Lost Highway

Rating: ADULT
Category: Dreamer and some Supporting Candy - AU w/out Aliens
E-mail: behrsgirl77@msn.com
Disclaimer: The titles to each chapter as well as the lyrics on the banner, and below each chapter title, were taken from Bon Jovi's Lost Highway album. While they inspired this story, I do not claim them to be mine. The story however, is all mine.

Summary: Sometimes you find love, but it's at the wrong time and the wrong place. Some betrayals can never be forgiven. And sometimes you can't help the one you love, no matter how they came to be.

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Part 1

EVERYBODY'S BROKEN

You're feeling like a stranger, but all your friends are here. Little lines and cracks around your eyes and mouth, something's trying to give in, something's trying to get out. It's okay, to be a little broken, everybody's broken in this life.

"SO, LIZ AXLEROD," MICHAEL SAID, AS HE AND MAX WAITED for Liz's tire to be changed. He had wondered how his friend would take her unexpected arrival. In fact, Michael wondered why it took so long for her to get here. It had been years that he'd known about her good for nothing husband, and damn if he didn't wish he could have dragged her out of that house, but as he'd told Maria, Liz needed to be the one to walk away.

"What?" Max said absentmindedly. Michael smiled at him knowingly and shook his head. Just as he'd suspected, he knew Max still had a thing for Liz. Too bad, he probably didn't stand a chance. Liz was finally free, at least he hoped that's what her arrival meant, but she needed to get her life back, Max would be a distraction. That is, if his intentions were more than to get her in bed.

Again, Michael wondered why a guy like Max hadn't settled down yet. He wanted a family; in fact he'd told Michael he envied his relationship with Maria, so what was stopping him? Or rather, he thought, who was stopping him.

"She's back, Max. What do you think about that?" he asked his best friend.

Max shrugged his shoulders, pretending it didn't affect it. He wouldn't let it. She wasn't here to stay, she was married and he was very over her. "Nothing. I mean, I think it's great. I know how long Maria has wanted to see her, so that's good you know. But I'm fine," he said tugging on his ear.

Sure, he was fine, Michael thought. "I didn't ask how you felt. I just asked what you thought about it."

"What's with all the questions?" Max asked, a little agitated.

"Hey, calm down. I'm sure she's just passing through," Michael said as he turned to walk back in the direction of his car. The sun was already up and the sun was baking everything, including him. He reached into his window, grabbed his sunglasses off the dash, and as he straightened he bumped into someone.

"What do you mean, 'passing through'?" Max asked, his eyes narrowed, and Michael knew he was in trouble. He'd said too much, he should've known, Max was sharper than that. He wouldn't let it pass.

"Max, let it go. Seriously." Michael tried to push by him, when he noticed the mechanic waving him back over. But Max would not be put off.

"Damn it, Michael, what do you know? Do you know why she's here after all this time?" he asked, rounding Michael with a hand on his shoulder.

"Max, I would have told you if I thought it would matter, but..."

"Get to it," Max ground out, not sure why he even gave a damn, but he did.

Michael pulled off his sunglasses to regard his friend. "Max, I think that Liz left her husband, finally. He was a real ass and he treated her like... well shit is the kindest word I can find."

"How would you know? You met him?" Max asked sounding not a little pissed off and betrayed. Didn't Michael know how he felt about Liz, or rather how he used to feel about her? And regardless, if she were being mistreated he would have cared. Or did he convince himself and his friends so well that they actually believed him?

"I met him at a party we threw, don't you remember? It was about two years ago, we didn't invite him, but he came with Harry Stromberg and his wife Celia. Celia is the one that told me about Tom, I guess she had witnessed him talking to Liz a few times." Michael went onto to explain why Liz wasn't at the party, because Michael had invited her, without Max knowing.

