Here is Chapter 14 - it's a fluffy, Maxerica-filled, filler chapter. Since there was no Maxerica last chapter, I thought it was a good way to start up the next part of the story. How else do you transition to a new part of your story? ;)

Big thank-yous to prnamber3909, 101, lilythemermaid, Athenachild101, EileenAbbey, dakotamo, FandomsAreMyLife4Ever, magicdance 123, Guest mih, theselectionqueen, Dhenn618, AmberRena, Theoneamerica, Maxerica4Life, PokemonLuver151, Abbie loves reading, and IChangedForYou - you guys took the time to review, and I truly appreciate that so much! Thank you to all who favorited and followed as well. You guys are the best.

A.R. Darcangelo

P.S. Guest mih had a great question - the splotch on America's neck from chapter 12 was the beginning of hives because the flower had been in her bed while she was sleeping, but it was only central to the location where the flower was. White Oleander sap is what is most poisonous - and yes, Anne totally thought America had a hickey on her neck. Good insight, Guest mih!

Chapter 14:

All day long I lay in the hospital wing while a nurse repeatedly covered me in anti-itch cream and salve. By the time dinner rolled around, I was almost completely hive free. The only marks left over were from where I had scratched myself – red, puckered lines that looked like Maxon's scars. Luckily, mine would probably go away within a few days.

The Report broadcasted tonight, and thankfully, I was excused from attending. I watched on a small television screen from across the room as Maxon and the other girls spoke with Gavril on a little loveseat. Celeste had her hands all over Maxon, and I had to suppress throwing up when he didn't really stop her. However, I could tell by his facial expression he was rather embarrassed by her public displays of affection, and I tried to imagine his discomfort had a lot more to do with the fact that he had to sit in the same room with her, much less on the same loveseat.

When Kriss had her turn, Maxon had easily put his arm around her and she leaned into him – albeit a little conservatively – but I felt my heart drop into my stomach at the sight. It hurt that he was just as comfortable with her as he was with me. I knew in the back of my head that he was trying hard to make a real connection with her just in case things didn't work out with me, but what if he decided that connection was more than whatever he and I had? I couldn't swallow that thought.

I had hoped he would come after the Report, but Maxon hadn't visited me yet. I was sure he must've heard what had happened to me, but perhaps the king was keeping him away. Truly, that man was getting really irritating.

The queen hadn't come back either, although I knew there was a good reason why she hadn't. I wondered where she had gone – she was missing on the Report tonight.

I couldn't believe the king had poisoned her time and time again with white oleander, forcing her to lose child after child. I couldn't comprehend the pain and betrayal she must be experiencing. Just a little over a week ago, she found out King Clarkson had been caning Maxon since he was about six years old. For years she assumed it was the room he used for servants who were caught stealing.

I deliberated going to Maxon's room to see him. If he hadn't already spoken with his mother today, I knew it was something he needed to know. Who knows what would happen if King Clarkson found out she knew what he had been doing. I shuddered fearfully.

The nurse who had been applying my salve bustled around the corner with a syringe full of a light pink liquid.

"Here you are, dear," she said in a sing-song voice, inserting the medication into the tube that was attached to my I.V. "This will keep the swelling down over night, and you should be ready to leave by tomorrow morning."

"Thanks," I said, suddenly feeling groggy. As soon as the medicine drained through my tube, she unhooked my I.V., and to my relief, removed the needle from my left hand.

"It will make you a bit sleepy," she quipped, noticing my eyelids drooping. "Sweet dreams, Lady America. Call if you need anything." She pulled the curtain around my bed. The lights turned off so only starlight was coming in through the windows. Unlike the night Maxon and I had snuck out of the palace, the moon was just a sliver in the sky.

I fought sleep for a while, but finally the medicine sucked me under. It was a strange feeling as I dreamt – I knew I was dreaming, but I didn't want to wake up because of the vivid colors and images I saw behind my eyelids. Sometime during the night, I realized that I felt very warm down the back length of my body. I was still asleep, I knew, but a part of my brain knew that there was something significant behind my dreaming.

