Snowmass Part 6

"No way, there is nothing in the world that could get me out there," Maria commented, her arms defiantly crossed as she faced the oval shaped ice skating rink in downtown Snowmass. She was mere feet away from the ice, her feet clad in skates, but Maria had taken one look at the cold, hard ice and the number of people who had fallen and had halted.

Michael faced her, already on the ice, as he tried to persuade Maria to come out on the ice. "Maria, I'm no better at this than you. I'll probably fall down more than you will. Besides, you can use me to break your fall," Michael offered generously.

Maria seemed to consider his offer for a moment, but she shook her head. Michael shook his head in exasperation as Isabel and Alex carefully walked past on their skates to reach the ice. Max and Liz followed, stopping at one of the benches to lace up. Max had his own pair of skates made of worn black leather slung over his shoulder and Liz was carrying the pair she'd rented from the rink.

The six teenagers had separated from their parents after dinner in a local Italian restaurant and they'd quickly decided on ice skating as the entertainment for the evening. Max, Isabel and Alex were expert skaters while Liz, Maria and Michael were very new to the sport.

Isabel shed her bulky coat to reveal a long sleeved pale blue sweater, black stretch pants with black gloves and a white scarf she wrapped around her neck. Alex couldn't stop from staring at as she gracefully moved, completing the simple action of folding up her coat. He caught Max looking at him staring at Isabel and quickly shook himself out of his trance. He shed his own coat and followed Isabel onto the ice. Without saying a word they fell into an easy rhythm, gliding around the ice in slow strides.

Alex had skated quite a bit over the years and he kept pace with Isabel, never straying too far yet close enough that she wouldn't forget he was there. He could tell that she probably wasn't going to fall accidentally by how she pushed herself over the ice, but he wanted her to know he was there to catch her if she did.

Max sat down next to Liz and began to pull off his boots. Liz had already shed her shoes and as she pulled on her skates, her foot got caught in the shoelaces. She struggled for a few moments before turning to Max. Wordlessly, but with a smile on his face, he gripped her ankle and eased the skate onto her foot. With quick hands he laced up her skate and leaned over for the left skate to put it on. Before she could blink her skates were all laced up and Liz was ready to go.

Max finished his own skates quickly and he stood, holding out a hand for Liz. She took it and got to her feet unsteadily. She wobbled for a few seconds until she felt balanced enough to lean over and gently kiss Max on the cheek. He turned to smile at her.

"Thanks, Max," she whispered. He nodded and started to slowly walk towards the ice. Liz gamely followed, uncertain how she was going to avoid falling down on the ice when she could barely manage on dry ground.

Thankfully she noted the ice wasn't too crowded with people. It was the Wednesday before Christmas, but somehow the town managed to stay pretty free of tourists. Max walked onto the ice and quickly turned to help her, his arms wide open to catch her if she fell. Liz concentrated on staying on her feet as she stepped out onto the ice. It didn't seem too bad, as long as she didn't try to move. Liz was momentarily distracted by Michael continuing to try and coax Maria onto the ice and she looked up just in time to see Alex and Isabel skate gracefully by, like a pair of swans on a lake.

"Hey, Sergei and Katerina! You guys are making this look too easy!" Michael called to them as they passed. Isabel halted, digging her toe pick into the ice.

Alex caught her lead and stopped a few paces beyond her. Isabel gave a quick turn and skated back to Michael and Maria, executing a perfect figure eight before returning to where Alex was stopped. She shot Michael a look of utter superiority over her shoulder and as she passed Alex, she reached out for his hand. He took it and picked up speed with her as they continued around the ice.

Michael was really irritated, knowing that he'd just been issued a challenge by Isabel. He gave Maria one last chance. "Ok, Maria, how bout it? You coming or not?" he asked.

"Not," she quickly replied.

Michael sighed and shrugged. Before she could utter a sound, Michael came forward and leaned over, throwing her over his shoulder. With a view of his back and the ground spinning above her
head, she shrieked as Michael carried her onto the ice.

"Michael!!! Put me down! This is so not fair! Alex, Max, are you guys just going to stand by and watch???" Maria yelled.

Max nodded; having his hands full with watching to ensure Liz didn't fall and Alex completely ignored the question as his eyes followed Isabel. Miraculously Michael managed to carry Maria to the center of the ice where he finally set her down. She pounded on his chest furiously for a minute while he watched her until she finally calmed down.

"See, now you have to skate to get anywhere here on the ice," Michael said, proud of the plan he'd come up with.

Maria turned away from him and tried not to let him see her smile. Secretly, she'd lost her breath when Michael hefted her over his shoulder as if she weighed nothing. She just couldn't let him see that. Across the ice she saw Max and Liz skating.

Max watched Liz carefully, noting her every move and reaction to try and anticipate if and where she might fall.

Meanwhile, Liz was concentrating so hard on not falling that she was missing the playful smile on Max's face as he watched her.

He was skating backwards, his arms open wide, and his hands holding hers as he half pulled and coached her across the ice. They didn't move at any speed that could possibly be called fast, but Max loved how he finally got to teach Liz something.

Of all the things he'd learned about coming out from behind the tree, he'd learned most of them from Liz. She was his reason for believing the world was worth enjoying.

"That's it, just move your feet in and out, the movement will push you forward," Max said, patiently moving with her.

Liz looked up at him, her eyes had been staring at the ice and she caught the smile on his face.

He'd been getting a good look at the stocking hat she'd been wearing until her face turned up to his. She looked at his suspiciously. "I think you're enjoying this too much. I know you can skate a lot faster than this Max," Liz observed.

"Maybe, but this is exactly where I want to be," Max replied.

Liz's heart melted at his words and she was momentarily distracted, her foot hit a rough patch of ice and she fell forward a little. Max was right there to catch her, lifting her so she never actually hit the ground.

"You ok?" he asked worriedly.

She nodded and carefully righted herself. Max was concerned but she realized he might have a bit more fun if he got to skate enough to really move.

"I'm fine, Max, I barely tripped. Why don't you join Alex and Isabel? I think they're skating a little bit more at your speed. I'm going to see if I can help Michael move Maria at least a few feet around the ice," Liz said.

"Are you sure? I don't want to leave you if you're not steady," Max said, concern etched on his face.

Liz touched his face with her hand, her eyes softening at his words. His face was colder than normal from the biting temperature outside and her bare hands had been so warm after holding his. "Yeah, I'm sure. Besides, I'd like to see my boyfriend impress me with his skating abilities," Liz suggested.

Max's face lit up at her words and he cautiously let go of her hands, moving backwards until she was standing on her own wobbly feet. She almost looked like a newborn colt with her unsteady long legs. He turned away from her and dug his skates in, quickly picking up speed to catch up to Alex and Isabel.

Liz watched him go for a moment before taking a deep breath and glancing to where Michael and Maria still stood in the middle of the rink. Thankfully the crowd was thinning out as the evening grew later, so her competition for space on the ice was scarce.

She tried to remember what exactly it was she was supposed to do to move forward, but she'd been so distracted by Max's hands holding hers and trying not to fall flat on her face that she hadn't put too much thought into propelling herself forward.

She experimented, moving her feet like Max had told her to and was amazed that she could actually move forward, albeit a little unsteadily.

Across the rink, Max finally caught up with Isabel and Alex as they turned around the far end of the ice. He fell into pace beside them and noted to himself that Alex was casually holding Isabel's hand and both of them were trying very hard to make it look as though it wasn't a big deal.

He knew his sister and he knew by the brightness in her eyes that it was a very big deal for her. She was actually smiling a little, not at any particular thing, just smiling to herself. Max was surprised but pleased, Isabel had never been very demonstrative towards people she cared about and she was making her feelings about Alex known in a very public way.

"Max, don't tell me you left Liz by herself!" Alex exclaimed.

Max nodded. "She said she was fine and that I should skate with you guys for awhile,"
Max insisted.

Alex shook his head and glanced to the middle of the rink. "Does she look fine?" he asked pointing.

Max followed his hand and watched as Liz and Maria tumbled into a heap onto the ice. Michael was also sprawled on the ice a few feet away, so he couldn't help the girls untangle themselves from each other.

Max took off in a hurry, cutting a quick path across the ice and stopping next to Liz and Maria sitting on top of one another. He leaned over and lifted Liz up, giving her a quick once over to check for injuries. He ran a hand up and down her legs and over her arms quickly, looking for anything broken.

"Liz? Are you ok?" he asked worriedly. He finally looked at Liz's face and saw the smile there and knew she was fine. He sighed with relief, but he also knew she easily could not have been fine.

He couldn't help but feel protective for her. He'd seen her shot, her blood pooling around her on the linoleum floor of the Crashdown only a few months before. That alone was proof that anything could happen to her at anytime.

"Max, I'm fine, really," she said, gently placing a hand on his chest to try and reassure him. Isabel and Alex caught up to them coming to a halt next to Max and Liz.

"Well, some of us are still sitting on wet, cold ice," Maria muttered from where she still sat. She looked at Michael expectantly, and he shrugged.

"Don't look at me, I can't get up any better than you can," Michael replied, also still sprawled on the ice. Isabel leaned over to help up Maria and Alex did the same for Michael, finally righting them.

