Chapter 8:
        "No..." Max whispered to himself. It was impossible.
        "You're back! You came back for me!" Liz threw herself on top of him, her arms wrapped tightly around his neck as she held him close to her.Â
        "No... this... this is impossible." He refrained from hugging her back, keeping himself at a distance as if he didn't know her.
        "Max?" She drew back and looked into his confused eyes.Â
        "I don't... I don't understand. You're dead! You DIED in MY arms!" He was beginning to lose his mind.
        "NO! You healed me. When you told me all those things you told me that last day, when you told me you loved me and needed me... I heard your voice, Max. I followed it home and it saved me." She reached out for Max who was peeling her off of him.Â
        "No! It's impossible....!"
        "Didn't you get any of my letters?"
        "Letters?" Max repeated to himself feeling thunderstruck. There was no way....
        "If you're not here for me then... ?" Liz lowered her eyes as she realized how much sense it made. "The wedding." She cursed under her breath. How could she be so stupid? Five years and she expected him to come riding in like a knight in shining armor.Â
        "You're here for the wedding. But they never told me...." Liz rubbed her head in confusion as she walked away from him, then paced back in front of him.
        "I'm so sorry. I thought... forget it. I'm sorry." Liz began to walk back into the house, and stopped suddenly as she turned to face Max. Their eyes met and held for an instant. He could not believe this was happening. His body felt numb. So much time... so far away. She was absolutely breathtaking, even more so than he remembered.Â
        "Max... I have to tell you something before I leave." Her face saddened. It sounded like they'd never see each other again.
        "I have to tell you why I was sick all that time ago." Max's eyes widened. Finally, some answers. He had asked himself for so long what had gone wrong. He didn't know what to expect from the woman before him. It was strange how she still gave him butterflies.Â
        "Max... I..."Â
        "Mommy!!!" The little brunette came out and froze at Liz's side as she saw what looked like a duel. She stared at both of them, and her eyes grew wide. It looked so... right.
        "Eliza... meet Max Evans."
        "I met Mr. Max already, mommy." She turned her head towards him and smiled. She looked into his eyes and saw them water. She slowly let go of her mother's hand and walked towards him, her eyes full of compassion. Liz's eyes watered at the sight. This was how it should have been a long time ago. Eliza stood right in front of Max; he kneeled to be face to face with her. She touched his face in amazement, never taking her eyes off his.
        "What's wrong?" She whispered softly as she felt his body begin to shake with emotion and the tears fell down his face.Â
        "Max..." Liz's voice rang from a few feet away. "This is Eliza Marie Evans-Parker." He looked up at Liz who was crying now.
        "What have I done?" He broke down as Eliza hugged him tightly.
        "Ellie, it's time to go." Liz tried to compose herself, but felt her heart breaking. Eliza let his tears flow for a few more second, then she pulled away.Â
        "I love you Daddy." She smiled slightly and walked to her mother. Alex came out and the two girls got in the car.Â
        "Liz..." Max could barely speak. His voice was hoarse with emotion and his eyes said all he couldn't. She looked back at him from her car door. Her big, brown eyes were watery and distraught, her eyeliner beginning to smudge. Pieces of her hair fell from her ponytail and Max felt the familiarity of the situation. Then end of sophomore year, when she'd left him. She had given him the same look. The question now was, would he let her get away again? She mouthed the words I love you, and got into her small Mitsubishi Mirage. Max looked as they drove off. He was exhausted. The events of just a few minutes had him feeling like he'd gotten beaten up.Â
        He walked into the house and picked up the phone to dial the familiar number.Â
        "Hello?"
        "Abigail." Max didn't sound happy.
        "Hey babe, you ok?"
        "Did you ever receive letters from Roswell, New Mexico?"
        "What?"
        "I said have we ever received any letters from Roswell, New Mexico?"
        "Max... why are you yelling. You're all riled up, you need to calm down."
        "Just tell me!"
        "I... I don't know...."
