Spoilers: This is set in an alternate timeline. Basically Liz left after 'destiny' for longer than the summer break
Category: AU, M/L
Rating: G
Feedback: I'll luv ya forever!
Dedication: To Emma & Jenna, if you ever find the site!
AN/ I'm quite new to writing fanfic so any feedback on how to improve would be greatly appreciated.
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Once upon a time a long time ago in a land far far away…
Why is it children's stories always start like that? They're also the stories that are safe to read. You know the prince will always end up with the princess and the big bad wolf or witch as the case may be will either A) end up being brutally murdered (and they wonder where kids get such graphic imaginations) or B) thrown in a dark dank prison cell. Well if all story's that end perfectly begin with once upon a time then mine certainly will not but here it is anyway…
"Get down here NOW." Basically the way Monday mornings start at the Jason home, torture. Ok here's the cliff notes version of who and where I am, my name is Abigail or that's what I've called myself for the last year. I'm eighteen years old and in my last year at high school. I've been boarding with Mark Jason, a bigshot in some company selling software. Mark's wife Jill is only 25 and pregnant with their third child and then there's the two brats, Connie who's two and Fred who's four. I only stay here because I hardly have to pay them anything at all, poor Jill thinks her husband is the world's best asset but he treats her like mud. She's holed up in this house cooking, cleaning and taking care of the spoiled little watsits and she still doesn't complain. I'm really the only company she has so her husband lets me stay for almost nothing.
Ok so I've told you who I've been for the last year but not before that. Well if you go before this rather dull and dreary life you'll find some really strange stuff. My real name is Elisabeth Parker or as every one called me, Liz.
I had the most wonderful parents, the bestest friends anyone could ever ask for and Max. It still comes down to Max Evans, the name still sends shivers of excitement up my spine especially when I think of his dark hair and beautiful matching eyes. I'm getting ahead of my self. Max was my boyfriend and if this were a child's fairytale then Tess Harding would be the wicked witch. Problem is that in stead of being brutally murdered the witch got the prince and me, the princess got exiled.
If I had my old journal with me then I wouldn't have to explain and to be honest I can't bring my self to drag up all those painful memories so I'll just tell you this. Max, his sister Isabel, their best friend Michael and Tess where… not of this earth as Max so eloquently put it. Me and my best friends Maria and Alex got stuck in the middle of this whole big thing where we were all frequently put in danger thanks to Max & co.
But I never really minded because I had Max there and I'd have done anything for him. Then came the revelation Max and Tess were destined for each other and that in another life they were married. The best way to put it is that I snapped. I told my parents I was going to visit some relatives in New York for the holidays, got on the plane with out telling anyone but Maria I was going to New York and I just left. I never went to the relatives but found the advert for a boarder the Jason's had put in the paper and applied. Of course the media got hold of the information of a missing girl from Roswell and decided aliens had abducted me, it was all over the news. They even interviewed a girl who claimed to have seen it happen. The Jason's had looked at me a bit strangely after seeing that but they never mentioned anything and for that I'm glad.
Things have been great. I've made some great new friends at my school and had a few propositions from a potential (very cute) boyfriend, who I've told with certainty I'm not interested. I've become quite popular at the huge high school I go to and to anyone who asks I'm Abigail Jason, Jill's little sister, the girl her friends call Aby. I've been able to pull it off, until now.
I'm starting this journal on a bus with lot's of noisy eighteen and nineteen year olds gossiping or wrestling around me. Michael would have a fit if he saw me writing stuff about 'them' in such a public place but right now I have MUCH bigger things to worry about. You see this bus is for a compulsory history trip to one of the most controversial places in the history of supposed UFO sightings, Roswell New Mexico home of not only the aliens but also Liz Parker. A girl I had hoped I'd never have to face being again.
Aby.
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Liz closed the journal slowly. Why she had come, she didn't know. Sure this trip was compulsory but she could have simply up and left New York.
"Aby what's wrong? You've been so upset by the idea of this trip!" Liz's main friend Amy asked her stretching in the seat next to Liz's.
