This is dedicated to Lizabeth. Thanks for reviewing
Chapter Three
Isabel stared at the image in front of her, her brows drawn into a frown. She didn't know this person reflected back at her. She surveyed the unknown creature as she would a complete stronger. Outwardly it still looked like her, she'd made sure of that. She didn't want to hear anymore how sorry everyone was. Didn't want to be asked if she was all right so she'd made sure her appearance was immaculate as always. As she stared at the unknown in front of her she wondered what was it that was so different. It was the eyes. The hollow pools staring back at her. The lost angry eyes overshadowed with pain. She stared at the image until she could no longer see it, until her eyes burned for closer.
"Are you ready?" Max asked her from behind her bedroom door. "We're going to be late if we don't leave now."
Taking a deep breath she closed her eyes tightly pushing the heel of her palms into them. "I'm coming…just give me a minute." She made her self reply. Turning she glanced at the stranger once more before
squaring her shoulder and headed to the door.
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It was Friday night. The night Roswell always came alive, but the Crashdown was almost empty. A gloomy atmosphere seemed to engulf the whole little town of Roswell as if the events of the past month had taken it toll and everyone was in mourning.
"What's the plan, now?" Michael asked looking across the counter at Max.
Max watched Liz removing the dishes from the last customers, who was just walking through the door. She looked so tired. He wanted to go to her, wanted to pull her into his arms to reassure him self that she was all right. That last night wasn't just his imagination.
"Max! Sap out of it. This is important." Michael yelled glaring at him.
Tearing his eyes away from Liz, Max stared at Michael for a few second before answering. "Alex died translating that book." Heading to the kitchen Liz stopped and turned around to face the group sitting around the counter. Max looked over at Isabel reaching forward he took her hand into his. He frowned at the lost look on her face. She hadn't said a word since leaving the house. In fact, she hadn't said much of anything since Alex's death he made himself admit. Startled by the warm hand covering hers Isabel looked up, her eyes collided with his. Max's heart slammed against his chest hard causing the oxygen in his lungs to rush from his body when he encountered the defeated look in her eyes. It was as if she wasn't aware of the things going on around her, as if she was only going through the motion of living.
"He gave us the advantage we've been looking for." He said not breaking the hold his eyes had on hers. He squeezed her hand when he saw her eyes fill with tears.
"Cut to the chase, Maxwell." Michael said impatiently. "They have Tess, as well as your son. How long do you think they'll wait before they come after us?"
Taking a deep breath Max broke eye contact with Isabel as he pulled his hand away. Leaning across the counter he glared at Michael. "That's just it Michael. We don't know. So we prepare. We learn everything we can from the book."
Liz set the tray she had in her hands down on a table and went to Max sitting down next to him. All day she was on this ridiculous high. This unbelievable high because Max was back in her life and they were together again. She hadn't let the other things that came with being with him intrude into her happiness, but now she didn't have a choice. Now life was being shoved into her face so abruptly that she couldn't bring her self to stay away from him another moment.
"That's it!" Michael demanded. "That's your answer to the mess we're in? That's the only thing the oh so mighty king could come up with?" Sighing he turned away getting to his feet. He knew he was being ridiculous, but he was so angry with Max. How the hell could he get them in this mess? He was the screw up. The one who acted and then thought of the consequences later.
Going to stand by his side Maria touched his arm. "Calm down Michael. We're all scared here."
He looked down at her. He felt his frustration boiling in his body, felt it racing inside him. He didn't want to calm down, didn't want to listen to reason. He wanted to vent his anger, to voice his exasperation. He turned back to Max. "We need to do more then that. There's got to be more then that we can do, Max." Sighing he hugged Maria close to him. Closing his eyes he tighten his hold on her. He needed her right now more then he ever had. Needed her to reassure himself that everything was going to be all right. But he knew she couldn't so he pulled her tighter into his embrace, inhaling the scent of her into his lungs.
"You're my first in command, Michael. You tell me what we should be doing, if not prepare." Max demanded irritably. "You tell me what more we can do."
"We can fight." Michael shouted, staring at Max.
"How can we fight an enemy we don't know?" He looked around him including everyone at the counter. "We need to find out what were fighting against before we do something rash. We prepare."
"God, Max…" Letting go of Maria he paced the floor.
"He's right." Isabel murmured.
"What?" Michael shouted, stopping in his tracks he stared at her. He'd completely forgotten that she was there. He couldn't even remember the last time he'd actually heard her speak since Alex's death.
"He's right, Michael." Isabel looked up from her hands, which laid on the counter. "Max's is right. Al…Alex's died translating that book. It's the only thing we have left. We study it. Learn what we can." She looked at Max. "We find a place we don't have to be afraid of being seen and we practice our powers until we have them under control."
"What about what future Max said?" Maria asked. Going to Michael she stood in front of him staring into his eyes. "You weren't strong enough to fight the skins without Tess." She closed her eyes against the tear impairing her vision as she leaned her face into his chest. "What if..if…"
Putting her tightly into his embrace Michael took a deep breath as he closed his eyes for a few second letting her absorb his strength. Needing to take away her fears, but he felt the same fears rushing though him.
