By Caroline
Spoilers: I don't
think there are any, if so, oh well, deal Category: mostly Max and Liz but also
Michael and Maria.
Rating: PG as usual.
Summary: umm, Maria and Liz went to the Caribbean over summer vacation
together, have things changed??
5 more hours, 5 more hours, 5 more
hours. This is what was going through Max and Michael's heads as they both sat
in Max's room watching the clock every...oh say 5 seconds.
"Do you anything will
change?" Michael asked Max, as he diverted his head from the digital clock
standing on Max's nightstand.
Max shrugged and looked at
Michael. "I honestly don't know. I mean when Liz and Maria left, I didn't
even know if Liz and me were a couple or just friends. Wait-- What if they
found someone else there, what if she realized there that she doesn't need some
teenage alien in her life now and that she needs to have a normal relationship?
Michael, do you know what--" Max was blabbering, he always seemed to be so
calm except when it came to Liz, when she was being mentioned or he was talking
about her, he would blabber, just like a normal teenager.
Michael rolled his eyes.
"Max, get a grip, Liz is probably fine, and I know Maria didn't find
anyone new, no way, Maria, find a guy who likes her, no not possible, she's
lucky she has me." Michael has incredibly confidence in his relationship
with Maria.
"Aren't we being cocky?
Anyways, you’re probably right, I'm just over analyzing the situation. That's
all. Let's go, I have to do something to get my head of them coming back in a
few hours. I mean they have been gone for 1 and 1/2 months." Max stared
out his window for a moment and looked at a plane flying overhead.
Michael nodded his head in
agreement and walked out of Max's room with Max.
"Where are you two
going?" Isabel asked as she sat at the kitchen table drinking a glass of
iced tea. "You don't pick up Liz and Maria for another 4 and a half hours?
That is if they didn't run off with some handsome and rich Caribbean
guys." Isabelle smiled as Max and Michael snarled at her. She got the
message. "Ok, Ok, leave go! Don't let me stand in the way." She waved
them on and watched the jeep leave the driveway, curious as to where they were
headed.
4 Hours Later...
"Ugh, Jet Lag, I hate it,
c'mon Liz, I'm sure they're not here yet, well at least the plane was early and
we can rest for awhile." Maria and Liz walked through the airport terminal
into the waiting area. Bags were slung on their shoulders and they had baggies
in their hands.
"Hey, Liz? You ok, don't
worry, you'll be fine, just tell him." Maria placed her free hand on Liz's
shoulder. She smiled weakly at Maria and then dropped her bags and slumped
herself into a chair. Maria sat next to her.
Liz fiddled with her hands.
"Maria, do you think I should tell Max, I mean it would only upset him.
It's my life and my decisions. I can do what I want, regardless of what Max
wants. I'm not going to tell him." Liz shut her eyes and tried to calm
down '1, 2, 3, 4, 4....'
Maria gave a curious look at her
friend who had obviously changed during their little trip to the Caribbean.
"Liz, I know you might not know this, but you were in love with Max when
you left here, and you’re in love with him now. What happened there, happened,
I know you nor I could change that, but Liz, tell Max, Believe me, I've learned
from my mistakes with Michael that secrets only hurt a relationship. And I know
the minute you see Max, you'll want to run up and kiss him and hug him and do
all that corny mushy stuff. Tell him what happened. He'll understand" Under
her breath "I hope". Looking back at Liz. "Liz, it's in the
past, don't stress, just life your life with Max, go to school, have your
lovey-dovey Max, and do your science work. Because that’s your life here. Ok,
hon?"
Liz hugged Maria, "Thanks
Maria, your right, your right, I can't change the past, although If I could I
would. I'll tell him what happened to me, and that I--" Liz was
interrupted by Maria pulled her up.
"Liz, they're here, they
don't see us yet. Let's go." She grabbed her Bags and walked over to
Michael. Where Michael and Max were just realizing where the girls were.
"Michael!" Maria yelped
out as she hugged him.
