* * * * *

Max was sitting up in his bed. He looked over at the clock.

3:14 A.M.

“Dear Lord, let me fall asleep.” He whispered. “Some time tonight. That’s all I ask.” He knew why he couldn’t sleep. It had been his first night without Liz in what seemed like years. It probably was. Neither of them ever went out of town without the other. Liz never stayed over at other people’s houses. Whenever she had to work late, he’d walk down to the store three blocks away and he’d walk her home. It was hard for him to sleep without her lying beside him, knowing she was safe with him. He tried to deny it, but he had a nagging fear. Tess was going to do something to harm her. She wasn’t going to be able to get to him the normal way, so she’d get to him through his Achilles heel…

The entire town of Roswell, NM, most of the student body of Boston University, and small corrupt sects of the FBI know that his Achilles heel is definitely Elizabeth Marie Parker.

Now that he knew about Adam-Michael, his only son, being without him made him feel doubly awful and fearful.

Michael walked into Max and Liz’s bedroom then. He had been sleeping on their couch out in the living room. He rubbed his hands through his spiky brown hair and sat down on the edge of Max’s bed.

“You can’t sleep either?” Max asked him.

“Nope.” Michael said. “Not a wink.”

“I’m sorry about the couch, I know it’s not the most comfortable-“ Max began.

“No, no, it’s not the couch, I just miss…”

Max smiled. “Maria?”

“Yeah.” Michael said. He could see in the moonlight that Max had been crying. “You’ll see Liz tomorrow, Maxwell.”

Max nodded. “I know.” He tried to force a smile. “It’s just not the same. I feel so…empty. Like someone has come along and ripped an entire part of my body off, and left me exposed…vulnerable.”

“Max, this is only temporary. Until you can settle things with Tess. You both said that.”

“It’s not just that…I’m afraid…Liz isn’t going to want to marry me anymore after all this.” Max said.

Michael chuckled. “The girl is nuts about you! She has been since we were sixteen years old! Of course she wants to marry you. But she’s human, she’s hurt. It’s not your fault. It’s not anyone’s fault. You just have to work through it so you can be together again.”

“I don’t know how long I can take this. I haven’t even survived a night yet.” Max said, his eyes welling up with tears. He grabbed Liz’s pillow and pressed it tightly to his chest. He could still smell her peach shampoo lingering on it.

“It’s the first night. It will get easier,” Michael said. “And…I’m here man, as long as you need me. We’ve got to get to the bottom of this shit with Tess.”

“No kidding. I’ve got to get my son.”

Michael stared at him. “You want him, like full custody?”

“It’s worth a try…” Max said.

Michael shook his head. “It will never stand up in court.”

“Why not?”

“She’s his mother, that’s why not. She’s been the only parent in the picture his entire life…” Michael began.

“That’s not my fault…” Max pleaded.

“I know that, Maria knows that, Liz knows that, even Tess knows that…but the court won’t see it like that.”

Max sighed. “Liz would make such a great mother to him.”

“Then have your own babies, Maxwell. Cause I’m sorry, but I don’t think you’re going to ever get Adam away from my sister.”

“She’s using him as a pawn, Michael, can’t you see that? A pawn in some sick, ridiculous game that I’m so tired of playing!” Max cried. “He’s my son too and I have a right to be with him.”

The phone rang then. Both Max and Michael looked over to the Caller I.D. box. Max reached over, turning on the lamp next to the bed. “HARDING-EVANS, TESS. (617) 290-0666.”

Max’s heart sank in disappointment. “What do you want, Tess?” He asked, picking up the phone.

She paused. “Max, I was hoping you’d be a little more responsive to me. To our son. I never meant to hurt you.”

“Oh yeah, Tess?” Max shouted back at her. “Well you did hurt me. You kept Adam from me for almost five years!”

“Five years this Christmas Day.” Tess said, rubbing her belly subconsciously and smiling.

Max’s eyes filled up with tears. He had spent that Christmas with Liz, Isabel, Michael, Maria, Alex, and their families while his son was coming into the world. “He was born on Christmas?”

“Yeah. He was big too, Nasedo delivered him in the cave where the pods are…the delivery was very difficult for me, because I’m so tiny. We almost lost Adam…”

Max felt a twinge of pain. He couldn’t help it. No matter what Tess had ever done to him, Adam-Michael would always be his son. Nothing would ever change that. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there…to help.”

“You were with us, Max. You’re always with us.” Tess replied, smiling.

Max felt conflicting emotions after hearing this. He was speechless. He shook his head, denying his happy memories with Tess all those years ago to flood his brain. It killed him a little more as she continued to jab the knife in deeper…

“It was that night at the rock formation---we had a romantic picnic under the stars—then we…” She said slowly, smiling as she remembered.

