I don't own Falling Skies! My native language is Dutch and I'm dyslectic so sorry for any mistakes.

It's my very first fanfic for the show, having only discovered it a few weeks ago (and totally loving it). The story is based on 1x07 Sanctuary part 2 and 2x08 Death March.

His Beautiful Eyes

Sarah had picked the best time to go into labor, or better yet: her baby had picked the best time to arrive. The Second Mass was chaos. Everyone was getting ready to move, but Anne and Maggie were standing in the science classroom with Sarah on the table. To make the matter worse, the baby was breached. It was Weaver who came to a surprising rescue. He and Anne had managed to turn the baby and now Sarah was ready to deliver.

'Okay, Sarah, it's about time you meet your baby,' Anne said with a smile on her face. Sarah's grip on Maggie's hand tightened and Maggie squeezed it, hoping to reassure the frightened woman.

'That is my cue to step aside,' Weaver said, sounding a little uncomfortable and he stepped away from the end of the bed.

'Please stay,' Sarah panted and she stretched her free hand out to him. 'You need to stay!' Weaver gave a short nod and stood opposite of Maggie. He took Sarah's hand.

'You're ready?' Maggie whispered. 'Just a little while and it will be over.' Sarah gave her a little nod and Maggie dabbed the woman's forehead with a damp cloth. Anne adjusted herself at the end of the bed and she looked at Sarah, giving a little nod.

'Whenever you're ready, Sarah,' she told her. 'Don't forget to take a deep breath before you push...' Sarah took a deep breath and started to push. Her grip on Maggie's hand tightened. As Sarah took the deep breaths and pushed to finally meet her baby, Maggie's mind wondered off.


'Female, eighteen years old, thirty-nine weeks pregnant, contractions less than four minutes apart,' the nurse summed up when the doctor finally arrived at the infirmary. Maggie started to zone out. She had no need to hear all the medical terms. She remembered most of them. Her hands clutched her swollen belly. There was nothing she wanted more than to leave this place. Anywhere but a hospital. The scent, the ceiling lights and the white walls reminded her of all those bad days. Maggie took a deep breath while another contraction hit. She didn't want it to happen. This were their last hours; the last minutes. Time she didn't want to end.

'Okay...Margaret, ,' the doctor told her as she looked at Maggie's chart, 'I hope you're ready because your baby is.' The doctor placed her hands on Maggie's belly. All Maggie wanted was to push the hands away. She wasn't ready! She closed her eyes, trying to imagine she was in another place at another time. A better time. But another contraction prevented her from doing so. The pain kept her in the reality she didn't want to be in.

'Margaret, it's time to push,' the doctor urged her and she took place at the end of the bed. Maggie grabbed the sides of the bed. She couldn't do this! It was too much! It had been one stupid mistake on a forgotten night. Just one night and nine months later she was here, alone. Or actually to be alone soon. She didn't want to be alone. Not after those nine months. Pain rushed through her body but in some way Maggie welcomed it. It was something she knew. She had dealt with it before.

'Take a deep breath, Margaret,' the doctor told her. 'A deep breath...hold it and start pushing.' A nurse gave Maggie's hand a little squeeze and Maggie took the deep breath. 'Very good, Margaret. Now push!' With all her strength she started to push. A process she didn't want to start, but one she knew she couldn't avoid.

'Push...push...push!' her doctor encouraged until ten seconds passed and Maggie fell back. 'Okay, another deep breath and another push. You're doing great, Margaret!' Maggie gritted her teeth with the second push. Tears were threatening to fall but she wouldn't allow them to fall. They would not see her pain. She had enough with the pain. It had to be over.

'One more deep breath,' the doctor said and Maggie filled her lungs, 'and another push! Push...Push...push...keep going...you're doing great!' A groan escaped from Maggie. 'Okay, Margaret, take some time. Your baby is almost here!' Maggie fell back and took several deep breaths. Exhaustion was setting in and she closed her eyes. It had to be over. She didn't want to! She wanted to leave! Leave this awful place and forget. Forget it ever happened. Just be done with it.


