Too Late Episode 2: Part Two (CC Mature 7/17)[Complete]

[Behrystrwbry]

Title: Too Late To Go Back to Sleep (Episode 2)
Author: Behrystrwbry@yahoo.com
Summary: What if it had been Liz pregnant in Baby It's You, instead of Tess. What if Tess weren't evil incarnate...
disclaimer: all characters are the creation of JK, and other PTB at the WB Fox and UPN

To understand where we are in the story take a look at the prologue which was posted with episode one, Too late for Normal, and can be viewed here. This picks up right after Tess’s shocking revelation.

AN: I've posted this before, and it fell into Dead & Buried but now I have new parts ready so this will be posted once a week. Here is a refresher for now but I will be back with new part tomorrow.


Episode 2: Too Late to go Back to Sleep
Part One

“So let me get this straight.” Liz paused, partially to take in the unexpected information Tess was telling her, and partially because the day was really beginning to wear on her. “You’re telling me Alex is alive.”

Seeing Tess was the last thing any of them expected, considering the blonde’s sincere apology nearly a week before. Given the information she came with on this night, it certainly didn’t appear she was there to hurt anyone.

Wanting to find out the whole truth, Liz immediately invited Tess into the back room in hopes that the two of them could gain some privacy. Nevertheless, she knew Max, and the rest of the group was trying to remain inconspicuous as they watched them through the glass pane on the service door.

“Possibly,” Tess admitted, “I want to tell you everything Liz, but it’s nothing we should discuss here…”

Liz knew Tess’s vague admission was code for “this is alien related” she’d already suspected as much but Max and the rest were only just starting to come around to her way of thinking. They had to believe her now, for Alex’s sake.

“I knew it!” Max exploded swinging through the service door with one swift motion within seconds he was mere inches from her face and his lanky frame towered over the smaller blonde. “You’ve known the whole time. You’re responsible. To think I trusted you, we…”

“Max cut it out!” Liz said stepping between them, “Let’s just hear her out before we jump to any conclusions.” She turned her attention back to the other girl “Tell us what you know.”

Tess shook her head before reiterating, “Like I said it’s nothing I can discuss here.”

“Our house.” Isabel provided making her presence known. “Mom’s away with Dad tonight on business; they won’t be back until tomorrown.”

By this time she, Maria Michael and Kyle had all joined them in the backroom. What started out as Liz and Tess had turned into a requisite meeting of the so dubbed ‘I know and Alien Club’ most members present and accounted for.

“That sounds good.” Max said immediately stepping into leader mode. ”Michael, Maria, and I will close up here. Isabel you take Kyle and Tess home, we’ll meet you guys there in about an hour.”

“What about me?” Liz asked though the crowd had already begun to disperse. She’d noticed Max hadn’t delegated an assignment to her. This was her quest and it seemed he was all of a sudden trying to take over.

“You are going to go upstairs change, then maybe rest a little before we leave.” Max told her.

“But Max…”

“Please Liz; don’t argue with me on this. You fainted the other day, remember.” He enfolded her in his embrace, framing her face with his hands so he could look deep into her eyes as he spoke, “I was so scared when we couldn’t revive you; I don’t want that to happen again. Now I’ve been watching you all night, and though you try to hide it Liz, I know you’re tired so please take a few minutes to regroup before we go to talk to Tess.”

“But my shift…”

“Just tell me what is left to do and I’d be happy to do it for you.” Max offered

“Okay, make sure Michael puts everything away in the kitchen, the grill should be cold. You can help Maria wipe down all the tables, sweep, and mop the floor.” Liz began listing off the chores, now it was her turn to delegate “And lastly but most importantly, please apologize to Tess.”

“Liz…”

“Please Max, don’t argue with me on this. Now you said you would, and that outburst you had few minutes ago certainly warrants it, especially now since it seems she’s helping us.”

Max smiled, there was nothing left to say, no argument on either part. They both simply nodded their acquiescence and shared a tender kiss before going to complete their tasks.

******

When Max and Liz arrived at the house, he immediately requested to speak with Tess alone for a few minutes. Max could tell by her hesitation that the prospect was somewhat unnerving for her. It was somewhat of a blow to his confidence that she feared him. He knew then, that Liz was right; if he were honest with himself, he’d known it all along. This past month he’d been a huge jerk to Tess, to everyone really but mainly her, and it was high time he apologized for it. After all the last thing he wanted was for the future, that Liz foretold of Armageddon, to come true.

