-2 YEARS LATER

"Yeah, hi. I'm trying to get in touch with someone who used to work here. A Maxine Stewart?" the caller said. "I tried her old home phone number, but it was disconnected. Does she still work here?"

"Is this some kind of joke?" Skeeter asked. "Do you really think that this is funny? I thought we were done with these phone calls last year."

"Wait! What are you talking about?"

"We've all tried to heal from everything that happened, and some asshole like you calls and tries to dredge it all up again? Who the hell do you think you are?"

"Skeeter?"

"Who is this?"

"Skeeter, it's Kenny. Kenny Lacos."

10101010101010

Kimberly collapsed down on the couch in the living room, and sighed in exhaustion. She eyes her bag of textbooks warily, and turned her head to survey the mess in the living room. We can't keep living like this, she thought, they're going to drive me nuts.

"Matthew! Zachary!" she called. "Where are you? This place is a pigsty!"

"I had school and hockey all day," seventeen-year-old Matthew argued, joining her in the living room. "Why should I have to clean it?"

"Me too," fourteen-year-old Zach chimed in. "Where have you been?"

"I had classes all morning, and then I went to work," twenty-year-old Kim interjected. "We can't keep living like this! You two have to help me around here. With Mom in California, and Dad gone . . . This isn't working!"

"What do you want me to do about it?" Matthew scoffed. "Drop out of school to clean the house?"

"Of course not," Kim spat. "But we need to stick together. It's just the three of us now, and I'm doing my best to take care of you two. I can't do it all. I need you to help. Is that so much to ask?"

"Maybe we should call Mom," Zach offered.

"We're not calling Mom," Kim replied coldly. "She walked out on us, and never offered to come back when . . . We don't need her, all we need is the three of us. If we work together."

"Okay Kim. I'll clean up," Zach promised. "Will you help me with my homework later?"

"I promise I will. Thanks Zach."

10101010101010

"Kenny," Skeeter repeated, collapsing into his chair. "Are you kidding me? I thought that you were dead . . . Why the hell are you calling? Now? After all of this time?"

"I . . . I'm looking for Max. I'm not sure that she'll want to talk to me though. Now or ever. We didn't exactly part on good terms."

"You're serious? You really don't know do you?"

"Know what?"

Skeeter sighed, as he rubbed his temples. "So much has happened, and so much of it could have been avoided. A lot has changed Kenny, more then you realize. Have you not picked up a newspaper in the last few years?"

"Skeeter. What happened? Is Max okay?"

"If you gave a shit you'd know by now. Go back to your life, and leave us alone. Bye."

"Wait! I was an asshole. I know that!"

"What do you want?"

"To make things right again!"

"There is no way that is going to happen! You have no idea of the chain events that you set off when you left! Things are different here, Kenny!"

"How?"

Skeeter sighed. "We shouldn't do this over the phone. Where are you?"

10101010101010

"Hi Kim," Littleton said, as she opened the door. "You look exhausted. Rough day?"

"You could say that," she sighed, as he hugged her. "Hmm, I needed that. Between school, work, and keeping Matthew and Zach reigned in, I just want to crawl into bed and sleep."

"You're doing a wonderful job," Littleton replied, tilting her head up, so he could look at her. "Not too many people could have done what you have."

She smiled up at him. "Thanks. Do you want to come inside? I'm not the best company right now, but I'd love to curl up on the couch with you."

He smiled down at her. "I'd like that too. Where are the boys?"

"Out with some friends. It is Friday night after all."

"Then we have the house to ourselves?" Jon mused, kissing his girlfriend on eight months. "You're beautiful."

"It's a rarity," Kim replied, collapsing down onto the couch. "Jon? I'm not sure that I can keep doing this. Matthew is getting more and more wild, and he's been staying out to all hours. I'm afraid that Zach is going to follow in his footsteps. I don't know what to do any more."

Jon sat down next to her. "Have you considered calling your mother? Not Jill, I know how you feel about her, but maybe Lydia?"

Kim nodded slowly. "I thought about it, but Matthew and Zach aren't that fond of her."

