Max pushed through the swinging doors of the kitchen in the Crashdown Café. He looked to where Liz stood, helping some of the kids from their school hang up their coats. He watched her every move, the way she reached to hang a scarf on the top hook of the coat hanger and how her hair swung as she turned around. Already he wanted to kiss her again. Shaking his head he rubbed his eyes and ran a hand through his dark hair. It wasn’t a good idea. He could practically see Isabel staring at him with disapproval in her eyes. And Michael. Michael would react much stronger if he told them what had happened. Not that he could hide it. Not that he wanted to.
Already he was resisting the urge to walk over to Liz and wrap an arm around her slender waist. She was so tiny. He remembered thinking how perfectly she’d fit in his arms when he’d comforted her after her grandmother’s death. Like she was meant to be there. As if sensing he was thinking about her, Liz turned back to look at him. He caught his breath at how her eyes lit up as she smiled at him. It was a happy smile, one he hadn’t seen often enough since their lives had become so complicated that afternoon when he’d healed her. The thought that he’d put that smile on her face warmed him. He gave her a slight smile back, one that no one else would have noticed except Liz.
Liz saw Max smile back at her and her heart sped up. His face was sometimes so expressionless that it was hard to tell what he was thinking. The past few months she had made quite a study of learning Max Evans’ facial features. The barest hint of a smile started in his eyes first and sometimes his mouth even turned up a little. She’d seen the full-fledged version just minutes before when they’d kissed and she recalled how happy he looked. As she looked at Max she saw that happiness fade slightly and his features clouded over a little. Concerned, she was about to walk back over to him, but her friend Kate stopped her. Appraising Max, Kate turned to Liz with a curious look on her face.
“Wow Liz, how did you get Max Evans to attend a social event?” Kate asked, trying to sound casually curious. Liz tried to resist the urge not to roll her eyes. Kate had made no secret of how hot she thought Max was. The three of them had Geometry together and Kate had been trying to get inside information on Max from Liz ever since Max had been partnered with Liz in Biology.
“I asked him to come,” Liz said simply. Kate regarded her closely.
“You’re not trying to steal my guy, are you?” she asked suspiciously. Liz thought she was serious for a minute until Kate’s face broke out in a grin.
“I’m kidding!! Geez, Parker you are so gullible! Like I could possibly miss Max’s eyes drilling two neat little holes in the back of your head every day in class! It’s about time!”
Kate laughed and pushed Liz over in Max’s direction as more people poured into the Crashdown. Someone pushed a quarter into the jukebox and music filled the café. The noises of people talking and laughing filled the air. Liz ignored the sounds and headed straight for Max. As she approached he lifted his face to meet hers. Her stomach dropped a little. He’d been in typical Max stance. Head and eyes downcast, hands in pockets and shoulders slumped. She had to resist the urge not to push back the hair on his forehead that constantly fell forward. She could tell by the wary look in his eyes that everything was not okay.
“Max--“
“Listen Liz, I’m sorry,” he said in a hurry. Her heart fell.
“Why?” she asked softly. He couldn’t think it was a mistake. Nothing that felt that perfect could possibly be a mistake.
“I shouldn’t have kissed you like that. We said we’d keep our distance and I messed up,” Max said with a sigh. Liz took a deep breath.
“You didn’t, Max. How can you say that? Don’t you get tired of keeping our distance? Is it really worth it?” she asked, hoping to convince him. Max held her eyes with his. He reached up and cradled her face, his thumb gently touching her earlobe.
“It is if it keeps you safe,” Max replied softly. With regret that she could see on his face his hand dropped from her face. She nearly shivered at the sudden loss of warmth. His hands were always so warm. She clearly remembered the warmth she’d felt as his hands had slid up her body from her back to hold her face as he’d kissed her not even ten minutes ago. She was about to reply to Max’s argument when his eyes looked past her to the door. She turned to look and saw Michael and Isabel enter. Both tried to look nonchalant, but Liz could tell Michael was trying to look too casual and Isabel immediately searched the room for Max. Their eyes met and it was as if there was an unspoken conversation between them. Max gave Liz a quick look before crossing the café to join his sister and friend. Liz watched helplessly, immediately jealous of the connection Max shared with Isabel and Michael. She could never really be a part of that, no matter how much she wanted to.
Liz thought about the turn her life had taken in the span of a few minutes. Max had literally kissed her breathless and told her they couldn’t be together. He’d changed her world and shattered it practically all in the same breath. For just a second she thought about crying, leaving the party to proceed on its own. Shaking her head, she dismissed the thought. Maria was her best friend, there was no way she wasn’t going to have the best seventeenth birthday possible. Liz put her feelings about the whole Max situation aside for the time being and moved to put the food out on the counters.
