"So what do you think?"

Liz paused in her perusal of the two-bedroom apartment to glance at Max, who had asked her the question between baby coos to their daughter. Liz smiled to see the two of them together. Claudia was a miniature of her father, right down to the curve of her ears. It made Liz's heart ache to witness how in love Max was with their baby. To see the obvious adoration Max had for their child made Liz love him all the more. Max was a devoted father. Liz was certain he would be an equally devoted husband.

Her smile widened as she thought of the apartment. It was larger than the one they'd had in California, but ironically then rent wasn't all that much of an increase. And this was in spite of the extra bedroom. The apartment also had a small patio with sliding glass doors. In California they'd had a balcony because they lived on the second floor, but Liz hadn't liked it much. She definitely preferred the patio. In fact she liked everything about the apartment Max had chosen for them, right down to the carpet.

Max watched Liz. His expression was hopeful, in expectation of her answer. Liz gave the apartment one last once-over before bringing her gaze back to Max. "I love it," she told him, still smiling, "but then you already knew that I would, didn't you?"

Max sagged with relief. He smiled in return, dipping his head to give her a tender kiss. "Let's just say I had the fervent hope. . ." Max whispered, kissing her again. Claudia gurgled between them, startling them apart. They both laughed. Liz kissed her daughter's silky, brown curls. "She's jealous of anyone who takes away her daddy's attention," Liz whispered playfully.

Max lowered his head for another kiss. "Well, she's just going to have to get used to it where you're concerned." Before Max could kiss her again, however, the groundskeeper who had showed them the apartment cleared his throat. "Have you folks decided," he asked them pleasantly, but it was apparent that he was not up for watching a make-out session between them.

Liz looked at Max expectantly. "Max?"

Max looked from Liz's glowing face to the groundskeeper then back to Liz again. She was nodding her head wildly. A slow grin spread across Max's face and without ever taking his eyes from hers he said, "We'll take it." ****************************************************************************** ********************************************************* The drive back to Roswell was a quiet and cozy one. Liz dozed in the front seat while Claudia napped quietly in the back. Max occasionally took his eyes off the road to glance at them both sleeping so sweetly. His girls. Max felt his chest swell with love. In just three days he and Liz would be married! Married! God, he could hardly believe it. Six months ago he hadn't even believed it would be possible for them to be friends and now. . . Max was just so grateful to have her back in his life again. He had been a fool to let her go in the first place. He wouldn't make that mistake a second time.

Tonight Liz's parents were throwing them an engagement party at the Crashdown and they had invited everyone. Though Nancy Parker was still not Max's biggest fan her attitude towards him was considerably less frosty. It was the best Max could hope for at the moment. Besides Max knew that he had hurt her daughter terribly. He hadn't needed a firsthand account to know that Liz's first months of pregnancy had been hell without him there. And Nancy Parker had witnessed that misery up close and personal. Max could only imagine how he would feel if someone hurt Claudia the way he'd hurt Liz. He'd want to kill the bastard. And so Max knew that it would be a long, an extremely long, a horrendously long, long time before Nancy Parker forgave him.

However, Liz's mother wasn't the only one who had mixed emotions when it came to his and Liz's upcoming nuptials. Michael especially had a problem with it because of how their marriage was affecting Tess. In the last three years Michael had come to regard Tess as his sister and he did not like seeing her hurt. Although Michael was happy that Max and Liz were back together he didn't like that their reunion came at the expense of Tess' heart. Max knew that and accepted it.

Max's own parents also had some doubts concerning his marriage. They were unsure of Max's motives for marrying Liz. Max supposed that they were probably wondering if he was acting out of a sense of duty or if he was really in love with Liz. After all, he had been living with another woman less than two months ago. Max mentally kicked himself another countless time for ever taking up with Tess in the first place. He had sure made a lasting mess of things.

