[u]Part 19[/u]
Liz took a deep breath and reached out her hand, placing it against the cool metal of the door knob on the Crashdown's back door. Taking a quick glance around and seeing no one, she closed her eyes and concentrated on the small locking mechanism, letting out a sigh of relief when she heard it click. Looking around once more, Liz opened the door and stepped inside.
She stopped abruptly, as a hand was thrust in her face. She hadn't been expecting anyone to be in here, and had hoped she could make it to the living area upstairs without anyone coming upon her.
Before they'd left the hotel, Tess and Liz had decided exactly what it was they were going to do. They knew that their friends would have a lot of questions if they both came waltzing through the door together. With all that was on their plates, neither girl wanted to sit through a question and answer session, even if it was for the benefit of well meaning friends. There was too much at stake to waste precious time in their search for answers. Both women wanted to get things done quickly, their futures hinging on the next few hours of their lives. So they'd decided that Liz would go inside and walk through, letting Tess in through the balcony window, figuring there was less chance of Liz being cornered in her parents' own restaurant.
"Liz! What do you think you're doing? I could have blasted you to Kingdom come for sneaking in like that!" Michael said as he lowered his hand and stepped around Liz to shut the door and click the lock back into place.
"I'm sorry Michael. I don't have a key to this door anymore. I needed to get in," Liz said.
"Why didn't you just use the front door?" Michael asked. "It's open, you know."
"I didn't want to see anyone, OK," Liz replied shortly.
"Oookaaaaaay," Michael said, drawing his word out, and giving Liz a weird look.
"Listen, Michael, I didn't mean to snap. I just, I have a lot on my mind, and there are some things I need to do, okay?" Liz said.
"I know," Michael said quietly. "So, you've talked to Tess?"
Liz nodded, and shifted nervously from foot to foot. "She's waiting for me to let her in the balcony window."
Liz watched as Michael's eyes widen. Realization passed over his face, and a moment later, his expression softened. He reached out to touch Liz's arm. "Liz, look, I just want to say-"
"Michael," Liz interrupted, grabbing his hand. "You and I have a lot to talk about. I have a lot to say to all of you. And I will. But right now, it's just really not a good time. It's actually a terrible time. Tess and I.we're kind of in the middle of something."
"Right." Michael nodded his head. He turned to walk away, but looked back over his shoulder at Liz. "Good luck, Liz. I hope you guys find what you're looking for."
Liz offered Michael a hopeful smile. "Me too, Michael. Me too."
After Michael walked out into the front of the restaurant, Liz climbed the stairs, two at a time, to the home where she'd grown up. She was grateful for the fact that her parents were out of town and the apartment would be empty. She just really didn't have time to deal with them right now. Using her powers to unlock the door, she pushed it open. The lights were off, but Liz didn't need them. Even in the dark, she had the apartment memorized and was at her bedroom door in a matter of seconds. Opening it, she reached her hand in and flipped on the light. Stepping across to the window, she unlocked it, slid it up, and helped Tess inside.
"You know," Tess commented as she climbed in, "When Kyle and I first started dating, I climbed in his window a few times in the middle of the night. I bet he'd get a real kick out of the fact that this time, I'm sneaking in a [i]girl's[/i] window." The smile she gave Liz was small, but genuine.
Liz smiled back at her. "We'll have to fill him in on all the details. He'll be able to picture it perfectly by the way. Remind me to tell you someday about the time Kyle and Max came through this window together."
Tess's eyes widened. "That's one story I won't forget to ask for."
Liz stepped over to her bed and sat down on the corner of it, Tess following and sitting down next to her.
"So, this is it, huh?" Liz asked shakily, reflecting on how strange it was to be here with Tess, to be joking with [I]Tess[/I]. The person she had blamed for all her problems over the years. But that had just been a means of escaping from the mess she had made of her own life.
Tess smiled nervously. "This is it," she agreed.
Tess turned to Liz and watched as the other woman stared at her hands, fiddling with her fingernails. She couldn't blame Liz for being nervous. They both had a lot riding on the missing destiny book page hidden in the wall behind the very bed they were sitting on. And for more reasons than one, Tess prayed silently that she was right. That the page held the information they needed to ensure that Max and Liz did indeed have a future together.
Liz took a deep breath and stood up, turned to face the bed. "Well, here goes." Moving towards the wall at the head of the bed, Liz stopped and turned abruptly. "Tess, whatever the outcome of this, you know, whatever it is we find, I just.I want to thank you. You know, for being my.friend."
Tess felt her eyes welling up. The tension and anxiety she'd felt over the last couple of hours had been building up her emotions and at Liz's expression of gratitude, Tess couldn't hold them back any longer. They'd come so far in the last two days. She and Liz had gone from being enemies to friends. She'd gone from hating Liz Evans with a passion, to admiring her with the utmost respect. And she'd gone from not caring whether or not her best friend's wife ever showed up again to hoping against hope that she never left. Now, face to face with Liz Evans, Tess knew that the other woman felt the same.
Liz smiled once more at Tess, then turned to the wall and placed an unsteady hand on the brick she knew would move at the slightest push. Pausing a second to gain her composure, she put pressure on the corner of the brick, easing her fingers into the crack and pulling the piece of wall out. Crouching down so that she could see into the small dark hole, she squinted her eyes. She wasn't surprised when she saw a faint glow shining from beneath her journal. And without warning, she stood up suddenly and turned around.
"I can't do it," she said breathlessly, her eyes wide with fear.
"Can't do what?" Tess asked, slightly confused.
Liz held up her hands, trembling with fright.
Tess's eyes widened when she saw Liz's hands. Streaks of brilliant jade were crackling from her fingertips, running down her hand and disappearing beneath the sleeves of her shirt. "Liz, wha-"
"It's my powers. When my emotions are heightened, or intense, or sometimes, when I get really stressed I can't control them. Like Michael used to be. Except I've still never completely learned to handle them. I can't touch that page again, Tess. I can't. If I get those flashes again, I won't be able to handle it. Y.you. have to do it."
Tess watched with odd fascination as Liz's façade began to crumble in front of her. Liz had played the part of a woman who would be able to sacrifice herself for a greater cause without ever looking back. But Tess saw that she'd played her part to a T. Because the person standing in front of her was far from the strong, self sacrificing woman she'd led everyone to believe she was. In fact, underneath Liz Evans tough exterior was a woman scared to death that she was losing everything she'd ever wanted.
Tess knew that she would have to be the one to be strong. Liz had held the weight on her shoulders for far too long, and it was about to break her. She, herself, would have to reach into that hole and pull out the page they were seeking. For herself, for Max, for Liz, and even for Kyle. There simply was no other choice. Tess shook her head, and got up from the bed. "Okay," she said hesitantly. "I'll do it."
Tess walked over to the wall, knelt down, and before she had time to think about it, reached inside and pulled out the shiny page. She stepped away from the wall and sat back down on the bed, her eyes glued to the piece of metal, skimming it as fast as she could, reading it from top to bottom, front to back.
Liz watched Tess's face, her heart all but beating out of her chest, for any sign of emotion. The hint of a smile. The beginnings of a frown. [i]Anything[/i] to let her know what the page said.
"What does it say?" Liz asked cautiously when she saw Tess look up, her face pensive and unreadable.
Tess said nothing, merely looked up at Liz, her eyes still wet with tears. Without breaking contact, she lifted her hand, swiped it over the page, and thrust it towards Liz.
