[u]Part 7[/u]

"Serena Taggert, my best friend, Maria Deluca," Liz said, motioning between the two girls. "Maria Deluca, my best friend, Serena Taggert."

Liz felt her heart speed up, anticipating the meeting between the two best friends she had in the world, besides Alex, but he would be here soon enough. The thought was enough to send a shiver down Liz's spine as she hoped things weren't going to go from bad to worse with his arrival.

Serena paused briefly while Maria was introduced to her, then went on with what she had to say. "So, anyway, while I was gathering my information, I also found out that-"

"Excuse me, [I]Christina[/I]," Maria interrupted, sitting up and narrowing her eyes at the girl who had burst into the room and, thus, into their conversation. "This was a two way discussion."

Liz let out a deep sigh as she sat, knowing that this had to happen sooner or later. She had hoped it would be later, but she supposed she couldn't stop it now.

Maria had been there for most of the major events in her life and had stuck by her through the rough patches. She knew Liz's deepest childhood fears and greatest childhood dreams. She was there when Liz had fallen in love with an amber-eyed teenager, and was there when she pledged her life to the same boy. And she had been there when things had fallen apart, although she had never really known what had happened. The feelings the two girls harbored for each other were enough to overcome the wrongs committed in the past. Because Maria was still there. And, even now, she still knew Liz inside and out.

But she was a different person now too. She had lived through things that had changed her and molded her into the woman she was today. Serena had been her lifeline for the past four years. She was the only person Liz had confided in for so long. She'd trusted Serena with her life, and eventually the lives of the people she'd left behind when she told the girl her secrets, and why she'd run away from home. Serena hadn't criticized her or ridiculed her for her decision, she had just offered her support, no questions asked. And as a result, an unbreakable bond had formed between the two girls. But, now, seeing two of her closest friends locked in a heated staring match, both looking ready to pounce, it became painfully obvious why both women had claimed a part of Liz's heart and why she loved them both dearly. Because, deep down, she supposed that one girl eerily reminded her of the other.

"It's S-e-r-e-n-a," Serena said slowly, accenting each syllable, in an exaggerated attempt to let Maria know her name. "And [I]was[/I] is they key word." Turning back to Liz, Serena continued. "So, anyway, Liz, I found out that-"

"Yeah, Serena," Maria intervened again, more hotly this time. "I'll have you know that those people you are out spying on happen to be my family. I'd pick my words carefully, if I were you."

"Is that a threat?" Serena asked, putting on hand on her hip, and tilting her head cockily to one side. "Because I was born and raised in New York and we don't take lightly to people threatening us."

Maria got up off the bed and walked over to Serena, standing inches from her face, her fists clenched at her sides. "I don't care if you freaking [i]own[/i] New York. When Maria Deluca makes a threat, she knows how to back it up."

Serena scoffed at the green eyes staring back at her but Liz could see that she was gritting her teeth. "Yeah, well-"

"Hey, guys, can we just take a breather for a minute?" Liz asked, stepping between her two friends. "Why don't we just put away the death glares and play nice for now?"

"If I play with her, you can bet it won't be nice!" Serena snapped angrily.

"Bring it on!" Maria retorted, as she and Serena took a step toward each other.

Liz put her arms out as far as they would go, one on Serena's chest, and one on Maria's, and pushed them as far apart as she could reach. "Guys, hold on. You two are my best friends, okay! Can't we just talk for a minute?" Liz demanded, her voice edgy with anxiety. This was getting bad. Fast. She could feel the tension rising in the room and wanted so badly to erase it. "I want you two to like each other!" She added, exasperated.

"Liz! You can't be serious! This-this [i]girl,[/i] just burst in here, spouting off at the mouth about information concerning the very people in this world you know could be in danger if certain knowledge comes to light! She has no right!"

"Cool your panties, Deluca," Serena snapped. "I know all about how your friends are a little 'green around the gills', and I haven't spilled to anyone, and I'm not planning on it. My loyalties lie with [i]Liz[/i]."

Liz cringed, and closed her eyes, waiting for the onslaught of 'How could you's' that she knew were coming.

All those years ago, when she'd sworn Maria to secrecy and told her about Max's alien status, she'd taken every precaution necessary to keep anyone else from overhearing. The only other person she'd told was Alex. Jim Valenti had been brought in after Max was captured and taken to the White Room and he had proven a worthy ally many times in dealing with the government. Kyle had been let in on the secret when he had been shot by Pierce and Max had healed his wound and saved his life, much like he believed Kyle's father had saved his by helping rescue him from the clutches of the Special Unit. But, soon after, they had all made an agreement. Liz, along with Max, Maria, Michael, Isabel, Alex, Kyle, Tess, and the Sheriff had agreed that no one else would ever know. They had decided that it would be safer, for them and for anyone else, if the secret stayed between the nine of them and had promised they would never tell. And that was just one more promise Liz had broken when she'd left. She'd let Serena in.

