Hotel

"Come to bed," Max said softly, joining him on the hotel couch in their suite. Stroking his cheek, she snuggled in closer to him. "John?"

He squeezed her tighter. "Go ahead. I'll be in soon."

"Hey, Kara is safe here."

He looked at her with that. Fire, our home shot up…Kara and her could have been killed. Max just shoved me down, called 911, and they got them. Idiot kids, who heard from their racist parents…they could have killed my daughter and girlfriend. "I thought she was safe at home."

"You're the best father. You keep her safe. She knows that."

He pressed his lips to her forehead. "We should talk."

"About what?"

"You could have been killed."

"I'm a cop, that could happen every day."

"Not in our home. Not when we're…I know they were dumb kids, but they got that hate from their parents. It isn't going to stop, Honey, as long as we're together."

She looked at her hand intertwined in his. It shouldn't matter. He's the love of my life. "They're hate filled cowards."

He covered their joined hands with his other one and didn't let go. "I don't want anything to happen to you."

She clamped down on her resentment of his protectiveness. "I know."

"I…I buried Deanna. I don't think I can do it again."

Sheriff Station

Max, Kenny thought, stricken and hurt, sticking close to Littleton and Kara. The three of them huddled together. Kara clinging to her dad and reaching out for Max's hand. Littleton not letting go of either of them. She could have gotten herself killed over him.

"Kenny."

Stupid teenagers, he thought, from Hillsdale. Their parents Marsh supporters…wanting to stop Littleton and this case against their mayor. "I'm coming."

"She's fine."

She loves him, Kenny thought, I knew she did, but really looking at them together tonight. She loves Kara…she made a family with them. The way she looked at us, she's hurting, mad…but more concerned about him and Kara. "I know."

"We have a car on their hotel."

"These people are going to keep coming at her."

Jill couldn't have known. She wouldn't have, Jimmy thought, as much as he wants to win the election. She's my wife, she wouldn't have tried to hurt them…even to scare Littleton off. He wasn't scared, he was pissed off. His four year old in there… "We won't let them."

Hotel

Oh, John, she thought, oh…he can't even look at me. Shifting on the couch, she kissed him for a long moment. Stroking his cheek, as he rested his forehead against hers. "Nothing is going to happen to me."

"Honey, you're a cop…you carry a gun and chase criminals. You can be reckless, impulsive, emotional."

"You say such nice things to me."

He brushed his lips over hers. "You're also smart, funny, a hell of a good kisser, the person I want to talk to and see every day because you make me think, smile, you're wonderful with Kara, and so damn pretty it makes me lose focus…even in court. I'm a lucky guy."

She kissed him back with that. "The best thing I ever did was agree to that first date."

"Eventually, huh?"

She winced at that. "Thanks for the second chance."

"I mean it, Honey. I don't think I could handle that loss again."

"I'm not going anywhere."

He combed through her hair, as they just looked at each other. "You know this isn't going away. You and me? It's going to bring out the worst in people for the rest of our lives. You're going to marry a black man, have biracial children who will face racism from both sides, you're going to be Kara's mom in every way that matters, my family, Deanna's family….they're not happy about a white woman being Kara's mom, just like yours cut you out for being with me."

"You want to marry me?"

He smiled despite everything at her shock. "I have since that first date…especially after you kissed me on your porch."

"Uh, I think you kissed me."

"It was mutual. I knew right then that it would be you and me. Yes, Honey, I want to marry you…and this isn't a proposal. I'd do it better than this and give you a ring."

"I love you and me."

"This, Max," he said nodding toward their intertwined fingers. "It's always going to upset people. It's years of history and hate. You're white. You can walk away and not have to deal with it. You stay? It's a forever thing for you…and whatever kids we have."

"We'll teach our kids about both sides of their background. We'll love them enough to shut out the hate."

He brushed his lips over hers. "You still want to go to bed?"

"Only if you come with me."

He kissed her again, before pulling her up from the couch with him. "How can I resist that invitation?"

Brock House

"They're fine," Jill said. "Really, Jimmy, John knows what this case will do. Max loves the drama."

"They could have been killed," Jimmy argued. Littleton and Max. His daughter hugging Max, really holding onto her, and him keeping them both close. All of her focus on him and Kara…very much the girlfriend, and not a cop at that moment. "Kara is four."

