The Longest Three Minutes....

Maria De Luca sat in Liz's bathroom upstairs fiddling with a ring she wore. She had never been as scared in her life as she was at that moment. The waiting was the worst thing and all she wanted was for Michael to be there with her. She wanted him to just hold her in his arms and tell her that everything would be all right. She knew that was selfish. She knew she couldn't do that. She needed to know first. She needed to get her head around the idea...if there was something to get her head around. She could go downstairs and get him, but what was the point? She may not even be... and she didn't want to scare him when she didn't know for sure. She would know in two minutes though. In just two minutes she would know if her life were to be changed forever. Then she would know if Michael truly did love her they way he said he did, or if he would run. She really hoped it wasn't the latter. She needed him so much, though at times she hated to admit it, and she just couldn't imagine going through this without him. It was just as much his doing as it was hers.

Maria sighed and got up. She walked over to the sink and splashed some water over her face. Standing up she looked in the mirror. The face that she saw was pale and filled with fear and worry, a face so different to the one she usually saw. She also saw a face that was young, belonging to someone who ideally shouldn't be going through what she was. But still it was a face filled with spirit and strength, both, which she knew she was going to need if...

Maria looked at her watch...one more minute. She wished Liz were here. Whatever the result she knew Liz would find some words to make her feel better. She had meant to tell her today. She probably would have done if Max, Michael and Isabel weren't here. She loved Michael more than she loved anyone...more than she ever had loved anyone. He had brought out tenderness in her she never knew she had. For some things though, a woman needs another female perspective and this was one of those things.

She looked at her watch for the umpteenth time. How could three minutes feel like an eternity? In a way she wanted to just stop time all together just so she would never find out, but in another she just wished it would all be over so that she knew for sure.

She put a hand on her belly. If it was positive she didn't know what she'd do. She'd been thinking about that for a while. All the times she had been sick and yet no one knew or even suspected, except maybe Max and Liz. She didn't think she could have an abortion. She didn't think she could do that to the innocent life that may be growing inside her...and she didn't think she could have it adopted either. This child, if there was one, was half alien after all and knowing that she knew she could never give it up. One day it might start exhibiting the same abilities as it's father and Maria knew that whoever the guardians to the child were they wouldn't even begin to be able to understand what was going on with the child they'd looked after since its birth. If it was negative she knew she would feel happier or at least relieved. She also knew she would feel empty. No matter how scared she was it felt right knowing that she could be carrying Michael's child inside of her. She would never admit that to anyone though...only to him and maybe Liz. Maria DeLuca a mother. She didn't even know she had maternal instincts until this. Still though she didn't know for sure.

30 seconds left. It was nearly time.

Maria sat back down on the toilet seat; her heart beating so fast in her chest that she thought it would burst. She knew Michael would be getting worried, and Liz, but she needed to do this. She needed to know for sure. Then she would have to face them.

5 seconds.

"Oh my god...oh my god...oh my god." Maria whispered as time counted down, wondering how on earth she let this happen.

She loved him, that was how...she loved him and the time felt right.

Maria took a deep breath and looked at the test. She then looked up at the ceiling as hot tears streamed down her face.

"Oh Michael." She whispered looking at it again. "Oh god, Michael."