Disclaimer: I own nothing – it all belongs to Jason Katims, Melinda Metz, WB, and UPN. They are not mine and no infringement is intended.

READ AT YOUR OWN RISK: This story was initially only Part 1. If you are completely satisfied with Part 1 then I would suggest not reading the rest of the story (it might just lessen the story for you). If you still have questions though – read. Just read at your own risk. Part 3 (the final part) will be up before Christmas.

Part 2

Christmas Day

Confused by what she said but elated that she was again alive; Max pulled her up into his arms, hugging her fiercely.

The warmth she felt from his body was intoxicating but she stopped herself from getting lost in the moment. She had too – she wanted to feel this way more than anything but they had to talk first, he had to understand what he meant to her. She had to know what she meant to him. "Wait, Max." She said as she pushed herself away from him.

Max face hardened with her reaction. He didn't have illusions about her professing her undying love and coming back to him but he had thought she would at least still care.

There was so much she needed to tell him but as she looked at his face her brain turned to mush. Instead of saying what was in her heart, she just asked, "How . . . how did you find me?"

Max wanted to tell her the truth. Tell her that at least on his part, their bond had never been severed, but after her reaction he stopped himself. He didn't want to be hurt again. "It's my job. I'm a paramedic with search and rescue. We were flying over and saw something shining from this area. We came down to investigate and here you were."

Noticing how cold he was now, Liz bit her lip but tried to push on. "Max, I want to . . . "She couldn't do it – not now – not with him looking at her so devoid of all emotion.

He didn't want to do this. He didn't want to be thanked, knowing that she would just leave again. He didn't let her continue, he made it easy for her. "Look Liz, I have to get back to work. We're going to take you to a shelter in Amarillo where you can stay until you can find someone to pick you up or until your car can be moved."

Sadly Liz nodded her head. "Can I get a few things?"

"Yeah – sure, but hurry." He answered, then turning from her, he walked back toward the helicopter.

Liz felt the tears behind her eyes but she forced them to stay put. She grabbed a small bag and shoved some of her clothes into it, then found her purse and phone, locked the door and made her way over to the helicopter.

Already in the front of the vehicle, Max didn't acknowledge her approach; instead Terry took her bags, put them on the helicopter and then offered his hand to help her up.

As the helicopter took off, she began to cry silent tears. Her Grandmother had been wrong. She wouldn't get another chance this Christmas, not with Max. She was too late. She dried her eyes before they set down. Terry jumped out to help her while Max sat in front talking to someone on his headset. Liz thanked Terry while she took his bags from him.

"Just go in that door right there!" Terry yelled over the noise of the engine. "There should be someone right inside that will help you get settled!"

Liz forced herself to smile. "Thanks again!"

Terry grinned. "That's what we're here for, ma'am!"

Liz nodded, looking over Terry's shoulder at Max, willing him to look at her, but he didn't."

"We'll gotta go!" Terry yelled as he headed for his side of the helicopter. Liz lifted her head and walked into the shelter's door.

Terry pulled on his headset. "Would you like to tell me what the hell that was about, Max?"

Max shrugged. "Nothing. She's just an old girlfriend."

"I don't think that was nothing. I saw the way you looked when you saw her asleep in that car. You were scared shitless she was dead." Terry teased.

Max turned away from Terry, looking out his window. "Maybe I was but she's fine. It's done."

"Max, I know I'm not as in tune with the fairer sex as you but I saw the way she looked at you, it is not done. At least if you don't want it to be and judging from you reaction, I don't think you want it to be."

"It was over a long time ago. Her reaction was just gratitude. Nothing else."

Realizing the truth, Terry let out a smirk. "Holy shit! She broke up with you! Didn't she?" He shook his head. "I've seen you break so many hearts in the past that I've never entertained the thought that someone had actually broken yours."

"I really DON'T want to talk about it Terry." Max said, showing his annoyance at his friend. "Don't we have lives to save?"

Terry kept his mouth shut while the helicopter lifted from the ground then started again. "How the hell did you get the car door open? It was frozen solid before I went to get the crowbar."

"I guess we must have loosened it the first time we tried." Max answered nonchalantly.

Terry shrugged unconvinced. "Guess so."

Max wanted to put an end to this conversation. "Look – on the right – is that someone stranded?"

An hour later, Liz had cleaned up and now sat in the corner of the large room, on one of the blankets she had been given. She sighed. With a full class load at Harvard and a thirty hour a week job she was not use to being idle. And that was what she was, idle, giving her more time than she needed to dwell on what she said and what she should have said to Max.

After, what seemed like hours of berating herself unmercifully, Liz had enough. She got up, and walked over to the woman who sat beside the front entrance. "Hi." She started.

