He walked closer to the bed, his eyes never leaving her face. In spite of her recent bout of tears, she was breathtaking. Her inner glow was visible even in sleep and Max dragged what he presumed to be the Dendarian version of a chair closer to the bed so he could watch over her. He longed to get in bed with her and just hold her until the torture of this last week faded into a distant memory, but he was afraid that he could hurt her now. What if this was like when she has her period? He knew all too well about cramps and sensitive breasts. On the other hand, he had no knowledge whatsoever about pregnant women, let alone women pregnant with alien babies. He would really have to talk to Nick and Grace about this.

What would happen to Liz? They were both pretty much human, but what if the baby needed vitamins and nutrients that could only be provided by another alien? He had never felt so out of control in his life. Things were now happening to Liz that he could do nothing about and he just knew this pregnancy would be the death of him.

He leaned forward in the chair, softly brushing her hair from her face. "I love you, sweetheart," he whispered. With every breath she took, Liz made his life more complete.

Jumping up, he knew there was at least something he could do to make things safer for Liz. He went to Nick and Grace’s room and knocked on the door softly. Nick opened the door and he could see in their shining eyes they had been talking about his baby. This thought brought another stupid grin to his face. Good lord, he was going to be a father!

"Congratulations, Max," Grace said respectfully.

He smiled at her broadly, not seeing her eyes widen at the unexpected sight. "Thank you. I really need to ask you two a favor. Actually, two favors."

Nick was already sighing. "I know. Don’t tell anyone else Liz is pregnant yet, right?"

Max gaped at him fleetingly, before recovering. "Yeah. It’s just, Tess and Nacedo— I really don’t want her to be in danger because of this. And if anything happened to my child… Anyway, I want you to post two guards to her round the clock." Nick was nodding his ascent. There were only a few Antarian survivors left in the universe, making the pregnancy of their Queen a huge issue. "And those men should stick with her no matter what she says! No more slinking off because Liz had a privacy fit."

"Yes, Sir." Nick had trouble hiding his smile. Max was going to be hell to live with until that baby came. "What was the other favor?"

"I-I need you two to come talk to Liz and I about this pregnancy at some stage. I have no idea what to expect and Liz… she doesn’t have her mother or anybody else here that can give her advice. Grace…"

"I’ll be here for her, don’t worry."

Max felt relieved. He felt like he had accomplished something useful for Liz. Wow, his Liz was pregnant!

"Okay… then… I’ll go back to her. She’s sleeping…"

"Pregnant women need their naps," Nick informed him. "Excuse me for asking, but how far along is she?"

"We think about a week-and-a-half." Max felt really uncomfortable discussing the conception stage of this joyous event. Everyone knew he had sex with his wife, but he preferred the exact dates and times to stay private. "Well… I’ll let you know when we can meet with you."

"Wait, Max! Michael wanted to talk with you."

Max gritted his teeth, he needed to be with Liz. He didn’t want to miss a second of his baby growing inside her. "Okay, fine."

~*~*~*~*~*~

Michael and the gang had arrived on their own transportation ship by the time Nick contacted them. The discussion was short and to the point. Yes Michael, everyone was fine and they were on their way. Yes Maria, we all have small rooms too.

"Geesh, did Max sound a bit hyper to you guys too?" Maria asked after the connection was broken.

Everyone looked at each other and said ‘something with Liz again’ all at once.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Max retook his seat next to the bed, his eyes tracing Liz’s delicate features lovingly. He suddenly remembered a poem he had found for Liz on their first Valentine’s Day as a married couple.

"I love you, before long I die,

I have travel’d a long way merely to look on you to touch you,

For I could not die till I once look’d on you,

For I fear’d I might afterwards lose you."

She had been his wife for close to eight years now, and sometimes he still felt like this poem. Like he had traveled the vast expanses of space just to behold her. Being with her was like holding a fleeting moment of perfection in his hands and sometimes he feared that it might all suddenly and inexplicably slip through his fingers. That the universe would get tired of their perfect happiness and take it away from them.

He was so deep in thought that he didn’t notice Liz had woken up until she spoke his name.

"Max?"

He was on his knees next to the bed instantly. "I’m so sorry, love! I needed to think, there is so much to consider. But please don’t ever think that I would send you away. I just want you to be safe. You and our baby." His eyes begged her to forgive him for making her cry again. "I love you so much, Liz."

