The days following Max and Serena's return were tense. Isabel, Ava, Kyle and Michael were not too forgiving like Liz had. Nobody talked to Serena or Max for that matter. Max found that the days of having everyone do as he said were long gone and Serena shut her mouth knowing she was outnumbered.
Liz was oblivious to the whole situation since she was never in the house when either Max or Serena were around. It was like Liz had picked up a 6th sense to when either were in the house.
Isabel, Kyle and Ava were all not speaking to Max or Serena and when they did it was to snap at them. Isabel had never felt so much anger towards her brother.
"It's worse then when he threatened me in high school, when I wanted to go away for college. I've known he's manipulative and I knew he could be hard, but to hurt someone like this. To hurt Liz so close to their wedding, I never think he'd stoop that low." Isabel and Ava were cooking and discussing Max.
Ava shook her head, "He's your brother, Isabel. You had to see the good in him. With Rath and Lonnie and sometimes even Zan, well I couldn't believe half the things they pulled but they were my family. I had to take the good and the bad."
"Yeah, Ava but I've know Liz for so long. I mean he's the reason why she's even here with us. He saved her life, he told her about us, and he brought her into our lives. She has given up everything to be with him. She's risked her life to protect our secret, HIS secret. And for him to hurt her like that," Isabel stopped to calm herself, "she doesn't deserve that. I love my brother, yes, he's my blood but I've come to love Liz like a sister too. She was there for me when I divorced Jesse. She was there for every tear, every sleepless night, and then when we found out Jesse was remarrying."
"I know sweetie. She was there for me when I first met you all. She got me a place to stay and found me a job a couple of towns over when I left Roswell. She welcomed me with open arms when I found you all again. I know how you feel about her. Max was an ass to her Isabel. I know he hurt her but really, I think she's better off. I for one am glad he left her. I'm not happy he hurt her but he didn't deserve her. I'm sorry Izz but Liz was too good for him." Ava held her breath. She knew that even though Isabel was mad a Liz she probably still wouldn't appreciate that comment.
Ava was surprised when Isabel said, "I know you're right." Isabel dumped some vegetables in the pot. "He's selfish and we all saw how he treated her. Who knows what things would have been like if they did get married."
Ava nodded and then grabbed onto the counter to steady herself.
"Ava are you ok?" Isabel asked alarmed.
Ava grabbed her head and sat on the chair that Isabel offered.
"Yeah. I felt a little light headed is all."
"Kyle!" Isabel called out. "Here have some water. Kyle!"
"Really Izz, I'm ok."
"What? What's going on?" Kyle came into the kitchen with Liz and Michael right behind him.
"Nothing. It's nothing." Ava said getting up. "I just had a little spell is all." She had some water and walked over to the stove.
"What kind of spell?" Kyle walked over to her.
"She almost passed out." Isabel answered before Ava could.
"Oh please, Isabel. Don't be so dramatic." Ava chuckled. She looked at her husband's worried face and smiled. "I'm ok. I promise. Don't worry, Kyle."
"I worry." Kyle kissed the top of her head.
"So what exactly happened?" Liz asked grabbing a chair from the island in the kitchen.
"Yea, Izzy wouldn't just call out like that for nothing." Michael added.
"She looked really pale for a couple of seconds." Isabel added.
"It was nothing. Like I said, I got light headed for a second but that was all. I'm good. It was probably because I haven't had much to drink today." Ava explained.
"Ava sweetie, are you on your period?" Liz asked and Isabel caught Liz's eyes.
"Good Lord! Why would you ask that?" Michael looked grossed out. "That is way too much information. Ava you don't have to answer that."
"Stop being such a baby, Michael." Liz said annoyed and quickly turned to Ava.
"Um, no. I should be getting it this week. Actually…wait do you think—"
"We think." Isabel and Liz said together.
Then to the surprise of the guys, Liz, Ava and Isabel walked out of the kitchen without another word.
"What the hell is going on?!" Kyle demanded, looking at Michael.
Michael shrugged. "Women." Then he said, "Up for some hockey?"
Liz, Ava and Isabel were all cramped into the hall bathroom. Both Isabel and Liz starred at Ava.
"When was you're last period?" Isabel asked.
Ava paced as she tried to think. "A month or so…I think."
