Altered

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Part 4 (written by Claire)

Crashdown Café, April 2002

The Parkers, Max and Liz are sated in a booth.

"So, Max, Liz, what is it you wanted to tell us?"

"Uh, I'd rather wait for my parents to be here before we start." answered Max in a shaky voice.

Your parents are coming, Max? Is it really important that you want to see the four of us at the same time." asked Nancy, starting to worry about what the teenagers had to tell them. Had they done anything wrong? Did they have problems? Was it about drugs?-

The front door opened at that moment, interrupting Mrs. Parker's thoughts as the Evans came in. They quietly greeted the Parkers, before turning to Max and Liz with worried looks on their faces.

"So, Max, Why did you and Liz wanted to meet us tonight?" asked Mr. Evans.

Max cast an anxious glance at Liz before turning to his parents.

"Uh, yeah,... uh, Mom, Dad, could you sit down please?"

"Uh... okay."

"Alright. I know you're probably all wondering why we made you come tonight, so I'll try to be straight."

"Max, honey, do you and Liz have problems?"

"Oh my god, is that about drugs? I mean... I've often seen my daughter sick lately."

"Of course not! Mom! Oh could you even think about this? You know neither Max nor I would ever do something like that!"

"I know, Lizzie, I know. But you've been so sick some mornings lately, that I..." Mrs. Parker stopped herself in the middle of her sentence. "OH MY GOD! Liz, honey, are you... are you pregnant?"

"Yes, we're pregnant." answered Max, although the parents had already guessed seeing the guilty faces of their children at Mrs. Parker's question.

"I can't believe it! How could you two have been so stupid?! Don't you know that there are things that exist to prevent things like that!" asked an angry Mr. Parker.

"No, Dad, we aren't so stupid!" bit back Liz. Then, just above a whisper, she added:

"I was on the pill."

"You were on the pill? Asked Liz's father, more quietly this time.

"Of course she was, Jeff. Don't you remember? I took her to an appointment for it two years ago." answered Nancy for her daughter.

This time, neither one of the parents had anything more to say. After all, the children hadn't been totally stupid. But still...

"But you're so young! Don't you think you should have talk to us before engaging yourselves in a... sexual relationship? And what are you going to do about this baby?-"

"We're going to keep this baby." said Max.

"But, you know, there are other possibilities..."

"We're going to keep this baby." repeated Max, this time in a firmer voice.

"We didn't even think about 'other possibilities'. This is our baby and we want to keep it. And that's final."

"Alright, ok, if this is what you want."

"It is."

"But how are you going to do?" And... What about your studies? How are you gonna raise this child? What about the money?"

"Don't worry, we already thought about it. For now, we both saved pretty much money while working at the Crashdown and at the UFO museum. I got a whole scholarship at Harvard."

"We're not gonna change the plans we made before… before the baby, except that I'll keep on working at the UFO center, 'till we leave for university, and there I'll find a job.
That way, we will both finish our studies, we'll have enough money to take care of the baby, since we both saved money."

"Plus what Grandma Claudia left me." Added Liz.

While both fathers were still speechless, the reality was starting to sank into the two mothers. Yeah, of course their children were young, but Nancy and Diane knew they were going to come through. They were smart enough.

"So, when is the baby due?" asked Diane Evans in a shaky voice.

"Um, in seven months."

"Oh my god, I'm going to be a grandmother in seven months!" said Mrs Evans in a teary voice, a small smile playing on her lips.

"And my baby girl is going to have her own baby girl or baby boy!" cried Mrs Parker.
With that, the shock and the anger started to fade away of the two grandfather-to-be, being replaced by the pride and the tenderness for their children, and grandchild-to-be.

"I'm happy for you, children." said Mr Evans.

"Yeah, me too Lizzie. You'll have to understand that it will be really hard for us to loose our babies, so for our revenge, we're going to spoil your baby, and learn him everything you made us go through when you two were children, so that it'll be able to drive you crazy!" said Mr Parker, laughing by the end of his sentence, as all the parents in the room, but leaving to very pale Max and Liz.

"You're not... You're not going to do that, I...I… I mean, are you?" asked a suddenly very frightened Liz, remembering all the tricks she had played to her parents when she was little.

"Oh, I will, believe me honey!" laughed her father.

"Oh my god..."

*~*~*~*~*~*

DeLuca's house, a couple of hours later.

"So, how did they take it?" asked Maria, between two mouthfuls of popcorn.

"Um, pretty good, I guess." Answered her friend.

"But… um… you didn't tell them about any other stuffs, I mean…"

"No, don't worry Maria. Anyway, Max still doesn't want to tell them. Plus, I don't think my parents would be too thrilled to know that I'm expecting a hybrid baby."

Maria laughed.

"No, I guess not. So, they didn't kill Max?"

Liz repressed a smile.

"No, they didn't. You know, it surprised me too, knowing my parents." She laughed, but then she turned serious and added:

"But you couldn't believe how mortified I was at the idea of telling HIS parents."

"Yeah, I just can try to imagine. So they were cool? And… you told them about Harvard? What did they say?" asked Maria, taking another handful of popcorn.

"Oh, that…" Liz looked pensive before continuing, "Actually, they were really glad. Max's parents are still gonna pay his studies, so everything's fine… um… except…" she blushed a bit, "they don't want us sharing apartment… They said that even with a baby, we were still a bit young to live together." Then, frustrated, she added: "Come on, we're gonna have a baby. I don't think we're too young to live together."

Maria smiled at her friends, and tried to comfort her.

