Pygmalion

By DocPaul

Chapter Thirty-five: Birth of a King

Day Forty-nine: Monday, 4:18 am

“Kyle?”

“Hmm?”

“It’s time. My water just broke.”

Kyle hit the floor with a thump. Sitting up, he rubbed his head as he sat up to look at Tess in shock.

~~~

Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.

Jonathan’s hand reached out toward the obnoxious beeping, fumbling with the plethora of things on the bedside table. He had spent days trying to get caught up from that one lost day, and lately he barely made it home before he hit the mattress face down in an exhausted sleep. He vaguely remembered feeling Max’s hands undressing him and helping him slide under the covers.

Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.

Taking the phone, he shoved it at Max, and pulled a pillow over his head. “It’s for you.”

Max made a loud snorting noise as he tried to wake up. Turning, he moved into the warmth of Jonathan’s body, and talked into the phone. “Hello?” Snuggling, and struggling to wake at the same time, he moved up against Jonathan, frowning in his sleep. No one was answering.

Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.

Max sat up, frowning at the phone. He placed the receiver to his ear and only heard the dial tone.  Pushing the sleeping Jonathan, he reached over to hang up the phone. “Hey, there was no one there!”

Jonathan made a mumbling noise beneath the pillow.

Max leaned down to hear him better. “Want to repeat that, Ace?”

Jonathan rolled over and looked up at Max. “Just make that infernal beeping stop.”

“What beeping?”

Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.

The two men were suddenly still, then they moved in a flight of motion. Baby beeper! The entire bed seemed to move as they both reached for the beeper, and ended up on the floor in a tangle of limbs and bedding, both scrambling to find the beeper.

“Baby!” Max struggled to his feet.

“Calm down!”

“Baby. Tess. Time!” Max looked around him in a fury, grabbing his pants. Trying to pull them on, he was hopping on one leg while Jonathan tried to turn a shirt right side out. Max toppled over and hit the floor hard.

“Calm down, Max!”

“Don’t tell me to calm down! I’m a model of calm. At least I’m not putting on a shirt inside out and backwards!”

Jonathan looked down and swore. Not only inside out and backwards, but one of Max’s, so too small. Tossing it off, Jonathan scrambled for his shirt. Shit. What was he thinking? Max tossed clothes on the floor. He draped his over a chair. Shirt studs. Shirt studs. Shit! Jonathan left the damn shirt open.

“Model of calm, huh? Then why are you putting on my pants?” Max looked down at the pants that seemed to go on forever. Damn. They weren’t his! Shit. Max continued to put them on anyway. “Max, they’re about two inches too long for you. You’ll trip and break your neck.”

“Are you calling me short? On the day, I’m becoming a father, you’re calling me short?”

Jonathan just snickered and took his pants back tossing him his pair.

“Two inches? So what, you got two inches on me on height, but I’ve got two inches on you in other places.”

Jonathan stopped at that claim and his face split into a grin. “Oh, we are so measuring later!”

“You bet the hell we are! Now let’s go before my son is born in this world without seeing our happy smiling faces.” Max watched impatiently at the door as Jonathan grabbed a bag and checked its contents. “What is that?”

“Digital video camera.”

Max frowned. “We promised Tess no cameras.”

Jonathan made a sound under his breath.

Max lifted a brow. “You got extra batteries?”

Jonathan put a thumb up and patted a side pocket of his bag.

“Good man. Now move your ass.”

“Yeah, like I never heard you say that before!” Jonathan said as he rushed out the door past Max, but not before his hand snaked out and grabbed Max’s crotch. “Two inches more? I don’t think so.”

“Stop that! We’re having a baby. Behave!”

“Assertive. I like!” Jonathan glared evilly at Max. “It suits you!”

“Fuck that. I’m driving!”

“Heard that too.”

“Jonathan!”

~~~

“Now honey, find your mark…”

“Give me the fucking ice chips!” Tess yelled as her panting went off the mark again.

