Roswell Fanatics

The Christmas presents were wrapped. She had done it that morning in trying to deal with the emotion of knowing her husband was gone and would not be coming back and after her in-laws had left the house. And her daughter had barricaded herself up in her room, only coming for a silent lunch. Liz knew she needed to do something. She needed to get out of the house. Christmas was in a few days, and her son would be coming home for overnight, starting tomorrow. So, she had that to do tomorrow, pick up her son from his rehab center. So, that was something she also had to do once Mitchell and Christina were gone, ready the downstairs for her son because he would not be able to go upstairs to his room.

So, he needed to get out of the house. With her daughter refusing to budge from her room, and with the promise that she would go to her grandparent’s restaurant for dinner. Which Mariah agreed too, although Liz knew that might not happen because she was getting to know the feeling of having a teenager in the house even though she had been one herself and knew she had given her parents a run for their money, but knew she was now getting payback.

So, she did not know if her daughter would show up at the Crashdown.

Although truthfully Mariah had been a good kid. But that was before, and Liz did not know if she would be facing the terrible teens now that her daughter was morning the loss of her father, and the changing reality of her life. But Liz knew her daughter needed time away from her, and she needed time to relax, and to be with a friend.

Maria had accepted the offer to stop at Cow Patties for a drink or two, and Liz did not know what it all would mean because she had not been here in many years. Not since high school, although she had been too much of a choir girl to have a good time except that she had been with Max at the time, and at the start of a highly charged moment in time that had just been part of the path that led to their end.

Yeah, I need this she thought as she went to the bar, and placed her order, and waited to be joined by Maria.




While back at home. Her fifteen-year-old of course resisted the request to go to her grandparents, and to get out of the house. Instead, Mariah used some of her babysitting money from back in Chicago and ordered in pizza, and she listened to music and played on the computer before tiring of that and she was looking for something in her bag, and she saw a book. Unsure of what it was, she opened it and remembered that it was her mother diary. “Oh, right” Mariah muttered to herself. As she remembered how she had taken it from her mother’s old childhood bedroom over the Crashdown.

She was curious about what the book said…

So, she sat and opened the cover, and read the same words over again that had surprised her and fell into reading what her mother one wrote, and she was stunned by what she read, and it made her question a whole lot.

Geez, came Mariah as she read.

She was not liking what she read.




While her mother was being stood up. Maria had text to say something had come up with her mother and she could not make it. So, Liz knew she could turn around and head home, but something stopped her. So, she stayed.




While in the parking lot. Max was sitting in his car and was looking at the establishment he has not been in, in many years, even when he was at his lowest. Because he kept his pity parties to the solo variety, and wherever he was living at the time. And now he felt the urge just to listen to some music and relax because River was at his grandparent’s house, preparing for the Christmas celebration and wrapping presents, which was something his father did not like doing so River was looking for something to get out of the house.

And he would be helping at his grandfather’s legal practice once Christmas was over, and before he had to be back at school. Making some money and figuring out what he wanted to do once he graduated. All he knew was he was out of this town when he graduated. But he still did not know what he wanted to do.

So, Max did not have to see how miffed his son was, at him instead he was sitting out of Cow Patties, and thinking whether he should be going in.

He knew he should be getting in the car and heading home and keep his drinking to private nature of his home.

Instead, he got out of the car, and headed into the bar.

Walking into the establishment, and it was same bustling environment he remembered back from when he was not even drinking age. Now, he was very much of age, and was coming in not knowing what he was going to find.

But he found her…

He spotted her instantly.

And she spotted him, not as instantly but close enough as she was getting off the stool to go find a bathroom, when she spotted Max. Oh god, are you kidding me? she cursed towards the sky. This is not what I need.

She walked towards the bathroom and threw some water on her face and tried to convince herself to head home.

But she walked back and asked for another drinking as she was trying to persuade the gods to have Max head back home, and ignore her, and give her some peace and quiet tonight.

But nope, “Hello, Liz”

She did not speak.

“Ignoring me, huh” Max said with a relax nature of himself which was contrary to normal behavior as he sat and gestured for a drink because there was no way he was heading home now when his dream girl was here. “Needing a drink?”

Liz was trying to give the silence treatment because she knew it did nothing to talk to him, not him she thought. The last person she should be on this night, twenty-four hours after burying her husband was with someone who had meant everything once upon a time. And yet she knew she did not regret her time with Brady and knew she could have spent the next twenty-five years with him and been happy.

But that was not to be.

“Okay, I guess you want some alone time” Max asked. “That is fine, which is something I can give you…” he said as he picked up his beer, and walked away, and headed for a single table and sat down and continued to watch the bar, and Liz.

Liz knew he was there and could feel the heat of his glaze behind her.

It was that powerful…




While Mariah had an enough of reading. As she found herself engrossed by the book that her mother had written in, about some very confusing events in her life. And Mariah was almost wanting to believe that her mother was imaginative and had been an author and what she was ready could not possibly be something that happened when her mother was her age. This is insane, as she put it down and did not know if she was repulsed by the notion that her mother loved someone else.

That her father was the second choice, that if she had the life, she wanted than my dad would never have been an option Mariah thought as she put down the book and got up, and knew she needed to get out, and go somewhere, somewhere that was not hear.

She always believed her parents had a love story. That they met in college and loved each other, even if she had come a little early in their romance. As she indeed counted the dates and knew the married because of me she thought. It did not bother her because they had made it, right, they had still been married sixteen years later.

And now Mariah had doubts about how much her mother loved her father. Did Dad know he was second choice she wondered, and she put on her coat, and left the house. Needing to go for a walk to somewhere, anywhere that was not here.

So, she locked the door behind her, and tried to get some space from her life.




She finally gave up. She knew she had been kind of jerkish before when Max was only being kind and wanting to be there for her and she repaid that by ignoring him, so sighing as she got a refill of her drink, and she picked it up, and walked over to where Max had been watching the music play, and the dancers. Taking in the night and knowing he had not had this kind of night in a long, long time because he had stayed inside himself, much to his detrimental, and now he was here, and he could not keep his eyes from the woman who had been his past.

Even though he knew nothing could come from it, but looking did not hurt anyone, right he was asking himself. As his brain did go back in time as he remembered the time when he had been here, and dancing with his dream girl. His dream girl who was now taken. Whether the husband was dead or not. Max would be an ass to try anything when the pain was so intense for his ex-girlfriend. So, to be a friend was all that he could offer for her right now, and that was all he wanted right now because he did not believe anything more could happen for them when it could not back when, they should have had the chance.

After all, he still had a son whose face only brought nightmares to Liz because it remembered a time, they both regretted. Although he chose to keep his son. “Can I sit?” she asked.

“Sure,” Max said nodding and Liz did sit.

“I am sorry about before,” Liz said with all honestly. “I came to meet Maria, but she bailed on me because of some emergency with her mother,” she said softly. “So, I stayed to get some time on my own because I do not want to be home.”

“Why not?” Max asked.

“It’s new,” Liz said softly. “I am not used to being back in Roswell. And now that I am and the reality of everything is starting to set in,” she said as she thought of Brady. “And my daughter is moody, and I did not want to deal with it today.”

“And your son?” Max asked.

“At the rehab hospital, getting stronger” Liz said softly. She did not know how she could talk to Max because they had some much history. History that was painful, but under the muck of the angst, they did have a friendship. Which made everything better, but it also made it worse when it did go bad for them, but she did treasure the friendship. “He’s coming up home for a little while tomorrow, for the holidays, but the doctors figured he could get better in the facility because he will need rehab once the healing really starts…”

“I am sorry,” Max muttered. “If there anything I could do?” he asked of his abilities, and that is what Liz knew he was offering but she shook her head. “It’s only a suggestion.”

“My son is strong,” Liz said softly. “He and Mariah do not know anything about my prior life. Which is why I did not bring them back here before you know we relocated, because I wanted their lives to be normal, and not to be impacted by what happened back here. There were so many rumors by the time I left,” she sighed of everything that had transpired by the time she had left. Rumors tended to spread. Especially when you are picked up in another state for armed robbery, and only get it out of the smallest of technicalities, and you play Bonnie and Clyde with your boyfriend. With a gun but without the bullets, but of course they had been caught. It would have been too simple if we had gotten out of that state home free, which you could have not said was their way of doing things back then.

