Part 19

"Where are we going Michael?" Maria felt like she had been walking for hours, when in fact it had only been a few seconds. Why was she so tired? Michael had said she had fallen asleep and wouldn't wake up. Why would she feel so tired? She didn't understand any of this. But she was with Michael, she knew she was safe.

"It shouldn't be too much farther, just hold on." Michael told her. Hell, how could he tell her that he had no idea where he was going. If he told her he was flying blind here she would just start panicking or worse, yelling. He liked getting her riled, and it had been so long since he had be able to do it, but he didn't want her to get upset, she didn't realize it yet but she was still very sick. "Are you cold?"

"I'm fine, don't worry about me." Maria ran her hands from his hand up his arm, snuggling into his side. "Just being with you warms me."

"maaaaaaarrrriiiaaaaa"

The moan came out of the tunnel, they could barely hear it.

Maria reacted immediately, "did you hear that? That's what I've been hearing for days now. It scared the hell out of me."

"Yeah, I heard it," Michael turned towards the direction of the moan. "I think it was down this way." He realized Maria had stopped, he turned and wrapped his arms around her.

"Then shouldn't we go the other way? I mean if someone is moaning and groaning in a horror movie, they never go check it out, do they, no they go the other way, cause if they check it out they wind up dead, and I don't want to wind up dead Michael." Maria tried heading in the opposite direction, away from the noise. "I think we should go the other way."

Michael pulled her back, she was babbling, in his eyes that was a good sign, because a normal happy Maria babbled, all the time. "No, we want to find them, we have to find them." He could see the fear in her eyes. He realized he would have to tell her the truth. "They can help you. Maria you're really sick, if we don't find them you may not get well."

"What do you mean 'not get well' am I going to die?" Maria told herself that this couldn't be possible, she felt fine, tired but fine. "I'm not going to die Michael, you just said we got out of the complex. Well I didn't stay alive in there just to die when we got out, no way. And I haven't seen my mom yet, I can't die without seeing my mom."

"Then you have to come with me, we have to find…" Michael tried to come up with someway to explain this to her without having her freak out. "Maria remember why Topolsky took you away from us. Do you remember what happened when they took you away?"She looked away for a moment, he could tell she was trying to remember.

"I remember the pain, it hurt so bad, I felt like my insides were being ripped apart. They kept sticking me with needles. She let that old doctor guy 'look' at me again, like he did at the beginning. They wouldn't let me see you." She closed her eyes for a second, Michael could tell the minute she remembered, everything came out of her in a rush.

"ShesaidIwaspregnant.Butthat'simpossibleMichael, weonlydiditonce… anditwasonlyhoursbefore, I couldn't have gotten pregnant…could I?"Michael slowly nodded his head. He slid his hands up into her hair, holding her face a few inches from his, he tried to make her understand. "You're laying back at a place called New Haven, a safe place, your laying in bed fighting for your life. Everyone is there, trying to help you, Max, Liz, Isabelle and Kyle. And some new friends, people like me, a doctor who said that the only way we can make you well is if we do this oneness thing. You're pregnant, with my baby and there's this thing that my people do, it's called the oneness. You and the baby have to…connect…link or you're never going to wake up. We're searching for our baby Maria, we have to find her."Maria was trying to take it all in, pregnant, she was pregnant with Michael's baby. Suddenly one word stood out among all the others. "Her."

Michael smiled, "yes, her. It's a girl Maria, our baby is a little girl. Lena, she's the doctor, she said she's ok, but if we don't find her in here we're gonna lose you both."

"We're looking for our baby?" Michael could see the confusion in her eyes, he didn't know what to do to remove it. He slowly leaned in and pressed his lips against hers.

Maria actually felt her knees go weak, Michael quickly grabbed her and pulled her against his body. She reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck. It had been so long, so long since she had felt his soft warm lips. "Michael"

"Calms you down every time." He told her with a smirk.

She smiled, remembering his words the first time he had ever kissed her. "Yeah, I'm calm you jerk."

"But you love this jerk." He grinned.

"Yes, I do, but I never said I was a good judge of character." She laughed. "I also like Isabelle, so that just goes to show you that I have a really bad case of poor judgement."

"I heard that." Isabelle's disembodied voice came out of seemingly nowhere.

"Maybe if we just ignore her she'll go away." Maria said.

"Izzy? Never, she'll hound us forever, but we do have a job to do, remember." Michael reminded her.

"maaarrrriiaaa"

Both of them jerked their heads up when the moan came again.

"Ok, if you try to tell me that that's our baby calling me, I don't think I want to meet her." Maria stiffened in Michael's arms.

"Maybe she'll be all green and glittery Maria." Isabelle said with a chuckle. "And don't forget the tentacles."

