Part 3

With confidence in her stride, Liz entered the lecture hall, making her way to the desk in the front of the room, and setting her briefcase down, before turning and smiling at the class.

She held back the laughter that was threatening to explode from inside of her as she took in the shocked looks on some student’s faces as they eyed their young teacher.

"Hi there!" She greeted her class with a friendly smile. "Yeah, I know what you’re all thinking right now…there’s no mistake here. I’m your teacher, Liz Parker. This is a General Biology lecture lab mix, with the lecture portion at this time ever Monday and Wednesday, and a three hour lab on Friday afternoons. Is everyone in the right place? Okay then…let me tell you a little about myself. I’m 28 years old…I know I look a lot younger! I was born and raised in Roswell, New Mexico, home of alien themed tourist traps, and not much else… From high school I moved right here to the Bay Area, attended college at Stanford, where I graduated with a degree in Biology, a minor in Education. Right out of college I started working right here at SFSU, and I’ve been here ever since! It’s a great school. So that’s me…I hope to get to know each and every one of you this semester, and with that I’ll go ahead and take roll! Let me see… James Bailey?"

Liz started reading down the roll list, marking people present or absent, but she wasn’t even halfway down the sheet when she paused, staring at the next name in agony. "Parker Evans" the sheet read. Suddenly, Liz’s sad attempt at a cheerful mood slipped away, as it seemed as though the whole world was laughing cruelly at her pain today. Elizabeth Parker Evans would have been her name one day if Max hadn’t left. Memories of him, little reminders, seemed to be popping up all over the place today. Plus mixed with that weird feeling of him…

Liz sighed, and then pulled herself back together, remembering that she was standing in front of a class full of people.

"Parker Evans?" She called out, cringing slightly as her voice cracked with emotion.

"Here." A soft, even response came from the back of the room. Liz’s body started to quiver at the sound of the voice…a familiar voice…one that she hadn’t forgotten, could never forget, even after 10 years.

She looked up and searched the room for him. He had been slumped down in his seat in the back, trying to avoid notice…it was a second nature to him, she always knew.

Their eyes met, and for a moment the rest of the world faded away, and they were the only two people in the room.

Suddenly everything made perfect sense to Liz…she had been feeling his presence the past few days as if he were nearby…because he was nearby…in her very city.

Max was here. In San Francisco. Sitting in her classroom. Enrolled in her class. A class filled with students waiting for her to continue.

The realization shocked Liz back to reality. She was a teacher and Max was her student. And she needed to keep her composure in front of the class. They couldn’t know about her and Max’s history.

But a little voice peeped up in the back of her head asking her. "Is it really history?" She smiled at the thought. Max was back.

She flashed a big smile at his corner, desperately trying to make things appear normal.

"Nice you have you here, Parker." She greeted him.

"Thanks…actually, I go by Max…It’s, um…a nickname." He gave her a slightly amused smile, knowing that they shared a secret joke that no one else would understand.

"Okay…Max…um, Andrea Foster?"

The 50 minute lecture period seemed to drag on forever to Liz, as she went over her class policies, and the agenda for the semester, and started in on the most boring lecture of the whole year: How To Write a Lab Paper.

When the clock finally hit 9:50 a.m. it took every ounce of will power inside of Liz not to jump up and down and scream in excitement. One by one the students began to file out of the room, while others crowded around her desk asking her questions and trying to add in…Liz thought that they would never leave, but finally the last student was gone, leaving Liz with Max walking towards her slowly.

This time, when she stood face to face with him alone, Liz couldn’t hold back the tears as they flowed freely down her cheeks.

Max thought he had died and gone to heaven, when he saw her walk into the classroom and set down her briefcase.

Everything had happened to him so fast…he had only registered for school a few days earlier, so he didn’t have much of a choice in classes. He was amazed that he got any good classes at all…and Biology was on the top of his list. It had always been one of his favorite sciences since high school…it reminded him of Liz.

