.

.

"Zoe!"

"This is her?" Mel guffawed "Ohhh, I get the kids reference now! No wonder you want me so badly Max, I bet you've not been getting any at all. You poor thing!"

"I'm going to fucking kill you Mel." Max tore around toward her in a second he had her by the arm and throat, dragging her off his bed like a rag doll.

"Max STOP." Zoe was screaming at him. "Max she's not worth it, PLEASE."

"What the hell's going on?" Dave and Kate were now standing behind a terrified Zoe, having just got back from dinner.

Max had Mel's arm around her back as she crouched on the floor in the fetal position.

"Ok listen to me Max." Dave was desperately trying to diffuse the situation. "Let go of her now, we're here. We can help."

Zoe was shaking visibly. Kate put her arm around her. "Zoe it's okay, it's me Kate."

Max violently let go of Mel's arm, grabbing her clothes off the floor and whipping them at her hard. "Get the fuck out of here, you're lucky your rescue party arrived you skank." He literally kicked and pushed her out of the room.

"I'm sure you would have been a tremendous let down anyway!" Mel screamed at him managing to get the last word.

Dave went after her, putting his coat over her. Kate kept a firm arm around Zoe seeing she was pregnant, she was so worried for her.

"Zoe, you've got to believe me. I swear nothing happened nothing has ever happened."

He put his hands up against his forehead and turned with his back to her resting his head up against the wall, kicking uncontrollably at the skirting board. "Kate you can leave now." Max shouted at Kate.

"I'm not leaving her with you until you've calmed down Max."

"You think I'd hurt a hair on her head. I'd kill myself first."

Zoe clearing her head now from the crazed past few minutes. "Kate, I'll be fine. Could you leave us alone."

"Zoe I'm right next door." She hugged Zoe. "Max you too, come find me if you need to okay?"

"Just leave Kate, just leave." Max had tears falling.

Kate closed the door on them, standing silently outside the door for a few moments to make sure everything seemed calm before going to join Dave with Mel.

"I never touched her Zoe. I would never..."

"Max, you scared me. I thought you were going to really hurt her." Zoe backed up a little toward the door.

Max went and sat down on the edge of his bed, hunching over putting his head in his hands.

Just then Zoe's phone rang, it was Tess. "Tess?"

"Zoe, I just wanted to make sure you arrived okay, I was worried about you."

"I arrived just fine Tess." Zoe said shakily.

"That's good, Serenna is wonderful. I'll let you go."

"Thanks Tess, I'll talk to you tomorrow."

"You take care Zoe."

Zoe cast her eyes back to Max who hadn't moved. She crossed the room to sit beside him, putting her hand carefully on his back.

"Max, I've never seen you that way." Zoe said softly.

"I have no words Zoe. We're done right?"

Zoe gently lifted him up by his shoulder, pulling his hands away from his face as she did. "Max I was here for all of it. I know you weren't with her but what happened after Max, that wasn't you."

"The things she said Zoe, the way she talked about you. I swear if Dave hadn't been there... Look at you, you're breathtaking my everything."

Zoe put her hand around the back of his neck, cautiously she kissed him gently, he passionately accepted. Zoe pulled away after a minute, looking into his eyes and touching his face as if for the first time. Going in to kiss him again she started undressing him to which he mirrored.

"I'm sorry about... " Zoe looked down at her now large bump.

"You couldn't be more beautiful." He kissed her softly until he felt her relax again.

Back in the girls room, Mel was now drinking vodka straight from the bottle, still with just Dave's coat over her. Kate lecturing her over and over.

They soon became aware of what was going on next door as they heard the rhythmic beat of the bed against the wall and bed springs being put through their paces.

"Do you think she's okay?" Kate said concerned hearing Zoe in the next room.

"I'd say she's more than okay, she sounds positively orgasmic!"

"Yeah alright Dave, I'm just worried for them." Kate glared at Dave

"If she hadn't rocked up, that would be me right now!" Mel said with an adamant tone.

"Mel you are delusional. You know damn well he wouldn't have, even with you offering it up on a plate. I feel bad for you, I do... I mean A for effort but you don't mess with a family." Kate put a hand on Mel's leg to show her she was still there for her after everything.