Twilight had fallen swiftly on Alamogordo, and the darkness swooped down like a large bird...obscuring the landscape with its raven wings, and blotting out the sky. The stars, usually so brilliant when viewed from the desert, were shrouded by the clouds; made all the more dark for the lack of moonlight. Through the dimness, the bright red vacancy sign of the Oasis hotel flashed like a beacon...throwing neon glints into the surrounding desert. Reflecting off the bumper of the gray citation parked in the lot alongside the hotel. There was no sound but the faint buzz of the incandescent bulbs as the sign flicked on. Off. On. Off.
On. The windows of the rooms of the hotel were lit up briefly by the flashing light, and were then plunged into darkness again as it dimmed.
Inside the room, Liz and Max slept...unaware of the battle for dominance between the darkness and the light just beyond their window. They had found the hotel and Liz had checked them in while Max scouted the area, to make sure they really had lost Rath. There had been a bit of awkwardness at deciding who should get the bed, but Max ultimately decided he would take the floor. Too tired to even eat first, they had fallen asleep almost immediately, each finding themselves strangely comforted just by being in the other's presence.
And so the light intermittently tried to gain access to their den, but was blocked by the heavy blinds. Only a faint reddish tinge managed to find its way in, and it flashed sullenly across their slumbering forms. And they slept. And they dreamed.
~*~*~*~
Max entered the lab, trying to be quiet. All around him gleaming equipment sat, performing various functions, glowing green on their panels. Rounding a corner, he came upon two women at a desk…one of them standing, handing slides to the other. She was tall, and had vibrant, flaming red hair. She saw Max's movement and glanced up to him, but her greeting lapsed into a mere smile when he put his fingers to his lips in a plea for silence. She looked down expectantly at the woman sitting before the microscope on the desk, who seemed oblivious. The seated woman's hand reached up to turn the knob on the microscope just a bit further, and stayed to absentmindedly pull a lock of her long dark hair behind her ear where it belonged. She was completely unaware of Max's approach.
"I think we've got something here, Serena," she said, excitement creeping into her voice. "I think this could be what we're looking for." Suddenly she screamed as Max plucked her off the stool and whirled her around in the air. "Max!"
She giggled as he placed her back on the floor, and squeezed her tightly to him. She hugged back, and he could feel her breath on his neck as she whispered "I missed you."
"I missed you," he said to her softly, and pulled back to look in her eyes. There was joy there, and amusement and excitement and love. Overwhelming love. And he was even more glad than ever to be back after his two week hiatus away. Sensing her burgeoning need to tell him of her discovery, he asked. "So…you said you're on to something?"
Liz's eyes shone. "Yes," she answered. "But I'll tell you about that later. For now, I am whisking you out of here, and keeping you all to myself for the rest of the night!" Max grinned as she shed her lab coat, hanging it neatly on a hook on the wall and picking up her jacket. She turned to Serena. "Hey, check that out and let me know if it suggests to you what it suggests to me, okay?"
Serena grinned and took Liz's abandoned seat, yelling back at Max over her shoulder. "You keep that wife of yours busy for a while, eh? She practically lives in here driving me crazy when you're gone!" Liz grinned at her friend, and then turned the smile on Max, her eyes full of love, her smile full of promise.
Max grinned, completely happy. And for a moment his happiness wouldn't let him hear the rumbling sound in the distance…wouldn't acknowledge the sudden fear in Liz's face. "Max, Max what's going on?" she asked, a hand reaching out to his for support.
He grabbed her hand and yanked her along after him, trying to keep them both upright on the suddenly unsteady floor as he raced to the metal shutters covering the windows. He hit the release button with the heel of his palm, and waited tensely for the shutters to open.
They opened on a scene from hell. Liz sobbed beside him, and clenched his hand tightly. Fire was raining down upon the city beneath them, coming from the sky…from high up in the atmosphere. Below them houses and buildings burned, and people ran in the streets. Behind them, people screamed and cried out in fear when they saw what was happening.
Max closed his eyes on the sight. For a moment…for a moment only. He held Liz's hand tightly, and focused only on her…the only tangible thing in a world that had suddenly gone unreal. "Liz," he whispered…
~*~*~*~
In the hotel room, Liz's sleeping form turned over restlessly, disturbed by the images. Trails of tears ran down her face, and she mumbled something in her sleep. Beside her, on the floor, Max also tossed and turned. They slept on.
~*~*~*~
Liz and Max were on her balcony, back in Roswell…younger than only a moment ago…young like they were now. They lay together on a lawn chair, looking up at the stars. The peace and tranquility of the night created an idyllic scene, and Liz sighed and nestled her head comfortably against Max's chest. "It's so beautiful," she said. "I wish we knew which star was yours..."