Liz looked over at her friend. Amy was really nice and had taken Liz under her wing the second she'd walked into school. She was gorgeous with long straight white blond hair, blue eyes, beautifully sculptured cheek bones and slim no matter what she ate Amy was used to getting her way but hadn't let it go to her head. She was the most down to earth person Liz had ever met and completely oblivious to how stunning she was. Amy was definitely one of the reason's Liz hadn't taken off. She felt like she owed this girl next to her a lot for not telling her who she really was.
"I just know a few to many people that live in Roswell" She answered looking out of the window beside her at the familiar land marks going past, Roswell never seemed to change at all.
Large but gentle hands covered her eyes "guess who."
Liz grinned "I have no idea that the person behind me is Timothy" she pulled the hands away and turned in her seat to see the grinning boy behind her.
It was no secret Timothy Stevens liked her. He and Amy had been friends since they were little so when Amy decided to be friends with Liz so had Timothy. Timothy was one of the most lusted after guys at their school so when word got around he and Amy were her friends Liz was accepted quickly into the 'in crowd'. If Liz still weren't head over heels for Max she would have taken Timothy up on his offer of going out on a date a long time ago.
"Timmy boy we have a problem" Amy announced smoothing out the wrinkles in her white knee length skirt and pulling on a small white cardigan over her tank top "Aby is being a pain and not telling me the REAL reason she hates alien town central."
Timothy sat down on the seat behind them and rested his chin on the back of their seat "so?" he glanced between the two.
Liz ran a hand through her longish dark glossy ringlets Jill had helped her put in the night before "so nothing. I'm telling you the truth Amy, I know to many people here."
Timothy raised his eyebrows "ah something from the mysterious past of Abigail."
Amy ruffled his short sandy blond hair "except it's not much use to us since she won't tell us any more than that she knows people here."
"Ok I know your all tired from the plane trip and now the bus trip but we have a week to explore all the historical sites Roswell has to offer!" their history teacher announced over the intercom.
Groans came from everywhere on the bus.
The teacher smirked "Your reports from this will count as twenty percent of your final grades so I suggest you make the most of your time here."
The bus came to a stop outside a motel "As I told you before it's two to a room and both must be of the SAME sex" the teacher commanded.
Liz and Amy stood up and waited while the others pushed into the isle. Liz picked up her bag and slung it on her back. She stretched and adjusted her baby pink cashmere top and tight black moleskin trousers.
Once they were finally at the door Liz allowed herself a look at the surroundings.
"Aby?" She sniffed and looked back to her concerned friend "are you sure you're ok?" Liz nodded. Amy slung an arm around her friends shoulders "come on kiddo we'll unpack and then go find something to eat. I'm starved!" Liz giggled "what?" Amy asked indignantly.
Liz shook her head "Amy you're always starved."
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"Home sweet home!" Amy said opening the door to the motel room they'd been allocated with a flourish.
Liz pushed past her and dropped her bag onto one of the two single beds in the room.
Amy scowled with distaste at the peach wallpaper and sun bleached pale green bedspreads "I think I'm starting to agree with you that this wasn't the brightest idea in the history of idea's." She dropped her bag on the other bed and pushed open a door with the toe of her shoe.
Liz sat down on her bed and grabbed the remote for a large TV "at least this place has cable" she called out to Amy, idly flicking through channels.
Amy stomped back in the room and collapsed next to Liz "great so Timothy will be in our room watching the sport channels all the time and I have to put up with a shower instead of my nightly bubble bath for a week."
Liz's stomach growled. Amy sat up "come on let's go get something to eat before it's to late" Liz turned off the TV and opened her bag for her calf length leather jacket.
Amy grabbed her coat and waited for Liz "I saw some place down the street that looked good enough" Liz followed her out and locked the door behind them.
They knocked on Timothy's door "hey you ready to go eat?" Amy asked cheerily.
Timothy nodded "you guys wanna come get some food?" he yelled over his shoulder to a group of ten of the popular kids all congregating in the room.
Amy rolled her eyes "great dinner with the sheep" Liz smiled and linked her arm with Amy's.
