Title: I'm Not Letting Go

Author: Damara

Rating: K+

Disclaimer: I do not claim any ownership of the characters contained herein, they belong to Jason Katims, the WB (shame on you!) and the UPN (shame on you too!).

Spoilers: Alternate take/re-write of "End of the World". Were any of you scratching your head at the end of that one? It always made me so mad that they never resolved that storyline after we learned that Tess and Nasedo were always going to betray them!

Summary: What if Future Max's intentions were never to separate his younger self from Liz? What if the man who forced her to make Max fall out of love with her…wasn't Max at all?

Author's Note: Hello everybody (me waves to all the Roswell fans!) This little fic has been a labor of love of sorts for quite some time now, and so I thought I'd finally post it here and hopefully get your feedback :o) Though I've been a hard-core fan of the show since its premiere, I've never posted any of my Roswell works here at the site. Some of you may have seen some of my stories in other places, on other sites or boards (long since retired)…it's my hope to get them up here and maybe even re-vamp and/or dust off some of the others and God willing even complete a few :oP

Oh, and a Special Thanks to my buddy Erin...you know who you are :oP... without whom this story could not have been written. Good to see that all 'them writing sessions paid off huh?!

Prologue

The Fall -- Roswell New Mexico, 2014

One after another, with each frantic sprint the unstable Earth shifts beneath him, the slipping of the rocks under his hurried feet only adding to his frustration. He knew the granolith chamber wasn't much further, but each step that brought him closer also returned the soul-splitting reminder of how he'd come to be here…how the shattering turn of events he'd suffered had ruined him inside.

And even worse yet, the memory of how he'd held her in his arms for the very last time as the shining light that shone in her eyes slowly dimmed. He'd fought countless battles and witnessed terrible tragedies, but watching her slip away from him had broken him into unfixable pieces.

He'd only survived all these years as the leader of an alien race because he had her to replenish his spirit.

Now what was he to do?

He'd always told himself that to have his wife beside him meant overcoming all obstacles. He'd always known that if anything happened to her he'd never be the same. Fourteen years of marriage had strengthened the people they were. And yet, from the very first moment he'd seen her all those years ago; she'd meant everything to him. He could never live to regret sacrificing his safety to save her that day at the Crashdown.

She was his whole purpose.

And all these years later, while battle had proved to harden his mind, his heart and soul had always been eternally safe within her care.

But what would become of them now?

Now that his center was missing.

The space within his being that had only moments ago been protected, was void of all emotions except one…helplessness.

The rushing of the hot desert breeze against his face cooled his heated flesh. The pressure of the wind, especially at these higher altitudes, fights against him as he frantically grasps at rocks and brush…anything to keep his balance and keep him surging forward.

He had to keep moving forward.

Finally, the familiar rock formation began to appear in the distance. Even in the blackness of night he could make out the unique shape of the large rock, signaling his proximity to the chamber…his only salvation.

He had to get there…

Even through the crippling muscle aches and fatigue he had to somehow focus on reaching the chamber before anyone discovered him or the granolith. He winced at the pain as his joints throbbed and his body struggled to keep up with his stubborn determination.

He'd tried so hard…

He'd tried every way he knew to turn the anger he felt into strength, strength to trudge this mountain. But his whole body ached with the effort of it all; and his mind ached with the knowledge that he'd failed them all…he'd failed her.

And now he must do anything and everything in his power to make things right again, regardless of the consequence to himself.

Because he'd never been more certain of anything in his life as he was of this simple fact…he was nothing without his Liz…

…his heart and soul were gone.

Please send me your thoughts...should I scrap it? or keep it going?