Lost For You (Part 1-With or Without You)

See the stone set in your eyes
See the thorn twist in your side
I wait for you
Sleight of hand and twist of fate
On a bed of nails she makes me wait
And I wait . . . without you

With or without you
With or without you
I can't live
With or without you

March 2013
New York City

Dr. Liz Parker carefully balanced an armful of midterm exams, two biology textbooks and one chemistry book as she walked up the wide stairs to her office. She could hardly see above the heavy load, but she could have walked the path to her office in the dark with her eyes closed.

First she'd been a student at Columbia University and now as a professor she'd spent the better part of the last ten years in the hallways and buildings of the science wings and campus buildings. She turned the last corner to her office and smiled as she heard Shelby, her secretary, who saw her coming and quickly push her chair back to take some of the books from Liz.

"Liz, you could have called for some help! How did you even manage to get these books all this way up?" Shelby asked, following Liz as they entered her office.

"Just toss them on my desk, I'll get to them tomorrow. It wasn't that far, anyway I wanted to get them back here so I could leave early enough," Liz said, starting to pull her things together.

Shelby nodded as she flipped through a few scraps of paper. "Maria called to make sure you were coming to the park this afternoon, I assured her you were," she said, Liz nodded as she loaded papers and binders into her leather bag. "Then, Isabel called, also to check and see if you were coming," Shelby said as she looked closely at Liz.

"Why is everyone so concerned about you arriving at the park this afternoon? You are one of the least forgetful people I know, and the last person they should worry about," she pointed out. Liz stopped her packing for a minute as she pulled her reading classes off her head and packed them
away. She rolled her eyes and shrugged out of her white lab coat. She hung it by the door, having to stretch on her toes to reach the top hook.

She was twenty eight years old and hadn't grown an inch since high school, which made many think she was ten years younger than she actually was. "Max has a baseball game this afternoon in the park and it's the first one of the season. Isabel and Maria just like to check up on me and
make sure I remember," Liz said. She checked her watch and quickly grabbed her bag, slinging it over her shoulder. "I've got to go. I'll see you tomorrow morning?" Liz asked, starting to walk down the hallway after shutting the door to her office.

"I'll be here. Tell Max I said hello!" Shelby called.

Liz nodded and waved as she practically skipped down the stairs and outside. As she crossed the campus, Liz returned the greetings and waves of her students and fellow faculty members. She knew that she practically blended in with the students more than the faculty with her petite frame, long brown air and casual dress.

Her hair was even longer than when she'd been in high school. The lab coat she wore during class usually gave her teacher status away, but when she wasn't wearing it, Liz dressed in jeans, casual skirts and comfortable sweaters and shirts. Some teachers wore tweed and cashmere, but she
opted for sneakers instead of heels. Liz didn't see the point in teaching for ten hours and being uncomfortable while doing it.

She breathed in the fresh air of the March afternoon. She loved New York City in the spring. It certainly was a stretch from Roswell in the spring. In Roswell it was hard to notice the changing seasons. Leaves hardly changed color, the desert remained the same rust brown and the cactus never dropped their needles, unlike the trees in Central Park that marked the changing seasons with darkening leaves and eventually blankets of snow. It had been over ten years since they'd left Roswell and headed to New York City.

Liz had been accepted to both Harvard and Columbia University, but she ultimately chose Columbia. Liz turned down Broadway as she exited the campus, heading towards the subway stop at 116th Street. Her strides were quick and measured, as she took the stairs below the city to the subway underground.

She slid her metrocard and passed through the turnstile. Her timing was perfect as the A Train screeched to a halt and she got on, choosing to stand in the rush hour crowd of people riding the subway. Normally she might have read a book or graded papers, but instead Liz planted her feet firmly on the floor of the subway car and gripped the center pole, her eyes wandering outside into the black tunnel. As she adjusted her grip, the gold band on her left ring finger rang softly against the metal pole and she looked at her hand thoughtfully. She sighed and considered what had brought them all to New York City.

Right after high school they had come to New York for separate reasons. It was ten years later and Liz was grateful that despite their different reasons for coming, they'd all managed to stay close. She and Max lived on the west side of Manhattan, close to Central Park and the University.
Maria owned a photography studio in Greenwich Village and lived just down the hall in the same apartment building as her and Max. Isabel and Alex had an apartment in Midtown, a bit of a walk or a very short subway trip away. Isabel practically ran Saks 5th Avenue and Alex was busy as an
executive for Virgin Records.

Liz felt the subway slowing as it approached the 79th Street stop and she braced her feet gently against the forces that tried to pull her forward. Shouldering her heavy bag, Liz wove through the other passengers and exited the subway car, heading for the exit signs. As she climbed the stairs up to the surface, she tried to suppress the sudden feeling of disorientation she usually felt when she reached the streets again. Her sense of direction always got twisted around underneath the city.

Taking a quick look around, she headed east towards the park and The Great Lawn where
everyone was meeting for the baseball game.

With a glance at his desk clock, Max smiled. It was after four and he had somewhere else to be that afternoon. Shutting off his computer, he grabbed his bag from next to his desk and packed the backpack he always took with him to work. As a professional writer for The New York Times he
knew the backpack made him look more like a college student, but it served his purpose and served as a reminder of something he hadn't quite been able to stop using since high school. He waved to some of the other writers and editors as he shut the door of his office and headed towards the elevator.

He entered the elevator and took a spot in the back corner, knowing the car would fill up as it descended towards the street. Max checked the bag at his feet, shifting his backpack to the other
shoulder. He hadn't forgotten his baseball mitt this time at least. He couldn't wait to change out of the khaki slacks and dress shirt he was wearing. He grinned as he reached up to loosen the tie constricting his neck. He pulled at the knot and swallowed as the pressure released. He unbuttoned the top button of the shirt and suddenly felt much better.

Next, he ran a hand through his hair, quickly glancing at his reflection in the metal surface of the elevator wall. He was a little taller, but he hadn't changed much since his days back at Roswell. Before he could think about it too much, he pushed those thoughts away. It had been ten years since he'd last seen Roswell, but some of the reminders were too much. He would try to get a hold of Michael that night and see what he was doing.

He exited The New York Times building and walked towards the World Trade Center subway stop. The noises of New York City and the twelve million people on the island should have been deafening, but Max hardly noticed. He found the noises oddly comforting. It was easy to fade into the crowd when the crowd was so massive.

As he boarded the C Train heading north up to Central Park Max stepped over to allow a young woman a larger space in the subway car. She smiled at him gratefully and when her eyes looked at
him invitingly, he looked away. She was pretty and if he had been any other man, any other normal man, he probably would have smiled back. Not to mention her discreet glance at the wide gold ring on his left hand quickly made her lose any interest in him. He preferred it that way, things hadn't changed since high school at all. Liz still held his heart and he was still an alien. At least being an alien was easier to hide in the biggest city in America.

The trip on the subway seemed to take longer than usual until it finally stopped at 81st Street, just across from Central Park. He quickly exited and found the steps up to the street. The wind blew through his hair a little as he looked across the street at the green trees of Central Park. It was
only early spring, but the trees were already covered with budding leaves, a welcome sight after the cold winter. After the crosswalk signaled he crossed the street and entered the park, heading towards the center where The Great Lawn and the baseball diamonds were. He knew the park well, it was a place he visited often.

Catching sight of his fellow teammates, Max raised his arm in greeting. After stowing his backpack under a bench he went to change into more comfortable clothes. When he came out, dressed in t-shirt and sweats, he saw the game was about to begin. Taking first base, Max watched the game carefully, trying not to become distracted by the blue sky or the other people playing in the park.

Liz practically ran as she entered the park. She was late for the game and for once it hadn't been her fault. At least the fire in the subway tunnel had not been her fault. Her shoulder was beginning to ache under the weight of her bag as she passed the Delacorte Theater and Belvedere Castle, finally arriving at The Great Lawn. She saw that the game was just starting and she grinned as she saw Maria and Isabel sitting on the bleachers.

She waved at them and then grinned as she caught sight of Max on first base. "Max!" she yelled.

His head turned at the sound of her voice and his brown eyes lit up as he smiled, dimples showing. He waved back with his gloved hand. "Hi Mom!"

There's every good reason for letting you go
She's sneaky and smoked out
And it's starting to show
I never let you go

I never let you turn around,
Our back on each other
That's a good idea,
Break a promise to your mother
Turn around your back on each other

You say that I've changed
Well maybe I did
But even if I changed
What's wrong with it?

I never let you go

Lost For You (Part 2: Never Let You Go)

Liz grinned as she waved to her ten-year-old son. After a minute he turned his attention back to the game and she quickly walked over to the stands where all the other parents were seated. She nearly rolled her eyes as she saw that Maria and Isabel had chosen the highest seat on the bleachers, and the seat hardest to get to with all the other people in the stands. With a multitude of apologies and stumbling, she finally managed to get to her seat next to Isabel. Maria glanced at her archly and Liz held up her hands in defeat.

"Ok, so I'm a couple of minutes late!" Liz said, exasperated. Maria nodded and Isabel just smiled. They watched the game in silence for a few minutes before Liz turned to Isabel. "Where's Alex?" she asked, glancing around.

Isabel checked her watch. "He should be here in time for the break halfway through the game.
Look at Beth and Max out there," Isabel said, pointing to the outfield.

Liz turned her gaze towards the right field and smiled. Max was talking animatedly with the girl playing right field, who had walked into the infield. She had long curly hair, blond just like her mother's. Liz glanced over at Maria, who was watching her daughter carefully.

Maria looked back and gestured to the first baseman. "Liz, your son is distracting Beth from her duties," Maria noted.

Liz grinned. "He gets that from his father. Uh-oh, looks like you aren't the only one to notice, Mike's moving in for the kill, " Liz replied.

Maria looked back out at the field as her son, who had been playing second base, came over to break up the conversation Max had been having with Mike's twin sister. Just as the three kids looked like they were about to begin an argument the crack of a ball hitting a bat sounded and the entire team scrambled to catch it.