He and Tess had spoken in the kitchen and the rest of the groups were seated in the living room anxiously awaiting their return. Everyone wanted to hear what Tess had to tell them.

When Tess entered the room, she offered a grateful smile to Liz as did Max before making himself comfortable beside her on the couch, Tess sat in the wingback chair facing them. The other two couples gathered around, and Tess began.

“I didn’t always feel welcome here, you can imagine. And I would have done anything to get back home. Alex was the only one able to understand that, or the only one who tried to anyway. So I asked him to decode the book, figuring that if we had that it would be enough to a least get you guys thinking about home.”

“Why didn’t you just come to us? It involves Max, Michael and I just as much you.” Isabel said her voice was strangely calm as she spoke. Nevertheless, Max knew there was something akin to anger brewing behind his sister’s eyes. However, he wasn’t sure where the anger was coming from.

“It involves all of us.” Liz added from her perch next to him. She was leaning across his thighs as he massaged her lower back and they both listened intently.

“I don’t know that any of you would have been all that interested. You were all too caught up in your high school angst to notice we don’t belong here.” Tess eyed each member of the pod squad pointedly. It had been a difficult year for all of them, and it was having severe repercussions on their group dynamic. Never having felt like she belonged Max supposed Tess felt that more keenly than anyone did.

She continued, “Alex said he knew someone, a cousin, at the University of Las Cruces who had access to a computer up there that was supposed to be able to crack any code, maybe even the destiny book.” Tess explained, “He told me that he would try it out but he needed time. So together, we devised a plan where no one would be looking for him. Not teachers, parents, and especially not you guys.”

“Do I really need to tell you how dangerous that is, with our enemies out there?” Michael said

“I know, but I had to try.” Tess replied, “I promised to look out for him while he was there. However, while I was watching him Nikolas was watching me. I went up to Las Cruces a couple of times and I led Nikolas and his cronies straight to them. When the translation was complete they moved in.”

“And what? Killed him.” Maria queried incredulously.

“They couldn’t have killed him.” Michael told her “He was here for at least a month before he died.”

“I don’t think that was ever Alex,” Tess told them

“A skin?” Isabel offered, and Tess nodded

“No way,” Michael shot back “Courtney said those things take like fifty years to mature. There is no way they could have known about Alex fifty years ago. Alex wasn’t even born and we were still some science experiment somewhere”

“Maybe it takes fifty years here on earth Michael but I don’t think that thing was from this planet.”

“Heard of any spaceships crashing lately?” Maria joked but it was true there was no reason for them to believe more of their enemies were arriving everyday.


“A spaceship isn’t the only way to travel.” Tess clarified “On our planet, there is technology we couldn’t even fathom. The Granolith for one, we know can be used a for time travel.”

“We do?” Isabel said, clearly out of the loop on that one.

Max shared a questioning look with Liz before looking to Tess. Apparently, the girl knew more than she let on.

“How do you know so much,” Michael asked, squinting his face as if he was sizing Tess up “and why do you think Alex wasn’t Alex? We all saw him; talked to him, he looked completely normal to us.”

“I healed him.” Max said though even as he said it he knew that he had not been able to form a connection. It was something he struggled with everyday since then.

“I went to prom with him,” Isabel added, her voice was high and panicky, of the group she was having the most difficulty accepting all this “we spent all night together.” she drew back once she had everyone’s attention, it was apparent she’d revealed more than she intended “I would have known if something was wrong.”

“Firstly you live with a shape shifter long enough you learn some things. Secondly, you all saw what they wanted you to see. Whoever that was had been sent here specifically to fool all of us, they’d been watching us for months.”

The group was mulishly silent as they digested this new information. If Tess was right, it unnerved them to think that someone easily infiltrated their group.

“Why do you think it wasn’t him?” Liz asked quietly

“The night that he died I went to his house.” Tess began “To ask him when we were going to tell the rest of you about the translation. He said ‘As soon as we figure out where it is.’ I thought that was weird because Alex already had it. As soon as it was complete, he and his cousin Jennifer called me and told me that she would have the CD with the text file, and Alex was the only one who knew the password to access those files, for safety reasons. Jennifer was supposed to come up here when we were ready to share it with you all.

