* * * * Chapter 7 * * * *

Two days later Maria and Max were sitting on the love seat in the Evan's living room watching the Lion King. It was one of Maria's favorite movies. However, that day it wasn't holding her attention like it usually did. She was to busy thinking about Liz and how their friendship was about to end. She didn't care very much about Michael because even if she hadn't of fell for Max she wouldn't have been with Michael. Like she explained to Max before: Michael burned his bridges when he walked away from her that last time.

"Maria? Earth to Maria!" Max ran his hand lightly down her back. "What has you thinking so hard Sweetie?"

She let out a sigh of pleasure at his touch. "Just sorting things out in my mind."

"You're thinking about Liz and Michael." He stated as he pulled her into his arms, her back to his chest.

"Yeah. Pretty much. I know you said we weren't going to think about them but I can't help it." She grabbed his arms and wrapped them around her waist. He hugged her tight. "I really want to be with you but at the same time I don't want my friendship to end with Liz. She's been in my past and my resent. I want her to be in my future also."

Max kissed the top of her head. "I want to be in your future too. They'll get over it. They can't stay mad at us forever. If they do then that's their lost."

"But Max. Don't you see? This doesn't just effect you, me, Michael, and Liz. This effects Alex, Isabel, and even Tess as well." She pulled away from his to stand and start pacing.

He watched her silently for a few minutes thinking. Then after awhile she resumed speaking. "Alex and Isabel will be forced to chooses sides and Tess. Well let's just say we're being totally unfair to her. Every since she's been in Roswell she's had nothing but disappointment where you're concerned. First with Liz now me."

"Maria! Listen to yourself. You're making excuse for why we can't be together." He stood up, grabbed a hold of her shoulders, and forced her to look at him. "Listen to me. Alex and Isabel would understand. They wouldn't want either of us to be miserable like we would be if we end things between us. As for Tess this past week since that situation between her and Kyle she's been diff. Lately destiny hasn't been as important to her without Nacedo's influence. She's becoming more human. So you se the only people standing in our way are Liz and Michael."

"Don't you get it? They are the main ones I don't want in our way. I want them beside us as friends not in front of us as enemies."

"I understand you. I just don't see that possibility yet without us breaking up. That's something I definitely don't want to do."

She smiled up at him. "Me neither. You know what? I'm not going to digress over this any longer. We're together and that's that. If those two can't accept then oh well."

"That's what I've been trying to say all along." Said Isabel from the doorway of the living room. "Nice of y'all to finally take my advice."

"Actually," said Alex who was standing right next to her. "It was my advice. You just administered it."

Max and Maria both looked up at their two voyeurs. "Y'all really need to stop listening in on private conversations." Said Max sternly.

"Dear brother you make it so easy for us. If you wanted privacy you should have went to the desert."

Maria stuck her tongue out at Isabel and they all shared a happy laugh. "Anyway, Max and Maria, we just want you to know that whatever decision y'all make we'll stand behind y'all 100%." Said a suddenly serious Isabel.

"Thanks you guys." Said Max.

"Hey no problem." Said the very goofy Alex. "Now how about we finish watching that movie there." Just then the doorbell rang.

"I'll go get it." Isabel headed for the door while Max went into the kitchen to get some more snacks. Alex and Maria sat on the sofa to watch the rest of the movie.

Isabel was a little shocked when she saw Liz. "Hey Liz. Come in."

Liz walked past Isabel and asked, "Is Maria here. I need to talk to her."

"She's in the living room. Come on follow me." They headed for the living room. "Maria Liz is here. She needs to talk to you. Alex let's go in the kitchen with Max." They left the two girls alone.

Liz walked over to the lazy boy chair and sat down. She didn't start speaking right away.

Maria stared at her a few minutes wondering what she wanted. What fowl things, if any, would come out of her mouth. Not that she was blaming Liz or anything because she knew that she was the cause of the rift in their friendship. When it seemed like Liz would never start speaking Maria took action. "So Liz. What did you want to talk to me about?"

