Parents

by

Princess McPhee

Disclaimer: Not mine, don't own them. Jason Katims and Melinda Metz own them. The WB might, UPN might, I don't know. But not me!

Author's Note: I don't know why, but I've always envisioned Isabel as the midwife when one of the aliens has a child. So. Just to let you know. Canon through just after 'Baby, it's You', then AU.

Author's Note 2: The fate of this series will be determined by feedback. Nobody likes it, it won't continue. If people like it, I'll finish it. So, please tell me where you stand!

Summary: After 'Baby, it's You', this is my version of what might have happened.

Rating: PG-13

PART THREE

The little family reunion went rather smoothly, considering, and Max couldn't take his eyes off of his alien bride cuddling their infant son. She didn't make a lot of fuss about it, but he could see the love and adoration for their newborn son in her eyes as clearly if she'd spoken.

His parents weren't dense, and after meeting with Max and Tess and Joshua, they departed, leaving Isabel to stay for a few moments longer before wandering back to join the group of friends that waited in the lobby.

Max wasted no time in stripping off his shoes and climbing right into bed with his 'wife' and son. Tess offered no complaint, just a tired smile, and handed him Joshua before laying her head on his shoulder and closing her eyes.

Two hours later, when the nurse came to check up on them, she found them this way, Max and Tess both propped up against the pillows, Tess asleep with her head on Max's shoulder, and the proud father cradling his sleeping son. All was quiet, and not even the air seemed to move.

The nurse smiled. She rarely saw families that got along this well right after a birth. Usually, the woman was tired, the man was cranky and hyper, and the child was fussy. But now, she took a moment to just watch as Max simply watched his family sleep, perfectly content to take things as they came at him, as long as he could have and love Tess and Joshua.

The stay at the hospital went by quickly, and the young family packed up and left on their third day. Joshua was pronounced healthy and perfectly developed, without any problems resulting from his early arrival, and the young aliens were instantly relieved.

Max and Tess planned on moving out to live on their own when they could, but unfortunately, that wasn't now. For now, for financial reasons, they would have to stay with someone, and it was the Evans' who offered.

Originally, the sheriff had expected that Tess would return to his home with Joshua, but it turned out that Max was determined to be as much help as he could, and insisted on staying with his family. For this reason, the Evans', who had a bigger home and were better prepared to deal with children, offered that the young couple and their son could move in with them for a while.

Max had put all of his unimportant stuff away in order to make room for Joshua's bassinet and supplies. He and Tess discovered that since neither of them were prone to moving around a lot in their sleep, the small twin bed was a cozy, but comfortable enough way to spend their nights. Especially since they spent more time tending to their son than sleeping, or at least, that was what it felt like.

Max had returned to school as soon as Tess was out of the hospital, and the rumor mill was already buzzing, but he'd given it no information, content instead to laugh at the horrendous ideas that the students came up with behind their backs. But now, ten days since Joshua's birth, it was time for Tess to return to school.

Having talked to the guidance counselor, they'd come to the conclusion that the only affordable thing for them to do at the moment, was take the infant to school with them, trading off on his care. It would certainly interfere with their schoolwork a certain amount, but there seemed to be no other choice, especially if they were hoping to save enough to move out.

When Max walked into school on that Monday morning, he had his infant son cradled in one arm, the other around Tess's waist. Michael, Isabel, Kyle and Maria flanked them, Liz trailing a little to the side and behind them. Max noted this with a frown, he really was going to have to deal with her soon. It was just that, with so much going on lately, he hadn't had time.

The students stared, some yelled, and most whispered. Tess looked down at the floor, but Max nudged her gently until she was looking his in the eye, and smiled, reassuring her a little. She gave him a hesitant smile back.

Their escorts were falling off as their friends headed to their lockers, and then to their first classes. Max opened his locker and grabbed his books, then looked over at Tess. "I'll meet you after second period, here?" He asked.

She nodded. "Yeah. See you then."

Max leaned down, and kissed her softly. Then, with a smile, he headed off to his first class, still cradling the sleeping infant.

All day long, students whispered, teachers stared, and people asked question after question. But Max and Tess tried their hardest to ignore it all, and instead focus on doing their schoolwork and taking care of little Joshua at the same time.

They traded off after every other period, giving Tess a chance to rest, and Joshua ample chances to nurse. Making use of the bathrooms as changing facilities was a challenge, but they both managed, surreptitiously cleaning surfaces with their powers before setting the infant down. Isabel, Michael, Kyle and Maria fended off most of the questioning, performing their self-instigated duties as bodyguards admirably.

Max even thought it was mildly amusing how four very different people, who would usually handle a situation very differently, had one answer to people who wanted answers from him and Tess: "It's none of your business." Of course, Isabel said it with an air of honor and respect, Michael said it in a 'don't-mess-with-me' tone, and Maria said it in between a lot of other words, but it was the same idea, all around.

