(Author's Note - Hello again! Writing this chapter has been difficult and it was even harder to edit. I have to end up reading everything I write what feels like a million times. After all that I struggle to feel like its good enough, I know I'm no professional and all I can do is my best. Sorry for the negativity, I'm not in a great headspace lately. Hopefully things will start to pick up soon. I did spend part of this on a flashback, I just enjoy sharing the history I've created for these characters. If you didn't know, Max canonically has a metal plate in his head. The only time I recall this being referenced in the cartoon was episode 10 'Tonight We Love'. Since it has never been explained how this happened I wrote something for it. Originally it was darker and more serious but I decided not to go that route, I try to keep things relatively positive even when writing drama. As much as you can in these cases anyway. Oh, the bit at the end is about as racy as I'll ever get in my writing lol. I'm asexual and have no idea how to write that love scenes even if I wanted to. As always, thanks for checking out my story. I value my readers a lot and thank each and every one of you. Have a beautiful day 3 The next chapter finally introduces the newest member of the family!)
Chapter 4
The decision was made to adopt locally once again. Not only would it be a little easier and quicker, but would give a child in desperate need right there in New York a chance. As it turned out, the situation was pretty dire. A good number of litters had been born to families who had too many children already. There were skunks and raccoons, domestic cats and dogs and of course baby rabbits. It was a little over a month after their application was submitted, that Sam & Max were called in for an interview. That was a surprisingly fast turn around for this sort of thing. They'd gone back to work, anticipating needing the time off later for, hopefully, the new baby. Doing so they'd promised not to overwork themselves or eat excessive amounts of junk food, negating the health gains they'd made. It wasn't as if they were getting any younger after all and if fate would have it, about to make an 18 year minimum commitment.
Taking it easy wasn't difficult, especially with how slow business had gotten. The most interesting case as of late, was reports of a mysterious figure lurking around Chinatown. It was spooking the tourists so something had to be done. 'The Schezwan Shadow' hadn't been hard to catch. Seemed the old 'granny and the purse snatcher' shtick was enough to draw him out. Max had looked stunning in a mauve cloche hat, besides the fact. David Zhang was a good enough kid they discovered, after lightly interrogating him. His heart was definitely in the right place, but vigilante justice wasn't his calling, that was clear. He was told to cheer up, the costume he'd made was great actually, he should go into theater like he wanted to. Who cared what his family thought, they loved him and would support him eventually. Yep, just another day on the job for Sam & Max, freelance life coaches. Otherwise things had been mind numbingly boring. Something was living, or possibly lodged in, the offices HVAC system causing the air conditioning to not work just when the weather was warming to summer temperature. The Geek had done enough for her dads recently and the building owner wasn't exactly a reliable sort. Surely it would keep for now and was a valid as any excuse to leave early every day.
The day of the interview came in early June. Naturally, it had to be recorded for the prospective child's future viewing, they'd a visual of how loved they were. Right from the start! Not on any modern high definition equipment however, no, the way it should be, on the family's mid 90s handheld camcorder. The Geek, as always, contributed her skills and acquired a fresh, never recorded on, blank VHS tape. It had come from Japan, where the format had held on a little longer. There had been careful preparations to make a good impression on the social worker they'd be meeting with. For Max this meant this meant a sort of, business casual look consisting of a toddler sized suit that had been on clearance after Easter. The suspenders and bowtie set the look off but it wasn't made for comfort.
"My furs all sweaty." Max complained tugging at his collar, he looked to the back seat at Geek who on request was filming the ride, "Just so you know future baby, I'm sacrificing my comfort and freedom for you."
"At least you look great doing it Max." the Geek only partially joked, "You should look into children's semi formal attire more often."
"I know right!" the lagomorph agreed adjusting his tie, "But dead handsome as I am, I'm going back au naturel the second I can. Hey Sam, you wouldn't get too jealous if I dropped trou right there in the office would ya?"
"I don't think its me you need to worry about buddy." Sam replied with a slight chuckle, he had been nervous all morning and had eaten surprisingly little.
"I'm not that embarrassing of a dad-mom-rabbitty thing am I Geek?" Max asked giving her a backwards glance, "I mean public indecency isn't even the worst I could do but I guess I get your point. Its only fair I save some for the new kid."
