With a sigh Isabel returned the January issue of Cosmo to the magazine stand in the resort gift store. She knew she was killing time, but she didn’t know what else to do. Max and Liz were literally wrapped up in one another in front of the fireplace, Maria and Michael had disappeared and Alex was still out skiing. She checked her watch, noting that it was after five. The adults weren’t due back from Aspen for at least another three hours and Isabel was getting tired of waiting around. Usually she had either Max or Michael to turn to when she was lonely because only they understood exactly what she was going through. Now they seemed to have found Maria and Liz to turn to and as much as she wanted Alex to be her haven, he was busy with winter sports.
Just as she was beginning to get upset about her situation, Isabel took a deep breath and shook her head. She reminded herself that she was trying to be more accepting and understanding with other people. That meant that she had to think about others first which was kind of a new feeling for her. She smiled to herself, knowing that she even sounded selfish in her own head, but she was just used to looking out for only her, Max and Michael. Considering others was just a different situation. She stepped towards the window, which gave a clear view of the slopes where they’d been skiing earlier in the day. Despite the dark clouds and the light snowfall skiers still rode the chair lift to the top of the hill. The snow was falling slowly to the ground, seemingly defying gravity as it fluttered earthbound. It made everything outside look softer.
Isabel sat down in the armchair by the window and propped her head up so that she could look out. That way she would see Alex the minute he returned from the cross-country skiing trails. She pulled her knees up under her chin and rested her head against the chair. It had only been a few hours, but she missed him. She missed his sarcastic remarks and his easy smile. She missed his firm lips, pressed tentatively against her own. She knew he had to be back soon, it would be dark soon and Alex knew it wasn’t safe to stay out in the dark with a snowstorm brewing. She blinked a few times before closing her eyes. She was so sleepy and yet she fought to stay awake. The part of her that was exhausted reminded her that she was sitting right by the door Alex would use to enter and she would be the first person he would see. He would wake her up and his face would be over her, smiling as he called her name. She fell asleep with a small smile drifting over her face, as she lay curled up in the armchair.
Maria looked up nervously as Michael entered the room, a bucket of ice in his hand. Somehow they’d silently agreed to go back to the rooms to enjoy some time alone and Maria was a little apprehensive now that they were there. It was the times when they were alone that Michael surprised her the most. Sometimes around other people he could be a bit callous and forgetful towards her, but she knew why that was. He wasn't used to considering anyone else and it just slipped his mind until she was the only thing in front of him. Then it was like a light bulb went on and all his attention would be focused on her. Like when he’d pounced on her in the lobby while she was sitting in the loveseat. She could feel his attention drifting elsewhere with Isabel, Max and Liz around them so she had suggested that they go someplace else. They hadn’t made any specific decision on where to go, but they’d ended back in the rooms. Michael had noticed her rubbing her arm where she’d gotten a bruise earlier and he’d volunteered to get her some ice.
He put the bucket on the kitchen table and went to find a bag and towel. Maria had turned on the gas fireplace and the fire warmed the room quickly. Michael returned with the makeshift compress and sat down next to her on the couch. He’d also noticed her limping a bit earlier and he brought her foot up to his lap, careful not to move it too much. He settled the ice around her ankle and turned to study her face for any hint of pain. After seeing none he settled back and caught her eyes. Maria looked at him openly, she could tell he wanted to tell her something, but she had no idea what it was. From experience she knew that whatever he wanted to say had to come out when he was ready to voice his thoughts. It turned out to be quicker than she had thought.
“I wish I could help you like Max helped Liz,” he said quietly. Maria was puzzled for a minute and then she realized what Michael was talking about.
“You mean the whole intense connection, see into my thoughts kind of thing? That’s okay Michael, it’s too crowded in my head with just me in there,” Maria reassured him, trying to give him an easy explanation. When he didn’t just let the subject go she was surprised. It was really bothering him.
“I just don’t have the same kind of control over my powers that Isabel and Max do. I’m afraid of what might happen if I try to form a connection with you. You saw what I did to your car. It’s like we all have our strengths and none of us are equally strong at the same thing. Isabel is really good at the dreamwalking, Max is best at changing molecular structures and I’m, well, I don’t know what I’m good at,” Michael said, his face showing her his frustration. Maria caught his eyes with hers and reached for his free hand with hers.
