ARCHIVE: No

Max and Logan sat holding hands in Dr. Carr's outer office, waiting for the preliminary results of the amniocentesis. Although a detailed analysis of the child's DNA would take a couple more days, he'd be able to tell right away if there were any chromosomal abnormalities that warranted further investigation.

"The baby will be fine," Logan said quietly, squeezing Max's hand. "It has to be. You and I have had enough bad luck the past two years to last a lifetime. I think the Fates owe us this one, don't you?"

"Trouble is, me and the Fates have never been on very good terms," Max said with a wan smile.

Dr. Carr's nurse opened the inner office door and motioned to them. With a deep shaky breath, Max rose and followed Logan.

Taking seats in the empty examining room where they'd been lead, it was only a minute or two before the doctor joined them. He was carrying a genetics manual and a data sheet, as well as a file folder. But it was the frown on his face that made Max's throat constrict.

"I ran the test twice to be certain," he said, getting straight to the point, "comparing the fetus' DNA profile to the ideal human/X5 gene sequencing structure as mapped by the Manticore scientists." He paused, and looked down at the floor.

"What is it?" Logan asked, his lips tight. "There's something wrong?"

"Past experience with genetic abnormalities in human embryos indicate that anything more than a .04 drift in the pattern means there's a relatively large chance that the child is imperfect.

"Imperfect?" Max said, eyebrows raised. She didn't like that word. It sounded too ... Manticore.

"And our results?" Logan asked, leaning forward in his seat and clenching his hands.

"There's a .07 drift in the pattern," Dr. Carr said. "I'm sorry. But there's almost no chance this baby will be normal."

"What are the odds?" Logan said, even as tears welled in his eyes.

"A hundred to one maybe," the doctor replied.

"I want further tests run," Max said. "I want more proof."

"Max," Logan said gently, resting his hand on her arm. "Don't you think it would be better to just ... put this behind us?"

"And what?" Max protested. "Try again? And again? And again until we get it right? You expect me to just keep aborting my babies?"

"Of course not."

"I'm not giving up so easily," Max declared hotly. "I want complete details on what's wrong with this child. At best, we could find out this is that one in a hundred miracle. At worst -- I'll have more information about just what the fuck those Frankensteins did to my body back at Manticore."

"I'll need blood samples from both of you," Dr. Carr said. "Comparing the DNA of the parents to the fetus' will show exactly where the sequencing has gone wrong."

There was something else Max badly wanted to ask the doctor -- but she couldn't in front of Logan. Then again, she was fairly certain the blood tests would eliminate the need for her question -- one way or another. She had hoped things wouldn't have to go this far. But now there was no way out.

Dr. Carr's nurse took the blood samples before they left the office, with assurances the results should only take a couple of days.

Then Max and Logan went home -- to wait.

*****

Max wasn't really all that surprised when Dr. Carr showed up at the TC Mall three days later. Joshua came and got her, and she led the physician to a room in back that Alec used as his office. They wouldn't be bothered. 494 was away for the afternoon trying to score medical supplies.

"Max," Dr. Carr said when she'd closed the door assuring their privacy, "I think you know why I wanted to see you alone."

"I have no idea," Max said, feigning ignorance, wanting to prolong the illusion of happiness for as long as she could. So long as it's not said out loud, it's not true.

"Max," Dr. Carr began again. "Logan isn't the biological father of the baby you're carrying." He watched her closely, waiting for a reaction, then added, "But I rather imagine you knew there was that possibility, didn't you?"

Max felt faint. Bracing herself with one hand against the desk, she willed her knees to stop shaking. "Of course Logan's the father," she said, her voice clipped. "If your tests say otherwise, then a mistake's been made."

"There's no mistake," the doctor said levelly, his brown eyes colder than Max had ever seen them before. Dr. Carr was, afterall, a close friend of Logan's. She could just imagine what he was thinking about her right now. "There's not a single particle of Logan's DNA in that fetus."

"Just ... get out," Max said, unable to take any more. "Logan and I will have this baby, and everything will be just fine." Maybe I can keep on pretending ...

"It's not that simple," the doctor said. "I re-ran the initial work from the amniocentesis. Take out the human factor, and the results are a whole new ball game."

Max closed her eyes. This couldn't be happening. "What do you mean?" she said out loud, bracing herself for what could only be more bad news.

"There's a chance the baby is just fine," Dr. Carr said.

Those were the last words in the world Max expected to hear, and it took her brain a moment to switch tracks and process the information. But the doctor wasn't finished.

"Just fine, that is, if the father is an X5." He was looking at her, waiting.

"It is," Max whispered. "I mean, he is--" She swallowed hard. "He's X5."

"In which case," Dr. Carr said, glancing down at his papers, "you'll be glad to hear that .07 chromosomal drift could be accounted for simply by the way the animal DNA is attached to the baby's genetic strand."

Max's world was reeling. "Could be?" she said. "What does that mean?"

"It means I need to run more tests," Dr. Carr said, his voice not unkind now as he saw how deeply this news was affecting his patient. "I need to have a sample of the true father's blood, Max." When she didn't answer he had to add, "You do know who the father is, don't you? Or at least you could narrow it down?"

Max smiled ironically at that -- the fact Dr. Carr thought her so promiscuous she might have to bring in multiple samples. "I know exactly who he is," she said quietly.

This was the moment of truth. Max knew she had only two options now -- abort the baby that wasn't Logan's; or go through with the pregnancy, have her child, and let the real father into her life.

