Roswell Fanatics

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"What dreams are made of"

Category: M/L and M/M mostly, but the whole group will appear
Rating: YTEEN to MATURE, maybe a little more... I'm still not too sure about the ratings... You decide.
Disclaimer: I am only a happy fanfic writer. I don't own Roswell (sniffs) and I don't think I ever will. Still I can't dream, can't I?
Summary: All the group is together and happy. Max and Liz are married and they have children, as well as Michael and Maria and so on. My fic is about their lives and their family. Pure fluff That's the way I like it. But who knows if some sci-fi won't show up...
Thanks: To all the people who helped me on posting a fic. Thanks so much.
Author Notes: Before I start I just have to warn you that I am portuguese, so I am a non-english speaker. My writing may have grammar or spelling mistakes, so please understand. I wish I could write better than I do though... But I guess that’s it for now. Enjoy!

Prologue

As she watched her daughter falling into sleep, Liz smiled and stroked her head almost totally covered by the blanket gently.
Looking at her baby girl, Liz couldn't help thinking of how her life with Max had been since the very beginning.
The happiest day of her life - when she and Max had married. After so much pain, stress and agony, they were finally together, forever. And she was sure that this time, nothing would come between them. To have the feeling that now, she belonged to Max was too emotional to be put into words. She still couldn’t explain how she felt when she married Max. Maybe she could, if feelings could be written down. But not like this, not speaking.
Their marriage, who took place in Vegas, was only witnessed by Michael, Maria and Isabel. To share that moment with her best friends made her even happier. Too bad Alex wasn’t there to see it too. She felt a stab of pain in her heart. Everytime she thought about Alex, tears would come to her eyes. She focused on her daughter again, and the dark feelings smoothly disappeared. What her daughter could do for her when she was sad or down was simply magical.
Being married to Max was enough to make her the happiest woman alive. But that hapiness doubled itself when she found out she was pregnant for the first time. Pregnant with Max’s child.

~ Flashback ~

“Max, I need to tell you something”. Liz couldn’t help the emotion who was plain on her voice.
Max raised his deep, amber eyes and fixed them on her. She felt a hot shiver across her body. When Max looked at her that way, she still felt like the beginning.
“What? Is anything wrong with you? Liz, what do–”
Liz giggled. She took a few steps towards him and softly placed two fingers on his lips.
“It’s nothing, Max. I mean, nothing’s wrong with me. But there is something about me”.
Max looked clueless.
“What is it?”
Liz took a deep breath.
“I... I’m going to have a baby, Max.”
Max gasped.
“A baby? A ba-... You mean you’re... pregnant??!”
Liz nodded, biting her lips with excitement.
Max couldn’t believe it. Liz read it in his eyes. After remaining paralyzed by a couple of seconds, Max walked towards Liz and hugged her tight, making her spin around.
“God, Liz, I’m so happy... I’m so happy. We’re going to have a child. I could not be any happier than this”.
They both had tears in their eyes, and none of them wanted to hide it.
“I can’t believe it either”, Liz whispered.
Max kissed her forehead, and then on the lips, passionately, but tenderly. Like he always did.
“I love you. I love you so much, Liz”.
Liz felt her throat go dry. She managed to smile behind the tears.
“I love you too, Max”.

~ ends flashback ~

After that moment, nothing could go better. Feeling that tiny little thing full of life, growing inside her day after day... it was magical. Feeling her child made her experience new feelings that she also couldn’t put into words. And she started feeling that love so deep, who filled every inch of her. Love for that child. She already felt, even if he or she wasn’t born yet, that she would do anything for him. Or her.
Michael and Maria, who had also got married a little time after her and Max, announced that Maria was, also, expecting a baby. After that moment, Liz and Maria would spend even more time together, already talking and behaving like two proud mommies. Max and Michael were delighted with the thought of being daddies and they would take care of Liz and Maria even more than they did before.
After both of them having a magical pregnancy - except for Maria who, in the first two months, was constantly feeling sick - they both finally gave birth. Liz had a boy, and Maria, two weeks later, had a girl. Liz was, for the tinniest little second, a bit disappointed. She was hoping very hard for a girl. Then she realized she was being stupid, like she called herself. She didn't mind. It was Max's child, the child of the man she so deeply loved. It was a healthy baby and seeing the joy and happiness in Max's face, she could not feel anything less good. Her two boys were with her. She couldn't be any happier.
Being mother wasn't an easy experience, but Liz and Max never had problems. Their son was becoming more beautiful day by day and they felt blessed and proud to have him and to have each other, no matter what. Two years after Liz had her son, the Evanses' happiness doubled when Liz announced that she was going to have another baby.
Liz was suddenly woken of her thoughts by a small boy's voice.
"Mommy?"
Liz looked to the left. A small boy with a white, blue stripped pyjama was rubbing his sleepy eyes.
"Zach, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be sleeping already?". Liz's voice was filled with tenderness when she talked to her older son. She was now the proud mother of two. She still couldn't believe. And her heart was filled with love for them - the same love she had for Max, even more. She loved the three of them so much, it hurted.
"I couldn't sleep, mom", the little boy replied.
Liz took him in her arms and placed him on her lap.
"Honey's sleeping already", Liz sweetly whispered to him, after placing a kiss on his soft cheek.
"So you can tell me a story", Zach suggested, looking excited.
Liz laughed, but not too loud, so she wouldn't wake the little girl.
"Who said you that, young mister?", she joked.
"I know you will! You always do!", Zach said, jumping out of her lap to the floor.
Liz smiled. She just couldn't resist him. Zachary Taylor Evans. Her older son. Her heart grew proud. He was now 4 years old. And he looked just like Max when he was a little kid. The same messy brown hair, the deep, sweet, amber eyes. The same beauty, the same irresistible smile.
Then, she glanced to the baby girl who was asleep. She didn't need to look at her to know how she was like. She felt ever so happy when she knew that she was pregnant, and she felt even happier when she found out that Zach was going to have a little sister. The same for Max. Her third reason for breathing. Honey Madeline Evans. She was 2 years old and she already possessed a heart-melting beauty. But Honey, on the other hand, looked a lot like Liz. She had the same silky chocolate-brown hair, chubby rosy cheeks and beautiful, glittering caramel eyes. She could not feel any more blessed for having two wonderful, beautiful, healthy kids.
"Mom?". Zack woke her from her thoughts again. "Will you tell me a story or not? Please?..."
Liz smiled.
"Alright. But just one. It's way past your bed time, and you do know that, don't you?"
Zach looked at her with that irresistible look of his. Just like Max.
"Ok, let's go", Liz smiled, after faking a resignation sigh.
She took the little boy by the hand and, after taking one last look at her daughter, she turned the lights off and closed the girl's bedroom door, heading then to Zach's room.

A/N.- Once again, sorry for the grammar/spelling mistakes! Hope you enjoy the chapter, although I don't think it's really good this time
And by the way, any coincidences with any other fic are not meant. Just so you know.
And thanks for the kind reviews, they mean a lot to me! Thank you so much!!! *muacks*
P.S.- Rebecca I’ll p.m. you about what you just asked me!!!

1

"Hey, Sleepy Head! Time to wake up!"
It was a Saturday bright morning and Liz, like every other day, went to wake her daughter up.
Honey blinked and then rubbed her eyes, sitting up on her bed.
"I'm very sleepy, mommy", she replied, in her tiny voice.
Liz kissed the top of her head.
"I know sweetie, but today's the day where we're going to visit Aunt Maria and Uncle Michael, you know that."
Honey's eyes lit up. She had obviously forgotten about it.
"And I get to play with Mandy??!", she enthusiastically asked.
Liz nodded, while laughing.
"Comin'!", she cried, jumping off her bed.
Liz had to step back. Honey's vivacity could be surprising and touching at the same time.
Zach was already on the kitchen, eating his bowl of cereals.
"'Morning, mom", he said.
"'Morning, honey", Liz replied. "Where's dad?"
"In the bathroom", Zach replied. "Must be shaving, I guess".
"Thanks, sweetheart", Liz smiled, stroking his head and his soft brown hair.
Liz walked towards the bathroom. Honey was there, babbling happily with Max. Liz leaned against the edge of the door, watching the scene with a smile on her lips. Everytime Max was with their children, but specially with little Honey, he looked like a child himself.
Honey only noticed her mother when she turned around.
"Oh, hi, mama", she replied.
"'Morning, little bee", Liz replied, kneeling down to her daughter's size and kissing the top of her head. "Now, go eat breakfeast. Everything's ready. Zach's already there".
"'Kay", Honey agreed, and scooted over to the kitchen.
Max and Liz were left alone.
They looked at each other with a mix of passion and daily tenderness, without saying a word. This until Max broke the silence and, with his sexy smile, pulled her closer and kissed her passionately, as always. Liz felt a shiver of desire running down her body.
"’Morning, baby", Max whispered through their lips locked together.
"'Morning", Liz replied with a smile. Then she giggled. "God, now because of you I've got shaving cream all over me!"
"I can take care of that", Max replied, kissing the tip of her nose and then beginning to clean up her face.
Liz patted him on his back.
"Now, you better hurry up and come eat breakfast. Everything's done. The kids are almost ready".
"Almost comin'", Max said. He kissed her again, this time quicker. "Luv ya".
"Love you too", Liz smiled. She caressed his messy dark hair and then left the bathroom heading to the kitchen, to see how her little ones were.

***

"Hurry up, daddy!", Honey insisted. "Aunt Maria and Uncle Michael are waiting for us!"
"Comin', little bea", Max said. He took a sip of his milk and then placed a white, hot, wet kiss on Honey's cheek.
"Ew! Silly! Look, I'm white all over my face!", Honey giggled.
Max ruffled her head affectuosly. He loved to make her giggle.

