e408

ROSWELL: THE FINAL CHAPTER

Episode 408

“The Holiday Surprise”

Story by Bri

Written by Annie, Cole, Jeslyn, Liz, Shira

Edited by Liz, Lisa, Tiff, Mark

Playlist

1. “Where are you Going?” by The Dave Matthews Band

2. “Let it Snow” by Frank Sinatra

3. “Santa Baby” by Marilyn Monroe

4. “Thinking About Forever” by P.O.D.

5. “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” by Tori Amos

6. “Christmas Day” by Dido

Christmas.

It has been the sole topic of conversation for the past two weeks.

Christmas.

The more she thought about it, the more this day called Christmas stood out in Maria’s mind. She had become accustomed to recalling memories without any feelings. But all the memories up until now had lacked any striking qualities and were in fact, fairly bland. Something about these new memories was different though – saturated somehow – colored with an unidentifiable presence.

As Maria drifted off to sleep, her mind churned yet again over the so-called feelings everyone said she was supposed to have. But as the point of consciousness came and went, other, deeper memories began surfacing again.

Calypso stared up at the mottled red sky from where she laid back in the cool grass. A warm northern breeze swept over the knoll, causing the water’s edge to dance lightly in irregular patterns. She looked up at the three moons hovering in the sky and wondered what in the hell was taking Rath so long.

“I figured I'd find you here,” Rath stated as he confidently climaxed the knoll and plodded down the leeward side, looking like some kind of Adonis with his shirt half undone and his hair dishevelled.

Calypso leaned towards the water and dragged a finger through its shimmering golden surface, her back turned to him.

“Yeah? When did you figure that out?”

Rath smirked and plopped down next to her on the soft grass. “Hey,” he said softly, tipping her chin up between his bulky fingers. “I'm sorry I'm late. You know how things get at the palace on this day…” He trailed and waved a hand towards the sky where four planets were visible. He then continued in a deep, dramatic voice, “This day of the great planetary alignment.”

Calypso rolled her eyes. “Doesn't it mean anything to you that our ancestors have been celebrating this day for eons and –”

“I saw enough celebrating at the palace. You know what Vilandra got me? A blue tunic.” The irritation in his voice was thick.

Calypso smirked. “You hate blue.”

“Exactly.”

“So...”

“So...what?”

“So what did you get me?” Calypso asked, feigning indifference.

Rath smirked. “It's a surprise.”

“A surprise?”

“A surprise for later,” he added.

“Oh, that surprise. Well, you know, you give me that surprise every night, so what else did you get me?”

Rath rolled his eyes, grasping her hand and brushing a kiss against the back of her fingers. “It's a different kind of surprise,” he promised.

Calypso sighed in defeat, “Alright, well in that case.” She stood stoically and walked over to a stone bench a few feet away. Lifting a small box off of it, she stared down at the last gift she was ever going to give him, at least in this life.

Stepping up behind her, Rath ran his hands down her arms. “Callie?”

Calypso turned suddenly, tears pooling in her eyes as she held up the long, narrow box between them. Instead of taking the box, Rath watched the tears cascade down her rosy cheeks. He didn't need her to tell him what was wrong, he knew.

Swiping away her tears, Calypso pushed the box into his hands. “Here, just open it.”

Taking the box, Rath pushed the lid off and stared down at a beautifully crafted, gold runed and sapphire-bejewelled dagger.

“This is a dagger of the ancients, Cam, I –”

“I remembered how much you used to obsess about every new dagger your father would get when we were little,” Calypso explained, the light coming back into her eyes.

“How could you possibly afford this? Zan's too cheap to be paying you this much,” Rath speculated. He carefully took it out of the box and turned it over in his hand, its weight comfortable in his grasp. The light from the setting sun hit the jewels embedded in the metal and bounced off, creating tiny reflections of light.

Calypso shrugged. “My father helped me out some. He's getting paid major credits for some big project Zan's administration is putting together. Highly classified he says,” she added.

At the mentioning of the project, Rath wondered how much she knew about it. He had planned to tell her, but the timing was not right, it was never right, it would never be right.

“Rath?”

Rath's head snapped up to Calypso's questioning eyes and he smiled as if nothing was wrong. Placing the dagger back in the box, he set it back down on the bench and took Calypso into his arms. “I love it,” he said simply, then leaned down to look at her at eye level. “But not nearly as much as I love you. Always remember that. No matter what happens, I will always love you.”

As Maria awoke, those last words echoed through her mind, and for a brief moment she remembered what they were and what they meant. But as quickly as they had come, they were gone.

Maria's eyes filled with wetness, although she had no idea why, and when she opened them, Michael was staring right at her, concern on his face.

“Michael?”

“Yeah?”

“You get people things they like for Christmas, right?” Maria asked, and although the random question confused him, he nodded.

Maria thought for a moment, remembering something from her dream, a golden lake. Maybe it was even a feeling - something happened when she gave something to Rath.

