"The Language of Longing" Part 1
of 4
by Meredith (roswelldreamer@aol.com)
This fic is dedicated to all
the Dreamgirls out there.
We still believe.
<3ME + LP<3
“True
love’s the gift which God has given
to man alone beneath the heaven:
It’s not fantasy’s hot fire,
Whose wishes granted soon fly;
It liveth not in fierce desire,
With dead desire it doth not die;
It is the secret sympathy,
The silver link, the silken tie
Which heart to heart- and mind to mind-
In body and in soul can bind.” – Sir Walter Scott, “Lay of the Last
Minstrel”
It was their morning ritual.
He
always woke up first. He found it hard to sleep sometimes with her lying beside
him. They had shared a bed for almost a year now and he hadn’t yet grown tired
of watching her sleep. He didn’t think he ever would. He rolled over and looked
at her sleeping face. The blinds in their apartment were half-closed, so
streams of sunlight were starting to pour in and shine on her creamy caramel
skin. He sighed, taking in all of her. Her long, silky auburn hair, her cute
little widow’s peak, her big brown eyes that were like two sparkling spheres
when awake. Her rosy lips, still swollen and puffy from their night of
lovemaking. Her soft, round shoulders, leading down to her long, lean arms that
were draped so casually over her stomach. Her round breasts perfectly set off
her defined abdomen. She was the picture of beauty and grace. His goddess of
love. His Venus.
He
slipped out of the tangled sheets, stepping into the black silk boxers crumpled
up on the floor. He walked over to the window, opening the blinds to half-mast.
This was the only way to shake her out of her dream world.
“Five
more minutes…” She moaned. He looked over from the window and grinned. They had
been going to Boston University for four years and he still hadn’t tired of
opening up his window and seeing all the hustle and bustle outside. It was so
different from where they grew up. No cowboys. No tumbleweeds. He walked back
over to the warm bed and slipped in between the sheets. He began tickling her.
“Max!”
She cried, squirming around. “Max, stop it! Ok, Ok, I’ll get up!” She cried,
laughing. She buried her head in his chest and kissed it.
“That’s better.” He said, smiling. “I don’t want you to be late for your
bioethics class again.”
“Remind me never to take 8 AM classes again…” She groaned. “It’s so cold…” She
said, shivering. After four brutal winters in Boston, she didn’t think she
could make it through another one. He walked over to her closet, grabbing her
robe. She wrapped it around her nude body.
“You’re going to be in trouble when you get out of med school…babies come at
all hours of the night- even 8 AM. They don’t wait for mommy’s doctor,” Max
said, getting up and walking into the kitchen. He got a tin out of the
refrigerator to make coffee for them like he did every morning. She had tried
to make coffee a few times, but according to her, it was never as good as his
was. She walked into the kitchen and wrapped her arms around his back.
“Aren’t you cold?” She asked, shivering. He turned around and kissed her- their
first kiss of the day.
“Nope.” He said, smiling. “I feel warm all over.”
“Mmm,”
She moaned into his mouth, pulling him closer to her. “You always feel warm.”
She kissed him again, this time longer and more forcefully. She thrust her
tongue into his mouth, massaging his gently.
“Liz-
let’s not start.”
“Why
not?” She groaned.
“Cause
neither of us will get to class today.” Max replied, smiling. “And we both have
exams this week so we can’t afford that right now.” He turned to the cabinet,
pulling out two mugs. She grabbed his chin, looking into his eyes.
“You
want to meet for lunch today?” She asked. “We can go down to Harvard Square
after your chem class, sit out in front of Au Bon Pain, feed each other
croissants and strawberries…” She asked.
He
smiled, putting his arms around her once again. “And then we can come back here
for dessert.”
Liz
smiled. “Hmm…tempting.” Max kissed her forcefully. The feeling of her soft
silky skin up against him was making him weak. He was thirty seconds away from
skipping his human relations class and taking her back to bed. Between sensual,
soul stroking kisses, Max broke away.
“If we
keep this up, neither of us will be graduating in May…” He began.
“May…”
She said, smiling at him. She seemed to be drifting away. “The month before
June…”
“June
22. When will it get here?” Max asked, looking at the beautiful diamond ring on
her left ring finger and kissing it.
Liz found it hard to concentrate on the middle-aged graying man standing at the
front of her auditorium. She was doodling hearts and V-Shaped constellations
made of stars in her notebook. A blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl sitting next to
her pointed to Liz’s drawings and smiled.
“Girl,
get your head out of the clouds.” She whispered to Liz, smiling.
Liz
sighed. “I can’t help it, Morgan. He just does something to me- like I can’t
concentrate on anything but him.”
“It’s
called being in love, Lizzie.” Morgan replied, smiling. Liz smiled and stared
at the beautiful diamond ring on her left hand. “But bioethics calls. We better
pay attention cause I think this is going to be on the exam next week.”
“Yeah,
you’re right.” Liz said, shaking herself out of her daze. She listened intently
to the professor.
“So
can anyone explain to me the argument against the practice of euthanasia?”
Professor Wallace asked. No one raised his hand and he sighed, shaking his
head. “You, young lady.” He said, pointing to a girl. “In the third row, with
the curly blonde hair. What’s your name?”
The
girl smiled. “Tess.”
Liz’s
blood ran cold. She knew it was her. The same Tess who had taken Max away from
her all those years ago. Max had to choose between his destiny with Tess and
his soul mate Liz. Her eyes narrowed into a stealthy glare that burned into the
back of Tess. What in the hell was she doing at Boston University? Liz’s eyes
welled up with tears as she listened to that sugary sweet voice that haunted
her dreams. It was like her worst nightmare was coming true.
Megan
looked over at Liz while Tess was speaking. She was alarmed by her friend’s
appearance.
“Babe,
are you ok? You look like you’ve seen a ghost!” She cried.
Liz
quickly wiped her eyes and shakingly slammed her books closed. She threw her
notebook and textbook into her messenger bag and ran out of the room. “Liz!”
Morgan cried, running after her. The commotion caused the entire class to turn
around, including Tess.
“Miss
Parker? Miss Patrick?” Professor Wallace asked. “Hmm. I hope everything’s
okay.” He said under his breath.
Tess
grinned mischievously.
“That’s right. Run to your precious Max.” She thought. “You won’t have him for
much longer.” She sent a telegraphic thought to his brain. An image of the two
of them having passionate sex on Max and Liz’s bed.
* * * * * * *
Max was falling asleep in his human relations class when he felt a charge go
through him, then a flash of he and Tess making love on the bed that he and Liz
shared. His stomach retched at the thought, but the images of Tess kept coming.
The two of them kissing, the two of them as children in the pods. The night
they realized Tess was one of them. The hurt in Liz’s eyes when she told Max
she saw the two of them kissing. All the painful memories of their junior and
senior years, as well as all the happy ones he had with Tess.
He was distracted from his trance by the sound of the door opening. He and
several others in the lecture hall instinctively turned around. As his eyes
fell on the visitor, his mind raced. He knew something was wrong. Was it Isabel
or Michael? Alex or Maria? His parents? Her parents? His mind was racing. He
jumped up and ran to her.
“Mr.
Evans…” The professor said. “Please take your discussion outside.” Max wasn’t
even paying attention to his professor; he was too busy focusing on Liz. He
followed her outside the hall and looked into her eyes. He could tell she had
been crying. Her eyes and face were red and puffy and she was out of breath.
When they were safely out in the hallway, he hugged her to him tightly.
“Tell
me.” He breathed.
“Tess.” She managed to whisper through choked sobs. “She’s…here.”
Max’s
eyes got wide as all the memories of their junior and senior years at West
Roswell High came flooding back to him. Tess had told him that they were
destined to be together. She put him under her mind control, and he was
convinced she was right. Liz broke up with him because she couldn’t stand to
know that Tess would always be around, one step behind them. Without Liz’s
support and love, he crumbled under his desire for Tess and fell under her
spell. They were inseparable for over two years. He even gave up his virginity
to her- something he had always thought he would reserve for Liz. On graduation
night, Liz, who was headed to Boston University, had summoned all her courage
to tell Max she still loved him and would never stop loving him. That was all
Max needed to end things with Tess for good. Max drove Liz out to the rock
formation where the foursome had crashed and had emerged from the pods almost
20 years before. They made love by the fire all night, and swore eternal
devotion to each other, saying they’d never be apart again. Max, who had
committed to going to Stanford University, withdrew his application and with his
unblemished school record and perfect SAT score, managed to get into Boston
University to be with her. Michael and Maria had moved to Santa Monica,
California, and Isabel and Alex went to the University of New Mexico. They both
had decided they would miss each other and their parents too much to go far
away.
The
day after graduation, Max ended his two-year relationship with Tess and she was
never seen again. Max was upset at first, because he genuinely cared about her.
They had come to earth together and he didn’t want any harm to come to her.
Isabel and Michael were also upset. All three had felt like they’d lost a part
of themselves when Tess left, especially Michael…Tess was his sister. Even
after four years, he still hadn’t forgiven Max for pushing her away. Michael’s
feeling of betrayal stung deeply and he still only talked to Max a few times a
year.
“Where…is she?” He asked. He was relieved to know that there were reasons for
his sudden visions of Tess- she was nearby.
“In my
bioethics class. Morgan and I were talking and… the professor called on…her… to
answer a question.” Liz said, her eyes cold.
“You
didn’t know she was in your class until today?” Max asked, astounded.
“She
wasn’t in there last week! She must have just enrolled here! Oh, God, Max…” She
cried, burying her face in his chest. She kept telling herself that if she
didn’t let go of him, maybe she could keep him away from Tess. “What are we
going to do?” She finally asked him as he rocked her back and forth.
“I
don’t know, baby. I don’t know.” He said, breathing into her hair and kissing
the top of her head. He was filled with fear and a twisted sense of longing. He
couldn’t control his attraction to Tess. Here he was, holding the love of his
life close to his chest, and he couldn’t stop thinking about his high school
girlfriend. His relationship with Tess was primal…chemical. He and Liz had
something so much better than that ever was. Their relationship was romantic,
personal- sensual, real. There was a vast difference between the two women and
even after all these years and his true love for Liz, he still felt an
attraction to Tess. He felt like it wasn’t up to him. Someone or something had
set the wheels in motion…
And he
knew his universe was about to come crashing down on him.
“It
won’t be long now.” Tess said quietly to herself as she poked her head around
the corner. Down an abandoned quiet hallway, she saw Max holding and cradling a
crying Liz in his arms. “Just wait until he meets you,” She said, opening up
her locket and looking at a small picture of a young boy. She kissed it and
smiled. She pressed it close to her chest and quickly darted back around the
corner and out the door so they would not notice her.
* * * * *
Liz was so startled about seeing Tess in her morning class that she went to
classes with Max the rest of the day. She felt the need to be with him all the
time, almost like protecting him. After Max’s organic chemistry lab, They
jumped on the subway to their apartment near Harvard. As they sat together for
the 20-minute train ride, neither said a word. Max just held Liz’s hand,
caressing and kissing it. She looked out of the window with cold, dead eyes.
She couldn’t bring herself to show Max how scared she really was. As they
approached their stop, they both picked up their book bags and filed off the
train. Max instinctively grabbed Liz’s hand as they crossed the busy
intersection and came within sight of their apartment building. He fumbled in
his pocket for his keys and they climbed up the flight of stairs to their small
apartment. It was warm and cozy with a nice view of Harvard Square. It was
expensive, and they both had to work full time to pay for it, but they didn’t
mind, because they were together. Liz worked at the Urban Outfitters store down
the street and Max did work for a doctor’s office in Cambridge.
“When
do you have to work tonight?” Max asked, breaking the ice as Liz flung her
tired body, face first, onto their bed. She kicked off her shoes and sighed.
“6 to
close.” She said, grimacing. “You’re working tomorrow right?” She asked.
“Yeah.” He said, grabbing her a Diet Coke out of the fridge. He knew she’d ask
for one so he saved himself a trip and brought it into the bedroom. Liz
stripped out of her jacket and socks and jumped under the goose-down comforter.
She turned on the TV and flipped to her favorite soap opera, General Hospital.
Max walked over to the bedside and kicked off his shoes. He put his bottle of
water down on his nightstand and handed Liz her soda.
“Oh,
you are too good to me.” She said, giving him a quick smooch. He smiled,
peeling off his sweater and revealing only a tight white t-shirt underneath. He
cuddled up with her and buried his face into her neck, breathing in her peach
shampoo and sweet perfume. She smiled contently. This was her Max. He wasn’t
acting any differently than normal. Every afternoon, they’d come back from
class, he’d drink a bottle of water and she’d have a Diet Coke. They’d cuddle
up in bed together. She’d watch her soap and he’d fall asleep. Sometimes he’d
mumble things in his sleep, usually “Oh, that’s nice,” or “Oh, what a bitch,”
responding to whatever Liz would scream at someone on the television. She
looked at him and sighed. Oh, God, how she loved this man. If anyone or
anything ever came between them, she didn’t want to live. She turned herself
around in his arms so their chests were touching. She kissed each of his
eyelids and left a trail of hot kisses from his cheeks down to his neck. He
instinctively pulled her closer to him; his eyes still closed. Liz figured that
he was nearing his dream state. He began moving his hands up and down her back,
pulling up the back of her sweater so he could feel her soft skin. She threw
her head back instinctively as she felt his hands move further down her back.
“Max…”
She said quietly to him. “Wake up, baby.”
“Hmm…”
He groaned, pulling her close to him and kissing her forcefully. Liz could feel
his desire and need and returned it back to him. They both sat up, still
kissing and in each other’s arms. Liz wrapped her legs around Max’s back, who
had his legs stretched out on the bed. She began moving forcefully into him,
her mind and body on auto pilot. “Whoa, girl, slow down.” He said, laughing.
She looked at him with desire in her eyes. She helped him pull his shirt over
his head, revealing his exquisite chest. She rubbed her hands over his
shoulders and pulled herself close to him, aching to have all of him. He pulled
her sweater over her head, revealing her perfect breasts to him. He sighed,
rubbing them softly and slowly placing his mouth on her. She pulled him down on
top of her as he continued to worship her with his mouth. She felt herself
changing inside, like she needed him to survive. She felt herself becoming a
contradiction- she loved this closeness she and Max shared, but she was
terrified that he was becoming the key to her survival.
Liz and Morgan had the closing shift at Urban Outfitters that night, and they
were in the back room unloading new merchandise. They were jotting letters and
numbers on a clipboard as they sorted through the clothes, picture frames,
candles, journals, and other random stuff.
Liz
picked up a new candleholder and smiled. “This is the exact candleholder that
Maria had in her room when we were in high school!”
“Wow,”
Morgan said, looking at it. “Retro-kitsch. Making a comeback, I like it.” She
smiled.
“Retro?” Liz asked, grinning. “Ok, come on, Morgan, we’re not that old!”
“Have
you talked to Maria lately?” Morgan asked.
Liz paused,
a sudden pain stinging her. Talking about Maria made her think about high
school and all the horrible things that happened there. “No,” She managed to
spit out finally. “I guess I should call her or something.”
“She
was your best friend for like 18 years, I think that would be a good idea!”
“It’s
just so hard to talk to her about things, cause Michael and Max are on such bad
terms right now. Last I heard, Michael wasn’t even coming to our wedding.” Liz
said, a tear coming to her eye.
“And
since when do you let guys get in between you and your best friend?” Morgan
asked. She walked over to the phone that was on the store room wall and picked
it up. “Call her.”
Liz
smiled at Morgan’s forcefulness. It was refreshing. Liz had a hard time
standing up for herself, let alone motivating herself to do something as sad
and awkward as calling up Maria out of the blue. She admired Morgan’s strong
attitude. The two of them had met their freshman year when they were randomly
assigned to be roommates. They got along so well that they decided to live
together their sophomore year too. Morgan’s boyfriend of two years, Owen, had
also gotten to be a good friend of Liz and Max’s. They double dated a lot and
went to parties together. Morgan and Owen had no idea that they were in the
presence of an otherworldly creature every time they were in the same room with
Max.
“I
can’t.” Liz said. “What am I supposed to say to her?”
“How
about…’Hello’?” Morgan asked, swinging the receiver.
Liz
paused. “I will talk to her. But not here…we’ve got too much work to do.”
Morgan
sighed. “Ok, Lizzie. You’re off the hook for now. But If I find out you didn’t
call her, you’re in big trouble, pally.”
Liz
smiled.
* * * * * *
Max
was sitting on the couch in his apartment, listening to his Dave Matthews Band
CD and working on an anatomy lab. Anatomy was his favorite subject because it
caused him to want to learn more about his own body. He ran his fingers over
his bare, well-defined stomach, fingering the muscle formations that were
indented in the skin. Were the diagrams of the human abdomen the same as his
insides? As far as they knew, their cells were the only things that were
different than humans. Was the composition of his organs different than Liz’s?
If they were, would they ever be able to make a baby together? One that would
have a normal life? These were all questions that had no easy answers. His mind
raced as the phone rang. His eyes traveled back into the text book as he
absentmindedly reached over and picked up the receiver.
“Hello?” Max answered.
There
was a paused. Max rolled his eyes and groaned.
“HELLO?” He said forcefully.
“Hello, Max.”
His
heart stopped. His blood ran cold. He knew that voice.
It was
Tess.
“What
in the—“ He began.
“Yes,
my love. It’s me.” She replied in that sultry voice as sugary as ever. Max paused.
His voice got angrier as his blood began to pump fervently.
“What
do you want?” He screamed into the receiver.
“Oh,
you don’t know, Max? You feel it when you sleep at night. You feel it when you
wake up in the morning. You feel it when you look in the mirror—and see my
face.” Tess said sweetly, her finger wrapping around the phone cord.
“You’re delusional, Tess.”
Tess
chuckled. “I’m not delusional, Maxy. I’ve come to claim what’s rightfully
mine…”
“…and
that would be…?” Max asked.
“You,
of course.” Tess said.
“I
don’t belong to you! I’m with Liz! We’re in love. We’re getting…married! She’s
the ONLY one for me! Do you hear that Tess? The ONLY one!” Max cried, his voice
hot with rage.
