FanFic - Max/Liz
"Finding My Way Back From Sanity"
"And All the Pepperjack"
Part 3
by Camilla
Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Roswell. I have borrowed the characters from this excellent program and the books.
Summary: This is a Max/Liz Dreamer story with a shocking ending. Larek comes to give the Pod Squad history lessons in an effort to help them understand what part they each played in the downfall. He wants to help them understand what they need to do to correct this, but even he doesn't know everything. In between his visits, the aliens and the humans interact in ways that bring them closer. Everything that has happened from the Pilot through a Roswell Christmas Carol has still happened. I tried to answer those nagging little questions in a way I would want to see them.
Category: Max/Liz
Rating: PG-13
Authors Note: Might be a little spoilerish. I hope you like it. I would love feedback.
The group met each day after school that week at Michael's apartment to come up with a strategy for the inevitable next confrontation with the Skins or who ever else might pop out of the woodwork. Max seemed to be more focused and more confident than in the past six months combined. They came up with a communication plan. A plan for excuses to give to the parents. They each voiced their opinions and each one was listened to and discussed by the group. They were working as a team again. They were all excited about Larek's next visit. They could barely contain themselves until tomorrow when he would arrive again.

Liz had pleaded with Max on their walk to keep their renewed relationship private for awhile. He had wanted to shout it from her rooftop, but he agreed when he saw how important it was to her. He didn't want to do anything that would cause her to run away again. This was the first time in months that he felt he could actually breathe. However, it was obvious to the entire group that something was different between Max and Liz, even though they tried to hide it. They never stood or sat near each other. They tried, and failed miserably, to not look at each other with 'that' look. But the group had all seen those looks last year. Yes, there was something different - no familiar- about the way they were acting. Tess didn't seem notice or maybe she didn't seem to mind. Everyone, except Max and Liz, noticed the looks that Kyle would give Tess when he thought no one was looking.

Max thought he was doing a good job of hiding his feelings. Well not really, he had thought to himself, but at least he hadn't grabbed her and kissed her in front of everyone. He truly had to fight that feeling. If he could successfully fight that feeling, then he knew he could defeat any enemy they sent after him. He was beginning to think that his life was getting better by the minute. That was until Brody called.

Brody -" Max, I need you to look after things at the UFO center for a while. I am going to visit Sidney in London for a few weeks."

Max - " How is she doing?"

Brody - "She's great, just great. You know the doctors and the media all said her recovery was a miracle, but you and I know different."

Max -(Speaking very slowly) "What do you mean?"

Brody - "You know… it was the aliens again. I keep wondering why my family, but then I am not going to look a gift horse in the mouth."

Max -"So when do you leave?"

Brody -" Tonight."

Max felt a sense of panic rising up in his throat, but willed himself to talk. Max -"I don't think that I can be available until the day after tomorrow."

Brody - "That's ok. You can have the center open whenever you're available. Just leave a note on the door. Thanks. I will see you when I get back."

Liz looked up to see the look of desperation on Max's face. Max just slumped into a chair and put his head in his hands.

Liz - "Max what's wrong?"

Max - " Brody is leaving tonight for London."

Michael -" Well we have to stop him. Larek is coming tomorrow tonight."

Alex - " Yeah, we can just tell him he can't go because an alien is coming to possess his body to provide information to the aliens that live here in Roswell."

Maria - "Well… it's not the worst idea anyone has ever had."

They all looked at her as if she had just grown another head.

Maria - "What? Think about it. He is sure that aliens keep taking him. He thinks aliens cured his cancer and his daughter's. He would be grateful to be of help. I just know he would. Besides he could stop feeling like he losing his mind."

Max - "No, we are not telling anyone else. It's too dangerous, for us and for him."

Maria - "So we just keep letting Larek possess him? You don't think that's dangerous for his well being?"

They barely heard the knock at the door, as everyone began talking at once to voice their own opinion.