When Maria's son managed to dive after the ball she stood up and cheered loudly, like any proud parent. Liz and Isabel followed her, perhaps cheering louder than was necessary, which noticeable embarrassed Mike. He ducked his head and tried to ignore the yells.

The three women in the stands grinned at one another, taking odd pleasure in the ability to still embarrass the kids. Isabel's eye lit up as she caught sight of Alex approaching on one of the park paths and she climbed down the stands to the grass. Liz and Maria followed her, not paying attention to how gracefully they clambered over the other observers.

Perhaps it was because they'd all been to close since high school, but sometimes Liz felt as though they'd never left that place where it really was just the six of them together. Except now it was the four of them plus four new additions. Liz smiled at the youngest of the new additions, Isabel and Alex's nine-year-old daughter Belle. She clung to her father's neck as he walked, her eyes laughing and her red hair swinging around like a curtain.

Belle grinned as she saw her mother and held out her arms for Isabel. Alex handed their daughter to Isabel, who smiled happily as her daughter squeezed her around the neck before pulling back. "Did you have a good day at school sweetie?" Isabel asked, to which Belle nodded energetically.

"It was so much fun! I saw Max and Mike fight Carl, James and Kevin after they were teasing Beth on the playground during lunch, when Kevin called Max a dork for defending his girlfriend and Beth punched him," Belle said all in one breath.

Maria sighed as Liz turned a quick glance at her. "That's my girl," Maria said, her voice exasperated.

Belle took little notice and continued. "And then Max pulled Beth back far enough so that he could go after Kevin, and then Kevin called his friends over and then Mike and Max were about to go after them and then Beth pulled them both back," Belle finished, clearly disappointed.

"Where were you during all of this?" Alex asked his daughter, slightly concerned. Liz smiled, Alex had a tendency to be over protective of Belle. He still insisted on carrying her everywhere even though she had largely outgrown that phase. She hadn't quite outgrown her ability to humor her father though, so she still let him carry her most of the time.

Liz turned her attention back to the matter at hand. Max normally wasn't so confrontational, and the amount of attention their children had brought to themselves was slightly alarming.

"Don't worry Daddy, I was standing behind Mike and he was careful to keep me out of the way," Belle reassured Alex.

"Did you know anything about this?" Liz asked Maria. Maria nodded just a little. "Well, when did this happen? Why didn't you call me?" Liz asked, her voice slightly accusational.

Maria threw up her hands. "Liz, I didn't think it was necessary. The teacher on yard duty didn't even take them to the principal, she just gave them a warning and called me at the studio. I've been waiting to see if they brought it up, but none of them has yet," Maria replied. They both looked back at the game, which was breaking for a few minutes before resuming.

Beth, Max and Mike walked over slowly, cautiously. They studied their mothers carefully and Max groaned at the expression on his mother's face. He could tell that she knew what had happened. He traded looks with Beth and Mike and they silently looked at Belle who meekly smiled. "Belle!" they yelled in unison.

Maria shook her head. "Don't blame Belle, she didn't say anything we already didn't know about!
Kids, what happened? You know that fighting in school is not acceptable," Maria said, trying not to lose her temper.

Liz took a slightly different tactic. She walked over to her son and gave him a hug. His arms wrapped around her middle until she pulled back and looked into his face. Her eyes softened as she looked at his brown eyes, so like his father's. And the concern and worry on his face mirrored that of Max's as well. "Honey, are you ok?" Liz asked softly.

He nodded slowly as they turned away from the group for a quieter conversation. Without Liz even asking, Max sighed and began to relay the events from earlier in the day. "Beth was swinging on the swing when Kevin came up from behind her and stopped her. Mike and I were across the playground and we didn't see what was going on. Beth said he was teasing her about hanging out with just us and about being different. You know how she gets Mom, when anyone suggests that we're different," Max said, his voice lowering to a whisper.

Liz closed her eyes briefly as she nodded. She did know how fiercely protective her namesake could be. Liz called Beth a lioness, and she knew that the girl balked at the idea that anyone might call any of them different.

"Well, Mike and I came over and Kevin was being a jerk, so I told him to back off. He called me a dork for defending my girlfriend and Beth went flying after him," Max grinned at the memory, caught his mother's stern expression and returned to the story. "I pulled her back, just so she wouldn't get hurt, and then I went after him. That's when his friends started to show up and Beth tried to break it up. Miss Johnson came over and separated us and told us to stop. We didn't think she was going to call you or Aunt Maria though."

Liz sighed as she looked at her son and wondered, not for the first time, what she should do. And she wondered what Max would have done, if he were there. And she tried to think what her own parents would have done in a similar parental situation. The trouble was, she hadn't even spoken to
her parents in over ten years and she had no idea what they would have done. Trying not to think about Max or her parents, she turned to her son, his eyes anxiously awaiting her punishment for him.

"I understand that you boys were just defending Beth, but you need to be careful. Any of you could have been hurt and you know what we've told you a thousand times," Liz said, emphasizing every word.

"I know Mom. I'm sorry," Max replied, grateful he was getting off so easy.

Liz smiled and kissed his forehead, to which he pulled back and glanced around, slightly embarrassed. Liz noted sadly that he was just hitting that stage where she could so easily embarrass him. "You don't have to be sorry for all of it, Max. You were right to defend Beth, it reminds me of something your father would have done," Liz said softly.

Max looked at her solemnly and nodded. They turned back to the group where Maria was finishing her own lecture to Mike and Beth. It rang similar to Liz's, except Maria was slightly less lenient with her daughter. Beth traded glances with Max when her mother wasn't looking and rolled her eyes. Max laughed, suppressing the sound as a cough when Isabel looked at him sternly.

Of all the members of their group, Isabel was the most worried about the turn of events. As far as she knew, she was the only alien left to guide the children on the nonhuman half of their heritage and she took that responsibility seriously.

The coach was blowing his whistle as the kids ran back to their places on the field. Belle found a patch of grass and dandelions to play with as Isabel, Liz, Maria and Alex formed a group, standing facing each other seriously.

"Should we be worried?" Maria asked, her voice betraying her fear.

Liz thought for a moment before shaking her head. "I don't think so. If we were any other parents and they were normal kids it would just be a little conflict at school. I know how different they really are, but we have to remember that they are just normal kids too," Liz said.

Alex reached for Isabel's hand and squeezed it gently. She smiled at her husband gratefully. "I think Liz is right, but we need to keep reminding them of how careful they need to be. We left Roswell for a reason: to keep them safe. And we have to keep them as safe as we can. Max and Michael would have wanted that," Isabel said, her voice wavering a little.

Liz's hand found Maria's and they clutched at each other. Liz closed her eyes and breathed carefully as she tried not to cry. She knew that she should be able to let go of the past after ten years. Things had changed so much, and yet she couldn't let go of Max and what had happened back in Roswell. When she finally opened her eyes they were shining with unshed tears. "Yes, they would have," Liz whispered quietly, gazing at the children that had resulted from such a wonderful and horrible night nearly eleven years ago.

May 2002

Roswell

"Oh, my God Liz, help me with my dress! The zipper's stuck!" Maria's voice, near panic, reached Liz through the open door between the bathroom where Liz was curling her hair and Maria was pulling on her dress.

Liz let loose the tendril of hair from the iron and walked into the bedroom. She was still dressed in her robe, but Maria had already finished her makeup and air. She glanced at the clock on the wall and reassured herself that she still had lots of time to get dressed and finish getting ready before the guys came to get them. Liz walked over to Maria and looked at the back of her gown, noting where the zipper had snagged on the pale green fabric. Maria was shifting nervously while Liz worked on the zipper, twisting her neck around to try and see Liz's progress.

"Maria, calm down, I've almost got it," Liz said patiently.

"I know, I know, I'm just nervous. I mean, this is the big night. Prom. Man, I never thought I'd make it here," Maria said thoughtfully.

"Why do you say that?" Liz asked, happy to keep Maria distracted.

"I guess I should rephrase. I never thought I'd make it here with Michael," Maria said wryly.

Liz grinned. "I never doubted it. I knew Michael would cave in and ask you," Liz replied.

Maria snorted. "Michael never asked me! I had to practically wrestle him for it. Not that the prospect of tumbling around with him on the ground was such a bad one," Maria laughed.

Liz laughed with her and both their heads turned as Isabel entered, camera in hand. She snapped a picture of them, the flash causing Liz to see stars. "Isabel, we're not ready yet!" Maria yelled.

Isabel merely smiled. "That's the idea. We've got to have these pictures to show people years from now all the memories we've made," Isabel said wistfully.

Liz gave a sound of triumph as she loosened the zipper and pulled it the rest of the way up, which wasn't really that far on Maria's low cut dress. "Been reading the yearbook again Isabel?" Liz said, a teasing grin on her face.

Isabel shot her a brief glare before Maria turning around in her gown interrupted them. Both girls whistled and clapped like construction workers as Maria modeled her dress. It was made of floor length silky fabric, a seafoam shade of green that offset the light color of Maria's skin tone. She'd kept her hair pretty short in the last two years, it had some curl and body to it held back by a headband. The fabric of the dress clung to Maria's body as it fell straight to the floor from the smooth neckline and thin straps.

Maria began searching for her jewelry as Isabel walked over to the two remaining garment bags hanging by the closet and Liz returned to the bathroom. The three of them were in Liz's room, getting ready for the senior prom. The prom was being held at the only ballroom in town, not too far from the Crashdown. It had been Liz's idea for the three of them to prepare for the prom at her house while their dates got ready at the Evans'. Liz smiled in the mirror as she reached for the curling iron to resume her hair styling.

Her eyes fell on a photo she'd stuck in the corner of the mirror. It was taken just that last Christmas during the third annual Evans/Parker vacation up to Snowmass, Colorado. It had been their winter break trip up north as a group and with Maria, Alex and Michael along for the trip, it always managed to be eventful. In between the skiing and ice skating they had somehow managed to plan a campfire outside on Christmas Eve. The photo was one of Max and Liz, curled up under a blanket together. They were smiling at the camera, the firelight dancing across their faces.