When he had seen the name "Parker" on his schedule as his biology teacher, a rush of pain had flown through his already tainted heart. This biology class was going to drive him absolutely crazy…he wouldn’t be able to talk to his teacher without thinking of the love of his life… Never once did it occur to Max that Ms. Parker might be Liz.

He couldn’t breathe when he lay his eyes on her for the first time in ten years. She had changed…he could tell that for certain. She looked a little older, and a little more mature. That was to be expected though…a lot can change in ten years. He studied her every motion, and noted that even though she smiled and laughed with the class, he could see a sadness hidden deep within her eyes. She hadn’t changed so much that he couldn’t still read her mannerisms. They were as clear as day to him.

As she began to recap on her life to the class, Max’s heart pounded in fear. He dreaded the words that he was certain that he would hear. Sometime in that time she had moved on, forgotten about him. She had a boyfriend, or worse was married.

But when she called his name in roll, and their eyes met…Max could already feel the connection between them, that hadn’t died, or even faded at all over the years.

For the first time since he returned to earth, Max Evans felt as though he had truly come home.

It had been a difficult ten years that he had been away, filled with struggle, pain, and loss. There were a number of times where Max wasn’t sure that he’d ever make it…where he thought that he couldn’t go on, but then he thought of Liz. He would sit there and dream of the touch of her skin, the sound of her voice, the way the sun shined on her hair, and the way her whole face would light up whenever he was near…and he pushed on, motivated by his need to return to her.

Two weeks before, he finally made it back home. The war was over…his people were free again, and immediately he expressed his desire to return home, and they let him go. His first order of business: to find Liz.

Max was devastated when no one was able to help him find her. She had cut herself off from everyone when she moved to California…no one had heard from her in ten years.

Max knew that she had gone to Stanford. They were supposed to move to California together the same day that he left for home, so he decided to relocate to San Francisco, and continue his search for her there. He found himself an apartment in the city, and enrolled in college, wanting to start his new life on the right foot.

And now he had found her…

Fate seemed to have a way with him. Ever since they were kids, it seemed as though the whole world was pushing them together, and now it had helped them out yet again, letting them stumble on each other, rather than having to search her out.

And now the class was out, and he was slowly making his way towards her, drinking in the image of her. She was still as beautiful as the day he left…more so even. The years had been good to her.

Max’s heart cried out as the tears started flowing down her cheeks, and it only took an instant before she was in his arms, clutching to him as though her life depended on it, as he stroked her silky, soft hard, whispering comforting words in her ear, in a desperate attempt to calm the storm which was sweeping through her tiny body.

"It’s okay." Max whispered softly. "It’s me…I’m here. I’m not going anywhere…ever again."

Slowly Liz’s breathing became even again, and she pulled away just a bit, as Max cupped her cheeks, and brushed the last tears away with his thumbs.

"God, Max…I thought I was never going to see you again. I’ve missed you so much...so much."

"God I’ve missed you too. I thought about you every day that I was away…I wanted to come back earlier…but it’s taken me this long to fix things back home…it was really bad there, Liz…worse than I ever imagined…but it’s over now, and I’m here. I’m not going anywhere ever again, Liz…assuming you’ll let me…"

Liz silenced him with a finger pressed to his lips. "I’ve waited ten years for you, Max. And I’d wait another hundred if it meant I’d get to see you again."

"I’ve missed you so much…" Max whispered again. His hands left her cheeks, and began to roam her face, caressing every inch of skin, running lightly over her eyes, tracing over her nose, tickling her ears ever so slightly. They roamed through her hair, coming his fingers through the silky strands. Was her hair this soft before? Or had he just forgotten…

"It’s so good to see you again." Liz moaned softly as his hands sent sparks running through her body…sparks that Liz thought she would never feel again. She closed her eyes, and just let herself feel his hands, as they stroked from her shoulders down her body to her hips and then back up again, finally wrapping around her and pulling her back up against his body, as he just held her close to him and reveled in the feel of the only girl he’d ever love, back home in his arms.