Disclaimer: I do not own Roswell, nor any of its characters. Wish I did though.

oOoOo

Epilogue

"Oh God! It hurts!" Liz sobbed.

"It'll be okay, baby. Just a little bit more." Max held on to her hand.

"That's what you said ten minutes ago!" Liz yelled squeezing Max's hand harder.

"C'mon, Liz, just one more. Then it'll be all over," the doctor urged her.

"I can't…no more…please." Liz was exhausted.

"Just one last push, Liz, and we're done," the doctor said.

Taking a deep breath, she pushed once more.

Liz screamed for a few more seconds before her voice was replaced by their baby's cries. Max cut the cord and watched as their baby was cleaned up.

"You did it, Liz. You did it, baby." Max kept peppering her face and lips with kisses.

He looked at his first born child, his baby girl and took her in his arms.

"Liz, look, she has your eyes. And…" He moved the blanket a little to the side of his daughter's face. "Thank God she has your ears."

Liz giggled weakly and cradled her daughter as Max handed the baby to her.

"What are you going to name her, Liz?" Nancy's voice came from behind the video camera.

Liz turned her head to look at the camera and smiled. "Claudia"

The scene froze where Liz was smiling at her newborn baby girl. Max remembered every single thing that happened since Liz told him that they were expecting their first child. He was so protective of her, it bordered on being obsessive. He attended every pre-natal and post-natal check-up and read dozens of books about pregnancy and parenthood.

When they were told that they were having a girl, tears slid down Max's cheeks and Liz lovingly wiped them away as she lay on the exam table with the ultrasound device on her belly.

He lavished on everything for Liz and his unborn daughter. He gave everything Liz craved. He had the nursery built using the guestroom beside the master bedroom in their house. That way, the nursery was connected to their room. He bought the crib and the nursing chair for Liz. And the rest of the baby furniture was bought by the excited grandparents.

Liz was blooming the entire time even during the times that Max would hover over her whenever she wanted to go out shopping and walk all over the mall for baby clothes, accessories and toys.

On a bright Spring morning, Liz was waddling her way towards Max in his office at home. He almost never went to the Evans' office since Liz reached her 8th month. There were times when he knew he was driving Liz crazy but he loved her so much, he just couldn't control himself.

Max recalled when Liz came into the room and her maternity dress was soaked. Max knew what it meant and went to her immediately, toppling his chair back. He drove rapidly to the hospital and parked it haphazardly as he went to help Liz get out of the car. He carried her all the way in despite her protests, until the nurses attended to his wife.

He remembered how Liz acted when she was in labor. She must have used all the curses she knew. Max bore it all by her side. He felt like his fingers were being crushed by Liz, though her hand was way smaller compared to his.

And when they heard the baby's cries, Max caressed Liz and kissed her while the nurses and doctor cleaned up his little girl. Liz had the name Claudia in her mind since she found out she was having a girl. Max also wanted the baby to carry her mother's name. And so, on a clear and sunny afternoon, Claudia Elizabeth Evans was born.

"Daddy?" Max and Liz's first born was seated on the couch with her father right beside her. Her head was tilted to one side, a habit she obviously inherited from her mother. She was wearing a tiny pastel yellow nightshirt and her little feet were covered in socks, ready for bed.

"See that, Pumpkin, that's you when you were born, baby," Max told her.

"I no baby," Claudia said, shaking her head, her pigtails moving from side to side.

"Yup, you're a big girl now, aren't you?" Max switched the TV and DVD off and placed his baby girl on his lap.

"Uh-huh, 'um two." Claudia informed him, holding up two of her tiny fingers.

"That's right, you're turning 2 tomorrow." Max kissed her chubby little hand. "Why don't we go check on Mommy, okay?"

"Kay." Claudia nodded vigorously.

With Max carrying her, Claudia clung to her daddy's neck as they went up the stairs to the nursery.

When they reached the nursery, Max saw Liz putting some of the new baby clothes they bought for their second child in their respective drawers.

"Hey." Max kissed Liz's nape.

"Hey!" Liz turned around and smiled at her family.

"Mama!" Claudia squealed.

"Hello, my sweet Pumpkin." Liz kissed her daughter's chubby cheeks.

Claudia reached for her, but Max pulled her back. "No Claudia. Mommy can't carry you."