***

"Aunt Maria! Aunt Maria!"
Honey jumped into Maria's arms, when they got to Michael and Maria's place.
"Hey there, sweetie", Maria replied with a sweet smile. No-one could ever resist to Max and Liz's daughter, specially Maria, who was her godmother and like her second mom.
"Hi, Mandy", Liz greeted a little girl who was standing at the door, next to Maria.
"Hi, aunt Lizzie", the girl replied, with a bright smile.
Mandy was Maria and Michael's daughter. She was 4, like Zach. And looked just like her mother, with porcelain skin and blond curls.
Michael showed up and he greeted Max and Liz, after Mandy had planted a big kiss on 'Uncle' Max's cheek.
"Hi there, Maxwell", he said. He stood in front of Zach and changed a “give me five” greeting with him.
“Yo Zachary, my man!”, Michael joked, ruffling his brown hair. Zach laughed.
“Hi uncle Mike”.
“How’re ya doin’?”
“I’m fine”, Zach replied, trying to stiffle the laugh.
Then, it was Honey’s time to jump to Michael’s lap. "Hi, Uncle Mikey!"
"Hey, cutie", Michael replied, winking at her. Honey giggled, wrapped up into Michael's arms. When she got down, she asked Maria:
"Can I go now and play with Mandy?"
"Sure", Maria replied with a smile, caressing her hair.
Mandy and Honey ran outside, screaming and giggling. Zach ran after them. He was quieter than the two girls, even though he was also older. He didn't mind playing with them because when they played, it was of something Zach could always join in.
Max and Michael went to the backyard talk and Maria and Liz stayed in the living room.
"So", Liz began, sitting down. "How're you doing, Maria?"
"I'm fine", Maria said, but Liz didn't quite believe it.
"You sure? You look a little pale to to me, you know".
Maria stayed quiet for a while. Then she lift up of the couch and sat next to Liz.
"Actually, I guess there's something... kind of happening now...", Maria whispered.
Liz looked her in the eyes, looking scared.
"What's the matter Maria? Are you sick?"
"No, no", Maria tranquilized her. "At least, I guess not."
"So what is it? I'm getting worried, you know.", Liz said nervously.
"I think... I think...", Maria put her lips next to Liz's ear.
Liz jumped off the couch.
"Pregnant??! Pregnant, Maria!? Oh my God that is so wonderful! Does Michael know?"
Maria tried to help it, but she ended up giggling with excitement.
"I don't know anything yet, but I'm pretty sure I am. I've been feeling sick lately. Just like when I was pregnant with Mandy. And I've been hungry. And I mean REAAALLY hungry. I know these facts. It can't be anything else. I'm going to take a pregnancy test, and then I'll tell Michael.
Liz hugged her best friend.
"God, that is amazing! I'm so happy for you! Michael'll be so happy! And so will Mandy, she'll get a baby brother! Or a baby sister! Have you imagined it?"
"Gosh, yeah", Maria replied. She was now drying off the emotion tears with the back of her hand. "It'll be so good for her. And for us. Michael's been insisting of having another child a lot lately. Kind of two years since Mandy was born, I guess".
Liz laughed and hugged her again.
"Congratulations! It's amazing to hear that!"
"What about you? Don't you want to do me some company this time? Like you did when we were expecting Mandy and Zach?"
Liz laughed.
"I guess not. And anyways, you didn't do any company to me when I was expecting Honey, you know that".
Maria shrugged, but she laughed too.
Liz smiled. Another baby. It would be so good for everyone. And she and Max were going to be auntie and uncle again. After hearing the good news, she couldn't help thinking of the first pregnancy of Maria... and things in the Guerin's house after Mandy was born. She had had quite a laugh sometimes.

* Flashback *

"She's beautiful, Maria! Congratulations!"
Liz congratulated her best friend. Maria had returned home a day ago.
"Michael wanted a boy. But I know he was so proud when he saw her for the first time. He had that "proud-daddy" look on his face that Max had when Zach was born. Michael was pratically drooling all over her. Maybe he really did want a girl, and hadn't admit it. I highly suspect of that. Anyway, they're crazy about each other".
Liz laughed.
"And look, she's got your eyes", Liz pointed out.
Maria smiled proudly.
"Michael's ego must be as big as Texas right now", Maria joked.
"As it is yours, by the way", Liz smiled.
Maria smiled again. She knew it was true. Her baby daughter was her everything.
"And so, have you and Michael finally decided what will the name be?"
"Yeah. Mandy. As we always said. We figured we liked 'Amanda Guerin' better than 'Jessica Guerin'. It's more ear-catching".
"What, you would raise her to turn into Mandy Moore?", Liz teased.
"God, no", Maria groaned.
A soft crying was beginning to be heard.
"I guess she's hungry. I changed her 5 minutes ago", Maria said, approaching little Mandy of her breast.

* ends flashback *


Later, at the Evanses' house...

"You know, Maria's going to have another baby", Liz said to Max, lying down next to him, both holding each other. It was 11 p.m. and the children were sleeping. "I had forgotten to tell you".
"Really? That is wonderful news. Does Michael know?", Max asked.
"No. Not yet. She's going to take a pregnancy test, just in case. But she's sure she is pregnant. She'll tell Michael soon."
Max kissed Liz’s hair. Then he rolled over so he could be on the top of her, and started kissing her. Liz smiled, the desire pumping strong like her heartbeat, and moaned softly.
"So what do you think we could start making a new baby ourselves?", Max whispered seductively.
Liz moaned again. She managed to part her lips away of Max's. It almost hurted.
"I'd loved to... but I guess it's not... uh... such a good idea... at least for now...", she smiled with desire again.
"Why not?" Max asked, now kissing her neck, letting his tongue caress her soft skin.
Liz moaned, this time a little louder.
"'Cause... uh... I think we better wait till Honey's... a little older... maybe..."
Max slowly stopped, but feeling his body against hers was still intoxicating.
"Yeah... maybe you're right..."
"But I guess it does no harm on a little practise..." Liz smiled. The call of desire was too strong. She ran her hands over Max's muscular, bare, perfect chest and back.
"Yeah... it was exactly... what I was about to say right now..."
Max started kissing her again. Liz closed her eyes and relaxed her body, while she half-smiled. She already knew that that was going to be a fantastic night.

Author Notes: Oh my God, I never thought I would have such a lot of super-sweet reviews!!! Thank you so much... it helps me going on. You guys are great, God bless you!!!!
P.S.- I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as the others!
P.P.S.- Oh, just to warn you, this chapter will have a bit of sexual tension and action going on... hehehe.
P.P.P.S.- RebeccaBehrEvans asked me some questions, and I will post the answers here so all of you can understand the fic: Max and Liz are married at almost five years. They’re both 25. They got married when they were 20, and had Zach when they were 21. Max is a lawyer, and Liz is a biologist. Maria and Michael are also 25. Maria is an arquitecht and a part-time singer , and Michael is an high-school basketball coach. Isabel is 26, she’s a publicist and she’s married to Jess. :evil: I hate him, but it had to be like this, because I have a little surprise coming up. Or should I say, two? But you’ll see later, I’m not gonna tell... They still all live in Roswell. If you want to know more fluffy info, Zach was born on the February 21st, Honey on the June 16th and Mandy on the March 3rd. I hope it doesn’t mess with Max and Liz’s birthday day. Even if does, let’s pretend it doesn’t. Okay?
About the show-facts: yes, Alex was killed by Tess , and yes, Max did sleep with Tess :mad:, but Tess did not get pregnant. And yeah, feast yourselves, because she’s dead. :onfire: She killed herself. Or something.
So, that’s it, any other thing... and I’ve got some surprises (one is fluffy, the other two are... well, you’ll see!) coming up! Thanks for reading!!!

2

Guerin's house

Maria got out of the bathroom. Just like when she was expecting Mandy, she had had two awful months, she was having a bad time now. And, for a change, she had been throwing up.
"God, little guy - or girl - you really do want to leave mommy in a mess already in the beginning, uh?", Maria murmured looking down to her stomach, and caressing it softly.
"What're you doing, Maria? You're too young to start talking to yourself, you know", Michael said.
Maria almost jumped on her feet. She hadn't noticed Michael.
"Uh, Michael, is Mandy home?", she asked awkwardly.
"Uh, yeah, she's playing in her room, why?", Michael answered, looking confused.
Maria pushed him towards their bedroom.
"I need to tell you something", she announced.
Now Michael was worried.
"What's going on? Is it something about you?", he asked with a preocuppied worried on his face.
Maria smiled, touched by that sweet concern of his.
"No, nothing's wrong. I've got news for you".
"Good news or bad news?", Michael asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I think it's pretty good news, actually", Maria smiled. "Unless you think otherwise. It really depends on the point of view".
"C'mon, Maria, I'm getting curious", Michael insisted.
Maria bit her lip in excitement, trying to make things last a little longer. Then, she was incapable to take it anymore. She just blurted it out.
"Michael, I'm having a new baby".
Michael had a sudden coff attack.
"A b- A baby? Are y- Are you sure??!"
"Oh yeah". Maria caressed her stomach. "I couldn't be any more sure".
After two or three seconds quiet, Michael jumped onto Maria and hugged even tighter than he used to.
"Oh my God, Maria, how could you even say that I would think that this isn't good news??! This is like the greatest new I ever had after Mandy's pregnancy! I'm so happy!! I'm gonna be a daddy again... God, I can't even believe it! And Mandy will get a baby brother... or sister! You don't even imagine the joy you just gave me, Maria".
Maria's eyes were full of tears. She couldn't help it. Everytime she'd get touched, she would start crying.
Michael leaned over Maria and sweetly wiped the tears from her eyes.
"Don't cry. It's okay", he whispered.
"I know, it's just... I'm so happy that you are happy, and I... I just can't explain it!"
Michael placed a finger over her lips.
"You don't need to say anything. I know exactly how you're feeling. I just needed to say... thanks. This means so much to me".
Maria smiled. "Well, if it wasn't for you I wouldn't have really made it, you know".
Michael laughed and his strong hand ran smoothly over Maria's stomach.
"Hey there, baby. You know who's just talking? Daddy here... yeah, that's right... it's daddy... and I know you're listening...", and he kissed it.
Maria smiled while Michael was doing this. There was nothing than Michael loved most in the world besides his family. He surely had born to be a father, she could see it clearly now.
Then, she least expected it, Michael was focused on her again, smashing passionately his lips against hers. "I think we should celebrate", he whispered seductively. Maria moaned with Michael's hot breath tickling her ear and she managed to break the kiss.
"C'mon! Let me finish kissing you", Michael protested, and kissed her again.
Damn. It was getting harder for her to break off. How could Michael be so... mean? And sexy?...
"I don't think we should...", Maria breathed, before being cut up by another kiss.
"If I can't kiss you, I'll drive myself crazy, c'mere", he took her in his strong arms and laid her down on bed again.
This time the kiss was longer.
"But... what if Mandy's watching... she can show up any minute...", Maria tried to say.
"It wouldn't be that bad... than we could teach her... how do babies get made earlier..." Michael replied between kisses.
"Maybe that's not such a good idea", Maria retorted, although it was getting harder and harder for her to resist Michael's kisses.
"So, if you insist, here's what we do", Michael suggested, getting up and taking her with him. "We close the door..." he said, closing the bedroom's door. "...So she doesn't show up without at least knocking, and then we lock it, so she doesn't show up after knocking anyway", he continued, locking the door and throwing the key away. "And us...", he said, taking Maria on his lap. "We'll have a fair chance to enjoy ourselves... 'cause if I don't finish this up, God knows I'll get insane".
Maria giggled.
"Why are you so mean to me, spaceboy?"
"Because I'm a very, very naughty boy", he replied with that sexy grin of his, getting closer of her again.
"Okay. I really wanna do this too. I just can't resist it anymore", Maria confessed, after taking a deep breath, 'cause Michael always managed to get her breathless.
Michael grinned. "Hey, it's about me we're talking about". And before Maria could say anything else, he kissed her hungrily and they both fell onto the bed.

