Chapter 5: Too Much to Swallow

***Nadeen's POV***

I just stood there, close to tears remembering Lola. I wondered if the memory would soon poof out of my mind or would it slowly fade until I couldn't think of her anymore. I couldn't imagine not being able to think about Lola. She was all that was on my mind. It had been my job to give her life, and I had failed. I would never forgive myself. 

As my thoughts seemed to calm down I realized that the very person I was upset with was standing right in front of me. Lola! Why wasn't she gone? Isn't that what we feared? Before I figured out how to speak again I saw Lola change from a child to a teenager, just like I was. 

"I-I can't believe it." I whispered. 

Lola turned around and smiled at me. She ran over to me and gave me a hug.

"What happened? I thought you were going to be gone?" I asked her. 

Lola shook her head. "I don't know...maybe...maybe...something changed. Maybe someone took pity on us or...or something." 

I didn't waste any time after that. I didn't know if what Lola said was right or not. What if this happened and I still forgot about Lola? I had to change her into a real person before it was too late. I stayed up way past bedtime and woke up extremely early for the next few weeks. 

Once I finally finished something I was confident in Lola drinking I closed the door and gave her the liquid. 

"Are you sure?" Lola asked me. 

"I'm much more sure than I have been before." I didn't want to lie to her. 

"Well...bottoms up!" Lola said and chugged the entire bottle. I didn't want her to see, but I was shaking. What if it was just a little bit wrong? What would happen?

Suddenly Lola was surrounded and I could barely see her. Fear trickled over me. What if this killed her? All that work and all my time with Lola would be for nothing. I would've killed my only friend. I closed my eyes, not knowing if I could handle the consequences if it turned out wrong. 

After what seemed like a decade there was a tap on my shoulder. I peeked through my eyes and didn't see the face I had grown accustomed to. No, this girl didn't look like anything imaginary. This girl looked real. 

"L-Lola?" I asked curiously. 

She grabbed my shoulders and pulled me into a tight hug. I hugged back relieved as tears fell down my face. Lola wasn't lost, I had succeeded. She was alive!

"I can't even explain to you how nice it is to feel you." Lola told me. 

I was confused. "We've hugged before..."

"Before I couldn't feel any of it. Now....now it's different. I can feel."

Lola Emme as a teenager

I knew the next thing to do was explain all of this to my father. After so many months of being a hermit, not wanting anything to do with him, I needed him so much right now. Where would Lola stay if not with us? I wondered how I would ask him. Would lying to him make more sense? Maybe telling him she needed a place to stay, that her parents kicked her out....but somehow...I thought my dad deserved more than that. 

I took a deep breath and walked into the kitchen with Lola beside me. He was there preparing dinner for everyone. "Dad? I want you to meet someone."

***Harvey's POV***

I barely heard Nadeen come in, not because she was quiet, but because I didn't expect it. Since she grew into a teenager she had selcuded herself to her room. She'd take food up there, sleep there and when she wasn't in school, be there as well. It was odd to get one word out of her. Now, she wanted me to meet someone? When did she find time out of her room to meet someone?

"Dad, this is Lola...she's...she's my imaginary friend." 

I blinked..."I don't know sweets...she looks sort of real to me." 

"No, Dad, listen. All those months, maybe even years I was in my room I wasn't just goofing off. That toy I had as a baby it...it wasn't just a toy. It turned into Lola. And I've been trying to find a potion to get her to become real. And I did, Dad, I finally did. Lola, this is my imaginary friend and I turned her into a real girl." Nadeen looked so concerned with what I thought I had to break the tension. 

"Like Pinocchio." 

"I'm not made out of wood." Lola chimed in. 

I had to admit her story was a little to big to swallow, but it did explain all the emotion and time in her room at that table. She didn't have a reason to lie to me and to top it all off she was willing to give up her bed for bunk beds. I really didn't see a reason to stop Lola from living with us.  

I was also a little preoccupied with my little boy, Malachi's, birthday. He was turning to a child today and I was so excited to see what he would look like and how his personality would be. 

Malachi Magee as a child. 

Just like Nadeen I fixed up his room as he would like it. Unlike Nadden though, Malachi didn't want to stay indoors at all. 

