Title: Beyond Eden

Author: Lucy Mars

Rating: PG-13? Eh, does it really matter?

Disclaimer: HA! I don't own Dark Angel…and I don't have any money at the moment. To sue me would result in a long boring battle. Aren't lawsuits suppose to make money? Not lose money? ;)

Chapter #11

As the early morning light filtered into the room, Max found her eyes fluttering open against her objections. It was to early to be waking up and she was to comfortable to move. Snuggling in closer to Logan's warm body, she rested her head pleasantly on his chest. Laying her head directly over his heart, Max smiled as the rhythmic beating lulled her back into a half asleep, half awaked haze. It'd been two weeks since her unfortunate attack, and even though she didn't want Logan to know, Max was still not feeling up to par. The unexpected attack had really taken a toll on her already worn down body. Pushing the negative thoughts out of her mind, Max concentrated on her breathing exercises and ran her hand lovingly over her swollen stomach. Stopping as she felt a little fist connect with her open palm, Max smiled widely.

"It's all worth it. Our girls are worth it." Max whispered to herself as the happiness she felt everyday now, rose through her chest and filled her with a soft glow. A glow that told the world that she was the happiest and luckiest woman in the world.

Raising her head and laying her chin on Logan's chest, Max silently studied her husbands sleeping face. Sweeping a few strands of hair off of his forehead, Max let her fingers linger delicately on his beautiful face. Logan always wore a serene expression on his face when he was sleeping. Like he knew that he was the luckiest man in the world. He had everything that he could possibly want, and more. They were both lucky because they had each other.

Max could have stayed in bed all day, just watching her husband's sleeping face. However, her body seemed to have something else in mind. Sighing and looking down at her swollen stomach, Max shook her head, "The one thing I'm not going to miss about being pregnant is definitely the constant visits to the washroom."

Rolling over was not an easy task at 33 weeks, let alone getting out of the bed. Grumbling with all the effort it was taking, Max sighed to herself, "Yeah, being a superhuman isn't really helping me right now." Giving it one more try, Max finally managed to prop herself up when Logan's arm sudden came around her and pulled her back down towards him.

Letting out a very undignified "oomph" Max soon found herself trapped by Logan's arms.

"Morning." Logan laughed when he saw the expression on his wife's face.

"Piece of advice Logan?"

"Sure Max."

"Do not mess with a pregnant woman who is trying to get to the bathroom." Max said not moving from her current position of laying onto of Logan, "My bladder happens to be the size of a pea right now, housing a lot more then it should."

"Want me to help you up?" Logan offered kissing her on the forehead.

"What I really want you to do is induce labor now." Max sighed as Logan helped her get out of bed and led her to the washroom.

Stopping at the entrance, Logan could let the chance to kiss her pouting lips pass him by. Rubbing her back gently he said, "Again I gotta tell you, that's not in my jurisdiction. I can't help you there honey."

Sighing dramatically Max leaned tiredly against her husband. Wrapping her arms around him and resting her face on his chest. "Then what are you good for?" Max asked her voice muffled by his t-shirt.

Laughing, Logan kissed the top of her head as he rubbed comforting circles on her sore back, "Well I happen to know lots of things that you think I do very, very, very well."

Raising her head from his shirt and raising an interested eyebrow, Max smiled wantonly, "Really? I can seem to re-call anything. Would you like to refresh my memory?"

"Right now?" Logan asked feigning shock.

"Can you think of a better time for you to demonstrate your amazing abilities?" Max asked smiling broadly.

"Hmm," Logan said dramatically, "I guess that it doesn't really matter since you're already pregnant."

Laughing, Max felt Logan's hands move away from her back and down further south, "I have no objections."

"All right, if that's what you really want." Logan said.

"There's nothing that I want more right now." Max whispered closing her eyes and leaning into Logan. Waiting patiently, Max was surprised when Logan pulled away from her and left her standing there. Her eyes snapping open, Max was shocked to see Logan walking backwards out of their bedroom and smiling like a fool at her. "What are you doing?!" Max exclaimed.

"Making Eggs Benedict of course. What did you think I was talking about Max?" Logan asked innocently.

Letting it sink in, Max ran their conversation through her mind and without missing a beat broke out laughing. "You're a tease Logan Cale!" Max yelled at her retreating husband.

Laughing Logan blew her a kiss and waggled his eyebrows before waving her away, "Go to the washroom already. You were ready to burst two seconds ago."

Sticking her tongue playfully, Max retreated into the washroom laughing the entire time. Rubbing her stomach, Max smiled at her own reflection, "Daddy's a riot, ain't he?"

