Bob: You're still around! I'm so happy. I thought I did something to drive you off.

Yea I keep thinking I know it all and then I just get more and more details. That birth video in health…that just looks painful, that I always knew….The ickiness factor….That just keeps growing every year. So yea we're so flying by this because I am not dwelling. It's not really a totally straightforward birth Becsy Lexi, after all I did make her have to run from Seattle, that was enough drama for the poor girl. And let's remember folks Logan did tell Max he loved her, Max chose to take their relationship back ten steps.

BC and the Gang: Nope, all alive along with Herman. I had Max sleep through the time she'd spent with Sage last time and drama did not occur.

AN: Doing short flashes of scenes for at least this chapter and the next to keep it moving so scream at the end if it annoyed or confused you.


-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Chapter 51

And There She Is

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"That's amazing," Trudy said taking in the smooth skin of Max's stomach.

"Huh?" Max asked lifting up her head to look at the doctor.

"You have absolutely no stretch marks, not even the faintest of lines, I've never seen that."

Max smiled uneasily before letting her head drop back down, "Benefits of youth."

Trudy smiled and shook her head, "More like amazing genes."

-o-o-o-o-

She emerged from the shower she'd been sent off to by Trudy saying the water would be relaxing and being promised the birth was a long way off.

Zack's eyes narrowed in on her stomach as he sipped a glass of water while sitting on the floor with a board game in between him and Sage.

"Shut up," she said knowing he was looking at the hand painted words on the black nightshirt she'd been given by Original Cindy and Kendra, 'I'm not fat, I'm pregnant,' her stomach read.

"Nice shirt," he said ignoring her with a nod as he put the glass back down, "don't you think so Sage?"

"Ignore him," Max said to the young boy who was looking rather unsure as to what he should do.

"Sage," Trudy said walking into the room, "time to hit the hay."

"But-" he began.

"Bed," she said firmly.

His mouth was firmly set as were his eyes as he was about to fight the hopeless battle.

"Hey," Zack nodded and Sage turned back, "the game'll keep till the morning."

"Okay," he nodded to the cool older city dweller.

"I put earplugs on your nightstand," Trudy nodded towards her nephew.

Earplugs? Max's stomach clenched in fear.

Trudy took in Max's suddenly pale face, "The cabin's small Max, if we talk he'll hear us. I hope you don't mind that he stays, your brother said he didn't mind giving up the bed, I don't like leaving him alone at night."

"Yea, no, no problem," Max said looking around the room wondering what exactly she should be doing with herself.

"You might want to walk a bit," Trudy said startling Max out of her suddenly very dazed thoughts.

She turned.

"Activity helps speed up the process," she said in terms and tone used for someone not quite there.

"Oh," she said with a nod of her head and her nine millionth swallow of fear of the day. Where the hell was Logan

-o-o-o-

Max found herself growing more apprehensive as the hours past. More importantly as the hour passed that Logan should have arrived.

She should probably be finding the situation slightly amusing as Trudy's head was tilted back on the chair and her legs were propped up on the coffee table as she rested up for the long night they had ahead of them. Zack kept having extreme moments of uneasiness for the first time that she could ever remember. She didn't know if it was from being around any woman in general who was in labor or his sister, but her CO kept having moments were he'd completely vanish and left in his place was someone completely incompetent.

She couldn't though.

It had started raining almost three hours ago and had long since turned dark. The streetlights on the highways had long since been for decoration, combine that with the rain and the wildlife population that hadn't been taken out by the hunters in search of food…Well the point was she wouldn't stop worrying until he turned up.

"Never thought, I'd see the day where you were like this over a guy," Zack said walking up behind her as she peeked out the window for the second time in five minutes.

"Don't start," she said turning and heading into the kitchen.

He followed. "I just want to make sure you know what you're getting yourself into Maxie," he said as she pulled open the fridge door with a little more force than necessary.

She smirked, "Probably should have given me that talk nine months ago," a quick look down at her stomach, before flashing over to him briefly, "it's a little late now."

"It's not too late until you get in that car to go back with him," his voice was low.

She turned away from the fridge and was surprised bye his suddenly caring blue eyes.

"I know that you can't do it on your own Max," his eyes didn't leave hers.

What was he saying?

"We don't have to split up, I'll stick around. If I can't be there, I'll find someone else. We're family; you're not in this alone."

Her mouth opened, but no words came out. How long had she been waiting to hear that? For a full decade that had been the only dream she'd known.

A car pulling up snapped her out of her reverie, Logan, her mind instantly flashed to, then as quickly as that came to mind it was replaced by the fact that it could be Herman coming to tell them bad news. The fridge door slipped from her hand as did any recollection about being in the middle of a conversation with her brother, she moved to take that first step, not even noticing her brother's hurt expression when another contraction hit and she automatically reached out a hand to brace herself on her brother's forearm.

"Breathe," her brother reminded.

She looked up with an angry glare, especially since she'd forgotten to do just that, wasn't her fault they'd been trained to grit their teeth and take the pain. She found her breath returning though as the contraction was subsiding.

"You okay?"

"I'm fine," another glare.

The door was opening as she walked into view of it. She stopped for a second suddenly petrified that it would be Herman. But as the door pushed open, the lights suddenly framed him and highlighted all the glistening drops of rain that had stuck to him on his dash up the stairs. His eyes lifted up and caught hers, he smiled and for a split second she forgot how scared shitless she was.

-o-o-o-

"I'm sorry," he said as she once more dug her nails into his flesh as another pain wracked her body. She'd said every single comeback she had to say and more than a few un-pleasantries to the conscious males in the cabin. Trudy had moved her into the bedroom not too long ago telling her that she was getting closer and that maybe she would be more comfortable in there after she'd shifted into every single type of position she could think of and paced around the cabin, snapping at Logan and Zack whenever they'd go near her.

At this point she was just starting to feel defeated and seriously wondering how the human race had gone on for so long. So she was crumpled into Logan's side, hidden away from her brother she had no desire to play the role of tough girl. Logan though was kinda funny when she thought about it, he had been throughout. She wondered if all guys sucked up this much and played nice, he catered to every mood, every craving, all without moaning. Well maybe no moaning was pushing it, but definitely less than most people in his position.

"You should be, seriously I screw up once and look at what happens," she smiled a bit. "Gotta prove your virility in every single aspect?"

She looked up and caught the small smile that had escaped his lips despite his worry that quickly passed as her eyes shut and her fingers dug into his bicep again.

-o-o-o-

Her lids were flickering shut already. She'd had a quick shot of adrenaline paired with relief as her daughter entered this world, just as she'd expected her to, loudly.

Loud because she was strong. All of her was strong, stronger than her mother had ever been.

Strong and captivating.

She had pulled Max in with a single look. The first time the brown met grayish blue bringing them closer than they had actually ever been.

She could sleep now though. Secure in the fact that her daughter was safe in her father's arms as he too was captivated by just how amazing she truly was in person.

Max realized she'd finally done something completely right in this world as she fell asleep from the contentment and exhaustion.


Like I said, big fan of the stork. :-D

Thanks for reading and remember reviewing is always nice and who knows it may actually encourage me to update in under two months. :-D Well it at least can't hurt. :-P