"I just figured I'd invite her, it would be nice to see her and I knew Maria would be glad to see her. Celia told me that they had gone to pick Tom and Liz up, but Liz had appeared to be crying, and she'd taken her to side and asked her what was wrong. Apparently, Tom was furious that she knew me but never introduced us, and as punishment she could stay home. And that she was useless and if she were a better wife she would have let him know or some such nonsense. Celia said then that Tom had asked for her to excuse them, and then she heard him talking to Liz or rather yelling at her for crying and making him look bad. Apparently, appearances mean everything to Tom."

Max's pulse was racing and he'd wished that he'd stuck around the party a little longer to hear all this, and then to shove his fist down Tom Axlerod's throat. How could Liz, the Liz he knew, put up with that?

"So what the hell, Michael, you didn't think I should know? I could have helped her," he'd said the words before even thinking about them.

Michael raised a brow, "And what would you have done? Knocked on her door and kidnapped her?"

"It would have been better than knowing she was being abused and doing nothing," Max spat out, and then realized he was losing control. He ran his hands through his hair and leaned his head back, allowing the sun to hit him full on.

"I tried. Maria called her, practically begged her. But first Liz denied it all, and after a few more conversations we got the whole story. Max, don't you find it odd that you and Liz live about six blocks from each other, and yet you've never even run into her?"

Max nodded. "That's because she's not allowed to leave the house without him. Max, I think Liz may have runaway. I don't know for sure, but I'd hate to think if he comes looking for her, you know?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I know," was all Max could say; he was drowning in his thoughts.

All this time, he thought Liz was living a happy life. All this time, she'd been living her own private hell.

A hell she didn't want anyone to know, least of all him.

The next dreaded thought washed over him, "Did he ever... hit her?" the words were wretched from his throat.

Michael turned his face away and said, "I don't know. She never said it, but I don't know, Max. To be honest, I don't know, maybe she's actually left him, hell they could even be divorced." Max nodded and followed Michael back over to the mechanic.

So, she left home, and all she had were the three suitcases in her trunk that he'd pulled out. And she may be divorced, or she just ran away in the middle of the night.

No wonder she looked, lost.

Once they reached the sidewalk outside of the Café, Michael placed a hand on his friend's shoulder stopping his movements.

"What's wrong?" Max asked, wanting to see Liz, talk to her. Not that it was his business, but a part of him felt he needed to protect her. It irked him too; she wasn't supposed to affect him. She didn't, he told himself, it was her situation and they were friends right? Well, not really, but they knew each other and they had mutual friends. That was all it was.

"Be careful," he warned his friend.

"About what? Liz?"

"I remember, even if you don't, how you used to trip over yourself when it came to her. How you would watch every move she made. She's broken Max and you're not ready for serious, maybe it's better if you kept your distance." Michael knew that Liz would be humiliated if she knew that Max knew about her. Maria had explained long ago how Liz felt about Max, and while he knew his friend would never intentionally hurt her, he knew that Max had more power over Liz then he even knew about.

"Are you saying that I can't control myself, or something?"

"No! Max, she wouldn't want you to know. You can't treat her differently."

"So, I'm supposed to pretend I don't know her husband is an asshole who mistreats her?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying. I promise you I'll talk to her, Maria will talk to her, and we'll come up with something. I'll tell you everything, but Max she can't know." Michael urged his friend to understand Liz's feelings.

"She's not the same girl that we remember and knew."

"I know that Michael. That's obvious, but... damn how did it get this bad? She's been married for years," Max said trying to figure things out in his head, and realized it was pointless.

"Honestly, I don't know," Michael's voice grew softer, as he peered inside the windows and saw Liz walking around wearing her old uniform. How many times had he stood out here with Max while he'd worked up the nerve just to go inside and place an order? Michael smiled to himself.

"Damn, you were obsessed with her in high school," Michael commented offhandedly. Max's thoughts were broken with his friend's words. He let out a little laugh, reaching for the door handle, "Yeah. I was. That was so long ago though. I'm a different-" his voice trailed off as he caught sight of Liz Parker in her teal uniform, with a silver collar, and alien-head shaped apron. His eyes roved her body, and suddenly the word obsession was the only thing that came to mind.

