Title: If They Only Knew
Author: Jenn
The Disclaimer & Such: Sadly *sniffle* I do not own Roswell or any of
its characters. Max, Liz & co. belong to Melinda Metz & the United
Paramount Network (You lucky people). All other characters in the story are
mine. But if I had my way I would definitely own Jason Behr ;)~~ ok that's
enuff I'm getting carried away. On with the show.
Rating: R ~ For situations and language
Category: Would you expect anything else? M/L mostly but the gang's
all there. Hey I’m a total Dreamgirl!!
Summary: For three and a half years, Elizabeth Parker has kept a
dark secret from her friends. The real question is if her friends knew her
secret would they all still love her?
Author’s Note:This is a Tess-free Alterna-Roswell. Let’s pretend that
they rescued Max and things went back to what they consider to be normal.
Nasedo did replace Pierce but little Miss Homewrecker Harding died in a car
accident a few years back so technically their destinies don’t exist anymore.
This story takes place towards the end of their junior year (April-May).
Feedback: Greatly appreciated.......I know I still haven’t finished “My
Ain’t That Just An Interesting Twist of Fate” yet but I got the inspiration
for this one and felt compelled to write it. I hope you like it.
Now on to your regularly scheduled fanfic.................
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[ Parts 6 & 7 will take place simultaneously with Parts 4 & 5. ]
Part 6 (Will You Still Love Me?)
They say it’s a river,
that circles the Earth.
A beam of light shining,
to the edge of the universe.
It conquers all,
but it’s a mystery.
It seemed that Max kept doing was what he’d been doing best during the
past few days: laying on his bed either staring at the ceiling or a picture of
Liz while listening to his ‘Love Sucks’ CD (As Isabel so appropriately dubbed
it. She repeatedly threatened to “throw that God-forsaken CD out the
fuckin window if I hear it one more god-damn time.” ) Never the less, here
he was: in his room playing Track 4 (Vanessa Williams & Brian McKnight’s
‘Love Is’) yet again.
Love breaks your heart.
Love takes no less than everything.
Love makes it hard.
And it fades away so easily.
He knew it was relatively safe to listen to that “god forsaken CD” at the
moment though. He had heard Alex knock on her door about an hour earlier.
So it was pretty much a guarantee that Isabel had her ‘Ice Princess’ routine
conveniently tucked in the closet at the moment.
In this world we created,
in this place that we live.
In the blink of an eye babe,
the darkness sets in.
Love lights the world,
unites the lovers for eternity.
Somehow in the back of his mind, he thought that Alex and Izzy might be
discussing him. Well it was more like he knew. It seemed that the walls in
the Evans household were quite thin. So when their topic of conversation
had shifted to that of him & Liz, he heard every little word. But he figured
that Izzy must’ve picked up on that because all of a sudden, her and Alex
weren’t talking that loud anymore. Damnit,’ he thought woman are
way too smart for their own good.’ But still, he listened to the song a
little bit more.
Love breaks the chains.
Love aches for every one of us.
Love takes the tears and the pain,
and it turns it in to the beauty that remains.
Every time he heard this song, it caused him to reflect on the past week. His
perfect little world was shattered in the matter of fifteen minutes. But now
he realized that it had began to crumble weeks before that.
“Think about it Max. Liz has been acting a bit distant for a while. But you
couldn’t see it till it was too late. Could you? The question still remains
though, why did Liz lie about Montega?” He said as tears began pooling in his
eyes. It was only today he realized that it wasn’t a complete matter of pain,
it was one of shock. This came as a total surprise to every one of them. They
had placed Liz on such a high pedestal that when she fell, she fell hard. But
that still didn’t make him feel any better.
Look at this place.
It was Paradise,
but now it’s dying.
I’ll pray for love.
I’ll take my chances,
that it’s not too late.
He was now staring at a picture of him and Liz at Junior Prom. “Why Liz?
