Revelations (ML / Adult) (Complete)

[EmilyluvsRoswell]

Hey everyone!

I haven't been trying to torture you by making you wait for the new part. I've been extremely busy, plus dealing with a nasty cold for the last few weeks, and writing time is at a premium. Not to mention, this wasn't the easiest thing to write.

So, without further ado, I bring you the next part. Thanks for your wonderful feedback, and your patience. Two posts for length. Enjoy.


Em

******

Part 17

******

Liz cleaned herself up as best she could in Michael's small bathroom, then perched on a stool at the kitchen counter, not quite comfortable with the idea of sitting on his couch, which she had trouble getting up from under the best of circumstances. She tried to wait patiently for Maria to emerge from the bedroom where she'd gone to call Isabel, but it was difficult when she could hear her friend's voice rising steadily through the closed door.

Finally Maria appeared, scowling. "She's coming."

"You were in there a while."

"Yeah, well, I had to listen to her complain about Max. Apparently Prince Charming didn't bother to tell her when he and Michael took off and they left her stranded at school without the Jeep. She's none too pleased. All I can say is it's a damn good thing we weren't with them, because she'd probably have hung up on me," she muttered.

"Wait, if Max still has the Jeep, how is Isabel getting here?"

"She's taking her mom's car," Maria shrugged. "How are you doing?" she asked, seeming to remember just what was going on. A trace of panic returned to her eyes. "Why are you sitting there? It can't be comfortable."

"Yeah, but I can stand up from here and I don't think I'd be able to if I sat on the couch," Liz sighed. "I read that you're supposed to walk around as much as possible between contractions. I guess it lets gravity help the process."

"I can't believe this is happening."

"You and me both."

"I should be doing something," Maria said, looking around the room. "The bed. I can change the sheets," she said, heading for the narrow closet near the bathroom. "And we'll need towels and what else? Boiling water. They always boil water in old movies," she mumbled.

"Maria, stop," Liz said, grabbing her arm. "Isabel can just zap the sheets when she gets here. I'm going to need some kind of plastic cover anyway, or else I'll ruin the bed and Michael will never speak to me again."

"Liz, I need something to do," Maria said.

Tightening her grip on Maria's arm, Liz dragged her in front of her. "Listen to me," she said. "I need you to keep it together. You can't fall apart, I mean it. One of us has to keep their head on straight, and I'm telling you now that it's not going to be me." Liz could hear her voice rising, but she didn't care. "I'm about to give birth to an alien baby in the middle of Michael's apartment. I think I have the right to freak out, okay? So don't you dare!"

Maria just stared at her for a moment, then nodded and pulled her into a hug. Liz let her head rest on Maria's shoulder and suddenly the tears came. And for once she simply let them.

"God, Maria, what am I going to do?" she whispered after a few minutes. "I'm so not ready for this."

Maria rubbed her back soothingly. "First things first. What are we telling Isabel?" she asked gently.

"That I was scared to see a doctor because of the changes from Max healing me."

"And if she can tell the baby's part alien?"

"I don't think she'll be able to. I mean, even Max didn't know how alien they were until Pierce told him about his test results. He knew their blood was different - I found that out in Biology - but beyond that he had no idea."

"Okay," Maria said, continuing to rub Liz's back. "So Isabel will get here, and we'll explain, and then we'll just concentrate on you having your baby," she told her.

"I wish Max was here," Liz said softly.

Maria's hand stilled. "You mean Future Max?"

"No. Just Max."

"I could try to call him?" Maria suggested tentatively.

"And say what?" Liz asked sadly. "It's okay. It's only natural that I'd want him to be here. But it wouldn't be fair to him."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah," Liz said, pulling back. "I'm sure." Another light contraction hit her and she braced one hand against the counter. "Here we go again," she winced.

Maria glanced at her watch. "We should be timing these, right?"

"Um, yeah. How far apart they are," Liz said, relaxing as the painful grip around her middle loosened.

"Just tell me when the next one comes."

Liz smiled. "Thanks, Maria."

"It's going to be okay."

Liz nodded. And then there was a sharp knock just seconds before the front door flew open and Isabel appeared.

"Okay, I'm here," she announced. "So what's so important that I couldn't tell anyone where I was going?"

Liz looked at Maria who shrugged. "I figured it was better that way."

Isabel frowned. "What's going on? Is this about Max and Michael taking off?" she asked, sounding worried.

"No, it's not about them," Liz said. "Isabel, I need your help."

"With what?" she asked, coming more fully into the apartment. She threw her bag onto the couch and turned to them, eyebrows raised.

Liz glanced nervously at Maria, then back to Isabel. "You know how I've been changing because of Max saving my life?"

"Yeah," Isabel replied slowly. "What about it?"

"I um… there's more to it than just how we could contact Max in New York last fall. I'm starting to get flashes and stuff."

Isabel's eyes widened. "You mean… you're getting actual powers?"

"Something like that."

"So, what? You want help figuring out what you can do?"

"Actually, that would be really great," Liz told her, "but that's not the favor I had in mind. I've um… been scared to go to a doctor," she said quietly. "For the baby."

Isabel's eyes dropped to her round stomach and then flew back to her face. "Liz," she breathed. "You're like six months pregnant! You haven't had a single check up?"

Liz shook her head. "Closer to seven months, actually, and no. I didn't know what they would find, so I figured it was better not to risk it. I was kind of hoping that you could…" She shrugged, suddenly uncomfortable with what she was about to suggest.

"Play doctor?" Isabel finished for her. "Liz, you know healing is Max's power," she said in a serious voice. "I don't know how much help I can be. I suppose I could try to connect with the baby for you, but I can't guarantee that I'll know if anything is wrong."

"Actually, things are a little more… urgent… than that," Liz told her as another contraction hit. "Maria?" she winced.

"Six minutes," Maria replied, grabbing her hand.

"Six minutes, what?" Isabel demanded. "Are you telling me you're in labor? Now?" she practically screeched. "Liz?"

"'fraid so," Liz ground out between clenched teeth. "My water broke a little while ago."

"But you just said you're only seven months along. It's too early," Isabel said.

"Tell the baby that," Liz bit out. She exhaled sharply as the contraction came to an end.

Isabel ran her hands through her hair, pushing it back off her face. She stared at Liz and Maria for a long moment, then shook her head. "All right," she said. "Liz, how much do you know about giving birth?"

"I read all the books I could find while I was down in Florida. I just wish I thought to bring some of them home with me."

"But you remember what you read, right?"

"Yeah, mostly," Liz admitted.

"Okay, good, because I don't know much beyond the basics and whatever common sense dictates," Isabel said. "I'm going to need you to talk me through everything before you're in full blown labor."

"So you'll help?" Maria demanded.

Isabel glared at her. "Of course. Did you think I'd leave her to go it alone? God, Maria, it's our fault she can't go to a hospital."

"You can say that again," Maria muttered.

"What do you want to know?" Liz asked.

"Everything," Isabel replied.

***

Isabel set Maria to work collecting supplies: towels, alcohol, sharp scissors, a ball of strong twine. While Maria was occupied, Liz was able to focus on explaining the stages of labor. She discovered that concentrating on the clinical aspects of the situation helped keep her fear at bay, and Isabel asked good questions that made Liz feel more secure with her ability to assist in delivering the baby. Liz was impressed by the way Isabel seemed able to get straight to the heart of the matter, with no squeamishness.

"Okay," Isabel said when Liz told her everything she could remember. "If what you're saying is accurate, you're probably getting pretty close." She grabbed a hair clip out of her back and twisted her hair up and out of the way. "Here," she said, tossing Liz a second clip. "You'll feel better."

"Thanks," Liz replied, pulling her hair into a ponytail.

"How do you feel?"

"Scared," she admitted. "But not too bad otherwise. Thank you for helping me, Isabel."

"Yeah, well. Max would kill me if I let anything bad happen to you," she replied lightly, but her dark eyes were serious. "Liz, whose baby is this really?"

"Does it matter?"

"You mean will I refuse to help you if I don't like the answer? No."

Maria bustled into the living room, her arms filled with a mass of dirty sheets. "I know you could probably just hocus pocus them clean, but I feel better this way," she said, dropping the bundle on the floor. "I put fresh linens, and the towels and other things are stacked on the dresser." She looked from Liz to Isabel questioningly. "How are you two doing?"

"We're fine," Liz said. "Right?"

Isabel nodded. "Yeah. Thanks, Maria. I'll go finish up and then we can check you out, all right, Liz?"

"Okay." She watched as Isabel went into the bedroom.

"How are you really?" Maria asked.

Liz shifted her weight from one foot to the other, trying to ease the ache in her lower back. She was standing by the kitchen counter, hands braced on a stool in an attempt to support some of her weight. "My contractions are getting closer together," she said.

"That's good, isn't it?"

"Depends on whether I'm dilated enough."

Maria made a face. "Remind me of this moment the next time I'm cooing over a cute baby in the Crashdown."

"Gladly," Liz grumbled.

"What about Isabel? Is she going to be able to pull this off?" Maria asked quietly.

"She's being really great, actually."

"You're comfortable with her delivering the baby?"

"As much as I can be," Liz nodded. She sucked in a breath as a particularly strong contraction gripped her.

"Liz?"

"I'm okay," she panted. Beads of sweat dotted her forehead and she had to force herself to breathe deeply through the pain. Her knees felt gelatinous, and she swayed slightly, her hold on the stool the only thing keeping her upright.

"Come on," Isabel called from the bedroom.

"Here," Maria said, slipping an arm around Liz.

Liz let her help her into the other room. Sure enough, Isabel had manipulated the fitted sheet so it was waterproof, yet still soft to the touch. She'd also done something to the pillows, making them larger and more supportive.

"Michael wouldn't even recognize it," Maria commented.

"Yeah, well, I offered to fix the place up for him a bunch of times, but he wouldn't let me," Isabel replied. "Lie down, Liz."

She eased down onto the bed, with the pillows propping her up. Suddenly she felt extremely self-conscious. The truth was, she had never had a pelvic exam, and she had only made love with Max the one time. She wasn't a prude, but that didn't make her feel any less nervous or vulnerable at that moment, knowing Isabel was about to examine her. Only the knowledge that she had no choice kept her going.

As if sensing her discomfort - or possibly because she shared it - Isabel pulled the sheet up to Liz's waist, then reached beneath it to pull up her dress. Maria tactfully moved to the side of the bed, by Liz's head, and distracted her while Isabel bent to her task. Liz managed to ignore what Isabel was doing until she felt her warm hands pressed to either side of her burgeoning stomach, just as another contraction ripped through her.

"Uh," she grunted, pressing her head back into the pillows.

"Liz, I need you to relax," Isabel said. "Just breathe."

"I am breathing," she bit out.

"Come on," Isabel urged. "In and out. Nice breath. Good." Her fingers spread wide and Liz felt her massaging her belly in firm strokes. "Now exhale. Blow it all out."

Liz did as she was told, forcing the air from her lungs, gasping at the end when the contraction ceased abruptly.

Isabel rubbed her hand over Liz's stomach once more, frowning. "Maria, go get some ice, okay? For her to suck on."

"Right." Maria hurried through the door and they could hear her rummaging noisily in the kitchen.

"What's wrong?" Liz asked, not liking Isabel's expression.

"The baby seems fine," Isabel assured her. "I can sense a good strong heartbeat and definite brain activity. There's a personality, there, Liz," she said with a faint smile. "Beyond that, I don't know what to check for." She pulled back and stared at Liz. "There's just one thing."

Liz felt a surge of panic. "What?"

"The baby's not in position. You're almost fully dilated, but it hasn't turned yet."

"You mean it's breach?"

"I'm going to try to get it to flip, but Liz, I don't know if I can," Isabel said, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth.

"And if you can't?"

"Let me try first. Then we'll worry about it."

Liz understood what Isabel was saying. She didn't know how she would be able to handle a breach birth. She nodded. "What do you want me to do?"

Maria reappeared, carrying a bowl of ice. "What did I miss?" she asked, taking in their serious expressions.

"The baby hasn't turned head down yet. It's not lined up properly," Liz told her, holding Isabel's steady gaze.

"So what can we do?" Maria asked.

"After the next contraction, I'm going to try to turn the baby," Isabel said. "Liz, I'm going to need you to tell me the second it's over. I can't manipulate you until then. Understand?"

"Okay," Liz agreed. She reached for a cube of ice and shoved it in her mouth, then wiped at the sweat on her face.

Maria set the bowl on the bed, then grabbed a towel to wipe Liz's brow. "Better?"

"Thanks. Yeah." She braced herself as another contraction kicked in. "Here we go again," she groaned. The pain seemed to be growing exponentially. She tried to keep breathing, but her lungs refused to work. Even the ice numbing her tongue was forgotten, as every bit of her attention focused on the powerful squeezing of her muscles. Maria held her hand and Liz gripped it with all her strength.

"Liz, breathe!" Isabel shouted at her. "Come on."

She sucked in air and forced it out, her head starting to spin. And then all at once the pain released her, leaving her feeling wrung out and exhausted. "Done," she whispered, letting her head fall back and her eyes close. She was aware of Isabel frantically pressing on her stomach, but her strong strokes were nothing compared to the painful contractions. The last bit of ice melted away to nothing on her tongue and she swallowed automatically, still trying to catch her breath.

"Damn it, it's not working," Isabel said, a new urgency in her tone. "Come on, come on," she muttered, kneading Liz's middle as if she were a lump of dough. "Turn already."

Liz let her eyes flicker open. She could see a soft green glow coming from Isabel's hands. "Why isn't he shifting?" she whispered wearily.

"I don't know," Isabel said between gritted teeth. "Stubborn. Come on," she coaxed.

"Oww," Liz winced.

"Sorry," Isabel replied, maintaining her iron grip. "But it'll hurt a hell of a lot more if I can't do this."

"God, Isabel, stop," Liz gasped, another contraction seizing her.

"Shit. They're virtually on top of each other," Isabel said, panic leaching into her voice. "Liz, we're running out of time."

"Can't you do something?" Maria demanded as Liz arched off the bed in pain.

"What do you suggest?" Isabel snapped. "I told you I don't know how to do this stuff. I'm just guessing here. We need Max."

"Noooo," Liz cried, squeezing her eyes shut as the pain ripped through her. Tears seeped out from beneath her eyelids.

"We don't have any choice," Isabel snapped. "Maria, go call him."

Liz grasped tightly onto Maria's hand, but her friend pulled loose and shook her head. "I'm sorry, Liz. She's right. He can help."

Too tired to argue, Liz collapsed as the contraction ended. Panting, she stared up at the ceiling and willed the entire ordeal to be over.

*****

continued below

[EmilyluvsRoswell]

continued from previous post

***

Maria came back into the room, cell phone in hand. "I can't get him," she said, her green eyes filled with tears. "Either his phone is off or he's out of range. All I get is voice mail."

"Where the hell did he and Michael go?" Isabel snarled. "They've been gone for hours."

"What should we do?" Maria asked.

"Keep trying," Isabel said. "If you don't get through in ten minutes, we're taking her to the hospital."

"No you won't," Liz shot out. "I will not go to a hospital. It's too dangerous."

"Do you hear yourself?" Isabel demanded. "Liz, you could die! Don't you get that?"

"And what happens at the hospital if I start glowing?" Liz snapped back. "How long will I last in some government lab? You know what it did to Max, and Pierce only had him one day. I'd sooner die than let them take my child," she cried as the pain began again.

"We'd be right there. We won't let anything happen to you or the baby," Isabel insisted. "Liz, this is serious."

Liz shook her head back and forth, her fingers digging into the sheet beneath her. "No," she ground out.

"Lizzie, please," Maria cried. "Isabel's right."

"No," she whispered again through clenched teeth. "Argh." As the contraction subsided, she stared up at her two friends. "Please. I can't risk it," she said, her voice so soft she could barely hear herself.

Isabel pressed her hands back to Liz's stomach, her face grim with determination. Maria hit the redial button on her cell phone, her lips moving in a string of silent pleas. Liz breathed in deeply, trying to gather her energy. She was already exhausted.

"Answer the damn phone," Maria growled. "Where is he?"

Liz lay there, utterly limp. For the first time, she wondered if she was going to make it through this. She had never been so tired, and she hadn't even begun to push yet. Fear, icy cold and numbing, crept into her heart and tightened. How could she have been so stupid as to believe this would be simple? That she could control everything, down to the birth of her child, without anything going wrong. Hadn't the last year taught her better than that? Something always went wrong.

The contractions were barely two minutes apart now, and the urge to push was becoming unbearable. As the next one gripped her, she arched off the bed and let out a strangled cry.

"Hang in, Liz," Isabel said. "You're fully dilated. I want to try once more to turn the baby, okay? Just hold on."

"Okay," she panted, the pain lessening.

Isabel had just started to massage Liz's stomach again when a loud bang came from the living room.

"What the hell-" Maria began, only to be cut short by the sound of shouting.

"Where is she?" Max demanded, suddenly appearing in the doorway, Michael looming behind him. Michael stepped back the instant he realized what was happening, but Max pushed into the room. "What's going on?"

"Max, thank God," Isabel uttered. "I could use your help here."

"What do you think you're doing? Liz, you should be at the hospital!" he cried, his face a mask of fear and confusion.

"Why don't you answer your damn phone?" Maria cried, smacking Max in the arm.

He sidestepped her easily, and focused on his sister. "Isabel?"

"She's scared to go to the hospital," she explained hastily. "Because of how she's been changing. So they called me. Max, the baby's breach."

"Are you crazy?" he demanded, all his attention on Liz.

"Max!" Isabel snapped. "Did you hear me? We need to turn the baby or Liz may not make it! Come on!"

He tore his eyes from Liz and knelt beside Isabel, assessing the situation. "What have you tried?" he asked, already leaning in and pressing gently against Liz's stomach.

"I've been trying to manipulate it between contractions," Isabel told him, "but it's not working."

"Move over," Max said. "Let me try."

Liz was braced for the next contraction, but Max seemed not to notice. She felt his warm hands smooth over her, soothing and gentle, yet with an underlying strength. As with Isabel, she could see a soft green glow bathing her skin, only this time there was the sensation of energy penetrating wherever the light touched her. She gasped as Max pressed down and kneaded her stomach, her flesh responding to each careful manipulation, her contours shifting like supple silk.

"Oh," she cried, feeling the baby moving beneath her skin, turning in response to Max's coaxing hands. She sucked in a deep breath and tried not to scream. The pain was intense, but bearable.

Max frowned in concentration, perspiration breaking out along his forehead. "Okay," he said, sitting back on his heels. "Liz? Are you okay?"

"I… think so," she panted.

"Thank God," Maria cried. She dabbed at Liz's forehead, brushing the loose strands of hair off her face.

Isabel shifted back into place between Liz's feet. "Max, I can't believe you did it," she breathed. "Liz, are you ready? Next contraction you need to push."

"I'm so tired," Liz breathed. She'd closed her eyes, not willing to meet Max's potent stare, but now she let them flutter open again. "I can't."

"Yes, you can," Isabel said forcefully. "Liz, listen to me. You're almost there. I promise. Come on."

"Maria, help her sit up," Max said. He took Liz's hand in his and slipped his other arm behind her shoulders. "Push the pillows out of the way and sit behind her, so you can support her."

Doing as she was told, Maria slipped behind Liz, providing her with a backrest. Liz lifted her knees and leaned back into her friend, grateful for her solid feel after the soft pillows. "Oh, that's better," she murmured. She could feel the contraction coming on her and she clenched her jaw. "Nooo," she whispered. "No more."

"Liz, look at me," Max urged, squeezing her hand. "You can do it. Come on."

His voice was so gentle and understanding, Liz couldn't resist. She opened her eyes and met his dark gaze. Despite everything that had happened, all she had put him through, he was here for her, holding her hand.

"That's it," he said.

"Push now, Liz," Isabel told her. "A nice, big push. Bear down."

Liz tightened her grip on Max's hand and pushed with all her might. The pain was excruciating, ripping through her, burning red hot until she thought she might faint. She kept her focus on Max's eyes, falling into them even as her body strained.

"Good, good," Isabel told her. "Now relax."

