Out Of The Blue

By Ashton

Part 1/Part 2/Part 3/Part 4/Part 5/Part 6/Part 7/

Part 1

Rating: PG...the most it'll probably get is PG-13...I think.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything Roswell, etc.

Summary: Again, I've kinda change the storyline a little on this.  Max and Isabel were only in Roswell for a short time during high school.  So, M/L do know each other but not to the extent on the show.  She doesn't know he's an alien.  I've taken the basic 'Pilot' plot though and applied to two other people.  Instead of Liz being shot and Max saving her, it'll be another girl who was shot and another teen that heals her.  M/L are actually are much older and are both FBI agents.  The aliens on the show are still aliens in this story so now of that has changed.  Kyle is the sheriff of Roswell while his dad is a director with the FBI and Max's supervisor.  I HOPE that explains the basics so ya don't get too confused.  Let me know if you have any questions.

Category: Max/Liz, although all Roswell couples will be/are involved

Author's Notes:  This chapt starts at the present then takes you back 3 years to when M/L hook up for the first time after high school. 

You guys should know by now I LOVE feedback.  Soooo, PLEASE let me know if I should continue since I do have a few other stories I'm doing right now too and need to know which to work on!  Thanks for all your wonderful support!  Hope you're enjoying reading my stories as much as I am writing them!!

Ashton

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

<I>Someday Out of the Blue

Elton John

Someday out of the blue

In a crowded street or a deserted square

I'll turn and I'll see you

As if our love were new

Someday we can start again

Someday soon</I>

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~ chapter 1 ~

His dark eyes scanned the crowded street.  He didn't know what he hoped to gain.  Each year it had been the same.  Countless hours of waiting and watching.  Wading through a sea of faces eager to experience an alien encounter in a small town famous for its UFO sightings and government conspiracy theories.  Feeling hope spring alive in his heart each time he saw long dark hair swinging in the desert breeze. Hearing his heart break each time the woman turned around and chiseled away at the belief he'd ever see her beautiful face again.  

Not that she would recognize him if he did see her.  Sometimes he didn't even recognize himself any more.  The time away from her had changed him.  No.  The time with her had changed him.  The time apart was destroying him.  Even more than how they parted.  Even more than the void in her eyes when she told him to leave.  That she was going to marry another.   

What was he doing here anyway?  Every logical thought in his mind told him it was dangerous.  And futile.  That she had a life now.  A life without him.  Maybe a family. 

Yet he couldn't stop the doubts and questions floating in his mind.  It had all happened so strangely.  One moment they were promising forever to each other.  The next, she was leaving him for someone else.  Maybe he just needed closure.  Maybe he just needed to look in her eyes once more.  To read in their dark depths that she didn't love him.  Maybe then he could find a way to move on. 

Laughter echoed around him and his head snapped up.  He'd know that sound anywhere.  It wasn't as carefree as it once had been.  And a note of sadness accompanied it's melodic sound, but it was her.  No question about it. 

He slowly turned, his eyes scanning every face before his gaze finally settled on the playground behind him.  His heart stopped at the sight of her.  Her dark hair was pulled back away from her face and her still small and wispy frame was bent forward.  She looked tired.  But happy.  At least she was smiling.  And the smile lit her eyes just like he remembered.  

She let out a laugh and Max felt his chest constrict then expand.  How he'd missed her laugh.  Her hair.  Her smile.  How he missed every little thing she did.  It was then that she moved to the side and his gaze lowered to the object of her joy. 

Max blinked.  Closed his eyes.  Opened them.  Then blinked again.  No.  It couldn't be.  His eyes shifted between the two and he swallowed the sudden lump that lodge itself in his throat. 

"Oh God."  He whispered as his eyes once more focused on the little girl she had been playing with.  The little girl with big dark eyes that looked vaguely familiar, a smile that mirrored her mother's and cute pointed ears that belonged to her father alone. 

"Liz…"

As if hearing him whisper her name, she turned and locked eyes with him. "Max…"          

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Three years earlier:

He knocked on the solid cherry door then waited for the customary grunt of invitation.  Slipping through the door and closing it behind him, he stepped up to the desk, stood at attention and waited to be addressed by his superior.

It didn't take long.  Director Jim Valenti said a few parting words to his party on the line.  "I understand you're upset, Kyle.  I'll look into it, alright?"  The director motioned for him to relax and have a seat. "I said I'd look into it.  Until then stay focused on your job."  He paused then nodded.  "Alright.  I'll talk to you later."

Hanging up the phone, Valenti smiled and nodded once toward the phone.  "Forgive me.  That was my son.  He's a bit concerned about recent events back home."

The dark head nodded in understanding but the lips remained silent.  His ebony eyes patiently waited for the moment he'd learn his reason for being here.  Sensing his desire for instruction, Valenti pulled a file from the pile of papers in front of him and slid it across the desk.  "Actually, that's why I've called you here."

He leaned forward and took the file.  "What's this?"

"Your next assignment.  If you want it."  Valenti proceeded to explain as he watched the agent before him intently.  "The case is really quite simple.  The rumor is that a girl in the local diner was shot.  That a teenage boy went up to her and did something to her.  Touched her somehow.  There's no bullet.  No blood.  But there are witnesses that swear she was shot.  And there's rumor of a dress with a bullet hole in it."

Flipping open the front of the folder, his brown eyes widened as they scanned the first page.  "They're calling it possible alien contact?"

Valenti nodded and steepled his hands in front of him.  "The operative word being 'possible'.  I want this suspicion crushed.  I want you to go there and prove it isn't true."

"I don’t understand.  Why me?"  His quiet voice echoed the questions in his eyes.

"Because you're my best."  Valenti stated as he leaned forward.  "Because my son is the sheriff of the town and he's involved.  I want this handled in the delicate manner I think you are capable of.  Because you've been there before."

Looking back down at the file, his mind raced with possibilities.  If, by chance, there had been real alien contact, he really would be the best to contain this.  The last thing they needed was for the rumors to become fact.  That could prove dangerous for more people than anyone knew.  Than he even knew. 

Nodding slightly he moved to stand.  "Alright.  I'll do it.  I'll leave immediately."

Valenti smiled then raised his hand.  "Before you agree…there is one small detail you need to know about."

His eyebrows furrowed.  "What's that?"

Valenti almost visibly winced.  "A partner.  You'll need to take a partner."

He shook his head.  "No.  Absolutely not.  You know I work with no one."

"I know.  But…this is a special case."  The director stood so he was face to face with his agent.  "Believe me, you're going to want this back up.  Please.  I'm begging you.  This is my son.  I really need you on this one."

Seeing a flash of desperation shoot through his director's eyes, he nodded slowly.  "Fine.  But this is the one and only time.  Have him meet me at the airport in…"  He glanced down at his watch.  "…an hour."

Valenti extended his hand hiding the smirk on his face at his agent's use of the word 'him'.  "We'll do and all the particulars are in the file.  Thank you, Max."

One more nod and he turned to stride out of the office.  Once the door was closed behind him, Max Evans closed his eyes and let out a sigh.  A partner.  The one thing he'd always fought against.  What in the world had possessed him to agree?  Shaking his head he let out another sigh.  There had been something in Valenti's eyes he couldn't ignore.  That's why.  Not to mention his own very important personal reasons for taking this case. 

Besides, it was just this one time.  He could handle it.  He hoped.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

An hour and 14 minutes later:

"This is the last call for Flight 285 going to Roswell, New Mexico.  Last call for flight 285."

Agitation was clearly written over Agent Max Evan's face as he glanced back down at his watch.  Where the hell was he?  One more minute and he'd forget Valenti even mentioned a partner and hop on the plane without him.  Last call being given he would be justified.

A mischievous smile curved Max's lips slightly before he grabbed his bag and headed around the corner toward the gate.  Well, that would be one way to get out of having a partner this trip.  Before he knew what hit him…something did.  Literally.  Something soft and warm with a head full of dark hair that flew in his face and a smell that filled his senses. 

"Oh my God!  I’m so sorry!"  She tripped trying to straighten up and would have fallen backwards over the suitcases that dropped to the floor on impact if Max hadn't wrapped his arm around her waist to steady her.  He looked down in to her face, his eyes widening in surprise.

"Liz?  Liz Parker?"  His voice was strangely strangled as he spoke her name.

Her eyes raised to meet his and a slow smile captured her lips turning the corners up.  "Hi…Max.  I didn't think you'd remember me."

Max blinked at her statement not able to form any coherent thought.  Well, none that he could say out loud.  Not remember her?  She'd been the only girl he'd ever dreamed about.  The one he compared every other woman in the world to.  If they could do a casting call for the lead in all of his fantasies, Liz Parker wouldn't even have to audition.  The role was made for her.  She was his…dreamgirl. 

Not receiving a verbal response, Liz pushed her hair nervously behind her ears.  "You don't, do you?  I mean, it…it has been a while.  And it was only for such a short time.  But… 

"Sophmore year."  Max breathed lightly bringing a smile back to her face that was now flushed with embarrassment. 

Liz nodded.  "Yeah.  West Roswell High."

"Mrs. Hardy's biology class."  They both stated before starting to chuckle.   Liz let out a sweet laugh.  "Yeah.  Small world isn't it?"

Max nodded and swallowed, his eyes drinking in the sight of her.  "Small but pleasant."  Max's face broke into a smile.  "My God, Liz.  It is so great to see you.  What…what are you doing here?"

Liz's smile faded and her long lashes blinked in surprise.  "Why…didn't you know?  Didn't Director Valenti tell you?  Max…I'm…I'm your new partner."

Part 2

~ chapter 2 ~

His sandy blonde head was bent in concentration.  On nothing.  Nothing but the table in front of him.  The air in between.  The images of the face that wouldn't leave him.

Michael Guerin watched him silently from the doorway between the living room and kitchen, his own arms crossed in front of him.  His foster son, Cole, had never been a talkative kid, but he'd grown even more solemn and quiet since a week ago when the incident occurred.  Not that Michael could blame him.  For the first time in his life he'd acted on impulse.  He'd let a stranger in on his secret.  And now…now, it could very well destroy him.

Maria entered the kitchen from outside and stopped short when she saw Cole sitting at the table staring into nothingness.  Transferring the grocery bags from her arms to the counter, she laid her keys down and plopped down in the seat opposite Cole eyeing him carefully.  After a moment's silence, she spoke.  "Hey.  You ok?"

Cole nodded slowly but refused to raise his eyes.  Maria sat another moment in silence before reaching her hand out and covering his with hers.  "He's not mad, you know.  He's just really worried about you."

"I know."  Cole's soft voice answered back still keeping his eyes straight ahead.

Maria smiled slightly and leaned back in her chair.  "That's not all that's bothering you, is it?"  Swallowing hard, Cole slowly shook his head in the negative affirming her belief.  "Sierra?"  She ventured knowingly. 

Cole's head shot up and his warm amber eyes met Maria's.  He didn't have to say a word for her to understand how he felt just hearing *her* name, but Maria felt he needed to acknowledge his feelings even if it was to no one else but himself.  "You really care for her don't you?  I mean, you must to have risked so much…"

Cole's eyes began to shine with warmth and the first smile she'd seen on his face in a while made a brilliant appearance.  Apparently, he felt the need to acknowledge it to someone too.  "She's my Maria."

Maria nodded as a smile of equal radiance began to light her eyes.  She leaned over and patted his hand.  "Then she's a very lucky young lady." 

Cole's smile faded and he looked away.  Maria noticed the change immediately and called him on it.  "Does she…you know, feel the same?"

"I…I don't know."  His voice lowered to a whisper.  "Knowing what I am…how could she?"

"Hey.  You stop that right now."  Maria reached over and tilted his chin upward till he was looking in her eyes.  "What you are is nothing compared to who you are.  And who you are is a smart, funny, loving guy who'd lay down his life for the people he cares about.  You've already proven that.  And I know Sierra.  She's a wonderful girl with a good head on her shoulders and a big heart…one of the biggest I've ever seen.  She doesn't see with just her eyes, Cole.  You've shown her how you feel now give her a chance to show you the same."

"I don't know, Maria."  Cole said as he shook his head and leaned back in his chair.  "I'm…really scared.  And not just about how Sierra feels.  About keeping her safe now that she knows…"

"And you should be."  For the first time Michael made his presence known.  Maria and Cole's gazes shifted to the doorway where Michael had been standing.  He looked first at Cole then Maria then back to Cole.  "I'm not saying this to burst your romantic bubble or anything ok?  I just…have you noticed anything strange lately?  I mean, anything suspicious?"

Cole looked away and Maria's expression turned to alarm.  She shared a silent exchange with Michael before pressing Cole further.  "Cole?  Has there been anything?"

Cole nodded slowly and shrugged uncomfortably.  "The Sheriff.  I've seen him around more this past week than I have my entire time here in Roswell.  I don't know…if I'm just being paranoid or…or…"

"Paranoid is good in this situation.  So, what do you mean you've seen him around?"  Michael asked coming to the table and slipping into the seat next to Maria.  "Because I've seen him around a lot too.  Have you noticed him following you?"

"Yes."  Came Cole's immediate answer. "No.  I'm not sure."  His eyes plead for them to understand as his shoulders slumped forward, the weight of their situation crashing down on him. 

"What about Sierra?  Has she noticed anything?"  Maria asked as the magnitude of Cole's fear began to sink in for her.

"Would she even know if she had?"  Michael added when he saw Maria shoot him a look.  "Hey, I'm not saying anything against the girl.  She's just as new to this as Cole is so she may not know what to look for."  He turned back to Cole.  "Have you talked to her about it?"

Cole shook his head 'no' then locked eyes with Michael in a silent plea.  "Tell me what to do, Uncle Michael."

Michael crossed his arms and leaned forward on the table and sat silently contemplating his advice before giving it.  "I think you should talk to her.  Let her know she needs to be on the look out for anything strange.  Anything suspicious."  He glanced sideways to Maria then back to Cole.  "Then I think you should stop seeing her."

"Michael…" 

Michael raised his hand to stop Maria's protest.  "At least for now.  Until this all dies down.  If it dies down…"  Michael added under his breath.

Maria heard him and knew the fear he was feeling.  She reached under the table and gave his leg a reassuring squeeze.  Cole's eyes faltered at Michael's words.  He knew Michael was right.  In fact, he had pretty much come to the same conclusion before Maria had walked into the kitchen.  He just needed someone else to voice it before he would have the strength to make it a reality.

Cole sat still for a moment his eyes beginning to empty of confusion as determination took it's place.  He slipped out of his seat and nodded down to Michael and Maria.  "I'll go talk to her now."

"Good luck, sweetie."  Maria stated softly.

"Thanks."  Cole turned and headed for the door.  His hand hit the knob and Michael's voice stopped him from turning it. 

"Cole?"  Michael shifted uncomfortably in his seat.  "If she's your Maria…you'll find a way to be together."

Cole nodded once, opened the door and slipped through it without another word.  Watching him go, Maria slipped her arm around Michael's neck.  "That was sweet of you."

Michael shrugged.  "I know what he's going through.  Right now things are looking pretty hopeless for him.  He needed something to hold onto."

Maria smiled and leaned forward to kiss him on the cheek.  "And you knew just what that something was."  She nuzzled his neck.  "So.  Got anything for me to hold onto?"

Michael grinned as he wrapped his arm around Maria and swiftly pulled her up onto his lap.  Kissing her deeply, Michael pulled back and smiled.  "I think I can come up with a thing or two…"  He wiggled his eyebrows as a devilish twinkle lit his eyes.

Maria began to giggle as she took Michael's face in her hands. "I love you, Michael Guerin."  

Michael hoisted Maria up as he stood from his chair.  "Ditto."  His one-syllable confession was almost drowned out by the sound of Maria's giggles as he began to tickle her as he carried her down the hall to their bedroom… 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sierra Carson pulled her long dark hair back into a ponytail and affixed the silver alien headband to the top of her head.  She glanced at herself in the mirror then moved to the electric blue door to peek out the diamond window at the growing crowd of diners.  Scanning the room quickly she let out a sigh of disappointment and turned around jumping at the sight that greeted her. 

"Cole!"  Sierra couldn't help the smile that lit her olive-skinned face.  "I didn't know you were here…"

Cole's soft amber eyes faltered from her round, beautiful face to the floor.  "I…I came in through the back. I hope that's ok."

Sierra's smile spread.  "Of course it's ok."  Seeing Cole's determination not to look her in the eyes, Sierra reached out and touched his arm with sudden concern.  "Hey.  Are you alright?  Has something happened?"

Cole Guerin swallowed hard as he eyes raised to meet hers.  "We need to talk."

Sierra blinked at him.  Uh-oh.  This didn't sound good.  Since the day he'd saved her life at the Crashdown a week ago, she and Cole had shared several private conversations.  At the diner.  In the halls at school.  Once at her bedroom window.  They'd even slipped into the infamous 'Eraser Room' once.  Their conversations all seemed to start with those words…'we need to talk'.  And they all ended in him walking away first.  She couldn't decide if that was a Cole thing or just a (as strange as it was to say it) alien thing.  Either way, she suddenly wondered if it would always be that way with them...