Liz looked at her best friend and made a life changing decisions. With a sigh of fortification she began to speak. "Maria you and I have been best friends for many years. I thought nothing could stand in the way of our friendship. I thought we were like sisters."

Maria interrupted. "Liz I like to think that we still are like sisters."

"Please Maria here me out. No interruptions." She stood up and started pacing. "I realize that I made some very bad decisions last year. I walked away from you guys when things got to difficult for me. I dumped a really great guy because I was unwilling to fight for him. All throughout this summer I thought long and hard on the decisions I made and I came back here expecting things to fall in place for me. I know now that I was stupid for thinking that things would always go my way."

She sat down next to Maria. "I'm really hurt that you and Max fell in love with each other. I was really pissed at what I could only see as betrayal by my supposedly best friend and my boyfriend. But now I realize that I gave up the right to call Max my boyfriend when I walked out on him when he needed me the most. And in actuality I gave up the right to even be called your best friend because, I didn't only walk out on Max, Mariam I walked out on you and Alex too. You were hurting with the way things were going between you and Michael. You needed me and I wasn't there for you. I was too caught up in my own needs."

"Oh Liz that's not true. You've always been a good friend to me." Maria cried out.

"No Maria I haven't. You know in all our years of being friends you have been the most giving one in this relationship. I rely heavily on you to get me out of my sour moods and give me hope when things get to tough. And then you finally needed me and I wasn't there. Really Maria all I'm trying to say is that the ultimatum I gave you the other day was really stupid of me. I love you no matter what. I was being completely selfish. You and Max need each other. You belong to each other now. Michael and I have no right to interfere in what y'all now have. Sure I'll be a little hurt and I'd be wishing things were different. But eventually I'll move on. I'd rather have you as a friend loving me because I didn't stand in your way , then having you as a friend hating me and Max hating me also." Liz wrapped her arms around Maria and they stayed in that position for what seemed like hours.

"Liz I love you. You're a really good friend." Maria pulled away and both girls were crying. "I love you too Maria." Liz looked up and noticed Max standing in the doorway. She smiled whimsically at him. Thinking to herself `I had my chance but I blew it. Oh well maybe next lifetime.' She spoke aloud. "So how much did you hear Max?"

Maria looked up at the love of her life. The tears shining brightly in her green eyes. Max replied, "I heard it all. Thank you Liz. I didn't mean to hurt you. I'm sorry that I did. But thank you for not isolating Maria and I."

"You're welcome. You guys it's going to be hard but eventually Michael will come around and see that light also."

Isabel walked in with Alex and they sat on the love seat. "So you guys are we family again?" She asked.

Maria looked around at her friends. "Once we get Kyle and Tess to admit that they like each other and once Michael gets over his anger at me and Max, then everything will be Okay."

Max smiled and pulled Maria up into his arms. "For now we're family enough. This new school year will be vastly different in more ways then just one. We're going to need each other more than ever."

"True. Big brother my king you have to be the one to mend things with Michael. Liz, Maria and I we'll work on Tess's heart because like I always say know the heart knows best."

"Isabel you were so right. My heart definitely knew what was best for me." Maria walked over to her and gave her a big hug. She whispered in her ear. "Thanks for forcing me to listen to it."

"You're welcome." The five friends all shared hugs and kisses and thought their separate thoughts on what the future years would bring to them. They knew that eventually their three wayward friends would fall inline and together they would be a force strong enough to overcome anything.

Evil Aliens watch out the Roswell 8 were here to stay. Past mistakes will only make them stronger because this group was about following their heart. Because as every one knows:

"Isabel!"

"Darn it all we're getting tired of hearing that stupid saying Iz. Find something else." Said a frustrated Max who was trying to get some smoochies in with Maria.

"Yeah I mean come on Iz we know already." Said a grumpy Michael. He then hugged Liz close to him. "After all my heart led me to this beautiful woman before me."

"And it led me to this crazy jock kissing on my neck." Said a happy Tess.

"And mine led me to the formidable Ice Queen that is you." Said Alex being his same goofy self as usual.


~!~ THE END ~!~