"Ahhh," Liz sighed, falling back into Maria. Her fingers were numb where they were still entwined with Max's.

"That's it," Max said quietly. With his free hand he brushed a stray lock of hair from her cheek. "Good job. Catch your breath."

"You're doing good, Lizzie," Maria whispered behind her, and Liz felt her drop a quick kiss against the back of her head.

"Ice," she whispered, her voice raspy. Her mouth was so dry.

"Max, the bowl on the dresser," Maria said.

He reached over and scooped a piece of ice from the bowl and began gently running it over Liz's lips. She opened her mouth and licked at the cool, wet cube.

"Thanks," she said.

"All right?" he asked her.

"Yeah."

He tossed the ice back into the bowl, then pressed his cold fingers to her temples, massaging gently. Liz closed her eyes and let him ease her tension. Then the next contraction was on her and there was no more time for comfort.

"Push hard, Liz," Isabel ordered. "You can do it. A nice big push should do it. I can see the head," she cried.

Liz squeezed her eyes shut this time and pushed as hard as she could. She was barely aware of Maria holding her shoulders, supporting her back, or of Max clutching at her hand and whispering encouragingly in her ear. The entire world was focused on the baby fighting its way out of her, and helping it into the world.

Then she felt something tear deep inside of her and she let out a scream as she bore down one final time with everything she had.

"There it is, there it is," Isabel cried, and Maria let out a small cry.

Liz grunted and fell back again, too spent to even hold up her head. But then she heard a tiny, indignant wail, and she opened her eyes.

"You have a son," Isabel told her, her smile shining all the way to her eyes. "He's perfect."

Liz glanced at the slimy red bundle in Isabel's hands, at the small angry face and dark brown eyes, and felt her heart swell.

"Congratulations," Max murmured, and he pressed a chaste kiss against her cheek.

"He's so tiny," Maria breathed behind her, and Liz registered the tears in her friend's voice.

Liz smiled weakly and tried to reach out her hand for the baby, but she couldn't seem to lift her arm. She was so tired.

"Maria, why don't you take the baby and clean him up," Max said, shifting an arm behind Liz so she could get up, then propping the pillows back in place. Liz sank into the soft cushions, and let her eyes drift shut again. She thought she felt Max brush another kiss over her forehead, but she couldn't be sure.

"Come to Aunt Maria, little guy," Maria cooed. "We'll get you all shiny clean for Mommy, okay?"

"Max," Isabel said, her voice low.

"What is it?" he asked.

Liz felt the bed shift, but somehow the motion seemed to take place very far away. Everything, in fact, seemed distant, including Max's and Isabel's voices as they spoke in hushed tones at the foot of the bed. She could hear their words, but they didn't seem to register.

"Shit," Max muttered.

"Max, there's so much blood," Isabel said. "I can't seem to stop it."

"What the-she's hemorrhaging," he said. "Damn it."

Liz felt something warm pressing between her legs, but the rest of her felt cold, as if her energy was draining out of her. A lightness seemed to swirl around her head, like she was floating, and the pain she had felt earlier began to fade.

"Isabel, press down harder," Max shouted.

"I am. It's not helping," she said, panic lacing her voice.

The world shifted again and Liz felt warm, wet hands on her cheeks. "Oh God. Liz, look at me. You have to open your eyes," Max ordered.

It seemed important to him. Somewhere in the back of her head, Liz knew she had to do what Max asked, but it felt impossibly hard. Her eyelids were so very heavy and the rest of her was faint and ethereal - unreal. She could sense the urgency as Max begged her to look at him, but she couldn't do it. Her eyes wouldn't open, no matter how she tried.

"Liz! Liz, you know how this works. Damn it, open your eyes and let me in," he shouted. She felt him shaking her, disturbing the soft, floaty feeling, but she still couldn't seem to force her eyes open.

"What's going on? Oh my God!" Maria, Liz thought. She sounded upset.

"Max, do something!" Isabel cried.

"Liz, please," Max begged, his voice so close to her ear now, she could hear him inside of her head. "Liz, don't do this to me. I can't lose you. Liz."

Liz felt Max's hands gripping her face, lifting, and then his lips pressed against hers, hot and demanding. Where she was cold, he burned like a flame, and she felt his energy driving into her, melting the ice that slowed her blood. He raced through her like a raging inferno, blazing a trail to her soul. Her mouth opened beneath the onslaught and his tongue drove deep, plunging and stroking and pulling a response from her.

The connection shattered her. Liz felt Max's life force rushing through her veins, bringing her back from the brink. And then the flashes began, the images a blurred ensemble of his memories and hers, from two separate lifetimes. Pure emotion - love, fear, desperation - sent her heart beat soaring. She could feel Max wrenching them from her, absorbing them through his skin, even as he sent healing energy pouring back into her.

When he broke the kiss, their lips clinging together as he pulled away, Liz opened her eyes. Max hovered above her, his dark gaze swirling with disbelief, and he stared down at her without a word.

"Liz? Liz, are you okay?"

She could hear Maria beside her, feel her tugging at her hand. Behind Max, Isabel swam into view, her cheeks streaked with tears. But Liz couldn't look past Max's eyes. Exhaustion was sweeping over her, filling in all the places where Max had banished the pain, but she fought sleep, unable to let go quite yet.

"Thank you," she whispered, eyelids heavy. She couldn't keep them open, not even to see if Max would answer.

She closed her eyes, the overwhelming fatigue pulling her under. She felt the bed dip abruptly to her right, and then sleep claimed her.

***

When she woke, it was dark outside. Her body seemed to have melted into the mattress, flattened and completely limp, but considering she had just given birth, she felt relatively good. Whatever pain she might normally have expected was gone.

Soft voices rose and fell in the other room, and Liz thought she could hear Maria singing quietly. She knew she should call out; she wanted to see the baby, wanted to hear exactly what had happened. Her memory was fuzzy, the details a blur. All she knew for sure was that something had gone terribly wrong, and Max Evans had saved her life. Again.

But she was still exhausted - too tired to speak, let alone call out loudly enough to be heard in the living room. Instead she let her eyes flutter closed again. It was so peaceful just to lie there and not think, to give herself into the hands of her friends, knowing they were looking out for her. She didn't have the energy for anything more.

Liz felt something move beside her and her eyes snapped open. Turning slightly, she caught sight of a dark head on the pillow next to her, long eyelashes resting against pale cheeks, lips parted in sleep. Max. She knew using his powers drained him, and somehow she knew bringing her back had taken a great deal of power. Having nearly died once before, she understood it was a matter of degrees. Today had been a very close call. And so here he was, stretched out beside her, asleep. Recovering.

A deep warmth bloomed around Liz's heart as she closed her eyes again. If she had to put a label on it, she might have called it hope.

When she woke again a little while later, she was alone.

*****

TBC

[EmilyluvsRoswell]

In two posts, due to length.


Em

***

Part 18

***

Liz woke feeling far more clear headed than she had earlier. With lucidity, however, came a flood of thoughts and questions, the most pressing her burning desire to hold her baby. Moving gingerly, she sat up, taking almost casual note of the fact that the sheets were once again a soft, pristine cotton, and that someone had cleaned her dress and hung it from the closet door. She was now wearing a silky red nightshirt with buttons down the front. It looked suspiciously like something Isabel would own, a theory that seemed confirmed when the long sleeves slid inches past her fingertips, forcing her to roll them up. That someone had managed to change her clothes without waking her simply drove home how drained she was from her ordeal.

It wasn't until she tried to stand that it occurred to Liz that she was still utterly exhausted. The lack of pain was misleading. Her legs felt like rubber, refusing to support her weight, and she swayed dangerously before sitting back down with a soft grunt. That, apparently, was all it took to announce that she was awake. The bedroom door popped open, revealing Maria's anxious face.

"You're up! Wait, where do you think you're going? Get back in that bed," she scolded.

"Maria," Liz said, a soft appeal.

Her best friend's expression lightened instantly. "I'll be right back."

Liz scooted back against the head of the bed, fluffing the pillows awkwardly behind her. She was nervous and excited and afraid all at once, her heart speeding up as she watched the door.

True to her word, Maria reappeared a moment later, carrying a small bundle against her chest. "I think you two wore each other out," she whispered. "He's been sleeping nearly as long as you have." When she reached the side of the bed, she leaned over and carefully transferred the baby to Liz's lap.

"Oh," Liz sighed, releasing the breath she had been holding. Her arms curled automatically around the sleeping infant and she cuddled him close. He was wrapped in a soft blue blanket, one small hand tucked under his chin, revealing the cuff of a white sleeve. When Liz tugged at the blanket, she saw he was dressed in stretchy pajamas with a blue balloon appliquéd on the front.

"Isabel went and picked up a few things," Maria volunteered, when Liz glanced up questioningly. "As soon as we were sure you were okay."

"A few things?" Liz asked, eyebrows arching.

"Yeah, well, in Isabel terms," Maria allowed. "Let's just say you won't have to shop this week if you don't feel like it."

Liz nodded and went back to staring at the tiny person in her arms. His hair was dark and silky, his cheeks flushed with sleep. She ran a finger over his button nose, past the small, perfect mouth to his little chin, marveling at how soft his skin was. He frowned briefly and moved beneath her touch, as if she had tickled him.

"He's so sweet," Liz murmured. "I can't believe he's real. That he's mine."

"I know," Maria agreed. "I've been just staring at him for hours. I even caught Michael at it, though he looked away fast enough when he saw I'd noticed."

Liz smiled down at her baby son. "So you're the little guy who's been causing me so much trouble, huh?"

He slowly opened his dark brown eyes in response to her quiet inquiry, his eyelids drooping with fatigue, and gazed up at Liz. As she watched him, mesmerized, he blinked once, twice, his long eyelashes brushing against his cheeks. Then he yawned, rosebud lips forming a soft 'O', before he closed his eyes again and settled back into a peaceful sleep.

"Do you think I should try to feed him?" Liz asked with a frown. "Shouldn't he be hungry by now?" She glanced at the clock and found it well past nine at night.

"Let him sleep," Maria said. "After all, he's had a busy day. Being born can't be much more fun than giving birth. He'll let you know when he's hungry."

"It's just, well…"

"Liz, he's fine," Maria said gently. "Max checked him out. He's perfectly healthy."

"He's not too small? He seems… so little."

"Michael figures he's just over six pounds."

"Michael figures?" Liz echoed, looking up.

Maria rolled her eyes. "He compared him to a five pound bag of flour in the cupboard."

"I'm sorry I asked," Liz said, her gaze drifting back to the baby. "So, um… where is everyone? And what happened after I passed out?" Somehow it felt safe to ask as long as she could stare at the miracle in her arms.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, Maria let out a sigh. "Well, Max pretty much passed out right along with you, so things were hectic for a while."

"Yeah, I kind of remember waking up before and finding him here. Is he okay?" she asked carefully.

"Physically, he's fine."

When Maria failed to continue, Liz peered up at her through her lashes. "And?"

"Liz, what do you expect me to say?" Maria asked. "You know he had to connect with you in order to heal you."

"What did he see?" She was teetering between relief that he had gotten flashes from her and terror at just how much he had absorbed.

"Honestly? He wasn't much in the mood to share when he woke up. I can tell you he knows that baby is his, at least technically. And he knows the rest about Tess."

Frowning, Liz chose to home in on the latter statement. "The rest? What do you mean?"

"Max and Michael went out to the pod chamber this afternoon to check on the destiny book. That's where they disappeared to when they left school. It was still there, but the symbols matched the text that Alex translated perfectly, so it was pretty obvious that it was the source material. Only four people have access to the pod chamber," Maria said pointedly.

"And they knew neither of them had taken it, and that it was unlikely that Isabel had… Which left Tess," Liz said with a shudder. The baby shifted and made a soft whimpering sound. "Shh," she soothed, bouncing him gently until he settled again. Leaning down, she brushed a tender kiss over his pink forehead.

"Anyway, they figured Tess was working with someone," Maria continued. "That she'd somehow warped Alex into doing the translation. It just never occurred to them that she had killed him." She watched Liz silently for a minute until she looked up. "Are you sure you want to talk about this now?"

"No. But I need to know," Liz sighed.

Maria nodded. "Michael and I had filled in Isabel while Max was unconscious. You had the translation in your bag, so we all read through it. Once Max was up, well…" She shrugged. "He wanted to go after Tess right away."

"Maria," Liz breathed. "Where is he? Please tell me they talked him out of it."

"Yeah, they did. But it was touch and go for a little while there. He was really angry."

Liz couldn't help but wonder how much of Max's anger was directed toward her, but then it was nothing she didn't deserve. She had been so wrong about so many things. True, she had done the best she could with the information she had, but that was small consolation.

"So what happened after that?" She glanced at the door. "Is Max…?"

"No, he's not here," Maria said gently. "He said he needed to go clear his head. But he'll be back," she added quickly. "It's only been about an hour. He and Isabel left to take their mom's car back."

"You're positive he's not going to look for Tess?" Liz asked, unconsciously tightening her hold on the baby.

"Isabel won't let him," Maria assured her. "She promised us she'd keep an eye on him."

"What about Michael?"

"Oh, he's still here," Maria said with a smirk.

"What's so funny?"

"Well, Max kind of ordered him to keep guard over you and the baby," Maria said. "I believe his exact words were along the lines of, 'If anything happens to Liz or that child, I'll put you in orbit without benefit of the Granilith.'"

"Oh God. How did Michael react?"

"Said he'd been looking out for you since you got home, which was more than Max had been doing," Maria said sheepishly. "Apparently Michael felt some sort of urge to protect you. It's why he never believed Max wasn't the baby's father. He figured it was like a biological whatchamacallit."

"Imperative," Liz said absently, staring at the door. "You mean as Max's second, he's bound to guard his children?"

"Not just any children. Liz, hasn't it occurred to you that the baby is Max's heir?" When Liz turned abruptly to stare at her, Maria's eyes widened. "It didn't, did it?"

"I… I've been so busy trying to think of him as just mine, you know? Not to expect anything from Max, because it wasn't fair to him. I completely ignored the whole alien king angle. How could I have forgotten?" she groaned. She let her head fall back on the pillows, shutting her eyes. "Maria, this is crazy."

"It's more than crazy, Liz. It's dangerous. That baby represents the end of any hopes Tess might have had to be queen," commented a low voice.

Liz opened her eyes and glanced over at the doorway. "Hi, Michael," she said softly. "Thanks for the use of your bed."

He squirmed, eyes darting to the floor. "Yeah, well. Better here than the back of the Jetta. I guess it was a close call."

"Not quite that close," Liz said with a smile. "But I still appreciate it."

"How you feeling?" he asked, taking a couple of nervous steps into the room.

"Tired, but okay." She looked down at the baby. "It was worth it," she said softly.

"Yeah. I'd say you did a pretty decent job," he said. "Considering the circumstances."

Liz raised an eyebrow. "Just how much do you know of the circumstances?"

"Not a hell of a lot, but I figure you and Max deserve first dibs on that conversation," he admitted, though Liz suspected from his half-grudging tone that the point had been driven home by Maria. "My job's just to keep you guys safe."

"You really think Tess is a danger?" Maria asked. "I mean, I know she's dangerous. But she seems pretty convinced that the baby's Kyle's."

"Yeah, well, it was easy for her to think that when Liz was just pregnant," Michael said. "Tess believed Max wasn't the father because he believed it, and she knows he'd never walk away from that kind of responsibility, especially where Liz is concerned. But that baby looks way too much like Max," he observed.

Liz wrinkled her nose as she assessed the small face snuggled against her. "You think?"

"It's too early to tell," Maria decided. "Except for the brown eyes, and you have brown eyes, too. Except I thought all babies were born with blue eyes?"

"Generally," Liz confirmed. "And then they change color as they get older."

"See?" Michael said. "Told you he's different."

"Michael, there are some babies born with brown eyes," Liz said with a soft laugh. "It's not a freaky alien calling card, okay?"

As if he had heard her, the baby opened his eyes and gazed upward. This time he seemed less sleepy, and his fixed stare reminded her of the intense way Max would watch her sometimes. She sighed. Maybe Michael was right after all.

"Hey, little guy," she cooed. "Did you have a good nap?"

"He needs a name, Liz," Maria chuckled. "Little guy just isn't gonna cut it."

The baby nuzzled against Liz's breast, making small, snuffling sounds. "That's not all he needs," Liz replied in an amused tone. "Someone's hungry."

"And you were worried," Maria reminded her. She stood up and slapped Michael in the arm. "Come on, Spaceboy. Let's leave them to bond."

"Er, yeah," he agreed. "Good idea. Hey, Liz, you feel like eating?" he called back as Maria ushered him toward the door.

"Actually, I'm starving," she said, only just realizing that it was true.

"Okay. We'll scratch up something. Um… give a holler when you're done here," he finished before vanishing into the living room.

Maria shot a grin at her friend and rolled her eyes. "Men. Yell if you need anything."

"Thanks," Liz said.

Once the door was closed, she swiftly unbuttoned the front of her nightshirt, silently thanking Isabel for her forethought in choosing the easy-access garment. Shifting the fabric to the side, she slipped a hand beneath her breast and guided the baby into place, hoping instinct would kick in and that everything would work properly. She knew women didn't always have milk right away, and she felt a small pang at the thought of not being able to feed her child. Her breasts felt full - heavier than normal - but that was no guarantee.

She needn't have worried. His small mouth latched down firmly on her nipple and with a few determined sucks he was on his way. She could tell from the blissful expression on his little face that he was getting nourishment. His dark brown eyes stared up into hers, and his lips worked in a steady rhythm. Liz felt a strong tug deep within her - something utterly primal and satisfying. She stroked the baby's cheek as he ate, just a soft brush of her finger over the plump, apple flesh, amazed at how natural it all seemed. It was overwhelming, how much love she felt for the tiny soul now in her charge. She would do anything for him. Anything at all.

Sleep was creeping up on him as he fed, and his eyes began to drift closed again. The motion of his mouth slowed gradually, until he stopped altogether. Liz pulled him gently away and patted her breast with a tissue from the box by the bedside. Then she carefully wiped the baby's mouth clean. He was fast asleep, his lips parted, his breath warm and milky.

Liz shifted slowly to the edge of the bed, then set the sleeping baby down in the center of the mattress, tucking his blanket securely around him. She would need to burp him, and to do that she had to find some sort of cloth. After buttoning her shirt, she carefully stood up, holding onto the night table this time until she was steady. Her legs felt stronger and she was grateful to discover she could walk without any trouble. Still, it was probably safer not to carry the baby anywhere.

Opening the bedroom door, she stuck her head out into the living room. "Maria?"

"Hey, back to bed," Maria replied, emerging from the kitchen area. She had an apron on, the ties so long they were wrapped twice around her waist. "What do you need?"

Liz was staring at the assortment of bags littering the room. Obviously, Isabel had gotten carried away. "Um… just something to burp him on."

Maria rummaged through a shopping back and pulled out a package of cloth diapers. She tore it open and handed one to Liz. "There you go. How'd he do?"

"Good, I think. But he fell asleep again."

"Oh well. That is a baby's favorite pastime, isn't it?"

Liz smiled. "I guess so."

Back in the bedroom, Liz sat on the edge of the bed and spread the diaper over her shoulder before scooping up her tiny son. He cooed quietly in his sleep as she maneuvered him into place, oblivious to her tentative movements. She let his body curl naturally against her and started to rub and pat his back. He was so warm, like a miniature furnace. As backwards as it seemed, she felt safe and secure just holding him.

After a few minutes, he left out a soft burp, followed by another, slightly louder one. Liz patted his mouth with the diaper and smiled as he nuzzled into her hand, his tiny nose rubbing into her palm. Through all of it, he slept soundly, eyes darting behind his lids. What did newborns dream of, she wondered?

Something in the other room smelled wonderful, and Liz's stomach growled in response. Wanting the baby to sleep undisturbed, Liz folded the diaper clean side up on the bed and then set him on his stomach on top of it. His only reaction was to curl one hand up toward his face and burrow into the blanket. Liz leaned over and kissed the back of his head.

"Sleep well, little prince," she whispered. "I love you."