Nodding quickly Sierra tried to brush away the feeling of impending doom and grabbed Cole's hand pulling him toward the back where a small sofa sat.  Plopping down she pulled Cole down with her then nervously turned toward him with a look of expectancy.  "I hope this is an ok place to talk.  I really shouldn't wander far since I have to start my shift in a few minutes.  So..."

She let the sentence dangle as she watched his face to see if, for once, she could manage to read that unreadable expression he always wore. The one time he'd let it slip out of control was the day he saved her.  How she wished every day since that he'd lose that control all over again. 

Sierra tilted her head to the side in a silent prompt.  Previously lost in his own thoughts and noting for the first time that Sierra's rambling had stopped and silence had engulfed them while she was patiently waiting for him to begin, Cole raised his eyes to hers. "Um, look, Sierra...I know all of this has been really, really hard to deal with and..."

"No, Cole, it hasn't."  Sierra rushed to assure him.  "Really...it's, it's not hard at all."

Cole rewarded her with a half-smile and she saw something flash in his eyes that warmed her from the inside out.  That was before he quickly decided to become logical again.  "Thanks for saying that.  But the fact remains that what happened when I..."  He paused and glanced around them then turned back to her.  "Well, what happened between us that day...it's raised some suspicions."

"You mean..."

"Sheriff Valenti."  Cole acknowledged with a whisper.  "I've noticed he's been following me around.  Uncle Michael's noticed it too.  I'm just..."

"Scared."  Sierra filled in for him when he broke off his sentence unable to find the right word.

He nodded slowly.  "Yeah.  And not just for me.  For you too." Cole unconsciously reached for her hand and held it tightly in his own.  "I really need you to know that, Sierra.  I need you to know that I never...I never wanted to hurt you.  Or...or put you in danger because of me..."

Sierra's blue-gray eyes crinkled in the corners when she smiled warmly and put her hand over his.  "You think I don't know that, Cole?  I do, ok?  Please don't ever apologize for...what you did.  I'm not sorry it happened."  Her smile faded as a new thought occurred to her. "Are you?"

Cole's eyes widened in surprise and he shook his head emphatically.  "God, no, Sierra!  You're alive.  I could never be sorry for that." As if realizing the strength of his denial, Cole pulled his hands quickly away from Sierra's and stood stuffing his hands in his pockets uncomfortably.

Unable to look at her, Cole's eyes remained fixed on the floor.  "Look.  I just came to tell you...we need to be really careful right now.  Uncle Michael says we shouldn't even be seen together..."

"What?  For how long?"  Sierra jumped up from her seat to stand in front of him her question pulling his eyes to hers.  He looked down quickly when he saw them beginning to brim with tears. 

Shaking his head, Cole's words were softly spoken.  "I...I'm not sure.  It's just...too risky.  Not safe."

"But, I don't care..."

"I do."  Cole stated with determination as his eyes flicked to hers.  He bent his frame slightly and reached out impulsively to touch her cheek.  "I couldn't stand it...if something ever happened to you because of me.  Please understand."   

Sierra nodded silently afraid if she said anything she would lose control on her shifting emotions.  She did understand.  More than Cole knew.  More than she had dreamed she could.  Because she felt the exact same way.  Somehow this boy standing before her had become so important to her that she wanted his safety more than even her own happiness.  She'd die inside if anything ever happened to him because of her.  "So, what do we do?"

Cole's hand stayed molded to her face as if he couldn't bear to not touch her.  Not have some connection to her for as long as possible.  "Go back to the way things were before.  Maybe nod to each other in the halls, but nothing more.  This...can't be...*we* can't be...anything more than strangers..."

"I can't do that."

Cole's eyes softened when he saw the honesty in her darkening eyes.  "Yes, you can.  You have to.  So do I."  He paused to gauge her reaction wondering how much of his heart to reveal.  "Sierra…"

She attempted a smile and nodded.  Reaching up she covered his hand with hers.  "If it's meant to be…we just need to be patient, that's all."

Cole looked down at her loving her more in that moment than he ever had before, but he couldn't do it.  He couldn't let her see how much her words meant.  Cole swallowed hard and lowered his eyes away from her face as he started to move away from her, but she caught his hand in hers and looked down at it nervously.  "Cole?"  She raised her eyes to meet his gaze.  "Please be careful."

Cole nodded as his heart took flight when he saw the emotions in her eyes.  "You too.  Call me at the first sign of trouble, ok?  I'm only a thought away..."      

With one final half-smile, Cole turned and walked away.  He'd made no promises, yet his eyes spoke volumes.  Mixed signals floated around her leaving Sierra wondering if she'd ever be able to completely understand the boy she'd dreamed of for so long…

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thousands of feet in the air, flying in the general direction of Roswell, New Mexico, Liz Parker was doing the same thing.

Max Evans had been her high school crush.  Her first secret love.  The boy she measured all the others against.  Sure they hadn't known each other that long or even that well.  Only one class in one semester, in fact.  But he'd made an impact on her unlike anyone before or since.  And now, she was his partner.  And a baffling one at that.

She tucked her hair behind her ear for what seemed like the tenth time in 30 long, silent minutes.  Glancing at Max's stoic expression from the corner of her eye, Liz then let out an unconscious sigh and turned toward the window wondering what had happened to that warm smile that had first greeted her.  Max's unguarded welcome earlier disappeared like the sun behind a cloud when she told him the reason for her presence at the airport.

Sitting here in relative silence, she'd been wondering what had triggered his negative reaction.  Was it the word 'partner' or the fact she was the chosen one to play the role?  Either way, he'd become a completely different person and she was the reason.  It was like watching the change from Dr. Jekyll to Mr. Hyde take place right before her eyes.

Max's smile had disappeared instantly.  He swore under his breath and grunted something about the plane before grabbing her arm, pulling her toward the gate.  The airline agent was just closing the door and Max practically bowled her over trying to get through.  When she attempted to stop them, he barked an order and pushed his way through pulling Liz and their luggage behind them.  Once settled into their seats, Max had reached into his briefcase and pulled out a newspaper as if his rude actions had been the most natural in the world.  The next 30 minutes had been spent in silence as he read.

It was more than the silence of someone concentrating, though.  It was the deafening silence of someone shutting down…shutting people out.  And Liz Parker didn't know what to make of it. 

It wasn't as if he'd been the chattiest person in high school.  No, he'd been just the opposite. He had been the mystery she wanted to unravel.  The deep soulful eyes she wanted to look into just to see if somehow she could be the one able to see into his soul.  Right now, seeing into his soul didn't seem like much of an option especially since he refused to even look at her.           

"Does your family and friends know about your nervous habit?"  Max said finally breaking his ban of silence. 

Liz's head whipped around in surprise at the sound of his voice.  "Excuse me?"

Max's eyebrow raised as he casually pointed a finger in the direction of her left ear.  "The hair behind the ear thing.  You've done it six times in the last five minutes.  Does your family know you do that when you get nervous?"

"I'm not nervous."  Liz raised her chin in defiance when she saw the smirk of disbelief on his face.  "Besides, I'm surprised you even noticed anything except that newspaper in your hand."

Max locked eyes with hers then he shifted in his seat to lean in close, intimately.  He unconsciously breathed in her sweet scent before his warm breath blew against Liz's cheek as he whispered conspiratorially in her ear.  "I'll let you in on a little secret.  I'm an undercover agent. A spy.  By the very definition, that's what we do.  Gather information…undetected."

"Oooohhhh."  Liz said in the breathy voice that would accompany the typical over-awed, intelligence-challenge female she usually referred to as a 'bimbo'.  The kind the guys at the Bureau liked to 'impress' with their job titles and talk of 'covert operations'. "So *that* was the answer to number 5 on the Super-Spy Entrance exam.  And to think if I'd only known you back then I would've made 150 on my score instead of 149." She batted her eyelashes appropriately.  "Gee, Mr.-Secret-Agent-Man, I feel so much smarter already."

"Touche'."  Max smirked and leaned back against his seat.  She was smart.  And quick.  And she didn't back down from him.  She was everything he knew she'd be.  Staying away from her was going to be harder than he thought.  Rearranging his thoughts to less pleasant topics, Max blurted out his next sentence speaking more to himself than anyone else.  "It needs to stop."

Liz blinked her eyes in unbelief and she asked the same thing for the second time with less confusion and more irritation.  "Excuse me?"

Max didn't raise his eyes from the newspaper in his hands.  On the outside he appeared calm and in control.  On the inside his stomach did a flip-flop.  Had he really said that out loud?  Oh, God.  He must have because she was looking at him like he'd grown a second head.  <I>Think, Max.  Think of something quick.</I>  "The...uh...the nervous habit.  You'll have to stop it if we're ever going to pull this off."

"Yeah?  Well, so will your rudeness."  She shot back before turning once more to the window.

Max's eyebrow shot up at her response and he couldn't help but smile.  She always had been spunky.  That's one of the things that had drawn him to her in high school.  The other had been that luxurious head of dark hair that was currently brushing against his shoulder.  He closed his eyes and willed himself the strength to get through this long flight without attacking her lips with all the passion he'd been saving these past years just for her.  "Point taken."

Liz's gaze shifted slowly back to his face when she heard his quiet concession.  She was surprised to see a smile of contentment on his face.  For a moment, he appeared as pleased as he had earlier when he first looked into her eyes.  She wondered what he was thinking about.  Or if he'd even be willing to share it with her.  She had the feeling Max Evans had more secrets roaming around in his head than the whole of Interpol, the CIA and the FBI put together.  She'd always had that feeling about him.

Max's eyes slowly opened and he allowed his gaze to rest on Liz's beautiful face.  If he didn't watch himself, he could get lost in her eyes.  This assignment was way too important to lose himself in anything but the investigation.  That needed to be his focus.  Nothing and no one else.  And with the way he assumed things were laid out in the briefing, he wouldn't be able to keep that focus if Liz and he remained in the roles they were cast in.  He needed to get control of this before it even started.  So he did the only thing he knew to do…change their stragegy.  "No offense, but I really don't think we should be engaged."

Liz blinked her eyes in surprise at his sudden launching of this topic.  Especially since he obviously hadn't read their agency briefing or he would have known that he was to be partnered with her.  "How did you know…"

A small smirk appeared on his lips.  "I just knew."

Liz leaned her head back.  "Ahh, yes.  I should have known.  The infamous Evans' Factor rearing it's ugly head."

Max's head tilted to the side as he regarded Liz for a moment.  "The Evans' Factor?  What do you mean by that?"

Liz chuckled and it sent a warm feeling rushing through Max.  "Oh, you know.  The 'I just knew' explanation for just about everything you do.  It's become famous in training sessions.  Along with a few of your most illustrious cases."

"Really?"  Max's eyes began to dance with pride.  "Huh.  So they're teaching my methods in training now?  That's interesting…"

Truth was Liz had heard his name throughout training and each time, it was spoken with awe and respect.  It made her want to meet up with him again even more.  A wide smile spread over Liz's lips when she could almost visibly see Max's head inflate.  It was definitely time to burst that bubble...even if she did have to lie a little.  "Oh, I wouldn't get too excited if I were you.  Your name usually appears in the 'this-is-what-not-to-do' list." 

"Oh."  A somewhat disappointed Max looked straight ahead as if trying to process this new information.  That didn't make sense.  Especially since he was one of the Bureau's best.  He had gone to great lengths to make sure of it. Besides that, everyone knew he was.  He glanced at her and saw a teasing glint in her eyes.  Unless she was trying to pull his leg. 

Max fought the sudden urge to smile.  Liz Parker was definitely going to be a challenge to keep up with.  And to keep away from...

Liz smiled to herself as she watched his eyes grow dark with contemplation then light with amusement.  "So.  What is it?  Another woman?"

Max's head snapped to the side and for a moment he looked completely confused.  "W--what?" 

Her smile deepened when she remembered how adorably cute he looked when he was at a loss for words.  It had been one of the most endearing things to her back in high school.  "The reason you don't want to marry me.  Is it because of another woman?  You know, a little girlfriend waiting for you back home that I couldn't possibly compete with..."  Liz sent a silent prayer upwards that the answer would be in the negative.

Her prayer was heard and answered in abundance.  "NO!"  Max practically shouted.  Glancing around him at the eyes that had turned in his direction at his outburst, Max smiled and nodded uncomfortably to them then turned back to Liz lowering his voice considerably.  "I...I mean no."  He swallowed hard and tried desperately to get control of his thoughts.  Especially the ones that screamed out to him that Liz's assumption that she could be in competition with anyone else was so out of the realm of possibilities.  "That's...not why."

Liz released a sigh of relief as her eyes began to shine.  "So...why don't you think we should be engaged."

<I>Focus, Max.  Just stay focused on the case.  She can't get to you if you...just...stay...focused.</I>   Leaning back in his seat once more, Max took his time in answering her question.  Even if control was the last thing he was feeling right now, she didn't have to know it.  Taking a deep breath, he affected a nonchalant attitude.  "It's too intimate." 

A dark eyebrow raised.  "And is this a problem for you?  Being intimate with someone?"

The smile on his face was condescending, but something flickered in his eyes that she couldn't quite name when he turned to look at her.  "Isn't it for all of us on some level?"  Without waiting for her answer he looked away and continued.  "And before you answer that, as interesting of a conversation as that might be some day, I was really referring to our case.  Being 'engaged' on assignment...*this* assignment in particular...opens us up for more mistakes." 

Liz shifted in her seat so she could face him.  "How so?"

"It'd be one thing if we were heading to Chicago or New York.  Even Miami. A place where no one knows either or both of us.  They wouldn't be able to pick up on inconsistencies."  He inclined his head to the side as he nervously picked imaginary lint off his pants.  "As it is we're going back.  To your home.  To a place that was my home for a short while.  A place where people know us...you especially well.  We won't be able to afford slip ups."

Liz nodded her head in understanding, but still pressed the point since Max was so ready to disregard their orders.  "Like?"

"Details."  Max stated simply as if that's all the answer she needed.  Seeing her still waiting patiently for him to continue, he did--after willing his heart to stop racing with each new thought that passed through his mind.  How he'd like to reach out and take her hand in his and hold it forever.  Know what it would be like to run his fingers through her long silky hair. Or touch her skin and watch her eyes burn with desire...

"You know..."  Max cleared his throat and looked down at his hands.  "...uh...what you like to eat for breakfast in the mornings, your basic night time routine, the...uh...side of the bed you sleep on..."

He passed his hand over his face and glanced above him toward the air vent.  "God, is it getting hot in here or what...?"  He turned the knob till cool air was blowing full blast down on him causing the short bangs on his forehead to gently move from side to side.

Liz bit her lower lip to stop the grin that wanted to break out over her face at the way his words had suddenly become broken and his chest had begun rising and falling with short, labored breaths.  All reasoning could go to hell for all Liz cared at this point.  She wanted to be engaged to Max Evans...pretend or no...just for a while.  To see what it would be like to have the right to lay her head on his shoulder.  Taste his lips as he gently claimed them in a passionate kiss.  Hold his eyes with hers and feel him press against her...

Max's voice continued on less strangled, more level as he concentrated on pulling a folder from his briefcase.  "Your favorite book or the music you like to listen to.  Things that parents will know about you that someone you've committed to spend the rest of your life with should know.  Things I haven't the fainest idea about."

Liz conceeded for the moment when he turned back to her.  But only a moment.  Because if he thought for a second he wasn't going to play the romantic lead in this fantasy the agency so conveniently set up for her, he had another thing coming.  "Ok.  I see that.  But if we aren't engaged, how exactly do you think we should play this?"

Max shrugged and looked away concentrating on the back of the seat in front of him trying his best to remain as business like as possible.  Looking at Liz wasn't helping that goal.  He was definitely more in control when his eyes weren't locked on her beautiful face.  "I think we should just be dating.  You know, on the border between new relationship and getting comfortable with each other.  That way it'll appear we're still learning new things about each other in case we slip up somehow, but we're serious enough for you to bring me home to meet mom and dad."

Liz pursed her lips and brought her left arm up to look at her watch.  "So, we have...what?  Four and a half hours till our first lay-over, right?"

Max cocked his head to the side in thought.  "Yeah, I think that's how long the itinerary said."

Liz put her elbow on the arm rest between she and Max and propped her chin in her hand.  "Ok.  Go."

Max turned to her, his eyebrow raised as an amused smile played on his lips.  "Go?  Go where?"

Liz batted her eyes at him as she reached for his hand.  Feeling sudden warmth spreading up from her fingertips to her arm and all the way through her body at the first touch, Liz sucked in her breath and let it out slowly as a sly smile spread over her lips and her eyes locked with his.  "Well, Max Evans, it seems that you have exactly four and a half hours to do what no one has done before."

"W-what's that?"  Max whispered unconsciously.

"Make me fall in love with you..."  

Part 3

~ chapter 3 ~

Maria swept through the front door of the Crashdown and smiled brightly at Sierra as they passed each other, Sierra heading toward a table and Maria on her way to the back room.  "Hey, Juan.  Carol."  Maria greeted the kitchen staff as she headed toward the office she had occupied for the last 3 years as manager of the Crashdown Cafe, where she once worked as waitress through her teen years.  Once inside, she plopped her purse down on her desk and let out a groan when she saw the pile of mail waiting for her.

