Title: If They Only Knew
Author: Jenn
Email: [email protected]
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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Prologue (The Things Nightmares Are Made Of)




For this part we�re seeing flashbacks of Liz�s life through her dreams:

We see a 13 year old version of Liz at a party. It�s obvious that she really shouldn�t be there due to the fact that the party goers are for the most part drunk. It�s all high school seniors. A tall blonde approaches Liz and hands her a cup.

�Here ya go Lizzie. No chugging. This is the only beer you�re getting all night. Got me? I will not be responsible for the perfect Elizabeth Parker getting trashed at a party which she really shouldn�t be at in the first place.� He laughs as he sits down next to her.

�Marcus Joseph Parker I am not going to get drunk. I�m more responsible then that. I just don�t wanna look stupid in front of all your friends.� She declared as she takes a rather large sip of the drink.

�I know Lizzie, just please be careful. I�m supposed to keep an eye on you while you�re here in Texas.�

�Marc calm down. I�ll be fine. No one ever said Mom and Dad have to know I was at this party.�

�The Perfect Lil Miss Elizabeth Parker lying?? Can it be true? Oh be still my beating heart.� he clutched his chest mockingly.

She threw him a fake �Oh I�m so hurt� look �I�m not lying, I�m just not planning on telling my parents everywhere I went while staying with you.�

He put his arm around her �You know, you�re all right coz.� She laughs �You ain�t so bad yourself buddy.� She takes another sip he looks at her in total amazement �Hey I said no chugging.� she gives him an angelic smile �But it�s really good I can�t help it.�

At this point another guy approaches Liz and Marc. He�s a tall attractive and well built redhead with the most gorgeous blue eyes.

�Hey Marc, mind if I ask your cousin to dance with me?� He questions while motioning towards a partially tipsy Liz.

�Sure but behave. If you do anything to hurt Lizzie I�ll have to hurt you.� Marc says as he slaps his friend on the back.

Kevin turns to Liz and extends his hand �Ms. Parker, would you care to dance?� she stumbles up and grabs his hand.

�But of course Mr. Montalvo.� she turns towards Marc and grins �I�ll be right back. Don�t go anywhere.�

Just as Kevin leads Liz to dance, a tall brunette passes them and sits in Marc�s lap. He kisses her passionately. (That�s Marc�s girlfriend and Kevin�s twin sister Jana.)

Dream Scene switches back to Liz & Kevin



After grinding for about ten minutes, Liz stops and says �Hey Kevy, could you get me a drink? I�m thirsty but no beer though. Remember what Marc said.�

�Sure Liz I�ll be right back.� a devious smile crosses his lips as he heads towards the drink table. He pours a beer for himself and a Pepsi for Liz. But before going back he slips some kinda pill in Liz�s cup and stirs it vigorously. �This is going to be a very good night. A very, very good night.� he thinks to himself. He picks up the two cups and paces back over to Liz.

Dream Scene now switches to Liz & Kevin in a bedroom making out.



A very intoxicated Kevin is on top of Liz who is barely coherent herself.

�Kevin what was in that drink? I feel so funny now.� she questions as he�s kissing her neck. She tries to push him off of her but it�s not working she�s too weak.

�Calm down baby. I only gave you something to make you relax a little. Don�t fight what you know you want.� he replied as he continues to kiss her.

�Kevin stop it. I don�t want to do this. Not here, not now, and not like this.� she sobbed. He backhands her across the face and pins her back down.

�Don�t make this difficult Liz.� he proceeds to remove her clothes and his own.

Sobs wrack her body as he enters her. She�s too weak to fight him off any longer so she just lets him do it. �Please let him stop soon. Please let him stop soon.� Liz thinks to herself as she cries silently. He finally rolls off her and starts to put his clothes back on. He turns to her and grabs her arm tightly

�If you ever and I mean ever tell anyone about this, I�ll kill you and whoever you told. Understand?� From the look on his face, she knew he wasn�t kidding. She nodded and put her clothes back on.

Dream switches to Marc�s house about 1 month later



Liz, Marc, and her Uncle Tony are sitting at the table eating dinner. Her Uncle notices that she really hasn�t eaten, instead she just moved the food around on the plate. This causes him to become extremely concerned.

�Elizabeth, what�s going on you haven�t even touched your food?� he looks at her with the �concerned parent� look in his eyes.

�Nothing Uncle Tony I, I swear.� She tries her damnedest to look truthful but it doesn�t work. There�s no fooling a Parker when you�re lying.

�Don�t lie Lizzie, it doesn�t suit you well. I happen to know you�re not sleeping too well either.� Marc shot her the classic �I�m a Parker too, so you might as well tell me because I�m bound to find out anyway� look.

Good going Liz she silently scolded herself They were gonna find out sooner or later about what happened. Might as well tell them now and get it over with. But then again later is better then sooner. Besides Kevin was serious when he said that he�d kill you and whoever you tell.

�I just don�t feel well that�s all.� Please believe that excuse I really don�t wanna have to tell you. Again she wasn�t sounding too convincing.

�Nope still not buying it young lady. Now either you tell Marc and I or I�ll be forced to give your parents a call in Roswell.� He stands up and walks toward the phone. Liz jumps up and pulls her Uncle�s arm back just as he was about to pick up the phone.

She begins crying hysterically �No you can�t Uncle Tony please. They�ll hate me.� she falls to her knees and puts her head in her hands. Her uncle is completely shocked at how she was behaving. He had never known Liz to ever have something to cry about, she was always so happy. He kneels down next to her and wraps one arm around her.

�Lizzie what is it? I don�t think your parents could hate you no matter what you do. I know I couldn�t. Just tell us sweetie, it might make you feel better.� he said in his most reassuring tone.

�I can�t� she choked back a sob �He�ll hurt me if I tell.� At this point Marc was kneeling on the other side of her. He was extremely worried because this wasn�t his normally happy-go-lucky little cousin.

�Who Liz?� he grabbed her chin and forced her to look him in the eyes �No one is going to hurt you as long as I�m around. Just me tell what it is. What�s going on babe?�

She hesitates for a minute a she glances between Marc and Tony. When she looks at Marc she sees a look of determination in his eyes. He�s right, they won�t let anyone hurt me. Especially Marc. Just tell them and this nightmare will be over with. She somehow isn�t so afraid to tell him anymore.

�Kevin.� That�s it the one name said it all. She broke down in her Uncle�s arms again as a wave of anger washed over Marc.

�That son-of-a-bitch.� he clenched his fists �When I find the bastard he is gonna pay for this. When did it happen Lizzie?�

�The party.� She managed to mumble in between sniffles.

By this time he was absolutely furious. He quickly made his way towards the front door and grabbed his keys.

�Marc where in the hell are you going?� Tony Parker questioned still not completely sure of what was going on.

Marc turned around and looked Liz straight in the eyes �To teach that sick fuck a lesson.� He slammed the door with such force that you could have sworn that it should have came off its hinges. The next thing they knew, Marc had peeled out of the driveway and was racing down the street.

It was at that moment that he finally understood the entire situation. The realization hit hard. He pulled Liz closer and whispered �I�m so sorry Lizzie. It�s gonna be okay. Everything�s gonna be okay. I�m here for you sweetie.� She looked up at him as he began wiping the tears off her tear-streaked face. I hope Mom and Dad are this understanding. I�m so sorry for this. It�s all my fault. It�s all my fault. She thought as she looked at her Uncle..

Liz�s Next Dream Sequence



Liz is sitting on an examining table with Mrs. Parker sitting next to her. She looks absolutely panic-stricken at this point because they�ve been waiting for the doctor for what seems like forever. �I hope he doesn�t tell me what I think he probably will. My teenage years will be over almost before they began.� Liz�s thoughts are interrupted as the doctor walks back in.

�Elizabeth, Mrs. Parker� he shut the door as Liz braced for the news she already thought she knew �I have some news for you both.� Liz began shaking violently as her mother grabbed her hand and prepared for what they both knew he was going to say �I�m sorry to have to tell you both but Liz, you�re five weeks pregnant.� The news brought both mother and daughter to tears. Nancy Parker Liz to her and held her so fiercely it was almost as if she�d never let her go ever again. Her mother kept repeating the same sentence over and over �It�s gonna be okay baby.�.

Final Dream Sequence: Eight Months Later



Liz is in the delivery room of some hospital (Not in Roswell for obvious reasons) about to give birth. Her parents are on each side of her holding one of her hands. Nancy is wiping the sweat from her daughter�s forehead. Poor Liz has been in labor for 5 hours and is ready to give up.

�C�mon Lizzie, just one more push baby. You can do it.� Her father urged her.

�No Daddy I can�t it hurts so much. Make it stop.� Liz cried out as another contraction washed over her.

�Yes you can sweetie.�

�One last push. If this baby isn�t out then tough, because I�m in a lot of pain here.�

Liz pushed one last time and the sound of her crying was finally replaced by the wails of her newborn.

Liz smiled as her Mom patted her forehead and her father told her. �You did good baby.� She sat back absolutely relieved as the pain subsided.

�Do I have a boy or a girl?� She questioned eagerly as the nurses cleaned her baby up.

�Ms. Parker you have a healthy baby girl.� The doctor said as his nurse handed Liz her daughter. She burst into tears as she held her for the first time.

�My daughter.� Liz stated in absolute amazement. �She�s my daughter.�

�Yes and she�s so beautiful Lizzie.� Her mother smiled �What are you going to name her?�

Liz contemplated it for a moment, then she spoke: �I think I�ll name her Montega. Montega Lynn Parker.�

�That�s a beautiful name. Where did you get it from?�

�It was in the book of names Mom gave me. I don�t remember what it means but I love the sound of it.� Her father smiled at how awestruck his wife and daughter were by the tiny infant in Liz�s arms.

�God Jeff, she looks just like Liz did when she was born.� Nancy gushed as she held one of Montega�s tiny hands.

�Yep that she does.�

Liz glanced up at her mother and then shifted her gaze to her father. She finally had enough courage to ask THE question that had been irking her for the last 7 1/2 months.

