| Part 23 ****************** Liz glanced at the clock that hang above the kitchen window. It was just a little after four. Liz found herself wondering where Max was. He had said that he would be home a little after four. Well, it was a little after four and he still wasn�t back. Liz chided herself for sounding so desperate. If she knew Brody at all, he would have kept Max back to work some overtime for the museum. She had heard that he bought some new equipment this past month, he was probably getting Max to help him with it. The sound of the microwave alerted Liz to what she was heating up. She pulled the little door open and took out the bottle of milk. She dropped some of it onto her arm to feel the temperature. Not bad. She wiped her arm and took it upstairs to Max�s room, where Noah was laying down in his crib. ************ After he had woken from his nap, it had taken Liz a little while to calm him down. Apparently, Noah seemed to want Max when he woke up. Liz had tried different ways to try and calm him down, but nothing seemed to work. It wasn�t that Noah was hysterical, he was just a little upset. Liz could hear him whimpering and hiccupping against her chest. For a while she was tempted to call Max, but she didn�t want him to think she was completely incompetent. She had assured him that she could handle things. She tried to show Noah pictures of Max, telling him that his daddy would be home soon. He seemed a little calmer, but he was still a little upset. Liz walked him around the room, bouncing him gently against her chest. She had walked past Max�s open closet door and stopped. She took a step closer and she found herself surrounded by his scent. Just, then, an idea popped into her head. She placed Noah back in his crib and walked up to Max�s dresser. She pulled open a drawer and grabbed one of his many t-shirts. She laid it on the bed and gingerly lay Noah on top of it. Carefully, she tucked it around him and lifted him in her arms. She hoped that Max�s smell would help calm Noah down. She continued to coo soothing words in his ear and hugged him tighter to her chest. She immediately noticed the change in him. He had stopped whimpering. He still had the occasional hiccup, but other than that, he seemed fine. Liz thanked her lucky stars that he was ok. After that, she had just held him in her arms and read stories to him. Every time she paused, he would look up at her and smile that smile she knew belonged to Max. The more she looked at him, the more she saw Max in him. **************** As she entered the room, she leaned over his crib and carried him out. She sat on Max�s bed and leaned against the headboard, as she cradled Noah in her arms. She sat there and watched as he held onto his bottle, gently suckling. Liz smiled as she stroked his little arm, his cheek, his leg. She just couldn�t stop touching him. He had the softest, smoothest skin, that was warm to the touch. Liz found herself thinking that it was if he had just popped out of the oven. She loved the sweet baby scent of him. There was just something about babies and the way they smelled. They always seemed to smell so good, minus the dirty diapers of course. *************** Max dropped his keys on the table by the front door. He would have been home earlier, but he had stopped by earlier at the Crashdown to see if Isabel had needed a ride. She told him to go on without her, for she was waiting for Alex to finish his shift. He stuck his head in the living room, expecting to see Liz and Noah caught up in some sort of game. �Huh, I wonder where they are.� Max noticed that the house was unusually quiet. His eyes flew to the stairs. Taking the steps two at a time, Max was outside his room in no time. He didn�t know what he was expecting to see on the other side of the door, but once his eyes focused on Liz with Noah tucked safely in her arms, on his bed, he felt his heart stop beating for a few seconds. It was the most beautiful thing he had laid his eyes on. Liz�s long tresses fell across her shoulder, partially shielding her face from his view. She sat cross legged on his bed, as she bent forward looking at his son. Her delicate hands gently stroked Noah�s little arms as she placed feather light kisses on his cheeks. Max couldn�t bring himself to break the moment. He felt as if he were intruding. Suddenly, Liz looked up and her eyes locked with his. �Max......� Part 24 ********************* �Max.......� Liz had been so caught up in holding Noah in her arms that she almost missed seeing Max by the door. As she locked eyes with him, she tried to get up. He probably thought that she had taken the words, �make yourself at home� a little too seriously. Who knows what he was thinking, seeing her on his bed, with his baby. Max had moved forward then and gently placed a hand on her shoulder. �No, don�t get up. It�s ok.� Max sat on the edge of the bed and stroked his son�s soft head. Liz looked up at him with questions in her eyes. �Are you sure?� Max gave her a smile. �Yeah.� The two of them sat there in silence for a moment. �So, uh, I thought you were going to be working overtime for Brody?� �Business was slow so he let me go at four. I would have been home earlier, but I stopped by to see if Isabel needed a ride.� Liz looked towards the door. �Speaking of, where is Isabel?� �She decided to wait for Alex to finish his shift. Said something about them doing something after work.� �Oh.� Max looked up at her then and gave her a soft smile. �So how was he? Not any trouble, I hope.