That memory was just out of her reach, but there was something else that, for some odd reason, she remembered crystal clear.

“You don't like blue, right?”

“Not... really,” Michael replied slowly, warily.

Maria nodded. “Okay,” she said simply, but knew a lot more then she was letting on. She knew exactly what she wanted for Christmas.

~.~.~.~.~

Max looked around at his surroundings. It was late afternoon; the building was empty except for him and his cohort, and there wasn’t a customer in sight. Another boring Wednesday. He was glad to have a job, glad to have legitimate money coming in, but working at the discount video store was not his idea of a good time. He shook his head and leaned against the counter. Things were really dead today and there was only so much you could do to keep yourself busy before boredom takes over.

“Evans, what movie do you want to watch next?” Kyle motioned to the back of the store, in hopes of brightening the day.

Max rolled his eyes. “I am sick of movies.   We have been working here forever now and I never thought I would say this, but I hate movies!”

“Come on,” Kyle goaded, wanting to cheer him up. “How about we watch ‘Lilo and Stitch’? I saw previews for it and it looks pretty funny.”

Max looked at him sceptically. “What’s it about?”

“Well a little alien... um... yeah, crashes in Hawaii... and uh yeah...” Kyle said, throwing Max the cover-jacket.

“Aliens, huh?” he said, looking it over.

The cartoon character on the cover made Max smile and give a half chuckle. “Aliens. I’m sick of the real thing, might as well throw this in.”

Max loaded the tape into one of the VCR’s, and it began whirring to life.

Kyle agreed. “Nothing like fantasy.”

Max turned up the volume and leaned back on the counter.

As the movie began to roll, the door chimed and a tall, obese man walked through the door. Max quickly turned down the volume.

“Good afternoon, Mr. Roberts,” Max said happily as the familiar face dropped a video in the bin.

“Anything we can help you find today?” Kyle added, smiling slyly because he knew this customer was a regular of the ‘adult’ section.

“No, no thanks. I’m fine,” he answered awkwardly as he inched his way down the aisle to the back of the store.

The door jingled again and two children rushed in just in front of their mother.

“Figures, as soon as we start a good movie we get a rush,” Kyle complained.

“This is hardly a rush,” Max stated observantly.

“Just you wait, your Majesty. Just you wait,” Kyle said, sidestepping Max and heading to the other side of the counter, where he began sorting videos to put back on the shelves.

Before they could say another word, a slew of people came in and the once-dead video store was now packed to the brim with people of all ages. Max and Kyle took their places at the counter and began to work the registers.

“Find everything all right, Mr. Roberts?” Kyle asked as he scanned the movie jackets.

“Yeah, just fine, thanks.”

“Well, that will be $4.50,” Kyle said, Mr. Roberts handing him a five.

Kyle punched the keyboard, the cash drawer popped open, and he grabbed two quarters, handing them to Mr. Roberts.

“Here’s your change. ‘Busty Biker Babes Caught on Tape’ and ‘Dancing Dirty’ are both due back on Friday before midnight.”

Kyle laughed to himself, the elderly couple in line shuddered as he read the names aloud. Mr. Roberts quickly walked out the door.

The returned video bin was overflowing now and videos were ending up on the floor.

“Hey Max, why don’t you start putting some videos away, I can handle checking everyone else out.”

“Sure,” Max said, loading up a cart. Exiting the counter, he started pushing it down the aisle when he felt a tug on his shirt.

“Excuse me, mister?” the little boy asked.

Max looked down to see a young boy with huge, hopeful blue eyes. Max knelt down so he was face to face with the child.

“Wha’cha need, kiddo?”

“There is no more Stitches left, ya' got any in there?”

“Let me check,” Max said as he got up and started looking though his cart full of recently returned videos.

“So, you like ‘Lilo and Stitch’, huh?”

“Yeah! I saw part of it at my friend Bobby’s house and it was real funny.” the boy said, laughing to himself. “Aliens are cool! What’s your name?”

“My name is Max, what’s yours?”

“Alex and I am this many years old,” he said as he held up his right hand and his left thumb.

“Wow, you’re growing up fast!”

“Yup, I am a big boy. I go to kindergarten now. How old are you?”

“Eighteen.”

The boy started counting on his fingers, and got stuck at ten twice before giving up.

“Wow, you’re old!” the boy said in awe.

Max had finished looking though the cart, and there weren’t any Lilo and Stitch videos. He knelt back down beside the boy and said, “Sorry kiddo, but we don’t have any more Stitches.”

“Oh,” the boy said dejectedly, his shoulders dropping.

“ALEX!” his mother shouted. “I have been looking everywhere for you! Big boys don’t run off!”

“But mom, I was asking him if he had any more Stitches!” the boy compensated.

“No, buts mister, you don’t run off like that.” She looked back up at Max. “I’m sorry he was bothering you,” the woman offered kindly.