Almost immediately Maria began to sway and she grabbed onto Michael, her fingers digging into
his arm. "See, this is precisely why I don't ice skate," she said, pointing at Michael.

"I think I'm starting to understand. How about if we can somehow manage to stumble off the ice we find a nice warm bench to sit down and watch?" he suggested.

Maria nodded and they started to skid and skate to the edge of the rink. "I think you owe me some hot chocolate," Maria suggested.

Michael started to argue, but finally gave in. "I guess I do since I hauled you onto the ice like a sack of potatoes," he replied.

"That's right-hey, are you calling me a sack of potatoes?"

Liz shook her head as she listened to Maria and Michael. If they stopped arguing for two seconds they might have realized that they were actually skating pretty well when they were distracted.

Isabel and Alex had moved off and Liz turned to Max, who patiently waited next to her. "Do you want to sit down for awhile?" he asked, his eyes still concerned over her fall.

She shook her head. "No, I want to skate with you," she replied, drawing his arms around her.

She stood on her tiptoes and gently kissed his lips, pulling back just a little after a second. Max responded by bringing his lips down on hers with enough passion to swallow Liz's breath away. His lips rubbed against hers with enough friction to return some of the warmth to her cold face.
Everywhere he touched began to warm. Just when Liz was beginning to wonder if people were watching, Max pulled back, cupping her face with his hand.

"That was for teasing me," he said.

She couldn't help but grin. "Well, if that's my punishment, I'll have to keep it in mind," Liz
replied.

Max smiled and they finally began to move over the ice themselves, taking slow strides as Liz found she could stay upright as long as Max kept a secure arm around her, something he was more than happy to do.

From across the rink, Isabel waved to her brother with her free hand, the other still loosely holding Alex's. She wasn't quite sure when it had happened, it just had. Her arms had been swinging by her side and then suddenly Alex was holding her hand and she found that she liked being linked to him as they skated.

She had to watch her feet when she skated so that she didn't tangle her skates with his. She had to watch her stride so that she wasn't being pulled along by him or yanking him behind her. She could feel how his body moved over the ice through their linked arms, how his legs pushed against the ice and how he turned his feet to anticipate the curves of the rink.

Before, Isabel might have minded having someone so close to her thoughts and so closely within her personal space. With Alex she didn't mind because his presence seemed to almost calm and balance her.

Her thoughts were still wandering when the song over the speakers changed to a slower tune. Her mind slowly realized that she recognized the song and she tried to think of where she'd heard it before. She nearly stumbled when she finally realized what the song reminded her of and what she'd seen.

"I've been watching you and all you do for quite some time
Knowing all the ins and outs of you I should have known what was on your mind
But all the world is spinning round and round inside my head tonight
I will fall into the darkness and I fear I'll never see the light..."

It had been in Alex's dream.

"Cause you won't let me in
All that I wanted from you was something you'd never do So let me in
Oh, please tonight Don't let this end tonight Cause I'm starting to fall
So let me in..."

Isabel tried to cover up her sudden nervousness as she glanced over at Alex. She'd never told him about how she'd walked into his dream and had seen what he thought about her. That had been when she'd first started to change her mind about Alex. She wanted to tell him. Not because she wanted him to know how she'd violated his personal thoughts, but because she thought he had a right to know. She wanted to tell him for her own sake.

Alex seemed to notice her discomfort and he drew her over to the edge of the ice, turning to face her. "Isabel, what is it?" he asked.

She finally looked up at his face, his concerned eyes and expressive eyebrows knit in concern and she sighed. She knew that she had to tell him. And she wanted to tell him.

"Does this song sound familiar to you at all?" she asked him.

He concentrated for a second and then smiled as he recognized the tune. "Yeah, it's that new song by Save Ferris. They're one of my favorite bands. Why?" he asked, knowing by Isabel's expression that there was more to her concern.

"Ok, this is really hard," Isabel stalled, fighting not to lose control. But the thought that Alex might be furious with her actions and that she would be shattering their newfound relationship terrified her. She didn't want to lose him.

Alex reached up with his gloved hand and tipped her chin up so that she looked directly at him.
"Isabel. Whatever it is, it can't be that bad. Just tell me, you'll feel a lot better," he said.

Isabel bit her lip, searching his face."Well, right after you traded your blood for Max's in the hospital we all weren't sure if you would tell anyone about what had happened," she started.

Alex nodded, signaling for her to continue.

"You weren't talking to Liz or Maria and I was worried that you were close to telling Kyle or Miss Topolski. We, Max, Michael and I, have the ability to walk into people's dreams. We can come in as observers or take an active role. A person's dreams often reveal what someone is thinking subconsciously, so I decided to see what your intentions were," Isabel paused and took a deep breath after stealing a look at Alex's attentive face."So I walked into one of your dreams."

Alex looked startled for a moment as he shook his head and opened his mouth as if he was about to say something. When no sound came out he closed his mouth again and just stared at her. She knew she had to tell him everything, which meant she wasn't done yet.

"Well, I followed you in your dream through the hallways at school and into a class room. Inside there was a band, you were dressed in a tux and I was . . ."

"Dressed in a red dress. And we danced," Alex finished, finally remembering what dream she was referring to. He wasn't looking at her; his eyes seemed to be concentrated on a spot on the ice behind her.

"Alex, I know it was wrong and I'm sorry. I was worried that our lives were in danger. I know I was invading your thoughts, but I had to be sure. What I saw there convinced me that we could trust you, and it made me want to know you better," Isabel said, trying to recapture his attention.

Alex finally turned his eyes back to her. She looked at him for any hint of anger or disappointment. She saw none.

"Are you sorry because you invaded my thoughts or because of what you saw? Tell me the truth Isabel," Alex said.

Isabel felt like she was being asked a trick question. She wasn't sure what the right answer was, but she did know what her honest answer was. "I'm not sorry for what I saw. I shouldn't have walked into your dream like that, but it made me understand you better," Isabel said.

She looked at him and waited for his response. When his face broke out into a grin, a forgiving grin, she relaxed.

"Then that's all that matters. Don't get me wrong, I'm not thrilled that you saw my personal thoughts like that, but I understand why you did it. And if what you saw brought you closer to wanting to know me, then I don't object at all. Just announce your presence or something next time, ok?" he replied.

"Don't worry, I won't walk into your dreams again. I've learned my lesson. I already freaked out both Maria and my mom, and I don't want to scare you away," she said.

"Not a chance," Alex replied softly, taking both her hands in his.

Isabel felt her knees buckle a little at his words. No one had ever talked to her in the way Alex did. A way that she actually believed. Before she could respond, the announcer came over the speakers to say that the rink was closing in ten minutes. Alex pulled away from her and extended his hand.

"One more time around?" he asked, his eyes asking her the question.

Isabel reached forward without hesitation and she took his hand, easily falling beside him on the ice.

Snowmass Part 7

Walking down the main street of Snowmass, Liz looked all around, taking in the city and the snowy world so unlike her hometown of Roswell. It was dark and cold out with starts twinkling above her head like candles far off in the distance.

She could see her breath like a cloud of fog when it puffed out from her mouth. The entire town had a small town feel to it, much like Roswell did. But Roswell was definitely a tourist trap while Snowmass was a ski town.

The street she was walking along with Max, Maria, Michael, Isabel and Alex was old-fashioned, with cobblestone sidewalks and lamps that looked like oil lanterns spaced out along the edge of the street. The shops were narrow and close together, obviously space was of much more concern in Snowmass. In Roswell there was always more desert to spread out into.

Many of the large store-front windows were decorated with evergreen or garland and Christmas lights added a festive glow to the shops. Liz couldn't believe how beautiful the town was. And how cold.

She shivered a little as a slight breeze managed to touch her neck between her hat and the scarf she'd wrapped around her throat. She wore one of Max's leather jackets over her sweater and jeans, which he had insisted she borrow since she didn't have a jacket heavy enough. She really hadn't been prepared for a snowy environment and the leather helped to cut down on the wind chill factor.

Her sneakers had very little traction on the ice, but thankfully they hadn't had to cross any areas not plowed or salted down. She reveled in the feeling of Max's jacket on her shoulders. It was heavy, but she knew that the weight wouldn't bother him because he had such strength in his broad shoulders. Those same shoulders had stretched out the jacket and made it hang on her slim form, but she didn't mind. The soft lining inside was well worn and smelled like Max, a heady scent she breathed in each time her lungs expanded.

Max caught her shivering and he drew her closer. He put his arm around her shoulders, casually pulling her against him. She moved naturally, slipping her arm closest to him around his waist and her other hand burrowed into the closest pocket of his own jacket.

As awkward as walking could have been with them standing so close, Max found no trouble moving. Having Liz next to him so that he could feel how slender she was and how her narrow hips occasionally bumped into him was a sensation he would never trade. She tucked against him perfectly, filling every gap, every space. They looked at each other briefly and smiled without saying a single word before they continued to follow the rest of the group.

The ice rink had closed at ten and they were slowly making their way back to the resort they were staying at. Isabel had insisted that they needed to walk through this section of town because she loved the decorations up for Christmas.

Max remembered that when they were younger he, Isabel and their parents would constantly tread these streets on their annual trip to Snowmass. He and Liz were walking in the back of the group, with Maria and Michael leading the way and Isabel ad Alex in the middle. Max saw, by the way, that Michael kept glancing at Maria that he wanted to reach out and take her hand.

