Part 11

Liz focused her attention back on Max…her Max…the REAL Max. He lay there in her chair, his head back, eyes searching the sky once more, a distant look clouding his eyes. He had been trying hard to shut out the exchange between Liz and…him…and he had done a good job of it. Now he barely even realized that it had ended.

Liz circled around and stood behind Max, leaned down, and gently started rubbing his shoulders. She needed to touch him, to feel his presence, and only his presence, surrounding her.

Max ripped his gaze from the stars, her touch bringing him back to reality, bringing his attention back to Liz.

"Come here." He gently asked, opening his arms to her. She took his invitation, sliding back against him on the chair, allowing Max to wrap his arms around her and pull her close up to him. Her head was pressed up against Max’s chest, and she sat there listening to his heartbeat. The steady rhythm was incredibly soothing, and slowly Liz began to calm herself down, returning to the safety and security of her world as she knew it.

"I can’t help but feel sorry for him." Max softly sympathized. "I mean, in a way, he is me, and I would never want to have to live out my life without you. I would never wish anyone a fate so miserable and alone. It must be absolute torture…"

"Yeah, but it is his life Max, and it’s something that he needs to come to terms with. I do feel kind of responsible though. I mean, he was fine until I showed up and turned his world upside down."

"Don’t blame yourself, Liz. It’s not your fault. You weren’t the one who pulled the trigger in that diner. It all happened the way it did for a reason…even in his world."

"Yeah…I know."

They sat there in silence for a while longer, watching the stars shine brightly down on them, and feeling the warmth and love in one another’s presence. For the first time in a long time, their world seemed quiet and uneventful. It was a very calming feeling for them.

"Max?"

"Yeah Liz?"

"I can’t help but wonder though…how many other Roswells are there out there? Could there be more than just his and ours? Maybe there are thousands of them. Thousands of Max Evans’, thousands of Liz Parkers, all of them infinitely different from you and I, but still the same in a lot of ways. I suppose there could be a human Max Evans somewhere, or a world where you never came to earth, or one where you get caught by the FBI, and though all of these worlds, which one is the REAL Roswell? Or are they all real?"

"I don’t know, Liz. I really don’t. But I suppose anything is possible."

"Yeah…I suppose."

"Liz…do you want me to head home? I mean, he’s gone and you’re safe. You don’t really need me to protect you right now. It’s getting late. I can head home and let you get some sleep. It’s really no problem."

"Max…would you stay? Please? I really want to be with you tonight."

"Okay, I will."

"Thanks. But you’re right, I am tired. Why don’t we go to bed."

Liz took Max’s hand and led him towards her bedroom, where she and her love were about to spend the first of many nights curled up in one another’s arms.

Slowly Max Evans came to the realization that he was lying in his bed. He felt like he was waking up from what seemed like a long night’s sleep. He became aware of his body first, lying there in the familiar covers of his own bed, and next he realized that he wasn’t alone. There were voices in the room talking quietly.

"How are you doing, Isabel?" A strange voice asked.

"I really wish he would just wake up. He’s been out like this for days. I really miss him."

"He’ll come back to us Izzy." That one was Michael’s voice, Max realized.

"How can you be so sure?" Isabel asked frantically. "You didn’t try to connect with him like I did, Michael! He was so empty. It was like he wasn’t even in there!"

Max’s heart ached at his sister’s words. How could he have been so selfish to run out on his family like that? God…he hadn’t even thought about what he was doing to them…

As the feeling began to return to Max’s body he realized that his hand was locked with his sister’s, and Max squeezed it slightly, as he painfully tore his eyes open, looking around his home for what felt like the first time. His eyes met his sister’s tear-stained ones, which were searching his sharply.

"Max? Oh my God. Max! You’re awake!"

"Yeah." Max sat up slowly, groaning as his head spinned. "I’m so sorry Is."

"Don’t you ever leave us like that again, Max!" Isabel wailed, pulling her brother into a tight hug.

"I won’t…don’t worry. Never again." The pain flashed into Max’s eyes as he remembered back to Liz’s ultimatum. ‘We don’t belong together.’ It was over. Max was Liz-less, now and forever. He needed to pull himself together, move on with his life. Maybe he could even find someone new.

Max blinked as he looked around the room, realizing for the first time that he and Isabel weren’t alone. He placed faces with the voices he had heard before. Michael was there…and someone else too.

Max’s eyes locked on the petite blonde standing across the room with Michael, and for the life of him, he couldn’t tear them away. There was something about her…Max didn’t know what, but he suddenly felt an incredible urge to hold her close, and tell her everything about himself.

Max shook his head, as if trying to clear the images floating in front of his eyes of himself with the new girl.

"Who’s she?" Max asked, his voice dazed.

"I’m Tess." She informed him, smiling slightly.

"What? Don’t tell me you were never introduced to Tess, Max? She moved here, like a month ago, and has been hanging out with us ever since!" Isabel laughed incredulously.

"She’s in, like, three of your classes Max!" Michael told him.

"When I heard that you were sick, I wanted to come and check up on you, Max. You had us all really worried for a while there."

"I’m sorry. I haven’t really been myself lately. But that’s all going to change now." Max promised, squeezing Isabel’s hand once more."

"Good." Isabel informed him. "Because we have a lot to catch up on. A lot happened while you were off sulking. Tess here, is one of us…"

THE END! Because this is NOT a story about the gerbil!