Author's Note: This one is set six months after the wedding. I know some of you wanted me to show the honeymoon, but I had to leave SOMETHING to your imaginations, didn't I? The characters belong to Cameron and Eglee; any songs I use are the rights of the writers and the record companies. Please read and review! It's the nice thing to do :)
______________________________________________________________________________________
"Logan? You here?"
"In the computer room Bling!" Logan called to his friend. Glancing at his watch, he noticed that Bling was ten minutes early for their workout. Despite the fact that Max's blood had cured his paralysis, Logan still had Bling come over once a week to do physical therapy with him. Every so often Logan would feel pain and stiffness, and occasionally his legs would give out if he put them under too much stress, so his doctors advised him to keep up the PT. Not that Logan really minded. He knew it was what he needed to do to keep himself healthy. Not that Bling was really a pain to work with.
The tall man appeared in the doorway grinning, "Ready for me to work your ass off?"
Logan rolled his eyes, "Sure, why not?" He rose from his chair after shutting down his computer and led Bling into the main room. Looking around, he marveled at how much things had changed in the six short months he and Max had been married. She had been living with him for nearly a year before they wed, but it wasn't until after they returned from their honeymoon that their tastes truly merged. Her motorcycle and all it required had a permanent home of their own in the far corner where Bling used to keep all his PT equipment. Once Logan's legs had healed, Bling had opened up a small practice down town, and had moved all his equipment there. Logan's CD collection was a bit more diverse in its selections now, as was his refrigerator. Max was truly a junk food-aholic, despite his culinary masterpieces, and several containers and packages of said junk food took up space on the shelves. Her toiletries were now scattered all over the bathroom, instead of tucked away neatly in a bag underneath the sink. The guest room had been turned into a work out room where Max and Logan exercised together, although, truth be known, they never spent very long on the equipment. They always seemed to get distracted.
After about half an hour of intense exercise, Logan threw a towel at Bling. "Do you mind if we finish a little early? I have some things I'd like to do before Max gets home."
Bling could not help but smile as he took a swig from his water bottle. "Sure, not a prob. You got some kind of big romantic evening with the misses planned?"
Logan grinned, "It's out six month wedding anniversary tonight. I know most people don't celebrate it, but I want to surprise Max with a nice quiet evening at home. She's been run down a lot lately."
"You keeping your girl form getting her beauty sleep, my friend?" Bling asked, wisely ducking the water bottle that was aimed for his head.
Logan shook his head. Eyes Only had been busy lately. Despite the new government order in place, there were still remnants of the old ways-people trying to milk all they could out of the depression, some hodgepodge military factions who wished they ran the streets, a corrupt official here, a robbery there, but nothing like how things used to be. Logan knew he and Max would be foolish to think that even though Manticore was gone and there was a new government in place, the world would be fine and dandy again. Logan knew that even before the Pulse there had been corruption and wide spread inhumane behavior. He had just been too preoccupied with his blue-blooded upbringing to see it.
He and Max were more of a team now, even though she still did most of the fighting. The last several fights she had been more easily winded. Once, Logan had caught her leaning against the car for support. Another time, she had fallen asleep on the way home. Logan felt bad, because he knew that it was his Eyes Only crusade that was exhausting her. She had adopted his fight long ago, but he knew it was more out of her love for him than her desire to be altruistic. Max was still the same Max he had met all those years ago-just trying to keep her ass above water like everyone else.
Bling smiled, "Whatever you two lovebirds want to do is your business. I'm happy to get out of the way."
"Thanks man," Logan replied.
Two hours later, as the sun was beginning to set, Logan was putting the final preparations on their special evening. He had cooked Pullet Chez Cale (obviously making sure the oven was on this time), found a nice pre-Pulse wine, set up a million candles all over the apartment, and drawn a bubble bath for his precious wife. Hearing the click of the door, he grabbed two glasses of wine and walked to the door, a smile on his face.