"Izzy." Michael said, "what the hell are you talking about."

"Sorry, couldn't help myself. Seriously I don't think that's the baby, I think it's the oneness calling you. You have to find where it's coming from." Isabelle said.

"We're going, we're going. And Isabelle when this is over, your in big trouble, you hear me." Maria warned her.

They continued through the tunnels, every few moments they would hear the moan again. Michael could feel Maria tense up every time. The tunnels seemed endless, just when Michael was ready to give up they came to a large room, it was filled with white fog. They cautiously moved through the fog, they couldn't see anything in front of them.

"Hello" A small voice came out of the fog. They both froze.

"Michael?" Maria said.

"I heard it. Hello, is anyone there?" Michael shouted into the thick fog. It immediately started to clear. They could make out the red bricks that formed the walls, then the red slowly started to fade, until it was a soft pink, as the fog completely lifted away they could make out the form of a small naked child sitting with her back to the corner.

They both moved forward, until they were directly in front of her. She was about three or four, she had bright green eyes and her upper lip was fuller than the bottom, her soft brown hair spiked up all over her head. When she looked up and smiled at them Michael could see Maria's crooked smile staring back at them.

"Hello, me was waiting for you. Me was gettin scared that you's would never find me." She had a slight lisp as she spoke.

Maria dropped to her knees in front of the child. "We're sorry, we couldn't find you, we we're looking everywhere."

"Thath's what Father thaid, he told me to be pa…payshent. Thath's a big word." She said proudly."Who's Father?" Michael ask her.

She shrugged her shoulders up and down, "I don't know, he's the one who watches over uth."

"Uth?" Michael repeated.

"Us Michael, she said us." Maria smiled up at him. "Babysitting comes in handy sometimes."

"Who's us honey." Maria ask her.

"me and the other's, like me." The little girl told her. "We play and he watches over uth."

Maria pulled her legs out from under her and sat crossed-leg in front of the little girl. "What's your name?"

"Me" The simple reply made Michael smile. "Well Me, what are you doing here alone?"

"Father told me to wait for you's. He thaid I was thupposed to talk with you's." As she spoke she raised one hand and touched Maria's cheek. "He thaid you were pwretty, and you are."

"Thank you, but I'm not as half as pretty as you are." Maria told her, she took her hand and stroked it down the little girls cheek. <so soft> Maria looked up at Michael with tears in her eyes. Reaching up she pulled him down beside her. He crossed his legs and sat. As soon as he was settled the little girl laid her other hand on his cheek.

"He thaid I was to tell you why I have to go." She said.

"Go, go where?" Maria said.

"I don't know. Father thaid I was thwupposed to tell you that it's ok. I have to go now tho that me and the other's can come back thwoon." She said. "I'm making you hurt, and I don't want to do that. I don't want to make you hurt."

"You're not making me hurt, I'm sick, they're trying to help me. It's not you baby." Maria smiled down into the small round face.

"But ith's ok, cause Father thaid I can come back, and the other's will be able to come then. But not now. They have to thudy me." She raised her shoulders and dropped them again. She didn't understand what she was telling them anymore than they did.

"Thudy?" Michael turned to Maria, hoping she could explain it to him. He watched as the tears that fell from Maria's eyes ran between the child's fingers. The child removed her hand and looked at the water on her tiny fingers.

"Thee, I'm making you thad." She said.

Maria wiped the tears from her face and told her "no, your not making me sad, I'm sad because you have to go away, I wanted to spend more time with you. We both did."

"I have to go thoon, but Father told me to tell you to…I remember, hold on, I remember…" She raised her small fist and held it against her chin, you could tell she was trying to remember the rest of the message that the mysterious Father had given to her."Can I hold you?" The question came pouring out of Michael's mouth, but he knew he needed to hold her, wrap his arms around her just once before she left.

"HOLD ON! That's what Father thad, you're thwopposed to hold on." She smiled brightly, proud of herself for remembering. She stood and threw her arms around Michael's neck. He froze for a minute, not knowing what to do, he looked into Maria's smiling face and brought his arms up around the small body. He straightened his legs out from under him and stood up, keeping one arm wrapped around the sweet smelling baby in his arms and helped Maria up with the other. Pulling Maria closer he wrapped his arm around her. Maria placed her arms around both of them and the three of them stood and just enjoyed the moment.

For the first time in his life Michael felt at peace. He understood what he had been looking for all his life, it wasn't a star far off into space, it wasn't a place where he could feel "normal". It wasn't the answers he expected, but it felt so right to him. So right.

They stayed like that for a long time, not speaking, just holding each other. Until the small body in his arms started wiggling, putting a few inches between them all he looked down into the little one's face.