"That's what I thought," came Michael's comment as he moved past his friend to greet Liz.

"I can handle this," Max murmured to himself and stepped fully into the Café.

*~*~*

"Anyway, I think it's perfect timing on your part," Maria commented as Liz tried to focus on what her friend was saying.

"Why? Oh, right, camping."

"Yes, we just need to get you a sleeping bag and a tent. Since everyone else that's going is paired up." Liz's focus went back to the conversation. Everyone as in Max too?

"I actually wasn't planning on staying that long," Liz said as she watched her friend fill the milkshake machine. How long had it been that she'd been behind that very counter, making milkshakes, filling drinks and taking orders?

Another lifetime, one she wasn't too sure she actually lived, she thought.

Maria stopped and turned, "What do you mean? Where are you going?" Liz shrugged, she really had no answer, but she couldn't tell Maria she'd runaway from her husband. It was better no one here knew the truth. She didn't want to disrupt anyone's life.

"I was only passing through. I-I left him Maria. I told him I didn't want to be married," she hoped she sounded convincing.

Maria's piercing eyes, ran over her once, and then asked, "So he was okay with that?"

Liz decided she wouldn't have to lie about that. "No, he wasn't happy, but he wasn't happy with me, and I wasn't with him. We decided it was better that I leave. Of course he kept everything. But that's okay. I'm going to start over, somewhere else." Liz sounded really convincing, to her own ears. Maria wasn't too sure it was true but what would be the point of Liz lying to her? She and Michael knew what their marriage was like. Maria decided, maybe she'd finally had enough.

"I'm proud of you Liz. You deserve better." Liz simply nodded, feeling like the phony she was, but it was useless to tell the truth. It was bad enough that Maria and Michael knew the truth, and from what she gathered, thankfully it didn't look like Max knew anything about it. This way, she could catch up and be on her way.

She would lock this time with her friends away, so when she was alone and starting over, she'd remember that not everything was bad in life. Things would get better.

"I think you should at least stay long enough to come camping, it will be fun. Kyle and Tess are coming, Alex and Isabel are too, that is if they stop disagreeing long enough," Maria laughed to herself and Liz asked what she was thinking.

Swiping her hands on her apron, Maria rounded the counter and took a seat on the stool next to Liz. "Alex and Isabel have been dating for close to a decade, as you know, and neither of them can decide on whether or not the other is ready to get married. So basically, Isabel says, she's ready to everyone but Alex. She wants Alex to be really sure, it's a cycle, no one really understands, but the good thing is they still love each other after all this time. Unlike Michael and I, who fight with each other and Michael just gives in, Alex fights back."

"Good for Alex," Liz said with a smile on her face thinking of their friend Alex. He'd come along way from the guy pining after Isabel Evans.

"Yeah. They are going to be so happy to see you. Anyway, like I said we need to get you a tent, otherwise you and Max will be sharing," Maria smiled brightly before excusing herself to help an older couple at the booth near the door.

Liz's smile faded the moment Maria walked away. Sharing a tent with Max Evans? Was she insane? That couldn't happen, but she couldn't say no, otherwise Michael might ask questions, which might lead to Max asking questions. Which was of course the last thing she wanted.

Mentally Liz went through her finances, she was staying at the local motel and going camping would save her money in not having to pay for the room. However, she'd have to dive into the money she had for a tent and a sleeping bag, not to mention the fact that she didn't exactly pack for a camping trip. It would be worth it though, she thought.

But there were going to be three couples, then Max and her, unless Max had a date. Liz wondered how many girls Max had dated throughout the years. It was probably more than she could count on one hand, just based on his killer looks and smiles.

Internally, she sighed and rested her chin on her fist. What if she had gone for it with Max? Would she still be in this position? Or would it have worked out? Would they still be together, even now? Would they be happy? Would they have children?

Shaking her head of the nonsensical thoughts, she spun around and found Maria, who looked up at her in that moment and smiled brightly at her.

