Zac
Isabel pointedly looked at the time, and then at Max.
"Is nine in the morning a good enough time to call him?" she asked.
Max gave her a look and sighed.
"Hey, it's not my fault that Dathrians require more sleep than the two hours Semirellians only need. I hardly think he would have appreciated you calling him to tell him he was the father of Julie's baby."
"He's not gonna like it no matter what time of day I call him."
Max just shook his head resignly. Isabel picked up the phone and dialed.
"Hello?" said Isaac, picking up the phone.
"Hey, this is Isabel. Isabel Evans. Is Zac there?"
"Sure, just a sec."
There was movement noises on the other end as the phone switched hands.
"Hi Izzy," Zac said cheerfully. "What can I do for you?"
"Do you know a girl named Julie Williams?"
"Yeah..."
"Did you know she was pregnant?"
"Yeah I did," Zac replied softly. "Why do you ask?"
"She's my next door neighbour. We were talking about her check up yesterday and you will not believe what I found out."
"What?"
"Her baby doesn't get picked up by the sonogram half the time."
"So?"
"Ever heard of a power called Steath?"
"Sure I have. I think it's pretty cool. Can't emit sounds nor be picked up but stuff that detects sound unless you want to, and you can blend into your environment. What does that have - oh dang..."
"Congratualtions Zacky-boy, your human girlfriend is going to have a hybrid baby with powers."
"No, no, no, no, no, no. It can't be. Julie told me - she told me, when I asked her if it were mine. She said she didn't think so - she slept around as bad as me - are you sure it's not someone else?"
"Zac, I went into her dreams last night. You're the only alien guy she slept with."
"I am so dead. Poor Julie... she won't know what she's in for with a Stealth baby. I actually met a guy with Stealth once - I think he was like the only one on the whole freaking planet and he was joking about all the stuff he got away with growing up. Oh man!"
Isabel said nothing.
"Dang! Hey, are you... can you... a doctor... and help..."
"Don't worry about the doctor. I'm going to refer her to Dr Patterson today. But I really think that you owe her something for all -"
"Believe me, Izzy, I'm not going to abandon Julie. Yes I know I cheated and everything but I'm not a comeplete jerk. I promise you if... if Julie had told me the baby was mine I would never have lost contact with her," Zac paused. "I'll go hunt her e-mail up again. I swear I will."
"You'd better do more than just keep in contact with her," Isabel said darkly. "She deserves more than that."
"I know she does. I know," he paused. "Do you... do you think we should tell her? I mean... she has a right to know that he child has this power but uhh... I have no idea how she's going to handle it."
"Maybe you should ask your Dad for a little advice."
Zac was silent.
"Yes..." he replied slowly and reluctantly. "I probably should. Thanks for telling me, Izzy. Could you keep an eye out for her? At least until I get something organised."
"Yeah, I will. But because Julie is my friend. Not because you asked me."
"I understand. Thanks again. Bye."
"Bye."
The two hung up. Zac chewed his lip and then went looking for his father.
Walker
Walker looked over the papers on his desk in the office and sighed. He may have been the only council member to stay in one place, but that didn't lighten the amount of work he had to do. If anything it increased it, as most aliens in Tulsa knew how to contact him with their problems, etc.
He picked up one piece of paper. Someone needing confirmation to become a YIRAAS honourary member. Carefully judging their details, he added his signature to the bottom. Then he slid the form into a filing cabinet, and began to adjust a letter of recognition on his laptop.
Zac
Zac stepped into the office nervously.
"Umm, Dad?" he said. "I, uhh, I have something to tell you. Err, I'm not interrupting you am I? 'Cause I can always come back later."
Walker
"Of course not," Walker spun his chair around, "you know I'm willing to listen to anything. Let me just print this off."
He sent the letter to print, and waited for it to come through.
"Don't forget I need to pick up Taylor from the hospital soon. I keep forgetting. Remind me afterwards," he grinned, "I don't think he'd be too happy being left there for another night."
He grabbed the letter from the printer, signed the bottom of it, and put it in an addressed envelope. Then he set it on the desk and turned to his sun.
"Close the door and sit down," he offered.
Zac
Zac closed the door and sat down. Then he stood up again. And sat down again.
And stood up again and paced around the room.
