Epilogue

“Table 4, order’s up! “Jose’s voice carried from the kitchen out to the main counter of the Crashdown. Liz’s head snapped up and she hurried around to pick up her order. With practiced ease she balanced the three plates and turned quickly, nearly running into Maria. She gasped and struggled not to drop the food on the floor. Maria jumped back a little and held up her hands.

“Sorry! Didn’t mean to sneak up on you!” Maria exclaimed. Liz shot her a glare, but then smiled. She nodded her head back to the food counter and Maria took the hint, grabbing the last order for Table 4 and two bottles of Tabasco sauce. Liz led the way over to the table, Maria following closely and grumbling under her breath.

“My game is just totally off. First a two week vacation from waitressing and a whole New Year slash millennium? I’m not sure I can handle it,” she said.

“Try lavender oil, and you know, Maria, the new millennium isn’t technically until next year,” Liz pointed out. Liz heard the sigh of disbelief from Maria and smiled, knowing that Maria expected her to point out the technicalities just as much as Liz had to bring attention to them.

They wove their way carefully across the café, coming to a stop at the usual table that Max, Michael and Isabel shared. This time Alex had joined the group and Liz and Maria would have too, if they didn’t have to work. Liz sighed, it was their first day back in Roswell after their trip to Snowmass and although the six of them had seen each other that morning when they’d arrived back in town, none of them were surprised when they’d all ended up at the Crashdown that night. Every time the door swung open Liz’s head would pop up to see if it was Max. He, Michael and Isabel had snuck in when she’d been in the back to get more sugar and when she’d finally come out; Alex had joined them at the table.

Maria and Liz settled the warm plates on the table and Maria placed the Tabasco sauce beside the food, trying to be discreet. The three aliens shot her grateful looks, knowing that it was the little things, like remembering about their taste preferences, that helped make their friendships strong. Max’s eyes never left Liz, despite the huge hamburger right in front of him and his appetite. Liz caught his intense stare and smiled before pulling out her order pad.

“Can we get you anything else?” Liz asked professionally. Michael looked up, holding up his fork to get their attention.

“Yeah, there’s these two waitresses who really look like they could use a break. Why don’t you ask them if they could join us?” he asked. Liz glanced at Maria and was happy to see her friend’s face soften at Michael’s words. Isabel looked up from where she’d been studying Alex’s hand wrapped around hers.

“Patience, Spaceboy,” she said wryly. Max grinned at the words and Michael even smiled.

“Sorry, there’s no rest for those of us who have jobs,” Maria replied. Alex looked insulted.

“Hey now, that was cold. Some of us are very busy with our extracurricular activities,” he said defensively. Liz and Maria collectively raised an eyebrow each in his direction.

“Your band doesn’t count,” Liz replied. Alex was left sputtering in his own defense while Liz and Maria returned to the kitchen to pick up more orders. They were pretty busy for a Sunday night, especially a Sunday night right before school was set to begin again. Every chance she got, Liz looked up at Table 4 and every time she caught Max staring at her, his eyes tracing her body and every move she made. She would have blushed if she’d felt embarrassed, but she didn’t. After two weeks of sharing the same bed and sleeping together, Liz felt more comfortable with Max than she did when she was alone. Just the image of him standing at the bathroom counter, brushing his teeth made her smile. Trying to remember that she was still working, Liz turned her attention back to waiting tables.

Almost two hours later, Liz was pushing the mop and bucket out to the dining area. They were closing in a few minutes and she wanted to finish just as soon as possible. She nearly plowed right into Max, but he steadied her, his hand holding the handle of the mop. She looked up at him and wished his arms were around her. She didn’t know how she was going to do without him all night. But they were back in Roswell now, and things had to be different. Her parents weren’t a few locked doors down, they were mere feet away with walls thin enough to hear someone breathe.

“Thanks, I seem to be running into people a lot tonight,” Liz murmured, taking the wooden handle from him and propping it against the counter. He shrugged.