"Happy Anniver-"
But he stopped when he saw the look on his wife's face. She looked pale and drawn, slightly green, as though she was nauseous, and more tired than he had ever known her to be. Her eyes, usually so sparkling and full of mystery, were dull and listless. Her face was sad and she tried to hide from him. Silently, he set the wine glasses down on a nearby table and approached her. She did not attempt to move. He noticed she was slightly braced against the wall, but decided not to mention it. Wordlessly, he took Max into his arms and held her in a tight, tender embrace. He felt her go limp against him as she sighed with relief. He rubbed her back and she burrowed her head against his chest, taking strength and solace from his embrace.
When he felt her rub his shoulders lightly, he pulled away a bit and tipped her chin with his forefinger. "Rough day?" he asked quietly.
She smiled listlessly, "Something like that." Then she sniffed, "Smells wonderful. What's the occasion?"
He smiled, "It's our six month anniversary."
She frowned, "Oh Logan, I didn't-"
He placed a finger on her lips, "Shhhh. I know, we never said we were going to do anything. I just wanted to do something special for you." He was surprised as he saw tears stream down her face. He took her head in his hands, wiping them away with his thumbs. "Mac, baby, what's wrong?"
She shook her head, "Nothing. I just had a long day." She smiled. "You're incredible."
He grinned, "You're not so bad yourself, love." He helped her ease out of her jacket and offered her some wine. Politely, she refused. He wondered if she had had a bad seizure, but decided not to press. He knew his wife well enough to know she was hiding something. He also knew her well enough to know he would find out eventually.
Logan took Max by the hand and led her into their bedroom. He sat her down on the bed and slowly began undressing her. He stooped before her, removing her dusty boots and socks. He gently pushed her back so she was lying on the bed and he removed her tight black pants, discarding them in a pile. He had her sit up again so he could remove her dark purple shirt and black ski vest. She closed her eyes and leaned against him as he unhooked her bra and removed her panties.
"Logan, I-" she began. She felt his chuckle rumble deep in his chest.
"Not that love," he murmured, kissing her hair. "Only if you want to. Now keep your eyes closed and let me do everything." Logan laid her back down on the bed as he rose and removed his own clothing. Then he slipped into his robe and helped his wife into hers. Picking her up in his arms, he carried her into their spacious master bath, setting her down on the side of the tub and slipping off her robe. He bade her to get in, and then slipped in behind her. Relaxing against the back of the tub, Logan took Max in his arms and held her to his chest, every so often massaging her shoulders or hands.
He smiled to hear her sigh with contentment.
When Logan felt the water begin to cool, he knew it was almost time to finish phase one of the anniversary pampering. He took a cup from the side of the tub and filled it with bathwater, emptying it repeatedly over her hair. Then he squeezed a fair amount of her lavender shampoo into his palm and began working it into her scalp, massaging her head as he worked up lather. She smiled and he kissed her lightly. After he rinsed the shampoo from her hair, being careful not to get it in her eyes, he worked the lavender-scented conditioner into her long dark mane. He rinsed that well, letting the water stream over her face and shoulders, bathing her skin. Then her massaged her shoulders until he had nearly put her to sleep.
"That feels wonderful," she murmured.
"Shhhh," he whispered in her ear. "Don't talk." Logan slipped out of the tub and dried off, getting into his robe. He began to drain the now lukewarm bath water and she stood with his assistance. "Keep your eyes closed," he told her. He wrapped a large towel around her body and gently rubbed her arms until she dried. Then he helped her get into her terry cloth robe and dried her dripping wet hair with the towel, before scooping her up in his arms and carrying her into their bedroom. With his wife still in his arms, Logan sat against the bed's headboard, positioning her between his legs as he reached for a comb and began combing out the knots in her hair. When he had finished, he used a blow drier to dry in, all the while insisting that she keep her eyes closed.
Logan smiled; time for phase two. "Max, honey," he said, his voice soft. "Can you get out of your robe and lie face down on the bed?"
She opened her eyes and raised a brow. "What do you have in mind, Logan Cale?"
He grinned devilishly, "You'll see in a moment, Mrs. Cale." As Max did as he asked, Logan lit the candles he had adorned their room with and turned on the CD he had selected.
