Notes: An extended chapter, because I'm an idiot who made the last chapter
cut at the wrong place, and for that I apologize. I could have made this
two chapters, but that would have only further screwed up my plotting. I do
apologize again, and I suppose I could go back and edit, but I don't want
to. Yes, I'm lazy. Also, just a random thought that went through my head
while watching today's episode. Damian would so be on Carly's side right
now, even if they weren't friend's he wouldn't let Sonny keep her from her
kids.
Septermberbaby- I seriously feel so bad for people who just start reviewing this story now, because it means that they had to spend SO much time playing catch-up. I mean, don't get me wrong, I love that I'm getting new people to review and whatnot, but 58 chapters is a lot to read. Imagine how much it is to write, heh. It took me awhile to get the Damian/Dillon friendship story going, but now that I have it should be fun. So many people love the Daxamilian, so happy for their impact I am. Thank you for the review, I hope you continue to support my story.
Extended Story-
Docks, Thursday-
Faith stood looking out at the sea. She had sent plenty of people to 'sleep with the fishies' as the saying went. The thought brought a smile to her face, one that some people would think as a kind gesture. Those people did not know the widow. If there was one thing that Faith lacked in spades aside from the ability to wear bright colors it was patience. Faith was a very demanding woman, and while she knew that some of her plans could take a long time she didn't like waiting for anyone other than herself. She was becoming less than pleased with the promptness of her head lackey, Zander. Or, more specifically, the lack of promptness. He was becoming unruly, and she couldn't have that. She would need to express her displeasure with the boy when she saw him, and make sure that he knew that it was Faith who called the shots, no one else.
"Sorry I took so long," Zander dashed over from one of the other sides of the dock. "Checking out took longer than I wanted. My father decided to make sure that everything was fine, it took him long enough to care about my wellbeing."
"I could care less about Doctor Lewis's sympathies towards you, Zander," Faith snapped at him. "I pay you to be a good little gopher and do what I want."
"Look, Faith, I apologized. I can't do anything else."
"You can do whatever I want you to do," Faith said. "If that involves barking like a dog or streaking around the Quatermaine mansion then so be it."
Zander rolled his eyes, "You're still so grateful for the bullet that I took. The bullet that was meant for you."
Faith laughed, "Bullet's aren't meant for me, Zander. We have an agreement."
"Care to explain the urgency of this meeting?"
"Pack your swimsuit, and make sure the speedo is in there," Faith grinned devilishly. "We're heading out to California tomorrow."
"Is there a reason that you want to go clear across the country?" Zander asked. "Even you can't want a natural tan that badly."
"It's business, Zander," Faith said. "Pure business."
"What kind of business?"
"The kind that will put us on top of Sonny," Faith laughed. "It's so brilliant, I can't believe that I thought of it."
"The feeling is mutual."
Faith leered at him, "You don't think that I can make a good plan up, Zander? Do you doubt the ways I do business?"
Zander backed away a little, "No, Faith, of course not."
She smiled, "Good, because you don't get a say in this."
"How is going to California going to help you beat Sonny? All of his shipments come through here, they don't come clear across the country, and he doesn't have very much influence on the west coast."
"We're not going over there to beat Sonny at his own game," Faith said. "We're going to make sure that his darling offspring doesn't come back without one of us having a gun to his head."
Zander looked at Faith with much question plastered on his face, "You're going to take Damian hostage?"
"Good job!" Faith clapped, "You want a treat?"
"Cut the humor and answer the question, Faith."
"Yes, Zander. We're going to bring Damian back with us when we return from the golden state and offer him as a bargaining piece against Sonny."
"What are you looking for that he has?"
"A part of his territory."
"A part?"
Faith grinned, "You know me too well. By part, I mean substantial area. By substantial area I mean every single square foot that Sonny commands be put under my command or I make sure that Damian gets a lobotomy in front of daddy."
Zander shook his head, "It won't work."
"Enlighten me to the reasons that it wouldn't work."