Liz had pictures of her and Max scattered all across her room, in frames, collages and fitted in the corners of every mirror. Somehow her room had become littered with an amazing collection of pictures of Maria, Isabel, Alex, Michael, Max and herself.

Alex sitting crosslegged on the grass in the quad at school, playing his guitar with Isabel stretched out on her stomach next to him, quietly reading a book and listening to the tunes he played.

Maria and Michael in woodshop class when Michael had been determined to teach Maria how to make a breadbox. Isabel, Maria and her in the Crashdown behind the counter after Isabel had started working with them as a waitress.

The Father's camping weekend their junior year when they'd all played poker over the fire. Max winning a stuffed alien for Liz at the Crash Festival, his face slightly embarrassed as he handed her the green creature.

As Liz entered her bedroom from the bathroom she looked around at all the memories around her. Each one reminded her of how lucky she was to have her friends. And how her life had changed so drastically since that day she'd been shot and Max had healed her.

Isabel looked up in surprise as Liz entered the room. "Liz, shouldn't you get your dress on?" Isabel asked curiously.

"That's what I'm doing now. With you and Maria around I'll never be late for anything!" Liz said, walking over to the remaining garment bag hanging by the closet. Isabel was just finishing zipping up her dress as Liz began to slip into her own.

Liz had seen Isabel's dress the day they'd been out shopping and she'd bought it, but she couldn't help but marvel at how it defied gravity. It was dark navy blue without straps to hold the bust up. The dress was off the shoulders and fit Isabel like a glove over the top of her body. The skirt had more fullness to it before the hemline brushed the floor. Isabel and Maria both carefully fastened earrings and necklaces as Liz sucked in her breath and zipped up her dress in the back.

She couldn't help but think she was in some period piece movie every time she wore her prom gown. It was a deep crimson red, with an embroidered corset style top secured by thin straps over her shoulders. The skirt was full like a ball gown and billowed like a cloud. The folds and fabric fell to the floor, not quite touching it. Liz couldn't help but twirl around in the gown; it made her feel like a princess. Her hair was loose and curly nearly to her waist and as she found her jewelry, Liz glanced once again at Isabel and Maria, finding their shoes and handbags. She started to apply her lipstick and then she paled noticeable at the results. The color was the wrong shade.

It didn't match her dress, in fact it clashed. Isabel noticed her sudden look of panic and walked over. Liz gave her a helpless look and Isabel smiled confidently. With a quick wave of her hand over Liz's mouth the lipstick disappeared. Isabel then touched a finger to the fold of Liz's dress and then touched the offending tube of lipstick in her hand. Liz smiled with delight as the makeup suddenly matched her dress perfectly.

"Thank you," Liz said, to which Isabel merely nodded. After a few more minutes of primping the girls were ready.

Nancy Parker knocked on the door quietly before entering, her eyes softening at the sight of them. "You girls look beautiful. There seem to be three slightly nervous, but incredibly handsome men waiting downstairs for you," Nancy said with a smile.

The three girls exchanged excited glances as they carefully walked out of Liz's bedroom and towards the stairs. Their dates were waiting downstairs in the Crashdown and would have a perfect view as they descended down the stairs from the apartment above. From the top of the stairs all Liz could see were three pairs of shiny dress shoes, one calmly standing still, another fidgeting slightly and the last pacing back and forth. She knew without seeing that it was Max, Alex and Michael respectively awaiting them.

Maria took the lead, followed by Isabel and Liz down the stairs. Liz held up the skirt of her gown carefully so she wouldn't trip and her hand strayed against the wooden rail of the stairs. The eyes of all three guys watched them carefully and Liz caught Max's gaze riveted on her and she smiled.

He looked amazing in the black and white tuxedo, the colors contrasted against one another sharply. And the black of his hair nearly matched his coat in hue. She saw his jaw tighten as his eyes swept over her and when his eyes finally met hers, Liz's heart rate sped up. His intense gaze made her feel like she was the only person in the room, the only person in the world.

When she finally made it down the stairs Max came forward, holding her corsage in one hand. His hand reached for hers and the warmth of it against her own was so soothing. He glanced at her repeatedly as he slipped the corsage of snow white tiny roses on her wrist. "Liz, you look beautiful," Max whispered.

She smiled at him shyly as she reached for his jacket lapel to fasten the red rose boutonniere with a
pin. When she finished she stood on her toes and kissed him tenderly. "You look pretty handsome yourself," she replied.

His hands went to hold hers as they glanced around, realizing everyone else was ready to go. Maria and Michael led the way with Maria's hand gently looped through Michael's arm. Isabel had taken Alex's offered elbow and Liz's fingers intertwined with Max's. Liz waved to her parents as they left and she thought she caught her mother sniffling a little as Max escorted her out the door and to the prom.

Since the prom was literally just down the street, they walked to the hotel. The music could be heard filtering out the open doors as they approached and followed the gathering number of students entering the lobby and the ballroom. Maria, Michael, Isabel and Alex continued to walk
into the ballroom but Max held Liz back, gently pulling her aside. She looked at him questioningly as he looked around them, taking in the lights and decorations with an expression resembling disbelief.

"I was just thinking about how I used to dream of taking you to the Senior Prom. Back when we were freshmen and you started dating Kyle at the end of the school year I thought that was it, and that you'd be with him for the rest of high school. I never thought-I never thought that it would be me," Max marveled as he gazed at her.

Liz pulled his arms around her waist and touched his face gently with her free hand. "Max, it could never be anyone else. It will always be you," Liz vowed, her voice low. And then Max smiled at her with the smile she knew was reserved just for her. His whole face was so open and there was no hesitation in his eyes. He leaned his forehead against hers for a moment before she found his hand with her own and they turned towards the open doors, ready to enter the most unforgettable night of their lives.

You've got your ball, you've got your chain
Tied to me tight, tie me up again
Who's got their claws in you my friend
Into your heart I'll beat again
Sweet like candy to my soul
Sweet you rock and sweet you roll
Lost for you
I'm so lost for you

You come crash into me
And I come into you,
I come into you

Touch your lips just so I know
In your eyes, love, it glows so
I'm bare-boned and crazy for you
When you come
Crash into me

Lost For You (Part 3: Crash Into Me)

Liz sighed with contentment as she rested her cheek against the smooth fabric of Max's tuxedo jacket. One of her hands rested over his shoulder while he cradled the other over his heart. His other arm looped around her waist and held her against him tightly. They swayed gently back and forth on the dance floor as the lights dimmed for the last dance of the Prom.

Her eyes were barely open as she watched her fellow classmates around her dancing under the mirrored ball overhead that cast tiny beads of light over the dancers. Max's head was bowed down close to hers and she could feel the gentle feel of his breath against her bare shoulder when he exhaled.

She opened her eyes a little wider as she looked around for the others. Isabel and Alex danced together with a practiced and professional ease. Liz smiled as they effortlessly moved to the music. She knew Alex hadn't been particularly pleased at the dancing lessons Isabel had suggested a year ago. But he went along with them because it made Isabel happy. And he looked perfectly happy himself as he turned Isabel around him and watched as she smiled up at him, her eyes shining.

Liz shifted her gaze as Max turned her carefully in a circle and her eyes rested on Maria and Michael, dancing so close that not even a piece of paper would fit between them. She grinned, knowing she had no room to talk, she was so close to Max that she had no idea where he ended and she began. Maria clutched at Michael as though he was her lifeline and Liz noticed that Michael's grip was equally intense.

She closed her eyes and listened to the steady hum of music in the background and let her mind wander as she and Max danced. The Prom was almost over. After months of planning and anticipating, it had been everything she, Isabel and Maria had imagined and more. They'd arrived over three hours earlier to a dance floor packed with people. The six of them had stood just inside the doorway, trying to decide where to go first. There were photographs to be taken and countless dances to dance.

They'd stayed fixed in their spot until the Macarena began to play and Alex couldn't quite contain himself. Maria and Liz had burst out laughing as Alex pulled Isabel onto the dance floor. Isabel had made a slight effort to put up a struggle, but the smile on her face gave away her willingness to more than indulge her boyfriend.

Liz and Maria couldn't let Alex and Isabel be the only two gyrating to the song popular back when they had been in elementary school, so they pulled Max and Michael with them out onto the floor. Michael had been less than enthusiastic, but Max was perfectly happy to follow Liz as she pushed him along, her hands on his waist. Liz broke out into a fit of giggles halfway through the song at Maria's antics and they both laughed until their stomachs hurt as Isabel and Alex quite seriously kept dancing.

Liz loved seeing the difference in Isabel in the last two years. Shortly after she and Alex had gotten together their sophomore year Isabel had begun to drift away from her old crowd of friends and towards theirs. Maria and Liz had eagerly welcomed her into their tight circle of friends and it had become a literal friendship threesome between the girls.

"Liz, don't laugh, I know you remember how badly you and Maria wanted to learn this dance during the summer after fifth grade!" Alex had warned as she continued to giggle. Liz couldn't argue with him, she and Maria had been steadfast in their practice of the one hit wonder.

Maria was still trying to persuade Michael to dance as he glanced at Alex, his eyebrows raised. "I can't believe you don't realize how silly you look Is," Michael pointed out.

Isabel gave a very unladylike snort and waved her hand at him as she swung her hips around. "Michael, you've seen where I work and what I wear. Do you really think that this dance will embarrass me?" Isabel asked, her voice yelling over the music.

Liz bumped her hips against Maria's as they digressed away from the Macarena. The two girls grinned as they remembered how Isabel had started working at the Crashdown Café two years ago. For the summer before their junior year Isabel's parents had insisted that she get a job somewhere in town. She had reluctantly applied at the Crashdown not expecting to be hired, but with one good word from Liz and Maria, she was offered a job on the spot. The girls had spent the next two years sharing horror stories, handling the crazy tourists and enjoying more than one late night ice cream party after closing the café at night. The uniforms never changed, but Liz suspected that the clientele had significantly increased as a result of the way Isabel easily filled out the teal and silver dress.

Liz nearly fell over as Maria bumped her with a little more effort than was necessary. She fell against Max, who grabbed her waist. Maria smiled apologetically at her as Liz steadied her balance. "Maria, it's the bump, not destruction derby!" Liz insisted.