“So what’s going on?” Michael asked, immediately fishing for details. Isabel studied him closely.
“You said you had somewhere else to come before the party,” Isabel said, not a question but a statement. Max nodded, knowing he couldn’t keep a secret from either of them.
“I came here to help Liz,” Max said. Isabel nodded, urging him on. Michael was not nearly as patient.
“And?”
“And we-we, yeah,” Max stopped, stumbling over his words. He looked up and realized that they understood what he was trying to say.
“Don’t worry. I told her there’s no way we can be together,” Max said, somewhat dejectedly. Isabel rolled her eyes.
“Max, sometimes you are so thickheaded,” Isabel said, using her usual tact. Max’s head shot up quickly, that was not the reaction he’d expected from his sister of all people.
“Look, whether you date Liz Parker or not is no longer front page news. We aren’t ever going to be completely safe from all the unimaginable evils of the world. I never thought I’d say this, but Liz is good for you,” Isabel said. She saw she had her brother’s attention and continued.
“She knows all about you, Max. She knows the deepest, darkest secret that the three of us will ever have and she still wants to be with you. Please redeem the males of all species and make the attempt to apologize,” Isabel said.
Max had to blink; he was staring at Isabel so hard. She was the one who had cautioned him. But she was also the one to tell him to go to Liz when she was hurting before. He looked over where Liz was chatting with classmates. He saw the tension in her shoulders and the false smile on her face. She was hurting again and this time he’d been the one to put it there. Suddenly his stomach felt heavy. He’d never wanted to hurt Liz, of all people.
“She’s right, Maxwell,” Michael said simply. Max raised his eyebrows and patted his friend on the shoulder.
“Thanks for the insightful advice Michael,” Max said. He shared a quick look with Isabel and started to walk across the floor to Liz. She turned as he came closer and he saw her eyes wander to his. She looked so sad as he approached her and yet, he saw a glimmer of hope in her brown eyes. He was suddenly gripped by fear. There wasn’t anything to stop him now. He had Isabel and Michael’s blessing. Liz knew all about him. The constant feeling of danger was muted. Ever since he’d seen her that first day in third grade he’d always had an excuse to stay away. He didn’t have any reason to keep his distance. He wasn’t sure what that meant. Liz saw his hesitancy and her face fell. He felt horrible for what he was putting her through, but Max didn’t know what to do. Just as he started to reach for her hand to pull her away someone yelled out to the crowd, flipping off the lights.
“They’re here! Everyone be quiet!”
The café fell to complete silence as the headlights of Alex’s car sliced through the dark café windows. Max reached out and found Liz’s hand in the dark. He walked up to stand behind her, close enough so that she could sense him behind her but far enough away so that he was only touching her hand. Liz heard the calm sound of his breathing and she felt the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed, standing so close behind her. If she just swayed back a little she would be leaning against him. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the feeling of his hand in hers as he moved his fingers to intertwine with hers. She sighed at the feeling; just that simple touch calmed her. The way his hand bent to fit hers and how he angled her hand close to him and how his fingers rubbed the back of her hand gently. She pulled his hand up so that his arm was wrapped around her waist in the front and so that he bumped into her back. She heard his breathing stop for a minute and smiled to herself.
Max was surprised when Liz pulled him closer to her. Suddenly he could feel her back against him, her legs next to him and her head tucked next to his. Her feet shifted between his so that she could stand closer to him. Her hair was close enough that he could feel the softness of it on his chin. His arm around her waist was held firmly by Liz’s hand against her side. He opened his hand and he felt the softness of the pink sweater she wore and as she moved slightly his hand grazed her bare skin. He was no longer looking out the window as he looked down at Liz in the dark. Only seconds had passed and nobody was paying any attention to him or her, but his entire world was centered on the soft feel of Liz’s skin under his fingers. Before he had a chance to consider where they were going the doors to the Crashdown opened and Alex and Maria entered.
“Alex, what is going on here? I don’t get why the Crashdown isn’t open; it’s Friday night! Where is every--"
“SURPRISE!!!!” everyone yelled at once, the lights flashing on quickly to reveal all the guests. Maria shrieked in surprise and then her face widened into a smile, one hand on her forehead and the other over her heart. She laughed and searched the crowd. Her eyes caught Liz and Max, standing close and she walked over quickly. Liz stepped away from Max and hugged her friend.
