Maxie blinked, let out a breath and looked down. She thought of how she used to try and snare Lucky with her lies and manipulations. It came easy to her. But it had also landed her here. So she told the truth this time.
"The father is Kyle Radcliffe. The baby was born in a car on the side of the interstate. I don't care..." her voice broke. "I don't care what happens to me now. I have to let my baby know the truth about herself. She deserves at least that from me."
Tears rolled out of Maxie's eyes.
Lucky stood. He left the room and came back with some tissues.
He asked, "You were alone when you had her?"
"My friend helped me. Don't ask who. Because I won't say. The baby came so quick we didn't make it to the hospital. That was my fault." Maxie sighed, " As soon as I went intolabor I freaked and made her start driving me toward Port Charles. I wanted to get to my mom. How stupid, huh?"
"Maxie." he said softly
"Don't feel sorry for me."
Lucky took a breath. He told her, "Tell me how the baby ended up in the park."
"After she was born my friend wanted to drive us to the hospital but I said no. We got a motel for a few hours. She fell asleep. I scooped up the baby and took off. I wasn't thinking straight. I was so out of it, Lucky. I don't know how I even stayed on the road. It was like it was someone else doing these things. But it was me."
"You could have called me."
"No, I couldn't have. I was too ashamed. I headed for Port Charles and saw the carnival. So many people I knew were there. And I thought... the picnic basket was in the trunk. It had been there for months since the summer before. I waited in the woods nearby until Carly found her. I knew whoever did would take better care of her than I could. I had nothing to my name except an addiction to booze."
He gave her a wide eyed look.
"I didn't drink when I was pregnant. I did that right, Lucky. I stopped drinking and drugging when I found out I was pregnant. But I didn't stop living my crazy life. I couldn't be a mom. Look at me! I'm worthless. Everyone in this town knows that."
"You're not."
She cried, "I hurt everyone. This will kill my folks. And Georgie is being eaten alive with guilt. I called her when I went into labor and confessed about being homeless and pregnant. I told her I was on my way home. When I never showed up, but a baby did and in our picnic basket, she all but knew it was mine. And now everyone else will, too."
"I can help you. You can cut a deal."
Maxie laughed bitterly. "What kind of deal can I make for murder? Because I was there when Lucas died."
MAC sat in his office, behind the desk that seemed to dwarf the room. His eyes focused on his hand, as it lingered midair over the phone, his fingers shaking.
I have to call her, he ordered himself.
With a jerk he pulled the phone off of it's cradle and punched in to numbers. He blew a hot stream of air out of his lips. Anger rolled through him. But the intensity of that did not scare him as much as the disappointed that rose up like bile, threatening to choke him, kill him before he could face another day.
His wife's sweet voice filled the phone line. Mac would give all the money in his IRA to not tell her what he had to.
"Hey, hon." Felicia answered "You coming home before midnight tonight? I miss falling asleep with you holding me."
Mac opened his lips to say that Maxie was alive, but not coming home to them anytime soon, but the words that came out were "Yeah, I'm on my way, babe."
They could have one more night before Felicia had to know about the fate of their oldest child.
One more night. That was all he had left to offer her.
ROBIN pulled off her gloves and she stood next to Patrick outside the OR.
"That's the last surgery for today," he said, exhaustion tinging his words. "Lets get changed and go deal with your cousin."
"You read my mind." she said. Her face showed signs of being tired, but her eyes were pools of anger.
How dare Maxie do this to her own child? All she had to do was turn to Mac.
Robin wanted to feel compassion, but it struck too close to home. Isabella might be scarred for life over Maxie's irresponsibility.
In the locker room she peeled off her top as Patrick did the same. He reached into his locker.
She said, "Promise me something."
Looking in her eyes he said, "Anything."
For a moment Robin felt calm. He was here for her. Not running away. They were a team, as it should be.
Then she pictured Maxie walking away from the picnic basket and said, "Promise me you will bail me out of jail if I get arrested for slapping some sense into my cousin."
He smiled and pulled on his shirt. "You won't do that."
Robin got changed. "Just get the bail money ready. I'll do whatever I have in order to protect the people I love."
She walked out of the locker room. He said, softly, " Me, too."
Author's note- I made Maxie the mom and Kyle the dad so that neither would be fit to take Angel baby back. Kyle is dead and Maxie has to overcome legal issues from the hit and run, her drinking, and her own mental health issues before she can have a child.
Georgie or Lulu might be able to, with the help of their family, take the baby if they were the mom. But Maxie just can not, not in the state she is in. Overall, I also think it makes Isabella most secure with her adopted parents to not have a birth father like Dillon or Lucky who could claim custody.