ROSWELL on PLANET-SF

CHAPTER SEVEN

The morning was hectic. Christmas mornings always were, travelling from in-laws to in-laws. Everyone wants to see his or her granddaughter on Christmas morning. They all wanted to bestow hundreds of dollars worth of gifts on her. Max and Liz were exhausted and it was only a little after one in the afternoon. After doing the presents extravaganza in front of the tree, they ventured to the Parkers' and then to the Evans'. The jeep so full of presents for Sloane it looked like it would burst. Sloane was exhausted. She fell asleep on the way back home. Isabel followed them afetr Liz eagerly accepted her offer to help them get ready for the rest of the day.

Liz carried Sloane inside while Max and Isabel carried bags of presents. Liz laid Sloane down on her bed and was tempted to lay down with her; she resisted temptation and wandered back into the living room as the Evans siblings were setting down their loads.

"Think she got enough?" Isabel commented. "I don't ever remember getting this much stuff for Christmas."

"Me either," Max agreed. "You have to remember though, Sloane is the first grandchild."

Liz slumped on the couch and kicked off her shoes. She leaned back and closed her eyes. Isabel sat next to her and tapped her shoulder. "What time is everyone coming over?"

"Kyle said he and Morgan should be here around five. Michael said about the same time, maybe a little later."

"Maria?"

"Doubtful." Liz opened her eyes and looked at her sister-in-law. "Michael said he'd try to convince her if she was feeling okay. He promised he and Leia would be here though."

"You still haven't talked to her, have you?"

"No. I'm actually getting worried about her. This is so not Maria. She loves to be included in everything and if she's not, she gets pissed."

"I know. Do you think her and Michael are having problems?"

"No, they're fine." Liz shook her head. "Maybe it's because of school. I know she's having a hard time balancing family and school."

"Well, I hope she snaps out of whatever she's in soon because Michael's no fun anymore. It's all work and be sad Maria's not here."

Liz shrugged. "I don't know what else to do. I call and I get the machine. Michael tells me she'll talk when she's ready."

Isabel sighed and stood up. "Max, why don't we get some of the food ready? Liz seems awfully tired."

Liz smiled as her husband kissed her forehead. "You rest, we'll start."

"Thanks and thank you again for the ring." She gazed down to her hand. "It's perfect."

Morgan and Kyle were the first to arrive, arms heavy with presents. Kyle wanted to wake up Sloane so she could open her presents, but Max asked him to wait. She'd be up soon enough.

"Michael coming?" Kyle asked. "He didn't say much this morning at my dad's."

"Yeah, I know he and Leia will be here. How was Maria today?" Liz sat next to him on the couch.

"Same. Distant. I wish I knew what was wrong and I wish I could fix it. She never even told us congrats or anything. It's like she doesn't care anymore."

"I know," Liz commiserated. "I miss her."

"Me too."

The knock at the door was welcomed as Max answered it. Leia came barreling in and went directly to Sloane's room. Michael followed; Maria walked in after hmi. Liz jumped off the couch and nearly ran to her friend. She put her arms around Maria and hugged her. She sensed Maria's hesitancy to hug her back and stepped away.

"I'm glad you could make it," Liz smiled. "Merry Christmas!"

"Merry Christmas Liz," Maria smiled, looking at the floor. "Thanks for having us."

"Maria, you're always welcome here." Liz nodded. "How are you? Glad about winter break?"

"Yeah, but I don't think I'll be going back next semester." Maria looked to Michael who instantly came to her side. "Too much other stuff, you know."

"Sure," Liz smiled. She offered drinks and was declined by both of them. "Well, I'm going to finish up the food. Maria? Do you want to help?"

Maria looked from Michael to Liz and finally nodded. She followed Liz into the kitchen and waited. Liz pointed to the food that was ready to go out, Maria took it to the dining room and returned awaiting more direction.

"I've missed you," Liz said quitely. She turend around and saw her best friend looking at her. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Maria held her head up and forced a smile. "You know me, I'm always fine."

Liz nodded and went back to arranging her vegetable platter. Maria watched for a moment then told Liz she was going to check on Leia, it had been too quiet. She found her daughter in Sloane's room; they were on the bed huddled in a deep conversation that only they would understand.

"What're you guys doing?" Maria asked from the doorway.

"Nothin'," Leia looked at her and went back to Sloane. Maria watched the two girls and smiled. They had become friends, finally. She went back to the living room and sat next to Michael at the dining room table not wanting to be cornered in the kitchen by Liz again.

