A/N: Hello Readers! Chapter 24! Wow! I have to say, the story is getting closer to being finished. I have a few more things up my sleeves before I say goodbye to this story. If you enjoy what you're reading, please leave a review, favorite, or follow this story! The more feedback you leave, the better my stories will get in the future! Hope you all enjoy chapter 24 of Happy Endings!

*America's POV*

I walked away from his office feeling more than happy. I mean, I should be feeling a little upset, maybe. Maybe a tiny bit embarrassed, but I feel nothing but pure joy and bliss when I leave his office. I told him maybe too much about the photoshoot or led him to what it might be. I told him about the fact that Marlee and I both knew he was out there listening to our conversation which is why she played into the sexy talk just a little too much. On top of all of that, now he knows what I'm wearing to our party tonight. That joy is probably because I accomplished so much in just 30 minutes.

I went back downstairs to the Great Hall where tables and chairs were already being set up along the side of a dance floor. I'm supposed to be taking it easy, only supervising, but I can never stay stationary for too long. I go over to where I see Silvia standing wearing a black headset. Marlee stands next to her, obviously receiving a lecture or lesson of sorts.

"... which is the exact reason why you never place tables in lines." She turns when she notices that I have arrived ready to help out for a minute, "Ah, Queen America. Thank you for joining us."

"Pleasure to help supervise for a little bit."

She hands me a headset to put on, "This is for if they need you. Your plan was pretty organized and to the point, but if they need direct help they will send it to you. You are line two. Name for the system: 'hs2' or 'rq'. They should request who they need if they need anyone at all using the code names. If it's not 'hs2' or 'rq' then ignore it."

I nod back to her, "I'm not staying super long. I have to get back to work. Just wanted to check up on this."

"Oh." She takes it back from my hands, "Sorry, Your Majesty."

"It's alright, Silvia. I'll only be a minute or so more." I tell her.

She nods and ushers me to walk with her and Marlee. Marlee elbows me to get my attention. I wave to her before turning my attention back to the party set-up. They already have the 20 standing tables that are placed around the dance floor up. Only a few have the white table cloth draped over them, though. The walls are in the process of having only banners taken down only to be replaced with my sheer maroon fabric. The live band has their stage set up, and I see a few instrument cases, but not many. It's only 10:30, so I don't expect them to be here yet. I do want to talk to them either before or after the event. Other than that, there isn't much else set up. A few round tables off to the side, similar to our wedding tables, but none of them are quite ready yet. I look at Silvia, "It looks good. Let me know when the musicians get here. I would like to personally thank them for playing at my event."

"Of course, Your Majesty. Anything else?"

"I don't think so. Just let me know when you need me for final adjustments."

"Alright." She curtsies, "I'll see you after lunch, Your Majesty."

I nod to her before pulling Marlee's arm. She yelps for a second but quickly quiets herself and walks off with me for a moment. "What can I do for you, Your Majesty?"

"Don't be so formal, jeez, Marlee. It's America to you."

"Sorry. Formalities from being around Silvia and Maxon for so long. What can I help with?"

"I just wanted to make sure all of our stuff from my old Selection room got up to my office."

"It did. I hand-delivered it, just to make sure no maids went snooping around. I left a few notes in with the photoshoot stuff. Oh! Silvia did want me to make a copy of the main plan for the party, so I did. Just to make sure that either you or her knew what you wanted to be done."

"That's fantastic. Thank you, so much Marlee. You are dismissed."

She curtsies quickly, and waves before walking off to rejoin Silvia in prepping. Looks like there is another table coming in already. I watch for a minute longer. Around 2:00, they'll close the blinds towards the front of the palace about halfway to bring a darker feel to the pristine white walls. I, also, requested light pink and red lights to lighten it up and bring some sort of good vibes to the space. Marlee looks back over to where I'm standing and pleads for help silently before Silvia pokes her arm to get her attention. She must be beginning to receive the lecture on good planning etiquette. They both look back at me one last time.