Michael was very careful about concealing his thoughts, but Max wasn't fooled. He knew Michael's fear about having any kind of relationship with the girl who had clearly etched a spot in his heart. It had been the same kind of fear he had had with Liz. He also knew that Michael would have to come to terms on his own and would have to realize that he was worthy of Maria. Max decided he would try to talk to Michael later and push him, just a little, in the right direction.

He turned his gaze to Isabel and Alex and couldn't help but grin at them. They weren't standing nearly as close as he and Liz were, but their distance was also not that of Maria and Michael. Isabel had her arm loosely linked with Alex's, which could have easily been a friendly gesture. But Max saw the tilt of Isabel's head, the way her body was turned towards Alex and how her head moved to look at him every few seconds, just to insure that he was still next to her.

He knew thatIsabel had told Alex about her dreamwalking and he also knew that a heavy weight had been lifted from her mind. Isabel was good at hiding things that bothered her, but Max could still read his sister clearly.

Max felt Liz pulling him away gently to look in the window of a bookstore and he followed willingly.

She was studying a volume of books, hard-bound and wrapped in a set. Liz smiled a little sadly as she looked at Max.

"My Grandma used to read me those books. I always looked forward to when she would come and tell me another story about Anne of Green Gables, Lover's Lane, Avonlea or the Lake of Shining Waters," she said wistfully.

Max nodded, understanding her sadness. He knew that Liz missed her grandmother terribly and that even the little things like books would suddenly bring back a memory.

"But I'll always have the memory of her telling me the stories," Liz said, finally smiling at him.

He was about to respond when a voice from behind interrupted his thoughts. "Max? Max Evans?" the voice was filled with disbelief and curiosity as he turned to look.

It was a young woman who spoke, someone who looked and sounded familiar. She was tall, in her mid twenties with long blond hair in a ponytail. Her eyes lit up as he turned and a smile widened her face.

Max knew that she was familiar and he struggled to remember who she was. Suddenly, it dawned on him and he couldn't stop the grin on his face from forming. "Chris?" he asked, almost positive of whom she was, but still wanting to be sure.

She nodded eagerly and he walked up to her, giving the woman a hug. She laughed and hugged him back. Liz trailed closely behind, extremely curious about whom this woman was and how Max knew her. The rest of the group had backtracked when they realized that Max and Liz were no longer following and Liz turned as Isabel sucked in her breath quickly.

Max stepped back from Chris and she caught sight of Isabel, her eyes widening. "Izzy!!" Chris said, her voice practically a pitch away from a shriek.

"Chris!!" Isabel replied, letting go of Alex's arm and running towards Chris. The two women began to giggle and laugh as they hugged and Max watched them with a grin.

Michael just rolled his eyes. "Great. They're doing the girl thing," he muttered.

Maria shot him a dark look and punched his arm. He shot her an innocent grin and she glanced at him pointedly.

Isabel and Chris finally broke apart and Max pulled Liz over to the tall woman. "Chris, this is my girlfriend Liz Parker and some friends of Isabel's and mine, Alex Whitman, Maria DeLuca and Michael Guerin. Guys, this is Christine Kelly. She used to baby-sit Isabel and me when we were younger and our parents would go out for the night when we came here on vacation," Max introduced as he automatically stepped next to Liz and reached for her hand.

She beamed at him; thrilled beyond belief that Max had introduced heras his girlfriend without a second thought. Everyone exchanged their hellos and then Chris turned her gaze back to Max and Isabel.

"I can't believe how much you two have grown since I last saw you,"she marveled.

"Well, that was four years ago, wasn't it?" Max asked.

Chris nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah, I guess so. When I went off to college my break was cutdown so much and it was scheduled so different than the usual. And, by the way, it's Christine Kelly-Williams now," Chris said, holding up her left hand to reveal a gold wedding band.

"Congratulations," Isabel said.

"That's not even all of it. My husband's around here somewhere, otherwise I'd introduce him and my daughter Julia. Two months old on Christmas," Chris said, practically beaming.

"Wow, lots has happened in just four years," Isabel commented.

Chris turned her appraising eye on her previous charges. "I'll say, but I think you two have changed more than me. I almost didn't recognize you Max, with how tall and handsome you've gotten! Don't blush Max, I'm sure all the girls have noticed, right Liz?" Chris said wryly, catching Liz's eye and winking.

Liz smiled and held Max's hand a little tighter, instantly liking the woman.

Chris focused her eyes atsomething around Max's neck and she leaned closer. He looked down at what she was looking at and smiled, bringing his hand up to pull the leather string and pendant out from underneath his shirt.

"Is that what I think it is?" Chris asked.

Max nodded as she studied the tightly braided leather band and the round metal piece. "Yeah, it is," Max replied.

Liz looked closer and saw that the metal piece was a charm of some kind and the leather strands were so tightly plaited together that they looked like a single piece. She'd noticed him wearing the necklace before, but she'd never asked where he'd gotten it.

"I can't believe you still have that," Chris whispered.

Max looked surprised at her words, turning his eyes to hers. "Of course I do. You made it for me," Max replied.

Chris softened at his words and touched his arm. "Still the quiet charmer, I see," she said with a dimpled grin. Chris turned her attention to Isabel and whistled loudly. Isabel smiled with confidence and turned around in a circle as Chris directed her to. "My, my, look at you! Isabel, shouldn't you be a model? You and Max look so different! You're making me feel old!" Chris said, only partially kidding. She brightened instantly. "Where are you guys staying? Still at the Chalet? I'm not surprised; your parents always loved it there. I need to find my husband and you should probably be getting back to the resort, it is getting late," Chris pointed out, unable to resist.

Isabel rolled her eyes."Chris! We're 16 years old, we can stay out past ten!" Isabel replied.

Chris laughed and waved as she backed away from the group. "It was nice to meet you all! I'll definitely see you later!"

The six teenagers waved as Chris turned and walked down the street.

Isabel and Max shared a grin as they remembered the fun they'd had with Chris when they'd been kids. After she disappeared from sight the group turned and continued down the road to the resort.

It was just past one in the morning when Liz shifted restlessly in her bed. Maria mumbled a little in her sleep next to her and Liz sighed. She wished sleep would come to her. She and Maria were sharing one of the rooms, with Isabel in the other.

Through the partition door Michael had claimed the sofa in the guy's room with Max and Alex each getting the other rooms. Alex had offered several times to trade with Michael, but he had been steadfast in his insistence that the sofa would be just fine.

Just before midnight they'd all said goodnight and retreated to their separate rooms and Liz had lingered at the door, looking at Max longingly at the other side. She knew that their parents trusted them to be responsible and that they would be more than a little upset at the notion of her and Max merely sleeping together.

That's all it had been the night before, just sleeping and resting together. Yet, she didn't really care what her parents thought.

She'd watched Max shuffle back to his room, his feet practically dragging and Liz had to practice some serious resistance not to follow after him.

When everyone was in their assigned space they'd left the door between the two rooms open, still wanting that added closeness that came with the knowledge that there were friends a shout away.

Liz sat up in bed and moved her feet over to the floor. She wore flannel pajamas and heavy socks to keep warm and she put her feet quietly on the carpeted floor, not wanting to wake Maria or Isabel.

She couldn't sleep and she thought that maybe a glass of water would help. In the back of her mind she acknowledged that a part of her knew why she couldn't and didn't want to sleep. Max was much too far away. Her entire body felt like she needed to have him next to her, sharing his
warmth all around her body. She longed to have his arms around her and his head resting on her shoulder so that she could feel the softness of his hair against her ear.

She closed her eyes and remembered how her legs had tangled up with his the night before and how wonderful it had been to wake up and see his face as the first thing her eyes focused on. Liz sighed and placed her glass back on the counter, casting a glance at the open door. He was probably sound asleep, not even giving her a second thought.

Besides, what would their parents say? Liz angrily shoved those thoughts away, determined not to feel guilty about something that hadn't even happened. They had only slept and she didn't understand what was wrong with that. Certainly not when her entire body and soul felt at rest with Max next to her. She was about to return to her own bed when a sound from the guy's room caught her attention.

It sounded like the sliding glass door that led out onto the balcony was closing, but Liz was puzzled. It was cold and snowy and one o'clock in the morning. Who would go outside?

Liz poked her head through the doorway separating the rooms and looked towards the balcony. She smiled when she realized it was Max, standing outside with a blanket around his shoulders. She knew he still had to be cold. He'd only worn a t-shirt and sweatpants to bed and even the heavy blanket probably wasn't enough.

Quietly walking past Michael sleeping on the couch, she opened the sliding door and stepped through. The biting cold shocked her a little and she hugged her arms around her body. Max finally turned around to look at her and he smiled. Without a word he opened his arms and she stepped into his embrace.

He wrapped his arms around her shoulders, bringing the blanket around them both. She was instantly warm as she pressed her face against his chest and brought her arms around his waist.

"Isn't it a little late for stargazing?" Liz asked curiously.

He chuckled a little, a sound she could hear deep in his chest. "I couldn't sleep," Max replied.

"Me either," Liz said honestly, looking up at him.