“Most of them have vanished,” Max muttered of the rumors that had taken their town.

“Have they, really?” Liz asked.

“Yeah,” Max said softly. “Not that I have made my life inside this town,” he said of his decision many years before to get out of town. Although he could not totally abandon his sister or Michael so he chose to build a house outside of town, and near where they had come to their planet, and the fact that it so far from town limits allowed him to isolate himself even though River would go into town for school and to see his friends. “But I hear the stories, and most of them have been classified as urban legends.”

“Urban legend, yeah, right…” Liz said softly. “Urban legends have some truth to them…”

“True,” Max said with a smile. A smile that weakened Liz, but she tried to think of her children, and her husband and she tried not to be affected by memories of the past. “We tend to not allow any rumors that may exist to gain a hold. Because we try to keep the people who know to a small number, and they know how to tamp down any speculation. If any does exist, and from what I know, or wanted to know, it is largely working, and it has been largely a stress-free existence since everything went down,” he said softly. Yeah right Max. Stress free is something I would not classify your life to be he thought. But given all that had gone down in just senior year, and not the matter those other school years, life was sane today compared to back then. I keep my insanity to my private life in how I treat it.

Liz nodded as she was looking at him like she did not believe him.

“So, you were able to move on…” Max asked as he did not want to discuss what the town might think of his abilities, but the fact he, Isabel and Michael had been able to build their lives here in town and had not had to flee. That meant everything, but of course, he had chosen a different life for himself.

“I tried,” Liz said not wanting to discuss that she had moved on.

“I am glad you were successful,” Max murmured. “I wanted you to be happy. I am just sad it was not with me, but obviously you were fated to meet your husband and have your kids?”

“Yes, I was” Liz said. “And obviously you made the right decision yourself. In keeping your son. River is a remarkable young man,” she said with honestly. “I do not know him well of course, but he has been a friend to my daughter.”

“What my son is today is not because of me,” Max said softly. As he was never going to be able take credit for who his son was because while he made the choice to keep him, still, it was his son who raised himself and at the most he could credit the other members of his family. Because they had helped when he was too mixed up in a pity party.

“You should not be hard on yourself,” Liz asked. “After all, parenthood is a hard job.” I do not know my own parents did it…

“Yes, it is” Max agreed. “But in this case, I cannot claim the credit but that is for another day because this is not the night to go into the past,” as a waitress came over with another beer, and a drink for Liz, and they both took it, and started to drink.

Liz nodded and saw that Max had been drinking and knew he had not been the one to drink in the past. And when he did, it was only a sip, and it had led to memorable encounter. But tonight was different, and Max was obviously drinking beer, and it made the stories she had heard from her best friend have some ring of truth about how hard life had been for Max in the wake of her leaving town, and of course, obviously there were issues between father and son, and she was not aware to the reasons, but she only wished that things could work out “I am sure it will work out.”

“And I hope it works out for you,” Max asked of his ex-girlfriend.

“All it can be in one day at a time,” Liz sighed as she was not happy to have to face this future. It was not part of the bargain she made when she left Roswell, and had met Brady, and they had fallen in love and gotten married. But it was now her life.

“That is life,” Max sighed.

“I hope so,” Liz muttered as they stopped talking, and just watched the dancers, and listened to the music. Neither knowing what to deal with the other, and given how awkward it was to be here, together, when they were not eighteen anymore.




While the walk Mariah had been on had ended in the park. As she remembered this was the place where it all started on that night. On this night. She stopped and she watched the stars in the night, and she knew she should be careful given that she did not know this town. She had been only a resident of this place, less than a month. And it had only been two weeks before the worst happened, and the last week had been one fog after another. Dealing with family drama, and just living.

And getting through the days.

She wanted to feel the cold weather. Although Roswell tended to have warmer nights than she would expect in late December. It was unnerving after growing up in Chicago. She knew by now that she should be headed home. Because who knows when her mother would be home, and she knew her mother would not be happy to know she was not home. But she could not go home. She needed something to feel normal. She needed to be away from a house she did not recognize even though it was become her home with every day. But still she felt a tug towards Chicago because that had been where her normal had been.

She had a mother and a father, and a little brother who did not reside in hospital because he had injuries he had to heal from, because it should not be on her to heal. She wanted her father. But he is gone she thought.

When she did go home. He would not be there.

She had to come to some back to reality and know this. Of course, she did, but also, she was fifteen and moody and hormonal.

She did not want it to be only her and her mother.

“Hey,” came a familiar voice. But it was not River who Mariah spotted. It was Mackenzie Guerin. Mac, she thought because she knew that was the name, he liked to be called even though they did not know each other well because as it was commonly known, she and her brother had come to this town before last month.

So, she did not know Mac well.

And neither did Mac know Mariah well. Except that he had grown up knowing about her. That she was slightly older than him. But only by a bunch of months. “Lovely night,” Mac said as he was finished with the Sheriff department. Jessica was not working tonight, as it had been only him and it was even more boring than it had been when they were on shift together. So, once he signed off, he was restless.

Which meant he was going to be up to nothing good.

After all, he assumed his mother was off with Mariah’s mother because he knew that had been the plan and his father was off doing whatever he was doing. So, Mac was roaming free and who knows what trouble he was going to find.

Although that not been the intention of the night. All he knew he was taking the long route and had seen Mariah in the park. And was now approaching.

“Hey, stranger” came Mac said with an easy way of himself. “I know we do not know each other that well,” he said as he knew it was only their mothers who really knew each other. They had grown up knowing each other, but that was about it.

“I guess we will be getting to know each other if we stay in this town?” Mariah muttered.

“That is the plan, right?” Mac asked.

“Yes,” Mariah admitted. “Although my grandparents on my father’s side would like it if we moved back to Chicago, you know so they can see me and my brother, Lex” she muttered. She did not know whether she wanted to be back in Chicago or not.

“Lex is a weird name,” Mac commented.

“He wanted to be his own person,” Mariah said softly. “Instead of being named after someone who mattered to Mom and Dad,” she sighed. “After all, I was named after your mother?” she pointed out of her honorary aunt. A friendship her mother had treasured from childhood on, and nothing had ripped it apart.

“And my parents decided to be creative with my name,” Mackenzie muttered.

“It’s not that bad,” Mariah laughed.

“If you were a girl,” Mac muttered. “Which is why I go by the short form of the name, and that is how it is going to stay. What are you doing out alone, and not at home?” he asked as he did not expect to see Mariah out and about, and so close to the holidays.

“Mom was busy, and I needed to get out of the house,” Mariah muttered. “If this is going to be my home than I might as well get use to this town,” she said with annoyance and Mac could understand it. He suspected he would be if his life had been upended by an unexpected loss. And was in a new town. But then the chances of anyone dying in his crazy little family was going to be rare, except maybe if it was my mother because he knew his mother was normal. While he could not completely classify himself as normal.

“You know it is going to get easier,” Mac muttered.

“Is it?” Mariah asked. “

“But of course, how do I know,” Max said with a smile. “My family is sickening complete,” he said softly. “We have not experienced any loss, or any since I have been alive” he said softly because he knew there had been some loss back before he came into the world, but his little group so far had been lucky in that regard, and he knew chances are that that loss would be reduced.

“You are lucky,” Mariah muttered. “I wish we could have still been in Chicago, and maybe this would not have happened,” she admitted even know numerous time her mother had tried to convince her that it still would have happened, whether it was last week, it did not matter because it still would have happened.

“You do not know that, right?” Mac asked as he felt for the burden in Mariah. So different from the one I feel he thought. “Mom says it was some heart condition that likely caused it to happen. Would it not have happened back in Chicago, too?”

“That is what they say, but I like to blame all the changes…” Mariah muttered. “Because I do not have that condition…”

“They thought you, had it?” Mac asked as he had obviously not been listening at the hospital that night because I had other thinking to do. “That is rough.”

“Yes, it is,” Mariah muttered as she got up from the bench she was sitting as she needed to pace. “What are you doing out on a night like this, so close to Christmas?”

“Doing detention,” came Mac.

“What?” Mariah asked as she stopped pacing and looked at Mackenzie. “School would be out, is it not? Not that I had to go this past week with everything going on,” she said as she was almost looking forward to having the diversion of school once she can get over the holidays, her first without her father.