*****

continued in next post

[EmilyluvsRoswell]

continued from previous post

***

Michael had made pasta - enough to feed the three of them plus anyone else who might drop by - as well as a salad and some garlic bread. Liz left the bedroom door ajar so she could hear the baby, then went and curled up on the couch. As long as she moved slowly, she felt fine, but she could still sense a certain weakness around the edges. No doubt it would be another day or two before she completely regained her strength.

"Here," Maria said, pulling the coffee table closer to the couch and placing Liz's dinner in front of her.

"Thanks." Liz twirled a few strands of spaghetti around her fork and popped it in her mouth. She couldn't remember the last time she'd eaten. Had she had lunch? It all seemed so long ago.

Maria dropped down next to her and Michael dragged up a chair. For a few minutes they all ate in silence. Liz was conscious of straining to listen for the slightest sound in the next room, so the lack of conversation didn't bother her at first. As the meal progressed, however, she realized that no one was speaking because they weren't quite sure what to say. No doubt Michael had a thousand questions, but he was restraining himself until she had a chance to talk with Max. Maria, whom she could always count on to keep up a stream of chatter, seemed unusually interested in her food. She ate steadily, occasionally stealing a glance in Liz's direction.

Liz supposed she could have said something, but the truth was she was far too tired. Unfortunately, the silence allowed her own rampant thoughts to run wild. While she had been occupied with the baby, she had been able to avoid thinking about everything else, but now it was all rushing back like some sort of sudden tropical storm. What was she going to tell her parents? How would she explain the sudden arrival of her child, and why she hadn't gone to a hospital? And more important, how would she skirt their wanting to take her to get checked out now? What about the baby? Could she let a doctor near him? And what about his size? He was far too developed considering how premature he was by human terms. That would need explaining, too. And the baby was just the tip of the iceberg. Tess. Max. Her head pounded with the enormity of it all.

Suddenly she wasn't nearly as hungry. Staring at her plate, she pushed the pasta around with a bit of bread and wondered where Max was.

"Liz?" Maria asked softly, her voice laced with concern.

She looked up and smiled. "I'm okay. Just tired."

"Max said you lost a lot of blood," Michael told her. "There wasn't anything he could do about that. You just need to take it easy for a while. Better eat that," he added, nodding at her food. "Build up your strength."

She nodded and began to eat again by rote. Michael was right. She had to take better care of herself. She was a mother now, and the baby needed her. Maria and Michael exchanged a look, but Liz didn't say anything. It was the best she could do.

Once they'd finished dinner, Maria and Michael went into the kitchen to clean up and Liz went to check on the baby. She changed his diaper, courtesy of the supplies Isabel had purchased, and tucked his blanket more securely around his small body. He slept peacefully through the entire event, his sweet expression tugging at Liz's heart.

"Do you think he's going to stay this good?" she asked as she went back into the living room. "I can't believe how easy he's being."

"Don't get used to it," Maria warned. "No doubt he'll be keeping you up nights before you know it."

Liz knew she was right, but at that moment it was hard to imagine. Of course, if the baby was half as exhausted as she felt, it explained a great deal. She dropped back onto the couch, pulling her legs up beneath her, and yawned broadly. Part of her wanted nothing more than to crawl back into Michael's bed beside her sleeping infant, and stay there until morning. Instead she settled for easing back against the cushions and closing her eyes for a moment while the others finished the dishes.

That was how she was sitting when the door opened. She knew it was Max before she looked, so it hardly came as a surprise when she opened her eyes and found him standing there, staring at her.

"Hey," he said.

"Hi."

"I didn't think you'd be awake yet," he continued. Turning, he pulled the door shut behind him, then glanced over at Michael and Maria. "Isabel said she'd be back tomorrow. She's covering for me at home."

"Want dinner?" Michael asked. "There's leftovers."

"Um, no, thanks," Max told him. "I'm not very hungry." He took a few awkward steps into the room, shoving his hands into his pockets. "How do you feel?" he asked Liz.

"All right," she said softly. "Tired, but that's it."

Max nodded. "Good."

"I'd better get home," Maria announced as she folded the dishtowel she'd been using to dry.

Liz tore her gaze from Max and glared at her best friend. "Maria."

"What? I need to cover for you. I told your parents you were spending the night at my house."

"What? When?" Liz asked.

"While you were asleep," Maria said briskly, grabbing her purse off the floor. "I'm just going to go kiss the munchkin," she declared. "Michael? You driving me?"

"Uh, yeah," he said, clearly startled. He glanced nervously at Max, who nodded slightly. "Right." He followed her into the bedroom.

Liz half expected Max to say something, but instead he went into the kitchen and helped himself to a can of cherry Coke. Standing by the counter, he took a few gulps and stared out into space until Maria and Michael reappeared.

"He's so beautiful, Lizzie," Maria sniffed. She went over to the couch and gave her a quick squeeze. "Love you," she whispered. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Liz felt a wave of panic, but she resisted the urge to grab her friend by the arm and not let go. "Thank you so much for everything," she said. "I love you, too."

"Take it easy," Maria told her. "And you," she said, crossing the room and poking Max in the arm. "You take it easy, too," she warned.

A faint smile skirted across Max's face. "I'll see you tomorrow," he replied. "And thanks," he added softly.

"I'll be back later," Michael said, and then he and Maria were gone.

Max leaned back against the counter and drained his soda, then crushed the can and tossed it into the recycling bin.

Liz watched him carefully, hoping to get a read on his mood, but his expression revealed nothing. He had shut down completely, right to his eyes. She did notice that he looked pale, however, and she wondered if he was completely recovered from healing her.

"Are you all right?" she asked quietly, realizing it was a loaded question, but unable to help herself.

Instead of replying, Max crossed to the chair where Michael had been sitting during dinner and sank down heavily. He leaned over so his elbows rested on his knees and rubbed his hands over his face. "Am I all right?" he murmured. "You know, I can't say I have an answer to that one," he admitted. "What I am is confused."

"Max, I-"

"Don't," he said, cutting her off abruptly as he looked up. "Just… don't try to explain right now, okay? I thought I could walk around for a while, get this all straight in my head, and I'd be fine, but the truth is it's going to take a lot more than that and I'm just too tired right now."

"Okay," she whispered with a nod. She looked down at the hem of her nightshirt which was tucked around her knees and began fiddling with one of the buttons. She heard Max let out a weary sigh.

"Liz, we have a lot to talk about. I know that. I'm just not ready. We have to prioritize, which means we need to focus on the two most pressing matters at hand."

"Which are?" she asked, still not looking up.

"First, your parents. Our parents," he amended. "We have to figure out what we're going to tell them, both about why you gave birth someplace other than a hospital, and how I'm suddenly the father even though we've both been denying it all over town."

His tone was so flat - resigned - that Liz felt like crying. She shook her head. "No," she said. "You don't have to do that."

"And how exactly do you think that'll work?" he demanded. "He looks like a perfect combination of the two of us. There's an excellent chance he'll develop powers. He's going to be a sitting duck for my enemies if I'm not in his life, protecting him. No matter what I know to the contrary, he is technically my child. You really expect me to walk away and not look back?"

"I'll go back to Florida," she volunteered. "He'll be safe there."

"You're not going anywhere," Max growled, rising to his feet. "You've run enough already."

"It's not fair to expect you to do this," she whispered, tears filling her eyes.

"Life's not fair, Liz. Haven't you figured that out yet?" he asked, his voice mocking.

Liz froze. It was what she had said to him - to his future self - to convince him to make love to her. She closed her eyes, pain ricocheting through her heart, and exhaled slowly. How many things did Max have stored in his brain right now, ready to pull out and use against her at a moment's notice? It was like sitting on a ticking bomb, with no clue as to what might set it off. "Okay," she agreed. "I won't leave."

He sat down again, resuming his hunched over position. "Thank you," he replied. "Look, I don't want to fight with you. It's been a really long couple of days and you almost died this afternoon," he said in a quiet voice. "You've been through a lot. Things aren't going to get any easier, either, so we should just hammer out a plan and then get some sleep."

"So what do you propose?" she asked.

Max rubbed at his face again. "We say that you actually got pregnant back the beginning of September, when you first came home from Florida. That we spent one night together and then went back to being broken up, so when you realized you were pregnant you couldn't bring yourself to admit it was mine. You pretended it was someone else's and since we'd used protection I believed you."

Liz cringed inwardly, imagining the reaction from their parents, but all in all, it was the most reasonable explanation for the distance between them all this time. "All right," she said. "That covers him being fully developed at less than seven months, too."

He nodded absently. "Which leaves where you had the baby and why you couldn't go to a hospital," he sighed. "How about we decided to try to work things out, so we went for a drive. Maria promised to cover for you in case we were late. You went into labor out in the middle of nowhere and I delivered the baby."

"That's just going to make my parents more anxious to get me to the doctor."

Max looked up. "I… uh… brought my microscope back with me. We can check your blood and the baby's. See if it's safe for you to get checked out."

"And if it's not?"

"We'll figure something out. Frankly, I'm more concerned about how much I healed you than what your blood looks like. It's not going to seem like you gave birth recently. Maybe Valenti'll have some ideas." His expression darkened. "Which leads me to the second problem."

"Tess."

"I just can't believe that all this time…" He stood up and began to pace. "You never trusted her. I'm sorry I didn't believe you."

"I never thought she was a killer," Liz admitted. "We had no way of knowing."

"We have to figure out what to do with her before she realizes you've given birth."

"Max, I can't just hide out here indefinitely. I can get away with a day or two, but my parents will never believe I'm just sleeping over at Maria's."

"I'm not talking about taking a week to come up with a plan," Max told her. "We don't have that kind of time. She's a threat to you and the baby, and I'm certainly not comfortable with her living at the Valentis'. Isabel and I already discussed it earlier. I'm going to take Tess out to the pod chamber tomorrow morning."

Liz something hot flare deep within her. She knew it was irrational - Max was talking about getting rid of Tess, not having a romantic rendezvous - but she couldn't help it. "Better check your credibility with her first," she recommended. "After all, you already stood her up for breakfast."

Max stopped mid-pace and turned to stare at her. "What are you talking about?"

She glanced down and resumed playing with the button on the nightshirt. "Tess was at the Crashdown this morning, waiting for you. She said you were supposed to meet there before school."

"I never… oh hell," he muttered, shaking his head. "When I ran into her yesterday she said something about grabbing breakfast this morning. I said we'd need to be there when the Crashdown opened in order to make first period."

"Well, I guess she took that as a date," Liz said sourly. "She was pretty pissed by the time she left."

"Yeah, well, I was a little preoccupied this morning, after talking to you last night." He resumed stalking across the floor.

"Right." She watched him move back and forth restlessly. "Please tell me you're not planning on going out there alone with her."

"I need to talk to Michael about that. Either he or Isabel has to stay here with you and the baby."

"Max, we'll be fine without…"

"No," he said firmly, glaring at her. "Liz, you and that baby stand between Tess and everything she wants. She killed Alex and he never did a thing to her. What do you think she would do to you if she got the chance? You're lucky she hasn't realized that you've caught on to her."

"But you're taking her out to the pod chamber," Liz reasoned. "She can't be in two places at once."

"That doesn't mean she isn't working with someone. This whole thing with Alex was way too elaborate for her to have rigged it on her own."

Gone was the stoic, reserved Max who has begun the conversation. His eyes were blazing, fear and anger cloaking his expression. Liz knew, without him saying it, just what was racing through his mind. She'd spent days gunning for Alex's killer, researching and questioning until she got the answers she sought. If Tess had been aware of her search for even an instant, Liz's life wouldn't have been worth two cents. And through everything, she had kept Max at arm's distance, refusing to let him in or to allow him to protect her. For someone with Max's need for control, it was the worst possible situation, and he was putting an end to it. And she had to let him.

She wanted to know what he planned to do to Tess. Hell, she wanted to be a part of it. But she wisely held her tongue, understanding that she would have to be satisfied with the role she had already played, and trust Max to take care of what came next. It would be enough, knowing that somehow Tess was going to pay for what she had done to Alex. To all of them.

A soft cry came from the next room, effectively ending their discussion. Liz moved to rise, but Max waved at her to sit. "Stay there," he told her. "I'll get him." He disappeared into the bedroom and the crying ceased. Max returned a moment later with the baby held in the crook of his arm. Liz felt her heart puddle at the sight of them together, and it was all she could do to keep the tears at bay.

"He's dry," Max informed her, settling him in her arms.

"Maybe he's hungry again. He didn't eat much earlier," she commented, shifting him to a more comfortable position. "He was more interested in sleep." Leaning over, she pressed the tip of her finger to the baby's nose. "Is that it? Are you looking for a late night snack?" she cooed.

"Um… you want me to…?" Max nodded toward the other room.

Liz smiled, touched at his attempt to be circumspect. "I'm okay with you staying if you want," she told him. "As long as it won't make you uncomfortable."

Max shrugged and settled back into the chair opposite her, but he shifted it to the side so he wasn't facing her head on. He was silent as she unbuttoned the top of her shirt and positioned the baby at her breast. Liz arranged the silky red material so it covered as much of her as possible, but eventually relaxed as the baby pressed a tiny hand to her and settled to suckling. From the corner of her eye, she could tell Max was watching them, and the look of quiet awe on his face only contributed to her sense of rightness. It was a peaceful moment.

"Have you thought of a name?" Max asked abruptly.

Liz glanced up. "Not really. I was considering calling him Alex, but I don't want it to end up like some sort of burden, you know? He shouldn't feel like he's replacing someone, or living up to their memory." She looked down into the baby's dark eyes. "But Alexander is a good name," she mused. "And there are other nick-names from it."

"Not Sandy," Max said.

She smiled. "No, not Sandy," she agreed. Looking up, she hesitated.

"What?"

"How do you feel about Zander?"

"Zander? Like Zan?" Max shook his head. "I thought you didn't want the name to be a burden," he muttered.

"For him or for you?" Liz asked softly. "I won't call him Zander if you don't want me to."

His eyes resting on the baby, Max changed the subject. "I think he's finished," he observed, a small smile playing on his lips.

The baby had fallen asleep again, his mouth lax around Liz's nipple. She smiled down at his smooth, worry-free face. "Could you grab one of the cloth diapers from that bag?" she asked Max.

"Sure." He rummaged for a moment, then handed her the diaper. Liz eased the baby back and dried his mouth, then her breast. She pulled her shirt closed and began to stand up.

"I'll take him," Max said.

"He needs to be burped," she told him.

Max just held out his hand for the cloth. "I have little cousins," he explained when she looked at him speculatively.

"All right," she agreed, passing him the diaper and then the baby.

He spread the cloth over his shoulder and lifted the infant into the proper position. Liz watched as he paced back and forth, bouncing the baby gently and rubbing his back. Max was so completely at ease, it was hard to believe he was there more from obligation than for any other reason.

"Can I ask you something?" she asked softly.

Max glanced at her and nodded, continuing to walk the floor.

"Last week when I came home from Florida - the first night I was back - how did you really know I was here?" When Max didn't respond, she bit her bottom lip. "I know you said it was because of Alex - that you knew I'd come for him - but it seemed like something else was bothering you that night."

"I felt it when you hit the city limits," Max admitted in a low voice. "I just knew it was you. And then when I climbed up onto your balcony, it was like plugging in a set of Christmas lights, all bright and twinkling and magical," he continued softly. "I couldn't figure out what the hell was going on. Sure, we'd always had a certain connection, ever since I healed you, but this was more. When you told me your powers were increasing, I was so relieved, because I figured that was the explanation. Until today."

"It was the baby you were feeling, wasn't it?" she asked gently.

Max nodded. "Michael and I were driving back from the pod chamber and suddenly there was this bolt of pain that went through me… I nearly ran off the road. Michael thought I'd lost my mind. But I knew you were in labor. I could just tell."

"That's why you showed up here."

"Yeah." He stopped and faced her, still rocking the baby with a soothing motion. "You knew?"

"I suspected," she said. "He would get so much more active whenever you were around, like he recognized you."

"Well, I guess the DNA's all the same, no matter which version of me it comes from," he said wryly.

"Max, I'm so sorry," she whispered.

"I know," he said with a small nod, then went back to pacing. "I saw a lot today, Liz, and rationally I know that you did what you thought was right. But that doesn't make it hurt any less," he told her. "I… I don't know how I feel, all right?" He shifted the baby easily. "He's a beautiful baby, and he's yours. I can't help but care about someone who's a part of you. But I just don't know about the rest of it. I need time."

"What are you saying?"

"That I will always care about you. That I'll stand up tomorrow and accept him as my son. That I'll protect the two of you with my final breath. But I don't know what's in my heart, and until I do, I can't promise anything more," he said, his voice filled with emotion.

Liz swallowed hard, knowing she was about to cry. "I understand," she whispered.

"We have to find out how deep this thing with Tess goes. That's got to be my priority now, for a lot of different reasons," he continued stiffly.

"Of course." She could feel his eyes on her, but she couldn't bring herself to look up.

"Liz…"

"It's fine, Max," she whispered. "You're right. And you know, it's late and we should both probably get some rest."

"All right," he agreed. "Why don't you go ahead and use the bathroom. I think Isabel put some stuff in there for you."

"You'll be okay with him?"

"Fine. Go on."

Liz rose and went into the small bathroom. Sure enough, there were clean towels and a new toothbrush on the counter. She brushed her teeth and washed her face, ran a comb through the knots in her hair, all the while aching deep inside.

"I'm done," she told Max when she went back into the living room. He was sitting on the couch now, the baby cradled against his chest.

"Come on," he said, rising to his feet. "I'll bring your roommate," he added with a gentle smile.

She nodded and led the way into the bedroom. Quickly fluffing the sheets, she made a space for the baby and indicated where Max should set him down.

"Thanks."

"No problem."

"Where are you going to sleep?" she asked.

"Couch."

"And Michael?

Max shook his head. "I don't actually expect him to come home tonight."

"Oh," Liz said, wondering how Max had gotten that from their brief exchange earlier. She could have sworn Michael had said he'd be back. "Well, good-night, then."

"Good-night, Liz." His eyes flickered toward the baby, and then he left, closing the door behind him.

Liz crawled into the bed and curled her body around her sleeping son. Only once his warmth was cradled against her did she allow the tears to fall. It was a long time before she had cried herself to sleep.

*****

TBC

[EmilyluvsRoswell]

******

Part 19

******

It was just past two when the baby woke her. Liz opened her eyes at the first sign of his fussing, not at all sure what had pulled her from sleep until she felt movement at her side.

"Shhh," she soothed in a soft voice, rolling over and rubbing the baby's back. "Mommy's here." Reaching over, she flipped on the small bedside light, blinking at the sudden brightness. "It's okay." Despite her calming words, the baby continued to make small snuffling sounds that threatened to graduate to tears. Liz sat up and scooped him into her arms. "I've got you, little one," she told him.

Liz was glad she had thought to bring a few supplies into the room with her before going to bed. The last thing she wanted to do was venture into the darkened living room where Max was sleeping just to search for clean diapers. Cradling the baby to her breast, she unbuttoned her top and began to nurse, the steady pull of his mouth soon lulling her almost back to the point of sleep. She rocked on the edge of the bed as he ate, feeling utterly connected to her baby son.

Once he was finished, she changed his diaper and his damp pajamas, snapping him into a clean yellow sleeper with a green dragon on the front. Within moments he was fast asleep, smelling sweetly of baby powder and warm skin, his small fist pressed to his mouth. Liz, however, was now wide awake, and suddenly in desperate need of the bathroom. Mentally cursing the layout of Michael's apartment, she quietly opened the bedroom door just enough to slip out into the living room, leaving it cracked so the light would allow her to see where she was going.

As she tip-toed across the room, Liz glanced toward the couch where Max slept. It was cast entirely in shadow, preventing her from seeing more than a brief outline of him stretched out along its length. She held her breath as she passed, not wanting to disturb him after the long, traumatic day.

She should have known better. His voice reached her when she was just steps from the bathroom. "You okay?" he asked quietly.

Liz paused and swiveled to face him, though it was still impossible to see. "Yeah. I just need to…" She jerked a thumb back toward the bathroom door.