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"Are you sure you feel up to this?" Logan asked helping Max don her jacket,
I mean, if you don't feel like you can do this, than we can just stay home today."

Rolling her eyes, Max lay a comforting hand on Logan's chest, "Really Logan, I can do this. Anyway, didn't Zoë tell us that I should do a few light exercises? It'll help make childbirth a little easier. And with two buns in this oven, I need all the help I can get."

Sighing in defeat, Logan nodded and helped Max sit down so that he could tie up her shoes. Reaching below her waist these days was practically impossible. "Promise me that you'll tell me when you're tired. Promise me Max."

Capturing his face between her hands, Max smile down at her worrisome husband. "Cross my heart." she smiled giving his a light kiss, "Now stop worrying and help me up."

"All right, lets go mommy." Logan said smiling despite himself. Putting an arm around his glowing wife, Logan led his girls through the warm Seattle morning.

The two kept a slow and comfortable pace as they wandered around and through the busy streets. Stopping periodically to pop into cute little baby stores, and stocking up on supplies for the nursery they were putting together. Pink plush bunnies and fuzzy elephants popped out over the rim of bags that the two managed to accumulate. Teeny tiny sets of baby clothes lined the bags that Max swung happy on her side, and musical toys that were meant to stimulate the right side of his children's brain filled the bag that Logan held proudly. The two were poster children of 1st time parents. They both poured over every baby book and article they managed to get their hands on, and had that vibrant glow about them. The way they smiled and the way that their eyes sparkled told the world everything that they could every want to know. These two were happy, and in love.

Smiling up at her husband, Max laughed at how absolutely blissful he looked.

Catching Max watching him, Logan smiled down at her and kissed her forehead quickly as they maneuvered the busy streets. "Having fun?"

"Always." Max laughed as she tightened her hold on her husband.

"What do you say about going home and seeing how well all this stuff we bought goes with the nursery?" Logan asked.

"I say that that's a great idea. I know that it's gonna sound corny, but I can't wait to put all the little pajama's and booties into their little dresser." Max laughed running her hand over her very much swollen stomach.

"I don't think that it sounds corny at all," Logan said stopping in the middle of the sidewalk and pulling Max right against him, "I think that just makes you sounds like a regular mommy."

Beaming at her husband, Max caught his lips with her own and for one second they both forgot about the rest of the world rushing past them. All there was were the two of them and their girls. Finally pulling away, Max laughed right out at the foolish expression on Logan's face. Captured his free hand with her own and led him through the crowds of people. "Come on daddy," Max called back over her shoulder, "I know you can't wait to put up that mobile you just bought and try out that little music box."

Laughing at just how right she was, Logan caught up with his wife and pulled her close to him. Together, they made their way home.

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"Are you sure that it is suppose to go like that?" Max asked as she sat in her rocking chair folding baby clothes. The chair had been moved into the nursery, and Max was trying to organize all the clothes that they had managed to purchase as Logan attempted to put together the changing table.

"I can do this Max, and yes it's suppose to go like this. I am following these crazy instructions to the letter." Logan growled frustrated with the stupid instructions. After another three minutes of growling and cursing the absurd instructions, Logan threw the impossible pieces down and sat down on the ground beside Max's rocking chair. Sighing, he ran his hand threw his hair in defeat, "You would think that I'd be able to do this."

Smiling at her flustered husband, Max rubbed his shoulder comfortingly, "Don't worry about it honey. So putting together baby furniture isn't your forte. I don't know anybody who can cook as magnificently as you do. You just have a different skill set, that's all."

"So what are we gonna do about all this stuff?" Logan asked gesturing at the pile of pieces laying on the ground that was suppose to resemble an infant changing table, a fairly large box that held the sections of a cute dresser set that had yet to be completely constructed and the two boxes holding identical cribs waiting to be assembled.

"We call our friends." Max said simply.

"Our friends?" Logan asked skeptically, "The same friends who have trouble walking straight sometimes?"

"Exactly." Max laughed already dialing a familiar sequence of numbers, "Hello, Cindy? It's Max. You busy girl?"

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"Aiight! Original Cindy and her crew are here to help save the day!"

Looking up at his wife, Logan smiled at the voice the boomed from the front door, "I think that our entourage has arrived."

Laughing, Max looked up from her place on the couch to see Original Cindy enter the living room lugging a big toolbox and a string of people, "Hey Cindy, thanks for coming."

"Anything for my boo," Cindy laughed sitting down beside Max, "and her scruffy boo. Hey Logan."

"Hey Cindy." Logan laughed, "Did you need to bring that big lug?"

"Whoa man!" Bling said pretending to be offended, "That hurts man. To stab me is enough, but did you need to twist the knife?"