Maria's mouth opened in a wide 'O' shape, turned with shock to stare at Liz, but before giving Liz a chance to defend herself, she turned back to Serena. "And 'my loyalties lie with [i]Liz[/i]? What is that supposed to mean?"

"C'mon, guys, stop it!" Liz pleaded, but knew that her cries were unheard.

Serena leaned around Liz to look at Maria. "It means that Liz is my best friend. I love Liz, and I don't go around becoming friends with traitorous former alien queens who run her out of town! I have morals!" Serena snapped, raising her voice even more.

"Why you little." Maria's voice trailed off as she jumped at Serena and barely had time to notice that Serena had jumped at her too before both girls froze and turned abruptly when the mirror above the bed and the one hanging by the front door shattered into a thousand tiny pieces, both crashing to the floor. Maria and Serena themselves were pushed backwards by invisible hands. Both girls looked at Liz, and found themselves staring in shock.

Liz was standing a few feet from them, glaring from Maria to Serena and back, her hands at her sides, palms outspread. And they were gleaming. Tiny green sparks were coming from her palms and the worst part to both of the rivals was that this didn't seem to be fazing Liz one bit.

Maria glanced away when she heard Serena's sharp intake of breath, only to see that the expression on the other girl's face mirrored the one on her own.

"Liz, what was that?" Maria asked incredulously.

Liz, looking incredibly annoyed, and a bit frustrated, shrugged her shoulders slightly. "Surprise!" She whispered.

"Liz, if that is what I think it is, you have some explaining to do," Serena ground out.

"I forgot to tell you I had powers?" Liz asked, hoping she'd get out of a long explanation.

"Elizabeth Anne Parker Evans!" Maria cried.

Liz rolled her eyes. Now she was in for it. She'd told Maria everything big in her life (well except for that small detail about the end of the world but that wasn't her secret to tell) and she had promised that nothing significant was being left out. But she had still failed to tell her that shortly after arriving in New York, her powers had made their first appearance.

Liz had been extremely frustrated after a fruitless day of job searching and had come home, only to find Serena gone, and her stomach growling. She went for something to eat and found nothing in the fridge. Going to her purse for her wallet so she could order a pizza, she found it gone. Throwing the purse against the opposite wall and retreating to the bathroom for a hot bubble bath, she found the bottle of bath salts empty. Frustrated and feeling like the world was working against her, she had raised her hands to hit the hamper and found the mirror on the wall shattering to pieces instead.

She had been shocked at first, but once she realized what was happening, she found it amusing. She'd left Max and everything concerning him behind, but she'd managed to bring something of him with her. Some might call it a gift, some a curse, but there was no question that Max Evans was responsible. Every time she got the chance since then, she'd practiced using her powers, and she'd gotten good at controlling them. She could do things that all of the Czechoslovakians could do, like change colors and make objects fly across the room. She could also heal small cuts and bruises, but nothing major. She had deduced that since Max had healed her, she had inherited powers from him, thus explaining the healing. She'd gotten good at hiding them too, but sometimes, when she got stressed our or her emotions were running rampant, her powers slipped. This was one of those times. And despite the fact that it had been a little less than four years since they'd developed, Liz had never told anyone about her powers.

Now, it seemed, she had no choice.

"So, I have powers," Liz stated matter-of-factly. "Sometimes, when my emotions are high, I can't control them.

Serena raised her arms. "So I have powers? That's all you have to say! How could you keep this a secret, Liz?"

"And you said you told me everything!" Maria said.

"I'm sorry. I didn't tell anyone. I don't know why, I just.I wanted to keep it a secret."

"I thought you were through telling lies, Liz! You promised!"

"Well, this wasn't a lie, Maria. I just didn't tell you, that's all. I would have told you eventually."

"Why didn't you tell[i] me?[/i] We've lived together for the past four years, for goodness sake!" Serena exclaimed, "Those. those [I]things,[/I]" she said, pointing at Liz's hands, "They could be dangerous!"

"Serena, they're not dangerous! You should have seen Michael when-"

"I can't believe you didn't tell me," Maria said quietly. "I need to go."

"Maria," Liz pleaded. "Please don't leave mad! I'm sorry."

"And I can't believe you lied to me. Of all people, you lied to [I]me,[/I]" Serena said quietly. She glanced over towards the door, and back at Liz. "I'm going too. With her," she added, pointing at Maria's retreating form.

"Serena, no, wait!" Liz called, but Serena turned and walked out the door, just as Alex was coming in.

"Hey, I'm Alex. Okay, bye to you too," he finished, perplexed, before turning to look questioningly at Liz.

"Who's that, and what's wrong with Maria? I just passed her and she seems pretty mad," he said, stepping across the room to stand in front of Liz.

