Disclaimer: Roswell, and its characters do not belong to me. Melinda Metz, Jason Katims and 20th Century Fox have that particular pleasure. I'm simply borrowing them until the Season 2 DVD's get released.
Chapter Fifty – Nine – Mourning
"Chica," said Maria. "We just decided you were one of the good guys not thirty minutes ago. Are you telling me we made a mistake?"
"Maria!" Liz shouted. "Please tell me you're kidding."
"I think I should be saying that to you," said Maria. "Why would you want to kill us?"
"I think she means she finalized the tracking system," said Alex. "Am I right?"
"Yes, and no," said Liz. "I finally realized that it's not the weapon that needs the tracking system, it's the bullet or whatever it fires. I figured out a way to make a sensor that can track our DNA."
"That's excellent, Liz. Way to go!" shouted Alex, excitedly.
"Excuse me for not understanding," said Kyle. "But I guess I'm not quite following why we should be excited because it's now easier to track and kill us."
"Remedial science strikes again," laughed Alex, not unkindly. "If Liz can code the sensors to track our DNA, she can also code it to block our DNA," he explained.
"I always knew there was a reason why you were my best friend," said Maria, reaching out to hug Liz. "Aren't you just the smart one!"
"Well, I do have news that falls into the happy, happy category too," said Liz, smiling shyly. I managed to get Varonia off our backs as well. She followed me to the lab, and I got in her face about it."
"You got in somebody's face?" asked Michael. "I'm having trouble with this concept for some reason.
"Hey, I went all Buffy on her!" said Liz.
"Right," laughed Michael.
"I'm not quite sure what going all Buffy means," said Che'koth, "But she did have the girl pinned against the wall."
"How did you know?" she asked Che'koth.
"Plash Nevenia told me," he laughed. "I saw her this afternoon, and she was very impressed with the way you handled the situation."
"Way to go, Liz," said Kyle.
"Are you okay?" Max asked softly. He was still shaken by the way Liz charged in and stunned their intruder. Finding out that she had virtually attacked Varonia had really freaked him out. She was acting like some Amazon princess or something.
"I'm fine, Max," Liz answered. "Anyhow, the director showed up, and I turned the tables on her, and said, maybe she was a spy or something, and was trying to hide by throwing suspicion on me. The director fell for it and was going to bring her to her father to discuss the situation."
"It was a masterful way to handle the situation, Liz," said Che'koth. "I think if the director hadn't approached, she still would have backed down. She needed to learn the hard way that she couldn't intimidate you."
"So, what's next?" asked Alex. "When do we put the big plan into action?"
"I need a little more time to modify the sensors so that they don't track our DNA," said Liz. "Alex, maybe I can get you assigned to help me since you created the weapon."
"Sounds like fun," said Alex. "I always wanted to get you alone in a lab, Parker."
"That's Parker-Evans, thank you very much," said Max, with a forced grin. He was worried. Liz had gone from being totally depressed and withdrawn into her self, to throwing herself completely into this project. He wasn't sure if it was healthy or not.
"Hey Liz," Isabel called. "That sensor you're programming. Can you program it to go after Kivar?"
"Sure," said Liz. "If we had a sample of his DNA. It wouldn't be hard at all."
"You can get it from hair, can't you?" asked Isabel. "Not just from blood samples."
"Yeah, why? You planning on going back and giving him a hair cut?"
"I already did," said Isabel. She reached into her pouch and withdrew a small container with the strands of hair she removed from Kivar earlier in the day. "I guess I had the idea in the back of my mind without ever realizing it," she continued. "So when the opportunity presented itself, I just couldn't resist."
"Well whatever motivated you, Isabel, who cares," said Alex. "That was a phenomenal idea!"
While the rest of the group celebrated, Maria watched Max and Liz. Neither one of them seemed truly happy lately. Maria reached over and tapped Liz's.
"Got a second, Chica?" she asked.
"Sure, what's up?"
"Not here, lets go into the tunnel. I need to talk to you, and I don't want anybody to overhear."
The two girls slipped unnoticed into the tunnel and moved away from the small room.
"What's the matter, Maria?" Liz asked, her voice filled with concern.
"No, I'm afraid you have it all wrong. That's my line. What's wrong with you?"
"Nothing," said Liz automatically. "Everything's great."
"Right, try telling it to somebody who doesn't know you. Maybe they'll believe you, but I don't. Now spill."
Liz leaned against the dirt wall, and slid down against it until she came to the floor. She pulled her knees up to her chin, and wrapped her arms around her legs, and sighed.
"I don't know. I guess I really hate the thought of creating anything that could be used to hurt people. I've always wanted to be a scientist, but I never dreamed I'd make a weapon. Me, Liz Parker! I go out of my way not to step on bugs, for crying out loud. Today, I threatened a girl, and created a weapon that is supposed to kill all of us."
"Liz this whole thing is changing all of us," said Maria. "Okay, so you got violent today. That doesn't mean you're going turn around and start throwing everybody you meet up against walls, or anything."
"But it's just weird, you know. It's so not like me."
"So, it's not like me to do well in any type of school, and I'm doing it here just to piss off that wench Jara Kobodi," said Maria. "And as far as that stupid weapon thing goes, it was going to get made no matter what. At least with you involved, we know it's not going to kill us. Now, how about telling Auntie Maria what's really wrong. Max is worried about you."
"Why? Did he say something to you?" asked Liz.
"He didn't have to. He's got a permanent worried frown thing going on every time he looks at you. If he doesn't watch out, he's going to get wrinkles."
Liz laughed despite the sadness she was feeling. "I don't think that's a primary concern for him, Maria."
"Well, you are a primary concern," said Maria. "He's worried about you."
"If Max is worried, Max needs to talk to me about it himself," said Liz. "That was part of our problem this past year. He wouldn't talk to me about anything important. He just tried to pretend that nothing was wrong."
"Well, I'm not pretending now," Max's voice came from the darkness. "We need to talk."
"That's my cue to book," said Maria. She hugged her friend and walked through the darkness to the small room where the others sat.
"Talk to me, Liz. Tell me what's wrong. And don't give me that crap about the tracking system and you shoving that girl against the wall. It's more than that. Let's talk about it, please?"
"You listened to us," Liz accused.
"You're right, I did," said Max. "I didn't start out trying to eavesdrop, but when I heard what you were saying, I decided it was better for me to wait. Liz, I don't want to go back to how we were a year ago. You were so quiet and withdrawn, and I didn't do anything to help you with that. I know I didn't. I just kept trying to pretend that everything was all better. It was easier than grieving over our child."
Max sat down on the hard ground next to Liz and took her hand and held it against his chest.
"You're in here, Liz. You, and our baby are locked in my heart. Part of me died when our baby died. Don't destroy more of my heart by pulling away from me again."
"I'm not trying to Max," Liz whispered. "I – I just need to focus on something right now, because if I don't, I start thinking about – about our baby. Oh Max, our baby is dead," she cried.
Max wrapped his arms around her, and she sobbed brokenly into his chest. He held her tightly as her body shook in his arms, heaving as she tried to breath.
"Liz," Max began, stopping when he felt the hot tears coursing down his cheeks. Giving in to the pain he had suppressed, Max cried along with Liz, grieving for the child they had loved, but never gotten to know.