�Mom, Dad, how come you never fought me when I said that I wanted to keep Montega?� Nancy and Jeff were caught off guard by their daughter�s question. They glanced at each other for a moment then Jeff spoke �Because......� he said as he smoothed his daughter�s long brown hair �you�ve been through enough pain and heartache. I could never ask you to give your baby up.� He said in all honesty.

Nancy cut in �We told you that we�ll get through this sweetie. We�re not going to take her away from you. Don�t you ever worry about that. No one will know about Montega until you�re ready to tell them about her.� she reassured Liz.

�Besides one look at this little heartbreaker and I wouldn�t want her to be raised by anyone other than her heartbreaker of a mother. And it would be wrong to separate any of the Parker women from each other, even though I�m so unfairly outnumbered now.� They all laughed as Montega gurgled happily in Liz�s arms.

Her happy dream was interrupted by a familiar voice yelling.

End of Liz�s Dream Sequence



�Elizabeth Ann Parker wake your ass up now!� She awoke to her mother sitting on the edge of her bed.

�Morning sleepyhead.�

�Mom can�t I have a few more minutes.� she looked at her clock �It�s 5:30 in the morning.� �Why am I up?�

�You had best get up and get dressed because I happen to know that a certain 3 year old is waiting downstairs for a certain mother of hers.� she calmly stated as she handed Liz her outfit and two towels.

�Oh god, I totally forgot she was coming today.� Liz jumped out of bed and made a mad dash for the bathroom. The next thing Nancy Parker knew Liz had showered, gotten dressed, and raced downstairs towards the cafe, all in a matter of maybe five minutes. She smiled as she shook her head �See what a little motivation can get a teenager to do?� She laughed at the thought and then proceeded to make her way downstairs.

Downstairs at the Crashdown



Liz had raced downstairs and practically burst out the door that led to the cafe.

Sitting at the counter were her Uncle Tony, Aunt Terese, and cousin Marc. Next to Marc was a cute little brunette.

�Where�s my little angel?� Liz asked excitedly as the little girl spun around on her seat and hopped down.

�Mamamamamama!� The little girl chanted as she ran towards Liz�s outstretched arms. Liz picked her up and swung her around.

�How�s my little angel doing?�

�I�m good Mama. Aunt Terese took me shopping yesterday. I got a new dress and a pretty shirt with purple flowers on it!� She exclaimed as she and Liz sat down.

�That�s great princess. Why don�t you go say Hi to your Grandma and Grandpa. They�re waiting upstairs for you.�

She slipped off Liz�s lap �Okay Mama. I be right back.� she bounded out the door and up the backstairs.

Liz turned to her Aunt, Uncle and cousin and smiled. �How has she been behaving lately?� She questioned even though she knew the answer was the same as always.

�Just like a Mini-Liz would.� Marc laughed. They had referred to her as Mini-Liz since the day she was born because her resemblance to Liz was uncanny, except for the fact that she had these incredibly enchanting blue eyes.

�She�s just like you Liz. Always asking questions. Sometimes she�s a little too smart for her own good. She�s a total neat freak just like her mother. Marc�s right she is a mini-you.� her Uncle beamed.

She sighed �I�m so glad she�s finally coming to live here. I�ve hated to leave her every weekend these last few years. She�s my little girl and she belongs here with me. I think, I mean I hope, I�m finally ready to take care of her full time. I�ve been so worried that I won�t be a good mother to her.� She felt tears stinging her eyes.

Her Aunt got up and engulfed Liz in a hug. �I know you have Lizzie. But it�s gonna be better now. You won�t have to sneak around anymore. And you know that little girl loves you with all her heart. You�re an incredible mother especially considering the circumstances. You�ve made the best of the cards you were dealt sweetie. You�ve made so many sacrifices for Montega over the years. And I�m sure once she�s old enough, she�ll appreciate all of it.� Terese Parker stated matter-of-factly as she brushed the tears away from her youngest niece�s eyes.

�I know it�s just that I hate lying to all my friends.� Her voice lowered and, all hope drifted out of her tone as she continued. �I hate lying to Max. I love him so much and I don�t want this to be the reason we break up. I mean C�mon this isn�t some tiny little secret. This is big.� She felt the tears threatening to spill from her eyes again.

�But sweetie he loves you. You said it yourself, you two believe that you are soulmates. I�ve seen how devoted Max is to you. I actually share your opinion on the subject. You two are meant for each other. I honestly don�t think he�ll be upset. Just surprised and maybe a little disappointed that you didn�t tell him sooner. If anything I think all your friends will be supportive Max especially.� Liz turned around to see her mother and father had come in.

Nancy handed Montega to her. Liz held her daughter close as images of her friends reactions danced across her mind. They were that of anger and confusion. And that scared her. �I hope you�re right Mom.� She mumbled. I really do. She added silently as she looked at her daughter who was busy playing with her hair. �Not only for my sake but for Montega�s too.�

�Grandpa says that if they take one look at me they won�t be able to stay mad.� Montega explained �He also said that once your boyfriend sees me he�ll adore me because I�m a miniature version of you.�

Liz looked at her daughter with knowing eyes. �I�m sure that Grandpa�s right baby.� She couldn�t help but smile. �She�s definitely got my sense of optimism. Liz thought. She�s really going to need that when she�s older. I just hope that Dad�s right and they really do forgive me for not telling them sooner. I really need them to be there for us.�

Part 1 (Secrets and Lies)



Crashdown Cafe: Later That Day



It�s absolutely swamped and all the waitress�s are working their butts off. Maria glances at her watch. �Hmmmm it�s almost 5. Damn Liz has been working non-stop since this morning. I think I�ll persuade her to take a much needed break. She can go into the lounge and take a quick nap. I think she really could use it.�

She walks up to Liz �Hey babe, you look tired. Why don�t you go take a break for a few minutes.�

Liz looks at Maria and she�s completely appalled at the suggestion. �Maria it�s packed in here. I can�t afford to take a break right now.�

�Yeah you can girl.� She spins Liz around and pushes her towards the direction of the employees lounge. �Either you go now or I�ll be forced to do something drastic.�

Liz was touched by her friend�s concern but she really didn�t want to take a break. �No Maria I can�t.�

�Go or I�m gonna give Moondoggie a call and tell him that his girlfriend is working too hard. You and I both know he�s been worried about you lately and this would only add to his concern.�

Liz put her hands on her hips and glared at Maria �You wouldn�t.� She burst out defiantly.

�Do you really wanna take that chance?� Maria gave her the �You know I will� look.

Michael�s heard the whole conversation and decided it�s his turn to stick his two sense in. �She might not, but you know I definitely will.� Both girls turn around to see him standing in the doorway. �Liz you�ve been on since 7:30 this morning. You�ve gotta be exhausted. You have been working a lot lately. We�re all worried about you. Go take a break like Maria suggested or it�s gonna be me that gives Maxwell a call.�

�But...� Maria cut Liz�s argument off �No buts about it woman. GO!!�

Seeing that it�s two against one and they won�t let up until she takes a break, Liz gives in to their demands. �Fine but only for fifteen minutes.�

�Good now go.� Maria ordered her.

�Wait I just want to take this chance to point something out.�

�And what exactly is that Liz?� Michael questioned.

�You two� she looks pointedly at Maria and then at Michael and back at Maria again �actually agreed on something. AGAIN!� She smiles because she�s happy that they�re finally agreeing on things. With that she disappears into the lounge.

Maria slips her arms around Michael�s waist �She�s right Dorkbutt. We agreed on something. It seems to be that it�s becoming common for us to agree on things. Don�t you think?�

�I guess Cheesehead.� He kissed her forehead and made his way back to the kitchen where Jose was yelling for him.

She stood there for a minute and just shook her head laughing. �Typical Spaceboy she thought Just walks off when someone makes a point. I�ll have to break him of that habit.� She laughed because she knew no matter how much she had Michael wrapped around her fingers, he�d never ever be completely tamed. Ever since the whole Agent Pierce incident he was a bit more open with his emotions but usually only to her. After all that was the first time he said he loved her and with other people in the room mind you. Eventually, after the shock of killing Pierce wore off, Michael came to his senses and went back to Maria and apologized for walking away. Maria�s reflections of the past year were interrupted by a little girl�s voice. She swore she had heard the girl yell �Mama� and even stranger swore that it came from the lounge.

As always Maria DeLuca had to investigate her suspicions otherwise it would haunt her for the rest of her shift.

She quietly and cautiously approached the lounge. Once close enough to peer in, she looked through the tiny window on the door. Her suspicions were confirmed there was a little girl in there. But it was what else she saw that almost gave her a heart attack on the spot. Sitting on the couch in the lounge were the little girl and LIZ! Suddenly, alarms were going off in Maria�s head.

�Oh my god.� She thought aloud �I�ve got to tell Michael.� She collected her thoughts and darted towards the kitchen.

Crashdown Kitchen



Once inside the kitchen, Maria slumped down against the wall. Michael had noticed when she came in like she had a mission, but was concerned even more when she sat down.

He went and kneeled down next to her. �Maria what�s wrong? You look like you just saw a ghost.� �Wait a minute she doesn�t believe in ghosts. But then again until a year and a half ago she didn�t believe in aliens either.�

She looked him straight in the eyes. It scared him because the only emotion he could read was absolute confusion. �Michael I just saw the freakiest thing.� She took out her trusty vial of Cyprus oil and sniffed it.

�Baby, C�mon tell me what is it?� He was truly perplexed at her behavior. She hadn�t flipped out this bad since she found out he was �Czechoslovakian� as she so affectionately put it. He wondered what could have spooked her so bad.

�I saw,� she stuttered �I saw Liz with a little girl in the lounge.� She wasn�t making much sense but then again Michael never caught on too quickly. He was just �swift that way� as Liz put it.

�So, weren�t her Aunt, Uncle, and cousin supposed to be visiting this week?� She gave him THE LOOK and took another sniff of the oil.

�Ria quit sniffing that stuff. I don�t wanna have to take you to a doctor because you�ve got Cyprus poisoning.�

She gave him a fake �Oh aren�t you cute� look, but made no comment in retaliation.

