When OC got back to her apartment that night she heard loud noises coming
from behind the closed door of Max's bedroom. She heard her cries and knew
that she was probably walking around her room, breaking everything in her
path. She became worried when she saw that the door was locked (because Max
had never before locked her door...) and knocked lightly as not to disturb
her too much.
"Go away!"
She heard the angry voice and decided that if she is going to help her boo, she gonna need the help of the only person she knew to be strong enough to deal with her. And so, more then a little hesitant about her own decision, she went to call for Alec.
10 minutes later, Alec was there. It was already the tinny hours of the morning, and Seattle was under a heavy rain, so it was not at all surprising to see him standing there all soaked through.
"She's in there, and it's looking even worst then it was 10 minutes ago"
She said. Already leading him to the room. He knocked hard on the door, and when he was given the same answer as OC got before, he said
"I'm not going anywhere, and if you don't open the door right now, then you know I'll just break in anyway. Besides, you're scaring OC here. Just open up, ok?"
"NO!!!"
"Well, I warned ya'"
He said, and broke through the door. What he found there shocked him even more: Max was sitting in the middle of the room, on the floor. She was wearing a big long-sleeved t-shirt and long pants. Her feet were bare and she was clutching her knees to her chest. Around her were bits and pieces of broken item all over the room, making it look as a shiny and colorful carpet. He walked in slowly and carefully, signaling to OC with his hand to stay back. As he reached down to her, she buried her face in her knees and tried to shrink herself a little – fearing his closeness. He touched her arm lightly and she jerked herself away – getting some more cuts on her feet from the broken glass.
"Max, don't do this to yourself. Don't turn yourself off like this. We can help you"
But his words only served to push her further away, as she put her hands on her ears – struggling to not hear his voice. He knew he should get her out of this room – for starters – so he did the only thing he could think of. Ignoring her violent struggles, he took her in his arms and picked her up, trying to keep his balance while taking her to the couch in the small living room.
Once she was safe on the couch, she stopped her weak attempts at hitting him and curled up, trying to lower herself to the floor. But Alec saw this and quickly caught her again. He sat on the couch and hugged her to him – despite all her protests.
A few minutes later, when Max finally calmed down a bit, she closed her eyes and silent tears fell down her cheeks. OC, worried as she was, couldn't shake the sleep off of her, and decided that maybe it was best to leave it to Alec to deal with. For now, anyway. So she went to her room, making sure that Alec knows to get her if need be.
Morning came, and OC woke up to find the two x5's still in the same position as before. She whispered to Alec that she will take care of Normal for them both, if he'll take care of her boo for her, and then departed with a threat for him to be decent with her or she'll have to put the smack down on his ass... Once she was out, Alec tried to move slowly as to not wake Max, but she wasn't asleep at all. She just kept crying silently and when she felt his movement, she jumped, as if only now realizing where she was.
"What are you doing here?!"
She said threateningly, her eyes blank – a mask Alec was well trained to recognize and even used quite frequently.
"I'm not leaving until you tell me what happened"
He said in an authoritative voice. She was quiet for a long time, staring at him, and he had a distinct feeling that she was trying to figure out who he is. It was a little too silent for his liking, and he was about to speak again when he saw her closing her eyes and shaking her head, trying to get rid of whatever image had popped to her mind.
"I don't even know where to start. So much has happened in the last 24 hours."
She said in a small – almost non-existent – voice.
"Then just start at the beginning. Always a good place to start, right?"
He tried to joke, although it didn't sound very funny even to his own ears.
"Well, maybe not always..."
"What do you mean?"
"I think this time it will be best to start with the reason I went crazy on you just now."
He laughed lightly at that and said
"Well, see Maxie, you're always crazy..."
She didn't answer for a few moments and he thought he'd lost her trust again somehow, by reverting back to his jokes. But then she spoke again:
"Today, exactly one year ago, Ben died."
"Go away!"
She heard the angry voice and decided that if she is going to help her boo, she gonna need the help of the only person she knew to be strong enough to deal with her. And so, more then a little hesitant about her own decision, she went to call for Alec.
10 minutes later, Alec was there. It was already the tinny hours of the morning, and Seattle was under a heavy rain, so it was not at all surprising to see him standing there all soaked through.
"She's in there, and it's looking even worst then it was 10 minutes ago"
She said. Already leading him to the room. He knocked hard on the door, and when he was given the same answer as OC got before, he said
"I'm not going anywhere, and if you don't open the door right now, then you know I'll just break in anyway. Besides, you're scaring OC here. Just open up, ok?"
"NO!!!"
"Well, I warned ya'"
He said, and broke through the door. What he found there shocked him even more: Max was sitting in the middle of the room, on the floor. She was wearing a big long-sleeved t-shirt and long pants. Her feet were bare and she was clutching her knees to her chest. Around her were bits and pieces of broken item all over the room, making it look as a shiny and colorful carpet. He walked in slowly and carefully, signaling to OC with his hand to stay back. As he reached down to her, she buried her face in her knees and tried to shrink herself a little – fearing his closeness. He touched her arm lightly and she jerked herself away – getting some more cuts on her feet from the broken glass.
"Max, don't do this to yourself. Don't turn yourself off like this. We can help you"
But his words only served to push her further away, as she put her hands on her ears – struggling to not hear his voice. He knew he should get her out of this room – for starters – so he did the only thing he could think of. Ignoring her violent struggles, he took her in his arms and picked her up, trying to keep his balance while taking her to the couch in the small living room.
Once she was safe on the couch, she stopped her weak attempts at hitting him and curled up, trying to lower herself to the floor. But Alec saw this and quickly caught her again. He sat on the couch and hugged her to him – despite all her protests.
A few minutes later, when Max finally calmed down a bit, she closed her eyes and silent tears fell down her cheeks. OC, worried as she was, couldn't shake the sleep off of her, and decided that maybe it was best to leave it to Alec to deal with. For now, anyway. So she went to her room, making sure that Alec knows to get her if need be.
Morning came, and OC woke up to find the two x5's still in the same position as before. She whispered to Alec that she will take care of Normal for them both, if he'll take care of her boo for her, and then departed with a threat for him to be decent with her or she'll have to put the smack down on his ass... Once she was out, Alec tried to move slowly as to not wake Max, but she wasn't asleep at all. She just kept crying silently and when she felt his movement, she jumped, as if only now realizing where she was.
"What are you doing here?!"
She said threateningly, her eyes blank – a mask Alec was well trained to recognize and even used quite frequently.
"I'm not leaving until you tell me what happened"
He said in an authoritative voice. She was quiet for a long time, staring at him, and he had a distinct feeling that she was trying to figure out who he is. It was a little too silent for his liking, and he was about to speak again when he saw her closing her eyes and shaking her head, trying to get rid of whatever image had popped to her mind.
"I don't even know where to start. So much has happened in the last 24 hours."
She said in a small – almost non-existent – voice.
"Then just start at the beginning. Always a good place to start, right?"
He tried to joke, although it didn't sound very funny even to his own ears.
"Well, maybe not always..."
"What do you mean?"
"I think this time it will be best to start with the reason I went crazy on you just now."
He laughed lightly at that and said
"Well, see Maxie, you're always crazy..."
She didn't answer for a few moments and he thought he'd lost her trust again somehow, by reverting back to his jokes. But then she spoke again:
"Today, exactly one year ago, Ben died."