Three Men And A Baby

Author: Fez

Rating: PG-13

Category: Total UC! Alex/Laurie; Kyle/Tess; Michael/Liz; Sean/Isabel; and there's also gonna be Brody/Maria; and eventually Max/Ava.

Summary: Alex, Kyle, and Michael are left holding the baby while the girls go out to dinner. The girls also try to repair Liz and Maria's friendship which has been destroyed.

Author's Notes: I was going to do this is a foof but some angst decided it wanted to be a subplot so there's two main storylines plus other little ones. I'm hoping to balance the girls angst with the boys' foofy plot! :)

Disclaimer: Roswell is copyright to Melinda Metz; Jason Katims; Fox Television; and UPN Network. I'm not making any money from writing this story. That's just fun! No infringement intended.

Now on with the story!

Part 1

Why was he here? Kyle Valenti had been asking himself that very question for the past twenty minutes. Oh, now he remembered. He was here because Tess had told him without a doubt he would take care of the Whitman baby otherwise there would be consequencessevere consequences. Kyle sighed as he glared at his surroundings. He wasn't stupid. He knew what the hidden meaning behind Tess' words meant.

He shook his head as he glanced at Michael Guerin who was sprawled out on the couch with the tv remote in one hand and a bag of chips in the other. He really didn't want to be here tonight. Spending babysitting duty with Michael would be torture and he knew it. It wasn't like they got along too well. They barely tolerated one another!

Kyle wondered how Michael got roped into babysitting little Charlie. Perhaps Guerin wanted to be the doting uncle orperhaps in truth Liz had forced him to spend his time here when a hockey game was on television. Yeah, that was it. No way would Michael have wanted to miss a game, even if it meant giving his sister some much needed freedom away from her four-month-old infant.

Yeah, Liz put him up to it he could tell.

What's the score? Kyle asked him trying to showwell fakesome interest.

4-2 to the Bruins, Michael answered not taking his eyes off the set.

Kyle nodded and drummed his hands on the armrests of the chair he was sitting on. You know there's a football game on channel 12.

It wasn't a question but a nice subtle hint to turn the station. Anyone would be grateful of the politeness that he held in his voice and would have turned the channel over for him. Surely even Guerin would know a hint when he heard one.

Then again maybe not.

Michael said with such disinterest that it made Kyle's skin crawl.

Yes, really.

Michael shrugged once again not taking his eyes off the game. Kyle wondered if he grabbed the remote and continued to beat him with it would Laurie get upset?

Pass the chips, Kyle said with disgust and felt his blood boil when he noticed Michael's annoyed look before he lazily threw the bag of chips in his direction. Kyle had to lean forward a little to catch the bag and glared at Michael who was still giving the tv set his utmost attention.

Kyle glanced at the clock on the wall and wondered how long would it be before Alex would get here. It was after all his child he was giving up his time – and the Bears game – to care for. He knew Alex was working late and that was why he and Michael had been roped in to look after the baby, but still Alex had better not leave him alone with Guerin for too long. He just didn't think he could take being with the arrogant, self-centred bast Oh, he put Tabasco sauce on the chips! Cool!

*****

Is she still in there? Tess asked Liz who stood in the hallway standing between the main bedroom and the bathroom.

Liz nodded with her back pressed up against the wall. She really wanted to get Maria out of the bathroom already, but she knew Tess was really talking about Laurie.

Tess chapped on the bedroom door. Laurie, are you ready yet?

came the muffled voice from behind the door.

Are you even anywhere near ready?

Tess exchanged a suspicious look with Liz who shrugged. Tess' narrowed eyes then focused on the door. Liz wondered if she was trying to find some new alien power to see through the wood.

Are you talking on the phone with Alex?

Liz tried to suppress a smile when she heard Laurie try to stifle her own laughter. Tess rolled her eyes and gave Liz a knowing look.

Laurie's unconvincing voice floated through the wooden door.

That's it I'm coming in.

Tess opened the door and entered the room before Laurie could answer. Once the door closed Liz grinned. It was weird how relationships could change in the last few years. Liz remembered it was only not long ago that Tess seemed like the outsider who was trying to fit into Roswell, and Laurie was almost an outsider herself once she moved to the small town in New Mexico to be closer to what she considered her only family left in the worldMichael. But after about a month Tess and Laurie seemed to form a friendship and stick together in the world and their friendship just grew from there.

It's strange how some friendships flourish while others hit a crossroad, or in her case hit a brick wall, and fade away from existence Liz thought sadly. Here was Tess and Laurie who had only known each other for three years and now had a bond like sisters while she and Maria had been like sisters and where now like strangers.

All because they did what they promised they would never do. They allowed a man to come between them.

Michael Guerin.

Liz sighed as she got lost in thought and looked up abruptly when she heard the flush of the toilet and a moment later the click of the door as Maria DeLuca emerged from the bathroom.

They met each other's gaze for several moments before Maria looked away.

There you go.

Liz said weakly as Maria nodded and preceded to walk down the hall towards the living room without looking back.

Liz felt the tears sting at her eyes but refused to let them fall as she quickly entered the bathroom and closed the door, only then allowing herself to cry freely for the sister she had now lost.

To be continued...