Roswell Fanatics

Title: Gift Wrapped
Author: Lys
Category: major M/L, other couples too and reference to UC.
Summery: Teflon Babee xo's Christmas Challenge on the Roswell Fanatics discussions board
Disclaimer: If it sounds familiar it isn't mine

Chapter 1
(Present day)

"Okay, so promise me you won't over react," Maria Deluca said as she hng up the phone. She turned to her best friend Liz Parker. Seeing the blank expression on Liz's face made Maria's stomach turn over.

"Is that even possible?" Lis shot back. She could tell that the news Maria had to tell wasn't good. Liz hafl expected something bad when the phone rang and her thoughts were only righted by the tone in her best friend's voice.

"The flowers frose on the way down here," Maria replied softly. "They are ruined," she added just as softly. For a second there was silence in the room before Liz jumped up throwing her hands in the air.

"Of course they are!" Her arms dropped to her sides and she would have sagged to the floor if not for the couch right behind her. She leaned over and rested her face in her hands about ready to burst into tears.

"Liz, sweetie, it's all right. We just have to make adjustments." Maria was kneeling in front of Liz trying to make her feel better.

Maria and Liz had been best friends since before they could remember. Liz's mom and Maria's mom had been best friends in high school. When they both found out they were pregnant at the same time they were over joyed. Nine months later Liz and Maria were born. They spent so much time at one another's that Liz's parents were Maria's second family and vice versa. Whenever anyone asked them how long they had been friends Maria would always say the same thing. 'Since sperm'. They were best friends, but because of how close they were they grew up as sisters. When highschool started all the people they had gone to school with over the years couldn't believe they were still best friends.

Over the years they had faced situations and with each event they had changed. Maria had developed into a strong, independent woman. She had a vibrant, bouncy and open personality that people always wanted to be around. She had come to be known as 'West Roswell High's school sweetheart'. No matter how popular she got though Maria remained unfazed and always included Liz in everything she did. Liz had become a polar opposite. Instead of embracing the center spotlight like Mara she shied away from it. She was so delicate and quiet. In her classes she never talked and everything thought she was very shy. That was why everyone was surprised they hung out so much.

"How?!" Liz cried out. "The wedding is in four days Maria! Besides, there aren't enough flowers in roswell for what we had originally planned. That was why they were coming down from New York in the first place!" She started crying and Maria was helpless. "Why does this always happen? NOthing good in my life can never happen, I'm always tainted with these horrible things."

"Oh, petunia," Maria cradled Liz's face in her hands. "You're not tainted. You need to calm down and take deep breaths. This wedding will kill you otherwise."

"No it won't." Liz stood up determinedly. "There isn't going to be a wedding!" She walked to her room and ignored all over Maria's protests. She shut her bedroom door and locked it. She heard Maria come up and start talking through the door.

"You can't be serious," Maria cried indignantly.

"Dead serious."

"But Max-"

"Won't care. He didn't even want me in the first place. He only came that night because he was under false pretences."

"If he didn't care he wouldn't have proposed."

"How do you know?" Liz threw open and stared at Maria with barely contained anger. "He has been pressured by everyone in his family to settle down for the last few years. He needed someone...'why not use brainy Liz Parker? She made no secret of her feelings in high school. Maybe I can get her to feel that way again so I can get my parents off my back'."

"Liz, he loves you! He told me so!"

"He's also loved every other girl he's been with. Do you know that we never even made love? We've been in each other's lives for fifteen months, engaged for almost twelve and we have never once made love. Everytime we get to that stage he pulls away from me as if I've burned him. Do you know when the last time was that he told me he loved me? He hasn't uttered those words since Valentine's Day."

"Then why did you agree to marry him?"

"Because I love him damnit! I have since I was a little girl. I thought that maybe I could change him, but I can't." Liz broke down in tears once again and Maria moved swiftly to hug her best friend.

An hour later the two were on Liz's bed. Maria was propped up against Liz's pillows while she stroked Liz's hair in her lap. All the while Liz was crying and thinking of everything in her life. She didn't know why everything went wrong, but it did. The most important moments in her life were ruined one way or another.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(The night of senior prom)

Liz stared at her reflection with obvious approval. She bit her bottom lip, a habbit she did when she was nervous. She wasn't a vain person, but she couldn't help but smile at the person she saw staring back her through the mirror. Her normally brown, mousy hair was up on her head with a few strands hanging down around her face. She wore light make up, much like she did at school. Only tonight she hadd mascara and lipstick. Her dress was black spaghetti strap with small, white beads making a desgn.

"Liz, the boys are-wow." Maria had walked in Liz's room to tell her that their dates had arrived, but she stopped when she saw how gorgeous her friend looked. "You are beautiful Liz, really."

"Thanks," Liz replied with a blush. She hated being the center of attention. "So, the boys are here?"

"They are waiting downstairs. I think your father is doing a pretty good job of intimidating them."

"How does Max look?"

"Perfectly handsome. If I wasn't so in love with Michael I might actuallt be jealous."

"I mean about me," she clarified as she looked away. Since her rise in popularity that year she had gotten to know Max Evans. It probably helped that Maria was dating Michael Guerin, Max's best friend. There were many times that Liz and Max had been thrown together and they had become friends because of it. She had gotten to know the real Max Evans, even though he was nothing like she thought. She was grateful for the opportunity because she had liked him since she was in third grade. In her mind, Max was a gentle and caring person. He would always put everyone else before him and stand in for what he believed in, even if it meant going against his friends. In reality, things were a little different. The only people he put before himself was his parents. He was All American and made sure that no one was better than him. He made sure he beat everyone in all the sports that he played, he studied real hard to keep up his grade average high. Because of his popularity, he always made sure to have a popular girl on his arm. Liz knew it was bad, but she believed in him. There were times when it was just the two of them (mostly when they had gone out with Maria and Michael) and she thought she could see the 'real' him. Liz wasn't stupid. She knew the way the social ranks went at school. Max had never been shy about his intimacy with any of his girlfriends. While Liz pinned away for him she imagined that she would be the one to set him free. Set him free of the lies he had surrounded himself with.

After breif greeting downstairs in Liz's house the four made their way to dinner at the Biscayne. It was a ritsy hotel located on the edge of town. It was very expensive but many celebrities had gone there when they just wanted to get away. At dinner the four laughed and talked. When Maria and MIchael had enetered their own world Liz and Max kept themselves occupied with light banter. When they were finished they walked upstairs to the ball room where their prom was being held.

At the dance Liz cherished the time she spent in Max's arms. Most of the songs were slow and as they danced she tried to get as close as possible with out giving anything away. Liz could smell his cologne and she was in heaven. The entire evening had been like a dream for her and she was not anxious to wake up anytime soon.

"I wanted to thank you for inviting me as your date," Liz said as she looked at him. She saw smile.

"No problem."

"Not that I'm complaining or anything, but why did you ask me? After your arguement with Serena you could have gone with anyone." Serena was Max's latest girlfriend. Two weeks ago they had gotten into an argument and hadn't spoken since.

"It was you. I wanted to go with a friend I wasn't attracted to." Liz felt as though she had been slapped in the face when he had said that. Max unaware of her feelings continued, "I really like Serena and I don't want to put myself in a position to be tempted. This thing with Serena will blow over and I gurantee that we will be back together by next Tuesday. If I had asked someone else I would have felt inclined to go out of my way for them. That's what I like about you. You don't expect anything of me and you have become a good friend these past few months."

Liz's smile was now forced as she talked. "So, you think you guys will be back together by Tuesday?"

"Of course, she can't go that long without me...if you know what I mean." He hadn't said anything bad, but the way he said it Liz knew exactly what he was talking about.

"Why Serena Harris? I mean she's always been nice to me," Liz started. "But she's so shallow and vain."

"It's only natural. Every cool guy needs a popular girl."

Later that evening Liz and Max had taken a break. He was talking to buddies that were on the football team and she was at the refreshment table. Troy Donnor, a guy in her science class came over and started talking. When he left Liz turned around to find Max and spotted him with Serena. Thyey were kissing and when he pulled away he was smiling. Her heart broke and she had to rapidly blink her eyes to keep the tears that she had built up at bay.

"Poor Liz," Pam Troy cooed unsympathetically when she walked over the girl. "See that," Pam said referring to Max and Serena. "You will never look so good. The only reason why Max even invited you here tonight was because he needed a relief date."

"You are a bitch," Liz groung out.

"It's true. Everyone knew it and was talking about it. I'm surprised you didn't hear. You may look pretty tonight, but it's only one night. The reason why he thought of you was because the only thing you are is a tag-a-long to Maria. No one actually likes you, they just tolerate you because of her. When you realize this and stop believing in these illusions your life will be so much simpler."

"Go away Pam. No one over here wants you," another voice ordered. Pam spun around and noticed Maria Deluca, Tess Harding and a tall blonde girl.

"You're only jealous because Max won't give you the time of day."

"Who the hell are you?"

"Isabel Evans."

"Who?"

"Max's sister. The one living with her grandparents. I just transferred here and will be graduating at this fine intsitution," she quipped sarcastically. "NOw scram before I tell everyone how lazy you are to even cover your roots." Pam ran off liek a dog with her tail in between her legs.

"LIz, I think you already know Tess," Maria introduced. Liz and the petite blonde smiled at one another. They hadn't really talked, but they had two clsses together. "And this is Isabel, Max's twin sister."

"I didn't know he was a twin."

"If he tells you people about me as much as he tells me about you then I'm not surprised." Isabel went on talking and Liz and Maria decided that she and Tess were their new favorite people. They both were open and funny and already Liz was feeling better.

"Hi Izzy, enjoying yourself?" Max asked as he approached.

"Yes I am, thank you very much. I was just telling Maria and Liz what it was like at my old school."

"That's nice. Um, Liz...can I speak to you for a moment?" He looked at the other three. "Alone?"

"Well, look at that...Kyle must be missing me," Tess excused and the other two made equally lame excuses before walking away.

"What's up Max?" LIz asked apprehensively. She already knew what it was, she had gotten the feeling when she saw him and Serena a few minutes ago.

"Um, well Serena's here. She showed up in hopes that I would be here. Anyway...we worked out our problem and I was wondering if I could..."

"Ditch me for her?" Liz summed up.

"Well...yeah, I mean no. I mean...prom only comes once and I like you Liz, you are my friend and I'm thankful for that but I want to spend it with someone I love." He exhaled a deep breath when he finished and looked at Liz.

"You unimagainable bastard! How dare you come to me and tell me this! You asked me here last week, meaning I am your date! I have listened to you insult me and treat me as if I'm some burden for you! And now you want to ditch me so you can dance to a few songs and then spend the rest of your night fucking Serena in a three hundred dollar hotel room. You know what? Fine! I've wasted enough of my time on you."

By the time that Liz had finished her tirade many couples had stopped what they were doing and given them their undivded attention. Maria, Isabel, Tess and Michael had walked over. They were all staring at Max with obvious distaste. Max was still staring dumbfounded at a pissed off Liz. He couldn't believe the way she had gone off on him. He would have tried talking to her, but seeing the dangerous way her eyes were glittering he decided against it. He turned around and started walking away. Maria and Michael followed him and Liz heard Maria yelling at him before she had taken off for the bathroom.

A few minutes later Liz was sitting in one of the bathroom stalls. She was sniffling and had a pile of toilet paper on her lap she had been using as tissue.

"Liz?" Tess asked unsurely. She didn't know if Liz wanted to be alone or not, but she wanted to make sure that she was okay. She and Liz had known each other since freshmen year. They had always had the same classes, but they never really talked. Liz had always been so quiet, but Tess knew that she was also really sweet and no one deserved to be dumped on prom. She heard sniffling and walked to the stall where it as coming from. "Do you want to talk?"

"No."

"Okay." Tess walked into another stall and sat down. They sat for a few minutes, neither saying a word and then it came.

"How could he do this to me?" Liz asked. "Everyone has mentioned how concieted he was and I always defended him. Always. Ever since I was nine years old I have been in love with him. He stepped off a yellow bus, he was new here and my eyes met his. That was the day I fell for him and I've been falling ever since. When he asked me to prom I was so happy. I knew it was just platonic, but I always dreamt of going with him. Tonight started off so great too."

"Max is an asshole."

"You'll hear no complaining from me." Tess smiled and stood up on her seat. She looked over the wall sperating her and Liz and looked down at the girl.

"It was pretty funny though...the way you lashed into him. His eyes were so wide. It was like he couldn't believe someone had actually said that to him." Liz looked up and they started giggling.

"I know, it would have been the perfect kodak moment...except for the hole crying thing."

"Except for that."

"God, this is so embarrassing."

"I don't really know you Liz, but I know that no one deserves to be treated the way that Max treated you. You are a kind and sweet person and if he can't see that then forget him."

"I know, I want to."

"Then do it. Forget about what he or anyone else thinks." Liz stood up and walked out of the stall. Tess was right behind her and they stood in front of the mirror. Liz was staring at her reflection and Tess was staring at her too. MAria and Isabel came in a second later.

"LIz, are you allright?" Maria asked as she rushed up to Liz.

"I'm fine."

"Max is such an asshole. I knew he was concieted, but not like this. Uh, no offense Isabel."

"None taken."

"It doesn't matter Maria. I am a nice person and I deserve someone better than that. If he can't see what he's missing out on then I feel sorry for him."

It was decided that Liz, Maria and Michae would go home. Liz wasn't much in the mood to dance and Maria was not about to let Liz go alone. What was a surprise was when Isabel and Tess offered to go with them. When they walked out of the bathroom Liz as looking more together.

"Before we tell our dates we're leaving we have to get pictures," Isabel brought up. "Tess and I will be right back."

"Oh, I forgot about pictures," Maria muttered.

"You should go find Michael and take them. Your night was perfect and you want to have a picture to remind you of it," Liz said understanding. "I'll be right here."

Liz stood off to the side as Isabel, Tess and Maria took pictures. She was a little sad she wouldn't get a picture, then again, why would she care about being able to have a keepsake of it. It completely sucked anyway. She noticed Maria whispering to Michael and a few seconds he came over.

"I know I'm not your date, but I was wondering if you wanted to take a picture with me?"

"MIchael, that would be extra money."

"And I have it."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive." She smiled at him and took the hand that he was holding out.

"I would love to." When they were finding a position Michael got her attention.

"Someday Liz, you are going to make someone the happiest man alive. Don't worry about being single cause when it happens to you, it's going to last forever." Liz's eyes watered as she heard him. They took their picture and then Liz looked at him.

"You don't know what it means to me to hear you ssay that. Maria is one lucky girl."

"I certainly think so. Let's get out of here and start a party of our own."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Present day)

"Liz! Come on! Open the door!" Maria called out as she knocked on Liz's bedroom door. "I know you don't mean it. You're just feeling the stress of the situation." Liz opened the door, her eyes were red and puffy and Maria silently cursed Max Evans like she had so many other times. "It's just a set back. We can find something to replace the flowers."

"No, a set back would be breaking a nail. This is a train wreck! It's a sign."

"A sign?"

"This is a mistake."

"What's a mistake?"

"This! The wedding! Me and Max."

"You are talking crazy."

"Am I? Ive been in love with him since we were little girls. When we used to imagine our weddings and wear white pillow cases over our heads as a vail I always had one groom. Max. He didn't even care about me until last year. I was twenty-four years old. Doesn't that say anything to you?"

"Yeah, that he's a man and they don't know what they want."

"It doesn't matter what you say Maria. I refuse to marry him."

After crying for a while Liz had fallen asleep or so Maria had thought. She left the room to get something and when she came back the door was locked. She had been trying to get through to Liz for the last twenty minutes when suddenly Liz spoke back. The tone hadn't made MAra feel better. Instead of angry she sounded weary and indifferent. Maria was fearing that Liz actually mean what she said.




Chapter 2

Two hours had passed since Liz had relocked herself in her room. Maria had tried talking through the door, but she fell upon def ears. Now, sitting in the living room Maria was trying to come up with a solution. She hated when Liz was upset, especially when she put herself up to get knocked down. There had been times over the years when Liz cried or was upset, but no one had ever effected Liz the way that Max did. Maria was coming up blank. She had just resolved to call Max when the front door opened and a laughing Isabel walked in with a giggling Tess. Their joyess faces turned to confusion as they spotted a frowning Maria.

"What happened?" Tess asked.

"The flourist called. All the flowers froze on the way down here. They are ruined."

"Oh," Tess said with a frown. "What did Liz say?"

