Author's Notes: This chapter is set three months after the last one, making Max about seven months along. The characters are not mine (except the doctor); they belong to Cameron and Company. If I use any songs, they are not mine either; they are the property of the artists/songwriters. Okay, be warned, there's some angst in this fic, the latest chapter in a series that has been, to date, mainly pure fluff. Well, the honeymoon's over kids. I planned this out as a Romance/Action Adventure/Drama fic, and here in comes the next to elements. You've been warned. LOL okay, enough jabbering...on with the fic!
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The sun poured through the open bedroom blinds, flooding the room with light. A swath of sun washed over the bed, waking Logan from a deep and peaceful slumber. As he opened his eyes, he felt warmth next to him and smiled. Looking at the bedside clock, he discovered it was nearly nine thirty. Logan rolled over and propped himself up on an elbow, gazing lovingly at his sleeping wife. Lately, Max had been having trouble sleeping, and was usually up and out of bed by the time Logan woke. Many mornings he found her in the kitchen munching on toast and Tabasco sauce or eggs and chocolate syrup. Truly, her pregnancy cravings were doing a number on his culinary skills. But he wouldn't have it any other way. Logan knew, as he gently traced the lines of Max's bare shoulder, that he wouldn't trade it for anything in the world.
Max's pregnancy had mellowed her considerably. Since the destruction of Manticore and the moment that had moved in together, Max had assumed more normal sleeping patterns. For years, she had trained herself to require very little sleep, so she would always be awake and alert should Lydecker ever track her down. But with the threat eliminated, Max had begun to calm. She had told Logan once that the safest she ever felt was in their bed, in his arms, listening to his heartbeat. That feeling of safety lulled her to sleep, and it made him glad. She had slept a great deal more during her pregnancy than he had ever known her to do, mainly because she was not willing to let anything threaten the health of their unborn child.
But to Logan's surprise, Max did not complain about the bed rest. She no longer felt caged if she was inside or stationary for too long. She did not complain about being unable to ride her motorcycle. Instead of spending long hours at Crash with Cindy and Kendra, Max preferred to stay home. She spent many nights taking long, relaxing bubble baths Logan drew for her and frequently joined her in. They would curl up on the couch and watch pre-Pulse movies. Max had recently adopted a new favorite pastime-she would lie on the couch, her head in her husband's lap, as he read to her, stroking her hair and face. Max spent her days visiting Original Cindy at Jam Pony or hanging out with Kendra at Walter's while he was at work. Occasionally, she met Tinga for lunch, and every so often would pay visits to Zach. He was not exactly thrilled with the fact his Second in Command was growing great with child. He, like Logan, agonized over the toll the pregnancy would have on her health.
Towards the end of Max's fourth month, Logan had booked them a trip to France. In Paris, they had met with a neonatal and neurological specialist who agreed to work with Max's Seattle physician to ensure that she and the baby would be healthy. A Swiss geneticist who was a colleague of the French doctor agreed to do genetic testing on Max and Logan's unborn child. They were overjoyed to discover that their baby had a less than fifteen percent chance of inheriting the defective seizure gene. Before returning stateside, Max and Logan had spent three weeks in Paris, then traveled to the south of France, where they spent two more weeks. Logan had taken Max to Ireland, to show her where his father, on a business trip in the early 1980's, had proposed to Logan's mother. By the time the Cales had returned to Seattle, max could no longer see her feet.
Teasingly, Logan pulled back the sheet so it uncovered everything to his wife's waist. Although they had to put a temporary hold on making love, because she was getting so very pregnant, Max and Logan still slept in the nude. They like the closeness, primarily. It was also easier for Max, when her body temperature fluctuated because of her raging hormones, to remain cooler if she was unclothed. Her husband traced the lines of her spine with his fingertips, causing her to shiver slightly. He brushed her hair to one side and blew gently onto her neck. He suppressed a laugh as a frown slightly marred her still sleeping features. Again, with his fingertips, Logan tickled the skin around Max's neck and shoulder. She shrugged her shoulder slightly and rolled over, snuggling nearer to him. The tautly pulled flesh of her pregnant belly pressed against Logan's body, and he could feel the child within her move as Max pressed against his body. The sensations overwhelmed him and he pulled her into his arms, wrapping one arm under her neck and shoulders, while encircling her waist with the other. He felt her warmth radiating from her, and the rhythm of her breathing as her chest rose and fall.
