Author Name: Liz
Email: [email protected]
Rating: G
Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
Summary: A short follow-up piece to Independence Day. The rest
of the Max/Liz scene that got cut.
Category: M/L
Good Advice
Once again, for what seemed like the millionth time since that
day, she allowed her reasoning flutter away from her grasp and
into the night. He seemed to have that effect on her.
She watched as he looked at her hand, slowly slipping onto his
shoulder, squeezing lightly as it came to rest there.
All of her promises, the torture she had put herself through over
him didn't seem to matter anymore. All of it was gone when she
reached out and touched him.
"I'm here for you, Max." She saw his shoulders heave
with his silent sigh, the struggle that was going on underneath
that calm exterior. "Talk to me."
He raised his eyes to meet hers. She felt the familiar dull ache
in her heart as she saw all of the pain that lie there.
"I don't know what's right anymore."
She held her breath, hoping, wishing that he would finally let
her in. Really let her in.
"I keep thinking about the other week....when all that stuff
with Mom was happening. What you and Isabel and Michael kept
telling me..that I was controlling, and that I needed to depend
on someone else for once. It didn't really hit home until now.
All this with Michael now...he's pulling
away, and I don't know what to do. I try and I try to make him
understand what he means to us, that we're there for him...but
all I seem to be doing is pushing him away. I'm hopeless."
He stopped and met her eyes again, and she could see that he was
waiting for her to help him. Pleading with her to make it all
better. "Max, sometimes you are controlling. But that's the
way you are. Michael knows you, and he loves you. Not the person
he wants you to be. All of us do."
She took a deep breath, hoping that he didn't catch the
meaning of those last few words. "He's going through a lot
right now. And no matter how much you want to, you can't
understand. Some of the things he does may be selfish, and there
are things he could do to help himself. But he has to find that
out for himself, Max. He has to figure out for himself...how
wonderful it is, what he has. No matter what troubles he has, no
matter how much trouble he gets himself into, he always has
people who love him. Who he has a connection with. And when he
finally does grasp that, really grasp it, he'll come back to you.
I promise."
He didn't say anything for a long time. She knew that he was
thinking about what she'd said, trying to soak it all in. And she
knew that it was hard for him, it was hard for all of them. She
had faith, though, that their connection would be strong enough
to hold them together through anything. No
matter how hard.
"Talk to him, Max."
Finally, she could see the realization dawning in his eyes. Hope
surged even stronger within her.
He smiled at her then, that little half-crooked smile that she
adored, and leaned closer to her.
"Thanks, Liz."
"I'm always here, Max." She never wanted him to forget
that.
"I know."
There was a moment of hesitation in his eyes, but then he leaned
in to her and placed a soft kiss on her lips. "Thanks,"
he repeated.
She smiled. "Good luck."
He stood then, wiping his hands accross his jeans and quickly
crossing the roof to the ladder. Swinging himself over easily, he
climbed down a few rungs until only his head peeked over the top.
"What about our..talk?"
She smiled again. "I don't think it's necesary anymore.
Everything's going to be fine."
He nodded. "Yeah, I think so too."
"Goodnight, Max."
"Night, Liz."
His head disappeared from view, and she smiled into the night as
she listened to the sound of her Max climbing down the ladder.