[Oh, my head.] She thought. She rubbed her temples. [What happened?] She was in her room, lying flat on the bed. She sat up slowly and looked around.

“You’re awake. Baby, I was so worried.”

Maria twisted around and saw Michael walking towards her.

“Here, I brought you some water.” He sat down beside her and stroked her hair.

“Michael? What happened?” Maria took the glass from his hand.

“You must have had a nightmare. You woke up screaming. You okay, sweetheart?”

“A nightmare?”

Michael smiled. “Yeah. For a minute I thought it was time.”

“Time for what?” Maria asked quizzically.

Michael put his hands on her stomach. His grin got even wider. “Time for little Alexandra Elisabeth Michaela Marie Isabel Maxine DeLuca-Guerin to arrive. That name really covers all bases, doesn’t it?”

Maria looked down and noticed a very swollen belly poking out from under a maternity version of her cloud pajamas.

“The baby?” She covered Michael’s hand with her own.

“Our little girl. She’s due any minute, isn’t she? She was kicking up a storm tonight. I put my hand on your stomach and I could feel her.” Michael looked down at her stomach and smiled. “You two are going to have a great time at the baby shower tomorrow.”

“Baby shower?”

“Yeah. I told the girls that you would be there by six. Is that all right?”

Maria looked around the room again. [What is going on here?] She thought. “Yeah. That’s great, Michael.” She patted his arm.

“You sure you’re okay, darling?”

“I’m… I’m fine. That was just a really strange dream.”

“Want to tell me about it?” Michael cooed.

“Um… no… I’m fine. Really.”

“Well, that’s good. Wouldn’t want anything to upset you,” He patted her stomach. “or you. Now come on, angel, let’s go to sleep.” He kissed her lightly and then rolled over and laid down.

Maria’s hands flew to her mouth.

It wasn’t right.

His kiss left her with a hollow feeling in her stomach. [He’s not the same.] She thought. His kiss didn’t even taste the same. She licked her lips. She did not taste Tabasco.

She scrambled off the bed and ran to the door. “Get up. Now.” She hissed.

Michael rolled over, climbed out of the bed, and walked towards her. “What’s wrong, sweetheart? Is it the baby?”

Maria backed away. “Don’t you dare. Don’t even speak about my child.”

“I don’t understand. What is wrong with you, honey?”

[~The day Michael calls anybody honey, it’s all over.~]

Maria looked at him. She looked into his eyes.

They were cold. Too cold. Too dark. Inhuman. She had seen eyes like that before. She knew whom they belonged to.

“You,” She hissed. “What the hell have you done to me?”

Michael shook his head. “Angel, I am completely bewildered here. Why are you mad at me?”

Maria thought for a moment. “Say my name.”

“What?”

“Go on, *Michael.* Say it. Not this ‘honey’ and ‘sweetheart’ shit. Call me by my full name.” She said through gritted teeth.

“Baby--”

“That dream seemed too real. That’s because it’s the truth, isn’t it? How the hell did you do this to me?!”

His eyes went black.

“Hm… thought I’d give it a shot. It almost worked on the dark-haired girl. I figured that it would surely work on you. You’re not quite as bright as she seems to be.” He growled.

Maria rattled the doorknob.

“Door’s locked. Window too. Don’t get any ideas.”

“What did you do to me?” She ran her hands over her face and arms and looked for any cuts or bruises. “How are you doing this?” She wailed. She grabbed at her swollen belly.

“Mind control really is very simple. All you have to do is show a human what they really want to see and they’ll believe anything. Who do you think Tess learned it from, anyway?” He had a crooked smirk on his face. On Michael’s face.

“Take it away.” Maria’s voice was hoarse.

He shrugged his shoulders. “As you wish.”

She dropped her hands to her stomach. She was gone. The baby was gone again. Maria fought back tears.

“You did it again. You son of a bitch. You did it again.” She swallowed hard and ground a few oily tears out of the corner of her eyes.

“Come on now, sweetie. It can’t be as bad the second time around.”

Maria dove towards him. He reached his hand out and she felt herself flying. She slammed hard against the wall.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”

Maria literally could not move.

He walked over to her. “I only gave you what I thought you wanted. Isn’t that what you wanted?” He leaned over her.

“You heartless bastard, how dare you make fun of me?” Her shoulder blades dug into the wall.

“You silly little bitch, how dare you try to stand in my way?”

“I don’t even know what you mean.”

“My race would benefit if the hatchlings were eliminated. We don’t want anyone to notice they’re gone, now do we?”

Maria laughed nervously. “You’re going to kill me and all the other humans attached to ‘the hatchlings’ just so that no one notices they’re gone after you’ve killed them too? You really have lost your mind.” Maria’s lip quivered as she spoke.

He pushed her harder against the wall. She thought her spine would break. “I haven’t lost anything. I’m just someone who knows what he wants.” She could feel his gaze drag up and down her body. “And I will get it.”

“Take your damn hands off of me.”

“I’m afraid I can’t do that. What if you try to run away from me? I think it would break my heart.”

“Get the hell away from me!”

“What? You don’t like this? I thought you loved me, baby.” He leaned against her and kissed her neck. She cringed beneath his touch.

“You are *not* Michael.” Maria had to reassure herself of that.

“But you wanted a perfect lover and now you got me. I just wanted to make you happy before I have to kill you.” He brushed his hand up her side and rested them on top of her breasts. “You know, I wouldn’t normally waste my time on a human,” He lifted his head from her neck and looked her squarely in the eyes. “But I think I could make an exception for you.”

She spat in his face.

He sighed. “Oh, *Maria.* I’m only trying to give you what you want.”

***

Michael woke up with a start. He lifted his head from the cool tile of the kitchen floor and looked around.

[Oh, my head.] He thought. He rubbed his temples. [What the hell happened?]

He thought of the face he saw right before he passed out.

[Maria.]

He ran to her room. The door was locked and he heard voices inside.

[Oh no.]

He reached out towards the door. [Please work. Please, please, please.]