Suddenly, he felt her place a gentle kiss to her chest, and then work her way up to his neck and jaw line. He caught her mouth and kissed her passionately. "Faker," he murmured, tracing her jaw line with his thumb.
She chuckled, her breath warm against his neck, and rested her head on his shoulder, inhaling his scent. "I wanted to see what you would do. I liked it."
He kissed her hair, "How are you feeling?"
She sighed, "Really tired and achy. I'm all bloated and nasty today."
Logan caressed her back gently, "And the child?"
She patted her stomach, "We've got a soccer player, I swear Logan. She's doing a number on me today."
He frowned sympathetically, "Just rest today. I'll go fix you some breakfast, then I'll come back here and give you a back rub."
Max grinned, "Sounds heavenly."
Logan kissed her softly on the mouth and swung back the covers, pulling on his robe. He tossed her on of his T-shirts in case she wanted to put it on, and headed for the kitchen to make her breakfast. "Tabasco and chocolate sauce today?" he called, grimacing.
"Nope," she replied. "No whacko cravings this morning."
"Thank you God," he muttered.
"I heard that!" she said, laughter in her voice.
He smiled, 'I thought you might."
Twenty minutes later, he had made them toast, scrambled eggs, juice, tea, fresh fruit, and sausage. He put the food on a tray and carried it into the bedroom. He found Max sitting up in bed, wearing his shirt, the blankets pulled across her lap. She was reading one of his Eyes Only files. Grinning, he set the tray down on a bedside table and gently took the file from her. "All work and no play makes for dull life," he chided.
Her eyes twinkled, "You got something in mind to play, dearest?' She had not lost her edge in marriage or pregnancy. She was still as fiery as the day he met her.
"Back rub time," he said. He helped her into position, kneeling, sort of, a pillow beneath her stomach, her arms spread out in front of her, her stomach between her legs. Logan got behind her and worked the kinks out of her back. As the baby grew inside her, it pressed against Max's sciatic nerve, sending painful spasms through her back. Although he could not imagine what Max was going through physically, he knew how painful back spasms were. For half an hour, Logan worked on Max's back, his hands expertly soothing her discomfort.
"You asleep?" he asked quietly.
"No," she answered, sitting up and stretching. "Just hungry."
After they ate, Max grew tired and decided to go back to sleep. Logan tucked her in and left her to shower and dress. Around eleven Bling came by, and found Logan working in his computer room.
"Hey man," Bling greeted. "How goes the domestic life?" He frowned when he saw Logan slump a little. "Logan, is everything okay?"
Logan sighed and turned in his chair to face his friend. He had learned long ago that the only way he and Max were going to survive the pregnancy was if they confided in their friends and in each other if they were worried. "Max is just very tired today. The baby's pressing on her sciatic nerve, and it's painful for her."
Bling leaned against the doorframe, "It's something like what you went through when your back started healing itself because of her blood. I can give her some light PT for it, and I can teach you how to help her if you want."
Logan smiled gratefully, "Thanks man, I really appreciate it."
Bling frowned, "You're still worried about her health, huh?"
Logan nodded reluctantly, "The doctors told us the baby is perfectly healthy and isn't in any danger. Max is another story. She's taking meds to control her seizures, but the pills aren't as potent as the Tryptophan, and that could barely control them. It's like she's a time bomb waiting to go off."
"What about the theory that the pregnancy could be balancing off her seratonin levels?" Bling asked.
Logan shrugged, "It's speculation. We don't know why the X-5 females seize or don't seize during pregnancy. Jace didn't, Tinga did. Max is the deciding factor." Logan had gotten some of the Manticore medical records released, but no research had been done on pregnant X-5s. They were regularly given birth control, and were kept more or less in check. For Valentine Ops, protocol called for an emergency contraceptive. But X-5s were never expected to get pregnant; it wasn't part of mission parameters.
Bling placed a hand on his friend's shoulder, "Have faith Logan. Your wife and child are strong."
Then, as if on cue, Logan heard Max call him desperately from the bedroom. Seconds later she cried out in pain. Logan scrambled out of his chair and raced for their bedroom with Bling close at his heels. They found Max sitting up in bed, clutching her stomach, fear in her eyes. Logan sat next to her. "Max, what's wrong?" Fear crept into his throat.