***

At night, at the Evanses'

"God I can't believe I'm finally home", Max sighed.
Liz smiled sympathetically while doing him a massage before they went to sleep. "Had a tough day?"
"Extremely", Max replied.
"Does this help?", Liz asked teasingly, massaging him a little more down.
"A lot", Max said.
While Liz was running her hands way down his back, Max closed his eyes and sighed.
"God that feels good".
"It does, doesn't it?", Liz teased, although in a sweet, innocent voice.
"Yeah. And it got me turned on too."
"Guess that wasn't in the plan", Liz murmured, while Max turned around to face her, getting teasingly closer of her lips.
"Guess not", he said, kissing her. "But now I have my doubts".
"Yeah... me too", Liz said, kissing him back.
The night was up and they were all by themselves, ready to do what their heart and body told them to.
"I can't stop", Max breathed, while kissing Liz's neck. He knew it drove her crazy when he'd start licking her neck. This time, it wasn't any different. When she felt it Max's hot tongue swirling around her neck, she couldn't help but to let out a loud moan. Max kind of smiled while he continued to kiss her the neck down. By that time, she had forgotten everything. What time it was, their children, the whole world. She just wanted to make love to Max.
"Who said you needed to stop", Liz managed to breathe back. "If you stop, I feel like I'm gonna die".
"Same here", Max replied.
Max was about to move to her breasts, when he suddenly felt the door was open. And in fact, it was. And Zach was there.
Max and Liz's first reaction was to pull the blankets up, blushing like they were two little kids caught up in fault.
"Mommy? Daddy?", Zach uncertainly began. "What were you doing?"
"Nothing", Liz quickly replied, desperatly trying to act natural. "Nothing!"
"Am I interrupting something?", he asked, raising an eyebrow. Max looked at his expression. He feared his son was getting too smart for only a 4-year-old.
“Why didn’t you knock, Zach?”, he asked softly.
“I knocked, but you and mom didn’t listen”, Zach said innocently.
"Shouldn't you be sleeping, honey?”, Liz asked with a tender and patient smile.
"I had a nightmare", Zach explained. "Can I sleep with you guys?".
Zach kind of pouted. There was no way Max and Liz could resist to that tender, sleepy little face and that little boy's voice. They looked at each other for a couple of seconds and Max sighed.
"Sure", Liz replied. "C'mere baby". She helped Zach climb up into the bed and the little boy laid down between Max and Liz.
"Feeling better, kid?", Max asked softly, stroking his son's hair.
Zach nodded, looking happier. "Yeah".
Max and Liz looked at each other again, both embracing their son. They couldn't forget they were parents too. And although they loved their children more than anything in the whole world, they missed their moments alone. When he noticed that Zach had closed his eyes, Max smiled to Liz and she smiled back, feeling her heart warm with the sweetness of that smile. And finally they fell asleep.

A.N.- Hi! This chapter was a little more sexual... and my NC-17 parts are awful... it hasn't had much fluff parts... I'm sorry. I'll try better next time, even though now I'm working on the funny ones... Anyway, I hope you've enjoyed it!

A/N.- Hey! Sorry the long time, but I've been without computer and Internet and I just got the chance to post the chapter now! Hope you enjoy it!!!

3

It was a sunny Monday morning. Max and Liz, besides worrying about getting to their jobs in time, had to wake Zach and Honey up, give them bath and help them with their breakfast. But, as they loved to be parents, they didn’t have any problem helping their children with whatever it was.
However, that day, Zach wasn’t in a very good mood. The little boy didn’t usually become stubborn, but that day he was impossible. Liz decided to leave him dressing up alone, and maybe he would calm down a little bit. Honey was in her room packing the bag she would take to her grandparent’s house.
Liz got in the kitchen to start making her children’s breakfast. Max was already there.
“Good morning”, he said, chewing a piece of toast.
Liz smiled.
“Good morning. I guess no-one ever told you not to speak while you’ve got your mouthful, am I right?” , she joked.
Max swallowed and smiled.
“Please don’t get mad at me, ma’am”.
Liz laughed and let the familiar warmness of Max’s arms wrapped around her warm her up.
“I love you”, Max whispered, breathing in the sweet, soft scent of Liz’s hair. She closed her eyes
“I love you too”, Liz smiled. Max approached his lips to Liz’s and kissed her softly. He let his tongue run smoothly across her lips and Liz whimpered in pleasure. Max deepened the kiss and as it got wilder, he took her in his arms and placed her on the table. They had already forgotten what they had to do and just wanted to feel each other.
“Daddy?”
Max quickly opened his eyes and he abruptly came back to the real world. He parted his lips away from Liz’s and faced Honey, blankly staring at them at the kitchen’s entry.
“Mommy?”
Liz quickly rearranged her hair and took a deep breath.
“Mommy, why are you sittin on the table?”, Honey innocently asked.
Liz felt her face get hot with the embarassment.
“Honey, sweetie, what are you doing here?”, Max asked, before Liz could say anything.
“Duh, daddy. I’m hungry. I came for breakfast”, Honey explained, as if her daddy was a smaller kid than she was.
“Hmm. Okay. I’m sorry I kept you waiting, sweetie. C’mere”. Liz pulled away the hair of her face, got down of the table, took Honey and sat her on her tall chair, then she helped her dipping a piece of bread and butter into the milk mug.
When she noticed the little girl was entertained eating, Liz and Max walked to the other corner of the kitchen.
“It’s the second time”, Liz whispered.
“Yeah. Is there any day we can be together without being interrupted by our children?”, Max asked sweetly, stroking her face.
Liz smiled tenderly.
“We’re parents. We have to get used to this”.
Max kissed her forehead.
“I know. I just miss being... alone. With you”.
Liz sighed.
“Me too. But now, we gotta get to work. I’m going to check on Zach”.
“Okay. I’ll stay here with Honey”, Max replied.

***

“Noooooo! I don’t want to go to kindergarten today!”, Zach yelled.
Liz took a deep breath and replied patiently. “Baby, you know you have to. It’s Monday”.
“But Honey always goes to Grandpa Jeff and Grandma Nancy’s. How come I never go?”
“You know Honey’s younger than you are. She isn’t old enough to go to the kindergarten yet. One day she will too. But you are a big boy, Zach, so you have to go. Come on, baby, we’re late”, Liz insisted as patiently as she could.
“No!”, Zach crossed his arms and turned his back on his mother.
Liz sat in front of him again to face him.
“Now, Zach, be reasonable. You’re not a baby anymore. You’re 4. And you usually behave way better than you’re doing now. So please get up, quit with the whining and go get breakfast. It’s late and we’re gonna be late. And, you’re not only gonna make yourself late, but me and dad as well”, she said firmly.
“But I don’t want to g-”, Zach began again.
Liz took his arm and made him get up.
“Breakfast! Now!”, she said with a bossy voice, pointing the kitchen.
Obviously in a worse mood than he already was, Zach reluntanctly got up and headed to the kitchen, where Honey and Max were already finishing their breakfast. Zach sat down, said a low and moody “’Morning”, and took a sip of his milk.
“Is everybody ready? Come on, let’s go”, Liz said, getting in the kitchen after a while.
Max and Honey got up. Zach stayed where he was.
“I’m not going”, he repeated.
Liz changed the attitude.
“Fine. Whatever you want. Do things your way. But if you really stay home, you won’t get anything to eat, because neither me nor daddy will be home to make you lunch. And if you really do want to stay, then you won’t get the chance to be with Mandy, who, by the way, is also going to the kindergarten and must already be there”.
Zach’s eyes lit up.
“Really? Is Mandy going?”
Liz nodded.
“Sure. She goes to kindergarten with you everyday. You know that, honey”.
“Yeah! I had completely forgotten!!!”
Zach quickly finished his milk, cleaned his mouth to his sleeve (something that Liz hated them to do, but, as she was amused watching Zach, pretended she hadn’t noticed) and said, with a happy look:
“I’m ready! Let’s go!”
Liz smiled and when Zach took his backpack and walked next to Liz, she ruffled his hair affectuously and kissed the top of his head. Zach threw his arms around her waist and hugged her.
“Sorry about the stubbornness, mom”, he said.
Liz smiled.
“It’s okay. I knew you weren’t doing that for real. You’re not of that kind”.
Zach smiled and got out of the house hand in hand with his mom.

***

Later, about 5 p.m., at the Guerin’s

Maria bit her lip. She had just picked Mandy up to the kindergarten at about 2 hours and now she was playing in her room. Today was the day. The day she was going to tell Mandy she was going to have a baby brother or sister. She had been putting it down, but now she was going to tell her daughter the news.
“Mandy, honey”, she said, poking her head into the little girl’s bedroom. “Can I come in?”
“Sure, mama”, Mandy replied, picking some of her toys up. “What’s up?”
“I need to tell you something, sweetie”, Maria began, getting in and sitting in the edge of Mandy’s bed, taking both her hands in hers.
“Is there something wrong?”, Mandy asked, with concern in her blue eyes.
“No, no, it’s just... I have to tell you something very important, and I am sure you’ll be a big girl and understand, won’t you?”
Mandy shrugged.
“I still don’t know what it is, mommy”.
Maria bit her lip again.
“Mandy, what I need to tell you is that mommy... well, pretty soon you’ll have a baby brother. Or a baby sister.”
Mandy looked kind of shocked. Her eyes were blank.
“What do you mean, mommy?”
“Well, Mandy...” Maria bit her lip again. She couldn’t say her how did her and Michael had made the baby... and that was not the point. But by Mandy’s face, she could tell that her daughter hadn’t been too excited about the idea.
“I just... I mean, me and daddy just thought you might feel a little lonely sometimes, so, maybe it’d be good for you to have someone to play with, you know, honey?”
“But I don’t feel lonely!”, Mandy exclaimed, sitting straight on her bed and staring at Maria with her wide, huge baby-blues. “I have Zach! And Honey! And Leo, and all of Aunt Izzy other kids! I don’t need anyone else!”
Maria kept on bitting her lip, thinking of the best thing to tell her daughter. She flicked away one of her bouncy blond curls, just like those of Mandy’s.
“Please, Mandy. You try to understand, okay? You’re a big girl already”.
As a response, Mandy crossed her arms and looked down.
Maria gently took Mandy’s chin and raised it up slowly.
“You understand, don’t you?”
Mandy shrugged moodly.
“Dunno”.
Maria pulled her closer to her and hugged her tight. The last thing she wanted was her little girl to be mad at her.
“Just promise me you’ll talk to me if you feel anything’s wrong, okay?”, Maria said.
Mandy nodded slowly.
“Alright. Now I’ll let you keep playing. If you need anything just call me, ok, baby?”
Mandy nodded again.
Maria got out of the bedroom biting her lip. She was worried. Mandy had obviously not accepted well the baby news. And she feared that maybe she hadn’t (or she had tried) not to give too much attention to it, but she had felt that her daughter wasn’t ready for that. Maybe she should talk it over with Michael... no. It wasn’t needed yet. She was thinking hard it wouldn’t. Maria just hoped that she’d be able to help her and understand her, and that Mandy would trust her, if she happened to need her.

4

Finally June had come and with June, the 16th. Honey's birthday. Max and Liz were expecting Honey's enthusiasm, but thought they still could sleep for at least a while.
However, it was nearly 7.15 that morning when they heard Honey's tiny, excited little voice.
"Mommy! Daddy! Wake up! Wake up! Today's my birthday!"
"How could I forget", Max thought, while slowly opening his eyes and thinking about the good little hours of sleep he had just missed.
"Yes, honey", he stiffled a yawn. "But it's still a bit early, don't you think?"
"No!", Honey immediatly replied with her innocent vivacity. "I can't sleep anymore! C'mon, hurry up!!", she said, starting jumping up and down onto the bed.
Liz slowly pushed back the blankets and reached for Honey.
"Happy birthday, little bee", she said, kissing the top of her head. "Who's my big girl today?"
"I am", Honey replied proudly.
"That's right", Liz went on with sweetness, "And my, how big she got! It seemed it was only yesterday she was a tiny little thing like this" - and she held up her hands to show big Honey was - "and who screamed like this", and Liz faked a high, strident baby cry.
Honey giggled.
Now completely awake, Max reached for the little girl and kissed her cheek.
"How old are you now, uh, little bee?", he asked, ruffling her hair affectuously.
"I'm 3", Honey replied, grinning proudly.
"You're growing so fast, and daddy's getting oooooooooold", Max exaggerated, only to amuse his daughter.
Honey giggled again.
"Now c'mon, get up!! Let's wake Zach up! He's still sleepin!!"
And Max and Liz had no choice but to follow her.
"Zach! Zach!", Honey cried bursting out into her brother's room. "Wake up! It's my birthday!"
They heard Zach grown and turned his head to the left, so he could face the wall instead of Honey's vivid face who was going to wake him up very, very soon, he felt.
"Come on, Zach!", Honey insisted, shaking him vehemently.
"I wanna sleep", Zach growned again.
"You better do as she says, son", Max suggested.
Zach slowly got up and smoothed out his messy brown hair, just the way his father did.
"Why do I have to wake up so early?", he asked sleepily, rubbing his eyes.
"We gotta start getting everything ready for Honey's birthday party, and to welcome your cousins who will come over", Liz explained patiently, knowing that at the mention of his cousins Zach would quickly change his mind.
"Hmm... okay, then", Zach agreed, getting up.
Liz picked Honey up and said:
"And us, young lady, we're going to fly to the shower and get you all pretty and cleaned up".
Honey wrinkled up her nose.
"No bath. It's cold".
Liz laughed.
"It's June, silly. I know you're not cold. Come on, so then you can dress up your new clothes and open up your presents".
Honey's amber eyes glittered and she beamed.
"All right!"
"I'll make breakfast for you two and I'll help Zach", Max suggested.

