Hotel

"I'm not leaving you here," Kenny said, letting his hands drift down to her waist. "I'm not losing you this way."

I can't move, Max thought, I shouldn't…I can't…I'm committed to John and Kara. I love John and Kara. "I'm not yours to lose."

"You are my very best friend, Max, even if you don't want more than that. I'm going to worry about you."

She stepped back from his gentle hands on her. "I know."

Breaking my heart, Kenny thought, she is serious about Littleton, her relationship with him and his kid, even now. "When is he coming back?"

"After court…Kara and I are hanging out until then."

He looked over at her coloring on the floor. She wants to be a mom, have a family, and he's giving that to her. I see how he looks at her…and how she so easily kisses him, laughs with him, how they are together when they don't think anyone is looking. She's going to be Max Littleton. I lost her to him. "Are you happy?"

"Despite all of this? Very happy."

"Do you mind if I hang out with you two until Littleton gets back?"

Court

"You can't think my client did this," Wambaugh said in Bone's chambers. "Is this because what happened last night?"

John shot him a look. "When teenagers from Hillsdale shot at us and threw a flaming bottle through my windows while my daughter slept upstairs?"

"Bee-bee gun."

"Billy Walker has death threats; pictures were taken of kids while they slept. You really think your client didn't…You know what happened in Hillsdale."

"You're just saying that because you're black."

John ignored him. "You can really defend this man?"

"Mr. Littleton, do you have any proof?" Bone interjected.

"Not yet."

"Has he filed a police report?"

"Yes."

Bone nodded. "Wambaugh out. You stay a minute."

The Brock House

"He's helping with my campaign," Jill said. "Just go to work, Jimmy."

He looked at his wife who he barely recognized. This isn't happening. My shaken and angry deputy, the livid DA, that scared kid…She couldn't have known.

"How is he helping?" Jimmy asked finally. Littleton in court today…Max hanging out with his daughter, she has taken to this mom role.

"He's won all his elections. He knows what people want."

"To terrorize minorities. Not in this town, Jill."

"Stop playing liberal, Jimmy. This town has made it clear what it wants. Look at what happened last night. We don't want that happening again…it'll drive down property values."

"John Littleton is a good man."

"Of course, you have to say that. Would you want Kim dating him?"

"If Kim found someone like Littleton, I'd be very happy."

"Better your deputy than your daughter, huh?"

Court

"Mr. Littleton, John," Bone said. "Do you need a few days?"

"My client doesn't have a few days. They took pictures of his kids, Judge."

"How is your daughter? Is she with Deputy Stewart?"

"She's the only one I'd leave Kara with right now."

"How are you, John?"

"I'm fine."

"This case has to be hard for you."

"People like Richard Marsh…this town changed."

"It has."

"This case…I brought my daughter here for a better life. The Green Bay kids, they're here for a better education. The Walkers have a thriving business. People in this town…they don't get what racism is, Your Honor."

"Not everyone."

Max is getting it, even if she was shocked by the reactions to us. She really thinks love is enough, and I love her for that. "I know."

"How are you and Deputy Stewart?"

She kissed me for a long time, until Kara started giggling at us, my prickly, feisty, white girlfriend. "Beside what is going on in this town? We're good."

"Good. I'll see you in court."

Hotel

"Max said you're friends."

"She's my best friend," Kenny said, as Kara passed him a crayon. "Are you two friends?"

Kara nodded. "Yes. I want her to be my mommy."

"Did you tell her that?"

"Yes. Both her and Daddy."

His daughter, his dead wife's daughter… "Yeah?"

Kara smiled. "Daddy said Max would be a good mommy."

Max who is puttering around that kitchenette in leggings and t-shirt making snacks. She didn't look terrified at the idea of marrying him. She was very close to him and Kara last night, he didn't let go of either of them after the shooting and fire. "She would be."

"She and Daddy kiss a lot."

I've seen her kiss him; she is way too girly and giggling and happy with John Littleton. Damn it, Max, of all people, John Littleton? Why isn't she running away? Why is she calmly making snacks, looking like a mom? Happy, damn it, she's happy. "You watch them?"

Kara giggled again. "They kiss when they think I'm not looking."

Courthouse

"Ah, my worthy opponent. Let's get lunch."

John shot him a look. "I am not getting lunch with you."

"Your girlfriend's stubbornness is wearing off on you."

"Leave her out of this, Doug."

"Ah, you like her."

I want to marry her, John thought, not now. My very white girlfriend…who didn't flinch over the thought of brown babies. "Max has nothing to do with this trial."

"It makes people talk. It shows your bias in this trial."

"My bias?"

"Against white people. Dating one doesn't change that."

"I don't have a bias against white people."

"You're championing racism against white people."

"Excuse me? You can't discriminate against white people, Doug. They've never been told no, been turned away, beaten because of their skin color. Its systematic abuse based on one race believing they're better than another."

"See, bias."

"You really stand by Marsh?"

"I stand by freedom of speech."

Hotel

"That kid loves you."

Max looked up at that, as they split room service fries. "Oh, no one has ever liked me as much as Kara."

"Not even Littleton?"

"Not even close."

"You going to be her mom? Give her some brothers and sisters? Be Max Littleton?"

"That is way too many questions. It's been 10-months."

"Come on. I see how Littleton looks at you…and you haven't bolted."

"I don't want to bolt."

"Who are you?"

"I didn't see this coming," she said, not quite looking at him. "I was so reluctant before we started dating…I was worried about what people would say. We just…we clicked that night."

"Yeah?"

She looked back at him. "Yeah. We get each other. He makes me laugh, think, we have fun together. I love him, Kenny…even with all of this, John is who I want to be with."

Ah, Max, he thought, you're bright red and in love. With John Littleton…who I thought you couldn't stand for a long time. You and me… I can't. What would you do…you pulled away, didn't kick me out. "He's a lucky guy to have you."

"I'm the lucky one."

Court

John stood stock still, as they looked at the body on the courthouse steps. He was vile, a racist, he…dead. Richard Marsh is dead. Shot by a drive by shooter, in front of hundreds of screaming witnesses. Looking over at Wambaugh, splattered with blood from his client, he felt his heart drop as everything just got worse.

TBC