Part 7

As the first notes of the song began to play, a Motown tune, Isabel laughed out loud, instantly recognizing the song. Maria and Liz soon joined in and as Michael and Alex began to sing, Max was so busy staring at the happiness of Liz’s face that he almost forgot to sing. Thankfully he knew the words, so he didn’t have to follow the teleprompter.

Max stuck to singing quietly , but he did sing. And he saw the way Liz was watching him, her eyes bright and a grin on her face. After all that had happened he felt a swell of pride that even his off key singing could make her smile. Reaching the last part of the song he sang a little louder, though he left the serious dance moves up to Alex, who really seemed to enjoy playing in the spotlight.

I’ve got so much honey the bees envy me
I’ve got a sweeter song than the birds in the trees
I’d guess you’d say
What can make me feel this way?
My girl
My girl
My girl
Talkin bout my girl

After the last cords died away, Max did his best not to rush away from the stage, trying hard to resist his usual urge to hide and meld into the background. With Liz, Maria and Isabel standing on their feet, clapping and yelling, it wasn’t hard to enjoy their praise. He even found himself smiling.

He sat down next to Liz, but she got up quickly to follow Isabel to the stage. When she got up, Maria dragged her along, pulling her arm. As she stood, Liz’s hand braced against his thigh, pushing up so that she could stand. The pressure of her hand on his leg made him catch his breath and he watched her go. The gesture had seemed so natural to her, as though she hadn’t even realized she’d done it. Max blinked, trying to focus in on the girls as they got ready for their song. Max knew he recognized the song as a favorite of his mothers and he watching in fascination as Isabel, Maria and Liz moved to the beat, their voices blending and bringing a distinct melody to the room. Maria first started the song, her voice strong as she punctuated each word:

Then Liz’s voice broke in, taking over. Max’s eyes widened and something stirred in his stomach at the deep, sultry sound of her voice:

Isabel took over from Liz after an encouraging nod from the brunette and her voice, surprisingly light, chimed in:

All three girls joined in, winding together and making a fully blended sound:

"Wow," Michael said, clearly surprised at the impressive performance they were seeing. Liz, Maria and Isabel somehow complimented one another with their different voice talents. Alex nodded in agreement.

"Liz and Maria were never bad together, but somehow, I can see what they were missing. Isabel," Alex observed, glancing over at Max, who had his eyes fixated on Liz, unable to tear them away as she bounced around and laughed as she sang, her laughter bubbling over into the song.

Alternately the girls turned to sing to one another and then to the guys, Maria winking at Michael and Isabel giving Alex one of her rare genuine smiles. Max loved how Liz really got into her singing, she smiled, she bounced around to the made up moves of Maria and Isabel and Max found her grin infectious. She’d been through a lot in the last few days, but Liz was obviously enjoying herself, and enjoying the presence of her friends. As the song wound down and the girls’ voices faded away, Max found himself energetically cheering as Maria bowed and sat back down next to Michael.

Liz looked at Max shyly as she sat down, almost seeming embarrassed. She leaned back against her chair and Max’s arm, which was laying on the back of her chair. He smiled at her.

"What?" he asked, curious by her slight blush. She laughed.

"Every time after we sing I always wonder how I got up there in the first place. This is so not a Liz Parker kind of thing to do," she replied. Max touched her shoulder gently, which brought her dark eyes to meet his.

"Maybe not, but I think Maria brings it out of all of us. You were really good, you were all really good," Max said. Liz laughed, finding what he said unbelievable, but accepting the compliment anyway.

"Thanks, you were good too. I think Isabel added to our performance. Mr. Elmer might not be so quick to cancel Karaeoke night now. You know, I’d love to hear you sing again," she requested, and Max found his throat go dry. He knew he could never deny her request, even though if asked by anyone else he would have quickly refused. So, he nodded slowly, and Liz acknowledged with a toss of her hair, clearly satisfied with herself. Max nudged her shoulder and pointed to Isabel, who was selecting another song to sing by herself.