*Look at the sky, tell me what do you see
Just close your eyes and describe it to me
The Heaven's are sparkling with starlight tonight
That's what I see through your eyes
I see the Heaven's each time that you smile
I hear your heartbeat just go on for miles
And suddenly I know my life is worthwhile
That's what I see through your eyes*
He placed a small blanket over Max's butt and thighs and rubbed the massage oil briskly in his palms to warm it. "Take deep breaths," he instructed, placing his hands on her shoulders. Slowly, he gave his wife a full body massage, working the knots out of her shoulders and upper back, running his knuckles over her lower back as though he were playing the piano to relax her lower back. He rubbed down the backs of her legs with the oil, and then had her turn over, once again covering her with the blanket. This massage was to relax her, not excite him, after all. He worked on the front of her legs and feet, and her arms and hands. A smile of contentment graced Max's features and Logan once again swooped down to kiss her.
*Here in the night, I see the sun
Here in the dark, our two hearts are one
It's out of our hands, we can't stop what we have begun
And love just took me by surprise
Looking through your eyes.
I look at myself, instead I see your eyes*
Finally, to end the massage, Logan rubbed his wife's temples, releasing the last of her stress and tension. He placed a gentle kiss on her forehead and swept her into his arms, rocking her back and forth. "I love you," he whispered.
"I love you too," she replied.
*Whoever I am, now it feels like enough
And I see a girl who is learning to trust
That's who I see through your eyes
Here in the night, I see the sun
Here in the dark, our two hearts are one
It's out of our hands, we can't stop what we have begun
And love just took me by surprise
Looking through your eyes*
Just then, the shrill ring of the telephone interrupted their bliss.
"Ignore it," Logan whispered.
"It might be important, Eyes Only," Max said, half asleep.
Sighing, knowing his wife was right, Logan reached over and picked the phone up off the night table. "Hello?"
"Money bags!" Cindy said. "How's my boo doing?"
Logan frowned, "Uh, she's fine."
"Whew, I'm glad. She gave us all a scare today when she passed out." Cindy said in a rush. "Take care of my boo, aiight Money bags? I'm gonna bounce on over to Crash. Don't let that girl out of your sight."
"Okay," Logan said dimly. In a semi state of shock, Logan disconnected the phone and set it back down on the night table.
"Who was it?" Max asked cheerfully.
"Cindy," he replied quietly. He felt Max's body stiffen in his arms.
"Oh," she said sadly.
Logan turned Max to face him. He could see the tears and fear in her eyes. He pressed their foreheads together and said, "Beloved, tell me what's wrong. What happened today?"
Max sniffed back her tears and climbed out of bed, allowing the blanket to fall from her frame. She stood naked before him. "Logan, look at me," she said evenly.
He blinked, "I see you, baby. You look beautiful."
"No," she said, with a firmness that shocked him. "Logan, *look* at me."
*And there are some things we don't know
Sometimes a heart just needs to grow
And there is so much of us I remember
Underneath the open sky, with you forever*
Doing as his wife asked, Logan looked her up and down. He stared into her beautiful eyes, trying to find an answer in them, some way to absolve her pain. His eyes wandered to the swells of her breasts, and he noticed they looked fuller than usual. After peeling his eyes away, Logan's view traveled down her body to her stomach. Oh God, her stomach.
Logan's heart stopped.
He slowly rose off the bed and approached her. "Max...Max, are you...what I mean is, did we...you look..." He could not find the words.
Seemingly in shock herself, Max nodded slowly. "Yes Logan, I'm pregnant."
The joy she saw in his eyes was indescribable. He let out a guffaw and took her in his arms, spinning her around and covering her face with kisses. She laughed and lifted a feeble hand to his shoulder. "Easy there, killer, I've been vomiting enough as it is lately."
He set her down apologetically. She reached for her robe and pulled it back on awkwardly. They sat on the side of the bed in a sort of stunned silence.
*Here in the night, I see the sun
Here in the dark, our two hearts are one
It's out of our hands, we can't stop what we have begun
And love just took me by surprise
Looking through your eyes.