"She went ballistic! Now, she's refusing to even marry the man."

"What?" Isabel shrieked.

"Over the flowers?" Tess added.

"She's talking crazy. I tried to talk her out of it, but I think I only did more harm than good. She thinks this is a sign."

"A sign for what?"

"That she and Max should't get married."

"This is not happening! She can't do that! Max will be heart broken. This past summer when she, Max and her parents went to visit the family Liz had come along. Everyone in the family knew that Max was engaged but they all fell in love with Liz the first day she was there. "We just...we have to fix this!" The three sat together trying to come uo with ways to make the situation better.

"I've got it! But we have to go now, but first we have to make a stop."

"What for?" Maria asked.

"Christmas lights." Tess was already out of her seat and by the door. "Chop, chop girls we have a wedding to save."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(In highschool-after prom)

"I so don't want to be here today," Liz thought out loud. Everywhere she looked people were starig at her, even freshmen that she had no idea existed. There was no doubt in her mind that everyone knew what had happened on prom night.

"Keep moving people, there's nothing to see here," Maria said to a group of giggling underslassmen.

"Oh, my god, that's the girl that Max dumped," Liz heard someone say. She looked at Maria and judging by the look on her friend's face she had also heard the comment as well.

"I'm going to be known as 'the girl that Max Evans dumped' for the last days of my high school career."

"It isn't that bad Liz," Maria tried to play down.

"It is the supreme most embarrassing moment of my life!"

"If it makes you feel any better, I just saw Max walking down the hall and he looked worse off than you," Tess told her as she joined them. "And I spoke to Isabel yesterday. Apparently Max is getting a lot of shit for ditching you."

That day at school the gossip was fierce and Liz parker was the topic. Pam Troy was the oxygen making sure it spread like wild fire. Pam was popular, but only because she was rich. No one really liked her, but because of the family money she accepted into the high ranks at school. Pam knew that and tried to knock everyone down around her. Liz, Maria, Isabel and Tess never said a word to anyone on the subject. At lunch Maria, Isabel and Tess spent every minute with Liz making sure she was all right and reminding her that what people said didn't matter. Liz was so over joyed to have someone with her that the three made plans to go shopping after school.

When the bell sounded to mark the end of the school day Liz didn't know if she had ever been so relieved. She walked to the quad to wait for the other three when Michael walked up to her.

"So, we're going to the mall. Are you coming?" Liz asked.

"Oh, I wish I could...but I don't really want to." Liz laughed at him.

"You're sure?"

"Positive. I wanted to see Maria, but I told my dad I would be home right after school. Tell her I'll call her later."

"Yeah, bye MIchael." She watched him walk away with a smile on her face. Earlier that day she had heard some of the guys talking about her saying she must have been a pathetic date for someone to ditch her. Michael had smashed the guy up against the lockers. Liz knew that MIchael hadn't seen her, but she was greatly appreciated all the same. She turned around to find her friends but froze when she saw Max walking over to her.

"How could you?" Max asked.

"Excuse me?"

"How could you? Do you know how embarrassed I was on Saterday night? My friends won't stop giving me beef because of you."

"If anyone is giving you beef it's because of you. What do you expect me to say Max? Do you want an apology? Because if that's why you came over here than you need to walk away right now."

"I thought you understood?"

"I did understand clearly, just like I understand that you are a dick. What did you want me to say Max? You were ditching me at my senior prom! I will forever look back on that night and will be dissapointed. I know we went as friends, but you don't ditch friends when some one, or I your case, some thing better comes along."

"We're done. Our friendship is over with. As of right now you are nothing to me." Liz watched him walk away. She waited until he was out of sight before she let the tears flow freely.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Present day)

"Oh Tess. It's beautiful," Maria said as she looked around the room. They were standing in the Biscane's ball room. It was the place the ceremony was going to be held. Since the wedding was being held in December they decided to hold the wedding and reception inside.

There were already seats set up. In the middle was was a pink carpet for Liz to walk down on. There were fake trees everywhere and instead of sticking white roses in them they decorated them with lights. The gazeebo that the couple was to be married under now had white lights decorating it.

"Liz will die when she sees this," Isabel said. "It may not have the same look that the flowers would have brought to it, but it is still romantic."

"Liz is lucky to have friends like us," Tess said to no one in particular.

"Did you ever think they would get married?" Isabel asked. "I mean after high school they went through times when they could have killed one another."

"I guess it just shows you that people can change."

"I'll say. If was still the same person he was back then he would have been single forever."

"Come on, we should go get Liz."

"Can I take the blind fold off now?" Liz asked as she let her friends guide her to their final destination.

"Not yet." Tess had a hold of Liz incase she lost her balance and fell. A few minutes later Tess untied the blind fold. Liz looked around the room, awe showed in her expression.

"It will be just like this with a few more string of lights. The light on the ceiling will be dimmed somewhat and there will be candles lit. It will be dark enough for the lights to shine brightly and light enough for everyone to see you well," Isabel explained.

"You guys are great...this looks beautiful." Liz turned around and did a closer examination. "I'm sure someone would really love it but I can't...the wedding won't happen."

"Liz," Tess said softly.

"I'm sorry you guys, but so much has already gone wrong." She turned around and fled out of the room without a glance backkwards. The three blondes stared at one another.

"What now?" Tess asked. Isabel and Maria looked at one another before turned to face Tess. Their minds were just as blank as hers.




Chapter 3

"Where is she?" Isabel asked as she, Tess and MAria searched the house. Tess was outside checking the pool and jacuzzi and Maria was upstairs. Isabel had checked everywhere downstairs and didn't find a thing. A moment later Tess appeared with a sad face and then Maria came down with a negative response.

"She's not in her room and it's a mess. I don't know what to do. Shen can't not marry Max."

"Relax guys, we'll find her. Maria, you check at the bar and grill and the club. Isabel you check with her friends. I will go to the park and the recreational area. We have a better chance of finding her when more ground is covered. We will meet back here in two hours," Tess said taking charge of the situation.

Almost an hour and a half later Isabel had checked with all Liz's friends. They hadn't seen nor heard from her. Now, she was standing on Robyn Herman's front door. Robyn HErman was a sweet old lady. Liz used to owrk for her and when Liz's mother died she had steped up as a surrogate mother.

"Isabel? Darling, what are you doing here?"

"I was wondering if you've seen Liz anywhere?"

"No I haven't. Is everything okay?"

Isabel paused in thinking of an answer. She could lie, but this was Mrs. Herman. She knew everything about Liz. Besides that, Mrs. Herman was older and she could have more advice.

"The flowers froze on the way down here."

"Oh dear."

"She's missing. She thinks that the flowers are a sign that she shouldn't marry Max. Maria, Tess and I are trying to find her but so far nothing." Mrs. Herman pulled Isabel inside and waited for her tirade to end.

"Darling, when I was younger I was much in the same situation. Tom and I had been in school together for years. I remember he was real popular with the ladies. We ended up getting engaged and I was so sure that he didn't want me. On the day of our wedding I didn't arrive at the alter. An hour later he found me sitting in out special spot. She calmed all my fears and we were married that day."

"You're saying...what, what are you saying?"

"You, Tess and Maria can look until you are blue in the face, but chances are you won't find her. She's probably some place special for her and Max. She might have gone there subconsciously, but it seems to me that there are some unresolved issues and my guess is that there is nothing you or your friends can do. Max will be the only one find her and held her out."

"I don't want to burden him, he has so much going on already. Becuase he and Liz are leaving for a seven day honeymoon he is at work trying to get as much done as he can."

"Isabel, it isn't your place to play god. LIz is a good girl with a steady head on her shoulders. Something deeper than flowers has to be bugging her. She thinks it's a sign that they shouldn't be married, have you ever thought of why she thinks it's a sign?"

"In high school she as in love with him, but he never noticed her," she thought out loud. "But it's not like that anymore, he loves her so much and they were happy."

"Obviously not dear. See, you have no idea how she's feeling and that's probably why she's hiding. What's the point of talking to someone who doesn't understand? You need to get Max, he is the only person that can help her out now."

Maria had already checked the bar and grill that she, Liz, Isabel and Tess went to every Friday night. While she was there she knocked back a shot of vodka and waited for a while. After hald an hour she walked along the streets to Dreamer Haven.

Dreamer Haven was the club that Liz owned. She had bought a run down building two years earlier and fixed it up. It had become the most popular place since opening. Michael worked as head bartender. As she approached she walked to the front of the line ignoring all the rude comments people made to her.

"Hi Mark, I need to get in," Maria said as she got to the bouncer. Mark Dennison hugged her.

"What are you doing here? In thought that with the wedding you guys would be planning out last minute details?"

"LIz is missing. I was just wondering if she was inside."

"Is everything allright?"

"Yeah, it's just last minute jitters," Maria said as the first thing popped in her head. "Can I get in to find her?"

"Sure. I hope everything is fine. I already rented my tux." Maria gave a small smile at his lame attempt to joke.

"Is MIchael working tonight?"

"Yeah, he's in there now."

"Great, thanks Mark."

When Liz had opened the club she had every position filled except the bouncer. IN college she and Mark dated for eight months before they called it quits, but after everything they shared they became good friends. Mark acted like an over protective brother for the four girls. Liz was still searching for a bouncer when she thought of him. His father had just been shot and would be out of work for a while until he recovered. Liz hired him on the spot to help his family out.

When Maria walked inside the place was smoky and loud. Bodies were gyrating on the dance floor and it took her a while just to get to the bar. ONce there she waited patiently for Michael to notice her.

"WHat are you doing here?"

"Trying to find Liz."

"Why would you be trying to find Liz?" Michael asked.

"She's missing. She ran off earlier and I have no idea where she's gone."

"Why did she run off?"

"Something went wrong. Michael, she's refusing to even marry Max."

"What? Does he know this?"

"No, we are trying to find her before telling him. We're hoping to talk her out of it."

"Max deserves to know."

"No, he's the one that made her feel this way."

"He is her fiance."

"Michael-"

"No! Either you call him or I will."

"Give me another hour and then you cna call him."

"Fine, one hour." Maria started walking away. "You better hope you find her, because if Max finds out she's been missing this long and he wasn't informed he's going to be pissed."

Tess had been at the house for ten minutes. She had checked everywhere in the park and the surrounding area, but nothing was found. She hoped that Isabel and Maria had better luck, but she bet that they also would come home empty handed.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(A year earlier)

It was Saturday night. Maria, Isabel and Tess had decided to stay home and relax instead of going out. Liz had been forced to go on another blind date, this one set up by Tess. Isabel, Tess and Maria were laying in the jacuzzi behind Maria and Liz's house relaxing and waited for Liz to return home with gory details of the evening.

"Max is coming home."

"Wow, really?" Tess asked.

"I know," Maria agreed. It had been a long time since Isabel mentioned him. "When was the last time he came home?"

"He hasn't." Isabel's answer was short and sweet. Judging by her tone they could tell she was none too pleased.

"Really? I just thought you never talked about him because we didn't like him."

"That too, but then there's also that fact that I have never had a conversation longer than three minutes with him since he left for college."

"I take it you aren't happy."

"What makes you say that?"

"Maybe it has something to do with the snotty tone in your voice," Maria offered with a smile.

"Is it really that obvious?" Isabel asked completely confused. Tess and Maria laughed and a moment later Isabel joined in. "I just...he just graduated from law school and he asked daddy if he could join the firm here. My parents didn't even comsider that he's only called once a week to let them know he was alive. He never even came down for the holidays. They went up to see him. I just, it makes me mad."

"So, he's still the same old Max?"

"No, he seems quite different."

"So, law school huh? What else has been going on in his life?"

"Well, in college he started having an affair with a married woman. HE found out after they first time together and ended it and then she asked him to carry on the affair."

"And he agreed to it!?"

"Afraid so. It last for three weeks before he stopped it completely. He met her husband on the street and since then I don't think he's been with anyone. He started concentrating on work."

"When does he get here?"

"Next week. I kind of was forced to invie him on Friday night."

"Well, we can set it up as a blind date," Maria offered.

"No more blind dates," Liz ordered. The three looked up to find Liz stepping into the jacuzzi. "Where did you find that man Tess?"

"I work with him, why? What happened?"

"So, after we are seated Mark comes in with a date and they are shown to the table right next to us. The four of us move our tables together and start talking. Or, mind you Mark and I talked while the other two flirted."

"I'm sorry."

"I was kind of relieved. I had never met someone so into him self. 'Do you like my mustache? I'm thinking of growing a goatee. Girls usually think it's sexy'." Liz said mocking him. "Mark's date seemed pretty entertained. Mark and I were talking when Stever asked Nina if she wanted to see the lobster tank."

"Oh, they didn't!" Isabel said with a smile on her face. LIz smiled at Isabel and started laughing.

"What? Share with the class here honey," Maria said as she watched the two smile. "What happened?"

"Mark and I watched them walk away and he asked me if they were coming back since they grabbed all their things. I turned to the witer and asked him where the lobster tank was he told me there wasn't one!" Liz started laughing hard and the other's joined.

"I'm sorry Liz, I thought you would like him."

"I think I've just about had it with blind dates."

"How about just one more?"

"No."

"Next Friday. We were going to invite the guys along next Friday. You can't be alone again Liz."

"I wouldn't be if you didn't invite your boyfriends on our girl's night out."

"LIz, please."

"Maria, don't give me that look." A second later Maria's bottom lip quivered and she started pouting. Maria could see Liz caving in so she gave extra drooping eyes to seal the deal.

"Pweety pwease Wiz, pwease."

"You are a bitch. Fine! The last one."

"Ya!" Maria said with a smile.

The following Friday Maria and Michael were waiting downstairs for Liz. When she emerged from the stairs Liz was wearing baggy jeans and a lose shirt. Her hair was tossed up haphazzardly and she had little or no make up on.

"Are you trying to make yourself look as unattractive as possible?" Maria asked. "I thought the grunge look went out when we were in high school?"

"Maria," Liz warned.

"No, you march back upstairs missy!" Michael watched as the two battled with their eyes. Maria won when Liz huffed and turned back to her room. Maria leaned over and kissed him. "I'll be right back honey."

In Liz's room Maria dressed Liz in her cranberry colored dress and did her make up and hair. When she finished Liz looked presentable enough to take out.

"I will forgive you if you say 'thank you Maria'."

"Thank you Maria," Liz said with sarcasm.

"You will be on your behavior tonight. This is the last time I set you up. Any of us set you up. I promise."

"Can we just go?"

In the car Liz sat in the back seat while Maria and Michael argued playfully. She was so jealous of their relationship. Maria and Michael had been together since high school and though they always argued there were times when they thought no one was looking and they were sweet and caring towards one another. Liz had always wanted a relationship like that.

Her junior year of college she met Mark in one of her classes and they started dating. After five months they were inseperable. He had been her first everything and she finally had something close to what Michael and Maria had. Three months later Liz ended it when things started changing. Mark had pulled away from her and she was still dealing with her mother's death.

She opted to stay single the rest of college. When she worked out her problems over her mother's death she felt bad for pushing Mark away and not trying harder, but she realized that what they had wasn't real love and she went off in search for it. After ten horrible dates with people she stopped dating for a few months. Then, Maria got involved. She started Liz up with friends or from co-workers. Isabel and Tess took Maria's example and started setting her up as well.

Liz had met two nice and most importantly, normal people through all her dates. Alex Whitman and Kyle Valenti. Alex was a computer whiz and was trying to get money to start his own company. He also played in a band when he was in high school and still played his guitar when he had the chance. Kyle had played football in high school. He was popular through high school and college and was still playing. He was one league below the NFL and because he was such a good player he was expecting to get signed within the following months.

Even if they had been nice, Liz still didn't feel a pull toawards them. Eventually Alex confessed he had a crush on Isabel and Liz set them up. When Liz was dating Kyle Tess went to Liz and told her that she liked Kyle so Liz hooked them up as well.

Liz had never been jealous that Tess and Isabel started seeing them. Alex made Isabel laugh the way no one else had done and Kyle and Tess hit if off quite well. She was happy that her friends had someone special in their lives, but that still left her alone. She had resumed the blind dates. Everyone was setting her up, the only person who hadn't was Michael. It wasn;t that Liz wasn't thankful that everyone was thinking about her, but she hated wasting her time with brainless mornons that she had little in common with.

When they arrived at the bar and grill they went straight to their regular table and spotted Tess, Kyle and Alex. They all exchanged hellos and then sat down. Michael asked where Isabel was and the others exchanged looks.

