Helen (Roswelllostcause)
OK why is Maria there? Is she going to be let into the "I know an alien club" now?
More answers coming up...maybe
Thank you so much for the feedback!
Ashley (Morning Dreamgirl)
Dear lord! About time, Max!
I've been waiting for... hmmm... eighty-six chapters for him to stand up for himself in regards to their relationship. The fact that he *finally* stood up for what he wanted in the most basic way. *Heart swoons and soars*
Hearing him ask her not to leave him... No. Words. *Sigh*
He's getting there
Give him some time...
Liz has been doing (basically) all of the chasing in their relationship. Even after they were rescued. Most of the time he kept her close it was to keep her safe or to heal her. And while emotionally he might not have not wanted her to leave Liz needs to actually hear the words. She needs to be "chased" as much as he does.
That's a really interesting point and - as always - very true
Smart move picking Maria up by the way. She was too much a target out there by herself. Though it'll be interesting to see how she reacts (and her mother I imagine) when learning about the existence of aliens.
More of this is coming up, hun
For now, let's just say that you're not that far off in your theories
We still haven't heard where he was and why no one could get a hold of him after Sean visited Liz in her room.
True
Given the point at which she's coming into the swing of things I think Maria will be harder to win over than Liz was as far as Alex goes.
That might just be. Just like you said; she doesn't
have to accept what they're telling her. Because she is not forced to be a part of the alien world.
However, her survival might right now be dependent on her trusting those aliens - and Alex is included in this... But yes, she might not "forgive" Alex at first.
And please tell me they're not actually considering going into the base to get Command. Can anyone say *trap*?
Weeeell...
I guess I should have known the cliffhangers were going to be coming back, huh?
Hihi...maybe
Thank you so so so much for the feedback <3 <3 And for your "nickname" on le boyfriend
Eve (begonia9508)
I knew it, the minute I heard Michael struggling with a woman: It could only be Maria, who was looking to find Liz!
So the Command is in a military zone, hiding like a rabbit in a hole... Block all the openings and you can fumigate him with gaze him, like the rabbit he is!
That's actually quite a good idea
Happy to have a new part again... checked each day...
Thank you, dear
Thank you so much for the feedback!
Carolyn (keepsmiling7)
You are such a tease............that hair cutting scene.......
Thank you so much for the feedback!
mela3
Wow. The description of Liz's feeling in the previous chapters was so clear and realistic, that it seemed interwoven into the story as thread in a tapestry. It truly speaks of Liz's character and their narrative as a couple.
Thank you
Thank you so much for the feedback!
L-J-L 76
Can't wait to find out what Max and Liz will tell Maria?
It's coming up
Thank you so much for the feedback!
dreamon
That was a lot of awesome reading! Well I'm finally caught up and looking forward to more!!!
Thank you
Natalie36
that's fine as long as I can still read this awesome story
Thank you
Stefuh - Thank you so so so much for all of your reviews. It was a real delight to read your feedback for each chapter and to see how your opinions kept on changing from one chapter to the next. I'm so happy that you've started reading my story
And I really appreciate (beyond words) you writing me reviews for each and every chapter.
Thank you!
Off to read Lethal Whispers! And I'm gonna be back later next week with the rest of my reviews for Unbreakable!
I looooooove this fic! It's so interesting and there's so much twists and turns!!
Thank you!
From EIGHTY-SEVEN:
”No,” Max told me sharply, his arm tightening around my back, as I met the widened large eyes of my father as the seriousness of the situation slammed into him.
”Dad,” I cried hoarsely, wanting him to get to his feet and get behind us. But the fear seemed to have nailed him to the chair and before I had a chance to repeat my request for him to move, to attempt to break through the veil of shocked surprise around him, a voice I recognized as clearly as my own had my head snap back towards the hallway.
”Let go of me, you big oaf!”
There was as subtle momentary relaxation to Max’s stance as Michael and a livid blonde girl staggered into the common room.
They were just as wet from the rain as Max and I had been barely twenty minutes prior. Michael’s hair was hanging into his eyes and his skin glistened in the light as he visibly tightened his hold around the girl’s middle. She was practically bouncing off the ground, her struggles to get out of his hold violent. It was easy to see that Michael was having trouble restraining her.
Her. With her blonde long hair clumped with wetness and her clothes sticking to her small body.
My gasp echoed loudly in the room, having Michael avert his attention from the girl and look up to see all alien hands raised at him, expecting an enemy.