“Really, it’s no problem,” Max said as he smiled at the boy. Seeing the boy reminded him of his own son, wherever he may be. He hoped that someday he and Liz would have a child just like that.

“Come on Alex, you are going to have to pick out another movie,” his mother said.

“But I don’ wanna ‘nother movie! I wanna watch Stitches,” the boy cried as he slowly sulked off behind his mother.

“Wait, Alex,” Max said, suddenly remembering. “We have one behind the desk. See, it’s playing on the TV up there.”

Max watched Alex’s face brighten as he saw the screens above.

“You can have that one if you like.”

Alex turned to his mother eagerly, bouncing up and down and grabbing a hold of her leg. “Can we mom?”

She looked at Max with a smile. “Sure.”

“Just follow me up here and I’ll check you out,” Max said, leading the mother and her two children to the counter. Max stopped the movie that was playing and threw it in the rewinder. He took the mother’s card and scanned the jacket of the movie.

“Oh, and don’t forget this one,” the woman said as she took a movie out of her daughter’s hands and gave it to Max. It was an old cartoon that brought back good memories of his childhood.

“Gotta’ love Scooby Doo, this one is a classic,” Max said with a laugh, scanning it.

He heard the rewinder stop, grabbed Lilo and Stitch, and slipped it into its jacket.

“Your total is $4.50.”

Max handed her the change and movies.

“They are due back on Friday before midnight. Have a nice day. Take care, Alex.”

Alex smiled shyly.

“Let’s go,” the mother said as she pushed the kids towards the exit.

The little boy stopped and looked up at Max, who was now looking out the window thoughtfully. Alex once again tugged on the end of his shirt. Max looked down and gave the boy a genuine smile.

“Tank you, Max,” Alex said as he gave him a hug and quickly ran to catch up to his family.

After Max watched the family walk away, he looked around the video store, and found Kyle leaning against the counter once again, another cart of movies full and waiting to be restocked.

“That was a rush.” Kyle said. “And I see that you gave away our movie!”

“I had to. You can’t say no to a kid.”

“That’s your weakness then,” Kyle laughed.

They stood in silence for a while, not really knowing what to say. They had been working together for a few weeks now, but there were still moments when they had nothing to talk about. Kyle felt the need to break the silence.

“So, did you get a present for Liz yet?”

“Yeah, well I’ve had it on my mind for a while now so it wasn’t too hard.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah, I figure I owe her so much, you know? Just for coming with me and giving up her life, college, family. Actually I feel that way towards all of you,” Max said quietly, still staring out the window.

“So, what did you get her?” Kyle asked again, wanting to get away from the brooding touchy-feely stuff.

“Can’t tell.” Max said with a gleam in his eye, “Very top secret, Area-51 hush-hush.”

“Come on. You really think I would tell her?”

1

Max wavered. For some reason he wanted something to share with Kyle. He had given Kyle a bad rap since he found him and Liz in bed together, and in the end he had been all wrong. Kyle always helped whom he could, when he could, and he had given up his life and his father to go on the run with people he had little in common with.

“No, you probably will tell someone and then that someone will tell someone else…”

“Scout’s honor,” Kyle said, putting three fingers in the air.

“Fine, fine,” Max laughed. “Even though I know you are no scout.”

“Woohoo! I love secrets - well good secrets that is,” Kyle said as he settled himself on the counter closer to Max.

“Well, when we were on the run, after the carnival, I got word to Liz’s parents to send a package to a P.O. box outside Fresno.” At Kyle’s pointed look he added, “I was safe about it.”

Kyle rolled his eyes. Leave it up to a former king to tell his followers not to do something and then turn around and do it himself. He swallowed any biting remarks and asked, “A package?”

“Well, more like an envelope.”

“With what?”

“Full of pictures of her family, mom, dad, grandma Claudia and others. Well with those I made an album, her family at the beginning and our family at the end.”

“Wow,” Kyle said nodding in approval. “Good idea.”

“Yeah, I thought so. I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to pull it off, but I did. And I got her a new journal – leather. It’s a little like her old one, except this one is purple, with a black strap.”

“I am sure she’ll love it.”

“Yeah?” Max asked hopefully.

“Definitely. I wish I could come up with something that good,” Kyle shrugged, scratching his chin.

“For who?”

“Oh, no one in particular, I was just saying I would like to have ideas like yours,” Kyle said, covering his tracks. No one needed to know he had a crush on Serena.

“Right.” Max said as he watched Kyle squirm. “So, anyway, want to bet on what Mr. Roberts returned?”

“That’s not fair, we both know it was, you know…”

“Yeah, but was it one of his regular favourites or a new release?” Max challenged.

Kyle thought for a bit. “I bet it was one of the new ones.”

“No way,” Max challenged. “I bet it was his favourite, ‘Hole in One.’”

