"Hmm, this is nice," Max purred, as Kenny rubbed her feet. "How come you never did this before?"
Kenny eyed her burgeoning belly before responding. "You were never pregnant before."
"Oh? So I only get pampered when you knock me up?"
"Since when do you ever let me? You're the most god-damned self sufficient person I know."
Max grinned at him, and couldn't help but feel somewhat smug about her life at the moment. Despite the wild case at work she felt like these perfect moments more then made up for it. She never realized that life could be this way, and all Max wanted it all to last forever.
The ringing phone tore her thoughts back to reality, and she knew that life would never be just one calm ride. They did live in Rome Wisconsin after all. Kenny shot her an apologetic look, and snatched the cordless from the receiver. Max pulled her legs up to her chest, and watched as his facial muscles tensed up. He met her eyes as he hung up the phone without saying anything, and Max wanted nothing more then to collect him in her arms, like he had done so much for her lately.
"Kenny?" she asked slowly. "Is everything alright?"
He paused before answering because he didn't want to upset her anymore then he had lately, but Kenny also knew that she could tell when he lied to her.
"It was Kimberly," he said finally. "Shit…. I can't believe that's the same girl we've known for all these years…"
"Ahh… What did she want?" Max asked, not sure if she really wanted to know.
"Stuff," Kenny said vaguely, not wanting to go into to detail but the whole episode left him feeling a little shaky. "Max… what the hell are we supposed to do about this?"
Max shook her head, and sighed. "I don't know… and I'm worried about her Kenny. This isn't the same girl we've known all these years."
"Yeah," he agreed, glad that she didn't flip out on him.
"Do we say anything to Jimmy and Jill about it?" Max asked tentatively. "They want to know what's going on with Kim, but…"
"What?" Kenny asked as she paused looking deep in thought, "Max?"
Max really didn't like where he train of thought was going on this one, but one way or another they needed this problem solved. She didn't want Jimmy and Jill to have to stress about Kim because she wouldn't talk to them. Giving herself an inward pep talk, she replied. "Maybe you should go to talk to her."
"You're not serious," Kenny blurted out, not sure if he heard her right. "We're talking about the same person here, aren't we?"
"It might give her some kind of closure," Max said quickly in his disbelief before adding. "And that's important for moving on."
Kenny knew she was thinking about when she went to see Danny in jail right before they got married. He didn't really understand her motivation for doing that then, and tried everything to convince her not to do it. All he had wanted then was for her to be herself again, and he hadn't understood why she felt so strongly about seeing him so soon after he had raped her. Remembering her shaken demeanor when she came out of that room, Kenny had to admit her was proud of her then, and even he could see that she was stronger because of it.
"I don't want to see her Max," Kenny said finally trying to keep his voice even. "I know you wanted closure before, and I know it was important for you to show him that he hadn't destroyed your life. If she hadn't come here that night… I thought you were dying, Max, when I saw all that blood. I can't forgive her for that."
"I'm not asking you to forgive her," Max said softly. "Just talk to her. She went into this obsession so suddenly."
Kenny looked at his beautiful wife for a moment, as he recalled that night. He knew that he would never forget the fire in her eyes right before she collapsed to the floor in pain. She had looked at him like she didn't know who he was then, and it had nearly killed him to know that he had brought that much suffering into her life. He had vowed that he would do anything to make it up to her, but he didn't know if he could confront Kim and keep his cool at the same time.
"I don't know if I can talk to her," Kenny began, hating to show weakness, even to Max. "And stay calm. You're the most important person in my life, and she tried to destroy that. You expect me to go have a civil conversation with her after that?"
Max could see him gearing up for a fight, and she could see his point. "I guess not."
"I had closure with her Max, and I know why the whole thing started between Kim and me. I thought she did too," Kenny said squeezing her hand between his, and studying her. "It's important to you though? To have this thing finished?"
Max nodded slowly, not wanting to push him on it.
Kenny ran his hand through her long hair, and she laid her head on his shoulder as he replied. "I'll think about it."
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"No deals," Jimmy declared as Wambaugh came strutting into his office after court.
"Oh, I don't want a deal," Wambaugh exclaimed. "I can still get Gina off, and I'm painting Jen like an avenging angel. The sympathy alone will have these two living a happy ending."
"Jen murdered over 15 people, and Gina two Doug," Jimmy replied dryly. "And there's enough evidence to lock them up for life."
"You want to be responsible for locking up the avenging angel for women," Doug asked mockingly. "Jimmy, I'm surprised at you. You're usually more objective then this. Problems at home?"
"What do you want?" Jimmy asked, trying to change the subject.
"Just a friendly visit," Wambaugh replied off-handily. "And to let you know I filed an injunction to get all of your evidence thrown out that came from Maxine's relationship with that Counseling Center."
Jimmy stared at Wambaugh for a second before rising to his feet. "We obtained that legally, and you know that as well as I do."
"Maybe so," Wambaugh conceded, shrugging his shoulders. "But my client's lives are at stake here, and I want Max to know it's nothing personal against her."