Maria shrugged. "I'm not sure I can take any more of your bony hips digging into me," Maria replied.

Liz huffed a little. "Bony hips! Maria! I do not have bony hips! Max, I don't have bony hips, do I?" Liz asked, her eyes questioning him.

Max stopped moving, and she thought he might be trying to think exactly how he could get out of the situation without spending the rest of the night alone. His gaze lingered on her waist and her slender form and he struggled to swallow. Experimenting, he bumped his hips against Liz's and she laughed as he nearly knocked her over. He was constantly surprising her and his sudden playfulness was no exception.

The Macrarena turned into YMCA and just as disco era music began to pump into the room, Michael began to get into the song. As he struck a John Travolta-esque pose circa 1977, Maria took notice and her eyes widened noticeably. Max and Liz merely stood with their mouths hanging open a little as Michael displayed an amazing range of disco moves including the hustle.

Alex was the first to speak. "Wow, Michael, I had no idea you were the Disco King," Alex said,
somehow managing to keep a straight face.

They all shared smiles as the song ended and Isabel glanced over her shoulder. "Hey, we should get in line to have our pictures taken. The line seems to have died down," Isabel commented.

They all nodded and filed over, Liz held up her dress with her hands as she walked since she'd ditched her painfully high heels long before. She looked around for the shoes and he gaze fell to Max, who held the heels in his right hand, his fingers hooked through the cranberry colored straps. His grin was wide as he followed her after she smiled her thanks.

They stood in line for a few minutes before reaching the front and when no one filed behind them, Liz acknowledged that it was probably a good thing. She knew that the girls had planned to have lots of pictures and many poses taken. They started with the conventional poses and pairings with her and Max going first. The photographer carefully posed them together, with Max standing behind her, his arms around her waist and her hands covering his.

He stepped back to admire his handiwork. "Ok, just pretend she's the most important thing in the world," he suggested.

Max's grip on her waist tightened. "Not a problem," Max whispered into her ear. Liz's smile was
genuinely thrilled as the flash went off.

They moved to face each other next and as the photographer was moving the camera for the next shot Max leaned his head close to Liz's and his hands encircled her waist as hers rested on his arms. "Liz, you look amazing. I keep wondering if some prince is going to pull up and sweep you away," Max said, his voice low.

She glanced at him shyly. "Only if he comes in on a flying saucer," she replied, to which Max laughed out loud. They were both laughing as the flash went off. They looked at the photographer in surprise.

"Trust me, that was a better shot," he reassured them as they stepped away and made room for Michael and Maria. Max found a chair nearby and sat down, pulling Liz carefully onto his lap, watching her skirt so that he didn't crease it. Her feet dangled over the floor as she put her arm around his shoulder and cuddled up against him, waiting for their turn again.

They were silent as they watched their friends pose for pictures until Maria came over and pulled Liz away from the comfort of Max's lap. Max stood next to Michael and Alex as the girls lined up together, smiling at the camera. Liz noticed a sudden lack of movement from the guys as they stared at them; Max's eyes seemed to nearly bore holes into her head.

After the flash went off they stepped down to make room for Max, Alex and Michael in front of the camera. Michael and Alex flanked Max as the guys stood and struck a very formal and serious pose, their hands in their pockets staring the camera down. Maria leaned over Liz's shoulder from their vantagepoint off to the side.

"Somebody call GQ," Maria whispered. Liz flashed her a smile before turning back to face the group. Max was motioning her over and she came, followed by Isabel and Maria.

The photographer sized the group up. "Ok, how about one more picture. Don't look so serious this time," he urged.

Isabel and Alex immediately raised the level of playfulness when Isabel quite suddenly picked Alex up, holding him in her arms. Liz burst out laughing; the noise akin to what velvet would sound like. For just a minute Alex looked slightly embarrassed, but then he put an arm around Isabel's shoulders. She raised her eyebrow to the rest of the group. "Come on, you heard the man. And hurry up, Alex may look light, but he's really not," Isabel replied.

Alex's head whipped around to look at her. "Are you saying I'm fat?" Alex asked, his voice mockingly high pitched.

Liz was still laughing as Maria jumped on Michael's back, and wrapped her arms around his neck, piggyback style. One of her hands ran through his spiky hair and she grinned at Michael. The photographer was just getting ready to take the picture when Max grabbed her around the waist and dipped her over his knee. Her laughter subsided as her hands wildly grabbed for his broad shoulders and the blood rushed to her head.

Somewhere in front of them she acknowledged that the flash had gone off, but she couldn't tear her eyes away from Max's. He was the happiest she'd ever seen him, grinning ear to ear as if everything in the world was right. There was something else there too, something in the way that his eyes lingered as they traveled from her face to the curve of her neck to the slope of her shoulder. His eyes darkened and she felt goosebumps rise on her skin. The moment was broken when Max pulled her back up, but her skin still tingled where his hands touched her.

When the DJ suddenly announced that he was playing the last song, Max led her out to the dance floor and she followed willingly and without a word.

Before she even realized how much time had passed, the music had stopped. They hadn't stopped swaying, but when the lights came up she raised her head, her eyes grew disappointed as she looked around as the students began to depart from the ballroom. She looked back at Max and saw her disappointment mirrored there, knowing he felt the same as she did. It really had been an unforgettable night.

Liz finally grinned, it may have been after midnight, but there was still plenty of time ahead of them. They found the others and started to walk towards the exit. Almost immediately Liz began to shiver from the slight breeze picking up outside. It was the middle of May and it was dry desert air, but the spring had been a cold one. And her dress and the lack of fabric over her arms weren't helping.

Max noticed and quickly shed his jacket, draping it over her shoulders. She smiled at him gratefully and easily walked into his embrace, one arm around her shoulders and her tucked up against his side.

"So, what's the plan now?" Alex asked the group as his eyes lingered on Isabel, who was now also wearing a tuxedo coat.

All six traded glances with one another and without a word they realized that it was time to split up. Liz's heart beat a little faster as she bid goodbye to the others as she and Max started to walk down the sidewalk to the Crashdown. A part of her was anxious, it was Prom night and like every high school girl, she knew what usually happened on Prom night. Roswell may have been a small town, but it wasn't any different than other cities. Teenagers had sex on Prom night.

By all rights, she and Max should have made love years ago. They were West Roswell High's golden couple, together the longest, and their picture in the yearbook even gave them the label as best couple. Liz knew everyone assumed she and Max had slept together. Any two people as in tune with one another and so obviously close brought that assumption on.

Not that they hadn't gotten close half a dozen times. Her parents went out of town often and Max would stay with her while they were away. They still slept together all night as often as they could get away with it.

In fact, the months after they'd come back from Snowmass two years ago and they'd been apart at night had been difficult for Liz. She missed him sleeping next to her, his arms instinctively wrapped around her. Their sleepovers had quickly moved into heated territory when Liz began to
get more and more anxious for Max's touch. He was a perfect gentleman, and she suspected, more than a little frustrated that they hadn't moved beyond simply sleeping with one another. At the same time, there had always been too much that they didn't know, and in Max's mind, she knew that made it unsafe.

But the last time they'd gotten close had nearly been a disaster for both of them. Max had been staying overnight while her parents had gone to Carlsbad for an aunt's funeral. She hadn't been close to the relative, so she stayed behind and Max and her had gone to bed early that night. Her curious exploration of his chest with her hands had apparently gotten Max worked up enough because before she could utter a sound, most of their clothing had been piled on the floor.

Max had suddenly pulled back and sat away from her, breathing heavy, his hands running through his hair. She had bit her lip and sat back against the headboard of the bed, pulling the sheets up to
cover herself. She knew he wanted her. And she wanted him.

The question had hung in the air for a few minutes until Max regained his control. "Liz, you know how much I want to. God, you know I do," Max had said hoarsely. She'd nodded, she wasn't blind to the insistence of his lips or the hardness of him that had pressed against her stomach. "But, we can't. We don't know what might happen, and we can't risk it. I couldn't stand to risk it," Max whispered.

She'd merely nodded and reached for his hand, gripping it tightly. She understood, but it didn't make it any easier.

Liz glanced over at Max as she unlocked the front door of the Crashdown. She couldn't help but think of that night a few months back. The whole "sex between aliens" issue had been skirted and avoided by all six of them for over two years. She didn't think she could avoid it much longer.

She and Max were going to Harvard in a few months. They were going together and they'd decided to get an apartment. Her parents didn't know about that part of her upcoming college life yet, but she still had a few months to tell them. She knew that they didn't disapprove of Max, but they did think that he distracted her from her schoolwork. No matter how much she argued with them on that point, they wouldn't change their minds. If she and Max were going to live together she didn't know how long the "no sex" rule would last.

She closed and locked the door behind them and Max followed her over to the counter. She was about to pour them some drinks when Max picked up a piece of paper and showed it to her. Puzzled, she walked over and took it from him.

"'Liz, the Evans came over and we decided on a last minute trip to Clovis. We'll be back tomorrow afternoon. Be good'," Liz read aloud. She rolled her eyes at the last sentence, where "good" had been underlined.

Twice.

She tossed the paper back on the counter and handed Max his cherry coke. Grinning at him, she took his hand and led him towards the stairs upstairs. He followed willingly as they walked through the rooms upstairs.

Liz turned on as few lights as possible as they went, leading Max out onto her balcony. They stood for a few minutes, gazing at the stars until they finished their drinks. Liz turned to Max as he put his cup down and began to shift back and forth on his feet, slightly nervous. She grinned, wondering what had him so anxious.

She got her answer when he took her right hand into his left and locked his eyes onto hers. "Liz, tonight has been the most amazing of my life," he started.

"Mine too," she replied.

"I can't imagine ever being away from you. I don't want to imagine that. I know it's a lot and it's kind of early, but I got something for you," Max said, his smile a little sheepish.

She gently tugged on his hand. "Max, what is it?" she asked curiously. He reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a black velvet ring box. At that moment her heart had stopped. It started again when Max opened the box, revealing two simple gold wedding bands. One was smaller and less broad than the other and Liz felt her eyes fill with tears at the sight.

