|
|
 |
        __________________________________________________________
 The car sped down the road; Liz looked at the route sign, 285 South. How long had it been since they had made that fateful trip to Atherton’s dome? It seemed like a hundred life times ago...Alex was still alive, the destinies of everyone was still a mystery, Kyle was a jerk, Liz chuckled to herself thinking about that one. Everyone was different now, at least the changes were all for the good. She started laughing to herself again thinking about Kyle and Michael that day, who knew that one sneeze could destroy Michael's "cool" image?
Max, seeing her grinning couldn't resist asking, "What's so funny?"
"Kyle and Michael, that sneeze almost made Michael want to cut the group's population down by one that day."
"Well, I guess it wouldn't have been so bad if it had been at home... but we were walking around Fisherman's Wharf, I mean, man, one of the busiest tourist attractions in California and Michael was standing around with his pants around his knees!" That started Liz laughing out loud this time. It was good to see her do that again, it had been such a long time.
"What will we do when we get there? Who knew he was so close..." suddenly, almost as fast as she started laughing she was on the down swing again.
"We'll think of something... I don't know." He leaned over to turn on the radio, maybe some music would be just what she needed to pick her back up. A Sarah McLachlan song came on.
"Oh, I love this one!" She started to smile again. Max smiled at her, it had worked, her mood was coming around again, he reached over and held her hand. Then as she listened to the words she became quiet again...
"I will be the answer at the end of the line
I will be there for you while you take the time
In the burning of uncertainty I will be your solid ground
I will hold the balance if you can't look down.
If it takes my whole life I won't break, I won't bend
It's all worth it, worth it in the end
'Cause I can only tell you what I know, that I need you in my life
When the stars have all gone out
You'll still be burning so bright..."
Max heard the faint sound of a whimper, like someone with a million things to unload from their soul... when he looked he saw the tears pouring down Liz's face. He quickly looked for a place to pull over, once he stopped the car, he jumped out and ran to the passenger side. As he gently picked her up out of the car, he looked around and found a group of boulders, sitting down; he gently pushed her face into his chest and let her cry...
 Somewhere close by...
A soon-to-be four year old sat in his sandbox in the back yard, he waved his hand and giggled as he watched his toys start to levitate then spin in circles in the air. In the distance he could hear his mother calling for him, quickly he brought them back down to the ground... he didn't understand why, but he just knew, don't let her see this. Some how he knew he was... different.
His mother came around the corner just as the last plane settled on the ground.
"I think it's time for a bath, you look like you've been making mud pies again." She laughed as she bent down to carefully scoop him, no need to make them both a muddy mess. As she picked him up, he looked at her with his sweet face grinning as he had a special secret. What she saw almost made her drop him... his beautiful blue eyes were now just as beautiful, but had gone from blue to a deep dark brown...
Back on the road....
Liz looked up at Max, embarrassed that he had seen her so weak, he needed her to be strong now. It was not the time to buckle under to the pressures of what might happen when they found his son.
"Better now?" He bent over to brush her long dark hair away from her face, and then he kissed each eye.
"I am so sorry, I didn't mean to break down that way... I guess it all sort of hit me, and besides I miss the baby. I must be a mess"
"You're always beautiful to me,” he waves his hand across her face, all the evidence of her crying was gone. "There, back to normal."
She drops her eyes, to hide the embarrassment again, "Thank you" sounding like she did all those years ago. "We need to get back on the road, who knows what might be happening..." She stands up, a little shaken from the crying spell. Max puts his arm around her and they walk back to the car.
"If I figure right, we should be there by morning."
Daybreak, Max looked beat, he had been driving all night...Liz had dozed off and on. She needed her rest, Max had been worrying about her more than usual these days, the idea of going off and leaving the baby was killing her inside and she refused to let him see it. It was killing him too. Now they didn't know what they would find when they got to the home of his son's adoptive parents... had he started to get his powers... what would they tell these people that loved him. Would he, for every ones safety, have to convince them to let him take Zan? "I wonder what they call you now." He said half under his breath.
Liz opened her eyes to see the sun coming up over the mountain, "Did you say something? Are we getting close yet?"
"I guess I was just talking to myself, we're here. I'm not sure where the street is, we might have to ask."
Liz nods her head, and reaches for her purse to hunt for a stick of gum, finding two, she offers one to Max.
"Should I be insulted, are you saying I have morning breath?"
"No comment, it's quite a trip back to Roswell on foot." She looks at him grinning "But I love you anyway, I guess that would come under the "for better or worse" thing."
Max sighed, his Liz was finally back.
They found a gas station, as Max went in to ask directions, Liz headed for the restroom. Taking a brush from her purse, she ran it through her hair. A quick splash of water on her face and she felt good as new.... well, as good as you could feel after crying for half an hour and sleeping in a moving car. As she came out of the ladies room, Max was shutting the door of the men's room.
"Well, you look a bit more refreshed. I got the directions, it isn't far."
They drove slowly up the street, looking at the house numbers.
"We're getting close - there!" Liz yells and points to a little two story house, white picket fence and all. "Your dad's friend did good... it looks like a wonderful home."
"I just don't know what we're in for. What are we going to tell these people, what if they want DNA tests?
We can't even go that route...” Max was getting out of the car, pacing.
"After all we've been through, don't lose it now Max. We need to be able to think fast on this one." Liz gave him a look of confidence.
"Yep,” Max thought, "His Liz WAS back!" He reached for her hand and headed for the front door, just then they heard the excited voice of a woman in the back yard.
"Max! What are you doing?! Get down from there right now!" Then they heard to giggle of Max's son...
 If you enjoyed this story or would like to have your story posted on this site let us know at mailto: momosroswell@yahoo.com .
|
|