***

"Be quiet, little bee, and let me do your hair", Liz begged patiently, while she was trying to brush Honey's chestnut brown hair.
"But I wanna see the presents!", Honey protested, not quiting her sudden moves.
Liz sighed.
"For that I have to do your hair and then dress you up with your new clothes, who, by the way, are also presents, okay?"
Honey finally nodded.
"Okay".
When Liz was done with the little girl's hair, they headed over to her room, where a pink skirt, a little white and pink top matching the skirt and pink sneakers opened behind were laying on Honey's bed.
"Look! My new clothes!", she cried happily, bursting into the room and picking the clothes up. "They're so pretty! Thanks, mama!"
Liz laughed at her enthusiasm and helped her dressing, taking her then by the hand towards the kitchen were Max and Zach were having their breakfast.
"Look at me!", Honey beamed proudly, spinning around. "Mommy gave me these new clothes!"
"And daddy gave you the sneakers", Liz reminded her.
Honey jumped into Max's arms and kissed his cheek. "Thanks, daddy!"
"Any time, little bee", Max replied, winking at his daughter.
"Now eat breakfast, little bee, so we can start settling the stuff for your party", Liz said, picking her up and sitting her on her tall, white chair.

***

A few hours later, the Evans' living room was decorated with a large band with some cute little bees saying "Happy Birthday, Honey" and the table had plastic cups, plates, knives and forks, ready for a kids' meal, although the grown-ups were going to be there too.
"It's almost time for them to arrive", Liz pointed out, looking at the watch.
"I'm getting hungry", Zach announced, looking wishfully at the goodies on the table.
"You eat when they arrive, sweetie", Liz said. "It's not going to take that long anymore".
"Okay", Zach muttered. He looked really cute as well, with denim shorters, a t-shirt and sneakers.
Then they heard a doorbell ring. Honey raced down the corridor and took a peek by her room's window.
"Look! Aunt Izzy and Aunt Maria are here!", she exclaimed happily.
"Good", Liz smiled, opening the door.
Smoothing out some of her short dark highlights, and smiling, Isabel got in, taking two small girls by the hand.
"Hi, Isabel, it's really good to see you", Isabel said, hugging her.
"Same here", Isabel replied, smiling. "I was late because of these two here", she said, indicating the two girls who were siding her. They were Isabel's daughters. One of them had light hair, with hazelnut eyes and a serious, almost cold expression. Her name was Anaïs and she was the oldest. She was 5 now and everybody used to say that she looked just like Isabel, physically and in the way she was. The other one was very different from her older sister. Elizabeth Louise, or Lizzie, as she was always called, was 3 and was never quiet for a second, always running around and laughing. She had an amazing mood and was rarely unhappy or in a bad mood. Lizzie, on the other hand, looked a lot like her father, with dark hair, long dark lashes, pale skin and a thin line of freckles on her nose.
"Aunt Izzy!", Honey jumped into Isabel's arms.
"Gosh, look how pretty you are!", Isabel said, smiling at her niece. "Turn around and let me see your new clothes!", she suggested, putting her down. Which Honey proudly did. "You could let me borrow some", she said, winking at Honey. Honey giggled. "I can't, they're too small for you, Aunt Izzy", she said.
Isabel smiled and stroked her hair.
"Zach, that's my favorite nephew", she said, when she saw Zach coming closer.
"You only have me", he said with a gentle smirk. "I'm glad to see you too, Aunt Izzy. Is Leo here too?"
"Yeah", Isabel replied. "He must be in any minute, he stayed behind with Jess".
Zach nodded and headed to the door, so he could see who was coming in.
"God, let me tell you, it's hot already!", Maria's familiar voice was heard she wasn't even inside the house.
Maria got in, holding Mandy by the hand, then brushing one of her long blonde curls aside.
"Hi, Liz", she smiled. "Hi, Zachie". The little boy merely smiled and waved with two fingers.
"How's the birthday girl??", Maria asked, picking Honey up. "How're you doing, popkin?"
"I'm fine", Honey replied in her tiny melodious voice. "Look at my new clothes!"
While Honey was showing her top and dress to Maria, Michael got in. "This is a damn hot day. Oh hi Zach, my man. Hey Liz."
"Hi, uncle Mike."
"You might want to get inside and join everybody else. Maria and Isabel are here".
"Oh, how great. Women", he muttered, although he turned around and then winked at Zach, who smiled.
Maria was already in the living room and Mandy shyly trotted next to Zach.
"Hi, Zach", she timidly greeted.
"Hi, Mandy", he immediatly replied, blushing hard.
Mandy looked beautiful, her soft, silky, elastic blonde curls like Maria's bouncing, wearing a pink dress who looked like the one's girls usually wore then were in the ballet (in which Mandy was), and with an also pink hair-pin holding her bouncy curls.
"You look... you look... very pretty", Zach stuttered.
"Thanks", Mandy blushed, although with a happy look in her clear eyes. "You look really cute too".
Zach blushed with pleasure for the compliment.
"Finally we're here, sorry we're late. Bradley kept spilling out his milk", Kyle's voice was heard.
"Can I close the door or is it anyone else to get in?", Liz asked, starting to get impatient.
"Now you can close it", Danielle, Kyle's wife, smiled. Kyle was holding his 10th month son, Bradley, in his arms, while Danielle was taking by the hand their older daughter, Jamie, who was 4.
Next to Danielle was Jess, with a tall boy by his side. He had light brown hair, blue eyes and also a very thin trace of freckles in his nose, but who made the boy even cuter. He was wearing blue shorts and blue sneakers, a white t-shirt and a blue cap turned back.
"He insists in wearing like that wherever he goes", Isabel, who had come closer to her husband again, lamented. The boy's name was Leo, he was 7 and was the oldest of Jess and Isabel's children.
"Leo, hi!", Zach enthusiastically greeted, rushing over his best boy friend and cousin. "Come on, let's go to my room!", he said.

"Hi, aunt Liz", he politely greeted. "Hey, Zach", he said to his cousin. Then he turned to Isabel and asked: "Can I go and play with Zach".
Isabel kissed his forehead, took his cap off and stroked his light hair. "Yeah. Just make sure you don't break anything, ok? When you two are together we never know. It's kind of like Honey and Mandy", she said. Then Zach announced to Liz and Isabel:
"I'm gonna call Mandy too, if she wants to go to", he said, and couldn't help smiling.
Liz and Isabel smiled.
When they were already in the living room, Honey began to jump excitidely. "Where my presents?"
"Honey", Liz reprehended. "Don't be rude".
Honey shrugged.
"Sorry, mommy".
"Oh, she's not being rude at all", Maria came in her defense, stroking her soft brown hair. "We had to start by someone. Here's mine, sweetie. And Aunt Mikey and Mandy's too".
Dolls, picture books, clothes, playing make-up, and girly toys later, Max entered the living room and like magic all the lights went off, although the sun was still shining through the window. In the dark he met Isabel and Liz's eyes and they smiled. He was carrying a birthday cake with three candles.
"Here's the birthday cake for my birthday girl", he announced, placing the cake on the table. It was a chocolate cake, Honey's favorite, with the picture of a bea on the top.
"It's so cute!", Honey cried. She held out her arms so Max could place her on a chair, and as the people started singing Happy birthday to you, Honey couldn't help beaming. When they ended singing, Honey blew with all the strenght she had.
"You're 3 now, sweetie", Maria said.
"I'm big, ain't I, aunt Maria?", Honey asked proudly.
"Sure you are, you're a very big girl", she smiled sweetly, smoothing Honey's hair.
"Hey, there's candy left, let's get to it!", Kyle exclaimed.
"Yeah!!!", Michael helped.
Maria rolled her eyes.

***

When Liz got into bed, she thanked God. It had been an awfully long, tiring day. She smiled. At least they had made Honey happy. And there was nothing she wouldn't do to see her little bee happy.
"Liz?"
"Max? You awake?", Liz asked, turning around to face him.
"Yea", Max replied. "Big of a party, huh? If we had that and she's only 3, imagine how it'll be like when she's 13!"
Liz laughed.
"No, she was happy. We could see it in every inch of her face. I'm so glad for that".
"Yeah, me too", Max said sincerely.
Liz closed her eyes.
"And now sorry, but I have to get some sleep. I'm blown up".
Max kissed her hair and held her close.
"If I wasn't, too, I'd give you some hard work to let you sleep!"

A/N.- Clumsyyyyyyy... Some parts of this chapter were kind of jumpy, but on the whole I think it got a pretty sweet and funny chapter. What about you? Please say something!! I know you're there...
Kissies.

A/N.- Here I am with chapter 5. I've taken some lines out of "Jersey Girl" movie, cuz I thought they would fit in so beautifully here. For anyone who read chapter 4 and wondered why didn't even Honey's grandparents' were there in her birthday party (I had completely forgotten!!! ), Honey visited them later, let's say they had dinner there. Okay? Sorry for the bad mistake.
Enjoy!!!

