Disclamer: Idon't own Roswell

Chapter 4: Lunch Date With Fate



"Fear less, hope more;

Whine less, breathe more;

Talk less, say more;

Hate less, love more;

And all good things are yours."

-Swedish Proverb

The Crashdown café was relatively empty that day at 2:00. Maria carried Zoe on her hip and the double stroller had the baby in the front and six year old Katie was konked out in the back. She had dropped off on the walk over to the diner. Maria wasn't suprised or worried, this was a typical day with Kate. She fell asleep for three or four hours. Sometimes if Maria was lucky she would sleep for five whole hours at night.

Maria led the way over to where the others were sitting in a booth. Liz pushed a table over and connected it with the table and brought her two high chairs and a booster seat. There was already two highchairs sitting at the table. Liz introduced her to her baby son Jason. The baby looked exactly like his daddy.

"We have two more" Liz told her. "But they are at school and daycare today. Andrew is six and Jacob is four." Liz told her as Maria lifted Alexis into the highchair. She went without a fuss. She then moved the seat in the stroller up so she could move Katie's legs out. But when she went to put Zoe down in the other highchair she screamed bloody murder. Maria smiled and apologized and sat Zoe down on her lap.

"This little one," Isabel said introducing the other baby "Is my daughter Hannah. She's nine months." Maria and the others talked for a while. Lots of times she would look up at Michael and he would be looking at her or one of the girls. Kate slept through the hole meal and Paige didn't say a word. Somehow they came upon the subject of houses.

"We live in a four bedroom just out of town" Liz said. "With three boys we need all the space we can get. Thank God I'm a pediatrician or we would die from medical bills."

"Your really a doctor?" Maria asked "Somehow when we were kids I figured you to be a scientist not a doctor."

"Well I'm new at this gig. I worked my ass of for almost eight years. I went to school year around just to get my diploma. And trust me that's no small feat with two small kids." Liz told her.

"Tell me about it," Maria told her. "Try doing it with two then three then four kids, a sick mom and a husband who doesn't want you to get your diploma." Liz looked at her shocked. Maria just started to laugh.

"Liz I'm surprised at you. We've been friends for so long and you just assumed I was an Idiotic high school dropout. Nope. I may have married Joe because I was pregnant but I went back to school. I taught Criminal Law for a while." Maria told her.

"But... I Just- I mean I just assumed that you never- I mean-" Liz stammered.

"Yeah I know what you mean. I would have made the same assumption. I had a few extenuating circumstances that I don't wish to disclose but on another subject..." Maria pulled the subject away from her. "Who runs the Crashdown now. I always thought you would inherit it when your parents moved to Florida." Maria asked

"No, Im about to get my practice started. Michael is running it for the rest of the year. My cousin Leigh is going to take over then. Michael lives in the apartment upstairs." She told her and Maria looked over to Michael feeling his heated glance.

"Oh" Liz said. "By the way. I talked to my mom. She'll be back for the funeral. They will be here sometime tomorrow." Just then they were interrupted by a scream. It had come from the stroller where Kate slept. Paige jumped up and grabbed Zoe so Maria could pull Kate out of the stroller. She was thrashing and turning letting off loud screams.

"Hush baby. Its okay. Your okay. I got you." By now Maria was oblivious to her audience. She did the only thing that would calm the girl down... She began to sing.

There's a little bird

Somebody sent down to the Earth

To live on the wind

Blowing on the wind

And she sleeps on the wind

This little bird somebody sent

Light and fragile

And feather sky blue

Thin and graceful

Sun shining through

She flies so high up in the sky

Way out of reach of human eyes

Light and fragile

She's feathered sky blue

Thin and graceful

The sun shining through

And the only time

That she touches the ground

Is when that little bird

Little bird

Is when that little bird

Little bird

Is when that little bird dies

As Kate started to calm down Maria told Paige to Put Zoe and Alexis in the stroller. She put down a twenty to pay for their food and cradled Kate in her arms and made a fast get away with Paige pushing the stroller in front of her. By the time she left the restraunt Kate was totally calm. But her breathing was heavy and abnormal. Maria carried her back to the hotel praying that this episode wouldn't be followed by what it usually was. A seizure.

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