Tess
laughed again. “That’s fine, Max. Keep on playing house with your puppy love.
You know I’m the only one who drives you, Max, I’m a part of you. You’re a part
of me. You can’t deny that. When you make love to her, you’re thinking of me.”
“No!
That’s not true!” Max screamed. He punched his fist into the couch in anger.
“You are crazy!”
“Oh,
Max. You’re the crazy one. Keep on fooling yourself with Liz. You’ll see soon
enough- that you belong to me. We’ll see you on June 22nd. Or maybe sooner…”
Tess said ominously, hanging up the phone.
“Tess—“ He said, his voice choked with rage and tears, muffled completely by
the sound of dead air on the line, and then a dial tone. He screamed with
frustration, slamming the phone into its cradle with such force that it was
knocked over on the floor. The caller I.D. box fell beside it. Max picked it up
and looked with horror at what it displayed.
“HARDING-EVANS,
TESS (617) 290-0666.”
She’d
changed her last name to Evans! Max’s stomach got weak as he had another flash
about making love to Tess. He reeled. “Why is this all happening to us? Why
now? Everything’s perfect!”
He
heard Tess’s voice echoing through his brain. “You’ll see soon enough- you
belong to me.”
He
tried to fight it. Tess was nothing to him. Liz was his world, his heart, his
soul, he didn’t want anyone but her.
“We’ll see you June 22nd.”
How
did she know he and Liz’s wedding date? And the last part really shocked him.
“Who’s
we?” He screamed out loud.
Max
felt stained, dirty. He needed to see Liz. To hold her, touch her, kiss her.
Breathe her in. He needed her. Like a drug.
* * * * * *
Santa Monica, California
One Week Later
March 31, 2005.
Michael Guerin looked out of the window of the apartment he shared with his
girlfriend of five years, Maria DeLuca. It was extremely small, only a bedroom,
a kitchenette, and a small living area, but it was cozy, and it was theirs, so
they loved it. He watched the rain as it fell down outside in the darkness. He
watched as it fogged up the windows, making it increasingly difficult to see
outside.
Maria
was still asleep. It was early, he didn’t want to wake her. She hadn’t been
sleeping much lately. Her best friend from childhood, Liz Parker, had called
her a couple of weeks before and they got in yet another argument. It was
tearing Maria apart but she couldn’t allow herself to show weakness.
Michael looked over at her then, watching her chest rise and fall in the
moonlight. She always slept in the nude and he loved this time of night, her
lying still and restful on her back; the moonlight dancing on her silky skin.
He would often sit up at night, thinking, watching her. He wasn’t much of a
spiritual person, but he thanked whoever or whatever that created him for
bringing him together with this beautiful creature. Part of him hated Liz for
taking Max away from him all those years ago, but he loved her for delivering
this perfect sleeping angel to him, so completely and effortlessly.
Her
arm moved in her sleep just then, draping it across her stomach. “Michael…” She
whispered in her sleep. He smiled. It made him feel like such a bad ass
whenever she called out his name. At that moment, she was his, and nothing else
mattered. The past, the future- nothing. He only saw her.
Until
tonight.
“Michael,”
The voice whispered in his head, echoing through his brain and shaking him to
the core. “Michael, I’ve missed you so much.”
It
continued to haunt him. That voice he hadn’t heard in so long- the voice of his
sister, Tess. “Michael, I need your help. Michael, you need to see him. I
named him after you.”
Michael tried to shake that last thought out of his brain. He could feel Tess
reaching out to him. He got a flash just then, of Tess, Max, and a young boy.
They were playing in a park, the boy was pushing a toy truck through a sandbox.
Tess and Max were looking at each other with loving eyes. The boy looked
exactly like his best friend, his surrogate brother, their leader, with the
brown hair, doe eyes, long eyelashes, and prominent ears.
Tess
and Max had a child?
It
couldn’t be. Maria had just talked to Liz, and she and Max were as happy as
ever. They were even getting married in less than three months. Why, after all
these years, is he finally getting visions of Tess? Why can he feel her
presence with him?
“Michael, come
to Boston. Please, Michael, I need your help. She has to be stopped.” Tess
seemed to be pleading to him.
“Boston?” He thought to himself. He felt a wave of terror wash over him- like
he knew that something awful was going to happen. “They’re in danger.” He said,
looking over at the snapshot of Max and Liz from years ago that still hung on
Maria’s mirror. He ran over to Maria and shook her out of her dreams.
“What?” She cried, her eyes sealed tight with tiredness.
He
paused, looking at her. He seemed to be drowning in her for a moment.
“Michael, WHAT?” She cried. “What’s wrong?”
“Get
up, we’re going to Boston.”
“Boston? What?” She sat up in bed like a rocket. “Are Liz and Max okay? Oh
God!” She screamed. “Tell me! What’s happened to them?”
“Nothing- yet. But I think my sister might be after Liz.”
“Tess?
What the hell…you don’t hear from her for almost five years and now all of the
sudden you’re getting visions about her? God, she’s such a bitch!” Maria cried.
“Hey,
calm down, she’s the only family I have, all right?”
“What
about Max, Isabel? You have me!”
Michael shook his head. “It’s not the same, blondie.”
“Fine,
Michael, I’ll bite. How do you know that psycho hose-beast is going after Liz,
huh?” Maria asked.
“I
just know ok? Don’t ask so many questions!” Michael cried, grabbing two
suitcases out of the closet and throwing them on the bed. He scared her when he
got like this. Something must really be wrong. Maria stood up, her body
twinkling in the moonlight. She shuddered as she thought of Liz and Tess coming
face to face again. She knew Liz might do something crazy. And if Liz didn’t
stand up against Tess, Maria sure as hell would do anything to protect her
Lizzie! Michael looked over and saw her then, his glorious distraction. He
could feel that she was in pain. He walked over behind her, wrapping his arms
around her back. He placed his lips lightly on her neck.
“Don’t
worry, ok?” He said quietly. “Liz is going to be okay. So is Max. I won’t let
Tess hurt them.” Michael could feel Maria’s worry.
“I
just wish this would be over with… I mean, Max and Liz have been through so
much. They’re good people, why can’t they just be happy? Why does this always
have to happen to them? When will they be happy? When will we be happy?”
“I
thought we were happy.” Michael said, looking into her eyes with hurt. He
looked like a wounded puppy dog- she looked at him and frowned.
“Nice one, DeLuca.” She thought to herself.
“Michael Guerin, I’ve never been so happy in my whole life than I am right now
with you. I’m just scared. As long as your sister and Nasedo and God knows who
else are out there lurking around, I just can’t feel safe.”
“Maria, You don’t have to feel scared. I won’t ever let anyone hurt you.” He
replied, lacing his fingers with hers.
“I’m
not worried about me. But I would die if…they took you from me.” Maria said,
her eyes welling up with tears. He moved his hands through her soft blonde
hair.
“I
love you.” Michael said, kissing her soundly.
“I
love you too.” Maria replied. “Come on, let’s go find Sissy Dearest.”
* * * * * * *
Boston,
Massachusetts.
Later That Afternoon.
Max never told Liz that Tess had called him that night. Liz felt him changing,
acting strangely. Everytime the phone rang, Max would jump ten feet, like he
was expecting something. She didn’t want to say anything to him because they’d
both been going through a lot of stress with school, work, and wedding
preparations. They had barely had time to stop and breathe, let alone just
relax together in those precious moments of the day that made her want to wake
up and live the next one.
Liz
hadn’t seen Tess since that day in her bioethics class. Tess never showed up to
class again. It had been almost three weeks since she had appeared out of
nowhere and she seemed to have disappeared just as effortlessly as she’d
disrupted their rosy existence. General Hospital was on, but as usual,
Max wasn’t paying much attention. He was focused on Liz, who was watching the
screen intently. They were lying in bed under the covers, his bare chest
pressed firmly up against her soft back, that skin to skin contact that drove
him insane. He buried his face in her neck, breathing in her intoxicating
scent, and closed his eyes. He tried to forget that every vision of Tess was
pushing him closer into his own private hell.
“Max, it won’t be long now. We’ve been waiting for this day so patiently.” He
heard Tess’s voice echo through his brain, awakening hatred he never thought
existed. His eyes flew open. This has to stop! He thought to himself. But her
voice and images kept flooding his brain.
“You won’t be
able to deny it anymore. We belong together. You and I. Not Liz.”
No!
Max kept repeating in his brain, holding Liz closer to him. She wrapped her
left arm around him, stroking his skin and soothing him. He seemed to be upset.
She turned herself around in his arms. He opened up his soulful brown eyes, his
beautiful eyelashes fluttering with each staggered breath, and looked deep into
his lover’s own.
“Max,
what’s wrong?” She asked him. “You seem upset.”
Without answering, he pulled her close to him then, kissing her with need and
urgency. He continued to attack her with a million kisses all over her body. He
didn’t leave any part of her neglected. She moaned his name as the kisses
became stronger, kisses full of desire, longing, fear… His lips continued to
travel lower until they reached their desired destination. She grabbed his hair
then, pushing him closer into her. She threw her head back as a million
sensations washed over her. She felt his name cross her lips over and over
again, without thought, sensation, meaning…
She closed her
eyes and had a vision of Max playing with a young boy in a sandbox. He pushed a
toy truck through the sand and laughed as Max helped him build a small
sandcastle. He looked so much like Max that she shuddered. Liz felt like she
was seeing her future, their future- their son. Liz gasped with
horror when Tess showed up then, picking up the young boy and kissing him. Max
then took the two of them in his arms and they embraced.
“Oh my
God!” She screamed, tears streaming down her face.
“Liz,
Liz, I know baby…” He said, his face buried in her stomach, his eyes sealed
with passion. He kissed her fiercely around her navel, working his way
back up to her neck. She sat up like a rocket.
“No,
Max, I saw her! I saw her in my vision!” Liz screamed, her eyes filling up with
tears.
“You
saw Tess?” Max asked with alarm. “What was she doing?”
Liz
looked in his eyes. The pain she felt was too great to tell him about. “She was
playing with a little boy- you were there too. He looked exactly like you,
Max.”
Max
was stunned- a child? He had had lots of visions of Tess over the past few
weeks, but none involving a child. Was Tess somehow getting messages to Liz’s
brain too? He shuddered at the thought. “Liz…” He said, moaning her name. He
tried to push Tess out of his brain as he took Liz’s face in her hands, kissing
her with passion and intensity. They broke away and looked into each other’s eyes.
“Max…”
She whispered. “I want to have your baby.” She placed her hand on his chest,
letting it travel further down to the center of him that had always fascinated
her. “Make love to me.”
“Oh,
God, Liz…” He said, the words filled with desire. He kissed her and lowered her
down onto the bed. “You’re my world, Liz, there’s no one else…” He made love to
her with such force and intensity that the feeling frightened Liz. Making love
with him had never been this way before. She felt him pushing into her with
such need that it almost hurt her.
“Max,”
She moaned. He laced their fingers together, pressing her hands into the bed.
He continued this quest for something- anything- salvation- to return to that
feeling of safeness- complete and utter bliss he had while making love to Liz.
He looked into Liz’s eyes to try to gage her response at what was
happening to them. And to his horror, Tess’s face gazed back at him.
“I
told you, Max. You belong to me.”
Max
screamed, pulling himself away from the image that shocked him so much. When he
came back to reality, he saw Liz staring back at him with horror.
“Max…”
She whispered. “What is happening to us?”
“I
don’t know.” He said, shaking his head. “God, I’m so sorry, Liz, I’m so sorry.”
He burst into tears then. Liz was shocked to see him cry. She’d only seen him
cry twice in her life- when he and Michael got in a huge fight years ago and
Michael told him that they were no longer brothers, and after she accepted his
marriage proposal.
“Max…”
She continued to whisper. Her lover was crumbling right in front of her eyes.
She stretched out her arms to him and he crawled into her warm embrace. They
buried themselves under the covers as he rested his head on her chest, needing
to hear her beating heart. Needing to feel that closeness.
“I’m
sorry,” He kept repeating. She just shushed him and kissed the top of his head.
“You
don’t have anything to be sorry about. You’re mine.” Liz said.
“You’re mine.” Tess
repeated in Max’s brain. He squinted his eyes in pain.
“I
love you.” Max said, lifting his head up to meet Liz’s. “I’ll never stop loving
you.”
“I
love you too, angel.” She said, kissing him. “I’ll always love you.”
The
phone rang then, and Max’s eyes lit up with terror. It was her, he knew it.
What were they going to do? Liz looked over at the caller I.D. box.
“UNKNOWN
CALLER.”
She
looked at Max for a second, both having the same thought. Would it be Tess?
“I’ll let the machine get it.” She said, smoothing his hair.
The
ringing stopped and she heard the sound of her own voice. “Hi! You’ve
reached Max and Liz’s! We’re not in right now, but leave a message and we’ll
get back to you!”
“Liz!
Max! If you’re there, pick up the phone, it’s Michael.” Max and Liz were both
shocked. Max grabbed the phone quickly.
“Michael, Michael, we’re here.” Max said. “Is everything ok?”
“Yeah,
but can you do me a favor?”
“Anything.” Max said.
“Come
pick Maria and me up from the airport? We’re in Boston.” Michael said.
Max’s
jaw dropped. “You’re here?” He looked at Liz. “He and Maria are in Boston.”
“What
are they doing here?” Liz asked.
“Tell
Liz we’re here to save her ass.” Michael said. Max’s eyes lit up with fear.
Maria smacked Michael’s arm for making such a rude comment.
“She’s
in danger?” Max asked, squeezing Liz’s hand. “From what? Who?”
“Listen, if you could just pick us up, we’re in terminal B. Gate 8. We’ll
explain everything when we get back to your place. It’s not safe to talk about
it here.” Michael said.
“Michael, tell me what’s going on!” Max demanded.
“I
will, Maxwell, just chill, all right?” Michael cried. Maria rolled her eyes.
“Give
me the phone, genius. You obviously failed diplomatic relations last semester.”
Maria grabbed the phone from Michael’s ear. “Hi, Max. It’s Maria. If you could
please just come pick us up, we’d greatly appreciate it. I’m sorry my boyfriend
can be such an asshole sometimes.”
Max
nodded. “We’re on our way. Give us twenty minutes.” They hung up. Max looked at
Liz. He cupped his hand in her face. She turned her face to kiss his open palm.
“I’m
in danger?” She asked, looking into his eyes. They were both on the verge of
tears.
“I’m
not going to let anything happen to you. But we need to find out what’s going
on. Come on, get dressed. We’re going to get Michael and Maria.” Max said.
* * * * *
Michael was sitting impatiently at the gate, waiting for Max and Liz to come
get them from the airport. Maria had gone to a nearby stand to grab the latest
issue of Cosmo, so she was out of his hair for a few minutes. This gave
him time to catch some much-needed rest. That plane ride had been brutally
long. He looked at his watch, hardly believing it was almost 6 PM. It felt like
lunchtime to him. This time change was making him ill. He shut his eyes and
laid his head back on the cushy blue chair.
The
visions came again. This time, it was a vision of a wedding. Michael could only
see the back of the bride and groom, but as he got closer, he determined that
the groom definitely was Max. He couldn’t make out the bride’s face. As he got
closer and closer, he saw who it was.
“Michael, You’re so close. You’ve almost found me.” He heard Tess’s voice
haunting his brain. He slowly opened his eyes and looked up at the ceiling of
the airport.
“Ok,
Tess, enough is enough…what are you trying to tell me?” Michael said to himself
quietly.
The
two rows of chairs behind Michael were empty, all except for a young woman and
a little boy. The little boy sat close to the edge of the chair, kicking his
legs over the side and coloring in a coloring book. He frowned as he broke the
crayon he was using. He looked up at the woman, his big brown eyes watering
with tears.
“Mommy, I broke my crayon. Can you fix it?” He asked her sweetly.
“Of
course, Adam-Michael.” She held the broken green crayon in her enclosed fist,
and when she opened it back up again, it was whole. “There, darling. Mommy
fixed it.” She said, handing him the crayon and kissing his head.
“Thanks, Mommy.” He said, smiling. He went back to his coloring contently. His
mother pushed her sunglasses down her nose and turned around in her chair so
she was facing Michael.
“Honey, put your book away. It’s time for you to meet your Uncle Michael.” She
said, grabbing her child’s tiny hand.
“Mommy, I don’t want to.” Adam-Michael pleaded.
“Honey,” She said, squatting down to his eye level. She sent him a telegraphic
message that he was able to understand since he was completely alien. His eyes
got wide as he saw a vision of himself riding his very own horse. His mom had
promised him that she’d buy him a new pony of his very own if he’d cooperate
with her.
“Ok,
Mommy.” He said, smiling. He reached out his hand to her. She smiled, reaching
down to the chair and grabbing her purse. She slowly led her son to the two
rows of chairs where Michael was sitting, her heart pounding faster and faster.
If she was this nervous meeting her brother again, how was she going to be when
she met Max?
Michael turned around instinctively, smirking. He knew she was there. “So, if
it isn’t my baby sister.”
“Michael.” She replied, smiling. “It’s so good to see you.” She was
disappointed that he didn’t stand up to hug her, but then again, Michael wasn’t
really that into public displays of affection.
“Tess,
I’m only going to say one thing to you…why did you leave?”
“I
couldn’t stay, Michael. Not if Max wouldn’t accept me as his chosen one.” Tess
replied. Michael wasn’t paying much attention to what she was saying. He was
too busy looking at the small child clutching Tess’s hand nervously.
He
looked exactly like Max.
“Oh my
God…” Michael whispered. Maria came up to the two of them then, dropping her
soda she had just bought.
“Holy
shit!” Maria screamed. She had to keep herself from fainting. She felt like her
knees might give out. She saw Tess talking to Michael, and Tess clutching the
hand of a small boy who looked exactly like her best friend’s fiance. “Tess
what the HELL are you doing here?”
Tess
glared at her. “I’d ask you the same thing, but you probably would never shut
your mouth.”
Maria
stared daggers at her. “You’re never going to get him back, you know. I don’t
know why you’re bothering to try.”