"There's a lot of mail, huh?"  Sierra's voice called to her from her doorway.

Maria turned and smiled.  "Yeah.  Probably a lot of papers and bills on damage from the shooting."  She glanced back at the pile and waved her hand over it.  "Ah, it can wait.  Come on in and have a seat.  I was hoping I'd get a chance to talk to you anyway."

Sierra hesitated a moment before walking into Maria's office and closing the door behind her.  Dropping down into the soft cushions of the couch along the wall, Sierra turned her large eyes on Maria with a nervous smile.  "So.  What did you want to talk to me about?"

Maria smiled slightly and leaned forward in her chair.  "I was actually going to ask you the same question."  Seeing the look of surprise on Sierra's face, Maria answered her unasked question.  "You did come to my door for a reason, didn't you?  Maybe to ask me about a certain young man…"

Sierra blushed and looked down at her hands shyly.  After a moment's pause, she looked back up at Maria.  "How is he?  Cole, I mean?"

A slender eyebrow raised.  "Truth?  He's missing you already."

Sierra looked down again.  "Then why…" 

Maria got up from her chair and came to sit next to Sierra.  Reaching her hand out, she covered Sierra's with hers.  "Because it's safer this way."

"But you and Michael…"  Sierra began in earnest.

"Are much older.  We're better able to handle the dangers that comes with a human-Czech relationship." Maria finished quietly for her before continuing.  "Plus he didn't just put his life in danger by saving my life using his powers in front of a room full of witnesses."

The silence in the room was almost deafening as Sierra considered Maria's words.  Since the moment Cole had come to her and told her they couldn't even be seen together, Sierra had been searching for a reason why.  One that didn't just sound like a typical guy excuse not to get emotionally involved.  And Maria had just provided her with one.  Not that Cole hadn't told her this, but hearing it from Maria made it more real somehow.  "He could really be in danger, couldn't he?  Because of me."

"No, Sierra.  He could be in danger because there are a lot of paranoid people out there that want to hurt him because of what he did."

"For me."  Sierra persisted.

"Don't blame yourself, ok?  It will accomplish nothing and Cole doesn't feel that way.  None of us do."  Maria patted Sierra's hand.  "Look, I don’t know how long this will last. But it will end.  I promise you, it will.  And until then, I want you to know, you can come to me anytime, ok?  For any reason. If Kyle Valenti starts bothering you…come to me.  Or if you just want to talk about school or work here or you family…or Cole.  Even if it's just to dish about those amazing Czechoslovakian kisses…"

Sierra blushed and looked down as a shy grin spread over her face.  "I…I wouldn't really know about those."

A twinkle in Maria's eyes began to appear as she started to smile.  "Boy, do you have a lot to look forward to."  She chuckled as Sierra's blush deepened.  "You know, it's been a while since I've had another girl to talk to about this.  About loving a…well, you know."

Sierra's grin spread as she nodded her head.  "Yeah, I know."

"This could be really fun."  Maria commented as Sierra's eyes raised to meet hers.

For a girl whose home life was pretty much in shambles, the bond of friendship Maria was offering her was like a lifeline to normalcy.  That is, if it was normal to be in love with an alien…    Sierra nodded as her eyes locked with Maria's.  "Yeah, I think it really could be."

Snapping back into her mode as manager of the Crashdown, Maria stood and clasped her hands together in front of her.  "Speaking of fun…I'll just bet there are at least 10 alien blasts out there to make and deliver to customers…"

Sierra let out a lilting laugh that caused her eyes to dance and Maria suddenly understood why Michael's foster son, Cole, often stood quietly staring at the girl.  She was radiant when she laughed.  In fact, she reminded Maria a lot of her best friend, Liz Parker.  The long dark hair.  The sweet quiet disposition.  The smile that knocked guys out of this world.  Sierra waved quietly and slipped out of the office to attend to her job.

Maria suddenly felt a pang of loneliness.  If only Liz were here so she could talk to someone about everything.  The shooting.  The healing.  Michael.  Other things…  On second thought, it was a good thing Liz wasn't here.  It would only make her want to share things Liz was better off not knowing.  Things that she'd probably be obliged to turn in on her reports to the FBI.  Michael certainly wouldn't want her confiding such sensitive information.  Even if it was to her oldest friend in the world.  Yes, having Liz Parker half a world away was much better for everyone involved…no matter how much it hurt to not be able to share the most intimate details of her life with her best friend.

Just as Maria had come to this monumental conclusion, a knock on the door pulled her out of her reverie.  She called out a welcome and slipped back into her seat.  Surprised when Jeff Parker stuck his head in, Maria smiled warmly.  "Hey, Mr. Parker.  What's shaking?"

Jeff smiled back at her and entered the office.  "Well, I just thought I'd let you know Nancy and I are going to be closing the Crashdown a little early tomorrow night.  We're setting up for an impromptu party and we want you and Michael to come.  Cole too, of course."

"Well, ok.  But...what's the occasion?"

"Lizzie's coming home!"  Jeff answered with a large grin. 

Maria's eyes widened and her breath seemed to suddenly leave her.  "What?  When?  How?  Why?"

Jeff began to laugh.  "Umm, let's see if I can do this in order.  She's coming home.  She'll arrive tonight sometime.  She's flying in.  And she's bringing a young man with her."  He stuck hands in his pockets and rocked back on his heels with pride.  "Nancy and I think this is the one.  We think our little girl is finally in love."

Maria was torn between excitement and dread.  She was going to see Liz after all this time.  On the other hand, Michael was not going to be happy.  Come to think of it…neither would Kyle Valenti.  This could be bad.  She'd better call…

"Maria?  Is something wrong?"  Jeff asked with concern when Maria's reaction hadn't been her usual bubbly, bounce off the walls kind of reaction Mr. Parker had been expecting.

Maria forced a laugh and a smile.  "Of course not!  I'm thrilled!  I just…"  She glanced around her office looking for a good excuse for her less than enthusiastic response.  "…I have all of this paperwork to get done before my best girl gets home!  I want to spend as much time with her as possible, ya know!"

Jeff nodded and laughed.  "I know.  It's been so long.  Ever since Alex…then the wedding…"  Jeff paused and pushed those thoughts aside.  "Anyway, it'll be great having her back.  So, you'll come to the party?"

"Of course!  We wouldn't miss it for the world."  Maria replied happily.

The moment Mr. Parker closed the door behind him, Maria grabbed up the phone and dialed her home number.  The third ring she heard his voice.  "Baby, I got news.  Now, I don't want you to freak or anything, ok?"

"Maria.  What's this all about?"  Michael's voice was suddenly tense.  "Is it Cole?  Sierra…"

"No.  No. Things are fine."  Maria sat in her chair and took a breath.  "Remember my best friend Liz?  Liz Parker?"

"How could I forget?  You talk about her all the time…"

"She's coming home."

"What?"  Michael asked, his voice registering concern.  "Why?"

Maria gulped.  "She's bringing a guy home to meet the folks."

Michael laughed sarcastically.  "Even you don't believe that."  He exhaled a loud sigh and remained silent for a moment.  "This is it, Maria.  It's all over.  They're coming.  Just like I always knew they would.  They're coming for us…and now…now it's time to leave Roswell…"

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Max's gulped.  "F…fall in love with me?"

Liz's eyes danced with amusement as she nodded her head solemnly and her voice took on the tone of an adult coaxing a 4-year old into eating a carrot stick with the future reward of a lollipop.  "Max.  If you want me to play your girlfriend, I'm going to need some inspiration."

Another gulp.  "Inspiration, huh?"  Max commented as he allowed his eyes to roam her face.  The delight in her eyes told him just how much she was enjoying this little game she had begun.  He almost couldn't believe it.  Liz Parker was actually…flirting with him.

"Uh-huh."  She looked away from him then brought her eyes back coyly.  "Unless, of course, you want me to be completely unconvincing…"

"Oh, no."  Max answered quickly with a slight shake of his head.  "No, we can't have that now, can we?"   Long dark eyelashes fluttered when he blinked a few times.  "So, uh.  What...what did you...um... have in mind?"

Liz leaned forward slightly and held Max's gaze captive as a small smile spread over her lips and her voice lowered almost to a whisper.  "Well.  I was thinking along the lines of poetry."

Max's eyes widened in surprise.  "Poetry?" A slow grin started across his face.  "What...like you want me to recite a poem to you or something?"

Hair as dark as a raven's feather bounced around her shoulders as Liz's head nodded emphatically.  Max began to chuckle at her enthusiasm.  "But I don't know any..."

"Yes, you do."  Liz's voice softened with meaning and her eyes took on a distant look as her mind drifted back to the past.  She began to recite words from years ago while Max sat mesmerized by the sound of her voice speaking words that had once come from his heart. 

"If only I could hold her hand

I would make her understand

The man that I could someday be

If only she would stand by me

If only she could read my heart

She'd know I never will depart

By her side I'll always stay

If only she would look my way

If only we could walk alone

My heart would never be a stone

Forever I would hold her near

'You're my dreamgirl' I would whisper

Softly in her ear"

Liz smiled sheepishly at the priceless expression on Max's face. It was somewhere between astonished, impressed, embarrassed and humbled.  When his mouth opened but no words came out, Liz hastened to explain.  "Sophomore year writing contest.  I was a student judge.  And you were a..."

"Loser.  Big time.  You know that was my sister's doing, right?  She found it in my notebook and entered it without my knowledge."  Max finished his explanation for her with a surprised smile, blinking his eyes in a state of shock before his voice lowered in awe.  "I…I can't believe you remembered the contest let alone all of that." 

"What can I say?"  Liz shrugged with a proud smile.  It was nice to know she had impressed him.  Because she had constantly been impressed by him.  "I was impressed that the boy with the most soulful eyes in the 10th grade had an equally soulful heart."  Liz smile deepened as she looked away from him.  "You know, I always wondered who she was.  Your inspiration for that poem.  I wondered if she knew how you felt and if your words moved her they way they moved me."

Max stared in awe at her and swallowed hard as the meaning of her words softly hit his heart.  His inspiration?  She was sitting right next to him!  And how amazing was it that his stupid little poem had actually reached her heart somehow.  Enough for her to remember it all this time later.  Why hadn't he known this back then?  If he had, would it have given him the courage to do something about his feelings?  Could he do something about them now?  His chest heaved a sigh of disappointment as reality brought him crashing down to earth.  Of course he couldn't.  They were grown adults on assignment now.  On a very important assignment.  He was no longer a high school teenager with a life-sized crush who had nothing else in the world to worry about than whom to go to the fall dance with.  Besides the obvious...they were different life forms.

Covering his disappointed reaction quickly, Max tried to laugh it off with a diversion.  A trick he was used to using whenever anyone got too close for comfort.  "Yeah, well, too bad my words didn't move Ms. Price.  I heard she was the reason the $200 prize was given to Tommy Steiner."

Her gaze returned to his face and her words were as sincere as the expression in her eyes.  "You were a winner to me.  Yours was the only piece written worthy of first place.  Written by a boy with a heart full of dreams…"

"The boy full of dreams that wrote that is long gone, Liz."  Max's voice was edged with sadness as he quickly tried to remind himself that all those dreams he'd had back then had died long ago.  His eyes held that same hint of emotion right before he looked away. 

Sensing his sadness, Liz tilted her head to the side.  "That's too bad because he was the kind of boy a girl knew she could trust her heart to.  The kind that could make her believe in finding a true soulmate."

"And what?  Tommy's entry didn’t do that for you?"  Max teased with mock seriousness once again dodging the subject of her words by concentrating on anything but the pounding of his heart as it slammed into his chest.

Liz chuckled and shook her head.  "Although 'Ode to the Hoop' was a great treatise on the game of basketball, it somehow failed to inspire thoughts of love and happily-ever-afters."

Max returned his gaze to her as a light began to shine in his chocolate brown eyes and his voice lowered in amazement.  "But mine did?"  He swallowed again when he saw the simple nod of her head.  "So, do you think it's the kind of inspiration you might need to convincingly play the role of my girlfriend?"

"Maybe."  Liz smile lit her eyes in a challenge.  "You think you can find that dreamy boy long enough to try?"

Max responded in kind.  "Maybe. What else do you have in mind--besides composing poetry on a whim?"

"Why don't you tell me how we met."  Liz suggested.  She cautiously reached out and took his hand in hers feeling the physical contact might help them through this little practice run.  Who was she kidding?  She just wanted to feel his warmth flow through her with a touch…no matter what the reason.

Feeling as if an invisible rope was pulling him into this subtle game of hers, Max took a shallow breath when he felt liquid heat flow through him instantly when she touched his hand.  "We…we met in high school.  You know that."

Liz tilted her head to the side allowing her long hair to brush against Max's arm.  She saw his eyes darken and heard his sharp intake of breath. "Actually..."  She purposefully deepened her smile and ran her hand lightly over his.  "...I was thinking more along the lines of how you *felt* when we met."

Max's gaze lowered to the lazy movements of her hand on his as he struggled to keep a dreamy smile from lighting his expression.  His mouth went dry at the same time he felt himself break out in a cold sweat.  He really needed to get control of himself if he was going to make it through this conversation. 

With concentration, he managed to keep his voice level.  At least it sounded level to him.  But what did he know?  All he could hear was the loud thumping of his heart filling his ears with a thunderous rushing noise.  "Why don't you tell me how you felt instead?  You know...give me an example of the kind of inspiration you're looking for."

Liz eyed him for a moment wondering if she should do it.  Touch him the way she'd always wanted.  Take an up close and personal inspection of his features.  Her hands suddenly began to shake and she felt like a teenager going out on a first date.  Needing to calm her nervousness, Liz took a deep breath.  If she was ever going to do it, now was the time when motives were nothing more than practicing a role for the purpose of their job and expectations were only based on pretend.

"Well…I loved the soulful depths of your eyes.  They made me feel like there was so much more to you than anyone could ever guess."  Liz began slowly as she focused on the long dark eyelashes that were resting against Max's cheeks as his focus remained on their recently intertwined hands.  Her eyes dropped to Max's lips that were parted slightly and she wondered if they would taste salty or sweet if she leaned forward and took the initiative to mold them to hers. 

She scrunched up her nose in thought.  No.  Better not go that far…yet.

Bringing up one finger, she allowed it to lightly trace the outlines of his lips before continuing.  She could feel Max's heated intense gaze resting on her face and flushed under his scrutiny.  "And that faint smile you only let me see when we'd pass in the hallway.  The one that made me feel like we were sharing a secret just between the two of us.  A secret the rest of the world would never know."

Her hand slipped upward along his jawline and her blush eased when she felt his stare drop from her eyes.  "There's so much strength and confidence in the quiet set of your expression.  I felt safe when you were around.  I think for me…when we met…it was love at first sight."  Liz's quiet confession brought Max's eyes instantly back to her face in surprise.  Liz's gaze faltered but not before he caught the emotions her words brought out in her eyes. 

"At…at least that's what I'll tell the folks."  She cleared her throat, pulled back and looked back at him having donned an air of nonchalance as if his answer to her question meant nothing more than a story they'd use to further their cover story when they touched ground.  "So.  How about you?"

A smile began in his eyes and worked its way down his expression till it landed gently on his lips.  Although the air around them practically sizzled with rising heat, suddenly, playing this game didn't seem all that dangerous.  Not if that had been real vulnerability that he'd seen flash through her eyes.  In fact, it could actually be fun.  Exciting.  Innocently sensuous.  If there was such a thing.  It wasn't as if he'd never flirted before.  He had.  Granted it was usually in response to a come on, but he'd learned to do it well with no lasting consequences.  Why should this be any different? 

His eyes focused on her full lips then slowly made their way up to her large dark eyes full of warmth while she patiently awaited his answer with a hint of uncertain vulnerability. <I>Who are you kidding, Evans?  It's different because…well, because this Liz Parker. High school crush and lifetime dreamgirl.</I>  If he let himself go too far, especially on this assignment, there would be serious consequences to pay.  Still, the assignment was several hours away and she had just smiled at him coaxing him to play a role he'd dreamed of for so long.  The love of Liz Parker's life.  It was a role…and a smile…Max simply couldn't resist…

"Love at first sight?  Not even close to that for me." 

Liz's smile disappeared and her voice held a highly injured tone as she pulled back slightly and pushed her lower lip out in an adorable pout.  "You didn't love me at first sight?"

Max shook his head slowly and his hand unconsciously covered hers, his thumb beginning a gentle caress against the back of her hand, as his voice lowered to an intimate whisper.  "I loved you even before that. In fact…I think I even dreamed you into life.

"Really?"  Liz's eyes lit up as the soft whisper barely escaped her.  She found herself instantly falling head over heels into the role the agency had written for her as Max Evans' love interest.  Or had it been the stars in the heavens that wrote this script years ago?

A small nod and Max tilted his head to the side, his gaze following the path his finger made when he reached up and ran it along Liz's cheek to her chin. His gaze flicked back to her eyes as his voice lowered softly, sincerely.  "The softness of your skin when our hands would brush against each other over a bio project.  The myriad of emotions in your eyes when you allowed them to meet mine.  The strength, intelligence, gentleness that always surrounded you.  I could look into your eyes for years and never get tired of their beauty.  It's the beauty of your soul." 

