[b]Title: A Different Kind of Life[/b]
Rating: PG-13
Couple: M/L
Disclaimer: If I owned Roswell we'd still have a show to watch.
Summary: Response to [b]Ripley Rip Tide's[/b] challenge
Part 2
"Nancy, it's good to see you." Diane Evans entered the foyer of the Parker residence.
"You two, Max and Isabel come on in." Nancy shuffled the three inside.
"It's a pity the men had a meeting in Albuquerque." Diane commented her husband's absence.
"I know, Jeff said he'll try to fly home before this little get together is over." Nancy laughed. Both parents actually worked in Albuquerque but being the model parents, set up home a few hours away in Roswell, where the kids could grow up in a nice quaint little town.
"Max." Liz said relieved as they walked into the parlor.
"Hey, Liz." He pulled her to his side once she was in arms reach.
Diane and Nancy watched the two together happily.
Noticing, they pulled slightly away from each other.
"Let's eat, shall we?" Nancy ushered them into the dining room.
Liz sat next to Max. She looked at the food and then looked like she was ready to pass out.
"Are you ok?" Max whispered in her ear.
She nodded and rested her head on his shoulder for a minute. Then she leaned up to whisper in his ear. "I don't think I'm going to eat very much tonight. I can't stomach it." She said nervously.
"Are you feeling alright, Elizabeth dear?" Diane asked worriedly.
"Yes, Mrs. Evans." Liz sat up. "I've, not been feeling well the past few days."
Max rubbed her hand under the table until she flipped her hand over and linked her fingers through his.
"You wanna go lie down?" He asked her quietly.
"No." She shook her head.
"Alright." Max said and went back to eating his dinner.
Halfway though the dinner Jeff Parker and Phillip Evans arrived. Liz tensed at having to tell both parents at one time but later felt it was smarter than one set at a time.
****
The party retired to the parlor once more. Liz sat close to Max. If she had been any closer she would have been on his lap.
He massaged her lower back, relaxing her for a time he knew was not going to be relaxing.
Liz was looking paler by the minute.
"Elizabeth, sweetie, why don't you go upstairs and lay down?" Her mother said almost concerned.
"No." She shook her head and laid her head on Max's shoulder.
"Are you sure?" She asked.
"Yes. Max, can I speak with you for a moment?" She said standing up. Max was up on his feet in a second.
"Yes."
"What is it?" He asked once they were out of earshot of the parlor.
"We have to tell them fast." Liz said urgently. "I can't wait much longer, Max. It's making me nervous and I don't think that's good for the baby." She pushed her face into his chest.
"Alright." He stroked her hair. "Let's go back and tell them." He said and turned around and stopped when he saw Isabel.
"Tell them what?" Isabel folded her arms.
"Nothing, Isabel." He said annoyed.
"What, I'm not letting you go back in there without you telling me first." She planted herself firmly in front of them.
"I'm pregnant." Liz said just to get it over with. She buried herself in Max's chest.
"That's what I thought." Isabel shrugged. "You could have told me before."
"You knew?" Max said pulling Liz closer. If Isabel knew, how much did the parents know?
"Yes." She smiled. "Hey, I'm behind you all they guys." She hugged them both. "What are you going to do?" She asked casually.
"Get married." Max told her.
"Ok, when?" Isabel was going to be a total help.
"Isabel aren't you a little too excited?" He asked.
"Well, I'm going to be an aunt I am entitled to a little happiness aren't they."
"Let's tell the parents first? Then we'll see." Max was relieved that they had at least one ally.
Satisfied, they both turned to reenter the parlor.
****
The room was silent. Liz shifted closer to Max. The parents were stunned.
"Come again?" Jeff Parker broke the silence.
"I'm pregnant, Dad." She said with a little more confidence.
Silence. Dead Silence.
"Say something, Somebody?" She asked.
"What do you expect us to say? You go off, you date this guy for what six months, and now you're pregnant. What are the people at the country club going to think."
"Mother does the country club really matter?" Liz asked stunned.
"Elizabeth, you really have no idea what this means." Her father stood up and paced. He shot an angry glare at Max.
"What do you two plan to do?" Diane spoke finally.
"Get married." Max answered his mother.
"No." All four couples said at the same time.
"Why not?" Isabel said, speaking at last. "You four have wanted them married for years once you found out they were the right age." All parents turned their glare on her.
"Yes, we know, we're not stupid. So what if it's a little early?" Isabel shrugged.
"No, absolutely not." Nancy Parker spoke up. "You, will not have this baby, Elizabeth."
"What do you mean by that?" She asked as her hand flew down to cover her tummy.
"You will not have this baby, end of discussion." Nancy said firmly.
"Mother, if you're saying that-" Nancy cut her off.
