabeth was adopted by Nancy and Jeffrey Parker. Biological parents unknown.

That’s what it always came down to. Even with how bright both Elizabeth Parker and Max Evans seemed to be, it always came down to one specific aspect that they shared. Their past and, more specifically, the way they became known to this world. There was no record to be found of who gave birth to Elizabeth Parker, or who delivered her to her adoptive parents. There was no record to where Max Evans was prior to his adoption by Diane and Philip Evans at the age of six.

There were just too many similarities to be ignored. He took another glance at his watch. 2.43. He really should get home.

<center>---------------------------------------------------</center>

Everything was black around him. The menacing shadows were creeping up the stark, naked walls. He spun around, trying to focus his gaze on something. But he couldn’t see anything. A thick mist formed around him, clogging his mind and his senses. But he could still sense her reaching out for him, calling for him. He stumbled forward as he felt a searing heat in his stomach and cried out her name in his mind. He stumbled through the darkness, his feet dragging him along the white tiles, and he almost tripped as the front of his thighs contacted with a hard steel material. He looked down to find a metal bed in front of him. And he felt her even more clearly, her cries reverberating through his soul. And then he saw her. She was lying on the bed, naked.

His heart lurched into his throat, breaking into tiny sharp pieces piercing his throat, slashing his windpipe. Her name flew over his lips, his voice sounding alien to his ears. A hand moved out of the shadows, holding a scalpel. The air whooshed out of his lungs, and his whole soul cried.

NOOOOOOOO!!!

He couldn’t move. His whole body tensed. He was standing less than one foot away from her and he couldn’t move. Could only watch as the scalpel sank into her pale skin, blood flowing up around it. Could only listen as her agonizing cry of pain pierced his soul - shattering him.


His eyes flew open, his breath haggard and raspy in his throat. He looked around frantically and soon the fact that he was in his apartment sank in. He swung his legs over the edge of the couch and quickly moved towards the bedroom. He needed to see her. Needed to make sure that she was okay. He opened the door and his eyes landed on her fragile form in the bed. She was lying on her back, her arms flung out from her body. His breath caught in his throat, the relief over finding her unharmed mixing with the desire that quickly awoke inside of him. She had kicked off the covers, and she only wore panties and a thin T-shirt. He stepped closer, the magnetic pull towards her too strong to be denied. As he stepped closer he could feel the cold unmistakable hand of apprehension wrap around his heart.

Perspiration was glittering on her forehead, small trickles of sweat trickled down her temples. He stepped into the room and walked up to the bed. He could literally feel the heat roll of her body in waves as he leaned over her. He put his cool hand against her forehead. She was burning up. She moved slightly under his hand and he removed it. Her breathing was erratic. He stood there looking at her, wondering if he should wake her. He tried to remember what he had learnt about people running a fever. He had never been sick himself, and neither had Isabel, so he didn’t have any personal experience with it. He saw her trembling and wondered if she was cold. But she couldn’t be. She felt so warm.

He stood there awhile, struggling with what to do, and then he reached over her and took a hold of the covers and pulled them over her. She moved her head, softly murmuring. He moved out into the kitchen to get a washcloth and some cold water and then moved back into the bedroom. He sat down on the edge of the bed and put the bowl of water on the nightstand. He lowered the cloth in the water and let the water sink into the fabric. The excess water was pressed out before moving the washcloth to Liz’s burning forehead. She gasped lightly at the contact, and he flinched at her mild distress.

This was all his fault. He had probably managed to give her a cold by chasing after her with that hose. It was warm in Roswell, but the wind was still chilly. And then he had just attacked her while she had to lie on the hard ground.
“Max...“
He looked down at her, her eyes still closed as she darted out with her tongue to wet her dry lips.
“Liz, how are you feeling?“
“I’m so warm,“ she mumbled, but her lips were almost clattering with trembles. With dull movements she took a hold of the covers and tried to pull them off her.
Max put his hand over hers, and pulled it away. “No, Liz. I think you should leave them on.“
Liz opened her eyes and the cold fingers around Max’s heart tightened their grip. Her eyes were slightly red and they were flickering back and forth without finding a stable object to focus on.
“I’m so warm,“ she panted, closing and opening her eyes.
Max removed the washcloth from her forehead, only to find it warm already, and immersed it again in the cold water. “Tell me how you’re feeling.“
Liz wetted her lips again. “I dunno...“
She seemed so confused, so dazed. “I’m so tired...but too warm to sleep...“
He immersed a second washcloth in the water and moved it to her neck. Her eyes flew open at the contact. “Can you open a window?“
Max slowly moved the cloth over her slick neck. It was cold in the room, the air conditioning making it colder indoors than outdoors. “It won’t do any good, Liz. It’s warmer outside.“
She kicked the covers off with her legs, her movements becoming restless again. “I can’t...“ she mumbled.
“Max... please...“ she panted, “I’m burning up. Please.“
Max looked at her and then nodded, mostly to himself because Liz was too far gone to notice. “Okay, I’ll run you a cold bath...“
“It’s so hot...it’s so hot,“ Liz mumbled, trashing her head back and forth.
Max quickly rose from the bed, walked into the bathroom, and filled the tub with lukewarm water. When he returned to the bedroom, Liz had turned on her stomach, her arm was slung over the edge of the bed, and her T-shirt had ridden up, revealing her bare back and her panties. He took a deep breath to stop his raging emotions from taking control of his body. He kneeled by her and moved one damp strand of hair off her forehead.
“Liz...“
She opened her eyes and looked at him. “It’s so warm, Max...“
“I know, beautiful,“ he said softly, “Let’s get you into that bath, okay?“
She didn’t give him any form of reply, just closed her eyes again, and Max realized that he had to help her. She was too weak to do it on her own. He softly rolled her over on her back, and then lifted her up in his arms. Her T-shirt was wet against his arm, completely drenched, and her naked thighs were slick under his hand. Jolts of electricity run down his spine at the touch of her naked skin. She was so hot, so warm in his arms. She rolled her head to the side, resting it against his chest and he cradled her close to him, walking slowly with her into the bathroom.

It wasn’t until he entered the bathroom that he realized that he had to undress her. His heart involuntarily quickened in his chest.
“Liz...?“
Maybe he could get her conscious enough to get her to bathe herself.
“Liz...?“
The trembles had stopped coursing through her body, but she didn’t answer him.
“Can you take the bath on your own?“
“So warm... please make it stop. I’m so warm,“ Liz murmured, and Max realized that she was by no means conscious enough to take care of herself.
“Okay,“ he mumbled, feeling very nervous. Somehow it made it all easier that she wasn’t really conscious, but that didn’t lessen the fact that he had never seen a girl naked before.
He eased Liz down on the toilet seat, and slowly let go of her, making sure that she wouldn’t fall before he let go completely. She tiredly fell forward with her forehead against Max’s stomach, and Max absent-mindedly began stroking her damp hair. He softly moved his hands down her arms, took a hold of the hem of her T-shirt, and pulled it upwards. He stopped breathing, and he anxiously wondered if he should keep his eyes shut or not. But that wouldn’t really work...

Her slack arms leaned against his shoulders as he moved the T-shirt up over her head and away from her body. She was now naked from the waist and up and he took a deep breath before he took a hold of her panties and started to pull them down too, focusing his eyes on her face. He focused very hard on trying to not think about the fact that she no longer had a thread of clothing on her, and gently eased her into his arms again.
“Liz... I’m gonna put you in the bathtub now, okay? It might be a little cold.“
“Hot...“ she mumbled, and he slowly lowered her into the water. The instant the lukewarm water touched her skin, she gasped sharply, but she didn’t struggle. She let herself become immersed in the water. Max swallowed profusely as he caught sight of her naked breasts, and he forced himself to tear his eyes away. Somehow it felt wrong to look at her that way, to feel those things for her when she was barely conscious. Her head rolled back against the cool white porcelain edge of the bathtub and he knelt beside the tub, taking a towel and soaking it with water before moving it to her flushed face. She seemed calmer, more at peace. Max slowly started to move the towel over her face, washing off the sweat and cooling her down.

“Max?“ He stopped in his movements and moved the towel to meet her eyes. There was a focus in her eyes that hadn’t been there before.
“What’s going on?“ she asked, her voice still somewhat slurry.
“You have a fever,“ Max answered softly.
She closed her eyes and nodded, satisfied with his simple response.
They stayed in the bathroom for almost fifteen minutes. Liz drifted in and out of consciousness and Max continuously caressed her face, neck and shoulders with the wet towel. But as the water started to grow really cold, and small trembles once again coursed through Liz’s body, Max decided it was time to take her out of the bath.
“Liz... you should get up now,“ Max said.
“Mmm...“ Liz breathed. She was tired, so tired.

Max hesitated for a moment before putting his arms under the water’s surface and hooking one in the crook of her knees and the other cradled behind her back. He lifted her upwards, feeling the water soaking into his chest as he held her close. Her body was cold now, and he hoped that he had made the right decision to put her in the bath, that he had not made it worse. But if she grew worse, he would use his powers to try healing her...when she was asleep. He slowly put her feet against the soft bathroom rug, and held onto her upper arms to steady her as he leaned into the bathroom cabinet and retrieved a big towel. He wrapped the blue towel around her and then made her sit down on the toilet seat again.

Seeing that she was keeping her eyes closed since she was in a state of semi-sleep he quickly waved his hand over her hair, drying the tips that had become wet. Next he took another towel and bent down to dry her legs. He slowly rubbed it up her calves, trying to stay objective about everything he saw, everything he felt with his hands. He took the towel and gently brushed it over Liz’s face, drying her cheeks and forehead. He straightened up and looked at her, her chin resting against her chest and slightly wavering in her sitting position. Could he leave her there without her falling? He quickly came to the decision to do so and hastily moved out of the bathroom, and into the bedroom. Since it would take too much time to rummage through Liz’s suitcase, he dived into his own wardrobe and found a flannel shirt. He was halfway back to the bathroom when he remembered underwear. Rushing back, he quickly found a pair of Liz’s underwear in the side pocket of her suitcase. Swallowing as he felt the silk material against his fingers he quickly moved back to the bathroom.

Liz was still sitting on the toilet seat, but the towel he had wrapped around her was dangerously close to slipping off - dangerously close to revealing the parts of her that he didn’t think his feeble control could handle tonight. He knelt in front of her and put first one foot in her panties, then the next and quickly moved the panties upwards. He stood up and lifted her upwards, and found it very difficult to keep the towel up at the same time as he pushed the panties up the final inches. Finally, he resorted to using some powers to hold up the towel, and Liz... He lowered Liz back on the toilet seat and let the towel fall away, focusing on her face as he threaded her hands into the flannel shirt. He was dangerously close to losing it. Her scent was so strong, tempting him. And her skin was so smooth and soft... He jerked himself out of the thoughts and finished buttoning up Liz’s shirt. He quickly waved his hand over the front of his own T-shirt, the water evaporating, drying it, and then he eased Liz into standing position and lifted her up.

“Are we going to sleep now?“ He momentarily stopped in his movements as her muffled voice reached him from his chest.
“Yes, we are going to sleep now,“ he said.
She put her weak arms around his neck, barely holding on. “Will you stay with me?“
“Yes,“ he whispered.
“Good,“ she mumbled and grew quiet.
Inwardly, he smiled as he carried her to the bedroom. He eased her down in the armchair while he quickly changed the sheets. It was quite easy when you were an alien. He turned around to get her, finding her slowly moving towards him, her eyes half closed.
He met her halfway and put his arm around her waist, guiding her towards the bed. She slowly laid down in the bed and he laid down beside her. She mumbled softly and curled up against him. Max planted a soft kiss on her forehead before letting her settle under his chin, his arms moving around her and holding her tiny frame close. He reached out with his hand and pulled the covers over them and within a minute they were both fast asleep.


TBC...

Hi!

Okay, this chapter might be a little confusing...uuhh, what isn't in this story? Well, this is more than usual, but it's because Liz is delirious. She's having a fever and things mix together... So, just hang in there

Thank you all for the questions and the feedback! I know that it's confusing. That's all part of my masterplan hehe lol. Thank you!!



Chapter 33

She leaned forward and her lips melted with his. She moaned as she felt his tongue enter her mouth and buried her hands in his dark hair, pulling him closer. She felt his hands wander over her body, creeping under every article of clothing. She gasped as she felt his touch skim over her naked skin. His mouth left her, making her whimper at the loss of contact. But he didn’t disappoint her. He never did. He slowly pushed her to the bed and eased her down on her back while his mouth began a heated trail down her neck. His hands moved under her thin shirt, brushing over her burning skin on his way to her aching breasts.

He climbed on top of her, his weight feeling comfortable and safe as he lowered himself over her. His mouth whispered words of his love for her. Between the physical loving of his lips and the gentle caressing of her breast under his powerful hand, her whole body was burning up, burning with a fierce desire for him. It made her every joint ache with need for him. The need to have him complete her. His hands pushed her shirt up and she arched her body up against his as his lips grazed her protruding stomach with a soft and light kiss. She needed him so much. She moaned and framed his face with her hands, pulling him up to her lips again.

And then coldness penetrated her skin, seeped into her veins, into the core of her heart and froze it. Suddenly she was alone. She bolted up, frantically looking around her, reaching out with her mind to try to find him, but he was gone. Pain rippled through her, the realization hitting her like a scorching iron bar squarely in the chest. Her breathing fluttered, she couldn’t inhale enough oxygen. She looked around the room and her eyes eventually landed on the bed. On her body and on the dark fluid soaking into the white sheets.

Her blood.

No. No. NO! Her heart slowly withered inside of her chest, as the panic pushed into her, devouring her. Feasting on her soul with the appetite of a starving beast.

Her baby.

Her tears mingled with the clay on her cheeks and the blood disappeared into the dark mud.

Please...no…not my baby...

She started crawling. The rain pelted down on her, mocking her with its presence. A lightning bolt lit up her surroundings and she saw him lying on the ground. Her heart cried, her body trembled. He couldn’t leave her too. No…

Liz...

She crawled up to his shaking body, moving her hand through his hair. She didn’t notice as her hand became slick with blood.

Liz...

He sounded so far away. Why was he so far away? She looked up towards the dark sky, the dark gray clouds moving quickly over the night sky. The rain was beating her face. She sobbed, her wet and muddy hand moving to her stomach, where only death responded.

Wake up...Liz

She felt hands, cold hands, take a hold of her tightly and start to drag her away. Her mind cried out in silent desperate protest, but the owner of those foreign hands didn’t listen. She reached out for him, but his wet body slipped away from her touch.

Liz!


Her eyes flew open to find him leaning over her. Her breathing was coming in quick gasps and she concentrated on his face, letting his worried countenance sink into her, convincing her that this was reality and that the other place, which was slowly fading into a hazy memory, wasn’t.

With a snap her senses flared to life. She felt his warm palm caress her cheek. She felt the cold washcloth on her forehead. She felt the hot tears rolling down her cheeks. She felt the icy coldness that infested her bones.

“It was only a nightmare,“ he said.

She could feel her bottom lip pounding, stinging with the emotions rolling through her. She wanted to believe him. She had never wanted anything more in her life. But though she wanted to let him tell her about the world and chase all her demons away, she could still feel the pain in her abdomen and the shattering pieces of her trashed heart tearing at her insides.

“You’re safe,“ he mumbled.

She could see that he was worried. She didn’t want to worry him, but her defenses weren’t working well at the moment. She couldn’t get herself to smile and reassure him that it was only a nightmare because she didn’t believe that herself. She wanted to feel safe. She wanted to know what that feeling was really like.

