* * 7 * *


{Being pregnant at seventeen was a very scary feeling. I was glad that I had made the decision to go to Isabel and Tess. Those two really helped me out a lot. I don't know what I would have done with out them. They became better friends to me then my supposedly best friend Liz could have ever been. Sometime whenever I was with them I would wonder when did Liz become so self centered. Was she always like that and it was just hidden? Or was it some recent thing that being in love with Max bought out in her? That was something I would never find out until I finally ask her. Anyway back to my original thought. Who would have guessed that two girls I started out hating would be the best friends I ever had, other than Max and Alex of course.}

Maria picked up Isabel and Tess from the airport promptly at ten a.m. Isabel's tall blonde figure was easily spotted in the heavily crowded building. The girls had already retrieved their luggage so after a long squeaky greeting Maria guided them to her aunt's car.

"Maria you look really great." Said Isabel.

"Yeah." Tess confirmed. "Florida must really agree with you." Maria smiled. "Thanks you guys. So how are things back in Roswell. Been disturbed by any evil aliens lately?"

"Only if you count the chemistry teacher, Mr. Irving." Replied Tess with a laugh. "Other than that things have been pretty much okay."

"Yeah, except the fact that we all miss you. Especially Max." Isabel hinted. At that comment, the smile on Maria's face didn't change at all on the inside, but on the inside it dropped completely. She didn't believe for one minute that Max was missing her; hating her yes, but missing her, definitely not.

When they arrived at the house she gave them a brief tour then showed them to their rooms. The two girls then went to unpack their luggage and freshen up after the trip. Once they finished that they headed downstairs to meet up with Maria in the kitchen.

"God I hope you're not planning on cooking us lunch Maria." Tess asked with a dramatic moan.

Maria laughed. "Whatever Tess. You know I'm a great cook."

"Oh yeah?" asked a laughing Isabel. "Before or after you woke up?" They all laughed.

"Anyway, these next two weeks with y'all are going to be so much fun." Maria stated. She went on and on about all the plans she made for them with Tess butting in occasionally.

Finally, an hour later after it seemed as if Maria had ran out of things to say, Isabel cut in. "Okay Maria, spill. What's the real reason you invited us here? I know we've gotten to friends and all but not as close as you've been to Max. Does this have to do with why Max hasn't spoken your name since you left? And why Liz has been hounding him like a bitch in heat?"

Maria broke down in tears and Tess stared at Isabel with a shocked expression on her face.

{I just want to pause right here and say that before that moment I wasn't planning on being completely honest with them. However, something on the inside of me was telling me that I could trust these two girls with all of the secrets I had been holding during those past months. So I took the plunge.}

"Isabel!" Tess stated still in shock. "What's gotten into you?"

"Tess it's alright. Isabel is right. I did have an ulterior motive for asking you two here." Said Maria in between sobs.

"I knew it." Crowed Isabel. She stood and took Maria into her arms then guided her into the living room. "I'm sorry for making you cry."

"Don't be sorry Iz. Your comment isn't what has me crying. It's this whole situation."

Tess sat down on the other side of Maria. "So tell us what's wrong Maria. What can we do to help?"

"Yeah." Said Isabel. "And where does Max equate in al of it?"

"I'm pregnant." She stated then, she looked up into the shocked expressions on their faces. "Max is the father."

"Oh my," started Tess.

"God!" Finished Isabel.

"Yeah definitely." Affirmed Maria. Then she went on to explain how everything had came about. She finally finished off by saying. "I really love Max and I really wish I could tell him about this baby, but Liz still loves him and I know deep down he still loves her."

"Maria, you have to tell Max about the baby." Said Tess. "He deserves to know."

"Tess is right." Isabel said. "And are you so sure Max is in love with Liz still?"

"Yes, I'm positive. He never once told me he loved me and even when he thought she had slept with Kyle I could that part of him wanted to believe it wasn't true." Maria stood up and began to pace. "When he finds out that it actually wasn't true he'll take her back in a heartbeat."

Isabel was silent. Max's vision was a little jaded where Liz was concerned. She couldn't predict what he'd do if he ever found out the truth about FM. "Maria I could dream walk Max and find out what he feels about you."

"No Isabel. I don't want you to invade his privacy like that."

"But Maria," argued Tess, "It would make things so much easier."

"No. That's my final answer on that subject. Is that understood?"

"Yes ma'am." Replied both girls duly.

They spent the rest of the afternoon talking about Maria's pregnancy and whether it would be a normal pregnancy or not. They decided to do a visual examination, using their alien powers (hehehe: alien powers are very useful), to see what changes were being made on the inside of her body.

"So what do you guys think?" asked Maria when they finished.

"I think that it's going to be a normal human birth." Replied Tess.

"Yeah me too." Said Isabel. "Due to the fact that we have a lot of human genetic makeup. Combine that with yours and it dominates that alien factor."

"So," continued Tess, "you really don't have anything to worry about."

"However, to be on the safe side," said Isabel, "I'll check up on you occasionally through dream walking to see how things are."

"Thanks you guys, anyway, enough with this discussion. Don't forget I also bought you guys here to party. So let's not waste the rest of the day. We can go to Adventure Landing. It's so fun. You'll like it."

"Alright!" Said Tess and Isabel at the same time.

They ran upstairs to change into the proper clothing. Then they left and spent the rest of the day and Spring Break as if they had no worries at all.