"By the way," Dr. Carr said. "You're carrying a boy."

Max closed her eyes at the words, and knew there really wasn't any decision to make any more. Because, even thought it was going to ruin her life and Logan's as well, there was no way in the world she could ever kill Alec's son.

*****

"What is it, Max?" Alec asked tiredly. Every time he saw her unexpectedly, it hurt, and this morning, like every morning, he'd gone out of his way to avoid her. But she'd tracked him down in the armory where he was making a "wish list" with Mole. Peaceful denizens of Seattle or not, the transgenics were still going to be ready if they ever came under attack again.

Alec dropped into a chair and tilted it back against the wall. Chewing a fingernail (a nervous habit he'd never really tried to break), he eyed her, waiting.

Standing stiffly in front of him, looking as uncomfortable as he'd ever seen her, Max got straight to the point. "I told you I was pregnant."

He nodded, a sarcastic smile on his handsome face, wondering why she'd come down here to rub it in. However, he'd be damned if he was going to let her get under his skin any more than she already was. "Meant to say it before, Max. Congratulations."

"There's a .07 chromosomal drift in the baby's genetics," Max continued, ignoring his comment, her voice utterly devoid of emotion.

Alec blinked, wondering if this was supposed to mean something to him. "So," he said slowly, "that's not good?"

"If the father was human," Max said, "there would definitely be a problem with those numbers. I'd have to consider an abortion."

Alec's heart thudded once in his chest, hard. "If the father was human? Is there somethin' about Logan I don't know, Max?"

"You're a bright boy, Alec," Max said sarcastically. "You had to have done the math. Known there was the possibility after that night--"

"Max, are you saying I'm the father?" The words came out angry, and Max backed up a step.

"Dr. Carr ran tests on my DNA and Logan's," she said. "Now, we need to run those same tests on you."

Alec felt like he was suffocating, or maybe about to have a seizure.

"The baby's pure X5, Alec," she said in a rush. "Which means that .07 drift isn't necessarily a problem. But Dr. Carr can only be certain with a detailed analysis of the real father's chromosomes."

"You have an excuse to get rid of it," Alec said quietly, using every ounce of his Manticore training to keep himself under control, when in reality he was so spun he was on the verge of flying to pieces. "Logan would never know. With the right incentive, I'm sure Carr would cover it up for you, tell Logan the tests came up so bad there was no choice."

"I know," Max said. She knelt in front of him and took hold of his hand, her touch coursing through him like an electric shock. "But did you really think I would make that decision without giving you a say in the matter?" She was searching his eyes now, looking for something. "If you want me to abort your son, Alec, just say so and I'll do it."

"My son?" Alec said, shaking his head in disbelief, his brow knit in confusion, the two words sounding incredibly strange to him.

Max nodded. "And he could be a perfectly healthy X5, like Gem's daughter, Eve. But I need to find out for sure that he's okay. I need to know, Alec." She looked away. "Or else I need to be done with it."

"You didn't have to tell me this, Max," he pointed out. "With Carr's help, you could have let Logan go on thinking the kid is his, and I'd never have been the wiser."

"And if he's got hazel eyes?" Max said bluntly. "And his sire's charisma and strength? Logan would find out, Alec. I wouldn't lie to him. And you'd find out too. Every time you looked at the baby you'd see the truth and you'd hate me for it."

"Max," Alec said, his voice dropping an octave. "You know I'm not gonna let my son call Logan 'Daddy'. If you wanted me out of your life for good, this sure as hell isn't the way to do it."

"I know."

"Maybe you should just get rid of it," Alec said, needing to give Max the same choice she'd just given him, even though it cost him saying those words. "If you have this baby ... my baby ... it's gonna make that year you and Logan lived with the virus seem like a piece of cake. We're talkin' lifelong commitment here, Max."

"I know."

"You'll never be rid of me," he said, feeling more desperate by the second, but needing her to hear the worst.

"I don't want to be rid of you, Alec," Max said, taking hold of his other hand too.

"But you still want Logan? It's still him? Not me?"

"It's still him. I love him, Alec."

"And if Logan wants me out of the picture?" Alec said, not trying to hide the bitterness.

"Logan's not like that, Alec. He'd never--"

"He's gonna be jealous as hell, Max," Alec interrupted her. "And if our positions were reversed -- I'd break the bastard's neck with my own two hands."

"Logan's not you. I've told you that before. Somehow ... I'll make him understand."

"He doesn't know yet?"

"No. I was going to ask you to give a blood sample to Dr. Carr. Then, when the results come back, we can all three go in."

"And I'm supposed to say what to the man, Max? 'Hi there Logan. Sorry I knocked up your girlfriend. Guess we're all just one big happy family now.'" Pulling away from her, he dropped his face into his hands. "Geez, Max. Why'd you hafta drag me into your life again when you don't really want me there?"

Max got to her feet and turned away. She had no answer for him. "Dr. Carr's office -- this afternoon," she said from the armory doorway. "I'll let you know when the results are in. Unless, of course, you want me to--"

"No!" Alec said. His head might be reeling, but there was one thing he was absolutely certain of. "If the baby's mine ... ours ... he deserves a chance."

Max nodded, and for the first time he saw the hint of a genuine smile on her lips."I knew you'd come through for me," she said softly. "You always do, in spite of me being such a bitch to you all the time."

Alec sat in that chair for a very long time after she left, feeling for all the world like an animal caught in a trap -- but also, strangely, filled with a ludicrous sense of pride.