“I’m cold...“ she whispered. The concerned crease on his forehead deepened and she felt the cold and wet cloth being removed from her forehead.
“You were burning up a second ago,“ he said softly.
The chattering of her teeth and the shivers running through her body told him that that was no longer the case.
“It’s cold in here,“ she whispered.
Her blurry mind vaguely registered as his eyes moved over her and she was already drifting back into unconsciousness as his words drifted towards her.
“I’ll get you another blanket...“

<center>----------------------------------------------------------</center>

Il reinaid monrí

Lotrí fae etevame

She tried to break free of the hard chains of desperation and desolation. The voices were so familiar and somehow she recognized the words. Yet, she couldn’t understand them. They entered her mind with a fierceness that broke her calmness and her sense of security. With a fierceness that disrupted her inner sense of peace.

Luminatà lorir

“You have to come here... I don’t know what to do....“

Torimentra êl sila

“Should I take her to a doctor?“

Nîmre....

“She’s running a fever, and she’s delirious... “

Na nothríe vir

“Max?“ Why was everything so dark? So misty...
“I’m right here...“
She felt a warm hand against her cool cheek.
“Maria, I’ll call you back, okay?“
Her heart was pounding in her chest, her throat felt as dry as sandpaper, her esophagus rasped as she spoke.
“Yes...yes, she did. I’ll talk to you later.“
The eyelids were just so heavy.
“Liz?“
“Where...am I?“

A pause. She felt the quiet darkness trying to take a hold of her again, but his voice dragged her out of it.
“You’re in my apartment...in Roswell. Do you remember?“
Why did he sound so far away? She just wanted to close her eyes, yet something in his voice stopped her. She had to do something for him. She just didn’t know what it was.
“Water...“
“Are you thirsty?“

She swallowed even though there was nothing in her throat to swallow. She couldn’t provide him with an answer, but nevertheless she felt the cool, hard, smooth surface of a glass against her dry lips. She felt his hand in her hair, pressing lightly against her scalp, tilting her head up, and she could feel the smooth and fresh cold water flow down the inside of her throat, having a balmy effect on her parched body.
“Max...“

She could feel him all around her. She had never felt him so strongly before. She could feel his scent mingling with the air, tickling her senses. She could feel waves of heat from his body moving into her own, reassuring her of his presence. And she could feel his eyes. She didn’t see them, but she could feel them moving over her face. She softly moaned as the weight of a heavy guilt and dread fell on her. Why was she afraid? But as she felt the strong emotions surrounding her, she realized that it was not her emotions she felt. They were Max’s.

“What is it, Liz?“
She could feel the drowsiness pulling on her, making it hard for her to resist the deep sleep.
“Don’t worry....“ Her voice was thin and raspy. “It’s nothing dangerous.“
“How...how do you know?“
“Trust me...“

<center>--------------------------------------------------------------------</center>

Liz woke up feeling safe and warm. There was a dull pounding at the back of her head and her eyes stung as if someone had poured salt in them. But that became secondary, as she snuggled closer to him. She could feel his arm resting over her hip, his other arm under her head, and his hand nestled in her hair. She slowly opened her eyes, fighting off the piercing ache in her head as she began to move. Her sight was blurry at first, but soon a white T-shirt materialized in front of her. She sighed in contentment and pressed her cheek against the fabric, relishing in its scent and the warm body underneath it.
“Hey...“

She smiled against his shirt as she heard his soft voice. It was such a beautiful voice, so soft, warm, and comforting.
“Hey,“ she murmured, but her smile faltered slightly as the rough air scratched against her windpipe. She turned her head up and found his beautiful eyes meeting hers She felt her heart flutter and tingles spread through her body. Her cheeks heated up under his gaze.
“How are you feeling?“
“Better...“
He smiled and she realized that he really should smile more.

She returned his smile, feeling her skin stretch from the small motion.
“So...how did I end up here?“
“Here?“
She couldn’t help but smile as she felt her body heat up in the places where his body contacted with hers.
“Yes, in your arms.“
She could see that her bluntness surprised him slightly and he shifted beside her.
“Do you remember what happened?“
Her smile slowly slipped off her face like snow slowly melting in the warm spring sun.
“I’ve been sick, right?“
“Yes...“ He looked away, but not before she could see the moisture in his eyes, which worried her. “I was really worried.“

She dropped her eyes to his shirt, not knowing what to say. She couldn’t remember anything of her sickness. Everything was a big blur.
“I don’t remember much...“
Max looked down at her and the hand that had been resting in her hair moved up to cradle the back of her head.
“You were running a fever and you were so hot and I didn’t know what to do and then you were shivering and you were so cold and I just...“
“Max...“
“I’ve read somewhere that the best way to warm somebody up is with body heat, so I figured if I held you, you wouldn’t be so cold and you wouldn’t-“

“Shh,“ Liz whispered, bringing up her hand to his lips. She swallowed as she saw a lonesome tear trickling down his cheek. She could feel the pent up worry explode inside of him and her whole heart ached. She moved her hand from his warm moist lips to his cheek, capturing the tear on its downward journey.
“Thank you, Max,“ she said softly, filling every word with emotion.
He smiled slightly and sighed deeply. “Don’t scare me like that again, okay?“
She nodded. “Okay...“
“Do we have an agreement?“
With the thundering of the headache at the back of her head, she smiled. “Yes.“
And the phone rang.

Their eyes met, silently communicating. Max’s eyes asked her if she was okay with him leaving and hers answered that she was fine. It was all smooth, instinctive. Max pulled away from her, his hand sending tingles across her skin as it moved from under her neck. His fingers brushed against her hip as he removed his other arm. He rolled onto his back and reached for the phone.
“Max Evans,“ he answered.
“Hello? This is Jeffrey Parker. Is Elizabeth there? She gave me this number.“
“Yes, she’s here. Hang on a sec.“
Max covered the mouthpiece with his hand and turned to look at Liz.
“Liz, it’s your dad. Can you talk?“
She nodded and he passed her the receiver.
“Hi daddy...“

Max could feel himself relax as he saw her talk on the phone with her father. She almost appeared normal today. It was as if her illness had never occurred. And the ease with which she allowed him to get close to her baffled him. There were so many sides of her that he didn’t know and he was sure that there were more sides of her he had yet to see, and that almost frightened him.
Liz jerked her eyes towards his as there was a knock on the front door.

She gave him a soft smile as he apologetically gestured towards the door. He scrambled out of the bed, raking his hand through his hair as he opened the door.
He was met with the very concerned face of one Maria Deluca.
“Hi Maria.“
“God, Max. You look like shit.“
“Gee, thanks Maria. You know just how to make a person feel better about himself.“
Maria pulled him into a quick, but comforting hug. “How is she?“ she asked as she pulled back.
“She’s better...much better,“ Max answered.
“She’s awake?“
“Yes, she’s on the phone with her father.“
“Oh...“ Maria looked Max over. “You really look like a living dead. Have you slept at all?“

Max rubbed his forehead, Maria’s question making him realize how tired he really was. “No... I was just so...“
“Worried,“ Maria filled in with a sad smile, “But she’s better now?“
“Yes...it’s really weird. It’s like it never happened. She’s acting pretty normal.“
“Yeah...that’s weird,“ Maria pondered as she slowly sank down in Max’s sofa.
Max trotted over to the armchair across from her and buried his head in his hands.
“So, tell me what’s really bothering you.“
“What do you mean?“ Max’s muffled voice asked, not raising his head.
“Don’t play stupid. It’s not difficult to see that the reasonable Max Evans have packed his bags and gone on a guilt trip.“
Max groaned. “Maria...“
“Max, come on. You can’t hide anything from me, remember?“
“Unfortunately yes,“ Max mumbled.

“Why does it sound as if you’re not so happy about our painfully honest relationship?“ Maria asked, feigning hurt.
Max raised his head from his hands and flipped back in the couch, moving his eyes to the ceiling with an exasperated sigh.
“A certain frog story comes to mind...“
“Oh, come on! That’s fun!“
“No, Maria,“ Max groaned, “That’s not fun, that’s embarrassing!“
“Anywaaay, I’m not going to let you off the hook that easily.“
“Just my luck.“
“Don’t be sarcastic, okay,“ Maria warned, “So spill!“
“I just...you know Liz and I were washing my car....“ Max began.
A grin spread over Maria’s face. “Well, if you say so. I didn’t think there was too much washing of the car going on, personally.“

“Whatever,“ Max interrupted, his red ears betraying him, “And we got wet...“
“Aha,“ Maria said, suggestively arching an eyebrow.
Max rolled his eyes and turned his gaze to his hands. “And then she was running a fever...“
Maria sighed. How could that have escaped her? Max was blaming himself for Liz’s condition. “Max, I consider you quite bright.“
“Eh...thank you, I think,“ Max said.
“So you should know that human beings don’t purposefully inflict viruses on each other - if they are not a carrier of it, that is.“
Max opened his mouth to answer, but Maria put up her hand to cut him off. “But, as far as I know, considering your,“ Maria conspiratorially lowered her voice, “otherwordly status, you don’t get sick so you couldn’t have been to one to give it to her.“
“But I can be a carrier.“

“Max, please. Let’s be realistic. Besides, as you were immersed in your water sports,“ she couldn’t help but wink at him, “it was like 105 degrees outside. Not really the weather to catch a cold in.“
“Then why was she sick?“
“Maybe it’s something she has had in her system for some time and it just like exploded right now. Those things exist...I think... I’ve read something about that.“
Max sighed. “It doesn’t really explain anything, Ria.“
“Then, what’s your theory? Please enlighten me, Max, and don’t give me the water sports excuse, because I find that one ridiculous.“
“She got a fever right after that,“ Max said, not letting it go.
“Did you do anything else that day?“
Max opened his mouth to answer, but was interrupted as Maria’s face lightened up with the sudden spurt of insight. “Oh, I know. What if she got food poisoning? That can happen! And it doesn’t last for very long, right?“
Well, that did make some sense. Max couldn’t deny that. But still, Liz’s behavior had been off somehow.

“Ria, I need to ask you something.“
“Sure, shoot.“
“Um, has Michael told you anything about his...um...endeavors?“
“His endeavors...? Ohh... you mean him flirting with everything that wears a skirt?“
“Well, yeah.“
Maria shrugged. “No, you know Michael. He’s not exactly known to be the most talkative person around.“
Max leaned his head back against the sofa and closed his eyes as he tiredly rubbed his forehead.
Maria immediately turned serious, zooming in on Max with her Max radar. “Max, what are you saying? Did you and Liz have sex?“
Her blunt question made Max sharply jerk his head in position to stare at her face, his whole face slowly turning beet-red.

“No!“ he blurted out and then quickly took a deep breath, “I mean…no, we haven’t, Maria.“
Maria put up her hands in front of her in defensive gesture. “Relax, Max. I didn’t really think you had either, but have you kissed since that disastrous first kiss?“
Max grimaced at the memory and Maria’s description of it. The red tone to his face turned into a deep crimson color and he dropped his eyes to his fidgeting fingers. “Yes.“
“And...“ Maria pressed. She knew that she was onto something. If she could just get that stubborn man talking!
“Michael hasn’t told you about anything weird happening when...um...making out, has he?“
Maria squinted her eyes. Could he get off the Michael subject already?
“No…he hasn’t. Did something happen when you kissed Liz? You know, something special?“
Max raked his hand through his hair. “I don’t know. God, Maria. I don’t know.“
“Shh...calm down, Max,“ Maria said, his defeated stance worrying her.
“I’ve never kissed anyone before and I don’t know what it’s suppose to feel like.“
“Well, what did it feel like?“

Max met Maria’s eyes. How was he supposed to find the right words to describe what it felt like?
“It felt…explosive,“ Max whispered.
“Ohkay,“ Maria said slowly. “But that’s good, right?“
“You tell me...does it feel that way for…you, or is it an...um...“
“Alien thing?“ Maria filled in with a low voice.
Max winced. He had never hated his origin more than he did at this moment when he realized that it might be the cause of an illness, something that caused Liz pain.
Maria sighed and moved further out on the couch and placed her hands soothingly on Max’s knees.
“Max, I’ve only kissed Rob Jones in third grade, John Miller in eighth grade and Martin Miles last year... Those are not what you would call ‘explosive’ kissers.“
Max gave her a weak smile and Maria relaxed some. “Maybe it will feel explosive when I meet the right guy, Max. Alien or not.“ She ignored Max’s grunt. “But what does all this have to do with Liz being sick?“

Max took a deep shuddering breath. “What if I changed something inside of her when I kissed her? We don’t know if we are compatible with humans. What if we are like poison to human bodies-“
He quieted when Maria couldn’t stop the laughter she had been trying to hold in from erupting. “Sorry, Max. But honey, you are not poison!“
Max rubbed his forehead in an agitated movement. “No, maybe not, but we don’t know what can happen.“
“Max, if your theory is correct then we would have cases of inexplicable diseases popping up all over Roswell with every girl that has had some contact with Michael Guerin.“
“Maybe we are of a different race-“
“Listen to yourself! This is getting more and more bizarre, Max! And besides, I would’ve guessed that healing someone would more easily change that person then kissing her. But I never had any weird fevers.“

“I tried to heal her, Ria, and it didn’t work,“ Max said quietly.
Maria frowned. “That’s weird. I thought you could heal all diseases.“
“Well, I’ve actually never tried with viruses and bacteria, but it shouldn’t be more difficult than tumors.“
“No, precisely. That’s really...“
Her voice trailed off as they heard the bedroom door open.
Max was instantly on his feet.

Maria stifled a gasp as her eyes landed on Liz’s fragile figure. She thought that no one could look worse than Max did, but Liz had definitely succeeded. She was deathly pale and her eyes looked big and dark in her white face. The whites of her eyes were slightly red. Her lips were parched and she had dark circles under her eyes. However, it wasn’t the remnants of Liz’s illness that had caused Maria to react, it was the glow that she seemed to radiate, even in her sick state. It was as if her skin were illuminated. As if someone had turned on a lamp inside of her and its light was floating out through her every pore. Maria watched as Max stepped up to Liz and put his hand against the small of her back. She saw the soft smiles being exchanged and the love that shone in their eyes. She had never seen anything like that before. It was magnetic. Electrical. It sizzled in the air.

“Hey Maria,“ Liz greeted. Her voice was very weak and hoarse and Maria had to strain to hear her.
“Hey Liz,“ she replied with a warm smile.
“Liz…you shouldn’t be up walking,“ Max softly berated Liz.
“I’m starving,“ Liz answered with a smile, effectively avoiding Max’s slight pampering, “Are you guys gonna eat something?“
Maria had to hand it to her. It was not easy to shake off Max’s over-protective tendencies, but Liz did it with an ease that left Maria mildly impressed.
“I heard you weren’t feeling too well,“ Maria said, “So I stopped by to see how you were doing.“
“I’m much better, thanks,“ Liz answered, “And I will feel even better after I’ve eaten something.“

She gave Max a pointed look, which he intentionally ignored. “Liz, you should sit down.“
“I’m fine, Max,“ she said.
“Yep, I’ve heard that one before,“ Max said, “But you can’t fool me this time.“
Maria had to smile. They were just so cute together, so very much in love, and yet both so unaware of it.
“I’ll make you breakfast if you sit down,“ Max negotiated.
“I can’t argue with that,“ Liz answered.
“What do you want?“ Max asked.
“Mmmm…lemme think...Pancakes,“ Liz answered.
“Sounds great,“ Maria said, “I’ll order that too.“
“Okay, ladies. Get comfortable and your food will be served ASAP. Maria, can you get Liz a blanket? She shouldn’t get cold.“
Liz and Maria looked at each other and rolled their eyes in unison.


