Title: Unheard
Author: talena
Disclaimers: Nope, don't own anything, otherwise this story of mine would be a script for an episode. Roswell belongs to Jason Katims and Melinda Mitz.
Category: Liz-centered
Ratings/Genre: PG-13/angst
Summary/Spoilers: Post-EOTW. She's falling, but no one can see the loneliness that has overtaken her.
Author's Notes: Is anyone reading this?? Ok, here goes. I need to change the title to this fanfic since it's way too long. Any suggestions? So far all I've got is Unheard and Silent Eyes. I would really appreciate any input??
Dedication/Distribution: If you want to post it, just ask, ok? Oh and this is for Tabasco Liz and Gaudicia (Silver Sky) my absolute two favorite people!

Chapter 3: Love Takes Time

Kyle opened the door, and gestured to Tess to enter, bowing as she did. Tess giggled softly and looked around the semi-crowded diner, her eyes pinpointing Liz almost immediately, as if a second nature. Liz was standing at the counter, her eyes staring into nothingness, as Maria stood next to her, babbling on, oblivious to Liz's obvious inattentiveness. Ever since their encounter in the bathroom a week ago, Tess had been watching Liz whenever she was in within her view. And now as she studied Liz again, her mind wandered back to that day a week ago.

[Flashback]

"Tess?"

Liz's voice was barely above a whisper, causing Tess to have to strain to hear it. Liz tried to stand up, but her knees gave out and Liz began to fall again. Tess caught Liz's arm and leaned Liz's weight against her.

"Thanks." Liz tried to pull away, but Tess kept a firm grip on her arm. "What are you doing here?"

Tess offered a small smile, genuine concern evident on her face, "You ran past Kyle and I…are you alright? Should we go to the nurse?"

Liz shook her head adamantly and lied quickly. "No no. I'm fine really. It was probably something I ate. I'm going to be alright…"

The last words were whispered as a pained expression passed over Liz's eyes and disappeared so quickly, Tess wasn't sure if it had been there. Tess shook her head disbelievingly as she looked Liz over. She couldn't have been fine. Her once glorious hair hung limply around her shoulders, and there were bags under her eyes, showing obvious fatigue. Her skin was so frighteningly pale, and she looked as if she would fall over at the slightest touch. She wasn't all right at all. Tess was surprised at these almost sisterly affections she had begun to feel towards Liz, but shook herself from those thoughts as she walked over to Liz.

"Here." Tess waved her hand over Liz's face, wiping away all signs of her sickness, and Liz gave her a tiny smile. "Thank you Tess."

Liz walked over to the door, and before exiting she turned again, "For everything."

[End flashback]

"Welcome to the Crashdown. I'm Liz, what can I get you?" Liz's voice was soft, almost void of emotions except the underlining weariness and grief. Kyle threw her a brilliant smile and pulled Liz down into the seat next to them.

"How about that beautiful smile of yours Lizzie?

Liz rolled her eyes, and tried to get back up again, but Kyle's arm remained strong around her waist. Liz gave him a weak-forced smile, and Kyle raised his eyebrow.

"C'mon Parker, I know you can do better than that."

Kyle brought his fingers up to Liz's mouth and pulled it out into a wide smile. Liz swatted his hand away, and laughed softly, none of it reaching her eyes, sounding hollow even to her own ears. Kyle's grin widened, and this time Tess rolled her eyes and smacked him. She looked over to Liz and smiled brightly, "We'll have the usual."

Liz nodded, gave Kyle another small smile and walked off, leaving the couple staring after her. Kyle turned back to Tess.

"I'm really worried about her." Tess nodded in agreement, and Kyle continued.

"She's losing too much weight, and I know she hasn't been eating. It doesn't look like she's been getting any sleep lately."

"I know, I'm worried too. That day when I found her in the restroom, she looked so sick, as if she was about to collapse at any minute. I was so scared that she was going to faint on me. I've been watching her for a while too…she seems so sad these days…and there's an air of…"

"Suffering and pain around her." Kyle finished and Tess nodded once more. "I've noticed it too. She hasn't been the same since that night…" Kyle paused a little and coughed as Tess looked away momentarily, a flash of pain crossing her features. "…it's like she has the fate of the world resting on her shoulders."