His eyes softened as she gazed at him unflinchingly and they made a silent decision at that moment. "I don't think I can sleep knowing you are only thirty feet away and not right next to me," Max replied, bringing one hand up to caress her face.

Her cheek tingled where his warm hand touched her and she leaned up to kiss him tenderly. It was a brief and gentle touch, but not one either was quick to end. "I know what you mean. Maria's kind of a blanket hog and she doesn't keep me as warm as you do," Liz replied, her voice a whisper.

"What about our parents?" Max asked, his voice giving away a little concern over what they were deciding.

"We aren't doing anything wrong. I know that it wouldn't seem that way to them, but I refuse to keep my distance from you at any time, whether I'm awake or sleeping," Liz said, her voice full of conviction.

Max finally smiled and nodded, coming into agreement with her. "We can go inside in a minute. I was just thinking about Chris before you came out," Max said, returning his eyes to the sky.

Liz silently let him continue; knowing that he needed her to listen more than to respond.

"She was the first person to teach Isabel and me about being human. We were found in the summer and when we started school that fall we stuck together like glue. Besides, kids at the age of six are so caught up in their own groups that it would have been hard for us to break through those barriers even if we'd wanted to.

"In December our parents brought us up here and would hire Chris to baby-sit a few times during the two weeks we were here. She was 12 and I think she had more fun playing with us than her own friends. We played tag, she taught us to build a snowman and Isabel learned how to make snow angels. She made hot chocolate for us and tucked us into bed, usually carrying us because we'd fallen asleep in front of the TV. Our own parents were great, but Chris understood us a little better because she was still a kid too.

"Each year we came back and each year we spent more time with her. She never tired of playing with us and when we came here four years ago and found that she couldn't make it home from college Isabel cried and moped for a week. I moped too, but we learned to play the games she'd taught us even without her. I've always kind of wondered if I'd ever see her again. Four years ago she gave me this," Max said, gesturing to the necklace he wore.

Liz nodded and looked at it closely, noting how he'd obviously worn it often over the years. "I can tell she means a lot to you both," Liz finally said.

Max nodded. "She was the first real connection that we made with someone other than our parents. She taught us how to have fun and how to just be kids even though we still wondered about exactly what we were. Chris playing with us is one of the first memories I have, since I don't remember anything before we came out of the pods. That and you, of course," Max said, his brown eyes turning back to her.

She saw the happiness in them and knew he could see the same in hers. Without another word Max led her back into the room and towards his room. Her heart started to pound a little as he led her through the doorway and over to the bed. She knew she had no reason to be nervous, they'd both silently agreed that their newly decided upon sleeping arrangements had nothing to do with sex.

She thought maybe it wasn't that she was nervous, but more that she was anticipating the moment when she would be laying in Max's arms and she would hear him release a deep breath just as he fell asleep. She heard such peace in that sound and it made her happy to know that she could help bring that to him.

Max pulled back the covers and put the blanket from around her shoulders onto the bed in case they got cold. He laid down and held open the sheets for her. Without hesitation she climbed in and he pulled the covers over them both, his arm staying around her.

In the darkness she could still see his eyes, staring at her as they got comfortable. She reached up and held his face in her hands, kissing him gently. "Goodnight, Max," she whispered.

"Goodnight, Liz," he replied.

Liz smiled at him before moving to her side, facing away from him. She thought maybe he could read her mind as he came up behind her and spooned against her back. Her entire body hummed with warmth as he brought his arm around her waist, his hand coming to rest on her stomach. His fingers opened and gently touched her flat stomach before she brought her own hand to cover his.

She did realize that if Max touched her too much that their "just sleeping" agreement could change. She didn't fear that change, but she didn't know if they were ready for it. As Max cuddled up behind her, his chin resting on her shoulder and his feet rubbing against hers, she sighed with content.

She finally felt the tendrils of sleep entering her mind as Max's warmth spread all around her and as he gathered her as close to him as he possibly could. Sleep finally came to them both, as they lay wrapped up in each other.

Snowmass Part 8

Isabel took a deep breath as she woke up. Blinking slowly, she yawned and stretched in her bed before she turned her eyes towards the sunlight peeking in through the blinds over the window.

After a few minutes she finally sat up and her feet found the fuzzy leopard print slippers she'd left on the floor the night before. Even though it was warm in the room, she still shivered a little at the loss of heat from the blankets piled on her bed.

She left her room and glanced across the hallway to where Liz and Maria were sleeping. The door had been left wide open, just as hers had been, and she noticed that they were still sleeping. Narrowing her eyes, she realized that she only saw the outline of one person in the bed and that person had blond hair. Isabel was confused. It was seven in the morning, where would Liz be?

She took a quick look around their room and then she walked over to the guy's side, trying to make as little noise as possible. She passed Michael snoring on the couch and continued down to the bedrooms. She figured that if anyone knew where Liz was, it would be Max. She was about to enter his room and wake him up when she stopped suddenly in the hallway. She tried to suppress the smile on her face, but found she couldn't.

Max and Liz were curled up together in his bed looking dead to the world.

She shook her head. This could become a real problem once we get back to Roswell, she thought.

She was about to return to the girl's side of the rooms when a rustling from Alex's room caught her attention. She glanced into his room and saw him sit up, leaning over to turn on the lamp next to the bed.

"Isabel?" Alex asked, his voice sounding a little rusty from sleep.

"Yeah, it's me. Sorry I woke you," she replied, turning to leave.

"No! Isabel, I was already awake. Come here," Alex said.

Isabel smiled and entered Alex's room, pulling a leg underneath her as she sat on the edge of his bed. She grinned at the sight of Alex all rumpled and mussed from a night's sleep. His eyes still looked a little fuzzy and his hair pointed in every possible direction. She couldn't believe how adorable and sexy he looked at the same time.

The thought crossed her mind before Isabel could even acknowledge it and she found herself wondering where it had come from.

Separately adorable and sexy meant two very different things. Puppies were adorable and Ricky Martin was sexy. In her mind, together they had suddenly come to mean Alex. Alex wasn't a puppy and he was quite Ricky Martin, but she did see much more in his wiry build and gentle hands than she had before. Earlier she might have described him as scrawny, but she was just starting to realize what strength he possessed in his trim frame.

"Did you sleep ok?" Isabel asked, trying to divert her own attention.

"Yeah, pretty much. I thought I heard some noises around one, but then I fell back asleep pretty quickly," Alex replied.

Isabel nodded her head towards Max's room. "Probably Max and Liz retreating for the night," she said.

Alex stared at her for a moment. "You mean-"

"Yeah, she's in there sleeping with him right now. But not SLEEPING with him, you know?" Isabel said, putting emphasis on the word so that Alex grasped what connotation she meant.

He nodded and seemed to study her for a minute. She started to grow subconscious, something she rarely did, as she wondered how tangled her hair looked or how wrinkled her pajamas had gotten overnight. "What?" she finally asked.

Alex shook his head and smiled. "I was just thinking about how beautiful you look early in the morning," he said, giving her a sweet smile.

She blushed a little and didn't say anything. It was rare that a guy could make her speechless with a compliment, but then, all the guys she'd known were not nearly as sincere as Alex. Besides, most guys didn't use words like "beautiful" to describe her. They used words like "hot" which had a very different meaning than "beautiful".

Isabel finally looked at Alex's face and brightened. "Since nobody's up yet, we do have some time to ourselves," Isabel hinted.

Alex's eyes widened in surprise and she laughed to herself, pleased she could still fluster him a little. "Um, what did you have in mind?" he asked.

She grabbed his hand and pulled him out of bed towards the other room. They passed Michael and entered the living room on the girl's side. Isabel found a large blanket and fell back onto the sofa, grabbing the remote control. She patted the space next to her and Alex obediently sat down and shared the blanket with her.

"I think Scooby Doo is on in a few minutes," Isabel said, waiting for his response.

Alex smiled and nodded as she flipped on the TV. "Sounds good to me. Daphne was always my favorite," he commented.

Isabel turned to him and raised her eyebrow. "Let me guess why: the long red hair, Barbie implanted chest or the short purple skirt? " she said dryly.

He grinned at her, flashing his perfectly straight teeth. "Ok, those were some of the reasons, but not all of them. Daphne had some serious guts and she was really spry, especially when she ran from vampires or mummies. And you have to admire a woman who would be willing to ride around in that van that Fred owned. There was a lot more to her than what was on the surface," Alex said. He turned to look at her carefully."She reminds me of someone else I know."

Isabel went still at his words and she stared at the remote in her hands. She almost couldn't bear to look at him because she wondered what she might find in his eyes. It had been a dream to gain Alex's friendship despite how she'd abused him before. She'd thought it would be too much to hope that maybe there could be more.

When she finally did look up she found Alex studying her, his face so close to hers. She realized how close he was sitting and how his arm had snaked along the back of the couch and how she was leaning against his chest. She put a hand on his chest, just over his heart and found that it was beating faster than normal despite his calm appearance. The feeling soothed her and the warmth radiating off of him was so comforting.

She felt safer than she ever had as Alex tentatively reached up with a hand and cupped her face in his hand. He leaned closer and she felt her own heart begin to accelerate. He paused a breath away from her face as she slowly began to close her eyes. Through the slits she stared at
his lips as he smiled at her.

"This has to be a dream or something," he whispered, unable to keep the sound of awe from his voice.

