Caged Animals
by Captainvocke
Polar Michael/Liz
"The most dangerous animal is a caged one. . ."
Summary- Takes place during Max to the Max, but the story of Roswell has been rewritten the way I wanted it to be. Bewarned, there will be scenes of abuse ahead.

Rated PG-13 for scenes of torture and violence. I know I like dark stories. I hope you like it. It's a multi chapter story with flashbacks, enjoy.

"I have to get away from him. I have to give Max and Michael time to find me," Liz thinks to herself as she rushes through the crowded carnival desperately trying to escape Max, well Nasedo Max. That's right, the trusty protector of the Royal Four has kidnapped her and to make matters worse, shape shifted into Max Evans. Someone she trusted. Well it's not like her trust in Max hadn't already been destroyed by recent events, but now with Nasedo's latest stunt her trust was gone, for all of them.

He could be anybody now, Alex, Maria, her parents! He could have been them already, stealing secrets from her. Who could she trust now?

Pushing through the crowd she stops on the Merry Go Round, hoping that maybe she had lost him. She was so scared, but she couldn't let that fear take over her. What had Michael taught her, "When it's over and done, then you can be scared shitless." God she wished he was here.

That's right Michael, Michael the Stonewall Guiren.

Had someone told her that she and Michael would be best of friends a year ago she would have died laughing, but everything changed. It's kind of the motto of their motley crew, "Change is Inevitable. Nothing stays status quo." Michael was definitely one if not the only person from their group she could trust and he would definitely protect her from Nasedo.

She shakes her head and thinks to herself, "There's no time for these thoughts. Escape and evade Parker."

Turning her head to the right she sees him. Still in the form of Max, he sits on one of the plastic pink horses with an evil smile on his face. God he made her sick. Just the idea of all the people he's killed just because they got in his way or just because he could. Those images of Hubble's dead wife were permanently burned into her mind.

The way he was looking at her now, she just knew she would be next. It was obvious he enjoyed toying with her like a cat playing with a mouse. However he will get bored of her and fry her like an egg.

Thinking quickly she jumps off the Merry Go Round and lands on her ankle awkwardly. Pain shoots through her body, but she ignores it. She had to get away.

Desperately looking around she spots the Mirror Maze, she would be safe there. Well she hoped she would be long enough to be found. Hearing a thud she turns to see Nasedo Max right behind her.

"You're not making this any easier on yourself human. I hadn't planned on killing you, but if you keep running I'll fry your skin like hamburger on a grill!" he yells with an evil grin on his face.

Yeah like she'd actually stop. The pain increased as she picked up her speed. Her eyes stung as the wind whipped at her tears that were beginning to form due to the pain. She was almost there, only a few more feet.

Upon entering the maze she was instantly surrounded by images of herself. Some stretched, some squashed, but they were all her and they were all scared. It was very confusing. Perhaps this wasn't the smartest idea, but then again maybe she'll hurt his pride a little.

"Don't believe everything you see," Nasedo Max says grinning evilly as he pulls her closer to him while walking through the crowded circus. "Your eyes are your weakest sense, they are easily fooled. Unfortunately for you human, I'm not."

How could she possibly get out of this situation? Sure she's escaped other run ins with danger before but she was never alone. The others were always right beside her. She always felt safe around them. Now though she was on her own, with a shape shifting alien holding her hostage. She needed her Michael now more than ever, just to calm her down, like he had a week ago when she saw Max and Tess in the rain.

One Week Earlier. . .

Liz sat on her balcony in the pouring rain alone and crying. She was in so much pain from what she saw. Max had told her that she was the only one he wanted. He made her feel so special, like she was his world. After his speech she felt calm and right with her place in life.

After the confirmation of his love Max left into the rain. Once the door closed Liz made her way to the glass door.

Peering through the window and into the rain she spotted Max crossing the street. As he passed a broken down vehicle she spotted movement. "OH MY GOD! MAX!" her head screamed as the person approached Max.

The rain was falling so hard and the street was so dark Liz could barely see what was happening. "Please be ok," she thought.

She could see Max's form turn and then a few seconds later grab the other figure. That movement sent Liz running out into the rain to protect him. The second she moved she regretted it.

Once in the rain a flash of lightning illuminated the night and she saw Max in a passionate kiss with Tess. He was kissing her! Liz stood soaking in the rain wide eyed and speechless. So many emotions were running through her, but yet she was frozen.

A few seconds later the kiss ended and Max took off leaving Liz and probably Tess very confused. Tess shook her head and went back to her car. Had Liz been paying attention then she would have spotted the girl wave her hand over the exposed engine, instantly repairing it. They would have known then that Tess was an alien. Instead Liz's eyes stayed locked on Max's retreating form. She felt betrayed, she felt like she was dying.

Tess's SUV slowly drove away from the scene of the crime, leaving Liz alone in the dark rainy streets of Roswell. She burst into tears as she brought her hand to her mouth. Realizing that Max had long since disappeared and she was standing in a dark street Liz made her way to the ladder that lead to her apartment. She felt weak.