He tensed and was struggling to put his hands up in defense in front of him as he cried, ”Whoa, whoa!” His sudden need for multitasking had him struggling to keep the mobile girl restrained to his side.
”It’s just-” His attempt at reassuring us of his identity was abruptly interrupted by his own roar of pain as the blonde girl bit down on the back of one of his restraining hands, making him lose his grip on her long enough to let her escape.
Without wasting a single moment, she was twirling around towards the exit with the intention of escaping whatever building she had been brought to. Never once had she looked up at the crowd staring at her wide-eyed, her struggle with her captor having devoured all of her attention.
And now she was intending to get away.
Until my quiet question boomed through the room. ”Maria?”
Somehow, through the panic she must have been feeling, through her strong survival instinct, my voice managed to reach her.
She froze with her back to us and I saw a large tremble move through her before she slowly turned towards me.
____________________________________
EIGHTY-EIGHT
Max’s hand was easing off the small of my back as my intention moved through our minds. Even before the blonde girl had fully turned towards me, my legs were quickly closing the distance between my friend and I.
The expression in her large green eyes was one of absolute fear, her nervous gaze flittering quickly over the observing group in front of her. Her chin was dropping slowly when shocked confusion replaced her terror as she became aware of the other people in the room, right as I reached her and wrapped my arms tightly around her body.
She remained stiff in my embrace as I squeezed my eyes tightly closed to prevent a cascade of tears. Instead I pressed my forehead against the top of her shoulder, letting the familiar smell of her envelop me.
Never before had I been so happy to see Maria.
”Liz?” she whispered, confused and detached, her arms never returning my hug, the stiffness of her body unyielding.
”It’s okay,” I mumbled against the heat of her skin. Michael had worked her into a fervor, her body burning up with fear and anger. ”You’re safe.”
There was so much to say, still no words. What could I say? What was I allowed to say?
My grip tightened desperately. I had missed her so much. I never realized how much I had missed her until right then, with the familiarity of her so close to me.
Even if she wasn’t acting at all like the Maria I know.
Why was she here? Why had Michael brought her here? No one seemed to have been in on Michael’s plan, otherwise they wouldn’t have been so taken off guard.
”What- Does- Did he capture you too?” Maria breathed and I felt her body wakening up in my arms, the momentary daze of her anger and need to flee starting to wear off.
I pulled back, letting her out of the confinement of my shaking arms, and couldn’t help the small smile from touching my lips when I met her eyes. ”No. We’re here of our-” I licked my lips slowly before giving her a half-truth to ease her feelings, ”-own free will.”
The real truth being that none of us wanted to be here. We were all here out of necessity. To hide. To survive.
Maria’s nervous gaze jumped back and forth between the odd assorted group of individuals in the room, only briefly touching on my face. I was trying to keep my expression neutral. Trying my best to make her feel unthreatened.
Mr. Evans’ evenly controlled voice made Maria jump, telling me how tightly wound she really was. ”Michael.”
I automatically wrapped my hand gently around the middle of her underarm, attempting to calm her jittery nerves. Also, unconsciously keeping her from running.
”Come with me,” Mr. Evans commanded.
I caught Michael’s eyes over Maria’s head as he uncertainly glanced at the back of Maria’s head, sweeping into the direction of the corner that lead to the front door, and back to me.
He was worried that she would leave.
Why - again - was he so intent on getting her here? On
keeping her here?
Take her to our room.
Max’s voice in my head startled me, my hand momentarily tightening in its grasp around Maria’s arm, directing her attention to my face. It was as if seeing Maria had transported me away from the alien world I had been consumed by these last couple of weeks. As if I was leading two separate lives. Two lives that didn’t mix.
There was the life working as a waitress at my father’s diner and getting A’s at school. The life where Maria was my best friend and we spent our free time gossiping (well, Maria gossiped and I listened), painting our nails and watching chick flicks.
Then there was the life containing my alien boyfriend, his alien father, my destiny that seemed connected to Antarians, my apparently human friend Alex being an empath and my memories having been distorted while growing up. Where my mother had been used and abused. Where my mother’s murder was covered up as an accident. Where my father had been part of some big rescue plan. Where I was facing war.
The sudden realization of the apparent division of my mind made the setting I was in right then seem utterly surreal. Where the mental voice of my boyfriend suddenly seemed ridiculous and where the only real thing in this room was the frightened girl standing in front of me.
