Chapter One

The planet, called Gervon by some, had definitely seen better days. Once a thriving paradise, it had been reduced to a desolate landscape over the course of a century... And that was just according to their timetable. By Earth's standards, it had been but thirty years. And, until the evening when two alien life forms decided it would be a good place to hide for a few hours, the world had seen only emptiness for a very long time.

Just outside one of the remaining buildings, two small, flying golden spheres touched down, and the air hummed as they morphed into a pair of recognizable human forms. Michael Pearson -- skilled in mechanics and full of courage -- and his girlfriend, Elizabeth Reynolds -- gifted with visions of the future and a heart of gold -- made their way inside, thankful for once that they didn't need to breathe as the air would have been poisonous.

They walked in silence, simply exploring the interior until they found a room that would suit their needs. Quickly, Mike went about setting things up, while Liz took a few seconds to mourn this world's lost inhabitants. If she and Mike hadn't put a stop to it, then the home they'd known -- Earth -- might have one day looked exactly like this. Strange what a difference two people could make in the grand scheme of things, she mused.

As she lay down on the metal slab Mike had provided her, waiting for her companion and lover of the past ten years to begin operating on her, Liz was struck with the notion that this would seem so bizarre to the average person. She almost laughed at the thought, but a look at Mike and his serious expression killed the impulse. Head cradled on one arm, Liz told him, "Penny for your thoughts."

Mike felt a smile tugging at his lips as he stepped closer, carrying a small toolkit. "As if you can't read them," he teased lightly.

"Maybe I can, but tell me anyway," she responded coyly.

Mike set the toolkit down on the side of the slab, reaching over to clasp her hand. "I was thinking how much I love you, and how good it will be to be free... if this works."

"It'll work," Liz assured him, turning her thoughts inward. Strange, it was; she and Mike had been transformed into flying metal spheres years ago -- no bigger than softballs -- by a vast, evil alien race, to be used as "soldiers" in an interstellar war. Half computer, half human, it had taken them a while to come to grips with the fact, and the notion that they could never die now. All that stood between complete freedom and having a vengeful nation come down on them -- Mike and Liz had taken part in wiping out one of the aliens' factories -- was the removal of the tracking devices they were both equipped with. But, they did have to make it quick; it was risky staying in one place for too long.

Mike actually looked reassured by her words, displaying confidence. With a sigh, he let go of her, standing up straight. "Okay, I think we're ready."

Liz sighed as well, relaxing herself before beginning the transformation. Her human form dissolved rapidly, shrinking down into an inert metal ball. Just before she drifted off into a dream state, she could feel Mike open up the casing and get to work.

Once in a while, it still surprised Liz that she could dream, even though she had long since figured it came from what remained of her humanity. Sometimes, she wished she could just shut it off though, by the simple flick of a switch, when the occasional nightmare came to haunt her. Now was no exception.

She was back in the factory, and it was so dark that even her computerized side was having trouble seeing. That was rare, as the sphere she'd become could "see" in infrared when the situation called for it. Nevertheless, Liz didn't question it, simply reached out to touch the walls to orient herself, and waited to see where this dream would take her.

Drawing in a breath, Liz began to glide through the darkness after a few long moments, feeling her way around. But it didn't last long, as a sharp pain caught her in the middle, and it felt as if a sword had just been thrust into her. With a cry, Liz half bent over, putting one hand to her stomach. Hot tears blurring her vision, she started to send a telepathic message out to Mike, hoping for comfort, when a sudden strange noise assaulted her.

Liz froze, trying to make sense of what she was hearing. It seemed like a cross between the whine of an engine and a baby's cry, if she had to hazard a guess, but it sounded downright horrible. Biting her lip, Liz went ahead with her message to Mike. *Tell me you're finished, honey,* she sent out, not sure exactly how much time had elapsed. *I'd like to wake up now.*

When there was no reply, Liz wasn't sure if it was because Mike didn't hear her or because he didn't want to disappoint her. With a sigh, she resigned herself to this, and began to will the pain away. She had almost shaken it off when a fresh wave crashed into her, and Liz was knocked to the floor under the new onslaught.