“It is,” Mac admitted as he supposed he felt for her because of to celebrate the holidays without family probably was a tall order. “But after my boneheaded decision the other night, Mom and Dad decided I needed to see the errors of my ways, and that I needed to volunteer at the Sheriff Department, where my grandfather is Sheriff,” he said softly. “Although to say it volunteering my time, is not really the truth given that I am commanded to make this time in my schedule,” he thought as there were so many other things he could be doing with his time.

“Oh,” Mariah asked as she accessed Mac. While she loved her Aunt Maria, and she had been a part of Maria and her brother’s life as long she could remember still it appealed to her to be able to listen to someone else’s sorrows. And she did not know Mac or even her uncle Michael well because they had never come with their wife or mother when Maria came to Chicago on a trip to see her best friend. “What did they catch you doing, or do I even want to know?” she wondered.

“You probably do not,” Mac smiled as he knew the night in question would always be of horrifying importance to Mariah. “It was me being me and testing my limits,” he thought of his determination to blur the lines. “But not everyone has a Sheriff for a grandfather, and parents who had their exploits when they were young, and because of that, they do not want me to repeat them and so it is more a case of do as we say, and not what we might have also done “So, they are teaching me a lesson. Even though I am young, and all I was doing was a having fun the other night, but unfortunately events led to my parents catching…”

“You mean the night of you know” Mariah asked because she still could barely comprehend what happened.

“Yeah,” Mac said softly. “Sorry,” he said as he was aware of how that was terrible for her, and so he had not wanted to drill down on the date.

“It’s my life,” Mariah muttered.

“Anyways, Mom and Dad want to show me that I got lucky…” Mac said. “So, I am “volunteering at my grandfather’s department until they tell me I am free to get off the punishment that they feel the need to extend to me.”

“Having fun would be nice,” Mariah muttered. “Letting loose and not feel the pressure of everything because it can be so overwhelming….” she allowed because she did not want to be feeling like this.

When she wanted to feel like a teenager, and not one in the throes of grief.

“I might not have loss anyone yet,” Mac said softly as he could see the grief on the girl, and he felt sadden. “But I am sure it is one day at time. Which is all you can do. Although I have a suggestion. You might want to talk to your mother about it. Your brother might be a little too young, but you can talk to your mother, right?” he asked. “She’s going through it too…”

“Can you talk to your parents?” Mariah asked.

“No, but I am different from my mother,” Mac said off handed without really meaning to say it.

“How so,” Mariah asked.

Aware that he had to keep certain facts of life out of the realm of public even if Mariah was a descendent of someone who was very aware of the very secret his clan held. Still, he had been raised to know he and River, along with Jessica and Jaime had to be selective with what they shared. Although Jaime was lucky in her humanness Mac though. But of course, she was part of the unique clan he was raised in. Maybe being around these parts, Mariah would find out one of these days, but he did not know what to upset the hornet’s nest by stating more than he should. “It’s complicated.”

“I hate that word,” came Mariah with a mutter. “I love my mother, but she is going through this too. I know she misses my dad, and then I go and find evidence that my father might not be someone who was her first choice….” she blurted, unaware that she was even going to blurt it out. It had just slipped. She was coming to terms with the book she had read. Most of what was in it is make believe, right? she wondered. How could any of it be true but then reading about her mother and River’s Dad. How can she love my dad, so much…?

Uh oh, given Mac knew some of this. He did not know how to get out of this one. Even though he did not know the full story.

“You do not have to say anything,” Mariah said getting up. “This town seems to have a story to it,” she muttered. “And I do not know even a half of it,” she thought.

“You are right about that,” Mac said as he got up. “I would not let it cause trouble. I am sure you parents love each other, and I am sure they have been amazing parents to you and it’s never easy to find out that our parents have had a past before they had us,” he thought. “I know my own parents had a doozy of a one. Even though they ended up together and have made a life together. But they had one, and so did your mother did too, same with River…”

“Yeah, my mother” Mariah muttered.

Oh, geez Mac muttered.

“You know, do you not?” Mariah asked.

Not answering, “How about I walk you home?” was all Mac was willing to say. “Your mother will not like you wondering the streets alone, given everything that has happened,” he said. “And it’s getting late,” he added.

“I can walk by myself,” Mariah muttered as she did not like feel like she could not do something herself. She lived in Chicago. She had not been sheltered in a small town and protected against the bad world. It was just she had the picture of a happy life until now, and she was beginning to see how that world had flaws in its construction, and she did not want to poke at the holes. All she wanted was the world she once had.

“Humor me, okay?” Mac asked, as he was aware of someone who was overwhelmed and was liable to screw up given that is how he tended to walk the line and knew his mother would have his head and deservedly so if something happened to Mariah in the wake of recent events.

“Whatever,” Mariah said as they started to walk unaware, they were being observed by two people who had come into the park and noticed that Mariah and Mac were talking, and they sticked to themselves and watched, and neither liked what they saw…

“Uh oh,” Jessica said with a laugh, but her companion was not laughing as they watched as Mac and Mariah walked off together into the stillness of the night. “That does not look good…”

No, it does not River muttered

Mariah's blood type......can't wait to see who she matches.
I'm afraid Liz isn't though dealing with the in-laws yet.
The funeral service was something that had to be done, but so hard on Liz.

Max & Liz drinking....has that ever worked out well... for either of them?

Poor Mariah. I must be hard for her to read how much her mom loved Max when she was her age. That was probably harder than the alien info.

Everyone needed to get out of the house........this seems like a dangerous situation for several folks.

As the teen melodrama was festering in the park. A cab was stopping front of the new townhouse in the Forrest development which had gone up since they were in high school together. There has been a lot of development Liz thought now as she sat in the back of the taxi, next to Max as both had too much alcohol to drive. Or want to drive. Even though his house was outside of this town, much closer to Cow Patties truthfully, Max was not going to quibble because he wanted to make sure Liz got home safely. After all, he did not care about himself.

“Are you going to be, okay?” Max could not help but ask as he got out of the taxi. Only planning to see her to the door, and then head on home and figure out how to make it through the holidays and the knowledge that he did not have the life he wished he did, but with the knowledge that he did not have to show up to his family celebration.

“Fine,” Liz said softly as she did not know how to handle this. It was getting late, and she was not sure how to take the fact her house was dark. Normally, it would not bother her when she was working late because the kids tended to be in bed, or Brady was watching television with the lights off so not to not wake the kids. But now, she was returning home to a different life. And she had not been working. She was drinking…

Although not as much as she had in the beginning. She was able to restrain herself, which was good but bad because she had been with Max because it only conjured up memories of the past, and why she had sunk so low in the first place even though it had been her choice to walk away, but then she met Brady and everything turned around for her, and she had him as well as their kids over the last sixteen years.

Now she was returning to a new reality at home. And her house was dark. And she did not like that because she did not think her daughter would be going to bed at this time of night. Because she was aware Mariah had not shown up at the Crashdown. So, she took it for granted that her daughter would have stayed home. It is not like my daughter not to be up when it not even midnight she thought.

Max told the taxi drive to wait, and the man nodded. And paused the fare counter, and Max got out of the car, and walked with Liz up to the door.

“You really do not have to,” came Liz as she did not know what was going on, or why she was allowing it to happen. Because this was the last thing she needed.

“I am just making sure you get to your door safely,” Max said softly.

“You already have,” Liz muttered. “Max, you really should be getting home yourself. You have seen me to the door, and everything is alright.”

“Is it?” Max wondered. “The house is dark. Should your daughter not be home?” Max wondered because he knew it was awkward because it should be easier between them, but it was not, and he hated it, but it seemed right to be here, making sure his ex-did get home safely. Otherwise, he would not be able to sleep tonight.

Although he was aware that his night was unlikely to be peaceful.

But it would be worse if he left before he made sure she got inside her house.

“She is probably in bed,” came Liz as she knew the darkness of the night unnerved her, and she wished it did not. But she also knew this was the last thing she probably needed was to have her ex-boyfriend escort her home because if her daughter was indeed home? It would not be pretty she knew. Not by a long shot she muttered to herself.

Even though she was the adult. And her daughter was the fifteen-year-old. Roles were reversed once before she thought.

Liz unlocked the door and knew immediately that her daughter was not home. “Great,” she muttered to herself. Perfect she muttered out loud.

