Best Laid Plans
Part 6

By Prestor John

Disclaimer: All of the standard: Don't own 'em, just borrowing 'em.
Summary: My AU diverges when Max kisses Tess in Heart of Mine.
Category: Other
Rating: PG-13
Authors Note: My first fiction, so be gentle and honest. Hell, if you can’t be gentle, just be honest! :) Let me know what you think. Mega thanks to Jayfff & Cobray for beta reading, and to Robin and Fadre for editoral comments and reminding me of the rules of grammar. :)

The meeting broke up soon afterwards with Isabelle agreeing to try and dream walk Tess tonight. Liz started for the back room with the intention of heading upstairs and lying down since she didn’t have to work until the evening. Max caught up with her just as she started up the stairs. “Liz, Wait.”

“Max, please. I’m tired and just want to lie down for a while. We don’t have anything else to talk about.”

“No. We do have things to talk about.” replied Max. “I listened to what you had to say in there, without comment. Come to think about it, I’ve listened to everything you’ve said lately without comment. I think it’s time you listened to me. Please Liz, give me this much.”

Liz closed her eyes in resignation. God! She still couldn’t say no to those eyes! “Alright, fine. Come on up.” She led the way up to her room and out onto her balcony. “Now what is it Max?”

Max lead her over to one of the lounge chairs and motioned for her to sit down. He then pulled another chair over and sat on it, positioning himself so their knees were almost touching. “First off, I’m so sorry for what I… I mean future me asked you to do, I …he had no right..”

“Max” Liz interrupted, “Michael died in future Max’s arms less than an hour before he came back. This was the only way to stop that future from happening. He didn’t have a choice.”

“Yes he did!” Max jumped up and started pacing. “He could have come to me! He could have warned me about Tess! He could have told me to be nicer, not to shut her out. I….” Max stopped pacing and stared out over the edge of the balcony. Taking a deep breath, he turned around and sat back down. “That’s not important now. It happened, and that’s that. Also, that’s not the only thing I came up here to discuss. I wanted to talk about us.”

“There is no us to talk about” Liz responded - feeling anger creep into her voice.

“No, you’re right. There is no ‘us’ and that’s the problem. Now,” Max held up his hand “let me finish.” Seeing Liz wasn’t going to interrupt again he continued. “You drove me away because future me told you to. We’ve kept drifting away from each other because of… misunderstandings.”

“Misunderstandings?” cried Liz in disbelief, “You call kissing Tess a ‘misunderstanding’? You call holding her on your bed a ‘misunderstanding’? I can’t believe this!” Liz was so shocked by Max’s statement that she started to stand up.

Max grabbed her hands and stood up with her. “Yes! Misunderstandings! When you saw Tess and me in my room I was hugging her because she had just helped me remember something from my home planet. The kiss… the kiss was a mistake. That’s why I stopped it.” Max slowly urged Liz to sit back down and continued telling her why he had stopped and what he said to Tess. “It just felt wrong. I mean the memories were so real, and mixed with strong feelings. But, they were feelings of then, of that life. Not this life.”

“Now… now in this life, there is just one person I want to kiss, and it’s not Tess.” Glancing at Liz he saw she was staring stone faced over his shoulder with tears shining in her eyes. Max cleared his throat and rushed on. “So I tried to explain this to Tess. I told her I thought of her as family, and could never be attracted to her in that way. She got up and started to run off. I tried to stop her, to make sure she understood and was all right, but that’s when she yelled something and struck me. That’s all I remember until waking up in the pod chamber.”

In a tight voice barely controlling her tears Liz began speaking. “Well, thank you Max for sharing with me. But your story has no relevance on getting Tess to come back.” God! Thought Liz, I have to get him out of here before I break down! “And now if that’s all, I really need to lay down for a while.”

She was halfway to her window, when Max grabbed her arm and spun her around. “No Liz, I’m not done. See this is the problem. We’re not talking. We’re not doing anything but walking away from each other, and I can’t handle it anymore!” Max’s voice filled emotions “I’ve let you dictate what happens between us ever since you left the pod chamber the day of that damn ‘destiny’ message. No more Liz. I know I have to be with you. I know it in my heart, in my soul, and in my mind. There will never be anybody else for me.” The tears were flowing for both Liz and Max now but neither noticed. “We’ve been lying to each other, and just seeing the worst of each other. Too much has happened for us just to go back to the good times like nothing has happened. But I want the chance, Liz – PLEASE, just give me the chance, to work toward some better times for us.”

He let go of her arm. Liz did not move. Max gently reached up and lovingly tucked an errant strand of hair behind her ear, like he had done so many times in the past. Max took a shuddering breath and stepped away from her. “What I really want to do right now is connect with you. So you can see everything I’m feeling, and so I can know how you feel about me, so I know if there is any hope. But I won’t. At least not without your blessing.” Walking slowly back toward the ladder, he stopped just before the top and turned around. Liz hadn’t moved and was still staring at him with tears streaking her face. “I love you Elizabeth Parker. And I believe, in my heart, that we can overcome any obstacle to our being together, if we are just honest with each other. I’m leaving now, but this isn’t over. I’m not giving up this time.” With that he stepped over the ledge and disappeared down the ladder.