Mnemosyne's Daughter | (Roswell Fanfiction) | √

FIVE

A large explosion rocks the ground beneath their feet and metallic larva spills out of the cave in front of her eyes as the transport device, more commonly known as the Granolith, disappears through the clouds.

She feels his arms clutching her tightly against his warm chest and she fights, God does she fight, to work up the courage to go through with her plan.

She is looking up at him as he turns his head towards her, after the Granolith has disappeared out of sight. But before he is given the opportunity to speak, she begins, "Max, we need to talk. Could you meet up with me in an hour, my place?"

She can tell that her request doesn't surprise him. After everything that has transpired between them, it's the least he expects.

"Okay," he says.

The dream swirls and blurs, to seamlessly merge with a later event, as if the two events are irrevocably interwoven.

His fingers rap softy against her window and she pivots on her heels towards the sound. How many times has she seen him sitting outside her window like that, looking at her through that glass? Sadness gradually eats away at her strength as she unlocks the window for him and he climbs through.

"Thanks for coming," she says.

The politeness causes Max to smile awkwardly and they both realize for a second how much things have changed between them.

"What's up?" he asks casually.

"Uhm," she wrings her hands in her lap as she takes a seat on the bed.

She can see the hesitation in Max's movement as he sits down on her bed and she knows what memory is haunting him at that point. Should she tell him? It wasn't on her agenda to tell him about the future version of him visiting her half a year ago. That visit from the future is currently so far into the past that it has taken on a surreal quality and more than once has Liz speculated about its existence and if in reality she was the one to push Max away, without the help of a certain long-haired man.

"Lots of things have happened recently," she starts softly.

"Understatement," Max mumbles and there's resentment in his voice.

Alex's death is at the foremost of her mind, but right behind falls Tess' betrayal and her recent departure from earth. Tess almost succeeded in luring Max, Michael and Isabel away from Earth, but Liz's discovery about the identity of her friend's murderer created a last-minute obstacle in the path of those plans.

"I need to say something," Max says before Liz has a chance to open her mouth. "Tess and I-"

"Please, Max, I don't want to know," Liz pleads.

"You need to know this, Liz," Max protests. Liz nods numbly. "She...she got into my head. I won't blame my behavior these last couple of weeks on her, because I'm accountable for my own actions, but she was close to leaving...uhm...irreparable damage."

Liz swallows the nausea, not wanting to ask, but her curiosity gets the best out of her. "What do you mean?"

"She...she tried to seduce me..."

Liz looks away.

"Please, Liz..."

She reluctantly turns to face him again.

"After I saw you in bed with Kyle-"

"Max, about that-"

"No, let me continue."