Liz reached out reluctantly and took the page. She turned it around so that she could read the words now written in English, and as she did so, her knees gave out beneath her and the world spun into darkness.
~*~*~
"Liz? Liz, c'mon, Liz. I need you to wake up."
Liz opened her eyes and squinted, raising her head to look at her surroundings. She was about to ask what she was doing in her old room, but when she saw Tess's worried expression and glimpsed the shiny silver Destiny Book page sitting on the floor next to her, it all came rushing back.
With a sob, Liz closed her eyes again and leaned her head against the wall, lifting her arm and throwing it across her eyes.
"Liz, what's wrong? I thought this was the answer you wanted? This is everything we were looking for. Don't you see? You and Max can be together now. Why does that upset you?" Tess asked anxiously.
"It doesn't upset me, Tess. I'm overjoyed. But, it breaks my heart," Liz said, opening her eyes. "Because I did it all for nothing. I broke Max's heart and put him through 4 years of misery for nothing!"
It couldn't be true, Liz thought, that it had all been for nothing. That her fruitless attempts to leave Max and Roswell behind had been all because she was trying to prevent something that was nothing but an intricately woven lie. Coming to terms with the fact that there [i]had[/i] been another way might just push her over the edge.
Tess watched Liz's face and shook her head sadly. She was sorry that Max had been hurt. She was sorry that [i]Liz[/i] had been hurt. But Liz was wrong. It hadn't been for nothing. "You're wrong, Liz. It wasn't for nothing. There was a purpose to this, and one that in the long run, helps everyone out."
Liz shook her head. How could this have helped things? How could this have made anything better for any of them? Tess was clearly losing it just as fast as she was. "That's not possible, Tess."
Tess sighed deeply. "Liz, in the other.timeline, you never left. [i]I[/i] never came [I]back[/I]. You and Max were happy, and stayed together. But the world ended. You know why? Because of this." Tess picked up the page from the floor and waved it in front of Liz's face. "In the other timeline, you never knew about this. You, Max, no one. And because of that, you two were never able to have the child that Max is destined to have. But all that changed Liz. Can't you see? When you left town, it changed things. It changed [i]us[/i]. We grew up. We matured. We developed emotions and bonds and feelings for each other. And when you came back to get your divorce, those same feelings are what pushed us to find a way. For you and Max, and me and Kyle, and even for that baby that you'll carry someday," she said, gently touching Liz's abdomen. "If you'd never left, we would have never had a reason to look for this page. And the world would have ended," Tess finished.
"But why, Tess? Why did I have to hurt everyone?" Liz looked down at her hands, then back up at Tess with tortured eyes. "Why did I have to hurt [i]him[/i]?"
"So you could save the world. So you could save [I]him[/I]," Tess said simply, placing her hand on Liz's arm. "And I know you, Liz. I know Max. What you did, what you two went through, was a small sacrifice. You two went through four years of heartbreak and emotional turmoil. But in return, you got the world. Every single person alive owes you and Max more than they'll ever know. Because you've saved them. You've saved them from a horrible future that was never meant to be in the first place."
"But, what if this isn't the way it's supposed to be?" Liz asked. "What if what happened the last time is how it's supposed to be? What if we're playing with fire here, Tess?"
Liz's mind was reeling. She felt everything she'd ever felt in her life, all mixed up in her head, but intensified to the nth degree. She felt the happiest she'd ever been, save for the day she married Max. She felt the most confused she'd ever felt, with all the questions and what ifs running through her mind. She felt more hurt coursing through her veins than she'd ever felt before, the events of the last two days finally taking their toll on her. Everything she'd ever wanted to know she'd just read and her mind couldn't comprehend the reality of the situation. She glanced back at the page, still in Tess's hands, and saw the words in her mind again, already burned into her memory, despite the fact that she'd only read them once, just minutes ago.
[I]The destined mate is predetermined, but not chosen. She who is chosen by the King will be changed, by his own hand, When he chooses to be responsible for her life. And thus she will become his destiny. Then it will be she, and only she, who can bear the child spoken of, and only from a love that no other will rival. .the Granolith holds the answers to the Bonding Ceremony that will make this come to pass. The ceremony must be performed by a member of the royal party, for the King and his chosen queen.[/i]
"No, don't say that, Liz!" Tess's firm tone brought Liz's eyes back up to meet hers. "That [i]isn't[/i] the way it's supposed to be. If it was, then this book wouldn't tell us a way to change it. It wouldn't give us instructions on how to ensure that it wouldn't happen."
"But what if.I mean, how can we..what I mean is, where do we."
Liz's words faded out as she realized that she didn't have any room to argue. Tess was right. This was right. This [i]was[/i] how things were supposed to go. It was always supposed to be she and Max. She'd always known that with him was where she belonged. She'd known it from the first breath she'd taken after he healed her in the Crashdown. There was no use in arguing over it anymore. She'd even known it the minute she watched Tess pull that page out of the wall, that it would say there was a way for she and Max. She'd known it with ever fiber of her being.
But when she saw it in print, when she saw the truth, it scared her to death. Because now there was nothing stopping them. No obstacles in the way, no uninterpreted destinies, no mistranslated books. And that fact alone frightened her more than anything. The path was clear for her to follow every dream she'd ever had and make it come true. A life. A husband. A family.
The real problem was that, with everything she was ever meant to be within her grasp, Liz Evans didn't know where to start. How did she even begin to repair the damage she had done to her marriage by abandoning Max?
"What am I going to do, Tess? There's so much I need to do. So many people I have to explain things to. I don't know where to begin," she said.
Tess grinned a small grin and stood up. "That's the easy part, Liz. You [i]do[/i] know where to begin. The same place you'll finish. With Max."
Liz felt her heart beating once again at a double pace. "I can't believe this is happening. Max and I can be together. And no one's going to die because of it. We can save the world, and be happy," Liz said, the beginnings of a smile starting to turn up the corners of her mouth.
Tess looked at Liz, smiling, and gazing across the room with a far off look in her eyes when a thought occurred to her that made her chest constrict.
She'd lied.
The other version of herself had come back from the future and lied. She'd told them it wasn't possible for Max and Liz to have a baby. She'd told them that there was nothing Max and Liz could do if they stayed together. But she'd known it wasn't true. She'd know there was a way. And the fact that she'd given Liz the page that told them so was proof. She'd taken it out of the Destiny Book before she gave it to her so that it would never be found. She [i]had[/i] been a terrible person. She had been willing to wreck happy homes in order to get what she wanted.
Turning towards the wall, and falling against it with a dull thud, Tess sighed in resignation. "She lied. She came back here, and lied to you. She lied to [i]me[/i], which really means to [I]herself[/I], right to my face. This is all my fault."
Liz turned to Tess, shocked. Tess blamed herself? All this time she'd thought it was her fault that everyone had had to endure such pain and loss. And all this time, Tess had felt the same way. If only she'd handled things differently. Maybe if she had talked to Max, or even Tess, then maybe things could have been different. If she'd only told them why she was leaving, maybe they could have fixed things four years ago. They'd both felt it was their fault, but was it possible that a little communication could have fixed the problem before it had even begun?
But it couldn't be helped now. Asking the what ifs wasn't going to help any of them. Really and truly, not a one of them was to blame. Not her, not Tess, not Max. This was all Future Tess's fault. The blame was completely hers. Liz shook her head. "None of this is your fault, Tess."
