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Faith
in Love – By Kazza
Disclaimer: In the alternate
universe that all Roswell Fanfic writers visit, I own Roswell.
Sadly, in the real world, I own nothing, so please don’t sue me!
I promise to return the
characters good as new.
Summary:
In response to
Actrez’s challenge:
1. Mainly M/L but include everyone else
2. Liz and Max get married and have a daughter, after
she is born they get
divorced
3.
They have joint custody so they see each other at
times, but no longer
than about five
minutes at a time
4.
For her fifth birthday their daughter wants to have
them both with her when she celebrates so Max and
Liz spend the whole day together since the
divorce
and sparks
fly.
5.
You decide the ending
Category:
Max and Liz
Rating:
PG-13 (for now!)
Authors
Notes: I
have adapted the challenge slightly; Max and Liz were
never married.
I hope you like it.
I
Believe – By Stephen Gately
From
the Soundtrack to the British Film 'Billy Elliott'
If
I believe that I could do anything
Could
I, spread my wings and say goodbye
So
many people told me I couldn’t win
But
look at me now
Here
I am in heaven’s sky
And
sometimes I say a prayer
Wishing
that you could be here with me, ‘cause I believe
I
believe in love, it’s the best of everything
I
believe in hope and the changes it can bring
If
you believe then nothing can stand in your way
Just
say, I believe
If
hope’s the house I wanna be living in
Well
I’ve got one foot in the door
All
the years of waiting for your approval dear
Well
I realised I don’t need it any more
‘Cause
I’m stronger everyday
Now
I’m strong enough to say, I believe
I
believe in love, it’s the best of everything
I
believe in hope and the changes it can bring
If
you believe then nothing can stand in our way
I
believe
It’s
a fact of life that we’re all in the game
But
it’s still your call
But
we all play it
Sometimes
we win, sometimes we fall
But
that’s no reason just to give it up, ‘cause after all
It
you can’t choose what to be
You
can choose what to dream
And
I believe
I
believe in love, it’s the best of everything
I
believe in hope, and the changes it can bring
If
you believe then nothing can stand in your way
Just
say, I believe
Do
you believe?
PART
1
“Ellie
sweetheart, are you ready. Your daddy’s gonna be here in a minute.”
Liz called to her little girl.
“Nearly, I
can’t get my shoe on.” The little voice called from her room.
“Ok, I’m
coming.” She replied heading
upstairs to her daughter’s room.
“Now then,
let’s have a look at you.” She
said helping Ellie down from her bed once her shoe was tied.
She looked the perfect little angel, dressed in a pretty yellow sun dress
with matching pump style shoes, her dark brown hair pulled half up in a yellow
hair ribbon.
“Can I take my
teddy with me?” She asked as the doorbell went.
“Sure.”
Liz replied heading downstairs to answer the door.
“Hi Liz.”
The familiar voice said as he stood on her doorstep.
“Max.
How are you?”
“I’m ok, and
you?”
“I’m fine.”
She replied. “Come on
Ellie, don’t keep your daddy waiting.”
She called as her daughter bounced downstairs.
“Hello little
angel, how are you sweetheart?” Max
asked scooping his daughter up into his arms.
“I’m ok, mummy
says I can take teddy with me.” She
said hugging her stuffed bear.
“Of course you can.” Max
replied. “We’ll be back by
6.00pm.” He said to Liz before
disappearing down the path to his car.
As she shut the
front door, Liz couldn’t help but think back to how she had got into the
situation she was now in. Never in her wildest dreams did she think that at the age of
22 she would have a daughter who was soon to be five years old, but the day her
daughter was conceived, that was the last thing on her mind.
It had happened the day she helped rescue Max from Agent Pierce’s
clutches. They had found an old
disused van to rest for the night, Max had looked so scared, so genuinely
worried, Liz couldn’t help but comfort him.
She had only thought about kissing and holding him tight, but things just
got out of hand. It was the first time for both of them, everything seemed
perfect, their emotions too strong to ignore any longer.
The following day, she had been in the cave with Max, Tess, Isabelle and
Michael when they had heard about their destiny.
Right there and then she knew she couldn’t be a part of his life,
however much she loved him. They
had spent the most perfect night together, but then in the cold light of day,
his destiny shone through. Liz,
doing the only thing she had the strength to do, said goodbye to her true love
that day, and ran. She had ran
until her legs would carry her no further, then collapsed in a heap and cried
till her tears ran dry.
For the next month,
Liz had avoided Max at all costs, she hadn’t even wanted to be in the same
room as him, let alone speak to him. It
hurt her so much, but she knew it was the only way she would get through it, to
cut herself off from the one person that made life worth living.
She had admitted defeat, she had allowed Tess to step in, to help to
fulfil Max’s destiny. That month
was a struggle for Liz, the hardest she could remember.
But just as she was beginning to get her life back together, her world
fell apart once again. She was
pregnant, and it was Max’s. At
first she had thought about getting rid of the baby, but in her heart she knew
she couldn’t kill Max’s child. Then
she thought about not telling him, pretending it was someone else’s, or even
running away, but in the end Maria had persuaded her to tell him.
As she had feared, Max was the perfect gentleman, he wanted to marry her,
get a house and raise their child together.
To Max though, his offer had nothing to do with duty, he truly wanted to
spend the rest of his life with Liz and their unborn child.
It had been tempting, it took all her willpower not to accept his offer
and fall into his arms once again. Instead
she had remained strong, reminding him of his destiny, the life he needed to
make with Tess. They had many an
argument about them, Max arguing that his destiny had changed the moment she
walked into his life and now they had another life to consider, but Liz would
have none of it. In her heart she
knew she was doing the only thing she possibly could, protecting her child, and
her own heart.
When she had
finally told them, her parents had been furious at her.
