Title: We don't wanna be like them - "Us against the world".
Number of parts: 3/?.
Pairing: Ninth Doctor/Rose Tyler.
Synopsis: "They were quite a lovely family on the outside, but they weren't a family. It wasn't only because of Rose. She was accepting Maxence and his help. So was Elliot. The real problem was Maxence's family."
A/N: The characters and the universe don't belong to me. All rights goes to Russell T. Davies, Phil Collinson, Susie Liggat, Steven Moffat and to the BBC. Everything else belongs to my imagination.
A few months had passed by since Rose and Elliot had been taken in by Maxence. Life was easier for them now that they had someone watching over them and protecting them from everything bad that could happen to them. Rose had needed time – still needed time – to heal after her last encounter with Jimmy, and Maxence was nice enough to give her all the time she needed. By living together, they were getting to know each other better and the more they were getting to know each other, the more they liked each other. Maxence already was in love with her before they met properly, and now, he loved even more the young and strong girl she was. They were just friends though. They hadn't crossed the line because Rose wasn't ready to date someone yet. She still had nightmares about Jimmy Stone and she always found comfort in Maxence's arms whenever it happened.
Elliot was also plagued with nightmares. Learning what kind of man really was his father had shaken him badly. He had tried to be strong for his mother, but the images of the terrifying waste full of uncontrolled rage were haunting him along with the screams of his mother when he was beating her to death. He often woke up at night, screaming and crying, begging for the violence to stop. And every time it happened, he found comfort and safety in his mother's arms or Maxence's. Maxence wasn't his father, but Elliot always wished he was, because he was just like the kid imagined a dad should be. He was taking care of the little boy very well and was always finding time to play with him and teach him new things. He had found a great school for him when Elliot had the good level to be with kids of his age. But it still was hard to fit in.
They were quite a lovely family on the outside, but they weren't a family. It wasn't only because of Rose. She was accepting Maxence and his help. So was Elliot. The real problem was Maxence's family. He had talked to the blonde about them and she had met them once or twice. They were really proud and cold people. That was what Maxence hated about his family. Their cold hearts. Their proudness. Their rules. Just because they were rich people, they thought they could only interact with the other rich people. They thought that the poor people were only trying to use them and their money. So when they had heard that Maxence had taken in a homeless girl and her son, they had been mad and had tried to make him change his mind. But he never did no matter how hard they had tried to convince him. Which had caused them to be in bad terms, much to Rose's guilt. She had never wanted him to be separated from his family because of her.
However, they never talked about it. Whenever Rose was trying to bring him back together with his family, he was pretending that he would think about it but never made the first step. Sometimes, he could be as proud as them and that wasn't a compliment. They hadn't made the first step either and if they saw each other by accident, they pretended nothing had happened so the medias wouldn't have any suspicion and let them in peace. Maxence was already harassed enough for being the kind man he was because he had rescued a mother and her child and decided to be responsible for them. He had never given any information about Rose and Elliot. He was keeping them protected from the vultures the medias were, and with time, they had calmed down. They could live almost peacefully and Rose could go out and take Elliot to school with no worries. Well, almost.
There still were threats above their heads after all. Maxence was a famous lawyer and his cases were always difficult and very opened to debates. He was working against the worst criminals, people rotten to the core, and ready to anything to get out of justice. Rose was always afraid for him whenever he was on one of those cases because he received a lot of death threats. He usually just laughed and pushed the subject away. He didn't care about the threats. So far, nothing had been attempted against him. He was being very careful, and making sure that his place was safe for himself and for his protégés. He wouldn't risk his life or theirs. If he ever felt any kind of danger, he would make sure they all were safe. He hadn't talked to Rose about it yet, but he did have a panic room. Just in case.
There was another threat they couldn't ignore. Jimmy Stone. They hadn't seen him since Maxence had brought Rose and Elliot back to his flat but the blonde was convinced that he was gonna come back when they would expect it the least. So, she was always looking around her to make sure he wasn't there when she was outside. She knew Jimmy very well. She knew he would come back. Maxence believed her and had told some of his cop friends to look for him. The devil was well hidden. There was no sign of him, but they couldn't let their guard down. Rose had lived in terror of him for years and she knew better than anyone what he was capable of. And now that he knew she was still in town, now that he knew he had a son, he would do anything to have them back. Or leave them for dead.
Lately, Maxence had had a lot of work and wasn't spending much time at all at home. He was leaving early in the morning and coming home late at night. And then, he was working even more to prepare the best defence speech possible. He was exhausted but every case was important. Especially the one he was currently working on. However, he was making sure to always leave the fridge and cupboards full of food so Rose wouldn't have to go out much except for Elliot. He knew how scared she was of meeting Jimmy and he was making sure that wouldn't happen. He had even offered to give her the protection of the police but she had refused because she didn't want to draw more attention on them. Having a police officer following her everywhere would be more dangerous than anything. She was being careful, very careful, whenever she was going out.
Today was Maxence's last day on working on his current case. The trial was ending that morning and then, he would take a few days off to rest and relax. If he was winning that case, he would definitely go and have a drink with a few friends before going home. But he would let Rose know about his projects so she wouldn't be worried about him not being back after his job was done. The trial was very covered. The news would talk about it and the reporters would jump on him and harass him with questions as soon as he would be out of the courthouse. A routine he had gotten a little bit too much used to over the years. Never meant that he liked it. That's why he usually kept it short whenever he was being interviewed. The shorter, the better.
The verdict was pronounced, and the relief filled him. He had won. His client hugged him and thanked him for all the work he had done to throw that lousy swine behind the bars. Soon enough, they were outside. Maxence was temporarily blinded by the daylight. He hadn't seen it on days. It wasn't a particularly beautiful day. They had said there would be rain. But who cared anyway? Maxence enjoyed the small second of respite before the reporters started asking him questions and almost knocking him out with their booms and cameras. He was overwhelmed with flashes, but he didn't show anything. He only gave them a tired smile.