5

A couple of weeks after Honey's birthday, Max had just woken up after taking a nap. It was a rare day when he hadn't been called to the office and he had wanted to enjoy his day off with Liz and their children. However, he hadn't had much luck that day: Liz was working and Zach had gone over to Maria's to play with Mandy. The only one who was home was Honey, with her little friend Casey, who was 5. Originally, Honey was supposed to have been over to Casey's place, but as Max was home to take care of them (and babysitt them ), Casey was the one who dropped by Honey's.
Max cursed himself for having fallen asleep; he wanted to keep an eye on his daughter. He knew how Honey would be up to a lot of things in some mere 5 minutes. She'd never be quiet for a second. And the kids had been playing with the door's room closed. Without warning he was there, Max opened the door and saw something he wished dearly he hadn't seen. God, how we wanted not to have seen that.
He didn't know of what Honey and Casey had been talking about, but in the moment he opened the door, he just caught Honey lifting up her skirt - and showing Casey his panties.
Really! His 3-year-old daughter was showing to a 5-year-old kid her underwear!!! At that age!!! What would she be doing when she'd get 14 ou 15? Or less??!
Honey and Casey seemed embarassed. Honey probably felt she was doing something wrong, or something that her dad probably didn't like seeing. She felt her cheeks become red and shyly said: "Daddy?"
"Honey", Max said. "Get out for a couple of minutes, sweetie. This young man and I have to have a little chat".
"Daddy, I--- daddy, are you mad at me?". The poor thing was getting scared now.
Max managed to smile and placed his hand affectuously on Honey's head.
"No, honey. Now go just out there for a second, will you, sweetheart?"
Honey nodded slowly and closed the door behind her.
Casey seemed to be scared too. He was positively shaking at the prospect of being alone with that huge man. He tried to say something, but the words were stuck in his throat.
Max also wanted to say something to tranquilize the kid, but he couldn't. Instead, but very quietly, he asked what was just under his tongue:
"What are your intentions towards my daughter?"
Casey swallowed and replied: "I don't know. We're just friends, I guess".
"Do you intend to marry her?", Max went on sweetly. (A/N.- Let's notice the 'irony' on "sweetly"!! )
Max's calm voice said Casey that maybe he should calm down, but he wasn't completely trustful. He just shrugged.
Max nodded silently.
"You may go now. But remember, next time you come over, bring her a ring".
Casey stared at him blankly and then opened the door and raced next to Honey.
Max ran his fingers through his hair. God, he had started to deal with those things way too early. He just hoped Honey didn't get too far again with her little friends... specially boy little friends. He just had to tell that Liz. And Michael. He would probably crack up laughing, but whatever. That was a once-in-a-lifetime thing to see.

***

"What? Your daughter just showed her panties to his friend??!"
Max could hear Michael burst out laughing through the telephone line.
"Yeah, yeah. Just laugh. You won't think it's that funny when your daughter does the same", Max muttered.
"Mandy would never do that. She's a saint", Michael assured.
"Yeah, keep on believing that", Max laughed. "4-year-old kids do anything".
"No, they don't", Michael insisted. "My daughter doesn't. She's a very sensible little girl. She takes after her father".
"Sure", Max replied, with a grin he was glad Michael couldn't see. "And your sensibleness turned out really well most of the time!"
"Maxwell, just shut up before I have to go over to your house and kick your ass", Michael snapped.
"Whatever you say, Mr. Sensible", Max joked.

***

Isabel wiped her tears off with the sleeve of her silk beige blouse. She was locked in her room at almost an hour, but now she should go check on her kids. She didn't want them to be doing anything silly, or that might hurt them. Her children were the most beautiful and worthy thing of her miserable life.
Isabel sniffed. Miserable life... she was already starting to think like that. Is this what all women think when they're going through a bad phase?, Isabel wondered. She got up of the bed, grabbed a tissue and started cleaning off the marks of rimmel who were scattered on her face. She thought it was better go to the bathroom and splash some fresh water on her face, and so she did. Thank God she was alone with the children. When she thought she was ready enough to face her three kids and possibly a lot of questions who'd came from her teary eyes, she got out of the bathroom.
"Hi, mom", Leo said, when he saw her. "You've been locked in your room for too much. Are you okay?", he asked concernedely, when he saw Isabel's eyes fill with tears again.
Isabel kissed the top of her son's head.
"Yes, honey, I'm fine. I was feeling just a little tired, that's all. Where are your sisters?"
"In their room", Leo replied.
In that moment, Lizzie opened the room closed and ran to her mother, hugging her. Isabel smiled and hugged her younger daughter back.
"Mommy! I missed you", Lizzie said.
Isabel managed to swallow the tears and smile, while stroking Lizzie's black hair.
"Why, silly. I haven't even left", she pointed out.
"Yeah, but you've been locked in your room for a lot of time, and I was worried", Lizzie replied.
Isabel felt her eyes fill with tears again. Lizzie noticed it.
"Mommy, what's wrong?"
Isabel sniffed.
"Nothing, my angel. I'm just glad that I have a beautiful daughter like you who cares about me and that'll be able to take care of me when I turn an old lady", she explained, smiling.
Lizzie laughed.
"Why, mommy! You aren't even old!"
Isabel laughed too.
"Now I'm gonna check on you and your sister and see what you two are up to".
Lizzie stared at Isabel innocently.
"We never do anything wrong, mama".
Isabel smiled. She knew that that was never entirely true. But still, she entered her daughter's room. As always, Anaïs was quiet in her own place.
"I just thought in dropping by and see what you two were doing", she explained her older daughter.
As always, Anaïs replied coldly:
"I never do anything wrong. She's the one who almost breaks stuff up, cuz she can never be quiet for a minute".
Isabel sighed. Anaïs remembered herself terribly. She was the second "Ice Princess". She seemed to be indifferent to her younger sister, but Isabel knew she cared about Lizzie dearly. But Anaïs was shy, introverted, quiet and mysterious, with cold eyes that seemed to have so many secrets. Isabel sighed. Something was telling her that Anaïs would go through all that she had when she was a child and teenager.
"Well, I'll go back to my room. Have fun you girls", she smiled.
"Is daddy going to take too long to come back home tonight?", Lizzie asked before Isabel get out.
Isabel swallowed hard. She didn't want to think about Jesse in that moment. "God, I'm gonna have a headache later", she thought, massaging her temples.
"I don't know, sweetie", she replied. With that, she got out. She entered in her room and landed heavily on her bed. She needed to get some sleep. But she knew she couldn't. She needed to talk to someone or else she would drive herself crazy. And Jesse's presence wouldn't count much on having her inner peace back. But maybe, that was something she had never had... something that had been suddenly taken away from her in a terrible moment. "Damn, why am I thinking of these things again?", she thought, massaging her temples again.
She had to try and survive. For her children's sake.

A/N.- Haa! Mystery!! I hope you guys have enjoyed and please leave some feedback, cuz now every time I post any new chapter in this fic seems like I hardly ever get some. (However, thank you so much roswelluver, who's been sending it every time a chapter is posted). So please... Reviews are very welcome!! Yeah, I know it sounds pathetic and hopeless being begging like an idiot... I hardly ever do that... However, I hope I can melt some hearts here...
Tootles xxx

A/N.- A short thing before the surprises start coming up...

6

"Mommy! You're home!", Honey ran to Liz when she got inside the house. "I've missed you".
"I've missed you too, my little bee", Liz replied tenderly, holding her daughter. "This is the best back-of-work reception I could ever wish for!"
Honey giggled.
"Hey mom, I missed you too", Zach said, throwing his arms around Liz's neck.
"Here's my little boy", Liz smiled, kissing Zach's head. "I missed you too, baby".
“Hey there”, Max smiled, kissing Liz tenderly on the lips. “How’s your day?”
“Great, as always. Lots of hard work, but I have a lot of fun doing it. That’s what I like”.
“If you say so”, Max replied, winking at Zach and Honey. “Now, come here, I have to talk to you”.
Liz looked at him aprehesively.
“What? By your face, it sounds something serious. Is it?”
Max looked at her and then smiled.
“No, but it’s kind of worrying”.
Liz quickly glanced at her children.
“It’s about the kids?”
Max nodded.
“Which one of them?”, Liz asked.
“Honey”, Max replied.
“I’m going to play with Zach”, Honey announced, taking her brother’s hand, who stepped closer to her not letting go of her hand. It was a pretty touching picture, seeing those two little kids who were so much alike. It was an ocean of sweetness, Liz thought.
“Go, honey”, Liz smiled.
Max took Liz’s hand, stepped into their room and then closed the door.
“What is the matter with Honey? She seems fine to me”, Liz said.
“Remember today, that little friend of hers who came over...”, Max began.
Liz nodded.
“Yeah. What’s his name again? Bailey?...”
“Casey”.
“Yeah. That’s it. I always mix him up with that classmate of Zach’s. What about him?”
“Well, today they were playing in Honey’s room, and they had the door closed. I got a little worried and I just opened the door without knocking. That’s when I... that’s when I saw it”.
“You saw what, Max?”, Liz asked, raising her eyebrows.
“Honey was lifting up her skirt and showing her panties to him”.
“What?!?”
“That’s right. I got freaked out. I couldn’t even see straight”.
“God, Max, you didn’t beat the poor kid up, did you?”
“Of course not. I may be a protective father, but I’m not a children’s beater”.
“So? What did you do?”
“I told Honey to wait outside and I had a little chat with Casey”.
“You’re scaring me, Max”.
“Why?”, Max asked innocently. “I’m an angel. Kids love me. I heal people. There was just no use on beating up a child, especially a 5-year-old one. You know I’m not the violent kind”.
“Well, if you say so”, Liz sighed. “So? What did you say to him?”
“I asked him what were his intentions with Honey”.
“NO!”
“Yes”.
“Max, have you gone mad? He is 5, for God’s sake!”
“So? Kids start doing things pretty early nowadays”.
“Max, you’re kidding me, right?”
“No!”
“And then?”
“He looked at me kind of scared, and said ‘I don’t know. We’re just friends, I guess’”.
“I can’t blame him! Poor thing! Do you realize how much you must have scared him?!”
“Well, I’m a father”, Max replied innocently. “I was worried about my baby daughter. Anyone can understand that”.
Liz sighed.
“Well, and?...”
“Then I asked, ‘Do you intend to marry her?’”
Then, Liz couldn’t take it any longer and she just cracked up laughing.
“God, Max, you’re funny, you’re really really funny!”, she said, almost with tears in her eyes of laughing so hard.
“What’s so funny about it?”, Max asked looking at her blankly.
“You know what you have just remind me? The guy in that movie, Jersey Girl. The situation was exactly the same and you behaved just like him!”
“Really?”, Max raised his eyebrows.
“Huh-huh. But now I’m curious. What did Casey say then?”
“He shrugged. I kid you not, he just shrugged!”
Liz started laughing again.
“And then”, Max went on without having Liz instigating him to continue. “I said that he might go, but next time he’d come over, he had to bring Honey a ring”.
Liz was laughing like she she was crazy.
“Liz? Liz are you okay?”, Max asked still blankly. He was starting to get seriously worried. What had gotten into her??
Then Liz managed to take a deep breath, wipe away the tears and sit up on the bed.
“Really, Max, I think you shouldn’t be so worried. This kind of things is natural between children. It’s when they start to – um – discover themselves”.
“Hum. Discover”, Max repeated.
“Yes. You know, in this age kids start to ask themselves things…”
“Things”.
“That’s right. Come on, Max, I’m not really worried. One day she’ll start asking us questions, just wait and see”.
“Oh God”, Max moaned. “I just hope that that day takes too loong to come...”

***

Michael was home alone with Mandy. That day Maria had stayed longer in the studio and he had gotten to stay with their daughter. Michael was starting to worry about Maria and the new baby, although she wasn’t even one month pregnant. However, he thought all the fathers must have felt like that.
Suddenly, he stopped and stayed still in the middle of the hall as if he had seen some kind of ghost (as aliens didn’t really scare him). He heard a huge voice coming from Mandy’s bedroom. What could possibly be that? He was sure it was the music turned up too loud. Although she was only 4, Mandy already liked to listen to music and already had a CD player, which she always set on a timer, so she could wake up with music. “Smart alecky”, Michael thought, although caringly.
“Uh, M-Mandy? What was that?”, he sttured, knocking and getting inside his daughter’s room. “Was the radio on?”
“No, daddy”, she replied innocently. “I was singing”.
And then he noticed that in fact, the radio was on, but turned low. It had been Mandy’s voice.
Michael swallowed hard. Wow. Now that was definitely a big thing. He knew that Mandy kind of like to sing – every kid must, I guess, he thought. But he had never realized she had such a powerful voice, that was the true. She had heired that gift from her mother, only her voice was even stronger. And she was only 4! How could a 4-year-old surpass Whitney Houston’s voice on the radio as if she was singing by herself?!!
“Huh, uh, okay”, he clumsily said. “Keep on having fun, then”.
“Okay, daddy, I will”, Mandy replied with that bright and sweet smile that Michael was positively sure left everybody dizzy.
Wow. He definitively had to talk about that with Maria. Was his daughter in her way to become a star?!