"We don't need her." The angry words left her lips so suddenly that she hadn't realized she'd spoken them out loud until everyone in the room turned to look at her.
"Do you know something we don't?" Michael demanded.
"What about what Future Max said, Liz." Maria pulled away from Michael. "You told me he said that
because that…that bitch left they couldn't defeat the skins."
"Yes…yes he did say that." Liz said closing her eyes and running her hands over her face. She didn't want to think about Tess. Didn't want to think about anything connected to her, but she has no choice. So she pushed the anger the leap into her at the mere thought of the monster who tried to destroy everything she held dare to her heart. "We don't need her. We still have Ava." As understanding dawned on the clueless others in the room she turned to Max. Seeing the stricken look on his face she quickly tried to reassure him. "Max…it's the only way."
"I don't know…I…" He captured her eyes with his, his heart pounding. How can he face her and not think about Tess? How can he control his anger, his rage around her? How can he let Liz live over and over again every time she sees her the nightmare of the past year?
"No…I can't…I…"
"Max you have no choice." Taking his face within her hands she captured his eyes with hers. "We have no other choice."
"But…how can you…how… can I do that to you…I…"
"She's not Tess, Max. She may look like her, but she's not." She said even though her heart was braking inside her. "I liked her. She's nothing like Tess."
"Okay so that's settled. We look for Ava and bring her back." Michael said taking a deep breath smiling. "I feel better."
Maria smirked at him as she shakes her head. "This doesn't solve everything Michael."
"Yea, well it's a hell of a lot more then we had a moment ago."
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I'm Liz Parker and today I think I've made the biggest mistake of my life, even though I believe with everything inside me it was the only choice I could make. How can I face her? How can I be around her without thinking that Max made love to her. No! not her with Tess. But is there a difference when their a clone of each other? I know whenever he sees her he will think of their night together. Am I strong enough to see the remembrance flash in his eyes at the sight of her? I'm I strong enough?
"Hey."
She looked up at him closing her journal. "What are you doing here?" She ask putting her diary down.
"You knew I would come." He said looking at her intently.
"Yea… I guess I did." She said staring up at him. She wouldn't let him know how much she wished
she'd kept her mouth shut. Wouldn't let him know that just the thought of Tess's clone around him made
her nervous.
"Thank you." Max said walking toward her slowly.
"What are you thanking me for, Max?" She asked. What if he was thanking her for bringing her back to
him? What if there was a part of him that missed her and wanted her despite what she'd done to them…to him? She didn't want to think about any of that, but the she couldn't stop the questions from rushing inside her.
"For being you." He said. "For being you." He repeated stopping in front of her.
"Take me off that high horse you've placed me on, Max." She said getting to her feet. "What are you going to do…Max…when you come face to face with her?" Liz demanded as she let the anger she was trying to hold back surface. "Do I have to worry that I'll lose you again because we're not even officially together yet. So I think you need to tell me now if I have to worry about you sneaking around with her." She said moving away from him.
The unexpected question caught him off guard. He stood there staring at her speechless for a few second. "Is that what you really think?" He demanded giving into the anger that strung inside him. "God…Liz…" He roared turning away from her. "The only way I can make you understand what happen that night with Tess is to make you see it." He said walking toward her.
"No!" Liz roared backing away from him. "How could you even think of letting me see that?" She demanded.
Taking a deep breath he laughs, the sound echoing around them. "Yes…God yes. I slept with Tess Harding. I did and now she's carrying my child." He looked at her his hurt emulating from every core of his being. "But Liz…" He whispered as if it was a secret he didn't want anyone else to hear. "I thought you didn't want me. Isabel turned away from me…God Michael was so wrapped up in Maria that the only thing he saw was her. You were leaving and I asked you to say and when that didn't work I begged you…Liz…I begged you, but you wouldn't listen… you were really going to leave Roswell so I commanded you to stay, as if I had the right. You walked away from me…Liz…you walked away and I was drowning. Do you understand that? I felt like I was dieing inside. I slept with her because I was so lost and I needed you, but you weren't there. I was so hurt that you didn't want me. But what you don't know is that every kiss, every caress I made I pictured you. I…I…" He took a deep breath. "It may have been her body beneath me, but it was you I was seeing."
She stared at him her heart racing. What was she suppose to say to that? A part of her was disgusted by
what he'd just said, but there was another part, a part of her that wanted to scream out with joy. Tess didn't win after all. She'd never lost him to her. "I don't know what you expect me to say to that." She said.
"I don't expect you to say anything, Liz." He said turning away and walking to the latter on her balcony.
"Max…"
"I know what I did I can never make right and I gladly take responsibility for that. But you need to think Liz. You need to think about your part in all this." He said looking down at the street below him before he looked back at her.
"Are you trying to say that this is all my fault?" She demanded.
He smiled a sad smile at her. "No." He said shaking his head. "That's not what I'm say. We're both to
blame. I think you know what I'm saying Liz." He said before descending down the latter.
"Max…" She cried her heart racing. 'Oh God.' She cried closing her eyes as the tears ran down her face. 'What have I done? What have I done?"
"I love you." The words ricocheted around her coursing inside her. "I'll always love you."
"Max…" She moaned.
TBC
