Roswell Fanatics

In Another Mind’s Eye

Author: Michelle (Pegleg)

Summary: Liz wakes up in a world where Max never healed her.

Rating: Hmmm, probably MATURE for language.

Category: AU, Max/Liz mostly, with a little bit of the other characters thrown in.

Disclaimer: I don’t own anything to do with Roswell or its characters, I just use them for my own amusement.

Author’s Note: So I had this really amazing title that I absolutely loved, but I needed a story to go with it. So this is what came out. Enjoy!

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Prologue

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“Liz you can’t do this,” Maria pleaded, standing between her friend and the only exit to the room.

“Maria, get out of my way,” Liz said tiredly. And tired she was. It’s not like she’d been sleeping well lately, not for the last six months in fact. Not since Max had disappeared.

“Liz, please don’t. I know you’re hurting now, but…”

“You know!” Liz yelled, losing her temper once again. “You know, huh? How can you possibly know what I’m feeling? You are not me! You can’t possibly understand!”

“Liz we all lost somebody here,” Michael replied softly, trying to calm her.

“Oh I’m sorry, did you lose the love of your life? Was your husband stuck in that white room for six months, while you felt him slipping away every moment of it, knowing that you couldn’t do anything to stop it? Did you know the moment he died, felt it with your entire being as if for the first time you were really alone in the world? Do you know what that kind of agony feels like? Well?” she asked, looking around the room at her friends.

She was met with silence.

“I didn’t think so.”

“Liz, there’s no way that any of us can know what you feel. But we’ve all lost in this. And this idea that you have…it’s dangerous Liz. We have no idea what could happen…”

“Isabel, it doesn’t matter what could happen. What matters is that I can change this, I can make it better. If I can go back and…”

“Liz!” Maria interrupted. “Even if this works, you know what it’ll mean, right? Stopping Max from saving you…”

“Yes Maria, I know what it means. But if he never saved me, you guys never would have been exposed,” she said, looking at Michael and Isabel. “Alex never would have died and Max…” She wavered a little bit. After a moment, she gained her voice back. “Max would still be here. I think my life is worth the lives of two others, don’t you?”

“Liz…”

“I’ve made up my mind you guys. There’s nothing you can do to stop me. I don’t have anything left anymore,” with that Liz passed by Maria and left the motel room she’d spent the last week in. They’d have to move along soon. She hoped they didn’t try to go after her.

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

“Liz wait.”

“Kyle,” Liz responded warningly, tiredly. She wasn’t up for a fight on this, nothing any of them said was going to stop her.

As soon as she was out the door, everyone had looked to Kyle. He was the only one who hadn’t said anything through her whole tirade. Maria had urged him to go, knowing that of all people, maybe he could talk some sense into her. Kyle and Liz had been getting closer over the last few months, Kyle being the one Liz decided to confide her feelings in…feelings that she’d kept hidden until tonight.

Through it all Liz had been the pillar of optimism. The one who swore they’d find a way, the one that drove them on. Only Kyle had known how she really felt…lost. Max’s death must have just been the blow that finally sent her over the edge.

“Look Liz, I realize why you’re doing this. And it’s all very noble of you, I assure you, but have you stopped to think about us for a moment? We’re lost without you Liz…you’re what holds us together. What are we suppose to do without that?”

“As soon as I finish this, you won’t have to worry.”

“What if it doesn’t work Liz? What if something goes wrong? I don’t think we can deal with another loss here Liz.”

“But if…no when it does work, it won’t matter anymore. You’ll all go back to normal lives where none of this ever happened. And you won’t even remember any of it.”

“But if it doesn’t work we’ll be stuck in a worse place then we were before.”

“I didn’t tell you that I was getting premonitions again, did I?” Liz said suddenly.

Kyle was taken aback by her sudden remark, he hadn’t expected that. “No.”

“Kyle, we don’t have much time left anyway. They’re going to find us sooner or later and I’d rather try to stop it all before it happens then sit around and wait for the inevitable.”

“It’s not like you haven’t had premonitions before. We’ve always stopped them before.”

“Not this time Kyle. There’s something different this time, and I don’t think it’s anything we can stop.”

“Why Liz? What did you see?”

Liz closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. She couldn’t say it…no, it was just too much.

“Kyle, just trust me when I say that what I’m doing is what’s best for all of us. There is no other way.”

“Well, what are we supposed to do?”

“My best advice?” Liz asked, heaving her bag up higher on her shoulder. “Run.”

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

Liz was tired when she got to the pod chamber. It had been a long bus ride back to Roswell, and she hadn’t been prepared for the gutted sense that hit her. She hadn’t stepped foot in her home town for over two years now. And how desperately she’d wanted to just step into the Crashdown and see how much was still the same, there were some things she was sure would never change.

But she couldn’t, she knew she couldn’t. In order to ensure this plan succeeded she had to stay as inconspicuous as possible. The last thing she needed was for them to find her just as she was reaching her goal.

So as soon as the bus had dropped her off, she was headed back towards the highway, hitchhiking as she could, walking the rest, until she was at the chamber.

Climbing the rock towards the caverns entrance, Liz couldn’t help the memories that flooded her mind. So much had happened on this exact spot. It’s where she’d run away from Max after learning his Destiny; God she hated that word. A little of her had died that day. It’s where they’d learned of Tess’s betrayal, and watched as she catapulted away from earth, towards Antar. Where Max declared his new found quest to save his son. Yeah, a little of her had died that day too.

But in the end she got her fairy tale ending. She had married Max, and though they were on the run, they were going to live happily ever after. Or were they?

Apparently not.

Liz finally reached the entrance to the pod chamber and ran her hand over the handprint she knew was hiding there. She silver print glowed beneath her palm and Liz pressed her hand to it, hearing the hiss as the rock door moved aside, giving her a place to climb through. Thank goodness for alien powers.

When Tess had taken up in the black cone that occupied the center of the chamber and left this planet, they’d thought that was it, that the granolith was gone. But as they learned later, the granolith was much more than the simple transport pod that had occupied its center. The granolith was an ancient power, one even the Antarians didn’t completely understand, a power that inhibited this whole chamber, one that would let her go back and set things right, once and for all.

Stepping over to the center of the room, Liz took a deep breath before taking the book out of her backpack. She’d searched the translation back and forth until she’d found the loop-hole, the answer to all of their problems hidden within its pages. Putting the pages down, Liz searched the walls of the chamber for the buttons she would need. A certain pattern was all she needed to set the granolith to take her wherever she wanted…or whenever.

How exactly that would happen, Liz didn’t know. But there was no turning back now.

Following her instructions carefully, Liz made the necessary adjustments and waited.

Nothing happened.

Liz sighed, looking down at the book thinking that she must have done something wrong, when suddenly the chamber was filled with a blinding white light.

And then everything went black.

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

Part 1

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A faint light shone in through the windows as my eyes flutter open, seeking out the glowing numbers of the clock through their blurry vision.

5:08

I roll over, fighting the sleep that still wants to take over me. After a few short moments, that actually turned out to be about ten minutes, I sit up, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. I still feel the dull aching in my head, the remnants of a headache. I must have fallen asleep.

Standing up, I make my way towards the bathroom. I turn on the faucet and look at my reflection in the mirror before splashing the cold water on my face, in a desperate attempt to remove the daze from my brain.

It’s at that moment that it all comes rushing back to me. The granolith chamber, the intensely bright light, the darkness that ensued…the others, the life I left behind…Max.

And I cry. I have nothing else I can do as my body collapses to the floor, as the despair overtakes me.

Something has gone terribly wrong.

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

When I checked the date, I wasn’t too surprised to find that it was the same day that I was in the granolith chamber. The same day that was supposed to send me back in time, so that I could stop everything from ever happening. But somehow, I get the feeling that things didn’t work out completely as I planned.

I know this place, I know this apartment, I know this furniture, but it’s not mine. Not as I remember myself anyway. But then it is. I don’t quite know how to explain it, but I remember things, a whole life that to me never happened. But somehow I know it did.

I’m not making any sense am I?

This place, wherever I am, is familiar to me, but I’ve never been here before in my life. This body, this body is identical to mine except for the faded scar that mars an otherwise identical stomach…but, it’s not me.

It’s like I’ve fallen into another dimension or something. I have all these memories, memories of things I know never happened to me, but did?

Has it all been a dream? The past five years of my life just the elaborate fashionings of an over-active imagination?

It’s like I have the memories of two distinct lives. One, the life I’ve always known. The other, a life that seems to fit the situation in which I currently find myself; where this apartment is mine, where everything with the FBI and evil aliens and Tess never happened, where Max never healed me…

And so this is where I find myself; in a life I never knew, in a world that isn’t mine.

Yet, isn’t this what I wanted to happen? After all, I was going back in time to stop Max from saving me, and isn’t that what this is? A world where Max and the others are safe, and Alex is still alive.

Oh my god, Alex! I’m…I’m dating Alex? This apartment, it isn’t just mine…I share it with Alex!

Why can’t things ever just be normal?

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

I am so so amazed and excited by the positive response to this story. I'm glad you guys like it so much and that just makes me want to write it more. So thank you for the great feedback and enjoy the next part.

Also, I have a little thing to plea for. Please visit my thread on the off-topic board and help me out with a little project I'm working on.

LINK to off topic thread

Thanks again and enjoy!

~Michelle

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Part 2

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“Hey sweetie, I’m home.”

I hear the door being opened followed by Alex’s voice. Automatically I run to him, not having seen him in nearly three years, at least in the life I remembered. However in this life, I apparently saw him just this morning.

“Alex!” I yell as I jump into his arms, wrapping my own securely around him. No matter how many times the others tried to convince me, I knew on some level that Alex’s death was my fault. From what future Max had told me, I knew that Alex wasn’t supposed to have died. Something I did made that happen. I was able to prevent the end of the world, but did it really matter in the end? Look at where it got me.

“Well hello to you too,” Alex smiled, pulling me tightly to him. “You act as if you haven’t seen me in ages. Have a particularly exciting day?”

“Uh, no,” I stumble. “Just glad to see you.”

“Well I’m glad to see you too,” Alex says, moving his face to mine and laying a kiss on my lips. It was short and sweet, but there is no better way to explain it than…weird. Just…kissing Alex, it feels wrong. How did this happen anyway?

The memories come rushing to me and I push them aside for now. We’ll explore those later.

Alex must have noticed how uncomfortable I felt cause he pulled away. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” I say quickly. I can’t deal with him until I figure this out. “I uh…I’m just tired. I think I’m getting a headache.”

“Oh, I’m sorry honey. How about you rest a bit and I’ll make dinner tonight?”

“Uh sure,” I say slowly. I mean really, how do you talk to your best friend slash supposed lover.

“So, pizza or Chinese?”

Liz looked at him oddly for a moment until his question registered. Alex couldn’t cook. He was asking what I want delivered.

“Um Chinese.”

“Sounds great. The usual?”

“Yeah, sure.”

He looks at me unsurely, obviously taken aback by my odd behavior, but doesn’t say anything. He goes into the kitchen to make the order, leaving me to myself.

As soon as he’s gone, I bury my head in my hands. How do I even begin to deal with this?

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

After dinner we sat on the couch, Alex’s arms wrapped tightly around me. This isn’t too bad. Alex was always a great friend and often when I was scared or confused like I am now, he would hold me and comfort me, just like he is now. But this time is different. There’s more to it, but I try not to think about it too much.

But after a while it all gets to me and I have to get out of here.

“I’m really tired. I think I’m going to hit the sac early,” I yawn, pulling away from him, hoping he will believe the sentiment.

“Oh, ok. Um, is there anything I can get for you?” he asks hesitantly, and then it hits me. Damnit! His Liz would usually rather fall asleep in his arms than go to bed early. Oh well, I can just claim the headache.

“No. My head just really hurts and I think I just need some extra sleep.”

“Alright then,” Alex says, kissing me again. I can’t help but pull back at the oddness of it.

“Goodnight,” I say quickly, making my way towards the bedroom and away from my best friend.

“Yeah. Goodnight,” he says, sounding somewhat dejected. I have to figure this out soon. I can’t stand to be the one hurting him like this.

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

Instead of going to sleep, I laid awake in bed for hours. It just didn’t feel right. This isn’t really my bed, isn’t really my life. I don’t know what to do with myself. I feel so lost.

Alex came in hours later, crawling into the bed behind me. He wrapped his arms around me, hugging his body closely behind mine, and placing a kiss to my temple before settling in for sleep.

I kept my eyes closed tightly as long as I could, trying to convince him I was asleep, but as soon as I heard his breath evening out, suggesting the oncoming of his sleep, my eyes opened with a start.

And that’s when the tears came. I laid in the dark, crying, because I had no idea what to do with the life that I’d gotten myself into. And never in my life had I ever felt so lost and alone as I did in those short hours, with nothing to comfort me. I’ve never been so close to someone and felt so alone all at the same time.

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

I smile as I walk across the campus, loving the feel of the cool air as it rushes across my face. For the first time in the last 24 hours I feel content…happy even.

I finally realized the benefits of my situation. There’s no point in trying to go back, there’s nothing for me back there. Besides, I did what I came to do. Well, I didn’t actually do anything, but it still came out with the same result. Max never healed me, my friends are all safe, there was never any agent Pierce, no skins, no Nascedo…no Tess.

Everything is like it was before. Back when things were good, when things were normal.

And I have what I always wanted, am where I always wanted to be…getting my degree in molecular biology from Harvard University.

I’m walking to class!

I can’t help but smile at the thought. In my real life…well, my other life, I never got the chance to go to college, never got to continue my education like I’d always wanted. We were always on the run, always moving…never stopping long enough to even breathe. At least, that’s what it felt like sometimes.

But now…now I feel so free. Like I can do anything, be whatever I want to be. And it feels great. No more questions, no more suspicions…just…me.

And the best part…I don’t have to hide anymore.

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

“Mmmm…whatcha making?” Alex says coming up behind me, looking at the pots over my shoulder.

“Chicken fettuccini alfredo.”

“Smells good.”

I smile. This feels right, normal. Cooking for someone, having a real home.

Alex wraps his arms around my waist, about to bring his lips to the side of my face, but I stiffen. I can’t help it. I know how I’m supposed to feel. That I’m supposed to love him…but, as much as I love this illusion of normalcy, his motions bring me crashing back to reality.

This isn’t how it’s supposed to be…not with Alex.

I’m sure he noticed the tenseness in my body, cause he pulled back suddenly. I hold my breath, expecting a confrontation, but it never comes. He doesn’t say anything, just walks towards the bedroom.

“So how was your day?” he calls, but I notice the tone in his voice; he’s frustrated, hurt.

I hate this. I hate hurting him. But…I don’t know what I’m supposed to do. I can’t just pretend that I’m in love with Alex, I just can’t. That’s not me; it never will be.

There’s only one person that I can ever love, and unfortunately in this timeline, I never had him.

“Pretty good.”

“Yeah?”

“Uh huh. Class was great,” I reply smiling. I still can’t get over how great it feels to go to class. I never knew how much I was missing. “How was yours?”

“Classes were alright. Work was tiring. I’m glad to be home,” Alex said as he came out of the bedroom, now changed into his normal jeans.

Guilt takes over me as I realize how much he works. How he puts in 10 hour days between school and work, all so he can pay for this. He won’t let me pay for the apartment, won’t let me help. Must be some kind of righteous, ego thing.

“I’m sorry,” I say truthfully.

“Well, at least I get to come home to a beautiful girlfriend and a delicious dinner.”

I smile. Why does he have to be so sweet? It just makes this that much harder. Of course, that’s what I always loved about Alex. He was always the greatest guy, the best of friends…but that was it. Just friends.

“Speaking of which,” I say as he walks back into the kitchen. “Dinner’s ready.”

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

“That was delicious.” Alex looked up from his plate, smiling.

“Thank you,” I smiled back, unable to come up with anything else respond with. The whole dinner had gone on in silence, the awkwardness from earlier still hanging over us.

His gaze never wavered as he looked at me with a strange expression in his eyes…something I just couldn’t place. “What?” I ask, not able to stand it.

“Nothing,” he replies, but his gaze doesn’t waver.

“No really, what?” I ask, laughing nervously.

“Nothing. Just…you’re beautiful.”

I smile faintly, but then bite my lip in nervousness. I grab the plates from the table and take them into the kitchen. I know I’m avoiding the situation! This is hard!

“Liz, what’s wrong?” he asks, changing subjects so suddenly it catches me off guard.

I sigh, knowing what I have to do. I can’t keep on hurting him like this.

“Alex, there’s something I need to tell you.”

“Ok,” he replies. “Um, how about we go into the living room?”

I nod, following him into the other room silently. We both sit on the couch, and he looks at me as I wrangle my hands nervously.

“Liz, you know you can tell me anything, right?”

I smile at him. Good old Alex. He was always able to reassure me, not matter what. And I do know I could tell him anything…I’m just not sure how to say this. There was so much to tell.

“Liz, you’re not…” he starts nervously. “You’re not pregnant, are you?”

“What?!? NO!”

I laugh, the initial shock having worn off. “No Alex. I’m not pregnant.” Imagine me pregnant with Alex’s child. I shutter inwardly at the thought.

He seems to visibly relax a little bit after this. “Then what is it? It can’t be that bad?”

Oh yes it can Alex. You have no idea.

God how do I say this. ‘Well, Alex. You’ve been dead for the last three years because you were killed by an evil alien, who was my dead-alien-husband’s supposed mate and so I tried to travel back in time to keep you both from dying and somehow ended here?’ Why do I not think that that would go over too well?

“Alex, this is really hard to explain, but… Wow, I don’t know where to start. I’m…I’m not the same Liz that you fell in love with.”

Alex just stares at me, a confused expression on his face. But can I blame him, that didn’t even make sense to me.

“Liz. What are you talking about?”

“Look Alex, just listen to me, and try to understand. I don’t really even understand it completely myself, but…this…this body isn’t mine. This life isn’t mine. This…you see this,” I pull my shirt up revealing the long scar on my stomach. “What is this?” I ask, looking to him for an answer.

“That’s the scar from where you got shot, in high school.”

“Exactly. Alex, this isn’t supposed to be there. In my world, in my life, on my body there was no scar.”

“Liz, I don’t understand.”

“Neither do I, but you have to…” I sigh. I knew this wasn’t going to be easy. “Just trust me okay. I lived another life or in another universe, I don’t know how to explain it. But it that world, you died when we were juniors in high school.”

“I died?”

“Yeah. There was an accident…a car accident. And oh god Alex it hurt so much to lose you. And seeing you again yesterday… You don’t understand how great that felt, to see you again after so long.”

“But…”

“But then you kissed me. And I was reminded that you’re not the same Alex that I remember. That we’re not the same people that I remember. I never would have thought that you and I would ever be in a relationship…the idea just never entered my mind.”

