ROSWELL on PLANET-SF

CHAPTER FIVE

"You have been provided with a guardian who will protect you from danger and keep you hidden from your enemies," he read aloud. "Isn't that funny? She said it was funny. Hidden from enemies. Whatever!" He slid the papers back in the folder from where they came and smiled.

"Do you have any idea what you're doing?"

"Of course, I'm not stupid." He rolled his eyes at his companion.

"Well, I think you are."

"Who do you think you are? Do you think you are in control of this?"

"Yeah. I do. You're useful, but not really important. I could do all this without you."

"Did you forget who the Queen talked to?"

"And why was that? Was it because as a guard I was busy protecting the throne?"

"Big bad guard." He smirked. "The big bad. It was intelligence that brought the Queen to me."

"Okay, I'm not going to argue anymore. Do you think we could get the show on the road soon, though? I'm really beginning to hate it here."

"Yeah, soon. Give it a couple more weeks." He shrugged. "Then you get to do the dirty work."

"Dirty work. I love dirty work."

"I know."

* * * *

"False labour?" Maria looked at her doctor in shock. "That was false labour? Oh my God! I don't know if I can do the real thing."

"You'll do fine Maria." Dr. Ellie Martin patted her arm. "I know you don't want any drugs while you're in labour, but you might want to reconsider."

"No, no drugs." Maria shook her head.

"Okay, just a thought. False labour this early usually predicts an early delivery. You're still..." She glanced at the chart in her hand, "...seven and a half weeks away. I'm putting you on bed-rest until you deliver."

"What do you mean?" Maria looked confused, looking from Dr. Martin to Michael and back.

"Exactly what it sound like. Bed. Rest. Stay in bed, keep your feet up and relax."

"No work?"

"Nope. I'll write you a note."

"I don't need a note. Can I do anything?"

"Yes, you can still do things, just not a lot. I don't want you running around doing things. You have to relax, stay calm and comfortable and don't over exert yourself. Can you do that for me?"

"I guess. So when can I go home?"

"In a few hours. I want to check on you again before I leave. Make sure the real thing's not coming." She patted her arm again and left the room.

"Bed rest. I don't know if I can do bed rest. I don't like to sit still." She looked to Michael.

Amy DeLuca barged into the room and went to Maria's side. "Baby! What happened? Are you all right? The baby?"

"We're fine mom, everything's fine." Maria fought the urge to roll her eyes. "It was a false labour."

"False labour?" Amy looked surprised. "I thought that came when you were closer to delivering. You've still got over seven weeks!"

"She might come early," she half shrugged. "How'd you know I was here?"

Amy looked over her shoulder at Michael and smiled. "He tracked me down."

"Wow. Anyway, I'm on bed rest from now on." She closed her eyes as silent tears slipped between the lids.

"Honey, what's wrong?" Amy asked picking up her daughter's hand. "Are you okay?"

"I have to keep calm, I have to lay down all the time." Maria wiped away the tears. "I don't want to be alone. The last of your rules are going out the window."

"I don't know -"

"I know. I want Michael to be able to come over whenever I want him. I need him now, mom. You have to understand that. If it means he sits with me all night long, then so be it. If you have a problem with that, I'm sorry, you're just going to have to deal with it. Ground me after I have this baby, or something." Maria had found her strong voice again. "I don't, no, I can't listen to your negativity about me and Michael. It's a done deal. Signed, sealed and delivered. You are going to have to deal."

Amy looked pensively at her daughter and then back at Michael who offered a clumsy smile. She nodded as she met her daughter's gaze. "Okay. I'll make this easy on you."

"Finally!" Maria raised her arms in the air above her head. "Thank you."

"When can you come home?" Amy asked.

"In a few hours, Michael can drive me."

Amy leaned over and kiss her daughter's forehead. "Just remember I'm here. If you need me all you have to do is tell me."

"I know mom, thanks."

Amy walked to the door and motioned for Michael to follow her out.

"One thing, Michael. If you break her heart I swear I will break your face."

Michael couldn't reply at first. This coming from Amy DeLuca was surprising. "I promised you I'd never do that. Somebody you'll learn to trust me Ms. DeLuca."

"I hope so." She wrinkled her brow. "Someday soon." She walked away and disappeared around the corner.