A/N.- I’m sorry I’m late, but I’ve lost everything I had written the first time and I had to put some days off the fic so I could get over the trauma. I hope this chapter gets as good as I thought the other one was getting. This is the #1 surprise I had kept for me. Now it is time to uncover the truth. Enjoy!
A/N. 2- Oh yeah, this chapter may get a little angsty, but even loving fluff like I do, I always end up writing something a little darker. I can’t help it. But I hope you guys seriously enjoy it. Now let’s get to it!

7

The next weekend

Isabel looked at herself in the mirror and smiled lightly. Despite it all, she still thought she looked good no matter what. She rearranged her short, dark highlights, put on her high-heeled beige sandals, grabbed her purse and got out of the room.
It was time to finally blurt out all that was making her suffer. She needed to, no matter how bad the others would understand (and she was sure they wouldn’t). She was ready for accusations. But her last days had been miserable and she needed to talk to someone. That’s why she had taken that decision. No matter how much that costed her.
“Hey mom”, Leo said, when he crossed with Isabel in the hallway. “Where are you going?”
Isabel smiled. Only her son could cheer her up in a moment like that.
“Hi sweetie. I... just need to get out for a minute, I have... something important to do, but I promise it won’t take long”.
“But where are you going?”, Leo insisted. Then he noticed the look on his mother’s face, a tired look. “Sorry... I shouldn’t... I have nothing to do with it, you may want to keep your things private...”
Isabel smiled, feeling the touched tears behind her lashes, thinking how her little boy was so mature only for a 7-year-old.
“No, it’s okay, sweetheart. I’m going over to Aunt Liz’s, ok? But I won’t take long, I promise. Can you tell that to your sisters?”
Leo nodded.
“Sure”.
Isabel kissed the top of Leo’s head.
“Thanks, honey. Will you be okay with Maya? Can you warn her too?”
Leo nodded once again.
“Don’t worry, mom”.
Isabel kissed his forehead.
“I’ll be going, then. Bye-bye, honey. I love you”.
“I love you too, mom”, Leo replied.

***

Isabel took a few deep breaths, before ringing. She felt her hands starting to get sweaty and her heartbeat starting racing. “What is wrong with me?!”, she thought. “I’m feeling like a schoolgirl!”.
When Liz finally opened the door, she gazed surprisingly at Isabel.
“Isabel? What are you doing here?”
Isabel laughed softly.
“What? Is it that rare that I drop by sometimes?”
Liz quickly shook her head.
“No, no, don’t get me wrong, it’s just... I wasn’t expecting to see you here! Come in, come in”, she said, letting Isabel get in.
“Are we... by ourselves?”, Isabel shyly inquered.
Liz nodded.
“Yeah. Honey and Zach went over to Maria’s the whole day to play with Mandy, and Max went with them. I had to stay because I have some work stuff to finish...”
Isabel bit her lip nervously.
“Look, if you are busy, I can go and come back some other time...”
Liz shook her head and grabbed her arm.
“No, you don’t need to to that. I was just about finishing. But what can I do for you, Iz? You still haven’t told me...”
Isabel kept on bitting her lip.
“Liz, I need to talk to you”.
Liz eyed Isabel’s expression carefully and she figured it must be pretty serious.
“Sounds serious. Here. Let’s go to my room”, she said, leading Isabel by the arm towards her and Max’s room.
“Sit”, Liz instructed, sitting on the bed. Isabel did the same.
“Are your kids alone?”, Liz asked.
“No!, I left them with Maya, my housekeeper. They’re fine”.
A heavy silence starting floating above their heads, and none of them knew how to break it.
“Look, I...”, Isabel finally began. “I don’t know where to start. This isn’t something I can talk about lightly...”
Liz was getting more and more concerned by the minute.
“You’re worrying me, Isabel. What is it?”
Isabel closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
“Liz, I’ve been having problems..”
“Problems? What kind of problems?”, Liz asked.
“With... Jesse”, Isabel finished.
“What? Is there anything wrong with you guys?”
“We... we’ve been fighting a lot lately... ever since Honey’s birthday. Though we try to be discrete, ‘cause we don’t want the kids to know and get involved, it’s getting each day harder to hide it. Things aren’t doing well, Liz”, Isabel said sadly, biting her lip.
“Is that all?”, Liz asked, seeing in Isabel’s eyes something else to be said. Something deeper, darker, something that was haunting her. The reason she had dropped by.
Isabel shook her head quickly.
“No”, she responded. “That’s not all. I wish it was though... there’s something else... something worse. Something that I’ve been hiding for half of my life to everyone”.
Liz’s eyes and concerning started getting bigger. She was definitevely worried now.
“Isabel”, she said softly, placing her hand in hers. “You can talk about it with me, you know. Just talk. It’ll be better for you. You need to get a lot of things out, I see. Go ahead, Izzy. You can trust me”.
Isabel shook her head. “I don’t know if you will understand... I feel that no-one’s going to understand. And they’ll have a right not to”.
“Talk, Isabel”, Liz insisted. “Don’t be afraid. I won’t crucify you. I’ll just listen. I’m your friend, Izzy. You know you can rely on me anytime you need to, don’t you? I’m here for you now”.
“There’s something else”, Isabel continued. “Something about my kids”.
“Is it anything serious?”, Liz asked with true concern. When it came to Isabel’s children, things were a lot different. And possibly worse.
“Kind of”, Isabel answered. “I... I don’t really know how to define this”.
“Try it”, Liz softly suggested.
Isabel took a deep breath.
“First, is about me. I thought I was fine, and happy. I thought I had finally gotten over... gotten over the...”
Liz kept staring at her softly, but her heart started beating a little bit faster. Oh. That was a completely new perspective of her problem and she wasn’t really expecting Isabel to pull the matter after all those years.
“Alex... Alex’s death”, she quietly completed.
Isabel nodded.
“Yes. I have... I’ve started thinking of it again. I started having... I started having nightmares again”.
“Oh, Izzy”, Liz said sweetly, stroking her hand. “I’m so sorry. But I thought... I mean, I myself and the others were very shocked with Alex’s death and I don’t think any of us has completely gotten over it, but I... kind of thought... you had gotten over it already”.
Isabel shook her head.
“No. So I thought, though”.
“What kind of nightmares are those?”, Liz asked.
Isabel took another deep breath, feeling her heart twist in her chest.
“I’m in the middle of the ocean, and I see a ... kind of an island far away. Alex is there. I’m swimming towards him and calling his name, but he doesn’t listen to me. He starts walking away without turning back, though I am positively screaming by that time. But he doesn’t listen. And he disappears”. Isabel felt the tears sting her eyes by the moment she quit talking.
Liz started feeling the same, but swallowed and kept her hand placed on Isabel’s.
“Since how long have you been having those nightmares?”, she asked.
“Kind of since Honey’s birthday, like I said. Almost every night. Then I wake up crying, but thank God Jesse doesn’t hear. With some luck, sometimes I can fall asleep and sleep sound till the next morning without waking up again with nightmares and crying”.
“Does Jesse know why you’ve been feeling like that?”, Liz asked.
Isabel shook her head.
“No. That’s the reason I guess we’re fighting, though. He feels there’s something wrong with me, but I don’t tell him a thing and start acting picky, then he gets mad and before we know it, we’re at it again”.
“But what was it concerning your children?”, Liz asked carefully. Her heart was beating way faster than it was at the beginning, and she sensed she was about to hear something that would change her... maybe forever. Something that she definitively wasn’t expecting to hear.
“God, Liz, I don’t know if I should... this isn’t...”. Isabel’s eyes were full of tears now, and her voice started shaking.
“So it must be really serious”, Liz thought.
“Go on, Izzie”, Liz sweetly said. “Trust me. You need to release yourself of that angst you’ve been carrying. You’ll feel better after that, believe me”.
Isabel sniffed, passing her hand by her nose.
“Which kid is that you’re meaning?”, Liz wanted to know.
Isabel swallowed hard, took a deep breath again and replied:
“Leo. It’s about... Leo”.
Liz nodded silently.
“What about him?”
“He is... different”, Isabel whispered slowly.
Liz stared at her.
“What? Is he... like you?”
Isabel quickly shook her head.
“No! No. Not that I know of, anyway”.
Liz nodded again.
“So what is it?”, she asked softly, trying to make Isabel comfortable and a little less tense. She could see how much Isabel was nervous. She was holding her hands so tight, they were white.
“He’s... he’s different. From his sisters”.
“Different?”, Liz repeated unsurely. Oh, God. It was coming closer. The truth was coming closer.
“Yes”, Isabel said. “What makes him different from Anaïs and Elizabeth Louise is that... he isn’t...”
“He isn’t?...”, Liz was scared now, but made the question soft and sweetly, as it was her habit.
“He isn’t Jesse’s”, Isabel blurted out. “He isn’t Jesse’s son”.
“What?!”, Liz dropped her mouth open. Oh, God. So it was that. Leo wasn’t Jesse’s. He was only Isabel’s. How could that...?
“You mean Leo isn’t Jesse’s child?”, Liz repeated.
Isabel nodded.
“Yes. He isn’t”.
“Oh my God, Isabel”, Liz said, the tears stinging her eyes. “Does Jesse know? He doesn’t know, does he?”
“Of course not”, Isabel replied. “He has never even suspected”.
“God, Isabel”, Liz still couldn’t quite digest the news. “Who is Leo’s father?”
Isabel closed her eyes, letting a tear roll off her face. Liz respected her silence, and her suffering. That definitively wasn’t easy for Isabel. If she had hidden it, she must probably had had a good reason for that.
“Alex”, Isabel said.
Oh God. Oh God. That was other thing. A worse thing. A worse thing to... digest. Alex was Leo’s father??! Of course. Now everything made sense. Leo didn’t look like Jess. He didn’t look like Jesse at all. He had only a few things heired of Isabel, like his delicate features, especially his face. But Leo had some things of Alex. The shape of his face, his lips, his wavy hair, although the light brown color was Isabel’s. Leo was the face of Alex! And his eyes... his eyes. Leo had blue eyes. None of Isabel or Jess had blue eyes. She thought it might have been just a coincidence. It might happen that the kid wouldn’t take after his mother or father in the eye color. But now she knew it. She knew those eyes. They were Alex’s eyes. And why was his second name... Alex? Leonardo Alexander Ramirez... Whitman. Yes, it was clear now. And Leo was also like Alex on the inside. He was caring, loyal, funny, and he was always there for his friends and family, no matter what. Leo was a miniature of Alex.
“Oh Isabel”, Liz said, feeling a tear roll off her cheek too. “I didn’t know that... I thought that... I didn’t know that you and Alex had...”
Isabel nodded.
“We had. I loved him so much, I didn’t care about what I was about to do. It was a prove of my love for him. We made love for the first time, hiding, and then I asked him not to tell anyone. He was a bit reluntanct at the beginning, but then he agreed. He said we would do it because... because he loved me”.
Liz watched the tears rolling silently down Isabel’s face. It was weird seeing Isabel, called “The Ice Princess”, known for hiding her feelings so well, crying. She realized how that must hurt deep inside her, and hiding something like his son’s fatherhood for seven years, mustn’t been easy.
“Liz, I...”, Isabel began, quickly wipping the tears off her face.
“It’s okay, Isabel”, Liz said sweetly. “Cry. Cry whatever you want to. You need to. It’ll be alright for you. Don’t worry”.
“Sorry”, Isabel sobbed, burying her face in her hands. She was now crying hard, her crying sometimes cut by a sob. Liz’s heart saddened to see Isabel suffer so much. When she saw Isabel raising her head slowly, and wiping her tears, before five minutes or so crying, she asked slowly:
“Does anybody know?”
Isabel shook her head.
“Right now, you’re the only one who knows about it all”.
“Not even Max?”, Liz insisted.
Isabel shook her head again.
“No.”
“Oh my God”, Liz murmured. She raised her eyes to look at Isabel. “Isabel, why didn’t you tell us? And how did you manage to... to hide it for all these years?”
“How could I?”, Isabel replied. “I felt no one would understand. I still feel horrible. And I had too little time to digest the news... getting pregnant was the last thing I expected, though we had made it without any protection”.
“When did you found out... that you were... pregnant?”, Liz asked carefully.
Isabel sniffed.
“We made love two days before Alex’s death. The day he died was the day I felt something was going on with me. He died without even knowing we were going to have a child... that he was going to be a father”.
“Oh, Isabel”, Liz clapped a hand to her mouth, trying to stiffle the shock and the sadness. It had been really too much for only a person to handle it. And Isabel was only 19 at the time!
“When I found out I was with child, I didn’t know what to do. I felt so alone without Alex, and I was sure I wouldn’t be able to handle a pregnancy on my own. I just couldn’t tell anyone either. So I had to... I had to use Jesse, because he was already interested in me. Though I knew that no-one could and would possibly be able to replace Alex in my heart, I wanted my baby to have a father. I convinced Jesse to get married sooner, playing the game and pretending I really loved him and wanted to get married. So sometime after the wedding night, I told him I was pregnant... and so it was how it all started”. Isabel talked without having Liz telling her to go on.
“So you had it all figured out”, Liz concluded in a whisper.
“I know you’re probably thinking now that I’m an horrible person”, Isabel said, without looking at her.
“No, Isabel”, Liz said tenderly, stroking her wet face. “No, I’m not. I understand you”.
“You really do?”, Isabel unsurely asked.
“Of course I do”, Liz smiled. “You’ve been really strong, all of these years. You’ve sacrificed yourself for your son. You struggled to give him a happy, normal life. And look at him now. Leo is a sweet kid. He’s amazing. You’ve raised him so well.”
“He takes after Alex”, Isabel smiled weakly, still with tears scattered across her cheeks.
“Yes”, Liz smiled. “He really does”.
“You know, sometimes I feel so horrible because I feel I love Leo more... don’t get me wrong, I love all my children so much I’d die for them, but sometimes I found myself... loving Leo more than my daughters... because he was Alex’s child”.
“That’s natural”, Liz pointed out. “But I know you love your kids all the same. I know it, Isabel”.
“Don’t you hate me?”, Isabel unsurely asked.
Liz smiled.
“Of course I don’t hate you, silly. I’m proud of you”. She paused and sighed sadly. “I wish Alex was alive to see how his son is”.
Isabel sighed too, her eyes dark with longing.
“I wish, too”. Then, after a moment of silence, she said: “I know this sounds cruel, but I never stopped loving Alex. I still love him, so much. Jesse, though he doesn’t know, has been really good raising my kid as he was his, giving him a normal family. But now I don’t know how he will react when I’ll tell him the truth. And the others too”.
“I’m sure they will understand, Izzy”, Liz said softly, but firmly. “I’m sure they will. Something deep inside of me tells me so. We’re all your friends, Iz, we won’t abandon you. Never”.
Isabel smiled.
“Thanks, Liz”, she said. “Thanks for helping me, and supporting me. Someday I’ll screw up my courage and tell the truth to everybody... and Leo. That is going to be the hardest part, despite it all”.
“You have to hurry up, Izzy”, Liz said. “Leo is growing. And he has the right to know”.
Isabel nodded slowly.
“Yes”, she said. “I know”.