“So that’s why you’ve been acting so weird lately,” he said, more to himself, I think, then to me.

“Yeah. I’m really sorry Alex. And I hope you can believe me. I’m like this whole other person that you would barely recognize.”

“So, you don’t remember anything? Being with me?”

“No. I remember. I remember everything…but from two different lives. Two separate and very different lives. One that I remember living, and the other that I know I didn’t.”

“And that’s the one where I’m dead?” He’s taking this all too calmly. I’m not sure what that means.

“Right. The one where you died…and where I was married to someone else.” I said the second part slowly, not sure how he was going to react. I don’t want to hurt him, but I have to tell him as much as possible to get him to understand how real this life was, that it’s not just some figment of my imagination.

“You…you were married?” he chokes out, and I can’t help but feel for him. I nod my confirmation, wanting to give him time to digest this information. “How lo…” he swallows hard, the words getting caught in his throat. “How long?”

“Two years. We got married just after graduation from high school?”

His brow furrows in concentration. “Who?”

I take a deep breath, preparing for what was coming next. “Max Evans. He uh…he saved me the day of the shooting, and we were pretty much together after that.”

“So you were never shot?”

“Something like that,” I mutter. I know I can’t tell him everything. He had a hard enough time believing me in the other universe, let alone in this one where he barely knows Max or Isabel. I can’t divulge their secret. Especially not when I’m not supposed to know myself.

“Wow. I…wow. But how?”

“I’m not quite sure. I really don’t understand it all myself. All I can ask you to do is believe me, have faith in me. I have all these memories from this life that I can’t explain, and then I have the real memories, that you would never understand.”

Alex isn’t even looking at me anymore. It’s like he’s not even here. He’s staring at the carpet; I’m sure still shocked from my admissions.

“I’m really sorry Alex, but I need you to understand something else. I can’t…I can’t be with you the way you want me to. That’s just not…me. I’m not the girl that was in love with Alex Whitman. I’m still the girl that’s in love with Max Evans.”

“Wow. I…” he choked, the words not coming out.

“I’m so sorry Alex. I don’t mean to hurt you. Really, that’s the farthest thing from my mind. And you’re absolutely the best friend a girl could have, and I hope we can still be friends. I just can’t be with you that way.”

“I understand. No I don’t understand…and I don’t really get it either, but I believe that this is how you feel. I know you wouldn’t lie to me about something like this. So yeah… I guess this is it.”

“I’m so sorry Alex,” I feel the tears pricking my eyes. I know I’m hurting him, but what else am I supposed to do. I can’t go on living a lie.

“I know. I…um…I’ll go grab some stuff. You can stay here.”

“Alex, you don’t have to leave…”

“Yes Liz. I do.”

I nod, knowing what he’s saying is true. It would be too hard, staying in the same place like this.

“I’ll uh…I’ll need some time Liz. But I really hope we can stay friends too.”

He goes into the bedroom, presumably to pack up some stuff, and I just sit in the living room, staring solemnly into the distance. He comes out shortly thereafter, duffle bag in hand.

“So I’ll be at Kyle’s if you need me,” he says, standing by the front door. I can tell by his voice that it still hasn’t completely hit him, he’s still in shock. “I uh…bye Liz.”

“Alex,” I have to tell him before he leaves.

“Yeah?”

“Don’t hate me.”

“Of course not. I never could. You’re just being honest with me. You always have been. I couldn’t ask for anything more.”

The tears fall at his remarks. Why does this hurt so bad? Right, cause a part of me does love him, or rather, a part of her. “She really did love you, ya know. The uh…other Liz.”

“I used to think so,” Alex said, before opening the door and leaving me to the empty, silent apartment.

And I cry.

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

“Hello.”

“Hey Michael. Can I talk to Maria please?”

“Yeah, sure. Just a minute,” he says. He sounds hesitant, like he hears the distress in my voice or something and wants to help, but leaves it to Maria. “Hey Maria, it’s Liz,” I hear him call in the background.

In a few moments, I hear my best friend’s voice, in two lifetimes, come on the line. “Hey chica, what’s up?”

“Maria. I…” is all I say before she cuts me off.

“Oh chica! What’s wrong?” She could always tell. No matter what. Of course the strain in my voice from my crying probably doesn’t hurt.

“Can you…um…could you come over?”

“Sure chica. Whatever you need. I’ll be there in a couple hours, k?”

“Thanks Ria.”

“Don’t mention it sweetheart. Now you hang in there. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

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

Hey guys! Here's another part! I'm getting into finals soon, so I don't know how often i'll be able to post, but i'll try. Thanks so much for all the great feedback. It's always great to hear when poeple are liking your stories.

And without further ado...onto the new part.

~Michelle


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Part 3

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

“Liz, babe, I’m here,” Maria announces, walking though the front door easily. She’s always had a key, though I’m not quite sure why.

“Hi Maria,” I mumble from where I’m curled up on the couch. I just couldn’t bring myself to go into the bedroom…our bedroom. It just held too many memories.

“Sweetie, what’s going on? What’s wrong?” she asks as she sits down next to me, rubbing my back in soothing circles.

I take a deep breath, letting it out slowly. This is going to be a long night. “I broke up with Alex.”

“What? Why? What happened?”

“It’s a long story. First…uh…Maria, have you ever noticed anything strange about Michael?” I want to talk to Maria, and I mean really talk to her. I want to tell her everything, but I have to make sure that she knows about the others first. One thing I’m not going to do in this lifetime is end up telling everyone the aliens’ secret.

She looks at me oddly for a moment, obviously having no clue as to what I’m getting at. Come on Maria, you have to know this. You’ve been dating the guy for over four years after all.

“Ya wanna be a little more specific Liz? Cause this is Michael we’re talking about. He’s like the epitome of strange.”

I can’t help but laugh at that. Good old Maria. I miss this side of her. She was always so solemn and serious in the other world; but then again, we all were. The situation kinda dictated it.

“I mean, have you ever noticed him doing things? Anything unusual?”

“Liz, what are you talking about? Where is this coming from?” Oh, she’s good, but I can see the panic in her eyes. Thank god she knows.

“I’m talking about Michael being an alien silly!” I say just to get her reaction.

Maria just stares at me slack-jawed for a moment, not sure how to respond. I can’t very well blame her. She’s got to be wondering how I know.

“Relax Maria. I have a lot to tell you.”

And I tell her everything. About the past, about my shooting and Max saving me, about how I was trying to use the granolith to come back in time and somehow ended up here, and about Alex.

After I was finished, Maria just looked at me. Sometime during the story, we’d gotten out a tub of ice cream and binged, turning this into a regular girl’s night just like we used to have. Throughout the whole monologue though, Maria had remained silent, something that I was definitely not used to.

After a few moments of silence, I couldn’t take it anymore.

“So? Say something.”

“Wow!” Maria breathed, and said no more.

“Is that all you have to say?”

“Well, I’m not sure what you want me to say sweetie. It’s just a little overwhelming at the moment.”

“You believe me, don’t you?” I ask desperately. She has to believe me. I have no one else to turn to.

“Of course I believe you sweetie. I’ve seen enough crazy things over the last few years that nothing is beyond belief anymore.”

I hug her, glad that she’s here to support me. “What do I do now, Maria?” I ask still holding her tight in my arms.

“Well if you ask me sweetie, there isn’t too much for you to go back to now is there?”

“Not really.”

“So even if you could find a way to go back, there’s really no reason to. So the way I see it, you make the best of what you have here. And you said that you’d always wanted to go to school, well here’s your chance. I mean, you ultimately achieved what you wanted right? Max never saved you and so the world is normal, or so you’d put it.

“It’s gonna be alright sweetie. And you know that I’m always gonna be here to back you up.”

I smiled, still holding tightly to my friend. Pulling back a little I look into her face, sniffling and wiping at the tears that I didn’t even know were there. “Thanks Ria. I guess I just feel a little overwhelmed right now. I’m just not used to this at all. I don’t know what to do with myself. I’m the same old me, but I’m thrust into a whole new life. Or I guess from your point-of-view I’m a brand new me, in the same old life? See, that’s just it. It’s like I don’t even know who I am anymore.”

“You’re my best friend and will always be. Your Liz, you’re an amazing person with a huge heart and that I know will never change. That’s all that really matters in the end. That’s what makes you you Liz…that other stuff is just coincidence.”

“Ria, you’re the best!”

“I know. And hey, I know someone who might be interested to learn that you’re single.”

“Maria!” I warn. I don’t want to go barging into people’s lives and messing them up again. That’s how I got here in the first place.

“Come on, Chica. You know he’s had a crush on you for like ever! And since you and Alex are cooling it now… And you did say Max was the love of your life…”

“Maria, I really don’t think now is the time to start getting mixed up in all that.”

She mutters something under her breath that I don’t hear and when I ask her to repeat it she just shrugs it off at nothing. Why do I get a bad feeling about this?

“Well, I must say this is a load off my mind. Don’t get me wrong chica, I was all supportive of you and Alex, but the idea of you two having sex just gives me the creeps.”

“Tell me about it. Add memories into that mix and you know how I feel.”

“Oh!” she makes a groaning noise. “You win!”

“Alright, enough about my crazy mixed-up life. How’re things with you and Michael? I’ll never understand how you two ended up together anyway.”

“It was just meant to be my darling. Just as a few other people I know…”

I sent her a warning glare and that was the last I heard from Maria on the subject.

“Michael and I are doing just great. He’s getting more renown for his paintings and he actually has an exhibition coming up that we’re very excited about. And the bar’s doing great. That thing’s going to put my children through college someday,” Maria laughed causing me to laugh too.

It was then, when our hands brushed while reaching for the ice cream tub that I saw the flash.

*Flash*

Maria wringing her wrists nervously while walking into the bathroom tentatively. She picks up the small stick, looking down to see the plus sign staring back at her, it’s message ringing loud and clear. Maria sits down on the edge of the bathtub, barely able to believe her own eyes as she weeps happy tears for her newly increasing family.

*Flash*

I gasp, barely able to believe what I’d just seen myself.

“Maria! You’re pregnant?!?”

“What?” she looks at me confused, and a little shocked.

“You’re pregnant. I saw it. I saw you holding the test. I got a flash.”

“Wait. You get flashes?”

“Uh yeah. I mean, that used to happen, but only with Max.” Now I’m the one confused, what’s going on here?

“Well, I don’t know what you saw chica, but I’m not pregnant; at least, not that I know of.”

Suddenly the light bulb went on in my head. I’m not quite sure how it’d happened. I thought for sure I would have lost them somewhere in the transition.

“Uh Maria? Remember how I told you that I’d developed powers in my other life?” Why do I insist on calling it my other life? It sounds like I’m talking about some kind of supernatural phenomena. Well, technically…I guess I am.

“Yeah, but you didn’t think you’d have them cause Max didn’t heal you here.”

“Right, well…it seems like I have them. My major power was premonitions.”

“Huh. So that means that Max must have like touched your soul or something like that for them to have stayed with you. That’s so sweet,” she squeals before everything I said finally hits her. “Wait. That means…I mean are you saying…I’m pregnant!”

“Looks like it sweetie. Congratulations!”

“I’m gonna be a mom?” she starts to say, tears forming in her eyes. I hug her for comfort.

“Yeah. I’m sorry to ruin the surprise.”

“Ruin it, no sweetie. This is the best surprise you could ever give me. And it’s much better coming from you than a stick any day.”

I laugh. Really, what would I do without Maria? “Well, you might want to check with a stick, just in case. I mean I have been known to be wrong before. Well, not really wrong, just misinterpreted.”

Maria laughed, causing me to laugh in return. After a short silence enveloped us, Maria broke it, the awe seeping through her voice. “Wow. I can’t believe I’m gonna be a mom.”

“Pretty wild huh?” I say, amazed myself. We couldn’t even think about children before, in our other life. We were always running, always hiding. None of us would have ever dreamed of bringing a child into that. We took every precaution against it. It was no way for a child to grow up.

This time around, on the other hand, I know will turn out right. Maria will be the perfect mother, and from what I know of Michael, he won’t be too bad a father himself.

She nods dumbly at my question, unable to keep the smile from her face. “I can’t wait to tell Michael.”

Her comment strikes something in me. Unlike the Maria in my time, this Maria lives in a different city, in a different state from me. I’m not going to have her around for the support that I always used to have before. This sobering thought brings me down from my high a little. Hopefully though, I can have her to myself for a little longer.

“Hey Maria, can you…I mean, would you stay…with me…for a while?”

“Of course Chica. You know I’m not about to leave a friend in need.”

“Thank you,” I smile, and hug my friend. I don’t know what I would do without Maria. I mean, the last couple days have been like a rollercoaster of emotions, between my Max dying and then all the sudden finding myself here, and having to break it off with Alex…Maria has been my only salvation.

“Don’t even think about it sweetie. You know you mean the world to me. It’s the least I can do.”

I knew Maria could make me feel better. She was always good at that.

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

“And that’s all for today. Have a good weekend you guys, and I hope to see you all back here Monday. That means, don’t have too much fun this weekend.”

The whole classed laughed at Professor Jenkin’s last comment, continuing to pack up our stuff. As soon as I made it out of the lecture hall and out into the sun I realized there was a constant smile on my face that I couldn’t seem to stop.

There was just something about this place. No matter the trouble I’ve been going through lately, no matter all the other issues plaguing my mind, for some reason this place could take it all away. For an hour, I can sit in a lecture and let everything else slip from my mind. I can forget the rest of the world exists and just focus on learning, on the knowledge that one person is imparting on another, on me.

How did I never realize what I was missing?

As much as I wouldn’t take back the life I lead, the lessons I learned, the love that I experienced for anything, I can’t help but be happy to have this second chance. How many people can say that they get to experience two lives? That they have a chance to make up for everything they didn’t have in the last one?

Sometimes I get so wrapped up in my own sorrow that I don’t realize the opportunities that are staring the straight in the face.

With a much improved and increasingly optimistic attitude, I made my way across the campus and towards my car. Somehow, something told me this would all turn out alright. And I couldn’t wait to get started on my new life.

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

I walk into the apartment to find Maria lying on the couch watching Pride and Prejudice; I knew she’d raid my movie collection! She was still dressed in her pajamas, looking as if she hadn’t been up for all too long.

“Hey Ria,” I say, walking into the room. I pass her on the way to the bedroom to drop off my backpack and change into some sweats. She gives me a curious look as I pass.

“Somebody’s chipper this morning,” she comments.

“More like this afternoon, Ria,” I laugh. That girl is the worst, really. She’ll sleep till four if you let her.

“Whatever,” she groans. “So what’s with the good mood?”

“Nothing.”

“Nothing?” she asks, turning her attention from the TV as I come in to sit down beside her.

“I like school,” I say shrugging.

“Well yes Lizzie, you’ve always liked school. But how is today any different.”

“You don’t understand Ria. Before…I didn’t get to go to college, I barely graduated high school. Today I was just realizing how much I missed, and how great it is to get this second chance.”

Maria smiled and we settled in to watch the movie together.

“I talked to Alex today,” she said suddenly, breaking the silence.

“Yeah?” I said with forced coolness. It hurt to think about. And suddenly my good mood had disappeared.

“He came by when you were gone to get some more stuff.”

“Oh,” I said plainly. He came by when I was gone, when he knew I’d be gone. “And?”

“And, we talked. He was surprised to see me, but then after he thought about it he realized he should have known you would have called me.”

“How was he?”

“Truthfully, not too good. But he’ll get over it, he’ll survive. You know Alex.”

“Yeah, I do. Do you think him and I will be able to be friends again?”

“Liz. It’s Alex. I’d be surprised if you two haven’t made up by the end of the week.”

“I don’t know Maria. He really thinks he was in love with me.”

“He was,” Maria replied simply.

“No he wasn’t Maria. Not the way he thinks he was. I’ve seen Alex in love, more in love than you would ever believe. We’re talking puppy dog type, follow around the girl, obsessive kind of love. Just like he’s not the one for me, I’m not the one for him.”

“Who?” she asks surprised. Good old Maria. How could she never see it?

“Isabel.”

“Evans?”

I just nod my head.

She laughs.

“Did I say something funny?”

“No,” she gasps out between bouts of laughter. “I mean yes. Don’t you see the irony of it? Three aliens…three best friends. It seems really convenient doesn’t it?”

“Well, it was…in the beginning. But then you’re forgetting that there’s a Tess, Alex dies, and we bring in Kyle. Isabel marries someone else…it starts to screw with the numbers after a while.”

Maria was silent for a minute.

“It’s amazing, ya know.”

“What?” I ask confused. Maria could really benefit from cluing me in on her thought processes from time to time.

“Everything you’ve gone through, all this shit, and yet you’re still the same Liz.”

“No I’m not,” I argue.

“Yes you are. At the core, you’re the same. Yeah, you’ve seen a lot more. You’re a lot more world-weary, a lot less naïve. But in the end, you’re still the amazing, strong woman you always were.

“You still think about everyone else long before yourself. You still search for the good in every situation. You’re still intent on making up for the mistakes of others, not just your own. And you’re not bitter about a bit of it.”

“What do you mean? I’ve been bitching ever since you got here.”

“Yeah, but it’s been more to get everything off your chest then just to bitch. I can still tell by the way that you talk about it that it was your life; that what happened to you happened for a reason and that’s what made you who you are today. But you’re still the same Liz I know and love, just even stronger than before.

“Besides, I think you’ve earned the right to bitch,” she finished, smiling at me.

“I think you’re giving me more credit than I deserve.”

“No. You’re underestimating yourself. It took a lot of courage Liz, to try and turn back the clocks like this and make everything right. I mean, by stopping Max from healing you, that could’ve meant your death. And you didn’t even think about that.”

“Oh, believe me. I thought about it plenty. I just didn’t care.”

“See, that’s what I’m talking about. All you cared about was saving the people you love. That’s what you’re about Liz. That’s what makes you you. In the end, you’ll give up anything for the ones you love.”

“Where are you going with this?”

“Nowhere, really. I just thought it was something you deserved to hear. And maybe…maybe it’s time to think about yourself for a change. Stop worrying about Alex, stop worrying about everyone else, and think about you for a while. There’s nothing left to protect anymore. Now’s your chance to live life your way.”

“It’s hard Ria. I’m so used to worrying, it’s hard to stop.”

“Just try, for me?” And there she goes with the puppy eyes that she knows I can never resist.

I laugh, despite myself. This is why I love Maria. She always finds a way to get under my skin. “Ok, I’ll try.”

She smiles and hugs me. “That’s all I ask.”

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

I pour over the maps once again, searching for the place where they might have taken him. It’s been six months. Six months since I last saw my husband. Six months since I’ve been able to hold him in my arms. Six months that I’ve felt every inch of torture, every second of pain, pouring over our connection.