Moaning, Liz found herself wondering if this was really a dream -- would it really hurt this much if it was? Fearful, she called out again for Mike and once more, didn't get an answer. Starting to fear that they'd been found, and that she was now permanently trapped in a waking nightmare, Liz almost screamed when she felt a bunch of spheres like herself -- malevolent ones -- come to hover over her, and she heard the twin blades and drills pop out on a few as they closed in...

By now, Liz was definitely shrieking, if only inside her mind, as the spheres attacked, and she almost didn't hear a tiny voice cutting through the din. *Liz!* it was saying persistently. *Liz, wake up!*

With a start, Liz opened her eyes, sitting up straight on the slab and setting her boyfriend on edge. Taking a step closer, dropping his arms to his sides, Mike said, "Welcome back. You had me scared for a second there... I was afraid I'd done something wrong when you didn't regain consciousness..." He trailed off, noting the look of fear on her face. "Liz, what happened?"

Liz took a breath, working to calm herself, while placing one hand against her stomach at the remembered ache. "I... I was dreaming," she said, feeling some of the tension ebb away. "I..." She stopped, turning her attention inward to confirm that the tracking device was gone. Much to her relief, she could feel the void where it had been, but further searching led Liz to a startling discovery. After a moment, she looked up at Mike, telling herself that what she was sensing was impossible. "Something's wrong," she told him...

Six Months Later

Reggie had been getting used to the calm. For fourteen years, he'd spent nearly all his time fighting against a hostile takeover of Earth by an entity known as the Tall Man, but that had ended the day he helped Mike and Liz destroy the SOB and his factory for good. He had rescued three orphaned children from the other dimension that evening and had adopted them as his own to raise.

It was strange, being nearly seventy and yet still having a young family to look over, Reggie mused as he pulled the van into his driveway. His wife, Maxine, seated beside him, glanced over at Reggie with a smile, and in the back, Sam, Jonathon, and Tina were still debating over what the best part was in the movie they'd just seen. Maxine put an end to the dispute with the announcement that they were home, and the family of five emerged from the vehicle in a sort of flurry, making their way up to the house.

Wearing a smile, Reggie fished his keys from the pocket of his jeans, grateful that his good fortune had allowed him to recover completely from the stroke of two years ago. You wouldn't guess by looking at him that he couldn't even walk without a cane immediately after the fact; there wasn't even so much as a limp to provide an indication. In any case, Reggie was more than glad that he wasn't disabled in any way when he came up to the front of the house and found the door standing wide open.

Reggie stopped abruptly in his tracks, and Maxine nearly collided with him. She started to ask what was wrong when she caught sight of it herself. For a moment, the family could only stare at the open door with a mixture of disbelief and fear, then Reggie composed himself enough to say, "Maxine, take the kids next door and call the police."

So saying, Reggie started towards the entryway and the darkness beyond it, when Maxine grabbed him by the arm. "What, are you crazy?! You're not going to go in there?!" she argued. "Please, Reg, just come with us, and wait for the police to come handle this."

Reggie sighed, then took her aside. He'd survived terrors beyond imagining in his war against the Tall Man and wasn't about to let some robbers scare him. And Maxine... She might have once been an FBI agent, but since her resignation, she preferred to leave the handling of criminal activity to the professionals. "Max, I have to see," Reggie said calmly. "If there's someone in there, I'm not going to let them take any more of our stuff than necessary."

"And I don't want them to take you!" Maxine protested.

Reggie paused, then reached out to touch her face. "I'll be fine, honey. I'll just sneak in, see what I can find, then hurry back out. I promise, no one's going to see me... Now, go."

Maxine stared at him a moment, then nodded. "I love you," she said, then gathered the children close to her and took off.

Reggie approached the entryway with caution, squinting his eyes to see if he could make out anything inside. Noticing that there was a light on towards the rear of the house, he could only assume that the intruders were in that area, and so stepped inside. Then, taking extreme care not to be heard, he approached the fireplace in the room to his left, grabbing the shotgun he'd had on display over the mantel.