"Oh. Right." A dark figure emerged from the shadows as he sat up.

"I didn't mean to wake you," she said.

"You didn't."

"Um, I'm just…" She turned and pulled open the door to the bathroom, practically throwing herself inside. Only once the door was shut behind her did she turn on the light. "God, what the hell is wrong with me?" she murmured.

She was aware of every sound she made bouncing off the tiles in the confined space, and her face flushed at the thought that Max might be able to hear her. It was ridiculous, she knew, considering the fact that he had been hovering over her spread legs as she bled nearly to death only twelve hours earlier. Modesty should have flown out the window by now. Yet she felt self-conscious and uncomfortable as she went about her business.

He was still sitting on the couch when she went back into the living room, as if he was waiting for her. Thanks to the backlighting from the bedroom, there was no way to make out his expression, and something told Liz that was just as well. It was late, things were tense, and they would both be better off if she simply wished him good night again and returned to bed. But her feet seemed reluctant to move, and she found herself lingering in the doorway.

"I thought you were tired," she said finally.

Max shrugged. "Yeah, well… Too many people in my head."

Liz nodded. She was familiar with the problem.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Yeah, sure," she said.

He paused, seeming to collect his thoughts. Or maybe just to narrow them down. "Last fall, when you were having trouble sleeping, you told me it was nightmares."

"Uh-huh."

"What were you dreaming about?"

Liz let out a soft sigh. Of all the things he might ask about, of everything he could have seen in the flashes, this wasn't where she had expected him to start. "The future."

"So they weren't just dreams."

She shook her head. "Is that what you've been thinking about, lying here?"

"Partly."

Liz hesitated a moment, unsure what she should do. He had asked for time and she didn't want to push, but he was clearly driving himself to distraction trying to puzzle things together on his own. Finally she walked slowly around the side of the couch and sat down, careful to leave plenty of space between them.

"What else?" she asked. She was close enough to see his face now, but he was looking down, avoiding her eyes.

"What to do about Tess."

"I wish you didn't have to do this tomorrow."

"We can't wait. It's not safe."

"And how safe is what you're planning?" she asked. "Max, Tess scares me."

He cocked his head to look at her. "So you've said."

"Yeah, well, it's still true," she replied, folding her arms around herself, suddenly cold. "And I think I'm justified, all things considered. Before it was just because she seemed so…"

"Alien?"

"Inhuman," she corrected. "It's not the same."

"I know that."

"Now, I'm…" She closed her eyes, fighting back sudden tears. "I'm angry at what she did to Alex. At how she lulled us all. How I thought…"

"That I was supposed to be with her?" he asked archly.

Liz nodded, unable to open her eyes. "We don't know what she's capable of. What if she has other powers?"

"I can handle her."

Something in his tone forced Liz to look at him. "That doesn't mean she won't hurt you somehow in the process," she said softly. "I just wish there was something I could do to help."

"You can help by staying here where I don't have to wonder what's happening to you. Liz, this thing with Tess - it's my fight," he said sternly. "It has nothing to do with what's going on with us. Even if I didn't believe she was a threat to you, she still killed Alex. He was my friend, too," he said, looking away.

"I know," she said tearily. "I'm just not anxious to lose anyone else."

"I'll be careful," he replied. There was a long pause while the two of them sat there silently, Liz staring at Max while he stared into space. Finally he turned and met her gaze. "Try to get some more sleep."

Liz nodded. "You, too."

He shrugged absently, and Liz understood that he probably wouldn't close his eyes for the rest of the night. Resigned, she stood and padded softly back to the bedroom.

***

The soft rise and fall of voices filtered through Liz's consciousness, pulling her from sleep. She opened her eyes, surprised to find it was already light out. It seemed as if she had just slipped into bed following her brief conversation with Max. She frowned, wondering if he had managed to get any rest. Regardless, he was up now, as evidenced by the sharp sound of him cutting someone off in the next room.

Liz shifted to her side to check on the baby and found him already awake as well, lying curled on his stomach, his expressive brown eyes focused on her. He had lost some of the red-faced newborn look from the day before, his complexion evening out to a warm peaches-and-cream, and his dark silky hair was curling slightly at the nape of his neck.

"Good morning, little sunshine," Liz whispered with a smile, stroking the back of one small hand with her finger. "It's your very first birthday. You're a whole day old. Or at least you will be this afternoon," she amended with a grin.

The baby blinked at her, his long lashes like small fans over his plump cheeks. Then his mouth puckered slightly as if he was blowing her a kiss, and Liz heard a tiny sucking sound.

"I know what that means," she told him. "You're going to eat me out of house and home in a few years," she teased, sitting up and moving to the edge of the bed.

Her breasts were sore this morning, the nipples sensitive from the stimulation of nursing, and she winced slightly as the baby's mouth latched onto her. Rather than dwell on the discomfort, she turned her attention to the living room, straining to hear what was going on. She could tell Max was speaking with Isabel, but it was impossible to make out the substance of their conversation. Their voice levels rose and fell regularly - they seemed to be arguing - but it was obvious they were making an effort to remain quiet so as not to disturb her or the baby. The most she caught was the occasional word, nothing significant enough to tell her what they were discussing.

Once the baby was done, Liz rose from the bed and began to pace the scant distance to the door and back. She bounced the baby gently, rubbing his back, smiling as he snuggled into her shoulder. Never in her entire life could she have imagined someone so sweet.

"God, stop acting like you're the only one she betrayed!"

Liz froze at the sound of Isabel's words, her heartbeat suddenly loud in the silence of Michael's bedroom. She patted the baby's back automatically while she stood, motionless, waiting to hear more. Was Isabel talking about her?

"She was never really one of us," came Max's reply, his tone harsh. "You can't betray someone unless you're on their side."

"We trusted her! We thought she was our friend, and she killed Alex. How can that not be a betrayal?" Isabel demanded.

Liz felt the air rush back into her lungs. They were talking about Tess. She began pacing again, soothing the baby who seemed to sense her tension, but the chill over her heart remained. Just the idea that they might have meant her-it hurt so much she could barely breathe.

She couldn't hear Max's response to Isabel's last question. He had lowered his voice and, whatever he said, there was no more shouting. After a moment, a soft knock came at the door.

"Liz?" It was Max. "You awake?"

Liz stared at the door, tempted to laugh. She was almost certain he knew she was up, and that she had overheard part of the conversation.

"Yeah," she called back. "Come on in."

He cracked open the door and peered around the corner. "Isabel brought you some stuff," he said, slipping a bag into the room. "Clothes. Whatever. I thought you might want it."

Liz continued to bounce the baby on her shoulder, rubbing his back gently. She had sensed a change in him when Max came in - an increased awareness that saddened her. If the baby had known Max when he was still in the womb, wouldn't that connection have only increased now that he had been born? She tightened her hold on him, nuzzling his cheek in comfort before turning back to Max with a forced smile.

"Thanks."

"No problem." He started to back away.

"Wait, Max?"

"Yeah?" he asked, pausing.

"Er… I'd really like a shower. You know, before I change. Could you watch him for a little bit?" she asked, shifting the baby in her arms.

"Oh. Yeah, sure," he agreed. "I know Isabel's dying to get her hands on him," he added, reaching for the infant.

Liz passed him over, repressing a smile when the baby curled contentedly against Max's chest. Max supported him easily with one hand beneath his bottom and the other at his neck, as if he had been holding babies all his life.

"Thanks," she said again, hearing the softness in her tone but unable to squelch it.

Max simply nodded and left the room.

Liz picked up the bag from where Max had left it and began rummaging through the contents. It only took a moment to realize that Isabel had somehow gotten hold of Liz's own clothes. There was an assortment of shirts with front openings, a pair of old jeans, some sweats, underwear, a button-down dress, and even two bras that fastened in the front - though looking at the small cup-size in relation to her newly blossoming figure, Liz seriously doubted they would fit. For a moment she panicked when she noted that all of the clothing was from before her pregnancy, but then it occurred to her that it wouldn't be a problem. Her breasts might have grown heavy with milk, but her waist had miraculously shrunk down to her pre-pregnancy measurements, no doubt a result of the Max Evans method of postpartum recovery. She wondered if he even realized just how much he had healed her. Isabel, at least, had apparently noticed.

Grateful, Liz selected a pair of gray sweatpants, a red knit shirt, and some clean undergarments, and rolled them into a neat ball. She nearly groaned with delight when she saw that Isabel had brought her shampoo and a hairdryer along, and grabbed those as well. Then she quietly opened the door and headed into the living room.

Max and Isabel were seated side-by-side on the couch, with Isabel holding the baby. Liz didn't think she had ever seen such an expression on Isabel's face. She was positively beaming at the infant in her arms, and some distinctly babyish cooing was coming from her mouth. Watching his sister, Max was sporting an amused half-smile, as if he, too, was astonished at the appearance of this miraculously softer side. Liz's first thought was that Isabel would make a wonderful mother one day.

They both looked up when the realized Liz was there. Max's smile thinned slightly, but Isabel looked happy to see her. "Liz, how are you?"

She nodded and managed a smile of her own. "I'm good. I feel a lot better."

"God, you scared me yesterday," Isabel told her, growing more serious.

"I know. I'm really sorry you had to go through all that," Liz said quietly. "Thank you so much, Isabel. For everything."

"It's all right. I'm just glad everything worked out," she replied, her dark eyes questioning. "And this one here?" She lifted the baby slightly and smiled down at him. "He's so beautiful, Liz. Really."

"Isn't he?" Liz murmured with a little sigh. "I can't quite get used to it."

"I can imagine," Isabel said with a roll of her eyes. She glanced back at Liz. "Oh, good, you've picked out some clothes. I hope I got the right stuff. Maria kind of gave me a list, but I was in a hurry so I kind of just grabbed whatever looked comfortable."

"When did you get everything? And how?" Liz asked, puzzled.

Isabel grinned. "I snuck up your ladder this morning before I came over. Your parents weren't even awake yet."

Liz laughed at the mental image of Isabel climbing up to her balcony and crawling through her window. It would appear to be the preferred alien mode of entrance to her bedroom. Michael, Max, and now Isabel, had all perfected that climb.

"You should probably go ahead with that shower, Liz," Max interrupted her thoughts. "Michael and Maria will be here soon to go over everything, and I know you want to be in on the planning."

"Um, yeah, I do," she said, frowning slightly. "Thanks." Wondering what exactly had precipitated his comment, she headed into the bathroom.

***

Liz tried to hurry, but the others were already there when she finally emerged from the bathroom. She felt somewhat self-conscious, even clean and wearing fresh clothes. As she had predicted, her breasts were spilling over the top of her small bra, but it had seemed better to wear it than to go without. Unfortunately, her soft knit shirt clung with a bit too much determination to her brand new curves, so she had left her hair hanging loose in an effort to provide some camouflage. Even so, she felt like the prow of a ship in some old pirate movie as she headed into the living room.

Maria and Isabel now shared the couch, their attention focused on the baby. Michael had taken the chair, leaving Max pacing the length of the room in a restless manner. He paused mid-stride when Liz appeared, and she felt herself blushing hotly at the way his eyes raked swiftly over her. If the others noticed his reaction, they didn't say anything. Max himself seemed to realize what he was doing and jerked his eyes away abruptly.

"Liz," Maria piped up. "How are you?" she prodded, her concern written on her face.

"I'm fine," Liz assured her.

"Come sit," Maria told her. She scooted to one side and patted the center of the couch.

"Thanks," Liz murmured, slipping into the space between Isabel and Maria. She tucked one leg up beneath her, then turned to Isabel for her son. "I can take him now."

Clearly reluctant, Isabel relinquished her hold on the baby. "He smells like baby lotion," she said with a wistful smile. "It's so sweet."

"Give him here," Maria begged. "Come on, Liz. I haven't had my turn."

Chuckling, Liz passed the baby on to Maria. "Okay," she told her. "Just know that he's due for a diaper change soon," she warned.

"Look, the kid's cute and all, but can we get down to it?" Michael asked. "We're kind of up against a deadline."

Liz started and felt a rush of guilt. How could she be sitting here, talking about babies and diapers, when they were getting ready to go after Tess? Her hormones were making her completely irrational. "Sorry," she whispered.

"It's fine," Max cut in. "But I don't want to put this off any longer than we have to. I've got first period with Tess. If I can head her off before school starts, we can be off campus before the bell rings."

"And then what?" Maria asked.

"I'll take her out to the pod chamber. I'm going to try to get her to drive, say Isabel has the Jeep and is coming in late or something. Michael, as soon as we leave campus I want you to follow us."

"Remember last spring when we thought Tess was Nasedo?" Liz asked. "She knew we were following her then."

"Right," Max agreed. "Which is why Michael's going to keep his distance," he said pointedly, turning to his friend. "You know where we'll be going, so there's no reason for you to keep us in your sights."

"Does this mean Michael needs my car?" Maria groaned.

"No, he can take the Jeep," Max replied.

"What about the rest of us?" Isabel asked. "I don't feel right about you two taking Tess on alone."

"Isabel, we've discussed this," Max sighed. "I need you to stay here. Can you just do this for me?"

"And me?" Maria asked. "What do I do?"

"As soon as Michael takes off after me and Tess, I want you to pull Kyle out of class and come back here, too," he told her.

"Oh my God, Kyle," Liz murmured. "What happened last night? We were all supposed to meet here at six. Does he even know what's going on?"

"I called and told him the meeting was off," Michael said. "We figured he'd be safer if he didn't know you had the baby. We couldn't risk Tess crawling around in his head."

Liz suddenly felt faint. "What do you mean, crawling around in his head?" she whispered.

Max stared at her. "Liz? What is it?" He crossed the room in three steps and knelt in front of her. "Liz, you're really pale. What's wrong?" he demanded, taking her hands and chaffing them swiftly between his own.

"You think… do you think Tess has been mind warping Kyle, too? Like she did Alex?" she managed to get out, her voice broken.

"We don't know that," he said. "It's just, living in the same house, we can't be sure of anything. That's just one of the reasons we have to end this now," he said firmly. "I want Kyle and Jim safe. Right now they aren't, no matter what Tess has or hasn't done to them." Max leaned toward her, his brow furrowed with concern. "Liz, come on," he said, slipping one hand up to cup her cheek as he looked into her eyes. "Take a nice deep breath," he coaxed. "It's going to be all right. I'll take care of it."

But all Liz could think of was her flash of Alex collapsing on the floor at Kyle's house. How much more was there to that image? What else happened that day? A shudder raced down her spine, and she heard the baby begin to cry next to her in Maria's arms. Dread, cold and insidious, curled like wispy fingers around her heart.

"Max," Maria said, her voice urgent.

"Maria, just rock him," Max said, sounding impatient, his eyes still boring into Liz's.

"No, Max, listen," Maria said over the baby's soft wail, reaching out and grabbing Max's arm. "Kyle knows about the baby."

"What?" Max turned. "No, he doesn't. We're the only ones who know Liz gave birth," he insisted.

"Dammit, Max, pay attention," she said. "Kyle knows who the baby's father is," she bit out, her voice rising to near-hysteria.

Liz never heard Max's reaction. The fingers tightened abruptly around her heart, like claws. She felt as if all the blood had drained from her head and settled in her toes, leaving her body icy. The room began to spin and the baby's cries to quiet, and then quite abruptly everything went black.

*****

TBC

[EmilyluvsRoswell]

******

Part 20

******

Someone pressed a cool, damp cloth to Liz's forehead. She could hear voices blurring in the distance, and the pitiful cries of a small baby. Her baby, she realized, opening her eyes with a start and struggling to sit up.

"Hey, take it easy," Max ordered. He hovered above her, wash cloth in hand. "Lie back." She did as he said, relaxing into the pillow someone had slipped beneath her head. Max patted her cheek with the cool cloth, wiping along the side of her face and down her neck. "It's okay," he told her, his gaze holding her own.

"Max, it's not just-"

"Shhh. Maria told us that Kyle's only known for a couple of days. The odds are against Tess having learned anything," he said, his gentle tone in direct contrast to his furrowed brow.

The fear that had gripped her just moments before seemed to swell, squeezing her heart past endurance. Liz simply couldn't take it anymore. She began to cry. "You don't understand," she sobbed.

"What don't I understand?" Max asked, leaning closer and wiping her eyes. "Liz, talk to me."

She shook her head, trying to escape his gentle ministrations. "Alex," she murmured between gasps for breath, trying to pull herself together long enough to be heard. "Alex knew about the baby, too."

Max's hand stilled against her cheek, a look of horror flashing over his features before he schooled his expression. "How long?"

Liz swallowed hard. "Months," she whispered past the lump in her throat.

"Oh my God," Isabel murmured.

"Who exactly didn't you tell?" Michael demanded. "Besides us, of course."

"Michael," Max bit out harshly, effectively ending his rant before it could go any further. The room fell silent except for the baby's continued crying. Max finally turned an exasperated face toward his sister, who was rocking the infant in an attempt to quiet him. "Just give him here, Iz," he said.

Liz bit her bottom lip as Isabel did as Max requested, but instead of holding the baby himself, Max turned and laid him on Liz's chest, tucking him into the crook of her elbow. The baby curled against her, seeking comfort, and she wrapped her arms around the warm bundle, finding a certain solace in his small weight against her breast. She kissed his sweaty brow and brushed the tears from his flushed little cheeks as his heart-wrenching sobs began to lessen, all the while aware of Max watching her, his expression completely closed off.

"So, what now, Maxwell?" Michael asked.

"This doesn't change anything," he replied. "I'm not going to allow Tess to hurt anyone else." He rose from the edge of the couch, tossing the wash cloth onto the coffee table and wiping his palm on his jeans. "We'd better get going. Michael, you can drive. Just drop me a block from school."

"Right."

"Everyone know what you're supposed to do?" Max asked, raising his eyebrows toward Maria and Isabel. When both of them nodded, he turned his gaze back on Liz. "Try to sleep," he told her. "And then eat something. You're still anemic from losing so much blood yesterday. It's probably why you fainted."

Sleep? Liz thought. He was going off to face that murdering bitch and he expected her to lie back and take a nap? Anger flared, followed instantly by a wave of guilt. Max was trying to help her, despite his being blindsided at virtually every turn. The least she could do was cooperate. She nodded.

Max turned and said something to Isabel, then headed out the door without another word. Michael crooked a finger at Maria, then took off after him.

"I'll be back soon," Maria told Liz. She leaned over and gave her an awkward hug, baby and all. "It'll be okay," she whispered.

"Sure," Liz murmured. "Why wouldn't it be?"

"Liz," Maria said worriedly.

"I'm fine," Liz said. "Just go."

Maria gave her hand a quick squeeze, grabbed her bag off the floor, and left.

***

Liz sat cross-legged, the baby sleeping in her lap. In the kitchen behind her, Isabel fiddled noisily, opening and closing cupboards, pulling out various items of cutlery. "You want breakfast?" she asked.

"How can you think about food?"

"Look, I know you're worried. I am, too. But you need to get your strength up and skipping meals isn't going to help matters."

"Fine. Is there anything besides cold pasta?"

"Yeah. Maria picked up groceries on her way over this morning. We've got cereal, fruit, sandwich stuff." Her voice grew muffled as she leaned into the refrigerator. "Eggs."

"I guess some cereal."

Isabel rattled around for a few more minutes before returning with two bowls of Cheerios, banana sliced neatly over the tops. She went back for glasses of orange juice and a handful of vitamins, which she handed directly to Liz. "Multi, iron, and calcium," she recited. "Swallow."

Liz rolled her eyes, but downed the pills. "Topolsky really had your number," she muttered. "Care-giving is definitely in your future."

"How did you know about that?" Isabel asked, sitting across from Liz and taking a sip of her own juice.

Liz shrugged. "Max told me a while back."

"Figures." She picked up her cereal and began to eat, a thoughtful look on her face as she stared off into space.

They ate in silence, the baby obliging them by remaining asleep until Liz had finished her breakfast. Just as she set down her empty bowl, his dark eyes fluttered open and he stared up at her intently.

"Hey there, little one," she said, shifting him into her arms. "Someone need a new diaper?"