Looking through your eyes*
After a while, Logan wiped the silly grin off his face and turned to his wife. He finally saw the fear in her eyes. Gently, gingerly, he reached out and cupped her face with his hand. She turned and nuzzled his palm and he drew her to him. "Max," he began gently. "How far along are you?"
She gulped, "About four months."
He gasped, "When did you find out?"
She looked at him, "Only today. I," she stopped. "I passed out earlier at Jam Pony, and Cindy freaked. When I came to I told her how tired and run down I've been feeling lately." Max stopped again, slightly ashamed. "I've been hiding it from you, because I didn't want you to worry, but I've been vomiting nearly every day for the last two weeks. I can usually keep it down until I get out of the building, or at least until you go into the kitchen to make breakfast." She could see the hurt in Logan's eyes and she touched his face. "I hid them because I didn't want you to freak. We were so happy, I didn't want you to think something was going wrong with the seizures or something."
Panic filled Logan's eyes, "Max, have you-?"
She placed her fingers on his lips, "No, I haven't had a seizure in nearly four months. I think the last one I had was right before I conceived, if I got the dates right." She smiled half-heartedly, "Maybe this baby is balancing off my seratonin levels." Mac could see the relief in Logan's eyes and she climbed into his lap. Instinctively, they both placed a hand on her stomach, Logan's on top of hers. She rested against his shoulder, "Cindy began putting two and two together and asked me when I'd last had my period. I figured it had been about four months, so she ran out and got me three EPTs from the corner market. I think she had to bribe the guy a little."
Logan chuckled.
"They all came back positive," Max continued.
He kissed her temple, "We'll make a doctor's appointment in the morning." He gently rubbed the hand she held over her slightly bulging stomach. "Max, why didn't you tell me sooner?"
She shook her head, "Logan, I honestly didn't realize it." She looked into his eyes, "You believe me right? I mean, how could you think I'd keep something like this from you?"
He silenced her with a deep and passionate kiss. "Hush, beloved. I'm sorry. I'm still kinda shocked." He grinned sheepishly.
She nodded, "Tell me about it. Imagine being the one who just found out her body's gonna blow up to the size of a blimp in a few months. I'm going to be fat and hormonal and sweaty and ugly and disgusting and you're probably not going to love me anymore." The last was nearly hysterical as Max choked back hormone induced sobs.
Logan repressed a chuckle and held his wife tightly, soothing her. "Shhhh, now, don't cry. Honey, I could never not love you. In fact, I'll probably love you more. You're not going to be fat and ugly, you're carrying our child." He placed a hand tenderly on her stomach, laying her back against the pillows. "This baby is a miracle."
Max grinned, "She's our miracle."
Logan started, "She?"
Max shrugged, "Or he. Or them." She sat up, "Oh God, Logan, what if it's a them! What if there's more than one of them? My body was designed to withstand pain, but I don't think that kind of pain." She grabbed his arm, "Logan, I don't know if any X-5 has ever been pregnant or carried to term." Tears once again filled her eyes, "Logan, I don't want to lose this baby."
He took her in his arms, pressing himself lightly against her as she lay on their bed. "Sweetheart, darling, shhhh," he murmured soothing. "Everything will be fine. We'll talk to a doctor tomorrow, and call Zach to see what he knows. I have some government contacts who can pull the old Manticore records if I pay them enough money. We'll find out." He looked deep into her eyes, allowing his stare to calm her, "Do you think I'd ever let anything happen to you and this baby?"
She shook her head, "Of course not."
He kissed her deeply, passionately, a profound, tender love running through him. He undid her robe to her stomach and kissed the tiny bulge, resting his head on her belly. "Hello little one," he whispered, feeling Max thread her fingers through his hair. "We're your mommy and daddy. We already love you very much."
Max smiled, hearing her husband's tender words to their unborn child. Nevertheless, she could not dispel the fear that ran through her. Knowing she was pregnant had her terrified.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
~Fin~
So? Did ya like I know it's not very original...Max and Logan get married, Max gets pregnant...blah blah blah...there's more to come, children, don't worry. Please R&R!!