"You know what I'm saying. I'll make an appointment with the doctor." She said easily as if it were a flu shot.
"No." Both Liz and Max answered.
Diane could tell her son was becoming angry with the discussion and she was not about to allow her grandchild to be terminated. "Well, there are other options for you two."
"Like what, Diane?" Nancy and Jeff asked.
"There's always adoption." She said calmly.
"No, do you know what this baby will do to Elizabeth's reputation. What it will do to Parker Inc. To Evans Firm?" Jeffrey Parker said getting angrier. "The whole country will think that my daughter's loose, or easy."
"Well maybe she is." Phillip Evans stated.
Jeff Parker stood up.
"And maybe she isn't." Phillip continued evenly. "No one but us will know. We can arrange a private adoption, no one will ever have to know." He said easily. "You never know what the possibilities are when a lawyer's child get pregnant."
"No." Liz said quietly. "I'm keeping this baby."
"We're keeping it." Max put his arm around her in support.
"Elizabeth, you can't. How are you supposed to go to college? How are you supposed to go on with your life?" Nancy Parker begged.
"No, I'm n-not giving u-up my b-baby, I c-can't." She said trying to hold in the sobs.
"You can and you will, Elizabeth." Nancy left the room too angry to speak anymore.
"Your mother's right." Jeff said. "It's going either way, Elizabeth, you pick." He too left the room.
Liz turned to Max who lifted her into her lap where she could successfully curl into him.
"I'm sorry." He whispered.
"Don't be." She said quietly, waiting for the wrath of the Evans.
"I think that it's your choice, kids, well, Max and Liz. Whichever you want to do. We're support you with adoption, but not marriage. You are too young. Give the baby up, there will be others." Diane said quietly.
"Others!" Max broke out. "Others, won't matter compared to this one. Each one is an individual. You of all people should know that, Mother."
"Don't speak to your mother that way." Phillip stood up and pulled Diane up with him. "Elizabeth, I'm sure you don't want to stay here tonight, you're welcome at our house." He said before leaving. Diane following quickly.
That's how their parents always left, no goodbyes, nothing.
"Come on, Liz. Come to our house." Isabel said. "You don't even have to change, you can borrow some of my pajamas for the night."
"Alright." She held on as Max stood up and cuddled her close in his arms.
"I love you, Max." She whispered against his neck. It was something she needed to say along time ago, but never found the courage. She felt it was the right time now.
Max just swallowed and acted as if he hadn't heard the comment.
[b]TBC
Hope that makes up for the shorter part![/b]
Part 2
"Nancy, it's good to see you." Diane Evans entered the foyer of the Parker residence.
"You two, Max and Isabel come on in." Nancy shuffled the three inside.
"It's a pity the men had a meeting in Albuquerque." Diane commented her husband's absence.
"I know, Jeff said he'll try to fly home before this little get together is over." Nancy laughed. Both parents actually worked in Albuquerque but being the model parents, set up home a few hours away in Roswell, where the kids could grow up in a nice quaint little town.
"Max." Liz said relieved as they walked into the parlor.
"Hey, Liz." He pulled her to his side once she was in arms reach.
Diane and Nancy watched the two together happily.
Noticing, they pulled slightly away from each other.
"Let's eat, shall we?" Nancy ushered them into the dining room.
Liz sat next to Max. She looked at the food and then looked like she was ready to pass out.
"Are you ok?" Max whispered in her ear.
She nodded and rested her head on his shoulder for a minute. Then she leaned up to whisper in his ear. "I don't think I'm going to eat very much tonight. I can't stomach it." She said nervously.
"Are you feeling alright, Elizabeth dear?" Diane asked worriedly.
"Yes, Mrs. Evans." Liz sat up. "I've, not been feeling well the past few days."
Max rubbed her hand under the table until she flipped her hand over and linked her fingers through his.
"You wanna go lie down?" He asked her quietly.
"No." She shook her head.
"Alright." Max said and went back to eating his dinner.
Halfway though the dinner Jeff Parker and Phillip Evans arrived. Liz tensed at having to tell both parents at one time but later felt it was smarter than one set at a time.
****
The party retired to the parlor once more. Liz sat close to Max. If she had been any closer she would have been on his lap.
He massaged her lower back, relaxing her for a time he knew was not going to be relaxing.
Liz was looking paler by the minute.
"Elizabeth, sweetie, why don't you go upstairs and lay down?" Her mother said almost concerned.
"No." She shook her head and laid her head on Max's shoulder.
"Are you sure?" She asked.
"Yes. Max, can I speak with you for a moment?" She said standing up. Max was up on his feet in a second.
"Yes."
"What is it?" He asked once they were out of earshot of the parlor.
"We have to tell them fast." Liz said urgently. "I can't wait much longer, Max. It's making me nervous and I don't think that's good for the baby." She pushed her face into his chest.
