A/N: Sorry for the long, long, long delay. I promised myself that no matter what I'd finish Landslide, so here it is. Thanks to everyone who chose to take this incredibly long and sometimes painful journey with me. Anyway, this last chapter is a little different. I wanted to mix it up a little. You'll see what I mean. Let me know if it worked. BTW, please re-read chapters 19 and 20 first. They have been revised.
Disclaimer: The same as the first chapter.
Chapter: 21 I Hope You Dance
"As an end to this ceremony and look towards the future, we'll have a speech from your class Valedictorian. Ladies and gentlemen please give warm welcome to Roswell's own Margaret Anne Evans."
Maggie stepped up to the podium followed by massive applause. She was a popular student at West Roswell High School with both faculty and classmates. She looked beautiful. Her long dark hair and creamy complexion was perfectly complimented by the red satin cap and gown she wore.
Maggie's small graceful hands were free of encumbrance. She held neither paper or cue cards, nor any other signs of a previously prepared speech. She didn't need one. What Maggie Evans had to say came from her heart. Her beautiful blue eyes, allowably her best feature, shone brightly as she looked out into the audience. With a beatific smile she surveyed the crowd of students, parents, friends, and family. More importantly, Maggie saw her family. Her diverse, often maddening, ever changing, but none the less loving family.
With a joy that radiated from within, Maggie Evans began to speak.
"As I look out amongst this sea of faces, I see my past, I see my present, and I see my future. But most of all I see my family. A family that nurtures me, challenges me, believes in me, and loves me, simply for being me. Everyone should be so lucky. So I leave you with this my fellow graduates. Not some overrated B.S. about changing the world. Instead, a few words about staying true to ones self, about rising above adversity, and about never ever giving up or giving in. And no, it's not some poem by some long dead, though well revered, poet. It's merely few words from an old song, a favorite of mine, that embodies all of my earlier sentiments and more. And since I can't sing for crap," Maggie paused as several chuckles rang forth. "I'll simple recite several key lines."
I hope you never lose you sense of wonder
Get your fill to eat but always keep that hunger
May you never take one single breath for granted
God forbid love ever leaves you empty handed
I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean
Whenever one door closes, I hope one more opens
Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance
I hope you dance
I hope you dance
Liz Evans stood on the back veranda of her family's ranch style home. She and Max had purchased it shortly after Parker's birth. She stared off into the distance seeing everything and nothing all at once.
As evening approached the setting sun cast lingering shadows across her beautiful face. This was nothing more than the trick of the light, for Liz had nothing to be sad about. All her past grievances had been eradicated by a happiness that grew daily. Her lips curved into a gentle smile as she observed the chaos that was her backyard. It was full to overflowing with family, friends, laughter, and love. The noise level was near deafening as several conversations carried on at once, music blared loudly, and her six year old son along with Maria's four year old twin girls chased after the neighbor's dog.
As great as the day had been, Liz was glad that it was finally winding down, even if the party had been her idea to begin with. Maggie had wanted nothing more than a simple family dinner. No fuss no muss. Liz had protested. She was going to throw the biggest and best graduation party in Roswell's history.
Even if it killed her.
Yeah well, be careful what you wished for. From the word go things had gone wrong. And it was all Max's fault. Liz and Maggie thought it would be really cool if Liz's father brought over a few electric grills and staff members to serve the guests authentic Crashdown orders. Nothing fancy mind you, the orders would range from numbers 1-3.
One: being a burger your way with fries. Two: Saturn rings and fries. And three: for the non fried food eaters like Isabel and Alex, hot roast beef sandwiches with homemade potato salad.
Only Max had put a kibosh on the idea. He suggested that Liz to have the party catered instead. He felt that it would be unfair to expect Jeff Parker to work on a day that he had set aside for his granddaughter's graduation. And even though Jeff said he did not mind, Liz agreed. There was only one small problem. The caters never showed up! So Jeff along with Michael ended up manning the grills last minute, while Jose gave Max a crash course in milk shake making and Liz played waitress. All and all, an interesting afternoon. Still, Liz couldn't complain. Maggie's giggles alone were worth it as she watched her family fumble around like inept jugglers. All for her.