BTW, the song's by LeAnn Rimes, and it's on the "Quest for Camelot" Soundtrack and her album "Sitting on Top of the World"...it's called "Looking through your eyes" or something like that :)
______________________________________________________________________________________
"Logan? You here?"
"In the computer room Bling!" Logan called to his friend. Glancing at his watch, he noticed that Bling was ten minutes early for their workout. Despite the fact that Max's blood had cured his paralysis, Logan still had Bling come over once a week to do physical therapy with him. Every so often Logan would feel pain and stiffness, and occasionally his legs would give out if he put them under too much stress, so his doctors advised him to keep up the PT. Not that Logan really minded. He knew it was what he needed to do to keep himself healthy. Not that Bling was really a pain to work with.
The tall man appeared in the doorway grinning, "Ready for me to work your ass off?"
Logan rolled his eyes, "Sure, why not?" He rose from his chair after shutting down his computer and led Bling into the main room. Looking around, he marveled at how much things had changed in the six short months he and Max had been married. She had been living with him for nearly a year before they wed, but it wasn't until after they returned from their honeymoon that their tastes truly merged. Her motorcycle and all it required had a permanent home of their own in the far corner where Bling used to keep all his PT equipment. Once Logan's legs had healed, Bling had opened up a small practice down town, and had moved all his equipment there. Logan's CD collection was a bit more diverse in its selections now, as was his refrigerator. Max was truly a junk food-aholic, despite his culinary masterpieces, and several containers and packages of said junk food took up space on the shelves. Her toiletries were now scattered all over the bathroom, instead of tucked away neatly in a bag underneath the sink. The guest room had been turned into a work out room where Max and Logan exercised together, although, truth be known, they never spent very long on the equipment. They always seemed to get distracted.
After about half an hour of intense exercise, Logan threw a towel at Bling. "Do you mind if we finish a little early? I have some things I'd like to do before Max gets home."
Bling could not help but smile as he took a swig from his water bottle. "Sure, not a prob. You got some kind of big romantic evening with the misses planned?"
Logan grinned, "It's out six month wedding anniversary tonight. I know most people don't celebrate it, but I want to surprise Max with a nice quiet evening at home. She's been run down a lot lately."
"You keeping your girl form getting her beauty sleep, my friend?" Bling asked, wisely ducking the water bottle that was aimed for his head.
Logan shook his head. Eyes Only had been busy lately. Despite the new government order in place, there were still remnants of the old ways-people trying to milk all they could out of the depression, some hodgepodge military factions who wished they ran the streets, a corrupt official here, a robbery there, but nothing like how things used to be. Logan knew he and Max would be foolish to think that even though Manticore was gone and there was a new government in place, the world would be fine and dandy again. Logan knew that even before the Pulse there had been corruption and wide spread inhumane behavior. He had just been too preoccupied with his blue-blooded upbringing to see it.
He and Max were more of a team now, even though she still did most of the fighting. The last several fights she had been more easily winded. Once, Logan had caught her leaning against the car for support. Another time, she had fallen asleep on the way home. Logan felt bad, because he knew that it was his Eyes Only crusade that was exhausting her. She had adopted his fight long ago, but he knew it was more out of her love for him than her desire to be altruistic. Max was still the same Max he had met all those years ago-just trying to keep her ass above water like everyone else.
Bling smiled, "Whatever you two lovebirds want to do is your business. I'm happy to get out of the way."
"Thanks man," Logan replied.
Two hours later, as the sun was beginning to set, Logan was putting the final preparations on their special evening. He had cooked Pullet Chez Cale (obviously making sure the oven was on this time), found a nice pre-Pulse wine, set up a million candles all over the apartment, and drawn a bubble bath for his precious wife. Hearing the click of the door, he grabbed two glasses of wine and walked to the door, a smile on his face.
"Happy Anniver-"
But he stopped when he saw the look on his wife's face. She looked pale and drawn, slightly green, as though she was nauseous, and more tired than he had ever known her to be. Her eyes, usually so sparkling and full of mystery, were dull and listless. Her face was sad and she tried to hide from him. Silently, he set the wine glasses down on a nearby table and approached her. She did not attempt to move. He noticed she was slightly braced against the wall, but decided not to mention it. Wordlessly, he took Max into his arms and held her in a tight, tender embrace. He felt her go limp against him as she sighed with relief. He rubbed her back and she burrowed her head against his chest, taking strength and solace from his embrace.