Smiling sweetly, the woman looked up from her duties. "Hi, Ms. Parker, is there anything I can help you with?"

Liz shook her head. "No! No, not at all. You all have been so kind. Actually I was wondering if I could help you in someway. I'm really not the type of person that can sit still for very long."

The woman smiled. "That is so nice of you. Actually there is something you can do. Since today is Christmas we are trying to get together a Christmas dinner for all of you all. If you wouldn't mind helping out in the kitchen."

Liz shook her head. "No, not at all. I have to warn you though – I'm not much of a cook."

The woman laughed. "It's ok – I'm sure they can find something for you, Ms. Parker."

"Please call me Liz."

The woman ginned again. "I'm Sherry. Now let's go get you started Liz."

Happy to find something to do, something that might keep her mind off Max Liz followed Sherry to the kitchen.

December 28th

Liz helped clean up the breakfast dishes before walking around the large room, helping others prepare to leave. The roads had finally been cleared and the people running the shelter hoped to have everyone packed up and out by noon. As she helped a young mother with two small children pack, Shelly came over to her. "Liz, you have a visitor in the front."

Liz's heart jumped. She had been hoping and praying for Max to come back; there was so much she wanted to say to him. She handed Shelly the baby she held in her arms, ran her hand over her hair and, smiling, she headed toward the front entrance.

It wasn't Max but Terry. Her smile disappeared for an instant when she saw him, but she forced it back.

Terry noticed her change in demeanor but said nothing. "Hi there, Liz? Right?"

Liz nodded. "Hi." She said as happily as she could.

"The roads are cleared and I heard the shelter was closing. I thought I would come by and see if you needed a lift to your car. Also, thought you would need some help digging it out."

Liz smiled appreciatively. "Thank you. It will just take a few minutes for me to get my things."

"Take all the time you need." Terry answered. "I'm sure these slave drivers around here will be able to find something for me to do while I wait."

Shelly was passing by as he said it. "Damn straight!" She answered.

"Oh Shelly, my love, when are you going to leave that old man of yours and run away with me?" Terry teased.

Shelly giggled. "As soon as you make enough money to afford me. Now stop your foolishness and help me pick up blankets."

Terry saluted the older woman then followed behind her, teasing her unmercifully.

Max walked back through the hospital doors, tired but happy with a job well done. The city had survived the terrible storm and no one had lost their life.

No one, he thought, except for Liz. He said a silent prayer of thanks that he had found her in time. It tore him up when she rejected him but he knew that her death would have been more than he could bear.

Pushing the unthinkable from his mind, he jumped into his car and headed toward his apartment. He had so much to do, to catch up on. First and foremost being sleep. He would have to call his parents and let them know he was ok. They had understood when he had canceled his plans to come home for Christmas but they were still disappointed.

Liz entered his thoughts again as he thought about home. She must have been going home for Christmas. That thought surprised him. He had been gone less than a year and in all the time he had stayed she never came back for anything, especially not him.

Terry had left earlier after asking Max if Max would pick up Liz and take her to her car. When Max had said, no Terry had told Max that he would. Now that idea didn't seem right to Max. He turned his car around and headed toward the shelter.

"Where's Max?" Liz asked.

Terry opened the passenger side door of his truck. "He's at the hospital."

Liz looked at Terry with questions in her eyes as he climbed into the truck.

"He's fine. He just wanted to check on some of the people we brought in."

Liz nodded her understanding and then against her better judgment she asked. "He didn't want to see me?"

Terry smiled sympathetically at Liz but didn't answer. He didn't like to get involved in other people's romances and honestly he didn't know what to say anyway. He knew Max wanted to see her, hell, he knew Max loved her but it was up to Max to tell her that. Terry didn't know enough about Liz to know what was in her heart and if Max was scared to tell a woman how he felt then there must be a reason. So he never answered her question, instead he sat in silence until they got up to her car.

A half hour later with Terry's help, Liz's car was completely cleared from the snow drift, running, with enough gas to make it to the next station. She didn't want to go, she didn't want to leave without seeing Max but Terry wasn't offering any information and she had promised her mother she would get to Roswell as soon as she could. "Well, guess I should be going." She said trying to keep the sadness from her voice. "Thank you."

"No need to thank me ma'am – that's what I'm here for."

Liz smiled, then pulled out a piece of paper from her purse. She wrote down her address and phone number. "If you're ever in Cambridge, give me a call."

Terry grinned. "Will do. Now off with ya. There might be another storm brewing and I don't want to have to rescue you again."

Liz gave him another quick hug, jumped into her car and headed home.