"Sonny's not stupid enough to send one of his children out anywhere without a guard. He has Max take Michael for a walk to the store for crying out loud!"
Faith grinned once more, "Oh ye of little faith and littler mind, I did think of that. You see, Sonny doesn't act as protective around Damian as he does the squirts. Either because he thinks Damian is a big boy who can take care of himself, or because they've had a bit of a falling out and Damian doesn't want anything to do with Sonny. My sources tell me that it's most certainly the latter. Whatever the reason, he's going alone."
"I must admit I'm impressed," Zander told her. "After all, you've actually done some research into this one. It should go a whole lot better than that shipment you tried to hijack that was full of toys."
"You just love using that against me, don't you?" Faith asked, disgusted. It was her worst failure to date.
"I have to get my kicks somehow, don't I?" Zander asked with a huge smile on his face.
"There's more to my plan than just making sure that Damian is in our custody, and that part directly involves you."
"I'm listening."
"He's taken quite the liking to a person that you yourself probably remember fondly." There was a glimmer in Faith's eyes. It was actually pretty intimidating.
Zander's first thought was of Emily. But she was always with Nikolas, there was no way that she would leave him without Zander finding out and making sure that he was there for her. The knowledge that Emily was in no danger brought him a strange amount of comfort. No matter how badly she hurt him in the past, he loved her, he would always love her. But with Emily out of the picture he didn't know who Faith was talking about. "And that person is?"
"Maxie Jones. Scorpio's oldest daughter."
"You're going to kidnap the head mobster and the head lawman's kids?" Zander was impressed by Faith now more than ever. "You've got some nerve, I'll give you that."
"It was that nerve that helped me slaughter the five families," Faith still displayed the pride from her power play that let Sonny and Lorenzo know that she was there and she meant business. Now she would strike at Sonny's heart, and if she could piss off the boys in blue also, she was all for it.
Unknown to both Zander and Faith, Ric had walked up from a day at the office and hid when he saw them engaged in some kind of conversation. Faith still had feelings for Ric, he knew it, she knew it, but neither would actually admit to it. Ric had enough going against him without having a crazed killer be in love with him. Ric listened, wondering what the two had in the plans.
"If this works you'll get what you want, no doubt in my mind."
"I always get what I want, Zander," Faith grabbed his jacket. "No one denies me anything." She let go and turned away, "Find a way to make sure that the wheels get set in motion. I've got some shopping to do. It might still be pretty hot in California, and you know how much black attracts heat. I need to find a new wardrobe before we depart. It should be fun."
"California, here we come," Zander whistled as he walked away, not seeing Ric laying low.
Ric got up and walked a few steps, contemplating what they had planned. Why would they need to go to California? Whatever the reason it was out of his jurisdiction, and it didn't involve anyone he knew if it wasn't in Port Charles. Ric walked home, unaware of most of the plans that Faith had in store for his family.
General Hospital-
Maxie was on one of her breaks. The weekend was coming up, the weekend that she would have to spend without Damian being there by her side. But he could be by her side at that moment. She smiled as she saw the elevator open and her boyfriend walk out. It wasn't wishful thinking, she had called him and asked him to come over before he left, knowing full well that she might not be able to see him off. "You all ready?" She asked. Trying to sound excited, or at least not all that depressed. It was hard, though. Being away from someone that you really cared about was always hard. When she was much smaller she hated being without her mother. Since then the feelings had changed for the most part.
"As ready as I can be," Damian hugged her as she walked out of the nurses station. "I don't really think that I can prepare for finding out the things that I might find out, though."
"What's the worst that could happen, Damian? You'll find out about your past and you'll work to make sure that it makes you a better person. You've done that before."
Damian agreed, "Let's just hope that I make it through the weekend."
"Why wouldn't you?"
"I don't do well with conflict, Maxie. I don't really have a phobia, but it is uncomfortable for me. I'm going to ask my grandparents to expose twenty one years of lies, something is going to happen, something bad."
"If you think that something bad will happen then of course it will!" Maxie told him. "You have to think about things in a different way."
