Author: X_tremeroswellian

Email: X_tremeroswellian@yahoo.com

Disclaimer: I do not own the show, the characters, or know anyone associated with WB. Please don't sue me, because if you did, well, you'd be wasting your time because I'm but a poor college
student who barely makes enough money for tuition and car insurance and you wouldn't win much.
Spoilers: Up through Blood Brothers.

Rated: R for language, adult situations, and some sexual content.

Author's Note: Thanks to Linda for giving me feedback and the courage to actually post this story! :)

Matters of Trust (Part 2)

Liz collapsed on her bed that night. God, I'm tired, she thought. She'd had to work until close and now she was too exhausted to even contemplate doing any homework. She wanted to write in her journal; wanted to record the events of the day, but mostly she just wanted to write about how stressed out she was starting to feel.

Then she remembered the one highlight of her day. Max had asked her out to the movies on Saturday night. Unfortunately, it was only Monday night. Liz sighed and blinked back involuntary tears. Then she crawled under the covers and fell asleep.

And Liz dreamed...

Michael touched the picture of Liz Parker that was in his yearbook. Then he closed his eyes and listened for the dream orb.

Michael was walking down the hallway, following the sounds of muffled voices. Why is she dreaming about the band room? he wondered.

He looked in the window on the door, and he could see Liz and Max having a conversation. He turned the door knob and stepped inside the room, hanging back in the shadows, observing.

"This is where you told me the truth about who you were," Liz was saying softly.

Max touched her face gently. "That was the smartest thing I ever did."

Suddenly, tears filled her eyes.

"Liz, what is it?" Max asked in concern, drawing her into his arms.

"I want to tell you, Max, I do, but--"

"So go ahead and tell him, Lizzie," another voice said.

Michael looked up to see who had spoken. An older man, probably in his forties, walked towards Liz and her dream image of Max. Liz froze at the sound of his voice.

"Liz, who is that?" Max asked quietly, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"My Uncle Charlie," she answered, voice filled with dread. She turned to face the man, who was standing less than five feet from her. "What are you doing here?"

"I came here to tell you that you're not good enough for Max here," Uncle Charlie said, motioning to Max. "To tell him that you're a little slut."

"Don't talk to her that way," Max snapped, eyes blazing with anger. "I don't care WHO you are."
Uncle Charlie held up his hands. "I didn't come to insult you, Mr. Evans. I came here to tell you the truth about this girl that you think so highly of."

"How do you know my name? And what are you talking about?" Max demanded.

"I know your name because I'm Liz's uncle." He smiled and looked at Liz. "And I'm talking about the fact that little Lizzie here isn't the angel that she seems."

"Uncle Charlie, go away," Liz whispered.

"I'll never go away, Lizzie," he whispered back. "But you're right. I shouldn't have to tell him. You should. Go ahead, Lizzie. Tell him."

Liz's eyes widened with fear. "Uncle Charlie, please just leave now."

"You heard her. Get out of here," Max said, glaring at him.

"Tell him, Lizzie," he pressed. "Tell him about how you've been a little whore since you were six years old."

Max broke his gaze from the man's face to stare at Liz. "What's he talking about, Liz?"

"Tell him, Liz. Tell him how I used to fuck you every night."

Liz's tears spilled over. "Max-"

Max backed away from her. "Is that true, Liz?"

She put her head in her hands and started crying. "Max," she whispered.

"Obviously you're not who I thought you were, Liz," Max said harshly. "Stay away from me. I never want to see you again. I wish I had never saved you!"

"Max, no, please don't say that," she begged, grabbing his arm.

He yanked it away from her. "Get off me, you slut!"

Liz collapsed onto the floor sobbing as Michael watched in shock. Liz suddenly looked over at him. "Michael?"

His eyes widened and he swallowed hard. "Yeah."

"What are you doing here?"

"You're dreaming, Liz. I'm not really here. You're just dreaming."

She stared at him and rose to her feet. "No, this is different. You ARE here!"

"Shit," he muttered. He quickly guided himself out of the dream orb. He sat up in bed, and flipped on the bedside lamp. And for the first time in his entire life, Michael Guerin was so horrified, he couldn't even think straight.