“What?” Max asked as she did take the step to go inside, but stayed and looked in, and knew.

“Nothing,” Liz said because it was not something she should be saying when Max was here, because he was not a party to this situation. “I am home Max; you can go home now” she said as she knew she had to figure out what was going on with her daughter when the last thing she wanted to do was dealing with a rebelling daughter.

She had been the one on the other side of it, not the one who had to deal with the rebelling child. Because until this point Mariah was not that kind of girl But, then I was not that type of person either, she thought. Until I met Max she said as she looked into Max’s eyes. And could see he was dubious about leaving her alive. “I am fine,” she insisted with Max.

“If, you are sure?” Max asked.

“Yes, I am.” Liz insisted. “You can go home now?” she said as she knew she had to deal with whatever was going on with her daughter because Brady would want her too… And that was what her life was going to be now, and she better get used to it.

Max nodded but before he could leave, they heard footsteps from behind them. “Just great, you could not wait, could you?” came a disgusted Mariah as she stood with anger looking at her mother and Max.

With Mac standing next to her, unsure of how he ended up in this scene.




All Liz could do was look at the pain in her daughter’s face and knew she should not be so angry that her daughter was trying to force herself to deal with each day. To take one step at a time after a big loss, but then she was also upset because she Liz was the parent, and her daughter was the child and she had not known where her daughter had been off to. Although seeing Mac with her daughter was reassuring, but only slightly she thought.

After all she might not know Maria’s son well, but she knew he was a boy, and her daughter was at a critical age where life changes in an instant. Because it had for her. With the realization that her daughter was fifteen, and all too beautiful.

Her daughter may look most of the time like her, and she did see it, but she knew how her daughter attracted the guy’s back home. And that was in the big city of Chicago, even if they had been in the suburbs by the time they had relocated. Still, it had been noticeable and now in a small town. Liz had not been looking forward to that dreaded part of her daughter’s development. Boys interest in her daughter.

Sure, she had been interested in Kyle before Max came along. But that was very high school. And they did not have the chemistry to make it apparent that they could last beyond the bubble of the excitement of a new relationship. Especially that was shown when they could not prevent her from looking at someone else. When Max came into her life.

Of course, Max was a special case. Because not many people jump into the fire to save someone from certain death and had the abilities to prevent you from dying. That had attached her to him and attracted her because he had been her savior. Someone who was unexpected and exciting, and it did get her going, at the expense of her and Kyle.

But she did not regret it because otherwise she would not have met Max. And she had known from the beginning that she and Kyle were better off as friends Friendship, yes, she thought. That is how it has stayed with us, and rightfully so. As they both had gotten the life they wanted, albeit with a lot of frustration and pain. But still they were better off as friends.

Now she looked in her daughter’s eyes and saw the past. Ignoring the pain in her daughter’s eyes, she noticed her godson. “Mac,” she said softly. As the boy was very much like both of his parents. Even if his behavior of late was going in the direction of his father, Michael, even though Mac had a better home life than his father had at his age.

“Aunt Liz,” Mac acknowledged as he been taught early not to be formal with her mother’s best friend. Even though the families were not close compared to some families. “I ran into Mariah, and we got to talking, and elected to walk to her home.”

“Thank you for that,” came Liz. “Where were you?” she asked as she posed the question directly at her daughter but said daughter was not anxious to be upfront to her mother because she was annoyed that he was here, why could he not stay away? “Mariah,” she said after some time elapsed without an answer. “I know you did not show up at your grandparents even though that was the request.”

“The Park,” was all Mariah said. That is all it was as she was not prepared to give one to her mother. “Why is he here?” she muttered as she was looking at Max. Although to her, he was only known to her as River’s Dad.

“He was being a friend,” came Liz softly. “We are old friends. You knew I was out, and you should have let me know when decided to leave the house on your own, because you know I definitely do not like that you were going out at this time of night” she murmured as she was not used to having to deal with a rebellious teenager. In the past, she and Mariah had shared a close mother and daughter bond, and her daughter used to tell her when she was going out. She was not liking how that could be changing…

And given that her daughter was not working yet, unlike herself when she was her daughter’s age. So, mother and daughter relations were relatively carefree. Because it usually was easy to get a handle on where her daughter was on any given day. And in this day of social media, and smart phones which are a god sent she thought at keeping track of both of her children. But now that they were newly back in Roswell.

A town her daughter did not know.

Thanks to you Liz she thought because she had not brought her children back to her hometown before a few weeks before…

“I am out of here,” Mariah muttered as she did not want to stay and see how River’s dad would look at her mother, and especially now that she had read some of her mother’s journal. “I am going up to bed…”

“I did not say you could go,” was what Liz wanted to say but did not because it sounded too much like something she would have heard back in the day, and probably did. She did not think she or would be that kind of parent. Sure, she liked to plan, and like to be the stern one with the kids. Brady had been the laid-back parent.

And now he was gone.

But Liz allowed her daughter to go. “I am sorry Max,” came Liz and Max nodded and knew the taxi was waiting. “I better be going as you have a lot to deal with…”

“Yes, I do” Liz nodded.

“Merry Christmas,” Max said because he knew he would not be seeing Liz over to holidays because of the many obligations they would have during the festive season. Although Liz would probably have more than he did, Max knew. As he spotted his godson, Mackenzie, or Mac as he likes to be called as he basically disowned his formal name.

And Max could see how Mac was slightly amused. “I’ll make sure the taxi drops you off,” he said to the teenager he did not know terribly well despite being best friends with his son. Max did not know why it was Mac with Mariah and not his son, but he knew he was unlikely to get an answer if there was one.

“Sure, whatever…” came yes, an amused Mac because he was highly entertained by this change of events.

“Then let us go if you do need anything. You can call me,” came Max as Liz nodded as she gave a simple, “Merry Christmas,” herself even though she did not feel in the mood to celebrate as then closed the door on both Max and Mackenzie. “And what were you doing out with Mariah?” came an interested Max as he cornered the teenage boy.

“Since when have you ever been that interested in me,” came an amused Mac as he was now getting what was a common vibe in the family that his Uncle Max was himself because of one woman and that woman was Mariah’s mother. Which made the fact River was interested in Mariah even more amusing for Mackenzie.

“Let’s say tonight I am,” Max muttered because he fully knew that his hermit lifestyle this past decade or more had allowed him to become disengaged. “The taxi is waiting, so I will make sure you get home?”

“I can head home myself,” Mac said not wanting to hear what he might say to his parents. Not that he was that worried. Still, he was not used to having his godfather taking a close eye on him because it was common knowledge how disengaged his Uncle Max was. If he was not worried about his son. Why would he be worried about me? Mac could see his response did not sit well with River’s father.

“I rather see you home myself,” Max said.

“It’s only a few blocks,” Mac said as he started to walk away. “You should not worry that I will not go home because I am going home,” he thought because of course if he did not show up at home. His parents would come looking since regardless Max would let them know he had seen him. “I can walk.”

“Leave Mariah alone,” Max muttered.

“Is it any of your business who I see?” Mac asked. “I spotted Mariah in the park. She is new to town, and she just lost her father, and she is a lot of upheaval and she needed someone to hear her out. She does not like what she is seeing or feeling so I am just letting her vent. That is all it is,” he muttered. “I am not looking for someone. Unlike you or my parents. I do not see settling down as something I need to do.”

“We did not expect it at the time either,” Max said as he knew full well, he would never have imagined how Liz would have given him a chance. And Michael, well, he never would have expected to have found someone in Maria given for most of their high school career. Michael had his foot off the planet. But in the end, he chose to stay, he thought. “You never can expect life to be how it ends up turning out.”

“And you and Mariah’s mother?” Mac accused.

“None of this is not about me,” Max muttered as he did not want any of the younger generation to use him as example or to question the choices he had made for his life. Although one young man did have a right, and that was the only one who had any right and it was not his godson.

“Yeah, sure.” Mac said as he walked towards the car. “Well, Mariah just lost her father, and the last thing she needs is for you to move in on her mother. No matter how much her mother was the one who got a way for you,” he said to Max. “If you want me to stay away from Mariah and let her, be. You should take your own advice with her mother…”

“I am the adult,” Max said as he was not in the mood to be taking any advice from a fifteen-year-old. Especially not when it was directed at him, and it was about Liz. “And one more time. I am going to tell your parents I saw you, so if you do not show up at your house in the next fifteen minutes…” he muttered because he knew perfectly well how long it would take to walk from this location to the Guerin house.