“I asked this… Alex double what he meant, but by that time he already knew his cover was blown so he gave me this weird look, pure evil, before telling me ‘You’re too late’ and running out of there like a bat out of hell. Next thing I heard he was dead.”

“So sometime between that phone call and Alex actually coming back to Roswell, whoever that was must have gotten to them.” Liz deduced

“If it wasn’t really Alex, who do you think it was?” Michael asked

“I’m not sure But I have my guesses and believe me we’ve heard his name enough.” Tess told them.

“Kivar.” Isabel uttered not bothering to look up, she simply hugged her middle as she rocked back and forth do the best she could to comfort herself.

“Isabel did something happen?” Max ventured.

She met his gaze dead on and said, “I can’t… talk about it.” Then retiring to her room.

“Talk about invasion of the body snatchers.” Kyle jested but this was no laughing matter.

Suddenly four sets of eyes were on Max. Isabel’s behavior was strange to say the least and everyone knew the sibling bond he and his sister shared was unlike any other. Little did they know that he and Isabel weren’t on the best of terms. “We should let her be alone for now.” He said, “I’ll talk to her later”


“Well if it was a skin it’s easy enough to find out.” Michael said turning the attention back to the issue at hand “When they die they turn to dust so all we have to do is see if Alex is now dust.”

“You mean exhume the body?” Max asked

“No way, this is just a theory. What if we’re wrong?” Maria protested.

“What if we’re right?” Max countered

Still Maria persisted “No we can’t just go digging up people’s graves and who are we to think that…”

“…Easy you guys. That may not be the only way to go about this.” Tess interjected.

“Jennifer?” Liz offered

“Well that’s it then we need to find Jennifer she’s the last one who saw him alive.” Max concluded.

“He could still be alive.” Tess pointed out

“That’s why we need Jennifer; to find out.” Michael said.

“How? She’s not at school. She ran away when she saw Max and Michael.” Liz reminded.

“I have her number.” Tess admitted. “But she hasn’t really been answering my calls.”

“Maybe now that she’s had a chance to cool down she’d be willing to hear what we have to say.” Liz said, “It’s worth a shot.”

Tess only took a moment to think it over before dialing the girl on her cell phone. The phone rang once and Jennifer picked up right away as if she’d been waiting. “Hello Jennifer, this is Tess… Alex’s friend… Yes, in fact he is here… Sure you can…” she held out the phone for Max to take. “She wants to talk to you”

Max took the phone “Hello…yeah that’s me…We’d really appreciate that…Could you come to 6025 Murray Lane…Okay, bye.”

“What happened?” Liz asked once he’d ended the phone call.

“She wants to help and has information.” Max told them “She’ll be here in the morning.”

“What do we do until then?” Tess asked

Max shrugged “It’s up to you. I suggest we all get some rest and we’ll call you when she gets here.”

With that, the group dispersed Michael and Maria left together, Kyle and Tess, until it was just Max and Liz left talking quietly on the couch. “I should probably go…check on Isabel.” He told her.

Liz nodded “I’ll just go… be in your room” she excused herself; it was already a forgone conclusion that she would be staying the night.

Max made his way down the hall to his sister’s bedroom. He knocked once and when she didn’t answer, he opened the door and went in. Isabel lay on the bed facing away from him as she wept silently into her pillow.

“Isabel.” Max cautioned, before he went to sit on the edge of the bed “Isabel what’s wrong. Tell me what happened. Did Alex… do something to you?”

Strained was her voice as she spoke, “He didn’t do anything that I didn’t want him to.”

It took a moment for Max to process what she was saying before understanding dawned. It was awkward to say the least. No matter how close they were, he and his sister rarely, if ever talked about their personal lives with each other. And, their intimate personal lives were off limits altogether.

However, she needed him. Max knew how terrifying it had been for him to share himself with Liz in that way given all the secrets between them. He could only imagine how Isabel must feel now, to find out that Alex wasn’t even who she thought he was “Are you okay… I mean you’re not pregnant are you?”

“No.” Isabel laughed through her tears “I think you’ve taken care of that for the both of us.”

Max smirked “So then it’ll be okay.” he told her “I know this must be hard to deal with but we’ll find Alex, and you will be okay.”

