ME: (Sniffles.) I'b sorry about by lack of ubdates. I got de flu, and by sinuses ah all blocked ub. (Sneezes, and then blows nose with a huge clown hankie.)

CHIBI CHAO: Stop feeling sorry for yourself and get on with the chapter!

ME: (Coughs uncontrollably.) Shut ub you. I'm sick! Disclaiber!

(HIDES IN HER CASTLE FROM HORDES OF JASON KATIM'S BLOODTHIRSTY LAWYERS.) I DON'T OWN ROSWELL! I SWEAR IT, I DON'T!

ME: ATCHOO! (Sniffles again.) On with de chabter!

# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #

After a semi-severe berating from his mother about inviting people over without asking, especially because they weren't even finished packing, Adam cheerfully went to get changed just in time for Joey to arrive. Liz got to the door first.

"Hello, Mrs Parker. My name's Joey, it is a pleasure to meet you." His greeting was painfully rehearsed. Well, after what happened the last time he was invited over to someone's house, it was amazing he was allowed out at all. Let's just say that little Thomas O'Brien's dog was never quite the same again. But Adam was the new kid, and his parents were totally unaware of his...unconventional playtime methods.

"Hi!" Liz smiled at him good-naturedly and Joey noticed for the first time how young she was. "You must be Joey. Come in, Adam's waiting for you." She turned and walked back into the apartment, leaving Joey to follow. He grinned. This would be fun.

A couple of hours later:

Joey was very pleased. Adam had the coolest parents ever! His mom didn't even seem to mind when they got lemonade all over the kitchen after shaking the cans. And she didn't kick him out when they raced his remote-controlled car through the living room, even though it had been raining recently and they'd just drove it through a really muddy patch outside. Then, they got pizza for their dinner, take-out pizza! His mother always insisted on cooking for guests. Even if they were just eight years old. She said she was 'making a good impression', but Joey thought that just letting him and Adam do pretty much whatever they wanted made a much better impression than being all stuffy and 'proper' like his parents were.

So, when his 'escort', meaning his mother, finally arrived, it was with a very long face the Joey departed from the Evan's residence. His mother came up to speak with Liz first and was extremely surprised when she found that the younger woman had nothing bad at all to say about her son. In fact, Liz said that little Joseph was a 'very charming little boy' and didn't even mention the incident that almost led to her kitchen curtains getting caught on fire. So, Mrs Murdoch left the Evans, with Joey in tow, a very confused woman indeed.

Liz watched them leave from her bedroom window. Then turned to her son.

"Well, he was a little more...energetic, then your friends in Seattle were." She said, smiling at him. Adam grinned back.

"Yeah, Joey's fun, isn't he!" He said enthusiastically. "Can he come over again soon?"

"Well, maybe not too soon." Liz frowned and then changed the subject before Adam could complain. "Have you seen your dad today?" He made a face.

"No." Liz frowned at his tone.

"Why are you so hard on him? At least you have a father now, not like some of the kids back in Seattle."

Compared to Roswell, Seattle was a real eye-opener for Liz, who had never lived in a city before. It was noisy, polluted and crowded and Liz didn't care for it much. But then, she supposed the trip from Seattle to Roswell was as much a shock for Adam, if not even more so. He had become accustomed to the loudness of a big city than the quietness of some backwoods town only famous for aliens crashing in 1947. But Liz had never been so happy to be home. It was nice to be back in Roswell, even if her grip on her life was slipping. It was good to be home.

She was suddenly shaken out of her reverie by Adam's snort of irritation.

"He tries alright, a little too hard." He glanced up at his mother briefly, before turning to stare out of the window overlooking the street outside. "I'm sick of all his apologising and stuff."

"Give him a break, Adam. He's put so much effort into getting to know you, and you just keep pushing him away. Can't you forgive him, even just a little?"

"Don't want to." Liz grinned.

"Don't you lie to me, Adam Evans." She said in a mock-severe tone. "I know you love him really. He is your father afterall."

"I do not!" He said, but without as much self-assurance. "I don't."

"Alright, fine. You don't." He glared up at his mother suspiciously.

"What are you getting at?" He asked slowly. She shrugged.

"Hey, you said it, not me." She said, and then walked away. Adam watched her leave the room, a frown still on his face.

"I don't."

But even he doubted that now.

Later!:

Max frowned in irritation as he slammed the front door behind him and strode into the flat. He didn't even raise a smile when Liz approached him and actually attempted to start a conversation with him. She didn't do that often anymore.

"How was your day, find a job?" She asked him, smiling. He just glowered at her cheerfulness.

"No."

"Did you find anything at all?"

"No." And on that note, he walked into their bedroom and slammed the door behind him. Liz stared after him in amazement. What was up with that?

# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #

ME: (Sneezes again, loud.) Aw, dabbit! I hate 'dis cold! But adyway, I apologise for de shortness ob 'dis chapter. De next one will be longer, I probise!

CHIBI CHAO: I do apologise for this, apparently her flu makes her totally unable to form coherent sentences. But review anyway!