~Safe At Last?~
(sequel to starting over)

Title: Safe At Last?
Summary: A follow up to the fic "Starting Over". Takes place 1 year later.

 Background: Just be sure and read Starting Over. Starting Over was written with Tess-spoilers before actually seeing the Tess stuff.

Category: M/L Rating: PG-13/R I think...I don't plan on going further at the moment, but who
knows what could happen!

Author: Anne E-mail: cookie2697@h...

Disclaimer: They're not mine. The
characters of Roswell belong to Melinda Metz, the WB, Jason Katims, and all the wonderful people
who we all love for starting this wonderful story. I'm just borrowing them!

Part 1

The warm California sun shone down on Liz Parker, and she smiled, feeling the warmth of it on her face
and shoulders. She walked down the beach, little grains of sand sliding over her feet and sticking
between her toes.

Liz couldn't help herself, and she let out a small sigh of contentment. It had been a year since she had
settled down in the small, ocean side town of Santa Cruz, California, a year since she had left her lifelong
home of Roswell, New Mexico, with the dawn, cutting herself off from all her friends and family, never
to contact them again.

It didn't matter. Liz was deliriously happy. She loved her new life: she loved Santa Cruz, she loved the
ocean, she loved her little house, just a short walk from the beach, and she loved the man who had stood
by her side, supported her and protected her, constantly for the past year.

Liz glanced at Max Evans, who walked beside her, and she quickly slipped her hand into his, threading
their fingers, and squeezing him slightly. Max's eyes fell on their entwined hands, and returned to hers,
smiling lovingly.

"Come here." He grinned mischievously, pulling Liz towards him. She fell into his arms easily, and
quickly his lips found hers. Lightening shot through Liz's body, as Max devoured her mouth with all he
had in him. Regardless of how many times they kissed, each one was different: new and exciting. After
spending the past year of their lives completely wrapped up in each other, their passion hadn't even
begun to fade. If anything it had intensified.

Liz looked up into Max's eyes, dark with passion, and realized that somehow while she was lost in the
sensations tied to his kiss, he had lowered her to the sand, and was now crouching above her. His
mouth slipped from hers, and slowly made it's way down her neck to her shoulder. He quickly slipped
one spaghetti strap off of her, and his lips caressed where it had been. Liz groaned in anticipation of his
next move. She was on fire!

The two lovers found themselves shocked back to reality, as one wave swelled a little further than the
rest, rushing up and drenching them both.

Liz laughed evilly, and shoved Max as hard as she could. He stumbled, and fell backwards, his butt
landing right into the ocean.

Max stared up at Liz in shock, and Liz giggled giddily as another wave broke over him.

"Ooh, you're going to get it!" Max threatened playfully, pushing himself to his feet.

"ACK!" Liz squeaked, as she jumped up and ran away quickly. She didn't get very far, though, when
Max grabbed her from behind, and dragged her kicking and screaming to the water, dumping her face
first into a crashing wave.

Liz twisted herself around so that she too was sitting in the ocean, and glared at Max.

"I can't believe you just did that!" Liz cried, trying as hard as she could to sound angry."

"Well, I had to get revenge!" Max protested with an innocent shrug.

"Don't give me that!" Liz groaned. "Just help me up."

Max grinned and pulled to her feet, and up against him again, kissing her softly.

"You know…" He whispered seductively. "…You look kind of sexy when you're soaking wet." Liz
laughed at his tactics.

"Come on, let's go home."

As they walked home, Liz remembered back to how they had gotten to where they were
today. Sometimes her life seemed so perfect that she could almost forget that she and Max WERE
fugitives, running from the law.

It had been a year earlier when Max had been captured by the FBI, and she, Liz Parker, had been given
the assignment of dissecting and studying the one true love of her life.

Liz couldn't do it.

She had taken one look at Max Evans, lying there bruised and beaten on HER lab table, and she set him
free. Together they had escaped from the compound, and Liz nursed him back to health, until they were
able to run off.

They had left Roswell in the early morning hours, heading due north into Colorado. Max's cousin owned
a cabin high in the Rocky Mountains, and they had settled there for the first few weeks. For Liz, that
cabin had been a safe place of refuge. It was nestled deep in the woods, with no paved roads for miles
around, and tall trees all around, hiding them from the outside world.