Kyle scrambled to feed her ice chips as Max burst through the door with Jonathan. “Thank god! Where the hell have you been? We’ve been going at it for hours!” Kyle shoved the ice chips into Max’s hands as he made soothing noises at Tess as he went behind her to rub her back.

“The beeper went off twenty minutes ago, Kyle.” Jonathan said calmly taking a seat next to Tess. He took her hand in a firm calm grasp. Kissing her forehead, he smiled at her and whispered, “You look radiant, my Queen.”

Tess snorted. Radiant her ass! Speaking of ass, hers hurt, as did her back, and her…shit! “Contraction! Contraction!” She yelled as her hand tightened on Jonathan’s in a killing grip. Jonathan lost his color as pain drained his face.

“Jesus!” Max came to his rescue with ice chips for Tess as the contraction abated. Kyle continued to rub her back and make comforting sounds. Tess’s hand went back to grasp her husband’s hand taking comfort from his presence.

“Did you call the family?” Max asked.

“No time. Her water broke, and we came straight here after hitting the baby beeper.”

Tess blew sweaty hair from her eyes, and gave the three men a deadly stare. “New rule! I will not be referred to in the third person when I'm right in front of your eyes!”

All three men winced. Tess was apparently a Queen in her last life, and that regal regard was still there. Her tone was equivalent to ‘off with his head’, and they all three unconsciously bowed to her. No third person references.

Jonathan quickly escaped. Kissing Tess’s hand, he retrieved his mangled remains and pulled out his cell phone. “I’ll make the calls!”

A nurse walked in to check on Tess and the fetal monitor. Looking at the three men, the young woman actually blushed. Wow. Three gorgeous men. All so different. All so sexy. “Um, who is the father?”

“We are,” said Kyle and Max at the same time. She looked to both men in confusion. Jonathan chuckled.

“Let me help you, love. What do you need?”

“Oh! I, um, need….” She stared up at Jonathan almost speechless. Gosh. He was….wow! “I need the father to fill out these forms. And….”

Kyle took them and frowned. Handing them to Max, the two men read them over. “Max, didn’t we already fill these out?”

“Yeah, two months ago.” Max turned a blinding smile at the woman, further disrupting her thought process. “Could you go check your computer records on Tess Valenti? We already filled these out.”

The young nurse blushed and scraped a little on her way out. Jonathan lifted his eyebrow at Max, and went over to a corner call Tess’s parents, Kyle’s parents, Michael and Isabel. As he hung up from talking to Mrs. Valdez and Tess’s eldest sister, Gina, he noticed that he had a call on his voice mail.

Hitting the button, he entered his code and waited.