Michael took a deep breath and went back in the room.

"What did she say to you?" Maria had raised the back of the bed and was sitting upright.

"Nothing really, just to take care of you." Michael didn't think he would ever tell her what Amy had said. "Which I promised I would, always."

"You are going to spend a lot of time with me, right?"

"Of course." He pulled a chair over and sat next to her. "We can do all kinds of things that are relaxing." He raised an eyebrow at her. "We can play games and watch movies."

"And plan our lives with Leia?"

"You bet," he leaned over and kissed her lips. Sweetness. Love. Home.

* * * *

Liz was shocked when she got the phone call from Maria after she had come home from the hospital the following afternoon.

"I can't believe no one called me!"

"Liz, it wasn't that big of a deal." Maria winced thinking about the excruciating pain she had endured. "We were in and out in a few hours."

"Still. How are you?"

"Bed rest. Wanna come visit me?"

"Of course. I guess you're done working, huh?"

"Yup. I was going to call your dad today. I'm not scheduled until tomorrow."

"I'll tell him, besides, I found a fill-in waitress for you." Liz told her about Morgan Chase and Isabel setting Kyle up. Maria was laughing hard by the time she finished. "She is great. You're going to like her."

"You're not trying to replace me, are you?"

"DeLuca, you are irreplaceable," Liz assured her and promised to be over soon.

Maria waited patiently for Liz to arrive. When the front door opened she looked with a smile expecting to see Liz. Instead it was Sean. Her happy face dropped.

"Nice to see you too, cuz," Sean frowned. "Why the long face?"

"I'm on bed rest until I deliver."

"Ouch. I don't think you can sit still that long." He tried to smile, but couldn't. "So, I guess your boyfriend's going to be getting awfully lonely, except of course before midnight." His smile was real now, he loved his aunt's rules.

"Actually," Maria snapped, "Michael can come over whenever he wants and stay as long as he wants. All night? No problem."

"No shit?"

"No shit."

"Aunt Amy gave in pretty easy didn't she?"

"Is this really any of your business?"

"I am family."

The door opened again and Liz walked in; once again Maria had on a happy face.

"Uh. Hi." She looked between the two.

"Parker," Sean nodded at her before leaving the room.

"Liz!" Maria pat the couch next to her. "Come sit with me and hold my hand."

Liz smiled and sat next to her friend and held her hand. "Are you really okay?"

"I'm fine. Scared shitless to have this baby, but fine." Maria finally told her about the pain. "It was horrible. I mean, it felt like someone was sticking an ice pick in my stomach. I don't know how I'm ever going to get through the real thing."

"Drugs."

"No. You know I won't take drugs during this." Maria lowered her voice, real fear shining through. "We don't know for sure that everything is okay. Everything is coming back normal as can be, but there is that risk that something could be...off."

"C'mon Maria, it's all good. Nothing bad is going to happen. You and Michael are going to have this wonderful, beautiful, perfect baby girl. End of story."

"Thanks. You are going to make such a good godmother. You know that one of your responsibilities as godparents, you and Max have to take care of Leia if something happens to us."

"Don't get morbid."

"I'm not, I'm serious. There isn't anyone else in the world, any of them, that I would trust more with my baby than you. And Max, I guess."

"Thank you, but nothing's going to happen."

"Just in case..."

"Okay, enough of that. So, how's Michael? Is he still good with everything? No freak outs?"

"Nope. I mean trading in his bike for a car, amazing. He has been an angel. I couldn't ask for anything more."

"Have you guys talked about getting married or anything like that?"

"Nope. We are going to move in together, still the plan, once we're comfortable enough to take care of a baby."

"This is so sweet!" Liz smiled. She was happy for her friends; but part of her ached for the same.

"I always thought it would be you and Max." Maria gave the impression she could read her mind. "I thought for a long time Michael and my relationship would be thrown along the side of the road like a candy wrapper."

"It's strange how things turn out, isn't it?"

"Yeah." Maria saw the melancholy in Liz's eyes. "Penny for your thoughts?"

"Do you have a penny?"

"No, but I have a shiny new nickel upstairs." Maria beamed and Liz laughed. "Seriously."

