I know it's been a long road
To get these fears behind me and I
Will gladly reap what we may sow I am
There for you and you're there for me”
~ Vertical Horizon

~*~*~*~*~

Max’s heart raced as they reached the front door to Morgan’s condo. His mind raced on to a million different things. What was wrong with Liz?

Michael steadied him as they raced to the front door. Without knocking, Morgan opened it.

The look in her eyes was enough to chill Max and Michael to the bone.

“Come in.” Morgan said, ushering the two to come inside. It wasn’t long before Maria was in the foyer, rushing into Michael’s arms.

“Where’s Liz?” Max screamed, trying to push his way inside. Michael put his hand on Max’s shoulder.

“Oh, Michael, I’m so scared for her,” Maria said. She looked at his eyes. “We know that you guys will know what to do.”

“Take me to Liz.” Max said, directing his gaze at Morgan.

Morgan paused. “Okay.” She said, holding a cold washcloth. “Give this to her. She’s in my bedroom, the second door on your right when you go up the stairs.”

Max rushed up the stairs, running into Morgan’s bedroom and slamming the door behind him. “Liz! Oh God!” He ran over to her bedside. She was lying cold and still on the bed, her sweaty body lying on top of the covers, a washcloth lying on her feet and forehead. Her eyes were shut and flung open when Max came in the room. He kissed her cheek, wrapping his arms around her. “Liz, baby, I was so worried, are you all right?”

Liz didn’t answer, but put a hand on Max’s cheek.

“Max, I’m ten days late.”

Max paused, fully understanding the gravity of what she was telling him.

“You’re…?”

“Yeah.” She said, smiling, rubbing her belly.

“Is that why you’re getting so… oh God, Liz, if I had known this was going to happen to you…” Max said, grabbing her hand and kissing it gently.

“Max, don’t apologize, my love.” She said, her voice strained and weak. “I’ve never been so happy in my whole life.”

“But you’ve never been so sick either.”

Liz paused, taking a deep breath and trying to continue. “I can’t explain it…it’s like some kind of force is taking over my body. Something I can’t control, even if I wanted to…”

“Is it our…” Max began, putting his hand on her belly.

“I think so.” Liz said. She raised her shirt and Max was stunned to see a small glowing symbol right below her navel.

“Liz!” Max cried. “That’s the symbol!” He recognized it from his dreams, and from Isabel’s necklace they had found in Atherton’s Dome so many years before.

“Yeah,” She said, weakly, trying to smile. “What’s going to happen to me, Max?” She began crying. Max held her.

He felt like he was being stabbed in the heart, to think he had been the one to do this to her. To this beautiful creature, his beautiful angel. He’d been the one to make her so weak and so sick…carrying this child for them.

Liz knew what he was thinking. “Max, it’s not your fault. I’m just…”

“Scared?”

“Yes. Terrified.”

“I’m calling Isabel.”

“Okay.” She said. “I think that would be a good idea.”

Max looked over to the table and grabbed the phone. He hadn’t talked to his sister in a couple of weeks and he knew she would kick his ass for calling her in the middle of the night, but it had to be done.

* * * *

Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Alex and Isabel Whitman’s home.
2:46 A.M.

Michaela Diane Whitman slept soundly in her crib, her jet-black hair shimmering in the moonlight. She obviously had gotten her hair from her father. Her mother hovered over her, kissing her gently.

“Goodnight, baby girl.” Isabel Whitman cooed, ecstatic that she had had a “Good Mommy Day”. She’d been able to get a crying Michaela back to sleep without much fuss. She was only four months old, but Isabel felt like her life had completely changed in that short amount of time. Michaela was the center of her universe, and Isabel loved it that way.

The phone rang then and Isabel jumped a mile. She looked at her watch.

2:46 A.M. What are they thinking?

“This better be important, whoever it is!” She groaned into the phone, quickly leaving the room and shutting the door behind her sleeping daughter.

“Hey, Izzy, it’s me. I’m sorry to wake you.” He said.

“Max,” Isabel said frantically. “You didn’t wake me, is everything ok?”

“Well…” His voice trailed off. “I needed to ask you some questions.”

Isabel narrowed her gaze. “At 3 A.M., Max? Couldn’t it have waited until morning?”

“Liz is pregnant.”

Isabel smiled. “Max, that’s, that’s wonderful! Congratulations!” Isabel could tell from the sound of his voice that something was wrong. “So what’s the matter?”

“She’s sick. Very sick.”

“What, like morning sickness? That’s normal, Max.”

“No, she’s been throwing up all night, having hallucinations, sweating like crazy, fainting spells, dizziness…”

Isabel gasped. “Oh my God! The poor thing!”

