Once she got home Maria flopped on her bed and read through the entire instructions of the test. She wasn't overly nervous, she was nervous, yes, but not as much as she probably should have been. She just didn't think it was true, and that it was just to be cautious in making sure it was just a virus and not a tiny fetus growing inside of her.

"So I wait two minutes and if it's blue it's good, pink is bad, got it!" She said as she set it down on the table and went to read the latest edition of Teen People. "Oh! Freddie Prinze, you just get hotter and hotter each picture." She said aloud as she stared at his pictures and read through the articles.

She looked at her watch a little while later and realized it had been 10 minutes and that she could have looked at the test 8 minutes ago. She got up and walked over to where she had placed it down. She picked it up in her hands before she even looked at it. She took one glance at it and her hands shook so badly that she dropped the test and stared at the wall in shock. After she lunged for the phone and immediately dialed Liz's number.

"Hello" She heard her friends voice from the other line.

"Liz, you need to come over quickly, don't ask, just come." With that she dropped the phone on the receiver and just sat on her couch, shivering. 'Should I call Michael?' She pondered in her head. She didn't know how he would react. He would probably he furious and completely upset. 'But he is the father.' Her mind was just going in all different directions and at the moment, she didn't know black from white.

About 10 minutes later Liz rushed into the house thinking Maria was on her death bed or something like that. She looked over to see Maria on the couch, lifeless.

Liz walked over and sat next to Maria. "Ok, what's the big deal for me to rush over here, thinking you were dying?" Liz wasn't upset, just curious what had caused Maria's worries.

"Look on the table." Maria said to her as she remained sitting against thecouch. Liz leaned in and looked to see what Maria wanted her to. She recognized it right away to be a pregnancy test. "Oh my God, Maria, do you know what this means?" She asked astonished.

Maria got up off the couch and paced around the room, "Yes, yes Liz I do know what this means, it means I have a fricking baby growing inside my stomach, a 1/2 alien, 1/2 human baby! And I have absolutely no idea what I am going to do." With that Maria walked over and hugged Liz, she really wanted all the support she could get.

"You have to tell Michael." Liz suggested to her.

Shaking her head, Maria said "No, Liz I cannot tell Michael, I won't tell him yet. He would be so furious at me, he probably won't ever want to see me again. I can't do that to him or myself. Besides he never even has to know, I can just get it removed, you know."

A confused look spread over Liz's face. "Maria, we're talking about a baby here not a mole! And Michael has a right to know, he's the father and he may be your biggest comfort source you have."

Maria walked into the kitchen, followed by Liz, she found her keys and looked at Liz, "Look, I can't deal with this all now, I'm going out, and please don't tell anyone." With that she slammed the door shut behind her, leaving a frustrated Liz.

"Max, I tell you, things are just going really great now, you know. I mean everything is just, good." Michael said as he and Max drove in the jeep on their way to the Crashdown.

Max smiled at his friends happiness "Michael, I am happy for you, it's about time you got some happiness and not all gloomy and dismal all the time."

"Look Max, I mean I *really* like Maria, and I think I'm in love with her. I don't know what to do yet though. I've never been to these stages before. It's like an adventure without a map. Do me a favor though, don't tell anyone though, not even Isabel. I want this to be just between you and me." Michael said as they parked the car on the side of the street.

Max turned his head to Michael, "Yeah, of course. Between you and me." He repeated.

"Oh damn, Max, can I borrow the car, I need to pick up some bread for the apartment, I meant to do it earlier but it slipped my mind, mind if I borrow?" Michael asked sincerely.

An answer to his question was the set of keys thrown his way, "No accidents." Max said as he walked into the Crashdown where Isabel was already seated in a booth.

"Hey Isabel." Max said as he sat down.

Isabel smiled at him and repeated a greeting towards him. Right after Liz walked over to them. "What will you guys have?" She asked in a daze.

Max furrowed his brow, "Liz is everything alright? You seem really distracted." He hated when he didn't know what was wrong with her.

"Huh? Oh what? Um, no It's just Mar-- It's nothing nothing at all." She stared down at the notepad hoping they didn't hear her slip.

Isabel looked at Liz, "No, Liz you were about to say Maria, what's wrong with Maria?" Isabel asked sternly.

Liz shook her head, "Guys, come on, I can't tell you, I promised." When she saw the look they were both giving her, she leaned in more to them and said "I guess you guys will probably find out another way anyhow, Maria seems to be, um, she's kind of, pregnant with Michael's baby." She whispered in a serious tone.

Max and Isabel just stared at her and then at each other, they both didn't have the foggiest idea as what to say.

Liz straightened herself up, "Look, guys, do not say anything. Especially not Maria that I told you, please, I mean I would have rather I told you that you dreamwalk and find out, but just keep it on the low-down, I have to go take some orders." She said and then left, without even taking Max and Isabel's orders, not that they were even hungry anyways.

Right after Liz left Michael walked in saw his two friends and sat down next to Max. He saw the look on Isabel's face and said to Max, "She knows, you told her? Max can't you hold anything back?" Michael said furiously.

Isabel was confused. "Wait, he knows, and you knew before! I thought Liz said only Maria and her knew? How did Michael find out?" She asked rather quickly, realizing after seeing the look on Max's face and that Michael must have been talking about something different.

Michael looked at Isabel, "Isabel, tell me right now what are you talking about?" he demanded.

Max finally spoke up and said, "Michael, Maria is, well she's pregnant, with your baby. We didn't mean to tell you, we thought Maria would tell you. We just found out a few minutes ago so don't blame us for not saying anything." Max wanted to block his ears, not wanting to hear Michael's comments.

Nodding his head Michael said, "Very funny, ha, ha, ha, now seriously what were you talking about Is?" he asked again. Then he saw the looks on their faces and looked over to see a gloomy Liz and realized it was the truth. "What the hell, how the hell did you guys find out before me? I need to find Maria." Was the last thing he said before rushing out of the Crashdown,leaving his bag of groceries on the floor.

TBC...

Feedback is always nice, if you do I'll give you a dozen of Max or Michael lollipops...if I had a dozen Max and Michael lollipops... ok scratch that idea.