TBC...

Hi!

Eternal Dreamer, 6throck, stargrl678 - welcome to this fic!!

And Shari, I just realized that maybe you haven't been here before. I know that you are reading my other stories. But if you haven't gotten a proper welcome here... Welcome to this fic, Shari!

Okay, people. There's not so much drama in this chapter, but that also means that there isn't any added confusion...for now. Although, there aren't really any questions answered either ...


Thanks a ton for the feedback, you guys! You are the best!!!




Chapter 34

“I’m just gonna...“ Liz waved in the direction of a bench.
“Yeah, sure,“ Maria said.
She watched Liz slowly sit down on the bench and sat down beside her.
“Are you sure you’re okay?“ Maria asked.
Liz smiled at her. “Yes, I’m just a little tired.“
“Okay. But you gotta tell me as soon as you want to go home, because I don’t want to experience Max Evans’ wrath.
“I don’t think he’s gotten over that I went shopping with you yet,“ Liz said.
Maria grimaced. “Nope, you’re probably right. But you needed to get out of that house, right?“

“Yes,“ Liz said, “So, what’s next on the list?“
“Shoes,“ Maria answered, her eyes sparkling.
“Shoes?“ Liz repeated with a smile.
“Definitely shoes,“ Maria said, “Aaand, of course, some information on what’s going on between you and Max.“
Liz froze while getting up from her seat.
“Don’t look so horrified,“ Maria laughed.
“Sorry,“ Liz smiled self-consciously, “I guess I’m not used to this whole...sharing thing.“
“Come on, don’t tell me you’ve never talked about this sort of thing with your friends,“ Maria said with a smile, which quickly slipped off her face when Liz shook her head. “You haven’t?“

“I’ve never actually had any friends...just Alex.“
“Alex?“
“I met him at the university where I was studying. You really should meet him sometime, I think you would like him.“
“I would love to meet him,“ Maria smiled.
“Maybe I should call him, I haven’t talked to him lately,“ Liz said, guilt in her voice.
“That would be great, but don’t think you can avoid my question that easily,“ Maria said as she walked into one of the shoe shops, “Tell me about you and Max.“
The blushing smile that draped itself over Liz’s features at the question was really answer enough for Maria, but she wanted to hear it from Liz. She wanted Liz to confirm what she already suspected.

“I like him...very much,“ Liz said quietly, taking a shoe from the shelf and absent-mindedly studying it.
“You ‘like him’, huh? Nothing more?“ Maria taunted.
Liz ducked her head, but not before Maria could see the blush spread over her cheeks.
“I don’t know yet,“ Liz answered slowly, “But yesterday we...um...kissed.“
“And how was it?“ Maria asked, observing Liz with sparkling eyes.
Liz glanced up at Maria and dropped her eyes to the other shoe she had taken in her hand. A soft secret smile played in the corners of her mouth as she answered. “Beautiful.“
Maria’s small smile broke out into a big grin. Why couldn’t either Max or Liz see how much in love they really were with each other? It was so obvious. The warm smiles, the dreamy looks, the soft giggles, the blushing. It was all there for the rest of the world to see. Maria could practically feel it radiating off both Liz and Max when she was in their presence.

“Liz...have you and Max talked about this?“
Liz looked up at her and put the shoe back on the shelf while she shook her head. “Not much. I guess we are both a little...confused.“
Maria nodded slowly in understanding. “Talk to him, Liz. I’m sure you will see just how much he reciprocates your feelings.“
“You think so?“
“Liz, Max is a great listener. I wouldn’t have survived if the only person I could ramble to about all of my personal problems throughout the years were Michael. I probably would’ve gone crazy,“ Maria smiled, “And come to think of it, Michael probably would’ve too.“
Liz giggled. Maria stepped up to her and made sure she met her eyes. “Liz, communication is everything. From what Max has hinted, you have a tendency to bottle up everything inside of you, but that’s no good. Talk to him, Liz. He’ll listen.“
Liz gave her a faint smile and nodded.

<center>----------------------------------------------------</center>

Max heard the front door open and close and looked up towards the doorframe. He smiled as Liz appeared.
“Hey,“ he greeted softly.
Liz sighed. “Hey.“ Max saw her grimace of fatigue.
“You tired?“
Liz’s shoulders sagged and without another word, she walked into the bedroom and plopped down on the bed.
“Exhausted,“ she groaned.
“Was the Shopping Nazi hard on you?“
“She must’ve pulled out her worst weapons,“ Liz mumbled from behind the arm she had flung over her eyes.
Max chuckled.

“I mean,“ Liz rolled over on her side and propped her head up on her elbow, “she kept insisting that we buy this and that, and then she made about three thousand promises that we were only going to one more store. I’m telling you, I’ve never seen so many fitting rooms before in my life.“
“I can’t say I envy you,“ Max said.
Liz gave him a tired smile. “But it was fun. She’s really great.“
Max nodded. “When she’s not trying on eighty different pair of shoes.“
“Or a hundred different sweaters just to see which one matches her skirt,“ Liz groaned, “I can’t believe I actually let her talk me into going.“
“At least you can be happy that you weren’t with my sister. She’s even worse. Those two together at a shopping mall, a lethal combination,“ Max said, and then turned serious. “How are you feeling? Any dizziness?“
Liz smiled warmly at his concern. “No, I’m fine... just bone-tired.“
“That’s good. That you’re feeling better, I mean.“

Liz looked up at Max and for the first time noticed that he was sitting with some papers.
“So, what have you been up to the whole day?“
“Nothing special,“ Max answered evasively.
Liz rolled onto her stomach and moved closer to him. Max kept his eyes locked with hers, feeling the now familiar heat build up within him.
“Is it something secret?“ Liz asked.
“Not really,“ Max said, “It’s just...applications.“
Liz frowned. “Applications? What are you applying for?“
“University.“
Liz’s face broke out in a smile of surprise and genuine joy. “You’re kidding me.“
“Nope.“

Liz unconsciously moved closer to him. “Well, Mr. Evans. If I remember correctly, you used to consider universities to be boring.“
Max shrugged his shoulders. “I changed my mind.“
Liz raised her eyebrows. “Aha... What are you going to study?“
“Medicine.“
Liz smiled and propped her chin up on his chest. Max looked down into her eyes, feeling the warmth in his body rush to the place where the weight of Liz’s head rested against him.
“I think that’s great, Max.“
“I just figured that maybe I shouldn’t be working at the UFO center my whole life,“ Max said, trying to keep his tone light, but found it increasingly difficult as Liz moved closer to him, her whole body now pressing up against his.

“Yeah, maybe it’s not the best place to make a career,“ Liz agreed. She was so close right now that he could feel her warm breath caressing his face. All he had to do was to lean forward and he would be able to taste her lips. He wasn’t really sure where they stood. They hadn’t kissed since the kiss by the car, because Liz had gotten sick after that. Did she regret that they had kissed? She’d had some time to think about it and maybe she thought it was a big mistake.

His insecurities were suddenly interrupted by the feeling of her soft lips on his. His eyes drifted closed. His entire body froze as he concentrated solely on the kiss. Savoring the taste of her lips, cherishing their softness and smoothness. The tingles from the nerve endings in his lips heightened the feelings and spread so he could feel them right down to his toes.

Liz slowly pulled back and he opened his eyes to find her looking at him.
“What’s happening between us, Max?“
“I don’t know,“ he answered honestly, “but I could definitely get used to it.“
He leaned forward and captured her lips again, her scent intoxicating him, making him crave more. He could feel her move more fully on top of him, her hand creeping around his neck. She moaned into his mouth before pulling back. Her breathing was shallow as she met his eyes again.
“Me too... I’ve never felt like this before.“
Max captured one of the silky tresses of her dark hair and let it glide through his fingers. “Me neither.“
“It’s just...“
Max looked into her eyes and then let his eyes drift to her mouth. “Explosive,“ he filled in.
“Exactly.“
“Well, if it makes you feel any better, I’ve never been in a relationship either.“

He smiled at the surprise on her face. “You haven’t?“
He softly traced her jaw line with his index finger, his heart quickening as she angled her head into his touch.
“No,“ he answered softly.
“Why?“ She cocked her head to the side, as if the new position would make her understand easier. “I would imagine a handsome man like you would have women crawling all over you.“
Max shrugged his shoulders. “I can’t deny that.“
Liz’s chin dropped in surprise at his blunt statement and she swatted him over the chest, which only elicited a chuckle from him. He captured her hand and slowly laced their fingers together.
“No one was the right one for me,“ he said softly.
“Then who is right for you? Tell me, Max Evans. How does your Dream girl look like? Blonde curly hair, curves...?“

“Actually, I have her very clear in my mind,“ Max said slowly, his eyes fixed on her while his fingers languidly played with hers.
“Let’s hear it,“ Liz said, struggling to keep her tone light under his blazing gaze.
“Dark brown hair. Long. And so shiny and soft that you just have to touch it.“
“You have a hair fetish, don’t you?“
Max grinned. “No comment. And she will have dark eyes and the most red,“ his hand moved to gently brush over her lips, “kissable,“ he placed a soft kiss on her lips, “lips. And of course, she’s incredibly beautiful.“
“Well...“ Liz inhaled deeply to get control over the powerful emotions churning inside of her, “You’ll have to search long to find that one, but good luck.“

Max buried his hand in her dark masses and pulled her close. “Come here,“ he murmured huskily before pressing his lips against hers. Liz was happy they were lying down because she didn’t think she would be able to keep on standing if they weren’t. But what Maria had said earlier was still clear in her mind and, with a sigh, she pulled back. “I don’t know, Max. I’m completely torn.“
She met Max’s questioning eyes and continued, “My mind tells me that I don’t really know you and if I don’t know you how can I start a relationship with you?“
“Stranger things have happened,“ Max answered.
“Yes...but my heart tells me something completely different.“
“Tell me.“
“That I know you. It’s just... It feels right. It feels right in a way that nothing has ever felt right in my life before.“
Max nodded slowly. “I think I’m falling for you, Liz Parker,“ he said, even though that was only half the truth. He was not falling for her; he had already fallen. He had fallen hard and fast. He was deeply mesmerized by Liz Parker.

Even though his words warmed her heart, logic was talking right now. “But you don’t even know who you’re falling for. I’m complicated. I don’t want to suck you in.“
“I have told you before and I’ll tell you again,“ Max said, “it doesn’t matter how much you fight it, I’m already a part of your life. Liz, there’s a lot of things I don’t know about you, but there’s also a lot of things you don’t know about me. And maybe it would be for the better if we didn’t get involved in each other’s lives for reasons I can’t tell you right now.“
Liz frowned at his last words. What did he mean? Why did she get the feeling that he was hiding something from her? Something major.
“But these feelings are strong and I can’t deny them,“ Max continued, “I find myself trying to understand how I ever got up from bed everyday without seeing you first thing in the morning.“
Max’s gaze was so intense that she had to drop her eyes. “I’m just...scared. This is all so new to me. I’m afraid I won’t be able to live up to your expectations.“ Max opened his mouth to protest, but Liz silenced him by softly placing her finger on his lips. She needed to get this out. “Sometimes I feel like you have this beautiful conception of me and I’m just going to disappoint you...and hurt you.“
Max cradled the side of her face with his hand and looked her deeply in the eyes. “Liz, I’m new to this too, just ask Maria. She thought I was gay.“

Liz giggled and Max smiled. “We’ll work on this together, okay? I don’t want to pressure you, you know, about the nightmares and everything, but I want you to know that you can talk to me whenever you need to talk. I’ll be here.“
“What about New York?“
“I’m coming with you,“ Max said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
“Max...“ Liz sighed, “This is all very new. I mean, how can we be sure that this...whatever is going on between us, is worth giving up on our own lives-“
“We wouldn’t give up on anything,“ Max interrupted, “Liz, this is something real and so deeply right that I can feel it whenever you’re around. I can’t let go of this now. That would be stupid. We’re not giving up ourselves, we’re just following our hearts.“
Liz dropped her eyes to where she was absent-mindedly playing with the collar of his shirt. “My mom used to say that.“

Max smiled softly. “She was a very wise woman.“
“I don’t know how I even remember that. I guess it was because she kept repeating it. Saying it like there was something deeper behind it. Something profound, that only she knew about. You know how parents often, when tucking their children in, says something like ‘I love you more than all the stars on the sky.’?“
“Yeah...“ Max said slowly, wondering what she was hinting at.
“My mom didn’t say that, come to think of it. Every night she said, ‘Follow your heart, sweetheart. I love you.’ I can’t believe I remember that.“
“Do you think of her a lot?“
“Every day,“ Liz answered quietly.
Max brushed some hairs off her forehead. “Thank you, Liz.“
Liz met his eyes in question. “For what?“
“For letting me in.“


TBC...

Anais Nin wrote:Forgive me for not giving you any feedback on the chapter before this one, but I'm almost done with my tests, so then, I'll be all yours and write feedback until you wished I was still as busy as I am right now...

Nuh-uh You can never give me too much feedback!


Thank you everyone!!!




Chapter 35

“Liz, can you come here for a second?“
Liz walked into the kitchen, a soft smile on her face. “You wanted something?“
She eyed Max standing at the stove and had to struggle to stifle her giggle. He had an apron on and Liz couldn’t decide if he just looked funny or incredible sexy. Or a giddy and intriguing combination of the two.
“Come here,“ he instructed, holding out a wooden spoon towards her.
Liz stepped up to him. “Mmm…it smells great,“ she said.
“I need you to taste it,“ Max said. Since his sense of taste was a bit different than hers, he didn’t want to make it too spicy for her. Liz leaned closer.
“Be careful, it might be hot,“ Max said.
Liz caught his eyes with her own smiling ones as her lips closed around the spoon. Max watched her as she pulled away with her eyes closed as she pondered the food.

“Good?“ he asked.
“Mmm...“ Liz mused hesitantly, her eyes still closed. She slowly licked her lips and a smile slowly formed on her face.
“Is it that bad?“ Max asked.
Liz shook her head and then leaned up to him, keeping her eyes closed, and melted her lips with his. He hadn’t seen that one coming. Feeling too paralyzed to move due to the flutters she caused inside of him, he didn’t have time to react before she pulled away from him. The kiss was short, but still had lasted long enough to cause havoc in his body.
“It tastes just wonderful,“ Liz said as she pulled away slightly, still remaining close to his body.
“What does?“ Max teased, his voice as dazed as his mind.
“Hmm... I can’t really decide,“ Liz contorted. “Maybe I should check out the alternatives again.“

“Well, I think that could be arranged,“ Max said, his voice growing husky and deep as he slowly put down the spoon on the counter against which Liz had her back pressed. “I really should consult with the judges first, but maybe I can make an exception...“
Liz put her arms around his neck and pulled him closer. “Please do,“ she breathed.
“Let me see what I can do,“ he whispered, bringing his head down to taste her neck. Her eyes drifted closed at his gentle assault on the sensitive skin of her neck.
“Please don’t stop doing it,“ Liz murmured, her hands slowly moving down his chest. She giggled as she reached his apron.
“What?“ His voice vibrated against her skin, making shivers of pleasure run down her spine.
“The apron really has to go,“ she answered.
“You don’t like my apron?“ Max asked with mock hurt in his voice.