Isabel had chosen another oldies style song, with a big band playing in the background. Alex looked up as Isabel’s light voice began to sing the song, one Max couldn't help but feel held more meaning than a random choice.

Max watched his sister carefully, noticing the smile on her face, but also noticing how tightly she gripped the microphone and he could tell that she was nervous. And there was no way he could miss the way her eyes were locked on Alex, looking as though all her hope was directed at him.

What if I sang to you a sweet lullaby?
What if I gave you a dozen stars that I pulled from the sky?
What if I told you tonight
I want to love you for the rest of my life?

As Isabel finished she took a quick bow and sat down next to Alex, crossing her legs nervously before she glanced over at him. Max smiled as Alex’s head leaned over to hers. He couldn’t hear the words, but he saw his sister duck her head shyly and he quickly assumed that her leap of faith and choice of song had not gone unnoticed.

Michael quickly took the stage, selected his song and then grabbed the microphone, bringing it to his lips and reaching out a hand to point directly at Maria.

"This song is for you, Maria. And even though you might want to deck me afterwards, I mean it in the best possible way," Michael said, waiting for the song to start. Maria and Liz traded puzzled glances and waited. Maria rolled her eyes as the song began, recognizable within seconds.

Michael’s voice cracked as it couldn’t quite reach the high notes and Liz laughed at her brother and noticed Maria hiding her face in her hands, but still peeking through her fingers at the sight of Michael literally making a fool of himself for her, and, in a way, baring his true feelings to her for the first time.

Michael finished with a flourish and then sat down next to Maria, who punched him in the arm first before she then leaned over to kiss him on the cheek. Liz was watching her brother with Maria and noticed the way his forehead was resting against Maria’s, and the utterly peaceful expression on his face. She felt her heart tug at the sight, so happy that they’d obviously made at least a small step past the just friends status.

Feeling slightly nervous, and since the others were distracted, Liz stood up and walked over to the stage, flipping through the available choices and alternately glancing at Max. She was trying to think of a song that might get his attention, but she didn’t want to be too obvious about it. Finally, her finger stopped at the perfect choice. With a touch of a smile on her face she selected it and waited for the song to begin. The song started out with a piano and quickly picked up a steady beat. Liz took a deep breath and then her voice, strong and sure, erupted from the speakers.

Max grinned at the sight of Liz, easily keeping time with the swift lyrics as she focused on the words streaming across the page. Her eyes were shining brightly and she tossed her head to get her hair out of her eyes. She looked radiant. He wished she would look up at him, and as if she heard his request, she did, her eyes on him for the rest of the song.

Liz finished, out of breath and her face flushed. She took a quick bow, her eyes never leaving Max’s. She caught the grin on his face and felt a shiver move through her. She had a feeling that the grin on his face wasn’t one that often crossed his features and it thrilled her that she had put it there.

Liz sat down next to Max, and she turned towards him, causing her leg to press up against his. He swore he could feel the softness of the skin on her bare leg against his own, despite the layer of jeans he was wearing. As she leaned in closer to him, Max’s eyes widened and he felt his mind go blank. She was so close, he could smell her perfume. She was so close he could make out the freckles on her neck. His gaze dropped to her neck, wishing he could move his mouth to kiss her there. She was so close he could actually see the gentle jump of her skin over the vein in her neck as blood flowed through her body. He barely managed to quell the urge to touch her neck, feel her skin and the steady beat of her heart.

Suddenly, he realized she was talking to him, her eyes expectant, waiting for his reply. He took a deep breath and licked his lips, wishing he had a glass of water. His throat had gotten so dry all of a sudden.

"Uh-what? What did you say Liz?" he asked, cringing at how idiotic he sounded. Liz simply smiled a serene smile and repeated her words.

"I said I thought it was about time you fulfill my request for a song," she suggested, her voice light and teasing. Max saw the opportunity to put some distance between him and Liz, a chance to rein in his impulses and he nodded, quickly getting up. He couldn’t think when he was around her, all reason and logic disappeared. Running a hand through his hair, he began to walk towards the stage when the lights in the restaurant dimmed. Shouts of disappointment came from Liz, Maria, Michael, Alex and Isabel, the only customers left in the Pizza Pan.