Why? You could have told me the truth. I would have understood.” ‘But
would you have really Max? Can you even understand it now? Your girlfriend
has a daughter. Do you really follow that?’ The truth was, that he really
didn’t even understand it to begin with. If you had told him about this a year
ago, he would’ve laughed his ass off at just the notion of it. ‘I mean C’mon
Liz Parker having a daughter? It’s simply inconceivable.’ But then again a
lot had happened before that, that also seemed just as inconceivable. He
saved Liz’s life, he was kidnapped by the FBI, Micheal killed Pierce, he saved
Kyle, the list goes on. When it came down to it, you name it, he’d done
it.
Love breaks your heart.
Love takes no less than everything.
Love makes it hard.
And it fades away so easily Ohhh.
The thing that made it such a shock was that Liz might as well have been
Miss Perfect. She did everything by the book. So why in the hell did she
have a kid at 13? That was the most confusing aspect of this whole situation,
to him. “Sure Liz and I had come close, but Liz would never let it go all the
way. So why at 13 did she? And weren’t her parents angry with her? They’re
so close now, but wouldn’t something like that have torn them
apart?”
Love breaks the chains.
Love aches for every one of us.
Love takes the tears and the pain,
and it turns it in to the beauty that remains.
“Maybe the only thing I’m really concerned about here is the fact that she
hid it from all of us. I mean I’ve kept no secrets from her. So why should
she keep any from me? Didn’t she love me enough to trust me? Or even
Maria?” Deep down he knew why she didn’t tell them she was afraid of
rejection. Her dream that he had walked into proved that.
Now we see bits of Liz’s dream through Max’s eyes:
She pushed his hand away. “I’m just fine Alex. Montega is my daughter.”
She said in all seriousness. The shock expressions on their faces
widened.
“I can’t believe what I’m hearing.” Maria voiced in an absolutely enraged tone
as she got up out of the booth.
Liz grabbed her arm to stop her from leaving. “Maria let me
explain.”
“Explain what? That you have a daughter and you never told me. That you’ve
kept a secret from me and I have none from you? For Christ sake Liz I let
you read my diary. I’m outta here.”
“I’m going after her. Maybe if you’re lucky and let me tell you that’s a big IF,
I’ll talk to you later.” Alex glared at Liz and took off after
Maria.
“God she must have been terrified that Maria and Alex would never forgive
her. She was just afraid of being different.” ’See that Max, you and Liz
aren’t so different after all.’
”Save it Liz. You’ve just lost three best friends.”
“Isabel please.”
“No Liz I can’t believe this. I’ve trusted you with my secret and my LIFE!
Let you in and been a damn good friend to you. I considered you my sister.
And this is how you repay me, repay us!?!.” Isabel screamed as she stormed
out after Alex and Maria.
“Isabel would never scream at Liz like that. Even when she didn’t like her.
But now they’re close. Or at least they were. Liz was one of the first humans
Izzy ever let in. But still she would never yell t Liz like that.” ‘Or would
she? C’mon Max you know your sister better than that. Isabel trusted Liz
with her secrets and Liz does this. I’m not sure how this will affect their
friendship.’
“Max answer me.”
“Why should I? Huh?” He turned around and looked down at her.
She stood up and tried to hug him. “I’m so sorry Max. I’ve wanted to tell you
for so long.”
He pushed her away “DON’T YOU DARE TOUCH ME!!!” He moved away from
her. “First I found out you’ve lied to me. And this isn’t like one of those
stupid little lies either. Second I find out you have a KID with someone
other than ME? I’m not even sure I want to hear what you have to say
Lizzie.” He spat out sarcastically.
She moved closer to him “Max listen to me it was an accident. I never meant
for this to happen.” She put her hand on his arm. “You have to believe
me.”
Dream-Max pushed her hand back to her side and slapped her as hard as he
could. “BELIEVE YOU!!! Ha! The only thing I believe is that you’re a lying
WHORE!”
That was the part of her dream that really hurt him. He couldn’t believe
that Liz would think he’d yell like that. Especially at her. Sure he was angry
but he would never ever even attempt to hit her. He loved her too much.
