"You look like you're about to drop," Kenny called from the door of Caroline's room.

Max smiled tiredly at him, and glance over at her sleeping sister. "It's been one hell of a day."

"How are you doing with it all?"

She shook her head. "I think I'm still in shock. It doesn't seem possible that so much has happened. I don't quite understand it all, and I don't know if I ever will."

"You were great," Kenny said softly, joining her by the bed. "I'm so proud of you for this. Even though you had me worried there for a while."

Max fought back a yawn. "You weren't the only one. What time is it anyway?"

"Almost two."

"I must be getting old."

"You're still as pretty as the day we first met," Kenny whispered in ear. "That was the day I knew I had met the person I'd spend the rest of my life with."

Max looked up thoughtfully, and asked uneasily. "You've had to put up with a lot from me, and not just over the past few months. Do you still . . . do you still feel that way?"

Kenny regarded her silently for a minute, and tried not to feel offended by her question. "I can't imagine being with anyone else, Honey. You drive me crazy sometimes, but I need you. I'll always need you."

Max nodded slowly. "I need you too. I just keep thinking of everything that has happened with us . . . I sometimes wish life was more calm then it has been."

"We've had a lot of good times too," he countered. "And they outweigh the bad for me."

Max smiled tentatively at him. "I think that we're going to have some more good times too. I'm pregnant, Kenny."

16161616161616

William glared at Morell as he entered the room. "You let me out of here right now. Do you know who I am?"

"I'm well aware of that," Morell replied, not able to hide his disgust, "You're a murderer, who had your grandson killed. You killed Linwood Stevenson, Danny Shreve, Jen Davis, and the Robinsons."

"Richard killed Linwood," William smirked.

Morell shrugged. "We might give him immunity to testify about you. We've got you all cold though, so we might not even have to do that. You're going away for a long time, Stewart. I hope this was all worth it."

161616161616

Max watched as the grin crept across Kenny's face at her announcement. Without thinking he swept her up in his arms, and kissed her. Pregnant, he thought, through all of this? She's way to thin too be pregnant. Hearing her groan slightly, he pulled away to look at her. "Honey? You okay?"

She smiled at him. "The bruised ribs hurt a little bit more now, but I'm fine. Better then fine, although shocked. I had no idea."

"How far along?"

"Four months, like my Mom said. How could the doctor tell them and not me? Can they even do that?"

Kenny grinned at her and the unexpected news. "Well, you did run out of the hospital, so they probably didn't get the chance too. Is everything okay though? You've been so stressed, then the car crash, and today. Everyone is okay?"

Max smiled back at him. "Everyone is fine. He did a sonogram, and said everything looked great. I didn't think . . . Are you okay with this?"

"Why wouldn't I be? I'm the one that wanted six."

"It's so soon. Josh hasn't even been gone four months," Max trailed off. "We can never can replace him, but . . . It just seems so soon."

"I don't want to replace him," Kenny said gently, placing his hands on her shoulders. "We could never do that, Max. Lets be happy because we've earned it. You're the best Mom I could imagine. I want to give another child a chance to know you."

"You're going to make me cry," she whispered hoarsely. "You always do that. I love you, Kenny. I miss our life together. I miss Em. And us."

Kenny kissed her on the forehead, as Jimmy watched from the doorway before knocking. He suppressed a grin at the relationship that they kept hidden at work so well. To well, he thought, I'd almost think that they were strangers at times. Although, he mused, they do seem close whenever I see them when they think that they're alone, like at their rehearsal dinner. And through all this stuff with Josh . . . I'm glad that they found each other. They just fit together. He knocked softly on the door. "You're about to get thrown out of here until tomorrow. Visiting hours don't start until nine."

Max smiled at him, as Kenny pulled her against his side. "They can't make an exception? I don't want to leave her here like this."

"This isn't Thayer, and you don't have an in with the doctors here," Jimmy countered. "You look like you could use a rest yourself. Both of you."

"Yeah," Kenny agreed before Max could argue. "We'll come back in the morning. Ssh. No arguments. You need to get some sleep."

Max glared at him without much vigor because the exhaustion was finally catching up to her. "Okay, okay. One more minute? Please?"

"You sound like a kid who is trying to avoid bed time," Kenny replied, as he saw her glance over at Caroline. "Go ahead."

She smiled up at him, and turned back to her sister. Taking her hand in hers, she said softly. "Thanks, Caro. For everything, I mean that. I'll come see you in the morning, so get some rest. I love you."

