~ chapter 7 ~

Once inside the factory, Max stopped a moment allowing his eyes to get used to the darkness surrounding him. It was all the same as he remembered. The dusty machinery. The combined smell of chemicals, soap and alcohol spilled most likely from a recent party. This wouldn't do. Max cupped his hands together and concentrated a moment causing them to glow enough that he could see the room more clearly.

Spotting a disco-like ball hanging from the ceiling above him, Max stood under it, held his finger upward and made a circle in the air with his finger causing the ball to automatically whirl into motion. The light was too strong for what Max had in mind so he snapped his fingers and the ball slowed casting a dim glow in the center of the room making soft images shimmer along the dusty floor.

Next Max closed his eyes and thought of a scent that would go with vanilla. Concentrate on Liz's scent… In a few moments the room was filled with a faint strawberry smell. Max smiled as he breathed it in and opened his eyes. Perfect. He'd always heard strawberries went well with vanilla.

Now, one last touch… Max took a few steps forward and glanced around him for a box. Finding an old beer carton sitting around the corner, Max turned it upside down, set it on a nearby ledge and waved his hand over it. The room was instantly flooded with the soft sounds of a saxophone as it played "Can You Stop the Rain" by Grover Washington from the radio Max had morphed.

Smiling deeply, Max glanced around the room and nodded with satisfaction. "Not everything she deserves, but this ought to do it…for now…"

Just then he heard the sounds of the door opening and hurried into the shadows so he could watch Liz's entrance. Her reaction didn't disappoint him. "Max? Max, where are…" Liz's mouth dropped open as she stepped into the center of the room and looked around her with a sort of confused awe. A smile easily claimed her lips when she breathed in and smelled strawberries in the air. Her eyebrow raised as a new strain of music reached her ears. Putting her hands on her hips she called out to Max. "Ok, Merlin…what are you up to?"

Max's velvety voice filled the room after a brief pause of silence. "You know the only memory I have of this place is when Isabel drug me here for a party. I hated it. It was loud and hot. People were stumbling all over the place from being drunk, girls kept trying to pull me onto the dance floor and it quickly became the last place on earth I wanted to be. Until…"

"Until?" Liz asked almost coyly as she turned in the direction of his voice and waited for Max to show himself. She had no idea where Max was going with this, but she liked it so far.

"Until I saw the prettiest girl in school walk in." Max stated quietly, his voice softly echoing the past as he began to remember. Liz could hear him move but she still couldn't see him. "I didn't care that she was on the arm of the most popular football player on the team. It just mattered that she was here."

A few steps more and Liz squinted into the darkness waiting for him to continue. Max didn't disappoint. "Although, the truth be known, she looked completely out of place. Like a princess in a room full of paupers. She was wearing a slim plum colored dress that fell to just above her knees and her hair was pulled back into a diamond barrette and curled at the ends. It fell so softly around her shoulders..." Max appeared on the edge of circle of light, his hands stuffed casually in his pockets as he gazed at Liz intently. "I'd never seen her look more beautiful."

Liz's smile brightened when she saw him standing there like a ghost from her past. She remembered that night. She remember seeing Max there, much like he was now, standing in the shadows. Never taking the initiative to step into the light. He'd been wearing a black shirt and she remembered thinking how delicious he looked in black. It set off his velvety dark eyes somehow. How she had wanted to dance with him that night. She'd stolen so many glances in his direction. Too many...

Her smile faded as the memory of the rest of that night instantly came rushing back to her. Clasping her hands in front of her nervously, her gaze faltered sadly. "That night. Kyle and I..."

"Liz." Max stopped her as he stepped into the circle of light. "You don't have to tell me." Taking a few more steps, he was standing in front of her and reached out to gently touch the side of her face. "In fact, you don't have to say a word. I just wanted to see if I have the courage to do now what I couldn't do then."

Slowly raising her eyes to meet his, Liz's breath caught in her throat at the intensity of his gaze. "W...what would..." She took a deep breath. "...that be?"

A slow smile touched Max's lips as he held out his hand. "Ask you to dance with me. Will you?"

The smile that claimed Liz's lips made it's way to her eyes and caused them to twinkle like stars in the night sky when she gently placed her hand in his. In that moment, Max Evans knew this is what he had been placed on this earth to do...make Liz Parker smile. That if he didn't accomplish anything else of worth his whole life through, this moment would be enough to justify the space he took up here on this planet full of pain and tears and rare moments of magic. Moments like this.