"You finally got a tan. It's
about time." Michael was amazed at how she had browned during the summer.
"Shut up, I missed you,"
realizing she was getting Mushy, "Sorta, I mean, not really, I kind of
missed you." 'Yeah nice save Maria, you idiot!' She thought to herself.
Suppressing himself and trying to
hide his excitement he quietly hugged her back. "See Maxamillion, I told
you she wouldn't get a boyfriend while she was away, she couldn't."
Michael smirked, knowing Maria heard him.
"Excuse me, what makes you
think I didn't have some wild nights over there. I happen to be one hell of a
party girl." He grabbed a bag and put his arm over her shoulders. They
both knew Max and Liz would want their privacy.
Max stared at Liz. She walked over
to him, afraid to say anything. Max noticed a few things about her. Her hair
was a little longer, and she had gotten darker, she was naturally tan, but now
she was really dark. And she had a beads braided in one piece of her hair.
"Liz," He smiled at
this. The moment he had been waiting for, for six weeks, was here. "I've
missed you." He had missed her incredibly much. He didn't want to lose her
again. So he took a chance and kissed her unexpectedly.
Rejected. She pulled away like he
was the great plague. "Max, no, we need to talk, I need to tell you
something." Her eyes darted down from his eyes. She couldn't look him
straight in the eye.
Max's worst fears in his head were
coming true. 'Oh no!' His mind wandered, as Liz stood there, almost
embarrassed.
Liz looked at Max. She
could tell he was fearing the worst in his head. 'Oh, geesh.' She thought to
herself. "Alright, are you ready." The last thing she wanted was to
hurt him. She hoped she wouldn't.
Max's head raced. 'Oh God, she's
preparing me for the worst.' Max's palms began sweating, and he could hear his
heart throbbing in his chest. As if the whole world was being silent, waiting
for his answer.
In the background shadows Michael
and Maria watched Max and Liz. Michael turned to Maria. "Oooh wow, he's
going to go crazy. Why would she do that? I mean its Liz." Maria told him
what happened, Maria gave a light-hearted smile and shrugged. "Ok, shut
up, he's about to tell her." Maria gave a curious look at Michael. He was
acting like he was at a movie watching the best part. He realized it too and
gave an apologetic smile.
"Liz, stop beating around the
bush, just tell me what happened in the Caribbean. What changed that makes you
so nervous around me. Tell me." Max was tired of the games she was playing
with his head right now.
Liz placed her bags on the ground.
"The thing is Max, I don't know whether or not we were a couple when I
left. We left things loosely. What I fear is what we'll be after I tell you,
but I'm just going to say it." Liz fiddled again with her hands.
Max took a hold of Liz's hand.
Realizing how hard this must be for her. "Liz, please, just tell me."
Their gazes met and both their hearts melted like ice on a hot stove.
"Ok, In the Caribbean, I
wasn't like myself. I kind of let loose a bit. No more uptight Lizzy Parker.
One night Maria and me went to this place called 'The Sparkle' and um, we met
some guys there. I guess they didn't know how young we were. Maria talked with
one guy, and that's it. The guy didn't even buy her one drink. But um, the guy
I was talking to, well um, he did. He bought me a lot. By the time Maria
realize how much I had, had she tried to stop me, but I pushed her away
physically and emotionally. It was too late. I was completely gone. I had a
mind other than my own. I didn't know what was going on, I was completely drunk
with this older guy. Um, we went out for a bit. I ended up getting this, without
knowing it." She pulled her pant hem down a bit, just to see her
waistline.
Max's eyes widened when he saw the
little rose on her hip. It was just so un-Liz to do something like that. Each
word said cut him like a spoon digging his heart out. Yet his mouth wouldn't
utter a word. So she continued.
