Disclaimer: See first part
AN/ This will be the final part. I honestly can see no point to continue when I can't think of much else to write. If I have some sort of epiphany towards the story you guys will be the first to know.
Long time gone part two
Liz stretched and breathed in the comforting scent of her room. She froze, her room, not the one in New York but in Roswell. She slowly opened her eyes and looked around, the room was identical to when she had left.
Liz flung back the covers and finger combed her curls.
There was a timid knock on the door "Liz? You up?" Maria asked through the door.
Liz sighed and straightened her back waiting for the inevitable wrath of her friends, she'd gotten out of the onslaught last night by fainting. She slumped again at the thought of Alex, this wasn't what she'd been expecting to find when she came back "yeah come in Maria."
Her friend slipped in holding two glasses of orange juice "sleep well?" she asked giving Liz a glass.
Liz nodded and glanced down at her cup "look Maria, spare me the idle chitchat and skip to the part that involves yelling bloody murder at me."
Maria laughed and sat down beside her on the bed "chica, I wasn't intending to ever do that."
Liz frowned and sipped her juice looking back at Maria's face "why not?"
Maria shrugged "because I'd be a hypocrite." She told her quietly "if I'd been in your place I probably would have done the same thing you did. The way I look at it is that telling you, you were wrong would be incredibly hypocritical of me"
Liz stared at her another few seconds before looking back down at her drink "I've missed talking to you Maria"
Maria chuckled "well there's a first time for everything I guess. I missed you as well Lizzie"
She slung an arm around Liz's shoulders "but there's a certain Czechoslovakian who missed you even more"
Liz smiled "he really missed me?"
Maria drew back and stared at her wide-eyed "Liz that boy is a basket case without you. He went to look for you himself when the police couldn't find you and after he came back he was forever distracted by the thought of you, you could see it in his eyes."
Maria nodded to herself still caught up in the memories "yep, you are all he ever thinks about. Michael could learn a lot from Max" She stood up and took Liz's arm, tugging at her to stand up "so I propose that we go and put Max out of the misery he's been in ever since you left."
Liz followed her "are you sure about this?"
Maria pulled Liz out of the room "I'm positive, now move!"
Liz stopped just inside the doorway to the kitchen and just looked. Max was leaning against the sideboard talking to Michael while Isabel at the table filing her nails.
"Hello? Wake up you lot, sleeping beauty is up" Maria complained pushing Liz into the kitchen and sitting her down in a chair opposite Isabel.
Isabel put down her nail file and genuinely smiled at Liz "welcome home Liz, I kind of forgot to say that yesterday."
Liz blushed and glanced over at Max.
He smiled reassuringly at her "Amy said she'd come and pick you up before your classes this morning"
Liz groaned "I forgot about school!"
Michael wrapped his arms around Maria "where are you going today?"
Liz frowned thinking back to her schedule "I think we're going to sit in on a few of the classes at the high school"
Isabel raised her eyebrows "you're going to be recognized by a lot of people"
Liz shrugged "I have a lot of friends at my new high school so they'll deny I'm Liz Parker"
Isabel smiled "so your really popular in New York?"
Liz nodded sheepishly "not by any choice of mine. When people heard that Amy and Timothy were my friends popularity sort of came with the package, especially when they heard Timothy liked me." Her eyes widened when she realized what she'd said "of course I only like him as a friend" she added quickly stealing a glance in Max's direction.
Maria giggled "looking the way you do, I'm not surprised Timothy likes you"
Liz frowned and looked down at the cashmere top and black trousers she was still wearing "what's wrong with the way I look?"
Isabel rolled her eyes "nothing at all, lets just say you've definitely grown into yourself" she looked at Max's scowl and laughed "I think I might shut up before Max goes and kills every guy that's ever looked at you"
Michael broke in before Max could say anything "okay let's stop before this gets any uglier"
Maria nodded and narrowed her eyes "so what's the deal with that Amy girl? She's obnoxious"
Liz pursed her lips "jealous Maria?"
She snorted "absolutely not!"
Isabel pushed back her chair and went to open the fridge "yeah, right"
Liz smiled and watched Michael cover Maria's mouth with his hand before she could say anything. Max sat down next to her "you okay?"
She nodded and finally asked the question she'd been dreading to ask, "Max where are my parents?"
He took one of her hands in his own "on a conference up north. They'll be back tomorrow."
Liz swallowed and breathed a sigh of relief.
He squeezed her hand "I have to ask, are you gonna stay?"
Liz looked up into his pleading dark eyes "I…I don't know. I mean I want to stay here but at the same time I have this whole other life in New York with great friends and perfect grades not to mention a woman who's been a sister to me."
Max nodded and closed his eyes.
"That doesn't mean I won't stay, it's just that I have to sort through a few things first. Please don't hate me Max" she pleaded.