I nod and wave to them before turning on my heel and leaving. I didn't really have work to do besides this party, but I did want to escape and get right to planning my photoshoot, especially since I plan on making this part of Maxon's engagement gift. Speaking of the devil, Maxon's questions helped me think of what I needed ready. While technically we would have to wait at least another day before going through with this since I'm only on day two of what could be four or five, I did have a want to be extremely prepared. I took the long journey to my office, my brain already overflowing with thought.

I popped open the door and closed it with my heel. I whistled some tune as I bounced around my space feeling light and bubbly. It was a good feeling. I stopped at my desk to look at the forms Marlee had dropped off. The photoshoot forms were in the same folder we had left them in. My party papers were just out on my desk. I didn't mind. I picked up the folder full of the dark mystery of the photo shoot in an effort to plan. I drifted off to my white leather couch and got to thinking. I had a lot I still needed to plan for this. My hands flipped open the folder to find Marlee's note.

It reads: 'Might be a little far out, but one of your outfits could be you in one of his dark blue button-downs. Not like normal, though. No latched buttons. Bare with only a pretty pair of panties. Just a thought. -Marlee'

A couple of spaces down is another that reads: 'You could just be in your birthday suit and then do a red or white sheer fabric over you elegantly. And if you do red and white roses… I can see it. Another little something to consider. -Marlee'

The thought from both of these little notes makes me blush, but I know what it would do to Maxon, so I'm not against it. I start thinking about the different colors of lingerie that I want and what styles. I know royal blue. Lot's of royal blue, it's his favorite color and I look rather nice in it. I'm thinking red, black, white, and one other color. I think I might need to ask him a color that he likes that isn't blue, red, black, or white. My pen scribbles across the page a quick note to ask him. I know for styles they need to be cheeky panties or straight-up thongs. The black one should have the garter belt, he might find that attractive. I might have to do some sheer thigh high stockings in black too. Definitely a cute little sheer nightgown type thing. You know, one with the fluffy feather stuff at the bottom. He would love that.

Next up is props. I want flowers. If I am going to pose for hours on end it might as well be with something I like. So, I need his favorite flowers so I can get some before the shoot. I jot down another note to make sure I ask him about that, too. I think that will be it. Maybe my tiara, depending on where the shoot takes us. I'm not sure though.

Just then, as I am brainstorming a million different things, I got a brilliant idea. One that I need to tell Marlee about now! After just 15 minutes, I have an amazing idea! Oh, if only I didn't have to rush through basically the whole palace to tell my wing-woman! I close my folder and drop it on my couch. I run out of my office, bursting through the door like something is chasing me. My stupid heels make it impossible to run full speed, but I am trying. I slow down at the stairs. With my luck, I'd fall straight down and hurt myself. Once I make it down to the first floor without injury, I start to run again. I need to tell Marlee this idea! My momentum continues to carry me forward as someone grabs a hold of me.

"Hey!" I yell as I am yanked back around to see who tugged on my arm.

Maxon's eyes meet mine. Oh shit… I might get yelled at. He raises his eyebrows at me, probably trying to question how I have the audacity to talk to him like that, "America, what are you doing? You're going to get hurt, Darling."

I shake my arm free. "Sorry. I need to talk to Marlee right now. It's kind of important."

I turn to go off, but he pulls me back again, "Be careful America. You aren't allowed to get hurt."

"I won't! I promise!"

"Go. I don't want to ruin your train of thought." He shoos me off with his hands. I thank him hastily as I run off to find Marlee.

I speed walk throughout the almost mostly set great hall trying to find her blonde head of hair with no luck. There are no hiding places unless she's under a table, and that just seems highly unlikely because she is second in charge of making sure this setup is correct. I huff as I turn around and start to go back, my pace slowing down. I sigh and look down, leaving feeling more than just defeated.

"America?"

"Marlee?!" I stop, my head popping up at the sound of her voice.

She stands across the room, clipboard in hand. She rushes over and I try to meet her halfway. She grabs my arm, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. I just had an idea that I wanted to tell you."