"Is that me?" She ask them. They both looked down to what she had been pointing at. They both were amazed to see the small round shape of Maria's body. Running her hands over her swollen abdomen Maria smiled and said, "yes, that's you."

"Can I touch me?" Without waiting she laid her small palm against the curve of Maria's belly.

She smiled. "I'm happy."

Maria felt the tears come up in her eyes again, she didn't try to stop them, she knew her time was growing shorter, she could feel it happening. "Yes, you're very happy."

"The happiest." Michael said with a smile.

"I have to go now, but remember, hold on…ok, hold on." The small voice was growing fainter and fainter.Maria threw her arms around both her and Michael as tightly as she could, but as soon as her chest hit Michael's she knew the little girl was gone.

-******-

Reese stood as close to the bed as possible. He didn't want to disturb the circle, but he was afraid to step further away from the bed. He was afraid to miss anything. He wished now that he had joined the circle, wished he could be part of what was going on in Maria's dreams. In the past twenty minutes the girls color had returned and you could feel more and more emotions pouring off of her, her and Michael. Fear at first, then the gradual changes, curiosity, apprehension, and finally happiness, a blinding bright happiness. Then a immense sadness mixed with the blissfulness. Some of the other's in the room had started to cry as the feelings grew, both the circle and the watchers. He had never felt an empathy as strong as this one before. Not even from the elders. The older Delainian's who had actually lived on their long dead home, they had shown some vary degree's of empathic skills, but never anything as strong as this. He watched the tears fighting their way out of Lena's eyes. He had known her all his life and he had never seen anything get to her. Even his own kind called her the "ice queen", but hell, she was standing there sobbing like a baby. Hell he felt like he wanted to cry, he didn't know if he was sad or happy, his emotions were running lost through his head, he couldn't control them.

Zane suddenly spoke into the quiet room. "Their waking up."

Reese took a step back, he felt like he had been caught ease-dropping on another's conversation.

He watched as one by one the people in the circle opened their eyes, each person began to moved, their bodies slowly trying to get their circulation moving again. He watched as Lena rolled her head back on her neck, it was a trademark sign that she was exhausted.

As if on cue the circle moved towards the end of the bed, clasping arms around each other, they began moving arms up and down over backs, soothing rubs were given, no words had been spoken yet. All eyes were on Maria and Michael. The boy's eyes opened first, he leaned down and softly spoke her name. "Maria, Maria, it's time to wake up. Come on baby, come back to us."

Maria's eyes fluttered open, looking up into her lover's face she smiled. "Michael."

Taking both of her hands in his he lowered his forehead to hers and whispered, "don't you ever do that to me again, you hear me."

Smiling through the tears she answered, "never, never again."

The smile was suddenly wiped from her face, she clutched her stomach and gasp his name, "Michael." The pain was a gently rippling traveling from deep inside of her.

Michael tried to swallow the tears, but they came anyway. "I know baby."

Lena moved up to the side of the bed and reaching out with her hand she laid it over Maria's stomach. "We're losing her, I have to…."Maria pushed the doctor's hand away and quietly said "no, you have to let her go."

Lena turned to Reese, "I have to do something or we're going to lose the baby. Her heart rate is dropping drastically."

"You have to save her." Reese told her.

"No," Michael never took his eyes off Maria. "No, we have to let her go.

* * * * *

Part 20

Max sat slumped against the headboard of the bed with Liz curled up against his side, asleep. They were still waiting to hear any news on Maria, they had informed Reese that they weren't leaving the med unit until they heard something. It had been over two hours since Lena had literally pushed them out of the room. Two hours since the argument between Maria and Michael and the older Delainian's. Reese and Lena had tried to convince them to let Lena try and save the baby, but they had stood firmly against it.

After that they had only heard one side of the argument, Reese had pulled a curtain acrossed the window and had shut the door, but they could still hear Reese and Lena's raised voices, but Michael and Maria had spoken too softly to be heard. Max knew the anguish they were going through right now, not only the physical pain but the mental pain too. He remembered the way Michael had hugged the little girl in the dreamwalk; the way he had wrapped his arms around the small body, the look on his face. He knew his friends were doing what they felt was right, but Max didn't know if he could have held up under those circumstances. To actually meet your child, hold her in your arms, then to have to let her go. He didn't know if he could be that strong.

Afterwards the room had gotten quiet. Reese had joined them in the outer room, but he had left about an hour ago. That's when the cries had started, Maria's voice raised in fear and pain. He could still hear those cries ringing in his ears. It had reminded him of the first night they had been held at the complex. They had had to sit and wait then too. In his mind he knew the nightmare was over but in some small way it was still happening. They were still paying for every thing that Topolsky had done to them. The thought entered his head that she couldn't hurt anyone else ever again, Zane had made sure of that. Max didn't like the other thoughts that were swirling through his head, he didn't like to think that there was a side to him that was glad that she was dead, part of him wished he could have seen her die, to have been able to stand over her broken body and driven his foot into her just one time. But knowing that she could never hurt any of them again gave him a small comfort.

