And One For All

Title: And One For All: Story 2 in the "Who I Am, What I'll Become" series

Author: X_tremeroswellian

Disclaimer: Liz, Maria, Alex, Isabel, Michael and Max belong to Melinda Metz and Jason Katims. Cordelia and Angel belong to Joss Whedon (though they're only mentioned in this story). Please don't sue.

Rating: PG

Spoilers: The Roswell season finale, "Destiny." Also the first fic in this series titled, "Illusions."

Distribution: Just let me know the link.

Category: Story

Subcategory(ies): Friendship fluff with a touch of angst.

Keywords: A semi-crossover. "Angel" characters are mentioned.

Summary: Liz, Maria and Alex talk about recent events over ice cream.

Feedback: Would be appreciated. :)

And One For All

"Mom?" Maria DeLuca pressed the telephone to her ear.

"Oh, Maria! Where are you? I was starting to worry," Amy DeLuca said anxiously.

"Sorry. I'm fine. I'm at Liz's." Maria glanced over at Liz and Alex, who were sorting through Liz's C.D. collection.

"I thought Liz was in L.A."

"She was. She came back. Listen, Mom. I'm going to stay over here tonight, okay?"

"Sure, honey. I'll see you in the morning?"

"Afternoon. I work the morning shift tomorrow."

"Oh, that's right. Okay. Well, love you. Bye."

"Love you too, Mom." Maria dropped the phone back into the cradle.

"She's okay with it?" Alex asked, glancing at her.

"Yep." She sat down on Liz's bed.

"And she didn't suspect anything?" Liz asked warily.

Maria snorted. "You mean like the fact that Michael and I nearly became involuntary blood donors to a pack of vampires and you were stalked and almost killed by a psycho shape-shifting alien? No, I'm pretty sure she's clueless."

Liz looked away, but not before Maria saw the hurt look on her face. Alex frowned at her.

She sighed. "Liz, I'm sorry. I didn't mean for that to sound so harsh. Or maybe I did a little bit. I don't know." She laid back and stared up at the ceiling.

"Gee, Maria. That was *almost* an apology," Alex commented, rolling his eyes.

"It's just...you left, Liz. You never run away from anything, and you just left."

Liz didn't respond.

Maria took a deep breath and propped herself up on her elbows. "Look, I don't mean to upset you, but we're all in the same situation here, okay? I know how awful you feel that Max is destined to be with Tess. Michael and Isabel are destined to be together, too, remember? You're not the only one who's struggling to deal with this."

Liz finally looked at her, her eyes filled with tears. Maria's own eyes began to water. "Maria, I'm sorry that I left. It's just...everywhere I turned, Max was there. And...how am I supposed to do the right thing and leave him to his destiny when all I want to do is be with him every time I see him?"

"Maybe you have to let Max decide if he wants to accept his destiny," Alex said quietly. "Liz, I know you're trying to do the right thing, but maybe the right thing isn't for you to decide."

She looked at him.

"Do you have any idea how bad we felt that we couldn't help you? You wouldn't talk to, Lizzie. You've always been able to talk to us. But instead of coming to us, you ran." Maria swiped a tear of her cheek. "And that hurts. We're supposed to be best friends."

"We are," Liz whispered as she sat down next to Maria and hugged her tightly. Maria hugged her back, and a moment later she felt Alex's arms wrap around them both. "We are best friends. I need you guys. Don't ever think differently."

"Then don't ever run away again. You have no idea how much you scared us!" she said accusingly, waggling her finger at Liz, who smiled faintly.

"I'm sorry. And I won't. Run away again, that is," Liz promised.

"Okay, so tell me the whole story. How is it that Angel's a vampire and he's good?" Maria asked with a grin as she dug her spoon into a carton of Rocky Road ice cream.

Liz smiled as she took a bite of vanilla ice cream. "Well, long story short--he was a bad vampire to start with, and he got cursed with a soul by some gypsies after he killed one of their clan members. Now he goes around saving lives to atone for his past."

Maria sighed. "Cordelia is so lucky. What a hottie."

Alex rolled his eyes. "Hello, male in the room here. And what about our friendly resident alien? Have you forgotten about him?"

"Of course not. I'm totally in love with Michael. But just because I'm in love doesn't make me blind. Besides, like *you* weren't checking out Cordelia."

"What? No, I wasn't," he protested.

"Oh, please."

"I wasn't staring at Cordelia, I was staring at Is--" he cut himself off and focused on eating his mint chocolate chip ice cream.

Liz and Maria exchanged a look. "So, what's going on with the two of you anyway?" Liz asked curiously.

"Nothing," he denied.

"Alex," Maria said warningly. "Don't make me beat you up."

He gave her a withering look. "You haven't beaten me up since the fifth grade."

"I haven't. Doesn't mean I couldn't," she pointed out.

"Guys," Liz interupted. "Stop."

"Sorry," they said in unison, looking at her sheepishly.

Liz rolled her eyes.

"Okay, seriously, Alex. What *is* going on with you and Isabel?" Maria asked.

He looked thoughtful. "Seriously? I'm not sure. I mean...we've just been talking a lot. Nothing's happened."

"Talking is good. Gotta keep those lines of communication open," Liz said.

Alex nodded. "Talking is good. Nothing wrong with conversation."

"She'll come around, Alex," she added softly, glancing at him.

"I don't know. I don't think she likes me that way. I mean...I'll be okay with that. Us just being friends."

Liz picked up on the hint of depression in his tone. "Alex, don't give up on her. Look, Maria and I have known her secret for almost an entire year and she's still more comfortable with you than she is with us."

Alex smiled at her. "Thanks, Parker."

She returned the smile.

"You know, I've been saying this all along, and I'm going to say it again...these people have way too much control over us. I propose that the three of us make a pact," Maria spoke up, glancing at Liz and Alex. She took a deep breath. "We stick together no matter what. If one of us sees that the other is making a total pathetic, love-sick fool out of his or herself over them, we snap them out of it. No matter what happens with our Czechoslovakian counterparts, we stay friends and stand by one another."

Liz glanced at Alex, then back at Maria. "I'm in."

"Me too," Alex said immediately.

Maria held up a spoonful of ice cream. "To the Three Musketeers."

Alex held up his spoon. "All for one--"

"And one for all," Liz finished, toasting them with her ice cream as well.

The three friends exchanged a smile.

~The End~