Part 32

A few moments later, when Max and Liz found themselves standing together at the top of the stairs in front of the door to the Parker’s apartment, the roles reversed once again, with Max being the strong supportive one, while Liz hesitated to knock, nervous about finally seeing her parents again.

She held her fist up to the door, frozen in the act of knocking, as the blood rushed from Liz’s face, and she wildly turned to Max.

"I don’t know if I can do this." She whimpered, as he pulled her into his arms.

"You can, Liz. You can do this. You have to do this." Max insisted. "You know it, deep inside your heart, that you can’t delay seeing them anymore. You need them, Liz."

Liz nodded silently, mustering up the last shreds of courage within her, as her fist made contact with wood, 3 quick raps against the door, before silence overtook them again.

Clinging to Max’s hand like it was her lifeline, Liz’s knuckles turned white she was squeezing him so hard, while Max’s thumb caressed her gently, trying to soothe her in any way possible.

Max could feel Liz suck in her breath as the door slowly opened, and they stood there face to face with an instantly shocked Jeff Parker.

"Hi daddy." Liz greeted him softly, in her tiniest, little girl voice.

It was as if time froze for a minute, as Jeff stared at his daughter in shock, his mouth opening and closing, but no words seeping out. Like Maria, he had also given up hope at ever seeing his daughter again, only for her to reemerge at the most unlikely time, on a cold December evening, like an early Christmas gift that no one had ever anticipated.

"Lizzie." He finally stammered. "Oh God, Lizzie." He cried, pulling her into his arms quickly. "Nancy! Come here, quick! It’s Liz! Liz is home!"

Suddenly the room was a whirlwind of activity as both Nancy and Jeff greeted their daughter excitedly. It wasn’t a tearful reunion like Liz and Maria’s. Jeff and Nancy were just so thrilled to see her again, that they smiled, laughed, hugged.

Max followed them inside, but as Liz predicted no one paid any attention to him right away, the family completely focusing on their long lost daughter. So Max stood in the background, just watching as his fiancee glowed with happiness at seeing her parents again. It warmed his heart to see, and he knew how completely Liz Parker needed this moment…and also understood that had he not returned it may have never happened.

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It was an hour later before Liz was finally able to excuse herself from her parents, heading downstairs with Max to meet up with Maria and Alex.

Liz and Max had mutually agreed to save their announcements for later, concentrating instead tonight on catching up with their lives. They made plans for a private dinner party with all of their family and friends in the Crashdown after closing the next night, and instead spend most of the night had been spent listening to Jeff explain the merger with Amy, and the expansion of the Crashdown, a story which both Max and Liz found fascinating.

Finally stepping back into the dining room, Liz squealed in excitement, launching herself at Alex, as Max and Maria watched on with grins on their faces.

"Liz!" Alex exclaimed. "God, I was afraid Maria was hallucinating or something, but it’s really you, isn’t it?"

"Yeah, it’s me!" Liz grinned.

"Max!" Alex greeted him with a broad smile. "Good to see you again! How’s life out there these days?"

"Well…last I heard things were pretty good up there." Max replied in amusement.

"That’s great!" Alex exclaimed. "Now how about if we get out of this crowded café, and go somewhere where we can talk?"

"Sounds good to me." Liz smiled.

"Yeah, I know there’s a lot I want explained by the two fireflies over here!" Maria burst out in excitement.

"Fireflies?" Alex asked in confusion.

"Yeah, they’re glowing!" Maria insisted. "Can’t you tell? It’s that lustful, we’re having sex every night glow. Sickening, isn’t it?"

Maria and Alex grinned as Max and Liz both blushed to their roots.

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It was a nostalgic move on the whole group’s part, as they walked out of the Crashdown and down the street, eventually finding themselves in front of West Roswell High, where they ended up sitting beneath a tree in the back of the school, Max leaning back against the tree, with Liz tucked comfortable between his legs, her head back against his chest. Maria sat cross-legged beside them, while Alex lay down his head back in her lap.

"God, I don’t know where I want you to start!" Maria exclaimed. "On one hand, I want Max to tell us what the heck happened out there, and where Michael is…but on the other hand I am dying to hear how you two got back together."

Max sighed sadly before responding. "Well…I can answer your first questions pretty quickly. I fought a nine year war, built up a democratic government, and came home. And Michael stayed behind…I’m sorry Maria. The choice was too difficult for him. It was choosing between his greatest desire, to find his home, and his greatest love…you. The desire was right there in front of him…and he couldn’t imagine leaving it behind."

Maria was silent, nodding sadly. "I always hoped that he would come back, but I think a part of me knew that I would never see him again."

"What about Isabel?" Alex asked curiously.

"She stayed too." Max replied. "It was the same thing as with Michael. Her greatest desire was always to find her family…and she did, and she loved them so much. She had already lost her family once, and she couldn’t stand to go through it again."

"Why did you come back?" Maria wondered aloud.

"Unlike them, my greatest desire wasn’t out there…it was right here. My greatest desire was always Liz. So the first moment the opportunity presented itself, I escaped. I hated it there so much."

"Because Liz wasn’t there." Alex finished.

"Exactly." Max replied.

"And you guys found each other that easily?" Maria inquired. "I mean, I tried to find you so many times, Liz, and I never succeeded. You disappeared about as thoroughly as anyone could without, you know, leaving the planet."

"Actually…it was fate." Liz breathed softly.

"With you two it’s always fate." Alex laughed.

"Well this time it had to be!" Liz exclaimed. "Max didn’t even get a chance to start searching me…we just kind of stumbled into each other."

"What, like you passed each other on the street or something?" Maria asked.

"Actually in Liz’s classroom." Max explained. "Liz is a college professor and I unknowingly enrolled in her class."

"So it was a student/teacher thing, huh?" Maria laughed. "Kinky."

"Ha, ha. Very funny Maria." Liz glared playfully at her friend.

"Still…that’s really cool." Alex marveled.

"So what about you guys?" Liz asked. "What are you doing with yourselves?"

Maria and Alex exchanged looks.

"Well…we’re roommates." Alex started. "We got an apartment together when we were attending Las Cruces, and it worked out so well that we’ve been living together ever since."

"That’s cool!" Liz exclaimed.

"I’m the financial manager for the Crashdown and my mom’s shop." Maria explained. "Not as glamorous as I always wanted to be, but it pays well, and it’s kind of fun and ironic, you know…that I run the local alien tourist traps."

"What about you, Alex?" Max asked.

"Well...I teach actually." Alex replied.

"You too?" Liz asked in surprise.

"Yeah, here at West Roswell, actually. I do computer and music classes…mostly computer, but I convinced the administration to let me organize a guitar elective. It’s a fun class."

"I’m sure." Liz laughed.

"And the number one lesson is that musicians get the ladies!" Maria cracked.

Alex exploded in amusement. "Oh, you will never forget that, will you?"

"Never." Maria replied, in a completely serious, straight-faced tone.