"She and Max will be a little late," Alex replied. He shot a nervous glance at Liz and saw that she had stiffened up. He and Kyle had not known Max in high school, but they had heard all about him.

"Max?" Liz asked. She looked at her friends. "You knew Max was going to be here! He's home?"

"He's going to be working at his father's law firm."

"He's the one you want to set me up with? After everything that happened?"

"LIz, he's changed. And it's not an...actual date. We just wanted the numbers to be even."

"Oh, well thank you for thinking of me."

"Just give him a chance, be friends at least."

"Fine. Six years is a long time, people can change. I will give him the benefit of the doubt."

LIz may have seemed mad on the outside, and she partly was. She was angry that her friends had hid the latest arrival in town from her, but she was eager to see him. He did hurt her in high school and as much as she tried to get over it she still had feelings for him. She never shared them with anyone, but deeo down they were there. Just the thought of him made her nervous and she had to close her eyes and collect herself.

"Hi Alex," Isabel said as she walked over. She kissed him swiftly and turned to her brother. Everyone, this is Max. Max, this is my boyfriend Alex. You know, Michael, Maria, Tess. This is Kyle Kyle, Tess' boyfriend and of course you know Liz." Max had gone around shaking hands with the guys and smiling at the girls. Liz opened her eyes and looked at Max.

He was still as handsome as ever. He had bangs coverind his forhead (Think of Max in the beginning of season 2). He was a little bit taller and he seemed to have grown a little more muscle than he had in high school. He was wearing dark jeans and white button up shirt. Liz silently thanked Maria for making her change. Liz looked up into Max's eyes and saw them twinkling.

"Liz, wow. You look different than you did in highschool. You're beautiful."

"You're not," she said without thinking. She him laugh and she inwardly kicked herself. "What I meant was you look just as good now as you did then." She held out her hand and he took it. The moment they touched an unfamiliar spark traveled in Liz's body. She had never felt it before and she looked at him. She could tell by the expression on his face that he seemed to have felt the same thing.

"Shall we order?" Maria asked breaking their trance. Liz pulled her hand out of his and sat down.

"Great, I'm starving." She grabbed her glass of wine and gulped it down not noticing the looks that she was recieving.

All through dinner the Max talked about his college days and what it had been like. He talked about law school and while Liz listened she couldn't help but notice the changes. His arrogance was gone and he actually seemed to be showing his real self. If Liz wasn't careful she knew she would fall again. When he finished talking about himself the table talked about general things and when they finished eating it was decided that they would go to Liz's club.

"You own a club?" Max asked.

"Yeah, it opened last year."

"I remember in high school you were so into science. Whatever happened to that?"

"I decided to leave it in high school. Besides, I love owning my own club. It's kind of like I'm a celebrity," she joked. Max laughed with her and they left to Dreamer Haven.

Inside it was hopping. Maria immediately pulled Michael on the dance floor. HE wasn't much of a dancer. He mostly just stood there while she danced on him. Kyle and Tess were the next ones to get out there. Isabel, Alex, Liz and Max stayed at the VIP table and talked for a while. When Alex left to get drinks and Isabel went to the bathroom Max took the opportunity to talk to Liz about something important.

"I've wanted to say this all night, but I wanted to wait until we were alone." Liz looked over at him. Their eyes were locked and Liz's mind started wandering. "I just wanted to apologize to you."

"For what?" She asked playing dumb."

"You know what for. I was a kid and I thought sex was the most important thing. I never cared about anyone else and I was wrong to trat you the way I did on prom." Liz didn't say anything, she didn't know what to say. "You were right."

"I was? About what?"

"About how whenever you look back on that night you always think of me ditching you. I was a complete jerk and if I could I would make it up to you. I know it was a really long time ago and there is no way to make it up, but I'm sorry all the same. I can't imagaine how hurt you were, but I'm hoping that you can see through all that and give me another chance to be your friend."

"Why should I?"

"Because I made a mistake when I was eighteen. College really made me grow up. I had to start all over again and I saw how it was for other people from high school. I had no reason to treat you the way I did. I guess what I'm saying is I'm not the same person I was back then." When he stopped he stared at Liz, in hopes of sizing her up. He saw her frown and then stand up.

"We'll see," she said simply.

"Does that mean you forgive me?"

"No." She called over her shoulder.

"Does that mean you don't forgive me?"

"No."

Max watched her walk away with a smile on his face. Earlier that night when Isabel told him who they were going out with Max tried to back out of it. He didn't want to face Liz after the parting they had last time, but Isabel threatened him. When they arrived to dinner everything was better than he thought it would be. No one talked about high school and Liz was beautiful. He looked her many times throughout their meal and tried to come up with an apology.

She was so beautiful. She looked so much like she had in high school, only now she was more mature. BAck in high school he never noticed her because he was too blind by the illusion of popularity. She had been cival to him and he knew that eventually she would forgive him. He wanted to get to know her better and he was going to make it a point to.



Chapter 4
(Present day)

"I told Michael about Liz," Maria confessed the second she walked through the front door. Isabel shot up out of her seat in an alarmed manner and Tess covered her face with her hands in defeat.

"What? Maria how could you?" Isabel asked with her voice raised. It wasn't in anger, just anxiety.

"I had to," Maria protested. "I mean he was looking at me like I was...guilty," she had to grasp for the last word. When she saw the anger started to come off Isabel she slouched down. "Or something," she added under her breath.

"That was just your imagination!" Isabel exclaimed. "How could you tell him? You do realize he's going to talk to Max don't you?"

"He won't."

"I highly doubt that."

"He gave me an hour. Either we tell Max or Michael does."

"This is great, just fucking fabulous!"

"Why don't you want Max to know about Liz?" Maria asked accusingly. When Isabel didn't look up from the floor Maria's eyebrows raised. "You think he's going to call off the wedding!"

"No, that's not it," Isabel replied hastily. "He's just thinking."

"Thinking? Like the same way Liz is thinking? What? He thinks this is a mistake too?"

"No! He just wants to make sure they are doing the right thing. He doesn't want to marry her and end up divorced five years down the road."

"That's bullshit! He's scared."

"Why would my brother be scared?"

"Because he's Maxwell fucking Evans. He's only in it for the chase. When he gets it he plays with her for a while and then he's off to find someone else."

"MAx hasn't done that in years!" Isabel defended. "Besides, he loves Liz."

"Obviously she doesn't think so. Your brother must have done something wrong."

"So they have problems and you automatically assume it's my brother's fault. What about your best friend? This could all be about something she's done or hasn't done. Have you ever stopped to think of that?"

"Stop it both of you!" Tess cried out as she stepped in between them.

"She started it," Maria grumbled.

"Oh that's mature," Isabel commented with a frosty attitude.

"Mi mi mi mi mi mi mi," Maria mocked with a sour expression on her face.

"Why you-"

"Shut up both of you! You should be ashamed of yourselves. Isabel, Liz has been a friend of our for years and you say this like you have a problem with her or something." Tess took a breath and looked at Maria who was smiling triumphantly at Isabel for being reprimanded. "And you are just as bad. Who comforted you when Michael was in that motorcucle accident? Max. He and Liz stayed by your side day in and day out. We are supposed to be best friends and everything has gone to hell. We have a bride MIA and a groom expecting to see her. I can't do this on my own, so you two better put this petty argument aside, we have a job to do."

Neither Isabel nor Maria spoke another word. It wasn't very often that Tess lost her temper and started acting. In fact, she was the most level headed of them all. There was rarely anything for her to scream about, but when she did it was bad. It was so scary that her own boyfriend even hid from her when she was in a sour mood. Isabel and Maria resigned that Tess was right and that they put their differences aside. Tess took a deep breath ti calm down and turned to Maria.

"Did you talk to anyone? Have they seen or heard from her?"

"No."

"Isabel?"

"Same here. I did speak to Robyn though. I told her what was going on and she gave me some advice."

"And what was that?"

"That we should tell Max. She said that he would probably have the best chance of finding her."

"Then we have to call him," she said sternly as she reached for the phone.

"We can't."

Not this again!" Maria exclaimed as she turned to Isabel.

"No, he's not home."

"Well, where is he?" Tess asked.

"Out of town," she answered unsurely.

"Is that a question?" Maria asked.

"I beg your pardon?" Tess wondered out loud the same time that Maria spoke.

"He left town to think."

"How come I didn't know this? I'm like Liz's sister." Maria spoke, confused and hurt that Liz hadn't mentioned anything.

"Liz didn't want him to leave and they got into a fight about it. She was really upset."

"Of course she would be," Maria returned.

"When is he going to be home Isabel?"

"By the wedding." Her answer was so low that Maria and Tess strained to hear it.

"Oh, that's reassuring," Maria commented sarcastically. Isabel tossed her a dirty look, but Maria paid no mind. It wasn't until she saw Tess' stern gaze directed at her that she uttered an apology.

"I tried calling Max's cell when I was out, but he didn't answer."

"So where does this leave us?" Maria asked.

"SOL," Tess answered.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(a year yealier)

It had been three weeks since Max's return to Roswell. He had established a residency and started working at his father's firm. He knew that a lot of the people at the firm were saying the only reason he got the job was because of the fact that his father was a partner and MAx wanted to prove them wrong. His first week there he assited on as many cases as possible and tried to show them that he had been hired for his hard work.

He was sitting at his desk doing papaerwork, but his mind kept trailing away from his job. He still hadn't unpacked in his house yet because he had been so busy trying to prove the people around him that they were wrong. He was working such long hours that when he went home the only thing he did was soak in a bath before heading to bed. There was a knock on the door and he looked up as the person entered.

"Liz, what a surprise. What are you doing here?" She held up the bag she was holding. "Ah. I see you still work at the Crashdown. I guess it's safe to assume that your parents still own it?"

Liz walked over to his desk and sat the bad on top of it before she took a seat across from him. "Actually I own it now."

"So, you run a restaurant by day and a club by night. You must be really swamped."

"Maria co-owns the Crashdown too. My mother died a few years back."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that."

"It's okay. It was hard at first, but I'm okay now. After she died my dad left Roswell. I guess there were too many memories or something. Before he left he signed over all rights to me. He didn't want to have anything to do with that was associated to mom. Maria mentioned that you had been working so many hours and suggested I bring you some some food."

"It was a nice gesture, I'm starving." He pulled out a Will Smith burger, space fries and an alien green lime pie. "Want some?"

"Are you kidding? I've lived over the Crashdown for as long as I could remember I hate that food, but you right ahead and eat all you want." She saw him bend over to the side and open a small refrigerator.

"Are you thirsty? I have water, cherry coke and sprite."

"Water's fine." He gave her a water and pulled a cherry coke out for himself. "Thanks, so how are you liking being home?"

"It's weird. Nothing has changed since I left."

"I know, small towns do that you know. Have you run into any of your friends since high school?"

"I wouldn't care to call them that, but yes. I had a drink with Pauly and Tommy the other night. I can't believe Pauly's got a kid. It's odd to see him so grown up."

"Yeah and Tommy is engaged to Serena."

"I know, he told me. I can't believe that these are the same people I started school with? I mean I used to know Pauly when he was still eating his bugars and now he's trying to keep his daughter from doing the same thing." Liz laughed and Max's heart warmed at the sound.

"How's your house? Isbel mentioned it being pretty close to your parent's?"

"It's good. I just have no time to un pack. The only thing I have out are my clothes, everything else is in a box somewhere."

"Did you need some help unpacking?"

"No, I'll get around to it eventually."

"Come on, it would be fun. We can all come over and make a pizza party out of it as long as you provide for it."

"I couldn't. Besides, I was planning on working late."

"Haven't you spent enough time in this office already? Live a little, besides you've barely had chance to get to know your sister's potential husband."

"No, I couldn't.

That night when Max's doorbell rang at six o'clock he answered it to find Liz, Maria, Isabel, Alex, Michael, Kyle and Tess on the other side. They walked in and small talk was made until pizza got there. During dinner the eight sat around talking laughing like they were old friends. All the past mistakes seemed to have left their minds and Max was silently was induced into the group.

"You know, when I suggested that we come over and help Max I meant all of us," Liz said as she walked into the living room. Max, Alex, Michael and Kyle were sitting in front of the tv while the girls were upstairs cleaning and setting the rooms up.

"Can't, important hockey game on," Michael answered, never taking his eyes from the tv. Liz saw how transfixed the guys were and she walked closer to the television's screen.

"Yeah, I can see how important this game would be in...1979," she shot back sarcastically.

"It was," Alex argued.

"Yeah Liz," Kyle agreed. "We won a gold medal that year in the Olympics because of this game."

"You guys are hopeless." She walked back upstairs and went into Max's room. She flipped on his stereo and put a cd in. A second later the Temptations sounded through the speakers and the girls started singing and dancing along with it.

"So, what do you guys think about Max?"

"He's a lot nicer now."

"Definately."

"Liz? What about you? What do you think?" Isabel centered when the brunette didn't say anything.

"Tess is right. He's really nice."

"Really nice? You spent some time with him this afternoon, what was he like?"

"JUst like he is right now. We had a pleasant conversation." She got back to work and it was then that Maria singled her out.

"You like him don't you?" Maria asked.

"What? Maria, no!"

"Is that a blush on your cheeks?" Maria asked. She took a closer look and got excited. "It is! You like him!"

"Fine, maybe."

"Maybe?" Maria asked.

"What do you want me to say? He's still so handsome, but he's so different from how he was in high school. He's really nice and...I don't know. Does this make me a bad person?"

"How would this make you a bad person?" Isabel asked.

"Because of how treated me in high school."

"Liz, I won't deny that what my brother did was wrong," Isabel started. "But he's not like that anymore. I have never seen him more sincere in all my life and I think it would be great if something happened between you two."

"I don't...I don't think he would ever feel the same."

"You never know."

A week later Liz was at the Crashdown when a delivery guy arrived. She was more than a little surprised when the package was for her. After signing she opened the large white box and gasped at what she saw.

When she pulled the top layer of tissue paper apart she pulled the item out and held it up to her. It was a light pink gown. The top was made like a tank top and there were small beads going up the front. The skirt part didn't have the beads and went out a little. It was very beautiful and she looked in the box and spotted a small card.

Liz,
Be ready tonight at seven o'clock for a night you will never forget.
-M

Liz read the card a few more times with a smile on her face. She couldn't believe Max had done something so sweet. Over the past few weeks she and Max had been spending more time together. She and Maria had invited both Max and Michael over for dinner and when Maria and Michael went to her room for a little one on one Max and Liz settled down on the couch for a movie. At two in he morning Liz woke up and found herself asleep cuddled next to Max. She watched him sleep for a while before waking him up so he could go home. The next afternoon he surprised her by taking her out to lunch.

The following night the eight of them had gone out to dinner and played pool afterwards. When Max confessed that he hadn't ever learned how to play Liz taught him. Liz and Max had seemed to develop a close friendship and partnered up on their own. She found herself having a great time and couldn't remember the last time she had laughed so much.

That night Liz was ready by 6:40. She was in the gown that Max had gotten her and her brown hair was up in an elegant bun. She was wearing a tiara that Maria had bought for one of her dates with Michael. When Liz looked in her mirror she couldn't help the thought that she looked like a princess. When she got downstairs fifteen minutes later she found Maria, Tess and Isabel downstairs.

"Oh Liz, you look beautiful," Tess told her.

"Wow, you are a dream Lizzie," Maria said as she pulled Liz in for a hug.

"My brother will die when he see's you. I hope you like the dress. I wasn't sure what you wanted so we had maria pick it out."

"It's gorgeous, I love it. When did he have time to plan this?"

"He really didn't. I took care of most of it," Isabel stated matter-of-factly. She smiled at the shorter girl.

"So, if you all know about this you can tell me where we are going."

"And ruin the surprise! No way. All we will say is this will be the best night of your life."

At seven o'clock exactly there was a knock on the door. Tess went to answer it as Maria and Isabel sttod right next to each other as Liz stood behind them. She started fidgeting in a nervous manner.

"Relax Liz, Max will love it," Isabel instructed.

"I hope so."

"Hi Tess. Is Liz ready yet?"

"Yeah, come on in." Max walked in and spotted his sister and Maria standing together. He smiled at them and when they moved his mouth went dry. Liz looked unlike anything he could ever imagine. Beautiful, gorgoeous, enchanting...none of them seemed to do her justice.

"You look enchanting," he told her as he stared into her eyes. "Here, this is for you." He pulled a white rose from behind his back and handed it to her. "Are you ready?" He held out his arm and she locked her's through his and they made their way outside. She stopped when she saw a limosuine.