God, she'd missed Maria.

She'd missed Roswell and all that it held.

Everything, except Tom Axlerod.

She silently cursed the day he walked into the Café. And she cursed her parents, who were unhappily married, living in Jersey, who thrust their young daughter at the hotshot attorney from LA.

It was the reason why she barely spoke to her parents, and it was that very reason she couldn't run to them. It was why she had to do this alone, start again, alone.

They dated until she finished college, and then moved in together and got married. She thought she was so happy, that Tom was her forever. Boy had she misjudged that one by a long shot.

Finding her focus, she noticed the crowd was picking up and hopped off her seat and made her way across the room to Maria's side.

"Do you need some help?"

"Are you kidding? You're a guest, Liz. You can't possibly want to..."

Liz interrupted, "I do."

"You sure?" Liz nodded. "Okay then, in the backroom there's an extra uniform but I don't have any sneakers to lend you here."

"That's okay, I'm a master in heels." Liz smiled as she made her way to the back. Once again the smile faded. While she was happy, a part of her couldn't be comfortable, couldn't settle into the happiness she felt of being there with Maria. Like she had no cares in the world.

Like she didn't have a husband a few hours away that had probably already discovered that she left. And she wondered, with a deep seeded fear, if he'd even bother coming after her, or if he'd be happy to be free of her?

No, he'd come. Which is why she couldn't stay long. Once he figured it out, he'd ruin everything. She needed to get lost. Not that she feared he'd hurt her physically, he'd never hit her, in fact sometimes she'd wished he just did it already. Proof, to show everyone.

Instead his words cut like knives, and it was those scars she feared would never heal.

Grabbing the uniform that hung on the familiar hook, she walked over to the bathroom and changed quickly. Looking at herself, she saw the years, the amount of time that she'd aged. She might only be thirty, but if she didn't start smiling and laughing she knew she'd look sixty, sooner rather than later.

It was terrible, but she felt like her life had already been lived. Now she was just trying to survive, until death.

*~*~*

Heels. She was wearing heels with her short uniform. Max just about tripped over himself to the back room, his eyes watching her every move. Damn, but he did want her still. He could lie all he wanted to himself, but his thoughts from earlier about the woman bent over arguing with her tire, hadn't changed.

He wanted Liz, badly.

Above him.

Underneath him.

Talk about bad timing. She was having a life crisis and all he could think about was how he was going to sleep with her.

Boy, he needed to find someone in town to spend some quality time with and get Liz out of his system, if he even remotely hoped to be able to spend the weekend in her company and act civilized.

Of course, Max had to act like he didn't know anything about Liz's situation, which pissed him off for some reason, but on the other hand, maybe he could help put her at ease. She seemed so uncomfortable in her own skin.

He chased the thoughts that had run through in his mind on the way back. What if he hadn't been so shy in school? If he'd worked up enough nerve to just ask her out. Would they have gotten together? Would it have been as great as he'd hoped, then? Would they still be together, even now?

"Max, you want to snap the hell out of it? I told you before..." came Michael's biting voice when they reached the backroom.

"I heard you. Look, Liz is off limits. I'll talk to her, but I'm done thinking about her in any other way," he confessed unwittingly.

Michael's lips curved. "Max, you can't have sex with Liz." He obviously needed to be the voice of reason. If it were any other guy, he would have told him off, but this was Max. And regardless of Max's playboy ways, he wasn't into preying on unwilling women.

Max whipped his head around to be sure they were still alone. "Who the hell said I wanted to have sex with Liz?" he hissed out.

"Max, Liz is here. She's feeling maybe a little bit lonely and you are... well you. You're different, like you said. She's not expecting you."

"Do you honestly think I'd take advantage of her?"

Michael's face fell, that wasn't what he meant. "Of course not! Max you're not cruel and you don't use people. But, this is Liz we're talking about. It was an obsession in high school, I can only imagine what it's manifested itself into over the last two hours."