Almost as soon as he grew up he was out the door to a little pond by the house. He was in love with fishing. I wondered if I was going to have the issues I had with Nadeen with him; where I would never see him ever again. 

That night when I was peacefully sleeping I was woken up by a loud scream. "The baby! It's coming!!!!!" Liza screamed in my ear. I sat up in a panic and fell off the bed and onto the floor. It hurt, but I had no time to nurse my wound. I ran Liza to the hospital after telling Nadeen to watch Malachi. I could not believe the result. 

Welcome baby #3 Knox Perry!

Welcome baby #4 Shona Perry! 

Twins! I can't believe I finally had my first pair of twins so early in my challenge. I hoped there would be more surprises like this to come!

Chapter 4: No More Time to Lose

The first day I sent my baby girl to school was so hard for me. All I could remember was all the time we spent at home, just the two of us. Now her world was going to expand and I wasn't going to be the only thing she needed. It was hard for me to let go, but it was easier knowing I had Malachi with me. 

It did start getting me worried about what would happen with Malachi went into his school aged years, so I took up Neve's advice and looked up a website called, babychallenge.com to see if there were any women out there willing to participate in my challenge. To my luck there were a few, though I wasn't so sure about meeting women this way. I figured I would have to find a better way this time, but for now, I had a date with a new woman later in the week. 

I spent most of my time with Malachi, teaching him all he needed to know. I realized pretty quick he was a chunkier baby than Nadeen ever was. I wondered if it was just because he was a boy, or if he was going to have problems with weight. I hoped for the best and just reminded myself how lucky I was to have a healthy baby. 

When Nadeen would get back from school I couldn't believe how hard it was to get her to do her homework. I would go up to her room to see her working away at her chemistry table and then scold her for not doing her homework. She would grumble, take off her lab coat and start doing it. "What's the point if I can't do it in time?" I heard her say one time....though I don't know if she was talking to me. 

That Friday when Nadeen was already at school I took Malachi with me to the dog park where I told my potential new baby momma we would meet. I was nervous. All I could picture was someone with as many problems as Rian had. What if she only did this because she wanted a place to stay like Kiva? It made me worried that all potential mothers would be like this. 

When I saw her though my heart melted. She had the most beautiful red hair I had ever seen. Her jade eyes were almost glowing they were so bright. Right off the bat I could see a certain caring look on her face that I had yet to see in one of my baby mommas. 

"Umm...hey. You must be Liza." I held out my had. She laughed and went in for a hug. 

"And you must be Harvy." she told me. She smiled and looked down at Malachi. "Oh, is this the newest addition?"

"Yes, this is baby number two, Malachi." I told her. 

She smiled and shook Malachi's tiny hand, making him giggle. "Second huh? Well aren't you a newbie!" 

I laughed and blushed. "Guess you have to start somewhere right?" 

Liza and I hit it off immediately. Even before we left we were holding hands and snuggling. She told me that she rarely uses the website for the baby challenges she participates in, but once in a while she gets lucky. When I asked her what she meant by lucky she smiled and said, "Well obviously some guys just use that site for an easy...umm....lay, I guess." I was shocked that anyone would be that cruel and it bothered me that Liza had been a victim of that. I was happy she was going to be with me for the next few months. 

When we got home we got straight down to business and it was the first time that wasn't awkward. It was one of the best memories I have, because there was something more there than just getting the "job' done. There was passion. 

**Nadeen's POV**

Honestly, how hard can it be to get a stupid potion to work? I had been trying to months...maybe even a year by now to get something that would keep Lola in my life. Since that night Lola told me there was a was to change her into a real person I couldn't not try and get her what she wanted. She was everything to me. Every night I would have nightmares about losing her forever. Every morning I would wake up earlier than I should and work...until dad would come and make me go to school. Ugh! Couldn't he see I was too busy for stupid stuff like school? 

"Nadeen...can we talk?" Lola asked. 

"I'm busy Lola, can it wait?" I asked. 

She sighed. "Maybe...maybe it would be better if we just came to the realization that this isn't going to happen and just stop." Lola told me. 

I froze. 