Liz hands crept around his waist and she started tugging on the knot. “I like you better without the apron.“
“You do, huh?“ Max asked, his lips slowly trailing up her jaw.
“Uh-huh,“ Liz murmured, catching his lips with hers. She could feel the energy build up in her again and Max’s increasingly restless movements proved that he could feel it too. His tongue trailed her bottom lip, before taking it fully into his mouth. She whimpered and buried her fingers in his dark hair, pulling him closer. She barely registered as he lifted her up on the counter; she was too preoccupied with his tongue entering her mouth. But she could feel him pressing up against her as he came to stand between her thighs.

The annoying sound that went off close by was barely enough to interrupt them as it failed miserably in attracting their full attention.
Max used his hands to push her more fully against his chest, his lips adoring hers. “Liz...“ he moaned. “The phone.“
“What?“ Her one-syllable utterance made her lips softly vibrate against his. Max hands found their way beneath her sweater. She gasped in his mouth as she felt his hands against her naked skin. The unexpected intimacy made feelings she’d never felt before course through her body. The feelings were so strong that she had to lean forward and bury her forehead against the soft surface of his shirt and try to calm herself down. That’s when the ringing of the phone managed to reach her ears.
“Max...“

His name caught in her throat as Max’s mouth closed around her earlobe.
“It’s...ringing...“ Liz gasped.
“Uh-huh,“ Max mumbled. God, she tasted good. Her skin was so warm under his lips, so soft.
Liz angled her head in accordance with his tongue and she shivered with pleasure as the cool air hit her warm skin where Max’s lips had left a mark. Her mind mostly focused on what Max’s mouth was doing to her skin and the sensations he caused as her hand searched its way along the counter towards her cell phone that she had left on the counter. She didn’t know how she managed to find the connect button and get the phone to her ear, but she managed.
“He-hello,“ she stuttered, Max’s tongue moving over the sensitive skin at the hollow at the base of her throat.

“Lizzie?“
“Yes,“ Liz answered.
“Um...this is Alex. Sorry, it just didn’t sound like you,“ Alex said cheerily on the other end of the line.
“No,“ Liz said, not having much clue to what Alex was talking about.
“Are you alone?“ Alex asked suspiciously, “You sound a little...strange.“
“No...I’m with...Max!“ The last word came out in gasp as Max’s hands brushed against her stomach.
“Um... I’m not really sure if I should be talking to you then,“ Alex said, feeling highly uncomfortable. Couldn’t Liz at least pretend that she was alone? Did she have to be so damn honest? He didn’t even want to think about what he might be interrupting! Oh no, Alex! Don’t go there!

“Can I...call you later?“ Liz asked.
Alex really wanted to say yes, but he also really needed to talk to her. “Is it okay if we talk right now?“
“It’s...a bad time,“ Liz said. Her eyes drifted close as Max’s lips traveled up her throat to trace her jaw line, placing soft deliberate kisses over the cheek that was free for him to explore. He couldn’t get enough of her.
“It’s my dad.“
Liz snapped her head away from Max and gently pushed him away. Max looked at her in dazed confusion. What had happened? He had been in la-la-Liz-land and then suddenly he had been painfully thrown out.
Liz jumped down from the counter. “It’s Alex,“ Liz said, catching Max’s eyes. “I need to talk to him.“

“But...“
“I really need to talk to him,“ Liz emphasized.
Max nodded. “Okay. I’ll just continue with the dinner.“
“Thanks,“ Liz smiled, “I’ll be right back with you.“
He returned her smile and watched her walk into the living room.
“Alex, what happened?“ He heard her talk with her friend in the living room as he finished getting dinner ready.
He set the table in the living room while throwing occasional glances in Liz’s direction. She was completely focused on the person on the other end of the line. He could probably drop a plate in the floor and she wouldn’t notice.
He was just about to turn of the stove, as he heard Liz say good-bye to Alex. He peeked into the living room as Liz went silent. He found her with her head leaning against her hands.

“Liz? You okay?“
She didn’t answer, so he stepped into the living room and started to carefully walk towards her. “Liz?“
She snapped her head up in his direction and gave him a tired smile. “Hey...“
“Hey,“ he said, “You okay?“
“Yeah, I’m fine. It’s just Alex’s dad. He’s just...“ She shook her head at the loss of words to describe the sick person Alex dad was.
“You wanna talk about it?“ Max asked, stepping closer to her.

“Not really. It just hurts me to hear Alex in so much pain,“ Liz said, her voice trailing off. Max got the impression that there was something she wasn’t telling him.
“And...“
She met his eyes and got up from the sofa. “Nothing,“ she smiled, and lightly pecked his cheek when she brushed past him. Max turned around to find her plopping a piece of cucumber in her mouth.
“Then, let’s eat,“ he said.
“Yes, it smells just wonderful,“ Liz said and sat down in one of the chairs.

<center>---------------------------------------------------</center>

It had been a couple of eventless days. Liz had spent a lot of time with Max’s friends and she more or less felt like one in the group. It hadn’t taken her long to realize that Max and his friends were a tight-knit group. They hardly let anyone else in. Maria was the one of them that was most open to strangers, but even she stayed somewhat on guard. Michael liked to charm girls, but strangely enough he didn’t open up. Despite the compliments and charming words Michael threw in her direction, he was the one who was the least willing to let her in. She felt his suspicious gazes on her when he thought she wasn’t looking. He didn’t trust her and several times during her stay in Roswell had she wondered why they were all so mistrusting. On some occasions she had caught them sitting with their heads close together, whispering. But as soon as they had become aware of her presence they had clammed up. It was really weird. If she didn’t know better she would say they all shared a big secret that would be life-threatening if it were to get out. But that couldn’t be it. What kind of secret would a couple of people in a small town in New Mexico hide?

Then there was Isabel. Liz had thought that they had laid a foundation for a friendship in New York, but Isabel had been like another person as soon as she had sat her foot in Roswell. It was as if being on homeground was making Isabel more fearful, more on her toes. Her smiles weren’t as natural any more, her laughter wasn’t as carefree as before. It was as if an invisible weight was weighing her down and it seemed to be weighing down on Max and Michael too. Well, Maria as well, but with her it wasn’t as evident.

“Are you ready to go?“
Liz turned her head towards Max.

Max. He was just as closed up as Isabel and Michael. She had tried to share some things about her life with him and she had probably told him more if she had been able to remember more. She trusted him with her life and she wanted him to know things about her. But she also wanted to know things about him and as she returned to all the conversations they’ve had she realized that he had never really revealed anything personal. Sure, he had told her about pets and bizarre eating habits, but not anything substantial, anything true. He had effectively steered the conversation away from him and she wondered if it was intentional or not. Why did he feel that he had to hide things from her? Didn’t he trust her?

“Liz?“
She looked up and found Max’s smiling face watching her. “I’m sorry. What did you say?“
“Are you ready to go?“ Max repeated.
“Go? Where?“
“The CrashDown... Or maybe you don’t want to go. Are you feeling okay? You seem a little distant.“
“Everything’s just fine,“ Liz smiled.
He looked at her for a couple of seconds like he was trying to find another truth behind her words. “Okay,“ he reached out and took her hand and pulled her up from her seat, “Then let’s go.“

<center>-----------------------------------------------</center>

Max and Liz walked into the CrashDown, their hands linked together. Their eyes immediately sought out Michael and Maria in their regular booth.
“Hey guys,“ Max greeted.
“Hey Max, Liz,“ Maria smiled warmly and scooted to the side to leave room. Liz took the seat beside Maria, while Max sat down beside Michael.
“Hey Liz, there was someone here looking for you,“ Michael said.
“Really?“ Liz reached across the table and took the menu.
“Yes,“ Maria nodded, “he was very eager to meet you. He said he was your friend.“
The only friend she could think of was Alex. But what would Alex be doing here? It was a little long trip to travel for a social call.
“He didn’t tell you his name?“ Liz asked. She couldn’t help but being unnerved about the fact that someone had come looking for her, at a place where she had almost not told anyone she was going to be...
“No, that’s stupid,“ Maria said, “We forgot to ask him.“
“Did he say anything else so that I can somehow figure out who he is? I mean, did he say where I could find him?“

“No, not really. He was just asking if we knew Elizabeth Parker and said that he would find you. He seemed pretty upset.“
Liz frowned. “That’s weird.“
“Do you have any idea who it might’ve been?“ Max asked.
“Remember Alex?“
“Oh, your friend from the university?“ Maria asked.
“Yeah, that’s him,“ Liz smiled at the memory of her friend, “That’s the only one I can think of.“
“Who’s that?“
Four heads turned towards the voice.
“Alex,“ Liz answered as she watched Isabel slide in beside Max.
“Alex...?“ Isabel said slowly. Why did that name sound familiar?
“You met him once. My old friend.“

Isabel squinted with her eyes in concentration and then her whole face lit up. “Right. He was the tall guy who couldn’t speak.“
Liz smiled. “Yeah, he was a little tongue-tied.“
“May this have something to do with Isabel’s otherwordly charm?“ Maria teased.
Max, Isabel and Michael’s heads jerked towards Maria at her statement and Liz observed how Maria literally seemed to want to sink through the floor.
Isabel was the one to first regain her composure. Liz could feel Max’s nervous glances at her, but all she could do was to study Maria’s downcast eyes while she fidgeted with her napkin.
Isabel cleared her throat. “Well, who could resist me?“
“I could,“ Michael answered.

Liz sat silent and watched as the interactions flared alive again, but there was a new tentativeness surrounding her new friends. As if they were watching their every word and Max’s nervous glances in her direction didn’t help to smother her confusion and curiosity about what had just happened.
“Hi! Welcome to the CrashDown. Can I get you guys anything?“
Liz looked up to see a red-haired girl standing next to their table, wearing one of those turquoise uniforms.
“Uh...a Will Smith Burger,“ Michael said, “And a snapple.“
“Blackberry pie and water,“ Maria piped up. She still locked slightly shell-shocked.
“Nothing for me, thanks,“ Isabel said.
“I’ll have the Saturn Rings and a cherry coke,“ Max said.

“Predictable as always,“ Isabel snickered, “When are you going to order something else, dear brother?“
“When you start ordering food, dear sister,“ Max retorted.
“I’m watching my weight. Don’t you know how much oil those things you’re eating every day are drenched in?“
“You could just order a salad,“ Michael pointed out.
“I’m not hungry,“ Isabel said with a tone that announced she considered the topic closed.
“Miss?“
Liz was still watching the group, her thoughts miles away.
“Liz?“
“Huh?“ she snapped her head up to find everyone staring at her. She quickly turned her head to the left and found the waitress looking at her with a semi-bored expression, drilling her pencil impatiently against the ordering-pad.
“Oh. I’ll just um...“ Liz quickly skimmed through the orders, “I’ll just have um...the Intergalactic Special.“

“And you want something to drink with that?“
“Cherry coke.“
“Okay then,“ the waitress closed the ordering-book, “I’ll be right back with your drinks.“
As Liz returned her gaze away from the waitress she found herself in the middle of the other’s attention. It made her feel very uneasy. The only thing soothing the intimidating looks Michael kept shooting in her direction was the concerned look Max was giving her.
“So, this Alex,“ Isabel spoke up, “How well do you know him?“
Liz took a deep breath and looked at Isabel, trying her best to act like everything was okay because it seemed as if the others were going for that game and she wasn’t going to be the one to not play.
“Very well. He has been my best friend for ages, but we lost contact for a few years.“
“Why?“ Michael asked.

Where did that charm disappear to? Liz wondered. Was it just her or had the temperature in the room just plummeted below zero?
“Ehm...I guess we just stopped calling,“ Liz said evasively.
“Do you trust him?“ Michael asked.
“Michael,“ Max said.
Liz looked at Max at his tone of voice.
“What?“ Michael demanded.
“Can I speak with you for a sec?“ When Michael only glared at him, he added, “In private.“
Michael gave Liz another look before he moved after Max away from the booth.
“Just ignore Michael. He’s just being rude. He’s like that to most people.“ Maria’s reassuring voice couldn’t stop the discomfort that was seeping through Liz. It wasn’t just Michael who was acting funny, it was Isabel too. Despite the fact that Michael was more intimidating, it was Isabel’s cool eyes that made her shiver the most. It was scary to see someone you thought you’d known transform into a totally different person. She had thought that she could count Isabel as a friend but now she wasn’t even sure Isabel trusted her. Just like Max didn’t seem to trust her.


Michael folded his arms across his chest with a frustrated sigh. “What’s up, Maxwell?“
“What do you think you’re doing?“
Stubbornly, Michael met Max’s angry eyes and shrugged. “Nothing.“
“You can’t treat Liz like that!“
“I’m just asking her a couple of questions.“
“No, Michael. You are not just asking her a couple of questions. You are cross-examining her! You are scaring her.“
“I don’t trust her.“
“You can trust her.“
“How do you know?“
“Because I know her,“ Max answered.
“But I don’t.“
“That’s because you aren’t letting her in,“ Max said.

Michael raised his eyebrows. “And you are?“
Max tensed and took a step back from Michael. His silence was answer enough to Michael.
“Didn’t think so,“ Michael said.
Max sighed. “I want to tell her-“
Michael’s eyes grew wide and flared with anger. “What?! No, Maxwell!“ He lowered his voice. “You can’t tell her - ever! We don’t tell anyone, remember?“
“Wouldn’t it be better if she knew?“
“No,“ Michael said adamantly.
“We had to tell Maria and I don’t regret doing that. And I don’t think you do either.“
“Maria’s different,“ Michael mumbled.
“How’s she different?“
“You had to heal her. You had no other choice but to tell her. You don’t have to tell Liz.“

“I hate lying to her, Michael. I can’t tell her anything about my past, because I’m afraid she will puzzle the clues together and figure it out.“
“Then don’t tell her anything about your past. It’s as simple as that.“
Max sighed and rubbed his hands over his face. “I’ve wanted to tell her since the first time I met her.“
Michael stared at him in shock. “Are you crazy? You can’t tell her, Max. You can’t. Do you think she will still want to stick around after she has found out the truth? Do you think she’ll want to continue kissing you?“
Max swallowed and closed his eyes. Michael was right. Liz was going to freak out and leave him. She was going to look at him like he was a monster.

“If we’re lucky she will just run away and never want to see you again. But what if she runs straight to the police or FBI and reveals that her boyfriend is an extraterrestrial and willingly hands over the address to your house?“
“Liz wouldn’t do that,“ Max objected.
“You don’t know that,“ Michael said, “Isabel told me that she was weird.“
“She’s not wei-“
“She was unconscious for several hours. She’s been having nightmares. She has this thing about rain. For all we know, she could be a crazy person and we don’t know how she’ll react.“
Why was this so hard? His heart trusted Liz completely. In his heart he knew that she would accept him even if he told her the truth. But his mind, and the deep-rooted fear of being exposed, told him otherwise. He had a responsibility to Isabel and Michael. Even Maria. It wasn’t up to him to tell their secret. They all had to agree upon it. However, did he really want Liz to know? Wouldn’t she be in greater danger if he did? Maybe it was for the best. Maybe it was for the best if he just let Liz go and let her go back to her uncomplicated life as it was before she met him.

“I won’t tell her,“ Max sighed, “But you have to be nicer to her. Your behavior is just going to make her more suspicious.“
“Right,“ Michael huffed.
Michael stepped away and strode back to the booth, but Max stood frozen in his place, watching Liz with sad eyes. How was he supposed to tell her? How was he going to tell her that she couldn’t be a part of his life?


TBC...

Hi everyone!

Thank you so much for the feedback!!! And Sternbetrachter, extingman and Liz Parker Evans, welcome to this fic!!


Now, there was some difference of opinions. Some (okay, many) were angry with Michael for interfering, and some were irritated with Max for not letting Liz in. So I guess now would be a good time to put forward a request, because after this chapter.. Ahum.. Well...

