Part 30

Liz clung to Max’s hand like it was her lifeline, as their plane went rushing across the landing ramp in the Albuquerque airport. Her face was pale, her heart pounding wildly…and it had absolutely nothing to do with her morning sickness she had suffered through earlier that day.

Max was being wonderful, holding her close, comforting her, supporting her…but it didn’t change the fact that Liz was scared out of her mind to return home after all of these years. Her family must hate her for the way she just abandoned them.

"They don’t hate you." Max kept insisting, any time that she vocalized her fears. "It’s impossible to hate you. They probably missed you like crazy…I know what that’s like, and maybe they’re a bit hurt, but all in all, everyone is going to be thrilled to see you again. I’m sure of it."

"What about you?" Liz would ask. "Won’t everyone be thrilled to see you again?"

Max would chuckle under his breath before responding, with a wide, amused grin plastered across his face.

"Well, that remains to be seen. My family will be thrilled to see me again, but they know I’m back. I didn’t see anyone else when I stopped in Roswell before going to find you. Maria will be pissed at me for not dragging Michael home with me. And your parents will want to kill me for getting you pregnant!"

His response would always make Liz laugh, no matter how many times he said it.

"Yeah, you’re probably right!"

But now there wasn’t any laughter inside of her, as her fears finally became a reality once again. They were back in New Mexico…only a few mere hours away from her parents, her friends…and Liz was terrified.

Max kept his arm around her, holding her close as they emerged from the plane into the terminal, heading straight towards baggage claim.

"Thank you." Liz breathed. "For not telling that we were coming."

Max turned and smiled gently down at her.

"You know we both wanted it to be a surprise." He reminded her. "Come on, let’s get our bags and rental car and get to the hotel, so that we can make our appearance tonight."

"Tonight?" Liz mumbled. "I thought we could wait until tomorrow."

Max froze in his path, and quickly moved to face Liz, tilting her chin upwards so that he could look into her eyes.

"Liz…sweetheart. I know you’re nervous. I am too, to be honest. I mean, not only are we both appearing for the first time in 10 years to your family, but we’re appearing together, engaged and pregnant. I’m scared out of my mind to face your parents. But we have to do this, Liz. We have to do it tonight. And we’ll do it together, love. I swear to you, I’m not going to leave your side no matter what. We’re both scared, but we’ll be there to support each other…and because of that I know it’s going to be all right, no matter what happens."

Leaning down, Max pressed a feather light kiss on her lips. "I love you, Liz…everything is going to be fine."

Liz nodded, trying her best to take all of his words to heart.

"You’re right." She agreed. "I know you’re right. Let’s get to the hotel."

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

The Tumbleweed Inn hadn’t changed a bit since Liz and Max were kids. It was still just a small, not too cheap, but not too expensive hotel right on the edge of town, with a stucco roof, and white walls with the pain just slightly chipping off.

Max grinned as he pushed open the door to their room, dragging the suitcases in and shoving them in a corner.

Liz followed him in silently, closing the door behind her, before leaning back against it, feigning a casual stance, as she stared up at Max with shining eyes.

Turning to stare at her curiously, Max noted the curious expression in her eyes before asking.

"What’s going on, Liz?"

A feral smirk on her face, Liz stepped forward, crossing the short distance between her and Max in a slow, even pace, before reaching him, and rubbing her hands up his chest to circle around his neck, as she pulled his head lower and into her range.

Leaning up so that her lips were mere inches away from Max’s, Liz whispered seductively to him, "Oh nothing…I just realized what a good thing we have going here…you, me, alone in a hotel room…and we haven’t made love in two whole days. That’s just wrong, Max. Don’t you agree?"

"Definitely." Max gasped breathlessly, as he desperately tried to close the distance between their lips, only to have Liz turn away, pulling him towards the bed.

"It’ll be our first time here, at home, in Roswell, Max. We need this." She declared thoroughly, before swooping her hands beneath his polo, and pulling it quickly over his head.

Max nodded in agreement, barely realizing what he was agreeing to, as his mind was completely distracted by the way that Liz’s hands were suddenly playing with the seam of her own shirt, slowly pulling it up, exposing skin to him inch by inch, centimeter by centimeter. It was all too slow for him…torturously slow. He needed her, now.

Control slipped out the window, as Max quickly stripped both of them down to nothingness, picking Liz up, and placing her down in the center of the bed, before quickly sliding home.

It was quick, passionate, filled with a desperation, hunger, and love that seized Max taking control of his actions, as he had no choice, but to fulfill his love’s every need and desire.

Only when it was over, and they were lying in bed, holding each other close, as they did every time they made love, did Max realize where it all came from.

"You were trying to distract me!" Max exclaimed in an accusing tone.

Liz smiled guiltily, burying her face into his chest.

"You were trying to avoid facing your parents!" He cried again.

Sighing, Liz sat up to face him.

"Okay, okay…you’re right. I was trying to distract you. And it worked rather nicely, didn’t it?"

"Well, yeah it was great, but…" Max suddenly groaned. "God, do you know how much worse this is going to be for me? Now not only do I have to face your parents and tell them I got you pregnant, but I have to do it five minutes after making love to you!"