“You!!!” Maria said, hugging Liz tightly. They pulled apart and both broke into a fit of laughter. Max found the smiles contagious and he grinned. Maria observed how Liz stepped back and automatically found Max’s hand in hers. Her eyebrows raised in surprise.
“Okay, you and me, we’re going to talk later. But for now, it looks like I have guests to attend to,” Maria said arching an eyebrow. Liz smiled and Maria grinned, immediately enveloped by a throng of well wishers. Liz and Max were left relatively alone and Liz turned to Max.
“So, what happens now?” Liz asked quietly. Max held his breath for a minute.
“I don’t know,” he said simply. “I know that I want to keep you safe and I want you to be happy.”
“Max, I’m safe and happy when I’m with you,” Liz said, stoking his face with her hand.
“I knew kissing you would only complicate things,” Max said, his eyes playful.
“Really? Well, I’m glad you did,” Liz said, inching closer to him. He lowered his head close to her and felt the pull of her, barely a breath away.
“Me too,” he replied. Just as he leaned close enough to touch his lips with hers someone yelled her name from across the room. Liz shut her eyes in frustration and reluctantly pulled away from Max.
He watched her go until his eyes met Isabel’s across the room. She gave him a slight satisfied smile and nodded just a little. He joined his sister and Michael over at the booth they sat at, giving them a sheepish smile.
The evening passed quickly. After a few hours the food and punch disappeared, along with the birthday cake. The crowd started to thin out until only Liz, Max, Maria, Isabel, Michael and Alex remained. Maria held up a paper cup of punch to Liz, who stood leaning against the counter.
“Here’s to Liz and a great party. Thanks for making this birthday memorable Lizzie,” Maria said quietly. Liz smiled softly at the name that only Maria was still allowed to call her. Maria downed her cup of fruit punch and looked around.
“Well, looks like we have a bit of a mess to clean up. Since Liz and Max put it together, who wants to help me clean up?” Maria asked. When Isabel and Michael were not as quick to respond Maria nodded her head in the direction of the kitchen as a hint. Finally she managed to get the rest of the group to follow her into the kitchen, leaving Max alone with Liz. He stood up from the booth and walked over to her. He tentatively reached forward for her hand and she easily walked into his arms. The slow music coming from the jukebox filled the room with warmth.
Liz cuddled up against him like a kitten, her arms wrapping around his neck. His hands rested on her hips then encircled her waist, bringing her closer. He was amazed at how she responded like everything she did was natural. It was like she knew how he felt without saying a word. He felt a little clumsy, not really sure where to move his hands. Liz seemed to know exactly what she was doing and Max had no idea what to do. The protective bubble he’d kept around himself had managed to exclude nearly all social functions where he might have needed to dance or interact with any girls. Not to mention the hand holding and kissing. Liz’s finger’s played with the hair at the back of his neck and she looked up at him.
“Don’t worry, this is all new for me too,” Liz whispered. He was puzzled, he knew Liz had had boyfriends before. He’d watched everyone and had been equally envious at what they could have but he couldn’t. He found it hard to believe she had never danced with any of those boyfriends. Liz smiled to herself, remembering the confused look on Max’s face at her words. What she hadn’t said was that she’d never danced with or kissed someone who meant as much to her as Max did. He’d saved her life in more than one way the day she’d been shot. And she intended to prove it to him. She could hear the steady beat of his heart against her ear as the song wound down and the jukebox switched to the next selection with a mechanical click.
What neither one of them heard was the doors to the Crashdown swishing open. The voices of the small group that entered quickly hushed at the sight of Liz and Max dancing slowly and for a minute everything was silent. A polite cough quickly got Liz’s attention and she looked up. Her eyes widened in surprise, but she didn’t move away from Max.
“Mom! Dad! What are you guys doing back so quickly?” Liz asked a little nervously. She tried to remind herself that it wasn’t as if her parents had caught her making out with Max. Her parents, Maria’s mom and Max’s parents. Max followed her eyes and she could tell he was as shocked as she was.
“Well, we were down the road at Rachel’s with Amy when we ran into the Evans and decided to all have dinner together,” Liz’s dad replied, looking at his daughter with an amused smile. Liz nodded and pulled Max over.
“So, what’s going on? How did the party go?” Liz’s mom asked, eyeing Max a little suspiciously.
“It went great. Maria was really surprised. Max and I, we were just dancing,” Liz started to stutter, then she reminded herself that Max was still standing next to her, his hand in hers.
“Mom and Dad, you remember Max. Max, this is also Amy DeLuca, Maria’s Mom,” Liz introduced. Max smiled at Liz’s parents and shook Amy’s hand. Max cleared his throat and motioned to his parents.