Nancy had yelled that she was throwing her life away, all her plans for
Uni gone down the drain. Her father
had countered how could she have been so irresponsible, their perfect daughter
be so stupid. Those first few
months of her pregnancy had been hard, she felt like everyone except for Maria
and Alex were against her. In the
end, to save her relationship with her parents, Liz moved in with Maria and her
mother. Although Amy didn’t approve of Liz’s condition, she was
fully aware how difficult it was being a young single mother and took pity on
the girl.
And so, on a
beautiful spring morning, Liz gave birth to her daughter, Elizabeth Maria Evans.
She was perfect in every way and Liz instantly fell in love with her.
Having her daughter in some way helped to fill the void that loosing Max
had left. He had tried numerous
attempts to win her back, using every means possible, but Liz had rebuffed every
advance and in the end had forced him into the arms of Tess.
Her dreams of
Harvard flew out the window the day she found she was pregnant, but Liz was
determined not to ruin her life. So
instead she threw herself into raising her daughter, working at the Crashdown
and studying from home for her Molecular Biology degree.
It took her a while, but by the time Ellie turned three, Liz had saved up
enough money to move out of Amy’s house, and into a small place of their own. It wasn’t perfect, just a small two bedroomed place, but it
had a nice little garden for Ellie, and was good enough for Liz.
Her relationship with her parents was still strained, and at times Liz
felt like she had no one in the world. Then
Ellie would come bounding in with a beaming smile, hug her mother and suddenly
life felt worth living again to Liz.
Each day
Ellie-Marie grew, Liz saw more and more of her father in her.
She had inherited her mother’s calm temperament and long dark hair, but
everything else was from her father. Her
eyes were just like Max’s, deep brown pools that could almost swallow you up
as you stared into them. Her
perfect smile that lit up her face, her cute little ears that stuck out
slightly, another trademark of her father, and something Liz had hoped she
wouldn’t inherit, his powers. It
had started when she was four, Liz had caught her arm on a nail, and the
inquisitive little girl wanted to see. As
Liz bent down to show her daughter the scratch, Ellie had stretched out her
hand, and placed it on the cut. A
few seconds later, Ellie removed her hand to find nothing to indicate there had
ever been a cut. It had scared Liz,
she had wanted Ellie to be normal, to never be in danger, never have to run from
the FBI or any special unit, but she had also known in her heart that Ellie
would never be completely save. Her
connection with Max meant that anyone wanting to hurt him would only have to
come after their daughter to get to him.
Although it was
painful for Liz to see Max, she never once considered stopping him from seeing
their daughter. Ellie was part of him, and in time she would need her father
to explain how and why she was different from other children.
Liz was still close friends with Maria and Michael, Alex and Isabelle,
who were all together, and sometimes went out with them.
But going with the other four invariably meant going with Max, and more
importantly Tess. She could just
about handle seeing Max, but seeing him with Tess was always too much for Liz to
cope with. Even five years on, it
still hurt her to see him show affection to Tess, a simple kiss or holding hands
would trigger memories in Liz that she had buried deep in her soul. Her daughter was a constant reminder of happy times, but Liz
had long since admitted that her time with Max was over.
Sitting down at her
kitchen table, Liz took out her pen and started writing the invitations.
It was Ellie’s fifth birthday in two weeks time, and Liz was having a
party in the garden for her. It was
to be Ellie’s first big birthday party and Liz was determined to make it
perfect. She had twenty of
Ellie’s friends to invite, along with a couple of Liz’s friends.
She was also inviting her parents and Max’s parents.
Diane and Philip had been very supportive of Liz, and Diane especially
had taken a huge interest in her first grandchild.
Although they didn’t understand what had happened to their son’s
relationship with Liz, they weren’t about to abandon her and their
granddaughter like her parents had.
It was these times,
when Ellie was with Max, that Liz did most of her reflecting.
She found it hard to think of them having fun, doing the things they
should have done as a family, and most of all, Tess being anywhere near her
daughter. At first she had tried to
stop Max from taking Ellie anywhere near Tess, but she accepted in time that she
had no control over Max, or where he took their daughter. Liz did her best not to plant seeds of contempt in Ellie’s
mind towards her father’s girlfriend, but over time, Ellie seemed to adopt
hatred towards Tess of her own accord.
Busying herself in
the garden, Liz pottered around, planting some new flowers, and generally
tidying up in anticipation for Ellie’s party.
Before she knew it, the clock inside struck 6.00pm, and the doorbell
went.
“Hello sweetie,
did you have a nice time?” Liz
asked stroking her daughter’s hair.
“No, Tess
wouldn’t let me take teddy out of the car.”
Ellie complained, hugging Liz’s leg.
“Now Ellie, it
wasn’t like that, Tess didn’t want to have to carry teddy when you were fed
up.” Max said crouching down to
his daughter’s level.
“But I wanted
teddy to feed the ducks too. I hate
Tess!” She protested.
“Ellie, that
isn’t a nice thing to say.” Max
said sternly.
“Why not?
Mummy says I shouldn’t lie.” Ellie
replied.
“Tess is a very
nice person, you shouldn’t say nasty things about her, she’s trying to be
your friend.” Max said.
“She says nasty
things to me!” Ellie yelled.
“What do you mean sweetheart?” Liz
asked crouching down also.
“When daddy went
to get my ice cream, she said I was a spoilt brat and I didn’t deserve ice
cream.” Ellie replied.
“That wasn’t
very nice was it.” Liz agreed.
“Hey hang on,
I’m sure Tess didn’t mean it like that.”
Max said defending his girlfriend.
“She also said
that she was better than mummy ‘cause she’s got you and mummy hasn’t.”
Ellie added.
“Really? Max, have you anything
to add?” Liz asked looking at him
square in the eyes.
“Look I’m sure
she didn’t say it like that.”
“Yes she did!” Ellie yelled.
“Ok Ellie, why don’t you get daddy’s invitation to your party, it’s on
the kitchen table.” Liz said
ushering her daughter towards the door.