        "You're lying. You are lying! Liz sent me letters didn't she?! Didn't she!?"
        "What was I supposed to think? I had two options Max. I could give you the letters and hurt you with what seemed like some really mean joke. I mean you'd told me she was dead! And all of a sudden, she'd sending you letters!? Then they kept coming... and I was afraid! If she was alive and I had given you the letters, you would have left me!"
        "Well, guess what Abigail... I'm leaving you anyway." Max clenched his jaw in anger. He couldn't believe what was happening.
        "Max... wait! You're not thinking clearly! Max!"
        "That's it Abigail! The engagement is off. Call your parents and whatever you have to do... I want you out by the time I get back."
        "Max... be logical. We've got something great going here. Think about it. Three years down the drain?"
        "Abbie!"
        "Maybe you just need time to think. Call me back tonight. I love you." She waited for a response and he hung up the phone. How could she do that to him? How could they both!??? Now all he could do was wait.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
        "Max! Are you ready?" Maria ran in, threw her purse on the couch, and called out to Max as Michael came in behind her.
        "Max! Come on! The tailor is expecting us in about fifteen minutes!" Max came out of the bathroom, his eyes red and puffy, his face showing no signs of reasonable thinking.Â
        "Guess who I saw this afternoon?" He looked around at the confused faces and answered his own question. "Liz." Maria's eyes widened at the comment. She had come too early. It could ruin everything.
        "Yea. Weird, huh? Especially considering that I thought she was... oh that's right, DEAD!" Maria sat down trying to think. Michael headed towards Max to calm him down.
        "Maxwell...."
        "Now, what I don't understand is how no one ever TOLD ME! I mean, come on! Five years! FIVE! Down the drain!"
        "How would we tell you!? You ignored us for five years! Acted like we didn't even exist!"
        "God... and a DAUGHTER! I can never fix it." Max was whispering to himself as he ran his fingers through his hair in a panic. "What am I gonna do?"
        "Stay here. Make a family. Do things the right way. It's not too late Max." Maria looked up hopefully.
        "Yes, it is."
        "No, it's not! Listen to me Maxwell,... I wanted to leave Roswell so bad. I wanted to go back 'home.' But this is home for me. I love Maria. I don't fight that anymore. She gets on my nerves, but so do you. And you're like my only family. You need to stop thinking so much and just do it! Do it, before it really gets to be too late. Destiny is in Roswell, Max. I've noticed it, why can't you?"
        "I can't Michael! It's not that simple! Ok? I have got a life down there! A fiancee! I... am getting married."
        "But you don't love her!" Maria tried to jump in, as she constantly looked at her watch. This was a nightmare.
        "But I've been with her for three years..."
        "Max, listen to yourself! You'd rather live the rest of your life with the woman you don't love in order to reduce the chance of getting hurt by the person you actually are destined and in love with?! It makes no sense! You have to let her in Max. You were willing to give up your existence to save her, but not your life to be with her?" Maria was standing up now, grabbing his shoulders, trying to shake sense into him.
        "I can't walk down the aisle with her." He looked into Maria's eyes with an statement of pure horror. "She's your bridesmaid isn't she? I can't... I'm sorry Maria. Not with her."
        "Max... please. You have to."
        "I can't. It's like... having a taste of what I can never have."
        "WHY NOT!? She has been waiting for you Max! She knew you'd come back for her. She knew you would, because you love her. Because you guys are destined to be. Don't prove her wrong. Don't prove us wrong." Michael was mad with anger and he just stared at Max. What had happened to the boy that was willing to drop saving a planet for a touch from Liz? He had no hope anymore. He had grown cold, and now the pain of his heart thawing through was driving him insane. Max sat back on the couch and grabbed his face in his hands in frustration.
        "Look Max... for me. Please. Please...." Maria begged him on her knees. He looked up into her desperate eyes, and sighed loudly.Â
        "THANK YOU!" She hugged him tightly and then picked him up.
        "Let's go! We're already really late!" The three stood up and went out into the car.
