Seth nodded enthusiastically. "I'm make a big castle with the bwocks, Mommy! You and Daddy and me can eat in there and can pway in there..."

"A whole castle? That's a big job, baby! You think you can do it?" Isabel asked him, smiling.

"Of couse I can, Mama. I not a baby!" Seth cried, knocking over the tower of blocks he'd made in frustration.

"Oh, sweetie, I'm sorry. You're not a baby. You're Mommy's big boy. Mommy loves you so much, my little prince." Isabel wrapped her arms around him and kissed the top of his head. "Daddy and I have something to tell you. Can you come out in the living room with me?" She grabbed his hand and struggled to stand up.

"Suwah, Mama." Seth said, gladly taking Isabel's hand and following her into the living room. Seth ran over to the couch and tackled Michael, who was stretched out and watching a movie on the TV.

"Hey, buddy, how's the castle comin'?" Michael asked as he tickled his son.

"Daddy, stop tickling me!" Seth cried in a fit of laughter.

"Michael, I told our son that we have something to tell him." She motioned for him to scoot over so she could sit next to them on the couch. Michael looked over at Isabel and she kissed his cheek. It was a silent gesture, urging him to speak.

Michael cleared his throat. "Seth, your Mommy and I have decided that we're going to get married."

Seth paused and cocked his head to the side in confusion. "Get mawied? Like Uncle Max and Aunt Lizzie?"

"That's right, sweetheart." Isabel nodded. "Remember how we went to the church and Aunt Lizzie wore that pretty white dress? And you sat with Grandma and Grandpa while Mommy and Daddy helped with the wedding?"

Their son nodded in remembrance."Does this mean you gonna live wif us all the time, Daddy?" Seth asked hopefully.

Michael smiled. "Yes, Seth. I'm going to live here all the time with you and Mommy."

"And my name is going to change too."

Seth looked at her confused. "You not going to be 'Mama' anymore?"

Isabel and Michael laughed and he put his arm around her, kissing her forehead. "Yes, sweetie. I'll always be your Mama. But the name that everyone else calls me will change. You, your Daddy, and I will all have the same last name. Would you like that?"

Seth nodded happily. "Mama Guewin. I like it." Michael and Isabel laughed and scooped their son in their arms.

"I do too." Michael whispered in Isabel's ear as they kissed.

"Eeeewww! Mama, Daddy stop it!" Seth cried, covering his face in horror. He pulled at Isabel's left hand and noticed the ring on her finger. "Oh, Mama, pwetty wing!"

"Your Daddy gave it to me." Isabel said sweetly.

"Did you tank him, Mama?" Seth asked, smirking like his father. Michael laughed at the face. It was the same signature smirk he owned. Like father, like son.

"Of course I thanked him, Seth." Isabel replied. "Now sweetie, would you like to be in the wedding?"

"Ooh, can I walk down the eye-ull?" Seth asked excitedly.

"Yes, and you're going to carry this little pillow that has Mommy and Daddy's wedding rings on them."

"A pi-woah? Won't they fall off, Mama?" Seth asked in curiosity.

"They won't fall off, son. They're tied onto the pillow with ribbons. You just have to carry the pillow down the aisle while everyone claps for you." Michael said with a smile.

"Otay, Daddy." Seth said, suddenly shy. He buried his face in between his parents' bodies and they hugged him tightly.

"Sweetie, how about we go work on that castle now?" Isabel asked him.

"Otay, Mama. Let's go." He grabbed her hand and squirmed off the couch. As he dragged her back into the playroom quickly, she turned back to look at Michael on the couch. He smiled back at her and her heart swelled.

"I love you." He mouthed to her.

"I love you." She mouthed to him.

* * *

"Honey! I'm home! Kids?" Tess called through the foyer of her California home, depositing her briefcase and purse in the front before walking through the hallway to the kitchen area.

"Hi, Mom." Angelique said, looking up from the laptop computer sitting on the table.

