Of Mice and Men
Part 3

By Prestor John

Disclaimer: All of the standard: Don't own 'em, just borrowing 'em.
Summary: Sequel to “Best Laid Plans”. My AU diverges when Max kisses Tess in Heart of Mine. Tess Left town, Liz told everyone about Future Max to explain why they have to find her, Liz and Max start reconciliation, and Isabelle dream walks Tess, but then can’t contact her causing the group to think Tess is dead.
Category: Other
Rating: R
Authors Note: The continuation of my first fiction. Today is 5/23/01. I started Best Laid Plans right after CYN. I started Of Mice and Men after OTM. Now that Departures has come and gone I’m rethinking the entire direction of this story. I’m going to try and tie the revelation from Departures into the story. Hope you like the way it flows. Many thanks to Fadre for reading and correcting my numerous grammatical mistakes.

I’m Liz Parker and this has been a strange week. I have to write it down here in my journal. Where to start? Well, the Sheriff’s (I know he’s no longer the sheriff, but it’s hard to think of him as anything other than “Sheriff”) trip down to Carlsbad with Kyle and Michael was a bust. They got Tess’s car back but there was no sign of what she was doing down there, or where she is now. They did find out that she had gotten a job at the park under the name of Theresa Hardy, but that was all they found.

Isabelle appears to have melted completely! The Ice Queen has been vanquished by Alex, and things appear to be wonderful on that front. Maria and I tried to make Alex play the tough indifferent type to Isabelle after prom but that didn’t work at all, and I’m kinda glad it didn’t. I’ve never seen either of them as happy as they are now.

Ok, so I am stalling talking about me. I had a talk with Sean the day after he saw Max and me kiss. It didn’t go that well. I explained that Max and I were trying to work things out. Sean played the whole thing like he could care less, just saying “Whatever Parker” at the appropriate times. The next day he was gone. No note, no nothing. Amy went ballistic and was going to go to Hanson, until Maria reminded her of Sean’s parole status. After that Amy calmed down and decided not to do anything. I can’t believe that he would just leave like that, I really beat my self up over that until Max and Maria talked some sense into me.

Max: where to start. He’s been killing himself lately trying to track down Tess. He’s been meeting with Alex and the Sheriff everyday trying to come up with new options. He’s had poor Alex running all sorts of searches on the Internet trying for anything. The rest of his time he spends coming up with gifts for me. Little things mostly, notes in my locker, a rose here, and a stuffed bear there. He hasn’t done anything extravagant like filling my room with roses again (thank God! It was hard dealing with Mom and Dad after that last time!), but all the gifts have been thoughtful. He somehow knows when I need cheering up and will strike accordingly.

He hasn’t said ‘I love you’ since that night after the movie. He also hasn’t kissed me like he did that night since then either. I think he heard my hesitation in saying the ‘L’ word to him that night. All right after 20 minutes and a page of rambling, I’ve finally gotten around to what’s bothering me. My feelings toward Max couldn’t be more confusing. I never fell out love with him; it just isn’t as intense as it was a year and a half ago. We’ve been through so much this last year. I guess I’m afraid to let myself fall for him again. HA! Listen to me! I just said I had never fell out of love with him, and now I’m saying I’m afraid to fall for him again! I love Max. Accepting that part and letting him back into my heart is proving to be hard. I guess it just comes down to the fact that I’m scared. I’m scared of all the things I want to happen with Max. I’m scare of his past taking him away from me. I guess what I’m scared most of is Max turning his back on his responsibilities for me. I don’t know if I could live with myself if something happened to Michael, Isabelle, or anyone and Max could have saved them but didn’t because of me. All I do know is that

“Liz?”

She jumped a foot at the sound of Max’s voice. She had been concentrating so hard on her journal that she not only lost track of time, but where she was.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.” Said Max, taking half a step back from her table in the Crashdown, DAMN! He hated this uncertainty about how to behave around Liz. Sometimes with her it was just like before, but others like now, he didn’t know if he was intruding or if he had scared her.

“No, Max. It’s ok.” Giving him a smile she shut her journal and motioned for him to sit down. “I was getting so wrapped up in my journal that I didn’t hear you come up. How was the meeting? Anything?”

Sighing, Max sat down. “Nothing. If we could just catch some break…” looking at Liz a small smile creased his face. “Alex is tireless, I think he’d keep looking till the end of time. Isabelle on the other hand…”

“Is tired of you taking up all her boyfriend’s free time!” interrupted Isabelle with a smile. With Alex on her arm they sat down and joined them. “It’s no big deal,” said Alex modestly.

“Yes it is!” exclaimed Isabelle giving Max a mock angry stare then breaking into laughter with the rest of the table when Max raised his hands in surrender and cringed back from Isabelle in fear.

“Hey Max” Kyle’s quiet voice cut through the laughter and silenced everyone. In the past week Kyle had lost his hostile attitude toward Max, but still didn’t talk to him except when he couldn’t avoid it.