"Alright. Let's hear it."

"He takes the first half of the photos or one round of photos going through the majority of the clothes, but in the final round we have you take portraits of us together. Like silhouette shots so no one can see our naked bodies together. Or ones from the waist up with Maxon looking at me. What do you think?"

She nods, a small smile forming on her face. "I like it. The question is, will he be comfortable taking these types of photos with you?"

I had to think about that one. I feel like he would, but his back… He has never liked his scars. He went to extensive measures to cover it growing up and in the Selection. So, he might not. But it would just be Marlee that takes them, and no one would see the photos except for me, him, and Marlee. I sigh, "I'd have to ask…"

"And that means ruining the surprise…"

"Exactly." I rub my forehead.

She sighs, putting her hand on my shoulder. "Well, if you want these photos for him, then you do what you have to do."

"Okay. I'll ask him and let you know."

"Sounds good." She curtsies, "I'll see you at lunch."

I nod and walk off. I kind of hope I run into him again. I might. I walk through, take one final look around the party set up. It's exactly as I had envisioned it. I smirk. My work… wow. It just blows my mind that so many people are going to see my designs and my work… On top of all of that, they got a lot of work done in just 15 minutes. As I approach the stairs to head back up to my office, I get lucky. Maxon is talking to a butler who looks to be holding two different fabrics that appear to be the same color.

"...if she had told me the material, I would tell you. She only told me the color." He pauses and rubs his head, "I was lucky enough to get that from her."

"Would you like to pick a fabric then, Your Majesty?"

He sighs and points to one of the black fabrics he has to pick from, "I guess this one. Next time ask her maids about fabric, they don't give me that information."

"Of course, Your Majesty. Sorry." The butler rushes off. Maxon sighs again, rubbing his forehead almost like he has a headache.

"Rough day?"

"Only slightly stressful, not too bad though. My only question is how am I supposed to know what fabric to pick so that way we don't clash if I don't know what fabric your dress is?"

I grab his arm and begin to walk with him upstairs, "I have no idea, my love."

He sighs once more before changing the subject, "How are you, Darling?"

"Good. Marlee and I talked, but I need to ask you a semi-important question."

"I am all ears for you."

"How would you feel about being part of the shoot?"

"I already am part of the shoot…?"

"Not as the photographer, though. I mean like a model with me…"

I feel like I can hear and see the gears moving in his head, trying to connect puzzle pieces without a guide. I wish I could see his thoughts, it would make this so much easier. He brings his hand to his mouth and bites on the edge of the nail in thought. He sighs, "I mean… I- it depends, Darling."

We start up the second set of stairs as I start to ask the next question, "Depends on what?"

He chuckles a little, "I mean, generally what you want to do with this shoot. You didn't give me much to base my answer on."

"Based on what I told you earlier today about the feel of the shoot, would you?"

"It depends. I have a couple of ideas as to what I think you have planned. If it's what I think you are planning. If I were to have full confirmation that the idea I have in my head is what you have planned then I'm still on the fence, but I'm considering it more. As much as I want to do this with you, I can think of a few things that make me shy away from that idea. Especially if it's what I think you meant when you told me the feel of the shoot."

"What if I told you that we wouldn't bring in another photographer? It would just be you, me, and Marlee."

"Leaning more towards yes that way. Can I get more information?"

We hit the third floor and I sigh. I turn to face him, my hands reaching for his. I kiss all of his knuckles softly before pulling away. I walk backward away from him to my office, a sly smile spreading across my face as I tell him in a low whispering voice what he requested to hear, "Sexy…"

I turn and just wait for his explosion to go off behind me. What can I say? Cool guys never watch the explosion after lighting the match. I know him all too well, though. He's not just ready to blow, he's already exploded. He quickly meets up with me and grabs my hand, "Sexy, you say?"

My feet pivot back to face him. "That's what I meant when I said mature and flirty…"

He swallows hard. "Are we talking… lingerie or…?"