She smiled and leaned even closer. "No more dreams Alex," she replied and then she leaned close enough to touch her lips to his. It was such a gentle touch and so light.

She felt his lips move under hers and she leaned in to return the pressure. She felt his hands move over her face and shoulders gently and she couldn't help the need she felt to move as close to Alex as possible.

"Ah-hem," the voice discreetly coughing in the doorway broke Alex and Isabel's kiss and she glared at her brother and Liz standing there, holding hands and Max looking bemused while Liz looked a little surprised.

Isabel looked at them archly. "Oh,please Max. Like you're one to talk," Isabel replied not moving away from Alex, but actually settling against him on the couch. She contained the way her face was flushed by putting up her cool as ice exterior. She was more than a little embarrassed to have been caught by her brother and Liz, but there was no way she was going to let them see that.

Michael appeared behind them in the doorway and rubbed his eyes as he yawned. "Man, can't you guys keep it quiet around here? First these two at one in the morning," Michael said, gesturing to Liz and Max. "And then you two just after dawn. Some of us are trying to sleep, you know."

"Dawn? Michael, it's almost eight, that hardly qualifies as 'just after dawn'." Alex commented.

Liz grinned at him.

"Uh-oh Michael, it looks like you might have competition for the smart ass award this month," Isabel said dryly.

Michael actually cracked a smile at Isabel's response and after a minute Alex cleared his throat. "So, what's on the agenda today?" he asked.

Max nodded towards the outside window. "I say we tackle that mountain," he replied.

"Yeah, you, Isabel and Alex do that. You'll find the rest of us on the smallest hill possible," Liz said. Then she brightened. "But first, we need to wake up Maria. Alex?" she asked.

Alex's face broke out into an evil grin as he followed Liz down the hallway. Max followed close behind as they snuck up to Maria's bed quietly before jumping on top of Maria and the covers, pouncing on her still form.

She shrieked loudly in surprise before the sound of laughter took over. There was a jumble of blankets and pillows until Maria's head finally poked out, her face bright red as she laughed. "Ok!!! You guys, stop! No fair, you know I'm ticklish! " Maria gasped until Alex and Liz finally relented.

"We haven't done that for years!" Alex exclaimed, giving Liz a high five. Both looked slightly rumpled from diving after Maria.

"The last time was probably in eighth grade at our last sleepover," Liz replied, grinning madly.

Max watched from the doorway and couldn't help the twinge of envy he felt when he looked at the three friends. They'd been friends for years because they wanted to be, because they had things in common and liked each other. Max was just starting to realize what that was like as he got to know Liz, Maria and Alex better. And he was just starting to realize what he'd been missing out on and what he had to catch up on.

"So, anyone up for hitting the slopes?" Max asked.

"Ok, when Max said 'hitting the slopes' I had no idea he meant literally," Maria commented as she gingerly stood up from the snow she'd recently plowed into.

Liz managed to slow down enough next to her as she stopped herself with the poles in her hands.

Maria dusted the snow off her ski suit and winced as she found another place on her hip she was bound to have a bright purple bruise on by morning.

"Maria, oh my God, are you ok?" Liz cried, trying to make her way over but only managing to topple over herself.

"Liz, I'm fine, don't kill yourself trying to get to me. I'll come to you," Maria replied and prayed she could actually do what she said.

It was just before noon and the sun was out in full force over the ski slopes. After breakfast with the parents they'd separated and headed for the ski shop to rent gear. The adults were going on a day trip into Aspen and wouldn't be back until late evening, but the kids had decided to spend most of the day skiing.

Liz and Maria had gotten outfitted with skies and poles while Michael had decided to give snowboarding a try, so he was on another slope.

Max, Isabel and Alex had already skied down the mountain and used the chair lift to go back to the top four or five times and each time Max came over to the bunny slope to see how they were doing before he headed back up the mountain. Each time the girls had to chase him away, insisting they were fine and that he should join the others.

It was true that they were fine, but they certainly would never be Olympic skiers. Liz couldn't control herself once she did actually get going, although she did have some notion of how to direct herself, she just couldn't stop.

Maria had no control over her direction, which was why she'd just run into a snow bank. They were both tired and exhausted from the little skiing they had done as they sat back in the snow. Liz unclipped her boots from her skies and let the poles fall to the ground with a clatter. Maria did the same and they leaned against each other, taking deep breaths.

"Yep, I think that's enough skiing for me," Maria commented.

Liz nodded to herself. "Maybe it's one of those things you have to learn young," she suggested.

"No, I'm pretty sure that you and I just lack the ability to go flying down the mountain on two thin strips of wood," Maria replied.

"Maria, I don't think they make skies out of wood anymore," she pointed out.

"Whatever. Ah, Prince Charming at three o'clock," Maria said, nodding as Max skied over and came to a stop next to them.

Liz shook her head in amazement. The only way she'd been able to stop was to hit something. No
trees or buildings, but softer mounds of snow had done the job nicely. She and Maria had found a nice quiet section off to the side of the chair lifts so that fewer people could witness their clumsiness. Nearby was a meadow with banks of snow waist height that looked soft as a down comforter.

Max lifted his sunglasses to look at them, his eyes concerned. "Are you two ok?" he asked.

"Oh, sure, we're fine. You will, by the way, be bringing us ice packs for the next week," Maria replied, succeeding in standing with her snow boots still on.

Liz stood up and walked over to Max, rubbing her side as she went. "How's the skiing for you guys?" she asked.

Max studied her carefully to make sure she was fine. "It's pretty good, but I'm guessing you won't be joining us anytime soon," he replied.

"I think the kind of winter sport I'm going to be good at is the sit-by-the-fireplace-and-drink-cocoa type," Liz admitted. She knew as the words came out of her mouth that Max would insist on joining her."But I want you to have fun with Isabel and Alex. I know you like to ski and you only get to do this once a year," she said.

"I'll have just as much fun sitting by the fireplace with you as I will on the slopes," he replied.

Liz smiled. "I know, but we can spend time together later. Trust me, there's lots of time," Liz said as she leaned up and kissed him quickly.

Isabel and Alex skied up with Michael trudging along behind him, holding his snowboard. "How's the snowboarding going?" Max asked him.

He shrugged. "Not too bad, I think I might actually be getting it," he replied.

Isabel's eyes lit up as she caught sight of the snow banks nearby. She unclipped her boots and left her poles standing as she grabbed Liz and Maria, pulling them behind her. "Where are we going?" Liz asked curiously.

"Snow angels. We have to make snow angels," she insisted.

They carefully waded into the light snow as it came to their knees. They sunk down a little more with each step, but the snow was just dense enough that they didn't hit the ground. Isabel stopped them when they were far enough away from the packed snow and they turned to face the guys, who were watching from the side with great interest.

Isabel looked at Maria and Liz on either side, her face serious. Liz raised an eyebrow and waited for instructions. The snow was so white that it hurt to look at it. The sun reflected off the snow like a mirror, so Liz looked up at the blue sky instead. Clouds overhead were white and puffy, but Liz saw some darker, more threatening clouds off in the distance. The landscape was mostly covered in snow, but Liz caught sight of some green from the trees and the graceful slope of the Aspen tree trunks all around.

She realized Isabel was giving instructions and she tuned back in. "Ok, the important thing to remember is that you just fall backwards like the ground is going to catch you. Then, you move your arms and legs around enough so that you have a full skirt and wide wings," Isabel said seriously.

Liz could tell by the look on Maria's face that she wasn't entirely sure if Isabel was kidding or not. "Isabel, I had no idea snow angel making was so intricate," Maria said.

Isabel caught the sarcasm in her tone and glared. "Watch it, DeLuca. Ok, ready?" Isabel called and they fell back into the snow.

Liz stared up at the sky for a minute, she had a full view of the clouds and all was quiet. Her head was surrounded by a wall of snow and sounds seemed so far off and muted. Finally she realized Isabel was calling her name and she began to wave her arms up and down and her legs side to side to create the snow angel.

When they were done, Isabel and Maria managed to stand up, but Liz found it a lot more difficult than it looked. After a few seconds of floundering like a turtle on its back, Max loomed over her as he looked down, a grin on his face. "Need some help?" he asked, clearly amused.

She smiled sweetly at him and he leaned down to help her, extending his hand. She gripped it tightly and yanked him down on top of her. She heard Michael and Alex cheering in the background as Max fell down.

She barely noticed his weight through all the bulky ski clothing they wore, but she heard the breath get knocked out of him a little when he fell. When he finally lifted his head it was poised just above hers and he braced himself on his elbows next to her head. She could have sworn that the ice began to melt as Liz felt her face heat up as he looked at her.

"You know, if you wanted me down here, you only had to ask," he said softly.

"But it was much more fun to pull you down," she explained, which gained her a grin from Max. She could tell her hair was getting wet from the snow and she felt some of it creeping into her collar, but she didn't care. When Max lowered his head to kiss her the rest of the world disappeared.

He deepened the kiss, tracing the inside of her mouth with his tongue as she responded by running her tongue along the edges of his teeth. She couldn't feel him through her bulky gloves, but she did feel him move his body so that he laid fully over her. She finally felt the solid weight of him over her and it felt wonderful, not to heavy or suffocating.

