Max laid her gently down on the bed. His lips met hers for
a passionate kiss as his hands trailed her figure. . She was so nervous,
yet excited. Every nerve was on fire and attuned to him. She couldn't stop
touching his hair, looking into his eyes, kissing his lips, even though she
knew it was wrong. He began placing frantic yet passionate kisses all over
her chest area and she plunged her fingers in his hair, pushing his lips
further into her chest. He was warm, gentle, caring, and very assertive in
his actions. Heat flowed through their bodies as they rolled around the
bed.
Christy pulled up from him and maneuvered him onto his back. She straddled
him and began to trail kisses up and down his chest. Max groaned as he
placed his hands around her waist, the feel of her soft velvet lips against
his chest making him reel. She ran her tongue in circles around his nipple,
reveling in its tightness and strength. She moved lower, making him moan
with anticipation of what was to come. . Her hands were busy at the buckle
of his belt. When she had it undone, her fingers quickly undid the button
at the waist and then she pulled the zipper down. Her hand was warm to his
skin as she slid it underneath the elastic band of his shorts.
"Stop," he said, his throat tightening with emotion "Please stop." Her hand hesitated for a moment. Then she continued again. He gripped her hand in warning, and she understood the gesture. She released him. Taking a deep breath he replied, "I can't ...I'm sorry. She looked into his eyes, noticing they were hollow, without emotion, mortified by what could have happened. He got off the bed and walked out to the porch. Now he stood deep in thought, underneath the moonlight, wondering what the repercussions of his actions would be. He was suddenly engulfed in guilt. She stepped toward him. With a far-off look in his eyes, not really looking at her rather looking through her, he pulled her closer, wrapping his arms completely around her small waist. She placed her arms on his, and he nestled his cheek against her forehead, still staring off into space. Suddenly all her dreams of finding love had returned only to be dashed cruelly away with the knowledge that she wanted them only with this one man she could never have. He looked at her for one long anguished moment before turning his back on her, " I can't--I can't see you anymore." He choked out. Her face crumpled as she bit back a sob, "I know....I know...." She moaned and he clenched his fists to keep from turning round and reaching for her. "See you in the morning" She managed to keep her pain out of her voice but she couldn't keep back her tears. She was grateful that he didn't turn around as she opened the bedroom door and walked through it. With dawn just a few hours away he sat the rest of the night on the couch staring into the fire .
The hours passed slowly till the morning light crept into the cabin. He sat solemnly spinning his wedding ring between his fingers waiting for Christy to wake up. Max heard footsteps in the bedroom but he didn't look around. When she entered the living room, he just kept studying the now burned out embers from the fire. She walked around and stood in front of him. Max kept turning his ring, never looking her in her face, "I'd like to apologize for last night, I never meant for any of it to have happened.", Max said regretfully. Christy halted Max's words with the expression on her face, "Max, we can pretend this never happened and put it all behind us, but never apologize for what happened." Sensing his need to be comforted, she sat next to him on the couch. Christy looked at him somewhat sympathetically. "Your attraction to me was so powerful. I found it intriguing. What you felt for me was unlike anything I had ever encountered before. It wasn't just a superficial attraction, there was real concern and compassion for me behind it. Knowing this, nurtured my growing attraction to you. I knew you cared for me. I knew you desired me. I sensed it every time you were close to me. I didn't really understand it because you didn't know me at all. I didn't know you either, but the chemistry between us was undeniable."
Max reached for her hand, "I want to kiss you."
She shook her head, trying to tell him not to do this, not to start this because they both knew that nothing would come of it, but she couldn't. Max pressed his lips against hers for a soul-searching kiss, but felt immediately empty as she slipped away from him. Christy looked away, wiping her eyes then walked over to the window. "I'm leaving for Europe tomorrow morning, so its goodbye." If it was the right decision, then why did she hurt so bad? If this was the right path then why did she feel like it was wrong? It was a decision that would change her entire life. She knew then that he had another life waiting for him. A bond so strong that she wouldn't be able to compete. She learned that last night. And yet, she wouldn't have given up a single minute of it. Not ever.
