This is set to be a 6-Chapter Story with some time jumps coming.
Present – Rome
"You okay?" Max asked, looking at her exhausted looking partner in the squad car. "Kenny?"
He shot her a look at that. She doesn't get it…she used to. Not anymore because she's in love. "Forget it, Max."
"Then stop being an ass to me this morning."
"I had to pull over so you could vomit. Should you even be working?"
"Sorry if my morning sickness offends you so much."
"I'm sure Littleton rubs your back and tells you how wonderful you are while you vomit."
She glared at him with that. "Is there something you want to say to me?"
That I thought I found what you did. That the joy that you two hide at work and then is so obvious in their personal life together. Instead Kim blows me off the night we were going to talk to her parents and isn't calling me back. I wasn't good enough for her either. "Forget it."
"Oh, no. I'm not your punching bag. Talk to me."
And you were too good for me. I thought we would…instead Littleton. Having his baby, she's going to be his wife. They'll have a houseful of kids, she'll be a stepmom to Kara. Now you're looking at me in that annoyed way where you can see right through me. "You don't get it."
"Get what?"
"Max, go be happy. Get married. Have this baby. Adopt Kara. Go live out the American dream."
"Is that what you're mad at me about? That I'm happy? That I'm not commiserating all my bad dates with you? Kenny, I miss hanging out like we used too."
I don't want to hang out, I want to feel like you do. I thought I found it, and instead I'm…I'm jealous of what you found. I thought it would be us. "Please, you're happy playing house."
She glared at him with that, it hitting home a bit. Cooking dinner, going to ballet and gymnastics with Kara, coming together as a family, well before this pregnancy. She wants to call me Mommy and…my favorite nights are curling up on the couch with John and Kara watching movies, playing board games, just the three of us. "And that offends you?"
"Damn it, Max! You're not this dense."
"Then explain it to me!"
"I want what you have, damn it! I thought," he started, his heart breaking over Kim again. "Do you know how hard watching you be happy is when I'm miserable?"
In the Woods
Kim leaned back against the cave wall, her eyes adjusting the darkness. Wrapping the bear skin around herself, she shivered as she pushed her tangled hair back. He's gone…pulling against the chains, she groaned as she looked at them mounted into the rock. How many…No. He wouldn't stop last night. He won't stop until I'm pregnant…until I have his child. Until I'm his Elena. Drinking the warm water slowly, she stared at the stew in front of her. I don't want to know what it is…I'm so hungry.
I'm not Elena. I'm Kim. I'm not Elena.
Rome – Present
Max sat back and stared at him with that. "Really?"
"Yes, really. You were never happy. You torpedoed relationships. Why him?"
No, she thought, no. I can't have this conversation with him. I let it go, whatever there was between us that was never going to happen. Tell him. "It just happened. We obviously enjoyed sniping at each other, and…underneath that we found something great."
Kim, he thought, I thought we…she bailed. She didn't want to tell her parents. They never hid it…neither of them wanted to. I thought we were in this together. She's been ignoring me for days. "Of course you did."
"What's really going on?"
He looked at her with her that. She knows me. "Forget it."
"No. Apparently being around me makes you miserable."
"You are my best friend."
"Could have fooled me."
He let out a long breath and looked over at her. "I thought I…she blew me off. Didn't call, just dropped off the planet. I thought…I thought it was real."
Max looked at him with that for a long moment. "I'm sorry."
"Don't be sorry. It's better I know now."
"You deserve better than that."
They were both too good for me, that's why it wouldn't ever work. Kim realized it. Max is going to marry Littleton eventually. "Forget it."
Don't push him, she thought, just let him talk. "You can tell me anything. You know that."
Not this, never this. Kim didn't want anyone to know, so no one will. "I know."
John & Max – 2 Years Ago
"Do you care?"