“Fine- you’ve got a bet. I know for a fact he checked that out last week, there is no way he checked it out again two days ago, especially with our wide porn selection,” Kyle laughed.

“What do you want to bet?” Max asked, walking towards the bin.

“Hmmm... How about supper?”

“You got it.” Max said as he dug into the bin and pulled out the video and showed it to Kyle. “I guess you owe me supper!”

“Whatever, that man is seriously nuts.” Kyle said as he looked at the movie in dismay. “With all our porn he chooses that one.”

“So, you didn’t like this one I take it?” Max asked innocently as he scanned it back into the system.

“Don’t go there Max!” Kyle started turning red.

“Trust me, I don’t want to go there,” Max said, laughing.

The two fell into sorting videos and there was a lull in the conversation. Kyle tapped his foot impatiently. As much as he liked Max, sometimes he just needed to get away from him.

“I’ll be right back,” Kyle said, grabbing an armload of videos from the X-marked box.

“You do know that you shelve porn almost six times every shift,” Max commented, looking up from the group of videos that had just been returned.

Kyle shrugged his shoulders.   “What can I say? I’m a self-respecting red-blooded male.   It’s not only my duty, but also my right. Buddha states it’s perfectly natural to love women!”

Rolling his eyes, Max turned his attention to the pile of videos in front of him.   “Hamlet,” he muttered aloud, tossing it into the box marked Drama. “National Lampoon’s Vacation,” he muttered again, an eyebrow rising. That one ended up in the comedy bin, but it took a little thought. “Hot Hunnies…”

Max stopped reading.   “Kyle,” he called out, but it was too late.   The door to the back section of the store was already closed, which meant that Kyle would be occupied for at least a good fifteen minutes. The bell on the store’s front door chimed. Dropping the rest of the videos into the ‘to be sorted’ pile, Max looked up at the approaching customer.

“Hey Max,” Serena said as she walked towards him. “Whatcha doin’?”

“Sorting videos,” Max answered, a baffled look on his face.   “I thought you were supposed to be at work?”

“Well,” she trailed off.   “I was, but…”

“You were fired,” he finished for her.

“No,” Serena insisted, accentuating the point by sticking up her index finger.   “Just for the record, I quit.”

“Why?” Max asked, almost taking on the tone of a parent scolding a child.

“You have heard of the hypothesis that the customer is always right,” Serena countered, a completely serious look on her face.

Max nodded his head in a silent compliance.

“See, I managed to prove that they were indeed not always right, like 1-0=1 except for extremely large values of 1,” Serena continued to explain.   “Anyways, after I brought it not only to the customers attention but the to the manager’s as well, he was polite enough to accept my resignation. Especially since my scientific curiosity had been cured.”

“Layman’s terms,” Max requested, beginning to rub his left temple.

“Basically, a woman started arguing with me over fifteen cents that she thought I owed her, which I didn’t,” Serena justified. “After about ten minutes of explaining exactly what tax was, I told her where she could shove her fifteen lousy cents and kindly offered to draw her an atomically correct diagram to aid her in the process. Therefore, the manager and I decided that my talents would be of better use elsewhere, perhaps in the medical imaging field.”

Max let out a groan of frustration.   “Do you know what this means?”

“No more blue light specials?” Serena said off the top of her head.

Max threw a disapproving look over the counter at her.

Tossing both hands up in a mock defensive manner, Serena took a step back. “Don’t worry.   I saw a help wanted sign in the coffee house down the block. I’d be a natural, mostly because I consume more coffee than any normal human being can handle. Oh, that, and there’s no tax,” she smiled stately.

“Okay,” Max gave up. “Okay.”

“So where is Kyle,” Serena asked, happy that Max was no longer angry with her.

A mischievous smile crossed Max’s lips.   “He’s in the back,” he told her, pointing over to the door marked ‘Adults 18 and Over Only.’ “You can go see him if you want.”

“Thanks,” she replied with a smirk, heading off towards the back.

“Oh,” Max said, stopping Serena in her tracks.   “And could you take this to him?” he asked, handing her a video.

“Sure,” Serena agreed, not looking down to see the video in her hand. Quickly, she made her way to the other end of the store. Creaking the door open, she was met the slight sound of moaning and - golf carts? That was all it took for her to glance down at the video in her hand. “’Hot Hunnies’,” she muttered. “I’ll be damned.”

With that, she threw the door open.   “I seriously doubt Buddha would approve of your participation in this kind of vulgar indulgence.”

Startled, Kyle dropped the videos he was holding, scattering them across the floor.   “Wha – wha - what are you doing here,” he stuttered.

“Thought I would stop by to see you,” Serena explained.   “But it looks like you are already occupied.”

“For your information, I’m working,” Kyle countered, trying to save a little face.

“Since when did your job include previewing porn,” Serena questioned, seeing Max’s wide grin. She shut the door behind her.

Kyle laughed nervously.   “It’s a dirty job, but someone’s got to do it.”