Liz stirred in her sleep and he pulled her closer to him. Closing his eyes he let the exhaustion overtake him, let himself relax to the point that the only thing he felt was both his and Liz's hearts beating. The slow even rhythm lulled him to sleep. He had just about nodded off when he heard his sister calling his name.

"Max." Isabelle said softly, she didn't want to wake Liz or Kyle. Kyle was stretched acrossed the bed next to hers.

He opened his eyes and watched her for a few moments, until the fuzziness of sleep cleared. "Yes?"

She was laying on her side, curled up with the pillow clutched to her chest. "When is this going to be over?"

"Soon Izzy, hopefully soon, because I don't think we can take anymore." Max answered.

-*****-

"Maria I want you to give me another good push, we're almost done here, then you get to rest." Lena said as she stood at the end of the bed. Being human Maria was less than two months pregnant, but Lena knew that their own gestation period was much shorter, a Delainian woman only carried a child for about twelve weeks. Because of the mixed heritage she wasn't quite sure how far along Maria was, but they had to deliver the baby normally. This wasn't an early miscarriage, Lena knew this would be a stillborn birth. She hadn't felt a heartbeat the last two times she had checked the baby's vitals.

"How you doing?" Michael ask as he wiped the sweat off of Maria's forehead. Neither one of them looked towards the end of the bed.

"I'm tired, I'm just so tired." Maria told him as she took a long breath. "She's gone Michael, I can feel it, she's gone."

He closed his eyes for a moment, "I know baby." He leaned in and touched his lips to hers. "I love you Maria, you know that don't you?"

She smiled, she knew that Michael needed a lot of reassurances and she was more than willing to see that he got them. "yeah space boy I know, I love you too."

"Remember what she said, she said she'd be back one day. We just have to hold on. We can do that can't we?" Michael told her.

"Maria, one last push, I can see the head, one last push should do it." Lena hated interrupting them, but she still had a job to do. Maria bore down as hard as she could, a small scream escaped her lips before she could stop it. Michael held onto her hands, letting her know that he was with her, trying to take the pain for her. Lena caught the child as it passed from Maria's body. Quickly she wrapped it in a blanket; not one of the thermal plastics but a cloth blanket, she handed it off to one of her assistants. The woman carried it to a small plastic container that had been prepared earlier. She returned to Lena's side.

She took the afterbirth as soon as Lena had wrapped it in a blue sterilized towel. By using her powers it made the clean-up a lot of quicker, in a few moments Maria's pain was entirely gone. Lena knew that the girl had gone through enough, she wanted her to rest now.

"Can we see her?"

Lena's head jerked up as she heard the question. She thought before answering the girl. "Maria I don't think that would be a good idea. You need to rest now, you've been through a lot."

"I'm tired, but if you take her without letting us see her, I don't think I could sleep. Please." Maria slowly sat up, Michael reached out to help her. She kept her eyes on the small plastic container that sat on the table across the room.

Lena turned to the other woman, she nodded her head, "Mara, please bring the baby."

Maria watched as Mara picked up the small wrapped body and brought it towards the bed. She felt Michael prop the pillows up behind her back. Reaching out with her arms she took the tiny bundle into her arms and slowly peeled back the edge of the blanket. She never noticed Lena motion the other women out of the room with her. They were alone, just the three of them.

Michael leaned down and kissed the still, cold cheek. "She looks like she's sleeping doesn't she?"

"She is, until she comes back to us. One day she'll come back." Maria said as she held the small body next to hers.

-*****-

Isabelle was off the bed as soon as Lena came through the door. "How is she, is Maria ok?"

"Maria's fine." The older woman told her.

"Can we see her?" Izzy ask. She saw the rest of them leave their beds and move towards the doctor.

Lena shook her head. "Not tonight, her and Michael are spending time with the…with the baby right now.""Is the baby…" Liz didn't want to say it, saying it made it too real."We lost the baby, I'm sorry to say. But I think they need some time alone right now. They both need to say goodbye." Lena told them. "I think you should all get some sleep now, tomorrow is going to be a big day for all of you. I can have someone show you to your rooms."

"No, we'll stay here." Max said. He knew the others felt the same way he did, they did not want to be separated, not yet.

"What's happening tomorrow?" Kyle ask.

"I don't want to ruin Reese's surprise for you. But don't worry, you'll like it, I can guarantee you'll like it." Lena told them goodnight and left the room.

