1 Starting Over-14
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Few years after college. This is an AU.
Authors' note: Hey everyone. We made it through the server not working. Yaay. I've had this part ready I just couldn't post it. So here you go with chapter 14.
MAX
I watch Ethan and Bryce walk quickly to the parking lot and leave. I turn back to face Liz. Her back is ramrod straight. She followed me with her eyes as I walk over to her.
"Liz." I walk over to her and lay my hand on her head. She looks up at me. Tears were glistening in her eyes. Her life was nothing but hell. Daniel was her one outlook from it. Now the devil in her life was trying to take that from her. The look on her face was devastating.
"I better go get Daniel now." She said quietly. She stood up and picked her purse up quietly.
"Liz, I'll go get him." I told her.
"I want to."
"Liz, you can't, you're in no condition to drive. I'll go and get him. You are to go straight home and I'll be there in fifteen minutes." I directed her out the door.
I went and picked up my stuff to take home. "Mrs. Lee, good evening, I'll see you bright and early tomorrow." I put on a smile for her.
"Don't fake anything with me young man. I know what's going on. And I do not expect you to be here tomorrow bright and early." She said and went back to her office work.
"Sorry, Mrs. Lee." I said. "And thank you." I closed the office door.
"Liz." I said stepping out into the hallway. I took her elbow and lead her down the hallway. I walked her to the car. Made sure her seatbelt was on and kissed her forehead.
"Fifteen minutes, Liz." I watched her leave the parking lot.
LIZ
I can't believe that man. He has no interest in Daniel there's no reason for him to try to gain custody. God, why did I get myself into this mess?
I drive carefully to Max's house. Its dark now that meeting took longer than I suspected. I don't know how that happened. The only thing I know is their trying to steal my child away from me and that it's not going to happen.
MARIA
When I saw Max standing at my door I immediately knew something was wrong.
"Max, what happened?" I asked.
"I can't explain it now, Maria." He looked tired and I could tell he just wanted to leave. "Where's Daniel?"
"He's asleep, let me get him." I said heading to my room.
"I'll carry him." He told me and followed me closely to the bedroom. He immediately scooped him up in his arms.
"Max, I want to stay with Aunt Maria." He declared. I smirked.
"Not tonight, Mommy really needs you to be with her."
"Why?" He asked.
"Because she just does. Let's get your stuff and go." He said firmly.
"Daniel, you cannot leave until you give me a goodbye hug and kiss." I reminded him.
"Aunt Maria, can I marry you?" He asked as he kissed my cheek.
"I don't think Michael would like that idea, buddy." I reminded him.
"We'll just see about that." He huffed out. He didn't like Michael. He had made up his mind that I was going to marry him.
"Ok." I kissed his cheek. I turned and faced Max. "Call me if you need anything. I can always take him, if she needs me too."
"I don't think she'll let him go for a while, Maria. But thanks for letting us know. I'm sure Liz knows she can call you anytime. You're her best friend." I hugged him. He picked up Daniel and left. God this was not looking good.
MAX
Daniel had already fallen asleep on the way home from Maria's. I slowly took him upstairs trying not to wake him. I nudged the door into his and Liz's room open. I was not at all surprised to find Liz lying on Daniel's bed and not hers. I set him down on the bed next to her. He was in that zone where they know they're awake but they won't remember it in the morning. I laid him back on the bed knowing he'd try to sit up. Liz pulled him snug against her and stoked him hair. I slipped his shoes off forgetting that sand had taken a permanent residence in them. It poured out onto the bed.
Liz chuckled. And pulled him closer. "You forgot."
"Yes, I did." With a swipe of a hand it was gone. "There won't even know it was there." I took his clothes to the hamper and brought over his pajamas.
"Regular, not the sleepers, It's hot." She called softly from the bed.
"Ok." I brought over the pajamas without the feet. "Do you have to go potty?" I asked.
"No."
"Come on." I scooped him up and was back in a minute. Liz was still in the same position.
I laid Daniel down and he automatically crawled up to his mommy. "Night, Max. Night Mama."
"Good Night, Love." Liz said and kissed his cheek.
"Good night, Daniel. Liz, we'll talk about it later."
"Good night, Max."
LIZ
I looked at the clock 1:00 a.m. Daniel was asleep next to me. I scooted out from beside him.
"Mama." He stirred and moved closer.
"Go back to sleep, darling." I moved silently out of the room. I found my way to the room next to ours. I looked inside and saw Max. He was lying awake his arms crossed under his head on his back. Sensing my presence he turned to meet my gaze.
"Couldn't sleep." I informed him taking a step closer.
"Either could I." He said patting the spot on the bed next to him.
I made my way over and sat down. "They can't really take him can they?"
"Yes, they can, but I seriously doubt that they will." He said.
"But they can?"
"Yes, love, they can."
I laid down next to him and cuddled into his side. I lay there just thinking. Before I knew it tears were running down my face. Max pulled me close as he felt my tears.
"It'll be ok, Liz." He tried to comfort me. "There's no way that anyone will allow him to take Daniel unless he's a complete idiot."
"I know."
"I won't let him take him."
"I know."
"Do you trust me?"
"Yes."
"Then why are you crying?"
I was shocked. "I don't know."
"Don't worry anymore, Liz, try to sleep, you have to go to work tomorrow." He said.
"I know." I tried to get up but his arm held me in place. I looked up with a look of confusion on my face. He smiled.
"Stay here, please, that way I can make sure you sleep." He told me.
"Fine." I relaxed. Within five minutes I was asleep.