"Come on then" she said. As the popular crowd followed behind them "safer in a large group."
Amy snorted "Aby we come from New York and you're scared of being mugged here?"
Liz linked her other arm with Timothy "not mugged, recognized" she muttered gloomily.
Amy hummed to her self and shot scathing looks at the kids around them "They are SO stereotypical I mean look at them" she whispered to Liz "the girls talk about guys and gossip while the guys talk about sport and/or food!"
Liz sighed "don't you think your being a little judgmental?" she asked as they turned a corner.
"No she isn't" Timothy said glancing behind them "It's all about money and looks. Maybe in other schools it's different but not at ours."
Liz frowned "I hate to brake it to you but like it or not you guys have always been popular" Amy tugged at her arm and crossed the street. Liz looked down at the footpath "I think you'd see it differently if you weren't popular, I think you'd be jealous."
Amy sighed dramatically "your giving the impression this has something to do with that mysterious life of yours. Put us out of our misery and give us a clue!"
"But then it wouldn't be a secret any more…"she trailed off when she looked up face to face with the Crashdown. "Ohmigod, right lets go, turn around, come on" Liz told them pulling them away from her child hood home.
Someone opened the door and the group of noisy teenagers walked in, leaving Liz, Timothy and Amy outside.
"Aby? Aby, what's wrong?" Amy asked gripping Liz's arm so she couldn't back away any further "I know it's not the Ritz but it aint that bad." She glanced over at Timothy nervously when Liz continued to pull at them shaking her head. Timothy shrugged and took Liz by the shoulders forcing her to look up at him.
"Hey Abigail it's ok, it's just some café" he said gently.
Amy frowned "come on Timmy it's time to take things into our own hands. Pick her up" she told him with her hand resting on the doorknob.
"What?!" Timothy asked with wide eyes.
Amy crossed her arms "come on all that semester of football at least gave you some muscles, just sling her over your shoulder if you have to, we're going inside."
Timothy glanced down at Liz who was still staring at the café "are you sure that's such a good idea?" Amy glared at him "ok, ok I'll do it but if she hates us for the rest of our lives I'm telling her it's all your fault" he grumbled sweeping Liz up in his arms.
Amy smiled triumphantly and opened the door.
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Maria looked up from where she sat with her friends in a booth at the back of the Crashdown "oh great it's the New York load, I was wondering when they would show up" she muttered gloomily.
Isabel looked up from the strawberry milkshake she was sipping "what New York kids?" she asked watching the large group of well dressed teenagers sit down in the seats near the window.
"You know the lot that are staying here for a week and supposedly studying history" Michael said getting up "I gotta cook for over ten people, why couldn't they have gone to Washington DC or something."
Maria smiled at her muttering boyfriend "Hey Isabel before I go take their orders, how's Max doing with the whole Tess being evil and killing Alex deal?"
Isabel sighed "well he sits in his room and obsesses over where Liz might be, why Tess killed Alex and how come Tess actually thought he would sleep with her I mean come on she knows he's still in love with Liz." She frowned and tugged at her french plait "Maria I'm sorry we all jumped at you for saying Alex was killed by an alien." She looked up at her with tears in her eyes "you were just so obsessed with finding out the truth we thought that you had jumped to conclusions."
Maria hugged her "hey it's ok I just did what I knew Lizzie would do" she twisted her longish hair into a bun and gestured to the alien uniform she wore "and right now Liz would be yelling at me to get the tables so I better go."
Maria walked over to one of the tables "hi can I take your order?"
One of the girls nodded "yeah we'll all have a round of cokes first" Maria smiled and wrote it down.
"Hey where's Amy and Abigail?" a bleach blond chewing gum asked the girl who had told Maria their order "don't know but haven't you noticed? Timothy isn't here either" the blond rolled her eyes "oh come on Aby doesn't look at Tim that way, though god knows why he's gorgeous" there was murmurs of agreement. Maria smiled to her self, they reminded her of her and Liz.
