[u]Part 53[/u]
[b]Roswell, New Mexico - May 2002[/b]
Kyle opened his eyes and stared in amazement out the front windshield of his Mustang.
[I]Hot damn! It actually worked![/I]
He glanced to the right, saw that he was parked in front of Vicky Delaney's house. In fact, she was still stomping up the front pathway, obviously having just gotten out of the car. He reached up, touched his forehead and came back with blood on his fingers.
Grimacing as he shook his head, he remembered abruptly how he had been cut there when Vicky had thrown the tiara now sitting in his lap at him after she finally understood that he was breaking up with her. He felt a pang of guilt. Poor Vicky. She was really was a nice girl.
Too nice, he decided, knowing that he wasn't going to bother feeling guilty about this. She certainly was not for him and was better off.
He felt his heart leap in anticipation at the thought of driving away from here and being able to go straight to Tess, rather than home to his lonely bedroom like last time.
He quickly reached up, turned the rear-view mirror so that he could see what he was doing, then touched his forehead to heal the minor scratch. He grinned. Most excellent. He was still half-alien too.
Kyle started the Mustang's ignition and pealed away from the curb, unwilling to wait another instant before finding Tess. His memory was reminding him about how absolutely exquisite she had looked in the gold dress she had worn on this night - so long ago in his mind, but still happening [I]now[/I]. He could feel his hands starting to itch at the mere thought of peeling it off her beautiful body.
In fact, he was so preoccupied with images of what he was going to do to his girlfriend when he saw her, it took him several minutes to realize that there was a siren behind him.
Glancing in his rear-view mirror, he noticed that it wasn't just anyone either. It was his father.
Crap. His dad was going to kick his ass for driving like such a maniac. And, yet, Kyle couldn't help the feeling of pleasure that ran through him at the thought of being able to say hi to his father. Of course, to his dad, he had seen him earlier that night, but for Kyle it had been almost a year.
The sheriff had wanted to go to Illyria with them, of course, but it had been Max who had convinced Kyle's dad that they needed him in Roswell. They wanted him to let Isabel and Max's parents in on what was going on and they also needed him to explain away their absences. Not to mention, at the time, they had thought that it would mean the sheriff leaving his job for an extended period of time, which none of them wanted. The sheriff had reluctantly agreed and, for the first time ever, Kyle had been grateful that Max had so much influence with his dad.
And, so, Kyle had been pretty shocked by what his father had said to him when they had said good-bye.
[I]"Do you know why I'm letting you do this by yourself Kyle?"
"Because Evans asked you to," Kyle replied. "It's okay Dad. I get it. I'd never admit it to him, but he knows what he's doing."
His father had smiled though, shaking his head. "That's not it at all son. It's you I trust. I turned my back and you grew up. This is [/I]your[I] fight, not mine."
Kyle stared at him in astonishment. "Dad."
"I am so proud of you." His father's voice cracked as he grabbed him behind the neck and pulled him forward for an embrace. "Just be careful."[/I]
As he pulled the Mustang to a stop, Kyle was already grinning. He leaned his head back against the seat and waited for the yelling to begin. It was in less time than he had expected. It started before his dad even reached his open window.
"[I]Kyle![/I] Get your butt out of that vehicle!"
Kyle rolled his eyes, pushed open the door and climbed out. "Hey Dad!"
"Don't you 'Hey Dad' me! Do you have any idea what I just clocked you at?" His father was shining his flashlight right in Kyle's face, making him have to turn his head. "Have you been drinking? I swear to God Kyle, if you're driving drunk."
Kyle held up his hands. "Dad, I guarantee I haven't been drinking. I know I was going too fast, but what can I say? It's been an eventful evening."
"This is not funny son," the sheriff growled. "Speed kills."
"I'm totally sorry Dad. It's just that I'm running a bit late."
"Kyle, it's two-thirty in the morning. What on Earth can you possibly be late for? Other than the longest grounding of your life that is."
"Are you sure you want to know?" Kyle asked, amused, and unable to pretend any longer.
"Kyle, stop messing around."
"It's a long story Dad."
"Which you'll have plenty of time to relate after I follow you home and lock your butt in the house."
"Dad, I just [I]can't[/I]," Kyle told him firmly. "I have somewhere to be. But I swear I'll drive more slowly, okay?"
"No Kyle, [I]not[/I] okay," his father barked. "You're going home right."
"Dad," Kyle interrupted. "Do you trust me or not?"
"Trust has nothing to do with it son. Get in that car and go home. Now. At a reasonable speed."
[I]Hell[/I], Kyle thought. He could see from his father's implacable expression that he was not going to let him go. This was a wrinkle they had not foreseen. All that had come before for them had not come before for everyone in Roswell. As far as his dad was concerned, he was still just his seventeen year old son trying to kill himself on prom night.
And he realized abruptly that he wouldn't change that for an instant. He still knew that his dad had been proud of him in that other timeline, still knew that he was going to make his father proud of him in this one too.
"Fine," he grumbled. "But this is [I]so[/I] unfair." He barely managed to avoid snickering.
As he pulled out from the curb and drove home, he wondered what his dad was going to say when he told him exactly what they had all been doing for the past year. He wondered if it would change the fact that he was now grounded.
Somehow he doubted it.
***
Tess blinked when the phone rang. She had been sitting on her living room couch, looking around, still slightly disoriented.
"I'm grounded," Kyle told her without preamble, when she picked it up, after fumbling for a few seconds.
"What?" Tess asked, shaking her head in dismay. "Kyle, we've been back for maybe three minutes. How on Earth did you get yourself grounded so quickly?"
"Speed kills Tess," he replied sarcastically.
"Are you kidding me? You actually got stopped for speeding?" She sighed, flopped back against the couch. "By your [I]dad?[/I]"
"Excuse me, but are you or are you not wearing that gold dress?"
Tess glanced down, frowning. "Of course I am. It's still prom night."
"I rest my case."
She started to giggle in spite of herself, although she was disappointed that she wasn't going to be able to see him tonight. "So your dad doesn't remember anything?" She asked.
"Nope," Kyle said. "No one does. And I have the scar on my head from Vicky's tiara to prove it."
"Huh?"
"Never mind," Kyle answered. "I don't really have a scar. You don't need to worry that this beautiful visage has been tarnished. If there's one good thing about being a freaky alien, it's the ability to protect my most important asset. Football season is going to be stellar next year."
Tess simply smiled to herself. "You're really weird Kyle."
"But you like me anyway."
"I [I]love[/I] you anyway," she told him, her voice softening.
"And I love you," Kyle replied.
"So when am I going to see you?"
"At the Crashdown babe. I swear I'll be there. My dad isn't off duty until seven, but I'm going to tell him what's been happening. I have a feeling he'll let me off with time served."
"And if not?" Tess asked, missing him already. Being under the constraint of parents again - even if she and Michael technically weren't, they were at the mercy of those of their significant others - was going to take some getting used to.
"Then I'll sneak out," Kyle told her. "But if he catches me, I'll see you on my next birthday. Or at school on Monday." There was a pause. "God. Does that sound as crazy to you as it does to me?"
"Yes," Tess replied. "But it sounds really great too."
"That it does," Kyle agreed. "That it does."
They talked for a few more minutes, until Kyle told her that he'd better get to bed. "I'm going to need all my strength to deal with the good 'ol sheriff in the morning," he told her sarcastically.
"Good luck with that."
"I'm so grateful for your sympathy."
"Anytime," Tess replied, grinning. "I love you Kyle."
"Love you too. Sleep well."
"That's going to be kind of hard without you," Tess complained.
"Don't remind me," Kyle sighed. "Morning can't come soon enough."
Glancing at the clock sitting beside the couch, Tess smiled. "Only four hours."
"Four hours are like an eternity without you. Bye."
"Night."
She was still smiling to herself as she fell asleep on the couch moments after hanging up.
***
"Are you sad?" Maria asked, leaning her head back against Michael's shoulder.
They were sitting on the floor of the transformation chamber, staring at Jennetta's empty pod. They had not moved since arriving there, nor had they spoken, but the quiet was beginning to get to Maria.
"Kind of," Michael admitted. "And kind of not. It's weird."
"I know," she replied. She paused, then said, "Maybe we shouldn't have come here. The transformation chamber I mean. I think maybe this might be easier if we try and forget."
She felt Michael stiffen against her back. "Forget Jenny?"
"No," Maria admonished. "Of course not! I mean try and forget how much it hurt to say good-bye to her. Because we did it for a reason Michael. If we sit around mourning her, the whole reason we left will have been pointless."
Michael relaxed again, then sighed. "That's true. But it's really not that easy Maria."
"I know."
They sat in silence for several minutes more, both still staring at the pod, neither making any effort to move.
"Michael?"
"Yeah?"
"Do you think about having more kids?" Maria held her breath, hoping he wasn't going to get mad. It really was sort of too soon to even be contemplating such a thing, but she did want to make sure they were on the same page. Because it was all she thought about really.