Brushing his thumb lightly across her lips, Max smiled when her eyes closed simultaneously with the tremble of her lips.  He took the opportunity to lean in close and breathe in her scent before he teased her by hovering only milliseconds away from contact.  His breath was warm on her skin when he continued.  "The way I always thought your lips were made to match mine..."  

She smiled dreamily as her eyes slowly opened to meet his.  "You were the piece that was missing in my life.  The piece that suddenly came into view making sense of it all.  You're my Dreamgirl, Liz."  Deepening his smile when he felt her shiver at his touch before he allowed his voice to return to its usual businesslike state, Max pulled back adding a shrug and an echo of the disclaimer she had used earlier reminding them both this was only supposed to be a game.  "At least…that's what I'll tell your folks."

If a smile could disappear in one heartbeat and return with a vengeance in the next, Liz's did just that as she rolled her eyes and pushed his hand away.  "You are such a jerk. You know it?"  He'd gotten to her and they both knew it. 

Max chuckled as he leaned back against his seat.  "Perhaps.  But you have to admit…you were inspired."

Liz let go of Max's hand regretfully and leaned back against her seat crossing her arms in front of her.  "Maybe."  She agreed half-heartedly. 

"Just maybe?"  Max nudged her with his elbow and winked at her.  "Come on.  You were a goner at the 'you’re my dreamgirl' line."  He reached up and turned the air in her direction for emphasis as he continued to tease her.  "In fact, I think I need to help you cool down.  You are looking a little flushed…"

"Ha. Ha.  Very, very funny…"  Liz cleared her throat and turned toward the window before quietly commenting sarcastically with a roll of her eyes.  "'You're my dreamgirl.'  Pleeaase.  Who would fall for that anyway?"

Max leaned over and tapped her on the shoulder waiting till she was turned to face him and that twinkle he was sporting in his eyes.  "Would you like me to get you a mirror to look into for that answer…" 

Liz rolled her eyes again.  "If you must know…that's not the line that did it.  It was actually…it was the 'dreamed you into life' line that did it."

A cocky half-smile accompanied Max's sigh of satisfaction.  "I know."

"Spoken like a man who has had success with those lines in the past."  Liz started to chuckle as she turned back toward him and brushed her hair back from her flushed cheeks.  "Is there anything you don't think you can do well?

"I see you've heard about my reputation in that respect."  Max commented briskly, somewhat disappointed that she hadn't been able to sense the truth…those hadn't been lines at all.  They were statements straight from his heart.  Then again, it was best that she didn't know how to read him.  It would make the assignment less risky.  Easier to handle.

"Who at the Bureau hasn't?  You're one of the best.  Everyone knows it…even you."  Liz shot him a look then turned to face forward again with a quiet confession.  "It's one of the reasons I was hoping to be paired with you."

Taken back by her honesty, Max turned to look at her then looked away when he noticed a slight blush beginning to color her cheeks.  "Really?  And here I thought you just wanted a free trip home."

Liz smiled as she leaned her head back and closed her eyes.  "Well, that too."

Max took a moment to marvel at their situation.  When his family had moved away from Roswell his sophomore year, Max had never believed he'd ever see Liz Parker again.  Dreamed it--most definitely.  Thought of what he would say if he ever did see her again--absolutely.  But believe it…no.  He never really had.  A miracle like that would be too much to ask for in this life of his.  A life full of lies and cover-ups.  Half-truths and isolation.  And a loneliness that was sharpened just by her very presence in the seat next to him knowing deep down inside it could never really be.  Not without sharing his greatest secret.  That was something he would never do… 

"So, what do your parents know of your job?"  Max finally ventured deciding it was time to live in the reality of the situation before him.  This wasn't a dream come true.  It was an assignment.  One that could get pretty sticky if not handled properly.

"They think I'm a research assistant with the Surgeon General's office.  They have no idea what I really do for a living.  No one does…except my friend, Maria."

"Maria DeLuca?  Your best friend from high school?"  Max inquired after reaching back into his memory to pull out the face of Liz's best friend.

Liz smiled.  "Yeah.  She's the best."

"And she knows you're an agent."

Liz nodded.  "Yeah, but she's sworn to secrecy.  Don't worry about her.  She's completely trustworthy."

"So what have you told your parents about our trip then?"  Max asked next making a mental note that the first order of business was to determine just how trustworthy Maria DeLuca really was.

Liz opened her eyes and turned to him.  "Well, I told them I was coming home for at least a week and I wanted them to meet someone very special to me."

Max nodded and tried not to notice the way his heart flip-flopped at her words.  "Good.  So, they don't really know the extent of our relationship."

"No.  They know it's serious enough for me to bring you home, but…that's all.  They don't know of an engagement or anything like that.  At this point, I think your dating theory would work fine.  That is if you feel more comfortable with that."

Max nodded again as he sat lost in thought.  More comfortable.  That would actually describe him about five minutes before Liz showed up.  Before all these conflicting emotions began warring inside of him. Then again, Max knew nothing in this world would make him want to change his circumstances now.  Too bad that this world wasn't the one he was most concerned with when it came to this investigation. 

Realizing he'd been silent for too long and Liz was looking at him rather curiously, Max shrugged his shoulders in agreement to her last statement.  "I think that will be fine.  In fact, it'll be perfect.  We drop in on the fam to show off our new relationship and while you're keeping them busy with the hopes of an impending nuptial, I'll be able to dig around and figure out what's going on."

He turned to Liz with a smile suddenly looking forward to the next part of their trip.  "So, I guess it's time for you to tell me all there is to know about Liz Parker so I'm prepared for any questions that might pop up.  We'll also need to get our stories straight as to when and how we met.  Or actually re-met, as it were..."

Max's smile faded when he saw a spark flare in her eyes.  "What?  Did I say something wrong?"

Liz turned to him with an upraised eyebrow, a sure sign she was trying to keep her anger in check.  "Did I just hear you right?  Did you just say I'd keep the family busy making possible wedding plans while you would do the investigating?"

Max shrugged even though a feeling of impending doom began to stir in the air around them.  "Yeah, that about sums it up.  Look, the way I see it, that's all that's really needed for your part of the assignment anyway."

"My part."  She repeated as she blinked her eyes quickly as her voice acquired a sudden edge.  "And what exactly do you think my part is?"

The side of Max's lips turn up in a smile.  "Why...decoy, of course.  I would have thought that would have been rather obvious."

"Decoy?  As in sit back distracting people and watch you do all the real work?"  Liz began to shake her head.  "Uh-huh.  Not happening.  I realize that you're the senior agent here, but this is my case too."

"Agreed."  Max stated flatly then continued.  "And in every investigation, each person plays a role.  In ours, you were sent to be my back-up story.  My excuse for being in Roswell in the first place.  You are my cover.  My built-in diversion if I need one, which…just so you know…I don't intend to."

Liz shook her head in disbelief and turned on Max her position resembling a soldier suiting up for battle.  "And what the hell makes you think it isn't the other way around?" 

Max mirrored her position as he turned to fully face her.  "Oh, I don't know.  The fact that you're basically going to be home on vacation while I've been sent to do a job.  Look.  A stranger dropping into town wearing a dark suit, sunglasses and no valid cover story will raise suspicions.  A casual, down-home boyfriend dropping in for a visit with his girl's parents won't."

"Understood."  Liz answered tersely.  "But don't think for one moment that I'm not going to be out in the field helping you on this.  Because I am."

"But I won't need you in the field.  I'll need you at home smiling prettily and convincing your parents and friends that I'm the love of you life and not an…"  Max paused and glanced around before lowering his voice.  "…undercover agent with the FBI investigating possible alien contact." 

"Ha!  You?  The love of my life?  There's more chance of you being an alien than there is of you ever being that to me!"  Liz hissed back stubbornly as she crossed her arms in front of her.

Max's irritation raised dramatically along with his eyebrow.  "Well, at this point, being the boy with the most soulful eyes in the 10th grade, I certainly have a helluva lot more chance than your ex-fiance' Kyle Valenti, Mr.-I-can't-even-spell-soulful, ever did."

An audible gasp was Max's response.  The pain that flashed through Liz's eyes when she covered her mouth in surprise shocked him and made his heart constrict with remorse.  Why had he said that?  How could he have been so stupid to bring up such a painful memory for her?  He hastened to make it right.  "Liz.  Liz, I’m sorry…"

Liz barely heard him as she struggled to unbuckle her seat belt.  With shaking hands, she unfastened it and rose quickly.  "Excuse me.  I need to…"

"Liz, please.  I didn't mean it."  Max gazed up at her staying firmly in his seat.

"Max.  Move.  Now."  She refused to look in his eyes and her hair had fallen in front of her face obscuring his view of her expression, but the slight quiver in her low command was enough to let Max know she was on the verge of tears.  He half-rose in his seat to let her pass then slumped back down once she had cleared the aisle and headed toward the back.

Closing his eyes, Max hung his head and got lost in the mental image of kicking himself when he heard a shaky voice speaking to him and felt a cold fragile hand on his arm.  Max turned to look at the elderly woman across the aisle from him as she leaned forward.  "It'll be ok, sonny.  I hope you don't mind, but I've been watching you and your girl.  Young love as passionate as yours will always have it's moments of eruption.  But she'll be back.  She has the look in her eyes.  The one that says no matter how mad ya make her, she won't be able to walk away from the only boy she's ever really loved…"

Max forced a smile and nodded his gratitude for her words before turning toward the window.  He let out a sigh as her words played over in his mind.  <I>"…she won't be able to walk away from the only boy she's ever really loved…"</I>   Max closed his eyes and for one moment allowed himself the guilty pleasure of believing the old woman's words. 

And it made his heart soar. 

 Until the next moment when he remembered Liz's tears...and how he had caused them.  How he would always cause them simply because of who he was.  "God, I hope she can because I'm not sure I'll be able to…"

Part 4

~ chapter 4 ~

Amazing.  The way news travels.  The way it whips through a small, lazy town faster then a fire consumes a forest.  Especially in a small, lazy town like Roswell, NM, where nothing ever seems to change but the direction of the wind as it blows across the desert. 

It's impact can be great or small.  Brief or lasting.  Having the lifespan of it's importance dependent upon the variables in each hearer's life, it is subjective.  To some, of little importance.  To others, monumental.  That's the very nature of news. 

For Roswell, NM, the news that Elizabeth Ann Parker was coming home would have been spectacular in and of itself.  That she was bringing with her a new boyfriend...was a miracle. For one person in particular, it was earth shattering. 

Especially when considering the circumstances surrounding her hasty departure from Roswell eight years prior.  The pain that had spurred her to look for a place to escape the tragedies could still be felt in the air at times.  The heartbreak and devastation she'd left behind was still visible.  

Mainly when the residents saw the cold eyes and set jaw of their local sheriff, Kyle Valenti.  

Since the day she packed her bags and left, Kyle hadn't been the same.  He was withdrawn.  And silent.  Hard and cynical.  His position as sheriff had less to do with his own personal merits and more to do with his father's reputation.  Or maybe it was the sympathetic nature of the town that Kyle owed his office to.     

Whatever that was the real reason or not, Kyle enjoyed real sympathy on the day the news spread.  Whispered questions followed him everywhere he went and concerned gazes were his companions as he walked the sleepy streets of Roswell in the daily duties of his job.  

Don't think he didn't notice. He did. 

Every buzz he heard behind him was like a giant megaphone screaming out the word 'Liz'.  Every pair of eyes that burned holes in him till he looked then quickly darted to another object brought back the memories of the way suspicion and pity used to follow him like a dark cloud.  Reminding him of all that had gone before.  All that he had lost.  Actions that had been taken and the consequence of a lonely life he'd been existing in ever since. 

Jaw set and eyes focused straight ahead, Kyle strode purposefully past his inferiors and into his office, placing his hat on the coat rack by the door.  Stepping behind his desk he slumped down into his seat and allowed himself to feel something for the first times since hearing the news.  His love was coming home. 

And she wouldn't be alone. 

Kyle reached down and opened a drawer at the side of his desk.  Reaching way to the back he pulled out two items that were well hidden.  Or at least he thought they were.  In all actuality, every officer knew of their existence.  The bottle of scotch and the photo frame.  

Uncapping the scotch, Kyle took a swig straight from the bottle then leaned back in his chair, loosened his tie and picked up the frame.  Resting the end on his chest he gazed at the photo inside.  The smiling beauty that greeted him once more took his breath away and caused tears to choke his throat.  

His thumb lazily traced her features as they became blurred through the mist of unshed tears.  "Liz...my beautiful...beautiful Liz.  After all this time of waiting, you're finally coming home to me…"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Maria stepped into a hurricane.  And as usual, the desire to run and hide from the wake of a natural disaster washed over her like a wave large enough to unseat a surfer.  Maria had never been one to run from anything difficult though.  So, in the middle of her bedroom she stood feet firmly planted to the floor and hands on her hips.  "What the hell do you think you're doing?" 

Michael stopped his mad dash between the closet and bed long enough to acknowledge her presence then turned back to the task at hand.  "What's it look like?  I'm packing." 

She took a step forward her eyes following the trail of clothes tossed carelessly across the bed, floor and lampshade.  Maria leaned over and picked up her favorite nightgown…the one that she'd folded and neatly placed in the top drawer of her bureau just this morning and turned to Michael holding it out for him to see.  "You call this packing?" 

"Maria, I love you to distraction, but we don’t have time for games."   

"Who says I'm playing?"  Maria quipped as she watched the love of her life continue to treat their room as his own personal dumping ground as he tossed unwanted items in a heap by the door.  "Michael!  Stop it!"  Maria physically planted herself in front of him before he stilled his actions.  "Just stop, ok?  We are not leaving Roswell." 

"The hell we aren't."  The words were spoken with steady determination, but Maria saw the fear behind his eyes. 

Maria's expression softened and she reached out to touch his cheek.  "Come on, baby, talk to me." 

Seeing that look he could never lie to, Michael dropped his head and allowed his shoulders to slump as the weight of the world began to finally set in.  "I'm just…so tired.  I'm tired of looking over my shoulder and waiting.  Just waiting for the day they'll come. I'm tired of jumping every time I see a bright shiny badge and worrying what will happen to you.  What will happen to Cole.  I just want to leave.  Get away from here.  Go somewhere no one will ever find us."  Michael looked back up into her eyes and grasped her arms gently.  "Please, Maria.  Please say you will come with me.  Our lives will be so much better…"  

Maria reached up and pulled Michael into a tight embrace before pulling back and planting a firm kiss on his lips.  "Come here."  Her hand slipped down his arm to capture his hand and she pulled him over to the bed tossing clothes to the side and sitting Michael down before sliding onto his lap.  

After wrapping her arms around his neck, Maria turned to look in his eyes.  "Let me tell you a story about someone who ran away from her problems.  She got served a pretty raw deal fairly early in life and packed her bags and ran from this town as fast as her feet could carry her.  She left her family.  Her friends.  Everything she knew.  Her best friend…" 

"Liz."  Michael supplied quietly. 

Maria paused and her gaze shifted to the world beyond their window when she nodded once.  "She really was my best friend growing up.  We were inseparable, you know.  Shared everything with each other."  A smile began to play on her lips.  "From our first crushes to our lunch at school.  We even had chicken pox at the same time, which became a big joke with our parents.  Even told each other the details of that all important first kiss with a boy." 

The smile faded and Maria's eyes grew sad.  "Then this friend came to me one night and told me she was engaged.  I was shocked.  Not only because she'd always wanted to escape this town but because of who she was marrying."  Maria's eyes shifted to Michael.  "Kyle Valenti." 

Michael's eyebrow shot up.  "*Sheriff* Kyle Valenti?" 

Maria nodded.  "The very one.  Granted they had dated a while, but she didn't love him.  Not the way I knew she wanted to love.  Or even the way she wanted to be loved in return.  He was more like her settle guy.  Not that she didn't care for him because I think she did, but it wasn't what she'd always dreamed of.  In fact, she told me once that few girls get the guy of their dreams.  Maybe she was right because…"  

Michael reached up and absently brushed Maria's hair away from her eyes as she continued.  "…wedding plans were made and the closer the date got, the more anxious and unhappy she became.  She chalked it up to wedding stress, but I knew it was more.  I knew she was having serious doubts, but wasn't able to bring herself to the point of breaking things off.  Because she was scared.  She was afraid to let go.  Of disappointing people.  I think deep down inside she believed he was the best she deserved. The best she'd ever have."     

"Which always surprised me.  Because she was always so much more than she ever thought.  She was strong.  Smart.  Very pretty.  Very sweet.  And yet, there was this underlying feeling of not quite being enough.  Of not deserving more.  She was always trying to prove herself somehow.  Maybe that's why this marriage became important.  She wanted to prove she could do it.  Make it through the fears and doubts…" 

"I don't know."  Maria shook her head absently and cast her eyes upward and Michael pulled her a little closer in response.  She gave him a faint smile in return and continued.  "Anyway, about two weeks before the wedding, she and Kyle had a fight and he hit her.  I found out later it hadn't been the only time.  When she showed up on my door with a black eye and a cut lip, I about freaked.  I couldn't believe she'd allowed something like that to happen to her.  She couldn't either.  That night she decided to walk away.  To break things off with Kyle and never look back." 

