Chapter 3 of 5

Having just arrived at the party Liz separates from her mingling parents to mosey on over to the food table, she skipped lunch that day and she is starving. She grabs a plate and fills it with cheeses and fruit along for a couple of crackers. She lifts a toothpick-speared cube of watermelon; Liz puts the whole thing in her mouth. The sweet flavor hits her tongue and she almost moans at how delicious the fruit is, watermelon has always been her favorite food.

"Excuse me?" A silky even toned voice questions behind her. Still chewing Liz places a hand over mouth and turns, standing right in front of her is a gorgeous specimen, in looks alone he is the complete opposite of Max, a quality that makes him ten time more attractive.

Liz swallows the piece of fruit and smiles shyly. "I'm sorry am I in your way." Oh, she hopes there's nothing stuck in her teeth, which would be beyond embarrassing. No way could he be there to talk to her.

Lex is astounded, Elizabeth doesn't seem to recognize him, or if she does she doesn't seem to care who he is. That's never happened to him before, women always know who he is it's both the benefit and consequence of being a Luthor. "Umm, no not at all. I just saw you over here all alone and came to flirt shamelessly with you." He grins a boyish smile. "Would you care to dance with me?"

A blush creeps out onto her face, she hates that she blushes so easily. "As tempting an offer as that might be I normally don't say yes to a man whose name I don't even know." She wants to bite her lower lip but she forces herself to stop, she won't ruin her lipstick.

"How silly of me, I was just so captivated by your remarkable beauty that introducing myself slipped my mind." Part of him didn't want to reveal his name to Elizabeth because she might say 'no' to him but another part of him wanted her to know exactly who he is so he could know her true feelings of at least what her reaction will be. "I'm Lex Luthor." He takes her hand and kisses the bare skin.

Holy shit, this is Lex Luthor, I've just been flirting with the man who has offered my parents a couple million dollars to expand their restaurant chain. Why do I suddenly feel like a gift with purchase? "Mr. Luthor I'm pleased to meet you." That right just stay calm, don't reveal anything, Michael thinks he has the stonewall down but she can do it just as well if not better.

"And your name would be...?" Lex prompts.

"Oh, umm, Elizabeth Parker but feel free to call me Liz." Lex still has yet to let go of her hand and to tell the truth she's not entirely sure she wants him to let go. The electricity flowing through her veins charges every cell in her body till they are jumping around inside her.

"I think I like Elizabeth better, it's classier, more seductive." Lex whispers leaning in close as if to kiss her, but Liz breathes in deep and back's away, not completely but enough to put a small amount of space between them.

"I-I wanted to thank you for the upgraded room and for the flowers. They are lovely but I really would have been fine in the room my parents set up for me." Trying to sound both gracious but also let Lex know it wasn't necessary to upgrade her accommodations for the week.

Lex shakes his head slowly, "Think nothing of it, besides I couldn't very well have my date staying in a room that the rats wouldn't sleep in." Although the room her parents picked out wasn't that bad, it wasn't up to his standards for living. Watching Elizabeth he wonders if he went too far with the 'date' comment, a shocked expression tells him he might have.

"Your date?" Instead of getting upset over his presumption she can't help but be flattered that he would want her for a date...all right maybe she was a little upset, especially with the rat comment, but not enough to blow up at him.

"If you'd do me the honor of course." Lex quickly back tracks wanting her to know that she could say 'no' and him not getting upset. He wouldn't be happy naturally but it wouldn't be the end of the world, but damn he hoped she said yes. Liz takes so long that Lex begins to lose that hope until she smiled up at him almost knocking the wind out of him with how it lights up the room.

"I'd love to be your date." She can hardly believe she's agreeing to this. Hell, she can hardly believe Lex Luthor wants to be her date. Wait till Maria hears about this, the minute that thought formed she lost her smile. Maria wouldn't know about this because they weren't speaking anymore, but Maria's been such a part of her life Liz automatically thinks to tell her everything.

Lex notices her frown, "Are you all right?" He rests his hands on her shoulders making sure she's looking at him. "You don't have to be my date you know. You can say no Liz." He says the name he assumes she's most comfortable with giving her the opportunity to back out.