I know he tried to hide it from me. Tried to keep me from the pain. And it worked a little bit in the beginning. But not for a while. It hasn’t worked for a long while.

And he’s stuck through everything, stuck through it all…in the hopes of seeing me. Of holding me in his arms once again. I can feel it, despite that he’s told me himself, I can feel it with my entire being. He’s holding out for me.

“Liz.” I hear, almost a whisper in my mind. For a minute I think I imagined it, until I hear it again. “Liz?”

“I’m here,” I whisper quietly, knowing that he can hear me even though he’s no where around. He can always hear me.

“It hurts so much Liz. So much.”

“I know, sweetie. I know,” I sigh as a single tear roles down my cheek. I try to stay strong, for him. But I know it’s in vain, he feels everything I feel. Just as I can feel everything from him.

“I love you,” he says, in that sweet voice that he always saves for me. I can hear it in his voice. He knows it’s nearing the end.

“I know. I love you too. I’ll always love you. It’s okay, Max. Let go.”

“I don’t want to leave you.”

“I know Max. It’s time. You don’t have to fight anymore.”

“I love you Liz.” And that’s the last thing I hear as I feel the connection fade to nothing. Not even the dull hum that I used to feel.

And I cry.

I let out all the tears that I’ve been holding back for those six months. And everything comes out as the sobs wrack my body…

I wake up with the tears falling in torrents down my face. I curl up in bed, wrapping the blankets tighter around me, only to have the emotions hit me harder, until my whole body is shaking from the intensity of my silent cries.

Finally, when I have no tears left to give, I lie awake, my eyes unmoving from the stark white ceiling above me.

I can’t take back what happened in that other life. Nor can I pretend that it never existed. But maybe I should take Maria’s advice. This is my second chance, my chance to do things for me. And maybe tonight was what I needed to finally get some closure and put that life behind me.

This time, I’m living for me. And there’s nothing anyone can do to stop that.

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

Author's Note: Thank you guys so much for your continued support! I love reading your feedback and it just encourages me to write more. I know this part is a little short, but that's the way it goes sometimes. Enjoy!

~Michelle


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

Part 4

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

“Alright,” I say to myself settling down with the classified section of the newspaper. I settle in with my coffee and begin looking. I need to find a new apartment.

Nope…nope…no. Okay, first I need money. Maybe I should work on finding a job first.

“Morning chica,” Maria says coming out of the bathroom. “Whatcha doin’?” she asks as she makes her way into the kitchen to get her own cup of coffee.

“Well, I was looking for an apartment, but I realized that first I need to find a job. I forgot how expensive apartments were.” I feel the guilt prick at my conscience. I forgot because I haven’t had to pay for one since I moved in with Alex. He paid for everything, worked long hours so that I could go to school without a care. And what thanks do I give? I go and break his heart.

‘Stop it Liz. Stop it.’ I tell myself. I told myself that I was going to start living my life for me, and that means not feeling guilty about breaking up with Alex. Yeah it hurt him, but I did what was best for both of us in the end. This gives us both the chance to find real love, and not hang onto this make believe relationship.

“Ah, so you’ve decided to start looking huh?”

“Well yeah. I mean this is Alex’s apartment. He pays for everything. It’s not fair that I’m staying here and he’s staying with some friend.”

“Uh huh. And have you talked to him about this?”

“You know I haven’t talked to him,” I say, giving Maria a look. She just looks right back at me. It’s like having a staring contest, and in the end, I look away.

“Look Chica, all I’m saying is I think he deserves to hear this from you. I realize that you feel you should leave since this is his apartment, but don’t you think you guys should at least talk this out a little? I mean you have been together for almost two years now. I think you owe it to each other to at least talk.”

I sigh. I know she’s right. Maria is always right. How does she do that? “When did you become the old wise one? Giving me advice?”

“When I started dating an alien, my dear. It opens up a whole new world of possibilities,” she smirks. I can’t help but laugh. She has no idea how true that statement is.

“So when are you heading back?” Maria told me last night that it was about time she got back, if that was okay with me. Besides, she couldn’t wait to tell Michael the good news.

“Sometime later this morning. I hope to beat the late afternoon traffic.”

“Hmmm. I didn’t know you could beat the traffic in New York.”

“Ha ha. Funny sweetie.”

I smile. I don’t know what I would have done without Maria over the last couple of days.

“Thank you,” I finally say, my voice thick with emotion. Embracing my confidante I find it hard when it comes time to finally let her go. “I don’t want to let you go,” I say as I step back to look at her, tears pricking my eyes.

“I know sweetie, but you’ll be fine. Really. You were always a tough cookie, and I know that you’ll make it through this, whether I’m here or not.”

I nod, knowing she’s right. “Call me after you talk to Michael.”

She nods. “You sure you’re okay with me telling him?”

“Would it really matter?”

She shakes her head, and that’s the answer to her question. She knows, just as I do, that she doesn’t keep anything from Michael. There are no secrets between them. Not after his secret nearly tore them apart.

“Don’t worry, I’ll make sure he doesn’t tell the others.”

I smile my thanks, knowing that Maria knows how I feel. The last thing I need is for the other aliens to come knocking down my door trying to figure out what is going on. I’m living my life on my own terms now. That means they’ll find out when I’m ready for them to find out.

“I got to get to school or I’ll be late,” I say breaking the silence that had consumed us.

“Alright. Bye chica,” she says, hugging me again. “I’ll call you sometime tonight, okay?”

“Alright. Bye,” I say to the friend who has been such a huge comfort to me in two lifetimes, before making my way out the front door to go to class.

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

‘Get to it!’ I feel like screaming to myself. I’ve been standing outside the front door for a good five minutes, and have yet to make a move to make my presence known. I’ve tried I don’t know how many countless times to just knock on the door, but somehow I keep stopping myself. God, why is this so hard?

Gathering my courage, I finally bring my hand up to the door, making a swift three knocks before bringing my hand back quickly. Through I don’t know what will, I’m able to keep myself rooted to the spot. I know I have to do this. I owe him at least this much.

Before I can finish my train of thought, the door is opening, and I hold my breath, not really sure what’s going to happen next.

“Liz?” I hear the questioning voice, even before the door is completely open.

“Hey Kyle,” I smile, somewhat unsurely at him. I’m not sure where we stand right now, what Alex has told him. Does he hate me for what I did to his friend?

“Wow…Liz,” he stumbles for a moment, as if not sure what to say. “How’s it going?”

“Um, alright. Is Alex here? Can I talk to him?”

“Uh yeah, sure. He’s in the living room. I’ll just be in my room if you need me.”

“Thanks,” I smile, glad that he’s not questioning my motives. I don’t think I could go through this twice. I walk past him and through the familiar apartment to the room that Kyle had indicated, but his voice stops me.

“Liz?”

“Yeah,” I turn around. I knew completely getting off the hook was too good to be true.

“If you ever need someone to talk to, about anything, I’m here.”

“Thank you,” I smile, knowing now that Kyle is still as much my friend as he is Alex’s and that I can still count on him, no matter what.

Continuing into the living room, I see Alex sitting on the couch, his back towards me as he watches TV. By the stiff stance his body has taken, I can tell he knows I’m here. He must have heard me and Kyle talking. Still he makes no move to turn around, as if by somehow ignoring that I’m here, I’ll go away. Well, it took a lot to get me here today, and I’m not about to turn around now.

“Hi Alex,” I say from my place still behind him.

“Liz,” he acknowledges monotonously, but he still does not turn around.

“Alex, I think we need to talk.”

There is a moment of silence before Alex releases a big sigh, finally turning around to face me. I see the dark circles under his eyes and the weary expression his face has taken on, and I can’t help but feel guilty.

‘NO!’ I berate myself. I’m living my life for me this time. That means not feeling guilty for giving up on something that would never last anyway, that could never make me happy.

“Alright Liz,” he finally starts, breaking the silence. “Talk.”

“There are just some things that I know we have to settle between us.”

“Like what?”

He certainly isn’t making this very easy! “Like I wanted you to know that I’m moving out after tonight, so you can come back to the apartment and not have to worry about me being around.”

“Liz, you don’t have to do that,” he says. He sounds tired.

Coming and sitting on the couch next to him, I notice how his stance becomes even more defensive at my proximity. I hate this. Why did I have to go and ruin such a perfect friendship by dating this man? Hindsight sucks!

“No Alex, I do. You worked your ass off paying for that place and I didn’t put a cent into it. It’s very much more your place then mine. I’ll give you my key as soon as I find a permanent place to live, then I can come back and get all my stuff.”

“Come on Liz. You should at least stay until you’ve found a new apartment.”

“No Alex. I’ve stayed long enough. I’m not going to put you out anymore.”

“But…”

I interrupt him before he can continue. “You don’t need to protect me anymore Alex.”

He sighs, resigning to my decision. “What are you going to do?”

“I’m gonna find a job, stay with a friend until I can get enough to afford my own place. I have some money in my savings left from high school that I can dip into if I need to.”

He nods and something about the look on his face strikes a cord in me. “I’m sorry,” I say, knowing I shouldn’t, but being unable to stop myself all the same.

“It’s okay. It just wasn’t meant to be, ya know.” It was a statement more than a question. I nod.

“Are you okay…with this I mean?” I ask, gesturing between the two us.

“I will be.”

We’re both silent for a while, neither knowing what to say.

“Well, I guess I’ll go then. I have some stuff to pack up tonight before tomorrow. Um…you can call my cell phone if you need me.”

He nods, and I get up to leave.

“Liz?”

I stop. “Yeah.”

“You know you can always call me, if you need anything.”

“Thank you,” I say, and turn to leave once again, a smile on my face.

I know what that seemed like on the outside, like a desperate need of his to hold onto something, but I understand everything about that statement that he left unsaid. He will always be there for me, to help me. But what’s more, is it says that he’s not going to give up. He’s not ready to be buddy-buddy just yet, but in time he will be. He’s holding on to our friendship. And somehow, sooner or later, it will survive this hurdle.

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

“Hello.”

“Hey Liz.”

“Michael. Hi,” I say somewhat surprised. I’d spent most of the evening packing and waiting for Maria’s phone call telling me what Michael had to say about everything she had to tell him. I wasn’t exactly expecting a call from Michael himself.

“Maria wanted me to call and tell you she’d talked to me, but she had to go into work.”

“Oh. Okay. Well, thank you,” I say, still not quite sure where this is going.

“Liz…I just. I wanted to say thank you. God, everything that you did for us…you’re amazing.”

I smile hearing the sincerity in his voice. “Michael, I…I don’t know what to say…”

“You don’t have to say anything. I just wanted to thank you. You’re a great friend Liz.”

“Thank you.”

“Your welcome. And you know I have tons more questions for you…”

“I know.”

“But they can wait for now, till the next time I see you. And I promise I won’t tell the others…I realize it must have been hard enough telling me, when you’re just trying to get on with a normal life.”

“It’s okay Michael. I know Maria would never keep anything from you, and I couldn’t ask her to do that either. Besides, it kinda helps to have a few people you can talk to. I think I would burst if I didn’t get this out.”

“Well you can count on us Liz, both of us.”

I smile. I know how hard it is for Michael to trust people, so it means a lot that he’s reaching out to me like this. “Thank you Michael. You’re a great friend.”

“Uh…Maria said that you were going to talk to Alex again today. How did that go?” He was changing to subject. Michael never did take compliments well.

“Ok. We’ll be friends again…eventually. Meanwhile, I’m moving out and he’s moving back in tomorrow.”

“Where are you staying?”

“With Kyle. He was nice enough to let me take Alex’s spot on the couch until I can get on my feet.”

“Alright. He just better treat you right. Cause tell him if he doesn’t, he’ll have to answer to me.”

I can’t help but laugh at Michael’s protectiveness. That was something that would never change.

“I will Michael. Listen, I better get going. I have an early class in the morning. But we’ll definitely talk later.”

“Alright. Bye Liz. And thank you.”

I never would have thought of Michael as such the sensitive type. The Michael I knew would have been on his way here the second he heard that I knew something about his past. Amazing how much a good woman can change a man. Well, that and NOT spending the last 5 years fighting for your life.

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

“Mmmm. I knew I was going to like having you around.”

I turn around to see Kyle’s sleepy face as he comes into the kitchen. For some reason when I woke up this morning, I had this undeniable urge for pancakes.

“Ah, I’m blind!” I joke. “Go put some clothes on!”

He looks down at his boxer clad body and shrugs his shoulders.

“Eh. It isn’t anything you haven’t seen before.”

“Yes but that was back in high school. Before you got chubby,” I say, poking his middle.

“I am not chubby!” he says defensively and I can’t help but laugh. This feels good, to just be talking like real friends and not having to be running all the time. I haven’t felt this carefree with anyone for a long time.

“If you say so,” I say, returning to my work.

“Shut-up and finish my breakfast, bitch,” he says jokingly.

“Excuse me, but I’m making my breakfast. Who said anything about you?”

“Excuse me,” he starts, mocking my earlier statement. “But you are staying in my apartment. The least you could do is make me breakfast.”

“I suppose,” I concede, placing the first of the pancakes on the bar in front of him where he settled down to eat.

“I knew you’d see things my way,” he says before tucking into his food.

I roll my eyes, but can’t seem to be able to keep the smile off my face.

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

Another week...another part. I've been doing really well on the updating lately guys! You should be proud.

This part is kinda transitional, and i'm not all that sure about it...it seems a little superficial right now...but oh well...it's for transition.

I know you all are waiting for a certain person to show up, and trust me, no one wants him to show up more then I , but patience is a virtue and everyone has their time and place. So we're getting there...just hold on for the ride.

Now that i'm done with my rambling...on to part 5.


Oh and HAPPY ST. PATTY'S DAY everybody.

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

Part 5

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

“Alright, you guys. Next time we’ll continue talking about neuronal migration and move on to start differentiation. Make sure to read up on it,” Professor Conners calls over the throng of closing notebooks and backpack zippers, “or I’ll have to work to make that section extra hard on the test.” That at least earns him a laugh from the noisy student body. I still don’t understand why people feel the need to start packing five minutes before the class is entirely over.

“And um…Miss Parker, may I speak with you please?”

My head snaps up when I hear my name called. I look up to see Dr. Conners searching the mass of students heading towards the door for me; well, more specifically, for someone who is looking at him in recognition, as we’ve never actually met face to face.

I make my way up to the front of the classroom, where Dr. Conners is now being distracted by another student, questioning about today’s lecture.

When he’s finally finished, he turns to me expectantly.

“You wanted to see me?” I ask unsurely. I have no idea what this is going to be about.

“Ah yes. Liz Parker?”

“That’s me.”

“Great. Let me just finish with the rest of these questions,” he said with a smile, motioning to the other students, “and I’ll be right with you.”

I nod, stepping to the side and allowing him to field the rest of the questions fired at him from the five or so other students that had approached him after class. I can’t help the nervousness that runs through me as I wait, since I really have no idea what this could be about.

Before long though, Professor Conners is coming over to me. “Sorry about that, but I wanted to make sure we’d have plenty of time to talk. Do you have anywhere you need to be?”

“Not for another hour or so,” I answered curiously.

“That’s good. I wouldn’t want to be keeping you from your classes or anything,” he said, motioning for me to follow him as he made his way out of the now empty lecture hall. “So I bet you’re wondering what this is all about,” he started again after a moment.

“Just a little,” I admit.

“Well then I guess I better get down to it. Jennifer has told me that you are an exemplary student, and that you’ve been doing particularly well in the lab for this class. She says you are her best student.”

“Wow, I hope you will pass on my thanks,” I say smiling.

He smiles back at me. “I most definitely will. But I didn’t ask you to meet me just to tell you that. Tell me Liz, do you enjoy this class?”

“Oh very much. And the lab as well,” I say adamantly.

“Good. I’m glad to hear it. What’s your major if you don’t mind me asking?”

“Um…molecular biology.”

“Marvelous,” he smiled again. “The reason why I’m asking you all this, Liz, is because I’ve been looking for an undergraduate to start work in my lab. And I always prefer it to be one of my students as opposed to just some random undergrad. So I was talking to Jennifer and she suggested that you would be a great addition to the lab. So Liz, are you interested?”

“Wow…I…thank you. I don’t know what to say?”

He grins. “Just a simple yes or no would suffice.”

“Yes please!” I say, almost too desperately. I can’t believe it. This is like a dream come true! And Dr. Conners is one of my favorite professors.

He couldn’t help but laugh at my enthusiasm. “I’m glad. If you’re available now, I’d love to talk to you about the details over coffee. I need my caffeine fix.”

“I’d love that,” I say laughing. This is more than I could ever ask for. I can’t wait.

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

“Kyle!” I yell coming quickly into the apartment. “Kyle! Guess what?” I say excitedly once I’m in front of him.

“Can’t…watch…TV…through…you,” he says, moving his head from side to side trying to look around me at the basketball game that has him so entertained.

“Kyle,” I say in a reprimanding tone after glancing at the TV. “This game is like 5 years old.”

“Yeah, but it was a good game,” he pouts.

I just sigh, grabbing the remote off the table in front of him and turn off the TV. “Now do I have your attention? I have important news.”

“Alright,” he says, still somewhat scowling at me, but nonetheless conceding. “I’m all yours.”

“Good,” I smile. “I got a job today.”

“Really. Where?”

“With one of my professors, working in his lab. And he’s going to pay me to…”

“Does this mean that I get the bachelor pad back?”

I smile. “I’m sorry Kyle. Is my being around cramping your style?”

He grins. “Ah, not too much. I just tell the guys at work that I have a chick waiting for me at home, and they don’t bug me about going out anymore, they’re rather encouraging actually.”

I laugh. “You know Kyle, you don’t have to come home for dinner every night.”

“But why wouldn’t I? Who else is going to cook for me?”

I laugh again. “Well sorry to disappoint ya, but I will be finding my own place once the money starts coming in. I applied for a student loan which should come through soon too, which should help.”

“Ah, that’s alright. I’ll just have to come visit you more often,” he smirks again. Does he really think he’s going to be able to mooch off me for meals for the rest of his life? I don’t think so.

“Come on. Get off your ass; we’re going out to dinner to celebrate.”

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

“Hello?”

“Hello dear.”

“Oh, hi mom,” I reply, rather pleasantly. It feels like so long since I last talked to my mother, when in reality it’s probably only been like a month or so. But before, in the other timeline, I hadn’t talked to either of my parents in years, and those feelings are running through me as well.

“So, I called the apartment.”

Oh no. “You did?”

“Yes dear, I did. When did you move out?”

“Um…about a month ago.”

“And you didn’t think that maybe you should inform your mother that you had broken up with the boyfriend that you’d been living with for over a year?”