"That's pretty much when all hell broke loose."  Maria's eyes clouded with pain and Michael shifted to allow her to lay her head on his shoulder.  Then he waited till she was ready to continue as all thoughts of packing and racing for the door were replaced by wanting to hold the petite woman in his arms until her sadness had been washed away. 

"Alex went with Liz to talk to Kyle just in case he decided to try anything. I really can't tell you what all happened next.  Everything was so muddled and half of it didn't make sense in the aftermath, but two things were very clear.  Our best friend Alex was dead and Liz blamed herself.  She left town after that and hasn’t been back since.  She didn't even go to Alex's funeral." 

Maria felt Michael's hard swallow and pulled out of his embrace.  Looking up into his eyes, Maria began to quietly plead with him.  "Just because Liz Parker is coming home, it does not mean we've been found out, ok?  I know it's been a while and the timing is rather coincidental, but Michael…we've got to give her a chance.  We've got to think this through.  What would be the point of leaving home…running away…uprooting Cole…if Liz really is here to just to put things to rest.  What if she really has found a way to move on and needs to do this before she can?  Please understand.  I want to be here for her.  I need to be…" 

Michael placed a finger on Maria's lips to silence her.  "I understand.  I do.  And I love you for it." 

Relief flooded Maria's eyes.  "Then we can stay?  We don't have to leave home?" 

Michael shook his head.  "No.  We don't have to leave home…yet.  Maria, do what you need to do to help her, but…if there are any doubts.  Anything suspicious…" 

"You're my first priority, Michael.  You and Cole and…"  Maria paused and bit her lip deciding it was best to wait to fill Michael in on her latest news.  "…our future.  I'll be careful.  At the first sign of a set up, we're out of here.  I promise." 

Michael nodded then leaned in for a gentle kiss.  When he pulled back, Maria's face split into a bright smile.  "You know, Liz was right.  Few girls do get the guy of their dreams.  And I happen to be one of those few…" 

A chuckle escaped Michael as he shook his head.  "No, you're not.  Think about it…with me you actually get…" 

Maria's chuckle joined his as she finished his sentence with him.  "The alien of my dreams!"  Maria captured Michael's lips once more and whispered.  "And I wouldn't have it any other way…"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Liz stared at herself in the mirror and recognized a sight she'd not seen in quite a while.  Her eyes were red and puffy from crying.  There was fear and pain in her eyes and lines of worry creasing her forehead.  She ran her fingers through her thick hair and willed her hands to stop shaking.  But they had a will of their own and began to shake even more as Max's words came crashing back into her head over and over again.  <I>Your ex-fiancé', Kyle Valenti.  Your ex-fiancé'...  Your ex-fiancé'...</I> 

Shaking her head to rid herself of the sound, Liz let out a loud sigh and wondered what she was doing here on her way back to the past.  She had known when Director Valenti called her into his office that this assignment would be difficult…even borderline impossible considering the location and her own personal history with the local sheriff…the Director's very own son...and her high school boyfriend.  But this…she hadn't even landed yet and she was already cracking. 

It hadn't been an easy decision.  To take this assignment had actually caused her great inner turmoil.  That was until she was reminded how strong she had become.  How different.  She wasn't the same young girl that ran eight years ago.  She was more now.  Capable.  Strong.  Confident.  Skillful and well-trained.  Or maybe she wasn't more.  Maybe she had just knew who she was now.  And maybe…just maybe it was time to put herself to the real test. 

Yes, it had all the makings of a tragedy.  No.  More like a soap opera.  One that included her former home.  Her former life.  Her ex-fiance'.  Personal demons and a past she'd been running from for so long.  And the one overwhelming reason she nodded her consent when she'd been asked if she would take the assignment…the hope of a future. 

A real future.  With ghosts banished to the Great Beyond.  Cracks in relationships repaired.  And laughter that finally rang true.  Solid, peaceful nights of sleep.  A past finally buried.  And maybe…just maybe even a chance to find the love of a lifetime.    

God knows she hadn't known it when she was on Kyle Valenti's arm.  In fact, the only time she'd ever even had a hint that maybe true love existed somewhere for her was when she silently watched the boy with the most soulful eyes in the 10th grade as he quietly went through the daily routine of classes, projects and tests.  It seemed to be waiting for her in those occasional moments when their eyes would meet and a smile would be shared.  In the electricity that shot through them when their hands would meet.  And in the simple way his eyes had followed her every move when she waited tables at the Crashdown and he just happened to drop in for an alien blast… 

It hit Liz's conscious like a lightning bolt.  Max Evans was the reason she was here.  On a plane.  On her way back home.  The reason she *wanted* to face the past with its horror and see if there was a way to move beyond it.  It wasn't the assignment.  It wasn't career advancement.  It was Max. He was the dream that had never left her heart and now he must think she was a complete basket case. 

Liz groaned out loud.  What was the use anyway?  A man like Max Evans would never be attracted to someone like her.  Someone with scars that reached beyond emotional and wounds that were more than skin deep.  Especially if he ever saw… 

Pushing that thought to the back of her mind, Liz shook her head.  She'd become the antithesis of everything he had known her as.  Outgoing.  Popular.  Open and trusting.  All those things were gone now.  Sure, the past hour flirting with and talking to Max had been fun and she'd felt a little more like her old self than she had in years, but that was a fleeting feeling.    

Wasn't it?  Or was there really a chance?  To actually believe in dreams again?  Was it possible he was the reality that could make all her dormant dreams reawaken and come true?  Liz closed her eyes and pictured the way his eyes had shined with admiration earlier when they had been flirting shamelessly.  A smile spread over her face and Liz opened her eyes to once more see herself the way Max must have seen her all those years ago.  Smiling.  Carefree.  Whole.  

Her smile faded.  But she wasn't that girl any more.  She *had* changed.  Time, tragedies and tears had made her more cautious.  Less willing to trust.  Vulnerable in so many ways.  Then how was it one look in Max's eyes made her forget all the pain?  How had it been so easy for her to dismiss the emotional storm she was sailing into when Max was holding her hand? 

A knock at the lavatory door pulled Liz out of her reverie.  Another knock and Liz called out, "Out in a sec."  She turned back toward the mirror and did a once over of her features.  Squaring her shoulders, Liz took a deep breath.  <I>No time like the present to find out what you're really made of, right, Parker?</I>  She took another deep breath exhaling slowly.  "Right."  

Come hell or high water, disappointment or joy, Liz hoped to God she was up to the challenge that waited for her in the arms of Max Evans as they ventured back into alien territory of Roswell…   

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Max had very little experience with women's tears.  In his relatively young life, there had only been two women he'd had constant contact with.  His mother, Diane, and his sister, Isabel.  Diane Evans was friendly, content, carefree and…very June Cleaverish.  She rarely cried.  Except on special occasions like when the twins graduated from high school.  When Max became an agent after years of hard work and study.  Or when Isabel left home to move to California.  

Isabel had been another story.  Not that she ever cried herself into hysteria, but there was a soft side to Isabel that few people ever got to see.  He was one of those people.  Sharing the secret they did had bonded them in a way that was special.  Max knew what she was feeling when she was feeling it.  It was almost as if he could feel it himself.  Her joys and pains.  Her sadness and fears.  They had shared it all.  In silence and in words.  

Having spent most of their adopted lives moving from place to place with their father's company, Max and Isabel were each other's best friend.  Not to say they didn't have their normal sibling arguments, but they were few and far between.  Each new school they attended, they had a tendency to stay to themselves.  At least Max did.  He rarely said a word as he sat back and watched the world go by.  Isabel had a way of gaining entrance to the 'in crowd', being popular but never really getting close to anyone.  Never trusting anyone with their secret. 

If there was one other person in the world that Max thought he could trust with their secret…the one person he could connect with, it was Liz Parker.  From the moment he saw her, there had been something about her.  Something that drew him to her like no one else.  Made him want to open up and share his deepest darkest secrets.  Become vulnerable. 

Maybe it was her smile.  How it seemed to chase all the clouds away and make the sun shine all that more brightly.  Maybe it was her laugh.  The one that sent chills down his spine and made his stomach flip-flop.  His heart grew lighter every time he'd heard it.  Or her dark eyes that whispered to him that he had finally found home.  Every time he'd looked in her eyes, a feeling of contentment and belonging had washed over him.  Maybe that's why he hadn't allowed himself to look into her eyes too often.  If he did, he would lose himself quickly and surely in such a way that he would never want to be found.  

Loosing himself was one thing Max Evans wouldn't allow himself to do.  How could he?  He was lost enough as it was.  With no real idea where he had come from, why he had been sent here or how he would ever get back to his home planet, the last thing Max needed was the additional worry of bringing that confusion and fear to someone he cared about.     

Still, Max couldn't stay away from her.  So, he sat quietly in the shadows watching her every move.  And in watching, he knew her.  He knew what made her smile or what made her cry.  The stories that touched her heart.  The actions that made her angry.  When the Evans family moved from Roswell, NM in the middle of Max's sophomore year, he felt as if he was leaving his best friend behind.  

Max had never known anyone like her before or since.  In fact, he hadn't even tried to look.  He knew deep in his soul no one would ever equal Liz Parker in perfection.  No one else could ever match him soul for soul, heart for heart, dream for dream.  So, he turned his desires and thoughts to something productive.  Something that wouldn't cause him immeasurable pain if he lost in the pursuit of it.  That's when he chose a career in the FBI as his future.  

Isabel had almost killed him when he told her his choice.  It was only when he calmly explained his reasoning that she managed to stop shaking with fear.  What better way to know every move of the 'enemy'?  If you don't want to be beaten by them, join them.  He would never be investigated if he was one of the investigators.  

And now, he was one of their best.  A clean, impeccable record of service.  Max had a reputation of being a loner that always got the job done.  Never socializing unless necessary, the job was his focus.  His life.  He made sure he was indispensable to them.  Every move through the ranks had been calculated to create an aura of untouchability.   

Then they hit him with something he had never planned on…the one thing in this world that could touch him…that could bring him to his knees if he let it.  Liz Parker. 

With one smile she had reached him.  And he had hurt her in return.  The frustration of instinctively knowing he could never be all that she wanted had caused him to carelessly mention a past that had been painful to say the least. If they stayed in close quarters like this, who knew what mistake he would make next with the many untapped emotions she brought out in him.  

Max let out a deep sigh.  What he wouldn't give to start this day over.  Maybe he would have still taken the assignment, but then he could have refused having a partner.  Maybe that's what he should do now.  Tell her it wasn't going to work and send her on the next plane back to Washington when they touched ground.  He had the authority… 

The scent of vanilla that always surrounded Liz made it's way to his senses and Max shook his head at his own weakness.  <I>Then again, maybe not.</I>  Max glanced up when Liz reached their aisle.  Standing so she could pass, his eyes never left her face even as he slowly sunk back down into his seat.  "Liz…" 

Liz raised her hand to signal that it was still too soon to talk and turned to stare out the window a moment.  The last thing she wanted right now was pity.  Especially his.  Although she'd not seen a trace of it in his eyes when she returned to her seat, Liz wanted to take a moment to steel herself for the sight just in case. 

Max's repentant gaze stayed on her face, or actually, the curtain of silky dark her that covered her face, a moment until he finally faced forward and leaned his head back letting out a quiet sigh.  This is not how he had wanted to spend the rest of this flight with Liz Parker.  Which was pretty ironic.  For a guy who barely strung five words together in high school, he suddenly felt the overwhelming urge to talk.  And not just to anyone.  To Liz.  Only to Liz. 

Her quiet question broke through his silent thoughts.  "How did you know?" 

Max blinked unsure he'd actually heard her since the question was so softly asked.  He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye and noticed she was still turned from him but her posture was a little more open.  "My sister, Isabel.  She ran into an old high school friend and got the scoop on most of the happenings since we'd left.  Well, the major ones at least." 

"And I take it my engagement to Kyle was considered major?"  

Max nodded slowly.  "Considering how popular you were in school…"  He took a deep breath and tried his best to choose his words carefully.  He was painfully aware of how carelessly spoken words could injure since the sound of her tear-filled voice still rang in his ears.  "And considering your fiance'…" 

Liz turned to him suddenly, her eyes dark with pain. "You can say it.  Considering that Kyle cheated on me.  Considering that one of my best friends died because of him and that I almost lost my life too…" 

"I was going to say that your fiance' was the high school football star."  Max amended quietly, his eyes searching hers trying to gauge how far this conversation should go.  

Liz's eyes watered and she turned from Max.  "I'm sorry.  I..." 

"No, Liz.  I'm sorry."  Max hastened to stop her apology and impulsively reached out to cover her hand with his.  "I should have never said anything.  I should have..." 

"What?"  Liz sniffed her tears back and shifted her gaze to his hand savoring the comforting warmth that shot through her with his touch.  "Ignored the truth?  Pretended I'm just going home for a regular visit and not for the first time in eight years?"  She shook her head and attempted a smile.  "Something tells me you're not the kind of guy that does that very well.  You said it yourself.  The boy full of dreams is gone.  You like to look reality in the face now, don't you?" 

A slight shrug was her visual answer.  "Usually.  It kinda saves on the whole heartache part of life."  He gave her half of a lopsided grin though his eyes maintained a hint of sadness.  "What about you?" 

Liz's smile widened and Max breathed a quiet sigh of relief.  "You said it yourself.  I'm your dreamgirl, Max.  Dreaming's what I do."  Her gaze faltered.  "Or at least I used to…" 

Max nodded automatically as he sat lost in thought.  The silence only lasted a moment and when he spoke it was obvious how difficult it was for him to continue.  "Liz.  I'm sorry, but I need to ask.  Only this once…then I swear the subject will be closed unless you want to open it, ok?"

Liz took a deep breath then released it.  "Ok.  Shoot." 

"Is this something I'm going to need to worry about?  I don't know details so…do you think you can trust me enough to fill me in?" 

Liz's large eyes turned full on him and she contemplated his question a moment before responding.  It wasn't that her mind didn't instantly shout 'yes' to the question of trust.  It did.  Which was pretty amazing in and of itself after all she'd been through.  It was her heart that was giving her problems.  It wasn't that she didn't want to trust him, but there was still so much he didn't know. 

So she answered him the only way she could.  Honestly.  "I don't know, Max.  I want to.  Trust you, I mean.  Believe me, even that's not an easy thing for me to do."  She paused and bit her lower lip in nervousness.  "Do I have to tell you now?  About the details?"  Liz asked quietly.  "I mean…I'm going to be facing this soon enough.  Can't I just have these few hours to just…" 

"Forget?"  Max supplied for her quietly.  When he saw her slight nod, he nodded back.  "Yeah, yeah you can have this time.  I understand." 

He leaned back against his seat again and silence engulfed them.  But not for long as his mind drifted to the other problem he'd begun to ignore in the wake of Liz's pain.  The assignment.  "It's just…I need to know now if this is going to be a problem.  If you're going to freeze on me…"  Max paused feeling that he was saying things all wrong.  Glancing over at her, he continued.  "Look.  I'm not used to…you know, relying on other people.  You're the first partner I've had in years and I need to know I can count on you if things get…" 

Liz pulled her hand from where it had been comfortably resting under Max's and took his in hers giving it a gentle squeeze.  "No matter what happened before, this case…*you*…are my priority now.  I won't let you down, Max.  I promise." 

Max's intense gaze never left her eyes.  A calm washed over him as he saw the echo of her words waiting for him with reassuring confidence.  "Ok."  Max leaned back in his seat and mumbled as if to reassure himself.  "Ok." 

Sensing Liz's eyes still focused on him he turned back to her with a questioning glance.  Amusement danced in her eyes once more and Max marveled at her strength.  It was true he didn't know the details of the Kyle-Liz relationship, but whatever happened it had been devastating to her.  That much he could read in her eyes.  Yet, she was willing to go back and face it all.  Her past.  It's ghosts.  And the amazing thing…she was still smiling.  That took guts.  And Max's admiration of Liz Parker grew by leaps and bounds.  

Giving her a rare smile, Max leaned toward her and whispered.  "Just so you know our couples practice run earlier must have been pretty convincing because the old woman across the aisle gave me words of wisdom about true love while you were gone." 

"Really?"  Liz's eyes moved past his shoulder and she lifted her hand to give the little lady a grateful wave when she saw they were still being observed.  Leaning forward, her eyes moved back to Max's face.  "So, what did she say?" 

Max cocked his eyebrow.  "Well, I'm not sure I should…"  Chuckling lightly when he received a playful slap, Max continued.  "Alright.  Alright.  It was something about what a great catch I am and how you should be on your knees thanking the stars that I was created and sent down here to you."  He half-smiled at his own private joke. 

Liz laughed as her eyes began to twinkle.  "She did not!"  

"Ok, so maybe she didn't use those exact words…" 

"What exact words *did* she use?"  Liz queried with a curious smile.  

Max's expression grew serious and his eyes locked with Liz's willing her to understand the meaning of his own words disguised as the woman's.  "She said you were going to make it.  That no matter what's waiting for you down there in Roswell, you are strong enough to face it.  And if there comes a moment you aren't…I'll be right there to help you." 

