Hospital

"Oh, Max," Jill said, looking at her still unconscious friend. Max not waking up. Kenny missing… his drug empire in shambles. Taylor traumatized, not letting her brother out of her sight. Baby Cooper, that's what she calls him. There is a lot of Max in her. "We're all here for you."

"No change?"

Jill looked over at her husband. "There isn't a medical reason for her not to wake up."

"How could he do this? Prison, it changed him. He would never have hurt her. Even when she had the affair…I didn't think he'd do this."

"Her kids…if she doesn't wake up."

"She'll wake up."

Max

She threw her arms around him, kissing him in the office. "You're here."

"Darlin?" Lucas asked, as she kissed him again. "Not that I'm not glad to see you, but what are you doing?"

"You're here and real."

"Max?" he pressed. "You want to sit? Rest? Are you okay?'

"Don't let go."

He squeezed her tightly, looking at Aiden on the couch and Lily in her seat. "I always have you."

Real, she thought, it's us. My life with him is real. Lucas. My heart. "I love you so much, Luc. I'm never leaving you."

"Good."

She inhaled his familiar scents. Real. Home. "I'm yours."

"And I'm yours. Max, are you okay?"

No, she thought, as the walls wavered around her and he felt less substantial in her arms. No…he's real. This is real. Forcing herself to believe that, she smiled at her again solid husband. "I'm with you. Of course, I am."

"I'm never letting you go."

"Let her go."

Max clung tighter to him. "He isn't real. I'm here. I'm with you. I want to be with you."

Lucas didn't let her go, as he looked at Kenny. "You're safe. You're with me."

"Max," Kenny pushed. "You don't belong here. You know this isn't real."

"Leave her alone," Lucas said. "She's home. We're together."

"I'm home."

"He isn't real, Max," Kenny continued. "You can't stay here. You don't belong here. You need to wake up. Your kids, your real kids, need you."

"She's my wife. This is our family," Lucas said. "Just leave us alone here. We belong with each other. You never deserved Max."

"We belong to each other," Max said softly. "You're my soulmate."

"Snap out of it, Max," Kenny said, as she clung to the other man. "You're going to die. Get that through your head. Wake up. Look at him. That isn't Lucas. You're not his wife. You don't belong here."

"Of course, I'm Lucas. Max is my wife."

"I'm your wife," she whispered, kissing him softly

"We love each other," Lucas continued, kissing her back.

"I love you, Lucas," she repeated. "Only you."

"We're together and you need to go," Lucas continued. "Don't ruin this like you did everything else."

Kenny

Alive, how is she still alive? My loving wife in a coma…she couldn't even die properly. Her kids in protective custody. Her story played over and over…a hero and not a whore. They don't know her. No one knows her like I do.

Max

What…how did we get here? We were just…how?

"Mom, come on," Maya said. "Dad cooked."

We were just at the bar…arguing with that guy. How are we home? How is it summer now and we're cooking out? I'm pregnant too, she thought, placing her hand on her stomach. How…I'm cracking up. "He did?"

"He said he had to feed Baby Cooper Number Five."

Max looked at her…she's so grown up. Five…five kids. What is happening? Lucas…smiling a me. Aiden, Lily and Jonah. Now this…My home. Where I belong.

"Looking good, Darlin."

My family, she thought, no…It's blurring and…they're fading? No… it's real. I'm real.

Hospital

"Mommy?" Taylor asked, taking her hand. "Why is she still sleeping? Mommy, I need you. Baby Cooper needs you. Mommy, please wake up."

Max

Not pregnant, she thought, what is this? It keeps changing…every time…my life here. "Luc?"

"How is my lovely wife?"

A different house…our cozy little one to this huge… "What's happening?"

"What?"

"This isn't weird?"

"You're being weird."

He's a doctor, I'm a lawyer…we're…damn it. No, it's all different. This isn't our house, he doesn't own a suit. My whole world is spinning. "Sorry, I think I'm coming down with something."

He pressed his lips to her forehead. "Get some rest, Darlin. I'll see you tonight."