“I knew.”

“What?”

“Something in me recognized him… Kivar or whoever it was; he was familiar to me so I just assumed it must be the connection Alex and I have always shared.”

“But now you think it was…”

“Vilandra recognizing Kivar or something.” Isabel ventured, and then almost as soon as she said it, crumpled against the pillows as if she couldn’t stand the idea “I don’t know… I don’t know anything any more.”

“We don’t even know if it really was Kivar.” Max told her “Tess said she thought it might be, but we should wait until we know more. I just don’t want you beating yourself up over this in the meantime.”

“I’m sorry Max.”

“There’s no need to apologize.”

“No I mean I’m sorry for the way I’ve been acting the past few weeks, the pranks, and what not; they were childish. I realize you have a lot going on and if you ever need help with anything, you, or Liz, know that I’m here.”

“I assume this means you know?” Max queried referring to the child he and Liz expected.

“Yeah, everyone in school is talking about it; it’s just a rumor for now but they’ll see soon enough. And I heard the two of you arguing about it.”

“We’ve worked everything out now.” He told her “But I’m worried about her Iz.”

“Why?”

Max shrugged “I don’t know, just a feeling I guess, that something will go wrong, and I won’t know how to help them. I don’t know what’s happening with her or the baby, and there’s no one really to ask. She fainted the other day, like completely unconscious for a good five minutes.”

“Well Liz is human, maybe she can go to a doctor.” Isabel offered

“Maybe, but what’s inside her isn’t.”

“How do you know? You’re part human maybe doctors won’t suspect anything. We can fudge some of the dates and get her checked up.”

“I can’t take that chance,”

“We’ll figure this out.” Isabel assured leaning up to enfold him in a hug “I’ll help and we will find a solution that’s safe for Liz and baby.”

“I hope we can.”

“We will.”

“Iz I’m sorry too,” He said against her hair, before pulling back so he could see her as she spoke, “for discounting your dreams. If you want to go away to college we’ll figure out a way to make that happen.”

“After hearing what I did tonight I’m not so eager to go any where too far.”

“Well that’s your decision too. I just don’t want you to feel like I’m stopping you.”

Isabel nodded “Now not to be rude or anything, but could you get out. I just want to take a hot shower, then sleep."

Max smiled, echoed her sentiments, and retired to his room.

*******

When she saw him standing in the doorway Liz asked, “What’s this?” referring to the classified section of the Roswell daily news, circled were several entries for what looked like apartment listings.

“I was thinking if we’re going to have a baby we should probably find a place of our own.” Max explained as he entered the room and closed the door behind him. He went to sit on the edge of the bed facing her “I don’t know how feasible it would be, I don’t even know if you want to. I just figured it couldn’t hurt to look.”

Liz smiled to herself at his ingenuity. So wrapped up in the situation with Alex was she, that Liz rarely stopped to think about the fact that she was having a child, and what that meant for her and Max. Therefore, it was good that he was thinking about it but it seemed he’d overlooked some things.

“We’re supposed to afford this on my salary at the CrashDown and yours at the UFO center?” Liz asked

“Not necessarily.”

“What do you mean?”

“I just turned eighteen and because of that a rather decent sum of money has come under my jurisdiction, my parents have been saving into a college fund since they adopted us. I figured we could live off that for a while and we’ll continue to work and save.”

“And what about school?” Liz pointed out “Don’t you want to go to college?”

“Of coarse I do, someday but… well plans have changed.”

“Max, come here” Liz urged he went to kneel on the floor in front of where she sat at the desk chair, she framed his face with her hands as she spoke. ”I love that you’ve been thinking about this, and I’m not even going to begin to point out the many holes in this plan. But just like you don’t want me to put my life on hold, I don’t want you to either.”

“What will we do then?” He asked; gaze downcast “Should we just continue living with our parents.”

“Maybe.” Liz ventured, “Whatever we decide we need to sit down and think up a plan where both of us can get what need. There will be no sacrifices on either part, even if it means we have to be beholden to our parents for a while longer. Once we tell them I’m sure they’ll understand.”

“I love you so much,” He said against her mouth “I just want to make you happy.”

Max’s lips on hers were soft and warm, plaint to the eager exploration of her tongue. Liz melted into his embrace, kneeling in the chair as his arms circled her waist.