"It has been a tough fight but we've finally come to the end of it. The acts of Mr. Dorneget were highly reprehensible in terms of the law. It was a real threat for our beloved country, a threat that never has been bothered by our forces of law and order because no clue has been found. Until my client found out about his boss' illegal activities in the accounts of his society and reported it to the authorities, exposing himself to the dangers of dismissal, harassment, and worse, threats and intimidation. However, Mr. Peters never gave up and provided us all the proofs we needed to stop Mr. Dorneget's actions and to arrest all his associates. Today, they will all be sent to jail thanks to my client, and peace will be back in our streets–"
Maxence was cut short by a gun shot. After that, everything seemed to slow down. A few more gun shots resounded and the panic made people running away to put themselves to safety. There were screams and people falling and stuff given up. No one saw the shooter. It could have been anyone in the crowd. An investigation would be led later to find the responsible. Some people would never get back on their feet after that attack, and one of those persons was Maxence.
He didn't see it coming. That first bullet went into his left shoulder, ripping the fabric of his clothes and burning his skin. The sudden impact and pain caused him to stumble backwards and fall on his back on the steps of stone. All the air was expelled from his lungs and he found himself suffocating there while everyone ran away. To top it all off, it started raining and the drops of water were washing away the blood he was losing really too quickly.
When Maxence opened his eyes, he thought he was at home, in his own bed. He was comfortable and warm. Just like when Rose was sleeping next to him. So, his first reflex was to roll on his side. He knew it was a bad idea when the pain exploded in his shoulder, causing him to grunt loudly. He closed his eyes tight and clenched his jaw as a hand pushed him in the bed. He breathed slowly, waiting for pain to become more bearable. He wouldn't be able to think clearly with such a pain paralysing his whole body and taking his breath away. What the hell had happened to him? He remembered being at the courthouse. Had something happened during the trial? He wouldn't be surprised to have been attacked. Dorneget had threatened him a few times and he had enough money to buy someone to kill him, especially if he knew he was gonna lose.
He was now able to listen to everything around him. There was a regular beep very close to him and someone turning the pages of some magazine. He could feel something burning his skin around his left shoulder, where the pain was the worse, and something was pinching his left hand. Farther, he could hear people coming and going, talking indistinctly. The smell of bleach and antiseptic was what confirmed him that he was in a hospital. He opened his eyes and turned his head toward the person sat by his side. He thought that it was Rose, but he should have known better. His family had obviously kept her away, and not in a nice way. She probably hadn't had any news about him since he was there. Did she even know he was there?
"Mother."
His father had most likely chosen to not waste his time in visiting his son while he was stuck in a hospital bed, but someone had to come over and see if he was still alive. His mother didn't have much of a choice and she seemed pretty annoyed to be sat there. She hadn't even looked at him yet. She was reading a magazine about the British finance. Not surprising at all. How to get richer when you were already rich was the only thing that mattered in that family.
"You could have avoided this, Maxence."
"Sure. It's so easy to avoid someone shooting you in the middle of a crowd."
Now that he was more awake, he remembered bit by bit what had happened to him. He had been shot while he was talking to the reporters after winning the trial. But nothing was proving that he was the target. It could have been anyone. His client could have been the main target, but it wasn't logic to kill him after the end of the trial. Maxence was second on the list. Maybe a revenge?
"It could have been the case of your career. You could have gotten all the laurels for throwing that threat behind the bars. Instead, you're on the front pages because your client is dead and everyone thinks you are too. Nice advertising. We are overwhelmed with those vultures."
"Sorry for almost dying."
"Stop being so sarcastic, Maxence. There's nothing to be proud of."
"You weren't forced to come here if I am causing our family so much bother. I would have handled the situation very well on my own."
"Sure you would have. And that blonde slut…"
"Don't call her a slut," growled Maxence.
"… would have been there," continued the mother. "She was the one you expected to see, right?"
"I'm not having that talk again."
Maxence closed his eyes and clenched his jaw tighter. He hadn't forced her to come there. She hadn't even looked at him once since he was awake. She was just annoyed to be there when she could have been elsewhere. What a warm and comforting mother she was!
"I told her not to come here. We don't need more scandals around you. She has called every hour to know how you were doing until I told her to stop."
She let out an annoyed sigh. Amazing how insisting the woman could be. Since she wasn't family, the hospital hadn't wanted to tell her anything, but that wasn't an answer the blonde accepted. Until she was rudely told to stay away from Maxence.
"You haven't just told her to stop calling," Maxence accused his mother.
"I asked her to stay away from you and to go back to her miserable life with the no-mark she had a kid with."
"You what?" roared Maxence.
He sat up, ignoring the sting of pain in his whole arm and the ear splitting sound of the alarm coming from the machine measuring his heartbeats when the sensors were ripped from his chest by the sudden move. He was absolutely furious against his mother. She still wasn't looking at him. As if she wasn't caring about the fact he was in a hospital, about the fact she had hurt his feelings.
"You had no right to do that! Absolutely no right! I'm an adult! I can take my own decisions and saving their lives by offering them to stay at my place was my right!"
"She's a pest to our family."
"That's it?! That's what you've told him when you threw him out that night?! That he was a pest to our family?!"
"That has nothing to do with the matter."
"That has everything to do with the matter! You don't like us to be different! You want us to go your way! But Tegan refused and you threw him out with nothing more than just the clothes on his back!"