�You don�t seem to get it Michael. Her cousin Marc........� she put emphasis on his name �Marc is a boy first of all and he�s 21 not 4.� Now she had Michael absolutely confused now.

�I don�t see what you�re getting at.� She better not be saying what I think she is coz if so I�m taking her to go get her head examined.�

�Michael I looked in the lounge because I heard the little girl yell �Mama�.�

�She can�t possibly be serious.� �And just what are you saying?�

�This is too freaky even for me. He can�t possibly be that stupid.� �I think you get the gist of it Michael.�

�Explain what you�re saying again.� �Okay she�s gone crazy for sure. Maybe she�s been around me for too long. Or maybe it�s just stress. Aww hell it�s both.�

�He doesn�t believe me. Arghhhhh I hate when he�s so thick-headed.� �I�m saying that when I looked in the lounge I saw a miniature version of Liz sitting in her lap.� She sat back and waited for his reaction. �I can�t believe Liz would keep something like this from me.� She considered the situation for a second. �Well maybe I can believe it but to keep it from Max. Oh god this is worse than when I found out that Spaceboy was Czechoslovakian.�

�Are you trying to say that the Perfect Liz Parker has a kid?� He scoffed at the whole idea of Liz being a mother at 17. �Okay no more strange oils for you Maria.�

�Yeah I know it sounds absolutely ridiculous.�

�Yeah it does Ria. It really does.� �We�re all only seventeen. If any of us was actually to have a kid this young it certainly wouldn�t be Liz.�

�It may sound stupid but come see for yourself Dorkbutt.� She stood up and extended her hand to him.

�Fine but if you�re seeing things, I�m taking your ass straight to the doctor.� She was momentarily impressed with his concern and yet pissed all at the same time because he still didn�t believe her.

He took her hand in his and let her lead the way towards the lounge. She stopped about a foot from the door and mouthed �Be quiet�. He nodded in acknowledgment and they proceeded to look in the door.

He saw Liz asleep on the couch with a little girl asleep right next to her. �So what there�s a little girl asleep next to Liz.� His sarcasm turned to shock as he looked at the little girl one more time. �Holy shit, Airhead was right. That girl looks just like Liz. Oh my god!� His thoughts were interrupted when Maria grabbed his hand and dragged him back to the kitchen.

Once inside the kitchen, the pair was silent for a few minutes. Michael just ran his hand through his hair and stood there dumbfounded. The shock still hadn�t worn off.

Maria was the first to break the silence. �I told you so.� She declared triumphantly as she gave him a satisfied look.

�Yeah, yeah. Now is not the time to brag Ria. What do we do about Liz and Mini-Liz?� (If he only knew! LOLS)

�Get everyone to go to your apartment after we get off work. Tell them to keep it hush, hush.�

�That�s all well and good but Max�ll wanna tell Liz. How do we solve that dilemma huh?�

She hit him playfully. �You�re such an ass you know that?�

He grinned at her. �Yeah, but you happen to love this ass.� He pulled her close to him and she pulled away just as he was prepared to kiss her.

�I do. But we can discuss that at another time. We�re getting sidetracked here Michael.� She glared at him. �Simply inform Romeo that it�s about Juliet. Don�t go into details but make it clear that she can�t be there. You think you can handle that?�

�God she�s cute when she�s determined.� �I think I can Sir.� He pretended to salute her.

�Good, now you can kiss me Spaceboy.�

�Aye, aye Captain.�

They were about to kiss when Liz came in. The sight of her made Maria jumpy.

�Hey guys.� She smiled knowing that she had just interrupted a �moment�. �Thanks for covering my tables Maria. I really appreciated it.� So did Montega.

�Answer her DeLuca. Think quick.� �It was no prob chica. Uh, no prob at all.� Maria hastily threw her apron back on and literally raced back out into the dining room.

Liz gave Michael a questioning look. �Is she all right Michael?� He almost hit the ceiling. �Yeah, she�s fine. Everything�s fine. Why wouldn�t she be okay?� �Nice going Guerin. Way to act inconspicuous. Shit did I just think that? I�m rambling like Maria and using big words.....That�s it I�m going to school just a little too much.� He thought as he went back to cooking.

�Just checking. You guys seem a little edgy, that�s all.� �Oh god they know! Keep calm Liz. Play it down for now. What am I saying? There�s no playing it down now. Maria must be so mad by now, and Michael�s bound to tell Max. I�m screwed.�

She pretended to shrug it off and made her way out front. As he watched her leave, Michael�s thoughts shifted towards Max. �Oh man, Maxwell is gonna hit the ceiling when he finds out about this. Some dick got his girlfriend *soulmate* knocked up at like 13. Man this is gonna be real bad.� He shook his head and went back to work.


Part 2 (Questioning Relationships)

Michael�s Apartment:
Later that Night(Saturday)



Maria was sitting at Michael�s kitchen table watching him pace endlessly. They�ve been waiting for the rest of the group for about 45 minutes.

�Michael will you stop pacing? First of all you�re making me nervous and second you�re gonna pace a hole through the floor.�

He just stopped and looked at her helplessly �I�m sorry Maria. It�s just that the whole thing is still setting in for me. I still can�t believe it.�

�I know the feeling babe.� �Trust me I do. My best friend has lied to me for years.� She started silently sobbing again and it didn�t go unnoticed by Michael. He rushed to her side and embraced her gently.

�I�m so sorry hun. This must be really hard for you.� He tried his best to sympathize but in all reality he can�t really fathom how he�d react if the tables were turned.

�It sure is.� She sniffs her oil again. �I mean it�s like I�ve looked up to Liz all our lives. And now I found out she�s lied to me for years. I�m supposed to be her best friend. Liz is a mother! I�m an Aunt.� She burst into tears again and Michael tried his best to calm her down but it still wasn�t working. �God she must feel so betrayed. I know I would. Wait a minute I do. She�s like my little sister.� He thought as he looked at his girlfriend�s tear-stained face. �If Maria is taking the news this hard, how is Max gonna take it?�

After a while, Maria had calmed down and started to doze off in Michael�s arms. Having decided that his friends probably weren�t going to show, Michael decided to pay his own visit to la-la-land. He was almost asleep when the sound of the doorbell startled him. Maria also stirred at the sound. �I�ll get it.� She declared as she jumped up to answer the door. �Keep calm baby.� Michael told her as he joined her near the door. �Thank you Spaceboy. I love you y�know that?� She rhetorically told him as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Suddenly, getting the door didn�t seem high on their priorities list. �Ditto Earthgirl.� He smiled and moved in for a kiss.

They were rudely interrupted when the door unlocked and a very perturbed Isabel walked in with Max, & Alex in tow.

�Pardon me for intruding, but you didn�t answer the door fast enough.� Isabel stated as she threw the pair her trademark �Ice Princess� glare. �Have a seat boys.� She instructed the two behind her and they silently obeyed. Michael almost cracked up as he watched them sit down. It seemed as if they were intimidated by Princess Isabel�s bad mood. Normally at least Max would�ve stood up to her but obviously not this time. Deep down he actually pitied them. Michael wore a huge grin on his face.

�Bad night Izzy?�

�I�m not in the mood for your shit Michael.� She threw him a look that probably could kill him if she stared at him like that long enough.

�Whatever.� He shot her a challenging look.

�Enough of the trying to kill each other with intergalactic death stares already.� Alex said as he looked at Michael �You mind telling us why we�re here?�

�We will but you guys have to promise that you�ll stay calm.� Maria said as she glanced at the three people in front of her. *Okay well only 1 Human and 2 Czechoslovakians* They all nodded their heads in agreement. �Where�s Liz?� Max asked. It was extremely unusual for her to not be included in one of their little �pow-wows� as Maria sometimes called them. Maria shifted her uncomfortable gaze to Michael. �Don�t just stand there ya big lug. Say something!� Meanwhile Michael was staring at her with the same uneasiness. C�mon motor mouth, spit it out. God this is just great, she picks NOW of all times to be speechless.� He shoved his hands in his pockets.

�Um, Maxwell,� Max looked up at him with a distressed expression on his face. �Don�t worry she�s ok.� �Or is she?� Max let out a huge sigh of relief.

�But there is something concerning Liz we need to discuss.�

�I�m guessing that�s why she�s not here?� Isabel asked in a non-Ice Princess tone.

Maria shook her head. �Yea, I guess I should start at the beginning.�

�That�s usually the best place to start DeLuca.� Alex cracked.

�I�ll ignore that last comment because you really need to know what I saw today at the Crashdown.� Maria had a serious look on her face which scared the hell out of everyone Max especially.

He stood up and looked Maria dead in the eyes. �Is she cheating on me?� he questioned angrily. �No it can�t be true. Please don�t let it be true.�

Michael just laughed �Maxwell I never knew you had it in you to hold such a stupid idea in your head. Of course she�s not cheating on you. If anything she loves you to death.�

Max suddenly felt so stupid for questioning Liz�s love. He sat back down. �You�re right I�m being unreasonable.�

Maria stalked over to him �Damn right. How dare you question Liz�s love for you.� She hit him lightly upside the head. �But after I tell him what I saw, he might question more than Liz�s love.�

�I�m sorry. It�s just the look on your face made me think that she might�ve been.�

�And the look on your face said you were about to have a coronary if the answer had been yes. Which we all know would never happen.� �But then again Liz has a kid so we can�t be sure now can we?�

�I know. Can you just please tell me what�s going on because I�m too tired to beat around the bush and play guessing games.� He actually sounded impatient and a bit angry!

Maria just looked at her boyfriend�s brother in amazement. �Is the sky falling? I could swear that Max �Mr. Perfect� Evans just lost his temper. Then again Ms. Perfect is a 17 year old mother. Yep hell froze over and pigs are flying for sure.�

She sat back down next to Michael and prepared to tell them what she saw. �How do I do this? Hey Max guess what, your girlfriend has lied to us for years. She has a daughter! Nope that�ll probably make him pass out. Speaking of which that might not be a bad idea. Hey it would get me out of this whole mess, for the moment at least.�

�There�s no easy way to say this.....�She paused to regain her composure �Today after Michael and I forced Liz to go on a break, I heard a little girl yell �Mommy� from the lounge. You�re probably not going to believe me but...�She drew in a shaky breath and began sobbing again. Michael pulled her into his lap. �Shhhh baby it�s okay. Do you want me to finish for you?� She nodded and put her head on his shoulder and continued crying.