Checking the shotgun to make sure it was still loaded after all these years, Reggie drew in a deep breath. He stayed alert, walking on tiptoes as he made his way towards the back. A brief glance inside the living room informed him that there were two figures just standing there, one by the window, and the other milling near the television, but he didn't look long enough to get a good view of their faces.

Taking a deep breath, holding the shotgun at the ready, Reggie turned away from the dividing wall between the kitchen and living room, taking aim and thankful that their backs were to him. And from what he could see, neither of them appeared to be armed. Taking a chance, he said, "If I were you, I'd stay right where you are! I won't hesitate to shoot if you try anything, and the police are..."

Reggie broke off, shocked silent when the figure by the TV raised his hands in a passive gesture and slowly turned around. After a few seconds, Reggie lowered the gun, breathing a sigh of relief. "Mike," he said in a grateful tone, throwing a glance at the person by the window to confirm that it was Liz. "My God, what are you doing here?! I thought that..." He paused, his smile diminishing somewhat. "You said you couldn't come back until those tracking devices were gone..."

Mike gave a faint grin. "They are," he replied. "And we had to come. We needed someone that we could trust, and you're it... It's good to see you, Reg. It's been a long time."

Reggie took a few steps into the room, pulling Mike into a hug. "It's good to see you too, pal. Both of you!" he replied, shooting a glance at Liz and momentarily curious why she hadn't budged from her spot. "But what's with the breaking and entering? You could have just dropped by anytime, and I would have welcomed you..." Then, Mike's words sunk in, and he took a step back, now noticing that his young friend didn't look overly happy to be here. "What's going on?"

Mike shrugged, looking somewhat distant. "It's not over. Liz and I... We're still in trouble, in a manner of speaking. Something's happened that..." He gave a sigh, looking over at his silent girlfriend. "It's better that you show him, Liz." Curious, Reggie glanced over at Liz as she began to turn. The first thing he noticed was that her eyes were bloodshot, as if she'd been crying nonstop for several hours.

The next thing he noticed -- and Reggie dropped the shotgun to the floor in shock -- was that she was very much pregnant...

Chapter Two

"This shouldn't even be possible, should it?" Reggie found himself asking.

It was hours later before he was able to ask that question. He'd had to hide Mike and Liz while he dealt with the police, put the kids to bed, and explained to Maxine what was happening. Now, the four of them were seated out in the van for a private discussion. An odd location, sure, but at least it would keep the children from overhearing. Tina and Jonathon had been just babies when Reggie had rescued them from the Tall Man's planet, and Sam had suppressed most of the memories, so Reggie saw no need to dredge it all up.

"Shouldn't be, but it is," Liz replied, one hand resting over her enlarged belly. "I know how you feel, Reg. We can hardly believe this ourselves." She paused, then added, "But whatever it is, it's not human. It can't be, not when Mike and I are dead..."

Maxine spoke up in protest at this. Reggie had told her much of the story, of his years fighting a war on the road and of the friends he had "lost" along the way, but she wasn't about to assume the same fatalistic attitude. "How can you be so sure?" she asked Liz. "I know you and Mike technically died when those spheres or whatever were retracted from your bodies, but... We are dealing with alien physics here, and we don't know if the state you're both in now is..." She broke off, unsure how to finish that sentence, then started over. "The memories and the skills and personalities are still with you, both of you. You've even been able to reclaim the human forms you started with! Couldn't it be possible that this baby is, in actuality, a true miracle and not something to be feared?"

Liz considered the possibility for a long while, looking down at herself, then over at Mike. "I'm afraid to accept that in the case that I may be wrong!" She paused, holding Mike's eyes with her own. "I know that it's there. I was aware of it from the start. But every time I try to get a sense of what it is, I draw a blank... On the other hand, I do get a clear feel for all the mechanized parts, so it's possible that this child is normal..."

Reggie flinched at hearing Liz refer to herself as a machine of sorts; he'd refused to philosophize too deeply about what she and Mike had become. So, he couldn't help but change the subject, shifting in his seat so he had a clear view of his friends. "You said you came here because you needed someone you could trust," he said simply. "What can we do to help?"