Just as Max seemed to be getting comfortable over her, they were suddenly pelted with snowballs. Sheepishly they looked up to see Maria, Michael, Alex and Isabel throwing snow at them, which they had an overabundance of.

"Cool it, you two! " Maria yelled.

Max leaned back and stood up, helping Liz to her feet. The snowballs continued to come, so Liz and Max finally gave in and an all out snowball war began.

Alex tackled Liz and held a snowball mercilessly above her head. "Ok, ok! I give in!" Liz cried as she saw Max go down when Maria and Isabel pulled him down. Everyone finally stood up, covered in snow, and Max glared at his sister.

"Don't you think that was a little unfair, four against two?" he asked.

Isabel merely shrugged as the group stumbled out of the snow bank back to their ski equipment. After discussing what everyone wanted to do, the group split up again. Max and Alex were going to try their hand at some cross-country skiing while Michael wanted to master the snowboard.

"So, Maria and I are going to find a nice sofa in front of a fireplace to sit by and drink hot chocolate. Isabel, do you want to join us?" Liz asked, expecting her to say no.

Isabel smiled at the offer. "Sure, that would be fun," Isabel said.

Liz nodded with surprise and they split up again. The girls headed back to the resort, carrying their skies and poles. Liz and Maria had an entire afternoon of girl talk planned and she wondered how Isabel would fit into that.

Liz considered what kind of information she could find out about Max and she was very curious to see how forthcoming Isabel would be.

Snowmass Part 9

Liz waited patiently in front of the large stone fireplace, her eyes watching the fire as it danced. The heat felt wonderful after the cold outside as it washed over her face and hands. She, Isabel and Maria had shed their ski pants and jackets and now wore their regular clothing inside the resort.

The guys were still out enjoying the skiing, but they'd decided to retreat inside, find a nice comfortable couch and a roaring fireplace. She was enjoying the fire and soft music in the background while Isabel and Maria had gone to get something hot to drink.

Liz ran her fingers through her damp hair, as it was slightly wet from when she'd been laying in the snow making snow angels with Maria and Isabel. She was just starting to wonder where her friends had gone when a tentative voice interrupted her thoughts. "Liz? Liz Parker, right?"

Liz turned around and came face to face with Chris, the woman who used to babysit Isabel and Max years ago. She had met her the other night when they were coming back from the skating rink. Liz had wondered when she might see her again.

Liz nodded at Chris, who smiled and shifted the bundle she was carrying in her arms. Liz looked closer and noticed the bundle was a small baby. "Hi, would you like to sit down? Isabel and Maria will be back shortly and I know Isabel would love to see you," Liz replied gesturing to a space on the couch.

Chris nodded gratefully and sunk into the couch. She looked at Liz and brightened. "I didn't get to introduce my daughter to you all the other night, but this is Julia," Chris said.

Liz leaned forward and smiled at the sleeping baby, her eyes closed and her fists balled tightly by her face. "She's adorable," Liz whispered.

"Would you like to hold her?" Chris asked, holding the baby out towards her. Liz nodded and carefully took the baby in her arms, pulling her close. Julia shifted a little in Liz's arms but quickly settled down. Maria and Isabel came around the corner, carrying cups of steaming hot chocolate and they greeted Chris as they sat down. After awwing over the baby for a few moments, the girls settled down on the couch.

Maria pulled her legs underneath her and turned to Isabel expectantly. "Ok, Isabel, spill. Liz and I want to hear some serious dirt on Max and Michael. We're not unreasonable, in exchange we'll tell you any number of embarrassing stories about Alex," Maria proposed.

Isabel's eyes lit upand she nodded, enjoying the prospect. "Well, Michael's afraid of the dark," Isabel started.

Maria stopped her. "He's afraid of the dark? Why?" she asked.

Isabel shrugged. "I don't know, but I think it has something to do with when he was out lost in the desert when he was young," Isabel said, carefully choosing her words with Chris sitting with them.

"I remember back in seventh grade I wanted Doug Stevens to go with me to the Christmas Dance and Alex asked him for me. I didn't find out until later that Doug had practically laughed in his face. Alex came back and told me that Doug had said he was really sorry, but he already had a date. Then Alex asked me to go with him," Maria remembered, a wistful smile on her face.

Isabel softened at her words and looked at Liz and Maria thoughtfully. She knew she could trust them with her life, but she wondered if she could trust them with her thoughts. "Have you ever known someone who liked you and then you suddenly started to like them because you knew they liked you? Sometimes I feel like that with Alex, like he made me realize what there was in me to like and that has made me realize what a wonderful person he is," Isabel said thoughtfully.

Liz and Maria nodded. "I wonder if that's why I started to notice Max a few months back," Liz replied.

Chris looked at her in surprise. "A few months? Are you kidding? Max has been in love with Liz Parker as long as I can remember knowing him. I can't believe that you never would have noticed. Actually, I found something yesterday that I was hoping I could finally give to the right person," Chris said, reaching into her purse and pulling out a folded piece of pink construction paper. She handed it to Liz, who opened it with her free hand.

"Once, when Isabel and Max were eight, I decided that since I didn't see them during the year that we would take each day and celebrate one of the holidays. Do you remember Is?" Chris asked.

Isabel nodded excitedly. "That's right! We celebrated Halloween, St. Patrick's Day, the Fourth of
July, Thanksgiving and Valentine's Day," Isabel said.

"And for Valentine's Day we made Valentines for everyone we wanted to give them to. Max made this extra one and gave it to me, he asked me to hold onto it for him. And I have, until now," Chris said, gesturing for Liz to read the card.

She smiled at the crooked white and red hearts cut and pasted on the front of the card and her name written in large purple letters. She opened the card and she almost cried at the words she saw there. "'Liz, would you be my Valentine? Max,' " Liz said, her voice barely above a whisper.

She recognized the handwriting, she knew it was Max's. After writing dozens of lab reports together and sharing notes, she knew Max's handwriting as well as her own.

"I knew that whoever this Liz Parker was, she had to be someone special," Chris said, smiling at her. "I'm just glad I finally got to meet her."

"Thank you," Liz said softly, holding the card in her hand.

Chris nodded and turned as Maria launched into another story involving their awkward teenage years. Liz found that she wasn't listening. She stared at the Valentine that Max had made for her years before and the only sound she heard was the soft breathing of Julia in her arms.

Eight years ago, half their lifetime, even then Max had cared for her. It seemed like so much time had passed and so much time was gone that she could have spent with Max. If only she'd known how he felt. She thought back to all the times she would sit in class and Max always sat behind her, somewhere in the back where he was less noticed. She always knew where he was, but it was always like he kept his distance. She understood now why he'd done that, but it didn't make her regret things less.

Isabel's voice finally broke through, bringing her back to the conversation. "You know, there was a day this last August that I remember thinking that things were changing. It was the second day of school and Max had been so quiet on the way home from school. At dinner Mom was asking how our day had gone and Max mentioned that they'd been assigned lab partners in Biology. It was like pulling teeth, but Mom finally got him to admit he had been partnered with you, Liz. I saw the smile on his face and I knew that things were different. I knew that Max was going to have to confront some issues he'd never had to before," Isabel said.

Liz nodded, thinking back to that day. "In class Miss Hardy told us that she was going to put all of us into groups by drawing our names from a hat. I remember praying that I wouldn't get partnered with Pam Troy, because she'd just want to copy my work, and being so relieved that I didn't get paired with her that I missed who I had been put with. Max just came over quietly, put his books down next to mine and sat down. We didn't speak much at first, but we just had this way of communicating," Liz said, struggling to voice what she was thinking.

"Romeo and Juliet squared," Maria replied suddenly, to which Isabel nodded in agreement.

Liz laughed at the analogy. "You guys! I hope not, Romeo and Juliet was a tragedy," she pointed out.

Both girls shrugged and they returned to their discussion of Michael and Alex while Liz cradled the baby in her arms.

Max brushed the snow from his shoulders before he entered the main lounge of the resort. He looked around and quickly caught sight of his sister's blond hair sitting over by the fire. As he got closer he noticed Maria laying down on the loveseat, her feet stretched out over the edge, and Liz
propped against the edge of the couch, a baby in her arms.

He blinked again to be sure and walked until Isabel caught sight of him. She waved him over. "Max! Where's Alex and Michael?" she asked.

He couldn't stop staring at Liz holding the baby in her arms and had to struggle to catch his sister's question. There was just something about how Liz's arm curved protectively around the baby and how her other hand was clutched in the baby's as she slept.

"Um, Alex wanted to keep cross-country skiing and Michel should be here in a minute, he had to turn in his board," Max replied, coming around to sit next to Liz.

She smiled at him and turned the baby to face him. "This is Julia, Chris's daughter. Chris was here earlier, but she's letting us babysit while she finishes running Christmas errands," Liz explained.

"Liz has actually been doing all the babysitting. Julia won't let anyone else hold her," Maria pointed out.

Max raised an eyebrow, but just settled back against the couch, lifting Liz's legs so that they were on his lap and she was still propped up. Maria and Isabel were swapping stories about embarrassing moments for Michael and Alex and Max thanked his luck that they weren't taking about him. He turned to look at Liz and was caught up in how her brown eyes were gazing at him. She smiled slowly and he leaned forward.