The next morning…

They had been woken about an hour before, all of them. After finally allowing themselves to be separated, Michael had to be reassured over and over again by Maria that she would be right back. The girls were taken to one room, the boys to another, they got ready to start their day, the first real day of freedom in a long time.

The girls took long showers and talked quietly while they washed their hair and toweled themselves off. They had gotten used to taking showers together at the complex, they kept up a constant stream of talk, making sure that they were all fine.

Liz and Isabelle were both worried about Maria, but the girl assured them that she was alright. Sad but alright. She cried in her friends arms about the baby, but she told them to remember what "me" had said in the dream, that she would be back one day. Her and Michael firmly believed this.

Liz ask her if she was in any physical pain. Maria told her that Lena had taken care of that. Her body felt like it did before all this had started, no pain, no bruising from Yeager's torturing.

Liz told Maria how Lena had removed any of the thoughts that Topolsky had placed in Isabelle's and her mind. She had informed them that with the psychological thoughts removed they would return to their normal feelings for Max and Kyle. Liz didn't think she would ever forget those feelings that had taken hold of her, but she knew she still loved Max, she just didn't know where they stood in their relationship. Would Max want to back off again, or would he want to continue the way they had been at the complex?

"And how does that make you feel about Kyle?" Maria ask Iz, she knew that no matter what Liz still loved Max.

"I like him, he's my friend, he'll always be my friend, but I don't feel "that" way about him." Isabelle explain to them. "And believe me Kyle doesn't harbor any secret love for me. He also told me that I shouldn't worry about being alone, that someday I'd meet someone who would…" she paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "curl my toes is the expression he used.""Curl your toes huh, yeah toe curling is good." Maria said with a smile.

"I wonder what this surprise is that Reese is planning?" Isabelle said. "I don't know if I'm up to anymore surprises."

"Well, Lena said we would like this one, so I'm not sure what it will be." Liz told her.

Maria had picked up the shirt off the pile of clothing that had been laid out for them. "Hey, this is my shirt."

"What you mean?" Liz said as she took hold of the sleeve of the blue sweater Maria was holding.

"I mean my mom bought this for me in Deep Springs last year. Remember I loved the little flowers all over the front, so she went back and bought it for me." Maria couldn't believe it, the jeans were hers also.

"You're right, these are my clothes too, but they were left at home, I wasn't wearing these the night we were taken." Isabelle said as she examined the clothes left for her.

"Mine too, how did these get here?" Liz ask the two other girls.

-******-

When they were all together again, the girls couldn't wait to tell the other three about the clothing. But they didn't have too, the boys were each wearing their own clothing as well.

They were taken to a small conference room, Reese was waiting for them.

"Good morning, I see you got the clothing, I thought having something from home would make you feel better," he explained to them all.

"But how did you get them?" Max ask him.

"First things first, I'm gonna take you up top, let you see New Haven for yourselves. Let you see what we have accomplished here. Are you all ready?" He motioned them through the door, down another long endless corridor and finally to a large elevator. He handed them all sunglasses, "You'll need these, you haven't seen the sun in quite awhile, we need to protect your eyes. And please remember we never discuss who or what we are on the top, never. It has been the one rule that is never broken in New Haven."

As the elevator doors opened they found themselves in a small room, it looked like a waiting room of some kind.

"We've sorta camouflaged ourselves to look like a art colony, well it started out as a camouflage, now we have some of the finest artist and sculptures living here. You can find any type of art or sculpturing in our community. Paints, pottery, weaving, glass blowing, metal working, wood carving, we have some of the finest craftsmen here. Our jewelry is exported all over the world. We're very proud of our people. I thought you might like to see the place, see what we have accomplished."

The group moved out into the sunlight, the sunglasses helped some, but the brightness still hurt their eyes. It took a few minutes for them to accustomize themselves to it.

"God, it's beautiful." Kyle said, he spoke for all of them. They stood and looked around the small community. The main buildings were laid out in a small valley, surrounded by walls of rock on all sides. There were small shops and kiosk set up all over the place with larger buildings surrounding them. You could see houses spreading out from the center of the town, homes with white picket fences, some were made of more modern architectural. It looked like any other small community across the United States. Schools, offices, restaurants even one building bore a sign that said Federal Post Office.

It took over three hours for them to see the main buildings and craft shops. Reese noticed they spent a large amount of time just touching things, not only in the buildings, but out in the open air too, trees, rocks, flowers, even the occasional dog that would run by. There was a tense moment when a group of small children ran through their group, everyone watched Michael and Maria reactions, but they just smiled at each other and brought their hands together. The moment passed and Reese continued with the tour. Reese told them they would have other days to explore, but that he had something waiting for them, they all followed him back to the elevator and once again they were in the underground complex.

-*****-

Reese opened the door on a large conference room, as they all moved through the doorway they couldn't believe who stood in front of them. The kids stood in complete wonder as they were enveloped in hugs and kisses.

