Title - Pressing Forward

Rating - Teen and in some places Mature

Category - All M/L, M/M, I/J, and Alex, but it's mostly about Liz
Disclaimer - I don't own any of these characters. They belong to Jason Katims and Melinda Metz.

Summary - Everything seems to be perfect in Liz Parker's life. She's making great grades and had a great relationship with her boyfriend Max Evans. Until one day Liz started feeling a little weird and the next thing she knew it was up to the pod to try and save her. Can they possibly do it before it's too late? Or will this be the end of the Liz Parker that we love so much?

Chapter One

Liz Parker walked into the Crashdown Café with her hand interlocked with her boyfriend, Max Evan's hand. Max looked down at her and smiled. Liz smiled back and her mind drifted back to the first time she'd really noticed that smile of his, and had things changed since that September afternoon almost three years ago.

That September day was the day that Max Evans had saved Liz's life in the exact same Café, which Liz's parents just happened to own. From then on Liz had known the secret that Max, his sister Isabel, and their friend Michael, had kept from everyone for so many years. In the end, four others later found out and ever since that moment, they were all inseparable.

"Liz! Get your ass dressed! You were supposed to start five minutes ago!" This comment made both Liz and Max look away from one another and straight at Maria; they both started laughing softly to one another.

"Typical Maria." Max whispered so only Liz could hear him.

"Yep, but she's right you know." Liz replied then kissed Max on the lips. "I'll see you later okay?"

"Sure." Max replied, and then kissed Liz again before watching her walk into the back room.

"Bye Lover Boy." Maria said in a raised voice to Max as he started to leave.

All Max could do was laugh and wave at his girlfriend's best friend.

"Parker what's your excuse this time?" Liz heard Michael say as put her close into her locker and checked her hair and make-up before her long five hour shift starts.

"I was with Max, even though it's not really any of your business where I was. Now is it Michael?" Liz replied getting a little upset at him for what he'd said.

"You always say that." Liz heard Maria say beside her.

"Well it's the truth and why does it matter to you two where I was. I don't ask about your personal life together, so don't ask about mine." Liz snapped getting a little more agitated.

"Okay sorry." Michael said a little taken back, and then went on cooking the burgers on the grill.

"Hey Chica are you okay?" Maria asked getting a little worried about Liz.

"Yea sorry I didn't mean to snap. I am just a little stressed out about my parents leaving tomorrow for Boston, and they will not be back for a month. I don't know if I can do this by myself, even if the Crashdown's only going to be opened on weekends." Liz explained getting a little flushed.

"Sweetie that's totally understandable, but I promise that you're not going to be alone. Both Michael and I are going to help you out as much as possible."

"Hold it! We are?" Michael questioned shooting Maria a look.

"Yes we are." Maria said then continued as she gave Michael a mean look right back at him.

"Thanks you're the best." Liz answered as she hugged Maria.

"No biggie Chica. Are you sure there's nothing else that you wanna talk about?" Maria asked again.

"Nope everything else is fine." Liz said in the best convincing voice and smile that she could conjure up.

"Okay just checking." Maria said as she smiled back, "Come on lets get back to work before your dad sees us and totally freaks."

That comment made Liz start laughing as she thought about her dad freaking out and what he'd do. Liz and Maria then walked out the swinging doors and into a Café of hungry people waiting to get their orders taken and their food served to them.

5 ½ Hours Later

"Okay I'm out of here. Everything's clean Liz so all that you need to do is pick up the chairs."

"Thanks so much. I'll see you tomorrow." Liz waved as she watched Maria leave out the front door, to a waiting Michael, who also just got of work.

Twenty minutes later everything was complete and Liz could finally go up to the house and in her room.

"Lizzy can you come here please?" Liz heard her dad say from the kitchen.

"Yea Dad?"
"I just wanted to make sure that you understand everything that's happening and that you're on the same page as your mother and I are."

"Yea Dad I totally understand. Everything is going to be under control." Liz answered hoping beyond hope that she was correct.

"Okay as long as we agree with one other."

Liz smiled at her dad then began to walk towards the staircase and to her room.

"Oh and Liz one more thing..."

"What dad?" Liz answered from the hallway.

"No parties and no Max Evans spending the night."

That was the comment that Liz had been expecting to hear all day long.

"I know Dad. No parties or Max in the house got it." Liz said as she walked back into the kitchen.

"Thanks Lizzy." Jeff said as he smiled at his little girl.

"Dad I am going to get ready for bed. Will you wake me up when you and mom leave?"

"Sure will."