The looks, the whispered comments, Max thought, after a very casual dinner and drinks. Now, his arm around me, walking down the street, and…why do I fit so well next to him? I love the way he feels, smells, and not in a suit. "Nope."
He squeezed her, as she smiled up at him. "Good."
"I'm always good when I'm with you."
"You know you're irresistible."
"That's better than irritating and antagonistic."
"That too."
She smiled at him, the guy who can press all my buttons and then makes me laugh. "John?"
"You look serious all of the sudden."
She broke into a grin at that. "It's still early."
"You have something in mind?" he teased, combing through her hair. "I know what I want to do."
"That was enjoyable."
"You should stay over tonight. You can stay every night if you want."
I did like waking up with him, even if I more or less fled in the morning so Kara wouldn't see me. Is this too fast? Oh, I like his arms around me. Don't overthink it. "We may have to work up to every night…but tonight? Yes."
"You as good at mini-golf as you are at pool?"
"I guess we'll have to play for you to find out. Do you care to make a wager?"
He tried not to smile, as he nodded. "Loser picks up the tab?"
"Well, not what I had in mind," she laughed. "But you're on."
In The Woods:
"Hello," Kim said nervously, seeing the kids looking at her from the cave entrance. They won't hurt me. I'm their mom now…that's why I'm here. They needed another mom. I'm not their mom. I'm not his Elena.
"Mama," a boy said nodding, gesturing the other two to follow him. "You Mama now."
Agree, they're just kids. "Yes. Mama."
He sat in her lap, as the other two sat on either side of her. "Mama have baby."
Kim gulped. Not here. Never here. I'm not…He needs to trust me. I need to run. "Am I?"
He nodded, feeling her stomach beneath the skins and rags. "Yes. You make baby with Master. Soon."
No…I won't. It's only been a few days. I'm not pregnant. I can't be.
"Elena."
She looked up, seeing him watching her with the children. What is happening to me? I feel so weird. Looking at the water, she felt herself get woozy. "Master?"
"You are fine my lovely Elena," he said stroking her cheek. "It is time for your next step in joining our pack."
Rome – Present
"What?" Max asked. "She's in college. She could just be…sleeping off a wild night?"
"She's pre-med," Jill stated. "She doesn't have wild nights. I think she may have a new boyfriend. And you shouldn't be on patrol."
Of course she has wild nights, Max thought, she's 19. Of course she won't talk about, she knows Jimmy won't leave it alone…she's been way too serious. "I'm sure she'll call. It's the size of a peanut. I'm fine."
"You need to take care of yourself and your baby. I'm sure John feels the same way."
John who teased me about my pregnancy glow and how it would out me before any belly did…before stripping down on the couch and really celebrating it. "You'd have to ask him that."
"Here," Kenny said, rejoining them and handing her a bottle of water. "No coffee."
"He knows," Max said, wishing it was coffee. "I'm finishing up this rotation, and then I'll do desk duty. I don't need seven months of baby-sitting. I can take care of myself."
"We should go," Kenny said. I need to finish this day, get away from Max and get drunk. Neither her or Kim want me. "Come on."
Kenny & Kim – 5 Months Ago
"Oh, I don't want to go," Kim sighed, as they laid in his bed together. "My finals are done, my parents…they want me home during the break."
"Good, then you won't have to drive back and forth. You'll be nice and close."
Kim smiled at that, adjusting the sheet around herself. "How will I explain this?"
"We can tell them."
"Kenny," she sighed. "I can't…you know how he is."
"You're almost 20. You can date who you want."
"I want to date you…I've wanted that for a long time. He's going to ruin it, just like before."
Kenny looked at her for a long moment. We have to tell them, I love her and I want everyone to know that. What is she so afraid of? "We won't let him."
She smiled at that, as she dropped the sheet. "One more time before I go?"
Rome – 2 Years Ago
"Max!"
Max winced, knowing what was coming, as she followed Kenny to the coffee room. "Just say it."