"Hi, sweetie. Did you have a good day at school? Where's your Dad and Teagan?" She asked her daughter as she gave her a kiss on the top of her head.

"Teagan had a checkup, remember? School was okay." Angelique replied, sighing. "I've got to research some stuff on the computer for our dinosaurs project. That's why I have the computer out here."

"It's fine, Angel. Are you finding everything okay? Do you need me to help?" She asked as she began sifting through the mail on the counter.

"I can do it, Mom. I don't need any help, but thanks." She replied as she continued to type. Tess laughed as she saw the amount of Christmas cards that had already begun to filter into the house. Christmas was still a good three weeks away.

She stopped when she got to the letter that was postmarked Seattle, Washington. She ran her finger daintly over the return address label. It read: Maxwell and Elizabeth Evans, 3467 Hideaway Place, Apt. 115, Seattle, Washington, 98101. Tess opened up the card quickly and scanned over the handwritten note.

"Alex, Tess, Angelique, and Teagan: We love you! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! With Love, Max and Liz."

Tess opened up the folded piece of paper that slipped out of the card and strained to read the computer print. It was one of those form letters. Tess rolled her eyes. She hated those. She already knew all this stuff. She scanned the mess about how much it rains in Seattle, how fulfilling Max's job is, how Liz is already one of the most sought after microbiology professors at the University of Washington, and how they are looking forward to their first Christmas as a married couple.

It was the next line that almost took the wind out of her.

"The happiest news we have to report is that we will be blessed with the birth of our first child next May."

Tess's jaw hung wide open. "A baby?" She whispered. It didn't matter how much she loved Alex and their kids, a tiny part of her was still programmed to believe that *she* should have been the having Max's children. She hated that part of herself. She suddenly felt very dizzy and rested her upper body on the counter for support.

Angelique looked over from the computer and frowned. "Mom, are you okay?"

Tess took a moment to compose herself before looking up to face her daughter. "Of course, sweetie."

"Mom, why are you crying? What's the matter?" Angelique asked, walking over behind the counter and standing next to her mother.

"Nothing, nothing's the matter. Max and Liz are... having a baby." Tess said firmly, wiping a tear away from her cheek.

"Who cares?" Angelique said, walking over to the fridge and grabbing a soda.

"Angelique Theresa Whitman! What did you just say?" Tess cried, her mouth dropping open with shock at her daughter's rudeness.

"I said, WHO CARES if Liz is having a baby? You hate her anyway! And she's done nothing but ruin your life, am I right?" Angelique asked, walking into the living room. Tess felt her heart break.

"Liz--- she did not ruin my life. We weren't always friends... a long time ago, when she and Uncle Max first started dating, he and I were kind of---involved, and that upset her---" Tess tried to explain, but she found herself stumbling.

"Mother, I'm not stupid. She *took* Max from you. She took him from you and you still hate her for it. Do you think I don't ever hear you and Dad talking about 'destiny'? And what happened the day Liz left Roswell in the first place? I know everything. You were created to be with Max. Michael was created to be with Isabel. I guess only one of those destinies worked out, huh?" Angelique said, sipping on her soda.

Tess collapsed to the floor under the weight of her daughter's words. "Is that-- is that why you've always disliked Liz? You think she-- you think she ruined my life?"

Angelique ignored her. Tess took that for a "yes." Her daughter could be so stubborn sometimes. They were so much alike it was scary. "Angelique." Tess said softly, crawling over to the couch where her daughter was sitting. "Liz did not ruin my life. And I don't hate her. I never did hate her. We didn't get along at first, but I never hated her. If anything, she *gave* me my life. She gave me your Dad. Your Dad gave me you. Your Dad gave me Teagan. You all are my life! I wouldn't trade you for anything."

Angelique looked at her. Tess noticed that there were tears forming in her daughter's eyes. She raised a hand to caress her child's cheek. "Not even for your destiny? Not even for Uncle Max?"