"You know, Liz, maybe they're right… Hey! Don't look like you want to kill me, I just said maybe!"

"Yeah, sorry." Apologised Liz.

"Anyway," continued Maria, "My mom doesn't want me to live with Michael either, so we'll be able o share an apartment, like we said we would when we were little. Isn't that cool?"

Liz smiled,

"Yeah it is. I can't believe we're actually both going to Harvard, along with Michael and Max."

"Yeah. Plus, you know Liz, the guys are going to have their apartments too. That will make two apartments for two couple…" She smiled evilly to Liz who laughed.

"You're so bad, girl!"

*~*~*~*~*~*

PARKERS, one hour later.

"Liz, honey, is that you?" Liz heard as she made her way to her room. Her mom appeared at her parent's room's door.

"Yeah, mom, I'm home."

"Where have you been darling? I was worried, it's already 10pm!" Asked her Mrs Parker, wrapping her robe around herself.

Liz's eyes widened as she heard her mom.

"I, uh, I was at Maria's, but, uh, what's the matter mom? I mean, it's Saturday, I don't have class tomorrow, and… -"

"I know honey, but you're pregnant, and it's not safe to be in the streets so late. You should go to sleep, honey, you look tired."

Liz looked at her mom in disbelief. Something was definitely wrong.

"Mom, it's FINE. I'm only two months–" she cut herself as she realised the lie she had almost tell her mother, "- I mean, I won't have this baby before seven months! I'm perfectly fine, and so is the baby."

Her mom just looked back at her unblinking.

"You go to bed young lady and I don't want to hear anymore."

"O-Ok…"

"Goodnight honey."

"Um… yeah… goodnight mom."

After she was safely in her room, Liz took a deep breath, sat on her bed and wondered aloud:

"What was that about?"

She pushed the thought aside and decided to call Max. She was about to dial his number when the phone rang. Of course, it was Max.

"Hey beautiful."

"Hey yourself." She replied.

"You made it back okay?" She smiled. Every night he would call her, if she hadn't call before, and he would ask her if she was okay.

"Yeah, as always. You know, it's not like it's something new for me to come from Maria's at night."

"I know. I'm sorry." He was doing his best to be serious, but she could clearly picture him grinning.

"You don't mean it." She teased him.

"No. Even if Maria lived just next door and if you'd walked the way for years, I would sill be worrying for you."

"You're incorrigible, you know?"

"Yeah. So, nothing new? I mean, uh… did you talked to your parents about… Er... you know?"

"Um, not really, I mean, they seem ok, except…"

"Except what?" Max was starting to sound worry.

"Except that my mom totally flipped when I came back from Maria."

"She flipped?" she could hear the wonder in his voice.

"Yeah. You know, she's totally paranoid about me being pregnant, she told me she was worried, that I had to be more wary and not to be alone in the streets at night, and that I had to go to bed early… I mean, I swear, if I didn't know better, I would've swear she knew about the baby being alien, and about me needing shots every once in a while…"

"By the way, did you have it today?"

"Oh, yeah, actually, I had it when I was at Maria's. She freaked out, I mean, it had never happened when I was alone with her, but she's ok. She told me: 'Next time, I'll be prepared!' ya know she said that very seriously, I almost wanted to laugh."

"Liz, you know this is nothing to laugh about."

"Yeah, I know."

"I mean, what if next time it happens when you're alone, or if you're with your parents or something…"

"I'll be fine, Max. Don't worry… In fact, it already happened…"

"WHAT?!?!!"

"Um, yeah, I didn't told you because I knew you'd freak, and see, you just did."

"Of course I freaked out! When… How…"

"Last week, I was in my room, and it just happened. You don't have to worry Max, I know how to take care of it myself, now."

"I know… but I just…"

"Let's talk about something else, Max, Ok?"

He agreed reluctantly, and he asked her what she wanted to talk about.

"Um.. I don't know… maybe about what we're going to name our little Max Jr.?" she asked, in a playful tone.

"What? In case you don't know, everyone already gave him a name!" he teased her

She smiled. Not even a week after they discovered she was pregnant, everyone had already gave a name to the baby. As big fans of 'Dawson's Creek', both Maria and Tess called him 'little Pacey'. Kyle and Alex had name the baby Kathy, for miss Topolsky, because they were sure it was a girl, as was Isabel, who called it 'little princess'. Michael had just named it Bob, God only knew why. Maybe as a reminder of Max's old Jeep? She hoped not!

"Well, I know one thing for sure, my baby is not going to be a Bob, and I'll have to die before it happens!"

"Don't worry honey, I won't let it happen."

"Thank God. Actually, I was thinking about Justin, what do you think?"

He groaned.

"Liz, I mean, come on, you have to stop this obsession you have with N'Sync!" She just giggled at him.

"I know Max, I was just kidding you! Although I like the name Justin…"

"No! Liz, don't even think about it, we're not going to name our son Justin!"

"Ok, Ok, I'll quite it. No, seriously, what do you think of… um… Ryan?"

"Yeah, I like it…"

"What about Andrew?"

"Yeah –"

"No wait, what about Paul?"

"Liz?"

"Yeah?"

"What do you think of Matthew?"

She said nothing for a few seconds, and when she spoke again, her voice faltered a bit.

"It was… It was my Grandpa's name… Grandma Claudia's husband…"

His voice was soft when he replied,

"I know. That's why I want to name him Matthew. I know how much you loved him and…" he was starting to sound unsure and Liz stopped him.

"Max?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

*~*~*~*~*~*

TBC…

Feedback please!!!