Chapter Nine:

Everything happened so quickly once she took Max's hand and they left the bathroom to join the others.   It was all merged into a confuse mess in her head.  Valanti calling the police reassuring her that everything was going to be all right.  Maria's continuous ranting as she hovered close by, the police questioning her until she wanted to scream, and the ride to the hospital. Max holding her hand the whole time, refusing to leave her side.  The doctors examining her, taking more pictures.  She felt as if the past few days were a nightmare, which refused to relinquish its hold on her.

"Liz…" His voice sounded so far away, but she knew that he was standing right beside her.  "Look at me…sweetheart."  He said.

Turning slowly on the hospital bed she looked up at him. Bending down he touched her forehead with his lips sending a tingling warmth through her as he took away the pain.  Slightly drawing away he looked into her eyes.  "I'm sorry I couldn't do that before. I don't think its smart to heal the wounds completely, but I started the healing process so you'll be better in no time."

"Thanks."  She smiled up at him.

"They're releasing you Liz.  You can go home."  He watched her body stiffen as her eyes closed.  "No…no…Liz's, there's nothing to worry about."

"I can't go back there Max…I can't."  She cried turning to her side away from him as she drew her knees up to her faces.

"You don't have to be afraid…Liz.  The police arrested that bastard two hours ago."  He reassured her as he leaned toward her.

"What?"  She cried opening her eyes and sitting up in bed so quickly that Max had to take a step back to avoid crashing into her.  "Oh…God…no…Max…no."  She said getting to her feet, looking around her wildly for her cloths.

He stared at her fanatically searching for her cloths stunned, but his surprise was quickly replaced with rage.  "I know your joking right?"  He demanded grabbing her arm and turning her to face him.  "You're not actually feeling sorry for that monster?"

Jerking her arm away she yelled.  "No…God…no…"

"Liz…"  Max tried to reason with her.  Even though he spoke the word softly his rage still emulated the anger inside him.  'How can she still want to protect him after everything he's done to her?'  The question screamed inside him.  "Your not seriously thinking what I think you're thinking?"  He demanded.  "God…Liz…why are you …"

"This has nothing to do with him."  She screamed as she continued her search.  Taking a deep breath she looked at him her heart beating wildly in her chest.  "He's all my father has left…Max… don't you understand?  My dad loves him.  He's apart of my grandmother…he's all he have left of her."  She cried her pain shooting through her so quickly that her voice caught in her throat.  "I can't take that away from him…I can't."  She whispered as the tears streamed down her face.  

"How dare you?"  The loud outraged question brought both of them turning swiftly toward the door.  They were so absorbed in each other's pain that neither one of them heard the door swing open.  "How dare you?"  Mr. Parker yelled again coming completely into the room Nancy right behind him.

Max took a protective step in front of Liz his anger immediately directed to Mr. Parker.  He could feel her surprise, her pain and everything in him wanted to slap some sense into her father.

"Dad…I'm…sorry…I'm…" She cried her tears running down her cheeks.

"How dare you think so less of me?"  He asked his voice slurred by the emotions racing inside him.  "How dare you think so less of your mother, of yourself?"  He demanded.

"Oh my God."  Nancy cried rushing to her daughter.  Max stepped a side allowing her to draw Liz into her arms, but he never took his eyes off of Mr. Parker.  Everything in him wanted to attack the man in front of him, but he held himself back.  He knew that her father loved her so he waited.  Waited to see what Mr. Parker was going to do.

Liz held her body stiff in her mother's embrace, her eyes never leaving her fathers. Everything in her wanted to die.  'How can she do this to him?'  The question slammed into her.  "I'm sorry…I'm sorry…"  She cried, tears running down her face.  "I'm sorry dad…I…I didn't mean…"

"How could you not tell me what that bastard was doing to you?"  He demanded moving towards her.  "How could you think…how could you think…"  He closed his eyes against the rage running through him, against the pain his eyes pooling with his tears.

Pulling out of her mother's embrace Liz walked slowly toward her father.  Max watched as she moved closer to him, but he hovered in the back ground closely to her.

"You…you are everything to me."  He cried, his tears running freely down his face.  "You are the only thing I've ever done right in my life.  How can you think that I would ever pick him over you?"   He asked as he drew her into his arms, his heart breaking that he couldn't protect her from this.  "I love you.  You are the miracle I've been best with. You are my miracle."  He whispered holding her tightly to his heart.

She cried as he held her in his arms, her body shaking with her sobs.  "I love you daddy…I love you." 

TBC