"Don't yell at me, okay?" he asked. "I know it was stupid and I should have been more careful and should have listened and everything and I have no excuse and that's why I'm here because I need... I need to know... what to do to make everything right again."
Zac sat down.
Walker
Walker watched his son getting up and sitting down and pacing the room. Something had to be wrong.
"This isn't anything to with the band is it?" he asked, "I know the concert's booked for 28th and we can't move it. All the invites have been sent out."
He hesitated for a moment. It wasn't about the concert. He could tell. Zac was his son.
"Ok, it's not the concert. Just calm down and start from the beginning," he said slowly, leaning forward a little, "and I promise I won't yell."
Zac
Zac couldn't look at his dad. Dang it, how could he have gotten himself into this mess? He was so dead.
"You, ahh... you remember my friend Julie? She moved to Roswell a couple of weeks ago."
Walker
"Yes, I remember Julie. Nice young girl. What about her?" Walker asked, concerned.
The look on Zac's face wasn't helping the situation at all.
"Whatever it is, just come out with it. I'm not going to yell or anything. There's always a way around a situation. If it's drugs, we'll send the person to rehab," he shrugged, hoping to get somewhere with his suggestions.
Zac
"Just say it Zac," he told himself.
He felt like the whole world could hear his heart pounding in his chest.
"It's not drugs Dad. But me and Julie dated for awhile and well... I ahh... she got pregnant," Zac rushed on before Walker could reply. "And she didn't even tell me at first because her Dad found out and went psycho and I had to practically hunt her down and force her to tell me why she was avoiding me and when I asked her if it was mine she said she didn't think so. But see, she moved next to Isabel - you know, Rachel's cousin - and she told Isabel that the baby wasn't getting picked up on the sonogram half the time, so Isabel figured out that the baby must have Stealth, and the only way that could happen is if the father was alien, because Julie is human. SO she went into her dreams and figured out that I'm the only alien Julie has ever slept with and..."
Zac couldn't go on any more. He simply buried his head in his hands.
Walker
Walker just sat patiently, listening to his son flood him with information he didn't wish upon any religious parent. He waited for him to finish, feeling his face get warmer by the second, and then just sat in silence for a moment contemplating what he was told.
"Hmm..." he began, raising his eyebrows and looking away, "well it seems we have a bit of a problem on our hands. I'm not going to yell, I promised I wouldn't."
He hesitated, biting his lip.
"I am ashamed, and embarrassed, but I can't let the focus be on me here. You have a very large problem on your hands now, because you must either tell Julie about the Dathrian race yourself, or let me organize someone from YIRAAS to do it for us."
He leant back slightly.
"If you are absolutely sure that the child is yours and that it has powers, then you might want to consider your future. Being human, Julie will not know how to cope with an alien child. I think you should take the responsibility and help her - assuming she will want to keep the child. If she wants to place it under adoption, it will have to be through the YIRAAS. You know the drill."
Zac
Zac felt like he was going to cry.
"I am so sorry Dad. I didn't mean... I was being careful, I swear I was! I'll tell her. Somehow. It might be a bit odd if I call up one day and say, 'oh hey, Julie, just thought I'd let you know you're having my baby after all'. But I will tell her, I promise."
Walker
Walker hesitated, but nodded.
"Very well. If you need help with anything, don't hesitate to ask. Who's going to tell your mother, your or I?"
Then he grinned.
"Assuming the child makes it, I never thought my first grandchild would be from you," he said, trying to lighten the atmosphere a little, "I thought it would be either Isaac or Taylor. You boys never cease to surprise your old man."
Zac
"Well, y'know, we try," Zac grinned, feeling his old self coming back. "Don't worry Dad, I'm not going to mess this up. I promise I'll make everything right again. I just... I just hope Julie can handle it. Dad? What... what happens if she can't?"
Walker
"If Julie can't handle it..." Walker began, rubbing his face, "then as much as I hate to say it, we will need to take the child from her and erase her memory. Play that the child died and put it up for adoption. I'm hoping that won't have to happen."
He sighed, and scratched his head.
"I'd better go and fetch Taylor. Want to come with me?" he offered, taking his car keys from the desk.
Zac
Zac shook his head.
"No, I'm goinna figure out my plan of attack. I hope she can handle it. I'd feel guilty forever if we had to take the baby away."
And Zac got up and headed down to his room.