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Few years after college. This is an AU.
Authors' note: Hey everyone. We made it through the server not working. Yaay. I've had this part ready I just couldn't post it. So here you go with chapter 14.
MAX
I watch Ethan and Bryce walk quickly to the parking lot and leave. I turn back to face Liz. Her back is ramrod straight. She followed me with her eyes as I walk over to her.
"Liz." I walk over to her and lay my hand on her head. She looks up at me. Tears were glistening in her eyes. Her life was nothing but hell. Daniel was her one outlook from it. Now the devil in her life was trying to take that from her. The look on her face was devastating.
"I better go get Daniel now." She said quietly. She stood up and picked her purse up quietly.
"Liz, I'll go get him." I told her.
"I want to."
"Liz, you can't, you're in no condition to drive. I'll go and get him. You are to go straight home and I'll be there in fifteen minutes." I directed her out the door.
I went and picked up my stuff to take home. "Mrs. Lee, good evening, I'll see you bright and early tomorrow." I put on a smile for her.
"Don't fake anything with me young man. I know what's going on. And I do not expect you to be here tomorrow bright and early." She said and went back to her office work.
"Sorry, Mrs. Lee." I said. "And thank you." I closed the office door.
"Liz." I said stepping out into the hallway. I took her elbow and lead her down the hallway. I walked her to the car. Made sure her seatbelt was on and kissed her forehead.
"Fifteen minutes, Liz." I watched her leave the parking lot.
LIZ
I can't believe that man. He has no interest in Daniel there's no reason for him to try to gain custody. God, why did I get myself into this mess?
I drive carefully to Max's house. Its dark now that meeting took longer than I suspected. I don't know how that happened. The only thing I know is their trying to steal my child away from me and that it's not going to happen.
MARIA
When I saw Max standing at my door I immediately knew something was wrong.
"Max, what happened?" I asked.
"I can't explain it now, Maria." He looked tired and I could tell he just wanted to leave. "Where's Daniel?"
"He's asleep, let me get him." I said heading to my room.
"I'll carry him." He told me and followed me closely to the bedroom. He immediately scooped him up in his arms.
"Max, I want to stay with Aunt Maria." He declared. I smirked.
"Not tonight, Mommy really needs you to be with her."
"Why?" He asked.
"Because she just does. Let's get your stuff and go." He said firmly.
"Daniel, you cannot leave until you give me a goodbye hug and kiss." I reminded him.
"Aunt Maria, can I marry you?" He asked as he kissed my cheek.
"I don't think Michael would like that idea, buddy." I reminded him.
"We'll just see about that." He huffed out. He didn't like Michael. He had made up his mind that I was going to marry him.
"Ok." I kissed his cheek. I turned and faced Max. "Call me if you need anything. I can always take him, if she needs me too."
"I don't think she'll let him go for a while, Maria. But thanks for letting us know. I'm sure Liz knows she can call you anytime. You're her best friend." I hugged him. He picked up Daniel and left. God this was not looking good.
MAX
Daniel had already fallen asleep on the way home from Maria's. I slowly took him upstairs trying not to wake him. I nudged the door into his and Liz's room open. I was not at all surprised to find Liz lying on Daniel's bed and not hers. I set him down on the bed next to her. He was in that zone where they know they're awake but they won't remember it in the morning. I laid him back on the bed knowing he'd try to sit up. Liz pulled him snug against her and stoked him hair. I slipped his shoes off forgetting that sand had taken a permanent residence in them. It poured out onto the bed.
Liz chuckled. And pulled him closer. "You forgot."
"Yes, I did." With a swipe of a hand it was gone. "There won't even know it was there." I took his clothes to the hamper and brought over his pajamas.
"Regular, not the sleepers, It's hot." She called softly from the bed.
"Ok." I brought over the pajamas without the feet. "Do you have to go potty?" I asked.
"No."
"Come on." I scooped him up and was back in a minute. Liz was still in the same position.
I laid Daniel down and he automatically crawled up to his mommy. "Night, Max. Night Mama."
"Good Night, Love." Liz said and kissed his cheek.
"Good night, Daniel. Liz, we'll talk about it later."
"Good night, Max."
LIZ
I looked at the clock 1:00 a.m. Daniel was asleep next to me. I scooted out from beside him.
"Mama." He stirred and moved closer.
"Go back to sleep, darling." I moved silently out of the room. I found my way to the room next to ours. I looked inside and saw Max. He was lying awake his arms crossed under his head on his back. Sensing my presence he turned to meet my gaze.
"Couldn't sleep." I informed him taking a step closer.
"Either could I." He said patting the spot on the bed next to him.
I made my way over and sat down. "They can't really take him can they?"
"Yes, they can, but I seriously doubt that they will." He said.
"But they can?"
"Yes, love, they can."
I laid down next to him and cuddled into his side. I lay there just thinking. Before I knew it tears were running down my face. Max pulled me close as he felt my tears.
"It'll be ok, Liz." He tried to comfort me. "There's no way that anyone will allow him to take Daniel unless he's a complete idiot."
"I know."
"I won't let him take him."
"I know."
"Do you trust me?"
"Yes."
"Then why are you crying?"
I was shocked. "I don't know."
"Don't worry anymore, Liz, try to sleep, you have to go to work tomorrow." He said.
"I know." I tried to get up but his arm held me in place. I looked up with a look of confusion on my face. He smiled.
"Stay here, please, that way I can make sure you sleep." He told me.
"Fine." I relaxed. Within five minutes I was asleep.