"Oh, no, no. I'm sorry this has just been a real...hectic month. I thought about a friend of mine and well we're not exactly on speaking terms anymore." Shyly Liz meets his gaze, hoping, praying that her eyes don't reveal anything. Thankfully whatever he was going to say he kept it to himself, there must have been something in her eyes.

"Dance with me?" He asks instead, oh he wants to question her about why her friend and her aren't on speaking terms. But the question he really wanted to question her on was how it felt to be brought back from the dead. Although the story could be a complete hoax, it could be 100 accurate.

"Love to." Liz clasps onto his hand a little tighter as he leads her to the dance floor.

Lionel watches his son and the young Ms. Parker out to the dance floor and he's amazed at how easily they move together. The two extremely lucky individuals move with such precision and grace that it's difficult to believe that Elizabeth Parker has been raised in a middle class home. Only moments ago his assistant gave him all the information that could be found on the young girl that his son is so interested in.

According to published reports by a tourist couple Ms. Parker was shot and magically healed by another teenager. Since that day she has had three more stories printed about her, a local doctor went to the tabloids and told them that Elizabeth, before the Cafe incident, had asthma. After the incident she went back to the doctor for her normal check-up and her asthma was gone, no trace she even had a problem with her lungs. Same thing happened to Lex, he had asthma before the meteor shower hit, but after it had disappeared.

The next story printed about Elizabeth involved a local boy, Maxwell Evans, and her getting into a car accident. Nothing remarkably stimulating about that article except that she wasn't even injured. No bruises, cuts, nothing. The boy however, was taken to the hospital for head trauma and a dislocated shoulder; neither teen was wearing their seat belts.

The third and final story was the most recent, a boy, Alexander Whitman, was killed in a car accident, all that is mentioned about her is that she attended the funeral. Not important at all, but the other three stories, the shooting, being miraculously healed of asthma over night and her car accident rose his suspicions a great deal. It's important he figures out whom or possibly what Elizabeth Parker is.

A flash breaks him out of his thoughts for a moment, well; it looks like Ms. Parker is going to be in the papers again, this time with his son. A man and woman are standing off to the side; the man doesn't look to thrilled about Elizabeth dancing with the young Luthor.

The group has gathered at Michael's apartment, Liz's flow chart in front of them trying to figure out how Liz knows the things that she knows. Information that not even three-quarters of the Pod Squad knew, it's all very puzzling. A light bulb in Isabel's head suddenly lights up, "Of course, remember when Ava was here Michael, she said that because Liz was healed that she's different."

"Yea, but how would that mean that she'd know things we don't?" Michael questions, he understands where Isabel is trying to go with this idea but he doesn't know how she got there.

"Maybe we do know but because she's changed---we know that when she kisses Max she gets flashes. Liz could have gotten way more information from that then she ever told us. If that's the case it's damn possible that she knows a hell of a lot more than we do." She runs her fingers through her long blonde hair.

Max shakes his head, "If she in fact does know more than we do then why wouldn't she say anything to us about it?"

"After we pounced on her at the funeral about her not knowing what she was talking about I'm not surprised she won't come forward with information. Just consider the possibility Max, we have no idea what healing her did to her body." Isabel tells him, could Alex's death have been a trigger to bring forth any changes? Their own powers are linked closely to their emotions, it is definitely possible.

Maria glances at the clock, "Well whatever you guys decide on tell me tomorrow. Mom wants me home tonight for dinner. See ya all later." She kisses Michael on the lips and leaves the crowded apartment.

Liz and Lex dance to three songs in a row, every once in awhile there's a brief flash of light; reporters, has to be. Lex spins her and she sees two reporters writing and snapping the occasional picture, maybe Maria will find out about Lex. Any picture with the boy billionaire sold for thousands and every paper wants the pictures. It would highly unlikely if her town's local paper didn't get at least one photo.

The song ends and Liz smiles up at Lex, another picture is shot, "Wow, I think I need a drink." Her throat is so dry and her body is kissed with just a little sweat. She had such fun dancing with Lex; she was surprised at how well she moved with him, however she owes the impressive dance moves to her memories. Well, they aren't her memories, not really, but they have taken residence in her head so in that sense that are hers.

About two weeks ago, right after Alex's death she began to have dreams of Antar, but she knew they weren't her memories. She's human or at least she was before Max healed her. Now she's like a receiver for information and memories, before it was just through flashes, now she gets them on her own.

