Rating: Suitable for ages 13 and up

Pairing: M/L

Spoiler/Notes: Post-Graduation

Author's Note: I borrowed some lines from "The Toy House" and "Graduation" and hid them somewhere in the dialogue ;)

*******

If someone had told her that snow could be blue, she never would have believed them until recently. She never would have believed that snow could be pink either. Yet there was no denying the blue tint of the white fluffy powder she was currently shovelling. And she could have sworn when she woke up this morning that the white expanse in their backyard was the palest shade of pink.

Liz lifted another shovelful of snow and threw it over her shoulder. She had to admit that the stuff was very pretty.

Even though she hated it with a passion.

It was cold, it was wet; it got into your shoes and made your toes freeze. It was heavy and after an hour of lifting the stuff, her arms were sore. And still more was falling from the sky. She hated it. She hated being here!

They had been in upstate New York, just a stone's throw from the Canadian border, for almost 8 months. She and Max rented a tiny apartment on the top floor of a small apartment complex. Michael and Maria lived on the ground floor.

Kyle and Isabel had started to share living space a long time ago, to save on costs - or so they said. A smile, the first one to grace her lips since Max had left that morning, appeared on Liz's face as she thought about her friend and her sister-in-law. They thought they were being so inconspicuous, but you only had to be in the same room as them to know that even if they were not touching, there was a deep connection between them at any given moment. The secret couple had found an apartment in a building across the street. Liz thought it was silly of them not to share their relationship with the rest of the group - everybody knew, after all - but she couldn't blame them for their secret. They had lived in such close quarters for such a long time, she understood how they felt. They wanted to keep something this special to themselves for as long as possible.

Liz paused, resting against the handle of her shovel. She surveyed her work. She was only about halfway done. She needed to move a lot more snow if they wanted to get the van back in the parking lot when the others came back from work.

They had all found temporary jobs in town and had been making enough money, not only to live on, but also to start accumulating some savings. It wasn't much but it was the most money they had had since leaving Roswell. Staying in one place for a few months had surely helped. Less fuel expenses, steady rent costs. It looked as though they had thrown the FBI off their trail. There hadn't been any close calls in almost two years. The group had started to relax a bit, though Liz knew that neither Max nor Michael were ever completely relaxed about their safety. They insisted that they keep moving and for that reason, she knew they would be moving out of here soon. She couldn't wait. She hated winter!! She hoped that they would end up in Florida or some other snow-free place.

Liz's temp contract had ended a few days ago, which explained why she was on shovelling duty by herself this afternoon. Everyone else's contracts would end in the next few days, just before Christmas. They planned to celebrate it here and leave just before the New Year. Hopefully to go somewhere warm.

Liz looked at the mountain of snow she still had to move before her husband and friends got home. It would be so easy if the aliens could use their powers to clear the parking lot, but there were other people living in the building with them and tempting fate was something they tried to leave for the extremely important, life-or-death kind of situations. Shovelling snow didn't fall under that category.

There was still so much to do. Liz was wet, she was cold, her toes, fingers and nose were frozen. She hated it here!! She burst into tears.

That was how Max found her a short while later. He drove the old van as far as it would go into the parking lot and got out of the vehicle. When he saw Liz sitting on a snow bank, her shoulders heaving, her face hidden by her mittened hands, he ran to her.

"Liz! What's wrong, honey? Did you hurt yourself?"

She shook her head but didn't lower her hands.

Max gently took her wrists and pulled her hands away from her face. "Baby? Are you okay?"

Liz shook her head again as she looked up at him. She had tiny icicles in her eyelashes where her tears had frozen.

"I can't shovel anymore," she said between her sobs.

"That's okay, honey. You don't have to. We'll take over." He indicated their friends, who had already taken the other shovels out of the van. "Why don't you take a break?"

"I-I-I let y-y-ou do-down," she hiccuped into Max's shoulder. He hugged her tightly against him.

"Of course you didn't, angel," he said. He let her cry for a minute before lifting her head and looking into her eyes.

"Tell me what's wrong. It's not just the snow."

Fresh tears spilled on Liz's cheeks. "I don't know! I hate it here. I hate winter! I hate snow! I want to go somewhere warm, Max. I miss the desert!"