That guy. The one who tells me I'm not real…he has to be doing this. I need to find him. The world blurring and wavering around her again. "Damn it!"

"You see what's happening?" Kenny said, as they sat across from each other. "You feel it, Max. You this isn't real. You can't hide from it. That isn't Lucas…those kids aren't yours."

"Why are you doing this? Why are you ruining my life?"

"I'm trying to save it."

"I just want to be with Luc and our kids."

"Which ones? It keeps changing on you. That isn't Lucas."

"He is Luc."

Kenny shook his head. "You're hiding, Max, you feel safe with Lucas here. You created this place in your head, and I know it hurts…you need to wake up, Max."

"I am awake."

"No. This is…you…Focus. Remember."

She stared at him. What is he doing to me? "No. I want Luc."

"Max."

"You killed him. Then you killed me."

"You're not dead yet."

"Lucas…I want him."

"He's dead. You're not. That isn't him…this is in your head. Wake up, Max, please wake up."

"I don't want to leave him."

"Max."

"Luc!" she cried, running into his waiting arms. "Luc, what's happening?"

"Why are you listening to him?"

"You died," she said softly, stroking his face. "I remember now…I watched you die."

"I'm right here, Darlin."

She kissed him. "I love you, Lucas. I should have never left you. Not for college, a job, anything. I'm so sorry…we could have been great. I wanted to marry you, have kids with you, I wanted us to spend our lives together. I loved you so much, Lucas Cooper."

"Don't leave again. I need you."

The world blurring. Kenny killed him…then he was choking me until I woke up here. With Luc, thinking it was a dream…but… I don't want to leave Lucas again. "What happened to me? You're not Kenny…"

"You're dying. You need to wake up. Your kids, Max."

"Max, don't go."

And he's not Luc, she thought, kissing him for the last time. "I'll always love you. You're my heart, Lucas. My kids, my real kids, Taylor and Cooper, need me. Cooper, I named him for you. I love you so much."

"Max?" he asked as he and the room faded away. "Max!"

She wiped her tears away. "Taylor and Cooper."

Kenny smiled. "It's time to wake up."

Hospital

"Mommy, please."

No, Max thought, looking at her daughter curled up in the hospital next to her body. My baby…my Taylor.

"Are you ready?" Kenny asked.

"You're not Kenny."

"You made your home with Lucas, your spot to heal," he said. "I needed to get you out of it."

"Lucas, my Luc…is he okay? He didn't suffer?"

Kenny smiled at her. "He will always watch over you. You'll see him again, Max. Just not yet. You need to live. Your children, Taylor and Cooper need you."

"Taylor and Cooper," she whispered. "My babies. My world."

"You love them."

They're my center. My world. My heart. I can't lave them. They need me. "Let me go back to them. I don't want to die. I don't want to leave them."

Kenny smiled at her. So lovely, she is going to do good things. She will save her children from this. "Close your eyes, Max. You're going to make it right for everyone this time around."

Max – 6 Years Ago - Vermont

"I should go," Max said, stepping back from their long kiss and opening her eyes. "Sarah needs me."

"Sarah went home with a waiter, Darlin."

She smiled at that, enjoying his soft touch as he stroked her cheek. "We can't, Luc."

"You're still the only one who calls me Luc."

"You've always been my Luc," she said softly, as he kissed her again. "Wait. Stop. I'm married."

"You're not acting married."

She leaned into his strong arms. "I know. Luc, I'm trying to get pregnant."

"I can help you with that."

She grinned at that, resting her forehead on his chest before smiling up at him. "You're making it really hard for me to go. You know I can't resist you."

"Come upstairs, Darlin. He'll never know. I miss you."

"I'll know," she said softly, letting him kiss her one more time. No one should be able to kiss like Lucas Cooper. "I can't. I love him, Luc."

He smiled at that, combing through her long hair. "He's a lucky guy."

She smiled back at him, as he let her go after a long hug. "I'm the lucky one."

And I'm the one who screwed up…I should have never let her go. "Good night, Max."

"Good night, Lucas."

TBC