"Never. Never, Angelique!" Tess cried, pulling her daughter in her arms and hugging her tightly. As they pulled away, she pushed a stray piece of blonde hair behind her ear. "Sweetheart, promise me you'll make an effort to be nice to your Aunt Liz. She's going to be having your cousin soon. Aren't you excited that you're getting another cousin?"

A small grin creeped over Angelique's face. "Yeah. I hope she has a girl. I already have a boy cousin."

Tess smiled and kissed her daughter's forehead. "I love you. You are my favorite girl in the world."

"You're my favorite Mom."

"Hey," Tess replied, tossing a pillow to her playfully. "I'm your only Mom!"

"Yeah," she continued. "But you're the best."

Tess smiled. "What do you want for dinner, kiddo?"

* * *

"Stop it." Liz Evans said firmly as she and her husband lay on the couch watching TV. "Stop tickling me." She cried, giggling. Her legs were stretched out on Max's lap and she held a pillow between her legs for support. Max smiled mischeviously and continued rubbing his fingers lightly on the bottom of her feet.

"Max Evans!"

"What are you going to do to me, huh?" Max asked as she continued to wiggle. She broke free of his grasp and crawled on her hands and knees to climb in his lap.

"Oh, I can think of something." She whispered in his ear, breathing on his neck hotly, lightly brushing his skin with her lips.

"Mmm, if this is my punishment, I should tickle you more often." Max said, smirking as he captured his wife's lips with his own. As their hands and mouths caressed each other, Max gently laid her down on the couch and stretched out over the length of her. As they continued to kiss, Liz broke away and began laughing. "What?" He asked. "Why are you laughing?"

"It's just-- so funny, we're here--together-- on the couch like this and I'm all big and pregnant... we're going to be parents soon and we still make out on the couch like teenagers-- it is too laughable!" Liz cried, arching her back upwards and rubbing his tight stomach with her pregnant belly.

"Mmm, love, we're going to make out until we're well into our 100's. So get used to it." Max said, nibbling on her neck. Liz broke away and forced him to look at her.

"100? You know, we'll have to take out our false teeth before we make out." Liz said, smiling. Max paused for a moment, getting a mental picture of the two of them as centigenarians. He then began hysterically laughing. He buried his face in her neck as the tears began streaming down his face. "What?" She asked incrediously. "It wasn't that funny."

Max nodded as he continued to laugh. "Yes, yes it was!"

"I don't know why you want to make out with me anyway. I'm fat and swollen and I can't see my feet." Liz said, tears forming in her eyes. Her hormones were running wild and she was very sensitive about her weight. Max kissed her cheeks and smiled.

"Oh, sweetie. You are totally wrong... you have no idea what it does to me just to see you like this. You are absolutely beautiful. I wish you could be pregnant all the time..." He murmured into her hair. She smacked him on the arm playfully.

"Don't even think about it, mister! We haven't even gotten through the first one yet!" Liz cried. Max silenced her with another kiss. His hand wandered down her side and gently massaged the muscles of her arms, continuing lower to her thighs and legs. He pulled one leg up to his side and began gently rocking into her.

"Max..." She breathed as they continued to kiss.

"Liz..." He moaned as he continued to slowly and tenderly move with her.

"Max... MAX!" Liz cried. She pulled away from him and her eyes lit up. "Did you feel that?" She grabbed his hand and pressed it up near the top of her belly. They waited patiently for a moment and suddenly they felt it.

"The baby! The baby--- she kicked!" Max said ecstatically. "Is this the first time--?"

"Yes! Of course it is!" Liz cried. "I would have told you if---" She continued and felt the baby kick. "There she is again!" Their smiles were beaming as they stared in wonder at each other. Max lifted up her shirt and rested his cheek to her stomach. He felt the gentle movement against his face and smiled. Liz bent down and kissed the top of his head as she played with his hair.