“Jonnie. You can run, but you can’t hide. I thought we were still friends. I’ve got Amy DeLuca on my committee for the charity, but she volunteered your services as well, that and the Foundation. You want to talk about that? Amy was going to introduce me to Maria on Friday, but something came up and she was out of town. Hopefully she’ll be back soon. I am dying to meet her again. Call me.” Jonathan’s jaw clenched at Vanessa’s voice. So the pit viper was still around. He needed to deal with her. Soon. He needed to talk to Max, but first he wanted Vanessa gone before she hit critical mass and caused problems. Vanessa. That woman was created to be a problem.

~~~

“Mrs. Valdez!” Maria called to the older woman, Tess’s adopted mother. The delivery waiting room was full of friends and family. Maria waved at her mother and Jim, who were in a corner talking to Mr. Valdez. Tess’s sisters were talking a mile a minute. There were cousins, aunts, uncles, and siblings all over the place. Not just them, but their children.

“Maria!” Carmen Valdez was a beautiful woman. Her once black hair was peppered with white, but she still wore it long and pulled back. Her hands still held the vitality of her youth, and her warm brown eyes smiled in delight at Maria’s pregnant form. She kissed Maria cheek. “Looks like you are coming along as well, no?”

Maria laughed hugging the woman. “About six weeks behind Tess.” Kissing her cheek she smiled as her mother came to join them. “Any word, yet?”

Amy hugged Michael, patting his cheek. He looked better than when she had seen him yesterday. She noticed that he was holding Maria’s hand, refusing to let it go. “Nothing. Jonathan came out and said that they were having her walk. She’s stuck at 8 centimeters. Tess isn’t happy about it either.”

“Maria, you need to sit down,” said Michael softly in her ear. She looked at him and nodded. They all sat down and waited as Isabel, Alex, and Liz rushed into the room. Maria frowned at Liz. She was disheveled.

“Michael, can I have some coffee?”

“Tea. I’ll find some.” Kissing Maria quickly, Michael hooked Alex’s help and they went in search of something open. The downstairs cafeteria should be opening for breakfast.

“Did you fix everything, Maria?” Amy asked quietly. She already knew, but she was a mother. It was her job to ask.

Maria actually felt heat rise up her neck. Oh, yeah, she had taken care of business. She was exhausted. They hadn’t gotten any sleep since she returned home. The call alerting them about Tess had found them awake. Sean and Julia were on their way, but they were stopping to pick up breakfast and donuts for the group.

“We’re fine.”

“Did you find what you were looking for?”

Maria smiled at her mom. “Yeah, I think so. I’ll tell you about it later, after I talk to Michael. Okay?”

“Yes, dear. I have someone I want you to meet. Do you remember Congresswoman Vanessa Whitaker?”

Maria groaned. Jonathan’s bitchy ex-wife. Yeah. She remembered her. She dumped a glass of liquid down Vanessa’s dress last time they had the pleasure. “Mom…”

“Anyway, she and I are working together with me on a charity. I expect you and the Foundation to give us some consideration.”

“Mom, the Foundation does not back political campaigns. Only second chances. You know that. We fund museums, historical buildings and the preservation of same. Nothing political.”

Amy smiled and kissed her daughter. “I know that, honey. That’s why you’re going to want to support this cause.”

Maria looked at Liz in desperation.

Liz smiled slightly. She noticed Jim and Isabel were talking, and she caught Jim’s eye. He nodded. “Mrs. Valenti. It looks like Cap wants you.”

“Jim?” Amy looked over and met her husband’s eyes. She smiled at the look he gave her. Her beautiful strong husband! That terrible day they almost lost her babies at the parking garage, Jim came home. He walked in covered in dust and blood, but he walked in with both arms perfect and working. Jim took her in his arms and held her tight as she cried. It was so good to see him so healthy and without pain. Horrified at almost losing Tess, Kyle and the baby, she owed a great thanks to God, and Max Evans who gave her back her boy. Now she needed to trap the man and make him fix her leg. “Honey, Jim needs me.”

Maria smiled at Liz gratefully as her mother flitted away like the butterfly she was, stopping to spread a special type of cheer that belonged to her exclusively. “Thanks, Liz.”

“No problem.” Maria noticed the nervous movement of Liz’s hand.

“What’s wrong? You seem jittery.”

Liz looked around. “Way too much coffee! The caffeine really messes with me after a while. I’ve been busy, and needed the extra boost.” At Maria’s look of concern, she added, “I know. You told me to find myself, but I’ve got FBI Special Unit agents breathing down my neck, keeping tabs on me. They’ve been systematically searching through all lab reports and lab usage statistics. They’re noticing the extra tests that aren’t recorded. So I’ve been backtracking, destroying as much information as possible.”

“God, Liz!” Maria grabbed her hands. “Are you okay? This isn’t going to get you in trouble, is it?”

