Title: Wounded
Summary: Max and Liz have been forced apart (via. End of the World). Will they ever come back to one another?
Background: Takes place after End of the World, at least what I think will happen via spoilers.
Category: M/L
Rating: PG-13
Author: Anne
E-mail: dreambehr@yahoo.com
Disclaimer: They’re not mine. The characters of Roswell belong to Melinda Metz, the WB, Jason Katims, and all the wonderful people who we all love for starting this wonderful story. I’m just borrowing them! Wounded is by Third Eye Blind off of their album Blue.

Max Evans wandered the hallways of West Roswell High School, a stormy air surrounding him to all who laid eyes on him. Max had always been known as the mysterious, brooding guy at school, but lately the brooding had deepened, settling into a darkness that filled his whole being.

Max had changed lately, ever since he and Liz Parker had broken up three weeks earlier…permanently. No one knew exactly what had happened between them, but everyone saw the changes in Max. He was now bitter, angry, sarcastic…all traits that never could have been associated with him before. Only a select few knew what had actually happened between the two, although both Max and Liz were telling a different story, neither of which was the truth. It was general knowledge though that this was the single most dramatic, nasty break up in West Roswell High School’s history.

Liz and Max had been in love. No one ever questioned it. You could see it, feel it, emanating from deep within them. They belonged together. Whatever had happened between them had to be terrible…the ultimate betrayal.

Max froze before his destination, hesitating before entering, staring at it with a stony look on his face. The eraser room… It was filled with memories, of long serious talks with Liz, of passionate kisses… Max didn’t want to go in there. He knew he would relive all of it, and all the pain of the breakup would just go shooting right back into his heart. He’d break down again…and Max couldn’t afford that. He needed to stay strong.

Damn his teacher for making him clean the stupid erasers.

Max took a deep breath, summoning all of his strength, and stepped inside, turning immediately to the cleaner beside the door, and refusing to look anywhere else in the room. He turned it on, quickly starting on the first eraser as he listened to the low humming of the machine.

His heart pounded painfully in his chest, remembering their constant visits to this room, and he ached at the memories. Why did she do what she did? Why did Liz just throw him away? After all that they had been through, all that they had experienced together…did it all really mean nothing to her?

A low sound interrupted Max’s thoughts, and he focused again on the machine beneath his hand. The machine wasn’t making the noise…it was another sound coming from behind him. It was a soft, agonizing whimpering sound.

Max sighed in frustration. Great…someone was in here. He just wanted to be alone. He turned around, and almost stumbled over at the sight.

Liz Parker was sitting in the back corner of the eraser room, curled up with her arms wrapped around her knees, rocking back and forth as tears streamed down her face from her bloodshot eyes, down her bright puffy cheeks. She had obviously been going at it for some time. The tears were agonizing…like they came from a broken heart.

"Get in a fight with Kyle?" Max lashed out bitterly.

If it was even possible, Liz started crying harder at his words. She whimpered again, a little louder this time, before tucking her head into her arms and beginning to shake violently.

Max couldn’t help it. She had broken his heart, destroyed his life, stolen all hope away from him, but he still loved her, and his heart went out to her at this moment. She was his everything…and now that he didn’t have her anymore he was just a bitter angry shell of his old self.

Whatever Kyle did, he was an idiot. Max would have never hurt her like this.

Max turned off the cleaner, and sat down across the room from her.

"Look, I’m sorry. That wasn’t fair of me. Do you want me to leave?"

"No, I deserved that." Liz mumbled out, as she took deep breaths and tried to calm herself down.

"Do you want me to go?" Max repeated.

"No."

Her response startled Max. What in the world was going on with her?

"Okay…do you want to talk about it?"

"Desperately." Liz looked up at Max, and her bloodshot, red eyes pierced Max’s own with a haunted look. "But there are some things I can’t talk to you about."

"You won’t talk to me about it."

"No, I would if I could. I can’t talk to you about it."

"Is this about Kyle? Did he break your heart?" Max asked, bitterness slipping into his tone again.

The tears started to fall again, and Max regretted mentioning it.