� Liz gave him the brightest smile she could, hoping to make him see what a delight it was to spend the entire day with Noah. �He was an absolute doll, although he was a little fitful after his nap. I guess he just missed you.� Max had began to look a little worried then. �Why didn�t you call me? I could have, I don�t know, just done something. I�m sorry if he was any trouble. I�ve never really left him alone with anyone other than my family.� Liz reached out and gave his hand a little squeeze. �Max, really, he wasn�t any trouble. I�m actually sort of sad now. My life just seems so boring, so ordinary, you know? I mean, I know I only spent one day with Noah and I haven�t fully grasped what it�s like to be a single parent, but to know how wonderful it is to spend time with him...... I just wanted to thank you Max.� Max gave her a questioning half smile. �What are you thanking me for? If anyone should be thanking anyone, it should be me to you.� Noah finally turned and caught a glimpse of his father. He stuck his little arms out, trying to reach for Max. Max gently lifted Noah from Liz�s arms and gave him a soft kiss. �Hey buddy. I hear you and Liz had a great time today.� Max stood up and walked towards his son�s crib. �Tell you what. Why don�t you take a short nap, and when you wake up, you can tell me all about it.� Max gave him a gentle kiss and placed him in his crib. He leaned over and ran his finger down Noah�s cheek. �Sweet dreams pal. I�ll see you when you wake up.� Max turned around and held out his hand to Liz. �Shall we?� Liz reached out for his hand and the two of them made their way downstairs. She made a quick swipe of her eyes as they got into the living room. She didn�t want Max to see her tears and get the wrong idea. Her tears were a result of seeing Max be so gentle with his son. Liz could see how much he loved him. The way his eyes would light up, they way his lips would curl slightly when he spoke, and she especially loved the way his voice would soften that much more when he spoke to his son. The way he acted towards Noah spoke volumes of what a wonderful person he was. Liz knew that he wasn�t just putting on a show. This was the real deal. If only most people could be just as lucky. Max led her to the couch where the two of them sat down. �Do you have to go home?� Liz noticed the way his voice cracked a little as he asked the question. She felt heart flutter at the way he sounded so unsure of himself. It was endearing seeing a man be vulnerable and show his true feelings. �Not unless you want me to.� Max shook his head. �Stay. Noah�s asleep and I have no idea what to with myself.� Liz gave him a playful smile. �Well, what do you suggest we do?� Max smiled back and shrugged his shoulders. �I don�t know. How about we talk? You know, you could tell me more about yourself. I mean you already know more about me than you�d probably like. I want to know more about you. If we�re going to be friends, I only think it�s fair that I know a little more about my new friend.� Liz caught the playfulness in his voice and it made her a little happier. �Well, I don�t there really is much to say. I�ve lived in Roswell all of my life and I�m about as interesting as watching paint dry.� Max shook his head and lightly scratched his chin. �Nah, I don�t believe that for a second. I know there�s more to you than growing up in Roswell all of your life and working at the Crashdown. I mean, you must have some interests. What do you like to do for fun? Who�s your favorite band? Anything about yourself, I�d love to hear it.� Liz looked into his eyes and saw his genuine interest. She didn�t know why he would think she was interesting. �Um, ok. Uh, I like to hang with my friends. You know, do normal teenage girl stuff. Talk about clothes, movies, things like that. I really like the Dave Matthews Band, um, eventually I�d like to get out of Roswell. You know, some big city where nobody knows me.� �Why?� Liz shrugged her shoulders as she hugged one of the pillows on the couch. �I don�t know. I mean I�ve never really been outside of Roswell. I�ve always wanted to see the world, experience new things, get lost in new surroundings.� Liz glanced up at Max and she noticed the way he was watching her intently. She felt her cheeks get warm from the blush that spread across them. �I know, that sounds geeky- Max stopped her. �No, no it doesn�t. In fact, it sounds like a pretty good idea to me. Are you going away to college?� Liz looked thoughtful for a moment. �I don�t really know. I mean I�ve always had this dream where I would go to Harvard and study Molecular Biology.� �Then why not go for it? If it�s your dream, then you should pursue it.� �It�s easy to say all of that, but I sort of have to put things into perspective. I mean going to college alone is going to set my parents back, but then you add wanting to go to Harvard, I mean my parents own a cafe that serves greasy food, we aren�t exactly made of money.� �How about a loan? I�m sure you could qualify for some sort of scholarship too.� Liz gave him a look and a little smile. �You sound like you can�t wait to get rid of me.� Max found himself trying to explain himself. Shaking his head, he began speaking. �No, that�s not, that�s not what I meant. It just sounded like you really want this dream to happen, but it�s like holding yourself back. It just seems like a waste for someone as bright as you to sacrifice their dream just because of a few set backs.� Liz tried to steer the subject away from her a little. �How about you? Have you thought about college?