"But that's not all Max, oh
God, there's really no way to say this. But I know that I love you and if we
have any chance of a future, present relationship, you need to know. After that
he gave me some more to drink. I didn't know what was happening, it was like my
real mid was a pile of wet mud, and it couldn't think straight, or at all. We
ended up in bed together by the end of the night. When I awoke, I was in his
bed, and I left before he even opened an eyelid. I haven't seen him since. And
I will never again, I never want to. So, um, there you go. Now you know."
Liz looked down and continued to fiddle with her fingers.
Max didn't move. He looked like he
was frozen in time. Those words Liz told him, they had literally rip out all
his organs, diced them all up in little pieces and shoved them back into him.
Liz could see a single tear drop down from his face. She didn't know whether it
was from not blinking for a long time, or because of her news. "Max,"
She placed an arm on his shoulder.
"No! Do not touch me, I don't
want to see you, not know, not ever. Good-bye Liz." He backed away from
her touch and ran down the room to the door. Whipping past Maria and Michael
who stood there dumbfounded at the situation.
Liz backed up and sat in one of
the chairs and bawled her eyes out. How could this have happened? You had a
man, a man who loved you with his entire being on earth. You had to go to the
Caribbean and met that damn guy, and know look, Max Evans never wants to see
you ever again. Good going Liz. 'Max' Her heart screamed out to him. 'Max, come
back.' But she knew he had fled the building, and all because of her. She had
nothing to do but sob and sob.
Maria walked over to Liz, and
Michael walked over to where Max had gone, just in time to see Max leave in a
taxi. He waited by the door knowing that Maria and Liz would want to talk
privately. "He took it bad huh Liz?" She hugged her best friend who
was sobbing on her shoulder, soaking her shirt.
"Maria, this is bad,
he-never-wants-to see me again." She said between sobs and breaths of air.
Maria's heart broke for her. She
knew how bad it felt when Michael told her he didn't want to be with her, for
the first time and how her heart shattered, but she knew he always came to his
senses, Max would too. "Honey, don't worry. Max was just upset; he'll come
to his senses. Don't worry." She tightened her hug around Liz, and then
pulled away to look at her.
"No, no, Maria he looked at
me with a cold hatred in his eyes, and told me he didn't want to see me now, he
didn't want to see me ever. Then he bolted out of here. He's gone, Maria, Max
never wants to see me again, never mind be with me. Take me home, please just
take me home." Liz pleaded with her friend.
"Ok, ok Let's go, Michael's
waiting for us anyways."
Max paced around his room. 'How
could she!? How could she get drunk and then sleep with a guy. No it's not
possible for her to do that without any recognition of what she's doing. It's
just not so.' His mind wandered a mile a minute. He picked up picture of him
and Liz that stood on his nightstand. It was his surprise seventeenth birthday
party last year. At the Crashdown. Max had Liz cradled in his arms.
::Flash:: Liz had been complaining
all day long she was hungry, so went Max's cake came out, she had 2 rather
large slices. Afterwards regretting it. "I think I'm going to be
sick." Liz claimed as she hung her head low.
Max scooped her up in both his
arms. Maria took this opportunity to take a picture of them like this. Max
swung her around and around in his arms. He smiled. "No, Liz, now your
going to be sick." He placed her down and she hit him on the shoulder.
"Thanks, Max, thanks a lot. I
feel so much better now." Her voice dripped with sarcasm while the gang just
laughed. Liz smiled at Max and Max at her, sharing their love with a look.
::End Flash::
Max tightened his grip on the
photo and threw it as hard as he could against his wall. The glass and frame
shattered into a million thousand pieces. 'Just like my heart' He thought
bitterly.
::knock knock::
Isabel opened his door slowly.
Knowing something was up. "Max, do you want to talk about it?" She
asked quietly.
He turned his gaze to her.
"No, No Isabel. I do not want to talk about it, now get out of my room,
now!" He demanded to be alone, to grief his loss, and to just be left
alone!
Isabel gave him a weird look.
While she closed the door he heard her mumble. "Ok, geesh, I was just
trying to help, God." She walked down the hallway away from him.
