Author: Anne
Email: [email protected]
Summary: What would the world have been like if Liz had died in the shooting? After an accident, Liz finds herself experiencing that world.
Background: Immediately after the Balance. No spoilers or anything.
Author: This is my first fanfic, and I've been toying with this story idea for a while now. Please give me feedback!
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: They're not mine. The characters of Roswell belong to Melinda Metz, the WB, Jason Katims, and all the wonderful people who we all love for starting this wonderful story. I'm just borrowing them!
Timelines (Part 2)
Liz walked for hours. She went everywhere she could possibly think to go. She walked past her home, and past her school. She went to Maria's house, and then to Alex, but she didn't go in anywhere. If what was happening was real, then she was dead to all these people. For the first time she couldn't go to any of the people that she usually turned to in a crisis.
Finally Liz realized that there was only one place that she
could go to, and like that she found herself knocking on Max's
bedroom window.
"Liz. Hi."
"Listen, Max. I've had a lot of time to think today, and
well, it all led me back to you. I don't have anyone else I can
turn to, especially since everyone thinks I'm dead. And, anyway,
can I come in? I need to talk to you."
"Of course you can."
"So I have a theory on what's going on here, but I have no
idea how to fix it or anything. I think I've somehow jumped
realities."
"Jumped realities?"
"You know, timelines. I don't know how it's possible, but
somehow it happened because I'm here, and I shouldn't be."
"What's the last thing you remember from your world? Do you
know when it happened?"
"I'm not sure. In my reality I was on my roof talking to
you, and then you left, and the next thing I knew, I woke up on
my bed in this reality. It's all so weird."
"You were talking to me?" Max was surprised. In this
world he and Liz almost never talked before she died. He thought
about her constantly, wishing he had the guts to talk to her,
about anything, but in reality she barely knew him. Suddenly a
thought occurred to Max. Could I have done this? he
thought.
Maybe in Liz's reality he has more powers than he does in this
one. Max felt horribly guilty. He knew that if another Max did
this, it really wasn't his fault, but he still felt bad. Maybe he
could find some way to fix what was happening to Liz. But did he
really want to fix it? He finally had the girl of his dreams
standing there with him. Was he really that selfish that he would
try to keep her there if he could?
"Max, are you okay?"
Oops. He had zoned out. "Yeah, sorry, what were you
saying?"
"I asked if it's okay if I stay here tonight. I don't
exactly have anywhere else I can go."
Stay here tonight? Max thought to himself, Like in this
room? With me? Michael did it all the time, but he wasn't
horribly attracted to Michael. He couldn't put her in with
Isabel. God, it was like all his Liz-dreams were coming true at
once. "Of course you can stay here, Liz. I wouldn't leave
you out there alone."
"Thank you, Max." Liz sat down on his bed, and looked
up into the eyes of the alien that she'd been dreaming about for
months. But it's not really him is it? she thought to
herself. It's A Max, but not MY Max. But was he
even her Max anymore? He ended it with her. Took a step back. He
said it was just for a while, but any time without Max seemed
like an eternity to her. Her world was going to feel so empty
without him in it. At least here she had him.
A single tear dripped down Liz's face. Max reached his finger out
and caught it on her cheek.
"Don't do that, Liz. Don't cry. I know that it must be
tough, all that you're going through, but I'm going to help you
through it, okay? I'll do anything in my power to help you find
your way home."
"I know you will, Max. I believe in you." Max looked
down at her and felt all his affection for this woman pouring out
of him. Those four words spoken by her, "I believe in
you," gave him such strength. He felt like he could do
anything, as long as Liz Parker believed in him.
Liz looked up at him, and then smiled. She was here with him, she
might as well make the most of it. "Hey Max, let's go do
something."
"Do something?"
"Yeah, Max, something fun. I mean, don't you want to? You've
wanted to be with me for so long Max, and now I'm here. Let's
take advantage of it and have some fun while we can."
Max grinned. "Okay. I'll admit, I never expected this,
but why not? Do you like Chinese?
I know this great place across town."
Now it was Liz's turn to smile. "Sure. Let's go."
Max and Liz go to the Chinese place, and play pool. As they play,
Liz begins to realize again that this Max isn't really her Max,
as he's much better at playing pool.
"Do you come here a lot?" Liz asked him as they sat
down to eat.
"Yeah," Max replied quietly. "Um, after you died,
it hurt too much to go to the Crashdown, so I found a new place
to hang out."
"Oh," Liz replied quietly, "I'm sorry."
"I never thought I'd ever eat with you here," Max
laughed. "I used to imagine what it would be like to bring
you on a date here."
"Well, now you know," Liz smiled and squeezed his hand.
They finished their food and moved on to their fortune cookies.
"What does yours say?" Liz asked Max.
He broke his open. "It says, this is the best night of
your life." Max smiled and looked up at
Liz.
The blood had drained from her face. "What?" she
asked.
"This is the best night of your life, see?" Max showed
her his fortune cookie. It really said that.
"Excuse me. I need some air." Liz jumped up and ran out
of the restaurant.
Max sat there shocked for a moment, before paying the bill and
following her outside. He found her sitting on the ground leaning
against the jeep.
"Are you okay, Liz?" Max stared down at her with a
worried gaze.
"I'm sorry. I wasn't being fair to you. I thought I would be
okay, since it was you, but that fortune cookie thing freaked me
out."
"Liz, what are you talking about? Tell me what's
wrong."
"Let's go somewhere quieter to talk."
"Okay." Max and Liz jumped into the jeep, and they
drove out into the desert. Max veered the jeep off the highway,
and drove them towards some rock formations. He parked the jeep,
and they got out.
"Come on. I come out here sometimes to stargaze, or to
think. It's really quiet and peaceful here." Max led Liz up
to the top of the rocks, and they sat down and gazed up at the
sky. The stars were shining brightly tonight, and in an instant
Liz found the constellation she'd been looking for.
The "v" shaped one, which was going to lead Max
home.
"See that constellation up there, the radish shaped
one?" Max looked at where she was pointing.
"Yeah, I see it."
"That's the one I always look for when I go stargazing. I
keep a telescope up on my roof. I love studying the stars."
Liz shivered and hugged herself. She didn't know what she would
do if she ever lost Max to the stars. At least she'd always know
where to look for him.
"Tell me about your Roswell, Liz," Max asked. He wanted
to know everything about her. What she liked, what she didn't
like. What she loved, what she hated. What made her break down
crying in the Chinese restaurant?
"My Roswell?" Liz asked. She shivered again.
"Here," Max said, as her took off his jacked and draped
it around her shoulders. He left his arm around her and pulled
her closer to him. "I want to hear everything."