He pulled her close again. "You worked so hard these past few months, Liz. You worked too hard. All those extra hours that you did?"

"We needed the money," she argued weakly against him.

"Maybe, but I need you happy and healthy more than I need money, Liz. Can you understand that?"

Her eyes filled with tears again and she bit her trembling lips. Max's expression softened.

"I'm not scolding you. But promise me you'll take it easy until Christmas, okay? I don't want you getting sick."

"But with the move, there'll be so much to do--"

"--and there's six of us," Max reminded her. "You don't have to take it all upon yourself. Someone once told me that I shouldn't take everything on my own shoulders, that I should learn to have faith in those around me. It's good advice."

A small giggle escaped her lips. "Sounds like it. Who told you that?"

Max relaxed slightly. She would be okay, she only needed rest. And he would make sure she would get it.

"Some girl I knew back in high school. She always had sage advice like that, so I married her."

"Lucky girl," Liz said, wiping her tears with her mitten.

"Lucky me," Max replied. He kissed her gently. "Why don't you go inside and get out of these wet clothes? We'll be in shortly, and we can talk about where we want to move." He pulled her tuque down over her ears. "Somewhere near the desert, maybe?"

She smiled and hugged him fiercely. "Oh, could we?"

Max thought that he would move anywhere with her if it made her eyes shine like that.

*******

He lay next to her on the bed until he was sure that she was asleep. She looked pale and Max could have kicked himself for not noticing it sooner. He kissed her hair and got up from the bed, closing the door to their bedroom silently behind him. He walked into the living room where their friends were all sitting.

"Is she okay, Max? Don't lie to me."

Max sat on the couch and put his hand on Maria's arm. "She's fine, Maria. I promise. She's just been working too hard, I think. I should have told her to take it easy." Max shook his head.

"Yeah, a lot of good that would have done," Maria smiled gently. "She's even more stubborn than you, sometimes."

Max smiled. "Still."

"Don't beat yourself up, Max. I'm her best friend. I could have told her to slow down, too."

A corner of Max's mouth lifted. "A lot of good that would have done."

"My point exactly."

Max squeezed Maria's arm before turning his attention to the trio that was poring over a map that was unfolded on the living room table.

"Do we want to go all the way to the Gulf of Mexico?" Kyle asked, tracing a line on the map with his finger.

"We should definitely avoid the Midwest if we don't want snow," Michael said.

"Actually, I was thinking about something," Max said. Everyone turned to look at him. He took a deep breath and explained his idea to them. It was something he had been thinking about for a while now. He just wasn't sure they could pull it off.

Neither was Michael, apparently. Max's friend crossed his arms over his chest. "That's a stupid idea, Maxwell."

"No, wait, Michael, I think maybe now is the perfect time to try it," Isabel said. Max knew she would be the first to jump on this particular bandwagon with him.

Michael was adamant. "We've talked about this, Maxwell. It's dangerous."

"We haven't seriously discussed it in months," Kyle said. "I think it's worth talking about some more. Our situation is different."

By the time everyone left a couple of hours later they had a plan even Michael was confident could work. Max undressed quietly and slipped into bed beside Liz. She turned to him and put her head on his chest.

"What took you so long," she mumbled sleepily.

"Travel arrangements," he said, putting his arm around her.

"Somewhere warm?" she asked, not bothering to open her eyes. "As long as it's warm and you're with me, count me in."

Max smiled and gently kissed her temple. "You'll love it."

*******

The bell above the Crashdown door rang and Jeff Parker lifted his head. He had long ago stopped acknowledging the disappointment he felt everytime he failed to see his daughter Liz appear at the door. He hadn't heard from her or any of her friends in over three years. He was in regular contact with Sheriff Valenti, who insisted that in their case, no news meant good news. Still, Jeff wished that he knew what had happened to his little girl.

The restaurant was busy tonight and he resolutely shoved his heartache to the back of his mind so he could concentrate on the task at hand. It would come back to haunt him later, anyway.

It was well after ten when he and his wife Nancy returned to their apartment above the restaurant. He noticed the message light blinking on the phone.