“Look mom, I’m sorry. I’ve just…I’ve had a lot on my plate lately.”

“What happened?”

“Alex and I…we just weren’t together for the right reasons mom. Somewhere along the line I just realized that I didn’t love Alex the way I should, the way someone who’s been with a person for years should. And I needed to stop the illusion before it went too far.”

I could hear her deep sigh over the phone. “Well dear, if that’s the case then you did the right thing. I just wanted to make sure that you weren’t letting something trivial get in the way of what seemed like such a lasting relationship.”

“I appreciate your concern mom, but I know what I’m doing.”

“I know that dear.” There was a pause in the conversation where there was nothing but silence on both ends. “So you’re living with Kyle now?”

“Mom!” I warn. She had been against me and Alex living together at the start, said that I was moving things too fast, but she seemed to warm up to the idea after a while. Now that we’ve broken up, she seems to be back to her old ways.

“We’re just friends mom, and you know that. He’s just letting me stay here until I can get back on my feet. I got a new job.” I finish, trying to change the subject.

“Oh really dear, that’s great.” Her tone had changed considerably, apparently the subject change had worked. “Where is it?”

“I’m working in the lab with one of my professors. He works in molecular biology. Oh mom, I’m so excited.” I can’t help the glee that leaks through my voice.

“I can tell.” I can almost hear her smile through the phone. “Anyway dear, I called to say that unfortunately, your father and I won’t be able to make it out there to visit this Thanksgiving like we’d planned. Nobody’s available to watch the café.”

“Oh, uh…ok mom. That’s ok.” I’m surprised at how disappointed I actually feel. I’d forgotten how much I’d missed my parents.

“I’m really sorry sweetie, but under the circumstances, it’s probably for the best.”

I knew she’s referring to Alex, and so I’m quick to steer clear of the subject. “Well, tell Daddy that I love him.”

“I will dear. You’re still coming home for Christmas, aren’t you?”

“Of course, mom. Don’t I always?”

“Yes, but I wanted to make sure all the same. I guess that’s all for now, bye honey.”

“Bye mom. I love you.”

“I love you too dear.”

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

“Liz?”

I look up from the book I’ve been reading to see a familiar face. “Serena! Wow, I haven’t seen you in ages.”

“I know. How did we not get any classes together this semester?” She says laughing. Serena and I made fast friends freshman year when we got involved in the same study group, and something just clicked. Since then we’ve always studied together for all our common classes.

“I don’t know,” I say, laughing too, “but we’ll have to make sure we fix that next semester. So what have you been up to?”

“Not too much. I heard you’re working in the Conners lab.”

“Yeah. I’m just learning the ropes right now, but soon I’ll get to start work on my own project. How’d you find out?”

“I work in the Johnson lab; heard it through the grape vine,” she says smiling. “So I’m just down the hall. We’ll have to make sure we go out to lunch from time to time.”

“Well, what are you up to now? I was just about to go grab something to eat if you wanted to join me.”

“That’d be great.”

We walked over to the university center to get food, chatting the whole way. Soon we both sit down with our burgers.

“So, what’s going on with you and what’s-his-name?”

“Alex? We uh…we broke up.”

“Oh really? I’m sorry,” she says apologetically. I shake my head.

“You don’t need to be. It was my choice, and it was for the better anyways. I just didn’t love him the way I used to think I did.”

She nods her head in understanding. “So did you move out, or did he?”

“I did. It was his place, he paid for everything.”

“So where are you staying now?”

“With a friend of mine until I can find my own place. Hopefully, Alex and I will be able to be friends again, in time.”

“Well, good luck in that. And I might be able to help you in the apartment area as well.”

“How so?” I ask curiously. At this point, I could use all the help I can get. It’s so hard trying to find a decent priced apartment.

“Well, I’m actually moving out in about a week or so. My cousin just started at Boston U. this year, and she wasn’t able to get campus housing. So she’s been staying with me while we looked for an apartment. Long story short, my cousin and I are moving into a place together so my roommate is looking for someone to take over my room. So as long as you don’t mind a roommate…”

“No. Please. I’d rather live with someone else then on my own.” I can’t help but smile.

“Great. Well, why don’t you come by for dinner tonight so you can meet her and take a look at the place. It’s a little cramped right now, with my cousin and all, but it’s a great place.”

“That’s sounds wonderful. I’d love to check it out.”

“Great, um let me give you my address,” she says, taking out a scrap of paper and scribbling down on it. “Come by around 6:30.”

“Alright. I’ll be there.”

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

“You’re going where?”

“Over to my friend Serena’s place for dinner. She’s moving out and so her roommate is looking for someone to share the place with. I’m gonna meet her and take a look.”

“So what am I supposed to do for dinner?”

I sigh. “I don’t know Kyle. What did you do before I moved in?”

Kyle was silent for a while, contemplative. Finally, he answered. “I don’t remember.”

I can’t help but laugh. “There are leftovers in the fridge; you can always heat that up.”

“But but…”

“I’m leaving,” I call as I make my way through the door.

“Have fun,” he calls after me. “Bring me back something exciting.”

I laugh again as the door shuts behind me. Sometimes, he is too much.

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

I knock on the door only to hear a scrambling and a mixture of voices coming from behind it. I hear Serena’s distinctive laugh right before she opens the door.

“Hey Liz,” she says smiling at me. “So glad you could come. Please come on in.”

“You got to know I wouldn’t miss this. I couldn’t believe that you could actually cook.” Serena had just never seemed the cooking type. She seemed more the mac n’ cheese and top ramen type.

“Well, you learn something new everyday. But actually I can’t take the credit, Cassie made it. Which reminds me,” she said gesturing behind her, “this is my cousin Cassie.”

“Nice to meet you. How are you liking Boston so far?” I ask the quiet, somewhat shy looking girl behind Serena; such a contrast to her outgoing and vibrant cousin.

“It’s good. A little bigger then I’m used to, but I like it so far.”

I smile at her and thank her for making dinner for us while Serena runs down the hall to grab her roommate.

I hear voices coming from the hall and look up to meet who might possibly, hopefully, become my new roommate.

Oh my god!

“Liz, this is my roommate Isabel. Isabel, I’d like you to meet…”

“Hi Liz,” Isabel says interrupting her, giving me a small wave.

“Hi Isabel. What’s up?” Is this beyond weird or what? I’m not sure how to act around her. In this life, Isabel Evans and I barely know each other. The few contacts we’ve had have really been by passing each other on campus, which doesn’t happen all that often, or through Maria.

“Uh…You two know each other?” Serena asks, looking between the two of us uncertainly.

“You could say that,” Isabel says, laughing slightly.

“Yeah,” I continue. “We kinda went to the same high school…and middle school…and elemen…well, you get the idea.”

“Not to mention our best friends have been dating for years.”

“Yeah, that too,” I say smiling.

“Great. Then I guess no introductions are necessary,” Serena laughed. “Isabel, you want to show Liz the apartment then?”

“Yeah. Sure.”

I followed Isabel as she showed me around the apartment, showing my her and Serena’s bedrooms, each with their own adjoining bathroom before bringing me back to the living room, kitchen and lastly onto their small balcony with a great view of the city.

“So what do you think?” Isabel asks as I look out into the darkness.

“It’s great, Isabel. And this view, it’s just breathtaking.”

I’m not quite sure how to act around Isabel right now. I mean, in the other timeline we’d become really close, especially over the last few months while Max had been gone. But here…here we’ve barely talked in years. I’m not sure where we stand right now.

“Look Liz, I know this is kinda weird right now, but I really hope that you’ll consider this. I mean, it would be so much better living with somebody I know than a complete stranger. At least I know that I can tolerate living with you.”

“Thanks, I think.”

“That’s not what I meant. I mean, I know I can live with you, while some people…you just never know.”

“I know what you meant. And trust me, I am considering it. This is such a great apartment, and so much cheaper then trying to find a place on my own. Plus, I think I’d go stir crazy in my own place; I’ve never lived by myself before.”

Isabel just smiles, but doesn’t say anything. I wonder what’s going through her head at the moment. Isabel and I haven’t been in touch much lately, but she’s not completely out of the loop, thanks to Maria. She knows I was living with Alex, so the news that I’m looking for a new place has got to set some alarms off in her head. But knowing Isabel, she won’t say anything.

“And it will give us a chance to catch up,” Isabel said after a pause. “We should probably get back in to dinner.”

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

Alas, thank you all for your continued support. You are what makes this story keep going, what makes me keep writing...well, that and my annoying roommate who constantly is perstering me to "write her story!"

Anyway, i appologize for not getting this post out yesterday for my usual wednesday post, but apparently my mind had other plans and i completely forgot...but a day late isn't too bad...

Well, i hope you enjoy. We're getting there folks.

~Michelle




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

Part 6

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

I knock on the door soundly before pulling my hand away and stuffing it in the pocket of my sweatshirt with the other one. As the moments passed, I find myself shifting my wieght from side to side anxiously, the most I can do at the moment short of pacing up and down the hall. As a few more moments pass, I pull the key out my pocket and move to open the door, but stop when I hear hurried steps come from behind it.

Pulling back just in time, the door swings open quickly. Alex stands there, an unreadable expression on his face, his hair wet and slightly mussed.

“Hi Alex,” I say, it coming out somewhat more sheepish then I would like. “I called before coming over, but there was no answer.”

There was another slight pause, in which he seemed to gather his composure before speaking. “I was uh…I was probably in the shower.”

I nod my head, having already come to that conclusion myself. We both stand in silence, the tension and awkwardness hanging between us thick in the air.

“Do you want to come in?” he asks quickly, as if it had just occurred to him.

I nod towards the stack of flattened cardboard that I’d lay against the wall outside his door. “Yeah. I actually came to start packing up some of my stuff.”

Alex moves aside, letting me past him carrying in the boxes. “So you…you found a place huh?”

“Yeah. I’m sorry that it took me so long to come get this stuff, but I didn’t really have anywhere to put it.”

“No, no; it’s fine. I understand.” A pause. “So when do you move?”

“Uh, next weekend actually. I just came over to start trying to put stuff in boxes and we’re gonna come over on Saturday and take them over to my new place.”

“We?”

“Uh, Kyle’s helping me.”

“Ah, of course.”

By this time we’d moved into the bedroom, where I could fill the silences by beginning to pack up the boxes with miscellaneous things.

“Do you…uh, do you need any help with that?” Alex asks somewhat unsurely, motioning towards the stack of boxes. Looking up at him, I see nothing but complete sincerity shinning through his eyes.

I smile. “Yeah, I’d like that. You can…start with the books on the bookshelf.”

Alex nods and starts towards the boxes. We work together in companionable silence. And somehow, as we sit there together for the first time in over a month, I feel that everything is going to be okay.

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

“Alright, is there anything else?”

“Nope Kyle, I think that’s it. I think we’re ready to head over.”

“Good, cause I’ve been up for about two hours already without breakfast, and that’s just plain wrong.”

I can’t help but laugh. I promised Kyle that if he got up early and helped me take my first load of stuff from his apartment to my new one that I’d take him out to breakfast.

“Alright, let’s go drop off this stuff and then we’ll have breakfast.”

“You mean I have to unpack everything too. God, this day is turning out to be more then I bargained for.”

“And even more then that, we’re helping Serena and her cousin move out too, remember? And then we have to go over to Alex’s and get the rest of my stuff.”

His face turned serious as we headed out to the car. “You never told me what happened when you went over there. I mean, since you wouldn’t let me come with you,” he added with a teasing tone.

“I told you Kyle, it was something that I had to do myself.”

“You didn’t answer my question.”

“You didn’t actually ask one. You just said that I hadn’t told you what had happened, not that you wanted to know.”

“Well that is usually implied,” he replied haughtily. I couldn’t help but smile.

“It went fine. We talked a little and he helped me pack up a lot of my stuff. We’re better; we’re not good yet, but we’re better.”

No more was said as we made our way out of the house and towards my new apartment. There was no more that needed to be said. Kyle understood perfectly.

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

“Hey guys, I was wondering when you would get here.”

“It’s only nine,” I say, looking at Isabel questioningly. I never really thought of her as the morning person.

“Serena’s had me up since six thirty helping her pack. Apparently, she thought it would be a good idea to leave it all till today.”

“You’re kidding,” I say laughing, although, when I think about it, I wouldn’t put it past Serena.

“Is it really that much of a surprise?”

“No, not really,” I can’t help but laugh again, Isabel laughing with me.

“Hey Kyle,” Isabel says after we’ve calmed down. “So Kyle, you think you’re gonna be able to live without this one waiting on you anymore?”

“Oh, didn’t she tell you,” Kyle started, a mischievous grin on his face, “I’m moving in with her. It’s all a part of the package.”

“Um…I don’t think so,” I say, rolling my eyes at Kyle.

“Alright, but she did say I could come over for dinner,” Kyle said, pouting.

“Not every night!”

Isabel can’t seem to help but laugh at the two of us.

“So where’s Cassie?” I ask.

“She went over to their new place with the first load of stuff, but she should be back soon.”

“Cool. Kyle and I just wanted to get this one car load of stuff in then we were going to go out to breakfast. You’re welcome to come with if you want.”

“Sounds like a plan. Can I help you bring stuff in?”

“Please!” Kyle pleaded excitedly, glad to not have to carry all the stuff himself this time. “But first, which way to the bathroom?”

Isabel gave him the directions and pointed down the hall, giving us a chance to talk a bit more. Isabel and I had been seeing each other more frequently over the last few weeks, trying to get to know each other better before moving in together. Surprisingly, we found we had a lot more in common then we thought. We had the same taste in movies, music, and its great shopping for clothes together. Isabel is really a fashion guru.

We hear a commotion come from the hallway and look over just in time to see Serena come out.

“Hey Liz, who’s the hunk in the hallway?”

Isabel and I both burst out laughing.

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

“I think that’s it. Wow, I never knew Serena had so much stuff. I mean, I knew it was a lot, but it certainly didn’t seem like that much in our apartment.”

“Isn’t that always the way. Michael said the same thing about Maria when they moved to New York. He complained for days about how sore his back was from carrying all her stuff.”

We both laugh at the memory.

“Men are such wusses,” Isabel says jokingly.

“Speaking of ‘men’, where’s Kyle?” I say looking around the relatively small apartment. It’s not like he could get easily lost.

“Where’s Serena?” Isabel adds, as in reflection we realized we hadn’t seen either of them in a while.

We both look at each other, neither daring to voice the thoughts that come to our mind.

“Serena.” “Kyle,” we say simultaneously, not sure whether or not to expect an answer.

A shuffle is heard from one of the bedrooms, and soon a disheveled looking Serena is coming out of one of the bedrooms, followed by a not too better off Kyle straightening his clothes.

“Hey guys,” Serena started cheerfully, not at all embarrassed. “Did you need something?”

Still in somewhat a state of shock, I find myself staring openly between the two while I speak. “Uh, Kyle and I need to go get my stuff from Alex’s.”

“Oh, ok. You need any help?” she asks, still unphased.

“No, no. I think we’ll be fine. We’ll have more room in the car if it’s just the two of us anyway.”

“Alright, we’ll see you guys soon then. I should start unpacking.”

“Right. Come on Kyle.” He walks over to me, still wordlessly and we make our way out to the car.

“Kyle!” I start reprimanding as soon as we are out the door.

“Hey, don’t look at me,” he says, putting up his hands. “I was a perfect gentleman. Just luckily for me…she wasn’t,” he smirks.

I hit him on the arm for that comment, but couldn’t help smiling at his happiness.

It wasn’t until then that it all came back to me where I’d meet Serena before. I mean, I had always known her in this life, but she seemed oddly more familiar than that in a way that I couldn’t quite put my finger on…until now.

*Flashback*

“I can’t leave her Liz.”

She sighed, knowing this wasn’t going to be easy. “Kyle. You’ve only known her for a couple days. How can you…”

“I don’t care. I love her,” he yelled, his anger showing through more and more with each breath. “What you and Max have, what Michael and Maria have…that’s what I see in her.”

“Kyle…”

“No. Don’t take that tone with me. You of all people should understand. This means everything…I can’t just give up on it.”

“And what do you suppose we do, huh Kyle?” Liz asked, her own anger starting to show through at his senselessness. “You’re already starting to come into your powers. You need to stay with us now more then ever. You know we can’t leave you here.”

“We can take her with us,” he adds rashly.

“Kyle,” she started, more calmly now. “We can’t do that. Not without an explanation of way more things then we should. Besides, is that fair to her? Can we really bring her into this life? She’s not a part of this, and she doesn’t have to be. I will not bring anyone else into this; it’s not a way to live Kyle.”

“But…I can’t…I can’t lose her Liz. I just can’t.”

“I know.”

The moments pass between them in silence. Before long she’s tugging on his sleeve and helping him to his feet. “Come on, we need to get packing.”

“Can…can I at least say goodbye?” he asked.

“Of course,” she replied, leaving him to go off in his own direction as she went off in hers. She knows he’ll be back.

“Do you ever regret it?” he asked suddenly.

“What?”

“This life, having to leave everything behind?”

“Every damn day. But I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”

*Flashback*

I wipe the tears that are already threatening to spill from my eyes. So much heartache. I guess I never realized how it’s not just me that’s getting a second chance, but all of us really. All of the experiences we would have had, the places we would get to go, had I not been healed all those years ago.

And for the first time I felt a little bit of that guilt melt away. That guilt that I carried around from leaving my friends to their cruel fate, while I got another chance at life…at love.

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

“Alright, I think this is the last box.”

“I’ll take that,” Kyle says grabbing the box off the ground. “Liz, I’ll uh…meet you down at the car?”

“Sure,” I say with a soft smile.

Once he was gone, I turned to the man who I’d loved for so many years.

“Thanks for the help Alex. It would have taken a lot longer without you.”

“Hey, don’t mention it. I’m glad I could help,” he says smiling, but it doesn’t quite reach his eyes.

“I uh…I wanted to give you this,” I say, handing him my key to the apartment. “This place is all yours now.”

He stares at the key for a while, his eyes not moving, never blinking. I’d give anything to know what was going through his head at that moment.

I wasn’t sure what to say, and was just about to try and make my leave when he spoke.

“This just makes it so much more real,” he says, kind of laughing derisively.

“Alex, I…” I started, but he interrupted me.

“Ya know, after you came to me and told me that you’d been talking to Maria I called her. I called her and asked, ‘Is this really real? Is this really happening? Is she really leaving me?’ And it wasn’t until she said yes that I really believed it. That I knew for sure that I was losing you.”

“Alex, I’m sorry.”

“You have nothing to be sorry for. You were only telling me the truth, something that I totally and completely respect you for. I can’t be mad at you just because the truth wasn’t something that I wanted to hear.”