Tess
laughed. “Oh, but I will now. I will get Max back, he belongs to me. And
Adam-Michael is the proof.”
Maria
grabbed Michael’s arm for support. Their jaws dropped in disbelief.
Tess
continued, scooping up the boy in her arms. “Michael, Maria, I’d like you to
meet Adam-Michael Evans, Max’s son. The first procreation of our species.”
Maria’s eyes rolled back in her head as she started to faint. Michael caught
her and his jaw dropped. “Tess…what the hell…”
At
that moment, hell came colliding into Boston-Logan International Airport.
Max
and Liz ran over to Michael and Maria hand-in-hand.
“Hello
Max. Hello Liz.” Tess said, smirking.
Liz’s
eyes welled up with tears. Max couldn’t do anything but stare in awe at the
child she was holding. No one had to tell him anything- at that moment he knew…
He was
a father.
The Language of
Longing, Part 2 of 4
by Meredith
(roswelldreamer@aol.com)
For the Dreamgirls, I love you guys.
We still believe.
“Tess…” Max said, still in awe from looking at the child staring at him. They
had the same eyes.
“Yes,
Max, it’s really me.” Tess said, smiling. “Aren’t you going to hug me or
something?”
Max
was silent. “Tess, why didn’t you tell me? I had a right to know… that I have…”
“A
son? Go on, you can say it Max.” Tess said, smiling. She looked over at Liz,
who looked like she’d seen a ghost. She was shaking her head over and over,
like if she didn’t believe what was standing right in front of her, it would
all just go away. “Oh, but we wouldn’t want to hurt your little girlfriend over
here.” She added with a grin.
“Tess,
I swear to God! You’re dead, you hear me?” Maria screamed, lunging for her.
Michael held her back.
“Maria! Stop it!” Michael said. “This is something Max and Tess have to work
out on their own. And stop screaming at her, you’re scaring the kid.”
The
four of them looked at Adam-Michael, who had buried his face in Tess’s pant leg
with confusion and fear.
“Mommy?” He said quietly. She bent down to his eye level once again.
“What
is it, sweetheart?” Tess asked sweetly, her hand smoothing her son’s chocolate
brown hair.
“Who
is that man?” Adam-Michael asked, pointing to Max. Max’s eyes filled with
tears, as did Liz’s. She wrapped her whole body around her fiancé’s arm,
clutching on to him like a scared child.
“He’s
your daddy, sweetie.” Tess replied, beaming.
“If
he’s my daddy, how come I’ve never seen him before?” Adam-Michael asked.
“He’s
been away, sweetie. But now we’re all together again. Your mommy, your daddy,
and you. We’re a family again.” Tess said, smiling and looking up at Max, who
was still in shock. Liz burst into tears, running away from the entire scene.
She couldn’t breathe.
“Liz!”
Max cried, running after her. Liz shook her head and sped up her pace. She had
to get out of there.
“Some
family you’ve got there, Tess.” Maria said, coolly. “Mommy’s psycho, and
Daddy’s in love with someone else. I feel sorry for the poor kid.”
Tess glared daggers into her. She raised her hand towards Maria, and with out a
care, used her powers to throw her into a nearby wall.
“TESS!
What the fuck are you thinking?” Michael screamed at her, grabbing her arm and
twisting it. He then ran over to the wall, where Maria was slumped over,
rubbing the back of her head. “If you EVER touch Maria again, I will kill you
myself. Plus, what in the hell were you thinking doing that in a public place?
Anyone could have seen you! You idiot!”
“I
don’t care who knows it. Michael, I’m your sister. How can you put your little
tramp before family?”
“Watch
me.” Michael said firmly, grabbing a squirming Maria and flinging her over his
shoulder.
“Michael, PUT ME DOWN! I’m going to kill that bitch! PUT ME DOWN RIGHT NOW!”
Her screams echoed through the terminal. A crowd was growing around them now.
“We’re
going to find Max and Liz.” Michael said. He turned around to give Tess a last
warning. “Look, Tess, I don’t know why you’re here now, but rest assured, I
will find out. And we will stop you. We’re not going to let you hurt any of us,
ever again.”
“Mommy,
where’s Uncle Michael going?” Adam-Michael asked Tess, tugging on her pant leg.
“I’m
sorry, Adam, but I’ve got to leave pal. We’ll play some other time ok?” Michael
said, trying to smile at his tiny, clueless nephew.
“Ok.”
Adam said, a frown washing over his face. Michael was shocked. He couldn’t
believe how much he looked like Max.
“Michael—“ Tess cried.
“What!” Michael screamed, getting impatient.
“You’ll change your mind. I’ll make you.”
“No
you won’t, Tess. No you won’t.” He said firmly, walking away with Maria still
screaming over his shoulder.
“MICHAEL SHE IS
SO DEAD! TESS, DO YOU HEAR ME? YOU ARE ONE DEAD BITCH, YOU ALIEN FREAK! MARK MY
WORDS!” Maria said. Tess laughed loud enough for Maria to hear. She waved
at Maria and smiled.
“Bye,
Bye, Maria!” She said, laughing.
* * * * * *
When
Max finally caught up with Liz, she was crouched behind a chair next to a
flight gate that wasn’t being used that day. Max ran up to her, out of breath.
“Liz--“
“Max,
go away. I need to think.”
“Liz,
don’t shut me out. I am just as surprised about this as you.”
Liz
looked up into Max’s eyes. They were both crying now. “Max, don’t you realize what
this means? You have a son! A son that isn’t mine! Do you have any idea how
that makes me feel?”
“Devastated?” Max asked. “Used? Out of control?” He continued, crouching down
next to her and pushing a loose strand of her brown hair behind her ear. “I
never wanted kids unless they came from you…came from us. I’m not ready to be a
father yet, certainly not of this child that came from Tess.”
Liz
looked at his eyes and frowned. “I guess she was right. We don’t belong
together.”
“What?” Max asked frantically.
“You
and Tess should be together. To raise your son.” Liz said, not being able to
control the words coming out of her mouth.
“Liz,
I can’t believe what you’re saying. You know that’s not true.” Max said, his
eyes welling with tears.
“Well,
what am I supposed to believe, Max?” Liz asked, her tears growing stronger and
more forceful now. “I know he was conceived when we were apart, but…it seems
like everything Tess ever said, about how you guys belonged together- were
true. And he’s the proof.”
Max
shook his head. “I can’t believe what I’m hearing. I can’t believe that after
all we’ve been through you still have doubts about us- about the depth of my
love for you.”
Liz looked
up at him then, seeing the pain in his eyes. She didn’t want to hurt him but
she just go through losing him to Tess- not again.
“I
can’t lose you to Tess. Not again. That will kill me.”
“You’re not going to… not ever.”
“Max,
whether you like it or not, you and Tess are tied forever- through…your…son.”
It pained her to say the words. “I don’t think I can handle that, her being
part of the rest of our lives.”
“She
won’t be- she isn’t part of me. You are.” Max said, cupping his hand on Liz’s
cheek, trying his best to comfort her.
But to
no avail.
Liz
looked away from him then.
“I
think I should stay at Morgan’s for a while.” Liz said.
Max
couldn’t believe what he was hearing. The words came out of Liz’s mouth slowly,
carefully, like she was going in slow motion. “Liz, oh God, no. Please don’t
say this.”
“Max,
I need this. We need this space right now.”
“No,
Liz, I can’t be away from you- not even one night.” Max said, shaking his head.
“Max,
you know this is the right think to do. Until you work things out with Tess,
and your son… we should be apart.”
“I
don’t want that family, I don’t want that life- I only want you!” Max screamed,
tears flowing out of his eyes.
“Max,
listen to yourself! He’s your son for God’s sake!” Liz said, pleading with him.
“Tess may be the devil incarnate, but he’s still your son.”
Max
couldn’t take it anymore. He put his head on Liz’s shoulder and sobbed
uncontrollably. “Liz, I can’t believe this is happening…why is this happening
to us?”
To see
Max so uncontrollable, so raw and open like this made Liz’s heart break for the
second time that day. “I don’t know Max. Let’s just take some time…and see
where we are.” After a few breathless moments, Max raised his head up to meet
her face. He kissed her with such a need and urgency that it scared them both.
After what seemed like an eternity, they broke away, looking into each other’s
sad brown eyes. Liz could feel her heart breaking slowly, painfully in her
chest and she knew Max was close to emotional death.
“Oh, God,
Max…” She said, returning to his lips again. Somewhere in the back of her
brain, she believed that if she just kept kissing him, that somehow, they’d
both wake up and this horrible nightmare- Tess, that little boy- they’d both be
gone. And she and Max would have their perfect life back.
“Liz…” He
moaned into her mouth. “Please don’t do this to me…I can’t just sit here…” He
continued kissing her, hungrily lapping up her kisses like he was never going
to kiss her again. “And let you walk away from me.”
“Max…” She
said, her eyes closing in ecstasy as Max’s lips traveled down her neck. “…we
both know it’s the right thing…” She said, breathless. She couldn’t take it
anymore. She ripped her neck away from his lips. He groaned. “It’s only for a
little while.”
Max looked
into her eyes with disbelief. She really was leaving him. He never thought this
day would come.
Just then,
Michael walked up, Maria still slung over his shoulder. Max and Liz could
faintly hear Maria’s screeching voice getting louder and louder as they
approached. “…SPACEBOY! PUT ME DOWN! We’re away from her now! I promise I’m not
going to go after her just PUT ME DOWN!” She screamed, banging her fists on his
back. Michael wasn’t paying attention. He had his full attention focused on the
train wreck sitting in the floor in front of him that used to be his best
friend and his best friend’s fiancé.
“Hush,
Blondie.” Michael said, putting her down on the floor.
“Finally!”
She screamed. She looked over immediately to where Max and Liz were screaming
and gasped. “Oh my God! Lizzie!” She ran into her best friend’s arms. Liz was
still in shock, but the tears flowed freely from her eyes. Michael walked over
to them as well, looking at Max.
“Max…what’s
going on?” He asked gravelly.
“Liz and I
decided, to separate, for a while.” Max said quietly, choking back tears. He
turned away from them and solemnly walked over to the window near by. Maria
heard this and buried her face in Liz’s soft brown hair.
“I am so
sorry, Liz.” Maria said, petting Liz’s hair softly. Maria looked up at Michael,
signaling to him to go talk to Max. Michael tried to protest, but Maria widened
her eyes and gritted her teeth. “GO.” She mouthed silently to him. He got the
picture. She looked down at Liz, who broke away from their hug.
“Maria, I’m
so glad you are here.” She said, her bottom lip quivering. “What am I going to
do?”
“You and Max
are going to get married. Tess is nothing but a washed up ho-bag, ok? She means
NOTHING to Max and he’s told you that until he’s been blue in the face. When
are you going to stop being so stubborn and just believe him?”
“Maria, it’s
not that simple anymore. Not now, not with this boy.”
“Adam-Michael.”
“What?” Liz
said, stunned, realizing at that moment how real this child really was.
“Adam-Michael. That’s his name.” Maria repeated. Liz shuddered.
That’s what
she’d had wanted to name a son if she and Max ever had one.
“I can’t
believe this is happening…” Liz said.
“Look, Liz,
I know you’re upset, but don’t you think Max is just as stunned about all this
as you are? I mean I hate to take his side on this one, but maybe you should be
a little more understanding…”
Liz looked
into Maria’s eyes with a death stare. “Maria, how would you like it if Isabel
showed up at your doorstep out of nowhere one day holding Michael’s
four-year-old son and ranting about how Michael belonged to her now?”
Maria
paused. “Ok, I deserved that, I know. But we’re not talking about Izzy, we’re
talking about the wicked bitch from Planet Lord-Knows-What. Max does have a son
now, and he will be tied to Tess because of that, but he loves you and would
never choose her over you.”
“He did it
once, what’s stopping him from doing it a second time?” Liz asked. Maria looked
at her.
“Liz, if I
recall, YOU were the one who made that decision for him. YOU broke up with him
when we were juniors. Don’t let her win again! Ok, don’t! I won’t let you. You
and Max are two of the most wonderful people in the universe, the only family I
have, and you belong together- if you won’t stand up for your love, then by GOD,
I will!” Maria screamed at her. Liz was stunned by her forcefulness, but was
happy at the same time that she and Maria were on the same side again.
Michael
slowly walked up behind Max, who was sobbing with his forehead against the
window. “Michael what am I going to do?” He asked, sensing his best friend was
near.
He reached
out a hand and placed it on Max’s shoulder. “I don’t know, Maxwell. I know
you’re going to have to work this out on your own. Liz can’t help you, Maria
can’t help, neither can I. It’s up to you.” Max crumbled, turning around and
hugging Michael.
“Michael,
I’m so sorry, for everything, for all the fights—you’ve always been my brother,
that’s never stopped being true…”
“I’ll never
stop being there for you Maxwell.” Michael said. “But this thing with Tess
isn’t just going to go away…”
“I know,” He
said, nodding.
“You’re a
father now.” Michael said.
The words
echoed in Max’s brain, lingering for a few seconds before making their exit
into his memories. “I know. And I want to know my son.”
“That’s
good. That’s a start.”
“But I want
to be happy, with Liz.” Max said. “I only love her. I can never love anyone as
much as I love her.”
“You’ll love
Adam just as much. But in a different way.”
“Tess will
never let me see him if I marry Liz.”
If…
Max couldn’t believe that “if” came out of his mouth before “I marry Liz.” It
had always been a given, they would marry, have a couple of kids, and grow old
together. Why were these doubts registering in his brain now?
“Max, I can
talk to her, try to work out a compromise.” Michael said, trying to comfort
him.
“We both
know Tess. She’s as stubborn as hell. She’s a lot like you, Michael.”
Michael
couldn’t help but grin. “I know. But I’m her brother, maybe I can talk some
sense into her…?” His voice trailed off as Maria and Liz walked up, their arms
linked.
“I’m going
to stay with Liz at her friend Morgan’s tonight. Is that okay?” She asked
Michael.
“I’m not
your keeper. You can do what you want.”
“I know
that, Michael. I just wanted to run it by you.” Maria said calmly. Max tried to
look at Liz, but she was avoiding his stare.
“Sounds
good.” Michael said. “Can we get back to your place, Maxwell? Or go grab
something to eat? I barely touched that crappy airplane food they gave us.” He
rubbed his stomach, looking at Maria.
“Yeah, I’m
hungry too.” Maria piped in. “Guys?” She said, looking at Liz and Max. They
were only looking longingly at each other. Maria smiled. I give it two days,
tops. She thought.
* * * * * *
Max was sitting up in his bed. He looked over at the clock.
3:14
A.M.
“Dear
Lord, let me fall asleep.” He whispered. “Some time tonight. That’s all I ask.”
He knew why he couldn’t sleep. It had been his first night without Liz in what
seemed like years. It probably was. Neither of them ever went out of town
without the other. Liz never stayed over at other people’s houses. Whenever she
had to work late, he’d walk down to the store three blocks away and he’d walk
her home. It was hard for him to sleep without her lying beside him, knowing
she was safe with him. He tried to deny it, but he had a nagging fear. Tess was
going to do something to harm her. She wasn’t going to be able to get to him
the normal way, so she’d get to him through his Achilles heel…
The
entire town of Roswell, NM, most of the student body of Boston University, and
small corrupt sects of the FBI know that his Achilles heel is definitely
Elizabeth Marie Parker.
Now
that he knew about Adam-Michael, his only son, being without him made him feel
doubly awful and fearful.
Michael
walked into Max and Liz’s bedroom then. He had been sleeping on their couch out
in the living room. He rubbed his hands through his spiky brown hair and sat
down on the edge of Max’s bed.
“You can’t
sleep either?” Max asked him.
“Nope.”
Michael said. “Not a wink.”
“I’m sorry
about the couch, I know it’s not the most comfortable-“ Max began.
“No, no,
it’s not the couch, I just miss…”
Max smiled.
“Maria?”
“Yeah.”
Michael said. He could see in the moonlight that Max had been crying. “You’ll
see Liz tomorrow, Maxwell.”
Max nodded.
“I know.” He tried to force a smile. “It’s just not the same. I feel so…empty.
Like someone has come along and ripped an entire part of my body off, and left
me exposed…vulnerable.”
“Max, this
is only temporary. Until you can settle things with Tess. You both said that.”
“It’s not
just that…I’m afraid…Liz isn’t going to want to marry me anymore after all
this.” Max said.
Michael
chuckled. “The girl is nuts about you! She has been since we were 16 years old!
Of course she wants to marry you. But she’s human, she’s hurt. It’s not your
fault. It’s not anyone’s fault. You just have to work through it so you can be
together again.”
“I don’t
know how long I can take this. I haven’t even survived a night yet.” Max said,
his eyes welling up with tears. He grabbed Liz’s pillow and pressed it tightly
to his chest. He could still smell her peach shampoo lingering on it.
“It’s the
first night. It will get easier.” Michael said. “And…I’m here man, as long as
you need me. We’ve got to get to the bottom of this shit with Tess.”
“No kidding.
I’ve got to get my son.”
Michael
stared at him. “You want him, like full custody?”
“It’s worth
a try…” Max said.
Michael
shook his head. “It will never stand up in court.”
“Why not?”
“She’s
his mother, that’s why not. She’s been the only parent in the picture his
entire life…” Michael began.
“That’s not
my fault…” Max pleaded.
“I know
that, Maria knows that, Liz knows that, even Tess knows that…but the court
won’t see it like that.”
Max sighed. “Liz would make such a great mother to him.”
“Then have
your own babies, Maxwell. Cause I’m sorry, but I don’t think you’re going to
ever get Adam away from my sister.”
“She’s using
him as a pawn, Michael, can’t you see that? A pawn in some sick, ridiculous
game that I’m so tired of playing!” Max cried. “He’s my son too and I have a
right to be with him.”
The phone
rang then. Both Max and Michael looked over to the Caller I.D. box. Max reached
over, turning on the lamp next to the bed.
“HARDING-EVANS,
TESS. (617) 290-0666.”
Max’s heart
sank in disappointment.