"The Evanses called," he told Nancy as he checked the message.

"Anything specific?" she asked. Jeff knew that the hope in her eyes was mirrored in his own. Yet he didn't want to get her hopes up.

"I don't know. They said to call them back." He looked at the clock. "It's really late, though. Should I?"

Nancy shrugged. "It's Christmas Eve. They are probably still up."

Jeff agreed, so he dialled the number he knew by heart. Philip Evans answered on the second ring.

"Merry Christmas!"

Jeff chuckled. Mr. Evans sure seemed in a good mood. "Merry Christmas, Phil," he said.

"Oh! Hi, Jeff! How's it going?"

"I'm fine. I was just returning your call. I hope you don't mind me calling back so late. We just finished closing the restaurant."

"Oh, no, not at all! Diane and I wanted to know if you and Nancy would like to come and spend what's left of Christmas Eve with us."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course, Jeff. Amy just arrived and Jim said he would come by after his shift ended."

"Let me just check with Nancy," Jeff said.

He put the phone on mute and relayed the Evanses' invitation to his wife.

"We should go," she said. "You know how empty the house feels on nights like this. Besides, it will be nice to see the others again."

The parents got together occasionally, usually during the holidays, to compare notes and just generally support each other. It was comforting to be with people who knew what they were going through and who shared the same secret.

"Philip? We're on our way," Jeff said.

The Parkers got ready quickly and about half an hour later, they were ringing Philip and Diane Evans's doorbell.

"I still say we should have brought an Astro Pie or something. It's not polite to come over without a gift on Christmas."

"I know but there were none left and it was kind of last minute. I'm sure they'll underst--" Jeff's jaw dropped when the door opened.

"Merry Christmas, Dad! Merry Christmas, Mom!"

*******

An hour later the Parkers still couldn't believe that they were holding their daughter in their arms. And what an unbelievable story their children were telling them, too! They had been all over the country, playing good Samaritans to those in need, always one step ahead of the FBI.

Jeff looked at his daughter and saw her smile at Max Evans. He had tried so hard to keep these two apart. He could see now what a mistake that had been. Max was a good man; he had taken good care of Jeff's little girl.

Nancy couldn't stop touching Liz. She took a good look at her. Her hair was longer than when she had left and she had lost some weight. She thought she looked a little pale but she did look very happy. It had been so long since she had seen her daughter's eyes shine like that. Even the last few years she was home, Liz hadn't been this happy.

They were all sitting around the Evanses' living room. Liz was seated between her parents, who each had an arm around her. Amy DeLuca was sitting between Maria and Michael. Michael had been uncomfortable at first with Amy's hugs but he looked resigned now. Actually, if his small smile was any indication, he rather enjoyed the attention. He hadn't thought anyone would miss him in Roswell.

Diane Evans kept going back and forth between her children, squeezing Max's hand and putting her arm around Isabel's shoulders. Philip was seated behind his wife, a hand on each of his children's shoulders.

Only Kyle was pacing in front of the window, trying to burn off nervous energy before his father showed up.

Diane suddenly got up. "Shouldn't we call Jesse?"

Kyle stopped and turned to Isabel. She took her mother by the hand and had her sit down between her and Max.

"We stopped there on the way into town. Jesse and I had a long conversation. He's, um, he's moved on, you know."

The parents looked guiltily away, confirming Isabel's suspicions. Everyone did know.

"I'm sorry, Isabel," her father said.

"It's okay, Dad," Isabel smiled. "I told him when I left, that he should forget me and live the life he was meant to have before he met me. I didn't expect him to wait for me when we didn't know if we would ever be back. I signed some papers for him. It's over."

"You'll find someone new," her mother said rubbing her back.

"I know," Isabel replied, meeting Kyle's eyes. He smiled at her.

Max exchanged a small smile with Liz. Isabel and Kyle had finally announced to their friends that they were a couple on the way over, at a rest stop somewhere in Texas. They had been surprised that no one was surprised. Max thought that they would have better luck with the announcement here, as no one seemed to notice the look the new couple exchanged.

The doorbell rang, startling everyone. Ten pairs of eyes turned to Kyle. He stood by the window, unable to make a move.