Silence prevails over us for a moment. I never thought it would be this hard…letting go.

“Look Alex, I know it’s too early yet, but when you’re ready, I am. This is my new address and phone number,” I say, handing over the already prepared paper I had in my purse, already knowing I was going to give it to him. “And you already have my cell number. I miss you Alex. You were my best friend and nobody will ever be able to replace that. I hope in time we can find our way back to each other.”

He nods, taking the paper from me, but doesn’t say anything. By this time I am barely keeping the tears from leaving my eyes.

“Bye,” I say softly, unable to stop myself from giving him one last hug before walking out the door, not daring to look back.

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

Another week, another part...and this one should i hopw will bring a smile to many of your faces. Let me know what ya'll think. I'm starting to catch up with myself on parts, so I've got to get moving and write some more. Enjoy!

~Michelle




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

Part 7

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

“Alright, that’s about all I can take,” I say, plopping down on the couch next to Isabel. “I think if I have to try and unpack one more box, I’m going to scream.”

Isabel smiles at me, holding out a spoon and the pint of ice cream she’d been munching on. “I had a feeling you were going to give up soon.”

“Oh really, how?”

“By the moans and groans I heard coming from you room. That’s usually a sign of exasperation…or something else. But I didn’t see you sneak a guy into your room so…”

“I can’t believe you just said that,” I say shocked, looking at her disapprovingly as I take a bite of the proffered ice cream.

She just smirks at me, knowing I’m joking.

“So,” she starts after a moment. “There’s something I want to ask you.”

“Shoot,” I say, now enjoying the ice cream with a flourish.

“Well, I was wondering…if you would mind…what I mean is…” she stumbled.

“Just spit it out Iz.”

“Fine,” she says, rolling her eyes. “Would you mind if we hosted Thanksgiving here this year? I mean, I understand if you don’t want to, it is less then a week away and you just moved in, but I do it every year. I could always take it over to my brother’s, but he always hates it when I take over his place for something like this. And Michael and Maria are coming down and everything, and I was gonna invite Serena, and I just thought that it might be fun for the two of us to do it together. But it’s okay if you don’t want too…” Isabel continued rambling. I couldn’t help but laugh. Sometimes she could be just like Maria.

“Isabel, you’re rambling,” I say, finally interrupting her.

She rolls her eyes again. “Well? I don’t like to be left waiting.”

I can’t help but laugh at her comment. “Its fine,” I get out between fits of giggles. “Really, I don’t mind.”

“Great,” she smiles, a look of triumph coming over her face. “I’m glad that’s settled. We can start working on the plans tomorrow. I have a perfect idea for the…”

On no, what have I gotten myself into?

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

*Knock Knock*

“Coming,” I yell as I get up from my perch in front of yet another box and make my way towards the door.

I fling the door open in a flourish and my breath catches in my throat. “Max,” is all I find my simple mind able to say at that moment, and it comes out much more breathless than I’d hoped.

Max seems even more surprised then I am, as he just stands there staring at me for a few moments before speaking. “Liz?”

Somewhere along the line composure finds me and I’m able to respond. “In the flesh.”

I sound much more confident this time around, which brings a smile to my face. I had been expecting this after all, preparing for it even. Isabel had mentioned last night that her brother would be coming by to pick her up sometime that afternoon, and so I’d been waiting all morning for this particular moment. Even wore my hair down just the way he liked and the shirt that best flattered my…assets.

But then when I opened the door and saw him standing there, I forgot myself for a moment. It had been months since I’d seen him, since I felt his presence that I was so accustomed to, felt his touch that I so longed for. It took all I had in me just to keep myself rooted to the spot instead of jumping into his arms. God I miss him.

“Come on in,” I reply, seeing Max is still unable to find his voice. “Isabel will be out in a minute or so. You know her; she likes to be fashionably late.”

“Yeah, I know her,” he laughs, though he sounded a little unsure.

“So, what are you doing here?”

“Well, hi to you too,” I smile, causing him to blush.

“That’s not what I meant. I just…I didn’t realize that you and Isabel were close.”

“We’ll we weren’t really, until recently. But we figured that we better start if we were going to live together.”

“You uh…you live here?” he asks, with a little squeak. Max was always so cute when he was nervous.

“What? Didn’t Isabel tell you?” I ask, just as Isabel came out of her bedroom, perfectly manicured with not a hair out to place, walking over to meet her brother. I had already realized earlier in the conversation that Max was obviously not aware that I was now his sister’s new roommate. That just makes it all the more interesting.

“Hey Max,” she says, giving him a slight hug. “You remember Liz.” She stated more than asked.

“Yeah. Yeah, of course I do,” he said smiling at me. God, that smile gets me weak every time.

Isabel looked between her brother and me and obviously saw something, cause her next words surprise me.

“Liz. Do you want to come with us?”

I look at them and shake my head. “I wouldn’t want to intrude.”

“Nonsense,” Max replies hurriedly and it makes my hear skip a beat. “It’s just lunch. Besides, this will give us a chance to catch up.”

I smile that secret smile I always reserved only for him. I bite my lip in contemplation before replying. “Sure, why not? I could use a break from unpacking anyway. I’ll just go grab my coat.”

I run to my room quickly, my giddiness I’m sure showing through the cool exterior that I’d tried so hard to put up on the outside. I come back but stop in the hallway when I hear hushed voices.

“God I sounded like such an idiot. How could you not tell me that Liz was your new roommate?”

“Because Max, I knew you were going to do this. The last thing she needs right now is some guy hanging all over her. She just broke up with her boyfriend, one that I might add she’d been seeing for nearly two years. Now…”

“Ya know, you don’t have to walk on eggshells around me,” I say coming into the room and interrupting Isabel. “I’m fine really. It had to be done; Alex and I just weren’t right for each other anymore.”

My little speech left them silent for a while. I’m sure they were both trying to figure out how much I heard.

“Right. Should we get to lunch then?” Isabel asks, changing the subject. I nod graciously, hoping that my little tirade will be enough for them. The last thing I wanted right now was Isabel trying to convince Max to stay away from me cause I might be on the rebound.

I turn towards the door, leaving Max and Isabel to follow behind me. I hear a shuffle behind me that I’m sure means that Isabel was hitting Max on the shoulder. I can’t help but smile. It’s sweet that Isabel is thinking of me, even trying to protect me in some respect. But I’ve lived two lifetimes, and I think by now I can take care of myself.

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

“Is this big enough?”

“Are you kidding me? That is definitely not big enough.”

“What about this one?”

“Liz, think about this. We have Kyle, Michael and my brother coming over, plus even possibly Alex if Maria can convince him. The guys alone would eat like two of those turkeys. If we want to get anything out of this, we need at least a 20 pound one.”

I look at Isabel unsurely, but concede to her master planning skills.

“Whatever you say. What else do we need?”

“Um…” Isabel stalled, looking down at her list, “bread, cranberry sauce, potatoes, corn, apples, and whatever you need for the pumpkin pie.”

“Ok…” I say breathing a sigh, not believing that after the already full cart that we currently have that we still have more to get. Of course I suppose Maria and Michael are staying with us for a few days, so we have to have enough food on stock to satisfy Michael for that long. That boy always could put it away.

“So do you think that Maria’s going to be able to convince Alex?”

“I hope so. I just can’t bear to think of him being all by himself on the holidays.”

“Well, I don’t know. Maybe he’d like some time alone, ya know.”

“He’s had lots of time to be alone,” I said, somewhat regretfully. I still hated what I was doing to him.

“You know what I mean though. He needs time to get used to this; to you two being apart. I know it might seem like a while to you, but everyone heals differently. He might just take a little longer to bounce back.”

“I know,” I say quietly. I still hope he’ll come…but I guess we shouldn’t push him.

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

*Knock Knock*

“Coming,” I yell racing out of my room and while pulling my shirt quickly over my head. Why is it that people always come to the door right after you take a shower?

“Hi,” I say breathlessly before I completely opened the door. It had already been the second knock and I didn’t want the person to leave. “Sorry, I just got out of the show-wer,” I say, faltering a little as I see the object of my affection staring at me from the other side of the door frame.

“I can tell,” he says, motioning towards my dripping hair.

I laugh slightly, smiling at him. He smiles back and it still amazes me how that tiny gesture, coming from him, causes my world to turn upside-down.

“Come in,” I motion, opening the door wider to let him in.

“Thanks. Is Isabel here?”

“No. She’s uh…at class, I think.” Oh yeah, he wouldn’t be here to see me. My heart sinks a little at the thought.

“Oh, I guess I’ll just leave this stuff here,” he says, setting down the box that I didn’t pay attention to till now. “Our parents don’t like to waste the postage, so they always just send everything to me. And I know Iz would just die if I didn’t bring the stuff mom sent her for dinner on Thursday over right away.”

I laugh a little at that. Nobody would ever say that Iz wasn’t at least a little compulsive, even neurotic.

After a few minutes of companionable silence, he speaks again. “I guess I should get going then. Thanks for letting me drop this off,” he says as he makes a move towards the door.

“You could stay,” I say hurriedly. “I could get you something to drink, or whatever. We could just talk…I feel like we need to catch up.” Now that I have him here, alone, I don’t want him to leave…ever.

“Sure,” he smiles again, that smile that leaves me absolutely weak in the knees.

“So, did you want anything to drink? Juice, water, Cherry Coke?”

“Cherry Coke sounds great, thanks,” he smiles, sitting himself down on the couch.

I take strength in knowing that some things will never change.

After grabbing a soda for him and myself I head back to the couch, sitting next to him. He thanks me for the drink and we fall into silence again.

Come on Liz, you married this guy once. You’ve got to be able to find something to talk about.

“So how’s school, and everything? Ya know, I’m not sure I even know what your major is,” I say after a moment.

“I’m pre-med. And yeah, everything’s going good. It’s tough, but good.”

“Wow. Pre-med,” I think it over for a while. “That’s good. It fits you.”

He smiles. “Thanks. And you?”

“I’m studying molecular biology,” I say feeling my heart lift a little at that statement. I never thought I’d be here.

“Studying molecular biology at Harvard,” Max repeats smiling, “just like you’d always dreamed.”

I nod, slightly blushing at the fact that he knew my ambitions so intimately. And when he says it like that, I realize how much I gave up before, how much knowing Max changed my life. But then looking at him now, I know that a part of my dreams have changed. A part of me will always, more than anything, dream of being a part of Max’s life again…of being his wife.

Alright, getting a little too ahead of myself here! One step at a time.

“Yeah. I can’t think of what else I’ve ever wanted as much.” ‘Liar!’ my brain screams at me, but I push it back for now. “So, any great plans for where you’re going to med school?”

“Not yet, but I’m looking.”

I smile. He’d make a good doctor. He’s always wanted to help people. I think this is what my Max would have chosen, had he not had to run all the time.

“Well, don’t look too far away. I’d miss you.” Did I really just say that? I did. Oh god!

He looks at me quizzically for a while, as if he’s trying to determine if what I’d said was really true, or just friendly conversation.

“Liz, can I ask you a question?” he says suddenly.

“Sure.”

“Are you…” but just as he starts, we hear keys in the door and turn just in time to see Isabel walk through the door.

“Hey guys, what’s up?” she asks, looking between the two of us, curiously.

“We were just talking about school and stuff,” Max says quickly, his question soon forgotten. “I was just bringing over the stuff that mom sent for you, but I better get going.”

“Oh, alright,” Isabel says, putting her stuff down and giving her brother a hug. “You sure you don’t want to stay for dinner or anything.”

“No, that’s alright. I’ll see you on Thursday.”

“You better believe it. Bye Max.”

“Bye sis. Bye Liz,” he says, looking at me one last time before quickly stepping out the door. I’m left waving, distractedly, at his departing form.

Once he’s gone, Isabel turns from the empty doorway to me and asks, “What was that all about?”

“I have no idea,” I say, still shocked myself.

As Isabel starts going through the box that Max brought over, I find myself asking without being able to stop myself. “Hey Iz, can I ask you something?”

“Go for it.”

“Is Max seeing anyone?”

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

“Lizzy!”

“Hey Maria,” I say, standing up to give her a hug as she comes rushing through the door over to me.

“Well hello to you too Maria,” Isabel says sarcastically as she was left standing at the door with Michael.

“Hey Iz. You know I missed you too, but I’m just so excited to see my Lizzy here. You know how great I think it is that you two are roommates now, don’t you?” Maria rambled as she went back to where Isabel was standing, giving her a hug as well.

Once Maria and Isabel had said their hellos, everyone came in to settle where I was on the couch. Michael moved to give me a big hug, something that I wasn’t quite expecting, but it was definitely a pleasant surprise. I had always thought of Michael as a big brother, especially after Max was captured. He always put out that extra effort to watch out for me. I’m not sure if he was doing out of a sense of obligation to either Max or Maria, but somehow I didn’t think so. Next to Alex, Michael would always be the closest thing I ever had to a brother.

We talked for a while, and then I excused myself, going to my room to get ready for bed. It had been a long couple of days, and I still hadn’t finished unpacking. Everything seemed to be moving at super-speed.

“Hmmm…I thought I might find you in here,” Maria said, flopping down on my bed as I was working to put just one more box away. “You didn’t think that you were going to get away that easily did you?”

“Maria, what are you talking about?” I say, giving her a look.

“Oh, you know very well what I’m talking about. I’ve barely talked to you in over a month…just the quick howdy-dos over the phone, and you have nothing to say to me.”

“Howdy-dos?” I ask, barely containing my laughter.

“Hey don’t turn this around and try to use my word choice against me. I’ve got Michael keeping Isabel occupied, so it’s girl talk time. What all have you been up to in the last few weeks?

At the look on Maria’s face, my resolve broke and I found myself sprawled out on the bed next to her, ready to spill my guts.

“Oh Maria, I think I did something really stupid.”

“What?” she asked confused, obviously surprised at the turn in the conversation.

“I uh…I kinda asked Isabel if Max was seeing anyone?”

“Ah,” Maria said, a smirk planted firmly across her face. “And what did she say.”

“Are you kidding? She ripped into me. She immediately asked why I wanted to know. And when I said that I might be interested she started lecturing me on how Max wasn’t just some rebound guy that I could play around with. That he has feelings that I shouldn’t toy with and that she couldn’t believe that I would even think about doing that to another person, let alone her brother. She didn’t even give me a chance to tell her that it was nothing like that, just stormed off into her room and I didn’t see her for the rest of the night, save when she came out for food. God, I forgot how protective that girl could be of her brother.”

“Uh huh,” Maria says after my ramble. “And she hasn’t said anything since?”

“Nope.”

“Hmmm…let me talk to her.”

“Maria, you better not make this worse.”

“Hey, don’t worry. I know this Isabel better than you do, remember? Besides, I bet she’s forgotten about it already. I mean, she knows how much Max likes you, and I’m sure she knows that you’re not the kind of person to just use someone like that. She just over-reacted.”

“I’m not so sure.”

“Oh course she is. Just let me talk to her, and when I tell her that your feelings are sincere, I know it’ll be alright.”

“No, I mean…I’m not so sure about how Max feels.”

“Sweetie, what are you talking about?”

“I’m mean so far, every time I’ve been with Max…there’s nothing.”

“Liz, you’ve got to be kidding me.”

“It’s not that I don’t feel anything. I do…trust me I do,” I reply, saying it in a way that would let Maria know the gravity of the situation. “God, every time I see him I want nothing more then to be in his arms again. But Max, I…I just don’t think he feels the same way.”

“Liz babe, you saw him for the first time what, three days ago?”

“Four.”

“Still Liz, you need to give the boy some time. Max was never really the outgoing type; it’s going to take him a while to get the nerve for something like this.”

“But…”

“Liz, have you ever had reason to doubt his love before?”

“No, but…”

“No buts. Trust me Liz. Give it time, and I promise you two will have your happily ever after.”

I look at Maria, the stubborn tears still pricking at my eyes, but I can’t help but feel the comfort of her words. Maybe I am over-reacting just a little. It’s just so hard. Having to live without him for so long, then having him right in front of me and knowing that he’s not mine…it’s just the perfect torture.

“Alright, enough about me,” I say, giving out a derisive laugh. “You never told me how Michael took your little news,” I finish smiling.

Maria laughed a little and then replied; “Now that’s a story.”

She went on to tell me about how scared she’d been of telling Michael, because as much as she knew in the end he would be okay with it, she wasn’t sure of his initial reaction. Obviously, a baby hadn’t been anywhere in the plans for them so far, they’d never even talked about it, and Maria didn’t want to scare Michael off now that he’d finally become comfortable in the commitment they’d made to each other.

It wasn’t that Michael hadn’t given himself completely to Maria, but he was still afraid of the little implications that love and especially marriage brought. Not that marriage was on the books yet, Maria assured, but she was confident that in time, Michael would come around. He was still convinced that he’d end up hurting her in some way if he let her get that close, not that they weren’t that close already.

What can I say? Michael will always be Michael.

But for now, Maria was content where she was, and both parents were very excited about the new arrival coming in about 7 months time.

“Michael had been shocked, to say the least. He just kind of stood there for a while after I told him, like he was still trying to digest it all. After a couple minutes of silence I was starting to get worried, when bam this huge smile spread across his face and before I knew it, he had me up in the air, twirling me around with that huge grin plastered on his face. Oh Liz, it was the most amazing feeling. We were both just on top of the world. And then he asked me, ‘Am I really gonna be a daddy?’ And I just lost it. Sometimes that boy will drive me so crazy, and other times, I just love him so much.”

I can’t help but smile, picturing that moment. I’m incredibly happy for Maria, I really am. But I can’t help but wonder what it would have been like if Max and I had had that chance. Hey, maybe we still will.

Pushing that thought to the back of my mind, I turn my attentions back to Maria. “So, when are you making the announcement?”

“Tomorrow, after dinner. It should prove interesting.”

“I’ll say,” I reply, laughing. I can just imagine the looks on Max’s and Isabel’s faces at the prospects of a half alien baby. At this point, they still don’t know just how human they are.

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

Hey guys. I'm glad that you all enjoyed Max's coming into the picture. It should pick up from here, alot more of the story, in theory, focused on Max and Liz. Anyway...hope you enjoy the next part. I need to get to writing as i'm really starting to catch up to myself on parts.

Enough about that. Thanks for your continued feedback and support. You're what keeps this story going.

~Michelle




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Part 8

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“What is with all this racket?” a disheveled looking Maria asked as she walked grumpily into the kitchen.

“What does it look like?” I replied, rolling my eyes. Isabel and I were busy preparing to put the turkey and stuffing into the oven, and the large turkey sitting in the middle of the counter had to be hard to miss. We must have woken Maria up from where she slept in the living room with Michael.

“Happy Thanksgiving Maria,” Isabel said cheerfully. The holidays were really her time. “Ready to start cooking?”