“And that’s not the creepy part…on her belly…there’s a glowing symbol…”

Isabel paused. “What…kind…of symbol?”

“The symbol from your necklace. The one from your dreams. The one that lead Nasedo and Tess to us all those years ago.”

“Oh my God…” Isabel said.

“Did that happen to you when you were pregnant with Michaela?” Max asked. Liz grabbed his hand as she drifted off to sleep.

“No…I mean, my pregnancy was pretty normal, as far as pregnancies go…just some morning sickness and insomnia, but no glowing symbols or hallucinations or anything…” Isabel had walked in the kitchen, pulling out a leftover piece of chocolate cake. She walked over to the cabinet, pulling out one of the dozens of bottles of hot sauce that were standing inside. She started shaking a bottle onto the cake and shoved a small piece into her mouth.

“Maybe that’s because…”

“Alex is human? Yeah, we talked about that- that could be it. We’re just going to have to see what happens to Liz…since this is the first pregnancy involving one of us as the father.”

“Isabel, Liz is in pain, I’m not going to sit by and watch her suffer.”

“Well, Max, I really don’t know what else we can do for her…” Isabel began.

“I’m going to talk to Tess in the morning…” He said idly, not realizing Isabel had no idea she was an aunt already.

“Tess?” Isabel asked. “What are you talking about, Max?”

Max paused. He knew he had to tell Isabel sometime, so he sucked in his breath and went for it.

“She showed up in Boston a couple of weeks ago. I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want to worry you. She brought…” Max paused. He couldn’t bring himself to say it.

“She brought what, Max?”

“My son. Our son. Me and Tess’s son.” Max repeated. He looked over at a sleeping Liz and kissed her head.

“YOUR SON?” Isabel screamed, dropping the fork onto the floor with a loud clanging noise.

“I know, Isabel, I was just as surprised as you were.”

“Oh my God, Max…” Isabel began. “I have a nephew? I never knew about?” She began tearing up. “What’s his name? How old is he? Does he look like you?”

Max sighed, the sight of his precious little boy coming back into his mind. “His name is Adam-Michael. He’s almost 5. And according to Michael, he looks exactly like me.”

“Oh, wow…Max…well, how are you taking it?” She said, leaning over to pick the fork up from the floor. She walked over to the sink and rinsed the fork off with hot water.

Max paused. “I don’t know, I mean, I’d be ecstatic if Tess wasn’t his mother…”

Isabel paused. Her blonde hair shone in the moonlight, and she had lost all the weight she had gained during her pregnancy with Michaela. She had never looked more radiant, according to her doting husband, Alex.

“But he’s your son, Max. That will never change. You can’t blame him for being born to Tess.” Isabel said, munching on her cake. “He’s here now, and you have to accept that.”

Max sighed. “It’s been so long. I’ve missed so much of his life…what if he doesn’t…accept me?”

Isabel smiled. “Max, you’re his daddy. Of course he wants you in his life. He’s just a little boy. He doesn’t understand fate and destiny and your history with Tess and Liz for that matter. He just knows that you’re his daddy and he loves you. That’s all that matters.”

“I know, I mean, I want to be a good father to both my kids- Adam-Michael, and this new…” He looked longingly at a sleeping Liz. “…addition.”

“You will be, Max. Loving things and caring about people comes naturally to you. You have a kind heart and a gentle soul. You were so sweet with Michaela when you and Liz came to visit right after she was born.”

Max couldn’t help but smile. He took the phone and raised Liz’s shirt up ever-so-slightly, trying not to disturb her. He caressed his fingers over the strange glowing symbol. He spoke to it sweetly. “Hello, baby. I’m your daddy. And this is your Aunt Izzy.” He put the receiver over Liz’s belly and Isabel smiled.

“Hi, little one.” She whispered. “I can’t wait to meet you!” It warmed her heart to hear her brother so happy. He picked up the receiver and smiled.

“Thanks,” He said. He kissed Liz’s belly and she subconsciously flung her hand into his hair. He waited for a moment, smiling into her stomach until she was settled. He then slowly moved his head away from her, kissing her open palm as she slept.

“Wait till Mom hears about this one.” Isabel said, rolling her eyes.

“Oh, no…what are we going to tell her? Surprise! You have a four year old grandson!” Max said, grimacing.

“And another one on the way!” Isabel said, smirking. “We’ll think of something.”

Max nodded. Even though he had always been thought of as the “leader” of the three of them, he always counted on Isabel to support him. She was the rock he leaned on.

* * * *

Maria, Michael, and Morgan sat in the living room of Morgan’s condo, talking and drinking hot tea.