"I'm a realist, not an optimist," Damian told her. "I wish I could cloud myself from what I feel is going to happen, but I can't."
"Say your goodbyes yet?" Maxie changed the subject, knowing that it was painful for Damian to talk about and not wanting to ruin their last night together before he left.
"I was going back to the apartment from the penthouse when you called."
"How'd he take it?"
"Michael? He told me to have fun and tried to look like he was okay with me going away, but I knew he wasn't. At least he didn't cry. Carly looked pretty happy when she realized that I was going to be gone, though."
Maxie sighed, "I want to talk with her."
"She won't listen to you," Damian informed Maxie. "She doesn't listen to anyone but herself and very occasionally she'll listen to Jason, but that's only when she realizes that she's messed up beyond her ability to repair things on her own."
"She's so blind," Maxie said in disgust. "She doesn't see that you're not here to do anything but become a doctor."
"Right now Carly's the furthest thing from my mind, I've got more important things to worry about than pleasing that woman."
"Damian," Maxie let her voice hang.
"I'm sorry," Damian ran a hand through his hair. "We shouldn't be talking about my problems right now, we won't see each other for three days."
"It's okay," Maxie said. "I know you've got a lot of things that are running through your head at the moment, it would be selfish of me to demand that you only think about me."
"I wouldn't mind you being selfish for just a little while," Damian grinned.
"You know I'm going to miss you a lot."
"I know."
"But when you get back, we should do something. You know, like actually go on a date."
Damian chuckled, "Did Georgie put you up to that?"
"Of course not!"
"Do you really want to go out on one of those real dates that they do in the movies?" Damian wondered.
"Those aren't real dates," Maxie replied. "They're just the way that we think things should go in order to give the places that we go to a whole lot of money."
"I wouldn't mind buying into the system if it was for you," Damian told her softly. "You're worth an overpriced and under served meal."
"You don't need to take me anywhere fancy, we could just go out and get something greasy, like a pizza."
"Low maintenance, I like that."
"Can't afford to take my daughter out somewhere nice?" A voice asked from behind. "I suppose you could just ask your father for some of his dirty money, he's got plenty."
Maxie gasped when she saw him, "Dad? What are you doing here?"
"A father can't check up on his daughter who he happens to care for very much?" Mac asked. "I've every right to be in a public hospital, Maxie."
"Hello, Commissioner," Damian extended his hand out to Mac.
Mac looked down at the hand, "Staying out of trouble lately? I haven't seen your name come up in any of the criminal files. But, then again, you people have your way of making sure that nothing gets filed anyway."
"Dad, stop!" Maxie pleaded.
Mac ignored Maxie and focused on Damian, "I'm going to make one thing perfectly clear: I spend a lot of time and effort making sure that the people in this city are kept safe from people like yourself, and you can be damned certain that I won't let my own daughter fall into the void that comes with being around the life that you're in."
"With all due respect, sir, you're wrong about me," Damian told Mac boldly. "I realize that you are skeptical of me because of my relations with certain people in this town, but they are no more than blood. Simply because I am Sonny's child does not mean that I incorporate the same things in my life that he does and I'm quite insulted by the fact that you would put so little faith in me."
"Save it," Mac replied coldly. "If I even wanted to buy into your bull it would only make me want to put you in jail more when I ended up having to arrest you for doing something stupid."
"Dad!"
"If you don't mind," Mac began, again ignoring his daughter, "I'd appreciate being left alone with my daughter now. Do you think you can give me that?"
"Of course."
"Damian!" Maxie grabbed him, "You don't need to go."
"Yes, he does," Mac demanded.
"I'll call you," Damian told Maxie as he walked away, eying Mac once.
"You deserve better than that," Mac told Maxie.
"There is no one better than Damian for me, Mac!" Maxie almost yelled at him, but barely managed to keep herself somewhat civil, although it was a battle.
"I could think of a few hundred people, easily," Mac retorted.
"You're never going to be happy with anyone that I involve myself with!" Maxie's eyes began to water. "I love him, dad. I'll love him no matter how much you tell me not to."