With each rung her hands shook more and more. Once she reached the balcony she collapsed into her lawn chair, still in the rain, and began sobbing. Her wails of pain ringing out into the night sky. She didn't have to worry about waking her parents; they were gone for the next two days.

After a few minutes she began to calm down. All she could think was that this wasn't happening to her, it couldn't be. Max would never have done that to her, she must have seen it wrong. Yeah that's it the lighting was messing with her eyes. Yeah what happened was Tess scared Max causing him to turn sharply. He must have not recognized her or maybe he. . . or. . .

This just caused her to burst out into more tears. No, what she saw happened. How could he do it? They were soul mates, they were connected.

Suddenly Liz's stomach felt like it was on fire, causing her to hiss out in pain. She quickly clutched her stomach only to retract her hands away in pain, they were burnt. Tears still falling from her eyes, she looked at her hands, now red. Quickly she lifts her shirt to reveal a dim white outline of a hand on her stomach, Max's hand.

Before she even had a chance to understand the implications of this she felt her surroundings shift. Out of the corner of her eyes she spots Max and Michael sitting, but they weren't sitting on anything and Michael would glance up at her every once and awhile.

What the hell? Turning around to enter her bedroom she spotted a frightened looking Maria standing a few feet away. She was wearing her Crashdown uniform.

All Liz could think was that she had to get away. Turning back around, she instantly freezes with fear. There before her were the two men from the day of the shooting and they were wrestling for the gun. "No!" she screamed as the gun went off.

It felt as if she had been kicked by a horse. Her stomach burst with pain as she fell backwards, her body splashing in the puddles of water on her balcony. She turned her head to the left to see the water she was laying in start to turn red. Slowly she lifted her gaze towards Michael and Max, hoping one of them would save her. Her gaze locked with Michaels, whose eyes were full of fear.

Suddenly darkness over takes her as she closes her eyes only to jolt them open again. Instead of lying on her balcony floor she found herself on her lounge chair. She also found the balcony deserted and that the rain had softened. It was just a nightmare. Except instead of waking up to reality, she woke up to her living nightmare.

She remembered everything that occurred and she began to cry again. She pulled her legs into chest and cradles her head on them. Then she just stares at the ladder as she continued to cry.

This is what she was doing now, staring at the ladder and holding her knees. Though it felt like it was hours ago, she had only been sitting here for forty minutes. She knew she should go inside and dry off, she was risking catching phenomena. Honestly she didn't care; she almost wished Max never healed her. All the pain would be gone.

The sound of metal rattling against concrete broke Liz from her trance. She noticed the ladder railings shaking against the wall. Oh man, she forgot about her and Michael's nightly meeting. They always met at midnight and had been since the night he returned her journal. They would just sit out and talk, sometimes they would hang out inside and watch movies. She enjoyed these short moments, how could she have forgotten. She couldn't let him see her cry, she needed to be strong.

She quickly wiped her eyes as Michael quickly launched himself over the wall. The pain in his eyes said it all, he already knew. Damn Max! "Liz. . . ," he whispered. The softness in his voice and the amount of care he had for her proved to be too much as she broke yet again. Michael quickly crossed the distance and pulled her into a large hug.

"I'm so sorry Liz. Its ok now, I'm here. You don't need to be strong anymore," he whispered softly into her hair. Her emotional walls crumbled as she wailed. She clung to Michael's shirt for dear life as she cried.

Present Day

He was always so caring, so soft, but only for her. He was gruff and closed off to everyone else, mostly because he only trusted her not to hurt him. Everyone else had or would, but Liz protected him like he protected her. No one knew about their secret friendship. Everyone figured that Michael and her blended like oil and water. What could they have in common? As it turned out they had so much in common.

They preferred that their friendship remained a secret, fearful that if their friends knew they would tarnish the perfect armor that was them. They worked beautifully as a team and flowed perfectly together. Only her parents knew they were so close and amazingly enough they were glad to have Michael around. Not only was he a great cook, but he was a lot of fun when he wanted to be.

Her parents fell in love with him instantly, her mom would even ask her why she never dated Michael, but in all honesty why mess with perfection? Over the past seven months her dad and Michael had even become close. Now though, it seemed that she would never get that back. She would probably never get to see her parents or Michael again.

How could she be so stupid? She shouldn't have trusted Max again. Her trust in him had been destroyed since Tess's arrival. Watching him kiss her right after telling her that she was the one he loved not Tess, it ripped her heart out.

"You can't think like this Liz," she thinks to herself. "Pull yourself together. First find safety, and then you can think about kicking Max's ass." Continuing her walk through the maze she prays for a spot to hide. Suddenly she hears footsteps approaching the entrance and she instantly freezes.

"Heeeeeerrrrrrrrreeeeeee's Maxie!" he screams with a wild look in his eyes.

A wave of fear washes over her as she see's Nasedo Max's murderous looks all around her. Whatever he planned on doing to her made her stomach roll, "Come on guys. I need you more than ever . . ."