"Hiding chica?" Maria whispered from behind Liz causing her to jump.
Clutching at her chest Liz muttered, "Jeez, where a bell or something."
Maria gave a husky laugh. "Wow. Someone's feeling old. Jeez? Really? What's next? Golly. You sound like one of the characters from that 60's show Mayberry. Next thing I know you'll be picking hayseed out of your hair and chewing on a piece of straw."
"Shut up," Liz nudged Maria with her shoulder while giggling. "What could you possibly know about Mayberry anyway? That show was way before our time."
Maria shrugged. "Every since the twins were born Michael likes to watch Nick at Night. Thinks it will make him a better father or some shit like that. He says the Andy Griffith Show aka Mayberry, reminds him that there were once gentler times."
Liz snorted. "Yeah, cause those were some real gentle times with all the lynchings and riots and race wars going on. And let us not forget the Viet Nam war, which we totally lost."
"Ok, ok, whatever, Miss History professor. Take it up with Michael." Maria suggested.
"No thanks." Liz answered as she watched her best friend's husband argue with her husband about the best way to clean a grill.
Maria nudged Liz to regain her attention. "You still didn't answer my question."
Liz stared at her friend quizzically.
"Why are you hiding?"
Liz smiled. "Oh that. I'm not. Just tired. But a happy tired."
Maria smirked. Then said, "Like after really great sex tired?"
"Maria!"
"You know the kind I'm talkin' bout," Maria rocked her hips. "The kind where fly and hair gets pulled, sometimes from the roots. The kind where you wake up the next day and your whole entire body just—aches."
"Nice." Liz rolled her eyes in mock disgust.
Maria laughed. "Don't hate. Not my fault if Max has never rocked your world like that."
'Please," Liz sputtered. "My world has been rocked plenty."
Maria scuffed "Sure it has."
"Is this a private conversation or can anyone join in?" Max asked surprising the two women with his presence.
Liz glared at her best friend accusingly. Leave it to Maria to land them in yet another asinine situation.
Maria smiled, evilly. " Please do. The more the merrier. We were just discussing world rocking sex. What's your take on it?"
Liz stifled a giggle, her good humor restored as she waited for Max to speak. From the gleam in his eyes it was gonna be classic. Everyone thought he was so vanilla. If they only knew.
Max smiled charmingly at Maria. "Are we takin' indoors or outside? Tied up or just plain ole blindfolded. What's your flavor?"
"Huh?" Maria asked with her mouth hanging open.
Both Max and Liz burst into laughter. Naturally, they were interrupted by their daughter.
"Gross! You guys are way too old to be talking about sex. You're like creeping towards forty or something. What do you think this is that old show Sex in the City? "
"And just what would you know about Sex in the City, never mind sex at all?" Max was aiming for stern, unfortunately for him he lost cool points by stammering at the end.
Both Liz and Maria eyed him with pity.
"Look dad," Maggie began and Liz almost pissed herself. Whenever her daughter began a sentence with 'look dad' it was going to end funny as hell. At least Liz thought so.
"These are not the good ole Jurassic days of Father Knows Best. These days' young women are independent and take charge. We've been known to demand sex on the first date and not bother to call the next day."
"The fuck you have." Michael who had just walked up gave a spit-take spraying them all with beer.
"Gross Uncle Michael," Maggie said patting at her hair.
"Yeah, well, you should watch what you say kid."
Liz shook her head in mock despair. This was turning into a satire. She was never so happy in her life to hear Alex, whom was helping her dad dismantle the grills announce, "Last dance everybody. Last dance."
"Later." Maggie said, before racing over to her boyfriend Jackson and dragging him onto the dance floor. He was a transfer student from Charleston, old money as far as Liz could tell. He and Maggie had been joined at the hip for the past two years, and probably a few other places as well. Liz tried not to dwell on it. She reminded herself on a daily bases that she and Max had raised Maggie right, and that Jackson was good mannered and highly respectable. And, if Maggie were to fall pregnant well—at least they wouldn't starve.
Seriously though, Maggie was a great kid and way too smart for that. If they were having sex, and Liz's suspected they were. Maggie probably made Jackson where two condoms.
