Chapter 12
"I shot her Max, I shot her", whispered Liz looking down at the trembling body Mr. Harding's wife.
"Its okay, the cope are on the way, shit Liz I didn't know this would happen, I should never have let you meet this woman", said Max.
"It's not my mother, it's Tess's mother", said Liz.
Max looked on in shock.
"But my dad's friend said that your mother was alive", said Max looking down at the woman.
"Yeah she is, I just don't know where she is and all I know is that this woman is not my mother", said Liz trembling.
"Max she is so evil", said Liz crying.
"Liz you are bleeding", said Max.
"No Max, it's her blood, Max?", said Liz.
"Yeah Liz?", asked Max checking the woman's pulse.
He sighed in relieve, she was still breathing, the bullet had hit her arm. He had called 911 ten minutes ago he finally heard the sirens. He would make sure that Mr. Harding pay for hurting his wife to be.
"Max", yelled Liz clutching his arm.
"Liz what is it?", asked Max looking concerned.
"I'm in labor", said Liz gritting her teeth.
"Labor, labor?", asked Max.
"Max this is no time to be freaking out, this baby is coming", yelled Liz smacking his arm.
"Okay, okay, the ambulance is coming", said Max trying not to panic but it wasn't working.
"Help", yelled Max when he saw Liz turning blue.
He heard a siren and waved them over.
"She was shot, after she pulled out a gun on my wife, and my wife is in labor", said Max holding onto Liz that was clutching her stomach in pain.
"Max", yelled Liz.
"It's okay baby, I promise, it's okay", said Max that was now dressed in scrubs and wiping her forehead.
"No it's to early, why is the baby here so early, what if something is wrong", said Liz with tears in her eyes and her hair sticking to her forehead.
"Nothing is wrong baby, the doctor would have said something, I promise nothing is wrong", said Max kissing her forehead but he was worried too.
After the ambulance got them to the hospital Max was made aware that Mrs. Harding made it through surgery. The cops were at her door though. She was under arrest for attempted murder. When Max saw Mr. Harding it took two police officers to hold him back
Flashback…..
"You bastard, your crazy wife pulled out a gun on my wife", yelled Max trying to get at Ed.
"I know you planned this, I knew it, you tried to kill my wife, you sick bastard, you are as crazy as you lunatic wife", yelled Max reaching for him while two police officers held him back.
"I don't know what are you talking about", said Ed obviously confused.
"Your wife came called my wife pretending to be her mother her birth mother, and she shot at my wife, I know you know this, you threaten us leaving the courtroom, now your whacko wife shot at my wife, my very pregnant wife", yelled Max trying to calm his nerves but he couldn't.
Liz could have died, his baby could have died. The reality just set in.
"I didn't god I wouldn't I didn't", said Ed pleadingly to Max.
Max looked at the man that looked broken.
"Me and wife are getting a divorce, I can't handle being in a loveless marriage. I can't handle that my daughter is just like her, I felt the need to protect my family but I can't anymore. I can't pretend anymore", said Ed.
"You expect me to believe this garbage?", asked Max.
"No I don't expect anything, I just never thought she would do this, I told her to stay away from Liz, after what I did in court I knew I was wrong, I lashed out because the daughter that I wanted, the daughter that my wife threaten to kill if I didn't give her up, she said to everyone that she hated me and wanted nothing to do with me. I hated it but I couldn't stop it. I guess that's what she must have felt. I lashed out at you and Liz and I'm so sorry. I just didn't want my wife to hurt her. I didn't want Tess to hurt her and they both did anyway", said Ed breaking down in front of Max.
Max looked at Ed Harding crying on the ground. This man was either sincere or one hell of an actor.
"I'm so sorry, she promised she wouldn't hurt Liz.
She hated that I loved Liz's mother, she hates the fact that I still love her mother", said Ed.
Max sighed while the police officers looked at the man. They felt sorry for this man.
"Why should I believe that you are a man of your word", asked Max looking down at Ed.
"Because he isn't lying Max", said Phillip Evans walking in.
"Dad?", asked Max.
" I checked everything out, he has been seeing Liz's birth mother and has had her under constant protection so that Mrs. Harding couldn't hurt her, also Liz", said Phillip.
