Max was ready to lose it. Liz has been in labor for six hours and he couldn’t take it anymore.

They had all been surprised when it became clear that their son was going to be born seven months after being conceived. When the six month alien pregnancy period had lapsed, they had all just assumed that Liz’s pregnancy would follow human rules, so Max nearly passed out when she woke him up earlier this morning to say that the baby wants to be born. A few frantic phone calls later, the birthing team was on the way and Max was left trying to cope with the first stages of Liz’s labor on his own.

He had tried not to panic, he really did, but at the first sign of the pain Liz was in, he nearly freaked. He attached himself to her side and refused to be moved, even when Grace got irritated with him for being in her way after she arrived with her birthing team. He was deathly afraid that something would go wrong and he wouldn’t be near enough to fix it. Their room in their house in Albuquerque was crowded with Grace and two other women from the colony, who had been slightly taken aback by his resolute presence at Liz’s side. So far, he ignored all the bullying looks and concentrated on Liz who was coping much better than him.

A small whimper from Liz alerted him to another contraction coming on and he pressed his face against the side of her head as he held her hand through it. He kept his other hand on her stomach, trying to send heat and healing through to Liz. He waited until she started taking great, racking, relaxing breaths before kissing her cheek. "I love you. You are doing great," he told her.

Glancing at him wryly, Liz knew he was not as calm as he tried to sound. In fact, he looked ready to keel over. She caressed his face with a smile. "Breathe, Max."

"God, Liz, there must be something I can do!" he burst out. She was so tiny. In spite of being seven months pregnant, she was still petite and he wasn’t sure her body could take this battering. Actually, he wasn’t sure HIS body could take the battering. Surely he could help the process along. Why did he have these stupid powers if he couldn’t use them to save Liz all this pain? Surely there was some way he could hurry up his son’s entrance into the world.

"I’m fine so far. I’ll let you know if I need help," she promised him. To tell the truth, she felt a little sad that her little boy was not going to be part of her body anymore. She’s gotten used to having him inside her and sharing such a strong connection with him. Even though she didn’t want to have the last three weeks of her pregnancy over again (she had been HUGE), she would miss the closeness with her son.

"How long is this still going to take?" Max asked Grace.

"I’m guessing about two more hours?"

Max paled, but didn’t have a chance to say anything before he had to help Liz through another contraction.

"Maa-aax!" Liz cried as the pain sliced through her belly. The others were awful, but this one felt like a thousand hot knives were cutting into her. Tears formed in her eyes as she gripped his hand and looked wildly at him. Something wasn’t wrong, was it? She had been able to cope with the pain so far, what was going on now?

"Grace!" Max called wildly. "What is going on?"

The other two women stared at their King, they had never seen him like this before. "Calm down, Max," Grace commanded him. "Things are just starting to move faster now. It’s normal."

Taking deep breaths, Max tried to get a hold of himself. Little did he know, his worst nightmare was just beginning!

Liz was in a fog of pain and finally her calm fled her completely. Her eyes flew open, huge and hopelessly woebegone. "It’s horrible, Max," she wailed.

"I know, I know," he tried to soothe.

"You don’t know," she cried. "It’s not you suffering this… this…" She moaned and bent forward, huddling over the pain of the contraction.

She was right to some extent, he thought frantically. Some of the pain was seeping through their connection, but none of it would be as intense as she was experiencing it. "Roll onto you side, Liz," Max urged. "I’ll rub your back."

"It won’t help," she sobbed.

"I’m sorry, love, but it’s all I can do for you right now…"

"Don’t just say you’re sorry, DO something," she moaned.

Max got his hand working in circular caresses on Liz’s lower back, adding some alien healing power to the mix, and leaned over to kiss her ear. "I love you so much. This will be over soon."

"You’re only… saying that to make me…" Grumbled between gasps of pain.

"No!" he cried out in sheer desperation. "It WILL end soon or I’ll…" He glared at Grace. "Please hurry this up!"

"Max?" a breathless question.

"Yeah?" Lord, will this never end?

"He should have… have a name…"

He leaned forward to kiss her again. He kissed her all over her flushed, beautiful face. "You pick one. Right now, I’m too upset with him for making you suffer like this."

Shock registered in her eyes and he knew he had said the wrong thing.

"He’s YOUR… son!"

"I know! I’m sorry, it’s just… Can he come out of there already!" He pressed his forehead against hers. "I hate seeing you like this."

"You better… be nice to… him when he’s born. You’re… responsible…" She was starting to not make sense anymore.