Liz laughed out loud at the thought. She was turning into a nut job thanks to Maria's bad influence. When she looked up six pair of eyes were watching her speculatively.
Naturally Maria spoke first. "Wanna share with the crowd, chica? We could all use a good laugh too."
Liz smiled and shook her head. "I don't think so." Turning to her husband she said, "Speaking as an independent take charge woman, would you like to dance?"
Humor lit Max's amber colored eyes and they sparkled in the fading twilight. "It would be my pleasure," he said, leading Liz onto the dance floor.
Hip hop and rock songs had been blaring all day. So Liz was pleasantly surprised when she and Max stepped onto the dance floor. Save the Last Dance for Me by The Drifters, a late 1950's band, was playing. Liz wondered briefly who had dug up such an old relic. She quickly assigned blame to Mr. gentler times himself. Liz knew she was right as she peeped from beneath lowered lashes and spotted Michael and Maria taking the floor. She closed her eyes swaying along with Max as the lyrics washed over them.
You can dance every dance with the guy
Who gives you the eye, let him hold you tight
You can smile every smile for the man
Who held your hand beneath the pale moonlight
But don't forget whose taking you home
And whose arms you're gonna be
So darlin, save the last dance for me…
Tilting her head , Liz whispered into her husband's ear. "Did you ever think we would be this happy?"
"Not really." Max answered truthfully.
"Max." Liz chided her husband. Her dark brown eyes were huge and wounded.
"You didn't let me finish," Max chided in return.
"Ok." Liz softly acknowledged.
"No, I never thought we would be this happy. Not until after that that jerk of a Geneticist Weinberg,read the paternity results all the years ago." Max went silent as his mind flashed back to that fateful day.
Flashback: Eight Years Earlier
"I guess congratulations are in order Mr…"
"Wait. Stop! I've changed my mind."
Max spun around angrily to face Kyle Valenti. "You have got to be kidding me!" He was halfway out of his seat before he even knew it. Enough was enough. Max was going to do what he should have done all those years ago.
"Dude, just give me a second here," Kyle stated calmly and Max subsided.
Kyle ran a shaking hand through his hair before speaking again. "When all this first begin I was only thinking about myself."
Max gave angry snort while Liz and Dr. Weinberg stared on silently.
Kyle's mouth twisted in self derision. "I know right. Nothing new. Well I think it's about time I grew up. And it is way past time I let Tess go. So this ends here and now." Kyle glanced over to Dr. Weinberg. "You can forget about the results Doc."
Weinberg glanced over to Max and Liz for conformation and Max shook his head.
"No. Read them."
"Max?" Liz stared at him with huge eyes.
"Dude. Don't be a dick. Just let it go." Kyle added.
"No. I won't let it go. Not this time." Max said with a certainty that was unshakable. "That's how we got here to start with. All those years ago, I let it go. I let Liz go. Because I was too much of a coward to trust my heart instead of my head."
Weinberg looked confused, however Kyle and Liz both knew exactly what Max was talking about. "But not this time. I refuse to run away. So in a way you're right, Kyle. This does end here and now. Go ahead doctor."
Kyle threw his hands in the air as if to say I give up, while Liz reached for Max's hand in solidarity.
"In the case of Margret Anne Evans, the test results are 99.99 percent conclusive that Max Evans is the father."
Without uttering a word, Max dropped his head onto Liz's lap and bawled. He never even noticed when Kyle and Doctor Weinberg slipped from the room.
-End of Flashback-
"You see Liz," Max resumed speaking. "It was not until that day, that moment, that the past no longer had the power to hurt us. That's when I knew we would be truly happy."
Max could tell by the look in his wife's beautiful eyes that she agreed. And when she leaned forward to press a gentle kiss on his lips before returning her head back to his shoulder, he felt like king of the world.
The End
A/N2: Finished! Finally! This last chapter did not turn out exactly as I envisioned it, but I am satisfied none the less. And crazily enough, I have rediscovered the writing bug. There is this niggling at the back of my mind that wants to write a sequel around Maggie. Or maybe I am just being nostalgic. Anyway, review if you want to. If not that's ok too. I am just so happy right now to have gotten this monkey off my back.