"So what? If they're going to make you miserable and cause you all this grief, you need some help."

Kim shook her head. "I'm so afraid that child services will take them away sometimes. We've already lost so much, and I couldn't bear it we were separated. I'll call her. Thanks."

10101010101010

Skeeter paused at the hotel room door before knocking. This is insane, he thought, what am I doing here? What the hell am I going to tell him? How do I tell him? It's not like this is something that can be discussed without a severe reaction, and there is no way that he can ever come back to Rome. It would start an implosion that no one is ready for. We just started to heal.

Sighing, he knocked on the door quickly, before he could change his mind.

"Hi Skeeter," Kenny said after a moment, studying his old friend. "I'm glad you came."

Skeeter merely nodded. "I thought that you were dead."

"No. Do you want to come in?"

"That's why I'm here," Skeeter replied coldly. "Why are you? To torment everyone with what happened years ago?"

"What happened? How does my leaving effect anything besides me and Max? Is she okay?"

"Are you that dense?" Skeeter snapped. "It effected everything!"

"Tell me then," Kenny begged. "I might not deserve to know, but I need to."

"Okay," Skeeter said. "Okay. Have a seat. This is going to take awhile."

10101010101010

"I love you Kim," Jon whispered, brushing her hair back. "I want to help, if you'll let me."

"You do, just by being here," she replied, leaning in close to him. "I love you too."

Jon smiled at her. "You remember when we first decided to date?"

"It really wasn't a choice," Kim countered. "You kissed me after I got custody, and that started things off."

10101010101010

"Tell me," Kenny repeated.

"Listen up," Skeeter said.

*** 2 Years Ago***

"Come on Max," Jimmy prodded. "Wake up. Come back to me."

"Dad?" Kim called from the doorway of Max's hospital room. "It's true then?"

"Kimberly," Jimmy said, turning to face his daughter. "What are you doing here?"

"Is it true?" she repeated. "Are you and Max sleeping together? Is it? I had to hear about it from some jerks at school? How could you? You and Mom aren't even divorced yet!"

"It just happened," Jimmy replied lamely. "Like with your Mom and Rachel."

"It just happened? How does it just happen Dad? Are you going to marry her? Raise her baby? How could you do this?"

"Kimberly," Jimmy tried again, walking toward her. "Would you just listen to me?"

"Or is it just a sex thing? Is the baby yours too?"

"No! It's Kenny's!"

"Do you want it to be yours? Do you love her?"

"Yes," he replied quietly. "I know you don't understand."

"Of course I don't! I don't have any parents anymore," Kim yelled, fleeing from the room. "I hate you!"

"Kimberly!"

"Let her go," Littleton advised. "You've done enough damage tonight. You realize that, don't you?"

"Jon."

"Don't say anything. You do realize how screwed up this situation is don't you. When Max wakes up, the two of you have a lot of questions to answer."

"What's going on between Max and I is no one else's business."

"Bullshit. Go back, be with her. I can't deal with any of this now. I'm going to give Kim a ride home."

***Present***

"Wait," Kenny interrupted. "Why was Max in a coma? And her and Jimmy? What the hell was that?"

"I'm trying to explain it," Skeeter replied. "As for the Max and Jimmy thing, they both had their hearts ripped out by you and Jill, so they hooked up. It was a secret for a while, but everyone found out when me and the rest of the department saw them having sex in the backseat."

"Max and Jimmy," Kenny repeated softly. "Are they . . . they're not still together?"

***2 Years Ago***

"Kenny," Max groaned, as they were ripped away from each other. "No. Don't go! I can't lose you again! Don't leave! I love you. Kenny!"

"Max," Jimmy said, as her words cut through him like a knife. "Max. Open your eyes, Honey. You're okay."

"Kenny," she groaned again, as she stirred back into consciousness. "Hmm."

"Max," Jimmy said again. "How are you feeling?"

"Hmm, what happened? Where am I?"

"The hospital," he replied, kissing her on the forehead. "You're okay though."

"My baby?"

"She's perfect Max, and she looks like you. I love you."

"I'm so tired."

