Four weeks after Max had permanently settled into Steve's apartment was the first time that Steve got the feeling that something was really wrong with Max. Steve hadn't been able to find ANY information on her when he had searched; it was like she didn't exist. No records of a missing child with her description, and absolutely no next of kin to be found. It wasn't that Steve didn't know that Max was hiding her past, but he didn't want to push her. Truthfully he didn't really see a point in bombarding her with questions as long as things were going well.

That night was anything but well.

It was sometime around 11:30 and Steve rolled out of bed to relieve himself; before he made it to the bathroom he noticed down the short hall that Max's room was fully lit up. It was too late to be not sleeping, especially for her, so Steve made a detour to put her to bed.

He was somewhat surprised to find that she was snuggled safely up under the blankets. He didn't read too much into it, thinking that maybe she had fallen asleep before turning the light off. She'd been pretty tired after they'd run today, so Steve figured she must have just collapsed without much thought. He flicked the switch off, plunging the windowless room into complete darkness and turning to walk away.

The gasping and scrambling stopped him in his tracks and when he looked back, Max stood against the wall, fingers splayed over the light switch, breathing like she couldn't get enough air into her lungs. She looked like she was having a panic attack, and Steve padded over, gripping her arms steadily. She struggled and shouted, "no!" "Let me go!", in a desperate attempt to get loose she tried to fight Steve off. Steve held onto her, trying to be steady and comforting.

"Max! Max calm down, I'm right here! It's me!" Steve spoke over her shouting. "Max you're safe!" Steve pulled her closer, through her struggling he held onto her. "You're safe, it's me, Steve."

Slowly Max stopped fighting, but her eyes were still blown wide with fear. She gripped onto Steve's arms to steady herself and looked Steve in the eyes. He'd never seen her so afraid, never, not even when she executed dangerous stunts. Slowly she found the words to speak, but it creaked out like she wasn't sure of herself.

"Steve?" It didn't even sound like her voice. She was calming down, but she still shook sometimes.

"Max, what happened?" Steve whispered, concern everywhere. As soon as those words left his lips, Max stiffened and turned away, she pushed his hands off and refused his comforts.

"I don't want to talk about it." She mumbled. She stood back up, and Steve noticed that she was wearing shorts and a thin T-shirt; her sleep clothes. She'd left the light on purposefully.

"Max," Steve stood up, sitting on the edge of the bed. Max kept her back to him and stayed closed off, like a wounded animal. She pulled her knees up and wrapped around them. She was holding herself, trying to will away the remnants of fear without Steve knowing. "Max, you can tell me. Anything."

"I don't want to tell you, I want to be left alone." Max practically snapped. Steve sat back, thinking how she had never acted like this before. With a sigh Steve stood up and made for the door. Before he left Max tipped her head toward him and quickly said, "Don't turn the light out."

Steve stopped and tried to put the pieces together. Slowly walking back over to the bed, Steve sat next to Max. "Are you afraid of the dark, Max?"

"Of course not, you lumbering idiot!" Max turned and snapped, quickly turning away again. She hadn't let go of her knees, and the tension in her shoulders was fit to tear something.

"Max you can tell me." Steve reached out and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "I want to help you."

A pitiful sob left Max, and her shoulders sagged. She tried to wipe away her tears before Steve could see them, but they were coming too fast. Steve pulled her into a hug, as if he could actually protect her if she was wrapped in his arms. Max buried her face into Steve's shoulder and her hands gripped fistfuls of his shirt. Her tears soaked his shoulder, and Steve felt part of his heart break for her. "What's wrong?"

"I'm so scared." She whimpered. "I'm just so scared." Her crying was interrupted only by the hiccuping. Steve tried to console her, but he never really was good at this kind of thing. It seemed to be good enough for her to just have him there, but he felt like there was so much more he could have done. "The dark is dangerous." Max mumbled.

"Dangerous?" Steve asked. "What makes it dangerous?" That comment was particularly strange.

"Because," Max sobbed. "You can't see what's coming. I didn't see them coming! It was so dark!"

"Didn't see who coming? Max, what happened?"

"My dad! All the lights were out and I didn't know what was happening!" Max took a long time to catch her breath again. "Before I could figure anything out they killed him and tore the place apart, I couldn't see anything. It was so dark."

"Max look at me, breathe" Steve held her by the shoulders and Max just continued to gasp through her crying. "Breathe, you're safe here." Something moved Steve to pet her hair; smooth it down like an actual parent. It didn't occur to him at the time that this was the gateway to his relationship with Max. After many failed attempts to catch her breath, Max finally seemed to calm down a bit. "Max, listen," Steve spoke quietly. "I am right here. You're safe with me. You are afraid of the things that you can't see in the dark; that's okay. Right now, you are in a safe place. Nothing and no one is going to hurt you, I'll make sure of it."

"Please don't leave me. Steve, I don't want to be alone." Max whimpered.

"I won't leave you, I just have to take care of a few things." Steve smoothed her hair again, moving to get up. "I'll be right back, I swear. In the meantime, straighten out the sheets, there's no point in sleeping on top of them." Max looked reluctant to let him go, but she understood that he had given her his word. He would be back.

Steve tended to the few things he hadn't been able to and brought an extra pillow back to the room. Max was more quiet and contemplative now than ever, but she moved to the side and offered the other half to Steve.

Sure, the plan wasn't to fall asleep with Max tucked under his chin and an arm pulled around her, but she'd seemed so gosh darn relaxed that it would have been a sin to move. So looked so small curled up against Steve, and before falling asleep himself Steve was reminded of her youth. She was still so impressionable, and although he wasn't entirely sure what had happened to her, he knew it was something that should not have happened. Whatever Max had seen, it had changed her; made her grow up in too many ways too quickly. Some of her childish wonder and excitement was still tangible, but when they were training, Steve could see it on her face. All determination and grown up, no room for mistakes.

Whatever turmoil was going on with Max, Steve was sure that she would come to him with it when she was ready. There was a deep trust being built. Max had no one, but now she had Steve.

And if he didn't have anyone else, Steve had Max.