She was of two minds about it. On one hand, she definitely wanted more kids, [I]definitely[/I] wanted a chance to raise them and wanted the opportunity to have all the moments she'd missed with Jenny. On the other, she didn't want Jennetta to know about it, didn't want her daughter to feel like she was being replaced.
"I guess," Michael replied. "Not soon though."
"But someday?"
"Yeah."
"Okay." She paused. "Do you think it would upset Jenny?"
"No," Michael said firmly. "I know it wouldn't."
"Why?"
"Because she wants us to be happy. I really believe in my heart that she didn't want us to leave. But she's a queen Maria. A great queen. She thinks about everyone else first, particularly the people she loves the most. She wanted us to come back here to live our lives. And all my life, I've wanted a family."
"Really?" Maria twisted her neck so that she could look at him.
"Of course," Michael said. "I never had a family. I used to be really jealous of Max and Isabel because they did, but I knew that I'd have mine too someday - that when I went home, I'd have my family. And when I did, I'd be the best dad ever."
"Well, that happened," Maria told him. "You were a wonderful father to her Michael."
"Yeah, but not really," Michael shrugged. "We didn't really get our chance Maria. But we will."
"And you know this for sure?" Maria demanded, still uncertain. "How do you know this?"
"I told you. I always knew that when I went home, I'd have my family," Michael replied. He leaned down, pressed a kiss to her lips. "Wherever you are, that's my home. Which means it's going to happen."
Maria smiled, snuggled back against him again. "You're pretty optimistic for a pessimist, you know that?"
"I try." He dropped a kiss on the top of her head.
*** Alex was lying on the grass behind the Evans house, his hands clasped behind his head, waiting for Isabel. She had gone in to tell her parents she was home. They had decided that she wasn't going to tell them what had happened, at least until she had spoken to Max again. While Diane and Philip Evans had been pretty calm about the alien thing, trying to explain the whole time-travel aspect just seemed really tiring to both of them, at least for tonight. And, so, Isabel would just behave normally - or as normally as she could considering she hadn't seen them in a year.
Alex had decided to pass the time by staring up at the stars. He was trying to figure out exactly where they had just come from. He could see the V constellation clearly, but was still unsure which of the stars that formed it was Illyria's sun. He assumed it was the bottom of the V, but he wasn't completely positive.
"Hi."
Alex sat up at the sound of Isabel's voice coming out of the darkness. He couldn't see her clearly, his eyes still adjusting after the brightness of the stars, but he held out his hand to the shape he was pretty sure was her. "Hey! How'd it go?"
"Fine," Izzy replied, taking his hand and settling down beside him. He could hear the smile of contentment in her voice. "It's really true Alex. We're home and nothing has changed. As far as they're concerned, we just left for prom a few hours ago. My mom even has the pictures. She ran out to Wal-Mart and had them developed as soon as we left," she finished wryly. "[I]So[/I] my mom."
"Too bad," Alex groaned. "I've decided my fashion choice for this evening wasn't my best." He picked at the uncomfortable powder blue tuxedo he was wearing. "What the hell was I thinking? Did I really want this thing preserved in photographs for posterity?"
"You were trying to make me laugh," Isabel replied. He felt a feather- light brush against his cheek as she gave him a peck. "I wasn't in the best shape the last time around."
"I remember," he said quietly, a shiver running down his spine at the memory of Isabel's nightmares when Milena had first started to invade her mind. He gritted his teeth, still angry, even though that threat had been neutralized forever. He lay back down on the soft grass, pulling Isabel with him, more to soothe his own rage then to comfort her.
Isabel was fine. He had to remember that. She was fine and she was in his arms and all was right with his world.
"Anyway," Isabel continued, "they said I could come out to say good night, but they want me back in soon." She sounded annoyed. "It's so unfair. They asked me where Max was and I said at Liz's and they just said 'okay'. It's just because he's a boy. I mean, we both know the odds that Max and Liz are engaged in some kind of illicit behavior is far higher than that you and I would get it on in my backyard."
Alex started to laugh. "Well that didn't take long."
"What?" Isabel sounded confused.
"Back to normal. You'd think we'd never even left."
There was a long moment of silence, then Isabel laughed too. "Yeah. And I wouldn't change a thing."
Fifteen minutes later, when Isabel still hadn't come back in, Philip Evans went to the back door to call her. He flipped on the patio light, started at what he saw, then smiled to himself and flipped it back off.
Isabel and Alex, wrapped in each other's arms, were fast asleep.
***
"What the hell am I doing here?"
Max sat bolt upright, stared at Pam Troy in complete shock. Liz, who had been curled up beside him on the chaise lounge on her balcony, did so at the same time, smashing her head against the bottom of his chin.
"Ow," he said mildly, rubbing his chin. He was still staring at Pam, who was staring right back, a horrified expression on her face.
Liz seemed to gather her wits more quickly, because she jumped to her feet, her arms extended. "Pam!" She exclaimed. Max blinked when his girlfriend reached out and hugged the other girl. "I'm so glad to see you!" The most ludicrous thing about it was that Max was pretty sure Liz was sincere. Trust Liz to be [I]really[/I] glad to see her worst enemy, if only because it meant she was still alive. He grinned slightly. Was it any wonder he loved this woman?
Pam flinched away, glared at Liz. "Are you insane Parker? Don't touch me!" She looked around. "I repeat: what the hell am I doing here?"
Liz looked back at Max. He simply shook his head. He had [I]no[/I] idea what Pam was doing there. As far as he knew, if this had worked properly, she was supposed to be on Illyria right now, waiting for Nasedo to kill her and plant her in Liz's bed.
Abruptly it made sense. Nasedo no longer existed in this timeline. And so Pam couldn't die. Quite simply, fate had been altered and she had been dumped right back where she belonged because nothing could play out as it had before.
"Um." Max searched for a way to tell Pam this. She knew about the alien stuff after all. And she also apparently liked them even less than she had before if the present sour expression on her overly done-up face was any indication.
It was only then that he realized that she was wearing a prom dress. Wait a second! That made no sense. Pam hadn't been at prom.
Max frowned. "Pam, what's the last thing you remember?"
Pam scowled at him, but answered him anyway. "I remember losing my rightful crown to that wench Vicky Delaney," she snapped. "How the hell I ended up here with you two, is beyond me." She paused, as though thinking, then muttered, "Tommy must have spiked my drink and dumped me here when I told him I wouldn't sleep with him. He knows the worst punishment I could ever face would be having to spend an instant in the company of you two losers."
Max and Liz exchanged glances again, their eyes wide.
"Why are you both looking at each other like that?" Pam screeched. "God! You are such freaks! The best day of my life was the day you broke up with me Evans. You deserve each other."
"You mean." Max trailed off uncertainly. "You don't remember anything else? Like about.I don't know. leaving town?"
"Leaving town?" Pam demanded. "Why the hell would I leave town? Like this town would survive without me." She paused, then added, "Of course, leaving town would have meant I wouldn't have been subjected to the horrifying spectacle of you two making out all over the place. I mean, God! Get a room!"
"We [I]are[/I] in my room Pam," Liz said, sounding slightly befuddled. Max felt his lips start to twitch.
Pam shot Liz a dirty look. She then stomped to the ladder leading down from Liz's balcony, started to climb over the edge. She shrieked in outrage when a distinct rip could be heard coming from the back of her extremely tight dress.
"Lizzie! What the heck is going on out there?"
Both Max and Liz whipped their heads around at the sound of Jeff Parker's voice, Pam completely forgotten. Liz's father was poking his head out the window, looking like he had just been woken from a sound sleep.
"Dad!" Liz exclaimed, practically throwing herself at him when Mr. Parker emerged onto the balcony. Mrs. Parker was still standing in Liz's room, pulling her robe more tightly around her body and yawning. Her eyes went instantly to Max, narrowing slightly, although she seemed to relax when she realized he was fully clothed.
Max couldn't help it. He grinned at her. Mrs. Parker blinked, but smiled back.
Mr. Parker was setting Liz away from him a perplexed expression on his face. "Lizzie, seriously. What's going on out here?"
"Sorry about the noise Mr. Parker," Max said, as Liz seemed incapable of speaking at the moment. She was obviously trying desperately to control her tears in order not to make her parents even more suspicious. Because, in the end, how exactly did one tell one's parents that they had died almost a year ago and, now, they were back?
Max glanced over his shoulder, saw that Pam had disapeared. "Pam just wanted to go home I guess."
"Why was Pam Troy here honey?" Mrs. Parker asked. Liz moved forward, as if to hug her mother in apology for waking her up, but really because she absolutely could not resist.
"It's a long story Mom," Liz replied, her voice trembling. "But it's over now."
Mrs. Parker pulled back, pushed Liz's hair off her face. "Honey, you seem upset. What's wrong?" She looked up at Max suspiciously again, making him shift uncomfortably.