Max's eye snapped open and he clutched her hand "Liz how could you think I'd hate you? I love you so much and I promise I'll love you what ever you choose"
Liz nodded and swallowed back the tears that threatened to consume her "but why would you still even care for me after what I've put you through?"
Max smiled "I don't blame you Liz."
She sighed and sniffed looking around for the others "where'd they go?" she asked Max.
Max looked up and grinned "decided to leave us alone"
Liz smiled and leaned closer to him "yeah but their listening through the door" she whispered
Max nodded "but of course"
Liz stared mesmerized by his lips "uh they're so, you know . . ."
"Predictable?" Max finished for her chuckling quietly
Liz licked her suddenly dry lips "uh yeah, predictable" she pushed back her chair and stood up trying to distance herself from Max.
Max sighed understanding her sudden change of heart "come on then, Amy will be here soon."
***
Once Amy had come and dragged Liz out things seemed to get infinitely better and worse at the same time. On one hand you could have cut the tension between Max and Liz with a knife but now she had to face answering Amy and Timothy's questions.
"So?" Amy finally asked her.
Liz frowned at Amy's back while she inserted the key to their room in, "so what?" she asked
Amy rolled her eyes "duh, did you and Max go at it?"
Liz's mouth dropped open "AMY!"
The girl giggled and finally opened the door, just missing the play slap Liz aimed at Amy's head "was it something I said?" she asked innocently between bursts of giggles.
Liz shook her head in exasperation, collapsing back onto her bed "I don't have to tell you but I will, NO! Everything between me and Max is so . . . tense, I don't even know how to deal."
Amy sat next to her "look Aby, I'm gonna call you Aby cause it suits you more than Liz. It is sooo obvious to a die hard romantic such as I, that you and Max have this whole big 'soul mate relationship' deal going on as well as torturing your selves with this 'forbidden love' that really isn't forbidden."
She took a breath and looked down for Liz's reaction.
Liz's eyes were hooded with a long ago pain "it was when I left"
Amy perked up "ooh you mean that Tess chick? Well she's gone, don't dwell in the past. There is a tall, dark, handsome and mysterious guy out there that is completely in love with you! If you don't take advantage of this image of almost every single woman on the face of the planets desire you will be letting down not only your self but woman everywhere!"
Liz looked over at her "where the hell do you get this stuff?"
Amy shrugged "like I said, I'm a die hard romantic with a bookshelf full of well read romance novels. I'm entitled to be excited that my best friend gets something I'd love to have but probably never will"
Liz sighed and sat up squaring her shoulders "well I'll just take it one day at a time. Today I'm going with my new school to my old school under a fake name and history" she grabbed a towel and headed towards the bath room "this day can not possibly go well."
***
Liz looked around her and sighed. The group of New Yorkers had only just walked in the doors and all ready people she'd not seen for a year were staring and whispering.
"Oh this is just great" she whispered to Amy "I'm not in this place for two seconds and all ready they've noticed me"
Amy rolled her eyes and turned to Liz taking her by the shoulders and studying her "look from what I heard from your friends you weren't exactly miss spontaneous or anything, but now? Well maybe they're noticing you cause you're gorgeous!"
Liz frowned "not true"
Amy shrugged and gestured to the black tank top and leather knee length skirt Liz wore "not really little bo peep anymore are you"
Liz just shook her head wearily "all I'm saying is this is going to get a lot worse before it gets any better."
Amy tugged at her arm and steered them into a classroom full of people all to familiar to Liz, with the rest of their own class.
"Welcome to Roswell" the teacher at the front said.
Liz groaned quietly and tried to hide behind Amy in her baby blue tank top and white three quarter length trousers "oh god it's Mrs. Linton, one of my old teachers" she hissed.
Their own history teacher shot a disapproving look in Liz and Amy's direction "thank you kindly. We're excited to be here" she told Mrs. Linton, ignoring the murmurs of disagreement behind her "and we thank your class for having us" she continued.
Liz glanced around the room and counted that maybe half the class would recognize her and a couple of people she would have called friends, especially Max and Maria who sat near the front and were obviously trying to keep the smirks off their faces. Kyle sat not far behind them.
Timothy took Liz's hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. He'd told the rest of the group who'd witnessed the drama at the Crashdown that Liz had been mistaken for her cousin, seeing as no one knew of anyone in Liz's family except Jill they hadn't questioned him. Ever since Timothy had hardly spoken to Liz at all though whether it was for her own safety or that he resented her, she wasn't sure.
"So maybe it's best if we partner up a student from Roswell with a student from New York" Liz's teacher droned on.
Mrs. Linton smiled "a wonderful idea, partner up"
Liz panicked and held onto Timothy's hand tighter. She felt Amy pull Liz's hair tie off "keep your head down so no one will see your face though if it was me I'd be having the time of my life acting out the prodigal daughter who returns."
Liz nodded and glanced at the familiar faces around her "hey stranger"
She looked up at Maria's smiling face and returned the smile "partner?"