“No. I’ve covered all my tracks. It took over two weeks of extra hours of work. Isabel is starting to suspect I’m not on dates. I can’t take a chance that she and the others are going to offer to help, like rush in and make a bigger mess than what already exists. They need to let me do my thing. After all, I’m the Queen of organization and efficiency.”

“That you are. I still bow to your ability to organize and clean my office.”

Liz laughed at that. They were indeed the antithesis of each other. Maria was outspoken, colorful, and vivid. Messy as hell, and almost neurotic in her movements and ability to be everywhere at once. Liz was lacking in any real color. Mostly brown. She blended into the scenery. She was quiet, organized and exact. She moved slowly, with purpose, and nothing was ever left to chance, whereas Maria was warm in color and personality, Liz was cool. Both women were direct opposites of a spectrum, but equally lovely.

Liz leaned in to talk to Maria in private. “I couldn’t risk testing any more samples at the PD so I started building a sort of laboratory outside of the cop shop. It’s a few blocks away in some warehouse space. It’s been a little harrowing to find the time to slip out unnoticed by the Feds. ‘Borrowing’ equipment was even harder. My assistant is starting to notice my absences and the missing equipment. So it’s been a trial. Some nights I sleep there.”

Maria was shocked. “Liz! God, you don’t have to do that!” God, was that even safe? A warehouse?

Liz laughed. Grabbing Maria, she whispered conspiratorially, “Big secret. Don’t tell. I’m a huge science geek! This whole thing has me fascinated! The genetics. Everything!”

“Eddie told me you stopped going out with him.” Maria frowned. “Is that why?”

“Partially.” Liz laughed. “Don’t despair, Maria! I’m happy. I’m having fun. And believe it or not, I think I’m solving a puzzle. It’s all good. I swear.”

Maria hugged Liz’s arm to her body. “Are you sure?”

“Positive! I know it doesn’t sound like fun to you, but in truth, my life was pretty plain before I met you. I was terrorized by Michael Guerin. Max Evans tied my tongue. I was too shy to look at Sean because he always seems the center of attention. Even Kyle. He lost his partner, and I was afraid to say anything to him. Do you know how unusual it is to be in a crowd where everyone knows my name? Where they all say hi to me? I have Sean telling me his woes. Max and I talk about life. Isabel shops with me on weekends. We go to the desert camping, and we double date. Margo and Zeke knock on the door for things. My life is full of people all of a sudden. More people than just my parents.”

“You’re happy? Really happy?”

“Absolutely. Sure, so I’m doing the dating thing. So what? I hate to think that happiness is defined by being paired off like Noah’s ark, and I can only define my happiness by being something to someone. If I feel a need to take a mate, I want it to be forever and lasting. I can wait for that special person. No rush. If I am still single at thirty-four, I’ll start to worry, but at twenty-eight?” Liz was suddenly very serious. “I desperately need to be happy with myself first. Maybe it’s okay to be quiet, smart, and not the center of attention. Maybe it gives a person an advantage. It seems that in this world competitive natures are the norm. People don’t know to impede your progress if they don’t see you standing there. It’s the art of camouflage.”

Maria laughed. “God, you spend too much time around Michael and the others. They’re rubbing off on you! Though I have to admit, I’ve noticed that since I met you that you don’t sit away from the group. You no longer hesitate in the doorway. I saw you picking up that professor from that last party that  Michael and I had. I never thought you could find so much assertiveness so quickly.”

“Necessity breeds convention.”

“Necessity breeds convention?” Maria frowned at that. It was the very thing she had told Jacob. That nature found a way to restore the Balance.

“Sorry!” Liz laughed. “I shouldn’t make it all sound so imperative, huh?”

“You’re still upset about Sean?”

Liz shrugged. “Not really. Not for the same reasons you’d expect.” Liz looked over as Sean and Julia came in carrying breakfast for everyone. “He’s an adorable person. People like and respect him. I like that about him myself. I think that I was okay about us breaking up, because he was right. We were biding time until what we really wanted came along.”

“And what’s that?”

Liz shrugged. “Julia. I think it is Julia. He replaced me with Julia mere breaths later. Those sort of offended me, but in a crushing moment of honesty, if he was offered back to me, right now….today? I wouldn’t do it. I love Sean. But I’m not in love with Sean.”

Maria was almost afraid to ask. “You’re not in love with Julia are you?”

The look of pure horror on Liz’s face was priceless. “God! No! Absolutely not!”

Maria laughed at her look of horror, and suddenly both she and Liz were laughing together. Maria couldn’t wait to break Michael’s bubble. His latest theory was that Liz was in love with everybody.

“Great! Then let’s go scavenge for breakfast. My favorite meal of the day!”

Liz paused. “I thought you said dinner was your favorite?”

Maria let Liz help her get up. “Actually, my favorite is whatever meal is the closest at any particular moment.”