Taking a deep breath, she went to join Kenny and Jimmy in the hall.

161616161616

"You might as well spit it out William," Morell continued. "Because your friend in the other room is saying you offed all of these people, and your wife is being charged for attempted murder when she tried to run her daughters off of the road. Was that your idea to?"

"No! You can't prove any of this! It's my daughter's word against mine. Do you know who I am?"

Morell smiled slowly, as he played the first recording. "Does this sound familiar? I believe your saying how you killed your grandson. Ready to talk now?"

161616161616

Jimmy nodded at Max, as the three of them rode back to the hotel together. "She asleep?"

"Yeah. I almost hate to wake her up when we get there," Kenny replied, combing through her hair. "She's had it rough for a while."

"You both have," Jimmy said, before pausing, not sure if he wanted to delve into their personal life after the day they all had. "I was wondering, what did the doctor say about her pregnancy? Is she?"

Kenny glanced down at his sleeping wife before responding. "She is. Which came as a complete shock to both of us. Four months, Jimmy. Four. I have no idea how both of them pulled through it in one piece. If I knew before I would have never let her come up here and do this. Still, we were talking about trying again before everything happened with Josh. It's still a shock, but a good one."

Jimmy couldn't help but grin. "I wouldn't have let her come up here either, but congratulations. It's great news, and I know you could both use some now."

Kenny yawned, as he tried to process what had happened over the past 24 hours. "I want her to take it easy though, and this stuff with her family . . . she's been feeling guilty enough over this. Sometimes I just want to shake her, so she gets it through her thick skull."

The cab stopped in front of the hotel as Jimmy replied. "She did a great job here, and has nothing to feel guilty about. Her family is crazy, not her."

Kenny just nodded, knowing Jimmy's words to be true. I wish she did, he thought, lifting a still sleeping Max into his arms. "What about Caroline's kids? Are they here?"

"Morell has a guard on them too, and they're confused and scared. No one really explained to them what was going on. They know that their Mom is in the hospital, and their father is away. He didn't want to tell them too much too soon, and thought it might be better coming from family," Jimmy replied, as they walked to their rooms, and gestured to Max. "She really passed out."

"She's dead to the world when she sleeps," Kenny replied, looking down at the still red head in his arms. "I've thrown stuff at her in the morning to wake her up. It doesn't always work though."

Jimmy nodded thoughtfully. "That has got to be a sight. Put her to bed, get some rest yourself. We'll deal with more of this in the morning."

161616161616

"You don't look very pregnant," Morell commented the next morning in way of a greeting, as he tossed Max a duffle bag full of her clothes. "Congratulations by the way. How are you feeling?"

Max nodded, shooting Kenny a look. "Good, really. How is Caroline? Is she awake yet? And Nathan and Samantha?"

"Slow down a bit," Morell replied. "In your condition and all, we've put a lot on you. I don't want to make it any worse."

Max groaned internally, and watched Kenny trying not to laugh at her, as she replied. "My condition hasn't been a factor so far."

"We didn't know before," Kenny countered, joining her on the edge of the bed. "And I'd say that you were lucky that nothing terrible happened to the baby. Take it slow for a while, Max."

"Can I at least find out how my sister is?"

Morell nodded. "She hasn't woken up yet, but they've been pumping her full of medications to stave off infections. I spoke to Dr. Franklin this morning, and he said that she should be awake this afternoon. Your niece and nephew are confused, and I'm sure that they would like a familiar face. They don't know much, and I don't know what you want to tell them. It all hit the papers today."

Max nodded slowly. "I'll let Caro decide that. She's always kept them kind of sheltered. They're good kids though, although a little spoiled."

"They're in room 321. I'll take you down when you're ready," Morell replied.

"Thanks. Um, let me change. How about 15 minutes?"

"You want me to go with you?" Kenny asked, after Morell left. "I never met them, but I'd like to. Sometime."

Max smiled at him, as she zipped up her jeans. "Don't take this the wrong way because I want you to meet them. I really do. I just don't think that this is the time. With everything that has happened . . . do mind if I spend some time with them alone?"

Kenny smiled back at her. "They probably need to see you too. Go. Be their Aunt Maxie."

"Ugh. No one but my family calls me that. It makes me feel about eight again."

"What were you like at eight?"