"Nothing's wrong Mom!" Liz replied, throwing her arms around her again. "Nothing at all."
"Liz, does this have something to do with what we left for you downstairs?" Jeff Parker asked, after exchanging a concerned glance with his wife.
Max started, felt a shiver run down his spine. He had completely forgotten about the fact that the Parkers had left Grandma Claudia's journal for Liz on the night of the prom.
He had also forgotten exactly what it meant.
They knew about him. They knew who he was, had maybe known for a long time. His heart started to beat more quickly and he felt like he wanted to pass out.
No wonder Mrs. Parker had always looked at him so suspiciously! She had known that simply by being with him, Liz was putting herself in danger. Because, here on Earth, he was still going to have to live in hiding, in spite of the fact that Nasedo had disbanded the Special Unit.
Liz seemed to grasp this almost as quickly as he did, but she didn't seem scared. Instead, she looked over at him reassuringly. "Partly," she said. She smiled. "Thank you for the journal by the way. I love it."
"You've had time to read it already?" Mr. Parker asked, sounding a bit surprised. He looked at Max. "Both of you?"
"Well, yes, I showed it to Max," Liz replied carefully. "How long have you known?"
Mr. Parker sighed, sat down on one of the lawn chairs. "I always knew about my mom. She thought I didn't, but I did. I knew she was special from the moment my dad brought her into my life. No one ever told me, but I just always somehow knew." He looked over at Mrs. Parker, who still had her arm firmly around Liz's shoulders. "I never told Nancy until after my mother died and I read her journal. When I found out about Max."
"He thought I needed to know because now his mother's heritage was affecting our child," Mrs. Parker added. Max flinched, but she didn't sound angry or scared. "I wish he'd told me earlier. It would have made my acceptance of you come a lot more quickly." She sounded a bit ashamed. "I loved Claudia, but needless to say, it was a shock. It took me some time to adjust and when I realized that Liz was.well that she was."
"Dating an alien?" Max asked, trying to be helpful, but also just trying to hide how flabbergasted he was that the Parkers had known the truth about him for so long and, yet, had still let Liz continue to see him.
"Yes," Mrs. Parker admitted. "It wasn't that I was afraid of you," she added quickly. "I know you're a good boy Max." She looked him directly in the eye. "There was a reason there was no bullet hole in the wall that day that man shot up the café, wasn't there?"
Max looked at Liz, whose eyes had gone wide. "Yes," he finally said quietly. "Liz was shot that day. I healed her."
There was a long moment of silence as the Parkers took this in. They had obviously suspected it for a long time, but to actually [I]hear[/I] that their daughter had almost died.Well, Max didn't blame them for taking a moment to accept it.
"I always knew there was more to that day than Liz ever told us. And when I read Claudia's journal, it all began to make sense," Mrs. Parker finally continued. She put her hand on Mr. Parker's shoulder, Liz still clutched at her side. "Jeff accepted you right away Max, with no reservation. He had grown up knowing his mother was from another planet. It took me some time to adjust and I'm sorry about that, but whenever I was scared, I just thought about what you had done for my baby girl." Tears shone in Nancy's eyes. "You saved my child's life and it always got me through the fear."
Max swallowed, shoved his hands in his pockets. "I had no choice Mrs. Parker," he admitted quietly. "I can't even imagine a world without Liz in it."
This was, of course, the simplest of truths in Max's life. In this world, now, Liz Parker would never die. At least not until she was old and grey and he had spent his entire existence making her happy.
"But Mom," Liz spoke up. "Why didn't you ever say anything? We were so scared of you guys finding out!"
"I'm sorry about that honey," Mr. Parker said. "It was my idea to keep it from you. You grandmother's letter at the beginning of her journal.I agreed with it. You had to be allowed to take the journey alone. We couldn't interfere. If you had decided against Max, you needed to be allowed to make that decision without any interference from us."
"I guess that makes sense," Liz grumbled. "But it would have made it a lot easier if we'd known we had your support."
"Well, I am a dad," Mr. Parker shrugged. "Alien king or not, my mother or not, I wanted to make sure that Max deserved you before we told you what we knew. And when all that stuff happened at the end of your sophomore year, when you ran away to England like that.Well, I was glad we waited."
"That wasn't Max's fault," Liz insisted.
"I'm sure it wasn't," Mrs. Parker cut in. "And I'm sure you'll tell us the whole story now that you know you can. But I think there have been enough revelations tonight, for all of us." She looked over her shoulder and through the window at the clock beside Liz's bed. "It's after three in the morning. There'll be plenty of time for us to discuss this later." She looked at Max again. "I'm assuming your parents know?"
Max nodded.
"Good. Because I think that we [I]all[/I] need to sit down and get this out in the open. And Amy Deluca should be there too," Mrs. Parker added. Max and Liz exchanged horrified glances. "No ifs ands or buts about that," Liz's mom told them sternly. "She has a right to know who Michael is if Maria's going to continue to date him. Michael is obviously a good kid, and he obviously loves Maria. Amy has common sense, in spite of all that mystic mumbo jumbo. She'll accept him."
Liz grimaced, but Max shrugged. He was tired of secrets. It was time that everyone they cared about knew the truth. After all, Michael and Maria [I]were[/I] engaged. Amy was going to have to be told sometime. Having the support of the Parkers, his parents and the sheriff when they told her could only be a good thing.
"I'm glad we can finally talk about this," Liz told her parents as they moved to go back to bed. "I hated lying to you."
Mr. Parker kissed her gently on the forehead. "I know you did sweetie. And I'm sorry that we felt we had to make you continue to do it."
Liz hugged both of her parents firmly again. "I love you guys. So much."
"We love you too," Mrs. Parker replied. She glanced over Liz's head at Max. "Five more minutes Max. Then home."
"Okay," he replied, still slightly dumbfounded by all that had just occurred.
Moments later, he and Liz were alone. She collapsed onto the chaise lounge. Max went to sit beside her and pulled her firmly against him. "God," she murmured. "This is all just so weird."
"I know. But I think it's good. Don't you?"
"Yeah." He could hear her voice tremble again as she said, "I'm so happy that they're alive Max." She paused, then added. "How weird was that about Pam though?"
"Pretty weird," Max agreed. "I don't think she remembers anything. It's like her memories have been changed or something."
"Thank God," Liz sighed. "Can you imagine having to deal with that shrew knowing our secret?"
Max pulled back slightly, and stared down at her. "[I]Our[/I] secret?" He asked.
She raised one eyebrow. "Of course it's [I]ours[/I] now. What's yours is mine. And I'm half alien now too you know."
He grinned at her. "How could I forget?" He dropped his head, kissed her until the flashes started.
They came fast and furious, the flashes: her as a little girl looking in the mirror, the wonder when he healed her, the way it felt when he told her that he loved her for the first time, her grief while he had been lost on Illyria for all those months, her fear for him when she realized that they all thought she was dead.Flash after flash of her life and of how much she loved him. Desire for her coursed through his veins, until he knew that, in spite of what he had told Mrs. Parker, he was certainly not leaving in five minutes.
"How could I forget?" He repeated, against her neck, when he finally pulled back for a breath.
Liz turned her head so that she was facing him. She ran her fingers down his face, sending little sparks coursing through his entire body. "Do you know what the best part about being back here on this night is?"
"Your parents being alive?" Max asked, his heart still leaping with joy for her that it was really true.
"Well, [I]that[/I]," Liz agreed. "But I meant the best part for us."
"What?" Max asked, gently raining kisses down her neck, unable to stop himself any longer.
"Do you remember our last prom night Max?" Liz asked. "Well, [I]this[/I] prom night, but [I]last[/I] time," she amended.
Max pulled back slightly again, stared into her eyes, unsure where she was headed with this. "Of course. Why?"
"Do you remember what you said to me when I teased you that we weren't going to get lucky on prom night? That I couldn't tempt you into being bad?"
"Yeah," Max said, his heart thundering in his chest at the look in her eyes.
"Guess what Mr. Evans?"
"What Ms. Parker?"
He lowered his eyes and watched her start to unbutton the front of his tuxedo shirt, then looked back up in time to see her smile in a way that made his toes curl.
"I don't think I need to tempt you anymore. I think we're both going to get lucky this time around."
Max raised his arm and sent a bolt of energy towards Liz's bedroom door, melting the lock. He tilted his head and grinned. "Well, if you insist."
***
Liz smiled to herself as Alex stumbled into the Crashdown a few hours later, still wearing his absurd tuxedo. "Nice," she said, plopping a glass of orange juice down in front of him as he dropped into a stool at the counter. "I'd forgotten how lovely you look in blue." She flicked the towel in her hand at his face. "I'm assuming this means you didn't make it home from Isabel's."
"Nope," Alex replied, scraping a hand down his face. It was only then that Liz noticed he had grass in his dark hair.
"Alex." She raised an eyebrow. "Why do you have grass in your hair?"