At the end of the day, both young parents were exhausted, emotionally and physically, and heading home, they looked forward to crashing, and finishing their homework after dinner and before bed. But, as they would soon learn, though Joshua was a good baby, he still demanded more attention than it was possible to give and still get a nap.

At around eleven, with whole segments of their schoolwork missing, Max and Tess turned in, snuggling against each other in the small bed, Joshua in his crib by the side. They had both considered absorbing the information with alien speed, but had decided that it would look suspicious. They'd just have to let their grades drop, along with the rest of the unmarried teen parents.

The next day, they switched schedules, which allowed Max not to have Joshua in P.E. class. Tess was out on a doctor's note, so she could watch him. In third period, the first time he'd had the baby that day, Joshua slept peacefully through History, but in fourth, at Spanish class, he couldn't seem to be as calm. The teacher eventually was forced to ask Max to take the infant elsewhere.

Meeting at lunch, Max and Tess managed to act peacefully enough, despite their mutual exhaustion. Max watched as Tess tented a blanket over herself, allowing the infant to nurse as they ate. Due to her lack of hands, Max fed her as well as himself, and many of the school couples oohed and awed. They were both amazed that so many people seemed to think the baby was cute, like a puppy or a kitten, rather than a real consequence and responsibility.

Deciding that Max could take care of Joshua one afternoon, while Tess slept, and Tess take him the next, while Max slept, they both managed to get almost enough sleep, and do most of their homework while they were at it. When they had a little extra time, they would most often sleep, but occasionally, Max would pick up a book, usually of poetry, and read to his family. Tess sometimes slept through these sessions, but Joshua always stayed awake with what seemed to Max like almost rapt interest.

The infant grew amazingly in his first three months of life, and his demands just seemed to grow with him. Gradually relaxing into their roles as parents, Max and Tess managed to live their lives a little more productively, but still have very little time for activities other than of the absolutely necessary variety, and this produced a lot of stress between the new parents in the Evans household.

Max and Tess, unlike Michael and Maria, who preferred the yelling, screaming variety of fighting, were quiet in this dissatisfaction with each other. It was mostly made up of silence, quiet glares, and occasional long, stressed-sounding conversations. But, nonetheless, the members of the Evans family noticed.

When Isabel knocked gently on the door, Max gathered up Joshua Michael and slipped from the room, trying to allow Tess to get some rest. They'd both been up half the night before with the infant, who'd insisted on being fed every two hours or so. "Hey, Isabel," He offered, with a tired smile.

Isabel led him into the living room, apparently intending on talking to him about something, but unaware that their mother had guests, and the three middle-age women immediately swarmed and started asking questions when they saw the infant.

"Diane, I didn't know you had a new baby in the house!" Exclaimed one of the women, slightly overweight with a motherly attitude on her.

"Where did this little cutie come from?" Another woman asked.

Diane Evans rose to join the crowd around Max, and took Joshua Michael from his arms. "Everyone, meet Joshua Michael, my first grandson."

That quieted everyone down for a moment, but not long enough, as far as Max was concerned. His eyelids were drooping, and he just wanted to sleep. After he'd talked to Isabel, he reminded himself.

The motherly-looking woman recovered first. "Max, Isabel, which one of you gets to call this cutie-pie your son?"

Max nodded. "He's my son."

Another woman looked up at Max, now that the infant's paternity had been established, and asked, "How old is he?"

Max thought back a little, counting on his fingers for a second, and returning his gaze to his son. "Fifteen weeks tomorrow," he responded.

The one angular, older women who was visiting with the group of people who mostly looked like mothers, themselves, looked Max up and down, appraising him without a smile on her face. "How old are you?" She asked without preamble.

"Eighteen."

"Then I'm assuming this wasn't planned?" Mrs. Evans threw her friend a glance, but Max answered the rather rude question with obviously fake platitude.

"No." Mrs. Evans looked ready to run her friend through the wringer, but luckily, she quieted before Diane had a chance to do anything about it.

A door opened and closed upstairs, and footsteps came down the hall. "Max?"

"Down here!" He called.

"Company!" Isabel added, and it was an additional moment before Tess wandered down the stairs, drawing several eyes to her, a tired smile on her face. She walked to Max's side, and reflexively, he put an arm over her shoulder and kissed her forehead.

"This is Tess Harding, my girlfriend and Joshua Michael's mother," He introduced her. "And I'm really sorry, but Tess and I have something to talk about." He took Joshua back from his mother's arms, and handed him to Tess when she stretched her arms out for him. Together, they left the room.

"Isabel?" Max asked as his sister looked like she wasn't going to follow. He looked into her eyes, and realized her intention. She'd wanted to talk to him alone. He nodded just a little, and took Tess and Joshua back to their room.

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