“I don’t know
what your girlfriend has been saying to my daughter, but I don’t like it Max.
Ellie is at a very impressionable age, and Tess filling her head with
things like that is not on.” Liz
said sharply.
“Ok I know, you’re right. I’ll
speak to Tess when I get home. If
she did say that to Ellie then I’m sorry, she had no right Liz.” Max conceded.
“Ok, just don’t let it happen again.”
Liz replied as her daughter returned to her side.
“This is for you
daddy.” Ellie said handing her
father the envelope.
“Thank you
sweetheart. What’s this?”
He asked looking at the envelope and seeing Tess’s name had been
scribbled out.
“I don’t want Tess to come.” Ellie
said adamantly.
“Now Ellie, that
isn’t fair, of course Tess can come ……”
Max started.
“No!
It’s my party and I can choose who comes, mummy said so.
So I don’t want her to come.” Ellie
said starting to get upset.
“It’s ok
sweetheart, you’re right it’s your party and you can choose who comes.
If you don’t want Tess there then she won’t come, right Max?”
Liz said.
“Liz ….”
Max protested.
“Right Max!” Liz insisted.
“Ok, ok I’ll
tell her, but she won’t like it.” Max
said admitting defeat.
“This is our
daughter’s party Max, it has nothing to do with Tess remember.”
“I know.” Max replied.
“Can I have a kiss before I go Ellie?”
He asked.
“Ok.”
She replied relinquishing her grip on Liz’s leg and throwing her arms
around her father’s neck.
That night, as she
bathed her daughter, Liz asked her what else Tess had said.
“She said that
daddy loves her more than you ‘cause he didn’t stay with you, but I don’t
believe her.”
“No, why do you
say that?” Liz asked soaping
Ellie’s back.
“’Cause he’s
happy every time he brings me home ‘cause he sees you, and he always asks lots
of questions about you.”
“Really,
questions like what?” Liz asked intrigued.
“Like if you’ve
got a boyfriend.” Her daughter giggled.
“I hope you
answer no!” Liz said sternly, but
unable to contain her smile.
“Yes, ‘cause
you still love him.” Ellie replied.
“Oh Ellie
sweetie, you know that isn’t true. I
know you wish your daddy and I were together, but it just wasn’t meant to
be.” Liz said trying to convince
her.
“Yes it is mummy,
I know ‘cause I see you at night when you look at his picture, and I can feel
it inside you, and inside daddy.” She
replied innocently.
“I wish that were
true.” Liz replied quietly,
holding out the huge towel and engulfing her daughter into it.
“Now, how about
chocolate milk and a bedtime story?” Liz
said trying to entice her daughter to bed.
“Yay, can I
choose the book?”
”Sure, you get the book, and I’ll get the milk.” Liz replied pulling Ellie’s white cotton pyjama top over
her head.
As she mixed
Ellie’s chocolate milk, her daughter’s words rang in her ears.
Ellie had said she could feel that she still had feelings for Max, and
more importantly, that Max still had feelings for her.
Could it be possible? Did
Ellie have a special gift where she could sense what people were feeling inside?
She knew that Max could connect and see into people’s minds, but
feelings were something else.
“Ok Sweetie, so
what story is it tonight?” Liz
asked handing Ellie the drink in her favourite cup.
“Cinderella!”
Ellie yelled bouncing on the bed.
“Ok, lay down and
I’ll start.” Liz replied trying to calm her down. “Once upon a time there was a beautiful little girl, her
name was Cinderella.” Liz started
as Ellie listened intently. By the
time she was half way through the book, Ellie had given up the fight to resist
tiredness, and had fallen into a deep sleep.
“Goodnight
sweetheart, sweet dreams.” Liz
whispered, kissing her daughter’s forehead, switching out the light and
pulling the door to.
As she sat on the
window seat in her room, Liz couldn’t help but stare up into the dark night
sky. In her mind, she was still
mulling over Ellie’s words and she found herself wondering what it would have
been like if she’d of ignored his destiny.
Would they have been happy, would Ellie have turned out a different
child? No matter how she reasoned,
Liz couldn’t help but envy Tess Harding.
Without even fighting, Liz had handed Max on a plate to her, Liz’s
constant rebuffs making him loose patience and fall into Tess’s eagerly
waiting arms. In her heart, Liz
knew she would never find another man. After
five years she still loved him deeply, and no man would ever be able to compete
against that. As she slipped her
silky short nightdress on, she felt a pang of sadness, knowing she would never
feel his hands on her bare flesh, his scorching kisses, his muscular hands
running through her silky soft brown hair.
As she climbed into bed, the inevitable tears trickled down her face. She felt so lonely, her bed so very empty, she ached so much
inside for him. Her daughter was
right, she still had very strong feelings for Max, she loved him and knew she
would for the rest of her life. Slowly
crying herself to sleep, the pain in her heart that she carried each day eased,
if only for the few fitful hours she slept.
If
you Love Me – By Ronan Keating
Wish
I could tell by the look in your eyes (where I stand)
Wish
I could tell what you’re feeling inside (but I can’t)
Wish
You would say what I’m needing to hear (you want me)
Give
me a sign that would make it all clear (just show me)
Don’t
leave my heart out here on the line
If
you love me, let me know
So
al of me can just let go
You
can have me heart and soul
If
you love me ….. then just let me know
You
let me think that I don’t have a chance (none at all)
You
turn away when I capture your glance (should I fall)
And
the you say you’ve been dreaming of me (am I right)
And
I don’t know what I should believe.
If
you love me, let me know
So
al of me can just let go
You
can have me heart and soul
If
you love me ….. then just let me know
I
wanna give you what you need
I
wanna be there in your dreams
You
gotta show me that you want it as much as I do
Wish
I could tell by the look in your eyes
Don’t
leave my heart out here on the line
If
you love me, let me know
So
al of me can just let go
You
can have me heart and soul
If
you love me ….. then just let me know
PART
2
“What
do you mean I can’t come!” Tess wined.
