| Part 74 **************** The sunlight broke through the slightly open slats of the blinds, lighting up Max�s room to an iridescent glow. Max was the first wake up, a smile touching his lips, seeing Liz curled up beside him. But what surprised him, was that Noah had somehow climbed out of his bed, making it to the �big� bed to join Liz, and himself. Noah�s head was lying softly on Liz�s chest, his thumb stuck in his mouth. Max couldn�t help but reach out and caress Noah�s cheek, then reaching up to cup Liz�s cheek. He didn�t want to wake her up, but he just couldn�t help himself. She looked just like an angel, her chocolate brown hair fanned out over his pillow, her arm holding Noah close to her body. If he wasn�t already so in love with Liz, seeing the image of her and Noah so comfortable in each other�s arms even in sleep would have done him in. Seeing this every morning was definitely something he could get used to. Noah stirred, his long eyelashes fluttering against his soft cheeks. With a small yawn, he rolled over so that he was lying on his stomach. His eyes focused on Max�s and the two of them shared a knowing smile. Noah turned his head, his eyes lighting up to see Liz sound asleep. With a chubby fist, he reached out, taking a lock of her long hair in his hands, merely enjoying touching it. "Lizzie!" Max shook his head, putting a finger to his lips to keep Noah quiet. "Quiet, little man. We need to let Liz get some sleep. We wore her out yesterday." As if Noah understood, he stopped talking, opting to lay his head on Liz�s chest again. Her soft breaths, calming him, almost making him sleepy again. Max sat up a little to get a better view of Liz, wanting to soak up as much of her as he could. The smile on his face was imperishable, just as it always was when he was with Liz. This is what heaven must feel like, he thought. Not able to restrain himself any longer, Max placed a butterfly kiss on Liz�s lips, grinning when she smiled. Her eyes were still closed as she stretched her arms above her head. But when she finally did open them, they danced with a happiness that couldn�t be contained. Leaning on her elbow, she reached out to touch Max�s face, running her hand across his strong jaw. She closed her eyes, returning his butterfly kiss from earlier. "Morning." She pulled away, giving Noah�s head a kiss. "Mornin� to you too precious." Liz sat up, cradling Noah in her arms. "When did you get here?" When Noah didn�t answer, Liz turned to Max. He just shrugged his shoulders, laughter tinting his voice. "I don�t know, but he was already here when I woke up. Sound asleep I might add. Seems to me, the little man woke up in the middle of the night and made his way over to join the party." Liz giggled into the pillow, just enjoying the quiet morning they were sharing. Waking up in the arms of her �boys� was certainly a high. "Well, I must�ve been dead tired, considering I didn�t even feel him get on the bed." Max shook his head laughing. He leaned his back against the headboard, pulling Liz to sit beside him. "Me too. But I can�t say I�m not happy. This is exactly where I want to be, with my two favorite people." She stopped to give Noah a kiss on his head, leaning to give Max a lingering kiss. Her fingers were splayed across his naked chest as they continued to exchange kisses. The phone rang, halting their kiss, as Max reached for it. "Hello?....Oh, hey Maria......Yeah, she�s right here....Oh, and Maria?......I just wanted to thank you for covering for us........I will.....ok....here she is......" Max handed the phone to Liz, taking Noah from her arms. He flipped him upside down, bringing him to the changing table. After changing his diaper, Max placed zurbits on Noah�s round tummy, both of them laughing together. Liz couldn�t help but watch the two of them together. Being here with them, seeing them like this was such a gift. Quickly hanging up the phone with Maria, Liz jumped from the bed, heading for Max. She let her fingers dance across his sides, finding his ticklish spot. She caught him by surprise that he stumbled backwards, falling to the floor. Liz held her hand against her mouth, scared that she had hurt him, but Max�s hearty laugh let her know that he was fine. She looked to Noah, her co-conspirator, winking at him. "How about we give daddy some zurbits?" Liz started on his chest, tickling the heck out of Max. Noah followed her lead, but couldn�t quite do the zurbit right. He ended up just placing wet kisses on Max�s cheeks. But Liz was an expert at zurbits, so continued down his chest, grinning when she felt Max squirm. It was only when she reached the top of Max�s boxers did he jump up, running to the shower, muttering something about it being a cold one. Liz had to do a double take just to make sure that it did happen, since Max was so quick. She laughed to herself, pulling Noah into her arms. "Well, I think daddy�s had enough zurbits for today," she finished with a giggle. Part 75 ********** �Are we there yet?� Max laughed at the sound of Liz�s voice when she asked the same question for what seemed like the millionth time during their drive. He glanced at her, shaking his head. �Were you always this...� he paused for a second trying to think of the right word. �Persistent as a child?� Liz chuckled, sliding closer towards him. �I�m sorry, it�s just we�ve been driving forever. My butt�s starting to get numb.� The rumble of Max�s laugh reverberated through the jeep. He reached into the glove compartment, reaching for a scarf. �Here, put this on.� Liz looked at the silk scarf in her lap, fingering the softness of it. She looked up at Max who was busy reading street signs. �Why do I have to put this on?� He gave her his half smile, looking at her from the corner of his eye. �Because, it�s a surprise.