Thank you for your lovely comments! Here is the second chapter, I hope you like it. Please read and review, thank you! x

Chapter Two:

"What are you looking at?" Robyn asked, tilting her head to get a glimpse at the computer scene.

"Nothing" Max replied, swiftly closing the tab he had open.

"Hmm" Robyn teased, winking at her step brother before flouncing off back towards cubicles. Max breathed a sigh of relief before opening the tab again.

"Max, can you take the patient in cubical two up to x-ray please?" Max turned to the sound of Tess' voice. Her eyebrow ached at the computer screen, an adoption information page still open. Max nodded before swiftly closing the tab and logging out of the computer. The porter tried to ignore Tess' critical expression as he took the wheelchair from her. The nurse went to make a comment but was cut off by an exasperated Max.

"I was just looking" He told her, careful to keep his voice quiet from any prying eyes or ears.

"As long as you know what you're doing" Tess replied softly.

"Not really" The porter admitted, struggling to meet his friend's eye.

"Be careful with her won't you?"

"Always" Max replied softly, causing a smile to tug at the corner of the nurse's lips.

"Come on, best not keep Mr Peters waiting" Tess added, nodding towards cubical two. Max smiled gratefully at her before heading off to pick up a very impatient Mr Peters.


Max knocked on the door to his wife's office before letting himself in without even waiting for a reply. Zoe looked up as he walked in, greeting him with the smile she reserved for just him.

"Hey" Max greeted, walking towards her desk before bending to softly kiss her lips. "Good day?"

"Busy!" Zoe replies, refocusing on her paperwork as Max settles himself on the sofa in the corner of her office. "How was your day?

"Busy" He replied, mimicking Zoe's reply with a laugh.

"I'm sure you once told me that you don't do anything?" The consultant teased, scribbling onto the corner of her page as her pen began to run out.

"Pushing patients around is hard work you know!" Her husband mocked, laughing as Zoe threw her pen across her desk and picked up a new one. "Anyway" Max added. "I was in reception earlier and I happened to spot these" Zoe looked up quizzically from her paperwork to spot Max pulling two crumpled leaflets from his back pocket. He placed them in front of her, stopping to stand by her side as she read the title.

"Adoption?" The consultant managed to ask, her mouth suddenly feeling very dry.

"I mean, there's no pressure" Max begin to babble. "I just saw them and after lunch earlier it just made sense. I've thought about it before but it just didn't seem like the right time but we're married now and there's nothing to stop us. I've been looking on the internet and its quite a lengthy process, especially if we wanted a newborn" He continued, barely stopping for breath. It didn't matter anyway because Zoe's head was spinning and she was barely taking any of it in. It had been the last thing she was expecting. "Obviously if you hate the idea we'll just never mention it again but there's no harm in asking right" Max stopped, pausing to look down at Zoe. Her eyes still fixated on the leaflets. She picked one of them up, turning it over in her shaky hand.

"Max" She managed to whisper, a hand finding it's way to push her hair back from her face.

"I know it's a lot of take in" Max whispered, quickly crouching by the side of her desk in order to catch her eye. He gently turned Zoe's office chair so that she was facing him, quickly taking his hands in hers. "If you hate the idea, that's okay. I honestly don't mind. I just want you to think about it Zo" Zoe struggled to form a response but nodded.

"This is a big decision Max" She told him, her voice barely audible. Max nodded, rubbing soothing circles into the top of her hand.

"I know. There's no pressure, take as much time as you need"

"Thank you" Zoe whispered, leaning in to place a soft kiss on his cheek.

"You're more than enough" Max told her gently, resting his forehead upon hers. "I don't mind if you say no but just give it some thought, this could be a really exciting new adventure for us" He added, pausing to kiss the bridge of her nose. "Shall we go home?" Zoe nodded, smiling softly.

"I love you, you know" She told him, her voice quiet. Max couldn't help the smile that tugged at the corner of his lips.

"I love you too" He replied, placing one last kiss on his lips before pulling Zoe to her feet and taking her hand ready to head home.