A/N- Warnings of depression and attempted suicide.

Liz took off Sean's 'L' and the charm bracelet. Michael needed to see the truth. She drove to the Granolith, prepared to tell her secret to the last person who should ever hear it. She arrived at the Granolith and get out of the car, her memories were full of what she had been planning when she was last here. She had been planning to end things for her. Sean had stopped her in time. She walked up to the door and with a wave of her hand, opened the door. She was lost in her memories, walking up to the base of the granolith. Michael had been alone in his thoughts and had seen her come in. His brows furrowed, he watched as she ran her hand over the power base, lost in memories herself.

When she spoke, her voice was faint and distant. "It's ironic that it all started here. That Alex helped to do it, that he was alive. All my fault. It's no wonder I planned what I did. You misunderstood that kiss- it was a good bye and I didn't kiss back. I didn't betray you.". He noticed her wrist was empty and the 'L' gone. She was telling the truth. There was a stillness about her. "It's only fitting that I reveal my big secret where it all began. I changed the timeline. There it is. I changed it by letting Max go to Tess. I've paid for it ever since. I was visited by a Max from the future, a future where I believed Max and I had destroyed the planet by getting married.".

Michael didn't know what to think. "How did you change the future?" his tone blunt "I faked sleeping with Kyle. I made Max think I had, even lied to him until the night you were all due to leave. The future him used the granolith as a time machine- I don't know how. Alex and a future friend Serena did it. He lived past 19. The story goes after the night of the concert, Future Max and I would have been inseparable. We eloped at 19 after graduating, went to Vegas, got married in the White Wedding Chapel by Elvis.". Her head bowed under the memory. Wiping the tears away, letting the wall down completely.

Michael was flooded by a world ending, him dying, Isabel dead, everyone dead but her and Max, in the end, even her. "Damn, we were like Romeo and Juilet, only instead of killing each other, we took the planet with us! I didn't even know I ended up married to a future you. Anyway, back to the story. Future Max and I celebrated in some dive outside of Pheonix with Maria, Isabel, you and Alex celebrating with us. Max and my song became Cheryl Crow's I believe that night as our slow dance.".

"Kyle was gone- Tess had got to him. After that, Tess left. I believed future Max when he said we happily married for 7 years. Then it all went to hell. Your enemies came to earth in the year 2014. As Tess was gone and there was no Ava, you couldn't fight back, the four square was incomplete. Failing, your enemies took over the Earth. Isabel died two weeks before you did. You died in the hour the Earth was destroyed, 25 minutes before future Max came to me, dying in his arms. He used the granolith to come back in time after saying good bye to me. That's it.".

Michael didn't know how to feel. She had been living with the knowledge she thought she had inadvertantly caused the end of the world. The feelings of desolation and despair were suffocating and all hers. Suicide was there as well. 'What had she meant by Kyle being gone?'. Liz thickly answered "He was the original Alex. He didn't know about computers, so Tess must have killed him. Future Max commented to me about Kyle and computers. I could have saved Alex. Tess played us all - twice. She played me.". She was desolate in her pain. There was that feeling of suicide again, stronger than ever.

His eyes blazed, she'd been close. "How close did you get to ending things for you?", his voice tight. Sighing, she bent and picked up a bottle, throwing a bottle to him. He caught it, closing his eyes when he realised it was pain killers, 200 of them. Suicide, he'd been right. He was angry she hadn't come to him about this. He confronted her, striding up towards her "WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME!" She snapped back "I COULDN'T! I'D PROMISED FUTURE MAX!" " YOU PROMISED THE WRONG PERSON!" "I KNOW BUT THE FUTURE YOU DIED!'' "AND WHO WAS TO BLAME FOR THAT!" She paled at that accusation, backing up "I'M SORRY. I DIDN'T MEAN TO KILL YOU AS MY FUTURE FUCKING HUSBAND!''.

He stepped back at THAT. He was white, shakily asking "how the hell do you know that?". She looked away, whispering "The alternative version of you told me.". He was shaking. "What happened when future Max appeared to you?" Liz ducked her head, fighting back her tears, remembering that night her world had crumbled around her. "I had just got back from Madame Vivian's with Maria and Alex, having just been told that Max would choose me over his destiny.".