"Thanks Daddy goodnight." Liz said then hugged her father.

As Liz looked around the house, she spotted her mother in her parents' bedroom and gently knocked on the halfway opened door.

"Come on in Liz." She heard her mother respond.

"Goodnight Mom. Dad promised me that he would wake me up when you both left."

"Okay. I'm going to miss you so much Liz. Please promise me that you'll be good." Nancy asked then hugged and kissed her daughter goodnight.

"I promise Mom and I love you too."

"Night Honey." Nancy repeated as Liz walked out of the bedroom.

Liz's Bedroom

"Finally" Liz couldn't help but think to herself as she sat down on her bed, "I'm alone."
Liz laid down with her eyes just staring at the ceiling for a couple of minutes, but then the pain in her head that had been getting slightly worse all day long became way too much for her to handle anymore...

Chapter Two

"Lizzy…" Mr. Parker whispered as he and his wife very quietly and slowly walked into their daughter's bedroom.

Since it was only 4:30 in the morning, they knew that she would probably be fast asleep and they were totally correct. Liz Parker was curled up under her covers fast asleep and she looked like she didn't have a single care or worry in the world.

"Liz honey we're leaving. Can you lease just wake up for a minute?" Nancy asked as she gently shook her daughter's sleeping form.

Liz sort of shook then whispered love you, but both Nancy and Jeff knew that she would probably not remember it when she woke up, so they just kissed her on the cheek and quietly left the room.

"Be good." Jeff then whispered as he shut her bedroom door.

Liz heard the last thing that her dad said kind of, but all she did was turned over in her bed and was back into her deep sleep even before the door clicked shut.

Downstairs

Nancy quickly wrote Liz a little note, while Jeff got all their luggage into the cab.

As soon as Jeff walked back into the kitchen, Nancy asked if they were really doing the right thing by leaving their 17-year-old daughter all alone for almost a month.

"Nancy don't worry she's going to be fine I promise. She very responsible and she knows what to and what not to do. She'll be fine." Jeff answered trying to reassure his wife as much as possible.

"Okay yeah I guess I'm just overacting a little." Nancy replied trying to calm herself a little as she signed Liz's letter 'with love Mom and Dad.'

Later On That Morning
(Liz's Bedroom)

"Grrrr…" Liz growled as her alarm began to beep loudly.

She knew that she had to get up, but that was the last thing on her mind. Her head was now in almost unbearable pain and she had no clue how she was going to be able to make it through school today.

"Come on Liz you've got to get up…"Liz thought coaching herself. "Just go slowly."

Ten minutes later Liz walked out of her bathroom with dripping wet hair. She thought that a short hot shower might help her head a little, which it sort of it, but it wasn't good enough to really matter.

While getting ready for school carrying how she looked was the last thing on Liz's mind. But since she didn't want her friends, especially Maria and Max, to find out that she wasn't feeling all that great, so she put on her pair of blue jeans and the new shirt that she had gotten when she went shopping with her mother a couple of days before. She then fixed her hair and waited for Maria to come and pick her up.

During the school day, Liz acted just as she usually did, or at least the best she could. Liz could tell that Maria thought something was up with her, but Maria never comforted her about it, which Liz was very thankful for.

"Liz wait up!" Liz heard Max yell behind her as she tried to make it out of the school before any of her friends caught up with her.

"What Max?" Liz asked getting a little annoyed, not from Max, but from her headache and school combined.

"Do you have to work tonight?" Max asked not realizing the unusual tone in his girlfriend's voice.

"No I don't, but I've got a whole lot of homework that's due tomorrow."

"Oh okay I guess I'll see you tomorrow then, but call me if you get sick of doing homework and want to hang out with someone."

"Okay Max." Liz replied, and smiled at him.

"Love you." Max then whispered her ear and gently kissed her on the lips.

"I hope I am not contagious," Liz thought to herself as she made her way towards the street. The last thing that she wanted was for Max to start feeling as bad as she did.

Threw everything that was taking place around her and how bad she was feeling, Liz completely forgot that Max, Isabel, and Michael could not get sick from her, because they were aliens.

"Finally peace and quiet," Liz whispered to herself as she walked into her bedroom.

Liz then changed into some comfy clothes and took some more medicine to see if that might help her head a little. However, as she was walking over to her bed she began to feel dizzy.

"You okay just lie down." Liz told herself as she began to feel herself start to freak.

Liz got to her bed and by the time she got her body underneath the covers, she was completely exhausted. By the time, she started trying to adjust her pillows her whole world went totally black.