"I should have known. I should have seen through her façade. I mean, she's me for cryin' out loud! But I didn't. I let her trick me. Why, Liz, why did I believe her?" Tess cried, her guilt hitting her full force as the tears began to flow down her cheeks.
Liz shook her head. "Tess, I won't let you blame yourself. You're not her. I believed her too. [i]She[/i] was an evil, cruel person, who'd known nothing but unhappiness and loneliness in her lifetime. She had a hard life. It made her a hard person. A person who was willing to do anything if it meant she'd have the chance to live a better life, even if it was in another timeline. But [i]you,[/i] Tess, you're good. You're not the tormented person she was. You're happy, a..and.you're loved. People love you, and you love them back. That alone is enough to prove that you are different than she was."
Tess sniffled, and wiped the tears away from her eyes.
"You know," Liz continued quietly. "She lied to us. She.she manipulated us to get us to do what she wanted. And we did it. We hurt people, and we changed the future. But you know what, I think, in some, weird, sick way, we owe her our thanks."
Tess whipped her head around to face Liz. "What? How can you say that? She was a con artist, and she fooled us both!"
Liz shrugged. "You're happy, Tess. You have Kyle and friends and a family, something you didn't have last time. That [I]she[/I] didn't have. I have a great job that I love, a friend to cherish in Serena, and the chance to be happy with Max and save the world at the same time. [I]She[/I] gave that to us. She made it possible. She could have done it a different way, but she didn't. We can't change that now. But everything we have, is because of her. She wanted to change the future. And she did."
Tess listened in fascination as Liz Evans told her all the reasons she could think of to thank the one person that could have ruined her life. Even after everything she'd had to endure, everything she'd had to give up, Liz still didn't hold it against the woman that had run her out of town.
Tess felt her admiration for Liz Evans grow tenfold. Here she was, convincing the very person that drove her out of town to forgive herself. She'd been lied to and manipulated more than anyone, and had had to sacrifice more than anyone, and she still didn't hate the person that had caused it. Liz truly was a one of kind woman, special in ways that were just becoming evident. There was no longer any question in her mind as to why Max was so devoted to her, even after all this time. "I wish I could be more like you Liz. It's no wonder they all love you so much."
"Hey," Liz said, standing up and holding out her hand to help Tess up. "They love you too. For the exact same reasons they love me. Because we love them back."
Tess smiled, reached out, and took Liz's hand in her own. "We could have been great friends, Liz Evans," Tess said.
"Yeah, well, the way I see it, we still can be," Liz replied. "I just got everything I've wished for the past four years. I plan on using it."
"You're going to Max?" Tess asked.
"Yes. But not tonight. I'm worn out and I have a lot to think about." Liz almost grimaced as she saw Max's face flash through her mind. The hurt and confusion she'd seen on his face had just about done her in when she'd left him in the old jail cell. But now, knowing that she had no valid reason whatsoever for leaving him there, devastated [I]again[/I], she felt sick to her stomach. She had a lot to say to him, a lot to apologize for and even more to explain. And not just for what had happened in the last two days. She'd been gone for four years. Max deserved to know every reason why, every question she'd had, and every emotion she'd felt. She could only hope that he'd still be willing to listen.
Tess saw Liz's downcast look and knew instinctively she was thinking about Max. "It's going to be okay," Tess reassured her as she headed towards Liz's window. "Things will work out Liz. I have no doubt. He loves you. He always has, beyond question, and without condition. You know what the book says," Tess reminded her, turning around to face Liz, one leg slung over the windowsill. "[I]From a love that no other will rival.[/I] That's you and Max."
Liz sighed and walked to the window. On impulse she grabbed Tess's shoulders and hugged her awkwardly. She smiled softly to herself when she felt Tess's arms come up around her. How ironic it was that just two days ago she could have cared less if she never saw Tess Harding again, but now, she knew that somewhere down the line, she truly did want to be friends with the girl who had once been her nemesis.
"Thank you, Tess," Liz said, pulling away.
"Actually," Tess replied, pausing long enough to swing her other leg over the windowsill, then turning to peer inside, "I think [i]I[/i] should be thanking [i]you[/i]."
Liz almost giggled at the wave of relief written over Tess's features. She remembered Tess's expression of unmistakable dread when she'd made her promise to force Max to embrace his destiny. "What made you make that promise anyway?"
Tess shrugged her shoulders. "I had faith. I [i]knew[/i] that book would give us a way."
With that, Tess waved goodbye, turned to the balcony ladder, and climbed down.
Shutting the window, Liz turned around and grabbed the telephone on the bedside table. She dialed the hotel and asked for her room number, smiling when she heard Serena's groggy voice answer the phone.
"Hello? It's after midnight. This better be good."
Liz rolled her eyes good-naturedly at Serena's snappy tone. "Hey, it's me. I just want to let you know I won't be sleeping there tonight."
"Are you with Max?"
Liz squinted here eyes at the opposite wall, obviously hearing the uncertainty in Serena's voice. "No, I'm not with Max. I'm at home. I'm tired, so I'm just going to crash here tonight. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"
"Yeah, Liz. Tomorrow." Serena's tone was still slightly frosty.
"Rena." Liz swallowed. "I'm really sorry about before. I.I guess it just made me mad that knew exactly what was going through my head. You were right you know. I was being selfish and a chicken. But everything's different now."
Serena's voice had softened when she asked, "Different how?"
"It's too long to get into on the phone," Liz replied. "But suffice it to say, I won't be leaving Roswell until I get everything straightened out once and for all."
There was a long pause and then Serena sighed. "Well okay then. I forgive you. I have to. You've been so manic nuts the last few days, I can't blame you."
"Thanks Rena." Liz breathed a sigh of relief. "I owe you one."
"The way I see it, you owe me about three hundred," Serena joked. "But we'll let it slide, shall we. Sleep well."
"I will. For the first time in a long time, I [I]know[/I] I will," Liz replied.
"I can't wait to hear what brought on this epiphany," Serena grumbled. "Don't wait too long. Come back here first thing tomorrow."
"I'll come back as soon as I can. Why don't you do something touristy?" Liz suggested. "Check out the UFO Centre or something."
"Maybe." Serena trailed off, not sounding convinced. "Night."
"Good night."
Liz sighed as she hung the phone back up on its cradle and lay back on the bed. She turned on her side, staring at the room she'd grown up in. Still standing in the corner was the mirror she'd used to try on the simple white dress in which she'd married Max. On the dresser was the dried up rose he'd given her the night they'd decided to elope. Hanging in the closet was the Crashdown uniform she'd worn as a teenager to work in the restaurant where her life with Max had begun. Everywhere she looked made Liz think of Max. And for the first time in four years, she was able to smile at her memories.
There was still a small smile playing on her lips when she drifted off to sleep.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Tess jumped when a hand landed on her shoulder. "What are you doing out this late by yourself?"
She spun around and lifted her arm, hitting Max squarely in the chest with her fist. "Max Evans, If you ever scare me like that again, I swear I'll blast you to kingdom come!"
Max raised his hands in surrender. "Sorry. Didn't mean to, really. But it is a valid question."
"Oh please," Tess said, rolling her eyes. "Like I can't protect myself."
"It's a dangerous world, Tess."
Tess snorted, but her mood quickly sobered when she noticed for the first time the redness in his eyes and the taut look on his face. "Max, are you okay?"