It was there that Liz and Max had made love for the first time, cuddles up in a blanket in front of a warm
fire.

The days in that secluded cabin were some of the most incredible of Liz's life. Looking back on them,
she had been walking around in a haze of amazement, marveling at the fact that just a few days earlier,
she was going to marry someone else, and now she and Max Evans were together…forever. And she
had been fearful at the realization that she could never go home to her friends and family…ever again.

Max had been wonderful, comforting her and loving her. What had become Liz's new fears were things
that Max had been living with for ten years, and he understood everything that Liz was feeling.

While they hid out in the woods for those weeks, Max taught Liz all that he knew about life on the run,
about changing who they were and concealing their previous lives. Liz caught on quickly, and soon they
decided that it was time to return to the world outside of their little cabin.

Liz still remembered the day that they decided where to go…

Max and Liz, together, leaned over the U.S. map that Max had rolled out onto the table. He was
quivering with excitement, as they studied the country, wondering where was safe, and where
wasn't. Liz's eyes fell on the little dot labeled Roswell, and she couldn't help, but feel an ache deep
inside of her. She knew of one place that definitely wasn't safe…

"Where should be move, Liz? We could go anywhere, as long as it's not New Mexico." Liz remained
silent as Max rambled on about all the different placed he had lived over the years. "Come on, love,
there's got to be someplace you've always desired to go. Something you've always wanted
to see. What is it?"

"The ocean…" Liz breathed. "I've never seen it."

Max smiled. "It's incredible. Let's do it. Should we go east or west?"

"How about west…to California. It's supposed to be incredible."

Max laughed. "Okay, California it is! We'll just pick some small ocean side town, settle down, and pass
as newlyweds. It's going to be perfect!"

And that was how they found Santa Cruz. It was perfect for their purposed. It was a small,
college/tourist town, with lots of people there all year round. Big enough for them to hide, but small
enough for them to not have to suspect every other person that they passed on the street. They
settled into a fairly normal life. Max had a job working for a high tech computer company over the hill
in San Jose, and Liz was working as a biology professor at UC Santa Cruz. Their lives were simple, but
very, very happy.

Part 2

Liz and Max slowly made their way through the few blocks inland towards their small home, hand in
hand. They were in no hurry to get there. Although they were both dripping wet, they didn't care. They
just enjoyed each other's company as they headed home. It was late afternoon, and a cool breeze
broke the warmth on Liz's bare shoulders. She shivered slightly as they headed up the driveway to the
front door.

"Why don't you go take a hot bath, and I'll start dinner." Max suggested as he slipped his key in the lock.

He stopped suddenly, staring at the door fearfully.

"What is it, Max?"

"It's unlocked. We never leave it unlocked. Someone's been in here. Stay behind me, Liz." Max
ordered, as he cautiously eased the door open, and they slipped inside silently.

Liz found herself shivering once again. Who was here? How had they found them? It had been so easy
over the past year to forget everything, to not think about the fact that they were on the run. Their lives
had seemed so safe and quiet for the past year, and all at once that security had gone crashing to pieces
on Liz. It was overwhelming, and incredibly frightening.

Max took a look around, and noted that the light was on in the kitchen. As he slinked towards the
room, he heard angry voices emerging into the rest of the house. Whoever it is was still in the house!

"Of course it's them! It has to be them! We've checked up on everyone else on our list of
suspects. These two are the only ones left. It can't be anyone else." The male voice shouted out.

A female voice responded, fear and frustration creeping into her voice. "But what if it isn't."

"Then we're in trouble and hopefully the others had more luck. We need them."

Max sneaked closer to the kitchen door, and breathed a slight sigh of relief when he spied who was
standing in his kitchen. He took Liz's hand, and together they stepped into the brightly-lighted room.

"Michael! Maria? What the hell are you doing here?" Max asked in amazement. "How did you find us?"

"You two scared us half to death." Liz threw in angrily. "Didn't you realize that when you've got two
people hiding out from the FBI, that breaking into their house and surprising them might not be such a
good idea?"