Max was puzzled as hem of the cotton ended, and he felt the back of her bare thighs. “What are you wearing?” He asked pausing in his movements to take in her clothing, or lack there of.

“I needed something to sleep in so I borrowed one of your shirts.” Liz told him.

“Liz, I wore this shirt Tuesday, it’s not even clean.” He observed

“I know; but I love that it smells like you.” She admitted coloring slightly

Not knowing what else to say, Max simply rolled his eyes and smiled as he swept her small frame up and carried her over to his bed. He kneeled to place a kiss on her forehead whispering. “You’re so weird.”

“Look who’s talking.” Liz joked, as he went over to sit on the other end of the bed to take off his shoes and ready himself for bed. Liz made herself comfortable on the pillow then turned on her side to face him.

“So what was up with Isabel?” she queried.

“Turns out she and Alex had gotten closer than anyone knew.”

“You mean they…”Max nodded and Liz caught his meaning “Wow.” She breathed.

“Don’t say anything unless she mentions it to you. I’m not sure wants anyone to know.” Max told Liz as he disappeared into his closet. “She also wanted to apologize for all the pranks, and offer her help. She knows about the baby.” His voice echoed back.

“At this point who doesn’t know?” Liz shrugged

“Our parents, for one.” He said finally taking his place on the bed beside her. The two of them were leaned on their sides facing one another “When are we going to tell them Liz?”

“We will eventually I just want to find Alex. Then we can deal with the baby.”

“That may never happen. Sure, we’re trying our hardest but we need to realistic here. The baby is growing Liz, very quickly. Eventually your parents are going to figure it out whether because you start to show, or you start glowing, as you are now…”

Liz looked down and sure enough, a faint green light was shining through the cotton of the shirt. Max scooted closer to her on the bed and placed his hand over the light.

“May I…” Max asked, already tugging on the edge of the shirt. Liz nodded and he gathered the material to just beneath her breasts. Once again placed his hand over the light. The moment he did so his eyes drooped closed and his head lolled forward.

He was asleep Liz knew that he had gone to visit their son, She did her best to adjust his weight so they were both comfortable

When Max opened his eyes again nearly twenty minutes had passed, and his head resting on Liz’s abdomen as she lovingly ran her fingers through his hair.

“I went someplace Liz.” He told her. “In my mind I was…”

“…In a garden.” she provided, Max nodded “That was our son, his mind, at least I think so.”

“Why is he… why can’t we see him?”

Liz shrugged, “Maybe he can’t take a form because he doesn’t have one yet.”

He adjusted them so he was lying on the pillow before he pulled Liz against him “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For being with me, for carrying our child. His mind is so beautiful, nothing from me could ever be that beautiful, and peaceful, I’ve never had peace like I did when I was there,”

Liz framed his face in her hands she had to make him understand, “You give me peace… and joy, so much joy…”

They begin to kiss, hands roaming one another’s bodies. He felt her soft skin pimple with goose bumps as his hands traveled over her legs, thighs, and hips, then to where her shirt bunched between them. His hand slipped underneath the shirt to palm the warm supple flesh of one of her breasts, she tried not to wince as he did so.

Liz was finding that she was somewhat tender there recently but she wouldn’t tell Max that else he’d go all papa bear and probably stop altogether. That was the last thing Liz wanted in spite of the brief pain, she really enjoyed having him touch her this way. His hands were warm and moist against her already fevered skin. She was just enough to fill his palm, but soon it was not enough to touch she knew he would want to see as well.

In the two weeks that they’d been sleeping together, he’d never seen the whole of her, nor she of him. With their first sorted encounter, they’d both been half-clothed, or subsequent times they’d made love in the dark of either his or her bedroom, trying their best not to disturb their parents. At present, the desire to see each other, suddenly struck them like a flash of lightening.

“Can I see you…”was his hoarse whisper.

Liz nodded silently, and together they lifted the cotton over her head revealing her slight figure to his hungry eyes. She hadn’t begun to show much, if at all. Same trim waist as always, flat tummy in which new life was growing. Her breasts had become a bit fuller and Liz wondered if he noticed these changes as well. He studied her as if he was a ravenous predator trying to determine which way to, best, stalk his prey. She began to fret slightly under his intense gaze. “Max you’re staring.”

“Oh sorry.” He said diverting his eyes.