A few moments later Michael
appeared in his window. "Doesn't anyone know how to leave a guy alone
these days?" He said as he saw Michael walked through the window.
"Max, come on, talk to
me." He knew his friend was in the worst pain of his life.
Max clenched his fists together in
annoyance. "Michael, Leave, Leave me alone, I'm not talking to you, or
anyone else for that matter. Go home, go away, go somewhere just not
here!" He screamed at him.
Max saw a moment of hurt in
Michael's eyes. But he quickly dismissed it. Michael turned out. "Ok, I
can see you need your space I'll come back later." And with that he walked
away.
Max just fell on his bed and
screamed into his pillow.
Max knew he had been
pretty damn mean to his friend and his sister. But that wasn't his biggest
problem at the moment. Even the fact that he was an alien, no that wasn't his
biggest problem either. Now his problem was Liz. The girl who he thought was
his savior. The girl every man dreams of meeting. Now she had to have gotten
drunk and done this? It was now raining outside. Realizing how cliché his
situation was he decided to dramatize it and play some suitable music (my fav
song!! its actually a really depressing song if you listen hard to it.)
See the stone set in your eyes
see the thorn twist in your side
I wait for you
Slide of hand
and twist of fate
on a bed of nails
she makes me wait
and I wait
Without you
with or without you
with or without you
through the storm
we reach the shore
you give it all
but I want more
and I wait for you
With or without you
with or without ahhh
I can't live
with or without you
And you give yourself away
and you give yourself away
and you give
and you give
and you give yourself away
with or without you
My hands are tied
my body bruised
she got me with
nothing to win
and nothing left to loose
and you give yourself away
and you give yourself away
and you give
and you give
and you give yourself away
With or without you
with or without you ohhh
I can't live
with or without you
ohh...
-U2- With or without you
Liz stood on her balcony staring
down at the street in a daze. Rain fell on her, sure she comprehended it, but
did she care, not really. She didn't care about anything at the moment.
Liz was standing dangerously close
to the edge of the balcony wall now. She was like a possessed man, without a
cause. Maria appeared in the window of the Liz's room. Her eyes widened as she
ran out in the rain to catch her friend from even accidentally falling off.
"Liz, are you crazy? I know Max claims he never wants to see you again,
but it's no reason to jump off! Got, let Max's aftershock wear off, he'll come
back to you, he will." She placed a big warm comforter around Liz and
hugged her to try and get her warm.
Liz looked up to her friend.
"No, Maria, no he won't. He never wants to see me again. He hasn't come to
school for the past 3 days. He doesn't care anymore. Don't you see that? He
doesn't care and it's all because of what I did. God If I had just never went
to that club. Never drank those drinks. If I had listened to myself, Max would
be mine now, and I wouldn't feel so incomplete."
Maria gave her friend another hug.
"As your best friend I am obligated to cheer you up somehow. But I
honestly don't know how in this situation. We could Max out to be that bad guy
and explain what a jerk he is and how much better you are without him? Would
that work?" Liz slowly brought her eyes up to Maria's.
"Yeah, Maria that would work,
if he DID something wrong. But the truth is he didn't do anything. He's the
victim. But you can just keep me breathing, and try to help me from completely
die inside, because that what I feel like, like I'm dying inside." Liz
broke down again and laid her head on her friends lap. "Maria, help
me." Maria just stroked her best friends hair.
Maria almost cried at the thought
of all her hurt inside Liz. "Liz, it'll be ok, Liz, hon, it'll be
ok." Maria just repeated that. It was the only way she knew how to comfort
Liz in this situation. She honestly didn't know what to do.