�Guys,� he looked at his friends carefully �Liz has a kid.� �There I said it. Whew I feel better. Actually I don�t.�

Isabel looked like she was ready to faint while she gripped onto Alex for dear life, as he turned extremely pale, and Max just sat there unable to find words. It was a good 20 minutes before anyone spoke again.

�Michael, I know what Maria�s excuse for this sudden onset of temporary insanity is, But what�s yours?�

Both Michael and Maria glared at him. �Whitman would you care to explain before I kill you?�

�Ok well it�s simple really. Maria must�ve sniffed some outdated oil. But I�ve yet to find a legitimate excuse for you.�

�Alex it�s not insanity. Michael and I are perfectly sane.�

�Could have fooled me. I swear that you said Liz has a kid no more than..� He checked his watch �twenty minutes ago.�

�A daughter.� Maria felt the need to correct him.

�How do you know for sure?� Max asked in an almost whisper. �Yup they�ve both gone nuts. To think the woman I love has a daughter. He silently scoffed at the idea but paused to give it some further thought. �But then again Liz has been so tired and seemed a bit preoccupied lately. And Michael would never come up with something so stupid and, expect me to believe it unless he knew it was true. I mean he�s my brother and brothers don�t lie to each other like that right? No. He�s telling the truth.�

�Because she looked just like Liz did when we were little.�

�And that leads you to believe Little Miss Perfect Parker has a kid? Alex is right you�ve both gone insane.� Isabel couldn�t believe what she was hearing. �What�s next? They gonna tell me it�s Max�s? Or are they gonna go the extra mile and try to convince me that I�m not an alien?�

�No, there�s more.�

�Oh god Liz has a daughter and there�s more?� �I�m not sure I can handle anymore.� Max mumbled under his breath.

Maria felt so sorry for Max. �Poor Max. He just learned that the love of his life, his reason for living has a child with someone other than him.�

�When I looked in the lounge, I saw the little girl sitting in Liz�s lap twirling her hair. Liz was holding on to her for dear life. Y�know the way our mothers used to when we were little.� She said as she looked at Alex and Isabel.

Maria once again succumbed to her tears. Isabel was now crying on Alex�s shoulder and Max looked as if he wanted to cry.

�So what do we do about Liz and....� Alex couldn�t bring himself to say it.

�Mini-Liz?� Michael finished for him.

Maria silently laughed at Michael�s nickname for her. �Just what the world needs: another Liz Parker.� �I for one need some time to figure out how I feel about this. And I think Liz will understand because I�m pretty sure that she knows that we know. I doubt she�ll try and talk us out of it.�

�Ditto.� Michael agreed and looked to Isabel and Alex for their decisions.

�I dunno.�

Isabel shook her head �Me neither.� �Liz must have a good reason for not telling us, so until I hear it, I�m not making a judgment.�

�I�ll call Liz tomorrow and tell her that I need a few days to think.� Max�s voice cracked as he spoke �And we�ll take it from there.�

So they all agreed that they need to think about this whole thing, and went their separate ways.


Part 3 (Just When You Thought You Knew Everything)

The Following Saturday:
Exactly One Week Later


-Liz-
(Even Angels Fall..)



The whole week had been like hell for Liz Parker. Everyone except for *Michael* of all people kept their distance. She understood their need to sort everything out. She assumed that they probably felt somewhat betrayed. In some ways the space was good. It gave Montega a chance to get settled. However, the separation from her friends *family* was starting to take an emotional toll on her. Whenever Michael came over, she would cry on his shoulder for hours on end. He never really asked for an explanation but she knew he�d want one soon enough. But for the time being having at least one friend was something to keep her going. He made numerous attempts to make her smile but it usually only succeeded in making Montega laugh. She did crack a tiny smile once in a while to see her daughter so happy. She was really found of Michael. She also found it highly amusing that he acted like such a little kid when he was around Montega. It just proved that not just Maria was capable of seeing through his �Stonewall�.

To keep from crying herself to sleep every night, Liz came up with an ingenious plan. She had Montega sleep in bed with her. By having her daughter by her side, she would be forced to get some sort of sleep. Well it was either that or cry all night long, which she couldn�t bring herself to do in front of Montega. It usually didn�t work for the whole night, but a few hours was better that nothing. Her sleep was never actually peaceful though, she was generally plagued by nightmares.

-Max-
(Missing The Other Half Of Your Heart...)


Max Evans had never felt so hurt and confused in his whole life. Just last week, he learned that his girlfriend *the love of his life* had kept a secret from him. He would�ve been okay with it if it was some tiny little secret, but this was huge. �But why?� The thought crossed his mind all week. �Why did she hide it? Did she think I�d hate her?� He kept no secrets from her, so why didn�t she tell him about this? It was beyond him how she could�ve kept it for all these years. He called Liz the next day just as he said he would.

~Flashback:Sunday Morning~
�Liz?�

�Yes Max?�

�Is it true?�

�Yes.� She paused for moment. �I have a daughter.�

He let a tear fall down his face. It was true. He felt like his heart had been ripped from his body. �I need some time to think. Y�know about our situation.�

She choked back a sob knowing full well what he was talking about �Okay, take all the time you need.�

�I guess I�ll let you go then. I don�t expect an explanation right now, but I do want one in the future.�

�Sure.� She was outright crying by now �But Max?�

This time it was he who choked back a sob. His heart was breaking just listening to her cry. �Yes baby?�

�I love you and that will never change.�

�I love you too. Don�t ever doubt that.� With that he hung up the phone.

~End Flashback~

As if the phone call wasn�t hard enough for him, things only got worse when he saw her at school on Monday. They shared only one class together this year: AP Chemistry. She looked for all intensive purposes, dead. He didn�t know that it was possible for Liz to look bad, let alone as horrible as she did. During their labs, she couldn�t even look at him. She barely spoke, instead she just shook her head to indicate answers.

He was concerned about her, and later that night tried to dreamwalk her just to check in on her only to find she wasn�t asleep. So he went to her house to calm his anxiety. His little excursion did everything but put him at ease. When he got to her house, he climbed up the ladder to her balcony. Her light was still on. He watched her laying on her bed with her arms wrapped around Montega with tears streaming down her face. Maria was right, she does look like Liz when we were little. She�s beautiful. I only wish she was mine. She should be mine.� He told himself as he watched Liz toss and turn violently after finally falling asleep. I�ve never seen Liz so restless. Maybe it�s just tonight. But to be sure I�m gonna check on her again tomorrow night.� Tomorrow night turned into every night for the remainder of the week. It was the same routine every night: Max would sneak out of his house at 12; he�d climb up on her balcony and watch her sleep; around 3 she�d wake up screaming; she�d rock Montega back to sleep; then get up and pace the room sobbing until about 4:30 then sleep till 6.

By Friday night, he was bothered by the fact that every night she�d wake up screaming at least once. He decided to try dreamwalking again to see what her nightmares were about. He was horrified when he finally got in.

~Liz�s Dream~

Max stood in the corner of the Crashdown, watching the dream versions of Isabel, Alex, Maria, and that of himself sitting their usual booth.

Liz walks in the front door holding Montega�s hand. They�re both laughing but Liz stops dead in her tracks as she meets her friend�s horrified faces.

Montega notices and tugs at Liz�s shirt �Mama, who are those people?�

She looks down at her precious little girl�s blue eyes �Montega go upstairs.� The little girl nodded as if she had some silent connection with Liz that let her know what was about to happen and silently makes her way into the back.

The real Max watches the Dream-Max get up and walk toward Liz with a confused look on his face.

�Lizzie baby who was that little girl?�

�Max I think we should sit down.�

He looks at her questioningly �Liz?�

�Please Max.� He nods and takes her hand. They go to their usual booth and sit across from Alex, Isabel and Maria.

�Guys, there�s something I have to tell you, and you may not like it.�

�Liz who was that little girl and why did she look like you.�

�Isabel she�s probably one of Liz�s little cousins.� Maria defended.

�Yea if I didn�t know you as well as I did, I could swear that she�s yours.� Alex mused in Liz�s direction.

�That�s because she is. Maria you and Alex know damn well I don�t have any younger cousins. I am the youngest.�

Alex, Maria, and Isabel�s mouths all dropped open at Liz�s comment.

�C�mon Liz be serious.� Maria scoffed.

�I am Maria.�

�Are you feeling all right?� Alex said as reached over to feel her head.

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.

�Alex!� She cried after him.

�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.

Liz sank to her knees and looked at Max who up until now hadn�t said anything. He had his back turned to her. �Max?� He didn�t even acknowledge her. Hoping maybe he didn�t hear her she called him again. �Max?� Still no answer.

�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!�

The real Max couldn�t believe what he was seeing he would never allow himself to hit Liz no matter how much she hurt him. And he would never ever call her a whore.

Liz held her hand to the huge red spot that Max had left on her face. �Max I love you. I would never intentionally hurt you in any way.�

He threw her a �Do you really think I�m that naive?� look. �Do you think I�m really that stupid Liz?�

She didn�t answer him.

�You stupid bitch! You really do believe I am that dumb. Don�t you? I can�t even comprehend how I ever loved you. We�re done Liz.�

Max just wanted to beat the shit out of his Dream-self and hold Liz forever.

Just then they heard Montega calling for Liz from upstairs.

�Looks like your little bastard needs you Liz.� Dream-Max looked absolutely disgusted at her. Montega called again and Liz made her way to the stairs. �I�m sorry Max I have to see what she needs.�

He nodded at her. �I guess this is buh bye forever Lizzie.� He said abruptly and walked out.

She just watched him leave and broke down completely. She sank to her knees and started mumbling �I�m sorry.� The real Max could swear he actually felt her heart breaking as she watched the Dream-Max walk out on her.