"What's this?"

"Never you mind. I have dinner reservations for seven and I want everything to be perfect so let's go," he said trying to keep her from thinking of everything. He wanted to give her the best surprise she had ever had.

The limo pulled up to the Biscayne and Liz gave Max a heavenly smile. He bluched a little at the look on her face and smiled sheepishly.

"Ready?"

"I think so."

They went to the same restaurant that they had eaten in back in high school. They were seated immeadiately. Max pushed in her chair and then sat himself down. Liz looked down at the table and noticed a cardboard folded so the sides were up. On the side it said 'Welcome to Moonlight. Senior prom in 2002'. Tears gathered in her eyes as she looked at it. She brought a shaky hand to her mouth.

"Oh Max. This is...you did this for me?"

"For both of us actually. Senior prom was a horrible night for the both of us and when we look back years from now I want it to be followed up by tonight."

"This is the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me."

After ordering they made small talk and when their dinner arrived no words were really spoken. Liz kept glancing at him under her thick eyelashes and when he would catch her looking she would blush and look away. She had no idea what to say about tonight. Every word she came up with seemed so inadequite (sp?).

"This was wonderful Max."

"I'm glad you are enjoying it." He saw her look out to the dance floor and he held his hand out. "Would you like to dance?"

"I'd love to."

ON the dance floor Max held her close to him. ONe hand hld her back securely to him. His other hand held her softly as his thumb brushed her skin gently. He couldn't ever remember having this feeling before and it excited him. She was so beautiful and he vowed that he would never hurt her again. They locked eyes with one another and slowly their heads started tilting toward one another. The spell was broken by an intruding voice.

"Max Evans, is that you?" Max looked away from Liz with a frown and saw Serena standing there. "It is, I thought it was."

"Serena," he said evenly.

"You look really great Max," Serena purred. She flashed him a seductive smile. He smiled back uneasliy.

"You too."

"Oh, hi Liz. I didn't see you there."

"Of course you didn't."

"Max, I was wondering if you wanted to dance. Maybe we can catch up on old times."

"I'm on a date as you can see," he said pointedly. "Maybe another time." He noticed her smile falter and he looked to Liz.

"Um, okay I guess. I'll see you later then." She was not used to guys turning her around.

"Max turned back to Liz and gave her a small smile. He apologized for the interuption. She smiled shyly and looked away. After that things were a little awkward between them. Max knew they were so close to kissing and silently cursed Serena.

After dancing Max led her up to the roof of the building and guided her to a telescope. She looked at him questioningly and he smiled.

"There's supposed to a meteor shower and I thought you would like to see it." She smiled at him and for the next hour they took turns looking at the starlit sky.

"Do you think that if I made a wish it would come true?"

"I don't know, why don't you try it and see." He saw her close

To me it looks like the rest got cut off because it was too long for a single post. A few more parts are in the archive http://www.roswellfanatics.net/archive/ ... 01832.html but i couldn't find the rest on the board anywhere.

sorry guys! It's gonna be fixed!

Chapter 4
(Present day)

"Maria!" Max called through the front door of the house that she and Liz shared. "Maria open the damn door!" He started pounding on it in hopes of getting her to answer the door quicker.

Maria opened the door and let out a deep breath. She, Tess and Isabel had been in the kitchen trying to figure out where Liz had gone when they heard him through the door. Each of them jumped as they heard his angry voice penetrating through the hard wood. They all gathered themselves for the hurricane they knew MAx would make.

"Well, hello to you too Max," Maria but out sarcastically. Max pushed through the small opening not even bothering to wait for her to invite him in. "Come in."

"Where is she?"

"Not here. We don't know," Tess replied as she and Isabel walked into the room.

"Max," Isabel said as she walked over and hugged him. She pulled away wounded when he didn't return the hug. "What's wrong?"

"You mean other than my fiance running off?" Max shot back. "How could you guys not tell me?"

"As if you would care," Maria muttered. Max spun around, his glowing eyes pinned her.

"What did you say?" He asked in a low but deadly voice. When Maria didn't bother to repeat her statement Max's became even more mad. "Of course I care." He took a deep breath from saying anything he would regret later. "I need to find her you guys. Please...help me." His voice started to break and Maria could feel her anger crumbling. Max sounded so sad.

"We tried looking and we didn't come up with anything."

"Maybe if you go looking at your special places," Isabel suggested.

"Special places?"

"You know, places where you guys shared special moments. She could possibly be there." Max nodded his head absently to signify that he heard Tess and left without saying another word.

In the car Max's mind was a blur. THere were so many special moments between them, so many places. He had no idea where he was going to go. HIs feet seemed to have a mind of their own as he drove along. Moments that he shared with Liz passed through his head and it made his need to find her only more urgent.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(a year earlier)

Max headed over to Liz's with a silly grin on his face. Dinner the previous night with his parents had gone great. Liz was the first of his girlfriends that his parents really liked. It might have also helped that Liz and Isabel had been friends since high school and that his parents already knew her.

When Max arrived he walked through the side gate that led into the back yard. Michael was manning the grill and kissing Maria, completely unaware that they had company. A second later Liz walked out and placed a platter on the the table she had MIchael move out there earlier. When she looked up she found Max staring at Michael and Maria with a smirk on his face. She knew what he was thinking and laughed. At the sound of her voice she saw MAx switch his gaze to her and she bit her lip as he walked over.

"Hi Max."

"Hi," he said softly. The breeze around them caused a lose strand of Liz's hair to fly in her face. Max placed it behind her ear and slowly inched his face towards hers. "You must be a witch. You have completely bewitched me and my parents."

"Hi Max!" Maria called from across the yard.

Their lips were so close to touching when Maria broke the haze the new couple had surrounded themselves in. Max closed his eyes in defeat and leaned his forehead on Liz's. "She has the worst timeing", he voiced remembering the last kiss she also broke up only three days earlier.

Liz chose not to comment on it. She just smiled at him before pulling away. "So, I'm bewitching huh?" She started walking towards the house and Max followed closely behind.

"Must be." Max stepped closer.

"And why is that?" Liz asked stopping what she was doing, all the while Max neared closer to her,

"You have me under your spell," he replied as he slipped his arms around her waiste and brought her back flush against his front. He nipped at her neck and smiled when he felt her shudder.

"Or you just can't resist me," LIz suggested as she brought one arm around neck holding him in place.

"That could be," he agreed as he removed her arm from his neck and spun her around to face him. His lips crashed on her's. Liz relaxed immeadiately and opened for him. Max brought her closer and kissed her the way he had been wanting to since the previous night before dinner with his parents.

"Max," Liz breathed. She meant it as a warning, but it came out more like a moan. Max moved his mouth to her neck and she closed her eyes and let the emotions take over.

No matter how close he held her it never felt like it was enough. Max lifted Liz up by waist and deposited her on the counter she had her lower back leaning against. ONce she was situated up there he moved in between her legs, never once breaking his kisses. The feel of Max's wet mouth on her neck sent chills to Liz. It was what she had wanted ever since high school and now that it was happening she was very excited. She moved her hands around his back and to the bottom of his shirt. Inwardly preparing herself Liz moved her hands under his shirt and around his back.

Max had been concentrating so hard on bringing Liz pleasure that he hadn't noticed what she was doing until he felt her hands on his bare back. The contact made him pull away and groan loudly. Liz took advantage of the moment and started splaying wet kisses on his neck and throat, delighting in every sound Max made. Without warning Liz pulled his shirt off and carelessly threw it on the floor. Her hands moved the front of his chest and she caressed his toned stomach. At the same time she kissed her way down his neck to his pecks before moving to his right nipple. She licked and sucked it over and over again. She felt herself getting wet as she heard the moans and groans that Max was making.

"God, that feels good", Max whispered afraid that if he spoke any louder it would all stop.

"Hey Liz-" Liz and Max quickly pulled away from one another at the sound of another voice. They looked to the back door and noticed a red faced Alex looking in another direction. He cleared his thoat a couple time trying to ease away from his embarrassment. Liz hid her face in the crook of Max's neck. "Geez, I'm sorry guys. I didn't mean-" he cleared his throat again. "I'm just gonna go."

Max turned back to Liz when Alex left. Her face was beat red and he smiled. His eyes were lit up in delight and he started laughing at the horrified exdpression on her face. "I guess I should let you get back to the food," he said.

"Might be a good idea," she agreed after a moment. She hopped off the counter and reached for his shirt. "Here's your...uh...your shirt." Max smiled and grabbed it from her. When he walked out of the kitchen Liz sagged against the counter and smiled.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Present day)

Max couldn't help the smile that made it's way on his face. He would never forget the look on Alex's face as he struggled to look anywhere but at them. An hour later at dinner he blushed every time he met gazes with either Max or Liz. It took two weeks for Alex to feel comfortable around them once again.

He was thankful that Alex was the one to find them and not anyone else. He knew that if Michael or Kyle or Maria had walked in he and Liz would have been ridiculed on the subject. And then there was Isabel, wouldn't that have made for an interesting moment?

It had been one month since their first date and everything between them had still been new and akward. It was a time where they wanted more, but were afraid to do anything about it. That afternoon had been the time that broke all barriers. Gone were the shy glances and unsure moves. It was around that time that they started to learn each other's bodies.

Max was so deep into his memories that he hadn't even noticed where he was until the cat stopped. Max took his keys out the the ignition and made his way into the cool night air. He paused as he glanced at the building in front of him. West Roswell High. He was sure she was here, all he needed to do now was find her.

Walking around the side of the building all his old high school memories washed over him. His conversations, his friends, his girls. It seemed that he had a different girl that he remembered for every single nook and cranny. Thinking back on it he couldn't help but shake his head in disgust. He had so many memories with so many girls that meant nothing to him. ONe of the main entry ways into the school had been between the gym and the main school building that led to the quad. Max stopped as he peered through the large blue painted metal poles.

As he looked inside the day that he yelled at Liz entered his mind. He could remember everything about that day, the smell, the noise, his feelings and worst of all...the look on her face. That one memory had haunted him all through college. It was then that he finally grew up and thought about all the mean things he had done in high school. That one just about topped the charts.

Clearing his mind of that day Max focused on the situation at hand. Liz. He never understood why he hadn't noticed her in high school. When he looked at her now she was the most beautiful creature he ever encountered and all others paled in comparison. They had only been together a short time before he proposed, but Max couldn't help himself. He had fallen completely and utterly in love with her within the first month. When Max straight ahead his gaze settled on Liz. She was sitting under 'their' tree.

It wasn't exactly their tree, but it had become theirs. It was the first place where they met back in high school. It was also the same tree he, Liz and their friends would meet for lunch. They had been under that tree when he proposed to her. So many of their moments had been captured there. He was a little surprised when he stopped the car in front of the building. It was like his his heart led him to Liz. As he looked at her he couldn't help but notice the sad expression on her face. It was like she was thinking the same thing as him. Max prepared himself for the conversation they were about to have. It would either make or brake them. As if she knew he was there Liz looked up and their eyes locked.




Chapter 6
(Present day)

“What are you doing here?” Liz asked when Max got close enough to her.

“Taking a midnight stroll.”

“No, I meant here in Roswell,” she clarified bitterly.

“Didn’t you hear? I’m getting married in a few days.” Max tried the keep up the playful banter while he inwardly gathered his bearings for the next few hours. He knew that this night would make or break him. Liz looked so beautiful sitting under the tree. The black night was pinned back by the stars and the only light they had was the moon. There was an ethereal glow to Liz and Max studied her, locking her away in his memory. “Let’s go for a walk,” he suggested as he held out his hand towards her. Liz simply stared at it. “Please.”

Liz stared at his outstretched hand and then her gaze moved towards his face. His eyes were pleading with hers and she caved. There was something about the way he was looking at her and his pleading voice that called out to her. She extended her hand towards his and allowed him to help her up. She thought that once she was standing he would have released it, but he only gripped her tighter lacing his fingers through hers. It was almost as though he felt that holding her hand would keep her to him.

“What happened to us Liz to make you not want to marry me?” Max asked suddenly. For the past few minutes they had been walking silently side by side. His question startled her and she almost jumped. A moment of silence passed and still Liz could not come up with a reply. “I thought we were happy. If you were having doubts you should have told me...not Maria, and you should have said something much sooner. I thought we made an agreement to always be truthful to one another?”

“You didn’t ask so I didn’t tell.”

“You lied by omission. Why didn’t you tell me? I deserved to know how you were feeling!” He exploded, feeling betrayed that she hadn’t said anything, but for also not noticing how she was feeling. What kind of husband to be did that make him? Ever since he and Liz had been thrust into each other’s lives again everything seemed so natural. They seemed to have a special relationship. Most of the time they could sit together in a comfortable silence knowing what the other person was thinking. Everything between them was the best experience he had ever had. All Liz had to do was look at him and he was gone. He would do anything for her. With that one look she made him feel things that he had never felt with any other woman that he had been with.

“Okay, I fucked up. I’m sorry,” She ground out in frustration.

“This isn’t about you making a mistake, or being sorry. This is about you feeling like this and not telling me.”

“I’ve tried to talk to you about it in the past, but you...don’t even take my feelings into consideration,” she replied in a small voice. Liz braced herself for the outburst Max was sure to have. It wasn’t the first time this had been a problem, but after a while Max had stopped listening to her when it came to this conversation.

“Oh not this again!” Max exclaimed when he realized what Liz was talking about.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(A year earlier)
Things had been progressing quite nicely between Liz and Max. They took one day at a time...making sure to shower each other with all the romance they could give. It was enough to make all their friends highly annoyed. Even though they were nauseated with all the displays of affection they were glad to see that Liz was happy. It had been ages since they had seen her so carefree, and none of them dared to take that away.

It was a late Friday night. Earlier that evening Max and Liz had gone out to dinner with a few friends that Max had made at work and their spouses. Among them was Thomas Dufrane, a forty five year old that was pretty much drunk and his twenty three year old wife Sheila, who had been subtly flirting with Max all night. Liz was furious and Max was more than a little uncomfortable. Normally he wouldn’t mind someone flirting with him, it was very complimenting...but to do it with his girlfriend right next to him? Liz had her hand resting on Max’s thigh and whenever Sheila would say or do anything suggestive she squeezed, hard. Max was beginning to look at it in a whole new light.

“If you gentlemen will excuse me,” Liz said as she stood up. The guys stopped their conversation and hurried to stand up as well. “I need to use the phone. Please excuse me.” At her absence Sheila moved in Liz’s seat and started speaking to Max in a light voice.

“I’m very upset with you Max. This is our second meeting and you haven’t once given me any more attention than necessary.”

“You are a very beautiful woman Sheila, but I have a girlfriend.”

“You think I’m beautiful?” She asked as she ignored his last comment. She had had plenty of guys with girlfriends. In her eyes, as long as they weren’t married than it was fine. “I’m very flexible too,” she said, her voice with a husky tone. Max looked around the room hoping to get his point to Sheila across, but she surprised him when she ran her nails up and down his thighs causing him to jump before removing them.


“As I said before, you are a beautiful woman and I’m very flattered...but I’m taken and there isn’t anything that would make me stray from Liz. Now, if you’ll excuse me. I see an old friend.” Max stood up and walked away from the table.

When Liz left the rest area Max was already sitting back in his seat. As she walked over to her seat he gave her a huge smile and grabbed her hand as soon as she sat down. He kissed her cheek and they were left alone during the rest of dinner. Every now and then Max would use his thumb and brush it on the top of her hand in a loving manner before bringing it to his mouth and kissing it. It was moments like that which made Liz feel like a princess.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Back to the present)

“I don’t think that’s the attitude you should be having when you soon to be bride is threatening to not even show up for the wedding ceremony,” Liz warned in a collected voice.

“Then my bride is being ridiculous,” he argued back. “Liz, what’s this really about? I know you have these issues, but they can’t bug you all that much when you keep in mind the fact that you accepted my marriage proposal in the first place.”

“I tried not to let it bug me,” she replied evenly. “I love you Max, but I can’t handle these...other...emotions.”

“What emotions?” Max asked.

“The jealousy, the fact that other women throw themselves at you shamefully...sometimes right in front of me. The fact that I will never be enough for you.”

