Sacrifice
A Sequel to Quietly into the Night
Conventional Couples
Rating: PG-13
Chapter Two
"Uncle Michael can tell what, Lexie Bear?" asked Max. "Lexie?" But it was too late, the little girl had already fallen back to sleep.
"I'm going to go put her into bed, and check out her room, make sure everything's ok," said Max. "Michael, stay here with Maria and make sure nobody tries to get in. If they do, you know where to hide, right?" This last comment was directed at Maria who nodded. Both of them had created secret hiding spaces in their homes in case of attack. Max carried Lexie up to her room, did a quick sweep to make sure the room was safe and then tucked the child back into her bed. He reached over and turned on the baby video monitor. It was something he hadn't used in a long time, but for some reason, it seemed like the right thing to do tonight.
He went back down stairs to the family room to where Michael and Maria were waiting. Wordlessly, he snapped on the other monitor and the three of them looked on as Lexie slept the peaceful sleep of a child.
"Maria, will you keep an eye on her?" asked Max. "Michael and I need to do a quick sweep of the area."
Maria nodded and began to pace in front of the monitor, her hands absently rubbing her back. Max and Michael made quick work of checking the dining room, living room and kitchen, when they heard a sound coming from the attached garage. Michael nodded to Max, and took up his position in front of the door. Max stood to the side of the kitchen door and reached out to open it. With a bang, the door flew open and hit the wall, and the sound of a woman's voice screaming echoed through the room.
"Michael, wait!" shouted Max. "Don't, it's Isabelle!" Michael quickly lowered his arm and reached out to pull Isabelle into the safety of the room.
"Did you see anybody else out there?" he questioned. "We heard a noise."
"You heard me, tripping over a tricycle," said Isabelle, rubbing her shin.
"Isabelle, why are you hear?" asked Max. "I didn't think you were ever coming back."
"I just missed everybody," hedged the other girl. "I thought it was time to come back for a visit." Max shot her a disbelieving look, but said nothing, and instead, hugged his sister tightly.
I've missed you Isabelle, don't stay away like that again."
"I missed you too Max, all of you. But I had to leave, it was either that, or lose my mind, you know that.
"How is New York?" began Max, but he was interrupted by a scream from the other room.
"Maria!" said Michael. He ran into the family room, knocking a chair over in his haste to get to his wife.
"Max, Isabelle, get in here!" he shouted. Max and Isabelle ran into the family room to find Michael half supporting a hunched over Maria. Max looked closer and saw the stain spreading out on the back of her jumper.
"The baby?" he asked.
"Yeah," said Michael, his face a worried mask
It was Isabelle who took charge of the situation. "Well, don't just stand there, get her upstairs. Max, go call Jim and Amy and put some water on to boil. She took off up the stairs. Once upstairs, she located Max's room with very little problem and turned on the light. She quickly removed the bedclothes from the bed, and went to the linen closet and found an old rubber crib sheet of Lexie's. She put it on the bed and threw an old faded threadbare sheet she had found on top of it.
"Michael, put her down there," she said, nodding towards the bed. "Then go get me some scissors, and some of Lexie's old baby stuff. I know Max hasn't thrown one thing away."
Michael laid his wife down on the bed and left the room and
started down the stairs.
"Michael," Isabelle called softly.
"There's a blue Chrysler Sebring out front. In the back seat is a backpack, grab it and bring it up here too
please."
"Great she goes from Christmas Nazi to Baby Nazi in the blink of an eye," muttered Michael as he made his way down the stairs. Isabelle walked back into the room and sat down next to Maria.
"Hey Maria, how are you feeling?"
"How do you think I feel," she spat out. "I feel like there's a dancing watermelon in my stomach and it's trying to tap dance it's way out. Welcome home, by the way."
"Thanks, now listen, how about if we get you out of those uncomfortable clothes, and then we take a walk around the room."
"Walk, are you kidding me?" asked Maria. "I'm thinking curl up and die would be a much better plan."
Isabelle just smiled and helped Maria get up. While Maria removed her wet clothing,
Isabelle rummaged around in Max's closet until she found an old bathrobe of his
for Maria to wear.
"Here, slip this on," she said. Maria
did as she was instructed and slipped the warm robe over her shoulders.
"Um Isabelle, don't take this the wrong way," said Maria. "I mean I'm glad your back and all, but do you have any idea about what your doing?"
Isabelle laughed as she helped Maria walk around the bedroom.
"Don't worry Maria, I do have a clue." "While we were on the run, I took classes wherever I could, and I finished up my undergrad work after we came back to Roswell. After we came back from Antar, and I left for New York, I began medical school."