"We should get out of here, the Chief will be waiting at the rest stop." Christy said collecting her thoughts. Max nodded, " You're right, I'll get the car and pull it around the front."
Sitting in his car a few yards away was a KAOS agent watching Max walk to the cave. He got out and quietly followed Max. When Max got to the car and started to dig in his pocket for the keys, the KAOS agent came up behind him. Knife drawn, the blade ripped into Max's upper back. Writhing in pain, Max dropped to the ground and lay without movement as blood began to seep from the wound. Satisfied with his work, the agent headed for the cabin. As Christy made her way out the door, the KAOS agent surprised her, his gun pointed at her he blocked her way out.
"Hands up and slowly back up." The KAOS agent motioned.
Christy immediately began to worry about Max as she franticly looked around and out the windows for him.
"Forget about your partner, I took care of him" the KAOS agent smirked. "Now I want those papers you so rudely took from us last night"
"How did you find us?" Christy asked.
"Let's say I am more of the ambitious type. When the other agents stopped looking beyond the rest stop, I waited till morning and found your tire tracks going into the woods. I took a chance and well. here you are. Now I want those papers"
Christy's only chance was to go for the gun in her purse.
"They're in my purse, its over by the couch" She started to move to it.
"Slowly" the agent commanded.
Reaching carefully in, she grabbed the gun and quickly brought it up to shoot but the agent was a crack shot and shot it out of her hand" He shook his head, "Now my patience is wearing thin, last chance."
Christy needing to stall for time and try to think of a way out, handed him the papers. Checking out their authenticity, he was satisfied they were the real thing.
"Now what?" She asked.
"I have no further need for you so I'm going to let you join your partner." As he aimed his gun at Christy and began to pull the trigger, a shot rang out. Christy flinched but the KAOS agent fell over dead to the floor. She looked up to see Max in the doorway. His strength gave out and fell against the doorframe, then to the floor. Christy ran over to him and turned him over. She noticed the massive blood loss coming from his back where the knife had gone between his shoulder blades.
"Max, Max, I've got to get you help. I'll get the car. Hang on" Christy franticly cried. Max leaned against the doorframe and nodded, "I'll try.."
Christy ran to get the car. She pulled up to the front of the cabin and helped pick Max up. "Try and help me get you into the car."
He struggled to get himself up. He leaned against her and made his way into the back seat. He collapsed in the back and she quickly made her way out. She followed the tire tracks back to the rest stop and spotted the Chief and a couple of agents waiting. She drove up and hit the brakes with a screech. The Chief ran up to her window, "What's wrong?"
"A KAOS agent found the cabin this morning, I have no time to explain now, Max has been terribly hurt and needs medical attention or he'll die." Christy said breathlessly.
"Follow us, we'll take you to a hospital, I'll call ahead so they can be ready for him", The Chief instructed her.
Within 25 minutes Christy pulled up to a hospital just outside of Washington. An ER crew stood waiting out front as she brought the car to the door. The hospital staff worked quickly to get Max out from the backseat and onto a gurney. Christy held his hand every step of the way as they wheeled him through the lobby. 99 was standing by the waiting room talking to a doctor when she spotted them bringing Max in. She rushed up to where they went by her and saw Christy next to Max. She stood motionless as she watched the gurney disappear through the surgery doors. A few moments later, Christy came out and was face to face with 99. There was silence between them. It was an electric, expectant silence, the silence of the calm before the storm.
"You must be Max's wife." Christy said with trepidation in her voice.
"Yes" 99 said coldly
"I'm."
99 cut her off, "I know who you are"
It was an awkward moment for both women.
"We were ambushed by a KAOS agent" Christy tried to explain.
"The Chief already told me what happened" 99 said with a cool demeanor.
Christy nodded as she felt the chill, "It's going to be a while, we should go to the waiting room"
99 followed her to the waiting room. Inside, 99's children were coloring and watching TV. 99 sat and stared dully at her, not once taking her eyes off of her. Christy felt uncomfortable as 99 watched her every move.