“I just got up. Why are we starting so early?” Maria was always a little grumpy in the mornings, especially before she had her coffee.

“It’s not early, it’s ten thirty,” Isabel replied, still cheerful. I think she missed Maria’s less than excited tone. “Besides, we need to get this turkey in the oven if it’s going to be ready by dinner time.”

“Alright, give me like five more minutes to wake up and I’ll help you,” Maria agreed, somewhat reluctantly, sitting down at the table and rubbing her eyes. I couldn’t help but laugh at her.

“Here, drink this,” I said, bringing her a cup of coffee. Maria had never been the morning type, more of a night person. I guess that explains why she runs a bar. “And don’t worry about it too much. As soon as we get the turkey in, there won’t be too much to do for a couple hours.”

“Oh good.”

I laughed at the relief in her voice. I could tell that Maria wasn’t too excited about this cooking all day thing.

“Is Michael still sleeping?”

“Nah,” she shook her head. “He’s laying there with the pillow over his head trying to pretend he’s still asleep. I know better though. He just wants me to come wake him up.” At my curious look, she continues. “He uh…he likes my way of waking him up.”

“Oh,” I say simply. “Enough said.”

My mind really does not need to go there!

“Once he remembers where we are and that I’m not coming back, he’ll get up.”

No sooner had Maria said that, then Michael came padding into the kitchen, pouring himself a cup of coffee, before sitting down next to Maria at the table and giving her a good-morning kiss.

Watching them be so sweet around each other just serves to remind me more of what I’m missing. These two realities are so different, yet both were missing such important things. In the other life, I was missing stability, a real home, a place where I could really settle down and be myself…a life really. But in this one…I’m missing Max.

“Liz?” I’m snapped out of my thoughts by Maria’s voice. I look at her, only to see concern and worry on her face. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I uh. I just remembered that we forgot to get ice.”

“Are you serious?” Isabel asked immediately, wide-eyed and ready to start panicking. She always hated it when things didn’t go her way.

“Don’t worry Iz, as soon as we get the turkey in I’ll run to the quick mart and get some.” She seemed to visibly relax at this and I let out a sigh of relief. The last thing I wanted at the moment was Isabel getting all worked up over nothing.

“I’ll drive you,” Michael offered, and I smiled my thanks. I knew he’d been waiting for this moment, that he had lots of questions.

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

“Wow. That’s…it’s just so weird to think about. The FBI was really after us?”

“Afraid so,” I reply, all the memories coming back to me. I’ve just spent the last ten minutes giving Michael about the quickest and briefest rundown possible on everything I know about the aliens, their heritage, and what happened in the other timeline.

We were both silent for a moment, Michael I’m sure still absorbing everything that I’ve just told him, while I examine all the feelings that I still had from that other time, that I bury so often.

“Liz, Maria told me about what you guys talked about last night.”

“Huh?” I said, startled by the sudden break in silence, and not quite sure what he was referring to.

“About Max.”

“Oh.”

“Look Liz, speaking as Max’s best friend, I promise you that you are the only girl Max has ever really wanted. Maria tried so hard over the years, telling him he had let you go, but he couldn’t. He would go on dates from time to time, but none of them compared to you. Even after you’d been with Alex for so long, he could never stop loving you.”

“How can you be so sure?” I ask quietly.

“He told me as much. Who else do you think Max talks to about this stuff?”

“Maria,” I reply frankly, laughing a little.

“Yeah, but only when she forces it out of him. Look Liz, I just wanted to tell you not to give up just yet. Give it a little time. I’m sure Max is still a little shell shocked to have you all of the sudden available and it finally being possible for you two to be together. And you know Max, he’s going to analyze the situation for five years first just to make sure he doesn’t screw anything up,” he finished sarcastically, causing me to laugh.

And it’s times like this that I realize what Maria had to have seen in Michael all those years ago. Behind the rough, bad-boy exterior was a deeply loyal and amazing person. Maria was lucky to have found such a great guy that could compliment her so well. Now she just had to trust all her friends when they said that her own prince charming would come around in time.

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

Michael and I make it up to the front door of the apartment and I struggle to find my keys under the bag of ice. Before I can fine them though, the door opens to reveal Max waiting on the other side.

I stare shocked. I wasn’t ready for that!

“Max?”

“I uh…I heard you guys outside the door, figured I’d help,” he says in explanation, taking the bag of ice from me.

“Thanks,” I say plainly.

“Hey Maxwell,” Michael says in recognition of his friend as he follows me through the door and sets off for the kitchen with the bag of groceries that he just had to get. Apparently what Isabel and I bought at the store for him wasn’t enough. But soon I hear Maria’s resounding cry and can’t help but laugh.

“Oh Michael, what did you get now?”

After we both finish laughing, my attention turns back to Max. “So, I uh…I didn’t think you were coming by until later.”

“I wasn’t, but I wanted to see if there was anything that you guys needed help with. I know Michael’s not worth much.”

I can’t help but laugh. “Well, he can have his uses. He did take me to the store after all.”

“So I heard,” he says smiling, and once again I find that smile leaves me weak in the knees.

“Well, if you really want something to do, you can talk to Isabel. She’s the one really running the show here…I’m just abiding by her instructions.”

“Well, I tried that, but she basically told me to ‘get the hell out of her kitchen.’”

We both laughed, but I stop at hearing his soft chuckle. It’s been so long since I’ve heard that. The sudden stop in my laughter causes him to stop, and my gut wrenches at the sudden silence. I never wanted that sound to end.

“Maxwell!” I hear Michael call from the kitchen, and our brief silent staring match is over.

“I uh…I better go put that away,” I say taking the bag of ice from Max.

“Yeah,” he says absentmindedly, and I can’t help but wonder if he felt it too. The brief connection that I felt firing between us, if only just for a second. It was a comfort, finally having something back that I hadn’t felt since Max left me…left us, before.

“Max, what do you say we go shoot some hoops since the Nazi won’t let us in the kitchen?”

“Michael!” Isabel screeches as soon as the words are out of his mouth. “Just because I don’t want you two screwing something up doesn’t mean that I’m a fascist dictator!”

Michael just shrugged his shoulders, used to Isabel’s rants and looked over to Max for a response. Isabel’s just very protective of her holidays.

After Max checked one more time to make sure that there was nothing he could help with, he and Michael left for the park just a couple blocks away, leaving us girls to ourselves.

“Now that the boys are gone, it’s time for girl talk!” Maria states excitedly, grabbing a bag of chips and soda from the fridge.

All I can think is ‘Oh dear!’

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

“Hey Liz, can I come in?” Isabel asks hesitantly from behind my half-opened bedroom door.

“Yeah sure.” I had just come in here during a short lull in the cooking frenzy to work on some more boxes; I was still unpacking. I was hoping to get a little bit done before everyone showed up.

“What’s up?” I ask, looking up to see her walking into the room tentatively. She looked worried, and I can’t help but wonder what’s going on. Isabel is always so confident; this makes me a little nervous.

She comes into the room slowly, looking around as if she’s trying to play out some scene in her head, deciding where everything should play out.

“Look, I just wanted to apologize,” she says, finally addressing me.

“Apologize?” I ask confused. “Why?”

“For…for what happened the other day. For getting all up on your back about Max and saying all those awful things about you just wanting a rebound guy and all that stuff. I was just talking to Maria, and I…I guess I just never knew you felt that way.”

I can’t help but blush as the meaning of her words dawned on me. Apparently, Maria had told her more than I’d thought.

I laugh a little to myself. “I had such a crush on Max in high school,” I start, not looking at her. “But I didn’t think that he felt the same way so I never did anything about it. And I never really thought about it again until the other day when we were talking.” Okay, that’s a lie. “And I don’t know what it was, but something made me think that there just might be something there, that maybe there could be. And that’s why I asked you if he was seeing anybody.”

“So why didn’t you say anything then? How could you let me go off on you like that?”

“I knew you were just being protective, and I don’t know. Maybe you’re right. Maybe I am taking this a little too fast and I should wait a little while longer before getting involved with someone else.”

“If you don’t mind me asking,” Isabel started hesitantly, “how did you and Alex end up together anyway? I mean, back in high school you guys seemed more like brother and sister then something else.”

I smile a little, thinking back. “Well we were. Truthfully, if you told me back then that Alex and I were going to end up together, I would have thought you were crazy. But I guess it all started back at prom. We went together…as friends. It’s not like anything happened…but he was just so sweet, so perfect. I couldn’t help thinking that he was going to make someone a very happy woman someday. He was…is such a great man. And then, when we both ended up out here at school, and with Maria in New York, it was just the two of us most of the time. We ended up hanging out more and more…and I guess one thing just led to another. Before I knew it, we were together, and things just progressed from there.”

“So…what happened? What changed?”

I look at Isabel. “I love Alex, really I do. But it just wasn’t meant to be. Somewhere in there I realized that I love Alex, but that I wasn’t in love with him. And that wasn’t enough.”

She nods, but says nothing. We’ve been quiet for a while, when Isabel breaks the silence.

“He’s not.”

“Huh?” I ask confused.

“Max. He’s not seeing anyone.”

“Oh…thanks,” I nod my head, smiling. I know what it took Isabel to say that, and all that that statement meant that was not said.

She nods.

“I promise I’m not out to hurt him or anything. I just…”

“I know,” she says, interrupting me.

We just look at each other, silent for a while, before the resounding voice came from the living room.

“We’re back,” Michael called, and we soon heard the muffled voices as Maria went to greet them.

“I guess we should get out there,” I say, still gauging Isabel’s reaction.

“Yeah,” she says, looking at me with a smile. “Get out there,” she says laughing, and I can’t help but laugh back. Am I really that transparent?

I walk out of the room, to find Michael and Maria already in a lip-lock. They have that tendency to get lost in each other. I can’t help but laugh.

“Get a room!” I yell and them, and they break apart a little.

“Sure Liz, yours or Isabel’s?” Michael asks smirking.

“Ewww,” my face turns up in disgust. “Okay, I take that back. Just stop.”

Maria just roles her eyes and takes Michael by the hand, taking him into the kitchen.

“So, did you guys have fun?” I ask, turning to Max.

“Yeah.” And there goes that smile again. I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of seeing that. “It’s not too often that I get to play anymore. That was something that Michael and I used to always do together and I haven’t seemed to have been able to find a replacement yet.”

“Well, if you’re ever looking for someone to play with, I’d love to.”

“Really? I didn’t know you played basketball.”

“Yeah, yo…a friend taught me,” I recover quickly.

“I’d like that.” Damn that smile! It’s definitely not helping my conversation skills. I feel like a bumbling idiot.

Fortunately, there’s a knock at the door to interrupt my moment of ineptitude.

“I should get that,” I say dumbly.

“Yeah,” he says, his eyes still unmoving.

“Right,” I say after a moment, finally moving to get the door.

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

Kyle and Serena had arrived, looking pretty cozy if I do say so, considering they only met 5 days ago. Isabel had since gone into full hostess mode, introducing everybody and fretting over refreshments and snacks as everyone talked and got acquainted.

Serena and Maria seemed to be hitting it off nicely, not that I’m all that surprised. Those two are like two peas in a pod; I don’t know how I’m ever going to be able to tear them apart.

When I’d opened the door, Serena came bursting in in a flurry of greeting. She’d hugged me and Max before I’d even realized that Kyle was behind her. Kyle greeted Max with a handshake before coming over and giving me a warm hug, followed by an inquisitive look at seeing Max hovering close behind me. I just rolled my eyes, glancing at Serena before returning the same knowing look. Kyle just smirked and moved to wrap his arms around his new girlfriend, who rewarded him with a quick kiss for his attentions.

Max and I just laughed at the two as we all moved to join our friends, Serena bounding into the kitchen to greet Isabel.

Since, we have all been talking, laughing, and gossiping, before another knock was heard at the door. Isabel got up to get it, still in full hostess mode.

“Hey Alex,” she says as she opens the door, and my head snaps up. I had forgotten that he was possibly coming. He never gave anyone a definite answer.

I jump up and run over to the door. “Alex,” I say, enveloping him in a huge hug. “Thank you so much for coming,” I whisper into his ear as I hug him, not wanting to make it into a big deal in front of everyone else. But I know what a big deal this is for him. I know how much it must have taken him to come…after his words last weekend.

I may have made him uncomfortable by that move, but I don’t care. Over that last few days I’ve had a lot of time to think, about everything. I thought long and hard before calling Alex to invite him over here, but it just kept coming back to the same conclusion. How could I not? After finally having Alex back again, for what felt like so long after he’d died, I felt like I was being forced to give him up all over again. And I didn’t want that to happen. I don’t care if I’m pushing; I need Alex in my life.

I take his hand and lead him over to the rest of the group. Maria jumps up to hug him as well, and I see a genuine smile light up Alex’s face for the first time in ages.

“So Alex, this is my good friend Serena, and apparently Kyle’s new girlfriend,” I say introducing the two. “She was Isabel’s roommate before I moved in.”

“It’s nice to finally meet you,” Serena says, shaking his hand.

“Uh…you too,” Alex says, I think still a little overwhelmed by it all.

“And I think you know everyone else,” I smile, as I watch his eyes take in the rest of the group.

“Yeah. Hey everybody. God, it’s like a high school reunion in here.” Everyone laughed and I heave a sigh of relief, but as Alex’s eyes move over the group, they halt for a moment on Max, and I can’t help but wonder what the night is going to hold.

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

“Wow Isabel, I think that was the best Thanksgiving dinner you’ve ever made.”

“Thanks,” she says, smiling at her brother as we start to take all the plates away and into the kitchen.

“Now who’s ready for desert?” I ask only to be answered with a round of groans. “Alright, maybe we should hold off on the desert for a little bit,” I say laughing. “But none of you are leaving without having some. I made the famous Parker family pumpkin pie…same recipe we use for the Crashdown.”

“What’s the Crashdown?” Serena asks curiously, only to be met by laughs from the rest of the group. “What did I say?” she asks then, confused.

“The Crashdown is the café that my parents own, back in Roswell.”

“Wait, Roswell? As in Roswell, New Mexico? How did I not know that you were from Roswell?” she asks glaring at me, then at Kyle.

“It’s not something we usually go around advertising. It always ends in questions like, did aliens really crash there and if I’ve ever seen them. It gets kind of old after a while. Anyway, we all basically grew up hanging out at the Crashdown. Michael, Maria and I even worked there.”

“So I’m guessing this pie is world famous then?” she says smiling.

“Well, at least Roswell famous,” I say laughing. I wouldn’t exactly call Roswell the world. Although, there are amazingly out-of-this-world things that tend to happen in said small town.

“So, I kinda feel like the odd one out here. You guys have all known each other forever, and we’ve just met.”

“Nah, a lot of us have lost touch over the years, so we’re just starting to get reacquainted,” Kyle said, looking to Isabel, Max, Maria and Michael. “I really only kept in touch with Alex and Liz, and that’s pretty much only because Alex works right next to the restaurant that I work at, and he tends to come in from time to time,” he finishes, smiling.

“Well then, I should take advantage of your friends now, shouldn’t I? Any embarrassing stories about Kyle from high school?”

“Oh no you don’t!” he says, looking at me when I open my mouth to answer. Everyone laughs.

“Ah Kyle, come on. The girl just wants a little story,” I say pouting.

“Don’t even think about it Parker,” he warns again, but I just smile.

Oh, I’m definitely thinking about it. “Alright Kyle, no stories,” I concede, but once his back is turned I mouth to Serena, ‘I’ll tell ya later.’ She smiles at that and nods her head, telling me she understood.

“Hey, I think we should get together and hit up the sales tomorrow, what do you say girls?” Isabel asks.

“Oh no!” Michael sighs, only to have Maria punch him in the shoulder. “Ow!”

“I think it would be fun. Count me in Iz,” Maria says. Serena and I nod our heads and we start making plans for Serena to meet us here tomorrow morning bright and early so we can get a head start. Meanwhile, the guys make plans to get together tomorrow and ‘hang out’ while we’re gone. All except Alex, who says he has to work. I look over at him and recognize the weary, tired look to his features. Sometime I’m going to have to talk to him about this; he works too much.

We finally decide that it’s time for desert, and just as we are starting to dig in, I see a glance pass between Maria and Michael, followed with a few nods. Looks like it’s time for their announcement.

Michael clears his throat loudly, causing everyone to look at him. Maria roles her eyes at his tactless behavior.

“Is there something you want to say Michael?” Max asked, almost laughingly.

“Yeah, there is actually,” Michael says, almost looking proud of himself at being able to get everyone’s attention. “Maria and I have something we’d like to share.”

I keep my eyes trained on the rest of the crowd wanting to see their reactions, especially Max and Isabel’s.

“I know this may come as a surprise, even a bit of a shock, but we’re really excited about it and we hope you will be too…”

“Oh, just spit it out already,” Isabel says, dying from the anticipation.

Maria glares at Isabel before smiling and finishing the announcement. “We’re having a baby!”

I watch as Isabel’s mouth drops open in shock and Max’s takes on an unreadable expression, before turning up in a slight grin.

“Well congratulations you two,” Serena says excitedly, not at all noticing the tenseness of some of the others in the room. “How far along are you?”

“Just under two months,” Maria says, smiling.

“Wow…I mean wow,” Isabel says, finally finding some words. “Ya know Michael, I never really thought of you as the father type…but I never really thought of you as the steady relationship type either,” she smiles. “But I can’t think of a better person for you then Maria. You guys are going to make great parents together.”

“Thanks Iz,” Maria says, near tears, before going over to Isabel to give her a hug. This follows by a round of hugs and congratulations from the rest of the group. I see the look that passes between Max and Michael though. Max obviously expects to have a talk with Michael before the night is out.

“Liz, tell me if I’m mistaken, but you don’t look surprised,” Alex comments. Leave it to him to notice.

I smile. “I might have had an idea.”

“You knew!” Isabel screamed. “You knew that my almost brother was having a baby and you didn’t tell me! I can’t believe that we’re living under the same roof and you didn’t tell me!”

“Hey, she had to tell someone. Besides, she wanted it to be a surprise.”

“I guess,” she conceded. “But next time something like this happens you better tell me.”

That just causes us all to laugh again. And I can’t help but look back and be thankful for such great friends.

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

Here's the new part. Sorry for making ya'll wait an extra week for it. I think ya'll will like it though and I hope it was worth the wait.

Just a little reminder... It is still Thanksgiving, and Michael and Maria just announced to the rest of the gang that they were having a baby.

Enjoy!

~Michelle



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

Part 9

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

“Alright, bye Liz. I’ll see you tomorrow, bright and early,” Serena smiles.

“Yeah. You can help me get Maria out of bed,” I say laughing.