� Max leaned back against the cushions. �Yeah, but I�ll only be able to go part time. I can�t expect my mom to just always be there, and I�ll probably have to find another job.� �Well, what school did you have in mind?� Max fingered the fringe of the pillow in his lap. �I�ll probably start out at a junior college and then transfer out to a state college.� Liz was a little shocked. �Junior college? But you�re grades are really good.� �It�s like you said. Money doesn�t exactly grow on trees and I have a baby to support.� Liz felt like kicking herself. She had forgotten just how much responsibility Max had to deal with. He didn�t just have to worry about himself, but there was this little person who depended solely on him. She found herself admiring him even more. She had no idea what it was like to sacrifice your dreams for someone else. The difference with Max was that he didn�t seem to mind any of it. Sure, it may have seemed like he missed out on a lot of things, but he didn�t seem bitter. The more she thought about it, the more she couldn�t stop herself from falling deeper. Her feelings for him were developing by the second and she found herself not wanting the feeling to stop. Max looked at Liz curiously. He wondered what was going on in that beautiful head of hers. �What are you thinking about?� �How amazing you are. I don�t know how you do it Max.� �Do what?� �Be you. I don�t know how you can raise a child, support him, and still be this great, wonderful person, and at the same time still be a teenager.� Max sat back and watched the admiration flash through Liz�s eyes. He didn�t know why she seemed so amazed with him. �I�m not doing anything special. Like you said, I�m just being me. I�ve made some mistakes in my life that have had life altering consequences, and I�m just doing what�s right. There�s nothing special about that.� Liz pulled herself a little closer to him and placed one of his hands in between both of hers. �That�s where you�re wrong. Any other guy in your position probably would have given up when things got tough. But you, you just shoulder all of these obstacles and you have no complaints. You accept your responsibilities, but at the same time you don�t see them that way. You look at your son as a gift, the way you�re supposed to look at him. And for that, for everything, that�s why I think you�re special.� Liz leaned forward and placed her lips against his cheek. She let her lips linger a little longer than necessary, but neither of them seemed to mind. She pulled back, and the two of them sat there, not knowing what to say next. Part 25 ******************* Isabel sat resting her elbows against the counter. She was waiting for Alex to finish his shift so they could do something together. The jingling of the front doors caused Isabel to turn her head. She smiled when she saw Maria, Michael, and Kyle come through. Maria quickly ran up to her and sat beside her. �I thought your shift ended a while ago.� Isabel sat up straighter as she twisted the swivel seat, to face the others. �It did. I was just waiting for Alex to finish up so we could hang out.� Kyle gave her a little grin. �So, what did Whitman have in mind?� Alex came through the swinging doors, pulling his arms through his jacket. �Actually, nothing. How about you guys? Got any plans?� Maria looked towards Michael who just shrugged his shoulders. �Nope.� Maria gave a fake smile as she turned back around. �Another one of the perks of living in Roswell, New Mexico. It�s Saturday night, and we have nothing to do.� Kyle jammed his hands in his pocket. �Tell me something new.� Alex spoke up, sensing all of the sarcasm among his friends. �How about we just hang out together. Rent some movies that no one really wants to watch and grub on some munchies.� Michael leaned forward and gave Alex a slap on his shoulder. �I like the way you think Whitman.� He rubbed his palms against each other and turned to Maria. �So, your place?� Maria and Kyle both looked down at the same time and shook their heads. �Uh, can�t. Mom and Jim want some alone time tonight.� Michael looked up. �My place is out. They�re still remodeling the rest of the house. How �bout you, Alex?� Alex shook his head. �No can do. Brothers are home from the army. Unless you guys want my dad talking to you guys about the importance of joining the army, then my place is definitely out.� �Hey, how about Liz? I�m sure, Mr. and Mrs. P won�t mind if hang out at there place.� Maria was about to go through the swinging doors to get to the Parkers apartment when Isabel�s voice stopped her. �Uh, she�s not home.� Maria turned back around. �Well, do you know where she is?� Isabel sat back against her seat. �My guess? Probably still at my place. If you guys want, we could just hang out at my place.� Maria just shrugged her shoulders, choosing not to ask why Liz was at the Evans place right now. She�d just have to corner Liz later and find out what was up. �Well, if you�re sure it�s cool, let�s head over to Spacey�s and rent some bad movies.