Tears filled her eyes, "It feels like, argh, I'm in, ugh, labor." She clenched her eyes shut as another contraction passed through her. "They're so close together, ow ow ow!" She sagged back against the headboard, "It hurts so bad Logan. It's too early."
Logan turned to Bling, who had just reentered the room, "Bling, call an-"
"Already did," Bling answered. "The paramedics are on their way."
Logan took Max in his arms, "Hang on, sweetie, help is coming." He felt another contraction ripple through her and she screamed. She buried her head into his shoulder, biting her lip against the pain.
"Have you guys started Lamaze yet?" Bling asked, sitting on the other side of the bed from his friend.
"We're supposed to go next week," Logan replied, rocking Max in his arms, because he was unsure what else to do.
Bling chuckled, "Figures." He looked at Max. "Max, I know it must hurt like a bitch, but you might just be having false labor. You've gotta breathe, okay? Take big, deep, slow breaths. Follow me." Carefully, Bling began to mimic the Lamaze breathing he had learned from a midwife friend of his. Nodding to Logan to join them, Bling held Max's gaze as he helped her through the contraction. Once the Cales had gotten the hang on it, Bling decided to wait by the door for the EMTs. When another contraction hit Max, it was up to Logan to help her through it.
"Just breathe honey, slowly, look in my eyes," he instructed gently.
"Screw you," she said, huffing and puffing. The she began to weep. "I'm sorry. It hurts so bad. We definitely weren't made to handle this kind of pain." She stared into his eyes as another contraction passed. "Logan, I'm scared."
"I know," he said, kissing her hair. "I am too. But Bling's probably right. I've heard about these false labors. They're supposedly pretty common."
"I wish someone had told me," she grunted. Then, she felt a tremor go through her body that was unlike the contractions she had experienced. Her heart started to pound as the tremors got stronger. "Oh no, Logan I-" Max began. However, before she could finish, a full seizure overtook her, as she collapsed into Logan's arms, shaking violently.
"Max!" Logan screamed. "Bling! Get in here! Max is seizing! I need you to get her box out of he bathroom!" Three years ago Logan had obtained liquid Tryptophan in case of an emergency. He wished more than anything this wasn't the emergency.
Bling dashed in with the syringe and vile of medicine. "I just saw the paramedics pull up out front." He watched as Logan gently laid Max on the bed, even though she was still shaking violently, and injected the Tryptophan into her arm.
"Hang on, Max," Logan whispered. "Please hang on." As he heard the paramedics burst into the penthouse, Logan Cale began to pray.
~~To Be Continued!!!~~~~
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The sun poured through the open bedroom blinds, flooding the room with light. A swath of sun washed over the bed, waking Logan from a deep and peaceful slumber. As he opened his eyes, he felt warmth next to him and smiled. Looking at the bedside clock, he discovered it was nearly nine thirty. Logan rolled over and propped himself up on an elbow, gazing lovingly at his sleeping wife. Lately, Max had been having trouble sleeping, and was usually up and out of bed by the time Logan woke. Many mornings he found her in the kitchen munching on toast and Tabasco sauce or eggs and chocolate syrup. Truly, her pregnancy cravings were doing a number on his culinary skills. But he wouldn't have it any other way. Logan knew, as he gently traced the lines of Max's bare shoulder, that he wouldn't trade it for anything in the world.
Max's pregnancy had mellowed her considerably. Since the destruction of Manticore and the moment that had moved in together, Max had assumed more normal sleeping patterns. For years, she had trained herself to require very little sleep, so she would always be awake and alert should Lydecker ever track her down. But with the threat eliminated, Max had begun to calm. She had told Logan once that the safest she ever felt was in their bed, in his arms, listening to his heartbeat. That feeling of safety lulled her to sleep, and it made him glad. She had slept a great deal more during her pregnancy than he had ever known her to do, mainly because she was not willing to let anything threaten the health of their unborn child.
But to Logan's surprise, Max did not complain about the bed rest. She no longer felt caged if she was inside or stationary for too long. She did not complain about being unable to ride her motorcycle. Instead of spending long hours at Crash with Cindy and Kendra, Max preferred to stay home. She spent many nights taking long, relaxing bubble baths Logan drew for her and frequently joined her in. They would curl up on the couch and watch pre-Pulse movies. Max had recently adopted a new favorite pastime-she would lie on the couch, her head in her husband's lap, as he read to her, stroking her hair and face. Max spent her days visiting Original Cindy at Jam Pony or hanging out with Kendra at Walter's while he was at work. Occasionally, she met Tinga for lunch, and every so often would pay visits to Zach. He was not exactly thrilled with the fact his Second in Command was growing great with child. He, like Logan, agonized over the toll the pregnancy would have on her health.