Liz's eyes began to shimmer with unshed tears.  Somehow, this time Max didn't mind as much that he'd caused them.  Because, with these tears, came a smile that made his heart soar.  "Thank you, Max."

"Sure.  What are partners for?"  Max responded softly amazed he was able to speak at all.  He blinked and cleared his throat breaking the spell he felt himself falling under as he watched Liz blink away her tears and replaced them with a spark of hope in her big, ebony eyes.  Not wanting this sudden closeness they'd found to end, Max swallowed hard and tried to sound casual.  "Is she still watching?"

Liz glanced at the lady then back and Max.  "Yep."

Max's brow furrowed in mock worry.  "Well, then I guess we need to keep up the pretences, right?  I mean, we wouldn't want her to think we haven't made up…"

Liz shook her head and her expression was open while her eyes danced with silent laughter.  "Oh, no.  You're right.  I think we should at least do something…"

A nod of his head was her answer.  "Yeah, me too.  So, dreamgirl, what do you think your dream boyfriend would do now if he were here?" 

Liz looked up at him coyly.  "Well, I'd say he might have the overwhelming urge to wrap his arm around my shoulder about now." 

"You think so?"  Max pursed his lips and gazed off into the distance as if lost in thought.  "Yeah.  Yeah.  I could see that as a possible next move."  He smiled back down at Liz with a wink then wrapped his arm around her shoulder and shifted so she could lean into him.  He let out a shaky breath and tried to still the shiver that ran through his body when Liz pressed up against him.  "How's that?"

"Perfect."  Liz answered quietly as she breathed in his scent then let out a sigh of contentment.  As she settled against him, Liz felt a sudden sense of peace and belonging wash over her.  This was it.  The feeling she'd instinctively known she would find in Max Evans' arms.  Liz felt Max smile against her hair and wondered if he felt the same.  Unable to stop the smile that she knew must be plastered to her face, she closed her eyes to savor the moment.

Max leaned his cheek against the top of her head and closed his eyes as a dreamy smile claimed his lips.  "Anything else?"

Liz smiled against his shoulder already falling in love with the kind of practice he was suggesting.  "Well, what if you…"  Liz pulled away from him slightly so she could look up into his eyes.  Her breath caught in her throat when his dark emotion-filled eyes met hers and she saw desire burning with an intensity that shocked her.

"Yes?"  Max breathed quietly against her skin as his eyes held hers. 

Liz's eyes dropped to focus on Max's lips as her hand automatically gravitated to caress his cheek and Max wasn't all that surprised to hear her next gentle command.  "Max.  Kiss me…"

Part 5

~ chapter 5 ~ 

Max's arms were warm around her waist as he pulled her closer.  His breath on her skin was hot and the fire in his eyes seemed to scorch her skin as he caressed her face with his gaze.  Liz was drowning fast.  Drowning in his touch...in his eyes.  She felt suddenly lightheaded as the air closed in around her.  Liz's breathing was stilled and her heart was racing a mile a minute knowing she was on the verge of the kiss she'd been waiting for all her life.

That's when it happened.  Soft, warm lips gently grazed hers and sent a ripple of liquid fire pulsating through her.  Every nerve in her body came alive at that one simple touch and even when his lips left hers she still felt a sweet tingling sensation not just at the focal point of contact but everywhere...even in the air around her.  Their eyes locked in a moment of realization and awareness then darkness blurred their vision as eyes closed and lips met once more with urgency.  Need.  Desire.  Passion.

Grand music swelled in the background.  A swirl of clouds engulfed their feet.  And they were floating.  Rising high above the earth.  Turning in perfect time to the music, a simultaneous moan of pleasure from both of them clashed with the softly lilting chords that were floating all around.  Tongues met and danced in rhythm with the pounding of their hearts as their bodies flushed hot against one another.

Max's lips left hers creating a trail of fire down her throat and Liz's arms wrapped around his neck for support.  Her knees grew weak at just the thought of his upcoming assault as his lips moved lower.  In all of her dreams she never knew it would be like this.  "Oh, God.  Max…Max, I…"  Max's mouth swallowed her words as his lips captured hers once more.  Releasing her lips, Max moved once more down the other side of her neck and she managed to find the strength to breathe somehow.  "This is...like a dream…"

"Liz.  Oh...Liz."  The whisper was in her ear calling to her to open her eyes.  "Liz...you need to...wake up..."

The background music came to a screeching halt and Liz felt the force of being yanked from that beautifully torrid dream world of Max.  A warm hand gently tugged at her shoulder and Liz felt obligated to open her eyes at least a little.  That's when she saw it.  The gently smiling face only inches above hers.  That twinkle in those dark eyes that spoke of quiet amusement.  "Hey, sleepyhead.  We're getting ready to land."

"Max?"  Liz squinted up at Max and brought one hand up lazily to cover a yawn.  "How long have I been asleep?"

Max chuckled.  "I think you dozed somewhere after we passed the Mississippi and you've been out like a light ever since."  A deep grin spread over his face.  "Made for quite a peaceful journey.  Although I am interested in knowing what you were dreaming about…"

Liz gulped.  "W…what?"  She lifted her head off of Max's shoulder, her eyes blinking a few times as she tried to furiously search her memory for anything that might have escaped her in her sleep-induced state.  Suddenly her cheeks colored as a faint image began to float back to her and she slowly raised her wide eyes to meet Max's.  "I…didn't…did I talk at all?"  She pushed a strand of hair nervously behind her ear.  "You know…like, in my sleep."

Max shrugged and leaned his head back against his seat as a Cheshire grin spread over his face.  "Maybe."

Liz's mouth suddenly went dry and her face flamed red with mortification.  Oh, no.  That look on his face.  What had she said?  In her dream…what had she said to him?  They were dancing.  No, they were…  Oh, God.  They were kissing.  Their first kiss.  Boy, was it incredible.  They were really getting into it…  Max was kissing her neck…and somewhere in there was a…(gulp) moan.  Wasn't there? 

Her eyes flicked back to his face now turned toward her waiting patiently for her to pull pieces of the puzzle from the foggy haze of sleep and put them together.  Please, God.  Please don't tell me I moaned in my sleep.  Or worse yet…called out his name…

"You don't happen to have a dog named Max do you?"  Max asked suddenly.

"A...a...dog?  Named Max?"  Liz shook her head slowly and her eyes widened even further, if that was possible.  She tried to gauge where that question came from but his expression gave nothing away.  Damn him for having such control!  "No.  No, I don't have a dog named Max.  Why?  Why would you ask such a thing?"  Her final question came out in a sort of squeak. 

Max had to bite his lower lip to keep from laughing at the pure fear in her eyes in reaction to his questions.  It was true that she'd been sleeping a while.  It was even more true that it had been one of the most peaceful periods of time Max had ever spent in his life.  Liz's head had fit so perfectly on his shoulder and her steady breathing along with the sweet vanilla scent that surrounded him had lulled him into a pleasant fantasy as he slept.   

And about that fantasy.  It wasn't new.  In fact, this particular fantasy had played over and over in Max's mind so many times he knew the part of each character by heart.  His part.  Liz's part.  And on the occasional times his fantasy took place in the future, he even knew the parts of their children.  Children he didn't even know if it was possible for him to have.  But with Liz, in his fantasies, anything and everything goes.  And usually did.  Max thought devilishly to himself.

This time in the fantasy there was a difference though.  This time, there was a hint of reality that threatened to anchor the visions in his mind and the desires of his heart to the physical presence of the woman in his arms.  This time he was in real danger...of actually believing it.

Max pulled himself back to the present and tried to play off his comments casually.  If he played this right, it could be rather…entertaining.  "Oh, no reason in particular."  Max shrugged his statement off but Liz's eyes boring into him didn't help.  Again, he had to stop himself from bursting into laughter at her reaction.  She looked positively panicked.  Which only spurred him to tease her more.  Rolling his eyes he let out a little sigh.  "Ok.  So, there was the little stroking thing you did with your hand..."

Liz's hand flew to her mouth to stop the loud gasp that could still be heard by the people four aisles away and her eyes widened in mortification as Max continued.  "Look, it's no big deal.  I only asked because you were kinda stroking my arm and then later my chest like you would a puppy, you know?"  He threw her a sexy smile.  "Not that I'm complaining, mind you.  It's just I did get a little concerned when your hand dropped to...uh..."

Max allowed his eyes to drop suggestively to his lap and Liz's eyes followed suit causing her cheeks to flare to a color even deeper than crimson.  "Oh...my...God.  Max, I'm...I'm...so..."  She couldn't think of the right words to say.  Sorry for groping you in my sleep?  Like hell she was!  The only thing she was sorry about was that she hadn't been aware she was doing it and therefore couldn't remember every last detail.  'Embarrassed' would work, but why point out the obvious to someone intelligent enough to figure that one out on his own. 

Wait a second.  He was enjoying this.  She could tell he was by the twinkle in his eyes.  The smirk on his lips that he was trying so hard to hide.  He was enjoying it…a little too much.  Well, Mr. Evans.  Two can play this game… 

Liz's expression cleared miraculously as a plan quickly formed in her mind.  A sly smile turned the corner of her lips upward and she looked up at Max seductively.  "You know what they say about dreams, don't you?"

Max swallowed hard at the instant change he saw in Liz's expression.  She was no longer the teased.  Somehow, somewhere they had switched places and she was now the teaser.  Completely in control.  Suddnly in seduction mode.  Oh, boy, Evans.  Hang on to your seat...

Blinking quickly in dazed confusion, Max's gaze dropped to leg where Liz's hand just 'happened' to fall so delicately then began to teasingly slid upward.  Max swallowed hard.  "Um…uh...no.  No, I don't.  What...uh...do they say?"

"Well."  Liz's voice was low and husky from her recent trip from the peaceful world of sleep.  "They say our dreams are just our subconscious trying to show us what we really want."  Her fingers trailed their way up Max's leg to his chest where Liz's hand lost no time in slowly, lightly running over the hard, taut muscles she could easily feel through his shirt. 

"That we act out our deepest desires in our dreams."  She tilted her head and sighed with uncertainty allowing her warm breath to skip across the exposed skin where his top buttons were open.  Her smile was full of innocence, but her eyes sparkled with hidden meaning.  "Do you?  Believe that, I mean?"

Max nodded his head speechlessly as a thousand feelings were raging through his body.  Her touch.  Oh, God.  It was so light but sensual.  Like a feather sending a light fluttery feeling from his furthest extremities to the pit of his stomach.  And could it be any hotter in this plane?  Or was it just him and the way that 'come hither' look in her eyes sent his temperature skyrocketing.  His mouth was dry.  And there wasn't a damn thing he could do about it because every time he tried to swallow, her eyes seemed to brighten a notch letting him know she was taking note of her affect on him. 

Max tried so hard to focus on what she was saying, but the feel of random and deliberate contact between their bodies was distracting him beyond belief.  Earlier in the flight, his arm wrapped around her, Liz had gazed up at him and asked him to kiss her.  Only the interruption of a flight attendant delivering their meals at that precise moment had stopped him from following through on that request.  The moment of mutual desire had been broken and until she had laid her head against his shoulder in sleep, Max and Liz had shared a comfortable conversation about home...Roswell.  Memories of their time there and shared aquaintences. 

Now, she wasn't asking in words, but every move and look was begging for what he'd not been able to do earlier.

And Max was terrified.  It was one thing to kiss Liz senseless in his dreams, but in reality?  What would happen?  Would she be disappointed in him?  Would he be able to control himself if his lips touched hers just once?  He knew he couldn't.  Not after years of wanting only her. Dreaming of only her.  And where could it lead, really?  No where.  Not without revealing his secret.  Not without her seeing him as he truly was...an alien from another planet.  A completely different, disgusting lifeform.

No.  As...intoxicating...as her actions were, he needed to stop this from going any further. This wasn't a fulfilment of his every wish. They were still on assignment on a very important case. He was the lead agent and he needed to set the example.  Let her know that although the roles they were set to play were of a romantic nature, they were, after all, only roles.  Imaginary parts that had absolutely no foundation in truth.

So why couldn't he stop?

Liz's voice floated back to him.  "You do?  Well, then...why don't you..."  Liz wrapped her arm around Max's neck and pulled his head down toward her till they were cheek to cheek.  She felt him shiver when her fingers grazed the back of his neck and her warm breath tickled his ear.  "Tell me what you dream about, Max..."

Max's eyes drifted closed and he breathed in the scent of her hair, felt the softness of her skin against his...the goosebumps that suddenly raised on his arm simultaneous with the heated flush on his face. 

His hand came up to graze her face before his fingers automatically raked through her hair and he felt himself falling.  His lips sought the softness of her skin and he instinctively teased her by brushing his lips over the air millimeters above her jawline.  The kiss that ran along her skin was of sheer electric heat instead of actual contact and Liz's breath quickened as she let out a quiet sound from deep inside her throat.

"You want to know what I dream about?"  Max's whisper was so soft and so charged with possibilities, Liz's fingers move with a will of their own across the nape of Max's neck to lace through his hair as she slowly nodded her head and held her breath.

Max pulled away from her allowing his eyes to open and gaze intently into Liz's.  One thumb brushed across her cheek lazily as his hand molded the side of her face and he whispered the culmination of all his dreams in one word against her waiting lips.  "Liz..."

"Well, it's nice to see the two of you are finally awake.  I really hated the idea of having to break into that peaceful sleep you had both drifted into."  A voice behind Max broke the intensity of the moment and Liz held back a groan as Max dropped his hand from her face and jumped away from her so fast she almost fell forward at the absence of his support.  "In fact, I saved the two of you till last.  We need you to put your trays into upright positions now and make sure you're buckled in for a safe landing."

"Um...thanks."  Max spoke quietly as he tried to regain control of his racing heart by concentrating on the stewardess' last commands. His eyes focused on returning the tray in front of him to its rightful place and then on making sure his belt was secure.  Anything but where his eyes wanted so desperaterly to drift...to Liz's face.  

Liz chose to focus on the stewardess' earlier statements instead.  She glanced at Max then back up at the stewardess who was just turning to go.  "Wait, miss."

The pretty blonde stepped back and smiled down at Liz.  "Yes?"

"Did you just say that we were *both* asleep?"  Liz asked and she could see Max stiffen in his seat at the sound of her question.

She nodded.  "Yes.  Pretty much since the moment I picked up your trays."

"I see.  And you're sure this one..."  Liz pointed to Max blocking the most likely excuse he was apt to give her.  "...was asleep as well and not just 'resting his eyes'."

The friendly stewardess laughed at what she was sure was an inside joke.  "Sure.  If resting his eyes included snoring."  She shook her head and grinned.  "I honestly don't see how you sleep with 'this one'.  He's got a snore that could wake the dead."  Just then someone called out to the stewardess and she left to attend their question.

Liz tried to hide her smile when Max commented defensively.  "I do not snore."

"Uh-huh.  Whatever you say."  Liz let out a little sigh and flipped her hair behind her ears.  "That is unless what you say is that you heard me talk in my sleep..."

"I said 'maybe' and just so you know, it was a test."  Max shot back dryly as he kept his eyes focused on the seat in front of him.  Damn stewardess. If she'd never said anything, Liz would have never known...

Liz turned to him with a chuckle.  "A test?  What kind of test?"

Max shrugged trying to buy himself enough time to come with a good idea.  "A test...a test to..."

"Yes?"

His eyes lit up and Liz imagined she could almost see the light bulb go on above his head.  "A test to see if you were up to the challenge of being my girlfriend.  I mean, we're supposed to be 'involved' so I wanted to see how you handled that concept.  You never know when the subject might come up about us being..."  Max took a breath and continued.  "...intimate and I needed to know how you'd react.  You know, before we get out in the field where reactions will make or break us."

"Oh, I see..."  Liz said as her eyes began to dance with laughter.  "So.  How did I do?"

Max tried to keep his smile in check and managed to keep it from touching his lips, but the lightness of his eyes and the softness of his voice betrayed him.  "Passed with flying colors." 

"Good."  Liz gazed at the back of the seat in front of her in silence for a moment before turning back to Max.  "I was testing you too, you know."

A disbelieving smile broke out on Max's face.  "Oh, really?  And did *I* pass?"

Liz chuckled and turned to look out the window.  "Nope."

"What?"  Max leaned forward in surprise and tried to look in Liz's face.  "You're kidding, right?  Were you here with me just a few minutes ago?  I mean, you and I were on..."  Max abruptly stopped himself from finishing that sentence with the word 'fire'. 

"Fire."  Liz answered softly as she turned back to Max with a coy smile and a twinkle in her eyes.  "I know."

Seeing the adorable way Max's cheeks began to color and how his eyes faltered from hers when he realized she'd read his thoughts, Liz's grin deepened when she thought about how the famously-controlled Max Evans had been on the verge of losing that control...and she reveled in the fact that she was the one that had brought him there.  Liz turned back to the window with a satisfied sigh.  "That wasn't the test you failed..."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Having decided they needed indepedent transportation for their investigation, Max and Liz had decided to rent a car and drive from the airport to Liz's house when they arrived.  So after landing, Max and Liz split from each other in the small Roswell airport.  Liz headed for the baggage claim and Max went to check on their rental car. 