Max eased his arm around Liz's waist pulling her close to him. Their eyes locked as he brought their combined hands up near his shoulder. Sharing a warm smile, Max leaned his cheek against her hair as Liz rested her head on his chest.

So this is what heaven feels like. The thought was simultaneous. As were so many of their movements. Both Liz and Max's eyes drifted closed and Max smiled when he heard Liz let out a sigh of contentment as she unconsciously snuggled deeper into the warmth of his embrace. Slowly, they began to sway in perfect time to the music together. Hand in hand. Hearts matching each other beat for beat. Breathing even and deep as they allowed themselves to relax into each other and enjoy the feel of being in each others' arms.

Max cursed himself for not having taken the steps to know this kind of peace...this completeness...when he had the chance all those years ago. If he had, maybe things would be different now. Maybe trust wouldn't be so unattainable. Or happiness. Love... Max tried to push the thoughts from his mind, but they refused to leave. He knew they never would. Not as long as Liz Parker was in his arms...

Just this once. Just this once he wouldn't fight it. There'd be enough time for that in the coming days. Right now, he just didn't have the will to pull himself from the dream. So, Max nuzzled his cheek deeper into Liz's hair and gave himself up to the myriad of feelings that were washing over him...

Liz silently wondered where Max had been all of her life. She felt so safe in his arms. So secure. So...perfect. And she hadn't felt that in a very, very long time. She smiled to herself realizing that he'd always been there. In the back of her mind. In the heart of her deepest desires. Just on the edge of activity...but there, nonetheless. All those years ago, they had watched each other from a distance. Silently waiting. Neither making a move. And their chance had passed. In the years since, he'd come alive only when she dared to let herself dream. But this wasn't a dream now. Maybe their chance hadn't passed after all...

This feels right. Right in a way it had never felt for Liz before. Maybe all they had needed was the right moment. Maybe he'd only been waiting for her to invite him into her private world. Maybe he was still waiting...

As silent thoughts turned to resolve, Liz's muffled voice floated up to Max. "Max?"

"Hummm?"

"I want to tell you."

Max opened his eyes and pulled back from Liz slightly to look in her eyes, but her focus remained on his chest as her fingers nervously played with a button on his shirt. "Tell me what, Liz?"

"What happened that night."

"You know you don't have..."

Liz's eyes raised to meet his and Max was awed by the amount of trust he saw shining there. "I want to."

Max nodded silently and Liz's gaze drifted back to his chest. "Kyle and I...it was our anniversary of sorts. We'd been together for three months and we were supposed to go out to celebrate. I mean really go out. To a fancy restaurant and the whole works, you know."

Max's jaw tightened when he saw pain cloud her eyes. "We...never made it. He brought me here instead. He said we were just going to stay for a few minutes, but...well, the few minutes turned into several and then…he started to drink."

Liz pulled out of Max's arms reluctantly and turned from him as reflection set in. She steepled her fingers in front of her face and bent her head to meet them. Max saw the rise and fall of her shoulders as she took a deep breath. Since he couldn't see her expression, he guessed it was to gather her courage. He hoped it wasn't to stop a new flood of tears.

She turned back to Max and glanced up at him with a wry smile. "You know how they say some people make really lousy drunks? Well, Kyle was one of the worst. When he drank he got…angry...even violent…at times. That night he…" Liz reached up and tucked her hair behind her ears as her gaze faltered once more. "…well, he got really angry with me and…"

"My God." Max's chest tightened with sudden anger and his lungs felt like they were being squeezed by a steel band considering how hard it was for him to breath. Searching her expression for the answer to his unspoken questions and instinctively knowing it in the way she couldn't raise her eyes to meet his, Max continued her thought as if she'd never stopped. "He hit you?"

Liz's gaze snapped up to his face. Oh God. No. Not that look. The one of pity and revulsion. The one that screamed that his Dreamgirl had disappeared and in her place stood only a shell of the woman he thought she was. Liz had never been able to stand the look of pity in someone's eyes. Now, seeing it in Max's she was almost physically ill.

Wrapped in his arms, she thought she could do it. She thought she could trust him with the past. Open up to that pain. But now she realized she couldn't do it. She couldn't let him know the truth. She couldn't let him see that she'd ever been that weak. Not if it meant losing his simple gaze of admiration. The one that she was getting used to seeing in his eyes. Had always seen waiting for her…

Shaking her head emphatically, Liz forced the lies through a weak smile. "No, Max. It's not what you think. He just...he just got angry that's all. We had this huge fight and..." She paused to take a deep breath while her mind raced to find a plausible lie. "...I ended up leaving with Pam Troy of all people. Can you believe it?"