Serena took a quick glance at the TV monitor.   “Yup, dirty just about covers it… just about.”

“Aren’t you supposed to be working or something,” Kyle retorted, reaching around Serena to shut off the television.

She looked up into his eyes.   “What can I say, they didn’t like my use of colorful adjectives to improve customer relations, I guess they can’t handle real adult material.”

One of Kyle’s eyebrows raised on its own accord.   “Is that so?”

Nodding, Serena started to lean in closer to Kyle.   His gaze fell on her lips, taking in how full and soft they looked.   Oh, how he wanted to kiss her.

Just then, there was a sudden knock on the door.   “Not that I really want to know, but what are you two doing in there,” Max’s voice filtered through. “I heard moaning, and, was that, golf-carts?”

“Nothing now,” Kyle groaned, as he saw Max walk away, a wide grin on his face.

Serena couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

“What’s so funny,” Kyle asked, only slightly amused.

“Nothing,” Serena said, shaking her head.   “What are you doing after work?”

Kyle shrugged his shoulders.   “Nothing really.   Why?”

“We’re getting coffee,” she informed him as she moved towards the door. “At the diner.”

“Okay,” Kyle agreed, a dazed look on his face.   “I’ll see you at four?”

“Four it is,” Serena confirmed.   “I better let you get back to your job.   Try not to get too absorbed in your work,” she teased, walking away.

“Wait, we who?” he said, but she had already gone.

Kyle stood there, stunned for a moment, and then he remembered the scattered videos on the floor.

“Evans is a dead man!”

~.~.~.~.~

2

Isabel strode into the small store with one purpose and one purpose only. She needed to find -

Suddenly she stopped, an almost Grinch-like smile spreading across her lips.

“There you are,” She said slyly to herself. She bolted to the stand, politely waiting for each person to take their turn, a fake smile or two displayed to a few others waiting beside her.

“Oh, screw this,” she muttered, pushing her way through the mass of people. She needed that globe, but there were a variety - which to choose? She picked up a box and read the label above the sample picture and sat it back down, going over to another one.

She sneered. “Snowmen are too overrated. It's three balls of snow and a carrot for crying out loud.” Angels? Did she really want Angels in a house filled with little devil hybrids? She thought not. Finally, she spotted what she was looking for – a reindeer with a red nose, standing in the middle of its glass dome. She snatched it up, almost greedily, looking at the little old woman picking through the left over globes.

The old woman looked up at her and started to smile, until Isabel snapped, “This one’s mine. It's perfect. I’m sorry but Christmas is first-come first-served, lady.” She said with a nod, grabbing the box and stalking off. She held the box close and smiled with satisfaction as looked down at it. She was so enthralled that she nearly collided with Jesse.

“Look, Jesse!” She exclaimed, her face breaking out into an irresistible, insanely large grin. “I found Rudolph!”

“That’s… that’s great, Isabel,” Jesse replied, looking not so excited as he looked past her to the old lady who was shaking her walker at him. “Sorry ma'am, she just really loves Rudolph,” he said with a shrug.

Isabel pretended not to notice and took the globe out of its box, shaking it upside down, watching the fake snow fall on the reindeer. “Isn’t it great honey?” She said, watching the artificial snow fall. Standing in the middle of the aisle, someone accidentally jostled into her and she nearly lost her grip on the globe. After securing it in her hands she turned to them, snapping, “Watch where you’re going! Haven’t you heard of the words, ‘excuse me’? It is Christmas after all!”

She turned back to Jesse, “You know, you would honestly think that people could be considerate at least one time of the year. Don't you think?” Jesse nodded, without really hearing. “I mean it’s Christmas! Christmas is a time for giving and compassion and not who can get to the checkout first and get home before the game.” She ranted.

Jesse looked up. “Do you think we're going to miss the game?”

Isabel glared at him. “You think this is funny? It's a travesty the way people... people...” She trailed, anger and irritation showing.

“Alright, calm down.” Jesse soothed then carefully placed the globe back into its box and gave it to Isabel to hold onto, as he already had way too much in his own hands. “Here's your reindeer, if it will make you feel better. Now let's just get out of here,” He said, glancing around. “People are getting hostile in here,” He added, nearly losing his hold on all of the accessories she had purchased to accent their home during the holiday season.

Isabel instantly snapped back into Nazi-mode, pulling out her planner.

“Okay, the doorways leading to Max and Liz’s room and the front door are all missing mistletoe. That is just not acceptable. Do you remember which store I got it from?” Isabel stood poised with her pen over her planner, which was filled with lists of things to do while out shopping. It nearly gave Jesse a headache to see that only a few were crossed off.

Jesse shook his head no. “Sorry, Isabel. You picked those up in New York, remember?”

“Yes, I know but you’d figure in a city like Boston they’d have some store that was year-round Christmas. Not to have one would be unacceptable! Mistletoe is a must you know. Although in our house kissing partners are pretty much quarantined with yellow tape and a “Do Not Enter” sign, it's still a necessity.”

