Author: X_tremeroswellian

Email: X_tremeroswellian@yahoo.com

Disclaimer: Sadly enough, not mine. *sniffles* Don't sue.

Rating: R for language, adult situations and sexual content.

Spoilers: Up through "Blood Brothers" and some for the book series.

Category: Center focus on Liz, with some M/L, and minor I/A and M/M

Author's Note: This is part 8 of an 11 part story, and if you haven't read the first 7 parts, you're probably going to be confused. Feedback, as always, is greatly appreciated.

Matters of Trust (Part Eight)

Max opened the door to his bedroom and Liz followed him inside, closing the door behind them. She let go of his hand. He watched her carefully.

"You should sit down," she said softly.

Max sat down on the edge of his bed. Liz paced around the room nervously. "Liz, whatever it is, just tell me," he said gently.

"I don't know how," she said, her eyes filling with tears.

Max's heart ached when he saw her so distressed. "Liz, are you okay?"

"It's about my uncle Charlie." She swallowed hard and lifted her gaze to meet his own.

Max had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. "What about him?"

She turned away. "He's not who everyone thinks he is. Everyone thinks he's this great, pefect guy. But he's not."

"Who is he?" Max asked softly.

Liz stared out the window. "He's a monster," she whispered.

Liz's heart pounded in her chest. She watched the children playing across the street. She remembered when she was 8 or 9, how she and Maria used to play in Maria's backyard. Maria had been her sanity back then. Thank God for her, she thought, overwhelmed by a sense of grattitude for her friend. She blinked back tears.

"A monster?" Max repeated.

She swallowed hard. "He used to come into my room at night when I was sleeping." Her voice dropped. "I would wake up and he would be on top of me. He would tell me that if I ever said anything, he'd kill my parents and make me watch." She dropped her head as her tears fell.

Max rose off the bed and moved until he was standing behind her. He touched her shoulder lightly. She was shaking. "Liz," he whispered.

"Go ahead and tell me you think I'm a whore," she said softly. "Because you'd be right."

He withdrew his hand in shock. He moved until he was standing in front of her. "Oh, God, Liz, don't say that." Max rested his hands on her shoulders. "I could never think that about you. Never," he said vehemently. He stared into her eyes. "It wasn't your fault," he whispered. "You were just a little girl. Is this why you didn't tell me? You thought I'd think you were--that?" Max couldn't even repeat the word she'd just called herself.

"Part of it," she admitted. She turned away.

"What's the other part?"

"Because that day a few months ago, when you reversed the connection and I saw images from your mind..."

"Yeah?"

"I never told you what I saw." She took a deep breath and faced him. "When you touched me, I saw myself the way that you see me. And I...I was beautiful in your eyes. No one's ever seen me that way before. I didn't want that to change."

The breath caught in the back of Max's throat. There was only one thing he could do. "Liz, let me touch you," he whispered, bringing his hands to her cheeks. He gazed into her eyes.

Suddenly, Liz saw herself standing in Max's room, tears in her eyes. She felt a rush of pure love followed by a rush of sorrow that was similar to what she'd been feeling for the past week. And then Liz realized that she was feeling what Max was feeling.

There was no disgust towards her, no hint of hatred. She was surrounded by his true feelings. Surrounded by pure, 100% Max Evans.

She gasped and the connection was broken. She stared into Max's eyes for a moment before he pulled her into his arms. She pressed her face into this chest, sobbing. She cried harder than she ever had before as Max held her protectively in his arms.

Max's own tears spilled over and he lowered them to the floor, wrapped in each other's arms. Max stroked her soft hair gently. "I'm so sorry, Liz," he whispered, rocking her back and forth like a child. "I'm so sorry you got hurt."

Liz let him hold her, comfort and console while she cried. When she finally stopped crying, he continued to hold her and she listened to the sound of his strong, steady heartbeat and she relaxed considerably. His chin rested on the top of her head.

"Thank you," she whispered.

"For what?"

"For being you."

Max kissed her forehead and tilted her face back so he could look into her eyes. He touched her cheek gently. "Nothing could change the way I see you, Liz. I think you're the most beautiful, perfect girl in the universe."

Liz touched his face, her eyes locked on his. "When I'm with you, I feel like everything's going to be okay again. You make me feel alive," she whispered.

He brushed a strand of hair out of her eyes and his hand lingered on her cheek. Liz leaned towards him, her eyes fluttered closed. Their lips brushed gently in a soft, tender kiss. She opened her eyes and looked into his soulful brown ones. The eyes that made her feel loved. Like she'd found home. She kissed him again and he threaded his fingers through her hair.

When the kiss ended, they leaned their heads together and Max placed his hands on her shoulders. "We have to get back to the others soon."

"I'm sorry I messed everything up with everyone," she said softly.

"You haven't," he assured her. He kissed her forehead again, and she laid her head against his shoulder. "How did everyone find out, anyway?"

She hesitated. "Michael walked into one of my dreams."

Max stared down at her. "What?"

"He thought I was going to turn you guys in," she said quickly.

He shook his head. "That is totally unacceptable. I'm going to kill him," he said angrily.

"Max, no! It's okay, really. Look, Michael didn't trust me, it's okay, I understand. Really, it's okay. He tried to get me to tell you what happened to me, but I wouldn't listen. He did try to help me. And he didn't tell anyone. He kept his promise. I'm not mad at him, Max."

"So how did everyone else find out?"

"I told Alex. I made him promise not to say anything, but Isabel went into one of his dreams and found out. She told Maria."

Max felt the anger build within him. "Liz, I am so sorry about Michael and Isabel. They shouldn't have invaded your privacy like that."

"I understand, Max. They just don't trust us, that's all. It's okay."

"No, it's not okay," he argued. "It's getting old!" he said in frustration.

Liz gazed into his eyes. "Do you trust us?"

"I trust you," he answered immediately. "I always knew that if I ever told anyone about who I really was, it would be you."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I"ve known it since the day I met you in third grade," he said seriously, brushing hair out of her eyes. "You're different than other people. You're a truly beautiful person, Liz. Inside, as well as out," he told her softly, caressing her face in his hands.

The breath caught in her throat as Max traced circles on her cheeks with his thumbs. "So are you," she whispered. "I trust you, too, Max."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. But what about the others? They're all angry and afraid. We have to do something before this all gets out of hand."

He nodded in agreement. "We have to figure something out."

"Max," she said suddenly.

"Yeah?"

"I have an idea."

Go to Part Nine