"I mean...look at you. You're not getting enough sleep, you're grades are slipping."

"But Lola, this is your life. I have to try." I tried to explain. 

"But what if there just isn't enough time to find the potion that'll change me? Look at all this time we're wasting when we could just be enjoying ourselves while we can." 

"Lola, I need you to give me more time. I will find it before I lose you. I promise." I begged her. I needed her to trust me. I would put off growing up as much as possible. I couldn't lose her...my life would be meaningless.

**Harvy's POV**

Sometimes I would catch myself just staring at Liza. I swear she got more beautiful with each passing moment. She would sometimes catch me staring and start laughing, then do some silly face to make me laugh. It made me wonder if there was more than just a challenge between us. 

Not to mention she did wonders with Malachi. Whenever he was crying she would pick him up and start playing with him. He would laugh and play with her and all her cares went away. It made me wonder how such a wonderful woman got into a profession like this? She made such a great mother, why wouldn't she want to settle down and raise the children she had?

A while after Liza found out she was pregnant. I was thrilled, but also a little sad. I now knew that our relationship had a time limit on it. In 9 months time Liza would have our baby and then she would be gone. It was bitter sweet. 

"Hey Harvy, isn't Nadeen's birthday coming up?" Liza asked me. 

"Yes, but I guess we're not really doing anything fancy." I told her with a frown. 

"Why is that?" She asked me. 

"Something is going on with Nadeen. She's not thrilled at all to be a teenager. She's even gotten to the point of tears with me about it." I was really worried about Nadeen, but it's not like I had the power to postpone her birthday. Maybe when she was a teenager she would realize it wasn't that bad. 

***Nadeen's POV***

How could it be my birthday already? This morning I begged my dad to let me stay home from school. Maybe with just a few more hours I could find the potion, but he refused. He basically dragged me to the bus. All day people were so nice to me. Telling me how they were going to miss me when I went to high school and I would cry. They thought it was for them, but it wasn't. It was for Lola. I had failed, I didn't keep my promise and now Lola would be lost forever. 

"Lola, I am so sorry. So so sorry." I cried holding onto my dear friend. She hugged back as tightly as she could. 

"It's okay Nadeen. You know that I will always love you, always." She told me and it made me cry so much more. In only a few short minutes I would lose my best friend, the one that I could never replace. I let her down and she would be nothing more than a doll. Would I even remember her. 

"I love you Lola." I said as I felt my birthday start to happen.

"I love you Nadeen." 

Baby #1: Nadeen Emme as a teenager

Chapter 3: Not so Imaginary....

I walked behind Nadeen as she walked up the stairs and turned left. "The farthest room." I told her. As she opened the door she stood there with her mouth open. She was in shock. 

I even remembered how she kept saying she wanted her own chemistry table and got one in her room. 

"So, how do you like it?" I asked her. 

For a second Nadeen just stood there quietly until she took a deep breath. "Dad, this is amazing. I love it so much and I've only been in here for a minute." 

"I'm glad!" I told her. 

I actually was much more than glad. To see my first born so excited and happy with a surprise I did for her was just a great reward in itself. As I walked down the hall I saw one of the first paintings I did, one of my mother a little after she had died. I stood there and smiled at it. Sure, the lines weren't as straight as they should've been, but that was my mother. 

"Maybe I am a good parent." I told her. She smiled back at me, though...that's how I painted her. 

Nadeen spent literally all her time in her room on that chemistry table. I was a little worried so I installed a fire alarm right behind it. She had really taken a liking to it, though sometimes it was annoying....for example, it was ridiculously hard to get her to come down for dinner. 

***Nadeen's POV***

Sometimes I didn't understand the adults in this house. They get me my very own chemistry table and then I swear every five minutes they are in here telling me I need to do other stuff....okay maybe not five minutes, but I tend to get wrapped up in my work. For example, today I was on the verge of making a horror potion, a potion if taken will scare the bejesus out of whoever drank it when Kiva came in. 

"Hey Nadeen?" 

"I'm busy." I told her, yet she still came in. Honestly, I have no idea why my dad chose her for a birth mother...but whatever. 

"Actually I'm just here to drop something off."