"I'll get one," Isabel offered. She cleared their dirty dishes, then retrieved everything Liz needed to change the baby. "So," she said as Liz laid him on the couch cushion. "Are you just going to keep calling him 'little one'?"

"I thought it had a certain ring to it."

Isabel laughed quietly. "I suppose that means Max is being uncooperative."

Liz shot her a look. "Just how much did he tell you guys?" she asked hesitantly.

Her face grew serious. "Not that much. Just that he was technically the father. Something about time travel and saving the world. That a future version of him got you pregnant. At least I think that's what he said," she sighed. "Considering he stormed out of the apartment shortly after telling us, neither Michael nor I felt much like pressing him for details."

Liz turned back to changing the baby. "I don't honestly know how many details he has. Pretty much everything he knows he learned in flashes, when he was healing me."

"And he hasn't bothered coming to you to fill in the blanks," Isabel guessed.

"No. Not yet."

"He will," she said.

"I wish I had your confidence."

"Liz, my brother loves you," Isabel said. "Nothing could ever change that."

"Even me?" Liz whispered. "I did everything I could think of to push him away."

"But you didn't want to, did you?" Her voice held no reproach.

"No. I didn't." She snapped the baby's sleeper closed and folded his wet diaper into a ball. "I'm not sure that makes a difference, though. I still hurt him."

"When Max first saved you, all Michael and I could do was panic over whether you'd betray us. Now I know you never could," Isabel said softly. "Obviously I've only a sketchy idea of what's been going on, Liz, but I know you would never willingly hurt Max. You did what you thought you had to do."

"Yeah. The trouble is that I was wrong," she murmured.

While Liz went to throw out the diaper, Isabel rose and scooped up the baby. "I still say you need to pick a name other than 'little one'," she pronounced. "After all," she added in a teasing tone, "he's bound to grow."

Liz smiled at the sight of Max's sister cradling the baby. "I'll work on it," she told her.

Isabel glanced up, her face serious. "I don't think Tess knows about him."

Her smile faded. "What makes you so sure?"

"She was so shocked to see you at the funeral. She had no idea you were even pregnant."

Sitting back on the couch, Liz shook her head. "You don't know that, Isabel. Tess excels at making us believe things that aren't true. It's who she is. Of course she would have feigned surprise at the funeral. No one told her I was pregnant. She had to pretend to be shocked."

"No, Liz, I really don't think she knew. It's more than just how surprised she seemed. I don't think her powers work that way."

"What do you mean?"

Isabel frowned. "I'm not sure how to explain it. When I go into someone's dream, I can only see what they're thinking about during that dream. The dream itself. I can't browse through their subconscious like it's the public library. I doubt Tess's abilities are that different. I think she can make someone see or not see something, but she can't find out what's in their heads."

"But how did she get Alex to translate the book then?"

"I don't know," she said, her frown deepening. "But that's still totally different than pulling memories from someone's mind." She shuddered. "Nicholas can do that. He tried it with Max, to learn where the Granilith is hidden. I don't think Tess is that powerful."

Liz curled into the corner of the couch, feeling cold at the mere thought of Nicholas. "So you think she could have only learned about the baby if Alex was actively thinking about me being pregnant."

Isabel nodded. "It makes sense. What's more, I don't think he ever gave her the translation of the destiny book. I think he hid it on that server you found because Tess would never have figured out how to locate it. If she could pull thoughts from people's brains, she would have had the translation months ago. He finished before he came back to Roswell, right?"

Liz's thoughts were churning. "Yeah. That's when he uploaded the file. So you don't believe Tess has a copy?"

"No. I mean, if she knew how to activate the Granilith, wouldn't she have done it already?"

"I don't know. How would she have explained that she suddenly knew how?"

"Maybe she wouldn't have. Maybe she would have just left."

"Not without Max," Liz said firmly. "He was the king. She needed him to secure her place."

Isabel let out a frustrated sigh. "I wish I knew what was going on."

"Me too." She watched as Isabel paced the length of the room, rocking the baby in her arms. She could tell from the slack position of his body, that her son had fallen back to sleep. "Iz, can I have him?"

"Sure." She walked over and gently handed the baby to Liz. "It's comforting, you know? Holding him."

"Yeah," Liz agreed with a half-smile. She cradled him close to her chest and pressed a kiss to his forehead. "It is."

***

"So why did you tell Alex?"

Liz looked up at Isabel's abrupt question. They had been sitting in silence for nearly half an hour, waiting for news. "What?"

Isabel shrugged, looking vaguely uncomfortable. "I understand your confiding in Maria about who the baby's father was, and Maria kind of explained why you told Kyle the other day, but why Alex? He wasn't even home yet when you left for Florida."

"That's part of the reason, I guess," Liz replied. "But mostly it was because I'd sworn never to lie to him again," she admitted. "After keeping him in the dark so long about you guys."

"What did he think?"

"About my being pregnant?" Liz frowned. "You know, I'm not sure. He never really said what he thought. He was more concerned with me - how I was feeling, if I was taking care of myself, whether I needed to talk." She sniffed, feeling her eyes begin to dampen. "He was totally supportive."

Isabel tucked her legs up under her and nodded. "I guess that's kind of what I expected."

Liz watched the other girl pulling into herself. It was like a dark shadow had fallen over her, wiping away the vestiges of false-cheerfulness she had been maintaining since the others left. "He wanted to tell you," she said. "About the baby. He thought you should fly down to Florida and check me out, to make sure things were okay."

Isabel peered up at Liz from beneath a curtain of hair. "Really? Why?"

"He knew I was planning to ask for your help with the birth. I guess he was trying to push me along. He thought I was in avoidance mode," Liz admitted.

Isabel let out a short bark of laughter. "God, you and my brother really are alike, aren't you? Hoping if you ignore a problem it'll just go away."

"Well, to be fair, I thought I had a little more time," Liz said. "And I wasn't planning on coming home. Things here have been…" She trailed off, not wanting to blame Alex for her preoccupation. It wasn't his fault that his death had catapulted her into an alien witch hunt.

"You know, we've got Max's microscope," Isabel pointed out. "He said you could check and see if your blood was changing."

"Oh." Liz knew that having a small project would distract her from watching the clock, but at the same time she was dreading the results of such an experiment. "Okay," she agreed reluctantly.

They set up the equipment on the kitchen counter, then Liz prepared the slide. Pricking her finger, she was glad she only needed a few drops of blood to check the shape of her cells. After the previous day, that was probably all she could spare.

"Here," Isabel said, passing her a bandage. "Maria cleaned like some kind of maniac yesterday. I'd hate to hear her reaction if you got blood all over."

Liz laughed and wrapped the small plastic strip around the tip of her finger. "Okay," she said, placing the slide under the microscope. "Here goes nothing."

At that moment the door flew open, and Maria and Kyle came into the apartment. Kyle's face had an ashen hue beneath his tan and Maria looked exhausted.

"What happened?" Isabel asked.

Maria shook her head. "I filled him in on the way over. He's not taking it too well."

"About Tess?" Liz asked gently.

"I can't believe she-shit," he muttered, diving for the bathroom. The door slammed behind him and the distinct sound of retching could be heard through the thin wooden barrier.

Maria sank down on the couch next to the baby, who had startled at the noise from the door. "It's okay, sweetums," she soothed, rubbing his back gently. She glanced up at Liz and Isabel. "It's not just that Tess killed Alex," she said in a low voice. "He's remembering stuff."

Liz felt cold. "What kind of stuff?" she asked slowly.

Maria shook her head. "He wouldn't say. He just got this panicky look on his face and then turned green."

Isabel went over and knocked softly on the bathroom door. "Kyle? You okay? Can we get you anything?" she offered.

"No," came the weak reply. "Just-I may be a while."

Isabel turned back to Maria. "You haven't any idea what's wrong?"

"You mean beyond the fact that he just learned he's been living with a cold-blooded killer?" she snapped.

"Maria, come on," Liz said.

"Sorry," she replied, dropping her head back on the couch and closing her eyes briefly. "I'm sorry, Isabel," she repeated a moment later. "No, I don't know what set him off." She sat up again, shifting so she could face them both. "What are you two up to?"

"Actually, I was just about to see if I'm turning green around the gills," Liz muttered.

Maria's eyebrows arched. "And?"

"I'm kind of scared to look," she admitted.

"Should I?" Isabel asked.

"Do you know what you're looking for?" Liz asked.

"Um, no, actually."

Liz smiled. "It's okay. Thanks." She took a deep breath and leaned over the microscope. The cells swam on the slide beneath the lens, fat and familiar looking. She exhaled in relief. "Everything seems normal," she told them.

"Well, thank goodness for small favors," Maria declared. "How about junior here?" she asked, brushing a hand over the baby's head, smoothing back his hair.

"I haven't tested him yet." She made a face. "I'm not sure I can bring myself to take a blood sample."

"Some scientist you are," Isabel snorted.

"Hey, they don't let doctors operate on their own kids," Liz defended.

Isabel laughed. "We're talking about pricking his heel, not open-heart surgery. Want me to do it? I can make it totally painless."

"Please," Liz said with a grateful smile. She passed Isabel a clean slide.

Isabel went over to the couch and unsnapped the baby's pajamas. "I just need to borrow your foot, sir," she said, tickling his bare leg. "I promise to give it right back."

Liz watched, amazed, as Isabel ran a glowing finger over the sole of the baby's foot, then pressed the slide to his heel. Her hand glowed again briefly and then she passed the sample back to Liz.

"There you go," she said. "Nothing to it." She kissed the baby's plump toes, then tucked them back into his sleeper. The entire process had taken only a few seconds, and the baby hadn't uttered a sound.

Inside the bathroom, the toilet flushed and water began to run. The three girls traded looks and Maria shook her head. "I hope he's okay," she said softly.

Liz glanced at the bathroom door. "I wonder if Michael's got anything around for an upset stomach."

"We don't get sick, remember?" Isabel pointed out. "There's nothing much besides toothpaste in the medicine cabinet."

The water shut off and the door opened. Kyle emerged looking just as pale as when he'd arrived, but the sickly cast to his skin was gone. His eyes were bloodshot and his hair disheveled as he staggered into the room and dropped into a chair.

"Kyle, are you all right?" Maria asked.

He shook his head. "I feel like someone ripped my insides out," he reported. "With a spoon."

"Lovely," Isabel said, wrinkling her nose briefly. "Kyle, what happened? Maria said you remembered something."

He let out a long, slow breath. "I think… I think she's been doing something to my head," he told them in a quiet voice. "Making me forget stuff."

"You mean she's been mind warping you?" Liz asked cautiously, fear bubbling up from the pit of her stomach.

Kyle nodded. "I'm pretty sure."

"What makes you think so?" Isabel asked. "Did something come back to you?"

"Yeah," he muttered. He raised his hands and pressed them over his face for a long moment, then let them fall to his lap. "Alex. I was there when Tess killed Alex," he said dully. "She made me… She had me carry his body out to the car. She made me think it was… a duffle bag," he finished weakly.

***

Liz sat curled in the corner of the couch, the baby pressed tightly to her chest. She had been forced to abandon the microscope after Kyle's pronouncement, her hands trembling so badly she'd been afraid she would drop the slide. Now she buried her face in the crook of her small son's neck and breathed deeply, smelling his sweet, warm scent, taking comfort in the steady beat his pulse beneath her lips.

"How can anyone be so cold?" Maria murmured. She was sitting on the opposite side of the couch, her expression a combination of pain and fury.

"I trusted her," Kyle said, disbelieving. "We let her into our home."

"Kyle, I'm so sorry," Isabel whispered. She was kneeling next to his chair. "It's all our fault."

"You had no way of knowing," he told her. "She lied to all of us." He had been sitting with his arms folded, but now he wrapped them around himself. "She played us all for a bunch of idiots," he muttered.

The baby made a gurgling sound and Liz lifted her head to look down at him. His eyes were bright as he gazed up at her. She sniffed and forced a smile, kissed the tip of his nose.

"So, that's Max Junior, huh?" Kyle asked. "He's cute, Liz."

"Thanks," she whispered.

"He glowing yet?"

Liz rolled her eyes and didn't bother to answer. Instead she glanced toward the kitchen and the microscope.

"Go look," Maria urged her.

Somewhere a phone began to ring. Liz wrinkled her nose. "That's my cell," she said.

"Maybe it's Max," Isabel said hopefully.

"Where did I leave my bag?" Liz asked, glancing around the room. She hadn't seen it since they'd arrived the day before.

"I think it's over here," Maria said, getting up and heading toward the television. "I remember tossing it out of the way when we were reading the translation last night." She rummaged around for a minute. "Here it is," she announced.

By this time the phone had stopped ringing. Liz took the bag from Maria and felt around inside with her free hand. She pulled out the phone and glanced at the display, then flipped to the missed call log. "Terrific," she muttered.

"Not Max, I take it?" Maria asked.

Liz shook her head. "It was my mother. How much you want to bet that she's figured out I didn't spend the night at your house?"

"What are you going to do?" Maria asked.

Liz shrugged and shoved the phone back into her bag, then dropped the entire thing onto the floor. "I'm not going to call her back, that's what."

"Won't she get pissed?" Kyle asked.

"Kyle, I'm sitting here with a newborn on my lap. Do I look like I care?" she huffed.

"You're going to have to deal with her eventually, Liz," Maria pointed out gently.

"I know," she replied wearily. "Believe me, I know. But I can't right now." She glanced at the clock. Max and Michael had been gone for nearly two hours. "Where the hell are they?" she whispered.

*****

TBC

[EmilyluvsRoswell]

******

Part 21

******

"Aren't you supposed to be resting?"

Liz ceased pacing long enough to shoot Maria a dirty look, then resumed her mission to wear a groove in the carpet behind the couch. "Why haven't they called?"

"It hasn't really been that long," Isabel rationalized. "Not when you consider the time it took them to get to school, for Max to find Tess, to drive out to the pod chamber," she ticked off.

"Don't shoot me for asking, but what exactly was the plan once they got out there?" Kyle questioned.

"We didn't really discuss that part," Maria replied nervously. "Liz, I'm going to scream if you don't sit down," she added.

Liz sighed and stopped her restless movements, but remained on her feet. She felt so completely helpless. It reminded her of when Pierce had taken Max, and she had been forced to twiddle her thumbs all day while Michael, Isabel, and Tess tried to rescue him. She hated being on the outside, not knowing what was going on.

"Anyone want something to drink?" Isabel asked.

"Yeah, whatever," Kyle replied.

"I'm fine," Maria said.

"Liz?"

"No thanks."

Isabel wandered into the kitchen and grabbed a couple of cans of Coke from the refrigerator. "Here Kyle," she said, passing one over the counter. Then she cracked open her own and took a long sip before setting it down next to the microscope. "You never did look at this second slide, Liz," she pointed out.

"I know," Liz said. "I should, shouldn't I?" She made her way around the counter and picked up the slide with the baby's blood sample. "Let's see what we have," she murmured, slipping it in place beneath the lens. Holding her hair back with one hand, she leaned over the microscope and adjusted the focus. Dozens of squared off cells swam into view.

"So?" Maria asked.

Liz looked up. "No trips to the pediatrician for him," she said. "His blood looks a lot more alien than human."

"Wait, it's not the same as ours?" Isabel asked.

"I don't think so. Not exactly," Liz replied. "I'd need to compare to a sample from one of you to be sure. But the cells are definitely not like mine."

"That's gonna make things difficult." Kyle said. "How did you guys get around blood tests all these years?" he asked Isabel.

"Mostly luck," she admitted. "It helped that we looked like six year olds when they found us. The orphanage examined us for childhood diseases, but nothing that involved blood samples. They just assumed we'd had shots and whatever at some point before we were abandoned."

"Our tax payers' dollars hard at work," he muttered. "Talk about sloppy."

"Yeah, well, it was a good thing," Isabel said.

"I'm going to put him down in the bedroom," Liz said, leaning over the couch and picking up the baby. "He'll sleep better and we won't have to worry about waking him." She was half-way across the room when there was a knock at the door.

"Who do you think it is?" Isabel asked. "Michael has a key."

"Would your mom come over here for any reason?" Kyle asked Maria.

Maria frowned. "As far as she's concerned, I'm at school. Besides, she had to open the store an hour ago."

Liz hovered near the door to the bedroom, the baby cradled protectively in her arms. "Well, we won't know until someone answers," she hissed as another knock sounded. "Kyle, see who's there."

Kyle rose and went to the door. He pressed his eye to the peep hole, then frowned and stepped back to take off the chain. "Dad?"

Jim Valenti stood on the other side of the door, a notebook tucked under one arm. "Son." He peered into the apartment and gave a nod. "Ladies. May I come in?"

"Oh my God," Maria whispered. "What's wrong? What happened?"

"Nothing's wrong," Valenti said, stepping into the room and nudging the door shut with his foot. "Got a call from Max. Said I should drop on by. That you folks needed a hand with a few things."

"Max called you?" Liz asked anxiously. "When? Just now? Was he okay?"

The former sheriff gave a sympathetic smile. "About ten minutes ago. I was supposed to tell you all that he and Michael are on the way back. He was having trouble with his cell phone and didn't think he'd manage another call."

Liz let out a sigh of relief and dropped a swift kiss against her son's brow. "I'll be right back," she said. She took the baby into the bedroom and settled him on his blanket in the center of the bed. Then she gave him another quick kiss and went back to the living room.

"What exactly did Max tell you?" Isabel asked.

Everyone had taken seats around the room. Liz slipped into the space they had left for her on one end of the couch.

Valenti rubbed the back of his neck. "Not that much, I'm afraid. Like I said, his phone was giving him trouble. He did mention Liz had given birth and that you were going to need help documenting the baby." He raised his eyebrows. "I'm assuming there's no way you can take him into the hospital for an exam?"

Liz blushed and shook her head. "No. His blood is…"

"No need to explain," Valenti assured her. "I've got all the paperwork you need for a home delivery. We'll just back date it and fill in the necessary blanks," he said with a smile. "I'll admit I was prepared for this eventuality, just assumed I wouldn't hear from you for a couple more months."

"Did everyone assume this baby was Max's?" Liz demanded.

"'fraid so," he replied.

"Uh, Dad, there's more going on here than Liz having the baby," Kyle said. "It's about Tess."

"Tess? What about her?" Valenti glanced around, as if just realizing she wasn't one of the group.

Liz watched Kyle grapple with his emotions and his father's expression grow more concerned. There wasn't any easy way to do this. "Mr. Valenti," she said, "Tess killed Alex."

"What? No. That can't… You're sure?" His face grew pale and he passed a hand over his mouth, then glanced at his son for confirmation. Kyle merely nodded. "Why?" he choked out. "How?"

"She was mind warping him," Liz whispered. "Somehow she had gotten him to translate the alien symbols in the destiny book, and then she used a mind warp to make him forget all about it. But the stress of it weakened his brain, and in the end…" She trailed off, unable to continue without risking another bout of tears.

Valenti leaned forward, elbows on his knees, and scrubbed his palms over his face. When he sat up again his eyes were clear. "What was so important that she would use him that way?"

"The book tells us how to go home," Isabel said softly.

He nodded. "I see." His eyes trailed around the room, taking rapid inventory. "Where are Max and Michael?" he asked in a grave voice.

There was a long silence. "I think it's best if we don't answer that," Liz said finally. "I know you're not the sheriff anymore, but, well, we don't want you to have to lie about anything if it comes down to it."

"Right," he said, exhaling sharply. "All right." He shifted back in his chair and picked up the notebook he'd set on the floor beside him. His hand trembled slightly. "Why don't we get to work on some of these papers," he suggested.

***

Liz took the paperwork into the bedroom and curled up on the bed with the baby, leaving the others to answer Valenti's questions about Tess. She filled in what she could by herself - mother's name, baby's sex, date and time of birth, hair and eye color. She knew his length thanks to Isabel's brilliant idea to cut a piece of string as long as the baby and then measure it against the small ruler in her date book, but she was forced to guess regarding birth weight. As for the rest of the blanks - the baby's name, the name of the father - she would wait for Max to get back. They had only discussed the situation briefly, in terms of telling their parents, and she was uncomfortable with making any assumptions without his further input.