"I won't let you blindly follow him around and get yourself killed!" Mac grabbed Maxie, "I care about you too much to watch you die before I do!"
"Just go, Mac," Maxie pushed herself away from him. "I really don't want to talk with you right now."
"Maxie."
"Please just go!"
Mac turned and left. He knew it was going to go badly, but he hadn't expected it to go that far. He wouldn't apologize, though. He knew that he was doing the right thing. Or at least he felt that he was doing the right thing.
Maxie placed her head on the nurses' station and began to sob gently. Why would he do that? Why wouldn't he support her? She was happy, he could see that. Why was he trying to destroy that for her? When she felt a hand on her shoulder she sneered, "I thought I told you to go away!"
"I never heard you tell me to go away," A different voice said.
Maxie lifted her head and turned around. "Zander."
Zander nodded, "Hello, Maxie."
"Sorry, I thought you were my father."
"Now that's something I hope I never have to hear again in my life," Zander grinned and it made Maxie feel a little better. "I've got a problem, and I think you can help me with it."
Maxie nodded, "What do you need?"
"I've got a cousin, a little girl, she wasn't feeling very good so I brought her here. She doesn't like hospitals, she thinks they're really scary. She ran off and I can't find her. Even if I do, I know she won't come out. You're really good with kids, can you help me out?" Zander's story was very airtight, but a part of him hated doing this.
"Do you know the general area that she's in?"
Zander nodded, "Yeah, follow me."
Zander purposely led her to an area of the hospital that had a few rooms with the lights off. He picked one and opened the door, "I'm pretty sure I saw her run in here, she still might be inside."
Maxie walked in, "Hello? You don't have to be afraid, the people here just want to help you." Maxie's hand went for the light switch, but Zander stopped her by covering her mouth with one hand and putting a cloth in front of her face with another. Maxie kicked and tried to scream, but the cloth was laced with a sleep inducing agent that put her fast asleep.
"I'm sorry, Maxie. I wish I didn't have to do this." Zander walked out and signaled for two people working for Faith and dressed like doctors to bring in a gurney and cover her body with a sheet so people wouldn't think that it was her. He still felt really guilty about doing something to a person he considered a friend.
44
Septermberbaby- I seriously feel so bad for people who just start reviewing this story now, because it means that they had to spend SO much time playing catch-up. I mean, don't get me wrong, I love that I'm getting new people to review and whatnot, but 58 chapters is a lot to read. Imagine how much it is to write, heh. It took me awhile to get the Damian/Dillon friendship story going, but now that I have it should be fun. So many people love the Daxamilian, so happy for their impact I am. Thank you for the review, I hope you continue to support my story.
Extended Story-
Docks, Thursday-
Faith stood looking out at the sea. She had sent plenty of people to 'sleep with the fishies' as the saying went. The thought brought a smile to her face, one that some people would think as a kind gesture. Those people did not know the widow. If there was one thing that Faith lacked in spades aside from the ability to wear bright colors it was patience. Faith was a very demanding woman, and while she knew that some of her plans could take a long time she didn't like waiting for anyone other than herself. She was becoming less than pleased with the promptness of her head lackey, Zander. Or, more specifically, the lack of promptness. He was becoming unruly, and she couldn't have that. She would need to express her displeasure with the boy when she saw him, and make sure that he knew that it was Faith who called the shots, no one else.
"Sorry I took so long," Zander dashed over from one of the other sides of the dock. "Checking out took longer than I wanted. My father decided to make sure that everything was fine, it took him long enough to care about my wellbeing."
"I could care less about Doctor Lewis's sympathies towards you, Zander," Faith snapped at him. "I pay you to be a good little gopher and do what I want."
"Look, Faith, I apologized. I can't do anything else."
"You can do whatever I want you to do," Faith said. "If that involves barking like a dog or streaking around the Quatermaine mansion then so be it."
Zander rolled his eyes, "You're still so grateful for the bullet that I took. The bullet that was meant for you."