"John is only prosecuting this to prove a point, just like he and Max are together to prove the same one. He isn't changing the world, they're making people angry."

John and Max, Jimmy thought, who keep it under wraps for the most part. They bring out the best in each other. "I think it's very real to the two of them. You know Max."

"She only picks men it won't work out with. This is the same thing for her."

Hotel

Oh, I want John, Max thought, no, he had to go to court. This case doesn't stop because of this…especially because of this. Kara needs me right now, I can do this. Wincing as she tugged on her hair. "What are you doing to me?"

"You look really pretty," Kara promised, adding another clip. "I want to be as pretty as you."

"Prettier," Max smiled. She looks so much like her mom. "Can I take a look?"

"I wish you were my mommy. I want you and Daddy to get married."

Max stroked her hair. I love this girl. "Hey, we're all still getting to know each other."

"But you and Daddy love each other. Don't you love me?"

Max hugged her tighter with that. "Oh, so much, Kiddo."

"Then why aren't you and Daddy married? Max? Is it because you're white and Daddy is black? Can you be my mommy if you're white?"

Oh, my heart, she thought, this girl…she looks so much like her mom and has a mind like her dad. "Does it matter to you that I'm white?"

Kara shook her head. "No. You're fun and pretty. You make Daddy happy. He lets me eat extra cookies when he's happy. You take care of me. I want you to be my mommy."

Is that what I want? To be this sweet girl's mom? John's wife? "Well, until we get there…can we be friends, Kiddo?"

Kara nodded. "Can we color?"

DA's Office

"They won't stop," Billy Walker said. "They shot up your home. Every window at my restaurant is broken."

We can't stop hate, John thought, we can't change their minds. I always had to be better, smarter, work harder, just because of my skin color. I think that is what Max doesn't get, when she says we'll love our kids enough to keep the hate out. How is she really going to feel when she holds her brown baby? No, she may not totally understand it, "That's why we're doing this. Richard Marsh brought the hate out in Hillsdale, like the busing brought it here. We need to stop him from spreading it."

"They lit your house on fire."

Max who shoved me to the ground, made sure we were safe before she let me up. "I know. We're at a hotel for a few days…with a cop car out front."

"You really trust those cops?"

"I do. The busing incident…I know there are regrets. Not just with Max, but with most of them. Are you ready?"

"I got this in the mail."

Court House

"I didn't tell them to do anything," Marsh said.

Wambaugh looked at his client. "The teenagers from Hillsdale tried to kill our opposing council."

"Teenage pranks."

Guns and fire, Wambaugh thought, his daughter in that house. "It was more than a prank."

"My town is loyal to me. They know what is at stake. They aren't letting that," Marsh snarled, spitting out his slurs. "No one wants them here."

"Doug, you can't blame him for what other people do," Jill interjected.

"He's my client and I'll defend his rights. Come, it's time."

Hotel

"I don't need a baby-sitter."

"Someone tried to kill you," Kenny said, looking at a dozing Kara on the couch. "I'm going to worry, especially since Littleton just left you here."

"He did not. It's the trial…he's not backing down from it."

"Max, come on."

She shot him a look. "I was there last night. I know what happened. There are bullet holes in our living room, broken windows, smoke damage…and we got lucky that no one was really hurt."

"Until next time."

"It's my life."

"With him. Max, is this what you really want?"

Max stared at him, feeling guilty for the similar thoughts she had earlier. How I feel about John isn't the issue. I want to spend my life with him, Kara and have a family together. "Yes."

"You picked the one person who…you picked the person who you had a built in excuse to walk away from. I see it, Max," he said. "You're too stubborn to walk away from him now."

"I love him, Kenny. Why can't you understand that?"

"It almost got you killed."

"You know he told me the same thing? John gave me every chance to walk away...and I don't want to. I love him, Kenny, and I want to spend the rest of my life with him."

"Yeah? What about us?"

"What? There isn't an us."

"You know that isn't true," he said, brushing her hair back. "We've had so many…come here."

She shivered, as his fingers trailed down her cheek. No… "Stop."

"Is that what you really want?"

She stepped back from him. "You should go. Right now."

TBC