She laughed bitterly, he winced- this had broken her. "I was day dreaming when future Max appeared on my balcony. He scared me. At first I freaked out, he stopped me calling anyone. He talked about time travel, he timed the present Max's midnight mariche band almost perfectly, he knew the words, knew how he'd learnt them, even down to changing the roses from red to white. That was weird. I had present Max below my balcony, Future Max on my balcony and my dad in my room at the music. That was my proof. When alone, I was told I had 48 hours to change the timeline. I couldn't tell anyone, as he would know. I had to say quiet. No one could know. My mission was to get present Max to leave me for Tess. He didn't trust anyone but me to do it. I had no choice.".

"Yes, you did!" his voice raised in anger at future Max for doing this to her- he'd broken her that night and she was just getting fixed back together. She hit back, twice as hard "NO, I DIDN'T! IT WAS ME AND MAX OR THE WORLD AND EVERYONE IN IT, INCLUDING YOU!". She was in tears. ''He told me that if I didn't change things, the world would end, partly thanks to me.". She sobbed and he threw the bottle away, hugging her to him. She was a wreck. Damn future Max for doing this to her. His eyes were dark. She clung to him, adrift in a sea of pain.

"Tell me the rest.". She nodded, struggling to speak "I set up Tess and present Max that night, I even coached Tess. I somehow had to make present Max fall out of love with me. Tess must have said something because present Max went to where future Max and I were hiding, spotting me. Future Max had told me of Vegas- I hated Vegas last year to a certain extent, I only went to get new memories for Maria's sake- and he told me about the night of the concert. Things changed.". He guessed "You and him slept together.". She nodded, unable to speak. He closed his eyes at what she had given up.

She spoke again "I protested but he knew. He mentioned Kyle and computers there too. Present Max came in then, the other Max had to hide- it would be bad to see each other. Max was protesting he wanted only me. He kissed me and left. The other Max wasn't happy.". He could imagine that- caught between two Max's and the world in the balance. That would break anyone. Sighing, he brought her closer to him. "Go on." "Later that night, I went to Max and tried to convince him to let me go. It nearly worked. Future Max was disappearing and then wasn't. I had to try again. I was ready to give up. It was then he mentioned you and Isabel died. That broke me. I couldn't fight back against that. I gave in.".

'Damn, THAT was what broke her?! He had really done a number on her and she gave up fighting for her future'. She was shaking. "I was watching you and Isabel the next day. I knew I had to give up my future everything to save the world, save you. I loved you too much to let you die again. Then Maria gave me the answer- your investigation of Courtney. She said if you had slept with her, she couldn't forgive you.".

"So I went to Kyle for help. I asked him to fake sleeping with me but I couldn't tell him why. He agreed with protest. He knew I was in trouble. Nothing happened. Future Max was in my bathroom, Kyle on one side of my bed and present Max at my window. All to get him to fall out of love with me. It worked. Later that night, Future Max and I were talking. I asked for my wedding dance, knowing I wouldn't get it. I got it and halfway through, he vanished and I was alone with potentially a damaged reputation. I have been mourning a non-existent marriage ever since.". She broke down, losing her control completely. He just held her, in shock. She had been through absolute hell. It was a wonder she hadn't broken down. Then Alex had died, killed by Tess. No wonder she hated her. Sacrificing everything- including him unknowingly- for Tess to be with Max.

She'd reached her limit when Alex died. She'd past it. She wanted that bomb to kill her, had planned suicide and hadn't been able to tell anyone why she knew Alex had been killed. Maria must have known about future Max and Rath. She'd gone awol on purpose. He needed to know how close he'd come to losing her.

He held her away from him, giving her a tissue. "How close did you come to ending it exactly?" "Close. The first time was after the wake. I was alone, wallowing in more grief than I could handle. Alex was gone. I looked at the prom photo and sobbed, alone. I don't know what would have happened if the thai delivery guy hadn't given me Alex's signature of ones and zeros. That was my first clue I was right. The second time was during the investigation and Maria didn't even believe me. I was alone. I couldn't handle it. I snapped. I planned a suicide. I would have gone through with it completely if Sean hadn't stopped me. He didn't know what he was stopping. He just knew I needed help."