Don't judge Max too hard. Try to see it from his stand-point. He has lived his whole life in fear of being discovered, taken to a laboratory and experimented on. It's always only been he, Michael and Isabel. And it took a tumor to make them open up to Maria. And remember, Max wanted to heal Maria then, but the others weren't that deliriously happy with that. Isabel and Michael were more or less ready to let Maria die to protect their secret. So... It's really not such much of a surprise that Isabel and Michael aren't willing to let Liz in.

And Max... Well, being a part of such a close-knitted group means that every decision you make affects every one in that group. I'm not trying to defend what Max is doing here. I would think it was better if he just let Liz in. But I just want to make you understand where Max is coming from. He is letting his fears rule his decisions...

Well, that was about what I wanted to say... Let's let the show continue...


Chapter 36

Maria propped up her head in her hands and looked at Max as he sat down beside his sister. “Max, what’s this your sister has been whispering in my ear about you leaving us?“ Maria asked.
“I’m not leaving you,“ Max said a little taken aback by the statement. He shot a glance in Liz’s direction. Had she told them that he wanted to follow her to New York? Because as it seemed right now he wouldn’t be able to leave. He couldn’t put her in more danger by spending more time around him.
“From what I’ve heard you are,“ Maria said a proud twinkle in her eye.
“Nothing is decided yet,“ Max objected, still thinking that Maria was talking about him going to New York City.
“Of course it isn’t. You still have to mail the applications, but I’m certain that you will get in.“
Applications? Max sighed in relief. She was talking about him applying to the university.
“Yeah, Max. There’s nothing wrong with your grades. I’m sure you will be accepted,“ Isabel said.

He glanced at Liz and met her smiling eyes which made a warmth spread inside of him. The warmth was almost immediately replaced with the coldness the awareness of what he had to do brought. Give her up. How could he ever do that now that he had got a glimpse of how wonderful life could be with her? How would he be able to go on without her?
“Thank you,“ Max said, a blush rising on his cheeks.
This was a boring topic of conversation, Michael thought. “Hey, have you guys seen that new movie?“
“What movie?“ Maria asked.
As Maria and Michael started to talk about the new movie that had just recently been released, Liz’s thoughts started to wander to the person who had been looking for her. Had it been Alex? And if it had been, why had he gone all the way to Roswell to find her? She couldn’t help but wonder what could’ve happened. She once again regretted that she didn’t have his cell phone number. Why hadn’t he called her?
Isabel’s agitated voice broke her out of her reverie. “Max?“
Liz looked up and found Max staring off into the distance.
“Max, what’s wrong?“ Maria asked.

Liz let her gaze travel between Max, Isabel and Maria. What was going on? Max’s eyes were open, but it seemed like he wasn’t registering anything. His otherwise warm and expressive eyes were completely vacant and emotionless. From the worried expression of his friends, Liz got the feeling that they had tried to bring him back to reality for some time now.
“Let’s get him out of here,“ Michael ordered.
“What’s going on?“ Liz asked, but she received no answer. Maria pushed on her to move and in confusion Liz stood up, hardly blinking as she watched the others. Without any words being spoken, Isabel put her arm around Max’s waist and dragged him to his feet. Liz tried to step forward to help, but Maria gently pushed her to the side. Liz wasn’t sure Maria was even aware that she had pushed Liz; she seemed completely focused on Max. Michael stood up after Max and put his arm around Max’s waist, helping Isabel support Max as they started moving him towards the backroom.
“Maria? What’s wrong?“

Liz trailed after, worried out of her mind for Max. There was something deeply wrong. She could feel it in the core of her being. A coldness had started to spread within her and she didn’t even dare to think what it meant and how she knew that it somehow was connected to Max.
Maria swiftly walked past Michael and Isabel supporting a now shaking Max and pushed the swinging doors to the Employees Only section open.
Liz walked behind them. She didn’t even consider if it might not be her place to be there. Something was wrong with Max and every fiber of her being was telling her to be there for him and help him. Like he had been there for her on a countless number of occasions since they’ve met.

She never considered that maybe she wasn’t welcome.

“Get her out of here!“
Michael’s rough voice vibrated through her whole body putting a halt to her movements. She felt Maria’s hand on her arm.
“Liz, you have to get out of here.“
“No,“ Liz objected.
“Liz, you can’t be here.“
“Lay him down.“
“Oh my God, Michael. He’s shaking. What are we going to do?“
“Maria! Get over here!“
“Liz, please. You can’t be here.“
Liz’s eyes took in the commotion in the room. “Maria. Don’t make me leave. I want to help. What’s wrong with him? Is it some kind of epileptic seizure?“
“Maria!! Get her out of here!“

“We’ll talk later, Liz, okay? Now, please, leave us alone!“
Liz anxiously looked from Max’s now convulsing body where Michael and Isabel had positioned him on the couch and to Maria’s pleading face.
“I want to help, Maria. Please let me help.“
But she knew that the decision had already been made. She was an outsider and she wasn’t welcome anymore. The others didn’t know her well enough to trust her with Max’s life.
“Liz...“
“Don’t you understand?! Get out!!“ Michael yelled.
Liz met his eyes head on and they made her shiver, freezing her to the bones. His eyes said it all and with a final look on Max’s unresponsive body she turned around and walked out of the restaurant.

<center>-------------------------------------------</center>

Max ascended the stairs to his apartment.

“LIZ!!“
“Max?“
The silence was deafening, thick and suffocating. Clogging his airwaves.
“Where’s Liz? I need to get to Liz.“
“Liz isn’t here. What happened, Maxwell?“
He quickly sat up, the room around him spinning as a cause of the sudden movement.
“Why isn’t she here?“
“Max, listen to me. We sent Liz home. She’s okay.“
He turned towards Maria’s soft and comforting voice. “How do you know? Why did you send her away?“
“She didn’t belong here,“ Michael answered matter-of-factly.
“I have to find her.“
The panic had lessened, draining with the entrance into reality, but it still held an iron hand around his heart.
“No, Max. You have to rest. Did you have another premonition?“
Max turned his head towards his sister as his legs moved over the edge of the couch. “Yes, and I have to get to Liz.“

He pressed the door-handle down, only to find it locked. Why had she locked the door?

“She’s okay. She’s in your apartment. You have to stay and rest.“
He moved out of Maria’s grip and stood up, swaying on his feet. Liz’s safety was all that mattered. Nothing else. He didn’t have time to rest.
“Maria? Can you give me a ride?“
“Max, shouldn’t you be laying down? You’re burning up...“
“I’m fine,“ Max brushed her concerns off and staggered towards the swinging doors, “Liz could be in danger. I have to get to her.“
Even though he wasn’t looking, he could picture his friends giving each other talking glances behind his back, communicating what they should do.
“Okay, Max. I’ll take you,“ Maria agreed.

Max didn’t even bother to look for his key. He just waved his hand over the lock and the clicking sound of the lock unlocking was the cue for him to quickly open the door.
“Liz?“
“Is she here?“
He didn’t even turn his head to look at Maria. He knew that she was feeling guilty for having sent Liz away, but he didn’t have time for that right now.
“Liz?“
He walked into the poorly lit apartment. He let out a breath in relief as he saw her lying on her stomach on the couch, her hand dangling over the edge with a book lying underneath it. She was asleep. He heard Maria’s relieved sigh as he approached Liz and kneeled in front of her.
“Liz...?“
“Max?“ she mumbled.

He brushed a tendril of her off her forehead. “Yeah, it’s me.“
She started to stretch her legs, but then stopped in the middle of the motion, her body tensing. Her eyes snapped open and she quickly sat up. Max met her eyes for the fraction of a second before she flung her arms around him.
“Are you okay?“ she whispered.
He closed his eyes when he could feel for himself that she was okay. “I am now.“
“I’m so sorry that I left you there-“
“You’re not the one to apologize, Liz. I’ve gotten the impression that the others forced you to leave.“
“I didn’t belong there. I don’t belong here.“
Max moved out of her arms to look at her. “What are you talking about?“
“I don’t belong here, Max. Not with you or with your friends. I belong in New York.“
“No, Liz-“
“I’ve been thinking that for a while now, but today just proved it. I’m an intruder. I don’t belong in your group. Your group is already so strong and it’s really a beautiful thing. I wished I had friends like that. But I don’t and I can’t have yours.“
Max frowned. “Liz, where’s all this coming from? I want you in my life and I’m sorry if Michael behaved like an idiot towards you today but they are just a little...“

“Mistrustful,“ Liz filled in, “And I don’t blame you. I don’t really consider it to be a bad thing. You have something to hide and you’ll hide it at all costs.“
Max stared at her. Did she know? Had she finally figured everything out?
“Liz, I’m sorry if we made you feel unwanted,“ to her surprise, Liz looked up to find Maria standing next to them, “Believe me, that was never our intention. Right, Max?“
Max just nodded. What was happening? He felt like she was slipping away from him. But wasn’t that what he had wanted all this time? Actually, this was the way out he had been searching for. Now he could let her go so that she could go back and live her life in safety. But as soon as those thoughts had entered his mind, the remains of his premonition slammed into him. Once again reminding him that something was going to happen to Liz.
“And you’re right,“ Maria continued, “We are mistrustful. It’s just that we aren’t used to letting anyone else in. But we want to let you in, Liz.“
“I’m sorry, Maria. I know that you mean well and I like you...a lot. I just don’t think that Michael and Isabel share your opinion. They don’t want a new addition to the group.“

“Liz, don’t listen to them,“ Max tried, “You just have to give them some time to get used to you.“
Liz shook her head. “They don’t want to let me in.“
Max was looking at her in confusion. She was letting her gaze flicker between his face, her hands and Maria. She didn’t really want to talk about this in Maria’s presence.
Liz let her eyes settle on Max’s face and tried to ignore the feelings of guilt that she was getting from Maria. “And neither do you.“
“I want you here,“ Max objected.
“Not that,“ Liz said softly. She paused. “You don’t trust me either.“
“Yes I do,“ Max said baffled that she would even think such a thing.
“You do? Then why don’t you trust me with the truth?“
Max’s eyes nervously moved towards Maria, a movement that didn’t escape Liz’s notice.
“I-I- I’ve told you...things,“ Max stuttered.
“No, you haven’t. I don’t know anything about your childhood, except for what your parents told me at dinner. I don’t know why you sometimes wake up screaming. I don’t know how, when you didn’t write down my phone number, you still remember it after only hearing it once. I don’t know how you were able to get into my apartment without a key.“

“But...but you were asleep,“ Max said weakly. It was the night Alex had been at Liz’s place and they had watched a movie together. Max had arrived after Liz had fallen asleep on the couch and he had ‘let himself in’. She had been half asleep the entire time he had talked to her and then he had carried her from the uncomfortable couch to her bed. But he had told her that she had left the door unlocked and she had seemed to believe him.
“Almost,“ Liz said. She felt as if the air in the room was being sucked out. Some part of her had hoped that her suspicions about Max had been wrong and that he just wasn’t that keen on opening up. But his suspicious behavior was only more thoroughly confirming that he was in fact hiding something. And it scared her. It made her realize that she didn’t really know this man at all.
“There are so many things that don’t add up,“ Liz continued, “I have to admit that I’m not the best at opening up to people either, but I let you in. I trusted you with my life, with me. Why can’t you do the same? What is so bad about you that you have to hide it from me?“
“Liz,“ Max swallowed, “Please, it’s too dangerous.“
Liz turned her head towards Maria. “You are all in on it, right? On this secret?“
Maria dropped her eyes to her foot that was fidgeting with the edge of the carpet. Her silence was answer enough. She turned her eyes back to Max.

“Max, what you and I have...“ she cast a glance in Maria’s direction but decided that she could as well hear it too, “...experienced these last couple of days. It’s been... greater than anything I’ve ever experienced before. I feel things, Max. I feel things not only for you but also from you. When we kiss, it’s like... a new world opens up. You. But I only receive a ball of emotions that I can’t figure out how to decipher. I don’t know why you are so afraid that you are going to hurt me. I don’t know why you are feeling guilty from just being in the same room as I am. I don’t know why you sometimes kiss me with a desperation like it’s the last time you’re going to see me. Max... I think that...“ she shook her head, “...no...“ She was going to say that she was falling in love with him. But she had been in love with him since they first met. If it even was love. She didn’t know. She didn’t know what she was feeling. She just knew that it was something big and that alone scared her so much. She felt as though she were destroying something as she let more and more words tumble over her lips. Nevertheless, she couldn’t go on like this. It was hurting too much and to tell Max that she was in love with him just seconds before she would leave him – if he didn’t tell her the truth... She couldn’t hurt him like that.

“I...“ She sighed, “I want to be sure that I can help you when you have another mysterious episode. Because they aren’t seizures, are they?“ She didn’t expect to give her an answer and she didn’t get one either. She bit her lower lip. “What if it’s just us two when you experience another seizure and I can’t help you? I need to know what to do, but I can’t know that if you aren’t letting me in on what’s going on. But you aren’t going to do that, are you?“
Max once again looked at Maria and Liz sighed in frustration. “Max. Look at me.“
Max’s worried eyes turned back to her and she swallowed back tears as she saw the sheen of tears in his eyes. “Say something,“ she begged.
Max held her gaze, looking at her as if he were trying to memorize every detail of her face. There was a look of finality in his eyes. As if he knew that this might be the last time he saw her.
“Please, don’t leave, Liz.“
Liz moved her hand to cradle his cheek. “Then tell me Max. Let me in.“
“I can’t,“ he croaked.

She nodded slowly. “Then I have to leave.“
Max started to shake his head. “No, Liz. Please. Something bad is going to happen to you.“
Liz stood up. “What, Max?“ Her voice was tired.
Max looked at her in despair. “I don’t know,“ he confessed, “And that’s the truth, Liz. I don’t know what’s going to happen. I just know that something is going to happen to you and I have to be there.“
“Would it be so bad to tell me, Max? Isn’t my life worth more than your secret?“
Max took her hand. “Yes, it is. That’s why I can’t tell you. I have to keep you safe from my secret.“
Liz stared at him and then turned to look at Maria who was looking at them with tears streaming down her face. “Maria?“
She could see that Maria wanted to tell her. That she wanted to make her stay. To have Max and Liz together.
“It’s not my secret to tell,“ Maria whispered, her eyes pleading Liz for forgiveness.
“Okay,“ Liz said slowly and disentangled her hand from Max’s death-grip. She moved away from Max’s sorrowful eyes and Maria’s pleading ones.

“I’ll just call the airports and book a flight.“
Max looked like he wanted to protest, but when he didn’t say anything Liz moved into the bedroom and closed the door behind her. There she fell on the bed and dissolved in tears.


TBC...

Hi! Me again

I had another chapter ready so I thought I would just post it too...

Here it goes...