"If you were to say yes, it wouldn't be just lingerie," I drop my voice and bite my lip a little, "that's where the raw part would come in…"

He nods without hesitation, "I'll do it."

"Figured you might agree."

"But-"

"But?" I ask loudly. I'm almost whining because of it. He agreed, but there's a stipulation? You've gotta be kidding me.

"You have to tell Marlee about that situation over here." He points to his backside. "I don't want a pity party. Just inform her of the situation and tell her to not react and I'll do it."

I jump up and down squealing. He laughs at my happy energy. "Thank you, Maxon!"

"Anything for my queen."

I kiss his cheek, "Well, I have to get back to work. I just wanted to ask you about it before going off."

"Alright, my-" He stops himself, quickly. I bet he was going to say 'dear'. God, I love him so much. "America. My America. I'll see you at lunch?"

"Of course. I love you."

"And I love you." He kisses me deeply before turning his body away from mine and going to his office. I leave and get back to work with the widest smile on my face.

It was only 20 minutes until lunch. I had done a really good job working on the service project and getting more things ready for this photoshoot, but I still needed to talk to Marlee. I needed to tell Marlee the good news, but also the bad news that goes with it. It's not even really bad news. I just needed to tell her about his back so she wasn't worried or anything later. I had requested that she come to my office. When she came in, I locked the door behind her. That should have been my giveaway that I would be talking about something serious. She didn't catch on.

"What's up, Ames?"

"Well it was going to be some good news, but now it's a question. Ames?"

"I was trying something new…"

"That's what May calls me."

"My bad." She apologizes.

"It's okay. Maybe just not 'Ames'. Anyway, Maxon agreed to model in the shoot with me."

"Awesome!"

"Yea," I sigh, my voice dropping into a sadder tone. "The bad news is that I need to tell you something. A, uhm, a stipulation that comes with having him on board with this."

"Okay…"

"He… he… has some scars."

"What do you mean, America? You're kind of scaring me with how you're talking..." She asks, concerned. I didn't realize that my voice had gotten tight. I didn't realize that it sounded like I was going to cry talking about him like this.

I clear my throat, trying to erase some of the tightness I feel, but inevitably failing, "I mean he has scars on his back from his father. Maxon told me that he doesn't want pity. He just wants you to know the situation before it's just you, me, and him in a room."

Her face contorts. I see her eyes look down at her scarred wrist and hands. Her fingertips brush over one of the more prominent and raised scars she has; it sends a visible shiver down her spine. "From caning…?"

I glance down at my feet and nod. My eyes shift back up when Marlee gasps. She covers her mouth with her hand. A single tear races down her cheek from her eye.

"I had no idea…"

"He, uhm, he did a really good job hiding from the Selected."

"He helped me so much after my own…Giving Carter and I after our own caning, and I didn't even think that it was because he experienced it himself…"

"Maxon was trying so hard to hide it from everyone. I didn't know for a long time… I- I- I actually found out about it by accident. I was supposed to go home after I almost exposed the diary and proposed getting rid of the caste on The Report. We bumped into each other and he dropped a metal box." My voice tightens more, "The palace went into lockdown because of an attack and we were thrown into a safe room together. I made sure I grabbed that box because it didn't matter what was inside, he needed it and I could tell. Maxon toughed it out for a long time, I could tell he was uncomfortable but he didn't say a word. He couldn't take the pain after so long though, so I helped him. I cleaned his back after he had just been hit. It broke me down. I had a realization that any time I was mean or sour with him was probably more than just words, it probably hurt him so bad… When I cleaned him up and tried to help, you could see layers and layers of scars. There are more than ten scars, Marlee…" I soften my words, starting to cry about him, "More than 20… He must have been hit 40 or 50 times since he's been 11 or 12 years old." I break down and sob, "He told me that he has some of those marks so I wouldn't have any on me. He got hit to protect me, Marlee."