It was at that point that he woke up from the dream in a cold sweat. Max had heard a ear piercing scream come from Liz�s room and he assumed that had been what awoke him. He looked over at her window and noticed she was sitting on her bed holding her knees to her chest sobbing uncontrollably while rocking back and forth muttering something to herself. He then saw Montega climb into her lap and start wiping tears from her mother�s face. It was amazing how fast Liz had calmed from the little angel�s touch.

He slid down against the wall with tears streaming from his own eyes. �So that�s what Liz thought I would do? Yes I�m angry, hurt, and confused. But I could never ever raise a hand to Liz. I love her with all my heart and soul. I know she loves me too, and would never intentionally hurt me just like she said in her dream. She probably thinks I hate her.� He thought to himself as he watch the exchange between mother and daughter. �It�s not like she purposely had Montega. It just hurts that she�s not mine. I�ve got to talk to her tomorrow and let her know that I don�t hate her.� But in reality he wasn�t sure if she�d want to see him after how he had reacted initially. And he wouldn�t blame her if she didn�t. None the less, he knew that he had to give it a try anyway because for the past week he had felt so empty, like half his soul was missing.

-Maria-
(All Torn Up Inside...)



Maria DeLuca felt so lost without Liz around. In their 12 years of being best friends *sisters*, they had never had a serious fight. She still wasn�t sure if the current situation even counted as a fight. Reason being that there were no words actually said between them since that fateful night. At school, neither of them made an effort to speak to each other. Same for work. They did exchange some glances though. Most of them were saddening, at least on her part. Liz�s eyes seemed vacant, like no one was even there. Which scared the hell out of Maria. And the only time her eyes would even show the slightest hint of emotion was when Montega was around. Which Maria knew was because she didn�t want her daughter to be upset. Montega wasn�t stupid either, she saw the exchanges between the two and began asking questions.

~~Flashback:Thursday Night~~

Liz is waiting for an order while Maria is wiping down the counter not far from her. Montega is sitting at the counter just in front of Liz.

�Mama?�

�Yes baby?� Liz replied as glanced out the window.

�Why are you so sad?�

�I�m not sad baby.� Liz said as she put on a fake smile for her daughter.

Montega obviously wasn�t fooled. �Don�t lie Mama. I heard Grandma and Grandpa and Uncle Michael saying how you miss Uncle Alex, Aunt Izzybel, Max, and Aunt Maria.�

It was at that point Maria turned and looked at Liz who met her sad gaze.

�I do sweetie. But Mama hurt Uncle Alex, Aunt Isabel, Max, and Aunt Maria. I didn�t tell them the truth. And you know what I told you about telling the truth, you should always do it.� She said as she turned away from Maria.

�About me?�

Liz suddenly had a shocked look on her face. �Montega Lynn Parker, where did you come up with that.�

�I dunno Mama. I just feel it.�

Liz suddenly looked a little spooked at her daughter�s comment, but quickly recovered. �Baby, they�re just disappointed that I didn�t tell them about you sooner. But they don�t hate you. They never could. You have nothing to do with this. Mama made a mistake, you didn�t.�

�I know but how come Uncle Michael isn�t mad at you?� The little girl retorted.

�He was, but Uncle Michael has his reasons. You�ll have to ask him.�

�I will.�

�I think you should go back upstairs Monty. When Uncle Michael comes, I�ll send him up to see you.�

�Yes Mama.� She jumped down gave Liz a quick kiss and left.

~~End of Flashback~~

Maria felt so guilty because she knew that she was at least one of the reasons Liz was so torn up. Every night, she went home and cried herself to sleep.

-Michael-
(Picking Up The Pieces...)



Michael Guerin watched his family fall apart at the seams. One minute their lives were semi-perfect *The FBI wasn�t their tails and Sheriff Valenti was actually on THEIR side*. The next, paradise was shattered. At first, Maria�s idea of avoiding Liz all together seemed like a good idea. But his mind was quickly changed when he saw her *Or what can only be called the empty shell of the girl they all knew and loved*, he knew otherwise. To him, she had seemed disillusioned at best. He felt awful that she had no one to turn to. He also felt that he needed to look after her. Maybe it was the fact that Liz had this innocence about her that made you want to protect her from the rest of the world, or it could�ve been that he was doing it for Max and Maria. Either way, he was close to becoming a member of the Parker family with how much he�d spent there in the last week. He never really brought up the subject of Montega�s father but Liz let him in on the fact that she had never met him.

~~Flashback: Wednesday Night~~

�Liz, where�s Montega�s father? Didn�t he care about her at all. I mean if I had a daughter, especially a little angel like her, I�d want to be there for her.�

When she looked up at him her eyes were brimming with tears. �No he didn�t even know I was pregnant with her.� She wiped her eyes. �And to tell ya the truth, I�m not sure he�d care either.� There was a bit of bitterness and hostility in her tone. �He disappeared before I knew I was pregnant.� She burst into tears again and he pulled her into a fierce hug.

~~End Flashback~~

After that he silently swore that if he ever met the guy that got Liz pregnant and then abandoned her, he�d cheerfully kill him.

Montega had taken to calling him �Uncle Michael� and he really couldn�t complain. He considered Liz to be almost his little sister. They had grown close since the whole Pierce-Max-Being-Kidnapped ordeal. So being the big brother, he tried but with almost no avail, to cheer her up. He hated seeing her miserable. And not just because she was normally Susie Sunshine, but also because she wasn�t the only miserable person he knew of at the moment. By weeks end, he has only one mission: get the group back together.

-Isabel-
(Maintaining Distance Is A Hard Thing To Do....)



For the past week, Isabel Evans had detached herself from this whole situation. She really did not want to have to pick sides. Max didn�t even attempt to hide the fact that he was a wreck, neither did Liz for that matter. Yeah it hurt that Liz had lied about something that shouldn�t have been a secret, but that she was sure that there was a good reason as too why. Liz never did anything without having a sensible purpose for it. So just to check up on Liz without actually having to see her, she went by the Parker residence Thursday afternoon. She knew *well she thought* Liz had dance class. She and Mrs. Parker had an interesting conversation to say the least. The talk brought forth more questions than it was meant to answer. She couldn�t seem to get it off her mind.

~~Flashback: Thursday Afternoon~~

Mrs. Parker led Isabel to the kitchen table where both women sat down.

�Lizzie isn�t home. But I suspect you knew that.�

She nodded. �I know. She�s got dance. I just wanted to stop by and ask how she�s been doing. And if her appearance at school is any indication of how she really is, then I guess she�s not that great.�

Mrs. Parker shot her a confused look. �Dance class?�

Again she nodded at the older woman. �Yep that�s where she goes on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. Isn�t it?� She questioned.

Mrs. Parker switched her position at the table so that she was now sitting next to Isabel holding her hands. �Isabel sweetie I think there�s something you need to know.�

Isabel suddenly had a look of extreme confusion on her face. �What is it Mrs. Parker?�

�Lizzie hasn�t gone to dance since she was 13.�

�Then where is she right now?�

Nancy Parker dropped her head before whispering the next part. �At Dr. Montgomery�s office.�

Her eyes widened at the realization. �But she�s a....� She couldn�t bring herself to say it. It was like the words wouldn�t come out of her mouth.

So Mrs. Parker finished for her. �A child psychologist.�

Both women had tears in their eyes and sat in silence for a few minutes.

�How long has she?�

�Since just after she learned she was pregnant.�

She covered her mouth to muffle the sobs she felt were on their way. �Oh god.�

Mrs. Parker hugged her. �Don�t blame yourself Isabel. None of you are too blame. Jeff and I didn�t want Lizzie to tell anyone about everything until we felt she was ready.�

�And that�s why Montega�s here?� She knew the baby�s name because Michael had told her in the midst of bragging about how cute and smart she was for her age.

�She was finally prepared to raise Montega full time.�

As if on cue, the pint-size topic of conversation walked in. For a minute, she stood in the doorway examining the two woman at the table. Then she startled them both by climbing into Isabel�s lap.

�You�re Aunt Izzybel, aren�t you?�

Isabel sat there staring at the little girl unable to find words. None-the-less, Montega continued. �Mama and Uncle Michael talk about you, Aunt Maria, Uncle Alex, and Max a lot.�

She nodded dumbly.

�Aunt Izzy?�

�Yea.� She stuttered. �Yes Montega?� She said as she stared at the little angel�s hypnotizing blue eyes.

�Mama really misses all of you and she�s sorry for lying to you. You should talk to her.� It was absolutely amazing how intelligent and articulate Montega was for her age. �Michael was right. She is smart.� It was also surprising at how this little girl willing accepted her as family so quickly.

Isabel was pulled out of her revelry when Montega climbed off her lap, gave her and Nancy each a kiss on the cheek and left the room.

With a new resolve she turned to Mrs. Parker and said: �Don�t let Liz know I was here. I have an idea that I think just might work. But I need to talk with someone first.�

~~End Flashback~~

After one final recount of the conversation, she went in search of the two people she knew would help with her little scheme.

-Alex-
(And Along Comes The Truth...)



Until Saturday morning, Alex Whitman thought that his mind had been made up about �The Situation�. He was angry beyond comprehension that Liz hadn�t told him about Montega. (Yea everybody knew her name because Michael would brag for hours on end about how adorable she was.) But in his gut he felt there was a very rational explanation for her not telling any of them. �It must be serious if she didn�t tell even Maria right?� was the question he had been asking himself all week long. It was so hard for him not to talk to her. It was even worse in English class because she was acting so Anti-Liz. She was quiet as all hell and didn�t even pay attention when Mr. Harlock was reading Macbeth which was freaky because she had always said that she couldn�t wait until they finally got to read it. And seeing her like that hurt him badly. He missed her like crazy. They all did. �But I decided not to get tangled up. I can�t be put in the middle of all the madness.� Both he and Isabel had barely talked to Max and Maria all week because every time they tried, one of them would bring Liz up. The whole situation forced everyone to pick sides: Michael was with Liz and Montega as much as possible �He knows how it feels to be alone.� ; Max was hurt and barely spoke anyhow �Wouldn�t you be if the love of your life kept something so important from you?� ; Maria more than voiced her anger �She�ll eventually get over the shock. This is Maria �Hurricane� DeLuca we�re talking about here.� ; and he and Isabel had decided not to make snap decisions and wait for Liz to give an explanation. It put a strain on the whole �family� to be like this.