“You said you were on the pill, Tessa. You lied to me!” Max said, sternly as those disturbing yet strangely sensual images of that night came into his mind again.

Tess chuckled then, somewhat sadistically. “Oops…” She said, smiling.

Max was livid. “Look, if you think bringing Adam-Michael into the picture now is going to keep me from marrying Liz, you are SO wrong!”

“Oh, really? I think it already has….” She said, prophetically.

Max gasped. “How do you know…?”

“I know everything, Max…everything about you and Liz. You wake up before her every morning, and you marvel at how wonderfully different the city of Boston always is. On Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday nights, Liz works at Urban Outfitters on JFK Street. You work at Dr. Sutton’s office in Cambridge on Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. You and Liz like to eat lunch at Au Bon Pain in Harvard Square on pretty afternoons. You…make love to her…every free afternoon and every night…if you’re both not too tired from working. And the nights you don’t, you sleep in each other’s arms and wake up to face the day all over again.” Tess said, her eyes welling with tears as the last words escaped freely from her lips.

“Max, what’s she saying…Max?” Michael asked frantically.

Max shook his head in disbelief. “This can’t be happening…you are sick…”

“Oh, but it is happening, Max. You know I’ll stop at nothing to get what I want…” Tess began.

“Including sacrificing your own son’s happiness? Our son’s happiness? Who’s next, Tessa? Who’s next in your sick little game?” Max screamed, the vein in his forehead pounding with anger. Michael tried to grab the phone from him, but he broke away.

“It’s not a game, Max. It’s our destiny.” Tess repeated.

“No, it’s not! I make my own life, my own destiny! And that life is with Liz! I will NEVER go back to you, Tess- do you hear me? Never!”

“Well then,” Tess said, livid. “We’ll just have to do something about that now, won’t we?”

Max’s heart stopped. “If you hurt Liz, if you hurt Adam-Michael, so help me Tess…”

“Calm down. I would NEVER harm my own child. What do you think I am, some kind of monster?” She asked, taken aback.

Max paused. “I’ll never let you get to Liz.”

“Oh, really Max? How do you know she’s not already here, sitting beside me? She’s not sleeping with you tonight, so you’re pretty clueless now, aren’t you?” Tess said, grinning.

Max gasped again. This was like some sort of nightmare he couldn’t break free of. “Tess…” His voice was choked by fear, anger, and tears.

Mostly fear.

“Leave her alone… I’ll do…anything you want. Please. Just don’t hurt her.” Max pleaded, freely crying now.

“Oh, I’m counting on it, my love.” Tess said. “Now, don’t try to call here or arrange visits with your son. We’ll find you. Rest well, my darling.” She made kissing noises into the phone.

“Tess!” He cried. The line went dead. Max hung up the phone to see Michael with his head in his hands.

“God, Maxwell- I am so sorry.” Michael said.

“She’s going to hurt Liz- I’ve got to get to her before Tess does.” Max said, mumbling to himself and rummaging in his dresser for a shirt to wear.

“Maxwell, no!” Michael said.

“Michael, let go of me!” Max said, pulling Michael’s arm from his. “Liz needs to be with me so I can protect her!” Max said, his eyes welling up with tears. “She’s going to kill Liz, she’s going to hurt her, she’s going to…and it’s all my fault, my fault, she’s going to kill my baby, my angel, my…my…” Max crumbled onto the floor.

The phone rang as they were struggling. They both froze and ran to check the Caller I.D. box. “PATRICK, MORGAN E (617) 419-6442.” Max’s heart jumped.

“It’s Liz! Something’s wrong!” Max cried.

Michael picked up the phone. Max was shaking too badly to talk. “Liz?” Michael asked, picking up the phone.

“This is Morgan, I need to speak to Max.” Morgan said into the phone.

“This is Michael, Max’s brother, what’s up? Are Liz and Maria ok?” Michael asked.

“You guys need to get over here right away.” Morgan replied solemnly. “Liz is really sick.”

“What?” Michael cried. “What’s wrong with her?”

“She’s been throwing up for like two hours straight. And she’s been mumbling things, hallucinating…”

“We’ll be right there!” Michael cried, hanging up the phone and grabbing Max.

“Oh my God! What’s wrong with her? Tess got to her! No!” Max screamed.

“Maxwell, it’s nothing like that. Liz is…really sick.” Michael said.

“What?” Max said.

“That’s all Morgan would say, we’ve got to get over there. How long will it take us?”

“Ten minutes,” Max said. “We’ve just got to go across the street to the parking garage and get the car.”

Michael walked into the other room and pulled a shirt on, and grabbed his jacket. Max did the same. The latter said nothing to the former, but he was terrified.