"Look who is awake," Joey commented, as she shot both of them a wary look. "And how are you feeling? I'm glad that you decided to wake up because you had me worried for a while."

"What happened?"

"You hemorrhaged," Joey replied, as she took her pulse. "And spent the night in a coma. Welcome back."

"My baby? She's okay?"

"She's fine, and is looking forward to meeting her mother. I'll have her brought in soon, but you need to rest first."

"Okay," Max mumbled, as she drifted back off to sleep.

"She's going to be okay?" Jimmy asked. "She won't go back into the coma?"

"She'll be fine," Joey promised, "Go home Jimmy, and get some rest. You need to spend time with your children, and Max needs to spend some with her daughter."

"I can't just leave her here alone."

"What about Kim, Matthew, and Zach? With everything that has happened, they need you right now. Go. She's going to be sleeping for a while."

"Call me when she wakes up."

"I will," Joey promised, as he left. She turned back to a sleeping Max. "What are you two doing, Max?"

***Present***

"I think it started before then," Jon replied. "Remember when you ran out of the hospital after Max had the baby?"

Kim nodded. "And you drove me home? Told me that everything would be okay? You let me sob on your shoulder, until I didn't have anything left."

"I knew then that I wanted to take care of you," he replied softly. "Now and forever."

***2 Years Ago***

"What are you doing here?" Jimmy asked, seeing Littleton sitting at his kitchen table. "Did you spend the night?"

"Yeah. I didn't want to leave your children alone, while you were spending the night at the hospital with your mistress," Littleton countered.

"Kim is more then capable of taking care of them."

"She is 18! Plus, she just found out that her mother is a lesbian and her father is having an affair. She was in no condition to take care of Matthew and Zach. Have you stopped using your brain completely? Do you just think with your penis now?"

"Do you really think that is what this is?"

"So what is it? Are you in love with her?"

"Yes, damn it!"

Littleton regarded him coldly. "How long did it take for the two of you to get together after Jill left? I know how devastated Max was when Kenny was sick and after he left. He left her incredibly vulnerable, hurt, and not to mention pregnant. Then you had Jill walk out on you, for a woman not soon after. You think that this is love? It's like some sick, dysfunctional, relationship! Look what it's doing to your children? You just let Kim walk out of the hospital, so you could go back and sit by her bed!"

"You don't know what you're talking about!"

"What are doing here?" Matthew asked, as he came downstairs. "Why aren't you with your girlfriend?"

"Matthew," Jimmy started, as Kim came down the stairs behind him. "I need you both to listen to me."

"Just get out," Kim stated coldly. "Go be with her."

"This is my house!" Jimmy fumed, "And you will listen to what I have to say!"

"If you won't leave, we will. Maybe Mom and Rachel will take us in," Kim spat. "Come on, let's go get Zach."

***Present***

"Shit Max," Kenny said under his breath. "What were you thinking?"

Skeeter shook his head. "Good question. The thing with her and Jimmy still grosses me out."

"You're not the only one," Kenny said under his breath, as Skeeter continued.

***2 Years Ago***

"She's so perfect," Max breathed, as she held her daughter for the first time, "So tiny, is she supposed to be this small? She didn't feel this small when I was having her."

Joey nodded. "Yeah. How are you feeling? About everything?"

"Meaning me and Jimmy? Yeah. That's complicated."

"Max," Joey started. "I don't know how you feel about him, but he's in love with you."

"I know," Max trailed off, looking down at the newborn in her arms. "Or at least he thinks he does. I'm so confused Joey. It just happened, and it was so nice just to be held again. To be comforted after everything else."

"Do you love him?"

"I," Max started. "I think I could, but . . . it's too complicated. He asked me to move in with him, and he wants to be a father to this baby. Everything is so raw still."

Joey nodded sadly. "It seems like you have a lot to think about. If you ever want to talk, I'll listen. I hope you know that."

"Thanks Joey."

"I'm going to leave the two of you get acquainted."

Max nodded, as she turned back to her daughter. "So what are we going to name you pretty girl?"

"I have some suggestions," Kimberly said coldly from the doorway.