He overheard a conversation between Jeff Parker and Sheriff Valenti that morning that made him regret the way they had all treated her.

~Flashback: Saturday Morning~

Alex is sitting in a booth at the Crashdown behind Mr. Parker and the Sheriff. He was minding his own business until the topic of conversation peeked his interest.

�Jeff? Who is that little girl with Nancy?� The Sheriff questioned while motioning to Montega. �Is that you�re niece?�

He quickly swallowed his coffee. It was all he could do to keep from spitting it out at the question. He then mentally recomposed himself. �She�s uh..not my niece Jim. Lizzie is the youngest of her cousins. On both sides of the family.� He stuttered slightly.

�Jeff?� Jim gave his long-time friend a questioning look.

�That�s Montega.� He drew in a shaky breath and mumbled the next sentence. �She�s my granddaughter.�

Now it was Jim Valenti who almost choked on his coffee. �Must be the coffee.� he thought.

�Jim is something wrong?�

�Did I hear you right? Because it might have been me but I swear that you just said that, that little girl is your granddaughter?�

�No you heard right.� He said casually hoping Jim would mistake it for temporary insanity.

He shook his head. �I see.�

The next five minutes were spent watching Montega playing with Liz. Neither the Sheriff nor Mr. Parker spoke as they watched the exchange.

Then, �Jeff is Liz your only child?�

�Of course she is. Jim we�ve been friends forever. You know full well Nancy was lucky enough to be able to carry Liz to full term. Having another child would have been too dangerous.�

He nodded. �First aliens are living right under our noses. Now my best friend�s daughter has a daughter of her own. Priceless.� �Okay next question?�

�Fire away.� �Please don�t ask where Kevin is.�

�You�re telling me that Montega....� He looked to Jeff for confirmation on the girl�s name and he simply nodded. �is Liz�s daughter?�

�Yes.�

�But, to the best of my knowledge Elizabeth was never pregnant.�

�Oh she was. I think it had something to do with the fact that Liz is just naturally small. Plus, she had a difficult pregnancy, just like Nancy did so it was hard to eat much.�

�So where has your granddaughter been for the past, I�m assuming two years.� He guessed curiously.

�Three and a half.� Jeff Parker corrected.

�Okay, so where has she been?�

�Monty has been living with my brother Tony and my sister-in-law Terese since she was born.�

Now it all made sense. �Liz doesn�t spend most of her weekends in Roswell.�

�Jim do you remember when Lizzie was home schooled in 7th grade?�

� How could I forget. Kyle would come home asking if he could go see how she was feeling. He was so worried about her.�

�So were Nancy and I. Liz was too sick to even get out of bed. We just told everyone that she had Mono. No one ever bothered to question it. I think it was a lot easier for her that way.�

�Did any of her friends know about it?�

Mr. Parker shook his head. �No, Liz felt that they would shun her. I don�t believe that Maria and Alex would have but I went along with her wishes anyway. It was hard enough facing the fact that she was gonna be a single teenage mother. And even now it surprises me that they did. I�m actually impressed that Michael is here for her considering the way both Maria and Liz describe him.�

Alex suddenly felt a pang of guilt at Mr. Parker�s last comment. �We did shun her though Mr. P., you were wrong. What have I done? I�ll tell you what you�ve done Alex. You�ve abandoned one of your best friends for an incredibly stupid reason. C�mon, even Guerin had the balls to stick around.� He sat back again and listened intently to their conversation.

�So what happened after she was born?�

�Lizzie stayed with Tony and Terese for 2 months before school began again. We didn�t want her to have to deal with the whispers and the laughing. So we decided that until Liz was fully capable of taking care of Montega full time, she would live with them.�

�But wasn�t that hard for both of them? Both of you?�

�Yes it was hard for Nancy and I but, it was the only choice we had at the time. It was by far, a lot harder for Liz then it was for Montega. Trust me. I spent so many nights up with Liz because she was too upset to sleep. She felt like she was letting Montega down. But in reality I think Montega knew it was necessary. She�s never once complained about any of it.�

Their conversation was interrupted by a loud giggle coming from the counter. Both men (and their ever present eavesdropper Alex) turned to see Michael spinning Montega around on one of the chairs as Liz intently looked on. One look at the little blue eyed raven haired beauty, and it was undeniable that she was indeed Liz�s daughter.

�Jeff, where is the father? Hasn�t Montega asked about him?�

�No she hasn�t. It�s like she knew that Kevin Montalvo wasn�t exactly an honorable man. She�s never brought him up. In fact at the slightest hint of his name in a conversation, she gets angry and tell us not to mention him �in front of her Mama�. She�s perfectly happy with having only one parent. Lizzie takes remarkable care of her.�

�Where is Kevin though?�

Both a look of pain and then one of intense hatred flashed across Jeff Parker�s eyes. �The police never found him. And no one ever saw him after the party that night. They searched for months but they never found any trace of him nor his twin sister. He just disappeared. Neither of the Montalvo�s had any idea where their children had gone. And it was so convenient at the time. I believe he knew Lizzie was pregnant.�

�The authorities were looking for him?�

He nodded. �Yea Lizzie wanted him to burn for what he had done to her. If it was up to me he would be dead for all the pain and suffering he caused my little girl.�

Jim Valenti�s mouth dropped open at his friend�s last comment. All the pieces to the puzzle seemed to fit perfectly now. �She hid all of it because she was raped!� �She was?� He purposely left out that four letter word that was flashing in bright neon lights in his mind.

�You can say it Jim. Lizzie was raped.�

It was at that point that Alex paid for his breakfast and left hastily.

~End Flashback~

It really didn�t take long for the anger and guilt to set in. It had hit him like a tidal wave as he walked out of the Crashdown. He had to walk right past Liz and Montega. And he just happened to catch Liz staring at a picture of all six of them that Mr. Parker had taken last Halloween.

Not only was he angry at himself, he was angry at Isabel, Max and Maria for they all had handled the situation. We should�ve asked more questions before just up and ditching her like that. God we were such asses about it all. I just hope Liz will forgive us for all we�ve put her through.� But nothing could compare to his anger at that Kevin guy, the *bastard* who hurt his *sister* and deserved the pain of a thousand deaths for it. He needed a plan to help patch things up with Liz and he knew exactly who he could count for help.



Part 4 (And Then Reality Bites You In The Butt)




Later That Night:Isabel�s Room



Isabel and Alex were sitting on her bed discussing the events of the past week when suddenly Michael walked in. They both looked up at him in surprise. He didn�t use his normal entrance when paying a visit to the Evans household.

�Why, Michael I must say I�m impressed.�

He tossed Alex a �What-the-hell-are-you-talking-about?� look.

�You mean to tell me that Michael Guerin knows how to use a door? This must be a special occasion.� Isabel cracked.

�Oh aren�t you just hysterical. Please be sure to let me know when you two take the comedy act on the road.� He crossed his arms and stood impatiently. �Now you gonna tell me why I�m here? Montega�s waiting downstairs. I promised Liz I�d baby-sit for her until her shift ended.�

�Oh so that�s why he used the door instead of the window.� Michael threw Alex and evil glare.

�Whoa, whoa, back up a sec.� Isabel scoffed. �Let me get this straight, you�re baby-sitting that adorable little girl? Are you sure Liz knows about this?�

�No I kidnapped her.� He said in his typical Michael sarcasm. �Yes I�m baby-sitting. Is that a problem?�

�I wouldn�t be surprised after all you did kidnap Maria.� Alex pointed out.

�Are you still on that Whitman? I didn�t kidnap her, she came with me to Marathon of her own free will. Let it go already.�

�Yea you took her car. And then you try and tell me it was of her own free will. Sure she did.�

�Alex sweetie, that�s enough.� Isabel warned.

�Shutting my mouth.�

�Thank God. As if Maria wasn�t enough. Y�know it makes sense that you two would be best friends.� Michael said pointedly at Alex.

�Michael, what I said to Alex, that goes for you too. Now back to the matter at hand. Liz actually entrusted you to baby-sit our niece?�

�As scary as it sounds Iz, I�d baby-sit for her any day of the week. She�s a complete angel.� He smirked. �Besides, she loves spending time with good old Uncle Michael.�

Alex rolled his eyes and sat back on the bed and sighed �That�s it, you�ve officially gone off the deep end.�

�Can it Whitman. Why don�t we go downstairs and you can see what I�m talking about.�

He nodded his head in agreement. �I�m up for it. Izzy?�

�Definitely, I haven�t seen my amazingly adorable niece in three days. Besides I have to make sure Michael hasn�t totally corrupted her.�

�How in the hell could I corrupt her?�

�Perfect example, by talking like that.�

�Oh here we go again the never ending sixth grade controversy. Hell isn�t a curse no matter what you say.�

She just shook her head at him. �If you say so.�

He looked at Alex. �Is it?� C�mon Alex, be a man.�

�If Izzy says it is then it probably is.�

He threw his hands up in defeat. �Once again Princess Isabel gets the final say.�

�Oh just shut up and move your butt Michael.�

�Awww isn�t that cute another brother and sister squabble.�

They yelled in unison at Alex. �Can it Whitman.� Then they just looked at each other and laughed.

�Alex sweetie if you know what�s good for you, you�ll drop the comments.�

�Yes Ma�am.�

And with that they went downstairs.

Downstairs: The Evans� Living room



They came downstairs to find Montega sitting on the couch next to Mrs. Evans.

�Hi mom.�

�Oh, Isabel sweetie. I was just asking Montega about Liz.�

It didn�t go unnoticed by anyone the pained expression that flashed across Montega�s face at the mention of her mother.

Isabel bent down so that she was at eye level with Montega. �Hey Munchkin. How ya doing?�

�Hi Aunt Izzy.� She said happily as she threw her arms around Isabel�s neck. �I�m good. I missed you though.� She then noticed who was standing behind Isabel.