Mike spoke up at this, leaning over to put one arm around his girlfriend to comfort her. "We have to consider the possibility that the alien race after Liz and I did this. While I was removing the tracer, she had a nightmare... I don't pretend to understand the way they operate, but I know from my dealings with the Tall Man that he had a way of making my dreams bleed into reality."

Liz picked up the train of thought when Mike remained silent. "I couldn't make sense of what I saw or heard in the dream at the time. But, I believe they caught hold of me somehow, and they used that connection to implant something new inside me." She shifted her gaze to Reggie, noting his dubious look. "The point is, Mike and I discussed it and we agreed that we want to know for sure."

Under Reggie and Maxine's ensuing questions, Mike added, "What I was hoping, Reg, was that Liz could stay here for a while, or at least nearby, so I know she'd be safe. The way I figure it, we have at least three months still before this... whatever it is... comes to term." He paused, drawing in a breath he didn't need, as he anticipated Reggie's reaction to the next statement. "In the meantime, I'm going to infiltrate their world for a few days, to see what I can find out."

Reggie's reaction to this was no less than Mike expected. "Are you crazy?!" the elder man exclaimed. "You can't go back there! It's too dangerous, and the odds are great that they'd catch you!"

"But they didn't before," Liz answered. "And that was while we still had the tracking devices... Mike and I went in a few years back when word reached us that they were going to try to find their way back to Earth. We sabotaged their efforts, and they didn't even know we were there until after the fact... There are so many spheres running around their home planet that no one would notice if one more was added to the mix." She paused. "But I believe they would notice me, if they did indeed make me the subject of another of their experiments. That's why Mike has to do this alone."

Reggie didn't like this plan, but he was ready to resign himself to it. Mike and Liz had survived nearly a decade on their own, so he had hope that they knew what they were doing. Exchanging a glance with Maxine, he said, "Okay... In that case, Liz, you're welcome to stay... I don't know what I'm going to tell the kids, but I'll think of something." He paused, leaning back in his seat so he was facing forward. "And Mike... I wish I could help you this time. But the years are catching up with me, and I'm afraid I really am getting too old to be of any use."

Mike took on a solemn expression. "Reg, you're many things, but don't let me hear you calling yourself a liability," he replied. "You helped save the human race, even if only a handful of people know about it. That's quite an achievement for an elderly ex-ice cream vendor."

Reggie managed a grin. "Yeah, I suppose it is," he answered after a moment, catching sight of Liz via the rearview mirror. "By the way, I don't suppose an ultrasound may be in order... Maybe we could figure this out the simple way."

Liz shook her head. "Too risky. We can't trust any doctor to keep his mouth shut over a patient with yellow blood, especially if the baby she's carrying is revealed to be something extraterrestrial... Like it or not, this is the way it has to be." She looked at Mike, touching the side of his face. "You just take care of yourself!" she told her boyfriend. "If I lost you..."

"Never happen," Mike assured her, leaning over to kiss her gently on the lips while Reggie and Maxine looked away bashfully. A moment later, facing forward, Mike added, "I'll be back as soon as possible, the moment I find something out... Hang tight, my friends."

Maxine nearly jumped out of her skin when she saw Mike transform. Hearing about this from Reggie's stories could never have prepared her for the actual thing. Her husband was quick to calm her, even as Liz opened the door on her side and allowed Mike\the sphere to fly out.

Carefully, Liz stepped out after her boyfriend, just staring at Mike a moment as he hovered before her. *I love you,* she sent out telepathically. *Find out some good news for me... for both of us.* With that, the orb took off into the night sky, and Liz was left to follow Reggie and Maxine into the house with a sigh.

Chapter Three

The morning after Mike's departure, Liz found herself being introduced to the kids over breakfast, and despite some initial awkwardness, was quickly invited into the fold. As far as the children were concerned, she was an old friend of Maxine's who'd simply be staying with them until the baby was born or until the father sent for her, whichever came first. Even Sam seemed to accept this story, which surprised Liz. She had half expected him to recognize her as the one who aided Reggie in the rescue all those years ago.