The warmth was not uncomfortable – on the contrary, I was very cozy. I was dreaming that I was swimming. I had never seen the ocean, but my dream revealed it to be very warm. The waves were soft against my skin – softer than I would have expected – and as I started to rise out of the water, it rolled down my skin like silk.

I felt myself beginning to wake, but I fought it relentlessly. I tried to keep the image of the warm sand under my feet alive, and the hot sun baking my skin as the slightly cooler waves lapped at my sides and back.

I felt soft lips at the nape of my neck. A gentle hand lay lightly on my waist, running slowly up and down from hip to waist to shoulder and back. My eyes fluttered open and my heart began beating erratically. Out of the corner of my eye, in the low light of the room, I saw untidy blonde hair falling into my face.

Maxon's soft hair tickled my cheek as he continued to kiss my neck, eager now that I was awake. His body spooned mine from behind on the little bed. I attempted to keep my breathing even as my body tried to shake off medicine and sleep so I could concentrate on what was happening.

His hand stopped at my waist, and he let his fingers grasp me there, holding me more tightly. His lips began to trail under my jaw, creating a line of fire.

I took a ragged breath. I felt him smile against my jaw. His hand reached over to grab one of mine, and he pulled so I rolled over onto my back.

I looked up at him sleepily. He smiled happily at me as his fingers began to trace my face. He brushed my cheekbones, then over my eyebrows and nose, and finally he lingered on my lips. His eyes left mine as he drew patterns across them that weren't there.

His proximity was making me all hot. My heart was beating entirely too fast, and I was sure he knew it because of how close he was. One corner of his mouth lifted as he saw the look in my own eyes, betraying me.

He leaned forward and pressed his mouth to mine, not moving his lips, just letting them rest on mine firmly. I eagerly snaked my hand up his neck, braiding my fingers into his soft locks. He responded immediately, knotting his fingers back into my fiery hair, kissing me more earnestly.

His heart thudded against mine, and our legs tangled together on the gurney. I never wanted to stop. The part of me that was all reason and logic was still asleep, so I couldn't care that there was something I needed to tell him, or that I was still recovering from hives, or that I was hurt that he hadn't come to see me all day. I just knew that he was here now, and I wanted to keep kissing him until we were too tired to go on.

Maxon must have felt the same way. He let one of his hands untangle from my hair. He brought it to rest low on my hip, and then he moved it over my thigh and let it rest behind my knee. I felt his hand shaking slightly, like he was nervous. My lips stilled for a moment, but he pressed his lips to mine more forcefully than before, and I began kissing him back urgently.

His fingers began to curl under my knee, and then so quickly I couldn't have stopped it, he brought my leg up so it was hooked over his hip. I fastened my leg there as his hand stayed gripped to my lower thigh.

His lips left mine and he started to kiss down my cheek with urgency. He whispered my name.

With what little room was left between us, I pushed on his shoulder and moved him to his back. I hovered above him, my left leg still draped over his hip. He stared at me, both confounded at my rebuff and enthralled with our intimacy, before I reached down to hold his face in my hands and kiss him tenderly. His hands held me at my waist and my body lay relaxed and stretched out over his.

I was definitely awake now, in more ways than one. My body buzzed with the electricity between us. As Maxon reached up to stroke my face as we kissed, I started to remember the events of today – or yesterday, if I had been asleep long enough. I remembered Queen Amberly, and my lips slowed.

Maxon tried to get the kiss going again, but I pulled back so there was room between us. He stretched up to bond our lips, but I put my fingers to his mouth. His hand circled my wrist and he began kissing my calloused fingers, one by one, his eyes partially closed.

My heart stuttered. I remembered when he told me once that my callouses were beautiful – they were proof that the music he had heard me play in the past was real. It thrilled me that something that represented my low caste was gorgeous to him.

I shook my head, trying to get the dreamy, roused state I was in to clear so I could think.

When Maxon was finished kissing the tiny tips of my fingers, he gazed back into my eyes.

