Category: Max and Liz, it’s all I ever write.
Rating: G
Disclaimer: These characters don’t belong to me, etc.
Summary: Liz reflects on last year and this year’s Valentine’s Day.
Spoilers: None, well, I guess you can say last season, but I assume everyone’s seen that.

***

It’s February 14, again. And last year, Valentine’s Day was perfect. All right, so what if it didn’t start out that way. What if I was angry with Maria for entering me in KROZ’s blind date contest? What if it was just my dumb luck to win it? And what if, as you know, the date started dull, with university student Doug Shellow? None of that matters now. All that matters is that it ended up being one of the most wonderful nights of my life, when my own “dark haired mystery man from an exotic place” showed up on my roof top.

Kyle had gotten Max really drunk (and it was only one sip!) and the two of them had come to my balcony when Doug and I were trying to escape the DJ Greg P. of KROZ. Max had used his powers and had drawn a heart with our initials on the wall. I wish that hadn’t fade away, I could use that reminded of what our love used to be right now. And when Doug and I entered my bedroom in our escape, Max literally swept me off into the night.

As I remember, the next few moments after that were magical. He wanted to run away with me, and he used his powers, out in the open, to prove it. God, if only we had left town…but then the sensible voice of reason interupts with that future version of Max’s warning. And when we finally made it to the concert, where Alex and Maria were performing at, Greg P. told Kyle, Max, and Doug to convince me which was worthy.

Max had not chosen words like the other two, but instead we kissed. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to describe it. I saw things when he kissed me, images of us, and all the time we had spent together sophomore year, up to that point. It wasn’t like later with the orb. It was something, I don’t know, deeper, something purely us. And it was my, our, his, kiss that sobbered Max up.

I don’t think I’ll ever be able to forget that Valentine’s day. Even years from now, I’ll always look back and think that that, that was what being in love is. And though this year, a year since the disasterous, wonderful blind date concert, Alex, Maria (who had perfectly no reason to be there, considering she and Michael are together!) , and I celebrated together at the Crashdown, a lonely hearts convention, which surprisingly, Tess joined, all I could really think about was that night, and Max.

I know we are friends now, no more than that, but I also know we can’t be at the level we want to. Future Max warned me. And I wish someday Tess will maybe feel welcome and won’t leave Max, Michael, and Isabel, this way Future Max’s reality will definitely not occur. And maybe, if Tess finally feels like she belongs, maybe, Max and I might be together someday again. So, perhaps that’s why Alex, Maria, and I allowed Tess to party with us. Cause, surprisingly, she is really a lot like us: wanting to be needed.

I found a box outside my window as I returned from our “party.” When I opened it, I found an old Phil Collins CD, a pendant, and a note. The CD had the track “In the Air Tonight,” the song Maria had sung at the concert when Max had rushed off the stage. The pendant was silver, with five stars punched in the oval, in a v-shape formation. It took me a moment to realize that it was Max’s constellation, where his real home stands waiting. It was also the last image we had received before breaking off the kiss on last year’s blind date.

I think, that despite all that, it was the note that brought the tears to my eyes. I recognized the hand-writing instantly as I read. “It’s all just magic when I think about you. I didn’t forget that night like I claimed. You’re my dream girl Liz, now and forever.”

Maybe some hearts just won’t ever give up. I know mine won’t and I hope Max’s won’t either. So now I, Liz Parker, wish that someday, life will be simple again and that maybe I’ll be able to return the love freely to the man I know loves me.

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