“Liz, these are my parents, Phillip and Diane. Mom and Dad, this is Liz,” Max said. Liz shook their hands and she found that Max’s mother stared at her a little longer with an interested look on her face. Liz smiled warmly at them and watched as Max’s parents shared a quick look. She looked back at Max, but he’d missed it while he’d been staring at her.
“Liz, I’m so glad that Max found such a nice girl like you. Why, your mother and I were just talking at dinner about how you two would be perfect--" Diane started to say.
“Mom! Liz and I--" Max quickly tried to stop his mother, not wanted to make Liz even more nervous then before. He saw how she was looking at them that she was practically already picking out matching place settings. He sighed, there were worse things than people thinking he and Liz were a serious couple. Which maybe they were. Max didn’t know, things were still a little confusing and up in the air.
From the kitchen came the clattering sounds of pots and silverware and suddenly the doors fell open and Maria, Michael, Isabel and Alex came out quickly. The remnants of a water fight were obvious on Maria’s shirt and in Michael and Alex’s hair. Isabel tried to look bored by the whole affair but Max could see a smile tugging at her mouth. Max’s mom saw the group and smiled.
“Good! I’m glad you’re all here. While we were all at dinner we made a decision," Diane said, then looking at Liz’s father to continue.
“Well, the Evans were talking about their annual Christmas vacation trip up to Snowmass, Colorado and asked if we, along with Maria and Amy, would be interested in joining them,” Jeffrey said, looking at his daughter. Liz was shocked for a minute and then her eyes flew to Max. Two weeks with Max in the mountains during Christmas. She couldn’t imagine anything that sounded better. His hand tightened on hers, signaling that he knew what she was thinking.
“You’re parents are still going to Europe for the holidays, aren’t they Alex?” Jeff asked.
“Yeah, my grandparents really wanted them to come. I’m supposed to go to my aunt’s,” Alex said, none too thrilled with the idea.
“We thought we would see if you’d like to join us this year,” Nancy asked Alex. Alex’s eyes brightened and he nodded.
“That would be great, I’ll just have to ask my parents,” Alex said. Liz couldn’t believe how everything was working out so perfectly, how everyone was going to be together for the holidays. Except Michael. She looked over at him and noticed the sadness in his eyes as he quietly tried to back away. She glanced at Max, who frowned when he saw the same thing. Before he could open his mouth, his mother spoke up.
“And Michael, if you’d like to come we’d love to have you. You should probably ask your father though,” Diane said, knowing full well that Hank wouldn’t care where Michael was and that the Evans were once again his only link to a real family. Michael gave her a rare smile and nodded. With the plan ahead of them the adults of the group made a few plans before the Evans left, indicating to Max and Isabel that they should come home soon. Liz’s parents went upstairs and Maria was leaving with her mom when she gave Liz another big hug.
“Thank you for the perfect birthday,” Maria said. Liz smiled and waved as Maria left with her mother. Alex left soon after and Isabel and Michael went outside to wait for Max by the jeep. Liz smiled at Max wordlessly, both her hands interlaced with his.
“Isn’t this great?” she asked excitedly. “The entire Christmas break in the mountains. I can’t wait.”
Max nodded and looked at Liz thoughtfully.
“It’ll be good to get away from here. Spend some time together away from Roswell,” Max replied.
“You know, I’ve never been skiing before,” Liz said. Max looked surprised.
“You haven’t? I’ll just have to teach you,” he replied. Liz smiled and leaned forward.
“I can’t wait to learn,” she whispered before he touched his lips to hers. Max slid his lips over hers gently at first. When she responded, her lips parting, he heard a sigh escape and her response, to pull him closer, nearly made his legs buckle. He kissed a trail from her lips to her earlobe and down her neck to her collarbone. He stopped there and returned to her mouth, tracing her lips with his finger. She gazed at him through half lids and when he gave her one last kiss, gently kissing her bottom lip, he then stepped away reluctantly. Liz almost stumbled after him; she’d been depending on his arms around her to keep her steady. Without a word he exited the café, leaving Liz to stand there and wish he were still with her. She turned out all the lights and started to climb the stairs up to her room. She stopped halfway and looked down at her stomach, where Max had healed her three months earlier. Then she remembered how his hands had felt on her stomach that night, how his hand had pressed on the small of her back as they danced, pulling her closer. She’d never known anyone to be more gentle. She smiled to herself, practically skipping up the stairs. She couldn’t wait to see what Snowmass, Colorado would bring.