A/N.- HA!!! So that was my big surprise #1!!! But maybe you guys haven’t been really surprised... But I hope you’ve enjoyed it though!!! I’ll be back!!!
Love, Innocent ~ Tania

P.S.- I hope everything makes sense and goes with the show.

A/N.- Hey. Looks like now I’ve got all my surprises coming out. I hope you guys like this one too. This one is a little more obvious, though. And it is only the first part. Though it will be short. Read on then!

8

Max was sitting by the living room table, reading various papers of the lawyers' office, until a tiny voice made him raise his head:
"Daddy?"
In front of him was Honey.
“Oh, hey, little bee. What’s the matter?”
“I’m sick”, she said miserably.
“Sick?”, Max repeated. “What do you mean?”
“My tummy”, she explained with a look of pain in her face. “It hurts”.
Max half smiled.
“Well, let’s take care of you then”, he said. “Where does it hurt?”, he asked, placing a hand softly on her stomach. “Right here?”
“Huh-huh”, Honey nodded. After a while, Honey was smiling brightly again.
“It went away! The pain went away!”
“I’m glad”, Max smiled, kissing the top of her head.
“Cool!”, Honey cried enthusiastically. “It’s really gone!”
Max laughed.
“Is Zach playing with you?”
“Yea”, Honey nodded. “Will mommy take too long to come back of work?”
Max smiled.
“No, she’ll be home in a minute. Now go play, sweetie, and if you need anything just ask, alright?”
Honey nodded again. “Yea”. She kissed Max’s cheek and raced down the hallway to go back to her room.

***

2 weeks later

Honey looked at her bloody hand, trying to hold back the tears of pain. While Zach was playing in his room, she had been playing alone on the yard and had fallen. Unable to hold the crying anymore, she ran to her room, trying to avoid her parents’ for a while. Inexplicably, she had preffered to look for her brother, because she was sure he would have a word of comfort for her.
“Zach”, she sobbed.
Zach looked away from the TV and looked worriedly at her sister.
“Honey, how’ve you gotten yourself like that?”
“I fell”, she explained with the tears rolling off her cheeks.
“We gotta tell mom and dad”, Zach said. Then, without him even knowing what he was doing or saying, he said: “Hold out your hand, Honey”.
“W-what?”, Honey stuttered
“Let me see your hand”, Zach demanded.
Honey shakily held out her damaged hand and Zach took it, then waving his hand over his sister’s, a silver glowing light covered Honey’s hand and, for both surprised Honey and Zach, when it disappeared, her hand was perfect again.
“Z-Zach? How did you do that?”, Honey stuttered, getting a little scared and overwhelmed. She had never seen anything like that. Not even in the cartoons.
“I—I don’t know”, Zach stuttered back. “It just— got out. It was like it was natural for me doing that”.
“Honey? Are you okay?”, Liz stormed into the room. She saw her children’s looks. “What’s wrong, kids?”
Max came behind.
“We came because we heard Honey’s crying, but we weren’t sure, so we just came to check it out”, Liz continued. “What’s the—Honey, how come you’re bleeding? What happened, sweetie?”
“I—I fell”, Honey trembly explained. “Outside. When I was playin. Then I came here looking for Zach and he said me to hold out my hand and then he waved his hand and we saw a silver thing and then I was healed”, she said in one breath.
“Wow, wow, calm down, little bee”, Max said. “You’re saying that Zach... healed your hand?”
Honey nodded.
“Yes”.
Zach still looked like he was in some other planet, with his jaw still dropped at what we had just done.
“Zach, do you know how you did that?”, Max softly asked.
Zach shrugged.
“I don’t know, dad. It just came out. I swear”.
“It’s okay”, Max softned, stroking his hair, but giving Liz a look.
“Daddy did the same thing”, Honey said innocently. “When I said my tummy hurted. Daddy put his hand on my belly and the pain went away”. Then she saw the look on her parents face. “I guess”, she added with her voice low, a little scared she hadn’t said the right thing.
Max and Liz looked at each other with the same thoughts. Worried thoughts.
“Max”, Liz said softly. “You better talk to him”.
Max remained silent for a while, but then he nodded silently. He knew it was the thing to be done.
“Talk to me? Talk to me about what?”, Zach asked, his eyes starting to get rounder with fear.
Liz smiled.
“It’s nothing to be worried about, honey. You haven’t done anything wrong. Daddy will talk to you, alright? He will explain you about that... strange thing you’ve done”.
Zach turned to Max:
“Have you ever done something like that too, dad?”
Max nodded quickly and said:
“It’s a long story, son. Come on. I will explain you everything”.
“Don’t be afraid, sweetheart”, Liz said softly. “Dad will help you”.
Zach darted his look from Max to Liz, looking even more worried.
“But what—what—...”
“Liz”, Max said. “You better come with me. Without you, I won’t be able to explain everything right”.
Liz nodded.
“Okay”.
“I want to know too!”, Honey demanded.
Max and Liz looked at each other. They wanted to keep Honey out of that for a while, also because they believed she was too young to understand. But she had been healed by her brother, and probably she would never be the same.
“Okay”, Max said. “Well, I guess we can stay here”.
He and Liz exchanged one more glance, and Zach was getting more and more scared and Honey, more and more curious.
“Well, it all started when mommy was a lot younger”, Liz began, after giving Max one last glance. “When I was 16”.
“Whoah!”, Honey said.
Liz smiled lightly.
“Mommy worked on grandpa Jeff’s café”.
“The Crashdown?”, Zach asked.
Liz nodded.
“Exactly. One day two men got in a big fight. One of them had a gun, and he accidentaly shot and I—I got shot”.
Zach and Honey looked at her with their eyes wide open, with no words capable of commenting the situation.
“Daddy was in the café with Uncle Mikey”, Liz began. “He saw mommy when I got shot and I was lying on the floor. He ran to me, and he stretched out his hand, and—”
“And what? What did he do?”, Zach asked eagerly.
Liz bit her lip and looked at Max. Max looked back at her and then nodded.
“He healed me”, Liz said.
Zach’s eyes were huge.
“Healed you? Like I healed Honey?”
Liz nodded.
“Exactly”.
“So this means daddy and I—mommy, what are we?”, Zach asked.
Liz kept on bitting her lip, then caressed Zach’s head tenderly.
“You’re both special. You two have a wonderful power, that very, very little people have, if none at all”.
“Is there anyone like daddy and me?”, Zach asked.
Liz nodded.
“Aunt Isabel and Uncle Mikey”.
“Whoah!!”, Zach said. “They can heal too?”
“Aunt Isabel can see people’s dreams”, Max said then. “And Uncle Mikey... well, he can... make things burst”.
“Make things burst?! Cool!”, Zach said, his eyes size not getting smaller.
Max and Liz smiled.
“But why does daddy, and auntie Izzy and Uncle Mikey have those powers?”, Honey, who had been quiet due to all the overwhelm of the conversation, asked.
“Well, sweetie”, Liz said, not knowing how pick this up. She looked desperately at Max, begging for help.
“Like mommy said”, Max said, caressing Honey’s hair. “We’re special. We’re not... we weren’t born here”. He looked at Liz, not knowing if that would be the right step. “We were born in another planet... very far from here”.
Zach dropped his mouth opened.
“Dad, you’re an—an alien?...”
Liz blushed, but Max seemed to be keeping his cool.
“Yes”, he said. “I think we can put it that way”.
Honey looked at Max with her eyes wide open.
“But aliens aren’t always mean”, Max quickly added. “It’s not like we see in the movies, kids, you know. We’re not those skinny little green things with big eyes and weird bodies, who want to kill everybody. We look human, we are half human, and we have feelings, just like everybody else”.
Liz shook her head, remembering Tess and Kivar. Not all the aliens were bad, of course. But it would be better not to take things that way.
“So why did you come here with Aunt Iz and Uncle Mike and didn’t stay in your planet?”, Zach asked.
Liz looked away. That question could bring back so many things...
“Well, actually, we landed here on the Crash of ’47...”, Max sighed. How could he explain that to 4 and a 3 year-old children?
“I know that”, Zach said, to Max’s relief. “Mom told me the story about the Crash some time ago. As a bedtime story”, he said, looking at Liz like telling that wasn’t really a good bedtime story, even though he had loved it.
“Oh”, Max said, giving Liz a grateful look. “Then a lot of things happened... I think it will be better for you two to just know about it when you’re older”.
“Oohh!”, Zach and Honey whined.
“Daddy’s right”, Liz said with a smile. “You’re too young. We’re just telling you the basics, okay?”
Zach and Honey nodded.
“Who found out you were an alien, daddy?”, Honey asked.
“Well, me, and Aunt Izzy and Uncle Mikey promised each other never telling anybody about our secret. It might be way bad for the three of us if anyone’d found out, you know, little bee. But when I saved mommy, I knew I didn’t mind to tell her, because I was sure she was trust worthy. And I loved her a lot. Like I still do”. He felt Liz’s fingers lacing with his, as if she was saying thank you. “And then mom told Aunt Maria... and she and Uncle Mikey fell in love”.
“Wow. So yall raeally liked each other”, Honey pointed out.
Max smiled.
“Yeah, little bee. We really did”.
“Am I gonna get powers too?”, Honey asked.
Max placed a hand on her head.
“I don’t know, little bee. It can happen, as well as it can’t. It’s something we can’t really predict, you understand what I’m saying, baby?”
Honey nodded.
“I think so”.
After a moment of silence, Honey’s voice was heard again.
“Can you do any other things than healing?”, she wanted to know, suddenly very interested.
Max grinned.
“Watch this, little bee”. He grabbed one of her dolls, whose arm needed some stitches, held his hand over it and suddenly, Honey’s doll was perfect.
“Look, mommy!”, Honey cried, marvelled. “Daddy healed my doll!”
Liz and Max laughed.
“We can do some little things like that, too”, Max replied, winking at his daughter.
“But there’s something you need to know, Zach”, he said, turning then to face his son.
“What?”, Zach wanted to know.
“If we use our powers in a bad way, we can hurt a lot of people. You have to use your powers for the good, alright? And you can’t tell anyone, or let anyone see what you can do with your hands, or when they get silvery, okay?”.
Zach nodded, but then suggested:
“Not even Mandy?”
Max and Liz looked at each other and Liz half smiled.
“Let some time pass by, okay, buddy? Then we’ll see what we’ll do”.
Zach nodded again.
“But if Aunt Izzy and Aunt Mikey are aliens too, that means Mandy, or Leo or any of our cousins may be ... aliens... too? Like me?”
Max nodded.
“Well, it’s possible. But it doesn’t mean it has to happen”.
“Wow”, Zach said, looking at his hands. “I can’t believe it. We’re really a family out of this world”.
Liz and Max laughed, then Max said, riffling Zach’s hair:
“If there’s anything, both of you hadn’t understand or want to know, just ask, alright? But you have to promise you won’t tell anyone about this, okay?”
Zach and Honey nodded.
“But we can tell family?”, Zach said.
Max nodded.
“In a while, yes”.
“Hum. Okay”.
“Now, let’s go eat something”, Liz suggested. “I bet this talk has made everybody hungry. I sure am. But, Zachie, Honey”, she said, turning to face her children, and kneeling down in front of them. “Whatever happens, if anyone finds out and tries to bring you down, both of you, if you also become ... like your brother and daddy, Honey, don’t let that bug you. Okay? You are ordinary kids, only you have a very special power, something no one else has, and that you are very special children. Always. In all senses. Promise me that, won’t you?”
“Yes, mama”, Zach and Honey chorused.
Liz smiled.
“Alright then. Now let’s go before daddy eats everything up!”
“I do not”, Max protested, miming indignation.
The hallway was filled with Honey’s crystalline giggles, her and Zach and Liz already running to the kitchen to see whose one would catch the cookies first.