“What do you
want, Tess?” He asked, picking up the phone.
She paused.
“Max, I was hoping you’d be a little more responsive to me. To our son. I never
meant to hurt you.”
“Oh yeah,
Tess?” Max shouted back at her. “Well you did hurt me. You kept Adam from me
for almost five years!”
“Five years
this Christmas Day.” Tess said, rubbing her belly subconsciously and smiling.
Max’s eyes
filled up with tears. He had spent that Christmas with Liz, Isabel, Michael,
Maria, Alex, and their families while his son was coming into the world. “He
was born on Christmas?”
“Yeah. He
was big too, Nasedo delivered him in the cave where the pods are…the delivery
was very difficult for me, because I’m so tiny. We almost lost Adam…”
Max felt a
twinge of pain. He couldn’t help it. No matter what Tess had ever done to him,
Adam-Michael would always be his son. Nothing would ever change that. “I’m
sorry I wasn’t there…to help.”
“You were
with us, Max. You’re always with us.” Tess replied, smiling.
Max felt
conflicting emotions after hearing this. He was speechless. He shook his head,
denying his happy memories with Tess all those years ago to flood his brain. It
killed him a little more as she continued to jab the knife in deeper…
“It was that
night at the rock formation---we had a romantic picnic under the stars—then
we…” She said slowly, smiling as she remembered.
“You said
you were on the pill, Tessa. You lied to me!” Max said, sternly as those
disturbing yet strangely sensual images of that night came into his mind again.
Tess
chuckled then, somewhat sadistically.
“Oops…” She
said, smiling.
Max was
livid. “Look, if you think bringing Adam-Michael into the picture now is going
to keep me from marrying Liz, you are SO wrong!”
“Oh, really?
I think it already has….” She said, prophetically.
Max gasped.
“How do you know…?”
“I
know everything, Max…everything about you and Liz. You wake up before her every
morning, and you marvel at how wonderfully different the city of Boston always
is. On Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday nights, Liz works at Urban
Outfitters on JFK Street. You work at Dr. Sutton’s office in Cambridge on
Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. You and Liz like to eat lunch at Au
Bon Pain in Harvard Square on pretty afternoons. You…make love to her…every
free afternoon and every night…if you’re both not too tired from working. And
the nights you don’t, you sleep in each other’s arms and wake up to face the
day all over again.” Tess said, her eyes welling with tears as the last words
escaped freely from her lips.
“Max, what’s
she saying…Max?” Michael asked frantically.
Max shook
his head in disbelief. “This can’t be happening…you are sick…”
“Oh, but it
is happening, Max. You know I’ll stop at nothing to get what I want…” Tess
began.
“Including
sacrificing your own son’s happiness? Our son’s happiness? Who’s next, Tessa? Who’s
next in your sick little game?” Max screamed, the vein in his forehead pounding
with anger. Michael tried to grab the phone from him, but he broke away.
“It’s not a
game, Max. It’s our destiny.” Tess repeated.
“No, it’s
not! I make my own life, my own destiny! And that life is with Liz! I will
NEVER go back to you, Tess- do you hear me? Never!”
“Well then,”
Tess said, livid. “We’ll just have to do something about that now, won’t we?”
Max’s heart
stopped. “If you hurt Liz, if you hurt Adam-Michael, so help me Tess…”
“Calm down.
I would NEVER harm my own child. What do you think I am, some kind of monster?”
She asked, taken aback.
Max paused.
“I’ll never let you get to Liz.”
“Oh, really
Max? How do you know she’s not already here, sitting beside me? She’s not
sleeping with you tonight, so you’re pretty clueless now, aren’t you?” Tess
said, grinning.
Max gasped
again. This was like some sort of nightmare he couldn’t break free of.
“Tess…” His
voice was choked by fear, anger, and tears.
Mostly fear.
“Leave her
alone… I’ll do…anything you want. Please. Just don’t hurt her.” Max pleaded,
freely crying now.
“Oh, I’m
counting on it, my love.” Tess said. “Now, don’t try to call here or arrange
visits with your son. We’ll find you. Rest well, my darling.” She made kissing
noises into the phone.
“Tess!” He
cried. The line went dead. Max hung up the phone to see Michael with his head
in his hands.
“God,
Maxwell- I am so sorry.” Michael said.
“She’s going
to hurt Liz- I’ve got to get to her before Tess does.” Max said, mumbling to
himself and rummaging in his dresser for a shirt to wear.
“Maxwell,
no!” Michael said.
“Michael,
let go of me!” Max said, pulling Michael’s arm from his. “Liz needs to be with
me so I can protect her!” Max said, his eyes welling up with tears. “She’s
going to kill Liz, she’s going to hurt her, she’s going to…and it’s all my
fault, my fault, she’s going to kill my baby, my angel, my…my…” Max crumbled
onto the floor.
The phone
rang as they were struggling. They both froze and ran to check the Caller I.D.
box.
“PATRICK, MORGAN
E (617) 419-6442.”
Max’s heart
jumped.
“It’s Liz!
Something’s wrong!” Max cried. Michael picked up the phone. Max was shaking too
badly to talk.
“Liz?”
Michael asked, picking up the phone.
“This is
Morgan, I need to speak to Max.” Morgan said into the phone.
“This is
Michael, Max’s brother, what’s up? Are Liz and Maria ok?” Michael asked.
“You guys
need to get over here right away.” Morgan replied solemnly. “Liz is really
sick.”
“What?”
Michael cried. “What’s wrong with her?”
“She’s been
throwing up for like two hours straight. And she’s been mumbling things,
hallucinating…”
“We’ll be
right there!” Michael cried, hanging up the phone and grabbing Max.
“Oh my God!
What’s wrong with her? Tess got to her! No!” Max screamed.
“Maxwell,
it’s nothing like that. Liz is…really sick.” Michael said.
“What?” Max
said.
“That’s all
Morgan would say, we’ve got to get over there. How long will it take us?”
“Ten
minutes,” Max said. “We’ve just got to go across the street to the parking
garage and get the car.”
Michael walked into the other room and pulled a shirt on, and grabbed his
jacket. Max did the same. The latter said nothing to the former, but he was
terrified.
He had a
sinking feeling that Tess really had lived up to her promise.
* * * *
"Into
the morning light
Followed by madness
Reach through the empty fight
Searching through sadness
I know
it's been a long road
To get these fears behind me and I
Will gladly reap what we may sow I am
There for you and you're there for me” ~ Vertical Horizon
Max’s heart raced as they reached the front door to Morgan’s condo. His mind
raced on to a million different things. What was wrong with
Liz?
Michael steadied him as they raced to the front door. Without knocking, Morgan
opened it.
The
look in her eyes was enough to chill Max and Michael to the bone.
“Come
in.” Morgan said, ushering the two to come inside. It wasn’t long before Maria
was in the foyer, rushing into Michael’s arms.
“Where’s Liz?” Max screamed, trying to push his way inside. Michael put his
hand on Max’s shoulder.
“Oh,
Michael, I’m so scared for her,” Maria said. She looked at his eyes. “We know
that you guys will know what to do.”
“Take
me to Liz.” Max said, directing his gaze at Morgan.
Morgan
paused. “Okay.” She said, holding a cold washcloth. “Give this to her. She’s in
my bedroom, the second door on your right when you go up the stairs.”
Max
rushed up the stairs, running into Morgan’s bedroom and slamming the door
behind him. “Liz! Oh God!” He ran over to her bedside. She was lying cold and
still on the bed, her sweaty body lying on top of the covers, a washcloth lying
on her feet and forehead. Her eyes were shut and flung open when Max came in
the room. He kissed her cheek, wrapping his arms around her. “Liz, baby, I was
so worried, are you all right?”
Liz
didn’t answer, but put a hand on Max’s cheek.
“Max,
I’m ten days late.”
Max
paused, fully understanding the gravity of what she was telling him.
“You’re…?”
“Yeah.” She said, smiling, rubbing her belly.
“Is
that why you’re getting so… oh God, Liz, if I had known this was going to
happen to you…” Max said, grabbing her hand and kissing it gently.
“Max,
don’t apologize, my love.” She said, her voice strained and weak. “I’ve never
been so happy in my whole life.”
“But
you’ve never been so sick either.”
Liz
paused, taking a deep breath and trying to continue. “I can’t explain it…it’s
like some kind of force is taking over my body. Something I can’t control, even
if I wanted to…”
“Is it
our…” Max began, putting his hand on her belly.
“I
think so.” Liz said. She raised her shirt and Max was stunned to see a small
glowing symbol right below her navel.
“Liz!”
Max cried. “That’s the symbol!” He recognized it from his dreams, and from
Isabel’s necklace they had found in Atherton’s Dome so many years before.
“Yeah,” She said, weakly, trying to smile. “What’s going to happen to me, Max?”
She began crying. Max held her.
He
felt like he was being stabbed in the heart, to think he had been the one to do
this to her. To this beautiful creature, his beautiful angel. He’d been the one
to make her so weak and so sick…carrying this child for them.
Liz
knew what he was thinking. “Max, it’s not your fault. I’m just…”
“Scared?”
“Yes.
Terrified.”
“I’m
calling Isabel.”
“Okay.” She said. “I think that would be a good idea.”
Max
looked over to the table and grabbed the phone. He hadn’t talked to his sister
in a couple of weeks and he knew she would kick his ass for calling her in the
middle of the night, but it had to be done.
* * * *
Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Alex and Isabel Whitman’s home.
2:46 A.M.
Michaela Diane Whitman slept soundly in her crib, her jet-black hair shimmering
in the moonlight. She obviously had gotten her hair from her father. Her mother
hovered over her, kissing her gently.
“Goodnight, baby girl.” Isabel Whitman cooed, ecstatic that she had had a “Good
Mommy Day”. She’d been able to get a crying Michaela back to sleep without much
fuss. She was only four months old, but Isabel felt like her life had
completely changed in that short amount of time. Michaela was the center of her
universe, and Isabel loved it that way.
The
phone rang then and Isabel jumped a mile. She looked at her watch.
2:46
A.M. What are they thinking?
“This
better be important, whoever it is!” She groaned into the phone, quickly
leaving the room and shutting the door behind her sleeping daughter.
“Hey,
Izzy, it’s me. I’m sorry to wake you.” He said.
“Max,”
Isabel said frantically. “You didn’t wake me, is everything ok?”
“Well…” His voice trailed off. “I needed to ask you some questions.”
Isabel
narrowed her gaze. “At 3 A.M., Max? Couldn’t it have waited until morning?”
“Liz
is pregnant.”
Isabel
smiled. “Max, that’s, that’s wonderful! Congratulations!” Isabel could tell
from the sound of his voice that something was wrong. “So what’s the matter?”
“She’s
sick. Very sick.”
“What,
like morning sickness? That’s normal, Max.”
“No,
she’s been throwing up all night, having hallucinations, sweating like crazy,
fainting spells, dizziness…”
Isabel
gasped. “Oh my God! The poor thing!”
“And
that’s not the creepy part…on her belly…there’s a glowing symbol…”
Isabel
paused. “What…kind…of symbol?”
“The
symbol from your necklace. The one from your dreams. The one that lead Nasedo
and Tess to us all those years ago.”
“Oh my
God…” Isabel said.
“Did
that happen to you when you were pregnant with Michaela?” Max asked. Liz
grabbed his hand as she drifted off to sleep.
“No…I
mean, my pregnancy was pretty normal, as far as pregnancies go…just some
morning sickness and insomnia, but no glowing symbols or hallucinations or
anything…” Isabel had walked in the kitchen, pulling out a leftover piece of
chocolate cake. She walked over to the cabinet, pulling out one of the dozens
of bottles of hot sauce that were standing inside. She started shaking a bottle
onto the cake and shoved a small piece into her mouth.
“Maybe
that’s because…”
“Alex
is human? Yeah, we talked about that- that could be it. We’re just going to
have to see what happens to Liz…since this is the first pregnancy involving one
of us as the father.”
“Isabel, Liz is in pain, I’m not going to sit by and watch her suffer.”
“Well,
Max, I really don’t know what else we can do for her…” Isabel began.
“I’m
going to talk to Tess in the morning…” He said idly, not realizing Isabel had
no idea she was an aunt already.
“Tess?” Isabel asked. “What are you talking about, Max?”
Max
paused. He knew he had to tell Isabel sometime, so he sucked in his breath and
went for it.
“She
showed up in Boston a couple of weeks ago. I didn’t tell you because I didn’t
want to worry you. She brought…” Max paused. He couldn’t bring himself to say
it.
“She
brought what, Max?”
“My
son. Our son. Me and Tess’s son.” Max repeated. He looked over at a sleeping
Liz and kissed her head.
“YOUR
SON?” Isabel screamed, dropping the fork onto the floor with a loud clanging
noise.
“I
know, Isabel, I was just as surprised as you were.”
“Oh my
God, Max…” Isabel began. “I have a nephew? I never knew about?” She began
tearing up. “What’s his name? How old is he? Does he look like you?”
Max
sighed, the sight of his precious little boy coming back into his mind. “His
name is Adam-Michael. He’s almost 5. And according to Michael, he looks exactly
like me.”
“Oh,
wow…Max…well, how are you taking it?” She said, leaning over to pick the fork
up from the floor. She walked over to the sink and rinsed the fork off with hot
water.
Max
paused. “I don’t know, I mean, I’d be ecstatic if Tess wasn’t his mother…”
Isabel
paused. Her blonde hair shone in the moonlight, and she had lost all the weight
she had gained during her pregnancy with Michaela. She had never looked more
radiant, according to her doting husband, Alex.
“But
he’s your son, Max. That will never change. You can’t blame him for being born
to Tess.” Isabel said, munching on her cake. “He’s here now, and you have to
accept that.”
Max
sighed. “It’s been so long. I’ve missed so much of his life…what if he doesn’t…accept
me?”
Isabel
smiled. “Max, you’re his daddy. Of course he wants you in his life. He’s just a
little boy. He doesn’t understand fate and destiny and your history with Tess
and Liz for that matter. He just knows that you’re his daddy and he loves you.
That’s all that matters.”
“I
know, I mean, I want to be a good father to both my kids- Adam-Michael, and
this new…” He looked longingly at a sleeping Liz. “…edition.”
“You
will be, Max. Loving things and caring about people comes naturally to you. You
have a kind heart and a gentle soul. You were so sweet with Michaela when you
and Liz came to visit right after she was born.”
Max
couldn’t help but smile. He took the phone and raised Liz’s shirt up
ever-so-slightly, trying not to disturb her. He caressed his fingers over the
strange glowing symbol. He spoke to it sweetly. “Hello, baby. I’m your daddy.
And this is your Aunt Izzy.” He put the receiver over Liz’s belly and Isabel
smiled.
“Hi,
little one.” She whispered. “I can’t wait to meet you!” It warmed her heart to
hear her brother so happy. He picked up the receiver and smiled.
“Thanks,” He said. He kissed Liz’s belly and she subconsciously flung her hand
into his hair. He waited for a moment, smiling into her stomach until she was
settled. He then slowly moved his head away from her, kissing her open palm as
she slept.
“Wait
till Mom hears about this one.” Isabel said, rolling her eyes.
“Oh,
no…what are we going to tell her? Surprise! You have a four year old grandson!”
Max said, grimacing.
“And
another one on the way!” Isabel said, smirking. “We’ll think of something.”
Max
nodded. Even though he had always been thought of as the “leader” of the three
of them, he always counted on Isabel to support him. She was the rock he leaned
on.
* * * *
Maria,
Michael, and Morgan sat in the living room of Morgan’s condo, talking and
drinking hot tea.
“Morgan, how long have you and Liz been good friends?” Michael asked. While she
wasn’t looking, he’d grabbed a bottle of Tabasco from her cupboard and poured a
good bit into his tea. It tasted perfect.
“Oh,
since our freshman year at BU. We were paired as roommates.”
“You’re from North Carolina?” Maria asked.
“Yeah,
Charlotte.” Morgan nodded, sipping on her tea.
“Do
you miss home?” Michael asked. It was obvious he was trying to make small talk.
“Sometimes. I mean, I miss my…family…I have great friends up here and an
awesome boyfriend named Owen. Here’s his picture right here.” She seemed
uncomfortable with the question until she picked up a gold picture frame lying
on the coffee table and showed it to them.
“You
guys are cute together.” Maria said, smiling.
“Yeah,
we’ve been together for about two years.” Morgan said, smiling. She sighed at
touched the picture with her hand. “He works with my best friend for her
production company, and they’re away right now in California. I miss them.”
“Must
be hard. We know what it’s like to be away from best friends.” Maria said,
nodding.
Morgan
smiled. “Liz and Max talk about you guys all the time. You obviously mean a lot
to them.”
Michael nodded. “Max and I have always been like brothers. Maria and Liz have
always been like sisters. So I guess you could say we’re close.” Michael
couldn’t put his finger on it, but there was something weird about Morgan and
this line of questioning.
There
was an uncomfortable silence in the room until Max came down the stairs with
Liz in his arms.
“I’m
taking her home.” Max said to Morgan. “Thanks for all your help.”
Morgan
jumped up, frantic. “But are you sure it’s okay to move her? I mean, I don’t
want her to get any worse…”
Everyone looked at her. Obviously she didn’t know not to get between Max and
Liz. The results could be pretty nasty.
Max
narrowed his gaze at her. “I’m taking her home.” He repeated firmly.
Morgan ran to the door, trying to block their entrance.
“No,
Max, you really hurt Liz, and I’m not going to…let you walk out of here with
her, pretending…everything’s ok!” Morgan screamed.
Maria’s jaw dropped. Morgan was in for it now!
“Morgan, I’m taking my fiancée home, now get out of my way!” Max said, pushing
her gently away from the door and allowing Michael to open it. Maria grabbed
her purse and Liz’s bag from the table in the foyer.
“Max,”
Morgan said with fire in her eyes as the foursome filed out of the door.
They
were halfway to the car when they turned around.
Morgan
began to say something, but didn’t.
She
turned around and went back inside, slamming the door behind her.
“What
a weirdo!” Michael said, shaking his head.