"Did you finally get lucky Whitman?" Kyle asked. He had come up behind Alex, a smirk on his face. "Better prom night than last time?"
"I don't kiss and tell," Alex replied serenely, leaning over and sipping his orange juice with a straw.
Kyle shook his head sadly. "He didn't get lucky." He then grinned wickedly. "You do realize what it means to be back here - at this time I mean?"
Alex and Liz exchanged a perplexed look. "Fine," Alex sighed. "I'll bite. What?"
"It means we all get to have the first time again. In this time line, none of us have done the deed. Well, except for Spaceboy and Flaky," Kyle snickered. "Not that you've ever had a first time Whitman, in this timeline or any other."
Liz could feel her cheeks reddening slightly, but she refused to meet Kyle's eyes. She wasn't embarassed after all, just a little flustered because it had made her think about what she and Max had been doing only a couple of hours before.
Alex was rolling his eyes. "Wouldn't you like to know Valenti." He didn't seem overly upset. Liz was pretty sure that she knew that Alex and Isabel had gone down that road, but as he had stated earlier, Alex was a gentleman. He didn't kiss and tell.
But Kyle wasn't even paying attention to Alex anymore. He was eyeing Liz. "So what time did his royal highness make it out of here," he asked, his tone teasing.
"Kyle, you have a one track mind," Liz snapped.
"I'm done playing hero. I'm a horny teenager again," Kyle replied, grinning. "It's my job to think about these things."
"It's none of your business!" Liz exclaimed, throwing her dish-towel at him.
"You [I]did![/I]" Kyle crowed in triumph.
"Please. I was planning to have breakfast this morning," Alex muttered.
"Did [I]you[/I]?" Liz demanded of Kyle, while shooting Alex an annoyed look.
Kyle sighed dramatically. "Alas no. I got grounded." He didn't sound too upset though.
"How did you get grounded?" Alex inquired. "We've barely been back eight hours."
"My boyfriend has a lead foot," Tess interjected, coming through the door in time to hear Alex's last question. "His dad caught him." She kissed Kyle hello. "Hi."
Kyle grinned at her. "Hi yourself."
"How'd you escape?" Tess asked.
"Well, telling my dad the whole story wasn't enough," Kyle sighed. "While he sympathized [I]and[/I] believed me, it didn't justify speeding in his humble opinion. I made a deal with him. My car's in the garage for a week." He looked up at Liz. "Barkeep, I could use some of that there orange juice in which to drown my sorrows."
Liz rolled her eyes but complied, just glad the topic was off her sex life. She was also glad that it was still too early for the Crashdown to be open to the general public. Like their Sunday morning regulars need to hear this.
"So poor Lady Tess spent prom night alone." Alex shook his head, imitating Kyle from moments before. "At least my lady didn't suffer that."
"Speaking of your lady," Liz said, deciding to interrupt the train of that conversation before Max came back and they rendered him ill, "where is she?"
"She's riding with Max," Alex explained. "They went to pick up M&M."
They all sobered at that. "I hope they're okay," Tess finally said quietly.
"They've got some tough times ahead," Liz said, sighing. "Unfortunately my parents insist that we tell Amy the truth about you guys too."
"Hold up! Your parents know?" Alex demanded.
"From the journal, right?" Tess guessed.
"Yeah," Liz agreed. "They've known way longer than I ever would have guessed. You know how my mom freaked out so much when Max and I first got together? Part of it was the Czech stuff."
"Weird," Alex said. When they all looked at him, he added, "That we're not the only ones with secrets."
"It is weird," Liz replied. "But I'm just glad that we don't have to tell them." She smiled. "And everything's back to normal."
"Better than normal," Kyle told her, reaching his arm around Tess's waist and pulling her close to his side. "Last time I couldn't do this." He started nibbling on his girlfriend's ear. She pulled away, reddening slightly. "Aw! You're no fun!" He complained, but kissed her lightly on the lips to demonstrate that he was only kidding.
"You're far too chipper for someone whose car's been impounded Valenti," Alex complained.
"And you're far too grumpy for someone who spent his night in the arms of his lady love," Kyle retorted.
"On the cold, hard grass of her backyard," Alex informed him. "It's not as romantic as it sounds. Izzy was none to pleased to discover grass stains on her dress this morning."
"Which she took care of right away I'm sure," Tess said.
"Well, of course," Alex grinned. "This is my Izzy we're talking about."
"Your Izzy is here," Liz told him, nodding towards the door. She smiled to herself at the sight of Max just behind his sister. Their eyes met as he came through the entrance and he smiled back, the secret smile he reserved only for her.
"Oh ew," Isabel said. "Must you? So early?"
"Yes, we must," Max replied, leaning over the counter and kissing Liz. "Morning."
"Morning," she replied, goose-bumps rising on her flesh at his proximity. He had obviously found time for a shower since leaving her at dawn, because he smelt like soap.
"Where are Michael and Maria?"
"They're coming," Max said. "They ran into Mrs. Deluca outside."
Liz grimaced. "Oh. Did you tell them what my parents said?"
"Yeah," Max replied. "They didn't seem to mind. I think they both kind of wanted to tell her anyway. We'll all go over there later."
Michael pushed his way into the restaurant a few moments later. He narrowed his eyes when he realized that they were all staring at him. "What?"
"Excellent!" Kyle exclaimed. "We're all now present and accounted for. Well, except for your better half," he said to Michael. "But as I know you'd be howling right now if she was missing, I'm assuming she's right behind you." When everyone turned to look at him, he shrugged. "What? A guy can't worry that one of his friends got caught in some kind of vortex on the way back in time?"
No one had any sort of response to that, so they all chose to pretend he hadn't spoken.
Tess jumped off the stool she had been sitting on beside Kyle. She hugged her brother. "How are you?"
"Oh please. You guys aren't going to sit around dissecting me and Maria for the next twenty years are you?" Michael demanded. "Because that's going to get really old, really fast."
"It's only because we care Michael," Isabel said. "Excuse us for living." Alex raised his arm and pulled Isabel close to his side, obviously trying to cut her off before she could get started.
"Well, just [I]don't[/I] okay?" Michael said, his tone modifying. "We're fine. We made a decision and we're here. End of story."
"It was the [I]right[/I] decision," Maria added, coming up behind him.
"How's your mom?" Liz asked sympathetically.
"Good," Maria replied. "It was good to see her. Even though she doesn't know that it's been so long." She shook her head, sending her strawberry blonde hair flying. "Is it just me or this whole day just weird?"
"Definitely weird," Tess agreed.
"But in a good way," Kyle said. "We're lucky here guys." He sighed, propped his head on his hand. "Even if I can't drive my car."
"Poor baby." Tess wrapped her arms around him.
"Woe is me," Kyle continued dramatically.
"What on Earth is he talking about?" Michael asked, grimacing at the display in front of him.
"He's grounded," Alex informed him. "His dad caught him speeding."
"Wow." Michael rolled his eyes. "It's nice to know that grounding is about as dangerous as our lives are going to be in the future."
Maria waved her hand in the air. "See! What did I tell you? Weird. It's like we never even left."
"We did leave," Max spoke up. He had come around behind the counter to join Liz and she was now leaning against him, enjoying the feel of his solid warmth behind her. "And now we're back. Kyle's right. We [I]are[/I] lucky. We have to make the most of this chance but we can't ever forget what we all did either." He looked at each of them in turn. "What we all did together."
There was a long moment of silence. Then Kyle said, "Am I the only one who feels like doing a little cheer?" He looked around.
"Please don't," Isabel pleaded. She started to laugh. "I'm too tired to hear anything you'll come up with."
"Didn't get much sleep, did ya Izzy?" Kyle asked, grinning meaningfully at Alex. "Whitman here was just telling us all about it."
"Kyle!" Liz exclaimed. "He's totally lying Isabel."
Isabel rolled her eyes. "As if I didn't know that." She leaned over and pecked Alex on the cheek. "I know my boy."
Alex was glaring at Kyle, but he chose to change the subject. "I don't think a cheer is necessary." He picked up his glass of orange juice. "But may I propose a toast?"
"Oh do!" Tess exclaimed. "I love toasts!"
"Just give me a sec," Liz chimed in. She quickly poured several more glasses of juice and handed them to Max to pass out.
After that had been taken care of, Alex cleared his throat and raised his glass. "To paraphrase Max's eloquent words of moments ago, I'd just like to say, that I feel blessed to have you all in my life. A better team has never existed."
Liz smiled, leaned back against Max again. He dropped a light kiss on her head, before raising his glass too.
"I'm also glad that we get to live in this new world together," Alex continued. He glanced at Michael and Maria. "Not everyone we love can be here, but they'll always be in our hearts. And, so, at the dawn of this new day, I'd like to toast everyone we love. And, for me, that's all you guys. Here's to friendship. Here's to us."
Liz felt tears welling in her eyes. She raised her glass.
They all spoke in unison, the sentiment reinforced by the blending of eight voices into one.