She smiles. “Sure. No problem.”

“And you,” I say turning to Kyle. “Don’t keep her up too late. She needs to be up early in the morning.”

“Ah, no problem. We just won’t go to sleep.”

“Ha ha…funny,” I reply sarcastically.

“Don’t worry Liz. I’ll kick him out before it gets too late,” Serena says. They were heading back over to Serena’s place to watch a movie.

“That’s my girl,” I say laughing. Poor Kyle has the greatest expression on his face right now. I wish I had a camera.

Serena goes to say goodbye to the others, leaving Kyle and I to ourselves.

“Liz,” he starts. “I uh…I think you might want to talk to Max.”

“Talk to Max?” I ask curiously. “About what?”

“He just didn’t seem too thrilled about the greeting that you gave Alex this afternoon. I think he might have gotten the wrong idea.”

I just look at Kyle, not sure what to say. I didn’t really think about it at the time, but what must Max have thought, seeing me run into another guy’s arms like that?

“Look,” he continues, “I don’t know what’s going on with you and Evans, but I see the way you look at him. I know you like him and he just seemed kinda hurt at the way you ran to Alex this afternoon. I just wouldn’t want a misunderstanding to get in the way of anything.”

I always knew that Kyle was intuitive, but wow. I think we don’t give him enough credit sometimes; he really picks up on things.

“Thanks Kyle.”

“Don’t mention it,” he finishes quickly, just as Serena comes back to his side.

“So, I’ll see you guys tomorrow,” I say, giving Kyle a thankful smile. He’s such a great friend, has been in both timelines.

“Bye,” they both call as they make their way out the door. I’ve got some thinking to do.

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

“Do you need any help?” Maria asks. I had gone into the kitchen to put the last of the dishes into the dishwasher and make sure everything was cleaned up.

“No, I’m almost done.”

“Oh, good,” she says sounding relieved and I can’t help but laugh. Maria would never change.

“So, what’s up?” she asks, looking at me inquisitively. She could always see right through me.

“Nothing. It’s just something Kyle said…but it’s nothing. Don’t worry about it.”

She didn’t look too convinced but she gave up for now. “So…I’ve been sent in here to keep you occupied. Max, Michael and Isabel are having a quote ‘family meeting.’ You want to listen in?” she asked excitedly, causing me to laugh again. I nod my head enthusiastically. It had been so long since I’d been in on anything alien that I was starting to feel left out.

We make our way quietly towards Isabel’s door, which was left open just a crack. How convenient.

“What about Liz?” I hear Isabel say and bite my lip at the irony of the situation.

“Don’t worry, Maria said she’d keep her busy. You know how those two can talk.”

Looking at Maria’s face, she looks a little put off by that statement.

“Michael, I just…how did this happen?”

“Well Maxwell, when two people love each other very much…” Michael started in a mocking tone.

“I know how it happened Michael. But I thought you guys were being careful…”

“We were careful Maxwell, but stuff happens. And I’m not going to sit here and listen to you lecture me about it. It wasn’t something that we planned, but it happened and we couldn’t be happier about it. This is the best thing that’s ever happened to me, and I’m not going to have you ruin it,” Michael yells, as he makes his way towards the door. Maria and I start to panic, and are trying to get up quickly before we hear Max stopping Michael.

“I’m sorry Michael. And I’m happy for you, I really am. I’m just a little worried, is all. I mean, an alien baby…we don’t know what’s going to happen.”

“Did you think we were going to go through our lives without ever trying to have kids? I thought you’d have been the most excited. You of all people were the most skeptic; thought we weren’t compatible enough with humans to ever have children.”

“Yeah, but I just thought that, ya know, you guys would get married first and then we’d talk about it, come up with a plan before you two decided to have kids.”

“Yeah, what about that Michael?” Isabel speaks for the first time.

“What about what?”

“Marriage? You’re having a child with this girl, when are you going to marry her?”

“Hey, that’s mine and Maria’s business Iz, not yours,” his tone is hard and even, leaving no room for argument.

“Nice save,” Maria mumbles and I have to bite my lip to keep from laughing.

“Alright Michael, then what is your plan?” Max asks, a little bit calmer now.

“We looked at her blood already, and so at least from Maria’s end we’re fine. We can go to the doctor and have checkups without a problem. As for the delivery, we were thinking about getting a midwife or something, so we don’t have to worry about the tests on the baby.”

“Who looked at her blood?”

“Maria did,” he said nonchalantly. I smile, giving Maria a look. We both know that it was me that had a look at her blood after finding out about the pregnancy, to make sure everything was normal.

“Alright, but what if something happens while Maria’s having the baby? We would still have the midwife to worry about.”

“We were uh…we were actually thinking of asking Liz to do it.”

I look over at Maria to see the question burning in her eyes. How could I not help my friend? I nod my head, and Maria mouths ‘Thank you,’ before we turn our attention back to the conversation in the other room.

“Again, what if something happens?”

“If something happens, we’ll deal with it when we come to it, but Liz is better than finding some random person that we don’t know. Besides, this is Maria’s best friend we’re talking about here; she thinks we should just tell her…”

“Michael no…” Max starts, before Michael cuts him off.

“We’re not going to tell her Max, at least not yet. But Maria’s sure that if anything happened and we had to, that Liz would be fine with it. Besides, what other option is there?”

“Well, it seems like you’ve thought about this a lot.”

“We have Maxwell, and everything will be fine. I know it. Can’t you just be happy for me and leave it at that?”

“Michael, we’re very happy for you,” Isabel comes out saying. She was always the pacifier. “I’m glad that you’re finally getting the family you always wanted.”

“Thanks,” Michael says sincerely.

“Yeah man, I’m sorry. This whole thing just put me a little on edge,” Max says, sounding tired.

“It’s gonna be okay Max. Let’s just take this as it goes.”

“When did you get to be the calm rational one?” Max asks, envy filtering through his voice.

“When I fell in love with Maria,” Michael answers easily, and I knew then that it was time to leave. The tears were welling up in Maria’s eyes and I decided we better get out of there before the damn broke.

Silently we make our way into my room and shut the door silently. As soon as the door’s closed, Maria lets her hormones rule and she’s sitting in the middle of my bed, bawling.

“He can be such a jerk sometimes, but then he can be so amazing too,” she says through her tears, and I can’t help but laugh. Crawling onto the bed, I hug my friend and allow her to quell her tears somewhat as she buries her head in my shoulder.

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

*Knock Knock*

“Come in,” I call upon hearing the light knock on the door.

The door opens slowly and Max pops his head inside. “Hey, I was just about to leave and wanted to say goodbye.”

“I think that’s my cue to go,” Maria murmurs so that Max can’t hear her, but I do. She gives me a wink before getting up and heading towards the door. “Night Max,” she says as she passes him. “It’s time for me to go find my lover boy,” she finishes as she walks out the door past a puzzled looking Max.

He looks at me and I can’t help but laugh at his expression.

“Hormones,” I answered the unvoiced question, and Max nods his head in admission, satisfied.

“I wanted to say thank you,” he says quietly. “For having us and everything. And for putting up with Isabel. I know she can be a handful and I’m sorry that she sprung this on you so soon after you moved in.”

“It was nothing,” I say, trying to brush it off. Besides, without Thanksgiving, we wouldn’t have had an excuse for Max to come over so often.

“No really. If it hadn’t of been here, Isabel said she was going to take over my place, and I’m very happy that that didn’t happen,” he smirks.

“Well in that case, you’re very welcome,” I say laughing. An awkward silence seems to envelope us after that.

“Well, I guess I’ll see you tomorrow,” Max says after a while.

“Yeah,” I reply quietly, though inside I really don’t want to let him go.

“Goodnight,” he says hesitantly, then turns towards the door.

“Wait, Max?”

“Yeah,” he turns around quickly, almost too quickly. As if maybe he was waiting for me to stop him…wait Parker, you’re reading too much into this.

“That thing before…when Alex got here. That…that didn’t mean anything…in case you wondered.”

“Ok.”

“I mean, I just wanted to tell him that I was glad he came. Cause I didn’t think he was going to because he was kind of upset after I broke up with him.”

“Ok.”

“Alright,” I say finitely, glad I got that out. “Goodnight Max.”

“Goodnight,” he says, looking like he’s not comprehending what I’ve just said. I hope I didn’t scare him off.

“See you tomorrow,” he says as he walks out the door towards the living room, presumably to say goodbye to his sister before he leaves.

What did I just do?!

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

“Hey Serena!” I say, opening the door. I know it’s really early in the morning, but for some reason I’m wide awake. “We’re just about ready to go. Do you want anything? Coffee?”

“Coffee please!” Serena groans, not looking all too awake at the moment.

I try not to laugh as I let her in and move to the kitchen to get coffee. As we walk by the sofa bed, Serena comments on Michael laying there with a pillow pulled tightly over his head.

“He’s not too thrilled about being disturbed this early,” I say, rolling my eyes. “Michael was never a morning person.”

“He doesn’t look like it,” she agreed, smirking, as she graciously takes the cup of coffee that I offer.

Soon Isabel is breezing into the room, even more awake then I am. “Hello everybody! Are we ready to shop till we drop?” she asks enthusiastically.

Serena and I look at each other, then look to Isabel quizzically. “What?” she asks, clearly not understanding that her perkiness is a little much for this early in the morning. It’s almost inhuman… Okay, maybe that was a bad joke.

Serena and I just laugh silently to ourselves as Isabel too grabs a cup of coffee (like she needs it). Now we’re just waiting for Maria.

No sooner had I thought that then we see Maria come out of the bathroom, fully dressed, but not looking very awake. She comes out, walks straight to the sofa bed, and curls up next to Michael, ready to go back to sleep.

“Oh no you don’t!” I say, running over and pulling her up out of bed.

“Leave me alone,” she moans, trying to hide more in Michael’s side. “I’m tired.”

“Come on Maria…”

“Who’s idea was it to get up so early anyway?”

“Maria,” I chant softly. “You’re going to miss the sales.”

That seemed to do the trick, as she was soon up, grabbing a quick few gulps of coffee and then at the door ready to go. As a last thought, she ran back to the bed, pulled the pillow off a groaning Michael’s head to give him a kiss goodbye, and was standing by the door again before any of us had a chance to get up.

“Well what are you waiting for?” she asked.

I just rolled my eyes as we met Maria at the door and started out on our shopping spree.

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

“Wow…I don’t think I’ve ever had so many bags,” Maria groaned as the four of us walked around the mall. “There’s got to be like 20 here.”

“Yeah, but isn’t it nice to get some of your Christmas shopping done early?” Serena asks.

“We’re supposed to be shopping for Christmas?” Maria retorts. “All this stuff is for me.”

We all laugh, knowing Maria’s weakness for shopping.

“Oh look, a shoe store!” Isabel squeals and she makes her way towards it.

“Oh no, not again,” I groan. Isabel has now been in at least 5 shoe stores already today. She’s got to have more shoes than any person I have ever met.

“Alright, I say that after this we head to the food court and get something to eat. I’m starving,” Maria sighs dramatically.

“That’s what you said when we stopped at the candy store an hour ago,” Isabel said, rolling her eyes.

“Yeah, but I’m eating for two now,” Maria explained defensively. “I need to work extra hard to keep my strength up.”

I can’t help but laugh at the banter going on between the two. I have a feeling this is going to be a very long day.

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

“We’re home,” Isabel announces as she opens the door into the apartment, with the rest of us following after her.

“I’m beat,” Maria sighed, quickly walking over to the couch where Michael was seating and perching herself on his lap.

“You okay? You didn’t overdo it did you? You guys didn’t let her overdo it?” Michael asked protectively of her, before turning eyes on us, as if saying ‘How dare you let her be tired?’

“Relax Michael. I’m fine,” Maria sighs, taking Michael’s protectiveness in stride. “My feet just hurt a little bit. Would you mind getting my bags out of the car? Please?”

“Of course sweetie,” he says, picking her up as he stood and setting her down on the seat. “Whatever you need. Maxwell?”

“Huh,” Max says, looking confused.

“We’re getting the girls bags.”

“We’re wha…okay,” Max says, deciding not to argue. Obviously he sees the over-protectiveness coming over Michael too, and decides it better just to do as he says.

They get up and are nearly out the door before Serena stops them.

“Wait,” she says, before turning her eyes glaring onto Kyle. “Kyle,” she says sternly.

“But…oh, alright,” he finishes after chancing a glance in Serena’s direction. “I’m going,” he says, following the other guys out the door, muttering all the way.

The three of us still standing flop down on the couch and chairs, laughing.

“You have those two wrapped around you finger,” I comment, looking from Maria to Serena.

“Well, being pregnant helps,” Maria laughs. “He’ll get me whatever I want with a simple plead. I even got him to leave in the middle of a hockey game the other day.”

“You’re kidding me,” Isabel asked, surprised. “I didn’t think Michael would turn away from hockey for anything. I thought he’d let the house fall down around him first, if you know what I mean.”

“Yeah, I know. I didn’t even realize he was watching a game until after I asked him to go get me the ice cream. I even said he could stay and watch it, that I could wait, but he wouldn’t hear any of it. He said games were on all the time, but I was only going to be pregnant for a few months.”

“Awww,” the rest of us chorus in appreciation. I want a guy like that!

“Hey, it certainly seems to be taking them a long time. Do you think they got lost?” Serena asks smiling.

“No, but they are working on full stomachs. Look at this,” Isabel points to the many empty platters and bowls on the table, “there was like 4 pounds of turkey left. And the mash potatoes…that bowl was full.”

So much for the leftovers. And those poor boys…Isabel looks livid.

Speaking of, here they are, coming in the door now, weighed down by our many bags.

“You guys ate everything!” Isabel squealed as soon as they were in sight.

They dropped the bags in their hands where they stood, each looking around them as if searching for an answer.

“It was Michael’s idea,” Max said, trying to thrust the blame off of himself.

“Thanks Max,” Michael reply’s shortly. “Look Iz…we were just really hungry. And when we looked in the fridge all that food was just staring us straight in the face, and it was so good yesterday…we just wanted to have another little taste.”

“And then we just couldn’t help ourselves. Before we knew it, it was all gone,” Kyle finished, trying to help after seeing Serena’s admonishing look.

“It’s okay Iz. I think I have a compromise,” I say, looking at the guys mischievously.

“Oh, and what’s that,” Isabel asks, starting to look interested.

“I think they make up for the fact that we don’t have any turkey to eat by having to make us all dinner tonight. And that all of them must take part in the cooking.”

“But Kyle can’t cook,” Serena says, not looking enthused.

“Yeah, and neither can Max,” Isabel adds.

“Yes but Michael can,” Maria says, catching on to my scheme. “So he’ll have to contend with trying to teach those two to cook something edible,” she says diabolically. “I like it.”

“But Maria...” Michael starts only to have her interrupt him.

“Hey, I was looking forward to turkey buddy, you’re getting off easy.”

“So, are we agreed?” I ask, and the guys agree tentatively, while Maria and Isabel have grins on their faces. I can’t help but laugh. “Alright, it’s settled then. I’m gonna clean up this mess a little bit,” I say, grabbing as many of the dishes I can carry and taking them into the kitchen.

“Can I help you?” Max asks coming into the kitchen a moment later with the rest of the dishes. I’m currently filling the sink with soapy water.

“Uh…sure,” I answer after a moment. “You can rinse if you want.”

“Yeah,” he says smiling, placing the rest of the dirty dishes on the counter next to me, before taking his place beside me so that he can rinse the dishes off that I hand to him.

We settle into an easy pattern, me washing the dishes in the soapy water, then handing them to him with sud-covered hands as he runs them through the clean water.

His closeness is nearly enough to drive me crazy, as I can smell that musky scent that is purely Max, the nearness of him sending the familiar tinglings through my body and flutterings in my stomach.

I’m so caught up in the closeness, in fact, that I manage to drop one of the plates that I had been about to hand over back into the sink. We both reach for the slippery plate, but manage to find each others hands under the water instead.

It was like a bolt of electricity rushing through me, a feeling I haven’t felt in a very long time. We look at each other, only to realize once again, how close together we are, his face only mere inches from mine.

And before I know it, it’s happening. He’s slowly bending down towards me, and I close my eyes in anticipation of his lips finally meeting mine after all this time.

And I see stars.

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

Hey guys. I would have had this part out yesterday, but i had a major midterm today and I was studying all night. But now that's over, and i'll have some free time for a while (at least in theory...). But you don't care about all that, you just want the new part. So alas, i'll stop my moaning and groaning and bring part 10! Enjoy!

~Michelle


Previously...

We both reach for the slippery plate, but manage to find each others hands under the water instead.

It was like a bolt of electricity rushing through me, a feeling I haven’t felt in a very long time. We look at each other, only to realize once again, how close together we are, his face only mere inches from mine.

And before I know it, it’s happening. He’s slowly bending down towards me, and I close my eyes in anticipation of his lips finally meeting mine after all this time.

And I see stars.




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

Part 10

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

The kiss starts out slow and tentative, like he’s waiting for my reaction. And so, not being one to disappoint, I slowly deepen it, my hands leaving the water to tangle in his hair as my body turns into his. We’re way too far apart.

I guess he feels the same way, as he brings his own hands to rest on my hips, pulling my body closer into his. It’s been far too long since I’ve been able to feel him like this, his hard body pressed close to mine, our lips gliding, massaging against each others.

I sneak out my tongue, hoping for just a brief taste of that sweet flavor that is just him. Running my tongue lightly along his bottom lip, I feel him open his mouth slightly allowing me entrance into the satisfying essence that is my Max Evans.

All too soon, my lungs burn with the need for oxygen. Oh, if only there was some way I could breathe without letting go of this man’s lips!

I pull back regretfully, both of us panting for some much needed air as he lays his forehead against mine.

“I’ve wanted to do that for a long time,” he says, once he’s gotten his breath back.

“Me too,” I say, looking deep into those amber eyes that I’d missed so much.

“Good,” he replied with a smile, bringing one hand up to cup my cheek, before trailing it through my hair, and kissing me one more time; much lighter this time, but still amazing. “Maria’s been throwing hints at me for weeks, ever since she told me you broke up with Alex.”

I can’t help but smile; that sounds like my Maria. “Yeah, me too.”

“And when we were at the park last night, Michael felt it his duty to ask when I was going to ask you out.”

“Really?” I ask, the smile still plastered permanently on my face. “And what did you say?”

“I told him to mind his own business, but that I was planning on it as soon as I got you alone. That thing with Alex last night kinda threw me for a loop though.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. You’re little comment last night at least let me know that you might be feeling it to.”

“Feeling what?”

He takes a deep breath before replying. “I don’t know quite how to describe it…but this like…connection between us.”

“Yeah, I feel that,” I say smiling, so glad to finally be in his arms again.