"My star," Max said, his voice floating and drifting along. Liz felt like she was in a fog; pleasantly so, and her fingers entwined with Max's as he looked down into her upturned face. He brought his other hand up to caress her cheek and in that moment Liz felt more special and loved than she ever had in her life. "You're my star," he whispered, "you're my home." And his lips met hers tenderly.
And the next thing she knew Max was on the floor of the balcony, breathing heavily, and there was blood…blood everywhere, and he was dying, and she didn't know what to do and…
"Max!"
~*~*~*~
Liz cried out in her sleep, and Max twitched in response. Alarm bells were going off in his head, and part of him struggled to awaken. To help Liz. But he was embroiled in the dream, and the bit of him that had struggled to the surface of his consciousness sank back down again, entangled in the net the dreams had cast over them both.
~*~*~*~
The world trembled, and rocks fell from the ceiling as they entered the chamber. Two forms ran huddled over, trying to protect themselves from the carnage happening all around them. One of the forms, the smaller one, tripped as they stumbled into the chamber, and the taller form reached out to steady her. He grasped her by the arms, and looked into her eyes.
"I won't leave you," Max said.
Liz tried to push him away. "No, no no Max, you have to."
"If I'm successful, if I can do this, you and I won't exist. Not as we do now."
Liz tried to hold back the tears. Tried to remember why they had to do what they had to do. "Max, if you don't do this, we're gonna die. Everyone will. Max, you have to do this. You have to try it."
"I'll never see you again," he said, and watched the way the flickering lights played against her features…all so familiar to him. The thought of never seeing her again broke his heart…broke it because he knew he had to do this. "Thank you."
Liz looked at him quizzically. "For what?"
"For every kiss, every smile."
Moved by his words, and the knowledge that this was in all probability the last time she'd ever see him, it was suddenly important to her to tell him everything in her heart. "Max, I don't have any regrets."
He looked at her, into her…into her heart. And she knew that he understood. She nodded, and he turned to the granilith. Max knew he had to do this before he could think about it any more.
Because if he looked at her for one more moment, he wouldn't be able to go through with it. He slid out a long, slender crystal…placing gently into a hollow tube in the granilith. There was a flash, and a moment later he was in the granilith. He could still see the chamber…still see Liz below him, looking up at him…loss already etched upon her face. Max closed his eyes.
The bond formed between them so long ago filled the distance between them, and Max let it flow around him. He drew it close to him, reveling in it, knowing it was the last time he would be able to communicate with her this way. He could feel her sorrow within him, all around him, and also her love. He opened his eyes again and looked down at her. I can't…I can't do this…I can't……. he thought, even knowing that it was already too late. He reached out his hand; wanting to touch her one last time.
Liz got as close as she could and reached up her hand to him…wanting to touch him one last time….
And the chamber quaked…sending her falling to the ground. When she looked up, he was gone. He was gone. It hit her, as the destruction became complete around her. She'd lost him. She'd never see him again. He'd gone back to change the last fourteen years, to keep them from ever being together. And the sound that burst from her throat was a keening, as she cried. "Aah! Ma…Max!"
~*~*~*~
"Max! Max!" Liz's pitiful moaning finally broke Max out of sleep's spell, and he pushed to his feet. Rushing to her side, he sank to the bed next to her and pulled her struggling form into his arms. "Shhh," he said, trying to soothe her, "shh, Liz, it's okay. You're dreaming. Liz…Liz wake up."
Unaware, Liz continued to writhe in his embrace, distraught by the images she continued to see.
"Max!" she called out again, "please, no….I can't be here without you! Please…come back, take me with you! God Max, please don't leave me!"
Max went cold as he realized they'd been sharing the dreams…as he realized where she still was; what she was still seeing. "Liz," he said urgently, still trying to hold her. "Liz I'm right here. I'm right here. I haven't left. Wake up, Liz. Look at me."
His words seemed to gradually have an effect on her, and her struggles slowly ceased. Her breathing calmed a little, and she choked on her sobs. Her eyes opened and she looked at him, her eye lashes spikey and wet from her tears. Max belatedly realized that his own face was wet, that he'd been crying and he hadn't even realized it. They stared at each other for a moment, and he could see the understanding come to her eyes, as well. They'd shared those dreams. Been stuck in them together. And they both knew that they weren't really dreams.
Liz clung to him, and he held her tightly, feeling her trembling in his arms. Everything they had just seen was right there in their minds, and the hopelessness of their situation hit them again, full force in that moment. Liz couldn't stop herself from crying, and Max found himself hard pressed not to. He tried to comfort her. "Liz," he said, but his voice broke and he couldn't go on. He shut his eyes and pressed his cheek against her hair…fitting perfectly against her as she leaned into him.
Liz cried silently into Max's chest, her arms around him tightly, wanting only to hold on to him forever. He could feel her body quaking, pressed against him, and tried to pull her closer. The scent of her hair enveloped him, and he lost himself within it.
