Pt 2

Liz walked for hours. She went everywhere she could possibly think to go. She walked past her home, and past her school. She went to Maria’s house, and then to Alex, but she didn’t go in anywhere. If what was happening was real, then she was dead to all these people. For the first time she couldn’t go to any of the people that she usually turned to in a crisis. Finally Liz realized that there was only one place that she could go to, and like that she found herself knocking on Max’s bedroom window.

"Liz. Hi."

"Listen, Max. I’ve had a lot of time to think today, and well, it all led me back to you. I don’t have anyone else I can turn to, especially since everyone thinks I’m dead. And, anyway, can I come in? I need to talk to you."

"Of course you can."

"So I have a theory on what’s going on here, but I have no idea how to fix it or anything. I think I’ve somehow jumped realities."

"Jumped realities?"

"You know, timelines. I don’t know how it’s possible, but somehow it happened because I’m here, and I shouldn’t be."

"What’s the last thing you remember from your world? Do you know when it happened?"

"I’m not sure. In my reality I was on my roof talking to you, and then you left, and the next thing I knew, I woke up on my bed in this reality. It’s all so weird."

"You were talking to me?" Max was surprised. In this world he and Liz almost never talked before she died. He thought about her constantly, wishing he had the guts to talk to her, about anything, but in reality she barely knew him.

Suddenly a thought occurred to Max. "Could I have done this?" he thought. Maybe in Liz’s reality he has more powers than he does in this one. Max felt horribly guilty. He knew that if another Max did this, it really wasn’t his fault, but he still felt bad. Maybe he could find some way to fix what was happening to Liz. But did he really want to fix it? He finally had the girl of his dreams standing there with him. Was he really that selfish that he would try to keep her there if he could?

"Max, are you okay?" Oops. He had zoned out.

"Yeah, sorry, what were you saying?"

"I asked if it’s okay if I stay here tonight. I don’t exactly have anywhere else I can go."

"Stay here tonight?" Max thought to himself, "Like in his room? With him?" Michael did it all the time, but he wasn’t horribly attracted to Michael. He couldn’t put her in with Isabel. God, it was like all his Liz-dreams were coming true at once.

"Of course you can stay here Liz. I wouldn’t leave you out there alone."

"Thank you Max." Liz sat down on his bed, and looked up into the eyes of the alien that she’d been dreaming about for months. "But it’s not really him is it" she thought to herself. "It’s A Max, but not MY Max." But was he even her Max anymore? He ended it with her. Took a step back. He said it was just for a while, but any time without Max seemed like an eternity to her. Her world was going to feel so empty without him in it. At least here she had him.

A single tear dripped down Liz’s face. Max reached his finger out and caught it on her cheek.

"Don’t do that Liz. Don’t cry. I know that it must be tough, all that you’re going through, but I’m going to help you through it, okay? I’ll do anything in my power to help you find your way home."

"I know you will Max. I believe in you." Max looked down at her and felt all his affection for this woman pouring out of him. Those four words spoken by her, "I believe in you," gave him such strength. He felt like he could do anything, as long as Liz Parker believed in him."

Liz looked up at him, and then smiled. She was here with him, she might as well make the most of it. "Hey Max, let’s go do something."

"Do something?"

"Yeah Max, something fun. I mean, don’t you want to? You’ve wanted to be with me for so long Max, and now I’m here. Let’s take advantage of it and have some fun while we can." Max grinned.

"Okay. I’ll admit, I never expected this, but why not? Do you like Chinese? I know this great place across town." Now it was Liz’s turn to smile.

"Sure. Let’s go."

Max and Liz go to the Chinese place, and play pool. As they play, Liz begins to realize again that this Max isn’t really her Max, as he’s much better at playing pool.

"Do you come here a lot?" Liz asked him as they sat down to eat.

"Yeah." Max replied quietly. "Um, after you died, it hurt too much to go to the Crashdown, so I found a new place to hang out."

"Oh," Liz replied quietly, "I’m sorry."

"I never thought I’d ever eat with you here," Max laughed. "I used to imagine what it would be like to bring you on a date here."

"Well, now you know," Liz smiled and squeezed his hand. They finished their food and moved on to their fortune cookies.

"What does yours say," Liz asked Max. He broke his open.

"It says, this is the best night of your life." Max smiled and looked up at Liz. The blood had drained from her face.

"What?" she asked.

"This is the best night of your life, see?" Max showed her his fortune cookie. It really said that.

"Excuse me. I need some air." Liz jumped up and ran out of the restaurant.

Max sat there shocked for a moment, before paying the bill and following her outside. He found her sitting on the ground leaning against the jeep.

"Are you okay Liz?" Max stared down at her with a worried gaze.

"I’m sorry. I wasn’t being fair to you. I thought I would be okay, since it was you, but that fortune cookie thing freaked me out."

"Liz, what are you talking about. Tell me what’s wrong."

"Let’s go somewhere quieter to talk."

"Okay." Max and Liz jumped into the jeep, and they drove out into the desert. Max veered the jeep off the highway, and drove them towards some rock formations. He parked the jeep, and they got out.

"Come on. I come out here sometimes to stargaze, or to think. It’s really quiet and peaceful here." Max led Liz up to the top of the rocks, and they sat down and gazed up at the sky. The stars were shining brightly tonight, and in an instant Liz found the constellation she’d been looking for. The "v" shaped one, which was going to lead Max home.

"See that constellation up there, the radish shaped one?" Max looked at where she was pointing.

"Yeah I see it."

"That’s the one I always look for when I go stargazing. I keep a telescope up on my roof. I love studying the stars." Liz shivered and hugged herself. She didn’t know what she would do if she ever lost Max to the stars. At least she’d always know where to look for him.

"Tell me about your Roswell, Liz." Max asked. He wanted to know everything about her. What she liked, what she didn’t like. What she loved, what she hated. What made her break down crying in the Chinese restaurant.

"My Roswell?" Liz asked. She shivered again.

"Here," Max said, as her took off his jacked and draped it around her shoulders. He left his arm around her and pulled her closer to him. "I want to hear everything."