� Liz looked at him skeptically, wanting to know what he was up to. �Max Evans, what are you up to?� He shrugged his shoulders, giving her a pouty lip. �You�re not going to put it on? Even for me?� Liz shook her head, in mock exasperation. �The things I do for you.� Max laughed again, waiting until she had tied it securely around her eyes before he started driving again. They were almost at their destination, but he had driven around in circles for a little bit to get Liz to lose her bearings. He knew it was mean, but he wanted this to be a good surprise. He had only come up with idea while he was listening to her breathing as they slept last night. Liz had given him everything he could possibly dream of, and he was hoping to return the favor for doing this for her. He knew how much it would mean to her, and he would whatever it was that was going to make her happy. Finally driving into a residential area, Max looked in his rearview mirror to catch a glimpse of Noah in the back seat who had fallen asleep an hour or so ago. Max felt bad for dragging him all the way out here, but Liz had insisted that Noah join them. On the inside, Max was elated. Liz had already accepted Noah and him as her own, and it brought tears to his eyes just thinking about it. He pulled up in front of a house, his palms sweating. As much as he knew that Liz would love his idea, he couldn�t help but have his stomach turning in knots. Behind that door, was another hurdle he was going to have to jump. �Did we stop?� Liz placed her hand on the dashboard, feeling for the thunder of the jeep�s engine, but feeling nothing. �Yeah, we�re here.� She reached up to take the blindfold off, but she felt Max�s hand over hers, halting their movement. �Not yet. I�ll tell you when.� Liz nodded, waiting patiently in her seat for Max to tell her when she could take off the blindfold. She could hear him moving around, opening the back door to get Noah. Liz turned her head when she felt her door open. She felt Max reach over, undoing her seatbelt. He helped her turn her body so that she was facing him. Liz smiled when she felt Max give her a peck on the lips before undoing the blindfold from around her eyes. �Come on.� He held out his unoccupied hand to her, helping her out of the jeep. Liz�s heart stop beating when she saw where they were. Tears pricked her eyes, as she realized what Max had done for her. �Max...� Before she could get anything else out of her mouth, the front door of the house burst open. �Lizzie!� Max just gave Liz an encouraging smile, pushing her towards her parents. �Go on.� Max stood on the front walkway, holding Noah to his chest as he watched Liz, her parents, and her grandmother have an impromptu reunion on the front lawn. The five hour drive was worth it. To see Liz so happy. Max sighed, glad that he could give Liz an ounce of the happiness that she had given him. ********** Liz looked over her dad�s shoulder as he hugged her with a love only a father could have for his child. She smiled at Max through her tears, wanting him to know how much this meant to her. She could barely believe that he had done this for her, but actually, she could. Because this was Max Evans she was talking about, and he was an angel sent to her from heaven. Part 76 *************** Claudia watched as Liz and her parents hugged, tears flowing from their eyes. It was such a nice surprise to see her here. Her gaze fell on Max who looked a little frightened, standing to a corner by himself, with Noah tucked safely in his arms. So this must be the young man her Lizzie was always raving about. The shy look in his eyes, and the protective way he cradled his son�s body to his chest, endeared Max to her. She could definitely see what drew Liz to him. He really did have soulful eyes, almost too pretty for a boy, but his eyes suited him well. Claudia smiled, walking towards Max. Might as well introduce herself to potential family members, she thought amusedly. *************** Max was so busy watching Liz reunite with her parents that he missed seeing her grandmother walking towards him. She had a warm smile on her face, one that reminded him a lot of Liz�s. �You must be Max.� She peered over his chest, looking at the sleeping bundle in his arms. �And this must be little Noah.� She reached over, stroking the warmth of Noah�s cheek, as he continued to sleep soundly in Max�s arms. Max untangled one his hands from Noah�s body, holding it out for Liz�s grandmother. �Yeah. It�s nice to meet you Mrs. Parker.� Claudia waved Max�s hand away, throwing her arms around Max, pulling him into a bear hug. �Now, enough of that Mrs. Parker thing. It�s just grandma Claudia,� she finished with a smile. She couldn�t resist brushing the bangs off of Max�s forehead, grinning at the shocked look on the young man�s face. �My, you�re a lot more handsome than Lizzie�s let on.� Max felt his face grow with embarrassment. This is not how he envisioned himself meeting Liz�s grandmother for the first time. He would have thought that she would be the hardest person to win over considering Liz was her only granddaughter, and well the fact that he was a single teenage father wasn�t something someone would go bragging about to their family. But she seemed more than ok with everything. She lead him by the arm towards the house. �Let�s get inside so you can put the little one down.