Category: AU M/L
Summary: AU story based on a song I have liked for a long time, but with a different twist. Liz didn't grow up in Roswell and has been living in foster homes as long as she can remember.
Disclaimer: Jason Katims owns everything Roswell…come on now if I owned it would I be writing fanfic??? Also I don't own the song either, it's "Two beds and a coffee machine" by Savage Garden. I'm just borrowing this stuff and I'll put it back when I'm done I promise. Oh and I created the characters of Abby, Charlotte, and Frank who are loosely based on characters in the song and people I know.
Thanks: To my beta Elise-who has been with me on this story from the beginning, and to Jen who has helped out recently. I couldn't do it without you guys. To everyone who left reviews, I appreciate it so much.
Feedback: Okay I said I wouldn't beg—but I lied…Please Please Please leave feedback!
Distribution: I would be flattered if anyone wants to post this story somewhere else, just let me know first okay?
A/N: the italics indicate thought, also song lyrics. I'm really beginning to see that this is going to be one long twisted story. For everyone who has been asking questions, they only hint I will give is – some things are meant to happen. Think about it.
**Extra note: Thanks so much to everyone who has stuck with this story. This chapter is a bit long (for me at least) but the characters had a lot to get out. As usual, lots of love to you all—don't forget to leave me some too (*namely reviews*) !
Having left their last 'home' so quickly, Liz and the girls had brought little with them. However, with the excitement of a new place, a trip to the grocery store, and two little girls, Liz had barely had a chance to sit down until about five minutes ago when the girls fell asleep in the bedroom. She was currently sitting on the old worn-out couch with her feet on a small coffee table, eyes closed, simply soaking in the quiet. Looks like I'm going to be the one on the pull-out couch, she thought, if only I had the energy to actually pull it out…
Knock knock knock
Liz was startled out of her thoughts by a quiet knocking on the front door. Her senses automatically went into alert. Oh no…Frank must have found us… She slowly tiptoed to the door and looked out the peephole. She let out a sigh of relief and almost slumped down against the door when she saw Max standing there. Her mind let her process now that the knock had only been that, a quiet knock, not a loud pounding, which would have resulted from a visit from Frank.
Knock knock knock
She quickly undid the lock and opened the door to find a slightly concerned looking Max. "Sorry, I was uh…I uh…I kind of fell asleep and didn't hear you knock," she said, stepping back to let him in.
"Don't worry about it. It's probably my fault for coming over so late. I should have known you would be tired," Max said, stuffing his hands in his pockets, and looking at the ground.
"Hey I agreed didn't I? Why don't you come in and sit down. The girls are asleep in the bedroom so I'm afraid we have to be a little quiet. There is no way I want to wake them again," Liz joked, leading him to the couch and sitting down.
He followed suit and they sat there in uncomfortable silence for a minute or two, both of them knowing that he was here to talk.
"Look Liz, you know I don't want to invade your privacy or anything…" he said, breaking the silence, "I'm just concerned and I want to help, but you have to let me."
She took a deep breath and sighed. "Well what do you want to know?" she asked tentatively.
"Um…well, first of all…where are your parents Liz? I mean you don't see many girls your age who are totally responsible for their younger sisters."
"I don't know where my parents are," she stated matter-of-factly. "I never met them. I was adopted as an infant, but my adopted parents were killed in a car crash when I was still very young. I don't even remember them…I've been bounced around the foster care system ever since."
"I guess that kind of answers my next question then," he said.
"Which was…?"
"You're not actually related to Charlotte and Abby are you?"
"You knew? But how?" she asked, surprise evident in her voice.
"My favorite subject has always been science. Especially biology…"
"I don't see what that has to do with anything Max."
"Your eyes," he said, "they're brown."
"And?" she asked, still confused.
"Well, the girls both have blue eyes. It's simple genetics really. The way eye color is inherited…to have two children with blue eyes, both parents would pretty much have to also have blue eyes, which would make your brown eyes almost impossible—or at least extremely unlikely."