“Whatever,” Mac muttered as he walked off, and it was like looking into a mirror for Max as he was seeing Michael when he saw Mac today. And he did not know what that would mean in the long-term, because Maria had softened some of Michael’s rougher edges otherwise Michael would have been a lot of trouble back when they were teenagers. Thankfully, they did not have to worry about it back then, but would they in this time?

Max did not know as he got into the taxi, and had it drive him home.




As inside, Liz was walking upstairs and stopping in front of her daughter’s bedroom. She did not know how to react to the fact her daughter was growing up to be a beautiful young woman. It had been so easy when she was a book worm, Liz muttered she still is she thought as she prided in her daughter’s academic record and knew she would continue to shine here in Roswell once she started officially in January and had her grades count. Still, she had been so used to the girl who was reading the driver’s manual back to front in prep for her driver’s licenses, months before she turned 16 and was eligible to get her license. Or did her homework while she prepped dinner when she was home Liz thought because of her own schedule often was different but still being in research had allowed her to be home more, and to structure her schedule. Now the kids were growing up.

And she was alone to handle this. As she knocked on her daughter’s door, “Mariah,” she called and knocked one more time and went to check the doorknob, and found it locked. “Open up,” she demanded of her daughter.

But Mariah was not coming to the door. “I only want to talk to you,” she insisted through the door. “I love you, and I love your father and that has not changed,” she said softly. “If you want to talk, you can talk to me…”

But the light went out in the room, signaling that her daughter was stubborn and was not in the mood to talk. She knew the feeling. She had been that way one day, when it had been either her father or her mother in her place, and now the memories were haunting her as she had once been the bookworm who dated, but only socially and she and Kyle were not truly exclusive until that September day, and it all changed. And she felt for what her parents had to face once she did take that step with Max and wondered off into an incredible journey for him. Sorry Mom and Dad she thought although she knew she did not regret just how much she felt during that time or that it had been with Max.

She only regretted how intense that time had gone, and maybe if any of it could have been different than she would be in a different life today. I would not have met Brady, and I would not have my kids she thought, and she did not want that. She wanted her life. She wanted the life she had a week before.

But nope, that was not her fate. Her fate was something completely different.

And one day she might find out what it was, but until then she had to deal with being with her kids as she went into her bedroom and checked in with the rehab hospital to see how her son was doing and got a good report of Lex’s first day of rehab. She confirmed the plans to pick her son up for the Christmas pass, and she looked in the mirror and looked down at her wedding ring as she opened the dresser door and brought out the diamond that had meant the world to her, and that Max refused to take back when she had called off their short-lived engagement. She had carried it with her as she put it back its special box and put it back in jewelry case and she got ready for bed.

Going to the bathroom, she walked past her daughter’s bedroom and sighing. She needed to make sure her daughter was okay.

Using her abilities, she unlocked the door to her daughter’s room so that she would not have to go roaming for the key she knew Brady had for the rooms that had locks. Using her abilities took time off the clock, and she opened the door and found her daughter to be sleeping.

She hoped her daughter’s dreams were peaceful given the real world was so rough.

She was going to let herself out of the room, when she found a book on the floor, by her daughter’s bed. The oldness of the book rang familiar. She leaned down and picked it up, and she was surprised to find that it belonged to her, or it did back in 2002 when she left it her old bedroom, over the Crashdown.

Oh, great she whispered to herself. She could see that it was read, and she could just imagine what her daughter would have thought when she read those opening words. So memorable at one time she thought.

She hoped her daughter would not believe them, because who would.

But Liz thought. It did happen she thought as she turned around and looked at her daughter, shielded in the bed, turned off and facing the wall. Hopefully sleeping peacefully. She took the book and turned and left the room.

Unaware that her daughter had been awake, only pretending to sleep and knew the book had been discovered. And had turned onto her back as her mother exited the room, and left the room unlocked. Knowing her mother could not have had the time to go look for the key to come into the room, it only meant one thing but this time she had not seen it happen and now her memory was flashing as she remembered back to when she was in her mother’s old room and what she had seen, and then reading the words in the book…

What on earth she asked herself. As she tried to sleep, and instead spent most of the night tossing and turning.





“Did he show up?” Max asked as he let himself in the house out by the desert. And was not pleased that he had gone the negative as a reply to his question Mac had not shown up at home, yet he thought because he should have been given the drive was a heck of a lot longer than it would have been to the Guerin household. After all, the taxi was paid handsomely and was back on its way back to town. And now Max was making sure Mac had indeed shown up at home. “I have no idea why he was with her?” he was saying on his phone as he entered the dark house and knew it was getting late. And he might as well turn out because his son was likely already in bed.

Not that they talked much these days. Max figured silence was the best otherwise a war could break out inside the house, and neither needed it. “You might want to ask your son that, when he does get home,” he was saying to his best friend who was not happy to know his son was out and about. And apparently was still not home. That boy he thought. Very much like his father he thought. Michael tended to make his own schedule and did from when from as far as he could remember. But unlike Mac who had a happy household, and two devoted parents. Michael did not. He only had Hank once his behavior at his prior homes got him bounced and into the trailer with Hank.

And unfortunately, that had lasted far too long in Max’s estimation. And therefore, Michael had scars but fortunately Maria had been able to break down those barriers and make a life with him. And with their son once he was born. So, Max could not understand why Mackenzie wanted to walk on the blurry line when he had a home life that most would love. And Max certainly would have wanted if fate had been kind to him.

But Max had screwed it and given his son the life that should have not been given to him. Fortunately for Max. River was a good kid, who knew the lines to walk. But only because he wants out of this town, and away from me Max thought as he did not know how to handle it or fix it. “We can meet for drinks tomorrow…” he said as he turned on the light and was startled to find his son had sitting in the dark. “I have got to go,” he said as he saw his son.

Getting off the phone, “What is it?”

“Where were you?” River asked as he had been startled to come home from festivities with his grandparents and the misfortunate scene in the park to find that the house was dark, and the car was gone. “Do you know what time it is?” he muttered as he saw his father walk into the house, which was a weirdly odd situation to be facing. Usually, it is on the way around, he thought although he was quick to amend not that prior to this was Dad all that caring when I would come home.

Yes, we have an odd relationship River knew.

“Yes,” Max said with a smile at the twist of events. “Are you waiting up?” he asked with a smirk on his face which did not amuse his son. “I went out for drinks and ran into a friend,” he said as this was truly odd that he was the one who was forced to defend his whereabouts to his seventeen-year-old son, it is truly an odd feeling he thought as his thoughts quickly when to that friend, that he had found himself talking to. Which made the night all the more memorable? And he supposes it did have to be a shock to his son because River was the one who tended to go out, and have a social life and Max tended to be the recluse back home and rarely went anywhere unless it was a family sanctioned event.

That would not take his standard no for an answer.

“No, I was only thinking” River muttered even though he was a little worried he thought. Not much, but a little he mused to himself but was not willing to give his father the win. And really, he had been thinking, fretting, and maybe even annoyed that he had seen Mariah and Mac go off together. Not like I have a hold on her. After he and Jessica had left their grandparent’s festivities and were walking home via the park. The came upon the discussion. And while they had not known what was being said, still he could tell it was an intense conversation. And River knew Jessie had been amused. Soon though they had gone their own way, as he came home, and she had gone to her own home. And found it dark. So, it allowed him time to think even though he should be jealous because Mariah was her own person. Same with Mackenzie. And specially living into a small town. You run into people all the time. Which is how River was justifying it for him and trying not to be jealous.

He was not having much luck. And looking at his father, he was reminded why it was probably fine to see Mariah and Mac together because it was too complicated for him and Mariah to even go there even if they wanted to because of the past that belonged to their parents. The past haunts he thought. Why go there he wondered. Especially when if his father had any say, he would not be a cheerleader for such a pairing because of whatever his true feelings were for Mariah’s mother.

She is a pretty girl. She is friendly, and we should only be friends. We have too much baggage to make it anything more. So true he told himself.

