Author's Note:

This story is the third entry of a series. Part I (Life is Fringe) and part II (Life is War) are posted for your reading pleasure, enjoy!

Prologue

There was nothing more nightmarish in existence, no sound more terrible, no experience more grating, than the sound of a crying baby. Thankfully, the nightmare had passed. Kevin, sweating somewhat from the horrifying experience, was now awake. Safe. His room was shrouded in darkness, the night was still young. Shivering, he somehow felt cold, despite Kate's warmth directly beside him.

Why the hell would I dream about a crying baby?

Groggy and confused, he rolled over, snuggling up to Kate as close as he could. Jealous of her warmth, he pressed his naked body up against hers, wrapping his arms around her. She stirred, pressing her body closer to his. The desire to kiss the back of her neck became so overwhelming that he gave into it, sending a second tremor through his love.

Moaning softly, she struggled to roll over to face him. Shit… I woke her up… at least she doesn't seem too upset about it. As his thoughts cursed him, Kate blessed him with a fumbled yet passionate kiss. His hands began to explore her nakedness.

Suddenly everything seemed wrong.

The kiss, her body, her scent, the bed, nothing was right. Kevin's eyes shot open as he came to realize the horror of the situation. The crying started once more.

Echoing from down the hall the infant's wail pierced through him like a hot spear. Meanwhile, his mind was being ravaged by the confounding situation that had suddenly developed in the bedroom.

"Kevin…?" No. What the fuck? What the hell? This can't be happening? What? What happened?

"Max?" His question was entirely unnecessary, but his mind hadn't provided him with any further words. It was Max. He recognized her frail form despite the darkness. Her voice was unmistakable, her confusion mirroring his own. Just as he was beginning to get a grip on the storm developing within his mind, she switched on the light.

Gasping in shock, she snatched up the covers in a desperate attempt to cover herself. Unfortunately for both of them, he had been cowering behind those very sheets. He reflexively fought back, only to have them entirely removed from his grasp. Averting her eyes as she covered herself, she made a panicked shooing gesture, banishing him from the bed.

Taking in his surroundings in a flash, he became even more disoriented. This isn't my house, where the hell am I? Barely able to contain his frustration, he snatched up an overly large blue bathrobe from the adjacent bathroom. No longer embarrassingly naked, he tried to think, tried to understand what was going on. However, the shrieks from down the hall invaded his mind, cruelly disrupting any lucid thoughts.

"Can you… go see what's going on?" Max asked, still extremely unsure of herself. Hesitantly uncovering her eyes, she relaxed somewhat when it became clear that he had covered himself.

"Max, there's a crying child down the hall." Her response was swift, she shouted to be heard over the wailing.

"Yes, I can hear that!"

"Why is there a crying child down the hall?" Panic had now seized his rational mind, there was no hope of thinking through this situation with that damned screaming.

"Well… maybe, instead of shouting at each other, you should go and find out!"

"Yes, we should." Stressing the word 'we', he glared at her.

There was no way that he was walking into that nightmare by himself, they would go together. Hesitating for the briefest of moments, she nodded, motioning for him to avert his gaze. Turning away, he let out a long, ragged sigh. The infant's wails continued unabated, digging into his mind like a relentless invader.

Fear gripped his heart, he wanted to dash down the hall into the next room and discover what tormented the child. His feet, however, refused to move. Overcome with dread concerning the situation, he found himself completely immobilized.

Apparently dressed, Max shoved him into motion from behind. Thankfully, his feet continued on the path that they had been set on. The short journey seemed longer than it should have been. Perhaps this was a dream? The hallway kept expanding before him, delaying his arrival. However, regardless of the ever-expanding hallway before him, he suddenly arrived outside the epicenter of his torments.

Bracing himself for the horrors that lay ahead, he plunged into the breach. A pleasantly decorated room fit for a young child greeted him. Inside he found everything you would expect to find in such a place. Charming as the room was, his heart remained crippled with anxiety. The wailing persisted, emanating from the crib in the far corner for the room. Together, he and Max approached, encouraged by each other's presence.

Side by side, they peered over the tall railings. They discovered the menace predicted; a distressed infant. As their faces came into view, the struggling infant went silent, looking up at them with interest.

"It… stopped." He mumbled, sighing in relief. The infant cooed, seemingly pleased with itself. Max let out an adorable sound, the kind that people make when they find something entirely too lovable. Feeling that such a universally sacred expression should be reserved for kittens, or perhaps puppies, Kevin let out another sigh.

Entirely overwhelmed with the magic of the moment, Max reached down and plucked the infant from his crib, holding him close to her chest.

"Hello little William, you are quite the little noisemaker, aren't you?" The child giggled, most certainly pleased with himself this time. You bastard. Before he could ask how Max was so sure what its name was, she motioned towards a plaque posted above the crib. Distressingly, it read exactly what he had feared, William Anderson.

Even though he needed no further proof that this child was indeed his, it turned towards him, glaring into his soul. Not only did it have his dark green eyes, but he could feel it reaching out to him with its young, inexperienced mind. The power of the Force flowed through the child with a strength that was to be entirely unexpected from such a tiny creature.

Checking its diaper, Max discovered nothing foul. She promptly disappeared with the infant in search of the kitchen.

"Let's see if you're hungry, little guy."

Entirely dumbfounded, Kevin's mind finally began to process the recent events. Unfortunately, everything poured forth all at once now that the floodgate of his thoughts had burst. Where was Kate? Why am I here with Max? Where is here? Why do we have a child? What changed? Who changed what? It couldn't have been Max. She seemed just as shocked as I was a moment ago. But if it wasn't her…

"Chloe." Her name slipped through his lips like a dreaded curse. Chloe had used her powers. She had changed something, and he knew exactly what she had done.