Liz appreciated the fact that she was made to feel more than welcome, even though it bothered her slightly that Reggie and Maxine were going a little out of their way to accommodate her. She even told Reggie as much on the third day, but he just sort of laughed and insisted that it was the least they could do. In turn, Liz insisted that as long as she was staying with them, she could at least help around the house.

So it was one week later that Liz was aiding Maxine with the laundry that the two women found time to truly talk. Amidst the folding of clothes and running the washer and dryer, Liz asked, "How did you and Reg meet, anyway? I never expected to actually come back and find him married, to be honest."

Maxine looked up. "It was the kids," she replied. "To someone who didn't know the story, it simply appeared that they'd been kidnapped, their families murdered. I was an FBI agent who'd been assigned to the case, due to the fact that Tina didn't even live in the same state as the boys, and yet the MO's matched... When I got an anonymous tip that they were in Reggie's care, I staked out his house for a while before moving in and taking him into custody."

Maxine paused, hanging up one of the shirts and moving to fold a towel. "What tipped me off was that Sam hated me for it... He was so fond of Reggie, and when I told him I'd see that he and his little brother would get placed with a better family..." She glanced over at Liz. "I've never seen a nine year old kid throw such a tantrum, before or since... Anyway, my superiors didn't appreciate the fact that I took Reggie's side or that my testimony allowed him to go free. The last thing I wanted to do was resign, but I've been coping with it. And Reg and I were engaged a year later."

Liz had to smile, thinking the whole thing sounded, oddly, romantic. Laying one hand on her swollen stomach, she said, a tad mournfully, "It'd be nice to have that kind of life."

Maxine stopped what she was doing, looking over at Liz in concern. Ever the optimist, she said, "Fate wouldn't be that cruel to do that to you and Mike, considering everything you've already been through..."

"Fate has nothing to do with it," Liz countered, a tear escaping her eye. "It never did." She paused, pacing over towards the door, then turned back to face Maxine. "I miss him already. This is the first time we've actually been apart in a long while. Adjusting is not easy... Tell me, how do you get used to living without what's most familiar?"

"You take it one day at a time," Maxine answered with a sigh. "That's the best I can tell you..."

In keeping with Maxine's advice, Liz did face each day as it came, deliberately keeping herself busy for the majority to ignore how lonely she was. They eventually stretched into weeks and then months, and there was no word from Mike. He wasn't even in a close enough proximity for Liz to contact him telepathically, and thus no way for her to know if he was okay.

Finally, when she was into her eighth month, Reggie took her aside and asked her how she was holding up. Figuring that Maxine must have talked to him, she had simply smiled and said, not very convincingly, that she was fine. Reggie seemed to accept that, but the next day, he steered her into his office for a private chat. Before he even said a word, Liz stated, "I've told you that you don't need to worry about me."

Reggie sighed, sitting down behind his desk opposite her. "You can't blame me for being concerned, under the circumstances... Mike's been gone for two months now. I don't know how long it takes to get to... that planet and back without using the gates, but I imagine we're going to be cutting this pretty close." He leaned forward, regarding her seriously. "You never told me what we might do, if it's determined that whatever you're carrying is not something we want to see born."

Liz lightly bit her lip. "I'm hoping it won't come to that, but I'm prepared to do what I have to. Even if it means killing it." She paused, her eyes welling with tears. "But, it'd be nice if the opposite were true! That Mike and I were the ones who created this new life... Shouldn't we be getting something back after everything that was important was ripped away?!"

Reggie took his time before answering, for he didn't want to say anything to make her feel worse. "I can understand what you're going through. Having a child you can call your own is just about the greatest blessing there is... For what it's worth, my prayers are with you, Liz."

She smiled, looking half grateful and half sad. "Thank you, Reg," she said softly, scooting the chair back and getting to her feet. "Even if it doesn't pan out, thank you..."

***

That evening found Liz in the guest room that Reggie had set up for her, nestled comfortably underneath the covers and blankly staring at one wall. She never actually slept anymore. There was no need for it since she'd become what she was, so all Liz could do was lay there and listen to the sounds, no matter how small, coming from the rest of the house.