Standing in the middle of the airport with both her baggage and Max's at her feet, Liz turned when she felt a hand on her arm.  She smiled at the old lady that had been on their flight sitting across the aisle from them.  Wordlessly, the woman held something out to Liz and she looked at it curiously before glancing back at the woman's kind, wrinkled face.  "Here.  Take it.  When you don't know who to turn to, remember the trust that allowed you to sleep so peacefully in his arms..."

Liz looked down at the envelope in her hand then back up at the woman.  But curiously, the woman had disappeared.  Liz turned in a circle to see if she could spot her anywhere, but like an apparition with an aversion to dawn...she was gone. 

Opening the envelope, Liz pulled out a picture of her and Max on the plane.  Her head was resting on his shoulder and his head was resting on top of hers while his hand covered hers as it laid gently on his chest.  They both wore the most peaceful smiles on their faces and Liz's heart stopped when she realized that was perhaps the first peaceful sleep she'd had in years. 

"Liz?  You get everything?  I've got the car out front."  Max came up to Liz and glanced down at the envelope Liz had hastily sealed back up.  "What's that?"

Liz shrugged and smiled up at him answering cryptically.  "Inspiration."  She reached down and grabbed one of her bags.  "Well, Mr. Evans.  Are you ready?"

Max grabbed his bags and chuckled.  "I was just going to ask you the same thing..."

"Well, then.  It looks like we're on the same track." 

"And that track being?"

"The one that leads us home."  Liz answered softly before squaring her shoulders and glancing back up at Max to receive a sympathetic smile and a wink. 

"Watch out Roswell...here we come..."

Part 6

~ chapter 6 ~

Heat fell over Roswell like a blanket over a child whose last thought is sleep. Thick. Restrictive. Inescapable. Yet he didn't seem to mind. His brow was as dry as a New Mexico winter as he stealthily made his way to the back alley of the Crashdown Café. It had been years since he'd done this sort of thing. Sneaking around. Trying to gain access to a girl's bedroom.

He would have laughed at the thought had his purpose been less important. Spotting the familiar ladder, he glanced around once more to make sure no one was in sight then hiked his bag up over his shoulder and began to climb upward to the balcony outside the bedroom window that once belonged to Liz.

By the end of tonight, he should know exactly where Liz Parker and her new guy stood…
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A sideways glance in Liz's direction caused Max's heart to tighten in his chest. She looked so scared and anxious sitting in the seat next to him silently staring out at the New Mexico desert. "You know if you're still tired, you can go back to sleep. The seat reclines..."

Liz shook her head and gave Max a weak smile. "No, I'm fine."

Max turned back to the road and fell into silence once more. Not sure of when they'd be arriving, Liz had told her parents that they would just grab their rental car from the airport and head on home. There was no need for them to be met at the airport. Now Max was wondering if that wouldn't have been a better plan.

For all of her effort not to show it, Liz was nervous. Max could tell she was. She'd already tucked her luxurious hair behind her ears at least ten times. Not only that, since the moment they'd stepped into the car and headed down the highway toward her home, a silence seemed to grip her. The closer they got the more Liz had retreated into a shell that Max recognized all too well from the years he had lived in one. Still lived in, in many ways. The shell of fear.

He wished he could read her. Look into her eyes and know why she was so nervous…what was making her so afraid. There was a plethora of possible reasons...

Her new partner and their supposed 'romance'. Which translated into being in very close proximity to Max for the next week or so. He almost smiled to himself at that thought. Max Evans had never been one to jump to conclusions…especially not when it came to women and their ways…and most certainly not when Liz Parker was the woman in question, but their natural chemistry was not lost on him. Not one single, overwhelming drop of it. And he knew she hadn't missed it either. More than that, Liz even seemed to not only invite it but even encourage it at times. Then again, she was only practicing to play a part. Wasn't she?

That question alone is why he only *almost* smiled. Not *in spite of* the fact that every thought and feeling in him screamed out that that's what he wanted most…had always wanted most in his life. But *because* it was all he'd ever wanted. Which was dangerous. To an agent who should not have his attention divided. To the people he might be called on to protect. To the carefully designed and executed cover he'd built for himself all these years. But most of all, it was dangerous to a heart that would never know freedom.

He swallowed hard as the truth hit him once again. For Max Evans, to hope for anything more…was dangerous.

Quickly switching mental gears to topics less...hopeful, Max continued his list. The assignment itself could be cause for anxiety. She would be called on to weave a lie to the people she loved the most in the world. Never an easy thing to do…and Max should know. It hadn't taken long for Max to figure out that the reason Liz had been assigned to this particular job had very little to do with her experience and much more to do with her local ties to Roswell. Which actually made Max a little suspicious as to Director Valenti's real motives for sending Liz along on this assignment.

Was it possible he was hoping that with Liz in the picture, his son Kyle wouldn't have time to focus on anything but her giving Max the time needed to do what he was sent to do? The thought repulsed Max and made him want to drape Liz in a cloak of protectiveness for the duration of her stay in Roswell. Keep Kyle Valenti from even getting the chance to see her. To hurt her again. His gaze moved quickly to her face. Forget that one. She was too independent and determined to prove herself for that to ever happen.

Item three on the list. Meeting up with Kyle again. What had he done to her in the past? It was obviously something painful. Liz had mentioned that Kyle cheated on her. Max just couldn't see that as something Liz would hold on to after all these years. Not unless she really loved him. Max dismissed that thought immediately and he wasn't quite sure if he just didn't want to believe Liz could have felt something real for Kyle or if it had been the lack of life he remembered seeing in her eyes in high school when she'd been with him. Either way, there had to be more. Given time, he'd find out what it was.

Then of course there was just the general nervousness of being home after so many years. Meeting people, answering questions. Facing ghosts. Max's gaze moved back to Liz as he contemplated that thought. She'd mentioned that one of her best friends had died. He wondered who. Certainly not Maria. Maybe Alex? Thinking back a moment, Max shook his head slightly. No, that couldn't be posssible. The time frame wasn't right. Whoever it was, it was perhaps one of the many ghosts Liz would be called on to face…

As his inner thoughts came to an end, the silence grew deafening.

For once in his life, silence was not an option for Max. It made him feel frustrated and incomplete in a way few things in his life ever had before. Come to think of it, every time he had felt this way the circumstances had somehow been related to Liz. In fact, since the first day he'd laid eyes on Liz Parker he'd felt that same sense of incompleteness hang over him like a cloud. For a while, years in fact, it had seemed to disappear. But sitting here with her now, Max realized it had never disappeared…it just hadn't threatened to overwhelm him the way it always did whenever Liz came into view.

On the plane it had resurfaced with a vengeance when Liz had returned to her seat after her outburst of tears and silence had been the rule of conversation then too. And it had subsided instantly when her smile brought out the sun and her laughter reminded him of the birds at springtime. He had to make that cloud disappear again…

Taking a deep breath, Max attempted to alleviate the strain that engulfed the atmosphere around them. "So about your parents. What are they like?"

Had Max been able to see her private thoughts, he would have been proud of himself. All the thoughts that had recently run through his mind were weighing heavily on hers. Lifting that weight momentarily at the sound of Max's voice, Liz smiled to herself at Max's repeated attempt to pull her in to a conversation.

He seemed a bit uptight by the way his grip on the wheel was a little tighter than one's normally would be. She wondered if he was concerned about their sleeping arrangements while in Roswell. He didn't need to be. Her parents were as old-fashioned as they come. In fact, they probably had their separate beds in bedrooms on opposite sides of the hall made two hours after she called to tell them she was coming home.

But there was no need to tell him that, Liz thought to herself as a devious smile played on her lips. For what he did to her on the plane, she was going to let him sweat it out a little. Her smile deepened at the thought as she leaned her head back against the headrest and answered his question. "Well, dad's a bit hokey and mom's a bit tense at times but…they're good people. They've supported me in just about everything I've ever done. I've missed them."

Relieved she was finally speaking more than three words at a time, Max continued his interrogation. "How long has it been since you've seen them?"

"Two years." Liz answered promptly while continuing to stare straight ahead, her smile fading as she drifted back into reflection.

"Really? That's…a while." Max chuckled as he thought of his own parents. "My mom and dad can't handle me not coming home for the major holidays every year. They threaten to send out the National Guard if I even consider not spending Christmas and Thanksgiving with them."

"Yeah, some parents are like that." Liz responded with a smile. "And it's not that mine don't ask, but…they also understand when I say no."

"Too many memories?"

"Yeah, you could say that." Liz's voice softened with sadness.

Max nodded once in understanding. His gaze shifted to the distance and his eyes suddenly brightened with remembrance as he spotted a familiar building sitting back off the road. "Speaking of memories…"

Liz glanced at Max then followed his gaze to see the old soap factory, dark and dismal looking. A visible shiver ran through her body that didn't go unnoticed by Max when he turned back to her. "Bad ones?"

Liz nodded and swallowed hard as tears threatened to sting her eyes. "Kyle memories."

Max looked at her a moment contemplating something then as if having made a decision, he jerked the wheel to the side just in time to pull into the long drive that lead back to the factory. Liz grabbed the dash in front of her at his sudden move, her eyes widening in shock. "Max…what in the world…? Are you crazy? What are you doing?"

Remaining silent, Max's expression was determined as he concentrated on navigating the car through the potholes and ruts till he came to the wide open doors of the factory. He pulled the car to the doors and put it in park then turned the key in the ignition to the off switch. Silence engulfed the car as Liz sat staring at him in confusion and Max tried to put into words the reason he had taken such a drastic turn to Liz's past.

"You know, the thing I've learned about memories…" Max pursed his lips a moment before continuing. "…you can let them rule you. Or you can learn to rule them."

"Max…I don't think…"

"Good. I don't want you to think right now." God knows that concept is foreign to me at the moment or I wouldn't even be considering this. Max stated quietly as he cast a sidelong glance in her direction. "I want you to wait. Give me five minutes then come in after me."

"But…"

"That's an order, agent." Max's tone of voice and the reminder of her rank left no room for questioning. So, Liz waited while Max slipped out of the car and disappeared inside the soap factory...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Climbing in his car, Kyle tossed his hat onto the seat next to him. Well, that had been an easy job. If the rest of the night would just go along as smoothly maybe, just maybe, he'd be able to distract himself enough to forget that Liz was arriving in town tonight. He almost laughed to himself. Yeah, like that was possible.

It had been all he'd thought about since the moment he heard. Seeing her again. Being with her. Touching her...

Not that the new boyfriend is going to like that. But that didn't really matter. Kyle and Liz were meant to be. They always had been. They always would be. Even if it meant a little confrontation with her new fling. He'd get his point across. To both of them if need be...

Kyle's cell phone rang and he grabbed it from its hiding place next to his seat. "Yeah?"

"Sherrif, I've got some news for you. Your package has arrived in town along with the delivery man. Seems they've taken a detour, sir."

Kyle rolled his eyes at his deputy's attempt to play secret agent man. With all the Barney Fifes he had to deal with on his force, there were times he wondered if someone had literally picked him up and dropped him into middle of an Andy Griffith episode. Letting out an impatient sigh, he tried not to bark out his order. "You can chuck the secret codes, Tompkins. Speak English and tell me what are you trying to say."

The deputy hesitated as if unsure what the Sherrif meant by secret codes. Then he remembered the reason he called and brightened suddenly. "Um...well, your Ms. Parker as arrived with her boyfriend, sir. I picked them up at the airport and have been followin' them ever since."

Kyle could feel his chest tighten with a wave of jealousy. Her boyfriend. How dare Tompkins call that...taht person that? His voice was terse when he finally had the presence of mind to speak. "Yeah? And your point is..."

"They made a little stop, sir. I was a-wonderin' if you might want me to go check it out."

"A stop?" Kyle asked sitting up in his seat a little straighter, his interest suddenly piqued. "Where?"

"The old soap factory off of highway..."

"I know where it is." Kyle stated flatly. "You did good, Tompkins. Why don't you go on home early?"

"Really, sir? But...but what about Ms. Parker..."

"I'll handle it myself." Kyle clicked off his phone before Tompkins had a chance to argue. A devious smile curled his lips upward. So. He wouldn't have to wait to see Liz and her new guy together after all...

Part 7

~ chapter 7 ~

Once inside the factory, Max stopped a moment allowing his eyes to get used to the darkness surrounding him. It was all the same as he remembered. The dusty machinery. The combined smell of chemicals, soap and alcohol spilled most likely from a recent party. This wouldn't do. Max cupped his hands together and concentrated a moment causing them to glow enough that he could see the room more clearly. 

Spotting a disco-like ball hanging from the ceiling above him, Max stood under it, held his finger upward and made a circle in the air with his finger causing the ball to automatically whirl into motion. The light was too strong for what Max had in mind so he snapped his fingers and the ball slowed casting a dim glow in the center of the room making soft images shimmer along the dusty floor. 

Next Max closed his eyes and thought of a scent that would go with vanilla. <I>Concentrate on Liz's scent…</I> In a few moments the room was filled with a faint strawberry smell. Max smiled as he breathed it in and opened his eyes. Perfect. He'd always heard strawberries went well with vanilla. 

Now, one last touch… Max took a few steps forward and glanced around him for a box. Finding an old beer carton sitting around the corner, Max turned it upside down, set it on a nearby ledge and waved his hand over it. The room was instantly flooded with the soft sounds of a saxophone as it played "Can You Stop the Rain" by Grover Washington from the radio Max had morphed. 

Smiling deeply, Max glanced around the room and nodded with satisfaction. "Not everything she deserves, but this ought to do it…for now…"

Just then he heard the sounds of the door opening and hurried into the shadows so he could watch Liz's entrance. Her reaction didn't disappoint him. "Max? Max, where are…" Liz's mouth dropped open as she stepped into the center of the room and looked around her with a sort of confused awe. A smile easily claimed her lips when she breathed in and smelled strawberries in the air. Her eyebrow raised as a new strain of music reached her ears. Putting her hands on her hips she called out to Max. "Ok, Merlin…what are you up to?"

Max's velvety voice filled the room after a brief pause of silence. "You know the only memory I have of this place is when Isabel drug me here for a party. I hated it. It was loud and hot. People were stumbling all over the place from being drunk, girls kept trying to pull me onto the dance floor and it quickly became the last place on earth I wanted to be. Until…"

"Until?" Liz asked almost coyly as she turned in the direction of his voice and waited for Max to show himself. She had no idea where Max was going with this, but she liked it so far.

"Until I saw the prettiest girl in school walk in." Max stated quietly, his voice softly echoing the past as he began to remember. Liz could hear him move but she still couldn't see him. "I didn't care that she was on the arm of the most popular football player on the team. It just mattered that she was here."

A few steps more and Liz squinted into the darkness waiting for him to continue. Max didn't disappoint. "Although, the truth be known, she looked completely out of place. Like a princess in a room full of paupers. She was wearing a slim plum colored dress that fell to just above her knees and her hair was pulled back into a diamond barrette and curled at the ends. It fell so softly around her shoulders..." Max appeared on the edge of circle of light, his hands stuffed casually in his pockets as he gazed at Liz intently. "I'd never seen her look more beautiful."

Liz's smile brightened when she saw him standing there like a ghost from her past. She remembered that night. She remember seeing Max there, much like he was now, standing in the shadows. Never taking the initiative to step into the light. He'd been wearing a black shirt and she remembered thinking how delicious he looked in black. It set off his velvety dark eyes somehow. How she had wanted to dance with him that night. She'd stolen so many glances in his direction. Too many...

Her smile faded as the memory of the rest of that night instantly came rushing back to her. Clasping her hands in front of her nervously, her gaze faltered sadly. "That night. Kyle and I..."

"Liz." Max stopped her as he stepped into the circle of light. "You don't have to tell me." Taking a few more steps, he was standing in front of her and reached out to gently touch the side of her face. "In fact, you don't have to say a word. I just wanted to see if I have the courage to do now what I couldn't do then."

Slowly raising her eyes to meet his, Liz's breath caught in her throat at the intensity of his gaze. "W...what would..." She took a deep breath. "...that be?"

A slow smile touched Max's lips as he held out his hand. "Ask you to dance with me. Will you?"

The smile that claimed Liz's lips made it's way to her eyes and caused them to twinkle like stars in the night sky when she gently placed her hand in his. In that moment, Max Evans knew this is what he had been placed on this earth to do...make Liz Parker smile. That if he didn't accomplish anything else of worth his whole life through, this moment would be enough to justify the space he took up here on this planet full of pain and tears and rare moments of magic. Moments like this.

Max eased his arm around Liz's waist pulling her close to him. Their eyes locked as he brought their combined hands up near his shoulder. Sharing a warm smile, Max leaned his cheek against her hair as Liz rested her head on his chest. 

<I>So this is what heaven feels like.</I> The thought was simultaneous. As were so many of their movements. Both Liz and Max's eyes drifted closed and Max smiled when he heard Liz let out a sigh of contentment as she unconsciously snuggled deeper into the warmth of his embrace. Slowly, they began to sway in perfect time to the music together. Hand in hand. Hearts matching each other beat for beat. Breathing even and deep as they allowed themselves to relax into each other and enjoy the feel of being in each others' arms. 

