Chapter 2


Two hours later, the Czechs where still at the Crashdown. Liz wouldn't even look in their direction and if Maria asked her who the guy was Liz would change the subject, and sometimes she would even ignore Maria.

"Liz, why won't you answer? Who was that guy? Liz, babe, please? We are worried. You know our history with new people," Maria said as she followed Liz around insisting for an answer.

Liz, suddenly stopped and turned, making Maria crash into her, and said harshly and in a very loud, cold voice, "If it is the Czech thing that has you worried then don't. This has nothing to do with them. This is about me and I don't want to talk about." Without apologizing, Liz continued working, leaving a stunned Maria and her audience in shock.

They couldn't believe Liz just yelled at Maria, or that she was capable of even mustering that tone of voice. Liz had similar thoughts running through her head.

Maria made her way to their booth, again. "Maria, are you alright?" Michael asked, curiously. He cared for her but he wasn't going to say out loud.

"Yeah, I'm just surprised." Maria was still in shock from Liz's outburst.

"Maybe she's still shaken up from her earlier meeting with that guy." Isabel sympathized. She was trying to help. She cared for the humans and seeing how Liz yelled at Maria, Isabel was truck with the sudden need to be more understanding, and show a little affection.

Max's face-hardened and his body tensed when he heard about the earlier events that transpired between the stranger and Liz. He chose not to say anything about it, but said anyway, "Why don't we stay after closing time? So we can talk about things."

"You'll have to ask Liz, because I'm not going to. "Maria, finally came out of her daze.

"I'll ask her." Max jumped to the opportunity to talk to Liz.

"No, I'll ask her. Seeing that she seems to not want to talk to you." Isabel said logically looking at Max wondering was up with him. Since he came home last night he had been tense she figured it had something to do with Liz, but Max hadn't said anything.

"How can you tell?" Max asked a little hurt about the truth behind her words.

"Well, if the fact that she hasn't even look this way is any clue, I really don't know what to say." Isabel answered. She knew Max was hurt by what she said, but he could be dense sometimes.

"Fine, so when are you going to ask her because there's only an hour left."

Max looked down the table to conceal the hurt he still felt. Everyone was silent after that. They didn't approve of his relationship with Liz, but they could see he was hurt. Maria and Max, on the other hand, had other thoughts like; 'Who was that guy? What's up with Liz? Is she in trouble because of him, if so is that why she's acting this way?'

On the other side of the Café, in front of the cash register Liz was also preoccupied by her own thoughts. 'What happen that made David come back to Roswell? Is he in trouble, if so what kind of trouble? I can't believe I talked that way to Maria.' She had spent most of the day ignoring and avoiding them. For one, she knew if she talked or even went near Max, she would brake down and she didn't want that. Secondly, she needed to know what was up with David. She was so deep in thought that she didn't feel Isabel come near her, and when Isabel tapped her in the shoulder she was startled, losing her hold on the money she was trying to count.

"What do you want?" Liz asked as she picks up the money.

"Could you be a little less mean? Anyway I'm here to ask you if we can stay after you close, so we can talk about the earlier events," seeing that Liz was about to protest she added "I mean, over the week, not with that guy." The tone of voice Isabel used when she finished that sentence clearly indicated her distaste for the interloper.

"Fine." Liz didn't like the idea, but figure that saying 'no' would lead to more questions.

"Could you be present?" Isabel asks innocently, knowing that Liz didn't want to be there. Isabel also thought that it would also be a great opportunity to questions Liz.

"Sure," was Liz short answer. She couldn't see a way out of this. Besides, when David came she could take him to her room. Seeing as her parents wouldn't be here, since they were out of town for two days.

Isabel returned to the booth. "She said it was okay and she will be here. "She smiled in triumph and took her seat in their booth.

"She's going to be here? During our meeting?" Max asked. He became fully alert.

"She said she was." Isabel turned her attention to Maria. "Are you staying?"

"Of course. I wouldn't miss it," Maria answered. She stood from her seat at the booth, and slipped away to help Liz close the Café.
After closing, Liz asked if they could wait until she changed clothes and took a bath. She didn't even wait for an answer, but instead headed towards her room. Half an hour later she came down wearing a red sweater, black jeans and a pair of sandals.

'How am I suppose to concentrate if I'm beside you?' were the thoughts running through Max and Liz heads as they stared at each other. It was inevitable. As soon as she came down stairs, their eyes and they were lost in each other, the rest of the world slipping away.

'Liz, concentrate on David. His safe territory and his in trouble and he is your-' Liz thoughts were interrupted as Michael said sarcastically. "Are we here on a meeting or are we on a staring contest." Liz and Max blushed and stopped staring at each other.

"Can we get on with the meeting and let the sarcastic remarks for later?" Liz impatiently approached the booth with Max, Michael, Isabel, and Maria right behind her.