Michael's loud utterance of, "Shut Up!" broke the pandemonium. Michael walked to the door and opened it to find a stunned, but somewhat satisfied look on the other side of the door.

Brody - "May I come in?"

No one could speak so he just walked in. Brody looked at Maria and smiled. Everyone was still in complete silence, almost afraid that breathing would somehow give away their secret. He continued to look around the room, looking at each person, questioning each facial expression.

Brody - "So which one of you is the alien?"

Brody surmised from the terror on each of their faces that maybe he was wrong, maybe they were all human and just thought that he was a madman. He often felt that way about himself lately.

Brody - "Well I could just call the FBI and let them decide who is what." Reaching for his cell phone, "What do you say shall I do that?"

At this Michael raised his hand.

Max, Maria and Sheriff Valenti all screamed, "No!" at the same time." Maria and the Sheriff rushed to stand in front of Brody and Max walked up to stand in front of Michael.

Brody - "So it's Michael, I should have known with the hair and all."

Max -"Michael, You can't do this."

Brody - "Michael, I wasn't serious about the FBI. I just had to know. I needed to know. I wanted to thank you for saving my Sidney. She means everything to me."

Michael lowered his hand. "Well thank Max, not me, I was against it"

Brody - "Max? You convinced Michael to save Sidney?"

Max - "Not exactly. Maria is the one who.."

Brody - "Maria! You're an …"

Maria -(Waving her hands in the air) " No, no I'm all earthling, born and raised.

Shaking his head in confusion, Brody remarked, "I don't understand."

Sheriff Valenti - "Maybe we should all sit down, this could take awhile."

As they explained they each took turns explaining the past year to Brody. Liz told him how Max had saved her life after she had been shot and how Max had saved Sidney and the other children. Sheriff Valenti told them about Ms. Topolsky the "guidance counselor" and FBI agent, and his own obsession of the aliens. Isabel explained how Alex had been kept in the dark for so long, even after giving his blood for Max and revealing Ms.Topolsky's true identity. Alex made sure that Brody knew he didn't blame them at all and that he was still amazed that they trusted anyone. Tess told him about their protector, Nasedo, and their life on the run. Liz told him how Max had been captured by Pierce. Michael told him how they rescued Max from the FBI and how scared they had all been. Kyle brought up how he had treated Max and their night of drinking and in the end Max had even saved his life too. Maria told them about their Royal status and their mission, intentionally leaving out the part about their destiny. No one mentioned Pierce's death or the Senator's.

Max just watched them as they explained the past year. He felt it wasn't his right to tell him. He left to each individual to share as much or as little as they wanted to. He was struck with a strange sense of awe that they had been through so much in such a short period of time. How had they been so fortunate to have landed here and met these particular people.

Brody was having only a small amount of trouble processing the information. After all, he already believed in aliens. The one thing that had the greatest impact on him was how they all protected each other. They all seemed to be there for each other at every turn, humans putting their lives at risk for the aliens and vice versa.

Brody - "Well, I am honored that you trusted me enough to tell me about this, but I am a still a little confused. You said that Max healed Sidney, Liz and Kyle, but which one of you healed me?"

Max - "I don't know. There is something that no one mentioned yet. The people from our planet can't just travel here to visit. The distance is too great. They can however reach out across space and inhabit a human for purposes of communicating with us. Recently I attended a peace conference in New York and found that you were attending it. My first thought was that you were a skin or FBI, however the man who was inhabiting you explained that his name was Larek. Maybe he healed you, or arranged it, to ensure that he could inhabit you as the need would arise. I really don't know."

Brody -"Thanksgiving time right?"

Max - "Yeah"

Maria - "You see the thing is, Larek is scheduled to come back again tomorrow to provide more information to Max, Michael, Isabel and Tess." Liz - "They grew up never knowing where they came from or anything about their prior lives. This is really important to them."

Brody -"So you need me to stay here until tomorrow night."

Max -"Yes"

Brody - "Ok, but will you please make sure someone feeds me."

Maria- "All the pepperjack cheese you want."

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