"Hi," he whispered, still holding my hand in his.

"Hi," I breathed. I had the urge to kiss him again, but I fought it.

Maxon swallowed. "How are you, love?"

"Good," I answered. A bolt of electricity shot through me at the endearment.

"Are you feeling better?" he asked, studying my scarred hands.

"Yes. I think all the hives are gone now," I said, glancing at my now clear arms, just to make sure they were.

He nodded. "I didn't hear about it until this afternoon. Kriss told me you'd had an allergic reaction. I tried to come see you, but I ran into my father on the way up here. He needed me to come with him to his office to call my mother's sister. She left this afternoon."

I stiffened. "Wait, your mother, or your mother's sister?"

"My mother left. We weren't sure until just before the Report, but she went to go see her sister – Adele. I know you've met her before." He looked at my face for confirmation. "Apparently, she is sick, so my mother went to help her get well. I guess no one else was able to. My father wasn't too happy."

I tried to swallow the lump in my throat. "Are you – I mean, did he – "

Maxon reached up and quickly kissed me. "No, love, I'm fine. Nothing happened."

I sighed in relief. "Okay. I'm glad you're okay. Did you have a chance to talk to your mother before she left?" I inquired.

He shook his head. "No. She answered the phone when I called, but she wasn't answering my father's calls. I called from a private phone after I left my father's office. I had wondered if she just didn't want to speak with him. A few days ago…we talked about… you know, what my father does to me sometimes. We had been kind of avoiding talking about it, but I was left alone in a room with her the other day. It wasn't really planned. And she started crying."

"Oh, Maxon," I said, wrapping my arms around his neck and laying my head on his chest. "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault," he replied, letting his cheek rest on my hair. He began to stroke my back.

"Has she spoken to your father the past few days?"

"Yes. I told her she needed to just think of the good things he's done… He hasn't always been so terrible. He has a temper, and as I've grown older, more controlling and less compassionate. The compassionate side of him I haven't seen for a long time. But I knew my mother could remember those things. I told her to focus on those, and that I could take care of myself." He took a deep breath. "I thought she was doing so well with that, especially since their anniversary is coming up… But now I'm not so sure…"

I wasn't sure if Adele was really sick, but I wondered why she had let Maxon stay behind. Maybe she knew that if she took him, she was endangering Kriss, Celeste and I. She couldn't risk leaving us here alone with the king. He probably would have figured it out – I mean, how many terrible things had he done that she could have found out about, something that was enough to make her leave with Maxon?

Maxon stared at me. His face was curious. "What are you thinking about?" he whispered.

For the first time, I questioned whether or not I should tell him what had happened to the brothers and sisters he'd always wanted. Was it my place to tell him that? Was there a reason Queen Amberly hadn't? Was there something bigger I didn't know about? I decided that it would have to wait – until I was sure or until it was absolutely imperative that I tell Maxon, he wouldn't find out from me.

I shook my head. "Nothing. I just hope she's okay."

He nodded. "She will be. I am sure she is just overwhelmed."

"Yeah, that's probably it," I agreed. She was very overwhelmed.

Maxon shifted a little under me. I smiled.

"So," he began, starting a new subject. "Are you really feeling much better?"

"Yes," I confirmed. I began to play with his messy hair.

He glanced down the expanse of the hospital wing. "Would you like to go on another field trip?"

I grinned. "Tonight? Right now?"

"Mmhmm," he said, tucking a stray hair behind my ear. "I have to make a few calls first, but I think I can manage to get something together."

"Okay," I said. I got up on my knees, now straddling him. He held my waist and lifted me off of him to set me down on the floor. He stood up, looking gorgeous with his mussed hair and rumpled clothing.

I reached out and took his hand. "Am I allowed to though? Won't I get in trouble with the doctor?"

Maxon's smile turned mischievous. "The only person that can trump the doctor's orders is the prince. And I say you're free to go."

I bit my lip in an effort to hide my smile. He pulled on my hand, and we tiptoed out of the hospital wing.

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