Even if she did lie, he would always love her.
Ding.Dong.
Max was brought out his musings momentarily by the ringing of the doorbell.
He quietly raced to the stairs to see who it was. But his mom beat him to
the door so he stopped at the top of the stairs. Careful to stay out of
view.
Downstairs...........
Mrs. Evans gets up off the coach to answer the door. She is completely
bewildered when upon opening she sees Micheal.
“Hi Mrs. E.”
“Why Micheal, I believe this is the first time you’ve ever used the front
door.”
All of a sudden the trademark Micheal smirk crosses his face. “Yea I guess
it is. I promise I won’t make a habit of it.”
“I’m sure you won’t. Come inside.” It’s when he steps inside that both Mrs.
Evans and Max see Montega standing behind him. “Ahhh I see the reason you
decided to use the front door Micheal.”
“Yeah well Liz wouldn’t like it too much if I made her daughter climb in
someone’s window.”
“I told you Uncle Micheal, I wouldn’t tell Mama.” Montega chimed in.
“Yeah right Monty. Just like you wouldn’t tell her that I gave you ice cream
and let you stay up past your bedtime the other night.”
Montega looked up at him innocently. “I swear Uncle Micheal I didn’t. I told
you Mama just knew. She asked me if I got into bed on time and I said yes
but she looked me straight in the eyes with a very skeptable look.”
“Yeah I’m sure.”
Meanwhile Max was silently laughing. Liz just had a gift for always knowing
when someone was lying. And it probably stemmed from her motherly
instincts. Which meant that Micheal had to play by Liz’s rules when
baby-sitting her daughter or she’d know. But Micheal and rules didn’t mix.
Yep Micheal was screwed.
“Whatever. Go talk to Aunt Izzybel. And make it quick, would ya?”
Max was in stitches. Montega was a Mini-Liz right down to her
mannerisms.
Micheal looked at Mrs. Evans. “Mrs. E is it okay if I leave Montega down
here while I go talk to Isabel real quick?”
“Sure.” With that Micheal turned to Montega and mouthed ‘Be good.’ to
which she stuck her tongue out. But he went upstairs anyway. Max heard
Micheal coming and made a mad dash for his room.
Max’s Room:
Max sat on his bed in wonder. What did Micheal have to talk to Isabel
about? In didn’t make sense. The only time Micheal really sat down to talk
with Isabel was when in involved their ‘Czechoslovakian-ness’ (Which usually
included him in on the conversation.) or when he was having trouble with
Maria (In which case couldn’t he talk to Liz?). Something wasn’t quite adding
up here. ‘They’re up to something. I just know it. When Alex is here, Izzy
always wants to be alone with him. Unless she’s got one of her schemes up
her sleeve. In which case everybody that’s involved is in some sort of
trouble.’ He looked at himself in the mirror and smiled conspiratorially at
his reflection. “Yep they’re up to something. And this time I’m gonna find out
what it is. Knowing Isabel, it involves me. Which could mean I’m in deep shit.”
He laughed for the first time in a full week at the mental picture he was
getting: Isabel, Alex, & Micheal in a huddle scheming up their next big
idea.
“Let’s see what could they be up to?” He knew the real answer considering in
his mind there was a big flashing neon sign that said the name that summed
it all up: LIZ. He put his head in his hands and shook his head. “Like I said
I’m in deep shit.”
Just then he heard Alex and Isabel laughing. “Oh shit.” He was totally
screwed. (Meanwhile, they were laughing at Micheal. It had absolutely
nothing to do with him or Liz. It was just Max being well paranoid. Which
meant that Max was just basically being Max.)
And somewhere down the line, Max realized that or so he thought he did.
“I’m just being paranoid. Their not up to something. Alex is probably
cracking on Micheal. Right?” He asked his reflection. “Yes I’m being totally
paranoid. I’m even talking to my reflection. I gotta get out more.”