� Max threw a look to Liz over his shoulder before Claudia pulled him into the house. Jeff laughed at the slightly worried look on Max�s face. If he knew his mother at all, she was probably in the kitchen asking Max if he�d like some cookies or something. He shook his head, looking down at Liz, the smile on his face widening at seeing her in the flesh. He knew it was ridiculous to act like he hadn�t seen her in a long time, when in reality it had only been a few days since they had left Roswell. And it wasn�t as if this was the first time that they had left her alone, but this was the first time where they were leaving her, and they wouldn�t be going home. Well, at least not for a while. But he just couldn�t help himself. He gave her another hug. �This is such a nice surprise, sweetie. We weren�t expecting a visit from you till two weeks or so.� �I know, but it was all Max�s idea. I didn�t even know that he was bringing me here until I saw the house.� Liz pulled her parents towards the house, laughing as she spoke. �C�mon, we better get in there before Grandma smothers Max with cookies.� ************** Claudia had Max sitting at the kitchen counter, as she puttered around, playing hostess. �Is there anything I can get you? A soda? Water? Maybe some cookies?� Max shook his head, as Claudia busied herself trying to accommodate him. He couldn�t help but think of Liz when he saw her. �I�m fine, thank you.� Liz walked into the kitchen, slipping her arm around Max�s as she sit down beside him. She gave him a tender kiss on the cheek, twining their fingers together. �Hey grandma. I take that you�ve met Max.� Claudia put a tray on the counter filled with drinks smiling as she winked at Max. �Sure have. We�re old friends, now.� Max smiled, enjoying how Liz�s grandmother was treating him as if were a part of the family, and they had only met a few minutes ago. Jeff pulled out a seat for Nancy and himself. �It�s good to see you again, Max. I wanted to say thank you for bringing Liz out here. It�s such a pleasant surprise.� Max blushed. �It�s no problem.� Everyone�s attention was suddenly focused on Noah as walked into the room cautiously. Tears were brimming over his cheeks as he walked around the unfamiliar surroundings. He wiped away at his tears, his eyes trying to focus on anything that might look familiar. Finally he looked up to see Liz sitting with Max. He ran to her, wrapping his arms around her legs. �Lizzie.� Liz picked up Noah, bringing to sit on the counter. She wiped away at his tears, kissing his cheeks. �It�s ok, precious. I�m right here.� She turned him so that he was facing Max. �And look, you�re daddy�s here too. You don�t have to be afraid.� She smiled at him, tilting his chin up to meet her gaze. Max reached out his arms to Noah, giving him a smile. �You wanna come to daddy?� Noah shook his head, wrapping his little arms around Liz. �No. Lizzie, mine.� He rested his head on her shoulder, swiping at his nose. Claudia tried to bite back the smile as she watched the three of them together. The day certainly was going to be an interesting one. ********* Claudia sat beside Max on the back porch steps, watching as Liz chased Noah around the yard. "Those two make a pair, don�t they?" Max chuckled as Liz lay on the grass, with Noah sitting on her stomach. "Yeah they do. If Noah wasn�t my son, I�d be probably be jealous with all of the time and attention that she showers him with." Claudia gave Max a disbelieving look, causing him to laugh. "Ok, so maybe I do get a little jealous." His lips formed a lopsided grin as he continued to watch the two of them. "How can I not? Liz is," he sighed, trying to find the right word to explain her, but couldn�t. "There isn�t any one word that will describe her." Claudia finished for him. Smiling, he nodded. "Yeah" Max played with the edge of his sweater as if it was the most important thing in the world. But in reality, he was trying to find the courage to ask Liz�s grandmother why she was so nice to him. If he wanted to, he could just chalk it up to her being Liz grandmother, that in itself was a feasible reason. Liz was the most giving, understanding, and loving person he had ever met. He could see a lot of her qualities in her grandmother. But he had to know. Maybe it was because it seemed too easy. He didn�t know. All he knew that he had been burned too many times in the past, that he had to lay all of his cards on the table, and ask people to do the same. "Mrs- His voice faltered when Claudia raised an eyebrow at him. "What did I tell you about calling me Mrs. Parker? The only Mrs. Parker there is now, is Nancy. Besides, I think Mrs. Parker is a little too formal. It�s just grandma Claudia." She grinned at him, hoping to ease his jangled nerves a little. She could see his mind working a million miles a minute, the wheels in his head turning. She wanted him to feel at ease with her, make him feel like he was part of the family, and that he could come to her if he ever needed anything. She knew so much about Max from the numerous stories that Liz had told her over the phone, and any holes that Liz had left, Jeff and Nancy had filled in. When Jeff and Nancy had first spoken about Max to her, they had been expressing their misgivings, and their worries about how a relationship with Max could very well hurt Liz. But that had been months ago. When they had moved in with her a few days ago, they had been the first to sing his praises. They had told her how it was Max that had saved Liz from the burning cafe, that it was Max who put a smile on her face everyday. Max was the reason that there was an extra shimmer in Liz�s eyes that had never been there before. The smile on her face deepened as she thought about all of the wonderful stories that she had heard about Max. The way Liz talked about him, Claudia felt like she already knew him. That it would only be a matter of time before he and Noah were legally a part of the family, because in her heart, they were already a part of the Parker family. Max was responsible for creating a happier environment in the Parker family. Liz and her parents were closer now than they