“Michael, how can you question how valuable you are? Without you and your visions we never would have found the dome or the pendant that led us to River Dog. All those answers about your past would still be questions,” Maria insisted.
“But all those answers did was bring up more questions. Sometimes it feels like every answer just poses three more questions,” he replied.
“Maybe, but some answers are better than none. Would you rather not know anything?” Maria asked, knowing what his answer would be. He gave her a crooked smile.
“No. I’d rather know what we do now,” he replied. She nodded her head.
“Good, that’s what I wanted to hear,” Maria said. Michael was uncharacteristically silent as he put his arm around her shoulders and brought her closer to him. The pain in her ankle and over her body subsided as she soaked in the feeling of Michael sitting next to her, his chest rising and falling gently.
Liz listened to the world around her as her head was rested against Max’s chest. They’d barely moved in the last hour as people walked past, the front door opened and closed and the grandfather clock down the hallway chimed at each quarter hour. Her head still rested on his shoulder and her hand lay over his chest. She could feel the contours of his muscles through the light sweater and shirt he wore, the sharp outlines reminded her that Max possessed such strength in his body as well as his mind. She could feel his other arm across her back and every few minutes his hand would move, gently caressing her back. She knew he wasn’t sleeping without even looking at his face. She lifted her head and rested her chin on her hand as she studied his face.
His eyes were still closed, but Liz saw the hint of a smile on his lips. He knew that she was looking at him. She brought her hand up, gently touching his hair where it had moved out of place. It was so dark next to her lighter brown hair and the feel of it under her hand was of the uneven ends over his head. Her inspection of his head brought her next to the ear closest to her. She smiled, thinking how his ears stuck out just a little. Not enough that he would have been teased, but enough that she noticed. She leaned closer and gently kissed his face close to his ear, leaving her face close to his. She leaned back a little and she smiled when she saw that his eyes were open and trained on her. In the soft lighting his eyes were a deep amber color even though the color could range from a light brown to the deep color of coffee. She looked at him innocently.
“Max! I’m sorry, did I wake you?” she asked, unable to keep her face straight. Before she had a chance to protest he turned so that she was on her back and he had her gently pinned down. She smiled up at him, his intense eyes holding hers until his head lifted up, distracted by something. She touched his arms with her hands.
“Max, what is it?” she asked. Finally he looked back at her and returned her smile.
“Just a song that always reminds me of you,” he said simply. She listened carefully, she hadn’t really been paying attention to the music in the background, but she suddenly realized that there was music playing.
Maybe it’s intuition
Some things you just don’t question
Like in your eyes
I see my future in an instant
And there it goes
I think I’ve found my best friend
I know it might sound more than a little crazy
But I believe
They were both silent as they listened to the song, staring at each other. His hands gently touched her face, her hair, her throat, and her shoulders as he studied her. She felt like he was burning the image of her into his mind as his eyes never left hers.
I knew I loved you before I met you
I think I dreamed you into life
I knew I loved you before I met you
I have been waiting all my life
Liz smiled at the words, realizing the song reminded her of Max too. When she’d first met Max back in the third grade he had been more than just another boy in class. She knew even back then that he was special. Circumstances just hadn’t brought them together until more recently. Fateful circumstances that included an argument, a gun, a normally quiet three to close shift at the Crashdown on a normally quiet Thursday, and Max sitting at his usual booth, watching her carefully.
There’s no rhyme or reason
Only a sense of completion
And in your eyes
I see the missing pieces
I’m searching for
I think I’ve found my way home
Max couldn’t believe his luck. He was with the girl who had captured his attention and his heart when he was six years old. She knew every secret; everything there was to know about him. Her bare hands were on his arms, holding him close, as if he would ever back away. Maybe it was their distance from Roswell and every stress their hometown brought. Maybe it was because he could finally see what he’d been missing. Roswell seemed like a faraway place where he wouldn’t look down to find Liz’s hand cradled in his, where Liz’s smile and laughter were rare commodities and where any number of indescribable odds kept them apart. With her soft and warm in his arms Max could imagine that they never had to go back to that place.