“What? What do you have to be jealous of? Where do you get the idea that you aren’t enough for me?”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(A year earlier)

The holiday season was in full swing. Ropes of red tinsel were zig zagged between the light poles on main street. The toy store also located on Main Street housed the best window display. On one side there was white blanketed material that served as snow with a miniature town set on it. Train tracks ran were placed through the town and also everywhere else in the store and ever five minutes it would pass by the window. On the other side the newest and most desired toys sat. It drew quite a bit of attention and even grown adults were sucked in. The air was crisp and a night it was chilling. The younger children hoped every day that it would snow, but nothing ever happened. Maria told everyone that even through all the decorations were out that the only way she knew it was the holiday season was the fact that people were actually nice.

Ever year a committee was drawn up and they would transform the local park into a winter wonderland complete with a santa, elves, a clubhouse for children and areas to take pictures. This year Isabel was in charge and she enlisted everyone for help. As a child she earned the nick name the ‘Christmas Nazi’. Whenever the holiday season started Isabel made sure Christmas was the most important event. She never settled for anything other than the best when it came to trees and decorations and she always made sure it was a memorable event for everyone around her. The only problem was, everyone around her was forced to do things they didn’t want to do and it made things very stressful and it usually took all the fun out of anything. Michael had won the role of Santa as Liz and Maria became Snowflake and Candy Cane. Max, Alex and Kyle were set up for manual labor in building and maintenance.

“Hi Maria,” Michael said as he walked over to his girlfriend. She was running around the house looking for her favorite pair of earrings.

“Hey baby,” Maria replied as she gave him a quick peck on the lips.

“Where’s the fire?” He asked.

“I have a lunch meeting with a potential client and I am late.” She found what she was looking for in the junk drawer and put them on before grabbing her purse off the island in the kitchen and running out.

Maria sped down the street to the set restaurant. When she arrived she did a jerky parking job and rushed inside. Waiting in the front area was her client and Maria apologized profusely for being late. They waited for the hostess to seat them. As they were escorted through the maze of tables Maria heard a familiar laugh. She looked around and noticed Max. He back was facing her, but she could tell by his hair cut. HE had just got it and when he got home he started complaining about it.

When they were seated Maria noticed it was only a few tables over from Max. His back was still facing her and every once in a while she saw his back shaking because he had been laughing so hard. Maria moved her head to the side to see who he was eating with and her mouth hung open into an O when she noticed he was sitting with Serena. Serena...wow, seeing her brought back a lot of old memories. Why were Serena and Max laughing together, let along eating lunch together? While talking with her lunch date Maria kept a close eye on Serena and Max. She had noticed more than once that Serena was flirting with Max the best she knew how. Maria wanted to go over to Max’s table and slap the hell out of both of them. At a crucial moment in her conversation with her lunch date she paused when she noticed Max hand Serena a velvet box. Serena in turn opened and a Maria could make out a white gold necklace. Her eyes bugged out of her head and she began choking on the salad she had in her mouth.

“Are you okay Ms. Deluca?” The old man sitting across from her handed her a glass of water and watched try to wash down the offending piece of lettuce.

“Yes, I’m sorry. I swallowed wrong. Where was I?”

The gentleman replied and Maria picked up where she left off. A second later Max and Serena left and Maria stared at their retreating backs in disbelief. How could Max be so low as to do that to Liz? What was she going to say having witnessed all that she had? Maria returned her attention back to the man in front of her, but her mind was somewhere else entirely.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(still in the past)

“So, what’s this about Maria?” Michael asked.

It was Christmas Eve afternoon and Maria was in way over her head. She needed to tell someone what she saw. Keeping what she had seen from Liz was starting to make her feel very guilty. She had meant to tell Liz, but when it cam down to it, she refused to. Liz was as happy as could be with him and she didn’t want to be responsible for anything that would result in Liz’s disappointment and unhappiness.

“Two weeks ago when I went out to lunch with that man...you know my client. He was really rich and pretty old.”

“Yeah, I know just get to the point.”

“Well, I saw Max at the same restaurant with Serena. It looked like he had given her a necklace.”

“What? Are you saying that he is cheating on Liz with Serena? That’s crazy.” Michael couldn’t believe what he heard. There was no way that Max would ever cheat on Liz. He was so crazy for her, and with Serena? Max had no interest in her, he hadn’t since high school.

“I saw it. It might not be romantic, but the fact of the matter is Max has never told Liz that he has lunch with Serena every Tuesday. If there wasn’t anything to hide why not tell her?”

“Are you sure that’s what you saw?”

“Yes, Michael. I have two working eyes and that’s what I saw.”

“You didn’t tell Liz?”

“I’m afraid to. What if she doesn’t believe me? Or what if she does and then this news like kills her? Then I would be responsible for her death of a broken heart.”

“Give me a break Maria. Do you have to be so over dramatic? I don’t think Liz would die of a broken heart if she found out. Relax.” Michael shook his head. Sometimes he couldn’t believe his girlfriend. “Liz needs to hear this.”

“I know, I know. I just...she’s so happy and I don’t want to be the one to ruin that.”

“If what you say is true than you didn’t ruin it, Max did.”

“Max ruined what?” Liz asked as she walked into the kitchen. She had just walked into the house from spending the afternoon with the Evans. Michael and Maria jumped apart. She looked closely at them. Michael was staring down at shoes, something he never did and Maria refused to look at anything near Liz’s eye sight. “I’ll ask again, Max ruined what?”

“I think I’m just gonna go. This is between the two of you,” Michael said. He pulled Maria in for a hug. “Just tell her,” he whispered before kissing her ear. He gave Liz a small smile before he left praying that everything would be all right in the end.

“Ruined what?” Liz asked. Maria still refused to meet her eyes.

“Liz, I uh...saw something. Do you remember three weeks ago when I told that I would be meeting a potential client for lunch?”

“What does this have to do with it?” Liz asked with a feeling of dread creeping it’s way into her body.

“Well, I met him at the restaurant and while I was there I saw Max eating lunch with someone.”

“So? Max has lunches with clients all the time?” Liz asked, starting to calm down. However, as she looked into Maria’s eye’s her feeling of dread came back with full force.

“He was eating with Serena, and it didn’t look like it was business.” Liz froze for a second and then looked at Maria.

“What? What do you mean it didn’t look like business?”

“Well, they were laughing a lot.”

“Did it look like forced laughing on his part?” At Liz’s hopeful look Maria grimaced before shaking her head in negative.

“He was eating with Serena and he was enjoying it? How could he do that?”

“Liz, he also gave her a necklace.”

Liz turned away from Maria. Tears had started gathering in her eyes. She couldn’t believe that Max would do that. The night that they had gone out he looked as though he couldn’t wait for Serena to leave them alone. He had been a dedicated boyfriend and was always there whenever she needed him.

Liz heard through Isabel that back in college Max had been heavily involved with a married woman. They had been a passionate and intense couple. Liz had no illusions as to her and Max’s relationship. He had been ever attentive and the sweetest, completely opposite from what she remembered from high school. In the few months that Liz had spent with him, Max had taught her things about relationships that she had never experienced before. If anyone were to ask her how she felt about him, she wouldn’t hesitate to admit that she loved him. That was probably why she was hurting so bad.

“Maria, I’m gonna go upstairs. Um, I just...need to think about some things. I’ll see you later I guess.”

Two hours later when Liz had gone downstairs the house was silent. Maria had left a message saying that she had gone to stay the night at Michael’s. Liz was glad that she had some time to be alone. She changed into a pair of sweats pants and a sweat shirt before curling up on the couch watching old Christmas movies on the Superstation. During the second movie there was a knock on the door before someone walked in.

Liz didn’t even have to face the door to know it was Max. She knew just by the way the door shut and the way that there wasn’t any noise. It was that moment that Liz wished that she and Maria never let any of their friends come in on their own free will. Liz was so not ready to speak to Max. The last two hours had shattered the great life she thought she had and even though she knew it was a veneer she didn’t want to face it. Facing it made it reality and Liz had been enjoying things just like they were.

“Hey,” Max said as he walked in. He had just stared from his position at the door and couldn’t get over how beautiful she was. Her hair was down and free, her face flawless and natural, her clothes baggy and comfortable. He didn’t know he had gotten so lucky. Surely this had to have been some cruel joke. Liz was the purest thing in his life. There were so many things they still needed to discover about each other, but Max hoped they could spend the rest of their lives doing that.

“Oh hey,” Liz answered casually. Max leaned down to kiss her, but she turned her head before his lips could make contact with hers. Max pulled away and looked at her and she forced a light smile on her face.

“So, I was wondering if we could exchange gifts now instead of at Tess’?” Max asked. He had been so nervous all day. Just thinking about it made his heart beat fast.

“Oh, I’m sorry Max. I can’t do that.”

“Why not?” Max asked completely clueless. Why was she acting so funny?

“I didn’t get you any presents,” she answered while she batted her eyelashes. She saw a sad look cross his face before he quickly masked it to confusion.

“Why didn’t you?”

“Well, when Maria told me she saw you giving Serena a necklace I kind of just figured that there wouldn’t be much of a reason to get you one,” Liz answered, the movie forgotten. She pretended that she had known about it for weeks, knowing very well that his presents were stashed upstairs in her room.

“Wait a minute, Maria saw what?”

“You giving Serena a necklace.” She cleared her throat hoping to get out her next statement without throwing up. “You know that’s fine Max if you get back together with her, but to do something like that while we’re together?”

“Did Maria also tell you that Serena gave it back? I was showing her one of your Christmas gifts. I can’t believe you would doubt me like that.”

“What am I supposed to think? Since when did you start having lunch with your old girlfriends?”

“Tell me how that’s any of your business.”

“Oh I just thought that since you were my boyfriend that would lay some claim.”

“I don’t have to take this, I’m out of here.”

“Hmm, this scene’s familiar. Where did you do this again?” Liz asked pretending she forgot. “Oh, that’s right. At senior prom.” She shot the last bit out just as Max opened the door. She saw him tense up before he left and slammed the door behind him. Liz closed her eyes and hung her head in shame. Why did she have to throw that back in his face?

This had to have been the worst Christmas since her mother’s passing. It started off well. In the late morning she had met Max over at his parent’s house. There, she, Max, Isabel, Alex, and Mr. And Mrs. Evans had an early lunch. They exchanged gifts and just sat around enjoying the company. It was strange how quickly your world could come crashing down in such a short amount of time.

Liz wanted Max to feel as horrible as she did. It was only right, but why did she feel so bad when she thought that? Max had been an outstanding boyfriend, he always treated her with the up most respect. If it was any other day she would have left the argument alone, but not today. It was Christmas and she would be damned if she left things this way. She ran upstairs to her room and gathered up his presents before stuffing them in her car and leaving to find him.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Back to the present)

“Do you remember the day that you proposed?” Liz asked wistfully.

Max smiled and scratched the side of his head. “Yeah, that didn’t happen the way that I had planned.”

Liz snorted in agreement. “In high school I was so about you. All my adolesence I was about you. You were this guy that I had known as an acquaintance sort of way, but none the less I was so gone for you. I pinned away for you day in and day out. When we started talking and hanging out I thought you were te greatest guy...until prom that is.”

“Of course,” he agreed quickly.

“I used to watch you with your girlfriends. In the locker room I had to hear what it was like with you in bed. I don’t think that any of that really bothered me until you got together with Serena. She had been your longest relationship in high school and you had said that you loved her.” Liz quieted down as her old feelings crashed into her. “I remember prom night killed me. Before you had said anything about going off with her I watched you two reunite from your petty argument...the smile that you gave her, the way you touched her. I realized it was something that I could never compete with. I was just this mousy teenager that you saw as a friend. Sometimes I still think this is all a cruel dream. I feel like any moment I’m going to wake up and the harsh reality of life will just be showing me what I can never have.”

“Liz”-

“I guess I just never got over those feelings. I never forgot that look in your eye when you looked at her. Serena has been an attractive person since she developed. She seems to have only gotten prettier with each passing year and I am in no way ever going to beat that. I’ve had one serious relationship all my life. It’s not as glamorous or as...colorful as yours. I feel like a babe sometimes when I am around you, knowing the things you have done in the past. I mean why would someone with so much experience want someone like me? I know that you hate having this conversation Max, but I think it’s a little overdue.”

“Do you know why I hate this subject Liz? Your last point is the exact reason.”

“What?” She asked confused.

“Because I have had so much experience and have been with so many women. I feel like I’m not good enough for you. You aren’t the only one that thinks that this is all some dream. Liz, you have entered my life and given so much more than anyone else has. You are the same person you were back in high school. You have always been true to yourself and I have never respected anyone more in my entire life. I’m afraid that one day you will realize that I’m not enough for you and that you will just up and leave me.”



-“What are you doing here?” Liz asked when Max got close enough to her.

“Taking a midnight stroll.”

“No, I meant here in Roswell,” she clarified bitterly.

“Didn’t you hear? I’m getting married in a few days.” Max tried the keep up the playful banter while he inwardly gathered his bearings for the next few hours. He knew that this night would make or break him. Liz looked so beautiful sitting under the tree. The black night was pinned back by the stars and the only light they had was the moon. There was an ethereal glow to Liz and Max studied her, locking her away in his memory. “Let’s go for a walk,” he suggested as he held out his hand towards her. Liz simply stared at it. “Please.”

Liz stared at his outstretched hand and then her gaze moved towards his face. His eyes were pleading with hers and she caved. There was something about the way he was looking at her and his pleading voice that called out to her. She extended her hand towards his and allowed him to help her up. She thought that once she was standing he would have released it, but he only gripped her tighter lacing his fingers through hers. It was almost as though he felt that holding her to him would keep her.

“What happened to us Liz to make you not want to marry me?” Max asked suddenly. For the past few minutes they had been walking silently side by side. His question startled her and she almost jumped. A moment of silent passed and still Liz could not come up with a reply. “I thought we were happy. If you were having doubts you should have told me...not Maria, and you should have said something much sooner. I thought we made an agreement to always be truthful to one another?”

“You didn’t ask so I didn’t tell.”

“You lied by omission. Why didn’t you tell me? I deserved to know how you were feeling!” He exploded, feeling betrayed that she hadn’t said anything, but for also not noticing how she was feeling. What kind of husband to be did that make him? Ever since he and Liz had been thrust into each other’s lives again everything seemed so natural. They seemed to have a special relationship. Most of the time they could sit together in a comfortable silence knowing what the other person was thinking. Everything between them was the best experience he had ever had. All Liz had to do was look at him and he was gone. He would do anything for her. With that one look she made him feel things that he had never felt with any other woman that he had been with.

“Okay, I fucked up. I’m sorry,” She ground out in frustration.

“This isn’t about you making a mistake, or being sorry. This is about you feeling like this and not telling me.”

“I’ve tried to talk to you about it in the past, but you...don’t even take my feelings into consideration,” she replied in a small voice. Liz braced herself for the outburst Max was sure to have. It wasn’t the first time this had been a problem, but after a while Max had stopped listening to her when it came to this conversation.

“Oh not this again!” Max exclaimed when he realized what Liz was talking about.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(A year earlier)
Things had been progressing quite nicely between Liz and Max. They took one day at a time...making sure to shower each other with all the romance they could give. It was enough to make all their friends highly annoyed. Even though they were nauseated with all the displays of affection they were glad to see that Liz was happy. It had been ages since they had seen her so carefree, and none of them dared to take that away.

It was a late Friday night. Earlier that evening Max and Liz had gone out to dinner with a few friends that Max had made at work and their spouses. Among them was Thomas Dufrane, a forty five year old that was pretty much drunk and his twenty three year old wife Sheila, who had been subtly flirting with Max all night. Liz was furious and Max was more than a little uncomfortable. Normally he wouldn’t mind someone flirting with him, it was very complimenting...but to do it with his girlfriend right next to him? Liz had her hand resting on Max’s thigh and whenever Sheila would say or do anything suggestive she squeezed, hard. Max was beginning to look at it in a whole new light.

“If you gentlemen will excuse me,” Liz said as she stood up. The guys stopped their conversation and hurried to stand up as well. “I need to use the phone. Please excuse me.” At her absence Sheila moved in Liz’s seat and started speaking to Max in a light voice.

“I’m very upset with you Max. This is our second meeting and you haven’t once given me any more attention than necessary.”

“You are a very beautiful woman Sheila, but I have a girlfriend.”

“You think I’m beautiful?” She asked as she ignored his last comment. She had had plenty of guys with girlfriends. In her eyes, as long as they weren’t married than it was fine. “I’m very flexible too,” she said, her voice with a husky tone. Max looked around the room hoping to get his point to Sheila across, but she surprised him when she ran her nails up and down his thighs causing him to jump before removing them.


