A/N: Zoe and Max weren't even in the episode! :'( and I'm in urgent need of some Zax fluff so I wrote this. However because there wasn't anything to go on I decided to incorporate Rita and her husband into my post ep so the story keeps on flicking between them.
I listened
Zax
Knock knock knock, Max rapped on the front door to Zoe's boathouse praying that she would be the one to answer.
Unfortunately luck wasn't in the cards for him and it was Dylan with his usual superior sneer who was stood in front looking down at him.
"What do you want?"
"Is Zoe in?" asked Max
Dylan looked him up and down before replying "Well what would you want with her?"
"I…" Max stumbled unsure what to say. Fortunately for Max, Zoe took that exact moment to find out what was taking so long at the door.
"Dylan who's there?" she called as she walked into the entrance.
"It's erm…"
"Max" Zoe exclaimed in surprise when she saw him
"Ah yes Maxwell isn't it?" muttered Dylan unaware that he was interrupting anything "Well I'll leave you two to get on with it then."
"Max what are you doing here?" asked Zoe as soon as Dylan had gone.
Rita/Mark
"Thank you for coming" said Mark to his wife who was walking alongside him towards to restaurant.
"This is all you're getting Mark" said Rita "You want me to hear you out fine, but I'm not just going to fall back into your arms like a lovesick puppy. I'm here as a gesture of goodwill."
"Well thank you" he said again "So how have you been?"
"Fine"
"That new uniform then, did you get a promotion"
"I'm not here to make small talk Mark"
"Oh come on Rita at least I'm trying to make amends"
"Making amends, that's what you think you're doing here. I told you earlier Mark you can't just put it right like that."
"I know but I've got to start somewhere and I would appreciate a little help."
"Well I would appreciate it if you learnt how to time travel and change everything that's happened but we can't all get want we want" and with that they both walked the rest of the way to the restaurant in silence.
Zax
"Look I know you said you weren't coming to my office to talk to me-
"I wasn't"
"But you obviously were."
"No I wasn't Max I was coming to find out what you were doing instead of working like you should have been"
"So you noticed I was missing then"
"Only because I needed someone to take a patient to x-ray" Zoe protested
"Ok well you know what, fine. But I need you to know that the kiss you saw meant nothing"
"I don't care Max. What happened between us was just a bit of fun and it's over now like I said before. Go and find someone who does mean something to you and move on"
"I had found someone" he said quietly
Zoe sighed "Max I…"
"You're not telling me you don't care about me"
"Of course I care about you but as a work colleague or a friend"
"So everything that happened between us meant nothing to you at all"
"You know it didn't" whispered Zoe softly
Rita/Mark
"I'm not going to try and justify my actions to you because I can't justify them to myself" said Mark "But you need to know that what happened will never happen again"
"You said that you were a changed man earlier"
"And I am" he paused
"Is that all you've got to say?"
"Why won't you forgive me?"
"What sort of question is that? I would say it's blatantly obvious why I and anyone else who knew you would never forgive you"
"But you still care about me, you said you do"
"I care about the man I married"
"And I am that person. You know I am otherwise you wouldn't be here now"
"I'm here to listen to you plead your case so then you might leave because I can't take this anymore"
"Can't take what?"
"This" she said gesturing between the two of them "You trying to make me forgive you when I can't and even if I do care I can't trust you Mark however hard I try"
"But I'll prove to you that you can trust me again"
"I don't think you can Mark. I know you didn't go near Grace today but that didn't stop me thinking about it at the time. I'm always going to have that fear in the back of my mind Mark, it's never going to go away. So how can I trust you not to do it again?"
"You just have to know me. To believe me when I say I'm sorry and know that I won't ever do it again"
"I thought I did today but when Grace went missing… I've got to go"
"Rita please don't"
"No I've heard you out like I said I would and I need to go now. I need you to go actually as far away from Holby as possible" she said standing up
"Thank you Rita for everything" said Mark
Rita stopped and looked down at him "Good bye Mark"
Zax
"I don't believe you"
"What?" questioned Zoe shocked
"If you didn't care you would have left before I even woke up on that first morning when Robyn nearly caught us."
"What makes you say that?"
"I've slept with enough women to know when they care"
"You're not exactly helping the situation Max"
"I care about you Zoe, whether you like it or not"
They looked at each other for a second before Zoe shook her head as if in apology.
"Ok" Max said acceptingly before turning away from Zoe and walking back onto the path.
"Max wait" she called after him walking forwards "I'm sorry, I just think we both need some time apart."
"Yeah it's probably for the best"
"Yeah" she nodded
"Bye then" said Max turning away
Zoe was about to reply but the parting goodbye got stuck in her throat. She sighed as she watched him walk away. It wasn't fair to keep on playing games with him, he needed to live his life and she hers. Of course she cared about him, but he didn't need to know that.