The baby began to fuss and she set aside the papers in order to tend to him. He wasn't interested in feeding, so she simply changed his diaper and put him in a fresh sleeper. She had just finished when she heard something of a commotion in the other room. Scooping up the baby and grabbing the paperwork for Valenti, she hurried out of the bedroom.

Max and Michael were just staggering into the living room, Michael half supporting Max with an arm around his back. Isabel and Maria hovered over them, partially blocking Liz's view, but it wasn't hard to see that something had happened.

"Are you all right?" she asked anxiously.

Max lowered himself onto the couch with a soft groan and Michael stepped out of the way. "Fine," he replied, his voice tight.

"Max, you're not," Isabel admonished.

"Relax, Iz," he managed, closing his eyes. "I'll be all right."

Michael ran a hand restlessly through his hair. "He's just drained, and maybe a little singed around the edges," he said. "Nothing to get all hysterical about." But when Maria moved to stand beside him, he pulled her into his arms and rested his head on top of hers.

Liz dropped the papers on the coffee table and sank down next to Max, careful not to jostle him. "What happened?" she asked quietly.

Max made a funny noise deep in the back of his throat, then turned to look at her. "Tess won't be a problem again." He closed his eyes again and let his head rest on the back of the couch.

Liz looked at the lines of strain on Max's face and turned questioning eyes toward Michael. He shook his head in response, then brushed a kiss over Maria's brow.

"You want anything, Max?" Isabel offered. "Soda? Something to eat?"

"Cherry Coke?" he asked quietly, not moving a muscle.

Isabel went into the kitchen and came back with the drink. She pressed it into his hand, but he continued to lie there for with his eyes shut, his fingers curled around the soda.

Maria came over and took the baby from Liz, motioning to the bedroom. Liz nodded, smiling as Michael followed Maria out of the room. Isabel dropped into a chair and stared worriedly at her brother. Kyle and Jim stood there awkwardly, clearly curious but not wanting to push.

Finally Liz shifted a little closer to Max and gently took the can from him. "Max?" she whispered.

His eyes fluttered open. "I'm okay," he said again.

Liz popped open the cherry Coke. "Sit up a little," she coaxed, slipping a supporting hand beneath his head. When Max complied, she held the soda to his lips and helped him drink. By the time he'd drained half the can, he was sitting up unaided. "Burned yourself out a little, huh?" she teased hesitantly.

A faint smile curved Max's lips. "Yeah. I guess I wasn't quite up to using my powers again so soon." He reached up and took the soda from her hand. "Thanks."

"No problem." She pulled her hand away from the nape of his neck and shifted a little awkwardly.

Max took another deep gulp of his drink, then glanced up at the Valentis. "I take it they filled you in on what's been going on?"

"And how," Kyle mumbled.

"You okay?" Max asked him.

"You tell me. How much screwing can the human brain take before it explodes like Alex's did?"

"What?" Max asked.

"Tess mind warped Kyle, too," Isabel explained. "You're going to need to check him out, Max. To see what kind of damage she did."

"Kyle, I am so sorry," Max breathed.

Valenti put a hand on Kyle's shoulder and squeezed. "No one blames you, Max."

"You should," he spat. "You took her into your home because I asked you to. You trusted her because of me."

"Max, no one's at fault here," Valenti continued. "Tess was responsible for her own actions. You had no way of knowing what she was capable of."

Max closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I should have," he said softly. Letting out a weary sigh, he opened his eyes again. "All I can do is promise that she'll never hurt anyone else," he said. "Which isn't to say she won't still cause trouble," he added wryly. "You're going to need to file a missing person's report at some point."

"Her vehicle still at the school?" Valenti asked, suddenly all business.

"It's a burnt out husk about twenty miles along route 380," Max replied, his expression impassive. Liz felt a shiver run down her spine.

"That'll probably get reported before the missing persons time frame kicks in," Valenti acknowledged. "Well, I'm going to want a more thorough accounting of all this later, Max, but right now I think I'm just going to get Kyle home. You up to looking him over now?" he asked.

"Yeah, just give me a minute," Max replied.

Liz watched worriedly as he drained the rest of his soda, then pushed shakily to his feet. "Max, sit down," she urged. "Kyle, you come here." She got up to make room for him on the couch.

Kyle moved reluctantly. "I don't suppose there's another way to do this? I'm not exactly anxious to have another alien walking around inside my head," he muttered. "No offense, Evans."

"It'll just take a second, Kyle," Max told him. "Look into my eyes."

"You're not really my type."

"Kyle, be serious," Isabel admonished.

"Whatever," Kyle replied. "Fine."

Max pressed a hand to Kyle forehead and stared at him intently for a moment before shaking his head to break the connection. "You'll be okay. Whatever she did to you, there weren't any lasting effects."

"Thanks, Max," Valenti said. "We should get going. Liz, you fill out this paperwork?" he asked, picking up the forms from the table.

"Most of it," Liz said. "I, um-"

"Liz," he frowned, "haven't you chosen a name yet?"

She glanced guiltily toward Max, who raised his eyebrows questioningly. "I thought you liked Alexander?" he asked softly.

Liz shrugged. "You seemed to have… issues with it."

Max sighed. "Let me see those," he requested, holding out his hand. Valenti passed him the papers. Max gave them a once over, shaking his head. "Got a pen?"

Liz took the pen from the coffee table and handed it to Max, then hovered beside him, watching as he quickly filled in the remaining blanks: Father's name - Max Evans. Child's name - Alexander Evans. He paused, his hand resting on the clipboard, and she jumped a little when she looked up to find him staring at her.

"What?"

"You want to give him a middle name?" he asked.

"Oh. I hadn't really thought about it," she admitted.

Max slanted a look toward the bedroom. "What do you think about Michael?"

Liz smiled, her heart warming. "Yeah," she agreed with a little nod. "I like it."

"Michael it is," he said, filling in the remaining space. Then he added both of their addresses under Place of Residence and handed the sheet back to Valenti. "Need anything else?"

"We'll have to get a footprint off him once we have the final documents filed. I'll let you know." He shoved the papers back into his notebook. "You folks all right?" he asked in a fatherly tone.

"We're managing," Max replied. "Thanks for your help with everything." He moved to get up but Valenti waved at him to stay where he was.

Michael and Maria wandered back into the room, Maria still holding the baby. Isabel smiled and reached for him.

Valenti nodded at the newcomers. "I'm sure we'll be speaking again," he said. "Michael, I'm going to want your account of today as well as Max's."

"Right," Michael said.

"Kyle? You ready to head out."

"Yeah, Dad." Kyle turned to the others. "Uh, let me know how it all goes down. With your folks." He glanced at Liz. "Good luck."

"Thanks," Liz said.

Once they were gone, Michael dropped into a chair and pulled Maria down on his knee. "You okay, Maxwell?"

"Better. Just a little tired."

Maria's gaze drifted from Isabel and the baby to Liz. "Does this mean you finally settled on a name for the munchkin?"

Liz opened her mouth to reply and was surprised when Max beat her to the punch. "Alexander Michael Evans," he said.

"Alexander?" Maria said, tears coming to her eyes.

"Michael?" Michael asked at the same time, his eyebrows arching.

"Yeah," Liz said.

"Baby Alex," Isabel breathed.

"No," Liz corrected. "Um… we… I thought we could call him…"

"Zander," Max said, coming to her rescue. "We're calling him Zander."

Michael shot him a curious look. "As in Zan?"

Max shrugged.

"It's a good name," Isabel said. "What do you think, Zander?" she cooed, bouncing the baby in her arms. "Hmm? You like having a name?"

"What next?" Michael asked.

"We have to deal with our parents," Max said.

"Max, we can stall another day," Liz said, noting how pale he still was. "You don't need a confrontation with my father on top of everything else."

"Putting things off will just make them more worried and angry," Max reasoned. "But I could stand to lie down for an hour or two before we take you home," he admitted.

"Go on," she said. "It's early yet."

He rose stiffly and headed into the bedroom, closing the door behind him.

Isabel let out a quiet sigh. "Okay, Michael. What really happened with Tess?"

"What the hell do you think happened?" he muttered.

"Michael, please," Liz said.

"Fine." He ran a hand through his hair and tugged Maria a little closer. "I got there after they'd gone into the pod chamber, so I didn't catch the beginning, but Max had left the chamber door open so I could hear. They were already arguing when I got there."

"About?" Isabel prompted.

"Will you just let me tell it?" He frowned. "It sounded like Max had called Tess on the whole Alex thing because the first thing I heard was her trying to defend herself."

"You mean she denied it?" Maria asked.

"No," he said, "she admitted it all right. But she was trying to convince Max it was an accident. That she hadn't known mind warping Alex would do such damage. As if that made any difference."

"What did Max say?" Liz asked.

Michael shrugged. "Shouted a bunch of stuff at her. How she had no respect for any of us, human or alien. That she was as cold and unfeeling as Nasedo. He got her good and angry. Next thing I know, she's spilling all this shit about how we didn't know how good we all had it. That Nasedo was some kind of monster."

"Like that's news," Maria mumbled.

"She claimed Nasedo had cut a deal with Kivar before we were even out of the pods."

"Oh my God," Isabel breathed. "He was supposed to be protecting us!"

"Yeah, well, no dice there," Michael said.

"What was the deal?" Liz asked, almost afraid to hear the answer.

"I didn't really hear all of it," Michael admitted. "They stopped yelling so much. Max had that really low, controlled tone he uses when he's beyond angry. They went back and forth for a while. I tried to get close enough to catch the rest of the argument, but their voices were too quiet. Then something pissed Max off enough for him to throw a blast at the wall. That's when I went inside. Tess was less than pleased to see me."

"I can imagine," Isabel smirked. "Then what?"

"We found out she'd seen the translation of the destiny book."

"She had?" Isabel asked, sounding put out. "So why has she been sitting on it all this time? And how did you find out?"

"I can only assume that she was waiting to pull off some part of this deal with Kivar," Michael replied. "And we found out she had the translation because she made a break for the Granilith. She didn't get far, though."

"What happened?" Maria asked.

"I blasted her, but Max was faster," Michael said.

"You mean he…" Liz trailed off, not quite able to form the words.

"Yeah," Michael said. "Max killed her."

Everyone sat silently for a few minutes. Maria had curled up on Michael's lap, her head beneath his chin. Isabel had the baby pressed to her shoulder, and was distracting herself by nuzzling his cheek. Liz sat on the couch, completely numb. She couldn't feel any regret for Tess's death - she was a murderer, without a shred of human feeling or conscience regarding her actions. But her heart ached for Max, who was the gentlest, least violent person she knew. Taking a life - any life - would wear at his soul to the end of his days. Suddenly she ached to go crawl into the bed beside him and simply hold him as he slept. Once she would have done just that, without a second's hesitation. Now, she had no way of knowing how her gesture would be received. Better to leave him to rest in peace.

As if he had read her mind, Michael began to speak again. "You know, last fall when we thought Brody might be some sort of threat to us, Max was against killing him from the start. Even when he agreed and we headed over to the UFO Center, he was reluctant. In the end, he stopped me and Iz and went on alone. He was going to do it his way, and if he was wrong, well, he'd be the only one to get hurt. He was never comfortable with the idea of using force, and he was right. His instincts saved us all from making a huge mistake. Today was different, though," he said, staring at Liz. "Max didn't hesitate for a second. There wasn't any doubt in his mind that Tess was a danger that needed to be dealt with."

Liz nodded, but she didn't feel any better. She understood that Max's confidence in his decision would only keep him from second guessing himself later on. It had nothing to do with the moral backlash. Michael, of all people, should realize that. He had insisted killing Pierce made him a killer, even though it was in defense of the sheriff. Some things hit you at an emotional level, and only time could lessen their effects.

"So if Tess tried to escape in the Granilith," Isabel said slowly, a frown creasing her forehead, "does that mean she had the crystal to activate it? Liz said she went through Tess's things and didn't find anything."

Michael shrugged. "Maybe Tess was keeping it on her in case Valenti pawed through her underwear drawer. I have no idea. But she sure as hell had it with her this morning. Now, Max has it."

*****

TBC

[EmilyluvsRoswell]

Thanks for all the wonderful feedback, guys. I see I have a few new readers, and a few delurkers. Welcome to the party.

This next part's in two sections due to length. Enjoy.


Em

******

Part 22

******

The five of them sat scattered around the living room, eating lunch in silence. It was well past three in the afternoon and they should have been starving, but the sandwiches Michael had thrown together might as well have been sawdust for the automatic way they were being consumed. The only reason they had stopped to eat at all was that Isabel had remembered Max skipping breakfast that morning. She had ordered Michael into the kitchen and gone to wake her brother from his extended nap, insisting he needed to refuel his energy through more than just rest.

Michael's brief account of what had happened with Tess had left the rest of them subdued. Liz had hoped Max would fill in a few details now that he was up, but he had simply accepted the turkey sandwich Michael handed him and settled into the chair next to the television. He ate by rote, his eyes focused on some invisible point, so distant that it made her heart ache. She worked methodically through her own lunch, not even noticing what she was eating. Beside her on the couch, Zander slept fitfully, one small fist pressed to his face. As soon as she finished her sandwich, Liz lifted him carefully into her arms and kissed his flushed cheek, rubbing his back to soothe him.

Max rose and took his plate into the kitchen. Liz watched him moving almost gingerly and frowned. He looked better than when he and Michael had returned from the pod chamber, but it was obvious that he was far from recovered.

The microscope caught Max's attention. He bent to peer through it, adjusting the focus. "The baby's?" he asked, glancing up at Liz.

"Yeah."

"What about yours?"

"Normal so far."

"I guess that's something," he sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Liz said Zander's blood didn't look like ours or hers," Isabel said.

Max took another look and shook his head. "It doesn't look like ours to me, either. Maybe some new kind of hybrid?" he suggested, shooting Liz another look.

"It's likely," she admitted.

"So that means he might not have powers," Michael said.

"I don't know," Liz said. "Nasedo told you your powers were human, just genetically engineered to be advanced, right? Evolution doesn't tend to go backwards."

"Then he probably will have some abilities," Isabel said.

"I wouldn't base assumptions on anything Nasedo told us," Max said shortly. He pulled the slide from the microscope and waved his hand over the surface before tossing it in the trash.

"Much as I'd love to stick around for the next chapter of this saga, I'm going to be late for work," Maria announced. "And somehow this isn't the day I'd pick for pissing off Mr. Parker." She gave Liz an encouraging smile. "I'll see you later?"

"Whatever's left of me once my parents have put me through the Inquisition," Liz promised as her friend came over and gave her an awkward hug.

"Be good for Mommy," Maria told the baby, brushing a kiss over his forehead.

"I'll walk you out," Michael said, jumping to his feet. It occurred to Liz, watching the two of them leave, that they were probably desperate to escape the tension-filled room.

"We should call our parents," Max said suddenly.

"What? I thought we were going to just… go," Liz said, startled by his pronouncement.

"You really want to show up with the baby unannounced?" he asked, one eyebrow arched. "Besides, if we call we can have my folks meet us at the Crashdown. That way we can avoid going through this entire thing more than once."

Liz knew he was right, but the idea of calling her parents and telling them over the phone that they were now grandparents - it made her shudder.

Max's expression softened slightly. "Look, I know it won't be easy, but it's better than the alternative."

"What's the alternative?"

"Leaving Roswell and never looking back," he said seriously.

"Max, you can't mean that?" Isabel gasped.

Liz stared at his grim expression and knew he meant precisely that. He would do it, if she told him that's what she wanted. Max Evans would go on the lam to protect Liz and the baby from any potential threat, alien or human. Despite what he had told her the previous day - that she had run enough - he would run for her.

"Who should we call first?" she asked softly.

Max shrugged. "Probably your parents. Then I'll have a better idea of what to say to mine. You have your cell phone?"

Liz nodded. She set Zander down, then pulled her purse out from where she had shoved it under the couch. "What happened to your phone? Valenti said you were having trouble with it."

"It kinda got blasted while I was fighting with Tess," he admitted. "I was lucky I got it working long enough to make the one call."

"God, Max," Isabel muttered.

He shrugged as Liz fished out her phone. "You want to do this in the other room?" he suggested. "Iz, can you keep an eye on the baby?" he asked, before Liz had a chance to reply.

"Sure," she agreed. "And, um, I guess I'll start packing up his stuff," she added, looking at the baby things strewn around the room.

"Not everything," Max warned. "It'll look suspicious if we show up at the Parkers' weighted down with all of this. Just a few essentials. I'll get the rest in a day or two."

"Right."

Liz followed Max into the bedroom, standing there nervously as he shut the door. When he looked at her expectantly, she dropped her gaze to the phone in her hands. "Don't you think we should talk first?"

"I thought we decided what we were saying yesterday."

"Yeah, but…" She trailed off, not knowing what she wanted to tell him.

"Let's just get through this, okay?" he asked, his fatigue evident in his tone.

She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, then met his eyes. "Are you positive this is what you want to do?" she asked. "Absolutely sure? Because once we start this, there's no way to take it back."

Something flickered in Max's dark gaze. "Make the call, Liz."

She flipped open the phone and hit the speed dial. When it started to ring, she sat down on the edge of the bed, knowing she would never be able to maintain her cool with Max staring at her that way. Her heart sped up when she heard the click of someone picking up the phone, and then her mother's voice sounded through the line.

"Hello?"

"Hi Mom," she answered softly.

"Liz? Where the hell are you, young lady? I've left no less than four voice mails!"

"I know, Mom, I'm sorry."

"Don't give me that. Where have you been? I know you didn't spend the night at Maria's."

Liz sighed. She could practically feel her mother's concern radiating through the phone, past her anger. Was it having her own child that made her suddenly so aware of how much she had put her parents through the past two years? "Mom, I'm sorry I worried you," she said. "I've been with Max."

"Max," her mother repeated. "You've been with Max Evans since yesterday afternoon?" The question held none of the heated anger Liz would have expected.

"Yeah," she admitted. "We needed to talk."

There was a pause at the other end of the line. "About the baby?" her mother finally asked hesitantly. "Does this mean you're admitting Max is the father?"

Liz resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She had been aware that her parents were convinced Max was the father of her child, despite her protestations to the contrary, but the fact that absolutely no one had believed her admittedly poorly crafted story was beginning to get old. "Among other things," she said.

Her mother let out a weary sigh. "All right. Liz, I understand why you felt the need to do this, and to tell you the truth I'm rather relieved. But it still didn't give you the right to worry your father and me this way."

"I know, I do. I am sorry." Liz raised her gaze cautiously toward Max, who was standing patiently in front of her. His eyebrows rose questioningly and he motioned for her to get to the point. "We're, um, heading home now."

"Good." She sighed again. "Maybe I should call his parents. The six of us really need to sit down and discuss things."

"Actually, Max is planning on calling his parents as soon as I get off the phone with you," Liz said. "We were hoping they could meet us at the Crashdown."

"Well, I think that's a very good idea," her mother said, her tone indicating it was the last thing she had expected to hear from her daughter.

"Mom, there's more."

"What more could there-oh God, please don't tell me you went and got married," her mother said. "Liz, you're not even eighteen yet. Nothing you do is legal without parental consent."

Liz closed her eyes. "No, Mom. We didn't get married," she whispered. "I went into labor yesterday. I had the baby. You have a grandson." She listened to the extended silence on the other end of the phone, only opening her eyes when she felt a soft touch on her shoulder. Max had moved closer and was watching her with concern, clearly afraid her mother was chastising her in some way. She shook her head slightly and gave him a brief smile. "Mom? Are you still there?"

"You had the baby. Where? Are you in the hospital? Why didn't you call?" her mother breathed out all at once. "Liz, honey, is the baby okay? My God, he's so early," she whispered. "He must be so tiny. Do they have him hooked up to a respirator?"

Tears filled Liz's eyes at her mother's panicked questions. "He's fine, Mom. He's beautiful," she said.

"How can he be fine? You weren't even seven months along. Honey, where are you, Roswell Memorial? I'll get your father and we'll be right down."

