So here is another chapter. I may take a break from this story for a bit since I haven't gotten reviews of the story and I'm not sure how anyone is taking it. Though for some reason I keep getting ideas and more scenes in my head. I'm thinking the next chapter might have some brief MM and we'll get to they how to hatch the baby :) Also, this is an AU so the destiny book in this story looks different than the one in the TV show so I'm making up my own descriptions and putting that in her. Again, plz RR.

Michael's POV

Michael pulls out the destiny book from beneath his jacket.

"She gave that to you again?" Isabel asks.

"Yeah, said it was a step to gain our trust back"

He sees Isabel's expression. She's doing that thing between a frown and a pout. What is going through that head of hers?

"Do you?" she asks.

"Do I what?"

"Trust Tess."

"No. Maybe a little. We should keep an open mind. She is one of us."

"Michael."

"She is one of us. It could have easily been you or me or Max that got left behind in the pods."

"Fair enough. It's just… her and Nasedo seem different. Like… they're not as human."

"Maybe we should be more alien."

"You would say that." What does she mean by that? God, she can be a pain. "It's fine Michael. What's the plan?"

"Look here," he replies, pointing to a page of the book that has pictures of him and a pregnant Isabel.

"We saw that before. That's why I thought I was pregnant."

"I know, but look at all the markings on the side and this," he says pointing at a marking in the corner that looks larger than the rest.

"It's… an upside-down Y with dots, almost like incomplete triangles meeting… so what?"

"Now look here." He flips through a few more pages all marked with the same shape in the top corner. "Tess thinks that these pages are about us and Adam and I agree. I think these tells us what we have to do to free him."

Isabel inspects the pages again. "You think it's a key to understand the book or an index of some sort?"

"Yes, and look at this," Michael flips to a page with pictures of Max and Tess. It has a twirl like marking larger than the rest at the corner. He flips to other pages that have the same mark at the top.

"So these would be about Max and Tess. What about the rest of the pages? They all have a larger marking in the corner, but they're different from the Y and the twirl, they must mean something."

"Yeah."

"So, we decode the book and then follow the instructions it gives us?"

"Yeah."

Isabel stands up from the floor where they had been sitting. She looks conflicted, worried.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Iz, it's something. I can tell. Just talk to me."

She lets out a sigh and speaks, "It's just… this picture shows me pregnant, Michael. What if I have to get pregnant with Adam? Like get him from the pod into me. What then?"

"I don't know."

"Oh god."

"We don't know," he says standing and walking closer to her.

"But you suspect, don't you?"

"I really don't know, Iz." He pulls her into his arms for a reassuring hug. "I just don't know so let's not jump to conclusions."

"I'm scared," she murmurs against his neck.

"It'll be okay. As longs as we stay together we'll make it okay."

"And we'll always be there for one another. Best friends, right Michael?"

He pulls away slightly, looks at her fear-filled eyes and nods. "No matter what happens. With Adam or with anything else, we'll be there for each other."

"Thank you," she murmurs and embraces him tightly. "Thank you."

They are silent for a few moments and then she asks, "How are we going to decode the book?"

"Tess has a few ideas."

Isabel steps away from him and looks him in the eyes. "And you share these ideas?"

"I'm just telling you what she told me. But it makes sense to listen to her. She's been working on trying to translate the book for a while and has more memories than we do. She said she knows some of the symbols, but she's not good at putting them together. She needs help."

"With what? We don't remember any more than her."

"She's been trying to use different computer programs to help her piece together what she remembers and the book, but she's not that good."

"And she wants someone who is that good. Of course! She wants help from Alex."

"Yeah."

"And let me guess, she thought the best way to get his help would be through me."

He nods. She walks away from him in a huff. He knows this attitude of hers. She's angry and one wrong move will make her lash out.

"You want me to ask him, don't you?"

"Look Iz –"

"Don't Iz me!"

"Fine! I know it's weird after everything, but –"

"Weird! Weird is not even the beginning of it. Alex won't even look at me. Liz is gone. And if looks could kill Maria would have caused my death many times over!"

"Don't exaggerate."

"I'm not!"

"Fine then, what do you want to do? Give me better options."

"I don't know! I just don't want to make things even worse with Alex just because Tess thinks it's a good idea. What if he can't decode anything? What then? He already looks at me like he's so… disappointed. And Maria –"

"Let me handle Maria."

"Because you're doing a great job at that."

"What does that mean?"

"Michael, she hates me because she thinks I got in the way of your conversation and her chance to change your mind about the break-up. She calls you every day and tries so hard to talk with you at the Crashdown. She's hurting and she'll wear you down. You can't avoid your feelings forever. You –"

"Don't. It's over. It's not safe. Maria can't be involved."

"But Alex can?"

"It's not like we're choosing to put him in danger. All he has to do is sit in front of a computer. We actually need him involved."

"No…" she murmurs.