He hated being right. His spitfire planning suicide. He hugged her, fighting back tears. Her tears fell on his shoulder. He'd almost lost her. He knew he had to hear the rest. She went on brokenly "I wrote the notes- you never forget your first, I got the 2 bottles of vodka and the pain killers and left the note to my parents on the bed- that took some hiding from Sean and left for Alex's grave. It seemed appropriate. The other notes were in my bag, yours I'd put in my jacket. Then I started drinking. I was about to open the bottle of pills when Sean saw me and took the second bottle of vodka from my hands, asking what the hell was I doing. He just hugged me as I cried, saying he was so sorry and I wasn't alone. He gave me hope.".

Michael felt jealous at that wave of hope. That should of been him. He really owed Sean. ''Where's the notes now?", his voice tense. She went to her bag, bringing an envelope out. "As I said, you never forget your first. First yours, then Maria's, then Max's, then Isabel and last Kyle's. Sean's was simple. It read I'm sorry. All my evidence was in my bag with me.". She gave him his note, walking away as he read it. He was shaking as he read her note to him. It read Dear Michael, I'm sorry but I can't do this anymore. My secret is killing me. I've failed Alex as a protector. It's up to you now. This protector has failed and has quit. It's your job alone now. I loved you and never told you. I'm so sorry. All my love, Liz Parker.

Michael felt sick. His Liz had quit. 'Hell no, not on his watch anymore. It was time to get her to fight back again. Right now. Had Sean not stopped her, what would they they have found? He had to know.'. Her back was to him, slumped in defeat. He needed to act now. He walked up to her, turning her around to face him. "Stop it. Fight back. Tell me what I would have found the next morning.". His eyes blazed at her to fight back, find her fire again. The look back scared him- there was no fight back in her eyes. He growled. 'STOP IT NOW. I KNOW YOU'RE IN THERE SOMEWHERE, NOW FIGHT!'. There it was, just a spark but it was enough. There was some fire back in her now amid all this anguish. She needed to be rescued from it all and it was his job right now.

She finally answered him, "You would have found me looking asleep but dead by Alex's grave. Your letter would be by my heart, where you would find it. The rest would be in my pocket. I would have been buried by Alex and Maria would have you for support. Tess was in my place.". He glared back at her "HOW can you say that. To me, to Maria, to the group?". Finally, she fought him back "HOW could make Max do THIS TO ME?!" ''FINALLY, there you are. I lost you back there. I won't lose you again.".

With that, he strode forward and pinned her against him, firmly kissing her spark back to life again, feeling her melt under his fire, gradually meeting his fire with her own, burning away the desolation surrounding her. He deepened it, making her insane with need until all of the despair and every other feeling was gone but for their joint fire. She was coming back, making his control falter. He fought back, making her fight back against him until she was lost in him, her flickering fire finally matching his again. He didn't raise his head just yet, he needed to be sure. Instead, he took them to their dream plain. Kissing her senseless there, he didn't relent until he felt her kissing him back just as strongly, relaxing into him, melting under him in surrender completely. She was back.

'Finally', he thought, lifting his head from hers back in reality. She had completely melted in surrender to the point her knees went under her, Michael's arm holding her upright. He had completely overwhelmed her but she was back. He had fought for her the way she had needed him to and had won her back. She rested on his shoulder, unable to think straight. She knew she had come back to him though, finally. He soothed her hair behind her ear "Liz, talk to me. Surely I didn't wipe you out that much.". Shaking her head, she said one word "ALEX!". She buried her head in his chest and cried. He caught her when she passed out exhausted on him. He lifted her up in his arms, noting the power glowing through her now. She'd fought hard and come back to him in one piece once again.

She was coming around, the despair completely gone now, he had a feeling now that was gone, he'd have this hands full with her and no Max to rein her in, she would indeed be a force to be reckoned with. An equal to him, more equal than Maria had been.
She woke up. "Michael...what happened with me back there..." "I lost you for a while there, thank God you're back, you were scaring me. I am so fucking glad to see that fire in your eyes again, even with coaxing it back to life again. That was terrifying. I owe Sean a drink!". She kissed his cheek, "I can walk now.".

He set her down on her feet. He melted the bottle of pills and she tidied herself up. So did he. He offered his arm to her "Shall we go?" he grinned at her grin, lighting up her eyes in a coffee fire, dancing in mirth. He smirked as she took it. They walked to the car. He then got on his bike and they arrived back together, welcomed by the others.

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