She looked at Liz then back at her dad. Her big hazel doe eyes filled with unshed tears and her lower lip stuck out in a pout.

"Oh no." Max cringed. "Sweetie, Mommy's already carrying your baby brother, see," he said pointing to Liz's huge belly. "She can't carry you, too."

The tears started to fall as she turned to Liz then back at Max once more, but Claudia remained silent. Her small lips trembled as she stared at her father.

Liz smiled and pushed Max who was still holding Claudia, till they were all at the couple's bedroom that was connected to the nursery. She sat down on their king-sized bed as fast as her pregnancy allowed her to and reached for Claudia.

Claudia rubbed her eyes and whimpered softly as Max settled her on the bed beside Liz. Liz lovingly held her daughter and hummed a lullaby, embracing the adorable little angel as they snuggled in bed together. Claudia sucked on her left thumb and curled beside Liz, playing with a few strands of her mother's hair as she stared at her. Liz tucked her little baby under the blanket and quilt. She untied Claudia's ribbons and smoothed out her soft wispy chocolate brown hair.

Liz's soft strokes and humming were automatically making Claudia sleepy. Her eyes drifted close, her long lashes resting on top of her cheeks. Liz placed a tender kiss on her daughter's head and turned toward Max, giving him that wonderful smile that she reserved for her husband.

Max couldn't help but stare at his girls, his wife and his daughter, his life's treasures. He smiled back at Liz and climbed on the bed beside Claudia.

He wrapped his arms around both of them and he placed his palm on his wife's protruding belly to complete the circle.

The next day Claudia woke up early. She had turned two today and she was very excited. She sat up and looked at her mommy and daddy who were still fast asleep. She wanted to wake them up to get ready for her party. She crawled up her father and sat on his chest. Her small hands patted his cheeks, trying to wake him up.

Max was having another sensual dream about Liz, but the dream changed and his Liz was slapping him across the face. His brow knitted together, his forehead wrinkling as he tried to bring back the other vision. Then a stronger slap woke him up. He almost sat up, but felt something heavy on his chest and his paternal instinct reached out to grasp it around the waist.

When the haze between sleep and being awake faded, he saw his little daughter on his chest smiling at him, the index finger of her right hand was in her mouth and her left hand was clutching his shirt.

"Daddy!"

"Claudia, hush." He put his index finger on his lips to quiet down his daughter. He saw Liz was still asleep.

Claudia followed what her dad was doing. "Ssss…" She blinked at her father, adoration in her eyes.

"Let's get breakfast, okay?" Max knew Claudia wouldn't be able to keep quiet for a long time. So he kissed Liz's forehead and slipped off the bed. He carried his daughter down to the kitchen where he could make her some pancakes.

He secured her on her high chair and started getting the ingredients. "Do you like pancakes, Pumpkin?"

"Pa-cake!" Claudia clapped her hands and giggled.

"Pancakes it is."

Liz woke up and found herself alone in bed. The smell of bacon wafted from the kitchen and she got hungry immediately. She put on her robe and went down the stairs. As she got nearer toward the kitchen, she could hear Claudia's giggles.

"Hello, my little birthday girl." Liz gave her daughter an Eskimo kiss and Claudia squealed with delight.

"She's really excited, isn't she?" Max asked as he flipped another pancake on a plate.

"She sure is." Liz laughed as her daughter's chubby little hands held on to her cheeks and gave her a sloppy kiss.

Liz turned toward Max and seeing him making breakfast reminded her of that morning after they had that talk which led them to where they were now.

Seeing the look of love in his wife's eyes, Max reached around Liz's round belly and hugged her.

"Everything all set?"

Liz gave her husband a quick good morning kiss before replying. "Yeah, everything's done. Isabel helped with the decorations and Mom supervised the food."

"Oh dear Lord, Isabel took charge of the decorations?"

Liz's laughter filled the room. "Stop it, Max. Would you rather I go around climbing ladders and hanging up the signs and balloons?"

Max eyes widened. "You didn't…did you? Tell me you didn't, Liz."

"No, my mom was watching me like a hawk."

"Yeah, remind me that I owe her for that."

"Pa-cake!" Claudia pointed at the stove where one pancake was rapidly burning.

"Oh shhh—sugar!" Max exclaimed.