“Exactly
that. Look it’s Ellie’s day and
I don’t want it ruined. Please
don’t be difficult Tess.” Max
said rubbing the bridge of his nose with the thumb and finger.
“She’s
five years old for gods sake, since when has she been deciding the rules?
This is Liz’s doing, that kid is a spoilt brat!”
She spat
“Don’t
talk about my daughter like that! She
is a wonderfully special little girl. It’s
you saying things like that to her that makes her hate you!”
Max said getting angry.
“Why
not, it’s true. Liz has turned
her against me , filling her head with all sorts of untrue stories.”
Tess winged.
“Liz
wouldn’t do that and you know it. Look
it’s just a children’s birthday party, why do you have to get so worked up
about it?”
“’Cause I wanna go!” She
complained, sounding like Ellie. “Maria,
Michael, Isabelle and Alex are gonna be there.
Besides if you give into Ellie on this she’ll know she can walk all
over you!”
“Don’t
be so melodramatic Tess! In the end it is Liz’s house and Ellie’s party, it is
their choice who they want to invite.” Max
said trying to calm her down.
“Why
don’t you go running back to her then, it’s obvious you want to!”
Tess wailed, forcing crocodile tears down her face.
“Stop
it Tess! I really don’t need this
right now.” Max replied, feeling
very tired.
To
Max it felt like all he and Tess every seemed to do lately was fight.
Her constant mood swings, volatile temper and ability to act like a five
year old was beginning to wear him down. He
still questioned why he had decided to go with Tess.
He had tried desperately to win Liz back, both before and after she had
told him about the baby. At first
he kicked himself for the mess they were in, desperately wanting to help her
through it. But she had refused
every piece of help he had offered. No
matter what he did, he just couldn’t win her back.
In the end he guessed he had just given into his human side, he was young
after all. Liz had made it clear
she didn’t want him, and he knew he couldn’t handle telling someone else his
secret. So, with Tess throwing
herself at him at every opportunity, he had finally given in.
At first things were good, not like what he had with Liz, but good enough
to make Max happy, but the novelty soon wore off.
Seeing Liz each time he collected and dropped off Ellie was hard.
He saw how much she dotted over their daughter, she was a wonderful
mother. She had made many
sacrifices to bring their daughter into the world.
Her career plans, the relationship with her parents, her dreams for her
future, but she had never once let it get her down, never blaming any of it on
their daughter. Sometimes he wished
she didn’t cope so well, maybe then she would accept his help.
Most of the time though, he just remembered the good times, her smile,
sparkly eyes, soft velvet skin, she was so perfect.
They had only spent the one night together, with Ellie being the outcome,
yet Max often played that night over in his head.
Even as the years had passed, he could still remember every detail, every
part of her body, the amazing feeling it was to have her lying in his arms.
Yet he would never feel that way again, never truly love someone so
unconditionally as he did Liz. He
knew he was being unfair to Tess, she cared so much for him, but he only
reciprocated half of that feeling.
Getting
into bed, Max laid as far away from Tess as he possibly could without sleeping
on the floor. She was mad at him
for not letting her go to Ellie’s party, he was mad at her for acting like a
child over the whole thing.
“Oh
Max, please don’t let us fight, let’s make up.”
Tess said seductively, running her hands over his bare chest.
“No
Tess, I’m tired.” He replied,
but she still continued, kissing his shoulder, as she moved her hand further
down past his stomach.
“I
said no Tess!” Max yelled,
catching her hand before it reached its destination.
“Oh
come on Max, you know you want to.” She
said trying to win him round.
“Look
Tess, what part of no don’t you understand!”
He yelled, pushing her away from him.
“Fine,
I get the message!” She shouted
rolling away and turning her back on him. Max
knew things were getting bad between them, even the thought of her touching him
was repulsive. He knew he had to do
something, he’d rather be alone than have Tess’s hands over him again.
“So
how’s my special little birthday girl?”
Maria said as she walked into Liz’s house.
“Have
you got me a present?” Ellie piped up.
“Ellie!
You know better than to ask for gifts, say sorry to Auntie Maria.”
Liz said sternly.
“Sorry, Auntie Maria.” Ellie
replied, throwing her arms around Maria.
“That’s
ok sweetie, and yes I have got you a present, but you’ll have to wait until
your party!” Maria teased.
“Let
me show you what mummy bought me.” The
little girl squealed.
“Sure,
you go get it, and I’ll wait here.” Maria
said watching her goddaughter tear off upstairs.
“You
ok Liz?” Maria asked.
“Yeah
I’m fine, want some pancakes?” She
offered.
“Sure,
sounds great. You sure you’re ok,
you sound a bit down?”
“Just
having a bad week I think.”
“Something
to do with the party today?” Maria
probed.
“Something
like that. Spending four hours at
one time with Max is gonna be tough.” Liz
said turning the pancake over.
“We’ll
all be here for you Liz, you know that don’t you.”
Maria said standing up and putting her hand on her friend’s shoulder.
“Thanks
‘ria, I really need that.” Liz replied smiling.
As
she watched Liz, Maria couldn’t help but feel sorry for her best friend.
Out of all of them, Maria knew Liz’s feelings for Max ran very deep. She had won Michael over, as had Isabelle with Alex, why did
Liz have to be so stubborn with Max? She’d
heard through Isabelle that Max wasn’t happy with Tess.
It wasn’t that Max had said anything to his sister, but Isabelle was
able to sense changes in Max, and his body language when she saw him with Tess
seemed to affirm their suspicions.
“You
know Lizzie, I really don’t think Max is happy with Tess.”
Maria said pouring herself a glass of juice from the table.