Max looked at him thoughtfully for a minute. "I was such a tomboy, much to my parents dismay. There was one time, it was actually my eighth birthday, that I was wearing this flouncey pink dress. It had all of these ruffles . . . It was so hideous, Kenny. Even now when I look at the pictures, I cringe. Anyway, it just stopped raining, so I decided to go outside. Long story short, I decided to jump in a puddle. I got mud all over that dress, and my Mom was so mad. I threw some at Caro too. The guests were arriving at this point, so mud started flying everywhere. I loved it, but both of my parents were mortified."

"Pink ruffles," Kenny commented. "Somehow I can't picture you in pink ruffles. What happened next?"

Max sighed. "After everyone left . . . I can't believe I forgot about this. I think I repressed a lot of my childhood. My Dad was so mad."

Kenny caught the catch in her voice, and didn't want to push her any more then she had been. "Max? Did he hurt you?"

"He never hit me," Max replied softly. "Never. He dragged me upstairs, and threw me in the shower. He turned the water on, and it was so cold. He told me to stay there until he came back. I can't believe I forgot."

"Bastard," Kenny replied. "You were a kid. You were supposed to get messy."

"It wasn't about that. It never was. I wasn't who he wanted me to be, and I never have been. He needed to control everyone, and he didn't get me at all. I don't think he ever understood me."

Kenny joined her on the edge of the bed carefully. "It's his loss."

Max shook head, "You know what scares me? That I'm like him. It terrifies me to know that I came from that, and that I could treat our kids that way. I look at Em, and I can't comprehend . . . Am I capable of that?"

Kenny pulled her closer to his side before replying. "If I thought that you could ever hurt our child, or any child, we wouldn't have any. You're a fantastic mother, and you're nothing like your father."

Max shook her head. "I hope not. I don't know what's wrong with me lately. I keep doubting everything about myself. Thanks."

"For what?"

"For being there, putting up with me. For just being you."

He kissed her again, as Morell and Jimmy came back. "Uh, you ready?"

They broke apart reluctantly, as Kenny smiled at her again. "Anytime. Go ahead, Honey. I'll see you later."

Max smiled back, feeling a bit shy all of the sudden. "I love you. Thanks."

Jimmy nodded in Max and Morell's direction as they left. "You two okay?"

Kenny shook his head, "She always surprises me. With something she says or does. In all the years I've known her. I should be used to it by now."

"Jill does that to me," Jimmy agreed. "Women are complicated."

"Very."

161616161616

"Hi, Samantha, Nathan," Max said quietly. "You two have gotten so grown up."

"Where is our mother?" Samantha demanded. "No one will tell us anything. She's our Mom!"

"I know she is, and they didn't want to worry you," Max replied. "You guys want to sit? We can go see her pretty soon, if you want to."

"Where is she?" Nathan asked. "Is she hurt?"

Max paused, looking at her 14 year old niece and seven year old nephew. "She's in the hospital, but the doctors say that she'll be fine."

"What happened? Aunt Maxie," Samantha asked. "There was a car accident too. Why is someone trying to hurt my mom? Who are all of these people?"

"No one will hurt her again, or you two. I promise," Max replied. "These people just want to help."

Samantha swallowed, and looked over at her brother. "Did Dad hurt Mom?"

Max looked at the thin girl in front of her for a moment. "Has he hurt her before? Samantha, you can tell me."

"I . . . I don't know. But I," she trailed off. "I heard him talking to Grandfather a few days ago. Can you keep it a secret?"

Max sighed. "I can't promise you that. I wish I could, but I can't."

"Okay. They were talking about Mom and you. Dad said he would take care of the problem. Grandfather wanted Dad to keep Mom away from you, and Dad said that he would. That he had his ways. What does that mean? They sounded so mad. What's going on, Aunt Maxie?"

"They won't hurt her," Max reassured them. "I don't know what they meant by that, but I'll see if I can find out."

"Find out what?" Morell asked, joining them.

"Nothing," Max replied, shooting him a look. "What's going on?"

"Caroline is awake, and I thought you three might want to go see her."

161616161616

Jimmy paused in his conversation, and turned back to Kenny, "Jill's flying out tomorrow, and she wants to know if you want her to bring Emily."

Kenny nodded, missing his daughter. The bad guys are locked up he thought. "That would be great. We both miss her. Can Jill handle traveling with an almost two year old? She can be a handful, and she's as stubborn as Max sometimes."

"She's willing to try," Jimmy replied. "How about it?"

"It's a yes then."

161616161616

"Hey, Caro," Max said softly, "How are feeling?"

"Maxie," Caro sighed, cracking her eyes open. "I feel like I was run over . . . are you okay?"