"What's the rush that we had to meet tonight?" Liz ask irritatedly as she took her seat in the booth. It was clear to others that she was not happy, but they chose to ignore her lack of cooperation. Once they were all seated, Isabel asked, "Why are you dressed up? Meeting someone behind our backs?"

"How was I suppose to come to the meeting in my night clothes? And if I was meeting someone it's none of your business." Liz answered angrily. She didn't want to be rude, but David made her promise she wouldn't tell he was here, besides they wouldn't understand what was going on and she had a feeling David was in trouble. She didn't want to get them in more trouble than they were already in. It was her problem--not theirs.

"How about we start the meeting?" Michael said deciding to be the one to stop the argument he was sure would be if they didn't stop. He was thinking that now wasn't the time to ask Liz question. She was upset and too stubborn to answer any question. He look over at Max and he notice that Max was far away from Liz but was staring at her with a yearning in his eyes that had been gone for a while. To be more specific since he was with Liz but then he remember the talk they had. "I hope he didn't do anything stupid." Michael thought knowing Max he was sure he did. What Max didn't see when they talked was that he and Isabel were jealous. They were jealous that he could find someone and easily accept him knowing what they were and that's why they told him that he should keep his distance from Liz, but he learned to respect them.

"Yeah. Is Alex coming?" Maria asked once she saw what Michael was trying to do. But she did her best to try and keep her eye of Liz. Now she was mad at Liz because of they way she treated her earlier.

"No, he isn't. He said he couldn't something to do with his father." answer Isabel finally taking her eyes of Liz. She couldn't believe how she was acting. She look over at Max and saw that he was still staring at Liz he hadn't taken his eyes from her. It seems as if he didn't even know everyone else was there. It was like he was in a world where only he and Liz existed and it was becoming sickening. Isabel elbows him from her seat next to him, trying to get him out of his daze.

"Let's get started." Max stated it wasn't a question, it was more like a command. Everyone could see he was in his 'I'm in charge mode.'

"We have to--" Max didn't get to finish, because he heard a gasp coming from Liz and asked, "Liz, are you all right?"

"Yes. It's nothing." Liz answered. They could tell she was lying. But Liz didn't notice the looks they gave her. Her thoughts were on David. She had felt that David was in trouble. They have always had a connection, but right now she decided not to pay attention to it. One part of her thought, 'David had promised he wouldn't get in trouble', but the other part said 'when has David not gotten into trouble?' Besides, it was 10:30. She had closed earlier due to the low clientele. So he still had half an hour to get there and if he didn't, she would give him fifteen minutes more, since he was always late. Now, if he didn't get there at that time, she would start to worry then.

"If you're okay, then can we keep the interruptions to minimum? Besides, weren't you the one that was crazy for this thing to be over?" Maria asserted her attitude. She was tired of the act Liz was putting up. Because that's what it was an act and 'she better clean up because she's making a lot of people unhappy.' Maria thought.

Before Liz could answer, Max cut off anyone's reply, "As I was saying, we have to be more careful. We don't know what Miss Topolsky is after or what Sheriff Valenti's up to."

And that's how the meeting went. They talked about Topolsky, Nasedo, and Sheriff Valenti, and what was going to be their next plan of action. Michael was his usual self, wanting to take action in the instant. But didn't have any option but to resign to Max's orders. Seeing logic in it.

"We'll lay low," Max directed his gaze at Michael, "and we don't trust any stranger that gets near us." Max said this looking at Liz.

Liz, seeing his look, said, "If you say it because of me you don't have to worry. I know who to trust and I thought you trusted me. Just because I don't tell you who a guy is doesn't mean anything, it only means I don't want to tell you who he is, and besides I don't have to tell you guys everything about my life." She had proven she could be trusted, then why couldn't they leave her alone and let her make the decisions of her life for herself?

Maria seeing a glimpse of the Liz she had came to miss even if it was that she was kind of missing for a day said, "Liz, we just worry about you. You don't act this way and suddenly a stranger comes and you're hole attitude changes."

"Look, I'm not in trouble and you wouldn't understand." Liz answered in a quiet voice, full of sorrow. Her eyes were also showing sorrow. She had forgotten the others where there, when she answered, that's why the sorrow was evident. David coming back brought happy, but painful memories of a time long ago.

They were surprised when they heard Liz's voice and saw here eyes. They wondered what Liz was keeping from them.

They were going to say something when they heard the phone ring. Liz got up and picked it up. "Hello. Liz Parker speaking."

"Sorry to bother you, Miss Parker this is Sheriff Valenti." Sheriff Valenti said from his side of the phone.

"How may I help you Sheriff?" Liz asked worriedly.

When they heard the name of the Sheriff they became alert.

"Miss Parker we had to detain a person who says he knows you. He said he name is David."

"What did he do?" Liz decided to kill David the next time she saw him.

To be continue…