“She’s
never been that strange before. Something’s up.” Max said, carrying Liz around
to the back door and laying her head gently in Maria’s lap. She stirred a
little bit and Maria noticed the glowing symbol on her stomach.
“Oh my
God, Max!” She cried.
Michael and Max looked back.
“Holy
shit, Maxwell…what does that…?” Michael began, turning around from the front
passenger seat.
“She’s
pregnant.” Max said, starting the car.
Michael and Maria looked at him with mouths gaping.
* * * *
From inside the condo, Morgan was pacing back and forth inside the foyer, a
phone at her ear.
“Look,
I’m sorry, I couldn’t finish it, okay?” She said frantically into the receiver.
“What
do you MEAN you’re SORRY?” The voice on the other line screamed at her. “You
can change into ANY human body, have a multitude of powers that no human
possesses, and you couldn’t carry off a simple poisoning? You’re USELESS!”
“Tessa, don’t you dare speak to me that way.” Morgan’s tone of voice got
extremely heavy and dark. It almost scared Tess.
“You
will get the job done. And you will do it tomorrow.” Tess said. “I can’t have
Liz in the way anymore.”
“You’re not listening to me. I may not have to do the job at all…she may be
dying.”
“What
do you mean?” Tess asked, intrigued.
“She’s
carrying Max’s baby.”
Tess’s
heart stopped.
“WHAT?” She screamed. Morgan held the phone away from her ear.
“She’s
pregnant with Max’s baby, and she’s gotten very sick. The baby seems to be
draining her energy or something, her life force, I don’t know.” Morgan said.
“We’ve never had to deal with a hybrid birth like this.”
“Isabel never had this problem.”
“No,
she didn’t, because she is alien and was carrying a half-alien child. Liz is
human carrying a half-alien child. It’s extremely different.”
“Don’t
worry, Tess. Liz will be out of the picture one way or the other.” Morgan said.
“You have my word.”
“Make
it fast. Adam-Michael is starting to ask where his father is and it’s making me
terribly upset.” Tess said, pouting like a spoiled brat.
“Of
course. You and Max are meant to be together. Leave it to me. You will be
together once again.” Morgan said.
“Nasedo, I knew I could always count on you. I’ll be in touch.” Tess said,
hanging up the phone.
Morgan/Nasedo switched off the phone and smiled.
“The
party’s over, Liz.”
* * * * * *
“This sets my heart to fluttering in my breast, for when I look on you a
moment, then can I speak no more, but my tongue falls silent, and at once a
delicate flame courses beneath my skin…
and with my eyes I see nothing, and my ears hum, and a cold sweat bathes
me, and trembling seizes me all over, and I am paler than grass, and I feel
near death…” - Sappho
The sun was beginning to rise when Max, Liz, Michael, and Maria finally made it
back to Max and Liz’s apartment. Max carried Liz into their bed, pulling off
her shoes and tucking her in tight. She barely stirred. Her face was pale and
sickly, and she obviously was in a great deal of pain. While Michael and Maria
fell asleep immediately on the sleeper sofa in the living room, Max laid beside
Liz and watched her sleep. His eyes were baggy and the dark circles of
sleeplessness were beginning to show, but he didn’t care. As long as he was
awake, he could protect her from whatever was killing her.
She
squinted in her sleep through vivid bouts with pain and nausea. Max couldn’t
help but break into choked sobs. He kissed the top of her forehead, which he
had been cooling with a washcloth. Somewhere in the back of his mind, a
fleeting thought occurred:
Dear Lord, make
this baby disappear.
He
couldn’t believe he was saying that about their child, but it was just too hard
for Liz. She just couldn’t go on living like this. The dilemma of their
situation made him cry even harder and more forcefully.
Liz
opened her tired eyes then, moaning.
“Liz,”
Max said, kissing her. “Please let me know what I can do to help you.”
“Just…hold me.” Liz said. “I’m scared, Max.” She crawled into his waiting arms,
crying against his bare chest. He petted her smooth brown hair and kissed the
top of her head.
“It’s
going to be all right.” Max said, trying to blindly reassure the both of them.
“At least you’re not throwing up anymore…has your nausea gotten any worse?”
“Actually, the nausea is going away…” Liz said. “I’m just so, dizzy…” Her eyes
fluttered closed again.
“Get
some sleep.” Max said. “Save your strength.”
“No,
I’m not, I’m not…” She said, “…tired. Just dizzy.”
“Well,
do you want me to make you some hot tea or something? That always helps you
sleep.”
She
frantically cried.
“NO!”
She screamed. “No! I don’t want tea!”
He
turned around, startled by her frantic screaming.
“Lizzie, honey, what’s wrong? I thought you liked tea.” He said, walking back
towards her and pulling her back into his warm embrace. She curled into his
chest.
“That’s what made me sick, I think…I mean, I drank it and it tasted kind of
funny, but Morgan kept making me drink it, and I was too weak to stop…”
“What?” Max cried, his eyes glowing with rage. “She did what?”
“She
was forcing it down my throat, telling me it would make me feel better, but it
tasted awful, and I tried to stop her…” She said, crying and moaning like a
child.
Max
looked at her with horror. “Morgan was acting so strangely tonight. She stood
in front of the door when I was carrying you out, Liz, she was physically
trying to stop me from leaving with you.”
Liz
was shaking her head. “I can’t put my finger on it, Max…”
“But…”
“Something’s definitely…wrong with her…” Liz said. “She…she…”
“She
what?” Max asked frantically.
“Oh my
God!” Liz said, sitting up in her bed like a rocket, her breath ragged, her
eyes overflowing with tears of pain.
“What,
Liz, what?” Max asked, holding on to her.
“I just
remembered something…like it was pushed back in my head and now…it’s so clear…”
Her eyes were wide and glowing.
“What?
What is it?”
“I
thought I heard…Tess… calling my name, over and over in my brain…” Liz said,
closing her eyes. “’Goodbye, Liz…Goodbye, it won’t be long now…’” She kept
repeating. Liz shuddered, burying her face in Max’s chest, trying to get the
voice to go away. Max looked down at her, crumbling.
She’s losing
it. She’s having a nervous breakdown. She’s in pain because of me.
Liz
clutched her stomach in pain. “Shh, shh, baby, shh, no one’s ever going to hurt
you…”
Max
put his hand to her stomach, staring at the strange glowing symbol that seemed
to be fading. It mesmerized him. He gently laid Liz back on the bed, soothing
her cries.
“No
one’s going to hurt her. No one is ever going to hurt her.” Liz kept repeating.
“Lizzie, who’s trying to hurt her?” He asked, laying beside her, nuzzling into
her neck and soothing her with gentle kisses.
“Tess.
Tess is going to hurt our baby, Max. I can feel it. She’s hurting her now.” Liz
began crying.
“Tess
is hurting you now? ” Max said. “How do you know?”
Liz
said nothing, but put her hand on the side of his face, and he got a flash.
He could feel
the pain inside of her.
He could
feel the life energy of their child being taken away by something…someone…
Their
baby was dying.
Max looked
into her eyes as they both sobbed.
“No…” He
whispered. Liz put his hand on her belly as she laid back in front of
him. He got another flash.
<<A tiny raven-haired beauty twirling around on the sand.
Liz runs over to her, scooping her up in her arms, and they twirl around,
laughing and playing together.
The little girl is beautiful, she looks like a tiny version of Liz.
He sees himself there too. Liz puts the little girl down and she runs
into his arms.
“Daddy! Daddy!” She squeals in delight as she flies into his arms.
“Jordana, my precious baby girl…” He says, kissing the top of her head.
“You better stop twirling or you’re going to fall down!”
“But I love to fall, Daddy! Falling in the sand is so fun!” She squeals
back.
He smiles, tickling her.
“Daddy stop it! Daddy!” She screams, laughing and squirming out of his
arms.
Liz comes over to them then, smiling.
“Jordana, it’s time for lunch, sweetheart.” Liz said. “Come eat your
sandwich.”
“No, Mommy, I want to play with Daddy.” Jordana replied.
“Aww, come on Lizzie, just a little while longer.” He said, pleading with
Liz on his hands and knees before her. Jordana saw him doing this and copied
him.
“Yeah, come on, Mommy, pleeeeeease?” She asked, smiling sweetly. Liz squeezed
her cheeks.
“Now how can I say no to a precious little face like that? Of course, you
can play as long as you want. Just tell me when you get hungry, ok?” Liz said,
kneeling down to her young daughter’s eye level.
“Yeah!” She said, squealing with delight. “Come on, Daddy, let’s go make
a sandcastle!” Her tiny hand reached out for his and he smiled.
Then it happened.
As soon as Jordana had grabbed his hand, he felt it slipping away.
Tess had appeared out of nowhere, grabbing Jordana and pulling her away
from him.
“Tess! No! Let go of her!” He screamed. Tess flung Jordana into her arms
and raced towards the ocean spread out like a blanket in front of them.
“Tess! Let go of my baby!” Liz screamed, joining him as they fled towards
the water.
But it was no use.
The more they ran, the further Tess took Jordana out into the dark, cold
water.
Then they both vanished.>>
“Tess!” Max
screamed as the flash ended.
Liz looked
into his eyes. “That’s how I know. Max, that scene has been playing in my mind
all night. Tess is doing something to me, to the baby, I don’t know what it
is…” She began crying again, rubbing her tummy.
“Liz, oh
God, baby, I’m not going to let her do this…”
“How are you
going to stop her?” Liz asked pointedly. “You can’t stop her forcing her way
into my body like this.”
“No, Liz, I
will. I will stop her. I’ll do anything.” He thought briefly about killing
Tess, but then he saw a vision of his son. His son would be devastated at the
loss of his mother, no matter how genuinely evil she was. He kissed the top of
Liz’s head, then kissed her stomach. “I’m not going to let her hurt Jordana.”
Liz smiled. “I think we should name her that too…”
“I think
it’s a beautiful name…” Max said, smiling. Tears came to his eyes. He couldn’t
get the image of his beautiful baby girl being ripped from him by Tess.
Liz rubbed
the top of his head as he rested the side of his head on her belly. Within
moments, they both had fallen asleep.
* * * * *
Tess
opened her eyes and smiled.
“It
won’t be long now. They are both as good as gone…” She said, smiling to
herself. She looked over at her nightstand, at a picture of she and Max. She
then glanced over to the picture of their son next to it. Using her powers of
manipulation, she moved the image of Adam-Michael over to the photo of she and
Max. It looked like the three had posed for a picture together. One smiling,
happy family.
“That’s better.” She said, smiling. She moved her hands across the photo and
brought it up to her mouth, kissing the image of Max. “Darling, we’ll be
together soon.” With that, she turned off the light and went to sleep.
She smiled,
knowing the plan was set in motion. They had no idea that Morgan was really
Nasedo… and she was growing progressively more successful at breaking into
Liz’s unconscious…getting her to reject her baby… and now, she just had to
break into Max’s dreams, getting him to think about making love to her again.
“That
should be easy enough…” Tess laughed ominously. “He’s gorgeous, but so weak.”
She chuckled and rolled over, closing her eyes.
“You were standing all alone against the world outside…you were searching
for a place to hide…lost and lonely, now you’ve given me the will to survive.
When we’re hungry, love will keep us alive.”- The Eagles
Her kinky-curly blonde hair fell down around him, and he loved it.
He gets such pleasure out of hearing her call his name, over and over
and over again…
He feels her hot, open-mouth kisses streaming down his body.
He can feel it coming, and he can’t stop himself.
He has to have her.
He grabs her shoulders, pulling her towards him and assaults her with
the kisses he knows she likes.
He pushes her into the bed and she moans with delight.
Their lower bodies begin moving in unison and he wastes no time
plunging into her.
“Oh, Max! Don’t stop!” He hears her scream.
He’s not listening.
He’s caught up in his own wave of desire.
“Yes! Yes!” She screams, the sound of her voice ripping into him like
a knife into his heart, and tearing up his insides.
“No!” Max screamed, sitting up in his bed. “No! Oh, God, no!” He rubs his hands
furiously across his face and over his naked body, hoping to wash the
disgusting, dirty feeling still hanging on him from his nightmare. His chest
rose and fell in furious fits of breath, stinging his lungs and making his
heart race like a bullet.
Then he felt
it.
Liz’s gentle
hand touching his face.
“Sweetheart…” She said, her soothing words falling down like a cleansing rain
over his soul.
“Liz,
Liz, oh God, I’m so sorry…” He said, burying his face into her neck and
sobbing.
“Shh…don’t apologize…just rest.” She said quietly.
She knew he
had dreamed of Tess again, and it was tearing him apart inside.
It had
been a week since the night she had almost died, and her pregnancy was already
becoming noticeable. This worried Max and Liz because it seemed her pregnancy
was moving along at an extremely rapid rate. And since this was the first
human/alien baby in which a human was carrying the fetus, they weren’t sure how
long the gestation period would last. Isabel’s pregnancy had gone to full term-
the normal human 40 weeks.
Liz
ran one hand through Max’s hair, which was pasted to his head with sweat. She
ran her left hand down her body and let it rest on her growing belly. Since she
was studying to become an obstetrician, she had some idea about how she much
she should be showing, according to how long she had been pregnant. Their child
had been conceived about ten weeks before, but she was already looking like she
was 16 weeks along. At this rate, she would be having the baby in another four
months. Because of their situation, she couldn’t go to the OB/GYN to get
checkups, and it worried her to no end. She knew she should be getting
pre-natal care for the good of both she and her baby. To ease her worries, Max
had bought her seven different pregnancy books and three different essential
pre-natal vitamins. She had been in the middle of reading one of these books
when he woke up screaming.
“Liz,
this one…it was different…”
“Why,
Max? What was different about it?” She placed the book on the nightstand and
snuggled into his chest, their bare stomachs touching. They loved lying
together this way, it made them feel safe with their baby between them.
“It
just felt, so real…like she’s getting close. Very close. Are you having anymore
visions of her?” He asked Liz.
“No, I
haven’t had one since last week when I got so sick… do you think that means
maybe she’s giving up?”
Max
looked into his fiancé’s hopeful eyes. He couldn’t believe they weren’t even
married yet and they were facing all these problems. Their wedding was only two
and a half months away and they still had so much planning to do. “I
don’t think she’ll give up…until she gets what she wants.” He said quietly,
brushing a piece of her auburn hair back behind her ear.
“And
all she wants is you.”
Max
nodded solemnly.
“Well
she’s not going to win, Max. I’m not going to let her. We’re not going to let
her.” Liz said, placing his hand on her stomach. “Do you feel that?”
He
smiled. “Yeah…” His eyes got wide with wonder.
“That’s our baby in there. Jordana- she’s yours and mine. We have to beat Tess
for her. If not for ourselves, we have to help our baby. She’s this innocent
little thing growing inside of me, and I would rather die myself than see any
harm come to her.” Liz said, choking back tears as she remembered her terrifying
vision of Tess kidnapping Jordana.
“Liz…”
He said, giving her one sweet but sensual kiss on her waiting lips. “I love
you, so much. I never thought I could love anyone as much as I love you.”
Her
answer made his pulse quicken, his blood racing furiously through his veins
with so much velocity it almost ached.
“Please make love to me, Max.” She whispered, taking his hand and moving it
from her neck, down the length of her body, finally resting between her legs.
He
didn’t answer her. He let his desire and his longing take over and he ravished
her.
* * * * * *
Two Days Later…
Liz and Max had taken Michael and Maria to the airport early that morning for
their flight back to California. Their separation would be brief, though.
Michael and Maria loved Boston so much and because of the Tess situation, felt
the need to be close to Max and Liz, so they decided they would be moving there
by the end of the month. They had already found a small apartment in Allston,
not too far from Liz and Max’s place, and only footsteps away from Boston
University. They had gone back to Santa Monica to get their things together and
try to sell their apartment.
Liz
walked into her Bioethics class 15 minutes late, carrying a cup of orange juice
and a bagel. She looked radiant- the pregnancy was making her glow all over and
she was wearing a lavender sundress that showed the slightest hint of her
growing belly. She quickly and quietly found her usual seat next to Morgan and
sat down next to her. Morgan looked over at her and smiled.
“Liz,
are you ok? You’re late.” Morgan said, gesturing to her belly.
“What?” Liz cried. Morgan couldn’t know she was pregnant. How could she have
known…
“Class
starts at 8, honey.” Morgan said, smiling. She looked at her watch. “It’s
almost 8:20. Why, what did you think I was talking about?”
“Oh,
nothing.” Liz shook her head furiously, pulling her notebook from her messenger
bag and putting it on her desk. She placed her cup of orange juice on her desk
as well, and sat her bagel on her lap, taking bites every few moments. “So what
did I miss?”
“Oh, nothing…Prof’s babbling on like he always does…” Morgan said,
rolling her eyes. “Are you ok? You don’t look so hot. Like you’ve been up all
night or something…”
Liz’s
eyes opened wide. Morgan was never this inquisitive, not at 8 in the morning.
They had lived together for two years and both knew the other wasn’t coherent
until about 1 in the afternoon.
“Oh,
I’ve just been a little sick… still getting over that weird flu thing from last
week, ya know?” She said, trying to smile. She couldn’t shake the feeling that
Morgan was acting very strange. Morgan grinned, nodding. They exchanged a quick
glance before both returned their attention to the professor.
“So,
I’d like one of you all to come up here and write out Blackburn’s theorem… of
the probability that a patient who claims to want to die is really telling the
truth…” The professor’s eyes searched slowly around the classroom, stopping at
Liz. He smiled. “Ahh, Ms. Parker. Since you seem to have gotten a little extra
sleep, you should be well refreshed and able to come up and write out this
problem for everyone.”
Liz
grinned sheepishly as everyone in the lecture hall turned around to stare at
her.
“Um,
okay.” She said, slowly placing her bagel and juice back on the desk and rising
from her chair. As she walked down the steps to the front of the auditorium,
she felt dozens of pairs of eyes staring into her. She could hear a few
whispering about her.
“Is
she pregnant?” She heard one girl whisper with a shocked look on her face. Liz
shrugged it off. She didn’t know the girl, so who cared? She finally made it to
the overhead projector and the professor handed her a pen.