Chapter 37


“Why couldn’t I tell her?“ Max asked Maria.
Maria squeezed his hand. “Max. I know what you want me to tell you, but I can’t tell you the things you want to hear.“
“Tell me anyway,“ Max said. One of the things he’d always appreciated about Maria was her honesty. He always knew where they stood, because she always told him what she thought. If he had done something good she told him, and if he had messed up she let him know that too.
“I know that you like Liz. No…like is the wrong word. Anyone would only have to take one look at you two together to see that you are in love with each other. Even Michael can see it. That’s why he’s being such a jerk. He’s afraid he’ll lose you. You are the one we have always been able to count on, Max. You were the responsible one and you kept the other three of us on track.“
Max sighed. “What’s with the past tense?“

“That was before you left to follow that premonition to New York. After that you changed, and I guess that scared us all. I got over it but Isabel and Michael are still trying to cope. You have to see their side of the story. You’ve always planned ahead. You more or less abhorred impulsive actions and then you suddenly just disappear in the middle of the night, without a neatly numbered list of your plan of actions or even a note. You scared the hell out of your sister and you pissed Michael off because that was the last thing they expected you to do. They have these expectations of you that you have to live up to, otherwise they don’t know what to do. It’s the expectations they are trusting. I know that you would be freaked out if Michael one day started to act very responsible and very calm. I know I would. I would probably start checking his temperature and fill him with anesthetic. Anyway, the thing is that they don’t know if they can trust what you’re doing anymore. They are afraid that in the flip of the moment you will tell Liz everything about them. They don’t know Liz the way you do and let’s be honest. Do you know her as well as you would like to?“

“No,“ Max said, “But I never expected to know a person very well after only a couple of weeks anyway.“
“That’s my point, Max. You might be in love, but you don’t know how she would react if you told her that you were an alien. You have to understand that Michael and Isabel are afraid of what will happen if she doesn’t react the way you want her to react.“
“I understand that,“ Max said, “I do. It’s just... Even though I don’t know what she likes in her coffee or even if she drinks coffee at all, I know her.“
“Max, you don’t know a person just because you fall in love with her-“
“No, but Maria. This is different. I don’t know if it’s an alien thing-“
“Probably.“
“But I can see inside of her. I can feel her. Do I make any sense at all?“
“Not really. But go on.“

“I can feel her feelings. I can feel how she feels when I’m kissing her.“
“But this only happens when you’re kissing?“
“Yes, it must be our heightened feelings at that moment or something.“
“Aha,“ Maria contemplated, “Do you know what she’s thinking?“
“No, only what she’s feeling. I don’t know the thoughts behind the feelings.“
“And does she feel the same way?“
“Evidently. At least that’s what I understood from what she was telling me earlier.“
Maria paused, trying to sort her thoughts. “Max. I’m not saying that I don’t think you’re not in love with Liz, because I really do think you are. But... If you know how she feels about you when you kiss her, why didn’t you tell her?“
“I couldn’t.“
“Why?“
Max leaned back in the couch, covering his face with his palms in a frustrated sigh. “Because I want to protect her.“
“Exactly. You are only doing this for her.“
“But we don’t know if I’m making the right decision. My premonitions are telling me that I should watch over her. That something bad is going to happen. Should I go against my instincts?“

“No, you shouldn’t,“ Maria said adamantly.
Max removed his hands and looked at her. “So...?“
“So?“
Max sighed. “Help me out here, Maria. Did I do the right thing?“
“I don’t know. It’s the responsible part of you that is colliding with your instincts and before now that has been a good thing because if you’d followed your instincts then you would be in a laboratory somewhere because you blasted some guy in high school. But now... I don’t know. Maybe it’s time for you to follow your instincts.“
“She doesn’t trust me.“
“No, you don’t trust her. She told you that herself. She trusts you. She’s just incredibly hurt. Weren’t you hurt when you tried to get her to open up to you about her nightmares and she wasn’t letting you?“
“Of course I was.“
“It’s the same thing. You are both trying to help each other, trying to look out for each other. You both care so much but you aren’t even meeting halfway. You are making a mess of something that could be really beautiful.“

“So, what are you saying?“
“That you should follow her to New York.“
“What about Michael and Isabel?“
“They’ll come around. I’ll take care of them.“
“If I go to New York I earn Liz an apology and the truth.“
“Yes, you do,“ Maria said seriously.
“Michael and Isabel are going to kill me,“ Max groaned.
“Well, it might be a couple of tough days,“ Maria grimaced, “but just follow your heart about Liz. If you think that she can handle the truth and that she is probably safer if she does know, then tell her and she probably won’t disappoint you. Michael and Isabel just have to learn not to be so pig-headed.“
“You really think I should go?“
“Yes,“ Maria stated matter-of-factly.
“It’s the right thing.“ It was not a question, but a truth he had known for some while.
“If your heart tells you that it’s the right thing, then it is,“ Maria said.
Max rose from the couch and put his arms around Maria. “Thank you, Maria,“ he hugged her close, “Thank you for always listening to my crap.“
“You welcome,“ Maria said, touched, “I would do anything for you. You know that, right?“
“Right back atcha,“ Max mumbled.

<center>---------------------------------------------------</center>

“Mr. Smith? Hi, this is Elizabeth.“
“Hi, Elizabeth! It’s so nice to hear from you. How’s the vacation going?“
“Fine, it’s been great. I took a trip to Roswell, New Mexico.“
“Oh, that sounds like a nice trip. Did you meet many aliens?“
Liz smiled. “Some...but only plastic ones.“
Mr. Smith chuckled. “Did you visit someone there?“
“Um... yeah. You know that man that came to my office a couple of times?“
“The man with the epileptic seizures?“
“Yes, that’s him. He’s the one I visited. He comes from Roswell.“
“That sounds really great. I hope you had time to relax.“
“Yes, I did, and now I’m back.“
“Already?“ The surprise was clear in his voice.
“Well, I got restless and I really needed to start working again.“
“How are you feeling, Elizabeth? Are you feeling better? You were in a pretty bad shape when you left.“
“I guess the desert air was good for me. I’m feeling really relaxed and rested and ready to go back to work. Do you have something for me?“

“Well, you can always continue with your old assignments. Or I have this new assignment. I was going to give it to David, but maybe you can take it instead. You have more experience.“
“What is it about?“
“Denman Constructions is building a new apartment complex in town and we are going to plan the whole thing.“
“That’s great!“ The company usually only got one house to plan, not a whole apartment complex. This was big and it was too tempting for Liz to say no.
“What do you say? Are you game?“
“Definitely,“ Liz answered.
“Great! Can you come over tomorrow so that we can look over the prospects?“
“I’ll be there,“ Liz smiled.

<center>----------------------------------------------</center>

“Why Max?“
“I just have to go. I have to see Liz again, mom.“
“I don’t understand. Why didn’t she stay in here in Roswell? I thought she was going to stay the whole week.“
“Something happened.“
“Did you have a fight?“
“Something like that. Mom, I just need to fix things between us. I can’t leave it like this.“
“Can’t you just call her on the phone?“
“I can’t tell her what I need to tell her over the phone,“ Max answered, “I need to go there, mom. Can’t you understand that?“
His mom reached across the table and squeezed his hand. “Of course I can understand that, Max. I just don’t want you to travel to New York and back to Roswell all the time. And what about the university? Are you still applying?“
“Of course, mom. I’m just going there to sort some things out with Liz. I’m not moving there or anything.“
The image of Max and Liz in an intimate eye-locking moment flashed through Mrs. Evans mind and she gave Max an easy smile. “Of course you aren’t. I’m just worried about you. You’re an adult now and I just have to learn how to let you go. Just be careful, okay?“
“I always am,“ Max smiled, “Thank you, mom. For always looking out for me.“
Mrs. Evans smiled warmly. “It’s my pleasure.“

<center>-------------------------------------------------</center>

She felt weird.

She had felt weird ever since she had left Roswell behind. And Max. Her inner state was a mess and she was having trouble getting control of her feelings, which was something at she had always excelled. She had to pull it together.

She walked up to the office door and lightly knocked her knuckles against the wood.
“Yes?“
Opening the door, she poked her head inside to find her boss sitting behind his impressive desk. “Hi Mr. Smith.“
Mr. Smith’s face cracked in a big smile and he quickly rose from his seat. “Hi Elizabeth,“ he walked up to Liz and pulled her into a fatherly hug, “Welcome back!“
“Thank you,“ Liz whispered, mocking his gesture by gasping for air.
“I’m so glad to have you back and so are our customers.“ He let her go and Elizabeth watched in fascination of how quickly he changed into a businessman. “Come here.“
Liz stepped up beside him and accepted the documents he was placing in his hands.
“These are the ideas from the company, but they are really giving us a free hand for this.“
“That’s great,“ Liz sifted through the papers, blueprints of the apartments already forming inside her head.

“You’re already forming ideas, aren’t you?“
Liz nodded with a self-conscious smile. “I couldn’t help but start planning yesterday after I got off the phone with you and it seems as if my planning mostly corresponds to what the customer is asking for.“
“I knew you wouldn’t disappoint me,“ Mr. Smith said.
He watched her look through the notes and the sketchy blueprints. “Since it’s such a big project and it’s being built downtown, we will have to look at the construction site before starting to map too much out.“
“Right,“ Liz said. That was only normal. The architecture needed to blend in with the surrounding buildings as well.
“I was thinking we could take a look at it later this afternoon.“
“Sure, that’s fine with me,“ Liz agreed.
“Great. I’ll be at a meeting until then though, so you just go there without me and I’ll meet up with you as soon as the meeting is over.“
Liz smiled. “I think I can handle that.“
“Great,“ Mr. Smith moved around the desk and sat down again.
“I should get working then.“ Liz closed the file and looked up at Mr. Smith.
“You do that. Just tell me if you think it’s too much. We don’t want a repeat of what happened before.“
“I won’t overwork myself, I assure you.“
“Good.“

<center>------------------------------------------------</center>

“Flight 230 to New York has been canceled. Passengers are asked to please report to the front desk. Flight 230 to New York has been canceled. Passengers are asked to please report to the front desk.“
Max nervously glanced at his watch before making his way over to the reception to book a new flight. Why was his whole body trembling with nervous energy?

<center>------------------------------------------------</center>

The house was old. It should have been torn down ages ago, but somehow no one had gotten around to doing it. She was having trouble getting the door open because the lock was jammed, probably due to the major rust damages it must be suffering from. The hinges creaked as the door was stiffly opened and she was met with the musty smell of unaired house. Dust twirled up in the air, teasing her nose and making it want to sneeze. She could see footprints in the dust covering the floors. They were probably from people from the company walking around to inspect the place.

The house was empty, as could have been expected. She slowly let her gaze drift over the dark hallway and linger on the dark wood of the frail looking stairs. It was a normal house that had been abandoned. It seemed like years since someone had lived here. Her steps echoed hollowly off the walls as she stepped inside and started to move through the hallways. The loud bang of the door closing behind her made her jump and her head quickly moved to find the door closed behind her. Somehow that made her feel even more uneasy.

The feelings of unease had been in her system all day, but she had blamed it on her leaving Roswell and being back in New York. At least the sun was shining today. She looked through the open door on her left to find the kitchen. A piece of plastic was hanging over a table and a couple of chairs in a pathetic attempt to cover up the furniture. The sunshine was barely slipping in through the cracks between some planks someone had nailed over the windows, which prevented the sunlight from entering the dark, murky place. She could smell the mold and the stuffy old wetness that one encounters in very wet marshlands. It wasn’t fresh, like a summer morning after a night’s rain, but closed up and captured, being used and reused Flowing through the same furniture, softening them with the help of water and wood-eating creatures.

Liz leaned against the stairs and pulled the bag off her shoulder. Maybe she could just forget about where she was and that feeling of dread at the pit of her stomach if she just focused on something else. She barely got the chance to open up the file before she heard a noise coming from the door. She gasped and her heart lurched in her throat. She worriedly looked towards the door. The logical and reasonable voice in her head was telling her that she was being silly. It was in the middle of the day and the sun was shining outside. She was in the middle of New York, not in some spooky house out in the wastelands with lightning and thunder ripping through the air. Besides, it was probably only Mr. Smith arriving. When the door opened to reveal who had been standing there, it sent her heart pounding painfully in her chest and she got the sudden instinctive urge to run out of there.

It was David.

<center>--------------------------------------------</center>

Why did he feel so uneasy? As if he should be looking over his shoulder the whole time so that no one could catch him off guard. He barely dared to think about the answers his instincts were already providing him with. It was Liz. Liz was in danger. And he might just be too late this time.

<center>---------------------------------------------</center>

“Mr. Smith couldn’t make it. The meeting ran overtime and he called me and told me to meet you here. Is that okay with you?“
“Um...yeah.“ Liz hoped she didn’t look as frightened as she felt. She needed to appear strong, to show that she had the upper hand, because she had a really bad feeling that something was going to happen. Something bad.
“Then, let’s get to work,“ David grinned and walked past her. Liz jumped as she felt his hand brush against her breast. It wasn’t an accidental touch, but very intentional. Liz could feel it in the way his hand lingered there.
“Actually,“ she swallowed, and took a discreet step away from him, and forced herself to strengthen her voice, “I think I can handle this. I just need to go over the ideas from the customer and look at the buildings and the site some more.“

David stopped and turned around to face her. His cold blue eyes made Liz take an involuntary step backwards. “Liz, if you’re going to go over that all by yourself you are going to be here until late tonight. And you don’t want to be here at night, do you?“
“I can do some tomorrow. I think I have time for that,“ Liz objected, not even thinking about being foolish enough to correct him for calling her Liz instead of Elizabeth.
She watched him start to move towards her and she felt her legs move backwards with as many steps as he took forward. But there are just so many steps to take inside a building and soon she found herself pressed up against one of the old murky walls as David got closer and closer.

“No need to drag this out, Lizzie,“ David said slowly. His voice was in strong contrast to his eyes. Warm against cold. Life against death.
“Really, I’m fine,“ Liz said, stretching her body in an effort to slim out against the wall, trying to make the wall absorb her.
“Let’s talk about what we really want to do,“ David said. Liz shivered as his cold hand touched her cheek. Tears of fear stung her eyes as she felt his finger menacingly drag along the line of her jaw.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.“ One last try. One last thread of hope that of all her instincts were wrong and that he didn’t really mean what his actions were telling her he meant.
“Oh yes you do. You and me, Elizabeth.“

As his fingers brushed against her lips she opened her mouth, hoping that he would take the bait. She wanted to gag as she felt his finger entering her mouth and then she bit down. Hard. Her teeth sunk into his flesh and a warm liquid filled her mouth. Blood. His blood.
“You bitch,“ David cried, but Liz didn’t waste any time. As soon as David removed his finger from her mouth to get it away from her teeth she was running towards the door. It is ironic really how the swelling of an old wooden door, caused by the same water she had spent most of her life avoiding, would decide her faith.

The door was stuck and she couldn’t get it open in time before she felt his arms close around her waist.
“Nooo!“ she cried, struggling to get out of his grip. He flung her down against the cold floor and the impact resounded through her whole body.
“Please, David. Please, don’t.“
“You should have known better than to reject me. You thought you were so clever and so alluring when you pretended not to want me.“
He had her trapped between his thighs. Her hands were immobilized behind her head by one of his hands while the other one was busy ripping her shirt open.
“No!“ she cried, a new strength in her voice and she pushed at him in another attempt to get him off of her. She wasn’t going to let this happen. He had no right to do this to her. Her fear was slowly turning into anger and she could feel an energy beginning to boil inside of her.
“I know you wanted me. From the first time you laid your eyes on me I could see that you were trying to tempt me with your short whore skirts.“

He made it impossible for her to move. She couldn’t hurt him anywhere. She couldn’t stick her fingers in his eyes as she had seen on a documentary about how to deal with rapist once. She couldn’t knee him in the crotch. She was trapped. But as she felt his hand fumbling over her now naked breasts the energy within her was ignited anew and was building towards a desperate release. She didn’t really know what happened. One second David was on top of her, painfully squeezing her breast, and the next he was gone. Her reaction was fast, set in survival mode, and she was quickly on her legs. She found David curled in a ball at the other end of the hallway, screaming as he clutched his hands over his eyes. Liz breathing was coming in quick gasps and she didn’t know what to do.

The police.

