Alright…….sadly the votes are in and I hate to do this but everyone wants Michael and Maria. I am probably going to do another story where Maria and Rath get together so don't worry for all you Maria/ Rath fans!

Graduation Part II

Maria woke to find Rath gone. There was a note lying next to her and she read it out loud.

"Dear Maria, I hate to do this to you but we just weren't meant to be together. Michael loves you way more than I do and I know you were going to choose him because all you did last night was say his name while you slept. Maybe I'll see ya around. Peace, Rath." Maria let the note fall from her hands and then she stood.

"'Ria, you okay?" Liz had somehow climbed the tree and made it to Maria's window. Liz came in as Maria began to cry a little.

"Yeah, where's Michael? I need to talk to him." Maria said after a little bit of crying and letting Liz read the note.

"He's outside, where's he's been all night. He's been sleeping on your porch waiting for you." Liz explained and then Maria stood and made her way outside and to the porch where Michael sat with his head in his hands.

"Michael." Maria simply said his name and Michael was immediately holding Maria in his arms. He had seen Rath leave the night before and talked to him.

Flashback

Rath finished writing the note and laid it beside Maria, then he kissed her forehead softly and went quietly down the stairs and out the door where he found Michael sitting. Michael looked at him and he just smirked.

"Listen, Michael let's not start arguing or anything, for Maria's sake. She will choose you, man. So just let me leave." Rath looked at Michael with an emotion he thought he never had, sympathy.

"Thanks, Rath." Michael stood and shook Rath's hand.

"No problem, man. Next time I won't try and kidnap you, okay. Just ask you to come with us." Rath and Michael laughed and then Rath saw Lonnie pull up.

"Well, looks like your ride is here. Take care of yourself Rath." Michael said and hugged his look-a-like and then let him leave. As Rath was about to get in the car, he turned and looked at Michael.

"Take care of her Michael, she needs someone who loves her like you do, but she also wants to be able to trust you. Be good to her man." Rath said and Michael nodded at him. Rath got in the car and soon all Michael could see was the streetlights and houses. Michael laid down on the swinging bench and soon fell asleep with some difficulty.

End Flashback

"Michael, I'm so sorry. I must have worried you." Maria tried to explain but Michael shushed her.

"No need to apologize, 'Ria. I already know that you would never leave me. Remember that I never left you." Michael whispered in her ear and then kissed her forehead.

Later That evening

Max and Liz were together out on Liz's balcony. She lit candles, and he unfolded and laid out a colorful red patterned sheet on the floor.

"Liz, I've been thinking about what happened before...You saved Maria's life." Max said looking at her with a smile.

"I know..." Liz said and then smiled back at him.

"I have a weird feeling about it is all." Max said and then as Liz moved close to him, he moved away from her. He walked over to the cooker and didn't look at her.

"Max, what's wrong?" Liz asks him and then he looked at her.

"I...I've just been feeling like I have no path... you know? Nowhere to go. ...Maybe... maybe that's why I've been put here... to help people. ...Maybe that's what I should do with my life after I leave Roswell." Max looked away again and up at the stars that were blanketing the sky.

"Like... Tom Joad in Grapes of Wrath... doing good deeds and avoiding the law." Liz asked and he smiled, turning to look at her.

"The thing is... I can't do that without you." Max said and Liz exchanged a questioning look with Max. Liz then took a few steps closer to Max.

"...I would do anything... if it means being with you..." Liz said looking at him and seeing his eyes soften even more than usual. Max smiled at her then after a moment, he turned back to take the lid off the cooker.

"...A trick I learned from Superman. Let's see if it really works." Max said and then Liz smiled half way and watched him with curiosity. Max picked a charcoal briquette out of the cooker and enclosed it in his hand. With great effort he squeezed it, and bright white energy began to emanate from his fist. After a moment, he wiped the object in his hand on the bottom of his shirt.

Max slowly turned back to face Liz, and then walked over to her. Holding her gaze, he got down on one knee, and held out the diamond he had just made.

"Oh my g..." Liz began but Max cut her off.

"Liz... they're taking our home from us. ...They want to kill us... and... they might. ...But when I look in your eyes, I... I don't feel angry... or... deprived. ...I feel like the luckiest half-human on the planet. You're pure... you're... you're true... and... you're real. And right now that seems like the only thing that's important. ...I want to be with you Liz... forever." Max saw Liz smile and she saw his eyes light up. He placed the diamond in Liz's palm and closed her hand around it.

"...Liz Parker... will you marry me?" Max asked and while still holding his gaze, Liz slowly knelt down in front of Max and smiled at him.

"...Yes." Liz said to him and Max smiled. He half laughs with joy and relief, then he somberly pulled Liz towards him and gave her brief, soft kiss. He pulled back for a moment.

"...After... graduation." Max said to her and she smiled at him.

"...okay..." Liz thought on this. There wasn't really anyone going to kill them. No one had seen them. They shared a long, tender kiss.

That evening of the next day

In the auditorium at West Roswell High, the graduating class of 2002 sat in their bright red robes, smiled, laughed, and applauded as a couple of graduating seniors left the dais.

Liz, Max, Maria, Michael, and Kyle sat in various places, each in their robes. Max looked a couple rows back, smiling at Liz, and she lowered her eyes. Kyle sees their brief exchange, and his brow knitted for an instant. Further back, Isabel and Jesse sat with her parents, just in front of where Liz's dad, Jeff Parker, was sitting. Jeff Parker gave a quick whistle as he clapped. Everyone was excited, laughing and smiling, all cheerfully suffering through the long ceremony. As the cheering died down, the MC spoke.