She sat up and touched his face. "I’m sorry too, for keeping this from you. For making us both so miserable the last week…" Leaning forward, she pressed her forehead against his. "Max, we’re having a baby!"

The wonder in her voice echoed his own feelings. This was yet another wonderful chapter in their lives. "Yes," he whispered back. "Thank you for giving me this gift."

"I missed being close with you so much," she added after a while.

"Me too."

"Will you just hold me then? Please, I-I missed your touch…"

She was looking at him with her fathomless dark eyes and he fell headlong into her magic. "Yes." He kicked off his shoes and climbed in behind her back, pulling her against him and wrapping his arm around her waist. Her head was cushioned on his other arm and he inhaled the sweet scent of her gorgeous hair with great relief. It was so good to have her back in his arms without any barriers between them.

He felt her tangle her fingers with his that were resting on her tummy and she languorously rubbed his hand over her skin. Max had to remind himself forcibly that his hand was covering his unborn child in an effort divert his concentration from the fact that her skin was soft and warm and that his fingers were drifting dangerously closer to the edge of her panties.

Liz was in heaven. After nearly a week-and-a-half of serious torture, she was free to do anything she liked with Max again. She could feel his conflict about how much he should allow himself with her, but she was determined to change his mind. So she pressed herself back against him, irritated by the fact that he was still wearing clothes.

Rolling over onto her back, she looked up at Max through her eyelashes and licked her lips before sighing: "Max…" She knew just which buttons to push and he inhaled sharply at the sultry huskiness of her voice.

One kiss won’t hurt, will it? Max couldn’t ignore that he had his wife wearing very little clothing in his arms again and, most importantly, WILLING after what felt like forever.

The kiss was gentle at first, gentle enough for Liz to wonder whether he would be able to resist her after all, but almost instantly they caught fire from each other, and by the time it was finished she was pressed fiercely against him, her hands hard across his back, offering him all he wanted.

"God Liz," Max muttered as his mouth touched the long line of her neck, not just once but several times, the brief, fiery graze of his lips sending wild little shudders through her whole body. "I don’t want this to get out of hand—"

He didn’t try to pull away but she tightened her arms around him anyway.

"I’m staying," he promised her. "You’re not getting away from me again."

Liz smiled against his throat and slid her hands under his shirt, forcing him to lift himself up so she could take it off. "Liz…" he sounded strained but lay back down with her after his shirt went flying to the floor.

Still smiling, she ran a light finger across his chest, the skin felt smooth and flexible.

"Don’t do that," he said, his beautiful voice husky with desire.

"Why?"

"Because I can’t give you anything more than just comfort right now. You are—"

"Not made of porcelain." She lifted herself on to an elbow and smiled into his face, letting her hair fall around it like a curtain.

He looked at her with brilliant eyes, no longer trying to hide his hunger and passion. "Liz, we have to be careful, we don’t know what can—"

This time she stopped him by covering his mouth with hers.

Feeling her desire through their connection was his undoing and he resisted only a second. As her hand moved across his chest, spreading wide until she could feel the solid, rapidly speeding beat of his heart beneath her palm, the tip of her tongue traced his lips with delicate precision, outlining the top lip, then the more sweeping arc of the bottom.

He groaned deep in his throat and his arms came up and caught her, iron bands around her pliant, yielding body, pulling her over him so that she could feel his warm skin, the need and passion in him that more than matched hers. He touched her with such devouring yearning that she couldn’t help but respond.

Max’s breath hissed between his teeth when she curved her hand around his hip and pulled him close against her so that, mouth joined to mouth, their bodies were welded together by the fire leaping from one to the other.

The fire was threatening to consume him and steal his reason.

Max pulled away from her in a panic. "Liz! I’m sorry. Did I hurt you? We should be careful," he repeated his previous statement.

Liz was confused by his sudden withdrawal before it dawned on her that Max apparently now thought he shouldn’t make love to her. She was too mad to get anything out and concentrated on making sure he felt each and every one of her feelings through their connection.

Holy crap. He was reeling from all the emotions Liz were sending him. Not least from her intense need for him to make love to her. "No, Liz," he practically moaned. "We have to make sure everything is fine with you and our baby first. Please don’t make this impossible for me!" He was shamelessly begging. This was tearing him in two opposite directions. His mind had now placed her in a different category: mother of my child, while his heart and body was screaming at him that this was his lover and wife and he needed her just as much as she needed him.