Mike could feel his heart beating hard and fast in his chest as he bolted from the car and pushed his way through the front door, knocking a local patrolman over in the process, Max and Ryan not far behind him.
"Mom!" he called out, his shoulders and chest heaving.
"Michael!" his mom cried as she jumped off the couch and ran to him with her arms open. Max and Ryan walked into the house to find mother and son in a tight embrace. They both paused momentarily to sigh in relief, then Ryan turned to the deputy and the two walked down the hall for an update, but Max stayed rooted where she was, watching Mike and his mother for a bit longer. Thank god she was safe. For now.
~Three hours earlier~
The light coming in from the window hit Mike's face, burning his eyes, even behind closed lids. He blinked to adjust to the morning light, but a weight on his chest kept him from sitting up. He looked down to see Max's head on his chest, her body molded to his on the couch of her apartment. Was it already morning? He saw a couple bottles of beer and the take out food they ordered still on the table.
Mike looked back down back at Max, taking in her beautiful features as she slept peacefully atop of him. Catching the time on the cable box, he softly kissed her forehead and rubbed her arm. "Hey, Max. Wake up baby" he whispered, his voice still thick with sleep. The hand on his chest fisted in his shirt from the day before as she shook her head, refusing to get off of him. He kissed her head again, and this time she opened her eyes and smiled, face still buried in his chest.
"Good morning, Mike," she said, pressing herself closer into him. He tilted her chin upward and kissed her lips lightly.
"Morning," he replied with a smile. She smiled back and pushed herself up onto her elbow on the edge of the couch. They exchanged a lazy kiss once more and sat up together. "Agent Clark is expecting me at 9 – mind if I hop in the shower first?" he asked. She shook her head as he stood and pulled her up with him.
"I'll start the coffee," she said, kissing him again, this time a little firmer and longer. It escalated from there, and soon he was pushing her back onto the couch as he hovered over her, hands easing her tank top up as his lips assaulted hers. Although she could stay like that for hours, she moved her hands to his chest and gently pushed him off. "You have to get in the shower," she said, smiling.
"You're more than welcome to keep me company," he retorted, pressing quick, short kisses to her smiling mouth as she laughed against his lips.
"Go, go, you creep!" she laughed, pushing at his chest again. He smiled as he got up and made his way to the master bathroom. She too sat up and walked into the small kitchen of her apartment. "That's the last time we're sleeping on the couch. I don't care how lazy we feel next time, the bed is so much more comfortable," she called out to him as she rolled her shoulders and neck.
"I'm putting all the blame on you for that. I wasn't the one trapping you beneath me all night," he replied with a smile in his voice. She dropped her head and blushed even though he couldn't see her anymore.
"Yeah, whatever," she said rolling her eyes with a smile. Just as she heard the shower start, her phone rang.
"Hey, Ryan!" she said. "I'll be over in an hour if you're still on for breakfast." No response. "Ryan?"
"Max, something happened. I need you to come to the bureau right now," Ryan said, his voice shaking. Instantly, Max was on edge and dropped what she was doing to run to the bedroom and change clothes.
"Yeah, I'm leaving soon. Ryan, what happened?" Nothing again. "Ryan!" she yelled.
"We were sent a video from Mark outside a house with a woman." Max's heart stopped and her whole body shook with a chill.
"It was of Mike's mom, wasn't it?" she choked out. Ryan's silence confirmed it. "Oh god," she breathed. She looked towards the bathroom door where Mike was still in the shower. "You're not thinking about keeping him in the dark about this, are you" she asked, careful not to speak too loudly.
"Wish I could, but I know we have to tell him." Silence again. "What is this going to do to him, Max?" She didn't even know how to answer.
"You have local PD and FBI on route to secure her?" she asked.
"And U.S. Marshalls. I requested the same security detail that secured Claire. We'll have chopper ready to fly us over once you and Mike get there. I gotta call him now, just be here as soon as you can," Ryan said.
"No, no, I'll call him. You keep working with the bureau to keep Mrs. Weston secure." Ryan didn't know about them yet and she knew that Mike would take it better from her and in person.
"Alright, I'll keep you posted." With that, they clicked off. With Mike still in the shower, Max quickly changed and walked into the bathroom, her heart beating in her throat.
"Ah, so you did decide to join me," Mike joked when he heard the bathroom door open. He peaked his head out from behind the curtain when she didn't answer him. Upon seeing her face, he immediately turned off the water and grabbed his towel. "Max, what happened?" he asked.