ever have been. And Liz had blossomed into the beautiful woman that she was now, with the help of Max�s love. Max gave her a nervous smile, swallowing convulsively. "Grandma Claudia," he paused for a second, waiting a second to let the words he had just spoke reach his ears. Claudia reached over, tapping his clasped hands. "Now, that sounds so much better." She tipped her head, urging him to continue. Max�s eyes fell to the concrete steps, as he let the words rush past his lips. He felt like a heel for even thinking this way, but he just couldn�t help himself. "This is a really terrible thing to ask, especially since you�ve been nothing but nice to me and my son, showing us respect and kindness. But I have to ask, why are you being nice to me? I would have thought that you of all people would be the one who wouldn�t accept my relationship with Liz." Max waited with baited breath for Claudia to speak. When she didn�t answer right away, he feared that he had offended her, but the soft lilting sound of her voice, told him otherwise. "I don�t know what to tell you, Max, but that I always give respect where it�s due." "But respect is something that needs to be earned. You don�t even know me." Claudia gave him a smile, reminiscent of one Liz usually gave him when he was overreacting over nothing. "But I already know you, Max. I don�t need to spend hours sitting beside you, and visiting, to say that I know you. I know you from the stories that Liz and her parents have told me. Everything they�ve told me about you, tells me that I should respect you. But that isn�t the reason why I do." Max bit the corner of his lip, looking up to meet her gaze. "If not that, then what?" "I respect you because you were a boy who stood up and took responsibility for actions that you made, that may or may not have been the right ones at the time. You have an amazing little boy. I can see in the way that you look at him, that you love him with all of your heart. That little Noah is the basis of your existence, well that is of course until you met Lizzie." Max blushed at her words. "If you hadn�t stepped up to the plate and shouldered the responsibilities of being a father, Noah wouldn�t be the person he is today. You have yourself to thank for that, Max." She gave his hand a little squeeze. "You don�t need to earn my respect, because you already have it. You�ve had it for a very long time now." Max felt the tears prick his eyes at Claudia�s words. Yeah, she was definitely Liz�s grandmother. She shared the same uncanny ability to put to rest his sometimes, silly fears. And for that, he was glad. "Thank you." Claudia reached over, giving Max a motherly hug. "You know, I have a feeling that it should be me who�s supposed to be doing the thanking." This earned a soft chuckle from Max, warming her heart. She pulled back, looking at the rapidly darkening smile. "It�s starting to get late. Maybe the three of you should spend the night." Before Max could get a word in to disagree, Claudia had already made it back into the house. "I�ll start making up the beds, and start on dinner," she threw over her shoulder. *********** Liz sat up with Noah, a smile growing on her lips as she watched Max with her grandmother. She knew that her grandmother had already loved Max before she had even met him. And upon meeting him, she had it on pretty good ground that her grandmother was more than impressed with Max. How could she not? Max was the quintessence of amazing. He had proved that to her time and time again, not that he really needed to, because in her eyes he was perfect. Well as perfect as anyone could get. Max continued to love her more and more with each passing day. She only hoped that she could reciprocate and let him know that she loved him just as much, if not more. Liz leaned down, pressing a kiss to Noah�s cheek. "C�mon precious. Let�s see what everyone�s up to." Part 77 *********** Dinner was light and fun for the most part. Liz had told stories about what it was like living under the Valenti roof, and her parents had talked about how things were holding up on their end. It wasn�t until the end of dinner did, things turn out a little more serious than anyone would�ve liked. ************ Liz placed her used napkin on the table, clearing her throat to get everyone�s attention. "Mom, dad? Could I please speak with you in the other room?" "Sure honey. We�ll do that as soon as we get the table cleaned up." Nancy began gathering the plates, but was stopped by Claudia. "It�s alright, Nancy. Max and I will get that. Why don�t you and Jeff take Liz into the other room and have that talk. They�re leaving early in the morning, why not make the most of the time that you do have together?" Nancy shook her head, insistent that she clean up. "It�s alright, Mrs. Parker. I�d be more than happy to help grandma Claudia clean up." Claudia smiled at the sound of Max�s voice referring to her as grandma, warming her heart. "You hear that, Nancy? Even Max thinks it�s a good idea." Claudia stood up, taking the plates away from Nancy. "Now the three of you, shoo. Max, Noah, and I have some visiting to do." Jeff knew not to argue with his mother, so he stood up, leading Nancy by the arm and into the other room. "Thanks, mom." He tipped his head at Max, signifying his gratitude. "Max." Liz watched her parents leading the way. She threw her arms around Claudia, whispering words of thanks. She walked to Max, placing a kiss on his cheek. "It won�t take long." Max nodded, standing up to help Claudia. *************** Liz sat on the coffee table facing her parents. She glanced behind her to make sure that Max was out of ear shot. When she was satisfied that he wouldn�t be able to hear what she was saying, she turned back to her parents. "Liz, what is