His gut told him to answer 'no' to that question, but his heart...

Max's face was expressionless as he watched her. What Liz had mistaken for pity and repulsion in his face earlier had actually been pain and hatred. His heart ached at even the thought that she would have ever known that kind of treatment and hatred took root for the one who inflicted it on her. But as she concluded her tale, Max fought to show nothing. Somehow he knew that it was important to show he believed her…even if the pain in her eyes contradicted her story.

Whether it was because Max didn't want to believe someone...even someone he had disliked as much as he did Kyle Valenti...could be so cruel to such a beautiful innocent creature as Liz Parker or maybe it was the hidden plea he saw in her eyes, but Max forced himself to relax. Then he willed himself to give her a smile. She needed him to. He instinctively knew his reaction meant something to her. He would not mess this up for her...

Before Liz knew it Max was standing in front of her, reaching out and caressing her face. "Liz. I'm so sorry."

Liz blinked in confusion. His apology wasn't the typical 'I'm sorry' you say to someone when you don't know what else to say. It was…personal. Guilt-ridden. As if he had actually been the one to land the blow that caused her bruises all those years ago. "Why? You didn't do anything…"

"Exactly." Closing his eyes, he shook his head slightly. "Maybe if I'd not been so scared. If I'd asked you to dance that night…maybe you would have left with me instead and…"

"No, Max, don't do that. Don't blame yourself for Kyle's actions." Her gaze caressed his face as a small smile touched her lips. "Besides, it would have only made matters worse if you had asked me to dance."

"Why?"

"Because I would have said yes and I *would* have wanted to go home with you instead of him. That would have been much worse because...well, he was already jealous of you as it was."

"Jealous? Of me?" Max's eyes clouded with confusion. How could Kyle have been jealous of him? Shy, quiet, unassuming Max Evans? Kyle had the popularity of being an all-star athlete, the constant attention of everyone who was anyone in school. But most of all...Kyle had Liz. "Why?"

When Liz smiled this time, it was full of warmth and her eyes softened as she locked gazes with Max. "Because he wasn't you. He was never..." Liz's gaze dropped when she lost the courage to finish her thought. How would Max react if he heard the words that were echoing in her head...ringing in her heart? ...everything I ever dreamed of.

Liz blinked a few times and glanced back up at Max nervously. "Max? Why…did you do this for me?"

Max swallowed the lump that rose in his throat at the raw vulnerability he saw her in her eyes. He knew what she needed. To feel special. To feel worthy of the trouble. Deserving of the thought and effort. Kyle Valenti was a fool. He put that doubt in her eyes years ago. Max Evans was going to erase it now.

Both hands instinctively came up to cup Liz's face and Max's thumbs absently caressed the sides of her face as he felt himself being pulled to her by an undeniable force. "Because just like that night, I thought you deserved something more." He brushed his finger against her cheek and gave her a half-smile.

"And because…" His gaze moved from her almond shaped eyes to focus on her full red lips as his head dipped lower. Liz felt his whispered words against her lips before they actually reached her ears. "…I wanted to give you a new reason to shiver when you see the soap factory come into view."

A millisecond later, Liz's heart slammed into her chest and exploded into a million pieces as his mind-shattering kiss entered her soul hungrily claiming what they both instinctively knew had been his all along. Liz managed to register a split-second of surprise as all of her insides melted in the fire that engulfed her. Her fingers raked through the dark locks of his hair and she let out a light moan as her body pressed closer to his when she opened up to the tantalizing feel of his tongue parting her lips.

And Liz shivered.

The intensity of his kiss deepened with each new step this dance they'd begun led them. His fingers burned as they brushed lightly against her cheeks which had begun to blaze with fire. Her hair slipped through his hands like silk as he moved to support her neck and delved deeper into the warm sensations her kiss sent flowing through him. The searing sweetness that went right to his soul. He'd never felt anything like this before. The hunger. The fire. The need.

The need. Max's mind replaced his heart in the driver's seat and slammed on the breaks. He couldn't do this. He couldn't drown in this delicious dream they'd begun. Because a dream was all it was. A dream that could only die in the nightmare of lies and secrets. When all was said and done, he would still have secrets he needed to keep. And Liz. Liz really did deserve more than he could ever give her. She deserved…a life withou t fear.