“As I said before, you are a beautiful woman and I’m very flattered...but I’m taken and there isn’t anything that would make me stray from Liz. Now, if you’ll excuse me. I see an old friend.” Max stood up and walked away from the table.

When Liz left the bathroom Max was already sitting back in his seat. As she walked over to her seat he gave her a huge smile and grabbed her hand as soon as it was free. He kissed her cheek and they were left alone during the rest of dinner. Every now and then Max would use his thumb and brush it on the top of her hand in a loving manner before bringing it to his mouth and kissing it. It was moments like that which made Liz feel like a princess.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Back to the present)

“I don’t think that’s the attitude you should be having when you soon to be bride is threatening to not even show up for the wedding ceremony,” Liz warned in a collected voice.

“Then my bride is being ridiculous,” he argued back. “Liz, what’s this really about? I know you have these issues, but they can’t bug you all that much when you keep in mind the fact that you accepted my marriage proposal in the first place.”

“I tried not to let it bug me,” she replied evenly. “I love you Max, but I can’t handle these...other...emotions.”

“What emotions?” Max asked.

“The jealousy, the fact that other women throw themselves at you shamefully...sometimes right in front of me. The fact that I will never be enough for you.”

“What? What do you have to be jealous of? Where do you get the idea that you aren’t enough for me?”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(A year earlier)

The holiday season was in full swing. Ropes of red tinsel were zig zagged between the light poles on main street. The toy store also located on Main Street housed the best window display. On one side there was white blanketed material that served as snow with a miniature town set on it. Train tracks ran were placed through the town and also everywhere else in the store and ever five minutes it would pass by the window. On the other side the newest and most desired toys sat. It drew quite a bit of attention and even grown adults were sucked in. The air was crisp and a night it was chilling. The younger children hoped every day that it would snow, but nothing ever happened. Maria told everyone that even through all the decorations were out that the only way she knew it was the holiday season was the fact that people were actually nice.

Ever year a committee was drawn up and they would transform the local park into a winter wonderland complete with a santa, elves, a clubhouse for children and areas to take pictures. This year Isabel was in charge and she enlisted everyone for help. As a child she earned the nick name the ‘Christmas Nazi’. Whenever the holiday season started Isabel made sure Christmas was the most important event. She never settled for anything other than the best when it came to trees and decorations and she always made sure it was a memorable event for everyone around her. The only problem was, everyone around her was forced to do things they didn’t want to do and it made things very stressful and it usually took all the fun out of anything. Michael had won the role of Santa as Liz and Maria became Snowflake and Candy Cane. Max and Kyle were set up for manual labor in building and maintenance. Alex, his job was different and completely unrelated. Since both his parents held committee chairs for the local community college he talked them into setting up what was called a Christmas Village. There was a walk way, and on both sides all the trees were heavily decorated with white Christmas lights. The ground was blanketed with white material as snow. The place was broken into sections and every section was decorated differently with various items that lit up. This was the first year to have one and Alex was going to make sure it was a reaccuring event every holiday season.

“Hi Maria,” Michael said as he walked over to his girlfriend. She was running around the house looking for her favorite pair of earrings.

“Hey baby,” Maria replied as she gave him a quick peck on the lips.

“Where’s the fire?” He asked.

“I have a lunch meeting with a potential client and I am late.” She found what she was looking for in the junk drawer and put them on before grabbing her purse off the island in the kitchen and running out.

Maria sped down the street to the set restaurant. When she arrived she did a jerky parking job and rushed inside. Waiting in the front area was her client and Maria apologized profusely for being late. They waited for the hostess to seat them. As they were escorted through the maze of tables Maria heard a familiar laugh. She looked around and noticed Max. He back was facing her, but she could tell by his hair cut. HE had just got it and when he got home he started complaining about it.

When they were seated Maria noticed it was only a few tables over from Max. His back was still facing her and every once in a while she saw his back shaking because he had been laughing so hard. Maria moved her head to the side to see who he was eating with and her mouth hung open into an O when she noticed he was sitting with Serena. Serena...wow, seeing her brought back a lot of old memories. Why were Serena and Max laughing together, let along eating lunch together? While talking with her lunch date Maria kept a close eye on Serena and Max. She had noticed more than once that Serena was flirting with Max the best she knew how. Maria wanted to go over to Max’s table and slap the hell out of both of them. At a crucial moment in her conversation with her lunch date she paused when she noticed Max hand Serena a velvet box. Serena in turn opened and a Maria could make out a white gold necklace. Her eyes bugged out of her head and she began choking on the salad she had in her mouth.

“Are you okay Ms. Deluca?” The old man sitting across from her handed her a glass of water and watched try to wash down the offending piece of lettuce.

“Yes, I’m sorry. I swallowed wrong. Where was I?”

The gentleman replied and Maria picked up where she left off. A second later Max and Serena left and Maria stared at their retreating backs in disbelief. How could Max be so low as to do that to Liz? What was she going to say having witnessed all that she had? Maria returned her attention back to the man in front of her, but her mind was somewhere else entirely.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(still in the past)

“So, what’s this about Maria?” Michael asked.

It was Christmas morning and Maria was in way over her head. She needed to tell someone what she saw. Keeping what she had seen from Liz was starting to make her feel very guilty. She had meant to tell Liz, but when it cam down to it, she refused to. Liz was as happy as could be with him and she didn’t want to be responsible for anything that would result in Liz’s disappointment and unhappiness.

“Two weeks ago when I went out to lunch with that man...you know my client. He was really rich and pretty old.”

“Yeah, I know just get to the point.”

“Well, I saw Max at the same restaurant with Serena. It looked like he had given her a necklace.”

“What? Are you saying that he is cheating on Liz with Serena? That’s crazy.” Michael couldn’t believe what he heard. There was no way that Max would ever cheat on Liz. He was so crazy for her, and with Serena? Max had no interest in her, he hadn’t since high school.

“I saw it. It might not be romantic, but the fact of the matter is Max has never told Liz that he has lunch with Serena every Tuesday. If there wasn’t anything to hide why not tell her?”

“Are you sure that’s what you saw?”

“Yes, Michael. I have two working eyes and that’s what I saw.”

“You didn’t tell Liz?”

“I’m afraid to. What if she doesn’t believe me? Or what if she does and then this news like kills her? Then I would be responsible for her death of a broken heart.”

“Give me a break Maria. Do you have to be so over dramatic? I don’t think Liz would die of a broken heart if she found out. Relax.” Michael shook his head. Sometimes he couldn’t believe his girlfriend. “Liz needs to hear this.”

“I know, I know. I just...she’s so happy and I don’t want to be the one to ruin that.”

“If what you say is true than you didn’t ruin it, Max did.”

“Max ruined what?” Liz asked as she walked into the kitchen. She had just walked into the house from spending the afternoon with the Evans. Michael and Maria jumped apart. She looked closely at them. Michael was staring down at shoes, something he never did and Maria refused to look at anything near Liz’s eye sight. “I’ll ask again, Max ruined what?”

“I think I’m just gonna go. This is between the two of you,” Michael said. He pulled Maria in for a hug. “Just tell her,” he whispered before kissing her ear. He gave Liz a small smile before he left praying that everything would be all right in the end.

“Ruined what?” Liz asked. Maria still refused to meet her eyes.

“Liz, I uh...saw something. Do you remember three weeks ago when I told that I would be meeting a potential client for lunch?”

“What does this have to do with it?” Liz asked with a feeling of dread creeping it’s way into her body.

“Well, I met him at the restaurant and while I was there I saw Max eating lunch with someone.”

“So? Max has lunches with clients all the time?” Liz asked, starting to calm down. However, as she looked into Maria’s eye’s her feeling of dread came back with full force.

“He was eating with Serena, and it didn’t look like it was business.” Liz froze for a second and then looked at Maria.

“What? What do you mean it didn’t look like business?”

“Well, they were laughing a lot.”

“Did it look like forced laughing on his part?” At Liz’s hopeful look Maria grimaced before shaking her head in negative.

“He was eating with Serena and he was enjoying it? How could he do that?”

“Liz, he also gave her a necklace.”

Liz turned away from Maria. Tears had started gathering in her eyes. She couldn’t believe that Max would do that. The night that they had gone out he looked as though he couldn’t wait for Serena to leave them alone. He had been a dedicated boyfriend and was always there whenever she needed him.

Liz heard through Isabel that back in college Max had been heavily involved with a married woman. They had been a passionate and intense couple. Liz had no illusions as to her and Max’s relationship. He had been ever attentive and the sweetest, completely opposite from what she remembered from high school. In the few months that Liz had spent with him, Max had taught her things about relationships that she had never experienced before. If anyone were to ask her how she felt about him, she wouldn’t hesitate to admit that she loved him. That was probably why she was hurting so bad.

“Maria, I’m gonna go upstairs. Um, I just...need to think about some things. I’ll see you later I guess.”

Two hours later when Liz had gone downstairs the house was silent. Maria had left a message saying that she had gone to stay the night at Michael’s. Liz was glad that she had some time to be alone. She changed into a pair of sweats pants and a sweat shirt before curling up on the couch watching old Christmas movies on the Superstation. During the second movie there was a knock on the door before someone walked in.

Liz didn’t even have to face the door to know it was Max. She knew just by the way the door shut and the way that there wasn’t any noise. It was that moment that Liz wished that she and Maria never let any of their friends come in on their own free will. Liz was so not ready to speak to Max. The last two hours had shattered the great life she thought she had and even though she knew it was a veneer she didn’t want to face it. Facing it made it reality and Liz had been enjoying things just like they were.

“Hey,” Max said as he walked in. He had just stared from his position at the door and couldn’t get over how beautiful she was. Her hair was down and free, her face flawless and natural, her clothes baggy and comfortable. He didn’t know he had gotten so lucky. Surely this had to have been some cruel joke. Liz was the purest thing in his life. There were so many things they still needed to discover about each other, but Max hoped they could spend the rest of their lives doing that.

“Oh hey,” Liz answered casually. Max leaned down to kiss her, but she turned her head before his lips could make contact with hers. Max pulled away and looked at her and she forced a light smile on her face.

“So, I was wondering if we could exchange gifts now instead of at Tess’?” Max asked. He had been so nervous all day. Just thinking about it made his heart beat fast.

“Oh, I’m sorry Max. I can’t do that.”

“Why not?” Max asked completely clueless. Why was she acting so funny?

“I didn’t get you any presents,” she answered while she batted her eyelashes. She saw a sad look cross his face before he quickly masked it to confusion.

“Why didn’t you?”

“Well, when Maria told me she saw you giving Serena a necklace I kind of just figured that there wouldn’t be much of a reason to get you one,” Liz answered, the movie forgotten.

“Wait a minute, Maria saw what?”

“You giving Serena a necklace.” She cleared her throat hoping to get out her next statement without throwing up. “You know that’s fine Max if you get back together with her, but to do something like that while we’re together?”

“Did Maria also tell you that Serena gave it back? I was showing her one of your Christmas gifts. I can’t believe you would doubt me like that.”

“What am I supposed to think? Since when did you start having lunch with your old girlfriends?”

“Tell me how that’s any of your business.”

“Oh I just thought that since you were my boyfriend that would lay some claim.”

“I don’t have to take this, I’m out of here.”

“Hmm, this scene’s familiar. Where did you do this again?” Liz asked pretending she forgot. “Oh, that’s right. At senior prom.” She shot the last bit out just as Max opened the door. She saw him tense up before he left and slammed the door behind him. Liz closed her eyes and hung her head in shame. Why did she have to throw that back in his face?

This had to have been the worst Christmas since her mother’s passing. It started off well. In the late morning she had met Max over at his parent’s house. There, she, Max, Isabel, Alex, and Mr. And Mrs. Evans had an early lunch. They exchanged gifts and just sat around enjoying the company. It was strange how quickly your world could come crashing down in such a short amount of time.

Liz wanted Max to feel as horrible as she did. It was only right, but why did she feel so bad when she thought that? Max had been an outstanding boyfriend, he always treated her with the up most respect. If it was any other day she would have left the argument alone, but not today. It was Christmas and she would be damned if she left things this way. She ran upstairs to her room and gathered up his presents before stuffing them in her car and leaving to find him.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Back to the present)

“Do you remember the day that you proposed?” Liz asked wistfully.

Max smiled and scratched the side of his head. “Yeah, that didn’t happen the way that I had planned.”

Liz snorted in agreement. “In high school I was so about you. All my adolesence I was about you. You were this guy that I had known as an acquaintance sort of way, but none the less I was so gone for you. I pinned away for you day in and day out. When we started talking and hanging out I thought you were te greatest guy...until prom that is.”

“Of course,” he agreed quickly.

“I used to watch you with your girlfriends. In the locker room I had to hear what it was like with you in bed. I don’t think that any of that really bothered me until you got together with Serena. She had been your longest relationship in high school and you had said that you loved her.” Liz quieted down as her old feelings crashed into her. “I remember prom night killed me. Before you had said anything about going off with her I watched you two reunite from your petty argument...the smile that you gave her, the way you touched her. I realized it was something that I could never compete with. I was just this mousy teenager that you saw as a friend. Sometimes I still think this is all a cruel dream. I feel like any moment I’m going to wake up and the harsh reality of life will just be showing me what I can never have.”

“Liz”-

“I guess I just never got over those feelings. I never forgot that look in your eye when you looked at her. Serena has been an attractive person since she developed. She seems to have only gotten prettier with each passing year and I am in no way ever going to beat that. I’ve had one serious relationship all my life. It’s not as glamorous or as...colorful as yours. I feel like a babe sometimes when I am around you, knowing the things you have done in the past. I mean why would someone with so much experience want someone like me? I know that you hate having this conversation Max, but I think it’s a little overdue.”

“Do you know why I hate this subject Liz? Your last point is the exact reason.”

“What?” She asked confused.

“Because I have had so much experience and have been with so many women. I feel like I’m not good enough for you. You aren’t the only one that thinks that this is all some dream. Liz, you have entered my life and given so much more than anyone else has. You are the same person you were back in high school. You have always been true to yourself and I have never respected anyone more in my entire life. I’m afraid that one day you will realize that I’m not enough for you and that you will just up and leave me.”

Chapter 7
(A year earlier)

Liz looked over at Max. He had yet to notice her presence and she was content to just watch him. Max was all she had ever wanted and when she finally got him things seemed surreal. She had been waiting for something to happen, half expecting it too, there was no reason why she should have what she wanted with out something going bad. When Maria had told her about Max and Serena Liz felt as though she had been right all along. The news of Max and Serena didn’t seem to surprise Liz much. Even though she had been half expecting it things didn’t hurt any less.

“What are you doing here?” Max asked when he finally noticed her. He had left her house and went for a drive ending up at his old high school. For some reason, being here seemed to calm him.

“I came to talk to you.”

“Oh, so now you feel like talking to me?” Max asked. “Before you wouldn’t have listened to a word I said.”

“I know. I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“For everything. For not asking you about it instead of accusing you.”

“Why did you think I would do something like that? Do I really seem like the type that would cheat on my girlfriend?”

“It’s not that...not really. To tell you the truth, none of that crossed my mind. I just, I can’t believe you are with me sometimes,” she confessed as she looked at the ground, ashamed to be admitting it.

“Why?”

“Because you have never wanted me in all your life. When we were children you didn’t even know I existed and in high school you thought of me as nothing more than a friend. What makes you so much different now?”

“I grew up! I’m sorry that I hurt you back then. I thought you gotten over that.” He had hoped she was, he would put the thought off in hopes of not remembering how he used to treat her. He felt so bad that he actually treated people the way he had.

“It wasn’t the part of you hurting me Max, it was that you made my self confidence deteriorate. I got to the point where you were this untouchable person. I put it in my head that you would never like me. These past few years have been the most deceiving for me. I thought that you were just playing the cruel joke on me. I was waiting for something bad to happen and when Maria mentioned you and Serena I kind of just accepted it.”

“Liz, I have no interest in Serena. When I was in high school I let myself interpret my feelings as love when in fact they weren’t. I always prided myself in being a loyal boyfriend and I’m not going to change that now. I wish you would have come to me about your suspicions instead of just jumping to conclusions, but you probably weren’t thinking clearly. I don’t blame you, I just...promise me that you will come to me next time you have doubts. Okay?”

Liz smiled through the tears clouding her eyes. When she had left her house looking for him she was so worried that she had screwed up any chance with him. “I promise.” When she finished her declaration Max grabbed her to him and kissed her temple in affection.

“I love you Liz Parker. You have come to mean so much to me and I never thought it was possible to feel these things for someone.”