She looked at him and didn't know how to say it. It was less than six months since he lost his dad, and now his mother was in danger. "Get dressed, plans changed," was all she was able to get out.
"Max, I don't understand. What's going on?"
"Get dressed, Mike!" she yelled, her voice shaking. "Mark sent a message."
Ryan heard Mike before he saw him. The sound of slamming doors and knocked over desks and chairs in his was unmistakable.
"Show me the video," the younger man demanded, his voice shaking. Max came through the door a second behind him. A tech was about to protest, but Ryan nodded and somberly said, "Play it."
Mike looked straight at the big screen as the video started playing.
"Hello, Michael," said a smirking Mark. Mike's fists clenched and his whole body shook. The camera then turned to show a view of Mike's parents house where his mom still lived, alone. "Now I know that you recognize this place. It looks cozy. Hard to believe that the coldblooded man who killed my mother was raised in there. Oh look!" Mike put his hand over his mouth as tears welled up in his eyes. The video was being taken from across the street from inside a car. They watched as Mike's mother came out of the garage to bring the trashcans to the curb. Mark turned the camera back onto himself.
"She looks so nice! Maybe I'll introduce myself," he said with a smirk. Mike was shaking his head and tears started to fall. This couldn't happen, not again.
"Not yet though! Mother always said I was good at being patient. I miss her. Tell me, Mike, do you miss your father?" Mark smiled again, almost as if he could see Mike breaking down. "This is a courtesy call. I'm not going to kill anyone yet. I'm waiting for the perfect time to take away the woman you love. I'm sure I'll be seeing you soon, Mike." And with that, the video clicked off.
"Son of a bitch!" Mike cried out, throwing a punch at the wall.
"Your mom is secure, and to be safe, I had the Marshalls check on your brothers and their family, too. A chopper is upstairs waiting to take us to Virginia," Ryan said, unsure if Mike even heard him. His eyes were still fixed on the screen.
"Mike," Max said softly. "Mike, it's time to go," she urged gently. With that, he snapped out of it immediately and grabbed the bag he had dropped to the floor, fighting off the tears.
"Then what are we waiting for, let's go," he barked, running out of the room and to the roof where the helicopter was waiting. The three loaded in with Agent Clark and the chopper took off, Ryan with the pilot up front giving orders. Max looked over at Mike, who was leaning back eyes closed against the seat, trying to control his breathing. With a quick glance to make sure Clark wasn't watching them, she reached between her and Mike to pick up his hand. To her surprised and relief, he didn't try to pull away, but squeezed hard. He opened his eyes to look at her and she could see the panic in his eyes. She just squeezed back. He closed his eyes and tried to drive out his fear for the rest of the flight.
After Mike's reunion with his mother, Max let Mike take charge of her personal safety while she and Ryan coordinated with the local police and FBI to see what they knew about the origin of the video. The house was swarming with agents from every agency, all focused on the manhunt for Mark Gray.
"Agent Weston!" another agent called out from the kitchen where the FBI had set up.
"Max?" he says as a way to ask her to sit with his mom until he got back. She nodded and excused herself from Agent Clark and walked over to Mike's mom.
"Can I sit?" she asked. Truth be told, she was a little nervous, and not just because of the situation with Mark. After all, she was meeting Mike's mom for the first time as his girlfriend under dire circumstances.
The woman nodded. "So, you're Max?" she asked with the smallest of smiles. Max nodded.
"I'm Max."
"Mike tells me a lot about you. I remember you from the funeral, but it's nice to officially meet you," she said, taking the younger woman's hand in her own.
"It's nice to meet you too, Mrs. Weston," Max said back, giving the woman's hand a light squeeze and a small reassuring smile.
"Please, call me Brenda. Mike tells me that you're keeping it quiet at work for now," she whispered, and Max looked around reflexively before nodding. "Well regardless, I'm glad that you've been there for him. Mike has always had a hard time opening up, but he says that you help. I can't thank you enough for that," Brenda said with a tear in her eye. At that, Max was a little teary eyed herself.
Max opened her mouth to say something when Mike walked back over. "You two okay?" he asked. He looked down at his mom and girlfriend on the couch and saw their clasped hands. His heart swelled, and had he not been under so much stress, he would have smiled. Both women nodded and Mike took a seat next to his mom and rested a hand on her knee. "You hungry mom?" Mike asked.
Brenda laughed. "Starving. I should make something for all these nice people. But I assume I can't go to the grocery store, can I?" she asked with a sad smile.
"I'm sorry," Mike said.