The door chime went "its about time Stevens" someone called out. The girls by Maria looked over to the door and grinned. Maria rolled her eyes and looked at the three people just in. The guy she presumed was Timothy was a hunk and the beautiful blond beside him was stunning but it was the girl in Timothy's arms that caught her attention.
She was trying to get out of his arms "ok so we got her inside, happy?" the boy asked the blond. He put the slim dark haired girl on her feet. Maria frowned the girl still had her back to her but she could tell she was exquisite and strangely familiar. The girl slowly turned around and her eyes locked with Maria's. Maria's notebook dropped to the floor "Michael, Isabel!" she said softly then found her voice "Michael" she shrieked.
Liz sobbed and tried to back away but couldn't get past Timothy "Aby? Kiddo what's going on?" Amy asked laying her hand on her friend's shoulder and glaring at Maria. Liz just kept shaking her head and clutching onto Timothy and Amy's arms. The Crashdown was silent everyone watched the scene before them unfold. Michael and Isabel rushed to Maria's side "Maria, what's wrong?!" she pressed her hand to her mouth and nodded towards Liz.
Isabel and Michael looked up "Ohmigod" Isabel breathed "Liz?"
Liz bit her lip, tears streaming down her face and turned to rest her head on Timothy's chest and hold Amy's hand "no no no no" she murmured.
Amy stood in front of her friend "leave her alone Aby hasn't done anything to you."
Michael glared at her "keep out of this blondie, and her name isn't Aby its Liz. Liz Parker" he turned his glare to Liz "how could you do that to Max?"
Timothy sent Amy a look telling her to not do something she'd regret "Amy!, I'm sorry but you have the wrong person, this girl is Abigail Jason not this Liz Parker you're going on about."
Isabel shook her head and took a step forward "Liz? I'm sorry, it wasn't your fault. But you have to know Tess is gone now and Max still loves you" Amy stepped in front of Isabel so she couldn't get closer to Liz.
"Amy leave her alone" Liz said quietly.
Amy glanced over her shoulder at her "I'm not letting her insult my best friend!"
Maria sobbed "your not her best friend, I am!" she tried to go forward but Michael held her back "I lost Alex I can't loose you as well!"
Liz's head shot up and she turned to look at Maria "what do you mean, where's Alex?"
When no one answered she pushed past Amy and grabbed Isabel by the shoulders "Isabel Evans, where is Alex?!"
Isabel bit her lip and her eyes filled with tears "H...He died Liz, Tess killed him"
Liz stared at her for a second before slumping to the ground unconscious.
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Isabel gasped and grabbed Liz, carefully lowering her to the floor.
"Oh god, Aby!" Amy cried rushing to Liz's side at the same time as Timothy, Maria and Michael. She looked at Isabel beside her "she really is this Liz Parker isn't she"
Isabel nodded and smiled at Amy "I'm sorry."
Maria delved into her pocket and pulled out a vile "It's…"
"Aromatherapy oils, I know" Amy said waving Maria to carry on. By now the small crowd of teenagers had joined them.
Maria looked up at Isabel after a full minute and the oils had still had no affect on Liz "it isn't working, I don't think she wants to wake up"
Michael stood up and flung his apron into the kitchen stalking to the door
"Where are you going?!" Timothy called after him.
Michael turned with his hand on the door "to get the only one Liz would want to wake up for."
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Max Evans sat on the couch flicking through TV channels and trying to find something that didn't remind him of Liz, he'd been searching for ten minutes and still he hadn't found anything. He was about to go back upstairs when the front door burst open.
Michael stood breathlessly in the door "Max!"
Max stood up "what's wrong Michael?"
He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand "it's Liz"
Max's eyes widened "Liz? Are you sure?" he asked the joy evident in his voice.
Michael nodded "yeah. Look, Maria let it slip that Alex died and Liz sorta fainted
Max gaped at him "sorta?"
"Yeah, we tried to revive her but it's like she doesn't want to wake up. She's at the Crashdown"
Max grabbed his dad's car keys and ran out to the car "get in" he demanded as he started the car.
Michael got in as Max pulled out the driveway "your wish is my command."
TBC . . .
AN/ ok before I write any more of this fic I want to find out what you guys think of it.