"Oh, Alex, I messed up, again!" Liz wailed.

Alex smiled, putting his arm around Liz's shoulders. "C'mon, Lizzibean. Tell Uncle Alex all about it."

Liz couldn't help but smile as she heard Alex's childhood nickname for her. She sighed deeply and let him lead her to the side of the bed to sit down.

Some time later, when Liz had told Alex everything, pausing only to answer his questions, she and Alex settled across the bed to watch a movie and wait for Serena. Or Maria. Or both. Liz hoped that after they had a chance to cool down, they would both return.

"You aren't mad at me too?" Liz asked Alex again, just to make sure.

Alex shrugged his shoulders. "I'm furious with you. But if I forgive you now, I can use it as ammunition later," he said with smirk.

Liz found herself giggling, and covered her mouth in surprise. "Thanks, Alex. You always did know how to make me feel better."

"That's me," Alex replied, raising up and puffing out his chest. "Alex Whitman, The Make Liz Feel Better Guy."

Liz smiled again, but it was short lived. "What will the other's say?" Liz asked tentatively, her expression clouded with worry. "They must hate me," she added quietly.

Liz knew it was true. It had been rough for her and Isabel in the beginning as it was. Isabel didn't easily let people in, and she had not made it easy for Liz in the beginning But with time, Max's sister had opened up and had let in the girl who would eventually become her sister-in-law, only to have her run out on her husband and leave a trail of heartbreak and confusion in her wake. Liz knew it wasn't going to be easy getting Isabel to forgive her.

Michael had been the same way, although he had been easier on her after he had stolen her journal that time. That same incident had taught Liz an eternal truth about Michael Guerin - that deep down, he was scared to death of getting hurt. And that was the reason [i]he[/i] didn't let people in. But he had trusted Liz, just as Isabel had. Liz knew that her leaving had to have hurt Michael too. And she knew that it would be just as hard to get him to forgive her as it would be convincing Isabel.

"I don't know Lizzie," Alex said now. "That's something you'll have to find out for yourself."

"I know, Alex," she sighed. "I'm just.I'm afraid, that's all. I didn't realize how much I missed everyone else while I was gone too. Until I came back."

Alex reached over and kissed Liz on the forehead. "They love you too Liz. It might take a while, but they'll forgive you eventually."

Liz was about to say something when she heard a tentative knock at the door. She glanced at Alex questioningly and got up to answer it. She looked through the peephole. Confused at what she saw, she turned back to Alex, shrugged her shoulders and opened the door to see if the peephole had been lying.

But it had not been. Standing on the other side were Maria and Serena. And they were smiling!

*~*~*~*~*~*~

Closing the door behind her, and after throwing her stuff on the floor near the bottom of the steps, Tess leaned against the banister.

She'd been with Kyle all day and had managed to get some things explained to him. But, seeing how upset she was getting, Kyle had told her that she could finish at another time. And Tess was only too happy to oblige.

She'd worn herself out after all, playing over and over in her head what she would say to Max. She just needed to take a few more minutes and then she would know exactly what she was going to say. She'd go to him before he confronted her and get the whole thing straightened out.

But as Tess picked up her packages and walked towards the kitchen, she heard the doorbell ring and groaned inwardly. She took a deep breath as every single thought of the speech she'd so carefully rehearsed flew from her mind. She already knew who it was. He [i]did[/i] live right across the street, after all, and he must have been waiting for her. She stepped to the door and looked through the peephole. He was staring right at it, his face expressionless, as if he knew she would look out first. She turned the knob and opened the door wide, motioning for him to come him.

"Max, I know why you're here," she began quickly. "I don't know what to say."

Tess watched as Max walked into her house and went straight to the living room. She shut the door behind him, clicked the lock into place. She'd tried to be ready for this moment, but all her self preparation had done her no good. She wasn't the least bit ready. She let out a deep breath, then headed to the living room. She stopped at the edge of the couch, and waited for Max to speak, knowing good and well he would when he was ready.

"How could you Tess? You knew she was here, and you didn't even tell me," Max asked, not sounding angry exactly, just extremely tired.

"When I left the UFO Center the other day, I met her in the street. We talked for a minute, and she asked me not to tell anyone she was here. I told her I wouldn't."

"But Tess, I'm not just anyone! I'm her husband, and [i]your[/i] best friend," he reminded her softly. He looked up at Tess and she felt her heart go out to him.

Max was good at hiding his feelings. He still loved Liz. In spite of everything, Tess knew it was true. He hadn't said it out loud since she'd left him, but they all knew. He still loved her and he always would. He was Max and she was Liz and it was all there was to it. Tess was pretty sure that it had never even crossed Max's mind that he should try to stop.