�Uncle Michael.�

�Hey Monty.� The little girl then redirected her attention back to Isabel.

�Momma�s not feeling so well.�

�What do you mean?� A frown spread across the little girl�s face. �She shouldn�t have any reason to be upset. She�s too little. We have to do something: soon.� Isabel thought as she watched Montega�s eyes well up with unshed tears.

�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.�

Isabel turned and gave her mother, Alex and Michael all a look of deep concern. Michael confirmed her statement with a solemn nod. We did this to her.� Was all she could think.

�Well Munchkin,� she said as wiped the tears from her little niece�s tiny blue eyes �everything�s gonna be ok soon. I promise.�

�Michael, why don�t you and Alex take Montega in the kitchen for a few minutes. I need to speak with Isabel alone.�

�Sure thing Mrs. Evans.� He carefully took Montega from Isabel�s arms and they disappeared into the kitchen.

Diane turned her attention back to her daughter. �Hunny I talked to Nancy Parker this morning. I was worried about Max, and I had a feeling that it had something to with Liz because I haven�t seen her around lately.�

�What did Mrs. Parker have to say Mom?� �Play dumb Iz. Play dumb.�

�Basically she explained the whole Montega situation.�

�Anything else?� She asked as continued to play dumb.

�Yes baby there is something?� The seriousness in her tone sent shivers down Isabel�s spine.

�Mom?�

�Sweetheart, do you know the whole story about Montega?�

�Mom just tell me what you know.� �She�s beating around the bush here. She only does that when it�s bad news. She�s really starting to scare me.�

Diane Evans hesitated �Are you sure you want to know?�

�What kind of question is that, of course I want to know.� �Yea now spill it Mom.� She said as she sat down next to her mother.

�Sweetie, Nancy told me that you know about Liz seeing Dr. Montgomery.�

She nodded. �And I�m gonna do my best to fix everything. Especially between Max and Liz.�

Diane smiled at her daughter�s determination. When Isabel put her mind to something, it usually got done. �But can it be done this time?� She wondered. �I know you will baby. Your brother needs her, and she needs him now more than ever.�

�Okay I�m just a tad confused here.� �What exactly are you trying to get at Mom?�

�Isabel do you know exactly why Liz is seeing Dr. Montgomery?� �She couldn�t possibly know. If she did, she wouldn�t be so calm.�

�Not a freggin clue..� She trailed off as she began to mull over the reasons in her head. �Well I might have a faint idea.�

�Actually hunny, I do. She was......was......� Diane couldn�t bring herself to say the dreaded R word. She�s gonna hate herself when I tell her.�

�She was what Mom?�

�Raped.�

Meanwhile..... In The Kitchen:



�So Monty, what do you want to drink?�

�Um water will be ok Uncle Micheal.� The next thing they knew Micheal was muttering something about health food. Montega looked at him with a wide grin on her face. �Aunt Maria still getting under your skin, Uncle Micheal?�

�You have your mother�s gift for just knowing things without anything being said don�t you?� Alex asked as he handed her a glass of water.

�And it scares the crap outta me all the time.�

�Aww C�mon Micheal she can�t be that bad.�

�It�s called intuition.� Montega piped up. Alex raised an eyebrow at Micheal.

Micheal almost choked on his soda. �See, Mini-Liz.� He said pointing an accusing finger at her.

�Is there a problem with me being like Momma?�

He turned to Alex. �Maybe a certain someone should not be present when we have conversations like this.� He nodded.

Then Montega decided to join in again. �She misses you y�know.� She said pointedly at Alex.

Micheal glared at his niece momentarily. She caught the hint and covered her ears but not before she heard Alex whisper �I miss her too.�

Micheal lowered his voice �Y�know she didn�t mean to lie to us right?�

�Yea I do.�

�You should talk to her. She needs all of us. They both do.� He said while glancing at Montega who had her ears covered and her tongue stuck out at her favorite uncle. He in turn returned the gesture.

Alex rolled his eyes but answered Micheal�s statement. �I know.�

Their little heart-to-heart was interrupted by Isabel screaming �Oh my God� at ear piercing level. They raced into the living room leaving Montega sitting by herself. When they got there, they found Isabel crying hysterically with her head in Mrs. Evans� lap.

�Izzy I guess it�s safe to say that you know now.� She glanced up at Alex through her tears.

�Is that what you were trying to tell me before...� He cut her off �Yes it was hunny. I just didn�t know how to tell you exactly.�

Micheal cleared his throat real loudly. �Can someone please tell me what�s going on?�

Isabel stood up and looked her boyfriend dead in the eyes. �Alex you tell him. I�m going to look in on Montega. I really don�t think she needs to hear this.�

�Okay Iz.� She dragged her protesting mother by her arm into the kitchen leaving Alex and Micheal to talk.

�Whitman?�

Silence. Micheal looked at Alex who had an I-just-lost-my-best-friend look on his face.

�Whitman?�

�What? Oh. Um.�

�What happened?�

Alex started pacing back and forth. �As you know, Montega�s father isn�t around.�

�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.� Micheal growled as stared out the window.

�Ding. Ding. We have a winner.� �That�s just it Micheal he didn�t.�

�And what makes you say that?�

He mumbled something that Micheal couldn�t quite make out. �You mind talking a little louder Alex?�

�To clarify, I said that he wasn�t her boyfriend.�

�Then who was he?�

�He was the kind of asshole who rapes a girl and conveniently disappears.� �I swear on everything holy. Kevin is dead.�

Micheal looked at Alex like he was crazy. �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.�

Micheal raised an eyebrow at Alex�s statement. �You overheard or you were eavesdropping?�

Alex turned beat red. �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.�

�Holy shit. It all makes sense now. She was ashamed of herself.� He resisted the urge to punch the wall, and stuck his hands as deep in his pockets as they could go. �It makes perfect sense now man.�

�Yeah I know. How guilty do you think I feel?�

�Hey man you couldn�t have known.� We should have known though.�

�But I should�ve..� He corrected himself. �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.�

�Well I know one thing...�

�And what�s that?�

�Montega�s only got one parent. But now she�s also got all of us.�

�Liz has done an amazing job with that little girl.�

Alex smiled at how Montega had softened Michael up. �Yea she has.�

�But what are we gonna do to fix things between her and us?�

�Duh. We need a plan.� They looked over at Isabel who was standing in the doorway. Alex walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her waist. �You ok babe?�

�I�m fine. It�s Liz I�m worried about.� She said in a very uncharacteristically Isabel tone.

�We�ll fix it.� Alex declared with an I-have-an-idea look on his face.

�And what do you suggest Whitman?�

�I have an idea but it might seem kinda outlandish though. I do know one thing for sure: he needs to know.� There was no question who HE was. �He has a right to know. But knowing Max he�ll snap into the it�s all my fault mode. On second thought maybe he won�t because Micheal is right none of us could have known.�

�Alex why don�t you just tell us. Sometimes the most outlandish ideas turn out to be the best thing to do.� Mrs. Evans said as she reentered the room with Montega in tow.

�Well we could convince the Parkers to let us take Montega and Liz somewhere for the rest of the weekend.�

�And that accomplishes what?�

�Micheal, it gives us a chance to fix things now let him finish.�

She nodded to Alex for him to continue �Well let�s see if we go somewhere for the weekend, no one has a choice but to stay and listen to what the others have to say. I�d say that just about covers it. Also we need Mrs. DeLuca�s permission coz I�m assuming Mrs. Evans is in on this.� He looked to her for confirmation.

Diane Evans smiled at her daughter�s boyfriend�s proposal. �Isabel go pack some clothes for you and Max.�

�How am I gonna pack clothes for Max when he�s upstairs mourning over Liz as we speak?�

�I brought up three loads of yours and his clothes a little while ago. Any other questions?�

�Are you sure about this Mom?� �Talk about quick decision making. Man I guess Mom likes Alex�s idea. See it figures I get the smartest guy in the group.�

�Yes now go.�

�Mom?�

�Go before I change my mind sweetie.� �Like I�d really change my mind about this.�

�Yes Ma�am.� Isabel darted up the stairs.

�That leaves like what tonight and tomorrow afternoon to sort things out?�

�That�s plenty of time Micheal.�

�After I have a chat with Nancy, I�ll talk to Amy DeLuca. You boys go pack some clothes and we�ll all meet back her at around 6. Ok?�

�We better hurry. Maria and Liz get off work at 6:30.�

�Then what are we waiting for?� All three got ready to leave.

�Hey.� A tiny voice squeaked. �Where am I going?�

Mrs. Evans smiled at her. �You�re coming with me sweetie. We didn�t forget you.�

�Good.� She traipsed over to Alex. He bent down and gave her a hug. �Bye, Uncle Alex.�

�Bye kiddo.�

She then turned to Micheal. �He�s not goofy Uncle Micheal.�

�I never said that Monty.� �I have to watch what I say when she�s around a little bit more carefully.�

�I�m sure he did.� �I�m sure you did Mickey boy.� Alex mock glared at him.

�Even if I did, it�s not important now.�

�So you did say it. Why am I not surprised?�

�Maybe I did Whitman, Maybe I didn�t. But that�s besides the point.�

�No it�s not.�

Isabel was headed back downstairs just in time to hear the argument. �Boys, boys, can we finish this little testosterone battle later. Please.�

�Aunt Izzy, Uncle Micheal called Uncle Alex goofy.�

Isabel laughed. �Oh he did, did he?�

�Yea he did.�

�Yeah well Micheal has no right to talk.� Everyone but Micheal laughed. He simply didn�t acknowledge the fact that Isabel had said something about him.

�Tattle.�

Montega looked at Micheal and stuck her tongue out. �You deserved it.�

�Did not.�

�Did too.�

�Did not.�

�Too.�

�Not.�

�Too.�

�Kay kiddies that�s enough for now. Time to get this show on the road.�

With that they went to work on Operation �Make Liz Happy Again�.



Part 5 (I�m Never Gonna Dance Again...)