"Of course. Why wouldn't I be?" Max asked. "I'm [I]always[/I] fine." He paused, then muttered, half to himself. "Nothing a cold beer won't fix."
Tess narrowed her eyes. Something [i]was[/i] wrong. "Max you don't drink. You and alcohol don't mix, remember?"
"Yeah, well, apparently, neither do me and Liz," he said, his voice laced with sarcasm. He scowled. "Why would anything be wrong? It's not like it's new or anything."
Tess stared at Max, noticing a change in him that sent a shiver down her spine. He seemed.weak. Rejected. Defeated. Whatever Liz had done to him this time had definitely struck a chord. His nonchalant attitude was sending up alarm bells. "What's that supposed to mean?" Tess asked.
Max sighed deeply. "Nothing, okay? I just.when I ran after her tonight, I found her. We talked a bit. I know now that she was right. We'll never be together. I'm over it."
"Don't lie to me, Max. What happened?"
"I don't want to talk about it."
"Max," Tess said, placing her hand on his shoulder. "Everything's going to turn out fine, okay?"
Max laughed bitterly. "Yeah. For you. You've [i]got[/i] the person you'll love. I'll never be with the person I love again."
Tess shifted uncomfortably from one foot to another. She hated seeing him like this, hated watching him hurt know she could do something about it. But was it really her place to tell him? Making a split moment decision, Tess decided to tell Max a little bit, leaving the most of it for Liz to reveal.
"Max, Liz is coming to see you. There's some things she needs to explain," she blurted quickly.
Max fixed his gaze on Tess's face. "I don't want to see her."
"Max, don't say that! She really needs to talk to you. It's extremely important that you hear her out."
There was a long pause. Max's expression remained closed, angry. "Tess, do you know what she just did to me? She kissed me and told me she loved me. She made every dream I've had since she left come true, then she turned around and left me [I]again[/I]. I'm through with Liz. I'm done."
Tess's concern was turning into full-fledged panic. What was going on here? Just yesterday, Max had been ready to fight tooth and nail to win Liz back. Hell, just a few hours ago he had played just about the dirtiest trick in the book to make her admit she still loved him. Now he was giving up, letting her go. Tess couldn't even imagine what Liz must have said to him to do [I]this.[/I].
But as she remembered Liz's despair earlier, her guilt, her absolute gut- driven belief that she and Max could not be together, Tess frowned. It had been [I]bad[/I], perhaps unforgivable. And, yet, Liz deserved one more chance. None of it had been her fault!
"Max, we found something, Liz and I," Tess tried desperately. "Something that changes everything."
Max snorted, kicking at a stone near his feet. "It doesn't matter anymore Tess. Nothing can make me care anymore."
"Max, you do care. I know you do. Listen to me. We found a way for you and Liz to be together. We found the answers to all your problems. You can be happy, [I]with[/I] Liz, and she's going to come see you. She wants to talk to you, Max."
Max glared at her for a full minute. "I thought you were [I]my[/I] friend," he finally said suspiciously. "Why are you suddenly playing defense attorney for Liz?"
"I [I]am[/I] your friend Max. Of course I am." Tess was beginning to get annoyed. When had she ever steered him wrong? "You just need to give Liz a chance. She regrets everything and I know for a fact that she wants you back."
Max threw his arms out to the side. "What if I don't want [i]her[/i] back, Tess? What if I've given up? I've spent four years of my life chasing after a dream that I've realized I lost a long time ago. I can't do this anymore. If I don't start living a life of my own and if I don't learn to do it without Liz, I'll go crazy, Tess. These past years, I've been living for Liz, on the hope that she'll come back to me. She's made it perfectly clear she doesn't want that. I'm dealing with it."
"Max, you may be able to fool everyone else, but you can't fool me. I'm your best friend, remember? I know you better than anyone. And I know you haven't given up on Liz. Look, Max. This is your destiny. Liz and the future you are going to have with her. We've seen it. There's a missing page to the Destiny Book and it gives us all the answers. It's going to be fine. Liz is coming back to you. You can be together."
Max shook his head. "So what does that mean, Tess? You found a missing page in a book from another planet. And all of a sudden, things are going to be okay because now that you've read it, I'm [i]allowed[/i] to love Liz? All this time, I've been told to give her up, that it's not possible, and when I finally decide to do it, you convince me not too? Make up your mind!"
"Max, that's not how I meant it, and you know it. I only ever wanted you to be happy. I didn't [I]know[/I] why Liz left. Now that I do, she deserves another chance," Tess argued. "Everything I've ever said was for you. And I'm saying this for your own good this time too. Don't throw away your chance at happiness now that you finally have it."
"Save it, Tess. Just save it for.oh, how about Liz? She'll need someone to talk to after I tell her to get lost. I just can't do this anymore."
Tess watched with an open mouth as Max turned on his heel and walked away from her.
~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Kyle, honey, are you home?" Tess hollered as she opened the front door to their apartment.
"Hey," Kyle said, looking up sleepily from the couch. He'd obviously tried to wait up for her with little to no success. Tess smiled slightly to herself, in spite of her bad mood.
"I didn't see your car outside. I thought you were still working," Tess said as she plopped down next to him. She snuggled into his side when she felt his arms wrap around her shoulders.
"Yeah, my patrol car had a flat and my truck is still in the shop. I got one of the other deputies to drop me off. One of the perks of being Jim Valenti's son. They do what I tell 'em."
Tess giggled and closed her eyes when she felt Kyle press his lips to her temple.
"Have a rough day?" He asked, tipping her chin up so she could meet his gaze.
"Not exactly rough. Just.full. Michael, Isabel and I went to the pod chamber today. I wanted to find a way to help Max and Liz. They've gotten so out of control."
"What did you find?"
"Answers. After that, I went to talk to Liz, and we found out what really happened when she left here. And we found a way to fix things between she and Max."
"Why don't you sound as happy as I think you should? I thought you wanted them back together?"
"I do," Tess said. "Except I don't think things are going to be able to just go back like they were, you know? A lot has happened. Max and Liz are both changed. She's got this whole other life in New York, and he's got one here in Roswell. They've been on their own for four years. As much as we all wish it would happen, I have a feeling they won't just be able to just kiss and make up."
"They're Liz and Max. They'll find a way. You've always believed it, and now that I've seen her here and the way they are around each other, I believe it too. It'll happen. Give it time."
"I hope you're right," Tess said softly, frowning slightly when she thought of Max's temper tantrum earlier. She was going to have to be up bright and early again to try and reason with him some more. She hoped he would be in a better mood after a good night's sleep.
She couldn't be angry at him though. Tess had learned first hand today how stubborn Liz Evans could be. She had obviously really hurt Max earlier. She considered getting up and calling Liz to warn her, but Kyle was raining little kisses down her neck, finally distracting her sufficiently that she turned her full attention back to her fiancé.
"Aren't I always? Right I mean?" He whispered against her ear.
Tess turned to smile at Kyle, found herself getting lost in his intense gaze. It had been days since they'd spent any real time together and she realized how much she'd missed just being alone with him. "Why don't we forget about Liz and Max for tonight," Tess suggested breathlessly, her friends' soap operatic lives already flying from her mind.
Kyle grinned devilishly, sending a delicious thrill through Tess's veins. It was the last thing she saw as he reached out his hand to flick off the lamp. "Can't think of anything I'd rather do."
