I did something a little unusual and made most of this chapter Furiosa's perspective. Happy reading :)


There are more survivors migrating to the Citadel.

Max comes across them in the many days following his departure. Some travel as families, others as partners. The last group he discovers is a family; father, mother, and twin girls. When he sees the frail legs and sunken faces of the girls, he goes against his own better judgement and slows down the car.

He remains with them for just the night, explaining in few words to the parents how far they have to go before they reach the Citadel. They all listen with wide-eyes as Max tells them about the fields of green and the fresh water. The girls look down at the food they hold, given to them by Max, perhaps imaging a vast city full of endless quantities of it.

They ask questions, which he answers as best he can. One of the girls looks up at him with her big brown eyes, full of hope and a little fear, and asks, "The savior of Citadel, Furiosa…is she a kind ruler?"

He allows himself to soften, imagining Furiosa taking in this family. "Yes. She is very kind." The girl smiles happily and embraces her sister in excitement.

Before he leaves the next morning, the father asks for his name.

What do I call you?

"Max. My name is Max."


The Wretched grow healthier and stronger with each passing day. The Sisters improve on their professions, taking even deeper pride in their work. The War Boys have taken to following them around, looking for ways to help them and gain their admiration.

Dag will give birth soon. She refuses to stop working, but some days her baby is too jumpy and Dag stays in their room to rest. Cheedo, Capable, and Toast find pleasure in pampering Dag, much like how they did when Furiosa was ill. Furiosa listens as the girls discuss the future child; what her likes and dislikes will be. They decided long ago that the baby would be a girl and look much like Dag.

Furiosa now takes runs out onto the road with the War Boys. Their supply runs to Oil Town and Bullet Farm are no longer as frequent, but as more people appear from the Wasteland with tales of raids, she knows it is safe to prepare.

It will not always be as tranquil as this.

It should not surprise her how much she missed the road, but it does. She had pushed aside all thoughts of driving once she healed and set to fix the Citadel. Once her injuries healed, that pang to have the feel of a wheel in her hands was overpowering. Now, with any report of a supple run, she lies awake, awaiting in anticipation for the morning.

She comes back from a trip to Bullet Farm, high off this sweet indulgence, to find the Sisters waiting for her in their room.

"Why are you still awake?" She asks, sitting next to Cheedo and giving her an affectionate tug of her hair. There is an excited energy in the room and Furiosa barely hits the floor before Capable speaks up.

"A family came in today. They said a man named Max helped them get here."

This is new. Many people arrive at the Citadel these days and she has the suspicion that Max may have a hand in that. This is the first time he has given his name to someone.

"They said they had spoken to him just a couple nights ago. He may be coming back," Toast leans in, arms encircling her legs. "It's been awhile."

"Maybe," she gives a reply after a moment of silence, knowing their gaze is on her. She stares at her hands, not daring to hope that he may soon be with them once more. "He will come back when he wants to."

Cheedo lays her head against Furiosa's shoulder, yawning delicately. "I think he will come back sooner than later. He must miss you terribly."

"And us, of course," Dag adds, although they all barley contain their smiles.

"He will come back when he comes back," Furiosa states, standing up and walking to her room, feeling the heat of a blush creep up her face. She didn't know her body could still betray her that way.

The Sisters continue their whispers and schemes (most likely schemes) as she finds her way to bed and eventually falls fast asleep.

Turns out, Cheedo is right.

She is helping Dag water plants when one of the boys comes running around a corner, nearly toppling over her in his anxiousness.

"Furiosa! Max has come back…we brought him to the infirmary, he appeared wounded when he arrived."

She drops her hoe and is following him without comment, slightly aware that Dag is close behind her.

When she enters the infirmary, she does not realize how fast her heart was racing until she feels it slow as she takes in Max's condition. He sits at the edge of one of the beds, left arm extended as Cheedo wraps cloth around it gently. His gaze meets hers across the room as she steps in and she notices how his posture seems to relax. Beard grown, sunburnt, and sand-coated, he looks like one of the Wasteland.

"What happened?"

"Knife wound. Nothing too serious," Cheedo replies before Max can speak, if he was going to speak at all. She gives Furiosa a concerned look and she realizes Max has not spoken since he arrived.

Cheedo finishes her handiwork, tying the cloth down and giving Max strict instructions to stop trying to get himself killed in the future.

The corners of his mouth quirk up.

Dag, quietly watching from the door, reaches out for Cheedo, and they slip away, giving the other two the space they need.

Furiosa does not resist when they leave. She narrows the space between them, gently putting her hand against his head and leaning to rest her forehead against his. She brushes a lock of his hair between her fingers, feeling the patches of dirt and sand that have collected in his time away. After a moment, she feels his own hand rest against the back of her head and he sighs.

She moves back after some silence and sits across from him. "Max, what happened out there?"

She waits patiently for his words, as he pulls at the edges of his new bandage.

"Raid of men planned to attack here this morning. Stopped them."

There is no need to ask if he killed them. He did.

"More will come," she says, thinking about Toast and Capable's fierce loyalty in protecting their home. Talk of raids will only strengthen their resolve to protect and fight. Add her devoted War Boys, and the raiders do not have a fair match. Her fear, however, is heightened as she turns to look at Max's wound. She may not personally fear them, but her fear lies with what these raiders can do to those she cares about.

Max hums his agreement, pulling at his beard in thought. More sand falls onto his fingers and she finds herself standing, looking about the room. When she finds the straight razor, she holds it out to him, which he takes obediently.

"Wash and shave before you come to bed. Need to see if that's truly Max under all that filth."

It's a lame attempt at a joke, but she hears his quiet chuckle. She leaves the infirmary…anxious to leave before that godawful blush comes creeping back.


It is late when he enters Furiosa's room. She sleeps on one side, giving him space to slip in. He tries to lie down softly, but as his head hits the pillow, she moves and opens one eye sleepily.

He expects her to say something, but to his surprise, she simply hums and shifts closer to him so that her head is nearly against his side. She falls back asleep instantly and it takes him a moment to relax and even put his arm around her body, giving both of them more space while remaining connected to one another.

Since the last time he slept with her, he finds himself falling into a dreamless sleep.