"What?" he asked. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a pink card. His eyes widened as he realized what it was and he ducked his head, slightly embarrassed.

"Yes."

Max looked up slowly, not sure if he'd heard the words correctly. But he saw Liz's eyes and how her face widened into a smile and he knew what question she was answering. She reached forward and touched his jaw with her hand, tracing the sharp line to his chin. "My answer always would have been yes," Liz whispered, bringing her face close to his.

He closed his eyes and could feel the briefest of touches from Liz's lips until Julia woke up and started to squirm. He sighed and leaned back, eyeing the baby carefully. "Already someone comes between us," he said, to which Liz laughed quietly.

Max saw Michael creeping up behind Maria's chair and smothered a smile, trying to keep his face blank. Liz noticed, too, and they shared a quick smile right before Michael jumped around the loveseat and scared Maria.

She jumped in her chair and then laughed as Michael took the opportunity to reach around her and tickle her mercilessly. Maria giggled until her eyes began to water and she slapped Michael. "Stop it! " she gasped loudly as Michael finally settled down and gathered her against him.

Isabel watched them with envy. They looked so comfortable and she longed to know what was keeping Alex. Ever since their kiss had been interrupted earlier that day, she'd wanted to kiss him again. They hadn't had a chance while they were skiing with Max so close. She looked out the window and frowned as she noticed the gathering dark clouds.

It was late in the afternoon, but still light out. She knew it wouldn't be light for too much longer. Trying not to worry, she pushed her thoughts aside just as Chris returned with a bag full of Christmas wrapping paper. "Thank you so much for watching Julia for me," Chris said, reaching for her daughter. Liz gave her up reluctantly and waved as Chris departed. "Merry Christmas Eve Eve! " Chris yelled, referring to the day before tomorrow, which was December 24th.

Max put his arm around Liz and grinned at her. "You know, I had this incredible evening planned," he said, bringing his face close to hers.

She ran her hands up his strong arms and rested them on his shoulders. "But?"

"But, it's getting too stormy out, so a walk in the snow is out. I'm starting to think that an evening in front of the fireplace sounds perfect," Max said, his hands traveling up her sides. She winced slightly and he stopped, suddenly realizing she was still badly bruised from the painful skiing earlier.

Bringing his eyes to meet hers, he saw the trust in them and the recognition of what he was about to do flash over her dark eyes. He thought back to when he'd connected with Liz after the shooting when his one desire had been that she would trust him again. After everything he had told her about who he was and what he'd done to her, she hadn't shied away when he stepped close. At the time he'd sensed the wariness in her eyes, but he also saw how she didn't back away or flinch when he'd touched her face.

When he moved closer to her this time, all hints of wariness were gone. Liz looked at him calmly as he brought his hand up to her face and fixed his eyes on hers. With just a slight effort he felt her all around him. It was like being cocooned inside her mind. No other feeling had brought him as much peace as the sense of Liz every time he drew breath.

He concentrated on healing the bruises over her body, searching carefully for each one on every limb. He tried not to be distracted by Liz's thoughts as he repaired muscles and fixed broken blood vessels. Her thoughts were a constant hum in the background and completely open to him.

He knew Liz had no reason to learn how to block her thoughts and feelings within her own mind. It was fascinating and also incredibly tempting, to have her thoughts so close. He'd been wondering since the day he'd connected with her in the Crashdown what she'd seen in his own mind. When he'd broken away from her and asked her if the connection had worked her only response had been to nod her head.

Her intense gaze made him wonder exactly what she'd seen and he'd looked away, fearing that she had seen too much. They'd never really spoken about it, but he knew that whatever Liz had seen made her realize that he wasn't any different than the person she'd always thought he was.

Just as he was finishing healing her bruises Liz's voice came out loud and clear in her mind. Whatever she was thinking was obviously occupying quite a bit of her thoughts. He couldn't help but listen as she regretfully thought about how she'd wasted eight years not knowing him. He realized that Liz was reflecting on the Valentine she'd finally been given and how if she'd known, things could have been different.

Max thought about how to broach the subject with Liz as he broke the connection and returned to the surroundings of the warm fire, the soft cushions of the couch and Liz's body curved against him. She experimented with her arm slowly and smiled. "Where were you when I broke my arm playing baseball in the sixth grade?" she joked, her eyes returning to meet his.

"On first base, watching you and wishing I could help," Max replied quietly.

Liz froze as she realized what her words had actually sounded like. "Max, I'm sorry, I didn't mean that you should have healed me then," Liz apologized.

"I know that's not what you meant, but it does help to make a point I've been wanted to make. I know you wish that you'd known me earlier in our lives. We're only sixteen. We have years and years ahead of us. I wouldn't have changed anything about the last eight years. What if I hadn't watched you from a distance and had actually approached you a few years ago? What if we'd been dating? Maybe I wouldn't have been in the Café the day of the shooting. Maybe I would have been at home, watching TV when Maria called me to tell me my girlfriend had been shot and killed and I wasn't there to help. I promise you, I wouldn't change a thing," Max repeated.

Liz listened to his words and nodded, understanding that any number of things could have been different in their lives. Any number of things that wouldn't have them together at that moment. "Romeo and Juliet squared," she whispered.

Max looked puzzled so she explained. "Just something Maria said. She called us Romeo and Juliet squared."

Max thought for a minute and she knew he was thinking the same thing she had. Romeo and Juliet was a tragedy, and not one they wanted to repeat. "I don't think there's any harm in updating a classic so that it's reflective of modern times," Max suggested, getting a smile from Liz.

"I don't think so, either," Liz replied, moving her head to lay next to Max's on the couch. She realized that they were alone in the room and she was suddenly hit with how sleepy she was. The couch was wide enough for both her and Max and they'd somehow moved to stretch across it, Liz held between Max and the couch with one of his arms wrapped around her and the other stroking her hair gently.

Michael and Maria had somehow left very quietly without any indication of where they were going and Isabel had mentioned something about window-shopping. Liz didn't care. Max's warmth, mingled with the heat of the fire, was all around her and she felt safe in the knowledge that they were together and he wasn't going anywhere.

Snowmass (Part 10)

With a sigh Isabel returned the January issue of Cosmo to the magazine stand in the resort gift store. She knew she was killing time, but she didn't know what else to do. Max and Liz were literally wrapped up in one another in front of the fireplace, Maria and Michael had disappeared and Alex was still out skiing.

She checked her watch, noting that it was after five. The adults weren't due back from Aspen for at least another three hours and Isabel was getting tired of waiting around. Usually she had either Max or Michael to turn to when she was lonely because only they understood exactly what she was going through. Now they seemed to have found Maria and Liz to turn to and as much as she wanted Alex to be her haven, he was busy with winter sports.

Just as she was beginning to get upset about her situation, Isabel took a deep breath and shook her head. She reminded herself that she was trying to be more accepting and understanding with other people. That meant that she had to think about others first which was kind of a new feeling for her.

She smiled to herself, knowing that she even sounded selfish in her own head, but she was just used to looking out for only her, Max and Michael. Considering others was just a different situation. She stepped towards the window, which gave a clear view of the slopes where they'd been skiing earlier in the day.

Despite the dark clouds and the light snowfall, skiers still rode the chair lift to the top of the hill. The snow was falling slowly to the ground, seemingly defying gravity as it fluttered earthbound. It made everything outside look softer.

Isabel sat down in the armchair by the window and propped her head up so that she could look out. That way she would see Alex the minute he returned from the cross-country skiing trails. She pulled her knees up under her chin and rested her head against the chair. It had only been a few hours, but she missed him.

She missed his sarcastic remarks and his easy smile. She missed his firm lips, pressed tentatively against her own. She knew he had to be back soon, it would be dark soon and Alex knew it wasn't safe to stay out in the dark with a snowstorm brewing. She blinked a few times before closing her eyes. She was so sleepy and yet she fought to stay awake. The part of her that was exhausted reminded her that she was sitting right by the door Alex would use to enter and she would be the first person he would see. He would wake her up and his face would be over her, smiling as he called her name. She fell asleep with a small smile drifting over her face, as she lay curled up in the armchair.

Maria looked up nervously as Michael entered the room, a bucket of ice in his hand. Somehow they'd silently agreed to go back to the rooms to enjoy some time alone and Maria was a little apprehensive now that they were there.

It was the times when they were alone that Michael surprised her the most. Sometimes around other people he could be a bit callous and forgetful towards her, but she knew why that was. He wasn't used to considering anyone else and it just slipped his mind until she was the only thing in front of him.

Then it was like a lightbulb went on and all his attention would be focused on her. Like when he'd pounced on her in the lobby while she was sitting in the loveseat. She could feel his attention drifting elsewhere with Isabel, Max and Liz around them so she had suggested that they go someplace else.

They hadn't made any specific decision on where to go, but they'd ended back in the rooms. Michael had noticed her rubbing her arm where she'd gotten a bruise earlier and he'd volunteered to get her some ice.

He put the bucket on the kitchen table and went to find a bag and towel. Maria had turned on the gas fireplace and the fire warmed the room quickly.

Michael returned with the makeshift compress and sat down next to her on the couch. He'd also noticed her limping a bit earlier and he brought her foot up to his lap, careful not to move it too much. He settled the ice around her ankle and turned to study her face for any hint of pain.