� The group made their way out of the cafe and headed off to their cars. *************** Max didn�t know how long they sat beside each other, without saying anything. The moment her lips had come into contact with his skin, he felt his whole body warm up. He could feel his breath quicken, and his heart beat race. He didn�t know what he was getting himself so worked up about. It was just a kiss. A friendly kiss on the cheek. He shouldn�t mistake it for anything more than that. Heck, he had kissed her on the forehead yesterday, and she certainly didn�t make a big deal about it. But still, he couldn�t stop himself from wondering. Did she want to kiss him, like he knew he wanted to kiss her? What would she do, if he casually leaned forward right now and gave her a kiss on the lips? Would she push him away, or would she welcome his kiss? Max shook his head in an effort to steer his mind away from dangerous thoughts. As much as he would like to have a relationship with Liz, they had just known each other for a short time. She was still getting used to the fact that he was a father. He didn�t want to pressure her. And besides, she had more than once insisted that she wanted to be good friends, nothing more. ************** Liz sat back and watched the various emotions pass through Max�s eyes. She wondered what he was thinking about. Was he thinking about the kiss she just gave him? Because she definitely was. She wanted nothing more than to lean over right now and plant a kiss on his lips, but she didn�t think that was right. She didn�t want to risk their new friendship. So she just sat back and waited. ***************** Spacey�s Video Store The five teenagers stood in one corner of the video store, each holding videos. It had become a battle of what was going to be rented. �Michael, we are not watching Braveheart again just so you can get an accurate body count.� Maria placed her hand on her hip and watched as Michael tried to make a retaliation. �Fine, if we can�t watch Brave Heart, then we are definitely not watching Bring It On. I am not watching a movie about some dumb cheerleaders.� Kyle pulled Michael�s shoulder so he could whisper into it. �Uh, Guerin, maybe be you should rethink that. A movie with cheerleaders? Need I say more?� Michael glanced at Kyle from the corner of his eye. �Fine, you can rent that. But no more chick flicks. We should just rent something that we can all watch.� Alex held up the video in his hand. �How about What Lies Beneath? It has that kinda scary, but not too scary thing going on. And Michelle Pfeiffer is in it.� Alex didn�t even bother to try and hide the dopey grin from his face. Kyle grabbed the videos from Alex and Maria. �Since I don�t hear any complaints, I guess that settles it.� He walked towards the counter to pay for the videos as the others slowly made their way over to him. ************* Max and Liz would have continued to sit in silence had it not been for Noah waking up from his nap. Max excused himself and swiftly made his way up the stairs. He carried Noah down with him and once again sat beside Liz. �How is he?� Liz sat closer and gently stroked Noah�s soft skin. Max looked up at her and gave her a little smile. �He�s a little cranky right now. He gets that way sometimes after he wakes up from his nap.� Noah began to fuss and refused to sit still on Max�s lap. Max rubbed his little back. �Come on buddy. Settle down.� Liz leaned over and placed a soft kiss on his head. �Yeah, Noah. Be good for your daddy. You�ve been waiting all day to see him.� Max gave Liz a grateful smile for trying to encourage Noah to sit still. Their moment was broken, when the front door opened revealing five teenagers arguing over which movie to watch first. �I say we watch Bring It On. It�s comedy. Everybody loves comedy.� Alex clapped Kyle on the back and gave him a grin. �You don�t have to say that Kyle. Everyone knows you want to watch it because of all of those chicks in the cheerleader outfits.� Maria pulled the videos from Kyle�s hands. �I say we watch What Lies Beneath. I saw it at the movies and it was really scary.� Alex wrapped his arm around Maria. �I�m with Maria. What Lies Beneath is a really good movie.� Michael sighed in disgust. �Give it up Alex. We know the only reason you want to watch is because of your Michelle Pfeiffer fixation. I�m with Kyle. I say we watch Bring It On.� Maria cocked her eyebrow at him. �Why don�t we take a vote. So far it�s two on two. Isabel?� All eyes turned on Isabel as she suddenly found herself in the middle of a friendly battle. As much as she enjoyed watching Bring It On in the theaters, she would much rather watch What Lies Beneath. �Uh, I guess my vote goes to What Lies Beneath.� Maria gave a smug grin. �Hah! We win. We get to watch What Lies Beneath.� Michael grabbed her arm as she attempted to walk into the living room. �Not so fast blondie. If I�m not mistaken, Max and Liz are sitting right over there. If we are going through the majority rules route, I think it�s only fair that they get their votes in.� Five sets of eyes turned to the Max and Liz who were on the couch. Maria placed her hands on her hips. �So, what�ll it be, you two?� Liz sat up a little confused. �Ok, before we go on, maybe you can enlighten me and tell what�s going on first.� Isabel stepped up and gave Liz an explanation. �Uh, we couldn�t find anything to do, so we decided to just rent some videos and just hang out. And since everyone�s houses seemed out of commission tonight, I offered to have everyone over.� Maria tapped her foot against the carpeted floor. �Well, what are your votes?� Liz turned to Max who just shrugged his shoulders. Liz wasn�t really in the mood to watch a scary movie. As much snuggling potential, a scary movie had, Liz didn�t feel comfortable doing anything like that with everyone around. �I guess I vote for Bring It On. I could use a laugh.� Kyle smiled and stood next to Maria. �Well, sis, that�s three on three. There�s still hope yet.