"You okay?" Michael whispered in her ear and picked up her hand.

She nodded. "I'm fine." She looked across the room to Kyle; he was staring at her. She took a deep breath and walked to him. "Hi."

"Hi."

"I'm sorry." She looked at the carpet. "I should have told you congratulations before now. I'm happy for you."

"Yeah." Kyle's brows knitted together. "So, how are you lately? I don't think you said more than five words this morning."

"I'm fine." The same forced smile resurfaced. At that particular moment, sitting in the happy perfect home of Max and Liz Evans was the last place on Earth she wanted to be. "So, tell me about the wedding."

Kyle grinned and told all about Las Vegas and how much fun they had. He was so excited talking about his new wife and new job ahead of him he didn't notice Maria was barely listening.

"She's not listening to you." Morgan leaned against the back of the couch.

"What?" Kyle looked up at her.

"She's not listening," Morgan cocked her head in Maria's direction. "Look at her." Kyle did and shook his head, disappointment evident on his face. "See."

"Damn it." Kyle stood and walked out of the room.

Maria finally turned and saw the empty space next to her. "Kyle?"

"People tend to leave when they're being ignored." Morgan came around the other side and sat next to her. "Listen, it's obvious you're going through some type of thing, okay? Please, don't push away the people who love you any more than you already have. Kyle's worried about you; you are his sister as far as he's concerned. If you need help, go to someone. There's a room full of people here who care about you, who will bend over backwards to help you. Let them. Please." Morgan walked away to find Kyle. She pushed open the kitchen door to find Liz and Kyle talking.

"It's like she's not even there anymore," Kyle was shaking his head. He smiled at his new bride. "What's wrong?"

"I hate the way Maria is treating everyone." She sidled up to her husband, slipping an arm around his waist. "It's freakin' Christmas and she sits there all gloomy. I hate it. She has so many friends and she won't talk to anyone. It's like she blew off life."

"You said something to her, didn't you?" Kyle asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Well, yeah. Not much, nothing bad. I just told her she has to talk to someone. This has been going on for a few months and it's disrupting everyone around her."

The kitchen door swung open and Michael walked in; he looked accusingly at Kyle and Morgan. "If you want to talk about Maria, make sure she's not on the other side of the door." He walked back out and comforted his crying other half. Merry Christmas.

Liz bolted from the kitchen and went directly to Maria. She took her hand and pulled her off the couch. Maria looked frantically back at Michael as Liz led her down the hall. She pulled her into the bedroom and shut the door behind her. "What the hell is going on with you?" Liz demanded with her hands on her hips.

"I want to go home." She looked to the door.

"No. Damn it Maria, you have to let me in." Liz sighed. "You're my best friend and I feel like I don't even know you anymore." Maria nodded. "I have to know what's wrong. Why don't you even want to talk to me anymore? What did I do that was so wrong?"

"Nothing," she laughed. "That's the point. You never do anything wrong. Everything about you and your life is so fucking perfect I could throw up."

"Maria...?"

"You have a great place to live, you have a great job and a great husband and daughter. Everything about you is great and I can't stand it." She smiled bitterly. "I struggle to go to school and take care of my daughter, I never get to see Michael because he works all the time, we bought a dinky house that doesn't even have carpet. Michael has time to go out to lunch with you but not me. It's not fair."

"Don't think that way." Liz was shaken. Of all the things she thought Maria could be upset about, she hadn't even come close to this one.

"Why not? It's the truth." She looked longingly to the door. "I want your life Liz. It's perfect. I need some perfection in mine."

"You have a great life."

"No, I don't."

"Michael loves you more than anything in this world, you have to know that. He talks about you all the time, all the times you weren't feeling good enough to come, he was depressed. You and Leia are his life." Liz shook her head. "Did you see all those people out there? They are your friends and they love you. They want you in their lives. I love you. I want you back in my life."

"Why mess with perfection?" Maria put her hand on her stomach and thought briefly about telling Liz about the baby. No. She didn't need to know.

"So, I guess you're saying you don't want to be friends anymore?" Liz fought back tears. Never let them see you cry. "Is that what it comes down to?"

"I don't know." Hearing the words out loud from Liz was heartbreaking. She did want to be friends with Liz, with everyone. "I have to go."

"You can't leave it like this."

"I have to." She exited the bedroom leaving Liz standing alone, a single tear rolling down her cheek.

Maria stormed out of the bedroom and went to Sloane's room. She grabbed Leia's arm and told her they were leaving. Leia stood as well as Sloane from their game of stuffed animals. Sloane reached out tentatively and touched Maria's stomach. Maria looked down into her amber eyes and gasped. Sloane's eyes rolled back in her head and, still touching Maria's stomach, she began to cry.

