Please Remember

Rating: MATURE
Category: M/L AU
E-mail: kay_orange@hotmail.com
Disclaimer: I do not own Roswell or its characters. I do not own the songs I will be using for this story either.

Summary: Two orphans made a vow to be together forever. But as fate separates them, will they find their way back to each other's hearts?

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Part 10

Bright and early, Isabel was already knocking on the other doors. She was up as soon as the sun was, repacking and getting dressed so she and the rest of the group could move into the Evans home.

"Come on, come on, get up, people!" Isabel said loudly as she knocked on one door then another.

"Ugh, tell me why we allowed her to take the role of manager again?" Michael groaned as he turned over on the bed.

"Because she's your sister. Now come on, we have to get up or she won't stop." Maria began to get out of bed.

"Maria, Michael, wake up!" Isabel yelled again.

"We're up already!" Michael answered back.

"You both better be ready to go in half an hour or I'm kicking the door in." Isabel began to walk away and head towards Liz's room.

"Yeah, right, like she can bust that door open." Michael grumbled.

"This is Isabel we're talking about." Maria replied as she went into the bathroom to get ready.

*~*~*

"Liz? Liz, are you awake?" Isabel knocked.

Liz moaned as she turned to her side. She winced as something poked her and she opened her eyes to see what it was. She lifted her upper body from the bed and saw the pen she was using to write her song last night. She picked up the sheets of paper strewn all over one side of the bed and peered at her own handwriting.

As she read what she came up with last night, a bittersweet smile spread on her face. It was too early for this but she knew she had to face another day of not knowing, another day of missing Max.

"Liz?" Isabel knocked again.

Liz got off the bed and walked to the door. She unlocked it and opened it without saying a word and went back to the bed crawling under the covers.

"Liz, come on. We have to get a move on. Aunt Diane is expecting us this morning." Isabel pulled the covers and dumped them on the floor. That's when she saw the pieces of paper on the bed.

"Wha-? What is all this?" She picked one up and read it quickly. Then she looked at Liz. "Liz?"

Her friend was looking at her through swollen eyes.

"Liz, your eyes." Isabel commented.

"What?" Liz mumbled sleepily.

"They're swollen. Have... have you been crying... again?" Isabel hesitantly asked.

"I'm ok, Iz." Liz answered as she got up to go to the bathroom and look at the damage herself.

Isabel was quick to follow her. She had to know what's going on. She already considers the petite girl as her sister. That's what makes their group work. They were a family.

"Liz." Isabel stared at the brown-haired girl's reflection.

Liz was trying her best to ignore Isabel's telling stare. She knew that the blonde would only pry about why she has been crying all night. There were instances when Alex or Isabel or Maria has caught her looking like she does today but they were willing to let it go then. However, Liz wasn't sure that her friend would just turn her back on it this time.

"What? The song got to me, ok?" Liz tried to rush past Isabel and start gathering her things.

"No. This has happened several times already. You know we just want to know what's going on so we can help you-"

"Don't you get it, Isabel? None of you can help me, not you, or my brother or my parents, no one!" Liz snapped as the tears began to well in her brown orbs once more.

Isabel blinked in surprise. It hurt to see her friend going through something like this and feeling so helpless. And she knew her boyfriend feels more than her when it came to Liz's inner workings. Isabel loved her friend; she knew Liz is suffering. She's seen the songs, heard it so many times. She knew it was a plea, a call, but to whom?

At Isabel's silence, Liz sighed. Without looking back she began to apologize. "I'm sorry, Iz. I just didn't get a good night's sleep, that's all. I'll be ready in a few minutes."

Isabel knew Liz wasn't going to talk anymore. She pursed her lips and walked over to the door. "I'll just send Alex to help you with your bag." With that Isabel left, closing the door softly behind her.

She walked back to her room, her mind swirling with worry and concern.

"Hey Iz, do we have to fix the bed and the rest of the room or do we just let housekeeping clean it up?" Alex asked as Isabel came into their room.

Isabel stayed silent and stoically sat back on the bed.

"Iz? Isabel?" Alex walked over to his girlfriend and gazed at her face. He noted the emotions passing through her and he crouched down in front of her and caressed her smooth cheek. "Isabel?"

Isabel looked up startled at Alex. It was like it was the first time she noticed him there.

"What's wrong?" Alex asked in concern.

Isabel silently gave him the paper she got from Liz's room. Alex looked at it curiously before reading it. His brows began to furrow together the more he read it.

"Where did you get this?" he asked.

"From her bed. Don't say anything, alright? And don't get mad either but..." Isabel began.

"But what?" Alex pressed on.

"I think she was crying all night again." Isabel told him faintly.

"What?!" Alex bellowed.

"No, Alex, sshhh." Isabel pressed her fingers on her boyfriend's lips.

Alex took her hand and pulled it away from his mouth. "I thought she was done with this? Why is she crying again?" he questioned in a slightly lower voice this time.

"I don't know. But when I saw her, her eyes were swollen." Isabel admitted. She was torn about telling Alex. Liz was her friend and she wanted to help her. But since she didn't want to talk about it she didn't know what she could do for her. And Alex was her boyfriend and he had a right to know because Liz is his sister after all. But she also knew how protective he can get over Liz and making such a big deal about all this. She felt that he wasn't what Liz needed right now.