"I'll get it," Isabel said, getting up. She squeezed Kyle's shoulder as she walked by him and all her friends could see how she restrained herself from kissing him.

She moved to the door and opened it wide. The look on Jim Valenti's face mirrored the one her own dad had sported when he had found her and Max on the doorstep, followed by all their friends.

"Merry Christmas, Sheriff," she smiled happily.

She took the bottle of wine Valenti was holding before his fingers loosened around it and it could crash to the floor.

"Isabel Evans," he breathed. "Oh! I'm sorry. Isabel Ramirez," he amended, shaking his head slightly as if to clear it.

"No, you had it right the first time," she said. "Come on in."

Jim followed her into the house. Before she could close the door behind him, he had pulled her into a hug.

"Isabel Evans, it's so good to see you! Is everyone....?" He let his question dangle, as if afraid that Isabel would tell him she was the only one back in Roswell.

"Hi, Dad."

Isabel felt tears rise to her eyes as she watched the father hug his son. She knew how much Kyle had missed his dad.

"It's so good to see you, son," Jim whispered to Kyle. "I've missed you."

They moved into the living room. Jim let go of Kyle only long enough to greet the others.

They were finally a complete family.

*******

"It feels strange to have you here with my parents' blessings," Liz said as Max closed the door of her old room behind them. The Evanses had insisted that everyone stay the night but it had gotten rather crowded in the small house. So Isabel, Kyle and Jim had stayed and Michael and Maria had left with Amy, while Max and Liz had followed the Parkers to the Crashdown. Everyone was supposed to meet here in a few hours for Christmas morning brunch.

They had talked well into the wee hours of the morning, sharing stories about being on the road and how life in Roswell had stayed pretty much the same. Everyone had been pleased to hear that Kyle and Isabel were together. Amy had fussed over Maria, confirming with Michael every five minutes that her daughter was being taken good care of, that she had enough to eat, that she was never in the line of fire. Michael did his best to reassure her but his friends could see his mounting frustration at the fact that his mother-in-law didn't trust him. Of course he wouldn't let anything happen to Maria! Amy had startled him when she had turned to Maria and asked in the same frantic tone if Michael was being taken care of properly. He hadn't realized she cared.

"I think they realize I make you happy," Max said pulling Liz close to him. "And I think they've noticed how I cannot be apart from you. Besides, we're married now. There's nothing they can say."

Liz smiled. "I'm sorry our parents couldn't come to the wedding. Our moms must have looked at that photograph for an hour!"

"And they agreed with me that you were a beautiful bride." Max nuzzled her cheek and was surprised when Liz pulled away.

Liz looked at him with serious eyes. "Max? Are you sure that we can't--"

"Shhh," he said, putting a finger on her lips. "We've talked about this, Liz. As much as I want to make you happy, you know it's not safe if we stay too long. It wouldn't be safe for us and it wouldn't be safe for them."

"I know," Liz sighed, and Max's heart broke to see her so sad.

"I'll tell you what, though. I've been talking to the Sheriff and we're trying to come up with some kind of way to communicate. If we can find a safe way to do that, we could see our families maybe once a year. Not always all together, and probably not always at Christmas, but at least we'll see them, right?"

Liz's face brightened up and hope shone from her eyes. "Really?"

"That's the plan. Michael and I have been talking about it for a while, but I didn't say anything because I didn't want to get your hopes up. But Jim thought it would be feasible so I don't see why not."

"Thank you, thank you!" She peppered Max's face with small kisses. He chuckled.

"Maybe I should have told you sooner," he teased her.

She kissed his lips properly and he let himself get lost in her for a moment.

"Thank you, Max," she said when they pulled apart. "I know how difficult it was for you and Michael to agree to come here for the holidays. This is the best present ever, I will never forget it."

"Speaking of presents...." Max disentangled himself from Liz's hug and pulled a little box out of his back pocket. He handed it to her.

"What is this? I thought we decided to exchange gifts only tomorrow morning?" She turned the small red and silver box over in her hand.

"This is not your present for this year."

She raised questioning eyes to him. "Remember back in 1999, when you gave me that pocket knife?" Liz nodded. "I ran into the house to get something for you but you left before I could come back out."