To be continued.
Liz took a deep breath and reached out her hand, placing it against the cool metal of the door knob on the Crashdown's back door. Taking a quick glance around and seeing no one, she closed her eyes and concentrated on the small locking mechanism, letting out a sigh of relief when she heard it click. Looking around once more, Liz opened the door and stepped inside.
She stopped abruptly, as a hand was thrust in her face. She hadn't been expecting anyone to be in here, and had hoped she could make it to the living area upstairs without anyone coming upon her.
Before they'd left the hotel, Tess and Liz had decided exactly what it was they were going to do. They knew that their friends would have a lot of questions if they both came waltzing through the door together. With all that was on their plates, neither girl wanted to sit through a question and answer session, even if it was for the benefit of well meaning friends. There was too much at stake to waste precious time in their search for answers. Both women wanted to get things done quickly, their futures hinging on the next few hours of their lives. So they'd decided that Liz would go inside and walk through, letting Tess in through the balcony window, figuring there was less chance of Liz being cornered in her parents' own restaurant.
"Liz! What do you think you're doing? I could have blasted you to Kingdom come for sneaking in like that!" Michael said as he lowered his hand and stepped around Liz to shut the door and click the lock back into place.
"I'm sorry Michael. I don't have a key to this door anymore. I needed to get in," Liz said.
"Why didn't you just use the front door?" Michael asked. "It's open, you know."
"I didn't want to see anyone, OK," Liz replied shortly.
"Oookaaaaaay," Michael said, drawing his word out, and giving Liz a weird look.
"Listen, Michael, I didn't mean to snap. I just, I have a lot on my mind, and there are some things I need to do, okay?" Liz said.
"I know," Michael said quietly. "So, you've talked to Tess?"
Liz nodded, and shifted nervously from foot to foot. "She's waiting for me to let her in the balcony window."
Liz watched as Michael's eyes widen. Realization passed over his face, and a moment later, his expression softened. He reached out to touch Liz's arm. "Liz, look, I just want to say-"
"Michael," Liz interrupted, grabbing his hand. "You and I have a lot to talk about. I have a lot to say to all of you. And I will. But right now, it's just really not a good time. It's actually a terrible time. Tess and I.we're kind of in the middle of something."
"Right." Michael nodded his head. He turned to walk away, but looked back over his shoulder at Liz. "Good luck, Liz. I hope you guys find what you're looking for."
Liz offered Michael a hopeful smile. "Me too, Michael. Me too."
After Michael walked out into the front of the restaurant, Liz climbed the stairs, two at a time, to the home where she'd grown up. She was grateful for the fact that her parents were out of town and the apartment would be empty. She just really didn't have time to deal with them right now. Using her powers to unlock the door, she pushed it open. The lights were off, but Liz didn't need them. Even in the dark, she had the apartment memorized and was at her bedroom door in a matter of seconds. Opening it, she reached her hand in and flipped on the light. Stepping across to the window, she unlocked it, slid it up, and helped Tess inside.
"You know," Tess commented as she climbed in, "When Kyle and I first started dating, I climbed in his window a few times in the middle of the night. I bet he'd get a real kick out of the fact that this time, I'm sneaking in a [i]girl's[/i] window." The smile she gave Liz was small, but genuine.
Liz smiled back at her. "We'll have to fill him in on all the details. He'll be able to picture it perfectly by the way. Remind me to tell you someday about the time Kyle and Max came through this window together."
Tess's eyes widened. "That's one story I won't forget to ask for."
Liz stepped over to her bed and sat down on the corner of it, Tess following and sitting down next to her.
"So, this is it, huh?" Liz asked shakily, reflecting on how strange it was to be here with Tess, to be joking with [I]Tess[/I]. The person she had blamed for all her problems over the years. But that had just been a means of escaping from the mess she had made of her own life.
Tess smiled nervously. "This is it," she agreed.
Tess turned to Liz and watched as the other woman stared at her hands, fiddling with her fingernails. She couldn't blame Liz for being nervous. They both had a lot riding on the missing destiny book page hidden in the wall behind the very bed they were sitting on. And for more reasons than one, Tess prayed silently that she was right. That the page held the information they needed to ensure that Max and Liz did indeed have a future together.
Liz took a deep breath and stood up, turned to face the bed. "Well, here goes." Moving towards the wall at the head of the bed, Liz stopped and turned abruptly. "Tess, whatever the outcome of this, you know, whatever it is we find, I just.I want to thank you. You know, for being my.friend."
Tess felt her eyes welling up. The tension and anxiety she'd felt over the last couple of hours had been building up her emotions and at Liz's expression of gratitude, Tess couldn't hold them back any longer. They'd come so far in the last two days. She and Liz had gone from being enemies to friends. She'd gone from hating Liz Evans with a passion, to admiring her with the utmost respect. And she'd gone from not caring whether or not her best friend's wife ever showed up again to hoping against hope that she never left. Now, face to face with Liz Evans, Tess knew that the other woman felt the same.
Liz smiled once more at Tess, then turned to the wall and placed an unsteady hand on the brick she knew would move at the slightest push. Pausing a second to gain her composure, she put pressure on the corner of the brick, easing her fingers into the crack and pulling the piece of wall out. Crouching down so that she could see into the small dark hole, she squinted her eyes. She wasn't surprised when she saw a faint glow shining from beneath her journal. And without warning, she stood up suddenly and turned around.
"I can't do it," she said breathlessly, her eyes wide with fear.
"Can't do what?" Tess asked, slightly confused.
Liz held up her hands, trembling with fright.
Tess's eyes widened when she saw Liz's hands. Streaks of brilliant jade were crackling from her fingertips, running down her hand and disappearing beneath the sleeves of her shirt. "Liz, wha-"
"It's my powers. When my emotions are heightened, or intense, or sometimes, when I get really stressed I can't control them. Like Michael used to be. Except I've still never completely learned to handle them. I can't touch that page again, Tess. I can't. If I get those flashes again, I won't be able to handle it. Y.you. have to do it."
Tess watched with odd fascination as Liz's façade began to crumble in front of her. Liz had played the part of a woman who would be able to sacrifice herself for a greater cause without ever looking back. But Tess saw that she'd played her part to a T. Because the person standing in front of her was far from the strong, self sacrificing woman she'd led everyone to believe she was. In fact, underneath Liz Evans tough exterior was a woman scared to death that she was losing everything she'd ever wanted.
Tess knew that she would have to be the one to be strong. Liz had held the weight on her shoulders for far too long, and it was about to break her. She, herself, would have to reach into that hole and pull out the page they were seeking. For herself, for Max, for Liz, and even for Kyle. There simply was no other choice. Tess shook her head, and got up from the bed. "Okay," she said hesitantly. "I'll do it."
Tess walked over to the wall, knelt down, and before she had time to think about it, reached inside and pulled out the shiny page. She stepped away from the wall and sat back down on the bed, her eyes glued to the piece of metal, skimming it as fast as she could, reading it from top to bottom, front to back.
Liz watched Tess's face, her heart all but beating out of her chest, for any sign of emotion. The hint of a smile. The beginnings of a frown. [i]Anything[/i] to let her know what the page said.
"What does it say?" Liz asked cautiously when she saw Tess look up, her face pensive and unreadable.
Tess said nothing, merely looked up at Liz, her eyes still wet with tears. Without breaking contact, she lifted her hand, swiped it over the page, and thrust it towards Liz.