Alex had been dropped off for a few hours at a pet daycare. The family didn't want him to be jealous of the new baby, he seemed to be a bit clingy lately and could use the socialization. He hadn't seemed upset when he was left there so it was hoped he'd behave and have a good time. He was after all, an innocent who hadn't asked to exist, the least that could be done was make his life pleasant as it could be. He'd quickly become a member of the family after his accidental creation and despite his disabilities was loved as such. The Geek hadn't had to come along today exactly, but had accompanied them as the aforementioned film crew member and secondarily as an emotional support human. The trio had arrived a bit early for the appointment and had to wait. Even more boring was the fact the agency wasn't thrilled about the idea of bringing the trusty Handycam inside so they couldn't even document their witty banter. Sam had spent much of the wait visibly anxious, head down and fidgeting with his paws. He'd always had an affinity for licking them when he felt like this but was very self conscious about it and resisted.
"I haven't felt like this since I asked Lisa Kowalski to the junior prom." he finally said, a faint tremor in his voice, "I just have the worst feeling that one of us is gonna mess this up, at this rate it seems like its gonna be me.".
"No way, we're gonna kill this interview!" Max assured him giving him a pat on the knee, "And so what if Lisa Kowalski just liked you as a friend. You don't want anything to do with her, remember when we saw her at the deli last year? She's on like her fourth husband.".
"He's right Sam." the Geek agreed, "We've been over this a million times, just do like we practiced and you'll be fine. I AM a little curious about this Lisa Kowalski story though.".
"We spent most of the prom hitting golf balls off of the gym building, until Sam drove one right into Coach Benson's windshield. I've never ran that fast in my life." Max happily recalled and gave his partner a playful nudge, "Remember the senior prom? When we went together "as a joke"?".
This memory made the uncertain canine relax and cheer up a little which left everyone feeling better. It wasn't much longer before a middle aged woman stepped out of her office. She was wearing a light blue tailored suit and had her greying caramel colored hair pulled back in a bun.
"Well if it isn't Darla Gugenheek!" she exclaimed, feigning surprise, "I barely recognized you with how much you've grown!".
It was Mrs. Corinne Smith who'd been the Geek's social worker when she'd been adopted. She was very sweet and cared a lot about the kids but always called the girl her given name. They had a brief conversation about how delighted she was to see her doing so well and then the perspective parents were taken in for their consultation. Left alone in the reception area, Geek told them she could entertain herself, probably with that 'Gametendo Twitch' thing she liked so much. Mrs. Smith's office was comfortable, with posters displaying motivational phrases and photos of her grandchildren. She had two faux leather chairs ready that the pair sat down in as she gave a quick look over their file on her computer.
"You know I wondered if you two would ever want another one." she said after a moment, "Looks like things have gone just great with Darla, she's growing into a wonderful young woman." She put on a pair of tortoise shell framed reading glasses and shuffled around some papers.
"Well, we figured now was a good time to grow the family." Sam told her with Max nodding in agreement. He was following along with the plan well so far, restraining himself from doing the talking.
"And I think it is." Mrs. Smith agreed, "Your case looks great, I see you had to undergo a physical. That's standard procedure. To me your just kids but if you get matched to an infant you'll be in your 50s by the time they graduate high school. We just have to make sure your in it for the long haul. Looks like everything came back just fine though."
Sam would never forget that, it had been pretty invasive for his liking but a requirement. He'd at least been satisfied with the knowledge he'd managed to drop a few pounds. For the first time in recent history his pants fastened around his waist instead of under his belly. He wasn't as sweaty when he reached the top of the stairs at work and hadn't gotten stuck in a single chair in months. Heck he was even confident he could get out of the one he was in now under his own power. Max lamented there was 'less taffy to pull' these days but the dog actually preferred him not jiggling his back fat in bed every night.
"Yeah we saw that doctor!" Max remembered suddenly, "He was thorough I'll tell ya. He even checked Sam's...". His husband shot him a glare that was the international symbol for 'shut up' and he stopped right in his tracks realizing what was at stake.
"All that matters is your in good shape." Mrs. Smith went on, "And you own your own home? That's great.". Sam owned it anyway, it was the house he'd grown up in and his parents had given it to him shortly after they moved to Alaska. That had been over a decade ago.