A thousand angels dance around you
I am complete now that I’ve found you
I knew I loved you before I met you
I think I dreamed you into life
I knew I loved you before I met you
I have been waiting all my life
As the song trailed off Liz noticed Max’s thoughtful expression. “What is it?” she asked, prodding him gently.
“I was just thinking about what things will be like once we get back to Roswell. I know it won’t be the same and I wonder what it will be like. It’s been so easy here; no Sheriff Valenti or the FBI breathing down our necks, no constant fear of discovery. It’s hard to ignore all the dangers of living in Roswell when we actually live there,” Max admitted. Liz nodded knowingly before she spoke.
“But Max, dangers exist everywhere. They are bigger and harder in Roswell, but I know that I wouldn’t trade anything to live somewhere else. Although, somehow I think that even if we hadn’t grown up together we would have found one another,” Liz replied. Max raised an eyebrow.
“You think so? What makes you think that?” Max questioned.
“Because every time I look at you it feels perfect. I feel like you were put on this world just for me,” Liz said, part of her hoping that she wouldn’t scare Max off with her confession. He silently looked at her, his eyes holding hers and she felt her stomach flutter just with that quiet look. His eyes darkened and he reached up to stroke her face.
“Even with all the things that I don’t know about where I came from and why, I do know one thing. That I love you, Liz,” Max replied, his voice dropping to low rough sound that made Liz shiver. She was almost speechless as she looked back at Max carefully. She knew what she’d heard, but she almost couldn’t believe it. But he didn’t turn his eyes away or duck his head down to avoid her eyes. His eyes looked at her steadily and with enough intensity that if it were anyone but Max, she would have looked away.
“And I love you, Max,” Liz replied, her voice barely a whisper. Max’s eyes lit up in both surprise and happiness. It had been almost too much to expect that Liz could love him in return. Ten years of near isolation had taught him one thing; it was hard to get close to people when you made all attempts to avoid them. It just hadn’t even been an issue with Liz. Avoiding her was too hard and after that day in the Crashdown, he’d never wanted to avoid her again.
Liz brought her hands up to his face and pulled him down to her. Their lips met in a tender kiss that made her legs weak and she was thankful she wasn’t standing. She thought she felt Max’s hands tremble as he stroked her shoulders and touched her, and she realized what she’d said to him had affected him strongly. Their lips parted and she stared up at him, still close enough that she could feel his breath on her face. She wanted to see him smile because the sight always made her heart stop. As if he was reading her mind, his face broke out into a smile that felt like it was aimed at her. He sat back against the couch and brought her with him, pulling her into his lap.
Without another word they sat and watched the fire together. Max held her loosely and she found his hand with hers and pulled it towards her. She lifted his hand up and marveled at how different he was from her. Her hands were small, her nails cleanly tapered and her fingers narrow. Max’s hands were broad and she could see the outline of veins and bone when he moved his fingers. His hands were so much bigger than hers were; his hand dwarfed hers as she put her hand in his. Automatically his fingers laced with hers and she felt his palm against hers and his fingers lightly against the back of her hand.
Her heart jumped at the sensation of his skin against hers and she had to control the urge not to find some kind of Snowmass equivalent to the eraser room. She was just about to suggest they return to the rooms when Isabel rushed into the lobby. Her eyes looked frantic as she wildly searched the room, looking for them. Liz felt a burst of pure fear at the expression on Isabel’s face. She was scared. That look had been absent from Isabel’s face for quite awhile and Liz worried about what had brought it back. Isabel spotted them and rushed over. Max saw her coming and immediately stood up, bringing Liz up with him.
“Isabel, what is it?” he asked, gauging his sister’s appearance and knowing something had happened.
“I was waiting for Alex and I fell asleep. When I woke up and looked outside I saw how bad the storm has gotten. Max, it’s after six, there’s a heavy snowstorm and Alex is still out in it! He should have been back a long time ago! “ Isabel’s voice raised as she grew more upset at her own words. Liz felt Max squeeze her hand reassuringly, but she hardly felt it. Her eyes had drifted to the storm outside. She couldn’t even see the slopes anymore because the falling snow was so heavy and wildly thrown around by the wind. Her stomach dropped. Alex should have been back a long time ago; he was an experienced skier. And if he had come back he would have gone to Isabel first.
Which meant he was still out there.