Liz reached out reluctantly and took the page. She turned it around so that she could read the words now written in English, and as she did so, her knees gave out beneath her and the world spun into darkness.
~*~*~
"Liz? Liz, c'mon, Liz. I need you to wake up."
Liz opened her eyes and squinted, raising her head to look at her surroundings. She was about to ask what she was doing in her old room, but when she saw Tess's worried expression and glimpsed the shiny silver Destiny Book page sitting on the floor next to her, it all came rushing back.
With a sob, Liz closed her eyes again and leaned her head against the wall, lifting her arm and throwing it across her eyes.
"Liz, what's wrong? I thought this was the answer you wanted? This is everything we were looking for. Don't you see? You and Max can be together now. Why does that upset you?" Tess asked anxiously.
"It doesn't upset me, Tess. I'm overjoyed. But, it breaks my heart," Liz said, opening her eyes. "Because I did it all for nothing. I broke Max's heart and put him through 4 years of misery for nothing!"
It couldn't be true, Liz thought, that it had all been for nothing. That her fruitless attempts to leave Max and Roswell behind had been all because she was trying to prevent something that was nothing but an intricately woven lie. Coming to terms with the fact that there [i]had[/i] been another way might just push her over the edge.
Tess watched Liz's face and shook her head sadly. She was sorry that Max had been hurt. She was sorry that [i]Liz[/i] had been hurt. But Liz was wrong. It hadn't been for nothing. "You're wrong, Liz. It wasn't for nothing. There was a purpose to this, and one that in the long run, helps everyone out."
Liz shook her head. How could this have helped things? How could this have made anything better for any of them? Tess was clearly losing it just as fast as she was. "That's not possible, Tess."
Tess sighed deeply. "Liz, in the other.timeline, you never left. [i]I[/i] never came [I]back[/I]. You and Max were happy, and stayed together. But the world ended. You know why? Because of this." Tess picked up the page from the floor and waved it in front of Liz's face. "In the other timeline, you never knew about this. You, Max, no one. And because of that, you two were never able to have the child that Max is destined to have. But all that changed Liz. Can't you see? When you left town, it changed things. It changed [i]us[/i]. We grew up. We matured. We developed emotions and bonds and feelings for each other. And when you came back to get your divorce, those same feelings are what pushed us to find a way. For you and Max, and me and Kyle, and even for that baby that you'll carry someday," she said, gently touching Liz's abdomen. "If you'd never left, we would have never had a reason to look for this page. And the world would have ended," Tess finished.
"But why, Tess? Why did I have to hurt everyone?" Liz looked down at her hands, then back up at Tess with tortured eyes. "Why did I have to hurt [i]him[/i]?"
"So you could save the world. So you could save [I]him[/I]," Tess said simply, placing her hand on Liz's arm. "And I know you, Liz. I know Max. What you did, what you two went through, was a small sacrifice. You two went through four years of heartbreak and emotional turmoil. But in return, you got the world. Every single person alive owes you and Max more than they'll ever know. Because you've saved them. You've saved them from a horrible future that was never meant to be in the first place."
"But, what if this isn't the way it's supposed to be?" Liz asked. "What if what happened the last time is how it's supposed to be? What if we're playing with fire here, Tess?"
Liz's mind was reeling. She felt everything she'd ever felt in her life, all mixed up in her head, but intensified to the nth degree. She felt the happiest she'd ever been, save for the day she married Max. She felt the most confused she'd ever felt, with all the questions and what ifs running through her mind. She felt more hurt coursing through her veins than she'd ever felt before, the events of the last two days finally taking their toll on her. Everything she'd ever wanted to know she'd just read and her mind couldn't comprehend the reality of the situation. She glanced back at the page, still in Tess's hands, and saw the words in her mind again, already burned into her memory, despite the fact that she'd only read them once, just minutes ago.
[I]The destined mate is predetermined, but not chosen. She who is chosen by the King will be changed, by his own hand, When he chooses to be responsible for her life. And thus she will become his destiny. Then it will be she, and only she, who can bear the child spoken of, and only from a love that no other will rival. .the Granolith holds the answers to the Bonding Ceremony that will make this come to pass. The ceremony must be performed by a member of the royal party, for the King and his chosen queen.[/i]
"No, don't say that, Liz!" Tess's firm tone brought Liz's eyes back up to meet hers. "That [i]isn't[/i] the way it's supposed to be. If it was, then this book wouldn't tell us a way to change it. It wouldn't give us instructions on how to ensure that it wouldn't happen."
"But what if.I mean, how can we..what I mean is, where do we."
Liz's words faded out as she realized that she didn't have any room to argue. Tess was right. This was right. This [i]was[/i] how things were supposed to go. It was always supposed to be she and Max. She'd always known that with him was where she belonged. She'd known it from the first breath she'd taken after he healed her in the Crashdown. There was no use in arguing over it anymore. She'd even known it the minute she watched Tess pull that page out of the wall, that it would say there was a way for she and Max. She'd known it with ever fiber of her being.
But when she saw it in print, when she saw the truth, it scared her to death. Because now there was nothing stopping them. No obstacles in the way, no uninterpreted destinies, no mistranslated books. And that fact alone frightened her more than anything. The path was clear for her to follow every dream she'd ever had and make it come true. A life. A husband. A family.
The real problem was that, with everything she was ever meant to be within her grasp, Liz Evans didn't know where to start. How did she even begin to repair the damage she had done to her marriage by abandoning Max?
"What am I going to do, Tess? There's so much I need to do. So many people I have to explain things to. I don't know where to begin," she said.
Tess grinned a small grin and stood up. "That's the easy part, Liz. You [i]do[/i] know where to begin. The same place you'll finish. With Max."
Liz felt her heart beating once again at a double pace. "I can't believe this is happening. Max and I can be together. And no one's going to die because of it. We can save the world, and be happy," Liz said, the beginnings of a smile starting to turn up the corners of her mouth.
Tess looked at Liz, smiling, and gazing across the room with a far off look in her eyes when a thought occurred to her that made her chest constrict.
She'd lied.
The other version of herself had come back from the future and lied. She'd told them it wasn't possible for Max and Liz to have a baby. She'd told them that there was nothing Max and Liz could do if they stayed together. But she'd known it wasn't true. She'd know there was a way. And the fact that she'd given Liz the page that told them so was proof. She'd taken it out of the Destiny Book before she gave it to her so that it would never be found. She [i]had[/i] been a terrible person. She had been willing to wreck happy homes in order to get what she wanted.
Turning towards the wall, and falling against it with a dull thud, Tess sighed in resignation. "She lied. She came back here, and lied to you. She lied to [i]me[/i], which really means to [I]herself[/I], right to my face. This is all my fault."
Liz turned to Tess, shocked. Tess blamed herself? All this time she'd thought it was her fault that everyone had had to endure such pain and loss. And all this time, Tess had felt the same way. If only she'd handled things differently. Maybe if she had talked to Max, or even Tess, then maybe things could have been different. If she'd only told them why she was leaving, maybe they could have fixed things four years ago. They'd both felt it was their fault, but was it possible that a little communication could have fixed the problem before it had even begun?
But it couldn't be helped now. Asking the what ifs wasn't going to help any of them. Really and truly, not a one of them was to blame. Not her, not Tess, not Max. This was all Future Tess's fault. The blame was completely hers. Liz shook her head. "None of this is your fault, Tess."