And Max could see the war in her son. Something told him that River had much on his mind. “Do you want to talk it out?”

“No,” River muttered.

“Okay,” Max said as he knew the best way to deal with his son was just to let him be, even when sometimes I should not he thought but it is easier too “I am going to bed,” he said softly. “Although if you will take it. 1 piece of advice. Whatever you are dealing with. You should not let it get you down because it will always work out…”

“Did it for you?” River muttered as he wanted to laugh at the statement coming from his own father given how his father had treated his life. “How can you say that and look at your life,” he muttered. “Is that not a bit rich coming from someone who is still hung up on the one he loved at eighteen.”

Max sighed. And knew he had that comeback coming from his son. He knew it. And he owned it. “My life is mine. You should never try to be me,” Max said softly. I would never want that, why would I? It was hell to get through my life in one piece. And in some quarters, I did not get out in one piece “I want you to be happy. So, you should not let the angsty periods of life get your down. We are two different people. And as such, have had different life experiences, and if whatever you are processing is indeed about Mariah. That is fine. It is your life. My only advice would be to you is that because I obviously do not know her, and yes, her mother and I might have had a past, and that makes it very murky of the two of you. But still, I figure she could use a friend right now, because what she is going through is not going to be easy for her, as time goes on, and she is forced to deal with the grief. And given her state of mind right now, you should not want to be anything more than to be her friend. Because believe me, trying to make it anything more will always cause a lot of hurt in the end.” And that is something neither of you will need.

“Did it for you?” River asked.

“Hell yes,” Max muttered as his memory banks were flooded of images of that time in his life. “I warned Liz from the beginning that life would be complicated if we took a chance on each other…”

“And yet you did take a chance?” River asked. Obviously.

This going to be a mess for Liz, Max, Mariah and River once Liz finds out about Mariah's unusual blood time. Mariah already has a strong dislike and distrust of Max. Max will want to have a relationship with Mariah since Liz is her mother. He always felt obligated to take care of River.

Mess is an understatement for this situation developing with Max, Liz and children. How do you spell disaster?
It appears that more and more it will be difficult for Max and Liz to stay apart or away from each other.
Can't wait for more!!

Please...please ...let Liz get the test results.

And a chance they did take. They both knew it. As they knew it had led them on a journey that was full of meaningful moments, and a lot of little memories. And it was now hours later as Liz was facing those memories as she was having her second coffee of the morning, as she could barely sleep during the night. She was constantly tossing and turning, and that had made for a restless sleep. Because all kinds of memories from different parts of her life were flooding her brain and trying to wrestle it with the duality of being Elizabeth Anthony it was almost too much, but she had kept it at coffee I am not that far gone she thought. As she thought of that damn book Because yes, the book was calling out to her, and she hated how it was in the house. I was rid of those memories because the book was not in my presence, she feebly stated even though she knew she was lying to herself because I never forgot that time, and the memories of those actions I took, both good and bad. But now just days after burying her husband. It was forcing her to remember a time. She did not need this. Especially not when it was Christmas Eve.

Even if the holiday were something she wanted to write off this year, but she had children and so she could not ignore it. She had to go and pick her son up and try to make the holiday at least partly memorable for their sake, so they at least would not hate the holiday and have lasting damage because of the loss they have suffered.

Yet the book was on the table when her daughter came into the kitchen, looking for breakfast. And immediately Mariah could see the book on the table, and she did not know what kind of reaction she would get from her mother. So, she tried to ignore it completely and went and got some orange juice out of the fridge and picked some eggs off the frying pan and onto her plate. And sat down.

Saying nothing to her mother.

“Mariah,” came Liz softly.

“Mom,” Mariah said tentatively. “You are picking up Lex, right?” she asked as she tried to ask her mother anything and tried a safe topic first as if that was going to happen any minute now, which she knew it was not going to be.

“Yes,” Liz said of her son Alex aka Lex. She understood her daughter’s reluctance to talk of the elephant in the room and instead go for the safe territory because Liz had no idea how to bring up the subject. She almost wished she could ignore it.

But she could not because the book, and the past was calling out to reference it “Would you want to come with me?” she asked as if she was taking the chance not to speak of it. She was also ignoring what it all meant.

“I can see him when he gets home,” Mariah thought as she still was not liking how she had to think of this place as her home. Or that her brother was in that place but knew he would be for while there while he recovered. But for now, she wanted to be anywhere other than here, but knew she needed to get used to this place because there was no way her mother would be packing them up and taking them back to Chicago. Not without Dad.

This is home whether I want it to be or not she thought.

Liz nodded. “Where did you get this book Mariah?” she asked as she glanced down at the book in front of her, and the coffee next to it. This was not a discussion she was itching to have but it was needed to be had.

“Where do you think I got it?” Mariah asked, not giving an inch.

“Mariah Christina Anthony,” Liz muttered as she did not relish this behavior in her daughter. Because it was something she rarely got even when Brady was alive. This behavior was new to her, and it was not a pleasant addition to their family. It was tiring and something she did not need, especially not today or any other day for that matter. But not on this one, where she dead tired.

“That is my name,” Mariah said softly. Even as she knew she was on thin ice with her mother. And she wished she were not this combative, but she could hardly stop herself and knew her answer was not viewed kindly by her mother.

“Mariah,” Liz muttered.

“Yes,” Mariah asked.

Blurting out “I love your father, and there is nothing I wanted more in my life than to be with your father, and to be a mother to you and too Lex,” Liz murmured at the memories of her wedding day with Brady as it played in her mind. I was so happy. She had been sure she was making the right decision. Just because she was pregnant did not mean it was the only choice she could have made because she could have been a single mother, but no, Brady had not proposed simply because she had been pregnant. They were planning on getting married. Yes, I am telling that to myself. They had only pushed it up, and she was grateful to have a chance to be with Brady and to have Mariah a few months later. Yet, she knew if fate had been different, she thought. But then she had made the choice to walk away from Roswell, and from Max.

Therefore, I had to move on, and I did.

And she did not regret it because then it would make the last sixteen years or the life she had created with Brady and their children as a secondary choice because if life could have been different than she would have had a different life today.

I made the right choice she told herself. Yes, she had made the choice she had made. And she was happy with that choice because Brady had made her happy. Just because she happened to wonder sometimes what the other road of life would have brought did not mean she had not been happy.

I was.

But her daughter did not look like she was believing what she was saying. Liz had been right. Mariah was looking at her mother as if she were saying a load of bullshit she thought. She had read the book. Most of it was outlandish and spoke as if her mother was writing in code. How could anyone buy it she was asking herself. Especially as she remembered the events of the prior night. And the green energy she had seen displayed, yet again.

“Mom,” Mariah sighed. “How can you say it after what I read in that book?”

“What you read in there is the writings of a teenager, and all that happened back then” Liz muttered. “It does not take anything away from what I shared with your father, or with you and your brother,” she said softly. “I have loved my life, and I do not regret anything,” she said softly okay maybe that is a stretch she thought to herself.

“Really?” Mariah asked.

“Yes,” Liz said softly. “I have a past. So did your father. I might not have told himself all that happened to me back then, but we did not meet until we were in university which means I had a life that did not include him, and the same can be said for your father. He has a past that contains a love or two before me, and I am fine with it because it does not take anything away from the life we had together.”

“But did you really love Dad, or did you marry him because you could not have the person you were engaged too,” Mariah spat. “Yes,” she muttered. “I got to the end…” she murmured. “That was some ending.”

“I can see you did,” Liz sighed. As she knew there was a lot that she had not said in the book because of what she could not say out of sensitivity to Max’s secrets but still she had put a lot of what she was feeling in the pages of the book. Her true passions, and her true feelings and she knew her daughter’s disappointment were feeding off those words she had indeed written in those pages. “Yes, I was engaged before your father” muttered as she thought of the diamond upstairs in her jewelry case and wondered why this had to come out now. Why of all times is it now?

“Did Daddy know this?” Mariah asked.

“Yes,” Liz said softly. “I was upfront with your father,” she said mostly she thought. There were tons of stuff she could never have in a million years of told her husband but yes, before they got engaged Brady did know that she had a past, and a past that included an engagement. “So, yes, I was engaged but the engagement was brief, and your father was aware of that fact that it had ended?”

“Because of River?” Mariah wondered.