"To us."
The End
[b]Roswell, New Mexico - May 2002[/b]
Kyle opened his eyes and stared in amazement out the front windshield of his Mustang.
[I]Hot damn! It actually worked![/I]
He glanced to the right, saw that he was parked in front of Vicky Delaney's house. In fact, she was still stomping up the front pathway, obviously having just gotten out of the car. He reached up, touched his forehead and came back with blood on his fingers.
Grimacing as he shook his head, he remembered abruptly how he had been cut there when Vicky had thrown the tiara now sitting in his lap at him after she finally understood that he was breaking up with her. He felt a pang of guilt. Poor Vicky. She was really was a nice girl.
Too nice, he decided, knowing that he wasn't going to bother feeling guilty about this. She certainly was not for him and was better off.
He felt his heart leap in anticipation at the thought of driving away from here and being able to go straight to Tess, rather than home to his lonely bedroom like last time.
He quickly reached up, turned the rear-view mirror so that he could see what he was doing, then touched his forehead to heal the minor scratch. He grinned. Most excellent. He was still half-alien too.
Kyle started the Mustang's ignition and pealed away from the curb, unwilling to wait another instant before finding Tess. His memory was reminding him about how absolutely exquisite she had looked in the gold dress she had worn on this night - so long ago in his mind, but still happening [I]now[/I]. He could feel his hands starting to itch at the mere thought of peeling it off her beautiful body.
In fact, he was so preoccupied with images of what he was going to do to his girlfriend when he saw her, it took him several minutes to realize that there was a siren behind him.
Glancing in his rear-view mirror, he noticed that it wasn't just anyone either. It was his father.
Crap. His dad was going to kick his ass for driving like such a maniac. And, yet, Kyle couldn't help the feeling of pleasure that ran through him at the thought of being able to say hi to his father. Of course, to his dad, he had seen him earlier that night, but for Kyle it had been almost a year.
The sheriff had wanted to go to Illyria with them, of course, but it had been Max who had convinced Kyle's dad that they needed him in Roswell. They wanted him to let Isabel and Max's parents in on what was going on and they also needed him to explain away their absences. Not to mention, at the time, they had thought that it would mean the sheriff leaving his job for an extended period of time, which none of them wanted. The sheriff had reluctantly agreed and, for the first time ever, Kyle had been grateful that Max had so much influence with his dad.
And, so, Kyle had been pretty shocked by what his father had said to him when they had said good-bye.
[I]"Do you know why I'm letting you do this by yourself Kyle?"
"Because Evans asked you to," Kyle replied. "It's okay Dad. I get it. I'd never admit it to him, but he knows what he's doing."
His father had smiled though, shaking his head. "That's not it at all son. It's you I trust. I turned my back and you grew up. This is [/I]your[I] fight, not mine."
Kyle stared at him in astonishment. "Dad."
"I am so proud of you." His father's voice cracked as he grabbed him behind the neck and pulled him forward for an embrace. "Just be careful."[/I]
As he pulled the Mustang to a stop, Kyle was already grinning. He leaned his head back against the seat and waited for the yelling to begin. It was in less time than he had expected. It started before his dad even reached his open window.
"[I]Kyle![/I] Get your butt out of that vehicle!"
Kyle rolled his eyes, pushed open the door and climbed out. "Hey Dad!"
"Don't you 'Hey Dad' me! Do you have any idea what I just clocked you at?" His father was shining his flashlight right in Kyle's face, making him have to turn his head. "Have you been drinking? I swear to God Kyle, if you're driving drunk."
Kyle held up his hands. "Dad, I guarantee I haven't been drinking. I know I was going too fast, but what can I say? It's been an eventful evening."
"This is not funny son," the sheriff growled. "Speed kills."
"I'm totally sorry Dad. It's just that I'm running a bit late."
"Kyle, it's two-thirty in the morning. What on Earth can you possibly be late for? Other than the longest grounding of your life that is."
"Are you sure you want to know?" Kyle asked, amused, and unable to pretend any longer.
"Kyle, stop messing around."
"It's a long story Dad."
"Which you'll have plenty of time to relate after I follow you home and lock your butt in the house."
"Dad, I just [I]can't[/I]," Kyle told him firmly. "I have somewhere to be. But I swear I'll drive more slowly, okay?"
"No Kyle, [I]not[/I] okay," his father barked. "You're going home right."
"Dad," Kyle interrupted. "Do you trust me or not?"
"Trust has nothing to do with it son. Get in that car and go home. Now. At a reasonable speed."
[I]Hell[/I], Kyle thought. He could see from his father's implacable expression that he was not going to let him go. This was a wrinkle they had not foreseen. All that had come before for them had not come before for everyone in Roswell. As far as his dad was concerned, he was still just his seventeen year old son trying to kill himself on prom night.
And he realized abruptly that he wouldn't change that for an instant. He still knew that his dad had been proud of him in that other timeline, still knew that he was going to make his father proud of him in this one too.
"Fine," he grumbled. "But this is [I]so[/I] unfair." He barely managed to avoid snickering.
As he pulled out from the curb and drove home, he wondered what his dad was going to say when he told him exactly what they had all been doing for the past year. He wondered if it would change the fact that he was now grounded.
Somehow he doubted it.
***
Tess blinked when the phone rang. She had been sitting on her living room couch, looking around, still slightly disoriented.
"I'm grounded," Kyle told her without preamble, when she picked it up, after fumbling for a few seconds.
"What?" Tess asked, shaking her head in dismay. "Kyle, we've been back for maybe three minutes. How on Earth did you get yourself grounded so quickly?"
"Speed kills Tess," he replied sarcastically.
"Are you kidding me? You actually got stopped for speeding?" She sighed, flopped back against the couch. "By your [I]dad?[/I]"
"Excuse me, but are you or are you not wearing that gold dress?"
Tess glanced down, frowning. "Of course I am. It's still prom night."
"I rest my case."
She started to giggle in spite of herself, although she was disappointed that she wasn't going to be able to see him tonight. "So your dad doesn't remember anything?" She asked.
"Nope," Kyle said. "No one does. And I have the scar on my head from Vicky's tiara to prove it."
"Huh?"
"Never mind," Kyle answered. "I don't really have a scar. You don't need to worry that this beautiful visage has been tarnished. If there's one good thing about being a freaky alien, it's the ability to protect my most important asset. Football season is going to be stellar next year."
Tess simply smiled to herself. "You're really weird Kyle."
"But you like me anyway."
"I [I]love[/I] you anyway," she told him, her voice softening.
"And I love you," Kyle replied.
"So when am I going to see you?"
"At the Crashdown babe. I swear I'll be there. My dad isn't off duty until seven, but I'm going to tell him what's been happening. I have a feeling he'll let me off with time served."
"And if not?" Tess asked, missing him already. Being under the constraint of parents again - even if she and Michael technically weren't, they were at the mercy of those of their significant others - was going to take some getting used to.
"Then I'll sneak out," Kyle told her. "But if he catches me, I'll see you on my next birthday. Or at school on Monday." There was a pause. "God. Does that sound as crazy to you as it does to me?"
"Yes," Tess replied. "But it sounds really great too."
"That it does," Kyle agreed. "That it does."
They talked for a few more minutes, until Kyle told her that he'd better get to bed. "I'm going to need all my strength to deal with the good 'ol sheriff in the morning," he told her sarcastically.
"Good luck with that."
"I'm so grateful for your sympathy."
"Anytime," Tess replied, grinning. "I love you Kyle."
"Love you too. Sleep well."
"That's going to be kind of hard without you," Tess complained.
"Don't remind me," Kyle sighed. "Morning can't come soon enough."
Glancing at the clock sitting beside the couch, Tess smiled. "Only four hours."
"Four hours are like an eternity without you. Bye."
"Night."
She was still smiling to herself as she fell asleep on the couch moments after hanging up.
***
"Are you sad?" Maria asked, leaning her head back against Michael's shoulder.
They were sitting on the floor of the transformation chamber, staring at Jennetta's empty pod. They had not moved since arriving there, nor had they spoken, but the quiet was beginning to get to Maria.
"Kind of," Michael admitted. "And kind of not. It's weird."
"I know," she replied. She paused, then said, "Maybe we shouldn't have come here. The transformation chamber I mean. I think maybe this might be easier if we try and forget."
She felt Michael stiffen against her back. "Forget Jenny?"
"No," Maria admonished. "Of course not! I mean try and forget how much it hurt to say good-bye to her. Because we did it for a reason Michael. If we sit around mourning her, the whole reason we left will have been pointless."
Michael relaxed again, then sighed. "That's true. But it's really not that easy Maria."
"I know."
They sat in silence for several minutes more, both still staring at the pod, neither making any effort to move.
"Michael?"
"Yeah?"
"Do you think about having more kids?" Maria held her breath, hoping he wasn't going to get mad. It really was sort of too soon to even be contemplating such a thing, but she did want to make sure they were on the same page. Because it was all she thought about really.