The pain forced him to stop there. Otherwise, he would have continued. He had so much anger in him right now. He was tired to always live by the Spitz's rules. He wanted more. More than the cold heartless future he was promised to. His mother was gonna answer but a nurse came into the room at that moment. She forced Maxence to lay back down. The man was exhausted and breathless by the sudden effort he had made.
"You can't make so many efforts, Mr Spitz," she lightly reprimanded him, putting the sensors back on his chest. "You don't want us to suture you again, right?"
"I want her out of here," he muttered weakly. "I don't want to see her in my room anymore."
"You sure?"
"Don't you dare," the mother threatened her son.
"Please."
The nurse nodded. She looked at the woman sat on the chair. She wasn't happy at all with her son. For the first time since she was there, she had raised her eyes from her magazine. She was glaring at her son who was ignoring her. He had his eyes closed and was trying to catch his breath and make the pain disappear.
"I'm sorry, ma'am. I'm gonna have to ask you to leave this room. Mr Spitz needs all the rest he can get."
The mother glared at her son and at the nurse before she furiously got up and left the room refusing to let the nurse touch her. Maxence sighed and closed his eyes as the nurse was replacing the sensors on his chest and adjusting the pain medication.
"How long have I been out?" he asked her.
"Two days, sir. You've had surgery. They took the bullet out."
"Any damage?"
"You've been lucky. It was close to your heart. But no complications. You'll need some re-education, but that is all."
Maxence thanked her for her help and let her do her job. She checked on him, made him move his fingers and arm. It hurt and it was really hard to do it but it was moving. The nurse massaged his whole arm and changed his bandage. He didn't look at the wound. He would see the scar later. A reminder that he shouldn't be so confident about his safety. Right now, he had something else in mind. Someone to call.
"Can you do something for me?"
"Sure. What is it?"
He gave her three names and two phone numbers with instructions. He would have called himself if his previous talk with his mother hadn't left him so weak and exhausted. But the nurse would do it for him. She would reassure Rose and Elliot and call someone to keep them safe until he came back. Which would take some time.
Rose was helping Elliot with his homework when someone knocked on the door. She tensed. Lately, she had been on alert. But it was worse since two days, since Maxence had been attacked. She had learnt it through the news and had desperately tried to call the hospital to know how he was doing. Until Mrs Spitz clearly told her that she wasn't part of the family and needed to stay away from her son. It hurt, but Rose had obeyed. She hadn't called anymore, and had just worried alone in Maxence's flat. She hadn't told Elliot. She had just told him that Maxence's work would last longer than expected and that he wouldn't come home for a few days. To be honest, she didn't know how long she would be able to lie. Elliot would see it at some point. She wouldn't be able to hide it from him for too long. He would find out soon, but she wanted to be the one telling him. It would be easier now that she knew Maxence was okay.
"Stay here, okay?"
She kissed her son's head and got up. She left Elliot's room – Maxence had given up on his playroom for the little boy to have a real room – and walked to the front door. She took a look through the peephole. Standing in the corridor was a tall brown man rather handsome. He didn't seem to be dangerous but Rose still was on alert. She couldn't take any risk. Not with Elliot so close.
"Miss Tyler? I'm Tegan Smith. My brother must have called you to tell you about me coming."
That was true. The nurse she had had on the phone had told her the same. Maxence wanted Rose to know that he was okay, that he was gonna have to stay a few days in the hospital. However, he was sending her someone to watch over her and Elliot. His brother, Tegan Smith. Someone he trusted with his life. She could trust him too. He would never betray them. Rose trusted Maxence and if he said she could do the same with his brother, she saw no good reason to not believe him. She just hadn't expected the man to look so different from Maxence. The mystery of life and genetics. None of them looked like any of their parents though. She pushed the thought aside and unlocked the door. The man gave her a bright smile. He was carrying two full bags of food.
"I've done some shopping. Unlike Max, I'm a very good cook," he declared, walking in the flat.
He went straight to the kitchen and started putting away the food he had bought. He checked his watch and decided that it was time to start cooking dinner. Rose closed the door and locked it again. She hadn't said a thing yet and Elliot hadn't moved from his room. But she was sure he was listening closely. Always keeping an eye on his mummy, him.
"I heard you had a boy. What's his name?"
"Elliot."
"Max is wonderful with kids. Always have."
"Indeed. He could be a good father."
"Never found the good woman. Well, he seems very smitten when it comes to you."
Rose blushed. She knew exactly what were Maxence's feelings for her. He had admitted it all to her after he saved her from Jimmy and from the streets. She had accepted them but couldn't promise to be ready for another relationship anytime soon. She hated herself for making him wait for her that way. She had the feeling that she was using him and she hated that. She really liked him but didn't know how to tell him or show him. The man was too gentle with her, keeping her safe and protected, making sure she felt loved. A real prince charming.
"I now better understand why."
"He never told me he had a brother," she said to change the subject.
She didn't want Tegan Smith – why did he have a different name anyway? – to know what her relationship with his brother truly was. She didn't want him to think that she was just a whore using Maxence for his name and money, just like his parents thought she was.
"That's not surprising. I'm sort of the ugly duckling of that family."
"But he called you."
"Max and I are very close but we're hiding it from everyone for our parents not to know it."
Now that she was thinking of it, Rose remembered that he hadn't been there at Christmas, and no one had talked about him. What had he done to be excluded from his own family? For his brother to keep silent about him? He didn't seem like a bad guy, but his parents didn't need much to be angry at someone. Rose was very aware of that.
"I'll tell you the whole story later if you want. Go back to your little boy. I'm taking care of the dinner."
Rose just acquiesced. She was curious about Tegan's story but she wouldn't ask any question. It would be very impolite of her to harass him with questions when he barely knew her. He was gentle and nice though. Just like Maxence. Maybe a bit funnier. Oddball, in a good way. Getting to know him would be great. If he stayed around long enough for her to do so. It would be sad to have him leave so soon after she found about him. But it wasn't up to her.