"Hi, Erin, Hi honey--- only a few weeks now. Then we'll finally get to meet you. Your Mommy and I love you so much, angel." He kissed her stomach and pulled her shirt down again. He crawled up by her side and rested his head on her chest.

"Max, do you ever wonder---" Liz began, stopping herself. "No."

"What? Do I ever wonder what?" Max replied curiously as he drew lazy circles on her arms.

"Do you ever wonder what our lives would be like now-- if I hadn't walked down the cliff that day?" Liz asked him, looking into his eyes to gauge his answer. "If I hadn't been selfish and left you when you needed me the most?"

Max buried his face in her neck and kissed it. "Sweetheart, first of all, you weren't being selfish. You were hurt. If I had been in your position-- I might have done the same thing."

"Might have?" Liz asked, raising her eyebrow.

"OK, I wouldn't have done it. I would have kissed you breathless and fought for your affections until you submitted to me." Max replied, smirking.

"You wouldn't have had to fight hard..." She kissed his forehead.

"But just because I wouldn't have done the same thing doesn't mean that it was the wrong decision. You felt that it was the right decision for you at the time. I love you, and I respect you, so I respect you for doing what you had to do." Max said, his voice cracking with emotion. He hated thinking about that day. It was the single worst day of his life. He drifted his hand to his wife's belly again and rubbed it gently. Liz rested her lips on his forehead and he felt a wet tear hit his skin. "Liz, baby, don't cry."

She tried to smile through her tears. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry for putting you through that. If I could go back and do it differently, I would have. I would have stayed with you and supported you through the fighting and the war..." She wiped her face with the back of her hand. Max leaned up to her face and kissed her cheeks. He held a finger to her lips and she kissed it.

"Shh. What's done is done. I would do every single day of that fifteen years all over again if it meant I still got to be here now with you and our daughter." Max said, smiling up at her with all the love in her eyes. Liz's eyes filled with tears as they kissed.

"Our daughter," she breathed as they broke away from each other. "I like the sound of that."

"How about our son," Max added, nibbling her earlobe. She smacked his arm playfully.

"Maybe we'll only have girls," Liz smiled, sighing and relaxing into the couch cushions.

"Well, I guess we'll just have to keep trying for that boy, huh?" Max kissed her cheeks and neck. Liz looked down at him and raised her eyebrow.

"Or we could sure have fun practicing," Liz began, smirking at him.

"Ooh, yeah, we should probably practice our--- technique," Max teased her, rubbing his hands gently over her tender breasts and kissing her passionately.

"Hmm, I definitely agree. We're *good*, but we could always use the practice..." Liz said as she lowered her mouth onto his.

"Mmm... the bedroom would be a nice place to practice," Max said as he pulled her to his body and to their feet. "Cozy,"

"Mmm... warm," she said as she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.

"Most importantly, lots of room," Max said as he gently pulled her towards the bottom of the stairs. Liz patted her stomach, measuring the width with her hands.

"I know, for me and my fat ass," she replied as he pulled her close and nuzzled her.

"You're many things, but fat, you're not," he whispered in her ear. "I'll race you upstairs!" He said, laughing as he pretended to bolt up the stairs. She stood at the bottom with her hands on her hips, tapping her foot.

"I'm almost eight months pregnant. I'm in no condition to race you anywhere," she reminded him carefully. He turned around and smiled at her.

"That's right. You are a Queen, and you're carrying our little princess. You deserve to be pampered," he said, scooping her into his arms.

"Max! My big strong man," she teased him. "You just amaze me more and more everyday." She kissed his forehead as he carefully carried her up the stairs.

"Right back at you, angel," he kissed her sweetly as they made their way into the bedroom.

Next door in the nursery, a large stuffed teddy bear from Tess sat in the rocking chair in the corner. The silence comforted the various stuffed animals scattered around in the darkness until Princess Erin Isabella Evans arrived, cradled in the warm arms of her loving parents.