“Yeah?” he asks, looking at me deeply as if not believing it.

“Yeah.”

He smiles that radiant smile of his, and kisses me again. God, I’m so glad to have him back.

“We should probably finish the dishes before someone comes looking for us.”

“You’re right,” he sighs and we reluctantly step apart. Looking up at him, I let out a bursting laugh.

“What?” he asks self-consciously.

“You have…” I start between giggles, “you have soap in your hair,” I finish, reaching my hand up to wipe the suds sticking from the side of his head. “Sorry about that.”

“It’s okay,” he laughs. “I think I got you a little bit too,” he says, motioning down towards my waist. And there, sitting just above my waist were two perfect wet handprints on my shirt.

I laugh to. “Could you…” I start before stopping myself. I almost asked him to dry it for me, before remembering that I’m not supposed to know about the alien powers thing.

“What?” he asks, the smile still on his face. And I’ve never wanted to tell him the truth more than I do at this moment.

“Nothing,” I shake my head, trying to play it off. “We should probably finish these dishes, and then I’ll change my shirt before going back out there.”

“Yeah, ok,” he responds, seemingly unphased by my little fumble.

We finish the dishes in companionable silence; standing maybe a little bit closer then we did before. As we finish I sneak off to my room and quickly change into a dry shirt before we make our way back into the living room where everyone was talking.

“There you guys are,” Isabel said as soon as we got back. “I was starting to wonder what had happened to you.”

“We were doing the dishes,” I say defensively, but maybe a little too much, cause the look on Michael’s face tells me he doesn’t believe it.

“Liz, weren’t you wearing a different shirt before?” Maria asks and I bite my lip trying to think of something to say. If only my best friend wasn’t so nosy.

“Yeah, I changed. I uh…splashed some water on my shirt.”

“Ah,” Maria says understandingly. “Max is your hair wet?”

He blushes, and I can tell they all know something is up. “Yeah uh…the uh splashing.”

“Okay…” she trails off, and I can’t help but wonder what everyone’s thinking about our grand entrance. Maria opens her mouth to say something else, but Michael interrupts her.

“Well Maxwell, Kyle if we’re making dinner tonight we’ve got a shopping trip to make,” Michael says.

The guys nod silently, gathering their coats and heading for the door. I’m not sure whether this is helping to take the pressure off us or leaving me to fend for myself.

“We’ll be back later girls,” Michael says, allowing the other guys through the door that he was holding open, before walking through himself. Once they’re gone, I am still left standing at the living room entrance, with the other three girls staring at me intently.

“What?” I ask with a frown, still not sure if I want to know the answer.

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

After my interrogation, we had spent most of the last hour going through our purchases and trying things on with the clothes we already had, well…at least Isabel and I did. I had just brought all of my bags into my room when I hear a light knock on the door.

“Come in,” I call, not really looking to see who it is until I hear the click of the door behind me, and my senses tingle in that way they only do when he’s around. “Hey,” I say, turning around to see Max standing there.

“Hey,” he replies, walking up to me, but then just standing there as if not quite sure what to do. Maybe I should help him out.

Putting my arms around his neck, I stand up on my tip toes, laying a quick kiss on his lips. He doesn’t hesitate to wrap his arms around me after this.

“How was shopping?”

“Alright. The guys know,” he states, not elaborating, but it doesn’t take much to know what he’s referring to.

“Yeah, the girls too. They bombarded me as soon as you were out the door.”

He gives a sympathetic smile. “Michael apparently walked in on us when we were…well…you know.”

“Otherwise occupied?” I ask, smirking.

“Yeah, you could call it that,” he says with a smile, kissing me himself this time, putting a lot more passion and heat into that kiss then the simple one we’d shared before.

“So, what are we having for dinner?” I ask, turning to my bags and starting to put stuff away haphazardly. Hey, I still have enough boxes to deal with; I don’t need to worry about any more stuff lying around my room.

“That, my dear, is a surprise,” he says smirking, and he chuckles when I pout.

“Well fine, be that way,” I say, turning away and taking some new lotion that I’d bought to my bathroom.

When I come out, he seems preoccupied looking at the bags on my bed. I can’t help but laugh as I see the specific one that’s caught his interest.

“Go ahead and look if you’re that curious,” I say, the smile still on my face.

He blushes at being caught staring, and I can’t help but let my smile broaden. He’s so cute when he’s embarrassed.

“It’s not that,” he admits. “Well I mean it is…it’s just that. Well I’ve already seen it.”

“Really?” I say looking at him, eyebrows raised.

“It was Kyle. When we were down at the car earlier, he noticed the bag, and said we should check to see what was in it. I was totally against it, cause it’s an invasion of privacy, but once he’d pulled it out of the bag it was a little hard not to notice,” he rambled. “But we didn’t know whose it was, and…and that’s why I was staring…cause now I know whose it was,” he finished lamely.

I have to laugh at the helpless expression on his face.

“You’re not mad at me are you?”

“No, of course not,” I say, as if I’m talking to a little boy. “Why would I be mad at you? You’re just being a typical guy. And guys are curious about that sort of thing. Besides,” I say, picking up the Victoria’s Secret bag sitting on the bed. “It was Kyle who pulled it out, not you, right?”

“Right,” he says, seeming somewhat reassured by my words.

“So what did you think?”

“Think?” he asks as I come to stand in front of him, the bag in my hands. “About the uh…”

I simply nod my head, “Uh huh.”

“I uh…uh…well…” he stumbles, backing up just a little as I move steadily towards him.

I try to hide my smile at his stutterings. “Yes?” I ask, trying to goad the answer out of him.

“It’s uh…it’s nice,” he finally finishes lamely, still looking uncomfortable.

“Just nice huh?” I ask, trying to sound disappointed.

“No!” he says quickly at my tone of voice. “I mean…I…”

At this point I can no longer hold it in any longer, and the laughter bursts forth, causing him to stop and look at me curiously. “I’m sorry,” I gasp between bouts of laughter. “I’m just teasing you. I couldn’t resist.”

He looks at me pouting, but I could see the hint of a smile on his face. “So you think it’s fun to tease me huh?”

“It’s just so easy!” I say smiling, placing my arms over his shoulders, bringing my body up close to his, the bag still clutched in one of my hands behind his back.

“Oh really?” he seems incredulous. “We’ll see about that,” he says, and before I know it he’s kissing me, long and hard, his tongue diving into my mouth to duel with mine, as the bag drops to the floor behind him.

I don’t know how I’ve survived this long without this. Being back in his arms again, kissing him again, is unlike anything I’ve ever felt. I’d almost forgotten just how good it feels. And nothing better go wrong this time, because I don’t think that I can survive without him again.

“Max!” I gasp in surprise as his fingers dancing along my sides interrupts my thoughts, tickling me. “Max, no!” I start laughing as his fingers continue relentlessly. I was always extremely ticklish. Damn him for taking advantage of that!

Before I know it, I’m laying down on the end of my bed, Max hovering over me having finally given up on his ministrations. Looking down on me, he leans down to kiss me one last time before laying down on the bed next to me, both of us still panting from our little battle.

“That was low,” I say after I’ve had a chance to catch my breath.

He laughs, but doesn’t contest it. After another few moments he turns to me. “So was the little trick you played on me before.”

“True,” I nod, conceding.

After another few moments, he turns on his side, looking down on me once again. A hand travels to the hem of my shirt, as he pulls it down more over my marred stomach from where it had drifted up from when he was tickling me.

I’m not sure what to think about this action, nor am I able to prevent the sense of embarrassment I feel it as his eyes linger on the scar for a few too many seconds before it’s covered up by my shirt once again. If only I knew what he’s thinking…

“So I was wondering,” he started, absentmindedly, still looking at my stomach as he played with the hem of my shirt, “tomorrow’s Saturday. And I was wondering if maybe you wanted to go out…with me…and do something.”

“Like on a date?” I ask, just to be sure.

“Well yeah,” he answers. “I mean if you want to,” he adds in a hurry. “I understand, though, if you don’t want to jump right into another relationship but…”

“I’d love to,” I say, silencing him with a finger to his lips.

He grabs my hand in his, kissing the finger before bringing it down from his mouth still clasped in his fingers. He smiles, kissing me on the lips again lightly, before pulling back. “I should probably get back to help the guys with dinner before they start wondering what happened to me.”

“Ok,” I say, biting my lip as we both sit up. “I should get back to the girls too before the gossip starts flying as to why we’ve been in here so long.”

“Well let’s go then,” he gets up, offering a hand to me. I nod, taking his hand in mine as he helps me up and leads me towards the door. He smiles at me again, that smile that makes me weak in the knees before we make our way out of the door, ready, it seems, to face the firing squad yet again.

But on the inside, I feel like shouting, “I have a date with Max Evans!”

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

“They’ve been in there forever. I wonder what they’re making?” Serena whines. I haven’t seen Max or any of the guys since we parted ways for them to start on dinner. That must have been at least an hour ago, and I’m starting to wonder if one of us should go check to make sure they didn’t blow up anything in there.

“No idea. They’re not talking, and they won’t let us in there to see either.” Isabel adds, seemingly a little put out to have been thrown out of her own kitchen.

Maria suddenly gets this wicked smile on her face. “We haven’t tried everything,” she replies suggestively and I’m dying to know what she’s planning.

Getting up she walks slowly towards the kitchen, the rest of us getting up to follow her. Once at the doorway, we all hold our breath as she attempts to infiltrate, but Michael’s voice stops her.

“Maria,” he warns, “make one more step into this kitchen, and I’ll escort you back out to the living room myself. Don’t make me lock you girls in one of the bedrooms until we’re done.” To Michael’s defense, this had not been the first time that one of us had tried to get into the kitchen, first claiming we were thirsty, that Maria wanted a snack, that we wanted spoons to play a card game…but nothing seemed to work. The guys always refused to let anyone in, bringing what we asked for to the door without giving us even a peek inside.

“But Michael,” Maria starts softly. “I don’t…I don’t feel too good. I think it might be…” but she didn’t get to finish her sentence before Michael had swept her up into the kitchen, checking her over from head to toe.

“Are you okay? Do you feel faint? What’s wrong? Does anything hurt? Talk to me woman!” he finishes exasperatedly.

“I’m fine…really,” Maria tried soothingly; she did look I little sorry at seeing the worry that her comment had caused. “I just need a glass of water.”

“You over did it today, didn’t you? I knew it was a bad idea to let you walk around the mall all day, in your condition. What if something happened and I wasn’t there?”

“Michael, the girls were there with me, everything would have been fine. I just think that something I ate earlier didn’t agree with the baby, and I want a glass of water. And…I wanted to see you. You can always make me feel better,” Maria adds, laying on the charm. She wanted to assuage his worries, but she didn’t want him to realize that it was a trick all along.

Michael smiles; holding her in his embrace for a moment longer, before getting her a glass of water. Maria thanks him before giving him a quick kiss and heading back out to where we’re standing.

We head back to the couch in silence, where Maria sits down with her glass of water, a perpetual grin on her face.

“That was fantastic,” Serena replied, looking at my friend in awe. “Way to play the pregnant card.”

Maria just smiled, barely acknowledging the praise, before saying in a mock airline stewardess voice. “Our meal today will consist of Michael’s own chicken fettuccini alfredo, complete with garlic bread, Caesar salad a la Kyle, and something Max was mixing in a bowl that I think was dessert.”

The rest of us laugh, amazed at Maria being able to get the information that so many of us had tried desperately to get, but had been unsuccessful.

“Hey, nice job Michael did,” Isabel starts, “giving Kyle and probably my brother the things that can’t go wrong. I mean really, if Kyle gets Caesar salad wrong, we’re all doomed.”

We all laugh, settling into comfortable conversation, now dying for that scrumptious dinner that is awaiting us.

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

I can’t help the giddy laugh that comes from my lips as we near the door, Max pulling me hurriedly behind him. Stopping in front of the door, he pulls my body flush with his, his lips crashing down on mine in a heated kiss that I can’t help but get caught up in, that leaves us gasping for breath afterwards.

“God I love you,” he gasps, still trying to get control of his breathing, but kissing me once again anyway.

“I love you too, Mr. Evans,” I smile, kissing him again. I can’t seem to stop kissing him, stop touching him.

“Oh, but not as much as I love you, Mrs. Evans.”

A giggle leaves my lips, the giddy feeling increasing ten-fold at the feelings that endearment invokes. “I like the sound of that.”

“Me too,” he confirms huskily, capturing my lips once again as he struggles to try and unlock the door, yet stay kissing me at the same time. It doesn’t seem to work too well, and before I know it he’s broken away, cursing at the “damn” door for causing him so much trouble. Soon though, he has the door open, and I try to lead him through it seductively, but he stops me.

“Oh no you don’t,” he growls, using my arm to pull me back to him. Quickly, he stoops down putting an arm behind my knees and lifting me up into his arms as if I weigh nothing at all. The action makes me shiver. God I love this man!

He walks through the door, holding me in his arms, using his foot to close the door behind us. Then quickly and easily, he moves us across the room, depositing me on the bed.

“Just where I want you,” his eyes gleam as he hovers over me, just an inch to far away.

“Oh? And why is that?” I ask as I give a mischievous grin.

His eyes turn serious, but he can’t wipe the smile from his face. He leans down whispering in my ear with that husky voice that always seems to leave me breathless. “So I can make love to you again and again all night long until we pass out from exhaustion in the wee hours of the morning.”

“Well, in that case,” I start, “what are you waiting for?”

He growls and kisses me again, hard and passionate, promising many more things to come. He pulls away for a moment, and I look up at him confused at the hesitancy I see in his features.

“I’m sorry,” he says unexpectedly, with an almost pained expression on his face.

“For what?”

“For this,” he motions around him. “I’m sorry we can’t have a nice honeymoon and go somewhere exotic like normal couples. I’m sorry we’re stuck in some trashy motel room in the middle of nowhere.”

I’m quick to silence him with a quick kiss to the lips. “Max, I don’t care. It doesn’t matter where we are as long as it’s with you. You are what makes this night perfect, not the location. I love you Max Evans, and that is all that matters.”

“I love you too Liz, so much,” he says, the raw emotion in his voice revealing the truth behind those words.

“Now how about that promise of loving me all night long,” I say after a moment, ready to bring activities back to their previous point.

“My pleasure,” Max replies, his lips returning to my mouth as his hands run over my body.

Before I know it our clothes have disappeared and he’s kissing down my neck, my chest, doing things to my body that leave me gasping and pleading for more. My hands run over his back and chest, over the tightly sculpted muscles that he hides beneath his baggy clothes. I always wondered how he managed to stay so fit.

His hands and mouth work wonders, bringing me to heights I’d only ever imagined, only barely letting me back down again, before starting the onslaught all over again.

“Max,” I hear myself saying, begging for him to return to my lips. He does so, out of what knowledge I don’t know. He always seems to know exactly what I want, exactly what I need.

He kisses me hurriedly, deeply, mimicking with his tongue what he wants to do to my body. I feel his length pressing gently against me from where he’s settled between my legs.

“Please,” I gasp, feeling the need completely consume me.

“I want to worship every inch of your body,” he replies, hesitating to make that move that we both want, that we both need.

“Trust me, you have,” I say breathlessly. “But now, I need you.”

He seems to understand the sentiment, as he leans down to kiss me and I feel the slightest bit of pressure as he…

I gasp awake, my eyes quickly adjusting to the darkness and realizing where I am. In my own room…alone.

I thin sheen of sweat covers my very aroused body, barely serving to lick the fire that consumes every cell. Shit, that was a hell of a dream!

I get up slowly, not quite sure yet of the use of my legs, before walking to the bathroom and splashing some cold water on my face, trying to cool down my over-heated skin.

Realizing that I’m not going to get back to bed any time soon, I quietly leave my room, heading to the kitchen to get a drink of water. I take in a short breath at the contrast of the cool kitchen tile against my feet, but can’t help but revel in the soothing quality of it. Maybe I should just lay back down here.

Getting a cup from the cupboard, I fill it from the water pitcher in the fridge, and take a big drink, savoring the feel of the cool liquid as it runs down my throat.

“Couldn’t sleep,” I hear from somewhere behind me.

“Something like that,” I reply as I turn around to see my best friend standing in the doorway. As much as Maria is not a morning person, and loves to sleep in, she is the lightest sleeper I know.”

“Bad dream?” she asks curiously.

“Not exactly,” I say, still guardedly.

“Ah, good dream then,” she says, and I see her eyes widen with interest in the dim moonlight shining through the curtains. “Details?”

I give in, knowing that Maria won’t give up till she knows just why I’m up at this time of night.

“It was my wedding night.”

“Wow,” she says after a moment, letting the connotations of what I said kick in. “Tough.”

“Yeah. It wasn’t too nice waking up in my bed alone after it either.” My response comes out rather more curtly then I meant, but I guess that’s just the frustration leaking through.

“Hey Liz, don’t worry about it. You’ll have that again someday.”

“How do you know?” I ask her desperately. “How can you be so sure?”

“Because anyone who sees the looks that pass between the two of you has to know that it’s only going to end in happiness. There’s so much love passing between the two of you already, and you’ve only barely started your relationship. Besides, don’t you guys have your first date tomorrow?”

“How do you know about that? I haven’t told you that yet?” Leave it to Maria. She always seems to know everything about me, even sometimes before I do.

“I overheard you two talking when he was leaving. And he said he’d call you about tomorrow…I can put two and two together.”

I just roll my eyes at her. I have to hand it to Maria, she does make sure that she always knows what’s going on with her friends lives.

“Not to mention how you guys were sucking-face all day.”

“We were not ‘sucking-face’,” I say derisively, but I’m sure she can notice the hint of defensiveness in my tone.

“No, but you wanted to,” she says, moving her eyes up and down suggestively. I can’t help but laugh.

“But for tonight,” Maria adds, “you can barrow my vibrator if you want,” she says teasingly.

My face scrunches up in disgust. “Thanks Maria, but I’ll be fine.”

“Your loss,” she says, laughing at the look on my face and I find I really don’t want to know if Maria actually has a vibrator here with her. That would just be too much information.

“Don’t worry Liz,” she continues. “You guys will be back in the sack before you know it, and then you won’t have to worry about these things.”

“I’m not sure how to take that statement,” I comment. A part of me wants to be mad at her for suggesting that I’ll just jump into bed with a man that I just started seeing, but another part of me wants him so bad, I just don’t care.

“Just ignore it and try and get some sleep. You want to be all fresh and well-rested for your Romeo tomorrow.”

I laugh at Maria again, trying to keep it somewhat silent as I remember that Michael is still sleeping in the next room.

“Thanks Maria,” I say as I start back towards my room. “In your odd little way, you actually helped.”

“Don’t mention it chica. What else are best friends for?”

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