"Congratulations... Congratulations... And as we continue to honor our senior class, we'd like to give them a few of our own words of wisdom... before we send them out into the world as High School graduates. So now, it's my pleasure to introduce our special guest for this evening. A three-time Hugo Award winner for excellence in science fiction, and an international best-selling author... Bryce McCain!" He said and then everyone applauded and cheered as the author walked out on stage. Maria had rolled her eyes at one statement.

Max, Liz, Maria, Isabel, Jesse, Michael, and Kyle stared at the man, stunned as the man's identity sunk in. They exchanged desperate, frightened looks with each other. Bryce McCain began to speak. They continued to look to each other as he talked, not knowing what to do.

"Much of my work is about the possibility of alien life. Of course... that's fiction. But the truth is... that we're all aliens, really, in our own way... especially in high school..." McCain began and made everyone began to settle in their seats. "When I sat down to write this speech... I was struck by the similarities... between what I do... and the situation that you find yourself in now."

"...believe in what could be. About having faith... okay, that life and the universe holds more than what we perceive. As you contemplate..." McCain continued on as Max looked painfully back towards Liz, and she returned his look with a brave smile. Soon McCain finished and Max is called up to speak as he was surprisingly the Valedictorian. Max looked up into the darkness. Max stepped up to the podium and began to speak to the crowd. Liz, Kyle, Michael, and Maria watched him with intent.

"Hi, I'm Max Evans. I'd like to take this opportunity to, ah... to say a few things on behalf of myself... and the graduating class...some of us are here tonight to walk across this stage, get our hard-earned diplomas and toss our caps in the air. They are here to say goodbye to their high school lives...goodbye to their family... and friends... and it's been a long... hard road for all of us. We have a lot of... wounds...we've all lost people... people that were close to us. We've had each other to cling to...but tonight, that's all coming to an end...and now we must let fate take care of the rest of our future. So... thank you, Roswell... thank you for... for letting us prosper and grow among you all. Now we must go on and make something more of our lives and grow stronger in this world. So while some say goodbye to Roswell and open the door to a new life, others stay and settle down here in Roswell and have children that will someday go to the same schools we went to and go through the same halls that we have all walked down. So I say goodbye to those who are leaving and good luck to everyone here." Max soon smiled and stepped down. This was it. The MC said the final words and everyone threw their spas into the air and Liz and Max ran to each other, hugging tightly. Michael ran to Maria and joined her next to Max and Liz. Maria looked at Liz's hand and shrieked.

"He asked you and never told me? Bad girl!" Maria joked with her and then turned back to Michael. Liz's mom was nowhere in sight, so when her dad came running over she looked surprised.

"Dad, I thought you were gone." Liz said as she hugged her father.

"No, your mother left town early this morning. Wait, what's this?" Jeff asked as he looked at Liz's hand and then smiled at Max.

"Take care of my little girl, Max." Max nodded at him and then Liz hugged him.

"I'll take care of the arrangements." Jeff said and turned to leave the group to talk amongst them selves. Kyle came up and Liz hugged him.

"Congratulations, Liz. Take good care of my old girlfriend or I'll have to snap your neck." Kyle joked with Max and at this Kyle and Max hugged. Soon Sheriff Valenti joined them and looked at his son.

"You've made me so proud son." Sheriff Valenti then hugged his son and smiled at the others.

"Have fun and congratulations to the rest of you." Sheriff Valenti then left the group alone once more. Isabel, Jesse, and Mr. and Mrs. Evans came over next.

"LIZ! Is that what I think it is!" Isabel screamed as she saw the ring on Liz's finger.

"Yeah, my dad says he is going to take care of the arrangements." Liz said and then Isabel and Max's mother stepped in between Liz and Isabel and smiled at Max and then at Liz.

"Well, let's go find him, Isabel so we can talk about these arrangements." Isabel and Mrs. Evans left with Jesse and Mr. Evans tagging along behind the two women. Now the group was finally alone and they looked at each other.

"Well, let's go to the Crashdown to get something to eat and then how about we drive to the pod site." Michael suggested with his arm around Maria's waist and the group nodded at him.

But as they got in the car to leave, something strange hit Liz, and it was a vision of something that was going to prevent Max and her form getting married right away.

Alright so that's it….I hope ya'll liked it and now time for my thanks! Here they are:

Purple- To answer your question, that wasn't Michael who really healed Liz, it was Rath. Read back and you'll see. He was just acting like he was Michael. Thanks for your review!

Grace- Wow lots of questions………..the dupes didn't kidnap Isabel, Max, and Michael. They just kidnapped Michael. Also Maria is comfortable with him because he treats her like Michael usually does. It's weird I know! Thanks for your review by the way on both of my stories!

Hayley- yeah, maybe you could help me write one! I have the transcripts if you want to then email me please! Oh and I hate Courtney too!

RiaRath101-I promise I will try and do a Maria/Rath one for ya...it gets hard though! I love this pairing better too but I had to go with the majority! Thanks for your review and I hope you still review this story!

SlayerStarr- Thanks for your reviews! I love you! You are so awesome……….keep reviewing!

Alright so there are my thanks and I hope ya'll like this chapter! I know it's not as long but I try! I hope you all will keep reviewing! Thanks!

Much luv,

Animus Patronus