"Max! Liz! We're so glad to see you two!" Maria greeted them happily, ignoring their shock.

"What the hell happened to you two?" Michael asked, gesturing to their soaking wet, sandy clothes.

"Oh…we were at the beach." Liz explained, blushing slightly.

"You were at the beach?" Michael asked incredulously. "We've got an emergency situation that we need
your help with, and after spending weeks looking for you two, we finally found you, but you two were
off building sandcastles?"

"We didn't know." Max exclaimed defensively. "So what's going on? How did you find us? What's the
big emergency."

"I'll tell you, it was hell finding you two." Michael groaned. "Like I said, we've been looking for weeks."

"But how? We've done a pretty good job of covering our tracks."

"We noticed." Michael groaned. "You have become a master at hiding yourself Max!"

Max grinned. "Thanks, but you would too if you'd been running from the FBI for half your life."

"That's probably true." Michael laughed.

"So how?" Max repeated once again.

"Mostly it was a lucky guess." Maria admitted. "I know how much you've always dreamed of the ocean,
and I figured that Max would do anything to keep you happy after the hell he put you through for the
past ten years."

Max glanced down, shame filling his heart. It was true. He still felt bad for all that had happened with
Liz in high school. Maria was right. He'd do anything for Liz. She was his world. Without her, he was
nothing. He'd be back to wandering the world, alone and depressed, always wishing that he could turn
back time, and fix his past mistakes, loathing himself for being what he was. That was his life without
Liz, and he never wanted to have to go back to that.

"Anyways, Alex was a huge help. He went online and researched any house purchases in the past year
to young couples in ocean side towns. We made a big list, and split up, Michael and I taking the West
Coast, and Isabel and Alex on the East Coast."

"It's been really tough…the West Coast is pretty big. But then we got into Santa Cruz…" Maria trailed
off.

Michael finished for her. "…And I could feel you, Max. You were the one who told me that we would
always be connected, and I knew you were nearby the moment we got here. Then it was just a matter
of finding you."

"And we did!" Maria smiled happily.

"So why all the frantic searching?" Max repeated curiously. They still hadn't explained why everyone
was trying to reach them.

"Oh God…we haven't told you yet." Maria whispered, her face going slightly pale. "I'm so sorry Max."

Max's heart began to thump nervously in his chest. He didn't like the fearful look on Maria's face. He
turned to Michael to see him shifting his eyes uncomfortably as well. Michael finally took the initiative
and broke the silence.

"It's your parents, Maxwell." Michael told him flatly. "The government's taken them. And you need to
help up get them back."

Part 3

"My parents?" Max whispered in shock. "Damn it, why them? They've never done
anything wrong!" The shock began to slip away and Max began to get angry.
"It's because of me, isn't it? They're using them to try to get to me."

"They know that you'll do anything for your parents. They expect you to come
running to them, turn yourself in, if it means they'll free them." Maria
responded quietly.

"They know that they're one of my biggest weaknesses." Max mumbled, studying
his feet. His worst fears were coming to life right before his eyes. The
people he cared about were being hurt, all because of what he was, and he
hadn't been there to protect them. He had to do something. He had to save
them.

"You can't do that, Max, you can't give yourself to them. We'll find another
way." Liz swore to him. He still clutched her hand tightly, and Liz slipped
her arm around his waist, gently rubbing his back, trying to calm him down.
He needed her to be there for him right now, the same way that he was there
to comfort her so many times over the past year.

"That's why we're here." Michael pressed. "We need to find a way into the
compound to get them out without turning ourselves in. We were hoping you
could help us with it, Liz."

"Me? Why me?" Liz stammered suddenly fearful. These were the people she had
been running for all year. Who knew what they would do to her if they caught
her? She had pretended that Max had kidnapped her, but half the world
probably knew that she and Max had run away together. By now they had
probably learned of her history with Max, and suspected the truth.

"We need you because you used to work there. You know the facility." Michael
stated firmly.

"They're holding them there?" Liz asked, her mind caught in a haze. It was
as if everything she had spent the past year trying to forget about was
coming crashing down on her all at once. It was just too much too fast.

"When do we leave?" Max asked quietly.