"Yeah, thanks to my folks that is." Sam explained, "Dad bought a fishery up in Anchorage after he retired, that was always his dream...for some reason."
"Wonderful. You seem to be doing well for yourselves too." the social worker continued, "Oh, you work for the police commissioner? What a small world."
"We've spent our entire career under him." Sam said, hoping that was a good thing, "He's a great guy, he's been really understanding about our need for parental leave."
"Definitely! He's actually a good friend of my husbands. I guess I must have overlooked your line of work last time." Mrs. Smith replied, that was a relief, "They've known each other since college. The last I saw him was, let's see, his grandson's christening. Next time you get the chance tell him Corie and Tom said hi, he'll know who you mean.".
As kind as she'd been to them Sam would make his best effort to remember. Maybe a sticky note would help, he owed her that much. They went over a few more points of interest, answered a number of run of the mill questions and signed some forms. Max behaved himself and was shockingly polite and well spoken when addressed for the rest of the hour it took. With everything squared away Mrs. Smith gave a satisfied smile.
"Okay great, we're all done." she said clapping her hands together, "This is going to be a little different then Darla's case. I'm going to get together with the agency and see what children are most in need, as per your request. Since your open to a special needs placement there will be more options, so expect to hear from me in a couple of weeks. At that point I'll arrange for you to meet the some of the children and we can start a trial adoption with whoever is the best fit. If all goes well the entire process should be completed by the end of the year. Any questions?"
The was a moment of frozen silence, the couple slowly looked at each other, then back at the woman who had surprised them so.
"You mean...we were approved? Just like that?" Sam stammered at last.
"We actually did it?" Max added blankly, unsure if he was asking himself, Sam or whatever cosmic entity had blessed them.
"Yes, I guess I should have been a little clearer." Mrs. Smith addressed the shocked duo, "You've already proven to good parents and I don't see why you wouldn't be to a second child. What else can I say? Congratulations!".
Another rousing game of Digcraft had ended in the Geek falling in a lava pool. Darn unoptimized controls, the game was way better on PC. She put her Twitch back in her bag careful not to scuff the custom galaxy skin she'd had put on it. Maybe she'd switch to her phone and listen to some music. Whatever she was going to about to do didn't matter as the nearby door flung open. Max walked, no more stumbled out, looking like he was about to cry and hyperventilate at the same time. "What the hell happened in there?" Geek thought to herself as Sam followed him out with an ambiguous but not positive expression. She got up, bringing her things with her, and went over to the two.
"So how'd it go?" she asked cautiously. Did they actually get denied? Why? No one was allowed to hurt them like this, she was going to have a word with...well someone. She'd take it to the Supreme Court, or wherever people took injustices, she couldn't think clearly right now. Tense seconds ticked by and then suddenly, with cat like speed and agility Max pounced onto his daughter with a crushing hug.
"We're gonna have a baby!" he squealed into her ear painfully. She felt her heart start beating again and gave a sigh of relief. Mentally she thanked God, Buddha, Shiva, Odin and the Flying Spaghetti Monster.
"It might not be a baby Max." Sam reminded him, smiling anyway "Could be any age really.".
"It'll be our baby either way." Max said letting Geek go, her spine actually hurt a little from that ordeal, "Your gonna be a big sister!".
"Finally." the Geek sighed and muttered under her breath, "The two of you are going to be the death of me."
Alex was picked up from daycare on the way home. He'd had an all right time. One of the carers had helped him 'finger paint' multicolored paw prints on a piece of paper. They'd hang it on the fridge proudly. The rest of his time had spent enjoying playground equipment meant for the smaller dogs. As for the dogs himself, he wasn't so sure. Creatures of the canine variety, Sam included, made him nervous due to their predatory smell. Given time and exposure it was likely he'd get used to them, socialization would have its benefits. Still he was very happy to see his family, giving excited licks and whines all the way home.
