Disclaimer: You know the drill…the characters aren't mine. A lot of stuff in the beginning is taken from End of the World. God knows THAT'S not mine. Anything that makes sense and makes it all better, now that's mine. Seriously, Roswell and all characters belong to Jason Katims, 20th Century Fox etc. I'm just borrowing them.

Rating: PG-13 – possibly to R

Love Changes Everything

Chapter Fifty-Seven This Could be the Night

"I wish I could give you the prom night you deserve, Liz," Max said. "You deserve the whole thing, limo, corsage, romance, and watching the sun rise over the desert. Instead, I'm going to have to end the night with Tess."

"It's no big deal, Max. We are going to have the rest of our lives together. One night doesn't make a difference," said Liz.


"You're right," said Max. "I just hope that this works. Alex's plan is kind of risky. I'm not afraid to say, I'm worried. There are too many things that can go wrong."

"This coming from the man who's plan to get us to Vegas included a mythical essay writing contest won by Kyle Valenti," said Liz, her voice uncharacteristically sunny.

"Well, it worked," said Max, defensively.

"Don't ask me how," said Liz, rolling her eyes. "Anyhow, Alex's plan is going to work."


"No, no way," said Michael, staring at Maria. "There is no way I am going to shell out money like that for a stupid dance. Besides, Tess thinks we're not together anymore, remember."

"Michael, you have over half a million dollars in the stupid bank," Maria hissed. "Besides, we could always say we were going as friends, like Max and Liz are doing. Anyhow, who cares what that evil mindwarpping hell beast thinks anyhow?"

"I said no, and I mean no, Maria. There is no way I'm going to any stupid prom," Michael said, as he passed the galaxy burger through the pick up window.

"I wonder how hard it is to get an Antarian divorce," Maria muttered. She glared at Michael, and grabbed the burger off the window, and bumped into Liz, who was carrying a tray of glasses. The tray fell out of Liz's hands and crashed to the floor. The shattered glass danced across the floor. Liz looked at Maria, but instead of laughing, she burst into tears, and ran from the café. Maria shot a worried look at Michael, and he left the grill, and took off after Liz, leaving Maria to pick up the shattered pieces of glass.

"Typical," muttered Maria. "Leaves me here to do the dirty work. I swear if I didn't love him so much, I'd kill him."

"Kill who, Maria?" a voice. Maria looked up from the floor, to see Tess, leaning over the counter, smiling at her.

"Oh, hi, Tess," Maria said, her voice flat. "What's up?"

"I asked who you wanted to kill?" answered the other girl.

"Oh, the bus boy," Maria said, vaguely. "Mess duty is his job, but he's nowhere to be found.

"What happened, anyhow?" asked Tess.

"Oh, I bumped into Liz, and she dropped a tray of glasses, that's all."

"Well, I would think she should clean up her own mess," said Tess, concentrating on Maria.

"Oh, uh, she uh, cut herself, so uh, Michael's helping her bandage her hand."

"Are you sure that's all their doing?" Tess asked. She focused on Maria and gave a shove with her mind. Maria felt Tess trying to mind warp her, and she panicked for a moment.

Settle down Deluca, she said to herself. You can do this.

"Yeah, you'd think she'd help," said Maria. "But she's a selfish little witch. I swear, every time Michael and I even come close to getting back together, she's right there doing whatever she can to come between us. I wouldn't put it past her to have cut herself intentionally to have him come to her rescue."

"You're probably right," said Tess, with a smile. "I'll see you later," she added.

Maria watched as the girl crossed the café, with a self-satisfied smile on her face.

"Agnes," Maria bellowed as soon as Tess was out of sight. "I'm going on a break, cover for me."

She didn't wait to hear what the older woman had to say, she just ran out back to where Liz was with Michael.


"Liz, are you alright?" Maria asked as she raced in the room. She paused, shaken to see Liz wrapped in Michael's arms. She shook her head, trying to dislodge the images that Tess had tried to implant.

"Yeah, no, I don't know," said Liz, her voice thick with tears.

"Lizzie, honey, what's wrong?" asked Nancy Parker, coming into the room, her arms full of grocery bags.

"I-I'm fine, Mom," sniffed Liz. "Don't worry about it."

"Of course I worry about it, Sweetie," said Nancy, passing the grocery bags to Maria. "Maria, why don't you put those upstairs for me, and Michael, I'm sure you have something you're supposed to be doing. I'll take care of Liz."

"Sure thing, Mrs. P," said Michael. He shot a worried glance, first at Maria, then Liz, before heading back to the grill.

"No problem, Mrs. Parker," answered Maria. "Do you have anything in here that needs to be put away right away?" she asked, stalling for time.

"No, that's okay, Maria, thanks. Just bring them upstairs and go back to the café. Poor Agnes is just about to have a breakdown out there."

Maria took the bags and began to walk slowly up the stairs to the Parker apartment.

"Liz, Sweetie, tell me what's wrong," she heard Nancy Parker say. "Talk to me, honey."

"It's nothing, Mom," said Liz. "I'm just overreacting to some stuff, that's all."

"What stuff?" asked Nancy. "Liz, you're not pregnant, are you?"

Maria stifled a gasp, and tried not to let the grocery bags fall out of her arms. She pushed the door to the Parker's apartment open and dashed in and dropped the bags on the table. She grabbed her cell phone and called Michael.

"Get Mrs. Parker out of there, right now," she whispered, as soon as Michael answered. "I don't care how, but do it, now." She disconnected the call, and ran down the stairs, back to the employee lounge.

"All set, Mrs. Parker," she said, cheerfully. "Anything else you need done?"

"No, thank you Maria. Why don't you go help Agnes now."

"Um, excuse me, Mrs. Parker, but Sheriff Valenti would like to speak to you," said Michael.

"Fine, I'll be right there. Liz, you wait right here, okay?"

"Yes, Mom," sniffed Liz.

Nancy left the room, and Maria sat down next to Liz.

"Chica, you didn't tell her, did you?"

"Jesus, Maria, do I look stupid?" snapped Liz. "Of course I didn't tell her. I told her I was upset about Max and I breaking up, but going to the prom as friends. God, Maria, give me some credit for thinking on my feet."

Maria recoiled at the venom in her friend's voice.

"Liz, what is wrong with you? You're acting, well, your acting like Tess or something."

"Thanks Maria, that's just what I need to hear," said Liz. "Something is wrong, but I don't have a clue what it is."

"Look, I don't have a clue either, but your acting like Mary Poppins on Prozac or something. Why don't we head out to the granolith and try and contact Che'koth. Maybe you're just going through an alien mood swing or something?"

"Yeah, right, and what's Senor Hologram going to do, give me a holographic pill to heal it?" snapped Liz.

"Well, it beats the human slap on the face I want to give you," said Maria, finally losing her patience. "Look, if you decide you want to go, give me a call, otherwise, stay out of my face."

Maria turned and walked back into the café, and Liz ran upstairs. Neither one of them noticed Tess, watching them through the open window.