“Could you maybe…take your clothes off too?” Liz asked coloring slightly. She didn’t know why she was suddenly so shy around him. It was a bit disconcerting sitting there in only her panties while he was for all intensive purposes fully clothed.

Max nodded silently, before hopping off the bed and made quick work of removing his sweats and tee shirt. He pulled back the covers and together they got underneath. He raised his hand to blink out the light before pulling her close to him.

“Why’d you do that?” Liz asked, his brow creased in confusion “The light.” She clarified.

“I thought you were uncomfortable.”

“With the staring,” Liz explained “But if I get to stare too…”

Max smiled as he raised his hand once again illuminating the room. Liz threw back the covers leaving them both nude and exposed to the others eyes.

She splayed her hands wide over his muscled chest “You’re beautiful Max”Liz uttered almost not believing such a perfect specimen could belong to her “so beautiful”

Their union was slow and exploratory, as they familiarized themselves with each others bodies. The subtle changes of Liz, the beauty that was Max, leaving each other thoroughly loved.

[Behrystrwbry]

Part 2

After sharing such an enjoyable night with Liz, Max found that he could not sleep. He gazed with envy at the peacefully sated expression painting her features and hoped that eventually he’d be able to garner the same.

However, at present many questions plagued Max's mind. He wagered that it wouldn’t be long before everyone, including their parents found out about the baby. The unmistakable glow of pregnancy surrounded her. It was really a question of who would be first. The Parkers or the Evans; he couldn’t say that he was terribly worried about it either way. He and Liz had great parents and while they would be disappointed, they would understand. What concerned him most were Liz and his son’s welfare. How would he be able to keep them safe and healthy? Surely her parents would want to take her to a doctor. How would they get out of that? And just how conventional would the birth be?

Longing for the peace he’d experienced the night before Max tried to connect with his son several times throughout the night, to no avail. When the early morning rays of daylight began leaking through his bedroom window he decided to stop idling, get up, be of some use, and make Liz breakfast. He worked for the next hour preparing pancakes, bacon, and eggs. It was probably much more than she’d be able to eat but as least she would have a nice selection. He decorated the tray impeccably with garnish and a single white rose from his mother’s garden before loading it up with the food and returning to the room to wake her with teasing kisses.

“Mmm…Max. Five more minutes okay?” She mumbled before burrowing underneath the covers.

Burrowing right along with her Max leaned in close to her ear and whispered, “I made you breakfast.”

That seemed to get her attention and she immediately sat up stretching “Why didn’t you say so? Did you make bacon.” she asked in a wide yawn.

Pouting mockingly Max said, “Liz I’m staring to feel like I come in third after bacon, and sex.”

“That’s not true Max come here.” She beckoned him closer and treated him with a tender kiss “I love you so much more than I could ever love bacon.” she whispered against his mouth.

“What about sex?” Max asked, the topic readily on his mind, with Liz all warm sleepy and nude there in his bed.

“I’ll get back to you later with that one." She teased with a wink. "After a repeat performance.”

Max knew she was joking so he calmed his eager hormones, and instead went to work setting up the tray in front of her. After all she did promise him later, he'd hold onto that.

“Max this looks perfect. Thank you.” She pecked him on the cheek once again before settling in to try his food. She tasted a small forkful of eggs, and tried to no avail to hide her displeasure.

“What’s wrong? You don’t like it.” Max never thought himself the chef, but he thought he could at least scramble an egg.

“It’s just kind of…bland.” Liz admitted hesitantly, not wanting to hurt his feelings. Truthfully everything recently was bland and she didn't know it was the pregnancy; or her taste buds were falling asleep or what.

“I brought the salt and pepper.” He said showing her the shakers in the corner of the tray.

“You know what would be perfect. Tabasco.”

“Tabasco?” He questioned to her eager nod “Okay I’ll go get you the…tabasco.” Usually the way to guarantee Liz would not eat something was to douse it in the spicy condiment; yet here she was requesting it. Certainly a change from he norm.

Max was half way to the kitchen when he heard the pitter-patter of Liz’s bare feet behind him. “Liz what are you doing?”

“I wanted to tell you to bring the sugar and lemon for the coffee.” Liz told him.

“In that?" Max noted incredulously "You can’t walk around in your underwear, anyone could see you.”