She walked to Elliot's room and came in. Like she had expected, Elliot had been waiting behind the door, listening to whoever was in the flat with her. He had run back to the desk as soon as she had started walking back to his room, and now, he was pretending to be working on his homework. But Rose wasn't dupe. She knew how her son was.
"How is that writing exercise going?" she asked.
"It sucks," replied the boy, looking up at his mother. "Who is it? Where is Max?"
Rose sat down on the chair next to Elliot and took his hand in hers gently. She was gonna tell him the truth. Kind of. She was biting her bottom lip. It meant she was nervous. Immediately, Elliot knew something had happened to their protector, to the man he considered as his dad. Tears sparkled at the corner of his eyes, and Rose felt her heart break. She hated seeing him sad.
"Is Max okay?"
His voice was trembling and tears were threatening to fall. Rose was not surprised that her son had figured out so quickly why Maxence was absent. The real reason. Elliot was very clever and he hadn't gotten it from his father. But she didn't think he had gotten that from her either. She wasn't that clever in her opinion. She was pretty stupid compared to Maxence and her own son.
"Listen, honey, something has happened to Max while he was working and he was taken to the hospital."
Fear burnt in Elliot's eyes. His worst nightmares were coming to reality. Was the Jimmy guy responsible? Had he hurt Maxence to get to them? Would he care for them? No, Maxence wouldn't let them down. He would never tell the enemy where to find them. No matter what would be done to him.
"He's okay. He called me when you were at school. They're keeping him a few days to be sure he won't have problems and then, he will come back home. He said he would call tonight for the bedtime story."
"Who's the guy in the kitchen?"
"His name's Tegan Smith. He's Max's brother."
Elliot's eyes were still full of worries but a spark of curiosity and joy suddenly brightened them. He was curious about Maxence's brother. Maxence had told him about Tegan once. It had just slipped out of his mouth while they were playing together, but he never said anything more. As if Tegan Smith was a secret to keep. A secret that would be clearer in the days to come it seemed like.
"He's gonna stay with us until Max comes back."
"Can we see him?"
"He said not to go to the hospital. He promised to be back soon."
Elliot looked disappointed but he understood. Maxence wanted them safe. They had to keep living their routine without him. Until he came back. He hoped it wouldn't take long because he already missed the man. But he was okay and Elliot was relieved about that. He kissed his mother's hand and focused back on his exercise. He did it all the best he could with his mother's help. When his homework was done, he took his bath and got ready for dinner. He immediately liked Tegan when he saw him. They got along as well as they did with Maxence. They weren't brothers for nothing those two. However, Tegan was indeed better than Maxence at cooking and Elliot ate two plates of food. Tegan told them a lot of stories about Maxence, stories from their past, stories that showed them he had always been the way he was with them. Despite how harsh and cold their family had wanted him to become to fit their standards.
Just like he had promised, when bedtime rolled around, Maxence called to tell a story to Elliot like he did every night. The little boy was already in bed after he brushed his teeth. He talked with Maxence for a while before he listened to the brand new story that would send him to sleep. Rose picked up the phone when her son was asleep and kissed his head. She left the room, leaving the door ajar. Maxence was still on line.
"How are you doing?"
"It's hard without you but we're holding on. You've got us worried."
"I know. I'm sorry. The decision wasn't mine. I would never have let you in the dark."
"She really hates me, doesn't she?" Rose noticed sadly.
"She doesn't want to see the amazing person you are."
"They've drugged you, heh?"
"Nah," he retorted. "Okay. Maybe just a little. I don't sleep well because of the pain and… because I miss you by my side."
"I miss you too," admitted Rose.
"I'll be home soon."
"I hope so."
"I hope my brother isn't discrediting me and saying stuff he shouldn't."
"He's nice. Elliot likes him."
"And you?"
"He's kinda cool."
"Oi! Don't play that game with me or I'm coming back, healed or not."
"Goodnight, Maxence."
"Goodnight, Rose."
Rose hung up the phone and pressed it to her heart, a smile on her lips. That man was so precious. She wasn't very well to know that he was alone in a hospital room, suffering from the surgery he had gone through. She wished she could be by his side, tuck him to bed and take care of him like he had taken care of her all over the months. Especially after he had saved her from a certain death between the hands of Jimmy Stone. She wanted him there. She wanted to see his smile, his blue eyes. She wanted to feel his arms around her and run her fingers through his hair. She wanted to hear his heartbeats and fall asleep to their rhythm. But she would have to wait. And she felt sad for him more than for herself.
She walked to the living room and put the phone down on its base. Her smile hadn't left her lips. Tegan was still in the kitchen. He was putting the dirty dishes in the dishwasher and adding the needed tablet in it. He closed the door and launched the machine. His eyes drifted on the fridge. He hadn't paid much attention to it earlier. Maxence used every available area to pin his documents to be able to work in every room he was coming in. But it wasn't any professional document on the fridge. Nor anywhere else in the flat. The fridge was covered in kids' drawings and pictures. School pictures of the boy, pictures of Maxence and Rose, a picture of them three. A real little family. It made him smile. Maxence looked really happy. He had never been into family stuff – because of how he had been raised – but he seemed to do well. And according to the smile on the blonde's face, everyone was happy in that flat.
"It was Elliot's first time at the zoo," explained Rose, pointing to a picture of her son, grinning in front of the tigers pen. "His first day at school." Another picture. "This one was a week ago. Elliot insisted on adding a picture of the three of us."
"You look happy."
"I guess I am. Your brother is an amazing man."
"Always has been. You guess?"
"It's complicated."