"Mom, stop. I already told you that we're on the way there. And I swear the baby's fine. You'll see. We'll explain everything when we get there."

"What do you mean, you're on the way? You just had a baby. I know hospitals aren't keeping new mothers very long, but surely more than a day!"

"I'm all right. I've been checked out," she said, crossing her fingers automatically, as if the childhood trick could alleviate her guilt for lying once more to her mother. "Look, Mom, Max has to call his parents still. Please, just hold onto your questions, okay? We should be there in…?" She trailed off, looking questioningly toward Max. "We'll be about an hour," she finished, once he'd mouthed his reply.

"An hour?" Liz could practically hear her mother's frown. "I thought you said you were on the way? Just where did you two take off to yesterday?"

She sighed. "I'll see you in a little bit," she told her, ignoring the question. "I love you, Mom." Without waiting for her response, she ended the call. Passing her free hand over her face, she handed the phone to Max, then pressed both palms over her eyes. "God," she whispered.

The bed dipped next to Liz. "You okay?"

"Yeah, fine," she groaned. "I hate lying to them," she whispered.

"Look at it this way: they're going to be closer to the truth than they were yesterday," he pointed out.

Liz nodded. She lay back, eyes closed, and listened to the soft beeping of her cell phone as Max dialed his home number. It was actually the third button in her speed dial - right after her own home number and Maria's cell - but he had no way of knowing that.

"Hey, Mom," Max said. "Um, no, actually, I wasn't in school today." There was a long pause, during which Liz imagined Mrs. Evans reading her son the riot act. She sighed.

"Mom, listen, I'm sorry, but-Just let me explain, and then you won't be in the dark," he said, his voice soft but firm. "I was with Liz. Yes, Liz Parker," he muttered in obvious frustration. Liz opened her eyes and glanced over. Max was pinching the bridge of his nose between two fingers, his lips pressed tightly together in a frown. "We needed to talk about some things." He paused, opening his eyes and meeting Liz's gaze, his expression unreadable. "Yes," he said somewhat tersely. "That's exactly what I'm telling you. No, I didn't lie to you and Dad," he sighed, averting his gaze. "I told you what Liz told me. Now I'm telling you it wasn't true. He's mine." He managed to utter the final sentence without a single hesitation.

Liz sat up, unable to simply listen to the pain in Max's voice. Here she was complaining about having to lie to her parents, when he was forced to do the exact same thing, day in and day out, and through no fault of his own. Now he was lying once more, all because of her. Bracing herself against his reaction, she reached out and placed her hand over his where it curled tensely in the bedspread. He glanced up briefly, then looked away, but he didn't pull his hand out from beneath hers.

"Mom, stop. I know you want an explanation, but I'd really rather not do this over the phone. Can you and Dad meet us over at the Crashdown? Liz and I are on our way there now." He gave a rueful laugh. "No, Mom, she told her parents the same thing she told me, and now we're going to set everyone straight. Plus, it'll give you a chance to meet your grandson," he added.

Liz watched, eyes wide, as Max held the phone slightly away from his ear. She could hear Mrs. Evans's voice streaming breathlessly through the earpiece. Max shook his head slightly, then spoke into the phone. "Mom, please calm down. Yes, he was born yesterday," he sighed. "That's why I skipped classes, okay?" He listened for a few seconds. "Alexander Michael. A little over six pounds. Both fine," he repeated dutifully, in response to what was obviously a litany of questions. "Look, we can get into all of this at the Parkers', okay? I don't know." He closed his eyes and sighed again. "Just call Dad, please. We'll see you in about an hour. Yes, they know you're coming. I will. Bye, Mom."

He flipped the phone closed and flopped back on the bed. "My mother sends her love," he said dryly. "She can't wait to see you and the baby."

"Max, I'm so sorry," Liz whispered. She felt like she had said it a dozen times in the last day, applying the sentiment to so many aspects of their situation, and it felt inadequate for every single one. But she didn't know what else to do. Until he was ready to really talk, apologies were all she had to offer.

"It's not your fault they never really believed that I wasn't the one to get you pregnant," he said bitterly. "Oh, they went along with me when I told them, but deep down I knew they were waiting for the other shoe to drop."

"It's kind of ironic, isn't it?"

"What is?"

"Well, you and I only really dated a total of what - eight weeks?" she asked.

Max shrugged. "Yeah, I guess. From the middle of February last year to whenever the hell Tess showed up. April something. So what?"

"Considering how little time we spent as an actual couple, it's pretty amazing that no one we know can imagine us with anyone else," she murmured.

"Yeah, well. Guess that just goes to show you," he said, standing up. The hand she had been resting on his dropped abruptly to the bed.

"What?" she asked tentatively.

"None of them know us as well as they think." He tossed her phone onto her lap and walked out of the room.

***

continued in next post

[EmilyluvsRoswell]

Continued from previous post

***

Max pulled the Jeep into a spot by the backdoor to the Crashdown and cut the engine, his eyes pinned to the black SUV parked a few feet in front of them. "Looks like my parents beat us here."

"Looks like," Liz agreed, not at all surprised. Max had taken back roads all the way from Michael's, driving a good five miles an hour below the speed limit despite the complete absence of traffic. When she'd risked asking if something was wrong, he had pointed out their lack of a car seat and the fact that she was sitting in an open-air vehicle with an infant clutched in her arms. They hadn't spoken again for the remainder of the drive.

"Stay there," Max said. He climbed out of the Jeep and walked around to the passenger side, then took Zander from her so she could stand. Before she could take the baby again, he'd slung the diaper bag from the back seat over his shoulder and started for the door.

"Max, I can take him," she offered.

"How would it look if you carried him up the stairs?" he asked. "You have to remember you've just given birth, Liz. You can't act like you're completely healed."

"Right," she said, chagrined. "It just seems… wrong. After all you've done the past two days, I'm probably in better shape than you are."

"I think I can manage one small baby," he said. "Could you get the door?"

The sound of raised voices greeted them when they reached the top of the stairs. Clearly, their parents had gotten started without them.

"I don't understand. How could Liz tell Max the baby wasn't his? All these months, she let him think it was someone else's child. How could she deny him that way?" Max's mother asked.

"More to the point, why did she feel it was necessary?" Liz's father demanded. "That boy did something to break her heart last year - something bad enough that she needed to run off to Florida for the summer to get over him. Then suddenly she's pregnant? What did I miss? When did they get back together long enough for that to happen? Or did they?"

"Just what are you suggesting?" Max's father asked.

"Your son did something to my daughter," Liz's father bit out. "Something that made her run away and hide again, too afraid to tell even her own parents the truth."

"Oh God," Liz whispered, tears springing to her eyes. She had known it was going to be difficult, but she had never anticipated this - hurled accusations and vicious remarks from the people who loved them.

"Jeff, calm down," Liz's mother said. "Philip, no one is suggesting Max did anything wrong. Please, this isn't getting us anywhere. We won't know what really happened until the kids get here."

Sensing movement beside her, Liz turned to see Max shifting Zander against his shoulder. The baby was awake, eyes wide, his face bordering on distress. Max pressed his free hand against the small of Liz's back, wordlessly urging her toward the living room. His expression said it all; if they didn't announce their presence soon, the baby would do so for them.

Liz nodded, took a deep breath, and stepped around the corner. Max followed her, his hand still resting against her back in support. She stopped just inside the doorway and stared at the two sets of parents - their mothers sitting next to each other on the couch and their fathers squaring off across the coffee table as if they were about to trade blows - unsure what to say.

In the end, Zander solved the problem by starting to cry. Four pairs of eyes turned at the sound.

"Oh my God," Liz heard her mother whisper.

Ignoring her, Liz turned to Max, who had started to rub the baby's back in soothing circles. "Let me," she said, reaching for him.

He ran his palm once more over the baby's head, then shifted him so he could pass him to Liz. She cradled him against her chest and kissed him on the forehead. "Shh," she murmured, bouncing him gently. "It's okay. They didn't mean to scare you," she added pointedly, turning to glare at her father.

"Liz, honey, come sit down," her mother said, shifting to make room for her on the couch. "You, too, Max," she added, standing entirely so there would be space for both of them.

"I'm fine standing, thanks, Mrs. Parker," Max said politely. "Mr. Parker," he said, nodding toward Liz's father. "Hey, Mom. Dad."

"Max, are you all right?" his mother asked.

"Yeah," he said, setting down the baby's bag. He shoved his hands in his pockets and hovered restlessly by the door.

Liz settled on the couch beside Mrs. Evans, rocking Zander on her lap. "Max, please," she said quietly.

He met her pleading gaze for an instant, then relented and came all the way into the room, but he stayed on his feet. Since both of their fathers were still standing in the center of the room, glaring at each other, she could hardly blame him.

"He's adorable," Liz's mother murmured. She was hovering beside the couch, staring down at the baby.

Liz leaned down and kissed her son's wet cheek. He had calmed down considerably, but she didn't want to risk passing him to either of his grandmothers quite yet. "Thanks," she said. "He just woke up," she said. "He's still a little out of it."

"Perfectly understandable," Max's mother said. She was leaning in from Liz's other side, her face a mask of awe.

Moving a little closer, Liz's father shook his head. "My little girl. I can't believe this."

"That makes two of us," Max's father agreed, shooting a look at his son.

Liz cleared her throat, knowing she needed to get things started, that she couldn't just sit there and let Max face the firing squad. "I need to say a few things before you start asking questions," she said firmly, looking up and meeting her father's startled gaze. It was obvious he wasn't expecting her to try to take charge. "We couldn't help but hear what you were saying when we came up the stairs."

"Now Lizzie," her father began, but she shook her head.

"No, Dad, just listen." She took a deep breath and let it out. "Max has been nothing but supportive since he learned the truth," she began. "I… I kept things from him for a long time. Things I shouldn't have. I lied," she admitted. "Not because of anything he did, but because I thought it would be better for him. I… I didn't want to ruin his life," she stated. "We were broken up and I knew, if I told him about the baby, he'd do the responsible thing, and I couldn't do that to him. So I pretended that there was someone else - after him - and that he was the baby's father. I lied about my due date," she said with a shrug. "Max and I were only together once, and we used protection, so I knew he'd believe me."

"Liz, why would you-"

"Don't, Mom," she stopped her. "I know it was wrong. I'm not proud of what I did, but there it is." She turned back to her father. "You can't blame Max for this. He didn't do anything but love me. My… lying… that was about me. Not him."

"So, we're to assume that the two of you have talked this through, is that it?" Mr. Evans asked. "Why did you change your mind, Liz?"

"I just couldn't do it anymore," Liz whispered, looking down at the baby in her arms.

"You said you lied about your due date?" her mother asked. "That's why the baby's healthy?"

Liz nodded. "He's fine. Just a few weeks early."

Her father ran a hand through his hair and glanced at Max, then his father. "I suppose I owe you an apology. I just… I couldn't imagine…"

"It's okay, Mr. Parker," Max said quietly. "You were worried about Liz. I can't claim to understand what she's been thinking these past months," he continued. "But I know the truth now, and that's all that matters."

"And what do you two propose to do now?" Mr. Evans asked.

"We haven't had much of a chance to talk about that, Dad," Max said. "Frankly, I'm still wrapping my idea around the fact that I'm a father."

"A father. My son's a father," Mrs. Evans murmured weakly. "I'm a grandmother." She shook her head.

"Why doesn't everyone take a seat?" Liz's mother suggested. "Can I get anyone some coffee?"

"Why don't we dispense with the niceties and get to the point," Liz's father said, sinking into a chair. "We're dealing with two kids with promising futures here. There's no reason why they should throw their lives away because of a youthful indiscretion."

Liz felt her anger spark. "Dad, if this is going to be another lecture on giving my child up for adoption, you can save your breath."

"What?" Max's mother demanded. "Jeff, you can't honestly expect them to give him up?"

"What would you prefer?" he shot back. "They've got another year of high school. College. How are they going to manage to raise a child? They can't even support themselves yet."

"We'll help them, however they need us to," Max's father stated. "There's not going to be any bullying here. I realize we're all in shock, but we're talking about our grandchild. I think Max and Liz understand things aren't going to be easy, but they're intelligent, hard-working kids. We'll find away to make sure they get the education they deserve."

Liz felt her heart swell in admiration for Mr. Evans. She could tell from the startled expression on Max's face that he had not expected quite such a show of support from his father.

"Thanks, Dad," he said quietly.

"Jeff, this doesn't change anything," Liz's mother said. "We were prepared to help Liz before she admitted Max was the baby's father, and we're not backing down now. How can you even suggest she give up her child?" She held her arms out to her daughter and Liz hesitantly transferred the baby to her. "Look at this sweet face," she cooed.

Liz's father sighed. "Fine. Then let's talk about the last twenty-four hours, shall we? Why didn't you call when you went into labor? Why did we only learn you had the baby when you were on your way home?"

"Things happened pretty quickly, Mr. Parker," Max said. "We had gone for a drive to talk things out and Liz's water broke. By the time we got to the hospital she was in heavy labor."

"That fast?" her mother gasped.

"Apparently he was in a hurry," Liz joked weakly.

"You still could have called after you'd given birth," her father persisted.

"Jeff!" her mother admonished. "She probably went right to sleep, which is as it should be."

"What was wrong with Max that he couldn't pick up a phone?"

"Dad, stop," Liz said. "Max had only just learned the baby was his. The last thing he was going to do was call and fill you in," she continued testily. Her eyes were on Zander, who was beginning to fuss in her mother's arms. "Mom, let me have him back, okay?"

"Of course, honey," her mother agreed, passing her the baby. "God, he's just perfect." She kissed him on the nose before releasing him completely.

Liz turned guiltily toward Max's mother. "I know you want to hold him, too, but he's…"

"Don't worry about it, Liz," she assured her quickly. "I understand. Plenty of time for passing him around later." She patted Zander's tiny hand where it rested on his chest. "I'm sure I'll get my fair share."

"Have you named him?" Liz's mother asked abruptly.

"Yeah," Liz said. "Um, Alexander. Alexander Michael Evans," she murmured, brushing a finger over his soft cheek. "We thought we'd call him Zander."

"Zander. I like it," Mr. Evans said. "It's different."

"Alexander for Alex?" her father asked.

Liz nodded, feeling her emotions churning. She held the baby a little closer, taking comfort in his warm weight in her arms.

Her father sighed. "How is this going to work? We need to come up with some sort of plan."

"Tonight?" Liz's mother asked. "Jeff, look at them," she said, nodding toward Liz and then Max. "They're exhausted. Liz just gave birth and Max looks like he's been through an emotional wringer. Why don't we give it a few days," she suggested. "Liz and the baby will stay in her room and Max is welcome to come by whenever he wants." She glanced at Max's mother. "I'm sure we can work something out for Zander to spend time with you as well."

"We'd like that," Max's mother agreed. "I'm sure Max doesn't expect Liz to do all the work."

"Max has exams coming up," Liz pointed out softly. "I have to call my school in Florida and see what I can do to get credit for my classes, but whatever it is, I'm sure it'll be a bit more flexible."

"Of course, school is still important," her father agreed. "But you're parents now. Your own interests become secondary. That's a given."

Liz glanced over at Max, but he seemed unfazed by her father's statement.

"I think a few days for everything to sink in is an excellent idea," Mr. Evans agreed. "Max?"

"All right," he murmured.

His mother reached out and smoothed back the baby's hair. "He has Max's nose," she said.

"Liz's chin," her mother said with a smile. "He's going to be stubborn."

"I'd say that's a given," her father said grudgingly. "I suspect it's a trait inherited from both sides of the family."

"I should probably put him down," Liz said, as Zander yawned broadly.

"We don't have a cradle or anything," her mother lamented.

"It's okay," Liz said. "He can sleep in with me. There's plenty of room."

"Jeff, you'll have to go check the storage space tomorrow," her mother continued. "I know we have some of Liz's baby things still."

"I'm sorry I don't have anything to offer," Max's mother said, her voice laced with regret. "We'll just have to go shopping. I'm sure Isabel will love-Max, did you call your sister?" she asked suddenly.

"Yeah, Mom. Iz knows," he replied. "She's probably already bought out half the mall."

"Just half?" his father asked.

"Well, I'll just go…" Liz stood awkwardly. The parents had all closed in on the couch to look at the baby and she was feeling somewhat claustrophobic.

"I'll help you," Max offered, scooping the diaper bag off the floor. He followed her down the hall and closed her bedroom door behind them.

Liz sat on the edge of the bed, Zander still clutched to her chest. "God," she exhaled.

"Actually, I thought it went pretty well."

"My father practically accused you of raping me, Max," she murmured, still unable to believe what she had heard.

"He was upset, Liz. He just wanted someone to blame."

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "So sorry I put you in the middle of all this."

Max just nodded toward the baby. "I think he's down for the count."

Liz peered at Zander. His eyes were closed, his breathing evened out. "They had him all worked up."

"No, they had us all worked up," Max corrected.

Liz glanced at him. "And he was upset because we were," she finished softly.

"Yeah," he agreed. His eyes lingered on the baby for a moment. "Better put him down before they come looking for us."

"Okay." She shifted and laid him in the center of her bed. "You have his blanket?"

"Right here," he said, pulling it from the bag.

Liz took it and tucked it over Zander's small form, rubbing his back through the soft fabric. "Thank you for doing this for me," she whispered.

"You ready to face the music some more?"

Liz nodded. She leaned down and kissed the back of Zander's head, then followed Max out of the room.

***

Very little got settled before Max and his parents finally left. There were some brief periods of discussion where Liz expressed a desire to get back to work at the Crashdown and where Max mentioned getting a second part time job over the summer, but beyond that the conversation kept sliding into arguments between their fathers and the occasional name calling. Finally Max suggested that they should go, putting those few days of thought into effect immediately. Everyone agreed, realizing it was better to allow everyone some time to cool off.

"I'll call you," Max told Liz before he left.

"Get some sleep," she said.

That had been the extent of their exchange. Max followed his parents out, leaving Liz alone with her own. She couldn't help but feel that the door closing behind him was the door to a prison cell. If she closed her eyes, she could almost hear the clang of the metal sliding into place, the way it had that night after the rave when Valenti had thrown her in lock up. Only that night she had had Alex with her. Tonight she was on her own.

"Why don't you go lie down," her mother said, resting a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Liz?"

"Hmm? Okay," she agreed, grateful for an excuse to escape to her room. She knew her parents probably wanted to discuss her situation between them, to plan her life, but she couldn't even care. Anything to postpone further confrontation.

"I'll call you when dinner's ready. Let me know if you need anything. Do we have to pick up diapers or anything? Formula?"

"I'm breast feeding," Liz murmured tiredly. "I've got everything I need for a day or so."

"Okay. Go on, honey."

Liz headed wearily back to her room. She was relieved to find Zander still sleeping peacefully. She made a mental note that she would need to buy a baby monitor. It was just one more thing on an ever increasing list of baby items she had to get. She hoped she could find a way to start working again soon, because her savings wasn't going to last very long at this rate.

Shifting the baby slightly, she curled onto the bed beside him. The moment her head hit the pillow, she realized just how exhausted she was. It was as if sheer adrenaline had been keeping her afloat, and now it had abandoned her, leaving her to sink rapidly to the bottom of a murky lake. Sleep enveloped her, sucking her into its depths.

A soft knock at the door brought her swimming back up to the surface. "Yeah?" she called softly.

The door opened, revealing her mother. "Look what I did," she said. She came into the room carrying a large basket that she had lined with blankets. "You can use it as a bassinet until we find something more suitable." She moved a few things off of Liz's low dresser and set the basket on top. Then she turned and picked up the baby, moving slowly so she wouldn't wake him. "There we go," she whispered, settling him in the basket and covering him with his own blanket. "Isn't that better?"

Liz watched wordlessly as her mother tucked him in and smoothed a hand down his back. "Thanks," she said when her mother glanced over enquiringly. "It's great, Mom."

Her mother beamed at her. "I know you're feeling overwhelmed, honey. And that this is far from an ideal situation. But your father and I love you, and Zander. We'll help you through this," she said.

"I know, Mom. I appreciate it," Liz told her.