"Liz, so why didn't your PI know that Tess had made friends with her?", asked Max.
"He didn't know that Tess was my daughter, Darcy had kicked Tess out of the house when she found out that she was a lesbian, it wasn't my choice but Darcy made her think it was. I have no idea how she found Liz", said Ed looking at Max willing him to believe him.
"I just wanted to protect Liz", said Ed.
"Then why go against her in a court of law, why defend that psycho", said Max.
"Because she threaten to tell my wife where Rosie was living, she threaten to tell Liz that I was her father", said Ed.
Max sighed and rubbed his hands over his face. He was just tired, so tired.
"Where is my mother", asked a voice behind them.
Max shifted around to see Liz sitting on a wheelchair with tears in her eyes.
"Baby", whispered Max.
"Where is she?", asked Liz.
"She lives here, she knows that you exist, she knows all about you, but she knew that she had to protect you from Darcy", said Ed.
"Why didn't you go to the police, why didn't you want me", cried Liz.
"God I did, I always wanted you Liz, I was stupid and more scared about Darcy hurting you that I thought I was doing the right thing but I wasn't. Rosie hated giving you up she wanted to keep you but we had to separate you so that Darcy couldn't find you", said Ed looking at the young woman that was his daughter in only one way and that was by blood.
She had a father, a father that was there for her. Ed knew about Jeff Parker. Jeff Parker was the all American dad that loved his family. He had wanted that with Rosie once but he ruined it by letting Darcy run his life but letting his other daughter run his life and control his happiness. He was never in love with Darcy he loved Rosie and when she told him she was pregnant with his child he felt two emotions he felt utter happiness because the woman that he loved was carrying his baby, and he felt utter fear because he knew what would happen when Darcy found out. She made the choice even though Rosie didn't agree to give up his daughter. It was a decision that he both regretted and didn't. Liz got dream parents but he lost his daughter.
"Max", yelled Liz holding Max's hand from the pain.
Ed looked at Liz that was sitting in pain and watch them roll her away. He saw he turn her head around and look at him one last time before turn her head forward.
"I'm ready to talk", said Ed looking at the cops that were present.
End of Flashback……..
"Push Liz", yelled the doctor.
"The baby is crowning", said the doctor.
"God it hurts, it hurts", cried Liz holding onto Max's hand.
"Can't you help with the pain, she is in so much pain", said Max crying himself.
He couldn't stand to see her in pain. He just couldn't.
"It too late for that, your wife refused the medication", said the doctor.
"I was so stupid Max, I didn't take, it hurts, Max it hurts so much", said Liz crying with tears overflowing down her face.
"It's okay baby, it's going to okay its going to be over soon", said Max kissing her forehead and smoothing her hair back trying to calm her down.
"Bear down Liz, here comes the baby", said the doctor.
Liz with her face red and sweat dripping down her face she pushed as hard as possible. Then everyone went quiet and all they heard was the sound of a baby wailing loudly.
"The baby our baby Liz, look baby our baby", said Max in awe.
"Do you want to cut the cord dad?", asked the doctor smiling.
Max nodded his head up and down quickly leaving Liz's side and cutting the cord. The nurses took the baby and cleaned it while Liz looked bear down once more to push out the placenta. Max looked at her and kissed her forehead.
"Now let's meet your parents", said the nurse on duty.
Liz smiled when the nurse placed the baby on her stomach. "Awe Max, look at that", whispered Liz in awe holding a finger out which her baby grabbed and yawned obviously tired from a long day.
"Daddy's eyes and ears huh?", chuckled Liz softly.
Max looked on at his baby which he thought was so beautiful. Both his children were beautiful.
"I think everyone wants to know", said Liz.
His baby was here he didn't want to leave yet.
"Go on we have the rest of our lives to be with our baby", said Liz smiling with sweat on her forehead but Max thought she never looked so beautiful.
Max raced out.
"I'm a father", yelled Max smiling.
Maria got up a yelled jumping up and down. Phillip and Jeff smiled big with proud smiles.
"What is it?", asked Serena.
Max and Liz wanted it to be a surprise. Max looked around before saiying
"It's a