She was of two minds about it. On one hand, she definitely wanted more kids, [I]definitely[/I] wanted a chance to raise them and wanted the opportunity to have all the moments she'd missed with Jenny. On the other, she didn't want Jennetta to know about it, didn't want her daughter to feel like she was being replaced.
"I guess," Michael replied. "Not soon though."
"But someday?"
"Yeah."
"Okay." She paused. "Do you think it would upset Jenny?"
"No," Michael said firmly. "I know it wouldn't."
"Why?"
"Because she wants us to be happy. I really believe in my heart that she didn't want us to leave. But she's a queen Maria. A great queen. She thinks about everyone else first, particularly the people she loves the most. She wanted us to come back here to live our lives. And all my life, I've wanted a family."
"Really?" Maria twisted her neck so that she could look at him.
"Of course," Michael said. "I never had a family. I used to be really jealous of Max and Isabel because they did, but I knew that I'd have mine too someday - that when I went home, I'd have my family. And when I did, I'd be the best dad ever."
"Well, that happened," Maria told him. "You were a wonderful father to her Michael."
"Yeah, but not really," Michael shrugged. "We didn't really get our chance Maria. But we will."
"And you know this for sure?" Maria demanded, still uncertain. "How do you know this?"
"I told you. I always knew that when I went home, I'd have my family," Michael replied. He leaned down, pressed a kiss to her lips. "Wherever you are, that's my home. Which means it's going to happen."
Maria smiled, snuggled back against him again. "You're pretty optimistic for a pessimist, you know that?"
"I try." He dropped a kiss on the top of her head.
*** Alex was lying on the grass behind the Evans house, his hands clasped behind his head, waiting for Isabel. She had gone in to tell her parents she was home. They had decided that she wasn't going to tell them what had happened, at least until she had spoken to Max again. While Diane and Philip Evans had been pretty calm about the alien thing, trying to explain the whole time-travel aspect just seemed really tiring to both of them, at least for tonight. And, so, Isabel would just behave normally - or as normally as she could considering she hadn't seen them in a year.
Alex had decided to pass the time by staring up at the stars. He was trying to figure out exactly where they had just come from. He could see the V constellation clearly, but was still unsure which of the stars that formed it was Illyria's sun. He assumed it was the bottom of the V, but he wasn't completely positive.
"Hi."
Alex sat up at the sound of Isabel's voice coming out of the darkness. He couldn't see her clearly, his eyes still adjusting after the brightness of the stars, but he held out his hand to the shape he was pretty sure was her. "Hey! How'd it go?"
"Fine," Izzy replied, taking his hand and settling down beside him. He could hear the smile of contentment in her voice. "It's really true Alex. We're home and nothing has changed. As far as they're concerned, we just left for prom a few hours ago. My mom even has the pictures. She ran out to Wal-Mart and had them developed as soon as we left," she finished wryly. "[I]So[/I] my mom."
"Too bad," Alex groaned. "I've decided my fashion choice for this evening wasn't my best." He picked at the uncomfortable powder blue tuxedo he was wearing. "What the hell was I thinking? Did I really want this thing preserved in photographs for posterity?"
"You were trying to make me laugh," Isabel replied. He felt a feather- light brush against his cheek as she gave him a peck. "I wasn't in the best shape the last time around."
"I remember," he said quietly, a shiver running down his spine at the memory of Isabel's nightmares when Milena had first started to invade her mind. He gritted his teeth, still angry, even though that threat had been neutralized forever. He lay back down on the soft grass, pulling Isabel with him, more to soothe his own rage then to comfort her.
Isabel was fine. He had to remember that. She was fine and she was in his arms and all was right with his world.
"Anyway," Isabel continued, "they said I could come out to say good night, but they want me back in soon." She sounded annoyed. "It's so unfair. They asked me where Max was and I said at Liz's and they just said 'okay'. It's just because he's a boy. I mean, we both know the odds that Max and Liz are engaged in some kind of illicit behavior is far higher than that you and I would get it on in my backyard."
Alex started to laugh. "Well that didn't take long."
"What?" Isabel sounded confused.
"Back to normal. You'd think we'd never even left."
There was a long moment of silence, then Isabel laughed too. "Yeah. And I wouldn't change a thing."
Fifteen minutes later, when Isabel still hadn't come back in, Philip Evans went to the back door to call her. He flipped on the patio light, started at what he saw, then smiled to himself and flipped it back off.
Isabel and Alex, wrapped in each other's arms, were fast asleep.
***
"What the hell am I doing here?"
Max sat bolt upright, stared at Pam Troy in complete shock. Liz, who had been curled up beside him on the chaise lounge on her balcony, did so at the same time, smashing her head against the bottom of his chin.
"Ow," he said mildly, rubbing his chin. He was still staring at Pam, who was staring right back, a horrified expression on her face.
Liz seemed to gather her wits more quickly, because she jumped to her feet, her arms extended. "Pam!" She exclaimed. Max blinked when his girlfriend reached out and hugged the other girl. "I'm so glad to see you!" The most ludicrous thing about it was that Max was pretty sure Liz was sincere. Trust Liz to be [I]really[/I] glad to see her worst enemy, if only because it meant she was still alive. He grinned slightly. Was it any wonder he loved this woman?
Pam flinched away, glared at Liz. "Are you insane Parker? Don't touch me!" She looked around. "I repeat: what the hell am I doing here?"
Liz looked back at Max. He simply shook his head. He had [I]no[/I] idea what Pam was doing there. As far as he knew, if this had worked properly, she was supposed to be on Illyria right now, waiting for Nasedo to kill her and plant her in Liz's bed.
Abruptly it made sense. Nasedo no longer existed in this timeline. And so Pam couldn't die. Quite simply, fate had been altered and she had been dumped right back where she belonged because nothing could play out as it had before.
"Um." Max searched for a way to tell Pam this. She knew about the alien stuff after all. And she also apparently liked them even less than she had before if the present sour expression on her overly done-up face was any indication.
It was only then that he realized that she was wearing a prom dress. Wait a second! That made no sense. Pam hadn't been at prom.
Max frowned. "Pam, what's the last thing you remember?"
Pam scowled at him, but answered him anyway. "I remember losing my rightful crown to that wench Vicky Delaney," she snapped. "How the hell I ended up here with you two, is beyond me." She paused, as though thinking, then muttered, "Tommy must have spiked my drink and dumped me here when I told him I wouldn't sleep with him. He knows the worst punishment I could ever face would be having to spend an instant in the company of you two losers."
Max and Liz exchanged glances again, their eyes wide.
"Why are you both looking at each other like that?" Pam screeched. "God! You are such freaks! The best day of my life was the day you broke up with me Evans. You deserve each other."
"You mean." Max trailed off uncertainly. "You don't remember anything else? Like about.I don't know. leaving town?"
"Leaving town?" Pam demanded. "Why the hell would I leave town? Like this town would survive without me." She paused, then added, "Of course, leaving town would have meant I wouldn't have been subjected to the horrifying spectacle of you two making out all over the place. I mean, God! Get a room!"
"We [I]are[/I] in my room Pam," Liz said, sounding slightly befuddled. Max felt his lips start to twitch.
Pam shot Liz a dirty look. She then stomped to the ladder leading down from Liz's balcony, started to climb over the edge. She shrieked in outrage when a distinct rip could be heard coming from the back of her extremely tight dress.
"Lizzie! What the heck is going on out there?"
Both Max and Liz whipped their heads around at the sound of Jeff Parker's voice, Pam completely forgotten. Liz's father was poking his head out the window, looking like he had just been woken from a sound sleep.
"Dad!" Liz exclaimed, practically throwing herself at him when Mr. Parker emerged onto the balcony. Mrs. Parker was still standing in Liz's room, pulling her robe more tightly around her body and yawning. Her eyes went instantly to Max, narrowing slightly, although she seemed to relax when she realized he was fully clothed.
Max couldn't help it. He grinned at her. Mrs. Parker blinked, but smiled back.
Mr. Parker was setting Liz away from him a perplexed expression on his face. "Lizzie, seriously. What's going on out here?"
"Sorry about the noise Mr. Parker," Max said, as Liz seemed incapable of speaking at the moment. She was obviously trying desperately to control her tears in order not to make her parents even more suspicious. Because, in the end, how exactly did one tell one's parents that they had died almost a year ago and, now, they were back?
Max glanced over his shoulder, saw that Pam had disapeared. "Pam just wanted to go home I guess."
"Why was Pam Troy here honey?" Mrs. Parker asked. Liz moved forward, as if to hug her mother in apology for waking her up, but really because she absolutely could not resist.
"It's a long story Mom," Liz replied, her voice trembling. "But it's over now."
Mrs. Parker pulled back, pushed Liz's hair off her face. "Honey, you seem upset. What's wrong?" She looked up at Max suspiciously again, making him shift uncomfortably.