~~~

“Kyle, I’m tired.”

Kyle wiped the sweat from Tess’s face. “I know, baby. You’re doing good. We’re almost there.” He kissed her and held her hand through the next contraction. Wincing, he hated to see her in pain. She was so tiny and delicate.

Jonathan and Max were exhausted too. All of them were covered in sweat. Eighteen hours had passed and it was already nighttime again. The entire day had been spent in labor, with Jonathan refusing to leave to go to work. He did make some business calls though. Both Max and Kyle were beside themselves with worry. Tess was so exhausted. Eighteen hours was taking a toll on her, and she refused all forms of drugs since her alien physiology didn’t do well with them.

“It’s time, Tess. Ten centimeters.” The words from the doctor fell on deaf ears. It took a few moments before what he was saying really sank in and made sense to the tired group. DocJim waited patiently, or as patiently as he could, being that a certain alien baby was suddenly in a hurry to be born.

“Time?” Tess asked, confused.

DocJim smiled and nodded. Gesturing at his staff, he continued, “Delivery room! This baby is on his way. Time to bear down!” He put a comforting hand on Tess’s shoulder. “But not yet, Tessie! Not until I tell you. Give us a few moments to get you to delivery. There’s going to be an urge to push when the contractions come; try to resist it for now.”

In a fury of activity, they quickly took Tess to the delivery room leaving the birthing room behind. Jonathan, Max and Kyle quickly changed into scrubs and were helped to don sterile gowns and caps. By the time they made the delivery room, it was time.

“Now, Tess, when I tell you, I need you to bear down, and bear down hard. It has to be a hard push for a count of ten. It’s going to hurt, but I need you to keep pushing for ten. Then rest. Okay?”

Tess nodded, pain twisting her face as her entire lower body felt like someone was torturing it in a vice grip. Kyle held her hand and was half under her body helping her sit up a little so pushing was easier. Max held the other hand, while Jonathan wiped the sweat from Tess’s face.

“Push, Tess!”

Tess pushed until she felt she became lightheaded and dizzy. The pain was taking away from her sense of reality and it felt like she was working in a tunnel. Nothing seemed real as sounds in her ears made no sense. It was the continuous presence of Kyle that kept her focused and on course.

“Relax!”

DocJim worked quickly. His staff at his side knew exactly what he needed and when. There was a nurse standing ready next to the special warming bed for the baby. It was a shock for children to be born, to leave the warm womb of their mother’s body and enter an air conditioned environment, so the room was warmer than normal to help in the transition.

“Push!”

Tess puffed hard, shut her eyes, and pushed hard as Kyle and Max counted for her.

“I see the head!” Tess was crowning. The three men suddenly became more alert. This was it. The baby was slowly moving through the birth cannel. After eighteen hours of labor, the last few moments seemed to fly.

First the head crowned, then the head was free, and in a rest period DocJim repositioned the baby, turning him to help ease out a shoulder. One moment Tess was in indescribable pain, the next she could feel the contractions, but they were lessening as Zan’s shoulder passed and the rest was a quick...push.

“Last one, Tess! This one should do it.” They had extended the rest period as they quickly checked the baby. He was fine. His heart rate and vitals constant as the fetal monitor evenly paced his life, and Tess’s monitor was as surprisingly even and constant as his.