After seeing none, he settled back and caught her eyes. Maria looked at him openly, she could tell he wanted to tell her something, but she had no idea what it was.

From experience she knew that whatever he wanted to say had to come out when he was ready to voice his thoughts. It turned out to be quicker than she had thought. "I wish I could help you like Max helped Liz," he said quietly.

Maria was puzzled for a minute and then she realized what Michael was talking about. "You mean the whole intense connection, see into my thoughts kind of thing? That's ok, Michael, it's too crowded in my head with just me in there," Maria reassured him, trying to give him an easy explanation.

When he didn't just let the subject go she was surprised. It was really bothering him. "I just don't have the same kind of control over my powers that Isabel and Max do. I'm afraid of what might happen if I try to form a connection with you. You saw what I did to your car. It's like we all have our strengths and none of us are equally strong at the same thing. Isabel is really good at the dreamwalking, Max is best at changing molecular structures and I'm, well, I don't know what I'm good at," Michael said, his face showing her his frustration.

Maria caught his eyes with hers and reached for his free hand with hers. "Michael, how can you question how valuable you are? Without you and your visions we never would have found the dome or the pendant that led us to River Dog. All those answers about your past would still be questions," Maria insisted.

"But all those answers did was bring up more questions. Sometimes it feels like every answer just poses three more questions," he replied.

"Maybe, but some answers are better than none. Would you rather not know anything?" Maria asked, knowing what his answer would be.

He gave her a crooked smile. "No. I'd rather know what we do now," he replied.

She nodded her head. "Good, that's what I wanted to hear," Maria said.

Michael was uncharacteristically silent as he put his arm around her shoulders and brought her closer to him. The pain in her ankle and over her body subsided as she soaked in the feeling of Michael sitting next to her, his chest rising and falling gently.

Liz listened to the world around her as her head was rested against Max's chest. They'd barely moved in the last hour as people walked past, the front door opened and closed and the grandfather clock down the hallway chimed at each quarter hour.

Her head still rested on his shoulder and her hand lay over his chest. She could feel the contours of his muscles through the light sweater and shirt he wore, the sharp outlines reminded her that Max possessed such strength in his body as well as his mind.

She could feel his other arm across her back and every few minutes his hand would move, gently caressing her back. She knew he wasn't sleeping without even looking at his face. She lifted her head and rested her chin on her hand as she studied his face.

His eyes were still closed, but Liz saw the hint of a smile on his lips. He knew that she was looking at him. She brought her hand up, gently touching his hair where it had moved out of place. It was so dark next to her lighter brown hair and the feel of it under her hand was of the uneven ends over his head.

Her inspection of his head brought her next to the ear closest to her. She smiled, thinking how his ears stuck out just a little. Not enough that he would have been teased, but enough that she noticed. She leaned closer and gently kissed his face close to his ear, leaving her face close to his.

She leaned back a little and she smiled when she saw that his eyes were open and trained on her. In the soft lighting his eyes were a deep amber color even though the color could range from a light brown to the deep color of coffee.

She looked at him innocently. "Max! I'm sorry, did I wake you?" she asked, unable to keep her face straight.

Before she had a chance to protest he turned so that she was on her back and he had her gently pinned down. She smiled up at him, his intense eyes holding hers until his head lifted up, distracted by something.

She touched his arms with her hands. "Max, what is it?" she asked.

Finally he looked back at her and returned her smile. "Just a song that always reminds me of you," he said simply.

She listened carefully, she hadn't really been paying attention to the music in the background, but she suddenly realized that there was music playing.

"Maybe it's intuition

Some things you just don't question

Like in your eyes

I see my future in an instant

And there it goes

I think I've found my best friend

I know it might sound more than a little crazy

But I believe..."

They were both silent as they listened to the song, staring at each other. His hands gently touched her face, her hair, her throat, and her shoulders as he studied her. She felt like he was burning the image of her into his mind as his eyes never left hers.

"I knew I loved you before I met you

I think I dreamed you into life

I knew I loved you before I met you

I have been waiting all my life..."

Liz smiled at the words, realizing the song reminded her of Max, too. When she'd first met Max back in the third grade he had been more than just another boy in class. She knew even back then that he was special.

Circumstances just hadn't brought them together until more recently. Fateful circumstances that included an argument, a gun, a normally quiet three to close shift at the Crashdown on a normally quiet Thursday, and Max sitting at his usual booth, watching her carefully.

"There's just no rhyme or reason

Only a sense of completion

And in your eyes

I see the missing pieces

I'm searching for

I think I've found my way home..."

Max couldn't believe his luck. He was with the girl who had captured his attention and his heart when he was six years old. She knew every secret; everything there was to know about him. Her bare hands were on his arms, holding him close, as if he would ever back away. Maybe it was their distance from Roswell and every stress their hometown brought.

Maybe it was because he could finally see what he'd been missing. Roswell seemed like a faraway place where he wouldn't look down to find Liz's hand cradled in his, where Liz's smile and laughter were rare commodities and where any number of indescribable odds kept them apart. With her soft and warm in his arms Max could imagine that they never had to go back to that place.

"A thousand angels dance around you

I am complete now that I've found you

I knew I loved you before I met you

I think I dreamed you into life

I knew I loved you before I met you

I have been waiting all my life..."

As the song trailed off Liz noticed Max's thoughtful expression. "What is it?" she asked, prodding him gently.

"I was just thinking about what things will be like once we get back to Roswell. I know it won't be the same and I wonder what it will be like. It's been so easy here; no Sheriff Valenti or the FBI breathing down our necks, no constant fear of discovery. It's hard to ignore all the dangers of living in Roswell when we actually live there," Max admitted.

Liz nodded knowingly before she spoke. "But Max, dangers exist everywhere. They are bigger and harder in Roswell, but I know that I wouldn't trade anything to live somewhere else. Although, somehow I think that even if we hadn't grown up together we would have found one another," Liz replied.

Max raised an eyebrow. "You think so? What makes you think that?" Max questioned.

"Because every time I look at you it feels perfect. I feel like you were put on this world just for me," Liz said, part of her hoping that she wouldn't scare Max off with her confession.

He silently looked at her, his eyes holding hers and she felt her stomach flutter just with that quiet look. His eyes darkened and he reached up to stroke her face. "Even with all the things that I don't know about where I came from and why, I do know one thing. That I love you, Liz," Max replied, his voice dropping to low rough sound that made Liz shiver.

She was almost speechless as she looked back at Max carefully. She knew what she'd heard, but she almost couldn't believe it. But he didn't turn his eyes away or duck his head down to avoid her eyes. His eyes looked at her steadily and with enough intensity that if it were anyone but Max, she would have looked away. "And I love you, Max," Liz replied, her voice barely a whisper.

Max's eyes lit up in both surprise and happiness. It had been almost too much to expect that Liz could love him in return. Ten years of near isolation had taught him one thing: it was hard to get close to people when you made all attempts to avoid them. It just hadn't even been an issue with Liz.

Avoiding her was too hard and after that day in the Crashdown, he'd never wanted to avoid her again.

Liz brought her hands up to his face and pulled him down to her. Their lips met in a tender kiss that made her legs weak and she was thankful she wasn't standing. She thought she felt Max's hands tremble as he stroked her shoulders and touched her, and she realized what she'd said to him had affected him strongly.

Their lips parted and she stared up at him, still close enough that she could feel his breath on her face. She wanted to see him smile because the sight always made her heart stop. As if he was reading her mind, his face broke out into a smile that felt like it was aimed at her. He sat back against the couch and brought her with him, pulling her into his lap.

Without another word they sat and watched the fire together. Max held her loosely and she found his hand with hers and pulled it towards her. She lifted his hand up and marveled at how different he was from her. Her hands were small, her nails cleanly tapered and her fingers narrow. Max's hands were broad and she could see the outline of veins and bone when he moved his fingers. His hands were so much bigger than hers were; his hand dwarfed hers as she put her hand in his.

Automatically his fingers laced with hers and she felt his palm against hers and his fingers lightly against the back of her hand. Her heart jumped at the sensation of his skin against hers and she had to control the urge not to find some kind of Snowmass equivalent to the eraser room. She was just about to suggest they return to the rooms when Isabel rushed into the lobby.

Her eyes looked frantic as she wildly searched the room, looking for them. Liz felt a burst of pure fear at the expression on Isabel's face. She was scared. That look had been absent from Isabel's
face for quite awhile and Liz worried about what had brought it back. Isabel spotted them and rushed over. Max saw her coming and immediately stood up, bringing Liz up with him.

"Isabel, what is it?" he asked, gauging his sister's appearance and knowing something had happened.

"I was waiting for Alex and I fell asleep. When I woke up and looked outside I saw how bad the storm has gotten. Max, it's after six, there's a heavy snowstorm and Alex is still out in it! He should have been back a long time ago!" Isabel's voice raised as she grew more upset at her own words.

Liz felt Max squeeze her hand reassuringly, but she hardly felt it. Her eyes had drifted to the storm outside. She couldn't even see the slopes anymore because the falling snow was so heavy and wildly thrown around by the wind.

Her stomach dropped. Alex should have been back a long time ago; he was an experienced skier. And if he had come back he would have gone to Isabel first. Which meant he was still out there.

Go to Parts 11-14