Max took the smaller ring in his fingers and held it between his thumb and forefinger. "Liz, I love you. I've loved you my entire life and I want this ring to be a promise to you and a reminder of that. I know we're only eighteen and we have lots of time, but I don't want to wait anymore. Liz, will you marry me?" he asked, his fingers shaking a little as they held the ring.

Liz had to bend her knees so she wouldn't fall over as she began to nod, tears falling down her face. "Yes, yes Max, I will marry you," she whispered. Max smiled and kissed her, tasting the salt of her tears on her lips. He kissed her face and the tears away before stepping back and sliding the ring onto her finger. It went on easily, barely catching on her knuckle. Her fingers tightened around his as she grinned at him. She took the box from him and gripped the other ring in her hand. The weight of it was slightly heavy as she grasped his left hand in hers and returned his gesture, pushing the ring onto his finger.

She marveled at the feeling of the cool gold around her finger as it warmed to her skin and the welcome weight that reminded her that it was there. Max leaned closer to her. "I know it's not the traditional diamond ring, but I wanted to get these first, so we could both have one. I thought you might like to pick out your engagement ring with me," Max suggested.

Liz nodded happily and held up her hand to admire the band. "Max, I love it. I love what it says and what it means. I'll never take it off," she smiled before moving in to kiss him again. "And I love
you."

His lips on hers were suddenly hungry as he pulled her close, his hands running over her shoulders. She shivered as he pushed the coat off her shoulders and his hands found her bare skin. Somehow they managed to make it into her room and she giggled as Max bumped against her bed and nearly
fell over. She grabbed his shirt and pulled him against her. Even through the layers of fabric and taffeta she felt how much he wanted her. It was probably a good thing that the tuxedo pants were loosely fit.

Max was running his hands through her hair as he caressed her mouth with his, his tongue sweeping through her mouth. Impatiently her hands traveled to the tie and buttons over his throat. Her fingers were nimble as she untied the bowtie around his neck and began to wrestle with the buttons of the shirt. She got the first few buttons undone but suddenly she had to deal with the vest he wore over the shirt. Max kissed her neck and ran his tongue over the hollow of her shoulder and she paused, her hands opening and flattening over the smooth muscles of his chest. Liz felt his hands move to her back and she felt the loosening of her dress as he pulled the zipper down.

Max pulled back and caught her chin in his hands, touching her lips as she looked at him carefully.
"Max, are you sure?" she asked, praying that his answer would be different that night than it had been every other time they'd gotten this far.

When he nodded and claimed her mouth again, Liz moaned and returned to the task of getting rid of his shirt. She finally pushed the vest off and began to pull the tails of his shirt from where it was tucked in when his fingers pulled the straps of her dress off her shoulders and her dress fell in a heap to the floor around her ankles. Liz helped Max yank his shirt off, but suddenly his hands were caught on the cufflinks at his wrists.

Grinning, she took each hand in turn and unfastened the cufflinks, allowing Max to return his hands to touching her. When his shirt was finally off, she paused and ran her hands up and down his chest. His skin was warm and smooth, but firm to the touch. She fell against him, pushing them back on the bed. With anxious fingers she struggled with the belt buckle on his pants before she pulled it off and gripped the zipper. Max eagerly moved with her. With his pants gone, she shifted restlessly against him. She leaned over him, her hair spilling over them like a curtain, and she kissed his chest, moving up his neck to finally catch his mouth in hers.

His hands on her waist gently urged her over and he positioned himself over her. She arched against him at his touch, whispering his name and gripping the strong muscles of his upper arms. Liz helped Max push the boxers he wore down and when they were finally free of all their clothing, he laid over her, bare skin to bare skin. She ached for him to be inside her as she could feel him pressing against her, but Max was suddenly preoccupied with trying to reach his pants, which had been thrown on the floor. She quickly realized what he was looking for and she stilled his movements.

"Max, I'm on birth control, it's ok," she whispered, drawing his hands back to her. He began to kiss her again and she circled her hands around his neck as his fingers parted her gently, careful not to push too much. She could tell because he watched her carefully, looking for any sounds of
pain of hurt. "Max, please," she said urgently. Max touched his forehead to hers and looked directly into her eyes as he moved between her legs and entered her slowly. Her breath caught in her throat at the sudden fullness and she gazed at Max, letting him know with her eyes that she was fine.

When he carefully pushed against her again she rocked with him, pushing him past the barrier she had felt stretching around him. There was pain for an instant and Liz closed her eyes briefly. When Max tried to move away, afraid he'd hurt her, she gripped him with her arms and legs and rocked against him again. He couldn't resist after she convinced him she was fine and his lips covered hers, finding her tongue with his own. Her hands kneaded his shoulders, holding him close and urging him on.

She felt her body begin to tighten and the answering response in Max's. As every muscle in her body seemed to clench and then release in relaxation she felt Max tremble and relent inside of her. As he fell next to her, his body warm and his muscles twitching with pent up energy, Liz covered his body with her own, resting her head on his chest. She listened to his heart rate slow down and she smiled as his arms went around her, brushing back her hair and caressing her shoulders so that he could turn her face towards his.

When they tenderly kissed Liz smiled before sleepily resting her head on Max's chest. Her left hand rested on his stomach and the last thing she saw before falling asleep was the pale gold ring on her finger against the tan skin of Max's chest. The last thing she heard was Max's voice, low and rough near her ear.

"I love you."

It's easy to define these kind of feelings
Much harder to be brave and let them come true
So many tender words
But yet unspoken
And all my great dreams
I see them in you

You light up a candle
In my heart
But then I am stranded
When we part
How can I reach you when I'm falling
And if you say goodbye
This candle dies

I never thought that sleep could be so restless
Or longing for two arms could be all that strong
But time not spent with you
Just makes me helpless
I need to have you near-
To live-to carry on

Lost For You (Part 4: Candle)

March 2013
New York City

Liz watched, a smile playing across her face, as her son swung his cousin Belle around. Belle squealed and giggled, her hair flying around her as Max turned in a circle, his arms outstretched, gripping Belle's hands. Liz was packing up the baseball gloves, helmets and cleats that belonged to the kids when Beth approached her hesitantly. Liz looked up, smiling and brushing a strand of hair out of her eyes.

Beth returned the smile and kneeled down to help her. "Aunt Liz, are you mad?" Beth finally asked, her voice barely a whisper as she looked at Liz fearfully.

For just a second Liz was startled, until she realized that Beth was worried about the fight at school. Even though Liz wasn't technically Beth and Mike's aunt, as far as their parents were concerned they were all a part of a family. Liz reached up and tucked a curly ringlet of Beth's blond hair behind her ear. "No Bethie, I'm not mad," Liz replied. She sighed. "Just a little worried."

"Why?" Beth asked, her eyes honestly curious.

Liz looked into the green eyes so like her mother's and the openness there reminded Liz that the children had never experienced the kind of fear that Max, Michael and Isabel had. And even though Isabel tried, Liz knew that it was hard to make them understand. "Honey, you kids need to realize that you are different and that if anyone found out about you, it would be so dangerous for everyone. You, Max, Mike, Belle and Isabel," Liz said.

Beth's eyes narrowed. "But what about the rest of you? Aren't you in danger too?" she asked.

"To a certain extent, yes. But we've chosen that path, you kids didn't. That's why your mother, Isabel, Alex and I try so hard to protect you," Liz said, standing and shouldering her bookbag as Beth picked up the bag of baseball equipment.

Beth was silent for a minute before she looked up at Liz. "Would things be different if they were here?" she asked quietly.

Liz knew immediately that Beth was referring to Max and Michael. She took a deep breath and thought before she answered. "Yes, things would be different. I wish your father could see what a beautiful girl his daughter is," Liz said proudly.

Beth blushed a little until Max called her name. A quick smile on her face, she turned to where he
stood with Mike and Belle. He gestured her over and pointed to his back. She squealed and quickly dropped her bag, running over to Max and hopping on his back, piggyback style. Maria started to walk in Liz's direction and she called out to her daughter. "Elizabeth Amy DeLuca! Do you just expect the bag to carry itself?" Maria called.

When Beth gave no response, she was too busy laughing as Max carried her, Maria sighed and picked up the bag. Liz grinned at her. "Your daughter is such a sweetheart Maria," Liz commented. Maria's eyes softened as she looked at her twins.

"And Mike just gets to be more and more like his father every day. God help us all," Maria said, her voice telling Liz she was kidding. They shared a smile before collecting the kids for the short walk to their apartment building. Mike picked up Belle behind him on his back as well and the kids
walked in front of Liz and Maria as the two women talked. "Where were you during the game? You looked like you went somewhere else for awhile," Maria said.

"Somewhere and sometime else," Liz said softly. Maria's eyes questioned her, so she continued. "Prom night 2002. Roswell."

Maria nodded slowly and they walked a few more feet. "Don't you wish that you could have done something different that night? I mean, not take away Max, Mike and Beth, but that you could have woken up when he left, or convinced him to stay a little longer?" Maria asked.

Liz nodded, knowing what Maria was talking about.

May 2002
Roswell

She'd fallen asleep in Max's arms and slept through the night until early morning. She'd awoken to the sound of someone banging on the front door and an empty spot beside her in her bed. She found a robe and stumbled to the door, opening it to Isabel and Alex, still dressed in their Prom
clothes. Isabel looked utterly frantic and Liz quickly let them in.

"Isabel, what's wrong?" Liz asked. Isabel's eyes darted around.

"Where's Max?" she asked, her voice high and nervous.

Liz returned to her room and found a note that Max had left. She returned to the couch and read it aloud. "'Liz, went with Michael to get breakfast. Love you, Max,'" Liz said as she tried to fathom what was wrong with Isabel.

"They're gone," Isabel finally blurted out, her hands shaking. Alex stilled them with his own as she drew a shaky breath. Liz was stunned; the note fell from her numb fingers and fluttered to the floor.
"Isabel, what are you talking about? They can't be gone," Liz tried to reason.