Towards the end of Max's fourth month, Logan had booked them a trip to France. In Paris, they had met with a neonatal and neurological specialist who agreed to work with Max's Seattle physician to ensure that she and the baby would be healthy. A Swiss geneticist who was a colleague of the French doctor agreed to do genetic testing on Max and Logan's unborn child. They were overjoyed to discover that their baby had a less than fifteen percent chance of inheriting the defective seizure gene. Before returning stateside, Max and Logan had spent three weeks in Paris, then traveled to the south of France, where they spent two more weeks. Logan had taken Max to Ireland, to show her where his father, on a business trip in the early 1980's, had proposed to Logan's mother. By the time the Cales had returned to Seattle, max could no longer see her feet.
Teasingly, Logan pulled back the sheet so it uncovered everything to his wife's waist. Although they had to put a temporary hold on making love, because she was getting so very pregnant, Max and Logan still slept in the nude. They like the closeness, primarily. It was also easier for Max, when her body temperature fluctuated because of her raging hormones, to remain cooler if she was unclothed. Her husband traced the lines of her spine with his fingertips, causing her to shiver slightly. He brushed her hair to one side and blew gently onto her neck. He suppressed a laugh as a frown slightly marred her still sleeping features. Again, with his fingertips, Logan tickled the skin around Max's neck and shoulder. She shrugged her shoulder slightly and rolled over, snuggling nearer to him. The tautly pulled flesh of her pregnant belly pressed against Logan's body, and he could feel the child within her move as Max pressed against his body. The sensations overwhelmed him and he pulled her into his arms, wrapping one arm under her neck and shoulders, while encircling her waist with the other. He felt her warmth radiating from her, and the rhythm of her breathing as her chest rose and fall.
Suddenly, he felt her place a gentle kiss to her chest, and then work her way up to his neck and jaw line. He caught her mouth and kissed her passionately. "Faker," he murmured, tracing her jaw line with his thumb.
She chuckled, her breath warm against his neck, and rested her head on his shoulder, inhaling his scent. "I wanted to see what you would do. I liked it."
He kissed her hair, "How are you feeling?"
She sighed, "Really tired and achy. I'm all bloated and nasty today."
Logan caressed her back gently, "And the child?"
She patted her stomach, "We've got a soccer player, I swear Logan. She's doing a number on me today."
He frowned sympathetically, "Just rest today. I'll go fix you some breakfast, then I'll come back here and give you a back rub."
Max grinned, "Sounds heavenly."
Logan kissed her softly on the mouth and swung back the covers, pulling on his robe. He tossed her on of his T-shirts in case she wanted to put it on, and headed for the kitchen to make her breakfast. "Tabasco and chocolate sauce today?" he called, grimacing.
"Nope," she replied. "No whacko cravings this morning."
"Thank you God," he muttered.
"I heard that!" she said, laughter in her voice.
He smiled, 'I thought you might."
Twenty minutes later, he had made them toast, scrambled eggs, juice, tea, fresh fruit, and sausage. He put the food on a tray and carried it into the bedroom. He found Max sitting up in bed, wearing his shirt, the blankets pulled across her lap. She was reading one of his Eyes Only files. Grinning, he set the tray down on a bedside table and gently took the file from her. "All work and no play makes for dull life," he chided.
Her eyes twinkled, "You got something in mind to play, dearest?' She had not lost her edge in marriage or pregnancy. She was still as fiery as the day he met her.
"Back rub time," he said. He helped her into position, kneeling, sort of, a pillow beneath her stomach, her arms spread out in front of her, her stomach between her legs. Logan got behind her and worked the kinks out of her back. As the baby grew inside her, it pressed against Max's sciatic nerve, sending painful spasms through her back. Although he could not imagine what Max was going through physically, he knew how painful back spasms were. For half an hour, Logan worked on Max's back, his hands expertly soothing her discomfort.
"You asleep?" he asked quietly.
"No," she answered, sitting up and stretching. "Just hungry."
After they ate, Max grew tired and decided to go back to sleep. Logan tucked her in and left her to shower and dress. Around eleven Bling came by, and found Logan working in his computer room.