"Sorry kids, it’s closing time," Mr. Elmer called from the kitchen. Gathering their things, they exited the restaurant and walked towards their cars, the Jetta and the Jeep being the only remaining vehicles in the parking lot. Michael had his arm slung over Maria’s shoulders and he was leaning towards Alex, who had Isabel’s arm linked in his. Liz watched them with interest and was about to comment to Max when she felt the gentle pressure of his hand at the small of her back. Her head shot up to look at his face and she found him oblivious to what he was doing, which made her heart beat quicken even faster. It was like it was a totally natural thing for Max to walk with her and need to keep some form of slight tactile contact.

She walked closer to him, enjoying the warmth that radiated off of him. Just being near him made her feel safer and more comfortable. Everyone was saying their goodbyes as Max and Liz approached the vehicles and they did the same to the others, with Max beginning to drift towards Liz and the Jeep while Liz moved towards the Jetta. Just as they were getting far enough away that he couldn’t reach her anymore, Liz’s hand slid down his arm and squeezed his hand quickly before she stepped away. Her touch lingered and they didn’t even say goodbye as Liz got into the car, glancing back at him over her shoulder once before Maria pulled out of the driveway. Max couldn’t stop staring at them until Isabel practically had to yell his name to get his attention. His mind anchored on what Maria had said to them as she got in the car.

See you in school tomorrow.

Feeling carefree, like he didn’t have to worry about his alien heritage or the fact that he was different, he glanced at his watch. The only thing on his mind at the moment was that he had exactly 9 hours, 32 minutes and 14 seconds until he would see Liz Parker again. It seemed like an eternity, but it did give him time to consider what Liz had been singing and it gave him time to contemplate the possibility that he was on her mind as much as she was on his. And it gave him almost ten hours to start to believe it.

Max ran towards the school gym, cursing Isabel loudly in his head. Because of her they had been late this morning and because of her he hadn’t gotten to see Liz before class. Isabel had overslept and had, of course, refused to leave the house looking anything but stunning. He’d seriously considered ditching her at home and driving by himself. As a result of his good moral character he was now running to the gym where first period had just started.

As he flung the wide door open he was surprised to find that students were milling around aimlessly and that there were no teachers in sight. Sighing, he took deep breaths. He should have known, you never had to be on time to P.E. Isabel breezed past him a few seconds later and she tossed her golden hair over her shoulder at him, a subtle taunt. He resisted the urge to tackle her like when they were younger, but just barely. Isabel walked over to Maria, who was painting her nails, sitting on the bleachers. Max looked around for Liz and finally found her nearby, talking to some other girls. As if she sensed his gaze, she looked up and met his eyes, a smile spreading across her face. Her eyes were locked on his as she excused herself from the group and walked towards him.

He watched her coming, unable to tear his eyes away from her and not caring what anyone who saw them thought. And he’d seen the other girls looking at them with interest out of the corner of his eye. All that mattered to him was that Liz was walking towards him. She stopped a foot away, standing closer than a regular person would, inside his personal space. Just where he liked her.

"Hey," she said softly. His smile was easy and slight, but one she could pick up instinctively. To the average person he wouldn’t have moved a muscle in his face, but she saw and knew every small change.

"Hey."

They didn’t say anything for a few seconds, just looked at each other. Then the teachers came in and blew their whistles, signaling the beginning of class. They were in different P.E. classes and Max began to move reluctantly away. He turned at the sound of Liz’s voice.

"Max."

"Yeah?"

"Just thought you should know, I’m still waiting for my song."

And with that, Liz turned away, her ponytail swinging gently. Max knew he was gone. Liz Parker could request the sun and moon and his only thought would be just where exactly he could find enough paper to wrap them. And for the first time, he felt normal. He felt like Liz made him normal. In a world where he wasn’t normal, she reminded and amplified his human side. And for the first time in his life, he realized that he was home.

Roswell, Maria, Michael, Alex and Liz were home. And, for once, being alien wasn’t the first thing that he thought of. He and Isabel were finally home.