"I remember. I didn't want you to be embarrassed that you didn't have something for me. Technically, we weren't together then."

Max put his arms around her waist. "But I did have something for you. I'd had it for weeks. I bought it even before we first kissed."

Liz looked down at the little box again. "And you saved it for all this time?"

"It was still in my sock drawer. I'm so glad my parents didn't throw anything away. I meant to give it to you the following Christmas, you know, in 2000, but we still weren't together then and I thought that the scarf would be a more appropriate "just friends" present. And I thought it wasn't good enough in 2001, when we were together. And of course, I didn't take it with us when we left."

"What is it?"

"Open it," he smiled.

Liz carefully undid the red and silver wrapping paper. She lifted the cover of the little box.

"Oh, Max. It's so pretty!"

Inside was a rectangular sterling silver barrette. On it, someone had carved little stars, little moon crescents and little hearts.

"It only had the moons and the stars when I bought it. I thought it was appropriate, you know, something to remind you of me. After we kissed, I added the hearts."

"I love it, Max!"

His mouth lifted in a lopsided grin. "I would never have admitted it then, but I can tell you now. I was hoping that one day I could remove it from your hair, watching it fall all around your face..." Max took a strand of Liz's hair between his fingers. "And then kiss you breathless..." He proceeded to do just that.

Liz moaned against his mouth. They had had the occasion to make up for their short honeymoon in the last year or so, after they got their own apartment. But Liz didn't think she would ever get enough of Max.

"And more than that," he breathed against her ear. "That particular fantasy always took place here, in your room." His fingers slowly moved to the hem of her shirt, lifting it.

"Before we do that," Liz said, pulling herself from Max with some difficulty. "There's something I need to do."

Max reached for her again. "Whatever it is, it can wait," he said, but Liz wouldn't hear of it.

"It will only take a minute, and I'll forget if we, you know, get started."

Max smiled at the fact that he could still make her blush. Maybe it was because they were in her old room that she still felt like a 16-year-old. Or maybe it was because her parents were in the next room. Liz walked over to her desk and started looking through the drawers.

"I almost threw this away," she said, opening the second drawer and looking inside. "But deep down I always had the hope that maybe you would accept it again. Ah!"

She took the small box out of the drawer and handed it to Max. He recognized it immediately.

"I should have never given this back to you," he said, taking the small pocket knife out of the box. "I regretted it so much. As if giving you back a gift could break the spell you always had over me. The only thing that happened was that now, on top of not having you, I also didn't have the one thing you had given me that brought me hope that everything would eventually work out. Stupid, stupid move that was." He shook his head.

Liz put her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. "Merry Christmas, 1999," she said.

Max grinned. "Merry Christmas, 1999."

He put his arms around her and they kissed slowly, deeply.

"Would this have also happened if Christmas 1999 had gone as we had wished it?" Liz asked.

Max kissed the tip of her nose. "What, kissing you? Oh yeah!"

"Mmmm... I'm kinda glad we waited, because this surely wouldn't have happened and that would have been a shame," Liz said. She pushed Max until he fell backwards on her bed and she was straddling him.

"It wouldn't have?" Max said, his eyes sparkling with mischief.

"Nuh-uh," Liz said, shaking her head. She lowered herself until her mouth was against Max's ear. "Which doesn't mean that I didn't dream you would suddenly appear in this very bed and make me yours. I dreamed about that almost every night." Her admission made Max shiver. "Are you up for fulfilling that fantasy?"

He turned them over so that she was now under him. "As if you need to ask!" he said, before taking her mouth. It wasn't just her fantasy he would be satisfying tonight.

********

"Are you guys up? Are you decent?"

The quiet knock on the door woke Max from his deep slumber. He opened one eye to see Nancy Parker's head behind the door.

"Everyone is here, it's time to get up. It seems like Santa made a stop here, too."

"We'll be right there, Mom," Liz mumbled from her side of the bed. Max couldn't see her head under all the blankets but he did feel her naked body pressed against his.

Nancy backed out of the room and closed the door.

Max put his arm around his wife, enjoying the feel of her in his half-awake state.