“Really
Maria, that’s nice.” Liz replied absentmindedly.
“Liz!
What do you mean ‘that’s nice’.
God girl it’s more than nice, it means you can finally go back to
him.” Maria replied.
“No
Maria, it doesn’t. Too much has
happened, to many years have passed, we’ve both moved on, we’re different
people now.”
“You’re not as different as you think Liz, you have a very common bond, your
daughter remember.”
“Yes Maria, I remember. I have
the reminder 24 hours a day, but I made the decision, I chose to end it with Max
despite his attempts. Just because
he is going through a rough patch with Tess doesn’t mean I can just jump
in.”
“That’s exactly what it means Liz, stop being so stubborn and put your
feelings first for a change!” Maria
insisted as Ellie came back into the room.
“Drop
it Maria, this isn’t the time or the place to discuss it.”
Liz replied throwing a cold stare at her friend.
The last thing Liz needed was for Ellie to hear their conversation then
repeat it to Max.
“Look
Auntie Maria.” Ellie said holding
up four stuffed toys.
“Oh
wow Ellie aren’t they cute.”
“They’re Beanie Babies, this is Halo the Angel Bear, this is Pounce the Cat,
this is Dotty the Dog, and this is Fleece the Lamb. “Ellie said holding each one up to Maria.
“I’ve got, erm how many have I got now mummy?”
“You’ve
got nearly thirty.” Liz replied,
putting the plate of pancakes down on the table.
“Wow,
that’s a lot of Beanies.” Maria replied.
“Put
them away now Ellie, or you’ll get them all messed up.”
Liz said sitting down next to her friend.
“I
still think you should talk to Max, tell him you still have feelings for him.”
Maria added while Ellie was out of earshot.”
“Maria!” Liz replied sharply,
making sure her friend knew to drop the subject.
“Now
you’ve got to add in the chocolate dots.”
Maria said, as Ellie giggled beside her.
They were busy making cookies for her party that afternoon.
There was flour and sugar all over the place, and Maria wasn’t sure
about Ellie’s counting of ‘one chocolate dot for the cookies, one for me’.
“How’s
it going guys?” Liz asked,
returning from the shops with more supplies.
“Great,
the jellies are in the fridge, cakes on the side, and we’re making the cookies
right now.” Maria replied mixing
the contents of her bowl.
“Mmm,
I can see that my kitchen looks like a bombs hit it also!”
Liz replied taking the ice cream out of the bag and putting it in the
freezer.
“So,
how long do we have?” Maria
asked.
“A
little over two hours. Look Maria,
thank you so much for your help, I couldn’t do this without you.”
Liz said, hugging her friend.
“No
prob Liz, you know I’m always willing to help you.”
Maria replied spooning the cookie mixture onto the baking tray.
“Can
I lick the bowl out?” Ellie
asked.
“Sure.”
Maria replied
“Just
make sure you don’t eat too much, or you’ll make yourself sick before your
party.” Liz reminded her.
The
party was to start at 3.00pm, and just after 2.00pm the doorbell rang.
“I
want to get it!” Ellie yelled,
jumping down from the chair she was standing on, and running into the hall.
“Daddy!” She screeched after
opening the door, before throwing herself into his waiting arms.
“Happy
birthday sweetheart.” He said, sweeping her up into his arms and walking into the
house.
“Hi
Max.” Liz said emerging from the
kitchen as she wiped her hands on a towel.
“Hi
Liz, how are you?” He asked,
setting the little girl down.
“Good,
I’m good, and you?”
“Yeah,
I’m ok I guess.”
“Is that my present?” She asked
excitedly.
“That’s
right angel.” He replied smiling.
“Can
I open it now?”
“No
sweetie, it’s time for you to get ready for your party.”
Liz said.
“Oh
mummy, please?” She pleaded.
“No
Ellie.”
“I want to open the present.” She
protested.
“Elizabeth,
if you don’t get up those stairs now, there will be no party!”
Liz said raising her voice slightly.
“It’s not fair.” Ellie
complained, stomping upstairs.
“Make
yourself at home Max, I won’t be long.”
Liz said, following her daughter upstairs.
After
helping Ellie get changed into her pink party dress with matching shoes, Liz did
her hair. Pulling her long brown
hair into a pony tail, Liz curled it, causing ringlets to fall to Ellie’s
shoulders. After securing the small
diamond tiara in place, her little girl looked like a true princess.
“Do
I look pretty daddy?” Ellie asked
bouncing into the lounge
“You
look stunning baby, my special little princess.”
He replied, pulling the little girl onto his lap.
“Can
I open my present now?” She asked sweetly
“Ok
Ellie, you can open it now.” Liz replied knowing her daughter had waited long enough.
“Goody!”
Ellie squealed, jumping off Max’s lap and running over to the big box
on the floor.
“You
look pretty Liz.” Max commented
as Liz sat down opposite him. She was dressed in a light yellow summer dress, her hair
freshly dried down making it look even more silky and soft, with a small amount
of make up to finish her outfit.
“Thanks.
You look good too.” She
replied smiling. Good was an
understatement, he looked hot. Black
chinos, a white tight fitting top and his trademark leather jacket laid on the
sofa beside him. In five years, Max
Evans hadn’t changed one bit, he was still perfect in every way she thought. The top clung to his rippling muscles causing Liz to imagine
what it would be like to run her hands over his bare skin, to kiss his
shoulders, and run her finger nails down his back.
“Damm,
where did that come from?” She thought to herself.
Liz was snapped out of her daydream by the sound of her young daughter
ripping the paper away from the large box.
“Oh
daddy, it’s just what I wanted!” Ellie
cried, struggling to get the doll out of the box.
“Here
sweetie, let me help you.” Liz offered, getting up and kneeling next to her daughter.
It was a large baby sized doll, the specific one Liz had told Max she had
wanted.
“A
little bird told me it’s what you wanted, I hope you like it.”