Liz sat up in bed, fear shooting through her. Oh, God. Michael knows. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. What do I do? What if he tells someone? I can't let that happen. No one can know. I have to stop him from telling anyone. Oh, God, please, don't let him tell Max. Please.

Michael spotted Liz when he rounded the corner on his way to first period. "Shit," he muttered.

"Michael!" she shouted. He watched her push her way through the crowd. And she did not look happy. Then she stood directly in front of him. "We have to talk."

He looked away. "Liz-"

"Now," she added, her voice full of anger.

He nodded. "Fine." He followed her to the nearest empty classroom. She closed the door behind them and whirled around to face him.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" she demanded, her eyes flashing. "How dare you go into my dreams!"

"I don't know what-"

"Cut the crap, Michael! I know you guys can go into people's dreams. Isabel told me all about it! What I want to know is why you went into my dream last night!"

Michael looked away. "I don't know."

"You must have had some reason. Look, I know that you hate me, and that's fine. But what I dream about is none of your business and I want to know why you did it!"

Michael swallowed hard, refusing to meet her eyes. "I thought...you were acting really weird yesterday and I had to make sure you weren't going to crack."

Liz stared at him. "You thought I was going to turn you guys in?" she said in disbelief.

He didn't answer.

"Michael, Max saved my life! If it weren't for him, I would be dead right now! No way would I turn you guys over to Sheriff Valenti or anyone else, for that matter!"

"Yeah, I know that."

"But you don't trust me, do you, Michael? That's the bottom line."

"Liz, I barely know you. Why the hell would I trust you?" he demanded, finally meeting her eyes.

She laughed bitterly. "Funny that you should say that, Michael, since you now know more about me than anyone else."

He looked away again. "I didn't mean to..." his voice trailed off.

"Yeah, well, you did." She looked at the floor.

Michael lifted his gaze to her face. The anger had mostly disappeared, and now she looked...vulnerable.

"Michael, you can't tell anyone what you saw in my dream last night."

"That wasn't just a dream, was it?" Michael was pretty sure it wasn't, but he had to know for sure.
"No."

There was a moment of silence. "Are you--okay?" he asked.

"It was a long time ago."

Michael hesitated. What am I supposed to say to her? He didn't know, but he felt like he should say something. "Does Maria know?"

Liz looked up at him, fear in her wide brown eyes. "No, Michael. I haven't told anyone. And you can't, either."

"Look, Liz, I don't think that I can help you...I mean, I don't know anything about this kind of stuff...I just know that sooner or later you're going to need someone to talk to and--"

"Michael, promise me you won't say anything. Not to Maria, not to Isabel, not even to Max. Especially not to Max," she pleaded.

"Liz, what are you so afraid of? Whatever happened-whatever your uncle did to you-it wasn't your fault. No one's going to blame you or whatever."

"Michael, this is very personal."

"And Max telling you about us wasn't?" he asked, his voice harsher than he'd wanted it to be.

"Max chose to tell me, Michael. You went into my dream and found something out about my life that I never intended to tell anyone!"

"What? You don't trust Max enough to tell him? He trusted you."

Liz winced and Michael felt guilty. "What happened to me--it has nothing to do with Max, or Isabel, or Maria, or you, Michael. It doesn't affect your lives in any way. You're not in danger because of it. Max saved my life. He told me the truth because he had to to save you guys. That was different. No one needs to know this."

Michael knew she was partially right. "Liz, I can guarantee that if you told Max what happened
he would not act like you dreamed."

Liz's eyes filled with tears. "Michael, please. Promise me you won't tell Max. This has nothing to do with him, or you. No one's going to be hurt by me not telling."

"What about you, Liz? You're going to be hurt. You already are," he said quietly.

"Michael, please. If you care about me or Maria even a little, promise me you won't tell."

Michael's stomach turned and he closed his eyes briefly. "All right. I promise."

"Thank you. That's all I ask." She looked at him and he nodded. But Michael Guerin felt sick to his stomach for the first time ever. He watched her go, wondering if what he had just done was a horrendous crime all in itself.

Go to Part 3