'One last push, Margaret and your baby will be here!' the doctor said with excitement that Maggie did not feel. All she felt was exhaustion. There were only seconds left of their time together. Only seconds before she was alone again. So she didn't want to do the last push. She closed her eyes, hoping she would wake up and no longer be here. No longer in pain.

'Come on, Margaret, one last push,' the doctor coached. 'One last big push and it's over. You can do it!' Maggie wanted to scream at the woman to shut up. Nothing from here on was going to be good. But the urge was too big and with the last of her strength Maggie gave one last big push. She felt the relief before she heard the cries.

'Congratulations, Margaret, you have a beautiful healthy baby boy,' the doctor beamed. The doctor handed a little bundle to the nurse and for one moment all Maggie felt was fear. But all the fear disappeared in an instance when she met her baby boy's beautiful eyes. Bright blue eyes staring at her. The nurse carefully placed her baby boy in her arms and Maggie could only stare at his little face. She lifted her hand and gently touched his forehead. A single tear found its way out and rolled down her cheek. He was perfect. This was precious time and Maggie knew it. Time she would never forget. Not this little boy; her little boy.

'Hey,' was all she could whisper to her son. She carefully placed a kiss on his forehead. If only she could freeze time and be in this moment forever. Just her and her perfect boy. But that wasn't an option and Maggie knew it. Yet the time passed too soon.

'Social Service is waiting outside,' a guard said, breaking the magical moment. Maggie turned to the man. No, it was too soon. She didn't want to lose her boy. Not yet. She wanted a little more time with him. Just a few more moments, but there were no moments for them. The nurse gave a little nod and took the baby out of Maggie's arms. She slowly walked away from the bed. Maggie followed them with her eyes all the way to the door. The sound of the door closing echoed in her head.


Loud and desperate cries brought Maggie back into the science classroom. Back into reality. Sarah started to laugh exhaustedly and Maggie looked at Anne, who was holding the baby.

'It's a girl,' Anne laughed. She cut the umbilical cord and handed Sarah her daughter. 'Meet your baby girl.' Maggie watched as Sarah took her first look at her daughter, pure happiness spread all over her face. Sarah glanced up at her.

'Thank you for staying,' she said. Maggie forced a smile on her face and gave a small nod.

'What's going to be her name?' Anne asked.

'Charlotte,' Sarah answered smiling and she stroked her daughter's head. 'After my mom.'

'Charlotte is a beautiful name,' Weaver said and he leaned towards the baby. 'Welcome to the Second Mass, Charlotte.' Maggie swallowed as tears were clouding her vision. She didn't thought it would have so much effect on her. Not after these years. But it did and as the seconds passed, it became harder and harder to stay in the room. She needed to get out. So she did, without saying a word.

'Maggie?!' Anne called after her but Maggie kept walking, trying to get as far away as possible. Her pace quickened and she almost ran up the stairs. On the roof she came to a stop, finally feeling she could breathe again. She took deep breaths of fresh air. It was quiet on the roof. The only sounds came from downstairs where people were moving around and loading the trucks with supplies, unaware of the woman on the roof. Maggie stood at the edge and closed her eyes, taking a moment. Thoughts rushed through her mind. Thoughts of her boy. He would be five years old now. A bigger baby boy. She wondered what his hair would look like. She wondered about the first words he would have spoken. Stumbling as he tried to say it out loud. What his smile would look like. Whether he could light up an entire room with his smile.

'No,' she muttered and she opened her eyes again. There was no use thinking like that. She would never know what her son would look like, what he would sound like or what he loved. He wasn't with her and he would never be. She had made the choice to give him up for adoption. It had been the best choice. The only option for a good life for him. He needed to be as far as away as possible. A good life wasn't with her. She wasn't made to be a mother. Not when she was in Framingham, nor now. Her son would have a good life away from her. Besides, it didn't matter anymore. It was all too late now. He was probably already gone, like most people they had known.

But his beautiful eyes were always on her mind.

The End

Big thanks to my sister for being my beta for each fanfic I write ^^