Max made it just as they were closing the boarding gate. Breathlessly, he rushed onto the plane, pushing his ticket into the hands of a flight attendant without looking at her, his eyes scanning the seats he could see.

"Sir, if you'd like to follow me, I-"

"There's someone I need to find." Max took a few steps forward, but another flight attendant blocked his way.

"I'm afraid we're running late as it is, Sir. You need to take a seat, and I will help you find them once we're in the air."

Max's eyes scanned the cabin once more before he nodded and was led to his seat. He'd just settled in when he heard a commotion coming from business class. After a few seconds, a familiar voice reached him.

"No! I need to get off. I can't do this." Zoe struggled against the flight attendant who held both her upper arms.

"Have you been drinking?"

"No! I need to get off, please! There's-" Zoe's final panicked words were muffled in the hoddie of someone pulling her into a hug. She fought for only a second before a surprising calm voice reassured her.

"It's ok, Zoe. Shh." To the flight attendant, Max asked, "Can you seat her near me, or somewhere together?"

The woman gave a sigh. "…This is the person you were looking for?"

Max nodded, his vice like grip on Zoe relaxing a little now she'd stopped struggling.

"There's a spare seat in first class. Follow me."

…

Zoe never asked Max how he'd suddenly appeared on the plane. After he'd managed to make her let go of him, he'd taken her to the seat beside his. While her face remained blank, Max could still see panic and something else he couldn't quite recognise in her eyes. Gently, he'd put her belt on for her, reassuring the flight attendant that they wouldn't cause any more trouble.

They'd been in the air an hour now and aside from his first words to her, neither of them had spoken to one another again. Zoe was sitting with her eyes shut, though he could tell from the grip she still had on his sleeve that she wasn't asleep.

Max spent another hour staring at his wife's profile before he finally asked softly, "Zoe?"

Her eyes opened and she glanced at him before her eyes dropped to the floor.

"…I'm sorry I left yesterday."

"I'm surprised you even invited me in the first place." Zoe replied softly.

"…I do think you're a brilliant doctor."

"Just not a very nice human being." Zoe's hand finally loosened its grip on Max's sleeve.

"I never said that. "

When Zoe finally lifted her eyes to look at Max again, he reached out to tuck some hair behind her ear. "Try and get some sleep."

Zoe's eyes shut at the feel of his touch. "Max?"

"Mmm?" Max was looking down at Zoe's left hand where she still wore her wedding ring.

"I'm so, so sorry. I-"

She was cut off my Max giving her the gentlest kiss she's ever received in her life. "We don't need to talk about that now. Get some sleep."

Zoe nodded, resting her head back.

Max sighed and watched her profile. He hoped he was doing the right thing. For both of them.

…

Zoe did sleep for a little while, but when she awoke, panic was still fresh in her mind. It was dark and she couldn't quite remember where she was or why she was there. As it slowly came back to her- the phone call, Nick, the pregnant woman, her baby- she began to feel overwhelmed. She went to stand up, but suddenly she remembered what else had happened. Max.

She took a deep breath before looking towards the man at her side. Wearing headphones, his eyes were focused on the screen in front of him and he hadn't noticed Zoe waking up.

Max was bored by the movies that were on, but he found with headphones on it was easier for him to concentrate on the thoughts that whirled around his brain. Should he forgive Zoe just because she was upset? Would she cheat on him again? Was it what his mother had said that made her do it? Would he be able to trust her again if he did manage to forgive her? From the corner of his eye, he saw a flight attendant approaching and he was momentarily distracted. When he turned his head to speak to the flight attendant, he found Zoe watching him, her face expressionless as tears tracked their way slowly down her cheeks.

Neither was sure how long they held eye contact for, but it was finally broken when the flight attendant spoke to them. Max was the first to look away. "Pardon?"

"I said would you like anything from the trolley or the bar?"

"I need to go to the bathroom." As Zoe got up and pushed past the trolley, she almost overturned it.

…

Max is here. He actually came to me. He's coming with me. He chose to come with me. I look terrible. I need to clean myself up. Zoe's thoughts flew as she attempted to scrub the tears from her face. She was beginning to tidy her hair when a thought occurred to her. This isn't what Max loved about me. Yes, he appreciated my looks and my dresses, but he was always saying his favourite Zoe was the one he only saw in glimpses- the vulnerable Zoe, the sleepy Zoe, the Zoe he knew was inside. He loved my confidence, but he loved me when my defences were down more. Loved. Past tense.

"Zoe?" Max knocked on the door gently, unsure if he'd come to the right bathroom.

Inside, Zoe froze.

"…Zoe?"

It was when she heard the worry in his voice that Zoe suddenly understood what she needed to do to get Max back. She needed to be the real her, she needed to let her walls down. She'd tried everything else- flirting, joking, seriousness, apology- and none of it worked.

"I look a mess and the flight attendant thinks I'm mad."

Outside, Max smiled. His first proper smile in weeks. "All the best people are. Let me in, I've got some make up remover."

After a moments hesitation, Zoe unlocked the door and Max slid inside. "Why do you have make up remover?"

"I'm a man of hidden talents. Shut your eyes."

When Zoe did as he asked, Max began gently removing the streaked remnants of make up that were still on her face from days ago when she'd last applied any. When he was done, he tucked her hair behind her ears again and without meaning to dropped a kiss to her forehead.

When her eyes flickered open, Max gave a slight smile. "Sort of imagined the first time I was in a plane toilet with you I'd be joining the mile high club, not cleaning your face."

Zoe smiled hesitantly back, unsure what to say.

"Still, another dream of mine is about to come true."

"What's that?" Zoe asked.

Max silently held up a tracksuit and a pair of trainers with the airlines logo on them.

"I'm not wearing those!"

"You'll be more comfortable. And the wine stain on that dress is giving people entirely the wrong opinion of you."

Zoe sighed and looked down at dress. She hadn't even noticed the red stain on the front of the dress, or how crumped it was."…Ok."

…

When Zoe retuned to her seat a short time later, Max's eyes were focused once more on the screen in front of him, headphones on.

Sitting down, Zoe let out a long sigh. She knew she'd be unable to concentrate on anything, but she could feel herself becoming agitated again.

"Guess what?"

When Max spoke to her, Zoe jumped. She wasn't used to hearing his voice anymore. Glancing at him hesitantly, a smile finally pulled at her lips.

From a curly wurly, he'd fashioned himself a pair of wavy chocolate eyebrows.

A laugh bubbled out of Zoe. "You're mad."

"Like I said, all the best people are."