"First plane back to New Mexico." Michael pressed. "We've been looking for
you for weeks, Maxwell. As it is, it may be too late. We have to act
immediately."

Max nodded in understanding. Liz slipped away from him and fell into one of
the two chairs at the dining room table. It was all so overwhelming…
Everything was happening so fast. Five minutes earlier, she and Max had been
playing in the sand, carefree and happy, and now, suddenly, they had to plan
a rescue mission into a top-secret government compound! Was this normal? Was
this the way life was supposed to be?

Regardless of all the fears clouding Liz's brain, one ray of sunshine broke
through, bringing a slight amount of peace to her. She was going home…

Quickly and silently Max and Liz moved around their bedroom, packing their
bags for their trip home. Trip home…when Liz thought of it that way, it
sounded like they were going on vacation, taking a little trip for pleasure.
This was far from that. They were moving into danger; their lives would be
at stake.

Liz looked up at Max, digging through the closet, and she could just feel
the shock pouring off of him. He hadn't said anything since Michael
announced their departure, just silently moved around the house preparing to
leave. Liz sat on the bed and watched him. She knew he was in pain, and that
he was terrified for his parents, but he wasn't showing it. He was closing
himself off once again, refusing to let anyone see his emotions.

Max could feel Liz's eyes following him around the room, and he knew that
she was worried about him. To be honest with himself, he was worried about
him too. Max had no idea what would happen when they returned to Roswell.
Would they be able to free his parents without giving themselves in? He had
to be prepared to do it, if it meant his parents lived. All that mattered
was keeping them, and Liz safe. God, Liz! He knew it would kill her if he
turned himself in. She had risked everything, her job, her life, her family,
her whole world, in order to keep him out of there. If she knew that he was
even considering giving up his freedom, it would destroy her. It seemed like
there was no way for him to win.

Max finally turned around and met Liz's eyes. He saw the raw fear protruding
out of them, and his heart melted at the site. She looked so delicate, like
anything could break her at any moment. He knew that for the third time in
her life, her entire world, and every sense of security inside of her, had
just been shattered. And he wasn't doing anything to help her.

He found himself sitting beside her, his arm around her, pulling her to him
again. And then it came, the torrent of tears from deep inside of her. He
could tell it wasn't going to take much to set her off. Her body shuddered
with each raging sob, and he felt the moisture on his shoulder, where she
had buried her face in him. Gently Max rubbed circles around her back,
supporting her and trying his best to calm her down. He patted her hair,
running his fingers through the silky soft threads, noting that she was
still wet from their playful afternoon. It seemed like an eternity ago
already, almost another lifetime. So much had happened in less than an hour.

Finally he felt Liz's breathing slow, and she pulled away slightly, looking
up at him.

"Promise me you won't turn yourself in Max. We'll find another way." She
repeated, her eyes pleading with him.

"I can't do that, Liz." Max whispered. "What if we run out of options. I
have to get them out of there no matter what."

Liz didn't say anything for a long while. "I know." She finally admitted. "I
know you, Max, and I know that you'll do the right thing, whatever it is,
but at least promise me you won't give up too soon. We have to give it a
good shot at doing it the hard way, before we risk ourselves."

"That I can swear to you I'll do, Liz. I promise I'll do whatever I can do
get them out without jeopardizing myself."

"Thank you Max."

"Liz…whatever happens with us in Roswell, there's something you have to
know. I love you, Liz, with all my heart. The past year has been the
happiest of my life. In fact, it's what I always dreamed my life would be
like, ideally. And I never want to give that up. If there is any possible
way for us to return to this life, after we fix things back home, I want to
do it. And maybe, if you want that is, we could make…us…official."

"What are you saying Max?" Liz asked, completely dazed. Was he saying what
she thought he was saying?

"Liz, we've been posing as a married couple for a long time, now, and you
own my heart completely. I think we're happier together than any normal
couple ever is. Why don't we do it, Liz? Let's get married."

"Oh Max!" Liz gasped. "Yes! I'd love that more than anything else in the
world." Tears began to seep back into her eyes, but this time they were
tears of joy, rather than those of fear and sadness.

"I love you Liz."

"I love you too Max."

"Come on, it's time for us to go home."