Isabel vehemently shook her head. "I don't know how or why, I just know that they're gone. We're not psychic or anything, but I can always sense Max and Michael. It doesn't matter how far away they are, I know if they are somewhere. We've been thousands of miles apart and I've still been able to sense them. I woke up at about 6:30 this morning when I felt some kind of fear from Max and then he and Michael just . . .vanished," Isabel choked out.

Someone knocked on the door and Liz answered it, revealing Maria, her face a little concerned. Michael had left her early that morning as well and after Isabel explained what she'd felt, Maria sank down on the couch next to Liz. "Does that mean they're dead?" Maria's voice whispered.

Liz felt her vision fade at the thought and she felt sick to her stomach. Only Maria's death grip on her hands brought her back.

"I don't know," Isabel replied. When the doorbell rang a few minutes later Alex was the only one able to rise and answer it.

The girls looked up as Alex's surprised voice carried down through the hallway. "Wh-what are you doing here? Um, ok, yeah, they're in here," Alex said.

They all looked up as Alex returned to the room with FBI Agent Kathleen Topolski following closely behind. Liz's eyes widened as she caught Isabel's fearful eyes. They hadn't seen their former guidance counselor in over two years. When she'd left she had been excruciatingly close to
discovering Max, Michael and Isabel's secret.

"What do you want?" Isabel asked, her voice harsh.

Topolski took it in stride, holding up her badge. "I'm here on official business. I need to know if any of you know the whereabouts of Michael Guerin or Max Evans," she asked as calmly as if
she were asking directions to a restaurant.

"Why?" Maria asked cautiously.

Topolski fixed her gaze on her. "Because they are wanted for questioning in regards to the murder
of Sheriff James Valenti," she replied.

Liz gasped and nearly choked at her words. She was saved from Topolski's pointed glare by the ringing of the agent's cellphone. As she spoke into it they all glanced at each other fearfully, not wanting to say anything in front of a potential enemy and yet still able to communicate their fear to one another.

"What? That's impossible! He can't be alive! I saw him shot! Fine," Topolski angrily turned off her phone and turned back to the group, obviously fighting for control. She pocketed her phone and glanced at her watch. "It seems that I am needed at the police station. I'll have questions for you later," she replied.

Liz studied her carefully, noting her flushed face and quick words. As Alex let her out and returned Liz breathed carefully. "Something's not right," Alex commented.

Maria shot him a glare. "Besides our boyfriends being accused of murder?" she asked angrily.

Instead of challenging Maria, Alex came over and put his arm around her. "You know that's not what I meant. Something's not right with Topolski," Alex said gently.

Maria nodded, tears gathering in her eyes. "I know, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap at you," she replied.

Alex kissed her forehead and rubbed her shoulders gently. "I know you didn't. We need to figure out what's going on. I'll call my mom at the hospital," Alex suggested, standing to use the phone in the kitchen.

While Alex called for his mother, Liz stood and walked to her room, her throat constricting painfully at the sight of the tangled sheets on the bed and Max's tuxedo strewn around the room.

She pulled out the bottom drawer of her dresser, where Max kept some of his clothes from when he stayed the night and searched for a few seconds. She quickly realized that he was wearing his dark blue pair of jeans and a gray t-shirt that she'd gotten him for Christmas. It said "Harvard" across the chest and she'd bought it as a kind of good luck charm for their acceptance. It had worked; they'd both gotten the letters admitting them on the same day three months later.

She knew every piece of clothing Max kept at her house. Picking up one of his sweatshirts, she walked to the window and looked outside where the sun had risen shortly before. Even though she didn't want to believe that Max was gone, she felt some truth to what Isabel had said. She missed him more than she usually did when he was away from her. They weren't together twenty-four hours a day, but she always knew somewhere in the back of her mind that Max was ok.

Her body was still humming from when they'd made love the night before. Their first time.

Maybe their only time.

Liz banished the thought from her mind as soon as it began, but she couldn't stop the tears from falling down her face and dampening the sweatshirt. She felt more than heard Maria approach
behind her.

"Alex's mom was just in surgery with Sheriff Valenti. He's alive, but not too good. There's an APB out for Max and Michael," Maria's last words sounded wooden and Liz turned to look at her friend, her eyes filling once again.

"Can you feel it too? What Isabel's talking about? She's right, they're gone," Liz cried. Maria nodded, covering her eyes with her hands as she sobbed. Liz put her arms around her friend and they cried together until Isabel joined them, pulling them against her. Isabel had always been
the strongest of all or them and Liz leaned against her, needing her strength.

It had been a month before the sheriff woke up. The four of them had graduated from high school, but none of them felt that it was right without Max and Michael there to walk down the aisle with them. There had been nothing other than the note that Liz had from Max.

She'd remembered it a week after Prom and had spent frantic minutes searching under the couch where it had fallen until her fingers closed around the scrap of paper. Life continued.

Liz lost all her energy and drive. She was constantly sick, and she knew her parents were worried that losing Max caused her illness. She wouldn't talk about her plans for college and she barely managed to struggle through her shifts at work. Her eyes were always tired and she never slept well.

Isabel broke down after they left, she tried to be strong for Maria and Liz, but she shattered under her own grief. They all assumed that Max and Michael were dead. No bodies were ever found and Topolski had disappeared. There was only a sketchy picture of what might have happened that night, but the only witness who could say anything was in a coma.

According to Topolski, she had been returning to a field assignment in Roswell when she caught sight of the Sheriff's truck where it was pulled over on the side of the road, lights flashing, next to Max's jeep. She'd approached and gotten out in time to see Max shoot Sheriff Valenti.

They had seen her and threatened her before jumping into the jeep and speeding away from the scene with the gun and any evidence. According to the report she had filed before coming to visit Liz and question her, Topolski had called for an ambulance immediately and after it picked the sheriff up she's gone to the Parker's. Liz knew immediately that something was wrong with the story. She knew with every fiber of her being that Max would never shoot anyone.

Alex tried to bolster their hope, pointing out the time gap from when the Sheriff called in that he was pulling over a to investigate a stopped driver at 6 am and when Topolski called for an ambulance at 7 am. Why did she wait so long? Alex continually pointed it out, knowing that the
confrontation could not have lasted an hour.

Liz barely registered the thought as Alex defended his theory. She'd even caught him defending Max and Michael to some careless gossipers in the Crashdown the other day. He'd lost two of his friends too, and the incident was the biggest news Roswell had had since 1947, which made it the topic of conversation.

Liz was wiping down the front counter when Isabel and Maria burst into the Crashdown. Their faces were lit up and for a second she felt hope flare. A slight nod from Isabel dashed her hope that Max and Michael had been found, but she came around the counter to greet them. "What's going on?" she asked.

"Valenti woke up. And he's been asking for you," Maria blurted out.

Liz was puzzled. Why would the sheriff want to talk to her? When they finally got to the hospital, Alex was waiting outside the heavily guarded room that the sheriff had been in for the last month. Liz felt a twinge of pain at the sight of the police officers, she knew they'd been ordered because
people feared Max and Michael might return. When she entered the sheriff had motioned her over to his bedside. She sat down cautiously and watched with trepidation as Valenti struggled to breathe and talk.

"Sheriff, do you need anything? Should I get the nurse?" Liz asked, concern etched on her face.

He shook his head. "No, Liz, I have to tell you what happened the night I got shot," he said.

Liz's heart stopped and she looked behind her at the door. "I don't know if I can hear this," Liz replied, fearful that the sheriff would tell her Max was dead.

"The police already know what happened. Max didn't shoot me, Agent Topolski did," he coughed out.

Liz sagged with relief. "What happened?" she asked.

Valenti breathed carefully before speaking, his voice hoarse. "I was patrolling early in the morning when I spotted Max's jeep pulled onto the side of the road and a government issued car next to it. I pulled up and saw immediately that Topolski had Max and Michael held at gunpoint. I demanded to know what was going on and when she wouldn't respond I drew my weapon. She turned and shot me before I could do anything. I faded in and out of consciousness for awhile, but I heard bits and pieces of what was going on. Max yelled at her that he could help me and Topolski ordered
him to stand his ground. I heard her tell them she would blame my murder on them. There was some kind of struggle and I heard a shot ring out. The last thing I remember was the jeep speeding off," Valenti said.

Liz leaned forward. "Do you know if anyone got shot? Max or Michael?" she asked.

"I think the shot went wild. I heard Max and Michael's voices after the shot and then all I heard was Topolski in the background as I lost consciousness. They tell me she wasn't very swift in calling the police," Valenti managed to say, a slight wry smile on his face.

"Thank you, Sheriff," Liz whispered.

He caught her eyes with hers. "No, Liz, thank Max. I don't know all the things you kids have hidden over the years. It doesn't matter. Max wanted to help me, despite what danger it meant for him. I only pray that someone finds them safe," he said.

Liz reached out and squeezed his hand before standing and heading for the door. As soon as she got outside Isabel, Maria and Alex swarmed around her. Before she could say a word, she felt blackness creeping into her vision and she passed out.

When she came to she was laying on an examination table. Alex's mother came in, a chart and clipboard in her hands, and her eyes both sad and serious at the same time. Liz felt her head pound as Dr. Whitman sat down next to her on the bed and opened her chart.

"Liz, are you sure you're ok?" Maria asked for the millionth time as they slid into their usual booth at the Crashdown. Liz held up her hands. "Guys, I'm fine, it was just stress and stuff. Let me tell you what Valenti told me," Liz said, knowing that Max and Michael would divert their attention. It worked as Isabel leaned in closer. She explained what the sheriff had told her and when she was finished, they all looked at each other, stunned.

"So they ran," Isabel said. Alex put his arm around her, pulling her against him.

"But why?" Maria asked, clearly frustrated.

"Because they thought it would be dangerous to stay. Topolski must have threatened to expose them, something. They probably thought that they would be blamed for Valenti's death and that unless they left that we would all be pulled into the mess," Liz said, her voice steady as her hands trembled under the table.

"That explains why I can't feel them," Isabel whispered. "They're blocking me, so I can't find them."

"God, I wish you could," Liz replied, her voice desperate.