"Mom, oh my God, mom I was so worried about you." Maria told Amy DeLuca. They both cried as they stood wrapped in each others arms.

"I'm so happy to be able to hold you again, oh baby, I missed you so much." Amy wasn't sure if she could let her daughter out of her sight ever again.

"Mom!" Isabelle nearly knocked herself over as she felt the warm loving arms of her mother surround her. She couldn't believe it, she watched as her dad grabbed a hold of Max and gave him a huge bear hug, picking him up off of his feet, bringing him back down, he turned and grasps both Isabelle and her mother in his arms.

"We were so worried about you both, when Reese came and told us what had happened I thought he was crazy, I thought you were both dead." Diana Evans told her children. She looked up into Philip's face, he could see the tears of happiness shining from her eyes.

Jeff and Nancy Parker never gave Liz a chance to speak, they feared that they would wake up at any moment and this would all have been a dream. Her mother pulled Liz's face close to hers and said, "Elizabeth, don't you ever leave us again, you hear me, I didn't know what to do, your father and I were so lost without you."

She hugged them back, not entirely believing that this was happening. Her father's eyes were filled with tears, they were running down his face. Liz reached up and wiped them away. She closed her eyes and thanked God for this moment.

Kyle and Michael stood back and watched as the families held one another, they were happy for them, happy that they didn't have to worry about their parents anymore. Kyle was about to ask Reese about his father when he saw a movement in the doorway.

"DAD, oh my God." Kyle threw his arms around his father, he felt his dad's arms gather around him. They just stood there holding on to each other. Kyle could feel how ragged Jim Valenti was, he had lost a lot of weight and his skin was pale, too pale.

"Dad are you alright?" Kyle ask him.

"I'm fine, now. I had a small problem a few weeks ago but thanks to Reese and his people I'm fine now." His father reassured him. 'Are you ok, I was worried what that woman would do to you."

"I'm fine, Topolsky told us that they had to sedate you, did she hurt you?" Kyle questioned him.

Reese spoke for the first time since entering the house. "Your father had a stroke a few weeks ago Kyle, that's the reason we were delayed on bringing you out of there. We wanted to make sure that you're parents weren't followed on their way here. We had to wait before we could remove him from the hospital they had placed him in."

"A stroke, but your ok, right, your ok?" Kyle looked his father over, trying to see if he had missed something. He turned back to Reese, "you healed him didn't you? You used your powers to help him?" You could see the boy was very agitated, worried about his dad.

Jim Valenti tried to calm him down. "Kyle, I'm fine, I'm just so damn glad you're here, I can't tell you how worried I was about you."

Kyle could see the tears in his father's eyes. His father was crying, the man who had told him a million times never to let them see you cry, was crying for him. He put his arms around his father and held on to him as if he was never going to let him go.

Maria turned and saw Michael standing by the door, alone, she was just about to open her mouth and introduce him to her mother when Diana Evans stepped in front of her.

Mrs. Evans walked up to Michael and took his hands, "Michael, I'm so happy to see you, we were just as worried about you." She let go of one of his hands and reached up and laid her hand gently on his cheek. "I'm sorry Hank isn't here, Reese didn't think it would be a good idea to tell him about this place. I'm sorry about that, but you don't have to worry, Phil and I have always thought of you as a part of our family, and well, I told Reese that we would be responsible for you from now on, is that all right with you?"

Before Michael could answer Isabelle interrupted. "wait, you know about this place, about us?"

Her father pulled her closer to him, "honey we've always known that the three of you were different. We just didn't know how to approach you about it. We figured we'd let you come to us when you were ready. I guess we waited to long."

"It doesn't matter dad, what matters is that this is all over, we're home again, and nothing is ever going to separate us again. Right Max." Isabelle said with a huge smile, the tears pouring down her face.

Maria took he mother by the hand and brought her to stand in front of Michael, "mom I want you to meet Michael Guerin."

Part 21

Chapter 21 - Epilogue

December 19, 2010 - New Haven, NM

Maria folded the laundry and placed it in the basket. She still had a few more things to do before Liz and Max arrived. Michael had left for the airport over an hour ago so she still had time to make sure everything was perfect for them. Max and Liz still hadn't built there own home in New Haven, they kept saying that they spent more time away then here so why own a empty house, so when they were home they either stayed with one of the parents or Michael and Maria.

