Part 28

Sunday morning, Max pulled Megan’s car up in front of a small, suburban home, about a half-hour south of the city. Pulling out the directions that Liz had scrawled out for him, he double-checked the house number with the one on the paper, before opening the door, and stepping into the cool, morning sunlight.

Liz had been exhausted, absolutely wiped from her energetic day before, so she sent Max to return the car, which Max happily agreed to do, looking forward for a few minutes alone with the girl that was so important to his love.

Stepping up to her front door, Max rang the bell and waited a few moments, before the blonde that he had met the day before pulled the door open, and smiled perkily at him.

"Max, it’s good to see you again!" She greeted him quickly. "Did you guys have fun yesterday?"

"Yeah…it was a blast." Holding out the keys to her, Max dropped them into her hand. "Thank you…for lending the car, and setting things up for us. It was really an unforgettable day."

They stood there in awkward silence for a moment, neither sure what to say to each other, their only commonality being their mutual relationship with Liz.

"So…do you want to come in?" Megan finally asked. "I was just about to pop some waffles in the toaster…you’re welcome to join me for breakfast."

Max smiled appreciatively, and followed Megan into her home.

A half an hour later, Megan pulled her car into the Cal Train station, and turned to smile at Max.

"So…" She started.

"So?" Max asked with a grin.

"So, it was really fun talking with you and getting to know you this morning. I think we needed that Max…without Liz around. I think we understand each other now."

"Yeah." Max agreed. "I think we do too. I’m looking forward to spending many more mornings like this together in the future."

"Ditto." Megan replied. "And Max?"

"Yeah?"

"I know I probably don’t need to say this with you…because you obviously love her very much, but if you hurt Liz, I will have to kill you."

Max’s brow furrowed into a serious expression, not a hint of laughter in his eyes.

"Megan…if I hurt Liz, you won’t have to kill me. I’ll do that myself. She’s my everything."

Megan nodded, watching as Max stepped out of the car and headed towards the train platform.

--- ---- ---- ----

Monday morning in their biology lecture, Max found that he couldn’t take his eyes off of Liz. Her voice rushed on and on and on about cell structures or something, but none of it seemed to process in Max’s brain. All he could think about was his beautiful fiancee, and the radiant glow of happiness that seemed to consume her this morning…and Max for one knew without a doubt that it had nothing to do with biology…at least the kind that she talked about in class.

Suddenly, Liz looked up and met Max’s eyes, her face reddening slightly, as her eyes exploded with bursts of love and affection.

Pulling himself back on the present, Max’s eyes widened in surprise as after a long, silent pause, Liz began to speak.

"You know what, this just isn’t working. I’m completely and totally unfocused today, and I honestly don’t know if I’m going to give you guys a satisfactory lecture today…your book could probably do it better than me at this point in time."

The class chuckled in amusement at Liz’s comment, as she folded closed her lesson plan, and walked around to the table in the front of the room, and pushed herself up to sit on it’s surface.

"I do, on the other hand, have an announcement to make." Liz decided suddenly. "Usually I like to keep my personal life out of the classroom…but I’m too happy right now, I have to tell someone…and why not you guys, my students, who I see so often, and who’s company I thoroughly enjoy here in this classroom."

Pausing again, Liz hesitated, trying to decide how to word her announcement.

"I had…a life changing event this weekend." Liz finally announced, her eyes flying down to her hand, studying the ring that had now made it’s home on her left hand. "The love of my life proposed this weekend, and I said yes. I’m engaged!"

A silly grin flew onto Max’s face at her words, as suddenly he joined Liz in her giddiness, unable to hide the excitement in his eyes from her words.

Suddenly, Adam and Leslie were both there, leaning over from their desks beside him, staring at him in amazement.

"You proposed?" Leslie gasped, tears filling her eyes.

"Congratulations, man." Adam instantly replied. "You both deserve all the happiness in the world."

"You’re marrying Miss. Parker?"

Two heads whirled around to see Robyn leaning over from her desk on the opposite side of Max, while Max, completely unaware, just kept his eyes locked on his fiancee in the front of the room.

Robyn had been so quiet throughout the announcement, that both Leslie and Adam forgot that she was there.

"Did we say that?" Adam stammered.

"We didn’t mean MAX was marrying Miss Parker…we just thought it was really ironic because, uh, because Max was telling us on Friday after class that he was proposing to his girlfriend this weekend…his girlfriend, not Miss Parker." Leslie immediately poured out lamely, trying to hide the truth.

Robyn lips turned upwards in an amused grin.

"It’s okay, you guys…I know. Max and Miss Parker are in love…I saw them together a few weeks ago. I know everything."

Leslie blinked in surprise. "You do?"

"Yeah…it’s okay. I saw the way they were with each other. They are really in love. I could never do anything to break that up. Their secret has been safe with me from the start."

"Well…" Leslie sighed, uncertain how to react. "That’s good."

---- ---- ----

The weeks began to pass uneventfully, as Max and Liz began to talk wedding plans, and work out the details of their trip to Roswell. Decisions had to be made, and changes would be coming soon in both their lives. They mutually decided to return home for their Christmas vacation, and out of respect for Liz, Max agreed not to contact home and tell that they were coming. Liz didn’t want people expecting her, and Max agreed that it would be fun to surprise his family. Max had talked to his family a bit since arriving in San Francisco, but not regularly. He knew they wanted to see him, and he was looking forward to having a relaxed visit in Roswell.

--- --- --- ---

Max stepped into the apartment on a cool, late October evening after a midterm study session with his psychology class, surprised to find the apartment strangely silent. He searched the room with his eyes, and knew that nothing was dangerous or anything inside.

Stepping back to his bedroom, he was relieved to see Liz sitting silently on the bed, her back resting against the bed board, legs crossed, as she stared off into space.

"Liz?" Max asked carefully. "Are you okay, honey?"

Jerking herself back to reality, Liz met Max’s eyes and softly smiled.

"I’m fine…just thinking." Dropping her eyes nervously, Liz stammered suddenly. "Could you…could you just hold me Max. I have something I need to talk to you about."

"Of course." Max replied lovingly, as he crawled up onto the bed beside her, pulling her into his arms and letting her head rest carefully on his shoulder. "What’s going on, sweet?"

"Max…I think…well, I know actually. It’s just…I’m pregnant."