After a long while, Liz closed her eyes, attempting to mimic the sleep process as best she could. Slowly, she began to tune out the world around her and had almost succeeded when she heard a voice rise up inside her mind. Instantaneously, Liz's eyes snapped open and she sat up in bed, alert as ever. After a moment, a smile touched her lips as she processed what she was being told. *Mike,* she sent out gratefully. *Welcome home. I've missed you... What did you find out?*

Mike's answer was slow in coming, and for a second there, Liz was beginning to worry. Finally, he said, *It's ours, Liz. This baby is ours, not...* There was another pause, unsettling her ever so slightly. *I've been through their entire system, and it's definite. This is in no way their doing! Isn't it great? We can finally get back to something normal.*

Liz sent him the impression of her nodding in agreement, although she was feeling a tad uneasy. Eventually, she wrote it off as anxiety of the sudden looming prospect of parenthood, but given what would occur on the day of the birth, she really should have known something was wrong...

Chapter Four

The remaining few weeks passed by in a flash, it seemed to Liz. Shortly after Mike's return, Reggie insisted on treating his young friends to a night on the town in celebration. They took in dinner and a show, and Liz had to admit she had a great time. Next, spring turned to summer, and for the kids, the school term ended. Tina and Jonathon were sent off to summer camp, and Sam left to spend two weeks in Malibu with some friends.

The timing worked out rather well, as Liz's contractions would begin approximately three days after Reggie's children had left on their trips. The night before found her and Mike cuddled together in bed in the guest room, and Liz was rejoicing at being back in her boyfriend's arms. Even now, one of his hands was resting on her stomach, so they could both feel the baby kick.

"It's incredible," Liz said softly. "Can you believe we're going to be parents?!"

"It's a miracle, is what it is, and a new beginning for the both of us," Mike answered. "I can't wait to see what he looks like."

Liz looked at Mike curiously, a playful smile on her face. "Now, what makes you think it's going to be a boy?" she teased.

He couldn't help but laugh, his eyes twinkling. "Wishful thinking, I suppose," he answered, kissing her forehead. "But, boy or girl, what do you think of naming it Jody?"

The prospect touched Liz, naming the infant after Mike's older brother. The man in question had suffered through the same transformation as them, but had later been disposed of by the Tall Man for his continuous acts of rebellion. "I think that I'd like that," she answered, turning back onto her side. "Now, what do you say about getting some rest...?"

Liz trailed off when she felt a slight fluttering in her belly, and her mind raced with uncertainty. She was no expert when it came to giving birth, but it seemed to her that the initial sign was presenting itself. Feeling a wave of excitement and elation, she looked back at Mike, too overjoyed to take notice of the dark glint in his eyes. "It's time," she said softly, blissfully unaware that come tomorrow afternoon, her dream would quickly become a nightmare again...

***

Liz opted to wait until tomorrow morning to tell Reggie and Maxine that the delivery was imminent, even though a part of her was awfully tempted to wake them right away to share the news. If anything, Reggie proved to be more anxious than she was and would have had her get off her feet as soon as possible had Maxine not intervened. As it was, when Liz's water broke around noon, Reg got his wish, and the mother-to-be was urged to lay down.

Reclining comfortably on the mattress, Liz's view of the hallway informed her that Maxine was gathering some extra blankets, and she could hear Reggie and Mike in the kitchen preparing to boil some water. After a moment, Maxine entered the room, setting down the blankets in a nearby chair before coming to sit on one side of the bed.

"Hey, Liz. Thought I'd come see how you are," Maxine said, wearing a warm smile. "The guys seem like they're on pins and needles, but how about you?"

Shifting slightly, Liz answered, "Excited, and a little scared, but other than that I'm fine." She paused, looking up at her newfound friend. "Do you... This may sound a little forward, but do you have kids of your own?"

Maxine bit her lip. "Other than the ones Reggie and I are raising, no," she replied. "To be honest... I can't have children."

"I'm sorry," Liz told her.

Maxine shrugged. "Don't be. I'm not... When I met Reg, I was set to gain everything that I could only dream about before. Fate's funny that way, in that it can sometimes provide you with what you've been missing."