“Okay,
so the problem is…umm…” She began carefully writing out the formulas for the
Blackburn theorem on the overhead. She looked over at her professor several
times to see him nodding with approval. When she was finished, everyone
clapped, and she looked back to Morgan in terror.
Morgan was
putting something into her juice!
“Calm,
Liz, calm, don’t panic…” She said under her breath, steadying herself.
“Thank
you, Ms. Parker. Excellent work. You can return to your seat now.” The
professor said, smiling. Liz began slowly walking up the stairs, trying to
avoid Morgan’s gaze. When she got back up to her chair, Morgan looked up from
her notebook and smiled.
“Great
job, Lizzie! You’re going to have to help me with that one, I don’t understand
it.” Morgan said sweetly.
Liz
glared down at her, still standing above her. She picked up her juice cup, and
began to raise it to her lips. She saw Morgan staring at her through the corner
of her eye.
“On
second thought…” Liz said, moving the cup away from her mouth. “I think you
need the juice more than me.” She said, pouring the cup over Morgan’s head.
“LIZ!”
Morgan screamed, jumping up from her seat. “What the HELL is the matter with
you?” Everyone had turned to look back at Liz and her juice-drenched companion.
Morgan raised a hand to slap her, but Liz was quicker. She grabbed Morgan’s
hand and twisted her arm around.
“I
know what you’re trying to do.” Liz said, smiling sweetly. “It isn’t going to
work. You’re never going to get to my baby.” She leaned over to whisper into
Morgan’s ear, while still holding her in a tight grip. “And do me a favor…tell
Tess that she needs to give it up. She’ll never take Max away from me...”
Morgan/Nasedo’s eyes widened in fear. She quickly realized who she was dealing
with- a mere human, and smiled.
“Liz,
darling, enjoy your time with Max. It won’t be much longer. Not even with this
mutt child of yours.” She placed her hand on Liz’s stomach and Liz crouched
over in pain. She smiled, grabbed her bag, and walked out of the classroom,
leaving a pile of juice behind her.
“Oh,
God…someone help me…please!” Liz screamed out. Two guys and a girl rushed over
to her and helped her stand back up.
“Are
you ok?” A blonde guy asked her.
“What
did she do to you?” The brunette guy asked her.
Liz
looked around, the room was spinning. She grabbed the girl, who had her hand
stretched out. “Get, my fiancé…Max Evans…he’s in this building…upstairs…room
306…hurry…”
The
girl looked at her, and then up to the guys in terror. She ran out of the room,
quickly doing what Liz had asked her.
Her
eyes fluttered shut as she struggled to keep them open. The waves of pain
throughout her body were becoming unbearable.
“No,
no…” She sobbed. “This can’t be happening…” The two guys put their arms around
her, trying to stop her from crying. The professor ran up to Liz, holding her
hand and giving her some tissue.
“Liz,
what’s wrong, dear?” He asked, frantic.
She
shook her head in a daze. The two guys looked up at their teacher.
“We
don’t know, sir… that girl put her hand on Liz’s stomach, then she crouched
over…” The brunette guy chimed in.
“She’s
in a lot of pain, sir.” The blonde guy piped in. “Stacy went to go get her
boyfriend.”
“Oh
dear.” The professor said, putting his hand on Liz’s forehead. “She’s burning
up.”
“Maybe
we should get a doctor or something…” The blonde guy said.
“No!
No!” Liz screamed, her eyes shut tightly in pain and her fists clenched over
the brunette guy’s outstretched arms. “Only Max…he’s the only one that can
help…”
“Liz,
are you pregnant?” The professor said.
“Yes,
yes, I think my baby’s…” Liz said, sobs choking her speech. The realization
that something was really wrong was bringing on waves of fresh tears.
The
blonde guy looked up at the brunette guy and they looked over at the professor
in terror. They were so sad to be holding a seemingly sweet girl who was going
through such incredible pain.
The
door opened and Stacy and Max ran in. “I got him Liz!” She screamed.
“Liz!
Oh God!” Max said, running over to her and grabbing her from the two guys.
“What happened?”
“It
was her, Max…Morgan…she did something to me…” Liz said, through waves of pain.
“Jordana… she’s dying…”
Max’s
eyes lit up in terror. He scooped her up quickly and ran her out of the room.
“Thanks for helping her, but I’ll take it from here.”
When
Max and Liz were gone, the professor put his head in his hands.
“I
hope she’s going to be ok.” The professor said, walking back to the front of
the auditorium. He grabbed his microphone from the nearby table and sighed.
“Class is dismissed.”
Stacy’s eyes watered. “She looked so scared.” The blonde guy hugged her.
“I
know, Stace.” He said, kissing the top of her head.
The
brunette guy looked off into the direction of the door.
“I
hope he can help.” He added as the class began to gather their things and file
out of the auditorium.
* * * * *
“Do I know you from somewhere? Why do you leave me wanting more? … Kiss me I’m
dying... Put your hand on my skin… I close my eyes… I need to make a
connection… I’m walking on a thin line… I close my eyes… I close my eyes… Touch
me I’m trying… To see inside of your soul… I’ve got this thing… I want to make
a correction… I’m not like this all the time… You’ve got this thing… you’ve got
this thing… Do I know you from somewhere? Why do you leave me wanting more? …
Kiss me, I’m dying… Put your hand on my skin… I close my eyes… I need to have
your protection… I close my eyes… I close your eyes…” - Madonna
Max clutched Liz close to his body, racing out of the auditorium and running
until he found a safe place to take her- an unlocked janitor’s closet in the
hallway. He pulled off his jacket and laid it on the floor in the closet, while
making sure the door was locked behind him.
“Max,
Max, hurry… I don’t think…” Liz said, her eyes fluttering with warm wet tears.
He ran over to her and pulled her sundress up just enough to reveal her small
belly. His eyes lit up in horror when he saw what was there…
The
symbol was turning from its peaceful iridescent glow to an ominous black.
“Oh,
God, Liz…what did she do to you?”
Liz
opened her eyes, her entire body violently shaking. “Morgan…she’s Nasedo…she
touched my stomach…and that’s why…I’m like this…it’s her, Max…it’s her…” She
kept repeating.
He
touched her stomach and he got a horrifying flash.
Instead of the serene white light he usually sees, accompanied by the smiling
face of his unborn daughter, he saw nothing but darkness…like Liz’s insides
were nothing but a hollow cave-and their daughter didn’t exist anymore…
“No,
no…” He screamed. He didn’t waste anymore time. He placed his hand firmly on
Liz’s belly. “Liz, look at me.”
At
that moment, they connected.
**The first time he ever saw Liz.
Seeing her walking through the halls of West Roswell High, before
the day he saved her life.
The terror they both felt at the exact moment Liz was shot.
The exact moment she fell in love with him… looking into his eyes
and seeing her own soul- her own heart.
The pain they both felt in their time apart.
The first time they ever made love.
Max sneaking into Liz and Morgan’s dorm room when Morgan was away.
The night he asked her to marry him.
All their lazy afternoons together in bed, away from the rest of
the world.
Then Tess…and Adam-Michael…and finally…
Their Jordana.
He saw Liz walking towards him in a flowing white gown, carrying
their sleeping baby in her arms.**
Suddenly, the connection was broken.
“Liz…”
He whispered, looking painfully into her eyes.
“Max…”
She said. He lifted his hand from her hot skin and saw the familiar glowing
silver handprint from when he saved her life that day in the Crashdown.
And
the tiny symbol marking Jordana’s existence was alive and well again.
“Oh,
God, Max, she’s okay! She’s ok…” Liz said, flinging herself into Max’s arms. He
sighed comfortably, showering her with hundreds of tiny kisses all over her. He
then turned his attention to her glowing abdomen.
He
planted one sweet kiss on the symbol and smiled into her skin. “I’m always here
for you, sweetie…I’m sorry you had to go through that…we love you so much and
we will never stop believing in you…”
Liz
smiled through a wash of tears. “Max, thank you…” Liz said. “We would have
died…”
Max
looked up at her then, his big brown eyes flowing with seemingly endless tears.
"You're going to be all right. Both of you." He hugged her to
him like she was going to disappear if he let her go. "Do you want to stay
here for a few minutes or do you want me to go ahead and take you home?"
"Max, you don't have to take me home, you have a big exam in two days, you
need to be in class."
"Liz, that's not important right now!"
"Getting into med school isn't important?"
Max
paused. "Of course it is, but I choose my priorities. And right now, my
family is my first priority."
Liz
smiled up at him. She didn't know what was going to happen to her or the baby,
but she knew deep down in her heart that Max would protect both of them, no
matter what.
The Language of
Longing.. The End
by Meredith
(roswelldreamer@aol.com)
To the DG's... love ya mean it.
We still believe.
"To love
someone deeply gives you strength.
Being
loved by someone deeply gives you courage."
-Lao Tzu
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Okay, we have to have a plan." Alex said, sighing. "We can't
just barge in there..."
"What?" Maria asked, her hands gripped on the steering wheel of the
Volkswagon Jetta she shared with Michael, not taking her eyes off the front
door to Morgan's condo. She was in an obvious daze.
"Maria...a plan. We need a plan." Alex said. He was sitting in the
passenger's seat. He looked over at Maria and noticed her obvious distress. He
put his arm around her, kissing her head.
"Y-yeah I know. A plan. But what, I mean are we just going to sit out
here? I mean until we just LET Tess kill her? I mean I have a plan, how about
this, how about we GO IN THERE and get Liz and the baby out of there?"
Maria said, extremely close to losing control of her blinding rage.
"Maria, we know you're upset. We're all upset...but we have to be rational
about this. If we just run in there, Tess and God-knows-who else will just go
ahead and kill Liz without a second thought." Isabel said, sitting in the
backseat, breastfeeding Michaela.
Maria's eyes filled with angry tears. "No. I'm not going to let that
happen...I can't...it will kill me. It will kill Max. I can't see him hurt like
that, he's too important to us- too important to Michael." As she uttered
Max and Michael's names, she looked outside of the car window. Michael and Max
were crouched on the ground, hiding behind Max's Jeep Cherokee parked across
the street. Adam-Michael clutched his father's arm protectively.
Max's
entire body was shaking. This was making it very hard for him to speak.
Instead, his words were coming out in jolted, fragmented parts of sentences.
"Max- we really need to go in there. It's not going to do Liz any good to
sit out here." Michael said firmly.
"What...we, what are you..." Max uttered.
"I'm going to talk to Tess...try to talk her out of it. You know, a
brother-sister pep talk." Michael rolled his eyes to mention the thought
of he and Tess actually being related somehow. "Then you'll come in, bring
Adam-Michael..." Michael turned his gaze to the young boy sitting snuggly
between them. He looked deep into the young boy's eyes, and it still shocked
him with every glance- he was so much like Max. "Adam, buddy, you remember
what we talked about?"
Adam
looked up at his uncle and nodded. "Daddy's going to pick me up and take
me that house over there." He pointed to the front door of Morgan's condo.
"Mommy has Lizzie in there. She's hurting Lizzie. You're going to talk to
Mommy then Daddy's going to pretend to hurt me with that." Adam-Michael
pointed to the knife Michael was holding in his left hand.
Max looked over at the knife with disgust. He would never even think
about harming Adam-Michael to get to Liz, but threatening his son's life did
seem like a viable option in getting Tess to release her. "I...I can't
hold my son...hostage...like th-that, Michael."
"Well, I can't do it, Max. She'll only believe that we'd really do it if
it's you. I'm sorry, but it has to be you. It's the only way." Michael
said. Max looked down at his son and kissed the top of his head.
"You know I'd never hurt you, right Adam-Michael?" Max asked the tiny
boy.
"Yes, I know that Daddy. You're doing this to help Lizzie and Jordana.
Because you love them, they're your family. I'm your family, right Daddy?"
Adam said.
For
the first time since he walked through the apartment door to find Liz missing,
Max actually smiled.
"I love you, son. Very much." Max said, holding his son tightly to
him.
"I love you too, Daddy. So let's stop Mommy ok?" Adam said, extending
his hand to his dad's.
As
their hands touched, Max got a flash.
***Liz, still bound to the steel chair in Morgan's living room, was
looking down at her belly and cooing at it.
"Max...he's outside." She said softly. "He's here, he's come to
get us, your Daddy's here, baby girl. Don't cry anymore."
Just then, Tess walked over and smacked her across the face.
"I TOLD YOU NOT TO SPEAK!" She screamed at Liz. Liz's bottom lip
quivered. Her soft brown hair cascaded down her face. She closed her eyes as
the sting from the slap washed over her.
Nasedo, who had shape-shifted back into Morgan's form, ran over to them then.
"I just spotted Max's car, along with a Volkswagon Jetta, parked out
front." Morgan/Nasedo said to her.
Tess smiled devilishly. "Perfect! The gang's all here, back together
again. This will be fun, kind of like a West Roswell reunion, huh Liz? Now they
can all be here to see you die."
Liz was outwardly upset, but she was ecstatic inside that they were so close to
saving her.
"Max...Max...I love you..." She thought as she closed her eyes.***
Just then, the flash ended, and Max felt a wave of empowerment rush through his
body. He felt Liz's love, he felt his purpose. Where the fear of what might
happen used to live inside him, rage took its place.
"It's time." He said firmly to Michael and his son. Michael nodded,
handing Max the knife. Max slipped it into the inside of his coat pocket.
Michael stealthly crept back into the Jetta, climbing inside the backseat next
to Isabel.
"Ok. Here's the plan." Michael said, out of breath.
Alex
raised his hands up in relief. "Finally, someone who has some
ideas...spill, Michael."
"I'm going in there first. I'm going to try to initially talk to Tess, try
to get her to stop it..."
"Brother-sister pep talk? I know those well." Isabel interjected.
Michael nodded, embarrassed to be considered the brother of such a great evil.
"Then, Max is going to bring Adam inside."
"Then what?" Alex asked.
Michael paused before continuing. "He's going to pull a knife on
him."
"WHAT?" Alex, Isabel, and Maria screamed in unison. Michaela woke up
then and started screaming.
"No way, Michael, no way, that's crazy." Maria said, shaking her head
furiously.
"Yeah, Michael, Tess will go psycho-mom on us! Then Liz is a goner for
sure!" Alex pleaded, rubbing his crying daughter's back as Isabel cradled
her.
"It's the only way. We get Tess to back off by threatening to take the
most precious thing to her..." Michael said.
"Her son..." Isabel said, looking off in terror. She rocked Michaela
back and forth on her shoulder, cooing in her ear, trying to get her to calm
down. It was almost like she could sense that something was wrong with her
family.
"I can't believe Max would go for this plan, Michael...it's horrible, it's
an awful plan, it's going to backfire, Adam's going to end up scarred for life,
Liz is going to end up...dead!" Maria screamed, banging her head against
the steering wheel.
"MARIA-WOULD YOU GET A GRIP ALREADY?" Michael screamed at her, which
only caused the baby to cry louder to try to compete with him. "Freaking
out is not going to help the situation at all. Adam will be fine. We've already
talked about what's going to happen. He knows that Max isn't going to really
hurt him, he's only going to pretend. Adam wants Liz and his sister out of
there as much as we do..."
"But you have to agree with Maria...I mean, this is going to cause some
lasting damage...pitting his mother against his father- using him as a
pawn?" Alex said.
"A little bit of Mommy/Daddy conflict- that's better than watching your
whole family die now isn't it?" Michael said to Alex pointedly.
The
group of four shuddered at the thought of losing Max and Liz.
"That's not going to happen." Isabel said. "We can't let
it."
"Well, I'll go in there with you, Michael." Alex said.
"I'm going too." Isabel chimed in.
"No, you're not going in there... it's too dangerous. Michaela can't
lose...both her parents." Alex said firmly.
"I'm not letting you go in there alone." Isabel said. She locked
gazes with her husband for a moment. "Besides, what if you guys need me or
something? I mean, my powers..."
"Well if Isabel and Alex are going, I'm going in, too. I'm not going to
sit out here and let that bitch take my best friend away from me. No way."
Maria said, shaking her head.
"Maria...no." Michael said firmly.
"What, Michael? Save your breath. You know you can't stop me." Maria
replied.
Michael reached over and grabbed Maria's hand. He leaned into her, giving her a
soft, sweet kiss. "I love you, you know that?"
"Ditto, spaceboy." She said, smiling up at him. "Just be
careful, okay?"
"I'm not going to let anything happen to you." Michael said, rubbing
his hand through her soft blonde hair.
"That goes double for me." Alex said, playing with Isabel's gorgeous
golden locks and kissing the top of his daughter's head.
* * * * *
"Tess! Open up, it's Michael!" Michael screamed at the door, banging
it forcefully. A long minute went by with no response from inside Morgan's
condo, so Michael pounded again. "TESSA, OPEN UP! WE KNOW YOU HAVE LIZ IN
THERE! WE'RE NOT LEAVING WITHOUT HER!"
Just
then, the door swung open, and Tess's piercing blue eyes stared back at
Michael.
"Hello, brother. So nice to see you." She said, smiling. "What
brings you by so unexpectedly?"
"You know why, Tess. Where's Liz?" Michael asked, pushing his way
into the condo.
"I assume she's with Max, how should I know where he keeps his
whores?" Tess asked sweetly, trying to block his entrance into the living
room, which was proceeded by a door. She held her small body up against the
door. Michael smirked.
"I know Liz is back there. Now move, before I have to move you
myself." Michael said firmly.
"Don't you want to talk first? Have a cup of tea? I miss you, dear
brother, we need to catch up." Tess said, trying to push him towards the
kitchen.
"I know what you're trying to do, it's not going to work."
"What?" She asked, fluttering her long eyelashes up at Michael and
smiling.
"You're going to get me in the kitchen, then you're going to put one of
your voodoo mind hexes on me and I'm going to forget you're in there torturing
my best friend's girlfriend and baby. No way, 'sissy'. I'm not falling for
that."
"Well then why are you here? You think you can just waltz in and save Liz?
Surely you're smarter than that, Michael." She said, chuckling.
