Title: Own Me Author: Jasper711 Email: Jasper7132@hotmail.com Disclaimer: I own nothing. Category: M/L AU Rating: PG (R, NC-17 Parts will be labeled accordingly.) Spoilers: None Summary: (No aliens in this story.) Max is a teenage father. His family decides to move to Roswell so that his son can have a better future, but Max finds something more than he bargained for. Author's Note: This idea just popped into my head. Please give me feedback. I wanna know if I should continue it. I have an idea on where I'm going to take it, but I won't write anymore unless you guys want me to. Part 1 Max gently lifted his 14 month old son up in the air, while making faces at him. “How’s daddy’s little man?” Noah Evans looked down into his father's face and gave a childish giggle. Max couldn’t wipe the goofy grin off of his face. “Wanna play airplane?” As Max asked the question, he started twisting in circles. Laughs filled the air as Max continued to play with his son. Outside the door, Isabel Evans watched as her brother played with her nephew. It was amazing to see the two of them together. It was as if Max was a different person. He was so alive, so carefree. He wasn’t always like this. Noah brought out the best in him. After giving them a few more minutes, Isabel made her presence known by knocking on the frame of the door. “Hey Max. Are you guys done packing?” Max turned to the sound of his sister’s voice. He stopped turning and gently placed Noah on his left hip. “Just about. I just have to pack the last of Noah’s stuff.” Isabel walked into the room and sat on his unmade bed. “Do you need any help? I’m already done packing.” Max gently bounced Noah on his hip and gestured towards the open box on the floor. “If you insist. Could you just put all of that stuff into the box?” Isabel walked towards the box and started packing it. As she grabbed a handful of Noah’s things, a picture frame fell. She stooped down next to it and picked it up. It was a picture of Tess Harding. Isabel looked into her smiling face and sadness overcame her. “So Iz, I was thinking, you know, maybe I could get Noah one of those toy cars that he could sit in and pretend he was driving- Max stopped in mid-sentence when he saw Isabel sitting next to the box, a picture in her hand. He walked towards her to see what she was looking at. He froze when he realized what she was looking at. When he came back to his senses, he grabbed the photo from her hands. “Thanks for all of your help, but I think I’ve got it from here.” Isabel sat up and wiped the tears that had fallen onto her cheeks. “Max, you know, it’s ok to talk about it. You don’t have to keep all of this inside.” Max turned to his sister with an icy glare. “Just stop it Iz. I don’t want to hear it.” Isabel tried to suppress the sobs that threatened to wrack her body. “Max, it’s been over a year. You can’t keep this bottled up inside.” “I said I don’t want to hear it. I get it enough from mom and dad. Besides, I already have a therapist for this, I don’t need another one.” Isabel opened her mouth to say something, but nothing would come out. Max chose to look anywhere but her. He knew that he was being harsh, but he just couldn’t talk about it. Not now. Noah started whimpering against Max’s chest. Max cradled his son’s body closer to his own, and began cooing reassuring words to him. Without taking his eye’s off of Noah, Max started speaking again. “You better go. I have to get Noah ready for bed.” Isabel only nodded before exiting. She closed the door behind her and captured her sobs into her hand. She had no idea what to do. She wanted to help Max, but how were you supposed to help someone that refused to be helped? She walked away when she heard Max sing softly to Noah. Inside his room, Max sat on his bed. He held his son in his arms and began singing him his favorite song. When Noah seemed to finally settle down, Max sat him on his lap so that they were looking at each other. “Hey buddy. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to get you upset back there. It’s just, daddy has some stuff to deal with right now, and he’s confused.” He gently ran his fingers through his son’s soft hair. “We’re moving tomorrow. To Roswell, New Mexico. Can you believe it? Gramma and Grampa say they want to move us to a small town so you could grow up in a nice environment. But I know that’s not true. We’re moving because of me. They can’t take it anymore. All the whispering, the staring. I guess it’s a good thing. It wouldn’t be a healthy environment for you to grow up in. I don’t want to take you away from here, but I have to. I have no choice. I mean what’s a seventeen year old guy supposed to do? How am I supposed to raise you all by myself?” Max watched as his son looked at him with great interest. At times like these, Max felt like Noah could really understand him. “I love you pal, nothing’s going to change that. Ever.” Max held Noah up so that their noses were touching. He stared into Noah’s piercing blue eyes. A single tear slipped down Max’s cheek. “Did I ever tell you that you and mommy have the same eyes?” Noah’s head bobbed against Max’s. Max wiped the lone tear from his cheek then placed Noah in his crib. He leaned down and gave him a kiss on his forehead. “Goodnight little man. We have a big day tomorrow.”