� Maria gave him a smile before turning her attention back to Max. �Well, we�ve still got Max�s vote that we�re still waiting for.� Once again, all eyes turned to Max, making him squirm a little. As appealing as What Lies Beneath sounded, he didn�t want to have to deal with the affects the movie would have on Noah. Not that Noah would understand the movie, but he was really sensitive to people�s feelings. If he caught on to the scared feelings everyone was having, there was no way Max would be able to calm him down at all for the rest of the night. Maybe they could just watch that movie after Noah had fallen asleep for the night. �I guess I vote for Bring It On as well.� Kyle and Michael gave each other high fives before making their way into the living room. Kyle took a seat on the recliner beside Max and held out his hand for Max to slap it. �Good choice, Max. I have a feeling we�ll get along great.� Max couldn�t help his lips from curling into a smile. He found himself overjoyed that he could participate in something like this. It seemed like forever since he had done something remotely like a teenager. �He�s right you know. You won�t regret your choice Max.� Michael moved to the tv and popped the tape into the vcr. He moved to sit by the tv and motioned for Maria to join him. Isabel walked towards the kitchen. �I�ll just go order a pizza and start on some popcorn.� Alex followed. �I�ll help with the popcorn.� Liz sat back and watched Max. His face was lit up by a beautiful smile that he didn�t wear often enough. She was glad that her friends had come over. Maybe tonight could prove to be a start of some new friendships. She wanted Max, Isabel, and Noah to experience what it was like to have friends who really cared. Part 26 ***************** Alex came back carrying cans of soda and bags of chips, while Isabel carried in bowls of popcorn. �Who wants some food?� a round of hollers were heard from the guys. Alex carefully tossed Michael and Kyle sodas, as he tried to find a place to sit. Max moved to the edge of the couch, and Liz did the same, making room for another person. Alex offered Isabel the seat and he sat by her feet. �So, what�d we miss?� Maria turned around as she opened a bag of chips. �Nothing. The previews just started a little while ago.� She turned back around, and offered Michael the open bag of chips. Liz turned so she was facing Max. �Are you ok?� Max just smiled back. It touched him that Liz was concerned about how he was doing. �I�m good.� Noah twisted in his lap so that he was facing Liz. He caught sight of Isabel and started crawling towards her. He passed over Liz and then made his way onto Isabel�s lap. He gave Isabel a brief smile before sitting in her lap. Isabel just smiled and gave him a kiss. Max looked towards Isabel to see if she was ok with Noah being with her. Isabel just gave him a nod of her head as she placed her arm around Noah�s waist to pull him more securely in her lap. The previews continued and a round of laughs erupted when the preview for Meet The Parents came on. �That is like the funniest movie ever!� Kyle held his stomach while he laughed at the scenes from the preview. Alex turned to him. �Yeah, it was even funnier than There�s Something About Mary.� He leaned back against Isabel�s legs as his body continued to shake from laughter. Just then he felt something touch his head lightly. He didn�t think anything of it, but he looked up when he felt pressure on his head. �What the-?� He looked up to see Noah with his little hands planted on his head. Noah gave him a grin. Isabel�s face suddenly came into view as she pulled Noah back. �I�m so sorry Alex.� Isabel felt her cheeks burn up. She struggled to keep Noah still in her arms as he kept trying to touch Alex. Alex just gave her a self-conscious smile. �No it�s ok.� He turned back around to face the tv, when he felt something heavy on his neck. �Noah! Stop it!� Alex turned his head and saw a little leg hanging over his shoulder. He turned his head the other way, and sure enough, the other leg was there. He looked up again and saw Noah�s smiling face. Alex couldn�t help but smile at his adorable little face. Alex, reached up to tug on Noah�s little foot. �Hey there, little guy! Enjoying the view?� Noah just reached down to touch Alex�s nose curiously. Alex closed one eye and cocked his other eyebrow. �Having fun?� Just then, Alex felt Noah being lifted off of his shoulders. He turned to see Max lift his son up with ease. Max gave him an apologetic look. �I�m sorry about that. He�s just not used to seeing so many people together at one time. He�s just a little curious.� Alex was sort of sad to see Max take Noah. He was sort of enjoying himself. �It�s not a problem. He can feel free to search out my imperfections any day.� Alex gave Max a reassuring smile. Max smiled back and sat down. He whispered into his son�s ear and gave his son a kiss on the nose before turning his attention back to the tv. What he didn�t notice was that everyone had tuned in to the little exchange. Everyone had seen the way he had stepped in and acted like the parent that he was. They also noticed how tender he was with his son. Everyone was surprised with the grace in which he carried himself. They had all known he would have done something, but what had surprised them was the way in which he had approached the situation. He didn�t lose his temper. He had acted cool, calm, and collected. He took control of the situation and solved the problem. Alex, Michael, Maria, and Kyle were witnessing first hand what kind of guy Max Evans was. They could feel themselves warming up to Max and Noah. It probably wouldn�t be long before they all became good friends. Part 27 *************** About halfway through the movie, the phone rang startling everyone. Max reached behind him and answered it. �Hello?