After about an hour a nurse's assistant came into the room.
"Mrs. Smart?"
99 snapped her head up hoping it was some new of Max, "Yes"
"Thought you could use a break. I'll take your kids down to the cafeteria for some ice cream if that's ok."
"Oh, that would be nice, thank you" 99 smiled.
"Who wants ice cream?" The assistant said to the kids.
All three stopped what they were doing and raised their hands. "I do, I do"
Jimmy ran over to 99, "Can we mommy?"
"Ok, but you do as she says and I want each of you to be good"
All three chimed in "OK" and left, leaving Christy and 99 alone for the first time since they met.
99 now took the opportunity to speak, Her tone was indignant "I didn't want to say anything in front of my kids but now that they're gone, I'm going to say what I have to say. On the one hand, I am grateful to you for saving Max's life If it wasn't for you he wouldn't be alive, but on the other hand its taking everything I have not to go over there and kick your ass for the way you've disrupted my life"
At that moment, Christy felt a numbness that made her hardly care, "I know you think I deserve that, but I want you to know this situation was not one- sided"
99 didn't want to admit it but she was right, "I know."
Then 99 took the next step and asked point-blank, "Are you in love with him?"
Christy looked at her, "Yes" she said confidently.
Nothing prepared her for the fire she saw burning in 99's eyes.
"Then. you're in for the fight of your life", 99 advised her.
Christy held up her hand, "If I wanted to fight for him, I'd take you on in second, but I don't. I learned that last night"
99 stiffened "Did you sleep with him?" trying to read her eyes for any hint of what might of happened.
"No" She said quietly
99 gave a sigh of relief under her breath.
Christy glared at her, "It's not that I didn't want to and not that I didn't try. But he doesn't love me. His emotional need for you was stronger than any physical need for me." Christy stood up and walked over to the window, "I'm someone, who came along and showed interest in him, who made him feel alive. Someone who supported and understood and gave him the excitement he'd been missing for some time."
Christy's words hit home to 99. Had she really neglected Max? Could she have been the one that pushed Max away and into this woman's arms.
"I know you feel like the victim in this unfortunate circumstance but I'm one as well. I'm the one that will wake up every morning and not having him next to me, I'm the one not having his children and I'm the one." Christy looked away not wanting 99 to see just how badly that this last fact hurt her. ".that will have to spend my entire life without him."
"I'm not telling you this for you to feel sorry for me, hell, you were ready to kick my ass, but you have a man that needs you and loves you more than life itself. If I knew that you didn't love him half as much as I do, I'd give you that fight. But I know you do and probably more so and that's why I don't stand a chance.
The doctor walked into the waiting room, "Mrs. Smart?" Both 99 and Christy stood up, but 99 spoke first "I'm Mrs. Smart"
"Your husband is going to be fine,"
99 gave a sigh of relief while Christy closed her eyes and mouthed 'thank you'.
The doctor continued, "He has a deep knife wound to the shoulder blade and lost a substantial amount of blood but we got him here in time to repair the damage"
"May I see him?" 99 asked.
"He'll be a bit groggy but I suppose you can see him"
The doctor walked out of the room as 99 gathered her things to go. Christy sat back down and stared out the window.
99 looked over to her, "You can say goodbye if you'd like."
Christy shook her head, "If I did. you'd have a hard time getting rid of me" Christy confessed. "No, I said my goodbye back at the cabin. I just wanted to make sure he was going to be all right. I can see now that he will be."
99 nodded and left to see Max.
Max started to come out of the anaesthetic. He opened his eyes and found 99 sitting next to him holding his hand.
"99" Max said weakly squeezing her hand.
"Yes Max, You're going to be ok, the doctor told me..."
"99, I'm so sorry" Max interrupted.
99 brushed his cheek with her hand, "You need to rest, we'll talk later"
"Yes. I know." His voice sounded ragged from the breathing tube he had down his throat during the surgery. "But please just for a moment." he paused and she could hear him clear his throat before he began again. "I need to talk to you. I need to know how you are. I need to still be part of your life."