Jimmy knew how conflicted Max was about the whole case, and her role in it, and the last thing he wanted was for Wambaugh to drag her conscience farther in the dirt then it already was. He owed her that at least.
"Oh, she'll know that. She knows that you'll do anything to get a client off," Jimmy replied carefully. "Get out of my office, Doug, or I'll file my own injunction."
Doug waved as he strutted out through the station. Jimmy watched him go before he waved Max inside.
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"That's absurd," Bone barked after reading Wambaugh's request for the evidence to be thrown out. "Even for you."
"Conflict of interest," Wambaugh declared. "And breach of confidentiality. If this was a doctor patient breach, it wouldn't be allowed in, so why should this?"
"You tried this at the grand jury," Bone growled. "The evidence stands, now move on!"
Wambaugh sighed inwardly, knowing he had done his best to poke holes in the prosecution's case. He hoped that he'd made his clients out to be somewhat like Robin Hood. Sure they were criminals, but they were only trying to help those in need. He nodded reassuringly to them, as the jury went back to deliberate.
"He's just doing his job, don't talk it so personally," Kenny whispered into Max's ear, as the courtroom cleared out.
"I know," she replied. "But sometimes I wonder how he can stomach treating everyone like they're expendable."
Kenny could easily have slugged Wambaugh for dragging Max through the mud in his closing argument, and trying to make it seem like their department had used confidential information to catch their murderers. He knew how this had affected Max throughout the last few months, and Kenny was fully aware of how guilty she felt about divulging that information to them.
"Are you still here?" Wambaugh exclaimed, coming back into the courtroom to pick up his forgotten briefcase. "No hard feelings?"
Max held her tongue and glared at him for a moment before responding. "No hard feelings? You made me out to be a lying shrew Doug, who was out to destroy your clients."
"It's my job Maxine, I thought you would know that by now," Doug replied. "How is Doug junior doing in there?"
Max felt Kenny's arm tighten around her waist, and she knew that he was pissed at Doug as well, "Doug junior? You treat my wife like she's some kind of criminal, and then come ask us that? What is the matter with you? I actually thought that you might have been a halfway decent person when you didn't defend Danny, but how could you treat someone so badly that you once said was like a niece to you?"
"Kenny," Max said quietly, at Wambaugh's taken back expression, and she knew that he was trying to protect her.
"Everyone is entitled to a good lawyer at their trial, and I think that your wife probably understands why Gina and Jen killed these people," Wambaugh said interrupting her. "And it's common knowledge that Jimmy Brock and you badgered to information out of her. What kind of person does that make you?"
"We didn't make her tell us anything?" Kenny shot back. "Max made up her own mind."
They're talking about me like I'm not even here, Max thought to her and tried not to be offended by it. She sat up a bit straighter, and vowed to hold her tongue until the testosterone battle was over.
"Right," Wambaugh said sarcastically. "And I'm sure you couldn't persuade her to say anything. Being married after all has its perks, and I'm sure that you wouldn't force your wife to do anything she doesn't want to. Apparently she stabs people who try to hurt her."
"You son of a bitch," Kenny spat, jumping up, as Max felt herself go numb at Wambaugh's low blow. He jumped back at Kenny's temper, and Max found her voice again.
She turned to Wambaugh, and deep down she couldn't believe that he would say something like that. Meeting the old lawyer's eyes she said raggedly. "What happened to you? Yeah, you would always defend anybody, but you never made it personal before."
She rose to her feet shakily, as she didn't take her eyes off of him. Seeing the anger in Kenny's expression, she knew that they had to get out of there before the situation got any worse. Glaring at Wambaugh, the two made their way out of the courtroom.
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"What say you?" Bone asked the jury a week later, as they came back with their verdict.
"We the jury find Dr. Jennifer Davis guilty of the murder in the first degree in all 17 cases. We the jury find Gina Troy Campbell not guilty be reason of insanity."
"Thank you for you time, you're dismissed," Bone said, his voice echoing in the silent courtroom. "Bailiff take them into custody for sentencing. Mrs. Campbell will be held over until we find the proper mental hospital for her."
Kenny squeezed Max's hand, and he knew she was glad that Gina would get the help she needed and not have to spend the rest of her life in jail. He could fell Jen's eyes burning into him, and he watched Max return her fiery gaze as she was led away. Wambaugh's words echoed in his head, and he wondered if he and Jimmy had pushed to hard for Max to give them what they wanted. He looked sideways at her, and he could see her sadness mixed with relief on her face, as Gina was led away.
Max couldn't help but feel her heart break as Gina was taken away, and she could hear the other women's sobs echo throughout the courtroom. She had a tough life, Max reasoned to herself, and she never caught a break. Abused from day one, she had to be somewhat crazy to live as her brother's wife. Max prayed that she would get the help that she needed, and she would see to it if it came to that.
"You ready to get out of here?" Kenny asked her, knowing that she didn't want to talk to Wambaugh again, and they had both noticed that the lawyer had avoided looking at them all day.