"Everyone's story is complicated."
"I've been in an abusive relationship which destroyed my self-confidence and trust in men. What about you, Mr Smith?"
"Call me Tenny."
"We don't know each other enough, Mr Smith."
"Let me tell you my story then."
Tegan put an arm around Rose's shoulders. She flinched and he pulled his arm away, apologising to her. He followed her to the living-room and sat down on the couch. Rose sat down too, leaving a small space between them. She looked at Tegan. He was staring at an invisible point on the wall, gathering the right words to tell his story. He wanted to do it short, but well.
"It's a long story short. I've found out I was gay when I was around fourteen. I was afraid to tell my family because I knew how they would react. They have their own rules."
"Yeah. Maxence told me about the arranged marriages."
"Of course. He's the favourite for those ladies. Handsome, gentle and clever."
"What happened for you?"
"They reacted the way I thought they would." He had a small sad laugh. "I don't give you the details of that talk, nor the comments that have been made." Nor the insults that were still resounding in his nightmares. "But they've kicked me out that night. Because I wasn't fitting their standards."
"You were fourteen, how could they…"
"You've met them. You already know."
"I'm an adult. You were just a kid."
"It didn't matter to them. They threw me out with nothing else but the clothes on my back. It was hard at first but Max helped me a lot behind our parents' back."
Rose didn't reply. She knew exactly what the man had felt. She had gone through it too. She had left on her own will but she had been alone and scared. Living in the streets was hard, whether you were a twenty-four years old pregnant woman or a fourteen years old boy. She now felt more liking for the man. Just like her, he was a survivor, a fighter. How had he survived outside, alone? Who had saved him from the streets? Was it Maxence?
"He has helped me the best he could but sometimes, he couldn't. Anyway, I've met a woman while I was looking into the bins for food. Instead of throwing me rocks, she let me inside of her house and took care of me until I was able to get my A-levels. Even after. I got more support and love from that woman and her husband than from my own parents. They didn't even judge me when they found out I was gay. They are extraordinary, brilliant. I felt really connected to them."
"They sound like great people."
"They truly are. They said they would have loved it if their children had grown up like me."
"You've met them?"
"Unfortunately, no. They couldn't keep them. They didn't have the money to raise any of the children they had, but a wealthy family accepted to raise them. They couldn't have children so they bought them."
Rose was disgusted by that way of acting. You couldn't just buy a child whenever you wanted one. Those people must have been in a really desperate situation to give their children against a lot of money. But Rose was starting to get where Tegan was going. She understood the real story of Tegan Smith, and maybe the real story of Maxence Spitz.
"This family, it was the Spitz's, right?"
Tegan looked at her, surprised by her words. She had figured it out quickly. She was clever. Really clever. He rubbed his face with his hands and sighed deeply.
"Maxence doesn't know it but yeah. We've both been adopted. Those people who took me in… They are our real parents. The Spitz, they were supposed to give them pictures of Max and I as we grew up. But they never did. The poor couple has waited for news they never got until I found out about the truth. They were really happy to see me, to have news from Max – other than through the news. They got a better situation from the money they were given, but they've always regretted the deal that has been made. They said they had felt that they weren't good people. If only they knew the truth."
Rose felt really sad for him now. And for Maxence. He ignored the truth and was living in a family he hated. They sure had helped him to do the studies he wanted, to have a great job, to be sort of famous. But he wasn't happy in his life. If he had been raised by the nice couple his biological parents were, maybe it would have changed it all for him.
"I'm so sorry, Tegan. I'm so sorry for all you've been through."
"I'm happy now. That's all that matters."
He couldn't say the same about Maxence. Maybe he was a bit more now, but inside down, he still was hurt. Deeply hurt. Maybe Rose could heal that wound that had dug his heart over the years. If she couldn't, no one would ever be able to fix the amazing man Maxence was. But Tegan had a feeling that she would be the perfect woman for his brother.
"Will you tell him?"
"I wanted to. But that's not up to me. Joanne, our real mother, wrote a letter for him. I have to give it to him. But I don't think it's the right time to upset his whole life."
"You're right."
Rose yawned tiredly. It was starting to be late but she was thankful that Tegan had honestly told her his story. She scooted closer to him and gave him a tight hug. Tegan hugged her back. They were both seeking comfort in that moment and that hug was more than welcomed.
"I'm taking the couch," she declared when they broke the hug. "You can have the room."
"No." Tegan shook his head. "Maxence wouldn't want me to take you away from his bed. I'll take the couch."
"I can also sleep with Elliot."
"Don't you worry about me. I'll be just fine here."
He tapped the couch with a smile. He was stubborn. Just like Maxence. She was no better, but tonight, she didn't have the strength to fight him so she let him win. He was gonna sleep on the couch. She brought him a pillow and a blanket and put it down on the sofa.
"Have a goodnight, Tegan."
"Goodnight, Rose."
The blonde kissed his cheek and left for the bathroom. She brushed her teeth and changed into her pyjamas. She went straight to bed, and curled up under the covers. She glanced at the empty place beside her. She imagined him there, laying on his side, a strand of hair across his forehead, a soft smile on his lips. He would cup her cheek with his large hand and stroked her lips with his thumb. She would push the strand of hair away from his forehead and smile at him in return. Slowly, she would come closer to him and snuggle up to him. He would wrap his arms around her and roll on his back so she could put her head on his chest. She would close her eyes and fall asleep to the sound of his heartbeats. But tonight, she didn't have him. She had to sleep alone. Until he came back. She was counting the hours.
It took a week, a few re-education sessions and a lot of pain for Maxence to be allowed to come home. He had painkillers to take, and re-education sessions to go to but he was good enough to go home. Finally. Since he couldn't drive himself, Tegan had come to pick him up at the hospital. He stopped at the chemist for Maxence's meds and medical supplies, and went straight to Maxence's flat. He helped him upstairs.