“I thought you said your parents weren’t here.”

“Yeah right this second. But there's still Isabel and...” He took off the tee-shirt he was wearing and handed it to her “Put this on.”

Liz did as requested then took a seat on the couch to wait for him so they could go back to his room together. “Don’t forget the lemon.” Liz called across the hall.

Lemon in coffee? No one liked that except for Isabel Max thought to himself “Are you sick or something?”

“No I don’t think so." Liz mused "Everything just tastes so blah today.”

Max went to the kitchen to get the desired items it took him a bit longer to find the lemon then expected as it wasn't something they kept readily on hand.

Max did hear the doorbell, but figured someone else would get it. Sure enough he entered the living room, condiments in hand only to find Isabel, Liz, and another girl he assumed was Alex’s cousin, sitting on the couch talking amiably.

“Whoa Max go put on some clothes.” Isabel said upon seeing his lack of dress. While he'd made sure Liz was suitably covered this left him inappropriately uncovered.

“Max this is Jennifer Coleman.” Liz introduced trying to break the tension. She obviously felt bad about causing him to give up his shirt.

“I gathered.” Max commented ruefully, pointing down the hall where clothing awaited, “Let me go…”

Before he got the chance to get back to his room his parents came striding in the side door; catching him in the kitchen and seeing their guests across the hall.

“Well it looks like you guys just had yourself a sleepover while we were gone.” Diane commented taking in the scene, specifically the young couple’s lack of dress.

“Mom we weren’t expecting you until later,” Max said “Much later.”

“I can see that.” Philip said “Well I suppose it‘s good you’re all here we have a surprise for you Izzy.”

“For me?”

“Yes." Everyone had convened in the living room for their parents speech "Since you’ll be starting college in the fall, we figure it’s time you had your own place to entertain guests. We know the hours college students tend to keep and we didn’t want to crowd you with our stuffy old ways so…" Her father handed her a set of keys with a yellow sticky and the address attached to it.

“My own apartment." Isabel concluded.

“We’ll cover rent and utilities the first six months after that we expect you to find a job and make your own way." Diane added "We just want to help you get started.”

“Is it open, can I go there now?”

“Yeah the old tenants vacated on Wednesday. That’s where we were the past few days setting things up for you”

Everyone was silent Liz still doing her best to stretch Max's tee-shirt over her knees while he was increasingly uncomfortable standing there bare chested. The doorbell rang and it was Michael and Maria.

As if their embaressment hadn't been enough the newest arrival made Max and Liz want to crawl under a rock.

“Well we’ll just leave you to your guests.” Their parents then retired to their room.

“Not right now but eventually I think we should all sit down and have a talk.” Phillip whispered to Max and Liz as he and Diane passed them.

*****

“Is Max here yet?” Liz asked immediately upon entrance to Isabel’s new apartment.

After their impromptu wake up call from Jennifer and their parents. Jennifer revealed her reason for coming. She needed protection. The skins were attempting to blackmail her, using Alex's life in exchange for the book translation. This prooved her cousin was still alive; but where. And she admitted didn’t know where the translation was anymore.

Max told her he had it. She’d been able to by pass the security code for them and Max had spent the rest of the day holed up in his room reading it. He’d called and instructed everyone to meet at Isabel’s new place that evening. Liz was just arriving after her shift.

“No he called a few minutes ago said he and Michael would be a little late.” Isabel informed.

Liz shrugged then took a seat on the couch in the living room area. Not only had the Evans secured this apartment for Isabel but they’d furnished it as well with a few of the basics. Living room and dinette set, as well as a bed. However they left the overall dwellinng a blank slate knowing Isabel would want to decorate herself.

“Are your breasts sore?” Maria asked Liz taking a seat on the couch next to her.

“Excuse me?”

“What?" Maria said as if that was the most normal question in the world. "Liz I’m trying to figure out how far along you are. Michael got all these books on pregnancy and childbirth and I was reading this one. You’ve been pregnant two weeks and it says that in the fourth week your breasts might start to feel a little sore. So if that’s true it would seem you’re developing twice as fast.”

“Alien pregnancies take about a month.” Tess offered joining them.

“How do you know?” Maria questioned the girl as if she had no right to be apart of the conversation. Even though Tess had shown herself to be in their corner some were still having trouble accepting her.