"I'm more worried about you," Max replied. "You had me worried for a while. The doctors say that you're going to fine though."

"Mom shot me," Caro whispered, as yesterday came back to her. "How could she do that?"

"I don't know."

"What happened afterward? With Mom, Dad, Richard . . . and Michael?"

Max paused, looking at her sleepy sister. "There's time for that later. Samantha and Nathan are here."

Caroline smiled, her question forgotten. "Are they okay? Do they know what happened?"

"Not yet. I didn't know what you wanted to tell them, and they think Michael is on a business trip," Max said pausing. "Although Samantha heard Michael and Dad talking a few days ago . . . I'm sure she'll tell you."

"Can I see them?"

Max smiled, and squeezed her sister's hand. "Yeah, they're outside."

161616161616

"They seem like nice kids," Kenny said, as Max joined them in the waiting room. "How's she doing?"

"Sleepy. And heavily medicated," Max replied. "She surprised me a lot over the last few days. She was always the perfect one, the one who always knew the right thing to say or do, who could wear the pink ruffles, ballroom dance, she made everything look so easy, and I never thought that she would do anything like this."

"I can that you two are sisters," he replied softly, brushing her hair back. "You even look a like, except for the blond hair."

"You hated me with blond hair," Max replied, with a small smile. "I'm not sure where this color came from though. No one else in my family is a red head."

Kenny grinned at her, and placed his hand on her stomach. "I hope that this baby has hair like yours. I've never seen this color before…and I really like it this long."

Max smiled back at him, pushing back the shiny and straight hair that fell halfway down her back these days. "I know you do. I can't wait to tell Em she's going to be a big sister, Kenny."

He stroked her hair. She's gorgeous, he thought, my pregnant wife. "Well, you'll like this then. Jill's flying up tomorrow, and bringing Em with her."

"Really?" Max replied, as her smile broadened. "Oh, Kenny."

He kissed her softly before responding. "It's so good to see you smile again. What's that?"

Max glanced up at the commotion down the hall, and saw Nathan and Samantha being pushed out into the hall, as a team of doctors rushed into Caroline's room, "Oh no. Come on."

He grabbed her hand, as they hurried down the hall toward the two children. He saw Max pale, as the reached them. This can't be good, Kenny thought, why do these things keep happening?

"Mom stopped breathing," Samantha cried, as tears slid down her cheeks. "We were talking to her, and she just stopped! Is she going to be okay?"

Max shot a desperate glance at Kenny, and he struggled to find something that might reassure them. All of them. "The doctors will do everything that they can. Why don't we all go back to the other room? Give them some room to work?"

"I don't want to," Nathan whimpered. "I want my Mom."

Max glanced into the room, and cringed slightly at the sight of the paddles on Caro's chest and the way her body shot in the air while they tried to revive her. They shouldn't have to see this, she thought, finding her voice again. "Samantha, Nathan. Let's go sit down, okay? Let the doctors work, without having to worry about you two. They'll tell us when they're done."

"Okay," Samantha whispered, taking her brother's hand. "Come on Nathan."

"She'll be okay," Kenny whispered in her ear. "She made it this far, Honey. Hang onto that."

Max glanced up at him, and nodded slightly. "They can't lose both of their parents on the same day."

"Ssh. Stay positive for them," he replied. "They need that."

She nodded again, as she went to join them on the couch. What do I say, she thought, I hardly know them. Which is a testimony to my family.

Samantha beat her to it. "Who is that?"

Max glanced back over at Kenny before responding. "This is my husband."

Samantha cut her off. "Are you one that made my Mom have the car accident? That's what my Dad said!"

"That's not what happened," Kenny said carefully. "I like your Mom a lot, and I would have never done anything like that to her, or to your Aunt."

"Who did then?"

"You don't have to worry about that," Max cut in. "The person who did is in jail, and is going to stay there."

"Dad said that you were getting divorced too," Nate said quietly. "Are you?"

"No," Kenny answered, joining the three of them. "We're not. You don't have to worry about any of this. We'll concentrate on your Mom for now. That's enough."

"Excuse me?" Dr. Franklin said, joining them in the waiting room. "Mr. and Mrs. Lacos?"

Kenny stood, as Max pulled a shaky Samantha and Nate next to her. "Is she all right?"

"Why don't we talk in the hall?"

Kenny glanced back at Max, who merely nodded as she held onto her niece and nephew. Taking a deep breath, he followed the doctor into the hall.