Snapshot · (Roswell Fanfiction) · √

44. Ain't No Sunshine

The Parkers' Residence

Thanksgiving

(1992) Michael is 8, Liz is 6

Liz jumped with the sound of the vase smashing into the wall and she clutched the stuffed bunny closer to her chest as the angry voices continued downstairs.

Her mother was upset about something. Crying and screaming. She seemed angry. But mostly sad. Her father was screaming at her mother and there was so many frightening sounds coming from the first floor that Liz was clutching her small hands to her ears in attempt to drown it out.

Pulling her bunny by the ears, she climbed off the bed and walked up to her walk-in closet. There was already a large pillow on the floor from when she used to sit in there and play with her stuffed animals and she plumped down on it, burying her face into the fluffy fur of Mr. Big Ears.

She tensed as she heard the door to her room open but quickly relaxed as his voice drifted through the dim light of her bedroom.

"Lizzie? You in here?"

She slid the wardrobe door to the side and poked her tear-stained face out. "I'm here."

Her big brother had a blanket wrapped around him and was carrying a flashlight in his hand. He crawled into the closet next to his little sister, closed the sliding door and wrapped the blanket around both of them, constructing a hiding place from the rest of the world.

As the blanket came to sit over them and the darkness became more palpable, Michael turned on the flashlight.

He smiled comfortingly at his little sister as she blinked up at him with large wounded eyes. "You want me to tell you a story?"

She nodded quickly, wanting Michael to make the scary outside world go away.

"Do you have Mr. Big Ears?" Michael asked and Liz nodded seriously.

Liz had more or less grown out of the bunny, but it was during times like these that she reverted back to her younger insecurities and the stuffed animals provided her with some comfort.

"Okay," Michael said and took a deep breath. "What do you want to hear?"

"Tell me again about the time when you and dad went fishing," Liz replied and then her eyes widened as she remembered the last story Michael had told.

It had been one of the few times that Mr. Parker had spent some quality time with Michael and Liz loved hearing him tell that particular story because Michael always sounded so happy.

"Again?"

"Please?"

He smiled. "Alright."

Liz relaxed against him, curling into his side while she clutched the bunny in her arms. "How does it start?"

"It was raining that day," Michael began and Liz squeezed her brother's T-shirt in her small hands, already listening intently. "Dad woke me up when it was still dark outside..."

The quarrel downstairs was quickly drowned out.

13 years later

The Parkers' Residence

Thanksgiving

(2005) Michael is 21, Max is 20, Liz is 19

"Elizabeth, please tell Gabriela to replace that wine glass. It has a fingerprint on it."

Liz sighed, "Yes, mother," having no intention of telling Gabriela that.