Tess could feel the moment Zan passed from her body, as the pressure alleviated. A frown marred her face, as she registered that the connection she felt with her son as she carried him in her body still remained. He was firmly embedded in her mind and she suddenly laughed and then cried at the sound of his healthy voice rising in anger at having been put through all that. The group of them all laughed with her, and Jonathan stepped forward staring at the small child, a sense of wonder moving across his face and he gripped Max’s arm.

“Tess, your son.” DocJim stood up to place the baby on Tess’s stomach as a nurse quickly covered him in a receiving blanket.

Tess was making soothing sounds to her son, who was still crying. “Shh, it’s okay. I’m here.” The sound of his mother’s voice seemed to comfort him as he quieted and turned to her voice.

“Zan,” all four said at the same time. Max laughed, his breath expelled from his body in a quick gasp of wonder. His hands moved over his son’s head and Tess’s hand moved over her son’s hand. Kyle’s hand joined hers and he held on to his wife and his new son. Laughing through tears, he bent down and kissed her.

Jonathan quickly wiped Tess’s face and he took the seat next to her. “You did real good, my lady.” Tess laughed and squeezed Jonathan’s hand. DocJim held the special scissors that was needed to cut the birth cord, and he looked at Kyle and Max. One thing they had forgotten to prepare for was who would do the honors.

“Max, cut your son’s cord.” Kyle said. Max met his eyes, the gratitude and wonder part of him, he followed DocJim’s instructions and finally severed the last physical connection between his son and Tess.

Tess laughed through tears and Zan instinctually sucked on her finger. The cutting of the cord was the last physical connection, but not the mental one. She could feel her son. His raw power and aura rushed in her body. He was entrenched in her mind, sharing her adult control that was undeveloped in his small alien body. Her son would never be placed in stasis like his mother and father because the connection between him and his mother would hold his power in check until his body matured for the next six years. They were inseparable.

The nurse came to take Zan to check him over and get him ready for his first physical exam and bath of this life. The three men looked at each other. “Max, you and Kyle go with Zan,” said Jonathan. “I’ll stay with Tess until they’re done.” The two fathers sent a looked of gratitude at Jonathan, both of them smiling widely as Jonathan passed them the digital camera. They were going to make Zan a star.

Tess saw the camera and swore under her breath. “Do not aim that at me!” Tess didn’t want to know how bad she looked. Over eighteen hours in labor, her hair wet with sweat and clinging to her pale and pasty face. No make up. Nope. No thanks. “Go record Zan, so I don’t miss a thing.”

Jonathan stayed with her as they finished up and Tess was breathing easier. He held her hand and kissed its back. Tess smiled at him. “Think I’m going to get something to eat soon?”

He laughed. “I’ll take care of it!”

Tess sighed and leaned back to rest for the first time in hours. Her stomach was surprisingly flatter. It was strange not to see it large and distended. Running her hand over the flatness, she suddenly missed her son. A need to cry hit her hard, but as fast as she felt it, it was gone. Zan. She felt him suddenly, almost like he was still inside her. A soft secret smile lit her face.

“What?”

“I still have a connection to him.” Tess sighed in happiness. She could feel her son. Across time or space, she would be able to feel him. Tess turned and looked at Jonathan. They were alone in the recovery room. She had to stay there for an hour. Every fifteen minutes a nurse, who was no doubt trained by the best of the Gestapo, came in and pressed hard on her stomach, helping to push out everything from her uterus. It was highly unpleasant. Jonathan’s face was a combination of wonder and confusion.

“What is it, Jonathan?”

Jonathan shook his head. “I guess I never thought much about babies. Having them. Wanting them. It was such a strange concept to me. Now, after watching you, the pregnancy, and even the incredible insane behavior by both Max and Kyle, it changes things for me. I guess I never respected how attached and devoted a person could be to their offspring.”

“Your parents? Were they were close to you?”

Jonathan laughed. “Oh, yes. My parents. A nice set they were too.” His eyes were dark and hard to penetrate, but Tess could feel a deep burning anger in him. “Strangely, no. In all things of import, they were always absent. We are not what you would call a ‘warm people.’”