Max narrowed his eyes, "It hasn't turned into anything. For your information, I didn't even think about having sex with her. She's Liz, like you said. And she's going through a lot. Besides who said she'd even have sex with me?"

"Ha! That's a joke right? Max, I've seen you get a woman to go home with you and seal with deal with just a look. So don't pull that bullshit with me. I know you better than that."

Max laughed, "Yeah. Okay. Maybe you know me, which is why you know that while I might want to, I'm not even going down that road with her. What she needs is help, and I'd hate for her to leave before she got that. I just need you to promise me something, Michael."

"Anything," he answered unwaveringly.

Max smiled, thankful for one of the best friend's a guy could ever need. "If you suspect anything, like she might leave or anything, tell me. I know you promised her you wouldn't say anything, and I don't want her not trusting you, but I need to be in the know. Okay?"

Michael smiled, slapped his friend on the back and said, "Of course."

*~*~*

"Are you excited?" Max asked Liz and noticed how she jumped slightly at the sound of his voice.

"About what?" she asked, while she wiped down a counter. It was closing time and Maria was locking the doors. They were closing early so they could have dinner at Michael and Maria's. Liz was hoping that after dinner she could run out of there and excuse herself to her hotel. She needed to be out of the vicinity of Max.

He was causing all of these feelings to enter her mind and body, and she wasn't sure what they meant or even what they were, but they needed to stop.

It was pointless, wasn't it, to think of Max in any other way, than as a friend? Soon she'd be leaving and she'd probably never see him again.

Yes, it was, she told herself.

"Camping. I think it'll be great. Did Maria tell you that Isabel, Alex, Tess and Kyle would be there?"

"Oh yes, she did. I think it will be fun. I actually should run to the store before I head over to Maria's. I need to get a sleeping bag and a tent," she said, hoping that'd be a way she could get out of dinner. In fact, it was brilliant really. She could do some shopping and then claim she was tired and retire to her hotel room.

Perfect.

"I think I'll join you. I forgot my sleeping bag."

"Max... wait... I..." It was too late; he was already calling out to Maria and Michael, who'd just joined them from the backroom. Telling them he was going to take Liz shopping and they'd meet at their place in about a half hour.

"What about my car?" Liz asked, in a last ditch effort.

"I'll take it," came Michael's reply from behind her. It was going too fast. They moved too fast.

Damn it. She sagged her shoulders in defeat and a moment later experienced something akin to a tiny electric shock. She turned her head and saw Max's hand on her shoulder; he smiled down at her and said, "Don't worry, I'll take care of you."

How she wished that were true.

*~*~*

Max strolled up the aisles side by side with Liz. It felt less uncomfortable than sitting in his car with her, but he still didn't like it.

"Do you have a particular color you want?" he'd asked and she'd said, "No." If they kept up the conversation going at this rate, he may get a whole sentence out of her in an hour. He decided on another route.

"I don't know about you, but I can't wait to get out of this town." Liz's head turned to regard him. "Why? You don't like it here?"

"Nah, it's not that. Its just being back here brings back memories."

"Bad?" she asked.

"Not all bad," he smiled as they kept walking, slowly it was getting comfortable.

"But not all good," she finished, before she found what they were looking for. She pulled out a purple and blue sleeping bag for her, and then reached out and grabbed the red and blue one for Max. Liz handed it to him and he looked down at it and then up at her.

"What? You don't like that one?" she asked, and he shook his head.

"No, it's fine."

"You sure?" she asked, suddenly feeling really unsure.

"Liz, I'm going to say something and I hope you don't get upset with me for it."

"What?" she laughed shakily. And then, Max reached up and removed the sleeping bag from her hands, then with his other hand he reached up and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and said, "I missed you." With that he turned on his heels and moved towards the next aisle, for a tent.

Liz stood frozen, all emotions erased from her face, as she watched him walk away.

And then suddenly, for that moment in time, she didn't feel so broken. She felt the smile lift at the corners of her lips, and embraced it.

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