Sensing a slight change in the vibe between them, Liz pulled back a little and looked up at him. He looked down at her and thought how, even with her eyes red from crying and her hair disheveled, she was still the most beautiful woman in the world to him.
Liz saw the desire in his eyes, in his face, and she felt herself drawn in by it. She was acutely aware of his arms around her, and the feel of his skin beneath her hands. They were so close…not kissing him right now was killing her.
And it was killing Max. She was right there, in his arms…beautiful and wanting him, and he loved her. He knew it now, beyond a shadow of a doubt. He was in love with Liz Parker, and he always would be. Without her…there was nothing. Nothing, now that he had seen what they were together. The agony of not kissing her in that moment was exquisite.
All Liz could do was feel. All of her rational thoughts had fled her mind, and she could see only Max. Feel only Max. Breathe him, taste him, want him. She needed him, and the desperation within her grew to be an unbearable pressure. We can't, we can't…can't ever be together… But in that moment she didn't care. Just for that moment, she was willing to throw everything else away, if it meant she could be with Max.
As if he'd read her mind, Max bent his head down to hers and their lips met. Remembering the dreams they had just shared, Liz wondered maybe he is reading my mind…. Softly at first, his tongue delved into her mouth and she received him eagerly, her mind floating somewhere above the bed. All of her other senses seemed suspended, all she knew was the feel of him against her…his lips, his hands, his chest against hers, the length of his leg running along her shin from where they sat adjacent to each other.
Max moaned lightly into Liz's mouth…overwhelmed by the amazing sensations coursing through him. Responding to his arousal, Liz's own tongue darted out and flicked against his lips, and Max lost any and all rational thought he had previously been able to hold on to. Pulses speeding up, things quickly elevated between them. They were frenzied, and desperate, and passionate. Everything from the outside world was lost to them…it all came down to just the two of them, Max and Liz.
~Flash~
Kissing, kissing on their wedding day, kissing hello as Max returned from his journey…kissing one last desperate kiss as the world crumbled apart around them, the granilith glowing serenely behind them.
~Flash~
Throwing herself away from him with a cry, Liz half jumped, half fell off the bed. "What are we doing?!" she wailed. "What are we doing? How can we even…God, Max, this is exactly what you said cemented our relationship. It's what changed things forever. We can't, we can't let that happen."
Max's voice was low, serious…but he couldn't hide his feelings for her. Not any more. "I know."
Liz looked at him and tried not to be drawn back into his eyes…those eyes, dark with passion and need…her own need reflected back to her. "I mean it, Max! I mean it…" her voice broke, as emotion threatened to overtake her again. Max reached for her and she jumped back from him. "No, don't touch me! We can't touch….we can't talk…we can't even ever be around each other. Because just by knowing you, I love you, and I can't stop myself!" She continued to try to pull away from him, but her efforts were growing weaker. It was so hard to fight against what she wanted…so hard to keep fighting. Overcome with the anguish of it, she finally allowed herself to be pulled into his arms again.
Holding her tightly, he whispered, almost to himself. "I can't do this, Liz….I can't live without you in my life." He stared at her helplessly…torn; knowing that they couldn't be together, but wanting to be as he'd never wanted anything else in his life.
Irrevocably, inevitably, she found herself gazing into his eyes again, and she came to a decision. Somehow her hands were suddenly around his neck, fingers tangling in his hair. "Tonight," she said, fresh tears spilling over. "If I can't be with you for the rest of my life, then let us at least have tonight."
His eyes widened. Did she really think that was all he wanted? One night, and then forget about her? As if he'd be able to? No…one night wasn't enough…he wanted her forever, mind body and soul. "Liz, no, that's not what I…."
"I know," she said, and she pressed her fingers against his lips to stop him. His thoughts were reflected clearly on his face. "I know…It's not enough for me, either. But…it's all we have."
He looked at her with sorrow etched on his face as he recognized the truth. "One night," she said again… "one night to last us the rest of our lives."
Yes, Max thought as they came together again. Yes, one night, Liz. To last forever. But I won't move on after this…I can't. I'll love you forever. My first…a part of me Tess will never be able to touch….you'll be my only at heart.
His lips descended upon hers; their bodies pressed together. Her fingertips traced across his chest, up to his shoulders, down his back as he trailed kisses along her jawline and down her throat. Oh God, Max, she thought as she shivered under his touch, I love you…
Bringing a hand up to touch her face as he had the previous night in the Crashdown, Max watched her close her eyes and savor his touch. "I love you too," he said. Liz's eyes opened, but there was no surprise in them. She arched up to kiss him again, and they both tried to imprint every movement, every sigh, every moment of sweetness upon their memories, to keep with them for all eternity. To last forever. Running his fingers through her hair, he felt her pressing against him, and they melted together as they sank back onto the bed.