His voice was so sad and full of longing that 99 felt that she might cry.
"You had feeling for another woman, Max, and I can't turn my head and say everything is going to be alright" 99 sadly announced.
" I know that. I don't know why I let things happen the they did, I was at a place in my life where I needed more, then suddenly I found it and it was special to me, something that had been missing, and I couldn't walk away."
"Agent Mayfield and I had a talk. She told me about last night"
Max shifted painfully in his hospital bed. He wasn't proud of what he had done and it bothered him that his weakness had upset 99.
99 looked Max straight in the eye; "Do you love her?"
Max lowered his head. He felt nervous and unsure how to approach the subject of his feelings. "To be honest, I had feelings for her but, no, I'm not in love with her. I love you 99 and I'm so sorry I hurt you." His very, life, heart, soul and body depended on her forgiveness "99...Am I going to lose you?"
99 looked at the man she thought would always be perfect. She now knew he was not. She loved him with ever fiber in her body.. it was a kind of desperate, beautiful love that only hit once in a lifetime. She never thought that anything like this would or ever could happen. She now realized for the first time that their love was no longer pure. " You may have lost your way but no, you're not going to lose me. When I married you, Maxwell Smart, it was for better or for worse. We can work through it but it's going to take some time. I've failed too in a way," He looked at her in amazement as she smiled at him sadly. "I was so busy with the house and the kids that I failed to meet your needs as my husband. 99 took Max's hand as they sat quietly thinking of the days ahead.
3 months later:
The Smart household house was back to some sort of chaotic order. Along with her household and kid duties, 99 also put aside time for her and Max. Going to counseling helped too, finding out what was important to each other at this stage of their lives. It was a sunny Saturday afternoon when the phone rang about 3pm, Max was out in the yard playing with the kids while 99 was doing breakfast dishes. Wiping her hands, she picks up the phone. 99 listened intently to the message on the other end, "Thank you Chief, I'll let him know"
99 slowly hung up the phone then walked outside. She spotted Max in the yard playing ball with the kids. The Chief had just informed her that Agent Mayfield was killed in the line of duty while on a mission in Europe. He thought Max should know. 99 thought long and hard. Max caught sight of 99 on the porch and threw her a kiss, she returned the gesture. 99 turned and went back inside. She didn't have the heart to ruin the images that she had just seen outside. To tell Max now might cost them some of the progress that they had been making. It seemed selfish for a moment, but she decided to do it for the both of them. Max was never told.
"Stop," he said, his throat tightening with emotion "Please stop." Her hand hesitated for a moment. Then she continued again. He gripped her hand in warning, and she understood the gesture. She released him. Taking a deep breath he replied, "I can't ...I'm sorry. She looked into his eyes, noticing they were hollow, without emotion, mortified by what could have happened. He got off the bed and walked out to the porch. Now he stood deep in thought, underneath the moonlight, wondering what the repercussions of his actions would be. He was suddenly engulfed in guilt. She stepped toward him. With a far-off look in his eyes, not really looking at her rather looking through her, he pulled her closer, wrapping his arms completely around her small waist. She placed her arms on his, and he nestled his cheek against her forehead, still staring off into space. Suddenly all her dreams of finding love had returned only to be dashed cruelly away with the knowledge that she wanted them only with this one man she could never have. He looked at her for one long anguished moment before turning his back on her, " I can't--I can't see you anymore." He choked out. Her face crumpled as she bit back a sob, "I know....I know...." She moaned and he clenched his fists to keep from turning round and reaching for her. "See you in the morning" She managed to keep her pain out of her voice but she couldn't keep back her tears. She was grateful that he didn't turn around as she opened the bedroom door and walked through it. With dawn just a few hours away he sat the rest of the night on the couch staring into the fire .