"You're a doctor?" asked Maria in amazement. "I mean Isabelle, no offense or anything, but,"
"But I'm the last person you'd ever think of becoming a doctor," Isabelle continued. "I know, but I've seen a lot of violence in my life, and I wanted to do something to counteract it."
Michael burst into the room and shoved the bag at Isabelle. "Here," he gasped. "Maria, are you ok?"
"Yeah, Space Boy, I'm fine. Isabelle's got it covered," she said as another contraction over took her.
"You, go get the rest of the stuff I asked for," commanded Isabelle. "And tell my brother to hurry up. Are Jim and Amy here yet?"
"We're right here," said Amy Valenti as she climbed up the stairs. "Isabelle, is that you?"
"Hi Sheriff, Hi Ms. Valenti," said Isabelle as she helped Maria over to the bed. "Can I ask all of you to step outside for a minute while I check Maria out?" she asked. As a group, they walked towards the door. "Michael, you idiot, you get to stay," said Isabelle laughing slightly. "Come stand by her head and hold her hand."
Isabelle made swift work of the examination an allowed everyone back into the room. Max followed close behind with a basin full of steaming water.
"It shouldn't be long now," said Isabelle, as Maria's contractions became closer and closer. Maria, this is your call. Do you want them to stay or wait downstairs and pace?"
"What the hell, let them staaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay," the last word came out as a scream as another contraction gripped her body.
"Ok, Jim, Amy, get behind her and help her to sit up. Michael, you get beside her, help her with her breathing, help her to focus. Max open my backpack and pull out the kit inside. I'm going to go scrub up."
Isabelle went into the bathroom and scrubbed her hands up to her elbows, rinsed the soap off and then poured alcohol on her hands to make sure she was sterile. In the other room, everyone jumped to follow her commands. When she walked back into the bedroom, she found that Max had laid out everything in her medical pack. Maria gave another small scream and Isabelle looked under the sheet and smiled. "Ok," she said, this is it. Maria, when the next contraction comes, I want you to push."
It didn't take long before Maria gave birth to a new baby girl. Isabelle cleaned the baby and Maria up, and called an ambulance. The others left the new family alone and went downstairs to wait for the ambulance to arrive. There was a small knock at the bedroom door, and Michael got up off the bed and opened the door to find Lexie standing on the other side.
"Where's Daddy?" she asked.
"Hey little Lexie Bear," said Michael scooping her up into his arms. "Daddy's down stairs. Want to see what we have here little one?" He carried her over to the bed and Maria shifted the blanket so that Lexie could see the infant.
"A baby, a baby," she cried clapping her hands softly. "But I thought the baby lived in your tummy Auntie Maria? How'd it get out?"
"Well, I think that's a question your Daddy will want to answer sweetie," said Maria."
"Is it a boy baby or a girl baby? I hope she's a girl baby. I always wanted a sister."
"She's a girl, and her name is Elizabeth Isabelle Guerin," said Michael proudly. "And you are going to be just like her big sister. We're counting on you to help her grow up to be a big girl like you."
"Wow, she has a big name like me," said the little girl. "Am I gonna have to call her that? I wanna call her LizzyBelle."
"Well, how about letting LizzyBelle be your own special name for her?" asked Maria with a smile. "I think everybody else will just call her Beth. What do you think of that?"
Lexie nodded and smiled, as Max escorted the paramedics into the bedroom. Michael passed Lexie off to her father and followed the paramedics as they wheeled Maria down the stairs to the waiting ambulance.
"Daddy, where are they taking Auntie Maria and LizzyBelle?" she asked.
"LizzyBelle, is that her name?" asked Max, tears forming in his eyes.
"Yeah," Auntie Maria said her name was Elizabeth Isabelle, but they are gonna call her Beth. But since I'm her big sister, I get to call her LizzyBelle," said the little girl proudly.
"Oh, I see," said Max. "Well, Auntie Maria and the baby are just going to go to the hospital to make sure everything is ok, and they'll be home in a couple of days. Now little Lexie, why don't we tuck you back into your bed?"
"Ok, Daddy, I'm tired," she said laying her head on his shoulder.
Max tucked the little girl back into her bed and went downstairs where Isabelle and the Valenti's were drinking coffee. Taking a cup for himself, Max sat at the table with the others.
"Ok Isabelle, it seems like there's a lot you haven't told us, starting with why you came home. And this time, I want the truth," said Max as he fidgeted with his coffee cup.
"I heard from Kyle," she said.