The house was alive with excitement over the news, a great deal of it from Max. Almost all he spoke of was 'the baby'. He was absolutely certain that, somehow, somewhere, a child had born just for them. He could just feel it, like he had ESPN or something. It would be great if true of course and they all wanted that, unlikely as it was. Luckily they couldn't see him being disappointed however things ended up. What remained of the day went by quickly with the family in a relaxed, happy mood. After the evening meal they decided to do something they hadn't done in a while. And what was that? Why dig out the old Monopolizer board game and play a friendly round. To sum things up it ended with no clear victor, as they'd lost the rule book ages ago, but also no open hostilities this time. There had been plenty of laughs, Alex tried to eat the token shaped like a shoe and everyone had a great time. Before he knew it, Sam was in bed dozing off to a rerun of Hawaii Five O with Max fast asleep on his chest. In the flickering light of the television he watched the tiny lagomorph's quick, even breathing. This was normal in his species, he'd occasionally twitch or snore softly but seemed to be having a good dream. Ten years ago Sam would never imagined them here, where they were tonight. Back then he wasn't sure they had a future at all.
The two were in their late teens when the darkest moment of Sam & Max's relationship and lives came to pass. The worrisome incident of their childhood just a bad memory, the boys spent their adolescence in comparative blissful normalcy. High school was what it was, Max even had managed to graduate with his class, the result of both his best friend and his aunt "riding his ass" incessantly. The move to adulthood however, was a more daunting task. Though his grades weren't stellar, Sam had done well enough on the SAT to be accepted into a local university. Max, who had been a partial special education student, hadn't bothered taking the test. He'd been offered accommodations, due to having an IEP plan in school, but calimed he just didn't care. Sam suspected he had already decided he wouldn't do well and refused to even try. Either way his loved ones weren't about to give up on him.
Summer vacation was just around the corner and without any particular plans. Even though he wasn't even twenty yet, Sam had decided not to depend on his parents so much anymore. They'd done everything they could for him all these years and he wasn't a puppy now, it was time he looked after himself. That would require money though, which in turn would require a job, at least over break. It looked his dance card was pretty much full these next few months, it wouldn't be much of a vacation. Any where would be fine after last summer, just not that accursed petting zoo again. Sam had gained a little more than the freshman fifteen and despite thinning out a lot due to a growth spurt in middle school, he'd was now at his heaviest weight ever. Trudging around in the 90 + degree heat, shoveling exotic animal dung, was closer to Hell then the dog ever wanted to venture. Making it worse were the insufferable children who were the chief patrons of this establishment. If they weren't randomly screaming, which they did far too much of, they were asking to pet him or harassing him in some way. One of the little monsters had actually pansted him within the first week, but the final straw was when one of them had the audacity to kick him square in the behind and run away giggling. It had knocked him off balance and he'd nearly fell into a pile of miniature horse apples he'd raked together for easier clean up. Had that actually happened he'd have probably lost it and quit on the spot. So yeah, anything beat that disaster. The only positive was, he'd never seen Max laugh as hard as when he'd told him about it later. That was one incident he brought up from time to time the rest of their lives. Speaking of him, they didn't see each other very much lately which felt really weird with how close they were. Little did they know that soon, for better or worse, that was all about to change.
The call came early on a Saturday morning. These were Sam's more tech savvy days and he'd purchased himself one of those clunky 'cellular phones' that were becoming popular. He'd just wanted to keep in touch, and now it was paying off. Grace was on the other end of the line sounding exhausted. There was only one reason she'd call him so early in the morning and it frightened him immediately. What had Max gotten himself into this time? She told him, her voice distressed, that there were a lot of things they just didn't know yet. Her nephew had been beaten badly and dumped in front of the emergency room entry doors of a local hospital, just after midnight. No one had gotten a good look at the vehicle that had promptly sped away. All the additional information she could offer, was that Max was expected to survive, a doctor had just informed her of that. This made Sam sick, almost physically. There was a time they weren't sure? How bad was it? Why had she waited so long to tell him? For a moment he almost wanted to get angry at her but he knew she was in just as bad a shape as he was. Over the years she'd become the closest thing to a mother he'd ever had. Sam quickly thanked her and promised he'd be there as soon as possible. Any shred of tiredness left in his body was completely gone as he dressed and sped off in then ride, a late 70s Camaro that been his 18th birthday gift. Driving to the hospital in the dawning light, all he could think about was his best friend. It took everything he had to focus on the road.
The small rabbit woman had awkwardly hugged the large dog, he bent down so he she could do so. She was still pretty in her later years but looked as if she hadn't slept all night. The hospital must have called her right away. The situation was serious, she explained, the most concerning injury being to his head. He'd been hit with something, hard and had a skull fracture. For the time being it was left open to relieve brain swelling, he'd need surgery later on. It looked like the injury would need to be closed with a metal plate. Sam almost wanted to laugh, if Max were aware he'd find this funny. He'd say he was a cyborg now and could pick secret government radio signals. With any luck he'd wake up, his usual goofy self and still be able to joke about it.