Tess opened her mouth to speak, but closed it again as Liz came up with their orders. Liz placed them on the table and smiled hesitantly at Tess, who in turn answered with one of her own. "Thanks Liz."

Liz nodded and walked off. The rest of their meal was eaten in companionable silence. Towards the end of their meal, they heard the shattering of glass and looked up to see that Liz had dropped a tray of glasses. She just stood there for a few moments staring at the remnants of the pieces before slowly backing away as her eyes drifted back towards the door. She suddenly turned around and rushed into the backroom. Tess and Kyle glanced at each other and towards the door to see Max Evans and Jessica Moore standing in the door of the Crashdown.

I'm so tired, physically, emotionally, and mentally tired. I can never go to sleep lately. Every time I close my eyes, I can see his face…after five months and Max moving on, I still can see his face, and it hurts me more than it does him. And whenever I do fall asleep, those precious moments I sometimes receive, I am haunted by nightmares that I can't remember…but when I wake up I can feel all those emotions connected with it…and I mostly feel the guilt and agony.

Liz listened to Maria ramble on incessantly about her relationship with Michael, her mind focused however on something else. Her gaze swept over the Crashdown and landed on the front doors, watching as Kyle and Tess entered. They seemed so carefree, and she longed for that freedom once more. To be able to love without the world coming to end, and that part of her mind…that small selfish part wished for her to run into Max's arms and explain the whole situation. To make him understand that she did it all for him…for him and the world. Surely they would be able to be together now that Tess seemed to have found her match…surely they would. But that calm, rational part of her heart, though it hurt her, kept her back from doing so, for whatever reasons. And even if she did…things would never be the same again.

When Future Max had disappeared, Liz knew that she would be alone from then on. Yet, never did she think that she would feel so hollow. The emptiness was spreading through her body more and more each day. And as she watched her friends interact that hollow emptiness in her heart grew, and she felt so incomplete, as if a part of her were missing. That lost piece which was so unreachable to her. And the past months had been the worse of her life, and she often found herself wondering why she had given Max up. She berated herself for not finding a better solution, for not going to Max in the first place. And it was her own fault, she had been rash and these were the consequences.

Through it all she kept a smile plastered on her face, the ones that were superficial…the ones she used to see on Tess's face. Tess. Liz had been surprised that day when Tess had followed her into the restroom. She seemed sincerely concerned for her, and though Tess didn't know that she knew, Liz had seen Tess watching her. It was surprisingly comforting. At least now she knew that there was someone out there who cared for her, who watched over her. The most surprising thing was the fact that the person also happened to be her former enemy. Former. Tess and Kyle looked so happy together, and Liz was truly glad to see that they had found each other. They brought out the best in each other, just as she and Max once had. Liz looked away, masking the anguish that began to mar her face. When she looked back towards the front of the café, she saw Max walking in with Jessica.

Suddenly her vision blurred and when cleared, Liz found herself looking at two carefree and deliriously happy newlyweds. She gasped and somewhere in her subconscious she heard the shattering of glass and a sting on her right arm. She turned her gaze to the glass and arm. The glass had cut her arm, and she watched the blood, hypnotized until she looked up again towards the image that had made her loose her grip on the tray in the first place, and saw that it had changed. In its place was the man that had destroyed it all…the only man she would ever love. From his long gray-black hair to his rumpled leather clothing to his weary eyes, beseeching her to help save the world…to help destroy their love. It was just too much. Liz shook her head as the air left the room and she found herself drowning again, and once more her cries were left unheard as she ran into the backroom.

She felt herself falling again, and this time she wasn't sure if she could pull herself back up. She could feel her world, her foundation that she had been trying so hard to rebuild, crumble at the sight of the one who had been her joy and tormentor in the game of love she had foolishly played. The walls she had carefully erected around her heart were disappearing before her very eyes. She closed her eyes in a weak effort to regain what was left of her control and sanity, but it wasn't enough as the world around her faded into the oh so welcoming darkness.