"You know I would always cook for your dad? He loved it and cooking used to just…" she trailed off, blinking back tears in her eyes threatening to fall.
"Why don't you make me a list? I can make a stop," Max suggested. Brenda looked over at her and tears that were pent up in her eyes fell. Max could see Mike looking at her too. She gave them both a small smile.
Brenda wiped her eyes and nodded. "I'd like that a lot. Thank you," she whispered. Max looked at Mike, who was obviously fighting off tears as well.
"Thank you," he mouthed to her. Max pulled a pen and pad of paper off the coffee table and handed it to Brenda. "Max, a minute?" Mike asked. She nodded and the two stepped off into a deserted hallway. Once they knew they were alone, Mike grabbed her and pulled her tight into his arms, his face buried in her hair. She rubbed his back and planted small, innocent kisses on his shoulder and collarbone. They stood like that for a minute before pulling back just enough to see each other's face.
"Are you sure you're up for this?" he asked, nervousness in his voice.
"Of course, it'll give her something to do. Some normalcy. You both need that," she replied.
"I'm going with you," Mike said, but Max shook her head.
"No, Mike, you have to stay here. He wants you off guard. Stay with your mom, make sure she's safe. Lily Grey had contacts everywhere, and Mark might have access to them. They could easily have an inside agent or officer. Be careful with her and wait for anything from Mark, okay?" she said. Mike knew she was right, but he didn't want to let her go either. He nodded though. He didn't trust anyone else with his mom anyway.
"Okay, and thank you for doing this. She's gonna love you. I already do," Mike said with a slight smile which Max returned. Max stretched up onto her tiptoes and gave him a soft and sweet kiss on the lips before walking back into the living room. Five minute later, she got into her car and drove off to the store. "I love you," she mouthed to Mike through the window before she sped off.
Mike was getting more and more agitated by the minute. "What's his plan here, Ryan? He sends the video to get us here, but he hasn't approached my mom or the house. He can't make a move with all the security around the house, and even if he had one, why didn't he do it by now? I don't get it!"
To be honest, Ryan was confused, too. Nothing about this was adding up. "Something is missing. He's waiting for something," Ryan said.
"But what?" Mike almost yelled. The aggravation was clear in his voice. "Can we trust these people?" Mike asked Ryan, dropping his voice as he motioned to the local PD and unknown agents from the bureau and other agencies. The two men surveyed them for a moment.
"If we can't, they won't make a move with us there. Just don't let anyone separate your mom from one of us, and we can move her into witness protection in the morning once we know who we can trust," Ryan said under his breath, though it did nothing to calm Mike, who slammed his fist on the counter and walked into the kitchen to check on the tech's status on tracking where the video Mark sent came from.
Just then, the phone rang. It had been off the hook all morning with friends and family calling to check in, but it was still wired to the tracker just in case. Everyone came into the kitchen and Mike hit the answer button.
"Hello, Mike," came Mark's voice. Mike's hand curled and his jaw clenched. Brenda covered her mouth, knowing this was the man who had killed her husband and was out for her and her son. Ryan motioned for the techs to start tracking the call immediately, and everyone suddenly seemed to gather all around the phone.
"Mark. I was beginning to wonder when we were going to hear from you," Mike spat. Chuckling was heard on the other end of the phone.
"Mike, you sound angry! Am I under your skin already? The fun hasn't even started yet!" Something in Mark's voice made Mike even madder.
"I left you a present, Mike. You might like it too, Ryan!" Instantly, the two were on edge. "It's under the doormat. Go ahead, go get it!" The silence was deafening as Ryan sent an agent to the front door, who came back with a large sealed envelope with Mike's name on it. "Now open it up, I'm excited to begin," Mark taunted.
Mike ripped open the envelope and pulled out a stack of pictures. His breath caught in his throat as he looked at the first one and he froze.
"What is it?" Ryan anxiously whispered. They heard laughing over the phone. Mike threw down the first picture, only to find another, and another, and another. The room started spinning and he grabbed onto the counter for support.
"You son of a bitch," Mike breathed, still not recovered. Ryan stared at the pictures on the counter, and Brenda cried out when she saw them too. They were of Max. Some were from across the street of the two of them walking hand in hand, or on a street corner looking at each other, smiling. Others were through windows of them out to dinner miles away from where they lived to avoid being seen. But the ones Mike couldn't tear his eyes from were taken in her apartment. They looked like still shots from a video camera planted in her living room. There were pictures of her and Mike together: drinking, talking, laughing, kissing. The last picture was one of the two of them standing and holding one another, smiling as he cupped her face and her hand was on his heart. In red ink, Mark had written on the picture, "I'm waiting for the perfect time to take away the woman you love," his words from the video.