        "No..." Max whispered to himself. It was impossible.
        "You're back! You came back for me!" Liz threw herself on top of him, her arms wrapped tightly around his neck as she held him close to her.Â
        "No... this... this is impossible." He refrained from hugging her back, keeping himself at a distance as if he didn't know her.
        "Max?" She drew back and looked into his confused eyes.Â
        "I don't... I don't understand. You're dead! You DIED in MY arms!" He was beginning to lose his mind.
        "NO! You healed me. When you told me all those things you told me that last day, when you told me you loved me and needed me... I heard your voice, Max. I followed it home and it saved me." She reached out for Max who was peeling her off of him.Â
        "No! It's impossible....!"
        "Didn't you get any of my letters?"
        "Letters?" Max repeated to himself feeling thunderstruck. There was no way....
        "If you're not here for me then... ?" Liz lowered her eyes as she realized how much sense it made. "The wedding." She cursed under her breath. How could she be so stupid? Five years and she expected him to come riding in like a knight in shining armor.Â
        "You're here for the wedding. But they never told me...." Liz rubbed her head in confusion as she walked away from him, then paced back in front of him.
        "I'm so sorry. I thought... forget it. I'm sorry." Liz began to walk back into the house, and stopped suddenly as she turned to face Max. Their eyes met and held for an instant. He could not believe this was happening. His body felt numb. So much time... so far away. She was absolutely breathtaking, even more so than he remembered.Â
        "Max... I have to tell you something before I leave." Her face saddened. It sounded like they'd never see each other again.
        "I have to tell you why I was sick all that time ago." Max's eyes widened. Finally, some answers. He had asked himself for so long what had gone wrong. He didn't know what to expect from the woman before him. It was strange how she still gave him butterflies.Â
        "Max... I..."Â
        "Mommy!!!" The little brunette came out and froze at Liz's side as she saw what looked like a duel. She stared at both of them, and her eyes grew wide. It looked so... right.
        "Eliza... meet Max Evans."
        "I met Mr. Max already, mommy." She turned her head towards him and smiled. She looked into his eyes and saw them water. She slowly let go of her mother's hand and walked towards him, her eyes full of compassion. Liz's eyes watered at the sight. This was how it should have been a long time ago. Eliza stood right in front of Max; he kneeled to be face to face with her. She touched his face in amazement, never taking her eyes off his.
        "What's wrong?" She whispered softly as she felt his body begin to shake with emotion and the tears fell down his face.Â
        "Max..." Liz's voice rang from a few feet away. "This is Eliza Marie Evans-Parker." He looked up at Liz who was crying now.
        "What have I done?" He broke down as Eliza hugged him tightly.
        "Ellie, it's time to go." Liz tried to compose herself, but felt her heart breaking. Eliza let his tears flow for a few more second, then she pulled away.Â
        "I love you Daddy." She smiled slightly and walked to her mother. Alex came out and the two girls got in the car.Â
        "Liz..." Max could barely speak. His voice was hoarse with emotion and his eyes said all he couldn't. She looked back at him from her car door. Her big, brown eyes were watery and distraught, her eyeliner beginning to smudge. Pieces of her hair fell from her ponytail and Max felt the familiarity of the situation. Then end of sophomore year, when she'd left him. She had given him the same look. The question now was, would he let her get away again? She mouthed the words I love you, and got into her small Mitsubishi Mirage. Max looked as they drove off. He was exhausted. The events of just a few minutes had him feeling like he'd gotten beaten up.Â
        He walked into the house and picked up the phone to dial the familiar number.Â
        "Hello?"
        "Abigail." Max didn't sound happy.
        "Hey babe, you ok?"
        "Did you ever receive letters from Roswell, New Mexico?"
        "What?"
        "I said have we ever received any letters from Roswell, New Mexico?"
        "Max... why are you yelling. You're all riled up, you need to calm down."
        "Just tell me!"
        "I... I don't know...."