The hours passed slowly till the morning light crept into the cabin. He sat solemnly spinning his wedding ring between his fingers waiting for Christy to wake up. Max heard footsteps in the bedroom but he didn't look around. When she entered the living room, he just kept studying the now burned out embers from the fire. She walked around and stood in front of him. Max kept turning his ring, never looking her in her face, "I'd like to apologize for last night, I never meant for any of it to have happened.", Max said regretfully. Christy halted Max's words with the expression on her face, "Max, we can pretend this never happened and put it all behind us, but never apologize for what happened." Sensing his need to be comforted, she sat next to him on the couch. Christy looked at him somewhat sympathetically. "Your attraction to me was so powerful. I found it intriguing. What you felt for me was unlike anything I had ever encountered before. It wasn't just a superficial attraction, there was real concern and compassion for me behind it. Knowing this, nurtured my growing attraction to you. I knew you cared for me. I knew you desired me. I sensed it every time you were close to me. I didn't really understand it because you didn't know me at all. I didn't know you either, but the chemistry between us was undeniable."
Max reached for her hand, "I want to kiss you."
She shook her head, trying to tell him not to do this, not to start this because they both knew that nothing would come of it, but she couldn't. Max pressed his lips against hers for a soul-searching kiss, but felt immediately empty as she slipped away from him. Christy looked away, wiping her eyes then walked over to the window. "I'm leaving for Europe tomorrow morning, so its goodbye." If it was the right decision, then why did she hurt so bad? If this was the right path then why did she feel like it was wrong? It was a decision that would change her entire life. She knew then that he had another life waiting for him. A bond so strong that she wouldn't be able to compete. She learned that last night. And yet, she wouldn't have given up a single minute of it. Not ever.
"We should get out of here, the Chief will be waiting at the rest stop." Christy said collecting her thoughts. Max nodded, " You're right, I'll get the car and pull it around the front."
Sitting in his car a few yards away was a KAOS agent watching Max walk to the cave. He got out and quietly followed Max. When Max got to the car and started to dig in his pocket for the keys, the KAOS agent came up behind him. Knife drawn, the blade ripped into Max's upper back. Writhing in pain, Max dropped to the ground and lay without movement as blood began to seep from the wound. Satisfied with his work, the agent headed for the cabin. As Christy made her way out the door, the KAOS agent surprised her, his gun pointed at her he blocked her way out.
"Hands up and slowly back up." The KAOS agent motioned.
Christy immediately began to worry about Max as she franticly looked around and out the windows for him.
"Forget about your partner, I took care of him" the KAOS agent smirked. "Now I want those papers you so rudely took from us last night"
"How did you find us?" Christy asked.
"Let's say I am more of the ambitious type. When the other agents stopped looking beyond the rest stop, I waited till morning and found your tire tracks going into the woods. I took a chance and well. here you are. Now I want those papers"
Christy's only chance was to go for the gun in her purse.
"They're in my purse, its over by the couch" She started to move to it.
"Slowly" the agent commanded.
Reaching carefully in, she grabbed the gun and quickly brought it up to shoot but the agent was a crack shot and shot it out of her hand" He shook his head, "Now my patience is wearing thin, last chance."
Christy needing to stall for time and try to think of a way out, handed him the papers. Checking out their authenticity, he was satisfied they were the real thing.
"Now what?" She asked.
"I have no further need for you so I'm going to let you join your partner." As he aimed his gun at Christy and began to pull the trigger, a shot rang out. Christy flinched but the KAOS agent fell over dead to the floor. She looked up to see Max in the doorway. His strength gave out and fell against the doorframe, then to the floor. Christy ran over to him and turned him over. She noticed the massive blood loss coming from his back where the knife had gone between his shoulder blades.
"Max, Max, I've got to get you help. I'll get the car. Hang on" Christy franticly cried. Max leaned against the doorframe and nodded, "I'll try.."
Christy ran to get the car. She pulled up to the front of the cabin and helped pick Max up. "Try and help me get you into the car."
He struggled to get himself up. He leaned against her and made his way into the back seat. He collapsed in the back and she quickly made her way out. She followed the tire tracks back to the rest stop and spotted the Chief and a couple of agents waiting. She drove up and hit the brakes with a screech. The Chief ran up to her window, "What's wrong?"