“Morgan, how long have you and Liz been good friends?” Michael asked. While she wasn’t looking, he’d grabbed a bottle of Tabasco from her cupboard and poured a good bit into his tea. It tasted perfect.

“Oh, since our freshman year at BU. We were paired as roommates.”

“You’re from North Carolina?” Maria asked.

“Yeah, Charlotte.” Morgan nodded, sipping on her tea.

“Do you miss home?” Michael asked. It was obvious he was trying to make small talk.

“Sometimes. I mean, I miss my…family…I have great friends up here and an awesome boyfriend named Owen. Here’s his picture right here.” She seemed uncomfortable with the question until she picked up a gold picture frame lying on the coffee table and showed it to them.

“You guys are cute together.” Maria said, smiling.

“Yeah, we’ve been together for about two years.” Morgan said, smiling. She sighed at touched the picture with her hand. “He works with my best friend for her production company, and they’re away right now in California. I miss them.”

“Must be hard. We know what it’s like to be away from best friends.” Maria said, nodding.

Morgan smiled. “Liz and Max talk about you guys all the time. You obviously mean a lot to them.”

Michael nodded. “Max and I have always been like brothers. Maria and Liz have always been like sisters. So I guess you could say we’re close.” Michael couldn’t put his finger on it, but there was something weird about Morgan and this line of questioning.

There was an uncomfortable silence in the room until Max came down the stairs with Liz in his arms.

“I’m taking her home.” Max said to Morgan. “Thanks for all your help.”

Morgan jumped up, frantic. “But are you sure it’s okay to move her? I mean, I don’t want her to get any worse…”

Everyone looked at her. Obviously she didn’t know not to get between Max and Liz. The results could be pretty nasty.

Max narrowed his gaze at her. “I’m taking her home.” He repeated firmly. Morgan ran to the door, trying to block their entrance.

“No, Max, you really hurt Liz, and I’m not going to…let you walk out of here with her, pretending…everything’s ok!” Morgan screamed.

Maria’s jaw dropped. Morgan was in for it now!

“Morgan, I’m taking my fiancée home, now get out of my way!” Max said, pushing her gently away from the door and allowing Michael to open it. Maria grabbed her purse and Liz’s bag from the table in the foyer.

“Max,” Morgan said with fire in her eyes as the foursome filed out of the door.

They were halfway to the car when they turned around.

Morgan began to say something, but didn’t.

She turned around and went back inside, slamming the door behind her.

“What a weirdo!” Michael said, shaking his head.

“She’s never been that strange before. Something’s up.” Max said, carrying Liz around to the back door and laying her head gently in Maria’s lap. She stirred a little bit and Maria noticed the glowing symbol on her stomach.

“Oh my God, Max!” She cried.

Michael and Max looked back.

“Holy shit, Maxwell…what does that…?” Michael began, turning around from the front passenger seat.

“She’s pregnant.” Max said, starting the car.

Michael and Maria looked at him with mouths gaping.

* * * *

From inside the condo, Morgan was pacing back and forth inside the foyer, a phone at her ear.

“Look, I’m sorry, I couldn’t finish it, okay?” She said frantically into the receiver.

“What do you MEAN you’re SORRY?” The voice on the other line screamed at her. “You can change into ANY human body, have a multitude of powers that no human possesses, and you couldn’t carry off a simple poisoning? You’re USELESS!”

“Tessa, don’t you dare speak to me that way.” Morgan’s tone of voice got extremely heavy and dark. It almost scared Tess until she realized who she was talking to.

“You will get the job done. And you will do it tomorrow.” Tess said. “I can’t have Liz in the way anymore.”

“You’re not listening to me. I may not have to do the job at all…she may be dying.”

“What do you mean?” Tess asked, intrigued.

“She’s carrying Max’s baby.”

Tess’s heart stopped.

“WHAT?” She screamed. Morgan held the phone away from her ear.

“She’s pregnant with Max’s baby, and she’s gotten very sick. The baby seems to be draining her energy or something, her life force, I don’t know.” Morgan said. “We’ve never had to deal with a hybrid birth like this.”

“Isabel never had this problem.”

“No, she didn’t, because she is alien and was carrying a half-alien child. Liz is human carrying a half-alien child. It’s extremely different.”

“Don’t worry, Tess. Liz will be out of the picture one way or the other.” Morgan said. “You have my word.”

“Make it fast. Adam-Michael is starting to ask where his father is and it’s making me terribly upset.” Tess said, pouting like a spoiled brat.

“Of course. You and Max are meant to be together. Leave it to me. You will be together once again.” Morgan said.

“Nasedo, I knew I could always count on you. I’ll be in touch.” Tess said, hanging up the phone.

Morgan/Nasedo switched off the phone and smiled.