“How did you know?” Liz asked because she knew she had referred to the baby’s original name in any writings she did of that time in her life. There were large segments of time not divulged in those pages, but there was some. And she had written of the engagement, and how romantic it had been on that day.

But then the next day and the day after took a lot of that glow from them, and yes, events did take her away from Max by my own choice she thought. She could not blame Max, entirely, because I did leave. She could have stayed and accepted the life Max was going to have because Tess was still gone but the baby was still around. Zan, she thought of the name she knew River as once upon a time.

Zan, she thought again. She did not know how her daughter would know it was River. Although you probably could put two and two together and get four, she thought.

“When I first met River, you know that night…” Mariah muttered and then stopped because she hated thinking of the night, she lost her father.

“Yes, go ahead” Liz nodded as she knew what her daughter was talking about and how it pained her because it pained Liz. She hated having to remember the night where it had all changed for her and her family. A night that would live on infamy in their town, and in their lives.

“River mentioned that he had another name once before,” Mariah said. “His name got changed when he was a baby,” she muttered because suddenly the disclosure that there was a back story to River’s name made a whole lot of sense even if most of what was in her mother’s journal had to be farfetched, right? she told herself. Because that was the only was it could make sense to the girl who had lived all her life outside the limits of Roswell and did not know the warts and all of the legend of Roswell, and how it was actually true. So, it was all so fanciful in the writings of her mother, or so Mariah wanted to believe even though there were signs that there was more unbeknownst to her.

“Yes, it did” Liz allowed as the memories even after sixteen years were still fresh. “There were other reasons for why I ended things with his father,” she lied because there were very few reasons other than the baby for why she and Max could not make it work. After all they had gone through, well, they should have been able to make it but then baby ended up being the biggest test for them because she had not been ready to be a mother to a baby that was birthed by her greatest nemesis. Because Tess might have been gone, but the memories of that time were still in the air, and she just was not read to be a mother to a child that was not hers.

So, the glow of the engagement quickly ended when Max chose to rescind the adoption and instead chose to raise his son. I tried she thought. the glow of the engagement quickly ended when Max chose to rescind the adoption and instead chose to raise his son. I tried she thought. I did she thought. But that could only last so long, and she was gone.

And she then met Brady as she had self-destructed right into his arms. Brady had not cared that she was crying for a relationship she had ended. There were not exclusive in the beginning, but then she woke up to find out that Brady was one of the good ones who did not want to take advantage of her spinning out of control. All he wanted to do was help. And did not throw his money at her to bribe her into his affections. Because Brady had all been all about disowning his family’s wealth. Just like she disowned certain other abilities of her.

Like that was the same thing.

“Was there?” Mariah wondered because she doubted it because she felt the pain in those words in the journal about what happened.

Liz nodded.

“I am sorry you had to go through that,” came Mariah as she was chastened enough to know that it must have been a complicated time with her mother. And she would have hated to have experienced what her mother had because reading her mother words had been heartbreaking even if most of it felt like it was farfetched and could not have happened, and it must be embellished and yes, speaking in code.

“Thank you,” Liz said softly.

Mariah nodded.

“I love your father Mariah,” Liz said softly. “Yes, I have a past. Yes, River’s father, Max and I were engaged once and maybe if life had been different than yes, we might have ended up together, but I made a choice. Max needed to do what he needed to do at the time, and that was raise his son. I thought I could handle it, but I found that I could not, so I made a choice to leave. And Thank God I did because I met your father, and we had you and we had your brother and I do not regret it because I loved my life, and your father and I were very happy together. And that is not a lie.”

“I thought you were happy too, so reading your journal?” Mariah muttered because she was beginning to see that there was a side to the story that existed outside the contents of the journal, and she might not know everything even though the writing was persuasive. Or maybe I want to believe it because I do not like River’s Dad?

“It gave you the impression that your father was a second choice?” Liz asked as she knew full well what kind of story her journal may have given to anyone who might had read it. And thankfully it had kept in a protected environment until now, but it made it all apparent what secrets were in the document. And she did not know if she daughter believed the other parts of the story.

“Yes,” Mariah muttered.

Liz knew this and was sorry for it. She felt for her daughter having to face these fears “Then you should take any of those thoughts out of your mind because your father was not a consolation prize nor do I wish I had taken any other routes in my life because if I did than I would not have you and your brother, and I love the both of you and we always have parts of our story that come before what we are meant to achieve in our life. I was meant to meet your father, and we were meant to have you kids,” Liz said softly. “Do you believe me?”

I want too Mariah thought because her mother was passionate enough to make her believe that she could believe that the story she had seen in her mother’s journal was not some special love story. But then there was a side of the story she could not believe even if her mother told her, it was true.

“I want too,” Mariah said.

“Then I hope you do,” came Liz as she got up from the table and headed for the stove and scraped the remaining eggs onto a plate. “Do you want anymore?”

“No,” Mariah shook her head as she knew her mother was moving onto a safer topic. “About Lex, I know we will have other times we see him there and I guess I do not want to have to be reminded of where he is…”

“Neither do I, but one of these days your brother will be home with us” Liz said softly as she was happy to be off the topic of the past and onto the present and was her current life. “And we will try to have the Christmas that your father would want us to have because we cannot be stuck in what we do not have because he would not want that for us,” she murmured. “Time has to move on, and he would want us to have to enjoy the holidays.”

Mariah nodded and walked out of the kitchen and went up to her bedroom to get changed. While Liz did not know if she believed what she had just told to bring peace in her house or not, but it was something that needed to be told to her daughter.




While across town Maria wanted to strangle her son because he was being such a teenager, and because he was her child therefore, she had more worries than if she had another kid to worry about because she was seeing Mac going down roads traveled by others, and especially at one time, his own father. Not that staying out late was that troublesome because it was not. But her son was not the sort to stay in his room and spend hours on his computer even though she had just gotten him a new computer for his Christmas present. No, her son was wishing to blur the lines. And she knew more blurring was going to be coming down the line before he settled down. She wanted that the time to diminish “I wish you would live up to your curfew,” Maria muttered as she watched her son eat his breakfast. While in most families, curfews had not settled in yet. But in their family. She and Michael had put a curfew on their son because of too many corners being cut when they were their son’s age. And they had not wanted it to be repeated in the younger generation. And especially once we got a good gage on what kind of son we have on our hands.

Still because she still had memories of those all-nighters as most of the time, they were under some misguided notion that they could make sure life made sense when most of the time the trouble only increased by the time daylight dawned And yet they were able to be better for it in the end because they were able to have a life together.

Even if there were others who were not so fortunate.

“All I was doing was helping a friend,” came a clearly unrepentant teenager as he looked at his mother and knew he was very close to that line because he should have come home, and he had been planning it until plans changed. “I was helping a friend…” he said in his defense. And this time, I really was helping a friend.

I was planning on coming home Mac thought. I only took a detour, that is all.

“But that friend went home, and what did you do until you showed up here in the house?” Maria asked as she did not have a full reporting of the true events of the night or who her son might have been helping. “Mac, you are only fifteen years old. It would be different if you were working but you are not, you were…”

“I was working,” came an amused Mac as he looked up at his mother with delight of a loophole in her argument. “You know that detention you and Dad sprung on me…” he said with amusement in his voice. “I just did not feel the need to come home until I was ready to come home.”

“What were you doing?” Maria asked as Michael walked into the kitchen.

“Nothing in particular,” Mac muttered as Maria only shook her head and walked out of the room before saying something she might regret. Which left Michael in the kitchen with his son, and Mac did not know what his father might say.

Since his mother tended to be the stern one, and his dad went with the flow of his moods. You could never be sure how he would respond which was find although recently his father had been on the cranky side since the accident, and the state of the car which meant that he was arguing with the insurance company.

But they were close to getting it all signed off except it was the knowledge of how the accident happened in the first place still tended to get him annoyed. While his mother was still upset on behalf of her friend for her loss. Mac’s father did not have the same regard. Michael was mad at how the car ended up at the accident sight in the first place.

“Yeah,” Mac asked as he knew his father wanted to say something.

“You could have told your mother where you really were,” came Michael as he had come onto the information after making a few phones calls into his wondering son’s activities. “It would make her not go to the worst-case scenario.”

“I told her the truth,” came Mac as he did not know how much his father knew. I was helping a friend; it just was not Mariah… “She chose not to believe me, which is her loss.”