"I know," he muttered. "I’m not touching you again!"

Liz moaned again and Grace glared at Max. "Are you crazy? Stop saying stupid things to her, she is having your baby!"

Nodding meekly, Max resolved to keep his mouth shut until his son is born. He broke his own rule immediately. "So, what do you want to call him?"

"Head’s engaged," one of Grace’s assistants informed them. "You’ll feel like bearing down soon."

Max kept rubbing her back, hoping it helped. How useless men of all species were when it got to the crunch of actually giving birth!

A groan of sheer anguish rattled his nerves anew. Liz rolled onto her back, desperately trying to stick to a breathing pattern. He grabbed her hand and her fingers dug into his like talons as she lurched forward. He quickly slipped his arm around her shoulders, hugging her supportively. His heart was hammering.

Suddenly it was all action. Instructions and encouragement were being called out. Liz was frantically trying to follow orders. Max heard himself echoing what everyone was saying, wildly anxious for it to be over.

Then a tiny baby slipped into Grace’s hands and the distinctive cry of a newborn silenced all of them. Liz fell back onto the pillow exhausted.

"It’s okay," Max murmured, stroking her damp hair away from her damp forehead. "He’s born. It’s over. And I love you more than I can ever say."

She smiled weakly at him. "Me too. Can I see him?"

He dragged himself away from her reluctantly. His son was being wiped and was yelling his dislike of the outside world. He stared at the little waving arms and feet in awe.

And then the next King of Antar was placed in his arms.

He didn’t even notice the tears in his eyes as he looked in his son’s eyes for the first time. A rush of such protectiveness overwhelmed him that he had to take deep breaths to get his body to work again.

"Max?" It was a profound moment for Liz, watching her son and her husband bond like that.

Her voice snapped him back and he carried the baby back to Liz and carefully laid him across her bare tummy, just under her breasts. "Liz…" It was a choked sound as they stared down at the perfect little person their love had created.

Max touched his finger to his son’s little hand and the baby grabbed it, causing a bright glow at the point of connection. Max’s harsh inhalation of breath was loud in the room and his wet gaze searched for Liz’s. "He is so perfect. You are so perfect." His heart was literally overflowing with relief and joy.

It was a moment Max would never forget.

The most perfect moment.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Liz woke up later, groggy and disorientated and her hand automatically drifted to her tummy, a soft, spongy, deflated tummy. The baby! She’d had the baby!

Her eyes opened in a flash. The room was filled with white roses, spilling over every available surface. Emotion threatened to choke her when her gaze found Max sprawled in a chair next to the bed, his head dropped onto his chest, eyes closed, fast asleep. And next to him, still clutching his finger, their son slept too in his own little bed.

She relaxed onto her pillow and reveled in just looking at the two of them. Max was the loveliest man. His black hair was mussed, lending an endearing, almost little-boy quality to his handsome face. Of course, his eyes changed that when they were open… such powerful, riveting amber eyes. And his body was all man… the sexiest, most exiting body a woman could ever know and be pleasured by.

She was so lucky to know him, even luckier that he loved her. And it wasn’t because he was gorgeous on the outside. What was inside was best of all… gentleness and a caring, giving heart, lined up with a strength of character that didn’t shy at anything that he considered had to be done.

Her gaze shifted to their son. He was really tiny and already had a mop of black hair, just like his daddy. How could you love someone so shatteringly that you’ve only known for a few hours? And how amazing that just looking at him made the pain of bringing him into this world recede.

As if aware that she was awake, Max opened his eyes and looked at her with such tenderness that tears welled up in her eyes. He got to his feet, gingerly dragging the little bassinet closer to their bed so he didn’t have to remove his finger from their son’s grip. Perching on the side of the bed next to Liz, he slid his free arm between her shoulders and the pillows, hugging her against him tightly.

"Thank you for the roses." She snuggled closer against his chest as he rested his chin on her hair.

"Thank you for my son." He kissed the top of her head before pulling back slightly so he could meet her eyes. "And thank you for loving me enough to go through all that to give him to me."

She smiled up at him. "Max, women have been going through all that to have babies forever, I’m not special."

"You are to me. And other women did not have to worry about giving birth to a half-alien baby. Weren’t you ever worried that something strange might happen?"

"No," she whispered. "I knew everything would be perfect."

His fingers threaded through her hair and gently tugged her head back. He kissed her, not hungrily, not passionately, more as though he was slowly relishing and deeply valuing every nuance of her love and response.