However, Max was confident that once his parents witnessed the bond that he and Liz shared they would be assured of his feelings for her. They would realize that Max loved Liz more than anything, more than his very existence. Ironically, the only ones who seemed truly happy about the marriage were Isabel, Alex, and Maria. And the three of them were barely speaking to one another! Max had the sinking suspicion that their wedding day was going to be a day from hell.

"You look like you're thinking really hard."

Max jerked his eyes from the road to Liz, who was suddenly very awake. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes, stretching languorously as she did. For some reason Max found her movements strangely provocative. He felt himself grow hard. "I was just thinking about our wedding and how I wish we were married now."

"Really? You do?"

"I love you, Liz." The words were a soft whisper. He reached across the jeep to caress her cheek, his eyes dark with desire. "I can't wait to make you my wife."

"Then don't."

Max's gaze swiveled back to hers. He gave her a startled smile. "What did you say?"

"I said, why don't we elope," Liz clarified softly.

Max laughed, shaking his head. "You're nuts, you know that? You're such a kidder."

"I'm not joking."

"Yeah, right. And what about our families, our friends? Hello?" Max snickered. "Yeah, elope. Sure."

"Why does that seem so ridiculous to you?"

"Your parents are busting their asses to throw us a big wedding."

"Which I didn't ask for," Liz shot back.

"Liz, you're talking crazy."

"What's crazy? We have the license so what's stopping us?"

Max looked at her, looked back at the road, then back to Liz again. What was stopping them, he wondered. A thoughtful frown furrowed his forehead. "You're serious, aren't you?"

Liz reached across the jeep, caressing his shoulder, her eyes speaking volumes of love. "Marry me, Max. Today." ****************************************************************************** ********************************************************* Max balanced Liz in his arms while he slid the key into the door of the hotel room.

"You don't have to do this," Liz told him, kissing his temple, "To carry me is one thing, but while I'm holding Claudia?"

Max grinned at her. "Hey nothing about our courtship has been normal so why start now? Taa-daa," he sang as he pushed open the hotel door. He gratefully lowered Liz to her feet. As she sauntered over to one of the double beds and laid their sleeping daughter on the mattress, Max smiled. "You're not as light as I remember," Max teased. He crept up behind her and gave her a soft kiss on the back of her neck.

Liz purred. "Maybe you're just not as strong as you used to be," Liz teased back.

Eloping had taken all of twenty minutes. Despite the fact they were only thirty minutes away from Roswell Max and Liz had stopped off at a little hotel to consummate their marriage. Although they'd had plenty of sex since their reunion and even more before that Liz thought that there was something to be desired about making love once you were married. She looked down at Max's arm looped around her waist, smiling when she saw his gold wedding band gleaming on his finger. She looked at her own and smiled even wider. That morning she hadn't known what possessed her to bring their wedding rings along with her to Albuquerque. Now she was glad she had. She supposed she had wanted them to elope the whole time.

Max nuzzled her temple through her hair. "What now, Mrs. Evans?" He loved the way that sounded.

"I don't know. You tell me. You're the one who stopped off in the drugstore."

"Condoms," Max whispered seductively in her ear, "I love Claudia, but we don't need anymore babies right now." He traced his tongue around the curve of her lobe.

"I agree," Liz moaned, her body beginning to tingle with sensation. She suddenly turned around in his arms. "Is that all you got in the drugstore? That bag looks awfully bulky to just have condoms in it. Or did you get the economy pack?"

"For your information, Miss Smart-Aleck, I bought a deck of playing cards as well."

"Playing cards?"

Max's grin turned wicked. "Up for a little strip poker?" He wiggled his eyebrows like Groucho Marx and Liz laughed.

"So what do you say, sweetheart?"

Liz's eyes became dark, sexy. "You're on."

They curled up on the unoccupied bed and Max spread out the deck. "How do you want to go? Deuces wild?"

"Why not?" Liz teased, "You can't win any other way."

"Why don't you put your money where your mouth is, Evans, or should I say, your clothes."

"Eat me," Liz whispered to him cockily.

Max snapped his teeth at her, growling playfully. "I will." And with that wicked promise he shuffled the deck and dealt the cards.