Maxie pulled into the spot and turned off the ignition. She looked at Johnny as he slept leaning against the window. He looked worn out. She opened and closed the drivers side door gently and walked to the passenger side. She softly knocked on the window.

"What?" Johnny awoke still drunk and out of it.

"Hey Johnny, open up. I'll help you inside." She said from outside the car.

Johnny unlocked the door and with help from Maxie went inside his place. She got him all the way into the bedroom and was able to pull the cover away from the bed just in time as he dropped into his bed. She undid his shoes and slid them off. He was still awake but was staring off into the distance. She sat down next to him on the bed and reached over him to pull the sheet on top of him. His hand caught her arm and held her there. She was leaning over him.

As she looked into his eyes she could see such a large amount of emotion; sadness and frustration. "Johnny, what is going on" she pleaded.

"I'm really sorry Maxie." His voice was quiet

"Sorry for what? You haven't done anything wrong"

"Yah I have. I've done a lot of things wrong. I'm part of this world filled with violence and pain, where innocent people get hurt for just being in the wrong place. . . and you can't change the mistakes you have made. . . I'm not going to make a mistake with you. I'm not going to drag you into this." He was upset and couldn't even look her in the eyes

"Into what? Johnny, just tell me what's wrong. I want to help you." She pleaded with him.

"You can't help me. It's just a matter of time until -" he stopped himself. "I pushed Lulu away, and then was dumb enough to drag you in." He let go of her arm.

"Wait, this is the secret you were keeping from Lulu. Well I'm not Lulu, I'm not going to break or go insane. Tell me, nothing you can say will scare me away." She grabbed his hand.

"You're wrong. It will." His voice was getting cold. "I think we should stop seeing each other, or whatever this is. Before you get in hurt."

She was frustrated. She was mad at Johnny for not telling her what was going on and furious that he would try and push her away. "Fuck you Johnny. Seriously, you think you are this tough guy who needs to save all the precious little girls of the world. Well fuck you, because I am not a little princess and I don't need YOU to keep me safe."

"Maxie - " he tried to cut her off.

"No I'm serious, fuck you for thinking secret you have is so dangerous that letting me in would put me in danger." She was on a roll now.

"You don't understand -" his frustration was building.

"Oh I don't understand, how fucking cliché. What is it Johnny were you sleeping with someone else? Did you cheat on Lulu, with some one aside from me?"

"No."

"Well what is it then? Huh? Did you kill someone? Big bad Johnny take some one out?"

"Maxie stop -"

She could tell she was getting to him but she couldn't stop. If they next thing he was going to do was tell her they were over she wanted to hurt him first. "You know this "bad-boy with a horrifying secret" shit is getting pretty fucking old. You know why you left Lulu, because you were done with her. You used her up and then you got bored, so you moved on to me. But once again Johnny is fucking bored, big surprise, so you gonna throw me out now?" her eyes burned but she forced herself not to cry.

"It's not like - " he yelled trying to get her to stop.

"Don't bother. I'm not going to sit around and listen to this shit." She got up and walked toward the door but turned. "

"I'm just trying to explain -"

"Explain what? What the fuck is going on?" she screamed back at him.

"It's my fault that Michael got shot." The minute it came out he had a look of sadness in his eyes.

Maxie didn't know what to say. "What do you mean it was your fault" she spoke slowly making sure she heard him right.

"It's a long story but did you know that Sonny kidnapped me?"

She shook her head.

"Well Michael was missing and he thought my family had something to do with it. So he had me grabbed. And as retribution Claudia ordered a hit on Sonny. She didn't mean for anyone else to get hurt but . . . it was the night Michael got shot." He looked down.

"Johnny that wasn't your fault. Your sister - " She moved toward the bed.

"She did it because Sonny took me. She didn't want Michael to get hurt, no one did but it happened and it's just as much my fault as hers. If Lulu found out about it . . . do you understand now?"

"Yah. I get it." She sat at the edge of the bed.

"I understand if you want to leave."

"I don't."

"Are you sure? Because Jax knows about Claudia and it's only a matter of time before Sonny finds out. Really you'd be safe as far away from me as possible."

"Johnny, lets not kid ourselves. Trouble follows me and part of your appeal is your bad boy side." She tried to kid.

"I'm sorry I brought you into this." His voice was quiet.

"I'm not." She took his hand. "I'm happy you finally let me in."

"Yah well your pretty persistent." He was laying back now. "Man, I drank a lot tonight."

"Yep. How are you feeling?"

"Pretty exhausted."

"Well you go to sleep." She leaned back over and pulled the sheet over him. Then she kissed him on the forehead.

He opened his eyes, "that was kind of cheesy." He said with a yawn.

"I guess so."

"But it was nice. Goodnight Maxie" he said closing his eyes again.

"Night Johnny."