"Alright." He stroked her hair. "Let's go back and tell them." He said and turned around and stopped when he saw Isabel.
"Tell them what?" Isabel folded her arms.
"Nothing, Isabel." He said annoyed.
"What, I'm not letting you go back in there without you telling me first." She planted herself firmly in front of them.
"I'm pregnant." Liz said just to get it over with. She buried herself in Max's chest.
"That's what I thought." Isabel shrugged. "You could have told me before."
"You knew?" Max said pulling Liz closer. If Isabel knew, how much did the parents know?
"Yes." She smiled. "Hey, I'm behind you all they guys." She hugged them both. "What are you going to do?" She asked casually.
"Get married." Max told her.
"Ok, when?" Isabel was going to be a total help.
"Isabel aren't you a little too excited?" He asked.
"Well, I'm going to be an aunt I am entitled to a little happiness aren't they."
"Let's tell the parents first? Then we'll see." Max was relieved that they had at least one ally.
Satisfied, they both turned to reenter the parlor.
****
The room was silent. Liz shifted closer to Max. The parents were stunned.
"Come again?" Jeff Parker broke the silence.
"I'm pregnant, Dad." She said with a little more confidence.
Silence. Dead Silence.
"Say something, Somebody?" She asked.
"What do you expect us to say? You go off, you date this guy for what six months, and now you're pregnant. What are the people at the country club going to think."
"Mother does the country club really matter?" Liz asked stunned.
"Elizabeth, you really have no idea what this means." Her father stood up and paced. He shot an angry glare at Max.
"What do you two plan to do?" Diane spoke finally.
"Get married." Max answered his mother.
"No." All four couples said at the same time.
"Why not?" Isabel said, speaking at last. "You four have wanted them married for years once you found out they were the right age." All parents turned their glare on her.
"Yes, we know, we're not stupid. So what if it's a little early?" Isabel shrugged.
"No, absolutely not." Nancy Parker spoke up. "You, will not have this baby, Elizabeth."
"What do you mean by that?" She asked as her hand flew down to cover her tummy.
"You will not have this baby, end of discussion." Nancy said firmly.
"Mother, if you're saying that-" Nancy cut her off.
"You know what I'm saying. I'll make an appointment with the doctor." She said easily as if it were a flu shot.
"No." Both Liz and Max answered.
Diane could tell her son was becoming angry with the discussion and she was not about to allow her grandchild to be terminated. "Well, there are other options for you two."
"Like what, Diane?" Nancy and Jeff asked.
"There's always adoption." She said calmly.
"No, do you know what this baby will do to Elizabeth's reputation. What it will do to Parker Inc. To Evans Firm?" Jeffrey Parker said getting angrier. "The whole country will think that my daughter's loose, or easy."
"Well maybe she is." Phillip Evans stated.
Jeff Parker stood up.
"And maybe she isn't." Phillip continued evenly. "No one but us will know. We can arrange a private adoption, no one will ever have to know." He said easily. "You never know what the possibilities are when a lawyer's child get pregnant."
"No." Liz said quietly. "I'm keeping this baby."
"We're keeping it." Max put his arm around her in support.
"Elizabeth, you can't. How are you supposed to go to college? How are you supposed to go on with your life?" Nancy Parker begged.
"No, I'm n-not giving u-up my b-baby, I c-can't." She said trying to hold in the sobs.
"You can and you will, Elizabeth." Nancy left the room too angry to speak anymore.
"Your mother's right." Jeff said. "It's going either way, Elizabeth, you pick." He too left the room.
Liz turned to Max who lifted her into her lap where she could successfully curl into him.
"I'm sorry." He whispered.
"Don't be." She said quietly, waiting for the wrath of the Evans.
"I think that it's your choice, kids, well, Max and Liz. Whichever you want to do. We're support you with adoption, but not marriage. You are too young. Give the baby up, there will be others." Diane said quietly.
"Others!" Max broke out. "Others, won't matter compared to this one. Each one is an individual. You of all people should know that, Mother."
"Don't speak to your mother that way." Phillip stood up and pulled Diane up with him. "Elizabeth, I'm sure you don't want to stay here tonight, you're welcome at our house." He said before leaving. Diane following quickly.
That's how their parents always left, no goodbyes, nothing.
"Come on, Liz. Come to our house." Isabel said. "You don't even have to change, you can borrow some of my pajamas for the night."
"Alright." She held on as Max stood up and cuddled her close in his arms.
"I love you, Max." She whispered against his neck. It was something she needed to say along time ago, but never found the courage. She felt it was the right time now.
Max just swallowed and acted as if he hadn't heard the comment.
[b]TBC
Hope that makes up for the shorter part![/b]