“This relationship with Max, Maria, and all of us must really take some getting used to, huh?”

Jonathan laughed. “It’s taught me many things.” He picked up her hand and kissed it, his eyes deep and earnest. “I would die to protect it. Protect all of you. I’ve never had this type of connection or sense of belonging and family. God, I think of my time married to Vanessa, and nothing touched me then. It was like a game. Meaningless.” He turned Tess’s hand over and seemed intent on peering into her lifeline, to discern all that was she, etched as lines on her palm. “I never felt so much, and I don’t want to lose it. Ever.” His hand tightened on hers in a firm comforting grip. “I love you. I love all of you.”

Tess smiled and removed her hand and gently removed the hair from his face that had escaped its restraint. “Good. You’re part of the family now. We wouldn’t want to lose you either.”

Jonathan laughed. Happiness. It was happiness! A joy that welled up inside, as he looked up and saw Max in the doorway holding Zan, with Kyle attentively at his side. Life was sometimes an ever-forward journey into the unknown. Endless possibilities and avenues opened, but in all things, it was inherently slightly out of focus, only coming clearer as you journeyed forward. Looking at Zan, suddenly the future was very clear for all of them.

~~~

“My god! Tess, you’re really are a hard act to follow,” said Maria, inspecting the baby, as a group of them fawned over him. Zan was sleeping in his special crib and a nurse came to take him back to the nursery. The group did a mass exodus with the crib, two doting fathers, an overwhelmed Jonathan, protective uncles and aunts, and overly-obnoxious, doting grandparents. Maria chose to stay behind with Tess.

“He is pretty great, huh?” Tess grinned like a cat with cream. She would kill for just a little time alone with just her son and Kyle, but she could be a little charitable.

“He’s huge! Eight pounds, fifteen ounces! Twenty-one inches. Wow.” Maria stroked her stomach. She was envious. Every day, her impatience to actually hold her children in her arms was becoming an undeniable ache.

“Maria, I have to tell you something.” Tess felt bad, but she felt it best to get it over with. “The Lamaze coach?”

Maria nodded, feeling a slight trepidation.

“You were right. She lied. All the focus and ‘heeing’ in the world didn’t take away the pain. It hurt like hell.”

“Oh shit!” Maria said her face getting pale. She suspected as much. Damn. She didn’t do pain very well either. She needed Julia. “I’m suing!”

~~~

Sean sucked on his final cup of coffee. They stood outside the nursery for a while admiring the very excellent handsomeness of Zan. Kyle and Max got into it with other viewing fathers as they compared whose kid was obviously better.

Michael was pretty moody. He had destroyed two candy machines that refused to give him the legally paid for merchandise. It was damn late. Almost midnight, and the day had raced away as they waited for the baby to be born.

“Jack Baxter called,” Sean said, getting the others’ attention.

Jim rocked on his feet, his eyebrow rising as he waited for the other shoe to drop. “Well? They pick up Strickland?”

“No.”

Jim and Kyle both swore.

“Dammit! What the hell is wrong with IA?”

“It wasn’t them.” Sean looked around to see who was listening. “He ran. I think he heard there was a contract on his life.”

The group of them looked around unhappily. Michael seemed quieter than the others. “He’ll find us.” The others looked at Michael. “He’ll find us because he knows we’re the only ones that can cancel the contract. We’re the only ones who can protect him from Chameleon. He’ll come. He’ll come, and then we’ll know.” Michael glanced at Sean. Maria’s method was wrong, but it was going to get them further than they had gotten before. Strickland would come, because he knew that Chameleon was already watching, as was Pierce. No matter how far and hard he ran, it was only a matter of time before they caught him.