A/N.- I wasn’t 100% inspired when I wrote this, I would like the talk between Max, Liz, Honey & Zach to have been a little better, but still, I think it’s OK. It’s not bad. Leave some feedback!!! Pleaseeeeeeee!!!! Thanks for reading!!!

A/N.- A nice Michael/Mandy Guerin moment, for a change of Max/Liz. Not that I’m tired of them. I just love Michael and Maria too. So here goes. Watch out for the fluff!

9

“Mandy?”
Michael poked his head into his daughter’s room. “What’s up, kiddo?”
“Not much”, Mandy muttered with a moody look, not looking up from the doll she was playing with.
Michael scratched his ear and took a deep breath. He had been noticing that Mandy had been in a bad mood since some weeks ago. They were rare the days where she had been in a good mood. She had only been actually happy everytime she’d sing. Anyway, when he had asked Maria how the conversation had gone, when she told Mandy that she was pregnant, Maria had just shrugged. There was something she had kept from him, and Michael was sure it had to do with Mandy. She probably hadn’t been too happy with the news she was going to have a baby brother or sister. And he felt he had to fix that up, so today he had decided to have a little talk with his daughter.
“Listen, kiddo, can I talk to you for a couple of minutes?”
“Sure”, Mandy said, but still moodily, still without looking up from the doll.
Michael sat on the bed in front of Mandy and said, raising Mandy’s chin softly:
“Look at daddy, will you?”
“’Kay”, Mandy muttered.
“Let’s have a talk. A father-daughter talk, what do you think, kid?”
Mandy shrugged.
“I’ve been talking to mommy, you know, and she told me about... the baby”.
Mandy shivered when she heard what was that about, and quickly looked down again.
“Mandy”, Michael said softly. “Look at me. Look at daddy, okay?”
Mandy slowly met his gaze again.
“Mommy told me that, when she told you we were going to have a baby, you didn’t like the news much. Wanna talk to me about it?”
Mandy’s eyes filled with tears. She shook her head. “Nuh-uh”.
“Are you sure?”, Michael insisted, still with sweetness. “If you don’t want to, that’s okay, honey. But there’s no need for you to be sad, you know. You have mommy and daddy to talk to, if you need to. We’re not going to yell at you, or anything. I just want you to tell us what you’re feeling. If you’re sad, I am sad, and so is mommy, you know?”
Mandy looked down for the third time, but this time Michael didn’t say anything. He figured the girl must be thinking about something, and he didn’t want to interrupt that. Suddenly, Mandy looked up at him again, her big blue eyes full of tears ready to roll off her cheeks, and she said, with her voice slightly sobby:
“I don’t want to have a baby here! I don’t want to! I want things to go like they have always been. I want to be me alone again, just with Zach and Honey and everybody else, like we’ve always been”.
“But, you know, sweetie, Zach has a baby sister too...”, Michael began.
“I don’t care! I don’t want a baby, daddy”, Mandy sobbed. “I’m… I’m scared”.
Michael froze at these words. He sat closer to his daughter and took her hands in his.
“Scared of what, baby?”
“I’m scared”, she whispered, hugging Michael and laying her head on his big shoulder. “I’m scared you and mommy forget about me. That’s why I don’t want the baby. I—I don’t want to share you and mommy with him or her. I want you to keep loving me, forever”.
Michael felt the tears behind his lashes. So that was it... how hadn’t he thought about it before. Mandy was jealous. And scared. All at the same time. Maria had probably suspected it, but she hadn’t wanted to say him... maybe not to worry him, or maybe she thought it was a false alarm. Anyway, he should have known. He should have realized it earlier. Meanwhile, his daughter had been suffering. How could he have been so stupid??! He wanted to punch himself.
“Oh baby... c’mere”, he said, hugging Mandy close. He placed a kiss on her head full of silky blonde curls. “It’s okay... don’t cry. How could you think me or mommy would stop loving you? We won’t. Ever. You’re our little girl, remember?”
Mandy was still crying, and Michael felt his grey t-shirt wet with her tears.
“Mandy... don’t cry, sweetheart. It’s okay. We’ll always love you, way way more than you’ll ever know. And even when the baby is born, we’ll love you just the same. So don’t worry about it, okay?”
He felt Mandy sob and nod against his shoulder.
“Wanna know something, kiddo?” he asked, stroking her curls.
Mandy nodded.
“What, daddy?”
“I’m gonna tell you a story about me. When I was a little kid like you, maybe a little older”.
Mandy wrapped her legs around Michael’s waist and wiped away the tears from her face.
“Tell, daddy”.
“When I was a little kid, I hadn’t parents or anybody who’d love me and take care of me. Aunt Izzy and Uncle Max had their parents and they were a really happy family. But I was alone, and I had lots of hard times. That’s why I missed somebody to be with me. Like a little brother or a little sister”.
“Really?”, Mandy’s eyes sparkled in interest.
“Yeah. Though Aunt Izzie and Uncle Max were like my brother and sister, I missed somebody else. Somebody to be with me everytime I felt really bad. So that’s why today I’m glad I have really good friends and your mommy with me”. He smiled at her. “And you know what else I’m glad for?”
Mandy shook her head, looking clueless at him.
“You”, he winked. “You’re the best thing who ever happened in my life”.
“Are you serious, daddy?”, Mandy’s eyes sparkled.
“I cross my heart”, Michael replied. “That’s why I am happy soon you’ll have somebody to be with you, to be your friend and to support you if you ever need. Your little brother or sister”.
Mandy looked down for some seconds, then raised her head and nodded slowly.
“I see”, she finally said.
“You get my point, sweetie?”, Michael asked.
Mandy nodded.
“Think so”. Then she gave Michael her unique smile. “And I think I feel better now”.
“You do?”, Michael beamed.
“Yeah”, Mandy smiled shyly.
“But I want you to promise me that if you ever feel down or really sad again, you come talk to me or mommy about it, okay?”
Mandy nodded.
“I will”.
“Good”, Michael picked her up and placed her on her bed again, after placing a kiss on her forehead. “Luv ya princess”.
“I love you too, daddy”, Mandy replied with her sweet smile. She prepared to leave the room when she turned around and said: “Daddy?”
“Yeah baby?”
“I will always take care of you. If you’re sad, I’ll never leave you”.
Michael felt he was going to start crying right there. He walked towards her, picked her up and hugged her tight.
“Thanks baby. I’m so glad to know that. And you bet as long as I’m around, nobody will ever hurt you”.
Mandy laid her head on Michael’s shoulder again and sighed happily.


A/N.- I just love this chapter!! I think it’s good and really, really cute. Michael is adorable as a daddy. :sighs: I nearly cried when I was writing this. It really touched my heart. So please! FEEDBACK!!! See ya soon – xoxo