"I have to warm you. The boy has missed you a lot."
"His name's Elliot."
"He's overexcited to see you again."
"I can imagine."
"Never thought you'd end up with kids."
"It's more complicated than that."
"I know. I've talked with Rose."
"So you know everything."
"Everything she has wanted to say."
"And she knows everything."
"Yep."
"You've never known how to keep secrets, T."
Tegan grinned at his brother. He sure was the worst at keeping secrets, but there was one secret he was keeping away from Maxence. That secret would shatter his life if he knew. And yet, he had to know. Maybe he would be happier if he knew the truth about his origins. But now wasn't the time. Now, he needed to take all the rest he could and get better. Later, perhaps. Rose had promised to help him with that. When the right time would come. Over the week, they had become good friends. Tegan understood better what Maxence was seeing in her. His pink and yellow girl.
Tegan knocked on the door. A code to tell Rose that they were there. Elliot was the one opening the door. He smiled wildly when he saw Maxence and ran to him. He jumped in his arms and Maxence caught him despite his wounded arm and the pain. He hugged the boy, but his face was twisted with pain. He was making an effort not to make a sound and worry the boy. Tegan admired his brother's strength to keep his pain silent.
"I've missed you so much," murmured Elliot in his neck. "I was scared."
"It's okay. I'm here now."
Maxence stepped in the flat with Tegan's help. It felt good to be back home. He was obviously off duty until he felt better. An inquiry was following its way to find out who had shot him. But no one had any clue at all. The shooter had vanished into thin air. Maxence had a lot of enemies with all the persons he has sent to jail and condemned to any other sentences with his skills of lawyer. He was good at it and the criminals hated him. There was a lot of people to see and interview. They would never find him or her. Maxence was very aware of that.
"Elliot," sighed Rose. She had come out of the shower as soon as possible when she heard them. "I've told you to be careful."
"I'm alright."
"You don't look alright."
Maxence gave her a tired smile and sat down on the couch. He couldn't be alright after a week in a hospital. He had had to go through surgery, pain, re-education and police interviews alone. And he had gotten angry at his mother. He hadn't slept that well. So he was exhausted. But it would be better now that he was with his real family.
Rose gave a nod to Tegan to thank him for taking Maxence home safely. It also was a silent way to tell each other what to do next. They didn't need words. What they had to do was obvious. Tegan walked to the kitchen. Dinner was on him tonight. It would be a simple one. No one expected Maxence to eat much anyway. Rose sat down next to Maxence and forced Elliot to let go of the poor man. The little boy obeyed but stayed sat on Maxence's lap. Maxence wrapped his non-wounded arm around Rose's shoulders and pulled her closer. They all remained there, silent, for a long moment. They simply enjoyed that moment of them being together again. A little family like Tegan had said, maybe one day had replied Rose. If only she could get over the block Jimmy had created in her heart and mind. She wished she could make Maxence happy. She wished she could give him what he wanted.
When Maxence leaned his head back and closed his eyes, Rose noticed his face was still twisted with pain. He was suffering. Silently, so they wouldn't worry about him. She slowly ran her fingers through his hair and traced his hairy jawline. She kissed his temple softly.
"Let me take care of you this time, okay?"
Maxence didn't protest though he felt bad to have her taking care of him when he had promised her to be the one doing it. Rose sent Elliot to the kitchen for him to help Tegan. The little boy wasn't happy with that but he obeyed anyway. Rose helped Maxence up and led him to the bathroom. She sat him down on the toilet seat and left the room, only to come back with a pile of clean clothes and the bag full of bandages and disinfectant for his wound. She grabbed a flannel but he caught her hand.
"If you don't mind, I prefer a shower. I've had sponge bathes every day this week."
"Can you take it on your own or do you need help?"
"I can try."
Rose had never seen him naked and he could feel that it was embarrassing her to see him naked right now. He had seen her whole body when he was bathing her when she couldn't do it on her own after Jimmy had beaten her down. He remembered her thin body which now was getting beautiful curves since she wasn't starving anymore. He knew what was under her clothes, but she didn't know what was under his, and she was too respectful of him to take advantage of the situation. He took off the sling and put it aside. His T-shirt and shoes followed the same way. The wound was hiding under a thick bandage. He would keep it for the shower and change it after. He slowly pulled off his pants. All of that was pulling on the threads of his wound but he didn't complain. Rose turned around when his boxers and socks were taken off. He stepped into the shower and turned on the water. He closed his eyes and let the water flow on his body. He had wanted that shower for what felt like forever. But when he tried to grab the shampoo, the pain brought him back to reality. He groaned and placed his hand on his painful shoulder.
"You alright?" asked Rose, worried.
"I don't think I can do it," he admitted.
Rose didn't hesitate. She could hear he was in pain. She took off all her clothes and grabbed the small plastic stool Elliot was using to brush his teeth. She stepped in the shower, keeping her eyes on his face. She put the stool down and gently forced Maxence to sit on it. He did, silently, almost ashamed, but she said nothing. She started massaging his head with some shampoo. Maxence closed his eyes and enjoyed her hands on his head. She rinsed his hair and her hands were now stroking his neck. Softly, carefully. If there was soap, he didn't feel it. He was only feeling her hands on his skin. They now were on his shoulders and slowly sliding on his arms. Then, on his chest. He leaned his head against the glass wall and let out a small breath between his clenched teeth. His body was tensed and covered in goose bumps because of her touch but she didn't stop. Her hands were rubbing his chest, brushing over his nipples and he bit the inside of his cheek when he felt himself becoming hard. He had to stay in control.