Time was ticking away.

~~~

Michael shut the door to the loft. They were free of Sean and Julia. One of Julia’s friends from work was on vacation, so they were staying at her place. The two were talking about their living situation, and Michael kept inserting subliminal messages in the hope of inspiring them to get a place together and thus vacate his home for good.

“Michael! Our supplies look sad!” Maria tsked at the possibilities. “The babies are tired and hungry. Nothing looks good.”

Michael came up behind her and hugged her back into his body as he perused their refrigerator. This was definitely a sad state of affairs. Maria was right. The cupboards were bare. “Take out?”

Damn. Take-out again? Her babies were going to be junk food junkies like their dad! Concentrating, Maria tried to think of what would hit the spot. What popped into her mind, horrified herself. Green fluff with cherries, horseradish and Tabasco.

“Hot wings.”

Michael gave a nice sedate agreement. “Hot damn! I love these kids!”

They fought over the bucket of wings. Maria stole all the celery, and Michael hoarded the blue cheese dressing. Life was normal again. As they ate, Maria told Michael about her project and what she learned from it. He was strangely quiet and attentive waiting to tell her about Isabel and Courtney.

They talked as the time flew by, and it was close to a new day.

“So, what exactly does this mean, Professor?”

Maria moved closer to him and pulled his seat closer to her so they were touching in numerous places. “It means, Detective…that this Destiny you’re railing against, has bitten you in the ass. I was born for you.”

Michael gave her a considering look. Moving the hair from her face to loop around an ear, he searched her tired face. There was a delicate paleness to her skin offset by a healthy bloom in her cheeks. Her brilliant green eyes were dark around the outside, and her mouth drew his glance. Yes. She was born for him.

“And I was born for you.”

Maria smiled. She was hoping he would realize that too. Moving into his arms, hers circled his neck and she melted into his body. It really didn’t matter that they argued. It didn’t matter that at times they couldn’t see eye to eye, or that their lives got so busy that they let the stress of it eat at them. None of that really mattered.

In all things of real importance, they saw eye to eye. And in that, they found unity.

~~~

“You ready to go home?”

Max nodded as he gazed in rapture at his son. Jonathan stood at his side, also staring at Zan. He was a cute baby. Dark hair. But that might change. The baby books said that newborns often lost their hair and it came back in a different color. The nurses had been startled by Zan. He didn’t have the common color of eyes that babies were born with. His was the warm deep brown of his father’s.

Max smiled at his son. He remembered watching Kyle hold Zan, making ridiculous noises, and their eyes suddenly met, as Kyle laughed and handed Max the baby. It was at that moment, when Max realized that somehow along the way, he and Kyle had built a connection. Kyle had felt his desire to hold his son and easily gave him over.

“I hate to leave him.”

“I know.” Jonathan looked at the baby who was perhaps destined to be something more than any of them could imagine.

“He’s so small. So tiny. What if…”

“Max, you want to sleep here and watch over him?”

Max laughed at himself. Nervous new father. “No. I’ll try to curb my neurotic need to be overly possessive.”

Jonathan laughed at that. Sure he would. “You want to take Kyle and Tess up on us staying at their place a few nights when Zan comes home?”

“Do you mind?”

“Not at all. I think it would be good. Give you a chance to bond with your son. Learn how irritating it can be to be woken up at three in the morning, or pacing the floor with a crying baby on you shoulder.”

“Irritating?” Max didn’t think so. He’d happily give up sleep. “You think it would be irritating?”

Jonathan shrugged. “Don’t know until it happens. I do know I hate being woken by the phone, but somehow I think that being awakened by this little guy will be no hardship. None at all.”

Max squeezed Jonathan’s arm. “Thanks.”

“No problem.” Jonathan looked at the time. “Honestly, dealing with your past and baggage is so much easier than dealing with mine. I’ve still got to chase down Vanessa.”

“Then you’re going to tell me about her and your past?”

Jonathan nodded. “Yeah. Then I’m going to tell you. First, let me take care of Vanessa, then I’ll take care of you.”

“Hmm, take care of me?” Max’s eyes twinkled as he took that as a double meaning, one he preferred.

“Oh yeah, I’ll definitely take care of you!” Jonathan stared at the baby. “You know, I think he has my hands.”