Faith laughed, "Bullet's aren't meant for me, Zander. We have an agreement."
"Care to explain the urgency of this meeting?"
"Pack your swimsuit, and make sure the speedo is in there," Faith grinned devilishly. "We're heading out to California tomorrow."
"Is there a reason that you want to go clear across the country?" Zander asked. "Even you can't want a natural tan that badly."
"It's business, Zander," Faith said. "Pure business."
"What kind of business?"
"The kind that will put us on top of Sonny," Faith laughed. "It's so brilliant, I can't believe that I thought of it."
"The feeling is mutual."
Faith leered at him, "You don't think that I can make a good plan up, Zander? Do you doubt the ways I do business?"
Zander backed away a little, "No, Faith, of course not."
She smiled, "Good, because you don't get a say in this."
"How is going to California going to help you beat Sonny? All of his shipments come through here, they don't come clear across the country, and he doesn't have very much influence on the west coast."
"We're not going over there to beat Sonny at his own game," Faith said. "We're going to make sure that his darling offspring doesn't come back without one of us having a gun to his head."
Zander looked at Faith with much question plastered on his face, "You're going to take Damian hostage?"
"Good job!" Faith clapped, "You want a treat?"
"Cut the humor and answer the question, Faith."
"Yes, Zander. We're going to bring Damian back with us when we return from the golden state and offer him as a bargaining piece against Sonny."
"What are you looking for that he has?"
"A part of his territory."
"A part?"
Faith grinned, "You know me too well. By part, I mean substantial area. By substantial area I mean every single square foot that Sonny commands be put under my command or I make sure that Damian gets a lobotomy in front of daddy."
Zander shook his head, "It won't work."
"Enlighten me to the reasons that it wouldn't work."
"Sonny's not stupid enough to send one of his children out anywhere without a guard. He has Max take Michael for a walk to the store for crying out loud!"
Faith grinned once more, "Oh ye of little faith and littler mind, I did think of that. You see, Sonny doesn't act as protective around Damian as he does the squirts. Either because he thinks Damian is a big boy who can take care of himself, or because they've had a bit of a falling out and Damian doesn't want anything to do with Sonny. My sources tell me that it's most certainly the latter. Whatever the reason, he's going alone."
"I must admit I'm impressed," Zander told her. "After all, you've actually done some research into this one. It should go a whole lot better than that shipment you tried to hijack that was full of toys."
"You just love using that against me, don't you?" Faith asked, disgusted. It was her worst failure to date.
"I have to get my kicks somehow, don't I?" Zander asked with a huge smile on his face.
"There's more to my plan than just making sure that Damian is in our custody, and that part directly involves you."
"I'm listening."
"He's taken quite the liking to a person that you yourself probably remember fondly." There was a glimmer in Faith's eyes. It was actually pretty intimidating.
Zander's first thought was of Emily. But she was always with Nikolas, there was no way that she would leave him without Zander finding out and making sure that he was there for her. The knowledge that Emily was in no danger brought him a strange amount of comfort. No matter how badly she hurt him in the past, he loved her, he would always love her. But with Emily out of the picture he didn't know who Faith was talking about. "And that person is?"
"Maxie Jones. Scorpio's oldest daughter."
"You're going to kidnap the head mobster and the head lawman's kids?" Zander was impressed by Faith now more than ever. "You've got some nerve, I'll give you that."
"It was that nerve that helped me slaughter the five families," Faith still displayed the pride from her power play that let Sonny and Lorenzo know that she was there and she meant business. Now she would strike at Sonny's heart, and if she could piss off the boys in blue also, she was all for it.
Unknown to both Zander and Faith, Ric had walked up from a day at the office and hid when he saw them engaged in some kind of conversation. Faith still had feelings for Ric, he knew it, she knew it, but neither would actually admit to it. Ric had enough going against him without having a crazed killer be in love with him. Ric listened, wondering what the two had in the plans.
"If this works you'll get what you want, no doubt in my mind."