When he felt her rub his shoulders lightly, he pulled away a bit and tipped her chin with his forefinger. "Rough day?" he asked quietly.
She smiled listlessly, "Something like that." Then she sniffed, "Smells wonderful. What's the occasion?"
He smiled, "It's our six month anniversary."
She frowned, "Oh Logan, I didn't-"
He placed a finger on her lips, "Shhhh. I know, we never said we were going to do anything. I just wanted to do something special for you." He was surprised as he saw tears stream down her face. He took her head in his hands, wiping them away with his thumbs. "Mac, baby, what's wrong?"
She shook her head, "Nothing. I just had a long day." She smiled. "You're incredible."
He grinned, "You're not so bad yourself, love." He helped her ease out of her jacket and offered her some wine. Politely, she refused. He wondered if she had had a bad seizure, but decided not to press. He knew his wife well enough to know she was hiding something. He also knew her well enough to know he would find out eventually.
Logan took Max by the hand and led her into their bedroom. He sat her down on the bed and slowly began undressing her. He stooped before her, removing her dusty boots and socks. He gently pushed her back so she was lying on the bed and he removed her tight black pants, discarding them in a pile. He had her sit up again so he could remove her dark purple shirt and black ski vest. She closed her eyes and leaned against him as he unhooked her bra and removed her panties.
"Logan, I-" she began. She felt his chuckle rumble deep in his chest.
"Not that love," he murmured, kissing her hair. "Only if you want to. Now keep your eyes closed and let me do everything." Logan laid her back down on the bed as he rose and removed his own clothing. Then he slipped into his robe and helped his wife into hers. Picking her up in his arms, he carried her into their spacious master bath, setting her down on the side of the tub and slipping off her robe. He bade her to get in, and then slipped in behind her. Relaxing against the back of the tub, Logan took Max in his arms and held her to his chest, every so often massaging her shoulders or hands.
He smiled to hear her sigh with contentment.
When Logan felt the water begin to cool, he knew it was almost time to finish phase one of the anniversary pampering. He took a cup from the side of the tub and filled it with bathwater, emptying it repeatedly over her hair. Then he squeezed a fair amount of her lavender shampoo into his palm and began working it into her scalp, massaging her head as he worked up lather. She smiled and he kissed her lightly. After he rinsed the shampoo from her hair, being careful not to get it in her eyes, he worked the lavender-scented conditioner into her long dark mane. He rinsed that well, letting the water stream over her face and shoulders, bathing her skin. Then her massaged her shoulders until he had nearly put her to sleep.
"That feels wonderful," she murmured.
"Shhhh," he whispered in her ear. "Don't talk." Logan slipped out of the tub and dried off, getting into his robe. He began to drain the now lukewarm bath water and she stood with his assistance. "Keep your eyes closed," he told her. He wrapped a large towel around her body and gently rubbed her arms until she dried. Then he helped her get into her terry cloth robe and dried her dripping wet hair with the towel, before scooping her up in his arms and carrying her into their bedroom. With his wife still in his arms, Logan sat against the bed's headboard, positioning her between his legs as he reached for a comb and began combing out the knots in her hair. When he had finished, he used a blow drier to dry in, all the while insisting that she keep her eyes closed.
Logan smiled; time for phase two. "Max, honey," he said, his voice soft. "Can you get out of your robe and lie face down on the bed?"
She opened her eyes and raised a brow. "What do you have in mind, Logan Cale?"
He grinned devilishly, "You'll see in a moment, Mrs. Cale." As Max did as he asked, Logan lit the candles he had adorned their room with and turned on the CD he had selected.