"A KAOS agent found the cabin this morning, I have no time to explain now, Max has been terribly hurt and needs medical attention or he'll die." Christy said breathlessly.
"Follow us, we'll take you to a hospital, I'll call ahead so they can be ready for him", The Chief instructed her.
Within 25 minutes Christy pulled up to a hospital just outside of Washington. An ER crew stood waiting out front as she brought the car to the door. The hospital staff worked quickly to get Max out from the backseat and onto a gurney. Christy held his hand every step of the way as they wheeled him through the lobby. 99 was standing by the waiting room talking to a doctor when she spotted them bringing Max in. She rushed up to where they went by her and saw Christy next to Max. She stood motionless as she watched the gurney disappear through the surgery doors. A few moments later, Christy came out and was face to face with 99. There was silence between them. It was an electric, expectant silence, the silence of the calm before the storm.
"You must be Max's wife." Christy said with trepidation in her voice.
"Yes" 99 said coldly
"I'm."
99 cut her off, "I know who you are"
It was an awkward moment for both women.
"We were ambushed by a KAOS agent" Christy tried to explain.
"The Chief already told me what happened" 99 said with a cool demeanor.
Christy nodded as she felt the chill, "It's going to be a while, we should go to the waiting room"
99 followed her to the waiting room. Inside, 99's children were coloring and watching TV. 99 sat and stared dully at her, not once taking her eyes off of her. Christy felt uncomfortable as 99 watched her every move.
After about an hour a nurse's assistant came into the room.
"Mrs. Smart?"
99 snapped her head up hoping it was some new of Max, "Yes"
"Thought you could use a break. I'll take your kids down to the cafeteria for some ice cream if that's ok."
"Oh, that would be nice, thank you" 99 smiled.
"Who wants ice cream?" The assistant said to the kids.
All three stopped what they were doing and raised their hands. "I do, I do"
Jimmy ran over to 99, "Can we mommy?"
"Ok, but you do as she says and I want each of you to be good"
All three chimed in "OK" and left, leaving Christy and 99 alone for the first time since they met.
99 now took the opportunity to speak, Her tone was indignant "I didn't want to say anything in front of my kids but now that they're gone, I'm going to say what I have to say. On the one hand, I am grateful to you for saving Max's life If it wasn't for you he wouldn't be alive, but on the other hand its taking everything I have not to go over there and kick your ass for the way you've disrupted my life"
At that moment, Christy felt a numbness that made her hardly care, "I know you think I deserve that, but I want you to know this situation was not one- sided"
99 didn't want to admit it but she was right, "I know."
Then 99 took the next step and asked point-blank, "Are you in love with him?"
Christy looked at her, "Yes" she said confidently.
Nothing prepared her for the fire she saw burning in 99's eyes.
"Then. you're in for the fight of your life", 99 advised her.
Christy held up her hand, "If I wanted to fight for him, I'd take you on in second, but I don't. I learned that last night"
99 stiffened "Did you sleep with him?" trying to read her eyes for any hint of what might of happened.
"No" She said quietly
99 gave a sigh of relief under her breath.
Christy glared at her, "It's not that I didn't want to and not that I didn't try. But he doesn't love me. His emotional need for you was stronger than any physical need for me." Christy stood up and walked over to the window, "I'm someone, who came along and showed interest in him, who made him feel alive. Someone who supported and understood and gave him the excitement he'd been missing for some time."
Christy's words hit home to 99. Had she really neglected Max? Could she have been the one that pushed Max away and into this woman's arms.
"I know you feel like the victim in this unfortunate circumstance but I'm one as well. I'm the one that will wake up every morning and not having him next to me, I'm the one not having his children and I'm the one." Christy looked away not wanting 99 to see just how badly that this last fact hurt her. ".that will have to spend my entire life without him."