Kyle was up and out of his seat, running towards the backroom with Tess following. Maria stood near the mess of broken glass looking utterly confused. Tess stopped and instructed Maria to clean it up. Before disappearing into the back with Kyle, she turned around and saw the stricken look on Max's face but it disappeared and again she wondered if she was imagining things. She came into the backroom just in time to see Liz falling, and Kyle reacted immediately. Liz landed with a soft thud in his arms, and he lifted her effortlessly bringing her over to the couch. Laying her down, he brushed away strands of hair that fell into her face.

"Is she alright?" Tess asked anxiously from behind him. She knelt down next to him and pushed him away softly. "Here let me see. Go get a glass of water and wet rag."

Kyle nodded and rushed out the door to retrieve the items, not noticing the pair of eyes that followed his movements.

Max Evans watched as Kyle rushed from the backroom with a panic stricken face. On impulse, he almost jumped up and rushed to the backroom to see if Liz was alright. But he stopped, reminding himself that he wasn't a part of her life anymore, and she wasn't his. And bitterness rushed through him as he thought of the person he had once considered his soulmate. He pushed those thoughts aside and began to rub Jessica's leg softly, that lost part of his heart wishing it were someone else.

Kyle returned to see Tess healing the cut on Liz's arm with one hand, and using the other to check her over. "How is she?"

"She's still out cold. I can't see anything wrong with her." Tess answered as she took the wet rag from him and placed it over Liz's burning head, smoothing back her hair. "All we can do now is wait until she wakes up."

Kyle sat down and pulled Tess into his lap and held her as they waited in agonizing silence for Liz to awaken. After fifteen minutes Liz began to thrash wildly, calling out in her sleep.

"Please! No more! Don't make me hurt him anymore! I can't…please…just leave me alone…please…"

Tess grabbed Liz's arms as they flailed about in the air, and almost flinched at how cold they were. Finally Liz's eyes snapped open, and she let out a painful wail as tears cascaded down her cheeks. She kept gasping for air as she clutched the material right above her heart, feeling the thumping pain there.

"Liz? Liz, hun are you alright?" Tess asked as she tried to calm the girl's breathing down. Liz just stared at her for a few moments and the tears began to cease, and Tess could literally see Liz closing up again, becoming the shell she had been for the last few months.

"W..what happened?" Her voice was shaky as she stared about her.

"You passed out…Liz what is going on?" When Liz didn't answer, Kyle continued. "Why did you make Max think we slept together?"

He heard a gasp of surprise coming from Tess, and Liz had whipped her head around to look at him sharply. "You can't tell him…"

Kyle looked at her confused. "Liz…"

"Promise you won't tell him…Promise me!"

This time Tess intervened. "Liz what are you-"

Now Liz was standing up, towering over Kyle, "Promise me…please…if you don't…it would all be for nothing…please just promise me."

Kyle looked into Liz's eyes, which held more emotions in them than he had seen in the past few months. Confusion, anger, pain, frustration, desperation. He grabbed her shoulders to calm her down, and looked into her eyes. "Look, I promise…but will you tell me why?"

Relief and understanding. Liz nodded her head and looked to Tess who also nodded in agreement intrigued to why Liz would go to such great measures to break Max's heart and her own.

...It just feels like...all this pain, all these lies, all this hatred, it's all for nothing. Why is something that is supposed to be right, feel so wrong?

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Love takes time
To heal when you're hurting so much
Couldn't see that I was blind
To let you go I can't escape the pain inside
Love takes time
I don't wanna be here alone
Losing my mind
From this hollow in my heart
Suddenly I'm so incomplete
Lord I'm needing you now
Tell me how to stop the rain
Tears are falling down endlessly
- Love Takes Time Mariah Carey

A/N: Gosh is it just me or is this getting worse and worse? Should I continue? I'm not so sure anymore...is it getting too boring?? Please, please leave feedback and tell me what you think because I'm thinking of dropping this story completely.