Max nodded, as she rose slowly to her feet. Approaching five months pregnant, her stomach was beginning to swell noticeably, and she was starting to feel some aches in her lower back. Following Kenny and Jimmy out into the hallway, she heard Wambaugh began to talk about filing an appeal with the press, so the three of them slipped silently out the back.
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"Can't it wait until after you give birth?" Kenny asked. "He'll still be there in four months."
"I think I'll be pretty well occupied in four months," Max said, knowing that Kenny didn't want her to go see her father. "I know you don't understand this whole closure thing I seem to need to do, but I don't want to go into parenthood without at least trying to work things out with my Dad, and we've both got a few days off."
Knowing that he'd lost this battle earlier, Kenny really didn't have much hope of changing her mind. "Just listening to you talk about him though… Are you sure about doing this? I don't want him to upset you."
"I won't let him," she said firmly, knowing that Kenny was thinking of her almost miscarriage. "There is nothing he can say to me that he hasn't already."
He could see the determination set in her face, and part of him was curious to meet the man who had treated Max so poorly throughout her life. He wanted to know how anyone could treat their own child that way, especially one that had grown into such a wonderful woman.
"I want you to wait," Kenny said quietly. "Honey, please. A few months, the thought of you lying on the floor and bleeding again… I couldn't handle that."
Max swallowed at Kenny's ragged admission, and she knew how hard it was for him to say exactly what wanted sometimes, so she nodded." Okay, I'll wait."
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"Max actually wants to go see her father?" Jimmy asked in disbelief as he joined Kenny and Carter for a beer a few days later. "I've never heard her say anything remotely decent about him."
"She's pretty determined about it," Kenny said dryly. "I wouldn't mind meeting the guy."
"He sounds like a jerk," Carter interjected. "I'm going to get another drink, want one?"
"Have you heard from Kim?" Kenny asked cautiously, as Carter made his way to the bar.
Jimmy shook his head, and couldn't help but feel like he had lost a part of himself after Kim had stormed out that night. "Jill and I… we've tried calling, but she keeps hanging up on us."
"Jimmy I… I don't know what to say. This whole thing… Max wants me to talk to her, she's big on closure these days."
"Really?" Jimmy asked, surprised. "That doesn't sound like her."
Kenny shrugged. "Hell, she's pregnant, her hormones are all over the place. I don't know what she's thinking half of the time. The other night she was eating pickles and syrup."
"Jill preferred bananas and sauerkraut," Jimmy said absently. "Are you going to?"
"What?" Kenny asked. "I don't want to… that night was one of the worst. I'll never forget Max's expression, and I don't know if I can talk to Kimberly."
"She won't talk to us Kenny, and she needs to talk to somebody," Jimmy said. "I'm surprised Max would even consider it, but I'm asking you as a friend to do this. Jill and I don't want to lose our daughter, we just want to help her."
Kenny felt trapped, and he wanted this all finished as much as much as Max, Jimmy and Jill did, so he nodded. "I'll do it. Just give some time to figure out what I'm going to say."
Jimmy gave an inward sigh of relief, as Carter returned with the drinks.
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Max eyed her reflection warily in the full length mirror as Kenny changed to go talk Kimberly. She looked liked she swallowed a basketball she thought to herself, running her hands over her distended stomach. Stretching Kenny's t-shirt tight over it, she felt lucky that she didn't look pregnant anywhere else besides her stomach. She contributed it to being in fairly good shape before, and she remembered her sister's pregnancies. Caroline, if you looked at her from the waist up, didn't look pregnant at all. Still, Max knew, her husband was off to meet a beautiful 20 year old, who didn't have a heavy bowling ball weighing down her midsection. Collapsing down on their bed, she tried not to feel jealous of the situation she insisted on.
Kenny caught Max's expression as she looked at herself in the mirror, and he tried not to smile at her. Despite what she thought, he thought she looked positively beautiful. She glowed, and he found her pregnant belly incredibly sexy. Joining her on the bed, he laid his hand on her stomach and kissed her.
"You're beautiful," he said.
Max smiled up at him, and knew that he always saw her that way. She knew he was preoccupied with trying to figure out what to say to Kimberly, so she was somewhat surprised that he picked up on concern with appearance.
"When Abby had her kids, she was huge," Kenny continued. "At six months, she had gained about 65 pounds. It didn't matter though, what was inside her and you is beautiful Max. And it really turns me on to think of the life we created is inside of you."
"That's kind of kinky," Max said trying to keep her voice steady. "I know I pushed you to do this, but I'm kind of freaked out about the whole thing. I mean she's young, beautiful, and is crazy about you… and I'm here fat and irritable."
"Irritable as you are, I'm in love with you," Kenny said kissing her again. "You'll be alright?"
Max smiled at him, and buried her fears about this. "I think all the bad guys are locked up now. And I love you too."
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Kenny knocked on Kim's door after a moment's hesitation. It opened slowly, and her jaw dropped to see him standing in front of her. Quickly, she shut it, and a grin spread across her face.
"I knew you would come," she exclaimed. "I knew you still loved me."
Kenny took a deep breath, and followed her inside.