"You and Littleton? What is that? God, he was all over you."
"He was not," she stated. His arm around me, holding my hand, ah, a few kisses by the car. "Maybe a little bit."
"Are you kidding me? How long have you been sleeping with him for?"
Max held his gaze, pushing back her temper. "It's new. Very new. We're getting to know each other and we don't want to keep it a secret. I really like him."
"Littleton. You're screwing Littleton."
"I am not screwing him. It isn't…Kenny, I'm falling for him. It's been a few weeks and…I really like spending time with him."
"A few weeks?"
Dates, even when we're not, we talk every night, lunches in his office under the guise of working…he makes me laugh. "We decided to go public. Can you not make a big deal out of it?"
"You're dating Littleton!"
"I know."
Splitting a pizza, a pitcher of beer, them looking really cozy in that booth together, Kenny thought, he kept touching her. Max smiling, laughing with him, they didn't take their eyes off each other…then they flirted through mini-golf together. Did he not know Max is ridiculously good at stuff like mini-golf? "How serious is it?"
"We've been seeing each other a few weeks. We're getting to know each other. We're not running off and eloping. Can you stop looking at me like that? He's a good guy, Kenny."
"What the hell, Max?"
"I'm not going round and round with you. I'm dating John. We like each other. Can you drop it?"
Rome – Present
Don't, John thought, watching as Max and Kara kicked a soccer ball around the backyard. She'll balk if I coddle her, and she isn't throwing up right now. She's fine. Smiling and laughing, ah Kara is hugging her.
"Daddy!" she called. "Come play with us."
Max hugged her back, shooting him a grin. "Come on, John, give it a go."
"You know I can take you?" he countered. "This isn't mini-golf, Max."
Kara giggled and kicked the ball toward her dad. "Max said talk is cheap, Daddy."
"Was that before or after ice cream and cookies?" he asked, kicking the ball back toward Max. "You didn't hide the evidence, Kid."
Max stopped the ball with her foot before kicking it down the yard for Kara to chase. "Your turn."
"Max!" she cried, chasing after it. "You and Daddy just want to kiss and not have me watch!"
"Are we that predictable?" John asked, pulling her close and kissing her. "Sorry, I'm late."
She shook her head. "I got to eat ice cream before dinner and play soccer? It's a good day."
"Kara is a bad influence."
She grinned at that. "Come on. You have the best kid over there."
He ran his fingers through her hair, letting them trail down her cheek. She wants to call Max Mommy. God, she is a great mom to her, would she? Can I even do that? Deanna's daughter…she'll never remember Deanna. She wants a mom, just like everyone else, and Max…pregnant with her sibling, the person I want to marry… "You know she thinks of you as her mom."
Max looked at him with that. "I love her, John. It's impossible not to…she's just the best kid."
"Who is going to be a big sister soon."
Max smiled at that. "She is."
"A lot of changes, huh?"
"I practically lived with you already," Max trailed off. "This just made it official."
"And I'm very glad you're here."
"John," she laughed, as he nuzzled her neck before letting her go. "It doesn't change anything. Oh, we're setting bad example."
"For Kara? I hate to break it to you, but I think she's on to us," John teased, hoisting his running six-year-old in the air. "Isn't that right, Kid?"
"Daddy!" she cried. "Max, help!"
Max laughed, as John held her by her ankles and she walked on her hands. "I think you have this one."
"Daddy!" Kara giggled, as she did a somersault as he let go. "You're being silly. I saw you kissing Mommy too."
In the Woods
I can't move, Kim thought, the drugs keeping her sluggish and her limbs immobile. Dimly remembering the bites of raw meat and sips of water, as the days and nights blended together. Changing me…making me one of them. Gazing at Tati as she tattooed her numb arm, she couldn't look away as the tribal tattoos encircled her chest, arms, and hands.
"Very lovely, Elena," she smiled, as she finished up the details on her hands. "This is enough for the day."