"What do you mean, you think?" Isabel couldn't believe Ava couldn't remember.
"I don't know. I can't think straight right now." Ava snapped.
"Ok. Lets calm down. Ava, have you had any other spells?" Liz asked calmly.
Ava shook her head. "I don't think so.
"Well, I say we buy a pregnancy test." Isabel said.
"I think we can find out without a pregnancy test, Izz." Liz smiled.
"Oh," Isabel smiled, "ha. I knew that."
Ava placed her hands on her stomach and closed her eyes. Isabel and Liz held their breaths.
"I don't feel anything."
"Try again." Liz and Isabel urged her.
Again Ava concentrated and closed her eyes. And that's when Ava made the connection. She felt her baby for the first time and saw she was pregnant with a healthy baby boy.
When she opened her eyes, she had tears in her eyes. "Oh my God. I'm pregnant."
Liz and Isabel both cheered and hugged her.
"Kyle!" Isabel called out at the top of her lungs.
"Michael!" Liz did the same. "You guys come in here!"
Kyle and Michael were there in seconds.
"Why are we meeting in the bathroom?" Michael looked at them as if they'd gone mad.
"Ava?" Kyle was confussed and scared. Ava was crying. He'd never seen his wife cry apart from their wedding day.
Ava took a deep breath and said, "I'm pregnant!"
Liz and Isabel cried at the emotion coming from their best friend…from their sister. The tears she cried egged them on.
"Pregnant?!" Kyle never looked so happy and scared at the same time. Happiness won over as he embraced his wife and picked her up off the floor. "Oh, my God."
"It's a boy." Ava cried and leaned her forehead against her husband's.
Tears came down Kyle's face.
Michael put her arm around Liz and she hugged him.
"I want you all to meet him." Ava said, reaching out for Isabel's hand.
Isabel held Michael's, Michael held Liz's and Liz held Kyle's. Then, Ava pulled her hands where she held Isabel and Kyle and placed them all on her stomach.
Immediately, the group formed a connection and they all saw and felt the baby boy that Ava carried. Still too small to know if it was male or female or having any shape, the young embryo informed them of what it was to become.
Ava broke the connection and hugged Kyle.
Isabel, Liz and Michael walked out of the bathroom, knowing that Ava and Kyle needed to be alone with the happy news.
"I can't believe she's pregnant." Isabel whipped tears from her face.
Liz nodded understanding how Isabel felt.
"Hate to be the bare of bad news but how do you think Maxwell will take the news?" Michael asked moving towards the living room.
Liz tried to think of something else and did not provide an answer, although Isabel did.
"Who cares what he thinks. He's either in this with them or out of this house. We said from the beginning that we had to stay together to watch our backs and no one would be separated but times have changed. He's not in command, he doesn't have followers. He can stand with us but if he doesn't, I won't miss him." With that Isabel disappeared into the hall that led to her room.
Liz shook her head. "She's really mad at him, isn't she?"
"Not mad, Liz—pissed. And yeah, we all are."
"But I didn't want it to be like this. I can't be around him right now but I don't want that to interfere with all of your relationships with him. What—"
"What friendships, Liz. Maxwell has single handedly distanced himself from us. I have not sat down and had a conversation with that guy in months. Way before Maria's death. He wasn't there for me when I was having problems with her and he wasn't there when Maria died. Maxwell isn't my friend. He's an acquaintance and a roommate. Nothing more." Michael sat on the living room couch, turning on the T.V. as if the conversation about Max was over.
Liz sighed and remembered something. "The food!" She ran to the kitchen and reached it just as the smoke alarm went off.
"Mich—"
"Right behind you, Liz." Michael moved her aside to stand in front of her and with a wave of his hand, the smoke was gone.
Liz raised her arm toward the smoke alarm and it quickly turned off. She coughed, "Thanks."
"No problem but I think the food's ruined." Michael looked inside the pot and then the pan.
"Dammit!"
Michael shrugged. "Look on the bright side, now we have a story to tell to Kyle's baby. 'Well you see Jr. the day we found out your mommy was pregnant is the day that your Mommy and Auntie Isabel almost burned down the house.'" Michael started laughing.
Liz laughed. "Jerk."
"Come on. Lets go out and find some food to bring back for everyone."
"Ok, let me get my purse."