“Hi Kyle. How you doing?” Asked Liz with concern in her voice. Kyle didn’t look good, his eyes were surrounded by dark shadows and it was obvious that he wasn’t getting much, if any sleep.

“Fine.” He replied. Looking at Max, he heaved his backpack off his shoulder and opened it up. “I was cleaning…her room last night and I found this, though you should have it.” From out of his pack he pulled the brass looking alien language book and handed it to Max.

“ALEX!” Isabelle cried grabbing Alex’s arms. Alex had started shaking, his eyes wide with fright staring at the book. Suddenly Alex let out a shriek and jumped up from the table.

Max and Kyle moved quickly to grab Alex, just as his eyes rolled back in his head and he collapsed in their arms. The two teenagers quickly hustled the unmoving Alex into the Crashdown’s back room. Isabelle grabbed the book and quickly followed. Liz, quickly glanced around the restaurant, grateful that it was early on a Saturday and that there were only two customers and Maria in the front. She looked at Maria and said in a voice loud enough for the customers to hear “His grade card: he got a C.” Turning away from Maria’s scared and puzzled expression, Liz, with her journal clutched to her chest and cursing herself for that lame excuse for Alex’s reaction, rushed in back.

In the back room Liz found Alex stretched out on the couch. Isabelle, knelt beside him with tears running down her face as she held Alex’s hand. “Max!” Isabelle cried, “He’s not breathing! DO SOMETHING!”

Max, who had been moving to sit by Alex’s head, quickly got into position and then with his eyes shut in concentration, placed both his hands on Alex’s head. His hands soon began to glow with that familiar white light.

Kyle, who had moved over against the door to the kitchen to explain to Michael what had happened, looked at Michael and asked, “Would those healing stone thingies help.”

“Don’t know.” Replied Michael, “Max is the healer, we’ll see what he says.”

With a shutter and a gasp Alex’s chest rose, then fell, quickly falling into a rhythm. Max, looking pale, pulled back and stared at Alex in shock. “Max,” cried Isabelle looking terrified “What is it? Why is he still unconscious? What happened?” the questions were a partial demand and a partial plea.

Looking down at his sister, Max placed his hand over hers and Alex’s. “He’s going to be alright Is. He had a stroke..”

“Stroke!?” Cried Isabelle in shock.

“A stroke.” Continued Max calmly, “I took care of that damage, but there’s another – problem, that I have to deal with now. But before I do I need you to go upstairs with Liz now. It’ll be easier if you’re not down here.”

“NO!” cried Isabelle “I’m not leaving him! Just get on with it Max! I’m not letting him go.” Tears flowed freely, the last was said in almost a whisper as she kissed Alex’s hand.

“Max looked at her for a second then at Michael. “Michael,” Max began, “I’m going to need your help” Michael nodded without a second’s hesitation and headed over to where Max was resettling himself by Alex’s head. Maria, having gotten rid of the customers came in the room demanding to know what was wrong. Reaching out and holding her hand Liz quietly explained what little she knew.

With Max’s hands beside Alex’s head, and Michael’s hands gripping Max’s shoulders, they began the healing. The tension and energy in the room was almost palatable, flowing from Michael to Max to Alex.

It was over five minutes before Max slumped back in his chair, beyond exhaustion, and said, “It’s done. He’ll be ok.”

Michael had slightly more energy which he demonstrated by screaming “THAT BITCH!” and put a hole in the wall above Max. “That bitch.” He repeated as he extracted his hand.

“Michael!” exclaimed Maria rushing over to him to look at his hand “What is it? Who are you talking about?”

“Max?” Michael asked holding out his bleeding hand. Max slowly reached up briefly held Michael’s fist in his hand and then dropped it. “Thanks.” Said Michael, and then asked, “You want to tell them?”

“Not now.” Max replied not even looking up. “Alex will be out for a few hours, and I need to lay down before I pass out.” He tried to stand up and collapsed in Michael’s arms, out cold.

“He’s alright. It just drained almost everything he had.” Michael said as Liz started to rush over and Isabelle stood up. “Max was right, the best thing for him and Alex right now is sleep - we’ll wait till they both are up and about before we talk about this.” Strangely, thought Michael, no one, not even Maria, questioned that statement. Humm, he thought, Max was right about that ‘tone of command voice’. If it gets Maria to shut up like this I’ll have to work on it more. Shaking himself out of his reverie he looked at Liz and asked “Alex is fine where he is. Can I put Max on the couch upstairs?”

“Uh, yea, of course.” Said Liz, heading upstairs followed by Michael carrying Max in his arms. When they got upstairs, Liz surprised them both by saying “Let’s put him in here.” And then proceeded to lead Michael into her room. Saying nothing, Michael laid Max down on Liz’s bed and quietly left. Liz stood there for a minute looking down at Max. Slowly she walked around her bed and sat her journal down on the desk. Then kicking off her shoes she gently laid down on the bed next to Max and rested her head on his chest. Even in his state of sleep Max’s arm found its way around her pulling her closer. Laying there listening to his heart beat and the sound of his breathing Liz quietly said “I’m not scared anymore Max. I love you.”