Max replied taking in the beaming smile that was spread over his
daughter’s face.
“I
love it!” Ellie replied jumping
up and hugging her father. “I
want to show teddy my new doll.” She
added before tearing upstairs.
“I
think she likes it.” Max replied.
“It’s perfect. Thanks for
buying it Max, I would have done but it was slightly outside my price range.”
Liz said, busying herself by tidying up the mess Ellie had left with the
wrapping paper.
“It’s
no problem Liz. I really wish
you’d let me help pay for things for Ellie, she’s my daughter as well you
know.” Max replied.
Apart from a small amount Liz took from Max each month, she refused to
accept anything else from Max. Ellie
was her daughter and she was determined to survive on her own, if only to prove
she could to her parents.
“We’re
doing fine Max. You just keep
buying her the presents she wants and she’ll love you forever.”
Liz replied putting the paper in the nearby bin.
“But
it’s not just about presents Liz, I want to be a big part of her life too.”
Max said, getting up and walking over to Liz.
“You are Max, she loves you so much. She
may be only five, but in a couple of years she’s going to need you a lot
more.” Liz replied
“What
do you mean?”
“I mean that she’s going to want some answers about why she’s different.
Answers that only her father can give.
You know she’s inherited more than your eyes Max, and she’s beginning
to get curious as to why she can sometimes heal things.”
“I
hadn’t thought of that.”
“So you see, Ellie needs a lot more from you besides presents, she needs you
to be there for her when she finally asks those questions.”
“And
what about you Liz, do you need me?” He
probed.
“Of
course I do, Ellie is a handful, I need all the help I can get.”
She said looking away from him.
“That’s
not what I meant.” He said
putting his hand to her cheek and moving her face to look at him.
“I meant, do *you* need me Liz?”
He said trying to emphasise the you part.
“What
do you mean Max?” She asked,
looking into his deep brown eyes.
“I
mean what about you, I know Ellie dotes over me, but what about you.
You’ve changed so much over the last five years, from the girl I fell
in love with to the beautiful woman in front of me now.
What about your needs Liz, why haven’t you moved on?”
He asked.
“Because
I can’t Max.” She whispered.
“Because I’m still madly in love with you.”
She wanted to say, but she bit her lip to stop the words from coming out.
“Why
Liz, why can’t you. I want you to
be happy, I want to see the sparkle return to your eyes, I want to see the
carefree Liz I used to know.”
“That
girl is long gone Max, raising a child at 17 on your own sorta does that to
you.” She whipped back.
“That’s
not fair Liz, you know how much I wanted to be there with you, to love you, to
care for you, to help you. But every time I tried you pushed me away, what was I
supposed to do?”
“Keep
trying.” She said to herself.
“Nothing Max, you were supposed to do nothing.
You have your life with Tess now, I accept that.
I know you will always be a part of Ellie’s life, but that’s as far
as it goes with us.” She replied
starting to walk away from him. For
a second he was going to let her walk away, just like he always did, but this
time something inside him shouted out. Grabbing
her wrist before she moved away, he pulled her back close to his body, and leant
in towards her ear.
“It
doesn’t have to be.” He
whispered.
She
could feel his hot breath on her cheek as he whispered the words.
In her mind, her head suddenly felt dizzy, she hadn’t been this close
to Max Evans in a long time. His
hand that was still clinging onto her wrist was scorching her skin, sending
shiver after shiver darting down her spine.
She couldn’t think straight, her brain felt fuzzy, all clear thoughts
and reason were fast disappearing. As
she closed her eyes for a second, she inhaled a deep breath of his familiar
scent, her breathing laboured, forming words was no longer a feasible
possibility. In the space of a few
seconds he had managed to turn her to jelly, a power she thought over time she
would be able to control. Although
she tried to resist, the urge to face him and look into those soulful eyes, was
too great. Staring into his deep
brown pools, she tried to gauge his emotions, catch a glimpse of what he was
feeling inside.
If
I don’t tell you now – By Ronan Keating
I’ve
kept it inside for the longest time
And
I can’t keep keeping in
All
this love that is in my heart
Maybe
it’s safer not to say that I care
Maybe
this road won’t lead me anywhere
But
If
I don’t tell you now
I
may never get the chance again
To
tell you that I need you
Tell
you what I’m feeling
If
I keep these feelings in
And
if I don’t say the words
How
will you hear what’s inside my heart
How
will you know baby, if I don’t tell you now
I’d
give anything to be in your dreams
And
I can’t stand standing by
With
this dream locked inside my heart
Maybe
I’m only gonna make a mistake
And
there’s a chance maybe my heart will break
But
If
I don’t tell you now
I
may never get the chance again
To
tell you that I need you
Tell
you what I’m feeling
If
I keep these feelings in
And
if I don’t say the words
How
will you hear what’s inside my heart
How
will you know baby, if I don’t tell you now
How
will you know you’re inside by soul
Oh
it’s driving me crazy
‘Coz
you don’t see
You’re
the world to me
I’m
so afraid to say the way that I feel, and
If
I don’t tell you now
I
may never get the chance again
To
tell you that I need you
Tell
you what I’m feeling
If
I keep these feelings in
And
if I don’t say the words
How
will you hear what’s inside my heart
How
will you know baby, if I don’t tell you now
If
I don’t tell you now
How
will you hear what’s inside my heart
How
will you know baby
If
I don’t tell you now
PART
3
The
distant sound of the doorbell ringing, brought Liz out of the trance she was in.
“I
should get that.” She said, forcing the words out of her dry mouth, and slowly
removing her wrist from his vice like grip.
As she walked away, Max rubbed his face with his hands.
He didn’t know what he was doing, what had just happened, or what had
possessed him to whisper that to Liz. He
was with Tess, it was what Liz wanted, it was his destiny, he had no right to
mess Liz’s head up like that. But
what was that he had read in her eyes, was that a flicker of emotion caused by
his words? Did she still have
feelings for him, did she still care about him?