“No problem. We’re getting ready to head out, I just wanted to say goodnight,” Max said, bringing his hand up to trace her jaw line. Her breathing stopped as he leaned down and kissed her gently before pulling back. Liz nearly protested, the kiss had been far too short for the duration she would have to go before she would see him again the next day. Before she could say anything, he pulled away and held up his hand briefly before exiting the Crashdown, following the others outside. Liz watched them go sadly, then turned to pick up the mop.

January 2nd. I’m Liz Parker and nine days ago we almost lost Alex. I haven’t had a chance to write since we got back from the trip up to Snowmass, but I keep going back to that 24 hour period when we didn’t know where Alex was or if he was ok. Even all the fun we had on Christmas day and for the next week haven’t been able to wipe the memory completely away. It brought all of us: me, Max, Isabel, Michael, Maria and Alex closer together, but it could have ended so different. And I wonder sometimes if it had been Max lost in the snow, would I have known in my heart if he were okay? Or would there be this gaping question mark in the space he used to be?

It was like a reminder that my life is so different than normal, so different than what it was before Max saved me. It’s been less than four months since that day and ever since then my life has gone off of the regular rutted path, it’s veered off into the unknown. Once I wondered if I would ever want to go back to my normal life and my normal existence. I know now that I would never choose to return to a predictable life. Things might be complicated and convoluted in my life, but it’s my life. And my life now includes five unique people who I wouldn’t ever shut out.

And Max. Max makes everything worth it. The golden prize, the paradise trip, the million dollars pale in comparison to what Max gives me. When I read this journal to him he finally knew for certain how I feel about him. The happiness that gave him was so important to me. Because I finally gave him something back after all he’s given me. And I’ll remember the look on his face for the rest of my life. He’s the one who led me off of the straight and normal path and I will eagerly follow him wherever he leads.

“Liz?” Max’s voice carried up from the street and through her window. Liz smiled as she stopped writing, her pen finishing at the last period. She closed the journal and set in next to her bed before she climbed outside. She glanced at the clock, the green numbers reading just after midnight. Liz gathered a blanket around her shoulders and looked over the brick edge of her balcony and the fire escape. Max was at the bottom, his face looking up. The smile that spread across his features was well worth the late hour on a school night.

“Can I come up?” he asked quietly. She nodded and stepped back to allow him up the ladder. When he joined her on the balcony she noticed him shivering a little in the cold night air. She opened her arms and he walked towards her, his arms automatically encircling her body to bring her flush against him. Instantly she was warm as she smiled against his shoulder.

“I thought I wasn’t going to see you again until tomorrow,” she murmured. Max stroked her hair gently, his hand coming to rest against her neck.

“I couldn’t sleep,” he admitted. Liz pulled back and looked up at him.

“You realize that Isabel was right?” Liz said wryly.

“About the whole sleeping arrangement issue?” Max asked, to which she nodded.

“Yes,” Liz said, wanting her words to serve as a reminder. She knew what she wanted, but Max had to make his own decision about the matter. He seemed to think about things for a minute before answering.

“Do you remember when I said we were too different and that it wasn’t safe for us to be anything more?” he asked. Liz nodded, recalling the night at the Crash Festival.

“Well, your response was ‘I don’t care’. I know because I remember wishing that I could say the same thing with such confidence, with such ease,” Max said. Liz realized what Max was waiting for, so she complied, trying to keep a straight face.

“But Max, it’s not safe. What if my parents catch us, or yours don’t find you home one morning. It’s not safe,” Liz said.

“I don’t care,” Max replied his face serious, and Liz nodded, knowing he believed his words as much as she did. They didn’t speak another word as she led him over to the window and through, pulling him off his normal life’s path as much as he had diverted hers. Liz smiled as she dimmed the lights and turned to her bed, where Max was already getting comfortable. She finally understood what people meant when they said it was the journey that mattered. Because any journey with Max, with them together, was worth the trip.

The End