Author: Linda
Email: [email protected]
Us Six Against the World (Part 13)
Liz smiled lightly at Alex's question. "Max," she
answered softly.
Alex raised an eyebrow. "AND Michael," he added.
Liz was surprised, but then accepted it.
"They both made me promise not to leave you alone tonight.
But I think they already knew I was coming here anyways,"
Alex said and got up from the chair. "And now, I suppose
we're heading to Max's." Alex smiled.
Liz sighed with worry and nodded. "You coming?" she
asked.
"Of course. I had specific orders from Isabel that came from
Max, that if, or rather when you came over in the middle of the
night to see him, that you NOT walk the streets alone," Alex
replied, amusement in his voice. He was finding this whole
connection/ bonding/ friendship thing amusing too.
Liz nodded and let Alex walk with her to Max's.
Before Liz could knock on Max's window, he opened it and
helped pull Liz in. He nodded to Alex who gave him a salute. Then
Alex wandered off to wait for Liz to need a walk back home. He
knew Isabel would be waiting for him by the back door, and headed
that way.
Max held Liz in his arms and felt her shaking. He put his large
comforting hand on her neck, and then ran his hand down her hair
and hugged her tighter. They both needed the comfort.
Finally Liz stepped back and sat with Max on the bed. "Oh
God Max, what happened?" she whispered. They did not want to
wake Max's parents.
"I got a call earlier," he started. "A voice said
if I didn't want to see you hurt, I was to meet him at the old
soap factory, alone."
Liz looked into Max's eyes with fear and then held his hands.
"What happened then?"
Max shook his head. "I was on my way to the old soap
factory, when I heard a scream coming from Vickie's house. I
pulled over and ran to the back where the scream seemed to come
from, and then the next thing I knew Kyle grabbed me and tackled
me to the ground." Max sighed in frustration.
He kissed Liz's hands that were wrapped around his, and then
released them and got up to pace. "I don't think Valenti has
anything on me other than that I was there, but then, so was
Kyle. But Kyle states he was going to visit Vicki, which makes
sense," Max tried to sort out.
Liz bit her lip. If Max was rambling, then he really was worried,
and so was she. "But you told Valenti that you heard the
scream right? So what did he say?"
"That's just it. He kinda just looked at me with his
reptilian eyes, like he was gonna find something more to make
sure I was blamed."
"But there isn't anything else! So he won't be able to prove
anything. What about Vicki? Did she see who it was?" Liz
asked, watching Max pace.
"If she did, she's the only one who knows, and she's in a
coma according to Valenti. He said he was on his way to the
hospital after he let me go, to get more information and do more
investigating."
"So he will find out that you didn't do it. That you weren't
in the house, and there will be nothing to connect you to this
other than that you were outside the house," Liz said
hopefully.
Max stopped pacing and sighing, he sat back down next to Liz
again. "Yeah, that's what I'm hoping. But you know Valenti,
he's determined to get me somehow."
Liz knew that even the short time Max had been in Valenti's
custody, it had really scared him. And knowing how relentless the
Sheriff was about proving Max was an alien; Liz could imagine how
he must have made Max feel.
Liz scooted closer to Max and snuggled into him. She needed to
comfort him as much as she needed his comfort.
Max did need Liz. He was scared. He'd never been so scared
before. He knew that the sheriff was just looking for any reason
to get him and interrogate him. This would be too good an
opportunity to miss.
He held Liz in his arms for a second, and then realized that it
wasn't close enough, and lifted her onto his lap. He breathed
deeply of Liz, snuggled tight against his chest, and closed his
eyes, just enjoying the feel of Liz this close.
Liz too, was just absorbing the feel of Max all around her. She
concentrated on his heartbeat, his warm, strong arms wrapped
around her, and the rise and fall of his chest, as he let the
tension of all night, slowly release from his body.
But the calm didn't last long.
"Max! Maxmillian!"
Max turned toward the window with Liz still in his arms. He saw
Michael peak in, and seeing them; he climbed in the window, and
then reached outside the window again, to pull Maria in.
Max shifted Liz back on the bed and stood up.
"Michael?" Max frowned. He had a bad feeling, and the
wild look in Michael's eyes confirmed it. Michael looked like a
wild animal when it was
cornered.
"Where's Isabel? We need to get Isabel!" Michael said.
The door to the bedroom opened and Isabel and Alex slipped in.
"We saw Michael crawling into your window and knew something
must be up," Isabel said, her own look turning worried. She
too felt something was really wrong.
"Michael, what?" Max asked.
Maria came over and sat next to Liz. She took her hand and
squeezed it. Liz's own fear escalated at the look in Maria's
eyes, and she saw Isabel reach for Alex's hand, as he put his arm
around her.
"Maria and I followed Valenti to the hospital. We wanted to
know what he could find out. Either from Vicki if she was awake,
or see what Kyle told him. When we got there, Vicki was still
unconscious, but the doctors wanted to show Valenti something
odd. Max, Vicki had a silver hand print!" Michael rushed all
this out, pacing and raking a hand through his hair.
"WHAT?!" Max and Isabel said at the same time.
"Oh my God! Is someone trying to set you up, Max? Only two
people knew about the hand print," Isabel stammered and Alex
held her tighter.
"So Kyle or his dad is in on this?" Michael asked, his
wild look searching the room, looking for enemies in every
corner. He looked ready to bolt.
Maria gave Liz's hand another squeeze, and then she got up and
gently put a hand on Michael's arm, to calm him before he lost it
completely.
The gentle feel of Maria's hand was enough to bring Michael back
from the black hole he'd started falling into. But it only
strengthened his resolve. "We have to go, Max. It's time,"
Michael said and stared at Max and Isabel.
Liz gasped and stood up, and Max put an arm around her, but never
took his eyes off of Michael's. He knew Michael was right. If
Valenti was setting him up, there was no way he would get a fair
trial. Valenti would have him at his mercy; to interrogate or
probe anyway he wanted. He would find out all of Max's secrets,
and then in turn find out Isabel's and Michael's as well.
Max looked from Michael to Isabel and saw the resigned frightened
look on her face as well.
None of them wanted to go. They had talked about this possibility
before, but things were different now. They weren't alone
anymore. It wasn't just the three of them anymore.
But Max knew that the three of them had no choice. He took a deep
breath and turned to Liz, taking her fully into his arms.
Liz saw the resigned, desperate look in Max's eyes and whimpered.
"Take me with you!" she whispered, but loud enough for
everyone to hear.
Max's jaw clenched and he shook his head. "God, Liz, I wish
I could. But we're in danger. We're going to be chased. It's not
safe."
"I don't care!" Liz said shaking her head and holding
tighter to Max as she met his eyes.
"I don't, either," Maria said, taking deep breaths to
try to stay calm.
Michael looked down at Maria, looking miserable, but determined.
"Max!" Isabel choked out. She knew there was no other
choice, but she wanted one. She did not want to leave her life in
Roswell. She had parents she loved, and now three friends that
she had formed a bond with as well. And with Alex she had been
hoping for more.
Max met Isabel's eyes, and knew what she was thinking. "I'm
sorry, Is," he said in a sad, deep voice. Then he looked
down at Liz and saw that she too knew that the three of them had
to go, alone. "Liz, I promise you. I'll find a way to come
back. I'll find out who's doing this, why they are trying to
frame me, and I'll be back." Max swallowed, his voice hoarse
with emotion. "Just as soon as I clear my name."
"Max, where are we going to go?" Isabel asked, holding
tighter to Alex, not wanting to let go.
"I can answer that."
All six of them turned toward the voice and saw the figure of a
man standing in the shadows, outside the window.