Slowly, reluctantly Max pulled back and attempted to calm his breathing. When he gradually opened his eyes it was to see Liz's wonder-filled eyes gazing at him in stunned awe. Despite the warning bells going off in his mind, a light smile danced on his lips at her silent reaction. "Did it work?"

Liz could barely make a coherent thought as she nodded absently. Her kiss-swollen lips turned upward into a radiant smile and her eyes closed to half-mast as she pulled Max's lips toward hers for more...

Max shook his head slightly and put his finger against her lips just before they reached his. His voice was low but strong. "Liz, I meant what I said. You deserve so much more than silent fears and bad memories of a relationship that went bad. You deserve everything good this world can offer…" Keeping his eyes trained on Liz's, Max voice raised to address the third party that had stealthily entered the room. "Wouldn't you agree, Sheriff?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"What? What?" Maria's hands flew out in a what-did-I-say gesture as Jeff and Nancy Parker stared at her.

All three were in the Parker's upstairs kitchen. Jeff was sitting on a stool leaning on the counter and Maria was opposite him dumping a quart of strawberries into a bowl. Nancy had just entered with two sets of sheets, blankets and pillows to announce she was setting up the rooms for the kids' arrival. An announcement to which Maria replied, "Why two sets? I thought they were sleeping together in Liz's room." The comment caused both parents to stop and stare at her.

"What?" Maria continued vaguely aware of the affect her words were having on Liz's parents, especially her father. "I'm just saying that if they're together, they're probably 'together', you know? Why set them up in separate rooms when they've probably been doing it for a while now?"

A visible shudder ran through Jeff Parker's body as the thought of his little girl being 'together' with anyone popped into his mind. He rejected the idea immediately. "I'm not so sure we should jump to conclusions like that, Maria. Lizzie didn't really tell us anything about this boy."

Nancy placed a sympathetic hand on Jeff's arm. To Jeff, Liz would always be his 'little girl', but Nancy knew better. Her little baby girl was a woman now. A woman with desires. If Liz had met the right one like Jeff and she suspected, it just might turn into a difficult week for a father who refused to see his baby girl as a grown up. Best to help prepare him for the inevitable as soon as she could. "Jeff, maybe Maria's right. You know how excited Liz sounded when she called. I mean, she didn't tell us much about him…but the way she said his name…"

"What is his name anyway?" Maria asked as she continued to clean a bowl of strawberries trying to glean as much information as possible to take home to Michael.

"Max."

Maria's eyebrows furrowed. Now why did that name sound familiar. "Max? Just Max? What? Doesn't he have a last name or anything?"

Jeff chuckled. "I'm sure he does, she just didn't mention it. Or if she did, I didn't catch it. I was too revved up that my baby was finally coming home after all this time."

Making a silent decision, Nancy moved to the next room to put both sets of sheets and blankets on the floor by the couch. Once Liz arrived, Nancy would pull her out of Jeff's hearing and ask how she'd like the sleeping arrangements to be. That way they wouldn't be assuming anything…and she'd be able to comfort Jeff while he lay awake thinking about his little girl being grown up enough to actually have sex. "She did say that she knew him a long time ago. Back in high school, I think." Nancy called back into the kitchen as she entered.

Maria's hand flew to cover her mouth as it dropped open at the revelation that shot through her mind. No, it couldn't be. Could it? Oh, God. If it was him… Michael was definitely going to need to know about this. Her mind immediately switched to her best friend. Oh, God. If it was him… Liz must be the happiest woman in the world. "Oh, my God. Could it be… Is it Max…Evans?"

"I don't know. She didn't say." Jeff glanced up at Maria curiously then swallowed hard when he saw the twinkle in her eyes. "Why? Who was this Max Evans?"

Maria chuckled. "Only the biggest crush Liz ever had. I mean, Max was huge. He was only here for one term then his family moved away, but Liz didn't even look at another guy for like a year after he was gone. Even then, they all had to pass the Max-o-meter test."

"The Max-o-meter test?" Jeff asked clearly disturbed by the onslaught of information he was being forced to hear about his little angel.

"Oh, yeah. If they didn't have his soulful eyes or that shy smile and his perfect lips…" Maria stopped her dreamy re-accounting of Max's features and brought her eyes back to meet Jeff's. "None of them ever did, by the way. No one, and I mean, *no one* ever met the Max-o-meter criteria."

"What about Kyle…"

"Kyle was Liz giving up on Liz." Maria answered bitterly. Forcing a bright smile, Maria continued the conversation as if Kyle's name had never been mentioned. "The point is…I can guarantee you this, if Liz's new guy is Max Evans…you'll want to set up one bedroom for them."