"Actually, I was going to come in here and try to convince you to stop
it." Michael said, smirking.
"Well sit down. I'd like to hear what you have to say." Tess said,
leading him to two small chairs set up in the foyer, right in front of the
door.
"Well, I do have one strong case..." Michael said.
"MAXWELL!" He cried loud enough for Max to hear him outside the door.
Max pushed the door open, holding Adam-Michael in his arms, a knife to his
throat.
"ADAM!" Tess cried, jumping up from her chair. She ran towards
them. "NOT so fast, dear Tessa. Give me Liz, and Adam will
live." Max said, his hand steady, gripping the knife. Michael came between
Max and Tess.
Tess's
eyes were filling with tears. "You monster...you'd kill your own
child...for that...whore?"
Michael pushed her away. "No, Tess. You're the monster. Now let Liz go.
She's completely innocent. Her baby is completely innocent. You're going to
kill two innocent beings- you're the monster."
"I'm not...I'm not a monster...LET GO OF MY SON!" She screamed,
lunging towards Max. Max backed away. Michael restrained her, pushing her up
against the living room door.
"Give us Liz." Michael said firmly. "And we won't hurt your
son."
Tess's
eyes blackened with rage. She opened the door to the living room, where Liz was
tied up.
Michael quickly followed her in there, but was too late. Tess had run towards
Liz and slashed her arm before Michael could get to her.
"OH MY GOD!" Liz screamed. The sight of Liz in pain was too much for
Max to bear. He let go of Adam-Michael, running towards his love. Adam quickly
followed his father. Michael had wrestled Tess to the ground, pushing the knife
out of her hand. It slid across the hardwood floor.
Max
placed his hand over Liz's wound on her arm, healing it instantly. He showered
her with tiny kisses all over her face and neck. "You're safe now."
He said breathlessly. "We're not going to let her hurt you."
Liz's
eyes brimmed over with tears. "I love you, Max. I love you so much."
They rested their foreheads together in relief.
"She may not have hurt you, Liz...but I can!" A voice came from the other
side of the room.
It was
Nasedo. He bent over, picking up the blood-stained knife that had slid across
the floor during the scuffle between Tess and Michael.
Max,
Liz, and Adam looked up at Nasedo in terror. "Oh, God, Max..." Liz
said. Max huddled Adam behind Liz's chair and quickly stood up in front of Liz.
"You're not getting near her, Nasedo. Not this time." Max said
firmly.
"Is that so, Max?" Nasedo asked.
"Yeah, it is!" A voice from outside the living room screamed. It was
Maria. Nasedo turned around and smirked. Maria was holding a large vase she'd
picked up from inside the foyer as she crept into the condo. Without another
thought, she smashed it over the top of his head. This sent Nasedo to the
ground, unconscious.
"MARIA!" Michael screamed. He let go of Tess and ran over to her. He
held Maria tightly in his arms and she quickly grabbed the knife Nasedo dropped
in his fall.
"I told you I wasn't going to sit in the car." Maria said, smiling up
at Michael. He kissed her.
"Aww, what a sweet reunion. Too bad you're going to have to watch her die
now." Tess said, raising her hands toward Maria as a blinding white light
pulsed from her body.
"NO!" Michael screamed, putting his body in front of Maria's and
acting as a shield. He harnessed his own energy and anger and thrust it back at
Tess in an even more powerful and deadly light.
With
that, Tess was knocked to the ground.
Max,
who was still shielding his son and fiancee, looked up in shock. Michael stood
in front of Tess's lifeless body, frozen. Maria clutched onto him in complete
fear.
"Michael..." She whispered to him. "You...killed her."
"Oh my God...I killed her...I killed my sister..." Michael said, his
eyes filling with tears. The realization of what he'd done began to sink in.
Max
ran over to Michael, hugging him. "Michael, don't beat yourself up again,
okay? She was going to kill Liz, Maria...You saved us. You didn't mean to kill
her."
"I actually did it..." Michael uttered, in shock. He sank into
Maria's arms, sobs rocking his body. She couldn't support the weight of his
body so they fell to the ground. She rubbed his hair and kissed his head and
cried with him.
"Michael..." Liz uttered out in choked sobs. "Thank you... I
can't thank you enough...I'm so sorry you had to..." Adam-Michael hugged
Liz tight to his chest. "Oh, God..." Liz said, realizing the little
boy in her lap just saw his mother being killed.
Max
sunk down, clutching Adam into his arms. Adam's bottom lip quivered.
"Mommy's gone." Adam said to Max.
Max
could barely speak...he felt like the most awful person in the world for doing
this to his son. "Yes, Adam. She's gone. We never meant for it to happen
like this."
Adam
fell into Max's arms, silently crying. "I loved my Mommy."
"She loved you too, Adam-Michael." Liz said, soothing his soft black
hair.
Adam looked up into Max and Liz's eyes. They knew explaining this all to
him wasn't going to be easy. He wiped his tears with the back of his hand.
Just
then, Nasedo started to move around, rubbing his head in pain. Michael grabbed
Maria, pulling them closer to Max, Liz, and Adam. Nasedo walked over to Tess's
body, pushing her eyelids closed.
"So you killed her, Michael." Nasedo said. "All for a human? How
could you?"
"I would have done the same thing for Liz." Max said to him firmly.
"You two don't know anything." Nasedo said. "You've just lost
something precious...don't you see that?"
"No!" Max cried. "Our life is here! We've made our own destiny!
And it's with Maria, with Alex...with Liz." He said, grabbing her hand and
kissing it.
Nasedo
shook his head. "Well, I don't care if you don't think you're
important...you are...and the day will come when our people will need you
again...I can't risk losing the three of you. I've already lost one..."
"You don't want to lose us?" Michael asked, his eyes stained with
tears. "Then stay away from us- all of us- that includes the three of us,
Maria, Alex, Liz, Adam-Michael, Michaela, Jordana, everyone..."
Nasedo
looked at them, then nodded. "I understand. But I will be watching
you."
"Fine, you can watch, be our guardian...whatever you have to do...just
don't interfere..." Max said, putting his arm around Liz and kissing her
head.
Nasedo
nodded, picking up Tess's body and taking it with him as he walked out of the
door. The door shut behind him and Liz screamed out in relief.
"THANK GOD!" She screamed, kissing Max and grabbing Maria and Michael
into a huge embrace. "I love you all so much. You saved us. God, I've
never been so scared in my whole life..."
Michael started to speak, but was interrupted by Alex, Isabel, and Michaela,
who had just walked in the door.
"Was that Tess's body Nasedo was carrying?" Alex asked them. Michael
looked up at him, his eyes red with tears. Max calmly explained.
"Michael wrestled Tess to the ground, and she dropped her knife. Nasedo
came in and picked it up... then Maria came in and Nasedo was about to go after
Liz...so Maria smashed a vase on top of his head. He fell to the ground, and
Tess used all her energy and power to try to kill Maria. Michael put his body
in front of Maria's to block the field, and returned it back to her doubly
strong. Tess died." Max finished, winded. He hugged Adam-Michael, kissing
his head.
"Oh my God!" Isabel gasped. "So they're really gone? Adam,
honey, I'm so sorry." She leaned down and hugged her nephew.
Adam
broke away from them, climbing into Liz's lap. "Lizzie?" He
whispered.
Liz
leaned in to him, smiling. She put her hand on the side of his tiny face.
"What is it sweetie?"
"I want you to be...my Mommy." He said quietly. Liz smiled. Everyone
in the room was crying now.
"I would love to be your Mommy, Adam-Michael. You precious thing. I love
you so much." Liz said, hugging him tightly to her. "Now we can
really be a family."
Max
held her hand, kissing it.
"Well, there is one more thing we have to do..." He said, smiling.
"The
touch of your hand is like heaven
A
heaven that I've never known
The
blush on your cheek whenever I speak
Tells
me that you are my own
You
fill my eager heart with such desire
Every
kiss you give sets my soul on fire
I
give myself in sweet surrender
My
one and only love."- Sting
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Come Live with me and be my
love and we will all the pleasures prove."-Marlowe
You are cordially invited to
witness the blessed union of
Elizabeth
Marie Parker
and
Maxwell
Phillip Evans
Saturday,
the Twenty-second of June, Two Thousand Five
One
o' clock in the afternoon
At
the home of Mr. and Mrs. Phillip John Evans
6540
Murray Lane
Roswell,
New Mexico
"My baby girl...you're all grown up. And now you're getting married and
having your own baby girl. I'm just so..." Nancy Parker said, walking over
to her daughter and cupping her face in her hands.
"Mom," Liz said, rolling her eyes and smiling. She rubbed her hands
over the mid-section of her dress, which showed off her very-pregnant belly
beautifully.
"Elizabeth, I love you. Your Mom and I love you so much, we're so proud of
the wonderful young woman you've become...you're going to be a wonderful wife
and an even better mother..." Jeff Parker said, enveloping his daughter
and wife into a group hug.
"...And doctor..." Nancy chimed in, beaming with pride.
"Guys, stop it. You're going to make me cry..." Liz said, smiling,
the tears of joy shining brightly in her big brown eyes.
Maria
knocked on the door, opening it a crack before entering. "Can I come
in?"
"Of course...we're all done in here..." Nancy said, taking Jeff's
hand and leading him out of the door. She blew her daughter a kiss on the way
out. "You look beautiful, honey."
"We'll see you out there." Jeff said.
"Bye, Mom. Bye, Dad. I love you." Liz replied, blowing them a kiss in
return. Maria walked over to Liz and smiled.
"Liz...you look so beautiful...you're glowing." She gave her best
friend a huge hug.
"Stop it...I'm big as a house." Liz said, turning around to look at
herself in the mirror.
"No, you're not...you look incredible." Maria replied.
"I'm so glad your mom agreed to make this dress for me, Maria...the
maternity section in the bridal shop was a bit lacking, to say the
least..." Liz said, laughing.
"You know, the whole pesky 'morals' issue..." Maria said, smiling.
Liz
rolled her eyes. "Those pesky morals, they'll get ya everytime!" She
sighed, looking around the room she was in. "It's hard to believe, this
was Max's room...he just seems so different now...." Max and Liz had
decided to have a small wedding in the Evans' backyard back in Roswell, so all
their family and close friends could come.
Maria
smiled, walking over to a dresser and picking up a photo of Max, Isabel, and
Michael in a silver
frame.
"Yeah...well we've been gone from Roswell for like four YEARS,
Lizzie...things have changed..."
"Yeah..." Liz said, sighing. She sat down on Max's bed, snuggling up
with one of his pillows. She closed her eyes.
"Lizzie...no time for a nap, chica, you're getting married in like 10
minutes!" Maria said.
"It's not that, Maria...I just feel really...funny." Liz said,
holding her head in her hands.
"Funny?" Maria said with alarm. She rushed over to Liz's side.
"What kind of funny?"
Liz
shook her head. "No, it's nothing." She said, smiling. "I'm just
being paranoid."
"No, tell me, what is it, Liz? No secrets, remember?" Maria said.
"Let me feel your head." She put her hand to Liz's forehead.
"You're burning up!"
"It's just nerves...it's nothing..." Liz said, reaching out for
Maria's hand to help her stand back up.
Then
she felt it... a sudden, sharp, blinding pain ripping through her, then a warm
surge of water sliding down her legs.
"Oh GOD!" Liz cried, falling backwards onto the bed.
"What, Lizzie, what? What is it? Is it the baby?" Maria asked,
holding her hand.
Liz
shook her head. "This can't be happening..."
"What?" Maria asked, suddenly looking down at the growing pool of
wetness on the floor between Liz's legs. "Oh my God!" She whispered.
"I-I..."
"Do something, Maria!" Liz said, between forced breaths. She was only
four months pregnant, she had figured the lamaze classes would come much later
on.
"I, I-- I can't handle this pressure!" Maria screamed. "Where's
my cedar oil?" She began frantically searching the room for her purse.
"Go get Max! I'm having this baby!" Liz screamed, grabbing Maria's
arm.
"You can't possibly be having this baby! You're only four months pregnant,
Lizzie! Don't be silly! We'll just sit here until the pain passes, then we'll
go downstairs and you'll tie the knot with Mr. Wonderful...okay?" Maria
said, hyperventilating.
"NO, MARIA! Aren't you forgetting...this baby..." Liz moaned in pain.
"This baby is PART CZECHOSLOVAKIAN? Who knows how long it takes
CZECHOSLOVAKIAN babies to come into this world! GO GET MAX!" She squealed.
"Oh, God, oh, okay, Lizzie, I'll be right..." Maria didn't get to
finish her sentence, she was halfway down the stairs to find Max.
* * * * *
"Max, what the hell is the matter with you... There's no time for one of
your 'headaches' again..." Michael said, pacing in the Evans' kitchen.
People were milling about outside in the backyard, waiting anxiously for the
ceremony to start. Meanwhile, the groom was hunched over at the kitchen table,
complaining of a piercing headache.
"Michael, this is different...something's wrong..." Max replied,
shaking his head.
"It's just nerves, Maxwell...okay? So get up, you're marrying your
dreamgirl in like 10 minutes..." Michael said, patting his best friend on
the back.
A
squealing noise carried throughout the house, finally ending up in the kitchen.
Maria appeared to Max and Michael, out of breath.
"Maria! What is it? Is there something wrong with Liz?" Max cried,
jumping up from the table.
"Get Alex and Isabel. WE'RE HAVING A BABY!" Maria screamed.
Max's
eyes lit up with a mix of complete elation and utter terror.
"She can't be having the baby...she's only four months..." Michael
cried to Maria.
"Czechlosovakian babies? Jordana's a Czechoslovakian baby, you people failed
to realize this one..." Maria said. "I promise you, this isn't a
joke...Liz is in a lot of pain...her water just broke..."
That
was all Max needed to hear. He needed to be with her. He pushed Maria out of
the way, leaving she and Michael in the kitchen. He bolted up the stairs and
ran into his room.
"Liz! Liz, honey, I'm here, I'm here..." He ran into the room,
flinging his arms around her.
"Oh, Max! I'm so scared! So scared..." Liz screamed in pain. Her face
was covered in sweat and she'd already ripped apart one of his pillows.
"Liz, I'm not going to leave you baby, never...I'm here...let's get you
out of this dress and prop you up onto some pillows... maybe that will relieve
some of the pressure..." Max said, quickly moving into "Protective
Husband" mode.
"Oh, Max...Max..." She groaned in pain, falling into his arms.
"I can't do this...I'm not ready...it's too soon..."
"Shh..." He said, putting a finger to his lips. "Yes you can.
I'm here...we can do anything." He carefully undid the zipper in the back
of her dress and slid it down around her hips, laying it on the back of his
desk chair. He started pulling out the tiny clips holding her hair back tightly
into soft brown tendrils. "There...that will relieve some of the stress to
your head..." He walked over to his dresser drawer, relieved to find some
old house clothes lying inside. He pulled out an old West Roswell High School
t-shirt for her to wear. He walked back over to the bed, propping the pillows
up against the headboard so she could sit up slightly while still feeling
somewhat comfortable. He pulled the shirt over her head and rubbed her belly,
chuckling. "Hey, little one...you sure have terrible timing..."
Liz
laughed at him, putting her hand on his cheek. He kissed her open palm.
"Max..." She whispered. "I'm really afraid... what if I can't do
this?" Just then, another painful contraction washed over her. Without
thinking, Max placed his hands on her lower abdomen, suddenly feeling a
shocking pain ripping through him. He was connecting with her, taking some of
the pain away from her and feeling it himself.
"Oh, man..." He cried, his body crashing onto hers in pain.
"God, Liz..."
"Max...no...please...you don't have to do that!" Liz said,
frantically shaking her head in disapproval.
"Liz, I'm not going to sit here and watch you in pain while knowing that I
can do something to help relieve it." Max said, sweat pouring off his
brow.
They
shared one of their trademark looks...the one that made Maria comment one time
when they were in high school, "you and Max- you've got that
whole...look into my eyes-soulmate thing."
"In that case..." Liz replied, smiling. She began undoing his bowtie
and tuxedo shirt. "...let's get you out of those clothes, Daddy...we're
having a baby." She then knew that she had no fear, no regrets, no pain
was too great- this perfect man was here, was hers, and nothing else
mattered...
* * * * *
"How's my precious little grandbaby doing?" Diane Evans said,
smiling. She was bouncing Michaela on her knee while Adam-Michael sat in
Isabel's lap next to her, coloring in a coloring book she had bought for him.
Mr. and Mrs. Evans had joyfully accepted Adam-Michael into their lives with
open arms, and he seemed to accept them just as easily as he had Max, Liz,
Maria, Michael, Isabel, and Alex.
"Grammy, see what I made for you?" Adam said, holding up a finished
page in the book for Diane to see.
"Oh, Adam, it's beautiful! That's for me?" She replied, smiling. It
was a picture of a woman pushing a baby in a baby carriage.
"Yes, it's for you. It's Mommy pushing Jordana in the baby stroller."
Adam said, smiling.
"Well Adam, she's just beautiful. You did a wonderful job on the brown
hair." Diane replied, putting her gentle hand on her grandson's jet black
hair. She couldn't get over how much he looked like Max at his age.
Adam
nodded proudly. "Long brown hair, just like my Mommy's." Adam hadn't
called Liz "Lizzie" since the day Tess had died. He kept a picture of
he and his mom next to his bed in a gold frame, but he rarely talked about her.
As far as he was concerned, his mother was gone, and Liz was his Mommy now.
Diane was saddened to hear that Tess had died in a car accident (that's what
they had told everyone back home) but relieved that Adam-Michael had come into
their lives before that happened, and that Liz Parker, who Diane had always
loved and respected for making her son so happy, had adopted Adam-Michael into
her heart just like he was her own son.
Isabel
smiled, holding her baby's tiny hand as Diane bounced her on her knee. She
looked over to her mom with concern. "Mom, it's getting kind of
late...shouldn't Max and Michael be out here by now?"
Diane
looked at her watch. "Yeah...I hope everything's alright..." She
said, turning her head back towards the house. "Maybe they need our help
with something..."