"I always get what I want, Zander," Faith grabbed his jacket. "No one denies me anything." She let go and turned away, "Find a way to make sure that the wheels get set in motion. I've got some shopping to do. It might still be pretty hot in California, and you know how much black attracts heat. I need to find a new wardrobe before we depart. It should be fun."
"California, here we come," Zander whistled as he walked away, not seeing Ric laying low.
Ric got up and walked a few steps, contemplating what they had planned. Why would they need to go to California? Whatever the reason it was out of his jurisdiction, and it didn't involve anyone he knew if it wasn't in Port Charles. Ric walked home, unaware of most of the plans that Faith had in store for his family.
General Hospital-
Maxie was on one of her breaks. The weekend was coming up, the weekend that she would have to spend without Damian being there by her side. But he could be by her side at that moment. She smiled as she saw the elevator open and her boyfriend walk out. It wasn't wishful thinking, she had called him and asked him to come over before he left, knowing full well that she might not be able to see him off. "You all ready?" She asked. Trying to sound excited, or at least not all that depressed. It was hard, though. Being away from someone that you really cared about was always hard. When she was much smaller she hated being without her mother. Since then the feelings had changed for the most part.
"As ready as I can be," Damian hugged her as she walked out of the nurses station. "I don't really think that I can prepare for finding out the things that I might find out, though."
"What's the worst that could happen, Damian? You'll find out about your past and you'll work to make sure that it makes you a better person. You've done that before."
Damian agreed, "Let's just hope that I make it through the weekend."
"Why wouldn't you?"
"I don't do well with conflict, Maxie. I don't really have a phobia, but it is uncomfortable for me. I'm going to ask my grandparents to expose twenty one years of lies, something is going to happen, something bad."
"If you think that something bad will happen then of course it will!" Maxie told him. "You have to think about things in a different way."
"I'm a realist, not an optimist," Damian told her. "I wish I could cloud myself from what I feel is going to happen, but I can't."
"Say your goodbyes yet?" Maxie changed the subject, knowing that it was painful for Damian to talk about and not wanting to ruin their last night together before he left.
"I was going back to the apartment from the penthouse when you called."
"How'd he take it?"
"Michael? He told me to have fun and tried to look like he was okay with me going away, but I knew he wasn't. At least he didn't cry. Carly looked pretty happy when she realized that I was going to be gone, though."
Maxie sighed, "I want to talk with her."
"She won't listen to you," Damian informed Maxie. "She doesn't listen to anyone but herself and very occasionally she'll listen to Jason, but that's only when she realizes that she's messed up beyond her ability to repair things on her own."
"She's so blind," Maxie said in disgust. "She doesn't see that you're not here to do anything but become a doctor."
"Right now Carly's the furthest thing from my mind, I've got more important things to worry about than pleasing that woman."
"Damian," Maxie let her voice hang.
"I'm sorry," Damian ran a hand through his hair. "We shouldn't be talking about my problems right now, we won't see each other for three days."
"It's okay," Maxie said. "I know you've got a lot of things that are running through your head at the moment, it would be selfish of me to demand that you only think about me."
"I wouldn't mind you being selfish for just a little while," Damian grinned.
"You know I'm going to miss you a lot."
"I know."
"But when you get back, we should do something. You know, like actually go on a date."
Damian chuckled, "Did Georgie put you up to that?"
"Of course not!"
"Do you really want to go out on one of those real dates that they do in the movies?" Damian wondered.
"Those aren't real dates," Maxie replied. "They're just the way that we think things should go in order to give the places that we go to a whole lot of money."
"I wouldn't mind buying into the system if it was for you," Damian told her softly. "You're worth an overpriced and under served meal."
"You don't need to take me anywhere fancy, we could just go out and get something greasy, like a pizza."
"Low maintenance, I like that."
"Can't afford to take my daughter out somewhere nice?" A voice asked from behind. "I suppose you could just ask your father for some of his dirty money, he's got plenty."
Maxie gasped when she saw him, "Dad? What are you doing here?"