She pulls me into her arms. I let her hug me, and I hug her back. I know that as I told her what I saw that she felt the pain from her own caning all over again. It doesn't shock me when I feel a tear slide off her cheek and onto my dress. We hold each other in comfort and sympathy for a few more moments. She pulls away first, turning her back to me to wipe her tears as if I don't know that she was crying. I wipe mine away from my cheeks as she does the same. She turns back and grabs my hand. "I'm so sorry to hear about his back."

"He's okay now. He hasn't been hit since then, but he doesn't like them." I sniffle, "He doesn't want pity or anything. He just wanted you to be aware of what his situation was. I have to get official with you, unfortunately, but you can not share this with anyone."

"I promise I won't."

"Good." I sniffle again.

"But he's willing to do the shoot still right?"

I nod, "He just doesn't want another photographer, so you're gonna have to do it."

"Okay. I'm willing to do that so he doesn't feel uncomfortable."

I nod, "We should go to lunch."

She nods to agree. I sling my arm over her shoulder and we leave my office. She leans into me, almost like I need to support her. We walk maybe three feet away from my door and she beckons for my attention. "America?"

"Yea, Marlee?"

"Why did he- what did he do to deserve that? The first time I mean."

I swallow hard as we start down the stairs that lead to the second floor, "Well… I don't know. He told me about the first time; he was doing the right thing when it happened, though. He was protecting someone he loved, which he ended up doing many more times. I can't tell you about that story. Maxon would kill me if I did. If I'm honest I don't know why the best people get hurt, including you and Carter."

Marlee nods, understanding for Maxon and his situation filling her sweet features. "I wish people didn't get hurt for doing the right thing or for being in love or doing what's best for who they love."

"Me too. Maxon… he's always done his best to protect me. Always. He never once let me get hurt because of Clarkson. I always wonder how many of those marks are because he wanted me to stay or because I did something stupid." The thought of him getting hit because of me makes my stomach churn. I let go of her to put a hand on my stomach, trying to calm the raging movement inside of me. "But, the best people have some sort of scar."

Marlee giggles as we approach the stairs to the first floor for lunch. "You're right. I have scars, Carter has scars, you have the scar on your arm, Maxon too."

I smiled at her. It makes her laugh. "All the best people."

"All the best people."

We cleared the stairs pretty quickly. We started to walk towards the dining hall laughing just a little bit at each other. Mainly because I tripped over my own feet a little bit. Stupid heels. Marlee giggles so sweetly, and as she goes into another laughing fit, we bump into Maxon.

"Hello, Ladies. Doing well, I assume?"

I laugh a little, "Yes we are. How are you, Babe?"

"Well. It's always nice to hear laughter coming from my favorite person and her best friend."

I grab his arm and walk with him. I lean into him. His lips lightly place a feather kiss upon my head. Marlee is still chuckling as she walks beside us. I whisper into his arm, "I told her."

He nods, "How'd it go?"

"I guess it went okay. She understands the situation, and she is fine with it. She's curious and asked a couple of questions. When I told her, I could see her relive the pain."

He stretches his back uncomfortably with me still on his arm. He nods in approval of what I've told him despite his discomfort with the situation. I bet he just felt every hit on his back again.

"I told her how I found out." I feel my voice get tight, and almost scratchy because I'm trying to hold back my tears. "How it hurt me to see it. I told her just about how many there are. I told her about how old you were when it started. I told her how you took some of those so I wouldn't have to. I made her promise not to tell anyone about it, too."

He nods and kisses my head. "You did good, Baby."

I nod and wipe a tear that managed to creep out of my eye. Marlee turns back to us when we were loving the little intimate moment between each other. Another salty tear slips out of my eye. She doesn't question it, she doesn't ask questions. She already sort of knows. She gives a sympathetic smile to us and grabs my free hand. We walked another 10 feet when we saw Carter about halfway across the great hall. He was waiting for his wife, a worried look plastered across his face. He relaxed when he saw her and came over to us. Without any words, Marlee grabbed onto his arm. Both of us wives leaned into their husband's arm while still holding each other's hand. It was a sweet moment. The four of us walked to the dining hall for lunch without words.