Each of the people she'd left behind had their own feelings for Liz, whether it was anger, pain or disappointment, but they'd all respected Max enough not to mention her when he was around. Whenever her name did slip into a conversation, Max would pretend he didn't notice, but it was always only Tess that could see through his disguise. This time he made no effort to hide his pain. For the first time in four years, Max Evans was letting his guard down.

Tess could see the tension in his movements. The pain and despair pooling in his dark eyes was enough to make her want to break down herself. She could see the heartbreak practically beating in his chest.

"I'm sorry, Max. But it wasn't my place." She knew the words sounded lame even as she said them, but it was the truth.

"You could have told me, Tess! You know how I feel and that I knew she was coming. You could have given me fair warning. You chose her over me!"

"I didn't choose her over you Max. I've already done enough damage where you and Liz are concerned. I don't need to get involved this time," Tess said gently, but firmly, upset that he was hurt, but knowing she was right.

Max looked at his friend, nodded his head, then turned to look back out the window. "It hurts," he said finally, looking down at his left hand where his wedding ring still wrapped around his finger. He had been playing with it unconsciously, as he often did. "I might seem angry. But that's to hide the hurt. I act like I'm strong. Like it doesn't bother me. But it does Tess. It does more than you can know."

"Because you love her, Max," Tess said quietly. "It will always hurt. I'm sorry."

Max nodded wearily. "How can I let her go? She wants her freedom and I know I should give it to her, but how can I let the other half of my soul go? "

"I don't know what to tell you Max. But if you really do truly love her, you'll know what to do when the time comes."

"The problem is Tess, the time's right now. I can't sign those papers. She wants me to and she despises me because I told her no. I'm not strong enough. With all my powers, I'm not strong enough to sign away the most important person in my life. But as much as I can't bear to see it happen, she wants to start a new life. How can I deny her that?" Max asked, his tortured eyes pleading with Tess for an answer.

Seeing a lone tear roll down Max's cheek, Tess felt her own eyes get misty. "This is something I can't help you with, Max. I can't show you or tell you what to do. [I]I[/I] can't, Michael can't, Isabel can't. You have to make this decision on your own. But I can tell you this," Tess said, crossing the room to grab Max's hand in her own. "If it's meant to be, then it will be. You told me once that if you ever had the chance, you'd fight to the death for Liz. [i]This[/i] is your chance. Don't let her leave here without knowing how you feel. If you do, you'll regret it for the rest of your life. And if I know Liz, she'll regret for the rest of hers."

"What do you mean?" Max demanded. "She'll regret it? She wants to marry someone else Tess!"

Tess shook her head, offering Max a weak smile. She wondered briefly if she should continue, whether she was giving him false hope, but she couldn't bear to see the expression of despair on his face any longer. "Liz Evans is one of the richest people in New York. She has tons of resources at her fingertips. She could have easily paid someone to bring these papers to you. But she didn't. [i]She[/i] came. She hopped on a plane and flew all the way across the country. And it wasn't just because she needed the divorce papers signed."

"Well, then, why was it?" Max asked, his eyes narrowing thoughtfully, although he seemed to understand the direction in which Tess was headed.

"I don't know, Max. That's for you to find out. Just ask her."

Liz Evans had a lot of pain and regret floating around behind those eyes of hers, even if she didn't realize it. Tess had seen that much the day before when she had met Liz in the middle of the street. And Tess was sure that somewhere, deep down inside Liz, some of those feelings were directed towards the man whose last name she still shared. She supposed that was part of the reason Liz had come herself, back to Roswell, after wanting so badly to leave it behind.

"I don't know what to say to her," he whispered.

Tess pulled Max into a hug. "You love her, Max. Your heart will tell you what to do."

Tess smiled as she felt Max's arms tentatively wrap around her shoulders. She felt him relax, as his grip tightened briefly, then she let him go and stepped back.

"Thanks, Tess," he said.

"Hey, what are best friends for?" she said, shrugging her shoulders.

"I guess I'll go," Max said, looking at his watch. "I'm supposed to be watching the game with Michael tonight. Maria has some big restaurant convention thingy to go to, so we get to keep Ellie." "Convention [I]thingy[/I]?" Tess asked, grinning in spite of herself.

Max shrugged. "Her words, not mine."

"Well, have fun," Tess said as she walked Max to the door.

Opening it, Max turned around and kissed Tess quickly on the cheek. "You always know how to make me feel better," he said. When Tess smiled smugly and shrugged her shoulders once again, Max pointed his finger at her. "But I'm still mad at you for not telling me she was here, so don't forget that!"

"Bye, Max," Tess said, giggling.

But, after she shut the door, the smile faded from her features.

She had just done the last thing in the world that she could do for her friend. She'd offered him hope. She'd planted a small glimmer of what he'd been looking for. [i]She[/i] just hoped it wasn't steering him straight for another heartbreak.