She should call the police. She looked down in an attempt to start looking for her bag. David’s animalistic cries were coursing through her body. That’s when she saw the green flickering moving across her hands as electrical currents.
“Oh my God,“ she gasped and slowly looked across the room on David. She could now see blood pouring out from behind his hands, which were still covering his eyes. “Oh my God.“
In a state of shock, she bent down and tried to get her cell phone out of her bag. Her trembling hands were making it extremely difficult. Of course, the fact that they were still flickering with green lights and making sparkling sounds didn’t help the situation.
Her finger trembled as she dialed the number. She had to dial it three times before she got it right.

“Hello? Is this the police?“
She barely listened to the voice at the other end of the line as she watched David twist around on the floor under agonizing cries.
“I-I...a man’s hurt. Um...he tried to rape me.“
She slowly backed up against the wall beside the door, putting as much distance between herself and David as possible. She pulled her legs up to her chest, never letting David out of her sight as she, in a hushed tone, told the police the address.
She sat with the phone for some while before she unconsciously let it slide to the floor along with her hand.
“David?“ she sniffed.
But he was still screaming. She felt like she wanted to vomit. What had she done? She had hurt him! She had somehow hurt him without being able to move. And why was her skin green? And sparkling. “Why?!“ she sniffed, her body rocking in short movements back and forth against the wall.

She was so immersed in her own world that she didn’t notice that someone had stepped into the house until a man knelt down in front of her.
“Miss Elizabeth Parker?“
She jerked her eyes, which were red from crying, towards the stranger’s face. “Are you from the police?“
“Yes. Are you Elizabeth Parker?“
Suddenly she felt dizzy. She had to brace herself with her hand against the floor, even though she was sitting down. Then everything cleared. She looked up into the man’s eyes and frowned.
“Why are you wearing a suit? Why aren’t you in a uniform?“
“We’re from the FBI,“ the man answered, his gaze flickering to her hands.
“The FBI?“ she asked, her voice strong but cracking with disbelief. “I reported an attempted rape. What interest is that to the FBI?“
“We need you to come with us, Ms. Parker.“

Liz frowned and shook her head, her eyes never leaving the stranger’s face. But she could see other men moving around in her peripheral vision. How many were there? And why was it so quiet? An eerie absence of David’s screams had lowered itself over the old house.
“No. I’m going to wait here for the police.“
The man held his stony facial expression. “We have arranged everything with the police. We need you to come and talk with us.“
“I’m not going anywhere with you.“
The man turned his face away from hers and she anxiously followed his gaze. Her heart started beating even faster as she saw him nod and then she felt hands on her arms.
“No! Let go of me!“ Liz cried. She tried to fight them off, but there were too many hands. She felt a sting in the side of her thigh and suddenly everything became so blurry. It was so difficult to keep her eyes open.
“Let’s take her in.“
And her eyes closed.


TBC...

Hi!

I will now begin to post the Interlude between each "regular" chapter. So after Interlude I, there's chapter 38 and then Interlude II, chapter 39 and so on. So, you'll get to know what happens to Liz, not in this post, but in the next... The interlude is a story on its own and it will, hopefully, provide you with some answers to all of your questions

Thank you everyone for your support and the feedback!! I cherish every word!!



INTERLUDE I

Aliandra sighed deeply. Her big dark eyes shifted with sadness as she looked out the big windows.
“What is the matter?“
Without turning her head, she answered, “Why me?“
She could practically feel the frown settle over her best friend’s smooth forehead. “Whatever do you mean?“
Another sigh escaped her. “It is...everything. Everything that I cannot experience.“
“Are you talking about the ball?“
“The ball, the endless number of dinners, the smiling, the politeness, the never-ending stream of suitors-“
“Your mind must really be in a fragile state if you are complaining about the suitors. They are the most pleasant part-“
“No, they are not. I never considered them to be. You did. It is you, Soria, that has always taken a keen interest in my life and all events surrounding it. You are the one who has taken most pleasure from it.“

“You should be grateful that you have been blessed with this life. Would you rather have been one of those servants who wash the floor? Or one of those girls being sold off to slavery?“
“Of course not.“ She closed her eyes and leaned her forehead against the cool windowpane. No one understood her. Not even the one person she considered to be her best friend.
“It was not my intention to sound like a spoiled child-“
“Well, you did. I would gladly be you any day of the week. I mean, being waited on. Having handsome men obey my every command with merely a movement of my finger, having my hair...“

But Aliandra wasn’t listening any longer. A plan had begun to take form in her head. Her forehead lifted from the windowpane and she silently observed Soria, who was completely oblivious to the fact that she was being watched. Her hands were moving in the air, emphasizing whatever was coming out of her mouth. A slow smile started to spread over Aliandra’s lips as her eyes moved over Soria’s face. It had often occurred to her how much alike they were. They had the same eyes, the same nose. They weren’t related, yet the similarities were difficult to disregard. It was what was on the inside that created the largest difference. Their personalities were as different as night and day. But in a world focused on beauty, that wouldn’t be a problem.
“Soria,“ Aliandra began, amusement in her voice as her friend continued to talk. “Soria!“
Soria instantly stopped talking at the authority in Aliandra’s voice, which was rarely used.
“Yes?“
The corners of Aliandra’s mouth began to twitch with the knowledge of what she was going to tell Soria. “How would you like to be princess for a day?“

<center>------------------------------------------------------</center>

The market was crammed with people of all different shapes and forms. People were talking and laughing. Offers of cheap prices were being screamed over her head as she made her way through the market place. She felt the warmth of the rays of the third sun cascading on her back. She felt the wind blowing in her hair. She loved the feeling she got by wearing her hair down. How carefree it was blowing around her face. No pins to hold it back. No ribbons to hold it strictly in place. Free. Just like she was, at least for today. A smile spread itself over her face as the poignant smell of fresh fish reached her nose, to in the next second be replaced by the smell of fresh-baked bread. Who would ever want to give this up? The people around her didn’t wear any jewelry and their clothes were worn, having been washed and reused a million times. But nothing could buy that smile on their faces. That energy. That freedom.

She was so engrossed in her thoughts that she didn’t notice a man balancing a plank on his shoulder, backing out between two booths, and her head hit the hard surface of the wood. She cried out in pain and staggered on her feet as the pain clouded her senses, making the world spin around her.
“Oh my! Miss, are you all right?“
She closed her eyes, trying to stop the spinning. “Yes, I’m fine,“ she whispered.
“Let me help you,“ she heard the man say and she felt his hand on her arm.
“I’m fine, thank you,“ she said, and as if to prove it to herself and to the man that she was, in fact, fine, she opened her eyes and found herself falling into a pair of the most enthralling eyes she had ever seen.
Her legs crumbled under her and she would have hit the ground if his hands hadn’t stopped her fall.
“Is she okay?“ an elderly sounding voice asked.
“I don’t think so, father,“ the younger man answered. “Miss? Can you hear me?“
“My head...my head hurts,“ she murmured. Black spots were dancing behind her closed eyelids and she vaguely heard his voice saying that he was going to take her home before darkness devoured her.

<center>--------------------------------------------------</center>

He couldn’t deny that she reminded him of the princess. However, her clothes weren’t expensive and she didn’t wear any jewelry. Her hair was let down, softly resting against the pillow. She was beautiful. He had watched the princess since he was old enough to find girls of any interest and it had been something in her eyes that had spoken to him. Maybe it was the gentleness, the care, or maybe it was the sadness. But she was unreachable. Something he couldn’t have. Something prohibited. He was in the military. He had just been assigned to the guard squad at the palace, protecting the princess. Being with a girl like her was just an unattainable dream. It could never be. But this girl, the girl he had carried home from the market after having hit her head on one of his father’s planks, she was something else. She was incredibly beautiful. So much like the princess. And she was one of his people. She was one of his own kind.

His eyes were pulled to her face as she coughed.
“Miss?“
She slowly opened her eyes. “What happened? Where am I?“ There was a flash of panic in her eyes, before her eyes met his.

Her eyes. She had the most incredible eyes. They reminded him so much of someone.
“You are at my house. You fainted and I didn’t know where you lived. So, I took you home.“
Maybe he shouldn’t have brought her home. She was probably afraid to be in a strange man’s house. He caught her eyes and the intense way she was looking at him made his breath catch in his throat. He dropped his eyes to her small hands resting on top of the covers and said softly, “I’m Zan.“
Aliandra cleared her throat and tried to rid her head of the dizzying clouds. She wasn’t Aliandra today. She was just a normal person today.
“I’m Soria,“ she answered, giving her friend’s name, “Thank you, Zan, for helping me, but I feel fine now. I should probably go home. My parents must be worrying.“
She slowly rose from the bed and the room spun around her. She closed her eyes in an effort to stop the spinning, she felt his warm hand close around her upper arm, and a calmness floated into her, stilling the spinning. For a hazy second she wondered if he had healing powers. But, with a shake of her head, she cleared her mind of such thoughts. The healers had died out several decades ago. There was no one left.

She opened her eyes and smiled at him. “Thank you,“ she said again and he released her arm, holding one hand in the air behind her back, prepared to catch her if she fell.
“Shall I show you the way back to the market?“ Zan asked.
Aliandra cast a glance out the window and saw the market a couple of houses further down the street. “No, I’ll be fine.“
She sneaked a peek at the tall dark-haired man. There was something about him that made her heart beat faster. Beat uncontrollably in her chest. And she suspected that the sudden dizziness wasn’t due to the head injury she had suffered.
“Will I see you again?“
Aliandra looked up into his eyes and nodded slowly, his gaze pulling her in. “It is very plausible.“
He smiled. One of those smiles that reaches the eyes and make them shine with an almost unnatural glow.
“I’m looking forward to it,“ he said softly. “Goodbye, Soria.“
Aliandra smiled. “Goodbye, Zan. It was nice meeting you.“
But it wasn’t the last time they would meet. No, this was only the beginning.

<center>----------------------------------------------</center>

“Ouch, what is that?“ Soria asked, grimacing in sympathy at the lump that had begun to form on Aliandra’s forehead.
“I bumped into something,“ Aliandra answered, somewhat evasively.
“You bumped into something?“ Soria repeated curiously.
“Yes,“ Aliandra answered.
Soria stared at her. “That’s it? You are not going to disclose any more information about your day than that?“
“How was your day? I know that you are dying to tell me. I’m actually a little surprised that you haven’t told me anything yet.“
“It couldn’t be any better! I don’t know what you are complaining about, Ali, your life is wonderful and after today I envy you even more.“
“Tell me what happened,“ Aliandra smiled, taking a seat on the edge of the bed. Soria was already so deep into retelling about her day as a princess at the palace that she didn’t notice Aliandra’s satisfied smile at having managed to divert Soria’s thoughts away from what had happened to Aliandra. She knew that she had to tell Soria soon, but for now, she was off the hook.

She couldn’t stop thinking about that boy. Zan. There was something about him. It was as if he had reached deep inside her soul and coaxed it into life. There was something warm and gentle about him. Something intriguing.

“Londrì Aliandra, His Majesty is requesting your presence.“
Soria and Aliandra turned towards the door. Aliandra could feel her heart starting to beat erratically in her chest as she got up and followed the servant. Why did her father want to see her? He barely spent any time with her. Had he somehow figured out that it had been Soria and not her that had been at the palace, acting as the princess the whole day? She walked down the long and wide staircase, winding down into the large hallways, the servant guiding the way towards her father’s office.

Aliandra barely knew her father. He was always in meetings and had been for as long as she could remember. The only contact they had was when he was reprimanding her for doing something wrong. That was why she didn’t really have the best hopes when she got closer to her father’s office.
“Aliandra,“ her father said as he looked up from his papers.
“Father,“ Aliandra said curtly and sat down in front of her father.
“I will get right to the point. You are now reaching a mature age and as you’ve been taught, we will soon find you a suitable husband and you will get married.“
Aliandra swallowed and inwardly sighed deeply. There was no way she could stop it from happening. Her father would marry her off to someone she didn’t know, as long as he was of royal blood. Her people had been doing it for ages. No one ever married for love any more. It was something meant for the lower class, the peasants. The royal family was pure blood and it wasn’t to be dirtied with the blood of the lower class. Aliandra frowned at her own thoughts. Why was she thinking about making her blood dirty with the lower class? His face sprang up in front of her eyes. She had only met him once and already he had her thinking about marrying someone from the lower class.

She shook her head to clear it from the thoughts. It wasn’t because of him. She had always found the lower class mesmerizing. It was just because it was something unobtainable. Something she could never have. Freedom. Free will. Just the simple fact that you didn’t have to tell anyone where you were going, that you were able to go anywhere you wanted without anyone caring sounded wonderful.
“Aliandra? Are you listening to me?“
“Yes, father,“ Aliandra lied and chastised herself for not paying attention.
“As I was saying, your maturity also calls for a higher security, so I’ve arranged for more protectors who are going to follow you everywhere you go.“
Aliandra cringed at his words. As if she wasn’t already living in a prison. “Everywhere, father?“
Her father nodded, and answered casually, “Of course, Aliandra. Kwadri will introduce you to the new protectors.“

And with a nod she was dismissed. Aliandra forced back the tears as she stood up from the chair. She felt as if she were drowning. As if they were suffocating her. If she didn’t get air soon she would pass out.
“I need to go out,“ she told her father’s advisor.
“Londrì Aliandra, your father ordered you to meet with the protectors.“
“I don’t care what my father ordered,“ Aliandra spit out and brushed past the advisor. Her face was downcast to hide the tears that were threatening to fall, so she didn’t see the person standing in her way until she rammed straight into him.
“Princess Londrì Aliandra?“
She was just about to continue her walk when his voice caught her focus. Her voice dropped to a whisper as she asked, “Zan?“
There was a pause and she realized the mistake she had made. Princess Aliandra had not met Zan. Soria had.
“I’m sorry,“ she murmured and pushed him away.
As her legs carried her down the vast green grass carpet, her thoughts were churning fervently in her head. What was Zan doing at the palace?

Hi everyone!

I'm sooo happy that you enjoyed the first interlude. Believe me, the interludes are the source where you will find most of the answers to your questions. And some things, you just have to puzzle together on your own

I want to say 'hi' to some readers I haven't seen before; Bubbles, VenusStar and ...<< B >>.... Hi!! Welcome to this fic!!

Thank you so much everyone for the feedback, the beautiful words and the encouragement for me to continue!!!

Now, before the interlude, we left off with Liz being taken away... This is the continuation... Please, be gentle ...




Chapter 38


She was falling.

Everything was quiet around her and there was nothing she could grab onto to stop her from falling.