Liz was nodding in agreement when Mike came into the room, walking over to stand at the bedside. "Hey, sweetie," Liz said lovingly, wincing ever so slightly when a contraction came on. "How's..."

Before Liz could even finish speaking, things began to go rapidly downhill. She was barely aware of Mike lunging for Maxine, of him grabbing her roughly by the hair and yanking her away from the bed, before it all played out. With a shriek, Maxine half twisted out of his grip, all her instincts primed to defend herself, but Mike was already shoving her out through the doorway. And much to Liz's horror, Maxine collided with the far wall and was instantly knocked unconscious.

All this happened just within a few seconds. In the next, Mike was slamming the door and bolting it shut before turning to face a bewildered Liz. He answered her questions even before she voiced them by saying, rather coldly, "Like you said, it's time. But not here." Mike turned his head towards the right side of the room, and Liz looked on in horror as one of the spacegates appeared. "Time to go home."

In that instant, Liz caught on to what this meant, her fear threatening to overwhelm her. They must have caught him after all, the inhabitants of that planet Mike had gone to, she quickly reasoned, and programmed him to bring her to them when the time was right. Quickly, Liz sprung up from the bed as Mike started towards her, making a mad dash for the door and working to open it. But, when her boyfriend grabbed her around the waist and started to drag her away, Liz settled for the last card she had to play.

"Reg!" Liz screamed at the top of her lungs, fighting against Mike to buy herself some time. But, it was all for naught, and Liz passed out as her "boyfriend" took her forcibly through the gate...

***

When she came around, Liz was unaware of how much time had passed, but the fact that the "child" hadn't been born yet told her it hadn't been long. A quick assessment of her situation told her that (1) she was in the factory, (2) she was on a slab with cuffs around her wrists, ankles, and chest, and (3) Mike was standing nearby looking, appropriately enough, indifferent.

Liz tried to morph, but it seemed that her captors had anticipated that move and arranged to have her put in a dampening field to negate that ability. Finally, she gave up and looked over at Mike in defeat. Inwardly feeling sorry at allowing him to come back here to begin with, she said, "They did this, didn't they? Why? What the hell did they put in me?!"

Mike took a step closer, and Liz could clearly see that nothing remained of the man she loved. There was little chance he'd help her escape then... "After we took out the agent they had assigned to operations on Earth, did you honestly think they wouldn't want to replace him?" Mike said in a remote voice. "What better way to accomplish that than using one of the very people who destroyed him as a host?"

With wide eyes, Liz looked down at herself, horrified by the prospect. And what was worse, there was nothing she could do at this juncture to stop it, unless...

She looked at Mike again, hoping there may be a way to bring him back. "Mike, please!" she implored, tears stinging her eyes. "Don't let this happen! Fight them!" Liz caught a flicker of recognition in her boyfriend's eyes, giving her a split-second of hope, but it was quickly squashed. And, when she heard a door open to her left and saw a group of spheres and dwarves, and their alien masters, shuffle in, she knew she had lost.

So, turning her head so she was looking up at the ceiling, Liz could only let out a resounding, anguished scream that went on to fill her head, as she found herself ensconced firmly back in the hell she had once fought so hard to escape. She wasn't aware of anything that followed except her own inner turmoil, so it surprised her when she heard Mike speaking to her telepathically, calling her name over and over...

Epilogue

When at last she opened her eyes, Liz sat straight up on the slab, looking around wildly. When her gaze landed on Mike, she propelled herself off the table, too frightened to pay attention to the fact that she wasn't cuffed. Taking a step back, Liz warned him, "Stay away from me, you son of a..."

Mike looked perplexed, and concerned, half stepping around the slab. "Liz, what...?"

She picked up a knife from the desk next to her. "I said, stay back!" she said again, holding the weapon up to show him she meant business.

Mike watched her warily for a second, then said softly, "Liz, what's gotten into you? I'm not going to hurt you. I wouldn't..."

After a few seconds, his words began to permeate her terrified mind, and Liz eased up, looking around the room for the first time. Recognizing her surroundings as the lab on Gervon, she dropped the weapon, her hands going to her stomach to confirm what she suspected. "Oh, my God," she said, calming herself. "I... I dreamed the whole thing!" Liz laughed in relief, looking over at her boyfriend before walking closer and embracing him. "Mike," she said gratefully, happy to just be holding him.