No, she thought, no…I'm not one of them. I'll never be one of them.
Rome – Present
"You are my mommy, Max," Kara stated, hugging her again before taking both of their hands. "I didn't come from your tummy, but you take care of me. You do everything a mommy does. You're my mommy. Please be my mommy, Max."
"Kara," John interjected, looking at his shell shocked girlfriend. "We need to discuss this."
"Max, you don't want to be my mommy?"
"Kara, I," she started. What is wrong with me? I love her too. I don't know what to say…she's John's daughter, with Deanna, and…he tells her stories about her, he wants her to understand that Deanna is a part of her and will always love her. And I love that about him.
"You're my mommy," Kara repeated, tugging on both of her hands. "We do stuff together. You make me and Daddy happy. I want you and Daddy to get married so we can be a real family. Please, Max, please? You can wear a pretty dress and kiss Daddy again."
I'm going to cry and it's not because of my hormones. She crouched down and hugged Kara for a long moment. Ah, I love this kid, and not just because she is John's. "You want me to wear a pretty dress?"
She nodded, hugging her back. "And Daddy will tell you how much he loves you, and then you'll kiss and you'll really be my mommy. Please?"
"Kara," John said, seeing her death grip on Max. Ah, she is Kara's mom in so many ways. "What do you say, Honey? Mommy sounds pretty good to me."
Max looked up at him before back down to Kara in her arms. Mommy, to this sweet girl and the baby in my belly. My family. "I'm your mommy, Kara."
Kenny & Kim – 4 Months Ago
"I love you."
Kim smiled at that, as they sat curled up on his sofa on the rainy Sunday. "I love you too."
"What do you say we get out of here? Go get something to eat, see a movie?" Kenny said.
"We can do those things here, and I need to study."
He clamped down on his frustration. "We can't keep hiding."
She groaned at that. "Yeah? Kenny, I can't keep having this conversation. It's hard enough balancing school and us, and I can't deal with my parents on top of that."
Is she ashamed? Is this what this really is? No, Jimmy is going to blow up at us. It took him weeks to get over Max and Littleton, and to their credit they've kept it out of work…I'm just waiting for her to show up with a ring on her finger. "We can get it over with."
She shook her head. "Over with? Why can't what we have right now be enough?"
Kenny looked at for a long moment. What is this really? For her? For me? "It can be."
Rome – Present
"You still looked shocked."
"I need a drink," Max trailed off, sipping her water. "A real one. I'd settle for coffee."
"Come on. You know how she feels."
Max broke into a grin at that. "I do. I just didn't expect her to come out with it like that. Are you okay with it?"
"That our daughter wants to call you Mommy?" John asked. "She is ours, Honey."
She looked at him with that one. "John."
"The same way the one you are cooking in there is going to be. She never knew Deanna, I raised her for four years alone and…it's you and me, Max. I want you to be Kara's mom as much as she does. I want you…Max, it's you and me for the long haul."
"What if I screw her up? What if I screw this baby up? What if I'm a terrible mother?"
He smiled at that, tugging her in close to him and brushing his lips over hers. "Get out of your head. You are wonderful with Kara…and not just because you eat junk with her. This is our family, Max, and I'm more than looking forward to building it with you."
"Oh, you are so too good for me."
"Not even close," he teased. "Do you know how lucky I am? Max, I never thought I'd find a second love of my life…until we started sniping at each other. You woke me up again. I want us to spend the rest our lives together. I love you."
She gulped back her tears at his sweet words. "I love you too."
He wiped her tears away with his thumbs and pressed his lips to her forehead. "Max."
"It's hormones," she said, not being able to stop her tears. "Really."
"You're adorable. Can I make you cry so more?"
She buried her face in his neck, as he gave her a long squeeze. "I cried at a vacuum commercial earlier."
"After you threw up?"
She nodded, fighting to get control of herself and failing miserably. "What is wrong with me?"