Isabel
then felt a surge of pain rock through her body. "Oh, God..." She
moaned. Diane looked over at her daughter with alarm.
"Honey! What's the matter?" Diane asked, putting her arm around
Isabel. "You need some medicine? I can go inside the house and grab you
some..."
"No, Mom...it's not that...I just have this strange feeling...like
something's wrong..." Isabel said, holding her head in her hands in pain.
Max was in pain. She could feel it, he was connecting with her. What was going
on? Adam-Michael looked up at her with delight.
"Jordana's coming!" He cried, climbing quickly out of Isabel's lap
and running towards the house.
"What?" Diane cried. "That can't be! What is he talking about,
Izzy?"
"Oh, it's nothing...you know how weird 4-year-olds can be...I'll go check
on them...can you watch Michaela for me?" Isabel said, looking at her Mom
with concern.
"Of course dear. I hope everything's alright. Please come out and get me
if something is wrong, ok?" Diane asked.
"Of course, Mom." Isabel said, kissing Diane on the cheek and looking
through the crowd, trying to find Alex. She found him over by the refreshment
table set up in the back of the yard. "Alex!" She cried out to him.
"What? What's up? Are they finally ready to start?" Alex asked her.
"No, I think something's wrong with Liz..." Isabel said, frantically.
"WHAT?" Alex cried. He grabbed Isabel's hand as they walked quickly
back towards the house.
They
ran right into Maria and Michael.
"Michael- thank God, what's going on with Liz and Max? I felt this really
sharp pain, then Adam went running towards the house..." Isabel said.
"That's cause Liz is in labor." Michael said casually.
"WHAT?" Isabel and Alex cried at the same time.
Maria
and Michael walked out towards the crowd as Isabel and Alex ran back into the
house to be with Liz and Max.
"Excuse me, everyone, can I have your attention please?" Maria
asked, standing on the makeshift altar in front of the rows of chairs. The
minister looked at her with confusion. The buzzing noise of voices slowly
creeped down to silence as she continued. "Um, there isn't going to be a
wedding today..." A chorus of "WHATS?" and "Oh
Nos!" floated through the crowd until Maria explained. "There
isn't going to be a wedding, because there's going to be a birth instead...Liz
has gone into labor."
Gasps
floated through the crowd. Nancy and Jeff stood up from the front row and ran
towards Maria.
"Where is she?" Jeff asked.
"Have you taken her to the hospital?" Nancy asked, frantically.
"No, Liz's contractions are too close together. There isn't any
time..." Maria said. *And we don't know if the baby's going to come out
green and slimy...* She added in her mind.
"That's ridiculous! We'll call an ambulance right now! She'll be at the
hospital in five minutes!" Jeff cried.
"NO!" Michael screamed at them. Jeff looked at him with anger and
hatred. He wasn't going to have his niece prodded by doctors at the hospital.
"What did you say to me?"Jeff asked.
"I said No. Max and Liz want to have the baby at home. They're having it
here. There will be no ambulances called, we have everything under
control." Michael replied calmly.
"UNDER CONTROL?" Nancy cried. "You all are just a bunch of kids,
you don't know anything about having babies..."
"Michael and I don't. But Max's sister, Isabel Whitman does. And so does
her husband, Alex. They just had a baby girl at home a few months ago. With no
help. They were by themselves." Maria said calmly.
"And they're up there with Lizzie now?" Jeff asked.
"Yes." Michael said.
"We know you're worried, but everything's going to be fine." Maria
said, putting her hand on Nancy's shoulder. Nancy hugged Maria tightly in fear.
"Well Jeff and I are staying here. We won't get in your way, just promise
us that you'll let us know if something's wrong...and then we can take her to
the hospital?" Nancy said, looking up into Maria's eyes.
"Of course, Mr. and Mrs. Parker." Michael said. Maria linked her arm
with Nancy's as she and Michael led them into the house. Michael walked over to
Diane and Phillip Evans and led them inside the house, taking baby Michaela,
who was named after him, into his arms.
"I'll gather up some blankets...some washcloths...you're going to need
some ice for Liz, and a small tub or something to wash the baby in after she's
born..." Diane began, rummaging through the downstairs of her house in
frantic search of the necessary items. She began piling them into Michael's
arms.
"Yeah...we're going to need some scissors, too...to cut
the...the..thing..." Michael said, trying to remember the name.
"The umblical cord? Yeah. You'll need scissors. And something to suction
the baby's nose and mouth...I'll see what I can find around here." Diane
said as she and Michael walked back into the kitchen to find the rest of the
items. Phillip was playing with his granddaughter, flying her around like a
superhero.
"And here comes 'SUPERBABY'!" Phillip said, making Michaela giggle
with glee. Her face then began to quiver and she began screaming hysterically.
"Oh, that's a hungry cry, Phillip..." Diane said, smiling.
"Well, did Isabel leave anything for her...?" Phillip asked, looking
through Michaela's diaper bag on the table.
"She said there was a bottle of breast milk in the fridge. Just put it in
the microwave and heat it up for like 20 seconds...you can give her that."
Diane said. Phillip walked over to the fridge, grabbing the bottle and putting
it in the microwave. He bounced Michaela in his arms, but she wouldn't stop
crying.
Michael looked over at him. "Can I take her?" He reached out his
arms.
"Sure, Michael. Give it a shot." Phillip said, smiling and handing
the screaming baby to him. She was immediately calmed by Michael's soothing
touch. For the first time, Mr. and Mrs. Evans actually saw their children's
mysterious friend smile.
"Wow..." Diane said. "You're a natural!"
Michael nodded, in awe of this precious thing nestled in his arms.
He
knew then what he was ready for... what he had wanted all along.
* * * * *
"Push, Liz, you have to push!" Isabel cried, throwing instructions to
Liz as Maria and Max pushed against her feet. Michael, Alex, and Adam were near
Liz's head, holding her hands and feeding her ice chips. Adam held a cool
washcloth and dabbed it on Liz's forehead every few moments, pushing her
sweat-covered hair back from her face.
"I can't..." Liz moaned. She'd been pushing for over an hour. Maybe
Jordana decided she didn't want to come out today after all. "I can't do
it anymore..." She closed her eyes and a vision rocked through her mind...
***The
same one she had of she, Max, and Jordana at the beach.
Max and Jordana playing in the sand.
Liz watching from a safe distance, fixing her family's lunch.
Max and Jordana pleading to play for a little while longer.
Tess grabbing Jordana out of Max's arms and running with her into
the ocean.
Jordana screaming and crying.
"Mommy! Daddy! Help me!" Jordana squealed, as Tess
disappeared with her, further into the dark, lifeless ocean.***
Liz was brought out of her mind by a screaming Max. "Liz...baby, Liz you
have to push. Look. Look at your stomach. The symbol's fading. It's getting
dark. You have to get her out of there, she's dying..."
Liz
looked into Max's eyes with terror and exhaustion. "I'm just so...tired,
Max..."
Max
put his hands on her abdomen as she pushed. "Push, Liz, push!" He
connected with her once again, feeling the absolute torture ripping through her
body. He fell over her in a great amount of pain, but kept the connection open.
"That was good, Liz! That was awesome!" Isabel cried. "The
baby's head is crowning! One more good push and she's out of there, okay?"
"Hang on, Lizzie, you're doing so great!" Maria said, scared for her
best friend but so excited that her goddaughter was coming into the world.
Max
and Liz looked into each other's eyes, knowing in the next few minutes, their
lives would be changed forever.
"Okay, Liz, I'm going to count to ten, alright? I want you to bare down
for me as hard as you can, and I think that will do it..." Isabel said,
motioning for Alex to hand her one of the towels set up by the head of the bed.
"Okay..." Liz said, exhausted, as Adam put the washcloth back down on
her forehead.
"Mommy, you can do it." Adam-Michael said. Liz smiled at him.
"Thanks, kiddo." She said, breathlessly. She looked up at Max as
Isabel, Alex, Maria, and Michael began to count.
"One...two...three..."
Max
put his hands on Liz's belly and got another flash.
*The first time he ever saw Liz. They were seven. He was getting
off the school bus for the first time and Liz smiled at him as she played with
some of her friends.
Liz in biology class, the sun streaming in from the windows, her
looking so beautiful as she took notes from the chalkboard.
The day at the CrashDown when she was shot.
Their first kiss.
Melting into each other.*
"Four...five...six..."
*Spending the night in the desert, finding the orb that would
eventually tell him his destiny with Tess.
The mind-numbing pain they both felt when Liz let him go.
All the times he saw her in the hallways of school, wanting to hold
her, touch her, kiss her...
Graduation. The night they made love at the rock formation.*
"Seven...eight...nine..."
*Their happy memories in college.
Their lazy afternoons.
The night he asked her to marry him.
Moving in together, Tess and Adam-Michael coming back into their
lives.
The night she almost died.
The night Tess took her from him.
Max vowing never to let Tess get near them again.
Liz vowing to take care of Adam-Michael after Tess died.*
"Ten!" They all cried as Liz, with help from Max, pushed down for the
last moment when the baby was free of her body.
A
breathless moment passed before Jordana began squealing.
"Oh my God!" Isabel cried, smiling. Tears streamed from Isabel and
Maria's face. "She's got ten fingers, ten toes, she's beautiful! She's
perfect!" Isabel wrapped her up in a towel, suctioned the fluid out of her
mouth and nose, and put her onto Liz's stomach.
Liz
and Max looked at each other blissfully. They kissed.
"We did it!" Max cried. "We did it!"
"Hi, baby..." Liz cooed, kissing her head. "I love you so much,
Jordana... we're so glad you're finally here."
"Hi Jordana." Adam-Michael said, kissing her forehead. "I'm your
big brother."
Max
smiled, tears streaming down her face. "You are so beautiful..." Max
said. "I love you, sweetheart..." He leaned down and kissed her tiny
forehead as she began to stop crying.
"Hey, big Daddy- you want to cut the cord?" Isabel asked Max, handing
him the scissors.
"Of course." Max said, smiling, cutting the cord as Jordana was
finally free from Liz's body. Liz felt an immediate disconnection- not a sad
one, but one that made her baby so much more real.
As
Isabel and a hysterical Maria took the baby to clean her up in the sink, Alex
wrapped his arms around Liz and kissed her cheek.
"Great job, Mama." Alex said.
"Thanks, Alex. Thanks so much for being there." Liz said.
Michael stood in the corner, smiling. Max walked over to him as Adam climbed
into Liz's arms and closed his eyes.
"That's one lucky baby." Michael said. "Thanks for letting me be
here, you know..." He hated these emotional moments.
"Michael...you're my brother, man...if you weren't here, it wouldn't have
been right..." Max said.
"I know, it's just..."
"Just what?" Max asked.
"Seeing your little girl... come into the world like that... it really got
to me..."
"What do you mean?" Max asked, intrigued.
"I think...I think it's time...Maria and I got..."
Max
smiled, hugging him. "I think I know what you mean." Max walked back
over to Liz and Adam and cuddled with them on his bed.
"So Adam, what did you think about all that, huh, son?" Max asked his
tiny son.
"It was great, Daddy...scary, but good. I'm glad Mommy and Jordana are
okay now." Adam said. Liz smiled through her closed eyes. She definitely
deserved a catnap.
Max
leaned down and whispered in her ear. "I love you so much. Thank you for
giving me a beautiful baby."
Liz
opened her eyes and kissed him. "Thank you."
Just
then, Nancy, Jeff, Diane, and Phillip burst in, with Michaela in tow. Alex
grabbed his baby out of their arms and smiled.
"Let's go meet your cousin, Mimi!" Alex said, smiling and walking
into the bathroom to see how Maria and Isabel were coming with the baby
preparations.
"Lizzie! Baby!" Nancy cried, flinging herself into her daughter's
tired arms.
"Hi, Mom. Hi, Dad." Liz said, exhausted.
"We heard a baby squealing...is she alright?" Jeff asked Max.
"Jordana is fine...she's beautiful, perfect- ten fingers, ten toes- a head
full of dark brown hair." Max said, beaming. Jeff hugged his soon-to-be
son-in-law tightly.
"Thank you, Max. Thank you for taking such good care of Lizzie." Jeff
said, tears forming in his eyes. He walked over to his daughter and kissed her
head "Are you okay, pumpkin?"
"I'm fine, I'm just tired..." Liz said, yawning.
Nancy
smiled. "That's understandable."
Diane
and Phillip hugged their son, then walked over to greet Liz.
"We're so proud of you kids...for doing this on your own..." Diane
said, smiling.
"Yeah, it seems so much more special with everyone here, doesn't it?"
Phillip asked.
Max
and Liz looked at each other, sending each other a message telepathically.
"It was the most special thing that has ever happened to us."
"Grandpa!" Adam said, running into Phillip's arms as he scooped him
up.
"Hey, kiddo!" Phillip said, tickling his grandson. "How do you
feel? You're a big brother now! Lots of responsibility!
"I love Jordana, I only want to be her big brother, no one else's..."
Adam-Michael said, smiling. "We're going to go to the beach, and play in
the water, and make sandcastles, and color together, and ride bikes together,
and fly kites..."
Everyone in the room smiled at Adam's excitedness.
The
room got silent when Isabel, Maria, and Alex walked back into the room. Maria
was holding the now-clean baby in a pink blanket. Her eyes streamed with tears
at the excitement of holding her goddaughter. "Here she is,
everyone..." The grandparents gasped at the child's beauty.
"She looks just like Lizzie did when she was born..." Nancy commented
as Jeff put his arm around his wife, tears falling from both their eyes.
Maria
placed the baby carefully in her best friend's arms as Liz was held in Max's
arms. Michael's heart swelled with love as he saw how natural Maria seemed with
the baby. She walked over to him and he put his arms around her, kissing her
cheek.
"Mom, Dad..." Max said, smiling.
"Mom, Dad..." Liz said, smiling.
Max
continued. "May we present to you...Jordana Isabel Parker Evans."
Isabel
squealed with delight to hear her own name as the baby's middle name.
"Max, Liz..." She said, her eyes filling with fresh tears. She leaned
the side of her face against her own daughter's sweet-smelling hair.
Liz
looked up at Isabel. "You helped bring her into the world...and you are
her aunt...it seemed natural..."
"Isabel is a form of Elizabeth, too...so..." Max added.
"It's perfect!" Nancy said, smiling.
"I love you guys." Isabel said, kissing Liz's head, Max's head, and
the baby's soft head.
Diane
and Phillip looked at each other in pride. Their children had grown into such
wonderful adults. They were so proud.
"Oh my gosh!" Maria cried. "You guys... you need to get
married!"
"Maria, we can get married another day..." Liz began, yawning.
"I'm a little tired right now..."
Max
looked down at her smiling. He kissed her head. "No, you can be my wife
right now."
"What?" Liz asked, confused. Max looked to his father, who was a
federal court judge.
Phillip smiled. "You want me to marry you guys?"
"Yeah. Can you do it?" Max asked him.
"Well...it will be legal, cause I'm a judge..."
"And we have our marriage liscense already!" Liz added.
Phillip
nodded. "Okay, let's get married!"
Max
and Liz looked at each other, smiles spread across their face. Jordana opened
her eyes and looked up at her Mom and Dad.
"Jordana approves, let's do it!" Max said. Everyone in the room
laughed.
"Okay, Max...do you take Liz to be your lawfully wedded wife? To have and
to hold, in joy and in sorrow, in sickness and in health, in plenty and in
want, as long as you both shall live?"
Max
looked deep into Liz's eyes. "I'll love you forever. I do."
Liz's
eyes began filling with tears. Phillip continued.
"Okay, Liz, do you take Max to be your lawfully wedded husband? To have
and to hold, in joy and in sorrow, in sickness and in health, in plenty and in
want, as long as you both shall live?"
Liz
looked into Max's eyes. "I'll love you in heaven. So I do."
"Okay then, by the power vested in me by the State of New Mexico, I now
pronounce you husband and wife." Phillip smiled. "Kiss your bride,
son."
Max
and Liz kissed and claps and cheers surrounded them.
"Jordana...you hear that?" Adam said, whispering into his baby
sister's tiny ear. "Mommy and Daddy just got married!"
Everyone
laughed.
Michael grabbed Maria's hand and led her out into the hallway.
"Michael, what are you doing?" Maria asked him.
"I'm tired of playing games, Maria..."
"Games?" Maria was confused.
"Life's too short...I love you and you love me, so let's just do it,
okay?"
Maria's heart stopped as she saw the man of her dreams kneeling down in front
of her.
"Maria Amelia DeLuca...will you marry me?" Michael asked.
She
squealed, flinging herself into his arms.
"Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes!" She screamed. She showered his face
witha million kisses and Michael spinned her around in the air.
* * * * *
Later
that night....
Max and Liz had fallen asleep together in Max's old bed, with Jordana fast
asleep in Michaela's portable crib. Adam-Michael was next to the bed and the
crib, on a cot his Grandmother had found in the garage and fixed it up for him
to sleep on.
Max
woke up, cradling an exhausted but content Liz in his arms. He pulled her close
to him, removing a single strand of hair that was pasted to her forehead from
the evening's revels. "I forgot...to tell you...I love you..." He
began to slowly sing in her ear, more like whisper in her ear, with the
slightest hint of a tune. He didn't want to wake their children.
*Their children.*
That
had such a nice ring to it.
"...a night's too long, and cold here without you...I grieve in my
condition...for I cannot find the words to say I need you so..." He sang
to her, rubbing her arms and hands, bringing one of her hands up to his mouth
to kiss it. She moved around in his arms, opening her eyes up to him.
"I never knew my husband had such a beautiful voice..." Liz began,
turning her body around so their chests were touching.
"I never knew I could love my wife more than I already did...but I keep
falling in love with you....everytime I look at you...you amaze me..." Max
said.
Liz's
eyes filled with tears. "I think that's the most beautiful thing you've
ever said to me."
They
kissed and held each other through the night as their son and daughter slept
peacefully beside them. And their lives were filled with nothing but endless
streams of these perfect moments... because they were soulmates...and their
love was a perfect one which would last through all eternity.
The End...
for now ;)