I have given I have given and got
nothing Still I'm driven by something I can't explain It's not a cross It is a
choice I cannot help but hear his voice I only wish I could listen without
shame
Let it rain let it rain On me Let
it rain Oh let it rain on me oh let it rain on me
I have been a witness to the
perfect crime Wipe the grin off of my face to hide the blame is it worth the
tears you cry to have a perfect alibi now I'm beaten at the hands at my own
game
let it rain let it rain On me Let
it rain oh let it rain let it rain on me
It isn't easy to be kind With all
these demands in my mind I only hope One day I'll be free -Amanda Marshall -Let
it rain (a really really good song!) Later that night after the rainstorm had
ended Max couldn't stand being in the confines of his own home. He took his
jeep and drove out to the solitude of the desert. He parked the jeep and stood
at the now amazingly clear sky. Seeing how it had been raining not 2 hours ago,
stars now intruded on the dark sky. He thought about his home, his existence,
and of coarse, Liz.
"DAMN YOU!" He screamed
out to the sky. "WHY!?" He screamed and screamed and cried and cried.
By himself all alone in the desert. "TAKE ME HOME, I DON'T WANT TO BE HERE
ANYMORE, DO YOU HEAR ME TAKE ME HOME!! Take away my pain, please. Take everything
away." He plopped down and sat right in the sand. He just cried, nobody
was around; he didn't care if the stars saw him cry. He just mumbled "Take
me away from here, I don't want to be here anymore."
Michael and Isabel walked to Liz's
house. Michael informed Isabel of what had happened. Liz and her had begun to
be friendly so she thought she would come help. Michael went to see Liz, but
mostly because he knew Maria was there.
"Liz," Isabel stated as
soon as she saw Liz on the floor with Maria.
Michael took Maria's arm and took
her from the room. Giving Isabel and Liz some time. "Michael, no I want
to--." Michael silenced her.
"Give them time. Isabel wants
to talk to her." Michael was serious now. Two people who he knew were
hurting, and in times like these he knew he didn't need to be rude, crude, or a
wise-ass. Maria shook her head in agreement.
"Liz, Michael told me since
Max wouldn't. Liz I'm sorry I really am. If it helps any, Max has completely
closed up. He won't talk to me or hardly Michael. He left a while ago. Where he
went I don't know. But I do know he is worst than you. I've never seen him this
closed off. Oh, Liz, I truly am sorry." Isabelle hugged Liz. Liz was kind
of surprised at Isabel’s sudden vulnerability, but she enjoyed the comfort that
Max was doing the same as she. Even though she didn't want him to be in pain.
After being out in the
desert for several hours, ok well practically all night long, Max had come home
completely calm and serene. It seemed he and God had a little one on one soul
searching. He thought a lot about Liz, and what Liz did, and what he was going
to do about it. He loved Liz so much. But, all the damage she had caused. I
mean, she slept with another guy. A stranger who she will never see again.
While thinking a moment of clarity rushed through him. Suddenly he knew what he
needed to do.
After last night Michael didn't
feel like going home to his drunken foster father, Isabel offered to take him
back to their home, but Michael said he wanted to give Max his space until he
cooled down. So then Maria told Michael if he wanted to he could spend the
night at her place. "Only on a platonic level." She had said to him.
He agreed.
Sunshine cracked through Maria's
window. Maria awoke to find Michael sleeping peacefully next to her. He was
still in his jeans and t-shirt. It took her a moment to remember why he was
there, but she eventually remembered. She took her pillow and whacked him right
in the stomach to wake him up.
"Ooophh." Michael
exclaimed as the pillow whacked him. He sat up grabbed the pillow from Maria
and hit her over the head with it. "How do you like being hit in the
morning? Go back to sleep Maria, it's only, 9:00 God it's early, go to
sleep." He demanded as he slumped back down on his pillow and got comfy.
Maria looked appalled.
"Early, Come on, let's go get something for breakfast. Crashdown?"
She asked going into her bathroom to get dressed.
Michael opened one eyelid at the
mention of food. "Yeah ok." He got up slowly, arched his back to
stretch and put his shoes on.
A few moments later Maria
retrieved from the bathroom and her and Michael began their drive to the
popular Roswell restaurant.
Isabelle woke up and walked around
her house. "MAX? MOM? DAD?" She sighed. "Oh super, nobody's
home. Just great. Arg, there's nothing to do. I wonder where Max is?" She
said aloud.
