Chapter 3

Later that night Maxie walked into her room in a tank top and pajama bottoms with her hair still damp from the shower she had just taken. Cooper looked up from his spot on the rug.

"Do you feel better now?"

"Yeah," Maxie replied plopping on her bed.

"You ready to go to bed?" Cooper asked seeing how tired Maxie looked and also seeing what time it was.

"I usually like to stay up late but I'm ready to go to bed," Maxie said getting up.

"What are you doing?" Cooper asked giving Maxie a confused look.

"Take your pick," Maxie said ignoring Coopers question but holding up two furry blankets.

"That one," Cooper said pointing to the brown one.

Maxie didn't say anything she just tossed him the blanket and a squishy pillow.

After a few minutes Maxie was settled in her bed and Cooper was lying comfortably on the rug---well he was as comfortable as a person sleeping on a rug could get.

"Good night," Maxie said quietly.

"Night," Cooper replied.

After that a comfortable silence fell between them. Cooper thought about earlier when Maxie had acted like she wanted to say something but changed her mind.

"Hey Maxie you still awake?" Cooper asked in a whisper.

"Yeah, why?"

"I wanted to ask you something,"

"What?"

"Earlier after we discussed the plan and the sleeping arrangements you acted like you wanted to say something but didn't, what was it?"

Maxie hesitated for a minute before speaking.

"I was thinking about when you threw yourself on me to protect me from the explosion,"

Cooper nodded.

"What about it?"

"Why did you throw yourself on top of me when you knew you could've ended up getting yourself killed that way?"

Because I care about you. Cooper thought to himself.

"I thought about what you said about seeing the hostages as people and when that detonator landed right at my feet and when I had a chance to use it I didn't because I didn't want you to get hurt,"

Maxie smiled but before she could say anything she heard footsteps in the hallway heading straight for her room. Cooper and Maxie exchanged glances before they heard Georgie's voice outside the door.

"Maxie you still awake?"

"Yeah I'm still awake," Maxie said looking at Cooper and mouthing the word sorry.

He just gave her an understanding smile before ducking into the closet.

Only a few seconds after Cooper stepped into the closet Georgie walked into the room.

"What do you need Georgie?"

"I just wanted to tell you that Mac says we have to get up early because we have to pick Robin up from GH,"

Maxie could tell Georgie was leaving something out.

"What's wrong Georgie?"

"Mom called Mac earlier because she heard you were in the hostage situation,"

Maxie nodded.

"She couldn't have called or dare I say come back last summer when I needed her could she?" Maxie asked feeling her resentment toward her mother build.

Back in the closet Cooper listened to what Maxie and Georgie were saying and remembered one particular conversation they had had in the vault when her mom had come up…

"Oh. So you have no problem with being used?"

"We're using each other. The difference is we're up front about it. Not like that guy Lucky you were with. You deserve better,"

"Now you sound like my step dad and my sister,"

"You talk about them a lot. But you barely talk about your mom,"

"Yeah, well, my mom hasn't been around a lot. In some ways she's a lot like you. Hate to be tied down, always looking for something better,"

"What's wrong with that?"

"Nothing at all if you want to end up alone. But I don't. I want to fall in love and have it last. Just once."

Cooper thought about what Maxie said about her mom not being around a lot. He understood what that was like just as much as she did. His thoughts were interrupted by Maxie and Georgie's voices.

"Maxie you know why she---" Georgie was cut off by Maxie.

"I know why she left but that was two years ago she could've come back for a short time every now and then,"

Georgie sighed she knew it was useless to talk to Maxie when she was like this.

"I just thought I'd tell you she called," Georgie said before walking out of the room.

Maxie sighed and plopped down on her bed.

Cooper slowly stepped out of the closet.

"You okay?" Cooper asked putting his hand on Maxie's shoulder.

Maxie smiled.

"I'm fine,"

Cooper saw she wasn't fine and he knew it was because it was because her mom called.

He just nodded because he didn't want to push her to talk about it if she didn't want to.

After a few seconds of silence Maxie spoke up.

"I'm not fine, I'm angry with my mom but I should be used to her not being around by now,"

"Not having a parent around isn't something you just get used to Maxie,"

"You sound like you're speaking from experience,"

"Well I kind of am,"

"What do you mean?" Maxie asked even though she thought she knew what he meant.

"When I was twelve my father left so my mother threw herself into work and dating, which meant she wasn't around very often," Cooper explained.

"This pretty much left you to fend for yourself,"

"Yeah,"

Maxie knew Cooper was leaving something out but she didn't want to press him on it. She understood not wanting to give out every detail of your family life--- even if she had told him most of the details about hers.

"We should go to bed if you have to get up early tomorrow," Cooper said looking at the clock.

"Okay," Maxie said giving him a small smile before getting under the covers.

After a few seconds Maxie fell asleep. Cooper couldn't fall asleep as easily so he stayed up and watched Maxie as she slept and thought about what he had just told her until he finally feel asleep.

A/N:I didn't watch GH when Brenda was on so I didn't know much about the Barret history and since we aren't sure how it's going to play out I just kind of made my own history.