"I should have known. I should have seen through her façade. I mean, she's me for cryin' out loud! But I didn't. I let her trick me. Why, Liz, why did I believe her?" Tess cried, her guilt hitting her full force as the tears began to flow down her cheeks.
Liz shook her head. "Tess, I won't let you blame yourself. You're not her. I believed her too. [i]She[/i] was an evil, cruel person, who'd known nothing but unhappiness and loneliness in her lifetime. She had a hard life. It made her a hard person. A person who was willing to do anything if it meant she'd have the chance to live a better life, even if it was in another timeline. But [i]you,[/i] Tess, you're good. You're not the tormented person she was. You're happy, a..and.you're loved. People love you, and you love them back. That alone is enough to prove that you are different than she was."
Tess sniffled, and wiped the tears away from her eyes.
"You know," Liz continued quietly. "She lied to us. She.she manipulated us to get us to do what she wanted. And we did it. We hurt people, and we changed the future. But you know what, I think, in some, weird, sick way, we owe her our thanks."
Tess whipped her head around to face Liz. "What? How can you say that? She was a con artist, and she fooled us both!"
Liz shrugged. "You're happy, Tess. You have Kyle and friends and a family, something you didn't have last time. That [I]she[/I] didn't have. I have a great job that I love, a friend to cherish in Serena, and the chance to be happy with Max and save the world at the same time. [I]She[/I] gave that to us. She made it possible. She could have done it a different way, but she didn't. We can't change that now. But everything we have, is because of her. She wanted to change the future. And she did."
Tess listened in fascination as Liz Evans told her all the reasons she could think of to thank the one person that could have ruined her life. Even after everything she'd had to endure, everything she'd had to give up, Liz still didn't hold it against the woman that had run her out of town.
Tess felt her admiration for Liz Evans grow tenfold. Here she was, convincing the very person that drove her out of town to forgive herself. She'd been lied to and manipulated more than anyone, and had had to sacrifice more than anyone, and she still didn't hate the person that had caused it. Liz truly was a one of kind woman, special in ways that were just becoming evident. There was no longer any question in her mind as to why Max was so devoted to her, even after all this time. "I wish I could be more like you Liz. It's no wonder they all love you so much."
"Hey," Liz said, standing up and holding out her hand to help Tess up. "They love you too. For the exact same reasons they love me. Because we love them back."
Tess smiled, reached out, and took Liz's hand in her own. "We could have been great friends, Liz Evans," Tess said.
"Yeah, well, the way I see it, we still can be," Liz replied. "I just got everything I've wished for the past four years. I plan on using it."
"You're going to Max?" Tess asked.
"Yes. But not tonight. I'm worn out and I have a lot to think about." Liz almost grimaced as she saw Max's face flash through her mind. The hurt and confusion she'd seen on his face had just about done her in when she'd left him in the old jail cell. But now, knowing that she had no valid reason whatsoever for leaving him there, devastated [I]again[/I], she felt sick to her stomach. She had a lot to say to him, a lot to apologize for and even more to explain. And not just for what had happened in the last two days. She'd been gone for four years. Max deserved to know every reason why, every question she'd had, and every emotion she'd felt. She could only hope that he'd still be willing to listen.
Tess saw Liz's downcast look and knew instinctively she was thinking about Max. "It's going to be okay," Tess reassured her as she headed towards Liz's window. "Things will work out Liz. I have no doubt. He loves you. He always has, beyond question, and without condition. You know what the book says," Tess reminded her, turning around to face Liz, one leg slung over the windowsill. "[I]From a love that no other will rival.[/I] That's you and Max."
Liz sighed and walked to the window. On impulse she grabbed Tess's shoulders and hugged her awkwardly. She smiled softly to herself when she felt Tess's arms come up around her. How ironic it was that just two days ago she could have cared less if she never saw Tess Harding again, but now, she knew that somewhere down the line, she truly did want to be friends with the girl who had once been her nemesis.
"Thank you, Tess," Liz said, pulling away.
"Actually," Tess replied, pausing long enough to swing her other leg over the windowsill, then turning to peer inside, "I think [i]I[/i] should be thanking [i]you[/i]."
Liz almost giggled at the wave of relief written over Tess's features. She remembered Tess's expression of unmistakable dread when she'd made her promise to force Max to embrace his destiny. "What made you make that promise anyway?"
Tess shrugged her shoulders. "I had faith. I [i]knew[/i] that book would give us a way."
With that, Tess waved goodbye, turned to the balcony ladder, and climbed down.
Shutting the window, Liz turned around and grabbed the telephone on the bedside table. She dialed the hotel and asked for her room number, smiling when she heard Serena's groggy voice answer the phone.
"Hello? It's after midnight. This better be good."
Liz rolled her eyes good-naturedly at Serena's snappy tone. "Hey, it's me. I just want to let you know I won't be sleeping there tonight."
"Are you with Max?"
Liz squinted here eyes at the opposite wall, obviously hearing the uncertainty in Serena's voice. "No, I'm not with Max. I'm at home. I'm tired, so I'm just going to crash here tonight. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"
"Yeah, Liz. Tomorrow." Serena's tone was still slightly frosty.
"Rena." Liz swallowed. "I'm really sorry about before. I.I guess it just made me mad that knew exactly what was going through my head. You were right you know. I was being selfish and a chicken. But everything's different now."
Serena's voice had softened when she asked, "Different how?"
"It's too long to get into on the phone," Liz replied. "But suffice it to say, I won't be leaving Roswell until I get everything straightened out once and for all."
There was a long pause and then Serena sighed. "Well okay then. I forgive you. I have to. You've been so manic nuts the last few days, I can't blame you."
"Thanks Rena." Liz breathed a sigh of relief. "I owe you one."
"The way I see it, you owe me about three hundred," Serena joked. "But we'll let it slide, shall we. Sleep well."
"I will. For the first time in a long time, I [I]know[/I] I will," Liz replied.
"I can't wait to hear what brought on this epiphany," Serena grumbled. "Don't wait too long. Come back here first thing tomorrow."
"I'll come back as soon as I can. Why don't you do something touristy?" Liz suggested. "Check out the UFO Centre or something."
"Maybe." Serena trailed off, not sounding convinced. "Night."
"Good night."
Liz sighed as she hung the phone back up on its cradle and lay back on the bed. She turned on her side, staring at the room she'd grown up in. Still standing in the corner was the mirror she'd used to try on the simple white dress in which she'd married Max. On the dresser was the dried up rose he'd given her the night they'd decided to elope. Hanging in the closet was the Crashdown uniform she'd worn as a teenager to work in the restaurant where her life with Max had begun. Everywhere she looked made Liz think of Max. And for the first time in four years, she was able to smile at her memories.
There was still a small smile playing on her lips when she drifted off to sleep.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Tess jumped when a hand landed on her shoulder. "What are you doing out this late by yourself?"
She spun around and lifted her arm, hitting Max squarely in the chest with her fist. "Max Evans, If you ever scare me like that again, I swear I'll blast you to kingdom come!"
Max raised his hands in surrender. "Sorry. Didn't mean to, really. But it is a valid question."
"Oh please," Tess said, rolling her eyes. "Like I can't protect myself."
"It's a dangerous world, Tess."
Tess snorted, but her mood quickly sobered when she noticed for the first time the redness in his eyes and the taut look on his face. "Max, are you okay?"