"Nothing. You're perfect. I love you," he said again, tilting her tear streaked face to his. "I love our life together. I love waking up with you, the way you smile at me and then burn eggs. You make me think, you challenge me…we have fun together. You're a wonderful mother…you make me melt inside, Honey. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, raising Kara, this new baby, and whatever other kids we might have. Our future is together. Max…"
She gulped, as he wiped her years away again, smiling as he did. "John?"
"This isn't because you're pregnant," he smiled. "I've been wanting to ask you this for a long time. Maxine Stewart, will you marry me?"
She shivered, as he slid the diamond on her finger. Marry him. "John?"
"Oh, you hormonal and emotional mess," he teased, intertwining his hand with hers. "This looks good on you. What do you say?"
She took a steadying breath and nodded. "Yes, of course, yes."
Rome – 2 Weeks Later
She's getting married, Kenny thought, she hasn't stop smiling in two weeks over it. What the hell, Max? Married, pregnant, living with him, being his daughter's stepmom, and she's glowing. Littleton, of course it's Littleton. She's going to be Max Littleton.
He keeps staring at me, Max thought, looking down at herself. Am I getting fat? All the vomiting cleared out five pounds…making room for baby in there? My little peanut. No…it's the ring. The engagement and that he's been an ass to me. Whoever did this did a number on him. I must be glutton for punishment. "Hey, do you want to go grab lunch?"
He looked at her ring again before back at her. "Since when?"
"Stop," she groaned. "Since when did we stop being friends?"
Since you're pregnant, engaged, and Kim is ignoring me. I can't be around her, even if she doesn't really talk about the two biggest things in her life right now. I bet she does with her new friends…all those parents she hangs out with now. Playdates with Kara Littleton. She's leaving me too…she'll be ensconced in mommy-hood with that kid in her. "Max, forget it."
She gritted her teeth, silently cursing him. "How long are you going to be an ass to me for?"
He looked at her for a long moment. Glowing, he thought again, her hair in a French braid down her back, she doesn't look remotely pregnant, and that tasteful, of course it's tasteful from Littleton, diamond ring on her finger. "What do we have to talk about?"
"We talk about everything."
"Max, Kenny," Jimmy called from his office door where he disappeared with Jill earlier. "My office, now."
In The Woods
No, Kim thought groggily, as she lay on the skins in her prison. I can't move, I hurt…Cracking her eyes open, she stared at her arm. It's a nightmare…this isn't real…they…like my sisters. Not my sisters. They made me their sister…his wife. Drool dripping down her chin, she let her gaze travel down her body, now tattooed with her pack's marks. My pack.
Rome – Present
"What?" Max said. "For two weeks?"
"She said she had finals, but," Jimmy said. "Her roommates haven't seen her. She didn't take her finals."
Max felt her blood run cold at that. Two weeks ago, those kids, the urban legend…no way. We aren't thinking…she isn't the kind of 19 year old to take off.
"She had a boyfriend," Jill said. "She wouldn't talk about it, but she was seeing someone."
"Her room was searched, nothing is missing," Jimmy continued. "Her credit cards weren't used. Her phone hasn't been turned on. She's gone."
Kenny sat back, his heart dropping to his knees as he looked at his shell shocked boss and wife. she drove those roads so no one would see her come to my place…she would have been on them that night.
"Two weeks ago?" Max asked. "The same day the wall was ripped out and those kids vanished again?"
"She wasn't here. She never drove that road. She was at school."
No, Kenny thought, no. She didn't…two weeks. She… "She did. She drove them a lot."
Max looked at him with that. Oh, God…he's been pissed off for two weeks. Kim? She didn't show up and…Oh God.
"Kenny?" Jimmy pressed. "Why?"
"We were seeing each other. It was a way into town where no one would see. She was supposed to come over that night…I thought she blew me off because she didn't want to tell you."
TBC