When he was taken to see Max for the first time, it didn't inspire much hope. The rabbit looked so small and frail in the hospital bed. Tubes and wires led to and from what seemed like everywhere. He was breathing on his own with supplemental oxygen, chest rising and falling rthymically under a thin blanket. This was a very encouraging sign but visually didn't help much. His head was heavily bandaged and his right eye as badly bruised to the point it was swollen shut. Clearly he'd been struck multiple times. Other injuries consisted mostly of more bruises, such a deep purple you could see them under his fur. These would heal in time but he'd be lucky to escape without some degree of brain damage. His already struggling mind would have even more to overcome. Miraculously he'd been determined not to be comatose, the doctor in charge of his care explained, he was just deeply unconscious. There was chance, though it couldn't be assured, he could hear what was said to him.
"What the hell did you get yourself into Max?" Sam said, shaking his head as he collapsed into the bedside visitors chair. He wanted to reach under the covers and take Max's hand but was too afraid of accidently hurting him. For a few minutes he just sat and watched, unsure what to do.
"You better pull through or I'll kill you myself." he half heartedly joked, to his shock Max gave a faint groan, perhaps in response? Maybe it was involuntary? Just a coincidence? How could he tell? What to do, what do...right! He suddenly remembered a scene from one of those medical dramas his mom liked to watch. It was good an idea as any. Sam stood up and leaned over the bed, "Did you hear that buddy?" he asked and fished for Max's paw, the one on that side was connected to the IV so he went around to the other. Careful not to disturb the pulse oximeter he took the free, well freer hand and their fingers intertwined.
"Hey pal, how about you give me a squeeze if you can hear me, okay? Don't push yourself, just do your best." Sam told him. He waited with bated breath, tense with anticipation, "Come on, you can do it. I'm not mad at you, whatever it was that happened. How could I be mad? I don't know what I'd do without you...I...I love you Max." Tears welled in the Wolfhound's eyes, the steady beeping of the heart rate monitor picked up slightly. This started to panick Sam slight, he prayed he hadn't made things worse. Finally it happened, weak but deliberate, Max's grip tightened.
"There we go picklehead." Sam panted, tears trailing down his cheeks, "Don't ever scare me like this again." he sniffed, "You know what? I can't let you out of my sight anymore you doofus. The second your well enough to get out of here we're moving in together, like it or not. I'll make you make marry me if that's what it takes. I don't care if I have to push you down the aisle in a wheelchair.".
Two weeks had passed. Max was awake and gotten through the operation without any problems. He was now the proud owner of a titanium patch over the hole in his skull and had indeed made all the predicted jokes about it. There were lapses in his memory but he was able to finally tell everyone what happened. Okay by everyone that meant Sam, he'd made up a lie about getting mugged and then dumped off by a 'good samaritan' for everyone else. There was a lot of suspicion but the police dropped it quickly, realizing they weren't going to get any honest information out of him. In New York city they just had bigger fish to fry.
"I guess it could have been worse but an underground fight club? Really Max?" Sam asked him as he helped his friend pack what he'd accumulated during the hospital stay, "At least you realize now that just because those guys didn't let you die, doesn't mean their your friends. They were probably just trying to save their own hides.".
"It was fine until we decided to spice things up by using weapons. I don't remember a damn thing about that night but I wonder if was that jerboa they called Big Jerry that beaned me. He was always a little too eager." Max replied gingerly touching the stitches holding his scalp together.
"Don't pick at that." Sam scolded carefully packing a large 'Get Well Soon' teddy bear his family had sent. Come to think of it, he had seen a strange, kangaroo-rat looking fellow peering nervously into Max's room as he'd come back from getting lunch one day. When asked what he wanted he'd almost screamed "OH NOTHING, I MUST HAVE THE WRONG ROOM!" and hopped off never to be seen again.
Max stuck his tongue out playfully "Your not my dad Sam" he giggled, "But I guess I could still call you daddy." He had a noticeable black eye but was recovering surprisingly well. Today he would be released from the hospital.