“Are we...okay?” Liz asked uncertainly. She felt Max pull away from her.

“I thought we were, if you don’t know then I must not be doing a good job.” Liz brightened when she saw him smile playfully. She wrapped her arms around him and laid her head on his chest.

“I love you Max,” she announced. The two stood there for minutes locked in each other’s embraces, never noticing that it had started snowing.

“Let’s go home,” Max said as he held Liz in his arms, still not wanting to let her go. She felt so good in his arms and he reveled in the fact that she fit so perfectly against him. He leaned down and started kissing her neck. He smiled when he heard her sigh. He loved the noises she made whenever they touched each other.

“Where do you want to go?” Liz asked not thinking clearly.

“I asked you first,” he told her, knowing what he causing her.

“My home is with you, wherever you are.” Max pulled away from Liz when she said that. He couldn’t believe that she would place so much with him. That last comment of her’s had to have been the most flattering thing he had heard in all his life.

“We’ll go to my apartment. Why don’t you leave your car here? We can come get it in the morning or something.”

“Okay, I just need to get your presents then.” She left his arms and started walking to her car with Max trailing behind.

“My presents? I thought you said that you didn’t get me any?” Max asked clearly confused.

“Oh please Max! This is me here. You are the first person I finished shopping for.”

When they arrived at Max’s house Liz sat on floor in the living room while Max went to get two glasses and a bottle of wine. When he came back he turned on his fire place and then used the remote for his cd player to put on some Christmas music. Once everything was set up Max sat next to Liz poured the drinks.

“Here’s to the most enchanting woman here with me,” he said as he handed her a glass. He poured himself one and then looked to a blushing Liz. She quickly cleared her throat.

“And to our first Christmas together, may we have many more together.” They each took a sip and then Max put them down and reached for Liz’s present which was right near them.

“Here.” Liz took the present and tried to shake it. She heard nothing inside and became intrigued. She neatly unwrapped the wrapping paper and tossed it aside carelessly before opening the white card board box surrounding her actual gift. Once she opened it and pulled out the tissue wrapped object she discarded the box. Slowly she tore the taped tissue paper and gasped when she saw what her present actually was. Max had watched her the entire time and looked lovingly on her as he saw the tears prick her eyes and the way she had started shaking.

It was medium sized wooden box. The carved polished cherry wood was one of the most appealing things Liz had ever seen. On the top there was an area sanded down smoothly in the middle of the box with the words ‘Will you marry me?’ carved out in a fancy font. Surrounding the even area tiny ripples waved through out the top, with an intricately carved design on the edge on the top of the box.

“Oh Max,” Liz’s voice was thick with emotion.

Max gently took the box from Liz’s shaking form. He placed the box on the ground and then looked back at her. His heart was pounding with anticipation and he closed his eyes as he sent a silent prayer to God willing him not to mess this moment up. When he opened his eyes he looked back at Liz. Was it possible that this captivating woman had just become even more alluring and bewitching then she had been a moment ago?

“I have a question to ask you.” He heard her give a nervous laugh and he smiled at his stupidity for starting it off like that. “All my life I had an idea of a woman, the woman I was going to marry. I knew her personality, but I never saw her face. As a result I spent a good majority of my time as a young man in insignificant relationships trying to locate her. And you know what I came up with? Didly squat. When I decided to stop looking for her I found her. In the years that we were separated I matured and realized all the things I had done when I was younger. I was ashamed that I treated you the way that I had. That first night we met up again I was given a second chance and I was more than happy to take it. On that night and the days that followed I fell...hard. You are the sweetest and purest thing in my life. When I think about you I feel like kicking myself for not realizing how precious you are, or were when we were younger. We missed so many years we could have spent together because I was obsessed with image, because now I know there will never be anyone else for me but you. These past few months have been the happiest of my life and you have become so much a part of my life. When I think about my future I can’t envision it without you in it. I don’t want to, so with that said, will you Elizabeth Parker do me the greatest honor and make the happiest man on Earth by becoming my wife?” After he stopped talking he looked at his girlfriend to see her in the same position she had been in when he started talking. “Liz?”

So many thoughts were going around in her head. Had Max just proposed to her? When she was a little girl she had always imagined herself with a stable job and married. The older she got the more she realized that she couldn’t have what she always wanted. She planned on having kids in the future and she imagined that her husband would feel the same way. She and Max had never talked about anything like that. She knew that she loved him, but there were still so many things left unsaid when it came to the future. Were they even ready for a commitment like this? Then again, if she were to say yes that wouldn’t mean they needed to get married right away.

“Oh Max,” she repeated again. “I would love to, but we’ve never talked about the future. I know what I want in five years, but I have no idea what you want.”

“It’s the future, we can decide together,” he brushed off.

“It’s not that easy Max. I would like to have a family one day Max. I want to be a mother and I can’t wait for the day when my child wakes me up at six o’clock in the morning because Santa was here the night before. I want to have a young child with my hair and my husband’s eyes. I want to experience the joy of having my son or daughter give me their first smile, and first step and I want to be there for them when they get older and go through...life. Children have always been something that I wanted. I would hate to marry someone that doesn’t want children.”

“I’ll tell you the truth Liz, I never thought about children. I always felt that if I had them then great.” He paused in seeing her crest fallen face. “But if they looked anything like you I would be willing to have a dozen.”

Liz’s expression changed to one of happiness. “Really?” His first admission startled her. She wanted everything, the experience of life, the job and children. To be truthful children had always been the one the thing she always wanted. She wanted someone to depend on her and love her unconditionally. She wanted her husband to support her in everything she did. She knew that Max would be behind one hundred percent when it came to life experience and her job, but children? In the past months she had imagined what it would be like to grow old with him, but children was a sketchy subject. She had never brought anything up about it to him in fear that he would break all ties with her because he felt like she was getting too serious.

“Yes really. You are the most important thing in my life and if children is what you desire, then I will be more than happy to oblige,” he admitted softly.

“You’re sure?” She asked as she bit her bottom lip.

“I’m positive, besides, imagine how much fun we’ll have trying to conceive.” He heard her giggled and knew he said the right thing. None of it mattered, his life or future, unless she was with him. “So, what do you say?”

“Yes!” She threw her arms around his neck and straddled his waist. Max held her as tight as he could before he leaned over and opened the box. Liz pulled back and watched as he placed a gold ring on her finger. The center stone was princess cut with pear cut side stones. Tears were openly streaming down Liz’s face as she kissed him with all the love she had in her. Max Evans had just made her the happiest woman in the world.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Back to the present)

“That’s why you won’t talk to me?” Liz asked. “Because this brings up your own insecurities?” Liz asked. She couldn’t believe he felt that way. Max had always been so confident and sure of himself. If her had any insecurities he never let anyone know, herself included.

“I’m scared of losing you Liz. I went through one relationship after another searching for my soulmate and after finding you Im afraid that my past will chase you away.”

“I thought you didn’t wouldn’t want me. I mean I know you did when you proposed, but I was always afraid that you would change your mind.”

“Nothing could keep me from you Liz.”

“Then why did you leave?” Liz asked coming to a halt as she tried to fight the emotion that was making it’s way to her voice. “It felt like you were giving up on us,” she burst out with a sob. “You just left, even when I begged you not to.”

Max felt his heart break when he saw Liz crying. She was the most important thing in his life and he hated to see her cry. He promised himself he would never make her cry and that was exactly what he had done. “Liz, I never meant to hurt you. I just wanted to make sure we were doing the right thing. Loving you has never been the problem in our relationship.”

“Then what has?” Liz asked interrupting him.

“I lose my head when I’m around you and I wanted to make sure I was ready to go through with things. Liz, I got scared there for a while. I was afraid that we would get married and end up divorced with you hating me.”

“When I stand up in front of everyone important to me and repeat the vows ‘through better or worse’ I will mean it,” she declared in a hard, cold voice. “You think we wouldn’t last, well let me tell you something bud,” she said as she poked his chest with her index finger. “I don’t plan on letting you go without a fight. I know that everything won’t be perfect. I know there will be both bad and good days. What do we have between the good days? The bad days, and I know those bad days will make our better days more worth while. It will make our marriage stronger. Do you think I never had doubts? I did! I just never ram away from them.”

“Then why are you refusing to marry me now?” He cried out.

“Because you left me! You lost your faith in us. How can I be there when you aren’t?”

“I told you I was thinking!”

“And you couldn’t have done that without not letting me know where you were? I was scared to death Max. We only have a few days until our wedding, how was I supposed to know you weren’t just going to run off and leave me?” She finally said getting down to the core of her problem. “A marriage is based on trust. Trust is something included on all levels! You left and to me, that signifies that you didn’t trust me enough to see where I stood.”

“It wasn’t that I didn’t trust you Liz, it was that I didn’t trust myself.”

“What?”

“I never wanted to hurt you. I’m so afraid that we will get married and spend a few years invested into this marriage before you realize this isn’t working out. I’m afraid that I will do something to ruin it all.”

“Why didn’t you ever say anything to me?”

“Because I didn’t know how. I know I messed up Liz, I won’t lie about that. You were right before. I have experienced many things in my life, but I only plan on marrying once, and I want that experience to be shared with you. I want to wake up every morning with you for the rest of my life. I want to be there for you through all your jobs and I want to be there when our children are born. I want you to be there every step of the way. Please don’t end this because I was stupid. Marry me and I will spend the rest of my life making it up to you,” he pleaded. They had stopped walking a while ago and he had framed her face in his hands, hoping that she could see the truth in his eyes.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Still in the present)

An hour and a half later Max and Liz were sitting in front of the fireplace at Max’s house. Max was holding a bottle of wine and was staring out into the fire with his jaw clamped shut. Liz looked at his profile and couldn’t help the smile that crossed her face. She knew she had made the right decision in staying with him. Though she would have preferred it that they talked sooner and gotten everything handled. Other than pre-wedding jitters she knew she shouldn’t have had doubts, but as she looked at him she fell in love all over again. Max had come along and made her feel things she had never imagined possible, and after years of going after him she finally got him. There was no way she was going to let him go without a fight.

“What are you thinking?” Liz asked. It had been a while since either of them had said anything.

“Nothing really,” Max replied. He turned his gaze to Liz and forgot how to breath. How had he gotten so lucky? What did she see in him? He played all those questions over in his head since he heard that Liz disappeared in the first place. Then, he had come to realization. Who cared? She was with him and he wasn’t about to lose her.

As Liz met his gaze evenly she made up her final decision. Tonight was the night they would finally consumate their relationship. In the past whenever they had started messing around Max would always stop them. Liz would start to feel inadequate and she would go into a shell for a couple of hours. She knew his past relationships had been very sexual and being with him as long as she had been she hated the fact that he would pull away. He could be in a relationship with her, but he couldn’t have sex with her.

No more. Liz needed this and she damn well planned on getting it. If he pulled away then she would just take matters into her own hands. Making the first initiative she pulled the wine glass out of his hands and set his along with hers on a table near her.

“What are you doing baby?” He asked as she straddled his lap, his arms automatically locking around her back.

“Kissing you,” she purred as she started licking and sucking on his neck.

“Mmmm, that feels really nice,” he said. He smiled when she nipped at his pulse point.

Liz kissed her way up to his lips and started kissing with all that she was worth. She could tell by the way that he was responding to her that he was more than a little surprised by her actions. Liz dipped her tongue out and ran it along Max’s bottom lip trying to tease him. She succeeded when he opened his mouth. Quickly she plunged her tongue into his mouth and started massaging his tongue with hers. Without breaking their lip lock Liz reached down and grabbed his sweater and shirt in her hands, pulling her head away briefly to pull them over his head. Once they were discarded she ran her hands over his chest, pinching his nipples. Max hissed and pulled her mouth back to his for a fierce kiss.

Liz kissed her way down Max’s stomach making sure not to miss a spot. Her hands ran everywhere her mouth wasn’t and had gyrated her hips causing him to moan out loud. Under Liz’s onslaught Max forced himself to bring her as much pleasure as she seemed to be striding for him. He pulled her shirt over her head and moved his head down to kiss her neck. On his lap, Liz had not stopped her ministrations and had also started moaning. Kissing his way down the column of her neck his left hand helped to guide her hips while his other hand pulled down the strap of her bra. After showering her neck and shoulders with kisses his hands found their way around her back and unsnapped her bra in one smooth motion.

Once her breasts were revealed Max wasted no time in cupping them in his hands, marveling that they seemed to fit perfectly in each palm. It made Max think that they were made for each other in that aspect. He pinched the nipples between is index finger and thumb before he leaned over and ran his tongue over one hardened peak while stimulating the other one with his hand. He heard her gasp and continued his ministrations.

Liz had stopped everything under his assault. It wasn’t the first time that Max had been able to turn her into a pile of mush. There was just something about his touch. With one look he made her heart pound and just the way he said her name her stomach would flutter. His hands were magical...and the things he could do with his tongue! His smoldering gaze whenever they made out made Liz feel an ache deep within. It was one that she had never been able to relieve, but tonight that would change. She would make sure of it. Liz opened her eyes looked at Max, he met her gaze head on.

“We should stop,” Max said.

STOP? That was the last thing she wanted to do. She refused to give in to his wants. She didn’t understand why he always stopped them, but she was going to make sure she found out. Her eyes traveled to Max’s well sculptured chest and then lower. Her eyes widened when she realized that Max wasn’t wearing anything and that he his sex was standing proud and tall. When had they gotten naked and how could he even think of stopping now?

“You’re probably right,” she agreed as she sat up. She leaned over and started kissing him again. “But I’m not going to.” She noticed his eyes close and she smiled before closing her own.

Max could feel his resolve weakening. Every time they got to this point Liz pushed him further and further to what he really wanted. Usually when he would stop them she would go along and he would spend the rest of the night reassuring her of his love. His eyes popped open and he pulled away from her.

“Liz...”

“No, I don’t want to hear it. How many times have we come this close and then stopped because it’s what you thought was best? I don’t know why you won’t sleep with me. We’ve been together for over a year and I had to go out a buy a dildo to relieve my...frustrations,” told him as she laughed.

Max noticed that Liz kept talking, but he could no longer hear anything she said. He had no idea if she was serious or not, but his brain had stopped when he heard the words ‘dildo’ and ‘relieve’ in the sane sentence coming from Liz. The thought of her naked and with a dildo near by made quite a few day dreams come to life. What he would give to see her nice pus-

“Max? Hello? Are you listening to me?”

“I’m sorry, repeat your statement.”

“What are you waiting for?”

“I thought it would be better if we were married first.”

“And why would you think that?”

“Because that’s how it goes in the bible.”

“Max, are you married?” A the shake of his head she continued. “Are you a virgin?” Again he shook his head. “Neither am I, so why would you think that we needed to do this?”

“Because ever since I gotten to know you all over again it just seemed like the right thing to do.”

“Max, honey, I appreciate that. I really do, but I don’t think there’s anything wrong with this. It’s not like this is some meaningless rump in the sack. I love you and I want to share the most intimate thing a man and a woman can share.”

“You mean it?”

“Of course I do.”

Max smiled at her and leaned in for a kiss. It was one that included all the love and longing he had been feeling since he first met her, and it was a promise of things to come. Liz smiled in between kisses. She finally got it, him. Their lips never broke contact as she laid back and he followed her nestling in between her legs. He supported himself on one arm as he kissed her from her mouth to her neck and finally to her breasts. His other arm ran teasingly up and down one thigh and he heard her moan. He slipped his hand inside her thighs and ran his finger on the outside of her sex before dipping it inside. She was so hot and wet for him. It wasn’t the first time they had gone this far and he loved how tight her pussy was.

When he felt that he had prepped her enough he pulled away and looked down at her. Her eyes were closed and she was breathing heavily. He was mesmerized by the way her skin was lit up by the fire. This moment would be forever etched in his mind. “Liz, open your eyes for me.”

She opened her eyes and met his gaze head on. He was awed by the love shining in her eyes and he swallowed hard. He pushed the tip of his cock in slowly making sure that they both remembered this feeling for the rest of their lives. When he was in all the way to the hilt he groaned loudly. She was so tight around him. It only emphasized his earlier thoughts...she was perfect for him.

“I love you Liz, so much.”

“I love you too, forever.”

With that final declaration he pulled back slowly until he was almost completely out and surged back in. Liz had butterflies in her stomach from the time that she had felt the tip of him inside her. He moved in and out of her repeatedly causing both to moan and breathe heavily.