“Mac,” Michael muttered.

“Whatever,” came Mac as he got up from the table and walked past his father and Michael did not know how much he could come down on his son because he reminded himself so much of himself back when he was younger. But unlike his son. Michael did not have a home to call his own until he was out on his own at age sixteen.

Mackenzie Alexander Guerin had a different home life. And Michael wished his son were not heading down the wild road. Last night exempted because he did appreciate that his son knew how to help those who needed help.




It did not seem like Max walked a couple of miles. But he did. Because he had gotten up too early once again. Only because his dreams were intense and were memories of a time that was living in the past and could not happen because time had gotten away from them. So, with his son’s door still shut, and the light off, he chose to go out and take a walk. And he walked down towards the cave. Something he rarely did despite living near where he was born. I may have been drawn to the isolation out here, but he did not like remembering a time where he was not on this earth.

But he was on this planet now because he had landed here. Even if he was a resident of this area. It was rare that he would even head towards the caves. Why would I want to remember that time he thought? But today he was drawn to it for some reason. It had been a simple walk. It had been a point of where he would walk, nothing more than that as he now was headed back home, and it had been a needed couple of hours long walk. Tired, ready to collapse. He chose to open the door and he spotted his son in the kitchen with the fridge door open. “Morning,” he said softly as he closed the door.

“Where were you?” River wondered as he spotted his father come into the house. The teen had been unaware that his father was out of the house because when he woke up, the door to his father’s room was closed. And therefore, he figured he would be dreaming whatever he could be dreaming at night.

He did not hear the door close earlier that morning because he had been in his own slumbers.

“Taking a walk,” came Max as he saw his son prepping for breakfast. While he could cook eggs, he was barely able to make a coherent dinner. And on that front his son was a much better cook because he had gotten lessons from his aunt and his grandmother. And because Max had not taken much of an effort in the kitchen.

Unfortunately, Max thought now. It did not make him feel all that good. And he knew it should not that he let his son raise himself. “Do you want any help?”

“No,” River said. “I can handle it,” he said as he offered an olive branch out to his father. “Do you want any?”

“No,” Max shook his head, “Go ahead,” he thought. “I grabbed something before I left, and I am not hungry.” he said even though he was lying because he knew his son probably would not want to share anything with him anyways. And Max figured he needed a long hot bath to take away the aches and pains of the walking.

“Even after your walk?” River asked putting the emphasis on the word walk as if he did not believe that was what his father had been doing. Which made Max feel like he did not have much credit with his son for believing that he could doing as he said. River continued with the prep.

“I am fine,” Max said softly. “Are you ready to head to your grandparents?”

“Yes,” River nodded. “Jessica and I helped them get ready last night…”

“I am glad,” Max said softly as he acknowledged the sacrifice his son made in spending time with his grandparents when he knew his son wanted to do other things. “How are you doing this morning?” he asked of the quandary he had seen is son in the previous night. “Do you want to talk about it?” as he realized he had not talked much about life with his son. Another thing that made him feel terrible.

River was not in the mood to get in the face of his father. All he wanted was eggs, and something to eat. “No,” he said softly. “I am fine,” he said and mostly he was he knew. It did not matter to him if Mac and Mariah were friendly after all he now knew that Mariah was known to the Guerin family, right River thought. That had to mean something.

“Look, I know how messy it is” Max said softly. “To be a teenager. No matter how together you are, because that never lasts even if you have the best of intentions, and if you try to walk the right line. Growing up is never easy, and I am sorry I have not been here for you before today…” he allowed because he knew there was too many times where he had not been here for his son when he needed him and been forced to go to other people in their lives for advice. And Max was beginning to feel guilty about that…

River could only nod and did not say anything to aggravate the situation because he did recognize that at least his father was trying, and this time he was going to allow it, or at least for this moment because it was more than he has done in recent times he thought. “Mariah and I do not even know each other…”

Max nodded as he smiled at how conflicted his son was, and that it was about some girl. “Yes, she is” he said even though was not the greatest feeling to know that Liz had moved on and found some happiness in whatever form with someone else, and shared kids with the new guy. But it was a fact in their life. “Although her mother is not…” he murmured as memories flashed of his time with her mother.

River sighed because his father was doing that thing again. A trance over a woman he could not have. “I saw her and Mac talking, and I got jealous even though I had no reason to be,” he allowed. “She’s new to town. And her family knows Mac because of obvious reasons even though she says that her mother did not bring her to Roswell before the last month or so,” he sighed once more. “I do not even know why I got jealous because I know it could never work…”

“That is what I thought in the beginning,” Max said as he thought back to the beginning of the tale that brought Liz into his life. For so many years, he would never have dreamt that she would have given him the time of day. And that it could work because there were so many reasons why it should not have worked.

“And it did not work in the end,” River asked.

“But there were a few good moments in there,” Max sighed with a slight smile and River was stunned because it was something he rarely had seen from his father, a smile. “I was serious last night you know. She could use a friend. We all can use a friend,” he said softly. “She’s new to town, and she’s experienced this big loss. And yes, it is messy because of the past, and how our family relates to it all, and I am sorry for that because I wish I could take a lot back.”

“If you could, you would have been with her mother, right?” Mac asked as it was pretty easy to see that if his father could have taken any of it back or going into a time machine. He would have picked Liz. “You loved her mother that much?”

“Yes,” Max said honestly and sensed how it was for his son. “I know it’s hard for you because you have had to grow up with the knowledge that I did not love your birth mother, and that there was someone else that I did love. And how life got in our way…” he murmured as he was made a key omission given who he was speaking to, and it was something that River was able to grab onto. “I have made some choices in my life…”

“I got in the way,” River muttered.

“Yes,” Max said with honestly because despite how messy it was. River deserved honestly over lies or half-truths to cover up the hard parts of their story. “That might well have been the case, but I do not regret keeping you” Max said, and he did not. “I know I have had a funny way of showing it all these years, and you have had to raise yourself more often than I would have liked, when I should have paid more attention to you,” he allowed. “I know I might have taken it out on you over the fact that my life did not go the way I wanted it to,” he sighed. “When I am the chief architect for why I did not get what I wanted from my life. So, yeah, I am sorry for that…”

“You gave me a good life,” River conceded. “You gave me a roof over my head. And it could have been worse…”

“Yes, it could have.” Max acknowledged because he did know how worse it could have been when he remembered the life Michael had been forced to live, but it pained him to know it was not much different he sighed. “But it could have been much better, and I know that, and I hope the future will be different from now on,” he allowed.

River only nodded but did not make any commitments to trying to bridge the divide. “I am going to go get changed,” was his only answer as indeed they had plans for the day.

Max nodded as he watched as his son left the kitchen. And did not know if his relationship with his son was being fixed or it was a temporary band aid before the wounds would be reopened. As he was indeed hungry now, and he made him a quick sandwich and took it to his room where he too got ready for whatever was going to happen now.




“Welcome home,” came Liz as she opened the door, and watched as her son wheeled his wheelchair up the already existing ramp that had come with the house when it was constructed many years before, and now Liz was happy for it even though the rest of the house did not come with easy made changes but still it allowed her to come into the house. It was now after lunch as they returned home.

True to her word Mariah had stayed behind to get ready for their plans tonight. The Guerin family was coming for dinner, and for festivities. As Liz and the kids did not want to go far from the house, and with Lex home on a pass from the facility. It was easier this way, and Liz figured they needed to get used to the new house.

And the fact Brady would not be here celebrating with them. “Are you happy to be home?” she said of her son as Mariah came walking downstairs with finally a smile on her face as she saw her brother arriving home.

“It’s nice to be out of the hospital,” Lex said softly. “And knew he would be headed back in on the 26th so this was only a short-term release, but it was better than a hospital bed and a change and he wanted to spend the holidays with his mother and his sister.

Even though he missed his father.

“I bet,” Mariah said as she leaned down and hugged her brother. “Glad to have some company here at the house,” she said softly as she looked at her mother who nodded. “It’s been too boring with you here at home. Not in the least she thought. But at least this was something normal, even though her brother was in a wheelchair, and a reminder of what happened to him and their father.

“I probably have missed more than I think,” came Lex as he wheeled into the living room and saw the tree and the presents under the tree.