After being ordered by her father to go on a much needed break, Liz decided she�d go upstairs and catch up on her sleep. Which was all well and good because no one was home upstairs. Her Mom was at a restaurant convention in California, her dad was running the Crashdown, and Montega was out with Micheal until the end of her shift. She turned on her CD Player and laid down on her bed. 20 minutes later, all she found herself doing was staring at the ceiling listening to the mix CD Alex had burned for her a few weeks ago. Suddenly, the next thing she heard was the opening lines to the dance mix of Allure�s �All Cried Out�. And she realized the words rang some truth; especially if she thought about everything from Max�s point of view.

All alone on a Sunday morning,
outside I see the rain is falling.
Inside I�m slowly dying,
but the rain will hide my crying, crying, crying.
And you,
Don�t you know my tears will burn the pillows.
Set this place on fire cause I�m tired of your lies.



�Let�s review the facts here, Liz.� She said as she began thinking out loud.
�You�re a 17 year old single mother whose daughter is a day shy of her 4th birthday. All of the aforementioned facts you�ve kept secret since you learned you were pregnant. Your *family* didn�t exactly swallow the situation with a grain of salt. And if you add in that pesky friends-hate-friends-keeping-life-altering secrets thing. You were basically screwed from the beginning.� She told herself as she looked longingly at a picture of her Max, Micheal, Maria, Alex and Isabel in happier times.

All I needed was a simple hello,
but the traffic was so noisy that,
you could not here me cry.
I gave you my love in vain.
My body never knew such pleasure,
my heart never knew such pain.
And you, leave me so confused.
Now I�m all cried out over you.



�Your fairy tale is long over Lizzie. Your boyfriend asked for a break which I�m sure in no time will become a break-up. Your best friend *sister* hasn�t made a single attempt to talk to you and avoids eye contact at all cost. And Isabel and Alex have been giving you the hi-friend-bye-friend treatment all week. Granted you�ve got Micheal, and he�s been trying really hard to cheer you up. But at this rate you�re probably never going to be happy again.�

Never wanted to see things your way,
had to go astray.
Why was I such a fool?
Now I see that the grass is greener.
Is it too late for me to find my way home?
How could I be so wrong,
leaving you all alone.



Liz then shifted her gaze to a picture of her and Montega. But oddly enough it wasn�t Montega she was thinking about. �You�re being unfair here. What about Max? You can�t even begin to fathom how it feels to be in his shoes right now. One day he�s talking about the two of you getting married after you graduate. The next he learns that the love of his life has a daughter. So it�s only understandable that he asked you for a break.�

Don�t you know my tears will cause an inferno.
Romance often fades.
Why should I take the blame?
You were the one who left me neglected,
So sorry baby.

�I mean C�mon did you really expect him to except the fact that your first child isn�t his first also!?!?! Yeah that must have gone over real well with him. Hey Max I�ve gone some news for you honey, I�ve got a three year old daughter and I�ve hid it from everyone for years! Yea I�ll bet he took it great.� She spat out with an almost Maria-like sarcasm.

Apology not accepted.
Add me to the broken hearts you�ve collected.
I gave you all of me,
how was I to know you would weaken.
It was always a line.
I don�t know what to do.
Now I�m all cried out over you.



�Were you that naive that you expected him to accept Montega with open arms? She just serves as a reminder to him that he wasn�t your first. But then again that wasn�t really by choice. Which is not to say that Montega is a mistake. Because I never regret keeping her at all. I never will. She saved me from myself. If I didn�t have her at that point, I don�t know what I would have done.�

I gave you my love in vain.
My body never knew such pleasure,
my heart never knew such pain.
And you, leave me so confused.
Now I�m all cried out over you.



Suddenly Liz�s musings were interupted by a voice from her doorway. �Liz what exactly did you mean it wasn�t by choice?� She turned over to find Micheal standing there.

�Shit, shit, shit. Isn�t this just priceless. Note to self: in the future when you wanna think out loud, close your door and don�t get so lost in your own thoughts that you can�t here someone come in.�

�Micheal, how long have you been standing there?�

He crossed his arms and gave her a stern look. �Long enough.�

�Shit he heard everything. Think fast Liz. Keep it calm. Keep it calm.�?

�I uh, didn�t here you come in.� �That�s it change the subject.�

�Yea I noticed.� Gee Guerin, way to sound concerned. You sound like an asshole.�

� How much of my ramblings did you hear?�

�Too much little sis.� His comment made the edges of her lips curl into a slight smile. They had become so close these days as opposed to a year ago. There was a lot of awkwardness between them way back when. But now they were �brother� and �sister�.

�Is there room for one more?� He asked while motioning to the bed.

�Yep.� Liz quickly sat up to make room for him and he wasted no time sitting next to her.

�I think it�s time that you and I had a discussion about what really happened between you and Montega�s father.� �Play dumb Guerin. Let her think you don�t already know.�

�Kevin.� She interjected.

�Okay Kevin. So what happened?� He noticed Liz shudder slightly as he said Kevin�s name.

�Pro..Promise you won�t hate me?� She asked in a very timid tone.

He put his arm around her. �Lizzie, just tell me. You and I both know that I couldn�t possibly hate you no matter what you do.� He said in an endearing and very uncharacteristic tone. �And besides that you never answered my original question.�

�What was it again?� �Liz you heard what he asked you the first time. Don�t expect him to believe that you don�t remember.�

�What did you mean it wasn�t by choice?�

Liz suddenly turned pale and had a panicked expression on her face. �Oh my God I can�t do this.�

�Liz what is it?� He asked in a concerned tone even though he knew what she was about to tell him. He was still reeling from hearing the news the first time around. And the look on her face kinda scared him.

�I meant......� She stuttered. �I meant that...� She broke down and grabbed on to Micheal for dear life. �I can�t do this.�

�Yes you can Lizzie.� He said while stroking her hair.

In between sniffles she managed to say: �I�m gonna try but you have to promise me you won�t say anything until I�m done.�

�Scouts honor.� Liz just laughed.

�You were never a boy scout so that doesn�t count.�

�Liz just tell me. I promise not to yell. I�ve been worried about you lately. And I wanna know what happened with Kevin that caused you so much pain.�

The paleness returned at the rementioning of his name. Liz just kept getting flashes of Kevin on top of her telling her to relax. But she decided it was now or never to tell him. �Well I�ll start from the beginning.�

�Okay.�

�You know how I don�t stay in Roswell for the summers?�

�Yep. Max would moon over it every year. He hated the summer season, more then I hated the school year.� Micheal chuckled.

�Well I always went to Texas to stay with my Uncle Tony, Aunt Terese, and my cousin Marc.�

�Kay.�

�The summer after I turned thirteen, Marc decided to take me to one of his friends� parties. But we didn�t let any of our parents know about it.�

�Kay.� Micheal shook his head at her not really seeing where this was going.

�Well at the party, Marc let me have some beer. I was mildly trashed as Marc so bluntly put it.� She smirked at the memory of Marc describing her after chugging her first beer.

Micheal motioned for her to go on.

�So anyway his best friend at the time...�

�Kevin?�

�Yep. Asked me to dance. I had been in love with this kid as far back as I can remember. So naturally I said yes.��

�Uh huh.�

�Well about twenty minutes later, we were upstairs in a bedroom making out. And I remember feeling numb and not really being able to move. So I asked Kevin what was in the drink he gave me cause I felt kinda funny.� Tears began silently streaming down her face.

��He told me that he gave me something to �loosen me up.� All I can remember was trying to get him off me and he just kept going and going. I finally gave up on fighting him off.� At that point she broke down.

�Lizzie you don�t have to tell me the rest. I think I know enough to get the gist of it. It�s okay. I�m so sorry.� Micheal said as he held onto Liz while she cried.

A teary eyed Liz stared straight into his eyes. �Don�t be it has nothing to do with you. Anyway where was I? Oh yeah well about a month after that I finally got up the courage to tell my uncle and cousin what had happened. They called my parents and the police. The cops never found him or his twin sister Jana.� She said bitterly. �Their adoptive mom was so devastated that she killed herself.�

�Poor woman.�

�Yeah well by then my mom had taken me to the doctor and he told me I was 5 weeks pregnant.�

�Liz how did you hide it?�

�Remember in the beginning of seventh grade, everyone thought I had Mono?�

�Oh that explains that.�

�But I truly believe that if I didn�t have Montega, I would have turned out like Mrs. Montalvo.�

Micheal hugged her tightly. �Well I�m sure I speak for everyone when I say I�m glad you didn�t.� She lowered her head.

�Even Max?� A silent tear slipped down her cheek.

�Yes even Max. He loves you with all his heart. But I think it�s time that you tell him the truth.�

�Will he even listen to me?�

�Maxwell has no choice. He misses you and it�s driving him nuts not being with you. Isabel told me all he does is sit in his room and mope.�

�That�s cause I broke his heart.�

�Earth to Liz.� She smiled at his little comment. �Tell me how in the hell did you break his heart? Montega was born in the pre Max-&-Liz era. And it�s not like you kept her existence a secret to hurt him. He�s just confused. He doesn�t know what�s up and what�s down at this moment.�

�Which is understandable.�

�Which brings me to why I came over.�

�Which is?�

�Ya see,� He said with a devilish grin on his face, �you and Montega are coming with me for the weekend.�

�Oh really. And just where are we going? Oh brother of mine.�

�Yes really. I figured you guys need a break from all the insanity around here. So pack some clothes little sis. We�re going camping. �

�But...�

�But what? Lizzie you need this and you know it. Besides you�ve never taken Montega anywhere exciting yet, have ya?�

Micheal was right she hadn�t taken Montega anywhere meaningful yet. But truth be told, Liz really didn�t feel like doing anything. �No I haven�t. But...� she protested further as her father walked into the room.

�No buts kiddo your mother and I discussed this and Micheal�s right. You need this.�

She just shrugged her shoulders. �If you say so.�

�Yeah we do. Now get packing.�

�Ok guys fine, I�ll go. But now you have to answer my question. How did the topic of Max and I talking lead to the topic of camping?�

Both Mr. Parker and Micheal just looked at each other trying to come up with an answer.

�Y�know what? Never mind. And besides, with my brother and father scheming something up, I�m sure I�ll find out soon enough.�

[ 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 d 1
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