Disclaimer: Not mine

Notes: Alternate universe (although Max's background in this is extremely similar to the one I have planned for my personal canon ..).

--

Max tried to keep his mind active, trying to focus on something that didn't involve his growling stomach or that the last time he slept had been the quick nap he'd caught in the alley yesterday. But considering that he still had no idea where he was going, he wasn't having much luck. He hated to admit it, but going home was starting to look pretty good right now. He and his father... hadn't exactly parted on the best of terms, but his head must've cooled off at this point, at least enough to remember that they were family...

He loomed over him, blocking the porch door with his body. "I never want to see your face around here again."

Okay, so going home wasn't an option. Max took in his surroundings: clean houses, clean cars, clean everything-- he must've made better time than he thought if he was already in the suburbs. Of course, this meant he had to keep up his pace, unless his wanted to deal with the disdain of the middle class in a couple of hours. There was a bowling alley not too far away. A few people knew him there; if he was lucky they'd let him stay long enough to figure out what he was supposed to do now.

Then he noticed it.

It was the same as the other houses when it came to size and architecture, but this one... wasn't just a house. It was a home. It even had a white picket fence, for goodness sake. A tiny pink bicycle had been left in the yard, there was a homemade wind chime hanging on the door light, and the garden... what Max knew about flowers consisted of the home and garden magazine covers he sometimes glanced at while his father bought beer, but he could tell that someone had put a lot of hard work into making all those flowers grow (even if he wasn't sure what some of those flowers were called). Max had no idea what kind of family lived here, but he already knew that there was a lot of love shared here.

A sudden wave of dizziness overtook him, and it took everything Max had left in him not to sink to the sidewalk. Well, he wasn't going to make it to the bowling alley now, not in the shape he was in. If the family that lived here was as nice as their home seemed to be, then they wouldn't mind if he leaned against their fence for a few minutes... just long enough to catch his breath...

--

Hey... Hey... Are you all right?

Someone was talking to him, but the voice was too was far away to make out much more...

Look horrible... get you inside...

Max felt arms around him, the sudden sensation of weightlessness--

And then nothing.

--

The first thing Max was aware of was that he was in a bed. Pillows, comforter, the works. It wasn't until he had adjusted to the idea of waking up someplace other than his mildewed mattress back home or an alleyway that he heard the voices.

"It's been hours. Why isn't he awake?"

"Dunno-- wanna try kissing him?"

"Very funny."

"I know I'm good looking, but I'm not that kind of boy." Max flinched inwardly at how raw his voice sounded. He opened his eyes and saw a girl in a pink sweater leaning against a dresser...

... And a young man leaning over him, giving him the warmest smile Max had ever seen in his life.

Of course, not that many people had smiled at Max in his life, so he didn't have much to compare... but somehow, he knew that there was something different to this particular smile-- and to the man smiling down at him.

But now wasn't the time to be thinking about that. He cleared his throat, and when he spoke again, he sounded almost normal. "So, um, who are you guys?"

The man blinked. "Oh, right. I'm so sorry, I should have told you right away. I'm Danny," he began as he pushed the wire-rimmed glasses he was wearing up the bridge of his nose, "and she's my youngest sister, Carmen." The girl in pink waved at him from her spot near the dresser.

Max smiled at her. "Cute kid."

Carmen snorted derisively. "You're a kid, too."

"I'm not a kid--"

"Carmen." Danny's tone was gentle but definite. He reached over, placing a breakfast tray on Max's lap (he must've been out of it if he hadn't smelled the food). "I'm afraid that all we have to offer you is instant oatmeal and lukewarm juice, but grocery day's tomorrow and--"

Anything Danny said after that was drowned out by the sound of Max inhaling his breakfast.

"Sheesh." Carmen perched on the side of bed. "When was the time you ate--"

"I'm Max," he said as he finished the last spoonful of oatmeal. "And I think it was Wednesday-- I remember 'cause I found a couple of dollars and bought a bag of chips."

Danny's eyes darkened with concern. "When was the last time you slept?"

"I took a nap yesterday, if that counts."

Max tried to ignore the warmth that went through him when Danny placed a hand on his shoulder. "Do you have anyone you want to call? Anyplace you want me to drive you to?"

"No, I don't."

Danny didn't remove his hand as he looked Max in the eye. "Why's that?"

"Because my dad kicked me out of the house."

He hadn't meant to say that. Max was going to feed him the excuse he'd come up with in case anyone asked... but all Danny had to do was look at him, and the truth just came tumbling out. Max didn't want to dwell on why that happened.

And judging from Danny's expression-- some weird mix of shock, sympathy, and anger-- he wouldn't have the time to dwell, either. "What father would do that to his own son?!" He had been sitting by Max's side since he first woke up, so he was struck by just how tall Danny was when he stood up, pacing. "W-we have to do something, we have to--"

"Will you calm down already?" Max stretched and grabbed Danny by the arm. "Look... it's okay, really. And it's my problem, not yours."

"He's got a point," Carmen admitted with mild interest, seemingly unaffected by Danny's following cold glare.

"But... I want to help." Danny was giving him the same look that had made Max spill his guts without even realizing it. "At least let me call my father and tell him we have a guest for tonight?"

It was a bad idea, he had enough to deal with, and he had already caused them too much trouble...

Danny smiled at him again.

"Okay, fine. But just for tonight!" Max chose to ignore the fact that Danny was practically skipping out of the bedroom, turning his attention to his younger sister. "Is he always like that?"

"Pretty much." Carmen's face grew serious as she tugged on a pigtail. "So... you really don't have a place to stay?"

"There is my summer home in Angel Grove, but I'd rather not. The place is crawling with tourists this time of year." Max fell back on the pillows, closed his eyes, and hoped Carmen would catch the hint.

She hadn't. "Well, I was thinking that once all this is taken care of... maybe you could live with us."

Max sat up again. "Are you completely--"

Carmen leaned towards him. "No, you could. I know Papa will agree once he knows the whole story, and my other sisters will love you. You and Danny could share a room, and besides... I think he likes you."

He felt something inside him twinge. "You're joking."

Her pigtails bounced as she shook her head. "He carried you in here. And the breakfast he fed you? It was his until he found you slumped next to our fence. He even skipped his Horticulture class just so he could be here when you woke up-- and Danny never skips Horticulture class."

Max felt a twinge again, but this one was a little different than before. He turned his head and saw Danny in the hallway, deep in conversation, but not so deep not to smile at Max quickly before disappearing again.

And even though he was gone, Max smiled back.