Liz stifled her giggles and got her daughter ready for breakfast. She started setting the kitchen nook for her and Max and got Claudia's plate and utensils. And of course her sippy cup filled with milk. She finished tying a bib on Claudia when Max placed the pancakes, bacon and fresh strawberries and blueberries on the table. Liz got the maple syrup while he was pouring milk in one glass for Liz and orange juice in another for him.

"Mmm, pa-cake," Claudia said.

"Okay, okay, here's your pancake, sweetheart." Liz cut up little pieces of pancake on Claudia's plate and poured some maple syrup on it. She placed the plastic fork on her daughter's hand and the Evans family started happily eating their breakfast.

Max was giving Claudia a bath and washing off the syrup all over her face and hands as Liz was laying out her daughter's pink birthday dress. It was designed and created by Maria for her honorary niece and it reached a couple inches below Claudia's knees with a full fluffed skirt and short puffy sleeves and accentuated with pale pink ribbons all over.

"All done." Max placed Claudia on her bed and dried her up. Liz powdered her baby, changed her diaper and put on her pink dress, white socks and tiny pink baby shoes. Liz fixed Claudia's hair into little pigtails.

"Wow…" Claudia looked at her dress.

"Yeah, wow. You look pretty, baby," Max exclaimed.

"I no baby. I two now."

"Yeah, that's right. Daddy forgot, Pumpkin," Liz told her daughter.

"'S Kay." Claudia nodded slightly.

Both Max and Liz laughed.

When they arrived at Parkers' it was dark and quiet. Claudia clung to her daddy, she didn't like dark places.

Then all the lights switched on and her entire family and friends jumped up from everywhere yelling, "Surprise! Happy Birthday, Claudia Elizabeth!"

Claudia giggled and clapped her hands.

"Happy birthday, Pumpkin." Both Max and Liz placed a kiss on each cheek at the same time, sandwiching their daughter in between.

Claudia giggled and squealed when she saw her birthday cake.

"Mama, cake!" Claudia yelled, excitedly pointing to the 2-tiered chocolate cake with marshmallow icing specially made for her.

"Yes, sweetie, you'll get your cake, but first you have to blow the candles, okay?"

"Kay." Claudia nodded.

Everyone formed a semi-circle with Max, Liz and Claudia in the middle. Nancy and Diane were at the sides taking pictures and Philip with his video camera was filming everything.

Max and Liz helped Claudia blow out her candles and everyone applauded.

Games were played, the food was enjoyed by everyone as always, but the little kids enjoyed the cake the most. Claudia had icing on her mouth and gave her parents a toothy grin.

When the party ended, the Evans and Parkers and their friends stayed to help pack up some things and food and Claudia's abundant gifts of toys, books, clothes, a baby portrait from her Uncle Michael and a pink toy car that the Evans and Parker grandparents gave her just like Xander's. Isabel thought it was payback for what Max put her through with Xander's own car.

Claudia was slumped on her daddy's shoulder, tired and asleep. She was exhausted from all the excitement. They all said their goodbyes as they walked to their cars.

Max was placing Claudia in her car seat when Liz stopped walking and groaned.

Max froze and looked at Liz. Liz was looking down on the ground then raised her head to stare straight at her husband.

"My water broke."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Oh God! It hurts!" Liz sobbed.

"It'll be okay, baby. Just a little bit more." Max held on to her hand.

"That's what you said two years ago!" Liz yelled squeezing Max's hand harder.

"C'mon, Liz, just one more. Then it'll be all over," the doctor urged her.

"I can't…no more…please." Liz was exhausted.

"Just one last push, Liz, and we're done," the doctor said.

Taking a deep breath, she pushed once more.

Liz screamed for a few more seconds before her voice was replaced by their baby's cries. Max cut the cord and watched as their baby was cleaned up.

"You did it, Liz. You did it, baby." Max kept peppering her face and lips with kisses.

He looked at his newborn son, his baby, and took him in his arms.

"Liz, look, he has your lips. And…" He moved the blanket a little to the side of his son's face. "Oh no, my ears!"

Liz giggled weakly and cradled her son as Max ran to the waiting room to get Claudia.

"What are you going to name him, Liz?" Nancy's voice came from behind the video camera.

Liz turned her head to look at the camera and smiled. "Jeffrey"

The End