by Meredith (roswelldreamer@aol.com)
This fic is dedicated to all the Dreamgirls out there.
We still believe.
3ME + LP3
"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.