Isabel caught her tone and her eyes fixed on Liz. "What is it Liz?" Isabel asked, instantly knowing that Liz had something more to say.

"I'm pregnant," she replied.

All movement stilled at the table.

"So am I," Maria's voice broke the silence.

The girls looked at each other and smiled through their tears as Isabel reached out and took their hands. "I guess that explains why you've been so sick," Alex replied wryly. They mustered smiles to one another. They knew that Max and Michael wouldn't be back. They would have been too careful in disappearing to ever be found.

"We'll still have a part of them here," Isabel said, her tears falling on the table's surface.

March 2013
New York City

"Do you remember when we first got to New York?" Liz asked Maria.

Maria grinned at the memory. "I think I remember how hard it was to get here in the first place," Maria reminded Liz.

She nodded and thought back to how her parents had been shocked to learn she was taking a scholarship at Columbia University instead of Harvard. They'd accepted her decision as a reaction to Max's disappearance. Problem was, they had panicked when she told them she was pregnant.

"Elizabeth, you can't raise a child alone!"

"How could you have jeopardized your future like this?"

"Where is Max to take responsibility for his actions?"

"How do you plan to go to school and have a baby?"

Their words had stung. Their accusations of Max had hurt. She knew they were her parents, but she had expected a little more support from the people who had always treated her fairly. Except for their faulty belief that Max was not entirely good for her, she had always gotten along with her
parents. When her mother had even hinted at an abortion, she had balked and practically flown into a rage.

"This is all of Max that I have left! How can you ask me to give that up?"

"Honey, consider your options-"

"There is nothing to consider. If you can't accept this, then I'll just leave."

Liz realized quickly that her parents couldn't accept her decision and she had left Roswell that July. Maria had left with her and they'd traveled to New York. Liz hadn't spoken to her parents in over ten years. Max had never even met his grandparents.

"Do you remember our first apartment?" Maria asked with a grin.

Liz nodded. "I remember the guy upstairs who constantly played polka music and the lady down the hall with the ten cats," Liz giggled at the memory, then her eyes grew serious. She looked down the street where the kids were walking ahead of them. "And I remember how hard those first few months were. Without you, I don't know what I would have done."

"Believe me Hon, it's been a mutual relationship," Maria replied.

Liz nodded. She looked up as Max walked towards them, carrying Beth. Her arms were looped around his neck and she gave off a smile so like Maria's. "Hey, Mom, are Aunt Isabel and Uncle Alex meeting us at home?" Max asked.

"Yes, they're going to pick up a pizza and they'll be there soon," Liz replied. Satisfied, Max swung Beth around and ran off to catch up with Mike and Belle. They were almost home; their apartment building was a few blocks west of Central Park on 81st street.

Liz glanced up at the buildings where light from the setting sun cast long shadows down the street. She watched her son and the others play and wished, not for the first time, that Max could see his son.

Max wiped his forehead with the back of his hand as he trotted in from first base. The game was over and his team had actually won a game for once. The office team was one of the few times he actually bothered to socialize with anyone from work at all. He found that it easily distracted him from all the thoughts that plagued him every other waking moment.

"Maxwell! Come here!" Max was packing up his glove and sneakers when Jerry, one of the other writers at The Times, called him over.

Max approached Jerry and the two women standing with him somewhat warily. "Jerry, what's going on?" Max asked, his hands in his pockets.

Jerry gestured to the women standing next to him. "This is my wife Carol and her sister Becca. Becca, this is, a colleague of mine from work, Parker Maxwell."

All around me I see what weakness has made
Too much tomorrow I think I'll take all today
Am I a poison, am I a thorn in the side?
Am I a picture perfect subject tonight?

I don't need nobody
I don't need the weight of words
To crash on through
I don't need nobody
I just need to learn the depth
Or doubt of faith to fall into

You're all I need
You're all I need
Now I cry my soul to sleep
You're all I need

You're all I need

Lost For You (Part 5: Needs)

Max looked at Jerry, slightly suspicious of his co-worker's actions. He knew the man's intentions were good, but Jerry had no idea that Max had no interest in dating anyone, let alone his sister-in-law. Still, he couldn't be completely rude to the woman, so he held out his right hand to shake hers.

She grasped it in her own and gave his hand a warm squeeze. Max let go of her hand quickly and stood with the two women and Jerry, shifting from foot to foot uncomfortably. Thankfully, Becca broke the silence. "So, Jerry tells us that you write the City Interest column," she started.

Max nodded as he ran his left hand through his dark hair, spiking up the ends. The setting sun glinted off the gold band he was wearing. He paused for a minute, realizing that Becca noticed the ring as her eyes shifted a little. She'd have to be blind not to realize it was a wedding ring, and he could tell by the expression on her face that she would immediately back off from any advances.

Satisfied, Max smiled to himself. "Yeah, I write about different spots of interest in the city each day. Museum openings, displays, parades, restaurants, theater, whatever. It gets me into a lot of places for free. If you'll excuse me, I need to be getting home," Max said, backing away. He nodded to the women. "It was nice to meet you both. I'll see you at work tomorrow Jerry."

Max turned and walked towards where he'd left his bag. When they thought he was out of earshot Becca turned to Jerry and whispered loudly. "You didn't tell me he was married!" she hissed. Max grinned, his hearing was much better than the average human's, so he could hear every word.

"He's not married, at least not anymore. I think his wife died," Jerry said, trying to redeem himself.

"Jerry! How can you not know if he's still married or not?"

"He's not a big talker, Becca. He's a great guy, when we can get him to open up. I guess your halter top just didn't do it for him," Jerry said dryly.

Max grinned at the comment, the woman's clothing had been a little over the top. He picked up his backpack and began to cut across the Lawn to the East side of the park. He knew the walk by heart, he often visited Central Park because it was the quietest place in New York City.

He looked up at Cleopatra's Needle, pointing straight up to the sky, the sandstone eroding away in the harsh city weather. His eyes settled on the hieroglyphics carved in the four sides of the column and he suddenly remembered the cave drawings back in Roswell. Both were messages from people of a lost culture. He wondered if someone had destroyed them or found them since they'd left ten years ago. He wondered if there was still anyone around to care.

Max looked both ways as he crossed Fifth Avenue to 79th Street. His apartment was a few blocks down from the park. As he walked he tried not to think about Roswell because it inevitably brought him to thoughts of Liz.

But he couldn't stop the thoughts because they were engraved in his memory. There wasn't a day that went by that he didn't think of her, but lately he found that his thoughts would come back to her more and more often. He wondered where she was. He wondered what she'd done after high
school. He wondered if she was married. He wondered if she was happy.

All his questions were ones he'd never know the answer to. When he and Michael had left Roswell they'd made a pact to never return or contact anyone from their home. Somehow, even though every molecule in his body protested, Max had managed not to contact anyone from their pasts.

Max entered the greystone building where he lived and after grabbing his mail, he took the stairs up eight flights. The elevator was notoriously slow and he was never patient enough to wait. He dropped his bags on the floor and turned on a light as he entered his sparsely decorated apartment. As he flipped through his mail he sighed. Bill, bill, junk mail, letter addressed to M.E.

Max stopped, dropping the rest of the mail on the table. He recognized the handwriting immediately, it was Michael's. And no one else sent him mail with his old initials. He had gone by the name Parker Maxwell for almost as long as he'd gone by Max Evans. Sometimes it felt like they really were two different people, two different lifetimes. Max tore open the letter and found a short note from Michael.

Maxwell,

I know the envelope made you pause for a second. I'm making progress down here, you'd be surprised what I've discovered. Don't be a stranger, you've been in the big city far too long. If you ask nice enough, I might be persuaded to come up to the Big Apple. You can still reach me through the message service in Caracas. I'm working near Angel Falls at the moment, but that will probably change by the time you get this letter.

Try not to think about them, Max. There's nothing we can do. Keep in touch.

Michael

Max folded the letter and bowed his head, resting his forehead in his hands. Maybe Michael was right, maybe it was time to return to Venezuela.

After they'd left Roswell, he and Michael had traveled to South America where Michael threw himself into trying to investigate alien sightings while Max occupied his time by writing articles. One of those articles that he'd sent to The New York Times brought him enough acclaim that the editor
persuaded him to move to New York and work for the paper full time. He'd moved to New York five years earlier and hadn't really made any effort to meet people.

Venezuela was starting to look like a break from big city life. At least he knew one person there. Max pulled out his wallet and flipped through it, coming to the one picture of Liz that he still had. They'd had to leave Roswell so quickly that they literally had had only the clothes on their backs, but Max did have the one picture of Liz. It was getting faded and cracked with age. He worried that soon he wouldn't have that picture, that it would crumble to dust, and he would forget what she looked like.

He shook his head, he couldn't possibly forget her. And he couldn't possibly forget what had separated him from her.

May 2002
Roswell

Quietly, Max pulled his Harvard t-shirt from Liz's dresser drawer. He didn't want to wake her, so he'd dressed silently, glancing back at her every few seconds. She looked beautiful, her hair falling over her bare back as she snuggled up to a pillow.

The sun was barely peeking over the horizon as Max grabbed his wallet and shoes. He scribbled a note quickly and laid it next to the bed. Leaning over, he kissed Liz's bare shoulder quickly before stepping back. He couldn't stop the happy grin from spreading over his face at the sight of the woman he loved, sleeping in bed as though the world was at peace. Retreating quietly, he went out Liz's window and slid down the fire escape. He was tying his shoes just in time to see Michael pull up in the jeep. He jumped in and Michael pulled away.

They drove in silence for a minute before they both turned to look at one another in the same instant. Both men grinned widely.

"Pretty amazing, huh?" Max asked, to which Michael merely nodded, his hands loosely gripping the steering wheel. Max watched the scenery go by as they drove to a nearby restaurant to pick up breakfast.

He'd never felt more relaxed or happy, he felt like a normal guy, going with a friend to pick up some food for their girlfriends. By Michael's posture and content face, Max knew he was feeling the same thing. He'd woken up early that morning, Liz sleeping against him, and had called Michael, knowing that he was with Maria.