She put a doll I hadn't seen since before my birthday on the ground. I looked back at it and memories flooded. That doll, Lola, was the only thing that kept me happy when my mom decided to leave us. "Oh, uh...thanks Kiva."

"No problem....now this laundry needs to be picked up before you go to bed." 

"Yes, yes, I know." Honestly....this woman. 

I had a huge urge to put down what I was doing, but then the thought of the horror potion came back into my head and I was back in my own world and my liquids. 

For a second I didn't even hear the faint buzzing that had begun to happen behind me. Then, when I heard it, I looked up wondering if something was happening down the street. Finally I turned around and looked at the spot Lola used to be. Instead there was a large Lola...a moving Lola! I freaked out and stumbled back, causing two of my liquids to spill into each other. I tried to stop it, but "KABOOM" 

I looked up after the explosion and realized any luck I had with making the horror potion tonight was blown, and I would have to explain singed clothes in the laundry again to by dad, but all of those thoughts diminished once Lola walked up to me. 

"N-Nadeen?" my used-to-be doll asked me. 

I nodded. 

"Do you remember me?" she asked. 

I nodded. 

"I missed you...so very much." 

And with that she gave me a hug. I was freaked out, but as if it was second nature I gave her a hug back. All the comfort I found in her when she was a doll was still there. I tried not to think about how I was going to tell those who loved me that I wasn't crazy. 

***Harvey's POV***

Kiva had went to bed early this night, saying her back was killing her and she needed to lie down. I gave her a hug before she left for my bedroom. 

I decided to stay up a little bit and worked on my latest sculpture. It wasn't long before I heard Kiva, all the way on the third floor screaming. I dropped my tools and ran up the flights of stairs, not knowing what exactly to expect. 

Kiva wasn't kidding when she said labor came very easily for her. By the time I got up there (in maybe 10 seconds) she wasn't in labor anymore. She was holding our son. I walked over to her astonished. 

"What's his name?" she asked me. 

I was stunned for a few seconds. "Don't you want a say in it?" 

"Not really, don't want to get attached." she said with a fake smile and sad eyes. 

"Malachi.....Malachi Magee." I told her. She laughed but nodded. 

Kiva fed Malachi and then put him to bed. She then started to pack. I stopped her as she was leaving, astounded she was leaving so quickly. 

"Kiva, you can stay for a while, you don't have to leave so soon." I told her. 

She smiled and gave me a hug. "Oh Harvey, you are a sweet one."

"I'm serious. I've heard birth mothers stay until the child has had a birthday. I wouldn't mind, honestly." I told her. 

Again, the smile came up. "I came to give you a child and I have done that. If I don't leave now it'll become more than that, with you and with Malachi." 

She held me close, and for a moment I was ready for a kiss, but she only looked deep into my eyes. "Please take good care of him." 

"I promise." I told her. And razzed my hair a little and then left and got in a cab. As I watched her drive away I wondered if every birth mom was going to want to leave so quickly. 

Baby #2: Malachi Magee

***Nadeen's POV***

I stayed up way too late working on my chemistry table and now I felt my stomach grumble. I allowed myself to make my way down to the kitchen and grab some left over mac & cheese. I heated it up and then went to the dining room to eat it. Just a little snack before I went to bed. As I sat down to eat though, I was startled to see Lola sitting in a chair opposite me. "Oh my gosh Lola! You scared me!" I started laughing, but Lola only held a frown. "What's the matter?"

"I'm sorry Nadeen, I'm just...a little sad about how distant we have become. I remember you used to spend almost all your time with me...but now...you barely say hi to me. I just wish the time I got left would be more spent with you." 

"I didn't mean to...it's just the chem....." I paused. "Wait, what do you mean the time you've got left?"

Lola sighed. "Well Nadeen...Imaginary Friends don't just stay with you forever. Once you reach you're teenage years...you won't be able to see me anymore." 

I was shocked, I found my mouth open in horror. "You mean....you mean I only have a few years left with you?" Lola nodded sadly. "But....no! There's got to be another....there's got to be something!" 

We sat there in quiet for a while. 

"Well...there is something...." 

Thanks for reading! <3