"I'm not telling you this for you to feel sorry for me, hell, you were ready to kick my ass, but you have a man that needs you and loves you more than life itself. If I knew that you didn't love him half as much as I do, I'd give you that fight. But I know you do and probably more so and that's why I don't stand a chance.
The doctor walked into the waiting room, "Mrs. Smart?" Both 99 and Christy stood up, but 99 spoke first "I'm Mrs. Smart"
"Your husband is going to be fine,"
99 gave a sigh of relief while Christy closed her eyes and mouthed 'thank you'.
The doctor continued, "He has a deep knife wound to the shoulder blade and lost a substantial amount of blood but we got him here in time to repair the damage"
"May I see him?" 99 asked.
"He'll be a bit groggy but I suppose you can see him"
The doctor walked out of the room as 99 gathered her things to go. Christy sat back down and stared out the window.
99 looked over to her, "You can say goodbye if you'd like."
Christy shook her head, "If I did. you'd have a hard time getting rid of me" Christy confessed. "No, I said my goodbye back at the cabin. I just wanted to make sure he was going to be all right. I can see now that he will be."
99 nodded and left to see Max.
Max started to come out of the anaesthetic. He opened his eyes and found 99 sitting next to him holding his hand.
"99" Max said weakly squeezing her hand.
"Yes Max, You're going to be ok, the doctor told me..."
"99, I'm so sorry" Max interrupted.
99 brushed his cheek with her hand, "You need to rest, we'll talk later"
"Yes. I know." His voice sounded ragged from the breathing tube he had down his throat during the surgery. "But please just for a moment." he paused and she could hear him clear his throat before he began again. "I need to talk to you. I need to know how you are. I need to still be part of your life."
His voice was so sad and full of longing that 99 felt that she might cry.
"You had feeling for another woman, Max, and I can't turn my head and say everything is going to be alright" 99 sadly announced.
" I know that. I don't know why I let things happen the they did, I was at a place in my life where I needed more, then suddenly I found it and it was special to me, something that had been missing, and I couldn't walk away."
"Agent Mayfield and I had a talk. She told me about last night"
Max shifted painfully in his hospital bed. He wasn't proud of what he had done and it bothered him that his weakness had upset 99.
99 looked Max straight in the eye; "Do you love her?"
Max lowered his head. He felt nervous and unsure how to approach the subject of his feelings. "To be honest, I had feelings for her but, no, I'm not in love with her. I love you 99 and I'm so sorry I hurt you." His very, life, heart, soul and body depended on her forgiveness "99...Am I going to lose you?"
99 looked at the man she thought would always be perfect. She now knew he was not. She loved him with ever fiber in her body.. it was a kind of desperate, beautiful love that only hit once in a lifetime. She never thought that anything like this would or ever could happen. She now realized for the first time that their love was no longer pure. " You may have lost your way but no, you're not going to lose me. When I married you, Maxwell Smart, it was for better or for worse. We can work through it but it's going to take some time. I've failed too in a way," He looked at her in amazement as she smiled at him sadly. "I was so busy with the house and the kids that I failed to meet your needs as my husband. 99 took Max's hand as they sat quietly thinking of the days ahead.
3 months later:
The Smart household house was back to some sort of chaotic order. Along with her household and kid duties, 99 also put aside time for her and Max. Going to counseling helped too, finding out what was important to each other at this stage of their lives. It was a sunny Saturday afternoon when the phone rang about 3pm, Max was out in the yard playing with the kids while 99 was doing breakfast dishes. Wiping her hands, she picks up the phone. 99 listened intently to the message on the other end, "Thank you Chief, I'll let him know"
99 slowly hung up the phone then walked outside. She spotted Max in the yard playing ball with the kids. The Chief had just informed her that Agent Mayfield was killed in the line of duty while on a mission in Europe. He thought Max should know. 99 thought long and hard. Max caught sight of 99 on the porch and threw her a kiss, she returned the gesture. 99 turned and went back inside. She didn't have the heart to ruin the images that she had just seen outside. To tell Max now might cost them some of the progress that they had been making. It seemed selfish for a moment, but she decided to do it for the both of them. Max was never told.