Maxence didn't move or say anything. He stayed still and breathed slowly until it stopped tingling him. He was playing with fire at that moment but he didn't have much of a choice. Rose was the only one able to help him in that situation and she was doing it almost professionally. She didn't stop when she faced his erection. She washed the bottom of his body just as softly and carefully as she did the upper part. He let out a muffled groan when her fingers brushed over his sensitive dick. She looked at him and met his blue eyes. He was staring down at her and his eyes were so dark with desire for her. She stopped for a moment; letting the water flow over them.
"Rose," he murmured, unable to say something else.
"Shh."
She placed a finger over his lips to force him to silence. He was surprised but obeyed anyway. She was observing him, sitting there in the shower, completely naked – body and soul – and she thought that he looked beautiful. More beautiful than any other person she had ever met. She stroked his face and he closed his eyes, relaxing under her touch. He certainly hadn't expected her lips on his, but he wasn't gonna complain about it. He didn't push her away, just kissed her back. His hands found their way on her hips, but the pain stopped him. Rose broke the kiss when she felt it.
"Sorry," she apologized.
"Don't be."
"Let's get you out of here, okay?"
She wouldn't talk about that kiss. Not yet. He wasn't in the right condition to talk about anything. So, she rinsed his body well and helped him out of the shower after she turned off the water. She wrapped herself in a towel and dried him off carefully before she helped him into clean boxers and shorts. Then, she sat him down on the toilet seat and took off the soaked bandage. She cleaned the wound and made a new bandage. She carefully helped him into his shirt. She combed his hair with her fingers and put the sling back around his neck. She threw his dirty clothes in the washing machine to take care of them later.
"No staying up late for you. Dinner, meds, and you go to bed."
"Yes, ma'am."
"Good."
"Are we…"
"No."
Rose dried herself off quickly and pulled her clothes back on. She brushed her hair and when she was done, she walked out of the bathroom with Maxence. They went to the kitchen. Dinner was ready, the table was sat and both Elliot and Tegan were waiting for them. Elliot smiled wildly when saw them back. He had saved Maxence the closest chair to him. Maxence sat down there and Rose took the last free chair. They shared the meal like a small family. And then, they all went to bed. Maxence found the strength to tell Elliot a bedtime story before he went to his own bed. Rose tucked him in and they both fell asleep, cuddling each other. No word was spoken that night.
Two days later, they still hadn't talked about that kiss. Rose refused to even mention it. They were living the way they had been for months, except Rose was the one taking care of him and making sure he was recovering well. She was even sacrificing her nights when the pain woke him up to give him painkillers and keep him close to her until she fell asleep again. She would stay awake for hours just to be sure he wouldn't wake up once again. She would just run her fingers through his hair until the morning came.
It had been one of those nights. Two nights in a row. Even when he would be fully healed, the pain might stay. But currently, it was far from being healed. They had to change the bandage every day, several times a day, and Maxence couldn't move his arm much so he needed help for a lot of things. But today, he was doing his things on his own. It was the beginning of the afternoon. Elliot was at school, and Rose was taking a nap. Maxence had wanted to take that nap with her but he had an appointment for a re-education session and a check-up. He hadn't told Rose because she would have insisted for coming and he wanted her to rest. As soon as she was asleep, he slipped out of the room and got ready for his appointment. He left a note on the fridge for Rose to find it whenever she would wake up from her nap.
Since he couldn't drive, he took the bus and walked to the hospital. He was being careful, always watching around. It was stupid maybe to have refused the police protection. Nothing happened to him though. He could have his check-up – they removed the threads – and re-education session that took away all his worries to replace them with pain. It was still hard to move his arm and fingers, and they weren't sure if he would get his full mobility back. He was quite concerned about it as he was heading back home. He had decided to walk. Walking usually helped him to clear his mind. Not this time. He was almost home when a heavy rock hit his wounded shoulder. The shock and pain made him lost his balance long enough for someone to catch him from behind and pin him against a wall. His head hit it causing more pain to him. He could feel someone's hot breath brushing over his skin. The voice that followed made him freeze.
"Lon' time no see, Spitz! Ya don't look good, mate!"
Maxence clenched his teeth as the pain crushed through him. Jimmy Stone had definitely chosen his moment to come back in his life. He was pressing on his wound and the pain was irradiating in Maxence's whole body and paralysing him. He couldn't defend himself with his body pinned against the wall, his face pressed against the stone.
"Ya bin lucky! I miss'd mah shot. Wanted ya dead, meh."
Obviously. Maxence was cursing himself for being an idiot. Of course, it had to be Jimmy Stone out of all the enemies he had. All of those months spent on alert because of him and when something happened, they completely forgot about him. He had taken his time to prepare his revenge. But he had missed his shot and now, he was taking another chance.
"Where did ya hide'em?"
"I won't tell you."
"Ya gunna die!"
"That was the original plan, right?"
Jimmy put his hand in Maxence's pockets and pulled out his wallet. He found what he was looking for: he read Maxence's address on his ID and kept it in mind. He took all the money there was in and put the wallet back in Maxence's pocket. He grabbed the man's hair and banged his head against the wall. Maxence groaned at the pain and chose that moment to counterattack. He managed to knock Jimmy out and ran away. He went straight to his flat. He was dishevelled, his hair was messy, his eyebrow arch was bleeding and he was out of breath.
"Maxence?" Rose called out, worried.
Both mother and son were looking at him half surprised, half worried. Rose walked to him and put her fingers in the blood. The lawyer winced and gently took her hand. They had no time to waste. He grabbed Elliot's hand and almost run to the room he was working in. He pushed one of his heavy bookcases full of law books and revealed a door behind it.
"Maxence, what's happening?!"
"He's found me and he's got my address."
"Who?"