"Or not." Jeff shot back briskly. "I'm not so sure I like the sound of soulful eyes and perfect lips…"

Exchanging a meaningful look with Nancy and biting back her laughter, Maria shrugged nonchalantly. "Have it your way, Mr. P., but if I were you, I'd get ready for late night trysts and secret rendezvous spots if they end up in separate rooms." She started to chuckle and slapped Jeff on the arm. "Liz is really going to thank you after this trip…"

"Trysts? Secret…rendezvous?" Jeff Parker actually paled and his voice faltered. "Thank…me?"

Nancy saw the expression on Jeff's face and hid her laughter behind her hand as Maria continued to taunt him with a wave of her hand. "Sure. Think about it. Let's say they've been dating a while, right? So, they're probably getting used to each other by now. You know, the whole honeymoon period where they can't keep their hands off each other has faded."

"Ahhh, but, the second you tell Max and Liz they can't sleep together in the same room, it'll re-ignite the fire." Maria's gaze turned upward and her dramatic flare was evident in the expression on her face and the way she clutched her hands to her chest. "Make the passions burn anew."

She flung her hands outward and raised her voice. "Their bodies burn with desire…" Maria let out an exaggerated sigh then her dramatics ended abruptly when she and brought her gaze back to Jeff's pale face. "Really, Mr. P, didn't you know? Forbidden love is the hottest…"

"She right, Jeff." Nancy threw in as she pulled up a seat next to her husband and began cleaning strawberries as well. "Think about it. It's the allure of the unattainable. What man doesn't want what he can't have? We separate Max and Liz and it won't be long before we're having to watch where we go at night."

Jeff gulped. "Where…we go?" He turned a confused expression to his wife.

"Yeah, you know. Dark corners, tiny rooms…" Maria tossed in.

Nancy nodded trying her best to keep a straight face. "Definitely. Like the supply closet downstairs..."

"Oh, God. That would be so perfect! It would be a great reminder of the eraser room we used in high school…which, just so you know, wasn't used to clean erasers…" Maria wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.

"Oh, and the kitchen for a little 'midnight snack'…" Nancy suggested with an upraised eyebrow continuing the game Maria had begun.

"Yes! The kitchen can be sooo erotic with all of it's cool smooth counters and…strawberries…whipped cream…" Maria's eyes closed as if she could feel the heat rising in the room and her voice became breathy. "…hot…steam..." She let out another sigh and began to fan herself. "Boy, could I tell you stories about midnight snacks with Michael in the kitchen…"

"Ok. Ok. I get the point!" Jeff actually started to put his hands over his ears then stopped himself when he realized what he'd almost done. Maria and Nancy exchanged looks and it was all Maria could do not to burst into laughter.

Jeff looked stunned for a moment as his mind began to whirl with the mental image of Liz sneaking through the halls of their house with one mission…to meet her high school crush for a secret lover's rendezvous. He swallowed hard and stared absently into space for a moment till Nancy touched his arm. "Jeff? Are you ok, honey?"

Nodding absently, his gaze shifted to Nancy. "Where...uh...where did you put the sheets?"

Nancy's brow furrowed. "By the couch. Why?"

Jeff jumped off the stool without a word and Nancy and Maria grinned at each other then followed him to the living room in time to see him lean over and pick up the pillows and sheets. One set of sheets. Resolutely turning toward the hallway, Jeff headed straight toward Liz's room. "Honey? What about the other set of sheets?"

He never heard her. He was too busy mumbling something about Max and Liz sleeping together if it was the last thing they ever did…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The phone rang once. Twice. Three times. Finally he heard a click on the other end. "Hello?"

"Hey, it's me."

"Hey. What's up?"

"Iz there?"

"Nope. She's out…"

"Shopping?"

A chuckle greeted the question. "Yeah. Where else?"

A brief smile then serious set in once again. "Listen, I don't want to worry you, but it's possible we might need to move soon."

"Why?"

"Liz Parker's back in town. And she's not alone. She's bringing some guy with her."

Silence greeted him for a moment as the news set in. "FBI?"

"Look, Maria thinks it's no big deal, but…I've got this feeling."

A deep sigh. "Right. Well, I won't say anything to Iz yet, but…you know we'll be here if you need us."

"I know." Michael took a deep breath. "We'll keep you posted."

"You do. And…Michael…"

"Yeah?"

"Tell Maria to hug Liz for me."

Michael nodded once. "We'll do. See ya, Alex."

"Bye, Michael…"