"Is it too much to ask that we be allowed to sleep in on Christmas morning?! God, we had, like, one hour of sleep!"

The irritation he could hear in his wife's voice startled Max awake. He pushed himself up on his elbow and pulled back the covers to look into her face.

"It's your fault," she accused. "If you hadn't kept me awake all night!"

Max's eyebrows shot up. "If I remember correctly, you did your fair share to keep me awake as well."

"Pftt." Liz turned her back to Max and pulled the covers back over her head.

Max ran a hand over his face, scratching his stubbly cheek. What was that about?

Liz had been tired and overworked before they had come here but Max had made sure that she had had plenty of rest before they got on the road. She hadn't had an outburst like this since that day he had arrived home to see her crying while she was shovelling. He felt the first stirrings of guilt for keeping her up, but then again, what he had told her was true. She had been as responsible as he was for their night of passion and she hadn't seemed to mind one bit.

"Liz," he started.

"Don't talk to me. Get dressed and go downstairs. Tell the others I'm sleeping in."

Max was starting to get irritated. He had done nothing to deserve this cold treatment this morning! Quite the opposite, actually. After a night like they had just shared, Liz would normally be all over him. A growing concern replaced his annoyance. Something was wrong.

"Are you feeling alright?"

"What does it matter?" she said.

Max was tempted to just say 'fine!' and storm out of the room. There was no reasoning with her when she was like this! But she never was like this. That fact scared Max more than he cared to admit and his fear finally won over his aggravation. Something was definitely wrong.

"It matters because I love you," he said patiently, trying to keep the worry out of his voice. "And if you're not feeling well, maybe I can help you."

"Oh, Max!" she cried. She turned over and buried her face in his neck. Even though he was startled, Max automatically put his arms around her. "I'm sorry. I don't know what's going on with me. One minute I'm fine and the next I feel like biting people's heads off! And I burst into tears for no reason at all!"

"How long has this been going on?" Max asked, rubbing her back soothingly. He had noticed the tears, of course, but he had blamed the stress of their situation. She had never lost her temper with him. Not like this.

"I don't know, a few weeks?"

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Liz's tears were still rolling down her cheeks. "I didn't want you to know. It's not as bad when you're around. You have this calming effect on me."

Max pulled back from her to look into her face.

"I need you to tell me if you're hurting anywhere. You can't go on like this." He starting running his hand down her arm and over her hip, anywhere he could reach, trying to see if something felt wrong in her body.

Liz shook her head. "It doesn't really hurt anywhere. It's more like PMS, times a hundred."

Max stopped what he was doing. His eyes were wide.

"How do you know it's not PMS? When's the last time you had your period?"

"PMS only lasts for a few days, and this feels much worse," Liz said. "And I don't remember, I'm not regular, you know that. What are you doing?"

Max had put his hand over Liz's belly and was concentrating very hard.

"Max?"

His face broke into a wide grin. "I think maybe your hormones are out of whack."

"Why would that be?" she frowned.

Max cupped her face in his hand. "I hear that can happen when you're pregnant."

Liz's eyes widened before she too, broke into a smile. "Pregnant?"

Max nodded. "I'm pretty sure. You feel different than you used to," he said, caressing her belly. He kissed her deeply.

"How could I not realize this?" she said, putting her hand over Max's.

"I think it's still very early. And your symptoms could have just as easily been stress."

They stared into each other's eyes for a long time.

"How do you feel about this?" she finally asked.

"I couldn't have asked for a better Christmas present," he smiled. "You?"

"I've wanted your baby since before it would have been reasonable to make one."

He kissed her forehead and caressed her hair. "Should we tell the others right away?"

"I'd love to keep it to ourselves for a while, but we're leaving tonight. Don't you think our family should know?"

"Yeah." He kissed her and when their eyes met again, his were burning with a fire she knew well. "Liz, I promise you, I'll find a way to keep you both safe. Our baby will not live in fear. We'll find a way to make it work."

"I know, Max. I love you."

"I love you." He kissed her again.

They got out of bed and got dressed. Just before they left the room, Liz asked, "Would you mind sending Isabel in?"

