Author: Anne

e-mail: annemccartney@juno.com

Rating: PG-13

Category: M/L

Disclaimer: I don't own Roswell or any of the characters. I have no

affiliation with the WB television network or the author Melinda Metz.

Part 1 of 1 Complete

Author's Note: Set against the backdrop music of "Bye Bye Blackbird" by

Joe Cocker. For those of you too young to know the song, it's worth

investigation. This takes place after the tempest "Tess" blows through

shattering our illusions about Max. Here's a chance to forgive him . . .

Max Evans felt like he was waking up from a long, frighteningly real

nightmare. For the past several weeks he hadn't been able to make sense

of anything. Liz seemed to utterly despise him and avoided him every

chance she got. He couldn't even describe the pain he felt everytime he

saw her and had to face how badly he had hurt her . . . again. Sigh.

Why couldn't he have just stayed away from Tess? He knew that he loved

Liz, but something . . . Well, there was no going back. It was too late

for that now. The only thing he could do, was go see her, try to

explain, and maybe she'd stop running in the opposite direction everytime

she saw him. Maybe . . .

It was a clear, cool night and Liz is on the roof with her journal and

listening to the radio. She puts the journal aside without writing in

it. She hadn't been able to form a single entry since the day she felt

the attraction between Max and Tess. It had almost torn her apart. She

hadn't been eating or sleeping well, either, and it was beginning to make

itself felt. She was so tired tonight. All she wanted to do was curl up

and try to fall asleep without thinking about where Max was tonight.

Maybe, since she was so tired . . .

On the radio, Joe Cocker's voice eases Liz into a semi-awake

peacefulness. She looks up at the stars and wonders if her heart will

ever stop breaking . . .

I'll pack up all my cares and woes . . .

feelin' low . . .

here I go . . .

Bye -- Bye -- Blackbird

Where somebody waits for me . . .

Sugar's sweet . . .

so is she . . .

Bye -- Bye -- Blackbird

No one seems to love her or understand . . .

Max can hear the music down on the street below Liz's rooftop. He knows

she won't hear him if he calls out to her, so he just climbs up. He sees

her immediately, just sitting there staring up at the stars. She looks

so peaceful that he's almost sorry he came. What if she can't forgive

him? What would he do then? What if he couldn't make her understand . .

.?

There's a light that shines . . .

Max takes a deep breath and a step towards Liz. She drops her gaze from

the cloudless sky and her eyes come to rest on Max's face as he's walking

towards her across the roof.

I'm comin' on home tonight . . .

Liz doesn't even think to get up and run, because deep down, she figures

this is just one of many daydreams she's had over the past few weeks.

Besides, she's tired of running . . .maybe, just for tonight, it wouldn't

hurt to fantasize a little . . .

Bye -- Bye -- Blackbird . . .

Max walks over to Liz's chair and stands there looking for all the world

like he has no idea what to do now . . .

Bye -- Bye -- Blackbird . . .

Liz reaches up her hand and grabs his pulling him down beside her. For

a hallucination, he certainly did feel real . . .

Nobody seems to love her or understand it . . .

Max sinks down on the chair beside her and looks to Liz like he wants to

say something but has no idea where to begin . . .

She reaches up and touches his cheek in invitation to form a connection

with her. He's so grateful for this that he has to take a deep breath

just to get control of his emotions. They make the connection easily

and Liz senses all the love, and pain, and uncertainty in him. And

something else, maybe despair . . . What's this? Tears . . . Were they

hers or his . . . ? Maybe, both . . .

I'm comin' on home tonight . . .

Bye -- Bye -- Blackbird . . .

Liz slowly realizes that this time, her daydream is reality, and she

searches Max's face for some explanation, before she understands that she

really doesn't need one at all. She kisses his cheeks and tastes the

salt from the tears.

The song is long over and Liz accepts Max for everything that he is, as

well as, whatever he isn't. It really doesn't matter, because she can't

stop her own heart from beating, and as long as he was here and wanted

her, what else could she do?