"Of course. Why wouldn't I be?" Max asked. "I'm [I]always[/I] fine." He paused, then muttered, half to himself. "Nothing a cold beer won't fix."
Tess narrowed her eyes. Something [i]was[/i] wrong. "Max you don't drink. You and alcohol don't mix, remember?"
"Yeah, well, apparently, neither do me and Liz," he said, his voice laced with sarcasm. He scowled. "Why would anything be wrong? It's not like it's new or anything."
Tess stared at Max, noticing a change in him that sent a shiver down her spine. He seemed.weak. Rejected. Defeated. Whatever Liz had done to him this time had definitely struck a chord. His nonchalant attitude was sending up alarm bells. "What's that supposed to mean?" Tess asked.
Max sighed deeply. "Nothing, okay? I just.when I ran after her tonight, I found her. We talked a bit. I know now that she was right. We'll never be together. I'm over it."
"Don't lie to me, Max. What happened?"
"I don't want to talk about it."
"Max," Tess said, placing her hand on his shoulder. "Everything's going to turn out fine, okay?"
Max laughed bitterly. "Yeah. For you. You've [i]got[/i] the person you'll love. I'll never be with the person I love again."
Tess shifted uncomfortably from one foot to another. She hated seeing him like this, hated watching him hurt know she could do something about it. But was it really her place to tell him? Making a split moment decision, Tess decided to tell Max a little bit, leaving the most of it for Liz to reveal.
"Max, Liz is coming to see you. There's some things she needs to explain," she blurted quickly.
Max fixed his gaze on Tess's face. "I don't want to see her."
"Max, don't say that! She really needs to talk to you. It's extremely important that you hear her out."
There was a long pause. Max's expression remained closed, angry. "Tess, do you know what she just did to me? She kissed me and told me she loved me. She made every dream I've had since she left come true, then she turned around and left me [I]again[/I]. I'm through with Liz. I'm done."
Tess's concern was turning into full-fledged panic. What was going on here? Just yesterday, Max had been ready to fight tooth and nail to win Liz back. Hell, just a few hours ago he had played just about the dirtiest trick in the book to make her admit she still loved him. Now he was giving up, letting her go. Tess couldn't even imagine what Liz must have said to him to do [I]this.[/I].
But as she remembered Liz's despair earlier, her guilt, her absolute gut- driven belief that she and Max could not be together, Tess frowned. It had been [I]bad[/I], perhaps unforgivable. And, yet, Liz deserved one more chance. None of it had been her fault!
"Max, we found something, Liz and I," Tess tried desperately. "Something that changes everything."
Max snorted, kicking at a stone near his feet. "It doesn't matter anymore Tess. Nothing can make me care anymore."
"Max, you do care. I know you do. Listen to me. We found a way for you and Liz to be together. We found the answers to all your problems. You can be happy, [I]with[/I] Liz, and she's going to come see you. She wants to talk to you, Max."
Max glared at her for a full minute. "I thought you were [I]my[/I] friend," he finally said suspiciously. "Why are you suddenly playing defense attorney for Liz?"
"I [I]am[/I] your friend Max. Of course I am." Tess was beginning to get annoyed. When had she ever steered him wrong? "You just need to give Liz a chance. She regrets everything and I know for a fact that she wants you back."
Max threw his arms out to the side. "What if I don't want [i]her[/i] back, Tess? What if I've given up? I've spent four years of my life chasing after a dream that I've realized I lost a long time ago. I can't do this anymore. If I don't start living a life of my own and if I don't learn to do it without Liz, I'll go crazy, Tess. These past years, I've been living for Liz, on the hope that she'll come back to me. She's made it perfectly clear she doesn't want that. I'm dealing with it."
"Max, you may be able to fool everyone else, but you can't fool me. I'm your best friend, remember? I know you better than anyone. And I know you haven't given up on Liz. Look, Max. This is your destiny. Liz and the future you are going to have with her. We've seen it. There's a missing page to the Destiny Book and it gives us all the answers. It's going to be fine. Liz is coming back to you. You can be together."
Max shook his head. "So what does that mean, Tess? You found a missing page in a book from another planet. And all of a sudden, things are going to be okay because now that you've read it, I'm [i]allowed[/i] to love Liz? All this time, I've been told to give her up, that it's not possible, and when I finally decide to do it, you convince me not too? Make up your mind!"
"Max, that's not how I meant it, and you know it. I only ever wanted you to be happy. I didn't [I]know[/I] why Liz left. Now that I do, she deserves another chance," Tess argued. "Everything I've ever said was for you. And I'm saying this for your own good this time too. Don't throw away your chance at happiness now that you finally have it."
"Save it, Tess. Just save it for.oh, how about Liz? She'll need someone to talk to after I tell her to get lost. I just can't do this anymore."
Tess watched with an open mouth as Max turned on his heel and walked away from her.
~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Kyle, honey, are you home?" Tess hollered as she opened the front door to their apartment.
"Hey," Kyle said, looking up sleepily from the couch. He'd obviously tried to wait up for her with little to no success. Tess smiled slightly to herself, in spite of her bad mood.
"I didn't see your car outside. I thought you were still working," Tess said as she plopped down next to him. She snuggled into his side when she felt his arms wrap around her shoulders.
"Yeah, my patrol car had a flat and my truck is still in the shop. I got one of the other deputies to drop me off. One of the perks of being Jim Valenti's son. They do what I tell 'em."
Tess giggled and closed her eyes when she felt Kyle press his lips to her temple.
"Have a rough day?" He asked, tipping her chin up so she could meet his gaze.
"Not exactly rough. Just.full. Michael, Isabel and I went to the pod chamber today. I wanted to find a way to help Max and Liz. They've gotten so out of control."
"What did you find?"
"Answers. After that, I went to talk to Liz, and we found out what really happened when she left here. And we found a way to fix things between she and Max."
"Why don't you sound as happy as I think you should? I thought you wanted them back together?"
"I do," Tess said. "Except I don't think things are going to be able to just go back like they were, you know? A lot has happened. Max and Liz are both changed. She's got this whole other life in New York, and he's got one here in Roswell. They've been on their own for four years. As much as we all wish it would happen, I have a feeling they won't just be able to just kiss and make up."
"They're Liz and Max. They'll find a way. You've always believed it, and now that I've seen her here and the way they are around each other, I believe it too. It'll happen. Give it time."
"I hope you're right," Tess said softly, frowning slightly when she thought of Max's temper tantrum earlier. She was going to have to be up bright and early again to try and reason with him some more. She hoped he would be in a better mood after a good night's sleep.
She couldn't be angry at him though. Tess had learned first hand today how stubborn Liz Evans could be. She had obviously really hurt Max earlier. She considered getting up and calling Liz to warn her, but Kyle was raining little kisses down her neck, finally distracting her sufficiently that she turned her full attention back to her fiancé.
"Aren't I always? Right I mean?" He whispered against her ear.
Tess turned to smile at Kyle, found herself getting lost in his intense gaze. It had been days since they'd spent any real time together and she realized how much she'd missed just being alone with him. "Why don't we forget about Liz and Max for tonight," Tess suggested breathlessly, her friends' soap operatic lives already flying from her mind.
Kyle grinned devilishly, sending a delicious thrill through Tess's veins. It was the last thing she saw as he reached out his hand to flick off the lamp. "Can't think of anything I'd rather do."
To be continued.