� Max tucked the phone between his ear and shoulder as he handed Noah to Liz. �Evans, you ordered a pizza?� �That would be us.� Max looked at his watch to see the time. �Hey, isn�t the pizza supposed to be here by now?� �See, that�s what we�re calling about. We�re backed up in our orders, it�s going to take about another half hour till the pizza gets there.� �A half hour?� �We�ll throw in free breadsticks for the trouble.� Max glanced around at everyone. They didn�t seem to be too worried about the food getting there, so he agreed. �That�ll be fine.� He placed the phone back and reached for Noah. �The pizza�s gonna take another half hour. I hope you guys don�t mind.� Maria turned around and waved her hand. �That�s fine. I don�t think I can eat anything right now.� She looked around her to see the empty junk food packages. She shook her head in disgust and continued to watch the movie. ************ As the credits rolled, the door bell rang. Isabel ran to get it, while everyone straightened out the living room. �Pizza�s here! You guys wanna eat in here or in the kitchen?� Isabel stood there holding the pizza box in her hands with the free breadsticks on top. Michael held up his hand. �I vote for the kitchen. I need a movie break.� One by one, they each filed into the kitchen. Paper plates were passed around as everyone took a seat around the table. �Man, that was the best movie.� Kyle took a bite out of his pizza, with a smile on his lips. �What I wouldn�t give to have been one of those guy cheerleaders.� Maria threw a napkin at him. �So, are you considering joining the squad?� Alex threw his hands up in the air and clapped his hands together, while winking. �Go Comets!� Michael had decided to play along. �Yeah Valenti. You have to be aggressive, be be aggressive!� Michael clapped his hands together and gave a sugary sweet smile. Laughs could be heard from everyone, as Alex and Michael did their imitations of the cheerleaders. Maria turned to Michael and gave him a kiss on the cheek. �Aww! Maybe you should join too.� Michael gave Maria a scowl which only caused everyone to laugh harder. Maria turned around and saw Max struggling with Noah. For the most part, Noah had been quiet during the movie. Other than his little introduction with Alex, they hadn�t heard a peep out of him. Maria stood up and walked towards Max. �Do you want me to hold him so you can eat?� Max looked up to see Maria�s sweet smile. �No, no it�s ok. I�ve got it covered.� Maria just shook her head and picked up Noah from his arms. �Max, it�s ok. I�ve already had my daily fill of junk food.� �How about you? Aren�t you going to eat?� Maria stuck out her tongue and shook her. �I can�t eat another thing.� Noah looked up at Maria and started giggling when she stuck out her tongue. �You�re sure?� Maria just playfully slapped Max against the shoulder. �Yes! Now you better eat or else I�m never going to give back your baby.� Max smiled a small smile, and allowed himself to laugh. Maria felt herself melting. Max Evans really needed to smile more often. She was glad that she had caused him to do that. She took her seat beside Michael. Noah twisted in Maria�s arms so that he was facing her. He gave her a little grin as he tugged on her blonde curls. Maria couldn�t wipe the smile off of her face. �Aren�t you just the cutest little thing.� ********** Once every last piece of pizza was devoured, everyone took there share of garbage and helped clean up in the kitchen. Maria saw Isabel struggling with some trash. �Here, let me help you with that.� Maria placed Noah in Michael�s lap and went to help Isabel. Michael�s eyes grew wide when Maria put Noah on his lap. �Maria!� Maria turned to Michael and gave him a look. �What?� Michael looked at Noah then looked towards Maria. He pointed at Noah as he spoke. �What am I supposed to do?� Maria just shrugged her shoulders. �Nothing. Just make sure he doesn�t fall.� Maria turned back around to help Isabel. �Do nothing. Just make sure he doesn�t fall.� Michael muttered the words to himself. He gently placed his hand against Noah�s back to make sure he didn�t fall. He turned his head to the side to try and get a look at Noah. �Hey, whatcha doin�?� Noah sat facing Michael, tugging on his buttons. Michael turned his head to look for someone that could possibly help him. Everyone was busy except for Kyle who was going to take a seat across from him. He grabbed his shirt sleeve and pulled him down next him. �Kyle, you gotta help me. I don�t what the kid�s doing.� Michael gestured to Noah, who was alternating tugging on his buttons and touching his ring on his finger. Kyle threw up his hands. �How am I supposed to help you? I haven�t been around kids, since, well, since, since I was a kid. I don�t know what to do.� Michael turned his attention back to Noah was now smiling up at him. �What do I do? What do I do?� �I don�t know!� ************** As soon as everything was cleaned up Maria returned to the kitchen to find Michael and Kyle with their noses on top of Noah�s head. Maria held back her laughter as she watched the two guys. �What are you guys doing?� Michael and Kyle�s heads flew up at the sound of Maria�s voice. �Nothing!