So he left it at that for a few minutes. Then Max went back to being King of
the Paranoid People. “They are talking about me. I know it. Izzy’s up to no
good. And she’s taking Loverboy and Spaceboy along for the ride. Shit. Shit.
Shit. See what this is doing to me? Me the Perfect Max Evans is talking like
a trucker. I’m royally screwed.”
In was then he heard Isabel’s door open and he could here all three
‘conspirators’ laughing. Then he heard Alex say to Micheal and Isabel who
were currently arguing:
“Awww isn’t that cute another brother and sister squabble.”
To which they retorted with: “Can it Whitman.” at the same time. Then he
heard his sister say:
“Alex sweetie if you know what’s good for you, you’ll drop the comments.”
Alex promptly answered with a “Yes Ma’am.”
‘Ha.’ Max thought as he listened ‘With the way he obeys her you’d
think she’s the queen of the universe.”
And with that they went downstairs.
Max slowly opened his door, counted down from 20 & then proceeded to the
top of the staircase, so that he could get a better idea of what they were up
to.
He saw his mother and Montega sitting on the couch that was facing the
staircase. He was mesmerized by the way Montega acted. She was a mirror
image of Liz except for her eyes.
Isabel spoke first “Hi mom.”
“Oh, Isabel sweetie. I was just asking Montega about Liz.”
He noticed an intense look of pain crossed Montega’s face as his mother
spoke Liz’s name..
He guessed his sister must have noticed the face she made, because she
knelt down in front of Montega. “Hey Munchkin. How ya doing?”
Montega smiled as she threw her arms around Isabel’s neck. “Hi Aunt Izzy.
I’m good. I missed you though.”
He then noticed the little girl smirk as she looked past Isabel. “Uncle
Michael.”
Micheal smirked back at her. It seemed to Max that unspoken words flashed
between them. “Hey Monty.”
“Mama’s not feeling so well.”
“What do you mean Monty?”
Max slid down the wall. ‘I shouldn’t have just dismissed her like that. She
deserved a chance to explain things.’ His thoughts were interupted by
Montega’s answer to his sister’s question. He turned his head so that he
could see better.
“She doesn’t talk much. She doesn’t talk to Gramma or Grandpa at all. She
only talks to me and Uncle Michael. She cries a lot though. She does it when
she thinks no one’s there.”
Micheal shook his head in what must have been agreement. Isabel turned
back to Montega.
“Well Munchkin, everything’s gonna be ok soon. I promise.”
He then saw the concerned look on his mother’s face as she spoke. “Micheal,
why don’t you and Alex take Montega into the kitchen for a few minutes. I
need to speak with Isabel alone.”
“Sure thing Mrs. Evans.”
Micheal picked up Montega and then Alex and him disappeared into the
kitchen.
Mrs. Evans turned to face Isabel as Max watched on. “Hunny I talked to
Nancy Parker this morning. I was worried about Max, and I had a feeling
that it had something to do with Liz because I haven’t seen her around
lately.”
‘Peachy, I’m depressed over Liz and I’m taking everyone else down with
me.’
Even through his silent misery, he listened intently to the
conversation.
“And what did Mrs. Parker have to say Mom?”
“Basically she explained the whole Montega situation.”
“Anything else?”
“Yes baby there is something?” To Max that statement sounded more like a
question then an answer. And his mother only talked in that serious a tone
when something was terribly wrong.
“Mom?”
Sweetheart, do you know the whole story about Montega?”
He could tell by his sister’s tone that she was just as anxious as he was to
hear what their mother had to say.
“Mom just tell me what you know.”
“Are you sure you want to know?” That question really scared him.
“Yea now spill it Mom.”
“Sweetie, Nancy told me you know about Liz seeing Dr.
Montgomery.”
His sister nodded. “And I’m gonna do my best to fix everything. Especially
between Max and Liz.”
His mother smiled at Isabel. “I know you will baby. Your brother needs her,
and she needs him now more than ever.”