"Forget it Parker, I'm buying." Michael pulled Liz by the hand and didn't let it go.
Before, Liz wouldn't have thought twice about it but now, after that dream, every time Michael said or did anything, she'd jump not knowing what to think. Did he care about her? She still didn't know if she had dreamt or had a flash that day in Dynasty.
"What?" Michael noticed that Liz wasn't completely with him but somewhere in her head. "If you really want to burn the house down, we can do that later."
Liz laughed. "Shut up."
Michael opened the front door just as Max was coming in…with Serena.
Liz forced herself to look at them. She wasn't going to look down like some wounded dog. She was going to look them both in the eye if it killed her.
She noticed Max's eyes go from her, to Michael and then down to their enlaced hands. Liz's reaction was to pull her hand from Michael's but Michael somehow knew she'd do it, so he squeezed it, which gave her comfort. Liz squeezed back as Michael pulled her past Max and Serena.
Liz closed the front door behind her as Michael said, "Let's take Queen." He was referring to his Aston Martin DBS which he had parked on the drive way.
Michael had gotten the car a couple of months before Maria had passed away. Maria had hated the car and had been very angry with Michael when he'd sold their truck, dug into his savings account and bought himself his car.
"Why'd you name her Queen?" Liz asked Michael for the hundredth time.
"I'll let you know someday." Was his response.
"I've gotten that same answer a million times." Liz hopped into her seat.
"Well then why do you ask?" Michael closed his door and started the car. "Man, listen to my baby." He closed his eyes enjoying the sound of his car.
Liz laughed. "Can we leave now?"
Michael pulled out of the driveway and burned some rubber going onto the street.
"Did you have to do that?" Liz asked as soon as he slowed down a little ways down the block.
"Had to, Maxwell was staring at us from the window." Michael said trying to find a station.
Liz shook her head, not quite knowing what to say.
"It's not your fault, Liz." Michael added with a softer voice.
She cleared her throat. "What isn't?"
"That we hate, Maxwell. Like I said before he's been an ass for a while."
"But don't you see, Michael. If nothing would have happened between us none of you would act like this toward him. I don't want you guys to choose sides."
"Liz, stop." Michael pulled over. "Listen to me. Maxwell has been hanging on by a string for a while now with everyone. He's selfish, always has been. We're just not going to put up with it anymore. He needs to grow up. What he did with you was the last straw. Even if you guys were still together, I can guarantee you, he'd have done something stupid to piss us off. To us, it's not about choosing sides. It's just that we are sick and tired of being looked down upon from him. We're equal to him if not above him. So he was king in out past lives. Oh fucking well. He needs to realize he's in another life time. One where he's not in charge."
He starred at her until she nodded. Seeing she was thinking it over, he pulled back onto the street and made his way downtown.
As he drove, Liz thought about how she could make things easier for everyone.
"Don't worry about it, Liz. Things will settle down…and if they don't, we'll figure it out."
"How do you do that?" Liz asked awed like always.
"Same way you know what I'm thinking or know what I'm going to say before I say it. We've gotten close, Liz. We're just good at reading each other. I can look at you, don't say a word, just look at you and you'd know what I was thinking. Same thing if you did it." He turned to look at her with that look he gave her sometimes.
It was the only look that confused Liz. It made her feel like she had butterfly's in her stomach and at the same time feel awkward. She never really knew the meaning of that look because he blocked the emotion. If it was love, she didn't want to think about it because she was on the fence on her feelings towards him.
After debating with herself on how she felt about him, she always ended up with the same last thought. He was Maria's widow. Maria's love, Maria's husband. Maria who had died a month and 10 days.
Maybe that's why she thought he saw something in his eyes towards her. Maybe he was just lonely.
"Applebee's sound good?" Michael's voice pulled her out of her head.
She tried to smile and nodded.
She knew Michael could tell something was wrong. But he knew not to say anything at the moment.
Michael pulled into the Applebee's parking lot and turned off the car.
He opened his door and said, "Come on."
Liz slowly unbuckled her seat belt and opened her door. She climbed out and looked at Michael, who was waiting by the front of the car.
She couldn't stop thinking of how she felt about him and then, Michael smiled and Liz felt her heart pick up speed just as she felt warmer than she had been a second ago.