A small whimper from their son broke them apart. Max looked at her wryly. "I think he’s hungry, but his dad is going to have to teach him better timing. I’m not having another Maria around that interrupt us every time we get intimate." He picked the baby up and placed him in Liz’s arms and stretched himself out next to them on the bed.

"I think we should call him Matthew," she stated firmly. "Because he is a gift."

Nodding, Max touched his finger to his son’s cheek. "Hi Matthew." He watched as Liz started feeding Matthew. "We’re glad you’re finally here." He leaned over to whisper to his suckling son. "We love you."

Later, after he put the sleeping Matthew back in his bed, he came back to join Liz, wrapping her in his warm, comforting embrace.

"I thought you weren’t touching me again," she teased him.

Grinning, he kissed her nose. "Well, maybe no touching was a bit extreme. I just meant no sex ever again!"

Snuggling closer, she smiled to herself. She was going to enjoy changing his mind…

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

***THREE YEARS LATER***

Liz heard soft whispers next to her bed and had trouble not smiling. Max had obviously decided Matthew was finally allowed to meet his new little sister and was telling him the rules about being close to mommy and little Belle-Mari. His soft and serious: "I promise, Daddy," made Liz love her little boy even more. It reminded her of all the times during the past three years that she had found Max and Matthew talking to each other seriously. They played together a lot, but those quiet moments together were the most special to witness.

Max watched as Matthew raced to his mother first. He looked at her with anxious eyes before hesitantly touching her hand. He was his mother’s little boy and he loved her to distraction. Maria had told him how distressed Matthew had been while Liz was giving birth and the tear-tracks had still been visible on his cheeks when Max went to get him so he could come see for himself that everyone was fine.

Matthew turned to Max, his eyes huge and concerned. "Are you sure mommy is okay?"

Walking closer, Max lifted him up so he could sit on the bed with Liz. "Yes, she is. You know how much I love mommy and that I won’t lie to you. She’s just very tired."

"I’m fine, sweetie," Liz didn’t want him to be so worried so she opened her eyes to reassure him.

"Mommy!" Matthew whirled to her and flung his arms around her neck, making Max wince. "I felt you hurt."

She met Max’s eyes over Matthew’s head. Why hadn’t they thought about Matthew’s connection to both of them? No wonder he was upset. "I’m sorry, sweetheart. Everything is over now." She rubbed his back. "Why don’t you let daddy show you your sister?"

"Okay," he bounced back like only a three-year old could.

Max took him over to look at his newborn sister and he grinned with Liz when Matthew stood on his tiptoes next to the little bed to see her. "She’s red," he announced.

"She will be for a little while still," Max told him.

Apparently not able to tear himself away from watching Belle-Mari, Matthew remained at her side, clinging to the sides of her bed. "Hello Belle," he whispered, making his parents smile.

Joining Liz on the bed, Max kissed her forehead. "Did I do better this time?"

"Yes, you were much calmer," Liz chuckled. "And you didn’t even threaten to never touch me again!"

"I learned my lesson. Look what not touching you last time brought us." He waved at their daughter. "Besides, you were made to be touched by me." Leaning closer, he brushed his lips over hers, kissing the girl he first fell in love with, his best friend, the woman he married and the mother of his children.

Liz wrapped her arms around his neck, glorying in the way he kissed her and the way he loved her as she had from the moment he first touched her. It was a sin that no one else would ever get to experience this. Sparing a thought for the rest of the universe’s women, she told them all silently: Sorry, ladies, he’s mine and I’m keeping him!

They never saw Matthew leaving the room to find all their family and friends waiting outside. His grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Michael Guerin, Mr. and Mrs. Alex Whitman, Nick and Grace, James and Shilla were all waiting to get a chance to see the latest little Evans since they had been too late to attend the previous birth. Matthew looked at them with a scowl and his exasperated exclamation was loud enough for his parents to hear.

"They’re kissing again!"

A few words that meant so much more.

It meant that all was right with the world.

THE END

THE WAY YOU LOVE ME – Faith Hill

If I could grant you one wish

I wish you could see the way you kiss

I love watching you, baby

When you’re driving me crazy

It’s not right, it’s not fair

What you’re missing over there

Someday I’ll find a way to show you

Just how lucky I am to know you

You’re the million reasons why

There’s love reflecting in my eyes

I love the way you love, the way you love me

There’s nowhere else I’d rather be

To feel the way I feel with your arms around me