"Nothing's wrong Mom!" Liz replied, throwing her arms around her again. "Nothing at all."
"Liz, does this have something to do with what we left for you downstairs?" Jeff Parker asked, after exchanging a concerned glance with his wife.
Max started, felt a shiver run down his spine. He had completely forgotten about the fact that the Parkers had left Grandma Claudia's journal for Liz on the night of the prom.
He had also forgotten exactly what it meant.
They knew about him. They knew who he was, had maybe known for a long time. His heart started to beat more quickly and he felt like he wanted to pass out.
No wonder Mrs. Parker had always looked at him so suspiciously! She had known that simply by being with him, Liz was putting herself in danger. Because, here on Earth, he was still going to have to live in hiding, in spite of the fact that Nasedo had disbanded the Special Unit.
Liz seemed to grasp this almost as quickly as he did, but she didn't seem scared. Instead, she looked over at him reassuringly. "Partly," she said. She smiled. "Thank you for the journal by the way. I love it."
"You've had time to read it already?" Mr. Parker asked, sounding a bit surprised. He looked at Max. "Both of you?"
"Well, yes, I showed it to Max," Liz replied carefully. "How long have you known?"
Mr. Parker sighed, sat down on one of the lawn chairs. "I always knew about my mom. She thought I didn't, but I did. I knew she was special from the moment my dad brought her into my life. No one ever told me, but I just always somehow knew." He looked over at Mrs. Parker, who still had her arm firmly around Liz's shoulders. "I never told Nancy until after my mother died and I read her journal. When I found out about Max."
"He thought I needed to know because now his mother's heritage was affecting our child," Mrs. Parker added. Max flinched, but she didn't sound angry or scared. "I wish he'd told me earlier. It would have made my acceptance of you come a lot more quickly." She sounded a bit ashamed. "I loved Claudia, but needless to say, it was a shock. It took me some time to adjust and when I realized that Liz was.well that she was."
"Dating an alien?" Max asked, trying to be helpful, but also just trying to hide how flabbergasted he was that the Parkers had known the truth about him for so long and, yet, had still let Liz continue to see him.
"Yes," Mrs. Parker admitted. "It wasn't that I was afraid of you," she added quickly. "I know you're a good boy Max." She looked him directly in the eye. "There was a reason there was no bullet hole in the wall that day that man shot up the café, wasn't there?"
Max looked at Liz, whose eyes had gone wide. "Yes," he finally said quietly. "Liz was shot that day. I healed her."
There was a long moment of silence as the Parkers took this in. They had obviously suspected it for a long time, but to actually [I]hear[/I] that their daughter had almost died.Well, Max didn't blame them for taking a moment to accept it.
"I always knew there was more to that day than Liz ever told us. And when I read Claudia's journal, it all began to make sense," Mrs. Parker finally continued. She put her hand on Mr. Parker's shoulder, Liz still clutched at her side. "Jeff accepted you right away Max, with no reservation. He had grown up knowing his mother was from another planet. It took me some time to adjust and I'm sorry about that, but whenever I was scared, I just thought about what you had done for my baby girl." Tears shone in Nancy's eyes. "You saved my child's life and it always got me through the fear."
Max swallowed, shoved his hands in his pockets. "I had no choice Mrs. Parker," he admitted quietly. "I can't even imagine a world without Liz in it."
This was, of course, the simplest of truths in Max's life. In this world, now, Liz Parker would never die. At least not until she was old and grey and he had spent his entire existence making her happy.
"But Mom," Liz spoke up. "Why didn't you ever say anything? We were so scared of you guys finding out!"
"I'm sorry about that honey," Mr. Parker said. "It was my idea to keep it from you. You grandmother's letter at the beginning of her journal.I agreed with it. You had to be allowed to take the journey alone. We couldn't interfere. If you had decided against Max, you needed to be allowed to make that decision without any interference from us."
"I guess that makes sense," Liz grumbled. "But it would have made it a lot easier if we'd known we had your support."
"Well, I am a dad," Mr. Parker shrugged. "Alien king or not, my mother or not, I wanted to make sure that Max deserved you before we told you what we knew. And when all that stuff happened at the end of your sophomore year, when you ran away to England like that.Well, I was glad we waited."
"That wasn't Max's fault," Liz insisted.
"I'm sure it wasn't," Mrs. Parker cut in. "And I'm sure you'll tell us the whole story now that you know you can. But I think there have been enough revelations tonight, for all of us." She looked over her shoulder and through the window at the clock beside Liz's bed. "It's after three in the morning. There'll be plenty of time for us to discuss this later." She looked at Max again. "I'm assuming your parents know?"
Max nodded.
"Good. Because I think that we [I]all[/I] need to sit down and get this out in the open. And Amy Deluca should be there too," Mrs. Parker added. Max and Liz exchanged horrified glances. "No ifs ands or buts about that," Liz's mom told them sternly. "She has a right to know who Michael is if Maria's going to continue to date him. Michael is obviously a good kid, and he obviously loves Maria. Amy has common sense, in spite of all that mystic mumbo jumbo. She'll accept him."
Liz grimaced, but Max shrugged. He was tired of secrets. It was time that everyone they cared about knew the truth. After all, Michael and Maria [I]were[/I] engaged. Amy was going to have to be told sometime. Having the support of the Parkers, his parents and the sheriff when they told her could only be a good thing.
"I'm glad we can finally talk about this," Liz told her parents as they moved to go back to bed. "I hated lying to you."
Mr. Parker kissed her gently on the forehead. "I know you did sweetie. And I'm sorry that we felt we had to make you continue to do it."
Liz hugged both of her parents firmly again. "I love you guys. So much."
"We love you too," Mrs. Parker replied. She glanced over Liz's head at Max. "Five more minutes Max. Then home."
"Okay," he replied, still slightly dumbfounded by all that had just occurred.
Moments later, he and Liz were alone. She collapsed onto the chaise lounge. Max went to sit beside her and pulled her firmly against him. "God," she murmured. "This is all just so weird."
"I know. But I think it's good. Don't you?"
"Yeah." He could hear her voice tremble again as she said, "I'm so happy that they're alive Max." She paused, then added. "How weird was that about Pam though?"
"Pretty weird," Max agreed. "I don't think she remembers anything. It's like her memories have been changed or something."
"Thank God," Liz sighed. "Can you imagine having to deal with that shrew knowing our secret?"
Max pulled back slightly, and stared down at her. "[I]Our[/I] secret?" He asked.
She raised one eyebrow. "Of course it's [I]ours[/I] now. What's yours is mine. And I'm half alien now too you know."
He grinned at her. "How could I forget?" He dropped his head, kissed her until the flashes started.
They came fast and furious, the flashes: her as a little girl looking in the mirror, the wonder when he healed her, the way it felt when he told her that he loved her for the first time, her grief while he had been lost on Illyria for all those months, her fear for him when she realized that they all thought she was dead.Flash after flash of her life and of how much she loved him. Desire for her coursed through his veins, until he knew that, in spite of what he had told Mrs. Parker, he was certainly not leaving in five minutes.
"How could I forget?" He repeated, against her neck, when he finally pulled back for a breath.
Liz turned her head so that she was facing him. She ran her fingers down his face, sending little sparks coursing through his entire body. "Do you know what the best part about being back here on this night is?"
"Your parents being alive?" Max asked, his heart still leaping with joy for her that it was really true.
"Well, [I]that[/I]," Liz agreed. "But I meant the best part for us."
"What?" Max asked, gently raining kisses down her neck, unable to stop himself any longer.
"Do you remember our last prom night Max?" Liz asked. "Well, [I]this[/I] prom night, but [I]last[/I] time," she amended.
Max pulled back slightly again, stared into her eyes, unsure where she was headed with this. "Of course. Why?"
"Do you remember what you said to me when I teased you that we weren't going to get lucky on prom night? That I couldn't tempt you into being bad?"
"Yeah," Max said, his heart thundering in his chest at the look in her eyes.
"Guess what Mr. Evans?"
"What Ms. Parker?"
He lowered his eyes and watched her start to unbutton the front of his tuxedo shirt, then looked back up in time to see her smile in a way that made his toes curl.
"I don't think I need to tempt you anymore. I think we're both going to get lucky this time around."
Max raised his arm and sent a bolt of energy towards Liz's bedroom door, melting the lock. He tilted his head and grinned. "Well, if you insist."
***
Liz smiled to herself as Alex stumbled into the Crashdown a few hours later, still wearing his absurd tuxedo. "Nice," she said, plopping a glass of orange juice down in front of him as he dropped into a stool at the counter. "I'd forgotten how lovely you look in blue." She flicked the towel in her hand at his face. "I'm assuming this means you didn't make it home from Isabel's."
"Nope," Alex replied, scraping a hand down his face. It was only then that Liz noticed he had grass in his dark hair.
"Alex." She raised an eyebrow. "Why do you have grass in your hair?"
