Okay dedications... Firstly Amy because without her challenge I would never have written this fic (and yes... I still dont like Max
), Lisa for being a great beta and lastly Molly, you're brilliant .Okay... on with the part... hope you all enjoy it...
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Epilogue
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December 24th 2012
He actually felt happ---
--y.
He felt really happy. Why did he feel happy?
His eyes were closed, he was lying on the ground and there was a strange smell under his nose.
“Mr. Whitman?”
He also noticed that he had a thumping headache and a seriously sore head.
Opening his eyes slowly, he blinked against the light. He looked to his side, where was Max? Max was probably at work. Shaking his head, Alex looked at the woman in front of him. She was speaking to him, he realized.
“Are you okay, Mr. Whitman?” She was smiling, almost laughing at him. “Mr. Whitman? Do you recognize me? It’s Nurse Hubble…”
Alex touched the back of his head, trying to focus on the woman, the nurse he realized. Looking around, he recognized the room. He was in a hospital. Was he sick? He didn’t feel sick. His head hurt, but that was probably why he was on the floor. Then he noticed the nurse was looking at him for an answer.
“Um… yeah… I’m fine,” he smiled.
“Well, I think your wife could use some help?” She smiled kindly again, pointing to a pair of double doors from which screams were coming from.
“My wife?” His wife? Since when did he have a wife? Then it hit him and his eyes grew wide in realisation. “My wife!” He scrambled to his feet. “Oh she is gonna kill me…” He mumbled, rushing towards the double doors. “Thanks!” he shouted back to the nurse as he stumbled into the birthing room. She was left laughing in the hallway, still holding the smelling salts.
~*~*~*~*~
She was flying through space. She was in a spaceship flying back to her home, back to the place she always dreaded going.
She was lying on her back in a Hotel bedroom and there was a shadow towering over her. “Max?”
“Who’s Max?” the shadow asked, confused.
Her eyes widened and she grabbed him, pulling him close, holding him tightly against her. “Ben?”
“Who else?” he replied, his tone amused and slightly confused.
Serena shook her head, dislodging the sleep from her brain and smiling slightly. “I just felt like I hadn’t seen you in…” She paused. “In a long time.”
Ben pulled back and looked into her face, raising his eyebrows. “Good to know I’m memorable.”
Serena rolled her eyes in exasperation but she was still grinning about at him. “Men!”
“Should I be worried about you calling out other men’s names in your sleep?”
“What?” Serena asked.
“You said the name Max…”
Serena shrugged. “Max who?” Ben chuckled and leaned in to kiss her.
~*~*~*~*~
Max shook himself as the bright yellow disappeared. Well at least it wasn’t white. He really didn’t like white. He wasn’t sure why, he’d just always felt uncomfortable in white rooms.
“Uncle Max?” asked a soft voice from beside him.
For a moment he didn’t recognise the boy beside him. Then he smiled. “Charlie. Are you sure you don’t want to stay with your Aunt Maria kiddo?” he asked slowly, looking back towards the double doors at the end of the room. The screaming seemed to have intensified. “You know I’ll have to go and do my job soon, right?”
“I know, Uncle Max.” Was the quiet reply.
“They have ice cream up there, Charlie…” Max added.
“I know.” Again the reply was quiet.
Max looked down at him nephew’s worried face. “You know your mommy’s gonna be fine, don’t you?” Max guessed that was the reason his normally loud and precocious nephew was currently sitting quietly. It was probably the only time he’d sat still for more than five minutes in his entire life.
Charlie smiled and Max had an intense feeling for déjà vu. Charlie’s smile was completely his fathers, which was a little disconcerting. Except his eyes and his ability to change the molecular structure of objects. But apart from that he was his father’s Mini Me.
“I know, Uncle Max.” He rolled his eyes and Max laughed. “Mommy told me all about it. I just don’t want to see Uncle Kyle again, he keeps talking about football.” Charlie screwed up his face in disgust. “I think it sucks.”
“Me too, kiddo.” Max ruffled his hair and looked at his watch once again. She was late, but then again she was always late.
The doors opened at the end of the hallway and a laughing nurse came through. She paused and waved to Max. “He’s awake Molly?”
“Yes, Dr. Evans.” She chuckled again. “They’ll want you soon, though.” Max nodded and turned to give Charlie another smile.
“Daddy fainted again Uncle Max?”
Max nodded. “Yep kiddo. Same as with you, he’s making a habit of it. But he’ll be fine.” Charlie nodded seriously and Max checked again. “Your Aunt’s late again.”
“Daddy says she’s worse than Aunty Maria.” Max had to agree.
The doors opened again. Only this time it wasn’t a laughing nurse but a running biologist. “Lizzie!” Charlie shouted, running quickly towards her and leaping into her arms.
“I’m Max… Max Evans.” He stuttered out offering his hand for her to shake. She was so beautiful.
Liz grinned in reply, shaking his hand enthusiastically as Charlie dropped to the floor. “I know, Isabel’s brother… I’m Liz Parker.”
“I know… You might remember me from school.” Might remember me from school? Get a grip Max, you're not a schoolboy with a crush anymore. He told himself silently, willing himself to stop sounding like such an idiot.
Liz nodded. “I know, West Roswell High… we were in Bio together.” Liz shook her head, grinning. “As if I could forget you, Max.”
Max grinned back at her. Before looking down at the stick in her hand. “How’s the umm…” He pointed towards her stomach, unsure of whether he should really ask.
Liz rolled her eyes. “Bullet wound… actually it’s fine, perfect in fact and I only have a slight limp. But that was along time ago Max, I’m surprised you remembered.”