"Oh," she said, finally understanding what he had been getting at. "Yeah, the girls are related to each other, but not to me. I don't know the exact story of how they ended up in foster care, it was something about their mother being killed in a drug deal gone bad if I remember correctly. We were in the same foster home for the past two years."
"So what brought you to Roswell then?"
"Look Max, I'm not here legally if that's what you're asking. But you have to believe me that I can't go back where I came from and I won't let the girls be taken back, either," she said vehemently.
"Liz it's ok," he said defensively, throwing his hands up in a 'don't shoot' kind of position. "I'm not going to turn you in. I swear," he said as he relaxed back against the couch. "So what's your real name then, cause I'm betting it's not Liz Campbell."
"Well it is Liz. Liz Mitchell to be exact. I just changed my last name so we couldn't be tracked as easily," she said. She suddenly stood up and started to pace. "You know Max, I just thought about it, but I don't even know what my real name is. The Mitchells were my adoptive parents, so that's my official name, but I don't know what my real name is," she said, almost whispering the last part.
Max stood up and walked over to where she was standing. "Hey," he said, gently lifting her chin from her chest and forcing her to look at him, "it's just a name…it doesn't mean anything. It doesn't change who you are—inside."
She stared into his eyes for a moment, then completely surprised him by throwing her arms around him and resting her cheek against his chest. He instinctively wrapped his arms around her and just stood there holding her.
"Thank you Max," she murmured into his shirt.
"For what?" he asked, still somewhat in shock.
"For caring, for being here…" she said, finally looking up at him again. She released him, but reached for his hand, leading him back to the couch.
When they were both seated on the couch again, with Liz still holding onto his hand, he looked at her and asked, "Liz, why are you running?" When she didn't answer immediately, he continued, "Is it because of the bruises Michael saw on your arm?" She looked scared suddenly, but he held onto her hand, refusing to let her run. "Is it that Frank guy that Abby is scared of?"
Liz started crying, her body shaking as she sobbed.
"Liz, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked. I didn't want to make you cry," he said, desperately trying to comfort her.
"No, it's not your fault. You're right…all of it…" she said between sobs, "He was our foster father…I was just trying to protect the girls…but I just couldn't take it anymore…I had to leave."
He pulled her into his arms and held her, running his hands up and down her back to soothe her. "Shhhh it's okay. I won't let anything happen to you. Shhhhh…"
When she had finally calmed down, he pulled back to look at her. Her eyes were half closed and he realized how tired she must be after all she had gone through that day. "Why don't you lay down for a minute and rest?" he said, patting his knee to indicate that she could use his lap as a pillow.
"Okay," she said, yawning and stretching out on the couch. She lay on her side facing away from him and he began to stroke her hair, smoothing it away from her face. "Max?" she asked sleepily.
"Yeah Liz?"
"Could you stay with me awhile?"
"Sure Liz. Anything you want…"
TBC…
And she takes another step
Slowly she opens the door
Check that he is sleeping
Pick up all the broken glass
And furniture on the floor
Been up half the night screaming
Now it's time to get away
Pack up the kids in the car
Another bruise to try and hide
Another alibi to write
Another ditch in the road
You keep moving
Another stop sign
You keep moving on
and the years go by so fast
Wonder how I ever made it through
And there are children to think of
Baby's asleep in the back seat
Wonder how they'll ever make it through this living nightmare
But the mind is an amazing thing
Full of candy dreams and new toys and another cheap hotel
Two beds and a coffee machine
But there are groceries to buy
And she knows she'll have to go home
Another ditch in the road
You keep moving
Another stop sign
You keep moving on
And the years go by so fast
Wonder how I ever made it through
Another bruise to try and hide
Another alibi to write
Another lonely highway in the black of the night
But there's hope in the darkness
You know you're going to make it
Another ditch in the road
You keep moving
Another stop sign
You keep moving on
And the years go by so fast
Silent fortress built to last
Wonder how I ever made it through