"A father can't check up on his daughter who he happens to care for very much?" Mac asked. "I've every right to be in a public hospital, Maxie."
"Hello, Commissioner," Damian extended his hand out to Mac.
Mac looked down at the hand, "Staying out of trouble lately? I haven't seen your name come up in any of the criminal files. But, then again, you people have your way of making sure that nothing gets filed anyway."
"Dad, stop!" Maxie pleaded.
Mac ignored Maxie and focused on Damian, "I'm going to make one thing perfectly clear: I spend a lot of time and effort making sure that the people in this city are kept safe from people like yourself, and you can be damned certain that I won't let my own daughter fall into the void that comes with being around the life that you're in."
"With all due respect, sir, you're wrong about me," Damian told Mac boldly. "I realize that you are skeptical of me because of my relations with certain people in this town, but they are no more than blood. Simply because I am Sonny's child does not mean that I incorporate the same things in my life that he does and I'm quite insulted by the fact that you would put so little faith in me."
"Save it," Mac replied coldly. "If I even wanted to buy into your bull it would only make me want to put you in jail more when I ended up having to arrest you for doing something stupid."
"Dad!"
"If you don't mind," Mac began, again ignoring his daughter, "I'd appreciate being left alone with my daughter now. Do you think you can give me that?"
"Of course."
"Damian!" Maxie grabbed him, "You don't need to go."
"Yes, he does," Mac demanded.
"I'll call you," Damian told Maxie as he walked away, eying Mac once.
"You deserve better than that," Mac told Maxie.
"There is no one better than Damian for me, Mac!" Maxie almost yelled at him, but barely managed to keep herself somewhat civil, although it was a battle.
"I could think of a few hundred people, easily," Mac retorted.
"You're never going to be happy with anyone that I involve myself with!" Maxie's eyes began to water. "I love him, dad. I'll love him no matter how much you tell me not to."
"I won't let you blindly follow him around and get yourself killed!" Mac grabbed Maxie, "I care about you too much to watch you die before I do!"
"Just go, Mac," Maxie pushed herself away from him. "I really don't want to talk with you right now."
"Maxie."
"Please just go!"
Mac turned and left. He knew it was going to go badly, but he hadn't expected it to go that far. He wouldn't apologize, though. He knew that he was doing the right thing. Or at least he felt that he was doing the right thing.
Maxie placed her head on the nurses' station and began to sob gently. Why would he do that? Why wouldn't he support her? She was happy, he could see that. Why was he trying to destroy that for her? When she felt a hand on her shoulder she sneered, "I thought I told you to go away!"
"I never heard you tell me to go away," A different voice said.
Maxie lifted her head and turned around. "Zander."
Zander nodded, "Hello, Maxie."
"Sorry, I thought you were my father."
"Now that's something I hope I never have to hear again in my life," Zander grinned and it made Maxie feel a little better. "I've got a problem, and I think you can help me with it."
Maxie nodded, "What do you need?"
"I've got a cousin, a little girl, she wasn't feeling very good so I brought her here. She doesn't like hospitals, she thinks they're really scary. She ran off and I can't find her. Even if I do, I know she won't come out. You're really good with kids, can you help me out?" Zander's story was very airtight, but a part of him hated doing this.
"Do you know the general area that she's in?"
Zander nodded, "Yeah, follow me."
Zander purposely led her to an area of the hospital that had a few rooms with the lights off. He picked one and opened the door, "I'm pretty sure I saw her run in here, she still might be inside."
Maxie walked in, "Hello? You don't have to be afraid, the people here just want to help you." Maxie's hand went for the light switch, but Zander stopped her by covering her mouth with one hand and putting a cloth in front of her face with another. Maxie kicked and tried to scream, but the cloth was laced with a sleep inducing agent that put her fast asleep.
"I'm sorry, Maxie. I wish I didn't have to do this." Zander walked out and signaled for two people working for Faith and dressed like doctors to bring in a gurney and cover her body with a sheet so people wouldn't think that it was her. He still felt really guilty about doing something to a person he considered a friend.
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