The Wedding Night
By tp711
Disclaimer: Don't own 'em. Roswell belongs to Jason Katims and Melinda Metz. The song is 'I Shall Believe' by Sheryl Crow.
Rating: G
Author's Note: Don't be totally fooled by the title. It's a future fic, set on the night of what would've been Max and Liz's wedding night if the future hadn't been changed.
Spoiler: None, really. I wrote this after 'Heart of Mine', and I'm sure you've ALL seen that.
Feedback: Please.
Distribution: Tell me where.
Liz sat in the Crashdown with her seven friends.
For some reason, she felt sad and happy at the same time. Then she realised. She'd known it was coming, she just didn't know when.
Two years ago, a future Max had come to change the past. He'd said that they'd eloped at nineteen. Now that the future had changed, she wasn't going to get married. Her wedding day would have been today.
Tess was still around, but she and Max weren't coupled up. Liz sighed. It hadn't exactly worked out. Tess, Kyle, Max and Liz were all still single.
"Liz? What's the matter?" Maria asked her best friend.
"It would have been today, Maria."
"What would have been today?" Max asked. Maria ignored him.
"Are you sure?"
"Positive."
"What?" asked Isabel.
"Never mind."
"Fine. I'm going to switch on the radio."
"Not a good idea," Liz muttered. Isabel switched on the radio, and Liz was relieved that THE song hadn't come on. Instead, it was a dance track, so everyone got up to dance except for Max and Liz.
"Come on Liz!" Maria said, pulling Liz up. Liz shook her head.
"I'm not dancing." Maria tried a few more times then gave up.
"How come you're not dancing?" Max asked.
"I don't really feel like it. How about you?"
"Me neither. There's just something about tonight…"
"You feel it too?" Liz asked, surprised.
"Feel what? What were you and Maria talking about? About today."
"Nothing. Nothing important, anyway."
"So you won't mind telling me then?"
"Funny. No, I can't."
"Alright."
Liz looked at Max. To think that in another timeline she would've married him today. She started imagining how they would've looked. She had a small idea from Max's vision in Las Vegas, which he'd told her in detail. She smiled, it was always fun imagining it. She was brought out of her thoughts, when a familiar tune crept to her ears, accompanied by remembered words from long ago.
"At the end of the night, 'I Shall Believe' came on the radio…From then on, it's been our song."
"I gotta go." Liz jumped up and went to her room.
Max watched Liz leave. She'd acted as if the song had hurt her in some way. He couldn't understand it. He'd recognised the song and had actually been about to ask Liz to dance. It seemed…right, even though they weren't dating.
"I would go after her if I were you." Maria's voice cut through his thoughts. "Tonight's supposed to be a special night, but it isn't. And before you ask 'What are you talking about Maria?' I would suggest asking Liz. It's about time this whole thing was out of our hair."
"Ask Liz what, exactly?"
"That's up to you. Good luck- not that you'll need it." Maria turned and walked back to Michael. Max got up and headed towards Liz's room. He knocked.
Liz was startled when someone knocked on her bedroom door. Maria must have come up to see if she was okay.
"Come in."
The door opened to show Max, looking a bit awkward.
"Hey Liz."
"Hey Max. Was there something you wanted?"
He gave a small smile. "I'm not really sure. Maria 'suggested' I come up here."
"What did she say?"
"Something about tonight supposed to being special, but not being. She also said it was 'about time this whole thing was out of our hair'. What did she mean?"
"She's right, I guess. We've held onto this for two years. Never telling anybody else, talking about it in secret. Man, where do I start?"
"How about the beginning?"
"Alright. You might want to sit down, this will take a little while."
Sitting down, Max said, "Okay, I'm ready."
"I don't think you could ever be ready. Not for this. Two years ago, I saved the world…"
Maria glanced at the back door. It had been half an hour since she had sent Max up there.
"So we would've been married tonight?" Max asked.
"In Vegas, yep."
"You've been so brave Liz. How did you do it?"
"When the fate of the world and your friends rests on your shoulders? The future you gave up his entire existence to save the world. How could I do any less?"
"Liz, there's so much I want to say to you right now. I don't know where to begin."
"How about the beginning?" She repeated his earlier words with a smile, and he smiled back.
"Alright. Liz, over the past four years, you've been there for me, for us. I love you for everything you've ever done." He took a breath, "And maybe someday –very- soon, we can have our day after all."
"Max, there is nothing I want more."
Liz moved closer to Max, and, for the first time in two and a half years, they kissed. Flashes flew by of all the times, good and bad, they had shared. The shooting. Max telling Liz the secret. Their first kiss. Max breaking up with Liz. A drunken Max interrupting Liz's blind date. Waking up together after the white room. Liz walking away after the 'destiny' message. Max serenading her with Future Max looking on. Liz's speech to Max. The setup with Kyle. The dance at the prom.
"Maria, what's up?" Michael asked her. "You've been staring at the back door for half an hour."
"Everything is being straightened out. Which reminds me. Tess!" Maria suddenly called out. Tess stopped dancing with Kyle and came over.
"Yeah?"
"What would you say if I said Max and Liz are most likely getting back together now?"
"I would say it's about time."
Maria's jaw dropped. "You would?"
"Well, yeah. If Max wanted to be with me at all, he would've done it by now."
"Why didn't you say anything?!" Maria demanded.
"I don't know. It…just never occurred to me."
Maria was stopped from making any response as Max and Liz entered through the back door, holding hands, and headed straight for her.
"Maria, we want to thank you," Liz started.
"If you hadn't told me to go upstairs-"
"You guys would've gotten together soon enough anyway. Tess has just been telling me the whole destiny thing is officially 'null and void'. Apparently, Max, she gave up on you a while back, just never got the guts to say it."
"Really Tess?" Max turned to the girl in question.
"Yeah, I should've told you earlier. I'm sorry."
Liz shrugged. "Hey, it's over with now. I just kinda feel bad you don't have someone too."
"Hey, I'll find someone."
"What about Kyle?"
"You didn't know? Two years ago at the prom, he told me he only felt for me in a sibling type way."
"Did he? Cause it sure doesn't look like that to me." Liz gestured over to Kyle, who was pretending not to hear them. Tess smiled.
"Well, this should be interesting. Excuse me." Tess walked back over to him.
"Liz, that was crafty."
"Well, Maria, what can I say? They had it coming, and they both should be happy too."
Max turned to Liz. "Do you want to dance? I've got the perfect music." He gestured, and the opening chords of 'I Shall Believe' could be heard starting again. He held out his hand, and she took it.
Come to me now
And lay your hands over me
Even if it's a lie
Say it will be alright
And I shall believe
Broken in two
I know you're on to me
That I only come home
When I'm so all alone
And I do believe
That not everything is gonna be
The way you think it oughta be
Seems like everytime I try to make it right
It all comes down on me
Please say honestly
You won't give up on me
And I shall believe
And I shall believe
Open the door
And show me your face tonight
I know it's true
No one heals me like you do
And you hold the key
Never again,
Will I turn away from you.
I'm so happy tonight,
But your love is all right
And I do believe...