"Hey man," Bling greeted. "How goes the domestic life?" He frowned when he saw Logan slump a little. "Logan, is everything okay?"
Logan sighed and turned in his chair to face his friend. He had learned long ago that the only way he and Max were going to survive the pregnancy was if they confided in their friends and in each other if they were worried. "Max is just very tired today. The baby's pressing on her sciatic nerve, and it's painful for her."
Bling leaned against the doorframe, "It's something like what you went through when your back started healing itself because of her blood. I can give her some light PT for it, and I can teach you how to help her if you want."
Logan smiled gratefully, "Thanks man, I really appreciate it."
Bling frowned, "You're still worried about her health, huh?"
Logan nodded reluctantly, "The doctors told us the baby is perfectly healthy and isn't in any danger. Max is another story. She's taking meds to control her seizures, but the pills aren't as potent as the Tryptophan, and that could barely control them. It's like she's a time bomb waiting to go off."
"What about the theory that the pregnancy could be balancing off her seratonin levels?" Bling asked.
Logan shrugged, "It's speculation. We don't know why the X-5 females seize or don't seize during pregnancy. Jace didn't, Tinga did. Max is the deciding factor." Logan had gotten some of the Manticore medical records released, but no research had been done on pregnant X-5s. They were regularly given birth control, and were kept more or less in check. For Valentine Ops, protocol called for an emergency contraceptive. But X-5s were never expected to get pregnant; it wasn't part of mission parameters.
Bling placed a hand on his friend's shoulder, "Have faith Logan. Your wife and child are strong."
Then, as if on cue, Logan heard Max call him desperately from the bedroom. Seconds later she cried out in pain. Logan scrambled out of his chair and raced for their bedroom with Bling close at his heels. They found Max sitting up in bed, clutching her stomach, fear in her eyes. Logan sat next to her. "Max, what's wrong?" Fear crept into his throat.
Tears filled her eyes, "It feels like, argh, I'm in, ugh, labor." She clenched her eyes shut as another contraction passed through her. "They're so close together, ow ow ow!" She sagged back against the headboard, "It hurts so bad Logan. It's too early."
Logan turned to Bling, who had just reentered the room, "Bling, call an-"
"Already did," Bling answered. "The paramedics are on their way."
Logan took Max in his arms, "Hang on, sweetie, help is coming." He felt another contraction ripple through her and she screamed. She buried her head into his shoulder, biting her lip against the pain.
"Have you guys started Lamaze yet?" Bling asked, sitting on the other side of the bed from his friend.
"We're supposed to go next week," Logan replied, rocking Max in his arms, because he was unsure what else to do.
Bling chuckled, "Figures." He looked at Max. "Max, I know it must hurt like a bitch, but you might just be having false labor. You've gotta breathe, okay? Take big, deep, slow breaths. Follow me." Carefully, Bling began to mimic the Lamaze breathing he had learned from a midwife friend of his. Nodding to Logan to join them, Bling held Max's gaze as he helped her through the contraction. Once the Cales had gotten the hang on it, Bling decided to wait by the door for the EMTs. When another contraction hit Max, it was up to Logan to help her through it.
"Just breathe honey, slowly, look in my eyes," he instructed gently.
"Screw you," she said, huffing and puffing. The she began to weep. "I'm sorry. It hurts so bad. We definitely weren't made to handle this kind of pain." She stared into his eyes as another contraction passed. "Logan, I'm scared."
"I know," he said, kissing her hair. "I am too. But Bling's probably right. I've heard about these false labors. They're supposedly pretty common."
"I wish someone had told me," she grunted. Then, she felt a tremor go through her body that was unlike the contractions she had experienced. Her heart started to pound as the tremors got stronger. "Oh no, Logan I-" Max began. However, before she could finish, a full seizure overtook her, as she collapsed into Logan's arms, shaking violently.
"Max!" Logan screamed. "Bling! Get in here! Max is seizing! I need you to get her box out of he bathroom!" Three years ago Logan had obtained liquid Tryptophan in case of an emergency. He wished more than anything this wasn't the emergency.
Bling dashed in with the syringe and vile of medicine. "I just saw the paramedics pull up out front." He watched as Logan gently laid Max on the bed, even though she was still shaking violently, and injected the Tryptophan into her arm.
"Hang on, Max," Logan whispered. "Please hang on." As he heard the paramedics burst into the penthouse, Logan Cale began to pray.
~~To Be Continued!!!~~~~