How could he have forgotten? He smiled at her. “It’s good to see you, Liz.”
“You too…” She looked down at the small boy standing beside them. “Have I missed anything, Charlie?”
Charlie shook his head. “No Aunty Liz, Mommy’s still screaming.” He sighed. “I’ve been waiting forever.”
Liz smiled at him. “It won't be long now, sweetie.” Then she looked back at Max. “Shouldn’t you be in there?” She questioned pointing towards the double doors from which loud screams were currently coming from.
“Yeah… I’m just waiting for…” He trailed of as a blonde blur rushed into the room. “…Tess…” Charlie ran directly towards her, leaping at her in much the same way as Liz. “You ever hear of a schedule Tess? You’re late.”
But Tess ignored him and spoke directly to Charlie. “I’m sorry, honey.”
Charlie just grinned at her. “It’s okay Aunty Tess.”
Max turned back to Liz who was grinning at him, rolling his eyes. “I’m waiting for Tess.” Liz laughed. “Do you have the ah…”
Liz nodded drawing the small vial of blood from her pocket. “That should be enough.”
Max smiled at her, taking the small vial from her hand. “You know… when this is over…” He stumbled over his words slightly.
So Liz interrupted. “Coffee?” Max nodded. “I’m going to the cafeteria. Meet me later?” She asked him as she began to walk backwards away from him.
“Definitely,” he replied, watching her walk away and grinning. He turned back around to his nephew and sister-in-law. “Are you ever on time?”
Tess looked up at him, blushing and biting her bottom lip. “I’m really sorry.”
Max sighed and smiled slightly. “You’re worse than Maria.”
Tess grinned at him. “I know.”
“Okay… I have to get back to work.” He looked down to Charlie. “Go and get you a baby sister.” He leaned down and gave him a quick hug. “I’ll see you later.”
“Tell Alex good luck.” Tess shouted quickly as he walked towards the birthing suit. “He’ll need it,” she whispered quietly before looking back at Charlie. “Ice cream, kiddo?”
“Ice cream,” he replied as he followed her in the opposite direction.
~*~*~*~*~
Michael and Kyle roared with laughter but Maria just rolled her eyes. Their jokes really were getting worse, she’d never thought it was possible, but they’d just sunk below pond scum with Kyle’s latest flasher story.
The voice came from behind them and Maria smiled. “What’s so funny? Kyle catch another flasher? They must follow you around, got something to tell us?”
Michael chucked and Kyle managed a wry smile. “Touché Parker.”
“Lizzie, sit down, Michael move,” Maria said before pushing Michael out of the way and pulling Liz into a hug. “Tess here yet?”
“Just.”
“Max going nuts?” Liz shook her head. “He will be later, I blame you Kyle. She was never this bad before you got your claws into her.” She pointed menacingly in Kyle’s direction and smiled when he visibly gulped.
Changing the subject quickly before Kyle could reply, Liz chose the one thing that always diverted Maria’s attention. “Got any names yet?” she asked brightly.
“Down to about thirty.” Michael attempted to scowl but as always on the subject of the baby he couldn’t help but smile.
“Actually.” Maria interrupted. “It’s seven girls and ten boys.” Liz nodded and gestured for Maria to continue but Michael interrupted.
“I want normal, she wants abnormal.”
Maria sighed deeply and Liz got the impression that this wasn’t new ground.
“They are not abnormal.”
“Since when is Sapphire normal?”
Liz looked towards Kyle who was smiling slyly. “So what did you think of Max?” he asked Liz, stopping Michael and Maria’s imminent bickering.
“He seemed every nice.”
“You mean very hot,” Maria shot back and Michael opened his mouth. “Shut up Spaceboy,” Maria told him before he could get a word out.
“Can we change the subject?” Liz asked politely.
“No.” The three of them said together and Liz sighed; there was no way to get out of this.
“He’s very hot,” she whispered and covered her eyes in embarrassment as Maria, whooped with joy.
When Tess came over a few minutes later with Charlie and ice cream she found Liz's head still down in embarrassment, Michael and Maria bickering about baby names and Kyle doodling.
Life was good.
~*~*~*~*~
“ALEX!” She screamed with all her might as another contraction hit her hard. It was an effort to keep her powers from going off but she’d managed with a little help from Alex’s hand, which she was almost certain she hadn’t broken yet.
The cold sponge on her forehead was a welcome relief. But not the smiling face of the man who’d put her in this position in the first place.
“You are never touching me again,” she practically growled at him, just as another contraction hit.
He just smiled back at her, not taking her words seriously. “You said that last time.”
“Well this time I mean it,” she replied, breathing heavily from the force of the last contraction.
Max was beside her, too. For obvious reasons, in case anything went wrong, like with Charlie. The risk of being in a hospital was well worth having a healthy child.
“Okay Izzy, 10 centimeters… it’s time to push,” her brother stated, almost as excited as his brother-in-law.
“Oh thank god,” she stated in relief. Not long now.
It was almost half an hour later before Anna Whitman put in her first appearance. Alex held her lightly in his arms, smiling brightly and Isabel lay back in relief.
Max was smiling brightly as he took Annie and placed her in her mother’s arms.
As he looked down at the baby in his sister’s arms everything felt alight. Christmas had come early this year and Max knew at that moment he could survive anything. Looking down at the baby in his sister’s arms, he knew there would be more.
But first he had a war to win. He had a duty to both his worlds to beat Khivar. He knew in that moment that they could do it.
This world might not be perfect. But it was close enough for him.
THE END
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Thanks for reading... hope to see you at my nex fic... it's a bit more 'ship friendly... but only a bit
.Ethan