Jesse sighed. “Alright, alright Isabel. We'll go find another store with mistletoe.” He looked down at his watch. “We don't have to meet up with the others for another twenty minutes anyway.”

Isabel's eyes narrowed. “You are looking at this from entirely the wrong perspective.” She said with a shake of her head.

“The wrong perspective or the perspective that isn't yours?” Jesse asked snidely.

Isabel glared. “What's that supposed to mean!”

Jesse sighed and then shook his head. “Nothing... this Christmas has just been a little more stressful then I would have hoped,” he explained.

“Oh I'm sorry Jesse that this Christmas isn't everything you wanted it to be!” She snapped. “How do you think I feel being away from my home, on the other side of the country from my home! Away from my family! On Christmas!”

Noticing that they were now the center of attention in the store, Isabel took a step closer to him and whispered, “But you know I actually thought that being away from my family wouldn't be so horrible because I had you.” She backed up a step. “I guess I was wrong.”

With that, Isabel turned and walked from the store, leaving a very guilty Jesse behind; a guilty Jesse who knew now exactly what to get Isabel for Christmas.

~.~.~.~.~

In a thrift shop near Jesse’s apartment, Liz surveyed the store for anything that might be a good gift. She was originally going to spend the day with Max, since he had a day off work, but the video store called him in at the last minute. Now, she was shopping with Michael and Maria, and was a little surprised that Michael had actually asked her to join him and Maria in some Christmas shopping. She guessed he was trying to get some kind of emotional reaction out of Maria by taking her Christmas shopping.

She stood; a thoughtful grin on her face while she gazed at some items in the display case beneath the checkout counter. Watches, bracelets, earrings, and other knick-knacks reminded her of the others, but she couldn’t decide which ones to get. She looked around for Michael or Maria to get a second opinion. Michael was looking through a rack of clothes, obviously bored by the selection. There was a look of constant annoyance on his face as well she noticed, and it bugged her to no end. She knew Maria would not suddenly express emotion like she used to no matter how badly Michael wanted it to happen.

Maria stood motionless, her face stoic while she stared at a display of socks. Liz thought that Maria looked about as bored as Michael felt. She decided to suggest they try another shop, but by the time she reached Maria, she didn’t get the chance. Michael was staring at her friend incredulously and Liz wanted to know why he was seemingly so offended by Maria’s behavior. He had been caring for Maria since after whatever he had done to her, and absently Liz assumed his feelings were unconditional, the way Max’s were for her. That day in the store, she realized she could be wrong.

“Socks?” he gasped at Maria, “what kind of Christmas present is that?”

“I think I need socks,” Maria told him absently, shrugging as if she didn’t know what she really needed.

“We’re not shopping for ourselves,” Michael pointed out, but before he could continue Liz interrupted him, “Have you found anything for the others, Michael? Do you have any idea what Isabel might want? I’m not sure what to get her.”

“Me either,” he admitted sheepishly. Glancing back at Maria, he said insistently, “Look at something else, okay? Something for someone other than yourself.”

“What am I supposed to look for?” Maria said, looking up at him.

“Look for something you think would make, um, Michael happy, for example.” Liz suggested.

Maria looked at her blankly; she still had no idea what Liz meant.

“Look, I’ll give you an example. I think I’m going to find Max a sweater. It’s warm, which is good for the winter time when it’s freezing outside, and whenever he wears it he’ll be happy because it reminds him of me. You know, he’ll smile and be nice to people because he’s in a good mood, which is part of what Christmas is all about. Do you understand at all?”

Maria shrugged again and walked over to the display case under the checkout counter. Michael looked like he was going to follow her, but Liz grabbed one of his arms, stopping him at least for a moment.

“Michael, please take it easy on her. Any changes she makes won’t be instantaneous, you realize that.”

He glanced at her for a moment and took a deep breath. Then he walked over to Maria and Liz followed, interested to hear what he would say next. He leaned down and peered into the display case. After a moment, he spoke to Maria again.

“How about that silver bracelet for Isabel?” he suggested.

“Junk,” Maria muttered.

“What? I bet it’s an antique,” Michael replied defensively.

“All useless junk,” Maria spoke a little louder than before.

“I don’t know, I liked that bracelet too,” Liz spoke up, trying to help.

Maria blinked a few times, but said nothing.

“Do you really think Isabel will like it, Michael?” Liz said to him after a few seconds of silence.

“I think so,” Michael replied hesitantly, “at least it’s not socks or a dental product.”

“What?”

“Don’t ask,” Michael insisted and said to Maria impatiently, “Do you see anything?”

“I have no idea what to look for,” she said in that same unemotional tone she had adopted since that fateful night they stopped at the strip club.