"What's wrong?" Maria bent down in front of the little girl. "Sloane?"

"She's going to help you, mommy," Leia answered.

Maria felt the gooseflesh and pulled her daughter from the room. She walked to Max and told him to check on Sloane. She looked at Michael, then disappeared out the front door with her daughter in tow.

"What happened?" Kyle asked a stunned Michael.

"I don't know." He looked to the door then down the hall where Max had gone. He walked to Sloane's room and looked inside. Max was kneeling on the floor holding his daughter. "What's wrong?"

"She said she tried to fix Maria." Maria looked to him then closed his eyes.

"Damn it." Michael walked from the room and said his brief goodbyes to Kyle and Morgan. He'd call Liz later and thank her. He ran down the steps instead of taking the elevator and found Maria and Leia waiting in the car. He opened the door and looked at her. "What the hell happened up there?"

"I want to go home."

"What happened with Sloane?" he asked, getting in the car and starting the engine.

"I don't know." Maria looked out of the window.

"She was trying to help," Leia said in a small voice from the back seat. "She was trying to help mommy."

"Help mommy with what?" Michael turned around and faced his daughter.

Leia shrugged and looked out the window. Like mother, like daughter, Michael thought as he put the car in gear and drove home.

When they reached home, Maria got undressed and nearly fainted at the sight of a tiny silver handprint on her belly.

* * *

Kyle Valenti was being shown around the school on his first day. He was excited, he couldn't remember being excited about any other job. Maybe Morgan was right; this could be perfect for him. The principal led him to a small office within the main one and was told it was his. Kyle walked around the desk and sat down. He thought he had finally found a career. The student files were in order in a tall black filing cabinet on the side of the office. He was taking over the students who had seen the other counsellor before she quit. No troublemakers, he had been promised. He didn't mind. he had been promised. he didn't mind. He pulled a small framed picture from his suit jacket and put it on the corner of his desk. His desk. He liked the sound of that. The picture was of him and Morgan outside the wedding chapel.

* * *

"I saw Liz today," Michael said when he got home from his fourth official day of being Sheriff. He handed her a flat box wrapped in Christmas paper. "She wanted me to give this to you."

Maria took the box and nearly questioned where he had seen Liz, but didn't. That wasn't important anymore, she knew neither of them would hurt her. She opened the box and pushed back tissue paper. Tears fell as she looked at a picture of her and Liz. It had to have been freshman year. She remembered staying over at the Parkers, her mom had taken the picture. they had their arms slung around each other's shoulders, smiles as wide as they could get on their adolescent faces. They were wearing matching T-shirts with ironed on letters: "best friends". She picked the frame up and saw the inscription embedded at the bottom of the silver frame: Maria & Liz Best Friends.

Maria ran her finger over Liz's face. Lizzie. Her best friend.

* * *

Max made it through the first four days of school without seeing Lindy Franks. He thought it was over. He had been foolish and unethical; but it was behind him now. School had been out for over two years but Max Evans remained at his desk grading the pop quizzes he had been giving all day.

His classroom roor was open and when he heard approaching footsteps he looked up, surprised to see Lindy Franks.

"Did you have a nice Christmas?" she asked, walking next to him. She rested her ass on the corner of the desk.

"Yes, thank you." He adjusted his tie. "Is there something you needed?"

"Just to say I'm sorry I don't have one of your classes this semester," she smiled. Max didn't reply. She leaned towards him and Max backed his chair up. He stood and backed away from her. "What's wrong?"

"It's late, why don't you go home?"

She shrugged and walked towards him. He put his hands out to ward her off, she didn't seem to care. "Didn't you miss me at all?" She stepped into him and tried to kiss him. He grabbed her forearms and held her back. She looked confused and tried to kiss him again.

"Stop it," he said forcefully through clenched teeth. "Go home Lindy. What happened was a mistake. It's over, go home." Max was not going to break down, he never wanted his daughter to turn away from him saying he didn't feel like mommy. "Now."

She shook her head and licked her glossed lips. He grabbed her arms tighter and pushed her away. He walked her backwards towards the door. At the doorway he released her.

Max let out a breath and walked back to his desk. He wanted to go home. He wanted to be with his wife and daughter. It was over and he had won.

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STORY OF LINES:
6 - THE BEAT GOES ON

CHAPTER SEVEN

WRITTEN BY BECKY W

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