All the knowledge that was 'sent' to her gave her headaches for days after, the images didn't care where she was when they came to her, last week it was at school in the girls bathroom. It isn't fun and Liz wished she didn't have these memories thrust into her, or have these powers showing up, maybe than she could grieve normally instead of blowing something up every time she tried to cry.

"I'll go get it, what would you like to drink?" Lex asks pulling her out of her musings.

"Um, do you have coke or 7-up?" Even though her parents gave her the ok to drink some champagne she doesn't know how her newly changed system will react. Last thing she needs is to crackle and pop with Lex standing next to her and reporters ready to snap a picture at anytime.

Lex kisses her cheek softly and leaves her side, immediately Nancy and Jeff rush to Liz's side before the reporter's rush toward her. After the shooting in the Crashdown the Parker family knew first hand how heartless and unfeeling those reporter's could be. While Lex is away her parents take her to the edge of the dance floor needing to talk to her.

"Why are you dancing with Lex Luthor?" Jeff questions Liz; he's not at all thrilled that Lex has taken an interest in Liz.

Nancy waves Jeff's question away and grins at Liz; her eyes are so much different then they were when they left Roswell, all from dancing with Lex for a few dances. "Sweetie, you just have fun, but please tell the young Luthor if he hurts you all of his money won't keep him safe from my wrath." She kisses Liz's cheek and drags her reluctant husband away.

Her parents disappeared through the crowd and Lex seamlessly appeared beside her with her 7-up in hand. "My parent's say 'Hi'." Liz tells him, she has no doubt her mother would go after Lex if he caused her any pain but Liz figured 'hi' might be better.

For the rest of the evening Lex and Liz didn't leave each other's side, much to the annoyance of many young ladies attending the event. Lex was shocked his father hasn't made a special appearance at the party, he never could resist a chance to upstage him. It only makes Lex suspicious of what his father is up too.

Nancy and Jeff left about an hour ago, from the way they were giggling like teenagers Liz is positive what they're up too, she's damn happy about that room change now. A shiver runs down her spine, that's one visual image she doesn't need in her head, before they left though they made sure Liz would be alright and taken to the hotel room by Lex. He's been attached to their daughter's hip since they've arrived he better make sure she's shown to her door.

Lex assured them she would be in good hands; little did her parents know how accurate that statement was. The twenty-minute drive in the limo became a tangle of tongues, lips, and limbs; it wasn't till the driver coughed uncomfortably from the front seat that either passenger noticed they are in fact in front of the hotel. "Shall I show you to your room?" Lex breathes out shakily.

Liz doesn't speak, just nods, electric currents were flowing beneath her skin, but oddly enough it doesn't show up on her skin. Kissing Lex is an experience all it's own, never has she let herself be so free, so uninhibited. It's such a different feeling than what she was used too with Max, and she likes it.

With Max he was always so uptight, he could never let go completely, he has a family to think about. A part of her understood why he could never be free with her, danger was and is coming at them regularly and until now Liz hadn't realized that she never let loose because of the alien abyss, she was afraid too. Now that she's out of Roswell a weight has been lifted.

The couple reach her hotel doors, "Thank you Lex, for tonight, you have no idea how much I needed this." She rises up onto her toes and kisses him gently on the lips. "I really had fun." A surprised snort escapes from her lips.

"It was my pleasure." Lex leans down and presses another kiss to her lips. Swallowing hard he keeps his eyes closed not letting go of her tiny hands. He doesn't want to leave, not yet, just a few more minutes, he tells himself. "Would you like to go to lunch with me tomorrow?" Lex blinks, that's considerably more than a few more minutes.

"I'd love too." A bright smile breaks out on her face. Lex's boyish grin appears greeting her own and it warms her heart, he's so nervous, his palms are even sweating a little. She can't help but think how cute that is.

After a few more kisses and false good-byes Lex finally yet hesitantly makes his way back down the hall and to his waiting limo while Liz backs slowly into her hotel room. The minute Lex leaves the currents that were flowing under her tanned skin came up t her skin and began to burn. It isn't painful, but it is annoying. "What the hell is going on?" She stares at her hand as shots of green electricity shoot over her body.

TBC