it?" Nancy felt her fears rising at a rapid pace. She didn�t understand what all the secrecy was about. Liz swallowed, taking a deep breath. "I got a letter in the mail today." Jeff and Nancy just looked at her with a blank expression, wondering why she was speaking so cryptically. "It was a letter from the University of New Mexico. They got my application, and they�ve accepted me." A smile touched her face as she continued. "So next fall, I�m going to be a student there." Jeff shook his head to clear his muddled thoughts. It wasn�t that he was unhappy that Liz had been accepted to UNM, but he knew that she had had her heart set on Harvard for as long as they could both remember. He didn�t want her to be making some rash decision about what college she was going to go to without really thinking about it first. "But what about Harvard?" "I know that I�ve been raving about how it was my dream to go to Harvard, and be head of molecular biology, and do all of those great things. But things change, people change." Nancy tried to bite her tongue, but she couldn�t. As much as she had accepted Max into their lives, and as much as she had warmed up to him and Noah, she couldn�t help but be a little concerned that Liz was changing all of her plans because of them. "Does this have to do with Max?" Liz nodded, realizing that it would be useless to lie to her parents. "I would be lying to you if I told you that Max didn�t factor in my decision about not going to Harvard. But he isn�t the only reason why I�ve changed my mind." "Then what are your reasons?" Jeff watched Liz�s eyes, hoping to get some answers for all of the questions he had. "First of all, going away to college costs money. We�ve just lost almost everything we have in the fire- "There are always loans. You could even qualify for a scholarship." "True, but I�m not guaranteed a full ride. I�ve been offered a full scholarship at UNM. UNM is close enough to home that I could home more often. And I could still take up molecular biology at UNM, that part of my dream hasn�t changed. The only thing that�s changed is where I�ll be going." Jeff and Nancy shared a look, knowing that it would be useless to argue with Liz. She was an intelligent young woman, who had proved to them over and over again that she was capable of making her own decisions. Besides, she was turning eighteen soon. She would be legally an adult, and they really wouldn�t have a say in what they wanted her to do. The best they could do was support her decision, and be there for her if she ever needed them. Because the last thing they needed was to be torn apart by something so stupid about where she was going to school. This was her life they were talking about. They had to let her do things as she saw fit. Nancy was the first to smile, reaching over to pull Liz into a hug. "Congratulations, honey. Your dad and I are so proud of you." Jeff reached over, wrapping his arms around Liz and Nancy. "We know you�ll make us proud in whatever you do." Liz wiped away at the tears that had coursed down her cheeks. "Thank you for understanding. You guys have no idea how much it means to me that you trust me enough to make my own decisions." Nancy brushed away Liz�s hair from her face. "Liz, it isn�t that we don�t trust you to make the right decisions for yourself. It�s that we want to make sure that it�s what you really want." Nancy laughed a little, her own eyes tearing up. "We�re your parents. It�s our jobs to worry about you needlessly." "Dessert�s ready!" The three of them looked to see Claudia waving an ice cream scoop at them from the kitchen, with Noah glued to her leg. Jeff stood up, reaching for Nancy�s hand. "I don�t know about the two of you, but I�m in the mood for something sweet." "Mom and dad?" Jeff and Nancy stopped mid-step turning around to look at Liz. "Yes, sweetie?" "Do you think we could keep this to ourselves for now? Max doesn�t know yet, and I want to tell him when the time is right." "Sure. Anything you want." ************** After the last of the dessert dishes were cleared away, Max reached for the garbage bag, heading out into the back. "Let me help you with that, Max." Max looked up to see Jeff walking out of the sliding door, walking towards him. "It�s ok, Mr. Parker. I�ve got it." Jeff walked towards him anyway. "Thank you, Max." Max looked up as he put the lid on the trash can. "No problem. I�m just putting the trash away. Nothing I haven�t done before." Jeff put his hands in his pockets. "I�m not talking about the trash, Max. I�m talking about Liz. I want to thank you for looking out for her, and making sure she�s ok while we�re away." "You don�t have to thank me." Jeff shook his head. "Yes, I do." He turned to walk towards the house again, but stopping on the last step. Without looking up, he spoke again. "Just keep her happy. Can you do that, Max?" He looked up when he heard the determination in Max�s voice. "I will." The two men shared a smile, coming to an understanding. ************* Claudia stood by the sofa bed, explaining a few things to Max. "I know this isn�t the most comfortable thing in the world, but it�s big enough for the two of you." She turned her gaze to Liz, pointing towards the spare bedroom. "Honey bear, I�ve set up the cot so you can sleep in the guest room with your parents." She smiled, bidding everyone goodnight. "Well, I�m off to bed. Goodnight, everyone." Noah waved at her from the comfort of Max�s arms. "Nite nite, gamma." Claudia blew him a kiss. "Nite nite to you too, sweetheart." *************** Max pulled back the covers, settling Noah on the bed, but he wouldn�t stay. Noah scrambled off the bed, clutching at Liz�s legs. "No, Lizzie mine." He hid behind Liz�s legs, shaking his head wildly. Max kneeled down beside