Glancing at Michael, Liz noticed he was hurt by Maria’s words. Talking to Maria was like talking to a brick wall and she did not like it one bit. Liz didn’t see right away that it was Maria that was causing Michael all this pain, which was the worst part of the whole situation.

“I,” Maria spoke again while she glanced around the store. “I just don’t know. I have no idea what will make Michael happy. What is happy anyway?”

Michael’s eyes narrowed in anger and Liz gave him a pleading look to calm down. Maria hurt him again and did not even come close to realizing it. Liz wanted him to stay, so she tried thinking of something to say that might calm him down. Maria needed him even if she did unknowingly hurt him with her words.

“Michael, she didn’t mean it like that I’m sure. She’s just -”

“Forget it,” he snapped.

Before Liz could speak again he stormed out of the shop, the bell ringing extra loudly as the door swung shut behind him. She didn’t like seeing Michael unhappy because that usually meant Max and Isabel would become unhappy. Heck, he had already ruined her happy mood.

Maria just stood there, as if she didn’t even notice that Michael had left the store. A stoic expression occupied Maria’s face once more. Liz sighed unhappily. She had a bad feeling that Maria might never get better. The scary part was, that it was as if she had already lost her other best friend. Maria wasn’t a person – not then. She was practically a statue.

~.~.~.~.~

As Kyle was approaching the quaint Boston diner, he could see Serena’s form through one of the frosty windows. Even at a distance, she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. This was the second time he’d seen her at a diner. Remembering back to Yosemite, he hoped this time would go a little smoother.

The door chimed as he walked in, and Serena must have seen him coming because she turned around just as he was walking up to her.

“Sit,” Serena said, motioning across from her at the empty space in their booth. She looked at her watch. 4:02, not bad.

“Thanks,” Kyle said, taking off his coat and sitting down across from her. “Earlier you said we were having coffee and I didn’t know if you meant just you and me or if Max or someone else was coming as well.”

“Relax Kyle,” Serena said, smiling at him, handing him a menu. “We – as in you and I - are just having some coffee. Unless you want me to invite Max and the others.”

“Nah, that’s okay,” Kyle said with a smirk. He was going to get even with Max some way, somehow.

The waitress making the rounds came to the table, looking at the two expectantly. “What can I get ya'?”

“Refill, Java, black,” Serena stated efficiently.

Kyle looked over the menu, the waitress waiting impatiently. “I’ll have a double cappuccino please,” and the waitress nodded, walking off dutifully.

“Strong stuff, sure you’re up to it?” Serena teased.

“Well, if I’m not going to get any sleep tonight, I’d better do it with style, right?”

~.~.~.~.~

Liz watched as Max trudged up the walkway, his boots gathering the newly fallen snow.   It was truly the first white Christmas she had ever had.   Sure, snow fell in Roswell, but it melted too fast to be appreciated.   In Boston, it stayed, lasted longer, lived awhile.   At first, it was white, pure, and glistening, covering the ground with a delightful innocence.   After a bit of time, it would age, get grey, and slowly turn into water in order to keep the cycle going.

“It’s almost like Max and I,” she thought to herself, waiting for him to come in.   In the beginning, there was a genuine innocence to the bond they shared.   It was meant to be explored and cherished at the same time.   Then, life took over, muddying the brilliance and melting the simplicity.   But time brought it back again; recycling what it had to know was a good thing.   Hell, not once, but twice.   “Would this have to be a third,” she wondered aloud as the door opened.

“Liz,” Max called out.   “Are you home?”

“Yeah,” she called back, slowing rising from the warm spot she had created on the couch in front of the window.   “I’m in the living room.”

Max dropped his boots by the door, hanging his coat up there as well.   With quick movement, he fully appeared in the archway to the living room.   His entire face lit up when he saw her.   “I missed you.”

Liz couldn’t help but giggle a bit.   “You only had an eight-hour shift,” she mocked, standing up and moving over to him so she could wrap herself in his arms.

All too happy to oblige, Max enveloped her.   “Still doesn’t mean that I can’t miss my wife.   Besides, am I to assume you haven’t missed me at all?”

Rolling her eyes, knowing that she had been caught, Liz refused to look at him.   She knew that if she did, there would be nothing than that damn sexy smirk gracing his lips.   With that one look, she might feel the temptation to forget about telling him her secret.   It was always too easy to melt into him. But he needed to know.

“I have something to tell you,” Liz whispered, starting to pull back a bit.

Max could feel the change in her mood, but thought he might be able to push the dampening spirit away with a bit more coaxing.   “You didn’t miss me,” he feigned disappointment, also wrapping his arms tighter around her waist.

“Every second I’m not with you I miss you,” she told him seriously.

Hearing the tone in her voice was enough to push all joking aside.   “Liz,” he said softly, gently running a finger under her chin in an attempt to make her meet his gaze.   “What’s wrong?”

“Let’s sit down,” Liz suggested, taking a step back.