Shaking his head, Max tried to clear the moment from his mind, then
walked out to the hall way where Michael, Maria, Isabelle and Alex were.
“Hi
guys.” Max said greeting his
friends
“Erm
did we interrupt anything guys?” Maria
asked, sensing the tension in the room
“No!
I mean no, nothing.” Liz
replied quickly. The others
exchanged unconvinced glances
“You
sure Liz? You look, erm how can I
put it …… flushed.” Alex
replied, before Isabelle elbowed him in the ribs “Oww!
I was just saying what everyone else was thinking!”
He added, trying to defend himself.
“Why
don’t we all go outside.” Liz said, breaking the tension and ushering everyone out to
the garden so that she could get some cool air on her face.
After
getting Ellie down, and offering everyone drinks, Liz set about entertaining the
guests. Within twenty minutes, all
of Ellie’s friend’s had arrived and the house was full of children.
While Alex busily entertained the children, Liz slipped into the kitchen
to start setting out the birthday tea.
“You
ok Liz?” Maria asked, following
her friend into the house.
“Sure,
why’d you ask?”
“’Cause
you’ve been avoiding Max ever since we got here.”
“What
do you expect Maria, I’ve hardly spent more than five minutes at a time with
him since that night when I got pregnant with Ellie.”
Liz replied not looking at her friend.
“Yeah,
I know that Liz, but I also know you still care for Max.
It’s obvious, I can see it in you, and today you’re different.
You seem to run a mile every time he comes near you, hardly say a word to
him, what’s going on?”
“Nothing.”
“Look
me in the eye and say that Liz Parker, ‘cause you’re not fooling me.”
“Please Maria, just drop it.”
“Something has happened hasn’t it, is that why Tess isn’t here.
Surely they haven’t split up already, I’m sure Michael would have
told me.”
“No they haven’t split up, Ellie didn’t want Tess to come, so she wasn’t
invited, there’s nothing more sinister. Max
and I just talked a little earlier, that’s all.”
She said, lowering her voice for the last sentence.
“Talked!
What about?” Maria asked,
pouncing on her friend’s last words.
“Just
stuff, Ellie mainly, but he also asked me why I kept pushing him away whenever
he tried to get close before.”
“And?”
“And I said it wasn’t meant to be. He
has his life with Tess and that’s something I’ve had to live with, I am
prepared to sacrifice my happiness for his destiny. I said he was a part of Ellie’s life, but that’s as far
as it goes with us”
“And what did Max say?” Maria
asked eager to know.
“That
it didn’t have to be as far as it goes.”
Liz whispered.
“What!
Oh my god Lizzy this is just what you wanted.”
Maria squealed.
“No it isn’t Maria, I want Max to be happy, not to do something out of some
sort of duty. His destiny is with
Tess, not me. Ok so Ellie did
complicate things for a while, but I’m on my feet now, the last thing I need
is him knocking me over again.” She
replied.
“What
are you saying Liz? Max has all but
admitted he still cares for you, and I know for a fact you still care for him,
so what’s your problem.”
“It’s not that simple Maria, I have my daughter to think about and Tess.”
“Forget Tess, she doesn’t deserve your sympathy. She has been screwing with Max’s brain from the moment she
came to Roswell. And if you ask
Ellie, I know what her reaction would be.”
“You
are not to say anything to anyone about this, certainly not Ellie, the last
thing I need is her getting her hopes up thinking Max and I are getting
together, it isn’t going to happen Maria. He can’t just expect to walk in here, mess up my head, and
expect me to fall at his feet and forget everything.
I made a decision five years ago to say goodbye to Max Evans, and I
intend to keep it.” Liz said
adamantly as she took out the jellies from the fridge and placed them on the
table.
“You
are a stubborn girl Liz Parker, and you’ll wind up old and alone if you
don’t give in. Either accept
Max’s advances, or get over him and move on to someone else.”
Maria added before leaving Liz to ponder her words.
The
party finally finished around 6.00pm, with all the children going home exhausted
but very happy. After helping Liz
tidy up, Michael, Maria, Isabelle, Alex and Max decided it was time to go home.
“Oh
daddy, can’t you stay and read me a bedtime story?”
Ellie pleaded.
“Sure
sweetheart.” Max replied, lifting
her into his arms and carrying her up to her room.
“Take
care Liz, I’ll speak to you on Monday.”
Alex said hugging his friend.
“Thanks
for inviting us.” Michael added.
“We’ll
talk tomorrow Liz.” Maria
insisted hugging her friend before following the others out to their cars.
“Oh
dear, oh dear, I shall be too late, the white rabbit said as it rushed passed
Alice. In another moment the rabbit
disappeared down the rabbit hole. Alice,
not having a moment to think, followed the rabbit and begin falling down what
seemed to be a very deep well. Well
thought Alice, after such a fall as this, I shall think nothing of tumbling
downstairs. How brave they’ll all
think me at home.” Max read to
his daughter
As
she walked upstairs, Liz couldn’t help but peer into her daughter’s room.
Ellie was listening intently as Max read her the story, and for a few
moments, her feet wouldn’t let her move away from the room.
They looked so sweet together, it was the first time she had seen Max
read a story to Ellie, and he was doing a wonderful job of it. A pang of guilt knotted in her stomach when she remembered
his words of earlier. She knew
Ellie would be ecstatic if Max and her got together, but Liz just didn’t think
her heart could take anymore pain. What
if it didn’t work out, what if after a few months Max realised it was really
Tess he loved and went back to her, how would Liz ever survive?
No, she had to be strong, even if it meant denying her true feelings and
never loving anyone again.
A
little while later, Ellie had eventually crashed out, and Max headed back
downstairs to the lounge.