She ran down the stairs and checked the oven one last time. So far so good. Cooking was not one of Maria's talents, Michael teased her endlessly about giving him food poisoning. They had spent more than one night eating at the Parker's restaurant in town. She leaned back against the counter and thought of the last ten years. They had finished high school in New Haven, it had taken a lot of arguing and screaming to get their parents to agree with them, but in the end they had won. Reese said there wasn't any battle they couldn't win if they all stood together. The parents had wanted to split up, take their children and head off to different parts of the country. The so called children stood firm, they weren't going anywhere. And they hadn't, after high school, some of them took college courses. They had a few problems along the way. There was a period of time right after their release that they sorta went into hibernation. They didn't speak to anyone but each other, wouldn't come up to the top. Lena called it post traumatic stress. Reese understood what they had been gone through. He had been the live Delainian that Dr. Hanson had experimented on in 1959, he had been in their place at one time. After his escape he hadn't handled it very well. But Lena and others had been there for him, and they were there for them too. He talked with them for hours, telling about his experiences, they talked about theirs. In the end it was very therapeutic for all of them, even Reese.

The Parker's had stayed, opening a family style restaurant in town, although there were no aliens on the menu this time. Philip Evans opened his own Architectural firm in New Haven, he traveled a lot, Diana traveled with him, but they always returned to New Haven. Isabelle had gone off to New York for awhile, she had studied at a large university for three years, Kyle went off and joined the Marines, Michael and he had argued about it for weeks. Michael felt it was some sort of betrayal, but in the end, as Kyle was getting ready to leave, Michael was there with everyone else wishing him well. Kyle did eventually return, he wanted to use the security education he had received to help Reese and Jim Valenti keep New Haven safe. He brought a girl back with him, he said they were getting married. Nobody was more surprised than Maria, with or without any mind controls it turned out that Kyle Valenti made Isabelle Evan's toes curl in the end anyway. Kyle and Isabelle were married on the hill overlooking the town at sundown, it had been a beautiful ceremony. The parents were all crying, the six of them partied till dawn, more than one household woke up with a hangover that day.

It was also one of the few times that Max and Liz Evans were in town. They had surprised Maria the most, Liz had just up and decided she wasn't going to study biology, no, she and Max were going to help Reese in their search for the misplaced, as Reese called them, twelve children had still been missing back then. They traveled the world, going from place to place to search for the remaining missing Delainian's. Liz had told Maria that she had never wanted what had happened to them to ever happen again. Sometimes they were gone for a few weeks, others times it had taken longer. And they were damn good at their jobs, they had found five of the twelve by this time last Christmas. The next child they searched for had been harder to find, taken much longer. They had been gone on and off for over a year now. Maria hadn't seen her best friend since August. She was looking forward to seeing both Liz and Max. Her and Michael had a surprise for both of them.

Maria smiled as she thought about the last ten years of her life with Michael. It hadn't been easy, at times it had been downright hard. Michael could be the most pigheaded person, or non-person on the whole planet. He had started painting and sculpturing about six months after their release. He said that their confinement had brought out all these talents that he had let go after the incident with Atherton's dome. His art was on display in many of the world renowned museums and art boutiques across the world, but he wouldn't travel or do any promotional work for them. He had found his home and he wasn't leaving it. Maria had spoken with him on many nights about going and seeing the world, but he wouldn't budge on this issue. They had married five years ago, after years of complaining from both Amy DeLuca and Diana Evans, they wanted their children happy they told them, Diana came right out and said she didn't like the fact that they were living in sin as she put it. Michael and Maria never laughed to her face, but they found it hilarious every time she whispered the words to them. It had taken a while but Michael had finally excepted his new found family, and he didn't want to hurt his "mom's" feelings. Amy DeLuca didn't care if they were doing anything in sin. She wanted Maria happy, and she knew Maria wanted to be Michael's wife. Amy hadn't stayed in New Haven, she traveled from place to place, chasing one dream or another, but she seemed happy and she saw her daughter as often as possible. She was visiting with Michael and Maria at the moment, she had been there for over a month, and it didn't look like she was leaving anytime soon. Not with the recent developments.

Maria had watched as one by one all her friends had found their niches in life, she had been lost for awhile on what she wanted to do with hers. And as time went on, she became more and more troubled by the fact that there didn't seem anything for her to do in New Haven. She spent a lot of her time with Lena, Lena kept her up to date on the things she had discovered about human and Delainian genetics, why and how did Maria become pregnant, she had endless questions for the girl. Lena thought that it had a lot to do with the mysterious bond that linked Maria and her friends. Especially between Michael and her. Michael made sure that he always used protection each and every time they made love, he wouldn't allow her to go through that again he told her. As the years flew by she started helping Lena around the med unit, later she took courses in human and Delainian genetics. She had become Lena's assistant, instead of just hearing about Lena's findings, she was standing right beside as they tried one way or another to come up with some reasoning on why it had happened. And to try and see if it would be possible in the future. Lena was interested in the things that the six could do with their powers, test proved that they all had developed stronger powers than the other Delainian's, they could things that hadn't been done since they had left their planet over ninety Earth years ago. Michael who couldn't control his own powers before this was the strongest of them all, as long as Maria was by his side.