Max had yet to brake gazes with Liz. He could see her pleasure clearly written out on her face and felt pride swelling up inside him. He was the one that was bringing her to such lengths. She started shifting her hips to meet his thrusts and he started picking up the speed. He knew it wouldn’t be long now.

“God Liz, I can’t last much longer.”

“Don’t worry, me neither.”

Max felt her walls clamp down on him and he felt her stiffen. She started moaning uncontrollably and clutching at his arms. Just the feel of her and the sounds she was making pushed him over the edge. He burried his head in the crook of her neck and let out a cry as his cum emptied inside her in hot spurts. As soon as he recovered he began showering her with kisses and whispering words of love.

“You are the most important thing in my world and I’m going to spend the rest of my life proving it to you,” he said as he rolled over. “I have a feeling that you and I are going to have a very happy life together.”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” she agreed and kissed his neck.

Chapter 8
(After the rehearsal dinner)

“Have I told you how proud of you I am?” Jeffrey Parker asked his daughter as she walked him to his car. “I know that it doesn’t seem like it because I’m not here anymore, but I do mean it. You have always been my pride and joy and even more so since your mom passed away.” He put his arm around Liz’s shoulder and pulled her closer as he kissed her temple. “Honey, you don’t blame me for not being there do you?” He had always felt guilty about moving away, but he couldn’t be around Roswell anymore with Nancy gone. There were just too many reminders of the love he once had.

“What?” Liz asked. The question caught her off guard. She knew that she was very important in her father’s life, but the truth was they never talked about anything serious.

“I mean how I left Roswell after your mom died.”

“Oh no daddy,” she denied strongly. “I don’t blame you at all.” In truth Liz didn’t know how it felt to experience the death of a lover or spouse. Her parents had met in college and married right after they graduated. They had spent over half of their lives together. She didn’t know how she would react if Max died after they spent so many years together. Liz honestly didn’t understand how her father felt about her mother now, but she knew he felt guilty and the last thing he needed was to feel worse.

“I can’t believe you are getting married tomorrow,” he said wistfully as they stopped at his car. “Sometimes when I look at you I see you as the same six year old girl who wore pig tails in her hair. If I could I would have kept you that age.”

Liz smiled as she watched her father. He had obviously conjured up an old memory. She had always been a daddy’s girl. When she was younger, no matter how busy he had gotten he would always make time for her. Wherever her father was, her mother wasn’t that far away. All of her memories were with both her mom and dad being there. “Do you think mom’s watching?” Jeff noticed that her voice sounded strange, like a mixture of curiosity and fright fir even bringing it up. He took a breath, not completely ready to talk about it, but feeling that she needed some sort of answer on the matter.

“She wouldn’t miss it for all the stars in the sky,” he replied. “Do you remember what she said before she died?”

“Yeah, she told me that she would be at every important event in my life as long as I had her with me.” She wiped away her tears and threw her arms around his neck. “I love you daddy.”

“I love you too pumpkin.”

They exchanged quick kisses before he got into his car and drove off. Liz watched him until he was no longer in view. She couldn’t think back to a time when she and her father talked about their mother together. It wasn’t that Liz wasn’t allowed to mention it, it had just become some unspoken agreement that Nancy was never mentioned.

“I bet it was nice to see your father again,” Max noted as he squeezed her shoulders quickly before pulling her closer to his body.”

“Yeah.” She spun around and kissed his cheek. “So, how are your parents?”

“Well, when I walked my parents to their car dad shook my hand and mother burst into tears saying something about her little boy slipping away from her.”

Liz smiled at him. “So, where are the others?” She asked referring to their friends.

“They wanted to buy us some drinks, so we are meeting them in about ten minutes.” He walked her to his car and helped her inside.

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

“Where the hell are Max and Liz?” Michael roared as he, Maria, Isabel, Alex, Kyle and Tess sat around the table. Maria rolled her eyes at her boyfriend’s inpatient behavior. Michael had never been one to just sit back and relax.

“You did tell them the correct place and time right?” Isabel wondered as she looked at her nails. Max was never an example of punctuality, but he had never been so late before.

“Yes,” Kyle snapped. Isabel made it look like she was the only capable person and that everyone around her were village idiots. He felt Tess grab his hand under the table and squeeze it and he repeated the gesture, showing her he was thankful.

“Look,” Alex said breaking in. He didn’t want to put up with anyone arguing, especially Isabel. “We all know it was a miracle getting them to that dinner in the first place. Who knew they would become such horn dogs after discovering sex.” He shut his mouth when Isabel shot him a dirty look.

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

“Oh god Liz,” Max moaned as she rode him in the back seat of his car. They were in the back of the parking lot where they were supposed to be meeting the others, but things got a little out of control.

“Ugh,” she panted. He kissed her hard and moved his hands to her ass helping her glide up and down his enlarged member.

Liz pulled away from Max’s mouth and let out a strangled cry. She loved feeling him inside her, she loved how they made each other feel. They had rarely left the comfort of a bed in the last couple of days.

“Mmmm, baby I’m so close,” he confessed.

“I know, me too.” She started moving faster and he met her downward thrusts with his own.

“Aahh god,” he groaned.

Max felt her walls clamp down on him and she wrapped her arms tightly around him as she went rigid. With a few more pumps Max was there. He found release in the embrace letting out a cry, shooting his cum deep inside her.

They stayed locked together until their breathing calmed. Liz made the first move by kissing his neck before moving off his lap. She hit her head on the roof of the car before moving to the seat next to him. She pulled her underwear back on before pulling her skirt down as he put his pants back up. Liz took her mirror out of her purse and began fixing herself up.

As the pair walked inside they kept checking themselves, making sure they looked presentable. Their hands were locked as they approached the table where their friends were, sitting down without saying a word. They received annoyed looks and sarcastic comments about their tardyness, which they chose to ignore.

“Geez, what did you guys do? Squeeze in a quickie?” He asked jokingly, but when he looked at the couple’s red faces the smile fell from his own. He looked around to find Isabel not looking anywhere in Max’s direction. Maria and Kyle wore smirks as Tess shook her head and Michael rolled his eyes. “So, drinks?”

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

Liz stared nervously at her reflection. Her heart pounded hard against her chest and she was breathing deeply. Her eyes were wide and her hands were shaking. Why did women go through so much stress just to be married. If she had it her way she would have eloped in Vegas or something.

Liz really didn’t need to complain though. She and Max had decided on a small wedding which only included family and few close friends. Everyone else could read it in the newspaper for all Liz cared. She wasn’t nervous because she would be in front of everyone, she was scared that she would mess up her vows or embarrass herself in one form or another. That thought was murder for her, she could feel her palms start to sweat.

“Liz, sweetie, you need to breathe,” Maria soothed as she turned her friend to face her. Isabel had gone out to her car to get some more bobby pins and Tess had yet to arrive. “Big inhale, exhale slowly. Big inhale, exhale slowly.” Liz listened to Maria and did as she was told. “Feel better?”

“A little. I’m just...what if I mess up and forget the words or I trip and fall? Everyone is going to have their eyes on me and you know that nothing goes right for me.”

“Then you mess up.”

“Don’t be so smug. Let’s see how you act when it comes to your turn Miss Deluca,” Liz warned playfully.

“Well, next July I know I will be a lot more relaxed,” her friend descriptively shot back.

Liz had been putting on her lip liner when she hear Maria’s statement. She shot around with her hands covering her mouth. “He proposed?”

“Yes!” The two squealed and started jumping up and down. Maria was thankful that she was finally able to share the news with her best friend. Liz was glad that her friend was finally getting what she had wanted for the past year.

“Oh my god, why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

“Because with the way you were acting I wasn’t even sure if you were going to have a wedding and I didn’t want to make you feel bad. I know I shouldn’t have told you today considering that it is your wedding day and everything, but I couldn’t wait!”

“Maria, you never need to hide anything from me. You are my best friend and I want to be there with you when you experience everything.”

“I only hope we can be as happy as you and Max. Anyway, enough about me.”

“After everything, I still can’t help but think of the bad times. The thoughts made me insecure and I’m scared that Max is going to leave me at the alter or something.”

“Leave you? Sweetie, he fought to keep you in his life. I highly doubt he’s going to leave you.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Back in the groom’s room Max wasn’t feeling much better. He wasn’t nervous, his energy was mostly because he was anxious. He couldn’t wait to declare his love for Liz in front of all the people that meant something to him. Besides that, he was still afraid that Liz would leave him. His thought was that it would be harder for her to leave if they were married.

“So, I did it,” Michael brought up. He looked to see Max trying to center his tie and Alex was fiddling with something.

“What?” Alex asked distractedly.

“I proposed to Maria.”

“About time. That’s great man. What decided to make you propose now?”

“Actually, you and Liz. First because Maria and I have been together way longer than you two and she was subtly hinting things in that direction. The other reason was because Amy threatened my life.”

Max’s eyes lit up and he started laughing. That had to have been one of the most entertaining things he had heard in a while. The funny part was he could actually see Amy chasing Michael around.

“So...did you propose only because of Amy?” Max asked. “That would not be cool man.”

“It’s not like I never wanted to marry her, it’s just that I like things the way they are.” Max nodded, showing him he understood. “So, you and Liz must be pretty happy.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Well, besides the your wedding...maybe it’s the fact that you and Liz have rarely left a bedroom the last few days.”

“We’re rehearsing for the honeymoon,” he replied with devilish smile. Michael laughed at his friend’s expression.

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

“Let’s get the bride and groom dancing,” Maria announced to everyone at the reception.

“Maria I have waited for this all my life, don’t push,” Liz warned. It wasn’t that she wasn’t thankful that Maria, Isabel and Tess had done everything in their power to keep up everything even when she thought there would be no point. It was just that now that it was her day she wanted everything to be perfect and Maria rushing them was not something she wanted to do. She wanted to take her time and experience this with her husband. Wow, husband. That was something she would definitely have to get used to.

At that moment Everything by Life House started playing. Liz had been talking to Maria just then and when the song came on she paused before looking for Max. She smiled brightly when she saw him walking towards her. He looked so handsome in his tux. He certainly looked more relaxed and comfortable.

“I’m sure you all wouldn’t mind if I steal my wife from you ladies,” he said addressing Isabel, Tess and Maria. He grabbed Liz’s hand and spun her towards him. When she collided with his chest she laughed joyfully.

“So, I think the ceremony went good,” Liz commented.

“Yes it did, you did a sensational job.”

“Well, you weren’t so bad yourself Mr. Evans.” Slowly other couples began dancing around them, but neither noticed.

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

“I think this is the perfect wedding for Max and Liz, however, when Michael and I get married I want a huge ceremony and reception,” Maria announced as she and Tess stood together.

“You want a big wedding?”

“I’ve always wanted a big one. I just figure, it’s my day so things might as well be extravagant,” her voice hired as she spotted Michael and Kyle making their way towards them.

“What are you nagging about now blondie?”

“Oh, I was just telling Tess about the large wedding we are going to have.”

“No we aren’t.”

“Really? So, what did you have in mind?”

“Justice of the peace. You know, us declaring our love in a roach infested room,” he answered with as much of a serious face as he could muster. He was just kidding and loved to play around with Maria.

“Michael Guerin!” She hit his arm a few times and he reached out for her arms holding her in place as he kissed her.

“So, where are Isabel and Alex?” Kyle asked.

“He like a gentleman, pulled her onto the dance floor without having to be asked,” Tess shot back. She loved Kyle with all her heart but, he was certainly wasn’t the romantic type.

“A gentleman huh?” Kyle checked. At his girlfriend’s nod he pulled her onto the floor with out so much as another word to his friends.

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

“This is so beautiful,” Isabel sighed as she laid her head against Alex’s shoulder. He leaned down and kissed her head.

“Isabel, I...” he pulled away and dropped to one knee. Isabel looked at him in confusion before she started to worry herself.

“Alex?” She dropped down to his level. “Are you all right?” She touched his face. She could feel him shaking under her palm. He leaned into it lightly as he closed his eyes for a brief moment and taking a deep breath.

“Please stand up Isabel,” he requested when he started feeling a little better. He took a quick survey of everyone around them and noticed that Max, Liz, Maria and Michael, Tess and Kyle were staring hard.

“Alex?” He looked back at her with a smile.

“Please, just do it.”

“Okay,” she did as he asked and when she looked down at him on one knee it clicked. “Oh my god,” she brought her hands to her mouth. By then, everyone around them stopped dancing.

“I’ve been trying to get my nerves up for this for weeks, but every time I saw you I turned into a puddle of mush. What I want to say is that I love you, I have since the first moment I saw you when I was at the house to pick up Liz for our blind date. When things didn’t work out between us I had hoped something would happen wit you and I, and I was lucky because I had the chance to be with the most gentle and sweet woman. Over the last years we have had our ups and downs and they only make me love you more. I know I’m not the most handsome or sly guy in the world, but I was wondering if you would consider marrying me.”

During his speech Isabel was in tears. She had often wondered what her life would be like if she and Alex ever got married. Things were mostly good between them, but she never would have imagined that he proposed to her. She had brought the subject up with him and he always told her the same thing, he wasn’t ready. After their last talk she had pretty much given up the thought of marriage.

“Yes,” she whispered back. Alex lifted up the ring and shakily placed it on her ring finger. When he stood back up he scooped her up and twirled around with her. All around everyone was applauding for them.

Epilogue
(3 years later)

“Do we have to go?” Max whined as he and Liz got in the car. “Don’t we see my sister enough?”

“Max, she just got home from the hospital after having Gemma,” Liz lectured as though he were just a child.

“I know,” he conceded. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to go over and see his sister, but he knew that everyone would be there.

A pregnant Maria and Michael along with their daughter Faith. Tess and Kyle with their twin boys Jeramiah and Jonah. Isabel and Alex were right there with them now having Gemma. He loved his family and friends, but it made him feel bad when he and Liz were around them.

He had never really thought about children, let alone wanted them. After that night with Liz and hearing her confession he would give them to her because he knew how important they were to her. Soon after their wedding they began trying to get pregnant. The first year Liz was upset when there was no baby. The second year, Max felt himself saddened at that fact. So far during the third year, envy and jealousy set in. Why were their friends able to get pregnant and have kids so easily and they weren’t?

Max couldn’t talk to anyone about how he felt. First off, he knew that Liz felt horrible about the fact that she couldn’t get pregnant. She had taken it worse than him and as a result the word ‘baby’ was never uttered between them, it hadn’t been since the first year.

“I know you don’t want to go, but it’s your sister. Besides I can’t wait to get Gemma in my arms.”

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

“Oh Iz, she’s so beautiful!” Liz told her sister-in-law as she gazed down into the eyes of her niece. Max looked on wistfully from the sidelines. After spending so much time with their friends’ children Max had no doubt that Liz would be a great mom. He just hated seeing her like this. She would be happy around the kids and then she would be depressed the rest of the day.

“I know.”

“So, what made you pick that name?”

“It was the name of a Canadian actress that I once read years ago. I just thought it was a great name. Besides it sounded better with Whitman, more so than any of our other decisions did.”

Tess looked over at her son’s playing with Faith. Lucky that Maria and Michael married when they did. She was already three months pregnant. Tess and Kyle were the next to be blessed with a child, or children in their case. They were married in the hospital right before she gave birth. Everyone seemed to be rounding off, everyone but Liz and Max.

“So Liz, when do you plan on having a baby?”

“Well, I had hoped for one these past few years, but the best I can do is five and a half months.” As Liz slipped that last part in and snuck a glance at her husband. His head shot up and a coy smile made it’s way on to her face as she touched her stomach. Their eyes met and their hearts were pounding. Everyone around them faded.

“You’re...really...pregnant?” Max asked unsurely. She nodded her and made a step for it. “Really?”

“Yes, I’m pregnant!” Max ran up to her and scooped her into his arms. Their lips met in a messy, but loving kiss. He set her down on her feet and kneeled in front of her moving his hands to her flat stomach and began to caress it.

“Daddy loves you baby girl, he loves you so much.” He took a breath to kiss Liz’s stomach. “You are going to be a great baby that is loved and cherished. You need to treat mommy well for the next few months and I’ll be waiting for you when you get here.”

“Girl? It could be a boy you know,” Liz pointed out.

“No, it’s going to be a girl that looks exactly like her mother,” he said in a soft voice as he thought of it.

“Whatever you say Max.” He stood up and kissed her again.

“I love you Liz, I love you so much. I finally have everything that I could ever need, and you were the one that made that possible for me. Thank you so much.”

“I love you too Max...forever.”