Max enjoyed the sun shining on his
shoulders as he walked down the streets of Roswell; he was a man on a mission.
Once he reached his destination he climbed up the familiar ladder he had once
climbed up practically every day.
"Liz." Max said as he
saw her writing in her journal with headphones on. Also he back was turned to
him. 'No wonder she didn't hear me come up.' He thought to himself. 'God she
looks a mess.' He felt bad knowing why she looked that way.
Suddenly Liz started singing the
words of the song still oblivious that Max was there.
"How do you turn your eyes
from a romantic glare How do you block the sound of the voice you'd know
anywhere (Jann Arden's Insensitive) MAX?!" Liz finally looked around to
see Max staring at her, with a rather weird look on his face.
"Liz, um, Hi. Can we
talk?" He asked seeing Liz get up and close her window.
"Sure, Max...go ahead."
She found it really hard to look him in the eye. He was like Medusa. She feared
that by looking at him, her heart would break once again knowing she couldn't
just throw her arms around him and let all the problems dissolve.
"Ok, please don't interrupt
me, because I don't want to repeat myself." Max saw Liz nod.
Maria and Michael walked into the
Crashdown and a frantic Mrs. Parker rushed over to them. "Oh Maria, have
you seen Liz, I can't find her anywhere, she's not here for her shift and I
have to go do some errands right away." "Mrs. Parker, go ahead I'll
find Liz, go." They watched as she ran out of the Crashdown while Maria
grabbed Michael's hand and rushed him upstairs to the Parker residence. They
searched the grounds until Maria spotted them through the window. She opened it
a crack so she could hear, luckily Max and Liz didn't notice her. Michael
rushed into the room and was about to say something when Maria silenced him.
She pointed to Liz and Max. They both listened to their conversation.
"Sure" Liz said weakly.
"Ok," Max ran a hand
through his hair and he took a deep breath. "Ok I did some deep thinking
these past few days, and especially last night when I was out in the desert. I
thought a lot about what happened to you over the summer, and to us all over
the past few years. Saving you is one thing I know I will never regret in my
whole life. Being with you is another. You hurt me a lot by what you did Liz,
more than I knew a person could be hurt. But despite that I know I still love
you, this proves that nothing you could ever do could stop that. But I need
something from you." Liz looked at Max in a quizzical manner.
Michael and Maria entered the
Crashdown. Maria saw Liz's mom rush over to her. "Maria! Have you seen
Liz, I have to go and I can't find her, she's not here for her shift."
Max continued. "Liz, I can
always forgive you, But I can't forget, But I need you to look me straight in
the eye, and I need you to tell me that what you did in the Caribbean, that it
meant absolutely nothing to you, tell me that it was a complete mistake and if
you had to do it over again, you wouldn't have done it. I need to know you
truly love me. If we have any future together, you'll give me this." Max
breathed. 'There I said it. It's up to her now.'
Liz walked a little closer to Max
she looked at him directly in the eye... "Max, are you nuts? Of coarse if
I had to do it over again that I would NEVER have even gone with that
guy...he's not you, nobody will ever be you. I wouldn't have done it, and I do
truly love you Max, that you have to believe because it’s the truth, it's the
only truth I've ever known." Liz reluctantly looked at Max who was smiling
at her.
"I think that's the best news
I've heard yet." Max rushed over to her and hugged her. He hugged her so
much Liz thought she might burst, but she loved it. Max gave her a simple kiss
and returned hugging her.
A single tear of happiness rolled
down Maria's cheek. Michael rolled his eyes at Maria's sappiness. After looking
at Max and Liz she turned to Michael and slapped him many times with her jacket
while saying, "Why-Can't-You-Act-Like-That-With-ME!?" Every word she
slapped him again.
Michael rubbed his now bruised
shoulder while Maria dragged Michael out of Liz's house, leaving Max and Liz
embracing on the roof.
~*~ The End
~*~