| After Effects - Part Three Isabel continued screaming as the contractions came closer and closer together. Michael continued to panic since he couldn�t do anything about it. �Somebody call an ambulance!� Alex yelled, cradling her head. Maria looked at Michael and ran over to him and kissed him. Alex looked at her in pain. �That was to calm you down. Now go over to Isabel and do something that will make her calm down!� she instructed. Alex walked over to Maria as Michael took his place and put Isabel�s head in his lap and started rubbing her hair. �Maria what the hell was that?!� �It was the only thing I could think of that would calm him down,� Maria said, looking around. �What are you looking for?� Alex asked, still pissed that his girlfriend had kissed a married man who was also her ex boyfriend. �Alex, give me your cell phone. I left mine at home,� Maria pleaded. �Why?� �I�m going to call Max and Liz. They�ll know what to do,� Maria said, grabbing Alex�s phone from his hand. �Sure I guess,� Alex said, pulling out his cell phone, his anger obvious. �Hi, Max � this is Maria. Can you get down to the new restaurant, Oceanic View right now! Isabel�s having the baby in the middle of the floor!� Maria yelled into the phone. �Okay Maria. First of all, calm down. We�ll get down there as soon as we can. Sing to Isabel, do anything that will calm her down long enough for us to get there!� Max said before he hung up the phone. Maria hung up the phone and did exactly what Max told her. Especially since Michael and Alex were going crazy because neither one of them knew what to do. �Get out of the way boys. Let me show what to do and how to do it,� Maria said, pushing Alex out of the way. �Michael, hold Izzy�s hand. Alex, you get the other hand. And I don�t care if she breaks your damn hand, you keep holding it! If you have to, switch �em! Okay, Isabel, lift up your head,� Maria instructed. They all did as they were told. As Maria slid Isabel�s head onto her lap, she asked her what her favorite song was. ��Now That I�ve Found You,� by Terri Clark. It�s mine and Michael�s song,� Isabel said with a smile and a squeeze on Michael�s hand. Michael smiled and squeezed her hand back as Maria began to sing. As Maria began to sing, Michael fell more and more under her spell. He felt Isabel squeeze his hand lovingly and then out of pain. He couldn�t believe that he loved two women at the same time. He knew that Isabel was his wife and the one he would be spending the rest of his life with but then again, he couldn�t go on loving Maria the rest of his life. She had Alex and he treated her good. A hell of a lot better than he ever did. He heard Max and Liz run through the crowd of people and brought him out of his thoughts. �Good job Maria. I can take it from here,� Max said. �I need all these people out of here!� Max commanded. �Damn Max, you sound like a real doctor,� Maria said, pushing people out the door. �I have reason too. I have a Ph. D. in medicine, you know,� Max winked. Maria smiled as she, Liz, and Alex rushed the people out. Michael stayed at his post at Isabel�s side. �Maria, keep singing!� Isabel screamed. �What?� Maria asked, at a loss for a song. �ANYTHING!� Isabel screamed as the contractions continued to get worse and worse. Maria decided to keep singing �Now That I�ve Found You.� Isabel instantly calmed down. It was a combination of Maria�s singing and Max taking away part of the pain with his powers. Max pushed up Isabel�s skirt and pulled her panties down and opened her legs. �Okay Isabel, when I tell you to push, push hard!� Max commanded. Isabel nodded and continued to do her breathing exercises she had learned in California. �Okay Isabel, PUSH!� Max screamed. Isabel screamed in agony as she pushed with all her might. �Max! It hurts!� Max waved his hand over her stomach and Isabel calmed down again. �Okay, Isabel, push hard again!� Max yelled. Again, Isabel screamed and pushed. Michael cringed as she screamed. He hated seeing his wife in pain and gave her a reassuring squeeze with his hand. �Okay, Maria, Liz, get me as many towels as you can! Oh, and get a warm, wet cloth! Quick!� Max ordered. �Again Isabel!� �AAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!� Isabel said as she fainted. �Noo!!!� Michael screamed. �Max, help her!� Max waved his hand over Isabel�s head and she awoke. �Okay, Isabel, I need you to push one more time. And you�ve got to push harder than you have any tonight!� Isabel nodded as Maria gave Max the towels and Liz wiped Isabel�s head with the wash cloth. Isabel screamed and pushed with all her might. And to cheer her on, all the others screamed with her. Max smiled as Isabel pushed the baby out and onto the towel. He cut the umbilical cord using his powers. �Congratulations Isabel and Michael. You are the proud parents of a new baby girl.� �Aww, Isabel, she�s beautiful,� Liz said as Max handed Isabel her baby. �What are you going to name her?� Maria said, smiling at the little girl. �Elizabeth Maxine Maria Alexis Guerin,� Isabel smiled. �Isn�t that kinda long Isabel?� Alex asked. �I just wanted her to have the name of all the people who helped bring her into this world,� Isabel smiled, looking at all of her friends. This touched all of them. None of them ever thought that they would live to see the day that Isabel Evans-Guerin would do something so touching. �Isabel, that�s so sweet,� Maria said, still adoring the beautiful baby who had now opened her eyes. The baby smiled at Maria, who, in return, smiled even wider. Maria noticed that the baby had Michael�s deep brown eyes and would have Isabel�s blonde hair. It was almost like a blonde version of Michael as a baby. Maria laughed as the baby pulled at her hair. Liz started laughing and went to sit beside Max, who was also laughing. �Well, Michael, what do you think of the baby?� Liz asked. �Michael?� �Michael?� Liz called. �Michael?� Isabel asked, looking around. �Where�d he go?� �Outside,� Alex said, going over to look at the baby. �Maria, would you go check on him?� Isabel asked. �Sure,� Maria said, kissing the baby on the head and walking outside. �Michael?� Maria said as she got outside. �Yeah?� Michael said, leaning over the balcony rail. �Are you okay?� Maria asked, walking up beside him. �Maria, I have to tell you something,� Michael said, turning to her. Maria gasped as she saw the look in his eyes. It was a combination of hurt, love, lust, happiness, and anger. It, honestly, scared Maria � seeing him like that. �Yea. . .yeah, Michael, what is it?� Maria stuttered. TBC . . . |