They'd agreed to meet up, and after attempts to find Alex failed, Michael volunteered to pick Max up. Max's thoughts wandered until he noticed flashing lights behind them. He turned to look and found a dark sedan following closely behind.

"Michael, pull over. Were you speeding?" he asked.

Michael shook his head. "No, I was going under the speed limit. What's going on?" he asked,
puzzled. Max shrugged and turned to look as the driver's side opened. It took a second for him to recognize who got out of the car, but he froze.

Michael noticed and turned to look, his mouth setting in a hard line at the sight of Kathleen Topolski. Michael's hand reached for the gearshift and his foot hovered above the clutch. Max held his hand out, stopping him from speeding off. Topolski walked up to the side of the car, holding up her badge. Max's stomach turned a little at her smile, just a little too friendly and wide.
"Would you mind turning off the engine Mr. Guerin. Boys, please step out of the car," she said, her words orders and not requests.

Michael's eyes searched Max's, looking for an answer and he nodded a little. What else could they do anyway? They certainly couldn't run, she would either chase after them or have them arrested. They both got out of the jeep and walked around to face the FBI Agent.

"What's this about?" Michael asked warily.

Topolski's smile froze on her face and Max felt his body still as she pulled out her gun, pointing it
at both of them. They held up their hands automatically, frozen in place. "What this is about is two years ago. This is about whatever secret you two and your friends have been hiding all these years. You're coming with me," she said, her voice strangely calm.

Max looked into her eyes and found them oddly hard. He glanced at Michael helplessly. Before either of them could respond, Max heard the grating sound of ties on gravel as another car pulled up. He turned his head to see the Sheriff get out of his truck, his hand immediately going to the gun on his hip at the sight of Max and Michael seemingly held by Topolski.

"Agent Topolski, what's this about?" Valenti called, carefully walked around so that he had her in clear view. When she didn't respond, he continued, pulling his own gun out and pointing it at the woman. "Ma'am, I'm going to ask you to lower your gun from these young men, you're under
arrest."

Max felt the tension in the air, the hair on the back of his neck rose as he sensed Toplolski's movements seconds before she moved. It was almost like slow motion as she turned and fired her gun at the Sheriff, hitting him at close range in the chest. He fell down next to the sedan, hidden from view by the hood of the car. Max started to move towards the man, but Toploski turned her gun back, her eyes coldly telling him she wouldn't hesitate to shoot him too.

"I can help him!" Max yelled. She seemed to consider it for a second before shaking her head. "You can't just let him die!"

"Yes, I can. And it seems to me that two young men accused of murder would be a good enough reason for them to run as far away from Roswell, New Mexico, as possible. No one will wonder what happened to you after I file my report," Topolski said.

Before Max could say anything, he saw Michael reach out with his hand. Topolski's arm, holding the gun, flew to the side and Max watched as Michael clenched his fist and the gun went off, the shot flying wild. Max realized that Michael had crushed her hand as she screamed and crumpled to the ground. Not thinking, Max stood rooted in his spot as Michael moved towards the jeep.

"Max, come on! We've got to get out of here!" Michael yelled.

Finally, Max tore his eyes away from the Sheriff still form and Topolski passed out in pain. He jumped into the jeep and Michael sped away. He felt numb as he looked back at the two vehicles on the road. "What are we doing? Go back, we can help Valenti!" Max said.

Michael shook his head. "No, we can't. Unless you're prepared to kill Topolski we can't go back.
She'll blame us and we'll be exposed. That means Isabel, Maria, Liz and Alex get exposed. We have to leave."

"What do you mean leave? We can't just leave. I can't leave Liz," Max said, the very thought causing his heart to stop.

Michael looked at Max angrily. "Do you think I like this idea? Do you think I want to leave Maria? Or Is and Alex and Liz for that matter? Maxwell, we have to protect them, we have to leave," Michael said firmly.

Max finally nodded, the thought of separating from the others sickened him, but he realized they didn't have a choice. Max finally shook his head to clear it. "Isabel. She can still sense us. We need to block her so she can't find us," Max said, his voice sounding wooden in the wind. Michael nodded and they both concentrated until Max effectively blocked his sister's presence from the back of his mind. He missed her immediately. He couldn't even fathom what it was going to be like to miss Liz.

He looked at Michael and saw his painful expression mirrored. "How can we do this to them? What about all the plans we had?" Max said, feeling more and more helpless as they put distance between themselves and Roswell. Michael paused for a minute.

"We can be in Mexico in a few hours. We have to do this, we have to protect them," Michael said, his voice wavering a little. Then he caught Max's eyes with his. "They'll have each other."

March 2013
New York City

"Mike, I'm telling you, musicians do get the ladies," Alex smirked, giving his wife a quick glance.

Mike grinned back, glancing at Isabel. "So, that's how you got Aunt Isabel?" he asked.

Alex nodded seriously, strumming his guitar quietly as Mike watched. "She'd tell it different if you asked her, but the musician part's what won her over," Alex said confidently, his eyebrows raised.

They were sitting on the flat roof of Liz and Maria's apartment building after dinner. Liz and Isabel were cleaning up the pizza boxes and plates while Max and Beth huddled over their schoolbooks off to the side. They were sprawled on their stomachs on a blanket, their heads bowed over a history book. Mike shook his head, he couldn't imagine why his sister was so engrossed in anything involving school. He grinned, suspecting it might have a little something to do with Max.

He glanced at Alex, who was humming a tune along with the notes he played, and Mike wondered if Alex ever felt outnumbered. They were the only two guys in their family. He sometimes wondered if Alex wished that he'd had a son.

Mike glanced at Belle and his eyes softened. He wouldn't wish for his aunt and uncle to have had anyone but Belle. He knew that Beth had Max to watch after her, but Mike knew it was his job to protect Belle, and he took his job very seriously. Belle chased after a napkin that was picked up by the wind and Mike watched her laugh, her red hair blowing in the breeze.

Mike had to admit, he was a little jealous of Belle's happiness. She knew what it was like to have two parents, a father and a mother. Mike had never known the father he was named for. He knew what his mother had told him, and he understood why his father and Max's father had left Maria
and Liz.

He didn't understand the sadness that seemed to overcome his mother and Liz at times. He knew they missed them, but he couldn't miss something he'd never known. He shrugged, he would probably never understand what his aunt and mother had gone through. That didn't stop him from being grateful for all they'd done for them.

He blinked, bringing his attention back to his uncle, who was describing the finer points of tuning a guitar. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed his mother, Liz, Isabel and Belle taking the stair down to the apartments just below, on the top floor.

"Have you heard from your mother lately?" Liz asked Isabel.

She shook her head, frowning slightly. "No, she should be calling soon. She and Dad were going to be coming up again soon," Isabel replied, pushing through Liz's apartment door after her.

Her breath caught for a minute as it always did when she came into where Liz and Max lived. Pictures of her brother were everywhere. It made her heart ache to look around. She knew that Liz had put them up so that Max would know who his father was, but Isabel also knew that Liz had them up because she had never been able to fully move on since Max and Michael disappeared.

Isabel sighed, she missed them too. Following Liz into the small kitchen, Isabel gave her daughter a stern look. Belle had hopped onto the counter while Liz put glasses and plates into the dishwasher. Belle gave her a broad smile and Isabel just shook her head. Maria came into the kitchen, carrying the last of the plates.

"The kids are still on the roof. Beth and Max can't possibly be torn away from their homework and Mike is learning all there is to know about groupies from Alex," Maria said archly.

Isabel groaned a little, but she wasn't surprised. Alex had an odd sense of humor that no one
appreciated more than she did. He'd made her laugh since the day she'd met him and since they'd been married ten years ago, he did not disappoint.

The phone rang and Liz walked over, wiping her wet hands on a towel before picking up the earpiece. "Hello? Diane! Isabel and I were just talking about you! It's wonderful to hear from you too," Liz said, her eyes lighting up.

Isabel motioned with her hand, indicating to Liz that she wanted to speak to her mother when Liz was finished. Liz nodded and Isabel watched as her daughter slid off the counter and walked into the main room of the apartment.

Isabel followed her and smiled as Belle studied the wall of photos. Belle had a fascination with the pictures of their past, every time she came over to the Parker residence she would stare at the snapshots on the wall. This time she was focused on the picture taken at Prom where Isabel was holding Alex and Max was dipping Liz while Maria perched on Michael's back.

Belle rested her arms on the short bookshelf just under the pictures. Isabel stood next to her daughter, silently waiting. Belle was a lively girl, but the traces and memories of her parent's past had a tendency to calm her. "This one was taken the night they left," Belle said, her voice
very quiet. Isabel nodded, knowing that Belle was stating a fact, that she knew all about what had happened. Belle looked up at her mother, her eyes sad. "You still miss them, don't you?" she asked.

Isabel knelt down and nodded, struggling not to cry. She still felt the absence of Max and Michael so keenly. The void had been filled by the feeling of the children, like a constant warm hum in the background, but she still missed them in the back of her mind.

Belle gave her a wide smile, so like her father's that Isabel couldn't help but smile back. "I think they'll be back some day Mom, they'll come back," Belle said confidently, her head nodding.

Isabel ruffled her hair, hoping her daughter was right and stood as Liz walked towards them with the phone. She eagerly took it and greeted her mother while Liz turned to Belle. "Are you looking forward to the field trip tomorrow to the Museum of Natural History?" Liz asked.

Belle shrugged. "I don't know, all that science stuff is more like Beth and Max." Her eyes brightened suddenly. "But I can't wait for the scavenger hunt in the Park afterwards! You're still going, right?"

"Yes, I'm still going," Liz affirmed, satisfying Belle's hopeful expression. Belle grinned and ran after her mother, reaching for the phone to talk to her grandmother.

Liz looked up at the pictures on the wall and then down at her hand, twisting the gold ring on her finger and contemplating the shiny metal. She started to pull it towards her knuckle, but she stopped before it even resisted against the skin and bone.

She drew a shaky breath and her hand dropped.

She couldn't. She still wasn't ready to let that piece of Max go.

Not today anyway.

Go to parts 6-8