“Wow
she sure knows how to get value for money, I didn’t think she’d ever go to
sleep.” Max said sitting down
opposite Liz.
“She
loves listening to stories, I think we might have a budding author on our hands
soon.” Liz replied thinking about
her daughter.
“Well
I think the party went really well, a great success.
You did wonderful job.” He
replied watching her stretched out on the sofa.
“Thanks,
I had help from Maria though so I can’t take all the credit.
Ellie’s only five once, I wanted it to be special for her.”
Liz replied shutting her eyes for a few moments.
The room then went silent, Liz lost in her own little world, and Max just
watching her rest. She looked so
beautiful as she laid out, her arms resting above her head, her velvety hair
covering them. The tightness of the
dress showing off the curves of her body she normally hid under loose fitting
tops and baggy trousers. Unable to
hold himself back any longer, Max quietly walked over to her and knelt down on
the floor beside the sofa
“I
meant what I said earlier.” He whispered. As
the words sunk into her brain, Liz’s eyes sprung open, partly through shock
that he was so close all of a sudden, and party because she wasn’t expecting
him to say that.
“You’re
not being fair Max, to me or Tess. What
about her in all this, she really loves you.”
“And
I think so do you Liz. How about
you’re not being fair to yourself. I know you heard my destiny that day and sometimes I wish you
hadn’t, sometimes I wish you had stayed with Maria and Alex.
They have been able to get over Michael and Isabelle’s destiny,
they’re all really happy together, why can’t you?
Don’t you see Liz, no matter what I do, it all comes down to the same
thing, I am still totally in love with you.”
He said honestly. Blinking away the tears that were threatening to spill out,
Liz didn’t know what to say. Inside
a voice was screaming at her to follow her heart, but there was another voice
equally loud shouting that she couldn’t go back now that she had come so far.
In the end she laid there on the sofa, unable to speak, closing her eyes
in an attempt to stop the tears. As
one silent tear escaped the confinements of her eyes, Max gently lifted his
finger and wiped it away. He
didn’t know what more he could do to bring her back to him, or how often he
could cope with being rejected. In
his heart he knew he didn’t love Tess, he never had, Liz was too big a part of
his life for him to forget her.
Bending
his head down, he gently kissed her soft lips, a brief kiss but one of pure love
and passion on his part.
“I
love you Liz.” He whispered,
getting up off the floor and leaving the house.
As the cool breeze hit his face, he realised his cheeks were wet with
tears. His own emotions were in
turmoil, rejection again from Liz got no easier to bear.
Climbing into the jeep, Max rested his head against the steering wheel
and allowed the tears to fall down his face.
Going back to Tess was the last thing he wanted to do, but what choice
did he have. After sitting
there for a few minutes, Max regained his composure, wiped away his tears and
started the jeep engine.
As
she heard the jeep pull out of the driveway, Liz crawled upstairs and finally
allowed the tears roll down her face. She
felt miserable, like her heart had been ripped out once again.
She didn’t know why she couldn’t let Max back into her life.
She had done so well to cope over the years, to bury her feelings for Max
deep inside her soul. Yet one
simple sentence had brought them rushing up to the surface once again, engulfing
her, suffocating her. Crawling into
bed, Liz hugged the bed covers close to her in an attempt to feel secure.
She had given up so much for Ellie, her life, her love, her parents,
giving into temptation and allowing herself to love Max once again scared her. Could her life come crashing down around her once again.
If only it was a simple as loving him, but it wasn’t, too much had
happened, too many things to complicate matters, she didn’t think she had the
courage to fall into his arms once again. Lost
in her own world, Liz didn’t hear her little girl come into her room and climb
onto the bed. She had sensed her
mother was upset, and putting her tiny arms around her, Ellie snuggled up to
Liz, providing the comfort Liz was searching for.
“I
love you mummy.” The little girl
whispered as they drifted off into a deep sleep.
“Where
have you been Max, it’s nearly 9.30pm, the party must have finished hours
ago!” Tess yelled as he walked
through the door.
“Ellie
wanted me to put her to bed and read her a story, I couldn’t just say no.
Then I chatted to Liz for a while before coming back, what’s the
problem here?” He asked angrily.
“The
problem? You know the problem, I
wanted to go with you, we are a couple remember.”
“Yeah I remember Tess, but the party is over now so can we just drop it?
I am really tired and I just want to go to sleep.”
He said honestly. Fighting
was the last thing he had energy for.
“This
isn’t fair Max, she has you wrapped around her little finger.”
Tess winged.
“Leave
Ellie out of this!” Max yelled,
defending his daughter.
“I
wasn’t talking about Ellie, I was talking about Liz.
She still controls you Max, you still fall at her feet, go running
whenever she calls you, it isn’t fair.”
“Tess
she is the mother of my child, of course I’m still going to have contact with
Liz. No matter what you say I
won’t let you stop me seeing my daughter just because Liz will be there.”
Max said adamantly.
“Fine,
then how about making a commitment to me.”
Tess asked.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean I want a child of our own Max.”
Tess replied completely out of the blue.
“Jeez where did that come from? You’re
joking right,?” Max said totally
stunned by what she had just said. Never
before had the subject of children come up between them.
“No,
why should I be. What is so wrong
wanting to have our child and not Liz’s?”
“I didn’t plan to have a child with Liz, but I wouldn’t turn back the
clock now. Ellie is wonderful, but
I’m not ready for more kids. I’m
only 22 years old Tess, I don’t want to be tied down yet.”
“Please
Max, I really want to do this.” Tess
said, batting her eyelids to try to persuade him.
“No!” Max insisted, getting up
and going upstairs, leaving Tess fuming. Inside,
the thought of having a child with Tess repulsed him.
He didn’t know why, but he knew no matter what he couldn’t let
anything happen to get himself cornered into getting Tess pregnant.
He would have no chance getting back with Liz if there was another child
to consider.
TBC
...........................!
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