(A/N: Well, this is going to be different. In this story, Max finally decides to tell the family about his life before he met them. Special thanks to XxKaiotasticxX for Max's biography. Here goes...)

It was evening in the city of Petropolis. The T.U.F.F. agents had all gone home after another busy day of stopping bad guys, and now they could relax. Even Dudley and Kitty are home, and we need to check up on them, so let's head on over there!

The family was sitting in the living room, watching T.V. Max, however, seemed unusually quiet tonight.

"What's wrong, Max? You're awfully quiet tonight." Molly said to her adopted brother.

"Just thinking about my life before I met you." Max said with a sigh.

"Still haven't put it behind you yet, huh?" George asked.

"No..." said Max.

"Perhaps you should talk about it. I heard that talking about it will make one feel better." Summer suggested.

"Okay. I'll tell you." Max said. He took a deep breath and got ready to explain, although he really didn't want to.

"I was only a baby when my dad left home. He left to work in a different continent, but he never returned. I didn't find out where he went until I was 11, when Mom finally told me." Max started.

"Why did your mom wait so long to tell you?" Dudley asked.

"She said that by that time, I'd be able to understand why Dad left." Max explained.

"But still, she could've thought of an easier way to explain it to you when you were younger..." said Kitty.

"Yeah. Anyway, we had this computer in the basement, and we'd use it to keep in touch with Dad. However, not long after our most recent chat, these strange people in black came to our house, and they asked Mom where Dad was. Mom wouldn't tell them where he was." Max continued.

"Why were they looking for him?" Annabeth asked.

"To this day, I honestly have no idea. And you couldn't really expect Mom to tell them where Dad was, 'cause who knew what they were going to do?" Max said.

"Good point. But at least you grew up with one of your parents." Annabeth said.

"Anyway, one of the men took Mom away, and the other put me in an orphanage." Max told them.

"Oh, Max! Why didn't you tell us sooner?!" Molly gasped as she gave him a hug.

"I didn't want you to worry." Max explained. Then he told them that even though he wasn't fond of living with other kids, he got used to it fast.

"Which is probably why you're used to living here with our family." George guessed.

"Right. Still, I wasn't living in the orphanage for long. I was only there until my 12th birthday. At midnight that night, I snuck out so I could find a way to another time as if to 'start over'." Max said.

"How did you find a time-machine?" Kitty asked.

"I was on my way back to my house when I remembered the time-machine in the basement. Luckily, I found the spare house key, and I used that to get in. Then I picked the lock to the basement door, went to the basement, and found the time-machine. I didn't know where it would take me, but I pressed the button that would take me to the past, and... the rest is history." Max said.

"Oh, I'm sorry you spent most of your life without a dad." Dudley said.

"I know. But now I have you, and you're a cool dad." Max said as he gave Dudley a hug.

"What about Kitty?" Dudley asked.

"She's a great mom." Max said.

"And us?" Summer asked.

"I'm really glad you guys are my siblings." Max said.

"Not as glad as I am to have you in our family." Molly said, and they hugged each other.

Then they were caught up in a family hug. Max knew that he couldn't imagine what life would be like if that time-machine hadn't taken him to Petropolis in the past, during the time George, Molly, Summer, and Annabeth were there. He was happy to have parents again, and he'd have no one else for his siblings. He had a family that made his life a lot happier.

The End

Max's rough start in life led to a happier do-over. He has a dad who won't leave, a mom who won't get taken away, and siblings who are the best friends he could ever ask for.