“After Max asked Tess if you could get pregnant from a dream. Nasedo sat us all down gave us a little lesson on the birds and the bees." Isabel explained "Or rather the Antarian version.”

“But Liz since you’re human I’m sure you have longer than that.” Tess assured.

“Yeah but how long?” insisted Maria.

Tess and Isabel shrugged. "Between those books and the translation we've got you covered." Max's sister assured.

"How? We're seventeen not doctors."

Tess considered what Maria was saying before concluding, "We kind of have to be. What other choice does she have?"

It bought home the gravity of the situation for Liz. This was no normal teen pregnancy “Well I don’t really feel much different then when I have my period." she told them “I get tired easily, and yes I am sore sometimes but nothing out of the ordinary.”

“And you haven’t been getting nauseaus?” Maria queried

“No I don’t get nauseaus but I do get famished. Speaking of which Isabel, we should order out.” Liz statement was met with hungry nods of agreement.

Pretty soon they were pouring over the take-out menus left on Isabel's doorstep.

As they did so Jennifer, who'd been there the whole time just taking it all in, asked "So Liz and Max are having a baby. Is that some type of 'super furtile alien' thing?"

"No it's a 'horny teenagers forgot to use a condom' thing." Maria provided rather matter of faculty. The girls laughed even Liz when she and Max were the butt of the joke.

Four large pizza arrived around the same time Max and Michael showed up. It didn't go unnoticed by anyone that Liz doused her slices in tabasco. Especially Max who compared it to her strange habits at breakfast that morning.

“So what did you have to take care of?" Liz asked the question that was on everyone's mind. "How are we going to proceed with finding Alex?”

“There really is nothing we can do until we know more. Alex could be anywhere.” Max told them.

“All hope is not lost however.” Michael began “Reading the book, Max discovered that the pre-recorded message from their mother wasn’t the only purpose for the orbs.”

“What else do they do?” Isabel's excitement was evident, as if the first message hadn't changed their life enough.

“They act kind of as intergalactic cells phones.” Max provided.

“We can call home?” Tess asked.

“Not exactly they can only be used to send general messages like ‘S.O.S’ or ‘we need help’. That’s what Michael and I did today we went out to the pod chamber and sent out a message for help.”

“So what do we do for now?”

“We wait.”

*****

Much later that night everyone had settled into their own space. Isabel had been gracious enough to allow her brother and Liz to use the bedroom so she could get some rest comfortably; Maria and Michael were talking quietly in the corner teetering between the land of sleep and wakefulness.

Kyle had taken over the couch, and he was sound asleep. Isabel noticed that Tess seemed to be watching him intently from her perch in another corner. “That’s not usually how you find a girl looking at her brother.” She observed.

“Yeah." Tess aknowledged "Kyle and I tried the romance thing. But when you've seen a person walking around in their underwear scratching their ass every morning kinda sucks the romance right out of it."

“Have you thought of moving out? I know Nascedo left you well provided for.”

“I have; but where would I go?”

“How about here.” Isabel offered, “There is a spare bedroom, and I can certainly use a roommate.”

“Let me get back to you on that.” Tess said “I think it’s great idea but I just want to run it by the guys."

Max exited the guest bedroom. Looking somewhat mussed and groggy, he surveyed the room.

“Good nap?” Maria queried ruefully.

“I guess.” Max shrugged

“You were just sleeping weren’t you?” Michael tested

“Of course we were sleeping.”

“You better have been.” Isabel warned the thought of her brother and his girlfriend doing anything else on her bed was too much.

“Cause those two are known for their restraint.” Kyle joked.

“What’s going on?” Liz said joining them.

"We’re just ragging on Max’s 'sex hair.” Maria provided.

“I do not have 'sex hair.” Max defended.

“You do kind of have sex hair.” Liz said “I told you about that gel.”

"From your own girlfriend no less.” Kyle was on a roll and Max had made himself an easy target, leaving the bedroom with a mean cowlick shaping his hair.

“How can I have 'sex hair' we weren’t even doing anything… and what exactly is 'sex hair.”

“Well you’ve got kind of a…” There was a knock at the door abruptly cutting off the end of Liz's statement.

All went silent as the group waited to see if they’d all heard the same thing. Another knock came and they knew help had come, they would finally have their answers.

end of episode