Maria looked offended "you would choose anyone else?" she shot scathing looks at Amy "your little fiend has taken quite a shine to Max, I'd be careful"
Liz chuckled and looked over to where Max and Amy stood talking quietly, every now and then looking in Liz's direction. She searched for Timothy and found him talking animatedly about sport with Kyle "past and present collide" she murmured.
Maria frowned "whatever, seeing as you know the town like the back of your hand we can sneak off and do something interesting" Liz laughed "sure."
***
After walking around the shops and park for an hour Maria finally decided Liz should choose another person to surprise with her presence. Liz had chosen Jim Valenti, in her mind the one person who wouldn't go into hysterics when he saw her.
Maria pulled her coat tighter and knocked on the Valenti's door "you know Kyle was so torn up when Tess left"
Liz stared at her in surprise "Tess and Kyle were going out?"
Maria shook her head and gazed around the porch "no, more like brother and sister. When he finally remembered she'd mind warped him into thinking the body he carried out to the car was her bags he obviously felt really betrayed."
Liz nodded "I'll bet, anyway why would the sheriff be here during the day?"
"Probably because he's not the sheriff anymore, he was fired or quit I can't really remember" Maria replied.
The door swung open and the sheriff peered out at Maria "hello Maria, what can I do for you"
She grinned and grabbed Liz's shoulder pulling her into view "surprise!"
Valenti blinked "Liz? Uh, come in!" he stuttered standing back and opening the door wider.
Maria pushed Liz in and followed "Liz has been living the high life in the big apple. Those kids from New York that are suppose to study our so-called history? Liz was . . . is one of them"
The Ex sheriff sighed and sat down on a couch and motioned for Liz and Maria to draw up two chairs "well, I can't say I was expecting this when I answered the door. How are you Liz?"
She licked her dry lips and shrugged "over whelmed"
He nodded and narrowed his eyes "do your parents know you're back?"
She shook her head and looked down at her hands in her lap "I'm kind of hoping you'd call them"
Maria looked at her in surprise "you want him to call your parents?!"
Liz looked up at Jim Valenti "as much as I've loved my life in New York, I'll always belong here. I'm staying"
Maria squealed and hugged Liz enthusiastically.
Jim picked up the cordless phone and dailed the number "I'll tell them to go to the Crashdown, it'll take them at least an hour to get here if they go fast which they will"
Liz nodded her understanding and stood up pulling Maria with her "come on lets go find the others"
They only heard the first sentence of the conversation on the phone before they left.
"Nancy? It's Jim, she's home"
***
Liz and Maria ran through the doors to the school and carried on running towards the classroom where the others were "bye bye cover" Liz laughed breathlessly at the bemused faces that obviously recognized her.
They burst into the classroom and slowed down. There were loud murmurs from the class when they saw Liz "Max, I got Valenti to call my parents. They're on their way back" Liz gasped resting her hands on her knees to catch her breath.
"Elizabeth Parker?!" Mrs. Linton asked in shock. Liz's history teacher shook her head "Abigail Jason you're late!"
Amy stood up with Max and Timothy "shut up you old bag" she hissed as she strided towards the door and held it open.
Max grinned and took Liz's hand in his own while Maria and Timothy pulled Kyle to his feet "LIZ?!" he finally asked in shock.
The group stopped outside Michael and Isabels chemistry room and knocked on the door before Amy slipped in "hey, we need to borrow Michael Guerin and Isabel Evans for a moment"
They immediately got up and headed out the door "thanks, ciao" Amy told the teacher breezily, before he had a chance to react.
"What's going on?" Michael demanded
Amy took Liz's other hand "skipping, what did you think?"
Maria scowled at her "Liz got Valenti to ring her parents, she's staying in Roswell and they'll be back any minute"
Kyle hurried after them "what's going on?"
***
It took them another ten minutes before they finally reached the Crashdown with the Parker's car out the front. On the way there they'd filled Kyle in on what he'd missed.
Liz tightened her grip on Max's hand and stared through the glass at her parents talking excitedly with Jim Valenti.
"You guys go in and introduce Amy and Timothy" Max said quietly
They nodded and Amy let go of Liz's hand to follow the others into the Crashdown.
Max raised Liz's chin "hey, they'll be fine"
Liz nodded and sniffled before pulling Max to her "I love you" she whispered into his shirt.
Max smiled and held her tightly, stroking her hair "I love you to, you ready to go in?"
Liz took a breath and pulled back, still holding onto one of his hands with her own "yeah"
Max smiled and opened the door.
The Parker's looked up. Nancy sobbed and ran to her daughter hugging her tight, her husband joining them a few seconds latter "don't you scare us like that again Liz. Welcome Home honey"
Liz smiled and hugged her parents tighter, tears falling steadily down her cheeks. She looked over her mothers shoulder to where Timothy and Amy stood smiling "it's good to be back Mom, it's good to be back."
THE END
AN/ sappy ending, I know! Thanks to everyone who reviewed, you guys inspire