� Maria placed her hands on her hips as she got closer to the two of them. �Uh huh. Sure, I believe you. If you guys don�t tell me what you were doing, then I�ll just have to sit here and share every embarrassing story I know about the two of you until you guys tell me.� Michael hit Kyle�s shoulder. �Ow! What�d you do that for?� �You tell her, it was your idea.� Now Maria was really curious. What were these two up to? Grumbling to himself, Kyle stood up. �Fine!� He turned to Maria. �I�ll tell you, but you better not tell another living soul, so help me Deluca.....� �Fine, yes, I won�t tell anybody.� �We were, we were smelling his head.� Maria didn�t bother to keep the laughter from her voice. �Ok, I�ll bite. Why were you guys smelling his head?� Kyle felt himself blush as Maria continued to question him. �Well, I�ve always, people are always saying you should smell a baby�s head, you know.....� Maria shook her head as the laughter came and hit her full force. �Actually I don�t know. Where would you get an idea like that?� Kyle threw his hands up in the air. �I don�t know. I just heard it somewhere and we just decided to do it.� Maria turned her tear filled eyes to Michael. �So, uh, what does his head smell like?� �A baby?� Maria got down on her knees in front of Michael. �A baby?� Frustrated, Michael tried to think of a way to explain how Noah�s head had smelt. When Kyle suggested they do it, he had looked at him weird. What was the point of smelling a baby�s head? Kyle had insisted that he had heard people say it before and that they should just try it. So, they had. Noah didn�t really smell like anything you could describe. There was a hint of baby powder and just something else. Something, sweet? Was it even possible for something to smell sweet? �I don�t know.� Just then, Max walked back into the room and headed towards Michael. He picked up Noah in his arms and turned to Michael. �Thanks for watching him.� Max gave Noah a pat on the back. �I�m just going to put him to bed, then we can watch the other movie.� Liz walked beside Max. �I�ll help you.� Max smiled at her and walked through the open walkway. With his chin resting on Max�s shoulder, Noah gave Michael and Kyle a little wave. Michael and Kyle both found themselves waving back, both of them with silly smiles on their faces. *********** Max placed Noah down and placed a blanket over him. �G�nite big guy. I�ll see you in the morning.� Max leaned forward and gave him a kiss. Before he stood back up, he whispered in his ear. �And thanks for being good to Liz today.� He pulled back up just as Liz leaned forward. �Sleep tight sweet thing. And thanks for a wonderful day.� Liz gave him a kiss and waved. Max switched on the monitor and pulled the blanket tighter against Noah. �Nite, nite, little man.� Max pulled the door open so that he and Liz could go back downstairs, when something stopped him. �Da da.� Max�s head whipped around to face Liz. �Did you hear that?� Liz bobbed her head in agreement when the voice spoke again. �Da da.� Max and Liz both peered into the crib to see a sleepy Noah with his arm curled around pooh bear. �Da da.� Max turned Liz to face him. �He just said, da da.� �Omigod, Liz, he just said da da!� Liz gave him the biggest smile she could muster. She remembered what it felt like, when Noah had said her name. She could only imagine how wonderful, Max felt right now. �He just said da da!� With that, Max picked Liz up into his arms and spun her in circles, while repeating the same words over and over. He had to be the happiest man on earth right now. To hear your child calling out to you, it had to be the best feeling in the world. It was euphoric. It was only when he heard Liz�s soft laughter that he realized what he was doing. Slowly he stopped spinning and let Liz slide down his body, without relinquishing his hold on her body. They looked into each others eyes. "Max...." Part 28 ************* �Max........� Max felt himself leaning forward. Her face was getting closer and closer. Was he the one moving forward, or was she? Liz felt her hands trembling against Max�s shoulders. The way he was looking at her....... Was she the one leaning in closer, or was he? She could feel his breath come out in warm little puffs against her face. She stared at his full lips as they came closer. She tilted her head to the side and let her eyes drift close. As soon as Max saw Liz close her eyes, he felt his own shut. He felt himself shiver as her breath mingled with his. Was this really happening? Their lips touched tentatively, slowly, unsure. It was the lightest of touches, feather like. Max gently gathered Liz closer to his body, enjoying the way she was surrounding him. She had the softest lips, the sweetest taste. Liz gripped Max�s shoulder. This was really happening. She and Max were kissing. A voice yelling from downstairs broke the two of them apart. �Max, Liz, the movie�s ready! Get your butts down here!� Maria�s voice had broken the moment. Max looked around the room, trying to get his bearings. He had just kissed Liz on the lips. The thought, played through his mind a few more times before realizing that he was still holding her body against his. �Sorry.� Max mumbled his apology and moved away from Liz. Liz felt her smile drop from her lips. Sorry? He was sorry that he had kissed her? She valiantly tried to swallow past the lump in her throat. �We should go downstairs.� She walked past him and made her way down the stairs. Max pressed the heels of his hands against his eyes. �Stupid, stupid, stupid!