Max frowned. "Why?"

Her smile was mischievous. "Well, as much as I trust you, Dr. Evans, I would like a second opinion."

*******

Jim raised his glass of punch. "To family," he said.

"To family!" everyone repeated.

Jim drank from his glass and put his arm around Kyle. "Not only do I have my son back, I have also gained a daughter!" He smiled at Isabel who raised her glass to him.

"But I do consider all of you my children," Jim said, looking at Max and Liz and then at Michael and Maria. "I couldn't be more proud of all of you."

"Stop it, please, Sheriff! You'll make us all cry!" Maria said, wiping her eyes.

Max looked at Liz, who nodded with a smile. "Speaking of making people cry," he started. He put down his glass of punch and took Liz's hand in his. "We have some news."

All eyes turned to him. He could see the curiosity on their faces. Only Isabel was already smiling.

Max lifted Liz's hand to his lips and kissed it. He looked into her shining eyes for a long moment before he said, "Mom, Dad, Jeff, Nancy, everyone," he took a deep breath. "We're going to have a baby!"

There was a second of stunned silence before cheers and congratulations erupted in the Crashdown's dining room.

Liz found herself engulfed in her father's arms. Her mother soon joined them.

"Congratulations, Maxwell," Michael said. Max thanked him. He could tell that his friend was truly happy for him, but he could also see the concern Michael was trying to mask.

"Remember that night we stayed up and made contingency plans?" Max asked, still shaking Michael's hand. Michael frowned before understanding dawned.

"We're moving to California," he realized. He looked at Max seriously. "Do you think it's a good idea?"

"My baby will be safe, Michael. If it's the last thing I do, I swear they will both be safe."

Michael took his friend in a loose hug. "You know I've got your back, Max. Maria and I will be there for you."

"And so will we," Kyle said. He shook Max's hand and Isabel hugged him. When he pulled away from his sister, he was pushed into his mother's arms.

"Don't cry, Mom," he said. "It's a good thing."

"I know, Max," Diane said, smiling through her tears.

"Congratulations, son," Philip said, hugging Max next. Max looked over his father's shoulder to see his wife being squished between Maria and Amy. She smiled at him from over their shoulders.

The rest of the day passed way too quickly. They exchanged Christmas gifts in the Parkers' living room and just enjoyed each other's company until it was time to leave. Finally, the six of them were back on the road, heading west to this new chapter in their lives.

"Do you really think Langley will help us, Max?" Isabel asked her brother from the front passenger seat.

"He won't have a choice," Max said. "I will ask nicely at first but if he refuses, I won't hesitate to give an order. I won't have my baby live the way we have been, Isabel. I made a promise."

He looked at Liz who smiled at him and took his hand in hers.

"Did you guys work out the communications details with my dad?" Kyle asked from the driver's seat.

"We did," Michael confirmed. "We have a system in place and we'll be able to get news back and forth."

"That way, we'll be able to let our parents know when to take a vacation to come and see their first grandchild," Max smiled.

"Or let Amy know when to come for her daugther's wedding," Michael said nonchalantly.

No one was more surprised by Michael's announcement than Maria.

"Don't I have a say in that?" she spluttered.

"You don't want your mom to come to your wedding?"

"Yeah, I do, but I didn't know I was getting married!"

Michael shrugged. "I don't know that you're getting married, either. Has anyone asked you?"

She narrowed her eyes. "No," she said slowly.

"Then I guess you'll have a say when someone does ask you."

"And when might that be?" she asked.

"Maybe a little sooner than you think," Michael smirked. "Thought I'd give you a heads-up."

"Is it too early for congratulations?" Max asked.

But neither Maria nor Michael answered. They were currently locked in an embrace that left very little doubt as to what Maria's answer would be when a certain alien finally decided to pop the question.

Max pulled Liz closer to him and laid his hands on her belly. She put her head against his chest and her hands over his. He rested his cheek against her head and they watched the desert through the window as the van sped down the highway.

"We'll be happy in California," Max promised.

Liz twisted her head to look at him. "It'll be warm and you will be there," she smiled. "That's all I need."

The end

Part 9 - Christmas 2075 - Once Upon A Christmas

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