“What do you want?“
“I’m not here to hurt you.“
“You already have. Please let me go.“
“I’m here to warn you.“
“What?“
“Something bad is going to happen to you.“


“Hi, I’m Isabel.“
“I’m Liz. Are you new here?“
“Yeah, I’m Mr. Anderson’s assistant.“


“I don’t know what is going to happen or when. I just know that something is about to happen to you...and I have to stop it.“
“How do you know this? Are you...like... Are you...psychic?“
“Something like that.“
“What’s your name?“
“Max.“
“Thank you, Max. Thank you for trying to protect me.“


“I like you to meet Tess Harding, my girlfriend.“


“Hello, this is Dr. Simmons.“
“Yes?“
“Uhm...can you come over to the hospital? Your father has had a heart attack.“


“You didn’t kill your mother.“
“Yes. Yes, I did. I called for her, and then she was...dead. And now I’ve killed daddy.“
“What?“
“Please leave... I’m dangerous to you.“


Torimentra êl sila


“Liz, listen to me. He is going to be okay.“
“The doctors say that he’s-“
“Forget about what the doctors say. He. Is. Going. To. Be. Okay. I promise.“


“The doctors are calling it a miracle.“
“A miracle, huh?“
“Yeah... The doctors said that he didn’t have much time left, and that there was a 85 percentage risk that he would die if he suffered yet another heart attack. And you know the really weird thing?“
“What?“
“He had these marks on his chest.“
“Marks?“
“Yeah, silver marks. They almost looked like a handprint.“
“A handprint.“
“Yes. Almost the size of yours.“


“Do you ever have the feeling that you have met someone before? I mean, even though you’re absolutely certain that you haven’t, you somehow still recognize the person.“
“Like you have met that person in another place...in another life.“
“Yeah.“
“Yes.“
“I feel that way about you, like I’ve met you before. Somewhere“
“As if I know you.“
“You feel that too?“
“How did you know to trust me when I first met you? I mean, I was pretty... impolite.“
“You could say that... At first I was scared, but then I saw your face and I just knew.“
“Knew what?“
“That you could be trusted.“


“Have you ever been in an abandoned house?“
“What are you talking about?“
“I need to know if you have ever been in an abandoned house, or whether you are going to visit an abandoned house.“
“Uhm...no.“
“Good.“


“What do you do for a living, Max?“
“Uhm... I’m actually working at an UFO center - a museum of UFO findings.“
“You’re kidding.“
“I’m afraid not.“
“Doesn’t all the alien humbug get to you?“
“Nah...it’s pretty entertaining.“
“I bet. So are you a believer?“
“I guess you can say that.“
“What’s your theory?“
“My theory?“
“Yeah...do you think that there actually are aliens abducting humans from time to time - doing experiments on them...or do you only think that they crashed in Roswell and that was the end of it? Or maybe you even believe that the aliens are walking among us - in human form.“
“I guess I just believe that the universe is too large to believe that humans are the only advanced life form.“
“I agree with you there.“


“How long have you known Maria...and the others?“
“My whole life... No, that’s not true.“
“No?“
“Um...since I was six.“
“Oh, okay.“


“You want something?“
“No, thanks.“
“Mmmm.... I hate myself.“
“I have a thing for sweet things as well.“


“I have this dietary quirk. I have to put Tabasco on everything I eat...“
“Really? Why?“
“I don’t know. Food just tastes bland without it.“


“I guess I have a thing for sweet things.“
“Can’t beat me there. Me too.“
“I don’t believe you.“
“I put sugar in my sodas.“
“I do that too!!“
“You’re kidding me.“
“No.“
“You’re not kidding. Wow, I thought only Isabel, Michael and I did that.“


“What did you dream of?“
“Excuse me?“
“What did you dream of?“
“Normalcy.“


Luminatà lorir


“What just happened?“
“We kissed.“
“Yes, but I’ve never felt anything like that before. Is that supposed to happen?“
“You mean, you’ve never kissed anyone before? Oh...“
“I have all this...energy inside of me. Do you have that too?“
“My whole body is humming.“
“I can’t stop trembling.“
“Me neither.“
“I...have this... I need you, Max.“


“Tell me about you and Max.“
“I like him...very much.“
“You ‘like’ him, huh? Nothing more?“
“I don’t know yet. But yesterday we...um...kissed.“
“And how was it?“
“Beautiful.“


“It feels right. It feels right in a way nothing has ever felt right in my life before.“
“I think I’m falling for you, Liz Parker.“
“But you don’t even know what you’re falling for. I’m complicated. I don’t want to suck you in.“
“I told you before and I’m telling you again. It doesn’t matter how much you fight it, I’m already a part of your life. Liz, there are a lot of things I don’t know about you, but there are also a lot of things you don’t know about me. And maybe it would be for the best if we didn’t get involved in each other’s lives for reasons I can’t tell you right now. But these feelings are strong and I can’t deny them.“


“Hey Liz, there was someone here looking for you.“
“Really?“
“Yes, he was very eager to meet you. He said he was your friend.“
“He didn’t tell you his name?“
“No, that’s stupid. We forgot to ask him.“
“Did he say anything else so that I can somehow figure out who he is? I mean, did he say where I could find him?“
“No, not really. He was just asking if we knew Elizabeth Parker and said that he would find you. He seemed pretty upset.“


“Max, what’s wrong?“
“Let’s get him out of here.“
“What’s going on? Maria? What’s wrong?“
“Get her out of here!“
“Liz, you have to get out of here.“
“No.“
“Liz, you can’t be here.“
“Lay him down.“
“Oh my God, Michael. He’s shaking. What are we going to do?“
“Maria! Get over here!“
“Liz, please. You can’t be here.“
“Maria. Don’t make me leave. I want to help. What’s wrong with him? Is it one of those epileptic seizures?“
“Maria!! Get her out of here!“
“We’ll talk later, Liz, okay? Now, please, leave us alone!“
“I want to help, Maria. Please let me help.“
“Liz...“
“Don’t you understand?! Get out!!“


“Please promise me something.“
“Anything.“
“Promise me that you will never leave me.“
“I won’t.“
“No, Max. Promise me, Max. Please promise me.“
“I promise with all my heart.“


Il reinaid monri


“I didn’t belong there. I don’t belong here.“
“What are you talking about?“
“I don’t belong here, Max. With you or with your friends. I belong in New York.“
“No, Liz-“
“I’ve been thinking that for a while now, but today just proved it. I’m an intruder. I don’t belong in your group. Your group is already so strong and it’s really a beautiful thing. I wish I had friends like that. But I don’t and I can’t have yours.“
“Liz, where’s all this coming from? I want you in my life and I’m sorry if Michael behaved like an idiot towards you today but they are just a little...“
“Mistrusting. And I don’t blame you. I don’t really consider it to be a bad thing. You have something to hide and you’ll hide it at all costs.“



“You don’t trust me either.“
“Yes I do.“
“You do? Then why don’t you trust me with the truth?“
“I-I- I’ve told you...things.“
“No, you haven’t. I don’t know anything about your childhood, except for what your parents told me at dinner. I don’t know why you sometimes wake up screaming. I don’t know how, when you didn’t write down my phone number, you still remember it after only hearing it once. I don’t know how you were able to get into my apartment without a key.“


“Say something.“
“Please don’t leave, Liz.“
“Then tell me Max. Let me in.“
“I can’t.“
“Then I have to leave.“
“No, Liz. Please. Something bad is going to happen to you.“
“What, Max?“
“I don’t know. And that’s the truth, Liz. I don’t know what’s going to happen. I just know that something is going to happen to you and I have to be there.“
“Would it be so bad to tell me, Max? Isn’t my life worth more than your secret?“
“Yes, it is. That’s why I can’t tell you. I have to keep you safe from my secret.“


White.

Everything was white. Colorless.

Heavy.

Her head was so heavy. Throbbing.

Confusion.

Where was she? What had happened?

She gathered her strength to get her head to look to the right. There was a blinding pain in her neck and her eyes painfully drifted close in a desperate effort to block the pain that was plowing through her head.

Slowly, she opened her eyes again. Her blurry vision tried to process the surroundings. Tried to send a comprehensible representation of the room to her brain.

White.

Clean.

Empty.

Sterile.

So when a segment of the wall was removed, telling of a hidden doorway, she involuntarily closed her eyes again against the blinding light.

“Ms. Parker.“

Somehow, she managed to open her eyes. A man was walking towards her and she noticed that she couldn’t feel anything. She had no strength left to feel if he was a good man or a bad one. She didn’t have any strength to even care.

“You got us all worried there for a while. How are you feeling?“

She squeezed her eyes shut as she tried to remember what you did when you spoke. Her mouth was so dry that she could barely move her tongue.

“Let me give you some water.“

So tired.

She just wanted to sleep.

No.

She couldn’t. Not now. Not yet. She had to find out where she was. To find out what had happened to her.

She felt the unmistakable sensation of plastic against her lips and she open her mouth by reflex to feel the cold, wet liquid float down her throat.

She greedily swallowed the liquid, the unused muscles in her throat trying unsuccessfully to keep up with her tempo. She coughed as she choked on the liquid.

“Take it easy there.“

Eyes opened. Why was it so hard to keep them open? It was as if someone was trying to pull them down and she was helplessly fighting to keep them open. She wetted her lips with her tongue, feeling the parched state of her dry lips scrape against her tongue.

“Where...“

Cough.

“Where am I?“

“You’re in a sleep facility.“

What?

“What?“

“Your father brought you in ten days ago. You were having troubles sleeping. You were having nightmares and he also reported that you were sleepwalking. He found you walking around the neighborhood and he was concerned about your safety. He was hoping that we could find an answer to your sleep disorder.“

“I’ve been asleep?“

“Yes, you were asleep when your father brought you here. He hadn’t been able to wake you up for two days.“

Her brain started to feel a little clearer. This didn’t make any sense. She had been asleep. What about Max?

“When did my father bring me in?“

The man looked down at the journal he held in his hands. “October 4th.“

Coldness washed over her. She felt as if she had been thrown in a bucket of ice-cold water and the water was closing over her head, cutting off her air.

October 4th was the day when the stranger tried to rape her. When she had met Max for the first time. Where was Max?

Taking a deep breath, forcing the vital oxygen down her throat, she asked,
“Do you know anything about Max?“

The man looked at her, his expression revealing nothing. “Max?“

“Max Evans.“

The man stared at her then he started to sift through his papers, looking for the answer. Calmly, he looked up at her. “No. There is no record of any Max Evans. But on the other hand, I don’t find it too surprising that you mention him. You have been mumbling his name. Along with...“ He looked down in the notes again. “David, Maria, Isabel, and Michael. I’m guessing that they are only a part of your imagination. Figures that your mind conjured up during sleep.“

She wanted to panic. She wanted to scream. She wanted to cry. She wanted to laugh.

“What?“ she mumbled. Her throat was so dry. “That can’t be true. I... I know these people.“
The man looked at her with something akin to compassion in his eyes. “I’m sorry. Your father gave us a list of people you were the closest too. It was only him, one Mr. Smith, and one Alex Whitman.“

This couldn’t be happening. She couldn’t have dreamt it all. Could she?

“Where’s my father?“
“He comes and visits you every day, but he isn’t allowed to have any direct contact with you. Direct contact can affect the results.“
“The results?“
“No case prior to you has been reported of a person falling into a comatose state without being in an accident or suffering from a head injury.“
“Why didn’t my father take me to the hospital?“
For a moment, she could’ve sworn that uncertainty flashed through the man’s eyes. He cleared his throat and answered, in that calm voice of his, “Since you had been experiencing difficulties with sleeping for some time now, he thought that maybe the sudden coma had something to do with your sleep. When he first contacted us, we wanted to have you brought in to study your sleeping habits and to see if there was anything we could do to cure you, but before we could act on that, you fell into a coma. Under our advice and supervision, Mr. Parker reached the conclusion that it would be more efficient to put you in a sleep facility than in a hospital.“
“What was it that woke me up?“
“We are testing an experimental method on you-“
“As in I’m your guinea-pig?“
“None of the already existing treatments for sleep disorders could be applied to your condition, so your father gave his consent to put you under this method.“

Her father had put her on a method that was not known to be safe? That didn’t sound like her father. That sounded too risky. She must’ve really frightened him to make him resort to something like that. To make him feel like it was the only way out.

“What does this method do?“
“Sleep constitutes of several sub-levels. Some are more known and studied than others like REM-sleep, which is when you dream. But there are many levels of sleep that are unexplored as of yet. One state is the state a person enters when in coma. Some people have reported that they were able to hear everything around them when they were in a coma. Some are more close to the state of unconsciousness, where they can’t hear anything. From what we have heard of your mumbles, you have ventured into a level of sleep where dreams take on the appearance of being real. Your dreams appear so real that they become your reality.“

“What are you saying? That everything that happened to me after the 4th of October was all in my mind? Something I made up? All the events, all the people?“
“Yes.“
Her breathing had become erratic now. She no longer knew what was real. Was she going insane?
“Our method is based on the premise that there are some parts of our brain that regulate sleep. If something is damaged in that part of the brain, a person will experience sleep difficulties. The bigger the damage, the greater the disorder. Therefore, we have tried to awaken those parts of your brain by stimulating them. You have been given drugs and some electric shocks were applied to your brain.“

“What?!“
He smiled reassuringly. “These are only small amounts of electricity. If you had been awake it would have only felt like a tickling sensation.“
If she could have felt her legs, she would have been up and running right now. She had to try to escape. She had to see for herself if the world outside was hers, or if it was theirs.

Wait. She couldn’t feel her legs.

Panic simmered under the surface as she turned to him, “Why can’t I feel my legs?“
The man cleared his throat yet again. “It’s one of the more unfortunate side-effects of the treatment.“
She stopped breathing. “Have you paralyzed me?“
“No, no.“ The man chuckled. Liz wanted to cry. Her whole world, as she knew it, had disappeared and this man was more or less laughing.
“It’s temporary. It will wear off soon.“ Wear off? Like a cold?
“When can I leave?“

That was her main concern. She wanted out of here. She couldn’t trust her mind any longer, but she couldn’t trust the man in front of her either.
“I’m sorry, but we can’t let you out of here just yet. As I mentioned before, there are some side effects of the treatment and we need to make sure that you are okay. For now, we don’t even know if your sleep is normal.“
“I want to see my father.“
“We cannot allow you to do that.“
Liz stared at him. “Why?“
“As I said before, that can affect the results, and your treatment.“
“That’s ridiculous. I don’t care about the results. I want to see my father.“
Her breathing had turned shallower and the energy it took her to inhale and exhale was making her chest ache.

“Ms. Parker. It’s for your own good.“
“I don’t care about that!“ Liz exclaimed, her voice increasing in volume.
“Ms. Parker. Calm down, this is not good for you.“
“I. Want. To. See. My. Father,“ Liz stated slowly, trying to calm down her racing heart.
“We can’t let you do that,“ the man repeated.
“I want to talk with someone else,“ Liz said.
The man shook his head. “That’s against the regulations.“
There was a shuffling sound and Liz turned her head slightly, to be able too look beyond the man. Other men were walking into the room. There were three of them and they were all dressed in the same white clothes as the man who was looking at her closely, probably gauging her reaction. Wondering if she would freak out or not.

“You’re treating me like a prisoner!“ Liz said. Her voice sounded loud in her ears, almost hysterical, and when she glanced at the men slowly approaching her bed she got the feeling that they were hearing the hysterical note in her voice as well.
“Ms. Parker, calm down. It’s not good for you to get worked up like this.“
Get worked up?! He reached out and put his hand on her shoulder.
If she had been able to move she would’ve shrugged it off. “Don’t touch me,“ she ground out through clenched teeth. She didn’t miss the small gesture the man made in the direction of the other men, which made them quicken their pace towards the bed.

“I want to see my father,“ Liz said. A part of her knew that maybe it wasn’t so wise to panic, that maybe she should comply with their wishes, but everything else in her body was screaming that something was wrong.
The men slowly started to surround her bed, moving like she would strike out against them if they made a sudden movement. Like they were approaching a wild animal.
“Ms. Parker. We are not the enemy. We are doing this for your own good.“
Liz didn’t even look at the man. Her eyes were glued to the syringe one of the men had pulled up. She wanted to struggle and move away, but she couldn’t move. Only her head and the pain of moving her head too quickly were almost enough to make her pass out.
“No! Get away!“ she yelled.
She could feel their hands on her arms and then she felt the sting as the syringe penetrated her skin. The scream died on her lips as the world slowly started to turn black around her.



TBC...