"Jimmy Stone."
Rose went white at the name and Elliot clang to his mother's hand. The name was terrifying them but knowing that he might come there to finish what he had started was worse. Maxence slid the door open and blocked the lift door.
"I have a panic room. You'll be safe in there."
"And you?"
"There's a phone down there. Call the police. I'll keep him busy."
"I can't accept that."
"I'll come to you as soon as it'll be done. Call the police. It'll be alright."
He pushed the blonde and her son in the lift. Elliot gripped the sleeve of his jacket. He didn't want Maxence to face Jimmy. Maxence knelt down at the boy's height.
"Remember the promise I've made to you months ago?" Elliot nodded. "I need your help this time. I need you to go down with mummy and call the police. You tell them my name and that the guy who hurt me is here. They will come. They'll be here before he hurts me again."
"Promise?"
"Promise."
Maxence hugged the little boy who went back into the lift. He took his mother's hand and promised to protect her. Rose was about to hug Maxence but he let go of the door which closed. She just had the time to murmur him to be careful before the doors were closed and the lift started going down. She didn't know Maxence had a panic room but she assumed that with the job he was doing, it was necessary. She just hoped that Jimmy wouldn't hurt him too badly before the police arrived. But she could only wait now.
Maxence barely had the time to slide the door shut and to push the bookcase back – which left him quite tired – that he heard the front door being knocked down. Jimmy Stone was there and he wasn't discreet at all. He was yelling for Rose to come out and face him. But it was Maxence who came. Exhausted, in pain, but ready to protect Rose, to gain some time until the police was there.
"Spitz! Where ya hidin' her?!"
"Once again, I won't tell you."
"Better do!"
"Better get out of here. You're on my property."
"I don't care!"
If he had to fight the Spitz guy, he would do it. But the lawyer was clever and in his home. He would win easily. However, Jimmy was feeling brave because of the last shot of drugs he took. So he ran straight to Maxence who avoided the punch. He would make the junky run and miss him as much as possible. It was funny to watch him fail over and over again only to get back on his feet and try again. The man was determined, they couldn't take that away from him.
Nevertheless, Maxence was the first one to show his weakness. He had just a second of inattention and Jimmy took advantage of it. He punched Maxence's shoulder. The wave of pain bewildered Maxence. He had lost his advantage. Jimmy had touched his weak point. From now on, he could only protect himself the best he could and take the blows. Jimmy was having fun obviously. He was laughing whenever he was feeling his fists and feet hitting Maxence's flesh and groaning when he was hit.
"Ya can't win, Spitz!"
"Don't speak too fast, Stone," groaned Maxence. "I'm not dead yet."
"Ya gunna be! Ya and dat bitch!"
"What are you waiting for then? Do it!"
Maxence knew he had no chance to win that fight. Not in the condition he was in. He kicked Jimmy's legs and pushed him away from him. He crawled back until he felt strong enough to get back on his feet. He was surprised that Jimmy hadn't counterattacked yet. He leaned on the wall. His whole body was hurting. He was in a need of painkillers and rest, but he couldn't abandon. Not now. He heard Jimmy rummaging about in the kitchen and coming back. The end of the fight was coming. Jimmy faced Maxence. He was smiling perniciously and was holding a huge kitchen knife in hand. Despite his condition, Maxence had managed to ravage the little brat pretty well. He let him come closer, but as soon as he was close enough, the lawyer grabbed his wrist for the knife not to be used against him. He was cornered, and wouldn't hold on too long like that.
Jimmy was waiting for the moment Maxence would let go. His grip on his wrist was desperate, but his hand was wet with blood and sweat and it was slipping. Jimmy wasn't very clever and his brain was completely ruined by the alcohol and drugs he was taking, but he knew how to wait for the right time. Maxence's arm was trembling and the blade was getting dangerously close to his stomach. Where was the police?
"Ya lost!"
"Police! Let go of that knife!"
Jimmy tried harder to stab Maxence but he was stopped by a sudden electrical discharge that ran through his body. His hand opened and the knife fell to the ground. Maxence kicked it away as Jimmy fell to his knees, floored by the shock. Two officers pinned his shaking body down and handcuffed him. Maxence sighed in relief and slid down the wall. He closed his eyes. That was over. Jimmy was taken away by the police and paramedics were taking care of the lawyer. That was really over. Finally.
The lift had taken them to some bunker underground. It was a real fortress with food, beds, a phone, meds and a CCTV that wasn't working. Not that Rose could see at least. She had tried everything to make the screen work and show her how it was going on up there but nothing worked and she had stopped trying. Since then, she was laying on a bed, biting her nails to blood with how anxious she was for Maxence. Elliot was cuddling into her. He was also worried sick and the silence of their surroundings wasn't helping their minds to think about something else. They could only worry and hope that Maxence was alright, that Jimmy hadn't hurt him more. Or worse. They both refused to imagine the worst. It just couldn't happen.
Rose suddenly sat up when she heard the lift coming down their way. Her heart was beating painfully because of the fear clutching at it. Was it Maxence? Was he coming back for them? Was he gonna tell them that it was over? Elliot grabbed his mother's hand and held it tight. They were staring at the lift's doors, waiting for them to open and reveal the passenger of that travel. There was a beep when the lift finally was there and a sigh of relief escaped them when Maxence stepped out of it.
"It's over," he simply said.
Mother and son didn't need more. They ignored Maxence's bruises and cuts and ran to hug him. They were so glad to have him back alive. He hugged them back as they cried into his chest. Saying more was useless. Maxence being there was enough for them to understand. The threat Jimmy Stone had been taken down. They could start living again. They didn't have to be afraid anymore. Finally, Rose and Elliot were safe and that was all they could ask for after so many years of fear and insecurities.