Max kept his feelings to himself when he was - most likely - being bombarded with my confusing and conflicting emotions, playing tag with my jumbled thoughts, and continued,
Don’t tell her anything about us. I need to figure out what’s going on first.
The only sounds in the room were Maria’s harsh breathing and Michael’s shuffling steps as he slowly made his way over to Mr. Evans.
I looked away from Maria, feeling her burning eyes on the exposed side of my neck, and caught Max’s eyes.
Don’t make me do that. Don’t make me lie. I can’t do it any longer.
His understanding of my situation flooded me, weakening my knees and I swallowed to find the strength to keep standing.
I know, Lizzie. Just for a couple of minutes.
I closed my eyes for a second, snapping them open at the sound of Maria’s wavering voice, ”Liz. Why is Max here? Why are his parents here? Why are
you here?” She pulled her arm out of my grip as I slowly turned back around to face her. Her pupils were fully dilated in her widened eyes, her full lips - which for once lacked the glistening surface created with lip gloss - trembling, as she continued, ”What’s going on?”
I was searching for an answer, grasping for desperate straws as the forced need to lie to her was trampling my heart. I was trying to string a sentence together as Max rapidly told me,
You’re supposed to be on vacation with your father, visiting your aunt. Your father told school himself that you were not handling the death of your mother very well and that you needed to get away. That you both needed time to be with each other and grieve.
Silently, with my lips paused in the opening of a reply, I listened to his quick summary while I watched the sheen of moisture in Maria’s eyes grow fuller and deeper. I was expecting the moisture to tumble over the edge of her bottom eyelid as Max continued,
My dad got a promotion at a Chicago hospital and we all had to go with him. So we moved. Isabel, mom, dad and I. Alex is on one of his many trips - with his family.
”Liz?” Maria whispered.
That’s what Maria knows, Max finished.
I searched out my voice at the back of my very dry throat and croaked, ”Let’s go someplace where we can talk.”
Maria’s eyes skittered to the silent crowd watching us behind my back, and I could feel through the connection - from Max’s point of view - that she was pausing an extra beat on Max’s face.
It was probably a good thing that Alex had not joined us in the common room yet. Maria had experienced enough shocks as it was. Seeing two out of her two best friends in this odd company - especially when she had been told that every single person in that room was supposed to be somewhere else - might have just pushed her over the edge.
Instead, she let me gently take her hand and guide her towards the long corridor. I felt the weight of their eyes following us, and I was pretty sure that Maria was equally aware of it.
She must trust me implicitly, I realized. Otherwise she wouldn’t be following me like this. Straight into the lion’s den, for all she knew.
It made what I had to do - and what I had already done - so much harder. So much more weighed down by immobilizing guilt than if she had mistrusted me. I would have to - once more - abuse her trust in me and tell her more poisonous lies.
We’re gonna find a way around that, so you won’t have to anymore, Max whispered gently into my frazzled mind.
His words did little to comfort me though, as I gently led my best friend down the hallway and pushed the door to Max’s and my room open. I let go of her hand as we reached the center of the room. She remained where I left her, still as a statue, her back towards me as I hurried to close the door behind us.
The closing of the door was only announced by a soft click, but it was enough to awaken Maria.
She spun around, surprised me by grabbing a hold of both of my upper arms and giving my upper body a firm shake. Her eyes were large and shiny, infused with alert dread and sharpened with intelligence.
”We have to get out of here,” she hissed loudly, giving my body another shake, as if she was trying to physically shake the words into my body.
I struggled to remain calm as I told her to follow suit, ”Calm down, Ria.”
”Calm down?” she questioned with a loud whispered shrill. A tear spilled down her cheek as she repeated, ”Calm down?”
”Yes,” I breathed, grabbing her hands to remove her painful grip on my arms. ”We’re all-”
She shook her head forcefully and took a step back from me. Something that looked like betrayal was visible in how she was tightly pressing her lips together. ”Don’t feed me that crap again, Lizzie.” She swallowed, her eyes being skittish as they brushed over the closed door. The only entrance in - and most importantly -
out of the room. ”What the hell is going on here?! Why are you with-” her words cut off abruptly as she flung her arm harshly at the wall pointing towards the common room, several rooms down and hissed, ”-
Max Evans and his parents? His sister?”
Instead of answering, I briefly bit my lower lip, and asked, ”Did he hurt you?”, referring to her ’abductor’, a.k.a Michael Guerin.