"We're home." Michael's voice came from the front of the house.

Maria dashed through the house and spied Liz immediately. Squealing like teenagers they wrapped their arms around each other.

Liz took a step back and looked at her best friend. "Oh my God you're practically glowing, Michael said you had some good news for us. What, tell me, you know I hate secrets."

Maria turned to Michael. He smiled back at her, "you want me to go and get the secret?"

"Yes, definitely, please, before I explode." Maria told him.

Michael practically skipped to the staircase, Maria watched him run up the stairs, "don't be running back down them, you hear me, walk."

"Yes, mom I hear you." He yelled back down the steps.

Max came in the doorway just as Liz sat down on the sofa. Maria walked to Max and hugged him. "Welcome home Max, we all missed you."

"Thanks Maria, it's good to be home." Max told her as he hugged her back.

"Room for two more, we saw the truck pull up." Kyle said as he and Isabelle walked through the door.

"Have you introduced her to…." Isabelle started, Maria never let her finish."No, we haven't yet, so shut your mouth." Maria told her.

"Ok, what's this big secret that Michael's been telling us nothing about." Max ask after being welcomed by his sister and brother-in-law.

"You'll just have to wait for Michael." Maria said. She smiled as she looked around the room, it felt so good having everyone together again. No matter how much time passed, no matter what happened, these six people felt more comfortable, more safe whenever they were all in the same room. "For once, I'm not spilling the beans. You'll just have to wait."

"For what?" Max and Liz both ask at the same time.

"For this." Michael said from the bottom of the stairwell.

Turning they spied Michael carrying a small baby in his arms. He stood at the bottom of the steps and on his face was the biggest smile that Max had ever seen.

Maria couldn't contain her excitement, "we'd like to introduce you to your niece, Delaina Elizabeth Evans-Guerin meet your Uncle Max and your Aunt Liz, two very special people.

Liz couldn't keep her mouth from flying open, but there was nothing coming out. She couldn't believe what she had just heard.

"A baby, you and Maria's baby?" Max stammered. "But I…I didn't think it was possible?""It wasn't, not until Lena and I discovered that the reason I got pregnant was because of the bond, the bond between Michael and I. Oh, that and a small enzyme that she discovered in researching…" Maria stopped for a moment. "From our first baby, they discovered a missing enzyme in the first baby's genetics.Liz jumped up and hugged Maria again, then turning she raced acrossed the room to her niece, gently taking the baby from Michael she held her up so Max could see her. Green eyes sparkled back at them, full bottom lip and a head full of soft spiky brown hair.

"But why didn't you tell us." Liz ask them.

"We didn't know if it was actually possible. We didn't want to put you through everything again, if it didn't work. But we were willing to chance it ourselves." Michael said. "And we got our daughter back."

Max looked down at the baby again, it was the same baby, the same features the same little pouty lip. He hadn't truly believed the little girl in the dreamwalk, but looking down into that sweet adorable face the thought passed through his head, <she said she would be back, I guess she was right.>

Extending one hand he said to Michael. "Congratulations brother."

Michael took his hand. "Thank you brother."

Liz turned to Isabelle, "are you going to try it?"

"Already did." Isabelle said with a smile.

"When?" Liz exclaimed.

"When what, when did I get pregnant or when is it due? I'm due in February, right around Valentines Day." Isabelle smirked. Since her marriage to Kyle, Isabelle was a lot more open, more easy going. She no longer had to live with the fear of letting anyone in.

"Oh." Liz was amazed. "I mean you two did this and never even told me. I don't know if I should be mad or jealous."

"Be jealous, then be pregnant with me," Isabelle told her. "And don't let my brother talk everything out first, or it will be years before you actually have a baby. He's not mister spontaneous if you know what I mean."

Maria jumped right in, "Liz you have to do this cocooning thing, it's great, you're pregnant, your with the baby before it's born, and its just the three of you, locked away from the world. It's heaven. Plus the added feature of being in the dreamworld and you get to do anything you want. Play with the baby, talk with it. Make love." Maria raised her eyebrows with the last statement.

"Well I guess I have to congratulate you too." Max said to Kyle, he couldn't wipe the amazed look off of his face.

"And you swore to Max you weren't going to have sex with his sister." Michael couldn't help but make a jab at Kyle.

"Bite me Guerin." Kyle said.

"That's Evans-Guerin to you." Michael said.

Maria stood back and watched as her family cooed over the baby. She felt at peace, the peace that Michael was always talking about, he was right, New Haven was their home. No matter what happened, no matter what roads their life too them, they had found their homes. All of them.

* * * * *

THE END