Max cursed himself for not having taken the steps to know this kind of peace...this completeness...when he had the chance all those years ago. If he had, maybe things would be different now. Maybe trust wouldn't be so unattainable. Or happiness. Love... Max tried to push the thoughts from his mind, but they refused to leave. He knew they never would. Not as long as Liz Parker was in his arms... 

<I>Just this once.</I> Just this once he wouldn't fight it. There'd be enough time for that in the coming days. Right now, he just didn't have the will to pull himself from the dream. So, Max nuzzled his cheek deeper into Liz's hair and gave himself up to the myriad of feelings that were washing over him...

Liz silently wondered where Max had been all of her life. She felt so safe in his arms. So secure. So...perfect. And she hadn't felt that in a very, very long time. She smiled to herself realizing that he'd always been there. In the back of her mind. In the heart of her deepest desires. Just on the edge of activity...but there, nonetheless. All those years ago, they had watched each other from a distance. Silently waiting. Neither making a move. And their chance had passed. In the years since, he'd come alive only when she dared to let herself dream. But this wasn't a dream now. Maybe their chance hadn't passed after all...

<I>This feels right.</I> Right in a way it had never felt for Liz before. Maybe all they had needed was the right moment. Maybe he'd only been waiting for her to invite him into her private world. Maybe he was still waiting... 

As silent thoughts turned to resolve, Liz's muffled voice floated up to Max. "Max?"

"Hummm?" 

"I want to tell you."

Max opened his eyes and pulled back from Liz slightly to look in her eyes, but her focus remained on his chest as her fingers nervously played with a button on his shirt. "Tell me what, Liz?"

"What happened that night."

"You know you don't have..."

Liz's eyes raised to meet his and Max was awed by the amount of trust he saw shining there. "I want to."

Max nodded silently and Liz's gaze drifted back to his chest. "Kyle and I...it was our anniversary of sorts. We'd been together for three months and we were supposed to go out to celebrate. I mean really go out. To a fancy restaurant and the whole works, you know."

Max's jaw tightened when he saw pain cloud her eyes. "We...never made it. He brought me here instead. He said we were just going to stay for a few minutes, but...well, the few minutes turned into several and then…he started to drink."

Liz pulled out of Max's arms reluctantly and turned from him as reflection set in. She steepled her fingers in front of her face and bent her head to meet them. Max saw the rise and fall of her shoulders as she took a deep breath. Since he couldn't see her expression, he guessed it was to gather her courage. He hoped it wasn't to stop a new flood of tears.

She turned back to Max and glanced up at him with a wry smile. "You know how they say some people make really lousy drunks? Well, Kyle was one of the worst. When he drank he got…angry...even violent…at times. That night he…" Liz reached up and tucked her hair behind her ears as her gaze faltered once more. "…well, he got really angry with me and…"

"My God." Max's chest tightened with sudden anger and his lungs felt like they were being squeezed by a steel band considering how hard it was for him to breath. Searching her expression for the answer to his unspoken questions and instinctively knowing it in the way she couldn't raise her eyes to meet his, Max continued her thought as if she'd never stopped. "He hit you?"

Liz's gaze snapped up to his face. <I>Oh God. No. Not that look.</I> The one of pity and revulsion. The one that screamed that his Dreamgirl had disappeared and in her place stood only a shell of the woman he thought she was. Liz had never been able to stand the look of pity in someone's eyes. Now, seeing it in Max's she was almost physically ill. 

Wrapped in his arms, she thought she could do it. She thought she could trust him with the past. Open up to that pain. But now she realized she couldn't do it. She couldn't let him know the truth. She couldn't let him see that she'd ever been that weak. Not if it meant losing his simple gaze of admiration. The one that she was getting used to seeing in his eyes. Had always seen waiting for her…

Shaking her head emphatically, Liz forced the lies through a weak smile. "No, Max. It's not what you think. He just...he just got angry that's all. We had this huge fight and..." She paused to take a deep breath while her mind raced to find a plausible lie. "...I ended up leaving with Pam Troy of all people. Can you believe it?" 

His gut told him to answer 'no' to that question, but his heart...

Max's face was expressionless as he watched her. What Liz had mistaken for pity and repulsion in his face earlier had actually been pain and hatred. His heart ached at even the thought that she would have ever known that kind of treatment and hatred took root for the one who inflicted it on her. But as she concluded her tale, Max fought to show nothing. Somehow he knew that it was important to show he believed her…even if the pain in her eyes contradicted her story.

Whether it was because Max didn't want to believe someone...even someone he had disliked as much as he did Kyle Valenti...could be so cruel to such a beautiful innocent creature as Liz Parker or maybe it was the hidden plea he saw in her eyes, but Max forced himself to relax. Then he willed himself to give her a smile. She needed him to. He instinctively knew his reaction meant something to her. He would not mess this up for her...

Before Liz knew it Max was standing in front of her, reaching out and caressing her face. "Liz. I'm so sorry."

Liz blinked in confusion. His apology wasn't the typical 'I'm sorry' you say to someone when you don't know what else to say. It was…personal. Guilt-ridden. As if he had actually been the one to land the blow that caused her bruises all those years ago. "Why? You didn't do anything…"

"Exactly." Closing his eyes, he shook his head slightly. "Maybe if I'd not been so scared. If I'd asked you to dance that night…maybe you would have left with me instead and…"

"No, Max, don't do that. Don't blame yourself for Kyle's actions." Her gaze caressed his face as a small smile touched her lips. "Besides, it would have only made matters worse if you had asked me to dance."

"Why?"

"Because I would have said yes and I *would* have wanted to go home with you instead of him. That would have been much worse because...well, he was already jealous of you as it was."

"Jealous? Of me?" Max's eyes clouded with confusion. How could Kyle have been jealous of him? Shy, quiet, unassuming Max Evans? Kyle had the popularity of being an all-star athlete, the constant attention of everyone who was anyone in school. But most of all...Kyle had Liz. "Why?"

When Liz smiled this time, it was full of warmth and her eyes softened as she locked gazes with Max. "Because he wasn't you. He was never..." Liz's gaze dropped when she lost the courage to finish her thought. How would Max react if he heard the words that were echoing in her head...ringing in her heart? <I>...everything I ever dreamed of.</I>

Liz blinked a few times and glanced back up at Max nervously. "Max? Why…did you do this for me?"

Max swallowed the lump that rose in his throat at the raw vulnerability he saw her in her eyes. He knew what she needed. To feel special. To feel worthy of the trouble. Deserving of the thought and effort. Kyle Valenti was a fool. He put that doubt in her eyes years ago. Max Evans was going to erase it now.

Both hands instinctively came up to cup Liz's face and Max's thumbs absently caressed the sides of her face as he felt himself being pulled to her by an undeniable force. "Because just like that night, I thought you deserved something more." He brushed his finger against her cheek and gave her a half-smile. 

"And because…" His gaze moved from her almond shaped eyes to focus on her full red lips as his head dipped lower. Liz felt his whispered words against her lips before they actually reached her ears. "…I wanted to give you a new reason to shiver when you see the soap factory come into view." 

A millisecond later, Liz's heart slammed into her chest and exploded into a million pieces as his mind-shattering kiss entered her soul hungrily claiming what they both instinctively knew had been his all along. Liz managed to register a split-second of surprise as all of her insides melted in the fire that engulfed her. Her fingers raked through the dark locks of his hair and she let out a light moan as her body pressed closer to his when she opened up to the tantalizing feel of his tongue parting her lips. 

And Liz shivered.

The intensity of his kiss deepened with each new step this dance they'd begun led them. His fingers burned as they brushed lightly against her cheeks which had begun to blaze with fire. Her hair slipped through his hands like silk as he moved to support her neck and delved deeper into the warm sensations her kiss sent flowing through him. The searing sweetness that went right to his soul. He'd never felt anything like this before. The hunger. The fire. The need. 

The need. Max's mind replaced his heart in the driver's seat and slammed on the breaks. He couldn't do this. He couldn't drown in this delicious dream they'd begun. Because a dream was all it was. A dream that could only die in the nightmare of lies and secrets. When all was said and done, he would still have secrets he needed to keep. And Liz. Liz really did deserve more than he could ever give her. She deserved…a life without fear.

Slowly, reluctantly Max pulled back and attempted to calm his breathing. When he gradually opened his eyes it was to see Liz's wonder-filled eyes gazing at him in stunned awe. Despite the warning bells going off in his mind, a light smile danced on his lips at her silent reaction. "Did it work?"

Liz could barely make a coherent thought as she nodded absently. Her kiss-swollen lips turned upward into a radiant smile and her eyes closed to half-mast as she pulled Max's lips toward hers for more...

Max shook his head slightly and put his finger against her lips just before they reached his. His voice was low but strong. "Liz, I meant what I said. You deserve so much more than silent fears and bad memories of a relationship that went bad. You deserve everything good this world can offer…" Keeping his eyes trained on Liz's, Max voice raised to address the third party that had stealthily entered the room. "Wouldn't you agree, Sheriff?" 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"What? What?" Maria's hands flew out in a what-did-I-say gesture as Jeff and Nancy Parker stared at her. 

All three were in the Parker's upstairs kitchen. Jeff was sitting on a stool leaning on the counter and Maria was opposite him dumping a quart of strawberries into a bowl. Nancy had just entered with two sets of sheets, blankets and pillows to announce she was setting up the rooms for the kids' arrival. An announcement to which Maria replied, "Why two sets? I thought they were sleeping together in Liz's room." The comment caused both parents to stop and stare at her. 

"What?" Maria continued vaguely aware of the affect her words were having on Liz's parents, especially her father. "I'm just saying that if they're together, they're probably 'together', you know? Why set them up in separate rooms when they've probably been doing it for a while now?"

A visible shudder ran through Jeff Parker's body as the thought of his little girl being 'together' with anyone popped into his mind. He rejected the idea immediately. "I'm not so sure we should jump to conclusions like that, Maria. Lizzie didn't really tell us anything about this boy."

Nancy placed a sympathetic hand on Jeff's arm. To Jeff, Liz would always be his 'little girl', but Nancy knew better. Her little baby girl was a woman now. A woman with desires. If Liz had met the right one like Jeff and she suspected, it just might turn into a difficult week for a father who refused to see his baby girl as a grown up. Best to help prepare him for the inevitable as soon as she could. "Jeff, maybe Maria's right. You know how excited Liz sounded when she called. I mean, she didn't tell us much about him…but the way she said his name…"

"What is his name anyway?" Maria asked as she continued to clean a bowl of strawberries trying to glean as much information as possible to take home to Michael.

"Max."

Maria's eyebrows furrowed. Now why did that name sound familiar. "Max? Just Max? What? Doesn't he have a last name or anything?"

Jeff chuckled. "I'm sure he does, she just didn't mention it. Or if she did, I didn't catch it. I was too revved up that my baby was finally coming home after all this time." 

Making a silent decision, Nancy moved to the next room to put both sets of sheets and blankets on the floor by the couch. Once Liz arrived, Nancy would pull her out of Jeff's hearing and ask how she'd like the sleeping arrangements to be. That way they wouldn't be assuming anything…and she'd be able to comfort Jeff while he lay awake thinking about his little girl being grown up enough to actually have sex. "She did say that she knew him a long time ago. Back in high school, I think." Nancy called back into the kitchen as she entered.

Maria's hand flew to cover her mouth as it dropped open at the revelation that shot through her mind. No, it couldn't be. Could it? Oh, God. If it was him… Michael was definitely going to need to know about this. Her mind immediately switched to her best friend. Oh, God. If it was him… Liz must be the happiest woman in the world. "Oh, my God. Could it be… Is it Max…Evans?"

"I don't know. She didn't say." Jeff glanced up at Maria curiously then swallowed hard when he saw the twinkle in her eyes. "Why? Who was this Max Evans?"

Maria chuckled. "Only the biggest crush Liz ever had. I mean, Max was huge. He was only here for one term then his family moved away, but Liz didn't even look at another guy for like a year after he was gone. Even then, they all had to pass the Max-o-meter test."

"The Max-o-meter test?" Jeff asked clearly disturbed by the onslaught of information he was being forced to hear about his little angel.

"Oh, yeah. If they didn't have his soulful eyes or that shy smile and his perfect lips…" Maria stopped her dreamy re-accounting of Max's features and brought her eyes back to meet Jeff's. "None of them ever did, by the way. No one, and I mean, *no one* ever met the Max-o-meter criteria."

"What about Kyle…"

"Kyle was Liz giving up on Liz." Maria answered bitterly. Forcing a bright smile, Maria continued the conversation as if Kyle's name had never been mentioned. "The point is…I can guarantee you this, if Liz's new guy is Max Evans…you'll want to set up one bedroom for them."

"Or not." Jeff shot back briskly. "I'm not so sure I like the sound of soulful eyes and perfect lips…"

Exchanging a meaningful look with Nancy and biting back her laughter, Maria shrugged nonchalantly. "Have it your way, Mr. P., but if I were you, I'd get ready for late night trysts and secret rendezvous spots if they end up in separate rooms." She started to chuckle and slapped Jeff on the arm. "Liz is really going to thank you after this trip…"

"Trysts? Secret…rendezvous?" Jeff Parker actually paled and his voice faltered. "Thank…me?"

Nancy saw the expression on Jeff's face and hid her laughter behind her hand as Maria continued to taunt him with a wave of her hand. "Sure. Think about it. Let's say they've been dating a while, right? So, they're probably getting used to each other by now. You know, the whole honeymoon period where they can't keep their hands off each other has faded."

"Ahhh, but, the second you tell Max and Liz they can't sleep together in the same room, it'll re-ignite the fire." Maria's gaze turned upward and her dramatic flare was evident in the expression on her face and the way she clutched her hands to her chest. "Make the passions burn anew." 

She flung her hands outward and raised her voice. "Their bodies burn with desire…" Maria let out an exaggerated sigh then her dramatics ended abruptly when she and brought her gaze back to Jeff's pale face. "Really, Mr. P, didn't you know? Forbidden love is the hottest…" 

"She right, Jeff." Nancy threw in as she pulled up a seat next to her husband and began cleaning strawberries as well. "Think about it. It's the allure of the unattainable. What man doesn't want what he can't have? We separate Max and Liz and it won't be long before we're having to watch where we go at night."

Jeff gulped. "Where…we go?" He turned a confused expression to his wife.

"Yeah, you know. Dark corners, tiny rooms…" Maria tossed in.

Nancy nodded trying her best to keep a straight face. "Definitely. Like the supply closet downstairs..."

"Oh, God. That would be so perfect! It would be a great reminder of the eraser room we used in high school…which, just so you know, wasn't used to clean erasers…" Maria wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.

"Oh, and the kitchen for a little 'midnight snack'…" Nancy suggested with an upraised eyebrow continuing the game Maria had begun.

"Yes! The kitchen can be sooo erotic with all of it's cool smooth counters and…strawberries…whipped cream…" Maria's eyes closed as if she could feel the heat rising in the room and her voice became breathy. "…hot…steam..." She let out another sigh and began to fan herself. "Boy, could I tell you stories about midnight snacks with Michael in the kitchen…"

"Ok. Ok. I get the point!" Jeff actually started to put his hands over his ears then stopped himself when he realized what he'd almost done. Maria and Nancy exchanged looks and it was all Maria could do not to burst into laughter. 

Jeff looked stunned for a moment as his mind began to whirl with the mental image of Liz sneaking through the halls of their house with one mission…to meet her high school crush for a secret lover's rendezvous. He swallowed hard and stared absently into space for a moment till Nancy touched his arm. "Jeff? Are you ok, honey?"

Nodding absently, his gaze shifted to Nancy. "Where...uh...where did you put the sheets?"

Nancy's brow furrowed. "By the couch. Why?"

Jeff jumped off the stool without a word and Nancy and Maria grinned at each other then followed him to the living room in time to see him lean over and pick up the pillows and sheets. One set of sheets. Resolutely turning toward the hallway, Jeff headed straight toward Liz's room. "Honey? What about the other set of sheets?"

He never heard her. He was too busy mumbling something about Max and Liz sleeping together if it was the last thing they ever did… 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The phone rang once. Twice. Three times. Finally he heard a click on the other end. "Hello?"

"Hey, it's me."

"Hey. What's up?"

"Iz there?"

"Nope. She's out…"

"Shopping?"

A chuckle greeted the question. "Yeah. Where else?"

A brief smile then serious set in once again. "Listen, I don't want to worry you, but it's possible we might need to move soon."

"Why?"

"Liz Parker's back in town. And she's not alone. She's bringing some guy with her."

Silence greeted him for a moment as the news set in. "FBI?"

"Look, Maria thinks it's no big deal, but…I've got this feeling."

A deep sigh. "Right. Well, I won't say anything to Iz yet, but…you know we'll be here if you need us."

"I know." Michael took a deep breath. "We'll keep you posted."

"You do. And…Michael…"

"Yeah?"

"Tell Maria to hug Liz for me."

Michael nodded once. "We'll do. See ya, Alex."

"Bye, Michael…"

tbc…