Maria’s eyes darkened with anger. An emotion I was a lot more comfortable with than her teary emotional shatter. I could see small droplets of spit bounce off her furious lips as she seethed, ”Yes! That scum! That fucking lowlife!” I could tell that she was trying to reign herself in from how her whole body was tightening, but mostly from how she was clenching her fists by her sides.
I could almost see the smoke coming out of her ears.
”What gave him the right to touch me? To
kidnap me?!” Her anger brimmed over into tears as the first ones rolled down her cheeks. Her voice was mangled as she continued, her sobs leaking through her words. ”He knocked me out somehow! God knows what he did to me while I was-”
A vulnerable hitch that I had never heard in Maria’s confident repertoire before put a stop to her angry messy tirade and her arms wrapped tightly around her middle, her head dropping forward as she started sobbing.
”Ria,” I said slowly, regretfully. Her tears and her behavior was breaking me apart into small sharp pieces that were intent on swimming around my body, poking holes at every cell getting in their way.
Carefully, I stepped up to her and wrapped my arms around her tightly wound body. She softened at my touch, untangled herself and moved her arms from herself to me, tightening them around my waist as she buried her already wet face against my collarbone.
I tried to hush comfort against her ear. Tried to still her fears and calm her anger by gently stroking her hair. But even with every passing second, there was minimal softening of her body.
She was still in fight mode. Something told me that she was still determined to get us out of here.
And sure enough. After barely a minute, she pulled back, removed her arms and wiped both her tears and her sniffles away from her face with her trembling hand. Fiery, clear eyes stared into mine. It was a look of determination that only Maria could conjure up. ”Tell me what’s going on. Right now. Or I’m getting out of here.”
For an insecure second, I searched for Max in my mind, but he must have turned off. Either to give me privacy or to conceal the meeting they were obviously having right now. The meeting that would decide if I was allowed to ’keep’ Maria or not. If she were to have her mind erased (something I already knew I would fight against) or if she were to be let in on their complex secrets.
My mind worked quickly. If I was going to lie, I might as well give her a good one. And maybe that would save her from getting her mind erased.
I gestured towards the bed. ”Let’s sit down.”
She narrowed her eyes at me, a disapproving look melting into the one of determination. There was unquestionable reluctance in her agreement before we took our seats opposite one another on the bed, imitating each other when crossing our legs, resting our hands in our laps.
She pursed her lips in thoughtful criticism, angling her head to the side in silent invitation for me to speak.
”Right,” I mumbled, dropping my eyes away from hers and slowly wiped my damp palms along the top of my jeans. Taking a deep breath, I hesitantly met her eyes. ”There was a problem with Sean.”
Her forehead wrinkled, but she remained silent.
I fought to remain still. To not fidget under her stare. ”That day in the gym. He…he tried to force himself on me. Rape me.”
A flash of protectiveness and anger flashed through her eyes and her body trembled as she pressed her lips tightly together. I considered her reaction, expecting her to say something, but realizing quickly that she wouldn’t.
I was not used to this Maria. This stonewalled version that demanded answers without any jokes to lighten the situation.
”Max was there just before you came to find me. He left to get help.” I slowly licked my lips, firmly holding her gaze. ”He found
you. And the principal. Without Max…” I shook my head, dropping my eyes in thought. ”God knows what Sean would have done if Max hadn’t been there.”
”Why didn’t he stop him himself?” Maria asked tightly, causing me to slowly look up at her. ”He’s much bigger than Sean. I’m sure he’s stronger too? And unless Max wanted in on the action, I wouldn’t think that Sean actually would go ahead and rape you in front of Max. So why didn’t he just stick around? Why did he risk
leaving?” There was a look of ’Are you trying to take me for a fool?’ in her eyes as she huffed, ”Come on, Liz. Why would he need help from anyone?”
My brain was already hurting from trying to sort this out, to make up explanations as I went along. ”To have witnesses.”
Maria raised an eyebrow in disbelief. ”Witnesses?”
”Sean’s father is the Sergeant. Who would they have believed?”
She frowned. ”
You.” She grabbed my hands from my lap and squeezed them between her clammy ones. ”They would have believed
you. It would have been not only your word but also Max’s against Sean. There would be no question.”
I slowly shook my head. ”You don’t understand the power the Sergeant has-”
She abruptly let go off my hands, having them drop heavily onto my folded shins. ”Where are you going with this, Lizzie? So, he saves you from getting raped-” I tried not to react to her cold voice as she callously mentioned an attempted rape, knowing that she was upset right now and needing to get answers and information as soon as possible so she could get out of here, ”- and then what? How does that lead you here? With the rest of Roswell believing that you are with your dad at your aunt’s in Florida, and Max and his family have moved to Chicago.”