Her mother came over and sat on the edge of the bed. She smoothed Liz's hair back off her face, the way she had whenever Liz was sick as a child. "My baby's all grown up with a baby of her own," she sniffed. "It's hard to believe." She leaned over and dropped a kiss on Liz's forehead. "I love you, you know."

"I love you, too, Mom."

"Have a good nap."

"Thanks."

Liz waited for her mother to close the door, then got up. Standing by the dresser, watching her son sleep in the swaddled basket, she felt a lump form in her throat. He was so small, so innocent. And he was hers. She scooped up the baby, blanket and all, and went back to her bed. She fell asleep with his warm body bundled against her chest.

*****

TBC

[EmilyluvsRoswell]

I'm here, honest. It's just very hard to get anything done when every time I sit down to write my mother appears in my doorway and starts talking to me. I swear, if I didn't grow up in this house I would have been published ten years ago.

Anyway, two sections due to length. Forgive the post-and-fly. Enjoy.

Em

******

Part 23

******

The remainder of the week passed in a haze for Liz. Most of her time was occupied with feeding, burping, changing or otherwise tending to the baby. Then there was laundry to do, diapers to buy, and endless paraphernalia to obtain, including a baby monitor and a car seat. People were constantly dropping in to see Zander and to offer their help. Max's mother had already set a pattern of coming over in the mornings, while Isabel could be relied upon to show up after school. Liz's own parents came and went at all hours according to their shifts, poking their heads into her room to see if the baby was awake as soon as they came up from the Crashdown. More often than not, her father appeared with his new video camera in hand, happy to film Zander even while he slept. Liz - desperate to catch up on her own rest during the brief span between feedings - soon ceased to be amused when she opened her eyes to find her father hovering like some fledgling director in search of the perfect angle.

On Friday her mother invited the Evanses to dinner. Max, however, had to work late that night and was unable to join them, leaving Liz stranded alone with all four of their parents. By the end of the meal she was climbing out of her skin, frazzled by her attempts to play peacekeeper. She knew her parents were trying, but Max's absence only added fuel to an already steady blaze, particularly for her father who had begun to make biting remarks about how little they were seeing of Max. He had stopped by briefly on Thursday before heading to the UFO Center, delivering the rest of the things they had left at Michael's, and then for a few minutes before school on Friday. Beyond that, he called Liz to check in, but their conversations were perfunctory at best and laced with tension.

Saturday dawned sunny and warm in direct contrast to the cool, damp weather they had been experiencing all week. Heartened by the bright sky and fluffy clouds, Liz fed and changed Zander with a smile on her lips. "Look at what a gorgeous day it is," she told him as she snapped him into a fresh blue cotton outfit - this one with a red fire engine where a breast pocket would go. "I bet all the birds are singing. Should we go find out?"

The baby lay placidly on the bed, his feet flexing when she gave them a little squeeze. His dark eyes stared up at her, watching her hair swing as she moved, his expression intent.

Liz smiled. "I can just see the wheels going in your head. You're thinking, boy, wouldn't it be fun to grab Mommy's hair, aren't you?" Leaning down, she kissed him on the nose, then ran a finger over his soft cheek, laughing when he turned toward her hand, mouth open. "Oh no," she said. "You've had your breakfast."

Taking advantage of the fact that he seemed disinclined to simply go back to sleep, Liz pulled a small jacket on over Zan's romper, and tugged a knit cap onto his head. Then she scooped him up and maneuvered through the window out onto her balcony, grateful she no longer had her pregnant stomach to squeeze through the space.

"Look, sweetie," she murmured, cradling him up against her chest. "This is Mommy's favorite place. You can sit up here and gaze at the stars. Or watch the clouds float by. See?" she said, pointing at a particularly cottony cloud that filled the northern sky. "Isn't that pretty? It kind of looks like a great big bunny."

Laughter from her room caught her attention. Turning, Liz found Maria, dressed in her uniform, climbing out to join them on the balcony.

"Knock, knock. I see you have him studying the sky," Maria said with a grin.

"Never too early, especially not with his background," Liz sighed. "Actually, I was just desperate for some fresh air."

"Going stir crazy, huh?" Maria asked sympathetically. "Hey there, munchkin," she cooed, stroking Zander's palm with her finger. He immediately closed his own fingers around hers, holding on tight. "Check it out, he's got a new trick!"

"He's a baby, not a puppy," Liz scolded good-naturedly. She brushed a kiss over her son's temple, smiling when he turned and burrowed his face against her neck. "He's getting sleepy."

Maria pouted. "I never seem to catch him awake."

"This is about the extent of it," Liz told her. "If I get ten minutes after I feed him, I consider myself lucky. But the books all say it's normal for them to sleep this much right now."

Maria followed her back into the room and waited patiently while Liz rocked Zander until he was sleeping soundly. She set him down on the bed and gently extracted him from the tiny hat and coat.

"Those are so cute," Maria breathed. "I mean, look at that. It's like clothes for a doll," she added, picking up the cap and holding it on her palm.

"Mrs. Evans brought the outfit over last night. Said it was still cool enough that he could get some use out of it." She smoothed a light blanket over the baby, tucking it around his compact form. "Let's go back out to talk, so we won't disturb him."

"I've only got a couple of minutes," Maria said. "Work calls."

"I wish I could get back to work," Liz said, as they settled outside on the lawn chairs. "I still need to get him so much stuff."

"Liz, babe, give yourself a break. It's been less than a week."

"I know, but I'm fine. And I hate feeling so beholden to my parents."

Maria's eyes narrowed. "They haven't said anything to you, have they?"

"No."

"But?"

Liz shrugged. "People always talk about how hard teen parenthood is because of what you give up. School, dreams, time with your friends…" She shook her head. "No one talks about the lack of independence. Here I am, a mother, technically in charge of my child's life, and I feel like I have nothing to say about anything. It's so frustrating."

"You mean your parents keep trying to call the shots."

"That's part of it. Dinner last night was a nightmare," she admitted, rolling her eyes. "But it's the little day-to-day stuff that's getting to me."

"Like what? Give me an example."

Liz frowned. "Diapers. Mrs. Evans watched Zander for a couple of hours the other morning so my mom and I could go shopping. We headed over to that new baby superstore in Dexter, even though I said it would take too long-"

"It's not that far," Maria interrupted.

"It is when you have to get home and breastfeed," Liz pointed out. "Anyway, we're there in the diaper aisle, and I grabbed a couple of the multi-packs of the same brand Isabel bought me. But no, my mom doesn't like those. She wants me to get these other ones, that are a dollar more per pack, because they have pictures of ducks and cows and horses and stuff on them."

Maria cracked a smile. "They sound cute."

Liz sighed. "Yeah, you know, they were, but he's gonna wear them a couple of hours and then they'll be in the trash. He's five days old, Maria. He's not going to notice the cartoon animals on his diapers."

"So who won?"

"My mother. I didn't want to take the time to argue. But I won't do it again. A dollar a pack adds up fast, especially when you're not working. And I know she'll pay for them, but I don't want her to do that. I have to take her help, but I don't have to be extravagant about it." She scrubbed her palms over her face. "God, I feel so helpless," she whispered.

"How about I hang out with you guys tonight?" Maria suggested. "I can just stay after my shift and help you with the munchkin, and whenever he conks out on us we can have some girl time."

Liz lifted her head and smiled gratefully. "That would be terrific. But are you sure you don't have plans with Michael? It is Saturday."

"Nothing that can't keep until tomorrow," Maria assured her. "Now, I better get downstairs before your dad throws a fit. See you later?"

"I'll be here."

***

Just after lunch, Liz's father knocked softly at her door. "Lizzie?"

"You can only come in if you're not carrying your camera," she called back.

Her father laughed as he entered the room, a large parcel in his arms. "I can't say I know what I'm carrying," he said, setting the box down on the floor near her desk. "It arrived for you this morning. I just got a chance to bring it upstairs."

Liz shifted Zander higher on her shoulder, patting his back firmly. "Who's it from?"

"Your aunt Rachel."

"Probably my school books and stuff," Liz said, nodding. She had called Rachel a few days earlier to tell her about the baby and explain her decision to remain in Roswell. Her aunt had been very understanding and supportive, and promised to ship her belongings home as soon as possible. "She must have sent them priority," Liz frowned.

"I've got to get back downstairs. You want me to open this for you?" her father offered.

"That's okay, Dad, thanks. I can do it as soon as I get Zander back down."

"All right. Let me know if you need anything. Your mom's gone shopping." He smiled, gave the baby a small pat on the head, then turned and left them alone.

Liz walked the floor with Zander for a few more minutes before putting him down for his nap. "Okay, sweetie, let's see what we have." She took her scissors from her desk and slit open the package.

As she had thought, the box was filled primarily with school books and papers, plus some final assignments from her school in Florida. Liz had called the principal and he was arranging for West Roswell to administer her final exams just as soon as they had completed testing for the registered students. Aside from the books, there were a few framed photos Liz had left behind, a pretty pink shell she had found on the beach, and a stack of CDs. Her remaining things - primarily maternity clothes - would follow in another box in a few days.

At the bottom of the box was a stuffed porpoise for Zander, a soft red bow around its tail, with a note addressed to Liz. She placed the toy on the bed next to the baby, then settled at her desk to read her aunt's message.

Dear Liz,

As promised, here are some of the things you left behind. I wish, somewhat selfishly, that you were coming back to Florida, but I understand your need to stay in Roswell and take advantage of the support system you have there. Just remember, your room is always here waiting for you, if only for a short visit. I would dearly love to meet my new grand-nephew, not to mention his father. There's plenty of space for all of you, should you feel the need to get away.

Much love,
Rachel

Despite the smile the note prompted, Liz felt tears prick her eyes as well. An image flashed through her mind of her walking down the length of the beach outside her aunt's house, Max by her side, a toddler between them, clutching their hands as they swung him into the air. Such a simple thing, yet so far from where they all seemed to be heading.

Brushing at her tears, she set about putting her things away. Her room was somewhat cramped these days, thanks to the addition of Zander's belongings. There wasn't enough space to add another dresser, so Liz had emptied a couple of drawers of her own to make way for stacks of tiny undershirts and pajamas and rompers. She didn't know what she was going to do when Zander got big enough for actual clothes - pants and shirts, socks, shoes; her room was going to overflow. Sighing, she pushed the thought to the back of her mind, relegating it to the same dusty corners that held dreams of beaches and family picnics and Max Evans one day forgiving her.

***

Isabel and Kyle dropped by late in the afternoon - Isabel bearing yet another cute stretchy romper for Zander, and Kyle with a tiny Nerf football. Liz laughed when she saw it, unable to stop even when Kyle blushed three shades of red.

"Hey, he's a guy, right?" he defended himself. "I made sure it was nice and squishy so he won't hurt himself. And I promise to teach him not to practice in the house," he added.

Liz collapsed back on her bed next to the baby, trying to control her fit of giggles. "Kyle, he's not even a week old. He can't hold his head up, let alone a football."

"Yeah, well, I figured everyone else was getting clothes and bears and stuff. I wanted to be original."

"Well, you succeeded," she replied, rubbing the stitch in her side. "Thanks, Kyle. It's really sweet, and I'm sure he'll love it as soon as he's old enough to understand what it is. Though I can't promise he won't try to eat it before then," she warned with a grin. "Right, little one?" she cooed. She brushed a finger over Zander's cheek, and as he had earlier, he opened his mouth and turned toward her, making everyone laugh. "See what I mean?"

"He's like a baby sparrow," Isabel commented.

Kyle sat awkwardly at Liz's desk. "So. How ya been?"

Liz pushed herself up from the bed. "Okay. He keeps me busy. How about you? The buzz died down at school yet?" she asked, referring to the gossip about Tess's disappearance. Her burnt out car had been reported early Wednesday morning, much as Kyle's father had predicted, but the absence of a body had prompted all sorts of rumors.

"Pam Troy got caught in the eraser room with Sam Carmichael and Ricky Valdez yesterday," Isabel reported with a casual smirk. "Everyone was talking about it by lunch period."

"She was in there with both of them?" Liz gasped.

Isabel's smile widened to a grin.

Kyle slanted her a suspicious look. "You wouldn't have had something to do with that, would you?"

"Me?" she replied with a shrug. "Hey, Pam went in there of her own free will. Can I help it if the citizens of Roswell are small-minded?"

"What do you mean?" Liz asked.

"Well, Vice Principal Green might have overheard me mention something about kinky sex while Maria and I were walking past the office," she admitted. "You know, in reference to the noises coming from the eraser room." She winked.

Liz laughed. "Remind me to stay on your good side."

"At least everyone's shut up about Tess," Kyle muttered.

"You okay, Kyle?" Liz asked gently.

"I'll survive," he said. "Look, I'd better get going."

"Me too," Isabel said apologetically. "I promised Michael I'd help him with something for finals."

Liz's eyebrows rose. "Michael? Studying on Saturday?"

"Yeah, well, I guess Maria warned him that she planned on taking up a large portion of his time tomorrow and that he'd better not procrastinate," Isabel chuckled.

"I so do not want to know what that means," Kyle groaned as he levered himself up from the chair.

"Sorry I can't stay longer," Isabel said. "I'll swing by tomorrow, okay?"

"Sure, thanks," Liz told her.

Isabel leaned over the bed and kissed the now-sleeping baby on the cheek. "Sweet dreams, little guy," she whispered.

"See ya, Liz," Kyle said.

***

"Okay, what's wrong?"

Liz sighed and rolled to her side to face her best friend. Maria had come up after her shift and hung out as Liz finished feeding Zander, then burped him. She had taken diaper duty onto herself and then rocked him to sleep, humming a Spanish lullaby, while Liz sat cross-legged on the bed and watched. Now the baby was curled on his stomach in the basket her mother had made up for him, and Liz and Maria lay on the bed, talking quietly.

"I'm just tired, Maria."

"Don't give me that. I know you have to be exhausted, and that the whole parental situation is making you nuts, but you expected all of that. Maybe not quite this soon, but you knew it was coming. Something else is bothering you."

"It doesn't matter."

Maria's green eyes narrowed. "This is about Max, isn't it?"

Liz flopped onto her back again and stared at the ceiling. "I can't stand this. I hate how much I hurt him. I hate that he's going through so much right now, and that I can't help him. I'm not even sure he'd want me to help him."

"Liz, babe, talk to me. Where exactly did you guys leave things?"

"I'm not really sure. I know he got all these flashes when he healed me, but I don't know if that means he saw everything or if there are gaps. Will he be able to tell if there are? He said he knew we needed to talk, but that he needed time."

"You can't blame him. He's had a lot to absorb. I mean, just the idea that Zander's basically his son, and then the whole Tess thing-Liz, his brain has got to be spinning right now."

"I know. That's what I'm afraid of. I mean, I want to do what's right, give him time, space, whatever, but what if that makes it worse? If he's only got some of the puzzle pieces, how can he possibly understand why I did what I did?"

"Liz, he's Max. He'll understand."

"Would you?" she countered. "I mean, if Michael told you he'd slept with some future version of you and got her pregnant, how would it make you feel?"

"I don't know. I'd probably be really angry and throw stuff at him. But Liz, this whole alien abyss-it changes a lot of the rules," she said softly. "Not that it's an excuse, but come on. Who the hell would believe some of the shit we have to deal with? It's not like there's an instruction manual for this. You're doing the best you can with each crazy situation as it hits."

"Right after Zander was born, I told Max I would leave. That I'd take the baby and go back to Florida and he could avoid dealing with us at all. But he told me not to. That he'd take responsibility, admit to being the father - that he would protect Zander from his enemies. He said I'd run enough," she whispered, tears filling her eyes.

"So, I stayed. I did exactly what he asked me to do, even though I knew how hard it would be for both of us and that things would probably be better if I just disappeared. I guess-I suppose in my heart I thought it meant he wanted us to stay. That somehow, even through the hurt and anger and disappointment, Max wanted us in his life," she continued. A blink sent the tears streaming unchecked down the sides of her face. "Now here I am, not running, not lying, not anything. And it feels like he hates me a little more each day."

"Liz, Max does not hate you," Maria said firmly.

"He just keeps getting more and more distant," Liz said, curling onto her side. She brushed the tears from her face and sniffed. "If he has questions, he hasn't asked them. I wish he'd just scream at me and get it over with. Anything would be better than this. Sitting here waiting for the other shoe to drop. And the whole thing with our parents just makes it that much worse."

"Because Max hasn't been visiting much?"

She nodded, fresh tears gathering. "Even Mrs. Evans has started apologizing for his apparent lack of interest in Zander. My dad's getting downright nasty," she sighed. "No one can understand why Max would avoid spending time with the baby. Me, sure. I mean, he's got a reason to be angry with me. But he isn't the type to take that out on an infant."

"Maybe he just needs a little more time," Maria suggested. "He's been handling all of this pretty well, if you ask me."

"Has he?" Liz asked, feeling a surge of hope. "I haven't seen him enough to tell. I've been really worried about how he was dealing with, you know, taking care of Tess," she said in a hushed voice.

"He seems okay," Maria said hesitantly. "At least he's been coming to school, paying attention in class, that kind of stuff. I haven't noticed him zoning out or anything."

"And he and Michael are doing better?"

"I think so. They've been going off together a lot, so I guess that means they're working out whatever the hell it was that had them at each other's throats."

"That's good. At least he's talking to someone," Liz said with a slight frown.

"Why don't you tell Max how you feel, pumpkin," Maria said quietly.

"How can I? He told me he needed time, Maria. I have to respect that."

"You don't have to hash out the last six months in a single sitting. Just talk to him a little so he knows where you stand. Assuming you know, that is," she probed.

Liz turned and buried her face in her pillow, muffling a small scream of frustration before facing Maria again. "I don't know anything," she said.

"If you could have anything you wanted, what would it be?" Maria prompted.

Her earlier fantasy of walking on the beach with Max and the baby flashed through Liz's thoughts, but she shook it off. "It doesn't matter what I want. Everything I thought I knew was true has turned out to be a lie," she whispered. "Tess was supposed to be the answer to saving the world, and now she's dead. How does that change things? It's all so screwed up."

"Would you forget alien invasions for two minutes and just tell me what you feel?"

Liz let out a short, dry laugh. "I love Max, Maria. I'll always love Max. But I can't expect him to feel the same way, or even to believe me." The traitorous tears had returned and Liz swiped at them with the back of her hand.

"You won't know until you tell him," Maria said gently.

"What if he doesn't want to hear it? What if I just make things worse? I don't know what to do," she wailed. "Part of me is afraid that he's waiting for me to make the first move. To go to him and explain. But he told me he needed time to think, so what if I go and he's angry that I didn't respect his wishes?"

Maria sat up and swung her legs off the bed. "Come on. Get up."

"What? Why?" she asked, doing as she was told despite her questions.

"You're going over there. Right now." Maria grabbed Liz by the wrist and started dragging her toward the bathroom. "You need to brush your hair, put on a little make up, and go talk to Max."

"Maria, no," Liz said, trying to free herself. "Stop. I can't," she hissed as Maria took hold of her shoulder and muscled her in front of the mirror. "God, look at me," she murmured, catching a glimpse of her reflection. "I look like death." Her eyes were red-rimmed from crying, with dark hollows beneath them thanks to her erratic sleep patterns. The rest of her face was milky white.

"You don't look like death, just a new mother without any blush on," Maria corrected her. "Here." She took her by the chin and angled her face toward her, then quickly brushed some color over her cheeks.

"That's not going to help," Liz groaned. "I can't do this, Maria. I'm not up to it."

"You can and you will. The worst thing that happens is he tells you he's not ready to talk yet. At least he'll know that you want to try to fix things." She handed her a brown eye pencil. "And it's not like he doesn't know you're up half the night. He won't expect you to look like a fashion plate."

"What about Zander? I can't just leave him here."

"I'll watch him," Maria said simply. "You just fed him so you have plenty of time."

"Are you sure? You don't mind?"

"He's a little sweetheart. Of course I don't mind."

Liz took a shaky breath and let it out. "What'll I say to him?"

"Just tell him what's in your heart, Liz. He can't expect anything more."

*****

continued in next post