"You love him?" Of course, she loves him. He is smart and he's… good.

"I care about him. I don't want to hurt him. And he's going to hate me if all we do is use him to get Adam out of the pod."

"So then what? I have to leave my son in there?"

"No. You know I want to get him out! But, I don't want to hurt anyone. I just want..."

"To be normal, I know."

"You make it sound like it's something awful. Is it so wrong that I want to be like everyone else? That I wish Adam could be born when I'm older and married. That I wish he could have a mother and a father and a family like everyone else."

"Now you want to get married?" he questions, a bit freaked out.

"That's what you got from everything I said! I was talking about being normal, being human!"

"But we are not! Not normal and not human! You and I are aliens, Isabel, and so is Adam. But he does have a mother and a father. Sorry we can't be the picture-perfect bunch you want!" he growls as he moves towards the window. I bet if the father wasn't screw up Michael this wouldn't be as bad.

"Stop!" Isabel orders pulling at his arm before he reaches the window. "You're right."

"What?"

"You are right. None of this is normal and me trying to force it to be will only make everything worse."

"You wish we would have never found out… about Adam?"

"No!"

He looks at her questioningly, unsure if he really believes her. It would be so much easier for you if we hadn't found out. You could try to be normal.

"No! I don't, Michael! I swear!" She looks at him and her demeanor changes. Her expression goes from her battle I can take on anything face to a soft and comforting gaze that she rarely shows to the world. It's a look that can melt your heart and give you hope that the world is a better place than it really is. Michael stares at her feeling unnerved and fluttery. She looks open and vulnerable and innocent and it feels like a heat lamp is spreading warmth from his arm through his entire body.

I haven't seen her like this in so long… it's like that day… the day we met. But, Isabel is not sweet. She's ice and strength and safety. My best friend, my sister.

"Mikey –"

But she never finishes what she was going to say as Max walks in. He sees his sister's gentle and affectionate eyes and her hold on Michael's arm along with his best friend's deer in the headlights expression. Something is up and it angers him to no end that these two are keeping secrets from him, especially the kind of secret he thinks they have. "What is going on here!"

"Max," Isabel says, trying to calm her brother down.

"What is this?" Max asks.

Then he notices the book they had left on the floor. Michael picks up the destiny book and simply says, "You know what this is, Maxwell."

"And you know that's not what I was asking! Are you two..."

"No!" both Isabel and Michael answer a bit too intensely. That only makes Max look at them with more doubt.

"Max, stop. Michael came to tell me about Tess's idea to get Alex's help in decoding the book and how she wants to help us hatch Adam. That's it."

"That's it," Michael adds.

"So, you're following Tess now and getting Alex involved?"

"It's not like that Max. We're just hearing her out," Isabel says, using her most pacifying tone.

"Why?" he asks with a pleading tone. "Iz, we make our own destiny. We agreed on that."

"I know Max, but you also agreed to help us deliver Adam."

"And suddenly that means following Tess's ideas?" he questions with irritation in his voice.

"At least she has ideas," Michael answers. Isabel looks dismayed.

"And you're saying I don't?"

"I think you're too busy pining after Liz and moping to bother with us or Adam."

"Michael!" Isabel admonishes.

"No, it's good to finally hear the truth about what he thinks. What about you? How do you feel sister?"

"Max, please" she says, obviously uncomfortable being in the middle of her brother and their best friend.

"You two are unbelievable!"

"Max, you know I trust you. I believe in you. You are my brother."

"But... there is a but coming, isn't there?"

"Yes. I love you and trust you but you have to stop avoiding us and this," she says pointing at the book.

"You get a flash and find a baby and suddenly everything is so clear. I just…I don't know how to deal with this. It's not as easy for me, I have –"

"You think this is easy for me?" she interrupts, looking so hurt it makes Max stop his words. Isabel steps out of the room.

"You're idiot," Michael states, moving to follow her.

Max looks completely abashed, "When did I become an idiot and you considerate?"

"When you stopped caring about us."

"I care about you! You're my best friend and she's my sister!"

Michael looks at him with anger in his eyes, "If you cared you would know she's really scared. I found her staring at the wall and talking to herself, Max."

Max runs a hand through his hair and Michael thinks he finally realizes what's been going on the past couple of weeks. With that in mind he continues, "she's terrified that she may need to really get pregnant to free Adam and she feels guilty about Alex and Maria and even Liz leaving you. And you acting like just looking at us hurts you is not helping. This isn't easy for her."

"I'm sorry," Max adds. "You're right. I've been too wrapped up in losing Liz. I didn't realize Iz was hurting. I… are you okay?"

Michael shrugs and stoically says, "Just help me take care of Iz and Adam and decode the book. Can you do that?"

"Yeah."

"Good," Michael says and then leaves the room.

Again reviews make me write more and more, but no worries I won't hold the story hostage if there aren't many reviews. If inspiration hits more chapters will come anyway :)