He hugged her back, commenting, "That must have been some dream... What happened?"

Liz shook her head. "I can't even begin to tell you. I..." She stopped suddenly, turning her attention inward to check that the tracking device was gone, and, just in case, that there were no surprises awaiting her. She was rewarded on both counts -- no pregnancy. Then, remembering they'd best leave before they were found, Liz stepped back and morphed into her sphere form. *Let's go,* she told Mike. *I'll fill you in on the way...*

***

Six Months Later

As before, Liz and Mike journeyed back to Earth once she had gotten the tracer out of him. Only this time, there were no worries surrounding their arrival, and no reason to break into Reggie's house under cover of darkness. This time around, Mike and Liz found themselves simply sitting up in a tree across the street from their friend's house, both anxious as to what they might find out, safely hidden from any random passersby. They could tell that Reggie was inside, along with the kids, but there was also a group of other people. The best they could determine was that their elder friend was throwing some sort of party.

When she had told Mike of the parts she'd dreamed of concerning Reg, of the intricate details, her boyfriend was the first to question if it all really was a nightmare. Liz had to admit there was a frightening possibility that, if Maxine really existed and the details of her meeting Reggie were true, other aspects of the dream (vision?) might actually come to pass. And maybe the Tall Man really was coming back...

Liz shivered involuntarily, leaning closer to Mike. "Wouldn't it be simpler if we just went over and knocked? I can't stand this waiting."

Mike looked over at her with a sigh. "I don't know, Liz... Reggie's had some years to get back to something normal, married or not. I'd feel funny dredging it all up again for him, especially in front of whatever new friends he's made... I think we should..."

Liz stopped him, noticing that the front door of the house they were watching was swinging open. She watched closely as a handful of people walked out and went to their cars, but she couldn't see inside from where she was sitting. After a moment, she stood up carefully, looking down at Mike. "You know it's going to drive me crazy to hang around here until sundown... Reggie will be happy to see us. I know he will."

After a long hesitation, Mike nodded. In sphere form, he and Liz made their way down to the ground, then transformed back and timidly crossed the street. Finally, finding herself on the doorstep of Reggie's house, Liz raised her hand to knock.

At that moment, though, the door flew open, and the young man on the other side jumped when he saw Mike and Liz standing there. "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you," Liz apologized, not recognizing him. "We're hoping that the owner of the house is here."

"Yeah, sure," the young man answered, turning away to look back the way he'd come. "Hey, Reg, door for you!" So saying, he made his way outside, gently brushing past the young couple.

A few seconds after, Reggie came into view, freezing in his tracks when he caught sight of them. For a long moment, none of the three said anything, then Reg stepped outside, closing the door ever so slightly behind him. "Mike, Liz!" he exclaimed. "Wow! Never expected to see you two pop up here!"

"Yet here we are," Liz answered, smiling as Reg pulled her and Mike into a hug. "The tracking devices are gone, before you ask! It's good to see you. It's been a long time."

"Mutual," Reggie answered, pulling back. "Well, I have a ton of questions to ask you, but unfortunately, it's going to have to wait. Sam's having some friends over to celebrate his birthday, so this isn't exactly the best time... Are you both free to come back this evening?"

Liz nodded, but stopped Reggie when he moved to go back inside. "First, I need to ask something, and it would be better if you don't question it... Are you... Reg, have you met anyone?" she asked, her tone letting him know exactly what she meant.

If Reggie was perplexed, he did a good job of hiding it. "Well, sure have... Her name's Maxine, and she's a former FBI agent, believe it or not. And wait until you hear the story of how I met her; you'll sure get a kick out it..."

Liz tuned out what Reggie was telling her at this point, exchanging a look with Mike. *Well,* she sent out in an ironic tone. *I guess we know what comes next. Get ready for another big fight, my love, because there is no way I'm sitting back to let them resurrect that bastard.*

*Bring it on,* Mike answered in agreement...