"God I can’t believe you." Liz mumbled. "None of this has anything to do with Kyle."

"Well, you’re obviously suffering from something here. Who broke your heart? It wasn’t me. Who else is there?"

"Me." Liz responded sadly. "I broke my own heart when I broke yours."

"Well then, why did you do it?"

Liz was silent for a long time before responding.

"You’ve always had this incredible image of me, Max, until recently that is. You think I’m so strong, like I can do anything. But I’m not strong, Max. I’m weak and scared. I’m terrified of being alone forever, but I just wished that own fate on me. I can’t resist you, Max. You convinced me to break your heart, and here I am, and I can’t stick to it. I need you too much."

"Liz, what are you talking about? You’re not making any sense."

"I know." She took a deep breath before continuing. "You came to visit me from 14 years in the future, because you needed my help. You brought two pieces of news for me. One was amazing, and one initiated everything that is tearing us apart."

Max nodded. "Go on."

"In the future, we’re married. Or at least we were. With our marriage came consequences. Tess went insane and killed Michael and Isabel, and I was next on her hit list." Liz rushed on before Max could respond. "So you asked me to break your heart, betray you, and push you towards Tess, so that we could prevent this from happening. So I did it…for you. And now I’ve destroyed it."

"God Liz, why didn’t you just come to me. Maybe by us talking about it and being aware of it we could have worked it all out, done something to stop the future from coming true."

"How? By killing Tess? You have no idea what it was like, Max. You didn’t see his face. I didn’t think I had any other choice! It broke my heart, killed me, to do it, but I had to!"

"Why? You asked me to do this, knowing what it would do to you, but I’m the one who has to watch you change, Max. It’s destroying me to see what this is doing to you. You don’t deserve it, or me."

"Liz, you’re right. I don’t deserve you. You deserve so much better than anything I could ever offer you."

"Don’t say that Max."

"It’s true, Liz! Ever since I’ve entered your life, it’s just been completely screwed up. You deserve a nice, normal life without having to worry about galactic wars, or alien babies, or any of this."

"Max…I wouldn’t change my life with you for anything. I love you. No one else. Ever."

"I feel exactly the same, Liz."

"What about Tess? She’s your destined mate."

"We make our own destinies, Liz. And I’ll be honest with you. She’s changed these last few weeks. She’s not hounding me about our destiny anymore. Ever since she saw how much you destroyed me, it’s like she finally let go, Liz. She says that she sees how much I love you now, and she knows that she can’t compete."

"Really?"

"Yeah, Liz. Maybe we already changed things, just by what’s already happened."

"Maybe… Max? I’m sorry…for everything. I never wanted to hurt you."

"Shh…you were hurt too, Liz. You shouldn’t apologize. We’re even. And we can start fresh now. Just you and me, Max and Liz, alone in the eraser room."

"God Max…you’re too good to me. Most guys wouldn’t ever forgive me for what I did."

"Well, I’m not exactly most guys, Liz. Or haven’t you noticed?"

Max inched over and sat directly in front of Liz, cupping her face in his hands. At his touch her cheeks started to glow, and the connection flared up between them, as Max gently kissed her, softly caressing her lips with his own. The spark was still there…it could never die.

He pulled away slightly. "Liz, just promise me one thing?"

"Anything."

"No more secrets between us. You can’t be afraid to talk to me about anything."

"I promise." Liz whispered, pressing her lips against his again, no more uncertainty in either of their actions, as she wrapped her arms around his neck, and slid into his lap.

"That’s the way a future marriage has to work." Max grinned, eyeing the woman he knew had to be his bride one day.

Liz laughed, and nuzzled her face against his again. "I love you so much."

"I love you too…"

"MR. EVANS!"

Max and Liz leapt apart in shock, and stared up at Mr. Redmond standing over them.

"I believe I asked you to clean my erasers, not make out with your girlfriend!"

Max nodded slightly, attempting to look ashamed, but he couldn’t help grinning at Liz under his gaze. Liz’s eyes laughed back, and the audience behind the teacher began to cheer. Max and Liz were back together. Things were back to normal, set on their true path. And nothing could step in their way again.

The End