him, untangling him from Liz. "Not tonight little man. Liz has to sleep in her own bed tonight." "No, no, no!" Noah banged his fists against Max�s chest, his little legs flailing in the air. Liz�s heart broke. She wanted to sleep with the two of them, just as much as they wanted to sleep with her, but that seemed almost impossible. She walked towards them, placing light kisses on Noah�s face to calm him down. "Tell you what. I�m gonna go get dressed for bed, then I�ll come back out to say goodnight." Noah had calmed down a little, but he was still upset. Liz gave Max a peck, running down the hall. "I�ll be right back." ************** Liz poked her head in the door, seeing her parents getting ready for bed. "Is it ok if I say goodnight to Noah first?" Nancy stopped fluffing her pillow, giving Liz a smile. "Sure, honey. Give him a goodnight kiss from me and your father." "Thanks." Liz ran back down the hall and into the living room. Her breath hitched in her throat when she saw Max lying on his back, with Noah perched on his chest. It didn�t matter that she had seen that image a number of times, she would always think that it was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. She climbed on the bed, placing a kiss on both Max and Noah�s heads. Max opened his closed eyes, smiling up at Liz. "Hey." The two of them shared a sweet kiss, before Noah crawled off Max�s chest and into Liz�s arms. Max shook his head, reaching for Noah. "Not tonight, little man." Liz shook her head, cradling Noah against her chest. "It�s ok. I�ll just stay until he falls asleep." "Are you sure?" Liz nodded, her voice turning into a whisper. "Absolutely." ************** Nancy woke up as she turned to face away from Jeff. Her eyes took a minute to focus in the dark, but when they did, her eye caught the empty cot. She glanced at the clock on the bedside table, determining that Liz should have been back hours ago from saying goodnight to Noah and Max. Getting up, Nancy put her robe on, making her way down the hall. She reached for the light switch when she noticed that the light still on. Her small gasp made Claudia glance up, a camera in her hands. Claudia put a finger to her lips, asking Nancy to be quiet. Nancy nodded, walking into the living room. Jeff walked down the hall, rubbing at his sleepy eyes. "Nancy?" "Shh!" Claudia hissed at him. She waved him over to stand with her and Nancy. A smile touched his sleepy eyes as he realized what all of the fuss was about. Liz had somehow fallen asleep with Max and Noah. Her head was tucked under Max�s chin, with Noah lying in between her and Max. Noah�s head was nestled softly on her bosom, his little hand entwined with Liz�s. Max�s arm enveloped the two of them, almost as if he couldn�t bear not touching them even in sleep. "Aren�t they adorable?" Claudia asked with amusement. Nancy nodded, stifling back her tears. Max, Liz, and Noah were beautiful together. She walked towards them, pulling the blanket over the three of them. She gently touched Liz�s cheek, putting her hand to her mouth as Liz�s snuggled deeper into Max�s embrace. If Nancy wasn�t convinced before that Max and Liz had found true love, she was convinced now. The way the three of them were so comfortable in each others arms in sleep spoke volumes of how much they were already a family. Nancy saw that now, and she couldn�t stand in the way of that, even if she wanted to. But the thing was, she didn�t want to. Love like that was hard to come by, and she�d be damned if she was the one who was going to keep Max and Liz from experiencing that type of love. She had already found that love with Jeff. She only hoped that Liz would have as many years of happiness with Max that she did with Jeff. Jeff wrapped his arms around Nancy, placing a kiss on her temple. "Come on. We should get to bed." The three of them took one last look at the young family, shutting off the light as they went to bed. Part 78 **************** Max awoke to the sunlight hitting his closed eyelids. A smile touched his lips as he realized that Liz was still in his arms. With a soft sigh, he pulled her closer, inhaling her soft scent. He was about to pull her into a morning kiss when his eyes flew open. Panic coursed through his body as he saw the sunlight filtering threw the open curtains, bathing the room in it�s morning glow. He sat up, scrambling to reach for his watch on the table, his heart thumping wildly against his chest. No. This couldn�t be happening. They were going to be in so much trouble. He hadn�t meant for them to fall asleep together. All he had done was cuddle up with Liz, both of them waiting for Noah to fall asleep, but it had taken a while. When Noah had fallen asleep, Max had tried unsuccessfully to pry Noah from Liz�s embrace, but even in sleep, Noah refused to let go of Liz. It was almost as if he knew what they were doing, causing him to whimper, his body moving in a restless sleep. Liz had decided to stay a little while longer, making herself more comfortable, hoping to eventually transfer Noah into Max�s arms. But the little guy just was not going to be fooled. Liz was exhausted, her eyes falling close. Max didn�t have the heart to wake her, deciding to stay awake and wake her up at a later hour. But as the hour passed, Max�s eyes own eyes had become heavy. It was then that he pulled Liz and Noah into his embrace, placing chaste kisses on their heads as they continued to sleep peacefully. It was Max�s intention to wake up Liz, but she just snuggled closer to him, burying her head under his chin, her lips softly kissing his neck. He knew without a doubt that she was asleep, but it touched his heart, that while she was in slumber, she managed to be able to show her affection for him. At that point, Max had decided to