”As I said,” I did my best to keep my voice steady, ”Sean’s father is a powerful man. He didn’t exactly approve of what Max was accusing his son of, so he started threatening not only Max but also Max’s father. Threatening to dirty his reputation. To make sure that he couldn’t get a job anywhere. That he would forever be blacklisted.”
Maria slowly ran her tongue over her upper teeth, not looking the least convinced. ”All that only because Max accused Sean of
attempted rape?”
Please, Maria, I begged silently.
Work with me here. Don’t make me continue to lie to you.
At my non-reply, she leaned forward slightly, setting her eyes on me and demanded lowly, ”Are you and Max together?”
I was a bit taken back by her abrupt change of topic. So surprised that my response started with a trail of stutters before I answered, ”Yes.”
Maria nodded slowly, her mouth remaining tight and disapproving. Taking a deep breath, her eyes hardened, making her look like someone I didn’t know. Slowly, she stated, ”It. Doesn’t. Make. Any. Sense.”
”What doesn’t?” I whispered, wanting to cry.
I had missed Maria. So much. But I had ruined us. My lies and my secrets had ruined us. I could see it now. I could see it in Maria’s darkened eyes. I could hear it in the unwilling coldness of her voice.
Whatever happened after this, we would never be the same again. We would never again be Liz and Maria, two best friends, who laughed carelessly, goofed around and humorously made fun of each other. We would never gossip lightly about boys or break out into dance in the middle of the town square. We would never camp out in the desert on a whim or prank my dad at work.
We would never ever be
us again.
”All of it,” she answered simply, detached. Hurt flashed in her stony eyes before she said, ”I can tell that you’re lying, you know. You’re a very good liar, Lizzie, but we’ve been friends since our first spoken words. What makes you think you can fool me? I can see it in your eyes. And your cheeks get all red. Your hands are sweating - I felt it just now,” I swallowed back the hurt slowly. Was that the only reason she had taken my hands before? To estimate if I was sweating or not?
”I’ve known that you’ve been lying for a long time. Even before you and your dad picked up and left. Even before you left without even saying goodbye.”
She bit the last word out as if it would poison her if it was to remain on her lips for too long.
That’s when I realized where the betrayal originated from.
I hadn’t said goodbye.
My whole body was tense with the unfairness of it. Of me being unable to tell her the truth. Of me not being allowed to tell her that I had been unable to say goodbye because I had been held captive by aliens while being starved and abused.
I couldn’t tell her that I would
never voluntarily leave her without saying goodbye, because I was not permitted to tell her the real reason behind me leaving.
”Maria…” I whispered, wanting to tell her everything, but lacking permission.
Tears had started running down her cheeks as she met my pained eyes, but her voice remained unaffected. ”What, Liz? What?”
The irony was not lost on me; she was acting alien.
”I’ve missed you so much,” I whispered brokenly, biting into the inside of my bottom lip to prevent my own disintegration.
Emotion flashed over her face before she looked away. Towards the closed door. I could see the round shape of her tears as they slowly, singularly, rolled down the cheek that was facing me.
At her stoic behavior, I confessed softly, ”I can’t tell you why I didn’t say goodbye. Why I left so abruptly. It had to do with Sean and that whole thing I was trying to tell you about, but I’m not allowed to tell you much more than that.”
The corner of her mouth tightened in her profile as anger fell upon her again.
”I love you,” I said quietly, feeling exposed and vulnerable. I could almost see my bleeding heart pounding on the floor in front of her, completely exposed, expecting her to stomp angrily at it. ”I would never willingly leave without saying goodbye. Without giving you an explanation as to why.”
Maria turned her head in my direction, sadness in her eyes that infused me with hope. She was letting me see her. Just a glimpse, but it was still her. My best friend.
She opened her mouth to say something, my body already leaning forward to catch her every word, when Max opened the door.
His eyes immediately landed on me, scanning down my seated body, before he met Maria’s angry face. She hadn’t moved an inch. Not even at his sudden entrance.
Instead she was challenging him. To speak. To attack her. To…something.
Max quickly left her stubborn face and his eyes softened as they landed on my face again.
We have to move.
TBC...
I hope Nancy is okay!! I'm so worried right now! I can't believe their house is on fire!
I don't want him touching Liz!! 