Laughing at the two, Max reached out and pulled both Herbal and Sketchy in for a hug, "Hey strangers, I haven't seen you two in awhile. Thanks for coming."

"No problem man," Sketchy said giving Max a good hug, "I do what I can."

"How you and te litt' ones doing?" Herbal asked lightly patting Max's stomach.

"Good, good," Max said blushing slightly at all the attention, "but I think that I'm housing a football team, not two little girls."

"Aiight," Cindy said standing up and picking up her toolbox, "point us to the room and we'll have that expensive baby furniture put together in no time."

"You don't know what you're in for." Logan laughed remembering his own problems with the furniture, "I personally think that the instructions are in some kind of dead language."

"You're boo have some trouble with the big scary pieces of wood?" Cindy asked Max sarcastically.

Chuckling, Max nodded her head and simply pointed to the room they were headed for, "Down the hall, first door on the right."

"Come on boy, Original Cindy is gonna conquer the big scary pieces of wood." Bling laughed leading the way, and earning a playful slap on the arm from both Cindy and Logan.

Laughing at their antics, Max pulled Logan down onto the sofa beside her and leaned back into him. "We have good friends don't we?"

Kissing the top of her head and laying his hand over her stomach, Logan nodded, "Yeah, the best."

The two sat in a comfortable silence for about two more seconds before they both heard a very loud crash come from the nursery. Stretching up to see Logan's face, Max broke out laughing at the grin he wore. "Good friends huh?" Max asked between her giggles.

Rolling his eyes, Logan helped his wife up and got up too, "Well, I never said that they were smart. Just good, and somewhat incompetent friends."

Laughing, Max followed Logan to the nursery where shouts and laughter were ringing off the walls.

Leaning lazily against the door frame with Max on his arm, Logan watched their four friends argue over who knocked the box over and laugh at how Sketchy was sure he had almost lost a finger in the process. "Hey guys," Logan called out getting their attention, "how you doing?"

Looking at him with wide innocent eyes, Original Cindy smiled sweetly…a little too sweetly, "Everything's going great."

Without missing a beat, everyone broke out laughing.

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"Ugh, I am exhausted!" Logan moaned walking out of the washroom.

"It was worth it though." Max said pulling Logan to sit down on the bed so that she could rub his shoulders, "All the baby furniture has been assembled, and the nursery looks fantastic."

"It does, doesn't it?" Logan smiled.

"It does." Max said mirroring her husbands nostalgic tone. Wrapping her arms around his neck, Max pulled Logan right into her so that her stomach was pressed right against his back, "I had a lot of fun today."

"Me too." Logan said taking one of Max's hands and weaving his fingers through hers.

They sat together in a comfortable silence until Logan felt something kick his back. Jumping up in surprise, Logan looked at Max in shock, "What was that?"

"One of your daughters kicking a field goal?" Max suggested rubbing her stomach.

"Does that hurt you?" Logan asked sitting back down beside Max and rubbing her stomach.

"No, it feels kinda weird but in a good way."

"In a good way?" Logan teased kissing her bare belly.

"How would you like me to explain it?"

"So that I can understand what you're saying?" Logan suggesting playfully.

Rolling her eyes, Max leaned back against her mound of pillows and pulled Logan down so that his head was laying onto of her stomach, "Here, put your ear right against my belly. You can hear their heart beating sometimes. It's sounds like…"

"A hummingbird," Logan whispered for her.

"Exactly," Max said softly. Together they lay there for who knows how long. Logan listening intensely for new sounds, and Max stroking his hair absently. It was an ideal way for them to spend their night. Listening together for sounds of new life, and sharing an experience that they had created together. It was their own utopia.

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Hello there strangers!! Wow, I do realize that it had been, well, forever since I've last updated. For my extreme tardiness I apologize! I hope that this 8 page long update will tide some of you over for another little while. I really do hope that you liked this chapter, and that you aren't disappointed!! The whole hummingbird thingy, I don't know if it's true or not, but when my sister-in-law was pregnant, that's what my older brother said it sounded like. I'm taking his word for it, cause really, I have no experience to talk from! ;)

I am bombarded with a million other things to do, and I don't really expect to be updating for another two weeks or so!! *Ducking the rotten veggies coming my way* It's not that there are a lack of idea swirling around in my head, but it's just the lack of time. Geez, there are really not enough hours in the day! I hope that you'll all patiently wait for the next installment of my story!!! Luv ya' all for reading!

-Lucy

P.S. PLEASE REVIEW!!! (reviews are like tiny pieces of inspiration and incentive to write more packed into a little package!)