let her sleep a little longer. As she shifted to a more comfortable position, Max found himself once again getting sleepy. He decided to shut his eyes for just a second. Just a second, he told himself. Obviously it had been more than just a second because it was now morning. He hurriedly reached for his shoes, yanking them on his feet. Maybe if he looked more presentable, they wouldn�t get into too much trouble when somebody found them. Liz stretched her arms languidly above her head, a smile curling her lips as she inhaled Max�s scent on the pillow. Her hand reached across the bed with the intent of pulling Max into her embrace, but finding nothing but air. "Max?" Liz had yet to open her eyes, her hands blindly reaching for her love. Liz felt the bed jolt a little with Max�s weight as he began shaking her shoulder urgently. "Liz, Liz. You have to get up. We fell asleep." Liz sat up leisurely, yawning as she did. She didn�t understand what all of the fuss was about. Sure, she had remembered falling asleep. She didn�t see the need for all of Max�s urgency. Her doe eyes opened to the morning sun, her eyes taking in her surroundings. At first, she was confused, wondering where in the heck they were, but then it hit her like a ton of bricks. Max had surprised her yesterday, driving them to visit her parents and her grandmother. Liz jumped off the sofa bed, furiously running her fingers through her hair, trying to make herself look somewhat decent. She caught sight of Max running around the living room, tidying up, running around like a chicken with it�s head cut off. With all of the jostling around, Noah sat up, a small yawn escaping his pouty lips. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes, taking in his surroundings. "Lizzie?" Liz almost jumped out of her skin when she heard Noah�s voice calling out to her loudly. Kneeling down beside the bed, Liz put her finger to Noah�s lips, whispering to him. "Mornin� precious." Noah smiled at her, opening his mouth to reply to her greeting, but Liz shook her head at him, once again urging him to be quiet. "Morning everyone!" The sound of Jeff�s voice startled both Max and Liz, both of their heads snapping up to see him walking down the hallway. Liz felt the color drain from her face as she tried to swallow past the lump in her throat. Sensing her distress, Max walked towards her, placing his hand in hers, giving it a firm squeeze. "Mr. Parker, I can explain." Liz stomped on Max�s foot, glaring at him for trying to shoulder all of the blame. There was no way Max was going to take the heat for her falling asleep with the two of them. She was a big girl. She could take it as good as she could give it. She had been woman enough to speak to her parents about her future yesterday, she was definitely woman enough to take whatever she had coming now. Max hopped on his other foot, his mouthed open in an O shape as he wondered why Liz had stomped on his foot. He couldn�t believe it. She was the one who had stepped on his foot, and she was the one glaring at him. He opened his mouth to speak, but the sound of Claudia�s soft voice coming from the kitchen stopped him. All eyes were on her as she stood by the archway, an apron tied around her waist. "Breakfast�s ready!" She finished with a smile. Noah�s eyes lit up as he saw her. He slid off the unmade bed, running towards her. "Gamma!" Claudia kneeled down, catching Noah as he launched himself in her arms. Nancy poked her head out of the kitchen a teasing glint in her eyes. "Are you all just going to stand there, or what? The food�s starting to get cold." She exchanged a look with Claudia, winking at her. "And I know mom and I didn�t get up and make breakfast for nothing." Claudia stood up, perching Noah on her hip. "Nancy�s right. Let�s get a move on. The kids have to get a head start on that traffic." Jeff smiled, patting Max and Liz on their backs. "You heard them. Let�s go get some breakfast." He walked to the kitchen, kissing Nancy on the cheek as the two of them ooed and ahhed over Noah. Max and Liz stared dumbfounded, their jaws hanging open. It was obvious that they had seen Liz spend the night sleeping with Max and Noah, yet there were no upset parents, or an upset grandmother. Instead, they were greeted with an almost too good to be true greeting. Max looked at the kitchen doorway, watching as everyone else started breakfast. "What just happened?" Liz�s gaze was trained on her family, shaking her head as if she couldn�t believe what she was seeing. "I have no idea." Part 79 ************* Max and Liz walked cautiously into the dining room, watching as the adults laughed and talked like nothing was wrong. Max took a glance at Liz who merely shrugged her shoulders at him. For the life of her, Liz couldn�t figure out what was going on. She knew that her grandmother would have been a little more understanding about the situation, but she didn�t understand her parents reaction. Where was all the yelling? Where were the disapproving looks and the shaking of the heads? Jeff looked up with a mouthful of eggs. "You guys should really try this." Max sat down, his body in a rigid stance. He was waiting for the ball to drop. He turned a frightened look towards Jeff, wondering if he had some sort of weapon hidden in his lap, waiting for the opportunity to catch Max at his most vulnerable? Ok, so maybe he was being paranoid, but Jeff Parker had basically trusted him to take care of his daughter last night while he was away, and what did he do? Max Evans, teenage father fell asleep with his daughter on the same bed, under her grandmother�s house no less. If Jeff Parker was going to lynch him, Max was just going to take it like a man. Fall to his knees and take the punishment, for he couldn�t say he