I own neither the story nor the characters of Roswell.

In defense of Diane and Philip Evans, they really didn't understand the look on their son's face as they saw him watch Liz leave to go up to her room. They had never seen him angry before. But when he turned and talked to her parents, there wasn't a doubt in the mind of anyone in the room that Max Evans was a very unhappy person.

"I can't believe the two of you," he said to the Parkers. "You have a daughter that is kind and good and pure and... and giving. I can understand you being mad at me, but the way you just crushed Liz... how could you do that?"

"Max!" Philip started, but that was as far as he got as Max next turned to his parents, the same fire in his eyes.

"I know that I owe both of you... for taking me in... for caring for me for ten years... but you barely know Liz. But you still were part of this. That's... inexcusable." He walked toward the door of the Crashdown, shaking his head.

"Max... son... come back here. This isn't over."

He stopped in mid-stride and turned his head, but hesitated only briefly. "Yes it is, Dad. Yes it is..."

As the door closed behind him, the four parents looked at one another.

"Well THAT did not go particularly well," said Nancy Parker.

"I don't think I've ever seen Max angry before, is he always that intimidating when he's upset?"

"I don't know," said Diane. "I don't think I've ever seen him mad before."

"Not EVER?" asked Jeff incredulously.

"No... never," said Philip Evans, looking at the door that Max had left through. "How about Liz... I mean... how often has she fought you like that?"

The Parkers looked back and forth at each other... "Well,... that's really the first time for her... the first time she's really ever fought us over anything."

"They can't really be that close... can they? I mean, it's only been eight weeks," said Nancy.

"I don't know about Liz, I guess I really don't know Liz that well, but... I think Max... I think she really does mean that much to him," said Diane.

"Well we had to stop it... at least slow it down for a few years, didn't we?" asked Philip.

"I don't know, dear. We justified what we did by saying they didn't have the experience to really understand the significance of what they were doing... but we just did something to them... well we've never done anything like this either. They've never given us cause... doesn't that frighten anyone besides me?"

"So you think we may have gone overboard... gone too far?" asked Nancy.

"I'm not sure what we've done. This is new territory for us, an angry son lecturing his parents. He loves us... he'll get over it eventually I suppose... but I just don't know."

"Maybe we ought to call Max back, bring Liz back down, explain to them exactly what our concerns are and ask them what they believe an appropriate punishment is and how they can provide us assurances that they are going to control their own actions enough that we'll be able to trust them together. I mean, it sounds like they've been pretty good kids for all these years,... maybe we should give them one last chance to be reasonable." said Jeff Parker.

Three sets of eyes looked at him in surprise.

"I know," he said. "I'm kind of the one who was pushing this, pushing the boarding school. This all just frightened me so much, but I haven't been able to get out of my mind what Max said just before he left,... that he could understand me being mad at him but to... 'crush Liz'..., I mean... after he said that... after I thought... well, that's what I did, really. I realized that... after he told me... but he realized it... as it happened.

I was worried about Max... worried about him hurting her. But Max was right... he wasn't the one who crushed her tonight... I was."

"We all were involved, Jeff." Said Philip. "We all thought it was the right thing to do at the time, You shouldn't blame yourself. But... maybe you're right, maybe another chance is in order. I've never seen Max so upset. As much as I am disappointed in his recent behavior... well, maybe he has a right to be disappointed in ours, too. They aren't bad kids... either one of them. Let's talk to them."

"Let me go get Liz." said Nancy. "Give Max a call and get him back here. Let's try to start this over fresh."

Philip took out his cell phone.

"I just hope that he'll come back. It worried me how he said that as he left... that this conversation was over."

"I'm sure when he calms down, Dear..." Whatever else Diane had to say was interrupted by the ringing of the cellphone next to Max's chair. She looked at her husband suddenly, the fright apparent on her face.

"It may be OK... remember, I told him we wanted his cell phone. I'll just call the house."

He dialed and the phone was answered on the third ring. "Izzy, is your brother there? Well he should be any minute. Please have him call me, call me immediately, OK? Thanks darling."

The worry was apparent at the table, but Diane tried to be positive. "I'm sure that he'll call any minute." But even this attempt to be hopeful succeeded only in sounding uncertain. Still, the three were holding it together pretty well until Nancy came back and said, "Liz is gone..."