"Did you finally get lucky Whitman?" Kyle asked. He had come up behind Alex, a smirk on his face. "Better prom night than last time?"
"I don't kiss and tell," Alex replied serenely, leaning over and sipping his orange juice with a straw.
Kyle shook his head sadly. "He didn't get lucky." He then grinned wickedly. "You do realize what it means to be back here - at this time I mean?"
Alex and Liz exchanged a perplexed look. "Fine," Alex sighed. "I'll bite. What?"
"It means we all get to have the first time again. In this time line, none of us have done the deed. Well, except for Spaceboy and Flaky," Kyle snickered. "Not that you've ever had a first time Whitman, in this timeline or any other."
Liz could feel her cheeks reddening slightly, but she refused to meet Kyle's eyes. She wasn't embarassed after all, just a little flustered because it had made her think about what she and Max had been doing only a couple of hours before.
Alex was rolling his eyes. "Wouldn't you like to know Valenti." He didn't seem overly upset. Liz was pretty sure that she knew that Alex and Isabel had gone down that road, but as he had stated earlier, Alex was a gentleman. He didn't kiss and tell.
But Kyle wasn't even paying attention to Alex anymore. He was eyeing Liz. "So what time did his royal highness make it out of here," he asked, his tone teasing.
"Kyle, you have a one track mind," Liz snapped.
"I'm done playing hero. I'm a horny teenager again," Kyle replied, grinning. "It's my job to think about these things."
"It's none of your business!" Liz exclaimed, throwing her dish-towel at him.
"You [I]did![/I]" Kyle crowed in triumph.
"Please. I was planning to have breakfast this morning," Alex muttered.
"Did [I]you[/I]?" Liz demanded of Kyle, while shooting Alex an annoyed look.
Kyle sighed dramatically. "Alas no. I got grounded." He didn't sound too upset though.
"How did you get grounded?" Alex inquired. "We've barely been back eight hours."
"My boyfriend has a lead foot," Tess interjected, coming through the door in time to hear Alex's last question. "His dad caught him." She kissed Kyle hello. "Hi."
Kyle grinned at her. "Hi yourself."
"How'd you escape?" Tess asked.
"Well, telling my dad the whole story wasn't enough," Kyle sighed. "While he sympathized [I]and[/I] believed me, it didn't justify speeding in his humble opinion. I made a deal with him. My car's in the garage for a week." He looked up at Liz. "Barkeep, I could use some of that there orange juice in which to drown my sorrows."
Liz rolled her eyes but complied, just glad the topic was off her sex life. She was also glad that it was still too early for the Crashdown to be open to the general public. Like their Sunday morning regulars need to hear this.
"So poor Lady Tess spent prom night alone." Alex shook his head, imitating Kyle from moments before. "At least my lady didn't suffer that."
"Speaking of your lady," Liz said, deciding to interrupt the train of that conversation before Max came back and they rendered him ill, "where is she?"
"She's riding with Max," Alex explained. "They went to pick up M&M."
They all sobered at that. "I hope they're okay," Tess finally said quietly.
"They've got some tough times ahead," Liz said, sighing. "Unfortunately my parents insist that we tell Amy the truth about you guys too."
"Hold up! Your parents know?" Alex demanded.
"From the journal, right?" Tess guessed.
"Yeah," Liz agreed. "They've known way longer than I ever would have guessed. You know how my mom freaked out so much when Max and I first got together? Part of it was the Czech stuff."
"Weird," Alex said. When they all looked at him, he added, "That we're not the only ones with secrets."
"It is weird," Liz replied. "But I'm just glad that we don't have to tell them." She smiled. "And everything's back to normal."
"Better than normal," Kyle told her, reaching his arm around Tess's waist and pulling her close to his side. "Last time I couldn't do this." He started nibbling on his girlfriend's ear. She pulled away, reddening slightly. "Aw! You're no fun!" He complained, but kissed her lightly on the lips to demonstrate that he was only kidding.
"You're far too chipper for someone whose car's been impounded Valenti," Alex complained.
"And you're far too grumpy for someone who spent his night in the arms of his lady love," Kyle retorted.
"On the cold, hard grass of her backyard," Alex informed him. "It's not as romantic as it sounds. Izzy was none to pleased to discover grass stains on her dress this morning."
"Which she took care of right away I'm sure," Tess said.
"Well, of course," Alex grinned. "This is my Izzy we're talking about."
"Your Izzy is here," Liz told him, nodding towards the door. She smiled to herself at the sight of Max just behind his sister. Their eyes met as he came through the entrance and he smiled back, the secret smile he reserved only for her.
"Oh ew," Isabel said. "Must you? So early?"
"Yes, we must," Max replied, leaning over the counter and kissing Liz. "Morning."
"Morning," she replied, goose-bumps rising on her flesh at his proximity. He had obviously found time for a shower since leaving her at dawn, because he smelt like soap.
"Where are Michael and Maria?"
"They're coming," Max said. "They ran into Mrs. Deluca outside."
Liz grimaced. "Oh. Did you tell them what my parents said?"
"Yeah," Max replied. "They didn't seem to mind. I think they both kind of wanted to tell her anyway. We'll all go over there later."
Michael pushed his way into the restaurant a few moments later. He narrowed his eyes when he realized that they were all staring at him. "What?"
"Excellent!" Kyle exclaimed. "We're all now present and accounted for. Well, except for your better half," he said to Michael. "But as I know you'd be howling right now if she was missing, I'm assuming she's right behind you." When everyone turned to look at him, he shrugged. "What? A guy can't worry that one of his friends got caught in some kind of vortex on the way back in time?"
No one had any sort of response to that, so they all chose to pretend he hadn't spoken.
Tess jumped off the stool she had been sitting on beside Kyle. She hugged her brother. "How are you?"
"Oh please. You guys aren't going to sit around dissecting me and Maria for the next twenty years are you?" Michael demanded. "Because that's going to get really old, really fast."
"It's only because we care Michael," Isabel said. "Excuse us for living." Alex raised his arm and pulled Isabel close to his side, obviously trying to cut her off before she could get started.
"Well, just [I]don't[/I] okay?" Michael said, his tone modifying. "We're fine. We made a decision and we're here. End of story."
"It was the [I]right[/I] decision," Maria added, coming up behind him.
"How's your mom?" Liz asked sympathetically.
"Good," Maria replied. "It was good to see her. Even though she doesn't know that it's been so long." She shook her head, sending her strawberry blonde hair flying. "Is it just me or this whole day just weird?"
"Definitely weird," Tess agreed.
"But in a good way," Kyle said. "We're lucky here guys." He sighed, propped his head on his hand. "Even if I can't drive my car."
"Poor baby." Tess wrapped her arms around him.
"Woe is me," Kyle continued dramatically.
"What on Earth is he talking about?" Michael asked, grimacing at the display in front of him.
"He's grounded," Alex informed him. "His dad caught him speeding."
"Wow." Michael rolled his eyes. "It's nice to know that grounding is about as dangerous as our lives are going to be in the future."
Maria waved her hand in the air. "See! What did I tell you? Weird. It's like we never even left."
"We did leave," Max spoke up. He had come around behind the counter to join Liz and she was now leaning against him, enjoying the feel of his solid warmth behind her. "And now we're back. Kyle's right. We [I]are[/I] lucky. We have to make the most of this chance but we can't ever forget what we all did either." He looked at each of them in turn. "What we all did together."
There was a long moment of silence. Then Kyle said, "Am I the only one who feels like doing a little cheer?" He looked around.
"Please don't," Isabel pleaded. She started to laugh. "I'm too tired to hear anything you'll come up with."
"Didn't get much sleep, did ya Izzy?" Kyle asked, grinning meaningfully at Alex. "Whitman here was just telling us all about it."
"Kyle!" Liz exclaimed. "He's totally lying Isabel."
Isabel rolled her eyes. "As if I didn't know that." She leaned over and pecked Alex on the cheek. "I know my boy."
Alex was glaring at Kyle, but he chose to change the subject. "I don't think a cheer is necessary." He picked up his glass of orange juice. "But may I propose a toast?"
"Oh do!" Tess exclaimed. "I love toasts!"
"Just give me a sec," Liz chimed in. She quickly poured several more glasses of juice and handed them to Max to pass out.
After that had been taken care of, Alex cleared his throat and raised his glass. "To paraphrase Max's eloquent words of moments ago, I'd just like to say, that I feel blessed to have you all in my life. A better team has never existed."
Liz smiled, leaned back against Max again. He dropped a light kiss on her head, before raising his glass too.
"I'm also glad that we get to live in this new world together," Alex continued. He glanced at Michael and Maria. "Not everyone we love can be here, but they'll always be in our hearts. And, so, at the dawn of this new day, I'd like to toast everyone we love. And, for me, that's all you guys. Here's to friendship. Here's to us."
Liz felt tears welling in her eyes. She raised her glass.
They all spoke in unison, the sentiment reinforced by the blending of eight voices into one.
"To us."
The End