*Look at the sky, tell me what do you see
Just close your eyes and describe it to me
The Heaven's are sparkling with starlight tonight
That's what I see through your eyes
I see the Heaven's each time that you smile
I hear your heartbeat just go on for miles
And suddenly I know my life is worthwhile
That's what I see through your eyes*
He placed a small blanket over Max's butt and thighs and rubbed the massage oil briskly in his palms to warm it. "Take deep breaths," he instructed, placing his hands on her shoulders. Slowly, he gave his wife a full body massage, working the knots out of her shoulders and upper back, running his knuckles over her lower back as though he were playing the piano to relax her lower back. He rubbed down the backs of her legs with the oil, and then had her turn over, once again covering her with the blanket. This massage was to relax her, not excite him, after all. He worked on the front of her legs and feet, and her arms and hands. A smile of contentment graced Max's features and Logan once again swooped down to kiss her.
*Here in the night, I see the sun
Here in the dark, our two hearts are one
It's out of our hands, we can't stop what we have begun
And love just took me by surprise
Looking through your eyes.
I look at myself, instead I see your eyes*
Finally, to end the massage, Logan rubbed his wife's temples, releasing the last of her stress and tension. He placed a gentle kiss on her forehead and swept her into his arms, rocking her back and forth. "I love you," he whispered.
"I love you too," she replied.
*Whoever I am, now it feels like enough
And I see a girl who is learning to trust
That's who I see through your eyes
Here in the night, I see the sun
Here in the dark, our two hearts are one
It's out of our hands, we can't stop what we have begun
And love just took me by surprise
Looking through your eyes*
Just then, the shrill ring of the telephone interrupted their bliss.
"Ignore it," Logan whispered.
"It might be important, Eyes Only," Max said, half asleep.
Sighing, knowing his wife was right, Logan reached over and picked the phone up off the night table. "Hello?"
"Money bags!" Cindy said. "How's my boo doing?"
Logan frowned, "Uh, she's fine."
"Whew, I'm glad. She gave us all a scare today when she passed out." Cindy said in a rush. "Take care of my boo, aiight Money bags? I'm gonna bounce on over to Crash. Don't let that girl out of your sight."
"Okay," Logan said dimly. In a semi state of shock, Logan disconnected the phone and set it back down on the night table.
"Who was it?" Max asked cheerfully.
"Cindy," he replied quietly. He felt Max's body stiffen in his arms.
"Oh," she said sadly.
Logan turned Max to face him. He could see the tears and fear in her eyes. He pressed their foreheads together and said, "Beloved, tell me what's wrong. What happened today?"
Max sniffed back her tears and climbed out of bed, allowing the blanket to fall from her frame. She stood naked before him. "Logan, look at me," she said evenly.
He blinked, "I see you, baby. You look beautiful."
"No," she said, with a firmness that shocked him. "Logan, *look* at me."
*And there are some things we don't know
Sometimes a heart just needs to grow
And there is so much of us I remember
Underneath the open sky, with you forever*
Doing as his wife asked, Logan looked her up and down. He stared into her beautiful eyes, trying to find an answer in them, some way to absolve her pain. His eyes wandered to the swells of her breasts, and he noticed they looked fuller than usual. After peeling his eyes away, Logan's view traveled down her body to her stomach. Oh God, her stomach.
Logan's heart stopped.
He slowly rose off the bed and approached her. "Max...Max, are you...what I mean is, did we...you look..." He could not find the words.
Seemingly in shock herself, Max nodded slowly. "Yes Logan, I'm pregnant."
The joy she saw in his eyes was indescribable. He let out a guffaw and took her in his arms, spinning her around and covering her face with kisses. She laughed and lifted a feeble hand to his shoulder. "Easy there, killer, I've been vomiting enough as it is lately."
He set her down apologetically. She reached for her robe and pulled it back on awkwardly. They sat on the side of the bed in a sort of stunned silence.
*Here in the night, I see the sun
Here in the dark, our two hearts are one
It's out of our hands, we can't stop what we have begun
And love just took me by surprise
Looking through your eyes.
Looking through your eyes*
After a while, Logan wiped the silly grin off his face and turned to his wife. He finally saw the fear in her eyes. Gently, gingerly, he reached out and cupped her face with his hand. She turned and nuzzled his palm and he drew her to him. "Max," he began gently. "How far along are you?"