"I will kill you, do you hear me?" Mike screamed. He looked up at Ryan, who was transfixed on the pictures, an indistinguishable expression on his face.
"You've been awfully quiet, Uncle Ryan. What's it like, finding out that Mike Weston, your partner and close friend, is fucking your niece? Must suck. Especially since she's going to die because of him. Too bad, huh?" Mark's voice was obviously amused, like he was having fun with the entire situation.
"You're a dead man, Mark. When I find you, because I will, you're done," Ryan said, his voice so hard and detached that it actually caused Mark to pause.
"She already had it coming, but it all started with you, Mike. Yu started all of this when you put my brother in the hospital. So naturally Mike, mother and I had to kill your father. But then, you coldblooded bastard, you killed my mother. And Max here, see she killed my brother. You all are getting what was coming to you. Don't you see? SHE'S GOING TO DIE BECAUSE OF YOU!" Mark screamed. He was starting to unravel. Mike was quivering from panic and anger.
Suddenly his tone changed. He sounded almost merry. "You have someone who wants to say hello!" The audible sound of duct tape being ripped off skin was unmistakable.
"Mike," a weak voice breathed out. "Don't listen to him…not your fault," she muttered. Mike could hardly breath.
"Oh, Max, Max, Max. You really shouldn't lie," Mark said, and then there was the sound of a pocketknife opening.
"NO!" both Mike and Ryan screamed at the same time. "Please, Mark, don't do this. It's me you want, I'm the one who killed your mother. Take me, don't take her. Please, take me instead," Mike pleaded, tears falling down his face. There was silence on the other end, and for one hopeful second, Mike thought Mark might take the offer.
"Too late."
After Mark disconnected the line, a crushing silence fell upon the room. Then suddenly, Ryan launched himself across the kitchen, flinging himself at Mike.
"You! You led him right to her! I will kill you, Mike. I will kill you," the older man vowed, his chest heaving as three agents had to pull him off of Mike. "This is your fault, your fault!" Ryan's anger was taking over him, and he shook with rage and grief.
Mike stayed where Ryan had pushed him against the wall, unable to breath. The room was spinning and everything was a blur. Everything with his mother was a distraction. A distraction to get to Max, and he handed her right over to him. He gave Mark the perfect way to enact his revenge, by killing the woman he loved.
Mike sunk to the ground, shaking and starting to cry. Too late, he heard over and over in his mind. Max was dead. Ryan and Mark were right – it was his fault. It was all his fault. He was just about to scream when someone cried out, "I got a location!"
Instantly, Mike and Ryan both made a grab for the pen and paper the tech scribbled the address on.
"You're done, Mike. You've done enough," Ryan said, his voice hard but cracking at the same time.
"Ryan – " Mike started, anger welling up in him. How dare he tell him not to come.
"You have no right to come anywhere near her, do you understand? You don't get to touch her; you don't even get to look at her. You don't even deserve to speak her name, and you sure as hell don't get to bring back her - her." Her body. Ryan said it all that same terrifying tone until his voice cracked at the end, but Mike wouldn't back down.
"You're wasting time arguing with me, I'm going," Mike asserted, pushing past the group as he grabbed his keys and ran to the car, Ryan and others not far behind him. He and Ryan hopped in separate cars, speeding off to the abandoned property with one mission in mind. Kill Mark Grey.
Max was relieved when Mark ripped the duct tape off of her mouth, but it was still hard to breath. The drug he had injected into her made her feel so, so weak. "Mike," she breathed out, cursing herself for not sounding stronger. "Don't listen to him…not your fault," she muttered. She wanted to tell Ryan not to be blame him too, and that she was sorry for leaving him like the rest of the Hardy clan, but Mark already pulled the phone away from her face.
"Oh, Max, Max, Max. You really shouldn't lie," Mark said, and then there was the sound of a pocketknife opening. She opened her heavy eyes enough to see the blade reflect the light coming in from the window.
"NO!" she heard Mike and Ryan screamed at the same time, then just Mike's. "Please, Mark, don't do this. It's me you want, I'm the one who killed your mother. Take me, don't take her. Please, take me instead," her boyfriend pleaded. She shook her head even though he couldn't see and prayed that Mark wouldn't agree. The look Mark had on his face was terrifying. He was so disturbed, she saw it in his eyes, and she knew it was the end.