� He kicked the bedside table. �Damn it!� He ran his hand across his face before going down the stairs. ********** All of the lights, had been shut off. �Max, pull up a seat.� Max followed Alex�s voice to where he was seated on the couch, with Isabel beside him, and Kyle beside her. Michael was seated on the recliner with Maria on his lap. �Yeah Max, you don�t want to miss the previews, they�re the best part.� Max�s eyes scanned the room for Liz. As another preview came on, the room was illuminated by light. His eyes finally landed on her. He quickly made his way towards her. As he sat down beside her, he felt her move away from him. She pulled her knees up against her chest and refused to acknowledge that he was there. If she did, she knew she would break down and cry, and there was no way she was going to do that. She had to think about this rationally. ******** Max felt a pang in his heart when she moved away from him. This was not how he had pictured their first kiss to be like. He had wanted to kiss her so bad all day, that he just couldn�t control himself when his emotions were just flying high. It had felt so right, like nothing else in the world had. He had to find a way to make her understand that he wasn�t sorry for kissing her. Or maybe she was the one that was sorry. Had he been too bold? Had he stepped over the friendship boundary that they had laid out for themselves? He heaved a sigh and tried to pay attention to the movie, although he knew that it was a lost cause. ********* As the movie ended, the whole gang stood up and began stretching. Alex moved to the wall to switch the light on. The room was flooded with light. �Well, I�d love to thank you guys for a wonderful evening, but I�m on curfew.� Alex stretched his arms and turned to Liz. �Parker, you need a ride?� Liz just shook her head, tucking her hair behind her ears. �Thanks, but I have my car.� They all made their way towards the door, each bidding goodnight. �This was great, we have to do this more often.� Maria smiled her thanks as she pulled on her coat. Liz was the last to pull her coat on. She walked through the door when she felt someone holding her arm. �I�ll walk you to your car.� She looked up to see Max. She couldn�t read the expression on his face. �That�s ok. You don�t have to do that.� She pulled her arm away from his grasp and tried to leave. Max stepped in her way. �But I want to.� Liz just shrugged her shoulders and walked past him. �Liz. Liz, wait.� Max ran to catch up to her. He stopped her from pulling the car door open. Liz turned to face him, but refused to meet his eyes. �What is it, Max?� She didn�t mean for it to sound snippy, but she was confused. She didn�t know how to react to what happened. �I just wanted to apologize.� Liz wiped the tears that had fallen down her face. �You don�t have to do that Max. I know how this story goes, so let�s just leave it at that. That way, I�ll still have a little dignity left.� She went to pull the door open, only to have Max slam the door closed. �No, I don�t think you know how the story goes.� Liz pushed him back, hoping to get him away from the car. �Max, please.......� Max shook his head. �I can�t let you leave without telling you what you need to know.� He paused for a second. �I�m not sorry that I kissed you. I am sorry that I took advantage of you.� Liz looked up at him. Now she was confused. �You took advantage of me?� Where would he get an idea like that? Now it was Max who was having a hard time trying to look her in the eye. �I kissed you when I shouldn�t have. I guess you could say that I was caught up in the moment, but that shouldn�t be an excuse. I�m sorry that I�ve probably ruined our friendship. I know you said that you wanted to just be friends, but with what I just did, well, I can understand if you�d prefer we weren�t friends.� He stepped away from her then. �I just wanted to thank you, for today. I don�t remember being this happy.� He turned to his house and took long strides towards it, finally breaking out into a run. He slammed the door behind him. What had possessed him to kiss her? Was that kiss worth risking their friendship over? He had a sinking feeling that it was. If he had a choice of knowing what it was like to kiss her or not knowing, he would choose kissing her. *********** Liz had driven home in a daze. She had greeted her parents briefly before retiring to her room. It was 2 o�clock in the morning, but sleep was nowhere near her vicinity. She couldn�t stop thinking about what happened with Max. He said he wasn�t sorry that he kissed her. Did that mean he liked her? He said he was sorry for taking advantage of her. Why would he think that? Ultimately, he thought he had crossed the thin line between friendship, and a possible romantic relationship. And she hadn�t done anything to reassure him otherwise. She kicked the sheets off, and grabbed the phone. ********** A sleepy Maria slammed her hand against the bedside table, trying to find the phone. She placed the phone against her ear. �Whoever this is, it had better be good!� �Maria,� Liz whined into the phone. Maria sat up and looked at her alarm clock. �Liz, babe, you know I love you, but it�s 2 in the morning. What�s so important that you had to wake me up?� �Maria, please, I need to talk to someone.� Liz lay back against her bed. �Ok, chica, what�s this about?� �Max. It�s important, Maria.� Maria threw her legs over the side of the side of the bed. �I�m there.� Back Next |
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