She gulped, "About four months."
He gasped, "When did you find out?"
She looked at him, "Only today. I," she stopped. "I passed out earlier at Jam Pony, and Cindy freaked. When I came to I told her how tired and run down I've been feeling lately." Max stopped again, slightly ashamed. "I've been hiding it from you, because I didn't want you to worry, but I've been vomiting nearly every day for the last two weeks. I can usually keep it down until I get out of the building, or at least until you go into the kitchen to make breakfast." She could see the hurt in Logan's eyes and she touched his face. "I hid them because I didn't want you to freak. We were so happy, I didn't want you to think something was going wrong with the seizures or something."
Panic filled Logan's eyes, "Max, have you-?"
She placed her fingers on his lips, "No, I haven't had a seizure in nearly four months. I think the last one I had was right before I conceived, if I got the dates right." She smiled half-heartedly, "Maybe this baby is balancing off my seratonin levels." Mac could see the relief in Logan's eyes and she climbed into his lap. Instinctively, they both placed a hand on her stomach, Logan's on top of hers. She rested against his shoulder, "Cindy began putting two and two together and asked me when I'd last had my period. I figured it had been about four months, so she ran out and got me three EPTs from the corner market. I think she had to bribe the guy a little."
Logan chuckled.
"They all came back positive," Max continued.
He kissed her temple, "We'll make a doctor's appointment in the morning." He gently rubbed the hand she held over her slightly bulging stomach. "Max, why didn't you tell me sooner?"
She shook her head, "Logan, I honestly didn't realize it." She looked into his eyes, "You believe me right? I mean, how could you think I'd keep something like this from you?"
He silenced her with a deep and passionate kiss. "Hush, beloved. I'm sorry. I'm still kinda shocked." He grinned sheepishly.
She nodded, "Tell me about it. Imagine being the one who just found out her body's gonna blow up to the size of a blimp in a few months. I'm going to be fat and hormonal and sweaty and ugly and disgusting and you're probably not going to love me anymore." The last was nearly hysterical as Max choked back hormone induced sobs.
Logan repressed a chuckle and held his wife tightly, soothing her. "Shhhh, now, don't cry. Honey, I could never not love you. In fact, I'll probably love you more. You're not going to be fat and ugly, you're carrying our child." He placed a hand tenderly on her stomach, laying her back against the pillows. "This baby is a miracle."
Max grinned, "She's our miracle."
Logan started, "She?"
Max shrugged, "Or he. Or them." She sat up, "Oh God, Logan, what if it's a them! What if there's more than one of them? My body was designed to withstand pain, but I don't think that kind of pain." She grabbed his arm, "Logan, I don't know if any X-5 has ever been pregnant or carried to term." Tears once again filled her eyes, "Logan, I don't want to lose this baby."
He took her in his arms, pressing himself lightly against her as she lay on their bed. "Sweetheart, darling, shhhh," he murmured soothing. "Everything will be fine. We'll talk to a doctor tomorrow, and call Zach to see what he knows. I have some government contacts who can pull the old Manticore records if I pay them enough money. We'll find out." He looked deep into her eyes, allowing his stare to calm her, "Do you think I'd ever let anything happen to you and this baby?"
She shook her head, "Of course not."
He kissed her deeply, passionately, a profound, tender love running through him. He undid her robe to her stomach and kissed the tiny bulge, resting his head on her belly. "Hello little one," he whispered, feeling Max thread her fingers through his hair. "We're your mommy and daddy. We already love you very much."
Max smiled, hearing her husband's tender words to their unborn child. Nevertheless, she could not dispel the fear that ran through her. Knowing she was pregnant had her terrified.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
~Fin~
So? Did ya like I know it's not very original...Max and Logan get married, Max gets pregnant...blah blah blah...there's more to come, children, don't worry. Please R&R!!
BTW, the song's by LeAnn Rimes, and it's on the "Quest for Camelot" Soundtrack and her album "Sitting on Top of the World"...it's called "Looking through your eyes" or something like that :)