"That's not exactly my style." Sam said with a smirk, "Since when do we have that kind of relationship anyway?". Max gave a very amused chuckle, stopping suddenly with a wince as he realized how sore his head was. "Easy now. No sense in hurting yourself." Sam scolded him, "I'm not that funny.". Soon they were ready to leave. Max was given his discharge papers, and a follow up appointment with a neurologist the following week.
Grace had of course, offered Max to come home where she'd take care of him as long as he needed. He'd been back and forth lately, telling her he was staying with Sam but in reality he was usually with some new 'friends'. These friends were the same ones that he engaged in illicit fights with and whom had left him for dead. The pair had turned down her offer however, opting to go to Sam's place which his parents had encouraged him to use in their absense. They'd left for Anchorage not long ago and brought up the fact there was no point the house sit empty every time they spoke to him. They didn't want to sell it and wished for him to stay there. Why did he want to live in some drafty old dorm, not to mention the kind of drugs everyone there must be doing. Things really weren't that bad, it wasn't much of a party school and Sam sometimes just wanted to tell them that the odd beer and little pot was as wild as he got. Once they found out what happened to Max, they insisted 'the boys' stay there if he didn't want to go back to his aunt's. "You've suffered enough auntie." he'd told her as she'd been visiting him one day, "Besides your a block away if we need anything.". She'd agreed, albeit a bit reluctantly and promised to check on them regularly. Though she'd never been much of a cook, she'd gladly get them take out or anything else they needed. Not only did she worry about both of them but Max still needed a lot of rest and Sam had course work to catch up on. He'd managed to get his professors to forgive his absences but he'd have to make up what he'd missed. He was starting to wonder if higher education was even worth it.
"You know Sam, I actually don't feel too bad." Max remarked as they lay together in the otherwise empty home that night. Sam felt a little strange sleeping in his parents bed, but the two needed enough room to be comfortable, especially with how delicate Max still was. He'd changed the sheets and all they were going to do was sleep though so it was probably fine.
"That's probably just the Vicodin talking." Sam said looking over at the injured lapine, "You've got a ways to go before your fully recovered."
A silence filled the room and then Max spoke.
"Did you mean it when you said you loved me? At the hospital?." he asked, his good eye had a very gentle look to it, teeming with hope and love. "I know I said I didn't remember anything, but I definately remember that ya big softy." he continued, "Everything was so dark, I was scared and then I heard your voice. You told me you loved me...I love you too Sam, as more than a friend.". Nervously he awaited a reply, if he was rejected this could damage their friendship, maybe irreparably.
Sam's ears pricked up with a start. Could it be true? He actually liked someone like him? Of course he knew Max was gay, he was the first person that he'd told in fact and he had no problem whatsoever with that. Personally, he'd a couple of girlfriends but, it had never gotten very serious. Sure he'd gotten to second base once but that was it. There was always this feeling in the back of his mind that, somehow, the his heart belonged to another. It just now hit him what that feeling really was.
"I did say that." Sam admitted, putting his arm around Max gently, "And I meant it. I guess part of me has always felt this way..."
That was all the lagomorph needed to hear. In fact he'd longed to hear it for years now. Max moved closer to Sam and gently pressed his lips against his soon to be lovers. A light kiss quickly turned into a passionate make out session. Neither was very experienced so they had no idea how well they were doing at this game of tonsil hockey. Their physical arousal grew as years of hidden feelings for one another were finally being laid bare. One thing lead to another and before they knew it they'd spent several hours exploring the sexual side of the relationship, then fell asleep in each others arms. They hadn't gone 'all the way' or anything, no Sam had insisted they hold back until Max was fully healed. What they had done however, felt like the most beautiful, natural thing ever and neither regretted a second of it. Actually, Sam did regret it happening in his parents bed, but only a little.
As his body surrendered to sleep in the current year, Sam thought about how their love hadn't faded in the slightest over the decades that passed since that fateful night. He loved that rabbit as much as he had on their wedding day and nothing could ever change how he felt. They'd formed a beautiful life together and a large part of it was how damn tough and resilient Max was. Both had triumped over so much in such a short time. They had a lot now, much more than many were lucky enough to dream of. Not only did they still have each other, they had their beautiful daughter and soon, as confirmed to them earlier that day, baby would make four.