"And?" Alex prodded.

"And she didn't want to talk about it. She just clammed up and said she'll be ready in a few minutes. I told her that you'll go over there to pick up her bags."

"No, I'm not going to wait for that. I'll go now and check what's gotten into her again." Alex stood up and started to march towards the door. But Isabel ran and blocked his path, placing herself between him and the doorway.

"Isabel? What are you doing?" Alex asked incredulously.

"I can't let you just march in there and demand what's going on with her! She doesn't need you breathing down her neck to talk about this."

"She's been silent ever since! And she made me and our parents believe that she's ok but obviously she isn't! It's about time I got answers."

"Alex, will you listen to yourself. This isn't about you, honey. This is about Liz and whatever is going on with her. We can't force her to tell us if she doesn't want to." Isabel tried to soothe him although she knew that he would still worry. Alex took his role as a brother very seriously.

"Well obviously her bottling it up inside isn't helping either." He waved the paper as he spoke.

"Alex, please. I don't know exactly what to do but it's not this. This will just drive her more to keeping it inside her."

Alex sighed, "I don't know what to do anymore, Iz. I just want to help her."

Isabel hugged her boyfriend tightly, "I know. I want to help her too. But she'll have to be the one to come to us. We just have to wait."

*~*~*

As they headed out to the Evans' house, Liz, Isabel and Alex remained silent. Michael kept grumbling about being woken up from a peaceful slumber and Maria just kept telling him to stop since he was already awake.

"Waitaminute. Does Aunt Di expect us to sleep in separate rooms?" Michael asked to no one in particular.

"Uh... I don't know." Isabel answered.

"Great! Perfect!" Michael went back to his grumpy mumbling.

"Look, maybe she won't mind. She knows who's coupled up with whom and we're old enough to not need supervision and separate rooms." Maria rationalized.

"Well, we're about to find out that theory. We're here." Alex said.

*~*~*

Diane was busy touring them to the rest of the house as she was so excited having family in her home again. Since Zan moved out, she's been missing being able to mother her baby.

"Alright, Alex and Isabel, you can take this room." She showed them into a guestroom that had deep colors. The walls were painted deep red with white trimmings and the furniture was of dark cherry wood.

"This is nice, I like it." Isabel noted as she looked around. "Thanks for putting us up in your house, Aunt Diane."

"Oh please, it's nothing. You're family and besides, with Philip attending to his case and Zan having his own place to go home to, the house has been so quiet and gloomy. At least with you all here, it'll be busy and cheery again." Diane grinned.

"Alright, Liz, this will be your room." Diane turned to the smaller young woman and showed her into another guestroom that had neutral tones. The room was painted beige and all the furniture was white.

"Thank you, Aunt Diane. This is lovely." Liz said as she sat on the bed.

"The bathroom is adjoined with Alex and Isabel's room. I hope that's alright with you. But there's another bathroom down the hall that you can use as well."

"Don't worry about it, it's fine. Just letting us stay here is more than enough." Liz smiled.

"Ok, then, I'll let you get settled in while I take Michael and Maria to their room."

Liz nodded.

"And you two will be staying here." Diane informed the couple as she opened another door. "This was Zan's room."

Michael started to complain once more. He just had to get his room. 'Great! Perfect!'

"This is wonderful, Aunt Di. Thanks so much." Maria hugged the older woman.

Like the other guestroom, this had deep colors too but instead of red, it was dark green, along with dark mahogany matching furniture pieces. The bed could fit more than two people. And there were some pictures of Zan growing up on the small mantle located on the wall facing the bed.

"Alright, I'll let you all get settled in. And when it's time for lunch, I'll just have Rosa call you. Ok, I need to take care of some things. Just make yourselves at home and I'll see you later." Diane smiled as she left.

"Wow, this is some room." Maria complimented as she had a look around. There was a huge plasma TV on one side of the room, a state-of-the-art computer on a study desk, lots of books, and a telescope beside one of the windows.

"You can say that again. Zan was spoiled. No wonder he turned out that way." Michael replied.

"You know, when we met him last time, he wasn't that bad." Maria said.

"No, you don't know him. He was spoiled. When we had family gatherings, he wouldn't talk to me and Iz or anyone. He would just sit in a corner and bury his nose in some book."

"So? He was a quiet kid. You consider that being a jerk?"

"No, that's not all. He's a cold person. It's like he doesn't even want to make an effort to be friends with people and he had to undergo therapy for severe depression. That's what my mom said when I heard her talking to Aunt Di a couple years ago."

"Michael, I cannot believe that you were eavesdropping on your own mother!" Maria gasped.

"I wasn't doing it intentionally."

"Well, whatever. So far, Zan is ok in my book until he shows otherwise. And if he is really bothering you that much, just ignore him."

"Yeah. Enough talk about Zan. Now come over here and give me some sugar." Michael smirked.

"Uh... no." Maria shook her head.

"What? Why not?" Michael was scowling as he propped himself up on the bed with his elbows to look at Maria.

"Well, it's weird. That's your cousin's bed." Maria cringed.

"Damn it! I knew we should have traded with Liz."

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