Little did Max know that he and Isabel were thinking the exact same thing
at that very moment. Okay I’m just a tad bit confused here.’
“What exactly are you trying to get at Mom?”
“Isabel do you know exactly why Liz is seeing Dr. Montgomery?” Then it
clicked in Max’s head that Dr. Montgomery was a child psychologist. Which
only made him worry more.
“Not a freggin clue.”
“Actually hunny, I do. She was......was......”
“She was what Mom?”
“Raped.”
Max couldn’t believe what his mother was saying. Well he could but it was so
unbelievable. But most of all he felt so stupid for how he’d dismissed Liz.
His sister screamed ‘Oh My God!’ at the top of her lungs and fell to the
floor crying. He felt like doing the same but he needed to know how much
they knew about Liz’s rape.
Micheal and Alex both came bolting out of the kitchen at the same
time.
Alex spoke pointedly at Isabel. “Izzy I guess it’s safe to say you know
now.”
“Is that what you were trying to tell me before..” She didn’t get to finish
because Alex cut her off. “Yes it was hunny. I just didn’t know how to tell
you exactly.”
Micheal cleared his throat to get everyone’s attention. “Can someone please
tell me what’s going on?”
Isabel stood up and Looked at Alex. “Alex you tell him. I’m going to look in on
Montega. I really don’t think she needs to hear this.”
“Okay Iz.” He saw his sister drag his now protesting mother into the
kitchen.
“Whitman?”
Alex didn’t answer Micheal.
“Whitman?”
“What? Oh. Um.”
“What happened?”
Alex started pacing back and forth. “As you know Montega’s father isn’t
around.” There’s a topic Max hadn’t given any thought to.
“Yea. Liz had a nervous breakdown trying to tell me about him. I’d really like
to know what kind of bastard leaves his 13 year old pregnant girlfriend to
fend for herself. It’s like he didn’t care.”
‘God.’ Max thought ‘She was only thirteen. She had her life turned
upside down. And she went through it all alone.’
“That’s just it Micheal he didn’t.”
“And what makes you say that?”
Alex mumbled something that neither he nor Micheal could
understand.
“You mind talking a little louder Alex?”
“To clarify, I said that he wasn’t her boyfriend.”
Micheal by now sounded really impatient. “Then who was he?”
“He was the kind of asshole who rapes a girl and conveniently
disappears.”
The severity of the situation was not lost on Max. But it was still kinda hard
believing that all that could happen to such a good person.
“Wanna run that by me again?”
“You heard what I said.”
“Yeah I did but I’m not sure I believe it.”
“It’s true I overheard Mr. Parker and the Sheriff talking this
morning.”
“You overheard or you were eavesdropping?”
’It really doesn’t matter either way Micheal. What matters is that the
truth’s out.’
“That’s not the point Micheal. Point is Liz was raped one night and didn’t tell
her family until a month later because she was so afraid they’d hate her. By
then she found out she was pregnant. Her parents called in the police and no
one ever found Kevin Montalvo or his twin sister. How convenient for him.
But what isn’t convenient is that if I ever find that
god-damn-self-centered-jackass, I’ll kill him with my bare hands.”
‘Count me in Alex. Count me in.’
“It makes perfect sense now man.”
“Yeah I know. How guilty do you think I feel?”
“Hey man you couldn’t have known.” Which was very true but upstairs, Max
still felt like someone had ripped his heart out and stomped on it.
“But I should’ve..We all should’ve asked more questions.”
“Questions are always the hardest part. None of us could have known what
the real deal was. Granted we jumped to conclusions but we can make up for
that in time. Thing is I dunno if Liz even has the strength to do
this.”
‘She probably doesn’t because I took all the strength she had away from
her. I destroyed her. This is all my fault.’
“Well I know one thing...”
And that was the point in which Max went in his room and began to cry like a
baby for Liz, for all they had put her through, for Montega, and for the
innocence that they all had lost.
**TBC**
[Prologue] [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7]