"Too late," he said, clicking off the phone with one hand, and raising the one with the knife in the other. With all the strength she had, Max launched herself forward and grabbed his arm, slamming him back against the counter, careful not to let go of his wrist holding the knife. Her unexpected strength threw him off guard and she took advantage of slight upper hand she had for as long as she could. Max dug her nails into his wrist until he dropped the knife, and the grabbed another from behind him and drove it into his back. She pulled it out and shoved it in again, then tossed him to the ground.
Mark was still twitching on the floor when the adrenaline left her and she began to collapse. Her eyes were so heavy from the drug and her muscles weren't working anymore as the adrenaline wore off quickly. She looked at Mark as she sunk to the floor, unsure if he would get back up and finish her off, but accepting her fate if he did. As she closed her eyes and felt her consciousness slipping away, she wished that she could feel what it was like to be in Mike's arms one last time.
They breached the front of the house as SWAT surrounding the back. Mike and Ryan both recklessly ran, guns raised, through the house, ready to shoot at any sign of Mark. Blind rage filled both of them. They both knew that it was better to let the rage overwhelm them – the grief would be crippling.
Even though they were trying to avoid one another, two years of working together kicked in and somehow they ended up clearing the same hallway together. Mike reached for a doorknob, and when it didn't turn, he kicked the door in. The first thing he saw was Mark lying in a pool of blood. That didn't make sense. If Mark was incapacitated, then…
"Max!" he cried. In a flash, he was at her side, slipping a hand to the base of her neck to check for a pulse. Ryan ran into the room, seeing a bleeding Mark and like Mike, didn't care about him the second he saw Max. "She's alive," Mike chocked out, cradling her head and leaning over her to check her breathing. Upon seeing Mike cup her cheek, Ryan was reminded of why they were there to begin with.
"I told you not to touch her," he bellowed, lifting his gun back up to point it at Mike. "Get away from her, right now." Mike was taken back, but then a small movement from behind Ryan caused him to grab his own weapon and fire off six shots right in a row. Ryan whipped around to see Mark crumbling back down to the floor, the knife that had been in his back when they had entered the room now in his hand. He hit the ground, but Mike kept firing, shaking with rage until the click of his empty magazine sounded off the walls.
Once he was able to discern that Mark was in fact dead now, he tossed the gun to the side and turned his full attention back to Max as Ryan stood there in shock.
"Max, please, there is so much left for us. Come on, it's over and we get to start our lives now. You and me, remember? We deserve this. Wake up baby, please Max," Mike whispered to her, his voice breaking and his tears falling onto her face. He lifted her head up and pressed a kiss to her forehead before dragging her limp body into his lap to hold her. "Max," he pleaded again.
A light murmur from her caught both men's attention at once, and Ryan dropped to his knees on the other side of her that Mike was, picking up her hand and resting his hand on her head.
"We're right here, Max, hang in there," Ryan said, his voice also thick with tears and fear.
"WHERE IS THE MEDIC?" Mike yelled into the hallway. Ryan did a quick assessment for physical injuries, but found nothing other than defensive wounds on her hands and forearms. It didn't even look like she had been bound. Why would Mark not tie her up?
"Check for injection marks," Ryan said, starting with the hand he was holding. Mike didn't hesitate and checked the inside of her elbow. Nothing. He gently turned her head to the side and at the base of her neck, he saw a small puncture mark.
"Here," he said, gritting his teeth. Ryan shot up and started looking through the things on the table in the room. He pushed aside the thought that Mark had torture instruments he likely planned for Max. To the left, he saw a needle and small vile.
"No label," he said.
"Shit. Can you tell how much he gave her?" Mike asked. Before Ryan could answer, the medics burst into the room, shouting to one another and quickly making sure Max was stable before they put her onto the rolling stretcher. Stepping over Mark's body, the two men raced after the medics out to where they loaded Max into the ambulance. Both Ryan and Mike made a move to climb in with Max, but Ryan grabbed Mike's arm and yanked him away. As much as it killed him to back off, Mike knew that he didn't deserve to be with her. Today or any day. He would never be good enough. Without a word, Ryan climbed into the ambulance and grabbed Max's hand, gripping it tightly with both of his as he looked down utterly terrified at his unconscious niece. The doors shut and they drove away. Mike watched it go for a second before he hopped into his car, following right behind them.
A/N~ Chapter 1, finished! I already have the second and likely last chapter started to wrap everything up, but I hope you've enjoyed the story thus far!
Xoxo fanatic218