wasn�t glad that it happened. Sleeping with Liz was something he would never tire of. Somehow, it was almost addicting. It frightened him to think how he would go throughout the rest of school without having her in his arms, her soft her tickling his skin, her warm breath puffing on his bare chest, at night. Claudia pushed a glass of orange juice to Max, offering him a smile. Max gave her a tight smile, his nerves shot to hell. This was just too weird. Yelling, he could take. Dirty looks, he could handle. Jeff�s fist in his face, he�d prefer never to have to experience that, but if it boiled down to that, he would gladly take it. He just couldn�t take this silence, all of this smiling. It felt like he was being set up, or something. "Drink up, Max. You guys have a long drive ahead of you." Max nodded mutely, reaching for the glass of orange juice. As he reached for it, his hand began to tremble. "Are you ok, Max?" Nancy put her fork down, looking at him in concern. "F-fine. I�m fine, thank you." He finished politely. Jeff tried to hide the smile behind his fork as he spoke. "So, how�d you kids sleep last night?" Max turned six different shades of red, as he choked on his juice. Liz ran her hand up and down his back, trying to get him to calm down. Nancy hit Jeff on the arm, shaking her head admonishingly at him, but couldn�t help a little smile form on her face. Claudia reached for Max�s hand, giving it a soft pat. "Now, now, Max. Don�t pay any attention to Jeff. He just has a weird sense of humor." Max had somewhat calmed down, his color returning to it�s normal tone. He saw the Parker�s laughing, and Grandma Claudia with a smile on her lips. What the heck was going on here? Fortunately, Liz voiced the question in his head. "What�s going on? I know you guys saw us asleep together. How come you guys aren�t yelling, or, or, how come you guys aren�t mad?" When they all burst out laughing, Liz gave them an incredulous look. "And what is so funny? Why do you guys keep laughing?" Claudia fought to gain her composure back to give a few explanations to the befuddled couple. "Honey, don�t mind us. We�re just having a little fun with the two of you." She grinned at them, loving how they wore the same expression on their faces. Jeff leaned back against his seat, holding his stomach. "Your grandma�s right. We�re just poking a little fun. We didn�t think you two would take it so seriously." Liz looked at her parents with a wary glance. "So....you guys aren�t mad?" "Mad? There�s no reason we should be mad. The three of you fell asleep together. There�s no harm in that. Although I suggest that you guys don�t make it habit until you guys have graduated school. We don�t want Max�s mom having a heart attack." Nancy joked. Max started another coughing fit, the room once again being filled with giggles. Liz looked at her parents almost as if she didn�t recognize them. It was like they were different people, younger, almost. Who were these people, and what had they done to her parents? But the thought dissipated from her mind as she watched her father lean over, giving her mother a kiss on the forehead as he had done a million times before. They were still the same people. She thought back to the conversation they had shared yesterday about her plans for college, and how they hadn�t tried to change her mind. They hadn�t yelled, merely gave her their support and love, everything she needed to follow through with something as monumental as the decision she made. A smile crossed her lips as she realized that just as she had grown as a person this year, so had her parents. Maybe even more so than her. ********* Hugs and kisses were exchanged as Max and Liz loaded up the jeep, heading back for home. Claudia handed Liz a plastic bag full of muchies and drinks for their long trip home. "Now, you two be careful. Make sure the little one is ok." Liz smiled at her grandmother, giving her another hug. "We will. Thanks for having us." "You�re welcome, honey bear. Now just don�t be strangers. Visit your old grandma more often, you hear?" Max held Noah in his arms, as he bid goodbye to the Parkers. "Thanks for having us over. And we hope to see you home in Roswell soon." Nancy smiled, giving Max a hug. "Thank you for everything, Max." She pulled away, letting herself be held by Jeff. Jeff held his hand out to Max, the same knowing smile on his face. "You remember what we talked about last night." He paused, tipping his head back a little. "Just take real good care of her, Max." "With my life." Max said with conviction. Claudia hauled Max and Noah in her arms, giving them both kisses on their cheeks. Just as she had done when she had first met him, Claudia brushed back the hair Max�s forehead, giving him her patented Liz grin, as Max had referred to it. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Max." She squeezed Noah�s cheek, waving at him. "And you too, little fella." Max smiled his thanks, reaching out to give Claudia�s hand a squeeze. "Thank you, Grandma Claudia. For....for everything." Liz gave her parents a tearful goodbye. "I�ll miss you guys." "We�ll miss you too, honey. You be good for Jim and Amy, ok?" "I will." She wiped away at her tears, her hand trembling slightly. "I just wanted to thank you guys- Nancy shook her head, halting Liz from saying anymore. "There�s no need to thank us. We�re just so sorry it took us so long to open our eyes and see that you�re a beautiful young woman, who hardly needs us anymore." Liz shook her head, throwing herself in her parents embrace once again. "I�ll always need you guys. Nothing is going to change that. Nothing." ************ With one final wave, Noah grinned out of the open window. "Bye, bye!" Back Next |
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