        "You're lying. You are lying! Liz sent me letters didn't she?! Didn't she!?"
        "What was I supposed to think? I had two options Max. I could give you the letters and hurt you with what seemed like some really mean joke. I mean you'd told me she was dead! And all of a sudden, she'd sending you letters!? Then they kept coming... and I was afraid! If she was alive and I had given you the letters, you would have left me!"
        "Well, guess what Abigail... I'm leaving you anyway." Max clenched his jaw in anger. He couldn't believe what was happening.
        "Max... wait! You're not thinking clearly! Max!"
        "That's it Abigail! The engagement is off. Call your parents and whatever you have to do... I want you out by the time I get back."
        "Max... be logical. We've got something great going here. Think about it. Three years down the drain?"
        "Abbie!"
        "Maybe you just need time to think. Call me back tonight. I love you." She waited for a response and he hung up the phone. How could she do that to him? How could they both!??? Now all he could do was wait.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
        "Max! Are you ready?" Maria ran in, threw her purse on the couch, and called out to Max as Michael came in behind her.
        "Max! Come on! The tailor is expecting us in about fifteen minutes!" Max came out of the bathroom, his eyes red and puffy, his face showing no signs of reasonable thinking.Â
        "Guess who I saw this afternoon?" He looked around at the confused faces and answered his own question. "Liz." Maria's eyes widened at the comment. She had come too early. It could ruin everything.
        "Yea. Weird, huh? Especially considering that I thought she was... oh that's right, DEAD!" Maria sat down trying to think. Michael headed towards Max to calm him down.
        "Maxwell...."
        "Now, what I don't understand is how no one ever TOLD ME! I mean, come on! Five years! FIVE! Down the drain!"
        "How would we tell you!? You ignored us for five years! Acted like we didn't even exist!"
        "God... and a DAUGHTER! I can never fix it." Max was whispering to himself as he ran his fingers through his hair in a panic. "What am I gonna do?"
        "Stay here. Make a family. Do things the right way. It's not too late Max." Maria looked up hopefully.
        "Yes, it is."
        "No, it's not! Listen to me Maxwell,... I wanted to leave Roswell so bad. I wanted to go back 'home.' But this is home for me. I love Maria. I don't fight that anymore. She gets on my nerves, but so do you. And you're like my only family. You need to stop thinking so much and just do it! Do it, before it really gets to be too late. Destiny is in Roswell, Max. I've noticed it, why can't you?"
        "I can't Michael! It's not that simple! Ok? I have got a life down there! A fiancee! I... am getting married."
        "But you don't love her!" Maria tried to jump in, as she constantly looked at her watch. This was a nightmare.
        "But I've been with her for three years..."
        "Max, listen to yourself! You'd rather live the rest of your life with the woman you don't love in order to reduce the chance of getting hurt by the person you actually are destined and in love with?! It makes no sense! You have to let her in Max. You were willing to give up your existence to save her, but not your life to be with her?" Maria was standing up now, grabbing his shoulders, trying to shake sense into him.
        "I can't walk down the aisle with her." He looked into Maria's eyes with an statement of pure horror. "She's your bridesmaid isn't she? I can't... I'm sorry Maria. Not with her."
        "Max... please. You have to."
        "I can't. It's like... having a taste of what I can never have."
        "WHY NOT!? She has been waiting for you Max! She knew you'd come back for her. She knew you would, because you love her. Because you guys are destined to be. Don't prove her wrong. Don't prove us wrong." Michael was mad with anger and he just stared at Max. What had happened to the boy that was willing to drop saving a planet for a touch from Liz? He had no hope anymore. He had grown cold, and now the pain of his heart thawing through was driving him insane. Max sat back on the couch and grabbed his face in his hands in frustration.
        "Look Max... for me. Please. Please...." Maria begged him on her knees. He looked up into her desperate eyes, and sighed loudly.Â
        "THANK YOU!" She hugged him tightly and then picked him up.
        "Let's go! We're already really late!" The three stood up and went out into the car.