“Not yet,” Max asked as he gently, but firmly, gripped her arms.   Running his hands up and down their length, he could feel her shiver.   “It's tradition,” he whispered, pointing to the mistletoe hanging above them.

Liz pushed on her toes, meeting his lips in a sweet kiss, tender and reassuring.   It gave her the last bit of strength that she needed to tell him her findings.

Feeling the shift in her mood yet again, Max pulled away, putting the slightest bit of distance between them.   “What do you have to tell me?” he asked softly, still holding her close, realizing that his fingers had wound themselves into her hair during the kiss.

Taking a deep breath, Liz readied herself.   “My cells,” she told him.   “They’re changing.”

Max nodded his head.   “You’re changing, I know.”

Liz shook her head no.   “I think I always was one of you.”

Blinking.   For a second, it was all Max could do.   “What do you mean ‘always was’? How is that possible? You had a human mother.   She gave birth to you.”

Moving away, Liz walked over to the couch and sat down, resting her head in her hands.   “I don’t know Max.   I’m not sure about anything right now, but I know that this feels like the truth.   Serena thinks it’s possible.   Actually, she thinks it’s the truth too.”

Max moved to sit down next to her.   “How long have you suspected this, Liz? And since when have you discussed this with Serena and not me?”

“Since my birthday,” she admitted.   “I tested my cells with the kit Hanley gave me.   I think he suspected all along.”

Anger rolled though his veins as Max took a quick glance around the house, looking for the shape shifter.   “Suspected or knew? God, when I find him…”

“Max,” Liz said calmly.   “He’s not here.   He went… God, I don’t know where, but he knew I had to figure it out for myself.   That I had to tell you by myself.”

“Liz why?” Max questioned, trying to hide the hurt in his voice.   It had taken her three months to tell him about this, and he needed to know why.

Liz looked up, meeting his eyes.   She knew it pained him that she hadn’t said anything sooner, but she had a good reason.   “I couldn’t hurt you Max.   Destiny has robbed you of so much already that I didn’t want to get our hopes up.   Because, if it were true, it meant that everything that has happened to us never had to.   Everything we suffered was pointless, because in the end, we should have known the truth.   Hell, we did know it.   We knew what we felt for each other, and we still let things break us apart.”

He watched the tears slip from her eyes as the rocky ride their relationship suffered rolled though their memories. They lost a lot to be together, but gained so much just because they were.

“But why are you telling me this now?” Max asked, hurt.

“I couldn’t ruin your Christmas,” Liz said quietly, looking at the floor.

“And Serena? What –” Max said, but stopped when Liz started wiping her eyes.

“I’m so scared,” Liz choked out, the sob she was holding back escaping at the same moment.

Max softened and cupped her face in his hands.   “Liz, I love you so much.   Nothing is going to change that.   Whether you were sent from some planet to be with me or born here and we found each other, it doesn’t matter. There is only one truth: we were made for each other.   Fate or destiny, or whatever was so generous by giving you to me – it’s gift that I don’t deserve.”

Liz bit her lip, clenching it tight as his words healed her, melted her fears.   The cycle could continue, and they were going to face it together as one.   “Oh Max,” she gasped, crushing her lips to his.   “I… love…you… so… much,” she muttered between each kiss.

~.~.~.~.~

3.

“Okay, I called the house meeting for 4:30 pm and look, you two are the only ones who decided to show some Christmas spirit and show up.” Isabel ranted, stalking back and forth while Max and Liz sat obediently on the couch.

Isabel glared at the both of them. “Just you two! This is pathetic!”

Max chanced to speak. “Well, you know, it's only 4:31.”

Isabel stopped pacing right in front of them. “Really, 4:31?” Isabel asked, and then turned on Liz. “Liz, what time did I call the house meeting?”

“4:30.” Liz replied meekly.

“Right, and what time did you say it was, Max?” Isabel asked, her irritation becoming blatantly apparent.

“4:31, well, 4:32 now.” Max replied.

“Which would make everyone now...?” Isabel trailed, and Michael suddenly came through the door.

“Late,” Max and Liz finished in unison.

Michael glanced from Max, to Liz, then to Isabel and could almost feel the tension. “Sorry,” he said with a shrug. “Maria couldn’t decide between socks or junk for Christmas.”

“Sorry?” Isabel scoffed.

Michael collapsed onto the couch and raised his hands in defeat. “Very sorry?”

Isabel screeched in frustration, while Michael turned to Liz. “Where's Maria?”

Liz glanced away from Isabel. “She went with Kyle and Serena to rent some movies.”

“Who also should be back by now!” Isabel added, just before Jesse came in. Then from night to day, Isabel's demeanour changed.

“Jesse! Have you been Christmas shopping?” Isabel asked excitedly, sitting on the edge of her seat as Jesse came to sit next to her.

But he only shrugged slightly. “No, I was just taking care of some business.” He turned to Max. “I went ah