He smoothed back her hair, letting the silky strands slip through his fingers. Beautiful, he thought, nervous. "Come on. Time is up."

"I can't look," she blurted out, as they walked into the bathroom together. "Why am I so nervous?"

"Because you're pregnant?" he teased. "What does it say?"

Max picked up it gingerly, and shook her head. "It's negative."

"You sure? You feel pregnant, the vomiting?"

"Nerves, I guess…just convinced myself?" she trailed off, more disappointed then she thought. "I really thought, really felt…"

He squeezed her hand in his. "You know, if we're serious…we can really try, Honey."

She turned to look at him, a little unsure of what she was really feeling. I want to work, she thought, I want to be more then I am…another baby, I love my kids…I can do this. "One more?"

Kenny nodded, pulling her into his arms. "Want to get started?"

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"She's committing a felony," Skeeter groaned.

Kenny thought of the wad of cash and fake identification his wife was holding. Into the lion's den, he thought, she'll be fine. Confident this morning, he thought, because she's doing what she loves. What I took from her…she should hate me. But no, she read with Emily, solved Nate's homework emergency, Samantha's hair crisis…kissed me, said she'd meet me in bed tonight. "She told me if we cuff her, she'd divorce me.'

He snorted at that, as they continued to followed the car at a safe distance. "Really?"

"She's a little unpredictable. What is she doing?"

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Slow and easy, Max thought, as she slid into the car next to Natalie. "Where are we going?"

Natalie shook her head. "I'll tell you when we get there."

Shouldn't of gotten in the car, she thought, not liking the look in her friend's eye. "I just need to pick up the girls at three."

"Because you're not coming with us."

"Nat, I can't go," Max trailed off. "I though about it, but…I need to work it out with Kenny. Or at least try to."

"He ignores you, unless your having sex."

"We have great sex," she deadpanned. "It makes up for a lot."

"You love him."

"Yeah," she trailed off. "Of course I do, it's why it's why it's hard sometimes, I don't want to give up on us."

Natalie sighed. "You'll get to this spot too."

"Maybe, probably…I get it, okay? I want to make sure you guys are okay."

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"I'm still going with scary good," Skeeter commented. "You okay?"

"Great. I'll be better when she finishes this," Kenny stated. Back to work, she's serious. Jimmy wants her back, we've been short staffed for awhile, it'll be okay. We can make it work. Get through this first. "She'll be fine."

"Really."

"I'll always worry…come on, she has a way of getting herself into trouble. She…she told me she isn't 25 anymore, that she's grown up, to trust her."

"Do you?"

"Trust her? If course I do."

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"Here?" Max asked, as Natalie pulled into the spa. "The spa?"

"She loves the spa…so do I."

Max groaned internally. Of course, I shouldn't be surprised. The spa…I should of figured this out, instead of … of what? Raising my kids? I'm more screwed up then I want to admit. "I know, it's just…this whole thing is just…I feel bad for her."

Natalie nodded, as she shifted her Lexus into park. "Come on. Do you have the stuff?"

Max nodded, fingering the envelope in her bag. "Yeah."

"Come on. Lets go get her."

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Come on, Max, Kenny thought, as they watched her and Natalie go inside. Get out of there. No, she can do this, I know she can…I've had her pigeon holed as my wife for a long time…she can do this.

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Oh, crap, Max thought, as they walked into the suite. Smile, stay calm, I have back up. They're my friends, they aren't going to shoot me. "Ann? Hi."

"You came," Ann sighed, sitting up on the bed and smiling at her. "We didn't think you would."

"I can be unpredictable," Max stated, staring at her. She cut her hair off, looking at the cropped blonde do…kind of like mine was for awhile. Thin…shaking…look at her pupils. Crap, she's high. "How are you? Ann, what happened?"

She shook her head. "That isn't important anymore."

Your kids are dead, your husband…it more then I ever thought. How can it not matter? "I'm sorry anyway. How long have you been here for?"

Ann smiled again. "Not long enough. This is perfect…I cannot wait to leave, start my new life. Come with us."

Run away, Max thought, gulping back her nausea. Start over? No…Tempting some days, but no. "I can't."

"Too bad," Ann sighed, whipping the gun out from under the blanket and puling the trigger.

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"Damn it!" Kenny yelped, feeling his heart leap into his throat. Max, no, not now…Come on, Honey, don't be…No.

"Move in!" Jimmy shouted, as the cars that pulled up. "Kenny wait."

"She's my wife!"

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"Natalie!" Max cried, watching her fall to the floor, as Ann's bullet hit her in the shoulder. "What the hell?"

"Hmm, I should get used to this," Ann sighed, aiming again.

"No!" Max shouted, lunging at her and knocking her to the ground. Kicking the gun away, she crushed her to the ground. "Nat? You with me? You okay?"

"Get off of me!" Ann cried. "You fat bitch!"

"You're calling me a bitch? You just shot someone!" Max retorted, pulling the zip ties from her bag. Tying her hands together and her foot to the bed, she kicked the gun into the bathroom. "You're nuts, everyone I ever…God. Nat?"

"She shot me!"

Pressing the clean washcloth into the wound. "Stay still. Help is coming."

"Why?"

"You bitch!" Ann shouted. "I'll kill you too."

"Others have tried," Max said under her breath, hearing the feet pounding the floor in the hallway. "Stay with me, okay. You're okay."

"Max?"

She kept pressing into the wound, the blood running over her fingers. "She needs to get to the hospital."

Kenny watched her for a long moment, his relief knowing no bounds. Okay, she's okay…not her blood. Shot at, my wife, the mother of my children…look at her. Zip tied Ann to the bed? God, I love her.

"We got her," the EMT said. "Mam?"

Max looked up, swallowing back her shock, and looking at the cops swarming the room. It's done. "Okay."

"Bitch!" Ann shouted, as they cuffed her and the cut the ties. "I'll kill you! You set me up!"

Max shuddered, her heart hurting, as Kenny all but pulled her to her feet. "Hi."

He just looked at her. Alive, she's not hurt, she's okay. "Hi, yourself."

"Come here," he murmured, pulling her into his arms. Ignoring the others, he held her close for a long moment, stroking her hair, inhaling her scent, making sure she was really okay. "Honey?"

"I'm okay," she said, pulling back slightly to look at him. "Don't look at me like that. I'm okay."

"She could of shot you."

"She's high, her aim was off."

"Since when are you a comedian?"

She smiled slightly at him. Overprotective, she thought, he's always going to be that way. With our family, me…he always hse been, let him be right now, even if it is mildly embarrassing with all these people around. People I want to work with again. The helpless wife. "I know how much you worry, look at me. I'm in one piece."

"Kenny," Jimmy said, watching them. "Max?"

"Yeah?" Max asked, as she turned to look at him. Worry about Kenny's worry later. "Natalie, she…I should go to the hospital."

"She was harboring a fugitive."

"She's still my friend…at least until she realizes…"

"You saved her life."

"She was aiming for me," Max trailed off, feeling dizzy. "She was high…and, wow."

"Honey?" Kenny asked, steadying her as she swayed on her feet. "Hey, I got you. Max?"

She held onto him for a long moment, as the room wavered around her. "Sorry, I just got really lightheaded for a minute. Kenny, really, I'm fine."

Not fine, he thought, covered in blood, pale, she could of died. "Lightheaded, huh?"

She caught his look, knowing what he was thinking. Negative, it was negative. Screw that, I know my body, I know how I feel. That test has been under the sink for three years. "Yeah."

"Come on," Jimmy said, watching them both. "We're going to the station. Nice work."