"Max is planning a night for us to...consummate our love. I don't know what he's got in mind, but he's been so romantic lately. I can't wait actually."

"But..."

"I just keeping hoping that halfway through I don't lose myself and let the hooker have my boyfriend, again. It would destroy us."

"Keep positive thoughts," Maria nodded. "You're stronger than she ever was. You'll beat her. You always do."

"Thanks," Liz smiled feeling better. Maybe all she needed was to hear it from someone else. "Enough of me, have you picked out anything for the nursery yet?"

"Oh, you mean Sean's room?"

"I thought he was moving out."

"Yeah, me too." She rolled her eyes. "I don't really want to do a nursery here anyway. I don't plan on being here all that much longer. I want to do a room at Michael's for her."

"And Michael is cool with everything, right?"

"He's not the same Michael he used to be," she shook her head. "He's matured. He's totally excited about the baby and is taking everything perfectly. He's a rock."

* * * *

"I'm freaking out, man." Michael paced in Max's bedroom. "I don't know if I can do this. Part of me want to jump in the baby blue Tempo and bolt."

"You're not going anywhere."

"I know, but part of me wants to. That's a bad."

"No, that's only natural."

"Say what?"

"You're about to go through a life altering thing," Max explained. "It's only normal to have those feelings of running away."

"Everything we do is life altering," Michael rebutted.

"No, this is just you. Just your life. Michael's life."

"So it's okay to run away?"

"Did I say that, no. The feeling of wanting to run away is okay. You'll do the right thing. You always seem to in the end. Besides, you gave up a home you always wanted to get back to Maria, I doubt you're going to leave her now."

"Okay, I'm not running away. I won't run away. But in the meantime I can freak out though, right?"

"What are you freaking out about? I thought you were dealing with all of this so well. Why the freak out now?"

"At my house, when Maria went into false labour? It scared the shit out of me, man. I thought she was dying. That freaked me out. Having a baby is freaking me out. I don't know if I have any business being a father. I don't know what a real father does." Michael seemed to be getting to the truth of the matter. "What do I do?"

"The car was a step in the right direction."

"I miss my bike."

"You'll get another one someday."

"So what do I do? What does a father do? I want to be able to take care of my family and I don't have a clue how to do it."

"A father is someone who loves his child. Who takes care of her, tries not to ever let her down. Sacrifices for her. You'll do just fine Michael, I know you will."

"I have to get a real job. I can't afford a baby on what I make."

"Then get a real job."

"Where? High school education, barely. Skills? None human. I'm a short order cook."

"You can do just about anything you want without a college degree. I'll go with you next week and we'll try to find you a real job."

"I need insurance, too. For the baby."

"We'll find you insurance."

Michael finally smiled, a weight seemed to be lifted from his shoulders. Help. That was what he needed. They turned as the bedroom door opened and Isabel strolled in. She actually seemed to be more like floating. She sighed and lay down on Max's bed.

"Good date?" Michael raised his eyebrows.

"Excellent." She sat up. "Actually, I need to talk to both of you. I was quite glad to see the DadMobile outside when I got home."

"Cute, Iz," Michael nodded.

"Anyway, I was thinking. Bret and I have gotten so incredibly close -"

"Oh really?" Michael interrupted. "How close is that?"

"Don't worry about that," Isabel shot back while blushing. "So I was thinking. Maria and Liz know about us and you guys can talk to them about alien things."

"I don't think I like where this is going," Max spoke softly.

"I think I want to let Bret in on it."

"Forget it," Michael stated. "End of story."

"It's not fair!"

"I have to agree with Michael. You haven't known him all that long; you have no idea how he'll react. I think you better wait on this."

"So that's it?" She stood up. "End of discussion, right?"

"Iz."

"No. I don't want to hear it. In actuality I don't need your permission to do anything."

"I don't think it's a good idea. I'm not saying never, just not now." Max tried to explain. "Wait a while, okay?"

"Fine. Whatever." She walked from the room, slamming the door behind her.

"That went pretty good." Michael crossed his arms over his chest. "Maybe later we could go beat up old ladies and steal candy from babies?"

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STORY OF LINES:
3 - CURVED PATH

CHAPTER FIVE

WRITTEN BY BECKY W

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